Chapter 675: Zi Yan's Father - Zhu Kun
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As Mo Yu and Xiao Yan charged forward, breaking through with unstoppable force, the color of the surrounding magma began to change from a fiery red to a dark crimson. When the magma shifted to this color, the duo's speed slowed down significantly. It was as if the magma contained some strange heat that even Mo Yu and Xiao Yan, with their immense strength, couldn't fully resist.
"Something's not right," Mo Yu suddenly remarked, waving at Xiao Yan to stop. Both of them immediately halted their descent.
Xiao Yan also sensed something strange. The moment he saw Mo Yu's signal, his body froze.
The two exchanged a glance, then turned their focus ahead. Through their soul senses, they realized they had reached the bottom of the magma, yet all they saw was more magma extending endlessly.
Suddenly, Xiao Yan extended his hand. With the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame swirling around his palm, he gently touched the magma in front of him.
Buzz!
The moment Xiao Yan's hand made contact with the magma, ripples spread across it. His hand seemed to vanish into the magma as if it had pierced through a hidden layer of space.
"There's a hidden space beneath the magma…" Xiao Yan gasped in surprise.
"The ancient Emperor Tuoshe really is extraordinary," Mo Yu said softly.
In the past ten thousand years, no one but the lone Dou Emperor could have crafted something so incredible.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded in agreement, his black eyes gleaming with excitement.
Without further hesitation, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan took a step forward, directly entering the hidden space beneath the magma!
Whoosh!
As their bodies entered the mysterious space, the sound of the flowing magma suddenly ceased.
Mo Yu and Xiao Yan found themselves in a vast, dark, and silent void. The space had an ancient, timeless feel to it, as if it had been untouched for countless years.
They flew through the empty space for a few minutes before stopping abruptly. Their gazes locked on a massive stone gate in the distance, towering tens of thousands of feet high.
The stone gate stood quietly in the empty space, as though it had existed for an eternity. It emanated an ancient and primal aura, spreading across the entire space.
Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's eyes scanned the stone gate before settling on the top, where four ancient characters were inscribed: "Ancient Emperor's Tomb."
The inscription wasn't fancy or ornate, but it exuded a sense of supreme authority, as if it ruled over all heaven and earth.
"We finally found it…" Mo Yu and Xiao Yan exchanged glances, smiles breaking out on their faces.
However, their joy was short-lived. Out of nowhere, a brilliant flame burst forth in the darkness, illuminating the ancient space. At the same time, a chilling sensation crept into Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's hearts as they looked down at the gigantic creature lurking in the dark depths below.
It was a colossal being, far beyond description, coiled motionless in the void. Mo Yu and Xiao Yan followed its massive form with their eyes, but even as their vision stretched into the darkness, they couldn't see its end.
The mysterious creature had scales of deep purple and gold, with a body covered in cold, iron-like armor. Its presence radiated an aura of strength and timelessness.
Mo Yu quickly realized what it was: Zhu Kun, the former Dragon Emperor of the ancient Void Dragon clan.
As Mo Yu processed this, the massive creature's eyes—closed for what seemed like ages—suddenly opened.
These enormous eyes, with overlapping pupils, glowed faintly red. They were so large that each eye alone dwarfed Mo Yu by hundreds of times. The moment the creature's gaze locked onto Mo Yu and Xiao Yan, a terrifying pressure descended on them, as if the entire world was crashing down upon them.
Even with their immense power, Mo Yu and Xiao Yan felt an overwhelming weight pressing down on them.
Mo Yu narrowed his eyes. No wonder Emperor Tuoshe chose Zhu Kun as the tomb's guardian. His power likely exceeded even that of Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan, rivaling the legendary Xiao Xuan.
"Grave trespassers… do you have the Ancient Jade?" A voice rumbled through the space, shaking it to its core.
Xiao Yan's expression turned serious. He clasped his hands together respectfully and said, "We stumbled in here by accident. If we've caused any disturbance, we apologize and will leave immediately."
"No Ancient Jade?" the creature's voice echoed again, this time tinged with disappointment—and a cold killing intent.
"Not good!" Sensing the shift in mood, both Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's expressions changed, and they immediately retreated at full speed.
"If you don't have it… then stay here forever," the voice said coldly. The entire space trembled as a pillar of dazzling purple-gold light shot out from the darkness, speeding towards Mo Yu and Xiao Yan.
"Hmph!" Mo Yu's eyes turned cold. With a flick of his hand, a massive thunderbolt shot forward, creating a devastating shockwave that collided with the purple-gold beam.
Boom!
The space exploded with a thunderous roar. Lightning crackled as it clashed against the purple-gold light, and Xiao Yan quickly added his own attack, sending two fierce soul shockwaves crashing into the purple light.
Boom! Boom!
The combined soul attacks finally shattered the purple light, but the residual force still sent Mo Yu and Xiao Yan flying back a thousand feet.
"This creature's strength is terrifying!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, his face pale.
"One is an Eight-Star Dou Saint, and the other has an emperor-level soul…" the mysterious creature's voice carried a hint of surprise.
"But even with such strength… you should stay and keep me company," it continued. Purple-gold light flickered around the creature, forming a strange seal that it hurled toward Mo Yu and Xiao Yan.
"Cousin, what do we do? This guy is too strong!" Xiao Yan shouted, feeling overwhelmed.
Mo Yu's eyes narrowed as a thought flashed through his mind. He quickly retrieved a purple-gold scale from his robe and held it up toward the creature.
Buzz!
As soon as the scale appeared, the massive creature in the darkness trembled. A familiar sensation spread through its body, breaking the chains of its long slumber.
Buzz!
Just as the seal was about to crush them, it suddenly froze in mid-air, though the pressure from it still caused the space around them to crack.
Xiao Yan, preparing for the worst, was momentarily stunned. His gaze fell on the scale in Mo Yu's hand. "That scale…"
In the darkness, the giant creature's eyes, now filled with confusion, focused intently on the scale in Mo Yu's hand.
Seeing that Zhu Kun had been momentarily pacified by the scale that Zi Yan had given him, Mo Yu turned to the dazed Xiao Yan and urgently said, "Now's our chance! Let's get out of here!"
Though the Dragon Emperor Scale had bought them some time, Mo Yu wasn't sure of Zhu Kun's current state. With his power at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Saint, it would be safest to wait for Gu Yuan and the others to arrive.
Xiao Yan nodded, still stunned by what had just happened. Without further delay, the two turned into streaks of light and bolted toward the exit, disappearing into the depths of the space.
Once Mo Yu and Xiao Yan had fled, the dark space gradually returned to its former silence.
After what seemed like ages, a realization dawned in the creature's ancient eyes. The confusion faded, replaced by a deep sense of joy.
"That scale… it smells like my child."
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed through the space. The massive creature, dormant for so long, surged into motion, crashing against the space's boundaries in a frenzy.
But no matter how hard it struck, the space remained as solid as a prison, glowing faintly with an unbreakable light.
"Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, you treacherous fiend!" the creature howled, turning its enormous eyes toward the ancient stone gate in the center of the space. Its roar of rage echoed endlessly, but the gate remained silent, as if it had always been so.
Boom!
At the bottom of the Heaven-Burning Qi Refining Tower, magma erupted violently, and two somewhat battered figures shot out, much to the astonishment of Xun Er and the others.
"Xiao Yan!"
"Cousin Mo Yu!"
Seeing the two figures, Xun Er's face changed slightly, and she hurried forward.
"We're fine," Xiao Yan reassured her, wiping a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. His gaze turned solemn as he looked back at the magma tunnel. He hadn't expected such a terrifying creature to be lurking at the bottom of the magma world.
Mo Yu also sighed with relief. Things had gotten dangerously close. If not for the Dragon Emperor Scale that Zi Yan had given him, he and Xiao Yan might not have made it out of the magma world alive.
After all, that creature was one of the strongest below the Dou Emperor level, with a formidable physical body and terrifying power.
"What happened?" Su Qian and the others were alarmed by Mo Yu and Xiao Yan's condition. Knowing their immense strength, they couldn't imagine what kind of monstrous being had forced them into such a state.
"Old Man Mang, inform Clan Leader Gu Yuan. The information… it's confirmed," Xiao Yan said seriously.
Hearing this, Mang Tian Chi's face twitched, and his heart pounded. He understood the gravity of the situation and hurriedly rushed off to relay the message to Gu Yuan and the others.
"The Ancient Emperor's Tomb is really at the bottom of the magma?" Xun Er asked in surprise as she looked at the magma tunnel.
Xiao Yan nodded, explaining what had happened in the magma world. When Xun Er and the others heard that a creature powerful enough to rival Gu Yuan and Hun Tiandi was guarding the tomb, their faces turned pale with shock.
"Luckily, that creature seems bound to that space. Otherwise, we'd have had a huge problem today," Xiao Yan said with a bitter smile, feeling relieved. If that terrifying creature had broken free, none of them would have been able to stop it.
"By the way, cousin, how did you make the creature stop attacking us?" Xiao Yan asked, curious now that they were safe.
Mo Yu had expected this question. He pulled out the purple-gold scale from his robe again.
"Hey, isn't that a scale from Zi Yan? I've seen it before," Cai Lin remarked with a surprised expression.
Xiao Yan was momentarily taken aback before realizing the truth. "Could that creature be a powerful Void Dragon, and that's why it reacted to Zi Yan's Dragon Emperor scale?"
"Exactly, Xiao Yan," Mo Yu said with a smile. "If I'm not mistaken, the creature beneath the magma isn't just any Void Dragon. It's likely the ancient Dragon Emperor who disappeared thousands of years ago—Zi Yan's father, Zhu Kun."
"What? That creature is Zi Yan's father?" Xiao Yan, Xun Er, and the others were shocked. Who would have thought that the mischievous little girl they once knew, now the renowned Dragon Emperor of the Dou Qi Continent, had a father still out there, lost to the world?
(End of the chapter)
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