Outside the Haotian Mirror.
Northern Empress Leng Ruoxue and Heavenly Fire Empress Huo Ling'er were furious watching Xiao Fan being surrounded by those women. How shameless of this dragon, Long Xiao, to offer his wives to their master, Xiao Fan!
"Is this dragon Long Xiao still alive? If not, we don't mind making him die all over again," they fumed.
Lunar Yin Empress Wen Yaxian's face also showed displeasure. Although she trusted Xiao Fan, Long Xiao's behavior was an insult to him. If they couldn't find Long Xiao, they would settle for punishing the current dragon clan chief.
Three cold glares focused on Long Guang, who was dumbfounded. He wanted to shout, "I'm Long Guang, not Long Xiao! Long Xiao, an elder of mine, perished in the battle with the demon clan years ago. Staring at me won't help!"
Despite his frustration, Long Guang could do nothing. The three Empresses' presence was too overwhelming. All he could do was endure the humiliation and hope that when the Haotian Mirror exposed Xiao Fan's crimes against the dragon clan, they would have nothing to say.
Inside the Haotian Mirror.
The chaotic banquet finally ended. After comforting Long Xiaoxiao to sleep, Xiao Fan looked at the night sky, his mind filled with unease. Everything seemed normal, but he couldn't shake the feeling that bringing Long Xiaoxiao back to the dragon clan might have been a mistake. However, it was too late to turn back now.
The next day, Long Xiao arrived at Xiao Fan's residence, stating that he would take Long Xiaoxiao to the dragon clan's altar to awaken her bloodline. This was a necessary process for every dragon, as their cultivation depended on their bloodline power. Although Xiao Fan knew that the dragon clan's altar was a sacred place and humans were generally not allowed, Long Xiaoxiao couldn't be separated from him, so he requested to accompany her.
To his surprise, Long Xiao agreed without hesitation, explaining that he had already informed the clan chief, who also wished to meet Xiao Fan. This was unexpected, given the dragon clan's reputation for arrogance and disdain towards other races. The more things deviated from his expectations, the more uneasy Xiao Fan felt. It was as if he was entering an unknown world.
Following Long Xiao, Xiao Fan arrived at the most sacred place within the dragon realm: the Dragon Sacred City. They first entered a vast plaza filled with massive stone pillars, each with young dragons coiled around them. According to Long Xiao, the dragon clan highly valued bloodline purity, and only young dragons with awakened bloodlines of a certain grade were allowed to train in the Sacred City.
Xiao Fan nodded but remained silent, his mind racing. Only pure-blooded dragons could maintain their dragon form in childhood. Mixed-blood dragons like Long Xiaoxiao, who couldn't maintain their dragon form until adulthood, were notably absent. Given the number of dragon-human pairings, it seemed unlikely that there wouldn't be any mixed-blood dragons meeting the standards.
Was this a coincidence, or was there another reason?
Passing through the plaza, the young dragons curiously eyed Xiao Fan and Long Xiaoxiao, who was equally curious about them. It was her first time seeing so many of her kind up close, and she even reached out to touch one but hesitated and pulled back. Seeing this, Xiao Fan smiled, pleased that Long Xiaoxiao was taking the first step towards overcoming her fear.
They continued to the deepest part of the Sacred City, reaching the dragon clan's altar. The altar's center featured a massive dragon-shaped stone pillar, surrounded by over a dozen elderly silver-haired dragons seated in meditation. Though they appeared frail, their presence exuded immense power.
Xiao Fan carefully observed them, recognizing them as Saint-level powerhouses, the true foundation of the dragon clan.
"Long Xiao greets the elders!" Long Xiao bowed respectfully, but the elders remained motionless with their eyes closed.
Then, a hundred-foot-long black dragon descended from the sky, transforming into a stern middle-aged man.
"Long Xiao greets the chief!" Long Xiao showed great deference to the dragon clan chief. Xiao Fan also bowed in greeting, but the chief ignored both men, his eyes fixed on Long Xiaoxiao.
The chief's intense gaze frightened Long Xiaoxiao, causing her to hide behind Xiao Fan. This forced the chief to finally acknowledge Xiao Fan.
The chief's cold demeanor softened as he suddenly smiled, saying, "You must be Xiaoxiao's master. We owe you a great debt for bringing her back to us."
"Please, consider yourself an honored guest of our clan. There's no need for formality."
Xiao Fan felt exasperated. Did all dragons enjoy building suspense?
"Thank you, Chief. I am unworthy of such praise," Xiao Fan replied. Respect was mutual, and Xiao Fan reciprocated the chief's politeness.