"This... this aura..."
Upon arriving here, the third elder of East Dragon Island, Zhu Li, appeared even more excited than before. He could sense a bloodline connection in the air.
"Huff..."
Ziyan exhaled lightly, her small face becoming unusually solemn. Immediately after, she stomped on the ground, transforming into a blur of light as she shot up the stone steps. Within a few flashes, she reached the end of the altar.
Gu Fei and the others followed closely behind, but when they reached the top of the altar, they saw the utterly shocked expression on Ziyan's face.
Following her gaze, they saw a stone platform in the center of the altar, colored in both gold and purple. On the stone platform was a half-foot-deep groove, and within this groove, a small sapling had sprouted from the stone. The sapling was no thicker than a thumb, yet it coiled and twisted like a mighty dragon. At the top of the sapling hung a fruit.
The fruit was about the size of a palm, with a body that was half gold and half purple. Upon closer inspection, they could see that the purple half resembled a minuscule version of an Ancient Void Dragon, while the golden half looked like an Ancient Heaven Phoenix spreading its wings.
"A fruit that takes the form of the Ancient Void Dragon and the Ancient Heaven Phoenix? Is this the great fortune that Gu Fei (my husband) promised Ziyan?"
As they stared at the extremely peculiar fruit, Cai Lin, Xiao Yi Xian, and Qing Lin exchanged puzzled glances, utterly bewildered.
"It seems that the overwhelming pressure... is emanating from the fruit," Venerable Tian Huo said in a low voice, his tone filled with disbelief.
"This is the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit... It only exists in the ancient records of my Ancient Void Dragon Tribe!" Zhu Li explained with a face full of joy. "That 'Phoenix' is the ancestor of the Heaven Demon Phoenix clan, the Ancient Heaven Phoenix. This fruit can only be produced by absorbing the life force of both an Ancient Void Dragon and a Heaven Phoenix, and even then, the chances of its appearance are less than ten percent. Throughout the history of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, it has only appeared five times- this is the sixth!"
"Only six times in all of history!"
"Such a rare treasure!"
As they listened to Zhu Li's explanation, Xiao Yi Xian, Cai Lin, and Venerable Tian Huo were even more astonished.
Ziyan's gaze was fixed on the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, a legendary item that only existed in myths. After a moment, she suddenly turned her head, standing atop the altar and looking down at the vast plain.
It was only then that she noticed the pale white outlines in the crimson soil, faintly sketching the enormous skeletons of an Ancient Void Dragon and an Ancient Heaven Phoenix! This place was where they both had perished!
Their massive skeletons were intertwined, forming a perfect circle that enclosed the plain, with the giant stone altar precisely at the center of this circle.
"Brother Gu Fei, you're the best!"
In the next moment, Ziyan's gaze shifted back to Gu Fei. She knew that he must have known about the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit all along. Even someone as playful as Ziyan became extremely serious at this moment, deeply moved by the gesture.
"Young friend, I truly cannot thank you enough this time. If Ziyan can refine this fruit, she has the potential to evolve into a supreme beast with both Dragon and Phoenix bloodlines!"
Zhu Li was equally ecstatic, his old eyes brimming with tears, as if he were witnessing the resurgence of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.
"No need for such formalities. This is what I promised Ziyan, and besides, she helped me obtain the Core Soul Marrow, another invaluable treasure!"
Seeing how serious Ziyan and Zhu Li were in their gratitude, Gu Fei casually waved his hand.
"However, if Ziyan is going to absorb this fruit, we need to make thorough preparations. After all, she's still too weak to fully digest the power of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit on her own!"
Gu Fei then reminded them, "Also, I've heard from Ziyan that your Tribe is not entirely unified. If the other three Dragon Kings find out about this, they might come to steal it..."
"Young friend Gu Fei is absolutely right!"
Elder Zhu Li nodded gravely, his face clouded with worry. "Although Ziyan has royal blood, the three Dragon Kings are ambitious. If they feel threatened by her power, they might go to extreme lengths to destroy the royal bloodline..."
"What should we do... There seem to be spies from the other three islands on East Dragon Island. Otherwise, how did the other three Dragon Islands know so quickly when I returned to the Tribe last time?" Ziyan was also full of concern.
"Why don't you go with young friend Gu Fei to the Gu Realm? If you refine the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit there, even if the three Dragon Kings sense it, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly in the Gu Realm!"
After some thought, Zhu Li suggested a solution. At this point, he had complete trust in Gu Fei. After all, it was Gu Fei who had voluntarily brought them to this treasure. If he had any malicious intentions, why go to all this trouble?
"Sure, that sounds like a good idea!"
Ziyan, who was reluctant to part with Gu Fei, Xiao Yi Xian, and Cai Lin, agreed without hesitation.
"Young friend, I'm sorry to trouble you!" Zhu Li said to Gu Fei, feeling somewhat ashamed.
"No trouble at all!"
Gu Fei smiled and then said, "Since we've found the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, let's explore the rest of the palace!"
After that, Zhu Li carefully stored the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, and at the edge of the Beast Spiritual Barrier, Ziyan casually slashed open a crack, through which they all exited.
In the forest, golden light flickered as several figures appeared out of thin air.
"It seems that other treasure hunters have entered!"
Gu Fei extended his soul power, sensing the presence of other humans and magical beasts in the distance.
Due to the limited time, not many knew about the opening of the ancient ruins, so the magical beasts that came were not particularly strong.
A moment later, Gu Fei and his group arrived back inside the palace, where they eventually found an ancient hall filled with a rich, old atmosphere.
On the ancient hall's facade, two majestic characters were inscribed.
"Pill Hall..."
"Wait here!"
Due to the poison filling the Pill Hall, Gu Fei did not allow anyone else to enter.
He ventured in alone.
When he emerged, Gu Fei was holding a small, fluffy white rabbit in his hands.
"Wow, what an adorable little bunny!"
Seeing what Gu Fei had brought out, Xiao Yi Xian and the other girls immediately crowded around.
"This is no ordinary rabbit; it's a Pill Beast. Its rank is equivalent to a pill that has undergone the baptism of a Nine-Colored Pill Lightning..."
Gu Fei explained with a smile.
"A pill that has been through the Nine-Colored Pill Lightning? That must be delicious!" Ziyan's eyes sparkled at Gu Fei's words.
"But it's so cute! You can't eat it!"
At that moment, a soft, childish voice came from Xiao Yi Xian's arms.