Although Gu Fei could easily deal with those troubles using the power of the Gu Clan, there were restrictions between the ancient clans. Those with cultivation levels above the Four-Star Dou Saint couldn't act recklessly. If the Gu Clan made too big of a move, it would undoubtedly draw the attention of other ancient clans.
On the surface, the Eight Ancient Clans appeared harmonious, but behind the scenes, there was mutual suspicion. If any clan showed weakness, they might be attacked by the others.
Clans like the Yan Clan and the Lei Clan might have some strength, but they were not a threat to the more powerful Gu Clan. After all, Gu Yuan, a peak Nine-Star Dou Saint, was like a stabilizing force, ensuring the Gu Clan's invincibility.
The Gu Clan was truly only wary of the Hun Clan. The leader of the Hun Clan was a peak-level powerhouse, on par with Gu Yuan, and he had the support of the Nihility Devouring Flame, which also had the strength of a Nine-Star Dou Saint.
"The Hun Clan's plan should be almost complete by now..." Gu Fei pondered.
Based on his estimation of the timeline, the Hun Clan's grand plan was nearly ready. Once the Soul Hall gathered enough soul essences for them, the Hun Clan would initiate a purge of the Eight Ancient Clans.
Even the Gu Clan wouldn't be able to withstand the Hun Clan's power alone, after a millennium of preparation. Therefore, the Gu Clan couldn't afford any mistakes at this time and needed to proceed cautiously.
They also needed to stabilize the situation with the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. In the upcoming war, the Dragon Tribe would be a significant ally.
"How about this, Elder Zhu Li: you've been away from East Dragon Island for a while now. Why not return and stabilize the situation there? But for now, don't mention anything about Zi Yan..." Gu Fei suggested after thinking for a moment.
Hearing this, Zhu Li frowned slightly and quickly weighed his options. As Gu Fei said, even if Zi Yan returned to the clan, she might not be able to turn the tide. Her return would likely be discovered by the spies sent by the three Dragon Kings, and they would inevitably covet her after learning she had absorbed the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.
If the three Dragon Kings decided to take a desperate gamble, Zi Yan could be in grave danger.
Gu Fei's suggestion was indeed the best course of action for now.
"Alright, we'll do as you suggest. I trust you to take care of Zi Yan," Zhu Li agreed.
With that, Zhu Li prepared to leave the Gu Realm and return to East Dragon Island alone.
"Has Elder Zhu Li left?"
Shortly after Zhu Li left, Zi Yan appeared beside Gu Fei.
"Elder Zhu Li has been away for a while, so it's time he brought some news back to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. You should stay here and continue honing your skills. Right now, you're the only hope for the revival of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe," Gu Fei conveyed Zhu Li's parting words to Zi Yan.
Hearing this, Zi Yan's previously playful expression became serious. She understood the responsibility she carried. Now that she had grown up, it was time to shoulder her duties.
"Growing up is troublesome, but as the Dragon Emperor, I must be the strongest!" Zi Yan's smile was no longer carefree; it was filled with determination.
"Zi Yan... has really matured..." Gu Fei thought, feeling a wave of emotion as he looked at the now-tall and poised Zi Yan.
The days passed peacefully after that. Zi Yan trained diligently, refining the remaining energy from the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit within her. Gu Fei spent time with his wife and daughter while also pushing his cultivation to new heights. The next challenge he faced was the process of Nine Changes to achieve Saintdom.
The so-called Nine Changes could be considered a quantifier to measure the gap between the peak of the Dou Venerate class and the Half-Saint class. After all, the gap between the two was too terrifying. One needed to use an even finer ranking system to differentiate the difficulty.
The Nine Changes process wasn't overly complicated. Simply put, it involved nine rounds of refining and compressing one's Dou Qi. When a peak Dou Venerate reached a point where their Dou Qi was fully saturated, the first change began.
At this stage, they had to condense and compress their Dou Qi to create space for more. When the Dou Qi became full again, they would need to repeat the process. After nine changes, they would reach perfection.
Only then would one be able to cross over the unmeasurable sky-like gap and advance to Half-Saint! Due to this, some of the experts, who had reached this stage, would describe the training hidden at the peak of the Dou Venerate class as nine changes!
...
A year passed quickly, and Gu Fei successfully completed four changes, advancing to the peak of Four-Changes Dou Venerate. This rate of progress was astonishing. At this speed, what most people couldn't achieve in a lifetime, Gu Fei could accomplish in less than three years.
During this year, Zi Yan also fully absorbed the remaining power of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and broke through to Four-Star Dou Saint. Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, Cai Lin, and the others also made significant progress in their cultivation.
The biggest surprise was Cai Lin, whose belly had grown noticeably larger!
The snake-people typically carried their offspring for more than three years, using various heavenly materials and treasures, as well as their energy, to nurture the fetus. The stronger the energy the fetus received, the greater the talent it would have after birth.
One day, after nearly three years of pregnancy, Cai Lin finally felt movement in her belly.
"It seems the child is about to be born!"
The fetal activity became more apparent, indicating that the child was about to come into the world.
As she was about to give birth, Cai Lin remained in the bamboo house, with a midwife attending her while Gu Fei and the others anxiously waited outside.
Despite having gone through this once before, Gu Fei was still extremely nervous, pacing back and forth outside the bamboo house.
"Sister Cai Lin is finally about to give birth! After waiting so long, I wonder if her child will be even cuter than Xian Yue!" Zi Yan exclaimed with wide eyes, full of anticipation.
"If the child is cuter, will you stop liking Xian Yue?" Qing Lin teased softly.
Zi Yan quickly turned around and covered Qing Lin's mouth, gesturing for silence.
"Shh! Don't let her hear that, or she won't play with me anymore." Zi Yan whispered, glancing around like a thief to make sure Xian Yue wasn't nearby, then finally relaxed.
Zi Yan and Qing Lin's playful banter helped ease some of Gu Fei's tension. Xiao Yi Xian also stepped forward, holding Gu Fei's hand to calm him down.
"Wah... wah..."
Finally, the anxiety gave way to joy as the sound of a newborn's cry filled the air.
"The baby is born!"
Hearing the cry, Gu Fei was the first to enter the room to check on Cai Lin.
Despite having reached the Dou Venerate level, Cai Lin was extremely weak after giving birth. Gu Fei quickly fed her a pill to restore her energy and blood.
Soon after, Xiao Yi Xian, Zi Yan, Qing Lin, and the others entered to see how she was doing.
"Born as a Dou Ancestor!"
Venerable Tian Huo and the Lion King were the last to enter. Naturally, they didn't crowd around Medusa but first checked on the baby.
When they saw the child Medusa had given birth to, Venerable Tian Huo's face was filled with astonishment.
The child was born as a Dou Ancestor!
"No wonder he's the young master. My child is only in the late stages of the fifth rank..." the Lion King sighed. Dou Ancestor was something that many people couldn't achieve in their lifetime, yet it was just the starting point for this child.