Chapter 384: The Crystallized Zi Yan

Chapter 384: The Crystallized Zi Yan

"Ugh, follow me..." Elder Zhu Li sighed.

He turned around and walked towards a stone hall nestled within the mountain. Xiao Ming and Medusa hurriedly followed behind him.

As Elder Zhu Li led them to a stone hall deep within the mountain, they wandered for a while before finally reaching a deep section of the large hall. The hall itself was constructed from a massive rock, and at its center stood a towering altar. Lying quietly on top of the altar was a lovely figure.

Medusa glanced over. Her eyes focused on that lovely little body, and her expression changed instantly.

The figure lying on the altar was covered in a layer of crystal-like ice that enveloped every part of her body. Upon closer inspection, one would realize that the crystal formation wasn't limited to the surface but had also permeated the interior of Zi Yan's body.

In essence, Zi Yan had transformed into a lifeless crystal body!

Medusa's eyes locked onto the altar, her expression growing even more somber. With her keen perception, she could sense the complete absence of life within Zi Yan's body, from head to toe.

If not for the faint flicker of a familiar soul fluctuation, Medusa would have believed that Zi Yan had already perished.

"This is the solidification of energy..." Elder Zhu Li sighed beside Xiao Ming. "The energy from the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is truly terrifying. It solidified and infused every part of Zi Yan's body. If she can't absorb this energy, she'll forever remain in this state, akin to living dead."

"You were truly reckless!" Medusa couldn't contain her anger, despite knowing that the elder before her was immensely powerful.

Upon hearing Medusa's angry voice, Elder Zhu Li could only smile bitterly and shake his head. He refrained from saying anything. It was likely that he also felt regret.

"Don't blame the Third Elder for recklessness. Even the Ancient Dragon Void Tribe has encountered the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit only a few times, so our understanding of it is limited, which led to this situation," Hei Qing by the side interjected, attempting to diffuse the tension.

"Forget about assigning blame for now. Let's focus on finding a solution," Xiao Ming said, shaking his head.

"The energy crystal formed by the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is incredibly resilient. Even the old me cannot break it," Zhu Li explained. "Moreover, if we were to break it, the energy within would be wasted..."

"Little friend Xiao Ming, please follow me," Elder Zhu Li said, turning around and leading the way. Xiao Ming quickly followed suit as they flew directly towards the depths of Dragon Island.

Along the way, Xiao Ming noticed that the atmosphere on the island had become much more tense. The usually empty sky now occasionally had one or two figures flying past, their cautious eyes scanning the surroundings beyond the empty realm.

"While we have done a good job of keeping this a secret, Zi Yan is truly too important to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. Therefore, nothing must go wrong. Hence, the defenses of Dragon Island have been heightened," Zhu Li explained during the journey. Xiao Ming immediately understood that they were guarding against the other three Dragon Islands.

As they continued flying towards the depths of Dragon Island, Xiao Ming keenly sensed the surrounding energy gradually growing intense and scorching. After flying for ten minutes, Elder Zhu Li slowly reduced his speed, and Xiao Ming followed suit, looking ahead.

In front of them stood a large mountain, its peak concave in shape with white, hot smoke curling and rising from it.

It was a volcano!

Floating above the mountain peak, emitting a white column of smoke, Xiao Ming's gaze swept downward and discovered an emerald-green giant cauldron suspended above the volcano's mouth. Through the cauldron, he could see Zi Yan's petite, lovely figure peacefully floating inside.

"Little friend Xiao Ming, the fire affinity energy in this place is extremely rich. When using the Heavenly Flame here, its power will be enhanced," Elder Zhu Li pointed at the large cauldron. His expression grew grave as he continued, "However, the Heavenly Flame is too overbearing, requiring exceptional control. With your current abilities, you should be able to refine the energy crystal layer without harming Zi Yan, but you still need to be cautious."

Elder Zhu Li had thoroughly investigated Xiao Ming and knew him to be an eighth-tier Master Alchemist with formidable spiritual strength. His mastery of the Heavenly Flame had reached an exemplary level, which was why he was invited for this critical task.

Xiao Ming nodded slightly.

Elder Zhu Li pointed to the surrounding mountains and explained, "During this period, experts from the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe and I will personally remain around here. We will ensure nothing disturbs you."

Xiao Ming followed Elder Zhu Li's gesture and glanced around. With his keen perception, he sensed numerous powerful auras hidden within the surrounding mountains.

"Additionally, refining the Dragon Phoenix crystal will not be easy. It will require a significant amount of time and will exhaust Dou Qi at an extremely high rate," Elder Zhu Li continued.

He clenched his hand, and a dense-white jade bottle appeared in his palm. After giving it a gentle caress, he handed it to Xiao Ming, saying, "Inside this bottle are five drops of Ancient Dragon Essence Blood that the old me has personally refined. They possess an enormous amount of energy. Not only will they allow you to instantly recover a substantial amount of Dou Qi, but they also possess the mysterious effect of tempering one's veins and bones. You can consume one drop when the Dou Qi within your body is unable to keep up during the refinement process..."