While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 211 Zi Yan's Background, Heading to Dragon Island
Soon after, everyone took their seats in the main hall of Lingbao Pavilion.

Lu Yu, seated in the main seat, looked at Elder Zhu Li and said in a calm yet firm tone, "If the elder wishes to take Zi Yan back to the clan, this junior will naturally have no reason to object. However, Zi Yan has lived in our Lingbao Pavilion for a long time, and although she is not related to us by blood, she is like family to us."

“I have always treated her like a younger sister. If she is unwilling, I will never make her suffer in the slightest.”

Zhu Li was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. He turned his gaze to Hei Qing, only to see an embarrassed expression on the other's face. He could only sigh softly, look at Zi Yan, and ask gently, "Child, would you like to come back with us?"

Upon hearing this, a hint of hesitation flashed in Zi Yan's eyes.

Initially, she was indeed resistant to returning to Gulong Island. After all, she had been living away from home since childhood and was used to a carefree life, feeling alienated from that unfamiliar "home".

But during this time, Hei Qing, an elder of the same clan, has shown her great care, making her feel the warmth of blood ties for the first time.

Now, Donglong Island has even sent Elder Zhuli, a semi-saint level expert, to personally welcome her. This profound sincerity and attention has gradually melted the ice in her heart.

She lowered her head slightly, remained silent for a moment, and her mind flashed back to the moments she had spent with Hei Qing, as well as to Lu Yu, Little Fairy Doctor, and other "family members" of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.

Finally, she raised her head, and her purple eyes, which usually held a more serious look, became less playful.

"I can go back with you, but I have a question for you first?"

"You said."

Who are my parents?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Li paused slightly, then sighed, his gaze falling gently on Zi Yan, his expression gradually becoming solemn. He sighed softly, his voice low and filled with reminiscence, and slowly recounted that long-buried past:
"Child, you bear the purest royal blood of my Ancient Dragon Clan. Your father was once the emperor who ruled the entire Ancient Dragon Clan. However, fate is unpredictable. After one of his outings, His Majesty the Old Dragon Emperor disappeared without a trace..."

When this matter was mentioned, Elder Zhuli could not hide his grief and worry.

"And His Majesty, who was still young at the time, also disappeared without a trace. Our clan searched with all its might, but to no avail. This matter has been the greatest pain and regret of our Ancient Dragon Clan for many years. It was not until a few years ago, when Your Majesty came to Zhongzhou, that the unique bloodline fluctuations belonging to the royal family were finally sensed by Hei Qing, and we were able to find you."

Elder Zhuli's words were filled with the emotion of something lost and then regained. His gaze swept over Lu Yu, Little Fairy Doctor, and the others present, and he solemnly cupped his hands, saying sincerely, "Over the years, I thank you all for taking care of His Majesty the Dragon Emperor."

Upon seeing this, Lu Yu and the others quickly returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "Elder, you flatter us."

Zhu Li nodded slightly in acknowledgment before turning his gaze back to Zi Yan. He saw a hint of relief flash in her eyes, as if the pent-up frustration that had been weighing on her heart for years was gradually dissolving at that moment.

She finally nodded slightly, her voice soft yet clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Okay, I'll go back with you."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Li and Hei Qing's eyes immediately filled with barely suppressed excitement and relief.

However, Zhu Li's expression immediately turned serious. He looked at Lu Yu and the others and said in a deep voice, "His Majesty's willingness to return is truly a blessing for Donglong Island. However, the situation on Gulong Island is complicated now, and there are some things that I must tell you all, and I also ask you to keep them confidential."

He paused briefly, lowering his voice slightly: "His Majesty the Old Dragon Emperor has been missing for too long, and the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void is no longer a unified entity. Ancient Dragon Island has now split into four major dragon islands: East, West, South, and North, each governing itself."

"Our East Dragon Island wholeheartedly hopes for His Majesty's return to revitalize the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void. However, the Dragon Kings of the other three Dragon Islands, especially the North Dragon Island and the South Dragon Island, are ambitious. If they learn that His Majesty has been found, I fear that something unforeseen may happen."

"Therefore, His Majesty's return and his true identity must be kept absolutely secret until His Majesty has sufficient power to protect himself. I hope you all understand."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice, "Elder, rest assured, this matter concerns Zi Yan's safety, and we will keep our mouths shut."

Little Fairy Doctor, Cai Lin, and Venerable Heavenly Fire, who were standing to the side, also nodded solemnly in agreement.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Elder Zhuli's solemn expression eased slightly. Then, he frowned slightly and continued, "Furthermore, recently, it seems that outsiders have infiltrated the vicinity of our clan's forbidden area, the Void Thunder Pool, and our clan is tracking them. The other party is quite powerful and is suspected to be a member of the Thunder Clan, one of the eight ancient clans."

"Now that our clan is divided, it is really not advisable to make enemies with the Thunder Clan. This matter is quite difficult to handle."

He changed the subject, his gaze returning to Zi Yan, his tone becoming solemn and full of expectation: "If Your Majesty returns to Dragon Island, under the full nurturing and protection of my Eastern Dragon Island, you will need to awaken your royal bloodline as soon as possible and enhance your strength. When Your Majesty grows up, it will be the time for my Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan to regain its glory and end the period of division!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan was taken aback at first, then blinked her sapphire-like eyes somewhat awkwardly, pointed to herself with her fair finger, and said, "Huh? Me?"

Her usually fearless and pretty face now showed a rare hint of unease and confusion, as if the burden of "restoring glory" was still too heavy for her.

At this moment, Lu Yu chuckled and spoke up at the opportune moment, his tone gentle yet carrying a hint of reminder: "Elder Zhuli, there's no need to place such a heavy burden on Ziyan's shoulders so early. It's already quite remarkable that Ziyan has achieved what she has today."

He turned his gaze to Zhu Li, his words carrying a hint of inquiry: "If I'm not mistaken, those Dragon Kings of the Ancient Dragon Clan are probably at least at the Dou Sheng level, right?"

"Zi Yan is exceptionally talented and has boundless potential, but she still needs time to grow. Right now, returning to her clan and focusing on her cultivation are the most important things for her. As for unifying Dragon Island and restoring its glory... well, one must take things one step at a time."

Upon hearing this, Elder Zhuli nodded slightly and said, "It was I who was too hasty."

As soon as he finished speaking, a thoughtful look flashed in Lu Yu's eyes. He continued, "Elder, you just mentioned that someone from the Thunder Clan broke into the Void Thunder Pool. Did you see what they looked like? Do you have a portrait to show us?"

Zhu Li pondered for a moment, then flicked his sleeve, revealing a figure formed from battle qi—an old man with flowing hair and beard and piercing eyes. Lu Yu studied the portrait for a moment, then slowly said, "I've seen this portrait before at Canaan Academy. It's none other than Mang Tianchi, the dean of Canaan Academy. Zi Yan was taken in by Su Qian, the Grand Elder of the Inner Court of Canaan Academy, when she was stranded in the Black Corner Region. He has a debt of gratitude to her for raising her."

"This matter may be a misunderstanding. I hope that when the nobleman is investigating, he will remember this connection and not make things too difficult for him."

Zi Yan nodded in agreement, saying, "Old Man Su Qian is very good to me."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Li looked enlightened. After exchanging a glance with Hei Qing, he solemnly bowed to Lu Yu and said, "Thank you for informing us, Pavilion Master Lu. Since we have done His Majesty a favor, our clan will certainly act with discretion."

Lu Yu nodded slightly. Canaan Academy had treated him well, and now that Dean Mang Tianchi was being tracked by the Ancient Dragon Clan, he naturally couldn't stand idly by.

This mediation was both to repay the academy's kindness and to prevent Ziyan's benefactor from becoming enemies with her clan.

Seeing that the matter was temporarily resolved, Zhu Li smiled again, glanced at Lu Yu, Xiao Yixian and the others, and extended an invitation in a sincere tone: "My friends have a deep friendship with His Majesty. If you have some free time recently, I, on behalf of Donglong Island, sincerely invite you to visit Gulong Island."

"Although the island is not as prosperous as Zhongzhou, it has its own unique charm, which may be of some help to your cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's eyes lit up, and she looked at Lu Yu and the others with anticipation. Returning to her unfamiliar territory for the first time, having these familiar friends by her side would be wonderful.

Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor exchanged a glance, and seeing Zi Yan's expectant eyes, they ultimately couldn't bear to refuse.

After a moment's thought, Lu Yu smiled and agreed, "In that case, I will trouble you, noble lady. I will accompany you with Cai Lin and Little Fairy Doctor, so that Zi Yan can rest assured."

As for Venerable Tianhuo, he volunteered to stay at Lingbao Pavilion in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

Seeing that everyone had reached a decision, Elder Zhuli nodded with a smile and said nothing more.

With a flick of his sleeve, a vast spatial power instantly filled the hall. He made hand gestures in front of him, and mysterious patterns flowed and intertwined, instantly forming a stable spatial passage. At the end of the passage, a faint, ancient aura emanated.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yu and the others couldn't help but show amazement in their eyes.

The Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void truly lived up to their reputation for controlling spatial power. Their ability to construct long-distance spatial channels with such ease was probably no less than that of those Dou Sheng powerhouses.

"Gentlemen, please follow me."

Zhu Li stepped into the passage first, followed closely by Hei Qing and Zi Yan.

Lu Yu, Cai Lin, and Little Fairy Doctor did not hesitate any longer. With a movement, they disappeared into the spatial passage.

As the last person entered, the passage slowly closed, and the hall returned to calm, with only lingering spatial fluctuations indicating what had just happened.

—————————————————————

Inside the spatial passage was a strange path shrouded in soft silver light, seemingly constructed from flowing spatial forces, extending into the endless distance.

Lu Yu and the others were enveloped by a gentle force, moving rapidly through the dazzling passage and experiencing an unprecedented sense of spatial traversal.

After traversing the spatial passage for several days, a glimmer of light finally appeared at the end of the passage ahead, and it rapidly expanded as they approached.

A dense, heart-pounding aura of primordial energy, mixed with an ancient and majestic pressure, emanated faintly from ahead.

Elder Zhuli's voice rang in everyone's ears: "Everyone, we are about to arrive at Donglong Island."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone felt a lightness around them, and their vision suddenly opened up as they rushed out of the spatial passage.

The moment Lu Yu burst out of the passage, his vision blurred briefly before being replaced by a magnificent scene that suddenly unfolded before him. The monotonous silver passage vanished completely, and what came into view was a colossal island floating majestically in the endless void.

"This is……"

He hovered high in the sky, his gaze fixed on the island below in astonishment. The island was completely enveloped by a massive, pale silver light barrier, like a carefully guarded pearl, floating silently in the all-consuming black void.

The island is covered in rolling hills and lush greenery, creating a striking and awe-inspiring contrast with the surrounding desolate emptiness.

This unimaginable sight shocked Lu Yu so much that he blurted out:

"A floating island in the void—the methods of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan are truly well-deserved!"

Little Fairy Doctor and Cai Lin, standing beside her, stared at the extraordinary scene that defied all reason, their beautiful eyes filled with shock.

Upon seeing this, Elder Zhuli couldn't help but show a hint of pride in the clan's heritage.

(End of this chapter)