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

Chapter 212 The Supreme Scheme, Zi Yan's Ambition

"Please follow me, everyone..."

Elder Zhuli chuckled as he spoke, and with a gentle wave of his sleeve, a surge of energy carried everyone slowly down toward a majestic mountain range in the eastern part of the island.

The group landed in front of a magnificent complex of palaces, following the candle.

Zhu Li turned around and said politely to Lu Yu and the others, "Young friends, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest here for now. I have already given orders that our clansmen will bring you tea, refreshments, and spiritual fruits later. If you would like to enjoy the scenery of Dragon Island, you can have Hei Qing show you around."

After saying that, he turned his gaze to Zi Yan, and his tone became solemn and gentle: "Your Majesty, please come with me to see some of the elders of the clan. They have been looking forward to this moment for far too long."

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan nodded gently. Although there was still a hint of apprehension about the unknown in her eyes, there was more determination than anything else.

She looked at Lu Yu and the others, and Lu Yu gave her an encouraging look.

Zhu Li nodded slightly to Hei Qing, then, with Zi Yan in tow, they transformed into two streaks of light and sped towards the oldest palace deep within the mountains.

Hei Qing turned around, a warm smile spreading across his rugged face, and said to Lu Yu, Cai Lin, and Little Fairy Doctor, "Let's go, I'll show you around our Donglong Island!"

The group nodded, and Hei Qing led them deeper into the island.

As we traveled, the air was filled with pure energy fluctuations. Many rare and exotic flowers and plants grew on both sides of the road, and many of them had a jade-like or gold-like luster on their surface, constantly absorbing and releasing rich energy from heaven and earth.

Deep dragon roars echoed from afar, enveloping the entire Dragon Island in an ancient and desolate aura. Every breath was invigorating, as if even the circulation of battle qi within one's body quickened.

"Such abundant energy from heaven and earth..."

A look of amazement flashed in Lu Yu's eyes. He noticed that the ordinary flowers and plants along the way were all of fifth or sixth grade quality, and the occasional herbs of seventh grade or above were even being looked after by powerful ancient dragons.

What alarmed Lu Yu even more was that he keenly sensed many subtle yet powerful auras along the way.

Most of them were seventh or eighth-tier ancient dragons, and the occasional young dragon was carefully guarded by an eighth-tier ancient dragon. Such a gathering of high-level magical beasts was unprecedented in his years of experience.

Seeing this, Hei Qing's rugged face revealed a proud expression: "Hehe, although our Ancient Dragon Island is now divided, it still has its foundation."

As he led the way, he continued, "Nowadays, the affairs of Donglong Island are mainly managed by Elder Zhuli. As for the First Elder and the Second Elder, they are both true Dou Sheng powerhouses, but they are in seclusion year-round seeking breakthroughs. Unless it is a matter of great importance concerning the survival of the clan, they will not easily come out of seclusion."

At this point, Hei Qing's tone was respectful, but also revealed a hint of helplessness, clearly showing his deep concern about the current divided situation on Dragon Island.

After strolling around, it was getting late, and as dusk approached, Hei Qing led the group to an ancient and grand stone hall. Inside, precious fruits and wines were already prepared, emitting an enticing aroma.

As the group entered the main hall, they saw Elder Zhuli already seated in the main seat. Beside him, Ziyan sat gracefully, and upon seeing Lu Yu and the others arrive, she immediately waved excitedly.

After the banquet began, Zhu Li's gaze lingered on Cai Lin for a moment, a knowing glint in his eyes, and he said with a smile:

"Does this young lady possess the bloodline of the Seven-Colored Sky-Swallowing Python? I specially ordered someone to fetch some 'Snake Saliva Fruit' and 'Dragon Blood Brew.' These two items are quite beneficial to the evolution of snake-type bloodlines and may help the young lady reduce obstacles on her path to breakthrough."

As he spoke, he gestured to the waiter to bring several exotic fruits that shimmered with iridescent light and a pot of fine wine that exuded rich energy to Cai Lin.

As soon as these spiritual objects appeared, Cai Lin felt a surge of excitement in her bloodline, realizing that these were indeed rare and precious treasures that would greatly benefit her.

She nodded slightly, a rare hint of gentleness appearing on her usually cold face: "Thank you for your generous gift, Elder."

"You're too kind, young lady." Elder Zhuli smiled gently and raised his cup to invite everyone to drink together.

The atmosphere at the banquet was harmonious, and the aroma of rare fruits and delicacies filled the air.

Zi Yan ate with the most gusto, occasionally whispering and laughing with the Little Fairy Doctor beside her.

Lu Yu was having a quiet conversation with Elder Zhu Li, discussing everything from alchemy to the situation on the continent, and they were having a very pleasant time.

Although Cai Lin didn't say much, she was carefully appreciating the spiritual object in front of her that was beneficial to her bloodline, and a faint seven-colored radiance flowed around her.

After the banquet, Cai Lin clearly felt the surging medicinal power within her body, and the long-awaited opportunity for a breakthrough had appeared. So she took her leave to go back and digest this opportunity.

Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor got up to return to their residence, but Zi Yan grabbed Lu Yu's sleeve, blinked her big eyes, and said she wanted to go see their place together.

Seeing this, Elder Zhuli could only smile helplessly and instructed, "Your Majesty, remember that you will be meeting with several clan elders tomorrow, so don't delay too long." Ziyan nodded repeatedly in agreement and happily followed Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor away from the main hall.

—————————————————————

Soon after,

Led by Hei Qing, Lu Yu and his companions arrived at the residence prepared for them by the Ancient Dragon Clan.

It was a stone hall built against the mountain. Although it was not luxurious, it exuded an ancient and profound atmosphere. The energy of heaven and earth inside was so rich that it was almost tangible.

After Hei Qing took his leave, only Lu Yu, Xiao Yi Xian, and Zi Yan remained in the hall.

Lu Yu took out a jade bottle from his storage ring and handed it to Zi Yan, saying with a smile, "Here, the pills I made for you, the same old flavor."

Zi Yan took the jade bottle, poured out a few round pills and put them in her mouth, chewing them as usual. However, her delicate face showed a serious expression that was unusual for her age, and her brows were slightly furrowed.

Seeing this, Lu Yu couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Why do you seem so preoccupied now that you're back home?"

Zi Yan sighed, rested her chin on her hand, and said sullenly, "Today, Grandpa Zhu Li took me to see so many elders... They were all very happy and gave me so many things."

As she spoke, she touched the storage ring on her hand, and with a "whoosh," a dazzling light instantly engulfed the stone table beside her, and a rich medicinal fragrance wafted over, invigorating everyone.

Lu Yu and Little Fairy Doctor stared intently, and immediately gasped. The stone table was piled high with all sorts of medicinal herbs, not a single one of them lower than the eighth rank!
Among them are several rare plants, such as the "Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng" with its flowing blood-red color and nine tendrils, and the "Mysterious Thunder Immortal Vine" wrapped with wisps of lightning. These are rare treasures that only exist in ancient books and legends. Their value is probably enough to exchange a single plant for a high-grade eighth-rank pill!
Looking at the two dumbfounded people, Zi Yan pouted and said in a slightly coquettish tone, "Brother Lu Yu, these herbs are so troublesome to chew, and they don't taste good either... Can you turn them into those sugar pills for me?"

Looking at the pile of medicinal herbs in front of him, enough to drive alchemists across the entire continent crazy, Lu Yu rubbed his temples helplessly.

This girl, she only calls him "brother" when she needs something from him.

He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the pile of herbs before settling on the blood-red ginseng with nine tendrils. He said, “Alright. I see there’s a ‘Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng’ here, the main ingredient for refining the Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng Pill. Tomorrow I’ll ask Senior Zhuli, and if he allows, I’ll refine a Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng Pill for you.”

"Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng Pill?"

Zi Yan blinked her big eyes and curiously leaned closer. "What's that? Does it taste better than the previous pills?"

Lu Yu smiled calmly upon hearing this, his tone carrying a hint of confidence: "With me personally refining it, the taste is naturally excellent. This Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng Pill is ranked at the peak of the eighth grade, and it is a pill specifically designed to lay a solid foundation for one's future breakthrough to the Dou Sheng realm."

He paused, looked at Zi Yan, and continued, "Its medicinal effects are extremely potent, mainly in tempering and strengthening the physical body to a great extent. Ordinary experts probably couldn't withstand such an impact, but as an ancient dragon of the Void, you have a naturally strong physique and should be able to digest this medicinal power."

The recipe for the Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng Pill originated from the Heavenly Grade Alchemy Master's inheritance he had previously obtained. It was accompanied by the Heavenly Spirit Pill and the Nine-Turn Ice Purity Pill.

According to the inherited records, these three pills are all ranked at the peak of the eighth grade. They were originally auxiliary pills prepared by the powerful beings of the Great Thousand World to cope with the "Supreme Minor Tribulation".

However, in Lu Yu's view, the Dou Sheng realm of the Dou Qi Continent, compared with the Supreme realm of the Great Thousand World, can probably only be considered a "flawed" Supreme.

Because of the cultivation system in the Dou Qi Continent, breaking through to the Dou Sheng realm focuses more on the nine compressions and condensations of Dou Qi; while the Supreme Realm in the Great Thousand World requires cultivators to achieve a comprehensive breakthrough in three aspects: physical body, spiritual power, and divine soul, making their foundation far more solid than simply cultivating Dou Qi.

What he seeks is the true supreme realm of the vast world, and through these three ultimate breakthroughs, he will forge a flawless and solid foundation.

Only in this way can he transcend the conventional scope of this continent when he one day reaches the realm of Dou Sheng, and not waste his own foundation and potential.

"Oh, is that so? The Dou Sheng realm, isn't that a bit far off..."

Zi Yan frowned slightly and muttered something under her breath. But then, as if she remembered something, she pouted and a hint of resentment appeared on her face.

"However, Old Man Zhuli told me today that our Donglong Island is constantly being bullied by other dragon islands!"

She clenched her small fists, her amethyst eyes gleaming with determination. "I can't wait any longer. Brother Lu Yu, you have to help me become stronger quickly! I want to become the true Dragon Emperor as soon as possible, and then we'll see who dares to look down on our East Dragon Island!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Lu Yu's eyes. He reached out and gently stroked Zi Yan's long hair, smiling warmly: "Good! You have ambition! Don't worry, with me here, your cultivation progress won't be slow."

His tone was calm and reassuring: "However, in the path of cultivation, the foundation is the most important, and one should not rush it, especially in the early stages. Before you take the Nine-Bearded Blood Ginseng Pill, I will first refine a Blood Burning Mortal Transformation Pill for you to further stimulate your bloodline power. It is safer to proceed step by step."

Zi Yan felt the warmth coming from her hair and nodded seriously.

(End of this chapter)