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

Chapter 252 Zi Yan emerges from seclusion, and people from the ancient clan arrive!
Soon after,

Above Dragon Island, a streak of light pierced the sky, and Lu Yu's figure quietly appeared.

He had just steadied himself in the sky when Elder Qingshan sensed his presence and rose from the main hall below, smiling as he approached: "Young friend Lu Yu, you have returned from the Thunder Pool? Judging from your refined aura and solidified blood and qi, it seems you have gained quite a bit this time."

Lu Yu returned the greeting with a cupped hand, but his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the forbidden area deep within Dragon Island, shrouded in purple-gold energy: "Elder, you flatter me. I have only made slight progress. I wonder how Zi Yan is doing now?"

Elder Qingshan stroked his beard and chuckled, his eyes filled with satisfaction: "The Dragon Emperor is still in seclusion. But young friend, there is no need to worry. The energy fluctuations within the forbidden area are gradually stabilizing, indicating that the fusion is progressing smoothly, and the day he emerges from seclusion should not be far off."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu was about to ask for more details when his expression suddenly changed, and he turned to look in the direction of the forbidden area as if he had sensed something.

In that instant, he clearly sensed that the originally flowing purple-gold energy suddenly began to converge rapidly!
"boom!"

At that very moment, the entire Dragon Island suddenly trembled!

Above the forbidden area, countless purple-gold energies surged forth like a volcanic eruption, and a purple-gold pillar of light pierced the sky, dyeing the entire sky a noble purple-gold color.

The overwhelming pressure of the dragon and phoenix swept out like a tide, and all the ancient dragons of the Taixu clan on Donglong Island involuntarily stopped what they were doing, looking up at the pillar of light that reached the sky, and a series of tremors came from the depths of their blood.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the energy within the pillar of light slowly receded, gradually revealing a slender and graceful figure.

Zi Yan wore a purple-gold dragon and phoenix robe, the dragon and phoenix patterns on the robe were lifelike, exuding a captivating aura of nobility. Her figure was graceful, and her long purple hair cascaded down to her waist and hips. On her exquisite face, her original purple eyes had transformed into a mysterious purple-gold color, and with a flicker of her gaze, it seemed as if the heavens and earth would bow down to her.

"Phoenix Wings... Ancient Dragon Body..."

The Great Elder of Qingshan looked at the pair of purple-gold wings that Zi Yan had spread out behind her with a trembling voice. Ancient runes flowed along the edges of the wings, and each vibration stirred up the energy tides of heaven and earth.

"Welcome to the Dragon Emperor!"

As Elder Qingshan knelt first, a deafening roar of worship echoed throughout Donglong Island. Countless members of the Ancient Dragon Clan of Taixu were moved to tears; they had awaited this day for far too long.

Lu Yu stood silently on the cloud, watching the graceful figure slowly descend within the pillar of purple-gold light. Zi Yan now retained her former elegance, but possessed an added air of innate imperial majesty. He nodded slightly, a smile of satisfaction appearing on his lips.

Zi Yan's gaze swept over the kneeling clansmen, finally settling on Lu Yu. A familiar glint of cunning flashed in her majestic purple-gold eyes, and her red lips parted slightly, sending a whispered message into Lu Yu's ear:

"I succeeded."

……

A moment later, inside the Dragon Island Hall.

"Young friend, are you going to launch a surprise attack on the Soul Palace?"

Upon hearing this, Elder Qingshan paused slightly, stroking his beard, and exchanged a grave glance with Elder Qingmu beside him. The other elders in the hall also showed expressions of worry.

"The Soul Palace's influence is widespread across the continent, and its foundation is profound. Isn't this move too risky?" Elder Qingmu pondered. "Moreover, the Dragon Emperor has only just completed his evolution and still needs time to stabilize his realm..."

Lu Yu calmly explained, "Elders, there's no need to worry. This operation was spearheaded by the ancient clans; we were merely assisting. The target wasn't the Soul Palace's main hall, but rather one of its three main halls, the Earth Hall."

Upon hearing the words "led by the ancient clans," the expressions of everyone present immediately softened considerably.

Elder Qingshan nodded slightly: "If the ancient clans take the lead, then it will be much safer. Although the Earth Palace is one of the three main palaces of the Soul Palace, with the Dragon Emperor's cultivation at the early stage of the Five-Star Dou Sheng realm, plus your assistance, young friend, it should not be a problem."

Elder Aoki still had reservations: "However, the Soul Palace has always been full of cunning schemes. If they are going to take action, Donglong Island should also send a few elders..."

"No need."

Lu Yu shook his head slightly and said calmly, "This operation only requires the Ancient Clan and my Lingbao Pavilion to take action. The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan has not yet been unified, and the situation on the Four Dragon Islands is unstable. It is not advisable to reveal our strength too early."

He glanced at Zi Yan, who was eager to try, and said in a gentle but firm tone, "As for Zi Yan, she doesn't need to take action herself unless absolutely necessary. However, if the Lord of the Soul Palace intervenes..."

Upon hearing this, Zi Yan's expression turned solemn: "That's precisely why I should go with you. Even if the Lord of the Soul Palace makes a move, I'm confident I can still easily overpower him."

Lu Yu shook his head slightly and continued to explain, "The main purpose of this trip is to seize the sub-flame of the Void Devouring Flame and the soul essence collected by the Soul Palace. But right now you have just completed your evolution, and this is a crucial period for consolidating your cultivation."

He took out a spatial jade slip engraved with profound runes and handed it to Zi Yan: "You should stay on Dragon Island and cultivate diligently. This jade slip is connected to my mind. If I encounter a powerful enemy, I will crush the jade slip. At that time, you can crush this one in your hand at the same time, and you can open a spatial passage to arrive instantly."

Zi Yan pursed her red lips, a hint of resentment flashing in her eyes, but feeling the dragon-phoenix power within her that she had not yet fully mastered, she ultimately accepted the jade slip. She snorted softly, "If you don't call me then, I'll go find it myself."

Lu Yu chuckled upon hearing this: "Alright, once you have fully mastered this power, I will definitely let you fight to your heart's content in the future."

……

Several days later, in the void outside Dragon Island, the two stood in mid-air.

"Remember to send a message," Zi Yan instructed finally, her purple-gold eyes filled with deep concern, her slender fingertips unconsciously caressing the warm, smooth jade slip.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Don't worry."

"Everything is going according to plan." With that, he didn't linger. He took a step forward, and his figure instantly transformed into a dazzling stream of light, tearing through layers of space and disappearing into the void in the blink of an eye.

Zi Yan stood still, her purple-gold dragon and phoenix robe fluttering in the void. She kept staring in the direction Lu Yu had left, until the last bit of light was completely extinguished at the end of her vision.

She then let out a soft breath, turned into a streak of purple-gold light, and returned to the depths of Dragon Island. As for the jade slip that concerned Lu Yu's safety, she carefully kept it close to her body.

……

Meanwhile, Lu Yu had already traversed the spatial passage. With his current cultivation level, crossing this vast distance was no longer difficult. In just half a day, the familiar outline of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion had already appeared in his perception.

The space rippled slightly, and his figure silently appeared above the headquarters of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. Looking down, one could see numerous palaces and buildings, with array lights flowing endlessly. Compared to when he left, the scale seemed to have expanded considerably, faintly revealing the imposing aura of a great power.

He moved swiftly and appeared inside the core hall in the next instant.

"Pavilion Master!"

His return instantly alarmed the higher-ups of the Lingbao Pavilion. A joyful exclamation had barely faded when several powerful figures swept into the main hall.

The leader was none other than Venerable Tianhuo, whose aura was as steady as a mountain, clearly indicating that he had reached the peak of the third-level Dou Zun.

"Sect Master, you're finally back!"

Lu Yu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone. He noticed that their cultivation had all improved, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"It seems that none of you have been slacking off these past few days." He spoke calmly, then got to the point, "With everything prepared, have the ancient clans arrived yet?"

Venerable Tianhuo stepped forward and respectfully reported, "The envoy from the ancient clan arrived three days ago and is currently waiting in the guest courtyard. He is a three-star Dou Sheng expert, accompanied by two half-saint elders, one of whom is an old acquaintance of the Pavilion Master, Elder Tongxuan."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu's eyes flashed with surprise: "The ancient clan is quite generous this time. Including Elder Gu Yuan, they have sent four Saints on this trip?"

He tapped the armrest of his chair lightly with his fingertips and pondered, "It seems that the ancient clans are determined to succeed in this operation. With four Saint-level combatants and the lineup of my Lingbao Pavilion, they are not weak."

"Make arrangements, I will personally meet with the envoy from the ancient tribe."

"Yes!"

……

Soon after,

In a quiet courtyard.

Lu Yu stepped inside and saw four figures waiting quietly in the courtyard. Elder Gu Yuan, who was sitting on the outermost side, was the first to stand up. This one-star Dou Sheng, who had been stationed at the Lingbao Pavilion, smiled and cupped his hands: "Pavilion Master Lu, you've finally returned."

Lu Yu nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his gaze to the other three.

Beside Gu Yuan sat an old man with his eyes closed in meditation. The man had white hair and beard, an ancient face, and no energy fluctuations emanated from him, yet he gave off an unfathomable aura.

Lu Yu's gaze sharpened slightly, and he understood. This was probably the three-star Dou Sheng that Venerable Tianhuo had mentioned, the true pillar of the ancient clan's reliance on this expedition.

The other two elders sat on either side; one wore a white robe and had a kind face, while the other wore a black robe and had a stern expression. Although their auras were not as vast as the first two, they had still reached the level of advanced semi-saints.

The white-robed elder was Elder Tongxuan, who had met Lu Yu several times before, and he was now greeting him with a smile. The black-robed elder was Elder Tongyou, who had taken Gu Qian away, and his gaze held a scrutinizing quality.

The three-star Dou Sheng slowly opened his eyes, his gaze as calm as an ancient well. After lingering on Lu Yu for a moment, he nodded slightly: "I am Gu Zhenshan. I hope Pavilion Master Lu will cooperate fully in this operation."

Elders Tongxuan and Tongyou also rose to pay their respects.

Lu Yu calmly returned the greeting, cupping his hands and saying, "Elder Zhenshan is personally leading the team, it seems the ancient clan is determined to succeed in this operation."

Gu Zhenshan nodded slightly: "The Soul Palace has been making frequent moves lately; it's time to make them pay the price. I wonder how Pavilion Master Lu's preparations are going?"

"Everything is ready, and we can set off at any time."

Lu Yu nodded calmly and said, "Lingbao Pavilion has dispatched three Dou Zun level experts, seventeen Dou Zun level puppets, and fifty Dou Zong level elders this time. This operation prioritizes quality over quantity, and these personnel are sufficient to deal with the regular guards of the Earth Palace. As for the Dou Sheng level experts inside the palace, we five will handle them."

Elder Tongxuan stroked his beard and pondered, "Twenty Dou Zun warriors, plus fifty Dou Zong... such a lineup is indeed capable. With Elder Zhenshan in charge, dealing with the Deputy Hall Master of the Earth Hall should not be a problem."

A hint of approval flashed in Gu Zhenshan's eyes. He glanced unconsciously in Gu Yuan's direction and saw the other nod almost imperceptibly before he spoke, "Pavilion Master Lu has thought things through. In that case, we should not delay and set off for the Earth Palace to prevent the news from leaking out."

Upon hearing this, Elder Tongxuan subconsciously looked at Gu Yuan. Seeing that Gu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, he replied, "Elder Zhenshan is absolutely right. The Soul Palace has many eyes and ears; we should indeed resolve this matter quickly."

Lu Yu took in the whole scene. Although he felt that the tacit understanding between the elders of the ancient clans was a bit special, he did not ask any questions. He simply stood up and said calmly, "In that case, I will go and gather the manpower."

……

(End of this chapter)