Battle Through the Heavens: Marry Cao Ying, Reward is Devouring Ancestral Symbol

Chapter 365 Zhu Kun Returns to His Clan, Father and Daughter ReunitedZi Yan snorted and lifted her head from his embrace, only then noticing that another person was standing beside him.

Her gaze fell upon that resolute face, upon those golden eyes, and upon that head of purple-gold hair that was identical to her own.

Her body stiffened slightly.

The feeling was very strange. She had never seen this person before, yet his aura made her feel inexplicably familiar.

It was as if something deep within her Bloodline was trembling gently, reminding her of something.

Zi Yan frowned and turned to look at Shen Wen, her purple-gold eyes filled with confusion: ”Brother Shen Wen, who is he?”

Zhu Kun’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat seemed blocked by something, unable to make a sound.

Shen Wen glanced at Zhu Kun, then looked at Zi Yan, his tone calm: ”He is your father.”

The great hall was silent for a moment.

Zi Yan stared blankly at Shen Wen, then blankly at Zhu Kun.

Those purple-gold eyes blinked, and blinked again, as if digesting some unbelievable piece of information.

”Father?” She repeated, her tone filled with bewilderment.

Zhu Kun took a deep breath and finally spoke, his voice hoarse: ”Zi Yan... I...”

Before he could finish, Zi Yan had already turned her head to look back at Shen Wen.

”Brother Shen Wen,” her voice was very soft, tinged with uncertainty, ”is what you said true?”

Shen Wen nodded.

”He is the Dragon Emperor of the Void Ancient Dragon clan, Zhu Kun. He was trapped in the Immortal Cave of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor back then, and I only just released him today.”

Zi Yan fell silent.

She looked at Zhu Kun, her purple-gold eyes filled with complex emotions.

Strangeness, confusion, and a trace of something indescribable.

Zhu Kun stood there, a dignified Dragon Emperor, a being with half a foot stepped into the realm of Dou Di, yet at this moment, he was like a child who had done something wrong, helpless and at a loss.

”I...” he began, his voice dry, ”I did not abandon you on purpose.”

”Back then, I was trapped in the Immortal Cave and could not get out. I thought... I thought you...”

He could not continue.

Zi Yan looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and suddenly asked: ”Have you been in that Immortal Cave all these years?”

Zhu Kun nodded.

”The whole time?”

Zhu Kun nodded again.

Zi Yan did not ask further. She withdrew her gaze, turned around, and buried herself back into Shen Wen’s embrace, pressing her face against his chest.

Zhu Kun’s hands hung by his sides, clenching and unclenching, unclenching and clenching.

Shen Wen looked down at Zi Yan, gently patted her back, then looked up at Zhu Kun and shook his head slightly.

Zhu Kun remained silent, saying nothing.

Qing Shan and Qing Mu stood to the side; from the moment Zhu Kun appeared, both of them had frozen.

They looked at that familiar face, sensed that familiar aura, and their aged faces were full of disbelief.

”Dragon... Dragon Emperor Your Majesty?”

Qing Shan’s voice trembled, and tears welled up in his murky old eyes.

Qing Mu was no better, his lips quivering, unable to speak.

Zhu Kun looked at the two of them, was silent for a moment, and nodded.

”You have worked hard all these years.”

Qing Shan and Qing Mu knelt on the ground simultaneously, their foreheads pressed against the floor, tears streaming down their faces.

”Your Majesty... you have finally returned...”

Zhu Kun did not look at them.

His gaze fell upon Zi Yan, upon the figure buried in someone else’s arms, refusing to lift her head.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.

Shen Wen looked down at Zi Yan in his arms and said softly: ”Zi Yan, your father has finally returned with great difficulty; won’t you speak with him?”

Zi Yan said muffledly: ”There is nothing to say.”

She paused and added: ”If he truly cared about me, how could he have left me alone at the Jia Nan Academy for so many years?”

Zhu Kun’s body trembled slightly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say ”I didn’t do it on purpose,” wanting to say ”I was trapped and couldn’t get out,” but as these words reached his lips, they felt pale and powerless.

Being trapped was true, but leaving her alone outside for so many years was also true.

He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse: ”I am sorry.”

Zi Yan did not speak, only burying her face deeper.

Shen Wen sighed and did not try to persuade her further.

The great hall fell quiet, with only the suppressed sobbing of Qing Shan and Qing Mu echoing.

Zhu Kun took a deep breath, suppressing the stagnation in his chest.

He turned to look at Qing Shan and Qing Mu kneeling on the ground, his voice deepening: ”Have everyone come to see me.”

Qing Shan lifted his head, tear stains still lingering on his aged face.

Zhu Kun continued: ”In the years I was gone, they did not think to welcome back my Bloodline and even caused the Dragon Island to split. Tell Zhu Huo to get over here!”

His voice was not loud, but it carried irrepressible anger. In those golden eyes, killing intent was almost overflowing.

”And,” he said, enunciating each word, ”knowing full well that Zi Yan is my Bloodline, they actually dared to rebel. They are courting death!”

Qing Shan and Qing Mu did not dare to delay, hurriedly rising and exiting the great hall.

Zhu Huo.

That was the Grand Elder of the Void Ancient Dragon clan, the oldest Ancient Dragon in the clan besides the Dragon Emperor Zhu Kun.

However, that old fellow had long ceased managing clan affairs, living in seclusion deep within the Dragon Island for years, not even showing his face when the Dragon Island split.

Now that the Dragon Emperor had returned, he was the first person he wanted to see.

The news spread very quickly.

The tribesmen of the East Dragon Island ran to tell each other.

The Dragon Emperor has returned; the true Dragon Emperor, His Majesty Zhu Kun, has returned.

Some cheered, some shed tears, and some knelt and kowtowed.

But more people, after the initial excitement, fell into silence.

The Dragon Emperor had been missing for thousands of years; they had waited year after year, waiting from hope to disappointment, from disappointment to despair.

Now that it was suddenly said he had returned, who could be certain?

The reactions of the other three Dragon Islands were even faster.

The South Dragon King, West Dragon King, and North Dragon King received the news almost at the same time.

In the palace of the South Dragon Island, the South Dragon King sat on the throne, clutching the transmission jade talisman, his expression uncertain.

”The Dragon Emperor returns?” He repeated in a low voice, his brows furrowed, ”Impossible. He has been missing for thousands of years; how could he suddenly return?”

No one in the hall answered.

The West Dragon Island was the same. The West Dragon King stood by the window, looking toward the eastern horizon, silent for a long time.

”A trick by the East Dragon Island.” He finally spoke, his voice cold, ”The Dragon Emperor has been missing for so long; how could he suddenly return? I fear they want to lure us to the East Dragon Island and then slaughter us.”

The reaction of the North Dragon Island was the most intense.

The North Dragon King smashed the stone table in front of him with one palm and shouted angrily: ”That little girl Zi Yan thinks she can use such a clumsy method to trick me into going over there? Dream on!”

He paused, a ruthless look flashing in his eyes: ”Pass the order down, strengthen the guard. If the East Dragon Island dares to invade, make sure they don’t return.”

Of the three great Dragon Islands, not a single person came.

Deep within the Ancient Dragon Island, in a quiet valley.

Zhu Huo stepped out of the stone chamber where he had been in closed-door cultivation, his aged face full of shock.

He had sensed it.

That aura was as vast as the sea, as majestic as a mountain, carrying a resonance from the depths of the Dragon Clan’s Bloodline that could not be faked.

It was the Dragon Emperor.

It really was the Dragon Emperor.

He did not hesitate, his aged body soaring into the sky, turning into a streak of light, and speeding toward the direction of the East Dragon Island.

When Zhu Huo landed in front of the council hall, Qing Shan and Qing Mu were waiting outside.

Seeing him, both of their expressions were somewhat complex.

Zhu Huo did not look at them and walked straight into the hall.

In the great hall, Zhu Kun sat on the main seat, his purple-gold hair draped down, his golden eyes staring at the entrance.

Shen Wen sat to the side, and Zi Yan leaned against his side, head lowered, not knowing what she was thinking.

Zhu Huo walked to the center of the hall and stopped.

He looked at that familiar face, those golden eyes, that aura absent for thousands of years—

With a ”thud,” he knelt on the ground.

His forehead pressed against the floor, his aged shoulders trembling slightly.

”Your Majesty... you have finally returned...”

His voice was hoarse, filled with irrepressible excitement and guilt.

Zhu Kun did not let him rise.

He just sat there, looking down at this old subject kneeling before him, silent for a moment.

”Zhu Huo,” he finally spoke, his voice cold, ”do you know your crime?”

Zhu Huo’s body trembled slightly.

He did not lift his head, his voice low: ”This old subject knows his crime.”

”Know your crime?” Zhu Kun’s voice rose sharply, ”In the years I was missing, you did not think to welcome back my Bloodline, allowed the Dragon Island to split, and allowed those traitors to cause chaos—what crime do you know!”

Zhu Huo kept his forehead pressed to the ground, saying nothing.

The hall was silent for a moment.

Zhu Kun’s gaze moved past Zhu Huo and fell outside the hall door.

Outside the door, it was empty; not a single person had come.

His expression grew darker, and in those golden eyes, anger surged.

”No one came?”

He said in a low voice, then laughed.

The smile was cold, carrying anger suppressed to the extreme.

”Good, good, good.”

He said the word ”good” three times in a row, stood up, and stood with his hands behind his back.

”Now they don’t even listen to my orders.”

Shen Wen sat to the side, watching this scene, and said nothing.

Zhu Kun took a deep breath, suppressing the anger surging in his heart, and turned to look at Zi Yan.

His voice softened a bit, carrying a hint of caution: ”Zi Yan, Father will go and deal with these traitors first. You wait here for me, alright?”

Zi Yan lifted her head and glanced at him.

She did not speak, only turning to look at Shen Wen.

Shen Wen reached out and rubbed her head, saying softly: ”Your father going to handle affairs in the clan is only right.”

Zi Yan pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded.

”Be careful.” She said, her voice very soft.

Zhu Kun froze for a moment.

Then, on that resolute face, the first smile in thousands of years appeared.

”Alright.”

He turned and walked toward the outside of the hall.

After two steps, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Shen Wen.

”Kid,” he began, his tone serious, ”I leave Zi Yan to your care.”

Shen Wen nodded.

Zhu Kun did not say more, his figure flickering as he turned into a purple-gold stream of light and shot into the sky.

That light cut through the sky, carrying anger suppressed for thousands of years, and sped toward the western horizon.

Qing Shan and Qing Mu hurriedly followed.

Zhu Huo stood up from the ground, his aged face full of complexity. He glanced at Shen Wen, then looked at Zi Yan, opened his mouth, wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.

He turned and followed that purple-gold light, disappearing into the horizon.

The great hall fell silent.

Zi Yan leaned on Shen Wen’s shoulder, silent for a moment, and suddenly spoke: ”Brother Shen Wen, will he... be alright?”

Shen Wen looked down at her and smiled: ”Worried about him?”

Zi Yan turned her head away and said muffledly: ”Not at all.”

Shen Wen did not expose her, only reaching out to wrap his arm around her shoulder and patting her gently.

”He is the Dragon Emperor of the Void Ancient Dragon clan, a being with half a foot stepped into the realm of Dou Di.” His tone was calm, ”Those traitors aren’t even enough for him to fight with one hand.”

Zi Yan hummed an acknowledgement and did not speak again.

Outside the window, that purple-gold light had already disappeared at the end of the horizon.

In the distance, faint dragon roars could be heard, carrying anger, carrying killing intent, and carrying the Dragon Emperor’s might suppressed for thousands of years.

That was Zhu Kun’s voice.

He was declaring his return.

And he was also declaring the end of those traitors.