Chapter 36: Zi Yan Meets Zhu Kun

When Zi Yan heard this unfamiliar name, she was stunned for a moment.

After a while, her little face filled with stubbornness as she tried hard not to let the tears accumulating in her eyes fall.

"Let's go, I want to ask him why he left me behind!"

Zi Yan had been bullied by magical beasts since she was a child. If she hadn't mistakenly eaten the shapeshifting grass and then been brought back to Canaan Academy by Su Qian, she might still be enduring that torment. This led to her deep resentment towards the parents who had seemingly abandoned her. She hated them for leaving her behind, for not caring about her, and this resentment became a knot in her heart.

That's why Zi Yan chose to follow Jiang Xing when he told her he knew where her people were.

Seeing Zi Yan, who was usually clever and quirky, now showing such a vulnerable expression, Jiang Xing felt a pang of sympathy and quickly comforted her.

After calming her down, Jiang Xing called Lin Shan over.

"Lin Shan," Jiang Xing said, "come with us to Canaan College again!"

Although Jiang Xing was now a two-star Dou Zun and confident that he could evade the thousand and two elders of Canaan Academy to reach the bottom of the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower, the importance of the task demanded absolute caution. He decided it was best to bring Lin Shan along.

Lin Shan replied, "Yes, Young Master."

Zi Yan, still confused, asked, "Didn't you say you would take me to see... him? Why are we going to Canaan College?"

The word "father" still felt foreign to her.

Jiang Xing explained, "He is right beneath Canaan Academy."

"Under Canaan Academy?" Zi Yan looked puzzled.

"You'll understand when we get there," Jiang Xing reassured her, choosing to explain further when they arrived.

When Zi Yan eventually meets the father who abandoned her, Jiang Xing anticipated her displeasure. He planned to act as a mediator, helping Zhu Kun explain himself, ensuring that Zhu Kun would feel obligated to assist him in return. Additionally, Jiang Xing had another motive for bringing Zi Yan—Zhu Kun, as the leader of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan and a Nine-Star Dou Sheng, must have a wealth of knowledge. Jiang Xing wanted Zhu Kun to pass on everything he knew to Zi Yan to accelerate her growth.

Nodding to Lin Shan, who understood the cue, Lin Shan tore open a space, and the three of them stepped in.

After a short while, they arrived at Canaan College, easily avoiding the elders guarding the Tianfen Refining Qi Tower, and made their way to the tower's bottom.

When they reached the bottom, Jiang Xing noticed the Fallen Heart Flame that he had left behind. Nourished by Canaan Academy, it had grown much stronger compared to before. Additionally, this Flame had become much easier to control, unlike the original Fallen Heart Flame, which had been more volatile. In retrospect, Jiang Xing realized he had actually done Canaan College a favor by taking away the larger Fallen Heart Flame and leaving behind the smaller one.

"Lin Shan, wait for us here," Jiang Xing instructed.

Though he had brought Lin Shan along, Jiang Xing did not intend for him to know about the ancient emperor's cave or the fact that he was about to place the Tushe ancient jade fragments there.

Lin Shan asked, "Young Master, don't you need me to accompany you down?"

Jiang Xing responded, "No, just wait here for me."

"Yes, Young Master."

Zi Yan, whose strength had just broken through to the Douhuang level, was not yet fully immune to the magma. Jiang Xing cast a shield around her before leading her into the molten depths.

As they descended, Jiang Xing held the fragment of Tushe ancient jade in his hand. Recalling Xiao Yan, he noticed the fragment reacting. Finding the cave of the ancient emperor Tushe would not be difficult with the help of this fragment.

Sure enough, after diving deeper, Jiang Xing noticed the fragment glowing red. The deeper they went, the brighter the glow, guiding Jiang Xing's direction.

After a while, Jiang Xing and Zi Yan spotted a massive ancient stone gate in the distance.

Seeing the stone gate, Jiang Xing hesitated to move forward. He feared getting trapped in the Tushe Ancient Emperor Cave like Zhu Kun and becoming a gatekeeper. When the stone gate showed no reaction, Jiang Xing prepared to call out for Zhu Kun.

Suddenly, the stone gate flickered, and a suffocating aura surged from within. A giant dragon covered in golden scales emerged, circled outside the cave, and then transformed into a middle-aged man with purple-gold hair.

The man began to shout, "Who dares to approach the ancient—" but stopped when his eyes fell on Zi Yan standing beside Jiang Xing.

The man's once-majestic golden eyes welled with tears. "Child, is that you?"

The moment Zhu Kun saw Zi Yan, he felt the familiar power of his bloodline within her. How could he not recognize his own child?

At this point, Jiang Xing said, "Zi Yan, he is your father."

In truth, when Zhu Kun had appeared, Zi Yan had sensed a familiar aura from the man. Combined with Jiang Xing's earlier words, she had already guessed that this man might be the father who had abandoned her. Now, with Jiang Xing's confirmation, Zi Yan's suspicions were affirmed.

Seeing that Zi Yan ignored him and looked at him with cold eyes, Zhu Kun stepped forward and repeated, "Child, I am your father."

Clearly, years of entrapment had left Zhu Kun longing for his children, so much so that his body trembled slightly at the sight of Zi Yan.

Zi Yan, however, didn't display the joy of a daughter reuniting with her father. Instead, she said coldly, "I've been an orphan since childhood. I have no parents."

Though her words were cold, Jiang Xing could sense the underlying grievance in her tone. Even after entering Canaan College, Zi Yan had acted tough, a result of being abandoned among a pack of magical beasts and bullied since she was young. This toughness had become her protective shield. Deep down, she had always longed to be a little girl who grew up loved by her parents.

Hearing Zi Yan's cold words, even Zhu Kun, once the most powerful man on the continent, panicked. Only this situation could make him behave this way.

"Child, I was wrong. I shouldn't have coveted the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion. That's why I ended up trapped here..."

Seeing that Zi Yan remained cold towards him, Zhu Kun continued to apologize, explaining that he had never intended to abandon her and had been trapped in the cave.

Zi Yan had come here to ask Zhu Kun why he had abandoned her, but hearing that he had been trapped and hadn't meant to leave her, she felt conflicted.

Although Zhu Kun claimed he hadn't abandoned her intentionally, the fact remained that she had suffered and been bullied since childhood because of him...