Although Zi Yan did not unleash her dragon form, the Gu Clan could naturally guess her identity with their keen perception.
The Taixu Ancient Dragons were a Magical Beast family that even the Gu Clan had to treat with caution.
Zi Yan's humanoid tyrannosaur-like combat prowess was indeed formidable; if an ordinary Douzong were here, they would likely be flattened by a single punch from her. If she were to return to the Ancient Dragon Tribe to accept her inheritance now, she might be able to soar to the Dou Sheng "Cultivation Level" within a few years.
"Your strength is indeed impressive. Perhaps after a few more decades of cultivation, you might actually have the power to fight me. However, your current "Cultivation Level" is still too weak. But you must be from the Ancient Dragon Tribe, right? To possess the bloodline of the Taixu Ancient Dragon and yet be with a human, aren't you afraid your clansmen will capture you and punish you?" Gu Qingyang could not understand.
Many people dream of becoming Dragon Riders when they are young.
Dragons are the most powerful Magical Beasts on the continent, and even an ordinary person has heard the legends about them. To have something more than friendship with a beauty from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan is something no one could refuse. At that time, not only could one ride in private, but also transform into a Dragon Rider during battle.
Thus, even Gu Qingyang felt envious of Xu Ran's good fortune at this moment.
If one could really get along with a creature from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, not to mention anything else, one could look incredibly cool just riding out on the wind.
However, Magical Beasts value bloodline purity even more than the Gu Clan does.
The strength of Magical Beasts and these Ancient Families lie in their bloodlines. What would future offspring look like if the Dragon Clan were to mate with humans? It's unlikely that the Dragon Clan's strength could be fully inherited. The Dragon Clan would definitely not allow their bloodline to be tainted with such impurities.
The Dragon Clan enforces very strict rules regarding relationships between their people and those of a Different Race.
Once such a relationship is discovered, it will be treated as a warning to others; survival is improbable.
Moreover, if one were truly bold enough to consort with a dragoness of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, one would offend the colossal entity that is the Taixu Ancient Dragon. Hence, no one dares to entertain such a thought. Even Gu Qingyang only dared to think about it quietly in his heart.
"If those from the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan knew that Xu Ran is entangled with you, Xu Ran would definitely be doomed." Not just Gu Qingyang, the Ancient Clan Elder also had a grave expression.
Courting trouble with the dragonesses of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, while they did admire Xu Ran's ability to woo women to some extent, his actions had seriously offended the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.
Already having offended the Soul Hall, and now the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan as well, even if Xu Ran has impressive talents, they had to seriously consider whether they should continue to protect him.
"What are you all talking about? What's wrong with Xu Ran being with me?" Zi Yan, hands on hips, was red-faced with anger. Why was it wrong for her to be with Xu Ran? Zi Yan found these two mysterious people even more distasteful, though she knew she was no match for them.
"Didn't the elders of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan tell you about this?" Both were dumbfounded. This kind of thing should be common knowledge, right?
"I've never stayed with the clan. Moreover, my father agreed to my staying by Xu Ran's side and even gave me advice." Zi Yan pouted. She had been outside since she was young; how could she know about clan rules? No wonder Zhukun struck at Xu Ran immediately after seeing the close relationship between Zi Yan and him. Later, upon realizing Xu Ran was also a powerful dragon bloodline expert, with a lineage even more noble than their Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, Zhukun agreed to serve Xu Ran and even left Zi Yan by his side.
The purity of the bloodline is indeed important, but if Xu Ran and Zi Yan were to have offspring together, they would undoubtedly be stronger than the Taixu Ancient Dragons. This would be a brilliant opportunity to evolve the bloodline.
"Who is your father?" The Ancient Clan Elder finally could not sit still. Such a reality was simply too abnormal. It was possible that Zi Yan, having been unexpectedly cast adrift, might not care about traditions, but a mature Taixu Ancient Dragon should not be possible...
And to even give the girl such advice? It sounded as if he were eager for his own daughter to unite with a human, this...
Could a Taixu Ancient Dragon with such pride actually do such a thing?
"My father? Zhukun." Zi Yan did not understand why the two strangers in front of her were acting so abnormally, nor did she have any intention of hiding her identity. By the side of Xu Ran, a Dou Di, she didn't believe revealing her identity would bring any trouble.
Her father, a Nine-Star Dou Sheng Expert, was completely obedient by Xu Ran's side.
"Pfft."
Gu Qingyang and the Ancient Clan Elder both felt like vomiting blood.
Zhukun... that name was not unknown to them.
He was the Clan Leader of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, a powerhouse of the Continent many years ago. With the long lifespan of Magical Beasts, Zhukun was already at the pinnacle of Dou Qi just below Dou Di when people like Gu Yuan were rising.
And a thousand years ago, Zhukun disappeared; they had not expected to stumble upon Zhukun's traces in such a modest place.
Gu Qingyang and the Ancient Clan Elder were overwhelmed with shock and awe, no longer knowing what to say. The Clan Leader of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, a powerful and ancient dragon expert mightier than the Ancient Clan Leader, had a daughter who was here, and moreover, involved with a human, and most crucially, Zhukun had actually agreed to let his daughter be with Xu Ran, even proactively sending her to Xu Ran's side.
However, they had no doubt about Zi Yan's words, as she had just demonstrated the formidable combat power befitting the royal lineage of the Ancient Dragon Tribe.
A Taixu Ancient Dragon fallen from grace could only be Zhukun, the legendary figure missing for so long.
"Don't tell me, this fellow really can mate with a Dragon Princess, such good luck." Gu Qingyang could no longer underestimate Xu Ran. Having received that individual's approval was enough to prove Xu Ran's qualifications were not poor. Moreover, roaming around with the Princess of the Taixu Ancient Dragons would definitely be an attention-grabbing act. In this world, no one dared to act as any kind of Dragon Rider.
The term 'Dragon Rider' was only used in those worlds where the Dragon Clan was not unified. On the Fighting Spirit Continent, the Taixu Ancient Dragons were a Magical Beast family. If a dragon were to be harmed, it would assuredly provoke retaliation from the entire clan.
Even Gu Qingyang, a prodigy of the Ancient Clan, couldn't help but feel envious at this moment.
Most critically, if Zhukun, the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan Leader, had agreed, then even if a so-called forbidden Human-Dragon love were to occur, it's likely no one would dare oppose it.
"Having obtained Zhukun's approval, it seems Xu Ran is even more excellent than the Ancient Clan had imagined," the Ancient Clan Elder thought further ahead. If they could cooperate with the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, and combine it with the power of the Ancient Clan, even the Hun Clan would be overshadowed.