76: Chapter 75 The Humble Zhu Kun

Zhu Kun desperately wanted to rush to Zi Yan's side and take a good look at his daughter, but the Seal on his body bound him tightly. He couldn't even move an inch forward and could only watch from a distance.

Seeing that Zi Yan had grown so much, her figure graceful and elegant, and that she emitted the aura of an Early Stage Four-Star Dou Sheng, Zhu Kun's heart was filled with both self-reproach and relief.

He blamed himself for not being able to accompany his daughter for all these years.

In contrast, Zi Yan was much calmer.

The giant dragon before her was a Void Ancient Dragon, belonging to the same clan, so she wasn't too worried that the other party would harm her.

She was only a bit confused by his excited appearance.

“Who are you?”

As a Nine-Star Dou Sheng, Zhu Kun's aura was extremely well-hidden.

Although Zi Yan faintly sensed a Bloodline connection, she only thought it was a unique bond shared by the Void Ancient Dragon Clan and didn't think toward the direction of 'father' at all.

“Child, I am your father!”

Seeing this, Zhu Kun immediately realized the problem. He hurriedly retracted his hidden aura and Bloodline, releasing his purest Void Ancient Dragon Bloodline without reservation.

Now, Zi Yan sensed that connection of shared blood even more clearly.

Zi Yan's whole body shook in disbelief. She took a step back in a daze, shaking her head.

“No, I'm an orphan. I don't have a father. I don't.”

If the person before her was just an ordinary member of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, she could accept it and might even bring them back to Dragon Island. However, the only thing she couldn't accept was that he was her father.

The person who abandoned her back then and left her to become an orphan.

Seeing Zi Yan's reaction, the self-reproach in Zhu Kun's heart intensified, and he kept apologizing and admitting his faults.

“Child, your father has failed you... Back then, I was possessed by greed, coveting the Legacy of the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor, which led me into a trap. I've been trapped here for countless years, letting you suffer outside.”

He explained incessantly, his tone full of remorse, but Zi Yan stubbornly turned her head away, unwilling to listen to any of his explanations.

Perhaps Zhu Kun hadn't abandoned her on purpose, but the grievances she suffered in her childhood were very real.

Zhu Kun didn't know what to do. He had no experience in this area at all; he was at a loss, as anxious as a monkey.

Seeing this, Ling Yuan took a step forward, wanting to mediate the relationship between the father and daughter.

“Since Senior is Zi Yan's father, you should know that she has been alone and helpless for all these years, suffering a great deal. This definitely cannot be smoothed over with just a few apologies. However...”

Ling Yuan originally wanted to say that Zhu Kun didn't want this either and to give Zi Yan some time to accept it, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by Zhu Kun.

Perhaps it was because Zhu Kun was desperate to be recognized by his daughter, or perhaps his emotional intelligence was too low,

combined with a subconscious hostility toward Ling Yuan for 'abducting' his daughter.

In short, Zhu Kun didn't see that Ling Yuan's original intention was to reconcile their relationship; he thought he was there to fan the flames.

So Zhu Kun's tone was a bit unpleasant as he directly interrupted Ling Yuan's following transition.

“This is a matter between us father and daughter. You, an outsider, stay out of it!”

Ling Yuan was stunned on the spot.

Holy crap, how is this old dragon so arrogant!?

And I'm trying to help you, big brother!

Fine, fine, fine, keep being arrogant then.

Ling Yuan didn't want to be pushed around by this old thing from the start.

Did he really think he was still that Peak powerhouse of the continent from before?

Ling Yuan didn't want to indulge him and moved to pull Zi Yan away.

He had a way out; even if the Ling Clan was destroyed, he wouldn't die.

Zi Yan also stood on Ling Yuan's side.

“He's not the outsider, you are!”

“Let's go, ignore him. Let him stay trapped here for the rest of his life!”

Hearing this, Zhu Kun felt like the sky had collapsed.

As his heart cooled, he suddenly realized that Ling Yuan seemed to have been trying to speak up for him just now.

Before being locked up, Zhu Kun's personality was quite blunt. Relying on his great strength, even if he said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing, no one dared to contradict him.

Coupled with being trapped here for countless years and never dealing with people, he lacked social experience even more, which is why he failed to perceive Ling Yuan's original intention immediately.

In other words, he not only missed the chance to have his daughter forgive him but also personally offended the only person who could help him.

At this moment, Zhu Kun wished he could slap himself a few times.

“Wait, wait, wait... I said the wrong thing...”

Zhu Kun quickly sent a soul transmission to Ling Yuan.

“Good son-in-law, I was wrong. I didn't catch your meaning just now. Help me, persuade Zi Yan...”

He had finally seen his daughter, and he hadn't even had a good look yet.

His daughter already didn't want to talk to him, and now he had accidentally injured an ally.

If these two were both driven away in anger, he definitely wouldn't see his daughter again.

Zhu Kun said that as long as Ling Yuan could help persuade Zi Yan, he would do anything.

Zhu Kun no longer hoped to get out in the short term; he only hoped that Zi Yan could occasionally come to see him.

Once the relationship eased, he would consider the matter of getting out.

Seeing Zhu Kun beg him, Ling Yuan, who was originally a bit unhappy, was suddenly amused.

He thought to himself: 'Weren't you just being arrogant? I still want to see your wild and unyielding look.'

However, in the end, Ling Yuan did not pay attention to Zhu Kun.

Since he was going to scare Zhu Kun, he naturally had to let him despair first before giving him hope.

Zhu Kun was to be released, but he had to enlighten Zi Yan first.

He couldn't just turn around and sell Zi Yan out to flatter Zhu Kun right after Zi Yan had defended him, could he?

Anyway, he couldn't bring himself to do such a thing.

It was just the right time to scare Zhu Kun and wear down his foul temper.

On the way up, Ling Yuan could tell that Zi Yan was a bit absent-minded.

There should still be some conflicted emotions, because he could feel Zi Yan's grip on his hand tighten from time to time.

“Ling Yuan, do you think I should forgive him?”

No matter how much one argued, it was an unchangeable fact that Zhu Kun and Zi Yan were father and daughter connected by blood.

Ling Yuan was equally aware of this.

“This is still for you to decide. Regardless, I respect your choice.”

After a pause, Ling Yuan analyzed from an objective perspective: “However, I think Zhu Kun probably didn't lie to you. Back then, he left you outside not because he truly didn't want you, but because he was afraid that if you followed him in, you would encounter danger and be trapped by the Seal as well.”

“Think about it. If he had really brought you in back then, with the power of that Dou Di Seal, both of you might have been locked inside. By then, you father and daughter probably wouldn't have had a chance to get out for the rest of your lives.”

When Ling Yuan said these words, he didn't mix in any selfish motives or emotions.

Zi Yan was still conflicted over there: “I know that, but I'm still angry that he treated you like that just now.”

Ling Yuan didn't expect that Zi Yan had even taken his factors into consideration.

He hadn't doted on her in vain!

“I'm fine. For a Nine-Star Dou Sheng powerhouse to humble himself and apologize to me is enough. Now it mainly depends on whether you yourself want to forgive him.”

“I have an ability to get him out. He is your father after all, and we are preparing to get married. If he can attend, it would naturally be best... As for whether to forgive him, you can see how he performs. What do you think?”

Zi Yan thought for a while, the struggle in her heart gradually dissipating. Finally, she nodded gently and gave a low 'Mm'.

The man was, after all, the one who gave her life; Zi Yan couldn't be truly heartless no matter what.

The next day, Ling Yuan brought Zi Yan back down beneath the magma.

Zhu Kun was curled up next to the stone door, his eyes full of loneliness.

The arrival of the two truly surprised him.

He had thought they wouldn't come again.