"Don't you have any objections now?" Zhang Yang asked with a smile.
After the giant python and Zhu Zhi both expressed their stances, Zhang Yingxiong also fell silent.
They knew Zhu Zhi's strength; he was a Yuanfu realm expert even more senior than them, and the five of them had been defeated by Zhu Zhi in the past.
This giant python, capable of speaking human words, must have considerable strength!
Furthermore, Zhang Yang still possessed the crystal coffin from the Zhang family's ancestral home.
This duo and one beast formation was certainly not weak.
However, Zhang Yingxiong was stubborn. Even if he felt it was feasible, he was reluctant to admit it.
"Then it's settled! Once Elder Zhu Zhi recovers, we'll give it a try!" Zhang Yang decided decisively.
"Sigh."
Zhang Yingxiong suddenly sighed.
"Alright, then it's settled. But you must be careful and not act rashly. The situation inside the cave might be even more dangerous!"
"Don't worry, we know what we're doing," Zhang Yang replied.
With this matter settled, Zhang Yang walked directly to Zhu Zhi and inquired.
"Great Elder, how is your condition?"
"It's alright. Give me a day, and I should be able to recover."
"Good, then we'll act in a day."
Zhu Zhi nodded, walked to the side, took out recovery medicine from his person, and began to absorb it.
The others also meditated and rested, striving to adjust their states to the best of their ability.
...
One day later.
Zhang Yang and his group left the underground cave.
They headed openly towards the mountain peak where the three-headed bird resided.
A group of seven people and one beast, all of them Yuanfu realm experts.
This lineup, if placed outside, would be enough to crush everything.
But!
At this moment, their expressions were all solemn.
Because their opponent was a three-headed bird of unfathomable strength.
Hiss!
The moment they approached the mountain peak.
The three-headed bird clearly detected them, letting out a fierce cry.
Then, it flapped its wings, which blotted out the sky, and flew towards them.
Seeing this.
Zhang Yingxiong's expression turned solemn, and he said in a deep voice.
"Zhang Yang, leave this feathered bird to us. You can proceed. Be very careful!"
"Don't worry!" Zhang Yang nodded solemnly.
Then, he headed towards the mountain peak with Zhu Zhi and the giant python.
Zhang Yang did not let the giant python grow larger, as that would make them a bigger target.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yingxiong looked at the other four ministers of the Huaxia Five Dragons and said sternly.
"Old fellows, it's been a while since we've teamed up, hasn't it?"
"Heh heh, it has been many years. The last time we teamed up was when we broke through to the Yuanfu realm and fought this three-headed bird."
"Yes, who would have thought that we five peerless Yuanfu realm experts would be beaten so badly by a feathered bird."
"But it should be better this time. Our strength has grown considerably over the years."
The five ministers chatted and laughed.
Although they knew how difficult this battle would be, they showed no fear!
Because!
They were the five ministers of the Huaxia Five Dragons!
Once the top combat power of China!
Zhang Yingxiong watched the three-headed bird approaching them and shouted loudly.
"Come on, let's fight!"
As the words fell.
The azure Yuan Qi within Zhang Yingxiong erupted completely.
The other four ministers of the Huaxia Five Dragons were equally unyielding, unleashing their terrifying and boundless Yuan Qi.
The five of them moved with great coordination, each taking a position, forming a perfect pentagram.
"Formation activate!"
Zhang Yingxiong shouted again.
The five of them ascended simultaneously, their movements synchronized.
With perfect tacit understanding, they charged towards the three-headed bird.
This was the combined attack formation of the Huaxia Five Dragons ministers!
The Pentagram Formation!
It could multiply their power by several times, but the consumption was also immense!
However.
They couldn't afford to think about that anymore. This time, they had to go all out.
Because they had to leave this place!
Leave this dark and hopeless dump!
Boom!
Zhang Yingxiong threw the first punch.
Vast amounts of Yuan Qi transformed into a massive fist shadow. While not as large as the three-headed bird's body, it was still larger than the bird's head!
Hiss!
The three-headed bird let out another cry.
There was a hint of solemnity in its eyes, but only a hint!
It looked at the massive fist shadow before it, and all three of its mouths pecked forward simultaneously.
Boom!
The Yuan Qi fist shadow exploded, and terrifying power swept across the entire area.
The three-headed bird's body became unstable, its head tilted backward, almost falling from the sky.
Judging by the momentum, it seemed the three-headed bird was at a disadvantage.
But upon closer inspection, that wasn't the case!
The three-headed bird was completely unharmed!
It let out an enraged cry and swiftly charged towards Zhang Yingxiong and the others, all three of its beaks pecking forward!
Seeing this.
Zhang Yingxiong's expression tightened.
He suddenly moved away from the main attacking position and retreated, while another Huaxia Five Dragons minister skillfully took his place.
This minister was known as the strongest shield among the Huaxia Five Dragons!
This time.
He would be the primary attacker in the Pentagram Formation!
"Bore Shield!"
The minister shouted loudly.
Combining the Yuan Qi of the other four, it instantly formed an impenetrable shield.
The shield was covered in indecipherable Sanskrit characters, standing as unmoving as a mountain!
The three-headed bird, however, paid no heed and pecked directly at it.
Bang!
Bang bang!
The three-headed bird pecked desperately at the shield, determined not to stop until it was broken!
Zhang Yingxiong and the other four did not resist head-on. Instead, they used the impact force of the three-headed bird's pecking to slowly retreat!
Fighting and retreating.
They continuously lured the three-headed bird outwards, buying enough time for Zhang Yang and the others.
After a while.
The nearly tangible shield began to show cracks.
Seeing this, Zhang Yingxiong and the others said in unison.
"Change formation!"
At this moment, another minister stepped forward.
Before the shield could be shattered, he moved to the primary attacking position of the Pentagram Formation.
"Swift!"
A simple word spoken by this minister.
The five of them suddenly felt as light as swallows, their speed greatly increased!
Then!
They turned and fled!
Their speed stunned the three-headed bird.
So fast?
Hiss!
The three-headed bird let out a sharp cry and quickly flapped its wings to attack.
With the enhancement to their movement speed, Zhang Yingxiong and the others had no problem delaying the three-headed bird.
Unaware of the situation, the three-headed bird pursued relentlessly.
Its eyes were filled with greed, seemingly showing particular interest in Zhang Yingxiong and the others' bodies!
Instantly.
The five people and one bird began a chase.
After some time.
Zhang Yingxiong and the others slowed down.
The next Huaxia Five Dragons minister stepped forward to take over.
This distance was sufficient for Zhang Yang and the others to enter the cave smoothly!
"Damn it, I've tolerated you, you feathered bird, for a long time! Today, I'll see if I can pluck your feathers!"
The minister speaking was hot-tempered!
He was the minister of the War Dragon Department of the Huaxia Five Dragons, the boss of He Ao and the others!
The members of the War Dragon Department being hot-tempered was never a rumor!
The moment he reached the core attacking position, he immediately unleashed his Yuan Qi!
"Old comrades, lend me your strength!" the War Dragon Department minister shouted.
All his terrifying power converged on his right arm, and he unleashed a punch!
"Kirin Arm!"
Boom!
This punch gathered a large amount of Yuan Qi from the five ministers.
Then, under the War Dragon Department minister's martial skill, its power was amplified manifold.
It could be said that its power was astonishing, capable of splitting the heavens!
Even the three-headed bird hesitated for a moment, surprise appearing in its pupils.
This time, it dared not block the attack with its beak.
Instead, it retreated, constantly flapping its sky-obscuring wings and using the force of the wind to resist the War Dragon minister's punch!
"Damn it, this feathered bird isn't stupid. It knows it can't withstand it head-on, so it's trying to neutralize my punch!" the War Dragon Department minister cursed!
"If it were that easy to deal with, we wouldn't have been trapped for so long. As long as we can tie it down, it's enough to buy time for Zhang Yang and the others," Zhang Yingxiong said.
"Yes! But we still hope Zhang Yang and the others can be quick. We can't sustain this high-intensity combat for long."
"..."
While the few were conversing briefly.
The three-headed bird also used the force of the wind to neutralize the War Dragon Department minister's attack.
Immediately after.
The three-headed bird let out a cry and intended to launch an offensive.
However, in the next second, it suddenly let out a panicked cry.
Hiss!
Hiss!
The three-headed bird went berserk and turned, flying towards the mountain cave where it resided.
Seeing this.
Zhang Yingxiong and the other four were stunned for a moment, then they realized!
"Zhang Yang and the others must have entered the cave. Let's go after them!" Zhang Yang shouted.
Instantly.
The five of them quickly flew towards the three-headed bird.
But their speed was no match for the three-headed bird. Even as they continuously attacked it from behind with Yuan Qi, the bird paid them no mind, focusing solely on reaching the mountain peak.
Finally, it managed to shake off Zhang Yingxiong and the others.
After a while.
Zhang Yingxiong and the others finally caught up to the three-headed bird.
They watched the three-headed bird letting out enraged cries at the cave entrance on the mountainside, which brought them some relief.
Fortunately.
The cave was too small for the three-headed bird to enter, so it could only stay at the cave mouth!
"Hahaha, the three-headed bird can't get in, so it won't pose a danger to Zhang Yang," the War Dragon Department minister laughed.
"That's right, we can also take this opportunity to rest."
"Heh heh, I never thought the three-headed bird would be troubled by its size one day."
The other three ministers also laughed heartily.
They looked at the three-headed bird pacing anxiously in the distance with a sense of satisfaction.
Only Zhang Yingxiong's expression remained solemn.
"The three-headed bird indeed cannot harm Zhang Yang, but how will Zhang Yang and the others get out later?"
This!
As soon as Zhang Yingxiong spoke, the other four ministers fell silent.
They had forgotten about this matter.
"Why don't we try to provoke the three-headed bird and make it chase us again?" the War Dragon Department minister suggested.
"Let's try. Otherwise, Zhang Yang and the others will be in danger. But before that, let's adjust ourselves to our best condition," Zhang Yingxiong said.
Subsequently.
They also seized the opportunity to rest, planning to try and lure the three-headed bird away later.
...
At the same time.
Zhang Yang and the others, who had entered the cave, were filled with shock.
The cave was also pitch black, but within this darkness, everything could still be seen.
It was so dark that it emitted light, setting the tone for the place.
Zhang Yang, Zhu Zhi, and the giant python looked at the cave's structure with great astonishment.
At this moment.
The inner walls of the cave were covered with dense black lines, like blood vessels, which were constantly wriggling.
The source of the wriggling was deep within the cave!
"Master, what do you think will happen if I bite one of these things off?" the giant python suddenly said.
Slap!
Zhang Yang immediately slapped the giant python. This fellow was truly fearless!
"Stop messing around! This cave is very strange, you can't cause trouble!" Zhang Yang glared.
The giant python immediately retracted its neck, no longer daring to be mischievous.
"Zhang Yang, you said that when I was captured and brought here, I was also suspended at the cave entrance and bound by these vein-like lines, right?" Zhu Zhi suddenly asked.
"That's right. You were probably captured by the three-headed bird. These lines seem to be trying to drain the energy from your body. Anyway, when I rescued you, your Yuan Qi was already depleted. Fortunately, your foundation wasn't damaged," Zhang Yang replied.
Hearing this.
Zhu Zhi frowned and pondered for a moment. He suddenly asked.
"If that's the case, then these lines on the cave walls should be absorbing energy. But there's no Yuan Qi in this world, so what energy are they absorbing? And who are they providing this energy to?"
This!
Unintentionally spoken, but it struck a chord!
Zhang Yang stopped dead in his tracks upon hearing Zhu Zhi's words!
He looked closely at the lines on the cave walls and instantly had an epiphany!
Zhang Yang had felt a sense of familiarity from these lines when he first entered the cave.
It turned out these lines were similar to the blood vessels in the human body.
And the shape of the cave resembled a heart!
Now, Zhang Yang suspected that the cave was likely an artificially constructed atrium!
These black lines were probably continuously absorbing the energy of the underground dragon脉, supplying it to something deep within the cave!
It seemed.
This cave truly held a great secret!
"Let's go, speed up!" Zhang Yang said in a deep voice.
Although he said nothing, Zhu Zhi and the giant python sensed that Zhang Yang had figured something out and quickly followed.
Soon.
They reached the end of the cave.
Upon arriving here.
Zhang Yang's conviction in his guess grew stronger.
The space at the end of the cave was larger than the passage.
Here, the interior had been hollowed out!
There were even more wriggling black lines!
And!
In the air at the end of the cave, there was indeed a living heart beating!
However.
This heart was black.
And it was exceptionally large, comparable in size to the giant python coiled up after growing larger!
"My heavens, whose heart is this big? Could it be that feathered bird's?" the giant python suspected.
"Don't move rashly," Zhang Yang stopped the giant python's advance and continued.
"Let's not worry about this heart for now. Let's first look for an exit here."
Zhu Zhi nodded.
Finding a way out was their objective.
They could study this giant black heart later.
The interior space of the cave was vast.
However, after Zhang Yang and the others had explored it, their expressions all turned grim.
Apart from the way they came in, there was no other exit.
This was not good news.
This cave was their only hope. If there was no exit here, how would they leave this damned place?
"Master, what do we do now? Should we leave? How about I eat this heart before we go?" the giant python said, licking its tongue.
Slap!
"Don't you dare mess around. Can you even stomach something so black?" Zhang Yang said speechlessly.
Since they couldn't find an exit, he and Zhu Zhi turned their attention to this massive black heart.
"Great Elder, you are very knowledgeable. Have you ever heard of anyone with a black heart?" Zhang Yang asked.
"Let me think. I seem to have some impression, but..."
Zhu Zhi pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something!
"I know!"