Zhang Xiao's challenge was met with a confident smile from Zhang Yang as he stepped forward.
The giant python, giant crocodile, and Luo Yiren watched from behind, their expressions filled with sympathy for Zhang Xiao. They thought him fearless, believing a mere realm breakthrough would allow him to challenge Zhang Yang. This was a gamble too great.
The gazes of the person and two beasts left Zhang Xiao utterly bewildered.
However, on the way to the ancestral house, Zhang Xiao had indeed achieved a breakthrough. He felt confident, believing that even if he couldn't defeat Zhang Yang, he could at least fight him to a draw. This would help dispel the fear Zhang Yang had instilled in him recently.
"Make your move. If you can force me to take half a step back, you win," Zhang Yang said, his hands clasped behind his back, adopting the posture of an elder guiding a junior.
"You're looking down on me. You're looking down on me too much! How can you be like this!" Zhang Xiao felt insulted and cursed aloud. "Arrogant and seeking your own demise!"
With a roar, Zhang Xiao erupted in fury. His internal Yuan Qi surged, and he unleashed a punch towards Zhang Yang. Zhang Xiao hadn't used his full strength, intending to make Zhang Yang pay dearly for his overconfidence. "You dare to underestimate me, then prepare to die!"
Yet, Zhang Yang remained unfazed. As Zhang Xiao's killing blow approached, an ethereal and transcendent aura emanated from him. He casually extended a palm, steadily catching the punch.
"Is that all? I thought you'd become much stronger," Zhang Yang said with disappointment.
"What! How is this possible!" Outside of Luo Yiren and the two fierce beasts, the experts from the Zhang family stared with wide, disbelieving eyes. Zhang Xiao had already broken through to the middle stage of the True Yuan realm after entering this place. Even if he couldn't defeat Zhang Yang, he shouldn't have been so easily stopped with a casual gesture.
"Is the gap that large?"
"The young master's full-power strike was blocked just like that?"
Zhang Xiao himself felt it most acutely. When his fist was caught by Zhang Yang, he tried to retract it, but Zhang Yang's strength was immense, and he couldn't budge his fist. Zhang Xiao was now in a difficult position.
"Go back and train more," Zhang Yang suddenly smiled. Then, he lifted his leg and kicked Zhang Xiao flying. Instantly, Zhang Xiao's body arched backward, spitting a stream of blood that traced an arc through the air.
"Still want to fight? Or do you plan to beg me to spare you?" Zhang Yang asked teasingly, treating Zhang Xiao like a joke.
"You!" Zhang Xiao was furious, clutching his chest in pain. The humiliation of being defeated in a single blow, coupled with the gasps of admiration from the Zhang family members present, made Zhang Xiao feel utterly ashamed. He even began to question the wisdom of his decision to fight alone.
However, Zhang Xiao did not give up. He stared at Zhang Yang with a grave expression. Zhang Yang was too strange today. He lacked the sharp, dominant aura he once possessed, but his restrained power felt even more profound and heavy.
Suddenly, Zhang Xiao considered a possibility: had Zhang Yang also broken through? The thought immediately amplified his fear of Zhang Yang. This was not a good omen. If he couldn't defeat Zhang Yang today, he wouldn't be able to eliminate his inner fear. If he couldn't do that, he couldn't guarantee he could fulfill the expectations of his master and the ancestors once the ancestral house opened.
"Again!" Zhang Xiao roared through gritted teeth and charged at Zhang Yang, refusing to believe Zhang Yang was so much stronger than him!
"It will be the same even if you attack again." Zhang Yang didn't even glance at Zhang Xiao, remaining in place and casually waving his hand. Instantly, a surge of true energy swept out, flipping Zhang Xiao away.
*Puff~*
As expected, Zhang Xiao spat blood again. This time, it was worse than before. He hadn't even touched Zhang Yang's clothes before being forced back. Zhang Xiao, sitting on the ground, was filled with terror. "Strong! Too strong!" Zhang Yang was far superior to him.
"Still want to come?" Zhang Yang chuckled.
"Yes!" More determined by setbacks! Zhang Xiao rose again and charged at Zhang Yang. Luo Yiren, the giant python, and the giant crocodile all shook their heads. They had seen people humiliate themselves, but never to this extent.
"So pitiful. His confidence is completely shattered. Can he still be a normal man afterward?" Luo Yiren said with sympathy. The giant python and giant crocodile nodded in agreement, regretting their inability to speak, or they would have offered some words of their own.
*Bang!*
*Bang bang!*
*Bang bang bang!*
In just five minutes, Zhang Xiao fought repeatedly and was defeated repeatedly. He was like a ball, kicked back by Zhang Yang every time he charged forward. Finally, he collapsed on the ground, completely demoralized.
"You're done already? This is nothing. Get up and continue," Zhang Yang said with a smile.
Zhang Xiao's eyelids flickered, his fists clenched, but then he relaxed them.
*Puff~*
In the next moment, he spat another mouthful of blood. Zhang Yang was too powerful. In a one-on-one fight, he was no match for him. However, Zhang Yang's provocation had pushed Zhang Xiao to consider an extreme measure. Since he couldn't overcome his fear in a fair fight, he would resort to overwhelming numbers! If he could kill Zhang Yang today, his fear would naturally vanish!
Zhang Xiao suddenly stood up and shouted, "Zhang family members, heed my command, follow me..."
Before he could finish, the smooth stone wall behind Zhang Xiao began to vibrate. A crack appeared in the center of the wall. The intact stone wall suddenly pushed open to the left and right, revealing an internal space.
At the same time, an elder with white hair landed beside Zhang Xiao. "Xiao'er, you go into the ancestral house first. We'll deal with Zhang Yang later," said the Zhang family ancestor. He had not appeared earlier because he was in the process of opening the ancestral house. However, he had witnessed everything that had happened to Zhang Xiao and immediately intervened. There was nothing more critical than entering the ancestral house.
The Zhang family had not produced such a person in a long time. Even the exceptionally talented Zhang Yingxiong could only be considered half. However, Zhang Xiao's physique was even more exceptional than Zhang Yingxiong's. He was the most highly anticipated of this generation, and it was imperative that he enter the ancestral house to try.
"Ancestor, why don't we resolve Zhang Yang first, and then enter the ancestral house?" Zhang Xiao said through gritted teeth. With the appearance of the Zhang family ancestor, Zhang Xiao's confidence grew even stronger.
However, the Zhang family ancestor shook his head and said gravely, "You hurry and go in. This Zhang Yang is very unusual, and it might take some time to deal with him. I will help you hold him off."
"What!?" Zhang Xiao was astonished. Even the Zhang family ancestor said Zhang Yang was unusual. This... The ancestor was in the late stage of the True Yuan realm, with one foot already stepping out. If even he found Zhang Yang unusual, did Zhang Yang break through more than one realm? This... Zhang Yang was so young, would it be unheard of if he had stepped beyond the True Yuan realm?
As he thought about it, Zhang Xiao's fear of Zhang Yang increased significantly. Fortunately, the Zhang family ancestor's timely words jolted him. "Enter the ancestral house first. Once you successfully emerge from it, Zhang Yang will be no match for you!"
"Alright! Then I'll trouble the ancestor!" Zhang Xiao nodded. He knew this might be his only chance to defeat Zhang Yang. With this realization, he quickly led a group of Zhang family experts into the passage within the stone wall.
"The ancestral house has opened, so let's go in too," Zhang Yang said with a smile to Luo Yiren, stepping forward and completely ignoring the Zhang family ancestor.
"Stop right there. You cannot enter," the Zhang family ancestor said.
"Old man, are you sure you want to stop me? Can you stop me?" Zhang Yang's tone was unfriendly. He had been playing along with Zhang Xiao earlier, merely to make entering the ancestral house more convenient. Did these people really think he had no way to kill them all?
"Hmph! I told you to stop, and you will stop, or don't blame me for unleashing my wrath!" the Zhang family ancestor snorted coldly. His words carried a strong threat and killing intent, but he merely spoke without acting. Clearly, the Zhang family ancestor was hesitant.
Zhang Yang, however, had no time to waste here. Instantly, an ethereal and transcendent aura enveloped Zhang Yang, and he unleashed a palm strike. "Old man, if you don't get out of the way, you will die!"
"This!" The Zhang family ancestor's expression changed drastically upon seeing Zhang Yang attack. Those who knew what they were looking at! The Zhang family ancestor, on the verge of stepping beyond the True Yuan realm, was clearly more discerning than Zhang Xiao. Zhang Yang was no longer within the True Yuan realm.
The Zhang family ancestor was shocked and quickly channeled his Yuan Qi to resist Zhang Yang's palm strike. However, he could not resist it at all. He was sent flying backward, spitting blood and his aura weakened.
*Cough cough~*
"He's actually reached the Hunyuan realm! How is this possible!" In just one strike, the Zhang family ancestor was completely defeated. Although he was defeated in a single blow, just like Zhang Xiao, there was a difference: Zhang Yang had held back against Zhang Xiao, but he held nothing back now.
"Since you know my realm, do you still intend to stop me?" Zhang Yang pressed forward.
"Zhang... Zhang Yang, we are both members of the Zhang family. Some things can be discussed," the Zhang family ancestor quickly called out.
"Hahaha, you talk about me being a Zhang family member now? Where were you when Zhang Xiao attacked? Old man, if you don't want to die, get out of my way!" Zhang Yang sneered. He then walked towards the internal space of the stone wall, while the Zhang family ancestor retreated step by step.
Eventually, he could retreat no further and could only stand his ground. To buy time for Zhang Xiao, he could not retreat any further. As long as Zhang Xiao succeeded, then even the forces in the capital, let alone Qingcheng Mountain, would have to reconsider the Zhang family.
"Zhang Yang, I..." The Zhang family ancestor attempted to stall further. However, Zhang Yang had no more time for pleasantries and attacked directly! He unleashed a palm strike, its power terrifying, instantly obliterating him. The giant crocodile beside him leaped out and swallowed the Zhang family ancestor whole.
"Let's go and take a look inside," Zhang Yang said. Having dealt with the Zhang family ancestor, Zhang Yang quickly entered the ancestral house. Passing through the dark internal space, they arrived at a brightly lit underground palace. This palace had many branching passages. For a moment, Zhang Yang didn't know which way to go. There were no footprints on the ground, making it impossible to distinguish where Zhang Xiao and the others had gone.
"Zhang Yang, how about we split up?" Luo Yiren suggested. With the death of the Zhang family ancestor, only three middle-stage True Yuan realm cultivators remained from the Zhang family, including Zhang Xiao, whose courage had been shattered by Zhang Yang. Therefore, Luo Yiren was confident that she had enough self-preservation ability here.
"No," Zhang Yang shook his head. They were both unfamiliar with this place, and it was not suitable for splitting up. There might be dangers waiting for them besides Zhang Xiao. "Let's stick together and explore for now."
After saying this, Zhang Yang and Luo Yiren sat on the giant python and entered one of the passages. The giant python's crawling speed was very fast, greatly increasing Zhang Yang and their group's mobility. However, as they crawled, Zhang Yang discovered a problem. They had circled through the岔道 for a long time and eventually returned to their starting point. The giant python was also confused and looked back at Zhang Yang.
"Let's try the second passage," Zhang Yang said with a frown. The giant python then crawled towards the second岔道. This passage was much more complex than the first. There were even岔道 within the岔道! Fortunately, the giant python's crawling speed was very fast, and they quickly explored the second passage. However, apart from dead ends with no way forward, the only path that led out brought them back to their starting point. The giant python emerged from one of the passage mouths, looking confused and flicking its tongue.
"Zhang Yang, what's going on?" Luo Yiren was also puzzled. Zhang Yang frowned slightly. This was bad, they seemed to have encountered a maze. There were more than ten entrances before them. Currently, they didn't know the true path, and to enter directly, they would have to try them one by one.
Zhang Yang looked at the giant python panting and flicking its tongue and said, "Let's go to the giant crocodile. The giant python can rest here." The giant crocodile blinked, feeling a bit wronged. Hadn't it also run along? Why could the giant python rest, but it couldn't? The giant crocodile felt very wronged. However, under Zhang Yang's stern gaze, it could only crawl diligently.
This trial lasted for a full half hour. The giant python and giant crocodile alternated three times, finally trying all the passages. However, the result was still the same: they returned to the starting point! The two fierce beasts looked exhausted, lying on the ground with their tongues hanging out.
"We've tried them all, and still can't find the location? Then how did Zhang Xiao and the others get in?" Zhang Yang frowned. Luo Yiren was also very puzzled by this. Continuing to try blindly was no longer feasible. She subconsciously walked towards these entrances and observed them carefully.
Suddenly, Luo Yiren exclaimed, "Zhang Yang, come quickly and look, there seems to be a small arrow here."
An arrow? Zhang Yang's spirits immediately lifted, and he ran over. He indeed found the arrow Luo Yiren mentioned. Although it was very small and the imprint was shallow, it was truly there, and it looked like it had been left recently.
"Let's go, let's follow the arrow and see," Zhang Yang said. Zhang Yang led Luo Yiren along the arrow for a while and found another arrow. Instantly, Zhang Yang thought of a possibility. This arrow might have been left by Zhang Lihe, guiding them. With this thought, Zhang Yang quickly called the two fierce beasts and slowly explored the passage along the arrow.
...
At the same time, as Zhang Yang discovered the arrow and began searching inward, an hour had passed. The various forces waiting at the Zhang family mansion all made their move. After passing through a series of bizarre and colorful passages, everyone landed in different locations and dispersed. However... their paths of movement were somewhat strange, all avoiding the Zhang family ancestral house. It seemed the Zhang family ancestral house did not pique their interest, but rather the things outside attracted them more.