The lightning passage was very long, and the terrifying lightning within it caused most people to scream in despair. However, with Xiao Yan's lightning-fast speed, he covered the distance in just about half an hour. Soon, the lightning in front of him dissipated completely, and a grand hall appeared before Xiao Yan.
After exiting the Thunder Passage, Xiao Yan's figure gradually descended until his feet touched the ground.
In front of the main hall was a sizable plaza, where many forces had already gathered, including the three major sects and Qin Yun and his group.
Xiao Yan's appearance immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the square. After what had happened before, these people remembered Xiao Yan's name. Upon seeing him, many of them showed a particularly apprehensive expression.
Seeing that Xiao Yan had caught up so quickly, Chen Zhen's expression narrowed slightly. Judging from Xiao Yan's refreshed appearance, he seemed to have been unaffected in the thunder passage. On the other hand, although nothing had happened to them, their Dou Qi had been greatly depleted, causing their auras to fluctuate slightly, unlike Xiao Yan's steady and long aura.
On the other side, Qin Yun and his group also cast unfriendly glances at Xiao Yan, their gazes lingering on the latter for a moment before turning back to look at the main hall in front of them.
Xiao Yan ignored those stares; the moment he stepped into the square, his gaze fell directly on the main hall at the very front of the crowd.
The main hall was magnificent, with its dome and stone walls so high that it was impossible to fly through. Below, an extremely heavy stone door blocked the way for everyone present. On either side of the stone door stood a huge stone pillar, and on top of it, two enormous thunder dragons were now coiled.
Unlike the lightning in the previous passage, these two lightning dragons were much larger and more robust, with bolts of lightning crackling around their blue bodies. The power they released was truly astounding. The arrival of Xiao Yan and his companions had awakened these two lightning dragons, which had been dormant for nearly a thousand years, from their long slumber.
Looking at the two thunder dragons, Xiao Yan couldn't help but reveal a strange expression. He wondered if his Northern King could devour and absorb these two thunder dragons. If so, the Northern King's strength would surely rise to a new level. And at that time, he might be able to have a better chance of dealing with the mysterious black-robed man in Qin Yun's team.
The awakening of the two thunder dragons caused many people present to look solemn. The strength of these two beasts was probably no less than that of Chen Zhen and the others, comparable to the powerful thunder of Nine-Star Dou Di. Even in the entire Western Region, there were very few people who could match such strength. Yet, in this Heavenly Severing Ancient Tomb, they were only used as gatekeepers. One could only imagine how dangerous the depths of this ancient tomb must be.
Of course, everyone was well aware of this, but what they understood even more was that danger and opportunity often go hand in hand, and as long as they could survive these dangers, their gains would be exceptionally gratifying.
"It seems the lightning outside was just a small test; this is the true entrance to the ancient tomb."
At the forefront of the crowd, several patriarchs from major powers raised their murky eyes, glanced at the two thunder dragons before them, and then swept their gaze across the magnificent hall, unable to help but sigh in admiration.
"Huh? There are actually array restrictions on this stone gate. It seems that Venerable Heavenly Severing didn't rely solely on Dou Qi back then. Judging from this, his mastery of array formations is probably quite high."
Chen Zhen's gaze swept across the stone gate in front of him, and after sensing the familiar power contained within it, he immediately discovered this.
"Oh? An array formation, huh? Chen Zhen, among us, you have the best understanding of array formations, you're practically an expert. Why don't you give it a try and see if you can activate this array?"
Wu Jitian chuckled and set his sights on Chen Zhen. He knew that the two thunder dragons in front of him were no less powerful than him, and even stronger than him and Chen Zhen. If he attacked them head-on, it would only bring them endless trouble. He didn't want to waste his strength like this before he had even entered the ancient tomb.
"Hmph, Wu Jitian, your words may sound nice, but you overestimate me. I am merely a Fourth-Tier Formation Master, while the sealing array on this stone gate is at least fifth-tier. I simply cannot break it. If I were to force it open, I fear I would only destroy the array in the end. If this were to trigger some unknown force, causing the ancient tomb to collapse, we would all perish here."
Although the words were spoken in a plain and ordinary manner, they caused a slight tremor in the hearts of everyone present, including the black-robed man beside Qin Yun.
"What are we going to do then? Are we just going to sit here and wait? I can't wait that long."
Wu Jitian curled his lip in resentment and growled impatiently.
Chen Zhen shook his head helplessly, raised his gaze to the two thunder dragons in front of him, and said resignedly:
"Judging from this formation, it should be connected to these two thunder dragons. In other words, these two thunder dragons are very likely the key to breaking the formation. That is to say, the only way to open this stone door is to defeat these two thunder dragons."
Upon hearing Chen Zhen's words, Wu Jitian's facial muscles twitched, and at the same time, whispers arose from the surrounding crowd.
Xiao Yan stood quietly behind him. He didn't want to try it now unless necessary. Rather than rushing to make a move, he would rather observe the situation first. If someone could resolve the issue, it would save him some effort.
A short while later, an elderly man in a gray robe stepped out from the crowd and walked to the front of the crowd. With each step he took, a powerful aura emanated from his body.
Quasi-Nine-Star Dou Di, even if his strength is inferior to Chen Zhen and Wu Jitian, he can still be considered one of the few strong individuals in the current arena.
Xiao Yan had never seen this old man before, but he didn't think much of him.
The Western Region are vast, and there are many hidden talents among them. The power of some low-profile forces is not as simple as it appears on the surface. This can be seen from the so-called Four Great Sects of the Western Region.
Surrounded by numerous gazes, the old man slowly stepped out, releasing a vast aura, with powerful Dou Qi coiling around him like a long serpent.
Soon, the old man arrived between the two stone pillars. At the same time, the two awakened thunder dragons stared intently at him with their huge eyes.
"Laugh!"
Suddenly, just as the gray-robed elder took another step forward and before he landed, the two thunder dragons moved simultaneously. With a twist of their bodies, their two sharp claws attacked the elder from the left and right sides respectively. The powerful force easily tore through the void, and in the blink of an eye, they had already landed on both sides of the elder's body.
"Hmph, get out of here!"
Seeing this, the old man remained calm and composed, twisting his body with an air of composure. At the same time, powerful Dou Qi erupted from his body, and he raised both arms, placing a palm on each side. Supported by the powerful Dou Qi, he easily blocked the attack of the two lightning dragons.
Immediately afterwards, the old man's arms suddenly trembled, and a powerful force erupted, actually forcibly repelling the claws of the two thunder dragons.
"Hmph, it's just a beast formed from two arrays, yet it dares to try and stop me!"
With a single palm strike, the old man repelled the two lightning dragons. He then burst into laughter, his Dou Qi surging as he leaped into the air, unleashing powerful bursts of Dou Qi that briefly suppressed the two lightning dragons.
Watching the battle unfold as if it were a one-sided massacre, the crowd below remained silent.
It was only the beginning, and the old man had already used his Dou Qi to suppress the two lightning dragons. However, the two lightning dragons, apart from relying on their brute strength, had not yet truly used their power. Under the old man's attack, the two lightning dragons seemed to have no way to fight back, but once the lightning dragons truly made their move, the old man would probably be powerless to resist.
He's going to lose.
Chen Zhen watched the seemingly fierce battle on the field and sighed softly. The next moment, dazzling blue lightning flashed on the bodies of the two thunder dragons, and terrifying lightning surged and splashed, instantly shattering the gray-robed old man's attack. Then, the remaining power heavily slammed into the old man's body, blasting him away.
Then, amidst the astonished gazes of everyone present, Chen Zhen and Wu Jitian exchanged a glance, then nodded emphatically. As their gazes returned, they lightly touched the ground with their toes and shot forward, immediately engaging the two lightning dragons in battle.
"Boom..."
The intense explosions of Dou Qi echoed across the plaza, lightning bolts shot out, and Dou Qi surged wildly. The battle in the arena was particularly fierce, dazzling the onlookers below, who couldn't help but marvel at the spectacle.
The battle on the field lasted for a long time. Under everyone's watchful eyes, the two thunder dragons gradually fell into a disadvantageous position and looked like they were about to be defeated.
However, at that very moment, a dazzling blue light suddenly shone from the two stone pillars where the thunder dragons were coiled. Then, under the solemn gazes of Chen Zhen and Wu Jitian, the two thunder dragons actually coiled around each other and eventually merged into a giant dragon with a body full of blue light!
The battle continued, but this time, Chen Zhen and Wu Jitian were at a disadvantage. Before long, they were also blasted back by the giant dragon that had turned into azure.
Chen Zhen and Wu Jitian were thus declared defeated!