The demon dragon's whiskers, instead of harming Zhang Yang, provided him with an idea to break free.
Just now.
Zhang Yang's Carefree Palm could have directly severed the demon dragon's two whiskers.
However, Zhang Yang chose not to.
Because he wanted to borrow strength, using the pulling force of the dragon whiskers to extract the sword hilt from the demon dragon's head.
"Beast, you like tug-of-war, do you? Then keep pulling! Put some effort into it! Don't make me look down on you," Zhang Yang sneered.
Then, he spun his body in mid-air.
Adjusting his position, he aligned himself with the sword hilt.
Immediately.
True qi appeared in his right hand, and he struck the demon dragon's head again with a palm.
Bang.
The dragon's head also had dragon scales.
Even with Zhang Yang's close-range palm strike, it couldn't cause any damage.
However, there was still pain.
"Roar!"
Feeling his head attacked, the demon dragon let out a furious roar.
The dragon whiskers that bound Zhang Yang suddenly pulled his body with great force.
This scene.
Was exactly what Zhang Yang wanted to see.
At this moment.
The sword hilt, Zhang Yang, and the dragon whiskers were in a straight line.
Therefore, the forces at play were no longer canceling each other out.
As the dragon whiskers pulled Zhang Yang forcefully, Zhang Yang's hand gripping the sword hilt would also exert force.
With both sides exerting force, the unmoving sword hilt finally showed signs of loosening.
Slowly, bit by bit, it was being pulled out from the demon dragon's skull.
Soon.
Half of the dark sword blade embedded in the demon dragon's skull was revealed.
A sharp pain made the demon dragon furious. The dragon whiskers pulled Zhang Yang even harder, intending to tear Zhang Yang apart on the spot!
"It's almost done!"
"Zhang Yang is very adaptable. He even thought of a method like this."
"If our guess is correct, then the demon dragon is finished."
"..."
Han Qingxuan and the other two.
Seeing Zhang Yang about to succeed, the worry on their faces finally turned into joy.
...
Soon, under their watchful eyes.
A short, black sword blade was pulled out by the root.
Zhang Yang's body, lacking a grip, was directly flung out, swaying unsteadily in the air.
"Roar!"
The demon dragon let out a roar.
Opening its massive dragon maw, it was about to swallow Zhang Yang whole.
"Not good! Wasn't the black sword pulled out? Why hasn't the demonization of the dragon vein been lifted?"
"This is bad, Zhang Yang is in danger."
Han Qingxuan and the other two turned from joy to worry.
They wanted to rush forward to help, but even moving was extremely difficult. Where would they find the spare strength to help?
As for Zhang Yang, the person involved, his expression was grave.
It seemed...
Han Qingxuan's guess was wrong, and the demon dragon had not returned to normal.
Or perhaps, pulling out the black sword required a certain amount of time.
"You want to swallow me? Aren't you afraid of indigestion?" Zhang Yang cursed angrily.
In this moment of crisis.
Zhang Yang made a decisive move, drawing out all the true qi in his body and channeling it into his palms.
A powerful surge of true qi spread out from Zhang Yang's body in all directions.
Zhang Yang's clothes fluttered as if in a strong wind, and gusts of wind swirled around him.
In an instant, two palm strikes were unleashed.
The massive palm prints perfectly blocked the demon dragon's mouth.
This was Zhang Yang's strongest Carefree Palm to date, more than twice as powerful as before.
But...
To Zhang Yang's horror, the demon dragon directly tore apart the Carefree Palm.
Then, it opened its mouth again, intending to swallow Zhang Yang.
"I...! This!"
Zhang Yang's face was filled with disbelief, his eyes showing not only shock but also fear.
This demon dragon was outrageously strong.
He had drained all the true qi from his body, yet not only had he failed to harm the demon dragon, he hadn't even bought himself time to escape.
"No!"
"Zhang Yang!"
Han Qingxuan and the other two cried out hoarsely.
But they were powerless to help, only able to watch as Zhang Yang was swallowed by the demon dragon.
"Zhang Yang, I've brought this upon you." Tears streamed down Han Qingxuan's face.
In fact.
The matter of the dragon vein in Jiangnan City had nothing to do with Zhang Yang.
He could have easily chosen to ignore it.
But because of their family, Zhang Yang had plunged himself into danger.
Now...
Zhang Yang had been swallowed by the demon dragon, and Han Qingxuan was filled with self-blame and regret.
"Don't worry, even if I die today, I will avenge you."
Suddenly.
Han Qingxuan's expression turned resolute, and his gaze fell upon his wife, Ning Xiang, and his daughter, Han Xiyao.
He spoke in a voice only he could hear, whispering softly, as if bidding farewell.
"Both of you, I will escort you away later. For my wife, Ning Xiang, please help me find a place to bury her."
"As for Xiyao, if possible..."
Mid-sentence, Han Qingxuan suddenly stopped.
Then he shook his head, cursing himself internally for being so shameless.
For his family, he had already implicated Jiang Pan and He Ao.
Now, he had no face to ask them for further help.
"Forget it, I won't trouble you. This dragon pit can serve as the tomb for my family. That should be enough."
Having said that.
Han Qingxuan resolutely walked out, limping with each step towards the demon dragon.
His desolate, lonely back was filled with the air of farewell.
"Old friend, what is Han Qingxuan planning? Does he have another way?" Jiang Pan looked around, his sorrowful face filled with confusion.
"I don't know." He Ao shook his head, unable to guess either.
However...
Soon, they would know.
The demon dragon, having devoured Zhang Yang, set its sights on the nearby Han Qingxuan.
"Roar~"
The demon dragon opened its mouth, which had just swallowed Zhang Yang, and roared again.
Instantly.
It stirred up gusts of wind, kicking up sand and stones.
However.
Han Qingxuan, severely injured, was not blown away by this gust of wind.
Instead, he stood very straight.
"Evil creature, you've forced my hand! If you don't give my family a way to live, then let's be buried here together." Han Qingxuan's eyes blazed with ferocity.
He placed his hands on his chest and began chanting something.
Suddenly, an inexplicable aura appeared around Han Qingxuan.
The damaged meridians within his body were gradually recovering, and his strength was also steadily increasing.
In a moment.
Han Qingxuan's strength recovered to the True Essence realm.
Of course.
If it were just this, it would not be enough to deal with the demon dragon.
Han Qingxuan's strange transformation did not stop.
To the shock of He Ao and Jiang Pan, his strength continued to climb.
However...
His hair visibly turned white.
His body also became increasingly withered, even more so than Jiang Pan's, leaving only skin and bones.
This!
"Why does this feel familiar?" Jiang Pan and He Ao exchanged glances, filled with shock.
They seemed to have heard of such a method somewhere before.
But for a moment, they couldn't recall.
The two of them could easily guess what Han Qingxuan intended to do.
However, would this really work?
Could it defeat the demon dragon?
"Roar."
The demon dragon, which had been invincible from the start, let out a slightly unusual roar.
Its bell-like eyes showed a change for the first time.
Its gaze, slightly evasive, seemed to fear Han Qingxuan.
"Roar!"
Then, the demon dragon roared again to bolster its courage.
And with a powerful sweep of its tail, it lashed out at Han Qingxuan.
But...
A protective shield of aura appeared around Han Qingxuan, resisting the demon dragon's attack.
Seeing this, the demon dragon refused to give up.
The fear Han Qingxuan instilled in it grew stronger.
Its sharp dragon claws tore through the air.
But!
The barrier remained unharmed, and Han Qingxuan sat as firm as Mount Tai.
Suddenly.
Han Qingxuan's eyes opened.
His aura had grown to an extremely powerful level.
Surpassing that of the demon dragon.
His originally black hair had turned snow-white and lustrous, fluttering in the wind.
And his body, withered to the point of clinging to his bones, was like an old man whose oil lamp was about to run dry.
"Die!"
Han Qingxuan roared.
He gathered his strongest strike, locking onto the demon dragon.
However...
Just as he was about to make his move.
A voice, full of vigor yet ethereal, emerged.
"In-law, it's not time to fight to the death yet. Quickly shed the power you're accumulating!"
This!
Han Qingxuan, who was about to perish with the demon dragon, suddenly looked around.
But...
He couldn't find anyone else in the dragon pit.
This person called him in-law?
This...?
"Who is it?" Han Qingxuan shouted.
"It's me, Zhang Yingxiong."
A flickering voice transmitted.
This time.
Han Qingxuan found the source of the voice, which was coming from within the demon dragon's abdomen!
"Zhang Yingxiong? Who is that?" Han Qingxuan frowned, confused.
He Ao and Jiang Pan, however, trembled.
They were familiar with this name!
Extremely familiar.
The head of the Azure Dragon division of the Five Dragons of China was named Zhang Yingxiong.
This was Zhang Yang's father!
Could it be...
He Ao and Jiang Pan were excited, not expecting Zhang Yingxiong to still be alive.
And to arrive at such a critical moment.
If that were the case, then Zhang Yang wouldn't be dead.
Under the suspicious gazes of He Ao and Jiang Pan, and Han Qingxuan.
The demon dragon let out another roar.
However.
This roar was vastly different from before.
This roar was filled with agony and pain.
Suddenly.
The demon dragon lay on its back on the ground.
A green light shot out from its abdomen, and a figure emerged directly from the demon dragon's body.
This!
Zhang Yang?
The three were stunned.
They had expected to see Zhang Yingxiong.
Who would have thought that the person emerging would still be Zhang Yang.
The three looked closely, but then realized something was wrong.
The Zhang Yang who appeared was indeed Zhang Yang.
But in terms of aura, gaze, or strength,
The other party was much, much stronger than Zhang Yang.
The swirling, flashing gas around him,
Like wisps of smoke, was a symbol of the True Essence realm and beyond.
The manifestation of Yuan Qi.
"Who are you? What have you done to Zhang Yang?" Han Qingxuan stared at Zhang Yang, his face dark.
If the answer he received was not satisfactory, then.
Before killing the demon dragon, Han Qingxuan would deal with this person first.
"Heh heh, in-law, there's no need to be nervous. Zhang Yang is my son, why would I harm him?"
Zhang Yang shook his head with an aged air, his hands behind his back, his gaze commanding.
Zhang Yang's father?
Han Qingxuan remained suspicious, not believing him.
Fortunately, He Ao and Jiang Pan had walked over.
He Ao temporarily held back Han Qingxuan, saying.
"Don't rush, Zhang Yang's father is indeed named Zhang Yingxiong, but let me test his authenticity first."
With He Ao's confirmation, Han Qingxuan temporarily restrained himself from acting.
And Zhang Yingxiong.
Clearly hearing He Ao's words, he immediately smiled.
"What? Vice Minister He doesn't believe me either? It seems that when I find Minister Xia, I'll have to consider whether to strip you naked and hang you in the Xinglong Hall to be burned for another month?"
This!
He Ao's old face couldn't help but blush.
This humiliating event was deeply etched in his memory.
Although it happened more than thirty years ago, it was the most embarrassing moment of his life.
Jiang Pan also knew about this incident. Even though he knew it wasn't appropriate to laugh now.
But he couldn't help it, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"You... you are really Minister Zhang?" He Ao asked in a deep voice.
Zhang Yingxiong was about twenty years younger than him by age.
However, in terms of strength, talent, and his position among the Five Dragons of China, Zhang Yingxiong surpassed He Ao.
Therefore.
He Ao used a respectful title.
"What do you think? Shall I reveal the matter of you peeking at Li Qinghe bathing?" Zhang Yingxiong continued to smile.
Pfft~
He Ao's weak, pale face became even more ruddy.
You've already said it, and you're asking if I want you to say it?
Damn you!
"He Ao, if you still don't believe my identity, I have another secret."
Zhang Yingxiong smiled and was about to continue when He Ao quickly interrupted.
"No, no! Minister Zhang, I believe you."
Although Zhang Yingxiong only mentioned two things, very few people knew about these two incidents.
Unless they were high-ranking officials of the Five Dragons of China.
Therefore, Zhang Yingxiong's identity was no longer in doubt.
However...
There was still one point He Ao didn't understand.
"Minister Zhang, are you all doing well now? And how are you controlling Zhang Yang's body? Could it be a method you left behind in Zhang Yang?"
Mentioning them, the smile on Zhang Yingxiong's face disappeared.
He suddenly sighed and asked himself.
"Doing well? I suppose so."
"Actually, I didn't leave any methods in Zhang Yang. When I left him in the old residential area, he was too young to withstand any of my power."
"I only left some methods here at the dragon vein."
"If Zhang Yang hadn't been swallowed by this beast, I wouldn't have had the chance to control Zhang Yang's body."
So that's how it is.
He Ao suddenly understood. The disturbance of the dragon vein in Jiangnan City back then was personally brought about by Zhang Yingxiong.
Although it was guarded, the losses were heavy.
Later, under certain pressures, he disappeared after leaving Zhang Yang behind.
Now, it seemed.
Zhang Yingxiong hadn't left completely, but had left behind some measures.
He Ao knew without asking.
If the people who had seized the dragon vein this time were not them.
It was likely that Zhang Yingxiong's method of saving people would have been a deadly move.
"Then, how is Zhang Yang doing now?" He Ao asked.
"This brat is fine, his body is strong. If I hadn't been controlling his body, I wouldn't have known about the opportunity he had on him," Zhang Yingxiong said with a smile.
"Then..." He Ao wanted to ask more, but Zhang Yingxiong waved his hand.
"It's not the time for chatting. The spiritual body I left behind won't last long. Let me deal with this beast first."
After speaking.
Zhang Yingxiong looked at Han Qingxuan, a hint of interest on his lips.
"In-law, shed the power you're accumulating. This beast is mine to handle."
"Also..."
Zhang Yingxiong's gaze swept past behind him, and he said with a light smile.
"Although the dragon vein has been demonized, as long as this violent energy is removed, the dragon vein can still be used, and your mother-in-law can live well."
"Consider this my meeting gift to you, Zhang Yingxiong."