Tap, tap, tap!
The footsteps echoed clearly in the cave.
"Chirp chirp chirp!" The cautious voices of the Japanese could be heard ahead.
Jia Yan's compound eyes flickered slightly.
These Japanese hadn't reached the location where the giant machinery was stored yet!
But it made sense. In such a bizarre underground world, anyone would be on edge.
Jia Yan slowed down his pace slightly!
"Hengtian Shouyi, this place is very strange, different from the cave where our Japanese deity is located," said the woman among the three Japanese walking ahead, her face somewhat pale as she looked around.
"What's so different? When we first discovered that deity's cave, the scenery wasn't much different from here, and there were also some strange creatures inside. But later, when the Great Japanese Empire's army began to enter, those creatures went extinct."
Hengtian Shouyi, wearing sunglasses, shook his head. "Do you see the luminescent algae above this cave? According to the original deity's cave, there were similar plants there. However, when the army of the Great Japanese Empire entered and disturbed something about the deity, all the luminescent algae there died, even the strange substances in the air disappeared completely, and the deity eventually turned into an inanimate object."
"This time we came to confirm whether the machinery in this Huaxia cave is similar to the deity in my Japanese country. If it's similar..."
Hengtian Shouyi paused slightly, his brow furrowing.
"There's a sound ahead, it sounds like the noise made by flying creatures. We need to pick up the pace!"
With that, he quickened his steps!
Indeed, the sound Hengtian Shouyi heard was the flapping of Jia Yan's wings, but he mistook it for the sound of the Gua Long army behind them.
Although Jia Yan entered the cave later than these people, he arrived at the location of the giant machinery earlier than them!
In this deep and quiet cave.
The cave was primarily about three meters high, with only one entrance and exit, resembling a simple curved line.
However, in the middle of this line, there was another cave connected to it, with a height of about three to four meters!
Jia Yan had now reached the fork in the road of this line!
This time, he didn't fly through in one go.
There was no army of giant Gua Long chasing after him from behind.
And there was no reason for anything to fly past this place quickly.
So this time, he could carefully observe this forked cave and its contents!
At first glance, it had a very futuristic style!
A flash of shock crossed Jia Yan's compound eyes!
Last time, he only saw it vaguely.
But this time, he saw it clearly. It was indeed a giant piece of machinery!
The streamlined mechanical body reflected the light of the luminescent algae, and the overall craftsmanship seemed to be extraordinary. The lines were smooth, the appearance could be formed as a whole, without any visible screws or welding joints.
It was over three meters high and about three meters wide.
Square and angular, although not extremely beautiful, it did not detract from its sci-fi vibe at all, making people feel dizzy and fascinated.
The machinery was eye-catching, but what was even more attention-grabbing was the three gigantic monsters standing beside it!
These three monsters stood there, each about two meters tall.
Because he had caught a glimpse of the appearance of the monsters last time, Jia Yan wasn't particularly surprised to see them again.
They had six long legs, about two meters in height, and a body length of about two meters. If you had to describe them, they looked like spiders, but with only six legs instead of eight like spiders, so Jia Yan couldn't use any known biological terms to describe them. They were simply something out of the ordinary!
But these extraordinary creatures didn't look like they were easy to provoke!
Their bodies were like exoskeletons, resembling metallic armor. This armor had no seams or flaws, just like the giant machinery beside them, it was seamlessly formed, with even the rotating joints tightly protected.
There was a circular bulge on their bodies, and it was unclear what was inside. Their heads weren't very large, and they were tucked into the abdominal armor like a retracting turtle.
"What terrifying monsters!"
Jia Yan looked at these monsters. Although he hadn't seen them move, he couldn't help but feel that they weren't simple creatures!
"I know why I've always felt this place is so terrifying. It's not because of that machinery, but because of these three monsters!"
The more Jia Yan looked, the more terrifying he found these three monsters.
He didn't want to get close and see if they could move.
So he decisively retreated!
Flapping his wings, Jia Yan tried to lower his flying sound as much as possible.
His eyes scanned the cave.
He noticed a cluster of stalactites growing downward in the main cave, some people also liked to call them stalagmites.
Stalactites were very common in the underground world.
Jia Yan's compound eyes gleamed, then he flew towards a secluded spot where these stalactites were located.
With his six legs firmly gripping the base of the stalactites, his entire body was inverted. Jia Yan concealed himself in the cave!
He chose the base of the stalactites because there was a recess that allowed his compound eyes to quietly observe the outside world, while making it extremely difficult for anyone outside to see his figure!
And there were no luminescent algae growing around, so his dark metallic exoskeleton was perfectly hidden in the darkness, complementing each other.
Before long, the footsteps, not far away, gradually approached, becoming closer and closer!
Three Japanese appeared.
"Oh! Chirp chirp?!"
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp!"
Jia Yan saw that the three Japanese, upon seeing the mysterious giant machinery, were initially pleasantly surprised, but when they saw the three giant monsters standing next to the machinery, their faces changed drastically. Even the man who seemed to be the leader of the three, wearing sunglasses, broke out in a cold sweat on the spot!
"These three must know about this machinery, but they obviously haven't seen these three monsters beside the machinery before!"
"Let's see if they'll approach and help me scout the way. Since these Japanese risked their lives to come here, they must have a purpose, and those monsters probably won't move. They shouldn't retreat just like that!"
"Hengtian Shouyi, what kind of monsters are these? I've never heard of such things near the deity!"
"Is it possible that the deities in Huaxia are different from the deities in our Japanese country?"
The two followers who followed Hengtian Shouyi were no longer calm. Obviously, seeing the shock of the three giant creatures had filled them with immense fear.
"Baggayaro! Look carefully, these are just inanimate objects that can't move. As proud warriors of Japan, with your current state, you really can't compare to our ancestors decades ago. Shape up, all of you!"
Hengtian Shouyi suddenly shouted angrily, causing the faces of the panicked men and women to suddenly flush red.
Although his own face also looked serious, he was a globally renowned powerhouse. Even in this moment of astonishment, he did not show any signs of retreat!
"The artifact itself is an incredibly mysterious object. Although some of our advanced researchers in Wa have speculated in recent times that it may be a relic of some ancient civilization, that has nothing to do with me. I just need to complete the mission."
Hengtian Shouichi gazed solemnly at the three massive monsters standing beside the mechanical contraption. As an individual who was already an unconventional presence, he understood very well that there were still some unexplainable phenomena in this world.
He himself was one of them. The Wa nation's artifact was another. And now, these three monsters standing next to the machinery also joined the ranks of the unexplainable.
The people of Wa were easily stirred by notions of righteousness, behaving as if injected with adrenaline, almost like lunatics.
"I'm sorry, Hengtian Shouichi! We were wrong. Please let me, Yamamoto, go and investigate," said the man with two scars on his face, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment after being rebuked by Hengtian. Despite his previous panic, he now eagerly volunteered for the dangerous task.
"Very well, this is the attitude that our Wa warriors should have! Yamamoto, go and investigate those three monsters!"
"Hai!" Yamamoto responded excitedly, as if ready to sacrifice himself for a noble cause, striding confidently towards the massive machinery in the forked passage.
Even though Jia Yan couldn't understand Wa language, he could still discern their intentions from their expressions and actions, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
The people of Wa were still adhering to their samurai spirit.
But seeing the scarred man entering the forked cave, Jia Yan's expression turned serious.
Whether that man was going to scout ahead or not, it was time to see if those three machines were alive or not!
If they were, Jia Yan wouldn't hesitate for a moment!
He would fly away without delay!
Encountering something beyond reason like this, not fleeing would mean certain death.
As Yamamoto entered the cave, the glow-in-the-dark algae illuminated the surroundings, making the cave bright.
The cave wasn't deep, only about seven or eight meters deep. So after placing the massive machinery and three giant monsters, there was almost no empty space left.
Crunch, crunch...
Yamamoto cautiously approached the cave, gripping a pistol tightly in his hand, his expression tense.
Jia Yan believed that this man was definitely a skilled individual in the outside world, but now, in this cave, he behaved like a frightened child!
Of course, it wasn't entirely his fault. Anyone facing such a surreal scene would react the same way.
As Yamamoto took step by step closer, the gigantic machinery loomed before him.
Yamamoto slowly extended his other hand, which wasn't holding the gun.
His palm touched the surface of the machine...
Click!