Black Myth: The Legend of Tianpeng Seeking Demons

Zhu Feifei followed Yue Ling and the soldiers deeper into the cave. The air was filled with the smell of dampness and minerals, and the soft sand underfoot, mixed with some small crystal fragments, made a slight "crunching" sound. The deeper they went, the wider the cave became, and the blue fluorescence grew stronger.

"General, look!" Lin Feng pointed ahead and shouted excitedly, "It's 'Star Crystal'! We've found a 'Star Crystal' mine!"

What appeared before everyone was a spectacular sight: in the huge cave space, the cave walls were inlaid with countless "star crystal" minerals that emitted a dreamlike blue light.

They varied in shape and size, like twinkling stars in the night sky, illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime. Strange energy fluctuations permeated the air, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

"It's...it's so beautiful..." Even the usually calm Yue Ling was stunned by this dreamlike scene.

“These ‘star crystals’… seem to… exude an ancient aura…” Zhu Feifei murmured to himself. He felt the nine-bead bracelet getting slightly warm, as if it resonated with these “star crystals” in some way.

“These ‘star crystals’ contain enormous energy and are key materials for creating new energy sources,” Yue Ling explained. “Our mission this time is to collect enough ‘star crystals’ and bring them back to Earth.”

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's start mining!" Zhu Feifei rubbed his hands together, eager to try.

"Wait!" Yue Ling stopped her. "Check the surrounding environment first and make sure it's safe before we take any action."

The soldiers dispersed and used detectors to scan the surrounding environment. Only after confirming that there was no danger did they begin to set up the data collection equipment.

"Ring ring..." Just then, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded, and the detector at the cave entrance issued a red alert.

"What happened?" Yue Ling frowned and asked quickly.

"Reporting, General, an unidentified spaceship is rapidly approaching the cave!" a soldier reported anxiously.

"Could they be space pirates?" Lin Feng's expression changed. "They must be after the 'Star Crystal'!"

Yue Ling made a decisive decision and ordered, "Everyone, immediately enter combat readiness! Prepare to engage the enemy!"

The soldiers sprang into action, setting up laser turrets and arranging defensive formations in preparation for the impending battle.

With a deafening roar, a huge gap was blasted open at the entrance of the cave, and a group of ferocious-looking space pirates descended from the sky, wielding laser weapons and surrounding Yue Ling's team with murderous intent.

"If you know what's good for you, hand over the 'Star Crystal,' or don't blame me for being impolite!" The leader, a burly man with a one-eyed appearance, wielded a giant laser axe and had a booming voice. He was the infamous leader of the "Black Shark" space pirate gang, known as "One-Eyed Dragon."

"The Black Shark Gang? How did they find this place?" Lin Feng said in a low voice. "Looks like we're in big trouble this time..."

The "Black Shark" gang is the United Federation of Interstellar Nations' most wanted criminals. They commit arson, murder, and plunder, and are ruthless in their evil deeds. They possess powerful firepower and advanced weaponry, making them a nightmare for all interstellar expeditions.

Yue Ling calmly assessed the current situation. She knew that with their current strength, they were no match for the "Black Shark" gang.

"Everyone, concentrate fire and protect the 'Star Crystal'!" Yue Ling ordered. "Delay as much time as possible and wait for the 'Moon Shadow's' reinforcements!"

"Bang bang bang..." A fierce battle broke out instantly. Laser beams intertwined in the cave, forming a deadly net of light. The explosions were deafening, and debris and dust flew everywhere.

Yue Ling and her soldiers fought back fiercely, but the "Black Shark" gang was large in number and well-equipped, and Yue Ling's team gradually fell into a disadvantageous position.

"Haha, you little shrimps and crabs think you can fight me?" The leader of "Black Shark" laughed triumphantly, wielding his laser giant axe and easily knocking down several of Yue Ling's team members.

"General Yue, be careful!" Zhu Feifei saw the "Black Shark" leader rushing towards Yue Ling and quickly brandished his nine-toothed rake to try to stop him.

"Get out of here, you pig!" The leader of "Black Shark" kicked Zhu Feifei away, then grabbed Yue Ling's arm and held her hostage.

"Don't move!" The "Black Shark" leader threatened, holding a giant laser axe to Yue Ling's neck. "Otherwise, I'll kill her!"

"General Yue!" Zhu Feifei struggled to his feet. Seeing Yue Ling being held hostage, he was instantly enraged. He forgot to control his emotions, and his body began to change. His cheeks burned, his nose grew longer, his ears grew larger, and his fangs protruded. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a gigantic pig-headed monster.

"Roar—" Zhu Feifei let out a deafening roar, the sound waves vibrated, and the rocks in the cave fell down one after another. Even the leader of "Black Shark" was startled by this sudden change.

“You…you monster…” The Black Shark leader looked at Zhu Feifei in horror, the laser giant axe in his hand trembling slightly.

"Dare to touch General Yue? I, Old Pig... no, Zhu Xinghe, will fight you to the death!" Zhu Feifei roared, his voice deafening like thunder.

He charged towards the "Black Shark" leader with lightning speed, wielding his nine-toothed rake and unleashing a powerful strike, "Splitting Mount Hua." The rake, glowing with golden light, slammed down on the Black Shark leader. The latter hastily raised his laser giant axe to block, and with a deafening clang, the two forces collided, generating an energy shockwave that sent the surrounding soldiers staggering.

The leader of "Black Shark" was so shocked by Zhu Feifei's powerful blow that his arm went numb and his tiger's mouth throbbed with pain. He was horrified that the "Pig-Headed Monster" was so powerful!

Zhu Feifei pressed his advantage relentlessly, his nine-toothed rake flashing up and down with ruthless attacks, forcing the Black Shark leader to retreat repeatedly. With a single move, "Sweeping Through a Thousand Armies," his rake swept across like a whirlwind, sending several of the Black Shark gang's henchmen flying as they crashed into the cave wall, emitting screams of agony.

Seeing that things were not going well, the leader of "Black Shark" tried to use the same trick again to kidnap Yue Ling, but Zhu Feifei struck him in the back with a move called "Reverse Strike Golden Bell". He was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into a huge "Star Crystal" ore and losing consciousness.

Yue Ling was tightly protected by Zhu Feifei behind her, watching him fight fiercely to protect her, her heart filled with complex emotions.

"He...he actually did this for me..." A warm feeling she had never experienced before welled up in her heart, as if a corner of her cold heart had been melted.

"Zhu Xinghe, watch out!" Yue Ling's heart clenched as she saw Zhu Feifei being kicked away by the Black Shark leader, and she cried out in alarm.

When she saw Zhu Feifei transform into a "pig-headed monster," she felt not only shock but also deep worry.

When Zhu Feifei finally defeated the Black Shark leader, Yue Ling's gaze towards him was no longer one of cold scrutiny, but rather one filled with tenderness and concern.

"Are you... alright?" She subconsciously reached out to touch Zhu Feifei's arm, but immediately pulled back, a barely perceptible blush appearing on her face.

"You silly pig, you're actually pretty powerful after you transform!" Little White the Ringwraith flew to Zhu Feifei's side and teased, "Looks like your pig brain isn't entirely useless after all!"

"Of course! Don't you even know who I, Old Pig... oh no, Zhu Xinghe, am?!" Zhu Feifei said proudly. "Back in my day, I, Old Pig... oh no, I mean, I..."

He almost let it slip, and quickly corrected himself, which only drew laughter from Xiaobai.

"Hahaha, you idiot, you almost gave yourself away!" Little White Ringwraith said gleefully. "But your 'Reverse Golden Bell' move was pretty cool, looks like you haven't wasted your years in Heaven!"

"Of course! I am a famous war god in the Heavenly Court!" Zhu Feifei almost let slip again, and quickly covered her mouth.

"You idiot, can you stop calling me 'Old Pig' all the time?" Little White Ringwraith said helplessly. "Your current identity is Zhu Xinghe, don't forget!"

"Okay, okay, I got it, Xiaobai." Zhu Feifei nodded quickly. "But speaking of which, this 'Black Shark' gang is too weak, isn't it? They're not even as good as me, Old Pig... oh no, not even as good as me!"

"That's because you transformed! Do you think you can be this lucky every time?" Little White Ringwraith reminded him. "Besides, don't forget, this is just the beginning. There are even more dangerous challenges waiting for you!"

After the battle subsided, everyone noticed a huge piece of "star crystal" ore where the "Black Shark" leader had fallen. It emitted a more dazzling light than other "star crystals," like a miniature blue sun illuminating everything around it.

"What...what is this?" Lin Feng exclaimed in amazement. "I've never seen this kind of 'star crystal' before!"

Yue Ling also stepped forward and carefully observed this special "star crystal". She could feel a powerful energy emanating from the ore, an energy that felt both familiar and strange to her.

“This ‘star crystal’… seems… a little different from the other ‘star crystals’…” Yue Ling murmured to herself.

"Could it be... this 'star crystal'... is the legendary..." She suddenly realized something, and a look of shock flashed in her eyes.

Just then, a faint tremor came from the ground, and the special "star crystal" suddenly began to flash, emitting a blinding blue light. Everyone involuntarily took a few steps back, staring warily at the mysterious mineral.

"General, what's going on?" a soldier asked nervously.

Yue Ling frowned, about to answer, when suddenly, the "star crystal" shattered, scattering countless tiny fragments everywhere. Everyone present instinctively covered their faces with their hands.

When the dust settled, everyone opened their eyes and were surprised to find that the huge "star crystal" had disappeared, replaced by a small sphere shimmering with blue light, floating in the air.

“This is…” Yue Ling cautiously approached, reaching out to touch the mysterious sphere.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the sphere, a dazzling light suddenly erupted, illuminating the entire mine as if it were daytime. When everyone's vision returned to normal, they were astonished to find that the blue sphere had vanished.

"What... just happened?" Zhu Feifei asked, puzzled, his gaze shifting back and forth between Yue Ling and the vanished "star crystal".

Yue Ling remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Finally, she took a deep breath, turned to the group, and said, "This discovery may be more important than we initially thought. We must report the situation here to headquarters as soon as possible."