Sweat still beaded on his forehead, clearly indicating the fierce internal struggle he was undergoing.

He was a member of the Long family, meaning he understood their structure intimately. The Long family was divided into an Inner Gate and an Outer Gate; only the Inner Gate constituted the true core of the family, and only its members were permitted to bear the noble surname, Xuanyuan.

Outer Gate disciples carried the surname Long, which appeared outwardly prestigious, often enjoying abundant wealth and power.

But the reality was quite different. Outer Gate disciples were, quite frankly, servants to the Inner Gate; their very existence was dedicated to serving their superiors.

They conducted business outside, held official posts, and everything they accomplished served only the Inner Gate—creating fortunes and acquiring precious materials for the Inner Gate disciples.

Those who performed well might receive minor rewards, but these rewards usually amounted to little more than increased funds or minor enhancements to their internal energy, slightly boosting their cultivation.

Furthermore, to the Outer Gate disciples, every single member of the Inner Gate was a senior; their commands had to be obeyed without question.

This was the Long family, a family where the hierarchy was profoundly rigid, recognized as the nation's foremost hidden clan.

Under normal circumstances, encountering an Inner Gate disciple, Long Cheng would position himself nearby to serve, even striving to please them in hopes of receiving a reward.

But today was different. Zhang Yang was a friend he respected, and now the Long family seniors intended to deal with Zhang Yang. He could not stand idly by.

Yet, due to the deeply ingrained structure he had known for so long, he felt no inclination whatsoever to resist the Inner Gate seniors; this was the root of his hesitation and turmoil.

“Senior, is there perhaps some misunderstanding? If possible, this junior would gladly help resolve it!”

After a prolonged silence, Long Cheng finally spoke softly. While he offered a suggestion, it was effectively a violation of Long Feng’s command.

He, a man in his thirties, addressing a young man in his early twenties as ‘Senior,’ felt not the slightest discomfort, but rather a sense of apprehension.

Long Feng sharply turned his head and shot him a fierce glare.

Long Cheng’s face paled again. So outwardly respected, yet in front of Long Feng, he lacked even the will to resist—a truly tragic state.

This reality underscored Long Feng’s dominance, and the dominance of the Long family’s Inner Gate.

“Brother Cheng, you don’t need to worry about me. Just wait on the side for now!”

Zhang Yang suddenly smiled. He hadn't expected that the person tracking him had some connection to Long Cheng.

But since there was a connection, he felt less worried; at least they belonged to the same faction, so this man shouldn’t pose a direct threat to Long Cheng.

Without Long Cheng’s restraint, he genuinely wasn't afraid of the young man before him. Zhang Yang was far from simple in appearance; his internal energy was already nearing the peak state of his former life.

In his peak period, he had cultivated for a full thirty years, drawing on elixirs and tonics since childhood to temper his power. Zhang Yang was confident he was second to none among his peers—peers defined by the age he was in his previous life.

“Zhang Yang!”

Long Cheng’s brow instantly furrowed, and he looked at Zhang Yang with clear concern.

As a Long family member, he knew the family best. The difference between the Inner and Outer Gates was just one word, but the disparity in treatment and strength was worlds apart.

The Inner Gate members were all chosen prodigies. Though few in number, any single one of them was stronger than the most formidable expert in the Outer Gate. Long Cheng might be an expert to ordinary people, but before an Inner Gate disciple, he was nothing.

It was no exaggeration to say that any random person walking out of the Inner Gate could deal with him as easily as dealing with a child.

He knew Zhang Yang was formidable, but the man who arrived this time was an Inner Gate disciple of the Long family, meaning his strength was certainly not to be underestimated. He worried deeply for Zhang Yang.

He didn't dwell much on Long Feng himself; the invincible image of the Long family’s Inner Gate had been imprinted on his mind since childhood, solidifying into an immutable belief.

“I’m fine. Hold my things for me!”

Zhang Yang took off the canvas bag from his shoulder. It contained many of his possessions—it was his personal treasury.

Wuying also scrambled out of the canvas bag, instantly leaping to the ground, and within moments, vanished. It knew Zhang Yang was about to engage in combat and wouldn't have time to look after it, so it scurried as far away as possible.

At this moment, the difference in loyalty was apparent.

Lightning’s loyalty was close to eighty; it would actively help Zhang Yang fight enemies. Wuying’s was only in the low sixties; in danger, it tended to prioritize its own safety more.

But then again, it lacked the capability to truly help Zhang Yang; it wasn't skilled in combat to begin with.

Long Cheng took the canvas bag, standing aside with a complicated expression. He could stop neither man, and now all he could do was pray internally that the outcome wouldn't be too disastrous.

Alas, his status was too low. The Inner Gate disciple who arrived held vastly superior status. The Long family might look glorious externally, but before the Inner Gate, they were merely servants who had to obey quietly.

To use an analogy, they, the Outer Gate disciples, were like the servants of a prime minister—relying on the Inner Gate for their power and influence, which deterred others from slighting them.

“Not bad. You have some courage. I can let you suffer a little less,” Long Feng said with a smile, his face radiating disdain.

His demeanor suggested he looked down on Zhang Yang entirely, as if he could knock him down with a single finger.

But his outward appearance was contrary to his true feelings. Long Feng was taking Zhang Yang extremely seriously. He was the family's specialist in tracking, and the fact that Zhang Yang had detected and exposed him proved that this person was not simple.

He was deliberately adopting an arrogant posture to lull Zhang Yang into a false sense of security.

“If you bow your head and apologize, I might let you off this time, not pursuing your previous offense!”

Zhang Yang also smiled. His mental age far surpassed Long Feng’s, and having navigated the world alone for many years, he saw through Long Feng’s little ploy instantly.

“Who yields to whom will depend on the skill in our hands!”

Long Feng laughed loudly, and before his voice finished, he moved, taking several rapid strides forward, covering the distance of over ten meters almost instantly.

His speed was definitely faster than any world champion. If he were to enter the Olympics, setting aside everything else, his sprint record would be unbeatable, constantly breaking world records.

Launching an attack while speaking was a somewhat dishonorable tactic for Long Feng, but the Xuanyuan family's ancestral teaching had always prioritized achieving the objective, never playing the fool of chivalry.

It was precisely because of this philosophy that so many ancient families perished while they alone survived, eventually becoming the nation's foremost clan.

“Despicable!”

Zhang Yang cursed inwardly and hastily retreated two steps. Just as he moved, a warning flashed in his mind, and he violently dropped his center of gravity, employing the Suo Di Gong technique to slide far away.

The moment his body slid clear, he saw an almost transparent whip slice through the space where he had just stood.

This Long Feng not only ambushed him but also concealed a weapon. Zhang Yang had nearly been defeated before the real fight even began.

Seeing Zhang Yang evade his sneak attack, Long Feng showed a flicker of surprise, but his assault did not halt. The whip snapped back rapidly toward Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang used his footwork to continuously evade the strikes.

Upon their first exchange, Zhang Yang found himself in perilous situations, causing Long Cheng’s heart to clench.

However, Long Cheng also realized that both Long Feng and Zhang Yang were vastly stronger than him. Their movements were too fast; his eyes could barely follow them, seeing only two shadows constantly shifting position within the woods.

This realization filled him with deep envy, mixed with a touch of sorrow.

Outer Gate disciples were, after all, outsiders. The internal energy they learned, and every other aspect of their training, could not compare to the Inner Gate. Only by entering the Inner Gate could one truly become superior.

Unfortunately, the Inner Gate valued lineage and had never made a precedent of recruiting disciples from the Outer Gate.

It was like a great noble house: the Inner Gate were the true family members, while the Outer Gate were mere attendants, stewards, and servants. Though they shared the surname Long, it couldn't change their inherent status as servants.

“Crack! Crack! Crack!”

The whip struck the trees in quick succession, and Zhang Yang successfully used the surrounding flora to parry Long Feng’s attacks.

The terrain here somewhat limited the effectiveness of Long Feng’s weapon, so for the moment, Long Feng couldn't immediately subdue Zhang Yang.

Seizing an opportunity, Zhang Yang finally broke off a section of a tree branch, using it as a makeshift weapon to block Long Feng’s whip.

“Smack!”

The branch and the whip collided, causing a slight tremor in Zhang Yang’s hand.

Long Feng’s hand felt slightly numb. Although it was a clash of weapons, what was truly being tested was the internal energy channeled into them by both men.

This collision appeared evenly matched, but in reality, Zhang Yang had gained a slight edge.

Long Feng’s whip was crafted from special Thousand-Year Ice Silk, inherently a divine weapon, and using it made him even more formidable, adding considerable advantage.

Zhang Yang, however, was using a casually broken branch, ordinary damp wood—it was not in the same league as Long Feng’s weapon.

Given these circumstances, Zhang Yang managing to block Long Feng meant he had already won a small victory.

Long Feng’s expression changed; it became intensely grave.

He had already overestimated Zhang Yang and hadn't been careless, yet he was shocked that Zhang Yang could block his whip with a random branch.

He had just exerted eighty percent of his strength.

If Zhang Yang could withstand eighty percent of his force with a piece of wood, then with a more suitable weapon, blocking his full strength wouldn't be an issue. This implied that Zhang Yang’s internal energy actually surpassed his own.

And the margin was not small.

This outcome was hard for him to accept. He was born into the Inner Gate; he had received medicinal assistance before even leaving the womb, effectively beginning his training at birth.

From childhood, he received priority access to all resources. He had lived up to expectations, ranking in the top three among the twenty-something Inner Gate disciples his age; only two older brothers were marginally stronger than him.

Those two were only slightly superior in sheer internal energy. Long Feng was certain that neither of them could have blocked his whip with an ordinary branch.

They couldn't do it, yet Zhang Yang had. Did that mean Zhang Yang's internal energy was greater than theirs, even stronger than all the young experts in the Long family’s Inner Gate?

If Zhang Yang were forty or fifty years old, that might be understandable. But Zhang Yang seemed to be under twenty, much younger than them. The appearance of someone younger yet significantly more powerful in the outside world was, to Long Feng, initially unbelievable.

Ninth chapter update, three more to go. Just three more votes needed to catch the leader. Little Yu will keep typing; there’s more coming! (To be continued)