The Tang family’s forging techniques were lost; any defect found here might be irreparable forever.

Zhang Yang carefully set those few ancient texts aside.

He then took out a camera and continuously photographed the ancient books, capturing the content of every single page of the eight volumes.

These were over a hundred years old and could be considered antiques; just as old objects, they held some value, but for Zhang Yang, the most important thing was the content within. The preservation capability of camera film was far superior to these ancient texts that might rot at any moment.

Long Feng, meanwhile, was meticulously examining the dagger, his expression growing more astonished the longer he looked.

“Dragon Devourer…?”

After a moment, Long Feng murmured the name aloud. Lightning perched on Zhang Yang’s shoulder, constantly sizing up the dagger in Long Feng’s hand.

The dagger gave it a profoundly dangerous feeling, prompting an instinctual repulsion.

“Dragon Devourer…?”

Zhang Yang, having just finished taking photos, suddenly turned his head, staring at the dagger in Long Feng’s hand with surprise.

His focus had entirely been on the ancient texts, and he hadn't paid much attention to the small dagger, only sensing its extraordinary nature.

But he hadn’t expected Long Feng to utter that name—the Shi Long Dagger. That was a mythical divine weapon, said to be the masterpiece of Tang Long, the supreme master smith of the Tang lineage during the Song Dynasty. Upon its emergence, this dagger had consistently ranked on the Divine Weapon Ledger, occupying the fifth spot among the Ten Great Divine Weapons, and was one of the three great inherited treasures of the Tang clan.

Simply hearing the name Shi Long revealed the dagger's formidable power.

“Long Feng, are you certain? Is that truly the Dragon Devourer?”

Zhang Yang lowered his head, examining it closely before asking. He only knew the legend of the Shi Long Dagger; he was entirely unfamiliar with this fifth-ranked divine weapon.

“No, this only closely resembles the Shi Long Dagger. I suspect it’s a replica forged by later generations. Legend holds that the true Shi Long Dagger was lost when the Qing army entered the passes. Furthermore, this dagger doesn't match the rumors—the blade of the real Shi Long Dagger was blood-red!”

After a pause, Long Feng shook his head.

The Xuanyuan family was far larger than the Medical Sage lineage, and they possessed knowledge of many more secrets. They had records of the Shi Long Dagger, and they were quite detailed.

In the past, the Xuanyuan family often collaborated with the Tang lineage; many of the divine weapons inherited by the Xuanyuan family were forged for them by members of the Tang clan.

The Snow Whip in Long Feng’s hand also originated from the Tang lineage, though it was forged by an ordinary Tang clan member, placing its power far below that of a truly top-tier master smith.

Handing the dagger back to Zhang Yang, Long Feng shook his head again. “Even if it isn't the true Shi Long Dagger, this is a rare divine weapon, far superior to most other armaments!”

At this moment, Long Feng also noticed the ancient texts. Upon seeing the words ‘Tang Family Forging Methods,’ he too was greatly astonished.

The Xuanyuan family had the most extensive collaborations with the Tang lineage and understood them best. His father had often lamented the disappearance of the Tang clan, calling it a massive loss for the entire Chinese cultivation world.

“One of the two people killed by the Spiritual Ape was likely a member of the Tang clan, perhaps even a core disciple. I don't know why they ended up on the island only to perish under the ape’s claws. A pity!” Zhang Yang murmured softly. Long Feng nodded in agreement.

What Zhang Yang said was also his own conjecture; the Shi Long Dagger was a Tang clan heirloom. It was natural for them to forge a replica after it was lost.

They had exchanged blows with the Spiritual Ape and knew its terrifying strength.

Even the aged ape had nearly forced them into a bitter retreat; a Spiritual Ape in its prime, at its peak, would be extremely difficult to defeat even with divine weaponry. If the Tang clan inheritor possessed low Internal Strength, or was only at the early stage of the third layer of Internal Strength like Zhang Yang, they would stand no chance against the Spiritual Ape.

Zhang Yang turned around abruptly and said, “Long Feng, can you promise me one thing? Don't mention these things to anyone for now, not even your family!”

“Don't worry, I will keep this confidential until your Internal Strength breaks through to the fourth layer!”

Long Feng smiled and nodded gently. He understood why Zhang Yang said this. The Tang clan was renowned in the cultivation world; they were almost comparable to the Xuanyuan lineage, relying entirely on their forging methods. Now that the manuals for these methods were in Zhang Yang’s hands, revealing them would certainly incite widespread covetousness—even he had felt tempted just moments ago.

Zhang Yang, at the third layer of Internal Strength, appeared powerful, but safeguarding these treasures would not be easy; there were too many greedy people in this world. Only by reaching the fourth layer of Internal Strength, possessing formidable personal strength, would others dare not harbor ill intentions. By then, perhaps the Tang family’s forging methods could reappear within the Medical Sage lineage.

Zhang Yang said no more; Long Feng’s assurance was sufficient. If he truly reached the fourth layer of Internal Strength, he wouldn't fear outsiders knowing; by then, he would have ascended to the pinnacle of cultivators, and no one would dare easily scheme against him.

After packing everything away, Zhang Yang went straight into the bedroom.

The yield from this sea voyage was far greater than he had imagined: the Spiritual Ape’s vital essence blood, the lost forging techniques of the Tang clan, and the replica Shi Long Dagger. Although the Shi Long Dagger was a replica, it was still far superior to ordinary divine weapons; otherwise, the Tang clan member wouldn't have carried it on his person. Zhang Yang currently lacked a suitable weapon.

Long Feng also went to rest; having fought the Spiritual Ape earlier, he too had expended significant stamina.

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Zhang Yang woke early and took Long Feng out to cultivate. He needed to return to Changjing to prepare medicines using the vital essence blood, so he kept it on his person for the time being. The amount of essence blood harvested this time was greater than what he obtained from killing the Golden Crown Python, and it was purer, meaning it would have a greater effect. After formulating this batch of essence blood pills, Zhang Yang was confident he could advance another level in Internal Strength in a short period.

His current wealth far surpassed that of all his ancestors in the Zhang family; if people knew about the items he carried, it would surely draw many envious eyes. Therefore, Zhang Yang felt an urgent need to enhance his own strength.

“Zhang Yang, I heard you saved someone this time, someone whom many experts couldn't help?”

Upon returning from cultivation, as soon as they entered the dining hall, Wang You called out to Zhang Yang, inquiring excitedly.

Zhu Daoqi had already informed them of Zhang Yang’s return. Although Zhang Yang was absent for the past couple of days, he had already accumulated enough points that the following schools couldn't possibly catch up. Today marked the formal end of the activity; it was the final day of summation, and it was an unchangeable fact that Changjing University had secured the first place. This filled everyone from Changjing University with excitement, both students and teachers.

“I was merely lucky enough to know the correct remedy!” Zhang Yang smiled and shook his head. He kept his explanation simple; there was no need to tell them the entire process.

“Being able to know the right remedy is skill. Otherwise, so many experts wouldn't have been helpless. I heard from Yin Yong that there were foreign experts this time too!” Wang Ma pouted slightly, speaking softly; she seemed even more invested than Zhang Yang.

“That’s right, there were foreign experts. And, Zhang Yang, the method he used to cure the patient was our traditional Chinese medicine!” Yin Yong added. When he spoke, there was a note of pride; curing an illness that stumped foreign experts using TCM was a moment for traditional Chinese medicine to shine, showing foreigners that they should no longer underestimate it.

Yin Yong came from a lineage of TCM practitioners and understood the current decline of Chinese medicine better than anyone. Ten years ago, their TCM clinic was bustling, with people flocking to them for treatment. But with technological advancements and the constant strengthening of hospital capabilities, fewer and fewer people came to them. Eventually, they were forced to incorporate Western medicine in their practice, or the clinic couldn't survive. Even he himself chose to study clinical medicine rather than TCM clinical practice.

“I knew it, our Zhang Yang is the most capable!” Wang Ma exclaimed proudly, looking up. Shi Yan and the others smiled looking at Wang You, but everyone’s face carried a hint of pride. Zhang Yang was their classmate, their comrade; the more outstanding Zhang Yang performed, the prouder they felt. Other students arriving at the dining hall looked on with envy; they could only envy, as their schools didn't have a student as prodigious as Zhang Yang.

Soon, Zhu Daoqi also arrived at the dining hall. Wang You and the others had come a bit early today, specifically waiting for Zhang Yang to see him sooner. Zhu Daoqi’s expression was excellent; today was the final evaluation, summarizing the activity, and securing multiple honors was already a certainty for them. The award for Best Performance would undoubtedly go to Zhang Yang; even though he was absent for the latter days, no one could displace him. During his absence, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health had sent notices, effectively making it official business, so no one dared to criticize his absence. Besides Best Performance, Changjing University would also claim the overall first place. Having secured first place in an event scrutinized by both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, Changjing University had gained rare prestige. Their medical school would also receive greater attention from the university in the future.

More people came for breakfast. Some teachers from other schools swallowed their pride and enthusiastically greeted Zhang Yang. They had heard something about what happened these past few days. Zhang Yang not only possessed strong theoretical abilities but also possessed exceptional medical skills. A person of strength is respected everywhere, and this place was no exception. To be proactively greeted by so many teachers, only a student like Zhang Yang could command such respect; others did not have the standing. It must be noted that these teachers were all important leaders from their respective schools, figures many students looked up to.