Qu Meilan’s body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and a vision of endless mountains immediately flooded her sight.

The top ten most poisonous entities—the toxicity of any single one could not be underestimated, not even the mere husk of the Black Iron Spider.

Those with profound inner strength might withstand one or two effects, but for someone like Qu Meilan, who had only just entered the threshold of inner strength training, resistance was impossible. Once the venomous needle pierced her skin, she was instantly trapped in an illusion.

Qu Meilan felt as if she were walking through the deep mountains, utterly alone, the silence terrifyingly absolute.

In such an environment, only fear occupied her heart. She dared not look back, yet this refusal to turn made her even more terrified—like a timid soul walking alone through the unlit wilderness late at night, constantly running forward while obsessively anticipating turning around to see if something was following.

A figure suddenly materialized before her. She froze, then immediately dropped to her knees.

“Master!”

The person standing there was the Master she feared most, the sternest figure in her life. Instinctively, she sank to the ground.

At this moment, Long Cheng, seated beside Zhang Yang, widened his eyes in sudden shock.

Qu Meilan’s once clear eyes grew hazy again, and she knelt directly before Zhang Yang, her gaze laced with both deep respect and sheer terror.

Seeing her in that state, Zhang Yang knew the needle had taken full effect; he could now proceed with the hypnotism to extract the information he needed.

“Lift your head and look at me!”

Zhang Yang spoke softly, and Qu Meilan unnaturally raised her gaze.

A seductive, mesmerizing power flickered in Zhang Yang’s eyes, causing Qu Meilan’s body to falter slightly. Her eyes immediately became even more clouded with confusion.

The Master she saw in the deep mountains suddenly transformed back into Zhang Yang, then flickered back to her Master. But regardless of who stood before her, they exerted an overwhelming pressure, leaving her with no courage, nor permission, to resist.

“Repeat everything you just said. It must be the absolute truth!”

Zhang Yang questioned, noting that she had been lucid during the initial interrogation, meaning he couldn't guarantee every word she spoke then was genuine. Now under hypnotic control, it was best to ask everything again.

With the aid of the poisonous needle, his hypnotic technique would last considerably longer.

“Yes, this matter goes back three months. Wu Zhiliang became acquainted with one of our external affairs managers…”

Qu Meilan nodded, slowly recounting the detailed sequence of events.

Wu Zhiliang had long harbored designs on Wu Zhiguo. He was responsible for managing the family’s Southern business interests and, by chance, had stumbled upon certain hidden secrets of that region.

While others dismissed these secrets as mere legends or casual gossip, he took them as gospel.

From that point on, he ceaselessly searched for an opportunity, hoping to encounter such an extraordinary individual.

His persistence paid off; he eventually managed to track down and make contact with such a person—this was Qu Meilan’s sect.

Qu Meilan’s sect was small, numbering only a dozen people. Aside from her Master, the rest were her fellow disciples, though only the first three senior sisters were genuinely cultivated as official apprentices by the Master.

Their skills were formidable, far surpassing those of the junior sisters like her.

Qu Meilan even felt that within the sect, she was merely relegated to odd-jobs labor, which explained why all the tedious, thankless tasks fell to them, while the three senior sisters enjoyed the best resources and focused solely on their cultivation.

When she began detailing this, Zhang Yang immediately cut her off, urging her to stick to the key points.

What followed was largely consistent with her previous account: the Master had dispatched her with the Gu worm to implant the curse; she only knew how to implant it, possessing no knowledge of how to remove the affliction.

Hearing this, Zhang Yang confirmed that her earlier statements had not been lies.

Zhang Yang then posed several more questions regarding her Master’s strength, the location of their sect, and other details.

When assessing her Master’s power, Qu Meilan could only offer one description: unfathomably deep.

Speaking of her Master, the hypnotized woman couldn't help but betray a fresh surge of fear, indicating that her awe and dread of her Master were rooted to her very bones.

She honestly revealed the sect’s location: nestled deep within a mountain range in Southern Xinjiang. They needed space to breed the Gu insects, making city life impossible; the creatures would inevitably cry out and betray their secrets.

After a few more inquiries, Zhang Yang lowered his head. The instant he did so, Qu Meilan slumped unconscious onto the floor.

Collapsing was far preferable to forcing her mind to endure the relentless terror of the illusions any longer.

Long Cheng, long accustomed to such displays, remained perfectly composed, his eyes reflecting nothing but reverence for Zhang Yang.

This was a true powerhouse, absolutely beyond his own capabilities. Sometimes he wondered how Zhang Yang had cultivated himself to achieve such mastery at such a young age. Yet, he never voiced these thoughts; he instinctively knew that certain questions were best left unasked, lest they damage their rapport. The fact that Zhang Yang still treated him as a friend, as an elder brother, was already more than enough for him.

“It seems we have a trip to Southern Xinjiang ahead of us,” Zhang Yang murmured after a pause, lifting his gaze.

Long Cheng glanced at him, surprised, then nodded in immediate understanding.

This was a poison from the Gu arts; Zhang Yang couldn't cure Wu Zhiguo, and Qu Meilan certainly couldn't. Only her Master held the antidote. If they didn't travel to Southern Xinjiang and find her Master to neutralize the poison, Wu Zhiguo was facing certain death.

As a friend, Long Cheng did not wish to see anything happen to Wu Zhiguo, and Zhang Yang felt the same. The only path to saving Wu Zhiguo was the journey south.

Southern Xinjiang was hardly an inviting place. Since ancient times, most inner strength practitioners avoided setting foot there. It was too desolate, sparsely populated, and dominated by primeval forests. Beyond the eccentric locals and the headache-inducing Gu poisons that vexed many martial artists, the region teemed with ferocious beasts.

The wild animals were one thing; the Spirit Beasts there were another problem entirely. Everyone dreamed of subduing a Spirit Beast, but they were notoriously difficult to tame, especially those from Southern Xinjiang. Encounters usually resulted in desperate attempts at escape, never thoughts of capture. Killing them was even more daunting; anyone lacking sufficient strength shouldn't even entertain the notion. Legend claimed that a fourth-level master, capable of projecting inner strength externally, once ventured deep into Southern Xinjiang alone to harvest Spirit Beast essence blood for his sect members’ advancement—and never returned. If a top-tier, fourth-level inner strength expert couldn't manage it, no one else dared to dream.

In short, it was a place where outsiders were forbidden. That Zhang Yang was willing to go spoke volumes about Wu Zhiguo’s importance to him, and confirmed that, no matter the circumstances, Zhang Yang valued his friendships above all else.

Long Cheng felt a measure of peace settle over him. “I will inquire with the family about the information she provided,” he said quietly. “I will accompany you when the time comes.”

Zhang Yang nodded. “Good. For now, I need to make some preparations, but we must move quickly; Zhiguo doesn’t have many days left.”

“I understand. I’ll start preparing immediately. What about this woman?” Long Cheng responded instantly, gesturing toward the unconscious figure on the floor.

“I will seal her inner energy and confine her at your place for now. We’ll need her to guide us later, and if we can exchange her for Wu Zhiguo’s life, that would be ideal,” Zhang Yang sighed softly.

Long Cheng agreed wholeheartedly. Trading this woman for her Master to cure Wu Zhiguo would be the best possible outcome. She was merely following orders; killing her outright would be somewhat unjust. However, this consideration of injustice only held if Wu Zhiguo survived. Should anything happen to Wu Zhiguo, Long Cheng would show this woman no mercy; for those who harmed his brother, Long Cheng’s retribution was singular and absolute.

“Brother Hai, are they alright? Why are they taking so long upstairs?” Li Ya, waiting downstairs, couldn't help but complain to Huang Hai.

Huang Hai looked at him and suddenly laughed. “I’m surprised how you maintain your footing in the stock market with such an impatient nature. If they were in trouble, do you think the two of us going up would make any difference?”

Li Ya stared blankly for a moment, then automatically replied, “No difference.”

“Since you know it wouldn't help, just wait patiently!”

Huang Hai finished speaking, then suddenly turned back. Zhang Yang and Long Cheng were already descending the stairs. Long Cheng was carrying a large trunk; he had found it in the room and it would serve perfectly to hold Qu Meilan. Since the woman was currently useful, she had to be transported.

“Brother Cheng, Zhang Yang, how did it go?” Li Ya immediately rushed over to inquire. Huang Hai had not misjudged him; he truly was impatient.

“We’ll discuss it when we get back!” Zhang Yang smiled faintly, while Long Cheng patted the large trunk.

Huang Hai and Li Ya immediately understood and turned back toward their vehicle.

Once in the car, Li Ya resumed his questioning. Upon learning the woman had been captured, he grinned widely and declared that Wu Zhiguo would be fine.

Seeing Li Ya's genuine relief, both Zhang Yang and Long Cheng remained silent. They hadn't disclosed the fact that this woman couldn't provide the cure. Revealing that would only invite worry from everyone else, potentially forcing them to accompany them to Southern Xinjiang. That place was dangerous; even they would need to be cautious. Li Ya and the others following would only be a hindrance. Rather than invite that outcome, it was better not to share the grim truth.

They conferred, deciding to temporarily confine the captured woman in the small villa Long Cheng owned—the very place where Zhang Yang had first captured and interrogated Long Feng. Zhang Yang had sealed her internal energy. He hadn't been able to maintain the seal on Long Feng for long because their power levels were comparable. Now, however, with his own inner strength greatly enhanced, subduing a novice like her required minimal effort. One sealing would last at least three days, rendering her an ordinary woman during that time.

Back at the villa, Li Ya first retrieved a camera. Zhang Yang woke the woman, made her recount everything, and then returned her to unconsciousness. After Zhang Yang administered several needles to trigger the sleep points, the group finally departed. She would remain asleep until at least morning, and with Long Cheng guarding her, there was no concern about her escaping.

The trip to Southern Xinjiang required far more preparation than their previous hunting excursion; the miasma and toxic vapors there presented another serious complication. After giving Long Cheng a few instructions, Zhang Yang had Huang Hai drive him home to begin necessary preparations.

…………