(Remember this) (Remember this) Michelle looked up, her bright eyes fixed on Zhang Yang. "I'm going out for a few days; I leave tomorrow morning, with Brother Cheng and the others!" Zhang Yang kept his head down, not daring to look at Michelle.

Zhang Yang, who feared no spirit beast, who could speak eloquently before a crowd on the podium, now dared not meet Michelle's gaze. In truth, he understood—he was afraid of seeing the disappointment in her eyes.

"Leaving tomorrow?" Michelle spoke softly, her voice laced with a hint of confusion and regret. After a moment, Zhang Yang slowly raised his head, looking at Michelle, and said quietly, "Yes, leaving tomorrow.

I'm sorry. I really wanted to stay longer and keep you company this time, but things are urgent; I have to go!" "I understand.

You must have important matters. Don't worry about me; just come back soon!" Michelle smiled sweetly, a brilliant expression gracing her face, as she said softly to Zhang Yang.

Michelle's smile was indeed beautiful, but the worry and resentment deep in her eyes betrayed her true feelings. She only said this because she didn't want Zhang Yang to worry about her.

"Michelle!" Zhang Yang suddenly reached out, grasping Michelle's small hand. Her demeanor only intensified the pain in his heart.

Her acting wasn't good enough; her true feelings couldn't be hidden from Zhang Yang. "I'm fine, really.

If you all have to go out together, it must be for serious business. Just return quickly!" As she said this, Michelle struggled to maintain control, but her composure was weak, and her voice had begun to tremble slightly.

"I'm going out this time to save someone. But don't worry, I'll return immediately after things are settled.

Unless something else critically important arises, I absolutely won't leave again!" Zhang Yang held Michelle's hand, a gesture that was both a promise and perhaps an oath. At that moment, a sharp, tender ache bloomed suddenly in Zhang Yang’s heart.

He even considered telling Michelle—that he wouldn't go, or perhaps, he would take her with him this time. But he couldn't.

If he stayed to protect Michelle, Wu Zhiguo would inevitably meet disaster, and then Su Zhantao's perception of Zhang Yang would shift. Most importantly, he could never forgive himself.

Taking Michelle along was even less of an option; the Southern Border was too dangerous. He would rather let Michelle endure a few days of longing than drag her into that peril.

For now, all he could do was let his heart continue to ache. "Since you're leaving tomorrow, you must eat well today.

You won't be having anything I cook for several days!" Michelle suddenly pulled her hand free and began placing food onto his bowl. At this moment, Michelle had reverted to the smile she wore earlier.

Zhang Yang nodded silently. Michelle stopped speaking too, and they ate the meal before them together.

Zhang Yang finished every piece of food Michelle put on his plate, and she consumed a significant portion of what he offered her. Yet, very little of the rice in either of their bowls was touched; they focused only on the portions served by the other.

In that moment, neither of them was truly focused on eating. After dinner, the bowls and chopsticks were left directly on the table.

Michelle proactively took Zhang Yang’s hand and led him out to the balcony to watch the stars. The stars were actually quite clear tonight, and the air was cool, making it an unsuitable time for stargazing.

Michelle nestled into Zhang Yang’s embrace, counting the few sparse stars above. She even joked that having fewer stars meant she could count them all, proving that the stars were indeed countable.

After counting the stars, Michelle began recounting episodes from her childhood. As she spoke, she unconsciously drifted off to sleep in Zhang Yang's arms.

Her rapid descent into sleep was partly due to Zhang Yang’s subtle actions; he gently massaged a few of her sleep points to help her rest sooner. He carried Michelle back to the room, and only after ensuring she was sleeping soundly did Zhang Yang leave.

The next morning, when Michelle woke up, Zhang Yang was already gone. On the table sat a warm breakfast and a note left by Zhang Yang.

Fearing he would have to face that look in Michelle’s eyes again, Zhang Yang had left early. Seeing Zhang Yang’s neat handwriting, Michelle’s tears could no longer be held back, flowing freely down her cheeks.

In the Hummer, Long Feng glanced at Zhang Yang from time to time. Zhang Yang’s mood wasn't good today; he seemed preoccupied, which piqued Long Feng’s curiosity, though Long Feng asked nothing.

For this trip to the Southern Border, they were driving two vehicles: the Hummer Long Feng was currently driving, and Long Cheng’s Land Rover. Long Cheng was prepared and had already picked up Wu Zhiguo.

Also in Long Cheng’s vehicle was Qu Meilan, whose internal energy Zhang Yang had sealed. Qu Meilan appeared relatively composed, but her face was perpetually etched with worry.

She didn't know if her Master would be angry with her for bringing these people back to the sect. Simultaneously, she entertained the thought of bringing them here, using her Master's power to eliminate them.

She knew she couldn't defeat these men herself, but she trusted her Master could. In her mind, her Master was omnipotent.

The Southern Border was located southwest of Changjing. From Changjing, many highways led west, and the two vehicles sped along them continuously.

Their speed was high, driven by the urgency to reach the Southern Border sooner, as Wu Zhiguo’s Gu poison couldn't wait. Wu Zhiguo was sweating more and more profusely now, requiring a change of clothes several times a day.

With excessive sweating came increased thirst, yet even after drinking a lot, he still appeared somewhat weak, his mouth constantly dry. After racing for half the day, they reached the vicinity of the Southern Border in the afternoon—specifically, its outskirts.

There were no more highways here; they had to take mountain roads where the terrain became rough. After refueling both vehicles, they set off again.

The mountain road ahead was treacherous, riddled with sheer drops in many places. Zhang Yang and Long Feng swapped seats; Zhang Yang had more experience navigating such difficult mountain tracks than Long Feng.

As they switched positions, Zhang Yang's hand brushed against Long Feng’s, and a flicker of surprise crossed Zhang Yang's face. "You broke through too?

When did that happen?" During the brief contact, Zhang Yang felt Long Feng’s internal energy; it had clearly advanced further than before. Long Feng had now reached the late stage of the second layer of internal energy.

"Just yesterday. That Essence Blood Pill you gave me worked incredibly well; I didn't expect to break through so directly!" Long Feng grinned widely.

He had wanted to tell Zhang Yang about his breakthrough in internal energy to share the joy, but the opportunity never arose. Now that Zhang Yang asked, he could finally share the news.

"The Essence Blood Pill should have an even stronger effect on you!" Zhang Yang nodded lightly. The Spirit Ape possessed the strength of the late third layer, far superior to the Golden Crown Python, even though it was old and its combat power had significantly declined.

However, the efficacy of its essence blood had not diminished. The essence blood of a five-hundred-year-old Spirit Ape had reached the peak for this class of spirit beast.

Furthermore, since the Spirit Ape offered it willingly, the pill’s effect was maximized, making this Essence Blood Pill far superior to those refined from the essence blood of other spirit beasts. If it could cause a breakthrough for Zhang Yang, who was at the third layer, it would certainly be more potent for Long Feng's second-layer cultivation.

"You said 'you too'? Did you break through as well?" Long Feng suddenly looked up, staring at Zhang Yang in astonishment.

He recalled Zhang Yang’s words just moments ago. Zhang Yang smiled and nodded gently.

He was now at the middle stage of the third layer, considerably stronger than before. Long Feng was at the late stage of the second layer, also showing massive improvement.

With their soaring strength, Zhang Yang felt a renewed confidence for the journey into the Southern Border. Then there were Lightning and Shadow.

Those two little ones had also consumed the Essence Blood Pill, which must have aided them significantly, especially Lightning; Zhang Yang wondered just how much its combat power had increased. Lightning's enhanced fighting capability meant an increase in their overall strength.

As long as they didn't face a master with perverse mastery over externalized internal energy, Zhang Yang was confident he could contend with anyone they encountered here. Seeing Zhang Yang nod, Long Feng’s expression became complex once more.

Zhang Yang truly had broken through. Long Feng was acutely aware of how difficult a breakthrough to the third layer of internal energy was.

While Zhang Yang had spirit medicine that allowed for rapid progress, how many days had passed since his last breakthrough? More importantly, Zhang Yang was only twenty years old this year.

In his family, anyone who reached the middle stage of the third layer before the age of forty was hailed as a genius. If someone reached the middle stage of the third layer by thirty, they would certainly be a super-genius cultivated wholeheartedly by the entire clan, one rarely seen in a century.

Zhang Yang, at twenty, had already reached this level—it was almost unimaginable to Long Feng. A thought suddenly formed in Long Feng’s mind.

Zhang Yang entering the middle stage of the third layer at twenty meant he could reach the late stage by twenty-five at the latest. Given the abundance of spirit medicine he possessed, he might even achieve it before twenty-five.

Calculating forward, before he turned thirty, Zhang Yang could reach the critical juncture between the third and fourth layers of internal energy. Zhang Yang still possessed spirit medicine like the Saintess Pill, which allowed for direct advancement.

This meant that before thirty, Zhang Yang could enter the fourth layer of internal energy without hindrance, becoming a top-tier master capable of externalizing his energy. A fourth-layer internal energy master before thirty—few, if any, in history could match Zhang Yang’s pace.

If this held true, Zhang Yang’s name was destined to be chronicled. In that case, serving as Zhang Yang’s bodyguard would no longer be a humbling duty but a source of immense pride.

"Ring, ring!" As he carefully navigated the mountain road, Zhang Yang's phone suddenly rang. It was Long Cheng calling; since they only brought two cars and no walkie-talkies, they relied on phones for communication on the road.

Wu Zhiguo’s condition had taken a turn for the worse; he had just fainted from exhaustion. Long Cheng quickly called Zhang Yang to examine the situation.

Pulling the car over, Zhang Yang and Long Feng immediately hurried to the rear vehicle. Long Cheng was holding Wu Zhiguo lying down; Wu Zhiguo’s face was slick with sweat, but his lips were cracked, dry, and pale.

On the other side, Qu Meilan watched them cautiously. Wu Zhiguo's current state was entirely her fault.

She was terrified these men might turn their anger on her because of Wu Zhiguo's condition and make her suffer. She knew perfectly well that these men would not treat her leniently just because she was a woman.

Feeling Wu Zhiguo’s pulse points, Zhang Yang’s brow suddenly twitched. The Gu poison was acting up sooner than he anticipated.

Based on the current situation, Wu Zhiguo had, at most, one more day, not the five days he had estimated previously. ………… Sixth Update, Chapter 100 Bonus Update Chapter Thirty-Three!

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