Zhang Yang stared at her, not knowing what she was thinking.

He had said nothing all along, and Qu Meilan also dared not speak, only watching him with anxious eyes. This time, regret crept into her heart—regret for having told Zhang Yang those things.

If they strictly followed the master's will and lured them to Yinlong Mountain, their sister disciples would finally gain freedom.

The master was dead. That might not necessarily be a bad thing for them. At least, all of them had learned some skills. Even without staying on the mountain or relying on yǎng gǔ (a form of alchemical cultivation), they could find work in the outside world and live decent lives.

After all, they were women. If any of them married a good man, there was every possibility for happiness to last a lifetime.

Zhang Yang's presence made everything different. As long as he remained, they were still captives with an uncertain future.

"Where exactly is Yinlong Mountain? How long would it take us from here?"

After a moment of silence, Zhang Yang finally asked in a low voice. Qu Meilan's heart skipped a beat at his words.

She understood—he was still considering taking the gamble.

"Follow me," she murmured. Taking Zhang Yang aside, they walked toward a high cliff overlooking the valley. Standing there, she pointed ahead to the southeast and said, "That's Yinlong Mountain, the largest range in this thousand-li territory. Our sect only occupies a small part of it. Many other Nanzhang recluses also gather around searching for yinlong cao (Dragon-Lead Grass). They might have found its flowers, but finding them would take too long."

The mountain she indicated was formidable and towering. From this vantage point, the distance seemed short—but Zhang Yang knew it would still require considerable travel time.

Besides, Yinlong Mountain itself was enormous. Even from here, they could clearly see that it was by far the biggest peak in the region. Searching for a specific herb among such vast terrain would be no easy task. If he had more time, Zhang Yang could systematically search the area. Dragon-Lead Grass attracted so much attention that even powerful spirit beasts were drawn to it—this wasn't something ordinary.

With Wuying by his side, as long as some Dragon-Lead Grass grew near their path, Zhang Yang was confident he'd find it with patience and determination.

But time was precisely what he lacked. Wu Zhiguo couldn't wait any longer. At most, there was only a day or so left before Zhang's Turtle Breath Technique lost its effect tomorrow afternoon. Without the Dragon-Lead Grass flower by then, Wu would be at the mercy of his gǔ dú (poisonous cultivation).

"Come with me!"

Zhang Yang suddenly turned and called out to Qu Meilan. The girl hesitated only a moment before following—she wasn't brave enough to defy his orders.

By now, Zhang had already made up his mind.

Long Feng stood in front of a wooden cottage, watching the women prepare offerings for their dead master. Because Zhang and his group were still there, the funeral arrangements remained rudimentary yet expedited. Some girls sobbed nearby.

The old witch-mistress hadn't been kind to them during her lifetime—she frequently beat and punished them, often extracting essence from their bodies to nourish her gǔ dú creations. Yet these women had grown up under her care since childhood, trained in martial arts since they were young. Living together for years inevitably forged bonds; unlike the witch-mistress's heartlessness, none of them could remain entirely indifferent toward her death.

"Long Feng," Zhang approached and said with a smile, "stay here and watch over them while I check on Zhiguo."

Long Feng glanced back at him before nodding silently. He didn't question further—the women might be weak but most had reached the first layer of internal energy cultivation. Though they were junior cultivators compared to Zhang's power level, ignoring their presence would still pose risks until proper arrangements could be made.

Zhang took Qu Meilan with him and descended from the mountain immediately. The girl walked beside him in anxious silence, sensing a strange unease in her bones.

Her internal energy was still suppressed, making movement slow. Zhang simply lifted her up entirely, using his cultivation techniques to descend at accelerated speed—the time for Wu Zhiguo was running out too fast.

With Qu Meilan carried along, Zhang's pace quickened dramatically. Within half an hour they reached the mountain base, faster than their ascent had been.

When they arrived at the parking area, Long Cheng was pacing nervously nearby.

"Zhang Yang! You're back!" Long rushed over immediately, his voice filled with urgency. "Did you find a way to remove the gǔ dú?"

It had already been some time since Zhang's departure. Unable to follow them uphill, he could only imagine what might be happening and worry himself sick. During this period, all he'd done was give Wu water—which at least helped steady his condition slightly. The Turtle Breath Technique significantly reduced perspiration, so the need for constant hydration wasn't as urgent anymore.

"We found a solution," Zhang smiled calmly. "We just need one more ingredient. I'll go get it immediately—once retrieved, we can cure Zhiguo."

He didn't mention what happened on the mountain or disclose anything about Dragon-Lead Grass. These details weren't necessary to share at this point—Zhang had no intention of bringing anyone else into his plan for Yinlong Mountain.

Yinlong Mountain was too dangerous. Even peak-tier cultivators at the fourth layer couldn't come out alive if they entered carelessly. This put great pressure on Zhang, yet he couldn't stand by while Wu died. His entire strategy involved going alone.

He would take only Shandian and Wuying with him. Long Feng was left behind to guard their base camp, while Long Cheng remained at the parking area for now.

"Really? That's great news!" Long Cheng lighted up instantly. "I always knew Zhiguo wouldn't be so short-lived!"

This mission had been about saving Wu above all else—if his poison could be cured, everything would fall into place.

"But... where is Long Feng?" Suddenly, concern returned to Long Cheng's face as he asked anxiously. He hadn't noticed that the elder was still on the mountain top.

After all, Long Feng was a core disciple of the Dragon Clan—anything happening to him could easily implicate Long Cheng. No wonder his anxiety flared so quickly.

Zhang observed his friend's panicked expression and chuckled softly before saying, "He remains on the mountain to handle some matters. He'll be down shortly."

Even though Zhang knew Long Feng was much stronger than Long Cheng himself, it seemed his friend had little faith in him at all! Hearing this explanation, however, immediately erased Long Cheng's worries—he scratched his head awkwardly in embarrassment.

"Big Brother Cheng," Zhang continued gently, "keep watching over Zhiguo while I retrieve the final item. As soon as I return we can start treating him."

Long Cheng hesitated slightly before nodding again. After all, there needed to be someone monitoring Wu's condition at this critical moment. And if he followed along, it would take away Zhang's strength—besides, given what Long knew about his friend's abilities, nothing really worried Zhang anyway.

Just as these words were spoken, Qu Meilan's face paled dramatically. She opened her mouth to call out but found herself unable to utter a single word.

Zhang immediately grasped her wrist and silenced whatever she was about to say. The danger of Yinlong Mountain was obvious, yet Wu couldn't be left to die—this would have to be Zhang's personal gamble.

Strictly speaking, Wu wasn't his closest friend; they had only become acquainted through Long Cheng. Their time together had been brief but meaningful enough for them to form bonds. When he needed help, these people stood by him fully.

This was simply how Zhang operated—when others showed kindness toward him, he would reciprocate with equal strength. Since Wu was now in trouble and there existed a possibility of saving him through effort, Zhang naturally wouldn't abandon the fight... even if it meant facing danger head-on. This journey itself would test his mindset.

Tugging Qu Meilan along behind him, Zhang quickly moved away from where the car was parked. Only when they were far enough to ensure Long Cheng couldn't hear did he finally release her wrist.

"Sir," Qu stammered once she could speak again, visibly trembling with fear in both voice and body. "Are you really going up Yinlong Mountain?"

"Yes. We'll first search the outer perimeter before ascending." Zhang nodded firmly. He had to find that Dragon-Lead Flower at all costs—and as quickly as possible so there would be no regrets left behind for Wu's sake.

Wu was in good health when they arrived—he needed to return with a fully recovered friend.

"Sir," Qu cried out next, "am I required to come along too?"

She had finally realized the truth—Zhang had made up his mind about seeking Dragon-Lead Grass and wasn't going to be swayed by her warnings at all. Now her heart burned with frustration for having spoken in the first place. It was obvious Zhang intended to take her along into this death zone!

"Wherever I go, you follow."

Zhang didn't bother explaining further—he simply took her hand and began walking briskly toward Yinlong Mountain.

While it appeared close from where they stood now, reaching its base would be far more time-consuming than expected. Time was precisely what Zhang lacked most at the moment—wasting it on tedious travel wasn't an option.

He practically carried Qu in his arms as he ran at full speed across the terrain. At this point, even worrying about internal energy depletion seemed unnecessary.

The essence blood pill he'd taken earlier hadn't fully digested yet—he could use this opportunity to burn through excess energy while replenishing more strength.

After running for over two hours straight, sweat finally began forming on Zhang's forehead as they finally reached the foot of Yinlong Mountain itself. This was the speed only someone like Zhang could manage—it would have taken Long Cheng and his group about half a day to cover this distance alone.

For ordinary people living in these highlands? They'd need an entire day just to complete the journey.

As soon as they arrived at the base, Zhang released Wuying to search for any unusual plant life—particularly herbaceous species.

Standing beneath Yinlong Mountain, Qu Meilan felt like fainting from sheer terror. Her legs barely held her upright now—this place was the most sacred and feared location in all of her childhood memories. She'd never dared come here before; even standing still felt impossible due to instinctive fear taking over.

"Once we arrive at our destination, I'll remove your internal energy suppression," Zhang gently set Qu down while pulling out several needles from his sleeve. He pierced specific acupoints on her body as he spoke further instructions:

"If you spot any Dragon-Lead Grass growing nearby, immediately inform me."

There was no point in keeping her internal energy suppressed here—her first-layer cultivation wouldn't be a threat to Zhang at all. Better to let her move freely so she could walk alongside him instead of being dragged around constantly.

After releasing the blockades, Zhang slowly started walking forward while Wuying's nose twitched excitedly with every step. The little beast had just finished eating and now had perfect timing for a nice post-meal stroll...