Zhang Yang finally stopped once he reached the foot of the mountain, turning back with a lingering sense of dread.

This area was beyond the reach of the hallucinogenic agent; it was the outer perimeter where normal people could function, and one could hear the calls of many birds here.

At that moment, every bird call Zhang Yang heard sounded exquisitely beautiful.

One could not truly appreciate this unless they had experienced the strangeness of Yinlong Mountain.

After gazing back at the towering, majestic Yinlong Mountain for a while, Zhang Yang hoisted Qu Meilan onto his shoulder and retraced his steps.

This trip to Yinlong Mountain had, all in all, been smooth; the objective was achieved. Beyond securing a batch of precious medicinal herbs, he had also obtained a genuine divine weapon from the Divine Armament Ranking.

The value of the Cold Spring Sword far surpassed that of the imitation Dragon-Devouring Dagger, and its power was significantly greater.

Zhang Yang had long been missing a suitable long-range weapon. The Dragon-Devouring Dagger was good, but simply too short for certain situations.

Now, with the Cold Spring Sword, he had a perfect long and short pairing for mutual benefit. The Zhang family's ancestral secrets contained several excellent sword techniques; once he mastered them, his strength would increase substantially.

"Wuying, what exactly happened just now?"

It wasn't until they were far removed from Yinlong Mountain that Zhang Yang finally whispered the question, his curiosity piqued by the preceding events.

Zhang Yang had never encountered, nor even heard of, a 'Giant Dragon' capable of changing form, or a spirit beast that could shift its shape like a rodent.

"Jiji ji!"

Wuying chirped in response. Zhang Yang couldn't understand the meaning of its cries, but he could sense the intent behind them.

After sensing for a long time, Zhang Yang gradually began to grasp Wuying’s meaning.

According to Wuying, what they had encountered was a ‘Phantom Mouse’—a spirit beast of the same lineage as the Treasure-Seeking Mouse, but one that had evolved into a terrifyingly powerful variant.

Normally, an adult, common Phantom Mouse possessed the strength equivalent to the third layer of Inner Force, but their capacity for evolution meant their ultimate strength was hard to estimate.

The typical size of a Phantom Mouse was similar to that of a Treasure-Seeking Mouse, and their appearances were also alike.

Strictly speaking, both the Phantom Mouse and the Treasure-Seeking Mouse belonged to a species of rodent spirit beast from ancient times known as the 'Spirit Mouse'; both types represented evolved forms.

The Phantom Mouse's greatest skill lay in creating illusions. They could secrete a hallucinogenic agent—the same substance Zhang Yang and his group encountered in the mountains—which the Phantom Mouse could disperse freely around itself.

And the Giant Dragon Zhang Yang had first seen was not real; it was merely an image conjured by the Phantom Mouse.

It was only because this Phantom Mouse was of such a high level that the agent it released was potent enough to permeate the entire mountain, and the illusions it projected were so lifelike that they were nearly indistinguishable from reality. Had Wuying not been present, the Phantom Mouse would not have transformed to reveal its true self to them.

Rodent spirit beasts are exceedingly rare, let alone those from the same lineage. Once the Phantom Mouse recognized the Treasure-Seeking Mouse’s identity, it lost any inclination to harm them.

As for this specific Phantom Mouse’s rank, Wuying didn't know either, only that it was immensely powerful and had lived for millennia. Wuying noted that this was the first spirit beast of its own kind it had encountered in its thousand years of existence.

Understanding all this, Zhang Yang was filled with deep emotion.

That they managed to leave Yinlong Mountain alive this time was entirely thanks to Wuying. Although Wuying lacked the brute power to directly aid in combat like Lightning, it had proven invaluable in numerous other ways.

Wuying chattered happily, expressing its joy.

There was one thing it hadn't told Zhang Yang: the Phantom Mouse had actually helped it in a small way, accelerating its own evolution.

Both the Treasure-Seeking Mouse and the Phantom Mouse were spirit beasts capable of evolution. The Phantom Mouse's immense power was the result of years of evolutionary advancement. Wuying was still young; it had only just begun its own evolutionary path, and it had a long road ahead.

Exchanging thoughts with Wuying, Zhang Yang continued to move swiftly.

By the time they returned to where they had parked the vehicle, it was precisely noon. Long Cheng and Long Feng were both waiting for him there.

Long Cheng was growing anxious. He knew Wu Zhiguo couldn't wait much longer; once the effect of Zhang Yang's Turtle Breathing Technique wore off, any success Zhang Yang achieved would become moot. Even Long Feng’s expression had lost its former composure, tinged now with seriousness—Zhang Yang had been gone for far too long this time.

“Zhang Yang!”

Long Feng shot to his feet, the first to spot Zhang Yang returning. Long Cheng immediately jumped up too, catching sight of Zhang Yang swiftly approaching while carrying Qu Meilan.

“Zhang Yang, how was it? Did you find what we needed?”

Long Cheng hurried forward, first taking the woman from Zhang Yang’s shoulder, then urgently demanding an answer.

Long Feng glanced at the unconscious Qu Meilan, then looked to Zhang Yang. He paid little heed to the woman; his primary concern was whether Zhang Yang had succeeded.

“It went well. I found it!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, pulling out two stalks of Yinlong Grass from his person. Long Cheng stared at the red grasses bearing distinct green flowers, freezing for a moment before becoming visibly agitated.

Having the Yinlong Grass Flowers meant Wu Zhiguo’s (Gu) poison could be neutralized.

Once Wu Zhiguo’s poison was removed, the main objective of their South Border journey would be achieved—meaning Wu Zhiguo’s life would be saved.

“Wait for me, I need to wake her up!”

Zhang Yang set the two stalks of Yinlong Grass down first, then produced silver needles to apply Golden Needling therapy to Qu Meilan.

Neither Long Cheng nor Long Feng knew the method for Luring the Gu; they needed Qu Meilan to assist.

She had placed the Gu, so it was fitting that she be the one to remove it, serving as a penance for her prior mistakes.

“Where is this?”

With the Turtle Breathing Technique lifted, Qu Meilan awoke groggily, her eyes still clouded with confusion.

Her eyes had returned to normal; they were no longer the terrifying red.

Suddenly, she seemed to recall something, her face turning ashen with horror. She frantically touched her body, and only after finding no discernible change did she lift her head and scan her surroundings.

Instantly, she recognized their parking spot at the foot of the mountain. Then, her gaze fell upon Zhang Yang.

“We’re back? Did we really return from Yinlong Mountain?”

Looking at Zhang Yang, she still seemed unable to fully believe it. She remembered ascending the mountain, but shortly after entering, she remembered nothing else. The deepest impression left was that they had entered the mountain and would never leave.

After all, the legends spanning hundreds of years were deeply ingrained in everyone’s minds; Qu Meilan’s own heart had sunk into despair the moment she stepped onto Yinlong Mountain.

“We are back. Now, you immediately draw out the Gu insect from Zhiguo’s body!”

Zhang Yang nodded. Time was short; he had no desire to waste words with her here.

The sooner Wu Zhiguo’s Gu was resolved, the sooner they could leave; Mi Xue was waiting for him back home.

“Luring the Gu requires Yinlong Grass Flowers!”

Qu Meilan appeared momentarily bewildered. They had already discussed this—the Luring method required the Gu insect to be actively drawn out of the body, and this necessitated Yinlong Grass Flowers.

Without the flowers, their Luring method was useless.

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, retrieving the two red stalks bearing green flowers and placing them before Qu Meilan.

“Yinlong Grass?”

Seeing the unique appearance, Qu Meilan gasped the name aloud.

She had never actually seen a true Yinlong Grass, but she had heard the legends surrounding it countless times, making her intimately familiar with its description. This was why she recognized it immediately upon sight.

“You truly found the Yinlong Grass?”

Qu Meilan looked up again, staring at Zhang Yang with profound shock.

Zhang Yang nodded, murmuring softly, “We have the Yinlong Grass, and we have the Yinlong Grass Flowers. Can you draw out Zhiguo’s Gu? If you can’t, I’ll find someone else to do it!”

“I can, I can!”

Qu Meilan nodded hastily, though her mind was still reeling from shock. Thankfully, she understood what was more important.

It was possible to find Yinlong Grass in the outer regions of Yinlong Mountain, but the probability was incredibly low; finding it was always a matter of pure chance.

Even on Yinlong Mountain itself, the grass only appeared at the summit or near the peak.

Other areas were like the periphery—one relied on luck to find even a single stalk.

For Zhang Yang to produce two stalks proved he had truly ascended high into the mountain, not only finding the Yinlong Grass but successfully harvesting it.

In her estimation, Zhang Yang was likely the first person in several centuries to accomplish such a feat.

Shaking off the remnants of her awe, Qu Meilan forced herself to focus, preparing to treat Wu Zhiguo.

The Yinlong Grass was correct, and it was the freshest variety; this meant the Yinlong Grass Flowers would possess an even stronger lure for the Gu. She would not need much time to make the Gu insect willingly vacate Wu Zhiguo’s body.

Picking up one stalk of Yinlong Grass, Qu Meilan gently plucked the green flower and placed it near Wu Zhiguo’s arm.

She began to chant quietly under her breath, and shortly after, she fetched a small razor blade, cutting a tiny slit in her own finger and letting a few drops of blood fall around the Yinlong Grass Flower.

The fresh blood contrasted sharply with the green flower.

Before long, a bulge began to form on Wu Zhiguo’s arm, and Qu Meilan’s expression grew intensely taut.

“Master, once the Spirit Gu exerts itself, I will immediately retrieve the Yinlong Grass Flower. If the Spirit Gu cannot find the flower, it might burrow into the body of someone nearby!”

This was Qu Meilan’s warning: the Yinlong Grass Flower was too precious to simply leave for the Gu. Once the insect emerged, Qu Meilan had to quickly secure the flower; without the lure, the Gu would immediately seek another host.

Whoever it entered would become a major problem, and though it wouldn't be fatal, they would have to start the entire process over.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Just focus on your task,” Zhang Yang replied, shaking his head slightly with a calm smile.

Wuying, meanwhile, crawled out, moving over to Wu Zhiguo’s side, its gaze fixed intently on the bulging area where the Gu was preparing to emerge.

Seeing Wuying, Qu Meilan paused briefly, then managed a self-deprecating smile.

These people around her were clearly not ordinary, and furthermore, they had the sworn enemy of Gu insects—the Treasure-Seeking Mouse. Her previous concern was entirely superfluous; once the Gu emerged, it was destined for destruction.

Regathering her focus, Qu Meilan resumed her silent chanting. The bulge on Wu Zhiguo’s body was changing shape rapidly, becoming more pronounced with each passing moment.

Fourth update, Chapter 40 of the Hundred Chapter Bonus Series.

I was drunk yesterday and haven't quite recovered today. So, only four chapters for now. Little Yu needs to rest and recuperate. The owed chapters will increase, but Little Yu absolutely guarantees they will be repaid. Over the next period, Little Yu will basically not be leaving home again. (To be continued)