He made no move to attack, and neither did Zhang Yang or Long Feng; even Lightning’s expression was intensely serious, fixed on the man without blinking.

Lightning knew precisely how formidable this opponent was.

Aside from the Illusory Rat encountered on Yinlong Mountain, no opponent was more terrifying than the man before them. Even the Long-Armed Spirit Ape was far inferior in comparison.

The Long-Armed Spirit Ape was indeed formidable, but it was old, reaching its twilight years, and its strength hadn't broken through the Third Layer; it remained on the same plane as them.

Being all at the Third Layer strength, they still held confidence in victory; they were young, the Ape was aged, and their previous win was no accident.

But the man standing here had already surpassed the Third Layer, reaching the terrifying Fourth Layer of Inner Strength. Facing such an opponent, even Lightning had no chance of victory.

“Your ages are small, and combined, you don't equal mine, but your strength is not weak. You all possess divine weapons and the aid of the spirit beast, the Fox-Tailed Marten. With your capabilities, you are indeed worthy of a battle with me!”

The man looked at Zhang Yang and spoke slowly. His tone was calm, showing no emotional fluctuation despite Zhang Yang’s provocation.

He acted as if the opponents' youth meant nothing to him, focusing solely on their power.

His words made Zhang Yang even more vigilant.

For the opponent to speak this way proved he didn't value empty reputation; everything was judged by strength.

A person like this was even more terrifying. He wouldn't underestimate them because of their youth; rather, he would regard them with greater attention. This was a man who judged solely on ability.

A top expert at the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength, showing them no contempt—one could only imagine how difficult an opponent this was.

Long Feng glanced back at Zhang Yang, who was coincidentally looking at him.

At this moment, both understood they had truly run into serious trouble.

“Since Your Excellency knows that the combined age of us two doesn't match yours, attacking us while we were competing between ourselves hardly seems the act of a hero!”

Long Feng’s voice was slightly hoarse. He certainly wasn't in peak condition, having just run wildly and sparred with Zhang Yang for so long. His Inner Strength was considerably depleted.

Now facing such a powerful opponent, Long Feng felt utterly vexed.

“That’s right, you aren’t at your best state, but neither am I!”

The man turned to look at Long Feng, then continued, “You had a match; I also had expenditures, even greater than yours. Separately, the two of you plus the beast cannot match me, but your coordination is seamless. Together, you are not far behind me. Furthermore, you all possess divine weapons. Looking at the whole picture, I am not taking advantage of you!”

The man spoke slowly, leaving Zhang Yang and Long Feng momentarily stunned.

A master of the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength fighting against the three of them—and one of the three was only at the Second Layer of Inner Strength—yet he claimed he wasn't gaining an advantage. The audacity was something they had never witnessed.

However, the more such a person acted, the more dangerous he became.

The old hag of the Southern Border was shameless, but she possessed the flaw of being overly arrogant. She hadn't taken them seriously initially, which led to her demise.

If the old hag had taken them seriously from the start and hadn't let her three disciples attack in succession—if all four had attacked simultaneously—Zhang Yang and the others would likely have found it extremely difficult to handle.

In that case, the outcome in the Southern Border might have been entirely different.

“Are you intending to keep us here?” Zhang Yang asked heavily, his heart feeling immensely weighted.

“If you want to know what I intend to do, let’s fight first!”

The man laughed again, raising his right hand. A sharp warning flashed in Zhang Yang’s mind, and he rapidly dropped low.

A gust of wind, invisible to the eye, roared past where he had been standing, striking a tree behind him. The tree, as thick as a waist, snapped clean in half and crashed to the ground with a rumble.

“Inner Strength Projection!”

Zhang Yang looked back, his face aghast, and cried out.

This was true Inner Strength Projection, unlike the approximation he had painstakingly tried to mimic. At close range, a master of the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength could use their inner force for ranged attacks. Being struck by their projection was almost as severe as being struck by the person himself.

As for the result of being struck by such force, the fate of that tree spoke volumes. Zhang Yang didn't believe his body was significantly harder than a waist-thick tree.

“Lightning!”

Zhang Yang suddenly shouted. The opponent had already displayed overwhelming strength, and his intentions were clear: a true fight was imminent.

This battle was unavoidable.

Since it couldn't be escaped, they had to fight it out. Zhang Yang was never one to surrender when facing a master. The opponent was strong, but he hadn't been entirely wrong: united, he, Lightning, and Long Feng did possess the power to contend.

The opponent’s inner strength was immense, but they had their own advantages.

Lightning's poison, their coordination, plus their divine weapons—these were their strengths. The opponent was a Fourth Layer master, but he was only one person.

They had faced the Gold-Crowned Python and the Spirit Ape, both stronger than them, and dared to fight. Facing a Fourth Layer master superior to them in Inner Strength, they naturally dared as well.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”

At Zhang Yang’s call, Lightning immediately understood and chirped back, its body moving rapidly.

Leaping into the air, Lightning suddenly spewed a cloud of toxic mist.

Wuying on the ground began to crawl silently. It hadn't shown itself, but it knew how formidable the current opponent was. It quietly crept next to Zhang Yang, delivering a gentle nip to his calf, and then crawled toward Long Feng.

Zhang Yang felt a chill spread through his leg; his Inner Strength and spirit rapidly recovered to their peak. The exhaustion from sparring with Long Feng moments before was completely replenished.

Furthermore, Wuying conveyed excellent news: Zhang Yang no longer needed to worry about Lightning’s toxic mist. They could now move freely through it.

Following the same procedure, Wuying darted to Long Feng and bit him gently. Horror instantly flashed in Long Feng’s eyes. This was the first time he experienced Wuying’s terrifying auxiliary function. Fortunately, knowing Wuying wouldn't harm him, he offered no resistance.

Inner Strength, spirit, and stamina all restored to their peak, Zhang Yang and Long Feng’s fighting spirit reached its zenith. Even facing a top expert at the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength, they no longer feared and dared to engage.

“Oh?”

While Wuying was busy, Lightning had continuously sprayed its toxic mist. The man was initially intrigued, but after watching for a moment, surprise creased his features.

He sensed that the mist Lightning emitted was no ordinary poison gas; it was a miasma whose toxicity was no less potent than the venom from its fangs. Such a poison didn't just harm through respiration; contact through the skin could cause poisoning—a far more potent threat. Even as a top expert at the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength, such a fog could cause him harm.

Unfortunately, by the time he realized this, Lightning had already expelled a large amount, and judging by Lightning's posture, it intended to envelop the man in the mist.

The smile on the man’s face diminished slightly. He suddenly raised his hand, sending several bursts of Inner Strength directly toward Lightning. The man understood he couldn't allow Lightning to continue releasing the mist; the more gas there was, the greater his trouble.

“Long Feng!”

Just as the man moved, Zhang Yang shouted again, rising and advancing simultaneously, rushing toward the man’s flank with the Dragon-Devouring Dagger gripped tightly.

Zhang Yang’s speed was astonishing, and he traversed the toxic fog without hindrance, passing right through it. As he moved, he even channeled his own energy to push a patch of the mist around him. He wasn't afraid of this mist, but it posed a threat to the man facing him—it was pointless not to use it.

“You’re unharmed?” The man looked even more astonished. Before he finished speaking, Zhang Yang was close, and Long Feng’s Snow Whip was already whipping toward him from a distance.

Long Feng was clever; he used the wind generated by the soft whip to sweep a cloud of poison mist toward the man. Even if the Snow Whip itself failed to injure him, the mist would take effect.

Lightning, startled by the man's previous Inner Strength projection, had jumped to the ground to avoid it. Now that Zhang Yang and Long Feng had attacked, it quickly resumed spraying its toxic mist. The more mist in the area, the more advantageous it was for them, as it effectively restricted the man's movement.

Zhang Yang offered no reply to the man’s question; the answer came from the gleaming Dragon-Devouring Dagger.

Zhang Yang attacked with full force immediately. He knew the opponent’s power well; this was no time to hold back.

“Slap!”

Zhang Yang’s arm was blocked by the man, whose speed outmatched Zhang Yang’s. However, the man immediately let go of Zhang Yang's arm as Long Feng’s Snow Whip, trailing a veil of mist, coiled near him. If he didn't dodge, he would inevitably be touched by the poison fog. Even he dared not casually engage with that mist; his deep Inner Strength could resist it, but it would certainly cause significant disruption.

These individuals, though weaker in Inner Strength than him, could not be dismissed, especially Zhang Yang, whose mid-Third Layer Inner Strength could already pose a degree of threat.

Zhang Yang retreated a step, twisting the Dragon-Devouring Dagger and aiming straight for the man’s waist. Long Feng was learning now; he didn't use the whip for direct strikes, only to project the mist forward. Being a ranged attacker, he had no fear of close combat.

And Lightning, spraying mist, suddenly dropped low, baring its teeth as it lunged toward the man. Its speed was even greater, and its sudden attack startled even the man. Fortunately, he hadn't ignored Lightning and maintained awareness of it while dealing with Zhang Yang and Long Feng, allowing him to jump aside and evade the lunge. Even a Fourth Layer expert would prefer not to be bitten by Lightning; the Fox-Tailed Marten was one of the Ten Great Poisonous Beasts, its fierce reputation known widely—no one wished to test it.

…………

First update. It’s terribly noisy outside; loudspeakers are blaring everywhere, making Xiao Yu feel like throwing a tantrum.

Thanks again to friends for their support. Many friends are still supporting Xiao Yu, and our ranking hasn't dropped. Can those who have read this chapter kindly spare a monthly ticket to support Xiao Yu, ensuring the first day's monthly ticket count surpasses 150! (To be continued)