"Zhang Yang, you're finally awake!"

Mi Xue immediately grabbed Zhang Yang's hand, tears streaming down her face. Beside Mi Xue was Qu Meilan, who also let out a long, deep sigh of relief.

She had been genuinely worried about Zhang Yang; if anything happened to him, there would be no one to cure her poison.

Next to Qu Meilan stood the brothers Gu Fang and Li Wei, with Gao Jie positioned on the other side.

Relief was evident in the eyes of all three men as well; they had truly feared Zhang Yang might suffer some mishap, as it would be difficult to explain back home if he did.

Gu Fang still remembered the sight when they woke up that morning and found neither Zhang Yang nor Long Feng present.

At first, no one was anxious. Mi Xue had even cheerfully remarked that they would probably be back by the time they ate; Zhang Yang and Long Feng often kept such early morning training habits.

It wasn't until breakfast ended with no sign of the two that a sense of unease began to settle in.

Qingfeng Village was small. Gao Jie went out to inquire around but couldn't find any trace of them. However, he did manage to pick up on some other pieces of information.

Based on their subsequent analysis, the two had most likely gone up the mountain, which sent Mi Xue into a panic. During the gathering in the hall earlier, the villagers had mentioned wolves nearby, and some even claimed there were tigers deep within the forest.

While the possibility of tigers was slim, wolves were very likely, as the local mountainous region was known for them.

This realization caused Mi Xue to grow fearful, her eyes turning red, and even Gu Fang and Gao Jie showed traces of worry.

Only Qu Meilan and Li Wei remained outwardly unconcerned.

They were the ones who knew the pair's strength best. No number of wolves could stand against them; if they truly encountered wolves, it wouldn't be the wolves' luck running out, but the wolves' demise. Even if a tiger were present, they would be perfectly safe.

A tiger, no matter how fierce, could not compare to a master of Neijin (Internal Strength), much less the terrifying Great Ape—Li Wei had personally witnessed Zhang Yang and the others battling the Spirit Ape in Changjing.

So, while everyone else was worried and afraid, these two kept reassuring them, confident that Zhang Yang and Long Cheng would be fine.

But as time ticked by and neither reappeared by late morning, even Qu Meilan and Li Wei started to feel a touch of concern. After all, the two leaving the group without contact for an entire morning was highly irregular; nothing like this had ever happened before.

After conferring, the group decided to head up the mountain to check on Zhang Yuan'an. Their primary reason for coming was to find him, and perhaps the pair had gone up early to search for him.

Once the decision was made, they left a note and immediately set off. The note was a precaution, in case Zhang Yang and the other hadn't gone searching and had returned to find them gone.

Upon reaching the mountains, they discovered Zhang Yuan'an didn't live in the village but had built a solitary dwelling deep in the wilderness.

Guided by a villager, they finally arrived there and found Zhang Yuan'an, and beside him, Zhang Yang, who had been brought back by Zhang Yuan'an after collapsing unconscious near his mother's grave.

Zhang Yang had been in a coma for a full day and night, only waking up on the second morning.

"Squeak squeak!"

"Chirp chirp!"

Lightning and Shadow also scampered out, the two little ones chirping loudly. Looking at them, a faint smile gradually spread across Zhang Yang's lips.

These two little fellows were also expressing their concern; Zhang Yang suddenly spitting blood and collapsing had startled them badly.

"Mi Xue, I'm fine now!"

Zhang Yang slowly sat up and circulated his Neijin slightly.

As he circulated it, he froze for another moment.

The Neijin in his body was significantly more potent than before, completely surpassing the mid-stage of the Third Layer. His internal strength had actually reached the late-stage of the Third Layer.

The late-stage of the Third Layer was something Zhang Yang had expected to reach only next year at the earliest, even with the aid of spiritual elixirs. He hadn't anticipated that this coma would lead to an unexpected breakthrough.

"You're awake. Let me take a look!"

At this moment, Zhang Yuan'an walked in from outside, and the group made way for him. Everyone had already learned the previous day that Zhang Yuan'an was indeed Zhang Yang’s maternal uncle, making him an elder to them.

Zhang Yuan'an’s hand rested naturally on Zhang Yang's arm. Mi Xue stopped crying now, watching with wide eyes.

As soon as his hand made contact, Zhang Yuan'an's eyes bulged noticeably, filled with astonishment.

"Late Third Layer?"

He whispered the phrase, using Chuanyin Rumi (Sound Transmission Secret Art), audible only to Zhang Yang, unheard by anyone else.

Chuanyin Rumi was an advanced Neijin technique only usable by those at the Fourth Layer of Neijin, those capable of projecting their internal energy externally. Zhang Yuan'an hadn't spoken aloud because many ordinary people were present.

Zhang Yang nodded silently, a look of bewilderment also on his face. Normally, he should not have broken through so quickly. But this breakthrough was undeniable; he had checked himself and found no instability typical of a new stage. In a way, this was the most inexplicable breakthrough he had ever experienced.

"Did you consume many spiritual elixirs before this?" Zhang Yuan'an asked again. Zhang Yang nodded once more.

"And Shadow, is that a Treasure-Seeking Rat?"

Zhang Yuan'an glanced at Shadow. Initially, he hadn't known Shadow's identity, but through continued interaction and careful observation, he had recognized it. If Long Feng could recognize it, then Zhang Yuan'an certainly could. He nodded again. This was his nephew; there was no need for secrecy. He only felt a slight vexation remembering their previous misunderstanding.

It had indeed been a misunderstanding. After their experiences in Southern Xinjiang, both he and Long Feng were highly guarded, and the appearance of a mysterious expert had triggered an instinctual belief that they were hostile. Reflecting now, Zhang Yuan'an had shown no genuine killing intent, merely wanting to spar, making the entire confrontation a huge and costly mistake based on a false premise.

"I see," Zhang Yuan'an suddenly exhaled, looking at Zhang Yang with a mixture of envy, deep comfort, and joy.

There was a successor! The more outstanding Zhang Yang became, the happier Zhang Yuan'an felt. Zhang Yuan'an didn't possess the complex ambitions of their ancestors. Even though Zhang Yang was only his nephew, he could inherit the legacy. Moreover, Zhang Yang shared the Zhang family bloodline and could still carry forward the legacy of the Medical Saint lineage.

"Uncle, what exactly happened to me?"

Zhang Yuan'an understood, but Zhang Yang was still confused and somewhat dazed.

"While you were unconscious, that Treasure-Seeking Rat immediately came over and bit you once. I was quite puzzled at the time, but once I understood it was a Treasure-Seeking Rat, I realized it was saving you!"

Zhang Yuan'an knew slightly more than Zhang Yang; he knew that a bite from a Treasure-Seeking Rat was a method of healing. The energy stored within a Treasure-Seeking Rat was immense.

"I suspect the Treasure-Seeking Rat hasn't bitten you only once before, has it? Every time it bites you, it's equivalent to administering a spiritual elixir, perhaps with even better efficacy!" Zhang Yuan'an said with a smile. The unique natural gifts of the Treasure-Seeking Rat meant it had consumed countless treasures throughout its life, accumulating terrifying amounts of energy internally. Added to the urgency of saving its master, it would certainly pump extra energy into you. Combined with the accumulation from previous bites, Zhang Yang's body had built up a large reserve of energy.

"You mean, Shadow helped me achieve this breakthrough?"

Zhang Yang understood a little, but remained perplexed. He asked in a very low voice. At this moment, Gu Fang and the others were watching Zhang Yang anxiously. From their perspective, Zhang Yuan'an and Zhang Yang were only moving their lips without making sound. Zhang Yang made slight sounds, but they couldn't make them out; Zhang Yuan'an made none at all.

"It wasn't solely its doing!" Zhang Yuan'an smiled again and continued, "You've always harbored an inner demon. I don't know what caused it, but after coming to your mother's grave this time, your inner demon vanished. The dissipation of the inner demon, combined with the energy stored by the Treasure-Seeking Rat, allowed you to break through now. This breakthrough is not abnormal; you don't need to worry!"

Zhang Yuan'an stood up after speaking. Zhang Yang was well and had even achieved an unexpected breakthrough; Zhang Yuan'an could only feel happy. However, there was one thing he didn't mention: while Zhang Yang was unconscious, he had also given him a spiritual elixir. This elixir had been left by Zhang Daofeng. Zhang Yuan'an was not as fortunate as Zhang Yang to possess a large stock of such medicines. He only had two left now, but since Zhang Yang was his nephew and the heir of the Zhang family, giving it to him cost him nothing. This elixir also played a part; the combination of factors led to Zhang Yang's unexpected gain during his coma.

Zhang Yuan'an left the room, giving the space back to the group of young people.

At this moment, Zhang Yuan'an felt boundless satisfaction. He was fifty-three years old and had two sons before this. Sadly, both sons met with accidents. His eldest son passed away shortly after birth due to a tragic traffic accident; Zhang Yuan'an hadn't been home, and by the time he returned, it was too late. His younger son, who showed the most promise to inherit the legacy and was very capable, suffered a sudden zou huo ru mo (cultivation deviation) a few months prior, in early May. Zhang Yuan'an used spiritual elixirs and strenuous efforts, but could not save him.

The loss of his younger son had driven Zhang Yuan'an to despair. His youngest son had been constantly cultivating and hadn't married, leaving no descendants. Zhang Yuan'an had been deeply worried that the Medical Saint lineage would end with him, until Zhang Yang suddenly appeared.

Zhang Yang's appearance was nothing less than new hope, a new dawn for him. Especially since Zhang Yang was so outstanding, reaching the Third Layer of Neijin at such a young age—it could be said that Zhang Yang possessed the best natural talent among all the Zhang family inheritors in many years.

With a new inheritor for the Medical Saint lineage, one who carried the Zhang family bloodline, Zhang Yuan'an's current state of mind was immeasurable. After leaving Zhang Yang's room, Zhang Yuan'an's smile never faded. He even felt that his father's earlier actions had been wise; if Zhang Yang hadn't been cultivated early, how could the crisis of succession have been averted? Of course, this was because he believed all of Zhang Yang's internal strength was taught by his father. As long as his father, Zhang Daofeng, did not appear, this misunderstanding would remain forever.

After conversing with the people in the room for a while, Zhang Yang finally managed to get out of bed. He had only fainted due to the shock of resolving his inner demon; fundamentally, he was not seriously injured. Now he had fully recovered, his body feeling even more agile and relaxed than before.

First chapter update; I had something on tonight, making friends wait!