Long Feng’s speed was astonishing; Zhang Yang felt he was moving even faster than before he lost his inner strength.

This realization shocked Zhang Yang even more. He couldn't believe Long Feng had recovered to his former state after just one month of seclusion. In his estimation, even with the aid of spirit medicine, it should have taken at least a year.

After all, he had to cultivate anew; even with his foundational knowledge, recovery shouldn't be this swift.

Zhang Yang dashed forward rapidly; the two men moved like twin shadows, though Zhang Yang was clearly still significantly faster than Long Feng.

He was, after all, a grand master at the late stage of the third layer. To be outperformed by someone who had only cultivated for a month after restarting was enough to make him want to find a wall and smash his head against it.

After running for a few minutes, Zhang Yang finally reached out and seized Long Feng’s arm, managing to pull him to a halt.

“Early second layer?”

Upon grabbing Long Feng, he instantly scanned the cultivation level of Long Feng’s inner strength: early second layer. He hadn't recovered to his original late second layer, but even this result still left him astounded.

“Impossible. If you’re only early second layer, how can you possess such speed? It’s faster than before!”

Zhang Yang immediately pressed further. With Long Feng’s current early second layer cultivation, this kind of velocity was simply unattainable.

Even at his absolute peak before losing his inner strength, Long Feng had never moved this fast.

“The Supreme True Canon actually yields the greatest boost to speed. This is a genuine supreme-grade heart technique. The cultivation speed is much faster than I imagined, and it has also greatly enhanced my body’s agility and swiftness!”

Long Feng said with a smile. This time, he had truly gained a blessing in disguise.

The Supreme True Canon was an exceedingly rare supreme-grade heart technique, perfectly suited for his cultivation. In just one month, he had leaped forward, breaking through one layer and re-entering the second layer of inner strength.

Although it was only the initial stage, he was already deeply satisfied.

When he first descended the mountain, his inner strength was also only at the initial stage; it was only later, relying on spirit medicine alongside Zhang Yang, that he gradually improved.

“A supreme-grade heart technique is that powerful? I’m tempted to start over!”

Zhang Yang nodded, feeling the speed Long Feng exhibited, and admitted with a touch of envy.

“If you want to start over, you can. Cripple your existing inner strength, and I can tell you all my previous cultivation insights!”

Long Feng chuckled slyly. Zhang Yang paused for a moment, thought it over, and then shook his head.

“Forget it. If I cripple myself, I don’t know if I can cultivate immediately like you. What if I fail? I’d lose everything!”

Supreme-grade heart techniques were not easy to cultivate. Even though Zhang Yuan’an had entrusted the Supreme True Canon to Long Feng, he hadn't guaranteed success.

It was Long Feng’s good fortune that this scripture was perfectly suited for him, allowing him to finally succeed.

If Zhang Yang crippled his inner strength and found he couldn't cultivate, the loss would be far more than just a temporary setback. Moreover, he was already at the late third layer and would soon enter the ranks of peak experts at the fourth layer; there was absolutely no need to re-cultivate.

The speed enhancement from the Supreme True Canon would also manifest after the fourth layer of inner strength. At the fourth layer, the entire body would be suffused with inner strength, essentially undergoing a complete physical renovation, leading to a significant speed increase for everyone.

Zhang Yuan’an’s speed was already comparable to Lightning, a spirit beast specialized in speed.

“Haha!”

Long Feng laughed again, and after the laughter subsided, he said softly, “The reason I recovered so quickly is twofold: first, the inner strength technique is excellent, and second, your spirit medicine is superb. This month, I consumed two Essence Blood Pills. Without those two pills, I couldn't have recovered to the early second layer this fast!”

As Long Feng spoke, his eyes held a trace of gratitude.

The Essence Blood Pills Zhang Yang provided were the most effective, made from the essence blood of the Long-Armed Spirit Ape at the peak of the third layer—and the essence blood had been offered willingly.

Such high-quality medicine naturally produced a different level of effect, greatly accelerating Long Feng’s progress.

This was why he managed to return to the early second layer in such a short time. Based on his current trajectory, he had a good chance of recovering his original inner strength before returning home at the end of the year.

If that happened, his family matters would not be delayed at all, and what’s more, he would have cultivated a superior heart technique, possessing even greater speed.

When he truly recovered to the late second layer, his speed should be no less than Lightning’s former speed—specifically, the speed Lightning possessed before its advancement, when Zhang Yang captured it.

With Long Feng accompanying him, Zhang Yang’s solitary practice was no longer dull. After their training session, they headed together—Qu Meilan had woken up and was also surprised to see Long Feng, realizing he had finally emerged from seclusion.

Long Feng’s emergence was a happy occasion worthy of celebration. At noon, Zhang Yang personally cooked a lavish luncheon, and he and Long Feng shared quite a bit of wine.

Having regained his inner strength to the second layer, with speed even surpassing his previous level, Long Feng was naturally very pleased. Before entering seclusion, he hadn't anticipated such rapid progress.

For now, he felt he was at least as strong as when he left home, which was more than enough to satisfy him.

“Ring, ring, ring!”

Just as they finished eating, and Zhang Yang was thinking of finding a place with Long Feng to spar, the phone on his body rang again.

The caller ID showed Wang Guohai’s number. Normally, Wang Guohai wouldn't contact Zhang Yang proactively unless something significant had occurred or they faced an insurmountable problem.

“Zhang Yang, great news! Great news! Su Shaohua’s asthma is cured, completely cured!”

As soon as the call connected, Wang Guohai’s excited shout erupted from the other end. Zhang Yang could hear cheers from others in the background.

“Cured?”

Zhang Yang asked back, slightly stunned.

“Yes! We just gave him a comprehensive examination—there isn't a single trace left. This isn’t just temporary remission; it’s a true, complete cure!” Wang Guohai bellowed. Zhang Yang heard the piercing shriek of the little girl, Wang Lu, again.

Zhang Yang nodded and said, “I understand. I’ll head to the hospital immediately!”

Su Shaohua’s cure held immense significance. His medical history was crucial documentation for them to report on this research project. Now that Su Shaohua was healed, it meant their research had succeeded.

The entire project had been established for the purpose of eradicating this very disease.

It was no wonder everyone over there was so ecstatic. They had toiled hard for quite a while, and now, finally, their efforts were rewarded. Although Su Shaohua’s recovery didn't immediately conclude the project, it proved to everyone that their research could succeed, presenting undeniable evidence of success.

Next, they only needed to completely cure the ten volunteers, record all the data, and the project could conclude perfectly. Then, everyone involved in the research would reap unimaginable honors and benefits.

“Long Feng, I’m going to the hospital!” Zhang Yang said as he went to change clothes. Before changing, he reminded Long Feng.

“I’ll come with you!”

Long Feng stood up as well. Now that his cultivation had largely recovered, he could serve as Zhang Yang’s bodyguard, which was why he offered to go along.

“No need. Continue your cultivation. Finish all the spirit medicine and recover to your former state as quickly as possible!”

Zhang Yang shook his head. The clothes he needed to change into were simple—just an outer jacket, and the jacket was in the living room.

As he spoke, he had already changed. Su Shaohua’s recovery was a major event, and he needed to be present; this was a time when his presence was required.

He could only inwardly lament that he couldn't spar with Long Feng today.

Fortunately, Long Feng didn't know his thoughts. If he did, he would probably retreat back into seclusion immediately. Zhang Yang was at the late third layer, while Long Feng was only at the early second layer; wanting to spar was clearly just bullying.

Even with his increased speed, Long Feng stood no chance against Zhang Yang; fighting him would purely be self-inflicted torment.

Driving his car, Zhang Yang headed directly toward the Third Hospital. At this moment, the research team office at the Third Hospital was filled with triumphant cheers.

Zhu Zhixiang and Wu Youdao were also present, as this project bore their names as well.

Besides them, Su Shaohua was also there.

This time was a routine physical examination for Su Shaohua, and the results showed that his respiratory system was completely normal, no different from an ordinary person.

All subtle characteristics associated with asthma had vanished.

After confirming it multiple times, they finally dared to believe that Su Shaohua’s illness was genuinely gone, truly and completely cured.

Upon learning the result, Su Shaohua was also extremely excited. He recalled Zhang Yang’s words from back then.

Zhang Yang had said his illness was troublesome and would require half a year to cure. Now, it was just over five months, not yet six, and he was already cured—a genuine cure.

What he dared not believe back then had now become reality.

The chronic affliction that had tormented him for decades was completely gone, and he no longer had any worries. His current mood was easy to imagine; his excitement was in no way less than anyone else’s.

He repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Wu Youdao and to everyone involved.

If Wu Youdao hadn't possessed the foresight to recommend Zhang Yang for his treatment, he wouldn't have this outcome today, and the disease that had brought him despair wouldn't have been cured so perfectly.

The other research members had also worked tirelessly during this period, constantly documenting everything.

Regardless, they were all working toward curing his illness, so expressions of thanks were entirely appropriate.

“Dean Zhu, to show my appreciation, I have decided to provide a remuneration of fifty thousand yuan to every expert and doctor involved in the research. I will transfer this money to the project group’s account, and I will also handle the tax matters myself!”

Su Shaohua, whose emotions had somewhat settled, said softly to Zhu Zhixiang.

Zhu Zhixiang, who had been speaking with Wang Guohai, suddenly froze. Everyone else who had been exchanging excited words immediately stopped and turned to look at Su Shaohua.

Fifty thousand each—they wondered if they had misheard.

“Mr. Su, you said you wish to reward the members of the research group?”

Zhu Zhixiang asked in a low voice. He was also a member of the research team, meaning he would receive a share if there were rewards.

“Yes. Thank you for your efforts, thank you for curing my illness. Fifty thousand each, just a small token of my gratitude!”

Su Shaohua nodded with a smile. As he said this, his mind was focused on another person.

It was entirely Zhang Yang’s merit that his illness was completely cured; he knew this clearly, and his gratitude toward Zhang Yang was the deepest.

The research group only had just over a dozen people in total. Fifty thousand each would only total a few hundred thousand. Even if he paid the taxes himself, it wouldn't exceed one million.

Let alone one million, even ten million, or even a hundred million—he would have been willing to pay it if it meant curing his illness.