This minute observation immediately brought Wuying's true identity to mind; the impact of discovering a Treasure-Seeking Rat struck Li Changfeng far harder than the mere presence of a Fox-Tailed Marten.

Li Changfeng understood precisely the immense value a Treasure-Seeking Rat’s unique ability could bring.

For a family, possessing a spirit beast that willingly followed them merely augmented their combat strength—strength that the family could cultivate internally, as human potential was not inherently inferior to that of spirit beasts.

At most, spirit beasts could perform certain tasks humans could not, and having one added a certain prestige, as they were not easily tamed.

But the Treasure-Seeking Rat was different. This was no ordinary spirit beast; its treasure-finding ability would incite envy in everyone, even entire families.

Possessing a Treasure-Seeking Rat was equivalent to possessing boundless resources, enabling the cultivation of far more talent in the future. Even if the Rat possessed zero combat capability, its value far surpassed that of a Fox-Tailed Marten.

“Wuying is a Treasure-Seeking Rat!”

Zhang Yang stated flatly, an involuntary chill of latent menace emanating from him.

Li Changfeng’s reaction was somewhat unstable, and Zhang Yang was subtly reminding him not to dwell too much on this realization.

Of course, since the host had just offered them fine wine, Zhang Yang couldn't completely alienate him just because he recognized Wuying’s identity, but the necessary caution still had to be exercised.

Li Changfeng blinked, quickly recognizing his lapse in composure, and then replied with a wry smile, “Brother Zhang, truthfully, I am utterly stunned by you all this time!”

Three people, two spirit beasts. He found it difficult to fathom how such a combination could exist.

“Brother Li, we ask that you guard Wuying’s identity with great secrecy,” Long Feng added with a smile. Li Changfeng turned back, looking at Long Feng with surprise before nodding slowly.

After a moment, he hesitated before asking, “Brother Zhang, Brother Long, to whom do these two spirit beasts belong?”

Shandian and Wu shared good relations with all three of them. Li Changfeng had just seen Shandian run into Long Feng’s arms, and Wuying had also approached Long Cheng earlier.

Wuying was the same, but now both spirit beasts were close to Zhang Yang, leaving him confused as to which of them the beasts actually followed.

Driven by curiosity, he decided to ask directly.

“Shandian and Wuying are both my good brothers!”

Zhang Yang answered on behalf of Long Feng with a slight smile. Li Changfeng turned back again, mouth agape, staring blankly at Zhang Yang.

It was hard enough for one person to have a spirit beast follow them, yet Zhang Yang commanded two, one of which was a Treasure-Seeking Rat.

At this point, his thoughts drifted back to Zhang Yang’s lineage: the lineage of the Medicine Saint.

The greatest strength of the Medicine Saint lineage was not their combat prowess, but their medical arts. Their skill in compounding elixirs was unrivaled throughout history; countless individuals unable to formulate their own remedies would seek out members of the Medicine Saint lineage to prepare potent spiritual medicines from their rare ingredients.

Though they demanded payment, the elixirs compounded by the Medicine Saint inheritors were invariably more effective, ensuring no one was cheated.

But that wasn’t the main point; the key was the Treasure-Seeking Rat.

Possessing a Treasure-Seeking Rat meant access to untold heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Combined with the Medicine Saint lineage’s compounding ability, a low groan involuntarily escaped Li Changfeng’s throat, tinged with sharp jealousy.

This pairing was equivalent to possessing an infinite supply of spiritual elixirs.

Spiritual elixirs! Those were things that directly increased internal energy, far superior to the effects of Monkey Wine in this regard.

Spiritual elixirs were also the finest aids for breakthroughs in internal energy cultivation. Such precious treasures were exceedingly rare even in his own family; he himself did not know when he might be allotted one.

In this respect, he mirrored Long Feng somewhat: large families meant resources were distributed thinly.

After all, a spiritual elixir consumed was gone forever, unlike divine weapons and sharp arms, which could be passed down after the older generation passed away—their numbers only growing if they weren't lost.

This feeling of jealousy only lingered for a moment before Li Changfeng suppressed it.

He understood perfectly that while envy was permissible, showing it was fatal. If Zhang Yang and the others mistook him for harboring ill intent, he would truly be in deep trouble today; without even mentioning the others, Shandian alone would be enough to deal with him.

“Brother Zhang, you truly make us envious!”

After steadying his emotions, Li Changfeng regained his composure, shaking his head with a strained smile.

Watching him, Long Feng also smiled. He remembered his own feelings of profound envy the first time he met Zhang Yang, though that feeling had long since dissipated.

Zhang Yang was now his good brother, just as Shandian and Wuying were to him. The stronger Zhang Yang became, the greater the benefit to Long Feng.

“I’ve just been fortunate, Brother Li is certainly not lacking either!” Zhang Yang quipped lightly.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Li Changfeng’s face again. After a pause, he raised his head and asked Zhang Yang softly, “Brother Zhang, a question has been troubling me for some time; I hope Brother Zhang can clear my confusion!”

Zhang Yang nodded, appearing slightly puzzled himself, unsure what Li Changfeng intended to ask.

Gazing at Zhang Yang, Li Changfeng gritted his teeth before finally speaking, “I want to know, Brother Zhang, are you a master of the third layer of internal energy?”

The moment he finished speaking, Zhang Yang and Long Feng both turned to look at him, and even Long Cheng sharply lifted his head.

Generally, without direct physical contact where internal energy is actively circulated, one cannot ascertain another’s true level of cultivation. If someone deliberately conceals it, detection is not guaranteed even upon contact.

It was similar to when Zhang Yang fought Hu Yan’aobo previously; despite their skirmish, Hu Yan’aobo still could not accurately gauge Zhang Yang’s true strength.

He could only speculate that Zhang Yang was above the mid-stage of the third layer.

Yet today, Li Changfeng and Zhang Yang had no physical contact, and Zhang Yang hadn't circulated his internal energy at all. For Li Changfeng to deduce that Zhang Yang had already reached the third layer was genuinely strange.

If he were a fourth-layer master, it might be understandable, but as a mere second-layer internal energy practitioner, it should be impossible for him to discern Zhang Yang’s true strength.

“Please don't misunderstand, our Li family possesses a minor cultivation technique that allows us to distinguish whether someone is an internal energy cultivator and gauge their general level. I suspect Brother Long Cheng is still in the first layer, and Brother Long Feng is in the second—though I cannot gauge the exact depth of his second layer. As for Brother Zhang, I truly cannot tell, but I strongly sense you have entered the third layer of internal energy!”

Seeing all eyes fixed on him, Li Changfeng quickly offered his explanation.

He understood the implications of his words and certainly did not wish to cause any misunderstanding over such a minor matter.

After his explanation, Zhang Yang and Long Feng relaxed slightly. There were countless martial arts methodologies; it wasn’t strange that a minor technique existed to detect energy cultivation and layers. The Li family was a thousand-year-old hereditary lineage; possessing such a secret was not unexpected.

However, the Li family's technique was truly exceptional. Not only could it identify an energy cultivator, but it could also ascertain the layer, which was remarkably difficult.

It made sense now why he had sought affiliation so readily—he must have already discerned their identities beforehand.

It was just that he hadn't anticipated that his group would be so powerful, exceeding his expectations entirely.

“I have indeed reached the third layer!”

Zhang Yang slowly nodded. Since the other party had perceived it, there was no need for further concealment. He only confirmed the third layer, without specifying late-stage.

“Brother Zhang is truly a third-layer master!”

Upon hearing Zhang Yang confirm it himself, Li Changfeng was stunned again. Even if he had guessed it, it hadn't been certain. Now that Zhang Yang had admitted it personally, it was fact.

“May I ask, Brother Zhang, how old are you?”

After a moment, Li Changfeng asked again, his expression complex.

“Twenty-one after the New Year!”

Zhang Yang replied with a light smile. Like Hu Yan’aobo before him, Li Changfeng was concerned with his age. In truth, anyone who learned of Zhang Yang’s strength invariably inquired about his age.

“Twenty-one?”

Li Changfeng’s mouth widened further, his face growing more vacant. Twenty-one after the New Year—that meant he was five years younger than Li Changfeng, yet this much younger person was already a master of the third layer of internal energy.

He, who was held in high regard by his family as a once-in-decades genius, was simply trash compared to this man.

He was twenty-six years old, still stuck in the mid-stage of the second layer, unable to break through to the later stages.

Zhang Yang, not yet twenty-one, was already at the third layer. The disparity was simply too vast, and a feeling of disheartened resignation washed over him.

At this moment, he strongly resembled Hu Yan’aobo—his pride had suffered a massive blow.

Long Feng had experienced this as well, but Long Feng was slightly better off; at least Zhang Yang hadn't been this monstrously talented back then. Remembering the immense transformation Zhang Yang had undergone in just half a year, Long Feng too felt a profound sense of awe.

Fortunately, he wasn't doing poorly either. Despite the setbacks, he had cultivated a supreme-grade mental technique and recovered his strength.

All of this had only become possible after he began aligning himself with Zhang Yang. In hindsight, agreeing to be Zhang Yang’s bodyguard had brought him the greatest rewards.

“I apologize, Brother Zhang, Brother Long, I lost my composure,”

After a moment, Li Changfeng snapped back to reality and quickly sat down.

However, his expression was now even more complicated, impossible to conceal.

“Brother Li, my situation is somewhat unusual; anyone who meets me for the first time is often quite surprised,”

Zhang Yang explained softly with a smile, then poured Li Changfeng a cup of wine, and the group resumed drinking together.

Zhang Yang held a favorable impression of Li Changfeng. Though from a noble family, he lacked the arrogance common among many young masters—or if he possessed it, he concealed it exceedingly well.

Furthermore, the man was extraordinarily generous; he had offered such precious wine upon their first meeting. Zhang Yang and Long Feng both knew precisely how rare Monkey Wine was.

Generous people usually earned the liking of others.

After several cups, Li Changfeng managed to stabilize his state of mind and continued conversing with Zhang Yang and Long Feng. As for Long Cheng, he could only interject occasionally; he couldn't keep up with the level of discourse among the other three.

His internal energy was too low; though a cultivator, he was merely an ordinary one.

Zhang Yang, Long Feng, and Li Changfeng were the true elites, the most outstanding of their young generation. They naturally shared far more common ground amongst themselves.

As they talked, the two jars of wine were quickly emptied, and the three men conversed as if they were old friends separated for years.

This also spoke to Li Changfeng’s social skill; he was an exceptionally astute and personable individual, completely different from Long Feng or that Hu Yan’aobo. People like him usually enjoyed excellent rapport with others.

The Monkey Wine had a potent aftereffect, especially being charged with spiritual energy; even Zhang Yang felt a little lightheaded after drinking.

After offering their thanks, the three bid farewell and returned to their rooms to rest, the lingering warmth of the alcohol swiftly pulling each of them into deep slumber. (To be continued)RQ