To wait for Long Cheng, Zhang Yang and Long Feng had no choice but to slow their pace. Kunlun Mountain is vast, steeped in countless legends.

Some say Kunlun is a sacred, divine mountain, home to the Queen Mother of the West, the orthodox immortal mountain of Taoism. Others claim Kunlun Mountain is the dragon (dragon vein) of China, the birthplace of the Chinese nation; the shadow of Kunlun Mountain has always loomed large in legends throughout history, lending it an air of profound mystery.

Legends are just legends, yet the mystery surrounding Kunlun Mountain is undeniable. Not only is it the headquarters of the Long family, but it is also inhabited by numerous spirit beasts.

The Kunlun mountain range is immense, stretching five thousand li. It is hardly surprising that a few spirit beasts reside in such a massive area; the ancestors of the Long family had long since proven this fact.

Besides spirit beasts, this place also holds an abundance of rare natural treasures. Long family disciples are frequently dispatched into the mountains to search for these items.

Although most expeditions yield nothing, any success results in a significant haul. The spirit medicines utilized by the Long family over the years have all been acquired through this very method.

If it had only been Zhang Yang and Long Cheng, they would have reached the Long family location by noon. Due to Long Cheng, there was a slight delay, and they only arrived around three in the afternoon.

“Zhang Yang, we’ve arrived!” Standing beside a gorge deep within the mountains, Long Feng called out with a hint of excitement. They were deep in the wilderness here, surrounded by massive trees requiring two men to encircle them—a veritable primeval forest.

Besides the flora, animals such as snakes, rats, and birds were not uncommon. Earlier, while playing, Lightning had caught a flat-headed, red venomous snake, swallowed it whole in one gulp without even looking after it bit down on its head.

The way it devoured the viper left Zhui Feng’s beautiful eyes wide with astonishment, staring at it blankly. “Arrived?” Zhang Yang showed a hint of confusion.

The area was desolate in every direction, showing no sign of human habitation. Apart from this small gorge, there seemed to be nowhere suitable for people to live.

Even this small gorge could not accommodate many people; it hardly seemed like the seat of the Long family, which boasted a thousand-year lineage and the distinguished name of the Xuanyuan lineage. “Haha, follow me!” Long Feng burst into laughter.

Anyone arriving first at the Long family headquarters would inevitably wear the same expression; Zhang Yang was no exception. Long Feng laughed and led Zhang Yang and the others into the small gorge.

The gorge was only about the size of a sports field; even employing ancient Qimen formations or illusions, concealing so many people would be impossible. At this moment, Zhang Yang felt a genuine stirring of curiosity.

“It’s just finding a natural barrier, what’s there to be so smug about? That’s just how people of the Long family are!” From a distance, an old man perched on a branch spoke dismissively, peeling an unfamiliar wild fruit in his hand and taking a bite.

“They are about to enter the Long family residence. If I follow them now, Old Ghost Long will surely discover me.

No, I must devise a way to sneak in. That brat has too many good things on him; I can’t let him suffer a loss while at the Long family!” After finishing the fruit, the old man muttered something else, then leaped down from the tree, his eyes constantly darting as he pondered.

Before long, the old man’s figure vanished. Where he had been sitting, there was no trace, as if he had never been there at all.

The gorge had steep cliffs on two sides and a smaller precipice on the third. Such small gorges were common in the mountains, showing nothing extraordinary.

Long Feng walked straight to one of the cliff faces and stood there, smiling again. Zhang Yang and Long Cheng followed.

The cliff face appeared utterly unremarkable, just an ordinary rock wall; from the outside, one could not discern any difference. If there was a difference, it was that this wall was exceptionally smooth, unlike other areas covered in green vines.

Long Feng smiled faintly and tapped the cliff face a few times. Soon, a section of rock sank inward automatically, revealing a cave entrance wide enough for four people to walk abreast.

Seeing the pitch-black cavern, Zhang Yang and Long Cheng widened their eyes in shock. So, this mountain wall actually housed a mechanism that could open to reveal a cave.

“Who goes there?” The moment the cave opened, a young man leaped out, his face etched with palpable wariness. Seeing Long Feng, he paused abruptly, then shouted joyfully, “Brother Feng, you’re finally back!

We heard rumors of your return two days ago; I guessed you’d arrive sometime. I really waited long enough!” “Long Xiang, these are guests invited by the family: Zhang Yang, and our Outer Gate disciple Long Cheng.” Long Feng smiled.

Long Xiang looked to be around the same age as Zhang Yang. When he emerged, Zhang Yang gained a rough sense of his strength.

This young man’s Neijin (Inner Energy) had not broken through to the second layer, but it was close; his energy was remarkably pure, definitely at the peak of the late first layer, ready to break through at any moment. Zhang Yang did not possess a unique cultivation technique like Li Changfeng, but his intuition was accurate; this Long Xiang was indeed late-stage first layer.

It was worth noting that Long Xiang was younger than Zhang Yang, only nineteen. Reaching this level at nineteen was already quite respectable.

“Greetings, Mr. Zhang!” Long Xiang politely nodded to Zhang Yang, glanced at Long Cheng, and then curiously fixed his gaze on the white horse behind Zhang Yang.

Zhui Feng’s coat was far more striking than that of an ordinary horse, making one irresistibly want to reach out and touch it. “Zhang Yang, this is Long Xiang, the son of my Seventh Uncle.

Don’t let his youth fool you; he cultivates diligently. At nineteen, he already…” Long Feng began explaining his younger cousin to Zhang Yang but trailed off mid-sentence.

Long Feng had intended to boast that at nineteen, Long Xiang was about to break through to the second layer of Neijin and become a second-layer expert. Long Xiang was close to breaking through, and the transition from the first to the second layer was not considered overly difficult for Long family disciples; they usually had accurate estimations.

Reaching the second layer at nineteen was indeed good, but thinking of Zhang Yang—late-stage third layer at twenty—he found he could not utter any words of pride. “Forget it, let’s go inside and talk!” Unable to speak, Long Feng simply stopped and led Zhang Yang and Long Cheng inside.

Zhui Feng and Lightning followed close behind. The tunnel was large, somewhat resembling an air-raid shelter, showing clear signs of artificial excavation.

Walking through, Zhang Yang felt puzzled: surely the Long family headquarters wasn't just dug out inside the mountain, living underground permanently? A life without sunlight, he suspected, would be unbearable for anyone.

After walking for five or six minutes, a light source suddenly appeared ahead. Seeing the light, Long Feng couldn't help but quicken his pace considerably.

Before long, they finally reached the source of the illumination. It was an exit to the tunnel.

Upon stepping out, Zhang Yang and Long Cheng froze in stunned silence, staring at the scene before them. Exiting the cave led them into a vast plain.

This plain was large, with rice paddies and vegetables cultivated nearby. In the distance stood rows of houses—some made of brick and tile, others of wood—all sharing one characteristic: most were single-story bungalows.

Behind these dwellings, a larger structure was vaguely visible, resembling a palace with red walls. “We’re here, we’ve finally reached home!” Standing at the mouth of the cave, Long Feng exclaimed excitedly.

This was the heart of the Long family, the place of their thousand-year heritage. “Long Feng, you’re back?” A voice suddenly emerged, and a middle-aged man, looking to be in his forties, slowly walked out from the side of the cliff face.

His expression betrayed neither joy nor displeasure; he was merely assessing Zhang Yang and Long Cheng. “Ninth Uncle, I have returned!” Long Feng hurried forward and bowed deeply in salute.

This was the gateway to the Long family. Young disciples guarded the exterior, while current second-generation disciples were stationed inside.

Without the Patriarch’s permission, no one could freely enter or leave. It was also difficult for outsiders to enter; the young disciples could instantly notify those inside if anything seemed amiss, thus ensuring the location of the thousand-year Long family remained secret.

“And who might these two be?” Long Feng’s Ninth Uncle nodded slightly. He was an elder and naturally maintained an elder’s bearing in front of Long Feng.

“I am Zhang Yang, from the Medical Saint lineage, here specifically upon your esteemed invitation!” Before Long Feng could speak, Zhang Yang cupped his hands in greeting to this Ninth Uncle. Although he was invited, he represented the Medical Saint lineage.

The Medical Saint lineage was small in number but was also an ancient family with a thousand-year inheritance, whose status was no less than that of the Long family. At this moment, he could not allow Long Feng to introduce him.

Furthermore, he had already been acknowledged by his own family; he was now the true inheritor of the Medical Saint lineage. “Someone from the Medical Saint lineage?” Ninth Uncle appeared slightly surprised.

He scrutinized Zhang Yang again, then silently nodded. “Long Cheng, Outer Gate disciple of the Long family, pays respects to the senior!” Long Cheng’s bow was deeper.

He was, after all, part of the Long family. It was similar to a servant in a great house taking the master’s surname, yet their status was far below the master’s.

Facing a senior of the Inner Gate, and an elder to Long Feng, Long Cheng dared not show any negligence. “Outer Gate disciple, very good!” Ninth Uncle nodded.

It was not unprecedented for Outer Gate disciples to enter the Long family; some outstanding ones were even brought in for training before being sent back out. The Long family lived in seclusion, but their need for resources and other necessities had not been cut off—for instance, rare medicinal ingredients like hundreds-of-years-old ginseng or lingzhi mushrooms.

When they could not gather these themselves, they had to rely on the Outer Gate disciples to assist. Although Outer Gate disciples were not valued as highly as those of the Inner Gate, they were still family, which softened Ninth Uncle’s expression slightly.

After glancing at Long Cheng, Ninth Uncle’s gaze returned to Zhang Yang. “Zhang Yang, as the inheritor of the Medical Saint lineage, you were invited and are qualified to come to our Long family.

However, every house has its rules. You may enter our Long family, but weapons are strictly forbidden.

They must be handed over to us for safekeeping temporarily. If you carry any weapons, give them to me first; they will be returned to you when you depart.” Ninth Uncle spoke slowly, his eyes fixed on Zhang Yang the entire time.

In truth, he had been observing this young man since his arrival. This young man gave him a feeling of inscrutability, which greatly perplexed him.

Although Long Feng had improved, he still appeared as a junior. Yet, looking at Zhang Yang, Ninth Uncle felt nothing discernible, as if he were merely an ordinary person.

This feeling was highly abnormal and left him baffled. “Ninth Uncle!” Long Feng stiffened suddenly and urgently called out.

The Long family used to have this rule long ago—all arrivals had to surrender their weapons—but the rule was considered too overbearing and, though not formally abolished, had long fallen out of use. He hadn't expected Ninth Uncle to bring it up regarding Zhang Yang.

(To be continued)