The speed of the Wind Chaser was blinding; in an instant, everyone could only see a small dot vanishing into the distance.

The Huyan family elder gave chase, but upon setting out, he again brushed against Lightning's toxic mist. This miasma seeped directly through his skin, deepening the poison already within him.

Unfortunately, these toxins had no immediate effect. After employing the Blood Man Technique, his body was operating at its peak, allowing him to suppress the invading poison exactly where it entered.

His entire body turned crimson, soon becoming a red speck. Far off in the distance, the two small dots—one white, one red—were strikingly visible.

Many people on the high platform were stunned into silence. They had all been observing the sparring match on the martial field, but now everyone had bolted out after the fleeing figures, unable to see anything clearly.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three shadows shot out first. The three highest-ranking Fourth Layer elders took flight simultaneously. Their speeds were nearly identical, and soon they too were reduced to mere dots on the horizon.

They were deeply concerned about the outcome of the confrontation between the Huyan family elder and Zhang Yang.

Immediately following them, several more figures sprinted outward: Long Haotian, Li Liang, and every expert above the Third Layer of Inner Strength followed suit. Their speed was slightly slower, but they could just make out the faint silhouettes ahead.

The Long Family Plain was only the size of a small town, meaning everyone within this range could keep up.

Long Haotian was at the very front, followed closely by Long Zheng and another late-stage Third Layer master. These three held a slight lead.

Surprisingly, Long Feng, who had departed later, was right behind them. Long Feng’s speed surpassed that of the mid-stage Third Layer experts. A cultivator who had just broken through to the Third Layer possessed a velocity quicker than those already established in the middle stage. This fact made many in the crowd curse inwardly again.

Another prodigy had been born. However, this prodigy seemed to fall short compared to the previous one, Zhang Yang.

At the very rear were those at the early Third Layer, including Hua Tian of the Hua family. He watched Long Feng ahead with a degree of helplessness. Although he had won their previous bout, he hadn't truly defeated Long Feng.

In a direct confrontation, Long Feng’s sheer speed alone guaranteed him an untouchable position.

No one else followed beyond that point. All disciples at the Second Layer of Inner Strength remained rooted to their spots.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to follow; they dared not. The clash between Zhang Yang and the Fourth Layer elder had clearly transcended mere local boundaries. If they approached with their limited strength, getting too close risked them being caught in the crossfire.

They had all witnessed the speed of the Sky Horse.

There was another reason, too. The elders departing had explicitly ordered them not to follow. These dutiful disciples naturally dared not disobey.

"Shameless brat, come back here!"

The mournful roar of the Huyan family elder suddenly echoed, perfectly audible to those remaining on the high platform.

The Huyan elder was truly depressed enough to vomit blood. He had used the secret technique precisely to eradicate Zhang Yang, eliminate this threat, and avenge Huyan Peng.

But tragically, he had forgotten one crucial detail: he forgot that Sky Horse was the fastest spirit beast in existence.

When the opponent’s strength dramatically increased, it was only natural they wouldn't foolishly continue a head-on confrontation, allowing themselves to be killed. For Zhang Yang, victory was simply a matter of surviving the duration of the Huyan elder's secret technique; afterward, the Fourth Layer elder would certainly be no match for him.

As a result, the Huyan elder was destined for tragedy, screaming curses in fury.

Zhang Yang, mounted on the white horse, cradling Lightning and Shadowless, remained consistently ahead of the Huyan elder.

Whenever the path ahead closed, he would simply turn back. In essence, he refused any direct engagement with the Huyan elder, who, maddened, wished he could swallow Zhang Yang whole, yet remained utterly helpless.

The elder’s inner strength was formidable—truly formidable. The power of a mid-Fourth Layer expert far exceeded that of an early one, and after using the secret art, he could maintain his enhanced state for at least an hour.

Without the Wind Chaser, this hour would have been ample time for him to slay Zhang Yang, and then dispatch Lightning and Shadowless. At his current speed, he could catch those two little ones.

With the Wind Chaser, everything changed. The horse didn't even need to push itself; it allowed the elder to trail along leisurely, unable to close the gap.

The first three elders who had shot out had now caught up to the Huyan elder. They followed behind him, their faces grim.

They understood the situation best: the Huyan elder was catastrophically unlucky. He had used a supreme technique only to meet an opponent who refused to fight conventionally, forcing him to watch the duration of his power-up simply tick away.

Long Haotian and his group had also caught up, mainly because the Wind Chaser had changed direction; otherwise, the chase would have continued for a while longer.

Advancing further would lead them to the mountain wall. This flat plain was proving too confined for the Wind Chaser.

"Hiss! Hiss~"

Moving forward, the Wind Chaser suddenly halted, neighing several times toward those behind, as if urging the Huyan elder to hurry up.

Its cry nearly drove the Fourth Layer expert into a state of utter collapse. The Huyan elder’s pace quickened again; he was using every ounce of strength he possessed.

Alas, he was facing the Wind Chaser, the spirit beast Sky Horse. Being number one in speed wasn't just a boast. At its peak, the Wind Chaser was incredibly fast, and on this plain, it could utilize its speed to the maximum.

"Long Gao, Long Jiang, Old Second Huyan won't last much longer. Once the effect of his Blood Man Technique fades, killing him will be as easy as snapping a twig for Zhang Yang!"

The Li family elder spoke quietly. Long Gao was the name of the Long family's Second Elder, and Long Jiang was their Third Elder.

"A Fourth Layer elder isn't so easily killed!"

Long Gao snorted dismissively, but deep down, he knew that without intervention, the Huyan elder was doomed.

Since Zhang Yang had killed Huyan Peng, he was now irrevocably bound in enmity with the Huyan family, and they certainly wouldn't let this defenseless elder escape. If the Huyan elder died, their family's strength would plummet, and significantly so.

At that point, they would have only one Fourth Layer elder, while the Zhang family possessed Zhang Yang and another Fourth Layer expert, Zhang Yuan'an. In terms of high-end martial power, they would equal the Huyan family, and if motivated, they could even press the attack against the Huyan family headquarters.

Of course, the headquarters of a thousand-year lineage was never easily breached; decades of accumulated defenses and mechanisms ensured that. Without such protections, these venerable families would have been wiped out several times over throughout their long histories.

Great clans always had enemies.

"That’s not necessarily true. This Zhang Yang already possesses the capacity to fell a Fourth Layer expert. And as I recall, Elder Long Jiang and this Zhang Yang have some unresolved grievances!" the Li family elder said with a slight smile.

Long Gao suddenly turned his head, glancing at Long Jiang beside him.

He truly couldn't fathom how Long Jiang could possibly hold a grudge against Zhang Yang. They had never met before, and their statuses were worlds apart.

He understood clearly that the Li family elder was persistently trying to draw them into the conflict—to eliminate Zhang Yang right here. However, the Long family and the Zhang family were recent allies. They could stand by while Huyan Peng violated the rules and let the Huyan family and Zhang Yang fight it out, but personally intervening was an entirely different matter.

If they remained uninvolved, they at least had a plausible excuse: the life-and-death duel between Zhang Yang and Huyan Peng was not something outsiders could lightly interfere with; a simple expression of regret would suffice.

But attacking personally meant completely alienating the Zhang family to the death. The Long family had more than one headquarters and a vast number of external personnel, including many in their outer sect.

If the Zhang family sought retribution, the Long family’s peripheral forces would suffer the initial heavy blow, completely destroying decades of painstakingly managed external ventures.

Furthermore, the disciples at the Long family headquarters would find it difficult to venture out again. Unless escorted by a Fourth Layer elder, anyone targeted by the Zhang family would never return. The Zhang family was certainly capable of such actions; they had done so before.

If the Zhang family lacked other high-level experts, perhaps it wouldn't matter. But now, with the Fourth Layer expert Zhang Yuan'an active elsewhere, if he learned of this event, not only the Huyan family but also the Long and Li families would face dark times ahead.

"Third Brother, what is the situation between you and Zhang Yang?" Long Gao asked quietly after some consideration.

Long Jiang sighed lightly and murmured, "When I was younger, I was saved once by someone from a medical lineage family. I promised them I would resolve one troublesome matter for them. For years, they never contacted me, but unexpectedly, half a year ago, they finally called in the favor!"

Saying this, he glanced back at the Li family elder. Very few people in the Long family knew about this matter, and he couldn't figure out how the Li elder had found out.

"Was that why you sent Long Feng down the mountain last time?"

Long Gao suddenly inquired. Long Jiang had only done that one thing six months prior, so Long Gao easily made the connection.

Long Jiang nodded, then continued, "That family said their opponent was just a young man in his twenties, so I didn't pay it much mind. It happened to be time for Long Feng's practical training, so I assigned him the task. Later, Long Feng seemed to lose to this young man and remained outside. Haotian mentioned it to me once, and since that family never contacted me again, I let the matter slip my attention!"

After Long Jiang finished speaking, Long Gao finally understood why Long Feng was associated with Zhang Yang, though the revelation caused his brow to twitch slightly.

Their initial encounter was hardly friendly. He wondered if Zhang Yang, now possessing such immense power, might harbor resentment over that past slight.

"That medical lineage family that hired you must all be dead, otherwise, why didn't they contact you after Long Feng failed?"

The Li family elder interjected, this time purely through speculation. While not entirely accurate, it was close.

What they didn't know was that Zhang Yang had eliminated them as a matter of internal cleansing; Zhang Yang was perfectly entitled to do so.

If it were one of their own clan’s external members attempting to harm a direct descendant, they, too, would order the execution of these unworthy traitors.

"All dead?"

Long Gao’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he slowly nodded.

This explanation made sense. If they hadn't all perished, that family would certainly have contacted the Long family, as the promise remained unfulfilled.

If this was the case, then Zhang Yang’s ruthlessness was astounding—to provoke him meant annihilating the entire lineage.

The Li family elder deliberately framed the situation this way; his intention was to make the Long family wary of Zhang Yang and harbor the desire to destroy him. If they acted together now, Zhang Yang would have no chance of escape today.

"That is possible!"

Long Jiang nodded again. He thought back carefully: that family had truly never contacted him again. None of their other disciples had reported back either. If they weren't all dead, then they must have reached a settlement with Zhang Yang.

A settlement seemed highly unlikely. That medical family consisted of ordinary people; they lacked the power to negotiate a truce with an Inner Strength cultivator.

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