Zhang Yang’s complexion deepened to a flush of red, contrasting sharply with the fading color on Elder Huyan’s face.

“Roar~”

Elder Huyan suddenly let out a loud bellow, his entire body lurching backward. Many onlookers were struck with disbelief; Elder Huyan appeared to be retreating, actually fleeing.

He deliberately backed away, separating himself from Zhang Yang, and continued to fall back. If that wasn't running away, what was it?

Elder Huyan, who had been relentlessly pressing Zhang Yang in combat, was now running. This sight thoroughly confused everyone present.

“Jee-jee-jee!”

Wuying spat forth an outburst. Neijin (Internal Energy) cried out again, striking Elder Huyan’s back. His retreating motion instantly halted, and he stumbled forward instead.

The area on his back where the Neijin struck was shredded, and had his skin not been so intensely red, the injury there would have been obvious.

“Bang!”

Zhuifeng sprinted forward, slamming his head fiercely into Elder Huyan’s back once more. This forced his already unsteady retreat into an unnatural forward lurch. Zhang Yang was already closing the distance, his palms striking Elder Huyan again.

“Bang!”

Elder Huyan recoiled once more, but in that instant of contact, a significant portion of the Neijin within his body was neutralized by Zhang Yang. By absorbing it piecemeal in this manner, Zhang Yang found his own internal energy state comfortable—unlike the previous continuous absorption, which had made him feel as if his stomach might burst from the sheer overflow.

Elder Huyan managed to retreat five or six paces this time, but before he could fully stabilize, Tianma Zhuifeng rammed him back into the fray.

The redness on his face had diminished further, and the hue of his skin began to fade. The efficacy of the Blood Man Art was finally wearing off. Even without Zhang Yang’s Hua Gong Da Fa (Skill Dissolution Great Method), he couldn't hold out much longer.

Elder Li, and the three Elders from the Long family, couldn't help but shake their heads slightly.

They hadn't discerned Zhang Yang's Hua Gong Da Fa. They all assumed Elder Huyan was succumbing to the time limit of his secret technique and was no longer capable of matching Zhang Yang, thus completely losing the upper hand.

Once the secret technique’s time expired, this contest was effectively over. The three Long family Elders glanced toward Elder Li.

Elder Li’s body gave a sudden shudder. He had actively attacked Zhang Yang just moments ago. Even if the Mysterious Old Man remained passive, if Zhang Yang decided to settle scores with him later, Elder Li would have a terrible time handling the consequences.

If Elder Huyan couldn't hold against Zhang Yang even after boosting his Neijin, how could Elder Li possibly fare better? Furthermore, Elder Li had witnessed Elder Huyan's miserable outcome with perfect clarity; he certainly didn't wish for the same fate.

“Bang!”

Zhang Yang surged forward again. Lacking the earlier sensation of explosive surge, every cell in his body now felt exquisitely comfortable.

This neutralized Neijin was incredibly pure. After absorbing it, Zhang Yang felt an urge to take in more; his body was like a starving man facing a lavish banquet, having just begun his meal.

After the initial ravenous devouring, he was now truly savoring the delicacies.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

The scarlet hue had receded much further from Elder Huyan’s entire body, and his consciousness began to blur. He was passively swaying, having had so much internal energy drawn away by Zhang Yang that he could no longer suppress the poison. The poison from Lightning was beginning to flare up violently.

“Bang!”

In the final strike, Elder Huyan’s body flew out an immense distance, like a kite whose string had been severed. As he soared, the redness completely vanished from his body, replaced entirely by black—a body entirely covered in black.

This time, Zhang Yang did not press the attack. Instead, he stood there, closing his eyes.

Of the surging Neijin that Elder Huyan possessed, Zhang Yang had neutralized at least one-tenth. This was the limit of what Zhang Yang could handle at the moment.

One-tenth might not sound like much, but this was from a peak expert at the Fourth Layer, whose power had been forcibly elevated to the mid-stage Fourth Layer. This one-tenth was substantial for Zhang Yang.

The Neijin within his own body had reached a state of saturation.

Zhang Yang stood there, then suddenly executed a move no one expected: he quietly bent over and sat down cross-legged.

Long Haotian, Long Zheng, and the other late-stage Third Layer grandmasters stared open-mouthed, frozen in place.

They were unaware of the Hua Gong Da Fa, but Zhang Yang’s current posture was not unfamiliar. Zhang Yang was choosing to break through on the spot immediately following an intense battle.

The Mysterious Old Man remained seated, his smile widening even further.

He gave a slight nod. In truth, he had anticipated this moment as soon as Elder Huyan activated the Blood Man Art, but the effect wouldn't have been optimal then, so he waited a little longer.

Given his status, it wasn't appropriate for him to directly confront Elder Huyan. The combined actions of the Li and Long family Elders had provided him the opportunity to reveal himself indirectly.

Elder Huyan's use of the Blood Man Art had also gifted Zhang Yang an opportunity, and a superb one at that.

Zhang Yang was already a stable late-stage Third Layer practitioner. This recent absorption had propelled his Neijin directly to the peak of the Third Layer, leaving him just a hair's breadth from breaking through to the Fourth Layer.

Whether he could cross this final sliver depended entirely on Zhang Yang’s own fortune.

At the age of twenty, achieving the late-stage Third Layer was already astonishing enough to shock observers. If he truly managed to break through to the Fourth Layer, one could only imagine the expressions of everyone present.

Even the Mysterious Old Man felt a surge of excitement contemplating this possibility, silently praying for Zhang Yang’s success.

Gradually, the experts at the mid and early Third Layers also widened their eyes; they could now discern what Zhang Yang was attempting.

A sense of disbelief settled in everyone’s mind. Choosing to break through immediately after a fight—was Zhang Yang insane? This was a breakthrough from the Third Layer to the Fourth. Even when one was at the critical threshold, they needed to recover their Neijin and reach peak condition before attempting, before daring to attempt such a feat.

“The energy fluctuation feels wrong?”

Long Yi suddenly spoke. Excluding the Mysterious Old Man, his own Neijin reserves were the deepest on the scene.

Being close to the late-stage threshold of the mid-Fourth Layer, Fourth Layer experts demanded and sensed external energy with far greater sensitivity.

Long Gao and Long Jiang’s expressions also shifted subtly; they, too, perceived this distinct energy oscillation.

Elder Li, though further away, felt it too, and his face was etched with alarm.

The induction of external energy fluctuations was something only Fourth Layer experts could achieve—such as projecting Neijin externally or secret communication (Chuan Yin Ru Mi), both of which involved transmitting energy through the outside world.

In other words, only Fourth Layer masters could generate such energy oscillations.

Zhang Yang had successfully induced energy fluctuations, proving that his Fourth Layer breakthrough had truly begun. It was no wonder the expressions of several Elders had soured.

If he succeeded in breaking through, he would become a Fourth Layer master at the age of twenty, instantly surpassing all of them.

“Zhi-zhi-zhi!”

“Jee-jee-jee!”

Lightning and Wuying, the two small creatures, immediately positioned themselves around Zhang Yang. Spirit Beasts were far more sensitive to energy fluctuations; they also understood that Zhang Yang was on the cusp of a breakthrough. They gathered around to guard him as he meditated.

The two little ones frequently glanced toward the opposing Elders and the Third Layer experts, their gazes unmistakably issuing warnings.

They seemed to be saying: anyone who intends to harm Zhang Yang must first pass through us.

Zhuifeng stood behind Zhang Yang. Its loyalty wasn't as absolute yet, but having chosen to follow Zhang Yang, it naturally wouldn't permit these people to disturb him.

The three Great Spirit Beasts formed a protective cordon, surrounding Zhang Yang in the center.

Seeing this display, many others showed envy. To have even one Spirit Beast follow was a monumental stroke of luck; Zhang Yang had tamed three. No one could fathom the source of his incredible fortune.

Forget the others; even the Mysterious Old Man felt a pang of envy when he observed the three little ones.

“Second Elder!”

From the Huyan family's side came a sudden wail of grief. Elder Li and the three Long family Elders immediately turned their heads.

Elder Huyan, having been sent flying by Zhang Yang and having reached the limit of his Blood Man Art, was now entirely black, a clear sign he had succumbed to overwhelming poison—dead beyond recall.

Two members of the Huyan family lifted the Elder’s corpse and silently retreated. As they left, they didn't cast a single glance back. In the context of today’s contest, they were the absolute losers.

A sense of sorrow washed over the four Elders, particularly Elder Li. They had just been discussing plans for the aftermath of defeating the Long family, only to find themselves separated by death in less than a day.

He glanced again at Zhang Yang. This young man was terrifying. Now, if Zhang Yang were to break through to the Fourth Layer, aided by his Spirit Beasts, even the Mysterious Old Man wouldn't be his match. Offending such a formidable enemy was a massive miscalculation for Elder Li.

His mind immediately began calculating how to repair the rift.

Elder Li was smart enough to know that offending someone demanded immediate reconciliation, even at a personal cost. Zhang Yang simply could not be offended again.

However, this was all predicated on Zhang Yang being willing to spare him this time.

A sudden gust of wind stirred around Zhang Yang, causing the Mysterious Old Man’s face to show surprise mixed with delight.

This was wind generated by concentrated energy. Zhang Yang was clearly progressing toward the Fourth Layer. The earlier energy fluctuation was normal, marking just the beginning. This sudden rush of powerful wind signified that he had properly entered the breakthrough process.

If this strong wind persisted, or intensified, drawing even greater energy fluctuations, it would mean Zhang Yang’s breakthrough was nearing success.

The wind grew stronger. Even the Third Layer experts felt the terrifying energy contained within the gale.

The strong wind gradually coalesced into a small vortex of energy, enveloping Zhang Yang. Lightning, Wuying, and Zhuifeng were forced back a step; even they could not approach Zhang Yang too closely now.

The fierce wind continued to escalate, sweeping up surrounding leaves, dead branches, and dust, obscuring the sky and plunging the surroundings into gloom.

The Third Layer experts were forced to retreat several paces, feeling that the powerful energy within the wind was almost impossible to withstand.

“Boom!”

A tremendous crash erupted from the center of the energy vortex. The sound was so loud that even the onlookers on the high platform in the distance heard it; they were still murmuring amongst themselves, unsure what was happening.

Near Zhang Yang, more dust and debris transformed into a shroud of gray mist, completely obscuring the events within. Most people could not clearly see what was transpiring inside the vortex.