Generally, the Path of Nature is something only accessible after reaching the late stage of the Fourth Layer. Zhang Yang, already engaging with it in the late Third Layer, was truly unique, not just within the Zhang family but across the entire cultivation world—a fact that explained Zhang Pinglu's current reaction. If Zhang Yang could rely on his own cultivation to reach the late Fourth Layer and further deepen his comprehension of the Path of Nature, it would mean the Zhang family would possess two masters at the Great Perfection of the Fourth Layer simultaneously. Two such masters would be sufficient to intimidate every other family.

"I don't know what exactly you grasped before the Leshan Giant Buddha, but I am certain you have touched upon the Path of Nature!" Zhang Pinglu murmured, his expression growing notably serious.

Zhang Yang lifted his head, showing no surprise this time. The elder had been with him for a long time and knowing about his enlightenment at the Buddha was perfectly normal. Even then, he felt what he grasped was extraordinary, and now he knew it was indeed the Path of Nature.

Gazing at Zhang Yang, Zhang Pinglu spoke again, "You've accessed this realm through your own efforts. From here on, just focus on steady cultivation. Once you reach the late Fourth Layer, your comprehension will naturally deepen. When you finally unlock this door completely upon reaching a certain level, you will enter the Great Perfection of the Fourth Layer, possessing strength akin to the Guardians!" "I understand what you mean, I will work hard!"

Zhang Yang nodded slightly. At this moment, he had merely made contact; full comprehension was still ahead. However, having made contact made the path to further understanding much smoother. It was like standing before a door, yet not knowing where it was—surrounded by endless paths, one might never find it. But once you stand on the correct route leading to that door, everything simplifies; you simply follow that road forward, and you are guaranteed to find the entrance. Then, all that remains is to open it. Zhang Yang was now standing precisely on that road.

"Old Man, just how formidable is the Fifth Layer of Inner Strength, and what does it truly take to reach it?" Zhang Yang asked another question. Previously, the Fifth Layer was merely a legend, and he hadn't paid much heed to it. Now, knowing it truly existed, and that someone had achieved it, naturally piqued his curiosity. Being at the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength at only twenty, it would be dishonest to claim he harbored no ambition for the Fifth Layer.

A faint smile touched Zhang Pinglu's lips as he gently shook his head. "The might of the Fifth Layer is beyond your imagination. Even if Dragon Old Ghost and I joined forces, we would still be no match for an early Fifth Layer expert. Moreover, actually becoming a Fifth Layer expert isn't complicated!" "Not complicated?" Zhang Yang exclaimed in surprise. The Fifth Layer was so powerful, and there was even the intermediary stage of the Great Perfection of the Fourth Layer before it. To say it wasn't complicated was something he simply couldn't believe.

Zhang Pinglu chuckled once more. "It is indeed not complicated. To step into the Fifth Layer, it is no longer about the accumulation of Inner Strength, nor does it demand as much of your Inner Strength; the primary requirement is the complete comprehension of the Path of Nature!" "Complete comprehension?"

Zhang Yang’s brow furrowed momentarily before smoothing out again. He seemed to grasp Zhang Pinglu’s meaning. The Path of Nature was the key to the Fifth Layer. At best, he had only made contact. Once his Inner Strength reached the late Fourth Layer and he comprehended the Path of Nature further, he would achieve the Great Perfection realm. From the Great Perfection realm, upon completely mastering the Path of Nature, he would advance to the Fifth Layer of Inner Strength. Whether one could become a Fifth Layer expert truly depended on the ability to fully comprehend the Path of Nature. Stated this way, it truly wasn't complicated: comprehend the Path of Nature, and one could advance to the Fifth Layer, becoming a legendary master.

"It's not complicated, but it is exceedingly difficult. How easy is complete comprehension? Over the years, we have concluded an experience: to become a Fifth Layer expert, one must achieve complete comprehension of the Path of Nature through one’s own realization to break through to the Great Perfection. Those who reach the Great Perfection through inheritance can never achieve this!" Zhang Pinglu sighed, glancing at Zhang Yang again.

Throughout several thousand years, the world of Inner Strength cultivation had seen countless prodigies, many of whom attained the Great Perfection realm through their own efforts. These individuals meant more potential inheritors could emerge. However, historically, none of the Fifth Layer masters who ever appeared were inheritors. Inheritors could deepen their understanding of the Path of Nature, but they could never take that final step. This led them to their final conclusion: promotion to the Fifth Layer absolutely required one's own personal insight. Even so, many still chose the path of inheritance. Even if one grasped the Path of Nature on their own, achieving complete comprehension was immensely hard, and breaking through to the Fifth Layer was even harder. From antiquity to the present, the true Fifth Layer masters could be counted on one hand; the sheer numbers attested to the difficulty.

"Among our five great families right now, apart from that young man from the Hua family, everyone else reached the Great Perfection through inheritance. The four of us have no hope of reaching the Fifth Layer. If there is any hope, it lies only with you and that Hua family boy!" Zhang Pinglu added, and Zhang Yang quietly raised his gaze.

"That Hua family boy is over a hundred and fifty years old; he is the youngest. He reached the Great Perfection through his own realization over seventy years ago. Without him, the Hua family wouldn't dare emerge even now. Don't think these powerful families are easy to deal with; don't forget how they treated you today!" Zhang Pinglu scoffed, and Zhang Yang immediately nodded in agreement.

These thousand-year-old families, fundamentally, were not good people; they all looked out only for their own benefit. Today, he had clearly recognized this fact. Once he demonstrated his strength, they sought to eliminate him, particularly the Long family—who, as allies, remained indifferent and even contemplated making a move. The true nature of these families was now perfectly clear to Zhang Yang. He was just one person, whereas the Hua family was an entire clan. Without a Guardian, their millennia of accumulated wealth was coveted by others; staying put meant eventually being entirely consumed. This very reality forced them to relocate and hide until they accumulated enough strength to reappear. The Hua family's move was less a crisis and more an act of desperation. However, that relocation impacted them severely, resulting in significant disciple losses; likely, some unrecorded events transpired during that period.

None of this concerned Zhang Yang, and he didn't dwell on it. Now, he finally understood the significance of the Fifth Layer. For the First to Fourth Layers of Inner Strength, one could attempt breakthroughs provided the realm and Inner Strength were sufficient. Only the Fifth Layer didn't rely on Inner Strength or realm; it demanded insight into the Path of Nature. Since it was a 'Dao' (Path), how could comprehension be easy, let alone complete comprehension? This explained why the few Fifth Layer masters in history had become legends.

"Old Man, just how formidable are Fifth Layer masters?" Zhang Yang suddenly asked again. The Great Perfection of the Fourth Layer seemed insurmountable to him; he truly couldn't envision the Fifth Layer, which was stronger than that.

"Fifth Layer masters achieve the 'Three Flowers Converge at the Crown' (Sānhuā Jù Dǐng). It is rumored they can travel eight thousand li overnight, crossing from the south of Shenzhou to the north within a single day!" "That fast?" Zhang Yang was momentarily stunned. Eight thousand li overnight meant four thousand kilometers. Four thousand kilometers in one night, even assuming eight hours of travel, meant an average speed of five hundred kilometers per hour. His mount, Zhuifeng, could achieve greater speed, but keeping that pace all night would exhaust it to death. Against such a master, even Zhuifeng's speed would be useless.

Zhang Pinglu smiled. "That's just rumor. In truth, I have never met a Fifth Layer master myself. They are said to be able to control objects with their Inner Strength (Nèijìn Kòng Wù), which is far more potent than merely projecting it outward!"

Controlling objects with Inner Strength (Nèijìn Kòng Wù)? Zhang Yang’s eyes widened even further. The phrase was simple, and its meaning easy to grasp. Fourth Layer masters could only use projected Inner Strength to defend against enemies; their control over it was not that precise. After reaching the Fifth Layer, they could use their projected Inner Strength to manipulate physical objects—this demonstrated an astonishing level of control over their internal energy.

The words Nèijìn Kòng Wù immediately brought to mind scenes from movies. In films, masters often appear who can summon distant objects with a mere beckoning gesture. The old Zhang Yang would have scoffed at such things, but now he realized human imagination truly was boundless, and such feats were actually achievable. Inner Strength Object Control meant manipulating things remotely; drawing one or two small items toward oneself should be simple enough. In fact, Zhang Yang could manage to pull small things toward him, but that wasn't true attraction; it was using the repulsive force of his Inner Strength to make the object jump back into his hand—a completely different concept from remote levitation.

Zhang Yang's expression shifted slightly; he remembered another common trope from movies and television. "Old Man, with Inner Strength Object Control, doesn't that mean they can command divine weapons and artifacts without using their hands?" What sprang to Zhang Yang’s mind were the mythical tales of controlling swords remotely—a mere point of a finger, sword lights dancing, perhaps even flying upon the blade to soar across the sky. If so, they would truly be akin to immortals.

"Haha, you watch too many movies, kid. Inner Strength Object Control isn't that exaggerated. Besides, divine weapons require corresponding techniques to unleash their full power. Do you think just controlling an artifact can harm an enemy?" Zhang Pinglu burst out laughing. Zhang Yang scratched his head sheepishly; he had indeed been thinking along those lines.

After a moment of laughter, Zhang Pinglu continued. "However, I can tell you this: a Fifth Layer master is essentially a 'Land Immortal' (Lùdì Shénxiān). They truly can remotely control certain smaller divine weapons for attack. While it's not as wild as in the movies, it is entirely possible for them to strike an unwary opponent with a dagger or similar weapon. It’s just that at their level, they rarely resort to such methods!" He told Zhang Yang this to make him understand the formidable power of the Fifth Layer. Fifth Layer masters using Inner Strength Object Control to manipulate artifacts for remote attacks was indeed possible, but for them, it was often counterproductive. Their inherent power was sufficient to defeat enemies without such maneuvers. How could an artifact controlled by Inner Strength match the dexterity of one's own hands? Nevertheless, the might of a Fifth Layer master was undeniable; calling them 'Land Immortals' was not an overstatement, but becoming one was so arduous that only a handful had ever done so over thousands of years.

"Don't worry about the Fifth Layer for now. Just focus on steady cultivation and comprehending the Path of Nature. You are still young; if you can reach the Great Perfection realm sooner, your chances of breaking through to the Fifth Layer are the highest." Zhang Pinglu looked at Zhang Yang and said again, "You are already at the Fourth Layer of Inner Strength, so there are some things you should know. There is a place in the country you may visit; it would be best if you go there sooner rather than later. But there are three places you must never go, even if you reach the Great Perfection realm!"

As Zhang Pinglu spoke, his expression turned very serious once more. (To be continued)