The name Zhang Pinglu was seldom used now. Zhang Yang no longer doubted the ancestor's age; a name like Pinglu (Pacify the Barbarian) could only have originated from a bygone era, certainly not the current age of national unity.

Two hundred years ago, during the reign of the Qing Dynasty, it was likely that the Zhang family ancestor harbored dissatisfaction with foreign rule, which inspired that specific name.

"The place I'm sending you to, is it Wild Man Mountain, Wild Man Mountain?"

Zhang Yang looked up in astonishment. This location was certainly not unfamiliar; he had visited it once before, encountering the Golden Crown Python there, and after slaying it, he had unexpectedly acquired the Saintess Flower.

Thinking of the Saintess Flower, Zhang Yang's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately asked, "Old Sir, if one is breaking through from the Great Perfection stage of the Fourth Layer to the Fifth, would using a Saintess Pill be of any help?"

The primary efficacy of the Saintess Pill was to aid breakthroughs in the Inner Force layers. It was immensely helpful for progressing from the Third to the Fourth Layer, and perhaps it would assist in moving from the Fourth to the Fifth as well.

If that were true, then for Zhang Pinglu before him, it would be the most desperately needed treasure.

"Saintess Pill?"

Zhang Pinglu paused briefly, then shook his head immediately. "The breakthroughs from the First to the Fourth Layer are fundamentally different from advancing from the Fourth to the Fifth. If you haven't fully comprehended the Way of Nature, don't even think about using clever tricks to break into the Fifth Layer; there is no such possibility. The Saintess Pill is utterly useless for a Fifth Layer breakthrough!"

"I understand!"

Zhang Yang nodded, a slight disappointment shadowing his face. If the Saintess Pill worked, Zhang Pinglu would have hope of advancing to the Fifth Layer, and having a Fifth Layer master would instantly elevate the Zhang family to a top-tier clan.

"You possess Saintess Pills?"

Zhang Pinglu looked at Zhang Yang and asked softly. Zhang Yang held many treasures, but Zhang Pinglu was unclear about the specifics of each one.

Zhang Yang nodded. This was his ancestor, his elder; he would never harm him. Had it not been for this ancestor today, Zhang Yang might have perished under the siege of those shameless elders, let alone thought of achieving Fourth Level advancement. Zhang Yang placed immense trust in this senior of the Zhang family.

"It is fortunate that they did not know you possessed this treasure earlier, otherwise, you would have been in even greater peril today!"

Zhang Pinglu spoke slowly. While the Saintess Pill was useless to him, it held a fatal attraction for cultivators below the Fourth Layer. For these major families, possessing a Saintess Pill was equivalent to gaining an additional Fourth Layer master. Their Guardians usually remained hidden; the true backbone of a family lay with its Fourth Layer elders. Guardians served as a deterrent—they were necessary, but they could not be deployed carelessly, much like nuclear weapons between nations. Only because the Zhang family was small and unburdened by excessive considerations could Zhang Pinglu move about so freely, affording him a comparatively easy and liberated existence.

"You carry many treasures, but since you are already at the Fourth Layer of Inner Force and have the assistance of your three Spirit Beasts, you need not worry as much in the future. Unless the few old ghosts personally make a move, you don't need to fear most people!"

Zhang Pinglu added another remark. Zhang Yang's current strength was finally enough to put his mind at ease. With Zhang Yang plus his three Spirit Beasts, even someone in the mid-Fourth Layer might not be his match. Those in the late-Fourth Layer were extremely few; even the Long Family lacked one, and other clans could be imagined to be the same. Even if such masters existed among external cultivators, the probability of Zhang Yang encountering them was slim; such powerful individuals were usually either preparing to receive an inheritance or deep in secluded training, comprehending the Way of Nature.

"Thank you for the reminder, Old Sir. I have visited Wild Man Mountain once; it seemed merely like a primitive mountain range!"

Zhang Yang nodded, shifting the topic back to Wild Man Mountain. He didn't quite understand why his ancestor insisted he go there.

Zhang Pinglu inquired, "The one you visited wasn't the interior, was it?"

"No," Zhang Yang shook his head; that time was only around the periphery, though it was still within the boundaries of Wild Man Mountain.

"I am sending you into the depths of Wild Man Mountain. There are many mystical places within that will aid your future growth. However, it is best not to venture deep before reaching the Fourth Layer of Inner Force. After the Fourth Layer, it will be fine. With your three Spirit Beasts assisting you, you will certainly manage to enter!"

Zhang Pinglu smiled faintly. "What specifically lies within, I cannot disclose, but I can tell you this: every master who has surpassed the Fourth Layer has entered Wild Man Mountain at least once. Especially those who later wish to comprehend or inherit the Way of Nature—Wild Man Mountain is an essential crucible for experience!"

Zhang Yang nodded gently. He wasn't overly concerned with Zhang Pinglu's words, but since his ancestor mentioned it, perhaps a trip in the future wouldn't hurt. He could take the opportunity to check on the villagers in the settlement and see how the road construction was progressing; those simple, honest folk had left a deep impression on him.

"Having discussed Wild Man Mountain, I must now mention several places you absolutely must never visit. Memorize these locations well, and don't think that just because you've reached the Fourth Layer, you can roam carelessly!"

Zhang Pinglu's demeanor grew serious again. Zhang Yang sat up straighter, listening intently to his narration.

"The first place you must not go is Yinlong Mountain in the Southern Border!"

"Yinlong Mountain?"

Zhang Yang blurted out the name. He hadn't expected the first location mentioned by Zhang Pinglu to be one he had already visited and where he had obtained the Cold Spring Sword.

"Precisely, Yinlong Mountain. Legend says there are giant dragons there, but those are rumors. There resides a tremendously powerful Spirit Beast; I estimate it has already broken through the Fifth Layer, otherwise, it couldn't conjure a dragon illusion so incredibly lifelike!"

Zhang Pinglu spoke with gravity, his expression becoming solemn when discussing the Yinlong Mountain beast. Zhang Yang stared at him in shock, but still managed to nod.

So that Phantom Rat was actually a Fifth Level Spirit Beast? No wonder it was so formidable. It was sheer luck that he had returned alive last time, and much of that credit went to Wuying’s presence. With Wuying there, he and that potent Phantom Rat were at least not enemies. Zhang Yang genuinely wished to return to Yinlong Mountain someday, if only for the attraction of the sheer abundance of aged medicinal herbs covering the slopes.

"The second place you absolutely must avoid is Heaven Lake in Changbai Mountain!"

Zhang Pinglu continued, and Zhang Yang's eyes widened even further. Heaven Lake in Changbai was a nationally renowned tourist destination; though he hadn't visited, he had longed to go.

"Ordinary people can go there, but Inner Force cultivators absolutely should not. The First and Second Layers might be manageable, but the Third and Fourth Layers should best stay away. Especially masters above the Fourth Layer—visiting there will only invite trouble, and you might not even return alive!"

Seeming to sense Zhang Yang's confusion, Zhang Pinglu quickly offered an explanation.

Zhang Yang nodded thoughtfully and inquired, "Old Sir, are you suggesting there is a powerful entity residing in Heaven Lake?"

Zhang Pinglu confirmed, "Indeed. There is a thousand-year-old Water Snake in the lake, whose strength also surpasses the Fifth Layer. Ordinary people don't affect it, but if a Fourth Layer master gets close, it will react instinctively. This snake is overwhelmingly powerful; once it locks onto you, escaping is nearly impossible!"

Another powerful Spirit Beast. Fifth Level human masters were extremely rare, yet Spirit Beasts had many. This was largely due to the advantage Spirit Beasts held in lifespan. Humans, even when consuming Bigu Pills, could live a maximum of three hundred years; even (Land Immortals) at the Fifth Layer of Inner Force could not escape this natural law. Over several centuries, far fewer individuals could ascend to the Fifth Layer.

Spirit Beasts were different; common ones lived for centuries, and some could survive past a millennium. A thousand years of existence meant they were practically sentient, and they naturally absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, giving them a much higher probability of breaking through to the Fifth Layer than humans.

Fortunately, these Fifth Layer Spirit Beasts generally kept to their own territories and rarely ventured out. As long as you didn't provoke them, there was no issue. The Hua family’s decision to relocate to the remote Changbai Mountain area was somewhat connected to this powerful Spirit Beast in Heaven Lake. The Hua family ancestor had once rendered the spirit beast a favor when it wasn't nearly as strong, forging a bond of gratitude. The beast left a scale for that ancestor, promising protection to anyone who presented the scale in the future. The Hua family moved there because, at that time, their self-preservation capabilities were weak, and without a Guardian, their only hope of securing their thousand-year accumulated wealth was to live under the protection of this mighty Spirit Beast. With it there, no one dared to bother them, not even Guardians.

Zhang Yang only learned these details much later, but after hearing Zhang Pinglu, Heaven Lake immediately became a forbidden zone for him; he would resolutely never go there again. A Fifth Layer Spirit Beast—just how powerful must it be? For the sake of his life, places he shouldn't go, he absolutely would not—"As for the third place you must not go…"

At this point, Zhang Pinglu abruptly stopped speaking, looking at Zhang Yang somewhat strangely.

"Old Sir, where is the third place we must not go?"

The first two locations involved powerful Spirit Beasts, and the places Zhang Pinglu mentioned had successfully captured Zhang Yang’s attention. He truly needed to know this third caution. It would be unjust to blunder into a place unknowingly and be killed by a powerful Spirit Beast.

"The third forbidden location is Black Valley!"

Zhang Pinglu looked at Zhang Yang and spoke slowly. The three words, "Black Valley," caused Zhang Yang to look up once more.

"Black Valley, which Black Valley?"

There were many places named Black Valley, but the one Zhang Yang knew was in the suburbs of Changjing. Reportedly, it was regulated by the government, and ordinary people were barred entry. It was said to have another name passed down by the older generation: Ghost Valley, where terrifying demons resided and ate people. Zhang Yang hadn't believed such rumors before.

"The Black Valley near Changjing. Whether there are Spirit Beasts inside, no one knows. That place is a mutual forbidden zone for both ordinary people and Inner Force cultivators. Once you enter, return is impossible—the same applies even to Guardians. This has been true since antiquity!"

Zhang Pinglu watched Zhang Yang as he spoke, a hint of warning in his eyes. He didn't want Zhang Yang to be driven by curiosity to enter that place. Black Valley had swallowed countless people throughout history; no one who entered ever returned, which was why the government had sealed the area off, preventing accidental trespass.