Zhang Yunan strode in from behind, and as soon as he appeared, Shi Fang’s eyes had already turned toward him.

“Yangyang, today is your engagement day; how can you let honored guests stand at the door?”

Zhang Yunan chuckled, and after speaking, he glanced again at Shi Fang and Master Shiyuan.

He had discerned something about Shi Fang’s true age. The formula for the Youth-Preserving Pill was not exclusive to the Zhang family, nor were such elixirs. It was perfectly normal for someone to maintain their appearance after taking it.

“Uncle, it was my oversight. Please, both of you, come inside!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and gestured them in, having understood Zhang Yunan’s meaning.

Whether these two were friends or foes remained uncertain, but the doorway was no place for discussion. There were still greeters and others present, with guests occasionally emerging from other rooms. Zhang Yunan was signaling him to find a quiet spot first.

Neither guest stood on ceremony, following Zhang Yang forward. Zhang Yang led them to an empty room on the second floor and instructed someone to bring snacks, pastries, and tea.

As the ultimate boss behind the big boss, the hotel staff were keenly aware of Zhang Yang's status; no waiter dared to slack off, and refreshments arrived swiftly.

Inside the room, Zhang Yunan was already seated, his gaze fixed intently upon the two people opposite him.

Shi Fang seemed fine, but Shiyuan gave him a distinct feeling of danger. This benevolent-looking, seemingly frail old man radiated a pressure that was not low—it was actually a shade higher than his own. This was definitely a Fourth Layer expert, though whether he had reached the mid-stage was unclear.

As Zhang Yunan watched them, Shi Fang was watching him too.

Fourth Layer—another Fourth Layer expert. Shi Fang’s heart fluttered slightly.

Zhang Yunan had concealed his aura, but Shi Fang had experienced a fortuitous encounter in his youth. Not only had he obtained some excellent elixirs, but he had also acquired a miraculous Celestial Eye technique. This technique was divided into upper and lower sets. The upper set opened the Celestial Eye, allowing nothing hidden in the world to escape its sight. The lower set was a method of attack, which could also be considered a form of spiritual assault; when cultivated to its extreme, a single glance could inflict injury.

Unfortunately, cultivating the lower set was extremely difficult and could only commence after reaching the Fourth Layer. He had only mastered the upper half thus far, yet even that had benefited him immensely, enabling him to see through others’ strengths while simultaneously providing the best camouflage, rendering him undetectable even to spirit beasts.

“Benefactor Zhang, my disciple and I have come uninvited, causing disruption. Since today is your day of great joy, we have not brought any grand gifts. Please accept this Shaolin Great Reversion Pill as our token of congratulation for your engagement!”

After settling down, the elder Master Shiyuan retrieved a wooden box, shaped like one for storing bracelets, from his robes. He placed it directly on the table and slid it towards Zhang Yang.

With just one look, Zhang Yang could tell the box was quite old and exquisitely crafted—it would fetch a good price as an antique.

“Shaolin Great Reversion Pill?”

Zhang Yang and Zhang Yunan exchanged glances, a wave of shock passing through them.

Among internal energy practitioners, the Five Great Thousand-Year Families were not the only ones. Across the Divine Land, there were numerous practitioner sects, whose numbers historically surpassed those of the internal energy families.

But that was in the past. The more famous they were, the sooner they were destroyed. No matter how renowned a sect, they had all faced devastating blows throughout history. Many sects could not withstand these assaults and ultimately vanished, such as the famous Emei and Kongtong. At their peak, these sects boasted hundreds of practitioners; Emei, in particular, was rumored to have over a thousand during its zenith, with no fewer than ten Fourth Layer elders. In the end, Emei too disappeared into history.

However, not all sects perished. Some, when faced with crisis, made decisive choices to shift from the visible world to the shadows, thereby preserving themselves. Although their strength was far from what it once was, they were still venerable, long-inherited major sects with deep foundations and numerous masters.

Among these were the legendary Shaolin and Wudang. But they kept themselves deeply hidden and rarely appeared in the secular world. Since their interactions with the family practitioners were minimal, there was little contact in daily life.

Little contact did not mean they were ignorant of each other’s affairs. Shaolin still existed, but only their own people knew the location of their mountain gate—and it was certainly not the Shaolin Temple currently in public view, which served merely as a secular representative. The true Shaolin location was guarded with extreme secrecy.

Beyond this, Shaolin’s most famous asset was their spiritual medicine, the Great Reversion Pill.

Unlike the spirit medicines Zhang Yang possessed—such as the Essence Blood Pill or Immortal Fruit Pill, whose formulas were not exclusive to the Zhang family (though the Zhang family possessed the best compounding techniques, resulting in the superior elixirs)—the formula for the Great Reversion Pill belonged solely to Shaolin; even the Zhang family did not know it.

Furthermore, the Great Reversion Pill was a unique secret treasure of Shaolin, and even they possessed only a few. Besides greatly enhancing internal energy, the pill had one most crucial effect, an attraction that held immense sway over all internal energy practitioners:

The Great Reversion Pill could prevent Qi Deviation and the Eight Devils (Zou Huo Ru Mo).

Even if one succumbed to Qi Deviation, taking the pill could save their life, and if fortune favored them, even preserve their cultivation. Qi Deviation was something feared by internal energy practitioners of every level. If injured, one could simply recover; Qi Deviation, at its mildest, led to the loss of cultivation, and at its worst, instant death.

It could be said that over the years, the number of internal energy practitioners who died accidentally due to Qi Deviation far outnumbered those killed by others. Even the Zhang family had lost ancestors historically to this affliction. Zhang Yang’s grandfather in his previous life had perished this way.

The Great Reversion Pill not only served as a life-saving measure during a deviation crisis but also possessed the invaluable property of preventing the onset of Qi Deviation. This single attribute could incite madness among countless internal energy practitioners.

This demonstrated the profound value of the Great Reversion Pill, making both Zhang Yang and Zhang Yunan highly surprised by the gift.

“Master, this gift of yours is too weighty!” After exchanging a look with Zhang Yunan, Zhang Yang turned back and shook his head at Master Shiyuan.

Zhang Yunan inwardly nodded in agreement. It wasn't that the Great Reversion Pill held no appeal; rather, the gift was too substantial. As the saying goes, one is constrained after accepting favors. They had no existing ties with Shaolin and dared not casually accept such a gift. As for the identity of the visitors, they harbored little doubt; practitioners were few these days, and masters even rarer. A sudden appearance by a Fourth Layer master could only point towards the great families or these hidden sects.

“Benefactor Zhang, this is merely a congratulatory gift. Since it is your joyous day, we couldn't arrive empty-handed after accepting your vegetarian feast, could we!” Master Shiyuan smiled and shook his head. The old man’s smile resembled that of a Maitreya Buddha. (To be continued)