They all appeared remarkably refreshed today, their conditions at their peak, and any injuries sustained during the subterranean battle had completely healed, leaving no residual effects whatsoever.

Zhuifeng was sprawled out lazily in the courtyard, sunning itself, but upon seeing Zhang Yang enter, it immediately sprang up and trotted over, licking Zhang Yang’s hand twice gently.

Having shared life and death and endured mutual hardship, the bond between them had grown even deeper.

Lightning and Shadow were there too; the two little ones bounded over together.

The Fourth-Tier Spirit Beast Essence Blood Pill was certainly harder to digest than the Third-Tier version, but once assimilated, its effect far surpassed that of the lower tier.

Having consumed the Essence Blood Pills this time, all three little ones had felt the immense energy contained within, and they all sensed their own marked progress, naturally making them even more grateful to Zhang Yang.

“You all play outside for a while. Long Feng, come with me!”

Zhang Yang instructed quietly. Long Feng was also in the courtyard, slowly practicing a set of fist forms—a technique from the Supreme True Canon designed to stabilize the mind, which was highly beneficial for his internal cultivation methods.

Long Feng tidied his clothes and, without asking any questions, followed Zhang Yang inside.

Gu Fang had not returned; he had to go back to Shanghai for an urgent matter, but he had entrusted all the keys to Zhang Yang, allowing him to treat the place as his own home.

He had noticed Zhang Yang’s affinity for the environment here and had even offered to gift the entire property to him.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yang had declined. He had saved Gu Fang’s maternal grandfather, but he had already received his payment; it was what he had earned.

Gu Fang had already helped him considerably, and Zhang Yang did not wish to accumulate further indebtedness. Debts of favor were the most troublesome kind, and Zhang Yang disliked such complications—besides, the house was not something he couldn't afford to buy himself.

In the living room, Zhang Yang briefly explained Chu Yuntian’s situation.

He omitted details about the mission itself, only explaining that he had coincidentally learned about this person and discovered he had arrived in Hangcheng and committed a heinous, bloody crime.

He did not conceal the matter concerning the Huang family; there was no need to hide that.

“Mid Fourth-Tier, Zhang Yang, are you certain?”

After hearing Zhang Yang’s account, Long Cheng’s expression grew exceedingly grave, and he couldn't help but ask.

Mid Fourth-Tier—this meant he was arguably the most powerful expert among those who had emerged so far.

Experts at the late Fourth-Tier were all focused on comprehending the Way of Nature, striving to reach the true Great Perfection, as this was the only path to potentially advancing to the Fifth-Tier.

Most individuals at this level were deep in seclusion, meditating on the Dao, and generally paid no heed to secular affairs.

It was mostly those in the early and mid Fourth-Tier who made occasional appearances, as they still had levels to break through, and necessary tempering still offered them some benefit. This was unlike the late Fourth-Tier, for whom comprehending the Way of Nature was the sole method of advancement.

Moreover, such a formidable master—even for their Long family, confronting him would be an immense headache.

Demonic cultivators were different from the practitioners within their internal energy families. Demonic practitioners acted in bizarre, unpredictable ways, were ruthless, and often grew up in harsh environments. Generally speaking, a righteous cultivator of the same level stood no chance against a demonic practitioner.

To put it bluntly, for the Long family to deal with this person, unless they mobilized that single revered guardian from the elder generation, they would require all three current elders to act in concert just to have a chance of slaying him—and it would only be a chance.

From this, the sheer power of this demonic master could be inferred.

“I am completely certain. Chu Yuntian broke through to the mid Fourth-Tier several years ago!”

Zhang Yang nodded lightly, his affirmation firm. The System had never provided him with false information; Chu Yuntian’s strength was definitive.

“Zhang Yang, what are your plans?”

Long Feng asked again, a trace of worry still lingering in his eyes.

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, uttering four words softly: “Eradicate the demon and defend the righteous path!”

In truth, as he was asking the question, Long Feng had already guessed Zhang Yang intended to confront Chu Yuntian.

Let alone Zhang Yang, even Long Feng himself, upon hearing that such a devil existed and had slaughtered so many people, felt the urge to personally strike down this menace, rooting out evil for the righteous path and safety for the populace.

But he understood that with his current strength, going would not be demon-slaying, but suicide; he stood no chance against this fiend.

It wasn't just him; Zhang Yang was also in a similar position. Zhang Yang possessed Fourth-Tier strength, far superior to Long Feng’s, but to claim he could kill this demonic master was another matter. After all, he was only early Fourth-Tier, and the gap between Fourth-Tier experts was even more pronounced than at the Third-Tier; the difference between early and mid stages at this level was vast.

“Why don’t I request reinforcements from the family? Ask an Elder to come and surround and suppress this devil?”

Long Feng suggested quietly, attempting to dissuade Zhang Yang. He had gathered from the conversation that Zhang Yang intended to handle this great fiend alone.

Otherwise, Zhang Yang wouldn't have kept others out of the discussion; typically, such matters were a shared responsibility, not something for just one or two individuals.

“No need. All demonic cultivators are extremely cunning. If too many masters show up, he might sense something. If he manages to escape, capturing him again will become extremely difficult, and then the Huang family will suffer greatly!”

Zhang Yang shook his head. Fourth-Tier masters possessed acute sensitivity to internal energy fluctuations; an unguarded moment could lead to exposure. Moreover, demonic cultivators were extraordinarily suspicious; if Chu Yuntian detected the presence of superior experts nearby, he might flee in advance. If he managed to escape then, it would truly become a massive headache.

“Relying only on a few of us… that will be challenging!”

Long Feng’s brows furrowed tightly. He knew Zhang Yang well enough to recognize that a decision had been made, so he stopped trying to persuade him.

“It is difficult, but think about it: if only a few of us appear, might he become complacent and greedy? If so, he might not run away. If we set up arrangements beforehand, luring him to a battlefield advantageous to us, wouldn't our chances of success be much higher?”

Zhang Yang continued. Their small number put them at a disadvantage in terms of sheer power, but it wasn't entirely without leverage.

If Chu Yuntian perceived Zhang Yang as only an early Fourth-Tier expert, accompanied only by spirit beasts, he would certainly harbor covetous intentions. A master of Zhang Yang’s level represented immense benefits through his blood essence to Chu Yuntian.

Not to mention, Fourth-Tier masters undoubtedly possessed certain hidden reserves.

In that scenario, he definitely wouldn't flee; in fact, he might even pursue Zhang Yang if he tried to run.

This way, Zhang Yang could prepare an ambush site advantageous to himself in advance.

This specific strategy was something Zhang Yang conceived immediately upon learning of Chu Yuntian’s appearance.

Setting up the location beforehand would greatly assist him, allowing him to best utilize his strengths. As the saying goes, success requires timing, terrain, and human harmony—he had already secured the timing by knowing everything in advance. By seizing control of the terrain, his advantage would increase further, and as for human harmony, Zhang Yang could devise ways to create that too.

“You make a fair point. With Zhuifeng here, even if we lose the battle, we don’t have to fear defeat!”

Long Feng finally nodded. Zhang Yang understood from his response that Long Feng still lacked confidence, already considering retreat before the fight even began.

Today was extremely tiring, and the overall condition was poor, so there will only be one chapter update. Once Xiao Yu returns, the chapters owed, as well as any word count deficits per chapter, will be made up. As soon as stability is established, there will be an immediate burst of updates. I ask my friends for their understanding!