The first item brought out was a small booklet identical to the faded yellow paper from before. The booklet had no title, only a blank cover. Zhang Yang paid little attention to the cover and immediately opened it to peruse the contents. This booklet documented the other method for entering the Fifth Layer. Had he not been utterly exhausted and desperately needing rest and recovery, he might have opened it immediately upon his return. With just a single glance, Zhang Yang’s expression subtly shifted.

“Blood Fox Pill?”

The first page of the booklet explained that this was a method for reaching the Fifth Layer, and the key lay in three types of spirit medicines, the first of which mentioned was the Blood Fox Pill. Zhang Daoqian had given the formula for the Blood Fox Pill to Old Master Xie last. This implied that the Zhang family had possessed the Blood Fox Pill formula long ago. Zhang Yang wondered if the Zhang family members knew the true function of this pill; if they did, why had he been kept completely in the dark? This was highly unusual. Whether in his past life or the present, Zhang Yang was a core, direct disciple of the Zhang family, meaning he should have access to any secret recorded by the clan. Zhang Yang's ignorance could only mean that there was no record. Such a monumental secret going unrecorded left him deeply puzzled. Forcibly suppressing these doubts, Zhang Yang continued flipping through the booklet’s pages.

This small booklet was the preceding portion of the document from which he had obtained that single sheet of paper. It contained the formulas for the three most crucial elixirs for advancing to the Fifth Level: the Blood Fox Pill, the Sheep Horn Pill, and the Three-Eyed Pill. Of these three spirit medicines, Zhang Yang had never even heard of the Sheep Horn Pill or the Three-Eyed Pill, only the Blood Fox Pill. Fortunately, the booklet itself contained the formulas, clearly detailing the preparation methods for these three elixirs and their primary ingredients.

The main ingredient for the Blood Fox Pill was the blood of a Blood Fox. The Blood Fox was a spirit beast, but Zhang Yang had absolutely no idea where one could be found, nor had he ever heard of it. However, having a name gave him something to inquire about, offering a sliver of hope. The Sheep Horn Pill gave Zhang Yang a headache.

The main ingredient for the Sheep Horn Pill was the Sheep Horn Illusion Grass—another spirit herb Zhang Yang had never encountered or heard of. According to the booklet, the Sheep Horn Illusion Grass was large and grew in the shape of a pair of ram's horns, hence its name. However, the Sheep Horn Illusion Grass possessed a certain deceptive quality, making it difficult for observers to perceive its true form. Even if one saw it, they might mistake it for something else, perhaps even a common wildflower. If you couldn't recognize it even upon seeing it, and Zhang Yang had never heard of its existence to begin with, finding it would be even harder.

The booklet also mentioned that the Sheep Horn Illusion Grass had another name: the Sheep Horn Sacred Grass. It was notoriously difficult to cultivate naturally; Sheep Horn Illusion Grass under one or two thousand years old was useless. To create the Sheep Horn Pill essential for breaking through to the Fifth Layer, one required premium Sheep Horn Illusion Grass that had grown for over six thousand years. The Sheep Horn Illusion Grass was already hard to find; requiring a premium ingredient exceeding six millennia left Zhang Yang momentarily speechless.

The third elixir presented an even greater challenge. The main ingredient for the Three-Eyed Pill was the third eye of the Three-Eyed Beast. Zhang Yang was somewhat familiar with the Three-Eyed Beast—it was a formidable spirit beast, resembling a dog but possessing an extra eye on its forehead, hence the name. The Three-Eyed Beast was incredibly powerful; mature specimens already possessed strength surpassing the Fourth Layer. Furthermore, Three-Eyed Beasts could evolve, and an evolved one could overwhelm even top-tier experts at the late Fourth Layer. Perhaps only the Guardians at the Great Perfection of the Fourth Layer could deal with such a creature.

That alone would be manageable, but the Three-Eyed Beast was also one of the Ten Great Venomous Beasts. It ranked first among them. Lightning, which was ranked eighth, was already terrifyingly poisonous; one could only imagine the horror of the number one ranked beast. Seeing this booklet, Zhang Yang learned for the first time that the third eye of the Three-Eyed Beast could be used in medicine.

Furthermore, the Three-Eyed Pill carried an extremely stringent requirement. That third eye had to be used immediately after being extracted from the beast; if more than fifteen minutes passed, its medicinal efficacy would vanish, rendering the resulting Three-Eyed Pill useless. Slaying the Three-Eyed Beast was already incredibly difficult; having to process it immediately afterward made the requirement seem unreasonably harsh to Zhang Yang. One must remember that preparing the Three-Eyed Pill required not only the main ingredient but also a large quantity of auxiliary components, two of which were heavenly treasures. Who could carry such numerous ingredients and a furnace while engaging in battle? Carrying these items made them prone to damage during combat; leaving them behind meant insufficient time. In Zhang Yang's estimation, this Three-Eyed Pill was either extremely difficult or utterly impossible to craft.

After finishing the booklet, he pulled out the last sheet of paper to compare, then lay back on the bed with a sigh of resignation. Advancing to the Fifth Layer required the proper method of consuming the Three Elixirs and One Water. The booklet contained the formulas for the Three Elixirs and the instructions for their consumption, all explained in detail. Judging by the booklet, provided the raw materials were available, it seemed one could indeed use these elixirs to jump directly from the late Fourth Layer to the Fifth Layer. However, only those who truly understood the text realized the sheer difficulty involved.

Zhang Yang, being an heir of the Medical Saint lineage, felt utterly lost regarding the collection and preparation of the three elixir ingredients—it seemed impossibly arduous, let alone for anyone else. And one more thing: if the Three Elixirs were this hard, the One Water needed to accompany them was even more difficult.

The water to be taken with the Three Elixirs was Rootless Water from the Heavenly Lake. This water was found in an underwater cavern deep within the Heavenly Lake, where the temperature was high. Water within a specific area constantly evaporated and then condensed into steam that flowed down. Some of this steam condensed in mid-air and, under specific conditions, could float—this was the Rootless Water. The formation of the Rootless Water was already difficult, and even if accessible, the quantity obtainable would likely be minimal.

This was not the worst part. The location for retrieving the Rootless Water was within the Heavenly Lake itself. If this were the former Zhang Yang, he might have contemplated trying, but the current him simply lacked the courage. Beneath the Heavenly Lake resided a spirit beast that even Guardians deeply feared. This beast was very likely a Fifth Layer spirit beast. To attempt to retrieve the Rootless Water directly under the nose of a Fifth Layer spirit beast was no different from seeking death. Even the Hua family, who had some connection to the lake, might not be able to accomplish such a feat.

Learning all this, Zhang Yang could only feel helplessness. This seemed like a new path to the Fifth Layer, but unfortunately, this path was so arduous that success seemed nearly impossible. However, Zhang Yang also knew clearly that even if this method was nearly impossible to succeed with, any expert at the late Fourth Layer who discovered it would still try every means necessary to achieve it. While this path was incredibly hard, it was a defined route, a way to utilize external forces.

This contrasted sharply with completely comprehending the Way of Nature, which was ethereal and extraordinarily difficult; many people never managed to grasp it in their entire lives, ultimately falling short and meeting their end in regret. This much was evident from the handful of Fifth Layer powerhouses throughout Chinese history—how truly difficult true enlightenment was. In five thousand years of Chinese history, fewer than five Fifth Layer experts had emerged; this ratio was so low that most people had no hope of reaching it through that route. One path was vague and illusory, with no clear directive on how to proceed; the other offered concrete conditions, albeit difficult ones, presenting a tangible goal. The choice for those Fourth Layer experts was obvious.

Carefully putting away the booklet, Zhang Yang retrieved another, thicker manual. This was a sword technique manual, complete with a cover inscribed with four elegant, ancient seal script characters. “Heaven-Shattering Sword Technique!”

Zhang Yang whispered the name softly, and as he looked at the four characters, a flicker of shock crossed his eyes. He could sense an intense sword intent emanating from those characters. The intent grew stronger the longer he looked, eventually causing Zhang Yang to involuntarily wish to avert his gaze. Zhang Yang's current strength had declined to only the early Second Layer, but his state of mind remained above the Fourth Layer. A contest of sword intent like this, capable of producing such an impact on him, was undeniable proof of the technique’s extraordinary nature.

Zhang Yang finally looked away from the four characters and slowly opened the manual. The introduction inside was much plainer, lacking the potent sword intent of the cover. This was indeed a sword technique, but it appeared rather ordinary. After reading through it once, Zhang Yang turned back and reread it. The more he read, the more astonished he became, compelled to look several more times. Every time he viewed the sword technique, his perception of it changed.

The first time he read it, he felt it was just a very common sword technique, utterly unlike what Huang Jing had claimed—that only those at the Fourth Layer could cultivate it. Driven by this doubt, coupled with the profound shock from the cover script, he read it a second time. During the second reading, Zhang Yang immediately sensed a difference. This time, it felt slightly better than before, but only marginally. Where he previously felt any cultivator could master it, now he felt Second Layer cultivators should be able to begin practicing it. That was his impression after the second reading. On the third pass, he felt the technique had become more profound; perhaps only those at the Third Layer could cultivate such a sword art. By the fourth reading, he found it even more abstruse, suspecting that even Third Layer experts might fail to master it, truly requiring a powerhouse at the Fourth Layer of internal energy to execute the sword forms within.

The sword technique was identical in content, unchanged in every aspect, yet each reading unveiled a deeper level of complexity—this in itself was remarkable. After the fourth reading, Zhang Yang closed the manual, afraid to look again. He feared that if he continued, he might discover the sword technique required mastery beyond even the Fourth Layer—that would be truly terrifying. At this point, he could confidently confirm that this was no ordinary or even high-grade sword technique. It might be a supreme-grade technique, or perhaps something even beyond that. A cultivation method whose impression shifted with every reading was something Zhang Yang had never encountered before.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

Just as he closed the sword manual, Wuying leaped over from the side, clutching something in its claws, chirping excitedly at Zhang Yang. In Wuying’s grasp was a small jade vial, its cap still on. Taking the vial from Wuying, Zhang Yang quickly opened it. An instantly refreshing fragrance wafted out. Looking at the pale green liquid inside, Zhang Yang paused slightly. He was not unfamiliar with this scent; it was the same fragrance as the Myriad Year Spirit Milk that Chu Yuntian had consumed. This bottle contained a full measure of Myriad Year Spirit Milk.