Zhang Yang opened his eyes; he could already sense someone standing outside the door. “Understood, take him to the living room first!” Zhang Yang said calmly, his fingers twitching unnaturally as he slowly rose to his feet.

Ever since returning from Yinlong Mountain, Zhang Yang had been constantly studying the Heaven-Shattering Sword Technique. After witnessing the true, formidable power of the fifth-layer spirit beast Phantom Mouse, he understood that this technique was far from being merely an extremely advanced sword art.

The designations of Beginner, Advanced, or Ultimate were self-imposed labels used by practitioners of the first to fourth layers of inner strength. The Heaven-Shattering Sword Technique was clearly beyond these classifications; it surpassed every other technique Zhang Yang had encountered or learned about, even those deemed Ultimate. In his heart, Zhang Yang assigned a new name to the style.

The Fifth-Layer Sword Art—a technique exclusively for those at the fifth layer. Only a fifth-layer master’s sword art would demand such an immense amount of heaven and earth energy. Zhang Yang didn't know its exact standing within the fifth layer, but he knew it was not something practitioners of the first four layers could possibly master.

It was no wonder that each viewing made it harder to comprehend. The Huang family would claim it was suitable for a fourth-layer person to practice only because they had never encountered a true fourth-layer master. In reality, even fourth-layer practitioners would struggle immensely with the Heaven-Shattering Sword Technique. Zhang Yang’s success was predicated on his prior comprehension of the Dao of Nature; without that foundation, he wouldn't have even crossed the threshold.

Putting these thoughts aside, Zhang Yang slowly descended the stairs.

“Mr. Zhang. Senior Zhang!” Seeing Zhang Yang, Li Changfeng quickly stood up. As he bowed his head, a profound shock flashed in his eyes. His family’s Grand Elder had informed him that the person pursuing Zhang Yang was a peak fourth-layer master. Before that, Li Changfeng hadn't fully grasped the scope of the fourth layer, so the Grand Elder had offered a specific explanation. A peak fourth-layer master—a formidable expert whom even the three Grand Elders combined were no match for. That Zhang Yang could be hunted by such an individual and still return home alive made Li Changfeng doubt if the pursued man was indeed Zhang Yang.

“Brother Li, you are older than me, so stop calling me Senior. It makes me feel awkward. Besides, we are friends!” Zhang Yang chuckled, walking over and pulling Li Changfeng down to sit. Having gone through the incident with the Huyan family, Zhang Yang had matured considerably. The revenge against Huyan Feng was certain, but before resolving matters with the Huyan family, it was neither suitable nor necessary to cultivate new enemies. Moreover, the conflict between the Li family and him had not reached an irreconcilable point.

“Mr. Zhang, Brother Zhang, you are too kind!” Li Changfeng appeared slightly nervous, finally taking a seat. His previous doubts vanished completely. He now firmly believed the young man on the white horse was Zhang Yang. In this era, only one young person possessed such strength and a Celestial Spirit Beast like the Heavenly Horse. A Heavenly Horse was not something anyone could casually acquire.

“I wonder, Brother Li, are you stopping by while passing through, or have you specifically sought me out?” Zhang Yang asked casually with a smile. Li Changfeng immediately straightened his posture. “I came specifically!”

Li Changfeng sighed inwardly. When they first met, he felt Zhang Yang was stronger than him, but at least then they could speak as peers, interacting as equals. He never imagined that after the Dragon Family Plains incident, Zhang Yang’s progress would be so immense. Breaking through to the fourth layer at merely twenty years old—a feat unprecedented and never to be repeated. Coupled with the Grand Elder’s cautious demeanor regarding Zhang Yang, Li Changfeng unconsciously elevated Zhang Yang to the level of an Elder, treating him naturally as a senior and daring not to show any disrespect.

“Brother Li, there's no need to be so reserved here. Just tell me, what is the matter you’ve come about this time?” Zhang Yang smiled again, sensing Li Changfeng’s tension. As he spoke, he deliberately infused a bit of inner strength into his voice, a subtle current intended to help stabilize Li Changfeng’s nerves.

“Yes, yes!” Li Changfeng repeated twice before finally calming down completely. He looked up at Zhang Yang one more time, then slowly began, “It’s like this: two days ago, did Brother Zhang happen to pass through Mount Shu?”

“Two days ago, Mount Shu?” Zhang Yang’s brow twitched slightly before smoothing out quickly. He smiled and replied, “I haven’t been to Mount Shu, but I was chased by a shameless old fellow, and it seems we passed through the vicinity of Mount Shu once!”

Li Changfeng’s heart gave a violent jolt. Being chased through was precisely the confirmation he needed; that man truly was Zhang Yang. The “shameless old fellow” must be the peak expert the Grand Elder mentioned. The fact that Zhang Yang dared to speak of a peak master in such a way, and moreover, escaped from him, was something Li Changfeng dared not dwell on. Zhang Yang now stood at a height he might never reach even by looking up.

Regaining his composure, Li Changfeng continued, “It’s like this: when Brother Zhang passed through Mount Shu the other day, our Grand Elder spotted him. At the time, the Grand Elder didn't know Brother Zhang’s identity, and given his own strength, he was no match for the person pursuing Brother Zhang, so he didn't intervene!” Li Changfeng paused here, cautiously observing Zhang Yang’s reaction.

Zhang Yang’s expression remained unmoved, clearly agreeing with the statement—he, too, believed the Grand Elder wasn't a match for the pursuer. This confirmed all of Zhang Yang’s prior assumptions.

“Later, the Grand Elder recognized the white horse’s distinct markings, realizing it was you, Brother Zhang. He immediately dispatched people to search everywhere and instructed me to come down the mountain to your home to check. If you hadn't returned, I was to relay the matter to your family!” Li Changfeng finally laid out the true purpose of his visit. The part about searching for Zhang Yang was entirely fabricated—a small embellishment intended to foster goodwill, as Zhang Yang would never know whether the Li family had actually conducted such a search. The rest of the account was entirely true.

“I understand. Brother Li, thank you, and please convey my thanks to the Li family’s Grand Elder!” A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Yang’s eyes, then he smiled again. The Li family’s intentions were hardly hidden from him; having lived two lifetimes, Zhang Yang possessed a wisdom that severely contradicted his outward appearance.

“Brother Zhang, you are too polite. Please feel free to ask if you require anything. I’ve also brought ten jars of Monkey Wine and some local specialties from the mountain this time—a mere token, I hope you won't mind!” Li Changfeng stood up again, speaking quickly. Ten jars of Monkey Wine, added to what they had previously sent, brought the total gifted to Zhang Yang to fifty jars. This was the most Monkey Wine they had ever bestowed upon a single party, second only to the Dragon or Huyan families, with whom they shared millennia-old ties—and even then, those gifts were distributed slowly over time. No other family had ever received fifty jars within a single year. In this respect, Zhang Yang had certainly set a precedent.

“Brother Li, you are too kind. It’s getting late; please stay here and rest. I'll take you out for dinner later so you can sample the delicacies of our Changjing!” Zhang Yang said with a slight smile. Li Changfeng demurred briefly before accepting. His mission was indeed to forge a strong alliance with Zhang Yang, but he hadn't expected the pressure involved in dealing with him now to be so immense.

The gifts Li Changfeng brought were carried inside by Qu Meilan. As she was moving them, Zhang Yuan’an spotted them and laughed heartily, immediately claiming a jar of Monkey Wine. Shortly after, Zhang Daofeng emerged. Zhang Yang introduced his uncle and maternal grandfather to Li Changfeng one by one. With each introduction, Li Changfeng’s heart skipped a beat. All three members of the Zhang family were now in Changjing, and all were fourth-layer experts. This power alone, excluding any peak masters, could throw any major family into disarray. A thousand-year-old aristocratic family truly remained a thousand-year-old family; even the sparsely populated Zhang family possessed terrifying strength. He remained unaware that Chase the Wind and Shadowless in the room had also advanced to the fourth layer. If he knew they possessed two additional fourth-layer spirit beasts, he couldn't even imagine what his reaction would be.

Toward Zhang Yuan’an and Zhang Daofeng, Li Changfeng maintained a deferential, junior attitude. Both merely nodded slightly to him, adopting the air of elders. Especially after learning the reason for his visit, Zhang Daofeng let out a cold snort. That single sound sent a cold sweat down Li Changfeng’s back. If Zhang Yang hadn't returned, their visit to relay a message might have earned the Zhang family’s gratitude; but arriving now, after Zhang Yang was safe, made their motives easily suspect.

Shortly after Li Changfeng left with him, the dust-caked Hummer also returned. Having confirmed Zhang Yang was unharmed, Long Feng had turned back from Bashi County. That location was too far, and since he was alone on the road, his return was slightly delayed. He was unaware that at the very moment of his return, a meeting was convening in the backyard of the Dragon Family Plains headquarters.

Long Haotian, Long Zheng, Long Jiu, and the other third-layer members of the Dragon family were gathered. Among all the third-layer disciples, only Long Feng was absent. Only Long Yao, a second-layer disciple, attended due to his special status, which permitted his presence at such a council.

“We have completely confirmed that Huyan Feng did pursue Zhang Yang, but for unknown reasons, he returned severely wounded!” Long Haotian spoke gravely from the head seat. Long Feng had reported the matter to the family after descending from Bawang Peak; after all, he was a Dragon family disciple, and such an event warranted family notification. The Dragon family took the intelligence relayed by Long Feng very seriously and immediately began making inquiries.

“Huyan Feng—that is an existence on the same level as our Ancestor. Is this Zhang Yang truly that terrifying?” Long Zheng asked with clear astonishment. As he spoke, he recalled the young man who had calmly walked onto the martial competition stage years ago. Back then, Long Zheng had merely seen him as a cultivation prodigy, never imagining he would become this powerful.

“I believe the one who gravely injured Huyan Feng was not Zhang Yang, but someone else!” Long Yao suddenly shook his head and spoke slowly. Long Haotian nodded in agreement. “I concur with Long Yao’s assessment. If Zhang Yang possessed that level of strength, he wouldn't have been chased by Huyan Feng in the first place. Our peripheral disciples have verified this; traces were left behind during their chase and flight!” Huyan Feng’s pursuit of Zhang Yang rarely intersected with people, but there were occasional encounters. They had even entered Kunlun Mountain territory, where they were spotted by some peripheral Dragon family disciples who simply didn't know who they were. However, once their report came in, combined with the description of the white horse, the Dragon family quickly deduced that a high-stakes chase had occurred between the two parties, not long before.