Soon, Long Zheng nodded first. What Long Haotian said was correct; if Huyun Feng could hunt down Zhang Yang, then the person who had beaten Huyun Feng so severely could not possibly be Zhang Yang.

This point was quickly accepted by all members of the Long family. The reason the Long family was so certain, besides the reports from the peripheral disciples, was a subconscious unwillingness to believe that a person like Zhang Yang could have progressed so far.

This was an unconscious bias, one that even Long Haotian himself had not noticed. Everyone has their own selfish motives, and internal energy cultivators are no exception.

They were unwilling to admit, unwilling to believe, that a young man so much younger than them was already so much more powerful. They did not wish to have to look up to someone so much younger than themselves.

"Regardless of whether it was Zhang Yang, what kind of impact will this matter have on our Long family?" An elder of about seventy years spoke softly, and all eyes immediately focused on him. This elder was seventy-six; by seniority, he was a generation above Long Haotian.

However, due to his limited aptitude, his cultivation speed was slow. At sixty, he was still only at the mid-third layer, and even now, with the help of spiritual medicine, he had only reached the late-third layer.

For the rest of his life, he would never break through to the fourth layer. Every family had people like him, and they were not few.

Although they had no chance of advancing to the fourth layer, they were rich in experience and usually served as the direct instructors for the next generation of disciples, thus retaining significant status within the family. "Uncle Zhong is right.

We must clearly see what kind of impact this event will have on our Long family!" Long Haotian nodded; this elder had hit upon the crucial point. No matter how far Zhang Yang grew, the Long family could not interfere, nor could they control it.

For them, the most important thing was the repercussions stemming from this incident. "Long Feng reported that Zhang Yang is safe.

I believe that from now on, no one will be able to impede Zhang Yang's development!" Long Zheng added. When Long Feng sent the message, he had specifically mentioned that Zhang Yang was safe; at that point, Zhang Yang had already contacted him.

He only shared this much. He did not divulge anything else about Zhang Yang; one, because he didn't know, and two, even if he did know, he couldn't say much.

He would not reveal too much about Zhang Yang to the family. "Zhang Yang?

The rise of the Zhang family this time, no one can stop it!" Long Jiu sighed with emotion, his expression somewhat complicated as he spoke. In the Long family, he was the first person to meet Zhang Yang, even sparring with him once in an attempt to test his abilities.

The result of that exchange was that he had only humiliated himself, subdued in a single move by Zhang Yang. That event had left a deep impression on him; this young man, Zhang Yang, was deeply etched into his mind.

Although he lost that time, he wasn't entirely convinced, nor could he have predicted Zhang Yang's later terrifying performance—not only slaying Huyun Peng, a late-third layer elder of the Huyun family, but also killing Elder Huyun Xin. That battle had made Zhang Yang famous overnight.

And now, Zhang Yang could contend with those at the Great Perfection stage. Even though the news indicated Zhang Yang was fleeing, managing to escape under the pursuit of a Great Perfection master was skill in itself.

Not to mention the subsequent report that Huyun Feng had returned severely injured, prompting the Huyun family to sound the nine bells. "Since Zhang Yang's development cannot be stopped, we can only seek to build a good relationship with him.

No matter how far Zhang Yang develops in the future, our Long family must absolutely not make an enemy of this person!" Long Kuan, sitting below Long Haotian, spoke slowly. Long Kuan was also an important member of the Long family; although only fifty-one years old, he was already a master at the late-third layer.

He was also one of the most promising candidates to become an Elder in the Long family. He had been in secluded cultivation during the last Long family Grand Competition, which is why he hadn't appeared.

"Indeed, the rise of the Zhang family is now inevitable!" Long Haotian sighed, saying slowly, and everyone nodded in agreement. Regardless of Zhang Yang's cultivation level, having survived the pursuit of a Great Perfection expert meant no one could stop him in the future.

Achieving this at only twenty-one meant his future development was unstoppable. Zhang Yang's development was synonymous with the rise of the Zhang family—the thousand-year-old family with the smallest population, the lineage of the Medical Saint, was destined to rise again this time.

At this moment, everyone felt an indescribable mix of emotions. There was jealousy, envy, and a sense of helplessness.

The rising power was not their Long family, and no matter who it was, their hegemonic status would face a challenge. Whether they could maintain this position in the future was unknown.

However, there was also a sliver of relief: fortunately, it was the Zhang family rising, the one with the fewest descendants. Even if the Zhang family achieved dominance, their small population meant they could not command the entire internal energy cultivation world.

"Regardless of Zhang Yang's future growth, or the future of the Zhang family, I propose that Long Feng be the successor to the next Clan Leader!" Long Zheng suddenly stated, and Long Haotian froze momentarily before immediately looking at him. Not just Long Haotian, but everyone else present also turned toward Long Zheng.

Soon, everyone slowly nodded. Long Zheng's proposal was sudden, but upon careful consideration, it held profound logic.

The Clan Leader of the Long family had always been held by the most capable. Long Feng, under twenty-seven, was already at the third layer of internal energy, the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Long family.

Furthermore, everyone understood Long Feng's relationship with Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang might not have much rapport with the wider Long family, but he treated Long Feng distinctly differently; anyone could see that Zhang Yang showed different treatment toward Long Feng and the rest of the Long family.

Viewed this way, Long Feng becoming the Clan Leader would also bring some benefit to the future relationship between the Long and Zhang families. Even if the Zhang family truly rose, the Long family could still secure its own standing.

It was evident that Long Zheng did not bring up the Clan Leader succession spontaneously at this moment but had put deep thought into the proposal. "I agree!" Long Jiu was the first to raise his hand in assent.

Although this was an impromptu meeting, all the most important figures besides the Elders were present, making the proposal for the Clan Leader succession valid at this time. "I agree too!" Long Kuan raised his hand next, followed by Long Yao, Long Zheng, and the others.

Soon, everyone had raised their hands. In the past, Long Feng kept a low profile, but looking closely now, him inheriting the Clan Leadership was the most advantageous path for the Long family.

Even if the Zhang family didn't rise, Long Feng's own strength would have been sufficient. "We will report this matter to the Elders before making a final decision.

What we must discuss now is our future stance toward Zhang Yang and the Zhang family!" Long Haotian was slightly taken aback, yet inwardly, he felt a surge of excitement. He was naturally pleased that his son would succeed him, but he couldn't show it at this moment.

The others also nodded, and no one brought up the succession topic again, continuing the discussion on the future attitude toward Zhang Yang and the Zhang family. Everyone understood that this was the focus of today's meeting.

No matter by what means Zhang Yang had managed to heavily injure Huyun Feng, this person had to be truly taken into their consideration—perhaps even regarded as the most important figure. The future internal energy cultivation world would inevitably be reshaped because of this person, Zhang Yang, and the key for the Long family was how to secure their maximum interests within this process.