Zhang Daofeng’s speed was slightly quicker, as the distance between him and Zhang Yang was already shorter. He had already spotted the streaks of silvery-white sword light in the distance, and after running hard, he soon saw two figures.

By the time he was within a hundred meters and clearly saw the two individuals locked in fierce combat, he abruptly halted in place. Zhang Daofeng’s mouth hung slightly open, staring ahead in utter disbelief.

Having sensed the eruption of Heaven and Earth energy from afar, he had known that Zhang Yang and Hu Yanfeng must have clashed; such a massive surge of energy could only belong to a Great Perfection master. At that moment, his singular focus had been overwhelming worry for Zhang Yang, compelling him to hasten his arrival.

With his elder master absent, he felt compelled to protect Zhang Yang, even if it cost him his life. It could be said that his entire journey had been consumed by planning how to keep Zhang Yang safe, yet nothing could have prepared him for the sight of Zhang Yang actively chasing and beating his opponent upon arrival.

Though Zhang Daofeng had never met the one-armed elder, he understood that this must be Hu Yanfeng. No one else could possibly wield such terrifying Heaven and Earth energy.

Hu Yanfeng was indeed looking rather disheveled at this moment, but his inner state was dominated more by shock. The fact that Zhang Yang could materialize energy was completely beyond his expectation and had thoroughly disrupted his composure, forcing him into a state of desperate evasion.

Otherwise, given his true strength, even if Zhang Yang could materialize energy, he would still be no match for him; the gap between early Fourth Layer and Great Perfection was simply too vast. Of course, Hu Yanfeng’s injury played a part, but it was not the primary reason.

Soon after, Zhang Pinglu also appeared in the distance, arriving beside Zhang Daofeng within a few breaths. He, too, stared ahead with equal astonishment.

Like Zhang Daofeng, he had been worried about Zhang Yang suffering a loss, but the reality presented the exact opposite result: Zhang Yang was not only holding his own but was actively pressing an attack against a Great Perfection master. Regardless of how severe Hu Yanfeng’s injuries were or how much his strength had diminished, he was still a Great Perfection expert—a toothless tiger still possessed its fangs and could still injure or kill.

“Elder Master, you have arrived!” Zhang Daofeng glanced back to say this, then immediately turned his head back. The battle between Zhang Yang and Hu Yanfeng raged on.

The terrifying sword radiance shooting from the Cold Spring Sword grew ever more numerous; each visible manifestation of the sword light blasted a small crater into the ground upon impact. In the short time elapsed, the ground was already riddled with countless pits.

“I have been following close behind. Zhang Yang, he...

materialized energy?” Zhang Pinglu nodded mechanically, his face still etched with profound shock. He understood more than Zhang Daofeng and grasped the true significance of energy materialization.

Seeing the ceaseless appearance of silvery-white sword light, his surprise was no less than Hu Yanfeng’s. Zhang Yang was a disciple of the Zhang family, yet Zhang Pinglu suddenly realized he knew next to nothing about this disciple; it seemed every encounter with Zhang Yang brought him a new wave of shock.

“It’s true energy materialization. What—what exactly has this kid been through?” After watching for a while, Zhang Pinglu muttered to himself, his mouth remaining open.

Hu Yanfeng, engaged in the fierce struggle, had also noticed the arrival of Zhang Daofeng and Zhang Pinglu. Zhang Daofeng was manageable; the family still had a mid-Fourth Layer elder who could provide support.

But Zhang Pinglu was an undeniable force that could not be easily countered. His prior worries had materialized: this time, the Zhang family had truly mobilized its strength.

Crack! A streak of sword light pierced through Hu Yanfeng’s robes.

Zhang Yang’s assault paused momentarily, and a bead of sweat surfaced on his brow. While energy purification and materialization greatly increased power, the consumption was also immense.

Sustained activation taxed Zhang Yang’s internal strength heavily. This energy, after all, was channeled via the Heaven-Breaking Sword Technique, not used directly, thus draining his reserves far faster.

Zhang Yang stopped for a moment, and Hu Yanfeng froze as well, staring blankly at the tear in his clothing. Although the strike only hit his garment, it inflicted a minor graze on his skin.

For a Great Perfection master, even a small wound was significant, but more importantly, it proved that Zhang Yang now possessed the ability to injure him. Just a few days ago, he had been chasing this young man everywhere, unable to withstand more than a few exchanges under his attacks.

Now, days later, the opponent could not only fight him head-on but also had the strength to wound him. This transformation was simply too immense.

Too immense for him to accept. Seizing the moment of respite, Zhang Pinglu suddenly stepped forward, placing himself directly in front of Zhang Yang, effectively sheltering the younger man behind him.

“Old lunatic, your opponent is me!” Zhang Pinglu stated calmly. Across from him, Hu Yanfeng glared directly at him, then spared a glance at Zhang Yang behind the elder.

Zhang Pinglu’s appearance did little to mitigate the shock Hu Yanfeng felt regarding Zhang Yang. At this moment, regret began to surface within him.

However, his regret wasn't about pursuing Zhang Yang; it was about not slaying the young man earlier. After his own disciple was killed by Zhang Yang, he should have emerged personally to eliminate this rising threat.

This young man’s growth was terrifying; the entire Hu Yan family could cease to exist because of him. “Old Zhang, have you come seeking utter annihilation this time?” Hu Yanfeng spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse.

He and Zhang Pinglu had known each other for a long time; they weren't friends, but neither had they been enemies until now. If it weren't for Zhang Yang, he would never have wished to become Zhang Pinglu’s adversary.

Zhang Pinglu shook his head and spoke softly, “It is not annihilation I seek. Certain lines should not be crossed.

Once crossed, one must bear the consequences!” “Crossing the line? Me pursuing and attempting to kill this prodigious successor of your Zhang family constitutes crossing the line?

But you must remember, he previously killed two members of my Hu Yan family, one of whom was an elder!” Zhang Pinglu’s words instantly caused Hu Yanfeng to roar, his agitation making his breathing ragged. He was a Great Perfection powerhouse, the apex existence short of the Fifth Layer appearing, and such a loss of composure demonstrated the sheer volatility of his current emotions.

Zhang Pinglu glanced up at him and shook his head again. “They deserved death.

If they had not provoked my Zhang family, if they had not sought to harm my Zhang family’s most outstanding disciple, they would not have met that end. Their fate was of their own making; they have no one to blame but themselves!” “Hmph, you are Zhang family, so of course you say so.

From my perspective, anyone who kills a member of my Hu Yan family is unacceptable. If I encounter such a person, I naturally won’t let them go!” Hu Yanfeng snorted coldly, having regained some composure through his outburst.

“Different standpoints lead to futility in discussion. From this day forward, there will be no more Hu Yan family!” Zhang Pinglu said quietly.

He possessed a unique method that allowed him to sense the numerous disciples of the Hu Yan family arrayed on the other side of the mountain, and furthermore, six outstanding young disciples were currently slipping away secretly. This ensured that even if the main family structure collapsed, the Hu Yan lineage would retain a spark for future resurgence.

However, since Zhang Pinglu declared there would be no more Hu Yan family, he naturally could not allow those six to escape unharmed. He had already sent a telepathic message to Zhang Yun’an, instructing him to intercept those six disciples from another direction upon his arrival.

A Fourth Layer expert intercepting young Second Layer disciples—the outcome was predictable. This action bordered on bullying the weak, but the two families were now locked in a death feud.

Letting those six flee would be planting a time bomb for his own side. These few carried hatred for the Zhang family with them as they left.

Zhang Pinglu was no soft-hearted philanthropist; despite his usual jovial demeanor, his actions in combat were far more ruthless than Zhang Yang’s. “No more Hu Yan family?” Hu Yanfeng’s breath hitched sharply.

He understood Zhang Pinglu’s intent, yet hearing the words spoken aloud still sent a tremor of panic through him. Had anyone else said this, he would have dismissed it as a joke, perhaps even ensuring the speaker never saw the sun again.

But coming from Zhang Pinglu, from the mouth of another Great Perfection expert, he had to take it seriously. Zhang Pinglu absolutely possessed the power to carry out such a threat, especially in his current wounded state.

Taking a deep breath, Hu Yanfeng spoke again. “Old Zhang, I have already sent a message instructing my disciples to prepare to transmit the news of Zhang Yang’s energy materialization to the outside world at any moment.

It is true I am severely injured, but I can injure you if I risk my life. How will you then face the other Great Perfection masters, how will you deal with Hua Feitian?” Zhang Pinglu’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of hesitation showing in his expression.

Hu Yanfeng spoke the truth. Though heavily wounded, he was no match for Zhang Pinglu, but if he fought recklessly, he could inflict damage.

Once a Great Perfection master is injured, the wound is often irreparable. If Zhang Pinglu were injured, and the news of Zhang Yang’s energy materialization spread, the number of parties interested in dealing with Zhang Yang would multiply.

Previously, no matter what energy Zhang Yang borrowed, he was capped at advancing to the Great Perfection stage of the Fourth Layer. But his ability to materialize energy was virtually a guarantee of reaching the Fifth Layer.

Other Great Perfection masters might tolerate Zhang Yang becoming a Great Perfection expert, and might even accept the Zhang family achieving renewed glory with two such figures, but they would not necessarily accept Zhang Yang advancing to the Fifth Layer and becoming a supreme master in his own right. The logic was simple: as fellow Great Perfection masters, they were bound by certain constraints.

No matter how powerful the Zhang family became, they would have to abide by established rules of conduct. But once Zhang Yang broke through to the Fifth Layer, he would become the unrivaled figure of the era, whom no one could threaten.

In that scenario, they would be forced to heed whatever Zhang Yang said. Every Great Perfection master guarded their own family or sect, and who would willingly submit to the commands of another?

To prevent this scenario, they would likely move to eliminate Zhang Yang preemptively. While others were uncertain, Hua Feitian would certainly not permit such a situation to arise.

Hua Feitian was the guardian of the Hua family and the youngest such guardian, having advanced through his own comprehension of the Dao of Nature. He harbored immense ambition to restore the Hua family to its former glory, or even surpass it.

Furthermore, Hua Feitian was continually striving to break through to the Fifth Layer himself; among all Great Perfection masters, he was considered the most likely candidate to reach that level. Zhang Pinglu also knew that Hua Feitian possessed an intensely arrogant nature, having once boasted that if anyone were to reach the Fifth Layer, it would inevitably be him.

Upon learning that Zhang Yang held the potential to reach the Fifth Layer, given his disposition, Hua Feitian would almost certainly strike first to prevent the emergence of someone who could potentially surpass him. To put it plainly, this was a matter of self-interest.

If the roles were reversed, Zhang Pinglu himself would harbor similar thoughts upon encountering a disciple from another family possessing such talent.