Zhang Yang took the items, tossed them onto the bonfire without a second glance. He didn't particularly care about the things; if not for needing to conceal his identity as a cultivator to avoid shocking the world, it wouldn't have mattered if people knew about them.

Yan Ye-fei had no objection whatsoever to Zhang Yang burning those possessions. He had only sought out those items to uncover the truth of the incident—to know why the giant python had died.

Now he knew everything, and the killer of the python was standing right in front of him. After the initial apprehension, once he was completely certain that Zhang Yang harbored no intention of harming him, his heart finally settled.

Free from the fear of being silenced, his curiosity immediately resurged. He quickly began to press Zhang Yang on how he killed the python, how many internal energy cultivators existed, and whether they were all so formidable.

In his eyes, these internal energy cultivators were like superheroes, the very subjects his Supernatural Association had most desired to study. Disrupted by the powerful Parrot Spirit Beast, Zhang Yang couldn't sleep either, so he sat down and casually chatted with Yan Ye-fei.

Since Yan Ye-fei was just an ordinary person, Zhang Yang couldn't disclose much about the world of internal energy cultivators. However, he could recount the battle with the Golden-Crested Python and the origins of Swiftwind.

Even so, Yan Ye-fei listened in stunned silence, realizing there was an entire world operating beneath the surface of what he knew. This encounter was like Zhang Yang opening a gate for him—a world he had never known but was intensely curious about.

This gate to another world was now ajar, but alas, he could only watch; he couldn't step through. Only true masters could enter that realm.

"Zhang Yang, is it really true that if you pass eighteen, you can no longer cultivate?" Yan Ye-fei had just asked a question about cultivation. Like Su Zhantao before him, the first thought upon learning of such masters was the desire to become a disciple and study.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yang confirmed for him that cultivation was impossible past the age of eighteen. In fact, children over twelve were rarely even taken in to learn the ways anymore.

Past twelve, the body developed too rapidly, making it exceedingly difficult to forge foundational internal energy. And over eighteen?

There wasn't a shred of hope. "Normally, anyone over eighteen cannot cultivate internal energy, regardless of how good their physique might be!" Zhang Yang replied, feeling a slight sense of pity as he looked at Yan Ye-fei.

A Tribulation-Averting Physique—third among the Five Great Physiques. Cultivating with such a constitution provided an enormous advantage over others.

It was just that the owner of this rare physique was too old. Yan Ye-fei was thirty-seven this year, more than double eighteen.

"You said 'normally,' which implies there might be special circumstances that allow someone to cultivate?" Yan Ye-fei was intelligent. Initially disappointed by Zhang Yang's words, his eyes quickly lit up as he pressed urgently.

If there was a 'normal' way, there must be an 'abnormal' way—and that was his glimmer of hope. A hint of hesitation crossed Zhang Yang’s face.

There certainly was an abnormal path: the Marrow Cleansing Pill. By taking it, one could bypass the restrictions imposed by age, reorganize their physical structure, and subsequently begin cultivating.

In essence, with the Marrow Cleansing Pill, anyone, regardless of age, could cultivate internal energy. Relying on the pill, Yan Ye-fei certainly could cultivate.

However, Yan Ye-fei wasn't part of the Zhang family. They had only just met today, and according to the Zhang family's ancestral teachings, Zhang Yang could not introduce him to the world of internal energy cultivation.

Even with his extraordinarily rare Tribulation-Averting Physique, it was impossible. "Mr.

Zhang, if there is a way, no matter how difficult, I am willing to pay any price. I am willing to take you as my master, just ask me to teach you internal energy cultivation—I will do anything!" Yan Ye-fei suddenly sank to his knees, bowing his head directly to Zhang Yang in supplication.

But just as his head began to descend, it could go no further. His head was stopped by Zhang Yang’s hand.

"Don't be like this. The world of internal energy cultivation isn't as wonderful as you imagine.

It’s a world judged entirely by strength, and frankly, your age is a significant barrier." Zhang Yang shook his head. Yan Ye-fei was indeed sharp; Zhang Yang’s hesitation had confirmed to him that another path existed to enter the cultivation world.

"Mr. Zhang, please accept me.

I know this is a world dictated by strength. I know it must be brutal inside, but I am not afraid.

You don't know—I’ve dreamed of being a master since I was small. As a child, I loved practicing martial arts movements while reading those little storybooks.

When I grew up, I realized it was fantasy, but that thought always lingered." "Your appearance tells me this is not just fantasy. No matter how bitter or hard it is, this is my choice.

Even if I can’t become a top master, I will strive. I only beg you to accept me and let me become your disciple!" Unable to bow his head further, Yan Ye-fei could only plead.

His sincerity was evident. Zhang Yang shook his head again.

Accepting him was not a decision he could make alone. The Zhang family had accepted outer disciples before, and there had been many collateral relatives, but core internal energy was never transmitted.

To teach internal energy required consultation with the Old Master back home. "You don't need to act this way.

I cannot promise you right now. Let's drop this topic for the moment.

We can discuss it if an opportunity arises later. Go call your wife; I still need to treat her.

That is the priority!" Zhang Yang spoke softly, refusing Yan Ye-fei once more. However, this time the refusal was not absolute.

Yan Ye-fei possessed the extremely rare Tribulation-Averting Physique, and Zhang Yang was genuinely curious about the outcome if he, at thirty-seven, took the Marrow Cleansing Pill and began cultivating. Although his start would be very late, his constitution was far superior to most people's.

"Yes, I understand. Let's talk about that after my beloved's illness is cured!" Yan Ye-fei nodded hurriedly.

The fact that Zhang Yang hadn't completely rejected him meant there was still a chance. The most important task now was indeed curing his wife.

He would sacrifice anything for cultivation, but he would never abandon his affections. He and his wife had weathered storms together and were deeply devoted.

He now harbored no doubt that Zhang Yang, such a powerful master, could restore his wife to health. After chatting for a while, the sky began to lighten, and the effect of the parrot's cry was nearly gone.

A security guard rubbed his eyes and slowly struggled to sit up. Before he could fully rise, Zhang Yang and Yan Ye-fei had already retreated to their respective tents.

Seeing that he had actually fallen asleep, the security guard stiffened in surprise and quickly looked around. Once he confirmed that nothing was missing and there were no signs of any wild beasts having passed through, his heart finally relaxed.

He secretly blamed himself. How could he have dozed off on watch duty?

It was inexcusable. If Town Head Wang found out, he didn't know how badly he’d be scolded.

Besides him, the other security guard also woke up. The two quickly roused their companions.

Dawn was breaking, and they figured the bosses inside the tents would soon be getting up. These security guards attributed everything to their own drowsiness, completely unaware of what had transpired during the night.

"Boss Long, good morning!" The first out was Long Cheng. He had also been affected and fell into a deep slumber.

However, as an internal energy cultivator, he sensed something was slightly off; he had slept too deeply. This was unusual; he should have woken up sooner.

He didn't dwell on it, chalking it up to an anomaly, and proceeded to wash up. Before long, Wu Zhiguo, Chang Feng, and others also awoke.

Wu Zhiguo began preparing breakfast; the task of cooking on trips always fell to him, as his culinary skills were the best. Soon, Su Zhantao, Yang Ling, and Ying Ning were also up.

Only Li Ya and Wang Chen were still enjoying their late sleep. Halfway through making breakfast, Zhang Yang and Yan Ye-fei emerged simultaneously.

They hadn't slept after their late-night conversation. Zhang Yang looked quite energetic, but Yan Ye-fei had dark circles under his eyes.

"Brother Yan, what's wrong with you? Didn't sleep well last night?" Chang Feng, busy helping Wu Zhiguo cook, asked with surprise upon seeing the listless Yan Ye-fei.

"No, just a nightmare, scared myself awake!" Yan Ye-fei smiled, then glanced awkwardly at Zhang Yang. Everything from last night felt almost dreamlike to him.

But he couldn't call it a nightmare, as Zhang Yang had genuinely shown him no malice. Li Ya and Wang Chen finally woke up during breakfast.

Their main purpose for this trip was to investigate the mystery of the missing giant python. After the meal, Li Ya and the others suggested entering the forest.

His theory was that the python had likely been stolen by a forest predator, not humans. Humans couldn't move something that massive without a vehicle, and there were no signs of any vehicles nearby, leading him to suspect a beast.

Wang Chen and Su Zhantao agreed to venture into the woods. Su Zhantao seemed to have forgotten his recent near-death experience with a wild boar.

Long Cheng intended to object, but Zhang Yang surprisingly agreed, leaving him no choice but to relent. Seeing Zhang Yang’s approval, the others grew even more excited and immediately began packing.

Since this trip wasn't primarily for hunting, they hadn't brought many rifles—only four in total. They lacked rifles, but they had plenty of powerful crossbows, which posed little threat to ordinary animals unless they encountered truly ferocious beasts.

The large group proceeded into the mountains in procession, and Yan Ye-fei and his assistant followed along. Everyone had a favorable impression of Yan Ye-fei, so they allowed him to join.

However, no one noticed that Yan Ye-fei deliberately kept his distance, always trailing behind Zhang Yang. He treated Zhang Yang, and even Swiftwind the white horse, with deep reverence, never daring to walk alongside them.

Because of the large number of people and the slow pace of walking, their progress into the mountains was sluggish. Nevertheless, they reached Savage Mountain before noon.

Inside, Li Ya and the others naturally found no trace of the python's path, though they did manage to hunt down several smaller game, which counted as a decent haul. "Brother Cheng, you take them back this afternoon; I won't be returning with you!" While eating dry rations in the forest at midday, Zhang Yang pulled Long Cheng aside.

As he spoke, he glanced once more toward the depths of Savage Mountain. Yesterday’s Parrot Spirit Beast had sparked intense curiosity in him.

The beast had warned him not to enter the mountain, but Zhang Yang hadn't taken the warning to heart. Now, even without orders from Zhang Pinglu, he felt compelled to venture deep into the mountain and investigate the secrets of Savage Mountain.