“Do you find this amusing, or perhaps believe my Hua family is completely spineless—unable to seek revenge, forced to collude with our enemies?”

As Hua Feitian spoke, he turned back, smiling faintly at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang had some inkling about what Hua Feitian said; he had heard snippets about the Hua family’s past troubles but lacked the details.

In fact, when the Hua family's Guardian position ceased centuries ago, the very first outsiders to learn the news were the Huyan family. The Huyan family had initially promised to protect them for a time, but unexpectedly, their intentions eventually turned malicious.

A family without a Guardian was bound to attract unwelcome attention toward their wealth. The Huyan family ultimately failed in their complete takeover, but the incident still caused the Hua family significant losses, leading them to relocate entirely to Changbai Mountain.

At the Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain resided a spiritual beast connected to the Hua family, capable of offering them protection.

This act revealed one of the Hua family's hidden trump cards, much like the Zhang family's veiled connection with the Illusionary Rat of Yinlong Mountain, a fact unknown to most.

Forced into a corner, the Hua family moved to Changbai Mountain and leveraged their bond with the spirit beast. Only under the Tianchi beast's auspices were they able to rally their strength, eventually producing a new Guardian in modern times.

That Guardian was Hua Feitian, and notably, he achieved this status by grasping the Dao of Nature through his own comprehension.

With Hua Feitian established, the Hua family dared to gradually reemerge, finally presenting themselves as the thousand-year lineage they were. It could be said that for a major clan, possessing a Guardian or lacking one represented two entirely different realities.

This was precisely why Hu Yanfeng, after suffering a severe blow himself, immediately arranged for the Huyan family to go into seclusion.

He understood clearly that if he were to fall, the entire Huyan clan would face utter annihilation.

“Why the silence?”

Hua Feitian looked at Zhang Yang, then suddenly inquired again. Zhang Yang stared straight at him and slowly shook his head.

“It’s not that I’m silent, but rather I’m pondering what caused the thousand-year Hua family to lose its heart of glory, now carrying a pervasive sense of inferiority.”

Zhang Yang spoke slowly, and Hua Feitian’s eyes suddenly tightened, fixing intensely upon him.

A faint aura of malevolence—sha qi rather than pure killing intent—emanated from Hua Feitian. Few people could cultivate such an aura; it usually manifested only in those burdened by deep resentment.

This sha qi made Zhang Yang slightly more cautious, though it posed no immediate threat to him.

After a moment, Hua Feitian suddenly laughed softly. “You are correct. My Hua family has indeed lost its heart of glory. If we still remembered our past honor, how could we align with the Huyan and Li families to attack the Long family? Attacking the Long family offers us no benefit; we were simply coerced into it!” Hua Feitian spoke continuously, shaking his head throughout his explanation.

Zhang Yang watched him, suddenly feeling a strange sense of pity for Hua Feitian. The pressure he bore was immense; he was forced to endure humiliation for the sake of reviving the Hua family.

The thousand-year Hua family, despite its long history, suffered an impact so severe during the interruption of its Guardian line that even Hua Feitian’s genius—culminating in reaching Great Perfection (Da Yuan Man)—could not fully restore the family’s standing overnight.

As he said, when the Li and Huyan families united to approach them, they had no choice but to comply.

The Hua family was still in a phase of weakness.

After his momentary laughter subsided, Hua Feitian’s expression snapped tight again. He looked back at Zhang Yang and slowly inquired, “Zhang Yang, you are at the mid-stage of the Fourth Level, yet how did you achieve Great Perfection?”

This time, his question concerned the internal energy aspect, signaling that he had set aside his secular identity. In this moment, he was no longer Professor Hua, but truly the Guardian of the Hua family—Hua Feitian.

“It is simple: by comprehending the Dao of Nature, one can naturally achieve Great Perfection!”

Zhang Yang replied, shaking his head lightly, his tone soft yet imbued with unwavering conviction.

“The Dao of Nature?”

Hua Feitian froze, his brows knitting together instantly. He stopped looking at Zhang Yang and lowered his head.

Comprehending the Dao of Nature to advance to Great Perfection was common knowledge among internal energy cultivators, at least those in the mid-to-late Fourth Level. Grasping the Dao of Nature was universally acknowledged as the key to reaching Great Perfection.

The anomaly was that no one had ever considered that comprehension at the mid-stage of the Fourth Level could achieve Great Perfection; in everyone’s estimation, only late-stage Fourth Level cultivators could grasp such concepts. For generations, Great Perfection had been a realm reserved for those in the later stages.

After a pause, Hua Feitian’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he began nodding slowly to himself. “I see it now; I was stuck in my own preconceptions. The Dao of Nature speaks of natural law—‘The Dao follows Nature’ (Dao Fa Zi Ran), of being without birth or death, without beginning or end. Nature is everything. Regardless of your internal energy level, once the Dao of Nature is understood, you are Great Perfection; your realm is Great Perfection!”

As Hua Feitian spoke, his aura began to expand noticeably.

This time it was Zhang Yang who showed surprise. Hua Feitian was clearly experiencing a new insight, something Zhang Yang hadn’t anticipated stemming from a simple sentence—it had spurred further progress in him.

Comprehending the Dao of Nature was profoundly difficult; even Zhang Yang had only achieved breakthroughs through several fortunate coincidences. Judging by the current display, Hua Feitian’s comprehension of the Dao of Nature surpassed his own, and perhaps even that of Zhang Pinglu. It was no wonder Zhang Pinglu remained wary of him, and why Hu Yanfeng had tried to pull him in before his death.

“Congratulations!”

After a moment, Zhang Yang softly offered the sentiment. Hua Feitian had gained understanding, but this insight alone wasn't enough for a full advancement; he remained at the Great Perfection realm for now.

“Thank you, Brother Zhang!”

Hua Feitian smiled slightly and cupped his hands toward Zhang Yang. He had genuinely experienced a moment of enlightenment, deepening his understanding of the Dao of Nature. This profound realization was gifted to him by Zhang Yang. His words of thanks were entirely sincere, devoid of artifice.

“Brother Hua’s talent is exceptional; I am impressed!”

Zhang Yang returned the cupped-hand gesture. He accepted Hua Feitian’s thanks, as both knew that Hua Feitian had indeed received new insights because of him. At their level, much understanding passed between them without the need for extensive articulation.

“Brother Zhang, I remain curious: what is the difference between the Great Perfection achieved at the mid-stage of the Fourth Level and the Great Perfection achieved at the late stage?”

Hua Feitian looked at Zhang Yang and spoke softly again. He was a Great Perfection cultivator who advanced conventionally from the late Fourth Level, whereas Zhang Yang achieved it from the mid-stage—an unconventional Great Perfection. By asking this, he was, in essence, issuing a challenge: Great Perfection against Great Perfection.

Regardless of the preceding stage, both were now Great Perfection. By addressing Zhang Yang as an equal, Hua Feitian fully acknowledged his status; in Hua Feitian’s mind, Zhang Yang was indeed a Great Perfection expert.

“Let’s go inside,”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly, waving his hand. He was without his Cold Spring Sword, and Swift Wind was not beside him, yet he felt no fear toward Hua Feitian at this moment. Instead, a desire to engage Hua Feitian in a true battle stirred within him—Zhang Yang wanted to gauge his current strength objectively.

“Thank you, Brother Zhang!”

Hua Feitian replied with a smile, and as he spoke, his form vanished completely, stepping directly into the mountain woods. Having arrived here, Hua Feitian clearly intended to test Zhang Yang; a challenge between two Great Perfection experts was hardly inappropriate.

Zhang Yang understood perfectly that if he failed to demonstrate strength commensurate with the Great Perfection realm, Hua Feitian would likely drop his polite demeanor. Given the choice, Hua Feitian would almost certainly choose to eliminate him right then and there, a necessity for the preservation of his lineage, a point he had already implicitly conceded.

Conversely, for the sake of the Zhang family, Zhang Yang had to prove his equivalent strength, letting the world know that the Zhang family now truly possessed two Great Perfection masters.

Stepping forward lightly, Zhang Yang instantly appeared dozens of meters further inside the woods.

Hua Feitian, already deeper in, caught the movement and his eyes sharpened.

“Shrinking the Earth to an Inch?” Hua Feitian murmured the words softly. Though far away, he observed Zhang Yang’s every movement with perfect clarity.

Zhang Yang’s step was even more refined than what Zhang Pinglu had displayed previously, nearing the legendary technique of Shrinking the Earth to an Inch (Suo Di Cheng Cun). This skill was supposedly a technique used by some Fifth Level experts long ago.

It wasn't mastered by all Fifth Level experts; only those versed in the arts of the Esoteric Sect (Qi Men Dun Jia) could apply even fragments of it. Reportedly, Shrinking the Earth to an Inch was one of the most profound methods in that discipline. Even so, few managed to execute it, let alone someone who hadn't yet reached the Fifth Level.

“No, this isn’t true Shrinking the Earth to an Inch!”

After Zhang Yang took a few more steps, Hua Feitian shook his head again to himself. True Shrinking the Earth to an Inch was said to cover a hundred li in a single stride—a legendary exaggeration, perhaps, but utilizing Qi Men Dun Jia, a step spanning several thousand meters was indeed achievable. Several thousand meters per stride meant traversing thousands of li in a thousand steps. Such velocity was terrifyingly astounding, the very reason the skill became so famous; it was rumored that even the swift Heavenly Horse spirit beast could not catch up.

As he pondered this, Zhang Yang had already arrived inside, standing before Hua Feitian.

“Brother Zhang, impressive!”

Hua Feitian cupped his hands again. This compliment was utterly sincere; even if Zhang Yang hadn't achieved true Shrinking the Earth to an Inch, he displayed the latent potential for it. Given time to reach the Fifth Level, Zhang Yang would certainly master such long-lost supreme skills.

“Brother Hua overpraises me,”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. Being deep within the mountain, far from the outside world, their movements would not alarm anyone if kept discreet.

“Brother Zhang, regardless of the outcome of our battle today, from this day forward, my Hua family and your Zhang family shall be allies, not enemies. What do you say, Brother Zhang?”

Hua Feitian looked at Zhang Yang and spoke slowly once more. Zhang Yang paused, momentarily surprised by such a proposal from Hua Feitian. But he quickly grasped the underlying meaning and felt a surge of respect for the elder master. (To be continued)