"Zhang Yang, I apologize; something just happened at home, and everyone is still unsettled. They don't know your situation, nor do they know you possess Great Perfection strength!"

Long Feng, seeing that Zhang Yang looked somewhat unwell, quickly offered an explanation, while servants of the Long family were busy tidying up their rooms nearby.

This time, Long Feng intended to stay with Zhang Yang and not leave again; he absolutely would not allow a repeat of what occurred at the Long Family Plain last time.

"I'm fine. Oh, right, for now, don't let anyone know I have Great Perfection strength. Keep it confidential!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and shook his head gently. A surge of heaven-and-earth energy, invisible to the naked eye, was circulating slowly. The few people in the back hall rooms had no idea that their conversation content had already been leaked.

That location wasn't too far off; within this range, if Zhang Yang wished to listen, nothing could be hidden from him.

"Confidential, alright, I understand!"

Long Feng paused for a moment but agreed nonetheless. He didn't know Zhang Yang's objective, but he would certainly obey Zhang Yang's words.

Zhang Yang smiled again, but this time said nothing.

He was helping Long Feng and protecting the Long family, but not every single member of the Long family. As it stood, the arrogant nature of these individuals hadn't changed; if that was the case, Zhang Yang wouldn't mind letting them suffer a bit.

Among those Fourth Layer experts, the only one Zhang Yang genuinely paid attention to was Long Haotian—he was Long Feng's father, and keeping him safe was paramount.

"Great Elder, rest assured, with me watching him, every move he makes on the Long Family Plain will not escape my sight!"

A man appearing to be around fifty years old stood up in the room, speaking with confidence. His age didn't seem excessive, and he was an unfamiliar face on the Long Family Plain.

Long Haotian's brow twitched again, and he hurriedly said, "Great Elder, perhaps Zhang Yang has come sincerely this time to help our Long family. Wouldn't doing this be improper?"

Long Shen, the man who had stood up, was also a member of the Long family, though few people knew of his existence within it.

Periodically, a portion of the younger generation disciples of the Long family would be secretly sent out to live and cultivate elsewhere, following a path entirely different from the Long family headquarters.

These individuals were the Long family's external guardians; they would only emerge if the Long family encountered a major crisis.

Only a select few within the Long family, specifically the Clan Head and the Elders, knew about the existence of these external guardians.

The number of external guardians was always maintained at one to three, all of them Fourth Layer experts who had achieved mastery. Without cultivating to the Fourth Layer, they were unqualified to serve as guardians.

Because their cultivation environments were much harsher than the Long Family Plain, many of them possessed formidable combat prowess. They would return to defend the family when crises arose.

These two men were external guardians. The most dazzling moment for the Long family's external guardians was over a thousand years ago when the Long family faced another crisis; at that time, one of the external guardians reached Great Perfection, and it was he who turned the tide and saved the family.

Unfortunately, this time there was no Great Perfection expert, only two Fourth Layer powerhouses.

However, both of these individuals were strong: one was in the mid-Fourth Layer, and the other was in the early-Fourth Layer. Long Shen was the expert in the early-Fourth Layer.

Every family had its trump cards. Just as Huyan Feng controlled the Soul Devouring Art, and the Zhang family had its connection with the Phantom Rats, the Long family possessed their external guardians and the Grand Protective Array.

With the addition of these two guardians, plus Long Haotian’s advancement, the number of Fourth Layer experts in the Long family now totaled six. In terms of sheer Fourth Layer powerhouses, except for Zhang Yang, who possessed three Spirit Beasts, no other family could compare to them.

"Haotian, one must maintain vigilance against others. Isn't he hailed as the most outstanding cultivation genius in history? I'd like to see just what is so different about this genius!"

Long Shen spoke dismissively. He didn't place much importance on Zhang Yang, not even sparing him much thought.

The external disciples the Long family sent out each time were never just one or two, but always a batch sent to endure the most brutal training in the most arduous environments.

Surviving in such conditions was no easy feat. Even with all the preparations the Long family made, the mortality rate for those sent out was as high as fifty percent.

But those who survived were true elites, genuine masters.

Even among them, advancing to the Fourth Layer was difficult. Every promotion meant facing greater peril, until perhaps only a scant few remained at the end.

If it weren't for the constant brainwashing education, coupled with the Long family consistently providing them with the largest and best resources, these individuals would likely have gone mad long ago.

People tempered by such environments developed extremely tenacious personalities, and their actual combat abilities far surpassed those of the same cultivation stage. Don't let Long Shen's early-Fourth Layer inner energy fool you; in a life-or-death struggle, even a mid-Fourth Layer expert might not be his match and could very well suffer defeat at his hands.

This was the terrifying nature of the Long family guardians.

Long Haotian’s brow furrowed deeply. He desperately wanted to refute Long Shen, but seeing Long Shen’s expression, he understood that arguing was useless; Long Shen would not listen to another word.

The group briefly discussed defense and relocation matters before returning to their respective quarters for a brief rest.

The Long family was already considering moving. The Long Family Plain was excellent, but without a Great Perfection expert presiding over it, it would be difficult to keep. If necessary, they had dispatched some of their younger disciples in the last couple of days to go into hiding in various places, just in case.

These young disciples were the seeds of the Long family. Having learned the lesson from the Huyan family, they sent these people away early; even if major problems erupted here, the Long family would not face complete annihilation.

Having heard every word of their conversation, Zhang Yang merely shook his head slightly.

He wasn't interested in their talk of relocation, but some of the other intelligence they mentioned piqued his interest.

According to them, the Li family was the first to learn about the accident involving the Long family's Great Perfection expert. They were the first to send people to confirm the situation, with the Li Family's Great Elder personally leading a contingent to the Long Family Plain.

The Li Family Great Elder was already at the late-Fourth Layer; as long as the Long family lacked a Great Perfection expert, they couldn't touch him.

This Li Family Great Elder was currently still on the Long Family Plain, though he was not staying in the main palace area but rather in vacated housing outside.

Besides the Li Family Great Elder, there was also a mid-Fourth Layer expert from the Southern Border Demonic Sect present.

The Demonic Sect had also received news quickly. This demonic path expert openly arrived at their doorstep, intentionally testing the waters. They were also suspicious about the death of the Long family guardian and specifically dispatched an important figure—only someone of this caliber could truly ascertain the reality of the situation.

The presence of these two individuals greatly surprised Zhang Yang; he hadn't known that other outsiders had already arrived at the Long family.

Upon entering, Zhang Yang hadn't paid attention to his surroundings, and given that the Long Family Plain was quite vast, neither individual stayed in the palace guest quarters, so Zhang Yang had failed to detect them.

Hearing nothing further, Zhang Yang simply closed his eyes and rested properly, conserving his energy.

The Long family was safe for now. His objective was to wait here for Zhang Pinglu's arrival; only when Zhang Pinglu arrived would his own strength reach its zenith.

With Zhang Pinglu present, Zhang Yang had greater confidence in protecting the Long family.

Of course, the Long family he intended to protect was still Long Feng's Long family, not the former premier lineage.

"Zhang Yang, have something to eat!"

A little after eight in the morning, Long Feng entered Zhang Yang's room with some delicacies. He had also rested yesterday, but not for long—only for an hour.

For Long Feng, an hour was sufficient rest.

"You haven't eaten either, let's eat together!"

Glancing at the food on the table, Zhang Yang smiled and said so. Nearby, Chasing Wind and Shadowless immediately approached. Little Shadowless was sniffing vigorously and soon hopped onto Zhang Yang's shoulder, chirping excitedly.

It was telling Zhang Yang that it wanted some of this food too.

"If you want something, just take it!"

Zhang Yang said with a smile. Shadowless immediately leaped over and snatched a small, red, radish-like item.

This red item wasn't a radish at all, but a Spiritual Root with excellent flavor and significant tonic properties.

Spiritual Roots weren't medicinal herbs, but their growth period was continuous. This Spiritual Root was at least a hundred years old. If Zhang Yang hadn't come specifically to help, and Long Feng hadn't insisted, it would have been difficult to obtain such a delicacy.

Spiritual Roots were not abundant even in the Long family.

Seeing Shadowless eating, Chasing Wind also went over and grabbed two roots, chewing them noisily and heartily.

Only Lightning showed no interest in these items, not even sparing them a glance.

Zhang Yang also ate a few roots; the taste was indeed superb, and they even carried the function of supplementing inner energy, making them ideal for inner energy cultivators.

The Long family occupied vast swathes of Kunlun Mountain and truly possessed many resources unavailable elsewhere.

Spiritual Roots like this only existed in Kunlun Mountain; they were nowhere to be found outside.

Long Feng truly hadn't eaten, and when Zhang Yang suggested it, he was not polite and began eating with him.

Just as he took a few bites, Zhang Yang’s brow suddenly twitched. His aura rapidly retracted, leaving not a trace of energy emanating outward. He now looked like an extremely ordinary young man.

Lifting his head, Zhang Yang spoke softly, "Long Feng, go ask if any members of a major family have arrived."

"Good, wait for me!"

Hearing Zhang Yang say that, Long Feng suddenly looked up, appearing somewhat startled, but he immediately nodded and rushed out.

He knew Zhang Yang was special. Since Zhang Yang said this now, something must have happened, perhaps someone had truly arrived.

Watching Long Feng leave, Zhang Yang's eyebrows twitched again, and a faint smile played on his lips.

The Long family's wealth was indeed attractive. How long had it been before a true Great Perfection expert arrived at the Long family, and moreover, one who didn't restrain their energy at all, releasing their aura upon entering the Long Family Plain?

It was that aura he had just detected that caused him to quickly conceal his own.

If he didn't release his own energy, even a Great Perfection expert outside couldn't detect his presence, unlike other Great Perfection experts who could discover kindred spirits just by sweeping their energy around.

This was thanks to his higher energy tier; for every level higher, he gained an additional layer of concealment. Unless there was a Great Perfection expert whose energy tier was higher and purity stronger than his own, detection would be impossible.