"Master, I and Li Juan stayed at this Yitian Sect for a while. You must be wary of Zhao Zhichen; I heard he's a man of deep schemes."

As Yan Yefei followed Zhao Zhichen into the camp, he quietly murmured this to Zhang Yang.

It turned out that Yan Yefei and Li Juan were no strangers to the Yitian Sect. When they had left Zhang Yang to seek tutelage from renowned sects across the land, they naturally didn't miss Mount Emei, and for a time, they had joined the Yitian Sect.

However, the Yitian Sect had paid them no mind, treating them as mere fringe disciples, which led to their eventual departure.

The fact that Zhao Zhichen didn't recognize Yan Yefei and Li Juan trailing behind Zhang Yang was proof enough that their time in the Yitian Sect had not been pleasant, hence their mutual lack of goodwill towards it.

Zhang Yang nodded slightly. He was only curious as to why these people had gathered here, and as dusk was settling, the thought of finding lodging for the night took root.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zhichen had abandoned any notion of testing Zhang Yang, focusing all his attention on Qiao Yihong, whose power seemed unfathomable to him.

In the end, Zhao Zhichen not only disregarded the reluctant glances of the surrounding sect leaders but also made a point of ushering Zhang Yang and his party into the area designated for his Yitian Sect camp, allocating several tents for their stay and attending to them with meticulous care.

In Zhao Zhichen’s estimation, among this group from the Medical Saint Martial Sect, Qiao Yihong possessed the highest strength—someone whose depths he could not gauge, implying at least the late stage of the third layer of Inner Strength. He surmised that Qiao Yihong was likely just an Elder within the Medical Saint Martial Sect; thus, while powerful, he lacked true authority, making him precisely the kind of person easiest to win over.

It was worth noting that the Yitian Sect itself harbored a hidden expert at the fourth layer. This expert was someone Zhao Zhichen had managed to recruit and invite into the Yitian Sect as an Elder shortly after arriving at the foot of Mount Kunlun—a position second only to the sect master, above thousands.

Therefore, Zhao Zhichen was convinced that an opportunity presented itself now, one that could secure Qiao Yihong for the Yitian Sect, thereby making their sect even more formidable.

Once Zhang Yang's party was settled, Zhao Zhichen specifically invited Qiao Yihong over for drinks in his tent, where they conversed convivially until Qiao Yihong was led back, thoroughly intoxicated, late in the night.

After Qiao Yihong departed, though Zhao Zhichen's eyes were blurry and the scent of wine heavy upon him, his mind remained remarkably clear. Through this interaction, he had gleaned a basic understanding of Zhang Yang and his companions.

The seemingly ordinary young man, who was subtly the leader of the group, was indeed the Sect Master of the Medical Saint Martial Sect. Although Qiao Yihong hadn't explicitly stated it, Zhao Zhichen guessed that Zhang Yang had ascended to this position purely on the merits of his lineage, leading these practitioners, most of whom, aside from Qiao Yihong, were only at the first or second layer of Inner Strength.

Furthermore, every time Zhao Zhichen inquired about the young man’s Inner Strength cultivation, Qiao Yihong deliberately skirted the issue, refusing to elaborate. This led Zhao Zhichen to mistakenly believe Qiao Yihong harbored long-standing dissatisfaction toward the young master. Crucially, Qiao Yihong was unaware of the impending appearance of the ten-thousand-year marvel on Mount Kunlun, suggesting that their young Sect Master was also perhaps treating the matter with caution.

Zhao Zhichen couldn't help but let out a cold sneer, seemingly mocking Zhang Yang's naiveté for bringing his people here without stating any explicit objective. He refused to believe the young man had brought his disciples to Mount Kunlun merely for sightseeing.

This conviction only strengthened Zhao Zhichen’s certainty that an opportunity lay before him to successfully bring Qiao Yihong into the Yitian Sect. With that accomplished, the Yitian Sect's standing would become even more formidable, and his own position as alliance leader would be utterly unshakeable.

Should they manage to recruit Qiao Yihong, even if the Kunlun expedition yielded nothing else for the Yitian Sect, acquiring a master at the fourth layer of Inner Strength, alongside another expert whose depth remained hidden, would render the journey worthwhile.

Considering these possibilities, the joy surging within Zhao Zhichen was undeniable. He poured and downed several more large bowls of wine before finally drifting off to sleep.

When Qiao Yihong bid farewell to Zhao Zhichen and returned to his tent, everyone besides Zhang Yang, including Mi Xue, had already fallen asleep.

"Master, just as you predicted."

Upon his return, Qiao Yihong immediately sought out Zhang Yang, who was still awake.

The moment he faced Zhang Yang, his drunken demeanor vanished completely. It turned out that his drinking session with Zhao Zhichen had been entirely a performance executed to gather intelligence for Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang's earlier suspicions were correct: Zhao Zhichen, along with the other minor sects assembled in the camp, were all coveting the ten-thousand-year Peach that was soon to emerge on Mount Kunlun, gathering here to see if they could secure a piece of the prize when the unparalleled treasure manifested.

Regarding the true objective of their journey, Zhang Yang had originally intended to reveal it only after reuniting with Elder Zhang Pinglu and the others. However, his uncle had unexpectedly diverted early to the Longjia Plain, causing them to change course directly to Kunlun. Zhang Yang hadn't yet shared this revised plan with the group.

"It seems the news of the ten-thousand-year marvel appearing on Mount Kunlun has already spread throughout the cultivation world. Every sect and family, given the chance, has come."

Having learned of the Kunlun treasure from Zhao Zhichen, Qiao Yihong understood Zhang Yang’s real reason for bringing them here. He was unsurprised; in his view, with Zhang Yang present, they were guaranteed not to return empty-handed.

"Did you find out their next course of action?"

Zhang Yang nodded. It was entirely expected that various sects and families would flock upon hearing the news, so he pressed for more details.

"They haven't set any concrete itinerary yet," Qiao Yihong shook his head. "It seems the treasure on Mount Kunlun hasn't emerged yet. The closer they get to Kunlun, the more the major powers congregate. They are likely hoping to form more alliances before proceeding to Kunlun."

"I see. I estimate the Elder and the others have already reached Kunlun. We should leave tomorrow morning and link up with them."

Zhang Yang understood that these smaller factions were merely here to scavenge, thus losing his interest in them. He told Qiao Yihong to return and rest early.

The night passed quickly and peacefully.

The next morning, as soon as dawn broke, Zhang Yang left the camp, instructing the Three Great Spirit Beasts to search for the Elder and then return to escort them to their reunion.

After accepting the command, the Three Great Spirit Beasts vanished into the vast, boundless expanse of the Northwest, heading toward the Kunlun Mountain Range.

Zhang Yang returned to the camp to await news from the Spirit Beasts.

Because he needed to wait, Zhang Yang did not move the group immediately. Early that morning, Qiao Yihong was invited out again by Zhao Zhichen, under the pretense of taking a stroll around the camp perimeter, observing the Northwest environment, and exchanging pointers on cultivation.

Zhao Zhichen’s intentions were now an open secret. Following their convivial evening of drinking, he acted with even less restraint, showing not a shred of concealment.

It was simply unfortunate for him that no matter how closely he befriended Qiao Yihong or how many promises he made to win him over, he could never lure Qiao Yihong away from Zhang Yang's side.

Since the tents borrowed by Zhang Yang’s group were located in the same area as the Yitian Sect disciples, many of the Yitian disciples skipped their morning cultivation that day, instead gathering outside Zhang Yang’s tent to covertly observe them.

It was inevitable. These disciples spent their lives cultivating Inner Strength within their own sect, rarely getting a chance to witness the allure of the secular world. The sudden appearance of stunning beauties like Mi Xue naturally captured their complete attention, and even Qu Meilan was a vibrant, youthful beauty.

It wasn't just the Yitian disciples who casually congregated near Zhang Yang's tents; quite a few disciples from the minor sects had also gathered.

"What sect is this? They actually have such beautiful cultivators!"

"Indeed! Look at them, and then look at our own sect sisters... Hey, you were close to your Sect Master yesterday; do you know what sect they belong to? Are they accepting new members? I want to join them too!"

"Shoo, go on! Be careful your Sect Master hears you!"

The young disciples clustered in small groups, murmuring amongst themselves, though none dared to actually disturb Zhang Yang and his party.

"What are you all doing here!"

Just then, a young man in his late twenties approached from behind, his expression stern.

"Ah, Martial Uncle Zhao!"

Several of the junior Yitian disciples saw the young man and immediately grew flustered, snapping to attention and respectfully greeting him.

This young man was Zhao Zhichen’s disciple, making him the junior martial uncle to these younger Yitian disciples. His name was Zhao Hailiang.

"Don't think you can slack off just because you're outside. Go, go, get back to your morning cultivation!"

Zhao Hailiang adopted a severe stance, addressing the junior disciples, projecting authority, though his eyes couldn't help but flick toward the tents of Zhang Yang's group as he spoke.

The junior Yitian disciples reluctantly began moving back, dragging their feet, clearly reluctant to leave.

"Wait!"

Zhao Hailiang suddenly called out, causing a flash of hope among the juniors, thinking their junior martial uncle had suddenly had a change of heart.

"Heh heh, look at those two!"

It turned out Zhao Hailiang had spotted Yan Yefei and Li Juan emerging from a tent. He instantly recognized them as two who had once sought apprenticeship and stayed for a time within his own Yitian Sect.

Zhao Hailiang remembered Yan Yefei and Li Juan because, at that time, he too was merely a fringe disciple in the Yitian Sect, only later gaining recognition from Sect Master Zhao Zhichen and being accepted as a disciple, which immediately elevated his status.