“Third Brother, Third Brother, I’m back, where are you!” Long Shousi shouted loudly from outside the pile of rubble.

This chaotic pile of rocks was riddled with so many caves and grottoes, many of which were not blocked but interconnected, making the area a natural labyrinth. For those who had thoroughly mapped the terrain, it was the perfect hiding spot.

“Is that Shousi returned?” Before long, a voice drifted out from the maze-like heap of stones.

“Yes, it’s me, Shousi. Third Uncle, where are you?” Hearing the voice, Long Shousi immediately called out, inquiring further. The entrance to this rubble field was riddled with tunnels, and relying on sound alone made locating the speaker difficult in a short time.

“Come over. I’m at the fourth junction, in the eleventh cave counting from the left!” The voice sounded again, clearly directing Long Shousi.

Following the directions into the cavern, Long Shousi finally saw the speaker.

This person hiding within the stone grotto was Long Jiang, the Third Elder of the Long Family, who had defected after the family suffered an attack by the Five Great Powers.

Long Shousi and Long Jiang indeed maintained contact, and their relationship appeared quite close!

This was unsurprising; every so often, a portion of the younger generation disciples would be secretly sent away from the Long Family headquarters to live and cultivate outside, following a path entirely different from the main branch. These individuals served as the Long Family’s external protectors, only intervening when the family faced grave danger. Even within the Long Family, few knew of their existence; it was a secret known only to the Patriarch and the Elders.

In fact, Long Shousi was one of them. He had been personally placed by Long Jiang, the Third Elder, making him one of Long Jiang’s absolute loyalists. He had remained outside for years, only returning during the last great calamity that befell the Long Family. However, upon his return, Long Jiang kept him outside the Long Family plains, away from the main compound.

This explained why Long Shousi was always able to evade capture by the Long Family after Long Jiang’s betrayal—Long Shousi’s identity had never been exposed within the family structure. Now, Long Shousi had left under the pretense of pursuing Long Jiang, effectively serving as the eyes for the discreetly hidden Long Jiang, keeping a close watch on every move made by the great sects and noble families outside Kunlun Mountain.

Inside the cave, as Long Shousi entered, Long Jiang, without looking up, was diligently adding medicinal herbs to a large pot, occasionally scooping a handful of black powder from a nearby cloth pouch and tossing it in. A pile of firewood was already set beneath the pot, but it had not yet been lit.

“Shousi, you’re back a bit early!” After adding the final ingredient, Long Jiang sighed with relief, finally lifting his head to look with a frown at the unexpectedly returned Long Shousi. Long Jiang trusted Shousi completely, so even Shousi’s early return caused him no suspicion.

Before Long Shousi could speak, the furrow in Long Jiang’s brow smoothed out, replaced by a smile. He reassured him, “But it doesn’t matter. We are just one step away from completion. It’s good you’re back; watch this for me. All that remains is to boil it and let it simmer for a while, and this batch of poison will be a great success.” With that, the Third Elder of the Long Family, Long Jiang, stood up and stretched. His eyes were bloodshot; he had been awake for two days and a night preparing this poison. Due to its volatile nature, he dared not leave it unattended for a moment, nor had he rested properly until now. Long Shousi’s return meant he could finally take a break, delegating the remaining work.

“Third Brother, I came back early this time with very important news for you.” Seeing Long Jiang in such a state, Long Shousi’s face showed concern. He rushed forward to help Long Jiang sit down to one side, then announced, “I saw that person!”

“Didn’t I send you back with the poison? What are you doing here? Shousi, you must not jeopardize our plan… Wait? You said you saw who?” Initially, Long Jiang was annoyed, but he paused abruptly, then widened his eyes and asked in confusion.

“Zhang Yang!” Long Shousi recalled the young man who had sent him flying with a casual slap. A look of suppressed fury instantly crossed his face as he spat out the name through gritted teeth.

“Zhang Yang?” Hearing the name, the smile Long Jiang had just managed froze on his face. He shot to his feet, then erupted in fury. His already dishevelled hair sprang up, every strand standing on end as his internal energy flared outwards—it was clear he was enraged.

It was he who had seized the opportunity when the old ghost Long died unexpectedly to leak news of the gap in the Long Family’s guardians, inciting the Great Powers to covet and besiege the family. Furthermore, he had personally tampered with the Long Family’s protective grand formation, deliberately allowing the enemy inside. All of this was designed to plunge the precarious Long Family into an abyss from which it could never recover.

He hated this young man, Zhang Yang, who had completely ruined the conspiracy that should have sent the thousand-year-old aristocratic Long Family into endless ruin. Though the Long Family suffered catastrophic losses, they managed to preserve their most vital foundation and could eventually recover. A sudden death of the family guardian—such a once-in-a-millennium opportunity—would never come again. Yet, who could have predicted that this young man, already possessing Great Perfection strength, and representing the Medical Saint Zhang Family, would force the five united Great Perfection experts to retreat without a fight? This not only saved the Long Family but also exposed his plot, forcing him to flee and hide in this desolate pile of rubble, afraid to show his face.

In short, Zhang Yang’s status in Long Jiang’s heart had risen to that of the Long Family itself; he hated him to the bone. Hearing Zhang Yang’s name suddenly from Long Shousi’s mouth made Long Jiang feel a surge of energy rush to his head, buzzing loudly and blurring the world before his eyes.

Noticing that Long Jiang’s body was trembling and he seemed on the verge of collapse from anger, Long Shousi quickly rushed over, supporting him, and urgently pleaded, “Third Brother, you must not collapse from anger! We still rely on you to overthrow the Long Family and exact our revenge!”

Through gritted teeth, Long Jiang slowly regained some composure. Long Shousi’s words successfully suppressed the hatred about to explode within him, gradually calming the rage in his heart.

It was then that Long Jiang noticed Long Shousi was injured.

“Shousi, what happened? Why are you hurt?”

In response to Long Jiang’s inquiry, Long Shousi recounted every detail of his encounter with Zhang Yang and his group at the encampment. He specifically emphasized that the Zhang Yang he saw appeared utterly ordinary, a common person devoid of any trace of internal energy cultivation. Only when he made a move did Zhang Yang reveal his Great Perfection realm strength. Moreover, the surrounding heaven and earth energy seemed to automatically converge around Zhang Yang, protecting him. This level of power completely surpassed his understanding of Great Perfection cultivators. After all, the Long Family’s guardian, old ghost Long, never reached this level even after achieving Great Perfection years ago.

Long Jiang listened, pondered for a long moment, and then a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Without waiting for Long Shousi to react, he jumped up, so energized that he kicked over the pot of poison he had spent two days and a night preparing, and burst into loud laughter.

“Third Brother, what’s wrong with you? You mustn’t scare me!” Seeing Long Jiang like this, Long Shousi panicked, fearing Long Jiang had gone mad after hearing the news about Zhang Yang.

“Shousi, our opportunity has arrived! We won’t need that poison, nor those useless, low-grade tactics!” After his laughter subsided, Long Jiang grabbed Long Shousi’s hand excitedly. “Don’t you forget, our goal is to ruin the Long Family. Once the Long Family is destroyed and our deep-seated vengeance is taken, nothing else matters to us!”

“So?” Long Shousi listened vaguely, unable to grasp why this would make Long Jiang so ecstatic.

“This time is different from the last. Zhang Yang won’t be able to save the Long Family this time. The Long Family is destined to vanish like those great sects lost to the river of history—doomed forever!”

Long Jiang laughed heartily, then began to explain his plan step-by-step to the bewildered Long Shousi.

“I leaked the Long Family’s secrets, publicizing the impending appearance of the Ten-Thousand-Year Flat Peach near Kunlun Mountain. I intended to exploit the Long Family’s current weakened state to create a second opportunity. Preparing this poison was for you to use it to control a few minor sects that wouldn’t attract attention, causing chaos among the various sects and families rushing to Kunming upon hearing the news. Then, utilizing your identity as a Long Family disciple, we would incite public outrage against the Long Family within the cultivation world. At that point, even the Medical Saint Zhang Family would struggle to protect them.”

“But now, Zhang Yang’s strength has progressed further! If I haven't guessed wrong, Zhang Yang’s current power has reached the state of returning to simplicity—he is practically standing on the threshold of the Fifth Level of Internal Strength. This, conversely, becomes the best opportunity for us!”

“Third Brother, why does Zhang Yang’s increased strength become our best opportunity?” The more Long Shousi listened, the more confused he became.

“Haha, Shousi, can’t you see? This time is vastly different from the last time the Great Powers attacked the Long Family!” Long Jiang became more animated as he spoke, his bloodshot eyes shining brightly.

“The last time, those old fellows came to the Long Family to seize benefits that weren't inherently theirs, aiming to strengthen themselves. No matter how you look at it, their cause lacked legitimacy. But this time, they are gathering because of the Ten-Thousand-Year Flat Peach about to appear. This supreme treasure belongs to the virtuous; everyone is competing for this rare gem based on their own capabilities.”

“The Ten-Thousand-Year Flat Peach can infinitely strengthen the physical body to its limits and enhance spiritual power, directly boosting the cultivator’s Essence, Qi, and Spirit. That is why it attracts even those at the Great Perfection level. If those at Great Perfection obtained it, they would essentially have one foot in the Fifth Level of Internal Strength. Below the Fifth Level, they would be invincible—perhaps they might even break through directly to the Fifth Level!”

“And the more powerful Zhang Yang becomes, the more wary the great sects become of him. Under these circumstances, do you think those old masters who pride themselves on being orthodox sects will stand by and watch Zhang Yang effortlessly obtain the Ten-Thousand-Year Flat Peach and further increase his power?”

“Third Brother, you mean… those sects will unite to deal with the Medical Saint Martial Sect?” After hearing this, Long Shousi suddenly understood, finally grasping the core of Long Jiang’s scheme.

“Yes, and no!” Long Jiang suddenly lowered his voice, his tone strange, letting out a chilling cackle. “Currently, only four and a half powers are qualified to pose a threat to Zhang Yang: Shaolin, Wudang, the Li Family of Shushan, and the Hua Family of Changbai Mountain constitute the four powers. The Southern Border Demonic Sect and the Zhou Family, which were severely weakened during the last confrontation on the Long Family plains, together count as half a power.”

“Those old guys like Li Jianyi and Hua Feitian cherish their lives too much to openly break with Zhang Yang. Even if they know Zhang Yang’s strength has grown, they won't easily command their forces to attack the Medical Saint Zhang Family. But that doesn't mean they are willing to watch Zhang Yang take the Ten-Thousand-Year Flat Peach emerging from Kunlun Mountain.”

“Therefore, while they won’t make overt moves, they will inevitably form secret alliances. When the Ten-Thousand-Year Flat Peach truly ripens, they are certain to act!”

“And our opportunity lies right here!” Long Jiang straightened up as he said this, trembling with excitement. He continued, “In the end, only those families and sects possessing Great Perfection experts will be qualified to contend for the Ten-Thousand-Year Flat Peach. By then, Zhang Yang will certainly be too preoccupied to care about the Long Family. As for us, we must proceed with our original plan using both prongs simultaneously: leveraging your identity as a Long Family disciple to ignite conflict between the Long Family and all other cultivation world sects, combined with the temptation of the Long Family’s wealth, this will surely lead to the Long Family’s utter ruin and dissolution!”

“By then, without a Great Perfection guardian, without the protection of the Medical Saint Zhang Family, I want to see how the Long Family will face the countless sects of the cultivation world!”

“Hahahaha, hahahaha…” Having laid out his entire plan, Long Jiang felt incredibly pleased and joyful. Even Long Shousi, listening beside him, felt a surge of excitement, his eyes gleaming.

“Shousi, go back quickly now. Once the timing is right, I will definitely find a way to notify you! But you must remember, do not do anything that might expose your identity until the very last moment. Our plan can only be foolproof under absolute secrecy!”

“Yes, Third Brother, I’ll go back right away!” Long Shousi immediately agreed, nodding repeatedly.