The only ones who returned underground with Zhang Yang, besides the worried Elder Zhang Pinglu, were Long Hao, who was determined to personally slay Long Jiang, and the three great spirit beasts. No one else accompanied them.

Qiao Yihong and Long Feng were tasked with receiving the various sects and families who wished to pay respects to the Medical Saint Martial Ancestor at the Long Family Gate. Meanwhile, Grandfather Zhang Daofeng and Uncle Zhang Yun'an, whose internal energy and minds were severely depleted from refining the fetus-preserving elixir, remained in the Long Family Palace to rest.

Upon seeing Long Jiang, Long Haotian could no longer maintain his composure. Clenching his jaw, he almost lunged forward had Zhang Yang not spoken first. Seeing Zhao Lei and Du Mu battered and near death, he felt not a shred of pity!

"The Zhao family of the Northwest, the Du family of the Central Plains, you too dare to betray my Long family!"

Du Xugang’s ashen face flushed with shame. Faced with Long Haotian’s accusation, he was utterly powerless and had no defense.

Long Jiang staggered back several steps, and upon seeing Zhang Yang suddenly appear, his face turned deathly pale!

How could they possibly be here? Shouldn't the Long family currently be overwhelmed by the pressure from the various sects and families, leaving them no time for anything else?

Or perhaps Long Shousi had been exposed, meaning the sect leaders and clan heads who were camped at the Zhao family stronghold in the Northwest had not yet arrived at the Long family. If so, what was Long Shousi’s current situation?

Impossible. His plan was flawless, and everything had unfolded exactly as he had calculated, with almost no deviation.

Long Jiang almost ground his teeth to dust. He refused to believe he could fail. His eyes now held a venomous glare as he stared intently at Zhang Yang and the others ahead. To guard against Master Shiming behind him, he retreated until he stood behind Zhao Lei and Du Xugang, using the two men as literal shields.

"M-Master Zhang; and, and Clan Leader Long... Du admits he was wrong!"

Du Xugang gripped the Azure Peak longsword piercing his abdomen. He lifted his head, casting a wry smile toward Long Haotian and Zhang Yang. Mustering all his remaining strength, he uttered his final two words before suddenly twisting and shoving the sword with both hands!

The longsword was double-edged. As Du Xugang tightened his grip, blood streamed from between his fingers. With a twist and a forceful push backward, the Azure Peak longsword violently twisted his internal organs, severing them instantly before projecting outward from his body.

Long Jiang’s eyes narrowed. He raised a hand and caught the blood-soaked longsword. He cracked his dry lips, a gesture that seemed to be a sneer.

Puff!

Du Xugang spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed dead onto the ground, his face frozen in an expression of profound regret.

He had chosen this method of suicide to atone for his sins to Zhang Yang and Long Haotian.

"Alas!"

Zhao Lei sighed heavily. His gaze suddenly grew distant; his yintang—the space between his eyebrows—began to darken, and his complexion slowly turned blue. Struck by Long Jiang’s palm, he was now powerless to resist the poison of the Three-Inch Nail, and the signs of its onset were clear.

"Amitabha, greed harms men! Benefactor Du was able to realize his error and repent in time—a late mending is better than none. Benefactor Zhao, why do you still cling to delusion, refusing to let go?"

Standing behind the crowd, Master Shiming sighed softly after witnessing Du Xugang’s self-sacrifice.

"Yes, what is left for me to hold onto?"

Zhao Lei muttered, his mind seemingly transported back to the days before his sudden breakthrough to the late Fourth Layer.

Though the Zhao family in the Northwest was not as prominent as the Long family, it was still a major aristocratic house with immense prestige and local affection. His personal strength, in theory, should never have impacted the Zhao family. However, after his breakthrough, his greed for complete mastery led him to act rashly, ultimately losing his true nature to the temptation of the Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches. In the end, what had he gained?

Nothing but doing all the hard work for Long Jiang, and now he was jeopardizing the reputation the Zhao family had built over a century! As for himself, he had gained nothing at all.

"Put down the butcher's knife, and you will attain Buddhahood. Benefactor Zhao, it is not too late for you to realize your mistake now," Master Shiming sighed again, speaking once more.

"I... I was also wrong..."

Zhao Lei suddenly attained enlightenment and finally let go.

He then turned to look at Zhang Yang, his eyes holding nothing but tranquility. This young man, just as he had been the last time they met, possessed an extraordinary bearing and demeanor that inspired both profound respect and undeniable envy for his innate talent.

"Since Master Shiming is willing to guide you and help you turn from your errors, I will ensure your Zhao family of the Northwest is not implicated in this matter."

Zhang Pinglu and Long Haotian remained where they stood. The three great spirit beasts followed Zhang Yang as he walked over. Zhang Yang cast a brief glance at Zhao Lei, spoke, and then walked toward the Golden Three-Eyed Beast, never once looking at Long Jiang.

Hearing this, Zhao Lei suddenly broke into a smile. Zhang Yang's magnanimity made him realize a critical truth: every step up in cultivation strength required a corresponding advancement in one’s state of mind. Without the proper mental foundation, seizing opportunities or achieving breakthroughs would only lead to losing one's true nature and ultimately causing grave errors.

"Thank you..."

Finally understanding everything, a look of relief washed over Zhao Lei’s dark face. He murmured softly to Zhang Yang; even if he were to die immediately from the poison now, he would have no regrets.

Behind them, Long Jiang spat a mouthful of viscous phlegm, his expression malevolent. How could he accept that victory was slipping away like mist and moon reflections?

He had already crouched down, gripping the back collars of both Du Xugang and Zhao Lei. He shifted his body forward, pressing his head close between theirs. Du Xugang was already lifeless, and Zhao Lei, with the poison spreading throughout his body, could no longer resist.

With only his head showing, three distinct colors appeared on Long Jiang’s face: black, white, and red. Converging on a single visage, the sight was terrifyingly gruesome.

Dragon Transformation Art!

Master Shiming stepped forward. Seeing Long Jiang like this, he knew the man harbored not a shred of repentance, so he abandoned any benevolent thoughts and prepared to subdue Long Jiang directly.

"Master, please allow me to deal with this Long family scourge!"

Long Haotian stepped out right behind Zhang Yang, staring fixedly at Long Jiang. The hatred in his eyes was no less intense than Long Jiang’s. Even though Long Jiang unleashed the overwhelmingly potent Dragon Transformation Art in a desperate last stand, Long Haotian showed no fear.

"Master Shiming, Yangyang has already promised Long Haotian. Let us grant Long Haotian this wish, to personally deal with the traitor of his own clan," Zhang Pinglu said.

Zhang Yang had already agreed to let Long Haotian handle the traitor Long Jiang personally; even Elder Zhang Pinglu would not interfere.

Hearing Zhang Pinglu's words, Master Shiming nodded, then retreated a step. He turned his attention to Zhang Yang, who was now helping the Golden Three-Eyed Beast ingest the fetus-preserving elixir, and returned to his spot beside the beast, sitting cross-legged to chant scriptures and calm its spirit.

"Long Jiang, you probably don't know this, but after the last great calamity in the Long family, I already passed the Clan Leader position to my son, Long Feng. Even if I die here today, you will never shake the foundation of my Long family!"

Long Haotian laughed loudly. He stepped forward, and the same three colors that marred Long Jiang’s face appeared on his own. He, too, had activated the Dragon Transformation Art; today would be the day he settled accounts with Long Jiang.

"You believe my Long family has wronged you four brothers. Today, I end my own life here as compensation for your two deceased brothers, and you, today, must pay the price here for the many disciples my Long family has lost!"

Long Haotian pleaded to handle Long Jiang personally to sever this knot of resentment within the Long family, but Long Jiang simply scoffed, utterly unimpressed.

The battle between the two was imminent. The Elder shook his head; after long hesitation, he finally chose to respect Long Haotian’s wish and remained silent.

As for Zhang Yang, he knew that assisting the Golden Three-Eyed Beast with its pregnancy was an extremely urgent matter, leaving him no time to concern himself with the impending duel between Long Jiang and Long Haotian.

Preserving the life of a spirit beast is far more difficult than for a human, especially a powerful spirit beast with an extremely low reproductive rate like the Three-Eyed Beast. The natural law that stronger beasts face greater difficulty in childbirth was vividly displayed in this Golden Three-Eyed Beast; its premature labor might mean the fetus could not survive until the Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches ripened.

"Try to relax as much as possible. I will use acupuncture needles to assist the fetus-preserving elixir. While it won't guarantee a smooth delivery, it will at least ensure your offspring doesn't perish prematurely before the Ten-Thousand-Year Peach matures," Zhang Yang softly instructed the Golden Three-Eyed Beast. The beast slowly managed to relax, though it still writhed in intense abdominal pain. At this moment, Zhang Yang completely ignored the approaching confrontation between Long Jiang and Long Haotian, trusting that Elder Zhang Pinglu and Master Shiming would prevent Long Jiang from causing any major disruption.

"Wuying, Shandian, Zhuifeng, guard the Dharma practice for me."

Zhang Yang produced the prepared fetus-preserving elixir and called out to the three great spirit beasts. His own power had not yet recovered, and he was performing life-saving assistance for the Golden Three-Eyed Beast, so he required the aid of the three companions.

The two little ones, Wuying and Shandian, immediately leaped onto the Golden Three-Eyed Beast, helping Zhang Yang stabilize its ceaselessly spasming body. Zhuifeng stood guard nearby; although there was Master Shiming and the Tai Chi Staff’s Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams Formation set up, it was best to be prepared for any contingency.

Zhang Yang did not immediately administer the elixir. Instead, he first took out the silver needles, searching for the critical acupoints on the Golden Three-Eyed Beast’s body. If he skipped this step, even if the elixir was administered, the beast would regurgitate and vomit it out due to the intense cramping, rendering it impossible to swallow.

The Golden Three-Eyed Beast already understood that Zhang Yang and the three spirit beasts were helping to protect its unborn child. It tried its utmost to remain relaxed and cooperate with Zhang Yang.

"Roar!!"

But after Zhang Yang finished needling and administered the fetus-preserving elixir, the Golden Three-Eyed Beast could not suppress the agonizing abdominal pain. It suddenly let out a fierce roar, causing countless spiritual energies and the very essence of heaven and earth underground to surge skyward!

Boom boom boom!

The underground lake behind them erupted with countless waves; the highest sprays almost reached the branches of the golden peach tree hanging inverted above them.

That slightly reddened peach, violently impacted by this surge of spiritual energy and worldly essence, suddenly flushed a deeper red all over.

In an instant, the peach became entirely translucent, and one could clearly see the pit through the red flesh!

The earth shook, and golden light flared.

The Ten-Thousand-Year Peach had ripened and emerged at this very moment! To be continued.