A roar of anger suddenly exploded in the courtyard. A grey-robed old man materialized before everyone, his eyes wide as saucers, the small goatee beneath his chin trembling violently. He raised one hand, pointing it at Zhang Yang, so enraged he seemed unable to speak coherently.

“Who are you!”

No one had noticed how the old man appeared, nor did they know who he was. Everyone immediately became vigilant. Master Shi Ming instinctively stepped in front of Zhang Yang, staring intensely at the elder before them.

Yet, as their gazes fixed upon the old man, their vigilance surprisingly began to wane. Despite his somewhat comical appearance at this moment, there was an aura of the Wrathful Vajra about him, inspiring a deep sense of awe.

Master Shi Ming gritted his teeth, but his legs involuntarily began to tremble. The pressure emanating from this man was immense, yet the sensation felt strangely familiar to Shi Ming—as if this elder shared an intensity with Zhang Yang after his ascension to the Fifth Layer.

Zhang Pinglu, currently weak and severely wounded with no internal energy left, surprisingly felt none of the immense pressure radiating from the old man. Looking at him, he found the elder somewhat familiar.

Had he seen him somewhere before?

The old master, Zhang Pinglu, narrowed his eyes, struggling to recall, but nothing came to mind.

“No need to be nervous, everyone. This is no enemy, but… an old acquaintance.”

Zhang Yang stepped forward, smiling as he motioned for Master Shi Ming in front of him to relax. He looked towards the elder ahead, cupped his hands in a slight bow, and nodded: “I was greatly indebted to your care on Yanming Mountain, Senior. Zhang Yang thanks you once more.”

“Impudent boy, who asked you to thank me? You’re infuriating!”

The old man bristled, puffing out his beard, but his gaze was fixed only on Zhang Yang. Master Shi Ming had not held his attention for even a moment.

The old master finally remembered who this elder was. Back on Yanming Mountain, Zhang Yang had been moments from falling off a cliff when someone intervened at the crucial juncture. Sadly, the rescuer had departed immediately after saving Zhang Yang. Only now, hearing Zhang Yang mention it, did the old master finally piece it together.

“Little fellow, this place is too noisy. Let’s go somewhere else.”

The old man glared at Zhang Yang, then turned and strode away, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

He didn't need to state his destination; Zhang Yang instinctively knew where he was going.

“Little fellow, that Immortal Peach elixir must be consumed precisely when it ripens to aid the smooth birth of the Three-Eyed Beast. Giving it now is just a waste. Don't think I don't know your intentions to fob me off—hurry over here.”

A secret transmission abruptly entered Zhang Yang’s ear, undetectable by anyone around him, including Master Shi Ming.

“Senior Zhang, who is this esteemed elder?”

Master Shi Ming had vaguely begun to guess the elder's identity but, uncertain, turned to Zhang Yang and inquired softly.

“Grandfather, Uncle, it seems I must trouble you both to inform Qiao Yihong and the others first. As for the Golden Three-Eyed Beast, I will attend to that shortly.”

Zhang Yang sighed, not answering Master Shi Ming directly, but his expression conveyed everything. Now that Zhang Yang had broken through to the Great Perfection and ascended to the Fifth Layer, who other than the established Fifth Layer masters of Huaxia would dare address him so casually as “little fellow”?

Master Shi Ming nodded, though his gaze couldn't help drifting toward the old master, Zhang Pinglu. As for Zhang Daofeng, Zhang Yungan, and Qu Meilan, they were utterly clueless about the situation and could only exchange bewildered glances.

“You go, Yangyang, be careful. Daofeng, Yungan, you two go assist Qiao Yihong and Long Feng in cleaning up the aftermath here.”

Since the old master recognized the man as someone who had once aided Yangyang, he ceased worrying and directly instructed Zhang Daofeng and Zhang Yungan to find Qiao Yihong and the others.

Zhang Daofeng and Zhang Yungan exchanged a look and lingered no further, taking Qu Meilan with them as they departed. Zhang Yang nodded, and then he too vanished from the courtyard. Even now, devoid of internal energy, his speed wasn't significantly slower than his peak Great Perfection state.

“Amitabha… Layman Zhang, what immense fortune you possess.”

Seeing that the courtyard was suddenly left with only one person, Master Shi Ming couldn't help but sigh, offering a wry smile followed by a heavy note of envy. Even mastering the true essence of letting go—achieving genuine non-contention and detachment—when sitting alone chatting with his old friend Zhang Pinglu, Master Shi Ming couldn't help but feel envious that Zhang Pinglu had a descendant like Zhang Yang.

“Hahahaha… Hahahaha…”

The old master, seated in his wheelchair, looked as frail as if he had aged ten years, yet the smile on his face seemed to have made him younger by a decade. Hearing Master Shi Ming’s words, he couldn't restrain himself and burst into hearty laughter. Great Perfection simply meant applying the energy of heaven and earth and converting it for one's use.

After ascending to the Fifth Layer through the Heavenly Tribulation, Zhang Yang himself became the purest spiritual energy between heaven and earth; he needed no effort to draw upon worldly energy—it moved naturally with him.

Every fluctuation of energy across the Long Family Plain was entirely under Zhang Yang’s control. He knew precisely which internal energy masters were present and which were utilizing the energy of heaven and earth.

It was like a radar, granting him perfect comprehension of everything happening on the Long Family Plain. If Zhang Yang willed it, he could pinpoint the exact location of any internal energy master on the plain, and this range would only expand as his strength recovered.

Now Zhang Yang finally understood why past Fifth Layer experts could perceive energy fluctuations thousands or even tens of thousands of miles away in Huaxia. In truth, if these Fifth Layer experts desired it, their senses could span the entirety of Huaxia. This precise control allowed Fifth Layer experts to monitor every subtle tremor within their domain.

Sensing the energy fluctuations, Zhang Yang effortlessly located the old man's current position.

It was a place of lush greenery and fragrant flowers within the Long Family Plain. Though the lingering terror of the Heavenly Tribulation had frightened the local birds, beasts, and even driven insects underground, the flowers and trees remained intact.

“Senior.”

The old man stared fixedly at the vibrant flora, seemingly lost in thought, not acknowledging Zhang Yang's arrival. But Zhang Yang knew he had been aware of his presence long ago.

For a long time, the old man remained silent, continuously gazing at the flowers and grasses.

Zhang Yang stood behind him, accompanying him in watching the foliage.

A breeze swept through, followed by a strong gust, which then settled into a vigorous, fluctuating wind, causing the flowers and grasses to sway. Yet, no matter how violently their petals or stems shook, the root remained firmly planted, unmoving.

Zhang Yang’s mind grew calm. Both the initial gentle breeze and the later powerful gust were manifestations of the elder channeling the energy of heaven and earth, his purpose clearly being to make Zhang Yang observe the swaying flora closely.

Frowning slightly, Zhang Yang’s eyes followed the swaying plants, tracking from the tips, which moved the most, down to the roots, which never wavered. A slow breath escaped his lips. Zhang Yang smiled, his brow relaxing; he finally understood why the elder had made him witness the flowers and grasses struggling against the fierce wind.

“Senior worries too much. Zhang Yang resides in Huaxia, and naturally, he will never waver, nor will he ever commit any act that threatens the safety of Huaxia.”

Life is priceless; people are like flowers and grass. Even flowers and grass know to keep their roots anchored regardless of the environment. This Fifth Layer elder used this scene to convey his message to Zhang Yang. Fifth Layer experts already scorned the world; they had no equal save for other Fifth Layer experts or spirit beasts of the same rank. Zhang Yang was simply too young, so young that he lacked the tempering of time. This was the elder's primary concern.

Forget Huaxia; perhaps the entire world held no other person who had broken through to Great Perfection at the tender age of twenty-one or twenty-two, only to ascend to the Fifth Layer after enduring the Nine-Layer Heavenly Tribulation’s nine lightning strikes—a feat unmatched even by other Fifth Layer experts in Huaxia’s history. The elder worried that because Zhang Yang was so young yet possessed such power, if he lacked the commensurate state of mind, his status as a Fifth Layer expert would be fleeting.

Zhang Yang understood the old man’s intentions were benevolent. After speaking, he bowed deeply, cupping his hands. Regardless, if the elder had not arrived today, the master from Changbai Mountain might have come regardless to seize the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Peach. Coupled with the previous rescue on Yanming Mountain, Zhang Yang had long intended to offer this formal gesture.

The old man instantly brightened. The slight seriousness on his face dissolved into a smile, and he shook his head with a sigh of resignation.

This little fellow, Zhang Yang, possessed terrifying insight. With just one glance, he understood what the elder intended to convey and what he must do going forward. With that settled, there was no longer any need to worry about his state of mind.

“Little fellow, you have always been so proud. When the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Peach had not yet matured, you didn't ask for my help when attacked by five Great Perfection masters. When the Heavenly Tribulation struck, you still refused to ask me. In the end, when the nine bolts of tribulation lightning appeared, you never once thought of me… Even now, when that Golden-Crowned Python attempts to steal your elixir, your only thought is to slay it, never once considering asking for my intervention. Now, even I don't know how I am supposed to repay the favor I promised you back then. Alas…”

The old man shook his head, speaking with a bitter smile. Only Zhang Yang could make a Fifth Layer expert like him feel this way.

Zhang Yang grinned, offering no reply. Whether the Twelve-Crowned Golden-Crowned Python from Changbai Mountain advanced on Kunlun Mountain or not, Zhang Yang would not fear it due to his current weakness.

The old man glanced at the jade porcelain vial in Zhang Yang’s hand, sighed again, and murmured softly, “No wonder that python is greedy. The birth of this elixir is something even a Fifth Layer expert might not be able to resist. Not everyone is as detached and impartial as that fellow from the South Sea. What puzzles me is the one from Yinlong Mountain; he actually gave up the chance to seize the elixir and instead warned that Changbai Mountain python to help you.”

Zhang Yang finally understood that the ancestor in Shadowless on Changbai Mountain had inadvertently done him a great favor by restraining the Twelve-Crowned Golden-Crowned Python. He resolved to find an opportunity to return to Yinlong Mountain to thank that ancestor of Shadowless in the future.