Since the Hua family moved to Changbai Mountain several hundred years ago, they had never lived in such fear.

Even though everyone in the Hua family knew that a five-layered spirit beast was protecting them here, an undeniable sense of dread still arose in their hearts.

The only person who brought this pressure upon the entire Hua family was Zhang Yang.

A day earlier, Zhang Yang had dispatched someone to Changbai Mountain with a letter. The content of this letter was extremely simple: Zhang Yang would choose a date to arrive at Changbai Mountain to settle accounts with the Hua family and demand an explanation.

This single, simple sentence left the Hua family patriarch and several elders deeply troubled. As the highest governing body of the Hua family, they obviously knew more than the ordinary disciples. Although Zhang Yang claimed he was coming to "settle accounts," his intention was unmistakable.

They, the Hua family members, were unaware of Hua Feitian's contact with Pu Tian'en, the pseudo five-layered expert who had infiltrated Huaxia. Thus, they did not know what explanation Zhang Yang had come to demand.

Naturally, they connected this letter to the incident from half a year ago.

When the issue with the Ten Thousand Year Peach in Kunlun Mountain arose, Hua Feitian, the guardian of the Hua family, had joined forces with several other Great Perfection realm experts to try and kill Zhang Yang. It seemed that even though Zhang Yang had claimed to forgive the Hua family then, he had never fully let it go in his heart. After half a year of peace, Zhang Yang was still coming to the Hua family to seek justice.

After receiving the letter from the Zhang family, the head of the Hua family and the elders had been trying desperately to contact their guardian, Hua Feitian. However, Hua Feitian had been in secluded meditation by the shore of Tianchi Lake in the back mountain for several days, refusing to see anyone. This left them helpless and anxious.

The back mountain of Changbai Mountain, by the shore of Tianchi Lake.

Hua Feitian let out a heavy sigh. Since his last appearance, the Old Ancestor had not shown himself again. The only company he had was the Three-Eyed Demonic Beast.

After the Twelve-Crowned Golden Python appeared the last time, the Three-Eyed Demonic Beast had grown much shrewder. It seemed to understand that as long as it did not attack Hua Feitian, it would not attract the attention of that Twelve-Crowned Golden Python. During this period, it focused all its energy on figuring out how to sneak into Tianchi without alerting the Twelve-Crowned Golden Python.

Up to now, it was still pacing back and forth along the shore of Tianchi Lake, having devised no viable plan whatsoever.

Although the Hua family patriarch had not delivered the letter sent by the Zhang family of the Medical Saint to Hua Feitian, Hua Feitian was fully aware that Zhang Yang was already making his way to Changbai Mountain.

There was no other way. Zhang Yang was simply too powerful now. By his side were Old Man Zhang Pinglu, Master Shi Ming of Shaolin Temple, the Golden Great Perfection Three-Eyed Beast, and Da Lei and Xiao Lei, in addition to the three spirit beasts: Shadowless Lightning, Swift Wind, and Chasing Wind. The concentration of Heaven and Earth energy caused by these people and spirit beasts gathering together was immense. The closer they got to Changbai Mountain, the more profoundly Hua Feitian could feel that colossal energy approaching.

The Hua family patriarch and the elders were unaware of the specific reason behind Zhang Yang's aggressive arrival, but Hua Feitian knew it perfectly well. That day on the Kunlun Dragon Family plains, all the sects and factions of the Huaxia cultivation world had recommended Zhang Yang to serve as the Alliance Leader of Huaxia. And the moment Zhang Yang became the Alliance Leader, he immediately issued an Alliance Leader Edict, demanding that all sects and factions in the Huaxia cultivation world be vigilant against foreign cultivators and unite to resist external enemies.

Since Zhang Yang had killed Pu Tian'en, the source of Pu Tian'en's Rootless Water could not be concealed any longer. Coupled with the old grudges, Zhang Yang would absolutely not let the Hua family off this time.

Hua Feitian’s heart was filled with melancholy. At this moment, he had long since discarded the idea of using Pu Tian'en’s method to advance to the Five-Layer realm.

Pu Tian'en had reached the Five-Layer realm early and possessed immense strength, yet he was still slain by Zhang Yang. The power Zhang Yang displayed had already surpassed his imagination. Under these circumstances, even if he gave himself over to the Twelve-Crowned Golden Python beneath Tianchi to gain Five-Layer capabilities, what would be the use?

Would he be able to defeat Zhang Yang then?

Even Hua Feitian himself didn't believe it.

For three days and three nights, Hua Feitian stood by the shore of Tianchi Lake, not closing his eyes once, nor sending a single plea toward the lake.

He was thinking, he was recalling.

Every bit of the past, everything unfolded before his eyes like a film playback, scene after scene flashing by. Decades of life were compressed into a single movie playing out before him.

Three days and three nights passed, seemingly without a trace, like falling snow. In an instant, Hua Feitian’s hair had turned completely white.

As the most talented cultivator in Huaxia besides Zhang Yang, Hua Feitian's life could certainly be described as astonishing. However, all of it paled in comparison before Zhang Yang.

This was also the fundamental reason for his subsequent confusion of mind. One could say he had personally watched Zhang Yang advance from the Mid-Fourth Layer directly to Great Perfection, and then break through to the Five-Layer realm in less than a year.

If it were anyone else, they would certainly have died of jealousy toward Zhang Yang.

"Right and wrong, all becomes an illusion."

Hua Feitian spoke slowly, his voice shockingly aged.

This frightened the Three-Eyed Demonic Beast beside him. It looked at Hua Feitian strangely, sensing that he was different from before, yet its intelligence could not grasp what Hua Feitian had understood.

Hua Feitian turned around, not sparing the Three-Eyed Demonic Beast a glance, nor did he offer a greeting to the Old Ancestor beneath Tianchi. He walked straight out of the Tianchi area.

On Changbai Mountain, within the vital area of the Hua family, the patriarch and the elders had long since turned into ants on a hot pan—for no other reason.

At the foot of Changbai Mountain, Zhang Yang and his party finally arrived.

The disciple responsible for reporting the news had already relayed the information, but everyone was at a loss, unsure how to receive Zhang Yang.

So, they recalled all disciples to Changbai Mountain, hiding under the protection of the Five-Layer spirit beast, just as they had a hundred years ago, daring not to show their faces.

Courtesy before force, but Zhang Yang's reputation had already terrified everyone in the Hua family.

"Look, that is..."

Just then, within the core area of the Hua family, an elder suddenly pointed toward the outside. At some unknown time, a person had already appeared at the doorway.

Although his hair was entirely white, the elders and patriarch of the Hua family could not possibly mistake that appearance.

It was the guardian of the Hua family, Hua Feitian.

"Everyone, I can go down the mountain alone; you all can rest assured."

Hua Feitian smiled faintly, and after speaking, he turned and left immediately, leaving behind a group of stunned high-ranking Hua family members.

At the foot of Changbai Mountain.

Zhang Yang and Old Man Shi Ming stood outside the boundary of Changbai Mountain, gazing up at the scenery on the mountaintop, waiting quietly.

"Senior Zhang... Senior Zhang, how exactly do you intend to deal with the Hua family this time?"

Master Shi Ming increasingly failed to understand what Zhang Yang intended to do. With Zhang Yang's current strength, the only entity on Changbai Mountain he needed to be wary of was that Five-Layer spirit beast. As for Hua Feitian, he was no longer within consideration.

No matter how Zhang Yang intended to deal with the Hua family, disaster was surely looming for them this time.

Master Shi Ming knew clearly that the current Zhang Yang was not the Zhang Yang of the past. If in the past someone could contend with a Five-Layer spirit beast, he would never have believed it, but now he simply did not believe that the Five-Layer spirit beast on Changbai Mountain could stop Zhang Yang.

During the recent experiments in Changjing, although Zhang Yang intended to keep things secret, he explained at least a little to Master Shi Ming. At the very least, Master Shi Ming had witnessed the Lightning, Shadowless, Swift Wind, and Chasing Wind spirit beasts reaching the Five-Layer state.

The sudden appearance of three Five-Layer spirit beasts before his eyes—that shock was something even Master Shi Ming might not easily maintain a placid heart against. And following that shock came unparalleled confidence.

Zhang Yang said nothing. His arrival had long since alerted the Hua family disciples, and the disciples had returned to send messages for quite some time, yet the patriarch and any of the elders had failed to appear. The Hua family seemed to have completely retreated into Changbai Mountain.

"Amitabha."

Master Shi Ming couldn't help but shake his head. If the Hua family remained obstinate, Zhang Yang's wrath would await them. In Huaxia today, who else could withstand Zhang Yang's anger?

It seemed a scene of rivers of blood flowing on Changbai Mountain was about to unfold. As a Buddhist disciple, Master Shi Ming felt compassion but could not say anything.

This time, Hua Feitian colluded with foreign cultivators first; Zhang Yang held the moral high ground, his cause being just. If the Hua family insisted on resistance, who could protect them?

That Five-Layer spirit beast?

"Yang Yang, regardless of how you plan to handle the Hua family today, I support you."

Old Man Zhang Pinglu asked softly. Whether Zhang Yang intended to annihilate the Hua family today or forgive them, he would offer unconditional support. At the same time, Zhang Pinglu was prepared, just as he was when he destroyed the Huyan family last time, to utterly wipe out the Hua family.

"He has come." Zhang Yang had not spoken the entire time. On the surface, the future fate of the Hua family rested in Zhang Yang's hands, but the one who truly held their destiny was Hua Feitian, the guardian of the Hua family.

"You have arrived."

Hua Feitian appeared before the group. Old Man Zhang Pinglu and Master Shi Ming both frowned, looking at the expanse of white hair; their minds were filled with confusion.

Hua Feitian's calmness was genuine. Zhang Yang could perceive that, in this moment, Hua Feitian had already let go of everything.

Zhang Yang looked at Hua Feitian's composed expression and felt a sense of satisfaction.

The two looked at each other and shared a smile.

After the smile, Hua Feitian suddenly became very serious and shouted loudly to Zhang Yang, "Zhang Yang, I, Hua Feitian, am willing to atone for the mistakes I have made here today. Can you spare my entire Hua family lineage?"

Hua Feitian's voice was resonant, completely unlike the hoarseness he had when by Tianchi Lake. The moment the words fell, he drew a dagger from his robes.

"I, Hua Feitian, am willing to die to atone for my crimes today. I implore Alliance Leader Zhang Senior, for the sake of the lineage of our Huaxia cultivation world, spare everyone in the Hua family!"

Saying this, the light in Hua Feitian’s eyes had long since faded, and the dagger in his hand stabbed toward his own heart!

The dagger was very ordinary. Even if Hua Feitian himself tried, it would be difficult to pierce his own body, but Zhang Yang could see at a glance that Hua Feitian had long since dispersed the Heaven and Earth energy protecting his body. At this moment, his body was no different from that of an ordinary person.

Hua Feitian, standing by Tianchi Lake for three days and three nights, had comprehended not how to beg the Twelve-Crowned Golden Python for protection for himself and greater sanctuary for his family, but how to completely let go.

The ancients once lamented, "If there is Yu, why must there be Liang?" Hua Feitian had finally seen through it. He could not compare to Zhou Yu, but Zhang Yang... far surpassed Zhuge Liang.

Hua Feitian finally admitted that between himself and Zhang Yang, there was simply no basis for comparison.