One person: Senior Brother Zhang Zhiwei, who has mastered the Golden Light Mantra to its fullest lev

Just when his physical strength and Qi were about to give out, the Primordial Qi in his Dantian suddenly trembled!

An unprecedented and incredibly clear sense of resonance came from ahead!

The source of the sensation was at the entrance of a natural cave in the river bend ahead, hidden by huge reefs and ancient, hanging willows!

The cave entrance was half submerged in water; without this special intuition, even if one passed by it a hundred times, it would be impossible to discover it.

Zhang Yunyuan's spirits lifted, and he was about to approach.

With a muffled bang, the river water several meters in front of him suddenly exploded!

A golden energy, condensed to its extreme and crackling with blinding lightning, tore through the water curtain like a lightning bolt and pierced straight at his face!

This strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, containing an incomparably domineering power. It was clearly intended to kill the enemy in one blow, giving the attacker no chance to react!

He had already noticed the pursuers and set up an ambush here!

At the critical moment of life and death, Zhang Yunyuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

The primordial Dao Qi within his body didn't even need his active activation; it automatically protected its master, instantly forming an invisible barrier of chaotic mist in front of him.

That domineering golden energy vanished the moment it struck the chaotic barrier, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

Its violent destructive power was quickly devoured, decomposed, and absorbed by that seemingly insignificant chaotic energy, eventually dissipating into nothingness without even causing a ripple.

From the direction of the cave came a very faint, surprised "Eh."

Clearly, the attacker had no idea that his sure-fire strike would be so easily neutralized.

Zhang Yunyuan blocked the attack, but he already understood the situation perfectly.

Who else could possess such a refined and powerful Golden Light Mantra cultivation and be able to set up an ambush here, besides his second senior brother?

He removed the myriad expressions from his face, revealing his true nature.

Suppressing the surging blood within him, he spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an indescribable complex emotion, towards the deep cave:

"Senior Brother Huaiyi, what a powerful Golden Light Spell!"

"It's me, Zhang Yunyuan."

Inside the cave, all was deathly silent.

Only the rushing river water crashes against the rocks, creating an incessant roar.

A hoarse, tired voice, yet filled with extreme vigilance and a hint of disbelief, slowly emerged from the cave.

"It can actually dispel my golden light..."

“I never expected... that the person I found would be you, Yun Yuan.”

The sound of water filled the air, and a figure slowly emerged from the dark cave.

He was still wearing a tattered straw hat and a raincoat, but his figure seemed more hunched than a few years ago.

Beneath the straw hat, his weathered face was etched with weariness and a deep-seated, almost instinctive, vigilance, like that of a frightened bird.

Only his eyes, though hidden in the shadow of his straw hat, remained astonishingly sharp, fixed intently on Zhang Yunyuan on the shore.

It was Zhang Huaiyi.

The two faced each other across a roaring river.

One was a fellow apprentice, weary from his journey and filled with anxiety, searching for his relatives.

One was a fugitive senior brother who looked haggard and lost his way like a stray dog.

Looking at his senior brother, who appeared haggard and frightened like a startled bird, Zhang Yunyuan felt a thousand thoughts surge through his mind, ultimately culminating in a deep sigh:

"Senior brother... Master... never gave up searching for you."

“He ordered us to go down the mountain, no matter what… to bring you back.”

Zhang Huaiyi's body suddenly froze, his straw hat lifted slightly, revealing a pair of deep-set yet sharp eyes like an eagle's.

His eyes were incredibly complex, a mixture of indescribable guilt, profound weariness, and a hint of almost desperate clarity.

He was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was hoarse as if it had been ground by sand and gravel, yet it carried a cold, almost cruel calmness:

"Master... how is he...?"

The greeting was low and somber, as if each word carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

Before Zhang Yunyuan could answer, he shook his head violently, a faint yet incredibly bitter smile curving his lips:

"Go back? Go back where? Longhu Mountain? The Celestial Master's Mansion?"

He slightly raised his hand, not pointing to himself, but rather gesturing towards the invisible天地 (heaven and earth) around him, his tone suddenly becoming low and sharp:

"Look at this world! Yun Yuan! Look at my current status!"

The 'Thirty-Six Thieves'! Traitors who swore brotherhood with the leader of Quanxing!

Bearing this 'Source of Qi'... the root of all evil that comes with possessing such a treasure!

"Go back? If I go back, I will bring a tremendous disaster to my sect! If I go back, I will tarnish the thousand-year-old reputation of my master and Longhu Mountain for my own sake!"

If I go back… it will confirm that Longhu Mountain is harboring traitors and making an enemy of the world!

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a knife, dissecting the bloody reality with a kind of self-destructive clarity and resolve.

His gaze was fixed on Zhang Yunyuan, a sharpness tinged with a barely perceptible pain:

“You shouldn’t have come… Yun Yuan. You shouldn’t have waded into this mess.”

While there's still time... let's go!

Get out of here right now! Just pretend you never found me!

As the words fell, the air was no longer filled with just coldness, but also with a sense of tragic grandeur and resolute helplessness.

The two brothers stood on opposite banks of the turbulent You River, separated by what seemed to be an insurmountable chasm.

Chapter 94 A single word in the palm, a small boat sails away.

The turbulent You River roared through Guiku Beach, and in the misty air, the confrontation between the two brothers had reached a point of no return.

When Zhang Huaiyi heard Zhang Yunyuan say "Come back to the mountain with me," the muscles on his face under his bamboo hat twitched slightly, eventually turning into a deep, melancholy sigh.

"There's no going back, junior brother."

His voice was hoarse, yet carried an undeniable resolve: "I...can't go back."

Zhang Yunyuan stared at him, a hint of understanding and pain flashing in his eyes:

"I know."

He spoke slowly, his voice penetrating the sound of the water and clearly reaching Zhang Huaiyi's ears:

"Nineteen years ago, from the moment I first arrived at Longhu Mountain, I knew that you had always harbored a strong desire to surpass Senior Brother Zhiwei."

“After the martial arts competition at Longhu Mountain, you went down the mountain… and that feeling became your inner demon.”

"Later, you met Wugensheng, who told you that he could help you realize a greater opportunity."

"That's why you went with him to the Qinling Mountains to gather heroes, even at the cost of making enemies of all the strange men in the world."

Zhang Huaiyi's body trembled slightly, seemingly not expecting that his youngest junior brother would see through everything so clearly.

He was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, his tone resolute: "So, don't even think about taking me back. You can't do it."

Zhang Yunyuan stepped forward. Although his aura did not surge, it possessed a unique sense of calm and concentration.

"Now that things have come to this, I won't hide it from you. Although you have comprehended the Qi Source Flow, you may not be my match!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Huaiyi abruptly lifted his bamboo hat, and a terrifying glint flashed in his sharp eyes, as if his most sensitive spot had been touched:

"Yun Yuan, you are too arrogant. You only know the names of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques, but you have no idea what this 'Qi Body Source Flow' is!"

His tone carried an almost fanatical confidence and arrogance:

"What I have realized has surpassed that of my fourth brother, Wugensheng! In this world today, perhaps only my master can rival me!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Huaiyi made his move without warning!

Without any visible movement from him, and without any golden light emanating from his body, an invisible and intangible yet seemingly containing the essence of all "Qi" in the world instantly enveloped Zhang Yunyuan!

This is the source of Qi at the "end of technique". Its power is formless, yet it can control all Qi, dismantle all methods, and point directly to the essence!

However, faced with this power that would strike fear into the hearts of all extraordinary people in the world, Zhang Yunyuan neither dodged nor avoided it.

The chaotic primordial energy within his body flowed spontaneously, forming a seemingly thin yet profound chaotic barrier in front of him, as if it were the beginning of the universe.

The domineering power of the Qi Source Flow, which could easily shatter ordinary protective techniques, crashed into this chaos, flowing like a hundred rivers into the sea.

Its violent will was instantly devoured, decomposed, and assimilated. Not only did it fail to shake Zhang Yunyuan in the slightest, but its pure primordial power was quietly absorbed by the Primordial Dao Qi and transformed into some resources for its own growth!

The outcome was decided silently.

The arrogance and confidence on Zhang Huaiyi's face froze instantly, turning into unbelievable horror!

His pupils contracted sharply as he stared intently at Zhang Yunyuan, as if he were truly getting to know this junior brother for the first time.

"This...how is this possible?!"

He cried out in surprise.

He thought that the Qi Body Source Flow was the pinnacle of the world, enough to look down on everyone, but he never expected that he would be defeated so thoroughly and so... miserably in the field he was most confident in!

After a long while, the shock in Zhang Huaiyi's eyes slowly faded, replaced by a complex sense of relief and a deeper weariness.

"Hehe...hehe..."

He smiled wryly, “Actually, I should have realized it sooner... From the moment you came up the mountain and instantly comprehended the Golden Light Mantra, I could tell you were extraordinary.”

Although I cannot fathom the depth of your cultivation, I can sense that you are far more complex than you appear.

Time and time again... you've shocked me.

“I am not as good as my senior brother… but now it seems I am not as good as you either.”

He readily admitted it, but his tone immediately became incredibly firm:

“But I won’t go back with you. Yun Yuan, if you insist on taking me away, then… kill me.”

Zhang Yunyuan frowned: "Why are you so insistent on doing this?"