A surge of power, one that Ting Minghe and the others were utterly incapable of resisting, swept over them.
In that mere instant, the three of them completely dismissed any lingering doubt, stumbling backward three unsteady steps.
Cultivators above the Sixth Layer of Inner Strength could manifest an aura belonging to themselves through the application of their Inner Strength techniques.
However, such an aura was ultimately limited by Inner Strength; even the aura field of a Tenth Layer peak expert could not exceed that limit.
True experts of the Innate Realm were different; what they possessed was no longer Inner Strength, but True Qi, which could communicate with and transform the surrounding Heaven and Earth energy.
The sheer power of an aura projected through True Qi was absolutely something the auras of Postnatal experts could not contend with.
It was like using firewood to make a fire; no matter how much wood was piled up, the maximum heat generated could never surpass the peak heat released by burning coal.
Thus, when the three of them felt that powerful aura, they were immediately filled with deep regret.
They had all felt this sensation before, in the presence of one particular Elder, and from that day forward, they never dared to question that Elder again. Now, this was the second time they had sensed such immense power.
He Yi Ming retracted his aura as quickly as he unleashed it; he intended to meet the Innate experts of the Fire Crow Kingdom, not to invite powerful enemies upon the Xie family.
When Ting Minghe and the other two regained their footing, the reverence in their eyes for He Yi Ming fully exposed their revised mindset.
He Yi Ming sat down with satisfaction. He looked at the pale, scholarly Ting Minghe and got straight to the point: “You were sent here by Master Ting Shiguang?”
Ting Minghe immediately stepped half a pace forward, letting his hands hang naturally by his sides, bowing slightly. “Yes, my ancestor, Master Ting Shiguang, is cultivating within the Fire Crow Tower in the Imperial Palace. He has not left the tower for thirty full years, which is why he has tasked me to extend an invitation to Master He, requesting that you grace him with a visit.”
A slight smile finally appeared on He Yi Ming’s face. He stood up and said, “Very well. I too wish to meet the other Innate experts. Since Master Ting Shiguang has extended an invitation, let us depart immediately.” He turned to Xie Mingjin and said, “Brother Xie, I will be away for a time. I must take my leave now.”
Xie Mingjin certainly dared not hinder him, quickly nodding with a smile.
The others exchanged bewildered glances, surprised that He Yi Ming left with the swiftness of wind and fire after only asking one question, and without offering even a polite word of explanation to the heads of the Mu and Luo families.
Ting Minghe gave a wry smile and could only comply, leading the way.
The remaining group accompanied them to the main gate, stopping only after watching the two depart.
Mu Yuan sighed deeply. “In the eyes of those at the Innate Realm, only the presence of fellow experts of the same rank truly matters.”
Luo Xin stared intently at the entrance to the street, as if still trying to follow the figures of He Yi Ming and the other that had long since vanished. After a moment, she murmured, “The Innate Realm… I wonder if we will ever have the fortune in this lifetime to break through to Innate.”
The leading figures gathered at the entrance of the Xie residence instantly fell silent, their eyes reflecting various profound thoughts. They seemed to ponder this question, but after a long time, not a single one offered a definitive answer.
“Master He, the Imperial Palace is just ahead,” Ting Minghe said respectfully.
Yet, inwardly, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He Yi Ming had insisted on leaving immediately, refusing Ting Minghe any time to summon his personal guards or attendants, forcing him instead to lead the way on foot.
As one of the Princes of the Fire Crow royal family, and the only one among them who had reached the Tenth Layer of Inner Strength, he had not experienced anything like this in ten years.
However, he dared not show the slightest complaint now.
For he was the only one among those Tenth Layer Inner Strength masters who had witnessed the Ancestor Ting Shiguang in action. He knew that although he was considered a master among Postnatal cultivators, he was nothing before these Innate powerhouses.
To be able to lead such an expert was certainly no degradation of his status.
He Yi Ming stopped, casting his gaze toward the Imperial Palace of the Fire Crow Kingdom.
This was the residence of the King of the Fire Crow Kingdom, naturally the most opulent and magnificent place in the kingdom, and also the most heavily guarded.
Yet, the first thing He Yi Ming saw was a tall tower.
This tower was the tallest structure in the entire palace, its height vastly exceeding that of all other buildings.
He instantly understood: this must be the Fire Crow Tower, and the aged Innate expert of the Fire Crow Kingdom must reside there.
The guards stationed before the palace clearly recognized Ting Minghe’s status. Upon seeing his demeanor towards He Yi Ming, they were all inwardly horrified.
Ting Minghe waved his hand, and not a single guard dared to intercept them, though some immediately ran inside like flying arrows.
With Ting Minghe leading the way, the two soon arrived before the tall tower.
Before the tower, a person was already waiting with a smile.
Ting Minghe stepped forward and bowed, “Your Majesty, I have returned.” He then turned to He Yi Ming. “Master He, this is His Majesty King Ting Minglie of our Fire Crow Kingdom.”
Ting Minglie waved his hand slightly. “Royal Brother, in the presence of an Innate Master, there is no need to introduce my status as King.”
He Yi Ming looked over in surprise. The King’s words immediately earned him a degree of favor. However, following the events just past, he merely inclined his head reservedly towards Ting Minglie.
Ting Minglie stepped back and personally pulled open the massive door of the tower. “Master He, my ancestor awaits within the tower.”
He Yi Ming’s heart immediately tensed—not out of fear, but excitement.
This was the first Innate expert he was about to meet, so naturally, he held high anticipation.
As He Yi Ming entered the tower, Ting Minglie slowly closed the great door. When he turned around, the gentle and refined smile on his face vanished completely, replaced by an expression of shrewdness and gravity.
“Issue an order: no one is to remain within one hundred meters of the tower, nor is anyone to be allowed entry. If anyone dares to interrupt the conversation between the two Masters, I will have all of you executed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
A resounding reply echoed, and immediately, countless people began to move.
Ting Minglie and the other two swiftly retreated beyond the hundred-meter mark. The King of the Fire Crow Kingdom said coldly, “This person is so young; is he truly an Innate Master?”
“Absolutely,” Ting Minghe asserted firmly. “His aura is as terrifying as that of the Old Ancestor.”
A sharp light flashed in Ting Minglie’s eyes. “I heard he is not from our kingdom?”
“Correct. He has some acquaintance with Xie Mingjin of the Xie family, so he came to visit the Xie residence. Unexpectedly, he broke through to the Innate Realm here.” Ting Minghe dropped the bombshell.
“Xie Mingjin?” Ting Minglie pondered, seemingly searching through his memory for the name and details. After a moment, his face adopted an expression of extreme peculiarity. “Royal Brother, if I recall correctly, Xie Mingjin of the Xie family is only seventeen this year, is he not?”
“Your Majesty recalls correctly; the young man is indeed seventeen.”
“Then…” Ting Minglie’s expression grew even stranger. “This Master He is friends with Xie Mingjin. How old is he, really?”
Ting Minghe also offered a wry smile, shaking his head. “He did not say, and I dared not ask. However, judging by his appearance and demeanor, he cannot be very old.” He had almost said that Master He was likely under twenty, but that statement simply would not leave his mouth. He settled for a more vague answer instead.
Ting Minglie turned back to gaze at the towering Fire Crow Tower. After a long while, he said, “Such a young Innate Master… I only hope that the Old Ancestor can sway him. If he is willing to become the Protector Master of our Fire Crow Kingdom, then the Fire Crow Kingdom can rest easy for at least a hundred years.”
Upon entering the tower, He Yi Ming swept his gaze around the surroundings, then began to slowly ascend the staircase inside the tower.
Although the tower appeared empty, he could sense a powerful expert on the fifth floor, one who caused even him to feel a slight tension.
Though the two had not faced each other, they could perceive the other’s existence through the nature of True Qi, and they could sense the terror emanating from the other.
The destructive power possessed by an expert of the Innate Realm was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
Climbing step by step, he finally reached the fifth floor.
The fifth floor was barren, containing nothing but five meditation cushions on the floor, devoid of any other decoration or furniture.
On one of the cushions sat an old man with white hair and beard. Although his appearance suggested advanced age, perhaps seventy or eighty years old, his eyes were filled with a youthful vitality that He Yi Ming had never expected.
It was as if he was looking not at an old man, but at a vigorous man in his thirties or forties.
However, the moment their eyes met, while He Yi Ming was considerably surprised, Ting Shiguang was even more profoundly shocked, to the point where the calm demeanor he had maintained for decades rippled with uncontrollable waves.
Ting Minglie and the others could not ascertain He Yi Ming’s true age, but within Ting Shiguang’s mind, it was already certain: this Innate expert, carrying a trace of curiosity, a hint of excitement, and a dash of eagerness, was definitely a youth under twenty years old.
A feeling of extreme bitterness welled up within him.
So young, yet he had already broken through that most crucial barrier to become a true Innate expert.
Compared to Ting Minglie and the others, he understood the implications far better. The prepared speech he had ready in his mind vanished instantly.
Because he now knew that the young man before him could absolutely not be contained within the Fire Crow Kingdom.
They gazed at each other for a moment. He Yi Ming finally executed a deep bow. “This junior, He Yi Ming, pays respects to the senior.”
Ting Shiguang rose from his cushion and returned the courtesy. “Brother He, no need for such formalities. Please be seated.”
He Yi Ming sat cross-legged on the cushion opposite him, feeling quite perplexed. He found it hard to comprehend why an Innate expert would reside in such a sparsely furnished place.
Ting Shiguang wore a calm and serene smile. “Brother He has only just entered the Innate Realm; perhaps you are not yet aware of some of the rules among the Innate?”
He Yi Ming immediately shook his head. “Indeed, I am not. I ask the senior to enlighten me.”
Ting Shiguang rested his hands on his lap. This simple gesture unexpectedly created a sense of profound harmony. He Yi Ming vaguely felt that in his communication and exchange with the energy of Heaven and Earth, he was already inferior to the elder by more than just a small margin.
“The world is vast, and the number of cultivators is countless. All who can step into the Innate Realm must be the true dragons and phoenixes among the extraordinary,” Ting Shiguang’s voice was not loud, but it carried a powerful arrogance echoing within the tower. “When dragons and phoenixes soar, they glide in the highest heavens; when they hide, they lie dormant in the deepest abysses. They are beyond the reach of ordinary men.”
He Yi Ming nodded slightly, but his heart was filled with confusion. Strangely, he could clearly sense an air of disdain for all living beings, a sense of aloof superiority, in the old man's words. It was as if he did not take the lives of ordinary people to heart at all.
However, this feeling could not resonate with He Yi Ming, for he cared deeply for too many people.
Ting Shiguang suddenly fell silent, seeming to sense something from the look in He Yi Ming’s eyes.
After a moment, the old man gave a bitter smile. “I must be growing senile, speaking of such things to you now. You will naturally understand this principle in a hundred years or so.” He paused. “To put it simply: once one steps into the Innate Realm, our status becomes distinct from the multitude. From then on, we transcend the common mass, and our age becomes irrelevant; only the strength of the individual is the sole criterion for measurement.”
A look of sudden realization dawned on He Yi Ming’s face, but inwardly, he remained unconvinced. He simply chose not to argue with the elder before him.
“Brother He, in the future, should you encounter another Innate Master, you need only address them by name; there is no need to continue using the junior status,” Ting Shiguang stated solemnly.
He Yi Ming hesitated for a moment before finally nodding slightly. If these were the established rules among Innate experts, he saw no reason to break them; he would simply abide by them.
Though advanced in years, Ting Shiguang was full of vigor and chatted with He Yi Ming about everything under the sun, recounting various strange tales and interesting anecdotes from the Northwest Kingdoms.
He Yi Ming then learned that this elder had once traveled the world, having visited virtually every country in the Northwest, even the distant Great Shen Kingdom, known as the Land of Ten Thousand Nations.
It was precisely because of this extensive travel that the elder possessed such profound knowledge, which He Yi Ming found incredibly fascinating.
After a wide-ranging discussion, the topic inevitably returned to the Fire Crow Kingdom. Ting Shiguang suddenly sighed. “A pity, a real pity.”
He Yi Ming paused slightly. “A pity for what?”
“I originally thought that the one breaking through the limit barrier this time for the Xie family would be this child, Xie Zhiren.” Ting Shiguang lamented.
He Yi Ming’s eyes suddenly widened, and the muscles in his face twitched.
Hearing the white-haired Xie Zhiren referred to as a ‘child’ by Ting Shiguang caused He Yi Ming to feel a wave of laughter and tears mixed together when he recalled Xie Zhiren’s appearance.
Such an old-looking child must surely be unique in the world.
Ting Shiguang gently shook his head. “It is certainly cause for joy that Brother He has stepped into the Innate Realm. However, for our Fire Crow Kingdom, it would truly have been a blessing if Xie Zhiren had made the breakthrough.”
Although He Yi Ming felt a touch of dissatisfaction, he understood the meaning behind the elder’s words, knowing that this was indeed the case.
Ting Shiguang’s tone suddenly shifted. “Brother He, since you broke through to the Innate Realm while within my Fire Crow Kingdom, you are bound by fate to us. I have prepared a gift for you; I hope you will accept it graciously.”
Saying this, he reached into his sleeve, and when he drew his hand out, he held a dull, black stone.
He Yi Ming’s gaze swept over the stone, but he had no idea what it was.
Ting Shiguang looked at the stone with a hint of reluctance, but this expression flashed across his face only briefly before he cheerfully presented the stone to He Yi Ming.
“A small token of my regard; I hope Brother He will accept it.”
Although He Yi Ming could not identify the object, even an idiot knew it must be incredibly valuable, or Ting Shiguang would not have cherished it so visibly.
After hesitating slightly, he said, “Master Ting, as the saying goes, one accepts no reward without merit. I dare not accept this gift.”
Ting Shiguang smiled lightly. “Brother He, I have no ulterior motives. I merely wish to make a friend; is that not permissible?” He gently stroked the stone with his hand. “This is a block of Essense Steel Magnetite I obtained during my travels. While not an especially precious item, it is one of the few metals capable of withstanding Innate True Qi. If Brother He possesses any suitable weapon, merely integrating this into it will allow you to use it without reservation.”
He Yi Ming exclaimed in surprise and asked, “Master Ting, ordinary weapons cannot withstand Innate True Qi?”
Ting Shiguang chuckled wryly. “How immense is the power of Innate True Qi? How could ordinary mortal iron withstand it?”
A drop of cold sweat trickled down He Yi Ming’s back. His sole thought was one of immense relief that he had left his great broadsword at the Xie residence, thus not using it in the valley today. Otherwise, it might have been fine without True Qi infusion, but if he had infused it, the blade would likely have been destroyed.
After careful consideration, He Yi Ming finally took the stone. “Since it is Master Ting’s kind gesture, then this humble one shall not refuse. Should Master Ting ever have need of my service in the future, I will certainly do my utmost.”
Ting Shiguang nodded with a smile, very satisfied with He Yi Ming’s response. He then seriously explained the properties and usage of the Essense Steel Magnetite. What He Yi Ming hadn't expected was that the method of use was incredibly simple: one only needed to melt it into a liquid state, then immerse the weapon, and it would automatically adhere.
He Yi Ming had never heard of such a miraculous metal before. Looking at the fist-sized lump of metal, a sense of difficulty settled in his heart.
Could this small amount of Essense Steel Magnetite truly transform his entire great broadsword?
When he pictured the immense length of that terrifying broadsword, He Yi Ming lost all confidence…
Ps: Sweating…
Ten thousand characters daily update, requesting recommendation tickets; they seem to be dropping, not even reaching 20:1 anymore.
White Crane’s subscriptions are decent, but recommendation tickets are too few.
My requirement isn't high, just need a ratio above 20:1 with clicks. As long as my brothers and sisters can manage that, White Crane guarantees that until the end, the daily update of at least ten thousand characters will not stop!!!
Thank you…