He set Yuan Lixun down. “Lixun, Grandpa and the others are just ahead.”

Yuan Lixun followed He Yiming’s gaze toward the front, but in her eyes, there was nothing but trees, trees, and more trees. Never mind the two elders; she couldn’t even spot any of the luggage they might have left behind.

Yet, she held a near-blind faith in what He Yiming said. Hearing his words, she nodded softly, meticulously smoothing her clothes, a delicate blush creeping back onto her cheeks.

She gently tugged at He Yiming. “Young Master, if Grandpa asks, what should we say?”

“We’ll just tell them the truth,” He Yiming replied, thoroughly puzzled.

Yuan Lixun’s face grew even redder. “We were gone for so long, and our clothes are all rumpled. Do you think Grandpa and the others might…”

He Yiming let out a soft laugh. “Don’t worry. The two of them won’t read into it that much.”

With that, he reached out and pulled; Yuan Lixun was immediately swept along against her will as he pivoted around a few massive trees, finally arriving at the spot where they had originally departed.

He Yiming moved like lightning. Only when he appeared and stood firmly in place did He Wude and the other elder suddenly notice his figure.

“Yiming, where have you been?”

He Wude’s eyes narrowed. Only after clearly making out He Yiming’s face did he relax. The elder frowned slightly, asking with a hint of displeasure.

He Laibao smiled gently. “Old Master, it’s rare for a young man to get out. Let him stretch his legs and clear his head; you don’t need to fuss so much.” His gaze toward He Yiming and Yuan Lixun was filled with a warm amusement, his tone suggesting he assumed they had slipped away privately, perhaps just for a stroll.

He Wude shook his head faintly. “I know, but they should at least have left a note, to stop us from worrying.”

Though the elder spoke of worry, in truth, neither he nor He Laibao had been concerned at all.

He Yiming was now a Xiantian expert. In this world, the status of a Xiantian expert was supremely revered, far beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Moreover, the martial power of a Xiantian expert was equally unattainable for most.

Since He Wude and He Laibao, with their cultivation base at the tenth layer of Neijin, could traverse this area quite boldly without much fear of danger, they were certainly not worried when He Yiming left.

If there was anything that truly annoyed the two elders, it was this young couple’s departure without a word, without even leaving a single marker.

He Yiming offered a wry smile. “Grandpa, I actually wanted to tell you, but the situation was urgent then; there really wasn’t time to leave an explanation.”

Yuan Lixun simultaneously recalled He Yiming’s haste at that moment, and her face flushed crimson once more.

At that time, He Yiming was anxious for her safety, so he fumbled as he handed her that miraculous outer garment. If not for that, perhaps there would have been time.

In reality, the reason He Yiming hadn't left an explanation was his immense confidence that he could slay this spiritual beast and return within the span of an hour.

Before this, he had already had two prior experiences killing spiritual beasts, giving him a deep understanding of their strength—he thought an hour would be more than sufficient. In his calculations, when he returned with the beast’s carcass, the two elders would still not have returned.

However, he never imagined that this spiritual beast would not only have two heads but also be excessively ferocious. Coupled with the encounter with that large stone, it was only these unforeseen delays that stretched the time out so long.

He Wude’s expression finally grew serious. He swept his gaze across the pair in surprise. Though old, the elder’s eyes were incredibly sharp, and he instantly noticed that the creases in their clothing were unusual.

“Yiming, what exactly happened?”

He Yiming chuckled. “Grandpa, let me show you something.”

Saying this, he removed the large Guan Dao (broadsword) and the corpse of the two-headed spiritual beast that he had been carrying on his back.

What had originally wrapped the Guan Dao was, besides rattan and leather straps, a thick, long strip of cloth. Now, the rattan and leather remained, but He Yiming had used the long cloth strip to wrap the two-headed spiritual beast.

He gripped one corner of the cloth and gave it a light shake. It instantly unfolded, revealing the two-headed spiritual beast, cleanly cleaved into two segments from head to tail with a single stroke.

The eyes of He Wude and He Laibao changed instantly. With their discerning vision, they immediately recognized the extraordinary nature of this creature.

If nothing else, the mere fact that it possessed two heads was enough to astonish anyone.

He Wude took a quick step forward, extending his rough, calloused hand. He pressed it onto the two heads for a moment, then lifted his head, his face alight with sheer delight. “Yiming, this is a spiritual beast?”

He Yiming nodded slightly. “Grandpa, please forgive me. Your grandson suddenly discovered this spiritual beast, which is why I took the liberty of tracking it down. Because this beast was extremely fast, and time was tight, I didn't have a chance to leave word.”

He Wude roared with laughter several times, slapping He Yiming heavily on the shoulder. “It’s nothing, nothing! I wouldn’t blame you for such a small matter.”

He Yiming blinked twice, thinking to himself, just as I thought; as soon as I produce the spiritual beast, Grandpa becomes very agreeable.

Yuan Lixun covered her mouth with a smile. She murmured softly, “Grandpa, Young Master went to great lengths to hunt this spiritual beast, and he even encountered some danger.”

A flicker of surprise crossed He Wude’s face. “Yiming, you are already a Xiantian Master. Is hunting a spiritual beast still difficult for you?”

He Yiming managed a wry smile. “Grandpa, this spiritual beast seems different. Its greatest power lies in its ability to exhale breath that carries the essence of wind and fire from its two mouths. The might of this breath attack is immense; even when I was caught off guard, I nearly fell for it.”

He recalled the moment this two-headed beast had suppressed its power for so long, only unleashing its breath attack at the final critical juncture, and a chill still ran down his spine.

If he hadn't kept a trump card back—his saber aura condensed but unreleased—and if he hadn’t mastered the true meaning of the Wind element himself, then the one dead today might not have been the two-headed spiritual beast, but himself.

However, upon hearing He Yiming’s words, the eyes of He Wude and He Laibao simultaneously revealed expressions of disbelief mixed with extreme joy.

The two elders exchanged a glance. He Wude said solemnly, “Yiming, you mean this spiritual beast possessed the ability to breathe out elemental energy?”

“Yes.”

He Yiming looked at the two elders in surprise. He vaguely sensed that they seemed overly agitated.

He Wude suddenly declared, “Laibao, one for each of us!”

He Laibao responded in agreement. The two elders stepped forward simultaneously, each taking one half of the carcass. Then, they thrust out their hands and, directly through the separated necks, plunged their fingers forcefully into the two heads of the spiritual beast.

Both were Houtian masters whose Neijin had reached the tenth layer. While far from comparable to He Yiming now, when they channeled their Neijin into their fingers, those digits became as hard as diamond and immensely strong.

If this two-headed spiritual beast were still alive, with its body of adamantine hardness, it would naturally feel no fear. But since it was dead, and the two elders were probing upward from the neck wound, their fingers passed through with relative ease.

Yuan Lixun’s complexion instantly turned slightly pale. Witnessing this gruesome scene, her stomach churned faintly, giving her a wave of nausea.

Suddenly, her vision went black. She looked up in surprise to see He Yiming appear before her like a phantom, shielding her sight.

Yuan Lixun offered a sweet smile, and the feeling of nausea immediately receded by more than half, leaving only a sense of warmth in her heart.

Moments later, He Wude seemed to have felt something. He slowly withdrew his hand, gently opened it, and amidst the countless splatters of blood, there rested a single, glistening, perfectly round bead, about the size of the first joint of an adult’s thumb.

His body trembled slightly as he was about to speak when he heard He Laibao’s voice ring out in extreme excitement: “I found it!”

He Wude was momentarily astonished. He turned and saw that He Laibao’s blood-stained hand indeed held an identical object.

He Wude then extended his own hand. The two round beads resting in the palms of the two elders shone against each other, exuding a peculiar luster.

He Laibao’s eyes were wide. Even at his age and with his experience, he felt a dizzying sense of unreality.

He mumbled, “Two of them? There are actually two?”

He Wude nodded slightly. “Indeed, there are two.” He turned his head to look at He Yiming. “Yiming, you are incredibly lucky.”

He Yiming could already tell that what the two held were the inner cores, the Neidan, of the spiritual beast.

However, in his memory, whether it was the Neidan of the Golden-Crested Python or the Long-Armed Badger, although their sizes were comparable, they never displayed such flowing brilliance.

He gazed intently and immediately felt the mysterious power emanating from these two small spheres. This power was exceptionally potent yet remained concealed. What surprised He Yiming even more was that once these two Neidan were separated from the two-headed beast’s body, they subtly formed a mysterious connection with the energy of heaven and earth. Particularly in his perception, this feeling of merging with the world around them was strikingly evident and clear.

A thought flashed through his mind, and He Yiming asked urgently, “Grandpa, could this spiritual beast be one that is over five hundred years old?”

He Wude nodded solemnly. “That’s right; this is a spiritual beast that has lived for over five centuries.” His expression was extremely grave. “Spiritual beasts, regardless of species, automatically grow into powerful creatures capable of absorbing the energy of heaven and earth once they surpass five hundred years of age. Their greatest characteristic is their ability to condense the power of heaven and earth within their bodies and expel it as a breath attack. The destructive force of this breath is unparalleled; forget us Houtian cultivators who cannot resist it—even Xiantian Masters might not handle it easily.”

He Yiming recalled the terrifying might of that breath attack and nodded with lingering fear.

A sudden idea sparked in his mind: If only I could master the power of that breath attack myself.

He Laibao had already retrieved the cloth strip and the waterskin, thoroughly washing the blood from his hands and the beads. He said seriously, “Yiming, come take a look.”

He Yiming stepped forward as called. He Laibao stated solemnly, “Spiritual beasts over five hundred years old differ significantly from ordinary ones. This difference isn't just in their power; even their Neidan are vastly different. These two Neidan contain the potent energy of the beast’s life and can communicate with the forces of heaven and earth. They are the finest material for refining Xiantian Golden Elixirs.”

He Yiming took the Neidan, turning it over in his hands for a moment, and exclaimed happily, “Grandpa, if we can refine Xiantian Golden Elixirs from these two Neidan, doesn’t that mean our estate has hope of producing two more Xiantian experts?”

He Wude sighed wryly. “Yiming, Xiantian Golden Elixirs are not so easily refined. Even if I handed them over to my Master, the Medicine Daoist, he might not necessarily succeed smoothly.” He paused. “Furthermore, to refine the Golden Elixirs, the spiritual beast’s Neidan alone is insufficient; we also need a large quantity of rare medicinal herbs. These herbs rarely grow in places inhabited by ordinary people. Only in ancient sects like Hengshan, located in remote areas like this and boasting thousands of years of history, is it possible to cultivate and grow them slowly over time.”

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. “Grandpa, you mean we have to give these two Neidan to Hengshan?”

He Wude and He Laibao were deeply devoted to the Hengshan lineage, but He Yiming felt differently. To be blunt, he had little affection for Hengshan. Hearing that such precious items had to be surrendered, he felt a pang of regret.

Two Neidan from a spiritual beast over five hundred years old—treasures capable of yielding two Xiantian Golden Elixirs! Even He Yiming felt reluctant to part with them.

He Wude shot him a look. “Yiming, you hunted these, but you must understand: the way of alchemy is vast and profound. Among those we know, besides the Hengshan lineage, where else could you find a second trusted Xiantian Alchemist? And where else could you search for all those precious medicinal herbs?”

He Yiming lowered his head in thought for a moment, finally saying, “Yes, your grandson understands.”

He was reminded by his grandfather’s words of a question he had previously posed to the Xie family: if he found the Neidan of a five-hundred-year spiritual beast, could they refine it?

But they had flatly refused; even Xie Zhi’en had frankly stated he had no assurance of success.

If even the Xie family, with their thousand-year tradition in medicine, held such a view, where else could he find a powerful Xiantian Alchemist?

Although it was rumored that such experts existed among the three great powers of the Northwest, they were complete strangers; brazenly approaching them might not be a good idea.

He Wude nodded slightly, offering reassurance. “Yiming, in the hands of my Master, these two Neidan stand a chance of yielding at least one elixir. If both succeed, rest assured, Master will bestow one upon you regardless.”

He Yiming quickly waved his hand. “Grandpa, that one is yours.”

He Wude sighed deeply. “Yiming, I appreciate your kind intentions, but I am too old. If I were to truly consume a Xiantian Golden Elixir now, the probability of my body exploding would far outweigh the chance of a successful promotion. My old bones, even if they died, wouldn't matter much, but I still wish to live a few more years, so let’s forgo that.”

He Yiming’s face flushed slightly. He hesitated for a moment, then said, “Grandpa, I heard that during the advancement to Xiantian, if one can receive the protection of a Xiantian expert, the chance of success increases significantly, and the danger is reduced.” He pounded his chest. “At that time, I will personally reinforce your meridians and ensure you step into the Xiantian realm smoothly.”

He Wude smiled faintly. “There is such a saying when advancing from Houtian to Xiantian, but that only applies to cultivators who use compatible cultivation methods and rely on their own strength to ascend. If one uses a Xiantian Golden Elixir, other Xiantian Masters have no opportunity to intervene.” He sighed long. “If my attribute was the same as yours, and we were both cultivators mastering the compatible Gold and Water elements up to the tenth layer of Neijin, then I wouldn't refuse your kind offer. But…” He shook his head regretfully, “How rare are cultivators who master two compatible elements?”

He Laibao laughed heartily. “Old Master, stop sighing. Isn’t Yiming one of them?”

He Wude smiled with contentment upon hearing this. “That’s right. Yiming, you not only cultivated your Hunyuan Force to the peak of the tenth layer but also your Ripple Technique, yet you kept it hidden from us so tightly... truly…” He pointed a finger, finally letting out a half-scolding curse, “...truly unfilial.”

Though he cursed, his voice was filled with deep pride, lacking any trace of genuine annoyance.

He Yiming broke into a cold sweat. He finally understood why his grandparents had never asked him exactly how he achieved his breakthroughs.

It turned out that in their minds, they had long presumed he broke through relying on the mutual generation of his Gold and Water elements.

The group remained there for another half-day. The main task was for the two elders to carefully process the carcass of the two-headed spiritual beast.

The fur and hide were naturally stripped off; even the entrails and bones were removed for other uses.

To a cultivator, a spiritual beast is a treasure trove; even the meat, after being stewed until tender, was consumed heartily.

Witnessing the fate of this two-headed spiritual beast, a chill suddenly shot through He Yiming.

This beast had not provoked him, but simply because it was a spiritual beast, its end was so tragically grim.

He had intended to tell the two elders about discovering the mysterious white stone, but upon hearing that they planned to send the Neidan to Hengshan, he temporarily suppressed the thought.

Even though He Wude guaranteed that if both Neidan succeeded in refining, one would certainly be given to him—but what if only one succeeded?

If he told Grandpa about the white stone, would Grandpa hide it, or would he relay it directly to his teacher, the Medicine Daoist? If the Hengshan lineage learned of the stone’s marvelous nature and demanded it, should he give it away or not?

Chewing on the meat of the two-headed spiritual beast, He Yiming exchanged a look with Yuan Lixun. Though they spoke no words, they saw the same expression in each other’s eyes.

They smiled at each other. The secret of the white stone was known only to the two of them.