The sun blazed directly into the river valley at noon. The river shimmered with flashes of silver light; the northern ice peaks, from behind their overlapping mass of mountains, revealed only a narrow, intoxicatingly, dazzlingly white edge.

In this valley, not far from the capital of the Kai-Rong Kingdom, He Yiming, Shui Xuanjin, Ting Shiguang, and numerous masters from the Xie family were gathered.

Even Ting Shiguang had chosen to remain after hearing the news that Xie Zhi’en was coming to this location. As a Xiantian Master from the Huo Wu Kingdom, he understood Xie Zhi’en’s potential deeply and knew the monumental impact having another Xiantian Master would have on the entire nation. Thus, he felt obligated to stay and invited Shui Xuanjin to join him in standing guard for He Yiming and the other master.

Looking around at the heavily guarded Xie family members and the two slightly tense Xiantian experts, He Yiming was reminded of the time back in Hengshan when he guarded Lu Zhengyi while he attempted to break through to the Xiantian realm. At that time, the entire Hengshan lineage, from the Supreme Elder Yu Jinglei down to all the peak experts at the tenth level of Internal Strength, had positioned themselves by the stream to protect them both.

The setup orchestrated by Ting Shiguang and the others now was hardly different from those days, though the sheer martial might displayed was far less overwhelming than that of the Hengshan lineage.

With a flick of his sleeve, He Yiming announced, "Gentlemen, it is now noon, the most opportune time for Elder Zhi’en to attempt the breakthrough to Xiantian. You will all wait at a distance and must not disturb us."

The Xie family members immediately complied with deep reverence. Though immensely excited, they dared not show even a hint of it now. They dispersed, though their focus remained fixed upon the central area.

As for the two Xiantian experts, Ting Shiguang and Shui Xuanjin, having similar experiences themselves, they offered a slight smile. "Brother Xie, we wish you smooth sailing," they said before withdrawing several dozen meters. They settled into deep concentration, ensuring that not the slightest disturbance in the environment could affect them.

Xie Zhi’en nodded solemnly. He inhaled deeply, as if trying to draw in all the remaining breath of his later life in that single draw. Slowly, a powerful aura began to surface from his eyes, radiating from his entire body.

When He Yiming sensed this aura, he was momentarily startled. A touch of admiration appeared in his eyes for the old man. From the intensity of the aura, He Yiming understood the old man's resolve: he had stepped onto a path of no return. Today, it would either be success in the breakthrough or death right here; there was no third option.

Finally, Xie Zhi’en stilled his breath. He bowed deeply to He Yiming. "Master He, this old man has decided to attempt the Xiantian breakthrough using this frail, decrepit body. I will not rest until I succeed. If your infusion of energy falters, please withdraw your True Qi." A profound solemnity settled on his face. "Even if I perish by exploding, the Huo Wu Xie family will remain eternally grateful for your immense favor."

He Yiming raised his eyebrows. "Elder, there is no need for such formality. As long as your body can endure it, I, He, absolutely will not abandon you." His words were resolute, instantly dissolving the final reservation in Xie Zhi’en’s heart.

He bowed deeply once more, then slowly sat down.

He Yiming’s thoughts stirred. He flipped his wrist and produced a jade bottle. "Elder, this is an Essence Gold Elixir. Please take it."

Xie Zhi’en hesitated slightly. "Master He, as far as I know, cultivators throughout history attempting the Xiantian breakthrough have never taken an Essence Gold Elixir."

He Yiming offered a reassuring smile. "You are correct, Elder, but do not forget, very few cultivators in history attempting this breakthrough were of your advanced age."

Xie Zhi’en managed a wry smile and took the elixir, tossing it into his mouth. He Yiming was already dedicating himself to guarding his meridians for the breakthrough—such a profound favor was equivalent to rebirth for a family. In that context, taking one more Essence Gold Elixir was nothing.

After consuming the Essence Gold Elixir, Xie Zhi’en settled into a cross-legged position. His concentration was absolute, casting aside all distracting thoughts, pouring his entire mind into the circulation of the internal energy within his body.

He Yiming placed one palm against Xie Zhi’en’s back. His True Qi skillfully entered the old man's meridians, forming a thin protective membrane there. Although the attribute of the True Qi the old man was circulating was Wood, different from Lu Zhengyi’s, it made no significant difference to He Yiming. Furthermore, since he himself had advanced to Xiantian using a Wood-Fire cultivation method, sensing Xie Zhi’en’s Wood attribute cultivation brought back an intensely familiar feeling.

The scene of his own successful breakthrough vividly returned to him, as if history were repeating itself, causing his own mental focus to gradually immerse itself in the moment.

Suddenly, He Yiming’s mind shifted, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face. The two Xiantian experts nearby had at least half of their attention focused on them. Seeing He Yiming’s expression, their hearts dropped, and a terrible thought occurred to them: Could He Yiming’s constitution clash severely with Xie Zhi’en’s, making it impossible for him to guard the meridians?

However, just as the thought formed, they saw He Yiming’s expression return to calm, while Xie Zhi’en, seemingly unaware, showed an ever-strengthening surge of internal energy emanating from him. The two experts exchanged a look and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, He Yiming was secretly delighted. As his True Qi reinforced Xie Zhi’en’s meridians, he simultaneously perceived the path his internal energy followed. Though it was only a Houtian cultivation method, Xie Zhi’en’s Wood cultivation imparted a fresh perspective to He Yiming. In the old man, He Yiming detected a faint, elusive "Life" force—a power typically only manifested by Xiantian experts when utilizing Wood True Qi. Yet, here it was, present in a Houtian elder over a hundred years old, on the verge of death.

Quietly sensing this tenuous, peculiar feeling, He Yiming observed that as the old man’s Wood power intensified, this sensation grew stronger. Eventually, He Yiming was certain: this power truly belonged exclusively to Xiantian experts. His concentration sharpened, and through the connection of True Qi, he seemed to "see" strange scenes. These were not memories of his own life, but fragments belonging to this world-weary elder.

In a cool, dimly lit room, a young Xie Zhi’en held an herbal manual, meticulously identifying herbs, his eyes and heart seemingly concerned only with their existence. He ate in that room, slept in that room, and even cultivated within that room. His entire being was submerged in medicinal herbs; it seemed nothing else in the world warranted his concern.

To others, Xie Zhi’en appeared insane, his obsession with herbs exceeding the comprehension of most people. Yet, because of this intense obsession and attachment, as he cultivated day after day, year after year, the "Life" force within the herbs subtly permeated his body, drop by drop.

At this realization, He Yiming suddenly understood why this elderly man remained so vigorous at over a hundred years old, while most Houtian experts his age were already returning to dust. At that moment, a strange notion surfaced faintly in He Yiming’s mind. Though it was merely a passing thought, he grasped it firmly.

While Xie Zhi’en possessed dual cultivation talent in Wood and Fire, his Fire talent was clearly superior to his Wood talent. The fact that he managed to push both to the peak of the tenth level was inextricably linked to his obsession. Through this fanatical, almost aberrant method, it seemed possible to enhance a specific aspect of one's talent. This approach was utterly inconceivable; even masters of past ages had no record of it. But through this miraculous sensing, having glimpsed fragments of Xie Zhi’en’s life memories, He Yiming dimly uncovered this method. He didn't know if this method was viable, but he had a strong feeling that Yuan Lixun and the other brothers in the He Family Village might also benefit from it.

His focus suddenly snapped back. He Yiming remembered he was still reinforcing Xie Zhi’en’s meridians. He immediately collected his thoughts and redoubled his concentration. While the discovery filled him with elation, it was a matter for the future; understanding its mysteries would take time. His immediate task was to help Xie Zhi’en reach the Xiantian realm as best he could.

At this point, Xie Zhi’en’s meridians were saturated with Wood internal energy. That peak tenth-level internal energy surged like a vast sea, boiling with an unprecedented intensity, as Xie Zhi’en disregarded whether his meridians could sustain it. He Yiming carefully monitored the minute changes within the channels, murmuring internally, "It's coming."

As soon as this thought surfaced, a spark of fire appeared in Xie Zhi’en’s meridians. This was the first appearance of Fire internal energy, struggling to burn within the sea of Wood internal energy. A small dry twig thrown into a furnace would quickly ignite and turn to ash. But a tiny flame placed upon the bark of a hundred-year-old tree would have a much higher chance of extinguishing than igniting the entire tree. To He Yiming, this spark felt precisely like that. Sensing this precarious flame, which seemed ready to die out at any moment, He Yiming knew clearly this was due to the old man’s advanced age. Despite the support of the "Life" force in his body, his vitality simply couldn't compare to that of a younger man.

However, slowly, a wisp of medicinal energy dissolved in the old man’s body, transforming into boundless vitality and feeding into this flame. Bolstered by this reinforcement, the flame stabilized, ceasing its imminent flicker of extinction. But that was the limit; to advance further seemed beyond his current capability.

He Yiming sighed inwardly. No wonder the elders said one should not attempt to break through to Xiantian past the age of eighty, or the chance of failure would far outweigh success. It appeared true now; even with his full assistance and the Essence Gold Elixir, Xie Zhi’en lacked the strength to ascend further.

A normal person in this situation would certainly have given up. But the old man was different. He forcefully circulated the Fire cultivation method, sustained by the elixir’s potency, giving everything he had—never once losing heart. He had honored his promise: rather die on the spot, bursting apart, than concede defeat.

He Yiming let out a long sigh, his expression shifting. Finally, he made a decision that no one would believe even if he spoke of it. He split off a minuscule thread of his True Qi. This thread rapidly shifted its attribute, transforming from Wood to Fire, and slowly flowed into the single spark of flame within Xie Zhi’en’s body.

Every person is an independent entity. The internal energy or True Qi cultivated by one person is entirely unique. Even when cultivating the same attribute and type of technique, the resulting internal energy and True Qi will still differ slightly. Although they can be temporarily borrowed for healing or offense, during the critical moment of breaking through a bottleneck, no trace of external internal energy or True Qi can be mixed in. This was the universal consensus, the experience summarized by countless predecessors over innumerable years. If the True Qi lacked purity at this juncture, the result would not be a successful breakthrough, but certain death by explosion. Not only Xie Zhi’en but He Yiming himself would suffer grave consequences.

Yet, after deep contemplation, He Yiming chose to proceed. His confidence rested entirely on his unique physical characteristics. At this moment, the black-hole-like Dantian within his body spun rapidly. The thread of fiery True Qi emerging from it underwent continuous, minute adjustments. He Yiming’s entire consciousness converged on this point; he didn't fully understand why he harbored such a daring thought, but once the impulse arose, he could not suppress it.

Under his control, the nature of the True Qi underwent a subtle transformation, reaching an extreme degree of change, gradually becoming remarkably similar to the Fire internal energy within Xie Zhi’en’s body. He Yiming knew that this wasn't purely his own innate ability, but rather the True Qi within his Dantian automatically adjusting once the intention was formed. Just like external True Qi, whether cold as ice or hot as fire, once it entered his Dantian, it instantly became a mass of dark chaos. Similarly, if he willed it, the True Qi emerging from this chaos could arbitrarily transform into any other attribute of True Qi. This was the true reason he could cultivate all Five Elements and advance to the Yi Xian Tian realm using Ice energy as the catalyst.

As the Dantian’s True Qi flowed into the spark of fire within Xie Zhi’en’s body according to his will, the frequencies of the two energies had already reached a point of perfect synchronization. With a sound like a thunderous explosion, the Wood energy inside the old man was completely ignited. The frantic flames scattered countless sparks, causing the old man’s body to flush red. When the internal energy reached its absolute peak, it finally poured out from the surface of his body, interacting with the energy of heaven and earth.

Shui Xuanjin and Ting Shiguang exchanged a look, knowing that from this day forward, the Small Nations Alliance would boast one more Xiantian expert.

※※※※

Far away, in that temple, Zhan Tianfeng stared toward the valley, his face so grim it looked as if frost could be scraped from it. Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared behind him, followed by a chilling voice. "Brother Zhan, you sent a secret message summoning me. What is the matter?"

Zhan Tianfeng did not turn around. "Brother Sima, fifty years ago, you owed me a favor."

"That is correct," the voice replied, carrying a trace of unconcealed annoyance. "If not for that debt, I would not have rushed here so quickly."

Zhan Tianfeng smiled faintly. "Brother Sima, in the future, you will not need to be in such a hurry."

The voice immediately brightened. "What task do you require of me?"

Zhan Tianfeng’s voice lowered. "I need you to kill someone."

"Kill someone?" the other man asked, surprised. "You have so many subordinates, why do you need me to act?"

"Because that person has just recently advanced to Yi Xian Tian."

The voice fell silent, then after a long pause, a slow sigh drifted out. "I knew that favor from you would not be easy to repay. A Yi Xian Tian expert—they are not so easily killed."

Zhan Tianfeng smiled reassuringly. "That is not my concern. I only need to know if you will repay this debt."

"I will," the voice retorted angrily. "If I don't repay it now, who knows what you'll ask of me next time. If you sent me to trouble the San Hua Wu Qi or the Jiu Chong Tian old monsters, I might as well smash my head into a wall."

Zhan Tianfeng soothed him. "Rest assured, I will not send you to die. Although that person's cultivation method is peculiar, he is, after all, only a newly promoted Yi Xian Tian. As long as you are cautious and prevent him from unleashing his full strength, you are sure to succeed."

"My methods require no instruction from you. Just tell me who this person is." The voice sounded impatient.

Zhan Tianfeng’s expression turned serious. "Brother Sima, you must not be careless. This person cultivates all five elements foundationally, and moreover, he possesses an unprecedented, heaven-sent talent in the Wood technique. I once witnessed him act. Immediately after advancing to Yi Xian Tian, he could condense wood into a blade over four meters long, originating from a centuries-old great tree. Such a weapon is terrifying and formidable; even if I acted personally, I would be far inferior. If you engage him, absolutely avoid areas dense with forest, or success may not be assured."

The voice was silent for a long moment. "He could condense a hundred-year-old tree into a blade? You are not joking, are you? Is he perhaps a Jiu Chong Tian expert?"

Zhan Tianfeng let out a string of bitter laughs. "This person’s natural talent is extraordinary; he cannot be judged by ordinary standards."

After a considerable time, the voice finally spoke. "I understand. Who is this person?"

"Tai Cang, He... Yiming..."

Ps: Final three days, the last sprint. Bai He Wan Wu is asking for votes... Tomorrow and the day after will also be ten thousand words. Also, it seems I've reached a precarious juncture again, and Bai He could be overtaken at any moment. Fellow Crane friends who have monthly votes, please act quickly. Thank you! ※※※※ Recommendation for an Otherworld book^_^ Title: Rebuilding in Another World Author: Liu Gongzi Yu Fan Book ID: 1515696 Synopsis: [Purple Extreme Demonic Body Technique]: Formidable defense, terrifying power, shockingly fast recovery. [Soul Transformation Mirror]: Capturing others' souls for one's own use, the otherworld version of the "North Darkness Divine Art." [Seven Great Limits]: World-destroying divine skills: Ocean Break, Mountain Collapse, Storm, Hail, Blazing Fire, Earth Extinguish, Heaven Devour. Watch as Yan Yong, who has crossed over, refines his arduous practice on the continent of Eith to achieve immortal eternity.