A great pit was excavated in the ground. With He Yiming’s current strength, it took only a few palms to achieve this.

Sima Yin had been an overwhelmingly powerful foe, yet as the enemy lay dead, a sense of melancholy washed over He Yiming. This man had been a formidable expert of the Celestial Tier, and the first of that caliber to fall by his hand. Just like Lü Xinwen in days past, to say that He Yiming could remain completely unmoved would simply be preposterous.

He took up the treasured sword from Sima Yin’s grasp, and a chilling cold immediately surged upward.

He attempted to channel a thread of Zhenqi into it, and the sword responded with a faint hum. Furthermore, the tip of the blade vaguely emitted an intermittent, flickering light, and the terrifying sword energy even caused goosebumps to rise on He Yiming’s skin.

He Yiming frowned slightly. He immediately recognized this as a rare and magnificent sword, perhaps even a supreme artifact no less potent than his Great Broadsword. The reason this sword had not displayed its full, inherent power earlier was simply because it had been frozen by his ice-elemental energy. With this realization, He Yiming inwardly sighed with relief.

Although he had enjoyed an absolute advantage fighting from below, given Sima Yin’s true power, if coupled with this supreme artifact, He Yiming realized he truly lacked any single technique capable of instantly neutralizing him, short of his ultimate Five Elements Convergence strike or his supreme chilling aura.

He vaguely sensed that now that his strength had advanced him to the Celestial Tier, the cultivation methods he had previously practiced seemed somewhat inadequate when facing peers of the same rank. However, only he could harbor such a thought, as his rate of advancement was utterly astonishing—unprecedented in history.

Collecting his thoughts, a fiery red glow materialized in He Yiming’s hand. After sweeping his palm across Sima Yin’s body, the corpse was completely thawed. Yet, the body remained rigidly still, showing no sign of softening whatsoever.

He Yiming searched the body and ultimately retrieved two items.

One was the pair of boots he stood upon. It was impossible to tell what material these boots were made of; when held, they were as soft as cotton. Despite traversing such a great distance, they appeared utterly spotless. The surface of the black leather was smooth as a mirror, shimmering with a mysterious luster that seemed capable of drawing in one’s very soul. He Yiming channeled a small amount of Zhenqi into them, but they did not tear or stretch. At this point, he understood this, too, was a supreme artifact, an exceptionally rare treasure. Perhaps Sima Yin's ability to achieve speeds slightly faster than He Yiming's former self was directly related to these boots.

Setting down the boots, he picked up the other item.

It was a silver ring. From any angle, it appeared to be a common silver band, yet the carving upon it was rather peculiar—a pattern He Yiming had certainly never encountered before. Had this ring been worn on Sima Yin’s finger, He Yiming would have easily overlooked it. However, this ring was not worn; instead, Sima Yin had threaded it onto an incredibly tough chain and fastened it securely against his chest, keeping it close to his skin. Any observer would immediately understand that this object must be supremely precious. Moreover, although He Yiming could not discern the ring's origin, he vaguely sensed that this item was definitely extraordinary.

After a moment of hesitation, He Yiming finally, cautiously, extended a mere wisp of Zhenqi into it. All experts of the Innate Realm knew that in this world, only supreme artifacts or divine tools could withstand large quantities of Innate Zhenqi and manifest various miraculous effects as the energy was introduced. However, if the Innate Zhenqi was kept to an extremely small amount, it would not cause much impact on ordinary items. This was the subtle genius of Zhenqi: it could be commanded at will, whether in large measure or small.

When that single thread of Zhenqi entered the silver ring, He Yiming suddenly paused. For the silver ring did not show the slightest hint of the cracking he feared; on the contrary, it exerted a powerful suction, completely absorbing the Zhenqi he had infused.

He Yiming’s eyes brightened. He inwardly chastised himself; he had nearly misjudged it completely. This thing, too, was a divine tool, capable of holding vast amounts of Innate Zhenqi.

A thought moved within him, and a large surge of Zhenqi instantly rushed toward the silver ring. To his utter astonishment, the ring behaved like a bottomless pit, demanding Zhenqi at a rate that surprised even him. This only piqued his curiosity further. Instead of halting the infusion, he accelerated the flow, eager to see what marvelous function this silver ring—so carefully guarded by Sima Yin—truly possessed.

Finally, the silver ring was saturated with his Zhenqi. At that very moment, an expression of extreme strangeness crossed He Yiming’s face. Unconsciously, his mouth gaped open, resembling a frog about to snatch a passing insect—a sight utterly bizarre and unsettling. Even when ambushed by Sima Yin at the height of his Celestial Tier power, He Yiming had never lost composure like this. But now, he truly could not control the sensations flooding his perception.

As the silver ring filled with his Zhenqi, he was suddenly imbued with a unique feeling of shared vitality with the ring. This sensation brought forth something else: a space—a mysterious dimension that materialized before him, yet clearly did not belong to his immediate surroundings. Any person suddenly perceiving such a phenomenon would likely fare no better than He Yiming.

Suddenly, He Yiming’s eyes flashed with realization. He recalled his conversation with Mu Jintian and faintly grasped the core concept. A spatial world—this must be an independent spatial dimension. Even without ever having seen an example, he knew his feeling was absolutely correct.

In Mu Jintian’s narration, a spatial world was an exceedingly rare treasure. Let alone in the Northwest Kingdoms, on the entire continent, such items were countable on one’s fingers. No one knew where these things originated; they seemed to be relics passed down from ancient times, their methods of creation long lost. Moreover, only experts of the Innate Realm could possess and open a spatial world, as the only means of accessing it was through Innate Zhenqi.

On the Northern Frontier Ice Field, in that vast expanse far larger than all the Northwest Kingdoms combined, there seemed to be only one such spatial world. And that treasure rested in the hands of the master who cultivated both Zhuo Wanlian and Mu Jintian, two supreme experts.

It was precisely because this item was so incredibly valuable that He Yiming was stunned speechless when he obtained it inadvertently. The next second, immense joy overwhelmed him. He Yiming’s eyes blazed with light; this gain wasn't just great—it vastly exceeded the limits of his imagination. He took a deep breath, and his ebullient state slowly calmed.

In the seemingly void space before him, rested a stack of books, each as thick as a roof tile. Beyond them were many other objects. However, apart from some carefully preserved, rare medicinal herbs, He Yiming could not name the vast majority of the items. But some things he recognized vividly. At the trade fair hosted by the Master Hall in Kaorong Kingdom, many items similar to these had appeared. If masters deemed them worthy of trade or collection, one could imagine their immense worth.

He extended his hand, gently brushing the space before him. His hand seemed to pass through a wondrous spatial barrier, causing peculiar ripples in the air around it before entering the dimension. He Yiming suppressed his excitement and retrieved one of the thick volumes. Beyond that, he touched nothing else.

Placing the book on his lap, He Yiming casually flipped through it, and another flash of joy crossed his face. This book recorded the very art of illusory concealment—the Zhangyan Fa—that had previously caused He Yiming so much distress. The Zhangyan Fa was a comprehensive collection of cultivation methods encompassing all five elements, and even techniques beyond those elements. Regardless of which path was chosen, success in cultivation would yield an unimaginable boost to one’s personal strength. Sima Yin had utilized one of these illusory methods to successfully approach him. If not for He Yiming’s 'Ears of the Wind' secret skill, the ambush might truly have succeeded.

After careful deliberation, He Yiming finally placed the book he held, the long sword, and the boots into the strange space before him. After a moment’s hesitation, He Yiming withdrew his hand from the Great Broadsword resting on his back, choosing not to store it within.

Then, He Yiming lifted his hand from the silver ring. The steady influx of Zhenqi into the ring immediately ceased. The instant the Zhenqi flow stopped, the space before him seemed to shudder once, then vanished without a trace. He Yiming remained silent for a long moment. He stood up, moved a considerable distance away from the spot, and then tried again. After the silver ring absorbed sufficient Zhenqi, the mysterious space reappeared, and the contents within remained untouched. Only then was He Yiming certain that what he had acquired was indeed the most precious treasure in the world.

Organizing the items on his person, he shoved everything precious—the dark green vial, the two small boxes obtained from Mu Jintian, along with some books and elixirs—into the spatial storage, leaving only the Great Broadsword strapped to his back. Having finished this, he carefully slipped the silver ring back onto its chain and hung it around his neck. Such a priceless item, he reasoned, must be kept close to the skin, just as Sima Yin had done.

He had firmly decided: no matter how formidable the treasured sword and boots might be, he would never use them. If someone were to link those two items back to Sima Yin and ultimately suspect him, the regret would be eternal. Although He Yiming was a Celestial Tier expert, he deeply understood the significance of this object. If he were alone, it might not matter, but behind him were the He Family Manor and the Hengshan lineage. These were his vulnerabilities, the people and things he had to protect. Therefore, this secret absolutely could not be revealed to others. Even to Yuan Lixun, this secret must be kept hidden until she possessed the ability to protect herself. Perhaps only when she successfully ascended to the Innate Realm would it be the right time to share this secret with her.

After burying Sima Yin’s corpse, He Yiming returned along the original path at maximum speed. He was not overly worried about Yuan Lixun; though she was a young woman, she was still a Post-Heaven cultivator at the seventh level of Inner Strength. It was only because Sima Yin was too powerful that she had been utterly defenseless. However, outside of masters of that magnitude, common beasts in the dense forest would struggle to harm her. As for spirit beasts, He Yiming doubted Yuan Lixun would be so lucky as to encounter any. Even so, He Yiming’s pace was more than a notch faster than when he arrived. As he raced through the jungle, powered by the very wind, even a resurrected Sima Yin wearing the divine boots might not keep pace with him.

Moreover, at certain points, He Yiming would suddenly traverse the distance between two points in a manner that defied comprehension, effortlessly bridging the gap regardless of any obstacles in between. If anyone witnessed He Yiming’s movement now, they would surely mistake him for one of the legendary, highly evolved demonic spirits rumored to dwell in the ancient woods. However, He Yiming’s control over the trajectory of this wind-based power was clearly not yet at the level of complete mastery. Furthermore, each exertion consumed a tremendous amount of energy and Zhenqi. After several attempts, he even suffered from splitting headaches, and his Zhenqi felt dangerously depleted. Thus, he immediately abandoned further attempts at that high-level traversal and reverted to simply using his fastest footwork to rush toward their rendezvous point.

An hour later, He Yiming finally arrived back at their original location. He scaled up the cliff face and returned smoothly—without any delay or lost direction; everything went perfectly. Even before he reached the spot, his ears began to twitch instinctively. The next moment, he heard Yuan Lixun’s faint voice emanating from a massive tree nearby. He felt a surge of relief. Yuan Lixun was exceptionally clever, which was why she had actively hidden high up in a large tree. This way, unless someone possessed the 'Ears of the Wind' skill or was an expert of the Innate Realm, even a Post-Heaven cultivator suddenly appearing at the tenth level of Inner Strength would fail to detect her.

He Yiming let out a booming laugh. His feet crossed and stepped, and he instantly arrived upon the massive tree. The tangled branches and leaves seemed non-existent to him. His body moved through the foliage like a swift fish, appearing abruptly beside Yuan Lixun.

Yuan Lixun jumped, lightly patting her chest. "Young Master, did you catch him?" she asked, yet her tone was composed, her eyes filled with trust. In her mind, since He Yiming had taken the initiative to attack, there was no possibility of failure.

He Yiming nodded proudly. "That man is no longer a concern."

Yuan Lixun also let out a sigh of relief. Having dealt with the chilling presence of Sima Yin, even she felt a deep, bone-chilling terror. Following He Yiming, she had encountered quite a number of Celestial Tier experts. Others might see one in a lifetime, but she had encountered well over a dozen on this journey, and every single one of those experts treated her with profound kindness, showing no disdain for her status as a concubine. Similarly, among those Celestial experts, while there were figures like Mao Lieguang, none possessed Sima Yin's utter lack of restraint. Every Celestial expert had their own principles and boundaries; they might seek revenge against the He Family Manor, but they would never actively attack Yuan Lixun in front of He Yiming. Sima Yin, however, was completely unscrupulous; as long as his goal was achieved, all pretense of etiquette or morality was discarded. Such a person was truly terrifying, perhaps even more unnerving than his martial cultivation.

It could be said that since Yuan Lixun began following He Yiming, this was the first time she had so ardently wished for someone's death. Although this psychological shift was not something to be shared with outsiders, in her heart, it was undeniably clear and resolute. Thus, upon receiving the news of Sima Yin’s demise, Yuan Lixun breathed a long sigh of relief and finally felt safe.

He Yiming suddenly spoke, "Lixun, let us treat Sima Yin’s affair as if it never happened. You must not mention it to anyone."

Yuan Lixun blinked, asking instinctively, "Why?"

He Yiming’s face was etched with profound gravity. "Because that man possessed a massive secret. If it were to leak out, even I would be utterly destroyed, without a place to be buried."

Yuan Lixun shivered. Though she did not fully grasp why He Yiming stated it so gravely, she understood the absolute importance of the matter. She nodded firmly. "Young Master, I understand."

Only then did He Yiming reveal a slight smile. He knew that anything Yuan Lixun promised, she would never break. Back on Mount Hengshan, when she was captured by Gu Qiying and Bei Youhui, she had preferred the risk of death to revealing the hidden location of the Golden Elixir. From that moment on, He Yiming had placed his complete trust in her, without the slightest doubt ever resurfacing.

Gently taking Yuan Lixun’s small hand, He Yiming said, "Let us enter the mountain."

Yuan Lixun responded obediently. Her gaze toward the distant depths of the mountain held a spark of anticipation. They had lingered here precisely because they feared the pursuers behind them. Now that Sima Yin was dead, they had nothing left to hold them back. The mysterious cave dwelling hidden within the Huhehaote Mountain Range immediately sparked their curiosity.

Thus, in the depths of the mountain range, among the hillsides covered in red leaves, two figures were occasionally seen walking hand-in-hand. Several days later, in a quiet and secluded valley—a location nearly impossible to find without a map—they finally stopped their journey...