Yuan Lixun's voice trembled slightly as it emerged from her cherry-red lips.

Although she had witnessed a Fire-element Innate Golden Core on He Yiming before, at this critical juncture, she dared not trust her own eyes, preferring instead to rely on He Yiming's judgment.

He Yiming nodded heavily, a trace of relief flickering across his face.

Without securing the Innate Golden Core, he had harbored a degree of unease. Now that it was in hand, he finally felt truly settled.

Gently caressing the jade bottle for a moment, He Yiming smiled faintly. "Lixun, we can go to White Stone Gorge for secluded cultivation. With sufficient vital energy, the Golden Core, and the aid of the White Stone, ten years at most is all it will take for you to reach the peak of the tenth level of Inner Strength. When you take this Golden Core then, you will have a very high chance of ascending to the Innate Realm."

"Ten years..." Yuan Lixun's gaze held a hint of complexity.

"Ten years isn't too long," He Yiming consoled her.

Yuan Lixun shook her head slightly. "Young Master, I know that reaching the peak of the tenth level in ten years is already a miracle, but..." She lightly touched her cheek, particularly the injured area on one side.

He Yiming paused, realizing she was worried about her appearance.

In ten years, Yuan Lixun would be nearly thirty. While this age was insignificant for ordinary cultivators, the scar would remain on her face for that entire decade. For a young woman prone to dreams like her, this was decidedly not good news.

However, guiding Yuan Lixun to the tenth level of Inner Strength within ten years was the absolute limit of what He Yiming could achieve, and even that required the mysterious White Stone's assistance. Otherwise, no matter how capable He Yiming was, he would be helpless. To shorten that timeframe further was simply beyond his power.

After a long silence, Yuan Lixun suddenly broke into a bright smile. "Young Master, it was wrong of me to make you worry."

He Yiming shook his head solemnly. His mind raced through countless possibilities, yet he found no solution. Unless she possessed the same physique as him, shortening the time frame was utterly impossible.

Lost in thought, his hand unconsciously reached out and uncapped the bottle. Instantly, a soft, gentle wave of innate energy drifted out.

He Yiming snapped back to awareness, looking down closely at the Innate Golden Core within the bottle. Indeed, this Core contained a massive amount of Water-elemental power, and its surface seemed to ripple with something akin to life.

But in the next moment, He Yiming’s expression turned incredibly grave.

His True Qi transformed into a thin strand, lightly brushing against the Golden Core. In that single touch, an icy chill immediately crept along the strand of True Qi, engulfing He Yiming's body with a profound coldness.

Fortunately, given his current physique, he was immune to this degree of freezing energy; otherwise, caught off guard, he might have suffered a slight setback.

Abruptly cutting off the exploratory True Qi, He Yiming tightly resealed the bottle cap.

However, the moment he looked up, the expression on his face had become extremely troubled.

Yuan Lixun knew He Yiming's expressions like the back of her hand. Though their time together hadn't been extensive, in this regard, they had effortlessly achieved a perfect spiritual understanding. Seeing his distress, she worriedly inquired, "Young Master, what's wrong?"

He Yiming let out a wry smile. "Lixun, the situation has changed. This Golden Core is likely useless for you."

Yuan Lixun blinked her beautiful eyes, asking in surprise, "Isn't this an Innate Golden Core?"

"It is an Innate Golden Core," He Yiming replied, his voice tinged with an inexpressible bitterness. "But this is not an ordinary Five Elements Innate Golden Core; it is an Innate Golden Core belonging to the Ice element."

Judging by its outward appearance alone, this Innate Golden Core was indeed indistinguishable from a regular Water-elemental Core. However, once the bottle was opened and one's True Qi made slight contact with it, the immense and exquisitely pure chilling energy contained within could be sensed.

He Yiming realized that even Lü Xinwen hadn't perceived the true nature of this Core. His own detection was purely a stroke of luck. If he hadn't already possessed powerful Ice-elemental power within his body, he might not have been able to sense its true attribute so smoothly.

He shivered involuntarily. Had he remained ignorant and allowed Yuan Lixun to consume this Core upon reaching the peak of the tenth level of Inner Strength, the consequences could have utterly shattered him.

Shaking his head, He Yiming spoke with a sharp edge to his tone. "I don't know what tricks the refiner of this Core employed back then, but the true Ice power is concealed beneath the superficial Water energy." He half-closed his eyes, muttering almost to himself, "Why would he go to such elaborate lengths? Didn't he realize this approach was pure, thankless effort, or was he plotting against someone?"

Hearing He Yiming's words, Yuan Lixun's face also paled slightly.

After a long silence, He Yiming suddenly sighed deeply. "Lü Xinwen is truly fortunate. The first Golden Core he consumed must have been a genuine Water-elemental Core. If he had taken this one back then..." He chuckled wryly, shaking his head. If Lü Xinwen had made the wrong choice years ago, he would have long since become an icicle, and the final battle with He Yiming at the Yuan Family Village would never have occurred. Likewise, He Yiming wouldn't have obtained that map, and the secrets here would likely have remained buried forever.

Putting the Golden Core away, the atmosphere between the two grew heavy. He Yiming gently drew Yuan Lixun into his embrace and stated firmly, "Lixun, rest assured, I will definitely find a Water or Metal Innate Golden Core for you and ensure your smooth entry into the Innate Realm."

Yuan Lixun softly nodded her delicate head, leaning naturally into his arms. Even though there was no sign of those two cores at the moment, she implicitly trusted He Yiming's promise.

A moment later, having regained their composure, the two began to tidy up the area. This was Lü Xinwen's secluded retreat; no one else knew the precise location. The stone chamber wasn't very large, and they finished a rough organization quickly.

Inside were various strangely shaped objects He Yiming couldn't identify, but the most rewarding discovery for him was the collection of martial arts manuals in the stone cabinet. The vast majority were techniques for cultivating Inner Strength or combat skills in the Houtian (Post-Natal) realm, but there were also two Innate manuals. One was the movement technique that had left such a profound impression on He Yiming, and the other was a Water-elemental palm technique. He Yiming flipped through them roughly; although he lacked the time for detailed study, he sensed that with dedicated effort, they would certainly provide significant advancements to his martial cultivation.

Happily packing the manuals, He Yiming did not place them in his newly acquired spatial realm but neatly stacked them to the side.

Then, He Yiming straightened up, his gaze fixed in the direction opposite the cave entrance. It was obvious that in that direction lay the powerful and miraculous mechanism Lü Xinwen had mentioned. He was intensely curious about this mechanism. Although Lü Xinwen was undoubtedly in the lowest tier among Innate experts, an expert nonetheless—a mechanism that could make him so wary and admit his inability to break through piqued He Yiming's curiosity immensely.

Hesitating slightly, He Yiming said, "Lixun, rest here for a moment. I'll be right back."

Yuan Lixun's expression tightened, and she instinctively squeezed his hand tighter. Her gaze flickered toward that direction as well, asking with concern, "Young Master, must you go?" She understood He Yiming's intentions perfectly, so when he only mentioned the start of his plan, she already knew what he was about to do.

He Yiming smiled faintly, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. "Do you not even trust me anymore?"

Yuan Lixun started, a blush flitting across her face. She quietly released his hand. "I trust you."

He Yiming laughed heartily several times, then strode purposefully down the passage. A powerful aura emanated from him, though this immense presence only served to slightly reassure Yuan Lixun; no one else was there to appreciate it.

The passage was just as long as the previous one, and He Yiming moved even faster on his return. Despite speaking lightly, he did not dare underestimate what lay ahead. As soon as he reached the opening of the next cavern, his True Qi began circulating at top speed. After killing Sima Yin, his mastery of Wind Force had reached a new height, and his confidence was at its highest peak ever. Even if there was some truly formidable mechanism inside, he was absolutely certain he could instantly escape far away.

However, that was only the worst-case scenario. If this mechanism could allow Lü Xinwen to escape safely, how could it possibly trap him?

He stepped into the second cavern of the main hall, one cautious step at a time. Every pace he took covered the exact same distance. This was due to the incredible degree of control he had achieved over his body, allowing this subconscious precision. If Zhan Tianfeng and Zhuo Wanlian were present, they would surely notice that He Yiming was currently in a state where he could explode into action at any second, ready to react in an instant to any disturbance.

This passage was also a corridor, similar in length to the one leading to Lü Xinwen's residence. However, given the prior experience, this area felt especially sinister and eerie. To He Yiming's surprise, even when he focused his 'Wind-Following Ear' technique to its maximum, he detected nothing. The passage was utterly silent, as if no mechanism existed at all. At this moment, He Yiming even began to doubt Lü Xinwen's words. Unless the mechanism was unbelievably powerful or had somehow malfunctioned, how could there be no trace of it?

Finally, he took the last step, emerging from the eerily silent passage. This area was also a large hall, but at the far end of this hall, opposite the entrance he had just used, was another dark, unknown passage. Before that passage stood a lifelike carved human figure.

Seeing this scene, He Yiming let out a silent scoff. No wonder he hadn't sensed anything; this passage wasn't the path to the real objective.

He Yiming glanced at the human figure. It was carved from an unknown material, depicting a handsome young man. His eyes seemed to flash with a strange light, lending the statue a remarkable vitality. Furthermore, the artisan was undoubtedly a master sculptor. Even with his sharp eyesight, He Yiming could not discern any obvious tool marks; it looked as if it had naturally formed as a seamless whole. Staring at the miraculously crafted statue, even He Yiming couldn't help but marvel.

While he hadn't obtained the Water-elemental Innate Golden Core during this trip, acquiring an Ice-elemental Core, several manuals for reference, the strange boulder outside, and this unbelievable statue convinced him the journey was worthwhile.

He reached out and gently stroked the statue a few times. It felt cold to the touch, yet unexpectedly gave him the sensation of touching human skin. He frowned slightly, studying it intently, growing even more astonished. The statue's body shimmered with a strange metallic sheen. Though He Yiming couldn't identify the material, the tactile sensation was profoundly unexpected. If a blind person stood before it and touched the sculpture, they would most likely assume it was a living person—except that the skin was too cold, completely lacking warmth, and unnervingly still, leading them to believe it was a corpse.

Circling the statue, He Yiming shook his head, a strange thought suddenly occurring to him. Why not collect such a peculiar object? He glanced toward the dark passage ahead, hesitated, and decided the statue was the more immediate concern.

He unfastened the clothes across his chest and retrieved the miraculous silver ring. He channeled an endless stream of True Qi into it, and moments later, a world that seemed imaginary materialized before him from nothingness. This seemingly fabricated world wasn't large, covering only a few square meters, but it was more than sufficient to contain the life-sized statue.

He Yiming reached inside and adjusted the space, clearing enough room. Honestly, he wasn't sure why he harbored this bizarre notion, but upon seeing the statue, he felt an inexplicable connection between this carving and the external world, a sense of unity with nature—much like the previously seen, enlightening painting of cloud and rain by an unknown Innate expert that had stirred something deep within him. That was why he wanted to take the statue; perhaps one day, contemplating it would trigger a sudden enlightenment.

Having completed all preparations, He Yiming extended his hand, intending to place the statue into the magical spatial realm.

But as soon as his hand moved forward, he froze mid-motion against his will. Simultaneously, his mouth fell open, his eyes glazed over, and a profound chill—a coldness a hundred times more intense than that emanating from the dark green jade bottle—surged up his spine.

Before him, the statue... the human figure he had confirmed countless times and touched for so long... had moved.

It wasn't a sudden full rotation, nor did it leap up to punch or kick. It simply, silently, turned its head towards him. Although it was just a head turn, those eyes, utterly devoid of human emotion and radiating absolute coldness, met his gaze from across the space. In this environment, this action alone would have been enough to scare ordinary people with weak wills to death.

Instantly, every profound thought and realization He Yiming held vanished, scattering like startled birds or mice fleeing a cat. His True Qi boiled uncontrollably. In a split second, a layer of white frost enveloped him. The sheer power of the Ice element had been vividly displayed the moment he killed Sima Yin on the spot. Among all the techniques and martial skills he commanded, the Ice element was undoubtedly the most potent, second only to using the Five Elements Convergence in the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Separation. This was his ultimate secret weapon, one he hadn't even considered revealing against Zhuo Wanlian.

Yet, at this moment, this formidable technique, derived from the extreme coldness of the dark green jade bottle, was unleashed subconsciously. This was the result of sheer terror; his heart had nearly stopped beating. Naturally, he deployed his most powerful skill for self-preservation.

His hand tightened, severing the flow of True Qi to the silver ring. The spatial world before him flickered and immediately vanished, as if it had never appeared. He Yiming took a deep, shuddering breath, and a voice laced with a perceptible tremor broke the silence: "You... are human?"

Ps: While these three chapters are being published, White Crane is busy drafting tomorrow's chapters, hoping to finish one more tonight to release in the early hours of the first! With less than five hours until the end of March, the final outcome of who wins or loses is about to be revealed. In March, seventy-six chapters updated, not counting the seven or eight thousand-word chapters, amounting to at least 380,000 characters. This is despite the disruption of the annual meeting. White Crane has done his best; whether he wins or loses in the end, he has no regrets! As always, Crane Friends, give White Crane the motivation to let him spread his wings and soar... Oh, and while I'm at it, I'm asking for your guaranteed monthly tickets for April. April is White Crane's birthday month, and I plan to push hard; my updates will definitely exceed this month's count. Let's see what height the monthly tickets can reach! Tomorrow... we're still aiming for fifteen thousand words!!!