He Yi-ming exchanged a look of surprise with Daoist Yao and the others. He inquired, "Brother Xu, is the totem truly that important to them?"

Xu Cheng-chang replied solemnly, "Indeed it is. They call themselves the Totem Clan, and their very essence evolved from it."

Everyone’s expression grew grave. By now, they understood that while the totem might not serve a practical function, it was absolutely the spiritual symbol of these deep mountain races.

Daoist Yao frowned. "How strange. If the item is so vital, why would they come searching in our Hengshan?"

Lian Yi’s heart fluttered slightly. "Could it be they lost the totem, and came to our Hengshan..."

The few exchanged glances, feeling a faint chill rise from their hearts.

Those who could cultivate to the Xiantian realm were certainly not fools. From just this person's single statement, they had already deduced that there must be something within this situation they failed to grasp.

"Brother Xu, please ask for more details," Daoist Yao said seriously.

Xu Cheng-chang nodded slightly. By now, he too understood that the Totem Clan's current foray down the mountain seemed different from previous times of raiding and plunder; there was a specific reason this time.

"Anda. Why have you come here searching for the totem?"

"The Totem Envoys said that outsiders from beyond the mountains stole our precious totem and injured the Envoys. We must have our revenge," Anda mumbled listlessly.

"Outsiders stealing the totem..." A flash of anger crossed Daoist Yao's face. "How outrageous! Who would commit such an act? Aren't they inviting trouble upon the Northwest?"

Indeed, whenever the Totem Clan descended from the mountains in previous generations, not only did the Northwest kingdoms exert all their strength, but they also had to request reinforcements from the Northern Frontier Ice Plains and the Eastern Da Shen empire. Facing such a fearsome power, everyone sought to avoid conflict, yet someone deliberately provoked them. In everyone's mind, this perpetrator must have been utterly demented.

Xu Cheng-chang kept a grim face and continued to ask, "Have all of your people arrived here?"

"The Totem Envoys scattered to different locations to gather news. We are just one group."

"Hengshan is far from the Realm of Life and Death. After coming out, why did you head directly here?"

The crowd immediately quieted, their gazes fixed on Anda. This was undoubtedly the most crucial question.

Anda answered without hesitation, "We came here to confirm because He Yi-ming is here."

Including Xu Cheng-chang, the elders all looked towards He Yi-ming with puzzlement. They saw that he, too, looked utterly bewildered, his expression as innocent as could be.

Xu Cheng-chang hesitated. He recalled the first time he met He Yi-ming; this Grand Elder of Hengshan knew nothing about the totem's origins. How could he possibly have obtained their totem?

Turning back, he spoke gently, "Anda. What does He Yi-ming have to do with the disappearance of your totem?"

"The Totem Envoys said the thief was a young man, one who cultivated the foundation of the Five Elements simultaneously and possessed the strength to injure the Totem Envoys. After coming out, we inquired everywhere, and only this person fits those criteria."

Xu Cheng-chang finally gasped, sucking in a cold breath. At last, the question that had troubled them for so long had an answer.

In the Realm of Life and Death, the Wolf Totem Clan wasn't inquiring about He Yi-ming’s exploits; rather, He Yi-ming was the only person who fit that description, which was why they inquired tirelessly, a fact noticed by the spies placed there by Tianchi Mountain.

Xu Cheng-chang glanced at He Yi-ming, wanting to speak but hesitating. He was, after all, not truly from Hengshan, and it felt awkward to question He Yi-ming directly.

Daoist Yao and the others exchanged looks, finally clearing his throat lightly. "Elder He, have you ever been to the Totem Clan's territory?"

He Yi-ming was already dumbfounded and shook his head repeatedly. "No, I have never been to the end of that mountain range."

Hearing He Yi-ming’s outright denial, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Given He Yi-ming’s status, he wouldn't casually lie.

However, one thought still lingered in their minds: If it wasn't He Yi-ming, then who stole the totem from the Wolf Totem Clan? Could there truly be a second expert cultivating the foundation of the Five Elements in this world?

Though Xu Cheng-chang was only half-convinced, he showed none of this doubt, continuing his questioning. "Have you found the totem?"

"We have."

Everyone’s spirits instantly lifted. Xu Cheng-chang became more urgent: "Where is it?"

"On this mountain."

Every face froze. That answer was far too unexpected.

A chilling premonition crept over Xu Cheng-chang. He couldn't ask another question. Although he didn't turn around, he could vaguely sense several gazes falling upon him.

His thoughts raced. If He Yi-ming truly had stolen the totem, and the Hengshan faction intended to shield him, wouldn't his own position be extremely perilous? If they killed him right here and blamed everything on the Totem Clan, perhaps even the Tianchi Mountain main branch wouldn't find a flaw in the cover-up.

For a moment, his limbs felt icy cold. He deeply regretted why he had ventured out to Hengshan while traveling.

He Yi-ming and the others couldn't guess his inner turmoil, but their shock was no less profound.

"Brother Xu, can you ask him how he determined the totem was on this mountain?" Daoist Yao took a deep breath and asked in a low voice.

"Very well." Xu Cheng-chang managed a strained smile and repeated the question.

"The Spirit Wolf found it," Anda, his senses completely lost, truly revealed everything without reservation. "The Spirit Wolf can sense the totem’s presence and find its general location."

"Where is the totem?" Daoist Yao asked anxiously.

However, Anda paid no mind to his words, as if he were deaf, showing no reaction.

Daoist Yao's aged face reddened, and he coughed lightly. "Brother Xu, perhaps you should ask."

Xu Cheng-chang inwardly groaned. The more he asked, the deeper he became entangled. He had the urge to flee, but a quick glance at the giant wolf nearby—breathing in far more than out, clearly near death—squashed that unwise notion.

If He Yi-ming could even track spirit beasts, how could a Xiantian Master like himself, who hadn't even reached the Yixiantian realm, hope to escape his pursuit?

Putting aside his distracting thoughts, he resigned himself and asked, "Anda, where is the totem?"

"Near the place where we were discovered."

Daoist Yao and the others frowned in deep thought. Yet, within mere moments, the expressions of the elders drastically changed.

Xu Cheng-chang’s face shifted just as dramatically. He had been secretly observing the elders’ reactions, and now his heart felt utterly desolate, as if a north wind were howling through, chilling him to the core...

He Yi-ming, however, remained the most perplexed. He asked in surprise, "Elder Yao, what is wrong?"

Daoist Yao’s expression turned grave. "Elder He, have you forgotten? Near the place where you discovered them, lies the common Treasury of our Hengshan main peak."

He Yi-ming nodded slightly, though honestly, he had indeed forgotten.

He hadn't been at Hengshan long. Although he knew of the treasury and had visited it once when promoted to Elder, the memory wasn't deep. Compared to these elders who had grown up in Hengshan their entire lives, it was easy to overlook.

"Elder Yao, are you saying the totem is in the Treasury?"

Daoist Yao mused, "In my memory, we have never stored any totem there." He then turned to look at Yu Xi-chen.

The main peak Treasury was naturally under Yu Xi-chen's control; no one knew its contents better than him.

Yu Xi-chen shook his head repeatedly. "I know everything in the Treasury like the back of my hand. How could there be a Wolf Clan totem there?"

Lian Yi, possessing the most volatile temperament, exclaimed, "That’s simple, we go and look!"

The others nodded in unison. Daoist Yao’s eyes suddenly caught sight of Xu Cheng-chang. After a brief hesitation, he decided he wanted an outsider as a witness and smiled, "Brother Xu, why don't you accompany us?"

Xu Cheng-chang displayed a smile. "That is the Treasury of the Hengshan faction; this junior will refrain from entering."

His face showed no change, but inwardly, he hoped that He Yi-ming and the others would all leave. He would certainly use that opportunity to flee Hengshan. Once alone in the forest, even He Yi-ming would struggle to track him.

However, since Daoist Yao had intended for him to be a witness, he couldn't easily give up. "Brother Xu, our Hengshan faction and the Tianchi main branch are ultimately descended from the same root. Furthermore, the location of the main peak Treasury isn't a secret; all peak masters know it. Moreover..." He paused, deciding to be direct: "We don't recall having any totem in the Treasury, so we wish to ask Brother Xu to bear witness."

Xu Cheng-chang sighed inwardly. But at this point, trying to make excuses would be seen as deliberately obtuse.

Helplessly, he could only steel himself and agree. The group of six proceeded towards the Treasury.

Moments later, they arrived outside the Treasury. Yu Xi-chen said, "Brother Xu, please excuse my rudeness."

Xu Cheng-chang smiled faintly, turned his body, and simultaneously, his ears went thump as he tightly covered his ear canals with internal energy.

This was his way of signaling that he would neither look nor listen, showing no desire to watch how they opened the Treasury.

Soon, Daoist Yao, standing before Xu Cheng-chang, made a gesture of invitation.

Xu Cheng-chang released the True Qi controlling his ears and came back to his senses. He saw that a solid stone wall had vanished, and a dark, gaping passage had appeared in the ground.

They descended one by one and soon reached the underground chamber.

The chamber housed the treasures collected by the generations of the Hengshan faction.

However, everyone—He Yi-ming, Xu Cheng-chang, and every Elder—knew that while the items displayed here were valuable, they were absolutely not the rarest treasures of Hengshan.

After all, this was a public Treasury, and the truly best items were held in private hands.

Even the powerful Hengshan faction couldn't escape this reality. For instance, one would never see the Xiantian Golden Elixir that Yu Jinglei had previously acquired here.

Upon arriving, Xu Cheng-chang kept his gaze straight ahead, acting as if he hadn't seen anything inside.

Yu Xi-chen cleared his throat and introduced generously, "Brother Xu, if that Spirit Wolf truly discovered some totem, it must be here. But our Hengshan Treasury has never held..."

His voice abruptly cut off. His normally confident eyes suddenly widened in astonishment.

Everyone followed his gaze and saw, in an unremarkable corner, a seemingly ordinary piece of sheepskin spread out.

Normally, even Yu Xi-chen would not be overly surprised by such an item; he might consider it a simple floor mat. But now, they were actively searching for the symbolic totem of the Wolf Totem Clan, and coupled with the fact that he genuinely couldn't recall having such a piece of hide stored here, his words died in his throat mid-sentence.

Everyone exchanged looks, their eyes filled with suspicion and disbelief.

Daoist Yao stepped forward a few paces, picked up the piece of wolf hide, and examined it closely. His face immediately turned exceedingly grim.

"Master Brother Yao, is this truly the Wolf Clan’s totem?" Lian Yi asked impatiently.

Daoist Yao said nothing, simply tossing the item over. Lian Yi caught it and spread it out on the floor.

This time, even the uneasy Xu Cheng-chang could not suppress his curiosity and leaned in to look.

It was a square piece of hide. Their eyes were incredibly sharp; they knew at a glance that this hide was certainly extraordinary.

What truly stunned them, however, were the fine, strange lines on the skin, made from the hide of some unknown beast. These lines formed a series of cryptic patterns.

Although none of them could decipher the meaning of the patterns, they could clearly discern the image of a large golden wolf within them.

The Treasury fell silent. Even the most optimistic members were now speechless and crestfallen.

"Who placed this here?" Daoist Yao asked sharply, his eyes flashing with rage.

Everyone shook their heads, He Yi-ming included. They knew the gravity of the situation; no one dared to joke about this.

"Since no one placed it here, did it grow legs and walk in?" Daoist Yao’s eyes glinted, then he stated, "There must be trickery afoot."

Everyone inwardly stiffened, and their gazes turned towards He Yi-ming simultaneously.

The one who stole the Wolf Totem Clan's totem was a young man cultivating the foundation of the Five Elements, and this young man was powerful enough to injure the Totem Envoys.

This description was too specific. Any expert in the Northwest would likely point to only one person matching those conditions.

He Yi-ming frowned slightly. "Sirs, I have never been to the dwelling place of the Totem Clan."

His words were resolute, uttered without the slightest hesitation.

Daoist Yao hesitated briefly. "Elder He, we naturally trust you. Moreover, several people in the Kai Rong State during those past few months can testify for you."

He Yi-ming paused, then gave a wry, bitter smile.

He had stayed in the mountains with Yuan Li-xun and the One Hundred and Eight for several months—there was no one to vouch for him during that time.

Xu Cheng-chang, who had been deeply uneasy, calmed down after seeing the totem.

As an observer, he had felt worried initially, but at this moment, he began to have doubts. If Hengshan had truly done this, they would have hidden the totem long ago; why stage a show in front of him?

Moreover, from start to finish, Daoist Yao and the others had treated him warmly. Even upon discovering the Wolf Clan totem, they showed no hint of killing intent beyond their shock.

Slowly, his mind settled. Seeing everyone looking distressed, he spoke up, "Sirs, this matter is indeed filled with strangeness."

He Yi-ming and the others turned their gaze to him. Xu Cheng-chang pursed his lips. "If I were Elder He, even if I intended to steal the totem, I absolutely wouldn't do it openly, and certainly wouldn't display all my Five Element techniques! Wouldn't that be blatantly announcing my identity to them?"

Everyone’s eyes lit up. Unless someone was utterly simple-minded, no one would act that way.

Xu Cheng-chang’s eyes shone brightly. Since he had spoken up, he held nothing back, speaking his mind freely: "Furthermore, if this totem were truly taken by Elder He, he would never place it in the public Treasury. I believe no one can refute that point."

Daoist Yao and the others nodded sequentially, their eyes showing a clear sense of relief.

No matter who went through the immense effort to obtain a totem, they would never place it in the sect's common Treasury.

"Brother Xu speaks well; this must be someone framing him," Lian Yi confirmed emphatically.

"Exactly, precisely so," Xu Cheng-chang said with righteous conviction. "This matter is bizarre. If anyone inquires, I, Xu, will certainly testify."

Daoist Yao and the others showed relieved smiles and thanked him sincerely.

Cold sweat beaded on Xu Cheng-chang's back. He thought, at least this little life of his was secured.

In truth, whether He Yi-ming did it or not was irrelevant to him. The reason he exerted himself so hard to gain favor was purely to guard against any sudden murderous intent from He Yi-ming and the others.

However, he didn't know that He Yi-ming and the others had never harbored such thoughts from the beginning.

He Yi-ming reached out and took the totem in his hand. The more he looked, the more familiar it seemed.

A sudden thought struck him. He exerted a slight force with his fingers and tore. A strange light appeared in his eyes.

With the strength of his current finger-force, he still could not tear it apart, not even creating a tiny rip.

He Yi-ming’s action was not concealed; everyone clearly saw it.

Seeing him attempt to shred the totem, everyone was greatly alarmed, but when they saw He Yi-ming fail to tear it, their expressions became even more complex.

One thought rose simultaneously in everyone’s mind: No wonder the Wolf Clan prized this totem so highly; the thing truly possessed unique qualities.

Yet, what they didn't know was that He Yi-ming was even more shocked internally, because in his own hand, he possessed a similar piece of hide...

Ps: The Breath Technique was guessed by someone—sigh... Truly powerful. White Crane is speechless, the only thing to say is that the power of the Breath Technique is currently very weak, only enough to scare people, but it will become powerful later. As for how powerful it will become, it depends on whether you all support it with monthly tickets ^_^ ※※※※ Recommendation for Jingye Jisi’s Dan Jing (Book ID: 1536403): A cultivation genius becomes a police officer, balancing alchemy and chasing girls.