This was an item he had acquired from Lü Xinwen, but what it recorded was not indecipherable patterns, but rather the location of the cave dwelling within the Hohhot mountain range.

He Yiming pondered for a long while, then inquired, "Esteemed sirs, do any of you know what sort of beast skin this totem is made from?"

The group approached one by one, touching and examining the totem, clearly intrigued by it.

Even Lian Yi tried to tear the totem, mimicking He Yiming’s earlier action, but despite channeling all his True Qi, the totem remained utterly unscathed.

Lian Yi’s old face flushed slightly. "This object is exceedingly strange, likely very precious. But this old man cannot identify the beast, though it is certainly a Spirit Beast, without a doubt."

The others nodded in agreement on the surface, but inwardly they all thought, Isn't that obvious?

A beast hide that even a master of the Xiantian realm cannot damage with full force must naturally be a Spirit Beast—and one astonishingly powerful at that.

"Strange," He Yiming suddenly frowned. "If this skin is so incredibly tough, how was it originally cut off?"

Silence descended upon the group. After a long pause, Xu Chengchang finally spoke, "In the library pavilion of our Tianchi Mountain, there are many ancient books detailing matters from the primordial era. I have read some; it seems that during the ancient times, human cultivators possessed world-altering divine abilities. Perhaps only cultivators of that magnitude could have accomplished such a feat."

He Yiming was greatly moved. "Brother Xu, are you suggesting a master of the Divine Path (Shendao)?"

Xu Chengchang hesitated. "I cannot say if they were Divine Path masters, but experts of that caliber have not appeared for thousands of years; they are likely just legends now."

He Yiming's eyes flickered. He thought to himself that it wasn't a legend; they simply hadn't encountered one.

According to One Hundred and Eight, the first owner of that cave dwelling was indeed a Divine Path master, but that was at least a thousand, perhaps several thousand, years ago. Furthermore, even if he spoke of it, most people would surely disbelieve him.

"Alas..." Daoist Yao suddenly sighed deeply. "Regardless, this totem was found in our Hengshan territory. Regarding this matter, I fear we have no way to clear our names."

Xu Chengchang's eyes darted around. "Brother Yao, you should also know the origins of the Totem Clan. Even without this incident, they would likely have surfaced to cause trouble sooner or later. Rather than fighting them later, striking now to disrupt their plans is not a bad thing."

Daoist Yao managed a wry smile. "Brother Xu jokes."

Even if what Xu Chengchang said was true, for the Hengshan lineage, standing right at the sharp end of the conflict, this was certainly not good news.

He Yiming had already calmed down within his heart. He vaguely felt that some massive conspiracy targeting him was unfolding here, but what exactly it was, he had no clue.

Forces that scheme from the shadows are always the most troublesome.

Vaguely, He Yiming even recalled Sima Yin from the past. A thought flashed across his mind: could the person who commissioned Sima Yin to kill him be connected to this affair?

Daoist Yao carefully gathered the totem from the ground. He sighed, "No matter how this matter is ultimately resolved, we must return this totem to its rightful owners." This statement was instantly met with agreement from everyone; regardless of whether they were framed, they could not keep the totem.

Otherwise, it would mean forging an irreconcilable, death-defying feud between the Hengshan lineage and the Wolf Totem Clan, something no one wished to see.

"Brother Xu, please assist us in inquiring about the whereabouts of our six missing disciples," Lian Yi suddenly requested.

Xu Chengchang quickly nodded. "Brother Lian, you are too polite; it is a small matter, and I should certainly oblige."

The group returned to the outer hall. Only after breathing the fresh air there did Xu Chengchang truly relax. Based on his observations during the journey, he had a slight conviction that the Hengshan lineage might actually not be responsible for this.

Entering the hall, Xu Chengchang spoke several sentences in a strangely modulated tone, which roused Angda awake. However, his eyes remained as dull and vacant as ever, suggesting he hadn't fully escaped the effects of the Charm Spell.

"Angda, tell me, did you capture any disciples from the Hengshan lineage down the mountain?" Xu Chengchang’s voice carried a peculiar power, seeming to penetrate directly into people's minds.

Angda opened his mouth. His body and spirit were completely subjugated by the Charm Spell; all his answers were purely subconscious reactions, even if he himself was unaware of it.

"Yes, a few of us captured some lone disciples from Hengshan."

"How many did you capture in total?"

"Six."

The expressions on He Yiming and the others' faces immediately shifted. The six disciples they were missing corresponded exactly to those captured by these men.

"Where are they now?"

"They are all dead."

The complexions of He Yiming and the others instantly darkened. Lian Yi looked particularly distraught. Although the six missing disciples were ordinary members of the Hengshan lineage with relatively low cultivation levels, one of them was his junior relative, connected by a thin thread of blood, making him far more significant than just any average disciple.

"Why kill them?" Xu Chengchang, feeling the powerful killing intent radiating from behind him, could not help but inwardly despair. Not daring to delay, he quickly asked the crucial question.

"We interrogated them about the situation in the mountain to prepare for our entry tonight. These six people held no further value alive, so, naturally, they had to be executed," Angda stated matter-of-factly.

A chilling coldness washed over He Yiming. He harbored a terrifying suspicion: perhaps in the eyes of these people, their own lives were as worthless as pigs and dogs.

Daoist Yao sighed again. "Brother Xu, please inquire where the corpses of our six disciples have been placed."

Xu Chengchang also sighed softly. "Brother Yao is right; the deceased should, at the very least, be laid to rest." He turned and asked, "Where did you bury the bodies of the six Hengshan disciples?"

Angda's response was vacant: "They have already been offered up to feed the Spirit Wolf."

Xu Chengchang's expression could not have looked any uglier.

He Yiming paused slightly. "What does he mean by that?"

Xu Chengchang enunciated every word: "The remains of your sect's brothers were eaten by this Xiantian-level Spirit Beast." His gaze fixed on the unconscious Spirit Wolf beside him, his voice laced with an extreme, bone-chilling coldness.

A wave of rage and icy dread swept through the hearts of everyone present.

As humans, they naturally considered things from a human perspective.

Humans striving to kill Spirit Beasts for their Inner Cores seemed entirely normal in their eyes, but a Spirit Beast killing humans and consuming them—that was absolutely not normal.

Xu Chengchang snorted in anger. "Gentlemen, you may not know, but these deep mountain savages worship these Spirit Beasts and consider offering outsiders to the beasts as food to be perfectly ordinary. But for them to do this here, now, is going too far..."

Lian Yi’s eyes burned with fierce anger. For a Xiantian expert's back to be eaten by a Spirit Beast was an unforgivable humiliation. Gazing at the three wolf-tattooed men with patterned faces and the unconscious Spirit Beast, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

"Elder He, what do you suggest..." Daoist Yao frowned deeply and asked in a low voice.

Since Yu Jinglei was absent, everyone naturally looked to He Yiming for the final decision.

Although everyone knew He Yiming had the least seniority, among experts of the Xiantian realm, seniority was only a point of discussion among peers of the same level. If there was a difference in rank based on martial might, seniority took a backseat.

He Yiming remained silent, seemingly paying no heed to the gazes of Lian Yi and Daoist Yao.

He turned and approached the Spirit Wolf, giving a gentle wave of his sleeve.

Silently, an enormous surge of True Qi flooded into the wolf's body.

Although this Spirit Wolf possessed an iron physique—if it were alive, He Yiming could not have easily killed it with a single palm strike—it was now severely wounded and its condition was rapidly deteriorating. If it didn't receive effective treatment, it might not have survived anyway.

Thus, the strike He Yiming delivered ended its life instantly.

Everyone present possessed keen eyes. Sensing the wolf's aura rapidly weaken until it vanished completely in an extremely short time, they all let out a long breath.

Whether He Yiming’s action was right or wrong, now that it was done, regret was useless.

Even Xu Chengchang would not oppose He Yiming’s decision. Perhaps by killing the Spirit Wolf, the feud between the Hengshan lineage and the Wolf Totem Clan truly became unsolvable. But this Spirit Wolf had consumed Hengshan disciples while alive; under such circumstances, if it had been allowed to leave alive, the cohesion of the entire Hengshan sect would have instantly collapsed, and no disciple would remain loyal.

As Xu Chengchang watched He Yiming, a trace of admiration surfaced in his gaze. Such decisive and ruthless action—truly befitting a peak master who achieved the Yixiantian realm so young.

However, he was unaware that He Yiming wasn't thinking so complexly. He was simply doing what a human should do, far less profound than Xu Chengchang speculated.

"Elder Yao, this Spirit Wolf is a Xiantian Spirit Beast; let's not waste it," He Yiming said calmly.

Daoist Yao paused slightly. "Elder He, are you going to extract its Xiantian Inner Core to refine a pill?"

"Of course," He Yiming’s eyes turned cold. "Take its flesh and hide and distribute them to the families of the six deceased disciples. If we succeed in refining a Xiantian Golden Elixir, the first priority for its consumption will be the descendants of those six families who reach the tenth level of Inner Strength."

Daoist Yao and the others nodded in succession. Although they harbored some reservations, in the presence of the current He Yiming, they dared not speak much.

Lian Yi, in particular, felt a secret surge of glee. He knew the most about the situation of the missing six. The others were of little concern, as their families lacked any prominent masters. But his junior relative was different; he had a full brother who had just reached the Houtian realm at the tenth level of Inner Strength. With full cultivation, this brother would certainly reach the peak of the tenth level within ten years. Therefore, if the Spirit Wolf Inner Core could be refined into a Xiantian-grade elixir, that Golden Elixir would certainly be reserved for him.

With such compensation, his minor dissatisfaction vanished entirely. He even harbored a hidden thought: two disciples from Feng Huo Peak traded for one Xiantian Golden Elixir—this was truly a worthwhile transaction.

Xu Chengchang’s expression shifted slightly. He murmured, "Elder He, killing the Spirit Wolf is one thing, but dismembering it might..."

He Yiming snorted coldly. "Brother Xu, I care not about the reasons. Since the Wolf Totem Clan has sought out our Hengshan lineage and harmed our disciples, this He will certainly not stand idly by. Moreover..." A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "Do you truly believe there is any possibility of reconciling with the Wolf Totem Clan now?"

Xu Chengchang smiled wryly; he knew that even if he argued, no one would believe him.

He Yiming hesitated for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Brother Xu, besides being a spiritual symbol, does the wolf totem have any other function?"

"Probably not," Xu Chengchang replied hesitantly. "If it truly had an effect, there would have been records of it throughout history."

He Yiming nodded slightly, thinking that this made sense. If it had some miraculous use, it wouldn't have been stolen so easily, nor would it have been discarded like trash in Hengshan’s public treasury.

"Since it is useless, then when the Wolf Totem Clan members return next time, we shall simply return it to them intact," He Yiming said with a hint of regret.

Xu Chengchang nodded, forcing a helpless smile. He pondered for a moment. "Elder He, since those people have confirmed the totem's location, they will surely return to rally reinforcements. We must be prepared."

He had initially been focused on leaving, but now that the situation stabilized, his thoughts turned; he rather wished to stay and fight those totem envoys. Such small-scale confrontations were certainly beneficial for personal cultivation.

Daoist Yao nodded repeatedly. Though his appearance was youthful, he was undoubtedly the most mature and prudent among them.

"How about this: we immediately send someone to notify Martial Uncle Yu and ask him to return to take charge. With Martial Uncle Yu and Elder He, two Yixiantian elders, holding the line, I trust there won't be too much trouble."

Everyone praised this suggestion. Moreover, they all knew that He Yiming had a profoundly mysterious friend beside him. According to Yu Jinglei, this person’s cultivation had reached the realm of Three Flowers Gathering at the Apex (Sanhua Juding). With such a person residing on the mountain, their confidence in defense was immense.

Of course, speaking of this person, there was a faint undercurrent of dissatisfaction among them. If this person had been willing to help when Yi Shibao escaped, that Wolf Totem envoy would have been captured long ago. But One Hundred and Eight had never even shown his face.

Yet, despite their dissatisfaction, no one dared to voice a hint of complaint to He Yiming, let alone seek an explanation from the mysterious figure.

This was the influence of a vast disparity in strength. When one party's power vastly exceeded theirs, no matter how much dissatisfaction festered internally, they could only swallow their grievances.

He Yiming's eyes turned. "Brother Xu, you consider the Totem Clan our common enemy in the Northwest, correct?"

"Precisely," Xu Chengchang affirmed gravely. "The Totem Clan is a deep-seated threat to our entire Northwest."

"Excellent," He Yiming said with a broad smile.

The others were startled, unable to fathom what benefit this brought.

"Elder Yao, please send someone to notify the Kai Rong Kingdom and neighboring nations, requesting they dispatch their Grandmasters of State Protection to Hengshan," He Yiming smiled thinly. "Since they are the common enemy of the Northwest, we shouldn't be the only ones in the Hengshan lineage bearing the burden alone."

Daoist Yao and the others exchanged wry smiles. He shook his head. "Elder He, this is not a full-scale invasion by the Totem Clan; I fear not many will come."

He Yiming smiled. "Whoever comes is a gain. I’d like to see exactly how many friends the Hengshan lineage truly has."

Only then did Daoist Yao and the others understand his intention. Indeed, this presented the perfect opportunity to test loyalties.

The remaining minor tasks were naturally left to Daoist Yao and Yu Xichen to manage. He Yiming, having set the general direction, took his leave from them and returned to his own quarters.

As soon as he entered the room, his expression grew grim, and he murmured, "Brother Bai, you should be here."

As his voice fell, a figure leaped down from the ceiling—it was the elusive One Hundred and Eight. This time, however, One Hundred and Eight had not assumed any other form, merely remaining concealed on the rooftop.

He Yiming's eyes were sharp and piercing. "Brother Bai, why did you not stop Yi Shibao when he escaped this time?"

Although Daoist Yao hadn't expressed his inner thoughts, He Yiming could not entirely avoid harboring the same doubt.

One Hundred and Eight replied calmly, "I was following you; I could not divide my attention to pursue him."

He Yiming let out a soft snort. "A mere Spirit Wolf couldn't threaten my safety."

"I know, but you did not order me to pursue Yi Shibao."

He Yiming was instantly struck speechless. He opened his mouth, then gave a bitter smile. "Must I explicitly command you for you to act?"

One Hundred and Eight stated matter-of-factly, "My mission is to protect your safety—that is the primary sequence. Until you issue other instructions, nothing else may conflict with the primary sequence."

He Yiming’s lips trembled slightly. Dealing with someone like this left him profoundly speechless.

"I understand. You may go."

One Hundred and Eight did not say another word and turned to leave. As he exited He Yiming's room, he didn't even bother opening the door, simply passing straight through the wall.

Watching his retreating figure, He Yiming sighed inwardly. There was still a long, long way to go before they could achieve true coordination.