In the capital city of the KaiRong Kingdom, within that massive temple complex, Zhan Tianfeng, sitting alone, gently set down the thin piece of paper in his hand.

Though the paper weighed almost nothing, his movements were exceedingly careful, as if the sheet bore the weight of mountains.

Before him sat the five Innate Masters of the Grand Hall, each wearing an expression of profound gravity, seemingly caught between indecision and waiting for Zhan Tianfeng’s final word.

After a long silence, Zhan Tianfeng softly inquired, "Tell me, what course of action should we take?"

The gazes of the assembled masters subtly shifted toward Mao Lieguang. This man, the second most influential figure in the KaiRong Kingdom, managed a wry smile. "This He Yiming truly knows how to stir up trouble, actually provoking the Totem Tribe. Hah, such youthful arrogance."

Cheng Fu frowned slightly. "Master, the letter states that He Yiming did not enter the deep mountains, nor did he injure the Wolf Totem Emissary. That totem was not taken by him either."

"He caused great trouble, of course, he won't admit it. Besides him, who else possesses the power of the Five Elements, and can so easily wound a Wolf Totem Emissary?" Mao Lieguang chuckled twice. "He was in the deep mountains just a few months ago. Who knows what he was doing? At least the timing allows for the possibility."

The others immediately fell silent, save for Cheng Fu, in whose eyes a sharp light flickered. "Master, since He Yiming claimed it, he likely would not lie."

Mao Lieguang paused, his features tightening. He shot a stern look at his favorite disciple, but the young man maintained an unwavering expression.

Mao Lieguang sighed inwardly, yet he wasn't truly angered, nor did he feel any embarrassment from having his stance challenged by his own student.

Of course, had it been anyone else—even Xu Kuiding, who ranked just below him in the KaiRong Grand Hall—such a statement would have certainly met with Mao Lieguang’s swift and unreserved rebuttal.

Zhan Tianfeng finally let out a short laugh. "There is no need for you two to argue. Whether He Yiming stole the totem from the Wolf Totem Clan or not, it makes little difference now. What I wish to know is whether we should dispatch aid."

Mao Lieguang responded without hesitation: "Grand Master, this is a matter for the Hengshan lineage; it is not our concern to handle."

Zhan Tianfeng calmly turned his gaze to Cheng Fu. "What do you say?"

Cheng Fu hesitated for a moment before giving a firm, heavy nod. "Grand Master, we should send people. Given our status, we ought to dispatch at least two Innate Masters."

Mao Lieguang opened his mouth but ultimately offered no rebuttal. While the Hengshan lineage was not a state, it existed well within the sphere of influence of the KaiRong Kingdom. Furthermore, the enemy they faced was the Totem Tribe, the common foe of all the Northwestern nations. If the KaiRong Grand Hall refused to spare even a single person, they would undoubtedly be scorned by every nation in the Northwest by the following day.

Zhan Tianfeng’s eyes returned to the thin sheet of paper before him, and with it, the gaze of everyone in the room focused on that single point.

This piece of paper had been delivered by a disciple of the Hengshan lineage a day prior. It detailed the recent events that had transpired within their domain, explicitly mentioning the reason for the Wolf Totem Clan’s descent from the mountains. Naturally, He Yiming had solemnly declared that the person who went to the Totem Clan was not him, and he had no idea where the totem in the treasury had come from.

Although they had concealed nothing, it was precisely this openness that lent credibility to their words.

After a long pause, Zhan Tianfeng let out a deep sigh. "Very well. Which of you is willing to make the journey to Hengshan?"

Hearing his decision, even Mao Lieguang showed no surprise. With Zhan Tianfeng’s seasoned wisdom, how could he fail to grasp the core issue? If he refused to send aid, that would truly be the strange thing.

Cheng Fu’s eyes brightened, and he stepped forward. "Grand Master, your junior is willing to go."

Zhan Tianfeng’s expression darkened. "Anyone else could go, but not you."

Cheng Fu was momentarily stunned. "Grand Master, why may your junior not go?" His voice was thick with indignation.

Before Cheng Fu’s defeat at the hands of He Yiming, though he was one of the top five experts in the Grand Hall, his bearing and actual strength were far from sufficient for him to challenge Zhan Tianfeng’s decision.

However, no one had anticipated that following that setback, Cheng Fu would not collapse but rather strive relentlessly. Under Zhan Tianfeng's guidance, he had adopted an incredibly peculiar and arduous training regimen that defied imagination, and during this process, he had managed to achieve another sudden enlightenment.

It was due to this trajectory that Cheng Fu’s standing within the KaiRong Grand Hall had rapidly increased, especially in Zhan Tianfeng's eyes, where he was now considered no less significant than Mao Lieguang.

In the entire Grand Hall, he was the only one who dared to voice a query after the Grand Master had already made a final ruling.

Zhan Tianfeng’s eyes were calm and waveless. "Cheng Fu, do you know who the opponent is this time?"

"Your disciple knows; it is the Totem Tribe from the deep mountains."

"Then do you know the terror of this clan?"

"Your junior is aware," Cheng Fu stated gravely. "The Totem Tribe is the festering wound of the entire Northwest. The Totem Emissaries are beings powerful enough to rival Innate Realm masters. Engaging them is indeed an extremely perilous undertaking; it would not be strange to forfeit one's life there."

Zhan Tianfeng snorted coldly. "So you are aware of that, yet you still insist on going?"

Cheng Fu lowered his hands, his resolve unchanged. "Yes. Your junior still wishes to travel to Hengshan."

Zhan Tianfeng frowned slightly. "Why? Are you unable to let go of that person, seeking to compete with him?"

Cheng Fu shook his head slightly. "Grand Master, while your junior dares not belittle himself, he knows full well that in terms of innate talent, he absolutely cannot compare to that person, so he abandoned such hopes long ago."

Only then did Zhan Tianfeng’s expression soften. While fighting spirit is commendable, fixing one's sights on a goal too high to reach is not a virtue, but a fatal flaw. For Cheng Fu now, He Yiming was no longer a comparable target. If Cheng Fu remained fixated on past failures, obsessively seeking to surpass He Yiming, it would become a tragedy rather than a positive.

"If that is the case, why do you persist in going?"

Cheng Fu’s eyes suddenly lit up. "Grand Master, in this letter, your junior noticed a signature." His gaze fell again upon the paper. "Xu Chengchang. Isn't he the most renowned young Bai Santian from the Tianchi Sect recently? He went to Hengshan, surely to accumulate experience and lay the most solid foundation for his future martial path."

Zhan Tianfeng was finally moved. He hesitated. "You are going for his sake?"

"Yes. Precisely because the Totem Tribe warriors are so powerful, engaging them in a battle of life and death offers the best opportunity for practical training. In our time before advancing to the Innate Realm, we honed our martial paths through life-and-death trials. Now that we are Innate experts, why abandon this tradition?"

Mao Lieguang let out a bitter laugh. In the Northwest, how many Houtian experts were there, and how many Innate experts? Eliminating and stimulating individual martial prowess through life-and-death trials was acceptable during the Houtian stage; after all, no one paid much heed if one or ten Houtian masters perished. But if an Innate master died in such a trial, any major power would find the loss unbearable.

However, Cheng Fu was not ignorant of this logic; his words were purely meant to express his current resolve.

Indeed, Cheng Fu took a deep breath. "Your junior can afford to lose to He Yiming, but he absolutely does not wish to lose to anyone else again." Cheng Fu’s voice was firm, like a spike hammered into the heart, each word resonating: "Mu Jintian, Xu Chengchang—I do not wish to lose to either of them."

Silence descended upon the room. Zhan Tianfeng’s sharp gaze locked onto Cheng Fu, who met the eyes of the true master of the KaiRong Kingdom without flinching.

Mao Lieguang was already breaking out in a cold sweat, cursing Cheng Fu inwardly for his stubbornness in speaking such words before the Old Grand Master—foolishly courting death.

Yet, Xu Kuiding, the other Innate expert present with the right to attend, secretly nodded. He glanced casually at Mao Lieguang beside him, thinking to himself how incredible it was that such a master could father such an outstanding disciple. However, if Cheng Fu remained unkilled by others, he genuinely stood a chance of becoming the next foremost expert of the KaiRong Kingdom.

Finally, Zhan Tianfeng closed his eyes and slowly sat down. "Lieguang."

"I am here."

"Accompany Cheng Fu on this journey." Zhan Tianfeng stated calmly. "Remember, bring him back."

The look of distress on Mao Lieguang's face vanished instantly. He responded solemnly, "Grand Master, please rest assured. Even if I cannot return, Cheng Fu definitely will."

Zhan Tianfeng waved his hand, and with a tacit understanding, everyone withdrew from the room—a space within the KaiRong Kingdom as sacred as a forbidden zone.

Upon leaving, the immense pressure emanating from Zhan Tianfeng suddenly lifted from the others. Mao Lieguang shot Cheng Fu an angry glare. "Pack your things, we leave." But when he turned away, a look of extreme satisfaction bloomed on his face. To have such a disciple—what more could one ask for?

After the three Innate experts departed Zhan Tianfeng's chamber, he once more picked up the paper from the desk, murmuring softly, "How strange. Who exactly is framing He Yiming?"

Cheng Fu had only chosen to believe He Yiming’s account after reading the letter. But Zhan Tianfeng had already definitively concluded that it could not have been He Yiming.

"Five Elements True Qi, possessing all five elements?" His eyes suddenly brightened, as if recalling something, and his body trembled slightly with excitement.

"Master, could it truly be your doing?... Heh heh, regardless of whether you acted or not, the result is the same. As long as the Totem Tribe knows that a master of such youth exists beyond their mountain forests, they will undoubtedly spare no expense to eliminate him." Zhan Tianfeng sighed deeply. "Using another's blade to kill—only when it reaches this level is it truly masterful."

At this moment, he understood many issues clearly. Once the Totem Tribe was drawn in, the entire Northwest would suffer the misfortune. But if He Yiming were allowed to develop unchecked, it would likely be the KaiRong Kingdom that met disaster.

The memory of He Yiming’s threatening declaration to cleanse the KaiRong Grand Hall sent a dull ache of frustration through him. If his Master and senior brother had not declared their withdrawal from state affairs, and if He Yiming had not had Bai Lingba and the Hengshan lineage backing him, he would never have yielded so easily, becoming the laughingstock of the Northwestern nations.

However, from this day forward, Zhan Tianfeng understood: as long as this man lived, the position of one of the three great powers held by the KaiRong Kingdom would inevitably pass to another. Yet, the turmoil that had plagued him for many days was now entirely resolved. A strange smile touched Zhan Tianfeng’s lips. "Rather than letting me suffer misfortune alone, let the entire Northwest bear the same consequence. He Yiming, since you have attracted the attention of the Totem Tribe, then you are surely doomed..."

Within the Tianluo Kingdom, Shui Xuanjin slowly put down the paper in his hand. His expression remained unchanged, but he stroked his long beard thoughtfully. His eldest disciple, Xue Lie, had already grasped the contents of the letter, and his face shifted. "Master, you cannot go!"

Shui Xuanjin let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Why not?"

"Master, you are already so old; how can you still go risk your life?" Excitement welled up in his voice. "Master, allow your disciple to go in your stead."

Shui Xuanjin laughed heartily. "Xue Lie, stop talking nonsense. That is the noble Hengshan lineage, possessing several Innate Elders. Do you think they would care about a mere Houtian expert like you?"

Xue Lie's face instantly flushed crimson. He knew that as a master at the peak of the Tenth Level of Internal Strength, he was considered a top figure even in the Tianluo Kingdom, one whom even the great families dared not provoke lightly. But placed among the Hengshan lineage, there were at least four handfuls of people comparable to him. Sending him would only lead to embarrassment.

He bowed his head deeply. "Your disciple is ashamed for failing to reach the Innate Realm and disappointing you, Master."

Shui Xuanjin shook his head. "Xue Lie, do not overthink things. The Innate Realm is not so easily attained. Even in my time, had I not fortunately acquired a Wind-element Innate Golden Elixir, I would have had no hope of advancing in my entire life."

Xue Lie still looked somewhat mortified, but he knew that what Shui Xuanjin said was absolute truth; otherwise, Innate Masters would not be so scarce.

Shui Xuanjin stood up and announced loudly, "I will set off now. You go inform His Majesty."

Xue Lie was startled. "Master, will you not speak to His Majesty personally?"

"No need," Shui Xuanjin replied, shaking his head, his expression holding a peculiar quality. He spoke in an almost murmuring tone, "I wish to take a good look at this land before I depart."

Xue Lie suddenly looked up, staring at Shui Xuanjin, wanting to speak but stopping himself.

Shui Xuanjin laughed dismissively. "Xue Lie, I have been meditating on recent happenings and gained some insight. This time, even if I cannot slay the enemy, I will certainly be able to protect myself. You need not worry for me."

With that, he swept his wide sleeves, and his body vanished from the spot. In the next instant, he appeared tens of meters away.

Xue Lie’s eyes widened. His face was a mixture of shock and elation. How could Shui Xuanjin's movement technique have become so incredible? What was there left to worry about?

If He Yiming were present and witnessed this scene, he would surely realize that the 'Two-Point, One-Line Method' he derived from the power of Wind was no longer his exclusive secret.

Within the Huowu Kingdom, in the Imperial Pagoda, two elders sat opposite each other. Those invited to this pagoda were exclusively the most top-tier figures of the royal family, or Innate masters of the same rank as Ting Shiguang.

Seated facing one another now were Ting Shiguang and Elder Xie Zhi'en, who had recently advanced to the Innate Realm.

Slowly putting down the paper—as light as a feather, yet as heavy as Mount Tai—Ting Shiguang’s face was unusually grave.

"Honorable brother, what do you think?"

Xie Zhi'en pondered for a moment. "Your junior will follow the lead of his brother in all matters."

Ting Shiguang gazed into the distance, and after a long while, finally said, "Good. Since that is settled, I have decided to accept the invitation. If I do not return from this trip, then the Huowu Kingdom must rely on you to sustain it in the future."

Xie Zhi'en's expression changed drastically. "Brother, what are you saying? If someone must go, it should be your junior."

Ting Shiguang chuckled. "The opponent this time is no ordinary foe; they are masters from the Wolf Totem Clan. If my estimation is correct, there will be many Totem Emissaries heading to Hengshan. You only recently reached the Innate Realm; your cultivation is not yet fully consolidated. If you encounter them, I fear the danger would be immense."

Xie Zhi'en was silenced, as Ting Shiguang’s words, though harsh, were the undeniable truth.

Ting Shiguang slowly closed his eyes. "My relationship with He Yiming is extraordinary. We must go this time, no matter what. Moreover, since Xu Chengchang, the most outstanding rising star from Tianchi Mountain, is also at Hengshan, perhaps the danger won't be too great?"

Xie Zhi'en opened his mouth but could say nothing. The four great families of Huowu were ancient clans passed down for nearly a thousand years. Others might not know what the Totem Tribe represented, but they were fully aware. This was a formidable power that the combined might of all Northwestern nations and sects could not match. Confronting such an imposing force, no one dared claim they could survive unscathed.

Ting Shiguang rose and ascended alone to the very top of the pagoda. This was the highest point in the entire Huowu capital.

The cold wind was sharp, slicing like a knife, yet he stood there, seemingly oblivious to it all. He looked down at the lives below, resembling ants, and a profound reluctance suddenly surged in his heart. This was his country, the place for which he would willingly give everything. But this time, it might be the last time he stood here observing this scene. At this moment, this ordinary scene, identical to any other day, was incredibly moving!

Below him, Xie Zhi'en watched silently, seeming to understand his feelings. Even this elder, who had lived for over a hundred years, felt turmoil in his heart at this moment...

The dispatch from the Hengshan lineage circulated among the Innate Masters of the KaiRong Kingdom and surrounding smaller nations.

In the following days, everyone made their decision.

However, almost all of them chose the same path: in the absence of a direct threat to their own domains, nearly every Innate Master opted for silent observation. The alliance of the smaller nations, as expected, could not maintain a unified decision due to their divergent self-interests. Apart from the Tianluo Kingdom and the Huowu Kingdom, the Hengshan lineage received no reinforcements from any other Innate power!