The countless peaks of the Northwest Mountain Range. They lay quietly in the west of the undulating green spring fields, as if smiling or sleeping, draped in the dusky purple-grey light: if you were to call out to them, it seemed as though these distant mountains might slowly walk to your side.

At a glance, the mountain ridges rolled on and on, one after another, towering, pointed, horizontal, and vertical. Their forms were varied; some resembled camels, others monkeys, some a winding long serpent, and still others, wild horses in full gallop.

They seemed to have stood here since eternity, quietly watching, observing...

A figure flashed past with incredible speed. He dashed freely among the mountains, his feet barely touching the ground, as if devoid of any weight. It was as if only the mountain wind, weaving through the forests like a sprite, carried him in his sprint.

His ears twitched occasionally, and his eyes gleamed with sharp light. Nothing before him, not even the finest speck of dust, could escape the search of his gaze.

Finally, He Yiming stopped, his eyes fixing upon a sparse patch of vegetation.

Looking at the rather fresh tracks on the ground, He Yiming knew he had successfully caught up with these people of the Totem Clan.

The group that set out from the Totem Clan numbered over a hundred. Although only the Totem Envoys and Grand Envoys who had reached the Xiantian realm actually made a move atop Hengshan, the ordinary high-ranking members of the Totem Clan who served them along the way numbered nearly ten times that amount.

It was precisely because of this large retinue that He Yiming was able to track them so easily within just a few days. Had it only been a few Grand Envoys and Envoys, they would likely have retreated deep into the mountains by now, rendering any search futile.

Stretching his sight in the depths of the forest, the view was naturally obscured by the thicket, making it impossible to see anything. But as He Yiming closed his eyes and quietly listened to the sounds carried on the wind, a clear image formed in his mind.

Two or three li away lay the encampment the Totem Clan had set up for the day.

Although they lived deep in the mountains, the living conditions of the Totem Envoys were in no way inferior to those of experts outside the mountains. Before the sun had completely set, some had already cleared a small space and erected the tents.

Perhaps because they lived in the depths of the mountains, these people did not clear the trees to make ground; instead, they pitched their tents between the trees. The entire arrangement of the tents was quite ingenious, evenly distributed in a circle. Moreover, there were only twelve tents, clearly prepared for the twelve Envoys. As for the rest of the ordinary Totem people, they were only afforded the privilege of sleeping rough in the wilderness.

He Yiming took a deep breath of the fresh jungle air; the blood coursing through him had completely calmed.

He then took out the silver necklace and infused a strand of True Qi into it. Moments later, the Spatial World appeared before him.

He Yiming reached out, placing his great broadsword into the Spatial World, and then retrieved a longsword and a pair of shoes from within.

These were spoils gained after slaying Sima Yin, and to protect the secret of the silver necklace, he had never used them. However, this time presented the perfect opportunity.

First changing into the shoes, He Yiming attempted to infuse a strand of True Qi into them. Then, with a light leap, his body transformed into a blur, shooting forward with unbelievable speed.

Although this speed was still inferior to the instantaneous crossing between two points, it was already terrifyingly formidable.

A flicker of joy flashed in He Yiming's eyes as he quietly experienced the transformation brought about by the treasured shoes. In just a moment, he had a general grasp of their nature.

Though he didn't know what material the shoes were made from, the effects they produced varied completely depending on the type of True Qi he channeled into them.

Among the Five Elements, only when using Water-elemental techniques did he feel as light as a bird and run as if given wings. Conversely, when using Earth-elemental techniques, the shoes offered no aid at all; instead, there was a sensation of being pulled sharply downward. The more True Qi infused, the stronger this feeling became, as if a weight of a thousand jin had suddenly been attached to his feet, dragging him down bodily.

Beyond that, when Gold, Wood, or Fire elemental True Qi was channeled in, there was virtually no reaction. Clearly, these shoes were only suitable for Xiantian experts proficient in Water or Earth elements.

However, it was unlikely any Earth-elemental Xiantian expert would wear these shoes and invite such suffering upon themselves.

He lightly bounced twice, and He Yiming shifted his thoughts, channeling Wind-elemental True Qi into them.

The next moment, his expression changed drastically.

The instant the Wind elemental True Qi appeared, the shoes instantly became a bottomless pit. The rate at which they devoured True Qi chilled his heart, even for one who had already condensed the Flower of Wind.

At that moment, the shoes felt as if they had transformed into another silver necklace. If he had not already succeeded in condensing the Flower of Wind, maintaining the consumption required by the shoes would have been a massive burden.

His only solace was that this bizarre transformation only occurred when channeling Wind-elemental True Qi. If he used True Qi of any other element, even He Yiming, capable of channeling at such a terrifying rate, could not physically manage the input.

Yet, as immense Wind energy poured into the shoes, an uncontrollable look of ecstasy surfaced in He Yiming's eyes.

His body lifted off the ground. Though only a mere few centimeters, this represented an unimaginably huge breakthrough for him.

For a Xiantian expert, achieving brief moments of footlessness during high-speed running was not difficult; almost any expert of that caliber could do it with ease.

But to stand perfectly still, floating in the air solely by relying on one's own True Qi—that was the stuff of legend.

At least, to He Yiming's knowledge, no one in this world could accomplish such a feat.

His body swayed slightly; the suspended body was clearly unaccustomed to the new motion. But after only a brief pause, he mastered the knack, holding his body in absolute balance.

He glanced down at the shoes beneath his feet, took a deep breath, and suppressed the urge to let out a long cry towards the heavens, slowly calming the shock within him.

He was now certain that these shoes must have an extraordinary origin, far surpassing ordinary treasured artifacts.

True Qi circulated ceaselessly within his body. Water, Earth, and Wind True Qi were channeled alternately into the treasured shoes. He Yiming continuously experimented, adapting at an unimaginable speed to the changes these shoes brought.

For a full hour, He Yiming seemed to forget the Totem Clan members several li away. He was completely immersed in exploring the various ways to utilize the treasured shoes.

After a long while, He Yiming finally stopped, letting out a long sigh.

He had changed his clothes and hidden the great broadsword because he did not wish to alert them prematurely. He never expected that using Sima Yin’s equipment would bring him this unexpected delight. It seemed his previous plan to casually discard the shoes and the longsword needed correction.

After all, when these shoes fell into the hands of a Xiantian expert skilled in Wind manipulation, the effect they could produce was certainly no less than that of the silver ring. And with the aid of these shoes, the probability of his revenge succeeding increased considerably.

He flicked the longsword in his hand, conjuring a dazzling sword flower.

Although a longsword was not He Yiming's preferred weapon, he had practiced swordsmanship for several years when his martial skill was low. Even though it was all basic training, in the hands of a Xiantian expert like him, even the simplest straight thrust could inflict massive damage.

Various elemental True Qi were channeled sequentially into the longsword, and slowly, He Yiming began to discern a trick to it.

Within treasured artifacts, there seemed to be tiers of quality.

The defensive arm guards that Lü Xinwen had once given to his disciple were undoubtedly the lowest grade. The shoes beneath He Yiming's feet and the longsword in his hand were certainly several levels higher.

This longsword was narrow and thin; its tip was not a standard blade edge, but rather a split like a serpent's tongue, forming a unique and terrifying forked point.

Looking at this fork, a wave of coldness washed over He Yiming.

Anyone struck by this sword would surely suffer far more grievous wounds than if stabbed by an ordinary longsword.

This was a "Death" sword, specifically forged for killing, ensuring a single, fatal blow.

He Yiming could channel all the True Qi he commanded into the longsword, but the effects varied. As for how to unleash its most potent power, that could only be revealed in actual combat.

He swung the longsword a few times, stirring up a brilliant glint. However, when his True Qi shifted to the Water element, a faint blackness suddenly emerged on the blade. As he swung again, this patch of blackness vanished into the pitch-black jungle night, leaving no trace.

He Yiming sighed inwardly. When Sima Yin ambushed him, it was in broad daylight. If this encounter had been at night, the lethality of this sword would have been considerably greater.

The tests for the longsword and shoes were complete, and by this time, the moon hung high overhead.

The soft, pale moonlight painted a clear outline of the forest situated in the mountain range. The shadows of countless trees lay across the slopes like the silhouettes of giants.

The sounds captured by his "Shunfeng Er" (Wind-Following Ear) informed him that the Grand Envoys and Envoys had retired for the night. However, one-third of the ordinary Totem Clan members assigned to guard duty were responsible for perimeter vigilance. No rustling breeze or slight movement could escape their notice.

Yet, He Yiming let out a cold smile. Wielding the sword and wearing the shoes, he instantly melted into the endless jungle.

He floated forward like a phantom in the night, completely soundlessly.

This time, he did not even make the slightest sound. Furthermore, beneath his feet, he was truly hovering in mid-air.

The capability of these shoes was indeed peerless. When massive amounts of Wind True Qi were infused, they not only allowed one to glide through the air but also contained all the vast True Qi within them, leaking not a single trace.

For He Yiming, as long as he controlled his aerial balance and suppressed his entire aura, there would be absolutely no possibility of detection.

At this point, he finally understood how Sima Yin had managed to evade his supreme Shunfeng Er skill previously.

Of course, this highly concealed aerial flight had its drawbacks. Specifically, the maximum floating height could only be maintained around half a meter, which was far from satisfactory. But for the purpose of jungle tracking without leaving a trace, this effect was unparalleled.

Soon, He Yiming reached the edge of the camp.

His target was not the powerful Totem Grand Envoys and Envoys within the tents. His objective tonight was the ordinary Totem guards patrolling the perimeter.

The moment he confirmed Shui Xuanjin's death, he had decided that every member of the Totem Clan who came to Hengshan this time would be buried with the elder.

This was the first time such a violent emotion and resolution had stirred within him, and even knowing there would surely be innocents among them, he did not regret his decision.

Controlling his body hovering a few centimeters above the ground, He Yiming silently approached the base of a small tree.

Near this tree stood three Totem Clan members. Their gazes were sharp; even in the dead of night, their spirits remained highly concentrated, their eyes sweeping their surroundings like those of falcons.

Just from their breathing, He Yiming knew their cultivation had reached the Eighth or Ninth Layer of Neijin (Inner Strength).

It was not just these three; the rest of the accompanying Totem people were of similar caliber.

Nearly a hundred post-natal experts at the Eighth and Ninth Layers of Neijin constituted a force not to be underestimated, even within the Hengshan lineage.

But it was precisely because they all possessed such formidable strength, potentially becoming future Totem Envoys, that it fueled the killing intent in He Yiming’s heart.

Appearing like a specter, he materialized suddenly before the three men.

A black light swept across them like a venomous snake. These three showed no reaction before the longsword pierced their bodies. The powerful Water True Qi nurtured by the blade instantly pulverized their internal organs.

The three figures collapsed limply, but under He Yiming’s control, though dead, they did not fall completely to the ground; instead, they leaned slantedly against the nearby tree trunk. From a distance, there was no sign of abnormality.

Similarly, he left no sound or trace on the trees or the ground throughout the process.

Then, He Yiming’s body slowly drifted backward, leaving not a single iota of trace behind on the foliage or the earth.

There were a total of thirty Totem Clan members responsible for perimeter security, stationed in groups of three at different locations.

He Yiming cautiously traversed half a circle, successively killing five groups silently and without sound. However, after the fifth group fell, a sense of danger arose within him.

He Yiming always trusted his instincts implicitly. He immediately abandoned the plan to continue the assassinations and drifted away lightly, like a ghost.

The treasured shoes beneath his feet indeed possessed incredible functions. Combined with the sliver of elemental Wind ability he had barely mastered, he managed to leave the area several li away without alerting anyone.

Once distant enough, He Yiming's ears twitched again. He listened to the sounds from afar, gathering every change that occurred after his departure.

※※※※

Immediately after He Yiming abandoned the assassination and decisively retreated.

The ground in that area suddenly stirred, and then a figure leaped up from beneath the earth.

This was an elder barely the height of an ordinary child. Around him was strangely coiled a bizarre serpent. His ability to move freely underground relied entirely on the peculiar power of this serpent.

His eyes were utterly cold, terrifyingly sharp like those of a viper.

However, when his gaze fell upon the three dead Totem Clan members still leaning against the trees, a strange fluctuation appeared in his expression.

A sound, like the hiss of a venomous snake, suddenly erupted from his mouth. Although the sound was not loud, the entire camp seemed to ignite, instantly becoming lively.

Several figures flashed past, and all the Totem Envoys appeared beside She Ru (Snake Elder).

Their eyes swept over the scene, and they immediately understood what had happened. Every face turned extremely grim.

Soguo’s eyes flashed with murderous rage, and he let out a loud roar. Whether they were still in their tents or on guard duty, all the Totem Clan members rushed to the spot with the utmost speed, as if having received a command.

"Search..." Soguo's voice sounded as if grated from between his teeth.

The crowd immediately scattered. In just a few breaths, cries of alarm began to ring out from different locations.

With every cry of surprise, the faces of the Totem Envoys grew grimmer. Moments later, all fifteen corpses, already dead, were gathered before them.

Including Soguo and She Ru, everyone was filled with rage, but beneath the anger, a chill pierced straight to their bones.

With their keen sight, they could clearly tell that these men had been murdered tonight.

They themselves could easily achieve the feat of killing fifteen clan members at the Eighth or Ninth Layer of Houtian Neijin. However, inside the perimeter of these dead men lay the tents where the Totem Envoys and Grand Envoys resided.

To silently kill fifteen men so close to their living quarters...

If news of this spread, the prestige of these Envoys and Grand Envoys would be utterly ruined.

"Brother She, how did you discover this?" Soguo took a deep breath, his heart filled with both shock and fear. If the attacker's target had been him, what would have happened?

She Ru shook his head slightly. "It wasn't I who sensed the anomaly."

Everyone paused; it was She Ru who had given the initial warning.

Under their gaze, She Ru patted the strange snake coiled around his body. "It was Stone King; it smelled the scent of death."

Only then did everyone realize. The Snake Clan inherently represented death; it was not strange that they could sense its approach.