He Yi-ming shook his head, casting the thought aside. He asked in a deep voice, "Father, has Li-xun returned?"

He had been away to Hengshan for nearly half a year this time. Yuan Li-xun had gone home to visit relatives, and by rights, she should have returned long ago, or perhaps even come to Hengshan to see him—neither would have been surprising.

But among the family members who came out to greet him, he only saw Fourth Sister He Yi-ling and her sworn brother-in-law, Yuan Li-ling. The beloved figure he had longed to see was nowhere in sight, even amid the evening's revelry, causing him considerable worry.

He Quan-xin was startled, asking inexplicably, "Yi-ming, I received a letter from Grand Elder Yu Jing-lei of Hengshan. It said Li-xun had offended some major power, and while you weren't beside her, they might seek trouble with her. So, she went with the messenger to some place called Tianchi Mountain."

He Yi-ming's heart tightened. He said gravely, "Father, was that truly what Grand Elder Yu Jing-lei said?"

"Indeed. And Li-xun went with the esteemed Elder Xu Cheng-chang. It shouldn't be false."

Only then did He Yi-ming calm down, though a slight frown creased his brow. He vaguely felt that something was amiss. Recalling how Zhu Ba-qi and Yu Jing-lei had tried every means possible to make him go to Tianchi Mountain, he wondered if it was somehow connected to this matter.

However, since she was traveling with Elder Xu Cheng-chang, at least her safety should be guaranteed. Furthermore, He Yi-ming immediately thought of the Tu Fan Kingdom. Perhaps they had received some news, and people from the Tu Fan Kingdom wanted revenge on Li-xun, which was why she was taken to Tianchi Mountain.

Seeing He Yi-ming knitting his brows in silence, He Quan-xin also grew nervous and asked, "Yi-ming, what is it? Is something wrong?"

His expression was extremely solemn. He Yi-ming was the pillar of the He Family Village, but Yu Jing-lei was the absolute Grand Elder of the Hengshan lineage. If a misunderstanding occurred, the He Family Village might never see such glory again.

He Yi-ming shook his head slightly. "Nothing, Father. I’ll stay here for two days, then I must rush to Tianchi Mountain. I’ll be able to see Li-xun then, so I’m a little happy."

Although He Quan-xin didn't fully believe him, his son's status was different now, so he could only suppress his doubts and feign ignorance.

The father and son talked for half the night, and He Yi-ming gained a general understanding of the matters in the village.

Except for Fourth Sister and Yuan Li-ling getting married six months later, everything else was normal.

Although the fierce-looking guardians on the outer high walls tarnished the reputation of the He Family Village slightly, they also saved the He family from much trouble, allowing the entire clan to gradually take root here and grow stronger.

Since everything was running smoothly, He Yi-ming felt reassured.

Late at night, He Yi-ming returned to his room.

In the past, whenever he returned here, Yuan Li-xun would always be waiting at the door to greet him. Now, he was completely alone, and his longing for her grew even stronger.

He was tempted to question Zhu Ba-qi and Yu Xi-chen, but after pondering for a long while, he finally dismissed the idea.

Since they had set off for Tianchi Mountain, the time to meet was not far off; there was no need to inquire further.

Stepping into the courtyard, He Yi-ming looked up at the sky, his thoughts immediately consumed by the insights contained in the rear hall of the Ancestral Hall.

After reading the experiences recorded by successive masters, He Yi-ming had confirmed the direction for his next stage of cultivation.

According to the predecessors, once the first tangible Flower of Form was condensed, the difficulty of condensing the second and third would increase exponentially.

Historically, the Hengshan lineage had almost never seen a break in the ranks of experts at the Yi-xian-tian (One-Line-Heaven) level, but including the founding ancestor, the total number of experts who achieved the Triple Flower Convergence peak level was only three. This demonstrated the immense difficulty of condensing the third tangible Flower and achieving peak convergence.

However, the past masters had also summarized some feasible experiences.

If one had already condensed a tangible Flower from the Five Elements path, and possessed an innate talent for an element that generates it, the difficulty of condensing the next tangible Flower would be greatly reduced.

He Yi-ming had currently condensed the Flowers of Wind and Fire. The Flower of Wind was naturally ethereal and beyond the scope of the Five Elements, but the Flower of Fire belonged to them.

Fire generates Earth; therefore, the next Five Element Flower He Yi-ming should attempt to condense was undoubtedly the Flower of Earth.

Standing outside the courtyard where he resided, He Yi-ming slowly opened a manual before him.

Fudi Yin (Subduing Earth Seal), Fantian Yin (Overturning Heaven Seal), Qingtian Yin (Upholding Heaven Seal).

These three hand seal techniques were derived from the Lin family's secret teachings. Previously, He Yi-ming preferred techniques related to wind, rain, clouds, and mist, or metal elements, so he had not paid them much mind.

But now that his sights were set on the Flower of Earth, and more importantly, after witnessing the burrowing abilities of the Red Wolf King and the Strange Snake Stone King, He Yi-ming was deeply envious. Thus, he took out this innate Earth-elemental manual to slowly explore it.

In fact, Hengshan possessed many Earth-elemental innate techniques, but He Yi-ming had a particular fondness for hand seal techniques, which is why he hadn't chosen anything else.

The Lin family had five innate hand seal techniques in total: two belonged to the Water element, while the Earth element had three. He Yi-ming had already learned Fudi Yin and even improved it to some extent. These other two seals were brand new to him.

His gaze slowly moved across the combat technique manual as he read the contents word by word.

Slowly, He Yi-ming’s brows furrowed.

Now that he had condensed two tangible Flowers, coupled with the systematic learning from the Ancestral Hall's rear hall, although his actual combat strength hadn't increased significantly, his insight into the Martial Dao was vastly superior to before.

After thoroughly examining the cultivation methods and energy circulation routes for these three hand seals, He Yi-ming vaguely felt that these techniques shared similarities with the three-element techniques cultivated by Mu Zhan-hao, the descendant of Mu Jin-tian.

Moreover, the fact that Mu Zhan-hao’s three techniques were from the same lineage and he specialized in hand seals made He Yi-ming even more suspicious.

Comparing the hand seals demonstrated by Mu Zhan-hao with the three in the manual, He Yi-ming could even sense that these techniques might originate from the same source.

He clearly remembered that Mu Zhan-hao once mentioned that his cultivation methods were passed down from a sect named the Five Elements Gate in the Oriental Da Shen Empire.

Judging by the name alone, one could imagine that this sect certainly possessed Five Elements techniques, and there was a high probability they were all of the same lineage.

For techniques that share the same lineage, the power unleashed during execution would absolutely far exceed the limits achievable by ordinary innate techniques. For someone with his unique constitution, these would be the most suitable methods. If he could obtain the unique techniques of the Five Elements Gate…

He Yi-ming shook his head slightly, pushing away this rather unrealistic thought. He refocused his energy on the manual before him.

After a long pause, He Yi-ming finally gained some comprehension. Among these three Earth-elemental hand seal techniques, Fudi Yin was undoubtedly the simplest. This combat skill focused purely on defense, and with a certain level of talent, even a Houtian (Post-Heaven) master could manage to execute it.

Of course, they could only execute it. As for how much power they could unleash, one couldn't expect much. It was like how a common person's kitchen knife, wood axe, or scissors are all 'blades,' but trying to compare them to the Great Guan Dao formed by the Hundred and Eight Transformations was simply laughable. The same combat technique executed by different people yielded completely different results.

Besides Fudi Yin, there were Fantian Yin and Qingtian Yin.

These two seals were much more profound; even He Yi-ming couldn't completely grasp them immediately. At this point, he finally began to understand why the Lin family was so generous in sharing this set of seals with him. It was likely that in the entire thousand-year heritage of the Lin family, no one had been able to decipher these two profoundly mysterious hand seal techniques.

He softly recited the incantations for these two seals. He Yi-ming half-closed his eyes and slowly moved his hands in the air, tracing a strange arc. His movements were not fast, nor did they possess the ethereal grace of his Cloud and Mist transformation from before; instead, they were solid and steady, like towering mountains that could never collapse.

Slowly, a peculiar vision appeared in He Yi-ming’s mind. He seemed to be within Hengshan, and all he could see was a continuous expanse of undulating, majestic peaks. These summits connected one after another, forming a magnificent spectacle that defied description.

He Yi-ming’s hands rose and fell in sync with the undulating peaks in his mind—the amplitude of his hand movements matched the height of the rising mountains perfectly. It was as if his entire being had transformed into a giant peak reaching into the clouds, and his hands manifested the continuous mountain ranges encircling it.

The scenery in his mind kept shifting. At this moment, He Yi-ming thought of the massive rocks on the mountainside. Every peak in the deep mountains possessed its own unique characteristics: some resembled sharp swords piercing the sky, others looked like jade pillars supporting heaven, and even some mountains resembled solemn old men standing above the earth, overlooking the lands. Even more surprisingly, some looked like shy young maidens, using white clouds as veils to hide their beautiful faces.

For a moment, countless strange sights from the mountains flowed through He Yi-ming's mind like a slideshow. He maintained this profound state, his body moving slowly according to his consciousness. Whatever mountain peaks surfaced in his mind, he could express the essence of that scenery through physical movement. A faint, serene smile touched his lips—a confident smile of one who stood above and controlled everything.

After a long while, He Yi-ming’s body trembled. He released his hands and pushed them slowly forward. It seemed as though his hands carried ten thousand jin of weight; even the surrounding air felt confined by some power, without the slightest circulation of wind.

Far away, in a luxurious courtyard, Zhu Ba-qi watched this direction with a grave expression. With his cultivation, he could naturally sense the powerful Earth energy permeating the void. Although he hadn't witnessed He Yi-ming’s cultivation process firsthand, sensing the fluctuations of aura felt no different from seeing it with his own eyes.

He sensed a familiar yet unfamiliar aura. It was familiar because he had firmly memorized the aura of that prodigious young man. Though young, his power was unquestionable. Zhu Ba-qi even had a premonition that as long as He Yi-ming didn't perish, he would surely secure a place among the world's topmost figures in the future.

The unfamiliar feeling naturally stemmed from the technique He Yi-ming was cultivating. In their last encounter, he had experienced the power of Wind and the power of Fire. The might of these two elements had given him an irresistible sensation—a sense of dread usually only evoked when facing peers of equal strength, revealing the depth of He Yi-ming's attainment in those two elemental techniques.

But what he sensed now was clearly the power of Earth. The heavy, solid feeling was like a colossal mountain pressing down upon his heart. Unconsciously, Zhu Ba-qi was deeply affected; even his knees seemed to bend slightly. This was only because his own strength was immense, having reached the Two-Flower cultivation. Apart from him, even Yu Xi-chen, a Xiantian (Innate) expert, didn't experience a similar sensation.

He took deep breaths, struggling to control the almost boiling energy within him. He didn't want to engage in a confrontation with He Yi-ming's aura—or rather, deep down, he was already afraid... He couldn't muster the courage to resist He Yi-ming.

A helpless, wry smile showed on his face. He Yi-ming's might was certainly beyond his expectation, but what terrified him more was He Yi-ming's incredible speed of progress. The Flower of Wind, the Flower of Fire, and now this profound Earth power seemed to be rapidly advancing, pushing He Yi-ming toward the Three Flowers realm. Perhaps he could grasp the Flower of Earth within ten years. Even then, He Yi-ming would be under thirty—achieving Three Flowers at that age, even without peak convergence, would be a legend surpassing all predecessors.

Zhu Ba-qi’s gaze grew increasingly complex. In his heart, he finally made a firm decision. Upon returning, he must truthfully report his impressions of He Yi-ming. Those old fellows, even if they didn't know what scheme they were hatching, he hoped they wouldn't push He Yi-ming too far...

He Yi-ming, completely immersed in his own world, was unaware of the great distress his cultivation was causing Zhu Ba-qi. When he finally exhaled and withdrew his hands, which seemed to hold ten thousand jin of force, his heart swelled with joy.

Fudi Yin... This was the true Fudi Yin. It turned out that this defense-oriented seal, which appeared so deceptively simple, held such incredible power. Compared to it, the Fudi Yin demonstrated by Lin Tao-li in the past was like children playing house; it hadn't grasped even one percent of its essence.

However, this couldn't be blamed on Lin Tao-li. After all, Lin Tao-li was merely a Houtian practitioner who hadn't even reached the Xiantian realm; how could he possibly bring out the true might of this seal? For him to grasp a sliver of this seal in the Houtian realm was already an incredible feat.

Sighing deeply, He Yi-ming felt that these miraculous hand seal techniques falling into the hands of the Lin family was a colossal waste of talent. Still, he wondered how the Lin family had acquired such profound hand seal techniques.

He shook his head, casting aside all distracting thoughts, and began to silently recite the incantation for Qingtian Yin once more. Among these three Earth-elemental hand seal techniques, Fudi Yin was purely defensive. Fantian Yin was purely offensive, while Qingtian Yin was a technique that incorporated both offense and defense. Given He Yi-ming’s character, he actually preferred Qingtian Yin the most.

While chanting the incantation for this seal, He Yi-ming’s hands moved again. But unlike before, his palms were not manifesting continuous undulating peaks; instead, they were held vertically before his chest, his entire body unmoving as a mountain, like an old monk in deep meditation, without any further motion.

Yet, rings of Earth energy invisible to the naked eye rippled around him. This Qi of Heaven and Earth was drawn by his technique, gathering near him as if seeking to merge into his body and become a part of him.

He Yi-ming felt a sudden enlightenment, his spirit highly focused, quietly observing the changes around him. The Earth energy was being massively attracted and showed signs of intense compression and condensation. If he could truly absorb and successfully condense this constantly attracting Earth energy, then He Yi-ming’s third tangible Flower might manifest today.

His breathing couldn't help but quicken; the overwhelming joy in his heart was incomparable. This situation wasn't something he had intentionally sought; it was entirely an unconscious state of vague understanding that allowed such a massive quantity of Earthly Heaven and Earth Qi to gather. If he had tried to achieve this deliberately just now, the result definitely wouldn't have been so potent.

He Yi-ming calmed his mind. Following his experience in condensing the Flowers of Wind and Fire, he stabilized his spirit and began to release his Fire energy, letting it slowly interface with the surrounding Earth energy. Two forces of different attributes, yet possessing the characteristic of generation, intertwined and guided one another. Experiencing the constant fusion of these two forces, He Yi-ming’s heart knew neither joy nor sorrow, as if he had entered an even more mysterious realm.

However, at this crucial moment, He Yi-ming’s ears twitched slightly. He caught a faint, yet almost tangible, killing intent. This murderous aura was directed precisely at him, and the timing chosen was exquisitely perfect.

He Yi-ming’s heart tightened. He made a decision almost instantaneously. His entire body’s true Qi surged, and the Fire energy was abruptly withdrawn. Without the guidance of the Fire energy, the Earth energy that had been on the verge of condensation scattered instantly, swirling a few times like headless flies before completely dissipating.

Although He Yi-ming felt a pang of loss, he knew that an opportunity for such a near-enlightenment was exceedingly rare. But at this critical moment, just as he was about to break through, he was ruthlessly interrupted. This surge of wicked frustration was enough to drive him mad, and it fueled a hatred deep in his bones for the intruder.

Ps: I’ve been overtaken again! I just reached the top three, and before I could settle in, I slipped again. Bai He is still desperately asking for votes for this month’s top three! A quick shout-out, brothers, please cast your monthly votes for the diligent Bai He!

Recommend my friend's book, Myriad Phenomena Divine Path. It has a completely novel professional system. Although the setting is another world, it avoids cliché transmigration, forging a new path that can bring readers a completely fresh feeling. The author has excellent fundamental skills, and the plot and characters are great—highly recommended!