The instant He Yiming caught the Mist Sword with his bare hand, disbelief flickered across every face present, save for Yuan Lixun's.

As soon as the sword touched He Yiming's fingers, it vanished without a trace, as if the Mist Sword possessed no offensive power whatsoever. Not only had it failed to punish him, it hadn't even grazed his skin.

A flicker of astonishment finally crossed Li Mingxuan's face. While the chill contained within the Mist Sword was far from her own peak standard, the frost-elemental power it carried was undeniably significant. Though it might not severely injure a Two-Blossom expert like He Yiming, she was confident it could at least freeze his arm solid.

Yet, the final outcome was utterly unexpected: the chilling aura within the Mist Sword dissipated without exerting even the slightest effect.

Her gaze shifted, catching sight of the faint, almost imperceptible smile gracing Yuan Lixun's lips. A realization dawned upon her, and she looked at He Yiming with sudden understanding, nodding slightly.

He Yiming let out a wry, internal sigh. He knew then that the secret of his possession of frost-elemental Zhenqi could no longer be hidden from this person.

"Venerable Li, thank you for showing restraint," he offered.

Suddenly, a dry, aged voice drifted from not far off, followed by the slow appearance of an elder on the mountain path.

The elder was clad in a light blue robe, his hair loosely swept back, yet maintaining an air of meticulous order. His cheeks were plump, bearing a gentle smile that nearly squinted his small eyes into slits.

He exuded no powerful aura whatsoever; by all appearances, he seemed nothing more than an ordinary, slightly disheveled old man.

But He Yiming inwardly started. This wasn't due to the tone of the man's voice, but because his Enhanced Hearing had failed to detect the man's approach. Even though he had been distracted by the clash with Li Mingxuan, managing to slip past his awareness was no small feat.

Li Mingxuan didn't turn around, a look of mingled exasperation and amusement on her face. "Brother Ai, are you mocking me?"

Zhu Baqi stood rooted to the spot, bowing deeply, his voice filled with sudden delight, "Master, you have emerged from seclusion."

He Yiming's eyes narrowed. He now realized this man was Zhu Baqi's master, Ai Wenbin, another supreme expert whose cultivation in the Martial Path was comparable to Li Mingxuan's.

He sighed inwardly. Only upon reaching Tianchi Mountain could one encounter these legendary powerhouses. If his own Martial Path strength hadn't reached the level of Two-Blossom Fusion, he might never have been deemed worthy of meeting such distinguished individuals.

Ai Wenbin gave Zhu Baqi a slight nod, then chuckled, "Venerable Li, your strike just now clearly held back. If you had exerted your full strength, the result would undoubtedly have been quite different."

Li Mingxuan let out a soft snort, seemingly accepting Ai Wenbin's flattering remark. Whether her inner thoughts aligned with her outward demeanor remained unknown.

She offered a slight nod towards Yuan Lixun. "Miss Yuan, please consider my proposal carefully. I can guarantee that if you agree, your future achievements in the Martial Path will certainly not be inferior to mine."

Yuan Lixun performed a deep curtsy. "Thank you, Senior, for your high regard. This junior is deeply grateful."

Li Mingxuan shook her head slightly. Although Yuan Lixun was exceedingly respectful, she had entirely avoided mentioning the request. A surge of annoyance flashed through her, and with a soft sigh, she turned to leave. However, as she passed Ai Wenbin, she abruptly stopped. "Brother Ai, Miss Yuan's talent can only be fully realized within our Seven-Colored Ice Palace. Your Tianchi Mountain cannot interfere midway."

Ai Wenbin laughed heartily. "Venerable Li, rest assured. Our various sects have long held an alliance; you haven't forgotten, have you?"

Li Mingxuan shot him a glance, pondering for a moment internally. "It is good that you still remember our pact." With that, she swept her wide sleeves and departed quickly, seeming to vanish from the mountain path in an instant.

He Yiming's pupils contracted sharply. He knew Li Mingxuan had not used her Two-Point-One-Line Wind Evasion technique, yet her speed was no slower.

He was inwardly stunned. Could it be that these old masters of Three-Blossom Convergence all possessed such incredible mastery over movement techniques? If so, opposing them would make even escape a significant problem.

Having grasped the essence of Wind, this was the first time he felt a lack of absolute confidence in his own movement skills.

Zhuo Wanlian bowed deeply to Ai Wenbin. "This junior greets Venerable Ai."

Ai Wenbin acknowledged him with a soft sound. "Give my regards to your master."

Zhuo Wanlian immediately lowered his body further. "This junior shall remember."

Ai Wenbin waved his hand dismissively, lightly but firmly. Zhuo Wanlian, without the slightest hint of resistance, bowed and retreated dozens of meters before turning to leave.

He Yiming felt a knot of tension tighten in his chest. He managed a strained smile. "Disciple of Hengshan, He Yiming, greets the Senior."

Ai Wenbin turned back, his expression having undergone a significant shift. He Yiming relaxed slightly; the way this elder regarded him was vastly different from how he viewed Zhuo Wanlian, which offered a measure of comfort.

"He Yiming, I have heard and seen your performance. For one of your age, this is a truly remarkable achievement," Ai Wenbin stated openly, making no attempt to conceal his admiration for He Yiming.

He Yiming forced a wry smile. "Senior flatters me; before one such as yourself, there is hardly any junior..."

Ai Wenbin waved a hand, interrupting him, and chuckled, "When I was your age, I hadn't even broken through to Xiantian. Yet you have already condensed Two Blossoms, and they are Fused Blossoms! Such an achievement is absolutely unmatched in this world."

He Yiming felt a surge of emotion. To receive praise from someone of this stature, to claim he was unmoved would be a lie.

"I observed your exchange with Venerable Li just now and noticed that the Blossoms you condensed are Fused Blossoms," Ai Wenbin paused. "How did you accomplish that?"

"When I condensed the second Fire Blossom, it automatically fused with the first Wind Blossom. As for how I achieved it..." He Yiming offered a wry smile, "I'm still hoping to find that out myself."

Ai Wenbin sighed, a hint of disappointment surfacing, but he quickly shook his head. "I heard from Martial Nephew Chen that you possess a replica of the Five Elements Ring divine weapon. Would you permit this old man a look?"

He Yiming did not hesitate. He retrieved the Five Elements Ring from under his arm and respectfully handed it to Ai Wenbin.

Ai Wenbin took it and examined it closely for a long time, but he made no attempt to infuse it with Zhenqi. He simply stared, as if deep in contemplation, but ultimately said nothing.

He Yiming's heart stirred slightly. "Senior, my acquisition of this treasure was purely by chance." He recounted the events of that night, deliberately omitting the part about his own epiphany and how he won the encounter. Finally, he said gravely, "That day, I heard with my own ears the Ghost-Faced Man admit that he used this weapon to venture into the deep mountains and steal the totem relic of the Wolf Totem Clan, framing me. Do you happen to know this person's origin?"

Ai Wenbin shook his head slightly. "Since this person possesses the powerful strength of the Three-Blossom realm, he certainly isn't a nobody. But since he covered his face, it is difficult for this old man to judge."

He Yiming raised his eyebrows slightly. "Senior, then do you know the origin of this weapon?"

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Ai Wenbin's face. "As far as I know, no one has used this weapon in thousands of years." He paused, looking at He Yiming's suspicious gaze, and smiled. "Although this is a replica, I can tell you that the might it possesses is incredibly vast. If someone had genuinely used it before, they would certainly be famous throughout the world, not remain obscure."

He Yiming pondered for a moment before finally accepting the explanation.

Ai Wenbin returned the Five Elements Ring to He Yiming's hand. "With this object in your possession, within a year, news of it will surely spread like wildfire. However, you must also be somewhat cautious."

He Yiming was momentarily taken aback. "Why?"

"Have you ever heard of the Five Elements Sect of Eastern Da Shen?"

"This junior has heard of it, but it is rumored that the sect dissolved long ago."

"Heh heh, you've only heard rumors. In truth, the sect never dissolved; it merely fractured into several different factions." Ai Wenbin shook his head solemnly. "Although most of them no longer call themselves the Five Elements Sect, if they learn that you possess a replica of the Five Elements Ring, they will certainly try every means necessary to seize it."

He Yiming was momentarily stunned, a troubled expression settling on his face.

While he didn't fear trouble, that didn't mean he welcomed attracting inexplicable annoyance from forces he knew nothing about.

Seeing his furrowed brow, Ai Wenbin burst into hearty laughter. "He Yiming, there is no need to worry. I merely advise you to be watchful. With your current Martial Path cultivation, backed by Tianchi Mountain, even if those fellows covet the Five Elements Ring in your hand, they absolutely will not dare to openly snatch it. As long as you are careful in all matters and do not fall into their traps, I guarantee your safety."

Hearing the elder's bold and heroic words, a surge of passion rose within He Yiming as well.

If a soldier comes, meet him with a shield; if water rushes, meet it with earth. Since he possessed this treasure, he would simply accept whatever came his way.

Once his mind was set, his gaze immediately became firm.

Ai Wenbin nodded internally, growing ever more appreciative of this young powerhouse from the Hengshan branch.

He cleared his throat lightly. "I heard you once shattered Zhou Datian's Earth Blossom using an Earth-elemental combat technique. Could you demonstrate it once for this old man to see?"

He Yiming was overjoyed. His current cultivation had reached a crucial stage; receiving careful guidance from a Three-Blossom expert would bring unparalleled benefits to his advancement.

Without hesitation, he bowed deeply, gratitude shining in his eyes. "I was just hoping for Senior's instruction."