He Yi-ming tucked the wheel into the leather pouch beneath his arm. Then he stepped back a few paces and bowed deeply.

The moment he straightened up, a powerful aura suddenly surged from him. His hands intertwined, forming a gesture so bizarre it bordered on the sublime.

Looking at it, one might experience a strange illusion. It was as if his hands had transformed into a mountain peak, one of those colossal summits that have stood sentinel over the world for countless ages.

He Yi-ming slowly raised his hands, and as his gestures shifted millimeter by millimeter, they revealed the trajectory of a mountain slowly growing into existence. In that instant, the scene of gazing upon the main peak of Tianchi reappeared in He Yi-ming’s mind.

He dissolved into it entirely, seeming to become that immense, majestic giant. It was not just his imposing presence or his physical body; even his spirit appeared to have forged some mysterious link with the mountain.

The space immediately filled with a restrictive force—a special power that could only be unleashed once the corresponding tangible flower had manifested. If He Yi-ming had brought forth the Flower of Wind and Fire, no one would have been surprised by this result.

Yet, He Yi-ming had clearly not condensed the Flower of Earth; he was merely adopting the stance for an Earth-element technique, but the resulting pressure was already potent enough to rival that of a regular expert who had manifested the Flower of Earth. This was astonishing, almost beyond belief.

Ai Wen-bin’s eyes shone brightly. Sensing the immense aura radiating from He Yi-ming, he exhaled slowly, his heart swelling with surging vitality that he could barely contain.

Finally, He Yi-ming raised both hands above his head. From this vantage point, he seemed utterly fused with the entire mountain, no longer distinguishable from it.

The might of the ‘Pillar Upholding Heaven’—a power capable of supporting the very firmament—was unleashed to its absolute limit. “Very good, very good…” Ai Wen-bin articulated these two words with weight.

He reached out and pressed down slightly, and a colossal force immediately enveloped He Yi-ming’s Pillar. The moment their energies touched, Ai Wen-bin instantly retracted his hand.

He Yi-ming’s expression shifted slightly, and he gradually dispersed the power throughout his body, returning to stillness. However, the gaze he directed toward the elder before him was now filled with profound respect and admiration.

The ‘Pillar Upholding Heaven’ he had performed had almost incorporated the entire spirit of the mountain, yet the elder had merely pressed down once, and He Yi-ming felt an almost crushing sensation, as if he were about to be flattened. Though the sensation was fleeting, it was acutely clear.

In that single instant, He Yi-ming was struck by an intense realization: there is always a heaven beyond the heavens, and a person beyond the person. This was the gap in strength—a vast, undeniable difference, even greater than the pressure (Li Mingxuan) had exerted when wielding her Mist Sword.

At this moment, He Yi-ming finally understood that the Elder, who appeared utterly composed and unpressured, had achieved a level of martial cultivation perhaps even a notch higher than Li Mingxuan. Of course, this was merely his perception; a true master of the Three Flowers Converged at the Peak realm was not so easily read.

“He Yi-ming, your comprehension of Earth power has reached its zenith,” Ai Wen-bin stated gravely. “If you can achieve but one further step, you will certainly condense the Flower of Earth.” Zhu Ba-qi watched He Yi-ming with unconcealed envy.

He had strived his entire life, only managing to coalesce two Rootless Flowers. Yet, He Yi-ming had not only condensed two Tangible Flowers but, judging by their Master’s tone, could manifest the third at any moment.

Once one condenses three Tangible Flowers, they can establish a commanding presence within a few years. If fortune favored them, they might even advance further to achieve the Convergence at the Peak.

If that Three Flowers Converged at the Peak realm were truly attained, he would become one of the foremost figures in the world. With a soft sigh, Zhu Ba-qi’s gaze held a trace of jealousy.

Why was he not blessed with such astounding talent? He Yi-ming nodded slightly.

“This junior has the same feeling, but this final sliver of comprehension is undoubtedly the most difficult. This junior cannot say when I will cross that last threshold.” Ai Wen-bin chuckled heartily.

“You are so young; what is there to worry about? Remember this: do not be consumed by gains and losses.

Maintain a normal heart, and when the opportunity arrives, you won’t be able to stop it. But if you are constantly anxious and preoccupied, even when fortune comes knocking, you might fail to grasp it.” He Yi-ming paused for a long moment, then his brows slowly smoothed out.

He finally bowed deeply. “Thank you, Elder, for your guidance.” That night at He Family Village, his moment of enlightenment had been interrupted by the masked assailant.

Though he received the Five Elements Ring as compensation, he had never truly let go of the lingering frustration. This mindset had a fatal impact on his progress.

Had it not been so, he might well have mastered the Heaven Overturning Seal in one go while comprehending the Heaven Upholding Seal. Now, having been reminded by Ai Wen-bin, he felt a sense of sudden awakening, and even his body seemed to lighten.

He took a deep breath, feeling immense gratitude toward Ai Wen-bin. It was fortunate that this elder, who had attained Three Flowers Converged at the Peak, offered this advice.

Had it been someone else—even Yu Lei-lei or Zhu Ba-qi—the effect would not have been the same. The speaker’s identity carried a weight that was entirely different.

Though He Yi-ming was reluctant to admit it, he understood that he was not immune to such human bias. Ai Wen-bin suddenly dropped the smile from his face and grew serious.

“He Yi-ming, you are the rising star of the Hengshan branch. I have a suggestion for you.

Whether you accept it is entirely up to you.” He Yi-ming’s eyes sharpened. “Elder, please speak.” “In my estimation, within ten years at most, you will certainly condense the Flower of Earth.” Here, he paused, seemingly hesitant, before finally sighing deeply.

“What I am about to say may not sit well with you, perhaps it is better left unsaid.” He Yi-ming was greatly intrigued. “Elder, please speak freely; there is no need for hesitation.” Ai Wen-bin looked at He Yi-ming earnestly, and finally said, “What I hope for is that after you condense the Three Flowers, you temporarily halt your advance toward the Peak Convergence.” A sharp glint suddenly flashed in He Yi-ming’s eyes as he looked at the Elder, seemingly deep in thought.

He had encountered both Three Flowers experts and Three Flowers Converged at the Peak experts, and had even exchanged blows with them. Both the masked assailant and Zhou Da-tian, although they possessed Three Flowers, might not necessarily defeat him now.

However, the sheer might displayed by the converged masters, Li Mingxuan and Ai Wen-bin, gave him a feeling of being utterly outclassed. This indicated a massive, heaven-and-earth difference in strength between the realms.

Therefore, Ai Wen-bin’s proposal to temporarily forgo the Peak Convergence demanded serious consideration. “Elder, why would you make such a suggestion?” He Yi-ming inquired cautiously.

For some reason, his intuition told him that Ai Wen-bin’s proposal was not intended to obstruct his progress in martial arts. Ai Wen-bin said in a deep voice, “If you had not obtained this Five Elements Ring, I would never offer this advice.

But since you possess the talent for cultivating the Five Elements simultaneously and have obtained this Ring, it must be Heaven’s will. I cannot help but offer a few words of caution.” He Yi-ming glanced toward the pouch beneath his arm.

“Please guide this junior.” Ai Wen-bin nodded slightly. “Do you know what ‘Three Flowers Converged at the Peak’ truly means?” He Yi-ming was slightly taken aback.

“There are records left by our ancestors in Hengshan, but the very first page of every record contained a strict injunction: one must not peruse the contents before condensing the Three Flowers.” Ai Wen-bin’s expression instantly became odd. “You truly never looked?” “That was commanded by successive generations of ancestors; this junior would naturally not dare to disobey,” He Yi-ming replied with solemnity.

Ai Wen-bin opened his mouth, his expression complex, before finally letting out a long sigh. “It is a great fortune for the Hengshan lineage to have a disciple like you.” He Yi-ming looked at him, bewildered.

Only after the Elder’s explanation did he realize that nearly every surviving memoir of a Three Flowers Converged at the Peak master contained similar warnings. It was best not to read about the next stage before reaching it.

But the number of younger disciples who actually adhered to this rule was tragically small. The vast majority could not resist flipping ahead, and the resulting consequences were predictable.

Knowing the ultimate answer in advance became a massive obstruction to condensing their third Tangible Flower. Many became stuck just before that third flower, forever unable to advance further.

After Ai Wen-bin finished his explanation, he continued, “Before you obtained the Five Elements Ring, I would not have supported you flipping those pages early either. But now that you possess this supreme treasure, it matters less.” He Yi-ming patted the pouch under his arm.

“Are you saying that condensing the Three Flowers is related to my Five Elements Ring?” “Precisely. For you, the descent of the Five Elements Ring into your hands is truly the protection of your ancestors and the best opportunity to tread the path of supreme martial arts.” He Yi-ming blinked twice, deeply confused.

Ai Wen-bin slowly extended one hand. “He Yi-ming, today I will show you the greatest mystery of the Three Flowers Converged at the Peak!” He Yi-ming immediately focused his entire attention, his eyes wide, terrified of missing a single detail.

However, Ai Wen-bin stopped midway, his gaze briefly sweeping over Zhu Ba-qi and Yuan Li-xun. Zhu Ba-qi instantly understood, bowed deeply, and said, “Master, this disciple will take his leave first.” Ai Wen-bin let out a sudden sigh.

“Forget it. Your talent is insufficient; achieving what you have today is already commendable.

With no possibility of further progress in this lifetime, stay and watch as well.” Zhu Ba-qi was overjoyed. “Yes, thank you, Master.” Yuan Li-xun, ever graceful, offered them a deep curtsy and then drifted away.

Ai Wen-bin offered an apologetic look. “Miss Yuan is favored by Venerable Li and possesses the Innate Extreme Cold Qi; her future is limitless.

I would not wish to play the amateur before her, lest the Seven-Colored Ice Palace mock me later.”