He was enveloped by the blade's radiance. He too was an elder, though unlike He Min, his countenance was cool, lacking He Min’s amiable warmth; it seemed a faint smile was perpetually etched upon his face.

Seeing the colossal blade-light about to strike, he suddenly snorted coldly and extended a hand, pushing out gently.

He was meeting the massive blade-light unleashed by He Yi Ming with his bare hands.

With a deafening boom, the two forces violently collided, a series of explosive crackles echoing in the air. This elder's palm acted like a gigantic shield, stubbornly blocking the terrifying four-meter blade-light.

However, his vision blurred, and the massive head of a sword, shimmering with brilliant light, abruptly materialized before his eyes.

Just as He Yi Ming cleaved out that initial blade-light, he had, without pausing, pressed the attack, simultaneously extending his Guan Dao; even more potent Metal element energy surged forth like a tidal wave.

In his eyes now, all tenderness was gone, replaced instead by an icy coldness, within which lay a strange, unyielding resolve, as if he harbored an irreconcilable, deathly feud with the man before him, intent on slaying him on the spot with a single strike.

The elder caught sight of He Yi Ming’s eyes, his own narrowing slightly, as if sensing something amiss. But his hand moved faster; the extended palm did not retract. Instead, he curled his finger, with supreme dexterity, to lightly flick the tip of the Guan Dao.

He trusted that his finger strength, even if insufficient to send the Guan Dao flying, could certainly knock away this abhorrent weapon that dared to offend him.

Yet, the very moment his fingertip was about to make contact with the Guan Dao, a sudden, chilling premonition washed over him.

This was the first time he had felt such a sensation since advancing to the Venerable realm, whenever engaging with anyone below that level.

His reaction was lightning-fast. In a mere glance, he saw that the Guan Dao had, somehow, dexterously rotated. What faced his finger was not the back of the blade, but the cutting edge itself.

Though immensely confident in his own strength, he was not so foolish as to meet the attack head-on with his physical body.

He retracted his hand—in that split second, he evaded the Guan Dao.

The speed of his movement, the subtlety of the technique he employed, had reached an incredible level. He instantly shifted away and launched another counter-flick.

However, that extreme sensation of danger surfaced once more. A quick glance confirmed it, and his pupils instantly constricted.

The head of the Guan Dao was once again aimed directly at his finger.

At this point, true shock finally gripped his heart, and his assessment of He Yi Ming immediately escalated.

He Yi Ming was wielding a four-meter-long Guan Dao. While such a heavy weapon delivered overwhelming, irresistible power, its flexibility for fine, nuanced changes was far inferior to that of shorter weapons, let alone when contrasted with his own hands.

But the Guan Dao, in He Yi Ming’s hands, seemed to have come alive. These two shifts of the blade’s tip—he couldn't even discern how He Yi Ming managed them. If word of this spread, few would believe it.

He sighed inwardly, retracted his hand again, and then his other hand finally extended.

In this hand, inexplicably and abruptly, appeared a Nine-Ring Broadsword.

The blade light was like snow, held levelly across his chest.

In that instant, the elder’s entire aura underwent a cataclysmic transformation. He became like a towering, majestic mountain, much like He Yi Ming employing the Sky-Upholding Seal, merging seamlessly with the entire cosmos.

He Yi Ming’s eyes suddenly blazed with intense light, and a deep roar escaped his lips: “Open for me…”

Sparks erupted from the Guan Dao, and the already dissipated blade-light surged forth once more, frantically.

The Twenty-Third Form of the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, commencing from the First Form, executed all the way to the Twenty-Third.

The full might of the sword intent poured down like water from a mountain waterfall.

This single strike did not just embody the power of the Twenty-Third Form; it represented the cumulative might of all twenty-three forms, built up from the very first, erupting completely in this moment.

This situation should not have occurred. In actual combat, unless the opponent was an absolute simpleton, or the power disparity was so vast that He Yi Ming faced no real threat, he would never have the time to execute this battle technique meticulously, move by measured move, from beginning to end.

But He Yi Ming had been practicing alone, driving his momentum to its absolute peak, the power accumulated across twenty-three forms reaching its zenith.

Precisely at this juncture, this elder appeared. It had to be said: when misfortune strikes, even drinking cold water causes choking; and this elder’s bad luck seemed to eclipse that.

Faced with this sudden explosion of surging momentum, the elder’s expression finally changed. The Nine-Ring Broadsword in his hand was no longer held casually across his chest; instead, it attacked proactively, colliding hundreds of times in the air with the Guan Dao in the span of a breath.

His Nine-Ring Broadsword transformed into endless streams of light and shadow, forming an absolutely powerful interception zone around himself.

However, the look of sheer terror in his eyes intensified. He Yi Ming had stubbornly managed to block these hundreds of impacts. Not only that, but the downward chopping force of the Guan Dao showed no sign of diminishing; the intense light on the blade seemed intent on cleaving him directly in two.

The elder’s face looked grim. He drew a deep breath, finally eschewing any mutually destructive secret arts. Instead, he exerted a slight force with the tip of his foot, retreating backward like lightning.

He Yi Ming brought his blade straight down, carrying an endless, colossal momentum, finally forcing this terrifying elder into a retreat.

He pulled back his blade, and He Yi Ming was completely sobered.

His preceding string of actions had been purely instinctual. When executing his sword technique at the critical juncture, the sudden realization that someone was secretly observing triggered an immediate, merciless counterattack aimed at instant annihilation.

But after clashing with this man, He Yi Ming truly awoke, his eyes instantly filled with excitement, pride, and a thread of apprehension.

Though he did not know the elder's identity, the mere thought of the Nine-Ring Broadsword appearing in the man’s hand chilled him to the bone.

Venerable ones—only those who could merge divine weapons with their bodies, creating the bridge of the Three Flowers, possessed such elusive, supernatural means.

Considering this, no matter how bold He Yi Ming was, he dared not pursue further.

He bowed slightly, and He Yi Ming called out loudly: “Heng Shan’s He Yi Ming pays respects to the Venerable Lord of the Main Peak.”

The elder before him stepped back several paces, exiting the range of He Yi Ming’s aura. A faint blush crept across his face, perhaps a flicker of shame mingled with anger. But upon hearing He Yi Ming’s words, he froze slightly, forcefully suppressing the blockage of frustration in his chest.

His sharp gaze flicked over He Yi Ming’s Guan Dao, and he suddenly demanded: “Where did the weapon in your hand come from?”

Those hundreds of instantaneous strikes he had endured were not easily dismissed, even for him. Yet, He Yi Ming’s sword intent was undiminished, still possessing enough power to force him to retreat three miles.

This elder’s divine sight was like lightning; he immediately discerned that more than half the credit belonged to that Guan Dao.

He Yi Ming’s heart tightened, but his expression remained calm. He replied respectfully: “This Guan Dao belongs to the Heng Shan Martial Treasury; it was forged by a predecessor of a previous generation.”

The elder nodded slightly. Of course, He Yi Ming could not deceive him about this matter. However, he genuinely could not recall which predecessor of Heng Shan excelled in the art of artifact refinement to have forged such a terrifying weapon.

A weapon whose inherent power alone could withstand his hundred full-force impacts.

He Yi Ming stole a glance at the elder, then suddenly asked: “Senior, did Jin Zhanyi catch up to you?”

The elder snorted: “A mere youth who has yet to gather his peak—what ability would he have to catch up to this old man?” As he spoke, his face suddenly flushed slightly; the fact that he had been driven back by a single strike from He Yi Ming would likely become a source of ridicule.

He waved his large hand: “Jin Zhanyi has likely returned. You should not linger here either.”

He Yi Ming replied respectfully, bowed deeply to him, and rushed away toward the Main Peak with his Guan Dao in hand.

While this elder was certainly wary of He Yi Ming asking his name, He Yi Ming was equally fearful of the elder. Should this man demand the Guan Dao, even he would not know what to do.

He Yi Ming’s speed was phenomenal; soon, he had completely vanished into the jungle.

The elder shook his head slightly. Recalling the instantaneous battle, his heart grew increasingly uncertain and astonished.

He Yi Ming’s technique in wielding the Guan Dao was unprecedented, especially the method of blade-edge manipulation, which had even managed to deceive him. Had he not been a Venerable, possessing sharp sensory perception, he might have actually suffered a setback this time.

If he had been injured by the Guan Dao, even a mere scratch on his finger, his entire reputation would have been ruined.

His brow furrowed slowly. He simply could not fathom how He Yi Ming managed to conceal his movements from his spiritual sense.

A strange wind sound drifted from behind him. The elder spoke without turning around: “Venerable He, why are you back?”

The newcomer was none other than He Min. He said, surprised: “Venerable Xu, I sensed a tremendous surge of Metal Qi here. Could it be that Jin Zhanyi arrived and fought He Yi Ming?”

Venerable Xu shook his head slightly: “Jin Zhanyi did not come. It was He Yi Ming practicing alone just now.”

“He Yi Ming?” He Min looked incredulous: “That powerful Metal element energy was unleashed by him?”

“Indeed. This old man is equally surprised,” Venerable Xu stated sincerely.

Venerable He was silent for a long moment, finally letting out a long sigh: “Venerable Xu, if He Yi Ming can summon such a powerful surge of Metal Qi, then the time for him to condense his Metal Flower won't be long.”

Venerable Xu nodded slightly. The two looked at each other, and a thought suddenly surfaced in their minds.

Such a young, supremely talented powerhouse—could it be that the Divine Path, which had vanished from the world for thousands of years, would finally see someone break through its barrier...

P.S.: Fifth update today. Bai He asks for monthly votes...

During the double monthly vote period, please, please vote!

Furthermore, there is some unfortunate news. My little Lily has to register tomorrow.

The newly merged Haishu Central Primary School in Haishu District requires all residents within the designated zone to register on May 3rd. Bai He cannot miss this.

Therefore, there will only be three chapters, nine thousand characters, tomorrow. But Bai He guarantees five chapters the day after tomorrow. Amitabha, please do not withhold your monthly votes because of this unexpected incident ^_^