He hurried away from the old man's side. He Yi Ming rushed towards the main peak at the fastest possible speed.

Only when he arrived at the foot of the main peak did he stop, the memory of the single move exchanged with the old man still giving him a heart-stopping sensation.

Though it was just that one exchange, it had allowed He Yi Ming to experience a completely different feeling.

Especially when the opponent, as if by magic at the last moment, produced that Nine-Ringed Broadsword, which made even him feel an extreme sense of danger.

Had his momentum not coincidentally reached an unprecedented peak at that moment, and had he not been wielding the Great Guan Dao formed from one hundred and eight transformations, he would never have withstood the fierce impact of that lightning-fast hundred strikes.

His gaze fell upon the Great Guan Dao in his hand, and He Yi Ming shuddered again. If he had been holding the Five Elements Rings then, he would have been forced to contend solely on his own strength, and the inevitable result would have been either the Five Elements Rings being knocked away, or He Yi Ming retreating in defeat.

His ears twitched for a long while, and He Yi Ming finally confirmed that within his discernible range, there was absolutely no one else present.

With his current strength derived from the Three Flowers Coalescence, even a Venerable-level expert could not hope to escape his sharp senses if he probed carefully.

He placed the Great Guan Dao flat upon the ground. He Yi Ming stepped back several paces.

After a strange ripple, the One Hundred and Eight reappeared before him.

"Brother Bai, what do you make of this person's strength?" He Yi Ming asked casually.

Although the question seemed abrupt and disconnected at first hearing, the One Hundred and Eight clearly understood.

"This person is exceedingly strong. You are currently no match for him."

A peculiar light flickered in He Yi Ming's eyes as he said, "If your transformation ability were paired with my Three Flowers, would there be a possibility of winning?"

Relying purely on He Yi Ming alone, even if he held the Five Elements Rings, he would never entertain such a thought. But if the One Hundred and Eight were added, it became an entirely different matter.

The One Hundred and Eight pondered for a long moment before finally stating, "Fifty percent chance of success."

He Yi Ming’s heart churned, and a fierce sense of exhilaration suddenly flooded his being.

Amongst the Three Flowers experts, to have someone confidently claim a fifty-fifty chance against a Summit Venerable—perhaps only he could make such a bold declaration.

Although this was largely thanks to the One Hundred and Eight, it was still an incomparably glorious achievement.

However, looking at the silent One Hundred and Eight, He Yi Ming shook his head with a slight sigh; this secret weapon could not be easily deployed.

His ears suddenly twitched a few times, and He Yi Ming turned his head in surprise. In the distance, a figure shot like a bolt of lightning from beyond the mountain. Just as it appeared tens of feet away, it suddenly vanished from sight, and in the next instant, his vision blurred as Jin Zhanyi stood firmly planted before him.

His gaze first swept over the One Hundred and Eight. Observing the impassive figure next to He Yi Ming, he calculated briefly before speaking. "Brother He, did you manage to catch up?"

"No," He Yi Ming flatly denied. Trying to catch up to a Summit Venerable was akin to joking.

"This gentleman is..." Jin Zhanyi’s gaze towards the One Hundred and Eight gradually grew serious.

Initially, Jin Zhanyi had paid little mind to the One Hundred and Eight, but after studying him carefully for a while, he could not help but feel a degree of astonishment.

With his own level of strength, he could not sense any trace of vital energy emanating from the other party; it was as if the person before him was nothing more than a wooden or clay statue.

However, since this individual was beside He Yi Ming, and the two appeared quite familiar, Jin Zhanyi could not believe that He Yi Ming would have the leisure to carry a mere dummy up the mountain at such a time.

If only he knew that, in fact, He Yi Ming had carried the One Hundred and Eight up the mountain earlier.

He Yi Ming smiled slightly. "Brother Jin, this is my closest confidant, Mr. Bai Ling Ba."

"Bai... Ling Ba." Jin Zhanyi paused slightly, surprised that such a name even existed, finding it truly astonishing.

"May I ask what cultivation technique Brother Bai practices?" Jin Zhanyi suddenly clasped his fists together. "To conceal one's vital energy to this extent truly commands my admiration."

He spoke this sentence with complete earnestness, clearly meaning every word, with no hint of sarcasm.

He Yi Ming found this amusing internally. Of course, the One Hundred and Eight possessed no vital energy; this wasn't due to cultivating some specific technique, but rather due to his inherent nature.

The One Hundred and Eight turned his head, his gem-like eyes flashing once. "The technique I practice is called Science."

"Science..." Jin Zhanyi furrowed his brows tightly, but rack his brain as he might, he could not recall ever hearing of such a technique.

He Yi Ming blinked in disbelief, looking at the One Hundred and Eight with genuine surprise. In his memory, the One Hundred and Eight had always been exceptionally aloof; if faced with such a question before, he would have simply ignored it, never bothering to answer.

But this time, not only did he answer, but he also fabricated a technique called "Science"—this subtle change caused him considerable internal shock.

Unconsciously, the One Hundred and Eight seemed to be undergoing some form of transformation.

Yet, He Yi Ming did not know whether this change was due to his exposure to the outside world and its influences, or some inexplicable alteration brought about by his continuous consumption of energy stones.

Jin Zhanyi took a deep breath. "Brother Bai's cultivation technique is truly obscure. I am unlearned and hear of it for the first time."

He Yi Ming coughed lightly. "Brother Jin, this technique is a unique creation by Brother Bai, synthesizing the wisdom of a hundred schools of thought. In the entire world, only he can cultivate it. It is perfectly normal that you have never heard of it."

Jin Zhanyi was then relieved. If a technique had only just been created, even if it were the most miraculous technique in the world, he wouldn't know about it.

A sharp light flashed in his eyes, and Jin Zhanyi spoke out loudly. "Brother Bai, I admire your technique immensely and wish to learn from you. I implore Brother to enlighten me."

Both his movements and the expression in his eyes were entirely sincere, which was indeed the case—having witnessed this unheard-of technique, he felt an irresistible urge to test its limits.

He Yi Ming frowned slightly. This man was eager to engage in martial arts sparring; as long as the opponent was not a Venerable-level expert and possessed a strange technique, he would challenge them regardless of status. While this was a great thing for personal martial cultivation, one could never know the thoughts of the challenged party.

However, after Jin Zhanyi uttered those words, the One Hundred and Eight acted as if he hadn't heard at all, not even turning his head, let alone responding.

Jin Zhanyi hesitated; this was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

Although in Great Shen, people had refused his challenges before, they at least offered a reply. To have the One Hundred and Eight offer no verbal response whatsoever—such blatant discourtesy was something he had never witnessed.

He coughed lightly, slightly increasing the volume of his voice. "Brother, you have gathered the strengths of a hundred schools and carved out a shortcut, creating such an innovative technique that deeply impresses me. Now, I humbly request some guidance from you, Brother."

The One Hundred and Eight remained perfectly composed, not even blinking, as if he had suddenly developed hearing loss. This attitude clearly showed he did not take Jin Zhanyi seriously.

Jin Zhanyi’s face gradually darkened. Since achieving mastery in martial arts and coalescing the Three Flowers, he had traveled the world, and even Venerable-level experts treated him with courtesy out of respect for the Lingxiao Palace behind him.

While this hadn't bred arrogance in Jin Zhanyi, encountering someone as utterly dismissive as the One Hundred and Eight was a first, causing him considerable anger.

He Yi Ming felt a mixture of amusement and frustration. He quickly stepped forward, blocking the One Hundred and Eight's line of sight, and said softly, "Brother Jin, Brother Bai has lived in the deep mountains for a long time and rarely encounters outsiders, so his... here is a bit..." He Yi Ming gestured towards his own head and blinked twice.

Jin Zhanyi suddenly looked enlightened. Perhaps only in such an environment could such a boorish person be cultivated.

He shook his head slightly. Although he still harbored some doubts—for instance, how one could synthesize the wisdom of a hundred schools to create such an innovative technique in that environment—the One Hundred and Eight's attitude immediately made him dismiss any thought of asking further.

It was enough to invite such a rebuff once; there was no need to court further displeasure.

"Brother He, the two individuals who drew us out this time possess extraordinary skill. Have you encountered them before?" Jin Zhanyi turned back and asked with a serious expression.

He Yi Ming quickly adopted a solemn demeanor. "Never seen them. Could it be that even with Brother Jin's extensive knowledge, you are unaware?"

Jin Zhanyi let out a wry laugh. "If my guess is correct, these two individuals must be..." He pointed towards the main peak. Then, he lowered his voice. "The Venerables residing up there."

He Yi Ming's expression shifted slightly, though he thought to himself that no one was truly foolish; Jin Zhanyi's guess was likely correct.

Only the Venerables of the Heavenly Pool could possess such power and be present near the main peak.

"Brother Jin, why would they want to draw us out?" He Yi Ming probed tentatively.

Jin Zhanyi shook his head. "Brother He, there is one thing I must advise you on."

"Please, Brother Jin."

"Those old monsters have lived too long; only heaven knows why they act as they do. Perhaps it was just a whim, to make us run around outside for a bit." Jin Zhanyi sighed deeply. "Based on my past experience, when faced with such inevitable situations, the best course of action is to ignore them. The saying goes: 'If you see strangeness and ignore it, the strangeness will dissipate on its own'—that’s the principle."

He Yi Ming stared at him, momentarily speechless, before finally managing a wry smile and giving a thumbs-up. "Brother Jin, your insight is profound; I am impressed."

Yet, a thought suddenly sprouted in his mind: in what kind of environment did this fellow grow up?