After bidding farewell to Jin Zhanyi at the foot of the mountain, He Yiming and Bai Lingba returned to the courtyard in the same silent manner. The visible and hidden sentries along the way were nothing more than a formality to them, having served no purpose whatsoever.

Following this subtle exchange of prowess, He Yiming suddenly realized that Jin Zhanyi, renowned as the foremost figure beneath the Venerable rank in Eastern Dashen, was not as difficult to deal with as his reputation suggested.

This man appeared utterly arrogant, but that was merely a facade. If one could truly earn his respect and become his friend, they would discover an entirely different side to him.

For He Yiming, he would much rather engage in martial arts duels with Jin Zhanyi than endure the company of Zhou Datian.

It was a feeling, a feeling without logic. Sometimes, one just finds a person agreeable or disagreeable; it is purely a matter of subconscious instinct.

Upon returning to the courtyard, Yu Jinglei had already been waiting for some time.

Seeing He Yiming, he briefly inquired about what had transpired. Hearing that He Yiming and Bai Lingba had failed to catch their quarry, Yu Jinglei remained unperturbed, seemingly unsurprised by the outcome.

Moreover, his expression betrayed no genuine worry about the matter.

He Yiming sighed inwardly, realizing that even Yu Jinglei must have guessed that the ones who lured them away were likely the Venerables of the main Heavenly Lake vein.

Yu Jinglei relayed the outcome of his discussion with Zhang Zhongjin. Zhang Zhongjin had not only agreed to He Yiming’s conditions but had also extended an invitation: to observe firsthand when the Alchemist in the Lingxiao Palace refined the Longevity Elixir.

He Yiming understood this gesture as a display of sincerity; allowing him to observe was essentially allowing him to supervise. After all, assembling all the precious medicinal ingredients, even for the mighty Lingxiao Palace, would not be an easy feat.

If the alchemy failed, it would be difficult for He Yiming to explain. It was better to let him watch to see if it succeeded; otherwise, the outcome would be left to the will of Heaven.

Hearing this invitation, He Yiming was certainly tempted.

Among the Innate experts he had encountered, excluding the newly promoted Lu Zhengyi, the rest possessed extensive experience traveling the world.

Almost all of them had visited Eastern Dashen, the continent's most powerful nation and the home of the most formidable sect, Lingxiao Palace. For everyone, it resembled a magnet with a fatal attraction, drawing in outstanding martial arts cultivators.

Yu Jinglei spoke with gravity, “Elder He, if martial cultivation relies solely on seclusion and self-study, future achievements will be severely limited. Throughout the history of our Hengshan lineage, every individual who attained the Innate realm ventured out to travel. Some left for ten years, twenty years, even an entire cycle of sixty years. Therefore, I advise you to go out, see more, perhaps uncover different opportunities. This has an irreplaceable effect on your path of martial cultivation.”

He Yiming nodded slowly, yet he opened his mouth only to shake his head slightly.

Yu Jinglei was greatly surprised and asked, “Elder He, do you have any reservations?”

He Yiming sighed faintly, “Elder Yu, I cannot abandon He Family Village. Furthermore, my ancestor and Master Bao are already approaching ninety. If I were to depart, I fear our reunion would be uncertain.”

Yu Jinglei paused, his brow knitting tightly.

He then recalled that He Yiming was indeed different from others. A master of the Three Flowers realm under the age of twenty was likely unprecedented in all of history.

If anyone else had reached his level, their elders and relatives would typically have passed away. But He Yiming had a whole cohort of relatives and friends at He Family Village, which naturally caused him great concern.

With a long sigh, Yu Jinglei fell silent. The final decision on such matters ultimately rested with He Yiming; others could offer no more than input.

※※※※

The next day, the Heavenly Lake Grand Competition continued.

This time, Yu Jinglei brought a considerable number of disciples under fifty who had not yet taken the Golden Elixir. To temper the next generation, he even sent several disciples who were only in their early thirties and at the eighth level of Internal Strength to compete.

Among the elite disciples of the various branches, these youths were undoubtedly the weaker ones, and the vast majority were eliminated in the first day’s bouts.

However, in truth, no one expected them to win. Merely experiencing the atmosphere and sparring against the strong cultivators from other branches was already their greatest gain. Perhaps in ten years, when they became the main force of the Hengshan lineage, this experience would prove immensely beneficial.

The second day’s competition proceeded without incident. A total of six disciples from the Hengshan lineage secured victories that day.

On the field, the number of actual combatants was relatively small; the number of spectators was several times greater than those competing.

The disciples from the main vein’s various peaks, along with the more than one hundred onlookers from Dashen, were keenly curious about the strength of this branch. They observed the matches daily, occasionally exchanging insights and verifying their own understanding.

The disciples from the sub-branches, however, dedicated their entire focus to the competition, especially those with hopes of breaking into the top ten. Their vital energy and spirit had been perfectly adjusted upon arriving at Heavenly Lake, rendering the outside world incapable of distracting them.

The third day. The fourth day...

When the competition on the fourth day concluded, the faces of the Hengshan elders were rather grim.

Because, with the exception of Che Wenjun, all others had met the fate of elimination.

Two of those matches were evenly matched, but due to various circumstances, both resulted in losses, which was certainly not good news for Hengshan.

Fortunately, over the next two days, Che Wenjun remained as stable as ever. Relying on the steadiness and defense of his Earth-elemental techniques, paired with the sharpness and offense of his Metal-elemental techniques, he managed to defeat powerful opponents as anticipated.

Yu Jinglei and the others, in order to create a peaceful environment for his recovery, specifically sectioned off a courtyard for his sole use.

Among the Hengshan contingent, only Innate elders like Yu Jinglei and Bai Lingba were granted such a privilege.

On the evening of the sixth day, He Yiming listened intently. The sounds of weapons slicing through the air constantly emanated from Che Wenjun’s courtyard. With He Yiming’s cultivation level, he could tell that Che Wenjun’s inner state was far from the calm he projected.

The entire Hengshan lineage’s hope rested on his shoulders. Unless one possessed strength far exceeding the opponent, how could one avoid nervousness? Normally, he kept it concealed, but now, on the eve of the final showdown, Che Wenjun seemed to be wavering.

In a moment of reverie, He Yiming seemed to recall his own past.

Before his fortuitous encounter at the bottom of the lake, when he was trapped at the fifth level of Internal Strength, was his state any different?

He sighed softly, stepped out of his room, and with a few fluid movements, arrived in Che Wenjun’s courtyard.

At that moment, Che Wenjun held a long sword, its flourishes beautiful, but in He Yiming’s eyes, it was riddled with flaws, scarcely worth noting.

“Elder He,” Che Wenjun stopped mid-flourish upon seeing He Yiming, quickly sheathing his sword and bowing respectfully.

He Yiming nodded slightly, “Che Wenjun, weren’t you proficient in bare-handed combat? Why are you practicing the sword tonight?”

Che Wenjun offered a wry smile, “Elder He, the opponent I face tomorrow specializes in using weapons. Even if I propose a match of bare-handed skills, he will certainly choose to use weapons.”

He Yiming frowned slightly, “Your choices are not identical; you can decide by drawing lots. Must it absolutely be weapons?”

Che Wenjun continued to smile wryly, “I understand, Elder, but I feel uneasy nonetheless.”

After meeting Che Wenjun, He Yiming became even more worried.

From his demeanor, it was clear he lacked confidence. Even if the lot fell favorably for weapons, leading to certain defeat, even if it fell to bare-handed combat, given his current state, achieving final victory would be difficult.

In situations where the gap in strength is minor, self-confidence is an extremely vital factor.

Although He Yiming was young, his combat experience was profound, and he grasped this truth deeply.

After pondering for a moment, He Yiming felt that the current Che Wenjun bore an uncanny resemblance to his former self, especially the anxiety of potential loss, which was exactly the same.

He sighed lightly and said, “Che Wenjun, I have a method that guarantees your victory tomorrow. Are you willing to accept it?”

Che Wenjun looked up abruptly, his eyes blazing with undisguised joy and shock.

At this moment, all the hope of the Hengshan lineage rested upon him; the silent pressure was nearly crushing him.

Hearing He Yiming’s promise, he was naturally ecstatic.

“Please instruct me, Elder.”

“Tomorrow, if you face an opponent, try proactively choosing a weapon.”

Che Wenjun was speechless for a long moment. “Elder He, you wish for me to proactively choose weapons for the match?”

“Indeed,” He Yiming confirmed without hesitation.

Che Wenjun hesitated for a long time. His heart was filled with questions. If he had not been deeply aware of He Yiming’s background, he might truly suspect He Yiming was a lobbyist sent by his opponents.

“Elder He, though I am untalented, I possess self-awareness. If we fight unarmed, the outcome is fifty-fifty, but if I use a weapon, I fear I am far from his match,” Che Wenjun finally calmed down completely and replied respectfully.

He Yiming waved his broad sleeve and chuckled, “Since I advise you to choose weapons, I have naturally considered this thoroughly.”

With that, his form shifted slightly, and he leaped out of the courtyard. Moments later, when he returned, he held a weapon shockingly familiar to Che Wenjun.

Staring at the formidable weapon, Che Wenjun’s expression became utterly strange. Even if he racked his brain, he would never have imagined that the weapon Elder He produced was this divine artifact.

“Elder He, while this weapon is powerful, it is not suited for me,” Che Wenjun stated frankly. “If I were to use it, I fear I could not unleash even ten percent of its power.”

He Yiming gave a mysterious smile, “Che Wenjun, take this weapon onto the stage, and just remember one sentence: I guarantee your victory.”

Che Wenjun asked suspiciously, “Please guide me, Elder.”

“Follow your instinct.”

“…………”