This time, however, it was not just Zhuo Wanlian. In addition to the Ice Palace Venerable, Li Mingxuan, even Ai Wenbin was personally present to accompany them.

The expressions on their faces were exceptionally grave, and as they sat opposite He Yiming, he could actually sense the powerful pressure permeating the air.

This pressure was not intentionally exerted by the two Venerables, but rather a peculiar weight that naturally arose from the seriousness of their demeanor.

In the room, only He Yiming and Yuan Lixun were seated alongside the three guests.

As for the rest of the Hengshan contingent, He Yiming had "sent them away." This action made it clear that it was his decision, one he would not allow to implicate the entire Hengshan lineage.

Even if it meant offending two Venerable Lords simultaneously, he would not allow the Hengshan line to suffer repercussions for his actions.

After both parties were seated, He Yiming offered a slight bow and got straight to the point: "The presence of the two Venerable Lords here must be concerning Lixun's situation."

Li Mingxuan did not hesitate: "Indeed." She raised her head, her tone softening considerably: "Lixun, come with your master to the Ice Palace. I, as a Venerable, will personally vouch for you; I guarantee you will ascend to the rank of an Ice Element Venerable."

Yuan Lixun nodded slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, Master."

Her words were cold, devoid of any apparent gratitude. Yet, everyone understood this was because Yuan Lixun had only just begun practicing the orthodox Ice Element techniques. Once her power deepened and she could control the frigid energy within her at will, this situation would change.

However, reaching that stage was clearly not something that could be accomplished in a short time.

Li Mingxuan smiled: "Then have you decided to accompany me to the Ice Palace?"

Yuan Lixun, uncharacteristically, showed a flicker of indecision. She turned her head to look at He Yiming.

At that moment, He Yiming was gently turning the Five Elements Ring in his hand. He was not demonstrating power to these figures, but slowly infusing the Five Elements True Qi into the ring, contemplating the mutual generation and restraint within it.

This was a method he had learned from the book concerning Gold Element insights—utilizing the generative cycle of Fire, Earth, and Metal to sense the energies of Heaven and Earth, which provided incalculable benefits for comprehending the power of the Metal Element.

Since He Yiming possessed the Five Elements Ring, he naturally made use of it. Though his method differed slightly from what the book described.

Each cycle began with Water True Qi, and upon climbing to Gold True Qi, a breakthrough resembling a great wave occurred. Every experience was like a reincarnation, giving He Yiming deep insights. After realizing this benefit, He Yiming held the Five Elements Ring constantly, reluctant to part with it.

Ai Wenbin and Li Mingxuan’s gazes also shifted to He Yiming. At first, they noticed nothing unusual, but slowly, both of them became captivated by the Five Elements Ring.

In their perception, the ring resembled a peculiar, grand cycle of existence.

The power of the Five Elements flowed and rotated ceaselessly within this miniature world, yet at every juncture of the cycle, there was a tipping point—the apex of the wave. Once the True Qi passed that boundary, it inevitably returned to the trough, slowly accumulating strength from the lowest point to form the next surge, continuously gathering new power before arriving again at the critical point.

They silently sensed this strange small world and finally confirmed that every time the Metal power reached its zenith, that was the critical threshold.

Considering the Three Flowers currently condensed upon He Yiming, the two glanced at each other and instantly grasped the purpose behind his actions.

Ai Wenbin sighed deeply: "He Yiming, you truly have not disappointed me. In ten—ah, within the next few years, you will certainly condense the Flower of Gold and achieve the Summit of the Five Elements Convergence."

He had initially intended to say that He Yiming would condense the Flower of Gold within ten years.

But then he recalled that the last time he made such an assessment, he believed He Yiming would form the Flower of Earth within ten years. Yet, it only took a few months; He Yiming had condensed the Flower of Earth during his battle with Xiong Wuji.

This speed had not only astounded him but also caused him to greatly doubt his own judgment.

Thus, he quickly changed his estimate to "within the next few years." Whether it was one year or ten, for them, it all fell under the umbrella of the immediate future.

Li Mingxuan and the others cast him peculiar glances. Ai Wenbin’s old face flushed, and he continued: "He Yiming, you heard Venerable Li’s words. What are your thoughts?"

He Yiming raised his head and spoke calmly: "Venerable Ai, I repeat my earlier statement: I wish to know why the Ice Palace is exerting such effort to cultivate Lixun." His expression was intensely serious: "And one more thing—Lixun is currently only cultivating Ice Element True Qi. How can she achieve the Summit of Three Flowers?"

A sharp 'hiss' escaped Li Mingxuan's nostrils, as if mocking his ignorance.

"He Yiming, I know you possess unparalleled talent in martial cultivation, but you are still too young; you are unaware of much of the common knowledge in the martial path."

He Yiming nodded slightly: "This junior is indeed shallow in experience. I ask the senior to enlighten me."

Li Mingxuan paused, surprised that He Yiming was genuinely willing to learn humbly. After a moment of hesitation, she said: "Actually, among the Five Elements, Water Element techniques are the most peculiar. They are all-encompassing, like the ocean absorbing all rivers, possessing infinite potential."

He Yiming and Yuan Lixun both listened intently.

"Water is the most marvelous substance in this world; it has different states of being," Li Mingxuan spoke gracefully, seemingly lost in thought herself. "When frozen, it becomes ice; when melted, it becomes water. When heated, it becomes mist. For us at the Ice Palace, possessing talent in any one of these three attributes allows us, through different methods, to evolve into the other two, eventually forming the power of the Tri-Floral Summit."

He Yiming listened, utterly dumbfounded: "Venerable Li, does that mean any Water Element cultivator ultimately has the potential to become a Tri-Floral Summit Venerable?"

Li Mingxuan retorted somewhat testily: "Theoretically, that is correct. But how can ordinary cultivators succeed? Only those with exceptional talent can transform one into three, and then merge the three into one." She paused, pride evident: "Everyone knows that to successfully reach the Summit, one must first condense the Three Flowers to establish a balanced foundation. But few know that although the Flowers of Ice, Water, and Mist are distinct, they share the same origin. Once the Tri-Floral Summit is achieved, the resulting might far surpasses that of a standard Summit Venerable."

He Yiming’s heart stirred, and he asked impulsively: "Senior, if Lixun succeeds in reaching the Summit, how would her power compare to my Five Elements power?"

Li Mingxuan was instantly rendered speechless, tongue-tied.

After a long silence, she gave a wry smile: "The Five Elements Summit and the Singular Origin Summit are both renowned throughout history, but which one is superior..." She suddenly waved her hand: "This question is actually quite simple. Once you and Lixun both become Venerables, you can compare yourselves, and the answer will be clear."

Ai Wenbin and Zhuo Wanlian both nodded, holding absolutely no doubt that He Yiming and Yuan Lixun would advance to the Venerable realm.

He Yiming’s heart shifted slightly, and he inquired: "Venerable Li, did you advance using these three attributes?"

Li Mingxuan's face immediately showed a trace of regret: "My natural aptitude was insufficient. Although I held the same ambition, I could not achieve it. A pity, what a pity..."

He Yiming also looked regretful, but inwardly he mused, Thank goodness you are not of the Singular Origin type, otherwise surpassing you in the future would be far more difficult.

Li Mingxuan's expression turned grave again: "As for why the Ice Palace and Tianchi Mountain treat Lixun this way, I can only tell you it is related to her Extreme Cold Physique. But please believe me, since I have taken Lixun as my disciple, I will absolutely not harm her."

He Yiming frowned deeply. Although his spiritual sense perceived the sincerity in Li Mingxuan's words, how could he easily trust such vague assurances?

Ai Wenbin also let out a long sigh: "He Yiming, I know you have reservations, but I can promise you on behalf of the main Tianchi lineage that Venerable Li is not deceiving you in the slightest. Furthermore, allowing Miss Yuan to go to the Ice Palace is the best choice for her."

He Yiming raised his eyebrows slightly. In his estimation, Ai Wenbin carried far more weight than Li Mingxuan. Since even he was willing to vouch for her, what was there to worry about?

However, he held onto one final sliver of hope: "Venerable Ai, is it impossible for this junior to know the details?"

Ai Wenbin hesitated for a moment: "I promise you, as long as you manage to advance to the Venerable realm, the next time we meet, I will tell you the truth without reservation."

He Yiming sighed softly. In the end, it all came down to his insufficient strength.

If he had already achieved the Summit and become one of the Venerables, wouldn't he already know the inside story?

Turning back, He Yiming met Yuan Lixun’s gaze.

Slowly, He Yiming nodded gently.

As he made this gesture, Ai Wenbin, Li Mingxuan, and Zhuo Wanlian all breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"Lixun, when you go to the Ice Palace this time, you must strive to reach the Venerable realm as quickly as possible. When we meet again, I want to test whether the Five Elements Summit is more powerful, or if that so-called Singular Origin Summit is superior," He Yiming declared loudly.

The faces of Ai Wenbin and the others changed subtly. He Yiming’s words betrayed a powerful self-assurance.

His implication was that he intended to fully comprehend all Five Elements Flowers and successfully condense the Five Elements Ring before Yuan Lixun.

While no one doubted that such a day would come for him, to achieve this before Yuan Lixun was no easy feat.

Yet, upon seeing He Yiming’s expression at that moment, a strange feeling swept through the minds of the group.

Perhaps this man could truly create that miracle...