The stars were scattered across the night sky, their spilled light adorning the manor garden with breathtaking beauty, a sight that instantly soothed the soul when viewed from above.

Under the canopy of stars, He Yiming slowly opened a peculiar book.

This tome was unlike any other; it wasn't made of paper but of a strange, copper-like material. When held, it felt icy cold, yet after a while, it imparted a warmth that seemed intent on merging with the holder’s body—an utterly bizarre sensation.

This was the gift bestowed upon him by Venerable Xu Zili. A secret manual of Wind Element cultivation techniques.

As a respected Venerable, Xu Zili had once traversed the world. During one such journey, by a twist of fate, he had acquired this singular manuscript. The text described a Wind cultivation method that utterly surpassed the scope of the traditional Five Elements. Regrettably, for Xu Zili, who had dedicated himself to mastering the Five Elements, it was entirely useless.

Upon meeting He Yiming and learning that one of the Three Flowers he had condensed was the Flower of Wind, he decided to pass the manual on.

During his journey, He Yiming had perused this unusual text numerous times.

The most defining characteristic of this manual was the complete absence of written characters. It contained only a series of exquisitely rendered, lifelike illustrations.

When a powerful innate expert focused their mind upon these images, they could seemingly feel the immense, overwhelming power of swirling winds depicted within. However, unless one possessed an innate affinity for the Wind element, no amount of contemplation would yield any true comprehension.

He Yiming treasured this strange book deeply; even while traveling alongside Jin Zhanyi, he never once revealed it.

Now, in the deep silence of the night, it was the perfect time for cultivation.

Gently, he turned to the first page. It depicted a landscape painting, but what was astonishing was that the feeling it evoked shifted dramatically depending on the viewing angle. He Yiming even entertained a wild thought: if one could seamlessly connect the perceptions gleaned from these different angles, the landscape would spring to life.

Of course, it was merely a fleeting thought. Setting aside his complete lack of skill in painting, even if he had dedicated his life to artistry from childhood, he could never perfectly replicate the contents of this manual onto new parchment.

In truth, the book depicted an artistic conception—an essence that could only be understood intuitively, not articulated through conventional means.

Taking a deep breath, He Yiming frowned intensely. The moment his concentration peaked, he could clearly sense the power of the wind emanating from the illustration. He knew this was the influence of his Flower of Wind; only because he had condensed it could he perceive the meaning the painting was attempting to convey.

However, what troubled He Yiming was that within his perception, the illustration seemed to contain more than just the power of the Wind.

Or rather, in this peculiar manual, the Wind's power was merely an embellishment. Hidden within lay a far vaster and more incomprehensible force.

He Yiming had no idea that if Xu Zili were aware of his current realization, the elder would be utterly astonished.

This manual had been in Xu Zili’s possession for over a century, yet he had only managed to discern the power of the Wind, and even that he couldn't master, leading him to gift it away like a borrowed flower.

If he had known the power system detailed within encompassed more than just the Wind, he might not have parted with the item so readily.

He gazed silently at the painting before him, his entire being seemingly immersed and incapable of pulling away.

After a long interval, a thought flashed suddenly through He Yiming’s mind.

It was a rather audacious notion, one that he himself couldn't explain the origin of.

After a moment of hesitation, He Yiming finally extended his hand, slowly gathering a thread of True Qi at his fingertips. He then gently guided a minuscule stream of this energy into the manual.

This was a remarkably daring experiment.

Any object capable of accepting the infusion of True Qi was, at minimum, a powerful Artifact. While this manual was certainly unique, declaring it a formal Artifact seemed an extreme exaggeration. Therefore, as He Yiming attempted the infusion, he proceeded with the utmost caution.

Slowly, He Yiming's expression shifted abruptly. He sensed that while the manual was not ordinary parchment, it could not withstand the strain of his True Qi. Even though the current infusion was incredibly subtle, if he maintained it or increased the energy, the manual would certainly rupture instantly.

He let out a soft sigh and slowly withdrew the thread of True Qi.

Yet, just as he was about to fully retract it, another impulse struck him. His gaze flickered momentarily. He circulated the True Qi within his body, gradually transforming it to resemble the nature of wind.

This specialized energy then replaced the most basic form of True Qi as it entered the strange book.

The next moment, He Yiming's eyes shone with an almost delirious joy.

In his perception, the moment the Wind True Qi entered the manual, it was not repelled, nor did it overload the artifact; instead, it was progressively drawn in by the book, exhibiting a distinct quality of yearning.

Reacting to this sudden change, He Yiming immediately steadied his mind, containing the True Qi within a limited scope, adopting an even more cautious and meticulous approach as he fed the energy in.

He closed his eyes, quietly sensing everything before him.

When the Wind essence established some kind of miraculous resonance with the manual, he no longer needed his physical senses. Instead, he communicated with the book through a power he himself didn't fully comprehend.

An extraordinary sensation surged through him. He felt as if he had left the courtyard and arrived in a vast, open space.

The surroundings were beautiful and expansive, yet they evoked an extreme sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this place somewhere before.

Slowly, He Yiming's expression changed. His memory supplied the answer: the scenery around him was exactly what was depicted in the manual's first landscape painting.

The only difference was that previously, he had viewed the scene from outside the illustration, observing it from different angles.

Now, he had personally entered it, sensing the environment from within the very fabric of the painting.

This was undoubtedly an incredibly rare phenomenon. Even with He Yiming’s current knowledge and experience, this was an unprecedented occurrence. Before this moment, he could never have imagined that such magical events were possible in the world.

However, after this trial, He Yiming understood why Xu Zili had been unable to glean anything from the manual over the hundred-plus years he possessed it.

The true secrets could only be perceived by actively participating within the experience.

This manual was profoundly repulsive to standard Five Element True Qi. Pumping too much common energy in would inevitably lead to the book's destruction. Only by introducing Wind True Qi could one access the manual’s greatest, unique mystery.

Suddenly, the landscape before him began to transform slowly.

He Yiming watched his surroundings with meticulous care, his spirit intensely focused yet completely open, quietly observing every detail.

Within this strange, seemingly tangible space, mist and vast quantities of clouds began to manifest.

The clouds overhead seemed to swell instantaneously, surging downward in a relentless torrent. Furthermore, an endless expanse of mist swirled up around He Yiming.

In the span of a single breath, this sudden influx of clouds and fog completely permeated and filled every inch of the nearby space.

He Yiming watched, dumbfounded. His heart felt saturated by this cloud mass, leaving no room for any other thought.

Then, a gust of wind swept in from some distant, unknown source.

It was gentle and soft, yet undeniably firm and imbued with power.

The chaotic mass of cloud and fog seemed to respond to the breeze, beginning to intertwine and mix. The vast sea of clouds shifted in an instant; at one moment, it resembled Chang'e gracefully dancing with her white silk scarves; the next, it looked like the surging, violent ocean rolling in from beyond the heavens.

Moments later, everything before him changed again. Even He Yiming could no longer distinguish whether what surrounded him was cloud or mist.

In that instant, he was reminded of the perpetual fog that encircled the highest peak in the Northwest, which he had witnessed in his past.

Faintly, he perceived the commonality between the two: the mist and clouds within the manual and the mist and clouds in reality were essentially indistinguishable.

He Yiming fell silent. After experiencing this profound and esoteric state, his heart was utterly absorbed.

At this point, he finally realized his initial premonition had been correct: this manual did not merely record the power of the Wind.

Or rather, the power of the Wind here served only as a disguise and an accent.

The truly mighty forces recorded in this manual were the powers of Cloud and Mist.

Especially after this direct experience, He Yiming gained an entirely novel understanding of these two ethereal forces.

This comprehension, too, could not be described with language; just like the illustrations in the manual, it was something to be intuitively grasped, not spoken aloud.

Slowly, his spirit and intent withdrew from the manual, returning gradually to his physical body.

The moment his eyes reopened, his heart swelled with an overwhelming urge to let out a mighty roar toward the sky.

He extended one hand, laying it flat, and immediately, a wondrous transformation began.