Upon returning to the courtyard, what brought He Yiming a surge of joy was that his movements had not been detected by anyone.

Not even Jin Zhanyi, whom he deeply feared, had been able to track his presence.

Before today, although He Yiming held strong confidence in his lightness skill, he hadn't been certain he could sneak out at night without Jin Zhanyi noticing.

However, after experiencing the Power of Cloud and Mist described in the secret manual, the situation had changed entirely.

While the Art of Cloud and Mist didn't significantly boost his speed, its enhancement to his concealment abilities was unparalleled.

Sneaking out under the cover of night without alerting everyone was no longer a difficult task for him.

Similarly, He Yiming's confidence in his martial arts had grown even stronger. From this day forward, the illusory technique, born from the combination of the Power of Cloud and Mist and the Art of Illusion, became another trump card in his hand.

Yet, this trump card was one he absolutely would not deploy unless it was a last resort.

Carefully tucking the manual into his ring space, He Yiming finally let out a breath of relief.

The secret manual given to him by Xu Zili had brought him such an immense surprise—something utterly unimaginable before today.

However, if he hadn't possessed the Flower of Wind, and hadn't daringly channeled his true energy into the manual, such a massive transformation would never have occurred.

Shaking his head slightly, a smile of profound relief spread across his face.

It truly had been his lucky day.

After securing everything, He Yiming stood up and walked into the courtyard, gazing at the endless starlight showering down from the night sky.

A flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind, and he understood immediately.

The scenes of wind sweeping clouds and mist churning that he had witnessed in the manual were things he had seen before in the text.

It was just that they were different images viewed from different perspectives. Once he connected with them through his true energy and entered the vision, the sight was akin to assembling countless patterns in the correct sequence to form a living, moving tableau.

Only then did he realize just how fortunate he had been.

With so many patterns, without the right sequence, if even one image had been misplaced, he might not have comprehended anything.

Looking up, the infinitely distant stars suddenly felt incredibly close in that moment.

His heart swelled with an inexpressible, almost surging joy.

This was the intense exhilaration that a cultivator feels upon achieving a breakthrough in martial cultivation. But now, He Yiming had to forcibly suppress this feeling, unable to share it with anyone.

This, in itself, was a source of great pain for him.

Finally, his formidable willpower managed to subdue this sudden, restless euphoria. He Yiming slowly settled into a cross-legged posture and began his routine daily cultivation exercises.

Streams of peaceful ambient energy poured into his body. Though lacking the eerie unpredictability of the cloud and mist, it was this very tranquility that a cultivator could truly rely upon—the proper path to continuous improvement.

Slowly, He Yiming once again entered the state of unity between heaven and man. Everything that had just transpired seemed utterly disconnected from him now.

※※※※

Morning arrived, and the crimson sun began its slow ascent above the horizon.

As the first ray of sunlight began to spread across the earth with the swiftness of flight, He Yiming finally opened his eyes.

A strange glint flickered in his pupils, but the light vanished as quickly as it appeared.

His ears twitched slightly, and He Yiming smiled, "Brother Jin, coming so early. Could you have some guidance for me?"

A figure materialized behind him; Jin Zhanyi had arrived. He moved to stand directly in front of He Yiming, a hint of surprise in his gaze as he looked at He Yiming's eyes.

He Yiming blinked twice, confirming he wasn't mistaken, and frowned slightly, "Brother Jin, what is it?"

Jin Zhanyi shook his head, muttering to himself, "Impossible, impossible. Did I misread something?"

He Yiming felt a touch of displeasure. "Brother Jin, what did you see incorrectly?"

Jin Zhanyi let out a wry smile. "Brother He, meeting you today, I can't help but feel you seem different somehow."

He Yiming’s heart tightened, and his prior displeasure instantly took flight as if given wings. Having spent so much time with Jin Zhanyi, he had clearly underestimated the man's perception.

Smiling faintly, He Yiming kept his expression neutral. "Brother Jin, could it be that taking a day of rest has brought about some kind of bone-marrow transformation?"

Jin Zhanyi shook his head slightly. "You are still you, but there are subtle differences in certain aspects." He paused, then suddenly added, "Your aura. Your aura seems to have gained something new."

He Yiming was inwardly shocked, a slight bead of cold sweat almost forming on his back.

This man's senses were terrifyingly acute, almost comparable to Bao Zhu. Could he possibly be Bao Zhu reincarnated...

Feigning contemplation, He Yiming said, "I understand. Last night, I focused on my cultivation and gained some enlightenment into the Way of the Five Elements, leading to a new understanding of my Metal element techniques. That must be what caused the subtle change in my aura."

Only then did Jin Zhanyi relax. While everyone's aura was inherently fixed, it was natural for it to undergo subtle shifts as one’s martial comprehension deepened.

However, Jin Zhanyi remained somewhat perplexed because the change emanating from He Yiming's aura lacked much of the sharp, piercing quality he associated with the Metal element.

But then again, He Yiming's constitution was unique; he excelled in all transformations of the Five Elements, so it was plausible that the Metal force he manifested was somewhat peculiar.

Even though Jin Zhanyi held He Yiming in high regard, he would never have guessed that He Yiming possessed other elemental powers in addition to the Five Elements and the Power of Wind.

Such an ability already bordered on transcending the limits of human capacity. Therefore, unless He Yiming voluntarily revealed it, it was highly unlikely anyone would ever suspect this.

Just then, a disciple hurried in and bowed respectfully, "Ancestor Jin, Elder He, Ancestor Zhang requests your presence."

Jin Zhanyi nodded slightly. He waved his hand, and the disciple respectfully retreated.

"Brother He, shall we go together?"

"I dare not disobey."

The two exchanged smiles and left the courtyard side-by-side, heading directly to the room where Zhang Zhongjin resided.

When they saw Zhang Zhongjin, his expression was extremely grave. Beside him stood an old acquaintance—Fang Shuyue, who had clashed with them just yesterday.

Jin Zhanyi’s calm gaze swept over Fang Shuyue without so much as a pause. It was He Yiming who offered him a slight nod.

Fang Shuyue was overwhelmed with gratitude and bowed deeply. A thousand thoughts immediately began spinning in his mind: it seemed this Elder He did not dislike him. He wondered what method he could use to curry favor and bridge the distance between them. Yet, no matter how hard he considered it, he found no clear path forward.

After all, the disparity in their strength was simply too vast—so vast that it crushed any courage he might have had to attempt such a thing.

"Brother Zhang, what instruction do you have for me?" Jin Zhanyi asked casually.

Zhang Zhongjin said gravely, "Junior Brother, Fang Shuyue has managed to find out exactly who intends to challenge you."

As he spoke, his expression was intensely serious.

A sharp glint flashed in Jin Zhanyi's eyes. Seeing the gravity of the other's demeanor, he immediately understood that the identity of the two challengers must be extraordinary.

Zhang Zhongjin gestured toward Fang Shuyue. "You speak."

A flicker of pleasure crossed Fang Shuyue’s eyes, and he quickly announced, "Yes, Ancestor Zhang, Ancestor Jin, Elder He. After learning that Ancestor Jin was here yesterday, I immediately sent a message via carrier eagle to contact our sect's Innate Protectors stationed in the north. The eagle has just returned with definite news." He took a deep breath as if calming his agitated heart. "Ancestor Jin, those challenging you are the Twin Devils of Qilian. They have come to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall and petitioned the reigning Venerable Lord for a two-on-two battle against the Three-Flower tier Lords of the Hall, with the crucial stipulation that you must be one of the participants."

Brilliant light shot from Jin Zhanyi’s eyes. The name and the manner of their challenge seemed to have greatly exceeded his expectations.

Zhang Zhongjin nodded at Fang Shuyue. "You have done very well. Thank you for your effort."

Fang Shuyue was overwhelmed by the praise and immediately knelt to offer thanks. However, he also grasped the underlying meaning of the Ancestor-level experts. After rising, he carefully retreated.

Only after walking several dozen meters away from the room did he let out a long breath.

The immense pressure in their presence was almost suffocating.

He Yiming watched Fang Shuyue depart and then asked gravely, "Brother Jin, who are the Twin Devils of Qilian?"

The fact that they could cause Zhang Zhongjin and Jin Zhanyi such tension meant their reputations must be enormous, and their cultivation levels formidable enough to warrant Jin Zhanyi's caution.

"Brother He, within the borders of Great Shen, besides the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, there are many other powerful sects. Among them, the Qilian Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land is an exceptionally famous super-sect," Zhang Zhongjin sighed lightly. "The Twin Devils of Qilian successfully ascended to the First Heaven level over a hundred years ago, and forty years ago, they simultaneously condensed their Three Flowers, establishing a tripartite balance. Since then, they retreated to Qilian and have not stepped outside their mountain gate for decades."

He Yiming frowned deeply. Having condensed their Three Flowers and achieved a balanced tripartite standing forty years ago, did that not imply they already possessed the strength to attempt the Summit Attainment realm back then?

"Brother Zhang, have they not attempted Summit Attainment in these past forty years?" He Yiming asked slowly.

Zhang Zhongjin’s expression grew heavier. "Since their seclusion, we all knew they were attempting the Summit Attainment realm, and we always assumed they would succeed. But looking at the situation now, they must have failed."

He Yiming nodded slightly. If they had succeeded, they would already be Venerables, and they wouldn't need to challenge Jin Zhanyi now.

After a moment of contemplation, He Yiming finally posed the most critical question: "Brother Zhang, why would they come to challenge Brother Jin?"

Ps: Tian Kui Book ID 1559745 The Five Directional Seals: Azure Dragon, Vermillion Bird, Black Tortoise, White Tiger, Qilin... The power of bloodline inheritance abilities has fueled conflict between major families for ten millennia... He is the third young master of the Situ family, the inheritor of the Azure Dragon Seal, which is sealed within his body... In public, he is the dissolute young master who brings shame to the Situ family; in private, he cultivates ceaselessly. He firmly believes that effort yields reward... After enduring persecution from the Church and oppression from the Empire... Shen Feng's inherited power transforms along with his heart. The Azure Dragon Saber, which once radiated a sacred aura, now emanates a dark, demonic presence because of his transformation... What is a man? What is a god? Even if he descends into demonic ways, he will be a mad demon roaming the mortal world... A masterpiece from Niuli Shuangyu, Eastern Fantasy. Any book lover should find it thoroughly enjoyable. Don't believe it? Go take a look ^_^