Wei Zongjin's expression was rather peculiar. If anyone else had encountered such a situation, they would have fled for their lives, yet this honored guest from Tianchi was desperately rushing toward it—it was truly astonishing.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Brother He, this is a matter concerning the Lingxiao Treasure Hall; perhaps we should resolve it ourselves."

He Yi Ming glanced toward Jin Zhanyi, who gave him a look. Although He Yi Ming couldn't decipher what that look meant, he could guess the intent even with his toes.

Shaking his head slightly, He Yi Ming replied, "Brother Wei, the Lingxiao Treasure Hall and the Tianchi main vein have shared thousands of years of connection. Must we haggle over such a small matter?"

Wei Zongjin was momentarily stunned. He thought to himself: if this is considered a small matter, then what constitutes a major one?

A smile as bright as blooming flowers spread across his face, and Wei Zongjin spoke as gently as possible, "Brother He, the Qilian Twin Devils condensed the Three Flowers forty years ago, achieving a tripartite balance of power. Therefore, it is best that Junior Brother Jin and I handle this personally this time."

Although his words were tactful, anyone could easily grasp the underlying meaning.

Since the Qilian Twin Devils were supreme experts who had achieved a tripartite balance, wasn't He Yi Ming challenging them tantamount to seeking death?

Jin Zhanyi suddenly stepped forward and said, "Senior Brother, although Brother He is somewhat young, he is second only to the Northwest Venerable. He has condensed the Three Flowers, and while he hasn't yet reached the tripartite balance, I have never gained the upper hand when sparring martial arts with him."

Wei Zongjin took a deep breath. His gaze toward He Yi Ming this time became even stranger, and even his composure—the kind that remains unshaken even if Mount Tai collapses before him—saw the muscles in his face twitch slightly.

After a long pause, he finally said, "Junior Brother Jin, do you believe that by joining forces with Brother He, you can defeat the Qilian Twin Devils?"

Jin Zhanyi’s expression was equally grave. "Senior Brother, rest assured, the two of us joining forces will guarantee victory."

His assertion was resolute, brimming with an indescribable, powerful force. Even He Yi Ming felt a surge of excitement after hearing it.

After gazing deeply at them, Wei Zongjin finally relented, "Very well. Since you have made your decision, it is not appropriate for me to interfere. I shall go report to the attending Venerable and request his reply to the Qilian Twin Devils."

Jin Zhanyi was overjoyed and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Senior Brother, for facilitating this."

Wei Zongjin waved his hand, his expression already returning to normal, though his gaze toward He Yi Ming still held an unusual shade of meaning.

"Senior Brother, among the martial arts Brother He practices, there is the sect's Golden Element ultimate technique, the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting. However, what he obtained was only an incomplete version. Thus, we request permission to examine the complete version; please grant this favor, Senior Brother," Jin Zhanyi said cheerfully.

Wei Zongjin nodded slightly. "The Martial Repository is open as usual. If Brother He is interested, then Junior Brother Jin may accompany him for the viewing."

Jin Zhanyi let out a hearty laugh and pulled He Yi Ming away from the room.

After the two departed, the smile vanished instantly from Wei Zongjin’s face. He asked in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Zhang, is what Junior Brother Jin said true?"

Zhang Zhongjin was momentarily taken aback, then gave a wry smile. "Senior Brother, He Yi Ming is indeed under twenty, and his cultivation in the martial way is terrifyingly formidable..." As he spoke, Zhang Zhongjin recalled the scene where He Yi Ming struck the Fox Bear Spirit Beast into the ground with a single move, the Heaven-Overturning Seal.

The sheer power seemed as if he had flipped the very sky over.

Although Zhang Zhongjin was proud, he understood that if he had faced that move, the outcome would likely have been disastrous. Forget resisting; he probably wouldn't have even had a chance to flee.

Sighing softly, Zhang Zhongjin recounted his observations in detail. While He Yi Ming was present earlier, he had naturally held back; now, however, he spilled everything out without the slightest reservation, like pouring beans from a sack. Both the formidable abilities He Yi Ming displayed on Tianchi Mountain and the killing of the top-tier Forked Sword Assassin from the Yellow Springs Gate greatly surprised Wei Zongjin.

Slowly, Wei Zongjin’s expression became erratic. Especially upon hearing that He Yi Ming could perform the Earth-Drilling technique, his eyes contracted violently several times.

A Heaven-Lineage expert under the age of twenty was already enough to cause widespread alarm.

But He Yi Ming was even more exceptional: this Heaven-Lineage expert also possessed the martial strength of the Three Flowers realm and, without having gathered his apex (Juding), had already successfully communicated with the power of heaven and earth, mastering the Earth-Drilling technique.

Anyone hearing this for the first time, unless driven to madness by jealousy, would feel an inexpressible melancholy.

Finally, Zhang Zhongjin stopped speaking, and Wei Zongjin considered for a long time before finally saying, "Junior Brother Zhang, issue an order: regarding He Yi Ming's affairs, no one is allowed to spread any word, under penalty of sect rules."

Zhang Zhongjin was slightly surprised. Although he couldn't fathom his Senior Brother's intentions, he respectfully agreed.

In reality, the only people aware of the matter were those who accompanied him to the Northwest. As long as they were kept silent, that would suffice.

A person hurried in from outside and bowed deeply to the two. "Two Ancestors, the medicinal herbs from the Northwest have been inventoried."

Wei Zongjin’s expression immediately grew serious. "How are they?"

"Reporting to the Ancestor, the quantity of medicinal herbs this time is one-tenth less than in previous years, but combined with the stock in the treasury, it will not cause any impact."

Wei Zongjin’s expression finally eased. "This time arrived a year earlier than usual; a ten percent reduction in herbs is understandable. Send the herbs to the Elixir Chamber and tell them to proceed with caution."

The person acknowledged and respectfully backed out.

Wei Zongjin nodded to Zhang Zhongjin. "The Northwest has produced such a genius. I wonder if this is truly fortunate for our Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Accompany me to pay respects to the attending Venerable and recount the details once more."

Zhang Zhongjin bent slightly at the waist. "Yes."

The two left the room and proceeded toward the upper levels.

※※※※

He Yi Ming followed Jin Zhanyi, but his mind was filled with astonishment.

When Jin Zhanyi mentioned this secret manual, his expression was remarkably relaxed, and Wei Zongjin’s agreement was exceedingly straightforward. It was as if what He Yi Ming was requesting was not some precious scripture but a common item one could pick up at any roadside bookstall.

However, He Yi Ming knew that borrowing treasured manuals held by other sects was a highly sensitive matter. Yet, observing the reactions of both Jin Zhanyi and Wei Zongjin left He Yi Ming puzzled by the hidden mystery.

Moments later, they arrived in a massive room on the fifth floor.

At the entrance to this room stood a unique small hut. If this giant pagoda wasn't truly vast, such space would have been impossible.

Jin Zhanyi first bowed deeply toward the small hut before pushing open the door and stepping inside.

He Yi Ming glanced at the hut, feeling slightly surprised; there seemed to be no trace of living presence inside. He wondered what Jin Zhanyi was paying homage to.

Hesitating slightly, He Yi Ming also bowed deeply.

Since Jin Zhanyi had performed the gesture, repeating it surely wouldn't cause any harm.

Entering the room, He Yi Ming couldn't help but freeze slightly. This was another large hall, but at the front of this hall, there were two doors.

Jin Zhanyi smiled faintly at him, invited him to sit in the hall, and then pushed open one of the doors, walking inside.

He Yi Ming understood that this was, after all, the heavily guarded core of their Martial Repository. Allowing him access here was already a great concession. Hoping to enter the inner rooms would be presumptuous, perhaps even leading to him being summarily ejected.

Waiting quietly for a moment, Jin Zhanyi emerged from the doorway, holding a small wooden box in his hand.

The moment He Yi Ming saw the size of the box, he knew that what was stored inside must be a secret manual.

Jin Zhanyi placed the wooden box on a table and made a gesture inviting him forward.

He Yi Ming hesitated slightly, then gently placed his hand upon the box.

This wooden box was clearly a treasure itself, cool to the touch, with exquisite and meticulous craftsmanship. Although He Yi Ming couldn't recognize the type of wood, knowing what it contained confirmed the box was anything but ordinary.

He Yi Ming did not open the box immediately, but said calmly, "Brother Jin, I agreed to face the Qilian Twin Devils because of your request, for which you offered access to the complete version as thanks. But why was even Brother Wei so agreeable?"

Jin Zhanyi chuckled darkly. A hint of pride flickered in his eyes. "Brother He, to be frank, even if you hadn't agreed to fight alongside me, you could have come here and browsed any manual freely."

He Yi Ming’s mind raced, and he looked up suddenly. "Brother Jin, could it be that the Lingxiao Treasure Hall and the Tianchi main vein have some sort of agreement?"

Jin Zhanyi gave a thumbs-up, admiringly, "Brother He is indeed sharp; you guessed correctly."

He Yi Ming listened with a sober expression for a while before finally grasping the reason.

The Lingxiao Treasure Hall, the Northwest Tianchi, the Southern Glazed Cave, and the Northern Ice Palace had an established pact.

The martial libraries of the four major powers were largely open to the public; aside from each retaining their most unique scriptures, the rest could be borrowed by anyone.

Of course, only experts at the Venerable level were entitled to enjoy this condition.

Although He Yi Ming had not yet met the standard, under Jin Zhanyi’s guidance, he barely qualified.

Even Wei Zongjin, upon hearing He Yi Ming's age and strength, unhesitatingly agreed to Jin Zhanyi’s request.

In his mind, He Yi Ming’s promotion to Venerable status was only a matter of time; therefore, it was only natural to foster a good relationship now and grant a concession.

After hearing the explanation, He Yi Ming felt a slight sense of having stepped onto a pirate ship.

Shaking his head and sighing, He Yi Ming finally cast aside his distracting thoughts and opened the stone box before him.

When the box opened and He Yi Ming saw the manual, his expression finally could not help but change slightly.

The secret manual inside was utterly beyond his expectations...