Though the events following their departure from the Pagoda hadn't showcased a constant stream of thrilling combat, witnessing the Qilian Twin Demons' Five Elements Reincarnation Flower, Jin Zhanyi's Ten Thousand Miles of Idleness, and He Yiming's Earth Burrowing Art had certainly widened their horizons and made the journey worthwhile.

Now that Fan Shuo had yielded, it signified that the Lingxiao Palace faction had won this duel and secured ten Jia Huang Pills. Such an outcome was naturally acceptable to everyone in the Lingxiao Palace contingent.

However, as soon as Jin Zhanyi opened his mouth, the suspense snapped back into place, causing everyone's hearts to tighten once more. The way they looked at Jin Zhanyi immediately shifted, tinged with something unusual.

Fan Shuo's expression darkened slightly. "Nephew Jin, do you still harbor dissatisfaction?"

Jin Zhanyi met his gaze fearlessly. Instead, he executed a slight bow and spoke in a clear, strong voice: "Venerable Fan, I have long admired the fame of the Twin Demons' Five Elements Reincarnation Flower, particularly the final Flower of Metal, which is truly peerless." His voice suddenly rose, charged with an unparalleled fighting intent: "Being presumptuous, I wish to witness it."

At this, everyone understood his intention. Since you have issued a challenge, you shouldn't expect to leave without displaying your genuine power.

Considering Jin Zhanyi's temperament and his notorious habit of seeking out challengers everywhere, a secret amusement rippled through the onlookers. The Qilian Twin Demons had truly shot themselves in the foot; having stirred up this hornet's nest in Jin Zhanyi, shaking him off would not be easy.

Fan Shuo's gaze flickered between the two opponents, then he stated calmly: "With your Ten Thousand Miles of Idleness and Earth Burrowing Art, you two are already in an invincible position in this duel. No matter how powerful the Twin Demons' martial skills are, if they cannot land a blow, what use are they?"

Jin Zhanyi let out a wry chuckle. Fan Shuo hadn't entirely slammed the door shut; he had left a sliver of leeway, but engaging the Qilian Twin Demons again would certainly not be as simple as it was now.

He glanced toward He Yiming, who nodded slightly in response.

"Venerable Fan Shuo, we can guarantee that in the ensuing battle, we will not employ Ten Thousand Miles of Idleness or the Earth Burrowing Art," Jin Zhanyi stated soberly.

This declaration caused even the perpetually smiling Venerables Gao and Du to show a subtle change in expression.

Those two techniques were their ultimate defensive skills; with them, they were virtually unstoppable against masters below the Venerable rank. But imposing such restrictions meant the outcome was now wildly unpredictable.

"That won't do..." A clear, pleasant voice broke the tension. Miss Qiu, who had remained silent since leaving the Pagoda, finally couldn't help herself: "Senior Brother Jin, this is a decisive battle; since when does one forbid the use of ultimate skills? If you insist on yielding your advantage, perhaps you should fight them with your hands tied behind your back."

The old faces of Fan Shuo and the Qilian Twin Demons flushed slightly, but they both chose silence. Miss Qiu's background was far too significant; even they dared not provoke her.

Jin Zhanyi shook his head slightly. "Junior Sister Qiu, Brother He and I merely wish to engage the Twin Demons brothers in an all-out clash, to see if there is common ground in the Metal-elemental battle techniques. Please do not interfere."

Although his wording was delicate, his meaning was perfectly clear.

A flash of slight annoyance crossed Miss Qiu’s eyes, quickly replaced by worry. Yet, she finally managed to restrain herself and ceased her objection.

Fan Shuo surveyed the four figures before him, then turned away. Without any discernible movement, he returned to his original spot.

A chill ran down He Yiming's spine. The speed of that movement, he thought, seemed even superior to his own.

A faint notion crossed his mind: if one of those Venerables chasing them that night had been this elder, he might not have been able to slip away so easily.

Since he had departed, the others naturally understood what it meant.

The Qilian Twin Demons clasped their fists in salute. Their expressions were profoundly serious, and the balance of their auras had shifted subtly following the preceding development.

The Twin Demons’ momentum had been severely suppressed; striking now would likely not favor them. But Fan Shuo was helpless; the battle against Jin Zhanyi and his partner was far more crucial for the Twin Demons. Losing this opportunity, who knew if they would ever have another chance to break their limits.

The two sides stood facing each other across the distance. The Qilian Twin Demons let out a low shout, aligning themselves side-by-side once more, yet this formation was distinctly different from before.

Their seemingly parallel stances showed a slight divergence: the Elder Demon stood a few inches behind the Second Demon, not perfectly level.

The Five Elements Flower, previously swirling above their heads, descended again toward He Yiming and Jin Zhanyi. The Twin Demons subtly shifted their bodies, moving to follow the Flower as they pressed forward.

Jin Zhanyi roared with laughter, his eyes suddenly alight with resolve. He clenched both hands in the empty air, and a fierce metallic sheen sparkled between his palms.

Then, he spat forth a breath, and a Golden Flower erupted from his mouth.

This Golden Flower drifted downward and exploded between his hands.

A vast wave of Metal energy surged from his palms, merging with the shattered essence of the Flower. In mere moments, a spear forged from Metal element power materialized between his hands.

This was not his Dragon Spear, but the astonishing result of condensing all his Metal-elemental power into a single point.

The eyes of the onlookers gleamed faintly, including Wei Zongjin.

Jin Zhanyi’s mastery over Metal energy was unparalleled, making even the so-called Senior Brother feel profoundly inadequate.

He Yiming spared him an envious glance. Though he was also skilled in the power of Metal, achieving this level without the catalyst of a condensed Golden Flower was beyond him.

However, facing the surging torrent of the Five Elements Reincarnation Flower, He Yiming showed no weakness.

He also opened his mouth, and three tangible Flowers of differing colors materialized before him.

Then, with a gentle puff of air, these three Flowers also burst apart. An infinite aura swirled around him, rapidly coalescing into a beam shimmering with three distinct colors.

These three light streams were simultaneously unified and distinct, creating a subtle, perfect balance between the Wind, Fire, and Earth elemental forces.

His Three Flowers Merged as One seemed similar to the Qilian Twin Demons' Five Elements Reincarnation Flower, yet the experts present could discern a fundamental difference.

The Twin Demons’ Five Elements Flower was integrated through the mutual generation of the five elements; if any single element was missing, the ultimate technique would collapse. But He Yiming's three Flowers achieved absolute, seamless fusion—a feeling of complete unity that struck most present as entirely novel.

While others might only perceive the extraordinary nature of this move, the three Venerables felt a wholly different set of emotions.

Since He Yiming had not incorporated any divine artifact into his body, he was not a Venerable.

Yet, even so, he had successfully forged three distinct, elemental Flowers into one. This reality inspired a deep sense of disbelief in them, bordering on awe.

This event, shattering their established understanding, even sparked a profound sense of apprehension. Finally, an irrepressible thought surfaced in their minds: Could the Divine Path, lost to the world for millennia, possibly reappear?

He Yiming remained oblivious to the intense shock his Three Flowers Merged as One had inflicted upon the three Venerables. His sole focus was cooperating with Jin Zhanyi to force out the Twin Demons' strongest strike.

In the next instant, the Five Elements Reincarnation Flower, the Golden Spear in Jin Zhanyi's hand, and the three-colored barrier before He Yiming collided.

This was the quartet's first true confrontation since the main duel concluded.

Inside the Pagoda, He Yiming and his partner had relied on a trick, aided by the Pagoda's mysterious energy, which had made Jin Zhanyi and his partner seem overwhelmingly powerful, as if they could subdue the Qilian Twin Demons with a simple reversal.

But now, with the Qilian Twin Demons fully alerted and achieving perfect synchronization, and He Yiming deprived of the Pagoda's mysterious energy infusion, this was the genuine measure of strength between the two sides.

"Boom..."

Following a deafening roar, a massive surge of air radiated outwards from the four central figures. Especially beneath their feet, the soil of the valley exploded outwards like shrapnel.

Gao Weiliang stepped forward, shielding Miss Qiu behind him.

With his strength, he was unconcerned by stray dirt or the powerful air currents, yet even he felt a thread of apprehension regarding the four combatants. He dared not be careless now; should Miss Qiu be injured here due to his inattention, he could not withstand the Sect Master's wrath.

The surrounding spectators were thrown into chaos. Under the force of this immense shockwave, even ordinary experts at the Yixiantian level felt their footing waver. As the powerful earthen projectiles flew toward them, everyone except the two established powerhouses instinctively dodged. If evasion proved impossible, they lashed out to shatter the debris.

As for the ordinary Xiantian experts who had been fortunate enough to arrive, they were now decidedly unlucky.

They scrambled to defend against the residual shockwave. Three of them even sustained minor injuries.

Only then did they truly grasp the vast disparity between themselves and the central fighters.

It was a gap that felt utterly unbridgeable at their current stage, filling them with boundless despondency.

When the dust settled, they finally perceived the change in the field of battle...