Slowly, he reined in the nearly boiling joy within him. He, He Yiming, closed his eyes once more.

He intended to engrave these three points within the Five Elements Ring permanently in his heart. His true zhenqi flowed in again, but this time he located the positions of the three points with ease, guiding the forces of three different attributes along their corresponding trajectories.

In the process, He Yiming suddenly noticed that although the rotating paths of these three points traversed the outer layer, only upon reaching the inner layer were the locations of the three points revealed. A thought flickered dimly in his mind: perhaps the internal configuration of the three points, forming a tripod, was necessary to control the external cycle of the Five Elements.

This might be the most unique aspect of the Five Elements Ring. Slowly, he discovered another peculiar pattern.

No matter how these three points moved, the distance between them remained perfectly equal. In other words, within the circular Five Elements Ring, these three points constantly maintained the configuration of an equilateral triangle.

Through this stable triangle, He Yiming sensed a force—a power generated by the very transformation of this triangle. With a slight movement of his mind, he instantly understood: this was the so-called Power of Confinement (Jin Gu Zhi Li).

The only regret was that the three points were not yet filled to capacity with He Yiming's zhenqi; they had not reached the point of overflow. Therefore, although He Yiming could feel the Power of Confinement, he was utterly incapable of releasing it like Jin Zhanyi and the others.

However, he possessed unshakeable confidence. With his current cultivation speed, it would take at most a year to fill these three points with his innate zhenqi, allowing him to control and master the formidable Power of Confinement—a power only truly wielded by experts at the Tripod level, incomparable to those at the Three Flowers level.

As the three points within the Five Elements Ring completed another circuit, He Yiming finally withdrew from that state of immersion. He stood up and gently stretched his limbs.

Several days of seated meditation had caused no physical strain; the only thing he noticed was the profound silence of the place. When he was fully absorbed in martial cultivation, he hadn't noticed it, but now, the quiet became apparent.

His ears twitched slightly, and he immediately picked up the sounds outside the secret chamber. Only one person was guarding there quietly.

From the faint, almost nonexistent breathing, He Yiming already knew his identity. Excitement surged within him, and an impatient urge to share the good news with Jin Zhanyi blossomed, which he immediately acted upon.

His figure blurred, and he arrived at the door of the secret chamber, pushing it open as he stepped out. The moment He Yiming emerged, Jin Zhanyi was instantly alerted.

He had been resting with his eyes half-closed on the great chair, either meditating or pondering some martial arts issue. But as He Yiming appeared, Jin Zhanyi immediately snapped alert, a look of relief spreading across his face.

"Brother He. Your harvest this time is..." Jin Zhanyi suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed upon He Yiming filled with astonishment, as if he perceived some unusual transformation emanating from him.

He Yiming smiled faintly. Having spent months in Jin Zhanyi's company, he had a deep understanding of each other's aura and strength.

Now that He Yiming’s aura carried a different nuance, it was naturally captured easily by Jin Zhanyi. A flicker of joy crossed Jin Zhanyi's eyes.

"Good fellow, looking at that manual alone brought such a significant change. Tell me, precisely how far did you advance?" He Yiming did not conceal anything.

"I have found the Fire, Earth, and Metal points within the Five Elements Ring. I only need to accumulate enough zhenqi in the future to establish the Tripod formation myself." Jin Zhanyi’s eye twitched slightly.

He opened his mouth wide, and after a long pause, managed in a raspy voice, "You found all three points already?" He Yiming nodded firmly. "Indeed.

By sheer luck, I did manage to find all three." Jin Zhanyi’s look towards He Yiming once again held a sense of the bizarre and unfamiliar. He Yiming could only offer a wry smile.

Frankly, managing to locate these three points in just a few days felt incredible even to him, let alone anyone else. However, concerning the power of the Pagoda, he remained strictly secretive and would not spread any rumors.

"Brother Jin, I was truly fortunate this time, honestly..." Jin Zhanyi nodded blankly, saying slowly, "Yes, you are truly fortunate. Damn lucky..." In all his time associating with Jin Zhanyi, this was the first time He Yiming had heard him curse.

Shaking his head, having just retrieved the manual, He Yiming’s eyes suddenly brightened, and he looked toward the door. Immediately after, Jin Zhanyi also returned to normal, a sharp, lightning-like glare flashing in his eyes as he shifted his gaze to the same spot.

The door was pushed open silently, and a very stout man slipped in soundlessly. The moment he entered the room, he spotted He Yiming, and more importantly, the manual in his hands, instantly filling him with overwhelming delight.

"Brother He, congratulations on exiting seclusion," Yu Wuchang said with a hearty chuckle. He Yiming noticed his gaze fixed on the manual in his hand, amused.

He tossed it over casually. "Thank you, Brother Yu." Yu Wuchang caught the manual and carefully placed it inside his robes, chuckling, "Brother He is too polite.

It was merely mutually beneficial." His straightforward and frank manner earned He Yiming a measure of goodwill. Yu Wuchang cupped his hands slightly toward He Yiming.

"Brother He, if you promised, please do not forget." He Yiming raised his eyebrows slightly and spoke loudly, "Brother Yu can rest assured, this junior is not one to break his word." Yu Wuchang nodded in satisfaction. "I shouldn't be so verbose, but this matter is of great importance, so I apologize for nagging you both." He Yiming shook his head slightly, gaining a new understanding of the man’s caution.

Yu Wuchang’s gaze drifted to Jin Zhanyi, seemingly hesitant to speak further. Jin Zhanyi let out a loud laugh, flipping his wrist to produce a jade bottle and tossing it over.

Yu Wuchang opened it and examined the contents, his eyes instantly shining with excitement and joy. This was naturally the Jia Huang Elixir that Jin Zhanyi had promised.

Yu Wuchang secured the pill and laughed loudly, "Gentlemen, if my calculations are correct, those fellows in the West will initiate hostilities within a few days. I need to make a few preparations, so I won't be entertaining you these next few days.

Please enjoy yourselves." He departed with a great laugh, his voice brimming with inexpressible happiness. He Yiming watched him go.

"Brother Jin, the relationship between the Ling Xiao Treasure Hall and the Great Shen Imperial Family seems quite close." Jin Zhanyi gave an arrogant smile. "Several centuries ago, the previous dynasty was corrupt, and several factions within the central lands vied for the throne.

The Yu family was only one of them. However, they ultimately gained the recognition of the Sect Master, bolstered by the backing of a Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, allowing them to overpower all rivals and become the new rulers.

For these centuries, the Yu family has maintained close contact with our Ling Xiao Treasure Hall; two of their disciples even apprenticed under Senior Uncle Gao. You saw them during the battle against the Qilian Twin Devils that day." He Yiming immediately understood.

No wonder the Great Shen Imperial Family knew of his existence. It turned out their connection was this profound.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a jade bottle. "Brother Jin, this is yours." Seeing the jade bottle, Jin Zhanyi immediately knew it contained the Jia Huang Elixir.

His expression shifted slightly. "Brother He, what is the meaning of this?" He Yiming said seriously, "Yu Wuchang's manual and insights were of great use to me.

Since that is the case, the Jia Huang Elixir exchanged this time should naturally come from me." A peculiar smile crossed Jin Zhanyi’s face. He reached into his robes and pulled out a jade bottle identical to the one in He Yiming’s hand.

Under He Yiming’s astonished gaze, Jin Zhanyi opened the bottle. He Yiming instantly caught a profoundly familiar scent.

His attainment in the Way of Alchemy was already considerable; merely smelling that aroma confirmed that the bottle contained genuine Jia Huang Elixir. He Yiming froze slightly, a thought crossing his mind causing his expression to change subtly.

"The one you gave Yu Wuchang was a fake pill?" Jin Zhanyi waved his hand. "Of course, I wanted to give him a fake, but Yu Wuchang is cunning as an old fox.

If I had truly given him a counterfeit, how could I have fooled him?" He Yiming looked suspiciously at the jade bottle in Jin Zhanyi's hand. "Then where did you get the Jia Huang Elixir you have now?" Jin Zhanyi’s smile vanished.

"The Jia Huang Elixir given to Yu Wuchang was not mine, but an offering from Senior Uncle Hao Dong. Even instructing me to negotiate with Yu Wuchang was done under Senior Uncle Hao’s guidance." He Yiming opened his mouth, an overwhelming surge of gratitude filling his heart.

He hadn't met Hao Dong many times, yet this elder held him in such high regard. Although he understood that the old man’s actions were based on his high regard for He Yiming’s future potential in alchemy, He Yiming was deeply grateful nonetheless.

Seeing He Yiming's expression, Jin Zhanyi sighed instead. "Brother He, don't celebrate too soon.

Senior Uncle Hao said this is considered a loan, and you must repay it tenfold in the future." He Yiming paused, asking, "What?" Jin Zhanyi gave a bitter smile. "Senior Uncle Hao values your talent in alchemy and believes you will one day be able to refine the Jia Huang Elixir that only Venerable Fan Shuo could make.

That is why he insisted on offering one, guaranteeing with his own chest that if you make a breakthrough in alchemy later, you must repay it with ten Jia Huang Elixirs." He Yiming broke into a wry laugh. He immediately grasped the old man Hao Dong’s intention.

Although his current performance in alchemy was respectable, no one could guarantee whether his future achievements in the discipline would surpass those of Venerable Fan Shuo. Thus, Hao Dong’s statement was essentially an excuse; otherwise, even with his status, it would be hard to offer a Jia Huang Elixir for no apparent reason.

However, He Yiming had already made up his mind. Once he advanced to the Venerable realm, he would certainly dedicate himself to researching the art of alchemy.

If he achieved anything, he would repay the debt of ten Jia Huang Elixirs, no matter what. He didn't just want to repay the favor; more importantly, he wanted to prove to everyone that Hao Dong had not misjudged him!

Suddenly, a long, piercing cry, like thunder cracking the sky, echoed from a distance. He Yiming and Jin Zhanyi exchanged a look, recognizing the unconcealed eagerness in the other’s eyes.

With a flash of movement, the two men were already flying side-by-side, sprinting toward the city battlements... Ps: Tomorrow, there will also be five chapters to make up for last week's slump!