In past confrontations, He Yiming had unleashed the power of binding multiple times, yet those bindings were always forged from a single, pure force.
For instance, when employing the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting, a battle technique capable of allowing him to challenge opponents of higher realms, he possessed the inherent power to constrain everything.
However, this was the very first time He Yiming had executed a binding force rooted in three stable points established in the void, spreading outwards from that foundation.
As he felt the constantly shifting three points of power in the void seep into the space ten meters away, a surge of near-blind confidence welled up in He Yiming’s heart.
Harnessing the inexhaustible fountain of power here, coupled with his unique physique, He Yiming had successfully achieved a critical equilibrium.
At this moment, the seemingly unreachable Venerable realm was truly but a single step away.
Once he crossed that threshold, he would be a genuine Venerable, and he possessed an inexplicable certainty: so long as he remained here, the time to reach that state would not be long.
Just then, however, a faint sound registered in his ears, arriving precisely when his spirits were soaring. Without hesitation, he cast the newly grasped Three-Point Binding Force directly toward the source.
Yet, the confident expression on He Yiming’s face instantly grew grave.
He was certain his binding force had ensnared the target, but the power displayed by the opponent far exceeded his expectations.
By whatever technique the other party employed, they had shattered his binding force with effortless ease.
He Yiming let out a cold snort and extended a hand; a streak of blood-red light flashed across his fingertip.
This time, He Yiming’s confidence was even stronger.
He infused the Blood Needle with both ice and paralyzing power. If these two forces missed their mark, it was one thing, but if they truly connected, the effect would be instantaneous.
An image already played in his mind: the opponent, frozen and paralyzed, standing dumbfounded, utterly unable to move.
He lifted his foot lightly, intending to press the attack.
Although these two powers possessed astonishingly potent effects, they also carried an equally crippling drawback: the duration of the freezing or paralysis was extremely short. Especially against masters of the same level, they might break free in as little as two breaths.
Of course, two breaths were more than enough time to accomplish many things.
However, just as He Yiming took his first step, his expression shifted again.
He clearly heard the person in the distance seemingly wave an arm, deflecting his Blood Needle. What astonished He Yiming was that the opponent’s movement showed no pause whatsoever; they remained fluid and natural.
To charge in recklessly now would not be cleaning up a mess, but rather throwing himself to the wolves to be abused.
This second consecutive failure put He Yiming on high alert. This hidden master in the mist was terrifyingly strong.
He Yiming’s face turned exceptionally grim. His gaze swept around him without pause, and without hesitation, he pulled the Gold Flower, which was already concealed in the mist, aloft. He then hurled it violently forward.
Though his action appeared fierce, the Gold Flower he threw floated with extreme slowness, merely drifting with the fierce mountain winds.
He Yiming stilled his breath and calmed his mind. He had made a firm decision: if this attack could also be thwarted with such ease, he would turn and flee immediately, refusing to engage in a fight to the death with this foe.
A master capable of dissolving so many different techniques so effortlessly was someone even he could not guarantee victory against.
Gently, after drifting for a spell, the Gold Flower finally detonated with a deafening roar exactly where He Yiming had intended.
The tremendous sound echoed far and wide, causing the surrounding clouds and mist to churn violently.
Two other top-tier masters from different locales, situated nearby, both frowned deeply upon hearing the explosion. After a moment of hesitation, they immediately abandoned their meditation spots and headed away from the area.
To spend scarcely a month in this location was a supremely rare opportunity for them.
They certainly did not wish to waste time fighting, and if Jin Zhanyi harbored such sentiments, it was even more true for others.
Retreating without a fight in this environment would never draw scorn; conversely, ignoring cultivation to engage in brawls here would mark one as an imbecile.
As these two retreating masters muttered about bad luck, they glanced back at the epicenter with expressions reserved for idiots.
Fighting to the death immediately upon entering such a place—such fools were rare indeed.
He Yiming was naturally unaware of what was happening in the distance. The moment he heard the explosion, his heart swelled with pride.
A sudden, unprepared assault by the Gold Flower would be an unforgettable nightmare for anyone.
Then, He Yiming promptly heard what he expected: a wail akin to a slaughtered pig or cow.
The look of satisfaction flashed across He Yiming’s face, but it vanished instantly, freezing in place. That sound… how strangely familiar did it sound?
His expression contorted into something utterly comical. He opened his mouth and shouted, “Bao Zhu?”
Within his field of vision, within ten meters, a tall figure slowly approached.
Since the person was within sight, He Yiming instantly recognized him: this was Bai Ling-Ba.
In his embrace lay a creature whose body was half scorched black. Judging by its size, it was precisely the Bao Zhu that He Yiming knew intimately.
He Yiming sprang forward in one stride, arriving before Bai Ling-Ba. He lowered his head, reached out, and took Bao Zhu into his arms.
The little creature was no longer spotlessly white; it was now half white and half black. It lifted its head, grunting softly. A tear even clung to the corner of its eye.
Looking closely into its eyes, though the little one was squealing in pain, its spirit did not appear diminished.
He Yiming let out a long breath, and the tense knot in his heart finally loosened.
As long as the little creature was alive, accepting a white pig turned into a black-and-white pig was manageable. However, he immediately recalled the mysterious Old Ancestor residing at the Northwest Heavenly Pool.
He wondered if that old gentleman could so easily forgive him when he saw the current state of the White Pig.
“Hmph, hmph, hmph…”
Bao Zhu, nestled in his arms, lodged a protest, vigorously rubbing its snout—the half not yet blackened—against He Yiming’s chest, clearly furious.
He Yiming managed an embarrassed chuckle. “Bao Zhu, I didn’t know it was you two.”
But at this point, he finally understood why his Three-Point Binding technique and the Blood Needle had failed.
Given Bai Ling-Ba’s strength, breaking free from the binding technique was remarkably easy. As for the Blood Needle… He Yiming glanced at Bai Ling-Ba. If the Blood Needle could have any effect on this non-human being, that would truly be a strange phenomenon.
Gently stroking the creature, He Yiming slowly smoothed down the little one’s matted fur.
Shaking his head, He Yiming asked, “Brother Bai, how did you enter here?”
Bai Ling-Ba replied calmly, “Behind you, there are three masters. They possess the strength to annihilate you, which is why I came.”
He Yiming felt sincere gratitude. He touched the tracker on his chest and said earnestly, “Brother Bai, thank you truly this time. If you hadn't given me a timely warning, I would have been in deep trouble.”
His words were utterly sincere. The thought of how disastrous it would have been had he abandoned the plan to enter the black mist and returned, only to fall into an ambush set by three Venerables, sent a chill down He Yiming’s spine.
No matter how arrogant he was, he couldn't imagine surviving a three-Venerable ambush.
Bai Ling-Ba’s voice remained placid. He stated coldly, “Protecting you is my duty. We had an agreement.”
He Yiming rolled his eyes, shook his head, and ceased paying attention to the stoic fellow.
Bao Zhu suddenly began nudging vigorously in his embrace, repeatedly pushing a stone hanging on He Yiming’s chest with its long snout.
He Yiming paused slightly, asking in surprise, “Bao Zhu, you want an energy stone?”
Bao Zhu immediately stopped and grunted a few times. Although He Yiming couldn't decipher the sounds, he understood the gesture.
If anyone else had asked for an energy stone, he would have flatly refused. But since it was this little Bao Zhu asking, He Yiming felt no inclination to deny the request.
Just thinking about how he had pocketed the Nine Dragons Furnace that this little creature had discovered filled him with shame. A mere handful of energy stones was the least he could offer.
His chest muscles rippled, and the white stone hanging from his neck slowly floated upward from the collar.
Upon seeing the energy stone, Bao Zhu squealed excitedly, its grunts now brimming with delight.
It then stretched out both front hooves, tightly clutching the energy stone, and began gnawing on it immediately, chain and all still attached.
He Yiming watched, feeling both amused and irritated. Bao Zhu had spent so much time with Bai Ling-Ba, yet it had learned nothing except how to eat white stones, and its manners were far worse than Bai Ling-Ba’s.
Suddenly, a flicker of thought crossed He Yiming’s mind. Since he first met Bao Zhu, they had known each other for quite some time, yet in his memory, he didn’t recall ever seeing the creature eat anything at all.
A notion darted through his mind: could this little creature, just like Bai Ling-Ba, subsist on energy stones?
As this thought materialized, He Yiming suddenly sensed a peculiar shift in the atmosphere around him.
He looked down in astonishment, his eyes widening instantly.
In his arms, Bao Zhu’s small body was undergoing an unimaginable transformation.