The dense fog surrounding them churned, utterly disrupted by this single silhouette, as if some monstrous presence were wreaking havoc, refusing to settle for a long time.

At He Yiming's speed, catching up to Zhang Zhongjin was no difficult feat, but the problem was that even if he did catch up, He Yiming would still be powerless. Thus, he followed closely behind while deep in thought.

Suddenly, a fierce collision of True Qi rang out ahead, followed by a familiar howl, this sound also saturated with agony.

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly; he hadn't expected Zhang Zhongjin to be so unlucky as to encounter another top-tier master here. He was certain that Zhang Zhongjin had charged toward the opponent but had been instantly subdued upon the first exchange.

Fearing Zhang Zhongjin might be killed on the spot, he immediately accelerated, covering dozens of zhang in a single breath, thus catching up to Zhang Zhongjin.

The moment he stabilized himself, an overwhelming power pressed down upon him, vast and unstoppable.

He Yiming’s face grew exceedingly grave; upon sensing the sheer might contained within that force, his heart was filled with absolute awe.

The power was immense—the greatest he had ever witnessed in his life.

Even on Jin Zhanyi, he had never felt a pressure this terrifying.

At that moment, He Yiming even began to wonder if the one who launched that strike against Zhang Zhongjin was perhaps a Venerable Lord himself.

However, He Yiming did not panic. He sank his stance, planting his feet firmly, and formed a steady, imposing hand seal. His hands felt as if they were bearing ten thousand pounds of gravity, yet he raised them slowly, inch by measured inch.

That seemingly slow motion was executed with astonishing swiftness.

Heaven-Supporting Pillar—the Qingtian Seal.

Since He Yiming's advancement to the Apex Trigram level (Dingzu), his Earth element power had grown even stronger; no matter how mountain-like the opponent’s imposing aura, he was in no way inferior.

When an attack meets defense, one meets it with strength; even if a genuine mountain were pressing down, he possessed the power to lift it and overturn it.

The two colossal forces slammed into each other with a resounding impact. The entire earth seemed to register the magnitude of this clash, and the very ground beneath their feet shuddered slightly.

He Yiming’s feet were buried in the soil up to his ankles, illustrating the sheer scale of the pressure he was enduring.

He Yiming realized with a shock that under the suppression of this immense force, he was unable to smoothly transition the Qingtian Seal into the Fantian Seal.

The opponent’s strength had surpassed the limits of his estimations. Although he had managed to physically sustain that incredible, almost Venerable-level pressure, his own power was entirely depleted, leaving not a sliver of reserve.

Taking a deep breath, the thread of Pagoda power within He Yiming's Dantian stirred restlessly.

He Yiming knew the opponent before him was undoubtedly the most formidable master he had ever encountered. Unless he threw caution to the wind and mobilized every reserve of his strength, victory was impossible.

However, just at this critical moment, he heard an extremely familiar voice, laced with surprise: "Brother He, is that you?"

The True Qi He Yiming had just gathered instantly dissipated. He exclaimed with mixed joy and shock, "Brother Jin, how could it be you?"

The figure exerting infinite pressure upon him turned out to be Jin Zhanyi, whom he had parted ways with immediately upon entering Ghost Cry Ridge. To meet again in such a vast place as Ghost Cry Ridge was indeed an extraordinary stroke of luck.

"Aooooo…"

The piercing howl sounded again. Zhang Zhongjin was only now struggling up from the ground. However, his movements were sluggish, clearly indicating a serious injury.

He Yiming managed a wry smile. "Brother Jin, why did you injure him?"

Jin Zhanyi paused slightly, a bad premonition rising in his mind. "Brother He, who is this man?"

Zhang Zhongjin's appearance had drastically changed due to his mania, and his clothes were ragged. Aside from the number one hundred and eight, even the most familiar person would never recognize him at a glance.

He Yiming raised his hands, and streams of powerful three-point confinement energy shot out, instantly trapping Zhang Zhongjin in a small, confined space. Though Zhang Zhongjin struggled with all his might, he could not match He Yiming’s power.

"Brother Jin, this is Zhang Zhongjin."

Jin Zhanyi's expression instantly changed, and he cried out, "Senior Brother Zhang?" After studying the man a few times, Jin Zhanyi vaguely managed to identify him. Indeed, without He Yiming's reminder, he never would have recognized him based on sight alone.

Once the identity was confirmed, he immediately strode forward, instantly appearing before Zhang Zhongjin. He then extended his palm, his ten fingers plucking across Zhang Zhongjin’s body as if playing a qin.

In mere moments, the wildly thrashing Zhang Zhongjin stilled. The heart-stopping, blood-red tinge in his eyes had not entirely faded, but the madness within had significantly lessened, replaced instead by a blank bewilderment.

Jin Zhanyi’s actions were lightning-fast. He pulled a jade vial from his robes, swiftly poured out a pill, and forced it into Zhang Zhongjin's mouth.

He Yiming's eyes brightened, a sliver of hope igniting in his heart.

Most masters from the Northwest were unfamiliar with Ghost Cry Ridge, which meant He Yiming carried no spare remedies. However, the powerful figures of the East and West had profited within Ghost Cry Ridge for thousands of years, perhaps even longer. They were certainly not unfamiliar with this place, and it would not be surprising if they had refined spirit elixirs specifically targeting its conditions.

"Brother He, please spare me one Life-Returning Pill," Jin Zhanyi urged quickly.

He Yiming immediately reached into his robes and produced a jade vial. Inside this vial were the pills gifted by Venerable Fan Shuo, the master of the Qilian Twin Devils. These were rumored to have a miraculous effect on internal injuries, so He Yiming carried them on his person rather than storing them in his spatial ring.

Jin Zhanyi accepted without ceremony, taking the vial, opening the cap, pouring out a pill, and swiftly putting it into Zhang Zhongjin's mouth.

Only after completing all this did he let out a long, relieved breath.

Zhang Zhongjin’s body swayed a few times before finally collapsing. But Jin Zhanyi was prepared; with a gentle motion of his hand, he laid him flat on the ground.

Returning the jade vial to He Yiming, Jin Zhanyi said, "Brother He, thank you."

He Yiming waved a dismissive hand. "Brother Jin, let's skip the pleasantries. How is Brother Zhang's condition now?"

"Senior Brother Zhang has taken the pill, and the time he has been afflicted by the Yin Sha energy is not long; perhaps he can still be saved," Jin Zhanyi said, placing one hand lightly on the man's pulse. "We should know if he can recover after half an hour."

His face was etched with worry, clearly lacking great confidence.

He Yiming sighed softly. He had initially wanted to say that if there was no certainty of recovery, Zhang Zhongjin should not have risked it. But then he thought: which of the people entering Ghost Cry Ridge were not risking their lives? The words died on his lips.

Shaking his head, He Yiming casually asked, "Is the pill you gave him effective?"

Jin Zhanyi said gravely, "Whether it is a specially prepared elixir from my sect or a Life-Returning Pill from a Grotto-Heaven, they are the best known remedies against Yin Sha energy. If even these two types of pills fail, then the only recourse is to ask a Venerable Lord to personally expel the Yin Sha energy from his mind. However, this course of action carries immense danger and should not be attempted unless absolutely necessary."

He Yiming nodded slightly. He touched the jade vial in his robes, finally understanding why Fan Shuo had given him the Life-Returning Pill—it possessed potent counteractive power against Yin Sha energy.

Looking at Jin Zhanyi, a thought suddenly struck He Yiming. "Brother Jin, when I received your palm strike just now, it was incredibly heavy and profound. Have you perhaps achieved a breakthrough?"

Jin Zhanyi turned his head, a flicker of pride dancing in his eyes. He tapped his waist, and instantly, his Dragon Spear materialized in his hand.

He Yiming focused his gaze, and his eyes narrowed sharply.

The Dragon Spear was still the same spear, but in Jin Zhanyi's hands, a subtle change had occurred. A thin layer of silvery mist faintly manifested over the spear.

This mist was connected to Jin Zhanyi's palm, appearing as if they were seamlessly integrated, which was truly astonishing.

"Mistification of the Divine Weapon…" He Yiming sighed softly, envy coloring his tone. "Congratulations, Brother Jin, on advancing to the Venerable stage. This is truly cause for celebration."

Jin Zhanyi shook his head slightly. "I have only just begun to mistify the Dragon Spear. To complete the full mistification will take at least a year. Furthermore, to communicate with the power of heaven and earth and master the various extraordinary abilities of a Venerable, I shouldn't even think about achieving it in less than two years."

He Yiming laughed heartily. "What is a mere two years? In two years, Brother Jin will be a true Venerable!"

The tension in Jin Zhanyi's face finally eased into a slight smile, but that smile immediately dimmed as he glanced at Zhang Zhongjin beside him.

He Yiming also sighed inwardly. The two fell silent for a moment before Jin Zhanyi suddenly spoke, "Brother He, judging by the confinement power you displayed just now, you must have also successfully reached the Apex Trigram level, correct?"

"By sheer luck," He Yiming replied honestly.

Ghost Cry Ridge was indeed fraught with danger. If not for his unique constitution, he might not even have retained his sanity, let alone achieved the Apex Trigram state.

The two recounted their experiences since parting ways. He Yiming, naturally, did not reveal everything truthfully, merely stating that he had found a place to cultivate. After successfully reaching the Apex Trigram state, the maddened Zhang Zhongjin happened to arrive at his secluded spot, and he recognized him, and so on.

Jin Zhanyi’s tale was simpler: after entering Ghost Cry Ridge, he had sat in meditation seeking a breakthrough. Just the day before yesterday, he had finally succeeded. The reason he remained in that location was to cultivate for a few more days in this peculiar environment, never expecting to run into both Zhang Zhongjin and He Yiming.

When discussing the afflicted, maddened people, both men could not help but sigh with a sense of melancholy.

According to Jin Zhanyi, the number of people who had turned mad this time seemed higher than the last occasion.

He Yiming thought to himself that Hao Xue and the others alone had ambushed nine experts at the Three Flower realm; it would be strange if the number hadn't increased.

Suddenly, Zhang Zhongjin, lying beside them, stirred. He painfully opened his eyes, and within them, a glimmer of rational light could be seen.