Before them, the distant black miasma had slowly faded to gray over the past few days, and even now, the man they waited for had not arrived.

Hao Xue turned his head, his voice low, "Our brothers must have met a grim fate."

Fang Sheng's expression was grim. After the final deadline of one month passed, he had already accepted this outcome, yet he clung to a last sliver of hope. Now, five more days had gone by, and he knew that final hope was extinguished. Even if Zhu Guanhhao hadn't perished, he would have been consumed by the Yin Sha Qi, driving him mad.

By comparison, Fang Sheng preferred the former fate to facing a friend driven to insanity.

A shadow flickered, and a masked figure clad in black stood immediately behind them.

Hao Xue and Fang Sheng dared not show the slightest disrespect to this Venerable of the Yellow Springs Gate. Even though they suspected that one of the Yellow Springs Gate's own disciples might be the reason Zhu Guanhhao hadn't emerged, they could not voice their suspicions. After all, even Ding Liyin was unaware of this matter.

"Why have you not departed yet?" Ding Liyin said with clear dissatisfaction. "If your companion has not come out by now, there is no chance."

His gaze lingered pointedly on Hao Xue. If he hadn't known about the connection between the Hao family of Changzhou and the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, he wouldn't have bothered to care about the lives of these two juniors.

Hao Xue sighed softly. "We juniors will depart immediately." He paused. "Senior, may I ask how many of your sect brothers returned successfully this time?"

Ding Liyin’s chilling gaze swung toward them, and both Hao Xue and Fang Sheng instinctively shivered, feeling as though they were being tracked by a venomous snake.

After a long silence, Ding Liyin finally spoke, "Only two emerged. All failed; not a single one advanced to the Cauldron Foot realm." His voice carried infinite melancholy. "Although Ghost Crying Ridge is an excellent place for cultivation, the probability of failure is higher for us assassins."

Being assassins, their temperaments generally leaned toward the cold and gloomy; no matter how high their achievements, a dark corner remained in their hearts. Once they arrived at Ghost Crying Ridge, their resistance to the Yin Sha Qi was indeed slightly inferior.

This had been a persistent headache for the Yellow Springs Gate of Great Shen in the East and the Assassin's Guild of the West throughout history.

However, when such an opportunity arose, they would still dispatch suitable candidates, though the results were rarely optimal.

Hao Xue and Fang Sheng exchanged a glance, both feeling an overwhelming shock.

Just as Fang Sheng was about to speak, Hao Xue shot him a warning look, then pulled him away to take their leave.

After they had sprinted several miles, Fang Sheng asked, "Brother Hao, why the haste? Are you suspecting Venerable Ding of deception?"

Hao Xue shook his head, replying gravely, "I don't doubt Venerable Ding, but I suspect someone within the Yellow Springs Gate has already achieved the Cauldron Foot realm and assassinated Brother Zhu. But after succeeding, he must have left the sect without reporting to Venerable Ding."

Fang Sheng exclaimed, "That’s impossible! People of the Yellow Springs Gate know the consequences of betrayal."

Hao Xue chuckled dryly. "Nothing is impossible for sufficient gain. The Yellow Springs Gate has had a traitor before, though very few people know of it."

Fang Sheng then learned of this secret history, but if he hadn't been intimately aware of the Hao family's ties with the Yellow Springs Gate, he wouldn't have easily believed it.

Moments later, Fang Sheng asked, "What should we do now?"

"Go back," Hao Xue stated coldly. "Inform the elders of our family and ask them to seek an audience with the Old Ancestor."

When Hao Xue mentioned the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, his tone was filled with an almost extreme confidence, as if the mere intervention of this elder would solve everything effortlessly.

A similar spark flashed in Fang Sheng's eyes, and he nodded heavily.

Then, they heard a cry, like the wail of ghosts and wolves, erupt from the gray expanse of Ghost Crying Ridge.

Hao Xue shook his head and sighed. "Let's go."

The two walked away together, swiftly gaining distance. Thus, they were unaware that after they left at their fastest pace for a hundred miles, another long cry rang out from the opposite side of Ghost Crying Ridge. This cry, however, held no trace of violent madness, but was instead filled with soaring spirit and unyielding will.

Upon hearing this cry, the other two Venerables who remained near Ghost Crying Ridge simultaneously crept stealthily toward the sound's origin.

As He Yiming's long cry echoed, the Five Elements Rings in his hands spun rapidly.

Strange rays of light flashed from the rings, synchronized with the rotation of his surrounding aura and confining energy.

Not only that, but the dust on the ground was also swept up by this immense force. Countless fragments of rock mingled within, and centered on He Yiming, a bizarre tornado formed.

This tornado contained vast power; anything that approached it was violently repelled. Furthermore, it acted like a massive rotating wheel, slowly eroding the binding True Qi that Gabriel had channeled to surround him.

He Yiming’s face was bright with spirit. This was a technique he devised by drawing inspiration from the special method of resisting external forces found in the True Qi of the Fengshui Treasure Fan. This martial technique was exceptionally effective against the confining power of a Venerable.

Within the Fengshui Treasure Fan, the quantity of True Qi left by Zhu Guanhhao was far less than what He Yiming possessed, yet by utilizing this method of Fengshui flow, it managed to completely counter He Yiming’s immense strength, demonstrating the profound power of this approach.

Now, He Yiming, relying on the rotation of the Five Elements Rings, also created a continuous rotational force using the powers of Fire, Earth, and Metal. The result was far better than he had anticipated.

The fusion of these three powers unleashed tremendous might from the Five Elements Rings. Although the power of the Wind Flower was not mixed in, the resulting tornado was still incomparably strong, forcefully shattering Gabriel's binding energy.

A trace of astonishment flickered across Gabriel's face. He had fought countless battles, but this was the first time someone had broken his confinement technique in such a manner.

Yet, he coldly snorted, "A few tricks, but still insignificant."

Saying this, a white light suddenly bloomed on his outstretched hand—a mist that instantly condensed into a physical form.

The speed was so fast that He Yiming only registered a flash of brilliance before a massive greatsword materialized in Gabriel's hand.

He took a step forward, causing the earth to tremble and mountains to shake. Under the pressure of that overwhelming aura, it seemed the entire mountain swayed slightly.

He Yiming knew his opponent’s strength wasn't genuinely this exaggerated. The feeling arose purely from the opponent's imposing aura.

When Venerables engage in combat, their formidable presence is one of their specialized weapons. Sometimes, mere suppression of aura is enough to paralyze those below the Venerable realm with fear, preventing them from striking back or fleeing.

However, He Yiming remained undaunted. He poured all his True Qi desperately into the Five Elements Rings. The outermost layer spun even faster, resembling wind-fire wheels. Then, He Yiming, encased in the soaring tornado, rushed forward to meet Gabriel.

"Hiss..." A massive tearing sound suddenly rang out. The seemingly majestic tornado surrounding He Yiming was actually cleaved apart by the heavy sword in Gabriel's hand.

This greatsword seemed to possess the power of a sea-calming pillar; any wind that contacted it instantly lost its momentum, becoming pliant, and eventually dissipating entirely.

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly, but the arrow was already loosed from the bow, and there was no turning back.

The speed of the Five Elements Rings increased sharply. Around him, three visible flowers faintly manifested, encircling his body. Above his head, vast quantities of Heaven and Earth Qi surged into his Baihui point. This attack was the maximum power he could unleash using the Five Elements Rings.

Gabriel tore through the tornado with his sword but did not retract it to prepare for another strike. Instead, he brought it down again with direct force.

"Clang..."

A deafening, resonant sound exploded outward.

Gabriel's figure only trembled slightly, then stood firm as a mountain. He Yiming, however, could no longer maintain his footing and was sent flying backward with a whoosh.

The sheer might of Gabriel’s single strike was overwhelming; He Yiming could not withstand it head-on.

If not for the inherent formidable power of the Five Elements Rings in his possession, and the fact that Gabriel's heavy sword was merely an ordinary divine weapon, He Yiming would have suffered more than just being knocked away.

A fierce look crossed Gabriel's face. He stepped forward again, catching the airborne He Yiming like lightning. He swung his heavy sword, which now moved with a refined subtlety, imbued with an attractive pull.

He Yiming immediately groaned internally. Gabriel clearly intended to use this delicate swordsmanship to trap him, slowly draining his stamina and True Qi.

Although his Baihui point was constantly supplied with Heaven and Earth Qi, to engage in a war of attrition against a Venerable? Only if he were truly insane.

He tried several times to escape to a distance, but Gabriel's sword style was like a dense spider's web, exhausting him and preventing any success. Furious, he suddenly planted his feet firmly, preparing to unleash the Heaven-Overturning Seal, when he saw Gabriel abruptly withdraw his sword and leap back. Gabriel's expression was solemn, clearly on guard against something.

He Yiming paused briefly, then his ears picked up two faint sounds. His face changed drastically, and without a second thought, he turned and fled.

The power of Wind maximized its effect upon him. In mere moments, he plunged into the depths of Ghost Crying Ridge.

There, he finally managed a long, ragged breath. Thinking of the three Venerable-level experts waiting outside, he felt a burning resentment.

He held no grudge against those three, yet they clung to him like stubborn patches of dog skin. This was too much to bear.

He retrieved a vial, opened the cap, and checked the count of his Grain Abstinence Pills.

When He Yiming looked up again, a rare ferocity surfaced on his face. He calmly extended the Five Elements Rings, his expression grim.

He had made up his mind.

Damn it. If you have the guts, wait for me outside. Once I cultivate into a Venerable, I’ll come out then...

P.S.: Fifteen thousand words posted. White Crane requests guaranteed monthly tickets.

Give me confidence, give White Crane greater motivation to work harder. Tomorrow will be another fifteen thousand words.

He Yiming's inner thoughts: If you have the guts, vote for my monthly ticket! Monthly tickets are like Viagra for me; they give me strength. Tomorrow I'll transform into a Venerable...

Also, I can't log onto QQ tonight. I have to go out with my kid. It’s Children's Day, only once a year, and it's the last Children's Day in kindergarten ^_^. So, please forgive me, everyone.