Above the precipice, three figures regarded one another. This was not their first encounter, yet every prior meeting had been marked by an intentional avoidance of one another.

When they had first met, they shared a singular objective and could keenly sense the killing intent emanating from the others, thus they knew there was no immediate cause for conflict between them. Nevertheless, owing to their respective statuses, the three maintained an attitude of perpetual estrangement.

It was only now that Gabri could no longer tolerate it. His enraged gaze swept across the faces of the two Eastern powerhouses.

His entire true Zhenqi was already mobilized, prepared either to engage the enemy or to flee at a moment’s notice. After all, standing before him were two experts at the Venerable (Zun Zhe) level, and both hailed from the Eastern world, so he naturally prepared for the worst-case scenario.

“Gentlemen, if this seat is not mistaken, you are also here for this He Yiming,” Gabri stated in a deep voice. The two men facing Gabri, although both masked with black scarves, were undoubtedly authentic Easterners judging by their build, movements, and the visible lightness of their movement techniques.

One, clad entirely in black, stood within the shadow of a cliff face, seeming to have melted seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The aura emanating from this individual was somber and bizarre; even Gabri dared not treat him lightly.

Similarly, the other man, though also dressed in black and masked with a black scarf, had gold thread embroidered upon his garments. He stood tall and proud in the direct sunlight, possessing an inherent air of noble righteousness that formed a stark contrast to the sinister atmosphere of the other figure.

Upon hearing Gabri’s address, the black-clad man bathed in sunlight spoke out in a clear voice, “Indeed, I am here for He Yiming. I demand his life and his weapon.” This individual was none other than Elder Li, the one who had discussed He Yiming with Yu Wuchang in Zhenjin City.

Though he wore a black scarf, he inherently disliked darkness, preferring to stand in the sunlight rather than hide away. As for the masked expert concealed in the shadows, he was naturally Ding Liyin of the Yellow Springs Gate.

Although he had long since advanced to the Venerable level, his ingrained childhood temperament was difficult to alter. Thus, he habitually remained in the darkness, like a venomous serpent waiting to strike—inactive until the moment of action, which would always be fatal.

At this moment, seeing both Gabri and Elder Li turn their gazes toward him, Ding Liyin frowned slightly and stated, “I am also here for He Yiming, but I only seek his life.” Gabri scoffed, “Since you both wish to kill him, why obstruct me?” Ding Liyin remained silent, but Elder Li burst into loud laughter. “Sir, you are mistaken.

We merely ascended to observe closely; we had no intention of obstructing you.” Gabri chuckled twice—he did not believe the man’s words, just as the other would not believe his. Although they all existed beyond the mundane world, dignified Venerables naturally would not stoop to the level of ordinary commoners, be they Eastern or Western.

However, their mutual apprehension ran all the deeper. “Sir, if you were to engage him in combat, and this seat were to intervene, what choice would you make?” Gabri suddenly inquired.

Elder Li sneered, “If you dare to step forward, I will kill you as well.” Gabri roared with laughter in his fury, “Arrogance…” Elder Li wore an expression of utter disdain, “If you are unconvinced, you are welcome to try.” As one of the Elders of the Great Shen Imperial Family, his attitude toward Westerners was naturally the most hostile, and he now issued a direct challenge. Gabri was so enraged that fire seemed to burn in his eyes.

Just as he was about to strike recklessly, the hidden Ding Liyin spoke from the shadows, “Gentlemen, if you fight here, I fear He Yiming will truly escape.” Elder Li shook his head. “Impossible.

There is a Yin Sha energy clinging to him. Once he re-enters the Ghost Wail Ridge, ‘It’ will surely be alerted.

If ‘It’ awakens, none of us will survive.” Though he did not name ‘It,’ the Venerables present understood immediately. Ding Liyin shook his head slightly.

“Sir, forgive my bluntness, but this humble one believes He Yiming will not attract ‘Its’ attention.” Elder Li paused in surprise, and even Gabri glanced over with astonishment. “He Yiming must possess some kind of miraculous artifact, something that allows him to move about freely under these conditions.” As he spoke, his gaze swept intentionally past Gabri.

Elder Li suddenly realized the truth. “Precisely!

Otherwise, how could he remain here for over a month without going mad?” His eyes darted, for he was indeed intelligent; upon receiving Ding Liyin’s hint, he grasped the underlying reasoning. He laughed dismissively, “Gentlemen, how about we join forces?” With He Yiming’s strength, he was certainly not worthy of a combined effort from the three of them.

However, the Ghost Wail Ridge was vast, and a single person could not possibly monitor the periphery effectively. If He Yiming slipped away in an unguarded direction, the three would be helpless.

But if the three of them cooperated, the situation would be entirely different. With their combined surveillance range, if they divided the cliff-top overlooking the Ghost Wail Ridge into three sections, they would have a very high probability of locating He Yiming.

Gabri considered this. “If we capture He Yiming and extract the information, how shall we divide the spoils?” “The three of us will each take one share,” Elder Li replied without hesitation.

Though Gabri was unwilling, he knew this was the best option. If they fought separately, the chance of finding He Yiming would be far too slim.

He nodded heavily, then turned to the other. “And your opinion?” Ding Liyin stated coldly, “Agreed.” “Good.

In that case, this old man will take responsibility for the direction of the central great plain.” As Elder Li’s voice fell, his figure vanished like a bolt of lightning. His decisive speed greatly surprised the other two, but after exchanging a glance, they too separated to take up their positions.

With the combined might of the three Venerables, if they still allowed He Yiming to escape, they would truly have no face left to see anyone. ※※※※ He Yiming, deep within the Ghost Wail Ridge, was entirely unaware that the three powerful Venerables outside had joined forces.

In his estimation, given their status, it was impossible for these three to collude against him; at most, their appearances were merely coincidental. However, his current focus was not on them, but entirely absorbed in the Fog-Forming Five Elements Ring.

The moment He Yiming’s hand clasped the Five Elements Ring, the peerless, immense true Zhenqi within him surged forth violently. The thin layer covering the Five Elements Ring immediately began to vaporize, flowing back into his body in reverse.

This was a mutual exchange process, and it was precisely through this process that divine weapons could ultimately be drawn into the body, becoming a part of the being itself. Although He Yiming’s Zhenqi was vast, it was still an almost unreachable distance from the requirement to fully melt the Five Elements Ring.

To succeed, the only way was to cultivate slowly day after day, melting a small piece daily; after half a year or so, the entire ring could be vaporized. But surrounded by enemies at this moment, he did not have the luxury of such time.

Therefore, if there was any possibility, he intended to complete this process in the shortest time possible. And within the Ghost Wail Ridge, there existed a unique, innate advantage: the spiritual energy of heaven and earth here was extraordinarily dense, far surpassing that of the outside world.

He Yiming’s true Zhenqi poured into the Five Elements Ring without reservation. Every inch of the ring acted like a bottomless ravine; only after all his Zhenqi entered was a mere half-inch filled.

Then, guided by the Zhenqi, this half-inch of the Five Elements Ring transformed into a mist. Under normal circumstances, upon reaching this stage, He Yiming would need to rest for at least a day before continuing to cultivate and refine.

But at this moment, He Yiming had no intention of stopping whatsoever. The celestial opening above his Baihui acupoint seemed to expand further, and the endless spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured in like a tide.

Accompanied by the boundless Yin Sha energy, all the power flowed through his meridians into his Dantian. Then, through the mystical power of the Dantian, every drop was converted into He Yiming’s true Zhenqi, which rushed back into the Five Elements Ring once more.

With the spiritual energy of the Ghost Wail Ridge as his backing, He Yiming’s Zhenqi was inexhaustible and endless. His entire being was immersed in this process, without the slightest distraction.

The Ghost Wail Ridge, a place that made everyone apprehensive, had unexpectedly become He Yiming’s best training ground. However, in this world, only He Yiming, possessing such a unique constitution, could manage this kind of reckless cultivation method.

Outside the Ghost Wail Ridge, even in blessed paradises, it would be impossible to sustain such an intense drain on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth for long. But within the Ghost Wail Ridge, the Yin Sha energy was inexhaustible.

The harm this Yin Sha energy inflicted on the human body was unparalleled; across the whole world, let alone among humans, perhaps only the supreme spiritual beast atop the mountain could ignore this Yin Sha energy. Thus, He Yiming’s desperate measure, born of necessity, had actually allowed him to take the most crucial step forward.

He forgot the passage of time. He forgot the three Venerables outside the Ghost Wail Ridge, and he forgot the enormous spiritual beast hovering above him.

He knew only: Inhale, convert, input, vaporize, fuse. This process had become his instinct, revolving ceaselessly, without interruption.

Ten days. A full ten days passed, and before He Yiming’s eyes, the Five Elements Ring grew smaller, and smaller, and smaller…