With the power draining from him, Zhang Zhongjuan immediately stumbled backward. But He Yiming was prepared, with a slight twist of his wrist, catching his body instantly.
However, a hand was swifter than He Yiming's; just as his palm made contact with the back of Zhang Zhongxi’s garment, Hao Tong had already swept him up entirely.
Hao Tong's True Qi circulated once through Zhang Zhongxi’s body, and he immediately perceived that the Yin Fiend Qi within Zhang Zhongxi had vanished completely. Not only was the Yin Fiend Qi that had coiled in his chest and abdomen gone, but even the crucial Yin Fiend Qi lodged in his brain had evaporated without a trace.
Only then did his heart truly settle.
“Yiming, thank you,” Hao Tong murmured softly.
He Yiming hastily waved his hand. “Elder, you are too polite. This was nothing more than a simple gesture for me. If you must thank me for this, then how should I thank you for your immense favor?”
Hao Tong smiled faintly, saying no more, but the affection he felt for He Yiming deepened profoundly. If his earlier regard for He Yiming was merely due to recognizing his talent and wishing for him to carry on the Way of Alchemy, then now, in the old man’s heart, He Yiming was truly regarded as an immediate junior kinsman.
With this shift in mentality, Hao Tong ceased to hold back his regard.
Jin Zhanyi stepped forward, smiling. “Congratulations, Martial Uncle. Congratulations, Brother He.”
Hao Tong let out a hearty laugh, settled Zhang Zhongdan in another room, and called for a younger member of the Zhang family to attend to him. Then, turning back, he said, “Yiming, now that you have advanced to the Venerable realm, I should address you as brother from now on.”
He Yiming’s face flushed slightly. He could accept the change in address calmly when facing people like Gao Weiliang, but facing Elder Hao Tong, the words caught in his throat, making it difficult to comply.
Hao Tong chuckled, saying, “The path of Martial Arts has always respected strength. Since you have reached this level, you must possess this status. Don’t be hesitant; it makes one look insignificant.”
He Yiming nodded slightly, suddenly recalling something. “Brother Hao, Yiming has a request.”
Hao Tong raised an eyebrow. “Speak if you have something. If I can manage it, I will certainly grant it for you. If I cannot, I will use up this old face to ask the Sect Master to complete it for you.”
After He Yiming healed Zhang Zhongdan, the elder looked at him with increasing satisfaction.
He Yiming coughed lightly. “I dare not trouble the Sect Master himself. I merely wished to inquire if anyone in your sect is proficient in Western scripts.”
Hao Tong replied without hesitation, “Of course, there are many. Why do you ask?”
He Yiming was not surprised. With over a million people in this city, naturally, all kinds of talents could be found. Finding someone proficient in Western scripts should be quite easy.
He took out a thick book from his bosom. “I wish to ask someone to translate the text within.”
Hao Tong took it, handed it to Jin Zhanyi without looking, and said, “This is a small matter. Martial Nephew Jin, I entrust this to you.”
Jin Zhanyi chuckled heartily. “Martial Uncle, rest assured. It will be completed within three days.”
He Yiming paused, glancing at him with suspicion a few times.
Jin Zhanyi puffed out his chest. “Brother He, I also spent several years in the West, so I am fairly familiar with their scripts.”
He Yiming tapped his forehead lightly. Jin Zhanyi had indeed roamed the West challenging others, so he would naturally be acquainted with the local language.
Nodding slightly to him, He Yiming turned, bowed to Hao Tong, and said, “I also wish to peruse the collection in the Scripture Pavilion of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall for a few days. I ask for your approval.”
Hao Tong smiled broadly. “This is also a small matter. Since you have advanced to Venerable and are a disciple of the Northwest Heavenly Lake Sect, you inherently possess this qualification.” He paused. “Tomorrow, I will personally take you to the Martial Arsenal and give specific instructions, ensuring you can view all the texts.”
He Yiming was overjoyed and immediately bowed deeply in thanks.
After He Yiming and Jin Zhanyi took their leave, Hao Tong, though reluctant to see them go, was preoccupied with Zhang Zhongdan’s injuries and did not press them to stay.
Returning to Jin Zhanyi’s courtyard, He Yiming let out a large yawn. “Brother Jin, I expended a considerable amount of True Qi just now. I need to rest first.” He then pointed to the book in Jin Zhanyi’s hand. “You can start translating; I won’t disturb you.”
Jin Zhanyi glared at him good-naturedly, picked up the book, and casually flipped through a few pages. The expression on his face immediately grew serious.
He Yiming paused slightly. “What is it? Is something amiss?”
Jin Zhanyi shook his head. “Brother He, where did you acquire this manual?”
He Yiming’s eyes lit up. “Is this truly a Martial Arts manual?”
Jin Zhanyi nodded solemnly. “This is indeed a Martial Arts manual, and moreover, a secret passed down within a Western Cathedral.”
He Yiming was ecstatic. This book was the one he had confiscated from Gabri’s person, but unfortunately, all the text used in it was Western script, which He Yiming did not recognize. Before taking it out, he had been wondering if the book only contained introductions to local customs and geography; if so, he would have been too embarrassed to show it.
Fortunately, Jin Zhanyi was certain it was a Western martial arts manual, and his mind immediately calmed. With a slight smile, He Yiming said, “I picked up this manual on Ghost Cry Ridge.”
“Picked up?” Jin Zhanyi asked suspiciously, his expression full of disbelief.
He Yiming nodded. “I found it on a dead person.”
Jin Zhanyi’s eyebrows relaxed, and he immediately understood. He had initially thought He Yiming found the manual on some raving madman who had died, but he did not know that He Yiming had indeed found it on a corpse—though that person was not a lunatic, but a Western Venerable.
Jin Zhanyi flipped through it again. “This manual seems to describe some kind of miraculous technique, but Western martial arts differ vastly from ours in the East, and they generally cannot be cultivated concurrently. So, Brother He, you shouldn't hold too much hope.”
He Yiming nodded slightly. “Although the cultivation methods of our two sides differ, the fundamental principles remain the same. Even borrowing from it would be beneficial.”
Jin Zhanyi pondered briefly, then nodded in agreement. Before advancing to the Venerable realm, one naturally could not afford too much distraction, but now that he had become a Venerable, the situation was different. Understanding one field by analogy could sometimes lead to new breakthroughs.
After they parted ways, Jin Zhanyi naturally set to the tedious work of translation, while He Yiming returned to his room.
He looked around; the furnishings were exactly as they had been before he left, except everything was spotlessly clean, clearly having been meticulously cared for.
He Yiming felt a warmth in his heart, suddenly experiencing a feeling akin to being home.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, calmed his mind, and slowly let his consciousness sink into his Dantian.
Here, it was still chaotic, but three distinct forces now existed.
One was the Five Elements Ring, shimmering with five colors. The second was the power of the Pagoda, possessing a mysterious energy.
The third force was the Yin Fiend Qi he had just absorbed from Zhang Zhongxi’s body.
Originally, upon entering the Dantian, the Yin Fiend Qi would have dissipated into nothingness, transforming into True Qi that He Yiming could use at any time. However, when the Yin Fiend Qi combined with the vortex formed by the Feng Shui energy, a change occurred, birthing a power capable of surviving in the chaos.
Of course, this power was currently very weak—not to mention its comparison to the Five Elements Ring, it was far inferior even to that sliver of Pagoda power. Yet, He Yiming could vaguely sense that this force was slowly absorbing the massive True Qi within the Dantian and gradually expanding its own might.
He Yiming had a feeling that if this power continued to grow, one day it would reach an immensely powerful state, perhaps not inferior even to the Five Elements Ring.
His divine sense sank further, finally entering the vortex power completely.
The next moment, He Yiming seemed to sense that in his “vision,” that single vortex instantly fractured into countless smaller vortices.
He paused slightly, suddenly understanding that what formed this powerful vortex was precisely these seemingly endless small vortices.
Although these small vortices acted independently, when gathered together, all their energies acted uniformly against external forces. Furthermore, the frequency and speed of every vortex were identical, as if they were a single entity.
This was why they could form a large vortex and sustain themselves in the harsh environment of the chaotic Dantian.
He Yiming’s consciousness continued to move among these countless small vortices, eventually reaching the edge of the region.
Suddenly, something astonishing happened. At the edge, in the seemingly empty space, a new small vortex spontaneously generated.
Upon its birth, this small vortex was initially very faint, like a lamp about to be extinguished. But after only a few rotations, immense power surged into it from within and without, helping it stabilize rapidly.
Soon, it successfully integrated itself into the entire family of vortices.
He Yiming’s curiosity grew stronger. He observed this scene for a long time and finally reached a conclusion: new vortices were continuously being generated from the edges of the larger vortex, and these new vortices integrated into the main vortex in a specific manner.
This process might not be fast, but it was continuous and inexhaustible.
When he withdrew his consciousness from the large vortex, he was again surprised to find that no matter how many small vortices increased within it, the overall volume of the large vortex remained unchanged. It held its size, showing no discernible alteration.
After hesitating for a while, He Yiming made no further discoveries. He finally withdrew his consciousness, knitted his brows in deep thought, unsure of what to make of it all.