This gesture of thanks was entirely sincere; this detailed conversation with the elder had saved him at least ten years of independent exploration, and mastering this combat technique would vastly improve his defensive capabilities.

At minimum, he could now withstand the full force of an attack from a Venerable-level expert.

Though he hadn't grasped the Power of Water or condensed the Water Flower during this trip to the East Sea, learning this singular, mysterious art made the journey worthwhile regardless.

He once again turned to face the East, calming his mind and spirit. The true qi within his body began to surge wildly, following his will, transforming into a rolling torrent of heat that converged between his tongue and mouth.

Sensing that area of strange power, He Yiming opened his mouth, and three tangible flowers burst forth.

As if driven by some unseen, mystic force, these three tangible flowers began to spin rapidly above He Yiming’s head.

Vast amounts of Heaven and Earth qi rushed toward the three tangible flowers. In an instant, the surrounding environment became chaotic, as if an invisible, massive rod were constantly churning the air.

The old man nodded slightly, sighing inwardly. This person was indeed a prodigy. Hearing the method just once allowed him to execute it perfectly. Although his movements were incredibly clumsy—in a real fight, such slowness would see him cut into seventeen or eighteen pieces before the armor fully condensed—the elder understood that since the young expert had grasped the correct methodology, his speed would gradually increase with practice. Perhaps in a few years, he could condense the tangible armor in a single breath, just as the elder could.

Slowly, the three tangible flowers shattered.

However, the situation this time seemed different from the last. The exploded three flowers did not re-coalesce into a mixed flower; instead, they merged directly and surged toward his body, enveloping it.

The various powers within him flowed continuously, exchanging and gradually forming a perfectly balanced system of strength.

Finally, when all the power stilled, He Yiming opened his eyes.

He looked down at himself and saw, indeed, a layer of three-colored armor successfully covering his body. Since this armor was entirely condensed from his own true qi, it felt intensely comfortable when worn, merging perfectly with him as one entity.

This was the difference between tangible armor and true armor. True armor, even if custom-made, could never achieve this feeling of seamless unity upon first contact.

He flexed his arm gently, easily sensing the colossal power concentrated within the armor.

Yet, the only thing that dissatisfied He Yiming was that the armor consumed true qi at an alarming rate. Even at his current strength, he felt a heavy burden.

It was no wonder the old man had not worn this set of armor throughout his fight with the White Horse; he only revealed it when the White Horse employed his ultimate techniques. The real reason was the immense true qi drain required to maintain the armor, a state even a Venerable could not sustain indefinitely.

As true qi poured forth from his Dantian, He Yiming’s sensation of depletion grew more acute.

But just then, He Yiming abruptly discovered that the vortex of Yin-Sha qi within his Dantian was beginning to undergo a subtle transformation. They felt restless, as if eager to escape the confines of his Dantian.

After a slight hesitation, He Yiming immediately released his mental restraint over them. Ever since this cluster formed in his Dantian, he had been probing its function. But to his disappointment, although it obeyed his commands, it could not integrate with the true qi in his meridians, rendering it unusable for direct attack. Thus, the vortex cluster was undeniably a useless burden.

However, the sudden reaction from this mystical cluster precisely when he was outputting a massive stream of true qi filled He Yiming with immense joy. He longed to see what wondrous abilities it possessed.

The next moment, the unrestrained vortex cluster, seemingly possessing independent sentience, flooded into his meridians in a swarm, surging outward toward the exterior channels.

In just a single breath, this strange power successfully escaped the chaotic confines of the Dantian and entered the vast outside world. Upon contact with the outer air, they instantly turned ashen-black and rapidly spread across the surface of the tangible armor.

In a mere instant, this gray-black color permeated the entire armor, melding into it completely.

The old man had been watching quietly, feeling a sense of profound contemplation. But now, the muscles in his face twitched violently several times. He had invented this technique himself; no one in the world understood it better than he did. Therefore, he knew precisely what the armor looked like after the three flowers merged into a tangible form. While the resulting armor varied slightly depending on an individual’s physique and cultivation methods, for any human, the condensed armor would not deviate significantly.

But the gray-black qi now surging from this young expert confounded him utterly. His mind raced: could this man have practiced some sinister, vicious cultivation method that resulted in such a bizarre change?

This was no mere fantasy of the elder; He Yiming’s current appearance was utterly startling. His body was covered in small, constantly rotating ashen-black vortexes. These vortexes spun ceaselessly, flowing across the armor’s surface in irregular patterns, like liquid. At first glance, it appeared as if he were sheathed in armor made of countless swirling, gray-black mist. This armor enveloped his entire being, including his head and face.

What was truly terrifying was that these vortexes were not static; they alternately surged outward and collapsed inward, resembling massive spikes perpetually extending and retracting. Furthermore, once these vortexes appeared, the surrounding space became saturated with a deep, chilling, ghostly aura. Even under the bright sun, one could sense an overwhelming, bizarre pressure.

As a Venerable, the old man was indeed knowledgeable and well-traveled. Though he had lived on this deserted island for decades without leaving, his younger years involved journeying the world, befriending countless masters, and clashing with numerous Venerables. Even with his vast experience, he could not discern the origin of this cultivation technique.

Of course, any manifestation of such potent Yin-Sha qi immediately suggested a powerful, unorthodox, and possibly evil technique. Such methods yielded immense power, but the path of their cultivation was far more arduous and demanding than ordinary arts.

The elder held no prejudice against righteous or heretical techniques, but upon sensing this powerful Yin-Sha qi, he could not help but feel a tremor of apprehension. After all, while cultivating evil arts accelerates strength gains, the cultivator's state of mind is inevitably affected. As the saying goes: a person may have no intent to harm the tiger, but the tiger harbors intent to harm. Upon encountering a practitioner of wicked arts, one naturally harbors a degree of caution.

He Yiming let out a long breath, his excitement soaring. The successful formation of the armor filled him with ineffable joy. Coupled with the sudden eruption of the Yin-Sha vortexes clinging to the armor’s surface, he was certain, despite not having tested it, that this Yin-Sha qi would lend tremendous assistance to the armor. With the addition of the Yin-Sha qi, this armor might not merely offer defense but also possess means of attack. An armor possessing both offense and defense—this was an unexpected delight.

Naturally, He Yiming could not yet precisely define the armor's true capabilities. Without the trial of actual combat, he could not provide a satisfactory assessment. After all, some armors and divine weapons seem tremendously powerful when newly forged but prove mediocre in real battle. While He Yiming did not believe his Yin-Sha Armor was merely flashy window dressing, his confidence remained somewhat lacking before a true test.

Turning, he offered the elder a deep bow, expressing his heartfelt gratitude: "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

The elder waved his hand generously, his gaze deep and unreadable, causing a faint chill to run down He Yiming’s spine. After a moment, He Yiming asked hesitantly, "I have one matter I do not understand, which I beg you to clarify."

"Speak," the elder said in a deep voice.

He Yiming raised his head, looking at him seriously, and stated firmly, "I wonder what virtue or merit I possess that warrants your esteem, leading you to impart this technique so completely." He paused, "If you require any service from me, sir, please state it plainly. As long as it is within my power, I will not refuse."

Indeed, though He Yiming was somewhat self-assured, he was not so arrogant as to believe he was universally beloved. He certainly did not believe that a few roasted fish warranted the elder sharing his ultimate technique entirely. Thus, he reasoned that the elder must have his eye on his Venerable strength and his inscrutable skill in the One Hundred and Eight Arts, intending to leverage his power in exchange for the technique.

The elder was initially taken aback, then a flicker of realization crossed his face. He had resided here for decades, too long separated from other humans. Yet, after a month spent with He Yiming, most of his long-dormant memories had returned.