He Yiming’s speed was terrifying. In a single stride, he was between the two elders, casually extending both hands to grasp their weapons in an effortless snatch.

A mighty surge of True Qi, like a tidal wave, rushed forth. The instant the two elders made contact with this power, they knew they were hopelessly outmatched. Moreover, this force surged relentlessly along the weapons and poured into their bodies, shattering their True Qi defenses, seemingly intent on shaking them to death.

The two were instantly terrified to the core, abandoning their weapons altogether.

Stamping their feet, they roared out loud while simultaneously retreating, stumbling backward dozens of steps.

It was fortunate that He Yiming had not truly intended to kill them; otherwise, they would not have survived.

He Yiming’s cold gaze swept over the pair. He then twisted the two three-pronged halberds together, kneading them as if they were simple dough.

These two renowned treasured artifacts, capable of withstanding True Qi, behaved like mere dough in He Yiming’s grasp, soon being crushed into a lump of scrap metal.

The onlookers stared dumbfounded, and even Zhang Huitai could not conceal the shock churning within him.

Only now did he realize that his prior assessment of He Yiming had likely been far too low.

Coughing lightly, Zhang Huitai quickly said, “Mr. He, please calm your anger. The Leng brothers certainly had no intention of offending you.”

He Yiming spared him a detached glance, casually tossing the metal lump aside. He beckoned, and Treasure Pig immediately scampered over, resting its front trotters on He Yiming’s chest and swinging back and forth as if on a swing set.

Only then did Zhang Huitai and the others grasp the situation: this adorable white pig was He Yiming’s pet. No wonder he had suddenly intervened.

However, the Huo family members were utterly perplexed; they had not seen this lovely white pig at all during the past three days.

Zhang Huitai turned toward the two elders, his expression darkening. “Leng brothers, you are both established Innate experts in the vicinity. Do you not know the rules of Qianshan City?” His voice carried a distinctly sinister edge: “During the fifteen days of the New Year, no martial arts combat is permitted within Qianshan City. Are you perhaps trying to challenge our sect?”

The elder of the two, who appeared slightly older, quickly responded, “Brother Zhang, we have resided here for many years; how could we not know the rules? But the one who violated the rules was not us; it was it.”

Everyone followed the direction of his finger—the wobbling white pig.

Zhang Huitai paused slightly. “It broke the rules?”

Suspicion filled the minds of the onlookers. How could such a cute little pig possibly violate any rules?

Old Man Leng snorted angrily. “My brother and I were fortunate enough to acquire a three-thousand-year Inner Sea Pearl during our recent outing. We had already agreed to trade it for an Innate Golden Elixir, but unexpectedly, this white pig, which came from nowhere, suddenly rushed forward and snatched the pearl.” He paused, cupped his hands together, and continued, “This is the territory of the Qianshan Sect. We brothers have always been rule-abiding individuals. We ask Brother Zhang to dispense justice for us.”

The crowd finally understood the cause of the conflict, and their gazes turned toward He Yiming.

A look of difficulty crossed Zhang Huitai’s face. He inwardly regretted involving himself in this messy situation.

He Yiming gently stroked Treasure Pig’s back a couple of times and asked loudly, “A thousand-year pearl? Treasure Pig, did you take something?”

Treasure Pig immediately opened its mouth wide, grunted a couple of times, and then spat out a sparkling bead from its mouth.

The moment He Yiming’s hand touched the bead, his heart tightened slightly.

A three-thousand-year pearl was not precisely the inner core of a spirit beast, but its value was certainly not inferior to the core of an ordinary five-hundred-year spirit beast.

For most living beings, simply reaching a thousand years of age was remarkable, let alone surviving for three millennia. The probability of this was even significantly lower than finding a five-hundred-year spirit beast.

The older the pearl, the more potent its functional aspects, especially for refining certain precious elixirs, which often required powder from pearls aged a thousand years or more.

Thus, the Leng brothers’ desire to trade a three-thousand-year pearl for an Innate Golden Elixir was not an unreasonable request. He Yiming was even certain that if this pearl were taken to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, it could definitely be exchanged for two Innate Golden Elixirs.

However, what truly moved He Yiming was the suspicion that this bead was far more than just a three-thousand-year pearl; otherwise, the discerning Treasure Pig would not have shamelessly rushed forward to rob them. Furthermore, as the bead rested in He Yiming’s palm, he focused all his concentration to investigate it, clearly sensing the profound Heaven and Earth Qi contained within. This Qi was deeply entrenched, so much so that even with He Yiming’s Venerable-level abilities, it was not easily discovered, let alone by experts whose cultivation only reached the Innate realm.

Of course, despite his discoveries, He Yiming kept his expression perfectly neutral.

Old Man Leng’s eyes lit up, and he quickly said, “That is the pearl that this spirit beast stole! Brother Zhang, please uphold justice for us.”

He Yiming raised his head and shot a cold glance at him. The two Leng brothers immediately took a step back, their gaze toward him filled with dread. They had personally experienced He Yiming’s might. If they weren't within the confines of Qianshan City, they would never have dared to demand satisfaction.

After a moment of hesitation, He Yiming slipped the bead back into Treasure Pig’s mouth, giving it a very subtle look. They had been together for two years and shared a profound understanding; upon seeing He Yiming’s gaze, Treasure Pig immediately understood his intention, nodded slightly, and settled back down without moving.

Lifting his head, He Yiming spoke calmly, “Your pearl was taken by my Treasure Pig, but that doesn't necessitate a fight to the death, does it?”

Old Man Leng forced a thin smile. “We brothers did not know this spirit beast was your honored pet. We ask for your forgiveness for the offense.” Although He Yiming appeared young, his Martial Dao cultivation was unfathomably deep, leading the Leng brothers to address him with the respectful term for an elder.

The surrounding crowd, including the stall owners looking on from a distance, cautiously watched the situation, awaiting He Yiming’s decision, as the previous lively atmosphere had vanished.

Frowning slightly, He Yiming asked, “Brother Zhang, does your sect possess an alchemy chamber?”

Zhang Huitai was surprised but quickly replied, “We do. Our sect’s alchemy chamber is second only to Lingjiu Valley on Penglai Immortal Island; even Haitien Gate is slightly inferior.”

He Yiming nodded slightly. “I wish to borrow your sect’s alchemy chamber. I ask Brother Zhang to facilitate this arrangement.”

Zhang Huitai looked at He Yiming in astonishment. After a moment, he managed, “Mr. He, are you perhaps intending to refine an Innate Golden Elixir?”

This statement caused an immediate uproar. The difficulty of refining an Innate Golden Elixir was common knowledge; it required not only the inner core of a five-hundred-year spirit beast but also a powerful Alchemist. On Penglai Immortal Island, very few Alchemists could successfully refine the Innate Golden Elixir, with only two capable within the three great sects. Thus, when He Yiming requested the use of an alchemy chamber, the awe in the onlookers’ eyes intensified.

He Yiming gave a casual smile. “Correct. I happen to possess an Innate Inner Core, which is of little use simply kept on hand. Since that is the case, I shall refine an Innate Golden Elixir.” He turned, his cold gaze sweeping over the Leng brothers, whose faces were a mixture of surprise and excitement. “Once the Golden Elixir is successfully refined, I will give it to you two in exchange for the pearl my Treasure Pig took.”

The Leng brothers immediately bowed in gratitude. At this moment, any lingering resentment they held had long since vanished.

He Yiming turned. “Brother Huo, please escort them into the city. I will return shortly.”

Huo Leqing quickly bowed deeply. Knowing that He Yiming was also skilled in alchemy, his deference only increased.

Zhang Huitai issued a few instructions to the city gate guards and then cheerfully stepped forward to lead the way. Although Qianshan Sect had the prohibition against combat during the New Year, special individuals warranted special treatment. Since Treasure Pig was involved, it naturally became Mr. He’s affair. And faced with this inscrutable Innate Alchemist, any person with a modicum of sense would not dare to cause trouble over such a minor matter.

Led by Zhang Huitai, He Yiming traversed Qianshan City and arrived beneath the towering mountain range. Several Houtian experts guarded the mountain entrance. Upon seeing Zhang Huitai, they immediately bowed in greeting, not daring to obstruct him.

However, halfway up the mountain, even Zhang Huitai’s demeanor grew solemn.

Soon, they stopped before the entrance of a mountain cave halfway up the slope. He Yiming observed a structure built outside the cave—an Innate expert was stationed here, clearly indicating this location was one of Qianshan Sect’s critical areas.

Indeed, when Zhang Huitai arrived, an old man emerged from the room. Zhang Huitai approached and whispered with the elder for a moment, causing the elder’s eyes to widen in surprise. He turned and studied He Yiming carefully, his face breaking into a wide smile. Clearly, Zhang Huitai had conveyed He Yiming’s formidable power, which explained why the elder dared not show disrespect. Otherwise, Innate experts from major sects were rarely so courteous toward peak-level rogue cultivators without sectarian backing.

The two conferred for a few more moments, and the elder’s face showed a hint of difficulty. He Yiming was unsurprised; if this were in Hengshan, it would be strange if someone like Medicine Daoist offered a pleasant reception to a request to borrow an alchemy chamber.

But Zhang Huitai was highly persuasive. After some discussion, the elder finally let out a long sigh and nodded toward them. Zhang Huitai smiled with relief and respectfully invited He Yiming into the cave.

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