A voice, somewhat urgent, seemed to drift in from nowhere, pulling He Yiming's consciousness, deeply immersed in the Blood Coagulation Art, back to reality.

He shook his head, glancing around as his vacant gaze gradually focused and sharpened.

Finally, a flash of keen light sparked in his eyes. "Elder Brother Chu, what are you doing here?" His eyes shifted. "What about Lin Yiwu and Chen Wo?"

Chu Haozhou smiled proudly. "After enduring for so many years, when this old brother finally makes a move, naturally, I wouldn't let those two slip away."

He Yiming nodded slightly, understanding immediately the fate that had befallen the Venerable master and his disciple.

Chu Haozhou’s gaze fell upon He Yiming's hands, and he asked in a deep voice, "Brother He, if I'm not mistaken, you must have been comprehending the Martial Dao just now?"

He Yiming chuckled, suddenly remembering something. "Elder Brother Chu, how long was I in meditation?"

"Roughly an hour."

"An hour?" He Yiming exclaimed in surprise. His experience within the vortex felt as if it spanned decades or even centuries, granting him endless knowledge. He Yiming had assumed at least a year had passed in meditation, worrying he might have missed his appointment with Jin Zhanyi.

Yet, it was only an hour.

He shook his head slightly; this Blood Coagulation Art truly possessed unfathomable, ghostly power. He wondered which ancient sage could have created such a miraculous bloodline technique.

"Brother He, what exactly happened when you were pursuing the Ancient Demon?" Chu Haozhou inquired again.

Seeing the gravity on Chu Haozhou's face, He Yiming vaguely sensed that his elder brother knew something significant.

So, he recounted the entire pursuit of the Ancient Demon without reservation, even candidly admitting how the Blood Coagulation Scripture had been given to him.

Chu Haozhou’s expression grew increasingly grim. Finally, he demanded sharply, "Brother He, in your meditation just now, were you studying that Divine Dao Book of the Blood Coagulation Art?"

He Yiming nodded repeatedly, secretly astonished. Chu Haozhou's expression, looking as if he might devour someone at any moment, was truly terrifying.

Receiving the affirmative answer, Chu Haozhou stared blankly at He Yiming, his eyes filled with intense conflict.

He Yiming was greatly puzzled and asked, "Elder Brother Chu, this junior is slow-witted and doesn't understand what has happened. I beg you to clarify."

Chu Haozhou let out a long sigh. "Brother He, you have been deceived. That damned Ancient Demon, I wish I could tear him limb from limb."

He Yiming’s heart tensed. "This junior long suspected the Ancient Demon harbored ill intentions but couldn't discern them."

Chu Haozhou shook his head. "He set a trap for you, and that trap was the Divine Dao Book he gave you."

He Yiming held up the Divine Dao Book in his hand, utterly bewildered. He had experienced it firsthand. This book was absolutely a genuine Divine Dao Book; there was no possibility of it being a counterfeit.

"Brother He, do you know why the Ancient Demon was besieged and killed by the experts of the Three Islands a hundred years ago?"

"This junior does not know," He Yiming replied, shaking his head, a trace of curiosity showing on his face.

Chu Haozhou stated solemnly, "A hundred years ago, the Ancient Demon somehow obtained a Divine Dao Book from an unknown source. He allowed three experts of the same rank to read it. The result was that every Venerable who read the book went mad and died. Moreover, upon their deaths, the Ancient Demon would open their abdomens and split their skulls to forcibly excavate the relics within their bodies. During this time, anyone who tried to resist suffered a terrible fate."

He Yiming gasped sharply. "Everyone who read the book went mad?"

"Precisely. They seemed to have suffered extreme shock, causing them to become frenzied." Chu Haozhou managed a bitter smile. "Later, someone researched the historical records and recognized the origin of that Divine Dao Book." He looked at the manual in He Yiming's hands and stated each word deliberately: "If this old brother is not mistaken, this should be the Blood Coagulation Scripture."

"It is," He Yiming said heavily. "What is the origin of this book, and why do you regard it like a venomous snake, Elder Brother Chu?"

Chu Haozhou shook his head. "This book is rumored to have been forged by a powerful demon during the era of the Divine Dao. This demon not only possessed Divine Dao cultivation himself, but he was accompanied by a 'Blood Coagulation Man' whose cultivation was even stronger, surpassing even those of the Divine Dao era."

He Yiming recalled the scene he had just witnessed, nodding slightly but remaining silent.

To be honest, He Yiming could only sense that the Blood Mist figure was indeed immensely powerful, possessing a might beyond his current comprehension.

Perhaps only the fire dragon within the Nine Dragon Furnace could be compared to him.

However, which one was stronger—the Blood Mist figure or the fire dragon—was not something He Yiming could gauge at present.

Chu Haozhou suddenly smiled with relief. "Seeing the Ancient Demon refine that Blood Coagulation Man today nearly made this old brother turn tail and flee! Fortunately, White Horse arrived in time, and its lightning proved to have a restraining effect on the Blood Coagulation Man. Truly, heaven blessed us! Otherwise, our Three Immortal Isles of the East Sea, and countless other islands, would have faced catastrophe."

He Yiming opened his mouth, intending to tell Chu Haozhou just how mighty the fully formed Blood Coagulation Man truly was. But after a second thought, he kept silent.

"Elder Brother Chu, I also read that Divine Dao Book. Will I also become insane?" He Yiming joked.

Chu Haozhou studied him carefully for a few moments. "Perhaps you didn't read it for long, which is why you are safe. But heed my words, brother: never delve too deeply into this book."

He Yiming nodded firmly. At this point, he understood the Ancient Demon’s intentions.

This Divine Dao Book was indeed a rare manual, but to cultivate it, one absolutely had to master the Blood Coagulation Art first.

Without mastering that technique, attempting to read the book was tantamount to seeking death. Once the spirit was drawn into the vortex, madness and frenzy were inevitable consequences.

However, no matter how clever the Ancient Demon was, he could never have anticipated that He Yiming would learn the Blood Coagulation Art from Hao Xue.

It was precisely because he had the foundation of the Blood Coagulation Art that He Yiming was recognized by the Divine Dao Book, remained clear-headed within the vortex, and ultimately learned all the methods for utilizing the power of Blood.

Refining a Blood Coagulation Man was the highest realm of the Blood Coagulation Art, and there were many other application techniques. Yet, without the foundation of the Blood Coagulation Art, all of it would be mere illusion, impossible to complete.

Nodding heavily, He Yiming’s expression was extremely serious, but Chu Haozhou was unaware that He Yiming was not treating the matter with excessive concern internally.

If this Divine Dao Book fell into the hands of other Venerables, it might spell a disaster of epic proportions. But in his hands, it promised immense power. To abandon it now would be truly idiotic.

His gaze shifted, and He Yiming suddenly remembered something. "Elder Brother Chu, if this junior isn't mistaken, you should have already grasped the Way of Flight."

A smug smile instantly appeared on Chu Haozhou's face, and he laughed heartily. "Brother He, this time, while refining the inner core of the Black Vulture King, this old brother unexpectedly recovered his original Divine Weapon! And the Dragon Whip fused with my true Qi. By a stroke of sheer luck, it allowed me to break past my limits and condense a strand of Divine Weapon Qi. All of this is thanks to you, my brother!"

Sharp light flickered in He Yiming's eyes as he asked seriously, "Elder Brother Chu, what exactly is 'Five Qi Returning to the Origin'?"

Chu Haozhou paused slightly. Seeing the seriousness on He Yiming's face, he scratched his scalp. "Five Qi Returning to the Origin is the realm that follows Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown. Reaching this realm is exponentially more difficult."

He Yiming spoke solemnly, "How is it achieved?"

Although Chu Haozhou found He Yiming's question strange, he explained the process in detail nonetheless.

After a while, He Yiming gained some understanding.

After vaporizing a weapon and becoming a Venerable, one had already reached a certain peak level. Especially the human body, which reached its zenith; advancing further was immensely difficult.

However, human ingenuity was infinite. During the Divine Dao era, some strong individuals began vaporizing a second Divine Weapon.

Once a second Divine Weapon was successfully vaporized, it was equivalent to having another Venerable existing within one's body. Furthermore, anyone who vaporized a second Divine Weapon could transform that second weapon into intangible Qi, wrapping their body as they soared through the heavens.

For every additional Divine Weapon refined, the power within would double.

Over countless years, based on repeated empirical conclusions, the consensus was that, aside from the Natal Divine Weapon, one could vaporize a maximum of five additional Divine Weapons.

These five Divine Weapons were known as the Five Qi Returning to the Origin.

Of course, simply managing to refine one weapon beyond the Natal Divine Weapon meant one had stepped into the realm of Five Qi Returning to the Origin.

From that point on, the resulting power could no longer be compared to that of ordinary Venerables.

Once Chu Haozhou finished his explanation, he sighed. "As soon as this old brother stepped into the realm of the Five Qi, I rushed here for revenge. If I had cultivated for another year or so, killing Lin Yiwu and the other would not have required such effort."

He Yiming nodded slightly, bowed deeply, and smiled, "It is truly cause for celebration that Elder Brother has advanced to the realm of the Five Qi."

Chu Haozhou smiled bitterly. "My advancement to the Five Qi Returning to the Origin this time was pure chance. If I hadn't intentionally destroyed my Natal Divine Weapon previously, and if it hadn't inexplicably recovered now, given my aptitude, this old brother might never have reached the Five Qi realm in this lifetime."

Hearing this, He Yiming's heart stirred greatly. "Elder Brother Chu, as the saying goes, 'No destruction, no construction; establishing anew after destruction.' Perhaps your method will become a new lineage for future attempts to break into the Five Qi Returning to the Origin realm."

Chu Haozhou paused, then fell silent. However, He Yiming could see that his heart was moved by the idea.

After all, if his bizarre method could truly be passed down, then the name Chu Haozhou would be celebrated for generations, praised by countless people.

Yet, after a long pause, Chu Haozhou sighed again. "Brother He, the reason this old man destroyed his Divine Weapon back then was for the sake of revenge; I acted without regard for the consequences. But among the Venerables today, who would destroy their own Divine Weapon?"

He Yiming was instantly silenced, for he knew clearly that unless cornered and with no other recourse, absolutely no one would choose such a perilous path...