Though He Yiming was considerably displeased with the pace, he understood this was the etiquette of the Glazed Island, not something to be measured purely by speed.
Just as they entered the Northwestern territories, the Heavenly Pool lineage would offer the same formal hospitality, rather than rushing them like a gale to the main peak of Tianchi.
Along the way, Zhuang WeiXi served with meticulous care, only finally relaxing the tension in his heart when, on the following day’s journey along the main road, they spotted a company of riders approaching from a distance.
Despite He Yiming’s outwardly amicable demeanor, showing no strange demands or eccentricities, the more placid he appeared, the more uneasy and anxious Zhuang WeiXi became.
In his experience, even those at the Innate level were difficult to serve, let alone a Grand Venerable of the Five Energies, whose rank soared immeasurably above that.
Thus, the more nonchalant He Yiming acted, the less Zhuang WeiXi could fathom him, leading to profound disquiet.
Fortunately, news traveled swiftly; someone was already coming to meet them, which finally pulled him out of the anguish of constant worry.
He Yiming’s eyebrows flickered slightly; he had already discerned the identities of the newcomers. A trace of relieved satisfaction crossed his face as he stirred within the carriage and emerged in a swift motion.
“Brother Jin, I told you Brother He possessed great fortune and a long life; nothing untoward would happen to him.”
A burst of hearty, unrestrained laughter carried from afar—it was Li JiangFeng, who had once offered aid to He Yiming before the Realm of Life and Death. Beside him, naturally, was only Jin Zhanyi.
He Yiming laughed heartily in return. “My thanks to Brother Li for the kind words. Indeed, this little brother has returned completely unharmed.”
As they spoke, the knights spurred their horses to close the distance. One of them gestured lightly, and Zhuang WeiXi and his retinue respectfully withdrew.
They understood that from this moment forward, all matters concerning He Yiming would be taken over by these men.
When they were near He Yiming and his party, they could not shake a sense of danger, akin to serving an emperor. Yet, when He Yiming’s group departed, a certain emptiness settled in their hearts.
This was the common psychology of low-level cultivators; unless they too could ascend to the ranks of the high-level practitioners, they would never successfully dispel this shadow clinging to their minds.
He Yiming’s gaze swept over the assembled knights, his eyes betraying a hint of surprise.
This was the Southern Sea, not the Northwestern plains. Yet, the horsemanship of these knights was in no way inferior to that of true Northwestern riders; such an oddity naturally astonished him.
Li JiangFeng, seasoned and astute, glanced around and immediately understood. He chuckled heartily. “Brother He, these men are all guards of our Glazed Island, but they lived in the North of Great Shen during their youth, hence their excellent equestrian skills.”
Only then did He Yiming realize the truth. It explained why he could detect the shadow of Northern continent riders among them; they had clearly ingrained those movements so deeply they could never forget them.
Jin Zhanyi stepped forward, gratitude evident in his voice. “Brother He, thank you very much.”
His gratitude was utterly sincere. The Lingxiao Treasure Hall had arrived with three great ships. However, they encountered the Silver Eel swarm, a phenomenon occurring once in centuries at sea. If He Yiming had not stepped forward to hold back these overlords of the ocean, even if the three ships had not been utterly annihilated, at least one or two would have been lost.
Whether for the reputation of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall or for the crews aboard those vessels, Jin Zhanyi was profoundly grateful.
He Yiming waved his hand slightly. “Brother Jin, among family, we don't need such formalities.” He tapped his chest lightly. “Don’t forget, I am also an honorary Grand Venerable of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall.”
Jin Zhanyi smiled wryly, but his expression shifted slightly as his eyes moved. “Brother He, where is White Horse?”
Li JiangFeng’s normally smiling face also became serious.
By now, the world knew that He Yiming was accompanied by two mighty Sacred Beasts. The Precious Pig was smaller and less conspicuous, but the white steed with horns upon its head was utterly unique under the heavens.
Furthermore, both Jin Zhanyi and Li JiangFeng knew that White Horse Thunder was He Yiming’s companion Sacred Beast. Logically, unless the White Horse was dead, it was impossible for it to leave He Yiming’s side.
He Yiming gave a bitter smile, shook his head, and let out a long sigh.
Jin Zhanyi’s face immediately darkened, and he spoke with a strained voice, “Brother He, could it be…”
Li JiangFeng frowned deeply. “Impossible. With White Horse’s speed, it couldn't possibly have been entangled by the sea silver eels.”
He Yiming paused, realizing the two had misinterpreted his meaning. He waved his large hand. “Gentlemen, Thunder is fine. It is simply indisposed at the moment, which is why it cannot be here temporarily.”
Jin Zhanyi and Li JiangFeng exchanged a look, seeing the deep suspicion mirrored in each other’s eyes.
White Horse Thunder was a top-tier powerhouse among Sacred Beasts, possessing the bloodline of Divine Beasts, strong enough to rival a Grand Venerable of the Five Energies.
Could such a creature possibly fall ill?
However, they could see that He Yiming did not wish to elaborate, so they prudently dropped the subject. Only because He Yiming’s face showed no sign of grief did they feel a bit more at ease.
Jin Zhanyi, especially, felt relieved; if the White Horse Thunder had been harmed by the silver eel swarm, the Lingxiao Treasure Hall would have been utterly disgraced.
Once they left the carriage and joined the knights, their speed increased markedly.
In less than half a day, surrounded by the escorting knights, they arrived at the most significant location on Glazed Island: a colossal cavern.
Since the island derived its name from a cave, the scale of this particular mountain cavern was easy to imagine.
On one side of the island, a gigantic cave entrance manifested before them.
The mouth of the cave was immensely high; looking up, it spanned at least thirty zhang. The entrance was overwhelmingly wide, easily allowing eight grand carriages to travel abreast without obstruction.
Even more astonishing was that this cavern was clearly a natural formation, bearing no trace of artificial sculpting. Such a breathtaking masterpiece, wrought by supernatural skill, could only be the creation of Nature’s might.
He Yiming slightly narrowed his eyes, and the expression on his face subtly shifted.
Even before approaching the entrance, he sensed waves of scorching pressure emanating toward him.
This pressure did not seem to originate from a single individual but was formed through some inherent natural force. What puzzled He Yiming, however, was that apart from himself, no one else seemed to feel this formidable oppressive aura.
Li JiangFeng and the others had already stopped, their gazes converging on He Yiming and Bai Lingba.
Seeing He Yiming’s expression, the two Venerables from different regions sighed inwardly—He Yiming’s progress was meteoric; they knew they would likely never catch up in their lifetimes.
What astonished them further was that Bai Lingba appeared entirely unaffected, his poker face showing no expression, as if that strange power held no sway over him.
They exchanged a glance, unsure whether this entity, possessing no discernible trace of life force, had actually perceived the unique pressure of the area.
A moment later, He Yiming let out a long breath.
Although the pressure on him had arrived suddenly, it vanished just as quickly, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
He Yiming had considered releasing his divine sense to trace it, but remembering they were on Glazed Island, he forcibly suppressed the thought.
Li JiangFeng nodded slightly and declared with pride, “Brother He, this is our Southern Border’s Myriad Zhang Glazed Cave.”
He Yiming replied with a beaming smile, “It truly lives up to its renown. You have opened my eyes, little brother.”
Li JiangFeng laughed heartily several times. “Brother He, the pressure you just felt was the spiritual essence of the island’s volcano at work.” He paused, explaining, “Every Grand Venerable of the Five Energies who visits for the first time experiences the pressure from the volcanic spirit energy. However, there is no great danger; since no one has encountered trouble for thousands of years, Brother He need not worry.”
He Yiming raised his eyebrows slightly, sighing inwardly. Truly, the world was full of wonders. If he had remained confined to the Northwest instead of venturing out, how could he have witnessed such a magnificent, spectacular world?
The Tongtian Pagoda of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, the Divine Tree of the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, the Silver Eel King of the Southern Sea, and this volcano that seemed imbued with spirit—all had broadened his horizons immeasurably.
A volcano possessing spirituality was indeed difficult to fathom.
But after witnessing the Divine Tree of the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land, He Yiming no longer harbored doubt.
If a single tree could possess powerful spirituality, then it seemed not impossible for a volcano to possess a little more.
Jin Zhanyi’s gaze fell upon the towering cave entrance, his eyes shining brightly. He secretly resolved that in twenty years, he must return to this place and personally experience this supreme treatment reserved only for Grand Venerables of the Five Energies.
A graceful figure flashed out from the mountain cave. Upon seeing He Yiming, the beautiful eyes of Li Yanjing brightened slightly before dimming. “Brother He has indeed advanced to the realm of the Grand Venerable of the Five Energies. Congratulations.”
When they parted outside the Realm of Life and Death, He Yiming had not yet manifested his Divine Soul Weapon, so upon hearing He Yiming advanced to the Grand Venerable of the Five Energies...