Upon meeting Li Yajing, He Yiming vaguely sensed the complexity of her thoughts. However, to be frank, this feeling wasn't unique to her; he had experienced similar sensations from Hao Xue, Li Jiangfeng, and Jin Zhanyi as well.

With Hao Xue and the others, that sense was coupled with intense jealousy and a thread of concealed killing intent. For Jin Zhanyi and his group, similar notions prompted them to strive harder, actively pushing toward higher martial realms with him as their target.

This was the fundamental difference between them, and the determination of friend or foe rested entirely on that single thought.

Li Jiangfeng sighed softly. "Brother He possesses unparalleled, peerless talent. To break through the shackles of twenty years and successfully advance to the Five Qi Great Venerable is unprecedented even in the entire history of cultivation."

His meaning was perfectly clear: such a prodigious anomaly could not be compared to ordinary people.

Li Yajing startled, then lowered her head. "Yes, Father."

He Yiming rubbed his nose, a bitter smile playing in his heart, and quickly asked, "Brother Li, have the others arrived?"

Li Jiangfeng nodded slightly. "Most have, but some are still absent. I don't know if they were delayed by some matter, or if they gave up on this opportunity."

Jin Zhanyi shook his head slightly. "Brother Li, this opportunity comes only once for anyone; very few would likely forfeit it."

They conversed as they walked, entering the cavern.

This mountain cave was not only astonishingly vast at its mouth, but the passages within were equally immense. As He Yiming proceeded deeper, a growing sense of awe filled him.

No wonder they chose this place as their sect's site; it was indeed an exceptional location.

Brilliant sunlight filtered down through cracks in the cavern roof, and the ceiling was studded everywhere with embedded, luminous gems.

If any single one of these gems were brought to the Great Shen Auction in the East, it could enrich an ordinary family for an entire lifetime.

Yet here, these gems were set into the cavern walls as if they cost nothing, their sole purpose being to provide a faint, subtle light to the space.

Although this was the Southern Border, the largest source of such gems, this display of extravagance still left He Yiming deeply impressed.

The accumulated wealth of the Southern Border's Glazed Island, amassed over thousands of years, was indeed unimaginably vast.

After turning several bends within the cave moments later, the group arrived in a large, branching cavern.

Upon reaching this spot, a faint smile appeared on He Yiming’s face.

His old friends were gathered here: Wei Zongjin, Xu Daming, Lin Xiangqing, and Deng Yichen from the Great Shen of the East, along with Yu Huiliang and Yan Leiming from the Great Northwest.

Seeing He Yiming, all of them rose simultaneously, their faces covered in smiles.

Whether these smiles were genuine or not, they at least maintained a surface cordiality.

After the initial greetings, He Yiming chuckled, "Brother Deng, you arrived even earlier than I did."

They all knew that Deng Yichen now resided in He Family Village and shared an exceptionally close relationship with He Yiming, so they found it unsurprising that He Yiming addressed him first.

Deng Yichen gave a wry smile. "Brother He, I traveled here on the same vessel as Brother Yan and Brother Yu. However, the journey was fraught with peril; we nearly didn't make it."

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. It was normal for Deng Yichen to travel with the two Venerables from the Northwest, but for all three Venerables to encounter adversity meant the matter was certainly not trivial.

Yu Huiliang stepped forward. "Great Venerable He, we hired a sea vessel for this journey. Midway through, we were attacked by a Sacred Beast of the sea. We fought for a day and a night. While the three of us managed to escape, the ship was capsized by the Sacred Beast. The fate of the crew onboard, I fear…"

He shook his head and fell silent, but the implied end for the ordinary sailors was easy enough to surmise.

He Yiming’s face changed slightly. Even they had encountered a Sea Sacred Beast? That seemed too coincidental.

His gaze swung to Xu Daming and Lin Xiangqing. These two Venerables from the established families of the mainland interior quickly shook their heads. "Brother He, our journey was completely safe; we met no incident whatsoever."

He Yiming had just nodded when hurried footsteps echoed nearby.

A Glazed Island disciple rushed in, handing a letter to Li Jiangfeng. Upon opening it, Li Jiangfeng’s expression became quite comical.

Facing the group's gazes, Li Jiangfeng forced a wry smile. "Everyone, I just received a letter from Martial Uncle Hua. The sea vessel carrying the Qilian Twin Demons encountered an unknown Sacred Beast on the ocean. Although they managed to drive it off using the Five Elements Reincarnation Flower, the ship was damaged, delaying their journey. They have just reached the island, and Martial Uncle Hua is bringing them over now."

Hearing this news, everyone's expression mirrored Li Jiangfeng's oddity.

Although those who came to the Southern Border’s Glazed Island arrived on different sea vessels, everyone except Xu Daming and Lin Xiangqing had encountered a Sea Sacred Beast. The probability of this happening was almost impossibly high.

Li Jiangfeng stood up and clapped his hands twice. Servants promptly brought exquisite wine and delicacies. However, everyone’s minds were heavy, and the fine food tasted like chewing wax.

An hour later, a familiar burst of laughter echoed into the chamber. Hua Ruijin and the Qilian Twin Demons entered the cavern one after another.

The gazes of the assembled group swept over the Twin Demons, and every face changed color.

Though their robes were neat, the two brothers appeared pale, clearly having expended too much true energy, damaging their inherent vitality. Moreover, the Great Demon wore a white bandage wrapped around his head.

Everyone knew the Great Demon would never wear such an item without reason; beneath it must be an undeniable wound.

Li Jiangfeng asked in alarm, "Brother Great Demon, even you are injured?"

The Great Demon’s face flushed slightly. "I am ashamed. The Sea Sacred Beast we encountered was too powerful. Though my brother and I exerted every effort to repel it, we sustained minor injuries."

Silence descended upon the group. They understood that although the Great Demon spoke lightly, the danger involved must have been unimaginable.

The Twin Demons surveyed the room, bowed in greeting, and then walked directly to He Yiming’s side.

Everyone was already aware of the conflict between He Yiming and the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, and they held their breath in anticipation. Yet, they also knew the Twin Demons would absolutely not oppose He Yiming here; to do so would be suicidal.

"Brother He." The Great Demon picked up three empty cups from the table, while the Second Demon took a flask of wine. They filled the three empty cups and simultaneously raised one each, speaking in unison, "We apologize."

The hearts of the onlookers were deeply shaken. Given the status of the Qilian Twin Demons and the power they represented, this display was astonishing.

If word of this spread, it would undoubtedly cause an unimaginable uproar.

He Yiming raised his eyes slightly, tapped his cup against the Twin Demons’ cups, and said, "The past is past; no need to mention it again."

The three of them drained their cups in one go, and the atmosphere in the room relaxed.

Li Jiangfeng rearranged the seating, and Hua Ruijin joined the circle. Although he was a long-established Venerable on Glazed Island, none of the others present were his inferior in status. Perhaps they lacked his cunning and toughness now, but in a few decades, their achievements would surely match his.

"Brother Twin Demons, what kind of sea monster did you encounter?" Li Yajing asked seriously.

The attention of the entire group immediately focused on the Qilian Twin Demons. Everyone knew that if the Twin Demons' two half-moon spades were combined, they formed an incomplete Five Elements Great Reincarnation Flower. While perhaps not comparable to He Yiming now, they could likely defeat any three Venerables present.

Yet, the sea creature they met had proven so troublesome that even the Great Demon sustained a slight injury, indicating the Sea Sacred Beast was far more terrifying than they could have imagined.

The Great Demon gave a wry smile. "This time, we encountered a massive sea fish." The two brothers gestured extensively, finally providing a rough description.

The Li father and daughter, along with Hua Ruijin, exchanged glances. After a long pause, Li Jiangfeng finally spoke. "Brother Great Demon, we have resided in the South Sea for a considerable time, but we have never heard of such a fish. If my assumption is correct, this is not a South Sea Sacred Beast."

He Yiming expressed surprise. "Brother Li, are you certain this monstrous Sacred Beast fish is not native to the South Sea?"

Li Jiangfeng shook his head slowly. "Sacred Beasts have infinitely long lives, far surpassing those of us human Venerables. Therefore, Glazed Island maintains detailed records of all powerful Sacred Beasts within the South Sea region. I can assure everyone that this strange fish is not among them."

Lin Xiangqing smiled faintly. "It seems this monstrous Sacred Beast fish migrated from afar. The question is whether it was merely passing through the South Sea or traveling elsewhere."

Deng Yichen hesitated. "Brother Li, the spirit beast we encountered also did not seem native to the Southern Border; it appeared to have come from a great distance."

This time, He Yiming was truly stunned. After hearing their words, he made a realization of his own.

When the Silver Eel King was cornered by the White Horse Lightning, it had fled toward the outer seas. At that time, it had chosen a specific location to make its final stand against the White Horse.

He Yiming had guessed back then that this mutated Silver Eel King was naturally an inhabitant of the outer seas. As for why it was suddenly compelled to enter the South Sea to recruit forces to pursue him and the others, that was beyond his ability to fathom.

When Deng Yichen described the Sacred Beast they encountered, the atmosphere in the chamber grew even more peculiar.

Hua Ru