Within the confines of the Glazed Cave, a gradual calm began to settle. Most of the high-ranking experts had departed to handle the aftermath across various locations, but Zhuang Munan and his contingent remained.

Here, after all, too many Venerable-level masters had gathered; no one dared to treat them lightly.

However, at this moment, these Venerable-level experts were assembled within a vast cavern, regarding one another with guarded glances, their eyes constantly flicking toward a specific direction.

The spiritual energy of this place—the Heaven and Earth Force—was undergoing a transformation so intense, so extreme, that even Innate Realm cultivators could perceive it clearly.

Yet, the sheer madness of this change was far beyond the imagination of those Innate experts; even these formidable Venerables felt the same apprehension.

The Qilian Twin Devils exchanged a look, their gazes fixed upon Li Jiangfeng. "Brother Li," one began, "we have long heard that Senior Zhou’s martial cultivation has already reached the peak of the Grand Venerable realm. Is he attempting to break through to the Ninth Heaven Realm now?"

Li Jiangfeng hesitated for a moment. "My martial uncle successfully refined six Divine Weapons a century ago. But in this past hundred years, he has entered secluded cultivation multiple times to attempt the Ninth Heaven Realm, yet he has never managed to cross that final threshold." He paused again. "However, I do not know if my esteemed martial uncle has experienced a sudden enlightenment."

The assembled Venerables nodded slowly, their eyes shining with intense envy.

A top-tier Five-Qi Grand Venerable who had refined six Divine Weapons. He could ascend to the Ninth Heaven Realm at any moment. Although everyone knew the chances of success were slim, this remained the only logical explanation.

A figure flashed at the cave entrance, and a man walked in, his face grave.

The gazes of the group fell upon him, causing them all to flinch in surprise. The Qilian Twin Devils gaped, their expressions a mask of utter disbelief.

The person who had just entered was none other than Zhuang Munan, the very master they had been suspecting to be in seclusion attempting the Ninth Heaven Realm breakthrough.

Upon entering the cavern, this Five-Qi Grand Venerable immediately sensed an almost eerie atmosphere pervading the space. The way everyone looked at him carried a strange, indefinable quality.

He frowned slightly. If only Li Jiangfeng and the other Venerables from Glazed Island were present, he would have loudly berated them instantly. But the Venerables here hailed from all corners of the land, and several among them commanded forces whose power was no less than that of Glazed Island. Thus, he could only restrain himself, forcing a slight smile. "Esteemed guests, is there some matter requiring my attention?"

Li Jiangfeng offered a wry smile. "Martial Uncle, did you sense it?"

Zhuang Munan's gaze immediately swept toward the same direction as the others. He let out a soft sigh. "Of course, I sensed it. His potential is indeed overwhelmingly powerful. I only wonder if he can manage a successful breakthrough."

The assembled experts exchanged glances. They now understood that the powerhouse causing such violent fluctuations in the Heaven and Earth Force, the one attempting the Ninth Heaven Realm, was definitely not Zhuang Munan. But clearly, this Grand Venerable recognized the person involved.

The Great Demon hesitated for a moment. "Senior Zhuang, who is that person?"

A flicker of anticipation crossed everyone’s eyes. As far as they knew, within Glazed Island, Zhuang Munan seemed to be the only Five-Qi Grand Venerable. But if someone else was currently attempting the Ninth Heaven Realm, wouldn't that imply the existence of another hidden master whose martial cultivation had reached the peak of the Five-Qi Grand Venerable level, having already refined six Divine Weapons?

If such a person truly existed yet remained unknown, then Glazed Island’s methods of secrecy were exceptionally profound.

The faces of the Li father and daughter, along with Hua Ruijin, were also filled with suspicion, as even they were unaware that such an unbelievably powerful expert was hidden within their own sect.

Zhuang Munan chuckled wryly. "Everyone, the one attempting the Ninth Heaven Realm is not a Grand Venerable from our sect."

The Great Demon froze for a moment. "Not your sect's Grand Venerable? Then..." His eyes snapped wide open. "He Yiming?"

The expressions of the crowd stiffened. Li Yanjing’s face paled slightly. "Impossible. Brother He only advanced to the Five-Qi Grand Venerable realm a little over a year ago. It’s impossible for him to have refined six Divine Weapons by now."

They looked at each other, their expressions growing exceedingly strange.

Since they had all ascended to the Venerable realm, they understood perfectly that to break through to the Ninth Heaven, one must first succeed in refining and illuminating six Divine Weapons.

Perhaps, before they reached the peak of the Grand Venerable stage and illuminated their six Divine Weapons, they would never have heard from their elders about unifying the Divine Light through the power of the Gods.

But everyone understood that without the Divine Light to enhance the cultivator's physical body and fully unlock human potential, one could not even dream of ascending to the Ninth Heaven.

Therefore, when the Qilian Great Demon spoke He Yiming's name, everyone's initial reaction was that it was absolutely impossible.

The Great Demon smirked slightly. "On Glazed Island, apart from Senior Zhou, Brother He is the only Five-Qi Grand Venerable." He paused. "Brother He is different from ordinary people; he cannot be judged by conventional standards."

Ever since He Yiming unveiled the Divine Artifact Nine Dragon Furnace in the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land, the Qilian Twin Devils' perception of him had shifted in a way that was difficult to explain. In their minds, He Yiming was definitively a freak—someone capable of achieving things that most people could not even imagine, or dare to imagine.

Jin Zhanyi stepped forward and spoke loudly, "It must be Brother He. I can feel it."

Though his statement sounded odd, the others found it increasingly credible. A Venerable's intuition was extremely sharp; for Jin Zhanyi, given his relationship with He Yiming, to sense something was hardly strange.

Involuntarily, every gaze shifted toward Zhuang Munan. The Grand Venerable nodded slightly, his expression complex. "It is indeed Brother He from Tianchi."

Several drawn-out sighs echoed through the chamber simultaneously. At this moment, everyone’s heart was filled with a multitude of conflicting emotions.

He Yiming—the newly ascended Venerable they had met in Zhongjing City upon Tianchi’s main peak just over a year ago—had reached this level in such a short span...

Everyone present, regardless of their prior relationship with him, felt an overwhelming complexity in their hearts at this moment.

Suddenly, the surging undulations of the Heaven and Earth Force halted, slowly returning to tranquility.

They glanced at each other, questions hanging unspoken in their eyes. Though they were all Venerables, they had absolutely no experience regarding the attempt to break through to the Ninth Heaven Realm.

"Did he succeed?" the Great Demon asked in a low voice.

Zhuang Munan shook his head slightly. "Alas, he fell short at the final step."

Hearing this, the vast majority of them felt an inexplicable sense of relief wash over them, and there was even a sliver of hidden, secret joy.

He Yiming already possessed achievements unprecedented in history. If he were to ascend to the Ninth Heaven at such a young age, where would the natural order be?

This was the nature of man: after witnessing a peer's meteoric rise, they could no longer suppress their jealousy.

However, in front of outsiders, they hid these feelings deeply, displaying only expressions of regret, as if deeply sorrowful for He Yiming's failure.

The atmosphere in the cave immediately grew heavy. Everyone fell silent.

After a long while, Jin Zhanyi sighed deeply. "Brother Li, shall we go and see Brother He?"

Li Jiangfeng was taken aback, then instantly understood the implication. Since He Yiming had failed his breakthrough attempt, he was likely feeling frustrated and dejected. If they went to visit him and chatted casually about matters from all corners of the world, it might help dissipate his negative mood.

He nodded firmly. "Good."

The two men walked side-by-side, stopping almost simultaneously just as they reached the cave entrance. They looked at each other sharply, noting the same confusion reflected in the other's eyes.

The Heaven and Earth Force within the mountain cave began to fluctuate once more, and this time, the surge appeared even more intense than before.

Even these Venerables felt their minds and spirits shaken upon sensing this fluctuation.

With such a colossal power surge, how was He Yiming managing it?

They were unaware that He Yiming was currently leveraging external forces to suppress the several Divine Weapons and the Divine Power within his Chaotic Dantian.

With the sheer might of these Divine Weapons and this Divine Power, an incredible amount of Heaven and Earth Force was naturally required.

Fortunately, this location was Glazed Island in the Southern Border, possessing the most abundant Heaven and Earth Force, moreover infused with a trace of spiritual Fire Divine Power; otherwise, He Yiming’s requirements and standards could never have been met.

"He... he's starting again," the Great Demon muttered, his voice thick with disbelief.

Attempting to break through to the Ninth Heaven in seclusion was an undertaking of utmost gravity. After one failure, one usually needed at least half a year to recover before attempting a second assault. Yet, He Yiming’s performance shattered everyone’s expectations.

He was proceeding with his second attempt immediately after the first failure, with only a brief interval between them.

If this incident were to spread, it would surely draw ridicule from every cultivator.

Zhuang Munan frowned and shook his head. "Brother He is being too hasty."

Among this group, he alone knew that He Yiming possessed the Divine Power. That was the primary reason he had shared his cultivation insights. But He Yiming's impatient, consecutive breakthrough attempts caused a seed of doubt to sprout in his heart: Had his own actions been correct?

If He Yiming’s carelessness led him to qi deviation and eternal ruin, would the Tianchi lineage then become estranged from Glazed Island?

Several possibilities flashed through his mind, and he quickly made a decision: if He Yiming failed this second attempt, he would immediately step forward to explain the critical dangers involved.

Given He Yiming’s capability, he should calm himself and cease such rash behavior after hearing Zhuang Munan’s counsel.

However, contrary to all expectations, when a full hour passed, the Heaven and Earth Force suddenly boiled over with even greater intensity, rolling fiercely and uncontrollably toward that single point.

Simultaneously, a shout, sharp as thunder splitting the sky, exploded within the cave, jarring the minds of everyone present beyond measure...