On the spacious avenue, wayfarers bustled past in endless streams. This thoroughfare was the inevitable path leading to the Lingxiao Precious Hall, the foremost sect in the East, and the massive city it anchored—a metropolis of millennia history and over a million souls, ranking as one of the few greatest city-states on the entire continent.

Each day, countless individuals flocked to this city: disciples and novices of the Lingxiao Precious Hall from various regions, merchants hailing from all corners of the continent, and, most notably, legions of cultivators harboring pilgrim-like devotion, viewing this city as their ultimate, sacred ground worthy of worship.

When He Yiming appeared upon this grand avenue astride his white steed, he instantly drew the gaze of innumerable people. Many bowed respectfully in salute, and some—clearly low-ranking disciples of the Lingxiao Precious Hall—didn't even bother to hide their reverence, sinking to their knees right there on the public road.

Glancing briefly at the single horn adorning the head of the white horse, He Yiming immediately understood where the commotion stemmed from.

While perhaps not everyone recognized his face, a white horse bearing a horn was utterly unique across the world. If people saw Lightning and still couldn't deduce his identity, that would truly be surprising.

With a gentle pressure of his calves, the white horse instantly transformed into a streak of white light, leaving a continuous chain of afterimages down the avenue as it shot forward like an arrow.

The expressions of the onlookers varied, yet their eyes shone with unmistakable excitement.

Encountering the sect’s Chief Guest Elder on this day was enough to fuel boasting amongst their peers for weeks. Although they were not blessed with the opportunity to converse with the Elder, merely witnessing the world-renowned, premier Sacred Beast was a journey well worth taking.

The white horse moved at incredible speed, entering the unique, wall-less city in mere moments.

He Yiming, having learned his lesson, did not slow. With the nimbleness of his steed, Lightning, he navigated the thoroughfare without striking a single person; even when passing close by some individuals, they only felt a sudden gust of wind, followed by a brief flash of white light before normalcy returned.

Of course, a few powerful cultivators vaguely perceived a white phantom streaking by, but due to the sheer velocity of the steed, none below the Venerable rank could genuinely perceive the reality. They looked around, their gazes growing uncertain and suspicious.

Lightning abruptly stopped, four hooves planting themselves firmly, bringing them to a perfect halt.

He Yiming smiled faintly; the creature truly had an innate sense of direction, arriving instantly at the courtyard where Jin Zhanyi resided.

Every time he visited the Lingxiao Precious Hall, this was the lodging he used, and this visit would be no exception.

His ears twitched slightly, and a smile touched He Yiming’s lips. If he wasn't mistaken, Jin Zhanyi was currently inside the room, circulating his energy and cultivating.

Now the youngest Venerable within the Lingxiao Precious Hall, Jin Zhanyi had not relocated to the Sky-Reaching Tower as tradition dictated for those achieving that rank. Instead, he chose to remain in this familiar place for his slow, steady practice.

Though Jin Zhanyi did not possess the Chaotic Physique like He Yiming, his talent among all cultivators was counted among the absolute pinnacle. A Venerable at just over one hundred and fifty years old was a rarity even in the age when the Divine Way reigned supreme; in the current world, such a figure was truly one in a million, scarcely seen.

The entire Lingxiao Precious Hall placed immense hope upon Jin Zhanyi, expecting him to become the sect’s second powerhouse at the pinnacle of the Human Dao.

Whether he could ultimately ascend to this supreme echelon, however, depended entirely upon his personal fortune.

If he ultimately failed to comprehend and absorb the Divine Power, even the refinement of six Divine Weapons would not grant him passage to that higher realm.

He coughed softly. The sound was not loud, yet to Jin Zhanyi within the room, it struck like a clap of thunder, instantly snapping him awake.

His body flickering, Jin Zhanyi threw open the door and emerged. His eyes immediately locking onto He Yiming, he roared with laughter, crying out, "Brother He! I knew you would surely be safe and sound!"

He Yiming paused slightly. "Brother Jin, has something happened?"

Jin Zhanyi strode forward, closing the distance between them. He closely examined He Yiming from head to toe. "Brother He, after you left the island last time, you vanished entirely, causing us all considerable worry."

He Yiming’s face flushed slightly. He let out a dry chuckle. "The last outing involved a minor incident. When I realized how much time had passed, I simply returned to the mainland."

Having chased after Franklin across the sea for a full month, followed by a journey across ten thousand miles to the Western World, returning to the Southern Border's Glazed Island was simply out of the question.

Jin Zhanyi nodded, then sighed deeply. "After you disappeared, the Glazed Island dispatched many personnel to search for you throughout the Southern Border. They eventually discovered traces of an inconceivable battle on a desolate isle, and moreover…" He paused, hesitating for a long moment, before finally stating, "We discovered a new grave. Elder Zhuang personally traveled to the island to inspect it, yet he could not confirm the identity of the deceased."

He Yiming smiled wryly. "It wasn't that Elder Zhuang couldn't confirm the identity, but rather that he dared not confirm it, am I correct?"

Jin Zhanyi’s eyes brightened slightly. "Indeed, Elder Zhuang's expression that day was extraordinarily strange, but no matter how we questioned him, he refused to speak a single word."

In truth, Jin Zhanyi remembered the scene from that day vividly. Upon seeing the person exhumed from the grave, Zhuang Munan of the Glazed Island’s face had transformed, his eyes filled with sheer terror.

If merely seeing the body could frighten a dignified Five-Qi Grand Venerable to such a degree, one could easily imagine the status of the person buried there.

It was the discovery of this corpse, coupled with the island itself which appeared to have been cleaved perfectly in two by some unknown force, that instilled a profound, inexplicable dread in all the people of the Southern Border.

Subsequently, everyone departed in shifts, for they all carried the duty of disseminating this terrifying news.

He Yiming nodded slightly, meeting Jin Zhanyi’s expectant gaze. He felt no inclination to conceal the truth. "This individual certainly had a considerable background. He was Garfield, the current Chairman of the Western Dark Alliance Council."

Jin Zhanyi sucked in a sharp breath. Although this possibility had crossed his own mind, as a cultivator, he simply could not accept that a Ninth Heaven expert at the peak of the Human Dao could perish so easily in such a location.

In the minds of people like them, a Human Dao peak expert was functionally immortal.

"Brother He, you were truly present," Jin Zhanyi said with a wry smile. "Who killed that Ninth Heaven cultivator?"

He Yiming waved a hand dismissively. "Don't look at me like that. He fell victim to an ambush by Franklin; otherwise, he wouldn't have died so easily."

This statement was the absolute truth. Had Franklin not struck from the shadows, Garfield, despite his injuries, still possessed enough power to use divine light for escape. Given the escape capabilities of the strongest entity in the Dark World, He Yiming hadn't been confident of catching him.

"The Holy Temple Pope?" Jin Zhanyi asked doubtfully. Even a figure of that stature would resort to assassination? This was an eye-opening day indeed.

He Yiming summarized his journey to that nameless island and the conflict involving the two top Western masters in just a few words. Naturally, throughout the recounting, He Yiming minimized his own role as much as possible, attributing the bulk of the credit to Jimovanshu and the white horse, Lightning, at his side.

Jin Zhanyi showed no sign of disbelief. After all, he was well aware that He Yiming had already ascended to a tier of power where even facing an opponent at the Human Dao peak, he shouldn't suffer a catastrophic defeat.

Sighing deeply, Jin Zhanyi mused, "Four Human Dao peak powerhouses, one premier Sacred Beast... What a pity. I was unable to witness such a fierce spectacle."

He Yiming smiled faintly. "Brother Jin, there will be opportunities in the future."

Jin Zhanyi nodded emphatically. "That’s right. You have successfully advanced to the Ninth Heaven now; it will be much more convenient to seek your guidance in the future." He suddenly clapped his hands. "Uncle Hao already stated that the moment you returned, I was to bring you to him. Come with me."

He Yiming inclined his head slightly. After settling the white horse and the Treasure Pig in his original quarters, he followed Jin Zhanyi toward the Sky-Reaching Pagoda.

As for One-Hundred-and-Eight and the Blood-Congealed Man, their appearances were rather peculiar—especially the Divine Path Blood-Congealed Man, who resembled the ancestor of the Yu family. To avoid causing any unnecessary trouble, He Yiming instructed them to wait outside the Lingxiao Precious Hall and not accompany him inside.

Since they were not far apart, he could maintain contact with the pair at any moment using the mental connection with the Divine Path Blood-Congealed Man and the tracker belonging to One-Hundred-and-Eight.

Given He Yiming’s current standing, he could very well have simply waited for Hao Tong to visit him in his chambers. Yet, he chose to walk silently behind Jin Zhanyi toward the Pagoda.

For him, Hao Tong remained a deeply caring elder, as he had been in the past, and as he would be in the future.

Upon entering the Sky-Reaching Pagoda, a satisfied smile flickered across Jin Zhanyi’s face. Brother He was still the same Brother He; he hadn't become arrogant or conceited despite the rapid surge in his power.

Of course, possessing such strength now meant that even if He Yiming himself remained humble, others would naturally change the way they treated him.

Just as it was now: upon seeing Jin Zhanyi, Hao Tong immediately summoned Xu Xinghe to this location, treating He Yiming with the deference due to the most honored guest. He felt it was improper to attend him alone.

Soon after receiving the summons, Xu Xinghe arrived at Hao Tong's chambers. The Five-Qi Grand Venerable of the Lingxiao Precious Hall studied He Yiming closely for several moments before letting out a long, profoundly complex sigh. He bowed deeply. "Congratulations, Elder He, on achieving such divine mastery. From this day forward, you may stand above the world."

He Yiming chuckled lightly. "Brother Xu flatters me; to truly stand above the world is far from easy."

In martial cultivation, there is always a higher mountain.

Before his promotion to the Ninth Heaven, He Yiming had firmly believed that the Human Dao peak represented the absolute pinnacle of strength in this world. However, his journey to the West shattered that notion completely. Furthermore, the mention of the Divine Island by the Saint Beast King of the Outer Sea lay upon his heart like a massive boulder.

To stand above the world—even the Divine Path Blood-Congealed Man might not achieve that feat.