He Yiming subtly tightened his legs. The white horse, Lightning, almost telepathically linked to him, instantly halted.

Among this company, He Yiming was undoubtedly the focal point. Once he stopped, everyone else ceased their movement in unspoken unison.

Chu Haozhou frowned slightly. His figure flickered with astonishing speed as he descended from mid-air, asking, "Little brother, what is it?"

He Yiming's eyes brightened. "Elder brother, I have suddenly conceived a thought that requires me to enter a period of isolated seclusion immediately."

"Seclusion?" Chu Haozhou was greatly surprised, his expression a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.

He Yiming was now a genuine peak expert of the Human Dao, a level of martial cultivation few in the entire world could claim, placing him at the zenith of all cultivators.

In Chu Haozhou's understanding, such martial attainment meant there was virtually no path forward, no further room for improvement.

Indeed, this had been the reality for millennia. Those geniuses who reached the Ninth Heaven pinnacle of the Human Dao found themselves utterly blocked from taking another step forward.

All they could do was focus on refining their cultivation techniques, polishing their Divine Weapons made of light, and honing various applications of martial arts. While their experience deepened year by year and their practical combat ability improved incrementally, their fundamental strength remained stagnant, showing not even a sliver of progress.

Even the masters at this most profound stage primarily spent their time attempting to absorb more of the powerful inherent elemental Divine Force.

This was why Chu Haozhou’s reaction to hearing that He Yiming still intended to enter secluded cultivation was so peculiar.

He nodded slightly. He Yiming spoke with solemnity, "The path of martial arts is vast and profound, with no discernible end. The deeper I delve, the more infinite possibilities I uncover. Therefore, I must enter seclusion to attempt to explore them."

He did not voice the specific idea that had just struck him. If Chu Haozhou knew that he intended to provoke the might of Heaven and Earth, he would never agree.

After all, He Yiming possessed no Divine Dao Relic within him. Ancient legends warned that after the disappearance of the Divine Dao, any genius attempting to break through the Ninth Heaven to ascend to the Divine Dao met only one fate: failure and death.

For thousands of years, neither humans nor beasts had seen the birth of a new Divine Dao entity. Chu Haozhou would undoubtedly stop this wild ambition at all costs.

Chu Haozhou let out a wry chuckle. "Little brother, your progress is plain for all to see. Perhaps there is no second person in the world who has achieved what you have."

He Yiming smiled faintly. That was difficult to respond to, and he was not without self-awareness. Without the World Origin Power and the Chaos Dantian, he would certainly not be enjoying this moment of glory.

After a moment of thought, Chu Haozhou said, "Did you not promise not to leave He Family Village before the New Year? If you leave today, how am I to explain it to your mother?"

He Yiming paused, his eyes darting around. "That's simple. Have Dongcheng pass word that you and I have gone out drinking and won't be back for several days. With you making the excuse, Mother will never blame me."

Chu Haozhou glared at him in exasperation. No wonder the boy had been so insistent on dragging him out; he had clearly calculated this beforehand.

But he had a point. If He Yiming was seen leaving with Chu Haozhou, who held the most unique status in He Family Village, Lin Wenyu certainly wouldn't lodge a complaint.

Gently patting Chu Haozhou's shoulder, He Yiming laughed. "Elder brother, I entrust everything to you." He squeezed his horse's flanks, and Lightning transformed into a streak of light, vanishing instantly into the distance.

Chu Haozhou shook his head with a bitter smile, already calculating how to explain this to the rest of the He family members. Then, he saw the white horse executing a swift turn, circling back at a breakneck speed.

"Elder brother, take this."

He Yiming tossed an object over, then slapped the horse's back. Lightning, along with the one hundred and eight figures and the Divine Dao Coagulated Blood Men hovering above, vanished in a swarm.

Chu Haozhou stared at the necklace in his hand, his gaze somewhat fixed.

He had seen this item on He Yiming numerous times; it was the spatial necklace he acquired beneath Penglai Immortal Island.

Though he deeply envied He Yiming’s uncanny luck, he had never felt jealousy or harbored thoughts of possessing it himself. Yet, this time, He Yiming had abruptly turned back, tossed the item over, and hurried away, not even giving him a chance to exchange proper words.

Taking a deep breath, this was his very first time touching a spatial artifact. To claim he wasn't excited would be a lie.

Looking up, He Yiming on the white horse was long gone. Even though Chu Haozhou possessed a Divine Weapon and knew how to use its light for flight, even if he were a hundred times more arrogant, he dared not believe he could keep pace with Lightning, already a top-tier Sacred Beast.

Hesitating for a moment, he channeled his True Qi into the necklace.

Immediately, a vast, empty space materialized before him. After observing it cautiously for a long while, extreme excitement flickered across Chu Haozhou's face.

Everything within was first-rate, supreme treasures of Heaven and Earth, though a significant portion were materials unique to the Western world.

With these materials, he would never have to worry about sourcing components for forging any Divine Weapon or sharp tool he desired.

Drawing deep breaths, allowing the crisp air to circulate through his chest and abdomen, Chu Haozhou understood. While He Yiming's hurried departure was ostensibly for seclusion, the primary reason was likely his fear that Chu Haozhou would refuse the gift, prompting him to simply abandon it and flee.

At this realization, a warmth bloomed in his heart.

Carefully securing the spatial necklace, he murmured, "After the New Year, I will also give you a surprise."

※※※※

He Yiming now possessed five spatial items. Aside from the Five Elements Ring, which housed the Five Elements World within his natal Divine Weapon, there were four other spatial accessories. The Five Elements World alone was vast enough to comfortably accommodate everything he owned and more.

Therefore, this time, he thoroughly sorted through the acquisitions from the two Western experts, set aside a portion of the materials, and sent the contents of one necklace—along with the item itself—to Chu Haozhou.

He would never be stingy with this friend who diligently maintained the fort and sought retirement at He Family Village.

Of course, He Yiming also had his own subtle calculus. Chu Haozhou was a master blacksmith. Any Divine Weapon forged by him within He Family Village stood a very high chance of belonging to the He Family or the Hengshan lineage.

This was tantamount to having a high-level Forgemaster crafting divine arms for him free of charge. He Yiming naturally saw no reason to pass up such a favorable situation.

However, this line of thought barely crossed his mind before he suppressed it.

For him at this moment, nothing was more pressing than verifying the idea currently occupying his thoughts.

The speed of White Horse Lightning surged to its absolute limit. The entirety of the world seemed to be sliced by a single white line rushing straight toward the distance.

This speed was the maximum attainable by Lightning; even a peak expert of the Human Dao flying through the sky could never surpass it.

Finally, just before sunset, He Yiming caught sight of the massive desert region he sought.

This was the most perilous area in the Northwest. From the outside, it appeared as an endless sea of sand. The temperature variance between day and night here was extreme: nights could freeze a person rigid, while midday could bake food solid.

The inhabitants of the Northwest feared this vast desert as if it were a plague, but He Yiming paid such dangers no mind.

As for the risk of getting lost within the desert, He Yiming harbored no worries. With the one hundred and eight by his side, that particular problem was nonexistent.

Stretching out his hands flatly, He Yiming half-closed his eyes. After a long moment, he nodded with satisfaction.

"What are you doing?" The familiar voice of the one hundred and eight echoed.

"I am sensing the power of Heaven and Earth," He Yiming replied without turning. "The desert is barren, yielding no life. I had assumed the ambient power here would be exceedingly thin, but now I see the Heaven and Earth Force here is still very potent."

The one hundred and eight’s gaze swept over the desert, vast and boundless like an ocean. "Why did you come here?"

He Yiming's eyes flashed brightly. He turned to look at the Divine Dao Coagulated Blood Man, which had reverted to its usual wooden demeanor, and spoke heavily, "Divine Dao power. I wish to grasp this kind of strength."

The one hundred and eight shook its head without hesitation. "Impossible. Divine Dao experts cannot arise in this world. You cannot seek death."

He Yiming paused, his expression turning slightly odd. "Brother Bai, are you concerned for my life, too?"

"I am your bodyguard, of course, I am concerned," the one hundred and eight stated plainly.

He Yiming chuckled softly. This one hundred and eight was truly one who spoke contrary to his heart. Still, the feeling of being cared for was genuinely pleasant.

He sighed softly. "Brother Bai, do you remember the situation when I fought Ao Borui?"

Although the one hundred and eight had not been present at that fight, He Yiming knew that with its unique Clairvoyance ability, it would have been strange if it hadn't paid attention.

The one hundred and eight nodded silently.

He Yiming smiled. "When I used the Combination of Light and Dark, Ao Borui immediately and unhesitatingly admitted defeat. Do you know what that signifies?"

"He is very timid."

"..." He Yiming looked at him helplessly. After a moment, he continued, "It means the power of the Light and Dark Combination absolutely surpassed the strength he possessed, perhaps even exceeding the power of an ordinary God, reaching a higher echelon."

If Ao Borui and the others were present and heard his assessment, they would surely find it unbelievable.

He Yiming had derived such an astounding conclusion merely from the actions of Ao Borui and his group; this level of insight and boldness was exceedingly rare.

The one hundred and eight’s gem-like eyes lit up once more.

He Yiming pressed his advantage. "I am not trying to ascend to the Divine Dao, but I already hold a power on a higher level. Since that is the case, why shouldn't I attempt to see if I can evoke the might of Heaven and Earth?"

ps: I received news last night that I have a parent-teacher conference tomorrow. It seems one teacher intends to instruct parents on how to tutor their children to excel in Chinese literature... I wonder if there will be lectures on mastering mathematics, English, and so on in the future. If they hold a session for every subject, Bai He will be ruined! However, for the sake of the next generation of the nation, no matter how hard or tiring it is, Bai He must attend, and do so without complaint. I will strive for five updates tomorrow, with a guaranteed minimum of four! It seems my monthly votes have dropped to fourth place. I won't aim for first this month, but the top three are a must-fight. With nearly five updates daily, totaling over 9,000 characters in twenty-four hours, brothers, if you have votes, lend a hand! Thank you...