The very instant the tracker activated, he clearly heard a joyous, drawn-out neigh and the snuffling sounds of Little Treasure Pig.

A look of relief spread across his face; both White Horse Thunder and Little Treasure Pig were constantly thinking of him.

As for the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man, He Yiming certainly didn't expect this mysterious figure, whom even he couldn't fully fathom, to share such a bond with him.

"Understood, we are coming immediately," came Bai Lingba’s voice, as calm as ever, through the tracker. Yet, He Yiming couldn't help but feel a distinct sense of relief woven into that tone.

He chuckled dryly; he was just being overly suspicious. Bai Lingba wasn't human. Even though he was becoming more human-like, there was still a fundamental difference between him and a true human.

It had taken He Yiming an entire night to reach this location. Though he had unconsciously employed his lightness skill while traveling, how could that compare to those who could fly? Soon, a white shadow flashed across the horizon. The moment He Yiming saw that silhouette, a joyful smile graced his features. It seemed that in terms of pure speed, even the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man couldn't match White Horse.

The name Thunder was not given in vain.

His body flickered slightly, and he had already reached the ground. Facing the charging White Horse, he strode forward with a hearty laugh.

Thunder let out a long neigh. Just as it halted, Little Treasure Pig, tightly clutching its horn, was the first to tumble over.

After spinning around once while holding Little Treasure Pig, he finally noticed the two rapidly enlarging dark specks descending from the sky towards them.

White Horse’s beautiful large eyes blinked a few times, staring intently behind He Yiming, before emitting a long neigh mixed with surprise and joy. Treasure Pig struggled free from He Yiming's arms, also moving toward that area, grunting incessantly through its snout.

He Yiming watched them with a slight smile, knowing that the keen senses of these two Sacred Beasts had already allowed them to detect the anomaly in the space behind him.

After the massive amount of Heaven and Earth Force was instantly absorbed, although the surrounding Heaven and Earth Force would slowly replenish, that process was clearly quite sluggish. At the very least, the density of the Heaven and Earth Force between the two locations remained vastly different even now.

With the intelligence of White Horse Thunder and Treasure Pig, they naturally understood what this implied.

Bai Lingba and the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man landed almost simultaneously. He Yiming’s gaze flickered, and he clearly saw the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man's eyes also glance towards the area where the Heaven and Earth Force was severely depleted. But after just that single look, there were no further changes in his expression.

It seemed that, to him, this minor alteration was not worth making a fuss over.

He Yiming muttered internally, yet he knew that he had acquired this kind of mindset from observing the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man. Furthermore, with the existence of the Divine Dao Relic, his control over the might of Heaven and Earth was far easier and smoother than his own. It seemed only natural that the other party would look down on his first masterpiece.

"How is your cultivation progressing?" Bai Lingba asked calmly.

He Yiming chuckled and replied, "You guess."

Before Bai Lingba could speak, Treasure Pig suddenly leaped onto him, grunting continuously, seemingly showing off something.

He Yiming slapped his forehead in annoyance; this little creature was truly a chatterbox.

But then again, in this world, very few beings could actually understand what it was saying, so let it talk.

Sure enough, after only a moment, Bai Lingba immediately stated, "Congratulations."

He Yiming waved his hand, beaming with pride, "Likewise."

However, Bai Lingba's next words significantly dampened his excitement.

"How does the power you unleashed compare to that of the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man?" Bai Lingba asked indifferently.

He Yiming paused, "Perhaps they are each peerless in their own way."

In terms of sheer destructive power, they might be comparable, but if truly fighting an expert of the same level, the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man’s speed would be effective, whereas his current snail's pace would likely fail to even hit any Ninth Heaven expert.

Bai Lingba's gaze finally settled upon that area where the Heaven and Earth Force was nearly exhausted. "In that place, could you unleash it again?"

"Of course not," He Yiming said seriously. "The Heaven and Earth Force within a hundred miles was drained in an instant. How could it be possible to release such a powerful might of Heaven and Earth a second time?"

Bai Lingba nodded silently. "Since even you and the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man combined can only unleash it once, what use is it for you to cultivate this ability?"

He Yiming was instantly struck dumb, rendered speechless by the question.

In this world, no matter where one was, the Heaven and Earth Force could only sustain such a single attack. This meant that if either he or the Divine Dao Blood Coagulation Man struck first, the other would become completely blind, losing any chance for a second strike.

If that were the case, what was the point of all his arduous effort, even risking his life, to cultivate this ability?

He rubbed his nose, then turned to look. He noticed that White Horse Thunder and Little Treasure Pig also seemed to be quietly pondering this question.

Frowning, He Yiming waved his hand dismissively. "Stop thinking about it. Let's go home."

Mounting White Horse Thunder and scooping up Treasure Pig, He Yiming pinched his legs slightly, instantly transforming into a streak of white light, heading out of the desert.

In his heart, however, he felt quite gloomy. This Bai Lingba was likely getting back at him for not heeding his earlier advice, which was why he spoke such discouraging words.

But slowly, a faint smile did begin to curl at the corner of He Yiming's mouth.

This fellow was becoming more and more like a real human.

※※※※

Under Bai Lingba’s guidance from the sky, He Yiming and the others successfully exited the vast sea of sand. Once they left that area, White Horse Thunder recognized the path, and its speed immediately increased by another notch.

Half a day later, He Yiming was back at He Family Manor. This time, he didn't alert anyone, returning directly to the back courtyard.

He Yiming's swift return clearly exceeded Chu Haozhou's expectations.

When martial cultivators reach their realm, a period of seclusion might not last years, but months were the minimum expectation.

Yet, He Yiming's act of entering seclusion yesterday and emerging today greatly impressed Chu Haozhou. Truly, one person could not be compared to another.

In the following days, He Wude and He Laobao finally returned from Hengshan.

These first-generation elders of the He family returned just as the New Year was about to begin.

Accompanying them were naturally Daoist Yao and Yu Jinglei. When they saw He Yiming again, they were overjoyed beyond measure.

According to their assumptions, He Yiming’s last departure would require a very long time, and it wouldn't have been surprising if he had stayed away for several years.

But unexpectedly, after only one year apart, He Yiming had returned once more. For these elders, what could be happier than seeing their most outstanding junior during the New Year celebrations?

Upon returning to He Family Manor, Deng Yichen informed Chu Haozhou about He Yiming's promotion to the pinnacle of the Human Dao. Except for these two, no one else knew that He Yiming had advanced again.

This wasn't intentional concealment; for them, once someone reached the Venerable level or above, the distinctions between ranks were almost negligible.

After all, whether it was Di Shitian, a peak Human Dao expert, or Deng Yichen, an ordinary Venerable, they were all lofty figures in their eyes, so the three of them kept quiet about the promotion.

Similarly, the people from Hengshan who arrived this time were unaware of the matter, just like the residents of He Family Manor. However, their attitude towards He Yiming was already as respectful as it could possibly be; they could not elevate it further.

The New Year celebration at He Family Manor was naturally lively. Not only did all the prominent figures from Taicang County attend, but even people from farther-off nations sent representatives to pay their respects, including numerous innate Guardian Masters from those nations. This time, the Lord of Tianluo Kingdom, Yu Rupei, arrived with the most important members of the royal family and the heads of the five great families of the capital city simultaneously.

Such grand momentum startled everyone and, from another perspective, proved the true standing of He Family Manor in the Northwest.

However, only He Yiming knew that Yu Rupei's personal attendance was to confirm the matter of Kai Rong Kingdom with him.

After all, regardless of who occupied the throne, everyone was keen on expanding territory. The current ruler of Tianluo Kingdom was no exception.

Although there were a great number of arrivals, fortunately, He Yiming was no longer the small village he once was.

The manor, having long been prepared, set up a thousand banquet tables. Countless chefs were invited from a thousand miles away; they displayed all their skills, and endless dishes were brought out in a continuous stream.

At the same time, countless treasured fine wines were set out without reserve. The aroma of the wine was so rich it carried for ten miles.

However, the truly unexpected main event occurred after the banquet commenced.

At noon, a Hengshan disciple guarding the manor entrance ran breathlessly to the main table.

Only a select few could sit at the main table on this occasion: He Wude, He Laobao, Yu Jinglei, Daoist Yao, Yu Rupei of Tianluo Kingdom, and the three Venerables. Even He Quanxin dared not share a table with his father.

Seeing the agitated expression of his disciple, Daoist Yao frowned. "What happened? Why such panic? You will face the wall for five years upon returning to the mountain."

The disciple's face flushed, but at this moment, he paid no mind to five years of penance. Facing the gazes of everyone, he managed to calm himself and took out a gold-stamped calling card, loudly proclaiming: "Grand Master, Sect Leader Di Shitian of the Tianchi lineage, and Master Divine Calculator have come to offer congratulations..."

"..."

Instantly, the entire hall fell utterly silent, so quiet one could hear a pin drop!