The sunlight, carrying a slight trace of warmth, bathed the earth, seeming to breathe a faint spark of life back into the cold season.

The banquet for the He Family Estate was spread across several courtyards; only those who truly held status in the Northwest were seated in the main hall.

Yet, at this moment, guests from the Tianluo Kingdom, visitors from various smaller nations, and even the Innate Grandmasters protecting those nations were all stunned into silence.

When the disciple from Hengshan rushed in with such frantic haste, everyone had already anticipated that a truly significant figure must be arriving, which explained his utter loss of composure.

Among the cleverer observers, some correctly guessed the visitor must be a powerhouse from the Tianchi lineage—the true overlord of the Northwest.

However, in their estimation, it would have been astonishing enough for the Tianchi lineage to send a single Venerable Master. After all, this great sect, which had dominated the entire Northwest for millennia, was seen by all as being seated on an untouchable pinnacle. In the eyes of the Northwest, they were the sole, supreme existence. Merely dispatching anyone at all was already a gesture of immense face granted to the He family.

This courtesy was likely extended only because He Yiming held the status of a Grand Elder within the Tianchi lineage; otherwise, no one would have dared question them even if they sent no representative whatsoever.

But. When the Hengshan disciple announced that the Sect Master of the Tianchi lineage and the Divine Calculator would be arriving simultaneously, the minds of the vast majority detonated with a deafening roar, leaving them barely able to hear the rest of the words.

If they were ordinary people, they might not have known of the Tianchi lineage or understood the true weight of the Sect Master and the Divine Calculator. But every single person seated in that main hall held a status far beyond the common man.

They absolutely understood the profound dignity of those two figures.

In the Northwest, if either one of them spoke, nothing was beyond their power to achieve.

A single word from them was enough to see a nation in the Northwest extinguished into retreat, or another nation rapidly ascend to prominence.

This was no exaggeration; they wielded precisely that much formidable prestige and strength across the Northwest, for they were the helmsmen of the Tianchi lineage.

Yet, on this first day of the New Year, these two figures were not confined to the main peak of Tianchi but were instead eagerly making their way here to attend the He Family Estate's New Year Ceremony. Such an honor was utterly unique in thousands of years.

Yu Jinglei slowly rose, his voice even trembling slightly.

"You... you said... who?"

"It is the Sect Master of the Tianchi lineage, Lord Di Shitian, and Lord Divine Calculator," the disciple finally steadied himself, repeating the names, already much more fluently than before.

"Good," Yu Jinglei urged quickly. "Elder He, we must hurry outside to greet them."

The Medicine Daoist's face was equally clouded with a mixture of shock and delight; he had no patience left to reprimand the disciple for his earlier panic.

If even Yu Jinglei, a powerhouse of the First Line Heaven, was behaving this way, how could the Medicine Daoist, who was speechless upon hearing the news, possibly fault the disciple’s alarm?

He Yiming smiled faintly. "Senior Brother Yu is correct; it is time to go out and welcome them."

He stood, and Chu Haozhou and Deng Yichen, seated beside him, rose simultaneously. Though they felt a measure of surprise and anticipation, their excitement was certainly not as frenzied as that of the others.

This was a matter of personal strength; if Yu Jinglei and the Medicine Daoist possessed power above the Venerable level, they would not be so overcome.

Still, Di Shitian was indeed a semi-deified figure in the Northwest, his status akin to that of Franklin in the Western Pantheon. His reappearance after a century of seclusion delivered an impact unlike any other.

After He Yiming and the others had gone out to greet them, the main hall filled with hushed whispers, though everyone deliberately kept their voices low, practically speaking into one another's ears. A faint flush stained every face as the thought of meeting the legendary figures drew nearer, fueling their excitement.

He Wude led the way, with the second generation of the He family, the two Hengshan powerhouses, and the Lord of the Tianluo Kingdom hurrying along beside him, jogging toward the city gate.

As for the trio of He Yiming, they lagged slightly behind.

The three exchanged a look, yet they conceded that in the realm of the Northwest, Di Shitian truly possessed the qualification to command their escort outside.

Inside the city gate, an old man and a young man were conversing softly, their gazes clear, seemingly assessing the renowned He Family Estate.

He Yiming’s eyes were like lightning; he immediately recognized the elder as the Divine Calculator. However, when his gaze fell upon the young man beside him, he paused involuntarily.

This individual appeared to be barely in his twenties, exuding an air of utter tranquility, as if nothing in this world could cause him further concern.

As if sensing He Yiming’s scrutiny, the young man turned his head and offered He Yiming a slight smile.

He Yiming nodded in return, yet his heart tightened perceptibly.

In the mere instant their gazes met, they simultaneously perceived the immense, hidden power residing within the other. They both knew that the force accumulated within the other’s body was likely no less than their own.

In the Northwest, there was no third person who could possess such martial cultivation.

Of course, the Godly Path Blood-Coagulated being confined in the rear courtyard was not counted in this assessment.

"This is Lord Di Shitian," He Yiming murmured softly.

Chu Haozhou and Deng Yichen shuddered slightly, their eyes filled with astonishment and awe.

Di Shitian was the foremost expert of the Northwest, reigning at the Ninth Heaven of the Human Dao peak, famous for centuries. Yet, his appearance was so strikingly youthful. This clearly implied the cultivation of some unique technique or the consumption of heavenly treasures like youth-prolonging elixirs.

However, such details were irrelevant to them; hearing the name alone triggered an instinctive fear of a peak expert of the Human Dao.

"We pay our respects to Lord Di Shitian and Lord Divine Calculator!" Yu Jinglei roared, immediately bowing down.

Yu Jinglei had once accompanied Elder Hengshan to Tianchi a century ago and had been fortunate enough to meet Di Shitian once. While others could not confirm the young man's identity, Yu Jinglei recognized him instantly.

After all, an old monster who maintained such a youthful visage was likely unique in the world.

Upon hearing Yu Jinglei’s proclamation, He Wude and the others harbored no further doubt and bowed down simultaneously, the Lord of Tianluo, Yu Rupei, included.

Though Yu Rupei was the current sovereign of Tianluo, in the eyes of the Tianchi Sect Master, he was no different from any common stray dog. If the venerable master was displeased, he could reduce the Tianluo Kingdom to ruin at any moment, so he dared not put on any airs of royalty.

The Divine Calculator laughed heartily, sweeping his wide sleeves. A force as soft as cotton instantly enveloped the bodies of the greeters, preventing them from executing the full three-bows-and-nine-kows ritual even if they wished to.

"The Sect Master and I have merely come seeking a bowl of watered wine; there is no need for such excessive rites."

The Divine Calculator’s words were not harsh, yet they carried an inherent, solemn pressure. No one present dared defy him, and they all murmured compliant agreement.

Yet, they understood that most martial experts harbored their own eccentricities; if the Sect Master and the Divine Calculator preferred not to be burdened with elaborate formalities, it was hardly anything unusual.

However, while the masters could afford to be indifferent, the subordinates dared not display the slightest lack of decorum. This was the defined place for everyone, dictated by their strength and status, leaving no room for ambiguity.

He Yiming advanced slowly, offering a deep bow to the two. "I ask forgiveness for not coming out to greet you both upon your arrival."

Yu Jinglei and the others immediately held their breath. They knew well that Di Shitian and the Divine Calculator were surely here for He Yiming, but He Yiming's manner toward them struck everyone with profound shock.

Although He Yiming was a Grand Elder of the Tianchi lineage, facing the Sect Master—a figure bordering on myth—he spoke with an air of complete equality. This naturally caused everyone’s hearts to clench with anxiety.

Especially Yu Jinglei, the Medicine Daoist, and He Wude, who desperately wished they could drag He Yiming down to kneel and apologize profusely. But in this setting, even their utmost daring forbade any rash action.

However, to everyone’s utter astonishment, Di Shitian not only refrained from storming off in offense but instead smiled warmly. "Brother He is indeed a peerless genius, unmatched in the world."

Yu Jinglei and the others froze instantly, momentarily stunned speechless.

What had they just heard?

Di Shitian addressed He Yiming as 'Brother'...

In that instant, they simultaneously wondered if they had become too excited and were suffering from auditory hallucinations.

He Yiming replied humbly, "Brother Di flatters me."

A wave of sharp intakes of breath swept through the crowd. While displaying such a reaction before Lord Di Shitian was disrespectful, they could no longer control their emotions.

The few exchanged glances, all concluding that the world had gone utterly mad.

Not only had Lord Di Shitian unexpectedly condescended to address He Yiming as 'Brother,' but He Yiming showed no humility either, practically clinging to the title with eagerness.

Did he not realize that the person before him was the Northwest’s undisputed foremost expert, the Ninth Heaven of the Human Dao peak?

He Wude could no longer contain himself and spoke in a strained voice, "Yiming, this is no way to behave! Quickly apologize to the Lord!"

He Yiming looked puzzled. "Grandfather, why should I apologize?"

He Wude glared, his mustache bristling, and cautiously stole a glance at Di Shitian. Fortunately, the great master's expression remained composed; not only was he not angered, but he watched with genuine interest. A wave of relief washed over He Wude. "Yiming, the Sect Master holds what rank! Hurry and pay your grand respects!"

He Yiming rubbed his nose, a bitter smile playing on his lips. He had deliberately kept quiet about the full extent of his travels abroad primarily to avoid worrying his family.

After all, the experiences he endured were far too perilous; had it not been for his unique constitution, he would have died countless times over. But he never expected that his discretion would now lead to such an awkward predicament.