He Yiming’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. A sweep of his gaze instantly registered the expressions on Di Shitian and the others’ faces; though there was nothing overtly strange about them, He Yiming knew the three of them were paying close attention to this matter.

Indeed, for any expert at the peak of the Ninth Heaven of the Human Dao, anything connected, even tangentially, to the “Divine Dao” was of paramount importance.

He Yiming had not died, nor had his Dantian exploded, after triggering the Divine Power of the Metal element; instead, he was alive and kicking, perfectly well—a deviation in the past five thousand years utterly without parallel.

Thus, from the bottom of their hearts, they desperately wanted to know exactly how He Yiming had managed this feat.

Moreover, though the three never voiced it, a thought resided in the back of each of their minds: If they could obtain this method, could they perhaps try it themselves?

After all, they could withdraw at any moment without life-threatening danger.

If they succeeded by some stroke of luck in ascending to the Divine Dao, wouldn’t they instantly become the foremost experts under heaven?

He cleared his throat lightly and offered a wry smile. “Brother Di, truth be told, this humble He cannot be entirely certain. However…”

When He Yiming uttered that he couldn't be sure, a flicker of disappointment crossed the eyes of the assembled group, yet they harbored no doubt, for the strange transformations that had occurred in He Yiming were numerous, and most defied explanation.

But when He Yiming shifted his tone, a spark of hope ignited simultaneously on all their faces.

He rubbed his nose thoughtfully and continued sincerely, “However, this humble He has a feeling. The reason I managed to withdraw safely should be related to the other Divine Powers I possess within my body.”

“The other Divine Powers…” Di Shitian murmured, a sense of dawning comprehension in his heart.

The Divine Calculator’s lips moved slightly; he seemed to be running complex calculations. But after a moment, he sighed in disappointment. “This matter… is difficult.”

The brilliance in Ji Mo Fan Shu’s eyes also slowly faded as he nodded slowly, strongly agreeing with the Divine Calculator’s assessment.

Each of them had only managed to absorb a single type of Divine Power, and that was only because they had pressed forward, forcing themselves against overwhelming resistance, purely for the sake of breaking through to the peak of the Ninth Heaven of the Human Dao.

In that process, they clearly understood the immense difficulty in comprehending and absorbing Divine Power. Even facing just one type, they felt a sensation of being barely able to control it. To add another…

Even the three of them possessed no guarantee of success.

“Multi-elemental Divine Power is the domain of those in the legendary Divine Dao, those above the Human Dao,” Di Shitian shook his head slightly. “Those who can consolidate multiple Divine Powers while still below the Divine Dao are exceedingly rare.”

Ji Mo Fan Shu and the Divine Calculator exchanged glances, silently thinking in unison. Rare was an understatement—it should be considered unique.

Though throughout history, a few experts at the peak of the Human Dao had successfully assimilated two Divine Powers of different attributes, in this current age, apart from He Yiming, there was truly no second.

It was precisely because of this fact that they clearly understood their favorable calculations could not materialize.

“The Divine Dao…” He Yiming suddenly gave a strained chuckle. “Truthfully, in this era, even if those from the Divine Dao appeared, there would be nothing to fear.”

The expressions of the three—Di Shitian and the others—changed instantly, their gazes toward He Yiming shining with a peculiar light.

The Divine Calculator coughed lightly. “Elder He, the power of the Divine Dao truly possesses the capacity to overturn mountains and drain seas, far beyond what the Human Dao can reach.” He paused. “You must have witnessed it firsthand.”

The display put on by the Divine Dao Blood Condensation figure in the desert was etched vividly in everyone’s memory.

He Yiming’s expression turned solemn, devoid of any jest. “Elder Divine Calculator, this humble He certainly understands. But you should also recall the conditions at that time, should you not?”

The Divine Calculator replied gravely, “Unforgettable for a lifetime.”

He Yiming stated firmly, “Then, Elder Divine Calculator, do you recall what happened to the very fabric of heaven and earth after that single move?”

The Divine Calculator’s body trembled slightly, and even Di Shitian was moved.

They finally remembered: after the Divine Dao Blood Condensation figure unleashed his divine strike, the surrounding power of heaven and earth had been utterly depleted. This feeling was perceptible even to the keenest innate experts, so naturally, they could not miss it. They had simply been so profoundly shaken by the immense might of that heavenly power that they had subconsciously ignored everything else.

The Divine Calculator clapped his hands together excitedly. “Precisely! The power of heaven and earth requires a massive expenditure of its own energy. Once that energy supply fails, even a person of the Divine Dao cannot unleash the might of heaven and earth!”

A faint blush rose on his cheeks; the realization of this principle had clearly impacted him greatly.

Di Shitian hesitated for a moment. “Brother He, the might of the Divine Dao is profound and inscrutable; it is not limited only to wielding the power of heaven and earth.”

He Yiming gave a soft 'oh,' having read ancient texts himself that spoke of the boundless, sea-turning power possessed by Divine Dao experts. However, all the old writings were vague, offering no concrete summation.

Then again, it made sense. The Divine Dao had vanished for five thousand years; it would be miraculous if the details of that era were perfectly preserved until now.

In fact, before witnessing the heaven-and-earth might of the Divine Dao Blood Condensation figure, He Yiming had doubted whether Divine Dao practitioners truly possessed such devastating strength. Now, of course, he believed it. But beyond the might of heaven and earth, what other special divine abilities Divine Dao experts possessed remained unknown to He Yiming.

Ji Mo Fan Shu’s eyes flickered with astonishment. He had not seen the heaven-and-earth might firsthand, but he had gleaned something from the conversation between the three. Furthermore, he recalled the scene on the deserted island that day—an entire island cleaved in two in an instant by some unknown force. Such a bizarre event could likely only be achieved by that legendary power of heaven and earth.

His eyes darted around, and Ji Mo Fan Shu chuckled darkly. “Brother Di, have you actually witnessed the might of the Divine Dao with your own eyes?”

Di Shitian frowned slightly. He had already learned the background of the Divine Dao Blood Condensation figure from He Yiming, which made him feel a slight awkwardness being questioned in front of Ji Mo Fan Shu.

He Yiming laughed heartily. “Sect Master Huang Quan, this humble He was fortunate enough on a recent trip to the Southern Border to acquire a puppet. This puppet possesses the might of the Divine Dao.”

“A puppet?” Ji Mo Fan Shu’s expression grew more surprised and uncertain. However, within moments, his expression settled completely. “Brother He, might your puppet be brought out for an audience?”

He Yiming laughed loudly. “This puppet is actually acquainted with Sect Master.” With that, he let loose a long, echoing cry.

Though the sound was not loud, it carried clearly across the entire Tianchi Mountain Range.

Ji Mo Fan Shu grew increasingly amazed. The only puppet he knew that fit the description was likely the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family. Yet, during the sea battle that day, he had personally seen the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family, driven mad by the shame of Garfield, the Dark Chairman, who used some unknown technique on him, rush toward He Yiming, only to have a sarira in his brow pierced by a single finger, causing him to sink into the ocean.

Ji Mo Fan Shu had intended to look for the puppet afterward, but upon seeing the two Western experts unleash their combined Light and Darkness power, he had no choice but to flee instantly, as far as possible. How could he concern himself with a mere puppet?

But now, hearing He Yiming’s tone, it seemed the puppet had not died, and even more incredibly, it now possessed the might of the Divine Dao. At this thought, Ji Mo Fan Shu’s mind became a tangled mess of confusion; even with his composure, an almost irresistible impulse stirred within him.

A dark silhouette flashed before their eyes before immediately stabilizing its stance.

Ji Mo Fan Shu gazed at the familiar face, taking a deep breath. “It’s him…”

He Yiming shrugged indifferently. “Indeed, it is him.”

Ji Mo Fan Shu’s face gradually turned ashen. He had crafted this puppet himself, investing vast amounts of effort and even sacrificing the Blood Condensation humans he had painstakingly cultivated over hundreds of years into its creation. Yet, he never expected that in the end, it would become a success story for someone else.

A subtle movement prompted Ji Mo Fan Shu to attempt using a special skill to regain control of the Blood Condensation figure, but he quickly abandoned the idea. He knew clearly that the faint trace of his own intention in his mind had long since dissipated—this was the real reason he had concluded the Blood Condensation figure was dead long ago.

However, what he could not fathom now was how He Yiming was able to manipulate this puppet if the Blood Condensation figure’s mental imprint was gone.

A thought struck him, and Ji Mo Fan Shu exclaimed, “Seventy-two sarira? You have cultivated the Blood Condensation Scripture.”

He Yiming nodded slightly. “This humble He was intrigued by the sight and learned a little.”

Ji Mo Fan Shu nodded with a wry smile. “Although seventy-two sarira are powerful, they are inferior to my Blood Condensation human. How could it possibly possess the might of the Divine Dao?”

He Yiming spread his hands. “Sect Master Huang Quan, that is a question this humble He should be asking you.”

Di Shitian and the Divine Calculator both nodded slightly. Among this group, Ji Mo Fan Shu was the true successor to the Blood Condensation Scripture. If even he didn’t know the answer, how could He Yiming, who was clearly just dabbling, possibly know?

Ji Mo Fan Shu’s aged face flushed slightly. He stared intently at the Divine Dao Blood Condensation figure, but no matter how hard he racked his brain, he could not deduce the reason.

After a long silence, under the expectant gazes of the others, Ji Mo Fan Shu spoke slowly. “Perhaps… it is because the two Blood Condensation figures intersected, leading to this specific transformation.”

He Yiming remained outwardly composed, but inwardly he mused that this old assassin was indeed extraordinary; he had guessed the underlying reason. However, he failed to realize that what merged with his Blood Condensation human was not seventy-two sarira, but the one hundred and eight Venerable Great Sarira, which included the Divine Dao sarira.

Although Ji Mo Fan Shu had shown some interest, he made no move to demand the return of the Divine Dao Blood Condensation figure. The situation dictated the terms now; even this foremost assassin in the world could only swallow his bitterness and utter silence on the matter.

Di Shitian’s gaze shifted, and he suddenly smiled. “Since Brother He has achieved success, let us set off tomorrow.”

He Yiming’s heart fluttered. He nodded deeply, filled with immense anticipation…