From a distance, it was only visible as a human settlement, but its true scale was entirely unknown.

Upon approaching, however, he could easily determine that this human settlement was vast. While it couldn't compare to the great cities of the East, it was the largest town he had seen since entering the Ice Fields.

Remarkably, there were even tall city walls here. Although these walls would be useless against a true Saint Beast King or similarly powerful spirit beast, they were perfectly adequate for fending off the common feral beasts that infested the Northern Frontier in large numbers.

The city entrance was guarded. Though no one was stopped for inspection, those entering moved in clear groups, visibly equipped with handy weaponry.

He Yiming, riding his white horse and cradling the Precious Pig, arriving alone, naturally drew considerable attention among them.

What struck He Yiming as particularly strange, however, was that the gazes directed at him held not rejection or malice, but rather an expression filled with respect.

Rubbing his nose in profound confusion, He Yiming, despite his self-assurance, was not so conceited as to believe his mere presence could inspire awe in ordinary folk.

But the respect in their eyes was undeniably genuine, which made him suspicious. Could it be that even his current attire somehow revealed his true identity?

He followed the flow of people to the gate. A guard stepped forward and said respectfully, “My Lord, the Holy Land Emissary has issued a decree in the city. All Lords arriving here must report to the branch palace within the city.”

He Yiming blinked twice. Truthfully, he understood every word spoken, but the meaning behind them eluded him completely.

Frowning slightly, He Yiming asked, “What branch palace? And who is this Holy Land Emissary?”

The guard captain paused, eyeing He Yiming with suspicion. His gaze slowly turned less friendly. However, he was not a rash man, and he finally asked, “May I ask, have you achieved the Xiantian realm?”

He Yiming gave a slight nod, though silently adding to himself, I am at the Ninth Heaven, not Xiantian.

Even if the guard captain hadn't heard this, he wouldn't have grasped the chasm between Xiantian and the Ninth Heaven. Yet, for the time being, as long as He Yiming was a Xiantian expert, that was enough.

The guard’s expression shifted to one of even deeper reverence. “My Lord, the Northern Frontier Ice Fields are currently under attack by a once-in-a-millennium Beast Tide. The Holy Land Emissary was dispatched from the Northern Ice Palace, and at this time, holds the authority to command all Lords on the Ice Fields to resist the tide.” He paused. “A few days ago, the Emissary entered the city and commanded all Xiantian Lords here to proceed to the branch palace. That is why I stepped forward to report upon seeing you, my Lord.”

He Yiming nodded slightly, but after a moment, his eyes filled with suspicion. “How did you know I have already advanced to the Xiantian realm?”

Anyone capable of discerning his Xiantian strength at a glance must possess at least the Xiantian realm themselves. Yet, He Yiming studied the guard for a long time and could perceive nothing about him that suggested he was a Xiantian expert.

The man lowered his head. “My Lord, traveling the Ice Fields alone on a single steed, without the cultivation of the Xiantian realm, one would likely have been killed and eaten by the beasts long ago.”

The man’s speech was direct and unvarnished, lacking any unnecessary convolutions. He Yiming found himself greatly appreciating this straightforward character.

At this point, he understood why those strangers had shown him such deference upon seeing him.

In the unique environment of the Northern Frontier Ice Fields, where humanity had been locked in stalemate with beasts for millennia, the status of cultivators here was extremely high. And among cultivators, those at the Xiantian level were revered by all.

Seeing him travel unaccompanied, they naturally assumed he was a Xiantian expert. In this specific context, they held considerable respect for such powerful individuals.

As for the Precious Pig He Yiming held, few paid the little creature much mind.

He Yiming deliberated. Given his own status, he certainly didn't need to heed this order. However, the mention of the Holy Land Emissary immediately brought Yuan Lixun of the Northern Ice Palace to mind.

Nodding slightly, He Yiming said, “I don’t know the location of the branch palace. Have someone guide me there.”

The guard captain was instantly overjoyed. Although the Holy Land Emissary currently held the power to command all nearby Xiantian experts, the problem was that only native Northern Frontier Xiantian cultivators would obey orders. Those Xiantian experts arriving from elsewhere were almost universally arrogant and defiant, entirely unwilling to submit to the Emissary’s word.

Since He Yiming had asked who the Emissary was, it confirmed he was not from the North. The guard had been worried He Yiming would simply brush him off or ignore him completely. But to find this Xiantian Lord so agreeable, he eagerly offered to personally lead He Yiming into the city toward the branch palace.

The city was not small, but as He Yiming looked around, he vaguely sensed that its management was quite chaotic. Yet, nearly everyone within the city walls was a cultivator. Even though more than half were merely at the third or fourth layers of Inner Strength, this proportion of practitioners was terrifyingly high.

Despite his many unanswered questions, he refrained from voicing them to the guard captain.

Following him through several streets, they arrived before a large compound in a certain part of the city. The guard respectfully knocked on the massive iron gate. After a moment, the gate slowly swung open, and a middle-aged man peered out, his gaze sharp.

This man’s Inner Strength cultivation had reached a moderate level, around the sixth layer, and his eyes carried considerable authority. With a single glare, the guard captain immediately shrank his neck, quickly stepped forward, and whispered a few words.

The middle-aged man’s expression instantly changed. His face broke into a smile, and he personally opened the main gate, respectfully ushering He Yiming inside.

The city gate guard captain, having received some silver as a reward, departed contentedly.

The middle-aged man guided He Yiming into the main hall with bowed head and lowered eyes, not daring to ask He Yiming’s name throughout the entire process.

However, just before entering the hall, a servant attempted to lead the white horse away, but He Yiming waved him off casually. This wasn't because He Yiming doubted the safety of his white horse, Leidian; rather, he worried about the safety of the servants. If they took excellent care of Leidian, that would be fine. If they failed to do so, the consequences would be severe.

Furthermore, if someone removed the decoration from Leidian’s head, the single horn would be visible to anyone who wasn't blind. Thus, He Yiming firmly refused the request, stating he would personally oversee the care of his beloved steed.

The middle-aged man dared not show any resentment, for he knew well that these powerful Xiantian Lords often possessed eccentric habits; they had seen far more unreasonable demands, and this minor request would hardly warrant a second thought.

Leaving Leidian and the Precious Pig outside the hall, He Yiming entered. He preferred not to let Leidian leave his sight.

Moments later, a burly man entered with the imposing gait of a powerful warrior. This man carried an intense aura, characteristic of those who practice intensely firm and solid cultivation methods. He Yiming recognized at a glance that this man’s technique must belong to the Metal element, and that he had resided in the Xiantian realm long enough for his cultivation to nearly touch the threshold of the Yi Xiantian realm. Of course, martial advancement was never easy; whether he would ultimately break through to Yi Xiantian depended on his individual fortune.

Upon entering the hall, the burly man’s gaze immediately locked onto He Yiming. However, upon seeing He Yiming’s excessively youthful face, a flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.

He quickly regained his composure and laughed heartily, “I am Yi Zhongtian, supervisor of the Peng City Holy Land Branch Palace. Forgive my failure to properly welcome you to Peng City, esteemed guest.”

He Yiming smiled faintly. “Brother Yi is too kind.”

He merely stood there, offering a calm smile, yet an indescribable majesty emanated from him, causing Yi Zhongtian to feel a subtle thread of apprehension.

Yi Zhongtian’s expression shifted subtly. He had encountered countless people in his life, but such a bizarre phenomenon was unprecedented. Yet, the sensory perceptions of Xiantian masters were intensely strong; since he sensed something amiss, he dared not act rashly. The thought he had initially held—to discreetly test this newcomer’s depth—vanished; even if he were consumed by recklessness, he would not dare now.

“Since you have traveled far, may I know your name?” Yi Zhongtian asked with a cordial smile.

He Yiming replied casually, “My surname is He.”

Yi Zhongtian started again, but then relaxed, realizing that some Xiantian experts were reluctant to reveal their full names, and offering a surname on first acquaintance was already a significant courtesy. Given the peril currently facing Peng City, he certainly didn't want to offend a Xiantian expert over such a minor matter.

“Ah, Mr. He,” Yi Zhongtian said, pausing. “Mr. He, you are not from the Northern Frontier, I presume.”

He Yiming nodded slightly. “That is correct. My current journey to the North was at the invitation of two friends, and we traveled together.”

Yi Zhongtian’s eyes instantly brightened. Those who could call a Xiantian expert 'brother' and travel in company were almost certainly experts of the same rank. If three more Xiantian experts could hold the city, perhaps this crisis could be averted safely.

He eagerly inquired, “Brother He, where are your two friends? Can they enter the city with you?”

He Yiming waved a hand and said with a wry smile, “I became separated from those two friends during our travels; I don’t know where they are now.”

The brightness in Yi Zhongtian’s eyes immediately dimmed, and he sighed softly. “The Ice Fields are flooded with the Beast Tide now. Even Xiantian experts can encounter thousand-year spirit beasts. You must be extremely cautious.”

He Yiming gave a dry laugh. He instantly understood: the other man assumed they had encountered a swarm of beasts and were defeated, causing them to separate. As for this matter, He Yiming had no interest in explaining.

Yi Zhongtian’s gaze shifted, and he immediately spotted the white horse outside the hall. He paused for a moment, realizing instantly that this must be Mr. He’s mount. His eyes traveled over Leidian, and then his pupils constricted sharply. He stared intently at the body of the snow fox draped over Leidian, his own body trembling slightly from excessive excitement.