Under the guidance of Yuan Lixun, He Yiming left the main hall with White Horse Thunderbolt and the Treasure Pig. Although the Qilin Sacred Master called out to the Treasure Pig several times, hoping it would return to the Totem Clan, the little pig refused without hesitation. This firm stance greatly pleased He Yiming, who vigorously ruffled its fur until it was a complete mess.

Yuan Lixun took the Treasure Pig, a mixture of amusement and annoyance on her face, and pulled out a wooden comb to painstakingly smooth down its coat.

He Yiming shook his head. "Lixun, the Treasure Pig has self-cleaning abilities. You don't need to bother with it."

Based on his experience, he had often teased the Treasure Pig, turning its fur into something resembling a dog's den. Yet, after just a moment, all its fur would return to its original state. This miraculous ability, while earning his admiration, also made him utterly reckless with it.

The Treasure Pig grunted angrily in Yuan Lixun's arms, but its protest clearly received no sympathy. Even White Horse Thunderbolt peered down at the little creature with big, beautiful eyes full of pity.

"Lixun, what exactly is the Seven-Colored Palace?" He Yiming asked, brimming with curiosity.

Since the full name of the Northern Frontier Ice Palace was the Seven-Colored Ice Palace, he already had a strong suspicion. It must be an environment similar to the ten-thousand-zhang volcanic crater on Glazed Island, and very likely the dwelling place of the Water Divine Power.

Yuan Lixun smiled faintly. The radiance of her smile today surpassed that of all the days she had spent in the Ice Palace over the last few years combined. Although Lord Bing Xiaotian had repeatedly instructed her that to perfect the Cold Heart Method, she must cultivate tranquility and maintain a state of complete calm—the only path to reaching the pinnacle of the Human Dao later on.

However, after several years apart, the surge of emotion upon seeing He Yiming again was impossible to conceal, for she could never forget the reason she willingly came here.

It was because she wanted to become strong, not to be a burden to He Yiming. Now, it seemed she had largely achieved her wish; apart from the select few at the Human Dao pinnacle, no one in this age could harm her.

"Yiming, the Seven-Colored Palace is the most important hall in our Ice Palace. Inside, it is an entire world of water," Yuan Lixun spoke softly, her voice, like that of a lark, stirring the heart. "Cultivating within a water world is immensely beneficial for practitioners of water-elemental techniques. I personally resided in the Seven-Colored Palace for an entire year when I was breaking through to the Venerable Realm."

He Yiming raised his eyebrows; his guess was correct—that was indeed where the Water Divine Power resided.

Yuan Lixun’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She voiced her concern, "While cultivating inside the Seven-Colored Palace is highly effective, I doubt you can improve much in just a few days. Moreover..." She paused briefly. "For experts at the Human Dao pinnacle, whether or not they cultivate in the Seven-Colored Palace no longer holds much significance."

He Yiming nodded slightly, understanding the implication of her words perfectly.

In this era, the strongest were merely at the Human Dao pinnacle, the absolute zenith of cultivation. To expect them to advance further was nearly impossible.

The next step was the Divine Dao, and in an environment starved of Heaven and Earth energy, attempting to ascend to the Divine Dao was tantamount to seeking death.

This was a lesson learned from countless bloody precedents; unless one's limit was imminent, no one dared to defy it lightly.

Seeing the worry in Yuan Lixun’s eyes, He Yiming smiled. "Don't worry, I am not going to the Seven-Colored Palace this time to cultivate my True Qi, but to condense the Water Divine Power." A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Once I successfully condense the Water Divine Power, I can truly achieve the Great Perfection of the Five Elements."

Feeling the powerful confidence surging abruptly from He Yiming, Yuan Lixun’s heart leaped several times. She responded softly, filled with joy.

Although the power of a God remained a distant concept to her, as long as He Yiming could continuously advance in martial cultivation and achieve higher accomplishments, she would desire nothing more.

The next day, He Yiming and Yuan Lixun arrived at the most renowned location in the Northern Frontier: the Seven-Colored Palace.

It was less a palace and more a vast valley. At the entrance of this valley, an Ice Palace Venerable stood guard day and night.

Perhaps because Bing Xiaotian had already sent word ahead, this Ice Palace Venerable did not stop them. On the contrary, the man showed immense respect toward He Yiming. Despite the vast difference in their ages, he conducted himself with the utmost deference reserved for a junior, showing not a trace of arrogance.

He Yiming knew that Bing Xiaotian must have spread the word about his Human Dao pinnacle status; otherwise, a Venerable of such standing would never have adopted such an attitude.

Entering the valley, He Yiming immediately spotted a lake, which was not excessively large.

However, what truly captured his attention were the massive, almost tangible, plumes of colorful mist drifting above the water.

This colored mist enveloped the entire lake, and the faint, seven-hued glow emanating from it was dazzlingly brilliant. He Yiming focused his gaze and saw that these plumes floated like a restless surface of water, possessing a strange power, as if they could draw one's very soul inward.

His mind wavered slightly. He felt a peculiar sensation, as if his spirit was about to be sucked into the mist.

At that very moment, the various energies within him stirred restlessly.

Whether it was the four Divine Powers of the Five Elements, or the combined power of Light and Darkness, all surged forth from his Dantian.

The True Qi within his body roiled ceaselessly. Although he did not release it, the intense pressure startled him into sudden awareness. He drew a deep breath, suppressed the urge to vent the surging True Qi, and slowly guided it back into his Dantian.

Simultaneously, his mental power radiated from his mind, instantly pulling his consciousness away from that trance-like state.

Yuan Lixun looked on with amazement. She spoke slowly, "Yiming, the seven-colored mist here possesses the ability to enchant the mind. When I first entered, even with the support of the Deep Cold Heart Method, I was lost for a full six hours before being pulled free. That you escaped instantly shows you are far superior to me."

He Yiming repeatedly shook his head. "No, your cultivation back then shouldn't have even reached the Venerable Realm, whereas I am already at the Human Dao pinnacle; our resistance capabilities simply cannot compare."

Yuan Lixun covered her mouth with a light laugh. "Speaking of the Human Dao pinnacle, that reminds me of something."

He Yiming blinked, cooperating readily. "What is it?"

"Lord Ao Borui from the Grotto-Heaven Blessed Land also entered the Seven-Colored Palace for the first time this trip. He was lost in the seven-colored mist for a full fifteen minutes," Yuan Lixun said seriously. "However, the Sect Master mentioned that among all Human Dao pinnacle experts seeing the seven-colored mist for the first time, Lord Ao Borui's performance was considered excellent."

He Yiming nodded slightly, meticulously examining his surroundings. Here, apart from the captivating seven-colored mist, even the water held something quite strange.

Taking several steps forward, He Yiming stood at the edge of the lake, his expression becoming quite intrigued.

Under the shroud of the seven-colored mist, the water in the lake was divided into seven distinct colors: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet. These seven different hues reflected the mist's glow, shining brilliantly.

Intuitively, a bizarre thought arose in He Yiming’s mind—that this water was somehow alive. He stood stunned for a moment, slowly extending his hand, intending to dip it into the lake below.

"Yiming..." Yuan Lixun's slightly hurried voice sounded at the opportune moment.

He Yiming paused, his movement abruptly halting. He asked, "What is it?"

"This lake water is not simple," Yuan Lixun stated solemnly. "Although it is all water from the same lake, the temperatures vary drastically." She pointed toward the purple section of the water beneath his feet. "The water here is the coldest and is the best spot for me to cultivate my ice-elemental techniques. Moving sequentially further away, that water... is no longer water."

"Not water?" He Yiming asked, baffled. He gazed intently; in the furthest red section, the water flowed slowly as well, and from the outside, there was no apparent anomaly.

Yuan Lixun nodded, her expression deeply serious. "The water power I cultivate is divided into three forms: ice, water, and mist. And the water power corresponding to these three forms can all be found here."

He Yiming’s eyes suddenly lit up. He asked in disbelief, "That area is mist?"

It wasn't that He Yiming was being overly dramatic; no matter how he looked, that area was just rolling red waves of liquid. However, he trusted that Yuan Lixun would never lie to him.

"Yes, that is mist," Yuan Lixun’s beautiful eyes glittered with a brilliant sheen. She sighed with emotion, "Without these three distinct forms of water power, even with the dedicated assistance of those seniors, I could not have succeeded in morphing my Divine Weapon into its light form so quickly."

He Yiming’s gaze returned to the surface of the distant red water. He finally understood that the Seven-Colored Palace was indeed mysterious and unfathomable, possessing a power that defied easy explanation.

"Yiming, you stay here and cultivate slowly; I won't disturb you," Yuan Lixun said with a faint smile. Although she deeply resented parting, she understood even more keenly how rare the opportunity was for an outsider to be permitted to cultivate in the Seven-Colored Palace. If he wasted this chance, it might result in lifelong regret.

He Yiming squeezed Yuan Lixun’s hand, nodding heavily.

Watching Yuan Lixun’s retreating figure vanish from sight, He Yiming took a deep breath, looked around, and found that in the vast valley, he was now utterly alone.

He released his mental energy, which swept across the entire valley in an instant. What surprised him was that besides himself, there was absolutely no other trace of life, not even tiny creatures like common insects or ants.