The ferocious fire element boiled within the space. By the time Liu Changju raised his palm high overhead, not a trace of a smile remained on his face.

He Yiming's words were a provocation to any master of the same rank—a **blatant, severe challenge. If Liu Changju hadn't personally witnessed He Yiming's elusive Cloud Mist Clones in the Seven-Colored Palace, or if he still harbored any residual caution, his temperament would surely have driven him into a fit of rage right then and there.

Taking a deep breath, the fire element coalescing before Liu Changju grew increasingly dense. He stared intently at He Yiming, searching his eyes for even the slightest flicker of panic. Yet, he was soon disappointed to find He Yiming's gaze utterly calm; the man genuinely paid no heed to the fire element that struck fear into the hearts of so many others.

With an angry snort, even with Liu Changju’s cultivated restraint, he could not tolerate such undisguised contempt. He strode forward, instantly closing the distance between himself and He Yiming, and slammed his hand, imbued with formidable fire energy, heavily onto He Yiming’s chest.

Although He Yiming had given permission for him to strike without reservation, Liu Changju held back from any lethal intent. The power of this palm strike was indeed immense, but its primary goal was to blast He Yiming out of the grand hall, not to end his life.

After all, the upcoming journey to the North Sea would inevitably involve obstruction from the Saint Beast Kings residing there. For humanity, every shred of available strength was precious.

Mighty energy vibrated outward from Liu Changju's palm, spreading across He Yiming’s chest like ripples in water.

Bing Xiaotian and the others, who had been tense moments before, finally relaxed. They inwardly marveled that while Liu Changju was fiery in temper, he knew the difference between what could be done and what ought not to be done.

This single 'Quake Seal' move had already displayed the full extent of his mindset and martial cultivation.

However, in the very next instant, their eyes widened in shock, and every one of them cried out silently: "Impossible..."

He Yiming’s body recoiled slightly, much like an ordinary person drawing in their chest or stomach, but his feet remained rooted like the gnarled roots of an old tree. By leaning back, he had completely neutralized Liu Changju's strike.

The peculiar vest upon his body remained utterly undamaged, not even showing a single white imprint.

Liu Changju’s eyes narrowed sharply, and his expression immediately darkened.

To be struck squarely in the chest and neutralize the blow with such ease—more unnerving was the bizarre sensation of the impact itself. It felt as if he had struck a colossal suit of armor, granting him the sensation of a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot. A moth flying into a flame.

Of course, the mantis and the moth were not the other way around; the feeling belonged entirely to him.

He Yiming quickly straightened his chest. The palm strike had indeed been ferocious. While it wasn't intended to kill, the sheer kinetic shock had brushed against him slightly.

Naturally, that minimal residual force was negligible. Forget his current physique; even back when he was merely a Grand Venerable of Five Energies Returning to Origin, such a blow would, at most, have forced him to take one or two steps back.

When he fought Franklin in the past, that Pontiff of the Western Church had exerted all his might without managing to scratch the Black Tortoise Shell in the slightest. If Liu Changju could easily shatter that defense now, it would be truly unbelievable.

"What formidable defensive power," Liu Changju stepped back, his tone grave, laced with a chilling sternness. "Brother He, I must now employ my Fire Divine Power."

A ripple of shock ran through the assembled group. Bing Xiaotian quickly stood up. "Brother Liu, this is a friendly spar. A light touch is best; there's no need to sour the atmosphere!"

For these peak experts of the Human Path, as long as neither side employed their ultimate Divine Powers, no matter how fierce the contest, it was never a battle unto death. But if one party invoked their inherent Divine Power, the other party’s best option—if they wished to avoid a fight to the death—was to flee swiftly.

Liu Changju paused, a wry smile touching his lips.

Although he hadn't used his full strength in that last palm strike, the sensation from the armor gave him pause. It suggested that ordinary attacks would be utterly useless against this Divine Weapon; even if he used his own Divine Weapon, he doubted he could breach its defense.

The only path forward, the only way to potentially counter this Divine Weapon, was through Divine Power.

But this realization left him unable to voice his thoughts aloud.

With a light sigh, Liu Changju stated, "Brother Bing, you all might try testing it. The protective strength of this Divine Weapon likely surpasses even the Five Elements Feather Robe."

This time, the crowd was truly staggered.

The Five Elements Feather Robe was forged from the most precious materials sourced from the top Human Path peak masters, meticulously crafted by the universally acknowledged greatest forger, Master Liuli Cave. In their estimation, unless faced with artifacts from the ancient legends, that Divine Weapon represented the pinnacle of defensive power in the world.

To hear Liu Changju rate He Yiming's unassuming vest so highly naturally sent a chill down everyone’s spines.

Bing Xiaotian managed a strained smile. "Brother He, may I ask the origin of this Divine Weapon you wear?"

He Yiming hesitated for a moment. "This was forged by myself, He."

This statement was slightly artful. While the Black Tortoise Shell had indeed been refined in the Nine Dragon Furnace, the actual forgers were not him, but the nine mighty Fire Dragons whose age was unknown.

Of course, no one besides him would ever know this detail.

Liu Changju’s expression shifted again. This Divine Weapon was crafted by He Yiming personally? Could his talent for forging also be this world-shocking?

Ao Borui slowly stood up, a smile touching his lips, and inquired, "Brother He, what material was used to forge this Divine Weapon of yours?"

All eyes immediately focused on the artifact. They knew that only a heavenly treasure more precious than Qilin Beast Hide or Seamless Silk could possibly yield the ultimate Divine Weapon.

He Yiming pondered for a moment, a faint, detached smile on his face, then channeled a surge of true Qi into the shell.

Instantly, the black vest erupted in a dazzling golden-yellow radiance. Simultaneously, the vest began to expand, transforming before their very eyes into the image of a complete tortoise shell large enough to encompass He Yiming entirely.

Liu Changju’s mouth fell open. Even he was deeply shaken at this moment, murmuring softly, "The... Black... Tortoise... Shell!"

Though these three words were light, they exploded in the ears of the onlookers like thunder.

A Black Tortoise, and one that was golden, capable of altering its size—that was truly a relic left behind by a genuine Divine Beast, incomparable to mere treasures like the Qilin Beast Hide or Seamless Silk, which were products of the Saint Beast realm.

Liu Changju let out a long breath. At this point, his heart was completely settled. If he possessed such a Black Tortoise Shell, he, too, would confidently stand still and allow others to strike him without fear.

Because in this world, with no Divine Path cultivators remaining, based on the defensive power of the Black Tortoise Shell, nothing could possibly breach its defenses.

"A magnificent Black Tortoise Shell..." Liu Changju admitted, somewhat disheartened. "Brother He, that you could successfully forge such a treasure makes me truly ashamed of my own efforts."

He showed no attempt to hide his discouragement. Having been completely suppressed by He Yiming in forging—the very skill he excelled at and prided himself upon for centuries—his pride was now utterly crushed underfoot, naturally leaving him despondent.

He Yiming offered a slight smile. He couldn't offer comfort, as he did not wish for others to know how profoundly the nine Fire Dragons in the Nine Dragon Furnace understood human nature.

"Brother He, Divine Beasts vanished millennia ago. It is sheer, immense fortune that you managed to obtain the Black Tortoise Shell," Ao Borui said enviously.

He Yiming understood the unspoken question and smiled, shaking his head. "Brother Ao, my Black Tortoise Shell was retrieved from the cycle of life and death through a near-fatal peril. My escape that time was pure luck."

The others exchanged glances, immediately abandoning any thought of prying further. In the past millennia, anyone who entered the cycle of life and death had never returned. He Yiming’s survival, bringing a Black Tortoise Shell with him, did not imply others would share such fortune.

They certainly would never risk sending their exceptional disciples into such a nine-out-of-ten fatal gamble.

He Yiming’s ears twitched suddenly, and he snapped his head up, looking toward a specific direction.

Bing Xiaotian and the others first paused, then sensed it too: two powerful auras were rapidly closing in from the distance.

They made no attempt to conceal themselves, releasing their power without reservation, shining like two beacons in the night, impossible to ignore.

Their expressions shifted slightly, for they clearly noted that He Yiming’s reaction was a beat faster than theirs. This indicated that his martial cultivation was noticeably superior to the rest of them.

They muttered inwardly, truly unable to comprehend how this fellow had cultivated his strength.

Bing Xiaotian sighed inwardly, suppressing his astonishment, and called out loudly, "Brother Di, Sect Master Ji Mo, welcome! A pleasure to have you grace us with your presence..."

Two resounding shouts echoed from afar. Di Shitian laughed heartily, "Brother Bing, has Brother Liu and the others arrived?"

"I am here; we were waiting for you two," Liu Changju called back loudly.

The words spoken by these masters were not shouted with frantic force; they were spoken casually, yet they carried far, sounding as if they were conversing right beside one's ear.

Such cultivation drew the envy of every attending disciple in the hall.

With a flicker of movement, two figures materialized in the hall: Di Shitian and Ji Mofan, who had ventured deep into the North Sea.