He Yiming's eyes flickered slightly upward. In that single instant, the might displayed by Mou Zilong was more than double his usual strength—an astonishing, momentary burst of power. This was precisely why he had been able to dispatch the golden monster so quickly.

However, it was evident that while this method held tremendous destructive force, the aftermath was not negligible; a mere glance at the dense beads of sweat coating Mou Zilong’s forehead offered a slight confirmation of this.

For sweat to still seep out so uncontrollably, even after reaching the Divine Dao realm, spoke volumes about the sheer magnitude of the power he had just exerted.

“Heh heh, the young always surpass the old, Brother He. You have truly outshone me,” Mou Zilong sighed deeply.

Although he had utilized a formidable technique, one he rarely employed, to resolve his adversary in an extremely short time, witnessing He Yiming’s own achievements, and noting his current composed state, as if completely untouched by exertion, completely eroded any prior sense of pride he possessed.

He Yiming gently shook his head. “Brother Mou, the cultivation method I practice just happens to suppress these monsters. Otherwise, it would be equally difficult for me to slay them so easily.”

Mou Zilong managed a wry smile, waving a dismissive hand. What He Yiming said had its logic. But having witnessed the true strength of this newly ascended Divine Dao powerhouse, Mou Zilong certainly didn't believe it was that simple.

At the very least, those inexplicable, transparent holes that had suddenly materialized on the bodies of the golden monsters were utterly unimaginable. If those wounds hadn't been instantly carved into the golden monsters’ forms, the Light Power could never have purified them so rapidly.

Reaching out, Mou Zilong wrenched the golden proboscis free from the corpse of the first golden monster. “Brother He, you should collect the other one as well.”

The second golden monster, now reduced to a desiccated husk, had been killed by the Divine Dao Puppet in an unbelievably contrary manner. Over hundreds of years, he had witnessed countless scenes of golden monsters desiccating others, but he never imagined today would see the roles reversed.

He Yiming acknowledged him, pulling the proboscis from the husk. Seeing the flicker of surprise and concern in Mou Zilong’s eyes, He Yiming hesitated for a moment before smiling. “Brother Mou, my puppet is driven by the Condensing Blood Technique of ancient Divine Dao arts. This cultivation method has a particular affinity for Yin Sha energy and Death Qi, and these monsters are certainly not lacking in such power, so…”

Mou Zilong nodded slightly. He knew He Yiming was holding something back, but this explanation was already granting him considerable respect.

“Brother He, possessing this Divine Dao Puppet is a massive advantage here. Truly enviable.”

He Yiming let out a self-deprecating laugh, waving the three golden proboscises in his hand. “Brother Mou, what use are these things? Why do you all value them so highly?”

Mou Zilong’s eyes held a faint glint. “Their uses are quite broad; they are the finest materials in the world for forging Divine Weapons.” He paused to consider. “You’ve already witnessed their hardness; they are in no way inferior even to the legendary Profound Iron. However, for us, their true purpose is refining the Thunderbolt Spears.”

“Thunderbolt Spears? What are those?” He Yiming’s eyes shone brightly, filled with curiosity for this thing he had never heard of.

“Among those of us who first entered this place, there was a Divine Dao expert skilled in artifact refinement. After the great battle against the death creatures, he collected these golden proboscises and used a special method to infuse and seal Light Power within them.” As Mou Zilong spoke, a flicker of flame danced in his eyes that made He Yiming’s heart palpitate. “These Thunderbolt Spears are divine implements created specifically to combat these death creatures. Once unleashed, the indestructible spear pierces directly through the creature’s body, and simultaneously, the Light Power sealed within explodes instantly. Heh heh, the destructive power of Light Power erupting inside a monster, you can easily guess that effect, can’t you?”

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. Recalling the golden monsters’ reactions before and after being enveloped by the Light Power, he instantly grasped its terrifying efficacy.

Although Light Power was the nemesis of these death creatures, the golden monsters possessed a protective layer on their surface. If Light Power was used externally, it would take at least fifteen minutes of purification to kill them. But once the Light Power breached their interior, the golden monsters fared no better than the Red-Armored creatures—they were extinguished in mere breaths.

Mou Zilong held up one finger, his expression solemn. “Thunderbolt Spears forged from this material are absolutely one kill per spear against groups of golden monsters, resulting in mutual destruction, leaving none spared. If we had enough golden proboscises, then no matter how many death creatures appeared, they would all be utterly annihilated by us.”

He Yiming slowly nodded. “Since these things are so potent, Brother Mou, why aren't you using them?” He paused. “You have been here for hundreds of years; surely you haven't been entirely without reserves?”

Mou Zilong patted a bracelet-like item on his wrist. “In the last hundred years, I have collected no less than ten thousand golden proboscises, all successfully forged into Thunderbolt Spears. After deducting the two-tenths given to the refiner and the one who infused them with Light Power, I still have about eight thousand here.” He shook his head, sighing heavily. “Eight thousand sounds like a large number, but in reality, it is far from enough. I dare not waste even a single one.”

“Why?” He Yiming asked, finding it incredible. Such a terrifying quantity, yet still being told not to waste them—no one could accept that answer easily.

“Because these are life-saving treasures, usable only once every hundred years when the monsters’ reinforcements arrive.” Mou Zilong sighed again. “The last time, I prepared over six thousand spears, yet not a single one remained. And the strength of the death creature reinforcements increases every time. So, this time, we must be even better prepared.”

He Yiming’s eyes widened, and he drew a sharp, cold breath. Six thousand-plus Thunderbolt Spears meant wiping out six thousand-plus golden monsters. And that was only his personal tally. If one factored in all the Divine Dao experts and Divine Beasts, how many golden monsters would appear every century?

The thought sent a chill down He Yiming’s spine.

Mou Zilong shook his head with a helpless, light sigh. “These proboscises are indestructible, but strangely, once a Thunderbolt Spear is used, the proboscis instantly melts away. So, even if we wanted to sustain the fight through continuous combat, it’s impossible. The only recourse is to hunt as many golden monsters as possible during the hundred-year buffer period to collect proboscises and prepare more Thunderbolt Spears.”

He Yiming’s eyes suddenly lifted, a rather peculiar expression crossing his face.

After a moment, he spoke slowly. “Brother Mou, might I have a look at one of your Thunderbolt Spears?”

Mou Zilong waved his wrist, and a short golden proboscis appeared. However, this one differed slightly from the ones He Yiming held: the hollowed-out end was firmly sealed, and even the golden light seemed to possess something unusual within it.

He Yiming took it, gently tapping the item named Thunderbolt Spear a few times. He released his intent, sweeping over the spear momentarily, then slowly nodded. “Brother Mou, when you commission others to refine and infuse these with Light Power, is it necessary to turn over two-tenths of the proboscises?”

“Correct.” Mou Zilong confirmed gravely. “The ones responsible for refining the proboscises and infusing the Light Power are both Pseudo-God Realm experts. Among us, only they possess that level of capability.” He paused, speaking sincerely. “Completing these artifacts also requires a considerable investment of time. Having each of them take one-tenth of the quantity is not excessive.”

He Yiming’s lips curled slightly. He chuckled, flipped his wrist, and instantly stored one of the proboscises into his Five Elements World.

Then, he half-closed his eyes, but a screen of five-colored light rippled around him.

The Divine Dao Puppet stepped forward, positioning itself silently right next to him.

Mou Zilong watched He Yiming, utterly bewildered, trying to fathom what whim had seized him now. His gaze fell upon the missing proboscis in He Yiming’s hand, and a sudden realization struck him, immediately turning to disbelief.

A Divine Dao expert in his early twenties was already terrifying enough. If he also possessed such high proficiency in the art of forging, what hope did anyone else have?

He Yiming, naturally oblivious to Mou Zilong’s thoughts, released his Five Colored Divine Power, wrapping his intent around the proboscis as it entered the Nine Dragon Furnace.

Since He Yiming ascended to the Divine Dao, his greatest gains, aside from the enhancement of his martial cultivation, were the surprisingly welcome development that the nine venerable fire dragons within the Nine Dragon Furnace had finally begun to accept him.

Only then did He Yiming understand how arrogant these fire dragons truly were. Even if they recognized and approved of the user, they would remain aloof until the user’s own cultivation reached the Divine Dao realm.

Fortunately, once He Yiming successfully advanced, these fire dragons lowered their airs and proactively promised to assist him in tempering the Five Elements Ring and the Black Tortoise Shell.

Of course, he could only begin forging Divine Artifacts after his Divine Dao realm was completely stabilized.

However, upon seeing the Thunderbolt Spear, He Yiming knew the time had come to enlist the aid of these nine great fire dragons.

Under the control of his intent, the golden proboscis quickly entered the Nine Dragon Furnace.

The nine small fire dragons swarmed around, growing affectionate toward He Yiming’s intent.

Hesitating slightly, He Yiming wanted to test the power of these nine growing small fire dragons. He placed the proboscis exactly in the center of the small dragons and gave a command: nine columns of fire sprayed forth from different directions, scorching the tail end of the proboscis.

However, moments later, He Yiming unhesitatingly abandoned that idea.

Ps: Bai He’s eyes hurt terribly while typing today; my temples throb whenever I look at the screen. I hope tomorrow morning will be better, or I’ll have to go see a doctor. Tomorrow, Bai He will try his best to deliver three chapters, but if the pain persists, sigh…