"That man is named He Yiming," Ma Yu said coldly. "Sect Master Ao. Could this person be the one who possesses the Nine Dragon Furnace?"

After seeing Ao Borui's expression and hearing his inquiry, anyone with a modicum of sense knew the answer.

Ao Borui sighed deeply and said, "This junior has never mentioned it."

He Yiming scoffed internally. Although he hadn't explicitly said so, this reply was no different than an admission.

"He Yiming…" Ma Yu sighed softly. "To think the Nine Dragon Furnace is with him. What a missed opportunity."

A flicker of regret also crossed Yuan Juan's eyes, though it vanished in an instant. When they first encountered He Yiming, they had been quite excited. It was the first time in centuries they had met a powerhouse from the outside world; simply gathering news from various factions was satisfying enough, let alone concerning the Nine Dragon Furnace.

Ao Borui suddenly recalled something. "Senior, you mentioned encountering a newly ascended Divine Realm expert just now. Could that person be He Yiming?"

Ma Yu nodded slowly. "Indeed. When I encountered him, he had already broken through to the Divine Realm."

"Merely a newly ascended Divine Realm expert," Ao Minxing sneered. "Brother Ma, were there any others accompanying this person?"

Ma Yu replied without hesitation, his expression unchanged, "This old man saw no one else. Perhaps he was alone."

Yuan Juan’s expression shifted slightly, but she offered no rebuttal. As for the white tiger, it squatted on the ground, motionless, like a sculpted beast.

Ao Borui managed a wry smile. A newly ascended Divine Realm expert was nothing in Ao Minxing's eyes, but for him, such a figure was utterly unattainable.

Seemingly perceiving Ao Borui's thoughts, Ao Minxing declared loudly, "Borui, you need not be discouraged. As long as you cultivate diligently here and thoroughly master the techniques I impart, you will certainly ascend to the Divine Realm within half a year."

Ao Borui took a deep breath, and the slight sense of dejection that had arisen instantly vanished. He stated firmly, "Ancestor, rest assured, your disciple will not fail your expectations."

"Sect Master Ao, what is He Yiming’s origin? Which faction does he belong to?" Ma Yu suddenly asked.

Upon hearing the name He Yiming, a surge of intense helplessness washed over Ao Borui. He shook his head slightly. "Senior, He Yiming is a successor of the Northwest Celestial Lake lineage, and indeed, the greatest cultivation genius in history. Throughout all time, no one can surpass him."

Ao Minxing frowned slightly. "Borui, why inflate another's prestige?"

Ao Borui's face grew more bitter. "Ancestor, your disciple dares not utter a single falsehood."

"Hmph, could this child’s talent possibly surpass our sect's Founding Ancestor?" Ao Minxing angrily demanded.

Ao Borui took a deep breath, and after a long pause, he slowly nodded. "I fear that is indeed the case."

Silence descended upon the cave. Not just Ao Minxing and Ma Yu, but even the massive white tiger widened its eyes and stared at him.

The fame of the Five Elements Founding Ancestor was unparalleled among both humans and divine beasts. For someone to openly claim the existence of an individual with superior talent was, naturally, incredibly difficult for them to fathom.

Ao Minxing pondered for a moment, his face growing grim. "Borui, what is so remarkable about this person? Can he cultivate the Flower of the Great Samsara of Five Elements as well?"

Though his heart remained skeptical, he knew his junior would never deceive him on such a matter, so he quickly composed himself.

A hint of helplessness flickered in Ao Borui's eyes. "Ancestor, He Yiming has not only cultivated the Flower of the Great Samsara of Five Elements, but he has also mastered the Light and Dark Fusion from the Western World."

The cave fell silent once more. Ma Yu and the other two exchanged glances, unable to conceal the shock in their eyes.

Ao Borui pursed his lips and continued, "Ancestor, this person has not only mastered the most powerful combat techniques from both the Eastern and Western worlds, but..." He spoke with genuine conviction, "but this person is truly an unprecedented cultivation genius. He is not yet thirty years old this year."

"What did you say?" Yuan Juan exclaimed. "Not yet thirty?"

Ao Borui slowly nodded. Everyone stared intently at him, but a moment later, they looked disappointed. There was no evasiveness in Ao Borui's gaze; the openness was enough to attest to the truth of his words.

After a considerable silence, Ao Minxing gave a soft snort. "Everyone, this old man still needs to take Borui deeper into the cave for tempering. We shall meet again." With that, he turned and left. Ao Borui quickly nodded to the others before following suit.

After the two had gone a good distance, Ma Yu spoke in a measured tone. "That He Yiming isn't even thirty? Did he start practicing martial arts before leaving the womb?"

The giant white tiger rumbled, "That's impossible. A Divine Realm expert under thirty—even our divine beast bloodlines cannot achieve that."

Yuan Juan shook her head slightly. "Brother Tiger, humans and divine beasts cannot be compared. Even the most talented divine beast requires centuries of cultivation to become a true Divine Beast."

The white tiger chuckled twice. "Little sister, what are your intentions now?"

Yuan Juan frowned, then spoke with gravity after a moment. "If there is even the slightest possibility, I must ensure the Nine Dragon Furnace is returned to its rightful owner."

Although her tone remained resolute, her two companions could discern that her attitude had softened considerably from the beginning. Previously, upon hearing the Nine Dragon Furnace was in the hands of a newly ascended Divine Realm expert, she would have stopped at nothing to retrieve it, refusing to rest until her goal was achieved.

But now, her words held a subtle shift. This indicated that after hearing Ao Borui’s account, she held significant apprehension towards He Yiming.

"Little sister, if this were outside, I wouldn't object. But here, perhaps we should each take a step back," the giant white tiger interjected. "Don't forget, we share a common enemy. If we resort to infighting instead of cooperation, our world will suffer because of our mistakes, becoming just like this place."

Yuan Juan's expression shifted rapidly several times before she finally let out a long sigh.

If He Yiming were merely an ordinary Divine Realm expert, or if they had never opened that accursed passage in the first place, she wouldn't hesitate to devise a way to kill him and seize his artifact, the Nine Dragon Furnace.

Even the most formidable genius required time to mature; death during that growth phase meant not a genius, but a fallen one.

However, under these peculiar circumstances, taking such action would certainly invite hostility, ostracization, and perhaps even attack from everyone else. For everyone here, ensuring the safety of that passage was paramount, and the lives of all Divine Realm experts were the most precious and irreplaceable assets.

Ma Yu suddenly spoke up. "Brother Tiger is right; we absolutely cannot use force. But that doesn't mean there's no way forward."

Yuan Juan's eyes lit up. "What method do you propose?"

Ma Yu gave a faint chuckle. "That Ao Minxing values his reputation above all else, hehe. If he encounters He Yiming, there is certain to be quite a spectacle." He paused. "If a conflict arises between Ao Minxing and He Yiming, who do you favor?"

Yuan Juan hesitated for a moment. "Although He Yiming possesses the Nine Dragon Furnace artifact, Ao Minxing holds the Five Elements Ring artifact. Furthermore, having advanced to the Pseudo-Divine Realm for four hundred years, his divine abilities are second to none among everyone present. If those two were to clash, Ao Minxing would naturally have the upper hand."

Ma Yu nodded slightly. "Precisely. He Yiming is new here, unfamiliar with the terrain. Yet, the Five Elements Sect harbors two Divine Realm experts. They are certain to seek trouble with him. Once a conflict erupts, we will have our chance."

The giant white tiger shook its massive head. "Brother, we cannot defeat Ao Minxing either. His Five Elements Ring is too formidable."

"We cannot defeat him, but what if we also possessed a divine artifact?" Ma Yu stated soberly.

Yuan Juan's eyes brightened. "That makes sense. You also specialize in the Way of Fire, and your martial cultivation is at the Pseudo-Divine Realm. If you were to wield the Nine Dragon Furnace against Ao Minxing, defeat is not certain."

A strange glint sparked in Ma Yu's eyes, tinged with a mix of satisfaction and avarice. "The tighter Ao Minxing pressures He Yiming, the more passive He Yiming becomes. We just need to get close to him, slowly gain his trust, and eventually, he will seek us out on his own."

The white tiger considered it for a moment. "You humans have such complicated schemes. But I do not object."

Ma Yu laughed heartily and patted its flank. "Brother Tiger, your physical constitution vastly surpasses us humans. You may not care about divine artifacts, but we do." His laughter held a deep undercurrent of (helplessness). Even when achieving the same cultivation realm, there was a massive gap between humans and divine beasts. Without the support of powerful divine weapons or even divine artifacts, human Divine Realm experts were no match for divine beasts.

Yuan Juan mused, "Can this plan succeed?"

Ma Yu's expression hardened slightly. "To make Ao Minxing deal with He Yiming, we need to add fuel to the fire first."

Yuan Juan's eyes shone brightly. "How?"

"We will spread the news that He Yiming burned down the Sacred Tree Valley. I want to put Ao Minxing in a position where he cannot back down."

"Good," Yuan Juan praised softly.

"Roar..." The white tiger roared. "We only have six months. We should focus on finding more Golden Monsters and collecting more mandibles."

Ma Yu nodded. The three of them walked side by side, and moments later, they were gone from the vicinity, their tracks completely vanished.

From beginning to end, no one spared a glance for the two golden mandibles tainted by the poisonous mist on the ground. Everyone knew that those two precious items were utterly ruined.