The sky was a canvas of ochre dust, stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction—a relentless yellow barrage against the face.

After three agonizing months dwelling within the lair of the Death Creatures, He Yiming and Mou Zilong finally emerged. The dangers they had navigated during this period were countless.

Despite possessing the heaven-defying divine artifact, the Pupils of Light and Darkness, there were instances where they could not evade detection.

For reasons unknown, this divine artifact, capable of concealing them even from the might of Pseudo-God Realm experts, proved utterly useless against the Mutated Monsters.

The moment they drew within ten zhang of any type of Mutated Monster, their presence was easily uncovered.

The most perilous encounter occurred in a narrow passage where they stumbled upon a vast swarm of Golden Monsters. Though they managed to conceal themselves, a single Mutated Monster was mingled within that horde. Even stranger, the faint light signature of the Mutated Monster was completely masked by the multitude of bright points emanating from the Golden Monsters.

Upon hearing the sound of the Mutated Monster, He Yiming and his companion instantly resolved to smash through the wall and flee. Yet, at that precise moment, over thirty Golden Monsters immediately gave chase.

The trio dared not engage; they fought while retreating, showering the pursuers with their Thunderclap Lances without hesitation. It took more than twenty of those lances to finally eliminate all thirty-plus Golden Monsters. However, they couldn't bother collecting all the mouthparts of the fallen creatures, as the chilling aura of a second wave of Golden Monsters was already manifesting.

It seemed they had stirred up a hornet's nest this time. No matter which direction they fled, powerful pursuers followed, and more alarmingly, their numbers seemed to grow exponentially. Finally, cornered and with no other option, they decisively shattered the stone wall and exited that horrifying place from its highest point.

Gazing up at the swirling yellow expanse above, a sensation long absent—a genuine sense of joy—washed over them.

They exchanged a look and simultaneously forced wry smiles; their stay below had indeed been far too long.

"Brother He, how has your cultivation progressed? Having fought so many battles down there, you must have gained considerable insight," Mou Zilong remarked, seeking lightness amid their hardship.

He Yiming’s expression was sober. "This training method, a true Path of Asura, is indeed the most suitable for a martial artist's cultivation. Compared to when I first broke through to the Divine Path, this little brother has improved immensely."

Mou Zilong chuckled, though his heart churned with complex emotions. In the first month, he could still gauge the depth of He Yiming’s strength. But as the number of battles increased, He Yiming’s progress became meteoric, showing visible improvement after almost every fight. Especially during the sudden discovery by the Mutated Monster, his immediate decision to blast open a wall and escape—that kind of reaction and decisiveness far surpassed his former self.

"Brother He, you have only just entered the Divine Path. For a period, engaging in numerous battles will naturally lead to rapid advancement. However, this state cannot be maintained indefinitely; sustaining it later on will prove far more difficult," Mou Zilong mused, then added, "So, exert yourself now; absolutely do not slacken."

He Yiming responded with a soft acknowledgment. Glancing downward, he offered a bitter smile. "Brother Mou, I wish to continue, but the sheer number of monsters below is overwhelming. Furthermore, the strength of our three selves is insufficient; I fear continuing to cultivate there is unwise."

Mou Zilong nodded slowly. Although the monsters' century-timed main reinforcements had not yet arrived, the sporadic reinforcements were definitely numerous. The monster lair they had just left was the true core, holding a population of monsters so vast it defied description.

It was then that He Yiming truly began to grasp the reality felt by Mou Zilong and the others: surviving under the siege of such countless monsters for hundreds of years was nothing short of miraculous.

Suddenly, the expressions on both their faces shifted, and they simultaneously turned their gaze toward a single direction.

From that area emanated a faint but intense fluctuation of the Power of Heaven and Earth. This fluctuation was exceptionally strange; it did not seem like someone was deliberately unleashing divine might, yet the resulting power was far superior to ordinary manifestations of Heaven and Earth’s will. Even He Yiming was not confident he could generate such intense energy.

Moreover, what shocked him more was the familiar sensation this power evoked—a feeling as if he himself had experienced something analogous before.

"Impressive," Mou Zilong sighed deeply. "Your generation possesses the most formidable talent. In a mere three months, another has broken through the limits and advanced to the Divine Path. Truly astonishing."

Even in the ancient era of the Divine Path, humanity produced only one Divine Path expert every fifty years. Yet, after only three months in this place, two individuals had successively ascended to that realm.

While He Yiming's situation was unique—likely unparalleled in the world—this other person’s breakthrough was concrete proof of the latent potential held by the peak experts of the Human Dao outside.

He Yiming remained silent, his eyes half-closed, quietly sensing the surging aura. After a long while, he finally stated, "It is Ao Borui."

Mou Zilong paused momentarily. "Are you certain?"

He Yiming nodded slowly. "Although his aura has changed significantly from when he was outside, it matches precisely the last time we met. I wonder what peculiar cultivation technique Ao Minxing taught him, or what potent spiritual medicine he consumed. His rapid breakthrough must be related to that."

The smile vanished from Mou Zilong’s face as he snorted coldly. "The former Five Elements Sect was the foremost sect under heaven; Ao Minxing naturally possesses a great many treasures. Hmph. These major sects rely on shortcuts instead of their own grueling cultivation. Truly shameless."

His tone carried a deep, undisguised note of jealousy.

He Yiming let out a wry chuckle but understood his sentiments perfectly.

As an unaffiliated cultivator (sanxiu), Mou Zilong rarely accessed rare heavenly materials or the highest-tier cultivation manuals. His ascent to the Divine Path, beyond sheer luck, was primarily built on relentless, hard-won cultivation. Thus, he felt both envy and resentment toward the vast supply of elixirs and medicines held by the Five Elements Sect.

Subtly, He Yiming even sensed that perhaps this strange, extreme emotion was precisely what fueled Mou Zilong's boundless drive, enabling his eventual breakthrough to the Divine Path.

Indeed, there are a thousand paths; only by finding the one best suited to oneself can one reach the pinnacle of one’s own martial way.

Mou Zilong’s eyes flashed with sharp light, and he suddenly asked, "Brother He, before Ao Borui entered this place, how long had he been lingering at the peak of the Human Dao realm?"

He Yiming frowned slightly. Had it been any other Ninth Heaven peak expert, or perhaps a Great Venerable of Five Energies like the Divine Calculator, they could have answered that question. But He Yiming had no interest in such details and thus couldn't confirm the exact duration.

After thinking for a moment, he slowly replied, "Around two hundred years, I believe."

Mou Zilong seemed to be calculating something in his mind. A moment later, he let out a self-mocking laugh. "Ao Borui had already remained in the Ninth Heaven realm for two hundred years, and upon entering this place, he was lucky enough to encounter Ao Minxing. Having this top-tier Divine Path expert escorting and protecting him, all while cultivating within a monster's nest—heh. With such comprehensive care, if he hadn't managed to advance to the Divine Path in three months, he would truly be an idiot."

He Yiming smiled faintly, yet a colossal question churned in his heart.

He and the Divine Puppet had been teleported to one location by the Divine Dragon. Di Shitian, Bing Xiaotian, and Zi Luli, in a group of three, were sent to another. Similarly, the Qilin Sacred Lord, Ji Mo Fanshu, and Liu Changju were sent to a third location.

Furthermore, all the locations they were sent to were on the periphery where monsters appeared. There, the most powerful Death Creature was merely the silvery-white kind, with no Golden Monsters in sight, let alone Mutated Monsters.

But Ao Borui was clearly different. The first time He Yiming encountered him, Ao Borui was already consorting with Ao Minxing. If this were all coincidence, He Yiming would never believe it, even if struck dead.

"Brother Mou, what is the origin of the Divine Dragon guarding the entrance to that passage?"

A shade of reverence crossed Mou Zilong's face. "That is the most powerful Divine Beast in existence, and among Divine Beasts, the most formidable—the Divine Calculator."

He Yiming immediately recalled the scene from their first meeting when the Divine Dragon had used its massive claw for divination.

Shaking his head, he asked in a deep voice, "What is the relationship between this Divine Dragon and the Five Elements Sect? It seems quite partial to them."

"I don't know," Mou Zilong shrugged, his shoulders rising. "That Divine Dragon is the oldest creature among all known Divine Beasts. Perhaps it was acquainted with the Ancestor of the Five Elements long ago."

He Yiming nodded in realization, but his wariness toward both the Divine Dragon and the Five Elements Sect deepened.

"Brother He, since Ao Borui has advanced to the Divine Path, the Five Elements Sect now has three Divine Path experts here," Mou Zilong considered for a moment. "In my old brother's view, we should continue wandering outside for another two months and return just before the final month. By then, nearly everyone should have returned on schedule, completing their final preparations. Regardless of any deep-seated grudges, they will temporarily have to set them aside."

He Yiming calculated this in his mind. "Let's follow Brother Mou’s plan, but..." A mysterious smile curved his lips, "we shouldn't waste the time entirely. During these next two months, let's first see if we can modify the properties of the Thunderclap Lances you possess."

Mou Zilong abruptly turned his head, his eyes gleaming brightly.

The power difference between an ordinary Thunderclap Lance and a Mutated Thunderclap Lance was vast, yet in these three months, despite their every effort, they had only managed to collect slightly over a thousand Golden Monster mouthparts.

This was because, the deeper they went, the more frequently the Golden Monsters appeared in swarms. The difficulty of hunting naturally increased, greatly affecting their speed—which was why He Yiming ultimately abandoned the idea of staying any longer.

"Brother He, you can modify the Thunderclap Lances?" Mou Zilong asked, a mixture of delight and shock in his voice.

He Yiming smiled affably. "I can't guarantee it, but I can certainly try."

Mou Zilong burst into hearty laughter. "Excellent! Excellent! Brother He, actually, I was worrying unnecessarily. As soon as the news spreads that you possess this unique skill, even the combined forces of the Five Elements Sect and Ma Yu won't dare to touch you."

Listening to his unrestrained laughter, He Yiming could only offer a bitter smile inwardly.

If those people knew that this passage had a chance of being sealed off, would they still hold such thoughts?

Ps: Five chapters today, and five chapters again tomorrow. It's the middle of the month; if anyone has a second monthly ticket, please cast it for White Crane. Thank you...