"How... did he advance to the Divine Path?" After watching Edwin’s figure completely vanish, Mou Zilong suddenly murmured.

A sudden silence fell over everyone. Even the trio of Ao Minxing pondered this question internally. None of them were ordinary people, and after's introduction, they were aware of Edwin’s true identity.

A newly ascended Venerable just three years ago; a mere Venerable, yet after the recovery of the power of Heaven and Earth, he had directly ascended to the Divine Path.

In an instant, everyone’s gazes swept, intentionally or unintentionally, toward .

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, could only offer a wry smile, yet he could not stop the trajectory of their gazes.

Bao Yanzhu shook his head and stated, "This young man’s talent is decent, but when compared to Elder , he still falls significantly short."

After a moment of hesitation, the crowd nodded in agreement.

Anyone capable of advancing to the Divine Path surely could not have poor talent. But to suggest that a second would appear in this world—not a single one of them would believe it, even if it meant death. If this person truly possessed such unbelievable talent, he would not have succeeded in advancing to the Venerable realm in his one hundred-plus years; he should have reached the peak of the Human Path by thirty.

"What is the origin of the sword in this person's hand? Does anyone present know?" Ao Minxing abruptly inquired.

Hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. After a long pause, Ma Yu spoke, "That golden greatsword artifact possesses incomparably mighty power and should not belong to an unknown entity, but regrettably, we seem never to have heard of it."

’s gaze swept over the faces before him. From the established powerhouse Ao Minxing to the newly ascended Divine Path expert Zi Luli, all were clearly ignorant of the sword's background.

He couldn't help but feel immensely astonished. How rare were divine artifacts? Once one showed itself in the mortal realm, there would surely be the most detailed records. This was true for both Eastern Divine Relics and Western artifacts, yet the one in Edwin’s hand was completely obscure, and the fact that no one could even suggest an origin was astonishing.

Subtly, the expressions of the group grew serious.

"There was a divine beast howling in the distance just now, which should be related to Edwin. However, that beast is definitely not our ally," Ma Yu stated coldly.

Everyone naturally understood that the only beings he would refer to as allies were the five powerful divine beasts that had fought alongside him in the Land of Death.

Bao Yanzhu chuckled, "As soon as that divine beast cried out, Edwin immediately challenged and departed; there must be a connection." He sighed softly, "I hadn't expected that upon our return, not only would the Eastern World be unstable, but the Western World would also be impatiently eager to make a move against us."

The gloom on Ao Minxing’s face gradually receded. He looked silently at Bao Yanzhu and said softly, "Brother Bao, I have a very bad feeling. This time, the Western World is absolutely different from before."

Bao Yanzhu nodded slowly, offering a bitter smile. "Me too. Whenever I face the West, I feel as if a great disaster is imminent."

These two Divine Path powerhouses, who controlled the most formidable sects in the Eastern World, exchanged a look, both filled with unease. Even Ma Yu, Mou Zilong, and the others felt the same way.

After a long while, Ao Minxing suddenly declared, "Brother Bao, the West is utterly bizarre everywhere right now. We in the East should also unite to repel the foreign insults. What are your thoughts?"

"'When brothers quarrel within the walls, they repel the insult from without'—this is precisely the situation," Bao Yanzhu stated steadily.

There was no sense of delight in his tone. Although internal strife within the Five Elements Gate was unnecessary for the time being, seeing this newly ascended Divine Path expert from the West left a heavy weight on everyone's hearts. They naturally did not fear Edwin alone, but they were deeply wary of the method by which he achieved his Divine Path advancement. Furthermore, the divine sword in his hand and that unknown sea divine beast were both sources of profound apprehension.

Of course, what truly prompted this decision among them was their intuition—an inexplicably heart-pounding feeling. This was a sense of crisis that only Divine Path experts could generate when facing danger. The moment they thought of the words "Western Powerhouses," their hearts trembled, as if they were facing not just a few known Divine Path experts, but a monstrous entity against which they themselves could not contend. Although this feeling sounded quite absurd and unbelievable, these Divine Path experts trusted their premonitions implicitly.

Mou Zilong nodded slightly, then suddenly turned to . "Brother , why did you try to stop Edwin just now? With the Divine Tree present, Edwin couldn't possibly harm Ao."

Ao Minxing and the other two flushed slightly. Although Mou Zilong meant no ill will, he had clearly pointed out the fact that Ao Borui was far from a match for Edwin.

offered a wry smile. "Brother Mou, Little Brother doesn't know either."

Mou Zilong paused for a long moment, knitting his brows. "You don't know?"

"Yes," admitted helplessly. "Little Brother saw Edwin attack and realized he could use the divine artifact to unleash domain power, and the method was quite strange. Just as Little Brother was thinking of investigating it, I acted without realizing it."

In truth, had concealed a little. After Edwin drew the golden sword and released immense domain power to defeat Ao Borui, his own divine artifacts, the Five Elements Ring and the Nine Dragon Furnace, began to stir violently. Vaguely, sensed that Edwin's method of controlling divine weapons would be of great help to him. If he could learn from and master it, he too could unleash a searing domain using the Five Elements Ring and the Nine Dragon Furnace. This was an immensely powerful temptation, and the moment this thought arose, the primary spirit of the Five Elements Ring merged with his intent and proactively took action.

Mou Zilong and the others exchanged glances, their expressions shifting to a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

He sighed deeply, "You martial arts fanatic, alas..."

Ao Minxing’s expression shifted slightly. He pondered for a moment before speaking, "Brother , in your exchange with him this time, did you gain any insight into the Dao of Divine Artifact Domains?"

’s expression immediately turned serious. "While this humble one gained slight insights, I am far from reaching the realm where I can form a divine artifact domain."

Ao Minxing slowly shook his head, speaking leisurely, "In fact, every divine artifact possesses its unique inherent power. If one can fully master and utilize this power, then even a Void God Realm expert can unleash a domain. This is the Divine Artifact Domain. Although this domain is not the inherent domain of a Divine Path expert, when used against an opponent, it possesses nearly the same miraculous effect."

regarded the elder with suspicion. His relationship with the Five Elements Gate was not particularly close, yet judging by Ao Minxing's tone, he seemed to be offering instruction on his cultivation—what was the meaning of this?

Ao Minxing glanced at him, and seeing that the young man remained impassive, felt a flicker of annoyance and let out a cold snort. "Brother , you possess the rare Five Elements Body. And this old man happens to have a book on the Divine Path, specifically detailing the cultivation method for a Five Elements Body to condense a single-element domain while in the Void God Realm, using the Five Elements Ring."

’s eyes immediately lit up; in that instant, he could not conceal the excitement in his heart.

Ao Minxing registered his reaction, confirming his assumption. "The ice-element power you displayed just now has reached the pinnacle. If you advance further, you should be able to condense a true Ice Domain. Heh heh, if one year from now, you possess your own domain power, supplemented by the divine beast White Horse, defeating Edwin would be effortless."

Not just , but even Bao Yanzhu and Mou Zilong were profoundly moved. They certainly understood that defeating a Divine Path expert would never be a matter of effortless victory; that was a Divine Path expert bullying a Human Path cultivator, and battles between Divine Path experts, unless there was a difference in tier, could never be that easy. However, if truly mastered the power of the Divine Artifact Domain, the outcome of the battle would be settled beforehand.

Clearing his throat, Mou Zilong said, "Brother Ao, you are truly benevolent."

Ao Minxing shot him a look of annoyance but had no desire to create enmity with this rogue cultivator. A rogue cultivator at the Divine Path was far more unpredictable and dangerous than a Divine Path expert with an established sect.

"This contest is not merely the battle between Brother and Edwin; it is a battle for the destiny of the East and West for the next thousand years. This old man is not so foolish as to fail to grasp such basic reasoning," Ao Minxing snorted, then added, "However, I also have a few small matters that require someone's assistance..."

Mou Zilong burst into hearty laughter. "Just state your terms directly, why be cagey about it? As long as you bring out that book, this old man and the others guarantee our full effort."

Ao Minxing shook his head slightly. "You cannot help with this. I only require Brother 's assistance." He paused. "Brother , if you trust this old man, please do me a favor. Once this matter concludes, upon returning to the Five Elements Gate, I will personally deliver the cultivation method."

Bao Yanzhu and Mou Zilong exchanged looks, then slowly nodded toward . Although the relationship between the group and Ao Minxing was complex, given his status and cultivation, he would absolutely not joke about such a matter or harbor any ill intentions.

"Brother , Brother Bao and I will go check on the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. One year from now, we will accompany you to the Southern Border," Mou Zilong said with a loud laugh as he pulled Bao Yanzhu along. He then turned to Ma Yu, "Brother Ma, how about Sect Master Jimo accompanies us?"

Ma Yu hesitated for a moment but then slowly nodded. Although he had now joined the Glazed Island of the Southern Border, deep down he was still a man of the Eastern Continent, and where his heart lay was obvious. As for Ji Mo Fanshu, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.

In an instant, everyone departed except for , Hundred and Eight, White Horse Thunder and Lightning, and the Treasure Pig. Only Ao Minxing and his two companions remained.

’s expression grew solemn. "Brother Ao, what is the matter that requires Brother ’s service? Please state it plainly."

Ao Minxing nodded slightly. "I wish to ask you to help me open the door to the Crystal Palace..."

ps: Monthly votes are critically low! White Crane begs for monthly votes and recommendation tickets! Also, White Crane has an appointment tomorrow morning and cannot write until he returns. Therefore, the two chapters scheduled for 11 AM tomorrow will be moved to around 2 PM. My apologies!