He Yiming’s gaze swept over the faces of Ao Minxing and the other two. His brow furrowed slightly. “And what place is the Crystal Palace?”

Since Ao Minxing had already decided to invite He Yiming along, he naturally could not conceal the truth. He spoke slowly, “Brother He may not know, but when the founding ancestor of our Five Elements Sect, the Five Elements Old Ancestor, was traveling the world, he discovered an island beneath the sea. Deep within that island, there was a magnificent cavern formed entirely of natural crystal. Thus, the Old Ancestor named the place the Crystal Palace.” He paused. “This matter has always been a secret within our sect, known only to the successive Sect Masters. I was in too much of a hurry when entering the Land of Death to properly designate a successor, so…”

He Yiming nodded slowly, recognizing the flicker of guilt in the other man’s eyes and discerning his thoughts.

Clearing his throat lightly, he quickly said, “Brother Ao, there must be something of considerable importance to your sect within the Crystal Palace.”

Ao Minxing responded softly, “Brother He, what I am about to say is the greatest secret of our sect. The ancestors left an instruction: unless absolutely unavoidable, it is forbidden to speak of it to outsiders.” His gaze shifted to Bai Lingba, Bai Ma Leidian, and Bao Zhu. “Although these gentlemen are Brother He’s good friends, Ao still cannot speak plainly before this matter is concluded.”

He Yiming’s brow furrowed deeply. Although Ao Minxing’s tone was not overly harsh, it carried an unmistakable air of finality. He immediately understood that if he insisted on Leidian and Bao Zhu being present, Ao Minxing would likely remain silent rather than speak.

Bai Ma let out a soft neigh, a trace of ill-will flashing in its eyes toward Ao Minxing. However, it also knew this old man was far from benevolent, so it dared not provoke him easily. Bao Zhu, meanwhile, swiveled its clever little eyes, plotting some mischief of its own. As for Bai Lingba, his face remained as dead as ever, the very embodiment of impassivity.

After a moment of consideration, He Yiming turned and signaled to Bai Lingba and the others. Although Bai Ma Leidian was extremely reluctant, it ultimately obeyed He Yiming’s instruction and withdrew to a distance.

Ao Minxing nodded toward his two companions. Wei Jinshun and Ao Borui immediately moved away, joining Bai Lingba and starting a conversation with him.

Yet, Bai Lingba was currently as unresponsive as a block of wood. For every ten sentences they spoke, he might not even manage one reply. Fortunately, Bao Zhu let out an occasional grunt, preventing the scene from becoming too desolate.

“Brother Ao, you can speak plainly now,” He Yiming said with a smile.

Ao Minxing nodded with satisfaction, saying sincerely, “Brother He, please forgive me. This is due to our ancestral teachings; it is not that I intended to slight you.”

He Yiming waved his hand. “Brother Ao is too polite.”

Ao Minxing took a deep breath and immediately returned to the main topic: “The Crystal Palace was discovered by our sect’s Old Ancestor, and within it lies a rare treasure of heaven and earth.”

He Yiming remained outwardly unmoved, appearing completely unconcerned. Yet, his mind was already wholly focused. Anything Ao Minxing introduced with such gravity must be no ordinary treasure, surely a peerless marvel of nature.

Ao Minxing thought to himself that this young man possessed remarkable composure. If he did not know his true age, he would never have believed it.

“Has Brother He ever heard of the Divine Medicine Nectar?”

He Yiming’s eyes lit up, a hint of shock barely visible. “Could it be that the Divine Medicine Nectar is inside the Crystal Palace?”

He was intimately familiar with the Dao of Alchemy and had read countless ancient texts. Many of these books mentioned the Divine Medicine Nectar.

It was said to be a naturally occurring wonder of heaven and earth, possessing supreme utility for both ordinary people and cultivators.

All ancient texts praised this substance highly, some even labeling it the foremost innate elixir in the world.

However, the texts only recorded some of its miraculous effects—that it could revive the dead, mend shattered bones, and even allow cultivators to advance their own realms.

But as for its origin, the records were vague. Moreover, according to ancient texts, this spiritual medicine had only appeared three times in the entire Divine Dao era.

At this moment, however, He Yiming understood that this elixir, coveted by every person in the world, originated with the Five Elements Sect.

Seeing He Yiming’s astonished expression, Ao Minxing smiled proudly. “The Divine Medicine Nectar possesses miraculous effects such as purifying marrow and improving physique. If an ordinary person were to consume it, healing injuries and prolonging life would be trivial matters. However, the true efficacy of this substance is not merely that.”

He Yiming paused slightly. “This humble one has also heard that consuming the Divine Medicine Nectar has tremendous benefits for cultivators.”

Ao Minxing laughed heartily. “Brother He is correct. For an ordinary person to consume this medicine would be a gross waste of heaven’s bounty. To realize the true potential of this substance, one must at least have reached the Venerable Realm.”

He Yiming felt a sudden chill. The Venerable Realm being the minimum standard for consumption was truly bewildering. A thought stirred in his mind, recalling certain records from ancient texts. “Does this mean the rumors that this substance can help people advance their martial realms are not false?”

Ao Minxing’s smile vanished, his expression turning serious. “This matter is not exaggerated, for the Divine Medicine Nectar truly possesses the effect of aiding one in better comprehending the fundamental power of heaven and earth.” He raised a single finger. “Especially in the Divine Dao Realm, a single drop of Divine Medicine Nectar can allow one to grasp a higher layer of understanding. More importantly, consuming this medicine at the critical juncture of breaking through to a higher realm dramatically increases the chance of success.”

He Yiming’s face finally showed emotion. He finally understood why this medicine was called the foremost innate elixir in the world.

His gaze sharpened. “So, Brother Ao intends to break through to the legendary True God Realm? Heh heh, if our East were to produce another True God Realm expert, we could certainly suppress the West completely.”

A bitter smile touched Ao Minxing’s face. “Brother He, while this medicine is miraculous, this realm-advancing divine efficacy offers no assistance to those above the Pseudo-God Realm.” He pointed at He Yiming. “It has such a profound effect on those in your Void God Realm.”

He Yiming was slightly taken aback, then nodded slowly.

Ao Minxing was not lying. If this medicine were effective for Pseudo-God Realm experts, the Five Elements Sect, since its founding ten thousand years ago, would not have produced only a single True God Realm supreme expert.

This clearly showed that once one advanced to the Pseudo-God Realm, the medicine would lose its effect.

But perhaps it was for the best; otherwise, no other force in the world would be able to contend with the Five Elements Sect.

A thought flashed, and He Yiming spoke with gravity, “Brother Ao, since you’ve shared this secret, does it mean there are difficulties in opening the Crystal Palace?”

“Indeed,” Ao Minxing replied with a wry smile. “If it were not for the fact that I cannot open it with my own strength alone, I would not be seeking Brother He’s aid.”

He Yiming understood immediately. The Divine Medicine Nectar had such miraculous effects even on Divine Dao experts; if the news were accidentally leaked, it would cause the Five Elements Sect unimaginable trouble. This treasure was even more envied than Divine Trees or Blessed Caves. He inwardly marveled that the Five Elements Old Ancestor truly deserved his title as the former foremost figure in the world; not only did he find such an excellent foundational location for the sect, but he also secured this fortunate spot upon the sea. To be a disciple of the Five Elements Sect must be the happiest thing in the world.

“Brother He, the Old Ancestor, in order to prevent others from discovering or opening the Crystal Palace, specifically laid down a Divine Dao Grand Array before the palace gate. To enter the Crystal Palace, this array must be activated. Otherwise, even I cannot enter,” Ao Minxing said helplessly. “The problem is, opening this Grand Array requires someone with the Five Elements Body coordinating with the divine artifact, the Five Elements Ring.”

He Yiming was slightly surprised, looking keenly at the other man. “Brother Ao, if this junior’s memory serves correctly, you yourself possess the Five Elements Body?”

Ao Minxing waved his hand, a hint of embarrassment crossing his face. “I have tried before, but I could not open the Grand Array. Based on my estimation, unless the Old Ancestor were resurrected, only a combined effort by the two of us can successfully activate the array.”

An image of a giant dragon flashed across He Yiming’s mind. If that Eastern Divine Dragon were to make a move, he wondered if they could successfully open it.

However, that Divine Dragon did not possess the Five Elements Ring artifact, and neither He Yiming nor Ao Minxing could lend their natal divine artifacts to others, so the Divine Dragon was out of the question.

He Yiming pondered for a moment. “Brother Ao, how much Divine Medicine Nectar is there in the Crystal Palace?”

Ao Minxing’s expression shifted slightly. He sighed inwardly. Although he had long known that the best possible outcome of revealing this secret was that He Yiming would demand a share, hearing the question still caused him a pang of heartache.

“The Divine Medicine Nectar is formed as the Crystal Palace gradually absorbs the power of heaven and earth. Five thousand years ago, when the power of heaven and earth was abundant, one drop could be yielded every hundred years. But the last five millennia are uncertain. Perhaps there are several drops inside, or perhaps not a single one,” Ao Minxing said, shaking his head.

A sharp light gleamed in He Yiming’s eyes as he appeared to be weighing something.

Ao Minxing forced a wry smile and waved his hand. “As long as you help me open the Crystal Palace, I will not only lend you the Divine Dao Book, but if the quantity of Divine Medicine Nectar inside is two drops or more, I will give you one. How about that?”

A trace of a smile appeared at the corners of He Yiming’s eyes. To be honest, he was not content with just one, but he also knew this was Ao Minxing’s bottom line. If he were to be too greedy and demand more Divine Medicine Nectar, even if Ao Minxing agreed, he would likely harbor ill intentions, putting himself in danger instead.

“Since Brother Ao is so generous, this humble one dares not refuse,” He said, nodding firmly. He paused thoughtfully. “Where is the Crystal Palace located, and when shall we depart?”

Ao Minxing smiled with relief. “The Grand Array of the Crystal Palace can only be activated once every three months. A few days ago was the activation day, and we have missed it. So, Brother He might as well prepare, and we shall depart punctually two months from now, how about that?”