"Brother He, may I come in?" Old Ao Minhang's voice echoed from beyond the door.

This elder had lingered outside since Brother He began emitting that fiery aura, waiting until he sensed the energy dissipating before cautiously speaking up.

Hei Ming let out a dry chuckle. "Please do enter, Uncle Ao."

The door creaked open as Old Ao Minhang stepped inside. The white horse's electric glow had vanished - it regarded the elder with wary respect but no aggression now.

Old Ao's gaze locked onto Hei Ming while his spirit sensed the lingering heat surrounding him. After a moment he murmured, "Brother He, were you just cultivating your artifact domain?"

Hei Ming didn't hide anything. "Indeed. I apologize for the disturbance."

Old Ao shook his head solemnly. "You're not practicing the Wei Wu Ring's domain, are you?"

A faint smile played on Hei Ming's lips. "Precisely the one from the Wei Wu Ring."

Old Ao's brows furrowed. After learning about the ring's cultivation methods just moments ago, he should have been working with that artifact. Yet the fiery power radiating from this chamber felt nothing like the balanced elemental flow of the Wei Wu Ring.

Hei Ming caught the skepticism in Old Ao's eyes and sighed. "To be honest, I accidentally combined two artifacts during my cultivation."

Old Ao blinked before his expression twisted into something bewildered - as if he was looking at a madman himself.

"Is there any problem with that?" Hei Ming asked cautiously.

Regaining composure, Old Ao cleared his throat. "Brother He is truly remarkable. In all history I've never heard of anyone achieving such an unprecedented feat."

Hei Ming's face twitched - the words felt more like a veiled rebuke.

"Would you be working with both the Wei Wu Ring and Nine Dragon Furnace?" Old Ao mused after a pause.

Hei Ming nodded. "The Nine Dragon is fire-based while the Wei Wu embraces all five elements, so I gave it a try."

"Were you successful?" Old Ao asked curiously.

A conflicted expression crossed Hei Ming's face. "I succeeded... and failed at once."

Old Ao blinked in confusion - such an ambiguous response was alien to him despite his vast experience.

"What do you mean?" he pressed.

"I've definitely cultivated the true artifact domain," Hei Ming said seriously, "but I still can't control it."

Old Ao's brows furrowed deeply. Domains were a godly path martial artist's ultimate power - even more controllable than one's own divine energy once mastered. To possess an unmanageable domain was unheard of in his lifetime.

After contemplation he asked, "Could this be similar to that mysterious ice aura you unleashed when fighting Edwen?"

Hei Ming had indeed manifested an icy field during their battle though it was swiftly overwhelmed by a true domain. With Old Ao's discerning eyes, the uncontrolled nature must have been obvious enough for suspicion.

"I truly mastered the fiery domain," Hei Ming said solemnly, "but this power... refuses to obey."

Old Ao concealed his shock behind careful contemplation before smiling. "This 'Blazing Domain' is quite a fitting name. Would you mind showing it to me?"

Hei Ming glanced around warily. "I still can't control it - if I unleashed it here..."

Old Ao's face paled instantly. "Three months are nearly up, let's wait until we're outside."

The Crystal Palace was crucial for the Five Elements Sect with powerful protective formations left behind by their ancestors. Though Hei Ming's domain likely couldn't damage the palace itself, Old Ao wouldn't risk any chance of destruction.

Suddenly a surge of earth-shaking energy erupted from afar.

A stunned expression crossed Hei Ming's face as he sensed the unmistakable essence of ultimate wood power - reminiscent of that colossal divine tree in the Peach Blossom Paradise. Yet its sudden appearance here made his skin prickle oddly.

Old Ao's eyes gleamed with delight before he nodded to everyone and excused himself.

As Hei Ming, Bao Zhu, and Bai Ma left the room together they all understood - Old Bo Rui must have achieved some breakthrough during his cultivation. The power of that divine elixir was indeed extraordinary; less than three months after taking it and already showing significant progress.

Hei Ming's fists clenched slightly as he felt the jade vial containing the potion in the Five Elements realm give an almost imperceptible pulse. For a moment, the temptation to consume it regardless surfaced - but he quickly suppressed such greed. If Bao Zhu could find more of this elixir within the Crystal Palace, one drop wouldn't matter much. But if there were no more reserves, then this single vial would be invaluable beyond any immediate desires.

The stone door creaked open as Old Bo Rui emerged from his chamber.

The current master of Peach Blossom Paradise looked rejuvenated - his eyes gleamed with renewed brilliance and his aura had grown substantially. He seemed completely transformed through some fundamental change.

Hei Ming carefully analyzed the new energy surrounding him, secretly startled. Old Bo Rui's strength had made a massive leap - now he was visibly ahead of newly promoted godly path masters like Zi Lu Li or Ji Mo Fan Shu. Yet against veterans like Mou Zi Long there remained an unbridgeable gap.

It wasn't just power level - the aura carried centuries of battlefield experience honed over five hundred years, something no amount of cultivation time could replace.

"Excellent," Old Ao beamed with genuine joy in his eyes.

Hei Ming smiled slightly. "Master Bo Rui's cultivation has made tremendous progress. Congratulations."

Old Bo Rui waved a hand dismissively. "Brother He is no less impressive with your domain mastery. Both of us have much to celebrate."

A wry smile crossed Hei Ming's face as he replied, "Master Bo Rui must be aware that my Blazing Domain remains uncontrollable."

Old Bo Rui blinked in confusion - an uncontrolled domain was unheard of in cultivation lore.

After a pause Old Ao asked, "Bo Rui, how do you feel now?"

With deep reverence Old Bo Rui bowed. "Thanks to Master's gift, I've grasped a hint of the artifact's primal essence. With time, I believe I can master its domain."

The conviction in his voice was unwavering, evident even in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.

Realizing this, Hei Ming and others were startled - Old Bo Rui had also been cultivating an artifact domain!

For godly path masters seeking to ascend to near-mythical status, first mastering a compatible artifact's domain greatly increased their chances. This was precisely why Old Ao had gone through so much trouble to push Old Bo Rui towards this path - for the Five Elements Sect needed such ultimate power to maintain dominance in the world.

Hei Ming chuckled. "I see Master Bo Rui also possesses an artifact. No wonder the Five Elements Sect remains the most powerful faction with its boundless treasures."

Old Bo Rui sighed. "Brother He, my weapon has only just formed a rudimentary spirit essence - it pales in comparison to your Wei Wu Ring."

Hei Ming's eyes widened before he grew solemn. "Master Bo Rui is actually forging an artifact?"

The skepticism was clear in his tone. Promoting any weapon to true artifact status required not just suitable materials but also immense environmental power. While Old Bo Rui had indeed drawn upon considerable energy during recent cultivation, it seemed insufficient for such a monumental task.

Suddenly Old Ao raised a hand and listened intently before smiling. Then he approached the stone wall leading into the chamber and pushed gently against it.

A dark passage revealed itself to them all with his next words: "The three months are up. We may leave now."