To cleave the void, to tear through space—what an utterly dominant name, and what a power that utterly scorns all else!

Chi Yixiu didn't sense the sheer force contained within the axe; he only felt its staggering weight. Even with his cultivation as a fifth-tier warrior, wielding it proved difficult...

Just this small feat brought a satisfied smile to his face...

From the corner, watching Chi Yixiu manage to lift the massive axe, Bing Ming gently shook his head, sighing a soft murmur, "Around Bian, there really are a group of deviants. Though their current strength isn't much, their potential is limitless. Hopefully, they won't disgrace these weapons..." Everyone rejoiced upon receiving their suitable armaments. Ye Jingyu said no more, retrieving a reasonably sharp blade from his Qiankun Bracelet and handing it to Xue Hengzhi. After all, this Grandmaster had become his enforcer; failing to utilize him properly would be a disservice to himself...

As for Gongsun Xiangyi, this girl’s mastery of poisons was unparalleled; having no weapon was hardly a concern for her...

Of course, Bing Ming's iron sword was already broken, and he had long since selected a keen, fitting longsword...

The great distribution of weaponry concluded. After preparing a few more necessities, the group set off to return to Yunjing. This trip to the Hundred Burials Valley had been a massive harvest; aside from those who perished, everyone else departed overjoyed...

Little Taotao remained deep in slumber, but Ye Jingyu was unconcerned. He knew well that the longer it slept, the stronger it would be upon waking...

Ni Bo also seemed to understand that Little Taotao’s power would surge upon awakening. To avoid being left behind, it had been cultivating frantically lately, often slamming its own body against solid rock—a completely self-abusive training method that once made Ye Jingyu inwardly gasp. Yet, he dimly grasped the meaning behind Little Hei’s actions...

Ni Bo, Ni Bo—as a divine beast defying heaven, how could it willingly remain suppressed by the Taotie? Even with its congenital deficiencies, it would compensate with post-natal hardship...

In this regard, the Taotie truly was a favored child of heaven and earth; it needed no cultivation, only constant eating and endless sleeping to evolve...

The mountain path was rugged and narrow, but Ye Jingyu felt no worry. With the strength now in his hands, unless a Martial Saint-level expert arrived, even a Grandmaster would only meet their doom...

On the carriage, Gongsun Xiangyi sat with Hu Yanmeng, exchanging soft words...

Little Taotao snored loudly in the carriage, and even Hei Ming Shixuan lay sprawled across Ye Jingyu’s chest, sound asleep...

Xue Hengzhi, missing an arm, sat cross-legged in a corner of the carriage, his gaze constantly flicking between Ye Jingyu and Hei Ming Shixuan before him, lost in unknown thoughts...

Facing the current situation, he could only accept his fate... Ye Jingyu closed his eyes slightly, ignoring the thoughts of those in the carriage, focusing instead on the power he now commanded and the challenges that lay ahead...

The others were unaware that he had reached the Lingxian Realm. Perhaps Bing Ming guessed something, but even his most trusted subordinate, Chi Yixiu, did not know. This was a major trump card, as was the existence of the Overlord Force—a technique that harmed both target and user. At least until his own power became absolute, it could not be used lightly...

However, just how immense this hidden power truly was, Ye Jingyu believed neither Bing Ming nor those who witnessed that single finger strike in the arena could possibly know. Moreover, he would never use it casually again until he had completely mastered it...

After all, although the power was formidable, it was far too taxing on his body, and it offered only one chance. If it failed to strike the opponent, he would face certain death...

Thus, this was a trump card that could not be drawn frivolously...

Next were the external forces: Bing Ming, Gongsun Xiangyi, and Xue Hengzhi. These three pillars of combat power, despite suffering setbacks at his hands, were forces Ye Jingyu knew could cause an upheaval...

Grandmasters were figures commanding respect everywhere. Any organization, any faction, would open their doors and welcome their arrival, even His Majesty the Sovereign would undoubtedly be keenly interested in a Grandmaster...

This alone demonstrated the immense value of a Grandmaster. Xue Hengzhi, being one, possessed tremendous worth. Although he was not truly loyal to Ye Jingyu, with Gongsun Xiangyi’s Soul Severing Pills held in check, the awe inspired by the powerful Bing Ming nearby, and seeing Hei Ming Shixuan defeat him soundly, Ye Jingyu doubted he harbored any thoughts of rebellion...

Controlling Xue Hengzhi, in fact, was quite simple...

As for Gongsun Xiangyi, although the Soul Devouring Curse had been lifted, Ye Jingyu trusted her even more now. This trust was unconnected to affection, shared history, or moral character; it was purely an instinct arising from deep within. Perhaps it was slightly absurd, perhaps childish, perhaps overly simple, but Ye Jingyu relied on this intuition...

Certainly, Gongsun Xiangyi's true leverage lay in the fact that she was accompanied by a seventh-tier Desolate Beast—a being equivalent to a Martial Saint. While a single seventh-tier Desolate Beast might not defeat a Martial Saint, it was certainly capable of threatening one, was it not?

Regarding Bing Ming, who was proficient in the ultimate techniques of major sects and whose strength peaked at the late stage of Grandmaster, Ye Jingyu felt no concern about betrayal whatsoever...

He might be cold, perhaps arrogant, but Ye Jingyu knew that Bing Ming would never go back on his word, not even if it cost him his life; that was simply the man’s nature...

And Ye Jingyu judged people based on their character—not needing complex webs of vested interests or deep emotional bonds, simply looking at the core of a person's heart...

This was the force Ye Jingyu trusted the most, yet apart from Hei Ming Shixuan, Gongsun Xiangyi, and Xue Hengzhi, no one knew that Ye Jingyu was accompanied by a supreme master capable of breaking through to Martial Saint at any moment...

Since agreeing to become Ye Jingyu's shadow, Bing Ming had completely vanished from the public eye. Sometimes, even when standing right beside Ye Jingyu, no one noticed him—a fact that spoke volumes about the level of control he exerted over his aura and True Essence. Ye Jingyu even wondered if he was, in fact, an assassin...