Even after channeling the peak of his internal Zhenqi and employing a secret art to transform into a savage beast, the power he managed to muster was still scattered and crushed by a decisive blow from He Yiming.

Only then did he realize that He Yiming’s might far exceeded his estimations.

All that talk of this person being a newly advanced expert of the First Celestial Tier was utter nonsense.

This man's strength clearly indicated he had already consolidated the First Celestial Tier realm and was beginning to coalesce his first tangible, rooted flower.

Yes, the flower He Yiming was forming was not the rootless duckweed-like insubstantial bloom that Yu Jinglei possessed, but rather the tangible flower rooted in a tripod formation.

Though this distinction seemed minor, the disparity in destructive power was worlds apart.

Even an unformed rooted flower was significantly more potent and solid than Yu Jinglei's rootless one.

After trading a head-on palm strike with He Yiming, Soguo now fully understood that relying solely on his own strength, he absolutely could not kill his opponent.

His long howl was a call for his partner, the Red Wolf King.

Only by joining forces with the Red Wolf King, unleashing the combined might of man and beast, could they extinguish this incredible prodigy right here.

Suddenly, several sounds of tearing wind echoed from overhead.

After the mountain path collapsed, the expert cultivators above, like Daoist Yao, and the Totem Envoys, like Yi Shibao, had lost the appetite for continued fighting.

While they dared not rush down blindly during the collapse, once things settled, they all descended slowly along the fractured path.

It was fortunate they were all experts of the Innate Realm; otherwise, navigating such treacherous terrain to reach the base of the cliff would have been impossible.

Upon reaching the bottom, both factions naturally separated, their gazes fixed upon He Yiming and Soguo, who were still locked in combat.

At this moment, He Yiming stood with his knees slightly bent, his arms moving like a pair of impossibly huge and heavy iron hammers, each swing generating a peculiar sonic boom in the air. Soguo, like a large wolf, circled him, his movements astonishingly swift, his attacks viciously akin to the fiercest beasts on earth.

Yet, with just a slight sweep of He Yiming’s arms, Soguo would spring away as if a mouse spotting a cat.

By his appearance, he clearly dared not take even a single direct clash with He Yiming.

Though the two fought fiercely enough to draw attention, any observer with keen eyesight could tell He Yiming held the overwhelming advantage.

And those present were true masters; seeing this display, and recalling the earth-shattering sound heard from the mountain earlier, they instantly grasped that He Yiming must have won the previous exchange decisively, completely shattering Soguo’s confidence. Otherwise, Soguo would not exhibit such visible apprehension.

Daoist Yao and the others looked upon He Yiming with immense pride. Even Mao Lieguang felt the same way at this moment.

But Yi Shibao and his company felt a chill creep into their hearts. Their faces paled; for Soguo, with his known strength, to lose to such a young He Yiming—how had this fellow cultivated? Had he perhaps acquired the legendary cultivation manuals and elixirs of a Divine Dao expert?

Suddenly, a flash of red light appeared in the distance, seeming to pierce infinite space and rapidly approach their location.

Soguo, leaping in mid-air, let out a cheer of extreme delight. He made no effort to hide his emotion, as if admitting his inability to defeat He Yiming alone held no shame.

However, when the red shadow appeared and finally stabilized, the cheer in Soguo’s mouth vanished as if sliced clean by a blade.

The Red Wolf King had indeed arrived before Soguo as wished, but upon seeing its appearance, everyone present froze for a brief moment.

It wasn't just the numerous Totem Envoys; even the grim-faced He Yiming was dumbfounded, his hands, which had been poised to press an advantage, instinctively stilled.

What terrifying monstrosity stood before them?

At first glance, this creature bore no resemblance to the lean physique of the Red Wolf King.

It was an enormous, frightfully huge monster, covered in fur that bristled like steel needles, fiery red as blood. On all four limbs, similar hedgehog-like quills stood erect, though these were intermingled red and yellow.

Its face was similar; the short, downy fur stood stiffly upright, and patches of bright red blood stained its face, mouth, and the front half of its body.

Behind it, a massive tail, stiff as a steel rod, stood perpetually upright, unwavering like a fixed directional marker.

Of course, the most arresting feature was its half-swollen face. One could see traces of splashed blood inside its gaping maw. Of the four long, blade-sharp fangs it should have possessed, one was brutally broken off.

Everyone present had witnessed the majestic power of the Red Wolf King before.

Its bizarre, sudden attack method from the ground had instilled a deep, primal dread in all who saw it.

If they had suffered such an assault, they doubted they could escape unscathed.

But seeing the Red Wolf King again now, a feeling of extreme absurdity welled up in everyone's hearts.

Especially for the Totem Envoys; the image of the Red Wolf King as a peerless hero instantly collapsed within them.

It takes immense effort, often decades or even centuries of accumulated history, to establish a hero’s image, but shattering it might only take a single day.

Soguo retreated with practiced speed, reappearing beside the Red Wolf King, his face a mask of disbelief and incredulity.

“Red King... what happened to you?” he asked cautiously.

The Red Wolf King emitted a strange whine. In this sound, the usual powerful majesty was absent, replaced instead by an unexplainable terror.

A chill ran through the crowd. What catastrophe could have transformed the once imposing, arrogant Red Wolf King into this state?

He Yiming and his allies knew exactly what had happened: accompanying the Red Wolf King’s departure were the One Hundred and Eight who had followed He Yiming up the mountain.

While the Innate experts greatly admired the fact that the One Hundred and Eight could reduce the fierce spiritual beast like the Red Wolf King to this condition, a thread of worry tightened in their hearts.

Why hadn't the One Hundred and Eight appeared behind the Red Wolf King?

Soguo conferred with the Red Wolf King for quite a while, his face settling into a look of suspicion and bewilderment.

Yi Shibao called out, “Ambassador Soguo, what exactly transpired?”

Soguo hesitated, then shook his head. “The Red Wolf King cannot explain clearly. It seems it encountered…” He paused for a long moment, then spoke in a tone he barely believed himself, “Perhaps a ghost?”

Both friends and foes exchanged glances at this moment.

A ghost...

For the vast majority of cultivators focused on martial arts, such legendary things were utterly unbelievable.

But looking at the Red Wolf King, whose current state was virtually indistinguishable from a monstrous phantom, everyone shivered involuntarily.

Perhaps, other than a ghost, nothing else in this world could have reduced the Red Wolf King to such a pathetic state.

A sharp glint flashed in He Yiming’s eyes; he fought to suppress the urge to laugh aloud.

Having witnessed the peculiar transformation ability of the One Hundred and Eight, he already understood the general course of events.

In truth, after first encountering that unbelievable capability, even he had been so terrified that he couldn't sleep soundly for three days and nights. Had he not spent months alongside the One Hundred and Eight, understanding his intentions and confirming he held no malice, He Yiming might have also believed a phantom had descended.

The few Totem Envoys exchanged glances; their firm resolve to kill He Yiming on the spot began to waver slightly, replaced by a flicker of hesitation.

Yi Shibao murmured, “Ambassador Soguo, since Lord Red Wolf King encountered a specter, perhaps we should retreat for now?”

Soguo’s gaze remained uncertain, but after glancing back at the composed He Yiming, a sharp, murderous intent flared in his eyes. “If this person does not die, I will find no peace.”

Yi Shibao’s eyes also sparkled intelligently. He whispered, “Ambassador, are you intending to…”

Soguo spoke calmly, “This course of action is somewhat despicable, but for the future of the Totem Clan, we must employ any means necessary.”

As he spoke, he gently stroked the Red Wolf King’s body.

Under his soothing touch, the beast’s fur gradually returned to normal, lying smoothly against its body. However, the broken fang could not regrow quickly, and with this injury, it could no longer use its sharp teeth for biting, losing a crucial asset for combat, significantly impacting its fighting capacity.

Most importantly, however, its spirit had been cowed.

Yet, after Soguo leaned close and whispered to it, the Red Wolf King hesitated briefly before nodding in assent.

A slight smile touched Soguo’s lips. He turned to face He Yiming, his eyes gleaming with chilling severity, looking upon him as if he were already a dead man.

He Yiming’s expression immediately turned grave. He recalled what Yu Jinglei had told him.

The millennium-evolved variant spirit beasts of the Totem Clan were considered nigh-invincible among experts of the First Celestial Tier.

Now that Soguo and the Red Wolf King were united, the power they could unleash as a pair was undoubtedly immense.

But He Yiming was not panicked; his heart remained as steady as Mount Tai.

Perhaps the Red Wolf King was unrivaled among its peers, but was he not the same?

His Five Elements Unity Technique, his Cold Element Zhenqi, and his life-saving instant teleportation between two points—he hadn't even deployed them yet.

He held a strong, unwavering confidence that even facing this combined duo of Totem Ambassadors, he could certainly escape even if defeated.

However, meeting Soguo’s gaze at this moment sent a surge of coldness through him, as if immense danger was about to descend.

His heart stirred: could the power of this man-wolf combination truly be so overwhelming that he would lack the strength to resist?

Soguo sprang up, landing on the Red Wolf King’s back. Then, the beast’s body began to sink.

The ground beneath its paws seemed to suddenly liquefy, allowing it to glide freely as if swimming through water.

While this wasn't the first time the beast displayed this formidable ability, He Yiming was still greatly startled, because this time, it wasn't just the Red Wolf King sinking—Soguo sank with it.

But after a moment of surprise, He Yiming felt a measure of relief.

The power of the man-wolf combination was indeed peerless, but to assume this made them invincible was sheer arrogance.

His ears twitched, and he expanded his range of auditory perception.

Though the power of wind was strong, it had weaknesses. Flexible, fluctuating wind suffered a significant reduction in effect when encountering solid, unyielding earth.

The greatest flaw of the 'Wind-Listening Ear' superpower was that its effectiveness dropped considerably when trying to perceive sounds beneath the ground.

However, with his cultivation level, if he concentrated, he could discern the general location. Especially as the Red Wolf King vanished from his sight and began moving towards him, He Yiming could track it completely.

Alongside He Yiming, Shui Xuanjin also focused his hearing.

This elder, having glimpsed the ultimate truth of life and death, found his comprehension of wind-based powers increasing rapidly. Although his body was weakening, his state of mind had reached an incredible level.

If one were to purely compare their comprehension of wind power, it would be difficult to say who was superior between him and He Yiming. After all, the gap in their life experience was vast.

A look of surprise suddenly surfaced on Shui Xuanjin’s face. He slightly turned his head, his brows furrowed tightly, appearing utterly perplexed by something.

Daoist Yao softly asked, “Brother Shui, what have you discovered?”

Shui Xuanjin waved a hand slightly, his brow knitting tighter, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

His demeanor immediately drew the attention of everyone present. They all subconsciously turned their gazes toward him, gathering around him in the center.

Soguo had submerged underground, presumably to ambush He Yiming, but it was not out of the question that he might suddenly turn his attention to them.

Shui Xuanjin had already demonstrated extraordinary control over wind power earlier. Everyone felt confident that as long as they stayed near him, no one could successfully launch a sneak attack.

However, as the strange expression on Shui Xuanjin’s face deepened, the others began to feel anxious. Could it be that even the elder couldn't discern anything?

He Yiming suddenly sneered. He retreated several steps, then sank into a horse stance, holding both hands level.

This gesture was familiar to them all. Before the mountain path collapsed, he had used this stance when intending to clash forcefully with Soguo.

And now, adopting the same posture, he locked his target firmly onto the spot where he had just been standing. This clearly indicated that he had foreseen the Red Wolf King’s underground trajectory and prepared a full-force strike.

As long as the Red Wolf King dared to surface from below, it would meet his most powerful, decisive, overhead blow.

Everyone understood this, yet none of the Totem Envoys showed any sign of worry, seeming utterly confident in the success of the exposed Red Wolf King and Soguo.

Finally, before the eyes of everyone watching, the ground in front of He Yiming exploded, and a red silhouette burst forth.

The Red Wolf King, with Soguo riding on its back, soared up from the earth exactly as predicted.

With a loud laugh, He Yiming thrust both palms forward—the Twenty-First Form of the Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain Splitting...

Potent Zhenqi surged toward the man-wolf duo like a raging gale. The sheer power induced a penetrating chill even in the Totem Envoys.

Only then did they understand why Soguo had continuously avoided a direct confrontation with this man and waited for the Red Wolf King’s support.

It turned out He Yiming’s Metal Element power had grown to such a terrifying degree.

Despite losing the element of surprise and lacking stable footing, contrary to He Yiming’s expectation, the duo did not retreat but braced themselves on the spot.

The Red Wolf King drove its four limbs deep into the earth, crouching low like four wooden stakes firmly driven into the ground.

Soguo’s expression was grim, his face set with absolute determination. Seated on the Red Wolf King’s back, he struck out with both fists, as if his fists carried the weight of ten thousand catties, meeting the attack head-on without yielding ground.

Giant waves of air rushed outwards. He Yiming’s accumulated double palms forced the Red Wolf King and Soguo into the ground.

Soguo, riding the Red Wolf King, coughed up a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. Although the Red Wolf King bore the brunt of the pressure, exchanging blows head-on with He Yiming’s fully charged move while unable to utilize his complete Zhenqi still caused internal agitation.

Though not a critical injury, some internal bruising was unavoidable.

The Red Wolf King was buried more than halfway into the earth, with only its massive wolf head protruding at an odd angle.

Just as everyone expected the beast to employ its trick again and burrow underground, it suddenly opened its mouth and spewed forth a massive fireball.

The Wolf King's Breath streaked forward like a meteor chasing the moon.

He Yiming’s laughter abruptly ceased. A look of prior knowing settled on his face.

A beautiful blue flower emerged from his mouth, shooting towards the fireball at the exact same speed.

With a tremendous boom, both the fireball and the blue flower dissipated, blooming into myriad dazzling lights in the air.

But in that very instant, He Yiming grunted in sudden anger, his body stiffening abruptly. A strange, foreign, numbing sensation instantly permeated his entire being.

His body seemed to turn to stone, utterly incapable of movement.

And almost simultaneously, a slender figure flashed through the dissipating radiance, rushing toward He Yiming amidst the kaleidoscope of light.

In the air, a short, brilliant blue dagger materialized. Its tip shimmered with an aura that chilled the bone.

In an instant, that light arrived at He Yiming’s throat, just before his Adam's apple...