The blade flashed like driven snow, spraying arcs of crimson light... The Great Guan Dao cleaved downwards without resistance, a stroke whose sheer might eclipsed the sky, like a massive meteorite descending from the void.

In that singular moment, the only sound permeating the space was the howling rush of the Great Guan Dao. Here, an immense, concentrated power of the Metal element permeated everything; all obstacles before it were utterly annihilated in an instant.

The venomous dagger, having bypassed the serpentine beast, met the fierce blade qi and seemed to dissolve like ice, shattering into countless fragments. The serpent's body, slender and resilient—a hide even the Red Wolf King’s teeth might struggle to sever—touched the unpredictable shimmer of the blade glow and immediately erupted in blood, sliced cleanly in half by the single strike...

With a ferocious snarl contorting his features, the Serpent Scholar, in his final breath, threw himself into the heart of that colossal, sweeping blade light with the most formidable posture of his life. Instantly, the blaze of blade light dissipated.

He Yi-Ming stumbled back several paces, breathing raggedly, his frame trembling faintly. Before him, the Serpent Scholar opened his mouth.

Yet, no sound escaped his lips. His body pitched backward.

The very moment he collapsed onto the snow, he was neatly split into two perfect halves. He Yi-Ming's full-force strike, the culmination of his Five Elements Unification, had bisected him flawlessly from crown to sole, following the line of his spine, originating precisely at the Baihui point on his head.

Five Elements Unification, a single, all-out strike... This was He Yi-Ming’s ultimate, hidden trump card; a surge where all his strength erupted completely in an instant.

After this one blow, within mere breaths, he would be utterly stripped of combat efficacy. This was the final sword, the one that decided life or death in that instant.

Either you die, or I perish. One strike—no survival, only death.

One strike—Gods and demons utterly erased! Vast quantities of blood surged forth, instantly staining the surrounding snow a deep crimson.

He Yi-Ming gasped for air, yet his condition was rapidly improving. In the blink of three eyes, his breathing steadied.

Simultaneously, He Yi-Ming's wrist was clamped tightly around a strange, white stone he held. The moment his hand closed around this stone, his body's communion with the external elemental energies of heaven and earth was entirely severed.

Oceans of miraculous power flooded into his core from the stone. Once inside his Dantian, this power immediately converted at astonishing speed into potent True Qi, replenishing his prior expenditures with utmost haste.

Bai Ling-Ba swiftly advanced, arriving before He Yi-Ming. He then gave the man a gentle push.

He Yi-Ming, still gripping the Great Guan Dao, was propelled like a falling leaf toward a massive tree. Behind it, there was a hollowed-out snow pit just large enough for a man to lie down in.

He Yi-Ming settled perfectly within the depression. Clad in his snow-white garments, lying there in the pit, unless examined with meticulous care, one would detect no sign of him at all.

Next, Bai Ling-Ba leaped across to the Serpent Scholar's side, seizing both the corpse and the body of the strange serpent in his grasp. The instant his fingers touched the upper half of the serpent’s carcass, the creature suddenly parted its narrow jaws and struck at Bai Ling-Ba's arm with lightning speed.

Serpent nature is inherently tenacious; even when severed at the waist, they do not die immediately. This cunning serpent, instead of thrashing wildly in a death throe after being bisected by the Great Guan Dao, had lain still in the snow.

It waited until Bai Ling-Ba moved to inspect its body before delivering this final, killing blow. The speed of this strike was undoubtedly the fastest the serpent had ever achieved in its life, surpassing even the ambush it once launched from within the Red Wolf King’s breath.

The venom contained within this strike was also the most potent it had ever possessed. Its fangs were loaded with the entire reserve of poison from its venom sacs; if it managed to bite down, it intended to inject every drop into the target.

While its paralytic venom could not kill a Xiantian realm expert outright, injecting the full dose into one person meant that even a true Yi-Xian Tian master would struggle for three to five days before regaining full mobility. However, when its strike landed heavily against Bai Ling-Ba’s arm, it produced a sharp, crisp sound.

Its venomous fangs had shattered... The Stone King's body gradually softened.

Its terrifying, triangular head drooped limply onto the snow, and a profound query shone in its vacant eyes. How could this fellow's arm be harder than rock?

Bai Ling-Ba glanced dismissively at his arm. This harmless bite barely registered, and he paid it no heed whatsoever.

His feet unleashed a flurry of rapid kicks, churning the surrounding environment into chaos, as if thousands of cavalry had trampled through the area. Then, clutching the corpses of the Serpent Scholar and the Stone King, he sped away like a phantom.

As he ran, he left behind faint, subtle imprints. These marks were tiny, resembling the footprint of a small child.

Moreover, as he occasionally swung his arm lightly, the tail of the serpent in his hand dragged across the snow, leaving marks that varied from faint to clearly defined alongside the prints. If someone were to measure these marks now, they would undoubtedly conclude that the size of the footprints matched those of the Serpent Scholar’s feet exactly.

Not just the size, but even the intricate patterns on the soles of the footwear were identical. Just as Bai Ling-Ba made his swift departure, a figure rushed toward the area from ahead at incredible speed.

When He Yi-Ming unleashed that unparalleled, overwhelming aura, every Xiantian realm expert within a ten-mile radius could sense the immense pressure. Suo Ge, stationed a full mile away, was no exception.

He vaulted onto the Red Wolf King without hesitation, crouching low. Potent True Qi flowed ceaselessly between man and beast, instantly boosting the wolf’s speed to its maximum potential.

Though the distant surge of True Qi was powerful enough to make even him shudder, the distance meant the restrictive force embedded within the aura could not yet reach him. Thus, Suo Ge perceived this individual as powerful, perhaps, but no stronger than a Yi-Xian Tian expert comparable to himself.

Given the Serpent Scholar’s strength, he should certainly be able to keep the foe entangled. Once Suo Ge and the Red Wolf King arrived, two Totem Ambassadors and two thousand-year mutated spirit beasts should surely be able to secure the enemy.

However, when the Red Wolf King finally rushed to the scene, he immediately spotted the ground—a scene of utter disarray. He paused slightly.

The Red Wolf King's nose twitched rapidly several times, emitting a soft whine, signaling the strong scent of blood permeating the air. Suo Ge’s gaze swept across the area, and he spotted the almost imperceptible small footprints on the ground.

Having known the Serpent Scholar for many years, he recognized the origin of those prints instantly. Without a second thought, he patted the Red Wolf King’s neck, and the mighty, millennium-old mutated spirit beast followed the trail of tracks forward in pursuit.

They had made an agreement during their dispersal: regardless of who was attacked mid-journey, they were to engage the enemy at any cost. Reinforcements were moments away within the one-mile radius.

To eliminate this elusive assassin, they were prepared to pay any price. At this moment, Suo Ge’s only confusion was whether the Serpent Scholar had managed to wound the assassin, compelling him to pursue so relentlessly.

From start to finish, neither Suo Ge nor the Red Wolf King harbored any intention of pausing at the site; consequently, they failed to notice the figure lying concealed in the snow pit behind the large tree. He Yi-Ming held his breath until the Red Wolf King and Suo Ge had vanished completely before finally drawing a long, deep breath.

Vast amounts of power flowed from the white stone in his palm. After conversion in his Dantian, this power became his True Qi.

To replenish his reserves in this manner, even across the entire span of human history, was an unprecedented feat. He Yi-Ming did not know if anyone had previously discovered such a miraculous treasure, but he certainly had not encountered any record of the White Stone in the archives of the Heng Shan lineage.

As his breathing deepened, the True Qi within him grew increasingly abundant. Compared to the hollow emptiness he had felt moments before, a profound sensation of fullness surged back into his core.

Yet, at that very instant, several sounds of breaking air traveled from ahead. Ha Lin and the others, having sensed the distant aura, were also returning without hesitation.

They all knew the terrifying might of that mysterious assassin. Only by coordinating with Suo Ge and the Serpent Scholar to slay this man could they finally feel at ease.

If even those two formidable Grand Ambassadors perished, their superior numbers would count for nothing; they would be forced into a frantic retreat, hunted down like quarry. Thus, after only a brief hesitation, they all made the same decision simultaneously.

The eight Totem Emissaries varied in speed, but having learned from their previous failure, they preferred to move slightly slower than risk separating from one another. After all, they were merely Totem Emissaries, not Grand Ambassadors accompanied by millennium-old mutated spirit beasts.

Facing the mysterious assassin who could fell a Totem Emissary in a single stroke, none dared to be careless or gamble with their lives any longer. Rushing to the scene, they stopped in unison.

It wasn't just the utter devastation of the surroundings that informed them of a fierce battle having occurred here; what truly chilled them was the sound of deep, strong breathing emanating from behind a nearby large tree. "Who is there?" Ha Lin barked sharply.

Although she was one of only two women among the Totem Emissaries, her combat prowess ranked among the top. With the death of Yi Shi Bao, who was accompanied by the thousand-year spirit wolf, she had naturally assumed the role of the group's focal point.

The sound of breathing slowly ceased. A massive, almost terrifying Great Dao began to emerge slowly from behind the tree.

The blade extended further and further, and even after surpassing two meters, it showed no sign of ending. A flicker of horror crossed their eyes.

Though Xiantian masters possessed weapons of every description, for the vast majority, their arms were compact and sharp. Such a colossal greatsword was truly a rarity in their experience.

A figure slowly stepped out from behind the tree, grasping the four-meter-long Great Guan Dao, his eyes fixed intently upon them. "He Yi-Ming?" Ha Lin gasped, her heart immediately sinking.

The other seven Totem Emissaries exchanged glances and simultaneously drew their respective weapons. The Emissaries of the Wolf Totem almost universally wielded wolf claws forged from strange metals, though some preferred long whips or curved sabers.

However, regardless of how peculiar their weapons, when facing a powerful enemy, their bodies instinctively crouched slightly, resembling fierce wolves in full alert. "That assassin...

was it you..." Ha Lin demanded urgently. "Indeed," He Yi-Ming nodded silently.

"Impossible. You practice the Five Elements cultivation; how could you also harness the power of Extreme Yin Qi?" Ha Lin's voice was laced with utter disbelief.

He Yi-Ming paused, recalling his previous encounter with Sima Yin. That masterful expert, who excelled in the art of assassination, utilized True Qi that was incredibly bizarre—somewhat like Water element, somewhat like Wind element, and he seemed to conjure illusions with ease.

He had previously assumed Sima Yin specialized in Wind and Water techniques, but now he understood: this was a skill called Extreme Yin Qi. Shaking his head slightly, He Yi-Ming dismissed the thought, suddenly smiling wryly.

"Madam, you are stalling for time, waiting for Suo Ge and the Serpent Scholar to return, are you not?" The hearts of the eight Totem Emissaries tightened. They smiled bitterly; they hadn't expected He Yi-Ming to see through their intentions so quickly.

Yet, having confirmed he was the mysterious assassin, their apprehension toward him only deepened. Cultivating both Five Elements and Extreme Yin Qi—what other unknown abilities did this man possess?

He Yi-Ming gently swung his Great Guan Dao, a sharp brilliance flashing across its edge. All the Totem Emissaries instinctively retreated a single step.

Their expressions grew grave, True Qi surging around them, seemingly raised to its absolute peak in an instant. Even so, they made no move to attack first, instead tacitly forming a peculiar, deliberate formation.

He Yi-Ming’s gaze swept over them, and he immediately recognized the Wolf Formation they had adopted—the combat style known as 'Wolves Encountering a Tiger.' On Heng Shan, this Wolf Formation first displayed its terrifying efficacy, driving numerous Xiantian masters into disarray and vexation. Now, facing a Yi-Xian Tian expert, these Totem Emissaries still deployed this signature tactic.

Drawing a deep breath, a strange smile suddenly bloomed on He Yi-Ming's face. He asked in a low voice, "Do you wish to know why I know you are stalling, yet I choose to indulge you?" Ha Lin felt an ominous prickle of intuition but still inquired, "Please enlighten us." He Yi-Ming laughed heartily.

"It is simple: my True Qi was too depleted just now; I cannot strike at full strength. Had I forced a fight earlier, I might not have been able to keep all of you here." As he spoke, an extremely sharp killing intent flashed in his eyes, and he declared sternly, "Brother Shui, I have slain the Serpent Scholar.

Today, I will slay the Totem Emissaries as well, to honor your spirit in heaven." With a sweep of his Great Guan Dao, his body dissolved into a cloud of mist, instantly diffusing outwards. Upon hearing He Yi-Ming’s words, the eight Totem Emissaries were inwardly horrified.

Had the Serpent Clan’s Grand Ambassador truly fallen to his blade? In that moment of stunned hesitation, the cloud of mist formed by He Yi-Ming's blade light spread out, enveloping them all.

When He Yi-Ming revealed himself, he had already decided to slay every single one of them. Under the Great Guan Dao, there was no escape; only death awaited.

The eight Wolf Totem Emissaries let out a simultaneous howl, their voices pitched high and low, yet perfectly mimicking the sound of a wolf's cry. Furthermore, as they began to move, there was an almost palpable sense of their individual powers converging into a single, unbreakable rope.

Eight Emissaries, each equivalent to a Hundred-Tier Xiantian, when uniting their power, naturally unleashed a might far exceeding what any one of them could manage alone. He Yi-Ming's blade force surged like a rainbow, possessing immense power, but the strikes, arriving like lightning flashes, were all intercepted by the eight men.

Only then did He Yi-Ming realize why the Serpent Scholar and Suo Ge had confidently allowed them to form a unit, and why they possessed the self-assurance to resist independently. This peculiar Wolf Clan formation truly possessed capabilities that defied supernatural comprehension.

In the previous battle at Heng Shan, they had clearly not exerted its full, terrifying potential. Perhaps Yu Jing Lei was right; they held a similar degree of apprehension toward the entire Heng Shan lineage, or perhaps toward the Tian Chi Mountain behind them.

The auras of the nine individuals exploded forth at this juncture. He Yi-Ming deployed his Cloud-Rain Soaring Technique to its absolute limit within the snowy forest.

The massive Great Guan Dao in his hands transformed into an illusory dream of cloud and mist, trapping everything within. Within this expanse of mist, the eight Totem Emissaries leaped and bounded like eight colossal, savage wolves, barely managing to defend against the endless torrent of blade strikes.

Suddenly, a long cry echoed from the distance, and the sound rushed rapidly toward their location. Suo Ge and the Red Wolf King, who were tracking Bai Ling-Ba’s movements in the snow, made a swift decision upon sensing the powerful aura surging from behind them.

They abandoned the trail ahead and rapidly retreated in reverse. A fierce premonition of disaster suddenly gripped Suo Ge's heart.

Could the mysterious assassin not be one person, but two? His long cry was also a signal instructing the Serpent Scholar ahead to return immediately.

However, to his astonishment, after his shout echoed, there was not the slightest response from ahead. The Serpent Scholar gave no indication of having heard.

Suo Ge's face grew terribly pale. His heart hammered violently a few times.

Finally, he grit his teeth. The Red Wolf King, sharing his thoughts, immediately turned its wolf head and followed the original path backward.

Upon hearing Suo Ge’s cry, the morale of the eight Totem Emissaries soared. Their formation attacks even gained a slight edge of counter-attack and entanglement.

A look of grim determination settled in the eyes of several Wolf Totem Emissaries: this man’s might must not be allowed to live. They were prepared to sacrifice one or two individuals just to keep him firmly pinned down until Suo Ge and the Red Wolf King arrived, ensuring this genius from beyond the mountains would be permanently eliminated here.

However, at that very moment, a mocking smile surfaced on He Yi-Ming’s face. The surrounding air began to drop precipitously.

An intense, profound cold radiated from his Great Guan Dao. This chill was far more bone-shattering than the deepest winter in the mountain woods.

In an instant, the blade flashes became as snow, the world turned to ice and snow, shimmering with a crystalline, blinding radiance under the sunlight...