The gleam of the blade was so intense that even the ever-present Earth Fire seemed greatly diminished, fading into shadow. In He Yiming’s hands, the Great Guan Dao moved with a life of its own, a thousand transformations unfolding.

At this moment, the only sensation He Yiming felt was true, unbridled control over the weapon in his grip. However, the drain on his True Qi from utilizing this weapon was considerable.

Only a master like himself, who had successfully condensed two tangible flowers into the Yixiantian realm, dared to exploit the 108 transformation capabilities so freely. He paused his movement, finally stopping.

With a lingering gaze at the massive Guan Dao in his hands, he gently placed it upright on the ground, then let go and stepped back several paces. Seemingly understanding He Yiming’s intent, the enormous weapon pulsed with flowing, liquid light, and the form of the 108 reappeared before him.

“What do you think?” After they regarded each other for a long moment, the 108 inquired. He Yiming responded without hesitation, “Excellent, supremely excellent.

It could not be better.” The 108 nodded slightly. “In the future, if you require a weapon, I have no objection to becoming a Great Guan Dao.” He Yiming let out a wry smile; once a weapon possesses infinite variations, can it still be called a Great Guan Dao?

“Brother Bai, didn't you once say you could not intentionally harm others?” After a long pause, He Yiming asked softly. Some matters required clear answers before He Yiming could feel truly at ease.

The 108 nodded slightly. “I certainly will not actively harm other intelligent beings, but the one truly doing the harming is the Great Guan Dao in your hand.” He Yiming’s brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.

The 108 continued, “When I transform into the Great Guan Dao, my intelligent system will automatically suspend operation. During that time, whatever you do will be entirely unrelated to me.” He Yiming’s expression became utterly strange; he had never imagined the 108 possessed such a pragmatic way of thinking—a notion that seemed unbelievable before.

He had a faint feeling that the 108 was somehow different from when they first met, but precisely where that difference lay, he could not articulate. In truth, he did not know that the 108’s change in behavior was the result of three full months of calculations outside the cave.

In a certain sense, the current 108 had autonomously learned a degree of adaptability, and this near-loophole method of flexibility was what made him seem, perhaps, a little closer to human thought. ※※※※ After countless sessions of study and exploration, He Yiming understood that the 108 was not absorbing everything wholesale, but rather refining certain exotic metals from the Great Guan Dao and the Forked Sword, integrating them into his own form.

Normally, this feat would be impossible, but within He Yiming’s spatial world, there lay local treasures: the Four-Colored Fusion Jade Stone and vast quantities of Energy Stones. These minerals had never appeared even in the 108’s memory banks.

When the 108 devoured all the items and entered the Earth Fire Cave, his body had already undergone a strange transformation. This explained why, after absorbing three hundred and sixty catties of the Great Guan Dao, his physical size only seemed to expand slightly.

Calculating strictly by volume, the external change would never have been so minimal. The 108’s transformation capability was indeed terrifying, but it was not without prerequisite conditions.

He could only transform into an object matching his own body’s size; thus, whenever he became a weapon, its volume remained constant regardless of shape alteration. This is why he could only become the Great Guan Dao; to become the Forked Sword, he would have to detach an arm, temporarily lending it to He Yiming.

Having skillfully mastered the various applications of this Great Guan Dao—transformed from the 108—the two finally departed the cave of Earth Fire, a place that had brought him infinite surprises. The moment his footsteps reached the outside, he felt an almost surreal sense of having crossed eras.

He had chased Suoge here, leading to so many events, yet he had profited from misfortune, successfully condensing a second tangible flower. These changes were unimaginable before he began the pursuit.

“Brother Bai, have Suoge and the others left?” “No, they should still be within this mountain range,” the 108 stated calmly. “There are many entrances leading out from this cave to the outside world; perhaps he is waiting outside one of them.” He Yiming nodded slightly, then closed his eyes, his ears twitching delicately.

To avoid alerting them, he did not release his inherent True Qi, instead concentrating on discerning the sound of the wind carrying from a distance. He began walking, circling the massive peak.

His pace was unhurried, but the frequency of his ear movements remained constant. Behind him, the 108’s eyes shimmered with bright light.

When the 108’s Thousand-Mile Eye combined with He Yiming’s Wind-Listening Ear, no stirring of grass or rustle of leaves within their range could escape them. After an unknown period, He Yiming suddenly stopped, and at that exact moment, the 108’s steps also halted.

“I’ve found them,” He Yiming took a deep breath. “Brother Bai, lend me the blade.” As he finished those words, he reached out and gently placed his hand upon the 108, and almost simultaneously, the 108’s body began to rapidly shift.

The moment He Yiming’s palm lifted the 108 as if bound by powerful adhesive, the entity had completely transformed into a massive and terrifying weapon—the Great Guan Dao. He Yiming’s movements were light and silent, like a great cat stalking through the woods, making no sound whatsoever.

As he moved forward, his body felt an upward lift, and it was precisely this peculiar force that allowed He Yiming to truly tread without making a sound. When intense fire burns, it naturally generates an upward current of air.

Now that he had condensed the tangible flowers of both the Wind and Fire elements, he could faintly manipulate this upward airflow, slightly reducing his body’s effective weight. In the martial path, every increment of progress seems minute and insignificant, but when these small steps accumulate, they forge strength far surpassing that of an opponent.

If He Yiming, immediately after condensing the Wind Flower, had attempted to stealthily approach Suoge and the Red Wolf King, it would have been sheer fantasy. But after months of relentless pursuit, months of secluded contemplation, and the successful condensation of two tangible flowers, He Yiming’s achievements compared to his former self were utterly transformative, like a complete rebirth.

Now, utilizing his full skill to draw near silently, neither Suoge ahead nor the Red Wolf King detected anything. He Yiming’s gaze was calm and undisturbed; his heart was perfectly still.

Not even a sliver of fierce killing intent leaked from his body; all his aura was completely contained. Suoge and the Red Wolf King were currently situated in a mountain hollow.

Suoge, missing an arm, appeared distressed, yet his expression held a new depth of composure. His entanglement with He Yiming had benefited him greatly.

He had even decided that once He Yiming was dealt with and he reclaimed his Great Guan Dao, he would retreat to the deep mountains for secluded martial cultivation. Only those who have faced setbacks truly possess an ambition that others find unattainable.

The former He Yiming, had he remained stuck at the Fifth Level of Inner Strength for years, would never have achieved his current splendor. At this moment, the man and the wolf sat facing each other, Suoge’s single remaining hand gently stroking the wolf’s head.

Though they exchanged no words, they shared a capability for mutual understanding. Suddenly, the hand leisurely stroking the wolf’s head stilled, and the Red Wolf King raised its head high, its tail also standing erect like a standard pole.

Even though He Yiming had not leaked any killing intent, Suoge and the Red Wolf King, veterans of countless life-and-death trials, were not so easily fooled. Especially the Red Wolf King, a thousand-year mutated spirit beast, which inherently possessed a special ability, making its perception of danger far surpass that of humans.

Discovering the hidden killing intent at the last moment was no surprise. However, just as their movements faltered, He Yiming struck.

Though still some distance away, given He Yiming’s current speed, it was merely the blink of an eye before he arrived. He stamped his feet heavily onto the ground, instantly forging a massive pit.

This was a stomp fueled by his full strength, imbued with an unparalleled confidence that seemed to make the entire mountain peak tremble slightly. A flash of the blade cut through the air, arriving between the two in a flurry of lightning and flint.

He Yiming’s first strike was not aimed to wound or kill the Red Wolf King, but was precisely placed at the juncture between them. Suoge shrieked, retreating like a monstrous bird.

His single remaining hand instantly manifested a strange wolf claw. Although his two most frequently used wolf claws had been severed by He Yiming, as the Great Emissary of the Wolf Totem Clan, he naturally possessed spares.

The wolf claw swept out, and a piercing sound of air being torn apart erupted, leaving a visible afterimage in the sky as it slashed toward the suddenly appearing He Yiming. The Red Wolf King reacted with extreme swiftness; its four limbs exerted slight force, and it leaped away rapidly.

The moment its paws touched the ground, it urgently burrowed into the earth. Yet, He Yiming paid no heed to the fearsome and cunning spirit beast.

His gaze was fixed solely on Suoge. As long as Suoge and the Red Wolf King were separated, the success of this surprise attack would be deemed worthwhile.

Deprived of the Red Wolf King, Suoge had no means of burrowing through the ground. He Yiming swept the hilt of his blade, and Suoge’s full-force claw strike was easily deflected.

Seeing the face of the person before him clearly, Suoge’s expression changed drastically. He cried out, “No, impossible!

You… how could you get out?” He Yiming laughed loudly. “Suoge, you trapped me in the fire cave, intending to burn me alive, correct?

But alas, the Earth Fire in the cave did not consume me; instead, it aided in condensing the Fire Flower.” Suoge’s face immediately turned ashen. He had meticulously lured He Yiming into this cave, believing He Yiming was cornered and surely reduced to ash by the Earth Fire, leaving no corpse behind.

But after several months, he was met by the reality of his foe having condensed a second tangible flower, using that very flower to step out of the cave, and coming to settle the score. A wry, bitter smile touched Suoge’s lips as he said disbelievingly, “Impossible!

Months ago, you had only just condensed the Wind Flower; how could you possibly condense a second tangible flower so quickly…” He Yiming’s mouth curved slightly. Looking at the expression on the other’s face, he suddenly lost all interest in explaining.

He took a deep breath, and He Yiming’s voice rang out clearly, carrying far across the entire mountain range. “Suoge, today, I will send you on your way.” Intense blade light stirred endless shadows in the space; in the span of a mere instant, Suoge was firmly trapped within them.

The Great Guan Dao in He Yiming’s hand seemed to have come alive, weightless and ethereal, yet it sealed off the surrounding space completely. No matter how much Suoge struggled under the shroud of the blade's radiance, he could not break free.

“Hoo, hoo, hoo…” Loud, grating sounds of air being torn resonated everywhere; the Great Guan Dao became increasingly fluid in his hands. Suoge resisted desperately; his heart truly sank into despair.

He Yiming’s swordsmanship had reached such a terrifying level; just a few straightforward stances were enough to crush any notion of resistance he harbored. After condensing the Wind and Fire Flowers, He Yiming’s True Qi had gathered substantially, naturally increasing its might.

Even without employing any earth-shattering blade techniques or combat skills, he still suppressed the greatly weakened Suoge, who now had only one hand. After a moment more, Suoge suddenly let out a long howl.

His face was distorted and ferocious; his single remaining hand flailed wildly, his face and eyes seemingly covered in a half-mad glaze as he recklessly charged forward. He Yiming snorted coldly, lightly flicking the tail of his blade, which forcefully interrupted Suoge’s counter-assault.

However, at that precise moment, a massive breath of Fire element erupted from behind He Yiming. The Red Wolf King had appeared behind him at some unknown time, its cavernous mouth opening wide as a colossal fireball spewed directly towards He Yiming’s back.

A long laugh suddenly burst from He Yiming’s lips. While wielding the Great Guan Dao against the one-armed Suoge, there was no difficulty at all.

The reason He Yiming’s first strike separated the man and wolf, and then, once absolute advantage was gained, refrained from killing Suoge, was specifically to lure out the Red Wolf King that had burrowed underground. This thousand-year mutated spirit beast absolutely would not abandon Suoge and flee alone.

Since that was the case, forcing Suoge into a desperate situation was certain to provoke the spirit wolf. Now, the Red Wolf King burst from the earth and unleashed a breath of fire.

Based on past experience, even if He Yiming didn't dodge, he would have to use his weapon to scatter the attack. But at this moment, it saw He Yiming choose to retreat backward without any defense.

He was taking the Fire Breath directly on his back. “Puh…” A strange sound emanated from He Yiming’s back.

The Red Wolf King’s eyes widened; the expected scent of burning flesh did not appear. As this Fire Breath struck He Yiming’s back, it vanished as if a stone had dropped into the ocean.

All the fire's power dissipated without a trace; even He Yiming’s clothes remained undamaged. “Run quickly…” Suoge had already seen the cold, icy arc forming at the corner of He Yiming’s mouth.

This smile plunged him into an icy abyss, as he vaguely guessed He Yiming’s plan. But before his warning could fully escape, He Yiming’s Great Guan Dao shot out, raising a sheet of dazzling, brilliant light in the void, swinging toward the Red Wolf King’s head.

The Red Wolf King, worthy of being a thousand-year mutated spirit beast, swayed slightly in mid-air, successfully evading the trajectory of the Great Guan Dao’s swing, preparing to dive back to the ground. But just then, Suoge’s eyes suddenly widened; he saw something unimaginable, something utterly terrifying.

The formidable weapon in He Yiming’s hand actually curved mid-swing. The Great Guan Dao, whose momentum should have been spent, bent along its front half.

It was as if it were not an incredibly rigid blade, but a strange flexible whip, bending sharply from nearly halfway down its length. A flash of cold light—the blade passed, and the head fell… When the once-arrogant thousand-year mutated spirit beast, possessing Earth and Fire elemental abilities, the Red Wolf King, landed on all fours, it could no longer burrow into the ground.

A pair of similarly disbelieving eyes filled with bright crimson blood stared blankly. The massive wolf head tumbled a few times and finally lay still.

Suoge’s eyes split with fury; he let out a heart-rending wail, lunging toward He Yiming like a madman. He Yiming looked up; his eyes held no pity.

A sheet of bright, snow-like blade light instantly permeated the entire space. Having successfully slain the Red Wolf King, He Yiming would no longer hold back against Suoge.

The massive Guan Dao swung down without mercy, seemingly engulfing Suoge entirely in boundless light. Several strange sounds echoed from within the blade radiance.

Then the light dispersed, and He Yiming stood in place, surveying the tottering Suoge with cold eyes. The Great Emissary of the Wolf Totem Clan stared fixedly at He Yiming, seemingly determined to engrave his features forever in his soul.

Finally, he exhaled a long breath and collapsed heavily. His body landed directly upon the corpse of the Red Wolf King; the blood of the man and the wolf mingled, inseparable, just as they had been in life… Ps: Having condensed two tangible flowers, curious about the third?

^_^ From Monday to Friday this week, I guarantee four days with three chapters, totaling 15,000 characters. White Crane has worked extremely hard this month; from the first day until now, I have updated 270,000 characters in nineteen days—270,000 characters in nineteen days!

This volume is truly substantial, especially on my birthday, when I sat at the computer for nearly sixteen hours straight, nearly collapsing onto the keyboard. Therefore, White Crane needs monthly tickets this month—a large number of them.

Please brothers and sisters check the reader portal, and whether you have any or not, please click for monthly tickets and recommendation votes. Thank you very much…