Beams of captivating radiance began to shine forth from Baozhu’s body. These lights seemed to hold some kind of wondrous power. Every wisp of dark mist that came into contact with these rays was instantly forced to recoil. In the blink of an eye, a massive space several zhang in radius had opened up around Baozhu and its immediate vicinity. Within this space, not a single trace of the dark mist remained.

He Yiming stared at this spectacle, dumbfounded, before a realization finally dawned on him. This was Ghost Cry Ridge; even a master as formidable as Jin Zhanyi considered it a perilous domain. It was not surprising that Bailingba could enter. For that inhuman entity, even if the dangers here were amplified tenfold, it would be impossible to cause him the slightest harm. But Baozhu was different. Although it was not human, this creature was the most intelligent spirit beast he had ever encountered. Logically, it should also be affected by the sinister winds, ghostly energies, and malevolent qi within the black fog. Yet, in reality, Baozhu hadn't paid the slightest heed to the dangers, following Bailingba swaggeringly inside.

He Yiming hadn't considered this before, but seeing the miraculous transformation now, his mind began to race. Recalling the attitude of the giant fire dragon in the Nine Dragon Furnace toward Baozhu in the past, He Yiming grew increasingly curious: what exactly was this creature's origin? He had a sudden urge to return to Tianchi Mountain to inquire thoroughly, but the thought of this little fellow returning to Tianchi Mountain meant it would likely be difficult for it to continue following him. Thus, he unhesitatingly abandoned the idea.

The radiance emanating from Baozhu grew brighter and brighter, shining in all directions within the black mist like a miniature sun. He Yiming stroked his chin. Although he knew this action would certainly invite unnecessary trouble, looking at Baozhu's current half-black, half-white appearance, he ultimately let out a long sigh and did not interrupt its continued gnawing.

A full half an hour passed before Baozhu finally stopped. He Yiming glanced at the white stone it had been consuming. In that long period, the white stone had only lost about one-fifth of its volume. He Yiming hefted it a couple of times; the weight had also decreased by roughly the same proportion. He thought to himself that Baozhu, just like Bailingba, didn't seem to have an overwhelming need for the white stone.

“Hoo… hoo…” A strange sound came from his embrace. He Yiming looked over with surprise, unable to suppress a wry smile. Baozhu had actually fallen asleep in his arms. He gave a faint, bitter smile. Baozhu was, after all, a spirit beast well-versed in human nature, yet it trusted him so completely, showing no fear that he might skin it, boil it, or extract its inner core. That such a little creature had survived to this day was truly unexpected. However, on second thought, perhaps it wasn't so astonishing. On Tianchi Mountain in the Northwest, it was personally looked after by the Ancestor. Presumably, no one would dare grow bold enough to poach from the Ancestor’s backyard.

As Baozhu slept, the light-like energy shield around it slowly began to shrink. The initial decrease was rapid, almost instantly halving in size, greatly reassuring He Yiming. Subsequently, the shrinking speed slowed progressively. When it had reduced enough to encompass both He Yiming and Bailingba, it stopped. Immediately following this, He Yiming sensed a subtle change occurring on Baozhu’s surface. He hesitated for a moment, then gently stroked Baozhu's black fur. Instantly, a handful of black hairs drifted down like falling snow. He Yiming was startled and stared intently. Beneath the fallen black fur, a new layer of hair was growing back in a bizarre fashion. This new layer of hair was as white as snow, exactly matching the original color of its coat.

He Yiming was overjoyed. He gently caressed the white pig’s body. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, all of its hair had been completely replaced. It wasn't just the black hair; even the white hair had been shed and renewed once. As a result, its coat returned to its former smoothness and cleanliness, perhaps even slightly better than before. He Yiming watched with envy. Baozhu’s ability was now quite close to Bailingba’s. Of course, Bailingba didn't fear losing limbs, but Baozhu likely wouldn't fare as well; its ability might only manifest after it had been disfigured.

Finally, when all the hair had been fully renewed, Baozhu let out a huge yawn and opened its round little eyes, waking up. It glanced at its perfectly intact coat and immediately became delighted. He Yiming gave it a thumbs-up, and Baozhu immediately lifted its head high, puffing out its chest with unconcealed pride. Suddenly remembering something, He Yiming ignored the self-satisfied Baozhu and asked, "Brother Bai, even when you cannot see, can you still sense the presence of the tracker?"

Bailingba replied coldly, "Yes, but I didn't locate you based on the tracker. I used… Clairvoyance to search for you." After Bailingba displayed the ability to clearly see people dozens of miles away, He Yiming had begun calling this skill Clairvoyance. Slightly surprised, He Yiming asked, "Is your Clairvoyance unrestricted here?" "It has limitations, but they are not significant. I can see the appearance and clothing of figures within three hundred meters, at the very least."

He Yiming was instantly delighted. Bailingba’s Clairvoyance was far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine. He took a deep breath and said, "Brother Bai, please check for me—is anyone nearby?" Bailingba didn't look around but immediately responded, "Within the visible range of three hundred meters, there are no signs of people."

He Yiming nodded slightly. Being able to see clearly within a three-hundred-meter radius was more than sufficient for him. While his Clairaudience could pick up sounds from afar, if an opponent were sitting perfectly still and not breathing in this environment, He Yiming might mistake them for a rock face. But with Bailingba's Clairvoyance assisting him, he now had nothing to fear. Calming himself, He Yiming asked in a low voice, "Brother Bai, do you know the origins of those three Venerables?"

Bailingba shook his head. "Their builds were quite tall. One of them is likely an expert from the West, but their origins are completely unclear." He Yiming felt a slight jolt. "Western Venerables?" He frowned deeply, vaguely guessing that perhaps it was related to the provocation that occurred a month prior. However, He Yiming held the utmost disdain for such Western visitors. In the past, when Jin Zhanyi traveled to the Western world to challenge them, he was invincible below the Venerable rank. As a result, the West dispatched a Venerable-level expert to hunt him down. Therefore, He Yiming found it difficult to harbor any favorable feelings toward Westerners.

"The other two—one is likely an assassin from the Yellow Springs Gate, and the other’s identity cannot be discerned," Bailingba continued. He Yiming nodded slightly. He had a creeping feeling that certain matters were beyond their control; otherwise, the Yellow Springs Gate would hardly dispatch a Venerable-level assassin, and the other Venerable, whose appearance was entirely unexpected, made He Yiming even more unsettled.

"Aoo…" Suddenly, a massive sound filled with agony traveled from the distance. He Yiming paused slightly, asking uncertainly, "Has the Wolf Totem Clan arrived?" He shared an irreconcilable feud with the Wolf Totem Clan. Elder Shui Xuanjin had died due to the combined efforts of the Wolf and Snake clans, and He Yiming had relentlessly pursued and slaughtered every envoy from the Wolf Totem Clan who was outside their territory. Such deep enmity was impossible for anyone to easily abandon. Consequently, He Yiming was highly sensitive to the sound of a wolf’s howl. Listening closely, he immediately recognized that it wasn't just the eerie sound of the wind, but a cry emanating from some living creature.

However, he was unaware that in other parts of Ghost Cry Ridge, any masters who heard that sound flashed a look of pity in their eyes. In an unoccupied corner, Yu Wuchang, having swallowed a Jiahuang Pill, sighed deeply. "I didn't expect someone to lose their mind from the pressure so soon." Then, he reached out, carefully sensing the sinister, malevolent qi within the black fog. After a long while, he murmured, "The sinister qi here seems to be deepening, perhaps even slightly stronger than the last two times. What could be happening..."

Everyone who had ventured deep inside shared a similar look in their eyes. Regardless of their relationship with the howler, they couldn't help but feel a sense of shared sorrow, like the sorrow felt when one’s neighbor’s house burns down. The few masters closest to the howling sound inwardly cursed their bad luck, quickly retreating from that area. No one wanted to get entangled with a completely irrational madman under such circumstances.

Bailingba fell silent for a moment. "That is not the sound of a wolf." He Yiming paused. "Then what is it?" "Human."

He Yiming gave him a sharp look. "Brother Bai, didn't Suoge also utter similar sounds in the past?" "It is different," Bailingba stated very seriously. "Suoge's cries imitated the sound of the Red Wolf King; it was a sound of reason. This sound, however, signifies madness."

He Yiming blinked twice, running the two sounds through his mind but failing to detect any difference. Frowning slightly, he asked, "Why can't I tell the difference?" A flicker of brilliance crossed Bailingba's eyes. "Differentiating these two sounds is actually quite simple." With that, he opened his mouth, and a desolate, long howl issued forth. Within this howl, there was faintly discernible an arrogance befitting a king. Immediately following that, he let out another howl from his mouth, a howl identical to the one heard moments before.

As the two sounds rang out almost sequentially, He Yiming was finally able to discern the difference. He smiled faintly. "Brother Bai, your description was excellent. One is rational and proud; the other is mad and devoid of sense. It is indeed true." Bailingba nodded slightly. He suddenly looked up and glanced into the distance. "There is some bad news. Do you wish to hear it?" He Yiming asked in surprise, "What bad news?" Bailingba replied solemnly, "The person who was howling seems to have heard my voice and is now coming over." He Yiming: "…………" Ps: Please cast a few votes—recommendation tickets or monthly tickets are fine. Thank you ^_^