He scanned the surroundings for a moment. He Yiming said in a deep voice, "Brother Bai, did Bao Zhu leave absolutely no trace?" Before leaving, he had specifically instructed Bao Zhu to wait here. Given Bao Zhu's intelligence, even if some accident necessitated its departure, it certainly wouldn't have done so silently; it would have left some clue for them to follow.

"There is," Bai Lingba said slowly. "I found Bao Zhu's footprints, but unfortunately, they vanished halfway."

He Yiming's brows furrowed slightly. "What happened?"

"Ahead, two deranged individuals were wrestling and tearing at each other; they destroyed everything." Bai Lingba's voice carried a rare hint of vexation.

He Yiming sighed lightly, a feeling of helplessness washing over him. In a place like Ghost Cry Ridge, encountering such a scenario left one with no grounds for complaint.

He managed a wry smile. "Brother Bai, you didn't place a tracker on Bao Zhu?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"My mission is to protect you, not Bao Zhu," Bai Lingba stated as a matter of course.

He Yiming was utterly speechless. He stood up, paced a few steps, and casually remarked, "When we find Bao Zhu, attach a tracker to him."

"Understood," Bai Lingba replied crisply.

He Yiming looked around. A sense of bewilderment struck him; the vastness of Ghost Cry Ridge far exceeded his imagination. Finding a small pig here was practically akin to looking for a needle in a haystack—an impossible task.

But the thought of leaving Bao Zhu alone in this place filled He Yiming with irritation.

Although he had only spent about a year in Bao Zhu's company, their bond was extraordinary. Just based on the fact that Bao Zhu had left Tianchi Mountain to drift across the world with them, He Yiming knew he absolutely could not abandon it.

"Owww…"

Just as He Yiming was fretting, a piercing howl echoed from the distance, rapidly approaching his location.

He Yiming's brow twitched slightly. By now, he had a fair understanding of these deranged individuals.

Hearing that specific sound, he immediately knew this was a master who had just succumbed to the invasive Yin Sha Qi, transforming into one of the frenzied.

After Hao Xue and the others departed, the artificially induced crazies were no longer possible; therefore, this person must have lacked sufficient mental fortitude, willpower, or cultivation, leading to this tragic outcome.

The piercing scream contained immense pain—a final duel between sanity and the Yin Sha Qi. Normally, this required a process, the duration depending on the firmness of the person's will. While He Yiming felt pity for this, he was powerless to intervene.

However, as the howling grew nearer, He Yiming became increasingly agitated.

He had already resolved to wait here for Bao Zhu's return and would not tolerate these deranged individuals causing disruption.

His figure shifted subtly, and He Yiming left his original spot, moving to meet the frantic cry head-on.

His movement was lightning-fast. After just a few leaps, he spotted the crazed person, hands clamped over their head, face contorted in extreme ferocity. Everything matched the characteristics of the frenzied, yet by their appearance, they seemed to retain a sliver of consciousness.

But upon seeing He Yiming, the person let out an enraged howl, dropped their hands, clenched their fists, and charged forward like a massive boulder.

Their punch was direct and powerful—a common trait among all the crazed. Furthermore, the madness seemed to stimulate latent potential, meaning the True Qi channeled through this punch was likely much stronger than their usual strength.

He Yiming chuckled coldly. He waved his palm, sketching a small circle in the air, gently releasing a yielding force.

The powers of Wind and Water combined, instantly forming a small, rapidly spinning vortex.

Once formed, the vortex shot forward, rotating aggressively. Though the person's punch carried immense force, upon encountering the vortex, all that power was instantly diverted, never reaching He Yiming.

A slight smile touched his lips. Experiencing the power of the vortex generated by the Wind-Water Treasure Fan gave He Yiming a fresh comprehension of coordinating these two elements.

If he were facing a sane opponent of equal standing, He Yiming certainly wouldn't use his yet-unrefined Wind-Water power—the Water Blossom—in combat. But before him was a frenzied individual. Someone who had lost their mind and only knew how to charge with brute force was the perfect opponent for testing moves.

He Yiming moved his hands, and numerous circles, large and small, erupted before him.

Every circle drawn manifested a vortex. While the power of these vortices couldn't compare to using the Great Guan Dao or the Wind-Water Treasure Fan, they were more than sufficient for the current situation.

Initially, He Yiming only used the vortices defensively, employing their outward rotation to redirect the opponent's True Qi elsewhere. But as this technique became increasingly practiced, his mastery over the application of Wind and Water deepened.

Slowly, his circles began to expand outwards, eventually wrapping around the opponent like massive ropes, coiling around him layer after layer.

This was not the Three-Point Confinement Force, but in terms of raw power, it surpassed it.

At this point, He Yiming gained a profound insight into this method of utilizing the fused power of Wind and Water. Moreover, as he employed this technique, he felt its profound mystery, sensing even greater power latent within it. However, given his current strength, He Yiming was unable to unleash that full potential.

As his hands continued their utmost exertion, the man's movements grew progressively slower. He was like a fly caught in a spider's web—the more it struggled, the tighter the net constricted, until it was choking.

He Yiming felt immense delight. With a loud laugh, he flung the man away as if tossing an object.

A sound resembling heavy weight hitting the ground echoed, kicking up a cloud of dust. The man leaped up from the ground, seemingly unharmed.

He Yiming’s brow furrowed slightly. He truly hadn't used much force in that throw, but the fact that the opponent emerged unscathed exceeded his expectations.

This demonstrated that once someone became frenzied, not only did their strength and speed increase dramatically, but their physical durability also saw a significant enhancement.

Yet, this was precisely why these crazed individuals could contend with normal human experts in Ghost Cry Ridge without employing combat techniques.

Of course, compared to the frenzied state induced by Hao Xue’s Blood Condensation Art, these individuals who couldn't handle the internal pressure had much less potential for growth in actual strength.

The man let out an even more agonizing howl, a strand of glittering saliva dripping from his mouth.

He Yiming sighed, recognizing that the final stage—complete descent into madness—was now unavoidable.

Suddenly, He Yiming found the man's appearance somewhat familiar.

However, the face was swollen, and coupled with the ferocious expression, even the closest acquaintance would struggle to recognize him.

The man lunged forward again. A sharp, tearing sound of air being ripped apart suddenly rang out.

He Yiming frowned, raising his palm high above his head, and then unleashed the Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting in a downward chop.

With a thunderous crash, the man flew backward as if striking a massive bronze wall, slamming heavily onto the ground once more.

He Yiming held back again this time, as a doubt lingered in his mind: perhaps this person had a past connection with him. But regretfully, the man's features were too distorted to match anyone he knew.

After suffering this second blow, the man immediately sprang up again. He raised his head, emitting a thunderous howl. Then, he turned and fled, accelerating even faster than when he arrived.

He Yiming paused slightly. The crazed individuals he had encountered before, having lost all consciousness and thought, only knowing how to kill, were tenacious fighters who would never retreat unless the target was dead or another similar howl was heard nearby.

But this person, after repeated failures, chose to evade him and flee.

Mulling it over, He Yiming suddenly understood. This person might still retain a faint thread of sanity. Thus, although his actions were similar to other frenzied beings, once he recognized that he was far inferior to his opponent, that last remnant of consciousness prompted him to escape.

He sighed inwardly, lamenting that this unfortunate destiny could not be avoided.

A thought sparked in his mind, and He Yiming asked casually, "Brother Bai, did this person look familiar to you at all?"

"Of course," Bai Lingba replied matter-of-factly. "You have known each other for over a year and met many times; naturally, he looked familiar."

He Yiming opened his mouth in surprise. He had only spoken offhandedly, yet Bai Lingba seemed to have recognized the man's identity long ago.

"Brother Bai, who exactly is this?" He Yiming asked solemnly, a knot of apprehension in his chest—could it truly be someone he knew well?

Bai Lingba stated calmly, "Zhang Zhongjin of the Lingxiao Treasure Hall."

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. Prompted by Bai Lingba’s reminder, he immediately confirmed the man’s identity.

While his relationship with Zhang Zhongjin was not as deep as Jin Zhanyi's, he was an old acquaintance from Tianchi Mountain who had provided significant assistance on their eastward journey. If he hadn't known his identity, He Yiming would have accepted his fate with a clear conscience. But now that he knew, he absolutely could not simply let him perish.

Applying slight pressure with his toes, He Yiming sprang up like a compressed spring and shot off in the direction Zhang Zhongjin had vanished, pursuing him like a meteor chasing the moon.

Ps: Last few hours. If you don't cast your Monthly Ticket now, it will truly be useless. Also, asking for tomorrow's guaranteed Monthly Ticket—consider it a gift for Xiao Baihe on Children's Day ^_^