The vast sea surged upward from time to time, submerging the island's shoreline beneath its expanse.

He Yiming sat quietly by the shore, observing all this with an otherworldly gaze.

In his eyes flickered a strange brilliance; he seemed to glimpse the very end where the sea met the sky. Vaguely, He Yiming felt he was but a single step away from condensing the Flower of Water. Yet, the problem remained: no matter how he willed himself to take that step, he found the door firmly shut.

Just as he was completely immersing his consciousness in the boundless blue waves, a powerful, resounding roar suddenly pierced his ears.

He Yiming turned his head in surprise, his heart filled with astonishment.

Of course, he recognized the source of that piercing cry: it was Chu Haozhou.

Since their deep conversation a month ago, Chu Haozhou had entered seclusion. He Yiming understood his mood perfectly, having experienced similar periods himself numerous times. He had even visited the place where Chu Haozhou resided several times; though he hadn't seen the elder, the aura he sensed indicated the old man had entered a state of profound enlightenment.

This was hardly surprising. With the elder's cultivation, his mastery over single-elemental forces had reached the absolute limit attainable at his current stage.

Coupled with his prior experience in fusing three elemental forces to create his unique tangible armor, his cultivation had reached a bottleneck. Once given a hint by He Yiming, he experienced a sudden chain reaction of insight and realization.

This was the result of deep accumulation preceding a sudden breakthrough. Once he shattered the dead end that had troubled him for decades, even centuries, the world opened up—he had entered an entirely new realm.

The roaring cries continued to echo incessantly. He Yiming felt a deep satisfaction; this elder had achieved a successful breakthrough in just one month. The depth of his foundation was truly unfathomable. However, without that previous, incredible store of knowledge, a breakthrough would have been impossible.

Yet, just as He Yiming was deeply moved by this realization, another fierce cry rang out.

This cry was equally filled with potent force and carried a subtle hint of provocation.

In an instant, Chu Haozhou’s roar and the Unicorn White Horse’s neigh merged, moving in unison toward a single direction.

He Yiming’s expression shifted slightly. He didn't even need to listen further to know that this man and this horse were surely both heading toward the depression in the mountains at the center of the island.

His seated posture instantly gave way to a standing position, and He Yiming sprinted toward the location like the wind.

Along the way, a white blur flashed past, and Bao Zhu suddenly appeared by his side. He Yiming reached out and scooped the little creature up. Faintly, a dark shadow flickered behind him. He Yiming knew, without turning back, that Hundred and Eight must be following. Still, what puzzled him was when Hundred and Eight had become so curious.

Their speed was incredible. In just a few bounds, they arrived within the mountain depression.

There, Chu Haozhou and the Unicorn White Horse stood facing each other in a standoff; neither had made a move yet.

He Yiming, accompanied by the creature and the pig, settled in the most secluded corner. Neither the man nor the horse paid them any attention, treating them as if they were invisible.

These two had clashed countless times over the past decades, fully aware of each other's strength and battle techniques, and deeply respecting the other’s prowess. Consequently, neither dared to strike first rashly.

However, this time, Chu Haozhou’s aura seemed to have undergone a significant transformation compared to before.

It was an extremely contradictory feeling—exuberant yet not arrogant. It was like a martial artist who had just achieved true mastery, struggling to contain his power, unable to fully suppress his aura, which still radiated a stern, imposing pressure.

This strange change not only made He Yiming marvel, but the Unicorn White Horse opposite also seemed to sense the profound shift in Chu Haozhou.

It lowered its head, its nostrils flaring slightly, its entire demeanor suggesting unease.

Suddenly, its four hooves shifted slightly, and it instantly transformed into a streak of white light, circling Chu Haozhou more than ten times in a flash.

Its speed increased relentlessly. In just a few breaths, a wall of white light completely encircled and trapped Chu Haozhou.

The Horse's speed had reached a level that defied belief; in the onlookers' eyes, its form could no longer be tracked.

A sharp, angry shout erupted from within what seemed to be a moving white wall, followed by a massive surge of power shooting toward the heavens. A torrent of world energy poured out in abundance.

Centering on Chu Haozhou, this force radiated outward like ripples.

Under the White Horse’s impossibly high, ultimate speed, Chu Haozhou had suffered countless trials, but he possessed a countermeasure.

Against such velocity, isolated attacks were useless.

Force that failed to connect, no matter how immense, was meaningless.

Thus, Chu Haozhou unleashed the seemingly endless power of Water, emanating from him in wave-like ripples. The surrounding air was heavily affected, and even the shadow of the swiftly moving White Horse became distinct.

The enormous, flowing white wall finally vanished, and the White Horse reappeared before everyone. Although its peak speed had been checked by Chu Haozhou, it appeared utterly unconcerned, as if it had encountered similar situations many times before and was not surprised in the least.

He Yiming stared blankly for a moment. He realized that Chu Haozhou's recent strike contained not only Water power but also Wind power. These two elemental forces were combined perfectly, forming a seamless whole.

Although Chu Haozhou had long since attained the Venerable rank, he had focused most of his cultivation on single-elemental forces. It wasn't that he was unaware of the superior strength gained from merging forces, but without the specific techniques for merging three different elements, he dared not rashly blend disparate powers.

This was especially true for the elements of Water and Fire.

However, following their deep discussion, a nascent concept had formed in his mind. One month was short, but he had already achieved some understanding.

The slight exertion of Wind and Water power immediately restrained the White Horse's near-invincible speed, as if countless ropes had woven themselves into a massive spiderweb around it, preventing the horse from galloping freely as it wished.

However, what perplexed He Yiming was the White Horse’s lack of surprise at Chu Haozhou suddenly deploying such formidable power. Could this creature’s cunning run as deep?

Chu Haozhou remained impassive, sinking into a low stance, advancing steadily while constantly weaving his hands. Strangely, a vortex-like force manifested around him. Guided by this power, the surrounding "ropes" began to wrap themselves around the White Horse.

He Yiming watched from below, utterly dumbfounded. His thoughts spun rapidly, and only after a moment did he finally grasp the situation.

Chu Haozhou must have attempted to fuse these three forces many times before. Although he never succeeded, his control over the fusion of Wind and Water, and Wind and Fire, must have reached an extremely high level.

The red-and-black sphere composed of Water, Wood, and Fire that He Yiming had displayed that day was a novelty to Chu Haozhou. But the Wind and Water power, derived from the Wind and Water Precious Fan, was certainly something Chu Haozhou had explored long ago. Otherwise, how could he wield it so fluently in a mere month?

Similarly, if the White Horse had not witnessed similar techniques repeatedly in its decades-long conflict with him, it would not have maintained such composure.

With a soft sigh, He Yiming silently chastised himself. His experience was too shallow, and he had underestimated the heroes of the world. Chu Haozhou, having been a Venerable for decades and capable of comprehending the tangible armor born from three fused elements, could hardly have known nothing about merging two elements.

Inside the mountain depression, the battle intensified. The White Horse’s temper was clearly more volatile; once it came under Chu Haozhou's attack and he gained the upper hand, its movements became wilder. Simultaneously, it let out a neigh filled with robust vitality.

In these sounds, there was no trace of weakness or anger, but rather an unmistakable sense of excitement, as if battling Chu Haozhou was not an ordeal to be endured but something eagerly anticipated.

The White Horse’s body suddenly illuminated, and a net of purple lightning shot forth from it. This power was so immense and bizarre that it instantly shattered the restrictive power Chu Haozhou had imposed upon it.

He Yiming sighed inwardly. The White Horse’s greatest asset was speed, and Chu Haozhou's initial strategy was to use every means necessary to bind it. If its speed could be nullified, the contest between a Venerable and a spirit beast with a congenital constitution would undoubtedly favor the former.

But this White Horse was uniquely gifted; no one knew the true extent of the power it concealed. This seemingly weak strand of purple lightning, upon contact with the restrictive field Chu Haozhou had painstakingly established, caused it to disintegrate instantly, rendering it utterly useless.

A flicker of mockery crossed the White Horse's eyes. It raised its front hoof; once it started running again, it would fear none of Chu Haozhou's subsequent tactics.

However, at that very moment, it seemed Chu Haozhou had been waiting for this exact opportunity. He suddenly let out a piercing shout that seemed to stab directly into the heavens, causing He Yiming's own heart to tremble faintly.

Then, he extended his hand. In his palm, three distinct streams of energy were suddenly unleashed. This was the power of three fused elements, now released without reservation at this very instant.

The immense surge of power shot out—as fast as lightning—instantly sweeping the slightly stunned White Horse into its embrace.

Ps: (Friendly Brotherly Promotion~: The Twilight of the Gods 2 by Saleng Baijin has been completely revamped, featuring the supposedly nation's only SLG dungeon system and intelligent beauty Q&A. Haha, brothers, check it out if you're interested. Anyway, a new server just opened, and grabbing some experience points wouldn't hurt, especially since they give away EXP upon login.)