The moment the whirlwind of three distinct colors swept up, a flicker of surprise crossed He Yiming's eyes.

It was only then that he truly saw clearly: this wasn't a full fusion of the three elemental powers, but rather, mimicking the masked elder with the twin swords, isolating the Water and Fire elements and using the Wind element as a buffer to execute an unconventional tri-elemental assault.

Witnessing this, He Yiming was deeply awed by Chu Haozhou's capability.

To achieve this in just one month spoke volumes of the man's profound foundation—truly unparalleled—and his sheer intellect was something He Yiming had never encountered in his life.

But a second thought struck him: if not for such brilliance, the old man wouldn't have been able to create a miraculous technique like the Manifested Armor.

A long whinny erupted from the white horse, its four hooves kicking up clouds of sand and dirt from the ground. Yet, facing that bizarre three-pronged force, no matter how mighty its strength, it couldn't easily break free.

Slowly, the visibly tangible forces of the three elements actually managed to ensnare the white horse.

He Yiming felt a surge of suspicion: why wasn't the fleeting white light that had flashed across the horse's body being used now?

Though he didn't know the true nature of that light, he was certain of one thing: its power was immense, and if unleashed, it might have allowed the horse to escape its current predicament.

To his surprise, however, despite the white horse struggling with all its might, that light remained absent.

Nevertheless, the sheer power of the Unicorn White Horse was truly inexhaustible. Once it recovered from its initial shock, it began to advance step by determined step.

Even though Chu Haozhou was desperately pushing the Wind element to its absolute limit, in the sheer comparison of raw power, he was still no match for the horse.

Seeing the white horse slowly moving beyond the range of his control, a resolute expression finally settled on Chu Haozhou's face.

He gave a sharp cry: "Explode."

Instantly, a massive sound, like a clap of thunder, ripped through the air. Especially around the white horse, the epicenter of the explosion, the powerful shockwave was something even a Venerable might struggle to withstand unscathed.

The formidable forces of Water and Fire, stripped of the Wind element's moderation, finally collided fiercely, unleashing such immense destructive energy.

He Yiming extended one hand, shielding Bao Zhu in front of him. Three Manifested Flowers bloomed around his body and instantly burst, forming a radiant screen before him.

In truth, his instinct was to transform into the Manifested Armor, but the issue was that he couldn't yet achieve that perfect fluidity. Thus, he settled for the next best thing: creating a curtain of light to guard himself and the others.

By the time the massive shockwave reached them, it had already weakened significantly. While such force could prove fatal to a Xiantian expert, for a Venerable, it was somewhat underwhelming.

All the impact was absorbed by the light barrier; not a single speck of dust managed to fly up behind the screen.

However, the white horse, which had borne the brunt of the explosion, fared far worse.

When the dust settled, everyone could clearly see that the Unicorn White Horse’s previously snow-white hide was now mottled red and black. Its half-crouching form radiated a desolate aura, looking utterly battered.

But the external wounds were secondary; the truly alarming situation was that the white horse had suffered severe internal injuries.

Having battled the white horse for years, Chu Haozhou knew this opportunity would only present itself once. If he missed this chance and the horse developed defenses against his new technique, the odds of harming it again would dwindle to almost nothing.

After all, for a horse possessing such incredible speed, unless its movement could be completely restrained, harming it was virtually impossible.

If the white horse and Chu Haozhou had not known each other so intimately, the horse would never have been so careless as to fall for the ruse.

A blur of motion, and Chu Haozhou materialized before the white horse, his palm resting flatly upon its head.

At that precise moment, the horse's previously frantic movements abruptly ceased. A strange luminescence flickered in its large eyes. Perhaps sensing the imminent approach of death, a touch of vacancy bloomed in its gaze. Yet, what puzzled He Yiming was that beneath this flash of awareness, there was little sign of abject sorrow or raging despair, but rather a peculiar, unexplainable expression.

The Bao Zhu nestled on He Yiming's chest suddenly grew restless. Its tiny body wriggled free and shot out like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, rocketing towards the elder.

Chu Haozhou's expression was equally strange. He gazed down at the half-reclining white horse, his hand resting on its head, yet it felt inexplicably soft, devoid of any strength. His surging power seemed to have vanished entirely in that instant. He appeared less like an unmatched master and more like an ordinary old man.

The sudden appearance of Bao Zhu shattered the awkward tension hanging in the air. The elder's brow twitched slightly; he pushed off with his feet and leaped far away, causing Bao Zhu's little head to strike empty air.

He Yiming’s face shifted subtly. He hurried over and scooped up Bao Zhu, which was baring its teeth and brandishing its tiny claws at Chu Haozhou on the ground.

Involuntarily drawn into the struggle between this man and this horse, He Yiming felt a strange mix of exasperation and amusement.

The white horse on the ground let out a soft whicker. It slowly managed to stand, its gait still unsteady, but relying on its own strength to regain its footing.

He Yiming drew a sharp breath. If this horse wasn't a Super Spirit Beast, then nothing was.

Not only could it contend with a Venerable while in the Xiantian state, but it possessed lightning speed, infinite strength, and thick hide. Now, its recovery rate was even more astonishing.

He Yiming knew that if he had taken the full force of that Water-Fire explosion without preparation, he would have been severely wounded. Even if he survived, it would take at least one or two months of recuperation to fully heal.

Yet, under his perception now, the flow of Heaven and Earth Qi around the white horse was surging at a terrifying rate. Vast quantities of the vital energy poured into the horse’s body like a tide. As the energy flooded in, the horse's life aura was recovering at an alarming speed.

Although it still looked utterly wretched, He Yiming was certain that within three or four days, perhaps even just one or two, it would be completely restored.

This astonishing self-healing capability made He Yiming deeply envious.

However, only Spirit Beasts could possess such magnificent natural gifts.

The white horse stood up, first nodding towards Bao Zhu, then slowly turning its large head to regard Chu Haozhou for a long moment.

The elder’s face was etched with a wry smile—a look of helpless resignation. Yet, what astonished He Yiming was that even after losing what was likely his only chance, not a trace of regret or remorse appeared on his face.

Vaguely, He Yiming began to understand.

During their last conversation, the old man had sighed profoundly, saying that the bond between a human and a Spirit Beast was sometimes incredibly complex.

He had initially assumed the elder meant the Totem Messengers of the Totem Clan and their thousand-year mutated Spirit Beasts. Only now did he realize the elder was talking about himself.

With a soft sigh, He Yiming shook his head, tucked Bao Zhu closer, and turned to leave.

The white horse and Chu Haozhou exchanged looks for a moment before the horse finally turned and departed. Watching its slightly staggering steps, the elder opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

He Yiming gently patted Bai Lingba on the shoulder, "Brother Bai, let's start roasting fish."

Bai Lingba offered no comment on the scene unfolding; he swiftly turned and strode towards the seashore, beginning to roast the fish with practiced ease.

He Yiming walked over to Chu Haozhou. "Brother Chu, congratulations on mastering your divine technique."

The Bao Zhu in He Yiming’s arms snorted angrily a few times, squirmed out of his embrace, seemingly unwilling to remain near Chu Haozhou, and followed Bai Lingba.

However, He Yiming strongly suspected whether the little creature was protesting on behalf of the white horse or simply craving Bai Lingba’s barbecue.

Chu Haozhou managed a bitter smile. "You make an old man look foolish, Brother He."

He Yiming shook his head slightly. "Brother Chu, why did you hold back? Surely, there won't be such an opportunity again."

Indeed, given the white horse's speed and intelligence, once alerted, Chu Haozhou would never get such an advantage again.

In fact, if the horse hadn't paused for that brief moment after breaking free from the binding force of the Wind-Water constraints, instead of immediately fleeing, Chu Haozhou would never have had the chance to execute the combined tri-elemental strike.

Chu Haozhou shook his head slowly, deep in thought for a moment, before finally speaking. "Over forty years ago, after my attempt at vengeance failed, I fled to this island. At that time, I hadn't noticed anything unusual about the island's ore. After resting here for half a month and healing my injuries, just as I was about to depart, this white horse arrived on the island." His voice carried a deep current of yearning. "At that time, the horse seemed grievously wounded as well. As soon as it arrived, it was targeted by the Black Vultures on the island. Despite killing one while injured, it was set upon by the others; its legs seemed damaged too, and its situation was perilous."

He Yiming realized. "You saved it."

Chu Haozhou softly confirmed. "I intervened and drove those troublesome creatures away." A strange expression flickered across his face, followed by self-mockery. "Fortunately, I hadn't discovered the island's mineral veins back then, otherwise, I might not have let it leave."

He Yiming felt a chill. If Chu Haozhou had discovered the ore reserves earlier, knowing this place could refine Profound Iron, even after saving the white horse, it likely wouldn't have survived.