Waves like small mountains surged toward the rocks along the shore. In an instant, the spray rocketed upward, reaching heights of seven or eight meters. After a brief suspension in the air, the spray drifted down with the sea breeze, scattering like flakes of white, shimmering snow.

However, at this moment, the few people on the beach paid no heed to the magnificent spectacle.

All their gazes were fixed upon the White Horse lying on the sand.

The entire body of the White Horse was now enveloped in a violet luminescence.

What had initially been an almost imperceptible violet lightning now, after spreading and intensifying for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, had suddenly transformed into this terrifying display.

He Yiming drew a deep breath, a flicker of resolve shining in his eyes. He extended his hand, slowly reaching toward the neck of the White Horse.

But as soon as his hand moved out, he felt his sleeve yanked tight; Bao Zhu had grasped it firmly.

He Yiming’s heart tightened. He glanced at Bao Zhu and saw an expression of extreme tension in its small eyes.

He smiled faintly. “Don't worry, I won't be harmed.”

He reached out to offer comfort to the suffering White Horse, but part of his intention was also self-serving. Although the violet electrical aura around the horse was alarming, He Yiming held profound confidence in his own Chaos Dantian. Even if he were struck by these lightning bolts, he certainly wouldn't die. And if he could master the power of lightning afterward, that would be truly marvelous.

This risk was worth taking.

Yet, the usually compliant Bao Zhu was uncharacteristically resolute this time, clinging fiercely to He Yiming’s sleeve, refusing to let go.

He Yiming frowned. “Bao Zhu, do you not trust me?”

A faint whinny drifted up from below. He Yiming paused, looking down. The White Horse's eyes had opened at some point. While intense agony was veiled within one eye, He Yiming abruptly perceived a hint of gratitude. Of course, what dominated that gaze was sheer persistence—a spirit seemingly determined never to yield.

He Yiming was not unfamiliar with such a look. He seemed to recall the days of his youth, trapped at the fifth layer of Internal Strength. If he hadn't practiced diligently every day during those arduous times, how could he have stumbled upon the fortuitous encounter at the bottom of the lake?

He inhaled deeply, raising his other hand to place it upon the horse. But his action stopped halfway.

Because he saw, within the horse’s steadfast eyes, a subtle flavor of refusal.

In that instant, he understood: the Unicorn White Horse was signaling that it intended to endure this torment through its own effort.

The voice of One Hundred and Eight drifted lazily from behind him: “Genetic evolution is an arduous process. Any genetic change often requires millennia, or even tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of years to unfold slowly. To enhance its combat capability in such a short span, it must pay a tremendous price. This is the suffering it must bear; you best not imagine sharing it.”

He Yiming blinked, slowly standing up. He gave the White Horse an encouraging look and retreated a few steps.

Only then did the White Horse relax. It closed its eyes, seemingly completely submerged in a world of its own.

He Yiming whispered softly, “Brother Bai, do you think it can manage?”

“It can.”

“How do you know?” He Yiming asked, a trace of joy in his tone.

“If it couldn't endure, Bao Zhu would not have given it the Dragon-Snake Horn.”

He Yiming spun around abruptly. “It’s that simple?”

“Naturally.” One Hundred and Eight’s voice was slow and calm. “Do not underestimate Bao Zhu; it is very formidable.”

He Yiming turned back in surprise, scrutinizing Bao Zhu, whom One Hundred and Eight had deemed formidable. But in his eyes, this little creature hopping on the spot, completely focused on the White Horse, showed no redeeming qualities, and certainly no evidence of its supposed might. He shook his head; perhaps One Hundred and Eight was referring to Bao Zhu’s skill at finding treasures.

As the violet lightning around the White Horse grew fiercer, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Qi was deeply affected, gradually expanding outward.

Slowly, He Yiming and the others kept retreating. They weren't forced back by the increasingly intense ambient energy, but rather withdrew voluntarily, concerned about disturbing the horse's evolution within that radius.

Yet, He Yiming vaguely felt that although the White Horse’s eyes were tightly shut, it was watching them through some unknown means.

A mysterious and ineffable connection began to form between his heart and the horse’s. He knew that his initial persistence had earned the horse’s trust, allowing it to finally open its heart and accept him. Furthermore, his final act of backing away, granting the horse complete trust, had played a part in pushing things forward.

From this moment on, his relationship with the White Horse would undergo a marvelous shift; they would no longer be mere passersby as before.

A figure bolted like lightning from another direction of the island—it was the elder Chu Haozhou. In his hand, he carried two lengths of Dark Iron. Upon arriving before He Yiming, he tossed them over casually. But when he saw the White Horse, his expression immediately became fascinatingly complex.

The White Horse was now shrouded in a cage of purple lightning. Within a three-zhang radius around it, massive electric arcs coursed, searing every inch of its skin, causing it immense agony while simultaneously transforming everything about it radically.

Intense Heaven and Earth Power surged wildly, converting all the ambient energy entering the purple electric field into its own strength. The White Horse’s body underwent miraculous changes; the reddish-black coloration and the flesh-and-blood mess of its back began to slowly repair itself, reverting to its original appearance under the assault of the lightning.

“What… what is happening here?” Chu Haozhou asked, utterly dumbfounded.

He Yiming opened his mouth, but ultimately decided against revealing the matter of the Dragon-Snake Horn. Instead, he replied calmly, “Brother Chu, if I am not mistaken, the White Horse is about to advance.”

Chu Haozhou nodded blankly. He muttered a few incoherent words to himself, then his eyes suddenly brightened. “I understand now.”

He Yiming was greatly intrigued. “Understand what?”

“This injury must have strongly stimulated the White Horse. So, it pushed itself with renewed vigor, achieved some comprehension, and finally broke through its limits,” Chu Haozhou declared with unwavering confidence.

He Yiming stifled a laugh, waited a beat, and gave a thumbs-up. “Brother Chu has profound insight.” Since the elder wished to believe this, He Yiming certainly wouldn't shatter the illusion.

“Rumble…”

A thunderclap, not particularly loud, erupted above the White Horse. The two men turned their heads and exchanged glances of bewildered awe.

The purple lightning surrounding the White Horse grew denser and stronger. By now, it had formed a small, concentrated electrical zone directly above the horse. Though minuscule, this area was rapidly coalescing into a thundercloud cluster, flashing with a light that stirred the heart.

“What is that?” He Yiming couldn't help but murmur.

Chu Haozhou’s face turned pale. “I once read in ancient texts that ten thousand years ago, when Divine Beasts manifested, Heaven sent down tribulations. Those who passed became gods; those who failed vanished without a trace.”

He Yiming rolled his eyes. “Brother Chu, you exaggerate. The White Horse only possesses the Innate Body; how could it ascend directly to the rank of Divine Beast?”

Chu Haozhou’s face flushed slightly, and he gave a wry smile. “I was speaking rashly, perhaps…” His eyes lit up. “The White Horse naturally possesses a lightning attribute; perhaps this is the lightning drawn during its advancement.”

He Yiming finally nodded slightly. But just as his head inclined for the first nod, the thundercloud cluster detonated.

A cascade of tiny lightning bolts, like silver snakes dancing wildly, lashed down, burrowing into the White Horse’s body one after another. He Yiming and Chu Haozhou felt a chill deep in their bones; their own bodies nearly began to tremble uncontrollably. Anyone witnessing this scene would surely feel the same way—the sensation of being struck instantly by countless bolts of lightning and having them penetrate one's flesh; even merely watching inspired a bone-deep shudder.

The White Horse’s body convulsed violently; one could even see thin strips of its skin slowly peeling away. However, at that critical moment, it opened its eyes. While undeniable pain flickered in its large pupils, a more dominant emotion was a form of crazed ecstasy.

Slowly, the lightning from the thundercloud diminished, and the peeling of the horse’s skin subsided correspondingly. He Yiming and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief in their hearts, knowing the most perilous moment had passed, and the White Horse had clearly withstood the impact of this mysterious power.

Glancing toward the direction of the other island, He Yiming inwardly breathed a word of fortune. In truth, although the Heaven and Earth Qi fluctuated violently, the affected range was not vast—it was confined only to this island. And in the middle of the boundless sea, discerning such violent changes in the ambient energy from another island would be exceptionally difficult. However, this was partly because the Sacred Beast Black Vulture King was severely injured; otherwise, it might not have failed to notice the commotion here. In any case, it was a relief that no Black Vultures came to disturb the White Horse during its advancement. He Yiming wasn't afraid of them, but he dreaded them interrupting the horse’s evolution, a crime for which a hundred deaths would not atone.

Finally, the immense surge of Heaven and Earth Qi slowly dissipated, and the lightning zone vanished without a trace. The White Horse, half-lying on the ground, shook its body, braced its four hooves slightly, and, under the watch of He Yiming and the others, slowly rose to its feet…

Ps: It has become a Sacred Beast. So, what is the first thing it should do? Heh heh… asking for monthly tickets.