The Ancient Fiend, who had been fleeing with all his might, finally managed a moment of relief, only to immediately sense the powerful life force gaining on him from behind.

He sucked in a sharp breath, a chilling cold instantly rushing up his spine.

Before coming to Penglai Immortal Island this time, he had been utterly confident that with the Blood Condensation Man and the Six-Legged Sacred Beast, he was already in an invincible position.

Even if the Blood Condensation Man was somehow defeated by the major powers of the East Sea Islands, as long as the Six-Legged creature remained, he was sure he could escape safely. However, he never imagined that within the East Sea, such a marvelous white horse possessing the power of lightning would suddenly appear.

This white horse, wielding the might of lightning, was the greatest bane of the Blood Condensation Man. With a single strike, over a hundred years of his arduous cultivation was utterly ruined. Furthermore, even with the speed of the Six-Legged beast, it was far inferior to the horse. Although he was fleeing desperately, it wasn't long before the white horse caught up. Not only that, but this white horse possessed the art of burrowing, its speed also surpassing that of the Six-Legged Sacred Beast by a degree.

At this point, he truly felt disheartened; his original soaring ambitions had completely vanished.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

Continuous golden rays pierced through countless layers of earth from behind, relentlessly pursuing the Six-Legged Sacred Beast.

The Earth element released by the Five Elements Ring was utterly unaffected, even deep underground. The immense power sent a shudder of horror through the fleeing Ancient Fiend.

With a flick of his wrist, the two small weapons reappeared in his hands. Both his arms blurred into an illusionary shadow, shattering all dozens of incoming light beams.

However, he instantly realized that the power contained within every single ray of light was tremendously strong; even he had to exert his utmost strength to crush them.

But these light beams seemed endless; in the blink of an eye, dozens more struck one after another.

He Yi Ming seemed capable of releasing this potent Earth power ceaselessly, as if he needed no rest, and every single wave of force was overwhelmingly fierce.

The Ancient Fiend’s heart sank deeply. He knew this must be due to the imitation artifact, the Five Elements Ring. In this moment, he was both shocked and enraged; if this supreme treasure had fallen into his hands, he might even have been able to break through to the Five Qi Converging to Origin realm.

Suddenly, a massive flash of light erupted directly before him. The Ancient Fiend's heart chilled. He roared, and both his divine weapons instantly erupted with a surge of crimson blood that flowed forward.

This strike was condensed from his own essence blood, its power unparalleled, easily one of his ultimate, desperate moves.

Yet, at that very moment, he suddenly glimpsed a streak of purple light flashing before his eyes.

His heart cried out in alarm—this flash of light was none other than that accursed white horse.

With a purple lightning flash, the Ancient Fiend’s desperate attack, fueled by his essence blood, was annihilated in an instant by Lei Dian, without exerting even the slightest effect.

The Ancient Fiend's expression shifted wildly. Suddenly biting down hard, he finally made a decision. He stomped both feet sharply, leaping off the back of the Six-Legged Sacred Beast and rocketing upward.

He Yi Ming paused slightly, realizing then that the Ancient Fiend also possessed the art of burrowing.

Countless thoughts raced through his mind. Although the white horse Lei Dian was powerful, it did not know the art of burrowing. Facing this man and beast duo, he was forced to choose only one target.

Sighing softly, he glanced towards the receding Six-Legged Sacred Beast, then turned his horse’s head and immediately ascended in pursuit.

Moments later, the Ancient Fiend broke the surface, soaring into the sky to continue his desperate escape. But after only a few breaths, a white light flashed before him—the white horse had already materialized right in front of him.

The Ancient Fiend let out a bitter, wry smile. "Such a swift horse. I wonder what Sacred Beast it is; perhaps you could enlighten this old man."

He Yi Ming shook his head slightly. "My encounter with Lei Dian was purely coincidental, and I do not know its origins. Please forgive me, Brother Gu."

The Ancient Fiend calmed down, watching He Yi Ming quietly. "Are you here to take this old man's life?"

He Yi Ming sighed softly. "I already gave my word to Brother Chu."

Though his voice was not loud, it carried an unyielding firmness, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

The muscles in the Ancient Fiend’s face twitched slightly, his eyes filling with despair. After a long silence, he burst into loud laughter. "Very well. To refine the Blood Condensation Man and attempt to reach the Five Qi Converging to Origin, I have murdered countless people over the past century, robbing dozens of Venerable tombs to collect their Sariras for my cultivation. Even if I die today, it is not an injustice."

He Yi Ming's expression subtly changed. He finally understood the source of those dozens of Sariras. He had not expected that this dignified Demon Path Venerable would resort to grave robbing. However, without such deeds, he could never have gathered so many Sariras.

Suddenly, the Ancient Fiend’s expression turned serious. "Brother He, I have one favor to ask, please grant it."

He Yi Ming said gravely, "Speak."

The Ancient Fiend reached into his robes and produced a wooden box. He Yi Ming recognized it immediately as the box containing the Sariras.

Opening the box, the Ancient Fiend pulled out a partition, instantly revealing a hidden mechanism. Beneath the main compartment, there was another secret space, holding an ancient-looking book.

Even from a distance, He Yi Ming’s gaze sharpened, and he instantly recognized it as an ancient Divine Tome.

The Ancient Fiend did not hesitate, tossing both the box and the book toward He Yi Ming. He Yi Ming reached out and effortlessly caught them. He looked at the Ancient Fiend with utter bewilderment for a long moment before asking, "Are you trying to trade this for your life?"

The Ancient Fiend chuckled dryly. "Will you accept?"

He Yi Ming shook his head firmly. "Since I gave my word to Brother Chu, I will absolutely not let go."

In his encounter with the Ancient Fiend, He Yi Ming had grasped the man's perilous nature. If this fiend were allowed to escape now, it would certainly lead to endless future trouble.

The Ancient Fiend gave a bitter laugh. "I never expected you to spare my life, but this Divine Tome cannot vanish because of my demise. Therefore, I beg you to find a successor for it, so that the secret arts within are not lost."

He Yi Ming pondered for a moment. Although he vaguely suspected there was some hidden conspiracy he was unaware of, since the man had even given him the Divine Tome, there was nothing more to say.

Frowning slightly, he closed the box and casually slung it over his back. "Ancient Fiend, I promise you."

The Ancient Fiend nodded once, his expression immediately growing solemn and severe. He let out a low roar, stomping his feet in an arcane pattern. His entire body seemed enveloped in a bloody aura.

Innumerable streaks of crimson spread out, and at that moment, he appeared to transform into a ghostly red specter, his entire vital energy becoming chaotic and scattered. A violent aura boiled like massive ocean waves, and in the next instant, that mass of blood rushed toward He Yi Ming.

He Yi Ming watched him quietly, finally letting out a deep sigh. His entire True Qi surged forth, pouring without reservation into the Five Elements Ring.

Instantly, the white horse Lei Dian’s single horn also shone with a magical light. Tremendous power surged out, matching the influx into the Five Elements Ring.

Simultaneously, the world contained within the Five Elements Ring also released a massive surge of energy.

In mere moments, three streams of power originating from different sources fused into one.

The Five Elements Ring spun violently: the flowing Water element, the vigorous Wood element, the blazing Fire element, the heavy Earth element, and finally coalescing into the unyielding, all-piercing Metal element.

The five beams of light condensed into one, slicing through endless space, plunging directly into the mass of crimson.

A shrill scream burst from within the blood-light, and then that terrifying bloody mass dissipated without a trace.

The Ancient Fiend’s body was flung high into the air. Under the combined power of the Five Elements, his Blood Condensation technique was completely abolished.

When he managed to regain his footing, his chest suddenly exploded. A hole the size of a fist blew open on his left side. A torrent of blood gushed out, instantly soaking his entire body.

This time, he truly became a blood-man—one who could no longer move.

He slowly raised his head. A strange light flickered in his eyes. This sliver of light seemed to contain infinite regret, yet also a sense of relief at finally being untangled. But stranger still, He Yi Ming thought he detected a flicker of schadenfreude in those eyes.

Slowly, the blood flowing from his chest grew thinner, eventually running out completely.

The Ancient Fiend let out a long breath and collapsed heavily onto the ground, but his gaze remained unchanged, as if he were still mocking the world.

He Yi Ming dismounted and approached him. He frowned deeply, increasingly certain that something was amiss. If their roles were reversed, he would never hand a secret manual to someone trying to kill him. Moreover, He Yi Ming did not believe the Ancient Fiend possessed such magnanimity. Recalling that final look in his eyes, He Yi Ming knew there must be a hidden trick within that manual.

He retrieved the wooden box and took out the Divine Dao Scripture. He stared at it for a long moment before letting out a bitter laugh.

The Ancient Fiend must have calculated that anyone who obtained a Divine Dao Scripture would inevitably be unable to resist the temptation to read it. He Yi Ming understood this feeling all too well.

He sighed deeply. The Ancient Fiend’s dying gift was certainly not well-intentioned, but it was undeniably a blatant, overt scheme (yangmou). Even seeing through his intentions, it was difficult not to study the book.

Gritting his teeth, He Yi Ming finally extended his hand and turned to the first page of the manual.

Three characters, bright red like blood, were inscribed on the first page. He Yi Ming looked at them intently and suddenly felt as if his own blood was reacting, stirring with an almost restless energy.

He inwardly gasped, took a deep breath to calm his slightly agitated state, and turned the page again.

It was a drawing: a single, vivid blood-red arrow soaring within the illustration. He Yi Ming’s eyelids twitched incessantly; his thoughts seemed drawn in by the color red, slowly sinking into the depiction...

Ps: Five chapters today. Until Friday, it will be five chapters per day. Requesting monthly votes, thank you...