A surge of immense power erupted like heavy artillery fire, scattering a blaze of light across the armor of the Yu Family Ancestor.
This was He Yiming unleashing his full might; even a peak expert of the Human Dao realm could not easily withstand such an assault. The Yu Family Ancestor plummeted from mid-air, falling into the vast sea at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
The sailors aboard the vessel had no time to react; all they vaguely registered in their ears was a muffled splash as something hit the water.
Watching the Yu Family Ancestor disappear beneath the waves, He Yiming finally let out a long, slow breath. The successful execution of such a surprise attack, so smoothly achieved, was entirely beyond expectation.
Though He Yiming did not believe this single blow would be enough to kill the Yu Family Ancestor, the fact that he could land a hit proved that the Ancestor still possessed notable weaknesses.
If his estimation was correct, the Yu Family Ancestor indeed commanded the strength, speed, and skill of a Human Dao peak expert. However, being nothing more than a puppet now, all his actions in combat were driven purely by instinct. Especially when clashing head-on with a formidable foe, there was a fractional hesitation in his reaction speed.
And this, undoubtedly, was the opening He Yiming and his allies intended to exploit.
If his opponent were a genuine Human Dao peak master, He Yiming’s petty tricks would never have stood a chance. But facing a mere puppet, he dared to risk everything.
The seawater below suddenly churned violently, and a crimson shadow shot out from the depths, hurtling toward He Yiming at an even faster velocity than before.
His expression shifting slightly, He Yiming cursed under his breath inwardly.
Perhaps in tactical reaction to an enemy, the Yu Family Ancestor fell short of a true Human Dao peak master, but the sheer power and physical resilience he possessed were genuinely at that pinnacle level. To injure or kill him would be an exceedingly difficult task for them.
When He Yiming managed to drive the Yu Family Ancestor into the sea, Hao Xue’s face paled dramatically.
He had known He Yiming for several years, and in his memory, every encounter revealed clear advancements in the man’s martial cultivation.
Such continuous, obvious progress was impossible for an ordinary martial expert, yet He Yiming consistently brought him shocks and trepidation.
Meeting him this time, He Yiming was actually wielding the Flower of Five Elements Reincarnation with such devastating effect that even a Human Dao peak expert could not evade it. This level of power truly exceeded Hao Xue’s imagination.
At this moment, he finally understood why even the famed Ancestor of the Yellow Springs was so obsessively focused on He Yiming, going so far as to dispatch a puppet to secure his death.
Perhaps the sheer pace of He Yiming’s growth caused even that world-renowned old man to feel wary.
Thankfully, the Yu Family Ancestor soon burst forth from the ocean, finally allowing Hao Xue’s heart, which had leaped into his throat, to settle back down.
The five-colored radiance intensified, and several vortices suddenly materialized around He Yiming.
As He Yiming’s comprehension of the Flower of Five Elements Reincarnation deepened, his control over the Five Elements Ring grew increasingly intuitive. Since the Five Elements Vortices had proven somewhat effective, he naturally intended to expand upon their use.
The crimson light slammed into the vortices, annihilating one with every flash, but when the final red ray passed, all the Five Elements Vortices surrounding He Yiming had been scattered.
The Yu Family Ancestor, encased in armor, reappeared directly before He Yiming. Though lacking human consciousness, his combat instinct remained intact; he first instantly nullified the threatening Five Elements Vortices, and then intended to crush his opponent with overwhelming force.
However, a faint smile touched He Yiming’s lips, as if he held the incoming attack in utter disdain.
As expected, that hand bearing a metallic sheen reached out once more, calmly intercepting the Yu Family Ancestor’s advance.
This time, One Hundred and Eight was not purely defending; he was actively launching an offense.
His hands, like anvils forged of adamant, swung toward the Yu Family Ancestor like spinning wheels of wind and fire, the momentum suggesting an intent to deliver a fatal blow.
He Yiming’s expression subtly changed, a wave of deep emotion washing over him.
One Hundred and Eight had once vowed never to strike down a sentient being, a promise he had upheld for years. But now, judging by his actions, he was exerting his absolute maximum effort, holding nothing back.
This near-breach of his personal creed sent warm currents surging through He Yiming’s heart.
This friend was not befriended in vain.
One Hundred and Eight possessed extraordinary strength and speed, yet the Yu Family Ancestor surpassed him in both aspects. The two clashed head-on, every impact carrying unimaginable, raw force. The tremendous sound, like two colossal boulders grinding together, continually reverberated through the air.
On the sea vessel, everyone except Hao Xue desperately clamped their hands over their ears. Although this massive sonic wave was not directed at them, even its residual shockwaves were more than they could bear. Even Gu Biao, who had advanced to the Innate Realm, looked ashen-faced, only marginally better off than the others.
After dozens of collisions, One Hundred and Eight’s arms could not sustain the sheer impact; they exploded outward like blooming hydrangeas. While his body structure was immensely strong and resilient, it could not withstand such a concentrated power exchange.
The Yu Family Ancestor delivered a punch, striking squarely into the gap where One Hundred and Eight’s arms had been, sending him plummeting into the sea below.
A colossal pillar of flame shot skyward, nine monstrous fire dragons dyeing the entire heavens a vivid red. They writhed their massive forms, enveloping the Yu Family Ancestor’s body in mid-air.
“The Nine Dragon Furnace?” Hao Xue gasped, his face instantly draining of color.
Hadn’t the Ancestor claimed He Yiming couldn't deploy the divine artifact, the Nine Dragon Furnace?
If He Yiming could truly command that artifact at will, then never mind the Yu Family Ancestor—even if all the Human Dao peak experts in the world gathered, they might not be able to guarantee their own safety.
This thought raced through Hao Xue’s mind, and after scanning the surroundings anxiously, he finally relaxed.
Though there were nine fire dragons filling the sky, their might was clearly not as exaggerated as legend suggested. Furthermore, a plain, toothless rake floated in the air above them. Simultaneously, a small white pig hovered beneath the rake, treading upon four dark clouds.
Hao Xue finally understood: this was not the legendary Nine Dragon Furnace, but the divine weapon—the rake—belonging to the Sacred Beast pig accompanying He Yiming.
Following the great battle in the Eastern Central Capital, the powers possessed by He Yiming and his companions were no longer secrets.
The nine-toothed rake, capable of transforming into nine fire dragons by the Sacred Pig, was already renowned throughout the world; known by everyone.
A streak of light, crimson as fresh blood, abruptly burst forth from within the coil of fire dragons. When the bloody glow dissipated, the Yu Family Ancestor, now cloaked in five-colored True Qi armor, was revealed.
Although the nine fire dragons could not imprison him, it was evident the Yu Family Ancestor was at a loss on how to deal with these incorporeal entities.
He Yiming’s brows twitched slightly, and he exhaled in relief.
He now knew that the Yu Family Ancestor’s inherent strength was indeed immense, likely not inferior to the Ancestor of the Yellow Springs. But the critical difference was that the Ancestor of the Yellow Springs not only reached the pinnacle of Human Dao cultivation but also possessed an endless array of divine artifacts and even a trace of divine power.
None of these advantages were apparent on the Yu Family Ancestor.
Perhaps this was the true distinction between a genuine Human Dao peak expert and this Yu Family Ancestor.
Driven by superior combat instinct, the moment the Yu Family Ancestor broke free of the fire dragons, his hands blazed with light. A stream of five-colored energy instantly coalesced in mid-air, forming a bizarre rune shape. This True Qi rune then shot towards the Sacred Pig.
His intuition suggested that eliminating the little pig would neutralize the threat of the nine fire dragons in the sky.
However, another rune, formed from five-colored light, materialized in the air. This rune positioned itself directly in front of the Sacred Pig, colliding with the Yu Family Ancestor’s True Qi rune. Upon impact, both energy runes vanished without a trace.
“Your opponent,” He Yiming declared, holding the Five Elements Ring and staring straight at the Yu Family Ancestor without averting his gaze, “is me…”
The Yu Family Ancestor charged without a word. Among these men and beasts, He Yiming was the one he most desired to kill. This wasn't due to recognizing He Yiming’s identity, but simply because Hao Xue’s command was to eliminate He Yiming.
For the Ancestor, any order issued by someone holding the red iron plaque must be executed.
As the Yu Family Ancestor rushed forward, a bizarre True Qi rune suddenly manifested in the space beside him and shot towards his body.
The puppet’s martial instinct reacted swiftly; his charging momentum halted abruptly, and his fist pivoted, slamming towards the incoming True Qi rune that was about to make contact.
The force of this punch could cleave mountains and shatter seas, instantly obliterating the attacking rune. But the shattered rune immediately detonated again, the resultant powerful airflow blowing the Ancestor back several yards.
An ordinary person, witnessing their own previous attack vanish and then reappear to strike back, would inevitably become suspicious and hesitant.
But the puppet cared nothing for such complexities; having destroyed the rune he had created, he continued his assault toward He Yiming.
He Yiming steeled his concentration, the Sacred Pig’s small eyes wide, its mouth slightly agape.
Yet, before either man or beast could strike, the sea’s surface cracked open, and a metallic-sheened figure flew up once more, extending equally metallic hands to block the Yu Family Ancestor’s offensive for the third time.
On the ship, Hao Xue, the only one who could observe the entire chaotic engagement from head to toe, stared wide-eyed, involuntarily letting out a drawn-out, hissing gasp.
The moment he recognized this figure, he felt a sensation akin to seeing a ghost.