The moment the Thunder White Horse surged up from the sea, it was enveloped in a magnificent corona of lightning.

While submerged, the Thunder White Horse had struggled desperately to contain the electrical energy coursing through it.

Due to the depth it had descended, even the slight leakage of power went entirely unnoticed.

But after being driven into the seabed over a hundred and eight times, with the final impact nearly tearing the creature in half, this massive being, possessing the bloodline of a divine beast, could endure no longer and finally erupted upward.

It tossed its head back; the great eyes of the white horse shimmered with light that shifted between purple and silvery-white, making them increasingly beautiful and captivating.

The Yu Family Ancestor in the high heavens ceased all movement.

He lowered his head, his gaze fixed intently upon the white horse.

Though his consciousness was hazy, his powerful combat instincts warned him that the sudden surge of power emanating from this horse was seemingly on par with his own.

Facing such a formidable adversary, even he dared not show the slightest negligence.

The Thunder White Horse snorted, a sound like muffled thunder, and a ripple of electric arcs suddenly spread out from its body, expanding in all directions.

This was not intentional; it was merely the involuntary leakage of its lightning power caused by emotional fluctuation.

However, given the Thunder White Horse's current strength, even this level of unintentional discharge was a cataclysmic event for ordinary beings.

A visible arc of electricity radiated outward from the Thunder White Horse, tracing the surface of the ocean and illuminating the entire sea until it shone brilliantly.

When this wave of power reached the distant sea vessel, its destructive force immediately erupted.

The entire ship shuddered violently, followed by a screeching sound that was deeply grating.

Someone in the cabin shouted loudly—the hull had breached! Gu Biao's face was ashen.

Ignoring his own dizziness from the shock, he directed all the crew to plug the leaks and ordered an immediate retreat from the area.

But it was too late; the base of the ship had suffered extensive damage from the lightning energy, making it impossible to even seal the breaches, let alone maneuver the vessel to safety.

Hao Xue stared blankly at the Thunder White Horse on the water, a bitterness filling his heart that words could not capture.

He had a growing premonition that this venture, which the Old Ancestor had considered a sure thing, was about to come to naught.

He Yi Ming’s martial cultivation had not only surpassed his previous level, but his sacred beast, the White Horse, had clearly advanced again.

Judging by the sheer immensity of the aura radiating from it, it seemed in no way inferior to the Yellow Springs Ancestor.

A beam of electrical light rapidly coalesced above the White Horse's head.

It was a swirling, horn-shaped beam of light interwoven with purple and silvery-white luminescence.

He Yi Ming’s eyes brightened slightly.

He knew this was the White Horse’s most potent, newly mastered technique—one it had unleashed only at the final critical moment after days of sparring with the Silver Eel King, resulting in a decisive victory.

Yet, here, before any formal engagement had even begun, the Thunder White Horse was already deploying this ultimate trump card.

This demonstrated the immense status this Yu Family Ancestor held in the creature’s estimation.

A blood-red radiance simultaneously gathered before the Yu Family Ancestor.

This was the extreme manifestation of the powerful Blood Condensation Art; under its assault, even the non-human entity known as Bai Ling Ba suffered a moment of stunned paralysis, testifying to the sinister power of this cultivation method.

The marvelous puppet that was the Yu Family Ancestor showed no restraint whatsoever when facing the White Horse.

He Yi Ming and Bai Ling Ba exchanged a glance, and without hesitation, they shot backward into the distance.

As they passed the Baō Zhū, who was wheezing and grunting while cheering for the Thunder White Horse with squinted eyes, He Yi Ming snatched the creature up and tucked it into his embrace.

The ensuing battle between the Thunder White Horse and the Yu Family Ancestor was likely now far beyond the scope of Baō Zhū’s involvement.

“Brother Bai, thank you,” He Yi Ming said soberly.

Bai Ling Ba turned back, a rare occurrence, and asked, “What are you thanking me for?” “For fighting the Yu Family Ancestor on my behalf,” He Yi Ming admitted with emotion.

“It is my duty and responsibility,” Bai Ling Ba replied calmly.

“Do not forget, I am your bodyguard.” He Yi Ming chuckled, “Didn’t you say you wouldn't kill anyone in this life? Yet your performance just now suggested otherwise.” During the earlier confrontation with the Yu Family Ancestor, Bai Ling Ba had fought with absolute commitment, holding nothing back.

He seemed driven by some deep, ancient grudge, as if he wished to tear the Ancestor into a million pieces.

Bai Ling Ba paused in silence.

“I did not break my vow.” He Yi Ming looked at him, deeply puzzled.

“That person no longer possesses consciousness; he is merely a walking puppet, a soulless husk.

Killing him does not count as violating my promise.” He Yi Ming’s eyes widened in understanding.

He gave a wry smile; if Bai Ling Ba hadn't mentioned it, he wouldn't have considered that angle, yet he stated it plainly without reservation.

Indeed, Bai Ling Ba remained the same Bai Ling Ba he had always known; there had been no fundamental change.

The surrounding air suddenly grew heavy.

Two vast, seemingly boundless forces rushed forward from ahead, pressing down on He Yi Ming until he could barely draw breath.

He didn't even need to look up to know that the battle between the Thunder White Horse and the Yu Family Ancestor had erupted.

Glancing sideways, he caught sight of the swirling, horn-shaped lightning ascending into the sky, slamming violently against the crimson, blood-drop-like Blood Condensation Art unleashed by the Yu Family Ancestor.

The power levels of both releases were nearly identical, as was the resulting might.

But what no one could have predicted was that the moment the colossal streak of red light made contact with the White Horse's lightning, it instantly detonated, offering not the slightest resistance.

Subsequently, the beam of electrical light pierced through the blockade of the Blood Condensation Art, shattering all defensive power, and struck directly against the qi armor protecting the Yu Family Ancestor’s body.

A look of relief touched He Yi Ming’s face.

The White Horse’s lightning was inherently the bane of the Blood Condensation Art, and after absorbing the Silver Eel King's inner core, that natural advantage had only grown stronger.

If it had been anyone else from the Yellow Springs Sect, they certainly would not have used the Blood Condensation Art against the White Horse.

But the Yu Family Ancestor was different; this master of the Human Dao Apex knew nothing of this natural weakness, so suffering a setback in the first exchange was only logical.

As expected, under the impact of the overwhelming electrical force, the Yu Family Ancestor’s body flashed with residual sparks of lightning as he was propelled straight upward into the sky.

The electrical power the Thunder White Horse had just generated was immensely potent.

Even before absorbing the Silver Eel King’s inner core, it possessed enough might to rend the Silver Eel King—a beast of similar divine status—limb from limb.

Now, having integrated the inner core, the fusion of the two lightning types had created a powerful, mutated force whose destructive capability was utterly beyond measure.

He Yi Ming looked up, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes.

The Thunder White Horse’s strength had surpassed his expectations.

It seemed that once the creature could fully control the immense electrical energy within its body, even if he encountered the Yellow Springs Ancestor again, he would no longer need to flee to Ghost Cry Ridge for sanctuary as he had before.

Suddenly, a sharp, fierce roar echoed down from the high heavens.

This cry sounded like a wounded beast with nowhere to flee, imbued with a chilling power that inspired dread.

Then, the Yu Family Ancestor descended like a projectile, descending from the heights with unparalleled, crushing momentum.

Although a faint trace of electrical luminescence still clung to him, it was incapable of penetrating the Five Elements Armor or inflicting any serious harm.

A burst of five-colored light suddenly erupted from his form, growing in intensity, growing stronger and stronger, seemingly enveloping the entire world between heaven and earth.

Whether it was He Yi Ming, Baō Zhū, or Hao Xue aboard the ship, every single one felt an urge to surrender everything and collapse to the ground under this immense pressure.

They were all powerful Venerables and could clearly sense the true might of the pressure emanating from above.

They all felt that if this force struck their bodies, the only outcome would be to be crushed into pulp—there would be no other end.

At this point, they understood that after enduring the lightning strike from the Thunder White Horse, the Yu Family Ancestor had unleashed his full, unreserved power.

Driven by instinct, he discarded the unpredictable Blood Condensation Art and instead unleashed the righteous might of the Five Elements technique, drawing upon his Five Elements body.

When the five-colored light converged into a single mass, the sheer power was enough to cleave the heavens and shatter the earth.

A full-strength strike from a master of the Human Dao Apex far surpassed even He Yi Ming’s five-fold power amplification.

The White Horse remained head held high, its eyes blazing with excitement.

Faced with such crushing pressure, it felt no trace of fear; instead, a fighting spirit of ultimate intensity rose from its body.

After consuming the Silver Eel King's inner core, the collision between the two types of lightning had granted its strength an almost unbelievable qualitative leap.

This very surge in power was the reason it could not yet completely master its own abilities.

However, not being able to fully control it did not mean it could not release the power.

The moment it faced such a mighty opponent, the lightning energy within the White Horse instantly gathered to its peak, and above its head, a phantom white horse, composed entirely of electrical energy, faintly began to take shape.

The electrical might contained within this phantom steed, the sheer surge of its aura, was in no way inferior to that of the descending Yu Family Ancestor.

Finally, this phantom White Horse charged heavenward, meeting the Yu Family Ancestor’s five-colored radiance head-on.

The collision of the two attacks, each carrying the pinnacle of their respective strengths, met without fanfare in the mid-air.

For a moment, all disparate colors vanished, and the entire world was fiercely illuminated.

In the air just above the sea, it was as if a colossal sun had suddenly appeared, radiating over everything, commanding all creation to submit to its might.

Then, while emitting infinite brilliance, this sun finally exploded outward...