A dazzling surge of lightning, impossibly vast and beyond imagination, exploded outward from the central point of their collision. This bolt of electricity was fierce, imbued with inconceivable power.

Everything enveloped by this electric radiance was instantly annihilated, reduced to the most minute particles the world has ever known, vanishing utterly from the sight of the onlookers.

The intense beam propagated with the speed of a startled thunderclap, sweeping across the sea vessel sailing on the waves in a mere flash.

That sea ship, massive as it was compared to the stature of the White Horse Lightning, became utterly helpless before this consuming current of energy—like a toy overturned by a mischievous child, offering no resistance whatsoever.

A silhouette flashed suddenly; it was Hao Xue, the only Venerable aboard the ship.

The moment the bizarre, intensely powerful phantom lightning shaped like a white horse manifested above the White Horse Lightning’s head, he knew things were ill-fated.

At this juncture, the might displayed by the White Horse was clearly in no way inferior to that of the ancestor of the Yu family, a peak expert of the Human Dao.

The combined, all-out strike from two peak Human Dao entities unleashed a destructive force that absolutely surpassed his capacity to endure, so he did not hesitate. He leaped from the ship and desperately fled across the surface of the sea toward the distance.

Indeed, once the enormous surge of electricity began to propagate, it became an unstoppable tide.

As the lightning reached the ship, everything in the world seemed to slow down to an agonizing crawl.

All the sailors aboard the vessel stared with wide eyes, their gazes filled with sheer terror. Yet, there was no opportunity for them to utter a sound. In an instant, they were submerged by the flash and obliterated from mortal existence.

When the lightning dissipated, both those high in the sky, like He Yiming and the others, and the fleeing Hao Xue, scampering across the waves like a hound that had lost its home, saw it clearly.

Before them lay a colossal crater, where all the seawater had been vaporized into air by the overwhelming force of the lightning.

The White Horse Lightning stood suspended in the center of this vast pit, a violent, flickering electric glow radiating beneath its hooves, somehow allowing it to be fixed in the void at that moment.

Gazing upon this incredible scene, formed in an instant, a profound shock resonated in everyone’s heart.

Their minds were saturated with the memory of that lightning strike; nothing else remained.

The White Horse, now hovering in the air, shrouded by purple lightning tinged with flecks of silver-white, appeared like a divine being, filling their hearts with awe.

As if a brief, suspended moment had passed, the surrounding seawater finally surged back into the crater with frenzied speed, reclaiming the surface of the sea.

A sharp shriek suddenly pierced the sky, startling everyone back to consciousness, prompting them to look up.

Above the White Horse Lightning’s head, the true qi armor on the Yu family ancestor had vanished entirely, and patches of charred blackness were faintly visible on his body—clear evidence that he had been grievously wounded in the exchange.

Then, he abruptly turned and streaked away into the distance, carving a streak of five-colored light across the sky.

His sudden action left everyone feeling completely unprepared.

The Yu family ancestor was no longer entirely human; he was merely an unintelligent puppet. He was not supposed to take any independent action until a command was issued.

But at this moment, his behavior was indistinguishable from that of a normal human.

Under the crushing strike of the White Horse’s mighty lightning power, this puppet was actively fleeing due to the fear of death—an act that surpassed the limits of what a mere construct should be capable of.

He Yiming’s eyebrows shot up. Leaving this entity around would surely become a future liability. He commanded sharply, “Lightning, pursue him.”

The White Horse Lightning turned its head, lifted its forelegs, and seemed ready to give chase.

At its previous speed, it was already comparable to the maximum velocity of a peak Human Dao master; now, having advanced, this was even more pronounced.

However, the White Horse Lightning had only taken that single step when its body began to stagger violently, as if intoxicated. Finally, it collapsed forward, plummeting into the depths of the sea.

He Yiming was greatly alarmed. Forgetting entirely the residual lightning flashing around the beast, he immediately dove downward.

Yet, before he could truly plunge into the deep, the sea surface split open, and the White Horse Lightning rose again, though the electric aura surrounding it had significantly weakened.

Their eyes met—man and beast—and He Yiming instantly understood: the White Horse had delivered a full-power strike. But being the first time it unleashed such immense, uncontrolled power, the White Horse Lightning’s body had succumbed to temporary muscular spasm.

If the White Horse had complete mastery over its newfound might, such an episode would never occur. But in its current state, utterly weak, merely remaining afloat on the surface was an achievement.

He Yiming let out a breath of relief. As long as the White Horse Lightning was safe, he was content.

A sudden thought struck him. He twitched his ears, turned his head, and spotted a figure moving at top speed where the sea met the horizon.

“Brother Bai, look after Lightning.”

He Yiming uttered a sharp command, nodded toward the White Horse Lightning, grasped Baoshu, and vanished from the spot, transforming into a gust of wind across the sky, hurtling toward the direction Hao Xue had fled.

And so, only the White Horse Lightning floating upon the waves and Bai Lingba, suspended in mid-air radiating seven-colored light, remained in that expanse of ocean.

They stared at each other. Despite years spent together, neither knew how to communicate with the other. Naturally, both chose silence, waiting quietly for He Yiming’s return.

※※※※

He Yiming’s speed was astonishing, his gaze locked on the distant speck, the five-colored light around him blazing brilliantly.

Although his Five Elements Body was not as inherently potent as that of the Yu family ancestor, once the power of the Five Elements Ring was successfully activated, his speed surpassed that of an average Venerable by a measurable margin.

Hao Xue ahead sensed the formidable aura closing in from behind, and the composure and confidence that had once graced his face had been utterly discarded.

When he set off toward the Southern Border, full of ambition with his puppet and aboard his family’s grand ship, he never could have imagined meeting such an outcome.

In his estimation, no one in the South Sea now existed who could contend with the Yu family ancestor.

Even though the ancestor was merely a puppet, incapable of utilizing the divine weapons he once commanded, retaining only the ability to fly using divine light, a peak Human Dao expert, even without a weapon, could certainly dominate the world.

In the Southern Sea region, so long as the Glazed Cave Master did not intervene, no one could defeat the Yu family ancestor.

Yet, he never anticipated that after finally encountering He Yiming as he wished, such an incredible reversal would unfold.

Not only had He Yiming and his companions grown stronger—the two of them plus the pig could now barely contend with the Yu family ancestor—but the White Horse had outright transformed into a supreme sacred beast capable of standing toe-to-toe with a peak Human Dao expert without yielding ground.

The magnitude of their power increase was simply unimaginable.

Therefore, when even the puppet Yu family ancestor fled in terror of death, Hao Xue also turned tail without a second thought.

He assumed that if He Yiming’s group pursued, they would focus their entire effort on capturing the Yu family ancestor.

They had already witnessed the puppet’s terrifying strength; if there was even the slightest chance, they would never allow a threat to escape and later cause trouble.

But he also hadn't accounted for the White Horse Lightning suffering muscle failure at this critical moment because it couldn't fully control the energy within its body.

With the White Horse out of action, He Yiming and the others, even if they possessed the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard, would not dare pursue the Yu family ancestor without assistance.

Setting aside the question of whether they could catch up, if they did, the issue of who would kill whom was certainly worth debating.

One must choose the softer target first; thus, He Yiming naturally selected the sole remaining figure: Hao Xue.

Sensing the narrowing distance between them, all color drained from Hao Xue’s face; overwhelming dread filled his heart.

Though he knew that being pursued by a Five Qi Grand Venerable across the vast, open expanse of the ocean left little chance for escape, he was utterly unwilling to perish right then and there.

With a sudden burst of movement, he plunged into the sea, swimming desperately downward.

A cold sneer touched He Yiming’s lips. If Hao Xue had continued running across the water’s surface, catching him would have taken a considerable amount of time. But by diving into the depths in desperation, he had sealed his own doom.

He retracted the five-colored light surrounding him and plunged into the ocean like a falling meteor.

Once submerged, his body transformed into a swift fish, moving effortlessly and instantly covering great distance.

This was He Yiming’s Swimming Fish technique, a supreme movement art grasped long ago in the sea, which undoubtedly displayed its ultimate power in the immensity of the ocean.

Hao Xue’s terror deepened. He was horrified to discover that his speed while fleeing underwater was vastly inferior to his pursuer’s, whose powerful aura had successfully locked onto him.

Without hesitation, he shot upward, his true qi instantly breaking the water’s surface, returning him to the ocean level.

He Yiming’s eyes sharpened; realization had come too late.

He did not surface with him. Instead, his body shook violently, carving a massive white line through the water beneath the waves, chasing him directly.

Under the immense power of the Swimming Fish technique, his speed underwater was in no way slower than when flying high in the air.

Moments later, he finally caught the panicked, fleeing Hao Xue in the ocean depths.

Sensing the terrifying pressure arriving from below, Hao Xue emitted a scream laced with sheer terror. His wrist flickered, and the Coagulating Blood Thread appeared in his hand, which he stabbed uselessly into the dark water.

A firm grip suddenly seized the Coagulating Blood Thread, followed by an immense force that destabilized him, sending him tumbling back down into the depths.

Ps: Five chapters today, asking for monthly votes... Update times for the next few mornings are adjusted to around nine o’clock; this will return to normal next month, apologies for the inconvenience!