As He Yiming slowly extended his head and limbs from the shell of the Black Tortoise, his appearance was utterly comical, especially since the vest he wore had reverted to the Black Tortoise shell's original state under the assault of the Light God Power.

Thus, his movement increasingly resembled a large turtle cautiously poking its head out of its shell, slowly stretching its body. If he had done this at any other time, the Venerables below would surely have burst into laughter. However, at this moment, not a single person harbored the slightest inclination to mock him.

Their gazes fixed upon the tortoise shell were filled with greed and envy.

With their level of understanding, by this moment, they naturally comprehended that He Yiming remained unharmed under the attack of a peak Human Dao expert solely due to the shell on his body.

The defensive power of this shell had reached an incredible extent; not only was it impervious to the full-force attacks of a peak Human Dao expert, but even a trace of the light of God Power could not purify and eliminate it.

If this tortoise shell had fallen into their hands, not He Yiming...

Wouldn't they too be able to remain undefeated against the attacks of a peak Human Dao expert?!

Of course, none of the Venerables who entertained this thought planned to actually seize it by force.

Merely observing the identities of the two combatants before them and the formidable power they displayed was enough to utterly crush that fleeting spark of hopeful opportunism that had arisen within them.

To covet a divine weapon transformed from light carried by such figures—wasn't that simply courting death?

Franklin nodded slightly, his gaze also becoming heated. He had not expected to discover such a treasure in this era when the Divine Dao had vanished.

Even the Pontiff of the Church, who governed nearly half the power in the West, felt a deep stirring of desire at this moment.

Among the Divine Beasts, the shell of the Black Tortoise was the rarest; even during the age of the Divine Dao, it was something that existed only in legend.

What made it even more precious was that this Black Tortoise shell was already a successfully forged defensive divine weapon.

If this divine weapon were to fall into his hands, within the Human Dao realm, he would undoubtedly overshadow all rivals, becoming the undisputed foremost figure of the Human Dao realm.

Vast killing intent boiled up from Franklin's body.

His expression was now intensely serious. At this moment, His Holiness the Pontiff no longer regarded He Yiming as merely a Five Qi Great Venerable, but as a true powerhouse qualified to fight him without restraint.

Although this respect was almost entirely directed toward that unbreakable Black Tortoise shell, if his attitude were to become known, He Yiming’s standing would undoubtedly soar infinitely, perhaps even surpassing that of the Divine Calculator.

However, just then, a crackling sound, like muffled thunder, echoed from the distant sky.

As this sound reached their ears, a long, heaven-shaking roar simultaneously exploded within everyone's hearing.

The distant sky, at some unknown time, had illuminated with a field of flashing electrical light, which was now rapidly drifting toward them.

He Yiming felt a wave of relief. His efforts had not been in vain; he had finally made it in time.

But then his eyes widened. How could the White Horse be coming from the horizon? Did it grow wings? Moreover, its speed seemed entirely too slow, much slower than when it galloped across the sea surface.

The Treasure Pig, which had quietly lain dormant and hidden, immediately shot out, its four hooves treading upon four black clouds, dashing toward He Yiming as fast as lightning.

The little creature was not protected by the Black Tortoise shell, and Franklin was clearly more troublesome than the Ancestor of the Yu Family. Thus, the clever Treasure Pig wisely kept to the sidelines, only emerging to show off once its mighty mountain protector arrived behind it.

The Eastern Venerables on the ground, including Jin Zhanyi, all wore expressions of shock. Upon hearing the long roar and seeing the expanse of lightning, they vaguely felt that this must be He Yiming’s White Horse Lightning. Yet, what they could not fathom was that the imposing aura emanating from the White Horse was far too immense.

This power vastly exceeded their understanding, presenting a world of difference from the White Horse they remembered.

A flicker of astonishment crossed Franklin's eyes. After sensing the powerful might contained within the expanse of lightning, he finally understood why He Yiming had deliberately entangled with him and even paid the price of using the Black Tortoise shell as a shield to buy time.

In the Southern Frontier, after the Glazed Ancestor departed, perhaps no one could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him again. However, this did not include the top-tier Sacred Beasts, and the electric storm in the sky above currently concealed such a supreme Sacred Beast.

As the lightning in the sky reached this high altitude, it began to slowly descend.

This field of lightning enveloped an area of nearly ten zhang, and this entire space was saturated with dazzling electrical power, leaving no room for any other force to exist.

The sheer power of the lightning capable of being unleashed indicated the immense strength of the Sacred Beast within.

He Yiming, holding the Treasure Pig, hesitated for a moment. His figure flickered, and to the horror of all watching, he actually charged into the field of lightning.

A multi-colored light curtain rippled around him; the Five Elements True Qi Armor had transformed into its own world, becoming a massive insulator that blocked all the lightning outside.

As long as the White Horse was not intentionally mobilizing vast amounts of electrical power specifically to attack him, this armor was sufficient to guarantee that He Yiming would not be harmed by the electricity.

Reaching the center of the lightning, He Yiming stumbled. He finally understood why the White Horse had flown in and why its speed had been so slow.

Under the horse's belly, Hundred and Eight was slowly lowering the White Horse. What struck a deeper chord of dread in He Yiming was that the White Horse Lightning’s eyes were tightly shut; it was clearly in a state of unconsciousness.

He Yiming focused his voice into a single thread, transmitting it into Hundred and Eight’s ear: "Brother Hundred, what is going on?"

Hundred and Eight gently set the White Horse Lightning down, spread his hands, and replied, "I received your signal and went to the small island to find Lightning. But when I found it, it was already like this."

He Yiming’s heart sank halfway. He carefully sensed the residual power emanating from the White Horse Lightning, and after a moment, he finally grasped the reason.

The White Horse was currently entering a state akin to meditation.

Perhaps, precisely to rapidly gain control over the overflowing lightning power within its body, the White Horse Lightning had proactively entered this self-enclosed state. Therefore, although it was unconscious, lightning still flashed around it, releasing its immense aura and pressure without reservation.

He Yiming had a feeling that once it awoke naturally, it would very likely achieve its desires and successfully control that powerful force within it.

However, He Yiming turned and glanced in a certain direction. Although the flashing lightning made it impossible to see clearly, the image of that old man materialized in his mind.

Would His Holiness the Pontiff allow the White Horse this natural time to awaken?

He Yiming doubted the Pontiff would make such an unforgivable mistake.

A thought crossed his mind, and He Yiming suddenly asked, "Since Lightning hasn't woken up, what was that cry just now?"

Hundred and Eight opened his mouth, and from it erupted a long, muffled, thunderous roar—a sound identical to the cry made by the White Horse Lightning before the battle.

He Yiming couldn't help but let out a wry laugh. This fellow could even imitate sounds so vividly lifelike.

"Brother Hundred, you have made a mistake this time," He Yiming said with a bitter smile. "Since Lightning hasn't woken up, you shouldn't have brought it here. If Franklin sees it, do you think he will let Lightning go?"

Hundred and Eight gently shook his head. "A quarter of an hour."

He Yiming blinked in confusion. "What?"

"I have checked. Lightning will wake up in a maximum of a quarter of an hour."

He Yiming’s eyes lifted, and he was instantly overwhelmed with joy. He had complete faith in Hundred and Eight’s judgment.

Reaching out to touch the Black Tortoise shell on his body, He Yiming gritted his teeth. "A quarter of an hour? No problem." Just as he turned to leave, he felt a tight grip on his wrist.

"I'll go," Hundred and Eight stated calmly.

He Yiming paused briefly. It had to be admitted that Hundred and Eight was indeed powerful.

After consuming the White Stone successively over the past few years, Hundred and Eight's progress had been visible to all, not even falling behind his own rate of improvement. Moreover, the fellow possessed the advantage of immortality; even a peak Human Dao expert could not kill him.

However, his current strength still held a considerable gap compared to the peak Human Dao level, and delaying for a quarter of an hour seemed far from easy.

Hesitating for a moment, He Yiming shook his head slightly. "Let's go together."

With the strength of both of them, holding out against Franklin for a quarter of an hour should not be a problem.

But if this top expert from the West noticed a flaw and decided to ignore the two of them, heading directly into the environment of flashing lightning to attack the White Horse, then regret would be inevitable.

Yet, Hundred and Eight was slightly shaking his head, his jewel-like eyes brightening. In them, one could rarely catch a trace of human-like, resolute confidence.

He Yiming, still hesitating, looked into Hundred and Eight’s shining eyes, felt an inexplicable tremor in his heart, and nodded his agreement as if compelled by some divine impulse.

A thought surfaced in his mind: Had Hundred and Eight, like the White Horse Lightning, swallowed something beneficial, thus gaining the strength at this moment to contend with a peak Human Dao expert?

Hundred and Eight turned, walking step by step. However, as He Yiming gazed at his receding back, his vision blurred, and the clothes on Hundred and Eight’s body had visibly changed. Even his physical build seemed different from moments before.

Taking a deep gasp, watching the retreating figure, He Yiming was suddenly reminded of a certain person—the one leaning against a high mountain, suspended in the air, who had routed them all in disarray—the Ancestor of the Yellow Springs.

Then, he heard the surprised voice of His Holiness the Pontiff, Franklin: "Sect Master Fanshu..."

P.S.: Hundred and Eight’s greatest advantage has been utilized, ^_^ It’s the end of the month, please cast your monthly votes, thank you...