The greatest disadvantage of White Horse Thunder when facing human powerhouses was its inability to fly.

For a White Horse that lacked a pair of wings and had not yet achieved the deification of its divine weapon, once an opponent soared above its head, it was left with few options.

Just as it was now, when He Yiming rushed to the sea, he discovered that Franklin was already hovering high in the sky. On the sea surface, White Horse Thunder stared up at the sky with wide, indignant eyes.

He Yiming let out a long breath, feeling an indescribable sense of pride well up within him.

To force a peak Human Dao master to avoid a direct confrontation—the strength of the White Horse had indeed reached an astonishing level.

Of course, if the roles were reversed, He Yiming would never dare to face a top-tier Sacred Beast head-on. Humans foolishly pitting their strength directly against Spirit Beasts would only be the action of utter simpletons. It was merely the sight of the once supremely arrogant Franklin’s current posture that filled He Yiming with profound emotion.

Franklin extended his hand, and streaks of light erupted from his palm. In his grasp, these lights seemed to come alive, stabbing down towards the White Horse on the sea from various angles.

White Horse Thunder, unwilling to be outdone, unleashed equally powerful bolts of lightning. Despite the distance, He Yiming could still feel the immense power contained within those strikes.

This man and this beast, facing a formidable enemy, held nothing back, striving with every fiber of their beings to bring about the other's demise.

For a time, the entire sky crackled with lightning and blazed with brilliant light, and even the sea surface churned violently. Powerful arcs of electricity and light, as tangible as solid objects, continuously crisscrossed, transforming this stretch of ocean into a true zone of death.

He Yiming retreated, holding the Treasure Pig close, as they intently watched the battlefield. In the depths of their eyes, beyond the shock, lay a deep, potent fighting spirit and resolution.

The battle between Franklin and White Horse Thunder was undoubtedly a clash between Human Dao peaks. The might unleashed by their slightest movements far exceeded the limits attainable by a Five Qi Grand Venerable.

The difference in martial cultivation ranks was a vast chasm; unless one possessed artifacts of heaven-defying caliber, bridging that gap was practically impossible.

After witnessing the spectacle of their combat, He Yiming gave a wry smile, realizing that Franklin’s fight against him had been merely a light warm-up. Only upon meeting White Horse Thunder did Franklin truly unleash the full strength of a peak Human Dao expert.

The colossal arcs of electricity and light intensified, threatening to spread outwards. The sheer power emanating from the core of the battle made even He Yiming’s heart tremble.

He suddenly understood why Franklin had insisted Edwin move far away and ultimately agreed to let Jin Zhanyi and the others depart.

The power unleashed by a battle between Human Dao peaks was simply too immense; if any of the newly ascended Venerables like them were carelessly swept into the fray, they would face only one fate. Franklin, unwilling to incur the mortal enmity of numerous powerful factions, could only abandon his original plan, however reluctant he might have been.

Finally, the expanding electric glow reached the soles of He Yiming’s feet. Yet, abruptly, a black vest appeared over his body. A dark sheen spread down from the vest, as if an insulating layer had been laid beneath He Yiming’s feet, rendering the powerful electrical energy harmless to him.

The Mysterious Tortoise Shell, refined by the Ancestor of the Nine-Headed Fire Dragon, was incredibly potent. Though it merely appeared as a vest externally, activating its protective divine light could envelop the entire body.

However, earlier when facing Franklin, He Yiming had not dared to rely on the protective divine light to directly withstand the full force of a peak Human Dao expert’s attack, which was why he had continuously used the main body of the tortoise shell to contend. Now, facing only the diffused aftershocks of the massive battle, employing the protective divine light presented no issue.

Feeling the increasingly powerful impacts washing over him, He Yiming’s blood boiled. He harbored an intense desire to somehow join the fray.

But he understood the proud nature of White Horse Thunder even better; if he were to interfere, Lightning would likely be displeased.

The little Treasure Pig grunted a few times, its sounds conveying unmistakable excitement.

Gently stroking its head, He Yiming whispered, “Treasure Pig, this is not a battle we can join right now, but one day…” His voice was firm and strong: “We will!”

The Treasure Pig paused, then grunted a few more times, seemingly agreeing with He Yiming’s declaration.

Suddenly, a cry echoed from the distance. The Divine Temple War Hawk flew over from the island. It circled high above He Yiming and the Treasure Pig, maintaining a significant distance, and then settled to watch quietly from afar.

Judging by its movements, the injuries inflicted upon the War Hawk by the Treasure Pig’s sonic roar had mostly healed.

He Yiming marveled inwardly, surprised that Franklin was such a skilled healer to have restored the War Hawk’s combat capability so quickly.

Glancing towards that direction, a thought sparked in He Yiming’s mind. A subtle smile touched his lips as he leaned down and whispered a few words to the Treasure Pig. The little creature’s face instantly lit up, displaying an array of expressions.

Then, four black clouds materialized beneath its feet, and it soared toward the sky.

Although the Divine Temple War Hawk was focused on the battle between Franklin and White Horse Thunder, it remained wary of He Yiming and the Treasure Pig. The moment the Treasure Pig flew up and headed straight for it, terror flashed in the War Hawk’s eyes.

Having had its courage shattered by the Treasure Pig’s Thunder Roar, the Divine Temple War Hawk dared not face the little creature head-on again. Seeing the little thing wobbling closer, it immediately spread its wings and fled far away, emitting a long cry that sounded like a call for aid.

He Yiming’s figure shifted slightly. Five-colored light encircled him as he ascended from another direction.

Together with the Treasure Pig, they made no attempt to conceal the murderous intent radiating from them. They circled in the air, seemingly intent on slaying the Temple’s guardian Sacred Beast right there and then.

Franklin, who had been engaged in a war of attrition with White Horse Thunder, could endure no longer.

During his engagement with White Horse Thunder, he had managed to gauge the fundamentals of this terrifying Sacred Beast. Although it possessed immense electrical power and incredible brute strength, its biggest flaw was its inability to fly. Thus, as long as he maintained a high altitude and attacked from a distance, he faced no danger.

As for victory or defeat against White Horse Thunder, that was not something achievable in a short time. A battle at the Human Dao peak level rarely ended in death unless both parties harbored deep-seated hatred and were fighting to the death; it was generally unlikely to reach a decisive conclusion quickly.

However, just as they were hotly engaged, another unexpected conflict erupted. His prized pet, the Divine Temple War Hawk, was being besieged by the opposing man and beast. Franklin knew clearly that both He Yiming and the Treasure Pig possessed the strength to kill the War Hawk. If the Temple’s guardian Sacred Beast were to perish here, it would be a massive blow to his prestige and the Temple itself. Therefore, without hesitation, he soared higher, immediately breaking away from the main engagement.

White Horse Thunder let out a resentful neigh, its inability to fly filling it with intense frustration.

A sharp cry erupted from Franklin’s mouth. He tapped the Staff of Light in his hand twice with lightning speed. Two thick pillars of light shot out like arrows from a bow, striking towards He Yiming and the Treasure Pig respectively.

He Yiming neither dodged nor retreated, instead thrusting out his chest to meet the fierce attack with his body—specifically, the Mysterious Tortoise Shell upon it.

The massive force slammed him violently into the ocean, but in the span of a single breath, He Yiming reappeared, flying up from the sea. The formidable defensive power of the Mysterious Tortoise Shell could even resist the divine light of the God of Light, let alone Franklin’s angry strike.

Meanwhile, the Treasure Pig stabilized itself in mid-air. It opened its mouth and unleashed a deafening roar that shook the heavens. The beam of light aimed at it wavered a few times before finally dissipating completely.

Franklin’s eyelid twitched slightly; his assessment of the Treasure Pig’s capabilities rose even higher. However, he quickly averted his gaze and let out a light whistle.

The Divine Temple War Hawk circled once more before coming to rest beneath him. The Pontifex took a step in the void, standing firmly upon his mount’s back. Although his own strength allowed him to fly freely in the air without relying on the War Hawk, it was undeniable that standing upon his pet’s back lent him an aura of authority that he hadn't possessed moments before.

He Yiming rejoiced inwardly. The effort he expended chasing the War Hawk was precisely to wait for this very moment.

With a beckoning gesture, the five-colored light transformed into a giant hand, pulling the swaggering Treasure Pig down. He then bolted toward White Horse Thunder’s position. Even though the sea surface was covered in sparking electrical energy, He Yiming stepped directly upon it, completely unaffected.

With just a few strides, he arrived beside White Horse Thunder.

“Thunder, they have merged man and beast, seeking victory through superior numbers. Let us also join forces,” He Yiming said earnestly.

White Horse Thunder neighed joyfully. Its initial insistence on fighting alone stemmed from the pride of its Sacred Beast blood, which forbade it from ganging up on a human expert of the same rank. However, now that Franklin had a battle companion beneath his feet, their combined effort became entirely justifiable. As for whether Franklin’s strength increased or decreased after reuniting with the Divine Temple War Hawk, that was irrelevant to He Yiming and White Horse Thunder. They only knew that their repeated coordination had forged a potent synergy for their Man-Beast Union, allowing them to unleash their full power once more.

Five-colored light surged wildly from He Yiming, even enveloping White Horse Thunder. Subsequently, the two of them, along with the Treasure Pig, soared high into the sky.

Ps: Went to buy train tickets today, waited in line for an hour and a half, finally reached the window, only to be told there were tickets available, but no seats… Tragic! Bai He will just take the bus the day after tomorrow, sigh… Tomorrow and the day after will both be triple updates, the 30th will be quadruple, and the 31st will be quintuple. I will definitely complete 133 chapters this month, unaffected, though the timing won't be as fixed, since I’ll be traveling. Please bear with me, everyone ^_^ Also, requesting monthly votes for the last four days, thank you!