The colossal Five Elements Reincarnation Flower and the White Horse Phantom Lightning arrived almost simultaneously before Franklin, and only then did His Holiness the Pope truly grasp the combined might of this man and beast.

This was the ultimate strike unleashed by He Yiming and the White Horse after thoroughly locking onto Franklin’s aura; it contained nearly all of their accumulated power.

Because Franklin was shocked at having his whereabouts seen through twice by He Yiming, his confidence wavered ever so slightly, and his speed decelerated by a fraction.

It was precisely this minuscule flaw that He Yiming detected, prompting him to act decisively and unleash his full power in an instant. Otherwise, he couldn't be sure how many strange and novel items this Temple Pope might still possess.

The Temple’s ten-thousand-year legacy had amassed far too many precious treasures, making them truly impossible to guard against entirely.

Franklin’s expression finally changed. The moment he realized his aura was completely locked down, he knew evasion was impossible this time. A strange glint flashed in his eyes, followed by a sharp, hurried long cry from his mouth. Then, stamping his foot forcefully, he brutally kicked the Temple Warhawk beneath him.

Around him, powerful Zhen Qi began to swirl like a raging storm. A dense radiance burst forth from his body, forming a world of light around him.

The White Horse’s Phantom Lightning had already demonstrated unparalleled power when battling the Yu Family Ancestor; even the pinnacle of the Human Dao was forced into a hasty retreat under the White Horse’s full-force blow.

Although the Yu Family Ancestor could not wield the might of a Divine Weapon, the strength of his Human Dao peak was absolutely genuine. Now, combined with the Five Elements Reincarnation Flower released by He Yiming, even Franklin, holding the Staff of Light, found it difficult to fully withstand the assault.

He Yiming placed immense confidence in this long-planned, thunderous strike.

As the power generated by the Man-Beast Union rushed into this world of light, the White Horse’s Phantom Lightning immediately detonated, while He Yiming’s Five Elements Reincarnation Flower utilized this massive explosive force to tumble chaotically within the space.

However, they soon discovered that Franklin’s trace had vanished within this realm of light.

They encountered no powerful resistance as imagined; it seemed this sea of light was entirely empty space, and the great Pope had disappeared without a trace.

He Yiming felt a slight alarm. His spirit was highly concentrated, yet he could find no indication of Franklin leaving the sea of light. At this moment, the Treasure Pig was also peering about with its small eyes, having found no strange or powerful treasures outside. Where could Franklin be now?

Just as this thought formed in his mind, he saw all the light and the explosive electrical power beginning to dissipate, as if this radiance held some magical quality capable of neutralizing all external forces, allowing the lightning energy to quickly return to stillness.

In mere breaths, all the light and lightning vanished completely, leaving only the five tangible Flowers controlled by He Yiming drifting gently.

The space warped with an eerie fluctuation, and then Franklin’s figure shimmered into view from the void.

He Yiming silently sensed this strange force, and his expression instantly turned grim.

“Spatial power—you can actually wield the power of space?” He Yiming exclaimed.

In this world, the power of space was a forbidden force within the Human Dao, the only power the Human Dao could not master. Even in the Age of the Divine Dao, only those of the Divine Dao could employ such formidable strength.

However, it was precisely this power belonging to the Divine Dao that allowed He Yiming to be unable to locate Franklin within this sea of light.

All color had drained from Franklin’s face, making him appear several years older than when they first met. Clearly, to evade that nearly fatal attack, His Holiness the Pope had paid a tremendous price.

Yet, the White Horse Lightning was not faring much better. The Phantom Lightning was its final trump card, almost equal in destructive capability to He Yiming’s combined Great Saber formed from the Five Elements.

Once such immense power was unleashed, even it was left severely depleted.

Without a word, He Yiming produced a small piece of white stone and presented it to the White Horse Lightning’s mouth. Its tongue flicked out, immediately wrapping around the stone and slowly masticating it.

Franklin bared his teeth in a smile, but the old man’s grin sent a chill down He Yiming’s spine.

Seemingly having noticed the current weakness of the White Horse Lightning, the old man raised the Staff of Light in his hand, massive light energy incubating at its head.

He Yiming’s eyes snapped open, and without hesitation, he communicated mentally with the White Horse Lightning.

Then, the White Horse spread its four hooves and began to gallop directly through the void.

The divine light emanating from He Yiming spread downward, instantly reaching the White Horse’s hooves. No matter where the horse stepped, it landed firmly upon this divine light.

In the blink of an eye, He Yiming and the White Horse had retreated far beyond Franklin’s range of attack.

The Pope opened his mouth in surprise, muttering something softly under his breath, while a shade of vexation flickered in his eyes.

After sensing the true might of the Man-Beast Union, even his heart felt a chill. Instinctively, he felt that he absolutely could not confront these two united beings head-on.

Just as the consequence of matching strength with the White Horse Lightning had been a ignominious kick away from Star Island, Franklin would not make the same mistake again.

However, facing an attack that had already locked onto him, Franklin had finally unleashed his ultimate life-saving measure.

Though the cost was enormous, it had bought him a precious moment to catch his breath.

Upon reappearing, he immediately sensed the excessively weakened aura of the White Horse Lightning, but just as he prepared to strike, He Yiming and the White Horse coordinated perfectly to flee into the distance.

Under the enhancement of He Yiming’s divine light, the White Horse Lightning’s speed was in no way slower than running across the ocean surface. In just a flash, they had sped far away.

However, before the Pope could sigh in relief, he heard a familiar neighing cry tinged with alarm.

He looked down, so enraged that he almost choked.

He Yiming, riding the White Horse, was not moving away from the area as he had expected, but was instead charging towards the Temple Warhawk that he had just kicked into the sea for safety.

The Temple Warhawk naturally recognized the formidable power of He Yiming and the White Horse Lightning. It immediately spread its sodden wings and fled sideways, attempting to rejoin Franklin.

But clearly, He Yiming and the White Horse Lightning were superior in speed, and they seemed exceedingly interested in tormenting the Temple Warhawk, apparently taking out their frustration over failing to deal with the Pope on this poor sacred beast.

Light flashed over Franklin’s body; he flew upward swiftly, roaring angrily, “He Yiming, do not push things too far!”

He Yiming twisted his head on the White Horse Lightning’s back and laughed, “Your Holiness the Pope, we are Man-Beast Union versus Man-Beast Union; this is perfectly fair.”

Franklin was shocked and furious. He Yiming riding the White Horse Lightning was indeed a genuine Man-Beast Union; their abilities complemented each other, and working with one mind, they could manifest even greater power.

But the Temple Warhawk was merely his mount. If Franklin expected to elevate his own strength by riding the Warhawk, he would truly be an absolute idiot.

The fair battle of Man-Beast Union that He Yiming spoke of was simply too unfair.

A sharp cry escaped Franklin’s mouth. The Temple Warhawk, seemingly receiving an instruction, immediately flapped its wings with all its might, desperate to get away from the area as quickly as possible.

Only once the Hall-Guarding Sacred Beast retreated could Franklin attack without reservation.

However, He Yiming, having been startled by Franklin’s ultimate move, had fixated on the Temple Warhawk. Cooperating seamlessly with the White Horse, they advanced, following the nearly straight path etched by the Warhawk in the sky.

Behind them, Franklin was boiling with anger but was forced to pursue at full speed.

Although Franklin did not hold the Hall-Guarding Warhawk’s strength in high regard, its status within the Temple was supremely noble. Franklin absolutely could not allow it to suffer any harm.

The Warhawk lived up to its name as a sacred flying beast. While its top speed was somewhat inferior to He Yiming’s Man-Beast Union, its maneuverability far surpassed what He Yiming and the horse could achieve.

After executing several agile loops in the air, its massive body skillfully turned like a swallow and rejoined Franklin.

The Pope had just breathed a sigh of relief when his face instantly became grim again.

He Yiming and the White Horse Lightning approached once more, but this time, their method of attack was not aimed at Franklin, but directed everywhere toward the Temple Warhawk.

The continuous, rolling thunderbolts and the colorful Reincarnation Flowers all treated the Temple Warhawk as their target for venting, attacking it relentlessly without mercy.

Franklin was left with no choice but to use every trick he knew, deploying countless divine artifacts and secret treasures, barely managing to intercept all attacks aimed at the Temple Warhawk.

However, under the pressure of this storm-like barrage, he no longer had the capacity to retaliate.

Watching the White Horse Lightning fully recover its energy, Franklin let out a bitter smile inwardly. He never thought he would live to see the day he was outmaneuvered.

This kind of Man-Beast Union confrontation was truly too unfair.

Suddenly, a long cry filled with soft, insidious power echoed from the distance.

He Yiming’s expression subtly shifted. Although he didn't know who had emitted the cry, one thing he was certain of: the strength displayed through this voice was immensely powerful!