That long, piercing cry, when it reached the ears, felt like being flayed by a soft blade, causing gooseflesh to rise all over He Yiming's body.

However, a mere cry produced such a profound effect that this person He Yiming had yet to meet immediately inspired deep apprehension in his heart.

Franklin, standing atop the Divine Hall War Eagle, tilted his head back, a fleeting shadow of anxiety crossing his eyes. Yet, even under the harassment of He Yiming's hit-and-run attacks on the white horse, Franklin could not shake him off.

Of course, if he were alone, he could certainly break away, but with this burden beneath his feet, everything became difficult. Hearing that approaching cry, Franklin clearly wanted to flee far away, but his efforts remained futile.

Moments later, two tiny black dots appeared flying from the horizon. Their speed was extreme, seemingly not inferior to the lightning-fast white horse, Leidian.

He Yiming’s spirit tightened. He could no longer afford to be entangled with Franklin. He lightly squeezed his legs, instantly controlling Leidian to halt its assault.

Franklin’s face darkened as he looked coldly at He Yiming, his sharp gaze brimming with killing intent.

The expression of the Divine Hall Pope at this moment was drastically different from their first encounter. All traces of amiability and harmony were gone, replaced by a grimness that felt repellent to the heart.

A dry, unpleasant voice traveled from the distance: "Franklin, am I seeing things? You’ve been driven to such a corner."

The two black dots in the distance rapidly expanded, revealing themselves to be two experts flying using the Divine Weapon Radiance. But one of them began speaking before even arriving, his tone thick with schadenfreude and mockery.

He Yiming’s heart stirred. Few in all creation possessed the qualification to speak to the Divine Hall Pope with such an air. And at this moment, the only likely candidate to appear here was...

A wry smile touched his lips. This person was indeed Franklin’s lifelong, fiercest adversary. Yet, because of the Millennial Ice Island incident, they had unexpectedly united.

This outcome was undoubtedly not what He Yiming had wished to see.

Two figures stopped not far from them.

One was a thin, withered old man who looked as though a mere gust of wind could knock him over. Visible on his face were distinct age spots.

However, the formidable pressure emanating from this old man was proof enough of his extraordinary nature.

The other person was stranger; he wore an odd mask that concealed his face and nearly half of his upper body.

Though He Yiming could not discern his true face, he dared not treat him lightly in the slightest.

"Garfield, you missed the appointment," Franklin said smoothly.

Before this man had fully appeared, Franklin had tried his utmost to distance himself, unwilling to let his old rival witness his helpless predicament. But once his embarrassment was exposed, Franklin swiftly regained his composure, as if the situation had never occurred, facing the newcomer with utmost naturalness.

He Yiming drew a deep breath. Garfield...

This name was incredibly common in the West; in any given city, there would be at least a dozen people named Garfield. But the Garfield addressed by His Holiness the Pope in that tone could only be one person.

Just like the Divine Hall lineage, the current head of the Dark Alliance Council, which boasted a history stretching back tens of thousands of years.

Garfield's aged face showed the faintest trace of an embarrassed smile.

Upon seeing that smile, He Yiming’s heart skipped a beat. This man’s demeanor did not match that of a peak Human Dao powerhouse on par with Franklin. Yet, the sense he gave off was even more dangerous than Franklin’s.

"Franklin, I was delayed by certain matters this time," Garfield bowed slightly. "Please allow me to offer my apologies."

Franklin waved his hand dismissively. These two had interacted for centuries; they knew each other inside and out. Given the Pope's current mood, he had no interest in engaging in theatrics with him.

"This young Eastern powerhouse, how should I address you?" Garfield asked with a smile, though his eyes were fixed on the white horse beneath He Yiming. Clearly, with his sharp vision, he could discern that what truly cornered Franklin was not the knight on the horse, but this miraculous, supreme Sacred Beast.

He Yiming bowed slightly on the horse. "This junior is He Yiming, paying respects to the senior."

"He Yiming?" Garfield's expression immediately grew solemn. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Did you kill the emissaries we dispatched from the West?"

He let out a wry laugh. In truth, after Franklin questioned the three Western powerhouses from the Central Capital on Star Island, He Yiming knew trouble would follow, just not so swiftly.

Straightening his spine slightly, He Yiming announced loudly, "Yes, this junior killed them."

He offered no explanation for why he had put those people to death, knowing very well that before demonstrating strength comparable to a peak Human Dao expert, any excuse would be meaningless.

"I initially thought it was just a rumor," Garfield snorted coldly. "Who else but a peak Human Dao expert could take down all three of them simultaneously? But..." His gaze withdrew from Leidian, the white horse, and he sighed deeply. "Seeing your Sacred Beast, I finally believe you possessed the strength to hold them."

The corner of He Yiming's mouth twitched. In truth, during that battle in the Central Capital, Leidian had not yet reached its current realm. Among the three Western experts, Leidian had only managed to eliminate one, and that one was killed by a surprise lightning strike while fleeing in panic.

But there was no need to explain any of this; He Yiming was quite happy for them to be mistaken.

Nodding gently, He Yiming smiled. "Thank you for your compliment. My success in retaining those three was merely a stroke of luck."

Garfield nodded slowly. "You are a disciple of the Tianchi lineage. I can spare you; leave your spirit beast here, and you may go."

He Yiming was momentarily stunned, his expression turning peculiar. This old man had sensed the immense aura emanating from Leidian and witnessed the battle between himself and Franklin from afar, yet his words remained shockingly arrogant. Did he truly believe himself far superior to Franklin?

A strange look flickered in the Pope’s eyes, but he immediately took a step forward, walking directly onto the void. With a light sweep of his robes, the Divine Hall War Eagle, as if granted amnesty, flapped its wings and flew into the distance.

He Yiming hesitated, ultimately abandoning the thought of pursuing the War Eagle further. However, he inwardly cursed his bad luck; without the War Eagle as a constraint, handling the Pope would become far more difficult.

His gaze shifted to the figure beside Garfield. Although that person's attire was strange, with a large mask obscuring his head, He Yiming felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had met him before. Furthermore, he vaguely sensed that Garfield’s current arrogance might be connected to this individual.

"Respected Chairman, may I ask who this esteemed gentleman is..." He Yiming ignored Garfield's demand and instead inquired with a smile.

Garfield smirked proudly. "This is a servant I have recently taken on. You need not know."

Both He Yiming and Franklin understood that this person was certainly no mere servant, but since Garfield would not say more, they could do nothing.

Garfield’s expression suddenly darkened. "For the sake of Di Shitian, I have given you an opportunity. It is not too late to leave now."

He Yiming chuckled dryly. "Thank you for your kind offer, but I'll pass on this opportunity."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the single horn atop Leidian's head crackled with purple lightning, which immediately lashed out without hesitation.

The power of the lightning was released mercilessly at that moment, surging like a giant dragon toward the peak Human Dao expert who had been utterly arrogant from the moment he appeared.

However, Garfield made no move to evade. A cold, mocking smile touched his lips. "Block it."

The masked man beside him spun around and moved with flying speed to stand before him, extending both hands.

Franklin and He Yiming’s expressions shifted simultaneously, confusion clouding their eyes.

Regardless of how Garfield himself reacted to the lightning attack, or even if he merely waved a hand and dispersed the lightning, it would not have caused them such astonishment.

But the Chairman actually ordered his newly acquired servant to intercept the attack—this was entirely unexpected.

This was a lightning assault equivalent to that of a peak Human Dao expert like Leidian, far beyond what an ordinary Five Qi Grand Venerable could contend with. Given Garfield's insight, he could not possibly fail to recognize this, yet he acted exactly as he did.

In that instant, a terrifying thought flashed through the minds of both He Yiming and Franklin.

Could this newly acquired servant possibly also be a peak Human Dao expert?

As soon as this thought surfaced, a five-colored light suddenly erupted from the man’s hands.

This was the Light of the Five Elements. Though it lacked the flamboyant complexity and bewildering variation He Yiming wielded when controlling the Five Elements Ring, nor did it possess the profound mystery of runic power.

Yet, it was undeniably the power of the Five Elements, complete in all five aspects, a force that formed its own world.

He Yiming's face instantly became quite grim. He immediately understood why Garfield trusted this man so implicitly; this individual was indeed a top-tier, peak Human Dao powerhouse.

P.S.: Last three days left, White Crane asks for monthly votes, thank you... Tomorrow I’m going to Shanghai. Old Cat, Seventy-Two, Yaoji, and Ear Root are treating me to drinks. They said four will gang up to toast one, hmph, tomorrow I’ll show them what 'vast capacity' really means! Also, one of the above mentioned asked me to prepare a 250G portable hard drive. I don't know what it’s for either—you guys guess! Men. No explanation required ^_^