The surface of the sea was deathly quiet, yielding nothing but the faint echo of an empty expanse.

“Your Holiness, is that truly him?” Garfield asked hesitantly.

Franklin nodded without the slightest hesitation. “The Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs—I saw him with my own eyes. There can be no mistake.” His assertion was solemn, his face set with unwavering resolve.

Seeing the conviction in the Pope’s expression, the Speaker no longer harbored any doubt.

Franklin’s judgment was renowned; since he was so certain, the figure below was one hundred percent the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs.

Looking up toward the direction where He Yiming had departed, Franklin called out in a strong voice, “Sect Master Fanshu, since you are vouching for him, we will not press the matter further this time.”

Garfield hesitated for a moment, then slowly inclined his head.

Although He Yiming was powerful, and his White Horse Sacred Beast was a top-tier creature capable of matching their own, the potential benefits of keeping them here were immense.

But measured against the once-in-a-millennium opportunity presented by Ice Island, any gain from conflict felt like mere chicken ribs.

These two men, having commanded respect in the West for centuries, were clearly no ordinary individuals. They grasped this truth in an instant.

They exchanged a nod and plunged together into the sea.

As for the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family, he followed close behind, diving beneath the waves with them.

It was unclear what method Garfield employed to gain control of the puppet, but the techniques of the Western Dark World were indeed endless and unfathomable, rivaling those of the East’s top experts.

Beneath the waves, the ocean remained as profoundly dark as ever.

Franklin and the White Horse Thunder God had dueled above for quite some time; had this occurred on land, irreparable devastation would have resulted. But at sea, the impact seemed trivial.

No matter how immense the power unleashed, it could inflict no substantial damage upon the ocean itself. Any water vaporized or blasted away would inevitably return to the sea’s embrace. The endless expanse of water would rush in to fill the void until the surface returned to normal.

Now, having descended into the depths, they immediately began their search for the person they sought.

Both Franklin and Garfield held high expectations for this figure. Being men of the West, securing a partner in the East was surely vital if they were to successfully participate in the affairs of the Ice Palace.

Furthermore, given that old man’s unique abilities, no one in the world would willingly offend him. With his participation, their confidence would surge significantly.

However, the two were quickly disappointed to find absolutely no hidden human presence in this stretch of ocean.

The only notable features were over a dozen mutated large fish swimming in the distance.

These fish were surprisingly bold and substantial in size; even the smallest among them was nearly the size of a human body.

These creatures seemed naturally ferocious. Upon spotting the three newcomers in the water, they immediately swam over, swinging their broad tails, opening their flat mouths to reveal sharp fangs, and lunging to attack the trio.

Franklin and his companions naturally paid no mind to these sea creatures.

If there had been a Sacred Beast among these fish, they might have been interested in slaying it for its inner core, but they could easily sense from the life aura radiating off the large fish that they were merely common creatures, not even qualifying as Spiritual Beasts.

They had no interest in engaging with these creatures seeking their own doom.

Garfield made a casual gesture with his hand, and a dark shadow abruptly manifested around the fish leading the charge. This shadow wavered in the water for a moment before vanishing, and those leading fish stopped abruptly. Their bodies twitched slightly in the water, and then they separated into several pieces.

Garfield had struck with an ethereal technique, cleaving the large fish into multiple sections with chilling ease.

Their wounds were smooth and perfectly contoured, clearly the result of a single, unhesitating pass that caused such clean separation.

Instantly, the surrounding water was dyed crimson by the blood pouring from the slain fish.

The remaining fish, though ignorant of exactly what had transpired, recognized that these three individuals were not edible prey but deadly harbingers of death.

The largest of the strange fish executed a swift turn and fled into the distance; the others quickly followed suit. Their speed was remarkable, and in moments, they had vanished from sight.

Franklin and the others certainly did not dwell on this minor interlude. Around them, spheres of energy, distinct in attribute yet overwhelmingly powerful, isolated the immediate vicinity.

After searching for a long time, Franklin and Garfield finally gave up in dejection, surfacing with sighs of frustration.

“Your Holiness, are you absolutely certain Jimo Fanshu is willing to join forces with us?” This was the second time Garfield had raised the question.

A flicker of anger crossed Franklin’s face, yet even he was immensely perplexed by the situation.

Everything that transpired today felt laced with strangeness: the simultaneous appearance of the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs and He Yiming; the fact that Fanshu, after agreeing to his invitation, immediately went into hiding and then intervened to rescue He Yiming at the most critical juncture. Most importantly, that supremely powerful assassin was clearly nearby, yet he chose concealment over meeting them to discuss vital matters.

The Pope sensed a profound enigma, but facing his old adversary’s persistent questioning, he let out a cold snort. “Jimo Fanshu personally accepted my invitation. Do you believe he would go back on his word?”

Garfield immediately shook his head. For men of their stature, adherence to oaths was paramount. Even within the Dark World, anyone who broke a promise would be universally scorned.

Moreover, he could not doubt Franklin’s claim. If the Pope were lying in this matter, the entire world had descended into madness.

Crucially, after three Dao Peak experts searched the depths for so long to no avail, the ability to conceal oneself to such an extent was rare indeed. In the Southern Border at this moment, only the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs himself could achieve such mastery.

“If he agreed, why would he refuse to meet us?” Garfield asked, clearly troubled.

Franklin was momentarily silenced. After a long pause, he let out a soft huff. “Perhaps he is wary of our numbers.”

Garfield glanced toward the expressionless Old Ancestor of the Yu Family. Several possibilities crossed his mind, but he concluded that this explanation was the most plausible.

Shaking his head, he abandoned any further thought of diving to seek out the master assassin. Instead, he stated coolly, “Your Holiness, since my late arrival caused the departure of the newly ascended Eastern Venerables, allow me to rectify this lapse.”

“How do you propose to do that?”

“Throughout history, Eastern Venerables arriving in the Southern Border only ever visit one place.” Garfield smiled faintly. “You won’t object if I accompany you to pay a visit to the Glazed Cave, will you?”

Franklin considered this for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “Speaker, I believe since the message has already been sent, letting those people leave might actually achieve a better outcome.”

Garfield paused, then nodded slowly. “What is your plan, then?”

“We wait,” Franklin stated firmly. “We hold no enmity toward the Southern Border; our relationship has always been cordial. If we can gain the approval of the Old Ancestor of Glazed Light, it might be enough to thwart Bing Xiaotian’s scheme.”

Garfield sighed deeply. “To earn the Old Ancestor of Glazed Light’s approval, we will have to make a considerable sacrifice from our reserves.”

Franklin remained calm. “Bing Xiaotian’s unprecedented move to gather so many Dao Peak masters might mean he has discovered something. If he truly can unlock the mystery of Ice Island, then even giving up everything, I would be willing.”

Garfield’s eyes glinted, and he nodded slightly.

These two elders, who had schemed against each other for centuries for supreme authority in the Western world, found a shared accord in this moment.

Given their advanced age, if they failed to achieve a breakthrough through this opportunity with Ice Island, only the path to oblivion awaited them. They truly had no other choice.

They exchanged a look and flew toward a specific direction—an uninhabited island serving as the temporary base for the Western contingent upon their arrival.

They intended to wait there for the Old Ancestor of Glazed Light to return; only with the understanding and support of this powerful figure could they begin to participate.

However, they were unaware that just as they departed, a bizarre large fish suddenly emerged from the seabed.

If the Pope and the Speaker were present, they would surely recognize it as one of the strange fish that had attacked them earlier.

This peculiar fish thrashed on the surface for a few moments, and then a sheet of silver light enveloped its body.

In an instant, the silver glow vanished, and the fish slowly began to stand up from the water’s surface.

This was Number 108. Utilizing his specialized abilities, he had successfully impersonated the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs and the strange sea creature, easily deceiving the two powerful figures.

This disguise, though simple, was remarkably effective. It had not revealed the slightest flaw, even under the scrutiny of three Dao Peak experts.

Number 108 glanced in the direction the two strong men had flown, seemingly deep in thought. A moment later, he turned and followed the trajectory of He Yiming’s departure. Almost instantaneously, the seven-colored light in the sky disappeared.