A massive surge of True Qi erupted from within the ring, bearing down upon Ji Mofan Shu. Facing this seasoned assassin, He Yiming dared not hold back even an iota.
He unleashed his ultimate trump card immediately: a five-fold amplification of power. Since ascending to the peak of the Human Dao realm, no force among experts of the same rank could withstand him.
Indeed, upon sensing the colossal pressure crashing down upon him, even Ji Mofan Shu's expression shifted. His reaction, just as He Yiming anticipated, was no longer like their first encounter where he met He Yiming's Five Elements Radiance with equal force. Instead, he employed an astonishingly bizarre movement technique, vanishing from the attack range of the Five Elements Light in an instant.
He Yiming inwardly admired the skill; a master of this caliber would naturally possess life-saving secrets, so He Yiming had never hoped to overcome his foe in a single strike.
The Five Elements Light, as if possessing eyes, tracked the movements of the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, chasing his form. The speed of tracking provided by the light of a Divine Weapon was superior to the fastest limits of the human body. However, the cultivation technique utilized by the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs was utterly bizarre; even He Yiming's divine sense could not lock onto him, let alone inflict any damage.
Suddenly, the rapidly spinning Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs vanished, simply disappearing before He Yiming’s eyes.
Slightly stunned, a potent sense of crisis immediately reappeared in his heart. Without hesitation, He Yiming retracted his limbs and head, causing a massive pauldron to instantly manifest on his body, enveloping his entire torso.
The moment he completed this action, a faint ding... sound resonated against the pauldron. Following this, Ji Mofan Shu emitted a roar of disbelief and instantly retreated ten zhang away.
The multicolored light returned to He Yiming’s side, forming a protective curtain around him.
His head and limbs slowly emerged from the now oversized pauldron. He Yiming gravely observed the formidable opponent before him.
This man’s movement technique was far too powerful and strange.
During their previous meeting, the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs had not employed this movement style, but now, standing before him as an equal, the old assassin revealed his most potent battle skill without reservation.
His gaze fixed upon the Black Tortoise Shell adorning He Yiming, especially as the pauldron suddenly seemed to shrink, clinging tightly to He Yiming’s body, Ji Mofan Shu’s face finally changed.
“Divine Artifact?”
The most crucial characteristic of a Divine Artifact was its ability to automatically adjust its size; no mere Divine Weapon could achieve this feat.
He Yiming chuckled, offering no explanation, merely saying, “The Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs is indeed immensely capable. I, He, shall engage you in a ‘one-on-one’ fair fight.”
The aura surrounding him swelled madly, and even his body seemed to gain height under the influence of this surging presence.
Simultaneously, behind the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, an equally potent aura began to roil. Although this presence did not originate from a human, its might appeared in no way inferior to He Yiming’s.
Ji Mofan Shu’s gaze shifted, sensing the overwhelming auras emanating from both He Yiming and White Horse Lightning. A flicker of doubt finally touched his heart.
“He Yiming, you have already reached the ninth heaven of the Human Dao peak. Do you still intend to win through sheer numbers?”
After a long, loud laugh, He Yiming’s expression sobered. He stated coldly, “Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, when the Great Lord Qilin Holy Master of the ancient Totem Tribe toured the world, he always fought any master he met by merging man and beast—you should know this.”
Ji Mofan Shu snorted angrily, “That is the rule of the Totem Tribe. Are you also of the Totem Tribe?”
He Yiming shook his head. “Though I am not of the Totem Tribe, the White Horse is my innate Holy Beast.” He paused. “Today, we shall settle this according to the rules of the Totem Tribe. If you disagree, feel free to summon a Holy Beast to join you.”
Ji Mofan Shu’s eyelids twitched. Despite his usual composure, He Yiming’s words almost provoked an angry outburst.
To duel under the rules of the Totem Tribe was far too unfair, and asking him to find a companion Holy Beast was simply preposterous.
Where, in the space of a moment, could he find a top-tier Holy Beast comparable to White Horse Lightning?
He snorted in anger, knowing that the situation could not be resolved peacefully today. Nevertheless, even facing two experts of equal rank, he did not panic, for he possessed absolute confidence in his escape techniques. Not just against two peers, but even if their numbers were doubled, he was certain he could escape from their grasp unharmed.
“It is a pity my puppet is not here. Otherwise, against you two, the victor remains uncertain,” Ji Mofan Shu lamented.
A strange light suddenly flashed in He Yiming’s eyes. He instantly grasped the reason for his opponent’s presence here.
The Old Ancestor of the Yu Family must be the very individual Ji Mofan Shu had subjected to some mysterious technique to forge into a puppet.
Though He Yiming did not know the method Ji Mofan Shu used to refine puppets, one thing he was certain of: there existed some unknown, mystical connection between them.
His eyes darted, and He Yiming asked, “What puppet?”
Ji Mofan Shu gave a cold smile, his body beginning to sway slightly. Yet, there was no fighting will or strong killing intent emanating from him.
It was evident that this Human Dao peak expert did not intend to engage He Yiming in combat but sought to slip away using his bizarre movement skills.
He Yiming grew anxious. Having witnessed this old assassin’s footwork, he could not guarantee he could keep up, even with White Horse Lightning present.
“Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, is the puppet you speak of the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family?” He Yiming suddenly roared.
The swaying figure halted abruptly. Ji Mofan Shu’s eyes flashed with sharp light, fixing intently on He Yiming.
“How do you know?” he articulated, the cold, bone-chilling words drawn out syllable by syllable.
He Yiming chuckled wryly and proclaimed loudly, “I met the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family some days ago. If my memory serves me correctly, this man should be dead, yet he appeared vividly before me, possessing the ninth heaven power of the Human Dao peak.” He paused. “The Old Ancestor of the Yu Family perished in the Nine Netherworld. If I still couldn't figure it out, I would truly be too dull.”
Ji Mofan Shu’s expression remained unchanged, but the killing intent in his eyes lessened considerably.
“Where did you see the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family?”
He Yiming feigned contemplation for a moment. “I encountered him in a specific sea region above the South Sea. However, accompanying this man was someone quite famous.”
Ji Mofan Shu’s eyes brightened, and his demeanor regained its composure. “Who was that person?”
He Yiming laughed, “Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, I am not your subordinate. Isn't it discourteous to interrogate me like this?”
Ji Mofan Shu stared coldly at him. After a long silence, he finally conceded, “Brother He, my apologies. May I ask who that person was?”
At this juncture, the world-renowned old assassin finally acknowledged He Yiming’s status as an equal.
He Yiming felt a rush of emotion. The effort he had expended to reach this level was immense.
Composing his thoughts, he stated gravely, “This person is named Garfield. I wonder if the Old Ancestor has heard of him.”
Ji Mofan Shu’s expression shifted slightly. “The Chairman of the Western Dark Alliance Council?”
He Yiming nodded repeatedly. “The Old Ancestor is indeed well-informed, even knowing of Western figures.”
Ji Mofan Shu scoffed internally. There were fewer than two hands full of ninth-heaven experts alive today; how could he not know the names of these peers?
“Brother He, this person usually operates in the West and rarely leaves. Why would he come to the South Sea?”
He Yiming sighed deeply. “Not only Garfield came, but Franklin arrived as well.”
This time, Ji Mofan Shu was truly moved. He asked sternly, “What is the reason?”
“Because of the legend of the Thousand-Year Ice Island.” He Yiming shook his head, selectively recounting the intentions of these two powerful masters in coming to the Southern Borderlands.
Ji Mofan Shu was somewhat skeptical at first, but after hearing about their actions, he believed seven or eight tenths of the story. If the roles were reversed, he likely would have employed even more ferocious means.
“Brother He, can you confirm if the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family is truly by their side?” Ji Mofan Shu asked coldly.
He Yiming nodded repeatedly, swearing an oath: “I have fought the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family; I would not mistake him. But it is strange; the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family seems to obey Garfield’s commands. I do not know why.”
Ji Mofan Shu’s lips trembled slightly. “Besides the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family, were there any others near them?”
He Yiming shook his head even more vigorously: “No, just him alone.”
Ji Mofan Shu took a deep breath, then suddenly bowed deeply to He Yiming. “Thank you, Brother He, for telling me the truth. In the future, whether as enemy or friend, Ji Mofan Shu will surely repay this favor.”
He Yiming waved his hand, asking, “The Old Ancestor is too kind.” He paused, then asked with full anticipation, “You are in such a hurry now; are you perhaps going to search for the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family?”
Ji Mofan Shu hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. “Indeed. Garfield and I share an irreconcilable hatred. Since he has left the Western world this time, I shall ensure he never returns.”
Though the tone of his voice showed little fluctuation, He Yiming perceived an intensely venomous resentment within it.
He Yiming instantly realized that, through a twist of fate, the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs must have attributed the matter of Hao Xue and the Old Ancestor of the Yu Family to Garfield.
Countless thoughts spun in He Yiming’s mind. He said gravely, “Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, how about we travel together?”
P.S.: Five chapters today again. Asking for monthly tickets and recommendation votes. Thank you…