Ji Mo Fan Shu’s gaze sharpened, like a keen dagger landing on He Yi Ming’s face, making him feel an almost stinging heat.
“Why the sudden earnestness, Brother He?” Ji Mo Fan Shu asked calmly.
He Yi Ming immediately sensed a sharp wave of killing intent rippling around him; he knew his request had aroused suspicion.
However, He Yi Ming’s face remained impassive. He simply stated coolly, “Franklin holds a grudge against me. Now that he is consorting with Garfield and the Yu Family Ancestor, I am no match for three Human Dao peak masters combined. I must let the grudge rest for now. But if I could join forces with the Ancestor, revenge would surely be possible.”
Only then did Ji Mo Fan Shu relax. In truth, he had been harboring his own doubts. If everything He Yi Ming suggested was true, even he would hesitate to make a move when the two top-tier Ninth Heaven experts from the West stood together.
Judging others by himself, He Yi Ming must have thought the same.
Gazing intently at He Yi Ming and the White Horse Lightning, feeling the formidable aura emanating from them, he finally confirmed one thing: these two indeed possessed the qualifications to ally with him.
Ji Mo Fan Shu slowly nodded his head and stated solemnly, “Good. It is settled.”
He Yi Ming was overjoyed and quickly pressed, “Old Ancestor, I shall go to Glazed Island immediately and ask them to dispatch forces to search the Southern Border for those two Western powerhouses. With the local influence of Glazed Island mobilizing, their tracks will surely be found.”
If it were only two top-tier Ninth Heaven experts from the West, He Yi Ming would naturally have no confidence. But from the overheard conversation of the One Hundred and Eight Thieves, he knew these two must be residing long-term in some stronghold, and given their status, they certainly wouldn't lack attendants.
Once the number of people increased, subtle clues would inevitably surface, and with Glazed Island’s power in the Southern Border sea region, they had a high chance of uncovering something.
However, Ji Mo Fan Shu gently shook his head. “Brother He, if the Yu Family Ancestor is truly with Garfield, then there is no need to trouble others to search.”
He Yi Ming paused slightly, a measure of suspicion entering his gaze. A moment later, his eyes lit up. “Does the Old Ancestor possess the ability to sense the Yu Family Ancestor’s location?”
Ji Mo Fan Shu smiled arrogantly. “Since this person is a puppet I refined, I can naturally sense his existence. If I couldn’t even manage that, why would I have traveled thousands of miles to this place?”
He Yi Ming nodded lightly, but inwardly he was stunned. Since the Yellow Springs Ancestor could sense the puppet, could he also learn what had happened to it through the puppet?
If he truly learned the truth of the matter, not only would an alliance be out of the question, but He Yi Ming would likely need to guard against the Yellow Springs Ancestor joining forces with the Western experts against him.
Fortunately, the Yu Family Ancestor now fell under Garfield’s control. This top Western master must have used some mysterious means to make the Yu Family Ancestor obedient, and at the same time, must have placed some kind of restriction, preventing the Yellow Springs Ancestor from sensing what had transpired with the Yu Family Ancestor.
A thought flashed through his mind, and he instantly made a plan: once they met face-to-face, he would find every means possible to utterly destroy the Yu Family Ancestor puppet, eliminating future trouble.
Glancing in the direction the Yellow Springs Ancestor was moving, He Yi Ming asked, “Is it near?”
“It is,” Ji Mo Fan Shu replied succinctly. “Brother He, the Yu Family Ancestor is within a hundred miles. We will see him soon enough.”
He Yi Ming nodded repeatedly. He beckoned, and although the White Horse Lightning was unwilling to let go of the enemies before them, it flicked its tail and came to He Yi Ming’s side.
His eyes darted around, and He Yi Ming smiled, “Old Ancestor, I have a proposal. What do you think?”
“Speak.”
“Let me go out first to provoke them. You, Old Ancestor, remain hidden in the shadows. If we can seize the moment to strike suddenly and eliminate one, our task will be much easier.” He Yi Ming said with a sly grin, though he was nervous inside, wondering if the Yellow Springs Ancestor, a renowned Ninth Heaven master, would stoop to such tactics.
Unexpectedly, Ji Mo Fan Shu agreed without hesitation.
As He Yi Ming followed the world’s foremost assassin, he marveled internally. No wonder Franklin and Garfield were so wary of this man. With his strength, if he intended to assassinate someone, even facing an expert of the same tier, it would be extremely difficult to manage.
※※※※
Neither of them were dilatory. Once a decision was made, they immediately urged their horses forward in the direction indicated.
In the distance, a desolate island came into view.
By this island, there were no large numbers of vessels, only two sea ships. However, these two ships were exquisitely ornate, and their designs differed significantly from Eastern seafaring vessels.
When Ji Mo Fan Shu saw these two ships, a sharp glint finally flashed in his eyes, increasing his belief in He Yi Ming’s words.
He Yi Ming turned, his expression sincere. “Old Ancestor, I will go draw them out now. You must hide well; if they discover you, your lifelong reputation will be ruined.”
Ji Mo Fan Shu snorted coldly. “Brother He need not worry about that. You, however, face two Human Dao peak masters alone; be cautious.”
He wasn't concerned for He Yi Ming’s safety, but rather feared that without this attention-grabbing top expert acting as a decoy, his assassination attempt might not succeed.
His figure flickered slightly, and Ji Mo Fan Shu melted into the sea.
He moved like a fish that had always lived in the ocean, slipping into the depths with an indescribable agility.
He Yi Ming’s expression shifted slightly. He had always believed his 'Swimming Fish Movement Technique' was the ultimate maneuver for underwater action, but now it seemed the Yellow Springs Ancestor’s underwater skill was in no way inferior to his own.
He looked up and sighed inwardly. The old man was right. Although his current fundamental martial power and divine weapons might not be inferior to these Ninth Heaven experts, there was still a considerable gap in martial cultivation and combat experience. If he wanted to defeat them in a formal engagement, he still had a long road ahead.
His gaze gradually hardened, and a nascent murderous intent flickered in He Yi Ming’s eyes.
If that was the case, he would start by taking action against these two Western powerhouses first.
He lifted his chin, and a roar, like a bolt of thunder and lightning, erupted from his mouth...
Mighty true energy boiled up from his body like a volcanic eruption, the immense power surging forward. While the force of this sound wave was far less exaggerated than when Baozhu and the One Hundred and Eight Thieves combined their power, it was still formidable.
A colossal ripple spread across the sea surface. The water seemed violently propelled by some force, raising towering waves before He Yi Ming, reaching over twenty feet high, surging towards the two ships.
The White Horse Lightning neighed joyfully, discharging arcs of electricity that closely followed the rising waves.
“Smash…”
The massive wave crashed heavily against the ships, its contained power causing the crew members left on board to lose their footing and fall. However, their nightmare had only just begun.
The sound wave generated by He Yi Ming’s roar was not inherently that damaging—far less exaggerated than Baozhu’s Dragon’s Might Roar. But the White Horse Lightning that immediately followed was a terrifying harbinger of death.
The visible electric arcs instantly swept across every corner of the deck and, seeping through the seawater, spread throughout the entire ship.
Piercing screams rose from the ships. Even those previously stunned by the wave were jolted awake by the intense electrical stimulation.
Yet, they would have preferred to remain unconscious forever, for what awaited them was a terrifying fate like hell.
Intense electrical discharges relentlessly hammered their bodies, making everyone tremble in the water before, moments later, turning into immobile lumps of charred flesh.
He Yi Ming stared, dumbfounded, at the transformation of the two ships, his expression shifting wildly.
Since these Westerners had come to the South Sea and intended to strike against him, He Yi Ming felt no psychological burden in retaliating. But he never expected the combined might of himself and the White Horse Lightning to reach this level.
Although the abundance of seawater here allowed the Lightning to exert its full power, they hadn't even gone all out, yet this was the result. The integrated power of man and beast was indeed far stronger than when separated.
In some dark recess beneath the seabed, the world's foremost assassin cursed inwardly. The White Horse’s lightning was indiscriminate, and he himself had nearly suffered a blow. However, this was due to him daring not to release too much protective true energy to conceal his whereabouts.
Two long cries immediately came from the island. Then, three figures shot into the sky, hovering briefly before rocketing forward like three straight rockets.
He Yi Ming’s eyes were sharp; he immediately recognized several familiar faces on the island.
These were the newly ascended Western Venerables who had originally intended to clash with Jin Zhanyi and the others in the Southern Border. However, their faces now wore expressions of utter disbelief. Clearly, they never expected that with these two powerhouses stationed on the island, someone would dare challenge them so brazenly.
A figure flashed, and the three beams of light in the air instantly halted.
The three top experts lined up: Franklin, Garfield, and the expressionless Yu Family Ancestor, all from the West.
He Yi Ming felt a surge of joy—these two had indeed not left the Southern Border. Yet, facing these three Human Dao peak powerhouses, his heart still beat wildly against his will.
He took deep breaths, his entire body of true energy gathered to its absolute limit, ready to strike if a single word was out of place.
Underwater, Ji Mo Fan Shu looked up through the surface of the sea and saw the familiar face of the Yu Family Ancestor. A rare look of savage ferocity crossed his countenance...