A potent, earth-yellow radiance pressed down from above, accompanied by an arc of lightning as thick as a child's arm.

Franklin, possessing the strength of the Ninth Heaven pinnacle of the Human Dao, shimmered with the power of light, yet under the pincer attack of these two forces, he dared not mount any direct resistance.

He was already familiar with the terrifying might of the White Horse's lightning from prior engagements, so that was no surprise. But He Yiming’s power was utterly bizarre and strange.

This time, having charged forward atop the White Horse, He Yiming surprisingly did not unleash the fivefold amplification power of the Five Elements Rings.

However, at this moment, His Holiness the Pope would rather He Yiming employ that fivefold amplification than withstand the power He Yiming was currently releasing.

Because now, He Yiming was releasing Divine Power without cessation.

The Earth Divine Power, manipulated through the Five Elements Rings, hammered down in techniques resembling the Heaven Overturning Seal, one after another.

Although the Five Elements Rings were currently only replica Divine Artifacts and could not amplify this Divine Power five times over, even so, the sheer might of the Earth Divine Power was still something Franklin was unwilling to clash with head-on.

Moreover, beside He Yiming, there was a White Horse that was in no way inferior to them. After failing to defeat His Holiness the Pope in a one-on-one contest, this peak Sacred Beast shamelessly accepted the fair fighting method of the Totem Tribe, engaging in a Human-Beast Union to rely on sheer physical force to bully the old man who had lived for several centuries.

When the might of these two combined, even His Holiness the Pope, with all his divine majesty, could only try his best to evade, circling them without daring to truly engage.

If a Human Dao pinnacle expert employed such tactics, even He Yiming would be at a loss.

Perhaps on a long journey, the White Horse might eventually surpass these Ninth Heaven humans. But in terms of short-range movement and evasion, humans held a massive advantage. Franklin, having ascended to the Ninth Heaven for centuries, had mastered his techniques to an incredible degree, and his current efforts to stall for time were proving quite effective.

Yet, he knew this situation could not last, as He Yiming's movements were becoming increasingly agile.

After advancing to the Ninth Heaven, his coordination with the White Horse was gradually achieving a deep synergy through this very method, and he was becoming increasingly familiar with his own body and the power he possessed. Thus, the might released by the Human-Beast Union grew stronger, and the pressure on Franklin intensified.

While the two of them and the beast entangled themselves, a portion of their focus was still directed toward the battle between Garfield and Jimo Fanshu.

They all understood that the contest between those two was, in a sense, the true battle for victory or defeat.

He Yiming, riding the White Horse, chased Franklin across the sky and sea. While their battle appeared vast in scope, in terms of sheer danger, it was far less than one ten-thousandth of what those two Dark powerhouses were facing.

Due to mutual misunderstanding and deep-seated grievances, both sides regarded the other as a mortal enemy, showing no mercy in their attacks, intent on fighting until the other was slain.

Such a decisive battle format was generally unlikely among Ninth Heaven experts, but at this moment, they cast aside everything for a true fight to the death.

Even if this was not Garfield’s original intent, he had no choice. Jimo Fanshu was clearly set on seizing his puppet. And a puppet equivalent to a Human Dao pinnacle expert was undoubtedly the apple of the Speaker’s eye; Garfield could never relinquish it.

The fight between the two was intensely fierce from the outset, completely exposing the terrifying might of the Human Dao pinnacle within that stretch of sea.

The surrounding ocean water occasionally erupted into towering waves ten zhang high, constantly surging outward in all directions.

Although these giant waves lacked lasting cohesion, often dissipating immediately after a surge, this spectacle already exceeded the limits imaginable to ordinary humans.

On the island, the newly ascended Venerables from the West watched the battle between the two Dark apex experts with mouths agape. Their expressions varied, but beneath the profound terror lay an infinite yearning.

So, this was the extent to which human power could reach!

Among this group, Edwin and Glinton were the most agitated. Their fists clenched tight, their gazes locked onto the area where the two Dark powerhouses were engaged. Their actions undeniably revealed their determination, though whether they could fulfill their aspirations in the future remained uncertain.

In the higher reaches of the sky, Baozhu stood on Bailuoba’s shoulders, calmly observing the unfolding events below. When it saw the White Horse Lightning and He Yiming unleashing their divine power, forcing Franklin into a position where he dared not meet their charge head-on, its small eyes began to gleam, revealing a trace of dangerous light.

If He Yiming were present, he would undoubtedly deliver an unrestrained slap to extinguish the sinister thoughts forming in its little head.

But unfortunately, Bailuoba was not He Yiming. While he possessed immense intellect, there was no doubt that he would not interfere with anyone’s decision unless he calculated an extreme danger.

At this moment, according to his calculations, He Yiming’s side held the overwhelming advantage, and no chaos Baozhu caused would affect the overall outcome.

Baozhu moved its body, finally stepping off Bailuoba. A black cloud formed beneath its four hooves, allowing it to stand steadily.

This was the only area where it currently surpassed White Horse Lightning: the ability to fly freely in the sky. Besides Divine Beasts and spirit beasts born with wings, only the rarest Sacred Beasts capable of ‘Lightening’ divine weapons could achieve this.

The little Baozhu stepped forward with measured paces, avoiding the intense clash between the human and beast below, heading instead toward the Venerable experts gathered along the island's coastline.

Since He Yiming had let out his challenging roar, virtually everyone temporarily stationed on the island had come out.

Not just the newly ascended Venerables from the West, but even all the attendants serving them had gathered here.

Baozhu naturally chose opponents weaker than itself to fight; it did not possess the immense power of a peak Sacred Beast like White Horse Lightning. Engaging a Ninth Heaven expert at the Human Dao pinnacle would be self-inflicted torture.

Baozhu’s appearance was very charming. Seeing a pig approach naturally did not cause much commotion; in fact, it was quite common for one or two reckless individuals to try and capture Baozhu for a meal.

However, when a flying pig came striding forth on black clouds, no one dared to underestimate it any longer.

Baozhu stopped at a moderate altitude not far from them, hovering in the air. It grinned amicably and opened its mouth, releasing a point of light.

A powerful Fire element force instantly saturated the area.

The Venerables from the West were worldly-wise individuals. Sensing this potent fire energy and the surging killing intent, they immediately knew things were dire.

Almost in unison, regardless of whether they belonged to the Temple faction, the Alliance faction, or even the neutral Venerables, they roared out warnings.

They commanded those nearby to scatter quickly, while their bodies flared with light as they sought to shield themselves with Divine Weapons and escape the vicinity as fast as possible.

Yet, Baozhu’s action was just a step faster.

That single point of light transformed into the Nine-Pronged Rake, from which nine fire dragons shot skyward, simultaneously spewing a rain of fire.

These fire dragons were condensed from the vital essence of the original Fire Dragon Ancestors housed within the Divine Artifact, the Nine Dragon Furnace; their power was no less than that of any replica Divine Artifact. Furthermore, having recently undergone the baptism of the magma within the ten-thousand-zhang volcano of Glazed Island, their might had advanced further, reaching a terrifying level.

Nine fire dragons, nine blazing infernos, instantly began to spread across the island.

Everyone shrieked in terror, trying desperately to flee, but once the might of the nine fire dragons was unleashed, it was impossible to let the crowd escape easily.

Instantly, the vast majority were engulfed in a sea of fire. Under the incineration of such extreme, concentrated heat, even Innate experts perished on the spot without resistance, let alone ordinary people.

Conversely, the newly ascended Venerables struggled to resist, trying to break free from the fiery expanse.

Under the power of the replica Divine Artifact, the ordinary newly ascended Venerables were simply no match for Baozhu.

In the past, when Li Yijing could only command seven fire dragons, she had already deterred all newly ascended Venerables except He Yiming from challenging her.

Now, the strength Baozhu possessed far surpassed what Li Yijing could manage. When its fire dragons were released, even the most promising Venerables of the Western world could only barely sustain their self-preservation beneath the burning flames, completely unable to pay attention to anyone else.

A sharp shriek echoed across the sea surface. Franklin executed several dazzling, dizzying movements, forcing his way through a tiny gap left by He Yiming and White Horse Lightning, flying toward Baozhu.

He Yiming was greatly alarmed. He knew this was Franklin, enraged and humiliated. Seeing so many disciples killed and the next generation of Western Venerables in peril, he was taking an unavoidable risk by evading He Yiming and White Horse Lightning.

Franklin was determined to strike a fatal blow, to completely destroy this troublesome little creature.

However, something happened that no one anticipated.

Baozhu let out a snort, and the nine fire dragons dancing in the air seemed to receive a command. They moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, coalescing into a single terrifying fire dragon dozens of zhang long.

Then, Baozhu leaped high, landing perfectly atop this horrifying fire dragon. The blazing inferno could not harm it in the slightest.

Baozhu’s body seemed to merge completely into the fire dragon; the even larger dragon enveloped its small frame.

Subsequently, this colossal fire dragon opened its maw, and a roar far exceeding human capacity was unleashed from within…