A vast surge of power rushed from He Yiming’s hands, causing Franklin’s body to tremble before He Yiming wrenched him forcibly out of the radiant light.

The Light of Power released from the Temple shot heavenward, enveloping the two of them, yet at that moment, He Yiming employed an unconventional tactic, severing the surrounding field of light surrounding himself and Franklin.

This was the application of Origin Power; he unleashed his own foundational energy, blocking the pervasive Light Force from penetrating.

Though the power of light boasted of being utterly penetrating, it could not exert its full might when encountering the world’s Origin Power. Back in the Sea of Light, the Yin Sha Armor, infused with Origin Power, could even repel the assault of the light; needless to say, this was the case with pure Origin Power now.

The instant the Light Power was cut off, He Yiming was already dragging the unprepared Franklin swiftly out beyond the world enveloped by the illumination.

Franklin let out a long howl filled with disbelief. He immediately grasped He Yiming’s intent, his internal true qi boiling like rushing water. In his hand, the Staff of Light fiercely jabbed towards He Yiming; with every thrust, a tremendous wave of light energy hammered out.

Facing these attacks of true qi, which were far inferior to the power of light, He Yiming no longer possessed his initial ease. His expression was grave; with a sweep of his wrist, the Five Elements Ring appeared in his hand. The multicolored radiance transformed into successive rings of colored light, blocking every assault originating from the Staff of Light.

At this juncture, the two men were extremely close, and one of He Yiming’s hands was clamped firmly around one of Franklin’s. Their respective weapons glittered brilliantly, seeming undiminished by the mighty power of light.

However, as the two of them pulled clear of those two towering pillars of light, the Light Power emanating from the Temple immediately began to diminish at an astonishing rate. In but a moment, the seemingly omnipresent light force faded until it was barely perceptible.

Bao Zhu and the White Horse exchanged a glance; the two Sacred Beasts finally understood He Yiming’s plan.

No wonder He Yiming had kept emphasizing that this power did not truly belong to Franklin. Indeed, this potent light belonged to this mysterious Temple.

It was not easy to activate the light power housed here; Franklin had needed to gather the concentrated will of so many people just to trigger it. If he remained within this power, he could manipulate and wield it freely. But once the controller departed the light field, the energy would actively return to the Temple.

The power of light was immense, and once successfully ignited, it possessed unparalleled speed. Similarly, when the light power began to retract, its speed was equally unmatched.

Seeing the glorious light about to vanish, Franklin’s eyes burned crimson. He unleashed a sky-shattering roar, and the Staff of Light in his hand swung violently down upon the wrist He Yiming held so tightly.

A spray of vivid blood erupted, instantly staining the Pope’s sleeve and soaking He Yiming opposite him.

Franklin’s face was distorted with terror. His eyes were fixed on the light power on the verge of disappearing; at this moment, his mind was not on the severed arm, but wholly focused on retaining the vanishing Light Power.

Having experienced that godlike power within the light, Franklin had gone mad—a frantic worship of absolute power. He would rather die, pay any price, than lose that sensation of being filled with boundless energy.

Even a peak expert of the Human Dao, having tasted a power that was not his own, could transform into a frenzied slave to that strength.

At this moment, Franklin held only one thought: if he let this power slip away, he would cease to exist.

He Yiming paused slightly. Although he had long anticipated such a move, he hadn't expected Franklin to be so utterly reckless and determined.

With a casual sweep, he had actually severed his own limb just to hold onto that tremendous power of light.

Subtly, He Yiming felt a secret relief. Although he had absorbed the power of light before, thanks to the Chaos Dantian, he had never experienced that sensation; he could not know the intense euphoria and the feeling of commanding all things within the Sea of Light that a pure Light Body felt.

If not for this, He Yiming might well have become a second Franklin by now, utterly unwilling to let this ocean of light dissipate before it was fully exhausted.

His eye twitched. He had gone to extraordinary lengths to draw near Franklin, gambling everything by using Chaos Power to pull him out of the light. He could not allow him to reconnect with that terrifying force now.

While this specific Light Power might not harm He Yiming, he knew that as long as Franklin remained in the Sea of Light, he would never be able to harm the Pope, who possessed the Light Body.

If Franklin were truly allowed to merge with the Temple’s light power again, the only recourse would be a war of attrition until all the light accumulated over ten millennia was spent; only then could they hope to determine a victor.

With a gentle flick of his wrist, the Aurora Sword shot out. This weapon had no discernible weight, and in terms of sheer speed, it ranked among the top divine artifacts.

Franklin struck back without turning his head, swinging his staff as if he had eyes behind him. The head of the staff met the tip of the pursuing Aurora Sword.

The Aurora Sword emitted a faint, high-pitched tremor as the North Sea Aurora abruptly lashed out.

But this time, Franklin dismissed it even more completely. His robes suddenly illuminated, forming a spectral mirror behind him. The North Sea Aurora struck this mirror and instantly recoiled back upon its source.

He Yiming’s eyes gleamed brightly. He drew a long, deep breath, spinning the Five Elements Ring violently in his hand, creating a force field akin to a black hole. A colossal suction emanated from it; he sought to delay Franklin for as long as possible.

However, Franklin, having already discarded an arm, was resolved to secure the power of light at any cost. His body shimmered faintly, and the Crown of Light above his head flashed with endless halos. These halos possessed immense might, completely resisting the suction created by He Yiming.

A look of profound satisfaction spread across Franklin’s face. Although he had just severed an arm, seeing that he was about to touch the Temple’s Light Power, which had not yet fully receded, the Pope felt an immense surge of exhilaration.

Yet, at that precise moment, just as his hand was about to brush against that expanse of light, the expression on his face froze abruptly.

His body became utterly rigid, incapable of even the slightest movement.

His heart filled with terror—a deep, primal dread emanating from the very core of his being.

He Yiming halted the Five Elements Ring, looking at his opponent in surprise. In truth, from the moment Franklin committed the drastic act of self-mutilation, He Yiming knew his sudden attack had likely failed.

If Franklin could discard his own arm so easily, what could possibly stop him now?

As Franklin was about to reclaim the Light Power that was nearly gone, He Yiming rapidly calculated how he should respond to this man.

Perhaps the only way was to engage in a ceaseless war of attrition, draining the light power until this profligate burned through the accumulated wealth of ten thousand years in a single day.

But no one could have anticipated that, just as he was about to touch the light, Franklin would automatically stop, his entire body frozen in position.

The expanse of light did not linger outside; it retreated swiftly back into the Temple. That magnificent edifice, constructed from countless high-grade materials, appeared profoundly mysterious and powerfully charged in that instant.

All eyes turned to Franklin, a single question echoing in every mind: why did Franklin stop his efforts right at the precipice of success?

Crack...

A light fracturing sound emanated from Franklin’s body. His arm—the one he had only half-severed—exploded. A torrent of blood poured from the wound, even more profusely than when he had cut it himself.

Crack...

A second, then a third sound, like firecrackers igniting, followed as bursts erupted one after another from Franklin’s frame.

Wounds of every description simultaneously appeared across his body, instantly dyeing him a deep, crimson-red figure of blood.

Franklin’s throat moved slightly; he seemed to be trying to speak, but ultimately slumped down powerlessly.

His Crown of Light, his robes of light, and his Staff of Light were all saturated with the blood that had flowed from him.

He Yiming stared at the scene, dumbfounded. He could distinctly sense only the faintest trace of life on this blood-soaked figure—a trace only present at the edge of death.

It was clear that some violent internal mutation had suddenly afflicted Franklin, leading to this gruesome end.

He slowly withdrew his gaze, glancing at the Temple where the Light Power had completely vanished. Understanding dawned upon him.

With a soft sigh, He Yiming approached Franklin, who had fallen and could no longer even hold himself upright. He murmured softly, “I told you long ago, this power is not yours.”

Franklin’s throat worked weakly; he seemed desperate to articulate something, but in the end, his final wish remained unspoken.

With a long exhale, Franklin passed away, forever leaving the world.

Yet, within his eyes, there was no regret remaining, only a look of even more fervent ecstasy.

I have tasted the power of the Divine Dao...

Ps: Four chapters today, please vote with monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, thank you...