In fact, he possessed the most powerful treasure for replenishing vital energy—the miraculous White Stone found in the Quiet Valley.

This White Stone held various miraculous uses; after consuming it, Bai Lingba could continuously evolve and increase its strength.

Moreover, the White Stone had a potent restorative effect on the Holy Beasts like the White Horse Lightning and the Precious Pig. Naturally, it was the same for humans as well.

Of course, as a human, one must first advance to the Innate Realm to absorb the energy within the White Stone. If one cannot even reach this level, then even if all the White Stones were placed before them, they would be utterly useless.

However, humans and Holy Beasts were different after all. Holy Beasts and Bai Lingba could directly ingest the White Stone to gain its power, but He Yiming dared not risk it; up until now, he had never tasted the flavor of the White Stone.

His gaze flickered toward Ji Mofan Shu. A strange thought arose in He Yiming’s mind. If he ground the White Stone into powder and mixed it into tea for this old assassin, would he notice anything unusual?

Ji Mofan Shu’s body suddenly shuddered. He turned his gaze instantly to meet He Yiming’s eyes, and inexplicably, a deep chill welled up in his heart. The old assassin immediately understood that He Yiming was likely contemplating something concerning him, and it probably wasn't anything good.

But by now, He Yiming was no longer the fellow he had once chased into a desperate retreat; he was a formidable Ninth Heaven expert whom no one could afford to provoke. Thus, the old assassin merely snorted lightly and averted his gaze.

He Yiming cursed himself internally. The perception of a Ninth Heaven expert was truly extraordinary. Just by focusing his attention on the other party for a moment, he had immediately drawn his notice. It seemed the White Stone plan would be difficult to execute.

Di Shitian coughed lightly. He could naturally sense the friction between the two men. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he said, “Brother He, the name Snow Fox has been renowned since ancient times, but in the current age, only Brother Ji Mo has ever captured one. If only for Miss Yuan’s sake, I implore you to cooperate fully.”

He Yiming pondered for a moment. “Brother Di, as you journeyed here, it seems you already knew there were traces of the Snow Fox along this path.” His eyes gleamed slightly. “Who leaked this information?”

Di Shitian let out a wry laugh, though he wasn't surprised. Not only had their progress been agonizingly slow, but they had also avoided a straight path. If He Yiming hadn't noticed by now, it would have been truly baffling.

“The Northern Frontier Ice Palace has dominated the Ice Plains for millennia. While they cannot claim intimate knowledge of every inch of the land, they are certainly aware of which specific locations harbor powerful Holy Beasts. Thus, a hundred years ago, they knew a Snow Fox Holy Beast had settled here. However…” Di Shitian’s expression turned solemn, “The Snow Fox is naturally cunning and incredibly fast. Even Bing Xiaotian could not guarantee its capture, so they never acted until now. With the Thousand Year Ice Island about to open, further delay is impossible, forcing us to request Brother Ji Mo’s assistance.”

He Yiming gasped inwardly. A whole century ago, the Ice Palace had feigned ignorance of this creature! Such profound scheming was indeed worthy of the supreme faction.

If it were him, his first thought would surely have been how to seize that Snow Fox Holy Beast for himself.

“Brother Di, Brother He, though I captured a Snow Fox Holy Beast in the past, luck played a major part,” Ji Mofan Shu stated seriously. “I will certainly exert my utmost effort this time, but should I fail, I ask that you two not stand idly by.”

Di Shitian responded without hesitation, “Rest assured, Brother Ji Mo, I will give my all.”

He Yiming paused, then said, “I, He, will also certainly do my utmost.”

Only then did a faint smile appear on Ji Mofan Shu’s face. “The Snow Fox is a spiritual creature of Heaven and Earth. Once it ascends to the rank of Holy Beast King, it will inevitably claim a solitary domain. Their strength is not overwhelming; even at the Holy Beast level, they are only comparable to the Five Qi Grand Venerables among humans. However, their speed is unparalleled—truly… rarely matched in this world. Furthermore, they are infinitely sly; the moment there is the slightest disturbance, they vanish a thousand miles away. Therefore, if our first strike misses, the chance of success later becomes infinitesimal.”

He had nearly said unmatched in the world, but he abruptly sensed the potent killing intent emanating from the White Horse Lightning, causing him to change his phrasing mid-sentence.

He Yiming nodded slightly, marveling internally.

The world was indeed full of wonders.

Generally, Holy Beasts of the same rank held the advantage over humans, unless the human possessed ultimate treasures like an imitation divine artifact; even a Venerable meeting a Holy Beast usually resulted in more losses than victories.

But the fact that the Snow Fox Holy Beast King’s strength was only equivalent to a standard Grand Venerable greatly surprised He Yiming.

“Brother Ji Mo, state your plan. If my cooperation is required, I will certainly not decline,” Di Shitian stated directly.

He Yiming also nodded forthrightly. Although he disliked Ji Mofan Shu, it did not mean he lacked a sense of the bigger picture.

As long as the matter benefited Yuan Lixun, he would ensure its success, even though in his heart, he still placed more faith in the efficacy of the White Stone.

“The Snow Fox possesses Holy Beast strength, and its speed is extreme. To kill it in one strike, one must approach within ten zhang of its body,” Ji Mofan Shu declared, his face grave and solemn. Clearly, this point was crucial.

“Brother Ji Mo, when you successfully hunted the Snow Fox last time, did you manage to get within ten zhang of it?” Di Shitian asked suspiciously.

Ji Mofan Shu nodded slightly, a faint hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes. It was evident that this feat was undoubtedly his proudest accomplishment.

Di Shitian frowned slightly. “A hundred years ago, Bing Xiaotian ventured deep into the Northern Sea and discovered a Snow Fox by the shore. But no matter how cautious he was, upon approaching within twenty zhang, the creature detected him and fled.” He paused, then asked humbly, “How did you manage it, Brother Ji Mo?”

He Yiming glanced at Di Shitian in surprise. Only then did he realize that Bing Xiaotian, the Lord of the Northern Frontier, had already attempted to capture the Snow Fox King and failed. This was why they had sought out the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs.

Ji Mofan Shu smiled faintly. His body suddenly twisted, and then he vanished. In his place, a massive stone appeared, roughly the same size as Ji Mofan Shu, perhaps slightly smaller.

“Illusion technique…” He Yiming murmured in surprise.

Di Shitian smiled faintly, clearly pleased by He Yiming’s astonishment.

In truth, he knew that approaching the Snow Fox relied on the power of the illusion technique, but seeing Ji Mofan Shu demonstrate it was far more impactful than any mere words he could offer.

Suddenly, He Yiming’s ears twitched. He turned and looked toward a deserted direction.

Di Shitian was momentarily startled. His gaze swept over the stone, and his expression shifted slightly before his eyes also landed on the direction He Yiming was facing.

“You both have sharp eyes.”

A sudden voice echoed from that spot. Then, the ground split open, and Ji Mofan Shu flashed back into existence above it.

He Yiming turned his head; the stone he had seen earlier was still resting securely in its original place.

At this point, He Yiming and Di Shitian exchanged a look, both inwardly shocked. As the saying went, great fame did not cover an empty vessel. The power of Ji Mofan Shu’s miraculous illusion technique far exceeded their imagination.

He Yiming frowned, but he could not fathom when Ji Mofan Shu had managed to move that stone to its current position.

Sighing deeply, He Yiming finally understood that he had indeed underestimated the world’s number one assassin in the past. It was no wonder the two powerful experts of the West held him in such awe; he truly possessed such magical ability.

“Gentlemen, let us go search for the Snow Fox now. Once we find its trace, I ask that you two… and Brother He’s companion, spread out in ambush. I hope to successfully approach and slay the Snow Fox. But if, by some mishap, it discovers us, then we must rely on Brother He.”

Listening to Ji Mofan Shu’s deeply meaningful words, He Yiming’s gaze shifted toward the White Horse Lightning.

The meaning from the Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs was perfectly clear: if everything proceeded smoothly, there would be no further issue, but if he failed, they would have to depend on the White Horse’s speed.

Seemingly understanding Ji Mofan Shu’s intent, the White Horse let out a long neigh, raising its head high, its eyes carrying a strong sense of disdain.

He Yiming forced a wry smile. “Old Ancestor of the Yellow Springs, you must at least let me know what the Snow Fox looks like so I have some frame of reference.”

Di Shitian burst into laughter and produced a scroll from his person. He Yiming unrolled it and saw a landscape painting.

The scene depicted the scenery of this northern region, and a fox, snow-white and about the size of a hound, was cautiously poking its head out as it moved.

Though the painting was not by a master artist, it rendered the fox so vividly that one would hardly forget it after a single glance.

After a long moment, He Yiming rolled the scroll back up. Di Shitian waved his wrist, and the scroll vanished.

He Yiming understood that the Master of the Heavenly Pool must possess some spatial artifact.

The three deliberated for half an hour longer before setting off. This time, however, they proceeded with even greater caution, especially Ji Mofan Shu, who dared not be careless in the slightest. Among this group, his knowledge of the Snow Fox was undeniably the foremost. If even he failed to locate the creature or accidentally revealed himself by approaching too closely, their entire endeavor would be wasted.

Three days later, as they were traveling, Bai Lingba suddenly walked up from behind them.

Facing the group, he stated calmly, “I have found it…”