The instant Jimo Fanshu’s flying sword struck out, it was blindingly fast.

The black trident-like sword flashed past like a phantom summoned from the deepest pits of hell, moving with unparalleled velocity.

Upon witnessing the speed of that strike, He Yiming’s eyes instantly brightened, and he was jolted clear from that profound, almost magical state. He inwardly cursed the pity of it; although he had learned from Jimo Fanshu the technique of achieving unity between heaven and man through illusion, his cultivation was still shallow. Stimulated by a flying sword moving that quickly, he could no longer maintain the absolute tranquility within his mind.

Still, He Yiming was quite surprised by the speed of this particular thrust. It appeared the old assassin had been holding back during their previous encounters. Even when pursuing White Horse Lightning or engaging Garfield, his trident sword had never achieved such swiftness.

Had it not been for this speed, He Yiming would not have been so easily shaken out of that wondrous state.

In that moment, He Yiming deeply perceived the cunning depth of the old assassin. If not for the Snow Fox being so critically important—tied to their ability to enter the Thousand Year Ice Island—Jimo Fanshu likely would have held back his full strength even longer.

Just as He Yiming thought the situation was settled, the dynamics on the field suddenly shifted.

The Snow Fox, which had been lazily sprawled on the ground, became instantly agile. Its movement held no trace of panic; rather, it seemed entirely prepared, as if waiting for this exact moment.

A streak of white light flashed across the ground, its speed in no way inferior to that of the trident sword.

However, the Sacred Beast probably hadn't anticipated the extreme speed of the trident either, as it reacted a beat too late. The black blade grazed its fur, kicking up a spray of white hairs.

“Not good,” He Yiming softly exclaimed, his body shifting slightly as he leaped onto White Horse Lightning.

Having witnessed the Snow Fox’s speed, He Yiming instantly understood that he could never catch up on his own merits. No wonder Jimo Fanshu had solemnly warned him that the fox was treacherous, extremely alert, and possessed the world’s fastest speed.

He had initially dismissed that statement as an exaggeration, but after seeing the Snow Fox in action, he realized Jimo Fanshu hadn't overstated a single word.

At this moment, his only hope rested entirely upon White Horse Lightning, praying that the steed, now promoted to a pinnacle Sacred Beast, could surpass the Snow Fox in velocity.

Seemingly grasping He Yiming’s intent, White Horse Lightning let out an excited, long whinny. It spread its four hooves and bolted forward like a flash of lightning.

One Hundred and Eight and the Divine Dao Coagulated Blood Man soared into the sky almost simultaneously. Strangely, there was no divine radiance emanating from them; even the dazzling, flashy seven-colored light that usually enveloped One Hundred and Eight had completely vanished.

The speed of the pair increased rapidly, following closely behind the White Horse on the ground as they flew straight toward the distance.

Jimo Fanshu leaped up, waving his hand, and the trident sword obediently returned to his grasp. However, his expression was grim as his gaze remained locked on the fleeing Snow Fox.

He moved slightly, then forcibly restrained himself. Others might not know, but he certainly understood the Snow Fox’s speed. He knew that having failed the initial strike, the opportunity was lost. Even with his speed, a pursuit would surely end in failure.

Yet, in that moment of hesitation, his vision blurred, and an identical white shadow flashed past him like lightning.

A cold shock ran through him—this speed...

Inexplicably, a sliver of hope ignited in his heart. The sheer velocity was as unexpected as the fox’s, suggesting a possibility of catching up based on this speed alone.

As the figure flashed, Di Shitian arrived beside him after just a few swift maneuvers.

Seeing Jimo Fanshu’s expression, Di Shitian immediately knew the attempt had failed. But Di Shitian held no resentment, understanding that perhaps, besides the old assassin standing before him, no one else in the entire world could approach a Sacred Beast like the Snow Fox within ten zhang without making a sound.

The old assassin had clearly run out of luck this time, but that didn't mean his luck was entirely depleted.

However, before he could utter his comforting words, his gaze was instantly captured by the distant white figure.

“So fast. Is that the White Horse?”

Jimo Fanshu nodded grimly. “This White Horse’s speed was already comparable to yours and mine; now, having ascended to a pinnacle Sacred Beast, its speed is even greater.”

A glimmer of hope flashed in Di Shitian’s eyes. “Do they have a chance?”

Jimo Fanshu nodded silently. Regardless of his internal thoughts, when faced with Di Shitian’s question, he answered honestly without the slightest hesitation.

Di Shitian’s gaze suddenly brightened. He looked up at the two small dark specks in the mid-air and murmured, “How are they also so fast?”

Jimo Fanshu froze slightly, his expression growing increasingly dark as he watched the tiny black dots receding into the distance.

As the world’s foremost assassin, being slower than White Horse Lightning was one thing. After all, the inherent physical nature of humans could not compare to that of Spirit Beasts, especially when encountering aberrantly fast creatures like the White Horse and the Snow Fox; falling behind them was not exactly shameful.

Moreover, as peak cultivators of the Human Dao, they both possessed methods of self-preservation. Even if their speed was insufficient, if they were determined to evade, even White Horse Lightning would be unable to catch them.

This was proven when He Yiming, riding the White Horse over the South Sea, had spent an entire month circling Franklin without ever closing the distance.

However, the fact that One Hundred and Eight and the Divine Dao Coagulated Blood Man, flying in the sky, were even quicker than him was hard for Jimo Fanshu to accept.

The two ninth-level Human Dao peaks exchanged glances, recognizing the doubt mirrored in the other’s eyes.

How had these fellows achieved this?

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In the mid-air, the form of One Hundred and Eight had undergone a drastic transformation.

His head had morphed into a sharp, pointed bullet shape, his two arms held diagonally at his sides. His proportions were stretched elongated, and his legs were pressed together, seemingly fused.

At this point, he no longer appeared in human form but had become a miniature fighter jet.

This graceful, streamlined body shape allowed maximum velocity in this environment, so following just above the White Horse Lightning posed no difficulty for him.

As for the Divine Dao Coagulated Blood Man, he was enveloped in a faint layer of reddish mist. This mist completely encased him, and the power of Heaven and Earth flowed around it, pushing him rapidly forward.

If He Yiming were present, he would surely be astonished and view the Divine Dao Coagulated Blood Man with newfound respect.

For the Coagulated Blood Man was not flying using the Light of the Divine Weapon at this moment, but was manipulating the power of Heaven and Earth directly through sheer willpower to propel himself.

This ability to directly control the energy of the cosmos to soar through the sky was one of the unique powers of the Divine Dao.

Those of the Divine Dao had bypassed the step of the Divine Weapon’s light, instead treating their own bodies as the Divine Weapon for flight.

Although this required a far greater exertion of willpower, the resulting effect was incomparable to conventional methods.

His speed was in no way inferior to One Hundred and Eight, who had transformed into a small aircraft.

Below, the two white streaks blurred over the ground, all scenery flashing past. Even with He Yiming’s sharp vision, it was impossible to clearly discern what they were.

Both White Horse Lightning and the Snow Fox had unleashed their maximum speed.

As the Snow Fox ran, a hint of sheer panic began to surface in its eyes. Ruling the ice fields, it relied on its reputation as the fastest among the Northern Border Spirit Beasts to toy with all living things within its grasp.

But today, this pursuer it had never encountered before instilled a deep sense of dread. Even though it was exerting all its innate strength, it could not shake off the chase. More frighteningly, the Sacred Beast King behind it seemed to be closing the distance.

Faint wisps of purple light began to emanate from White Horse Lightning—a natural reaction as it pushed its speed to the absolute limit.

This purple, electrically charged aura not only stimulated every cell in the White Horse to achieve its peak velocity but also allowed its gradually tiring body to recover some strength.

After numerous transformations, the White Horse’s lightning power had evolved beyond mere offense; it now mastered auxiliary functions such as stimulating its own potential and recovery.

It was precisely because of this accumulated strength that White Horse Lightning possessed the fierce confidence it could catch the Snow Fox.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the gap between the two parties steadily narrowed.

Sensing danger, the Snow Fox abruptly changed direction, turning sharply and bolting off in another way.

He Yiming blinked in surprise, but before he could react, White Horse Lightning proactively adjusted its course, continuing to hound the Snow Fox with relentless vigor.

Moreover, after this sudden turn, the distance between the pursuer and the pursued closed even further.

He Yiming’s eyelids twitched slightly; he had a growing premonition that the Snow Fox was plotting some new deception.

Otherwise, it would never have turned arbitrarily, allowing White Horse Lightning to gain so much ground.

Looking up, He Yiming scanned the distance and saw the snow-covered mountain peaks ahead. A sudden clarity washed over him.

There must be powerful Sacred Beasts stationed ahead, and the Snow Fox was undoubtedly fleeing to seek their aid.

His brow furrowed slightly; He Yiming truly wished to avoid conflict with any Sacred Beasts other than the Snow Fox right now.

He needed to eliminate the Snow Fox as quickly as possible so he could then follow the two men to the Ice Island. He was desperate to see Yuan Lixun and recount everything that had transpired since they parted.

However, at that very moment, a roar sounded from the distance, akin to collapsing mountains and raging seas—a sound so immense it shook the earth and deafened the ears.

Ps: Currently, there are only two chapters. Bai He will write the third one later and ensure it comes out before midnight.

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September, with the start of elementary school, meant a parent-teacher conference every week since then, plus ensuring homework was done every night. Even though it was only verbal homework, finishing it wasn't easy.

This past month, Bai He has been utterly swamped, leaving no time to go online. I ask for the understanding of my brothers and sisters in the group chat. Hopefully, I can adapt a little better next month.

Starting tomorrow, the elementary school closes for three days, yet Bai He still needs to produce 15,000 characters daily... Alas!

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