The tens of thousands of Northern Border beasts struggled to their feet. The surging momentum they had possessed during their initial charge was gone; instead, they tucked their tails, lowered their heads, and trudged dejectedly toward the distant mountain peaks.

They fled into the distance at an even greater speed than when they arrived, like a pack of stray dogs.

Under the confinement of He Yiming’s Five Elements Ring attack and the wall of fire that blazed across the sky, the beast horde had not completely lost its courage. Although they could not break through the flames, they still snarled, baring their teeth to challenge and threaten He Yiming.

However, once the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man unleashed the might of heaven and earth, the intense fluctuation of cosmic power caused violent upheaval throughout the entire space, and the collapsing ground buried thousands of fierce beasts.

In that instant, every beast’s spirit was shattered. Even without the King Beast’s command, none dared to advance further.

He Yiming let out a long, hearty laugh, a flicker of disdain crossing his eyes.

Di Shitian and Ji Mo Fanshu were right; this was the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest. Faced with absolute power, they had finally retreated.

In this regard, whether beast or human, they were fundamentally the same.

In mere moments, the beast horde before them vanished completely, all hidden deep within the mountains. Though countless pairs of emerald eyes tracked He Yiming’s every move, not a single beast dared to expose itself for death.

White Horse Lightning let out a soft whinny, and the Treasure Pig snorted a few times; they ignored the fleeing creatures with equal disinterest. If a Saint Beast King were present, perhaps they would show some excitement, but these small fry were not enough to pique their interest.

Naturally, He Yiming cared even less. With a beckoning gesture, the corpse of the Snow Fox lifted from the ground and floated before him. Under the combined assault of the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man and He Yiming, the Snow Fox, even with its heaven-reaching power, could only face annihilation.

Yet, holding the fox’s body, He Yiming hesitated slightly. He had completely forgotten to ask how to properly handle the Snow Fox’s remains to refine the specific elixir that could restore vital energy.

After a moment of consideration, He Yiming decisively hung the Snow Fox’s corpse onto White Horse Lightning’s back. He refrained from placing it inside his Five Elements Space partly out of a desire to show off. Letting the old assassin Ji Mo Fanshu see the Snow Fox’s body was far more effective than a thousand words of self-praise.

With a gentle pat on its flank, White Horse Lightning immediately turned its body and trotted slowly into the distance. Hundred and Eight and the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man ascended back into the sky.

This time, however, the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man moved much slower. Since the surrounding ambient power of heaven and earth had been depleted, he could no longer fly directly using that cosmic energy. Instead, he had to rely on the light of his divine weapon, which naturally slowed his pace considerably.

The group departed without looking back at the mountain behind them, as if the beasts gathered there were nothing more than a disorganized rabble, utterly beneath their notice.

After a long while, the earth split open, and a Saint Beast the size of a leopard leaped out. This beast looked identical to the horde earlier, only significantly larger. A faint trace of blood marked one of its claws—it was the Saint Beast King that He Yiming’s Five Elements strike had momentarily stunned beneath the ground.

It looked in the direction He Yiming’s party had vanished, its eyes filled with terror and malice. If someone observed only its gaze at that moment, they would surely mistake it for a normal human. Spiritual beasts that lived for millennia gradually developed sapience, and the intelligence they possessed was truly no less than that of humans. Coupled with their innate strength and physique, they possessed the power to overcome human experts of the same rank.

From afar, a tremendous roar suddenly sounded. This roar came from another Saint Beast. Hearing it, the leopard-sized beast immediately turned and bolted into the snowy peaks. In an instant, its figure was completely swallowed by the icy landscape, seen no more.

Although the area was a complete mess, in this kind of weather, heavy snow was imminent. Perhaps by the next day, everything here would be buried under ice and snow, ceasing to exist.

However, no one knew that what had transpired here was already spreading among the Northern Border spirit beasts. A human master of the Divine Path realm had suddenly appeared in the North. Intentionally or unintentionally, some of the renowned Saint Beast Kings of the North began to gather, no longer fighting individually but assembling in a manner incomprehensible to humans.

If He Yiming knew that capturing the Snow Fox would lead to such consequences, he would surely regret it deeply. He would never have allowed the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man to release the might of heaven and earth so readily in this place, even if it meant letting the Snow Fox escape temporarily.

White Horse carved a streak of white against the icy landscape. Abruptly, it reared its front hooves high, then planted them firmly on the ground.

He Yiming looked up, his brow deeply furrowed. “Lightning, are you sure we haven’t taken a wrong turn?”

The White Horse snorted a few times, its beautiful eyes blinking rapidly. It lowered its head and pawed the ground a few times, pulling up some grass roots from beneath the snow. It chewed in its large mouth, seemingly ignoring He Yiming’s question.

The Treasure Pig, nestled in He Yiming’s arms, held its small belly with its front hooves and rolled around on the horse’s back, laughing so hard it nearly fell over. After being with He Yiming, White Horse Lightning rarely had the chance to gallop to its heart’s content. Though it finally caught the Snow Fox, it hadn't been fully satisfied. Thus, on the return journey, the White Horse communicated its desire with He Yiming via intent to run wild one more time.

He Yiming didn't mind. Moreover, their strength was vastly different now compared to before. Even if they plunged back into the Outer Sea and encountered a Saint Beast King there, they would certainly not be afraid. So, he agreed without hesitation, but he clearly instructed White Horse Lightning that once it was satisfied, it must return to the original spot to find Ji Mo Fanshu and Di Shitian.

White Horse Lightning happily agreed. It spread its four hooves and bolted heedlessly at a speed He Yiming could not possibly match.

In the sky, Hundred and Eight shifted into bizarre, grotesque forms, pursuing closely. The Divine Path Blood Condensation Man lagged far behind. Within the first hundred li, White Horse Lightning had thrown the Blood Condensation Man out of sight. Fortunately, after a hundred li, the ambient power of heaven and earth became quite dense, allowing the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man to gradually catch up. Of course, had White Horse Lightning not stopped, he likely never would have caught up at all.

After a full day, White Horse Lightning broke out in a rare sheen of purple sweat, finally seeming fully sated. During that day of travel, they had merely circled around the frozen wastes. Heaven knew where they had ended up. The only certainty was that they were on the ice field; how far they were from Di Shitian and the others, no one knew.

He extended a hand and pulled up the Treasure Pig, which was clutching its sides from laughing. He Yiming dismounted. White Horse Lightning’s eyes immediately darted around, refusing to meet He Yiming’s gaze.

He gave a wry smile. He knew that after indulging its wild streak, White Horse Lightning was thoroughly lost. Simply managing to run in circles within the ice field was remarkable enough. Expecting it to find the direction of Di Shitian and the others was impossible.

He looked toward the distance, where a small black dot was visible. He Yiming had been in the ice field for some time, so he instantly recognized it as a human settlement, and a rather large one at that. A thought flashed through his mind: “Let’s go take a look. We’ll head straight for the Ice Palace.” He had initially planned to visit the Ice Palace alongside the two Ninth Heaven masters, Di Shitian and Ji Mo Fanshu, but since they were clearly separated, he didn't bother searching for them and decided to go directly.

White Horse Lightning immediately turned its head, nodding its large head repeatedly, eager to give four hooves of approval to He Yiming’s suggestion.

In the distance, the Divine Path Blood Condensation Man finally caught up. He silently hovered in the air beside Hundred and Eight; neither of them seemed inclined to land.

He Yiming took a specially made head ornament from his Five Elements Ring and placed it on White Horse Lightning’s head. This item had been crafted for him by request when he rode the White Horse away from the Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Although it offered no defensive power, once worn, it concealed the conspicuously prominent single horn atop the horse’s head.

White Horse Lightning’s fame now spanned the world; anyone who saw Lightning would instantly recognize He Yiming’s identity. He Yiming certainly had no desire to be gawked at like a spectacle, which was why he had commissioned this item.

After the head ornament was placed on its head, the White Horse shook its neck, seeming slightly uncomfortable but also quite curious, its large eyes becoming incredibly luminous and beautiful.

The Treasure Pig jumped down from He Yiming’s body and circled the White Horse twice. It puffed out its chest, stuck out its belly, nodded, and snorted a few times, seemingly offering praise. White Horse Lightning whinnied softly and shook its large head again, looking utterly pleased with itself. Clearly, after the Treasure Pig’s interruption, the horse no longer resisted the adornment on its head.

He Yiming chuckled softly. He examined the horse carefully a few times, quite satisfied with White Horse Lightning’s new look. With this ornament, unless they were intimately familiar with the creature, most people would not easily discern the horn hidden beneath. Although the style was somewhat strange, it was still far better than having a horse with an exposed horn.

He let out several hearty laughs, then waved his hand with contentment, and the man and the two beasts headed into the distance. Above them, the two non-human powerhouses ascended higher, gradually entering the cloud layer.