The thunderous explosion of the massive collision had already carried far. The full-force strike from both men and beasts had blasted half of the swath of land between them into the air.

When everything finally settled, the two opposing sides were completely separated, bearing no resemblance to their initial, fierce entanglement.

However, if a certain Innate Realm master had been present at this moment, they would surely have been utterly astonished.

In this scene, He Yiming sat astride the white horse, standing proud and unflinching; there was not a hint of retreat in his expression. In stark contrast, the Qilin Sacred Master looked rather disheveled.

This wasn't merely because the Qilin Beast and he had been sent flying backward, but because he had instantly recognized the origin of He Yiming’s last strike. It was precisely for this reason that his shock was so profound.

Faint rings of purple light now shimmered around him, the previously immense shadow of Yin Fiend energy having completely and utterly vanished.

Yet, He Yiming's lightning intent power was also spent, a spent arrow, unable to pierce the True Qi defense surrounding the Qilin Sacred Master any further. After splashing countless arcs of electrical energy, it slowly dissipated.

He Yiming gently patted the neck of the white horse, Leidian (Lightning). Seeing the Qilin Sacred Master’s current state, he had intended to press the attack. But for some reason, a faint, ominous sense of danger surfaced in his heart—a feeling that striking now would certainly provoke a counter-attack from some powerful force. He forcibly suppressed the urge to strike while the iron was hot.

After a long pause, the electrical flares around the Qilin Sacred Master finally faded away. His expression was calm as still water, clearly indicating he had sustained no injury. Looking at He Yiming, he slowly inquired, "Intent Convergence—how did you achieve that?"

He Yiming paused in surprise, finally realizing that the strange act of merging his internal Intent power with the white horse's lightning had a formal name.

Hearing this name, however, confirmed something for He Yiming: using Intent did indeed allow the combination of many different powers, not being limited solely to the lightning of the white horse.

Of course, the sheer might of lightning power was evident to all. More importantly, lightning naturally possessed the ability to suppress Yin Fiend Qi. Thus, the outcome of the clash between Lightning Intent Convergence and Yin Fiend Intent Convergence resulted in such a vast disparity.

He Yiming let out a short laugh, scratching the back of his head, and admitted frankly, "I saw you combining your Intent power with Yin Fiend Qi, so on a sudden inspiration, I combined my Intent power with the white horse's lightning."

The Qilin Sacred Master's expression immediately turned peculiar. He said slowly, "You and the white horse merely share a kindred spirit; you haven't gone through a true Symbiotic Ritual. How could you possibly achieve true Intent Convergence?"

He Yiming spread his hands, feigning innocence, "I don't know either."

The Qilin Sacred Master studied He Yiming intently. After a moment, he slowly nodded his head once, "Good. A hero truly emerges from the younger generation."

He Yiming waved his hand dismissively. "You flatter me, Elder." He paused, then asked, "May I inquire, Senior, how did you master the Yin Fiend Qi?"

The Qilin Sacred Master gently patted the broad back of the Qilin Beast. "Our Totem Clan worships Beast Gods. Every Beast God inherently carries Fiend Qi; the more powerful the God, the stronger that Qi becomes. However, only those at the Ninth Heaven of the pinnacle of the Human Dao can truly wield this Fiend Qi effectively."

His voice carried a note of regret. He Yiming mentally added that if every Totem Innate master could unleash this method of combining Intent and Fiend Qi, their strength would increase by at least fifty percent. For an entire race, that level of power inflation was truly staggering.

A thought flashed through his mind, and He Yiming suddenly understood. Among all the Human Dao pinnacle experts, this elder sitting before him must possess the utmost skill in applying and controlling Intent. It was precisely because of this mastery that when he and the Qilin Beast joined forces to help Yuan Lixun break through to the Great Venerable of Five Qi realm, they could successfully stimulate Yuan Lixun's Intent and maintain it until the Light-Infused Divine Weapon materialized.

To gain the upper hand in a contest of Intent power against this elder—though partly attributable to lightning’s counter against fiendish energy—was enough to fill He Yiming with immense pride.

Seeing the flicker of a smile cross He Yiming's face, the Qilin Sacred Master’s expression grew grave.

He looked deeply at He Yiming, turbulent waves already crashing within his heart.

He had initially believed He Yiming's strongest technique was the Unity of Light and Dark. Yet, the elder's own Intent Fiend Qi was supposedly his most potent force, a combined power of man and beast. To find that this young man hadn't even used his ultimate trump cards, but instead managed to forge the power of Lightning Intent during the battle—it was overwhelming.

All of this made him sigh inwardly with profound emotion. Such an outstanding figure—why wasn't he a descendant of the Totem Clan?

Taking a deep breath, the Qilin Sacred Master’s agitation slowly subsided. He called out loudly, "Brother He, do you know what the Qilin Beast is called?"

He Yiming blinked in confusion, glancing toward the monstrous beast, which was twice the size of his white horse, and shook his head blankly.

Within his Five Elements Space lay the corpse of a Qilin Beast, its Sacred Beast Blood entirely drained by him. Yet, despite this, he remained ignorant of the specific designation this supreme Sacred Beast held within the Totem Clan.

The Qilin Sacred Master declared proudly, "The Qilin is one of the Divine Beasts of this world. In our Totem Clan, it is known by two titles: the Ferocious Beast and the Auspicious Beast."

He Yiming frowned slightly. "Judging by the Fiend Qi emanating from the Qilin Beast, being called the Ferocious Beast is understandable. But how does the title of Auspicious Beast come about?"

The Qilin Sacred Master offered a slight smile. "I have long heard that the Unity of Light and Dark in the Western World is one of the world's most potent forces. Aside from the Unity of Five Elements in the Eastern World, no other power can rival it." His gaze sharpened. "I have one final move remaining, Brother He. I ask for your guidance."

When they first met, the Qilin Sacred Master had addressed him by name. But after He Yiming's Lightning Intent shattered the Fiend Qi Intent upon which the elder's reputation rested, the lord of the Totem Clan let go of all his reserve and arrogance, beginning to address He Yiming as an equal.

This was the manifestation of strength. Once He Yiming displayed power capable of standing alongside him, even the most arrogant elder must yield to reality.

He Yiming's expression tightened slightly, and he slowly nodded in return. "Lord Sacred Master, please..."

He knew that since the Qilin Sacred Master had said this, this final strike would be utterly extraordinary. Recalling the faint chill he had felt earlier, He Yiming dared not be careless.

However, there was also considerable anticipation in his heart. A combat technique so valued by the strongest of the Totem Clan, one that involved the unity of man and beast—it held immense allure for any martial cultivator. He Yiming was no exception.

At this moment, a vast aura began to permeate the space around the Qilin Sacred Master. As this aura slowly unfurled, it began to cause a cascade of terrestrial phenomena in the air.

Vaguely, the immense power of Heaven and Earth started to rapidly converge around the Qilin Sacred Master, disrupted by this aura. In this instant, a gigantic vortex seemed to form around the elder, enveloping him and the Qilin Beast within its eye. Unlike the fierce winds outside, this vortex did not move; it merely spun in place.

He Yiming’s expression instantly became comical and bizarre, as if he had witnessed the most amusing thing in the world, his eyes betraying undisguised mirth.

Now, he finally understood why the Qilin Sacred Master had delivered that lengthy preamble.

Because the Qilin Sacred Master’s final attack was indeed earth-shattering, possessing immense destructive potential. The problem was, condensing that power required an excessive amount of time. Forget facing an expert of the same rank; even a Great Venerable of Five Qi, one rank lower, would have ample time to vanish without a trace.

He Yiming was quite familiar with the vortex swirling around the Qilin Sacred Master—it was the condensation of Heaven and Earth power. He couldn't fathom the technique the elder used, but he was clearly mimicking the Divine Path's Blood Condensation Men, gathering the surrounding immense power of the cosmos.

Sensing the density of this Heaven and Earth power, He Yiming immediately grasped the elder’s intent: he planned to unleash the Might of Heaven and Earth. However, the elder had encountered a bottleneck: he couldn't absorb the power rapidly enough.

He sighed softly and shook his head. At this slow rate of absorption, to drain the Heaven and Earth power for a hundred li radius might take a full day and night. It was no wonder the old man had been so courteous when delivering his final words—he was likely terrified He Yiming would grow impatient and leave.

However, having clearly assessed the opponent's current limitations, He Yiming certainly was not about to wait idly by. Although he, too, could unleash the Might of Heaven and Earth, he had absolutely no confidence in surviving such an onslaught. Therefore, he patted the hindquarters of the white horse Leidian, transmitting his intention.

The white horse neighed softly, turned with a flourish, and ambled away with delicate steps. Despite reducing its speed to the absolute minimum, within moments, it had completely distanced itself from the location.

To He Yiming's surprise, however, only fifteen minutes later, the rotation of the vortex ceased. The massive concentration of Heaven and Earth power now swirled around the Auspicious Beast, the Qilin.

The Qilin Sacred Master held both hands high, his eyes bloodshot, Fiend Qi surging from his body, radiating an overwhelming aura that suggested nothing—not gods, not Buddhas—could stand in his way.

Yet, just as this imposing aura reached its zenith, it inexplicably paused.

Glancing around, his face turned even redder.

...

P.S.: Only four days left. White Crane begs for monthly votes! I’m currently fourth this month, sigh... Cannot afford to slip further. The Divine Path is approaching; the battle continues next month!