After the accumulation of countless deep winters, the sea surface here had solidified into a vast, icy plain, smooth and crystalline, circling the pole where the infinite power of extreme cold had gathered.

A thick layer of drift ice, crisscrossed and sharp, covered the water. The usually lively sea had lost its spirit, entering a deep winter slumber. This transparent surface, like a vast mirror of water, under the sun’s glare, made the countless sparkling ice particles so brilliant and sharp they were painful to the eyes.

However, in this moment, He Yiming and the others felt no inclination to appreciate the spectacle.

Their gazes were fixed on the distance, sensing the massive, frenzied roar echoing towards them.

"Silence..."

Almost in unison, He Yiming and the Qilin Saint Lord whispered sharply.

The Qilin Beast, the White Horse Lightning, and even the little piggy all turned their heads away in mild displeasure, seemingly dissatisfied with the reaction.

"Which Saint Beast King is making that noise?" He Yiming asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," Bing Xiaotian replied curtly. "The Saint Beast Kings of the North Sea each have their own territories. When we travel in the Northern Frontier, unless absolutely necessary, we never encroach upon the territories of the strongest among them."

He Yiming frowned slightly. "Didn't the Ice Palace map out the locations of all the Northern Frontier Saint Beasts? Why don't you even know who this Saint Beast King is?"

Bing Xiaotian gave a wry smile. "If we were on the ice plains, I could certainly list them all for you by heart. But in the North Sea..." He shook his head and remained silent.

Liu Changju burst into laughter. "Everyone, regardless of which Saint Beast King is ahead, let's take them down together. Since the appearance of the Ice Island is imminent, there will surely be more and more Saint Beast Kings here. If they gather, we might not be able to resist them. So, killing them one by one as we find them is the best approach."

He Yiming and the others exchanged glances and slowly nodded, agreeing with his suggestion.

With the strength of this group, although they were far from matching the combined might of all the North Sea Saint Beast Kings, they still held a significant advantage if they employed the tactic of fighting them individually.

In the distance, the massive roar sounded again, deafeningly loud. Within these roars were nuances of anger, warning, pain, and madness; even hearing it from afar gave He Yiming a chilling sensation.

"Three of them..." Ji Mofan Shu said gravely. "There are three Saint Beast Kings fighting over territory."

The old assassin had remained mostly silent throughout the journey. Perhaps even he understood that his bond with these individuals wasn't particularly deep. If everyone hadn't realized that personal strength alone was insufficient and that they needed to join forces for mutual benefit, he would never have traveled with them.

But when the old assassin spoke these words, everyone's expression turned solemn, for they knew this old assassin would never speak without certainty at a time like this.

"They are fighting over territory?" He Yiming asked, surprised.

Ji Mofan Shu stated coldly, "I spent sixty years in the North Sea; I've seen this sort of thing many times."

Bing Xiaotian and the others were initially startled, then exchanged a look, a hint of admiration subtly surfacing in their eyes.

For this old assassin to have remained in this environment for sixty years demonstrated a level of endurance unmatched by anyone else present.

"I'll go check. You all take your time," Ji Mofan Shu’s figure flickered, and he shot forward like an arrow.

He Yiming hesitated, then heard Bing Xiaotian say, "Brother He, Sect Master Ji's illusionary arts and stealth techniques are universally acknowledged as peerless. It's best to let him scout ahead alone."

Nodding slightly, He Yiming returned to the back of the White Horse Lightning. He gently held Yuan Lixun's somewhat cool jade hand. Those three massive roars from the Saint Beast Kings had carried intense pressure. While those at the peak of the Dao Realm wouldn't care, Yuan Lixun, a Fifth Qi Great Venerable, had been somewhat affected. Fortunately, the snow and ice covering the area greatly benefited her cultivation of deep cold techniques, so she was unharmed, merely startled.

The two exchanged a smile. This deep venture into the North Sea searching for the Ice Island brought a sense of warmth to them, especially the comfort of being constantly together.

A moment later, a white shadow shot back towards them at incredible speed. If the figure hadn't moved so rapidly, the group might not have even noticed his return.

A large swath of cloth was suddenly unfurled, and Ji Mofan Shu stepped out with a stern face.

"Green Bamboo Serpent, White Bear, Poisonous Turtle," the old assassin stated without preamble. "They are all Saint Beast Kings, but..." He paused. "I sense they are not actually fighting over territory."

Bing Xiaotian frowned slightly. "These three Saint Beast Kings are not easy to deal with; each is the overlord of a specific region in the Northern Frontier. But Sect Master Ji, how did you figure that out?"

Ji Mofan Shu replied coldly, "When the three of them fought, they seemed to be defending a single direction, and that direction is exactly where the Ice Island is about to emerge."

He Yiming's expression shifted slightly. "Could it be that those Saint Beast Kings also know where the Ice Island will appear?"

Bing Xiaotian sighed deeply. "Brother He, these Saint Beast Kings are born with formidable power. They possess an unimaginable sensitivity to danger and violent fluctuations in the forces of heaven and earth. Therefore, it is not strange that they can predict the location of the Ice Island in advance."

He Yiming nodded silently. Along the way, even he could vaguely sense the intense changes in the forces of heaven and earth, and those changes were occurring in the direction they were heading. Since even he could perceive it, it was only natural that the Northern Frontier Saint Beast Kings would notice.

Ji Mofan Shu said chillingly, "Although the Saint Beast Kings are an arrogant bunch, they possess considerable intelligence. If they were merely slaughtering each other, no matter how many died, the other Saint Beast Kings would not intervene. But if one died at the hands of us humans, hehe..." He chuckled coldly, though there was no humor in it, "Then we should prepare for a united assault from all the Saint Beast Kings of the North Sea."

He Yiming frowned slightly. "Sect Master Ji, are you suggesting we take a detour?"

Ji Mofan Shu shook his head repeatedly. "No. As long as we eliminate them all on the spot and prevent them from notifying the other Saint Beast Kings, this situation can be avoided."

He Yiming finally breathed a sigh of relief. While simultaneously hunting three Saint Beast Kings would certainly not be simple, it was far better than having to face the coordinated assault of dozens of Saint Beast Kings later.

"Let's go," Bing Xiaotian said gravely. "Sect Master Ji, Brother Liu, and I will handle the Green Bamboo Serpent. Brother Ao, Brother Di, Brother Zi, and Brother Qilin will team up against the White Bear. Brother He, Lixun's Ice Mirror possesses potent freezing effects; let her strike first to freeze the Poisonous Turtle, and you and White Horse engage in Man-Beast Union. I have long heard that the power of the Western Light and Dark Fusion and the lightning power of White Horse are supreme forces in the world. I wonder if Brother He would grant us the pleasure of witnessing it."

A sharp glint flickered in He Yiming's eyes, and he nodded without hesitation.

Bing Xiaotian had lived in the Northern Frontier for a long time and had heard some things about these Saint Beast Kings. Moreover, the successive Sect Masters of the Ice Palace had paid close attention to the North Sea Saint Beast Kings and possessed a wealth of related data, making him the most suitable person to coordinate the strategy.

The group continued forward, but this time their movements were increasingly agile, and they completely masked their aura.

The Qilin Beast, however, radiated an extreme level of oppressive malevolence—the innate malevolence of the Totem Clan, which, like the Dragon Snakes of Ghost Cry Ridge, was impossible to conceal. No matter how much it suppressed it, it could not be completely hidden.

Fortunately, the group included top experts possessing all five elemental divine powers. The five individuals led by Bing Xiaotian surrounded the Qilin Beast, releasing a faint trace of the Five Elements Divine Power, successfully forming a peculiar Great Five Elements Cycle that completely sealed off the malevolence radiating from the Qilin Beast.

When He Yiming saw this scene, the expression on his face was quite fascinating.

He had witnessed the Qilian Twin Demons condense ordinary Five Elements True Qi into the Great Five Elements Cycle, but this was the first time he had seen five individuals successfully utilizing the five divine powers to form such a cycle.

Achieving this required far more than a slight degree of tacit understanding; even He Yiming felt deeply shocked.

Glancing at Yuan Lixun, he knew that Bing Xiaotian and the others could accomplish this thanks to the previous year spent guarding her breakthrough. Without that period of coordinated effort, even the five of them could not have achieved this step.

His thoughts turned swiftly, and a strange ripple emerged around He Yiming.

The amplitude of this ripple was small and controlled within a very narrow radius; only those close to him could sense He Yiming's actions.

They turned their heads to see the same Five Elements power surging around He Yiming, quickly enveloping the White Horse Lightning and Yuan Lixun.

In just a moment, Yuan Lixun and the White Horse Lightning enjoyed the same treatment as the Qilin Beast.

All their auras were sealed by the Great Five Elements Cycle. Even when Yuan Lixun took out the imitation artifact, the Ice Mirror, those standing nearby did not sense the artifact's immensely powerful ice-attribute energy.

The group exchanged glances, filled with emotion. He Yiming, relying on his own power alone, had achieved this feat, and the effect was even better than what the five of them had accomplished together.

This young man had not only successfully mastered the Western world's Light and Dark Fusion but also the Eastern world's most powerful Great Five Elements Cycle. If he were fortunate enough to advance to the Divine Path, what heights would his future achievements reach...?

Bing Xiaotian sighed inwardly, waved his hand, and the group proceeded stealthily forward.