Yu Wuhen had long noticed the lone figure and his steed at the very front. Though he couldn't fathom why that magnificent horse could charge ahead of the monstrous beasts without hindrance, he sensed this beautiful youth must be the core of this entire army; to shatter this force, the youth had to be eliminated…

Therefore, even knowing that daring to charge solo ahead implied immense power, he plunged forward without hesitation…

By this time, the two sides had fully engaged in battle. The Qilin-horned Rhinoceros charged forward with absolute advantage, yet Ye Jingyu, thanks to Ni Bo’s speed, held a lead of several hundred zhang, while Yu Wuhen maintained a distance of several hundred paces from his own cavalry. The two—the two steeds—were set for a supreme collision…

As they were about to crash together, Yu Wuhen had drawn his long spear, and Ye Jingyu likewise brought out his Tianzun blade, signaling that an earth-shattering battle was imminent…

A hand suddenly shot out from the ground, gripping the rear hoof of Yu Wuhen’s warhorse. The sheer power of a warhorse was immense; an ordinary person could never halt it, yet this pale hand clamped onto the hoof like an iron vise, refusing to budge an inch…

The galloping horse, violently halted by its rear hoof, kept surging forward due to inertia. But as the rear leg was restrained, the immense potential energy snapped it clean off, exposing white bone, while the body itself careened forward several more meters before finally crashing down. Yu Wuhen, flung from the saddle, instantly lost his balance, a flicker of shock crossing his mind…

However, he was a renowned general forged over years of warfare, his skill reaching the Grandmaster realm—otherwise, he would never command the Silver Armor Legion. It was known that Grandmasters were far fewer in the Tianyuan Empire than in the Shu Yun Kingdom…

The true essence within his body circulated wildly. He forcefully arrested his forward momentum, suspending himself mid-air—a feat lasting only a moment, yet it startled Ye Jingyu…

But seeing that Liang Xiaoke had already moved, Ye Jingyu held back no longer. He leaped upward, both hands wielding his blade, unleashing the full might of his innate true energy, channeling it furiously between his grips. The second move of the Thunderclap Blade Art, Heaven-Shattering Thunder Control, erupted forth…

This was the strike into which Ye Jingyu poured his life’s essence, the most potent attack since mastering the Thunderclap Blade Art. The obsidian Tianzun blade immediately shot forth rays of violet-blue light. The rusted blade body could not withstand the savage true energy, spiderwebbing with cracks, and a massive arc of electricity burst from the metal, transforming into a blade light shrouded in purple lightning that slashed ferociously toward Yu Wuhen, who had only just managed to stabilize himself…

Faced with such a powerful strike, even Yu Wuhen’s expression drastically shifted. He could not fathom how this man, merely at the Innate realm, could unleash such a devastating blow…

The power of this single strike was in no way inferior to a full-force attack from a true Master. What kind of blade art was this? How could it be so formidable?

Putting aside his shock, Yu Wuhen flicked his silver-white spear, weaving a dazzling spear flower before thrusting upward, aiming straight for Ye Jingyu’s heart. Against such a swift attack, he chose not to evade but employed a deadly strategy of trading life for life…

Even Ye Jingyu had not expected Yu Wuhen to counter-attack instead of defending. Against such a violent strike, this was undoubtedly the best course of action. Had it been anyone else, they would surely retract their blade to preserve their life, only to face Yu Wuhen’s ensuing storm of relentless assault. But Ye Jingyu still did not withdraw his blade—not because he disdained his own life, but because he had his Shadow…

The remaining innate true energy in his body circulated at top speed. The violet-blue blade light intensified, the purple-blue arcs blazing brighter, striking toward Yu Wuhen with nearly irresistible force. This technique drained him utterly; even with his profound innate energy, he could manage this one strike at most…

Yu Wuhen had not anticipated Ye Jingyu would also stand his ground to fight to the death. A flicker of respect crossed his heart. At this moment, neither man had a retreat; whoever retracted their attack would be slain by the other…

“Shield of Martiality…” he whispered. A shield, entirely condensed from true essence energy, suddenly materialized before Yu Wuhen. Just then, Ye Jingyu’s colossal blade light arrived, slamming violently against that shield…

“Crack…” A sharp sound, like shattering glass, echoed as the seemingly solid energy shield exploded entirely. The blade light continued its descent, albeit with significantly reduced power…

And the tip of Yu Wuhen’s spear had already reached Ye Jingyu’s heart. He had subtly shifted his body a fraction to the left during that previous exchange, a confident smile playing on his lips. He was certain that with Ye Jingyu’s skill, evading this refined spear thrust would be impossible…

Indeed, Ye Jingyu did not dodge, nor could he really, but more importantly, he didn't need to. A plain black iron sword materialized abruptly before his chest, lightly tapping the spear tip. With just that slight touch, the spear point was deflected, grazing Ye Jingyu’s left shoulder, merely leaving a long streak across the black armor he wore. This single action revealed the astonishing precision with which Bing Ming controlled force…

Yu Wuhen started. He hadn't anticipated a dark shadow suddenly appearing to negate his spear thrust so effortlessly. Nevertheless, Yu Wuhen wrenched his wrist, causing the silver-white shaft to rebound and slam heavily into Ye Jingyu’s left shoulder. The sheer force sent Ye Jingyu flying backward…

The armor plating on his arm shattered instantly, demonstrating the immense power behind that blow…

All this occurred in the flash of an eye. Although Ye Jingyu was knocked away, Ni Bo’s body continued its charge toward Yu Wuhen. It stomped its front hoof forward, releasing a wave of invisible energy, then stamped a second time, the furious energy surging violently. By the third stomp, Yu Wuhen felt a pressure no weaker than that of a Grandmaster slamming into his heart, and his face instantly contorted in alarm…

What kind of strange beast was this? To wield such ancient martial combat skills—did it even want anyone to live?

Mid-air, his body could no longer maneuver; he could only pour all his true essence energy into a desperate attempt to withstand this terrifying force…