The cultivators before him, all at the Qi Refining stage, were either from minor clans or rogue cultivators. Faced with Han Li’s inscrutable demeanor, none dared even breathe loudly.
After all, anyone whose cultivation level they couldn’t discern was almost certainly at least a Core Formation cultivator. Such high-level figures rarely paid any attention to Qi Refining cultivators, who could usually only glimpse them from afar. To speak directly to one was unthinkable, so they were all trembling in fear.
After Han Li inquired about their location, his expression softened slightly. But suddenly, with a flick of his sleeve, several streaks of green light shot out, embedding themselves into each of them.
Without a sound, the Qi Refining cultivators collapsed, utterly powerless to resist.
Without hesitation, Han Li raised his hand and pulled one of them toward him, gripping the man’s head with his fingers. Green light flickered intensely.
After a short while, the glow faded, and the man slipped from his grasp, still unconscious. Han Li then grabbed another and repeated the process.
Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had done the same to all of them.
After tossing the last one aside, Han Li glanced at them and muttered to himself.
*”If I were truly ruthless, I’d erase you from this world—that would be the safest course. But I’ve only wiped your recent memories. Consider yourselves lucky.”*
With that, he looked up, identified a direction, and transformed into a streak of green light, swiftly departing.
An hour later, the cultivators awoke almost simultaneously. Seeing their situation, they exclaimed in confusion over their sudden unconsciousness, with no memory of Han Li. Terrified, they quickly abandoned the mountain and scattered.
By then, Han Li was already tens of thousands of miles away, slowing his flight as he focused on the white jade slip Frost Li the Transcendent had tossed him before leaving.
After some time, he sighed softly, stowed the jade slip, and fell into deep thought.
The jade slip’s contents were divided into two parts. The first detailed the Reverse Spirit Channel and an incredibly profound formation used by Spirit Realm cultivators to open such channels.
Naturally, the formation was not only abstruse but also required top-grade Spirit Stones—an astronomical quantity that left Han Li speechless.
Still, even if this formation was impractical for the human realm, with dedicated study, a simplified version might be devised, making it somewhat feasible.
The second part concerned spatial nodes in the human realm.
It meticulously described their characteristics, likely locations, and environments, listing over a dozen known nodes—far more than what Frost Li and Xiang Zhili had claimed to know.
Lost in thought, Han Li eventually snapped out of it with a faint smirk.
No matter how crucial the jade slip’s contents were for his future, his immediate priority was advancing to late Nascent Soul stage.
According to the jade slip, traversing a spatial node required at least early Deity Transformation cultivation. Only then would a cultivator’s Nascent Soul be stable enough to withstand the dimensional pressures. Otherwise, any cultivator below Deity Transformation would have their Nascent Soul crushed instantly by the inter-realm forces—without even facing other dangers.
Now that he had obtained the Nascent Nurturing Pill and the method to lift the Soul Seal Curse, he should theoretically return to the Heavenly South immediately. However, breaking the curse required an auxiliary pill as a catalyst.
This pill, the *Profound Ice Pill*, was a cold-attribute elixir similar to Snow Soul Pills but with vastly different effects. Its main ingredient was the *Profound Ice Flower*.
Though extremely rare, the Profound Ice Flower wasn’t impossible to find. The catch was that it only grew on ten-thousand-year-old profound ice and would dissolve into water the moment it was plucked, losing all efficacy. There was no known preservation method.
Thus, despite its rarity, only a few sects dwelling in icy regions could utilize it, and it never appeared in Great Jin auctions.
Since the pill was solely used for the Soul Seal Curse, even the likes of Elder Qian didn’t carry it. Naturally, the Yin Luo Sect kept a few bottles, but Han Li had no intention of storming a major demonic sect’s headquarters.
Not only were there countless demonic cultivators inside, but the sect’s defensive formations alone made a solo assault impossible.
An unmanned formation and one actively controlled were worlds apart.
While the Profound Ice Pill’s recipe allowed substitutions with other cold-attribute herbs, their efficacy would drop drastically. For safety, Han Li decided to journey to an extreme cold region.
Back in Kunwu Mountain, he had already mentioned to Bai Yaoyi his intention to visit the North Night’s Small Extreme Palace. Located on the North Nether Ice Island, this sect was renowned for its frigid environment and would surely have access to Profound Ice Flowers.
Beyond that, Han Li also hoped to inquire about the *Cold Marrow* and any leads on *Solar Essence Fire*. Given the sect’s long history of preserving Cold Marrow, they might have clues about the latter, even if they hadn’t obtained it.
Of course, Han Li wouldn’t head to North Nether Island immediately. He needed to let the Kunwu Mountain incident blow over first.
For added caution, he had other preparations to make. It seemed a few years of seclusion were unavoidable.
After much deliberation, Han Li made his decision and altered his course, flying north.
Traveling across over a dozen provinces, he eventually arrived at *Frost Province*.
Though not the northernmost in Great Jin, it was close. The land was blanketed in snow and ice, with heavy snowfall dominating most days.
As a result, the mortal population was sparse, and spiritual mountains were few and of inferior quality. Few major sects established themselves here, leaving the province to minor clans and rogue cultivators.
Despite its harsh environment, Frost Province was vast—ranking among the top five in size within Great Jin’s twenty-six provinces—and rich in cold-attribute herbs and materials.
Most local cultivators practiced ice- or cold-attribute techniques, leveraging the environment to boost their cultivation. Naturally, they held an advantage in battles against those using other elemental affinities here.
Unlike the temperate climates of the Heavenly South or the chaotic Star Sea, this frozen landscape was unfamiliar to Han Li.
But at his cultivation level, extreme temperatures were irrelevant. Though initially intrigued by the snowstorms, he grew indifferent after days of travel.
He occasionally encountered other cultivators, but with his current power, he vanished before they could detect him, leaving no trace.
On the fifth day in Frost Province, Han Li halted over an unremarkable, desolate mountain range.
Though modest, it housed a decent spiritual vein.
Hovering above a peak, he gauged the spiritual energy density and nodded in satisfaction.
With a cold snort, he unleashed an overwhelming aura, enveloping the entire mountain.
The immense spiritual pressure made the flora tremble, and small animals and birds fainted on the spot.
For the cultivators training there, chaos erupted. Those with weaker cultivation felt as if weighed down by a thousand pounds, collapsing to their knees, while stronger ones struggled to breathe, as if bound by invisible restraints. Shouts and cries echoed across the mountain.
Soon, three streaks of light shot up from different spots, heading straight for Han Li.
Seeing them approach, Han Li’s protective green glow flared, and his face blurred, morphing into that of a fierce-looking elder with a goatee. The radiance concealed the transformation from the approaching cultivators.
As the lights dimmed, two black-robed elders and a gray-robed burly man appeared before him. The younger-looking man led, flanked by the elders.
Han Li wasn’t surprised—the man was at mid-Core Formation stage, while the elders were only late Foundation Establishment. Yet their techniques seemed closely related, hinting at shared origins.
Before Han Li could speak, the gray-robed man scanned him with his spiritual sense, his anger instantly replaced by deference.
*”This junior is Li Zhong of the Snow Ridge Peak’s Li Clan, serving as its patriarch. May I ask what brings you here, Senior? This junior will do his utmost to assist!”*
His voice was respectful, but his eyes flickered uneasily at Han Li’s menacing guise.
*”I care not for your Li Clan. I’ve taken a liking to this mountain. You have half a day to vacate it. After that, I claim it.”*
Han Li’s voice was hoarse and icy, colder than the biting wind.
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