Chapter 1079: Beiming Island

Since being enveloped by endless white mist, Snow Ridge Mountain had remained sealed for over a decade.

Everyone knew that a supremely powerful master was in secluded cultivation within the mountain, so naturally, no one dared to cause trouble in the area. Thus, the mountain remained as tranquil as when Han Li first moved in.

Nearby factions, seeing that this “master” truly only sought a spiritual land for cultivation and had taken no other actions over the years, also settled their concerns. Apart from instructing their disciples to avoid the area, they continued with their own affairs.

One day, a heavy snowfall suddenly descended upon the skies near Snow Ridge Mountain. Snowflakes as large as dandelions cascaded from the heavens amid raging winds, blanketing the entire mountain range. In an instant, the sky turned a vast expanse of white, devoid of any other color.

Within moments, the snow on the ground had piled up over a foot deep.

Such a fierce snowstorm was uncommon even in Frost Province, and most ordinary cultivators would avoid traveling in such weather. Yet, from the peak of Snow Ridge Mountain, a dazzling emerald streak shot forth, vanishing into the distance in a flash.

Less than an hour later, the emerald streak reappeared tens of thousands of miles away, already beyond the blizzard’s reach, hovering over a desolate mountain range.

The light dimmed, revealing a young man in a green robe—his skin dark, his features unremarkable. It was none other than Han Li.

After over a decade of secluded cultivation, he had finally refined all his treasures to perfection. Even the wisp of Lunar True Flame had been absorbed into his body and initially refined. He felt fully prepared—unless he encountered a large group of late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators or another terrifying entity like the Sacred Ancestor Yuansha, he could traverse the human realm with confidence.

With the Five Ghosts of the Same Heart and the humanoid puppet at his side, his cultivation and abilities had far surpassed what they were before entering Kunwu Mountain. Even facing multiple late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, he would not be at a disadvantage.

After so many years, he assumed the commotion surrounding Kunwu Mountain had likely died down. Seizing the opportunity presented by the weather, he departed without hesitation, flying straight toward North Nether Island.

It wasn’t until half a month later that nearby cultivators occasionally noticed the white mist over Snow Ridge Mountain had dissipated entirely, leaving the mountain abandoned.

Shocked, the various factions naturally began vying for control of the now-vacant spiritual land, sparking new conflicts.

North Nether Island was, in fact, a peninsula adjacent to the inland of the Great Jin Empire, bordered by the sea on three sides and connected to the mainland on the fourth, separated from Frost Province by only a single prefecture.

However, the “three sides bordered by the sea” might as well have been described as “three sides bordered by ice.”

This was the northernmost land beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, where the cold was so extreme that water froze instantly. Even low-level cultivators dared not venture outside without heavy protection.

In such frigid conditions, the three sea-facing directions had transformed into boundless glacial expanses—endless ice fields whose true breadth was nearly impossible to discern.

North Nether Island itself spanned only about a million miles. At its northernmost point stood a massive ice city—the famed North Night’s Minor Extreme Palace, hailed as the foremost sect of the northern lands.

In truth, the Minor Extreme Palace’s strength was on par with the Great Jin’s top ten orthodox and demonic sects. However, due to North Nether Island’s extreme remoteness, most of the Great Jin’s cultivation world refused to acknowledge the palace as part of the empire, instead dismissing it as a barbaric land or an overseas sect. Thus, it was excluded from the Great Jin’s major sect rankings.

Yet, in the sparsely populated northern prefectures of the Great Jin, the reputation of North Night’s Minor Extreme Palace rivaled—if not surpassed—that of the Heavenly Dao Sect and the Heavenly Devil Sect, making it the undisputed leading power of the north.

In these regions, the Minor Extreme Palace was also known as the “Northern Immortal Palace.” Countless rogue cultivators and low-level practitioners sought to join its ranks.

The palace’s disciples were divided into inner and outer branches. Inner disciples were exclusively selected from the major cultivation clans residing on North Nether Island, while outer disciples were chosen from minor clans and rogue cultivators beyond the island. Of course, if an outer disciple displayed exceptional talent or rendered great service, they could be promoted to the inner branch.

For those who lacked confidence in their aptitude but still wished to join the outer branch, they had to traverse a hundred-thousand-mile expanse of extreme cold surrounding the palace on foot.

Within this area, low-level cultivators were forbidden from flying on artifacts due to restrictions, forcing them to rely solely on their own cultivation and abilities to endure the relentless blizzards. Those who successfully reached the palace would be accepted as outer disciples.

After all, whether they relied on cultivation, artifacts, or elixirs to survive the journey, it demonstrated their potential.

Naturally, few succeeded. Many perished in the cold. Yet, driven by the pursuit of the Dao, countless low-level cultivators still threw themselves into the trial year after year, like moths to a flame.

On this day, tens of thousands of miles from the Minor Extreme Palace, a group of over ten figures clad in fur cloaks, their bodies shimmering with spiritual light, trudged forward step by step against the howling wind and snow.

They had been walking in such conditions for half a month. Some were already pale and unsteady on their feet, yet none dared to rest—recovery was impossible here, and they could only rely on spirit stones and their own dwindling mana to persevere.

One among them, a young man in his twenties, was particularly haggard, his breathing uneven. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and pulled out a vial, swallowing a crimson pill. His ashen complexion regained some color.

“Brother Gu, how many Fire Sun Pills do you have left? If you keep consuming them at this rate, you’ll never make it to the Minor Extreme Palace. The hail zone ahead is several times worse than this,” remarked a middle-aged man wrapped in a deep yellow barrier, his tone indifferent yet perceptive.

“Brother Gu, rest assured, I have a spare vial. It will be enough to get me through,” the young man replied with a forced smile, clearly intimidated by the older cultivator.

“Good. I’d hate to drag along someone with no hope of passing,” the middle-aged man said, seemingly satisfied. His barrier flickered as he strode forward, the blizzard barely hindering him.

The others hurried after him, as if clinging to him was their only hope of reaching the palace.

But after only a few steps, the man suddenly paused, letting out a soft exclamation before looking up in astonishment.

The rest followed his gaze and were stunned to see a faint green figure hovering in the snowy sky. Strangely, within a radius of thirty to forty zhang around the figure, the wind and snow were repelled by an invisible force, unable to penetrate.

It was this anomaly that had alerted the middle-aged man to the presence above.

Shock and dread filled their hearts. To ignore the no-flight restrictions of this area—even Core Formation cultivators couldn’t manage that. Could this be a legendary Nascent Soul cultivator? Or perhaps a high-ranking member of the Minor Extreme Palace? Yet his attire didn’t quite match.

They exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts pounding.

“Are you rogue cultivators seeking to join the Minor Extreme Palace?” The figure shrouded in green light spoke, his voice surprisingly youthful.

Though not highly cultivated, the middle-aged man had seen his share of the world. Startled by the question, he quickly composed himself and bowed deeply.

“This junior is Gu Tianqi, participating in the trial. Does the senior have any instructions?” he replied with utmost deference.

“You have keen eyes. It’s nothing major—this area seems peculiar, and even I find it difficult to determine the correct path. Yet you all advance with such certainty. Do you have some guiding artifact?” The green figure spoke casually, as if merely making conversation.

Hearing this, Gu Tianqi relaxed slightly but remained respectful.

“It seems the senior is visiting North Nether Island for the first time. While other regions of the island are manageable, this area falls within the Minor Extreme Palace’s grand formation. The formation uses the renowned ‘Mirage Stone’ as its core, capable of distorting a cultivator’s spiritual sense. Those unaware may wander endlessly without ever finding the palace. As for us, we purchased Compass Plates from the market at the island’s entrance. By following its guidance, we avoid losing our way.”

“Compass Plate?” The green figure seemed momentarily puzzled.

“Here it is. Though not a rare artifact, one must have a clean background and a guarantor to purchase it from the Minor Extreme Palace’s shops. Only thirty are sold each year, and their efficacy expires after twelve months. To be safe, I bought two. Please accept this one as a humble offering.”

With a flick of his sleeve, Gu Tianqi produced a pale yellow disk and presented it with both hands.

The green figure chuckled, stroking his chin before casually reaching down.

A flash of yellow light, and the Compass Plate was in his grasp.

The figure was none other than Han Li, who, after traveling day and night for over half a month, had finally arrived at North Nether Island.

He had assumed his abilities would allow him to bypass the no-flight restrictions and reach the Minor Extreme Palace directly. Yet upon entering the area, his spiritual sense repeatedly failed him, leaving him momentarily lost.

This realization unsettled him, stirring frustration.

Had he come for any other purpose, he might have simply forced his way through the restrictions. But this time, he was here to seek someone.

Just as he was considering alternative methods, he happened upon this group.