“Are these all your companions?” Han Li examined the circular disk in his hand before stowing it away with a flash of cyan light. His gaze swept over the group behind him, and to Gu Tianqi’s surprise, he asked, “These fellow Daoists are acquaintances I made not long ago. Since we all wish to join the Small Extreme Palace, we decided to travel together. Is there… something amiss?” Gu Tianqi was taken aback and grew uneasy.
“Not all of them—just one,” Han Li replied coldly, his eyes fixed on a young and beautiful female cultivator below.
“What?” Gu Tianqi was baffled.
“A demonic creature has infiltrated your group. Wouldn’t you say that’s a problem?” Han Li said with a faint smirk.
“A demonic creature?” Gu Tianqi’s expression changed drastically, and he immediately turned to look at the woman. The other cultivators also recoiled in shock, instinctively stepping away from her, their faces filled with alarm.
“Senior must be joking. This junior is a disciple of the Ning Family from Shuang County. How could I possibly be a demonic creature?” The young woman widened her eyes in shock, stammering out her defense.
“Indeed, Senior, perhaps you’ve made a mistake? Fellow Daoist Ning is indeed from the Ning Family. I’ve met her several times before,” the young man who had earlier taken the medicinal pill interjected, seeing the woman’s panicked expression. The others also began to show hesitation.
Han Li, however, merely snorted dismissively. “A mere split soul dares to deceive me right under my nose? Show yourself!” With that, he reached out with one hand, and a cyan giant hand materialized above the young woman’s head, descending swiftly to seize her.
The woman, who had initially appeared wronged, shuddered as the hand appeared. Her expression shifted from shock to one of dark malice. In an instant, she transformed into a streak of light, darting away and reappearing over twenty zhang in the air.
This was no Qi Condensation-level speed—even a Core Formation cultivator couldn’t move so swiftly!
A cold smile played on Han Li’s lips as he flicked his sleeve, sending out a streak of yellow light that vanished and reappeared above the woman’s head, transforming into a foot-long demon-subduing staff. With a wave of his hand, the staff expanded into a massive phantom several zhang in size and smashed downward.
The woman, unable to dodge in time, spat out a stream of black demonic energy in a desperate attempt to block the attack. But with a deafening boom, the yellow light shattered the black energy effortlessly, and the staff’s phantom struck her squarely on the crown of her head.
The woman let out a piercing scream and collapsed. Yet, almost simultaneously, a faint shadow shot out from her body, attempting to flee into the ground. Before it could escape, a golden lightning net materialized above it and descended like a bolt of lightning.
A series of explosive sounds followed, and the black demonic shadow was utterly obliterated without even a whimper.
The entire sequence of events left everyone, including the middle-aged man, utterly dumbfounded.
Han Li beckoned, and the demon-subduing staff shrank back to its original size before flying into his sleeve. He then tossed a pale blue vial toward Gu Tianqi, who caught it reflexively.
“The pills inside may help you pass through this area safely. Consider it an exchange for your Dingyuan Disk,” Han Li said impassively before enveloping himself in cyan light and shooting away like a dazzling streak, vanishing into the snowstorm in the blink of an eye.
Only then did the middle-aged man snap out of his daze, clutching the vial tightly with a look of elation. Meanwhile, gasps arose from the others as the young woman slowly regained consciousness—her body unharmed by the earlier strike.
Following the disk’s guidance, Han Li sped toward the Small Extreme Palace, a faint smile crossing his lips as he recalled the incident. The woman had been possessed by the split soul of a high-level demonic beast, likely an eighth-grade entity. The beast had cleverly concealed its consciousness within her, unbeknownst to her. Had they proceeded unchecked, the demon might have infiltrated the palace under her guise.
Since it was a trivial matter for him, Han Li had disposed of the demonic soul fragment to prevent any disturbances during his visit to the North Nether Island. But why would such a demon go to such lengths to infiltrate the palace? Could it be after the Cold Essence?
After all, he had heard no news of the Cold Essence being stolen from the Small Extreme Palace. Given the time that had passed, the palace should have noticed its absence. Yet, for some reason, the matter seemed to have been suppressed.
Lost in thought, Han Li’s flying light streaked like lightning through the sky. Before long, he entered a bizarre region where fist-sized hailstones pelted down amidst the snowstorm. The hailstones, crystalline and translucent, struck his protective barrier with dull thuds, as if boulders were colliding.
To someone of Han Li’s cultivation, however, these giant hailstones were negligible.
After half an hour of flight, the hailstones and snowstorm abruptly ceased, revealing a breathtaking sight ahead—a towering ice city built against a mountain.
From a distance, the city shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors under the sunlight, wreathed in faint white mist. It looked more like a celestial palace than a mortal construct, exuding an otherworldly aura.
Han Li’s eyes flickered with surprise, but his gaze soon settled on the colossal mountain behind the city. Though towering at ten thousand zhang, it paled in comparison to the likes of Mount Kunwu. What astonished him was its sheer verticality—like a pillar holding up the heavens—its surface encased in a thick layer of glittering ice. Were it not for the occasional patches of greenery, he might have mistaken it for a mountain of pure ice.
Even with his Brightsight Spirit Eyes, the distance made it impossible to discern details. He could only vaguely make out a cluster of multicolored structures at the summit—presumably the Small Extreme Palace.
Han Li hovered in place, refraining from advancing further. The glacier between him and the city, though seemingly ordinary, was riddled with invisible restrictions. His mastery of formations allowed him to sense their lethality—charging in recklessly would trigger devastating consequences.
Moreover, as soon as he emerged from the previous region, several streaks of light shot out from the ice city, heading straight for him as if they had anticipated his arrival.
Han Li’s brow arched as he glanced at the Dingyuan Disk in his hand, realization dawning. It seemed the disk not only guided its holder but also allowed the palace’s cultivators to track their movements.
Before he could ponder further, the streaks of light arrived before him—three white-robed figures: one male and two female. The man, a Core Formation cultivator in his thirties with refined features, bowed respectfully upon sensing Han Li’s aura. “This junior, Shi Yun, an outer palace steward, greets Senior. May I ask for your esteemed name and the purpose of your visit to our palace?”
Though he had sensed Han Li’s extraordinary aura from afar, confirming him as a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—and an unfamiliar one at that—left Shi Yun slightly nervous.
“My name is unimportant. I’m here to visit an old friend—one of your palace’s elders,” Han Li replied calmly.
“An elder? May I ask which one? This junior will notify them immediately,” Shi Yun said, his tone growing more ingratiating.
“Fairy Bai Yaoyi and I crossed paths years ago. Is she currently in the palace?” Han Li asked.
“Elder Bai? She hasn’t left the palace but is currently in seclusion. I’ll send a message talisman to inform her. Please wait a moment!” Shi Yun visibly relaxed upon hearing Bai Yaoyi’s name and promptly dispatched a transmission talisman.
Han Li remained composed, his gaze drifting toward the distant scenery. The young man was about to speak again when a streak of crimson light shot out from the snowstorm behind Han Li, stopping barely a hundred zhang away.
A light exclamation echoed from within the light before it veered toward them. Before it arrived, a hearty laugh rang out. “Fellow Daoist, are you here to visit our palace? May I ask your esteemed name? Perhaps Ren here might know you!”
The light dissipated, revealing a fair-skinned man with graying hair and eyes brimming with worldly wisdom. Han Li’s eyes narrowed slightly as he assessed the newcomer—another mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Before Han Li could respond, Shi Yun stepped forward eagerly, bowing deeply. “Disciple pays respects to Elder Bi! Was your journey successful?”
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