Although witnessing a cultivator attempting to break through to the Deity Transformation stage was an exceedingly rare occurrence in the cultivation world, numerous rumors—some true, some false—had circulated about the process.
“Flesh turning into sandalwood—I never thought the legend was real! Once the transformation is complete, Fellow Daoist Frost Li should successfully overcome the bottleneck, right?” The old woman murmured as she observed the phenomenon before her, her face filled with an expression of deep envy.
“That’s hard to say. Brother Frost Li’s current state seems unstable. It appears his physical body has met the requirements for Deity Transformation, but the metamorphosis of his Spirit Infant within seems to be struggling. Otherwise, the divine sense mark we helped condense with our cold flames wouldn’t be flickering so erratically.” The old monk frowned, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
“That’s inevitable. Although Fellow Daoist Shi temporarily strengthened his Spirit Infant using the power of our cold flames, it wasn’t his own refined energy. Controlling it is like a child wielding a hammer—naturally, it’s extremely difficult. To have come this far is already no small feat!” Han Li exhaled deeply and chimed in.
“Should we intervene to help the Grand Elder stabilize his Spirit Infant?” The middle-aged man in green robes asked anxiously, unable to hold back.
“Absolutely not! Breaking through the Deity Transformation bottleneck is far from simple. This instability might be exactly what Brother Frost Li desires—to harness this very force and shatter the bottleneck in one decisive strike. If we rashly interfere, we might do more harm than good. It’s best to observe quietly.” Bai Mengxin spoke coldly.
Hearing this, Han Li smiled faintly but offered no objection. The others exchanged glances and remained silent as well.
Truthfully, even if they wanted to help, they likely lacked the strength. After two days and nights of continuously manipulating the extreme cold flames, everyone was mentally and physically exhausted, their divine sense and spiritual power nearly depleted. Now, they could only watch as Frost Li the Transcendent faced the final hurdle alone.
Unnoticed by the others, a faint blue glow flickered deep within Han Li’s pupils as he meticulously observed the flow of spiritual power and the transformations of the Spirit Infant within Frost Li’s body, committing every detail to memory. These insights would prove invaluable for his own cultivation in the future.
For this alone, Han Li felt that the risk of staying had been well worth it. After all, the opportunity to witness a cultivator breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage was exceedingly rare—something one could only encounter by chance. That he had stumbled upon it now was no small stroke of fortune.
Though the others could also forcibly observe with their divine sense, their gains paled in comparison to Han Li’s, whose Clear Spirit Eyes granted him far greater clarity and comprehensiveness.
Time passed slowly. After an indeterminate period, Frost Li the Transcendent, seated atop a milky-white lotus of light, suddenly shuddered. The strange fragrance emanating from his body intensified severalfold, and the lotus mark between his brows expanded abruptly, projecting countless lotus shadows that bloomed in full splendor.
Han Li and the others, who had been sitting quietly, were startled and immediately focused their attention. Frost Li’s eyes had opened, their pupils gleaming like molten gold. Without moving his hands or feet, his body rose effortlessly from the lotus, as if weightless.
Frost Li glanced around, a trace of joy flashing across his face. After a brief hesitation, he raised a hand, his fingers trembling slightly as if forming a seal. Almost simultaneously, Han Li felt the remnants of his spiritual power surge violently within him, threatening to spill uncontrollably from his body.
Alarmed, Han Li swiftly cycled his cultivation technique several times, barely managing to suppress the turmoil. The old woman and the green-robed man also paled, similarly thrown into disarray. Clearly, this bizarre phenomenon wasn’t unique to him.
Before Han Li could discern what was happening, a resonant hum arose from several nearby formations. The surrounding light barrier trembled violently, releasing wisps of radiant mist that drifted toward the center of the formation. Upon contact with Frost Li’s body, these strands of light vanished without a trace.
Within moments, the barrier began to collapse, and the incoming mist turned milky-white, growing dense beyond measure.
“He’s drawing upon the energy of heaven and earth!” someone murmured in a voice laced with awe, envy, and even a hint of jealousy.
Han Li’s heart tightened at these words. Frost Li’s body now seemed like a bottomless pit, absorbing endless streams of icy energy. Apart from the intensifying golden glow in his eyes and the radiant brilliance between his brows, no other anomalies appeared.
This spectacle lasted for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before a series of cracking sounds erupted from Frost Li’s body. His seated form suddenly grew several inches taller, and the lotus mark between his brows expanded rapidly, obscuring most of his head before abruptly shrinking back to the size of a thumb, now crystalline and embedded in his forehead like a jewel.
The torrent of radiant mist halted abruptly, dissipating into nothingness. The turmoil in Han Li’s spiritual power also subsided, returning to normal.
Frost Li’s expression turned solemn as he formed another seal with his hands and slowly closed his eyes. The six-colored lotus between his brows dimmed, settling into tranquility.
“Has he succeeded in breaking through to Deity Transformation?” The same thought crossed everyone’s mind. The green-robed man and Bai Mengxin even showed faint traces of joy on their faces.
But before anyone could voice the question, a muffled groan escaped Frost Li’s lips. His face contorted abruptly, and his hands, which had been forming seals, clutched his head as if struck by unbearable pain.
This sudden turn left Han Li and the others stunned.
“Brother Frost Li, what’s wrong?” the green-robed man cried out urgently, though he dared not approach recklessly.
Frost Li barely managed to lift his head and glance at the man, but before he could speak, the lotus mark between his brows—previously stable—flared violently before detaching and falling away. With a soft pop, it burst apart, transforming into a shimmering six-colored orb of light.
Frost Li let out a piercing scream. After swaying unsteadily, he plummeted from the air, landing back onto the milky-white lotus below, where he curled into a trembling ball.
“Grand Elder!” Bai Mengxin could no longer remain seated. Exchanging a glance with the green-robed man, the two shot forward as streaks of black and white light.
Han Li and the other three exchanged bewildered looks but chose not to follow.
“I’m fine. It’s just backlash from the heaven and earth energy—a minor setback.” To everyone’s astonishment, Frost Li suddenly righted himself and resumed a seated posture, though his face was deathly pale and his earlier contortions had subsided.
Relieved, Bai Mengxin and the green-robed man halted midair above the lotus. Before they could inquire further, Frost Li flipped his hand, summoning a stack of silver daggers—the same ones he had used earlier. With a flick of his wrist, sixteen blades shot out, circling him before hovering point-down around his body.
With a low shout, Frost Li drove all sixteen daggers into his flesh in one motion. Only the hilts remained visible, the blades buried deep—everywhere except his head.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed as he watched intently. Frost Li’s body soon became wreathed in a chaotic aura of multicolored flames, dominated by blue and white but tinged with yellow, green, and other hues.
“Fellow Daoists, recall your cold flames immediately!” Frost Li commanded without opening his eyes.
The old monk chanted a Buddhist mantra and gestured toward Frost Li. The green flames clinging to Frost Li’s body coalesced into strands of spiritual mist before shooting back to the monk, who swept them into his sleeve with a flick.
Han Li and the others acted just as swiftly, each retrieving their respective cold flames. Within moments, only Frost Li’s own azure Dry Blue Iceflame remained, and the strange fragrance dissipated entirely.
Yet the Grand Elder of the Small Extreme Palace showed no signs of relaxation. Instead, he formed an esoteric seal with his hands and began chanting an arcane incantation. The silver daggers embedded in his body trembled faintly as white cold air seeped from their hilts, encasing them in crystalline ice.
When the chant ceased, Frost Li abruptly changed his hand seal. With a series of sharp cracks, blinding silver light erupted from the daggers, shattering their icy coatings into nothingness. But almost immediately, new layers of frost formed, only to be shattered again under the influence of his technique.
After several repetitions, Han Li’s lips twitched in realization. The Grand Elder was using the artifacts to forcibly expel the Profound Jade Cold Qi he had absorbed earlier. This confirmed that his breakthrough had failed—had he succeeded, the cold energy would have been nourishment rather than a hindrance.
A long sigh escaped Frost Li’s lips as he opened his eyes. Though his pupils had returned to their normal black-and-white appearance, his body remained that of a man in his thirties. He gazed skyward, his expression one of profound solitude.
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