“As far as I know, the Frost Essence can only be found in the Small Extreme Palace. If it weren’t for the fact that the Small Extreme Palace once had Divine Transformation cultivators and the Sun Essence Fire is extremely rare, this item would have been forcibly taken by other cultivators long ago. Although the Small Extreme Palace no longer has Divine Transformation cultivators now, the Frost Essence mysteriously disappeared many years ago. I once personally infiltrated the Small Extreme Palace to search for it but found nothing. How did you obtain this Frost Essence? Could it be the very bottle that went missing from the Small Extreme Palace?” Old Devil Hu’s voice transmitted over, laced with suspicion.
“Of course not. What are the odds of that missing bottle ending up in my hands? I merely obtained a small amount from the Profound Jade within the Void Spirit Hall’s Profound Jade Cave of the Small Extreme Palace. And for this exchange, I naturally won’t offer all of it. Dividing it slightly, it should barely suffice for two portions of the Sun-Returning Water.” Han Li replied calmly, as if he had anticipated the question.
“Hmph, I don’t care where it came from. This item isn’t something one should consume excessively—enough for my use is sufficient. But if you truly intend to use it as an exchange, I have another condition. Agree to it, and I’ll let Fairy Zi Ling leave Devilfall Mountain.” The Wooden Crown Elder suddenly stopped transmitting his voice and spoke aloud, his gaze shifting.
“What condition?” A flicker of surprise crossed Han Li’s face. This additional demand was unexpected.
“Simple. Aside from handing over what you promised, you must also endure a single strike from me—no dodging, and no using Immortal-Slaying Pearls. Regardless of whether you withstand it or not, I won’t cause further trouble.” The Wooden Crown Elder’s icy gaze swept over Zi Ling as he spoke emotionlessly.
Upon hearing this condition, Xiang Zhili’s expression flickered momentarily before returning to normal. Meanwhile, Old Freak Feng shot the old devil a puzzled glance.
The others wore varied expressions of confusion.
Old Devil Hu’s sudden change in demeanor had already left them bewildered, unsure what rare treasure Han Li had produced to shock a Divine Transformation cultivator so. Now, hearing this condition, they were rendered speechless.
“Endure a strike from you without dodging?” Han Li’s pupils contracted slightly as he muttered the words to himself.
“Indeed, that’s the condition. If I don’t teach you a small lesson, others might truly think the master of Devilfall Palace can’t even protect his own concubines!” The old devil sneered.
Silence once again fell over the hall. Many speculated inwardly—was Old Devil Hu still harboring murderous intent, planning to kill Han Li in one strike? After all, the gap between a Nascent Soul cultivator and a Divine Transformation cultivator was immense. Without evasion, how could anyone survive a direct blow?
As all eyes turned to Han Li, Zi Ling’s face turned deathly pale.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly gritted her teeth.
“Brother Han, there’s no need for an exchange. I’ve changed my mind—I won’t leave Devilfall Palace. You should go on your own.” Her voice was strained, laced with bitterness.
Han Li was momentarily taken aback but quickly understood her intention and chuckled softly. Before he could respond, Old Devil Hu interjected coldly, “Do you think Devilfall Palace is a place where you can come and go as you please? Once I agree to this trade, whether you wish to stay or leave is no longer your choice. Han boy, you wouldn’t refuse, would you?”
“Of course I wouldn’t. If it’s just one strike, I’d like to try enduring it.” Han Li shook his head at Zi Ling and agreed without hesitation.
The old devil smirked, raising a hand and pointing a finger at Zi Ling.
She immediately felt a tingling numbness in her dantian, her face paling as she let out a soft gasp. Moments later, several black threads shot out from her body, coiling like serpents before vanishing into the old devil’s finger.
Zi Ling straightened, circulating her spiritual power briefly before her expression shifted to shock and delight. The spiritual energy she had been unable to summon now surged forth unrestrained.
Han Li swept his divine sense over her and, after a moment, nodded in satisfaction. The restrictions within her body had indeed been lifted.
“Now, the item!” Old Devil Hu wasted no time, his voice icy as he demanded.
Han Li’s lips curled slightly as he flicked his sleeve, sending a streak of white light shooting forth.
The old devil’s eyes gleamed as he snatched the light from the air—revealing a milky-white jade vial.
After a brief inspection, he waved his sleeve over the vial, causing the lid to open. Simultaneously, ripples of black light spread outward, forming a barrier to prevent prying divine senses.
The Wooden Crown Elder’s cautious demeanor only heightened the others’ curiosity. Even Xiang Zhili stroked his beard thoughtfully.
After a short while, Old Devil Hu’s face broke into a faint smile. Resealing the vial, he stored it away with a flip of his hand.
His expression then darkened as he turned back to Han Li, his aura turning murderous. In a flash of black light, he shot out of the hall like a shadow, leaving behind cold words:
“Han boy, I’ll be waiting outside. Don’t keep me waiting too long.”
Before the echoes faded, the black light had vanished beyond the hall’s entrance.
Han Li showed no panic. Instead, he leisurely poured himself another cup of spirit wine, drank it, and stood calmly.
“Brother Han, are you truly going to endure his strike? He’s a Divine Transformation cultivator!” Zi Ling’s brows furrowed with worry.
“Don’t worry. If it’s just one strike, I have some confidence.” Han Li smiled reassuringly.
Back when he was still at mid-Nascent Soul stage, he had withstood a blow from the Ancient Demon Ancestor’s split soul. Facing a Divine Transformation cultivator now, he felt prepared.
“Then I’ll accompany you. I’ll watch from the side.” Zi Ling’s eyes shone with determination.
Meeting her gaze, Han Li hesitated briefly before nodding. With a flash of light, he took her hand, and the two vanished in a streak of azure light.
The others in the hall—Blue-robed Scholar and the rest—quickly followed, eager to witness the spectacle. Even the two other concubines-to-be, after a brief hesitation, exited with their attendants.
In moments, only Xiang Zhili and Old Freak Feng remained.
They sat silently, unmoving.
“Brother Xiang, what do you think?” Old Freak Feng broke the silence.
“About what?” Xiang Zhili replied neutrally.
“About whatever that Han boy offered to make Old Devil Hu disregard the humiliation of losing a concubine. There aren’t many things in this world that could move that old devil.” Old Freak Feng smirked.
“If there aren’t many, then there are some. What’s so strange about that?” Xiang Zhili remained unperturbed.
“Don’t you want to know what it was? If it could make Old Devil Hu lose his composure, it might be useful to us as well.” Old Freak Feng’s gaze deepened meaningfully.
“Even if it were a treasure to break our current bottlenecks or a medicine to extend our lives by a century or two, what then? Do you think breaking through would let us ascend to the Spirit Realm? Or that living another century or two would let us reach late Divine Transformation? Unless it can achieve either, we should focus on finding spatial nodes. That’s our only path to immortality. Why complicate things?” Xiang Zhili sighed.
“You’re right, Brother Xiang. I let greed cloud my judgment. Whatever that item is, it’s in Old Devil Hu’s hands now—no chance for us. And he clearly has no intention of sharing. Still, demanding Han Li endure a strike… that old devil is up to no good. Does he really plan to kill the boy?” Old Freak Feng mused before shaking his head wryly.
“It won’t come to that. I’ve already warned Fellow Daoist Hu. Besides, Junior Brother Han wouldn’t agree if he weren’t confident. Still, given the old devil’s temperament, perhaps we should observe—just in case he does something reckless.” Xiang Zhili frowned, rising to his feet.
Old Freak Feng nodded and stood as well.
In a blur, the two vanished from the hall.
They reappeared moments later outside, where Han Li and the Wooden Crown Elder floated in mid-air, facing each other—one calm, the other expressionless.
Below, scattered groups of cultivators watched, joined by hundreds of palace maids whispering excitedly. Such a direct display by the palace master was a rare sight.
“If Old Devil Hu goes all out, do you think Han boy can survive?” Old Freak Feng squinted at the sky before turning to Xiang Zhili with a peculiar smile.
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