“So rare, this thing must have some special properties, right?” Han Li stared at the silver bead in the jade dish, his eyes flickering as he asked.
“More than just a little special! For us cultivators, it’s mostly just a top-tier auxiliary material for refining artifacts and pills. But if it falls into the hands of demonic beasts, they would fight to the death for it without hesitation. This is a supreme life-saving treasure for demonic beasts undergoing their form-transformation lightning tribulation,” the Great Divination Sage replied.
“Demonic beasts’ form-transformation lightning tribulation?” Even though Han Li had mentally prepared himself, he couldn’t help but freeze for a moment upon hearing this.
“Indeed. There are countless high-level demonic beasts in this world, but very few reach the peak of the seventh rank and safely survive the form-transformation tribulation. After all, the power of heavenly lightning inherently suppresses most demonic beasts—for them, the tribulation is practically a death sentence. But if a demonic beast consumes a drop of this silver bead transformed from Cold Essence before the tribulation, it can significantly reduce the damage inflicted by the lightning on its body for a certain period. Can you imagine how precious this Cold Essence is to them? However, not many human cultivators in the immortal cultivation world know about this. The Northern Night Palace of Minor Extremity, due to their unique ice-attribute cultivation techniques, is one of the few who do. Back when I traveled through the Great Jin, I once fought with their high-ranking cultivators and thus recognized this item. It’s also said that every thousand years or so, some high-level demonic beasts in the Great Jin secretly gather at the Northern Dark Ice Island, where the Minor Extremity Palace is located, and desperately attack the palace in an attempt to force its cultivators to hand over some Cold Essence.”
“Such a thing exists?” Han Li found it hard to believe.
“Why is that strange? Without Cold Essence, nine out of ten demonic beasts would perish during their form-transformation tribulation. If they’re lucky enough to obtain a single drop, their chances of survival skyrocket. Of course they’d go all out. Moreover, during these times, the old monsters of the Ten Thousand Demons Valley take the lead in organizing the attacks. Even if they fail, the demonic beasts suffer minimal losses. However, the Northern Night Palace of Minor Extremity inherited ancient formations from a primordial great cultivator, and the island itself sits atop the frigid eye of the Heavenly Origin Yin Vein. The bone-chilling cold within a radius of ten thousand li can kill without a trace. Demonic beasts who haven’t cultivated ice-attribute techniques must expend most of their spiritual power just to resist the cold, leaving them unable to fight the palace’s cultivators at full strength. That’s why, despite their ferocious assaults, they’ve never truly conquered the Northern Dark Island. But given how precious this Cold Essence is, how did that guy you killed obtain it? Check if there’s any special marking on the vial.” After explaining, the Great Divination Sage seemed puzzled.
“A marking? There’s a snowflake pattern at the bottom of this vial. Does that count?” Han Li’s expression shifted slightly as he ran his finger over the base.
“That settles it. That’s the emblem of the Northern Dark Island. It seems this vial is indeed the Minor Extremity Palace’s Cold Essence. But for it to end up in the hands of a mere early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, casually stored in a storage pouch, is rather odd,” the Great Divination Sage mused, as if contemplating the mystery.
“Strange things happen all the time in this world. Maybe someone stole it from the Northern Dark Island, or perhaps a palace cultivator defected with it, and it coincidentally fell into that man’s hands. But earlier, you said this Cold Essence is only useful to us cultivators as an auxiliary material for refining artifacts and pills. If that’s the case, why would the Minor Extremity Palace fight generation after generation against the demonic beasts for it? Why not just hand it over?” Han Li frowned as he pondered.
“Many informed cultivators in the Great Jin have raised the same question. The palace’s official stance is that they’re suppressing the emergence of eighth-rank demonic beasts to maintain stability in the Great Jin’s cultivation world. Otherwise, this small vial of Cold Essence could spawn dozens of eighth-rank demonic beasts—a force powerful enough to disrupt the balance among the Great Jin’s factions and cause chaos. But this explanation only fools the ignorant. Back when I fought that high-ranking Minor Extremity Palace cultivator—likely a deputy palace master—he was so arrogant that after I defeated and killed him, I used soul-searching techniques on him. By chance, I uncovered a secret about the Cold Essence.” The Great Divination Sage paused, as if recalling something.
“A secret?” Han Li’s eyebrows rose with keen interest.
“Indeed. Had I not seen this Cold Essence, I might have forgotten it entirely. This matter is likely known only to a few high-ranking members of the Minor Extremity Palace. The truth is, besides being a refining material, the primary use of Cold Essence is as the main ingredient for the ancient secret elixir—the ‘Reviving Yang True Water’,” the Great Divination Sage said gravely.
“Reviving Yang Water? The legendary elixir that can regenerate flesh from bones and endlessly repair the body?” Han Li gasped in shock.
“Exactly. It’s said that no matter how severe the bodily damage—even if one is dismembered—sprinkling this elixir on the wounds can instantly restore the body to its original state. Some texts even claim it has the heaven-defying power to revive the dead. Of course, these are just rumors, and no one knows their veracity. But one thing all texts agree on is that Reviving Yang Water can extend a cultivator’s lifespan—by as much as a quarter of their natural life. Do you understand what that means?” the Great Divination Sage said coolly.
“It means late-stage Golden Core cultivators could have a chance to advance to the Nascent Soul stage, and late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators might even reach the Deity Transformation stage,” Han Li murmured, exhaling deeply.
“Of course, Cold Essence is just one main ingredient for refining Reviving Yang True Water. To truly concoct it, among other rare materials, the Solar Essence Fire found deep beneath ten thousand zhang of molten lava is indispensable. Only when tempered by this fire can the Cold Essence achieve the balance of yin and yang necessary to produce Reviving Yang Water. Otherwise, it’s just a waste,” the Great Divination Sage said meaningfully.
“Solar Essence Fire? Where would one even find that? Forget how long an ordinary cultivator could survive under ten thousand zhang of molten lava—what are the odds of this fire forming there? And once it does, it gains sentience, moving unpredictably through the lava. How could anyone capture it? Even if you had the fire, without the recipe for Reviving Yang Water, it’d be pointless,” Han Li said self-deprecatingly.
The Great Divination Sage fell silent for a long moment before speaking slowly, “I have no solution for the Solar Essence Fire, but I do possess the recipe. Have you forgotten, Fellow Daoist Han? The deputy palace master I killed back then had this formula imprinted in his consciousness. At the time, I found it intriguing and casually memorized it. If you truly wish to refine this elixir, I can provide it to you.”
“You have the recipe? That’s incredible! Then I’ll hold onto it for now. Perhaps it’ll prove useful someday,” Han Li said, startled at first, then overjoyed. With Reviving Yang True Water, his chances of advancing to the Deity Transformation stage would greatly increase.
“But the Solar Essence Fire is something no cultivator in this realm could hope to capture. I advise you not to pin too much hope on it. Otherwise, why haven’t the successive generations of grand cultivators in the Minor Extremity Palace, who’ve held both the recipe and Cold Essence for so long, ever succeeded in refining it?” The Great Divination Sage spoke indifferently, then, without waiting for Han Li’s response, sent out a pale yellow jade slip from the bamboo tube—having already replicated the Reviving Yang Water formula in such a short time.
“Many thanks, Senior. I’ll keep it just in case,” Han Li said with a light chuckle, snatching the jade slip.
“Since your Snow Crystal Pearl is also refined from Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Jade, incorporating a few drops of Cold Essence could significantly enhance its spirituality and power. Don’t forget that,” the Great Divination Sage added as a final reminder before falling silent, as if he’d said enough for the day.
Han Li’s brow twitched slightly. Even without the reminder, he’d have done so.
Yet one thing still intrigued him: the terrifying cold emitted by the Cold Essence. Could his Purple Apex Extreme Fire absorb and fuse with it? Would it elevate the fire’s power further?
With this thought, Han Li poured the silver bead back into the vial. Then, without hesitation, he spread his fingers, summoning a sphere of purple flame in his palm. With a flip of his hand, the fireball transformed into a delicate barrier sealing the vial’s mouth.
His other hand formed a seal as he muttered an incantation.
The purple flames flickered, and under the chant, the fiery threads on the barrier began rotating on their own, spinning faster and faster. Moments later, a wisp of dazzling silver cold energy slowly emerged from the vial, ethereal and radiant.
Han Li uttered a low command and flicked out a cyan spell seal. The barrier absorbed it, trembled, and reverted to a fist-sized fireball, tightly enveloping the silver cold energy within.
He then recapped the vial and beckoned to the purple fireball, which shot toward him in a flash.
Opening his mouth, Han Li swallowed the purple fireball and silver cold energy whole. He then sat cross-legged on the ground, slowly closing his eyes.
Within his dantian, his two-inch-tall Nascent Soul opened its eyes—clear and bright. Before it, the purple fireball rotated gently, a silver spark flickering inside.
The Nascent Soul blinked, then formed a seal with its tiny hands. A radiant cyan glow emanated from its body as it sent out a series of spell seals.
The purple fireball erupted into full blaze, and the silver spark within transformed into silver flames, intertwining and merging with the purple fire.
Outside, Han Li’s physical body remained expressionless, completely immersed in meditation, motionless.
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