“In a word, while the Moonfrost Realm may contain many rare spiritual treasures, it ultimately depends on whether you have the fortune to obtain them.” A clear voice echoed from outside the hall, followed by a streak of white light shooting straight through the entrance.
As the light dissipated, it revealed a middle-aged man in a black robe, with narrow eyes, a pale complexion, and a hooked nose.
“Elder Ma, you arrived faster than expected. I thought Brother Huang would be the first to arrive,” Qianjizi said with a smile upon seeing the man.
Han Li immediately realized that this must be another elder of the Ancient Cloud Clan at the Body Integration stage and hastily rose to greet him.
“Elder Huang is currently refining a batch of pills. Even if he received the news earlier than I did, he would still need some time. Is this the foreigner you mentioned, the one who activated the Moonfrost Token?” Elder Ma swept his gaze over Han Li and asked indifferently.
“Indeed, it is this junior,” Han Li replied honestly.
“Hmm, upper race, seventh tier. Your cultivation is quite impressive—far denser than most of your peers. Even eighth or ninth-tier cultivators might struggle against you,” Elder Ma remarked, seemingly able to discern Han Li’s true strength with a glance.
“My cultivation technique is somewhat unique, granting me an advantage in spiritual power,” Han Li said humbly, though inwardly shocked.
“An advantage? If opponents underestimate you due to your apparent cultivation level, they might find themselves outmaneuvered. Hmm… your spiritual sense is also extraordinary for an upper race cultivator.” Elder Ma’s eyes flashed with golden light as he used some secret technique, revealing even Han Li’s formidable spiritual sense.
Han Li could no longer maintain his composure, his expression shifting slightly.
“Enough, Elder Ma. Your ‘Spirit-Sight’ technique is unparalleled in our clan, so your assessment must be accurate. But this isn’t surprising—Brother Han once single-handedly slew several cultivators of his own tier in an instant while rescuing Master Jia. He is no ordinary upper race cultivator,” the plump elder said dismissively.
“Oh? I see. Then I was merely showing off in front of an expert. Please, take a seat,” Elder Ma chuckled and sat beside Qianjizi.
Han Li suppressed his surprise and sat back down with a wry smile.
“Earlier, I overheard your discussion about the Moonfrost Realm. It seems Brother Han knows little about it. Elder Qian, why beat around the bush? Just tell him the most critical details directly,” Elder Ma said, turning to Qianjizi with a hint of dissatisfaction.
“I was about to, but you arrived and interrupted me,” Qianjizi replied, spreading his hands in mock frustration.
“Haha, then I was too hasty,” Elder Ma laughed.
“Since you’re here, why don’t you explain it to Brother Han? After all, you’ve personally entered the Moonfrost Realm before. Your account would be far more valuable than mine,” Qianjizi suggested with a sly grin.
“What is there to say? My own experience was mediocre—I obtained no heaven-defying treasures or spiritual herbs. The true value of the Moonfrost Realm lies in its dense spiritual energy, which allows cultivators stuck at bottlenecks to break through. Without that trip, I wouldn’t have reached my current cultivation level,” Elder Ma said, his expression turning peculiar.
“Breaking through bottlenecks with its spiritual energy?” Han Li was surprised.
“Indeed. The treasures within are secondary—whether you obtain them depends on luck. I only gathered some common herbs and left nearly empty-handed. Others, however, found rare materials and forged spirit treasures with them,” Elder Ma sighed regretfully.
“You should be grateful. Many of your peers envied you for being chosen to enter the Moonfrost Palace. At least I never had that chance,” the plump elder retorted.
“If I had your talent, breaking through the Saint Race bottleneck in just over a thousand years, I wouldn’t have needed the Moonfrost Realm either. But you know it’s no peaceful place,” Elder Ma replied coolly.
“True. Each time the Moonfrost Realm opens, hundreds of tokens appear across the Thunder Continent. The number of people each token can transport depends on the strength of the teleportation array. Our clan can send about a dozen per token, but some races with superior arrays can send over thirty. Unfortunately, we can’t obtain their techniques, or we could send more. With so many entering, chaos is inevitable,” Qianjizi frowned.
“Worse, each token teleports users to random locations. If you end up near hostile factions, conflict is unavoidable. Everyone knows breaking through inside increases success rates by at least thirty percent—no one wants their enemies gaining such an advantage,” Elder Ma added, as if explaining to Han Li or simply musing aloud.
Han Li’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.
“Beyond that, looting and killings become rampant later on. But the greatest dangers are the Moonfrost Realm itself. Though no true immortals have been seen there, it houses ancient beasts of terrifying power—none that entrants can oppose. If you encounter a docile one, fleeing may suffice. But if it’s hostile, survival is all you can hope for. There are also deadly restrictions, likely left by immortals. Stumbling into them is almost always fatal. Fewer than half who enter ever return,” Qianjizi added grimly.
Han Li’s expression darkened. After a long silence, he asked, “May I ask when the Moonfrost Realm was discovered, and how these tokens came to be?”
“That question stumps us both. The exact era is unclear, but it was found in ancient times, likely after a great war where multiple races wielded Heavenborn Treasures. Their combined power accidentally shattered space, opening a path to this realm. As for the tokens, they appeared alongside the realm’s emergence—originally numbering over a thousand. Over time, most were destroyed, leaving only the current few,” Qianjizi explained.
“The realm’s entry and exit are peculiar. Entering requires the token and a teleportation array, but leaving demands leaving the token behind. After ten thousand years, the tokens reappear across the continent in mysterious ways. They cannot transport Saint Race cultivators or higher, forcing us to rely on lower-tier entrants. That’s why it’s so troublesome. I’m curious—how did you obtain your token?” Elder Ma’s gaze sharpened, his tone turning icy.
Han Li’s heart skipped a beat, but he replied calmly, “This token was given to me by a fellow cultivator of your clan, surnamed Yuan. When our city was besieged by the Horned Race, he entrusted three jade boxes to three of us, instructing us to deliver them to any of the Thirteen Cloud Races or destroy them if escape was impossible. Out of curiosity, I opened mine and inadvertently activated the token.”
“Yuan? Then this must be one of the tokens obtained by our clansman stationed at Greenlight City,” Qianjizi nodded, unsurprised, as if he had already guessed.
Han Li felt a chill.
Meanwhile, Elder Ma’s expression darkened. “If no other tokens have reached the Cloud City, the rest must have fallen to the Horned Race. The others failed to escape?”
“Likely. With two Saint Race experts leading the attack and a fortress-class warship deployed, Brother Han’s survival was already a miracle,” Qianjizi sighed.
“This complicates matters. Our thirteen races now hold only seventeen or eighteen tokens—far fewer than before. Meanwhile, the Horned Race’s numbers entering the realm will surge,” Elder Ma said grimly.
“Nothing can be done. All discoverable tokens have been gathered. When we first heard of five more, I thought it a great opportunity. But the Horned Race’s sudden assault prevented their retrieval,” Qianjizi mused, shaking his head.
“Since it’s done, there’s no use dwelling on it. Brother Han, when the Moonfrost Realm opens, you will accompany our chosen entrants,” Elder Ma declared, his tone brooking no argument.
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