"My name is Han. I once made a promise with Bai Xianzi." Han Li replied calmly. "Ah, Brother Han! Bai Xianzi—do you mean Bai Yaoyi, my junior sister?" The named cultivator paused slightly, then spoke with a touch of realization. "Indeed, it is Master Bai." Han Li replied without changing his expression. "Then that's perfect. I've just returned to the palace and had intended to seek out Sister Bai as well. Why don't I show you the way?" The named cultivator's eyes flashed with sudden enthusiasm, and he offered the suggestion warmly. Han Li's expression remained unchanged, though a subtle sense of surprise stirred within him. Yet before he could think of a response, a sudden flash of red light erupted in the distance, and a streak of red radiance shot straight toward Shi Yun. "It's Bai Shuzi's transmission seal!" Shi Yun caught the flame in his hand and quickly explained. With that, the words Han Li had just about to utter were swallowed back into his chest. As a result, Shi Yun immersed his mind in the flame's glow and, after a brief moment of urgency, immediately bowed respectfully to Han Li and said, "Master Han, I heard you've arrived and are very pleased. White Senior Sister has just concluded her meditation. Please come to White Ning Pavilion with me." "White Ning Pavilion," Shi Yun said. "Go about your business, Shi Yun. Master Han, let's go." The named cultivator spoke without hesitation. Upon hearing this, Shi Yun could not possibly object. Han Li's brow slightly furrowed, and he found it difficult to express any reluctance, so he simply nodded and said, "Then I shall be grateful to Brother Ren." "Ha ha! We are as close as brothers and sisters. Since you're a close friend of White Senior Sister, you're also one of my friends. Please, Master Han!" The named cultivator said politely, then transformed into a streak of crimson light, leading the way ahead. Han Li followed without hesitation. "Is this your first visit to our small Jiji Palace?" the named cultivator suddenly asked as they drifted through the light. "Indeed, this is my first time coming to the North Ming Island." Your palace truly deserves its reputation as the foremost sect of the north—its grandeur is indeed no ordinary thing," Han Li chuckled. Upon hearing this, the named cultivator's expression softened with a touch of pride. "Han brother is most kind in your praise. However, if it weren't for the fact that our palace is located in a remote area, joining among the top ten major sects of the orthodox and demonic traditions would certainly not have been difficult. By the way, Bai sister has only left the palace once in the past decade—most of the time, she has been in seclusion. I believe you met her last time she departed, didn't you? As for your own profound cultivation, could you tell me which sect you hail from? I must confess, though our palace is situated in the far north, I frequently travel throughout the Great Jin realm and thus have some knowledge of the more renowned sects." With this shift in tone, he subtly inquired about Han Li's background. Han Li smiled lightly. "I am not from the Great Jin realm, and it is no surprise that you may not know this. As for more detailed information, Bai Lady does know a few things about my origins." Gazing at the other, Han Li "Heh, I see now. I always thought that the Great Jin Dynasty truly produced a high-level cultivator of my friend’s caliber, yet he remained so quietly unremarked upon." Upon sensing a subtle hint of displeasure in Han Li’s tone, Ren Bi chuckled lightly and decided not to press further. After all, discovering that Han Li was not originally from the Great Jin Dynasty was already a worthwhile achievement. At that moment, the two arrived at the entrance of the Ice City, their trailing light glimmers fading as they settled down. The sky above the Ice City was veiled in a soft, diffused glow, completely covering the entire area beyond the towering mountain—clearly an exceptionally powerful seal. Standing beneath the Ice City, Han Li found himself even more struck by its splendor. Though the ice walls, stretching thirty zhang in height, did not appear particularly imposing, their extraordinary transparency and luminous quality utterly captivated him, drawing his attention and holding it effortlessly. What strikes one most is that the entire ice wall is not constructed from brick-like blocks of ice, but rather uniformly transparent, as if a single massive ice block had been masterfully carved into shape, with not a single crack or seam visible. At the city gate, there are over a dozen cultivators dressed in white garments on duty. Though the most advanced among them holds no more than Foundation Stage cultivation, what stands out is the presence of several white spiritual beasts resembling monkeys, with long, snow-white fur, standing half-squat, their green eyes gleaming with a cold, eerie radiance. These monkey-like beasts are known as snow monkeys, native to the extreme cold regions. While these beasts are not particularly high-ranked, they are exceptionally intelligent and easy to train, making them commonly kept by cultivators throughout the northern lands. However, these particular snow monkeys differ in several ways—each is notably taller than ordinary snow monkeys, and each exudes an aura of a spiritual beast of level four or five, a level that nearly matches that of a Foundation Stage cultivator. This impressed Han Li, who glanced at them several times. It seems that as the leading sect of the northern lands, Xiaoji Gong must possess some unique and secret techniques in taming these snow apes. As soon as the city gate cultivators spotted the Ren-family cultivator approaching, they immediately lined up on either side, bowing respectfully and repeatedly calling out "Senior Un-cousin." Yet Master Ren barely nodded, merely offering a quiet "Hmm," and then strode confidently forward. Though the younger cultivators found Master Han somewhat unfamiliar, they naturally remained silent and made no inquiries, given that he was accompanied by the esteemed Senior Un-cousin. However, as Han stepped through the city gate and passed by the several snow apes, an unexpected turn occurred. The apes suddenly emitted a series of low, mournful sounds, then panicked, retreating in a flurry. Several young cultivators from Xiaoji Gong were startled and immediately began issuing sharp, rhythmic commands in ape language, but the snow apes paid no attention at all. Instead, they all curled up on one side, arms wrapped tightly around their heads, displaying an unmistakable sense of profound reverence toward Han. Upon seeing this scene, the Daoist named Ren could not help but exclaim, "Hm," and glanced at Han Li, his face revealing a touch of curiosity. "Have you accompanied yourself with a high-tier ape-type spirit beast? Though these snow apes may not be particularly useful, they are remarkably sensitive to the presence of their own kind. Their sudden fear suggests your spirit beast is no ordinary one." "Indeed, I do have one such ape-type spirit beast with me," Han Li replied, "but it's rather unremarkable—rarely called upon." Upon hearing this, Han Li immediately understood that the snow apes had sensed the啼魂 within the spirit-beast bag, which explained their fear. He spoke casually, as if completely unaware of the need to summon the啼魂. Ren smiled gently and did not press further. Thus, the two proceeded into the heart of the ice city. The main thoroughfare of the city was straight and broad, with the ground itself covered in a thick layer of ice, extending all the way to the city gates. From a distance, the streets were not particularly crowded, mostly occupied by lower-ranked cultivators dressed in yellow and white robes. The buildings along the sides were neatly arranged, making the place more like a castle than a city. Before Han Li could take a closer look, the Ren-family cultivator at his side once again transformed into a streak of light, shooting straight upward toward the massive mountain. Han Li nodded slightly, then took off without a word, following closely. A short while later, the two of them landed on a broad ice platform halfway up the mountain. "Below, Brother Han will need to walk up the mountain with me," the Ren-family cultivator smiled and explained. "From this point on, it's within the Inner Palace's jurisdiction. Though I am also a senior elder of the Inner Palace, I must still abide by the palace regulations." Han Li gave a slight nod, showing his understanding. Then, the two of them slowly ascended along a shimmering ice staircase that ran up the platform. It was not common for small-jing palace disciples to have the privilege of entering the Inner Palace, and they encountered only a few people along the way. Upon seeing the Ren-family cultivator, each of the disciples approached with respectful bows. Yet, towards these inner palace disciples, the young elder of Xiaoji Palace was entirely different from how he had been at the city gate—no matter their level of cultivation, he greeted them all with a warm, smiling demeanor. Carefully observing, Han Li noticed that these inner palace cultivators, regardless of their修为 levels, all possessed exceptional talent. Moreover, with his own mastery of array techniques, Han Li had identified at least three or four places along the way where even he felt a profound sense of awe at the strength of the defensive seals. It seemed that Xiaoji Palace must have at least one master-level array specialist. This further deepened Han Li's interest in Xiaoji Palace, and he silently resolved to seek out this array master and exchange insights on array techniques at a later time. As he pondered, the Ren-family cultivator led Han Li here and there, winding through a more secluded path, until they finally reached the end and found themselves before a towering ice wall, approximately several hundred zhang high. Han Li glanced at the ice wall, his eyebrows furrowing slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. At that moment, the Daoist named Ren raised his hand and produced a jade plaque shimmering with silver light. A cascade of silver radiance surged from the plaque, flashing and vanishing into the ice wall. A short while later, the ice wall trembled silently, gradually splitting in two along its center to reveal a passage two zhang wide. Ren turned to explain to Han Li: "The structures on the mountain summit that appear like palaces are merely residential quarters for the lower-level disciples of the Inner Palace. The truly advanced Inner Palace disciples actually reside within this hidden realm behind the ice wall—the true heart of our Xiaojing Palace. Had it not been for your close friendship with Bai's younger sister, I would never have dared to bring any outsider here." Han Li smiled faintly at Ren's slightly boastful tone, yet remained unconvinced. He suspected that the Cold-Li Secret Realm was already well known among northern Daoist circles and had long ceased to be a secret. Otherwise, how could Bai Yao Yi have directly summoned herself to this place, and how could this person so easily have brought her here? Indeed, though they had never exchanged words before, upon their very first meeting, she seemed eager to be friendly—something that left Han Li puzzled and more vigilant than before. Yet now, as she invited him inside, Han Li had no hesitation and the two walked side by side into the corridor. The corridor was not very long, only about a hundred zhang in length. When Han Li stepped out of the corridor and glanced ahead, he could not help but be taken aback. Verdant and lush, with birdsong and floral fragrance, the place appeared to be a fully enclosed valley, surrounded on all sides. Various rare flowers and herbs were planted throughout, bathed in bright sunlight, with a climate that remained spring-like year-round. The valley spanned several li in area, enclosed tightly by green mountain walls, and nestled against these walls, a series of elegant pavilions and terraces had been constructed, exquisitely designed. In the very center of the valley, three grand palaces built of white jade stand, occupying nearly one-third of the valley's total area. Han Li gazed at the three palaces, yet his face slightly changed, a sudden sense of dread rising within him.