Han Li naturally had no idea that the people of Han Li were spouting about the "Xitian Ding." At this moment, he stood within a vast, enclosed chamber, where before him stretched rows upon rows of stone platforms, each towering several zhang high, and he was momentarily stunned. The platforms were densely packed, stretching as far as a hundred zhang in width, and each one shimmered with colorful light shields, within which lay several jade scrolls of varying sizes. At the far end of the chamber, a staircase rising upward stood clearly visible, sealed off at the entrance by a thick, solid barrier. "This must be your palace's Library of Canon!" Han Li murmured, surprised, and after taking a deep breath, suddenly turned to an elderly man dressed in the attire of Xiaoji Palace and asked, "Yes, esteemed master. Our Library of Canon is divided into seven levels, but each level houses different categories of texts—not necessarily the more precious ones located at higher levels. However, each level is separated by a protective barrier to prevent the entering disciples from mixing up the scrolls. When the senior wishes to advance to the next level, they need only give a word to the junior, and the junior will remain outside, ready to receive instructions. "Understood," said Han Li, nodding calmly. "Yes, sir!" The elder bowed respectfully, then stepped back and closed the stone door behind him. With only Han Li now alone in the chamber, he walked without ceremony to a luminous dome, and gently shook the object in his hand against it. Instantly, a soft "crack" sounded, and the dome shattered, revealing three jade scrolls resting on the stone platform. Han Li picked up one at random and immersed his consciousness into it. At the same moment, in the White Qing Pavilion where Han Li had previously visited, on the second floor, two women in white robes stood facing each other, speaking softly. One was Bai Yao Yi; the other was the female cultivator who had appeared at the residence of Han Li's senior. The two looked somewhat similar, yet one was gentle and charming, while the other was unusually cold. "I've already spoken with my second sister about this. I know very little about this Mr. Han. Though he once claimed to be a wandering cultivator from overseas, the people from Yin Luo Sect and Tian Lan Temple later stated that he is actually a cultivator from the southern region of Tian Nan. His abilities are no less than those of a late Yuan Yin stage cultivator. He once held his own against the Silver-Winged Night Monkey in the Yin-Yang Cavern. As for how he managed to escape from Kunwu Mountain, my younger sister is not entirely clear on the details." Bai Yao Yi stood by the window of the pavilion, one hand resting on the window ledge and the other gently brushing her dark hair. Her brows were slightly furrowed, indicating a certain degree of displeasure. "Don't mind me, sister, for a cultivator at the mid-stage to possess such abilities—especially one from a remote region like Tian Nan—is truly hard to believe." The other woman, dressed in a white robe, spoke in a soft tone, yet her voice remained cold and expressionless, conveying no warmth or emotion at all. Bai Yaoyi did not find it unusual that the younger sister spoke to her in such a manner, knowing it stemmed from her cousin's overly rigid approach to cultivation. However, the persistent inquiries about Han Li that the woman had made still left her somewhat displeased. "I haven't known this person very well—our acquaintance only began when I recently went out. As for more specific details, I simply cannot provide any. Nevertheless, the information I previously shared with you was indeed truthful. What's going on? Why has the Senior Elder suddenly become so interested in Han Li?" Bai Yaoyi stepped several paces away from the window, asking calmly. "It's nothing really—just that this person possesses a particularly cold flame, exactly the one Master Han Li has been seeking. To be honest, Seventh Sister should have known about this long ago. Why hasn't she mentioned it to us?" The woman in white, her eyes gleaming, asked coldly. "I parted from him ten years ago, and I had no idea whether he would survive the journey back from Kunwu Mountain. How could I have suddenly brought this up to Master Han Li?" As for now, I had originally intended to find the ice spirit flower first, then bring up the matter opportunistically. Unforeseen, Master Ren had already mentioned it to the Senior Monk. "White Yao Yi replied with a look of disbelief. "Then I shall refrain from further inquiries. Since this guest possesses such extraordinary abilities, it would be wise to secure his support. Especially regarding his purple cold flame—its true power should be thoroughly understood." The woman in white spoke frankly. "Understood. I will certainly try to find out more when the opportunity arises." White Yao Yi slightly furrowed her brows, offering a tentative agreement. "That will be excellent. I shall now depart. Recently, there may be incursions by some beastly creatures against the North Ming Island—please keep a close watch." With that, the woman in white descended gracefully, her expression composed. White Yao Yi said nothing, merely gazing through the window as the shimmering light of the woman faded and vanished before the pavilion, her face solemn and thoughtful. Time flew by, and Han Li stayed in the藏经阁 of Xiao Ji Palace for seven or eight days without leaving a single step, having read through numerous volumes of texts that interested him—gaining profound benefits. Yet even so, he had only reached the third level. This fact alone made him quietly regretful. With the remaining time, he would likely manage only the fourth level of texts. One day, while reading a volume on rare medicinal herbs from the ancient era, a flash of fire suddenly shot into the chamber, passing right through the barrier at the entrance as if it were invisible. Han Li was momentarily startled, but immediately reached out with his spirit, catching the flash and drawing it into his hand—where it formed a lively, swirling ball of flame, a transmission scroll. With a careful mental scan of the information within the flame, Han Li's face brightened with delight. He then placed the jade tablet on the stone table and instantly summoned a streak of light, heading downward. After a cup of tea's worth of time, a streak of green light arrived at the entrance of Bai Ning's pavilion. A graceful young lady stood there, poised and elegant—none other than Bai Yaoyi. As the glow subsided, Han Li stepped into view before her, urgently asking, "Master Bai, have you indeed found the Ice Spirit Flower? Is this truly so?" "Of course it is true. We had originally expected at least a month before we would hear any news. Yet, I was surprised to learn that Brother Han managed to persuade the Grand Elder to mobilize so many personnel in search of this rare flower. With such extensive efforts, the pace has naturally accelerated several fold," said Bai Yaoyi, smiling gently at Han Li. "That's wonderful news. Now, Master Bai, you're quite convenient. Shall we set off immediately?" Han Li suppressed his joy and asked. "Of course. I've actually come here to guide Brother Han. However, this time the location of the ten-thousand-year-old prime ice is rather distant—it lies beyond the northern reaches of the Bingming Island. A journey there and back will likely take several days," Bai Yaoyi said, lightly sipping her cup and chuckling. "Hehe, how much time is this, really? As long as I can harvest the Xuangong flowers, I'll be willing to travel for a full year—definitely going, no matter what," Han Li laughed heartily and said without hesitation. White Yao Yi heard Han Li's words and only smiled gently, saying nothing. As for the two of them, they didn't waste any more time and soon stepped out of the Hanli Secret Realm, leaving the Ice City behind. They flew northward. On the way, White Yao Yi, in the flowing light, explained to Han Li the specific details about this ice that had lasted for ten thousand years. "Among the lairs of the Snow Roar Beasts?" Han Li said, somewhat surprised. "Exactly. At the time the ice was discovered, one of the disciples was so careless that the Snow Roar Beasts spotted him and chased him for over a hundred miles, eventually wounding him severely—almost causing his death." White Yao Yi nodded. "Oh, what level are these Snow Roar Beasts?" Han Li showed genuine interest. "This might disappoint you, Han brother. These beasts are only around five or six levels—quite ordinary, far from being impressive "Bai Yaoyi smiled. "Sixth or seventh level—indeed, not particularly valuable to capture?" Han Li chuckled. "But beyond that, we'll leave the Bei Ming Island and enter the icy sea. Here, it's not the same as within the island, where all creatures are beasts. The variety of beasts is endless, and the higher the distance from the island, the stronger the beasts become. Generally speaking, within a few days' journey, we won't encounter beasts of eighth level or above—so we have no worries at all. However, deep within the icy sea, there are often terrifying creatures, some even of tenth level. In fact, even the senior elders of the previous two generations once witnessed a tenth-level ancient ice phoenix far from the island—this is truly a descendant of the ancient spiritual beast lineage. A single such creature would be sufficient to match our entire small Ji Jing Palace's contingent of cultivators." Bai Yaoyi's voice grew serious. "A tenth-level ice phoenix!" Han Li was startled upon hearing this. "Brother Han, there's no need to worry." It is said that when our sect's founding master established the sect here, he had a fierce encounter with several of the most powerful beasts in the icy sea, and they had even made a mutual agreement. Our Small Jie Palace was to refrain from arbitrarily attacking high-ranking beasts of the icy sea, and the high-ranking beasts were to remain beyond a range of one hundred thousand li from the North Ming Island, otherwise our palace's cultivators could deal with them as they saw fit. Lower-ranking beasts, however, were not bound by this agreement. Throughout the years, the groups of beasts that have launched attacks on our Small Jie Palace have all come from other regions of the Great Jin, migrating to the northern lands. If the icy sea beasts had also intervened, our palace would have long since been completely destroyed. This situation has remained unchanged since ancient times—otherwise, how could our Small Jie Palace still stand on this peninsula today? Bai Yaoyi explained. "Such a thing indeed exists. Then, it seems our journey should be free of risks." Han Li was surprised, yet immediately smiled. "That's not certain. The agreement is merely an agreement." High-ranking spirit beasts still occasionally erupted with their fierce, unruly energies, charging in without regard for anything. As a result, we nearly lose a palace disciple to their hands every year. We must be especially cautious on this journey!" Bai Yaoyi shook her head and said. "Only a few days' journey, and yet we're already back—how remarkably coincidental!" Han Li glanced down at the shimmering ice sea and remarked calmly. Then, a surge of emerald light radiated out, increasing their speed by another third. In truth, Bai Yaoyi had thought the same, merely expressing it verbally. Observing this, her eyes sparkled with subtle movement, and a sharp, cold glow surrounded her, instantly catching up with the others. Indeed, along the way, no traces of high-ranking spirit beasts were spotted, and even among the lower-ranking ones, they had only seen a few groups. After three days and three nights of continuous flight, they finally reached the sky above a vast ice fissure.