Han Li and the other two also stood up. Han Li the Elder took a few steps forward and approached the massive tripod beside it. With a single gesture, she chanted softly, and the tripod immediately began to emit resonant hums, radiating intense blue light. Its size rapidly shrunk, and within moments it had shrunk to the size of a clenched fist, hovering in midair. Meanwhile, an oddly dark opening mysteriously appeared on the ground beneath the tripod, and a shimmering ice staircase slanted downward, leading to an unknown destination. Han Li the Elder extended her hand and summoned the small tripod, placing it into her large sleeve, then led the way down. Bai Mengxin and the middle-aged man in green robes followed closely behind. The old woman and the gray-robed monk exchanged glances and then proceeded as well. Han Li narrowed his eyes, observing the opening for a moment, a faint smile playing on his lips before he too stepped down. Not far inside, the originally dark passage gradually became illuminated. At this point, everyone could see clearly that the walls of the corridor were equally constructed of dark ice, with moonstone stones of egg-sized embedded at regular intervals, glowing softly and radiating a luminous brilliance, as if they were in a crystal palace. After descending some hundreds of feet, they finally reached the end of the ice stairs, after which the corridor became straight and extended in a certain direction. Although the elderly woman, Han Li, and the others had never traveled this corridor before, each of them, being seasoned travelers, remained calm and composed, as though walking through the halls of their own homes. After walking for a full meal's time, the group finally emerged from the icy passage and entered a subterranean hall. This hall, though built of ordinary green jade, appeared remarkably ancient and had evidently stood for a long time. However, at the far end of the hall facing Han Li and the others, instead of a wall, there stood a massive stone gate, pale cream in color, towering over twenty or thirty zhang high. It was adorned with layers of runes and magical arrays, as well as some unfamiliar, strange patterns, radiating vibrant hues of spiritual light. These are my senior monks. To enter the Xuanyu Cavern within the Xuling Hall, we must have their assistance. Only by drawing upon the extreme cold energy of the cavern can I break through my current bottleneck and gain an additional one-tenth chance of success." Hán Lí turned around and offered a gentle smile. "The Xuling Hall!" The monk suddenly gasped. The old woman's eyes flashed with bright light, and even Han Li himself seemed momentarily stirred. "I'm sure you've all seen the three Xuling Halls situated at the heart of the sanctuary. Though they share the same name, each possesses its own unique secrets. The Xuanyu Cavern lies within one of these halls. Moreover, the actual population of the Xuling Hall is not found at the three grand gatehouses on the surface, but rather, there are separate underground passages leading directly to each of them." The middle-aged man in a green robe added, with a smile. Han Li had noticed this man before, even though Hán Lí had not introduced him. He knew that the man was a cultivator from the Xiao Ji Gong, specializing in the cold flame. Though his appearance seemed ordinary in social settings, his gaze was slightly somber, prompting others to pay him more attention. At that moment, Bai Yaoyi and the other cultivators who had been waiting patiently stepped forward. "Grand Elder, you truly intend to open the Xuling Pavilion? Isn't this somewhat out of the ordinary? Throughout our history, our Xiao Ji Palace has only opened the Xuling Pavilion when we face imminent peril, unable to withstand our adversaries. Moreover, this time you've invited cultivators from outside the palace to enter the Xuanyu Cavern—a precedent we've never seen before." The gray-haired elder, whose face bore a large patch of dark blue discoloration, bowed respectfully to Han Li's senior, yet his tone carried a clear sense of defiance. Han Li paused, startled. How could a cultivator at the mid-Stage of Yuan Ying dare to speak to Han Li's senior with such insubordination? After all, their levels of cultivation were vastly different! Not only Han Li, but the old woman and the monk also looked visibly surprised. "Master Ye, you've overthought this." Although the Xuling Hall is typically unveiled only in times of crisis, the successive ancestors have never stated that it cannot be used under ordinary circumstances. Now, messages have arrived from the outer palace disciples indicating that a host of demons have gathered around our island—opening the Xuling Hall at an earlier date is thus entirely reasonable. Moreover, it's not as if all three Xuling Halls are being activated simultaneously. As the Grand Elder, could the senior master possibly hesitate on this matter? Master Han Li spoke calmly, as though he had anticipated the gray-haired elder's opposition, showing no sign of surprise. "But if I secure more than two-thirds of the votes from the Senior Monastic Elder of the Dao Sect, even Ye's opposition will be rendered meaningless." The Master Han Li spoke calmly, without changing his expression. However, upon closer observation, Han Li noticed that when speaking about the Monitoring Spiritual Artifact, the senior cultivator at the Metamorphic Stage of the Yuan Ying Period slightly twitched at the corner of his eye—seeming to hold a certain degree of hesitation. Han Li was surprised. Was the Monitoring Spiritual Artifact referring to the Celestial Spiritual Artifact or a replica thereof? If so, a Yuan Ying Mid-Stage cultivator indeed had the capability to challenge a Yuan Ying Late-Stage cultivator. This gray-haired elder appeared to be an independent figure within Xiaoji Palace, capable of standing up to Master Han Li. Otherwise, he would not have shown such firm resistance. Yet, upon hearing Master Han Li's previous statement, the gray-haired elder's expression changed abruptly, and he suddenly turned around to gaze at the group of his fellow disciples behind him. Several of them, upon noticing, quickly averted their eyes, unwilling to meet his gaze. The elder's heart sank. "I asked why Jin Shizhong and the others had all been assigned to the outer areas—turns out, Han Li Shi had already planned this all along. Given that, I won't be the one to hold a grudge. I sincerely hope Master succeeds in breaking through his current bottleneck. I'll go up to inspect the upper levels first, just in case those beasts take advantage of the opportunity." The elder's expression was somewhat displeased, yet he remained composed, then moved with a steady step and soon strode out of the hall. He glanced at Han Li the Monastic, but did not see him retrieve the pre-arranged jade pendant. At that moment, under the guidance of the young scholar in green robes, a series of incantations poured forth from the mouths of the cultivators. Soon, the jade pendants began to glow brightly, transforming into glowing orbs of varying sizes. These orbs, propelled upward by the power of the incantations, converged at a single point in the sky and gradually coalesced, stretching and morphing into a translucent image of a woman of five hues. The figure was tall and graceful, her face somewhat indistinct, yet her eyes shone with a brilliance reminiscent of stars in the heavens—clear and luminous, unforgettable. Upon the appearance of this image, every cultivator of Xiao Ji Gong, including Han Li, bowed slightly to it, their expressions solemn and respectful. Han Li and his companions immediately understood: this ethereal figure must be the ancient cultivator who founded Xiao Ji Gong centuries ago. Otherwise, how could such a mere phantom command such profound reverence from all the disciples? Yet, she turned out to be a female cultivator—something entirely unexpected for Han Li. It naturally prompted him to ponder the connection between her and the Xutian Pavilion of Luan Xinghai. If there were absolutely no ties between the two, he would not believe it. The striking similarities between the Xuling and Xutian pavilions, coupled with the appearance of the Qianlan Ice Flame, could hardly be mere coincidence. As Han Li was deep in thought, the woman's ethereal form, under the collective efforts of the gathering cultivators, gradually drifted toward the stone gate. Upon making contact, a soft "pffft" sound, the form instantly burst into fragments, and the various luminous essences flashed briefly before vanishing from the gate's surface. The incantation symbols and luminous patterns on the massive stone gate began to fade, and within moments, the gate appeared plain and unremarkable, devoid of any lingering spiritual energy. Suddenly, a series of sharp crackling sounds erupted from the void above the gate, and a number of jade pendants emerged, each then falling lifelessly to the ground. The cultivators from Xiaoji Palace quickly raised their hands, swiftly retrieving their jade pendants and bringing them back Master Hanli, upon seeing this scene, smiled and stepped forward in a few strides, gently brushing the stone gate with his sleeves. A wave of azure light surged out, like a gentle breeze upon the face, striking the gate. The gate, as if made of thin paper, split silently in two and opened inward without a sound. Before the others could turn to examine the interior, Master Hanli suddenly swayed and retreated to a distance, his voice deep and urgent: "All of you, take care!" A cold white wind swept through the entire hall at once. (Second chapter!