A layer of purple Lijie fire shimmered upon Han Li's body. Despite the cold wind blowing past his front, as soon as the wind touched the purple flame, it mysteriously merged into it, becoming intangible. At the same time, Han Li glanced slightly to the side and observed that the entire hall had transformed into an icy glacial landscape—yet the other several cultivators who possessed cold flames remained unharmed. Aside from Bai Mengxin's white ice flame, the cold master, Han Li, held a small cauldron floating before him, from which a dry blue ice flame surged forth, shielding him. The middle-aged man in green robes watched a protective shield formed of black ice flame, his hands behind his back. The elderly woman, without realizing it, had suddenly produced a yellow walking cane, from one end of which sprays of yellow flame emerged, while she herself retreated behind it. The gray-robed monk clasped his hands together, releasing a pale green ice flame that curled into a green dragon encircling his body; as the green flames flickered, they effectively blocked the cold wind outside. As for the other cultivators like Bai Yaoyi, who have slightly higher attainments, although they also possess divine abilities capable of withstanding the cold wind, their protective shields and法宝 tremble and shimmer constantly under the wind's force, clearly struggling. In an instant, the roar from within the stone gate abruptly ceased, and the cold wind gradually subsided, dispersing into the air. The entire hall fell into complete silence. Han Li's eyes flickered as he pressed a hand seal, and after a few moments of wavering, the purple flame on his body settled and was absorbed into his body. Then he turned to gaze behind the stone gate. There, a vast expanse of crystal-white brilliance stretched out, with countless towering ice pillars standing densely, forming a maze-like structure. Han Li's mind stirred with sudden insight, and his spiritual awareness immediately extended into the space. However, just as he entered the gate, his awareness grew sluggish and unresponsive—indeed, a special divine seal that restrains spirit had been cast within. The elderly woman and others naturally took notice of the scene behind the gate, each displaying a different expression. "Please be careful, friends." "This Huiling Pavilion, I have never entered before. Though I am familiar with most of its seals, there are still several that I do not fully understand. Please keep close to me—do not stray or inadvertently activate any other seals." Master Han Li took a deep breath and turned to solemnly address Han Li and the others. "Of course, how could we possibly wander about the sacred grounds of your palace at random?" The elderly woman sensed Han Li's concern and replied calmly. Han Li and the gray-robed monk likewise affirmed. Seeing their serious demeanor, Master Han Li nodded in satisfaction, then turned to the other junior elders of Xiao Ji Palace and instructed: "This breakthrough should take three to five days at the earliest, or up to a month at the latest. Should any of the beasts attack the Palace during this period, follow the original plan as arranged. Should any unforeseen circumstances arise and I have not returned within two months, proceed with the contingency plan." "Yes, Senior Elder!" The group of cultivators bowed respectfully and responded in unison. "Let us go!" Han Li then turned around, shook his sleeve, and in his hands appeared a large, pristine array disc the size of a fist. Holding it in one hand, he led the way toward the stone gate. Han Li and his three companions followed closely behind. As soon as they entered the gate, Han Li raised one hand, chanted a spell, and cast a seal upon the array disc. Instantly, the grand gate, which had been wide open, closed with a thunderous roar, and various characters and symbols reappeared, glowing with ethereal light. The old woman and the gray-robed monk exchanged glances, each of them expressing a subtle sense of surprise. "Please rest assured," said Han Li. "Although it is somewhat difficult to open the Hall from outside, it is quite easy to open it from within. I have temporarily sealed it to prevent any disturbance from visitors." The old woman and the monk nodded in agreement, finding no further words to offer. Han Li, however, remained calm and composed, as though completely unconcerned. After walking十余zhang, the group reached a series of ice pillars, their white crystalline light flickering continuously, causing a dazzling array of visual confusion. "There are a total of one thousand and eight such ancient pygmy ice pillars, each meticulously crafted by ancient cultivators—this is precisely the renowned 'Ice Spirit Cold Blaze Array' from the ancient times. If one does not possess the appropriate magical artifacts and enters the array, they may be permanently frozen by the profound cold aura within the array in mere moments. The cold wind we felt outside just now is actually the naturally generated icy chill produced by the array over its thousand-year seal. Even though all five of us carry the essence of extreme cold flames, we're not certain whether we'll survive within this array at all." Master Han Li spoke calmly. The elderly woman and the monk glanced at the towering ice pillars, their faces now expressing a mixture of doubt and hesitation. "Ah, Master Han, please don't worry. We certainly don't intend to truly experience the full power of this array," said Han Li with a light chuckle. On hearing this, Han Li smiled warmly and then waved his hand array disk toward the endless expanse of ice pillars across the opposite side. Instantly, a milky-white glow erupted from the disk, causing the ice pillars to shimmer and flicker like phantom images, gradually clearing a passage several zhang wide. The white glow continued to surge from the disk, and Han Li, holding it single-handedly, stepped through the opening. The group followed closely behind, unwilling to stray too far. Han Li walked last, occasionally glancing around. The ice pillars were remarkably thick—nearly requiring two people to embrace each one. Though their surfaces appeared exceptionally smooth, upon closer inspection, subtle patterns of various symbols seemed to ripple within the ice. Yet, just as he intended to examine them more closely, the symbols vanished again, displaying an extraordinary and mysterious quality. Looking upward, he found a thick layer of pale, misty cold vapor stretching fifty or sixty zhang high, completely enveloping the upper portions of the ice pillars, so that their full forms remained hidden. Yet one thing was certain—the ice pillars radiated a terrifying cold power. Even at distances of several dozen paces, their subtle, piercing chill could be felt. Though still far from matching the intensity of the extreme cold flame, this cold force was by no means ordinary. It was no wonder Master Hanli was so confident! As Han Li pondered, the group had already advanced hundreds of paces, and the ice pillars seemed endless, tightly clustered on either side, so densely arranged that it was hard to believe there were only a few thousand of them—truly a marvel of the array. Everyone else was equally astonished by this sight. It wasn't until after a full cup of tea's worth of time that the group finally broke through the line of pillars and emerged onto a raised platform resembling a sacrificial altar, towering some twenty paces high and stretching over a hundred paces in width. The platform was pure white, like jade, enveloped in a delicate blue light curtain. On either side stood two golden-tinged side gates, each several dozen feet high, with ancient incantations interwoven across their surfaces, sealed in place as though leading to other destinations. Upon seeing the light curtain, Master Han Li appeared deeply satisfied. He folded the array disc in his hands and stepped forward confidently toward the altar. Raising both arms, a shimmering blue glow surged forth, releasing the dry blue ice flame, which instantly formed a layer encircling his palms. With a slight movement of his fingers, his hands pressed directly onto the light curtain. Immediately, the blue flame and the light curtain flickered and intertwined, causing the entire altar's curtain to tremble gently. A brilliant, intense light then radiated across its surface, as if the curtain had solidified into a tangible form. Then, with a crisp "crack," the curtain shattered like crystal, fragmenting inch by inch from the point where Master Han Li's hands touched it—vanishing completely within moments. Without hesitation, Master Han Li shifted his stance, and stood firmly upon the altar. Han Li and the others also swiftly transformed into streaks of light, appearing beside the Han Li Master. At that moment, however, the Han Li Master was standing with his hands behind his back, his head bowed, intently examining the ground before him. Han Li followed his gaze and noticed that at the center of the altar, there was an unusual magical array, spanning twenty to twenty-five zhang in size. In the center of this array, a massive tripod pattern stood out—its design was unmistakably identical to the Xitian Tripod within his own body. Han Li's expression slightly changed, yet he quickly composed himself. "Master Han, have you seen a similar array before?" The Han Li Master, seemingly by chance or intention, glanced directly at Han Li's face. Though Han Li immediately regained his composure, the subtle shift in his demeanor had not escaped the Master's notice. He then directly asked, "Have you?" Han Li was momentarily startled, but responded calmly, "Yes, I've seen something similar in an ancient cave sanctuary from the past. But upon closer inspection, it appears to be different—only a fleeting impression, perhaps." "Indeed?" Han Li, the master of cold and lapis, smiled slightly, as if hesitating whether to truly believe Han Li's words, and did not press further. Instead, he brushed his sleeve, and the small cauldron glowing with dry blue ice flames shot out from his sleeve, spiraling once before hovering at the center of the magical array. Han Li pressed his lips together, unconsciously holding his breath. Everyone else watched the scene without blinking. With one hand forming a gesture of plucking a flower, and the other hand lightly tapping the air in front of the cauldron, a deep rumble echoed—then the cauldron rapidly expanded in size, followed by a sudden burst as intense blue ice flames surged forth, spreading uniformly across every surface of the cauldron, fully restoring it to its original, massive form. At that moment, Bai Mengxin and the young man in green robes also stepped forward simultaneously, each raising one hand and releasing a stream of white flame and a stream of black flame, which struck the magical array on either side of the ground. At that moment, a tremendous roar echoed through the air. The spell array shimmered with vibrant light, stirred and activated by the two streams of cold flame. The central image of the great cauldron glowed with a brilliant blue radiance, gradually rising until it transformed into a luminous blue cauldron. As soon as the floating cauldron fully emerged, it immediately descended under the precise guidance of the cold-lake master. The two blue glows flashed intensely, merging seamlessly. Then, with a resounding "thunderous boom," the great cauldron settled firmly at the heart of the array. Caused Han Li and the others to rise into the air, they looked downward in surprise and wonder. They saw the massive tripod, now spewing blue flames, completely suspended in mid-air. Beneath the crack in the ground, a faint milky glow began to seep out, as if the interior were brilliantly illuminated. (First chapter!