Although he had some doubts about the connection between "Feng Li Bing Yan" and this ice phoenix, Han Li didn't dwell on it much; instead, he found it strange that, as the old xiao-yaou had the Ten-Thousand-Yao Banner, he hadn't stepped forward to assist the ice phoenix in their attack. The beautiful woman clearly was the master of Xiao Ji Palace, and another late-stage cultivator from the same palace. It seemed her powers were significantly inferior to Han Li's, at the very least lacking any training in cold flame cultivation—otherwise, facing this level ten ice phoenix, she would have been able to hold her own with two mid-stage cultivators supporting her. After all, the white cold flame of that phoenix was truly formidable. Once these three were drawn into the fray, their own powers noticeably diminished. Han Li found himself staring straight ahead, for the first time truly realizing the immense power of extreme cold flame—this was no ordinary ability, but rather a grand feat that reversed fundamental cosmic laws. Under such circumstances, only a slight intervention from the old xiao-yaou would have been enough to decisively defeat these three. Could it be that the Ice Phoenix and the old car deity are at odds, unwilling to risk placing themselves directly under the influence of the Ten-Thousand-Beasts Banner? Han Li swiftly spun through his thoughts and found a plausible explanation. Yet at that very moment, an unexpected event occurred. A surge of妖energy rippled through the massive banner in the air, and suddenly, a fragment of a corpse along with several damaged treasures and magical artifacts fell from a certain point on the banner, landing directly within the hall. Han Li was naturally startled at first, but upon closer inspection, he realized the body was wearing the attire of a small Jì Palace cultivator—clearly of high rank, likely a Metamorphic Immortal-level elder. Han Li's eyes widened in surprise, now understanding that not only he, but also several other cultivators from the small Jì Palace were trapped within the banner. That explained why the banner merely guarded the entrance in mid-air, rather than actively sealing the entire space. The only question remaining was: how long had these small Jì Palace cultivators been trapped? The fact that he has managed to withstand the Wàn Yāo Fān until now without being completely annihilated suggests he must have employed some secret technique capable of temporarily countering its power. Otherwise, with the old yāo spirit in the form of a high-level cultivator and these cultivators trapped within the Wàn Yāo Fān, they simply could not have endured this long. However, as long as any of the cultivators within the Fān remain uneliminated, the old yāo spirit will likely be unable to immediately summon the Fān to pursue him. After mentally processing this swiftly, Han Li felt a great sense of relief and began to carefully survey the various areas of the hall. Upon a quick glance, he easily located a towering jade platform—spanning over a hundred paces in width and six or seven paces in height. From afar, though, it appeared that three teleportation arrays—two large and one smaller—were arranged side by side on the platform. Han Li was delighted and was about to begin his incantations when suddenly his expression changed, a subtle oddity appearing on his face. The humanoid automaton standing upright extended one hand and gently grasped the space before him. Ten to fifteen zhang away from Han Li, a ripple of spatial distortion occurred, and a black, short-bladed dagger flashed into being and then vanished—precisely the magical marrow dagger that had mysteriously disappeared within the spirit-aura realm. Without any apparent cause, it had broken free of its seal and returned spontaneously from somewhere unseen. With a simple sweep of the puppet’s sleeve, the marrow dagger vanished, neatly stored. Han Li’s brow twitched slightly, yet he showed no other outward expression. As his body shimmered with luminous energy, he transformed into a streak of jade-green light, carrying over a thousand fire crows and flying swords, racing straight toward the high dais. As long as he could escape the Virtual Spirit Hall, he didn’t care whether the Small Jie Palace or these beasts ultimately won or perished. A moment later, the jade-green streak reached the center of the hall. Yet instead of passing through the center with grandeur, it curved dramatically, taking a wide arc and gliding past the edges of the hall. However, since the great hall had been significantly affected by the extreme cold of the Ice Phoenix, whenever Han Li passed through, a flash of purple flame naturally surged along his body, instantly covering him completely in purple, extreme fire. As a result, the faint, milky cold aura was repelled outward and could no longer affect Han Li at all. "Dry Blue Ice Flame! You're also a disciple of Xiao Ji Palace! Don't think that merely modifying this ice flame will allow you to evade me!" The Ice Phoenix, which had been steadily pushing the three senior disciples of Xiao Ji Palace back at the center, had been deeply astonished when it witnessed Han Li charge straight into the hall, being absorbed by the Ten-Beast Banner, and then breaking free from it. It had been fully focused on Han Li's every move throughout the entire process. When Han Li's light-form burst toward it, the Phoenix grew increasingly alert. Yet, when it saw the light-form weave past the center and move instead along the side, it decided simply to ignore Han Li. After all, Han Li's ability to escape from the Ten-Thousand-Beast Banner surely indicated he was no ordinary cultivator. Since the other party had no intention of causing disruption, Han Li had no desire to create further complications by drawing in another strong opponent. However, as Han Li's purple flame appeared, the ice-bound phoenix's eyes—normally serene—suddenly flared crimson, and it emitted a sharp cry, clearly stimulated by the purple lapis fire, treating the dry-blue flame as if it were a life-or-death adversary. Han Li, still drifting through the light of his journey, was momentarily stunned, not yet understanding what had transpired. At that very instant, the phoenix let out a long, venomous cry of resentment, and one of its ice wings suddenly swept directly toward Han Li. The ice feathers on the wing burst forth like countless arrows, then, as they detached from the wing, transformed into hundreds of shimmering, half-span-long flying swords—around five or six hundred in number—raining down in a dense, overwhelming barrage toward Han Li. As Han Li was in mid-flight, he was startled by this sudden display. So many swordlight streams surged forth simultaneously—merely the sheer volume, like a mountain of swords and a sea of blades, was enough to send the heart racing. And these flying swords were formed from the ice feathers of the ten-tiered ice phoenix itself, so their power could hardly be considered insignificant. Without pausing for thought, Han Li's evasive light not only maintained its pace but actually gained an additional three parts of speed after a brief flicker. At the same time, hundreds of golden swordbeams and a dense swarm of crimson fire ravens shot forth from his light, directly confronting the shimmering swordlight. A thunderous roar erupted as golden light and white radiance interwove and flashed, with clusters of crimson flames bursting open amid the vast expanse of cold mist, occasionally lifting towering flame pillars several dozen feet high. Together, the Qingzhu Fengyun Sword and the fire ravens successfully held off the advancing sword attacks. During this brief pause, Han Li's celestial rainbow swiftly moved beyond the center of the hall, darting swiftly toward a high platform at one corner. "Ah!" the ice phoenix gazed upon this scene, momentarily startled. To his surprise, he was unable even to hold back Han Li for half a moment. Yet this creature harbored a deep resentment toward those who cultivated the Dry Blue Ice Flame—far greater than anyone could imagine. With the inner resolve to kill Han Li, as if he were the very incarnation from long ago, its vast form slightly blurred, and within the ethereal haze, it manifested three identical duplicates. Two of these duplicates continued relentlessly, charging straight toward the three senior figures of Xiao Ji Palace, while the third ice phoenix flicked its icy wings, the brilliant white light on its wings momentarily dimming, and then vanished silently at the spot. Han Li, ever attentive, immediately felt a surge of alarm upon witnessing this. He halted his flight instantly, coming to a complete stop. At this moment, he was only a few hundred paces away from the teleportation array. He didn’t want to lose his footing and be swallowed whole by the vanished ice phoenix. With a darkened expression, he clenched his hands tightly and then suddenly spread them out. Thunder roared, and simultaneously, dozens of golden arcs, each as thick as a thumb, surged forth from the palms of Han Li, forming a vast golden net centered on him that spanned twenty to thirty paces, enveloping everything beneath it. At the same time, slightly beyond Han Li's reach, the space there subtly warped, and the ice phoenix emerged into view, shimmering in white light. Han Li's face tightened with intensity, and he pressed two hands into a series of hand seals. The golden arcs trembled and then launched themselves with force, sweeping over the creature. Surprised by this sudden move, the phoenix did not panic but instead opened its beak and expelled a jet of white wind toward the golden arcs above. As the wind burst forth, it immediately roared into motion, violently shaking the golden net, causing it to sway and collapse, unable to settle. The arcs then gradually fractured under the force of the gale, vanishing completely within moments. Han Li was startled and quickly reached for the Baoling Stick concealed in his sleeve, ready to summon it. Yet at that very moment, the ice phoenix launched its own attack first. A pair of ice phoenixes swooped in, fiercely扇ing at Han Li. A mighty wind and thunder roared forth, and vast patches of white, frigid flame materialized out of thin air. After briefly coalescing, the flame surged into a colossal wave, reaching thirty zhang in height, sweeping toward Han Li. Meanwhile, the ice phoenix itself wavered slightly, then plunged headlong into the misty, cold aura. Instantly, as the great creature's body shimmered with a brilliant white glow, it vanished completely—its form absorbed into the fading cold mist. Witnessing this spectacle, Han Li's mouth twitched, and blue light flickered constantly within his pupils. He raised one hand, wrapping it in a cluster of purple flame, and swiftly waved it forward. At once, a soft "pffft" sounded, and a luminous, purple-hued flame barrier rose, forming a protective shield before him. The cold wave struck this barrier with full force. The interplay between the white and purple flames surged and clashed, though both were profoundly cold—yet the two cold streams seemed as incompatible as water and fire, swirling and fluctuating wildly. Clearly, the white flame wielded far greater power than the purple, and soon the purple flame barrier began to tremble and sway, gradually tilting toward Han Li. Han Li frowned, then clenched his teeth. The eight-spirit ruler, concealed in his sleeve, vanished. Yet his palms gently pressed against the purple light shield, and instantly, the purple flames found a release point, surging in torrents from his arms into the barrier. As a result, the once-tilted shield slowly straightened out. At that moment, however, a flash of white light erupted within the opposing wave, and a pair of sharp, dagger-like claws—each about a foot long—emerged suddenly from the cold flames, darting down to seize Han Li’s arms with lightning speed. The claws shimmered with a steady, sharp brilliance, clearly formidable. Even though Han Li had mastered body-attuning techniques such as the King of the Body’s Method, if caught solidly, his arms would surely be rendered useless. However, Han Li seemed to have anticipated this. With a swift motion of his arm and sleeve, two bursts of silvery threads suddenly shot out, instantly deflecting the pair of sharp claws. Then, as the glimmering light flashed, the silk threads swiftly coiled around the claws, tightly binding them. (Second chapter! Phew, finally finished. I'm off to bed now.)