To be honest, since this Leopard Spirit Beast only possesses the strength of a Yuan婴-stage cultivator, it was initially rather easy to subdue. However, since accompanying Han Li, it has never missed a single rare and precious pill or tonic. Over the years, its cultivation has significantly advanced, now standing at the peak of a ten-tier beast. Just one more step, and it will surpass its current limits to attain the Hua Shen stage. According to general principles, most beast species typically undergo a lightning calamity, transform into human form, and fully awaken their spiritual intelligence when they reach the eighth tier. However, certain mutated spirit beasts and those with unique bloodlines do not follow this pattern. Some delay their transformation until later stages, while others may never achieve it at all. Nevertheless, once these beasts attain the form-shifting stage, their intelligence and abilities greatly surpass those of their peers, and even defeating opponents from higher tiers becomes a possibility. The Boar-Phoenix creature was originally a rare beast inheriting the spirit of the Qilin. By chance, it had undergone a series of mutations, and whether or not it would eventually achieve transformation remained a mystery known only to heaven. However, currently, it appears that the ice-spirit energy within the bodies of these ice-spirit demons is precisely the opportunity enabling this creature to surpass its threshold into the Divine Spirit stage. Han Li didn't need to ponder long—he quickly grasped the situation at hand, yet could only chuckle inwardly. Should this creature have broken through its threshold at any other time, such an achievement would have been a dream come true. But now, making this sudden breakthrough within the depths of this earth-abyss, it truly seems to be at a disadvantage. Who knows whether the unusual phenomena accompanying its advancement might bring about significant complications? Although Lei Lan and the others were unaware of the current state of the Boar-Phoenix creature, they could not fail to notice the growing brilliance of its white glow and the steadily strengthening aura—naturally, they were all deeply astonished. At this moment, Han Li and his companions had already reached deep within the realm of the Ice-Death, having traversed nearly half of the area by distance. After once again devouring a batch of mid-tier Ice-Death creatures, the Leopard-Lion beast lay quietly upon Han Li's shoulder, its eyes half-closed, appearing languid and relaxed. Yet the bright light emanating from its body never faded—it instead flowed continuously and vividly, standing out remarkably. As they flew past a series of ice mountains, a long gorges lay ahead, where black winds surged in waves, nearly concealing the entire sky, while the gorge itself remained unusually still. Faced with this unusual sight, Han Li and his party showed no surprise—this scene had occurred several times already on their journey. Without hesitation, they swiftly summoned their flight magic and entered the gorge. Though not particularly wide—spanning several hundred zhang—it extended deep, reaching a thousand zhang in depth. Combined with the ceaseless roaring of the black winds above, the travelers naturally felt an unaccountable sense of pressure settling upon their minds. Fortunately, none of Han Li's companions were ordinary people; thus, they remained undisturbed by these unusual phenomena, appearing unusually calm within their drifting light. Suddenly, a low roar echoed. Han Li's expression shifted, and he turned his head to look. To his surprise, the Leopard Spirit beast that had been lying upon his shoulder leapt up with a sudden "whoosh" and "crack," its eyes wide open and fur standing on end, as if facing a great threat. Han Li was momentarily stunned. This beast had previously shown no such reaction when encountering so many ice-witch demons. Now, why was it behaving this way? Then, it suddenly remembered something, and his drifting light momentarily paused. Han Lan, Qin Xiao, and the others, riding on Han Li as their steeds, also halted, each casting curious glances toward him. Han Li said nothing, merely letting a subtle blue glow flicker in his eyes toward the front. Before anyone else could ask a question, he suddenly raised his single palm and swept it forward into the empty space. A beam of golden light erupted from his palm and surged straight toward the deep heart of the valley beyond. A tremendous roar echoed, and a flash of golden light vanished into the darkness, cleaving open a patch of ice at the valley's base and revealing a long, narrow fissure. A pained cry rose from beneath the ground, followed by a surge of black mist rushing forth from the crack, swiftly coalescing into a dense black orb ten zhang in diameter. "The Ice Demon King! The King of Ice Demons! Indeed, there is such a creature here!" Bai Bi gasped, suddenly speechless. Lei Lan and Qin Xiao both reacted with surprise at the news. At that moment, the massive black orb spun once in the air, and countless shards of ice rose from the ground, swirling around it from all directions, encasing the orb in a shimmering, crystalline sheath. A brilliant black light radiated forth! Suddenly, a black ice phoenix twenty zhang tall emerged, its body translucent and deep black, its eyes glowing with an eerie black luminescence, fixed intently on Han Li—no, more precisely, on the small creature resting on Han Li's shoulder, its expression one of profound, life-or-death confrontation. The Leopard-Lion beast roared low, yet a keen, eager gleam appeared in its emerald eyes. Han Li, however, furrowed his brow, pondering. Suddenly, he reached out with his other hand, seizing the small beast on his shoulder and lifting it into his grasp. To everyone's astonishment, he then exerted a firm arm strength, hurling the small creature high up toward the top of his head. With a sweeping motion of his wings behind him, a thunderous crack echoed, and Han Li vanished into a streak of pale green and silver light. Instantly, a thunderous rumble rang out above the Ice Phoenix, and Han Li materialized there, strangely appearing. Yet, as his shoulder slightly trembled, a series of fleeting silhouettes followed, and he materialized beneath the vast body of the Ice Phoenix. The Ice Phoenix stood stunned, then erupted in a furious cry, extending a massive claw to seize and crush this creature it perceived as mere dust. Each of its twin black claws measured over a zhang in width, and as they descended, they immediately enveloped Han Li entirely. Yet Han Li paid no attention to the massive claws. As the two figures slightly blurred, dense patterns of black and white fist-energy surged forth, rushing directly toward the sky in a relentless storm. A continuous series of "thuds" echoed, with brilliant flashes of black and white light erupting within the claws. With a single movement, the figure materialized like a ghost upon the back of the Ice Phoenix. In a flash, two fists of black and white struck the back of the creature with a gust of fierce wind. Two thunderous booms echoed, and waves of light of contrasting colors rippled across the back of the Ice Phoenix, fully enveloping its entire body. Yet the Phoenix showed no response. Its massive form, much like the great claw earlier, began to crack, and then, with a crisp "crack," shattered into delicate, sparkling ice fragments that cascaded downward. A large mass of black mist reappeared in the void, now shapeless and shimmering with an eerie black glow. A swift "whoosh," and a small, agile figure darted through the air, plunging directly into the black mist, its limbs wrapping around and opening its mouth to engulf it completely, emitting excited hums through its nose. It was the small creature previously thrown high into the air by Han Li! Upon seeing Han Li strike and shatter the Ice Phoenix formed from the black mist, the creature naturally seized this precious opportunity without hesitation. Immediately delighted, she rushed forward, desperately biting into the mist. Since this black mist was said to be formed by the Ice Devouring Demon King himself, it naturally refused to be so easily swallowed by the young beast. It sent out numerous black tendrils, wildly whipping them, while countless black ice shards rose from the ground, soaring toward it, attempting to re-form its own body. These black tendrils were shattered before they even reached the leopard-like beast, by a single claw strike that followed. As for the black ice, they were swiftly struck by flashes of silver sparks from Han Li's sleeve, each spark the size of a thumb, and instantly melted into clear water, cascading down. From the moment Han Li intervened until the black ice phoenix was shattered, it took only a few breaths. Even though Lei Lan and the others had witnessed Han Li's prowess before, they were still stunned by his sudden and powerful display, their expressions now varied. The black mist, though swirling and fluctuating in size as it was consumed, remained utterly ineffective. The small beast curled its four paws and remained motionless, as if rooted in place. In the span of a moment, the vast expanse of black mist was nearly swallowed whole. Then, with a low roar from its mouth, the creature flashed with white light several times before leaping down from the mist and settling onto the ground, motionless. Han Li's face grew slightly concerned. Without hesitation, he flipped his hand and produced a white jade vial, which he then threw toward the remaining black mist, murmuring incantations. The vial spun smoothly, and as it did, its opening inverted, releasing a stream of azure mist. This mist surged forward, and instantly, the residual fog condensed into a thread of black vapor, which was forcibly drawn into the vial. The white jade plate and Lei Lan, and others nearby, could not help but express a touch of admiration. Though this ice-dead demon king bore the title of a demon king, his actual powers were rather ordinary—any ordinary stage-four cultivator could easily overcome him. Yet this creature was exceptionally rare; its essence had transformed into an exceptionally pure ice-demon qi, which proved invaluable for alchemy, crafting, and even certain secret techniques or divine powers—far surpassing ordinary ice-demon creatures. However, since it had been dispelled by Han Li's hand, the others, though harboring some thoughts, dared not voice them aloud. In a short while, the ice-demon qi was completely absorbed by the jade vial. Han Li merely gestured, and the vial instantly shimmered into a beam of white light, vanishing into the sleeve of his robe. Then, turning his gaze, he glanced slightly concerned toward the small creature lying on the ground. At this moment, the leopard-mane beast was curled up, its body radiating a shifting, pale glow, with its eyes half-closed. Through mental connection, Han Li clearly sensed a complex blend of excitement, fear, and restlessness within the creature's mind. Taking a deep breath, he slowly descended from the air, landing beside the beast and then crouching down to meet its level. Raised her hand to gently rub the creature's head, then lightly stroked the exceptionally soft fur covering its body. With a subtle shift of her consciousness, she transmitted her calming presence. The leopard-mare extended her delicate pink tongue to lick the back of Han Li's hand, and her growing unease gradually settled.