The golden runes, originally shimmering with a soft glow on the ice wall, suddenly brightened intensely. Simultaneously, fine strands of white light coalesced within the ice peak, instantly manifesting a small figure about a foot tall. This figure had closed eyes, radiating a soft, luminous glow, and his appearance and attire were identical to that of the white-robed elder. Upon witnessing this, the elder outside raised his arm and gently touched his brow with a single finger. "Plink!" A silvery-white crystalline filament shot forth, pierced through the ice wall with a swift motion and vanished into the small figure's forehead. The figure's expression subtly shifted, and then his eyes slowly opened, their pupils glowing with a steady, rich golden hue. "Thank you for your efforts—this matter is now resolved. As long as we secure the thread of time, we can shorten the time required to fully integrate this figure by nearly half. That will ease my burden considerably. Otherwise, should it take tens of thousands of years to fully refine him, unforeseen complications might arise." "The younger one spoke slowly, his voice strikingly identical to that of the white-robed elder. "If that is truly possible, then it would be ideal. Yet, those several Lei Xiao seals are rather a pity. These seals were originally intended for a few particularly esteemed junior disciples within the clan, to aid them in weathering several great celestial calamities." The white-robed elder sighed. "It's truly unfortunate. The various rare spiritual seals and elixirs brought down from the Immortal Realm, after so many years and several major trials endured by our clan, have now been largely depleted. To win over these three senior cultivators at the Great Stage, we only have these Lei Xiao seals left. Yet, the Elder Shi Xin has passed away, and instead, two cultivators from the human realm have arrived—this is most unexpected. Isn't the one named Han Li precisely the young human disciple who had entered the demonic realm alongside Qianqi and the others?" The younger one's golden glow flashed several times in his eyes as he spoke. "Indeed, this is the newly promoted human cultivator at the Great Stage." They didn't know what had befallen the group in the realm of demons that day; all the others, including Qianqiu, had perished, while this one survived unscathed. Upon returning to the spiritual realm, he successfully passed through the heavenly calamity and attained the status of a great master cultivator, even effortlessly defeating a senior night-herald cultivator of the Night Herdsman lineage during the ceremony—his strength far surpassing that of an ordinary great master. "The white-robed elder spoke with a touch of seriousness, as if explaining to me, yet also as if speaking to himself." "It seems this human youth truly entered the purification pool and consumed the pure-spirit lotus; otherwise, he could not have achieved such prowess. This is indeed favorable—his greater the powers, the greater his chances of obtaining the threads of time when entering our realm of the minor Bodhisattvas." After a brief pause, I replied. "I share the same thought. If the one who came with Mo Jianli had been the old master Ao Xiao, I would never have readily agreed to their terms of exchange." The white-robed elder smiled lightly. "Indeed. Since everything is progressing smoothly, let us proceed as we Now I must fully focus on refining the golden immortals' true souls beneath. Everything outside shall be entirely entrusted to you. Those individuals need not wake me again unless they emerge from the Small Kṣamā Realm." The white-robed elder spoke without hesitation. "Very well—please go ahead and concentrate on refining the immortal soul. We are originally one being; the sooner you succeed in forming the immortal soul pill, the greater the benefit I shall reap." The elder smiled, then pressed a hand seal, pointing his finger toward the void within the ice wall. "Boom!" With a simple nod, the small figure vanished, his body dissolving into scattered beams of luminous light. Subsequently, the elder turned around, making no visible movement, yet a shimmer of light appeared beneath his feet, forming the self-activating transmission array. After a resonant hum, the elder blurred and disappeared into the space. ...In the True Immortal Realm, upon an endless expanse of land, neatly square patches of spiritual fields were being carefully tended by countless farmers dressed in yellow uniforms. Upon closer inspection, these "farmers" appeared identical in face and expression—each one a lifelike humanoid automaton. Within the spiritual fields, the dominant crop was a massive rice plant with a stem diameter of about a bowl, radiating an incomparable purity of spiritual energy; simply inhaling its essence could invigorate a person's spirit. In the vast, empty space above the fields—spanning hundreds of zhang—lay patches of colorful spiritual clouds, each measuring roughly one acre, upon which sat individuals dressed in long robes, each holding various tools. These figures, ranging in age and sometimes appearing alone or in groups of two or three, always wore the attire of young Taoist monks, moving steadily among the expansive fields, occasionally activating their tools to release clear streams of rain from beneath the clouds, gently watering the fields below. High above, at an altitude of over ten thousand zhang, stretched a vast sea of mist, rolling and undulating, so dense that its edges were indistinct—seeming to envelop the entire continent. Directly beneath the spiritual field, in the misty expanse, various spiritual birds and beasts were darting about, carrying people dressed in diverse attire entering and exiting the mist. Suddenly, a deep roar of a dragon echoed through the air! A blue ice dragon, stretching over a hundred zhang in length, materialized instantly at the edge of the sky. As the wind and thunder roared around it, the dragon swiftly soared into the sky above this patch of spiritual land. Such a magnificent creature—had it appeared before ordinary beings in the spiritual realm, it would likely have caused them to be utterly startled, or at the very least drawn countless eyes to it. Yet, whether the "farmers" tending the fields below or the young monks manipulating the clouds, most of them paid it little or no attention. Occasionally, a few monks would glance up, only to immediately return to their duties with composure. Only two young monks, around twelve or thirteen years old, with pale faces and red teeth, showed a moment of surprise upon spotting the ice dragon soaring above a patch of spiritual clouds. "Isn't that the Lord of the Distance?" "The Celestial Palace we just left a few days ago—how could it have returned so quickly?" one young Taoist monk murmured. "Looking at Lord Li's hurried demeanor, it seems he must be handling something urgent, not going smoothly at all." Another young Taoist added. "Perhaps that's true. Still, Lord Li's prowess ranks among the top hundred in our Jinhan Celestial Palace. What in the realm could possibly go unaccomplished for him? Indeed, if we, as disciples, could even receive a single word of guidance from him, that would be a truly extraordinary fortune," the first monk remarked with a thoughtful sigh. "Don't be dreaming, then. As disciples, we're barely at the lowest rung—half disciples, half servants. How could Lord Li, someone of such stature, take the time to notice us? Though, my spiritual body has already matured to seven-tenths of its full potential. At the next grand selection, I might just pass the trials and become a qualified disciple. Then, I'll no longer have to waste my time on such mundane affairs." The second novice frowned slightly, glanced down at the jade plaque-like object in his hands, and then said with a touch of yearning. "Really? My senior has already reached seven parts of true body essence, while I've only just reached five. I must work harder then. If I can't become a ranked disciple within a few years, I'll likely be sent down to the mortal realm and have to remain there." Hearing this, the first novice was startled and grew somewhat anxious. "Actually, going to the mortal world might not be so bad. It's said that besides not achieving immortality, one enjoys everything else fully." The second novice chuckled warmly, speaking with mature confidence. "I absolutely don't want to go to the mortal realm. I insist on becoming a ranked disciple just like my senior." The first novice spoke with unwavering determination. "Then, brother, you must really push yourself. If you haven't solidified your true body within five years, the disciplinary officers of the immortal palace won't hesitate to enforce their rules strictly." Seeing this, the second novice's smile softened, and he spoke seriously. "Thank you, senior brother, I will surely make every effort," the first novice nodded repeatedly. While these two novices were whispering to each other, the blue ice dragon soaring high in the heavens executed a sweeping tail movement and then plunged directly into the misty sea, swiftly ascending toward greater heights. In a moment, it had soared past tens of thousands of feet. The mist suddenly parted, and the blue ice dragon burst forth, revealing another vibrant, ethereal world before them. Upon closer inspection, hundreds of mountains—ranging in size from several thousand to tens of thousands of feet—were suspended densely within the rolling fog. Each mountain was adorned with rare flowers and exotic plants, and some featured exquisite pavilions and terraces built upon their peaks. Arched bridges of rainbow hues connected the mountains, with graceful figures in long robes and court attire gliding effortlessly across them. A truly heavenly, otherworldly scene. The azure ice dragon let out a long, resonant cry, twisting its body and soaring effortlessly through the mountain range without pause. Passing several peaks in succession, it soon reached the heart of the mountain cluster. There, amid a group of dozen peaks surrounding it, a vast palace—resembling a city—hovered prominently. The palace shone with golden splendor, countless large-scale characters swirling and dancing around it like living spirits. At the grand, city-sized gate rising over a thousand paces high, golden armored soldiers armed with weapons could be seen in the distance, and a silver plaque hung proudly above, bearing the engraved characters "Jinhan Immortal Palace" in bold, majestic calligraphy. The dragon blurred slightly and instantly materialized before the palace gate, its body's radiance dimming as it transformed into a tall, slender Daoist with a dark face. Dressed in an octagonal Daoist robe and holding a silver-threaded dust cloth in hand, he exuded an aura of pure, refined elegance—free of any earthly warmth or imperfection. Among the golden-armored guards standing at the palace gate, several immediately came forward, and one of the more distinguished officers, bowing slightly with composure, asked, "Lord Li, have you come to the Grand Hall with a matter at hand?" "I have urgent business and would like to see the Palace Master," the dark-faced Taoist replied without hesitation. "This is rather inconvenient. Today is not a day for official meetings, and the Palace Master should be in seclusion practicing meditation—she will hardly receive any visitors." The officer expressed his difficulty. As the dark-faced Taoist frowned and prepared to speak further, a resolute voice suddenly echoed clearly in both of their ears. "Let him enter without obstruction. I have something to discuss with Lord Li." "Yes, Your Majesty! Lord Li, please come in." The officer was startled, bowed both hands, and then stepped aside promptly.