The Snowchain mountains have been enveloped in silent cold for over ten years.
Everyone in the region knew that a vastly powerful expert was cultivating on the mountain. Naturally, no one dared to travel near the area and the mountains remained undisturbed.
When the nearby factions saw that this expert was only looking for a place to cultivate and had done nothing else, they were relieved.
One day, a heavy snowstorm a.s.sailed the Snowchain mountains with ferocious winds and dandelion-sized snowflakes. As the storm concealed the mountain from view, a foot layer of snow quickly blanketed it.
Such a large snowstorm was uncommon in even in such an icy climate. Even lower-grade cultivators were unwilling to brave the weather, but it was then that a dazzling azure streak broke through the air and flickered out of sight.
Two hours later, an azure streak appeared tens of thousands of kilometers away, near a mountain range far from the Snowchain mountains. The light faded from the streak to reveal Han Li.
Having cultivated for over ten years, he had fully refined all of his treasures and even took the Great Yin Trueflame into his body, completing the first stage of its cultivation. With all of this prepared, there would be nothing that posed a threat apart from an attack from many late-Nascent Soul cultivators or a fearsome existence on the level of the Devil Ancestor Yuan Cha.
Not only was his cultivation and abilities far greater than when he entered Kunwu Mountain, the cinque devils and treasures he acquired should allow him to fight several late-Nascent Soul cultivators on fair ground.
After so many years pa.s.sed, he reckoned that the Kunwu Mountain commotion should’ve died down and decided to make his way to his next destination, North Night Island.
When half a month pa.s.sed, cultivators would begin to discover that the white mist covering the Snowchain Mountains had disappeared, and had become completely uninhabited.
Following the appearance of a suddenly uncontested spirit vein, the nearby factions broke out into war.
...
North Night Island was actually a peninsula a prefecture away from the Shuang Region.
Due to the extreme temperatures, even lower-grade cultivators didn’t dare to tread outside without protection. And rather than being a peninsula surrounded by water, it was surrounded by endless sheets of ice with glaciers embedded between them.
North Night Island was hundred thousands of kilometers long with a giant city of ice at the island’s northmost edge. It was North Night Palace, the greatest sect in the north.
In truth, the sect’s power was no weaker than the top ten devilish and righteous sects of the Great Jin. But because North Night Island was located in what was considered wilderness, the many sects didn’t recognize the palace as part of the Great Jin, regarding it as an overseas sect and discluding it from the ranking of sects in the Great Jin.
But in the spa.r.s.ely populated northern regions of the Great Jin, the North Night Palace was even more famous than the top sects of the Great Jin mainland, the Heavenly Devil Sect and the High Zenith Sect. There was no doubt they were the top sect of the north.
In the northern regions, the sect was also known by the name of the North Immortal Palace. Countless low-grade vagrant cultivators wished to enter it.
North Night Palace was also divided between inner and outer divisions. The inner palace disciples chosen from several great cultivator clans in the region. As for the outer palace disciples, they were chosen from smaller clans and vagrant cultivators from outside the peninsula. Of course, if an outer palace disciple displayed immense talent or achieved great merits, they had the opportunity to become an inner palace disciple.
And if one lacked apt.i.tude and still wished to join the outer palace, it would require one to tread the thousands of kilometers of frost surrounding North Night Palace on foot.
Since these low-grade cultivators couldn"t fly due to the restrictions in the area, they would have to rely on their abilities and cultivation to block the glacial cold. As such, if they would be admitted into the outer palace if they managed to reach it.
No matter what they relied on to cross the harsh temperatures, this accomplishment would display some redeeming qualities.
Of course, there still weren’t many cultivators that succeeded. Many would freeze trying. But for their quest to tread the path of cultivation, the cultivators were drawn like moths to the flame.
One day in a region thousands of kilometers away from North Night Palace, there were over ten figures each covered in fur cloaks. Their bodies sparkled with light as they slowly made their way forward on foot inside a vicious snowstorm.
These people have been threading in the frost for over half a month. Their complexions were deathly pale and their footsteps were unsteady. However, none of them dared to stop and rest. The cold wouldn’t allow it. They could only forcefully sustain themselves with magic stones and power.
But one of these travelers had a particularly unsightly expression and his breath was ragged. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and took out a medicine bottle from his robe, putting a scarlet medicine pill into his mouth and soon restoring a bit of color to his pale face.
The middle-aged man in front was covered in a deep yellow light barrier. Without turning his head, he knowingly said, “Fellow Daoist Gu, how many Yang Fire Pills do you have? If you can take them regularly, you might have a problem reaching North Night Palace. Future hailstorms will prove several times harsher than the one we just pa.s.sed.”
The cultivator who took the medicine pill was a youth in his twenties. He forced a smile and said, “Brother Gu, don’t worry. I still have a bottle in reserve. I’ll be able to make it past!” He seemed somewhat fearful towards the middle-aged man.
“That will be good. I don’t want to travel together with a person without a chance.” As if satisfied with the youth’s reply, light flickered from his body and he continued forward.
When the others saw this, they hastily head on their way. It was almost as if sticking close to this person was their only chance at entering North Night Palace.
When the middle-aged man took several steps forward, he let out a yelp and his steps came to a sudden halt, then turning his head to look above.
When the others followed his gaze, they discovered an azure silhouette floating in the sky amidst the snowstorm. Strangely enough, there was an invisible force keeping the snowstorm ten meters at bay.
The middle-aged man was quite exceptional to discover this person in the air.
All of the cultivators present were alarmed and soon their expressions changed. Even Core Formation cultivators should be able to fly unaffected by the area’s restrictions. Could it be that this person was a legendary Nascent Soul cultivator? Or was it a high-grade cultivator from North Night Palace? But their attire seemed foreign.
The cultivators looked at each other in dismay, apprehension filling their hearts.
“You are vagrant cultivators looking to enter North Night Palace?” The silhouette glowing in azure light spoke with a young voice.
Although the middle-aged man’s cultivation wasn’t very high, he knew much of the world and his mind was roused upon hearing this person’s question. He promptly bowed and hastily answered, “This Junior’s name is Gu Tianqu. I am one of those undergoing the trial to join. Does Senior have any commands?” As he spoke, he wore an expression of solemn respect.
The azure figure calmly said, “You are quite discerning, but I don’t have orders in particular. It"s just that this land is strange and I can’t seem to figure out my war forward. Since you are certain of your path, do you have something to guide you?”
When the middle-aged man heard this, his expression relaxed, but he still hurriedly replied, “It seems this is Senior’s first time at North Night Island. Other areas of North Night Island are easy enough to tread, but this region is under the influence of the palace’s grand formation.
It uses renown Mythic Serpent Stone as the formation’s core, causing a cultivator’s spiritual sense to sway in different directions. If anyone were to think they were flying straight, I fear that would never reach the palace. As for Juniors like us, we’ve each bought a Soul Stabilizing Medallion from the market at North Night Island’s entrance. With this magic tool, our sense of direction won’t stray.”
The azure figure seemed stunned. “A Soul Stabilizing Medallion?”
“Yes, although it isn’t a rare magic tool, it is required to make it to the palace. It is sold at by a shop from the palace. Furthermore, there are only thirty that are soul throughout a year and they lose effectiveness when the year pa.s.ses. In order to be safe, I purchased an extra medallion. May I offer it to Senior?” The middle-aged man’s eyes s.h.i.+fted and he took out a yellow plate from his sleeve. He then held it forward with both hands.
The azure silhouette stroked his chin and chuckled, reaching out towards it without any reservations.
In a yellow flash, the medallion was summoned into his hand.
Needless to say, the azure silhouette was Han Li, who had flown to North Night Island in about a month’s time.
Originally, he believed he would be able to easily overcome the sect’s restrictions with his abilities, but when he arrived at the palace, he couldn"t have imagined that his spiritual sense would lapse. For a time, he wasn’t able to find the palace’s location, much to his surprise and irritation.
Because he had come here to pay a friendly visit, it wasn’t as if he could break through the restrictions with violent force.
Unable to come up with a better option, he happened upon a group of people.