The hundred-meter-tall wall of ice surrounding the city wasn’t exceptional in height, but its translucent and sparkling material was mesmerizing.
But what was particularly eye-catching was that the wall appeared entirely smooth as if it was carved out from a blade. There wasn’t the slightest hint that bricks had ever been used.
At the city gate, there were a dozen white-clothed cultivators standing guard.
The highest cultivation among them was at Foundation Establishment cultivation, but more notably, several white apes were squatting amongst them. They had long snow-white hair and a pair of menacing green eyes.
The apes were spirit beasts that were long acclimated to the snow. Although their cultivation wasn’t very high, they were exceptionally intelligent and easy to tame, leading to many northern cultivators raising them.
However, the apes on the walls were particularly large, several times larger than one would expect of a snow ape, and their demonic Qi revealed them to be rank four and five demon beasts, equivalent to the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This attracted much attention to Han Li. As the top sect in the north, the Night Night Palace should have an original technique to nurture these apes.
When the cultivators on the walls saw the pale youth with a headful of gray hair, they repeatedly addressed him as “Martial Ancestor Ren”.
Elder Ren grunted in acknowledgment and boldly walked through the gates.
When they saw Han Li following behind their martial ancestor, they didn’t dare to question them.
But just as Han Li crossed the gate, the snow apes suddenly acted strangely.
The spirit beasts whined and backed away from Han Li in a panic.
In their alarm, the North Night Palace cultivators scolded the beasts, but the apes continued, lying on their chest and covering the back of their head with their arms, showing submission to Han Li.
When Elder Ren saw this, he yelped and shot Han Li a glance with an odd expression. “Do you have a high-grade ape-type spirit beast? Although these apes aren’t very powerful, their senses are exceptionally keen.”
When Han Li heard this, he knew the snow apes sensed the Weeping Soul Beast and they acted out of fear. He indifferently answered, “I do have one, but it isn’t all that powerful. I rarely ever use it.”
Elder Ren smiled and dropped the matter as they entered the city of ice.
The city’s main road started from the city gate and was exceptionally wide. A layer of smooth ice paved its surface.
In the distance, one could see a few people on the roads, all low-grade cultivators wearing yellow and white.
Buildings lined the side of the road in an orderly fas.h.i.+on. Rather than a city, it was more appropriate to call it a fortress.
Before Han Li could further examine the city, Elder Ren flew in the direction of the huge mountain at a low alt.i.tude.
Han Li’s face betrayed a trace of surprise and he silently took off after him.
A short while later, the two landed on a platform at the center of the mountain.
Elder Ren beamed at Han Li and explained, “From now on, Brother Han must follow me on foot as the upper portion of the mountain enters the scope of the inner palace. I am an elder there, but even I must adhere to the rules.”
Han Li nodded, and the two slowly made their way up a flight of translucent stairs carved from ice.
There weren’t many disciples that were allowed to enter the inner palace, but the few people they met along the way respectfully saluted the pale youth.
Additionally, the elder treated these disciples differently and smiled at them no matter their level of cultivation.
Han Li perceived that these inner palace cultivators all possessed exceptional apt.i.tudes, and along the way, he discovered four fearsome restrictions that gave him a s.h.i.+ver down his back. It appeared the sect possessed an ingenious spell formation grandmaster.
This piqued Han Li’s interest in the sect even more. He would have to see whether or not he could converse formation insights with the said expert.
As the thoughts appeared in his head, he followed the pale youth to a more obscure path. When they reached the end, they stood before a giant wall of ice that was a kilometer tall.
When Han Li spotted it, he raised his brow and looked at it with slight awe.
The pale youth raised his hand and he released a jade tile glowing with green light. A silver mist emerged and wrapped around it before phasing into the wall of ice.
A moment later, the wall silently trembled and an opening split through the middle, creating a six-meter-wide pa.s.sage.
Elder Ren shook his head and explained, “The buildings on the top of the mountain are only for show. In truth, they’re used as residences for the inner sect’s low-grade cultivators. Higher grade disciples reside in Hidden Arctic Dragon Border, the true location of our palace. Were you not a good friend of Junior Martial Sister Bai, I wouldn’t have dared bring you here.”
Han Li wore a smile in response, but he was indifferent about the matter. This so-called Hidden Arctic Dragon Border was well known in the north. It could hardly be considered a secret. Otherwise, why would this Elder Ren bring him here, or for Bai Yaoyi to tell him about this place?
More notably was how this person made such efforts to befriend him, despite being the first time they had met. This puzzled Han Li and caused him to view Elder Ren with greater caution.
But when Han Li was offered pa.s.sage inside, he didn’t refuse and walked inside shoulder to shoulder with Elder Ren.
The pa.s.sage was only three meters long. He couldn"t help but betray shock from his face after what he saw at the other end.
There was a verdant valley filled with spring life. It was filled with bright sunlight and rarely seen plants.
The valley spanned a couple of kilometers and was enclosed in the green mountain walls. However, there were several jade buildings constructed against the walls in a display of beautiful and impeccable craftsmans.h.i.+p.
At the very center of the valley, there were three large halls carved from white jade that seemed to take up a third of the valley’s s.p.a.ce.
Han Li glanced at them with a slight change in expression but astonishment filled his heart.