amaotonovel Chapter 1430 Fellow Daoist has no objections, right?
Chapter 1430 Fellow Daoist has no objections, right?
The earth-shattering battle at Kunwu Mountain has ended, but its aftershocks are still faintly circulating among the upper echelons of the cultivation world.
Leaving the Kunwu Mountain range, Qin Hao and Han Li did not flee far, but instead each created a cave dwelling in a secluded mountain range nearby. With a wave of his hand, Qin Hao sliced open the mountain wall like tofu, instantly forming a simple yet sturdy stone chamber. Han Li also chose a cliff with decent spiritual energy, set up layers of restrictions, and entered his temporary cave dwelling.
The trip to Kunwu Mountain had yielded far more fruitful results than expected. In his palm lay a pill the size of a longan, radiating a misty purple aura—the very treasure that could help him break through the bottleneck of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm—the Infant Cultivation Pill. A flicker of eagerness crossed his eyes as he carefully put the pill away, preparing to adjust himself to his optimal state before consuming it.
In contrast, Qin Hao's gains were astonishing. He sat cross-legged in the center of the stone chamber, with several treasures radiating spiritual light floating before him: the ancient and majestic Eight Spirit Ruler, surrounded by eight illusory images of spirit birds; and the Black Wind Banner, its surface as black as ink, with subtle spatial ripples—these two were undoubtedly legendary Heaven-Reaching Treasures!
In addition, there is the Pingshan Seal, which exudes a heavy, earthy yellow spiritual light; the Crimson Flame Drum, which is as red as fire and has flame patterns hidden on its drumhead; the Four Symbols Ruler, which is painted with the four symbols of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise; and the Mitian Bracelet, a jade bracelet surrounded by a hazy white halo and exuding a mysterious aura.
Qin Hao's gaze swept over the imitation spiritual treasures such as the Ping Shan Seal, the Crimson Flame Drum, the Four Symbols Ruler, and the Mi Tian Bracelet. With a casual flick of his wrist, he put them deep into his storage bag, as if they were just a few ordinary items.
His attention was completely focused on the Eight Spirit Ruler and the Black Wind Banner. Although he had obtained these two heaven-reaching spiritual treasures, the Tongbao Technique had only been refined to the first level, and the power he could unleash was less than one-tenth of what it was.
"A Heaven-Reaching Treasure, indeed extraordinary." Qin Hao murmured, gathering pure magical power at his fingertips and slowly pointing towards the floating Black Wind Banner.
The flag moved without wind, and a subtle spatial fluctuation spread out, but it quickly subsided and disappeared. He did the same thing, pouring his magic power into the Eight Spirit Ruler. The illusory image of the spirit bird on the ruler flickered slightly and let out a few clear cries.
In the days that followed, Qin Hao devoted his main energy to deeply refining the Tongbao Techniques of these two Heavenly Treasures. Inside the stone chamber, space sometimes distorted, and phantoms of spirit birds danced in the air; the powerful spiritual pressure caused the entire temporary cave to tremble slightly. If Han Li hadn't also set up an isolation array, they probably would have been alerted long ago.
Besides refining the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure, Qin Hao had several other urgent matters to attend to. One was the Great Evolution Divine Lord residing within the Soul-Nourishing Wood. This exceptionally talented puppet master's remnant soul was extremely weak, like a candle flame in the wind.
His only obsession was to witness Qin Hao use his life's work of research to create a puppet at the late Nascent Soul stage.
Qin Hao took out the rare spiritual materials he had collected earlier and began to refine them according to the instructions of the Great Evolution Divine Lord.
Secondly, there are the Five Demons of Unity, sealed within a specially made jade bottle. After the fall of the Old Demon Qian, these five ferocious demons lost the restraint of their master's soul and became extremely violent, rampaging and howling within the jade bottle.
A cold glint flashed in Qin Hao's eyes. His powerful divine sense transformed into an invisible cage, completely imprisoning the demon. He began to circulate his secret technique, refining the demon's original energy bit by bit, erasing the mark of the Old Demon Qian, preparing to completely subdue and refine it for his own use. This process was perilous and lengthy; the slightest mistake could result in a backlash.
Thirdly, there was the newly acquired Taiyin True Fire. This pale white flame from the Spirit Transformation Hall exuded an extreme chilling power. With a thought, Qin Hao conjured another dark red flame—the Asura Sacred Fire—at his fingertips. The two top-tier flames with completely different attributes floated silently.
A hint of inquiry flashed in Qin Hao's eyes: "What will be born from the devouring and fusion?"
He carefully controlled the Yin True Fire, attempting to let it come into contact with and envelop the Asura Sacred Fire. Instantly, the two extreme forces of icy cold and scorching heat clashed violently, emitting a hissing crackling sound. The temperature in the stone chamber fluctuated wildly between extreme cold and intense heat, and thick white frost condensed on the walls, only to be dried and cracked by the high temperature in an instant. Qin Hao was completely focused, forcibly harmonizing and guiding the fusion process of the two fires with his powerful divine sense and spiritual power. This was an experiment that required extreme patience and precise control.
The days of seclusion passed quickly. Every now and then, a crack would appear in the barrier of the adjacent stone chamber, and a small cyan bottle formed from pure wood spiritual energy would slowly float into Qin Hao's cave.
The bottle contained a spiritual liquid meticulously refined by Han Li from the pure sap flowing from the roots of the Spirit Eye Tree. This liquid contained immense vitality and pure spiritual power, possessing remarkable effects on cleansing the eyes and enhancing the spiritual eye's abilities. Each time Qin Hao received it, he would take a few drops and drip them into his eyes. The cool sensation instantly permeated his eyeballs, reaching directly to his sea of consciousness, as if he could see through all the illusions of the world, and his divine sense would become more refined and transparent under this cleansing.
In return, Qin Hao was generous. Once, when delivering spirit liquid, he also sent back a jade slip containing the profound subsequent techniques of the Great Evolution Technique.
Upon receiving the jade slip, Han Li scanned it with his divine sense, and an uncontrollable look of ecstasy immediately appeared on his face. The Great Evolution Technique was crucial to the strengthening and utilization of his divine sense, and the subsequent cultivation method was exactly what he had been dreaming of! The value of this return gift far exceeded that of the spiritual liquid.
……
Time flies like an arrow.
The heavy stone door of the chamber slowly opened with a low, scraping sound, and Qin Hao stepped out. After ten years of seclusion, he showed no signs of weariness; instead, his aura was even more restrained and profound, and his every move exuded a composure as if he controlled the world.
Between the opening and closing of his eyes, a glint of light flashed and disappeared, even more unfathomable than ten years ago, a result of long-term cleansing with the spiritual liquid of the Spirit Eye Tree.
He glanced at Han Li's still tightly closed stone chamber door. The spiritual energy fluctuations inside were steady and deep, clearly indicating that Han Li's breakthrough had reached a critical stage. Qin Hao did not disturb him. With a flick of his finger, a pale golden communication talisman transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into the restrictions of Han Li's cave. The message within the talisman was concise and clear, informing the other party that he had emerged from seclusion and was leaving to attend to important matters.
After doing all this, Qin Hao's figure flickered, transforming into a pale golden light that almost blended into the heavens and earth, soaring into the sky, his target being the bitterly cold land in the central part of the Great Jin Dynasty—Frost County!
In the far north of Frost County lies the Northern Dark Island, perpetually covered in ice and snow. Here, the north wind howls year-round, snow falls in torrents, and water freezes instantly. The biting cold is enough to freeze magical power; even martial arts masters among mortals consider this place a forbidden zone for life.
However, nestled in this extreme cold lies the renowned Xiaoji Palace, a prominent sect in the cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty! With its ice-based divine abilities and profound foundation, it stands proudly in the North, known as the "Number One Sect in the North." Its prestige is even comparable to that of the ten major orthodox and demonic sects of the Great Jin Dynasty.
On this day, the weather on Beiming Island was extremely harsh. Goose-feather-like snowflakes were whipped up by a fierce, knife-like wind, forming a white storm that blotted out the sky. The raging blizzard could not only freeze the physical body, but also contained chaotic, icy spiritual energy, enough to easily tear apart the protective aura of low-level cultivators. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would find it extremely difficult even to maintain their footing in such weather, let alone travel.
However, deep within this chaotic, snowy landscape, a dark green, dragon-shaped flying boat exuding an ancient and primal aura was piercing through layers of snow, resolutely heading towards the core area of Beiming Island. It was Qin Hao's flying magical artifact—the Ink Dragon Boat! A faint golden light enveloped its hull, completely isolating it from the raging wind and snow and the icy spiritual energy; though swift, the boat remained as stable as a rock.
On the ice crystal watchtowers surrounding the Lesser Extreme Palace, several disciples dressed in snow-white palace robes were straining to maintain the operation of the watchtower array, their magic power surging against the bitter cold and howling winds. Suddenly, the jade disc at one of their waists emitted a blinding red light, flashing wildly!
"Enemy attack?! In this weather... how could there be anyone..." The disciple on duty's expression changed drastically. Before he could finish speaking, he saw a streak of dark green light, like a sharp blade cleaving through chaos, ignoring the swirling snow and wind, hurtling straight toward the palace gate at an astonishing speed!
"Activate the Mystic Ice Array! High Alert!" A shrill alarm instantly resounded throughout the outer perimeter of the Little Extreme Palace!
Almost simultaneously with the alarm sounding, countless intricate blue runes suddenly lit up on the magnificent palace walls of the Lesser Extreme Palace, constructed from millennia-old mystic ice. A massive, several-zhang-thick, crystal-clear ice shield, radiating terrifying cold, instantly rose, firmly protecting the entire Lesser Extreme Palace complex. The surface of the shield was shrouded in icy mist, condensing into countless sharp ice shards that pointed towards the Ink Dragon Boat—its defenses fully activated!
A flash of light appeared at the palace gate, and a graceful white figure appeared—it was Bai Yaoyi. Her once beautiful face was now filled with solemnity, her delicate brows furrowed.
When she first received the alarm that a Nascent Soul cultivator had forcibly broken in, she didn't pay much attention, as the Little Extreme Palace had its own Nascent Soul elders to handle it. But when she saw the figure standing with his hands behind his back on the Ink Dragon Boat through the raging wind and snow, her pupils suddenly contracted, and a storm raged in her heart!
"It's...it's him!"
In the Kunwu Mountains, the terrifying image of Qin Hao single-handedly suppressing the Silver-Winged Yaksha instantly flashed into her mind! How could this evil star suddenly descend upon the Little Extreme Palace? Bai Yaoyi was instantly enveloped by immense unease.
The ink-black dragon boat hovered outside the Xuanbing Grand Array. Qin Hao's voice pierced through the wind, snow, and the array's light barrier, clearly reaching Bai Yaoyi's ears, tinged with amusement: "Having nothing to do, I came to catch up with Fairy Bai. What, does the Little Extreme Palace not welcome me?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Yaoyi inwardly groaned. Welcome? How could she dare say she wasn't welcome? She forced a slightly stiff smile: "Fellow Daoist Zhang... you flatter me. It is an honor for my Little Extreme Palace to have you grace us with your presence. Please... please wait a moment."
She took a deep breath, quickly took out an ice-blue token, and chanted an incantation. The token shot out a beam of blue light that struck the Xuanbing Grand Array. The thick ice crystal shield in front of the Ink Dragon Boat silently cracked open, creating a gap just wide enough for the flying boat to pass through.
The Ink Dragon Boat transformed into a streak of light, instantly passing through the gap and coming to a steady stop on the wide, snowy plaza in front of the Little Extreme Palace. Qin Hao stepped out of the flying boat, and the Ink Dragon Boat automatically shrank, landing in his sleeve. His gaze calmly swept over the Little Extreme Palace disciples who were on high alert and the several Nascent Soul elders who had rushed over upon hearing the news, finally settling on Bai Yaoyi.
Qin Hao's arrival was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly startling the cultivators who were hiding deep within the Little Extreme Palace.
Almost at the same moment Qin Hao stepped into the Xiaoji Palace square, a cold, powerful divine sense, seemingly capable of freezing the soul, swept out from the deepest palace, constructed of ten-thousand-year-old black ice, instantly locking onto Qin Hao! This divine sense carried a hint of inquiry, a hint of surprise, and even a hint of something indescribable...greed?
The heavy ice doors of the palace slid open silently, releasing a palpable chill. An elderly man in a snow-white Daoist robe, with a gaunt face and a long beard reaching his chest, slowly stepped out. A faint blue mist swirled around him, and each step he took left a fleeting, blooming, and then instantly freezing ice flower. This man was none other than the current Grand Elder of the Lesser Extreme Palace, a peak late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator—Master Hanli! His ice-based supernatural abilities were unfathomable, earning him the reputation as one of the most powerful cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage in the Great Jin Dynasty.
The cold, sharp gaze of the Venerable Hanli pierced Qin Hao's body like an ice pick. He seemed to sense something extremely attractive about Qin Hao, his expression first showing surprise and doubt, then turning into uncontrollable ecstasy.
"Azure Ice Flame! You actually possess the aura of Azure Ice Flame! So pure... far surpassing mine!" The voice of the Cold Li Immortal trembled slightly, a testament to his intense longing.
"Hahaha, Heaven is helping me! It truly is Heaven's help! Fellow Daoist, you've come at the perfect time!"
He moved swiftly, appearing several feet in front of Qin Hao, his gaze intense: "I am Han Li, the unworthy Grand Elder of the Lesser Extreme Palace. Fellow Daoist possesses the Pure Azure Ice Flame, a tremendous opportunity for me to break through the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul stage! If you are willing to lend me a hand and use the Azure Ice Flame to help me complete the final step of 'Five Flames Forging the God,' you may freely peruse and study all the scriptures and cultivation techniques in the Lesser Extreme Palace's Scripture Pavilion! What do you say?"
As the successor of the Ice Soul Fairy, the Little Extreme Palace boasts an incredibly rich collection in its scripture pavilion, especially ice-based cultivation techniques and secret arts, which are unparalleled in the Great Jin Dynasty and hold a fatal attraction for any cultivator.
And this is precisely one of Qin Hao's purposes for this trip! He needs a vast knowledge base to enrich the "intelligent brain's" deduction database.
Bai Yaoyi, listening from the side, was terrified. She knew Hanli Shangren's domineering personality and his almost fanatical obsession with breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. She couldn't help but step forward and whispered a reminder: "Elder, think twice! This Fellow Daoist Zhang... possesses immense supernatural powers and is unfathomable! Befriending him is the best course of action, don't..."
Master Hanli frowned, giving Bai Yaoyi a cold glance, his eyes filled with obvious displeasure and warning: "This elder has made his own decision, why should you say anything more! Step back!"
In his view, no matter how amazing Qin Hao's past achievements were, he was still only at the late Nascent Soul stage. As for Han Li, he had one foot in the Divine Transformation stage, had the Small Extreme Palace Grand Array to rely on, and was tempted by the Qianlan Ice Flame. How could he back down because of a few alarming words? Moreover, he had a deeper plan in mind.
Bai Yaoyi was intimidated by his imposing presence, her face paling slightly. She sighed inwardly and could only step aside, secretly praying that the Grand Elder would not do anything irreversible.
Qin Hao took it all in, his face remaining impassive, but his mind was perfectly clear. How could he not know the true purpose of the Cold Li Immortal? To help him break through to the Nascent Soul stage? Perhaps the other party was more interested in seizing his Void Heaven Cauldron and his pure Ice Flame Power after the breakthrough, or even during the breakthrough process? After all, he already knew the connection between the Little Extreme Palace and the Void Heaven Palace.
With their own thoughts, the two, led by Master Hanli, headed towards the deepest part of the palace—a secret cultivation chamber constructed of ten-thousand-year-old black ice.
As Bai Yaoyi watched the two figures disappear, her unease grew stronger.
……
The heavy, icy door of the secret chamber closed silently behind them, its surface glowing with countless restrictive runes, completely isolating the inside from the outside. The chamber was chillingly cold. At its center stood a massive icy altar. Around the altar, besides the Venerable Hanli, sat three other people: an elderly woman with white hair and a youthful face, a stern-faced middle-aged Taoist, and a giant with exceptionally tall and muscular physique and pale blue skin. All three were clearly Nascent Soul cultivators!
"I will accept the cold flames from you fellow Daoists." Qin Hao had no intention of actually helping Venerable Hanli break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
Master Hanli's expression changed drastically: "What do you mean by this, Fellow Daoist Zhang?"
The words have not yet fallen.
boom! boom! boom! boom!
Four incredibly powerful Nascent Soul auras erupted simultaneously! Master Hanli formed hand seals, and countless eerie, blood-red runes instantly lit up the Xuanbing walls of the secret chamber, activating a massive and sinister Blood Refining Xuanbing Array! Countless icy chains, carrying a chilling aura and a bloody stench, appeared out of thin air, shooting towards Qin Hao from all directions! At the same time, he spat out a crystal-clear, icy sword, its blade radiating icy light, aiming directly at Qin Hao's dantian!
Granny Qingshan let out a fierce shriek, her cane transforming into a ferocious ice python, spewing pale, freezing air as it lunged forward! Bingpozi remained expressionless, pushing forward with both palms, unleashing countless fine, hair-like ice spikes shimmering with a ghostly blue light, raining down on Qin Hao like a storm! Meanwhile, the Northern Profound Venerable roared, his body swelling to become a several-zhang-tall frost giant, his massive fist, covered in thick ice armor, crashing down with the power to shatter mountains and split rocks!
The four had been planning this for a long time, and their perfect coordination and the power they unleashed in an instant were enough to kill any late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator on the spot!
Faced with this terrifying siege that could change the very fabric of the world, Qin Hao showed no surprise, only a cold indifference, like ancient ice.
"Hmph, looking for death!"
A cold snort, like a chilling wind from the depths of hell, swept through the room! Qin Hao didn't even move a step, but the dormant power within him suddenly erupted! A terrifying aura, far surpassing that of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, carrying the primordial savagery, the solemnity of Buddhism, and the unpredictability of demonic arts, instantly filled the entire secret chamber! Golden light shone brightly around him, and a phantom image of a three-headed, six-armed, majestic yet sinister Brahma Saint True Magic figure flashed by!
puff! puff! puff! puff!
Four soft sounds, like popping bubbles.
The crimson ice chains, powerful enough to freeze a Nascent Soul, shattered into dust the instant they touched the golden light surrounding Qin Hao!
The Ice Soul Cold Light Sword of Master Hanli froze in mid-air just three inches away from Qin Hao's dantian. The sword emitted a mournful cry of being unable to bear the weight, and then with a "crack", it was covered with cracks and lost all its spiritual light!
The giant ice python of Granny Qingshan was grabbed by an invisible hand and exploded into a cloud of ice mist before it could even let out a wail!
The myriad ice spikes of Bingpozi silently melted away in the golden light!
The devastating fist of the Northern Profound Venerable was seemingly casually blocked by Qin Hao raising a single finger! The next moment, the burly frost giant was struck as if by an invisible hammer, his massive body flying backward and crashing heavily into the icy wall. The entire secret chamber shook violently, and ice shards flew everywhere! His icy armor shattered inch by inch, and he coughed up blue blood mixed with fragments of internal organs, his eyes filled with disbelief, horror, and despair!
"No...impossible! You..." Master Hanli was terrified. He finally understood how correct Bai Yaoyi's warning was! This was not the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator at all!
However, it was too late.
Qin Hao's movements were incredibly fast, as if his figure had only blurred for a moment.
A golden fist shadow, condensed to its extreme, carrying the power to pierce through the void, instantly appeared before Master Hanli. This great cultivator, who had one foot in the Nascent Soul stage, only had time to let out a short scream before his protective aura and head exploded like a watermelon! The headless corpse swayed and fell to the ground, its nascent soul completely shattered by the fist force before it could even escape!
Immediately afterwards, Qin Hao pointed his fingers like a sword, and a sword aura that combined Buddhist light and golden evil swept out.
The old woman in the green robe had her head thrown high into the air, her face frozen in extreme fear.
Bingpozi tried to escape by transforming into a ray of cold light, but was swallowed up by a spatial rift that appeared out of nowhere, leaving only a scream that stopped abruptly.
The heavily injured and fallen Northern Profound Venerable was grabbed from a distance by Qin Hao, and a giant golden palm crushed him, sending blood and flesh flying everywhere!
In the blink of an eye! Four Nascent Soul cultivators, renowned throughout the North, including one at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage, were annihilated before they could even put up a decent fight, their bodies and souls turning into four pools of dazzling blood ice in the secret chamber!
Qin Hao remained unfazed, as if he had merely crushed a few ants. His gaze swept across the secret chamber, and with a flick of his sleeve, he collected the storage bags and magical artifacts left behind by Master Hanli and the other three.
His gaze then fell upon the ancient ice within the secret chamber, which emanated a dense chill. This ice was a top-grade material for crafting top-tier ice-type magical artifacts and formations.
Without any hesitation, Qin Hao formed hand seals, unleashing a powerful suction force. The millennia-old ice embedded and piled up on the walls and floor of the secret chamber was stripped away and compressed like rivers flowing into the sea, eventually transforming into several fist-sized, crystal-clear ice crystals containing a chilling aura, which fell into his storage bag.
Just as Qin Hao finished doing all this and left the secret chamber, a muffled loud noise accompanied by violent tremors came from the outside, along with the roars of demonic beasts, the angry shouts of cultivators, and the sound of the mountain-protecting formation shattering under the strain!
……
Qin Hao pushed open the door to the secret chamber, and what came into view was no longer a tranquil ice palace, but a chaotic battlefield!
The Xuanbing Grand Array, which Xiaoji Palace was so proud of, was now riddled with holes, many parts of it forcibly blasted open. Countless demonic beasts of all shapes and sizes surged in from the breaches like a tidal wave! Flying in the sky and running on the ground, they were all the elites of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley! Iron-winged eagles blotted out the sun, spewing wind blades; Ice-armored earth dragons roared and smashed down ice crystal palaces; Six-armed snow apes wielded ice clubs and swept across the area... The lower-level disciples of Xiaoji Palace were like mantises trying to stop a chariot in the beast tide, their screams rising and falling, their blood staining the white snow red.
The battle among high-level cultivators unfolded fiercely in the air. Several Nascent Soul elders from the Lesser Extreme Palace were besieged by multiple transformed demonic beasts, their situation extremely precarious. One battle was particularly intense, with Bai Yaoyi caught in a pincer attack by two transformed demonic beasts, her life hanging by a thread. One of them was a level nine Azure-Eyed Wind Fox, its movements as swift as the wind, its claws tearing through the air; the other was a level nine peak Crimson Blood Thunder Python, its mouth spewing blood-red lightning balls, its power astonishing.
Although Bai Yaoyi's ice-type divine power was strong, when fighting two opponents at once, the brilliance of her protective magic treasure had dimmed, and blood was spilling from the corner of her mouth, indicating that she had suffered internal injuries.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang! You're out!" Bai Yaoyi caught sight of Qin Hao emerging from the secret passage out of the corner of her eye. Like a drowning person grasping at a last straw, she exclaimed in a trembling voice, "Was everything alright? How are the Grand Elder and the others?"
Qin Hao's appearance immediately attracted the attention of several transformed demonic beasts nearby. Sensing the late-stage Nascent Soul aura emanating from Qin Hao, which he hadn't deliberately concealed, their eyes flashed with ferocity.
"Another Nascent Soul cultivator from the Lesser Extreme Palace? Kill him!" A level-eight transformed demonic beast resembling a pangolin with bone spurs on its back sneered, and along with two other level-eight transformed demonic beasts, it transformed into three gusts of demonic wind, carrying a strong stench, and rushed straight at Qin Hao! Sharp claws, venomous saliva, and heavy impacts instantly enveloped Qin Hao!
"Stop! You mustn't be disrespectful to Fellow Daoist Zhang!!!" A panicked shout rang out like a thunderclap!
The three transformed demonic beasts that were about to attack Qin Hao suddenly froze, stopping abruptly in mid-air. A figure flew in at incredible speed from the other side of the battlefield, landing between Qin Hao and the three demonic beasts. It was none other than the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear, whom Qin Hao had "met briefly" before in Kunwu Mountain! At this moment, its forehead was covered in cold sweat, and its eyes were filled with apprehension and fear as it looked at Qin Hao.
"The Bear Venerable?" The Mountain King and other demons were astonished and puzzled.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear had no time to pay attention to them. It stared at Qin Hao with extreme nervousness, forcing a smile that was more like a grimace: "Fellow Daoist Zhang... misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding! I really didn't know that you, Fellow Daoist Zhang, had... a connection with the Little Extreme Palace?"
Qin Hao looked at it with a half-smile, his eyes playful: "We meet again so soon? Looks like we're quite destined for each other?"
He glanced at the murderous demons and the dilapidated palace.
"That's quite a show of force."
The Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear felt its scalp tingle under Qin Hao's gaze, cold sweat pouring down its back. It wailed inwardly: What a twist of fate! How could this jinx be here? Could he also be here for the spatial node? Just thinking about the terrifying strength Qin Hao displayed in Kunwu Mountain, and Xiang Zhili's evaluation, made the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear's legs go weak.
"There's no real history between us," Qin Hao said calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial. "There are some grudges, though. The Grand Elder of the Little Extreme Palace, Hanli Shangren, dared to make a move against me, and I've already killed him in one fell swoop."
"hiss……"
These words came out like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
Bai Yaoyi, who was struggling to hold on, trembled violently when she heard the word "annihilation". The color drained from her face instantly, and the last glimmer of hope in her heart was completely shattered. Her heart sank into an abyss, and even her resistance faltered. She was almost caught by the sharp claws of the Azure-Eyed Wind Fox.
The minor cultivators from the Lesser Extreme Palace who overheard the conversation were struck dumb, their morale collapsing instantly.
"No! Impossible! The Grand Elder is incredibly powerful, with one foot already in the Nascent Soul stage, how could he be..."
"Don't spread rumors and mislead the public! Stop trying to demoralize our troops!"
"The Grand Elder... has he really perished?"
Despair and disbelief spread like a plague, instantly shattering the already precarious defenses, as more and more monsters roared and broke through the barriers.
Upon hearing this, the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear felt a huge weight lifted from its heart, letting out a long, silent sigh of relief, as if it had escaped a calamity. It had been terrified that Qin Hao's next words would be about protecting the Lesser Extreme Palace. As long as he wasn't here to seize a spatial node or protect the Lesser Extreme Palace, anything was negotiable!
"So that's how it is! That old bastard Han Li dared to scheme against Fellow Daoist Zhang, he truly deserved to die! Good riddance!" The Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear immediately echoed indignantly.
The pangolin king and other demonic beasts were dumbfounded, staring in disbelief at the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear who was so "respectful" and even somewhat "fawning" towards Qin Hao. They knew that this Bear Venerable held an extremely high position in the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons, possessed formidable strength, and had an unruly personality.
Just then, a clear, high-pitched phoenix cry, filled with boundless majesty, resounded through the heavens! A magnificent giant bird, with a wingspan of tens of meters and covered in ice-crystal-like feathers, cut through the wind and snow and descended upon the battlefield. The pressure it exuded far surpassed that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator; it was clearly a level ten demonic beast! It was none other than the overlord of the Northern Ice Plains, possessing the bloodline of an ancient true spirit—the Ice Phoenix!
Ice Phoenix's sharp phoenix eyes immediately locked onto Qin Hao, whose aura was the most unique in the arena. She transformed into human form, appearing beside the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear as a woman dressed in ice-blue palace attire, with unparalleled beauty and an icy demeanor.
Her gaze swept over Qin Hao, scrutinizing him: "Fellow Daoist Xiong, who is this person? Could he be a newly promoted Nascent Soul cultivator?"
The Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear hurriedly transmitted its voice, its tone extremely solemn: "Ice Phoenix Fairy, please don't misunderstand! This person is not a Nascent Soul cultivator, but... the strength of his supernatural powers far exceeds our imagination! If he were to exert his full strength, even a true Nascent Soul cultivator would have to pay a heavy price to defeat him! This assessment is not my own unfounded opinion, but comes from the mouth of a Nascent Soul senior!"
For the first time, a clear look of surprise appeared on Ice Phoenix's exquisite face: "Oh? Is this really true?"
Seeing that Qin Hao did not deny it, the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear felt somewhat relieved and continued, "It is absolutely true! If the fairy does not believe it, you can find an opportunity to spar with him after this matter is over. But at this moment..."
It glanced at the chaotic battlefield and the remaining cultivators of the Lesser Extreme Palace: "...It's best not to cause any unnecessary trouble, lest we ruin the important matter entrusted to us by the Valley Master."
Its words even carried a hint of barely perceptible schadenfreude, as if it were looking forward to seeing Ice Phoenix suffer at Qin Hao's hands.
Ice Phoenix's eyes flickered as she gave Qin Hao a deep look. Though doubts lingered, she knew the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear's words were true. The most important thing now was to break through the core of the Lesser Extreme Palace and reclaim the treasure that held the destiny of the Sea Demon Clan—the Sea-Suppressing Bell!
Qin Hao ignored Bingfeng's scrutiny and turned his gaze to Bai Yaoyi, who was swaying and pale under the attack of the demonic beasts. He casually pointed at her and said, "This woman and I do have some connection."
The Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear was incredibly shrewd, and immediately understood. As if granted a pardon, it loudly proclaimed, "So that's how it is! Fellow Daoist, please proceed! Since you are an old friend, how could I dare to make things difficult for you! Fairy, what do you think?" Its last sentence was directed at the Ice Phoenix.
Bingfeng nodded indifferently: "Fellow Daoist, please do as you please."
Letting Bai Yaoyi, who is in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, go is not a big deal.
Qin Hao nodded slightly, about to go and take Bai Yaoyi away. Just then, a sudden change occurred!
The next second, everyone saw a flash of golden light!
"Pfft!"
With a muffled thud, the three-eyed demon beast, whose cultivation had reached the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm, didn't even have time to let out a scream before its massive body was crushed by an invisible force, instantly exploding into a cloud of blood mist, its demon core and remnant soul annihilated together!
In an instant, the demons were shaken and became chaotic!
Whether it was the frenzied attacking demonic beasts or the desperate resistance of the Lesser Extreme Palace cultivators, all their movements froze at this moment. All eyes were focused on the slowly dissipating golden hand and the pervasive blood mist.
An eighth-level transformed demon beast... was actually... crushed with a mere flick of the wrist?! The terrifying visual impact was more shocking than any words could describe!
Cold sweat poured down the ancient corpse bear's forehead like a waterfall, soaking its back instantly, its heart pounding wildly. It was incredibly grateful it had made the right choice! This jinx was indeed even more terrifying!
Ice Phoenix's pupils shrank sharply, and for the first time, a look of horror appeared on her beautiful face! She was confident that she could easily kill an eighth-level transformed demon beast, but to do it so casually, as if crushing an insect... she couldn't do it! The words of the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear became incredibly heavy in her heart at this moment.
"This demon was staring at me with ill intent just now, so I'll teach it a small lesson." Qin Hao slowly put the demon's third eye into his storage bag, then calmly looked at the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear: "Fellow Daoist, you probably won't mind, will you?"
The Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear felt its voice trembling: "Care...care?! No, no, no! Absolutely not! This fiend dared to be disrespectful to Fellow Daoist Zhang, he's simply courting death! Even if Fellow Daoist doesn't make a move, I will definitely extract his soul and refine his spirit as a warning to others!"
"Yes, that's very good." Qin Hao nodded in satisfaction, as if he had only dealt with a trivial matter.
"Then I, Zhang, will take my leave first."
Before he finished speaking, Qin Hao's figure had vanished from his spot and instantly appeared beside Bai Yaoyi.
The Azure-Eyed Wind Fox and the Crimson-Blooded Thunder Python, who were besieging Bai Yaoyi, only saw a flash of golden light before their eyes, and a terrifying aura that made their souls tremble instantly descended! The two demons were terrified and dared not linger. With a strange cry, they retreated dozens of feet away with all their might, plunging into the group of demon beasts without looking back. They did not even dare to look at Qin Hao again, for fear of angering this evil star and following in the footsteps of the three-eyed demon beast.
As the golden light faded, Qin Hao appeared beside Bai Yaoyi, who was still in shock and pale-faced.
"Go." One word, simple and clear.
With a flick of his sleeve, Qin Hao unleashed a gentle yet irresistible force that lifted Bai Yaoyi, transforming her into a golden rainbow. Ignoring the chaotic battlefield below and the dense swarms of demonic beasts in the sky, she instantly pierced through the dilapidated protective array of the Little Extreme Palace and vanished into the vast snowstorm, leaving only an unfathomable silhouette.
Only after the golden light completely disappeared into the snowy sky did the ten-thousand-year-old corpse bear feel as if a huge boulder had been lifted from its heart. It let out a long, lingering sigh: "Phew... that evil star... is finally gone!"
Bingfeng gazed in the direction Qin Hao had disappeared, her beautiful face displaying a complex expression that shifted between different emotions. Finally, she let out a cold snort: "Hmph, what a show of power! You killed your subordinate and just walked away so easily?"
Upon hearing this, the Ten-Thousand-Year Corpse Bear revealed a mocking expression on its face: "What? If Fairy Ice Phoenix feels aggrieved, it's not too late to chase after her and reason with her. With the fairy's speed, she might not be unable to catch up."
Ice Phoenix's face darkened, and she said coldly, "Hmph! It's not from my sea demon clan, so what does its life or death have to do with this fairy!"
……
Amidst the vast snowstorm, Qin Hao and Bai Yaoyi flew side by side.
Looking at Bai Yaoyi beside him, who looked dejected and at a loss, Qin Hao slowed his escape and asked softly, "The Little Extreme Palace has suffered such a calamity that it is now only a name. Fellow Daoist Bai, what are your plans for the future?"
Bai Yaoyi gazed at the endless snow and ice around her, a bitter and bewildered expression on her face: "The sect has been destroyed, my teachers and fellow disciples are either dead or scattered... At this moment... my heart is in turmoil, and I truly do not know where to go or what to do..."
Looking at her pitiful appearance, Qin Hao's heart stirred slightly, and he said, "If Fellow Daoist Bai doesn't mind, how about you stay by Zhang's side for the time being?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Yaoyi's delicate body trembled slightly, and her cheeks flushed slightly. After struggling for a moment, she finally nodded gently and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Then...then I will trouble Fellow Daoist Zhang."
Seeing that she agreed, Qin Hao laughed and unceremoniously reached out to embrace her slender waist. Bai Yaoyi's body stiffened at first, then slowly relaxed, gently resting her head on his strong shoulder, letting him carry her, transforming into a faster and more swift streak of light, disappearing into the end of the snowstorm.
……
Six months later, Qin Hao brought Bai Yaoyi back to Qingxu Sect in Tiannan.
When Sect Leader Xuan Chengzi saw Qin Hao return, accompanied by a beautiful mid-Nascent Soul cultivator with profound aura, his jaw nearly dropped. He thought to himself how he had painstakingly and painstakingly broken through to the early Nascent Soul stage not long ago, while this Elder Qin, after a trip abroad, not only had his cultivation become unfathomably profound, but he had also casually "picked up" a mid-Nascent Soul fairy as a companion? The difference between people was simply too great!
Inside the cave, Yuan Yao and Yan Li had already sensed Qin Hao's return and came out to greet him. Yuan Yao had now stabilized her mid-Nascent Soul cultivation, while Yan Li was stuck at the peak of the late-stage Core Formation realm, unable to break through. When the two women first saw Bai Yaoyi, their expressions changed slightly, a complex look flashing in their eyes, but they quickly concealed it and returned to normal.
Bai Yaoyi was incredibly intelligent and could naturally sense the change in the two women's emotions in that instant. She glanced at Qin Hao with a look that was three parts resentment and seven parts helplessness, then stepped forward and greeted Yuan Yao and Yanli with grace and magnanimity, smiling and behaving with utmost humility.
Seeing that the other party was so sensible, Yuan Yao and Yan Li softened their attitude, and the three women quickly started calling each other "sisters," appearing outwardly harmonious.
Qin Hao dismissed Xuan Chengzi and the other outsiders, and then closed the cave's restrictions once again.
After a long separation, and with a new favorite added to the family, the cave naturally became a scene of blissful reunion and tender affection. The details of this are best left unsaid to outsiders.
A month later, Qin Hao, beaming with joy, gifted three replica spiritual treasures he had acquired from Kunwu Mountain—the Crimson Flame Drum, the Four Symbols Ruler, and the Heavenly Bracelet—to Yuan Yao, Yan Li, and Bai Yaoyi, respectively, for self-defense.
After making the arrangements, he didn't linger. He transformed into a streak of light and left Qingxu Sect, speeding towards the familiar land he remembered—the Yue Kingdom. (End of Chapter)