On the border of the Yunze Continent, at the Northern Cang Cold Palace.
Inside the Supreme Hall, the young man in the snow-white robe held a book in his hands, seemingly observing the final stage of perfecting this Cold Palace technique, but in reality, his mind had already drifted elsewhere.
He was waiting for news of a major victory.
At the same time, he repeatedly considered in his mind the various possibilities that would occur after the White Jade Fox Venerable swallowed that human body Treasure Medicine, and his internal injuries were somewhat relieved, so that the two of them could leave this bitter and cold place hand in hand.
That unwavering dedication and anticipation, accumulated over tens of thousands of years, almost transformed into tangible warmth, dispelling the coldness of this hall.
However, this tranquility was suddenly shattered.
"Palace Master! Palace Master! Something terrible has happened!"
A young cultivator dressed in the robes of a disciple of the Cold Palace, whose cultivation was only at the early stage of the Dao Evolution Realm, stumbled and crawled into the main hall, his face frozen in shock, and he could barely speak:
"The two elders... they... they...!"
The scroll in the young man's snow-robed hand trembled violently, and then he slowly raised his gaze, quietly looking down at the almost limp disciple guarding the lamp.
Explain yourself.
The air inside the hall seemed to become a thousand times heavier in an instant, and the invisible pressure made the disciple feel a sweet taste in his throat!
The young man's voice was quite deep, revealing little emotion. "What's going on?"
The disciple guarding the lamp trembled violently, barely suppressing his Divine Soul- crushing fear, and hissed:
"They're all... all dead! Elder Bingling, Elder Bingyou... even the Soul Lamp left in the hall have been extinguished!!"
"Based on my repeated verification, those two... are likely completely annihilated, body and soul!!"
He couldn't understand why the once-thriving Mountain Gate would suffer such a devastating blow.
Even two Supreme Elders who had reached the Cosmic Birth Realm suddenly encountered misfortune. Perhaps the White Jade Fox Venerable from beyond the border has made another move!
But if that's the case, why hasn't the Palace Master made a move?
That's why they rushed over to report.
"..."
The young man in the snow-white robe frowned, and the scroll in his hand immediately cracked.
He dispatched two peak Venerables, plus a Heavenly Palace Arhat who was also a peak Venerable.
With such a lineup, coupled with an immortal Buddhist Treasure capable of temporarily imprisoning a supreme being, and the pretense of the Bone and Blood Cult... it should have been a foolproof killing scheme!
Even if Ye Li truly possessed the power of a half-step Supreme Being, there was absolutely no chance of him surviving!
How could this be?
But as a supreme being, his astonishment lasted only a very brief moment.
Ice Soul Supreme quickly steadied his turbulent mind. The obsession that had been dormant in the depths of his eyes for tens of thousands of years had not dissipated; instead, it burned with an even colder light as he regained his composure.
With the two Supreme Elder dying violently, it's likely that the Arhat from the Heavenly Palace has also met with misfortune.
Otherwise, if that Immortal Realm Buddhist Treasure had successfully imprisoned Ye Li, he would probably have already fled to the Cold Palace for refuge...
Clearly, this Governor Ye is stronger than rumored; he is certainly not at the level of a half-step immortal.
Could he be the true supreme Martial Dao master?
This judgment, like a cold steel needle, pierced deeply into the mind of the Ice Soul Supreme, causing him to shudder.
The thought of escaping almost immediately came to mind.
The recent upheaval within the Bone and Blood Cult has swept across the Southern Territory, affecting countless people of the Great Sheng Dynasty. No matter what, they cannot let the instigator go unpunished.
If the Imperial Court were to send another supreme general to the Yunze Continent to assist this seemingly immortal supreme being surnamed Ye, even though he had already advanced to the fourth level of the Immortal Realm, he still wouldn't be confident of breaking out of the encirclement.
As for the Cold Palace's foundation that has lasted for Ten Thousand Years?
Compared to one's own life and fortune, these are all external possessions that can be discarded.
Moreover, given his cultivation level...
If he insists on leaving, even if the Great Sheng Dynasty can track his whereabouts at any time based on the large amount of Imperial Qi remaining on him.
However, completely annihilating him outside the starry sky would still be an extremely difficult task.
However, the thought of escape had barely formed when it was choked by a figure that suddenly appeared in his mind—
It was a pure white figure, dwelling on the true border of the Yunze Continent, sitting atop a sheer, icy cliff, aloof from the world.
He was also the savior who suddenly appeared when he first embarked on his path of cultivation, and was defeated in a battle between his fellow disciples and his enemies, tearing those damned enemy sects to shreds!
White Jade Fox Venerable!
The Dao injury she suffered stemmed from the failure of her breakthrough, which caused the Nine-tailed Dao Foundation to break.
The condition has worsened over tens of thousands of years, and there has never been a sufficient amount of Treasure Medicine to cure it. The only way to slightly suppress the pain is by relying on the [Sea of Bitterness Cold Cliff] outside the Yunze Continent.
Once the blessing of this place is removed, the already crumbling Dao Foundation will inevitably continue to collapse.
The vast universe is immense, but where could he find a natural sanctuary like the Nine Domains Realm, with its abundant Spiritual Energy, solid Laws, and the [Sea of Bitterness Cold Cliff]?
In other words...
If he leaves now... what will happen to the Fox Lord?
Should we leave it in this bitterly cold and desolate region, allowing the damage to continue to erode it until its path to enlightenment is completely severed?
Or perhaps, we can hope that he will one day find Treasure Medicine and return to Yunze?
The hope of achieving this is far too slim.
The young man in the snow-white robe slowly shook his head.
At the very least, he must not leave Yunze before the Fox Lord has recovered somewhat.
So, there's only one path left.
A more insane, yet more direct, path.
Once he resolves this inner conflict, he may be able to break through the fourth level of the Immortal Realm bottleneck in one fell swoop, and thereafter, he will hardly have any inner demons to trouble his mind!
The Ice Soul Supreme's gaze returned to the trembling disciple below.
His gaze was as still as a deep well, yet it made the disciple feel as if he had been stripped naked and thrown onto an icy plain, his soul almost frozen.
"Understood." The Ice Soul Supreme finally spoke again, his voice regaining its previous composure, even carrying a strange gentleness, as he said:
"You've done very well. Go and collect a portion of [Cold Marrow Jade Liquid] to stabilize your cultivation."
The disciple felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and scrambled away, his heart filled with only the relief of surviving a calamity.
They were completely unaware of the chilling murderous intent lurking beneath those gentle words.
The disciple's figure disappeared at the entrance of the main hall.
The young man in the snow-white robe put down the cracked scroll in his hand and slowly rose from his high seat.
He walked outside the palace and gazed into the distance. His gaze seemed to pierce through the layers of cold palace buildings and the raging wind and snow, and he saw the desolate mountain peak where the ink sea churned, and that solitary, pure white figure.
"Fox Lord..."
Tens of thousands of years of obsession and sacrifice finally stirred an unprecedented determination in the young man's silver eyes.
Even if that Governor Ye is a Supreme Being of the Immortal Realm... so what?!
With me here to oversee things, the Northern Cang Cold Palace is no place for dragons and tigers!
Since the matter is destined to be exposed, let Ye Li bring his men to surround the palace!
This saves me the trouble of searching myself.
If we can kill it here, its vast Blood Vitality and essence will surely be able to completely repair the Fox Lord's Dao Foundation!
The young man in the snow-white robe took a deep breath, raised his hand and summoned a crystalline blood ball the size of a human head, his gaze gradually turning cold.
This represents all the achievements of the Bone and Blood Cult over the past six months.
Although it was enough to nourish the demon body, it was still far from repairing the Dao Foundation.
The goal is to allow this blood medicine to grow to a level where it can temporarily suppress Dao injuries.
Several strong remedies are still needed.
There's not much time left...
The young man in the snow-white robe sighed inwardly, then flipped his hand and put away the blood mass.
All his experiences in cultivating Daoism have taught him one principle: either don't do it at all, or do it thoroughly!
He turned around abruptly, clearly facing the empty, cold hall, yet his voice rang in the ears of all the elders and stewards of the Cold Palace:
"All deacons and elders at the sixth level of the Dao Evolution Realm or above, assemble at the Supreme Hall immediately."
There must be no mistakes.
As the words fell silent.
Although the elders who were scattered throughout the Cold Palace cultivating and handling affairs did not understand why, they felt the supreme pressure contained in the order and none of them dared to hesitate in the slightest.
They all put down their tasks, transformed into streaks of light, and sped towards the pristine white Imperial Palace at the highest point in the center.
"..."
The young man in the snow-white robe stood with his hands behind his back in the center of the hall, waiting quietly.
His eyes were deep and unfathomable, reflecting the smooth, mirror-like surface of the Profound Ice ground beneath his feet, and also reflecting the unwavering resolve in his own heart.
The lives of the Cold Palace disciples? The loyalty of the elders?
Compared to healing the Dao injury of the White Jade Fox Venerable and forging one's own path to becoming a supreme being, these things... are merely kindling to burn!