Han Li and the other two also rose to their feet, while Hanli Shangren took several steps forward and walked to the enormous cauldron nearby. He murmured an incantation under his breath, flicked his hand, and sent a stream of blue magical light striking the cauldron.
The massive cauldron immediately emitted a deep hum as brilliant blue light erupted from it. Its size rapidly diminished, shrinking in the blink of an eye to the size of a fist, where it hovered in midair.
Beneath where the cauldron had stood, a pitch-black opening had eerily materialized in the ground, and an icy staircase glistened as it slanted downward into the unknown depths below.
Hanli Shangren made a casual grasping gesture toward the miniature cauldron, drawing it into his wide sleeve, and then led the way down.
Bai Mengxin and the gray-robed middle-aged man in the blue-green robe followed close behind.
The old woman and the gray-robed monk exchanged a glance, then trailed after them as well.
Han Li narrowed his eyes and studied the dark opening for a moment. A faint, ambiguous smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he too descended.
They had not gone far inside when the originally pitch-black passage grew bright.
Only then could everyone see clearly that the walls of the passage were also constructed from Mystic Ice, and at regular intervals, Moonlight Stones the size of eggs were set into the walls, each one gleaming brilliantly—as if they were walking through a crystal palace.
After descending a full hundred zhang or so, they finally reached the bottom of the icy staircase, and the passage leveled out, stretching onward in a particular direction.
Although it was Han Li's, the old woman's, and the others' first time traversing this passage, each of them was a seasoned and experienced individual. No one showed any sign of surprise; instead, they all wore composed expressions, as though strolling through their own courtyards.
After walking for the time it took to finish a meal, the group finally emerged from the ice tunnel into an underground hall.
This hall was built from ordinary green jade, giving it an unusually archaic appearance, as though it had existed for a tremendously long age.
However, what faced Han Li and the others at the far end of the hall was not a wall but an enormous stone gate, milky-white in color and a full twenty or thirty zhang in height. Its surface was covered in layers of runic formations and strange, unrecognizable patterns, all shimmering with spiritual light of various colors.
What startled Han Li even more was that before this stone gate stood a group of cultivators—no fewer than sixteen or seventeen in number, each at least at the Nascent Soul stage. While the majority were only at the early Nascent Soul level, such a gathering was nonetheless astonishing.
Among them, Bai Yaoyi and a gray-haired elderly man stood at the very front of the group.
Han Li blinked and instinctively swept his gaze toward the monk and Bai Mengxin's party.
Bai Mengxin and her companions appeared perfectly calm, but the monk and the old woman had each furrowed their brows ever so slightly, a flash of surprise crossing their eyes. Clearly, the appearance of so many people here had been entirely unexpected for the two of them as well.
"Fellow Daoist Hanli, who are these people..." the gray-robed monk could not help but ask.
"There is no need to be alarmed, Master. These are all elders of our sect. To enter the Profound Jade Cavern within the Void Spirit Hall, we require their assistance! Only by harnessing the extreme cold of the Profound Jade Cavern inside the hall can I increase my chances of breaking through the bottleneck by even a slim margin," Hanli Shangren replied, turning around with a slight smile.
"The Void Spirit Hall!" The monk's expression shifted with sudden shock.
The old woman's eyes gleamed sharply upon hearing this, and even Han Li's expression flickered.
"Fellow Daoists must have noticed the three Void Spirit Hall structures standing in the middle of the secret realm when you were outside. Though they share the same name, each possesses its own unique mysteries. The Profound Jade Cavern is located within one of them. Moreover, the true entrances to the Void Spirit Hall are not the main gates visible on the surface—each hall has a hidden passage leading directly underground," the blue-robed middle-aged man added with a smile.
Han Li had already taken note of this man in the blue-green robe. Although Hanli Shangren had not introduced him, Han Li could tell he was another cultivator of the Little Extreme Nirvana Palace who practiced a different type of cold flame. Though his appearance was rather ordinary, his gaze held a faint trace of something sinister, which drew a measure of extra attention from Han Li.
By now, Bai Yaoyi and the other cultivators who had been waiting for some time stepped forward to greet them.
"Grand Elder, you have truly decided to unseal the Void Spirit Hall? Isn't this rather against protocol? Throughout the history of our Little Extreme Nirvana Palace, the Void Spirit Hall has only been unsealed when the sect faced a great crisis and lacked the power to repel its enemies. And allowing cultivators from outside the sect to enter the Profound Jade Cavern—there is absolutely no precedent for that," the gray-haired elder said. A large bluish birthmark covered his cheek, and though he bowed to Hanli Shangren in proper fashion, his tone carried an unmistakable air of defiance.
Han Li was taken aback.
How could an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator dare to speak so disrespectfully to Hanli Shangren? After all, the gap in their cultivation was immense!
It was not just Han Li—the old woman and the monk also looked visibly surprised.
"Elder Ye, you worry too much. While it is true that the Void Spirit Hall is generally unsealed only in times of crisis, the ancestors of old never said it absolutely could not be activated during ordinary times. Our sect's disciples stationed outside have already sent word that hordes of demon beasts are pressing upon the island from all sides. Unsealing the Void Spirit Hall a little early is perfectly reasonable. Besides, we are not opening all three halls simultaneously. As Grand Elder, am I not entitled to make this decision?" Hanli Shangren said calmly, as though he had long anticipated Elder Ye's objections and was not the least bit perturbed.
"Even so, the Void Spirit Hall is a forbidden ground of our sect. Allowing these three outsiders to enter would be highly inappropriate. As the Supervisory Elder, I cannot agree to this," the gray-haired elder declared, his gaze sweeping over Han Li and his companions without the slightest intention of backing down.
Hearing such blunt words, Han Li and the other two could not help but frown inwardly. The old woman let out a cold snort directly, her face showing clear displeasure.