The Crossing of Reckoning

Of those who had emerged from the Ice Flame Path first, none were weaker than late Core Formation. To Nascent Soul cultivators like Extreme Yin, the Black Desert and Blood-Ice Forest posed little threat, but for Core Formation experts the ordeal had been severe. For anyone weaker, survival was a distant hope.

Even now, only a handful had made it out.

Extreme Yin and the Azure Garment Elder were naturally anxious about Han Li’s fate.

If Han Li had perished on the lava road, the Blood Jade Spider would not have survived either, and all their scheming would have come to nothing.

Extreme Yin, who stood to gain the most from the arrangement, was in an even darker mood than the Azure Garment Elder.

Wan Tianming maintained a semblance of composure, but his face was cold as he stared at his own long, slender hands in silence.

All three Nascent Soul cultivators knew full well that the upheaval in the Ice Flame Path must have been orchestrated by the still-absent Star Palace elders. The knowledge ground their teeth with hatred even as it filled them with wariness.

What was Star Palace’s aim?

Did they intend to sever all pretense of civility here in the Void Heaven Palace and force a direct confrontation with both orthodox and demonic paths?

Time crawled in that oppressive atmosphere.

Man Brutal Beard, Heavenly Wisdom, the Old Farmer, Ugly Wu, and the Profound Bone Saint were all teleported into the stone hall one after another.

Some wore expressions of bitter defeat; others clenched their teeth in rage. Every one of them was cursing Star Palace in their hearts for this sudden calamity.

Only half a day remained before the Ice Flame Path would seal shut.

When Han Li still had not appeared, the slight relief Extreme Yin had felt upon seeing Ugly Wu make it through began to curdle back into displeasure.

Ugly Wu had survived the Ice Flame Path only because Extreme Yin had provided him with a protective ancient treasure beforehand. He harbored no illusions that Han Li possessed a treasure of equal rank.

The Azure Garment Elder and Man Brutal Beard were surely nursing the same bitter regret.

If either of them had lent Han Li one of their own formidable ancient treasures, his survival would have been all but guaranteed.

At this thought, Extreme Yin could not help but shoot a resentful glance at the two of them.

The Azure Garment Elder was staring at the teleportation formation with an unreadable expression, as if weighing something.

Man Brutal Beard had tilted his head toward the ceiling, muttering under his breath. He, too, was clearly occupied with his own calculations.

The sight only deepened Extreme Yin’s frustration.

But after a moment of forced calm, he resigned himself to reality and began planning his next move without the Blood Jade Spider.

The Profound Bone Saint sat cross-legged on a stone table, eyes half closed, as if absorbed in meditation.

Han Li’s absence came as no real surprise, though it was not entirely expected either.

In his estimation, Han Li’s true combat power was at best comparable to a late Core Formation cultivator.

Whether he could survive the mutated Ice Flame Path was a coin toss at most.

Without Han Li’s help, the Profound Bone Saint knew that facing Extreme Yin alone would be a losing proposition.

He was beginning to waver on whether to make his move inside the Void Heaven Palace at all.

Perhaps finding a better opportunity later—with more thorough preparation—would yield a higher chance of success.

With a trace of helplessness, the Profound Bone Saint silently cursed the two Star Palace elders once more.

Wan Tianming and the righteous-path cultivators were equally disgruntled.

Many of their original plans—which relied on leveraging Core Formation disciples—would have to be scrapped.

As the hall’s occupants brooded in their separate schemes, the two white-robed Star Palace elders suddenly appeared in the teleportation formation.

Hostile eyes from every direction converged on them at once.

“Ahem. It seems some reckless fellow triggered a few of the more dangerous restrictions while crossing the Ice Flame Path, causing a major upheaval in the canyon. The two of us made a special effort to search for a way to undo it, but found none. I fear our fellow cultivators have suffered heavy losses this time. We have failed in our duty here. After this Void Heaven Palace expedition concludes, we will certainly return to report to the two Saint Masters and enter a century of wall-facing seclusion to atone for our negligence.” The benevolent-faced elder surveyed the hall with a sigh, as if genuinely stricken with remorse.

The assembled cultivators from both orthodox and demonic paths silently cursed him for his shamelessness.

With a few light words, he had washed his hands of the entire affair, as if Star Palace bore no responsibility at all.

Yet what followed was exactly what the two elders had anticipated.

Though the hall was filled with cold stares, not a single person stepped forward to challenge them.

Man Brutal Beard, Wan Tianming, and the other Nascent Soul old monsters glared at them for a moment, then withdrew their gazes and resumed their own business.

It seemed no one was willing to test Star Palace’s authority.

The two white-robed elders exchanged a glance, smiled faintly, and found a corner to sit down in, closing their eyes in meditation.

Just as the crowd was seething with resentment but reluctant to take the lead, white light flickered in the teleportation formation, and two figures appeared.

It was Han Li, accompanied by the great beauty Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao had once again wrapped herself in her black robe, concealing her gender and features. She seemed wary of certain people in the hall.

“Han Li!” Extreme Yin’s eyes lit up the moment Han Li’s form solidified. He called out with a broad smile, beckoning the young man over.

Man Brutal Beard and the Azure Garment Elder also revealed expressions of pleasant surprise. After exchanging a glance, they unceremoniously moved closer to Extreme Yin.

Han Li sighed inwardly. He said a few words to Yuan Yao, then forced himself to walk toward Extreme Yin.

At least he knew that these demonic old monsters would not harm him before the treasure was claimed, which kept his mind relatively calm.

Moreover, a glance at the Profound Bone Saint settling in the hall gave him additional reassurance.

Extreme Yin summoned Han Li and immediately began a round of gracious concern, playing the part of a devoted master perfectly. He made a cursory inquiry about Han Li’s crossing of the lava road.

Han Li had no intention of giving details. He answered vaguely and let the matter drop, knowing full well that Extreme Yin had no real interest in the answer.

True to form, Extreme Yin did not press further. Instead, he offered a few words of praise.

The Azure Garment Elder watched Han Li with a warm smile, occasionally interjecting with his own solicitous remarks.

Man Brutal Beard, mindful of his status, observed coldly from the sidelines and did not ask a single question. But when Han Li attempted to return the Cold Ice Pearl, he waved a hand grandly and declared it a gift.

Having survived the Ice Flame Path and drawn one step closer to the inner hall, Han Li had clearly grown in value to these old monsters.

Ugly Wu, by contrast, had only deepened his hostility. The glances he shot at Han Li were increasingly venomous.

Extreme Yin seemed to notice this. He suddenly fixed Ugly Wu with a glare and sent him a few voice transmissions.

Ugly Wu lowered his head immediately. When he raised it again, his expression had returned to normal.

Han Li, while keeping up appearances with Extreme Yin and the others, considered whether he should contact the Profound Bone Saint to discuss concrete plans.

Or would everything truly have to be improvised?

As Han Li split his attention, the last of the time slipped away.

The moment the deadline passed, the teleportation formation at the center of the stone hall vanished without a trace.

Only a dozen or so cultivators remained in the hall.

Simultaneously, the stone doors set into the four walls rumbled as they slid upward, revealing deep, shadowy passages of green stone that led to unknown destinations.

“Three of these four passages each lead to a different pavilion. The contents of each pavilion are distinct: ‘Ancient Treasures,’ ‘Elixirs,’ and ‘Techniques’—relics left behind by ancient cultivators.”

“Every item is sealed by a restriction. Each person may take only one item, once. Once obtained, the taker will be instantly teleported to the next trial, the ‘Wondrous Illusion Realm.’ The fourth passage leads directly to that next trial as well. Whoever walks into it will simply have to accept their misfortune in coming all this way for nothing. The restrictions here are peculiar: the destination of each passage is not fixed. Once you enter a passage, there is no returning. If any of you have no desire to face the Wondrous Illusion Realm, you need only refrain from entering the treasure pavilions. Remain in this hall for a certain period, and you will be automatically expelled from the Void Heaven Palace. I wish you all the best of luck.” The benevolent-faced elder delivered this explanation in a leisurely tone, without even rising from his seat.

The assembled cultivators cast cold glances at him but said nothing in response.

The Star Palace elder, unfazed by the reception, simply smiled faintly and closed his eyes once more.