When Zi Ling saw that even such a colossal ice mountain appeared to be on the verge of collapse, her face went pale, and she couldn't help but glance over at Han Li.
At that moment, Han Li stood calmly within the dome of light projected by the enormous shield, his expression as composed as ever, without the slightest trace of panic.
Seeing this, Zi Ling felt greatly reassured. She figured that Han Li most likely had other means of protection, which was why he remained so composed.
What surprised Zi Ling somewhat was that in the time that followed, Han Li did not deploy any more treasures or abilities. And though the blue ice mountain shuddered under the bombardment of boulders and shockwaves, it proved remarkably resilient — in the end, not a single crack appeared on its surface.
With pleasant surprise, Zi Ling realized that this blue ice was not formed from ordinary cold energy. It seemed even harder than tempered steel.
A full cup of tea's time passed before the terrifying shockwave finally swept past in a frenzy and retreated far behind them. The thunderous rumbling faded along with the white line in the distance, and silence fell once more.
"What on earth was that? How can there be something like this in Devilfall Valley?" Zi Ling exhaled softly, transforming the colorful mist before her back into a silk handkerchief and tucking it away before turning to Han Li with a puzzled expression.
"I'm not sure, but the spiritual energy in the distance is off — extremely chaotic. And that shockwave was astonishing; no ordinary person could have produced something like it. Could a spatial rift somewhere have malfunctioned? Though if the shockwave is this violent, I doubt the Inner Valley's restrictions could hold it back. Nascent Soul cultivators encountering it would most likely be fine — most have the means to protect themselves. But if it reached the Outer Valley, those Core Formation cultivators would be in serious trouble." Han Li's eyes flickered as he murmured to himself.
Hearing this, Zi Ling knitted her delicate brows and extended her own spiritual sense forward. Although she detected a slight anomaly in the spiritual energy, it was simply too far away for her spiritual sense to discern any details.
"Something does seem off. Brother Han, are you thinking of going to have a look?" Zi Ling blinked her lovely eyes and asked softly.
"Go? Why would we? Whether that shockwave was caused by someone or erupted on its own, it's not a place I want to be. I may be a bit curious, but I don't feel like courting trouble. Let's head back the way we came. We've already achieved most of what we came for, and after this upheaval, the Ghost Spirit Gate probably won't bother hunting us down. It's the perfect opportunity to slip away." Han Li hesitated for a moment before speaking decisively.
Then he extended a finger toward the great shield before him. The barrier of light immediately dissipated, and the shield shrank rapidly to a few inches before he tucked it into his sleeve.
As for the ice mountain, Han Li simply placed his palm against the ice wall and pressed gently. Blue light flared brilliantly, and the mountain shrank and melted in the blink of an eye.
Moments later, a small wisp of blue flame — identical to the one from before — merged into his palm.
Zi Ling watched this, a flash of astonishment crossing her bright eyes.
Han Li raised his hand to examine it, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face.
This technique of drawing the ice flame back into his body was something he had just comprehended — a new method of utilizing the flame, born from the insight he had gained within the illusory realm. Though it was his first time attempting it, he handled it with practiced ease, as though he had done it many times before. Even Han Li himself found it somewhat surprising!
This proved that what he had experienced in the illusion was no mere phantom or trick of the mind, but a genuine glimpse of higher-level comprehension of heaven and earth. With this preemptive experience of a higher realm, his chances of advancing to the mid Nascent Soul stage looked quite promising.
A faint smile appeared on Han Li's face as he turned to say something more to Zi Ling. But just then, a flash of light suddenly appeared on the horizon behind them, followed by two streaks of escape light shooting toward them one after the other.
One yellow, one white, they flickered and wavered, hurtling desperately in their direction as though fleeing for their lives.
"Hmm?" Han Li's spiritual sense swept over them, and he let out a soft sound of surprise.
"What is it? Do you recognize them, Brother Han?" Zi Ling also probed with her spiritual sense but could only determine that both streaks belonged to Nascent Soul cultivators. She could discern nothing else and couldn't help but ask.
"Of course I recognize them. I've had a bit of a history with them." Han Li's brows furrowed slightly as he stared into the distance with a peculiar expression, speaking calmly.
The two figures within the distant escape light — one was a sallow-faced man in yellow robes: none other than Patriarch Linghu of Yellow Maple Valley. The other, a pale-faced woman in white with a cold expression, was the Grand Elder of the Concealed Moon Sect — Senior Sister to Nangong Wan.
These two had also come to Devilfall Valley. Han Li couldn't help but feel somewhat stunned.
He hadn't seen them enter earlier. It seemed they had either disguised themselves to sneak in or deliberately waited until the last moment before slipping into the valley.
The pair now wore expressions of terror as they desperately drove their escape light forward, fleeing as though something dreadful was hot on their heels — even though no one appeared to be behind them at all. They didn't dare slow down for even an instant.
Han Li found this puzzling. But the two of them were no weak cultivators!
Patriarch Linghu was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, and Nangong Wan's Senior Sister wielded formidable techniques and treasures. For such a pair to be fleeing in such a wretched state was truly hard to believe!