Chapter 33: Soaring Through the Heavens and Vanishing Into the Earth

It was not until the opening of the Hexi Secret Realm was imminent that Hansu finally stabilized her cultivation. This time, she had secluded herself for a full year. She had initially planned to hunt beasts with Linxiu, but her unexpected advancement had disrupted those plans. Now, at thirteen, her cultivation had risen another level, and the Immortal Palace had revealed its fourth restriction. At last, she was able to enter.

That day, just after completing a refinement ritual, she felt her connection to the Immortal Palace grow even more intimate. Ever since she had recognized it as her master, the palace had floated within her dantian; with but a thought, she could sense its condition. Until now, she could only vaguely perceive its shape, never set foot within. But today, upon refining the sixteenth restriction, she felt the gates of the Immortal Palace open wide before her.

Without hesitation, Hansu willed herself into that magical realm—a world of ice and snow that never failed to amaze her, no matter how many times she entered. In the middle of a vast, steaming lake stood a towering snowy peak, upon whose waist perched a palace sculpted from ice. This Ice Palace was the heart of the Immortal Palace: translucent, exquisitely delicate, yet awe-inspiring. It rose among mist and clouds, dreamlike and ethereal.

Ascending the long staircase carved from ice, she opened a grand door engraved with intricate patterns. What greeted her was a magnificent hall: resplendent pillars, a lofty dome glimmering with the light of ice, gauzy veils like drifting smoke, and elaborate ice-crystal carvings—crystal lamps glowing with a cold luster. At one side of the hall, a refined ice stairway stretched into a mist-shrouded distance. Hansu knew that only by refining more restrictions could she ascend that stairway and truly explore the palace’s inner sanctum.

For now, however, merely being able to enter the Immortal Palace and command it to dissolve into dust and soar or burrow through the earth was already an unparalleled means of survival. Hansu placed her six spiritual artifacts on a rack in the hall. One by one, she sorted her precious pills, everyday medicines, various magical implements, high-level talismans, advanced formations, common arrays, spirit stones, food, clothing, and all her worldly possessions into storage pouches, arranging them carefully on the shelves of the great hall. She also set aside a selection of everyday items in her storage bracelet and pouch for easy access.

Over the next few days, she tirelessly practiced maneuvering the Immortal Palace for flight and evasion—soaring to the border of the Yaohua Sect until stopped by the mountain-guarding formation, tunneling deep into the earth, and flitting about the sect’s grounds without ever being detected. She even found herself inadvertently witnessing several scenes of gossip, and only then, feeling truly attuned to the palace, did she decide to end her seclusion.

Speaking of those glimpses of gossip, she finally saw the leading pair she had not encountered for five years. The first she saw, unexpectedly, was the Immortal Lu Tan.

That day, she once again guided the Immortal Palace through the earth. Though she had a compass and other tools, the depth had scrambled the magnetic field and her means of navigation were useless; she was utterly lost and had no choice but to surface and look around. Upon emerging, she was treated to quite a spectacle.

Judging by the surroundings, she was at Spirit Herb Peak. The area was rich in spiritual energy, second only to the peak master's own abode. Hansu surmised it must be the cave-dwelling of Yuhan Shan, nephew of Daoist Lord Yuheng of Spirit Herb Peak. Yuhan Shan possessed three spiritual roots—fire, gold, and earth—with fire being the strongest; the other two were present only in trace amounts. Blessed with great fortune, he had early on subdued the rare Scarlet Flame Golden Fire, so his cultivation was formidable—by his early thirties, he had already reached the fourth level of Foundation Establishment. His family had specially sent him to Spirit Herb Peak to study under Daoist Lord Yuheng, but as Yuheng cared only for cultivation and alchemy and showed little interest in anything else, he had never taken a disciple. Thus, Yuhan Shan apprenticed instead to the strongest of the three Golden Core masters on the peak. Still, with his background, his cave-dwelling was not on his master's peak, but instead, benefiting from his uncle’s status, was built on the main peak.

The cave-dwelling was surrounded by lush flowers and trees, a riot of color and fragrance. A handsome, elegant young man sat beneath a flamboyant phoenix tree, raising a cup with a beautiful lady in white. The scene was one of idyllic splendor. But the serenity was short-lived—soon, two people arrived, shouting and clamoring, utterly shattering the intoxicating atmosphere.