Bing Xiaotian shook his head slightly. Before he could speak, the Qilin Saint Lord sneered, "If we're counting on that old assassin, we might as well forget about entering the Thousand-Year Ice Island this time."

Zi Duli and the other two exchanged glances. Truthfully, facing Ji Mofan Shu, the foremost assassin in the world, even they felt a bone-chilling dread.

Furthermore, due to their differing backgrounds, there was an inherent sense of incompatibility between Ji Mofan Shu and the rest of them.

Before He Yiming advanced to the peak of the Human Dao, there were only nine Ninth Heaven powerhouses in all the Nine Heavens. Yet, among these nine, Ji Mofan Shu was the only one who had started from scratch, climbing step-by-step from obscurity to the realm of Human Dao pinnacle.

The others, however, all had the backing of powerful sects, and these sects were nothing less than the most dominant forces in the world.

The Glazed Island of the Southern Border, the Seven-Colored Ice Palace of the Northern Border, the lineage of Heavenly Lake in the Northwest, the Totem Clan, the Lingxiao Grand Hall of the East, the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, the Western Divine Temple, and the Dark Alliance.

Any one of these eight locations represented a formidable power with millennia of inheritance, and many were super-sects with histories stretching back ten thousand years.

Even the youngest among them had already earned a stellar reputation during the Divine Dao era.

In contrast, Ji Mofan Shu had merely stumbled upon the Condensing Blood Scripture, a book of the Divine Dao. Yet, relying solely on this scripture, he single-handedly established the world-renowned Yellow Springs Gate.

Although the Nine Nether Lands lacked the presence of divine power, in the minds of all in Great Shen, it was an incredibly terrifying place, by no means inferior to those super-sects that boasted millennia or even ten millennia of history.

It was precisely these differences in origins that forged vastly divergent philosophies and behaviors. Though all were Human Dao pinnacle experts, very few could truly call Ji Mofan Shu a friend.

Liu Changju frowned slightly. "Ji Mofan Shu and his group failed?"

Bing Xiaotian nodded slowly. "Sect Master Ji Mofan was unsuccessful in his ambush of the Snow Fox. However, he has already proceeded with Di Shitian into the deep Northern Border, where another Snow Fox Sacred Beast resides. If all goes smoothly, they should be returning tomorrow or the day after."

"Brother Bing, didn't you just say the Snow Fox Elixir was already in hand? Could it be that this Snow Fox wasn't captured by Sect Master Ji Mofan?" Zi Duli asked gravely.

Bing Xiaotian laughed aloud. "Brother Zi is indeed sharp. The bottle of Snow Fox Elixir that this old man and the others obtained did not come from Sect Master Ji Mofan."

A hint of astonishment flickered across the faces of the others. They had profound personal experience with the speed of the Snow Foxes; over the past few centuries, all of them had ventured deep into the Northern Border Ice Fields attempting to hunt one, yet the only success recorded was that of Ji Mofan Shu.

Beyond that instance, the others simply could not fathom who else possessed the capability to capture the Snow Fox Sacred Beast, something that had left even them utterly helpless.

Ao Borui glanced around the vicinity, then suddenly cocked his ear, seemingly listening intently. A moment later, a shade of doubt crossed his eyes, as if he were deliberating over something.

These gathered individuals were all old foxes who had seen it all. Seeing his demeanor, they immediately understood he had made a new discovery. The entire area instantly fell silent, every person subtly twitching their ears.

They were the very apex experts of the Human Dao. Although they were gathered for the same goal, the unspoken competition among them was inescapable.

Their mental consciousness spread out in an instant, and vaguely, they perceived two immense auras.

These two auras did not belong to humans; they possessed the distinct sensory signature of Sacred Beasts. Based on their experience, they instantly recognized these as two Sacred Beasts capable of matching their own power.

However, as Zi Duli and the other two glanced toward the Qilin Saint Lord, they couldn't help but murmur simultaneously in their hearts.

Within the Ice Palace, the only Sacred Beast comparable to them would surely be the Qilin Beast. But where did the other top-tier Sacred Beast originate from?

Suddenly, Zi Duli's and Ao Borui's eyes lit up simultaneously. They exchanged a look and spoke in unison, "It's him..."

Bing Xiaotian roared with laughter. "Indeed, it is him."

Liu Changju shot an annoyed look at the group. Seeing their expressions, it was clear they had already deduced who deserved the credit, and being kept in the dark naturally left him resentful.

Zi Duli sighed deeply. "Brother Liu, it’s understandable you couldn't guess. Both of us have met and sparred with this person before, but you know nothing about him, so it’s normal that you couldn't recall immediately."

Liu Changju’s expression shifted slightly. Finally, he recalled one person, and he spoke grimly, "Impossible. He only just advanced to Human Dao peak. No matter how great his skill, he couldn't have hunted the Snow Fox Sacred Beast." He paused, emphasizing his words, "If even we couldn't do it, how could he succeed?"

The Qilin Saint Lord sighed softly. "Brother Liu, while he may lack our experience, his martial cultivation is truly formidable, certainly not inferior to ours. Moreover, he has a White Horse Sacred Beast accompanying him—this white horse is extraordinary. Even my Qilin Beast cannot rival its speed."

Bing Xiaotian nodded slightly. "That white horse doesn't carry much malevolent energy. It even seems capable of suppressing the innate might of a top-tier Sacred Beast. Therefore, approaching the Snow Fox unnoticed is entirely plausible."

Liu Changju’s face alternated between grim and pale. He finally understood why Zi Duli and the other had guessed correctly about He Yiming: they had both seen the White Horse Lightning and knew there existed a top-tier Sacred Beast in this world that lived in harmony with humans. It was precisely by sensing the presence of White Horse Lightning that they deduced He Yiming's involvement.

Although he had long heard the name He Yiming, having never met him face-to-face meant he lacked the immediate impression the others possessed.

With a slight huff, Liu Changju declared, "I have handed over what I promised; hurry and let Miss Yuan use it for the Illumination Process."

Bing Xiaotian nodded heavily. He certainly understood the priceless nature of the feather robe in his hand. If not for the impending appearance of the Thousand-Year Ice Island, gathering the strength of everyone here to forge this robe would have been impossible.

"Li Xun, come here for a moment." Bing Xiaotian spoke seemingly casually, but his voice pierced the vast distance and resonated abruptly next to Yuan Lixun.

A moment later, Yuan Lixun, clad in snow-white robes, arrived. Seeing the assembled group, her heart skipped a heavy beat.

She was no stranger to these individuals. When she was striving for the Venerable Realm within the Seven-Colored Palace, the efforts these people had exerted were clearly visible. Regardless of the ultimate purpose these elders held, she felt deep gratitude toward them.

"Sect Master, honored Elders," Yuan Lixun bowed in greeting.

Bing Xiaotian swept his voluminous sleeve. "Li Xun, this is the Five Elements Feather Robe that several of us painstakingly forged together. By Heaven's grace, we managed to complete it just before the Ice Island appears. Take it and immediately enter secluded cultivation. You must succeed in its Illumination Process before the Ice Island manifests."

Yuan Lixun paused slightly. Her gaze fell upon the feather robe in Bing Xiaotian’s hand. Although she wasn't deeply knowledgeable about artifact forging, with her current cultivation level, she could naturally sense the incredibly dense power saturated within the garment.

This power, she felt, had surpassed even that of the replicated divine artifact, the Ice Mirror.

Seeing the hesitation on Yuan Lixun’s face, Liu Changju unceremoniously snatched the robe, tossed it into her hands, and stated, "This is a treasure forged by us old fellows draining our deepest collections and hunting two top-tier Sacred Beasts in the Southern Sea—we paid the highest price. Though it’s not a replicated divine artifact, its defensive capability is absolutely on par with any replicated divine artifact."

Ao Borui's gaze followed the robe to Yuan Lixun. He sighed. "The defensive power of this robe is undoubtedly the greatest in the world today. While it cannot compare to legendary protective divine artifacts, it represents Brother Liu's blood, sweat, and tears." As he spoke these words, there was an almost reluctant undertone in his voice.

The Qilin Saint Lord roared with laughter. "Brother Zi, to contribute to this robe, I even gave up the hide of the Totem Clan's Qilin Beast. What is there for you to be reluctant about?"

Ao Borui snorted. "The Seamless Robe of our Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands is certainly not inferior in value to Qilin Beast hide."

Liu Changju waved his hands, the red-faced elder beaming with arrogance. "You merely provided materials. If this old man hadn't spent seven days and seven nights forging it deep within the ten-thousand-foot volcano, this thing would never have succeeded. Hmph..." Liu Changju's facial muscles twitched slightly; the cost of forging this item had bankrupted him. He had even borrowed the replicated Nine Dragon Furnace from Li Yajing and barely succeeded after detonating three of its fire dragons inside.

The thought of that price still made him ache with regret.

Yuan Lixun stared at the elders, dumbfounded. She never imagined that individuals of their stature would be squabbling so undignifiedly over such trivial matters.

This was because she did not grasp the true preciousness of the materials involved. If she knew the real value of this feather robe, perhaps she too would have reacted similarly.

Bing Xiaotian shook his head. "Li Xun, how is Brother He cultivating?"

Yuan Lixun quickly bowed. "Sect Master, Mingyi has been in the Seven-Colored Palace for three days. As you instructed, we have placed no surveillance on him, so he should still be comprehending the Divine Power of Water."

The Ninth Heaven experts had long since reached an unspoken agreement: the stronger their individual strength for this Ice Island expedition, the better. Since He Yiming possessed the Five Elements Body, naturally, he needed to gather the Divine Power of all Five Elements.

Bing Xiaotian nodded in satisfaction. "You may go down now and focus on illuminating this feather robe..." His voice suddenly halted as his gaze fixed toward the direction of the Seven-Colored Palace.

Almost simultaneously, the eyes of everyone present, save for Yuan Lixun, snapped toward that single location.

They were profoundly shaken, for they knew that no matter how one cultivated inside the Seven-Colored Palace, it was impossible to transmit one's aura outside of it.

Yet, right now, an aura that caused them extreme shock was erupting suddenly from that direction.

Intuitively, they all knew exactly whose power was being released.

After exchanging glances, they moved as one, their figures flashing, all rushing rapidly toward that direction...

Ps: Looks like I'm about to be caught up, sigh... Bai He once again asks for monthly votes, thank you.