As Han Li gazed at the jade pearl, his eyes wavered, “Since this item is so rare, it should have some special properties.”

Monarch Soul Divergence replied, “Special? It's more than just that. To cultivators, this is a top-grade supplementary tool and pill refinement material; but to the demon clan, they would risk their very souls to acquire it. It is a fantastical item capable of protecting them against ascension tribulation.”

“The demon clan’s ascension tribulation?” Despite Han Li’s high expectations, he was still stunned.

“That’s right. There are an innumerable number of high-grade demon beasts in this world, but there are only a sparse few that are able to survive their ascension tribulation, allowing them to take human form. As lightning is a weakness to the majority of demon beasts, the lightning from ascension tribulation results in a near death sentence. But if evolving demon beasts were to first take a drop of Glacial Quintessence, their bodies will become greatly resistant against lightning for a time, allowing them to better resist the tribulation. Now do you understand how precious Glacial Quintessence is to those demon beasts? However, there aren’t too many human cultivators that know of this item. The North Night Palace is an exception due to the peculiar ice-attribute cultivation art they practice. When I toured the Great Jin in the past, I only acquired knowledge of this item after fighting against many high-grade cultivators from their sect. And it was said every thousand years or so, a few high-grade demon beasts within the borders of the Great Jin would secretly gather at North Night Palace’s island and launch an all-out attack on it, forcing the sect to hand over some Glacial Quintessence.”

“Is that true?” Han Li asked with disbelief.

Monarch Soul Divergence answered, “What’s so strange? Demon beasts without Glacial Quintessence are almost certain to die in their ascension tribulation. If they manage to acquire a drop of Glacial Quintessence, their odds of surviving is greatly increased, so they would spare no effort to acquire it. And every so often, the old monster of Myriad Demon Valley would take the initiative to organize a raid. So even if they were to fail, they wouldn’t suffer heavy losses. However, the island the North Night Sect is based on possesses cultivators with vast ancient abilities and several great formations that have been passed down since antiquity, not to mention the Heavenly Yin Essence Vein the island is based on; the freezing glacial Qi surrounding the island from a thousand-kilometer radius is beyond deadly. Demon beasts that didn’t cultivate ice-attribute cultivation arts would have to use a majority of their body’s spiritual power to block the glacial Qi when they invade, exhausting their strength in their coming fight against the North Night Palace cultivators. This was the reason why the demon clan cultivators haven’t been able to capture the island despite the vast strength they possess. However, how did that old man acquire something that is so precious? Are there any peculiar marks on the bottle?”

Han Li’s expression stirred and he touched the bottom of the bottle. “Marks? The bottle has a snowflake pattern on its bottom. Do you know it?”

“Then I am right. That is the mark of the North Night Palace. It is quite strange why a bottle of Glacial Quintessence would find itself in the strange pouch of an early-Nascent Soul cultivator.” Monarch Soul Divergence seemed quite baffled by the matter.

Han Li pondered for a moment and frowned, “There are countless strange things that occur in this world. Perhaps he stole it from North Night Palace or was defector of their sect. Whatever happened, it still fell into his hand. As you said, Glacial Quintessence is only a supplementary material for tool and pill refinement to humans. In that case, North Night Palace might’ve just directly handed it over after successive generations of beast attacks.

“A few knowledgeable cultivators in the Great Jin have asked this before, but the North Night Palace answered that they were more interested in preserving the stability of the Great Jin cultivation world by preventing more grade eight demon beasts from existing. After all, a small bottle of Glacial Quintessence is enough to create several tens of grade eight demon beasts and shatter the balance of power in the Great Jin cultivation world, leading to war. However, this is only something that they say to fool ordinary people. In the past, I fought against a party of high-ranking North Night Palace cultivators with the deputy palace master among them. Because of his disrespectful words, I used a soul searching technique to properly entertain his primal soul after I killed him in battle, but I unintentionally discovered a secret related to the Glacial Quintessence as a result.” With that said, Monarch Soul Divergence paused as if something came to mind.

“A secret?” Han Li raised his brow with great curiosity.

“That’s right,” Monarch Soul Divergence replied with a grave tone, “I would’ve forgotten about it had I not seen this Glacial Quintessence. Apart from a few members of North Night Palace’s higher echelon, nobody else knows of it. In truth, the main use for the Glacial Quintessence is that it is the main material to refine a secret ancient medicine, the Returning Sun Water.”

Han Li felt his breath turn cold from the shock. “The Returning Sun Water? The limitless body restoration medicine?”

Monarch Soul Divergence calmly replied, “Yes. It is said that no matter how severe one’s wounds are, even if their body was split into pieces, the medicine could instantly restore them when applied. One record even said that it had the heaven-defying effort of bringing the dead back to life. Of course, those are only rumors. Who knows if it is actually true? But there is one thing that all the records agree on. The Returning Sun Water has a miraculous effect of prolonging one’s lifespan by even an entire fourth of their original lifespan. Do you know what this means?”

Han Li took a deep breath and muttered, “This would mean a few late-Core Formation cultivators would have the opportunity to enter Nascent Soul stage and even late-Nascent Soul stage cultivators could possibly enter Deity Transformation stage.”

“Exactly, but the Glacial Quintessence is only one of the main ingredients for the Returning Sun Water. If you truly wish to refine it, you will need to find Puresun Flame Essence in the deepest depths of lava. It is incredibly rare and is required to temper the Glacial Quintessence into Returning Sun Water. ”

“Puresun Flame Essence? How can you find that? Don’t say that common cultivators are able to find it. Puresun Flame Essence rarely ever take form in the depths of lava. And by the time it takes shape, it becomes intelligent as well and disappear. How could it allow itself to be captured? Even so, if I were to capture it, it would still be of no use since I don’t have the formula for the Returning Sun Water.” Han Li said with a wry smile.

Monarch Soul Divergence sank into silence for a long while and then slowly said, “I have no way to acquire the Puresun Flame Essence, but I do have the formula for it. Don’t forget that I searched through the soul of their deputy palace master. After I found the formula, I took note of it because it was rare. If you wish to refine the medicine, I can give it to you.”

“That is great! Perhaps in the future, I’ll have a use for it.” Han Li was pleasantly surprised by Monarch Soul Divergence’s words. With the Returning Sun Water, his chances of ascending to Deity Transformation Stage were greatly increased.

“Puresun Flame Essence isn’t something that can be acquired by the cultivators of this world, so I must warn you to not be too hopeful in acquiring it. If it were easy, the North Night Palace cultivators would’ve been able to refine it, given the many years they’ve possessed the formula and Glacial Quintessence.” With that said, Monarch Soul Divergence released a yellow jade slip from the bamboo tube, a copy of the formula of the Returning Sun Water.

“Many thanks, Senior. I’ll keep that in mind.” Han Li took the jade slip and spoke with a smile.

“There is also one thing you shouldn’t forget. Since your Snow Crystal Pearl was refined from Myriad Year Ice Jade, the intensity of its ice-attribute and its power should increase if you add in a few drops of Glacial Quintessence to it.” After this, Monarch Soul Divergence became silent as if he were finished for the day.

Han Li raised his brow when he heard this. He would’ve done so even if Monarch Soul Divergence hadn’t mentioned it.

But now, there was something Han Li was curious about. Given the fearsome icy Qi of the Glacial Quintessence, could the Purple Apex Flames absorb them? Would it increase their strength by another level?

With that thought, Han Li turned his eyes back on the silver pearl on the jade plate. He opened his hand and summoned a ball of roiling purple flames. Suddenly, the ball of flames turned into an exquisite barrier and covered the mouth of the bottle. He then formed an incantation gesture with his other hand and began to softly mutter.

In a flash of purple light, threads of flame emerged from the barrier and began to slowly revolve around the bottle, gradually speeding up making the bottle released a wisp of sparkling silver glacial Qi. It appeared as gorgeous as starlight.

Han Li took a shallow breath and released an azure spell seal from his hand. The barrier of light absorbed the spell seal and it turned back into a fist-sized ball of flames, completely sealing the glacial Qi within the flames.

Soon after, Han Li sealed the bottle of Glacial Quintessence with its cap and he waved his hand at the ball of purple flames, shooting down Han Li’s mouth in a flicker of light.

With the fireball and the silver glacial Qi inside him, he sat down cross-legged and slowly closed his eyes.

At that moment, two-inch large Nascent Soul opened its eyes in Han Li’s Dantian. The purple flames in front of it began to slowly revolve around the flickering silver ball.

The Nascent Soul blinked and formed an incantation gesture, causing its body to brightly glow with azure light. Then, spell seals began to fly out from its hand.

The purple fireball excitedly crackled with flames as the Glacial Quintessence began to burn in an ember of silver flames and began to fuse with the purple flames.

As for Han Li’s physical body, it had now completely sank into deep meditation.