Chapter 1855: Meeting an Old Friend Again

The entire Black Domain Assembly took nearly a day and a night.

When Han Li returned to his residence on Nine Immortals Mountain, it was exactly the morning of the second day.

He summoned Hai Dashao and the other man, and upon learning that nothing unexpected had occurred during his absence, he felt a sense of relief.

After dismissing the two named disciples, he entered the secret chamber and sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.

With a flip of his hand, a blue spirit beast ring appeared between his fingers, and he tossed it into the air.

A sheet of blue mist swirled out from the ring, and a crystalline ice cage hovered in mid-air before him.

Inside the ice cage, the half-foot-long snow-white Ice Phoenix clearly hadn't expected Han Li to release her so quickly. She hurriedly flapped her wings, and a silver halo radiated from her body, instantly shrouding her form before she scanned Han Li with extremely vigilant eyes.

"It's you! How is this possible!" Once she clearly saw Han Li's appearance, an expression of disbelief immediately appeared in the spirit bird's silver eyes, and she blurted out in human speech.

It was a pleasant, young female voice, though it carried a hint of coldness.

"Fairy Phoenix, it has been many years. I didn't expect us to meet here." Han Li looked at the Ice Phoenix in the cage and sighed.

This Ice Phoenix was naturally the "Fairy Phoenix" who had broken into the spatial node from the mortal world with him years ago, only to be forcibly separated by a spatial storm.

Back then, she had been the supreme "Master of the Ice Sea" in the mortal world. Yet, after only a few hundred years, she had fallen to the point where she couldn't even take human form, and was even sealed in a cage as a spirit beast.

Seeing this, Han Li couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion. Furthermore, as a companion who had smuggled into the Spirit World together, seeing this Ice Phoenix gave Han Li an indescribable sense of nostalgia.

That was why, at the exchange assembly, the moment he saw her being brought out, he had exchanged for her without the slightest hesitation.

"It really is Brother Han! So, the person who exchanged for me at the assembly was you, Fellow Daoist. Could it be that you have already advanced to the Void Refinement stage?" The Ice Phoenix's voice remained exceptionally cold, but it trembled slightly.

"That's right, it is indeed Han. As for my cultivation, you will know soon enough, Fellow Daoist. I truly never expected to encounter you at the Black Domain exchange assembly. Come to think of it, we really do have some fate between us. Let's not talk about other things for now; let me release you first." Han Li did not hesitate. A flash of green light appeared on his finger, and he tapped the gold and silver talismans on the ice cage.

Immediately, those talismans shone brightly and drifted down, and at the same time, the ice cage opened with a creak.

"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist Han for your great kindness in helping me!"

Although the Ice Phoenix was still suspicious, she was naturally overjoyed to see this. With a flap of her wings, she turned into a ball of white light and flew out of the ice cage.

Then, silver light flickered on her body, and as it expanded wildly, she transformed into her original form, half a zhang long. Her feathers shimmered with a crystalline light, as if carved entirely from profound ice.

"It's a pity that I currently lack the strength to take human form and can only converse with you in this appearance. I am truly ashamed!" The Ice Phoenix stretched her elegant body slightly and shook her head.

"It's nothing. With your foundation, Fairy, as long as the seal in your body is lifted, recovering your human form cultivation will be an easy task." Han Li glanced at the Ice Phoenix and chuckled.

"Brother Han can tell? I have been afflicted with an unknown restriction by that old monster of the Body Integration stage, which is quite troublesome. According to him, it seems only someone of the same Body Integration cultivation can lift it." Clearly, the Ice Phoenix took Han Li for a Void Refinement stage cultivator, and she said helplessly as her silver eyes flickered.

"Hehe, is that so? Let Han try!" Han Li smiled, then moved his body, and a palm as white as jade suddenly slapped out, striking one of the Ice Phoenix's wings.

Immediately, a wave of five-colored flames rolled out, turning into a tide that surged wildly into the Ice Phoenix's body.

This Fairy Phoenix felt a wave of strange, cold spiritual power instantly flow through every meridian in her body, like a raging tide, shattering the layers of restrictions and seals within her body, causing them to loosen one after another.

At this, she was overjoyed, but also deeply shocked.

Could the other party already be a Body Integration stage existence to be able to lift the restriction in her body so easily?

This was simply too unbelievable.

If Han Li had some fortuitous encounter and advanced to Void Refinement within a few hundred years, she might have found it barely acceptable. But to advance to Body Integration just like that was simply too heaven-defying.

The Ice Phoenix's thoughts raced. After feeling the restriction in her body completely cleared by the cold current, a flash of brilliance appeared in her eyes, and she wanted to open her mouth to say something to Han Li.

But the next moment, the situation in her body changed, making her heart tremble, and the words in her mouth were swallowed back down.

The cold current flowing everywhere in her meridians suddenly changed direction and surged wildly into her dantian, all of it sinking into her demon core.

She felt a bit suspicious, but under Han Li's powerful control of his true essence, her demon core could not refuse at all and could only passively accept the infusion of this strange, cold spiritual power.

In a short while, the aura on her body rose in a straight line, and in the blink of an eye, it broke through to a certain limit.

After a muffled "bang," a dazzling white light erupted from her body, completely submerging the Ice Phoenix's form.

Only then did Han Li smile slightly and withdraw his palm.

The dazzling white light swirled for a moment before instantly receding, and a woman in silver robes appeared before his eyes, looking delicate and pretty.

The Ice Phoenix had actually transformed back into her human form.

"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist for your help!" The woman in silver robes could not hide the trace of excitement on her face. She looked at her recovered delicate body, then bowed gratefully to Han Li.

"Fairy, there is no need for such formalities! If it weren't for our concerted efforts back then, I would never have been able to cross the spatial node alone and come to the Spirit World. Moreover, the true essence power I just passed to you, while compatible with your own attributes, only allows you to possess the strength to take human form temporarily. If you wish to maintain this form for long, Fairy, you must immediately enter seclusion and cultivate diligently. Otherwise, once this true essence fades, you will revert to your original form." Han Li waved his hand and reminded her.

"Naturally. With the help of your true essence, Brother Han, I think I can save quite a bit of time in cultivating back to the Spirit Severing realm. It seems Brother Han truly possesses divine Dao techniques and unfathomable magic power, having actually advanced to the Body Integration stage! It seems I should address you as Senior Han from now on!" The woman in silver robes sighed softly, looking at Han Li with a strange expression in her eyes.

"Han was only lucky to reach this realm. With your Ice Phoenix body, Fairy, advancing to the Body Integration stage should only be a matter of time. And you are the only old acquaintance from the mortal world that I know in the Spirit World. Let us continue to address each other as peers; otherwise, Han would feel rather uncomfortable." Han Li said dismissively.

"Since Brother Han thinks so, then I will be bold and not stand on ceremony." Seeing that Han Li's words were indeed sincere, the woman in silver robes did not insist further for some unknown reason.

"However, after we were separated at the spatial node that day, why were you captured, Fellow Daoist Phoenix, and reduced to this state?" Han Li still couldn't help but ask about her encounter.

"My current predicament is actually partly your fault, Fellow Daoist." Upon hearing Han Li's words, the Ice Phoenix's eyebrows twitched, and a bitter smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.

"Could it be that the restriction I planted in your body that day acted up?" Han Li was stunned for a moment, then immediately realized with a hint of understanding.

"That's right. The restriction you planted, Brother Han, was truly profound. It took me nearly a hundred years to barely refine it away. But because of this, my vitality was greatly damaged, and a group of petty people bullied their way to my door. Although I finally escaped by using a secret technique, my cultivation realm fell by several layers, leading to my current state. Come to think of it, I was finally saved by that Body Integration old monster, otherwise, I truly wouldn't have been able to save my life. However, after I couldn't take human form, that old monster just treated me as a spirit bird, intending to make me his life-bound spirit beast. Naturally, I wouldn't agree to this, and as a result, I was locked in this ice cage by him." The Ice Phoenix explained.

"Oh, do you know the identity of this Body Integration old monster?" Han Li nodded and asked, his heart stirring.

"I truly don't know. That old monster is proficient in illusions and often changes his residence and appearance. I couldn't see through his true face at all. I can only be certain that this old monster is a demonic cultivator of your human race, not one of our demon race." The woman in silver robes pondered for a moment before replying carefully.

"A demonic cultivator? There are only a few well-known Body Integration stage demonic cultivators in our human race. It should be one of them!" Han Li nodded, lost in thought.

"However, whoever this person is, although he saved my life that day, he later forced me to be his spirit beast, so the two can be considered even." Hearing Han Li mention that blood-light person, the Ice Phoenix didn't show any hatred, but instead said it lightly.

It was unknown whether she truly thought so, or if she knew she couldn't take revenge on a Body Integration cultivator and had to say it this way.

Han Li smiled slightly upon hearing this and didn't respond to her words, instead changing the subject:

"Now that you have regained your freedom, Fairy, what are your plans? Do you intend to return to the demon race? The Black Phoenix clan among the other demon races also inherits the True Blood of Heavenly Wind. You also possess the Heavenly Phoenix bloodline, Fairy Phoenix; if you were to defect to them, you should receive some care."

"The Black Phoenix clan? Hmph, the person who bullied their way to my door that day and injured me, causing my cultivation to fall, was a direct descendant of the Black Phoenix clan. If I go there in my current state, it would just be like a sheep entering a tiger's den." Upon hearing the words "Black Phoenix clan," the woman in silver robes' expression changed abruptly, and she couldn't help but grit her teeth, unable to remain calm.

Han Li was naturally greatly surprised, but after pondering for a moment, he continued to ask:

"The Black Phoenix clan injured you, Fellow Daoist? That is indeed a bit troublesome. Then, what are your own thoughts..."

"I would like to stay by your side for the time being until I recover my magic power, Brother Han, what do you think? Although humans and demons are different, with your current status, Brother Han, you should be more than enough to protect me. My cultivation is too low now, and I have an Ice Phoenix body; if I were to cultivate alone, I'm afraid that no matter how far I hide, disaster would find its way to me. By then, the outcome might be even worse than today!" After the woman in silver robes' expression fluctuated for a long while, she said this with some hesitation.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1856 =====