Volume 1, Chapter 387 – Silverfrost City

A carriage entirely fashioned from spirit jade hovered before the City Lord’s Manor. Eight winged heavenly horses drew it from the front, each one handsome beyond compare. At a glance, the whole sight radiated elegance and luxury.

At the end of the long street, martial artists could vaguely be seen watching, their eyes full of envy.

Heavenly horses were a spirit-beast race that the human race had bred for many years. They were even more precious than the flood-dragon horses ridden by the senior officers of the Demon-Suppressing Army, and their price was astonishingly high.

The carriage itself was made from century-old warm jade and engraved with multiple spirit-inscription arrays, making it comparable to a top-grade treasure.

This carriage was truly a lavish display of wealth.

“The journey ahead will be long and tiring. Consider this carriage a gift from me for your travels, miss.”

Wu Minglie stood before the manor gates, smiling broadly.

“Uncle, you are too courteous. This gift is far too valuable…”

Shi Lan swept her gaze over the carriage, inwardly unable to suppress her amazement. Its price far exceeded its practical value. More than anything, it was meant to put on a show.

“A gift for a gift. How could it be called too valuable?”

Wu Minglie shook his head with a smile and gestured with his hand.

“My father has spirit crystals to spare. This little bit is nothing.”

Wu Lingkong waved her hands repeatedly, making Wu Minglie’s eyelids twitch.

He was only a city lord, nowhere near extravagantly wealthy. This carriage had already cost him dearly.

“Thank you, Uncle.”

Shi Lan stopped refusing and accepted it with a smile.

Wu Minglie had not chosen to give her anything else, only this exceptionally luxurious carriage. Shi Lan understood the deeper meaning behind that.

The gathering at Yunlai Immortal Palace was a grand event. Those invited were all figures of status or powerful forces from every side.

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At an occasion like this, every force in attendance would naturally put on a display. Shi Lan had no powerful backing behind her. If she went alone, it would be hard to avoid being looked down upon.

She might not care, but the fact that Wu Minglie had thought of this still surprised her somewhat.

“Though your name has already spread across the Vast Land of Shenzhou, you have not been on the Heavenly Prodigy Record for very long. On this trip, it will be hard to avoid challenges from prodigies of every side. Please be extra careful.”

Wu Minglie could not help offering a reminder.

He too had once been young and reckless, so he naturally understood how frightening the competitive spirit of young people could be. Young prodigies in particular were usually full of pride, their ambitions soaring to the heavens.

Shi Lan had risen too quickly. Many prodigies still did not understand her well enough.

“I’ll remember it.”

Shi Lan gave a slight nod, brought Tianbai with her, and boarded the carriage. The eight heavenly horses stepped into the air, carrying the carriage away in an instant with rolling thunder as they tore through the sky.

Wu Lingkong watched the disappearing carriage at the horizon, slowly rubbing the ring on her finger as her gaze gradually grew resolute.

…

The heavenly horses were extremely fast. Although they could not compare to Myriad Phenomena Realm martial artists who traveled by crossing space, they could still move at several times the speed of sound, covering several li in the blink of an eye.

Their strength was not particularly great, but they were highly intelligent. Once they knew the destination, there was no need for anyone to drive the carriage personally.

The carriage contained a soundproof formation, so the piercing sonic booms never reached the interior.

Inside, the space was remarkably spacious. A stick of incense burned on the table, its fragrance light and soothing, calming the mind and focusing the spirit. Beside it were spiritual fruits, pastries, and fine wine, all fully prepared.

Shi Lan was not cultivating. She lay sprawled on the couch with half-closed eyes, drowsy and on the verge of sleep.

The couch was covered with the hide of some unknown beast, exceptionally soft and comfortable, making one too languid to stir.

Tianbai had taken human form. Seeing the contented look on Shi Lan’s face, she could not help sneaking over and secretly reaching out to touch the beast hide.

After a while, she withdrew her hand and muttered inwardly that it did not seem as comfortable as her own body.

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…

The location marked on Yunlai Immortal Palace’s invitation was about 1.2 million li from Shenfeng City, not exactly close.

Even at the heavenly horses’ extreme speed, it still took six or seven days before Shi Lan finally arrived at the destination of this trip, the Drifting Snow Mountain Range.

For hundreds of thousands of li around, the Drifting Snow Mountain Range was covered in snow and ice that never melted all year round. Snow fell constantly throughout the year, which was how it got its name.

The great martial sect Yunlai Immortal Palace, a first-grade force passed down since the Middle Ancient Era, had been established here for millions of years.

Not long after entering the Drifting Snow Mountain Range, the heavenly horses suddenly let out a long neigh, and the carriage slowly came to a halt.

Shi Lan sensed something with her spiritual sense and stepped out from the carriage. Two martial artists were flying through the air on swords, blocking the way ahead. Both wore pale blue martial robes, with faint array patterns glimmering across them. They were clearly robes of protection.

In the snowstorm not far away, a giant city of ice and snow could vaguely be seen.

Tianbai did not transform back into her original form, instead remaining in human shape at Shi Lan’s side. Many who had come here to observe were experts whose Dao touched the divine, so there was no need to keep hiding.

“Honored guest, have you come to observe the grand internal competition of Yunlai?”

On seeing Shi Lan, one of them bowed and asked. His attitude was neither servile nor overbearing.

“Indeed.”

Shi Lan took out the invitation and passed it over through the air.

After seeing the invitation clearly, both men’s expressions shifted slightly, and their posture became more respectful.

“Has honored guest come alone?”

When Shi Lan gave a slight nod, one of them turned and began to lead the way.

“Esteemed guest, please follow me.”

The heavenly horses slowed their pace and followed behind him toward the giant city of ice and snow.

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Shi Lan did not return to the carriage. Instead, she stood outside, gazing from afar as the distant city gradually drew near.

As the distance closed, the city that had once been only faintly visible came fully into view, leaving Shi Lan inwardly astonished.

Of all the cities she had seen, Xianwu City ranked first in scale, stretching a thousand li across and possessing immense grandeur.

But this giant city of ice and snow before her stretched ten thousand li from end to end, more than a hundred times larger than Xianwu City.

All that met the eye were palaces of ice and snow, dreamlike and unreal.

Once they came within ten thousand li of the city, a suppressive force descended from the air. The heavenly horses had no choice but to lower their altitude and slowly step onto the snow.

Shi Lan closed her eyes and sensed her surroundings. Even the spatial nodes nearby had been completely sealed.

A flight-restricting formation of an extremely high grade had been laid here. Not only was flight impossible, even crossing through space could not be done.

The guide ahead seemed worried that moving too slowly would displease Shi Lan, so he broke through the sound barrier and accelerated.

Even on the snow, the heavenly horses remained swift as the wind. The immense pressure they generated sent waves of snow flying as they followed the guide at high speed toward the distant city of ice and snow.

More than an hour later, Shi Lan arrived before the city gates.

“Silverfrost City…”

The gates, forged from ten-thousand-year cold jade, towered thousands of zhang high, and the weight of their long heritage pressed toward her.

The main gates were not open. Off to one side, however, there was a “small gate” over a hundred zhang tall.

A crowd had already gathered there, each person holding an invitation and entering one by one.

Shi Lan glanced over them and immediately noticed the difference. Her invitation was not the same as those held by the guests who had come to observe.

The guide handed the invitation to the disciple guarding the gate. After whispering a few words, the main gates, thousands of zhang high, slowly opened.

“Please.”

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The guide raised his hand in invitation.

The heavenly horses lightened their steps and slowly entered the city under a host of astonished gazes.

…

Once inside the city, the snowstorm vanished completely, cut off outside. At the same time, a giant spirit-gathering formation was slowly operating, and thePrimordial Qi of Heaven and Earth within the city was shockingly dense.

The guide led Shi Lan to a palace of ice and snow and bowed slightly.

“Esteemed guest, please rest here. I will arrange for the heavenly horses to be cared for properly.”

Shi Lan stepped down from the carriage and handed the heavenly horses over to the guide.

“There are no maidservants or attendants assigned inside the palace. Would esteemed guest like any arranged?”

The guide asked one more question.

Generally speaking, very few people came here entirely alone. The various forces were mostly wary of one another and usually brought their own people.

Over time, Yunlai Immortal Palace had simply stopped making such arrangements.

“There is no need.”

Shi Lan shook her head and walked straight into the palace.

…

Not long after Shi Lan settled in, deep within Silverfrost City:

An old man moved in great haste, striding quickly into a palace. Reaching the man who was resting with his eyes closed, he bowed and reported,

“King Xuan, she has arrived.”