He had actually used the ark to obtain the Taboo Item, Fierce Fire Oil Lamp, from the upper echelons of the officials, which enabled him to move through the Snow Mountain at low altitude. And after entering a certain dangerous area, the hand bone of Supreme Vast burst into Flames, shielding him. It also allowed him to successfully find his father, Li Qiong...
But the Melting Furnace Captain was unaware of these pieces of information; he didn't even know of the existence of the ark.
Therefore, Li Yelai had no choice but to resort to this explanation.
As for the Church's perspective, they believed that Li Yelai had been equipped with the Taboo Item, Fierce Fire Oil Lamp, from the start in order to survive within the Snow Mountain. They didn't know about the existence of the Supreme Hand Bone—otherwise, they might have turned it into Spiritual Ability Equipment...
