I'll make you the furnace and the cauldron, so you can refine Yin and Yang and prove the Great

Three months later, at the sect square.

Thousands of disciples filled the square, their voices rising and falling in a dense mass.

The selection of the Holy Maiden and Holy Son, held once every five years, is a grand event for the Hehuan Sect. Those selected rise to the top in one step; those who are not selected continue to struggle in the mire. For every Golden Core disciple, this is an opportunity to change their destiny.

Li Hanshan stood in the line of core disciples, with Hua Nongying and Yun Shuyue behind him. Among the three women, Qin Muyue stood in the position of a quasi-saintess, her purple dress fluttering, a pipe in her hand, still with that languid and alluring demeanor. Leng Yue stood beside her, wearing a silver-white dress, her face expressionless. Chu Mengyao stood a little further away, wearing a jade-green dress, toying with a bead in her hand.

On the other side of the prospective Holy Son, Song Qingyun and Ouyang Ming were already in place. Song Qingyun's expression was cold and stern, his eyes filled with a determined gleam. Ouyang Ming remained as refined as ever, gently waving his folding fan, his true intentions unfathomable.

On the high platform, the sect leader sat in the main seat, dressed in a black dress as black as ink, with a black veil covering his face.

The First Elder and the Second Elder stood on either side, and the elders from each peak arrived one after another.

Jiang Nianwei stood at the Jade Peak, wearing a light green dress and with a beautiful face. Her gaze swept across the crowd, lingering on Li Hanshan for a moment before she nodded slightly.

The position of Third Elder remains vacant, but no one pays attention to it anymore.

The Grand Elder walked to the edge of the platform, his aged voice echoing across the square: "The selection of the Holy Maiden and Holy Son shall now begin. First round: cultivation test."

He raised his hand and cast a spell, and the ground in the center of the square slowly cracked open, raising a stone tablet about ten feet tall. The stone tablet was entirely dark blue-black, its surface covered with densely packed runes, emitting a faint spiritual light.

"This is the Spirit Testing Stele, which can detect the cultivation level and spiritual power purity of Golden Core cultivators." The Grand Elder's voice was unhurried. "All participating disciples will inject their spiritual power into the stele in turn, and the results will be displayed on the stele."

The selection of holy sons and daughters is not limited to prospective holy sons and daughters; ordinary disciples can also participate.

Being considered a potential Holy Son or Holy Daughter simply means having more resources, a higher status, and a greater chance of becoming one; it does not mean that one is guaranteed to become a Holy Son or Holy Daughter.

If an ordinary disciple is not selected, there is still a chance to become a quasi-holy son or quasi-holy daughter.

More than twenty disciples signed up for the selection, all of whom were core disciples of the Hehuan Sect at the Golden Core stage or above. Li Hanshan, Qin Muyue, Leng Yue, Chu Mengyao, Song Qingyun, and Ouyang Ming were among them.

The test was conducted in the order of registration. The first to step onto the stage was Song Qingyun. He strode to the Spirit Testing Stele and raised his hand to inject his spiritual power into it. The runes on the stele lit up with a dazzling golden light, and a line of large characters slowly appeared on the surface of the stele—"Seventh Level of Golden Core, Superior Purity of Spiritual Power."

A gasp of amazement rippled through the plaza. Seventh level of the Golden Core realm—among the top Golden Core disciples of the Joyful Union Sect, this was already an exceptional achievement. Song Qingyun withdrew his hand, a smug smile playing on his lips, and strode back to the ranks.

Next up is Ouyang Ming, at the sixth level of the Golden Core stage, with superior purity of spiritual energy. Although not as dazzling as Song Qingyun, he is still someone most people look up to.

When Qin Muyue stepped onto the stage, the entire audience fell silent for a moment. She lazily walked to the spirit-testing stele, placed her hand on it, and channeled her spiritual energy. The stele lit up—Golden Core Stage 4, medium purity of spiritual energy. This result wasn't bad, but it was clearly inferior to Song Qingyun's. Qin Muyue's expression was rather unpleasant; she bit her lip and walked back to the queue.

Leng Yue performed slightly better than Qin Muyue, reaching the fifth level of the Golden Core stage with moderate spiritual energy purity. She remained expressionless, as if the result had nothing to do with her.

When Chu Mengyao stepped onto the stage, all eyes were on her. Her emerald green dress shimmered faintly in the sunlight. She raised her hand and placed it on the monument, channeling her spiritual energy—peak of the fourth level of the Golden Core realm, with moderate purity. She was on par with Qin Muyue.

The tests were conducted one after another, bringing joy to some and sorrow to others.

Finally, it was Li Hanshan's turn.

The Grand Elder glanced at the roster, frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice, "Next, Li Hanshan."

The murmurs in the square suddenly grew louder. Li Hanshan, the sect leader's personal disciple, the old man who had shone brightly on the battlefield three years ago. Everyone wanted to know his cultivation level.

Li Hanshan stepped out of the queue and walked towards the Spirit Measurement Stele with unhurried steps.

Just then, the Grand Elder suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a profound meaning: "Li Hanshan, you have only been in the sect for five years, yet you are qualified to participate in the selection of the Holy Maiden and Holy Son, which is indeed rare. However, the origin of your cultivation is unknown, and this elder is worried that your foundation is unstable and you may not be able to win over the masses."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and said loudly, "Therefore, this elder suggests that your test should be more rigorous. Not only should your cultivation level be tested, but also your foundation in Foundation Establishment. After all, Foundation Establishment is the foundation of cultivation; if the foundation is unstable, the Golden Core is just a castle in the air."

These words immediately caused an uproar in the square.

"The Grand Elder is trying to make things difficult for Senior Brother Li!"

"Test his foundation? How do we test it? Do we have to make him rebuild his foundation all over again?"

"The Grand Elder has always disliked Senior Brother Li, and this time he's going to embarrass him in public."

Hua Nongying wasn't worried, as she knew that Li Hanshan had reached the Foundation Establishment stage of the Heavenly Dao.

The sect leader didn't speak, but just watched quietly.

The elder took out a bronze mirror from his sleeve. The mirror was entirely golden, with dense runes flowing across its surface, exuding an ancient and majestic aura.

"This is the Heavenly Dao Mirror, which can detect the quality of a cultivator's foundation during the Foundation Establishment stage." The Grand Elder's voice carried a hint of pride. "Li Hanshan, you will infuse your spiritual power into the mirror, and the Heavenly Dao Mirror will display your Foundation Establishment foundation. Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Immortal grades will all be clearly visible."

Li Hanshan looked at the bronze mirror and sneered inwardly. The Grand Elder's move was ruthless. If his foundation was only of the mortal or earth-grade level, the Grand Elder could publicly humiliate him, saying that his foundation was unstable and he was not worthy of participating in the selection. If his foundation was of the heaven-grade or even the immortal-grade level, the Grand Elder could question the origin of his cultivation.

Regardless of the outcome, the Grand Elder has something to say.

But Li Hanshan was not afraid.

He walked to the Heavenly Dao Mirror and placed his hand on its surface. Spiritual energy surged from his palm and flowed into the mirror.

The Heavenly Mirror trembled violently, and the runes on its surface lit up simultaneously, bursting forth with a dazzling golden light. The light grew brighter and brighter, until it finally transformed into a golden pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.

Within the pillar of light, the laws of the Heavenly Dao flowed faintly, vast and majestic, making everyone present feel breathless.

The square was deathly silent.

Everyone stared blankly at the golden beam of light, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Foundation Establishment of the Heavenly Dao. Moreover, it is a Foundation Establishment of the Heavenly Dao of extremely high quality; otherwise, it would be impossible to trigger such a terrifying Heavenly Dao phenomenon.

The Grand Elder's face turned ashen. He stared intently at the golden beam of light, his lips trembling.

The sect leader stood up from the main seat, a genuine shock flashing in his eyes behind the black veil.

Finally, someone spoke up in the square.

"Heavens... Foundation Establishment of the Heavenly Dao!"

"Senior Brother Li has actually reached the Foundation Establishment stage of the Heavenly Dao!"

"Heavens! The last person in the Joyful Union Sect to reach the Foundation Establishment stage was the Sect Master!"

"How is this possible! How could a centenarian be at the Foundation Establishment stage of the Heavenly Dao?!"

A torrent of voices surged forth, a mixture of shock, envy, jealousy, and awe, creating a frenzy in the square.

Hua Nongying's lips curled up slightly, revealing a beautiful smile.

Qin Muyue stared at the golden pillar of light, her beautiful eyes filled with complex emotions. She had long known that Li Hanshan was no ordinary person, but she hadn't expected him to be a Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Heavenly Dao.

For the first time, genuine shock appeared in Leng Yue's silver-gray eyes. She stared at Li Hanshan's retreating figure, her lips moving slightly, but she uttered no words.

The emerald bead in Chu Mengyao's hand stopped spinning. She stared at the golden beam of light, her shock impossible to conceal.

Song Qingyun's face turned extremely ugly. He had thought that his seventh level of Golden Core was the most dazzling existence in this selection, but he did not expect that Li Hanshan, who was at the Foundation Establishment stage of Heavenly Dao, would steal all his limelight.

Ouyang Ming stopped waving his folding fan and looked at Li Hanshan, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

On the high platform, the Grand Elder's face was so gloomy it could drip water. He had intended to make things difficult for Li Hanshan, but unexpectedly, he had given the old man an opportunity to show off.

The sect leader sat down again, a slight smile playing on his lips behind the black veil.

"The test continues." Her voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

Li Hanshan withdrew his hand, and the golden pillar of light slowly dissipated. He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the entire arena before finally settling on the Grand Elder, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"Elder, is my foundation still solid?"

The elder gritted his teeth, unable to utter a single word.