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

Spring light flowed quietly through the night in the glow of the luminous pearl in the southern cave.

At dawn, Qingyao sat up from the stone bed, her movements a beat slower than usual. She bent down to straighten her robes, her fingertips pausing for a moment at the ties, as if tugged by something. She tried to stand, but her knees buckled slightly, and she almost fell back onto the bed. She quickly braced herself against the edge of the bed, regaining her balance, but the blush on her ears was noticeably deeper than before.

"What's wrong, are your legs going weak?" Li Hanshan leaned back on the couch, his gaze fixed on her, his tone laced with a lazy, teasing tone.

Qingyao glared at him, but there was little anger in her gaze; rather, it was a sense of embarrassment at being exposed. She took a deep breath, straightened up, and moved her knees to make sure she could stand steadily before turning to look at him: "Your pure yang energy... is indeed quite impressive." She spoke in a deliberately calm tone, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her true state. "The stagnation within my body has been completely cleared, and I'm only one step away from breaking through the bottleneck."

As she spoke, she had already straightened her robes, her pink skirt regaining its neatness in the morning light. She paused at the entrance of the cave, glanced back at him, and remained silent for a moment, as if weighing something. Finally, she simply said in a low voice, "If you need anything next time, I'll come to you again." With that, she pushed open the door and stepped out. Her light pink figure strode quickly through the bamboo forest in the morning light, her pace still a little slower than usual, yet carrying a deliberately maintained composure.

Li Hanshan withdrew his gaze, sat cross-legged on the stone bed, and circulated his pure Yang energy through his meridians for a full cycle. The effects of the dual cultivation that night were even better than he had expected. Qingyao's wood-elemental spiritual power was like a clear spring, thoroughly soothing the residual internal injuries in his meridians after the battle. Most of the minor cracks had healed, and the flow of pure Yang energy was much smoother than yesterday. Although the light of the Chongyang Yuanfei in his sea of ​​consciousness had not yet returned to its full glory, it was at least no longer as dim as it had been the night before.

About half an incense stick later, a familiar sound of footsteps came from outside the cave. The blue robes gleamed softly in the morning light. When Zhang Qingxuan pushed open the door, her gaze swept over him, then swept over the lingering warmth on the stone bed. A meaningful smile appeared on her lips: "You had a good night?" Her tone was gentle and teasing, without a trace of sourness, as if she were happy for him.

Li Hanshan sat up straight on the stone bed: "Senior Sister is joking. Senior Sister Qingyao's wood-type spiritual power is indeed helpful for recovery."

Zhang Qingxuan sat down on the futon opposite him, casually taking a jade bottle from her storage bag and placing it on the table. "This is a pill to strengthen your foundation and replenish your vital energy. You expended a lot of energy last night, so taking this will help you recover faster." As she spoke, her gaze lingered on his face for a moment. "Although Qingyao looks shy, she's actually very shrewd. If she really doesn't want to, no one can force her."

Li Hanshan took the jade bottle, uncorked it, and smelled it. The medicinal fragrance was clear and mellow, indeed what he needed right now. He swallowed a pill, and its medicinal power dissolved in his stomach. A warm current flowed slowly along his meridians, soothing the last few minor hidden injuries in his body. When he opened his eyes, Zhang Qingxuan was looking at him, her watery eyes carrying a restrained seriousness.

"Senior sister, just how strong is Yu Mengjia?" he finally asked the question that had been lingering for so long.

Zhang Qingxuan picked up the spiritual tea on the table, took a sip, and put it down before saying, "Yu Mengjia is quite mysterious. She is the Sixth Elder's last disciple. The Sixth Elder is a low-key person, and as a result, her disciples rarely show their faces in the sect. Although Yu Mengjia's cultivation is only at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, she found an ancient ruin deep in the Ten Thousand Spirits Mountain Range and is said to have obtained an extremely rare secret technique. As for what that secret technique is, no one has seen it with their own eyes. She rarely makes a move, and even when she does, she never reveals her trump cards."

She paused, her gaze becoming more serious: "However, one thing is certain: her strength is definitely not weak. To become the Sixth Elder's last disciple and to survive those ruins, her combat experience and adaptability are unmatched by ordinary Nascent Soul peak cultivators. In this final, she will be a formidable opponent for you."

Li Hanshan mentally reviewed this information: "What is her relationship with Xuan Yinzi?"

Zhang Qingxuan put down her teacup: "As far as I know, the two have no direct conflict of interest, nor do they cooperate. Xuan Yinzi is arrogant and only cares about his own Yin-Yang Dao, and is always indifferent to the affairs of others. Yu Mengjia, on the other hand, prefers to work alone and doesn't like to form alliances. However, they are both disciples of the Elders' Council, so they are not necessarily on the same side as us."

Li Hanshan nodded: "Understood."

Zhang Qingxuan placed the teacup back on the table, stood up, walked to him, looked down at him, and her smile became even more gentle: "Let's not talk about that. Although you recovered somewhat last night, your foundation still needs further consolidation after the great battle. I happen to have some free time today, so why don't I take this opportunity to help you solidify it further?" Her tone carried a calm inquiry, as if she had already anticipated his answer.

Li Hanshan looked at her and did not refuse: "Then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Sister."

Zhang Qingxuan sat down beside him, raising her hand to loosen the sash of her outer robe, her movements composed and elegant. Her extremely yin energy, like a warm spring, flowed into his meridians along the point where their bodies met, merging with his pure yang energy under the influence of the Yang Manual. That extremely yin energy was even purer than before, clearly indicating that she had been continuously tempering her foundation during this time. This dual circulation continued between them for almost a whole day.

As dusk fell, Zhang Qingxuan finally got up to leave, her steps composed, showing none of the obvious discomfort Qingyao had displayed. She paused at the door for a moment, then turned and said, "By the way, do you want to go check on Junior Sister Ye too? Although she doesn't say it, she's been keeping your finals on her mind."

Li Hanshan nodded: "I'll go after I finish adjusting my breathing."

Zhang Qingxuan smiled, and her blue robe disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest on the southern slope in the twilight.

Li Hanshan sat alone in his cave, further refining the Nascent Soul Essence he had absorbed from Zhang Qingxuan that day. After this dual cultivation session, he felt the circulation of pure Yang energy in his meridians was more harmonious than before, and the Primordial Yang Embryo in his sea of ​​consciousness had recovered about 70% under this gentle nourishment. In another two days, he should be able to return to his peak condition.

As night deepened, he emerged from his cave and walked along the stone steps toward the east side of the main peak. Ye Shuanghua's cave was lit, its stone door ajar, as if waiting for him. He knocked twice, and a clear, cold voice called out from within, "Come in." When he pushed the door open, Ye Shuanghua was sitting cross-legged on a stone couch, the Jinghong Sword resting horizontally on her lap. Her clear, cold eyes fell upon him, carrying an expression he recognized.

"How's the recovery going?"

"Much better." Li Hanshan sat down on the futon opposite her. "There are still two days until the finals, that's enough."

Ye Shuanghua looked at him, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment: "That's good. The finals should take place in the secret realm, anything is possible, just adapt to the situation." She didn't say much more, but Li Hanshan noticed that after she finished speaking, her brows relaxed slightly, as if she had finally let go of some worries.

He stood up, walked to her, and gently took her hand, which was resting on her lap. Ye Shuanghua's fingers stiffened slightly, but she didn't pull away. He looked down at her, his voice softening, "Senior sister, wait until I win first place."

Ye Shuanghua did not answer, but a hint of warmth clearly appeared in her cold eyes.