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

The twilight in the secret realm was as dark as silk soaked in ink. On the open ground between the three arenas, a silver-gray sword light drew a rapid arc, chasing after the pale blue figure.

Yu Mengjia landed on the edge of her arena, her light blue dress fluttering in the lingering wind. She turned, looking at the rapidly approaching silver-gray figure. She didn't retreat, nor did she hastily prepare defenses. Instead, she weighed the two spirit flags she had pulled from Xuan Yinzi's arena in her hands, her tone calm and almost infuriatingly indifferent: "What's there to explain? Of course, you pick the weakest one."

As she spoke, she looked up at Xuan Yinzi, her watery eyes revealing a hardened seriousness. "You just poured most of your spiritual power into your natal sword. Junior Brother Li's arena has a very solid defense; I can't get around it. But on your side, the defenses of both flags are almost empty. If I don't take yours, whose will I take?"

Xuan Yinzi abruptly stopped ten feet in front of her. His silver-gray robe billowed in the remaining wind. His gaze fell on the two spirit flags in Yu Mengjia's hands, still faintly glowing, then returned to her face. The usual composure on his lips had completely vanished, replaced by a chilling intensity. "So, you never intended to cooperate with me from the beginning."

Yu Mengjia did not deny it. She planted the two spirit flags back into the array's core on her arena, dusted off her hands, and said with a matter-of-fact composure, "Junior Brother Li and I each have four flags, so we're tied for first place. Isn't that good?"

Xuan Yinzi's face darkened, like a mountain ridge weighed down by dark clouds. He stared at Yu Mengjia for a full three breaths, during which the sound of the wind in the secret realm seemed to freeze. Then he moved—this time he held nothing back. The silver-gray natal spirit sword in his hand suddenly swelled, the patterns on its blade moving as if alive, carrying a sharpness far surpassing any of his previous attacks, aiming straight for Yu Mengjia's chest.

Yu Mengjia was prepared. The layer of cyan wind rapidly contracted and condensed around her, forming a semi-transparent wall of energy in front of her. The silver-gray sword light struck the energy wall, producing a piercing screeching sound, sparks flying, and the air itself being torn apart with visible twists and turns. The surface of the energy wall cracked with spiderweb-like fine lines, yet it forcefully blocked the sword light from entering.

Outside the secret realm, the discussions in the square were boiling over like a pot of water. "Yu Mengjia stole Xuan Yinzi's flag! Now she has four flags!" "Senior Brother Xuan Yinzi has lost two!" "Senior Sister Yu's move was too ruthless; picking on the weak—that's such a cruel statement!" "Senior Brother Xuan Yinzi must be furious; the power of his natal spirit sword is several times greater than before!"

Chen Jie stood to the side of the platform, the smile that had just appeared on his lips completely frozen, replaced by a gloomy expression that lingered for a long time. He turned to look at Xuan Yinzi, who was fighting Yu Mengjia in the bronze mirror, his voice carrying a suppressed yet still urgent tone: "What is Yu Mengjia doing? Why is she doing this! And Xuan Yinzi, why doesn't he go and seize Li Hanshan's flag? Why is he fighting Yu Mengjia to the death...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, because the image in the bronze mirror showed that Xuan Yinzi had indeed tried to seize Li Hanshan's flag, but he was no match for him. Moreover, whenever Xuan Yinzi tried to attack Li Hanshan with all his might, Yu Mengjia would cling to him like a persistent leech, creating an invisible barrier in his path and forcing him to change direction. Each of her interceptions precisely timed the moments just as he was about to accelerate, preventing him from launching a continuous high-speed advance. It was like wading through mud, each step slowed by half a beat.

In the center of the arena, Li Hanshan had already stood up. The four spirit flags were firmly planted on the stone pillar behind him. He did not participate in the melee, but simply stood with his hands behind his back at the edge of the arena, watching Xuan Yinzi and Yu Mengjia exchange blows in mid-air.

He never expected that Yu Mengjia, who was also a disciple of the Elders' Council, would suddenly pull such a stunt.

Inside the secret realm, Xuan Yinzi's sword light had already struck more than ten times, each time steadily blocked by Yu Mengjia's wind barrier. His spiritual energy was being consumed at a visible rate, and the scattered silver-gray sword shadows in the air were beginning to flicker, clearly unable to maintain the previous dense suppressive force. Yu Mengjia's wind barrier was also cracking; the flow of spiritual energy was no longer as smooth as before, and each collision added new lines to the surface of the wind barrier, the rate of repair being outpaced by the rate of energy consumption.

The two had exhausted too much energy in their silent standoff. Xuan Yinzi finally sheathed his sword and took a few steps back, his chest heaving more noticeably than before, but he still didn't give up. Silver-gray spiritual energy re-condensed around him, like turbulent water slowly settling. Yu Mengjia slightly turned to the side, protecting the stone pillar with four spirit flags planted behind her. Although the azure wind barrier had thinned considerably, it still maintained its complete structure.

Just then, a golden light suddenly shone in the twilight at the center of the secret realm. The light rose from the array's focal point between the three arenas, like a lit fuse, rapidly spreading across the entire area along the almost invisible patterns on the ground. Immediately afterward, a deep and solemn voice echoed in the void: "Time's up. Flag-capturing phase over."

The three arenas simultaneously glowed with a soft golden light, enveloping the three of them. Xuan Yinzi gripped the silver-gray longsword, its glow not yet completely dissipated. His gaze swept back and forth between Yu Mengjia and the two figures in the center of the arena, finally settling on the four spirit flags still firmly planted behind Li Hanshan. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately nothing came out. The silver-gray sword light slowly receded in his palm, like a candle flame being extinguished.

As the golden light faded, the three were already standing on the circular platform behind the main peak. The array patterns at the entrance to the secret realm slowly dimmed beneath their feet, and the silvery-white light receded like the tide, returning to silence. The eyes of the disciples watching in the plaza all turned towards the platform, and after a brief silence, discussions resumed.

The steward from the External Affairs Hall strode forward, his gaze checking the number of flags on each of the three individuals. He then turned towards the high platform, his voice carrying a formulaic calmness: "Yu Mengjia, four flags. Xuan Yinzi, zero flags." He paused, his gaze shifting to Li Hanshan, a hint of respect unconsciously creeping into his tone, "Li Hanshan, four flags. According to the rules, the one with the most flags wins—Li Hanshan and Yu Mengjia are tied for first place."

These words immediately sparked another round of heated discussion in the square. "A tie for first place!" "Is this the first time in the century-long competition that there's been a tie for first place?" "Senior Sister Yu's flag-stealing trick was brilliant; otherwise, Senior Brother Xuan Yinzi would at least have two flags, and wouldn't be at the bottom..." "Zero flags... Senior Brother Xuan Yinzi has lost face big time."

Xuan Yinzi stood on the platform, his face still gentle and feminine, but the composed smile at the corner of his mouth had completely vanished. His gaze fell on the spirit flag being put away by the deacon of the External Affairs Hall in the distance. The silver light in his pupils flickered slightly, before finally returning to calm after a moment.

On the high platform, the Ninth Elder's face was ashen. His gaze swept back and forth between Xuan Yinzi and Yu Mengjia, then settled on Li Hanshan, remaining silent for a long time. The surrounding air seemed to stagnate in the silence, even Chen Jie subconsciously held his breath. He looked at his master, trying to read something from that majestic yet cracked face, but he couldn't read anything. He could only see a storm brewing and surging deep within the Ninth Elder's lightning-like eyes, which was ultimately suppressed into a deathly stillness.

The Ninth Elder finally spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present, each word carrying a carefully crafted air of authority: "In this century-long competition for the Nascent Soul group, a tie for first place is truly rare. According to sect rules, the allocation of spots in the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm is decided by the Elder Council. Considering that the three disciples are of similar strength, allowing them to enter the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm together is not a bad option. If the three disciples have no objections, each will receive one spot."

His gaze swept over the three of them in turn, his tone as steady as ever: "The Myriad Spirits Secret Realm is about to open. The three of you should go back and prepare well. Meet at the sect square a month from now and head there with the team." After he finished speaking, he stood up, his gray robes billowing in the twilight as he walked calmly toward the back of the platform. Chen Jie followed behind him, and their figures quickly disappeared at the end of the steps.

Xuan Yinzi's expression finally relaxed slightly. Although the humiliation of having his flag snatched in public still lingered in his chest, at least his spot in the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm was secured. He snorted coldly, turned around, and strode down the platform, his silver-gray robe billowing like waves in the twilight.

Li Hanshan stood on the platform, taking out the crimson spirit flag from his storage ring. Even in the twilight, the flag's surface still shimmered with fine golden runes, like a lamp that hadn't yet gone out. As he turned to descend the platform, Yu Mengjia approached from the other side. Her pale blue dress shimmered softly in the twilight, and her watery eyes rested on his face, carrying a serene quality refined by time. "Junior Brother Li," she said, her tone devoid of its previous deliberate teasing, replaced by a grounded honesty born from shared confrontation. "I hope that in a month, we can cooperate in the secret realm."

Li Hanshan carefully put away the spirit flag and nodded slightly to her: "Okay."

Zhang Qingxuan followed beside her, the two flanking Li Hanshan. The three figures weaved through the twilight crowd, heading towards the southern foot of the main peak. The disciples behind them, still discussing amongst themselves, followed their retreating figures, exchanging their opinions in hushed tones. Some spoke of Li Hanshan's broken sword that had sliced ​​through the rift; others speculated whether Yu Mengjia's flag-stealing was premeditated; still others lamented that this trip to the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm would likely be even more perilous than previous ones.

As dusk settled, lights began to illuminate the main peak, like scattered, lit stars across the mountainside. Li Hanshan walked along the bluestone path on the southern slope, the night wind rustling the bamboo leaves. The footsteps of two figures beside him overlapped and intertwined on the stone slabs. He could feel that when Ye Shuanghua walked to his left, her fingers would occasionally brush against the edge of his sleeve, while Zhang Qingxuan maintained a half-step distance, her gaze frequently sweeping around, as if checking for any unseen figures in the shadows.

They returned to the cave on the southern slope, hidden by the bamboo forest. The luminous pearl on the stone platform had already lit up automatically, its warm yellow light seeping through the cracks in the stone door and casting a thin strip of light on the ground. When Li Hanshan pushed open the stone door, two figures followed him in at the same time. The stone door closed behind them, shutting out the thin veil of twilight and noise.