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

As morning light seeped into the cave through the cracks in the stone door, Li Hanshan sat cross-legged on the stone bed, his pure yang energy slowly circulating in his sea of ​​consciousness along the path of his primordial yang embryo. The traces of last night had been completely wiped away by cleansing magic, but a few fine wrinkles remained on the brocade rug at the edge of the stone bed, as if left after being repeatedly rubbed. Ye Shuanghua leaned against him to the left, her breathing long and even, her long, silvery-white hair scattered on the pillow, one hand still resting on his knee. Zhang Qingxuan lay on her side to his right, her blue robe casually draped over the edge of the low table, like a cherry blossom that had faded from bloom.

This continued for several days. The energy depleted from the battle to seize the flag in the secret realm was completely replenished through daily dual cultivation. Under the nourishment of the two senior sisters' Nascent Soul essence, the pure Yang energy became full and abundant again. Ye Shuanghua's Heavenly Spiritual Root spiritual power was pure and sharp, each cycle like polishing jade with fine sandpaper, smoothing out the imperceptible burrs in her meridians one by one; Zhang Qingxuan's extreme Yin energy was as warm as water, slowly seeping into the depths of her sea of ​​consciousness, polishing the edges of the Double Yang Embryo to be more rounded and smooth, and the golden patterns on its surface became denser under this nourishment, like ancient runes that had been repeatedly drawn.

On the fifth day at dusk, Li Hanshan finally opened his eyes and exhaled a long breath of turbid air. The breath was pale gold, condensing in the air and not dissipating until it slowly dissipated after a while. He could feel that the Chongyang Yuan Embryo had become even more solid than before entering the secret realm, and was only half a step away from being fully formed. This half step required time to slowly settle and could not be rushed.

Ye Shuanghua also sat up from the stone bed, the sash of her silver-white inner robe hanging loosely at her waist, revealing half of her delicate collarbone. She raised her hand to gather her loose long hair behind her shoulder, her gaze lingering on Li Hanshan's face for a moment, confirming that he had recovered about 70-80% of his energy, before nodding slightly: "Almost there. The rest will take time to heal; there's no use rushing it." As she spoke, she stood up, took out a clean silver-white close-fitting outfit from her storage bag, and put it on. Her movements were swift as she tied the sash, and in a moment she regained her cool and agile appearance.

She sat down at the stone table, picked up her spirit tea, took a sip, and put it down before saying, "Over the next few days, I'll be leaving the sect to find you some life-saving items." She tapped her fingertips lightly on the table twice. "I know a weapon refiner who's hiding in a market town on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Spirits Mountains. He has some good stuff. If all goes well, he should be back within half a month."

Li Hanshan knew she was always one to act on her impulses, so he didn't try to dissuade her further. He nodded: "Take care on the road, Senior Sister."

After Ye Shuanghua left, the cave remained quiet for most of the day. Zhang Qingxuan also left in the afternoon, saying she was going to prepare some pills and array materials needed to enter the secret realm. Li Hanshan sat alone on the stone couch, circulating his pure yang energy for two more cycles. Just as he was about to get up and soak in the spirit spring pool, a familiar sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave.

The stone door was pushed open, and Shen Ruoxi appeared in the doorway. She was wearing a simple, light blue dress today; the black veil had been removed, revealing her stunningly beautiful face, though tinged with weariness. She stopped at the door, her gaze sweeping over Li Hanshan, confirming his breathing was steady before she spoke, "Master wishes to see you."

Li Hanshan was slightly taken aback. Shen Ruoxi's master was the Fifth Elder, a Void Refinement cultivator known throughout the sect for his gentle and neutral nature. After helping him out of a predicament in the plaza last time, he had not had any direct contact with the Fifth Elder. He didn't know why the other party suddenly wanted to see him, but since Shen Ruoxi had come to invite him personally, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

"Go now?" he asked.

Shen Ruoxi nodded: "Master said that if it's convenient for you, it would be best to go now."

Li Hanshan stood up, straightened his robes, and followed Shen Ruoxi out of the cave. The two walked one after the other through the bamboo forest on the southern slope, following the bluestone mountain path towards the main peak. As dusk deepened, the distant sea of ​​clouds was dyed golden-red by the setting sun, gilding the outlines of the five peaks with a warm glow. Shen Ruoxi walked half a step ahead of him, her steps unhurried, yet she remained silent, as if she had something to say but didn't know how to begin.

"Master…" Shen Ruoxi finally spoke, her voice a few decibels lower than usual, "She has a good impression of you. After she helped you out of that awkward situation in the square last time, she told me that you have potential." She paused, as if choosing her words carefully, "But you know her personality; she rarely takes the initiative to meet people. The fact that she's willing to meet you means she's indeed paying attention to you."

When Li Hanshan heard the word "attention," his heart skipped a beat. He didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded and followed Shen Ruoxi upstairs.

The Fifth Elder's cave dwelling was situated on a cliff face shrouded in spiritual mist on the eastern side of the main peak, much higher than Ye Shuanghua's cave dwelling. It was surrounded by a large expanse of pale purple spiritual bamboo, its leaves shimmering with delicate spiritual light in the twilight, like shattered stars scattered across the valley. The entrance to the cave dwelling was a natural archway, with intricate ancient runes carved into the stone walls on either side, radiating a warm and stable spiritual energy.

Shen Ruoxi stopped in front of the archway and stepped aside to make way for her: "Master is waiting for you inside. I won't go in."

Li Hanshan nodded to her, stepped through the archway, and walked down a sloping stone staircase for about several dozen feet before the view suddenly opened up before him. The interior of the cave was more spacious than he had imagined, with a dome several feet high, inlaid with dozens of fist-sized luminous pearls, bathing the entire stone chamber in a soft, warm light like moonlight. In the center of the stone chamber sat a simple, low table, on which lay a pot of spiritual tea and two cups, the aroma of which rose slowly in the quiet air.

The Fifth Elder sat opposite her at the low table, still wearing her long blue dress, her long hair casually tied up with a white jade hairpin. Her face appeared soft and gentle in the glow of the luminous pearl. Seeing Li Hanshan enter, she didn't rise, but simply gestured for him to sit down opposite her. Li Hanshan sat down as instructed, his gaze meeting hers for a moment. He immediately sensed a gentle yet unavoidable scrutiny in her watery eyes, like the sunlight reflecting off a spring stream—seemingly soft, yet capable of illuminating every speck of dust.

"You've arrived," the Fifth Elder said, his voice neither loud nor soft, like a stream flowing over pebbles, carrying a natural tranquility. "You arrived sooner than I expected."

Li Hanshan clasped his hands in a respectful bow: "This disciple would not dare to keep Senior waiting."

The Fifth Elder didn't reply, but simply picked up her teacup, took a sip, and then put it down, her gaze returning to his face. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke: "Your performance in the Centennial Tournament this year was outstanding. You even knocked Zhao Shoudao, a third-level Nascent Soul cultivator, off the stage. To achieve this with the strength of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, you haven't found another like him in the entire Joyful Union Sect for hundreds of years."

She paused, a barely perceptible glint in her watery eyes: "If I'm not mistaken, you have already condensed the Chongyang Yuanfei."

"Don't be nervous, I mean no harm," the Fifth Elder said, noticing Li Hanshan's nervousness.

Li Hanshan was silent for a moment before finding his voice: "How did you know, senior?"

The Fifth Elder put down his teacup, his gaze lingering on the man's face for a moment, a faint smile appearing on his lips: "When I was young, I saw a record about the Primordial Embryo in an ancient fragment. The specific secret method has been lost, but I happen to remember one of the descriptions—at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, one condenses the embryonic form of the Primordial Embryo in the sea of ​​consciousness, nurturing it day and night with pure Yang energy. Once it is fully formed, one can possess a Nascent Soul level Primordial Spirit ahead of schedule."

After finishing her long speech, she picked up her teacup again, took a sip, and her tone regained its usual calm and composed quality: "So, where did your primordial embryo come from?"

Li Hanshan remained silent for a moment. He couldn't tell the truth; he absolutely couldn't mention Luo Li's matter to anyone—it was one of his deepest secrets. "During one of my travels, I accidentally obtained a fragmented secret technique," he said, bowing his head. "I cultivated according to that technique and, by sheer luck, condensed the rudimentary form of a primordial embryo, but it hasn't fully taken shape yet. I don't even know it's called the Double Yang Primordial Embryo."

The Fifth Elder listened without pressing further. She simply looked at Li Hanshan, her watery eyes holding a restrained scrutiny. After a moment, she nodded slightly: "Your ability to condense the embryonic form at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage indicates that your foundation and aptitude far surpass those of your peers. But precisely because of this, your journey to the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm will be far more dangerous than others."

Li Hanshan raised his head, his gaze questioning, "What does Senior mean?"

The Fifth Elder set down his teacup, tapping his fingertips lightly on the edge of the low table. His tone carried a suppressed solemnity: "Your potential is immense. So immense that some cannot tolerate your continued growth. You may think that you are merely a peak Nascent Soul disciple, posing no threat to those Void Refinement level figures in the Elder Council. But have you considered this—you are only a Nascent Soul now, but what about ten years later, a hundred years later? At your cultivation speed, it won't be long before you break through to the Divine Transformation realm. Once your cultivation reaches a level sufficient to benefit the Sect Leader, and if the Sect Leader can use you to successfully achieve Dao Integration, the Elder Council's years of efforts will be destroyed in an instant."

She looked at him, her watery eyes holding a sharpness he had never seen before: "You don't really think that Ye Shuanghua took you as her disciple just because she valued your Pure Yang Holy Body, do you? She did admire you, but more importantly—she knew you were the key to the sect leader's lineage's comeback."

Li Hanshan's heart skipped a beat. The steam from the cup of spiritual tea on the low table rose gently between them, like a barely perceptible dividing line. He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, "Senior, do you mean the Elders' Council will attack me in the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm?"

"It's not a matter of whether or not." The Fifth Elder's voice regained its calm and composed tone, but every word was like a carefully polished pebble, landing precisely in his ears. "It's definitely going to happen."