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

The moment the Ninth Elder's figure disappeared from the main hall, Li Hanshan felt an unprecedented chill surge from his tailbone to the top of his head. His Nascent Soul level divine sense instinctively caught an extremely blurry trajectory—the gray figure was passing through the layers of restrictions on the back mountain at a speed far beyond his comprehension, like a sharp blade piercing through thin paper. The array patterns along the way didn't even have time to light up before being left behind. In the blink of an eye, that gray aura had already landed hundreds of feet in front of him and Ye Shuanghua, like an iron wall growing out of the void, completely blocking their path.

"Ninth Elder!" Ye Shuanghua's voice carried a suppressed anger, and the bloodstains on her silver-white outfit were particularly glaring in the twilight. She instinctively stepped in front of Li Hanshan, her Jinghong Sword drawn three inches from its sheath, the silver-white sword light flickering uncertainly at the edge of the scabbard, like a candle flame blowing in the wind.

The Ninth Elder appeared from the void, the hem of his gray robe still fluttering in the lingering wind. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the two figures before him. His gaze passed over Ye Shuanghua and landed directly on Li Hanshan. His lightning-like eyes held a certainty that had already been confirmed. The corners of his mouth tightened slightly. Without any unnecessary words or grand preamble, he simply extended his right hand, palm up.

"Li Hanshan, hand over the Dao artifact to me." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the penetrating power unique to cultivators at the Void Refinement stage. Each word was like a solid iron nail, precisely piercing Li Hanshan's eardrums. "I don't have time to beat around the bush with you. Hand it over, and I can pretend nothing happened."

The pressure of a Void Refinement level expert emanated from his body, like a rising tide, silently yet irresistibly surging towards Li Hanshan. That oppressive feeling was far more profound and dense than when Chu Zian pursued him in the secret realm, as if the weight of an entire mountain had been compressed into a tiny space, precisely pressing down on Li Hanshan's shoulders. Ye Shuanghua also felt the pressure.

Li Hanshan and Ye Shuanghua could no longer fly and landed directly on the square. His knees were slightly bent, and he was almost unable to stand. The pure yang energy was flowing faster in his meridians, but it was sluggishly suppressed by the power of refining emptiness, as if he were wading through a swamp.

This was the first time that Li Hanshan had directly confronted the Ninth Elder, and once they met, the Ninth Elder's mere presence rendered Li Hanshan powerless to resist!

Refining the Void! This is refining the Void!

He was too strong, so strong that even Li Hanshan felt a sense of despair. His cultivation level was still too low.

Of course, if Li Hanshan uses all his means, there may still be a chance of survival. For example, the Crimson Sun Sword and the Broken Sword, and the spatial Dao he has comprehended. Li Hanshan did not use this spatial Dao when he dealt with Yan Qingsong before.

Ye Shuanghua stood in front of Li Hanshan, sword drawn, suppressed anger flashing across her pale face: "Ninth Elder! This Dao artifact was obtained by my junior brother through his own abilities in the secret realm. According to sect rules, disciples are free to dispose of any opportunities they obtain during their training. Are you trying to steal it from me in public?"

"By force?" The Ninth Elder's gaze finally fell on Ye Shuanghua, a cold glint flashing in his lightning-like eyes. "Ye Shuanghua, as a disciple of the sect leader's lineage, you don't know what is truly important to the sect. A Dao artifact falling into the hands of a Nascent Soul cultivator will only attract the covetous eyes of other sects, bringing disaster to the Hehuan Sect. I'm safeguarding it for the sect; how can this be considered robbery?"

Ye Shuanghua's face grew even paler, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, but her sword-wielding hand did not drop. The light of the Jinghong Sword trembled slightly in her palm, the silvery-white light colliding fiercely with the gray pressure of the Ninth Elder, producing a series of fine hissing sounds, like ice and fire entangled in a confined space.

"Senior Sister Ye, please move aside."

A voice came from behind. Li Hanshan turned around and saw Chu Zian's figure had caught up. His iron-gray outfit gleamed coldly in the twilight. Although his aura as a peak Nascent Soul cultivator wasn't as heavy as the Ninth Elder's, it still carried an undeniable force. He stopped a few feet behind the Ninth Elder, his gaze sweeping over Ye Shuanghua's still bleeding left arm, then over Li Hanshan's steady eyes, finally settling on the Ninth Elder's back: "The Ninth Elder has already stated that he won't make things difficult for him, as long as he hands over that Dao artifact. Senior Sister, why should you harm the harmony among your fellow disciples for an external object?"

More streaks of light converged from all directions. Yan Qingsong's figure swept out from behind Chu Zian, his empty right sleeve fluttering in the twilight. He landed beside the Ninth Elder, his gaze fixed on Li Hanshan like two poisoned blades. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but only gave a cold laugh and remained silent. However, the hatred in his eyes spoke volumes.

Huo Yuan was helped down to the edge of the square. Both his legs were severed from the knees down, bandaged with blood-stained wounds. His face was ashen, yet he still stared intently in Li Hanshan's direction. Zhao Shoudao stood further away, his gray robe fluttering gently in the wind. His expression was more restrained than Yan Qingsong's and Huo Yuan's, but the suppressed killing intent was equally palpable.

"A Dao artifact? What kind of Dao artifact?"

"Senior Brother Li obtained a Dao artifact in the secret realm?"

"Heavens! That's a Dao artifact! There are only a handful of these in the entire Central Continent!"

"No wonder the Ninth Elder personally came forward..."

Whispers of conversation surged from all directions, like a turbulent wave of sound, churning endlessly in the twilight. More and more disciples poured in from various peaks, gathering in a dark mass in mid-air, on the rooftops, and beside the stone steps, their gazes all fixed on this area shrouded in the pressure of the Void Refinement Realm. Those gazes held curiosity, envy, greed, and various restrained scrutiny, like a cluster of ignited stars flickering uncertainly in the twilight.

The Fifth Elder's azure figure landed atop a stone pillar at the edge of the plaza. She neither approached nor uttered a sound, simply standing there quietly, like a bamboo stalk tinged with the twilight's green. Her watery eyes swept over Li Hanshan and Ye Shuanghua, lingering for a moment on the still-bleeding wound on Ye Shuanghua's left arm before moving away. Her fingers twitched slightly within her sleeve, but ultimately did not extend.

Zhang Qingxuan flew in from the direction of the alchemy room, a few fragments of spiritual herbs still clinging to her light blue dress. She abruptly stopped at the edge of the crowd, her gaze falling on Ye Shuanghua's bleeding left arm, her cuffs clenched tightly. Shen Ruoxi arrived from the south, her black dress fluttering in the twilight. She landed beside Zhang Qingxuan, also looking at the two shrouded in the Ninth Elder's oppressive aura, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Li Hanshan." The Ninth Elder took a step forward, his oppressive aura intensifying once more. Li Hanshan felt the pressure on his shoulders grow heavier, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet cracking like a spiderweb, and his knees slightly bent. His pure Yang energy was almost stagnant within his meridians, but he did not retreat. "My patience is limited. Will you hand it over, or not?"

Li Hanshan raised his head, his gaze meeting the Ninth Elder's lightning-fast eyes. He could read an undisguised greed in those eyes—a resolute determination to obtain the Dao artifact. He knew in his heart that even if he handed over the Crimson Sun Sword now, the Ninth Elder might not let him go. After all, he had severed Yan Qingsong's right arm and seriously injured Huo Yuan; the Ninth Elder would settle these scores sooner or later. And if he didn't hand it over, he would face a forced body search by a Void Refinement cultivator—at that point, he would not only lose the Dao artifact, but his life might also be in danger.

But he didn't draw the Crimson Sun Sword. He simply stood there, his Pure Yang Primordial Spirit slowly circulating deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, like molten lava submerged in deep water—seemingly cool on the surface, yet still retaining a heat enough to ignite anything beneath. His voice, neither loud nor soft, clearly pierced through the oppressive aura: "Ninth Elder, that sword was obtained by this disciple in the Yao Guang Ruins. This disciple doesn't know if it's a Dao artifact, but this disciple knows one thing—it has already recognized me as its master. Even if this disciple gives it to you, you won't be able to use it."

The Ninth Elder raised an eyebrow slightly. He didn't answer immediately, but remained silent for two breaths, as if weighing the weight of Li Hanshan's words. After a moment, a very faint, almost cold smile appeared on his lips: "Recognition of a master? A recognition of a master at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm can be erased by a Void Refinement cultivator with a flick of the wrist. You're being far too naive to try and fob me off with that."

He raised his right hand. Spiritual energy condensed in his palm, like a vortex compressed to its limit, radiating a chillingly sharp aura. He gave Li Hanshan no chance to speak. The spiritual energy transformed into a gray hand in his palm, its five fingers spread, reaching towards Li Hanshan's dantian. Wherever the hand passed, even the air was cut with fine white streaks, emitting a sharp whistling sound. It was a restraining technique directly formed by a Void Refinement cultivator using spiritual energy. Once touched, the spiritual energy within Li Hanshan's body would be instantly sealed, leaving him no chance to even mobilize his Pure Yang Primordial Spirit.

Ye Shuanghua suddenly thrust her sword horizontally in front of Li Hanshan, the silver-white light of the Jinghong Sword suddenly surging, transforming into a silver sword shadow several meters long, slashing towards the gray palm. The moment the sword light collided with the palm print, a dull, almost ear-piercing impact resounded. The silver sword shadow shattered like waves crashing against an iron wall, turning into countless silver fragments that scattered in all directions. Ye Shuanghua was forced back several steps by the recoil, spitting out a mouthful of blood, her whole body slumping as if struck by a giant hammer, the Jinghong Sword slipping from her hand and falling to the ground with a crisp clang on the bluestone slab.

"Junior Sister!" Zhang Qingxuan's voice came from the edge of the crowd, filled with barely suppressed urgency. She took a step forward abruptly, but stopped just in time. Without another word, Zhang Qingxuan rushed towards the back mountain.

She knew that going up there would be no use.

The most important thing now is to inform Master.

The gray hand continued forward, reaching towards Li Hanshan's dantian. Li Hanshan's pure yang primordial spirit circulated wildly within his sea of ​​consciousness, and the divine soul sword suspended in the center of his consciousness trembled slightly, like a ferocious beast chained by iron chains gathering its strength. However, the gap in cultivation between him and the Ninth Elder was too great; the chasm between the Void Refinement stage and the Divine Transformation stage could not be bridged by any technique or magical artifact. The gray hand had already landed several inches in front of his dantian, and its sharp chill penetrated his robes, causing a fine layer of coldness to seep into his skin.

Just a moment before that gray hand was about to touch his dantian—

The gray palm had already landed three inches in front of Li Hanshan's dantian. The sharp chill penetrated his robes, stirring a fine layer of coldness on his skin, as if an ice blade was pressed against his dantian. Li Hanshan could clearly sense that if that palm moved forward just one inch, his dantian would be completely sealed, and his pure yang primordial spirit would be locked deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, unable to even mobilize a trace of spiritual power.

At that critical moment—

A stream of azure spiritual energy silently cut in from the side, striking the side of the gray hand precisely. The two forces collided without making a loud sound, only a soft thud like two pieces of ice rubbing together. The gray hand was then deflected half an inch, sliding past Li Hanshan's dantian, grazing the edge of his robe, and leaving a deep dent in the bluestone ground behind him.

The Fifth Elder descended from the top of a stone pillar at the edge of the plaza, her long blue dress fluttering gently in the twilight. She stood between Li Hanshan and the Ninth Elder, her calm, watery eyes meeting his gaze. Her voice, neither loud nor soft, carried a restrained strength: "Ninth Elder, using a Void Refinement level restraint technique on a disciple in the early Nascent Soul stage won't sound good if word gets out."

The Ninth Elder's gaze fell on the Fifth Elder, a cold glint flashing in his lightning-like eyes: "Fifth Elder, are you going to stop me?"

"I just feel that things haven't reached the point where such methods are necessary." The Fifth Elder's tone remained calm, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. "He just said that the sword has recognized him as its master. If that's true, even if the Ninth Elder obtains the sword, it will be nothing but an inanimate object, completely useless. If he's lying, then we can pursue it later. Why take action in front of so many disciples?"

The Ninth Elder remained silent for a moment, about to speak, when two auras descended simultaneously from the direction of the main peak, landing on either side of him. The Seventh Elder, her dark purple dress gleaming coldly in the twilight, landed as lightly as a drawn blade. She leaned against a floating sword, arms crossed, her gaze sweeping across the entire area with interest. The Sixth Elder walked slowly from the other side, his grey robes almost blending into the twilight. He stood with his hands behind his back, like a silent observer, but his own pressure, also at the Void Refinement level, had already subtly been released, intertwining with the Ninth Elder's aura and enveloping the entire plaza in an even heavier oppressive layer.

"Fifth Elder's words make sense," Seventh Elder spoke first, her voice carrying a languid, flattened quality. "However, the matter of a Dao artifact is indeed no small matter. If left unattended, not only will the Joyful Union Sect be unstable, but other sects will also covet it. It would be better to have him hand over the sword for examination first. If it truly is a Dao artifact, then the elders' council can discuss a solution; if it's merely a spiritual weapon, then it should naturally be returned to him. This way, we won't wrong him, nor will the Dao artifact fall into the wrong hands." As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Li Hanshan, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. "What do you say?"

The Fifth Elder's gaze swept between the Seventh and Sixth Elders. She sensed the ever-increasing pressure from the Void Refinement Realm elders. Her expression remained largely unchanged, but a hint of seriousness flashed deep within her watery eyes. The combined pressure from three Void Refinement Realm elders was something even she couldn't withstand.

Standing in the center of the three elders' oppressive aura, Li Hanshan's pure Yang energy was almost frozen, and his bones were making subtle cracking sounds. He could feel his aura being compressed layer by layer by the three Void Refinement powers, like a bird caught in iron pincers, its ability to flap its wings completely stripped away. Just now, the Fifth Elder had blocked the Ninth Elder's palm strike, but the appearance of the Seventh and Sixth Elders completely shattered the brief balance of power. The three Void Refinement pressures combined, like an iron mountain repeatedly compacted, forcing his knees to bend slightly, and causing the bluestone slabs beneath his feet to crack with spiderweb-like patterns.

Ye Shuanghua struggled to stand, but even raising her arm became difficult. She braced herself on the ground, her silver-white outfit stained with dust and blood, a trace of blood clinging to the corner of her mouth. Zhang Qingxuan had already returned from the direction of the back mountain; her light blue figure landed at the edge of the plaza. Seeing the three elders before her, her face paled instantly. Shen Ruoxi clenched her sleeves, her gaze darting back and forth between Li Hanshan and Ye Shuanghua, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Alright." The Ninth Elder didn't wait any longer. His tone was impatient yet decisive. He took a step forward. "I will examine that item for the sect today. If you hand it over voluntarily, I will not harm your foundation. If you delay any longer—" He didn't finish his sentence, but the rising gray spiritual energy already indicated the consequences.

"Look at the sky!"

Suddenly, a disciple pointed to the sky, his voice shrill and piercing. Immediately, more people looked up, their eyes first filled with confusion, then with shock. The once clear sky was darkening at a visible speed, thick layers of clouds churning and converging from all directions as if stirred by an invisible giant hand. These clouds were a completely different color from ordinary cumulonimbus clouds, a chilling dark purple, with fine arcs of golden electricity crackling along their edges, like lit fuses racing through the clouds.

Within a few dozen breaths, the entire sky was completely covered by the dark purple tribulation cloud. A muffled rumble of thunder echoed from within the cloud, not from the high heavens, but from the void itself, carrying the unique majesty and oppressive force of the Heavenly Dao, causing the consciousness of every cultivator in the plaza to tremble slightly. At the center of the tribulation cloud formed a massive vortex, within which could be vaguely seen streaks of golden lightning, as thick as arms, gathering power, like slumbering thunder dragons slowly opening their eyes. That heavenly might pressed down upon the plaza, making everyone feel the irresistible weight emanating from the realm of rules.

The Ninth Elder's gray hand abruptly stopped three inches from Li Hanshan's dantian. He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the rapidly expanding dark purple tribulation cloud, his pupils suddenly contracting. He had cultivated for over two thousand years and experienced a heavenly tribulation once; he was intimately familiar with that kind of heavenly power. It was no ordinary celestial phenomenon, but a genuine heavenly tribulation—a heavenly power that even a Void Refinement cultivator had to take seriously.

"A Heavenly Tribulation?!" The Ninth Elder's voice carried a suppressed surprise. He abruptly withdrew his gray hand, greatly alarmed. "Only those who break through to the Void Refinement stage face a Heavenly Tribulation. Who has broken through to the Void Refinement stage?"