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

Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

As the flames in the alchemy furnace slowly died down, the lingering fragrance of herbs in the stone chamber had not yet dissipated. Li Hanshan took out the last batch of Concentrating Spirit Pills from the furnace, a total of nine pills, each gleaming with a warm, silvery luster, its surface shimmering with fine medicinal patterns. This was the highest-grade pill he had learned from Luo Li—a Grade Four Concentrating Spirit Pill, specifically designed for Nascent Soul cultivators to stabilize their souls and refine their spiritual power. It used a five-thousand-year-old Crimson Scale Vine as the main ingredient, supplemented with the stamens of the Silver Moon Flower and the roots of the Jade Marrow Ginseng; just gathering these auxiliary materials had taken him nearly three months.

He took out a Mind-Concentrating Pill and placed it in his palm. The medicinal fragrance was clear and mellow; just smelling it made him feel the spiritual energy flowing through his meridians faster. But he didn't rush to take it. He put the jade bottle away, got up, and walked out of the stone chamber. He passed through the passage in the cave illuminated by the luminous pearl, and when he pushed open the stone door, he saw Ye Shuanghua standing on the stone platform waiting for him.

Over the past year, they had developed a tacit understanding. Every so often, after he refined a batch of suitable pills, he would summon them. Ye Shuanghua was always the first to arrive, her silver-white outfit fluttering slightly in the mountain breeze, carrying the Jinghong Sword that she never parted from during their dual cultivation. Zhang Qingxuan usually arrived a cup of tea's time late, her light blue dress sometimes still stained with bits of herbs from the alchemy room, indicating she had come from Biyu Peak. Shen Ruoxi was never late, but she was never too early either, always appearing after the two had already taken their seats, her black dress blending seamlessly into the twilight.

"Is this batch of pills finished?" Ye Shuanghua's gaze fell on the jade bottle in his hand, sensing the medicinal power emanating from it. She raised an eyebrow slightly. "Fourth grade? When did you become able to refine fourth grade pills?"

"It took several months of trials to succeed." Li Hanshan handed her the jade bottle. "It uses Crimson Scale Vine as the main ingredient, combined with Silver Moon Flower and Jade Marrow Ginseng. Its medicinal power is much stronger than the Returning Origin Pill. It requires dual cultivation to assist in refining; one person's meridians cannot withstand it."

Ye Shuanghua took the jade bottle, uncorked it, and inhaled the crisp medicinal fragrance. She recorked it, her gaze falling on his face. Her voice, as always, was cool and decisive: "Then let's not wait any longer. Qingxuan and Ruoxi will be here soon; let's start tonight."

As night fell, the candlelight in the deep stone chamber of the cave was dimmed, and the glow of the luminous pearl cast a warm glow on the stone walls. Li Hanshan sat cross-legged by the stone couch, with Ye Shuanghua sitting opposite him, her outer robe removed, revealing only a thin, silver-white undergarment. Zhang Qingxuan approached from the side, her light blue robe scattered beside the couch. She pinched a Mind-Concentrating Pill between her fingers and put it into her mouth. The moment the medicine took effect, she frowned slightly—the potency of the medicine far exceeded any pill she had taken before. Shen Ruoxi was the last to sit down. Her long black dress shimmered in the candlelight. She didn't say anything more, simply taking the jade bottle, swallowing a pill, and then closing her eyes to regulate her breathing, waiting for the medicine to fully unfold in her meridians.

Li Hanshan also swallowed a Mind-Concentrating Pill. The moment the medicine entered his stomach, it felt like being poured into a ball of molten lava, rushing rapidly along his meridians, bringing a searing, almost tearing pain wherever it passed. He could feel the Crimson Scale Vine essence contained within the medicine frantically assaulting every corner of his meridians, like a released beast searching for an outlet. He didn't try to suppress the surge, but instead activated the Yang Ce Technique to its fullest extent, allowing the medicine to flow into the bodies of the three people connected to him through the circulation of spiritual energy.

Ye Shuanghua was the first to sense the surge of medicinal power. She groaned softly, her back tensing slightly for a moment before relaxing, allowing the scorching energy to flow through her meridians. She could feel her spiritual power increasing at an unprecedented rate, as if each breath was equivalent to several days of arduous cultivation. Zhang Qingxuan reacted a little slower, but she also trembled slightly after the medicinal power surged in, fine beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, but a slight smile played on her lips—the feeling of her meridians being washed by the immense energy, though intense, was also accompanied by an irresistible sense of exhilaration.

Shen Ruoxi closed her eyes, her breathing steady. She could sense that the circulation formed by Li Hanshan's Yang Ce technique was breaking down the medicinal power of the Concentration Pill into smaller, more evenly distributed throughout the three people's meridians. The medicinal power was no longer as violent as it had been when it first entered her body; instead, it flowed slowly through her body like a tamed, warm current, and the quality of spiritual energy was gradually increasing wherever it passed.

After neutralizing the medicinal effects, Li Hanshan entered Zhengxi and began dual cultivation with each of them.

The dual cultivation process lasted for several days.

The medicinal power of the Mind-Concentrating Pill circulated, refined, and settled repeatedly among the four people, like an ironware that was repeatedly forged, becoming stronger with each fold.

Half a month later, when the morning light shone through the cracks in the stone door, Li Hanshan felt that the pure Yang primordial spirit in his dantian had become much more solid than before nightfall. Ye Shuanghua and the other two also gained something, and their auras were all more substantial than before.

As Zhang Qingxuan put on her outer robe, she stretched her shoulders, turned to look at Li Hanshan, and her eyes held a restrained satisfaction: "The effect of one pill is better than half a year of my own arduous cultivation. At this rate, it won't be long before you break through to the second level of the Nascent Soul stage."

Ye Shuanghua didn't speak, but after fastening her robes, she didn't rush to leave. Instead, she sat on the edge of the stone bed for a while, her gaze fixed on the jade bottle, which was now mostly empty, as if she were calculating something. Shen Ruoxi was the first to emerge from the stone chamber, her long black dress appearing like a shadow blending into the morning mist in the morning light.

In the days that followed, this dual cultivation became almost a fixed routine among the four of them. Every few days, Li Hanshan would refine a new batch of Concentration Pills or Qi-Nourishing Pills, and then the three women would take turns coming to his cave to cultivate with him. Each dual cultivation session would last all night, with the four of them huddled on the not-so-wide stone bed, their spiritual energy circulating endlessly between them. Ye Shuanghua's breathing went from initially being steady to becoming slightly erratic before returning to steady; Zhang Qingxuan would unconsciously grip Li Hanshan's shoulders tightly when the effects of the medicine were at their strongest; Shen Ruoxi was always the quietest, but her body's reaction to the circulation of the medicine betrayed her—she would unconsciously lean closer to Li Hanshan, and when the effects of the medicine were at their most intense, she would intertwine her fingers with his, gripping them so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Their relationship had long surpassed the usual reserve of dual cultivation among cultivators; each cycle of spiritual energy was accompanied by real skin-to-skin contact. At first, Ye Shuanghua would deliberately avoid his gaze afterward, but gradually she stopped avoiding it, sometimes even lingering a little longer before leaving, before the effects of the medicine had fully subsided. Zhang Qingxuan was much more at ease; she would even gently brush away the strands of hair stuck to his forehead with her fingertips during the intervals between cycles of the medicine's effects, her movements as natural as tending to a thriving spiritual herb.

In the late autumn of the third year, the four of them once again spent the entire night on the stone bed. That night, Li Hanshan used a Strengthening Pill, even more potent than the Concentrating Spirit Pill, its effects surging through his meridians like a storm. Ye Shuanghua's legs were wrapped around his waist, her fingers digging deep into the flesh of his back, her voice suppressed deep in her throat, only escaping as a muffled groan, almost as if she were grinding her teeth, at the peak of the drug's power. Zhang Qingxuan leaned against his shoulder, her long, light blue hair scattered on the pillow, her fingers clutching his sleeve. Shen Ruoxi's eyes were closed, the corners of her mouth still slightly red from the drug's effects, her breathing heavier than usual.

After the effects of the medicine had completely subsided, Li Hanshan sensed a clear crack appear in the barrier between the first and second levels of the Nascent Soul stage in his dantian. He wasn't in a hurry; he simply lay quietly, allowing the remaining medicinal power to settle within his meridians, and then murmured, "Almost there."

Ye Shuanghua propped herself up from his shoulder, her long, silvery-white hair cascading over her bare shoulders. Her gaze fell on his face, her voice carrying a languid, husky quality unique to those still recovering from the effects of the medicine: "How much longer?"

"Three months." Li Hanshan closed his eyes, sensing the width of the crack in his dantian. "At most three months."

Zhang Qingxuan rolled over on his other side, placing her arm around his chest, her voice muffled: "Three months...that's enough. I've already prepared the next batch of pills; we'll consolidate them again after the breakthrough."

Shen Ruoxi didn't speak, but in the darkness, she reached out and gently grasped Li Hanshan's wrist before releasing it. The force was very light, more like a confirmation.

Three months later, a warm golden light erupted from the southern cave. The light spread outwards from the center of the stone bed, like ripples on water, refracting delicate light and shadow on the stone walls. Li Hanshan sat cross-legged in the center of the stone bed. His Pure Yang Primordial Spirit shone like a blazing star the moment he broke through, its light surging through his meridians, completely crushing the final barrier of the second level of the Nascent Soul stage. He made no sound as he had during his breakthrough, simply sitting there quietly, sensing the spiritual power within him, nearly 20% stronger than before, flowing smoothly through his meridians.

He reached the second level of the Nascent Soul stage. This was almost six months earlier than expected.

Ye Shuanghua stood at the entrance of the stone chamber, already fully dressed in her silver-white attire. Her gaze lingered for a long time on the spiritual energy flowing around him, the slight curve of her lips unmistakably real. Zhang Qingxuan leaned against the stone wall, teacup in hand, her light blue robes shimmering softly in the morning light. She took a sip before speaking, her voice carrying a restrained lightness: "Five years and seven months. Faster than I imagined." Shen Ruoxi stood further back, looking at Li Hanshan with a calm gaze tinged with a gentleness she herself might not even realize.

Li Hanshan flexed his fingers, the surge of spiritual energy after the breakthrough making him feel lighter all over. He stood up, his bare feet on the stone slab, sensing the more solidified state of his pure Yang primordial spirit in his dantian. His voice carried an undisguised certainty: "At this rate, a hundred years to reach the Void Refinement stage is not an empty promise. A fourth-grade pill combined with dual cultivation can allow me to break through to the next level within five years. Once I refine fifth-grade or even sixth-grade pills, the breakthrough speed will be even faster."

The women exchanged glances. Ye Shuanghua remained silent, but her silence spoke volumes. Zhang Qingxuan put down her teacup, her voice carrying a carefully considered tone: "The difficulty of refining a fifth-grade pill is far greater than that of a fourth-grade one. If you can truly refine it, we will naturally cooperate with you."

Shen Ruoxi slowly walked into the stone chamber from the doorway, her gaze falling on the dark blue alchemy furnace. After a moment, she turned to Li Hanshan and asked a question that seemed casual but made the stone chamber quiet for a moment: "What level has your spiritual sense reached now?"

Li Hanshan didn't hide anything. He sensed that the space within his sea of ​​consciousness was more than twice as vast as it had been five years ago. His voice was neither too loud nor too soft as he spoke: "Peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Only one step away from the Void Refinement stage."

The silence in the stone chamber lasted for several breaths. Ye Shuanghua's hand, holding the teacup, paused. Zhang Qingxuan's gaze lifted from the rim of the teacup, and Shen Ruoxi's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. The divine sense of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator paired with the cultivation of a second-level Nascent Soul cultivator—such a difference was unparalleled in the entire Hehuan Sect. This meant his perception far surpassed that of cultivators of the same level; even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy from a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't be concealed from him, let alone those who might try to sabotage him in secret.

"Your spiritual awareness has progressed so much faster than your cultivation level. What's the secret behind that?" Ye Shuanghua put down her teacup and asked. She wasn't trying to probe his secrets; she was simply curious.

Li Hanshan recalled the years he spent in his dreams, the gentle soul power of Luo Li flowing through his consciousness time and again, and the calm, matter-of-fact demeanor of the girl teaching him formations and weapon crafting under the moonlight. He simply said, "I cultivated in my dreams."

Cultivation in dreams?

Li Hanshan was telling the truth, but the girls didn't quite understand.

Ye Shuanghua glanced at him but didn't press the matter. She knew there were too many things about Li Hanshan that she couldn't understand. From the Northern Wilderness branch sect all the way to where he was today, the secrets he carried were like layers upon layers of cocoons. All she needed to know was that he was on her side.

Several months later, Li Hanshan was once again pulled into that grayish-white void. The mist churned, and a sword-wielding woman emerged from it. The hem of her long, pale blue robe brushed against the ground, her hair held back by a wooden hairpin, and the three-foot-long sword in her hand still gleamed with a chilling light. When she saw Li Hanshan, she didn't immediately draw her sword as usual. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her clear, cold eyes lingering for a moment on the spiritual energy flowing around him, before speaking, uttering those same two words: "Heavenly Demon."

A sword light slashed down. This time, Li Hanshan didn't rush to defend. Instead, he flicked the sword of his soul from his sea of ​​consciousness, meeting her blade head-on. The instant the two invisible swords collided in the void, he sensed an extremely subtle fluctuation within the sharp sword intent—a fluctuation different from their previous encounter, as if she herself had hesitated for a moment when she swung the sword. He caught that detail in the last instant before being cleaved out of his dream. She was changing too. The certainty she displayed with each swing of her sword seemed to be gradually weakening.

Some time later, when he saw her again, her first sword strike had even missed by half an inch. The sword light grazed his shoulder, leaving a silvery-white crack in the air. Li Hanshan didn't seize the opportunity to counterattack; he simply stood there, watching the slowly healing crack, and before her second sword strike could land, he spoke: "I am not a Heavenly Demon."

The woman's sword light paused in mid-air for a fleeting moment, almost imperceptible if not for Li Hanshan's exceptionally sharp senses. Then her second sword strike descended, its angle even more treacherous, its force even more ferocious. But Li Hanshan saw a slight hesitation at her wrist, like a person walking on ice suddenly hearing a voice that makes them hesitate. Before being blasted out of his dream, a slight smile played on his lips. Although he still couldn't withstand the sword strike, he had at least confirmed one thing—she, too, had doubts.

He knew that in his current state, victory was far from certain, but as long as there was even the slightest opening, there was hope.

Within the Hehuan Sect, the stone door to his cave had remained unopened for over four years. Yan Qingsong stood on the stone steps at the northern foot of the main peak, gazing at the bamboo forest shrouded in spiritual mist to the south. He silently clenched the communication talisman in his hand, then slowly released it. Behind him, Huo Yuan whispered something, his voice carried away by the night wind. The two men, once so determined to succeed, now stood on the stone steps in the twilight, neither speaking, as if the unopened stone door itself was a silent answer.