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

As dawn tore a scarlet rift in the horizon, the Dao-Merging Flood Dragon, its neck pierced by the silver spear, suddenly tilted to the side, like a mountain that had been cut in half and was flipping uncontrollably in mid-air.

Dark golden blood gushed from the wound, drawing scorching arcs in the void. Every drop of demonic blood that fell into the sea would create a water column dozens of feet high, turning the seawater within a hundred miles into a rolling dark gold.

However, the vitality of the Dao-Merging Beast far exceeded expectations. Although the silver spear that pierced its neck tore it apart, it failed to sever all its life force in one blow. The dragon's massive body convulsed violently in mid-air, then it swung its tail violently, carrying the remaining Dao-Merging Beast power as it crashed into the sea, attempting to use the seawater to escape into the deep sea.

"Stop it!" The voice of the second Dao Integration cultivator of the Immortal Alliance exploded in the void like muffled thunder. He was a burly middle-aged man with a resolute and chiseled face. A thick layer of earthy yellow spiritual light flowed around him, and every move he made carried a heavy force that slightly distorted space.

Just as the dragon was about to plunge into the sea, he darted out from the side, his palms together, and a beam of earthy yellow light shot out from his palms, striking precisely the churning sea in front of the dragon.

The earthen-yellow beam of light did not explode as a normal spell the moment it touched the sea. Instead, it condensed, spread, and solidified at a speed visible to the naked eye, forming a thick barrier of spiritual light, like a huge gate that had been opened, forcefully blocking the path of the dragon as it fell into the sea.

The massive body of the dragon slammed into the light barrier with a muffled, almost ear-piercing roar. The entire sea trembled violently for a moment, and walls of water surged outwards from the edges of the barrier, sending up sprays thousands of feet high, like a curtain being lifted, obscuring most of the sunlight for a radius of a hundred miles. The dragon let out a hoarse roar, its remaining demonic power condensing into a dark golden sphere at its tail, which it hurled at the earthen-yellow barrier, attempting to tear a gap and continue its escape.

But the third Dao Integration cultivator had already moved. The silver-white figure pierced through the void during the gap in the dragon's gathering of demonic power. Without pausing as it approached the dragon's head, its form streaked through the afterimages of demonic blood like a ignited meteor, even holding its breath for that brief moment—the silver-white spear was hurled out again with the force of piercing the sky, this time precisely striking the still-open vertical pupil in the center of the dragon's head.

The spear pierced through the skull, the brain, and the violently pulsating core of demonic power, then continued its trajectory from the back of the head, leaving a straight, silvery-white trail in the void.

The dragon froze completely in that instant. Its massive body hung suspended in mid-air as if a skeleton had been stripped of all its support, and the flowing demonic energy patterns on its dark golden scales went out one after another like broken wicks.

The light in its vertical pupils shifted from intense to dim, then from dim to a hollow, lifeless gray, before it crashed into the sea like a felled giant tree. This time, its descent was much slower than before, as if even death itself was confirming, at a leisurely pace, whether the body had truly lost all life.

When its enormous body finally touched the sea surface, dark golden blood spread outwards like a burst dam, dyeing the surrounding sea area for thousands of miles into a rolling dark gold.

The low-level demonic beasts that were lingering on the outskirts scattered and fled like ants on fire, squeezing out chaotic channels in the waves as they rushed toward the deep sea.

The other giant, dark golden tortoise sensed the complete demise of its companion's life, and its movements noticeably slowed. A calculating intent, transcending the instincts of any demon beast, flowed through its enormous, millstone-like vertical pupils. Just before the three Dao Integration cultivators from the Immortal Alliance closed in on it in a fan shape, it didn't attempt to rescue its companion. Instead, it abruptly turned, its speed exceeding the limits of any Dao Integration demon beast, and plunged headlong into the deep sea.

The seawater surged and receded to both sides the instant its massive body submerged, leaving behind a rapidly closing fissure, like a cleaved canyon. Its form sank, shrank, and dissipated at an astonishing speed deep within the fissure, like a boulder thrown into deep water, quickly swallowed by the churning silt and undercurrents, its very presence vanishing completely within moments.

The three Dao Integration cultivators from the Immortal Alliance hovered in mid-air, watching the closing seawater. After confirming that the dark golden aura had indeed escaped beyond the range of their divine senses, they did not continue to pursue it.

The silver-white figure at the head of the group—the third Dao Integration cultivator—slowly shattered his spear into spiritual light, his sharply defined face appearing exceptionally young in the morning light. He withdrew his gaze, turned to the other two Dao Integration seniors, and whispered a few words. Moments later, three streaks of light dispersed towards the core of the Immortal Island and the depths of the defense zone, respectively, like three sharp blades simultaneously sheathed, each merging into the boundary between the morning light and the clouds.

The battle on the island quickly came to an end after the Dao-Merging Beast was killed and another escaped into the deep sea.

The low-level sea beasts that were climbing the defensive wall were like an ant colony that had lost all its command, tumbling chaotically in the waves. Some were hit by the aftershocks of lightning and magic and turned into charred remains, while others took advantage of the tide to scatter towards the deep sea.

The waves on the sea gradually subsided, and the hundreds of feet high water walls that had been stirred up by the demonic power were receding layer by layer, just like a storm that had been stirred to its extreme finally ushering in the calm after the eye of the storm.

Shen Yun stood on the stone platform outside the cave, her gaze fixed on the receding tide. The dark golden remnants of demon blood still stained the seawater, forming flowing dark patterns, like shattered gold dust covering the entire sea.

The massive remains of the Dao-Merging Flood Dragon floated halfway on the distant waves, its dark golden scales reflecting the last glimmer of cold light in the morning sun, like fragments of the setting sun swallowed by the sea.

"They've finally retreated." Her voice carried a sense of relief that she herself might not have fully realized, a relief that had been suppressed for a long time. "With the Dao Integration level demon beasts killed, the beast tide shouldn't be coming back for a while."

Li Hanshan stood half a step to her side, gazing at the receding tide. After a moment of silence, he asked, "That third Dao Integration cultivator, is he the one who broke through last time?"

His tone carried just the right amount of curiosity, like a new member slowly learning about the Immortal Alliance's top combat power.

Shen Yun withdrew her gaze and nodded: "His name is Wang Ba, the youngest Dao Integration cultivator in the Immortal Alliance, whose rise has been extremely rapid. It is said that he was born with a powerful physique and was stuck at the peak of the Void Refinement stage for many years, with his lifespan almost halfway over but still unable to break through that threshold. Later, he went to the depths of the Endless Sea and stayed there for more than thirty years. Some say he found some ancient ruins, while others say he encountered some special opportunity in the abyss. No one can say for sure what it was, but he went into seclusion after returning."

She paused for a moment, her eyes filled with emotion: "Then he went into seclusion for a full hundred years, spending the equivalent of several hundred years in the outside world within the time-accelerating formation on the core immortal island. When he emerged from seclusion, he had already achieved the Dao."

"In other words, the time acceleration array at the core of this immortal island saved him time," Li Hanshan said.

Shen Yun nodded: "That formation is one of the most core foundations of the Immortal Alliance. It can only be opened once every five years. Each time it is opened, it consumes a large amount of spirit stone reserves, so the number of places is extremely limited. Only cultivators who have made significant contributions to the Immortal Alliance are qualified to enter the core area to cultivate."

She paused for a moment, "However, you've helped me so much and saved the disciples on this island several times. You've already accumulated enough merit. After the war is completely over and I've finished dealing with my current affairs, I will recommend you and Qingyue to the higher-ups of the Immortal Alliance to enter the core immortal island for a period of time to cultivate."

This time, Shen Yun did not mention his marriage to Shen Qingyue. Li Hanshan hesitated for a moment, but did not ask any further questions. Instead, he nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, Sect Master."

Shen Yun waved her hand and turned back to the receding tide. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, her tone heavier than before: "With the Dao-Merging Beast killed, the hidden danger in the depths of the Endless Sea has been temporarily resolved. The higher-ups of the Immortal Alliance have been waiting for this opportunity—only when there are no worries about the rear can they concentrate their forces to head north."

"Heading north?" Li Hanshan asked, his tone carrying just the right amount of surprise. "Are they going to war with the Demon Alliance?"

Shen Yun nodded, a sharp glint in her almond-shaped eyes: "With the three Dao Integration cultivators from the Immortal Alliance and the newly promoted Void Refinement experts, the balance of high-level combat power has long been reversed."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "Before this, the Immortal Alliance had been waiting for the right opportunity. The Dao-Merging demonic beasts deep within the Endless Sea have always been a sword of Damocles hanging over the Immortal Alliance. Every time we marched north, we had to detach a large number of high-level combatants to guard the defensive zone. Now that the dragon has been slain, and three Dao-Merging experts are hunting down another Dao-Merging giant tortoise. Even if they can't kill it, they can severely injure it. At that time, all the hidden dangers in the Endless Sea will be exposed, and we can then launch a full-scale war against the Demonic Sect!"

Li Hanshan quickly calculated in his mind that if the Immortal Alliance launched an attack in the near future, the three major demonic sects would probably have a hard time stopping them. With the new Dao Integration cultivator Wang Ba and the original two Dao Integration cultivators joining forces to head north, even if the Hehuan Sect and other demonic sects had mountain-protecting formations and the advantage of terrain, they would have a hard time dealing with a frontal assault from three Dao Integration cultivators at the same time.

"When will we set out?" he asked, his tone carrying the caution expected of a rogue cultivator who had just established himself in the Immortal Alliance.

Shen Yun shook her head: "It won't be that fast. Battles at the Dao Integration level are extremely taxing, and Senior Ni Chang also needs time to consolidate her realm. The Immortal Alliance is also planning specific attack routes and troop deployments, so it will take at least several years to be ready."

She paused, her gaze drifting past his shoulder to the distant sea, which was gradually calming down. "It could take three to five years, or even decades. But in any case, this opportunity will surely come. When that time comes, if you wish, you can also go north with the army. With your talent in talismanic arts and the power of your sixth-tier purple lightning talisman, you will definitely be able to play a significant role on the front lines."