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

The morning light was bisected by the shadow of the black flying boat of the Law Enforcement Hall, casting a straight, dark line across the main bluestone path. Li Hanshan stood at the edge of the stone platform, watching the leading cultivator in a silver-gray robe approach step by step. The premonition that had been lingering in his heart finally settled—he had indeed come.

He didn't panic. Even when the voice of "Capture the Demon Sect spy" fell, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly, a very subtle curve, like a chess player who had repeatedly rehearsed a game and finally waited for his opponent to make a move.

From the moment Elder Gong said, "There are indeed spies from the Demonic Sect within the Immortal Alliance," he had been pondering a question—the very mission the elders had sent him to the Immortal Alliance to gather intelligence was a setup. The Ninth Elder didn't care how much useful information he brought back; that red wooden slip was tailor-made for him from the very beginning. Sending him to the Immortal Alliance, then at the opportune moment to have someone expose his identity, ensuring his death at the Immortal Alliance's hands—clean and efficient, leaving even the sect leader with no grounds for complaint.

This was the Elders' Council's true backup plan. When he left the Joyful Union Sect, the Nascent Soul Peak cultivator who was following him was probably just a decoy. The truly deadly killing move had already been planted within the Immortal Alliance.

But Li Hanshan had anticipated this. That's why he chose to reveal his true cultivation level to Elder Gong. As long as he had a powerful backer within the Immortal Alliance, the Elders' Council wouldn't be able to cause any trouble.

He raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting the scrutiny of the leading Law Enforcement Hall cultivator.

"May I ask, fellow Daoist," he began, his voice carrying clearly to the ears of every cultivator around him, "that you claim I am a spy for the Demonic Sect, do you have any concrete evidence?"

The leader had a stern face and appeared to be around thirty years old. His silver-gray robe had a small silver sword pattern embroidered on the collar, which was the insignia of the deacons of the Enforcement Hall.

His cultivation was at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm, and his aura was calm and profound, clearly indicating that he had been immersed in the Enforcement Hall for many years. The six cultivators behind him had spread out into a semi-circular formation, completely blocking the several paths leading to the outer perimeter of the island.

"Evidence?" The deacon's voice carried the formulaic coldness characteristic of law enforcers. "You joined the Immortal Alliance with the cultivation level of a Nascent Soul cultivator, but you actually possess the cultivation level of a Deity Transformation cultivator. Your identity was unknown when you joined, and now your cultivation has skyrocketed. Your actions are suspicious. What else could you be but a spy?"

Upon hearing this, a murmur arose among the surrounding cultivators. Some whispered something about how "indeed suspicious," while others simply frowned and scrutinized Li Hanshan.

Li Hanshan understood immediately. Just as he suspected, the core accusation against him was that he had concealed his cultivation level.

If he were still that rogue cultivator in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm when he first joined the Immortal Alliance, he would indeed be unable to defend himself against this label. But he is no longer.

"Fellow Daoist," he began, his gaze composed, "please tell me—who reported me? Since the Enforcement Hall was ordered to arrest me, there must be a whistleblower, right? It can't be fabricated out of thin air. I want to know who is behind my back saying that I, Li Hanshan, am a spy for the Demonic Sect."

The deacon of the Enforcement Hall frowned slightly, about to speak, when Lin Qingyin stepped forward first. The aura of a Void Refinement early stage cultivator silently spread out in the morning light. Although she deliberately restrained most of it, it still caused the surrounding Nascent Soul cultivators to unconsciously take a half step back.

Her gaze locked onto the deacon of the Enforcement Hall, her voice icy: "He's right. The Enforcement Hall also follows procedures in handling cases. If they can't produce evidence, even if it goes all the way to the Alliance Leader, I'll fight them to the bitter end."

Shen Yun stepped forward, her deep purple dress fluttering in the morning breeze. Although her cultivation was only at the early stage of the Void Refinement realm, she had cultivated her influence within the Immortal Alliance for many years and held considerable prestige.

Her voice was firm and resolute: "The entire Purple Thunder Pavilion is willing to vouch for Li Hanshan. Since joining the alliance, he has helped our Purple Thunder Pavilion repel the beast tide, slay Void Refinement demonic beasts, and heal comrades who have gone mad with demonic possession—which of these things would a spy from the Demonic Sect do?"

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the surrounding cultivators who were observing, and her voice rose a few decibels: "Among you fellow Daoists, does anyone remember who saved Fellow Daoist Duan Hong when he suffered a cultivation deviation three years ago? Does anyone remember who pulled Fellow Daoist Liu Qing back from the brink of death when she was being corrupted by her inner demons?"

A moment of silence fell over the crowd. After a short while, a figure emerged from the back of the crowd. It was a burly middle-aged man with a square face, wearing a dark blue robe of the Biluo Sect; it was Duan Hong.

He stepped forward and stopped in front of the six cultivators from the Enforcement Hall who were surrounding him. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to the leader of the Enforcement Hall cultivators, and said solemnly, "I am Duan Hong from the Biluo Sect. Three years ago, I suffered a qi deviation in the Flowing Light Array. When my meridians were about to collapse, it was Fellow Daoist Li who saved me and pulled me back from the brink of death. If he were a spy for the Demonic Sect, why would he risk exposing his cultivation to save someone?"

Another figure followed closely behind. It was a pretty young female cultivator, wearing the standard long dress of the Cloud Hidden Pavilion; it was Liu Qing.

She walked to Duan Hong's side and stopped. Although her voice wasn't as steady as his, it carried an unyielding stubbornness: "I also testify for Fellow Daoist Li. Three years ago, when I suffered a qi deviation, if it weren't for his intervention, I would have already exploded and died. Would a spy from the Demonic Sect go to such lengths to save a complete stranger?"

The surrounding cultivators, who had been observing, began to whisper among themselves. Some nodded, while others' doubts visibly lessened. Those who had taken a half-step back returned to their original positions, some even nodding slightly, as if silently expressing their support.

The expression on the face of the leading Enforcement Hall cultivator darkened slightly. He could sense the atmosphere shifting; those who had initially watched with mere amusement now held a hint of convinced agreement. However, he didn't back down. He simply turned and whispered something to a follower behind him. The follower nodded, turned, and walked towards the flying boat, returning a moment later with another person.

He was a thin young man wearing a blue uniform from the Cloud Hidden Pavilion. His cultivation level was at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He had an ordinary face, and if he hadn't been deliberately brought before everyone, no one would have noticed him. He kept his head down, his gaze darting around, and his steps were somewhat hesitant, clearly not wanting to stand on the stage.

"It's him." Duan Hong's gaze fell on the man, his brows furrowing slightly. "I recognize him. He's a core disciple of the Cloud Hidden Pavilion, named Zhao Yuan. What's he doing here?"