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

The morning light refracted through the silver-white token in Li Hanshan's hand, casting a fine, flowing light that illuminated every stroke of the character "阵" (array) on the token with crystal clarity.

The moment the token was issued, it silenced all the surrounding chatter.

Duan Hong's gaze visibly narrowed the moment it touched the token. He took two steps forward, carefully examining the fine silver lines along the token's edge, then looked up at Li Hanshan, his voice filled with clear shock: "This is indeed the Deacon's Token of the Array Hall... and the spiritual energy imprint on it is definitely Elder Gong's! You really are a Deacon of the Array Hall?"

Liu Qing took a few steps closer, her gaze lingering on the token for a moment before turning to Li Hanshan. A look of surprise welled up in her clear eyes. She didn't speak, but silently retreated to Duan Hong's side, as if leaving the judgment to the situation itself.

The cultivators who had been whispering fell completely silent. Some instinctively pulled back from their forward-leaning postures, while others simply stared silently at the token, the scrutiny in their eyes gradually fading.

The head of the Enforcement Hall's deacon's expression clearly darkened. He repeatedly checked the token twice. With Elder Gong's late-stage Void Refinement cultivation and his experience of overseeing the Flowing Light Array for hundreds of years, the deacon's token he personally signed was on record and verifiable throughout the entire Immortal Alliance, and no one could impersonate him.

But Zhao Yuan didn't seem to have completely given up. He stood at the front of the crowd, his gaze fixed on the silver-white token, his voice unnaturally hoarse: "So what if it's a steward's token? This isn't the first time a traitor has appeared within the Immortal Alliance. Even if you're a steward of the Array Hall, it doesn't prove you're not a spy for the Demonic Sect. Who knows if you obtained your steward's token through some kind of underhanded means—"

He didn't finish his sentence. A silvery-white streak of light had already torn through the air from the direction of the central mountain range of the island, moving at a speed so fast it seemed to rip through the morning light itself. The streak of light abruptly stopped dozens of feet above everyone's heads, and when the light dissipated, it revealed a figure that was familiar to everyone.

Elder Gong hovered in mid-air, his hands behind his back. His silver-white robes fluttered slightly in the morning breeze. The oppressive aura of a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator descended slowly like an invisible mountain, enveloping the entire area in a calm, oppressive atmosphere. His gaze swept over the six disciples of the Enforcement Hall who had spread out in formation, then over the Enforcement Hall steward in the silver-gray robe at the head, and finally settled on the slender figure standing at the front of the group.

Zhao Yuan froze upon feeling the oppressive aura of a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator. His back tensed, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead. He felt as if he were bound by an invisible iron band, and he even unconsciously held his breath for a moment.

Elder Gong didn't speak immediately. He simply descended slowly from mid-air, landing beside Li Hanshan, the hem of his silver robe brushing against the bluestone path. Then he raised his gaze, his lightning-like eyes landing on Zhao Yuan's face. His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough to ring in everyone's ears simultaneously: "Just now, this elder seemed to hear someone say that the Deacon's Token of the Array Hall was obtained through improper means?"

Zhao Yuan's lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he was suppressed by Elder Gong's calm yet cold gaze, and couldn't utter a single complete word.

His fingers clenched and unclenched in his sleeve, and he swayed slightly under that silent pressure, staggering half a step backward as if his skeleton had been stripped of all its support.

The expression on the face of the leading deacon of the Enforcement Hall finally changed completely. He naturally knew Elder Gong, and was even more aware of Elder Gong's status in the Immortal Alliance. Although the elder in charge of the Flowing Light Array did not hold a formal position in the Immortal Alliance's decision-making body, his authority in the Array Hall was unshakeable, and even the elders of the Enforcement Hall treated him as an equal.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow, his voice carrying a natural humility due to the difference in their status: "Elder Gong, this junior is merely acting under orders. The informant's clues do indeed point to Li Hanshan, and as a deacon of the Enforcement Hall, it is my duty—"

"Is this your duty?" Elder Gong's gaze shifted from Zhao Yuan to the face of the Enforcement Hall deacon. "You Enforcement Hall don't even do basic background checks before handling cases? That deacon's token in his hand was personally signed by me. If you wanted to arrest a deacon from the Array Hall, shouldn't you at least have informed the Array Hall first?"

The expression on the face of the leading Enforcement Hall cultivator grew even more grim. He hadn't verified Li Hanshan's background beforehand; the clues provided by Zhao Yuan seemed conclusive enough, and given that the informant was a core disciple of the Cloud Hidden Pavilion, he assumed it was a case that could be resolved quickly. But now that Elder Gong had personally testified, the nature of the matter was completely different.

"Elder Gong, please calm your anger." The cultivator from the Enforcement Hall clasped his hands again, his voice even more respectful than before. "This junior was indeed negligent. However, Fellow Daoist Li's concealment of his true cultivation level when joining the alliance does indeed violate the rules of the Immortal Alliance—"

"I already know about this," Elder Gong interrupted him, his tone calm but authoritative. "He confessed to me when he was repairing the array flags of the Flowing Light Array. The reason I didn't pursue the matter is because he has repaired many defects in the array's foundation over the years. If it weren't for his intervention, the acceleration rate of the Flowing Light Array would have continued to spiral out of control, and there would have been even more cases of demonic possession. In terms of merit, he deserves this deacon's token."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the observing cultivators around him, and raised his voice a few decibels: "Would a demonic sect spy spend fifteen years in the Flowing Light Array, spending hundreds of days and nights repairing the ancient array flags? Would a demonic sect spy risk exposure to save a fellow cultivator who has gone mad? This elder has been overseeing the Flowing Light Array for hundreds of years; I have that kind of judgment."

A murmur of discussion arose from the crowd. Duan Hong, standing at the front, said, "Elder Gong is right. My life was saved by Fellow Daoist Li. If he were a spy for the Demonic Sect, I, Duan Hong, would be the first to disbelieve him."

Liu Qing stood beside him, and although she did not speak, her silent gaze was enough to show her stance.

Zhao Yuan's face was ashen. He could feel the gazes around him shifting from scrutiny to doubt, and those who had once stood with him were retreating layer by layer, leaving him alone in the increasingly empty center of the area.

His lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something to salvage the situation, but he found that all his explanations were pale and powerless in the face of Elder Gong's late-stage Void Refinement aura.

Elder Gong didn't look at Zhao Yuan again. He turned to Li Hanshan, his voice regaining its composure: "The maintenance of the Flowing Light Array still requires manpower. You handle this matter first, and then report to the Array Hall. The spiritual energy circuits of several array flags need to be recalibrated."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and transformed into a streak of silver-white light, soaring into the sky and quickly disappearing in the direction of the central mountain range of the island.

Li Hanshan watched the streak of light disappear into the morning light, then withdrew his gaze. His eyes fell on Zhao Yuan's face: "Fellow Daoist Zhao, do you still insist I'm a spy for the Demonic Sect?"

His tone was calm yet composed, which made Zhao Yuan feel as if all his confidence had been drained away, causing him to slump slightly.

Lin Qingyin stepped forward and stood beside him, spreading the pressure of the early stage of the Void Refinement realm. Her gaze fell on Zhao Yuan. Although she did not speak, her silent scrutiny was enough for Zhao Yuan to feel the heavy weight of her presence.

The leading deacon of the Enforcement Hall remained silent for a moment before finally raising his hand to signal the six disciples behind him to regroup. He clasped his hands in a fist salute in the direction Elder Gong had disappeared, then turned to Li Hanshan. His voice, though still carrying the characteristic coldness of an enforcer, had lost its earlier aggressive force: "Since Elder Gong has personally testified, this matter ends here. I apologize for any offense I may have caused, Fellow Daoist Li."

He paused, then added, "However, regarding the handling of the whistleblower Zhao Yuan—"

"The whistleblower should also be investigated."

Li Hanshan picked up where he left off, his gaze falling on Zhao Yuan: "Since he was able to report the steward of the Array Hall as a spy for the Demonic Sect without any evidence, then I suspect that Zhao Yuan, as a disciple of the Immortal Alliance, is framing a fellow disciple. If he is used by someone with ulterior motives, the consequences could be unimaginable."