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

Three days later, Li Hanshan appeared on time at the dock outside the east gate of Wanxian City.

Morning light streamed through the gaps in the clouds, bathing the colorful flying boats docked at the pier in a warm, gentle golden glow. He Yuan was already waiting there, still wearing that faded gray-blue robe, with the Qingyu Pavilion token hanging at his waist, and a medium-sized gray-blue flying boat moored behind him.

Upon seeing Li Hanshan, He Yuanyuan greeted him with a smile, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect and saying, "Fellow Daoist Li is indeed a man of his word. I was worried you might have changed your mind at the last minute."

Li Hanshan returned the greeting, his gaze sweeping over the flying boat and the two disciples, and casually asked, "Who are these two?"

"My disciples are Zhou Ping and Zhao Yao." He Yuan stepped aside and gestured to the two of them, "This time, venturing deep into the Endless Sea, we'll need someone to help steer the boat and lend a hand. They've been with me for many years, and they're quite capable."

The two disciples quickly bowed to Li Hanshan, their attitude respectful, their eyes showing a hint of naivety from their early days.

Li Hanshan didn't ask any more questions. After leaping onto the flying boat, he sat down on a stone bench by the side of the boat. He Yuan then boarded the boat, activated the array base, and the flying boat smoothly took off, heading towards the teleportation array on the east side of Wanxian City.

The teleportation array was located in a mountain valley twenty miles outside the east gate of Wanxian City. The array base was slightly smaller than that of the array hall, but the silver-white array patterns were still meticulously precise.

When the four arrived, several groups of cultivators were already lined up in front of the formation, waiting to be teleported. Most of them were merchant caravans and independent cultivators heading to the eastern coast. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the area in front of the formation cleared up. He Yuan stepped forward, handed over spirit stones, and activated the formation base. Light rose from beneath his feet, enveloping the flying boat and the four of them.

The dizziness from the teleportation lasted for a few breaths. When Li Hanshan regained his sense of reality, the salty sea breeze was already surging in from all directions. They were hovering low above the dock of a small seaside town, with rows of spirit wood piers and berths below, where dozens of flying boats and spirit ships of various sizes were moored. People were coming and going on the dock, and the air was filled with the smell of the sea, dried fish, and the faint sweet aroma wafting from the spirit tea shops.

He Yuan didn't linger in the small town, urging his flying boat to take off directly into the air, heading southeast. The coastline beneath his feet receded rapidly, changing from grayish-brown mudflats to light blue nearshore waters, then from light blue to deep blue, finally settling into a dark blue sea completely different from the area surrounding Wanxian City. Waves surged ceaselessly beneath the boat, their crests bubbling with fine white foam, while a sea breeze blew in from ahead, carrying the salty, fishy smell and the dampness unique to the deep sea.

"Has Fellow Daoist Li ever been to the southern seas?" He Yuan asked casually, standing at the bow of the ship with a compass in his hand.

"Not many." Li Hanshan sat on the stone bench, his gaze fixed on the boundless sea in front of him.

"Then let me tell you about the distribution of the sea areas in this region," He Yuan said, putting away his compass and pointing south. "South of the Endless Sea is almost entirely the territory of the Immortal Alliance. The Immortal Alliance's sphere of influence extends all the way to the deep sea in the far south, where island chains are densely packed and spiritual veins crisscross. Most independent cultivators and small and medium-sized sects gather on the southern islands to cultivate. Further east is the border area between the Immortal Alliance and the Demonic Sect. The two sides have been fighting for islands in that sea area for many years, and there are occasional conflicts, but most of them are between cultivators below the Refinement Void level. Experts at the Integration Dao and late Refinement Void levels rarely get involved. Both sides are restraining themselves, not wanting to escalate local conflicts into a full-scale war."

He paused for a moment, then pointed to the sea beneath his feet: "As for where we are going, it's in the southern part of the country, basically still within the sphere of influence of the Immortal Alliance. However, because it's located too deep and deviates from the usual shipping routes, and because that sea area is shrouded in spiritual mist all year round, ordinary cultivators don't go there. So, fellow cultivator, you don't need to worry about encountering people from the Demonic Sect; you'll most likely have a safe journey."

Li Hanshan nodded slightly but did not reply.

He could sense the deliberate ease in He Yuan's tone, as if he were trying to reassure his companion that everything was under control, like someone trying to make their companion believe that the road ahead was absolutely safe. He secretly became more vigilant, but remained outwardly calm.

The airship continued flying southeast for two days and one night. The sea beneath its feet grew increasingly deep, its color changing from inky blue to dark purple, and then from dark purple to a deep, almost black, blue. Occasionally, a few streaks of light from cultivators could be seen flashing across the sky above the sea; these were mostly disciples from some island or sect on the southern island chain, patrolling. No one noticed the bluish-gray airship flying low over the sea.

He Yuan would adjust the course from time to time during the journey to avoid areas where ordinary cultivators were active. Each adjustment was just right to allow the flying boat to bypass sea areas that might be covered by restrictions.

On the morning of the third day, the flying boat arrived at the edge of a sea area shrouded in thick spiritual mist. The mist rose from the sea, thick as cotton, and shimmered with an almost silvery-white, cold color in the morning light. Nothing could be seen in the depths of the mist; probing it with one's divine sense was like sinking into the sea, one's perception instantly weakened by more than half.

He Yuan stood at the bow of the ship, pointing to the mist, and said, "This is it. About a thousand feet below, there is an underwater mountain range. In the middle of the mountain range, there is a natural fissure, and deep inside the fissure is that secret realm. My friend accidentally stumbled into it while hunting an injured deep-sea monster in this area. After he came out, he said that the concentration of spiritual energy inside was far greater than outside, and spiritual herbs were everywhere. Unfortunately, he was too badly injured at the time and only stayed on the outer edge for a short while before coming out."

As he spoke, he took out the yellowed animal hide map from his robes, unfolded it, and checked the route once more. After a moment, he put the map away, tucked the compass into his sleeve, and nodded to the two disciples. Zhou Ping and Zhao Yao quickly walked to the ship's side, each taking out a set of array flags and a palm-sized water-repelling artifact from their storage bags, and began setting up the protective barriers needed for entering the water.

Li Hanshan stood at the ship's railing, his divine sense already quietly spreading out. Although his seventh-level Void Refinement divine sense had been weakened by more than half in that spiritual mist, he could still barely perceive the outline of the seabed about a thousand feet below.

There was indeed a mountain range, and within it, there was a fissure. From the depths of this fissure, a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated. This fluctuation was weakened by the thick layers of rock and seawater, and if his divine sense hadn't far surpassed that of other cultivators of the same level, he wouldn't have been able to detect it at all.

After inspecting his disciple's arrangements, He Yuan turned around and said, "Fellow Daoist Li, once we enter the water, we'll rely on your array perception. Although I brought a map, the terrain inside the rift is intricate and complex, and my divine sense can only cover a very small area."

Li Hanshan nodded. He circulated his pure Yang energy through his meridians for a full cycle, and then walked to the ship's side. He Yuan made a gesture to the two disciples, and Zhou Ping activated the water-repelling artifact. A pale blue light screen spread out from the surface of the artifact, enveloping the four of them.

Zhao Yao inserted the array flags into the four corners of the flying boat. The moment the flags entered the boat, a thin layer of silver light film appeared on the surface of the entire flying boat, overlapping with the water-repelling light curtain to form a double protection. He Yuan urged the flying boat to descend, and the bluish-gray hull slowly sank into the sea. The seawater silently closed in outside the light curtain, enveloping the flying boat in a deep darkness.

The sense of depth became extremely blurred after entering the water. The surrounding scenery changed from the bright blue of the sea to deep blue, and then from deep blue to a dark, almost indistinguishable shade of ink. Inside the water-repelling light barrier, the air was dry and warm, and the mist from the spiritual spring seeped out from the gaps in the array flags, slightly dampening the robes of the four people. Li Hanshan continued to probe downwards with his divine sense, and could perceive that the outline of the underwater mountain range was becoming clearer and clearer at the edge of his vision.

He Yuan piloted the flying boat along the course of the underwater mountain range for about an hour, stopping before a massive fissure that split off from the ridge. The fissure was several tens of meters wide, its side walls as black as iron, and a faint fluorescent light seeped from its depths, gleaming with a cold, eerie green glow in the deep water. From the outside, the edges of the fissure were unremarkable, resembling a natural crack eroded by seawater over millions of years, indistinguishable from any other underwater fissure.

He Yuan pointed to the rift and said, "This is it. The rift is about three thousand feet deep, and at the end there is a natural spatial barrier. Pass through the barrier and you will reach that secret realm."

Li Hanshan's divine sense probed deeper into the crack and quickly detected the spatial barrier. Its structure was extremely well-hidden, enveloped by thick layers of rock and deep-sea spiritual mist, like an ancient jade buried deep in the mud and sand, impossible to discover without careful examination. He withdrew his divine sense and nodded slightly to He Yuan.

He Yuan propelled the flying boat slowly into the crevice. The rock walls on either side cast enormous shadows as the boat passed, blurring everything outside the water-repelling light barrier into a hazy darkness. The deeper they went, the higher the concentration of spiritual energy in the seawater became; scattered crystals of spiritual minerals could even be seen on the crevice walls, shimmering with tiny points of light in the eerie green glow. After about half an hour, the flying boat finally stopped at the end of the crevice.

The spatial barrier resembled a flattened curtain of water, silently flowing with a faint silver light between the rock walls. He Yuan took out a dark blue token from his sleeve and infused it with spiritual power. The runes on the token's surface lit up, and the spatial barrier, touched by the spiritual power, seemed to be parted by an invisible hand, slowly receding to both sides to reveal a passage just wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Beyond the passage lay a vast expanse. After passing through, Li Hanshan found himself on a flat plain covered with dense spiritual herbs, the solid ground beneath his feet transforming from seabed rock. Above him was a pale golden light barrier, isolating him from the seawater; beyond the barrier, he could see eerie green glowing lights and slowly swimming schools of deep-sea fish. The air was thick with spiritual energy, almost tangible, each breath feeling like drinking from a warm spiritual spring. Further away, he could hear the sound of flowing water and faint roars of beasts. Dense forests covered most of his vision, vines and ferns growing everywhere, and spiritual herbs shimmering with spiritual light.

He Yuan stood beside him, his gaze sweeping across the dense forest, his tone carrying just the right amount of delight: "Just as my friend said, the spiritual energy concentration far exceeds that of the outside world. Fellow Daoist Li, shall we split up and explore? I'll go west, you go east, and we'll meet here in an hour, how about that?"

Li Hanshan did not answer immediately. His divine sense had already spread out, perceiving the entirety of this secret realm. The area was not too large, roughly several tens of miles in circumference, and the concentration of spiritual energy was indeed extremely high. There were many spiritual herbs in the dense forest emanating spiritual energy fluctuations, indicating that they were of considerable quality.

However, among those spiritual herbs and trees, he also sensed the auras of dozens of demonic beasts, ranging from the second to the sixth rank, distributed throughout the secret realm, forming natural barriers.

This secret realm is not as safe as He Yuan described.

"Alright." He said, then flew towards the dense forest to the east. He Yuan watched him walk deeper into the east, stood there for a moment, then turned and flew west, his figure quickly disappearing into the spirit tree thicket.

"Aren't you going to make a move?"

Li Hanshan flew through the air, his divine sense scanning the surroundings as if he were diligently searching for spiritual herbs. Occasionally, he would stop to pick a few spiritual herbs of good age.

"Something's not right!" Suddenly, Li Hanshan realized something was wrong.

This secret realm has been cut off from the outside world!

Li Hanshan flew silently to the rendezvous point, where He Yuan was already waiting, holding several freshly picked spiritual herbs in his hand, a smile of satisfaction on his face. Zhou Ping and Zhao Yao stood behind him, each carrying several storage bags filled with spiritual materials.

"How was your harvest, Fellow Daoist Li?" He Yuan asked.

"Not bad." Li Hanshan put away the few spiritual herbs in his hand, his gaze lingering on He Yuan's face for a moment. "However, something seems off about this secret realm."

He Yuan's smile faltered slightly before returning to normal: "Something's not right? What do you mean, fellow Daoist?"

Li Chenshan did not answer immediately. He raised his right hand, and a golden aura of spiritual energy appeared in his palm. The aura was like a miniature mirror, reflecting the dark patterns that were slowly emerging at the edge of the pale golden light curtain above his head. Those patterns were slowly extending from the edge of the secret realm towards the center, like a lit fuse quietly spreading in the darkness.

"The secret realm is sealed off," he said. "The spatial barrier has been locked from the outside. We can't get out now."

He Yuan's expression finally changed. He suddenly took out the dark blue secret realm token from his sleeve, poured spiritual power into it, and the runes on the surface of the token flickered violently, but there was no reaction.

He tried several times, his expression growing increasingly grim. Finally, he looked up at Li Hanshan and exclaimed in surprise, "Fellow Daoist Li, how... how could this be sealed? It was perfectly fine when I came in, and the token wasn't invalid..."

"Fellow Daoist He," Li Hanshan interrupted him, "there's no need to pretend."

He Yuan froze for a moment. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but was silenced by Li Hanshan's calm gaze.

Li Hanshan continued, "I've made quite a name for myself in Wanxian City these past few months, attracting many visitors, but you're the only one who kept your appointment to explore the secret realm deep within the Endless Sea. Although Qingyu Pavilion is a small to medium-sized sect within the Immortal Alliance, it has quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators. Yet you chose to come to me, bringing a ready-made map and a prepared flying boat. Don't you think this whole thing is quite suspicious?"

He Yuan's lips moved, his face changing from calm to pale, then from pale to a dry, cornered expression. Zhou Ping and Zhao Yao behind him also subconsciously took a half step back, their gazes shifting between Li Hanshan and He Yuan, clearly not expecting things to turn out this way.

"I..." He Yuan finally spoke, his voice much lower than before, carrying a weariness that came after his disguise had been removed. "Someone did give me a large amount of spirit stones, along with this scroll of map and this secret realm token, asking me to bring you here. I was suspicious at first, but the conditions they offered were too generous, enough to cover the expenses of Qingyu Pavilion for ten years. Moreover, they said they were only inviting you to explore the secret realm and would never harm you. I thought that it would be good for Qingyu Pavilion to both give you an opportunity and get those spirit stones, so I agreed. I really didn't know the secret realm would be sealed off."

Li Hanshan didn't press for details. His attention was no longer on He Yuan, because his divine sense detected an extremely heavy aura slowly rising from the depths of the secret realm. That aura came from beneath the hill shrouded in spiritual mist in the center of the secret realm, like a giant boulder submerged in deep water being slowly lifted.

"Come out." Li Hanshan stood still, his gaze fixed on the hill, his voice clearly penetrating the dense forest, "Now that you're here, why hide any longer?"

A soft footstep echoed from the depths of the dense forest. A figure emerged slowly from the thicket of spirit trees. Tall and slender, he wore a dark gray robe, his face was thin, his eyes were reserved, and the aura emanating from him was like a bottomless pool of autumn water. He stopped several dozen feet in front of Li Hanshan, hands behind his back, his gaze carrying a hint of amusement that had been confirmed.

"I didn't expect," his voice was unhurried, carrying the composure unique to a Void Refinement cultivator, "that you would dare to step into such a trap. It seems you deliberately lured me out from the very beginning?"

Li Hanshan looked at the gray figure in front of him and nodded slightly: "You guessed right. I did lure you out."

The cultivator was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly, though the smile didn't reach his eyes: "Unfortunately, you've miscalculated."

He raised his right hand, and a dark gray aura of spiritual energy appeared in his palm. The moment that energy flowed into the pale golden light barrier above his head, dense dark patterns simultaneously appeared in the sky above the entire secret realm, like a giant net being unfurled, rapidly closing in from all directions towards the center, completely locking the spatial barrier shut. "Entering this secret realm is easy, but getting out will be difficult."