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

Yin Yue did not respond.

She simply stood there, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment beneath her silver veil, then lowered her eyes slightly, like a door opened by itself in the wind.

Li Hanshan reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist. She didn't break free, nor did she use the three rules to stop him as she had done before. She simply let him embrace her quietly as they walked through the side passage leading to the inner room, their footsteps so light they were almost silent.

The inner chamber was not large, and several luminous pearls were embedded in the stone walls. Their light was warmer than that of the outer chamber, enveloping the entire stone chamber in a warm color like moonlight.

The mist from the spiritual spring rose silently from the corner, condensing into a fine, moist feeling in the air. When Yin Yue sat down by the stone bed, her fingers rested on her knees, her fingertips slightly curled, like a silver-white bamboo branch with its leaves bent by the wind, quietly waiting for the next gust of wind.

Li Hanshan placed her on the bed and then gently kissed her soft lips.

This time, he was very gentle. As he said, this time it was purely for enjoyment, and since it was for enjoyment, it couldn't be enjoyed alone.

Meanwhile, outside the Elder Hall of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Ye Feiyan stood on the stone steps in front of the palace gate, shrouded in a dark red canopy, her arms crossed, her dark red dress fluttering in the demonic wind.

The handprint on her cheek had completely faded, but the coldness from being publicly humiliated still lingered in her eyes, like a smoldering fire suppressed under ice, unable to burn out or be extinguished.

She had been waiting outside the hall for nearly two days. The doors of the Elder Hall remained tightly closed, with only a faint sliver of dark golden light shining through the cracks—the lingering aura naturally emitted from the activation of the restrictions within the Elder Hall.

"Why haven't they come out yet?" Her voice was extremely low, so low that only she could hear it. The four disciples accompanying her stood on either side of the stone steps, none of them daring to answer.

Ye Feiyan waited a while longer, then finally couldn't resist stepping forward and knocking three times on the palace door. There was no response from inside. She knocked three more times, her knuckles striking the door panel with a crisp sound that echoed across the empty platform for several breaths before being swallowed up by the demonic wind. The palace door remained tightly shut.

Meanwhile, deep within a massive palace shrouded in silvery-white spiritual light at the Immortal Alliance headquarters, a discussion concerning the entire world's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing the overall situation and structure) was underway.

The main hall is circular, with a dome dozens of feet high. It was built using spatial expansion techniques, making it large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people without feeling crowded. The dome is inlaid with hundreds of luminous pearls, whose light refracts into a warm hue in the spiritual mist, enveloping the entire hall in a clear, moonlit hue.

The floor in the center of the hall was paved with a layer of silvery-white spirit stones, their smooth surfaces like mirrors, reflecting the fine, star-like points of light from the dome, like a compressed starry sky spread out beneath one's feet. Yinling stood at the edge of that spirit stone floor in the center of the hall, her silvery-white dress shimmering with a cool luster in the spiritual mist, her silver-gray eyes calmly sweeping over each figure seated in the hall.

The hall was filled with people. At the head of the table were three chairs, occupied by three Dao Integration cultivators. The one on the left was a middle-aged man with a square face and an air of natural righteousness. He wore a jade-green robe, the hem of which was embroidered with the flying sword emblem of the Azure Sky Sect.

He sat there, his aura like an ancient sword sheathed, outwardly unremarkable, yet beneath it lay a sharpness capable of cleaving a mountain in two. Jiang Daoxuan, Sect Master of the Azure Sky Sect.

A woman sat on the chair to the right, wearing a long, cloud-white dress embroidered with delicate silver cloud patterns on the hem. Her long hair was tied up with a white jade hairpin, and her face was beautiful and dignified, with a composure that had been tempered by time. She was Su Qingyun, the master of Yunyin Pavilion.

Beside the two Dao Integration cultivators, a dozen elders sat on either side. The elders' cultivation levels ranged from the late stage of Void Refinement to the peak of Void Refinement, and they each wore the robes of their respective sects, their expressions varying.

Some people looked solemn, some frowned, and some listened silently. Silver Bell stood in the center of the hall and briefly explained the teleportation array; after that, the hall fell silent for a few breaths.

"You mean, Li Hanshan?" Jiang Daoxuan spoke first, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable weight. "That old man from the Northern Wilderness branch? I've seen his name in the Immortal Alliance's records. He later worked in the Array Hall and repaired the array flags of the Flowing Light Array. Elder Gong spoke highly of him."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on Yinling's face. "When did he become a spy for the Hehuan Sect?"

"He has always been a disciple of the Hehuan Sect." Yinling's tone was calm. "He started his career at a branch of the Hehuan Sect in the Northern Wilderness, and later went to the main sect of the Hehuan Sect. He was also sent to the Immortal Alliance to gather intelligence through the gap between the Immortal Alliance and the Demonic Sect. His identity is clearly written in the secret reports of the Immortal Alliance's high-ranking members, which you should all have seen."

A low murmur rippled through the hall. An elder in a grey robe rose first. He was thin, with high cheekbones, and his eyes held obvious worry. “Senior Silver Bell,” he said, “I have a question. A disciple of the Joyful Union Sect has been infiltrating the Immortal Alliance for nearly ten years, even rising to the position of deacon in the Array Hall. This shows his disguise is extremely sophisticated; even Elder Gong didn't notice. Why should we trust that the teleportation array he set up is safe? What if there's some hidden mechanism within the teleportation array's passage? Once the Immortal Alliance army enters, won't they be trapped like turtles in a jar?”

These words sparked a greater murmur of discussion within the hall. Some whispered in agreement, others nodded slightly, and several elders exchanged glances.

Yinling didn't rush to refute. She stood in the center of the hall, her long silver-white dress fluttering gently in the spiritual mist. After the discussions gradually subsided, she spoke, her voice clear and steady: "I understand Elder Xu's concerns. But please trust Yinling's abilities. I can confirm that he will not have any problems."

She paused, a certainty appearing in her silver-gray eyes. "Although he is a disciple of the Joyful Union Sect, he harbors no ill will towards the Immortal Alliance. I verified this with my Sea Clan's perception. His soul is clear and transparent, devoid of malice."

A moment of silence fell over the hall. Elder Xu opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed his words. He sat back down in his chair, his brows still furrowed, but the confidence in his questioning had noticeably diminished.

Another elder stood up. He was a burly middle-aged man, wearing a dark gray robe, with a resolute face and piercing eyes. The spiritual energy flowing around him was steady and profound, clearly indicating that he was at the peak of the Void Refinement stage.

"Let me say a few words." His voice was loud and clear. "The Demonic Sect and the Immortal Alliance have been locked in a stalemate for a thousand years, engaging in countless conflicts, large and small. But each time it has only been a localized skirmish; neither side dares to escalate the conflict into a full-scale war, because once it breaks out, many people will die on both sides. We have built 108 giant cities along the Southern Ridge defense line, and every year we spend hundreds of millions of spirit stones to maintain the defenses, but those cities have never been truly breached, because we dare not launch a preemptive strike, and the Demonic Sect dares not launch a full-scale attack."

He took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the silent elders in the hall, his voice several decibels louder than before: "But what about now? That teleportation array is right inside the core territory of the Heavenly Demon Sect. If we wish, our army can appear inside the Heavenly Demon Sect within half an hour and directly destroy their protective array. No matter how strong the Heavenly Demon Blood Array is, it cannot withstand an attack launched from within. The three sects of the Demon Sect are mutually supportive, but if the Heavenly Demon Sect is destroyed, the remaining Hehuan Sect and Yinming Sect will no longer pose a threat. The landscape of Central Continent will be completely changed."

He paused, his gaze falling on Yinling's face, his tone becoming more serious. "So my attitude is simple: this is an opportunity. An opportunity the Immortal Alliance has waited for for thousands of years. We no longer need to waste time on the Southern Ridge defense line, nor do we need to throw spirit stones into those fortresses every year. As long as this battle is won, the Immortal Alliance will call the shots in the Central Continent from now on."

The discussions in the hall resumed, this time even more intense than before. Some whispered, "That makes sense," while others listened in silence, and still others turned their gazes toward the two Dao Integration cultivators seated at the head of the table.

An elder sitting to the side of the hall stood up. He was a thin old man, wearing a faded gray robe, with a reserved gaze.

"Elder Bi speaks eloquently." His voice was unhurried, carrying a calmness unique to those who have weathered the years. "But I have a question. Assuming the teleportation array truly succeeds and the Immortal Alliance's army breaches the Heavenly Demon Sect, then what?"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the elders who were discussing the matter in the hall. "So, is the Immortal Alliance really going to fight its way through, annihilating the Joyful Union Sect and the Netherworld Sect? Or will it stop after defeating the Heavenly Demon Sect? If it stops, what's the point? If it doesn't stop, how much of a price is the Immortal Alliance prepared to pay?"

A few moments of silence filled the hall. Elder Bi, who had spoken with a booming voice, opened his mouth as if to say something, but was cut off by the old man's next words. "Moreover, the Immortal Alliance has been fighting the Demonic Sect for over a thousand years, yet we've never actually reached the Demonic Sect's core territory. We know far too little about the terrain, the distribution of spiritual energy, and the trump cards of the various sects there. What if, although the teleportation array is located inside the Heavenly Demonic Sect, it's surrounded by the sect's sentries and restrictions? What if the Immortal Alliance army gets surrounded after entering? At that point, there won't even be time to retreat."

"So," he turned to Silver Bell, his voice still calm and unhurried, "Senior Silver Bell, your plan is excellent, and the teleportation array is crucial. But we can't just see the opportunities; we must also consider the risks. If the Immortal Alliance's army is wiped out, what will we use to confront the Demonic Sect in the future?"

The discussions in the hall grew even louder. Some whispered, "That's true," while others simply nodded in silence. Several elders had already stood up, wanting to interject, but were drowned out by the surrounding noise.

The atmosphere in the hall was like a blob of ink being stirred repeatedly, with each line extending in a different direction, and no one could be sure which side the final answer would fall on.

Su Qingyun spoke from the main seat. She sat beside Jiang Daoxuan, her long, silver-white dress shimmering gently in the spiritual mist. Her clear, beautiful eyes calmly swept over the elders arguing in the hall. Her voice, though soft, clearly drowned out all the noise, reaching everyone's ears: "Please be quiet, everyone."