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

Deep within the Elder Hall of the Hehuan Sect.

The elder, who had been sitting cross-legged, suddenly jolted and opened his eyes abruptly. His cloudy eyes reflected the faint glimmer of light rising from the southern horizon, staring intently as if trying to see through the sky. His fingers silently tightened on his knees, creating a deep crease in his hemp robe.

"She's started again."

Before half an incense stick had even finished speaking, seven streaks of light landed one after another in front of the Elder Hall. This time, there were no formalities; after everyone was seated, their gazes all fell on the Grand Elder.

"This is the second time." The Third Elder's voice was a little dry. "It's only been a little over ten days since the last failure. Is she out of her mind?"

"A person who has been defeated once already has cracks in their foundation," the Ninth Elder said coldly. "To attempt a second breakthrough at this time is not a breakthrough, but suicide. Her lineage's cultivation method is inherently evil, and now it seems she has gone mad from practicing it."

"What if..." the Seventh Elder whispered, "What if it works?"

"It won't work." The Ninth Elder said decisively, "Everyone, put your minds at ease. The path to Dao Integration requires a single burst of energy; a second attempt will weaken, and a third will exhaust you. The first defeat is the will of Heaven; the second defeat is inevitable."

"I think the fact that she dared to try again so quickly isn't necessarily a sign of madness," the Second Elder said slowly, his voice ambiguous. "Have you all considered this—she lost so cleanly the first time, without suffering any backlash? What does that mean? It means she knows what she's doing, it means she has something we don't know about."

"What is that?"

"Then you'll have to ask Li Hanshan." The Second Elder turned to the First Elder with a smile, "In the battle of the desolate mountain, Li Hanshan protected her; when the sect leader went missing, Li Hanshan disappeared with her. This Void Refinement lad is probably more cunning than the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm."

The hall fell silent for a moment. The candlelight danced on everyone's faces, reflecting a variety of expressions—some were wary, some were calculating, and some were already reassessing their options for choosing sides.

The Ninth Elder's face darkened. Every detail of the battle at the desolate mountain still sent chills down his spine. He had rehearsed the trajectory of that sword strike countless times, and the more he rehearsed, the more terrified he became—if that sword had been aimed at him, he wouldn't have had a chance to react. Hearing the Second Elder mention Li Hanshan, his fingers unconsciously tightened.

The Sixth Elder remained silent. She simply gazed at the southern horizon, her cloudy eyes revealing an unreadable mix of worry and something else. Her gaze was heavy, as if it carried too many unspoken burdens.

The Grand Elder closed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on his knees, one breath, two breaths, three breaths. With each light tap, the atmosphere in the hall became as tense as a fully drawn bow.

After a long silence, he uttered two words:

"Wait."

-

Inside the central command tent of the Immortal Alliance army, on a giant flying ship.

The three Dao-masters gathered inside the tent, gazing at the southern horizon. The banners around the tent fluttered in the wind, but within that wind, there was a distinct, deep, throbbing emotion emanating from the depths of the world.

The unease that had subsided for more than ten days rolled back from the depths of the world—and this time, it was heavier and more stable than before, like a large bow being slowly drawn, the bowstring becoming tighter and tighter, yet it hesitated to be released.

"Heh." Su Qingyun looked at the horizon and suddenly laughed. "Here we go again."

"Is this person insane?" Jiang Daoxuan frowned. "She suffered a humiliating defeat the first time, and dares to come back again after only ten days? Attempting to break through the Dao Integration barrier twice in such a short time—is she trying to kill herself already?"

"She had no choice," Su Qingyun said calmly.

"Oh?"

"Her first attempt failed, and her foundation was cracked. At this point, she only had two paths—either accept her fate and slowly wait to die with her cracked body, or take advantage of the cracks before they widened, and gamble everything on another attempt." Su Qingyun narrowed her eyes. "The former is waiting to die, the latter is courting death. She chose to court death—I have some respect for her."

"What a pity." He shook his head. "A second defeat wouldn't be as simple as just retreating. Her vital energy would backfire, her foundation would crumble, and a thousand years of cultivation would vanish in an instant. She's finished."

"Then we won't even need to fight," Su Qingyun said, picking up a cup of tea and taking another sip. "The Hehuan Sect will be in chaos on its own. What can a Hehuan Sect without its leader offer us in negotiations?"

"Hahahaha!" Jiang Daoxuan laughed loudly, "It's over! Brother Su, if you ask me, this is what we forced her into! Our army is pressing in, and no one can stop us wherever we go. We've pushed her to the brink, and she's resorting to desperate measures!"

"Send orders to the front lines," he waved his hand, "speed things up! Push forward! I want her to hear the clarion call of her own sect's fall right before she reaches the final stage of her ascent to the Dao Integration Realm!"

"Yes!"

The bugle sounded deep and resonant, and the Immortal Alliance army set off once more. Countless flying ships covered the sky, their banners obscuring the sun, converging into a low rumble of thunder as they headed north.

On the flying boat, Yin Yue gazed northwards, remaining silent for a long time.

She always felt that something was wrong.

How could someone driven to the brink of despair be more stable and composed on their second attempt at achieving Dao than on their first?

The aura of spiritual light rising was long and orderly, layer upon layer, rising and falling like the tides. Where was there any trace of a desperate, panicked state? It was clearly a gathering of strength, a clear sign of confidence and composure.

It doesn't seem like they're going all in.

It was more like... someone was supporting her.

Yin Yue suddenly thought of Li Hanshan, and a startling idea popped into her mind: Could Li Hanshan be behind this?

But then he thought again, Li Hanshan had only just broken through to the Void Refinement stage, how could he help someone at the peak of the Void Refinement stage to break through to the Dao Integration stage?

The more Yin Yue thought about it, the more confused she became.

Not far away, Silver Bell seemed to sense her thoughts. She raised her head and looked at the northern horizon that was completely ablaze with light. The clouds were dyed a magnificent crimson gold, as if an immortal was writing calligraphy in the sky.

Suddenly, he said to his two companions:

"Fellow Daoist Su, Fellow Daoist Jiang."

"If—I mean if," her voice was soft, "what if she actually does? Are we prepared?"