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

Outside the main hall, in front of the Yuheng Palace.

The sect leader and Ye Feiyan had been waiting for nine whole days.

For nine days, the sect leader would send a wisp of divine thought each day to probe the main hall—but each time, the divine thought would vanish without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea. The hall seemed to be completely isolated by something, and even the divine thought of a Dao Integration level cultivator could not penetrate it.

She didn't show it on her face, but her fingertips were inside her sleeve, gently twisting the Nine Heavens.

Seeing that familiar figure step out of the palace gate, Yan'er was the first to jump up: "Master!"

The sect leader's gaze fell on Li Hanshan, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

He looked perfectly fine and was full of energy.

Then she looked away without asking anything.

They didn't ask what they had gained, what they had experienced, or even what was hidden in that great hall.

This was her sense of propriety—he should keep his opportunity to himself. She only needed him to stand properly before her; that was enough.

"All done?" she asked.

"Alright." Li Hanshan nodded, then thought for a moment and added, "The harvest was alright."

Yan'er curiously leaned closer: "Master, what's inside?"

"Shut up."

"oh."

Yan'er pursed her lips, took a half step back, but her eyes kept darting around Li Hanshan, as if trying to glean something from his face. Unfortunately, after looking for a while, she could only see that her master was even more... refreshed than before he went in. She couldn't help but shiver and silently withdrew her gaze.

-

The three of them retreated from the ruins via the same route.

The moment he passed through the outer light barrier, the spiritual energy of the Myriad Spirits Secret Realm rushed towards him. Li Hanshan glanced back at the slowly closing light barrier and felt relieved; the restriction remained unbreakable.

I want to come back to this place again.

But that's a story for another time.

Yan'er glanced back at the completely closed light screen and whispered, "Master, will we really come back someday?"

"Yes," Li Hanshan said. "I'll take you to stay at the Jade Balance Palace then."

Yan'er's eyes lit up, then she warily clutched her chest: "You... what do you want to do?"

"I'll charge your phone."

"..." Yan'er suddenly didn't want to speak anymore. She silently turned her head, looking at the sea of ​​clouds outside the flying boat, her face under the veil scrunched up. Recharging. Recharging again. How did she, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect, fall to this state—unable to even get a decent word in return, and always having to talk about her profession.

As soon as they left the secret realm, the communication jade talisman in the sect leader's sleeve began to vibrate violently.

She took out the jade talisman, scanned it with her divine sense, and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"What's wrong?" Li Hanshan asked.

"The Blood Fiend Sect is gone." The sect leader handed him the jade talisman. "The two Great Dao Integration Realm experts of the Immortal Alliance have razed the Blood Fiend Sect's gates to the ground. The Immortal Alliance's army is at its peak, currently sweeping through more than a dozen minor demonic sects in the Western Regions."

Li Hanshan took the jade talisman and read the message twice from beginning to end.

Blood Fiend Sect.

After the Heavenly Demon Sect, the second largest sect in the demonic path simply disappeared.

He remained silent for a moment, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him. It was a faint feeling, yet it settled deep within him, like a pebble dropped into a deep pool, its ripples spreading very slowly.

The sect leader has already broken through to the Dao Integration stage, and the Demonic Path now has two Dao Integration experts in charge—according to his calculations, the Immortal Alliance should back down. With the power rebalanced and neither side able to weaken the other, Central Continent should have entered a period of peace.

But the Immortal Alliance did not stop.

They fought even more fiercely instead.

"Quite the appetite," Li Hanshan murmured. "They want to press their advantage and cripple the entire demonic path."

The balance he had personally fostered was thus torn open with a gaping hole.

If the demonic path is crippled, the next one to fall will be the Joyful Union Sect.

The Immortal Alliance understands the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," and so does he. However, even if the fighting continues like this, the Demonic Sect is not necessarily going to lose, because the Demonic Sect still has three major Dao Integration Sects, and the strength of the Joyful Union Sect and the Yin Spring Sect is well preserved.

The balance will still exist, but it will require a few real battles.

As for Li Hanshan, he had actually anticipated this situation. When the Immortal Alliance was preparing to launch its offensive, the Heavenly Demon Sect was still intact, and the Demon Sect also had three Dao Integration Realm experts. Now that the Demon Sect also has three Dao Integration Realm experts, and the Heavenly Demon Sect has been crippled, the Immortal Alliance has no reason to back down.

Li Hanshan narrowed his eyes, and the scales in his heart began to tip rapidly.

He looked up at the sect leader: "Master, what are your plans next?"

"Let's go back to Huanzong first."

The sect leader only said five words.

Concise and to the point, leaving no room for doubt.

Even if the sky falls, go home first.

Li Hanshan smiled: "Okay."

-

On the return journey by airship.

In the bow cabin, the sect leader sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, her body radiating Daoist energy. The newly acquired power was vast as the sea, yet it still needed careful refinement. The power of merging with the Dao circulated within her body, like a river newly joined to the ocean; though connected, its course was not yet entirely smooth. She needed time to fully integrate this new self.

As for what the sect leader owed Li Hanshan, such as letting Li Hanshan enjoy himself after his breakthrough... she didn't mention it, so Li Hanshan naturally couldn't bring himself to say anything.

We'll talk about it after the sect leader has recovered and consolidated his power.

The stern cabin.

Ye Feiyan reluctantly sat down in front of Li Hanshan.

"Master..." She still wanted to struggle a little.

"come over."

"……oh."

Ye Feiyan was embraced by Li Hanshan, and she quickly removed her clothes and entered the Old Oriental with practiced ease.

The Yang Ce technique was activated, and pure Yang energy passed through.

Dual cultivation begins.

For Ye Feiyan, this was an immense benefit—the Hehuan Sect's cultivation method was fundamentally based on the balance of Yin and Yang, and the pure Yang energy that Li Hanshan transferred was so refined and abundant that each strand could sustain her through months of arduous cultivation.

But all she wants to do right now is cry.

really cried.

Halfway through the dual cultivation, tears involuntarily streamed down my face.

Why?

Because she suddenly understood something—completely and without any chance of success.

In the past, she endured humiliation and flattery, always harboring a sliver of hope: that one day her cultivation would improve, and that one day she would seize the opportunity to trample this bastard underfoot and avenge the imprisonment, humiliation, and destruction of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Even if her cultivation level doesn't improve, if one day the Heavenly Demon Sect Master, her father, returns, he can still destroy Li Hanshan.

But now?

The sect leader broke through to the Dao Integration stage, and the sect leader was also Li Hanshan's biggest backer.

revenge?

What should we report?

Hope?

What hope does she have left?

From now on, Ye Feiyan will be a walking, human-shaped power bank exclusively for Li Hanshan—the kind where she has to cry while charging this bastard.

What's even more infuriating is that this power bank is surprisingly comfortable using it.

As pure yang energy flowed in bit by bit, her cultivation level rose at an astonishingly rapid pace—she could even clearly feel that after a few dozen more infusions, the bottleneck that had bound her for so many years would finally loosen.

His cultivation level was increasing, and tears were falling.

While crying, Ye Feiyan felt that she was probably the most useless furnace in history.

"Why are you crying?" Li Hanshan didn't even lift his eyelids. "Have I mistreated you?"

"...No." Yan'er sobbed, "You've been so good to me."

"Then let's continue."

"……oh."

Such days would last for seven or eight days at a time.

The flying boat passed through one state after another. In the stern cabin, cries and fluctuations of spiritual energy rose and fell. In the bow cabin, the sect leader's Dao aura became more and more solid each day. His newly acquired power of merging with the Dao was being polished and perfected little by little.

One is charging, the other is practicing.

No one will hold anyone back.

-

On the other side of the airship.

The sect leader's divine sense swept across the cabin at the stern of the ship, taking in the entire scene.

She remained silent for two breaths.

Then, the corners of his lips curved almost imperceptibly, and he silently withdrew his divine sense.

In that glance, there was a very faint hint of indulgence, one that even she herself was unaware of.

Just pretend you didn't see it.

Young people should handle their own affairs.