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

Happy days always fly by.

In the blink of an eye, several more days have passed.

That night, Li Hanshan sat cross-legged on the jade couch in the side hall of the main peak, performing his routine internal meditation. Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, his pure Yang primordial spirit was as clear as crystal, and his purple-gold Void Divine Seed floated quietly. The slight sense of emptiness left after breaking through three layers had been completely solidified and perfectly integrated after this period of "arduous cultivation."

He should have been happy that the foundation had been laid.

But as he looked at it, he suddenly froze.

—How long has it been since he had a proper night's sleep?

At his level, a cultivator no longer needs sleep; meditation and breathing exercises are rest. But only he knows that sleep holds another meaning for him.

I can only see the girl when I'm asleep.

The moment this thought crossed Li Hanshan's mind, he felt a chill run down his spine. A quick calculation revealed that almost half a month had passed since their return from the Yao Guang Ruins—during which time he had first accompanied the sect leader back to the sect, established the sect's authority, assumed the position of elder, and then plunged into Shuanghua Cave, spending seven days and seven nights with a group of women…

Seven days and seven nights.

He completely forgot about the girl.

"...Forgive me." Li Hanshan patted his forehead, his face turning red for once.

He extinguished the candle with a flick of his sleeve, took off his outer robe, lay down on the jade couch, closed his eyes, and let his soul slowly sink into darkness.

-

In the depths of chaos, a glimmer of light appears.

Familiar bluestone, familiar flowering trees, a barefoot girl sits on the bluestone, her yellow dress unchanged, her legs swinging gently.

Upon seeing Li Hanshan appear, the girl's eyes lit up instantly, like two stars that had been lit.

"uncle!"

She jumped up, rushed to him in a few strides, looked up at him, and smiled, her eyes crinkling: "You've finally arrived! I've been waiting for you for so, so long—"

"Girl." Li Hanshan looked at her, and the unease in his heart inexplicably softened.

"Huh?" The girl suddenly moved closer, circling him once, her eyes widening. "Grandpa, you broke through?! Refinement of Void... My god, it hasn't been that long, and you're already in the mid-stage of Refinement of Void?!"

She circled him again, her little face full of surprise, clicking her tongue repeatedly: "I knew it! Grandpa's talent is definitely not bad! Back when you were opening your meridians, I said you would definitely become a great master in the future—see, I was right!"

"Yes, yes, yes, you have such discerning eyes, girl." Li Hanshan smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.

The girl squinted her eyes with obvious pleasure, like a cat whose fur had been stroked.

But as he continued massaging, Li Hanshan's hand slowly stopped.

Looking at the vibrant, smiling face before him, he suddenly felt a surge of indescribable emotions.

It is shame.

In all these days, he hadn't visited her even once. It wasn't that he couldn't, but that he simply hadn't thought of it. His mind was filled with too many things—the sect leader's breakthrough, the infighting within the Elder Council, the Immortal Alliance's military might, the treasure vault in the Yao Guang Ruins, the Flowing Light Array, the demon core still lying quietly in the Yang Pattern Space, and the "girl" in the jade slip who had grown up and was as calm as an ancient well… Each and every one of these things was crammed full.

The girl who was sitting carefree in front of him was instead squeezed into a corner.

"Grandpa?" The girl noticed his distraction and tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Li Hanshan snapped out of his reverie, smiled, and said, "I just felt... that you're doing well, and that's really good."

He was stunned for a moment when he said those words.

The scene at the Yaoguang Ruins reappeared before my eyes—the image of the girl in yellow behind the door, clearly the same face, yet her entire demeanor was as calm as an ancient well, her eyes burdened with a weariness from witnessing countless partings and deaths. On that night eight thousand years ago, the entire Yaoguang Sect perished in battle. She alone gathered up the empty treasure vault, placed the jade slip in the very center, and then quietly waited for someone who would arrive eight thousand years later.

That's the best girl.

She's also the girl who evokes the most pity.

And this one in front of me, so carefree and bouncy, would even spin around in excitement because he broke through to the Void Refinement stage—

Everything is fine.

"Little girl," Li Hanshan looked at her and asked earnestly, "Where...are you?"

The girl blinked.

"I was dreaming," she replied with a grin, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Li Hanshan: "..."

He was speaking from the heart; the girl nowadays is naturally in the Yaoguang Sect.

"Why do you suddenly ask that, sir? Of course I'm at the Yaoguang Sect," the girl asked playfully after a moment of mischief.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly missed you a little." Li Hanshan naturally didn't reveal the real reason.

The girl hopped barefoot back onto the bluestone and sat down, patting the spot next to her. "I missed you too, Master! Come on, I've recently figured out a new method for refining the spirit, and I was just worried about having no one to try it out—"

Li Hanshan chuckled and walked over to sit down.

Beside the bluestone, the flowering trees bloomed silently.

He laughed and joked with her, practiced the techniques with her, and gradually suppressed his shame deep within his heart. In the end, he only whispered one sentence in his mind—

Girl, you're alright.

very nice.

As for that girl who was in the same era as him, where is she now...?

There is ample time.

He will find it someday.

-

When Li Hanshan opened his eyes, it was already bright outside the window.

He lay on the jade couch, staring at the carvings on the ceiling, and remained there for a long while before slowly exhaling a breath of stale air.

The communication jade talisman at his waist was buzzing and vibrating.

He picked it up and scanned it with his divine sense—

He is the sect leader.

Just one short sentence:

"Come to my cave dwelling."

Li Hanshan stared at the line of words for three breaths, then suddenly grinned.

The Master summoned me on his own initiative?

Should I summon him alone, or go to his cave dwelling?

He sprang up from the couch with a swift movement, changed his clothes, and tied his hair in one smooth motion, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

"Finally...can I kiss her again?"

-

Behind the main peak, the sect leader's cave dwelling.

When Li Hanshan arrived, the cave's protective barrier had already been opened a crack, as if it were waiting for him.

He straightened his robes, cleared his throat, and stepped inside.

Deep within the cave, the sect leader, dressed in a simple white gown, sat regally behind a jade table. Having broken through to the Dao Integration stage, her imposing presence had become even more restrained. Though she sat casually, she possessed an aura of harmony with the heavens and earth. Seeing him enter, she raised her eyes—

Something flashed quickly across those unfathomable eyes.

"You're here? Have a seat."

"Thank you, Master." Li Hanshan sat down opposite her, first diligently picking up the teapot to refill her cup of spiritual tea, before speaking with a concerned expression, "Master, how have you been these past few days? How is your cultivation level stabilizing?"

"It's acceptable." The sect leader took the teacup, lightly rubbing his fingertips along the rim, but didn't drink. "I summoned you here today because I have important business to discuss."

She paused, then looked up at him.

"A major battle may be brewing next."

"A major battle?" Li Hanshan raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"The Immortal Alliance's army has already surrounded the Yin Quan Sect." The sect leader's voice was calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself. "The siege has lasted for more than ten days. The Yin Quan Sect has been sending out jade tokens for help one after another, each one more earnest than the last."

"But we've been ignoring it."

Upon hearing this, Li Hanshan nodded thoughtfully, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Ignoring it... is fine."

"The Yinquan Sect and our Hehuan Sect have been locked in a power struggle for thousands of years, and they've done their share of sabotage. Letting them hold out a few more days, and letting more of their people die, isn't necessarily a bad thing for us."

"It would be good to take this opportunity to weaken the Yin Quan Sect."

The sect leader glanced at him, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

"It's good that you've thought of this." She put down her teacup. "But—"

"However, we cannot allow the Yinquan Sect to be destroyed."

"If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," Li Hanshan interjected. "With the Yinquan Sect destroyed, the Immortal Alliance army will march east, and our Hehuan Sect will be next. Master, do you intend to... send troops?"

"Indeed." The sect leader nodded. "Therefore, the Joyful Union Sect must also send troops."

She paused abruptly, her fingers tightening slightly as she gripped the teacup, her gaze shifting elsewhere, no longer looking at him.

"However... before setting out, I still need to consolidate my cultivation level."

The cave was quiet for a few moments.

Looking at her slightly reddened ear tips and her profile, which was trying to remain calm but refused to meet his gaze, Li Hanshan suddenly understood everything.

The claim of consolidating her realm is false—she, a Dao-merging powerhouse, needs help to consolidate her realm.

Yes, it's the second half of the sentence.

She remembered the interrupted "reunion" in Yuheng Palace, and the words "Don't forget the promise you made back then" in the square that day.

"Disciple understands." Li Hanshan stood up, solemnly straightened his sleeves, and then took a step closer with a smile. "Master, rest assured, disciple will definitely do his utmost to help Master consolidate his power."

"It doesn't matter how long it takes to consolidate."

The tips of the sect leader's ears turned completely red.