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

It is Chen Shi (7-9 AM).

The world suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Immediately afterwards, a vast expanse of light descended from the heavens, and the clouds receded to both sides like a tide—a figure in black descended from the sky and landed on the main seat of the high platform.

Sect Leader.

She didn't deliberately release any pressure, but she just stood there casually, and the entire square, hundreds of thousands of disciples, and all the elders on both sides of the platform felt their breath catch in their throats—as if what was standing there was not a person, but the world itself.

The wind stopped. The clouds calmed. Even the wisps of smoke rising from the incense burner seemed to linger in mid-air for a moment before dissipating again.

"Greetings, Sect Leader!"

The roar was deafening, and hundreds of thousands of people bowed in unison, the sound waves soaring into the sky, shaking the clouds and sea of ​​clouds at the Five Peaks.

The sect leader raised his hand.

The sound abruptly stopped.

"All of that is exempt."

Her gaze swept across the entire room, and she spoke in a measured tone, yet her voice clearly reached everyone's ears:

"The entire clan has been summoned today for only one matter."

"The Immortal Alliance army has been besieging the Yin Quan Sect for over half a month. The Yin Quan Sect has repeatedly requested reinforcements. After discussing with the elders, I have finalized a strategy—"

"The Hehuan Sect is about to send out troops."

"Rush to the aid of the Yin Quan Sect and join forces against the Immortal Alliance!"

boom--

The hundreds of thousands of people in the square were initially silent, but then erupted into a frenzy.

send troops!

The great battle is really coming!

Some clenched their fists, some gasped, and others instinctively glanced at their fellow disciples. In the blink of an eye, excitement, trepidation, fear, and eagerness surged across hundreds of thousands of faces, and the clamor rose in waves.

The sect leader raised his hand to suppress the sound, and continued:

"This seat commands—"

"In this battle, I will personally lead the army. The First Elder, Second Elder, Third Elder, Fourth Elder, Sixth Elder, and Ninth Elder will accompany the army. The peak masters, inner sect elders, and core disciples of each peak will muster their troops according to the merit register and assemble immediately."

She paused, her gaze falling on the figure in the center of the platform.

"Li Hanshan."

"Disciple is here." Li Hanshan stepped forward.

"You and the Fifth Elder will remain to guard the sect and oversee its defenses," the sect leader said calmly. "During my absence, the two of you will be in charge of the sect's affairs."

Li Hanshan bowed and accepted the order: "Disciple obeys."

Deep down, however, he knew perfectly well what was going on.

Stay behind?

The sect leader is clearly protecting him.

His background is unusual—he spent over a decade in the Immortal Alliance. Although his identity as an outer elder of the Purple Thunder Pavilion has long been cleared, there are still quite a few people in the Immortal Alliance who know his true identity. In this great battle, the three Dao Integration Realm experts from the Immortal Alliance will most likely be on the front lines. Once he appears on the battlefield and is recognized as "Elder Li from the Purple Thunder Pavilion," what will the higher-ups of the Immortal Alliance think? Will they consider him an inside man? Will someone use this as an excuse to frame him from within?

On the battlefield, swords have no eyes, and so do people's hearts.

By leaving him to guard the sect, she was essentially pulling him out of this mess—she, as his master, took on all the dirty and tiring work, allowing him to cultivate peacefully in the rear.

"That's good too." Li Hanshan felt a warmth in his heart, then chuckled, "Perfect timing, there are still some 'homework' left to do in the sect."

however--

"Sect Leader! I have an objection!"

A sharp sound suddenly rang out from the other side of the elders' seat.

The Ninth Elder abruptly stood up, his face flushed, and pointed at Li Hanshan in the center of the platform, his voice sharp and stern:

"How can such a vital sect territory be entrusted to a junior who has only been a disciple for a few decades?! Who does he think he is—"

"Oh?"

Li Hanshan turned his head, looked at him with a smile, and spoke slowly:

"Ninth Elder, it's been a few days. Has the injury on your lip healed?"

The Ninth Elder choked, instinctively clutching his chest—where it still ached faintly.

"you……"

"What do you mean, 'me'?" The smile on Li Hanshan's face faded little by little. "This is a vital area of ​​the sect, and I can't be entrusted with it—then who should I entrust it to? You?"

"Ninth Elder, in front of hundreds of thousands of disciples of the entire sect, I'm giving you a heads-up."

"Back when I was in the Immortal Alliance, who was it that sent me a secret report, detailing my whereabouts, appearance, and background without missing a single word? I remember that debt. Today is the Sect Leader's big day, and I won't hold it against you—but if you dare point a finger at me again..."

He paused, then spoke slowly and deliberately:

"Next time, it won't be a tooth that breaks."

The Ninth Elder's outstretched finger froze in mid-air, trembled three times, and in the end did not dare to extend it any further.

On the elders' platform, the Third Elder and the Sixth Elder exchanged a glance, opened their mouths, but ultimately dared not utter a word in agreement—the lesson of the past was right there in the pit.

The stadium, filled with hundreds of thousands of people, was completely silent.

At that very moment—

"Sect Leader."

The First Elder, Nie Hongyuan, slowly opened his eyes.

He had remained seated the entire time, only speaking now; his voice was aged, yet utterly authoritative:

"It's not appropriate to keep the Fifth Elder here."

"Oh?" The sect leader looked down at him.

"Sect defense is no child's play. The Fifth Elder has never interfered in administrative affairs, and I'm not comfortable leaving her to manage everything alone," Nie Hongyuan said calmly. "In my opinion—leave the Fourth Elder."

"The Fourth Elder is experienced and capable, having managed external affairs for many years. There's no aspect of the sect she can't engage with. Having her and Young Friend Li jointly in charge ensures complete security."

After saying that, he lowered his eyelids and closed them again, as if it were just a casual remark.

The sect leader stared at him for two breaths.

Fourth Elder… A faint hint of contemplation flashed in her eyes. Fifth Elder was her man; who in the Elder Council couldn't see that now? Nie Hongyuan's move was to remove her most capable person from the sect and conveniently insert one of their own—the old fox had played a clever game.

"Granted."

The sect leader spoke calmly, making the final decision:

"The Fourth Elder will remain to jointly manage the sect's defenses with Li Hanshan. The Fifth Elder will accompany the army on the expedition."

"Gentlemen—"

She stood up, her black cloak fluttering in the wind, her Dao-aligned power as vast and unfathomable as the sea, slowly spreading across the entire square:

"The army will set off early tomorrow morning."

"In this battle, victory is a must; defeat is not an option."

Before the echo of her voice had faded, she had already turned, her dark figure disappearing into the sunlight behind the high platform. Hundreds of thousands of people bowed in unison to see her off, no one looking up. Only after that figure had completely vanished did sound return to the square—but no longer the previous clamor, but a heavy, hushed whisper.