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

The day after the Blood Fiend Sect's mountain gate was breached, the allied forces' camp was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and filled with joy.

Tens of thousands of disciples held a victory banquet in the main camp. Spiritual wine and fruits piled high on the tables, and the aroma of roasted whole lamb, steamed spirit beasts, and stewed spirit medicines filled the air. The disciples gathered in small groups, toasting each other, laughing and talking loudly, celebrating this hard-won victory.

"Come on, drink! We're not leaving until we're drunk!"

"Hahahaha! Those bastards from the Blood Fiend Sect, they're usually so arrogant, now they know how powerful we are!"

"I heard that Senior Brother Li single-handedly killed seven or eight Golden Core cultivators and destroyed two energy points. Who can compare to his achievements?"

"That's right. The sect leader said he would take him as a disciple. I think it's almost certain."

"That old... Senior Brother Li is truly amazing. He went from a mortal to a Golden Core cultivator in just two years. If it were me, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

"Come on, even if you had a hundred years, you still wouldn't reach the Golden Core stage."

"screw you!"

The disciples were buzzing with discussion, mostly revolving around Li Hanshan. This old man, who had only been in the sect for two years, had now become the most sought-after figure in the Hehuan Sect.

Despite becoming the center of attention, Li Hanshan remained calm and composed.

He sat silently at the banquet, with Hua Nongying and Yun Shuyue on either side of him. Both women had changed into clean clothes; Hua Nongying's red dress was as fiery as fire, and Yun Shuyue's white dress was as pure as snow. The two women sitting together resembled two lotus flowers, one red and one white, attracting frequent glances from the people in the tent.

Qin Muyue sat opposite, holding a cup of spirit wine, her gaze occasionally sweeping over Li Hanshan. A faint smile played on her lips, lost in thought. Leng Yue sat beside her, still with her usual aloof and moon-like demeanor, her spirit wine untouched. Chu Mengyao sat a little further away, her gaze occasionally falling on Li Hanshan.

On the other side of the quasi-holy son, Song Qingyun and Ouyang Ming were also sitting in the tent. Song Qingyun's expression was not good; although his battle achievements were not low, they were far inferior to Li Hanshan's. Ouyang Ming, on the other hand, looked normal.

The First Elder, Second Elder, and Third Elder sat on either side of the Sect Master. The First Elder and Second Elder had calm expressions, revealing neither joy nor anger. The Third Elder, however, had a somewhat gloomy expression.

The sect leader sat high on the main seat, her black dress as dark as ink, her face veiled in black gauze. She held a cup of spiritual wine in her hand, her gaze slowly sweeping over everyone, finally settling on Li Hanshan.

"Li Hanshan".

The noise gradually subsided, and everyone's attention focused on the sect leader.

Li Hanshan stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Disciple is here."

The sect leader put down his wine cup, his tone calm yet solemn: "In this great battle, your achievements are the greatest in the entire army. I have said that the one with the highest merit will be personally accepted as my disciple. Today is the day to fulfill that promise."

A chorus of exclamations erupted from inside the tent.

"The sect leader is really going to accept him as a disciple!"

"My God, Senior Brother Li is about to ascend to heaven!"

"A sect leader's disciple—that's a higher status than even a quasi-holy maiden or quasi-holy son!"

Hua Nongying's eyes reddened with excitement, and her hand gripping Li Hanshan's sleeve trembled slightly. Although Yun Shuyue's expression remained calm, the joy in her eyes was undeniable.

Qin Muyue paused slightly in her wine glass, then casually took a sip. Leng Yue remained expressionless, though a barely perceptible flicker crossed her silver-gray eyes. Chu Mengyao stopped playing with the beads, her gaze falling on Li Hanshan with a scrutinizing look.

Song Qingyun's face darkened further, and the veins on his hand holding the wine glass bulged. Ouyang Ming, on the other hand, remained calm and even raised his glass to Li Hanshan.

The First Elder and the Second Elder exchanged a glance but remained silent. The Third Elder's face was so dark it seemed to drip water, and he nearly crushed the wine cup in his hand.

Li Hanshan took a deep breath and was about to step forward to become a disciple when the Grand Elder suddenly spoke.

"Sect Master, wait!"

The atmosphere in the tent suddenly froze.

All eyes turned to the Grand Elder. The Grand Elder stood up, his aged face showing a hint of solemnity, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Sect Master, saying, "Sect Master, I have something to say, but I don't know if I should."

The sect leader's eyes flickered slightly: "Elder, please speak."

The Grand Elder pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Although the Blood Fiend Sect was defeated in this great battle, its remnants have not been eliminated. Furthermore, the Yinming Sect took advantage of the fact that our allied forces had mobilized all their forces to launch a surprise attack on the mountain gates of both our sect and the Heavenly Demon Sect. If the remnants of these two sects are not wiped out in time, the consequences will be dire."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the tent, and continued, "I believe that there is no rush to accept a disciple. It would be better to let Li Hanshan continue leading the pursuit of the remnants of the two sects. Once the remnants have been wiped out, we can then reward those who have contributed. At that time, it will be perfectly legitimate for the sect leader to accept him as a disciple, and no one will dare to gossip."

These words caused another stir in the tent.

"The Grand Elder is right. If we don't eliminate the remaining villains, the consequences will be endless."

"But the sect leader already said he would accept disciples, and now he's postponing it... isn't that..."

"The Grand Elder is also thinking of the sect's best interests. After all, the Yinming Sect is eyeing us covetously, and we cannot let our guard down."

Hua Nongying's face paled, and she gripped Li Hanshan's sleeve even tighter. Yun Shuyue's brows also furrowed slightly.

The Third Elder's expression softened, and he forced a smile: "The First Elder is absolutely right. Although Li Hanshan has distinguished himself in battle, accepting disciples is a major matter for the sect and should not be taken lightly. It would be better to wait until the remaining rebels are wiped out before making a decision."

He said this with a hint of schadenfreude.

The sect leader remained silent for a moment, his gaze lingering on Li Hanshan for a long time.

"Li Hanshan, what do you think?"

Li Hanshan remained calm, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This disciple will follow the sect leader's arrangements."

A hint of appreciation flashed in the sect leader's eyes, and he nodded: "Very well. Then, as the Grand Elder said, the matter of accepting disciples will be postponed for now. I will fulfill my promise after the remaining villains have been wiped out."

She took out a talisman from her sleeve and handed it to Li Hanshan. The talisman was entirely golden, with densely packed runes flowing across its surface, emanating a chilling spatial fluctuation.

"This is a fourth-tier escape talisman, called the 'Void Escape Talisman.'" The sect leader's voice was calm. "Once activated, its speed is comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator's full-speed flight. I bestow it upon you to help you hunt down the remaining villains. Go ahead and do it; there's no need to worry about the consequences."

Fourth-tier Escape Talisman!

A gasp of surprise rang out again from inside the tent. A fourth-tier spirit talisman—that's equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator's technique; there are only a handful in the entire Joyful Union Sect. The fact that the sect leader was willing to bestow it upon Li Hanshan shows how highly he values ​​him.

"Thank you, Sect Master!" Li Hanshan accepted the escape talisman with both hands and solemnly put it into his storage bag.

The First Elder remained silent, while the Second Elder nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied with the outcome. The Third Elder's face darkened again; he had thought the First Elder's words would embarrass Li Hanshan, but unexpectedly, the Sect Master had bestowed a fourth-tier escape talisman.

That old man is incredibly lucky.

The celebration banquet continued, the atmosphere even more lively than before. The disciples clinked glasses, laughing and talking loudly, as if the earlier incident had never happened.

As night fell, a bonfire was lit in the camp. The disciples sang and danced around the fire, their laughter echoing in the night air.

Li Hanshan, however, did not participate in any of this. He stood on a boulder at the edge of the camp, gazing at the Blood Fiend Peak, which was faintly visible in the darkness in the distance, and pondered his next plan.

Hunting down the remnants of the two gangs may seem easy, but in reality, it's a thankless and arduous task.

It should be noted that the Nascent Soul cultivators of both sects are still unharmed.

The Grand Elder is setting a trap for him!

"Why is this old man targeting me like this?"

Li Hanshan was completely baffled.

First of all, he did not provoke him.

Secondly, the Grand Elder is a man; it's impossible that he would want to sexually exploit him.