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

"What do you mean? Li Hanshan, you still don't understand? I'm going to kill you."

The Third Elder said calmly.

Li Hanshan's expression remained unchanged, but his mind was racing. The Third Elder was at the peak of the Golden Core stage, and the woman in black was at the late Golden Core stage. Two late Golden Core cultivators, plus this trapping formation specifically prepared for him—this was the greatest crisis he had encountered since entering the world of cultivation.

"Third Elder, I am the disciple the sect leader wants to take in. If you kill me, aren't you afraid the sect leader will hold you accountable?" he said in a deep voice.

"Sect Master?" The Third Elder sneered. "If you're dead, who would know I killed you? You died in battle while hunting down remnants of the Blood Fiend Sect, perishing along with several Golden Core cultivators. Is that reason enough?"

As he spoke, he winked at the woman in black beside him.

The woman in black walked gracefully forward, her slender hand gently caressing the Third Elder's arm. Her voice was charming and alluring: "Husband, is this old man the Pure Yang Holy Body you mentioned? He doesn't look that impressive, but his pure Yang energy is indeed incredibly rich."

Her gaze fell on Li Hanshan, and she licked her scarlet lips with the tip of her tongue, her eyes filled with greed.

The Third Elder sneered, "You got off easy. You absorbed his pure Yang energy, which helped me break through to the Nascent Soul stage. At that time, the entire Joyful Union Sect will be ours."

The woman in black giggled, laughing so hard she almost fell over: "Don't worry, my husband, I'll suck this old man clean, leaving not even bones behind."

As Li Hanshan listened to their conversation, a chill ran through him.

This woman in black was the Third Elder's furnace vessel, specifically used to absorb the pure yang energy of male cultivators for him. Since the Third Elder couldn't absorb men himself, he indirectly obtained pure yang energy through this female furnace vessel. Hua Nongying had once told him about this method.

However, he did not expect that the Third Elder's furnace cauldron would also have the cultivation level of the late Golden Core stage.

"Oh, right." The Third Elder suddenly remembered something, and a malicious smile appeared on his face. "Don't even think about using your fourth-tier escape talisman. This trapping formation was specially prepared for you by me. The formation base is made of void stone, which is specifically designed to counter escape techniques. No matter how powerful your escape talisman is, you won't be able to escape."

Li Hanshan's heart sank to the bottom.

Void Stone, an extremely rare mineral, can disrupt the power of space. It is specifically designed to counter life-saving techniques such as escape talismans. The Third Elder truly went to great lengths to kill him.

"Third Elder," Li Hanshan took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the other man, "we have no deep-seated hatred for each other, why must you be so ruthless?"

"No deep-seated hatred?" The Third Elder sneered. "In the Joyful Union Sect, killing doesn't need a reason."

"You're right, killing doesn't need a reason." Li Hanshan's voice was terrifyingly calm.

The Third Elder cut to the chase: "Make your move!"

Before the words were even finished, the woman in black launched the first attack. She flashed, transforming into a streak of black light as she lunged at Li Hanshan, her five fingers forming claws, aiming straight for his throat. A dense aura of malevolent energy swirled around her claws, corroding the air with a hissing sound wherever they passed.

Li Hanshan neither dodged nor evaded, but instead activated his Pure Yang Meridian at full power. His Immortal-grade Golden Core erupted with a dazzling purple-gold light, and pure Yang energy surged forth like a volcanic eruption. He raised his hand, and a fireball condensed in his palm, which he then blasted towards the woman in black.

boom!

The fireball collided with the claws, exploding in a blinding flash of light. The woman in black was jolted back several steps, the Yin energy on her claws hissing and emitting plumes of black smoke as it burned against the pure Yang fire.

"Such pure Yang energy!" The woman in black was not annoyed at all; instead, she became even more excited, her eyes burning with greed. "Husband, this old man's pure Yang energy is more than ten times stronger than the previous ones! If I can absorb it, breaking through to the peak of the Golden Core stage will be no problem!"

The Third Elder snorted coldly, "Enough with the nonsense, let's finish this quickly!"

He stopped watching and flashed to appear in front of Li Hanshan. He struck out with a palm, the golden palm print carrying the immense spiritual power of a peak Golden Core cultivator, heading towards Li Hanshan's chest.

This palm strike was like Mount Tai pressing down.

Li Hanshan's expression changed drastically. His flying sword transformed into a purple-gold sword light, slashing towards the palm print, while he retreated rapidly.

boom!

The sword light collided with the palm print, exploding into a blinding burst of light. The flying sword was sent flying backward, and Li Hanshan was also shaken by the aftershock, his blood surging, and he retreated dozens of feet before regaining his footing.

The strength of someone at the peak of the Golden Core stage is indeed terrifying.

"Xiao An!" Li Hanshan whispered to himself.

A burst of black light emanated from the Soul Banner, and Xiao An's figure emerged from it. He unleashed the full power of a fifth-level Golden Core cultivator, and the Netherworld Spear coalesced in his palm before shooting towards the Third Elder.

The Third Elder frowned and casually slapped away the Netherworld Spear. But his gaze fell on Xiao An, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"A Yin spirit at the fifth level of the Golden Core stage? You've certainly been hiding quite a few trump cards. However, the gap between the fifth level of the Golden Core stage and the peak of the Golden Core stage cannot be bridged by sheer numbers."

As he spoke, he pressed forward again. Golden palm prints were unleashed one after another, each carrying a world-destroying force. Xiao An tried his best to defend, but was forced to retreat step by step, and the light on his soul body dimmed slightly.

The woman in black was not idle either. She attacked from the side, using claws, magic, and poisonous mist in turn, forcing Li Hanshan to defend himself on all sides.

Facing two opponents alone, Li Hanshan quickly found himself at a disadvantage.

The Third Elder was at the peak of the Golden Core stage, possessing terrifyingly abundant spiritual power. Each of his palm strikes caused Li Hanshan's blood and qi to surge, and his Pure Yang Meridian throbbed with pain. Although Xiao An was at the fifth level of the Golden Core stage, he was equally powerless against the Third Elder, who was at the peak of the Golden Core stage.

"Old man, today is your death day!"

The Third Elder roared and shattered Xiao An's Netherworld Spear with one palm, then struck Li Hanshan's chest with another.

Li Hanshan had no way to avoid this palm strike.

He gritted his teeth, pushing his Pure Yang Meridian to its limit, and his Immortal-grade Golden Core erupted with unprecedented brilliance. He formed hand seals, and Pure Yang Fire condensed into a massive purple-gold fire shield in front of him.

boom!

The golden palm print slammed into the fire shield, exploding into a blinding burst of light. The fire shield shattered in less than a breath, and Li Hanshan was sent flying backward, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his chest wracked with pain.

"Peak Golden Core stage... truly impressive."

Li Hanshan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with solemnity.

The Third Elder looked down at him, a cold smile playing on his lips: "The difference between the third level of the Golden Core stage and the peak of the Golden Core stage is not something your petty cleverness can bridge. I've been stuck at the peak of the Golden Core stage for decades. In terms of combat experience and spiritual power, I far surpass you. What do you have to fight me with?"

He raised his hand and slapped down again.

A golden palm print descended from the sky, carrying an aura of world destruction.

Li Hanshan gritted his teeth, his Pure Yang Meridian circulated wildly, and his Immortal-grade Golden Core erupted with a dazzling purple-gold light. His flying sword transformed into a purple-gold sword light, slashing towards the palm print.

boom!

The sword light collided with the palm print, exploding into a blinding burst of light. Li Hanshan was forced back several steps, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

But he did not fall.

The Third Elder frowned, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He had used seventy percent of his strength in that palm strike, expecting it to severely injure Li Hanshan, but the old man had actually withstood it.

"Interesting," the Third Elder sneered. "However, that's all for now."

He raised his hand again, this time using ninety percent of his strength. The golden palm print was a full size larger than before, and it struck Li Hanshan with an even more terrifying aura.

Li Hanshan's expression was solemn as he pushed his Pure Yang Meridian to its limit. He took out a drop of golden dew and swallowed it. A surge of immense energy exploded in his dantian, causing his Immortal-grade Golden Core to spin wildly, its purple-gold light shining brightly.

"Flowing Light Sword Technique, Fourth Form—Sword Pierces the Void!"

The flying sword transformed into a beam of purple-gold light, colliding violently with the golden palm print.

Rumble!

Amidst the deafening explosion, the golden palm print was cracked by the sword light, but it did not shatter. The palm print, still possessing considerable force, struck Li Hanshan, sending him flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground, creating a crater several meters deep.

"Cough cough—"

Li Hanshan crawled out of the pit, covered in blood, his robes tattered. But his eyes shone with an astonishing light as he stared intently at the Third Elder.

The Third Elder's brows furrowed even more deeply.

This old man is still alive?

A cultivator at the third level of the Golden Core stage was able to stand up after taking a palm strike with ninety percent of his strength? Even a cultivator at the late stage of the Golden Core stage might not be able to do that.

"Old man, what secrets are you hiding?" The Third Elder's gaze turned dangerous. "Very well, after I kill you, I can search your soul and dig out all your secrets."

He flashed forward, lunging towards Li Hanshan. The golden palm print condensed once more, this time with all his might.

Li Hanshan stood still, not retreating. His gaze swept across the battlefield—Xiao An was locked in a fierce battle with the woman in black, the two locked in a close fight. Although Xiao An's cultivation was inferior to her opponent's, the Netherworld Record technique was unpredictable and strange, and the woman in black could not defeat her for the time being.

As for the Third Elder, the trapping formation had trapped both of them inside, and neither of them could escape.

Since we can't escape, we might as well fight.