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

Li Hanshan, catching his breath, flashed to the Third Elder's corpse and ripped the storage bag from his waist. The entire fortune of this peak Golden Core cultivator was now in his hands. He then casually took the black-clad woman's storage bag as well, and a quick scan with his divine sense left him speechless—it contained hundreds of thousands of spirit stones, and the bag was overflowing with pills, magic weapons, and cultivation manual jade slips.

"It's been sent."

But he didn't have time to look closely, because a pressure more terrifying than any aura he had ever felt before was approaching from afar at an alarming speed.

That aura was vast and boundless, sweeping across the sky and tearing even the clouds in the sky to shreds in its wake. Unlike the Third Elder's peak Golden Core stage, this was the true power of the Nascent Soul stage, causing the heavens and earth to change color and all things to submit.

Grand Elder!

Li Hanshan's expression changed drastically, and his heart nearly jumped into his throat. Without thinking, he took out the fourth-tier Void Escape Talisman from his storage bag and poured his spiritual power into it.

The escape talisman glowed with a dazzling golden light, enveloping his entire body. Within the golden light, the power of space fluctuated violently, as if a pair of invisible giant hands were tearing through the void.

The next moment, his figure vanished from the spot, transforming into a golden streak of light that hurtled towards the Hehuan Sect.

Almost simultaneously, a streak of azure light descended from the sky, landing where he had just stood. The azure light dissipated, revealing the First Elder's aged and sinister face. His gaze swept over the corpses of the Third Elder and the woman in black, his eyes filled with a murderous intent that almost materialized.

"Li Hanshan!"

The Grand Elder's voice boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the heavens and earth. He looked up at the golden light that had already disappeared into the distance, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

"You think you can escape my grasp with a fourth-tier escape talisman?"

Before he finished speaking, he flashed and transformed into a streak of azure light, chasing after Li Hanshan. The full-force flight of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was incredibly fast, as if tearing through space, with each step covering dozens of miles.

Although the golden light ahead was fast, the distance between it and the azure rainbow was decreasing at a visible speed.

Twenty li.

Fifteen li.

Ten miles.

Bali.

Li Hanshan glanced back, his face ashen. The Grand Elder was too fast; a fourth-tier escape talisman was utterly insignificant to him. At this rate, he would be caught in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"Damn it!"

He gritted his teeth and recklessly poured his spiritual power into the escape talisman, increasing the speed of the golden escape light even further. However, the Grand Elder's speed was also increasing, and the distance between them continued to shrink.

"Li Hanshan, you can't escape!" The Grand Elder's voice came from behind, carrying an undeniable authority. "Murdering a fellow elder is an unforgivable crime! I, the Elder, am acting on the Sect Master's orders to execute you on the spot!"

By order of the sect leader?

Li Hanshan sneered inwardly. The Grand Elder was clearly forging an imperial decree. If the Sect Master truly wanted to kill him, he wouldn't need to send the Grand Elder to chase after him; a simple message talisman would be enough to make him obediently return to face his death. Otherwise, once the time was up, the poison pill would also take Li Hanshan's life.

The Grand Elder intends to kill him first and report to the Sect Master later.

"Old man, what grudge do I have against you that you want to kill me like this?" Li Hanshan shouted.

The First Elder sneered, "You killed the Third Elder, do you need any other reason?"

"It was the Third Elder who tried to kill me first!" Li Hanshan gritted his teeth. "He set an ambush and led his men to surround and kill me. I was merely acting in self-defense!"

"Self-defense counterattack?" The First Elder's voice was full of sarcasm. "You, a mere fourth-level Golden Core cultivator, could actually kill the Third Elder, a peak Golden Core cultivator? Who would believe that?"

Li Hanshan paused.

The Grand Elder is right. A fourth-level Golden Core cultivator defeating a peak Golden Core cultivator—who would believe that? Even if he presented evidence of the Third Elder's ambush, the Grand Elder would only accuse him of fabrication. In the Joyful Union Sect, strength is everything; without strength, there's no chance to defend oneself.

"If you obediently accept your death, this elder will grant you a complete corpse," the Grand Elder's voice rang out again. "If you continue to resist, this elder will ensure your soul is annihilated, never to be reincarnated again!"

Li Hanshan did not answer. He activated the escape talisman to its maximum and desperately flew towards the direction of the Hehuan Sect.

Now, only one person can save him.

metropolitan.

As long as he escapes to the sect leader and tells the whole story, given the sect leader's wisdom and impartiality, he might not believe the Grand Elder's one-sided account. Moreover, the sect leader has promised to take him as a disciple, so that promise carries some weight.

The question is whether he can escape to the sect leader alive.

The Grand Elder will not give him that chance.

Behind him, the azure rainbow drew ever closer. The Grand Elder's voice, like a death knell, echoed in his ears again and again.

"Li Hanshan, you can't escape."

Li Hanshan gritted his teeth, remaining silent. His spiritual energy was being consumed at a visible rate, and the light of the escape talisman was becoming unstable. Although a fourth-tier escape talisman was powerful, its continuous use consumed a great deal of spiritual energy, and with his cultivation at the fourth level of the Golden Core stage, he simply couldn't sustain it for long.

Even more deadly, he also had poison pills on his body.

All disciples of the Hehuan Sect who go out must take the Heart-Eating Pill and return before the deadline to take the antidote, otherwise they will die from the poison. This time, he went out to hunt down the remnants, so the poison pill he took had a longer duration, but it was still only three months, and there wasn't much time left. Even if he could escape the Grand Elder's pursuit, if he couldn't return to the Hehuan Sect within the stipulated time, he would still die.

There are dead ends both in front and behind.

But at least dying in front of the sect leader offers a glimmer of hope. Dying at the hands of the Grand Elder means truly losing everything.

Li Hanshan took a deep breath, suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind, and activated the escape talisman with all his might.

The golden light streaked across the sky, hurtling toward the Hehuan Sect.

The Grand Elder pursued relentlessly, and the azure rainbow drew ever closer.

Two miles.

One mile.

Five hundred feet.

Three hundred feet.

Li Hanshan could even feel the suffocating pressure of the Nascent Soul behind him, pressing down on his back as if it were a physical force, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"Li Hanshan, prepare to die!"

The Grand Elder shouted and unleashed a beam of azure sword light. The sword light was extremely sharp and fast, too fast for the naked eye to catch, and aimed straight for Li Hanshan's back.

Li Hanshan's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly turned to the side. The sword light grazed his shoulder, tearing a gash in his robes, and blood splattered. Had he not reacted quickly enough, the sword would have pierced his heart.

Li Hanshan continued flying. His face was as pale as paper, blood was still seeping from the wound on his shoulder, and his spiritual energy had reached its limit.

But the gate of the Hehuan Sect finally appeared at the edge of the horizon.

The five towering peaks, like giant pillars, stood majestically in the setting sun. The pale golden light of the protective array enveloped the entire mountain gate like a giant inverted bowl.

Li Hanshan mustered his last bit of strength and rushed toward the mountain gate.

Behind them, the Grand Elder's azure sword light struck again.

Just as the sword light was about to strike Li Hanshan, he suddenly accelerated and plunged into the protective array's light barrier. Sensing his identity token, the array opened a gap, allowing him to pass through.

The Grand Elder's sword light was blocked by the great formation, exploding into a blinding burst of light.

Li Hanshan passed through the great formation and landed on the plaza inside the mountain gate. He was panting heavily, covered in blood, and almost exhausted.

But before he could catch his breath, a red figure descended from the sky and landed in front of him.

She was a woman dressed in red. Although her face was beautiful, her aura was as fierce as fire. Standing there, she was like a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

Second Elder.

Li Hanshan's heart sank to the bottom.

The First Elder wants to kill him, will the Second Elder help him?

He raised his head, looked at the Second Elder's expressionless face, opened his mouth, and was about to speak.

The Second Elder spoke up.

"Li Hanshan, the First Elder claims you murdered the Third Elder. Is that true?"

His voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. But a complex light flashed in his cloudy old eyes.

Li Hanshan took a deep breath and was about to answer when the voice of the Grand Elder came from behind him.

"Second Elder, kill him! This boy murdered a fellow disciple; his crime is unforgivable!"