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

"This...this is..."

"The Third Elder actually set an ambush to kill Senior Brother Li?"

"They even brought a furnace, intending to drain Senior Brother Li's pure yang energy!"

"Heavens above! How could the Third Elder do this? He's an elder!"

After a brief silence, the square erupted into even more heated discussions. This time, the tide had turned completely. The disciples looked at Li Hanshan with more sympathy and admiration, while their gazes towards the Grand Elder were filled with more doubt.

Hua Nongying held Yun Shuyue's hand tightly, and tears finally fell from her eyes, but this time it was not out of fear, but out of excitement.

"He left evidence... He actually left evidence..." she murmured, her voice trembling.

Qin Muyue watched the dissipating image, a complex emotion flashing in her beautiful eyes. This old man really knows a lot; he even knows such unorthodox ancient techniques.

The Grand Elder's face turned ashen.

He hadn't expected Li Hanshan to have such a trump card. Water Mirror Technique—this ancient, long-lost art—where did this old man learn it? More importantly, the content in the image was too detailed; every single word the Third Elder spoke was crystal clear, making it impossible to refute.

"This...this is sorcery!" the First Elder exclaimed sternly. "Li Hanshan, you used sorcery to create an image and frame the Third Elder!"

Li Hanshan looked at him coldly: "Elder, the Water Mirror Technique only records what has happened. How can it be forged? If you don't believe me, you can ask the Sect Master to verify it himself."

The sect leader's gaze fell on the image that had already vanished. He remained silent for a moment before suddenly speaking.

"Li Hanshan, was what you just used the Water Mirror Technique?"

Li Hanshan clasped his hands in greeting: "Reporting to the Sect Master, it is indeed so."

The sect leader nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of approval: "The Water Mirror Technique is an ancient art that has been lost for many years. I didn't expect you to know it. The images recorded by this technique cannot be forged because the spiritual energy fluctuations contained within are completely consistent with the aura of the person involved. Any alteration will cause the spiritual energy to become disordered."

She paused, then turned her gaze to the Grand Elder: "Grand Elder, did you see the image clearly just now?"

The Grand Elder's face grew even uglier, and he gritted his teeth as he said, "Sect Master, this subordinate..."

"It's good that you've seen it clearly." The sect leader interrupted him, "The Third Elder set an ambush to kill first, and Li Hanshan retaliated afterward. The Third Elder has only himself to blame for this, and has no one else to blame but himself."

These words sparked another round of discussion in the square, but this time there was more relief than anything else.

The First Elder opened his mouth, as if to say something, but was silenced by a glance from the Sect Master. He gritted his teeth, but ultimately remained silent, only giving Li Hanshan a sinister look.

Li Hanshan breathed a sigh of relief, but his tense nerves did not completely relax. His wounds were still bleeding, and his spiritual energy was at its limit, but he knew that now was not the time to relax.

The sect leader turned to him, his gaze lingering on him for a moment, before he slowly spoke.

"Li Hanshan".

Li Hanshan clasped his hands in greeting: "Disciple is here."

The sect leader's tone was calm, yet carried a hint of solemnity: "In this great battle, you slew twelve Golden Core Yin Souls, destroyed one array foundation, and opened one escape route. Your battle merits are the highest in the entire army. I, the sect leader, have said that the one with the highest battle merits will be personally accepted as my disciple."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the entire room, and raised her voice slightly: "Today, I, the sect leader, will fulfill my promise."

The square erupted in chaos once again.

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

"My God, Senior Brother Li has reached the pinnacle in this one step!"

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

Hua Nongying jumped up excitedly, hugging Yun Shuyue tightly, tears streaming down her face. Although Yun Shuyue tried to restrain herself, the joy in her eyes was impossible to hide.

The various holy sons and holy moons also reacted in their own ways.

The most difficult situation was for Song Qingyun. He thought his performance on the battlefield was already outstanding; although his achievements weren't as high as Li Hanshan's, they were still among the best. But the sect leader didn't even mention him, directly wanting to take Li Hanshan as his disciple. How could he accept this?

Ouyang Ming, on the other hand, remained calm and even smiled at Li Hanshan, as if he were genuinely happy for him.

The Third Elder was dead, the First Elder's face was ashen, and the Second Elder stood to the side with his arms crossed and a meaningful smile on his lips.

The sect leader raised his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

The noise in the square gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes were focused on the sect leader and Li Hanshan.

"Li Hanshan, are you willing to become my disciple?" The sect leader's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Li Hanshan took a deep breath and solemnly knelt down.

"Disciple Li Hanshan greets Master!"

He kowtowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground.

The sect leader nodded slightly, raised his hand, and released a beam of black spiritual light that entered Li Hanshan's brow. Within that light was a wisp of the sect leader's divine imprint, serving as both a master-disciple agreement and a protective talisman. From that day forward, anyone in the Hehuan Sect who wanted to harm Li Hanshan would have to first ask the sect leader for permission.

"Get up," the sect leader said calmly.

"From this day forward, you are my personal disciple." The sect leader's gaze swept across the entire room, his voice rising several decibels. "Li Hanshan's affairs are my affairs. Anyone who makes things difficult for him is making things difficult for me."

That's a very strong statement.

The disciples in the square all lowered their heads, not daring to meet the sect leader's gaze. The Grand Elder's face grew even more grim, but he dared not say a word in front of the sect leader.

Hua Nongying and Yun Shuyue finally squeezed through the crowd and ran to Li Hanshan's side. Hua Nongying hugged him tightly, tears streaming down her face, but she smiled and said, "Hanlang, you did it! You really did it!"

Yun Shuyue stood to the side, not saying a word, but the joy and pride in her eyes were unmistakable.

Li Hanshan gently patted Hua Nongying on the back, but his gaze passed over the crowd and landed in the distance.

There, Qin Muyue was standing at the edge of the crowd. Her gaze met Li Hanshan's for a moment, then she casually looked away and turned to walk out of the crowd.

Leng Yue had vanished without a trace; no one knew when she had left.

Chu Mengyao was still standing on the steps, gently turning the emerald green beads in her hand.

The sect leader turned around and walked towards the sect's main hall. After taking a few steps, she suddenly stopped and said something without turning her head.

"Li Hanshan, come with me."

Li Hanshan felt a chill and quickly followed.

Behind him, the disciples in the square were still discussing it animatedly. What had happened today would give them plenty to talk about for a long time.

The death of the Third Elder, Li Hanshan's Water Mirror Technique, and the Sect Master's acceptance of a disciple—each of these was a major event that could shake the entire Hehuan Sect. And all of this revolved around the same name.

Li Hanshan.

That centenarian who was a furnace cauldron two years ago has now become the most sought-after figure in the Hehuan Sect.