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

The day Chu Mengyao arrived, it was drizzling.

She stood at the entrance of the cave, her long emerald green dress, damp from the rain and mist, clung to her body, outlining her exquisite curves. A few strands of her long hair fell beside her ears, and water droplets dripped from the ends, leaving streaks on her fair neck.

Li Hanshan stepped aside to let her in. The stone door slammed shut behind them, and candlelight flickered in the cave, filling the air with a faint fragrance. Hua Nongying and Yun Shuyue had already retreated to the inner room, leaving the outer room to the two of them.

Chu Mengyao sat down by the stone bed, her gaze sweeping across the cave before finally settling on Li Hanshan. She didn't speak, but simply looked at him quietly, her clear eyes holding a hint of scrutiny, and a complex mix of emotions that were hard to define.

"Saintess Chu, now that you're here, don't waste any more time," Li Hanshan said, sitting down opposite her and getting straight to the point.

Chu Mengyao bit her lip and finally spoke, "Junior Brother Li, are you sure that if I agree to your request, you won't help them anymore?"

"I keep my word," Li Hanshan said calmly, "but on the condition that you satisfy me."

Chu Mengyao's face paled slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She took a deep breath, stood up, and slowly unbuttoned her dress. Her emerald green long skirt slid to the ground, revealing her fair, jade-like skin and delicate collarbones. Her figure was indeed exquisite, with a slender waist, undulating curves, and every inch of her figure perfectly proportioned.

Li Hanshan's gaze swept over her, and without saying anything more, he reached out and pulled her over.

Chu Mengyao's body stiffened slightly, but she did not resist. She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling gently, and let Li Hanshan press her down.

The Yang Ce Gong technique was quietly activated.

Unlike Qin Muyue's allure and Leng Yue's aloofness, Chu Mengyao's body was as warm and smooth as jade, and her spiritual energy as gentle as water. Her cultivation was at the third level of the Golden Core stage, with a solid foundation. Her spiritual energy carried a faint fragrance of herbs and trees, as if she herself were a spiritual herb in human form.

Li Hanshan slowly channeled pure Yang energy into her body, while silently absorbing the essence of her Golden Core from within. Chu Mengyao let out a muffled groan, biting her lip, her expression gradually shifting from tension to pain, and then from pain to numbness.

Time passed within the cave.

After an unknown amount of time, a bright green light suddenly emanated from the inguinal markings on Chu Mengyao's abdomen. The third petal fully bloomed. An invisible force rose from the inguinal markings, firmly seizing her life force.

Chu Mengyao shuddered and abruptly opened her eyes. Her clear eyes were filled with disbelief. She looked down at the faint line on her lower abdomen, her voice trembling, "What is this?"

"Your life or death is now in my hands," Li Hanshan said calmly. "But don't worry, as long as you obey me, I won't hurt you."

Chu Mengyao stared at him for a long time, her eyes filled with anger, humiliation, and resentment, which finally turned into a sigh. She closed her eyes and said nothing more.

Li Hanshan didn't rush her to leave. Instead, he took out a communication talisman from his storage bag and infused it with spiritual power. A moment later, two streaks of light flew in from afar and landed at the entrance of the cave.

The stone door opened, and Qin Muyue and Leng Yue walked in one after the other.

Qin Muyue remained as languid and alluring as ever, her purple dress fluttering in the wind, a pipe in her hand. Upon entering, she saw Chu Mengyao lying on the stone couch, paused for a moment, then a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh, Junior Sister Chu is here too?" Her voice carried a hint of mischief. "Looks like Han Lang has finally won you over."

Leng Yue remained as aloof and serene as the moon, dressed in a long silver-white gown with her long hair flowing freely. Her gaze swept over Chu Mengyao, then fell upon Li Hanshan. She walked to the side and sat down expressionlessly, without uttering a word.

Chu Mengyao's face flushed red. She grabbed her scattered clothes to cover herself, glared at Qin Muyue hatefully, but said nothing.

Li Hanshan stood up, his gaze sweeping over the three women, his voice calm yet unquestionable.

"I called you here because I have something to announce."

Qin Muyue raised an eyebrow, Leng Yue remained expressionless, and Chu Mengyao bit her lip. All three of them looked at Li Hanshan at the same time.

"In the selection of the Holy Maiden three months from now, I will not favor anyone," Li Hanshan said, emphasizing each word. "Each of you three will receive benefits from me fairly. Dual cultivation, elixirs, and cultivation techniques will all be treated equally. Who becomes the Holy Maiden will depend on your own abilities."

Upon hearing this, the three women reacted in different ways.

Qin Muyue's smile froze slightly, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. She put down her pipe, looking at Li Hanshan with a half-smile: "Hanlang, you're quite fair. But aren't you afraid that the three of us will fight to the death, ending up with everyone injured?"

"That's your business," Li Hanshan said calmly. "I'm only responsible for providing you with resources. How you use them is your own choice."

Leng Yue finally spoke, her voice as cold as ice: "You say you'll treat everyone equally, how can you guarantee that?"

Li Hanshan took out three jade bottles from his storage bag and placed them in front of the three women. Each jade bottle contained ten Qi Condensation Pills and five Barrier Breaking Pills, all of which were high-grade pills he had personally refined, and were of great benefit to the cultivation of Golden Core cultivators.

"This is the first month's ration," he said. "From now on, I will give you the same amount of pills every month. Dual cultivation time will be twice a month for each person, on a rotating schedule. Who goes first and who goes last is up to you to decide."

Qin Muyue picked up the jade bottle, uncorked it, and smelled it. Her eyes lit up: "A high-grade Qi Condensation Pill? Hanlang, your alchemy skills have improved again."

Leng Yue put the jade bottle away without saying a word, but the wariness in her eyes noticeably lessened.

Chu Mengyao looked at the jade bottle in her hand, then at Qin Muyue and Leng Yue, bit her lip, and finally put it into her storage bag.

Li Hanshan took in the expressions of the three women and nodded inwardly. This was exactly the effect he wanted—to let them compete fairly, with none of them having a clear advantage over the others. In this way, their focus would shift from "pleasing him" to "improving themselves," while he could also obtain more Golden Core essence from the competition among the three women, accelerating his own cultivation.

In the days that followed, the three women indeed began to secretly compete with each other.

Every time Qin Muyue came for dual cultivation, she would deliberately dress up. She changed her purple dress one after another, and her makeup was exquisite and impeccable. During dual cultivation, she would use all her charms, speaking sweetly and tenderly, as if she wanted to steal Li Hanshan's soul.

Leng Yue remained expressionless, but she became increasingly punctual for dual cultivation, never arriving late or leaving early. After dual cultivation, she would stay a little longer to listen to Li Hanshan's guidance on cultivating spatial secrets, then silently memorize the insights and diligently practice them upon returning home.

Chu Mengyao, however, took a different path. Unlike Qin Muyue, who was alluring, or Leng Yue, who was aloof, she approached Li Hanshan gradually in a gentle and graceful manner. She would bring him her own concocted spiritual tea, sit quietly by his side to protect him while he cultivated, and massage his tired meridians after their dual cultivation sessions.

The three women each used their own methods to secretly vie for the emperor's favor, none of them willing to fall behind.

Hua Nongying watched all this, grinning from ear to ear. She privately told Yun Shuyue, "Look at those three, how arrogant they used to be! Now they're all fawning over Han Lang. Han Lang's methods are truly amazing."

Yun Shuyue smiled faintly and did not reply.

Li Hanshan was fully aware of these subtle maneuvers, but he didn't expose them. This was precisely the balance he desired—the three women mutually restraining each other, none daring to monopolize him, and none daring to offend him. He, in turn, could calmly absorb their golden core essence, steadily improving his own cultivation.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the undercurrents, and three months passed in the blink of an eye.