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

Dusk was falling over Poseidon Island.

Li Hanshan stood in front of the thatched hut and handed A Ling a scroll of text written with spiritual power on animal hide.

The animal hide was densely covered with tiny golden characters, which were the complete first five stages of the Nine Revolutions Golden Body Technique.

He squatted down, pointed to the first few lines, and explained the key points of cultivation to Aling and Ayan word by word.

"The first transformation uses the essence blood of low-level demonic beasts as a catalyst to temper the skin, muscles, and bones. Every morning, one must use the power of qi and blood to cleanse the limbs and bones without interruption. It must be continued for at least three months to see initial results."

His finger moved slowly along the characters. "The second stage requires absorbing the primordial power within the demon core. This step is the most crucial; the slightest mistake can damage your meridians. If you reach this stage, don't rush to break through; first, solidify your foundation."

Aling squatted opposite, her eyes fixed on the characters, her lips moving slightly as she silently recited each word.

Although she wasn't very literate, she had learned quite a bit from Uncle Liu over the years, and with Li Hanshan's explanations, she had memorized the outline of the technique. Ayan squatted next to her sister, listening with only partial understanding, but her bright black eyes were full of seriousness, and she nodded vigorously from time to time, afraid of missing a single word.

"I've got it." A-Ling looked up at Li Hanshan, her eyes shining brightly in the twilight. "Brother Li, thank you."

Li Hanshan waved his hand and stood up.

The sect leader was already standing on the distant reef, waiting. Her black dress fluttered gently in the sea breeze. She neither urged him nor looked back.

Ah Ling stood up, brushed the sand off her knees, and suddenly asked, "Brother Li, are you leaving?"

Her voice was calm, but the fingers holding the animal skin scroll tightened slightly.

"Yes." Li Hanshan nodded. "There's still something to do outside."

After a moment of silence, A-Ling carefully tucked the animal skin scroll into her bosom, then squatted down, dug out a small pottery jar from the sand at her feet, and handed it to Li Hanshan.

The earthenware jar is about the size of a palm, sealed with a thin layer of fish glue. It feels warm to the touch, and you can vaguely feel the liquid inside gently sloshing around.

"This is homemade; it's not worth much."

Aling said, "But the fruits on Poseidon Island are not found anywhere else. Bring some to try, so the trip won't be in vain." She lowered her head, not looking at him, her tone light as if she were casually stuffing a bag of dry food into her hand.

Li Hanshan took the pottery jar, tucked it into his coat, and thanked her. Ayan stood behind her, his eyes slightly red, sniffling hard but holding back his tears. After a moment, he whispered, "Brother Li, will you come again?"

"I'll come if I have the chance."

Ayan nodded vigorously and didn't say anything more. Aling reached out and rubbed his head, then smiled at Li Hanshan.

Li Hanshan didn't linger and turned to walk towards the sect leader on the reef.

Two streaks of light rose from Poseidon Island and flew northeast, quickly disappearing into the twilight where the sea and sky met.

The return journey was much smoother. Before leaving, the giant tortoise had already shown them the way, using its divine sense to inscribe a relatively safe route in their minds. Although they would still encounter a few sea beasts along the way, most of them were only low-level beings of the first or second tier, which were easily dispersed by the sect leader with a single palm strike, and were not even considered obstacles in their path.

Li Hanshan sat cross-legged beside the sect leader, recovering his spiritual energy while sorting through the spoils in the black ring. Spirit stones, pills, jade slips, and magical artifacts—each item pleased him. He refined the black ring again, erasing the demon's lingering aura, and then set up a new divine imprint before truly possessing it.

After flying for about a month, the coastline finally appeared on the horizon.

It was a long, grayish-brown outline, resembling the spine of a sleeping giant in the morning light. The two quickened their pace, crossing the last stretch of sea and stepping onto the land of the Northern Wilderness. Beneath their feet lay solid soil and gravel, the air filled with the scent of earth and wild grass, the salty sea breeze gone. Li Hanshan took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

But this ease didn't last long.

As soon as the sect leader landed, she took out a communication jade slip from her sleeve, infused it with spiritual energy, and the jade slip glowed slightly. Her movements stopped—the communication jade slip was densely covered with dozens of unread messages, spanning more than two months. She sensed them one by one, and the color drained from her face at a visible speed, from rosy to pale, and then from pale to ashen.

"What's wrong?" Li Hanshan sensed something was amiss.

The sect leader's knuckles turned white as he gripped the jade slip tightly, his voice forced out through clenched teeth: "The Joyful Union Sect has been taken over by the Heavenly Demon Sect."

Li Hanshan's heart sank: "When did this happen?"

"Just three days ago," the sect leader's voice grew colder, "they launched a sneak attack while we were trapped in the Endless Sea. The Second Elder was seriously injured, Jiang Nianwei and Xu Lingxi were captured, and Hua Nongying, Liu Ruoxue, Yun Shuyue…" She paused, "...the First Elder did not resist."

"The Grand Elder has betrayed us?"

"Hmm." The sect leader carefully put away the jade slip, his face ashen. "The second elder said he voluntarily opened the mountain-protecting formation, letting the Heavenly Demon Sect army into the mountain, and even helped the Heavenly Demon Sect wipe out all the resisting disciples. The Heavenly Demon Sect leader is still seriously injured, but his two elders are both in the mid-Nascent Soul stage; the Joyful Union Sect simply cannot stop them."

Li Hanshan's face was grim, his heart churning with rage. The Heavenly Demon Sect Master—that old codger who had ambushed the sect leader during the storm in the Endless Sea—had now taken advantage of the Joyful Union Sect's leaderlessness to directly attack their doorstep. The Grand Elder, that traitor, deserved to die even more. He thought of that woman, of her red robes fluttering as she leaned lazily against the rocks, of the resolute look in her eyes as she fought alongside him in the Endless Sea. Her fate was now unknown.

"I'll head back to the sect first," the sect leader said in a deep voice, her black dress fluttering in the wind. The oppressive aura of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator was suddenly released, like a volcano about to erupt. "Those bastards from the Heavenly Demon Sect, not a single one will escape."

Li Hanshan shook his head and reached out to press down on her arm: "Master, this won't do."

The sect leader abruptly stopped, turning to look at him, a cold glint in his deep eyes: "What did you say?"

"The people from the Heavenly Demon Sect are currently gathered at the entrance of the Joyful Union Sect."

Li Hanshan said in a deep voice, "Although the Heavenly Demon Sect Master is still seriously injured, his two elders are both at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, and with the traitorous First Elder, there are at least three mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivators on their side. Master, your injuries haven't healed, and my spiritual power is far from its peak. Charging in head-on might not be advantageous. Moreover, those captured disciples are still in their hands. If we act rashly, they might use the hostages as shields."

The sect leader remained silent for a moment, the coldness in his eyes gradually subsiding.

After calmly considering it, she had to admit that Li Hanshan was right. The Hehuan Sect's mountain gate was protected by a powerful formation, and the Heavenly Demon Sect had the advantage of terrain; a direct assault was indeed not a wise move.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" she asked.

Li Hanshan said, "Let's split up. I'll go to the Hehuan Sect to rescue them. Master, you go and attack the Heavenly Demon Sect's gates."

The sect leader frowned: "The Heavenly Demon Sect's mountain gate? They've deployed all their elite forces; the mountain gate must be empty."

"Exactly," Li Hanshan said. "Since the Heavenly Demon Sect Master dared to launch a full-scale attack on the Joyful Union Sect, he must have brought most of his forces with him, leaving few behind to defend the rear. Master, you alone are enough to turn the Heavenly Demon Sect's mountain gate upside down. As soon as the news gets back, the Heavenly Demon Sect Master will surely retreat, and then the Joyful Union Sect's siege will naturally be lifted."

The sect leader stared at him for a long while, seemingly weighing the feasibility of the plan. After a moment, she nodded slightly: "Are you fast enough?"

"While I'm far from my peak condition, it's enough to deal with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator," Li Hanshan said. "Besides, I possess Deity Transformation level divine sense, giving me an advantage over my master in stealthily rescuing people."

The sect leader said nothing more, but took out a blue jade talisman from his sleeve and handed it to him: "This is a protective talisman. Wear it carefully. If things become unavoidable, do not fight recklessly."

Li Hanshan took the jade talisman and put it away.

Two beams of light rose from the ground simultaneously, one flying northwest and the other southeast.

Two trails, one black and one gold, ran parallel in the air for a short time before separating and disappearing into the clouds.