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

The main hall of the Hehuan Sect.

Morning light streamed in through the carved wooden window, casting dappled shadows on the floor tiles.

Li Hanshan stood in the hall, wearing a brand-new purple-gold robe. It was made overnight by Hua Nongying, using the finest spiritual silkworm silk that she had found in the Heavenly Demon Sect's treasury. It felt as light as a feather when he wore it, and spiritual energy flowed automatically on the surface of the fabric.

The sect leader sat high in the main seat, her black dress as dark as ink, her face veiled in black gauze, yet her deep eyes held an unusual gentleness. She looked at Li Hanshan and slowly spoke: "Li Hanshan, from this day forward, you are an elder of the Hehuan Sect, and also hold the position of Holy Son."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the hall couldn't help but show envy, but no one said anything.

With Li Hanshan's current cultivation level and status, he is more than qualified to be an elder.

Li Hanshan clasped his hands in a salute and said, "Your disciple obeys."

The sect leader nodded slightly, took out a purple-gold token from his sleeve, and tossed it in front of him.

The token traced an arc in the air and landed precisely in Li Hanshan's palm. It was warm to the touch, and its surface was engraved with dense runes. One could vaguely sense that it contained a Nascent Soul level divine consciousness imprint.

"This is an elder's decree, which can mobilize all disciples of the Hehuan Sect except for the elders," the sect leader said calmly.

These words elicited another wave of envy from the disciples.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone, disperse." The sect leader waved his hand and then said, "Li Hanshan, you stay."

The disciples all left.

Finally, only Li Hanshan and the sect leader remained in the hall.

After everyone had left, the sect leader said, "Our sect has already sent a message to the main sect."

Li Hanshan's heart skipped a beat: "The main sect? Master is referring to the main sect that went to Central Continent?"

"Hmm." The sect leader stood up, slowly walked down the steps, and came to him. "The main sect should receive the news of the Hehuan Sect's unification of the Northern Wilderness soon. Our sect mentioned you in the message, saying that you have outstanding talent, having cultivated from a mortal to a Nascent Soul in less than twenty years, and have already formed a Divine Infant. If they are interested in you, they may send someone to guide you in advance."

Li Hanshan's heart raced, but he remained outwardly calm: "How quickly will the main sect's people arrive?"

The sect leader was silent for a moment, seemingly estimating the time: "It's hard to say. From the main sect to the Northern Wilderness, we have to cross the Endless Sea. The Endless Sea is not like land; the environment inside is extremely complex, teeming with demonic beasts, constantly buffeted by fierce winds, and some areas even have spatial rifts. Even traveling on the main sect's specially made spirit boat, it will take a year and a half, depending on what happens along the way."

"So long?" Li Hanshan frowned slightly. "Although the Endless Sea is vast, when I was at sea, I didn't feel that the flying boat was moving that slowly..."

"That's your perception." The sect leader glanced at him. "That time in the Endless Sea, you had a giant tortoise carrying the island and leading the way, so you always took safe routes. In the true depths of the Endless Sea, you often encounter great storms, and you can be stranded for ten days to half a month. In some areas, the spiritual energy is chaotic, and flying boats simply cannot move. If you're lucky, you can arrive in half a year; if you're unlucky, it's common for it to take a year and a half."

Li Hanshan nodded, silently noting the time in his mind. A year and a half was neither long nor short. He could use this time to consolidate his cultivation and fully digest what he had obtained from the demon ring.

"Master," he suddenly took a step closer, "I'm in a good mood today, Master, would you like to...?"

As he said this, Li Hanshan had already cast a sound-blocking spell.

The sect leader paused slightly. She didn't back down, but a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes, along with a barely perceptible tenderness: "Your injuries haven't fully healed yet."

"It won't delay you." Li Hanshan shamelessly moved closer. "Master's nascent soul crack has only recently healed. This disciple will help Master consolidate it."

The sect leader looked at him for a few moments, but ultimately did not refuse. He simply turned around and walked towards the side hall behind the main hall.

Li Hanshan followed behind her, walking down that familiar, long corridor. The side hall remained as quiet as ever. The sect leader sat down on the edge of the stone bed, raised her hand, and removed her veil, revealing a stunningly beautiful face that appeared exceptionally gentle in the candlelight.

Li Hanshan sat down beside her and put his arm around her waist. The sect leader's body tensed slightly, then relaxed. She closed her eyes and let him loosen her clothes, his movements gentle and practiced.

That night, he worked even harder than ever before.

At first, the sect leader maintained his dignified demeanor, biting his lip and refusing to utter a sound. However, he eventually couldn't hold back any longer after being tormented by him, and a suppressed gasp escaped from between his teeth, which he could no longer suppress. His fingers gripped the flesh of his shoulder, and a layer of mist clouded his deep eyes, making them appear both hazy and bright.

Looking at her like this, Li Hanshan felt a surge of conquering pleasure. After all, she was the sect leader of the Hehuan Sect, a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, and the strongest being in the Northern Wilderness. Yet, beneath him, she could lose control, and like any ordinary woman, she could be rendered speechless by him.

"Master," he whispered in her ear, his voice tinged with a hint of mischief, "was your disciple satisfied with my service?"

The sect leader glared at him, but the sharpness in her gaze had faded, replaced by shame, anger, and helplessness. She turned her head away without speaking, but he chased after her and kissed her lips. This time she didn't dodge, and the two lingered on the stone bed for a long time until the sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside, finally bringing them to a halt.

When Li Hanshan emerged from the side hall, dawn was already breaking. Morning light streamed in through the window at the end of the corridor, casting a long shadow of him. He stretched his limbs, feeling that all the meridians in his body were more open and clear, and even the radiance on the surface of his divine infant was brighter than the day before.

Cultivating with the sect leader is indeed very effective. After all, it is the source of the peak Nascent Soul cultivator. Even a slight contact can greatly benefit someone like him who is only in the early Nascent Soul stage.

He left the sect's main hall, summoned his flying sword, and headed towards the other side of the main peak. In front of the Second Elder's cave, the red maple trees rustled in the morning breeze. The stone door was ajar, and a faint candlelight shone through the cracks. He raised his hand and knocked on the door. A lazy reply came from inside: "Come in."

The stone door swung open with a bang. The Second Elder was leaning against a stone couch, holding a cup of spiritual tea. Her swollen face was still somewhat pale, but she seemed to be in good spirits. She had changed into a clean red dress, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders, looking less sharp and more relaxed. Seeing Li Hanshan enter, she raised an eyebrow: "Oh, isn't this our new elder and holy son? What brings you to visit an injured person like me?"

Li Hanshan walked over and sat down beside her, looking her up and down: "How's your injury?"

"He won't die." The Second Elder waved her hand, her tone light. "He's just severely depleted of spiritual energy and will need to recuperate for a while. But..." She blinked, "I heard someone went to the Sect Master's place last night. What, you just came out of that harem and came straight here?"

Li Hanshan's expression remained unchanged: "Second Elder is joking."

The Second Elder looked at him with a half-smile, not exposing him, but simply picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Speak, what brings you here? You can't really be here to visit this old wounded soldier, can you?"

"I want to cultivate with you." Li Hanshan said directly.

The second elder nearly spat out his tea, coughing several times as he choked. A rare blush rose on his pale face: "You...you old man, can't you speak a little more tactfully?"

Li Hanshan looked at her and said seriously, "You are seriously injured and your spiritual energy is depleted. If you use ordinary pills to recover, it will take at least several months. I have pure yang energy. After a few dual cultivation sessions, I can help you completely refine the demonic energy remaining in your meridians, and your recovery speed will be much faster."

The Second Elder looked into his earnest eyes, remained silent for a moment, put her teacup aside, and muttered softly, "What you said makes some sense..." She moved aside to make room for him, "Come on up, stop talking nonsense."

Li Hanshan didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. The candlelight flickered, and the shadows of the red maple leaves swayed gently on the window paper. A suppressed groan came from the cave, which was then drowned out by a series of soft sounds. The Second Elder was much more uninhibited in this regard than the Sect Master; although his words were still sharp, his actions betrayed him.

As dawn broke, Li Hanshan emerged from the Second Elder's cave, feeling completely refreshed. Standing on the stone platform in front of the door, he gazed at the five mountain peaks that were faintly visible in the sea of ​​clouds in the distance, his mood greatly improved.

The dual cultivation in two places restored most of his spiritual power, and even the light on the surface of his divine infant was much brighter than yesterday. Although it was still far from its peak condition, it no longer affected his daily activities.