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

When the two emerged from the cave, they discovered it was already midnight.

Hua Nongying looked at Li Hanshan: "Master, there's still a little time left in the ion stage, shall we explore a bit more?"

Li Hanshan glanced at the bright moon hanging in the sky and asked, "Nongying, do you know the origin of this secret realm?"

Hua Nongying nodded and said, "This secret realm was built jointly by various sects. Each sect controls one entrance, which is used specifically for the Qi Refining disciples' grand examination every three years."

It turned out to be the case.

These sects truly live up to their reputation as demonic sects; they are ruthless to their own disciples and even more ruthless to disciples from other sects, using each other's disciples as whetstones.

Hua Nongying continued, "Since this is a training ground specifically prepared for Qi Refining disciples, it naturally won't contain any particularly precious spiritual herbs. Those truly valuable items have already been looted. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless we can find some fish that slipped through the net."

Hua Nongying chuckled and explained, "The secret realm has existed for hundreds of years. Every time it opens, disciples leave behind some seeds, or some spiritual herbs grow in secluded corners, undiscovered. Over time, occasionally one or two rare plants will appear. However, the probability is too small. If you encounter one, it's luck; if you don't, it's normal."

Li Hanshan didn't expect to obtain any particularly precious spiritual herbs, but he still decided to make up for the missing tens of points in the last bit of time.

"Done!"

Half an hour later, in a valley, there were corpses of demonic beasts lying all over the ground.

The flying sword, transformed into a gleam of cold light, circled once before returning to Li Hanshan's side, where he put it away.

At this point, I've accumulated 1,000 points.

He's definitely a worthy inner disciple.

"Master's sword control skills are truly amazing."

Hua Nongying watched with great interest, and with her broad knowledge, she naturally recognized the brilliance of Li Hanshan's sword control technique.

This added to Li Hanshan's mystique in her mind, and the frustration and resentment of being controlled by Li Hanshan's Yin Patterns in life and death also faded somewhat.

After all, women are attracted to strength.

Submitting to the weak is shameful, while submitting to the strong can be glorious. It all depends on just how strong the strong are.

"It's midnight, you can leave now."

Li Hanshan glanced at the time, took out the trial token, and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, a violent surge of spiritual energy came from afar, accompanied by the roar of a demonic beast.

"There is a fight."

"Master, shall we go and take a look?" Hua Nongying asked.

"Walk!"

The two concealed their presence and quickly stealthily headed towards the direction of the battle.

After flying over a high mountain, the two saw the two sides engaged in battle.

On one side were the woman in black whom Li Hanshan had previously used, and several disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect; on the other side was a gigantic demonic beast.

The monster was pitch black, shaped like a giant tiger, but with a pair of fleshy wings. Every time it pounced, it brought a bloody storm, smashing large craters into the ground.

"A mid-stage Tier 2 demonic beast, the Darkwing Demon Tiger!"

Hua Nongying lowered her voice, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Most demonic beasts neither understand nor deliberately conceal their aura, so their strength is easy to perceive.

Behind the Darkwing Demon Tiger, on a collapsed cliff face, a crimson Ganoderma lucidum was emitting a faint glow. The Ganoderma lucidum was about the size of a washbasin, with thick leaves and veins that seemed to have liquid flowing within them; just by looking at it, one could feel the rich spiritual energy it contained.

"Blood Jade Lingzhi!"

Hua Nongying's eyes lit up: "It's so big, it must have grown for over a hundred years, a true treasure! I didn't expect there to be one that slipped through the net in this secret realm!"

Li Hanshan asked, "Is it valuable?"

"Of course it's valuable! If you sold this, it could easily fetch tens of thousands of spirit stones!"

Hua Nongying looked at him as she spoke, her tone becoming more fervent: "Most importantly, the Blood Jade Ganoderma is a sacred medicine for body refinement, which is just what you need for your master."

Li Hanshan's heart stirred.

Putting aside the issue of spirit stones, the body-refining effects of the Blood Jade Spirit Mushroom alone are enough to make him determined to obtain it.

The battle in the valley intensified. Although the woman in black had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, she was still a newcomer with an unstable foundation, and she was clearly outmatched by the mid-stage second-tier Darkwing Demon Tiger.

As for the other disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect, they could only play a supporting role and dared not get too close.

A mid-stage second-tier demon beast is equivalent to a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in terms of realm, but its combat power is slightly weaker, though not by much.

"roar!"

With a roar, the Darkwing Demon Tiger flapped its fleshy wings, unleashing dozens of wind blades that swept towards the woman in black.

The woman in black's expression changed drastically, and she quickly summoned a small black shield to defend herself.

"Clang clang clang"

The wind blade struck the small shield, producing a piercing metallic clang. The woman in black was jolted back, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of her mouth. After regaining her footing, she retreated a few more steps, took out a pill, and swallowed it to heal her wounds.

The Darkwing Demon Tiger did not pursue, but instead focused on guarding the Blood Jade Spirit Mushroom.

"She doesn't look like she can beat you. Are you confident you can take her down?" Li Hanshan's eyes flashed.

"I can't do it alone."

Hua Nongying didn't presume to be arrogant. She looked at the woman in black and said, "Master, I'll go and talk to her about cooperation."

Before Li Hanshan could answer, she had already flown away.

"Oh, isn't this Sister Hanyan from the Heavenly Demon Sect? What a coincidence, we've run into each other again."

Hua Nongying landed beside the woman in black, releasing her Foundation Establishment aura, and looked at her with a smile.

The woman in black's expression changed upon seeing Hua Nongying, her eyes widening in surprise: "Hua Nongying? You've actually broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage!"

A few days ago, she clearly saw Hua Nongying seriously injured.

Hua Nongying smiled and said, "Yes, I've broken through."

The woman in black didn't dwell on the question; she asked in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Of course I'm here to help you."

After taking a lazy drag on her cigarette, Hua Nongying said, "Sister, dealing with this big guy by yourself might be a bit too much for you, right? How about we join forces? I'll take the elixir, and you can have the inner core, what do you say?"

The woman in black sneered, "You're quite the schemer. The Blood Jade Spirit Mushroom is far more valuable than a second-tier inner core; why should it belong to you?"

"You can't beat it right now."

Hua Nongying blinked: "If you don't agree, then I'll just have to watch from the sidelines until you're beaten and driven away before I make my move. By then, the elixir and inner core will be mine, and you won't get anything."

The woman in black's face darkened, and she said, "You can't handle it by yourself."

Hua Nongying clapped her hands: "Who said I'm alone? I still have Han Lang."

Li Hanshan came out.

The woman in black glanced at Li Hanshan. Last time, Li Hanshan used her to deal with Wu Tianxiong, and his divine sense, which was comparable to that of the Foundation Establishment stage, left a deep impression on her.

After all, it is rare to find a cultivator who possesses such spiritual awareness during the Qi Refining stage.

"Alright, the elixir is yours, and the inner core is mine, but you have to compensate me with five thousand spirit stones."

The woman in black remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"make a deal!"

Hua Nongying readily agreed, and seeing this, Li Hanshan threw out five thousand spirit stones.

After the deal was agreed upon, Hua Nongying leaped forward, held her pipe horizontally, and shot out needle-like rays, aiming straight for the Dark Winged Demon Tiger's eyes.

The Darkwing Tiger, in pain, roared and pounced on her.

Hua Nongying moved with ghostly speed, dodging attacks while using her needle-like energy to keep the Darkwing Tiger occupied. The woman in black attacked from the side, bombarding the Darkwing Tiger with a continuous barrage of spells.

Although it was their first time working together, both were Foundation Establishment cultivators and their teamwork was excellent. The Darkwing Demon Tiger was attacked from both sides, unable to defend itself effectively, and its wounds multiplied.

However, the Darkwing Demon Tiger became even more ferocious after being injured. After roaring, its aura surged and it began to attack wildly regardless of its injuries. Even when the two women joined forces, they were all knocked away by it.

The Darkwing Tiger pounced on the woman in black.

"not good!"

"Senior Sister Yun, be careful!" a disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect exclaimed.

At the critical moment, Li Hanshan's gaze sharpened, and he made a decisive move.

Divine Sense Attack Technique!

The Darkwing Demon Tiger let out a mournful scream, its massive body trembling violently, as if something was tearing its soul apart.

Hua Nongying and the woman in black seized the opportunity and launched a series of attacks simultaneously.

"boom!"

A moment later, the Darkwing Demon Tiger's massive body crashed to the ground, struggled a few times, and then fell silent.

The woman in black turned to look at Li Hanshan: "Thank you."

She noticed Li Hanshan's intervention and was even more surprised.

This old man's cultivation level wasn't high, but his divine sense was strong and his methods were unpredictable, making him truly frightening.

Hua Nongying flew to the cliff face, carefully picked the Blood Jade Lingzhi, and put it into her storage bag.

"Sister, the inner core is yours now, we're even."

The woman in black snorted coldly, said nothing more, stepped forward, cut open the Darkwing Demon Tiger's head, took out a fist-sized black inner core, and then left with the Heavenly Demon Sect disciples using the Secret Realm Token.

Hua Nongying walked to Li Hanshan's side, took his arm, and smiled radiantly: "Master, what do you think of this witch? If there's a chance in the future, I'll help you turn her into a female slave."

Li Hanshan was taken aback. This vixen, why does she now turn every woman she sees into her slave?

He said, "Let's go."

"What's the rush, Master? There's still time. Let those guys be smug for a while, then we'll go back and give them a surprise. Just thinking about it makes me excited."

......

The square of the Hehuan Sect.

Although it was late, the square was crowded with people.

There were outer disciples, inner disciples, and some prospective disciples who were just there to watch the excitement. They gathered in twos and threes, whispering among themselves, waiting for the results of the secret realm assessment.

Zhao Yuan stood in the center of the square, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

His gaze was fixed on the teleportation array, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"Don't worry, Senior Zhao."

The square-faced man sidled up to him, flatteringly saying, "That old man definitely won't get a thousand points. He's just a furnace cauldron; he'll be lucky to even get out alive."

This square-faced man was the one who had been forced to use the trial token by Li Hanshan in the secret realm.

Sun Ze chimed in, chuckling, "Exactly! Senior Zhao, why get upset over that old geezer? Once he comes out of the secret realm, he'll be completely at your mercy."

Zhao Yuan snorted coldly and remained silent.

Just then, the teleportation array flashed, and a figure walked out from it.

It's Wu Tianxiong.

He deliberately released his Foundation Establishment aura, which caused the surrounding air to tremble as soon as he appeared.

"Senior Brother Wu has broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage!"

"Good heavens! Another core disciple has been added to the inner sect!"

"Senior Brother Wu is awesome!"

A chorus of exclamations erupted in the square.

Wu Tianxiong stood tall and proud, basking in the admiring gazes of the crowd.

The square-faced man hurriedly went up to him, his face beaming with smiles: "Congratulations, Senior Brother Wu, on breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage! By the way, Senior Brother Wu, did you encounter that old man, Hua Nongying, inside?"

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned it, because the moment it was brought up, Wu Tianxiong's face turned ashen.

"That damned old bastard!"

He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "If it weren't for him ruining things, I would have already taken down Hua Nongying! Don't let me see him again, or I'll tear him to pieces!"

The square-faced man and Sun Ze exchanged a glance, both seeing joy in each other's eyes.

A slight smile appeared on Zhao Yuan's lips.

"Where is Hua Nongying?" Zhao Yuan asked.

Wu Tianxiong sneered, "Her? She was severely injured by Liu Ruoxue, and then I injured her too. Even if she doesn't die, she's mostly crippled. She's finished in this assessment!"

Zhao Yuan was overjoyed.

If Hua Nongying is finished, Li Hanshan will lose his biggest backer. At that time, he can deal with that old man however he wants. Most importantly, he can also find an opportunity to make a move against Hua Nongying.

Once that vixen falls to the outer sect, he has plenty of ways to deal with her.

The teleportation array lit up again.

A white figure walked out from inside.

She was a woman in white, with an exquisitely beautiful face and a cold, icy demeanor. Her long hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, her skin was as white as snow, and her features were exquisitely beautiful. She was as beautiful as a fairy, yet as cold as an ice sculpture.

Liu Ruoxue.

She wasn't concealing her aura; although she didn't intentionally release it, the fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment cultivator still made everyone present tense.

Wu Tianxiong went up to her with a big smile: "Junior Sister Liu, you're out too? Congratulations on your breakthrough to Foundation Establishment..."

"roll."

Liu Ruoxue uttered only one word.

Wu Tianxiong's smile froze on his face, and he awkwardly stepped aside.

Liu Ruoxue didn't even glance at him. She walked to the edge of the square and stood alone. No one dared to approach her within three zhang.

"This woman is fucking cold," someone muttered.

"Shh, keep your voice down. She has a top-grade ice spirit root. If you offend her, you won't even know how you died."

......

Time passed little by little.

Disciples emerged from the teleportation array one after another, some beaming with joy, others dejected.

Li Hanshan and Hua Nongying have been missing ever since.

"That old man didn't die in the secret realm, did he?" Sun Ze said gloatingly.

The square-faced man laughed and said, "It would be best if he were dead, so as not to dirty Senior Zhao's hands."

The teleportation array lit up again.

Two figures walked out from inside.

One was an old man with gray hair and beard, and the other was a woman in red, alluring and charming.

It was Li Hanshan and Hua Nongying.

"Old man, you've finally come out!"

Wu Tianxiong's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and in a flash, he pounced on Li Hanshan: "Today, I'll take your life!"

However, a red figure blocked his way.

Hua Nongying tilted his pipe horizontally and said coldly, "Senior Brother Wu, what are you doing?"

Wu Tianxiong sneered: "Hua Nongying, you're in dire straits yourself, yet you dare to protect him?"

Zhao Yuan snorted coldly and pressed forward menacingly: "Hua Nongying, you're heavily injured, how can you protect him? If you know what's good for you, get out of the way, or I'll take care of you too."

The surrounding disciples quickly stepped back, waiting to see the spectacle unfold.

At this time, Hua Nongying had not yet released her aura, and since Wu Tianxiong and Zhao Yuan's cultivation levels were not much higher than hers, they had not yet discovered that she had broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

"A severely injured demoness and an old man in the Qi Refining stage, this is going to be a good show."

"Hua Nongying is finished. She definitely won't pass the assessment and will become an outer disciple from now on."

"That old man is in an even worse state. He offended Deacon Zhao and Senior Brother Wu, and he probably won't live past today."

However, facing the intimidation of Zhao Yuan and Wu Tianxiong, Hua Nongying not only did not back down, but instead smiled.

Her smile was captivating and charming.

"Can't even protect themselves?"

She gently exhaled a puff of smoke, releasing her Foundation Establishment stage aura without reservation, sweeping across the entire square like a whirlwind.

Are you talking about me?