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

Although Shen Ruoxi's golden beam of light had dissipated, its aftershocks, like pebbles thrown into a lake, spread out in invisible ripples above the Hehuan Sect.

The rapidly approaching beams of light landed one after another on the open ground, the rooftops of the palace, and the ridges near the southern foothills. As the light faded, various figures were revealed, mostly inner disciples, but also a few with more profound auras.

"Who broke through?" A curious voice came from the crowd.

"It seems to be that female cultivator who rose through the ranks from the Northern Wilderness branch sect... What's her name again? Shen Ruoxi?"

"From the Northern Wilderness branch? He's already reached the Nascent Soul stage in such a short time? When did the branch sect first have a disciple with such talent?"

"Tsk, this area on the southern slope is going to be lively now."

Whispers rose and fell among the crowd.

Some were envious, some were sour, and some were simply there to watch the spectacle. Several figures with higher cultivation levels stood at the front of the crowd, their gazes fixed on the figure in the courtyard who had just broken through, their expressions varied.

Shen Ruoxi stood with her hands behind her back in the courtyard. The pressure of her newly formed Nascent Soul stage had not yet been fully subdued, forming a soft and calm golden halo around her.

Her black dress fluttered gently in the night breeze, her face serene and calm, just as she had been when she issued orders in the main hall of the Hehuan Sect in the Northern Wilderness.

Just then, an extremely heavy and vast pressure suddenly came from the sky.

The aura seemed to slowly descend, instantly silencing all other noises. The previously noisy discussions ceased abruptly, and the disciples standing in the front row invariably took a half-step back, unconsciously softening their breathing.

A streak of gray light descended from the summit, hovering ten feet in the air in front of the courtyard. As the light dissipated, a tall figure was revealed—his face was imposing, his temples were gray, his eyes were like lightning, and his aura was as deep as an abyss, carrying an undeniable sense of oppression.

Ninth Elder.

His appearance came without warning, like an iceberg suddenly emerging from the sea, making the air in the entire southern foothills heavy. Disciples below the Nascent Soul stage found it difficult to even look him in the eye, and several early Nascent Soul stage disciples involuntarily lowered their heads the moment they touched the edge of his oppressive aura, cold sweat beading on their backs.

The Ninth Elder's gaze fell on Shen Ruoxi, his lightning-like eyes lingering for a moment on the golden aura flowing around her, before he nodded slightly: "Not bad. It is indeed rare for someone from the Northern Wilderness Branch to have reached this level."

His voice was calm and unhurried, yet carried an undeniable air of authority: "What's your name?"

He had clearly seen Shen Ruoxi before.

Shen Ruoxi was aware of this, but she didn't say it out loud.

She bowed respectfully with clasped hands, saying, "Disciple Shen Ruoxi has been promoted from the Northern Wilderness Branch Sect to the Main Sect."

The Ninth Elder nodded: "I happen to be short of a Nascent Soul stage disciple. Your aptitude is decent, and your foundation is quite solid after your breakthrough. If you become my disciple, I can guide you through the key points of Nascent Soul stage cultivation. Within the Joyful Union Sect, most people spend decades trying to figure out how to proceed after Nascent Soul stage and still can't even get past the threshold."

He spoke casually, as if accepting disciples was just a trivial matter. But the disciples around him who heard these words were not calm, and a hushed gasp rose from the crowd.

"The Ninth Elder personally came to accept a disciple? My God, her luck is incredible!"

"The Ninth Elder is a Void Refinement cultivator! To be accepted as a disciple by a Void Refinement cultivator is many times better than being an inner disciple!"

"The Ninth Elder actually took a liking to someone from the sect leader's lineage? This..."

But a few voices, even lower and filled with barely concealed fear, said: "You...you've forgotten? The woman who was taken as a disciple by the Ninth Elder last time...she's long since turned into a dried corpse. Being the Ninth Elder's disciple isn't so easy..."

Before the disciple could finish speaking, the Ninth Elder's gaze swept over indifferently.

There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy, no spell was cast, just a casual glance. Yet the disciple who had spoken felt as if an invisible hand had gripped his chest. He groaned, spat out a mouthful of blood, and collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest and gasping for breath, his face ashen.

The others around were like ducks with their necks being choked, instantly becoming so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Ninth Elder withdrew his gaze, as if he were merely brushing away a tiny speck of dust from his robes. He looked back at Shen Ruoxi, his tone still calm: "What's your consideration?"

Shen Ruoxi did not hesitate and clasped her hands, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Ninth Elder. I am used to being alone and it is inconvenient for me to become your disciple."

Her words were not harsh, her tone was respectful, but her meaning was very clear.

The Ninth Elder's gaze darkened slightly, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a few breaths. He didn't speak immediately, but hovered in mid-air, looking down at Shen Ruoxi for a moment. The oppressive aura unique to cultivators of the Void Refinement stage was like an invisible tide, slowly but irresistibly advancing forward.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Shen Ruoxi's forehead; the pressure made it difficult for her to even breathe.

Standing not far behind her, Li Hanshan also felt the overwhelming pressure—his meridians hummed slightly as the pure yang energy circulated automatically, but his body was still unable to move under the pressure.

The Ninth Elder took a step forward. A visible ripple spread across the void beneath his feet, as if the entire space was slightly sinking beneath him.

Just as this silent stalemate was about to reach a critical point, a clear and melodious voice came from the other side of the main peak. The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, like a gentle breeze passing through a hall, lightly cutting a crack in the heavy pressure of the Ninth Elder.

"Ninth Elder, why make things difficult for a junior?"

Before the words were finished, a figure in light blue slowly walked out from the top of the main peak. It was a woman wearing a light blue dress, with a beautiful face, her long hair casually tied up with a white jade hairpin, and her aura was like a bottomless autumn pool, calm on the surface but with undercurrents surging beneath.

Fifth Elder.

Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, yet each step precisely placed within the gaps in the Ninth Elder's oppressive aura. After standing still in front of the courtyard, she lightly flicked her sleeve, and the oppressive aura that had made Shen Ruoxi and Li Hanshan breathless dissipated silently, like a thin mist blown away by the wind.

The Ninth Elder frowned slightly, but remained firmly in mid-air, not touching the ground: "Fifth Elder, are you trying to interfere in my disciple-acceptance process?"

The Fifth Elder didn't look at him, but turned to Shen Ruoxi. His gaze lingered for a moment on the golden aura surrounding her that hadn't completely subsided. His voice was gentle yet carried an undeniable force: "Your name is Shen Ruoxi? Did you refuse the Ninth Elder earlier because you already have a master, or because you didn't want to become his disciple?"

Shen Ruoxi was silent for a moment, then truthfully replied, "This disciple is unwilling."

Upon hearing this, the Ninth Elder's face darkened.

Upon hearing this, the Fifth Elder's lips curled into a faint smile, so fleeting it was almost imperceptible. She turned to the Ninth Elder, her tone perfectly polite: "The Ninth Elder has heard; she is unwilling. Forced relationships are never sweet, and the rules of the Joyful Union Sect do not allow forcibly accepting disciples. It would be better to let it go, lest word spread that elders bully newly joined juniors."

The Ninth Elder's expression darkened slightly. He was about to speak when the Fifth Elder, not giving him a chance, turned to Shen Ruoxi again, his tone still gentle: "Since you don't want to go to him, how about coming to my sect? My sect doesn't have those messy rules, we won't force you to cultivate with anyone, and we won't make you do things you don't want to do. Your aptitude is good; I can teach you the key points of cultivation in the Nascent Soul stage."

Shen Ruoxi was taken aback. She looked up at the woman who had suddenly appeared to help her out of the predicament, then subconsciously glanced at Li Hanshan. Li Hanshan nodded slightly to her. Shen Ruoxi withdrew her gaze and bowed to the Fifth Elder, saying, "This disciple is willing. This disciple, Shen Ruoxi, greets Master."

The Fifth Elder nodded without saying anything more. She raised her hand and sent a beam of azure light into Shen Ruoxi's brow, then took out a jade token and handed it to her: "This is your identity token. From today onwards, you are my disciple. Come with me, I'll show you around the sect."

After she finished speaking, she turned and walked towards the top of the main peak with a calm and composed gait, without glancing at the Ninth Elder again.

Shen Ruoxi followed behind her, took a couple of steps, then turned back and glanced in Li Hanshan's direction. A complex emotion flickered in her deep eyes in the twilight, but she said nothing, turned back, and followed the Fifth Elder's figure into the misty mountain path.

The Ninth Elder hovered in place, watching the two figures disappear into the depths of the clouds. His expression darkened, but he didn't retaliate. He snorted coldly, said nothing more, turned around, and transformed into a streak of gray light, vanishing into the twilight in the blink of an eye.

The disciples watching outside the courtyard exchanged glances, their chatter rising again after the Ninth Elder left. Some whispered in admiration of the Fifth Elder's domineering presence, others envied Shen Ruoxi's luck, and still others looked at Li Hanshan with schadenfreude—after all, the Ninth Elder's parting glance had clearly left a mark on him as well.

Li Hanshan stood in the courtyard, watching Shen Ruoxi's figure disappear into the depths of the spiritual mist. He glanced again at the direction where the Ninth Elder had disappeared, his expression calm, but in his heart he was secretly weighing the situation.

It seems that the elders of the Presbyterian Council are not a monolithic entity.