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

On the thirteenth day of the sect competition, the number of people in the square was nearly double that of the previous days.

Disciples from various peaks and halls surged into the plaza from all directions like sharks smelling blood. Some crowded on the stone steps, standing on tiptoe to look around, while others simply hovered in mid-air on their swords, forming a dense human wall above the plaza.

Even several of the inner core disciples who rarely show their faces have come, standing on high ground with their arms crossed, their eyes scanning the arena below with great interest.

The reason is simple—today is the semi-final of the Nascent Soul group.

Li Hanshan stood calmly in the waiting area. After that night of dual cultivation with Zhang Qingxuan, his foundation had been tempered to its limit. Although he was still a little short of the eighth level of the Nascent Soul stage, the quality of his pure Yang energy was now even more refined. He stood there, his aura restrained like water, his gaze fixed on the arena he was about to step onto, his heart undisturbed.

At this moment, a golden streak of light flew from the side of the plaza and landed on the edge of the platform. The light dissipated, revealing Chen Jie's handsome yet cold face. He was wearing a golden robe today, and although he deliberately suppressed his aura to the level of the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, the unique oppressive feeling of a third-level Deity Transformation cultivator still emanated from him, causing several disciples around him to subconsciously take a half step back.

"Senior Brother Chen is here." Chang Sheng stood in the crowd and saw Chen Jie appear, a smile he couldn't suppress appear on his lips.

Wu Qingfeng stood beside him, his face still somewhat pale, but his eyes relaxed a bit: "It seems that Senior Brother Chen is preparing to take action personally. That old man's good luck is about to run out."

However, just as Chen Jie was about to walk towards the entrance of the Nascent Soul group arena, an even more dazzling beam of light pierced through the clouds from the sky, like a golden spear tearing through the heavens, landing precisely in the center of the plaza. The light faded, and a figure slowly straightened up.

He was a young man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, tall and slender, with a handsome face and a natural sharpness between his brows. He wore a moon-white robe and did not have any identification token at his waist, but just by standing there, he made the air in the entire square freeze for a moment.

Although his cultivation level was only at the Nascent Soul stage, and he did not deliberately release any pressure, all the Nascent Soul cultivators present could feel a faint sense of oppression, like a sharp sword that had not yet been drawn from its sheath.

"Wang Hao?"

"It's him! The Third Elder's last disciple!"

"Wasn't he in seclusion? Why did he come out?"

"I heard that he recently fought a Nascent Soul stage demon beast alone deep in the Wanling Mountains, severely injuring it..."

"The Third Elder himself said that my disciple, Wang Hao, possesses the potential to become an immortal!"

The murmurs spread rapidly through the crowd like a lit fuse. The disciples who had been tense about the semi-finals all turned to look at the moon-white figure, their eyes filled with undisguised envy.

The phrase "the appearance of an immortal" has been circulating in the Hehuan Sect for a long time, referring to Wang Hao.

It is said that he was born with extraordinary signs, his meridians were clear and unobstructed, and he could cultivate any technique several times faster than others.

He broke through to the Nascent Soul stage before he was even fifty years old, and then continued to advance rapidly. Now, at just over a hundred years old, he has already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and his actual combat strength far surpasses that of his peers.

His battle against a Nascent Soul stage demon beast deep in the Wanling Mountains solidified his reputation as a "peak Nascent Soul cultivator capable of fighting Nascent Soul cultivators".

Wang Hao stood in the center of the square, his gaze lazily sweeping across the entire area, a nonchalant smile on his face. He raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, as if loosening his muscles, his voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone present: "I heard the Nascent Soul group competition was quite lively this time? I wasn't originally planning to participate in this competition, but I heard that an old man from the branch sect caused quite a stir..."

He paused, his gaze falling on the figure in blue in the waiting area, a slight smile playing on his lips. "So I came to take a look."

He spoke these words casually, yet with an undisguised arrogance, as if the entire Nascent Soul group competition was nothing more than child's play in his eyes, and he was merely there to clean up the mess.

Chen Jie withdrew his foot, which had already taken half a step. He looked at Wang Hao's back, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes, quickly replaced by barely suppressed joy—although Wang Hao wasn't under his jurisdiction, the Third Elder was a core figure in the Elder Council, and Wang Hao's intervention would be more effective than his own. A victory would suppress the arrogance of the Sect Leader's lineage for the Elder Council; a loss… well, there was no possibility of losing.

That's Wang Hao, an invincible Nascent Soul cultivator. A smile returned to Chen Jie's lips, and he felt much more at ease.

At the edge of the platform, Ye Shuanghua's expression changed. She stood up, her silver-white dress fluttering gently in the morning breeze, her voice clear and cold with a hint of urgency: "Wang Hao, you are not on the registration list for the Nascent Soul group, and according to the rules, you are not eligible to participate."

"Rules?" Wang Hao glanced at her, still with that lazy look. "Senior Sister Ye, I remember there's a rule in the competition that the Nascent Soul group's arena allows free challenges, right? As long as both parties are willing, it's not considered a violation."

Ye Shuanghua paused. Of course, she knew this rule; it was a loophole in the competition rules specifically left for disciples to spar, and very rarely used. But Wang Hao brought it up in public now, clearly targeting Li Hanshan. She lowered her voice and used her divine sense to transmit her thoughts to Li Hanshan: "Don't agree to him."

Li Hanshan's gaze met Ye Shuanghua's for a moment across the crowd, but he did not answer.

Wang Hao seemed to notice the exchange of glances between the two. He tilted his head, his gaze falling on the figure in cyan, and said with a condescending mockery, "So you're from the Northern Wilderness? A seventh-level Nascent Soul cultivator defeating a half-step Divine Transformation cultivator, you're certainly skilled. However—I have a problem; I can't stand seeing others too arrogant."

He took two steps forward, raised his voice a few decibels so everyone could hear him clearly, "Old man, do you dare to fight me?"

The square fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an even more heated discussion. "Wang Hao challenged that old man!" "That old man definitely wouldn't dare accept, right? Wang Hao is a monster who can go toe-to-toe with a Nascent Soul cultivator!" "Accepting or not accepting makes no difference; not accepting is cowardice, accepting is suicide."

Ye Shuanghua transmitted her voice again, her tone even more urgent than before: "Li Hanshan, don't be impulsive! You don't know how strong Wang Hao is. He once fought a Nascent Soul stage demon beast alone deep in the Wanling Mountains, causing the beast to flee in disarray. You are no match for him."

"I know," Li Hanshan replied telepathically, his gaze still fixed on the moon-white figure. "But if I don't accept, the sect leader's lineage will lose all face after today."

This is only one of the reasons.

Another reason, of course, is that Li Hanshan wanted to test his potential.

He originally planned to keep a low profile and not seek the limelight, but now he has no choice but to do so.

Before Ye Shuanghua could say anything more, Li Hanshan had already taken a step forward. He walked through the crowd and onto the arena, his azure figure casting a long, slender shadow in the morning light. He stood in the center of the arena, his gaze calmly fixed on Wang Hao: "I'll take this."

A moment of silence fell over the square, followed by an even louder uproar. "He accepted! He really accepted!" "Has this old man gone mad? Does he really think he can beat Wang Hao?" "This is going to be good!"

Wang Hao's smile deepened as he slowly stepped onto the arena. His moon-white robe fluttered gently in the morning breeze, and his eyes held the composure typical of a young genius facing an ordinary person: "Don't worry, I'll know my limits and won't kill you."

On the high platform, Chen Jie stood with his hands behind his back, a smile playing on his lips.

In his view, if Wang Hao made a move, Li Hanshan would surely die.

Chang Sheng stood in the crowd, his clenched fists finally slowly relaxing. With Wang Hao personally taking action, the outcome of this match was no longer in doubt.