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

The journey away from the Endless Sea was much faster than the journey there. Yin Lingyue was familiar with the sea routes and avoided some dangerous areas, encountering almost no obstacles along the way. Besides their daily dual cultivation, Li Hanshan would sit cross-legged in the cabin every now and then, immersing his consciousness into dreams.

Luo Li had gotten used to this rhythm. Every time he entered his dream, she would wait by the river, and smile when she saw him appear. "Grandpa, what are we going to learn today?" she asked, her tone as casual as if she were asking "What are we going to eat today?"

"Refining artifacts." Li Hanshan sat down beside her. "I obtained some underwater gold in the Endless Sea and want to learn how to refine it into magical artifacts."

Luo Li tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Weapon forging... I have read some ancient scrolls, but they are all incomplete, and many key steps are missing." As she spoke, she reached out and made a couple of strokes in the air, as if she were turning the pages of some invisible book, "But I remember the most basic weapon forging methods, such as melting metal, shaping, and engraving runes. If you don't mind, I can teach you as I learn."

"Learning and teaching at the same time?" Li Hanshan was somewhat surprised.

"Hmm." Luo Li blinked and said matter-of-factly, "I'm not omniscient. But since you want to learn, I'll study with you. It's always faster for two people to figure it out together than one."

Looking at her matter-of-fact face, Li Hanshan felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He nodded: "Then let's learn together."

In the days that followed, the two began a long study of weapon crafting within their dreams. Luo Li started with the basics—how to use divine sense to perceive the internal texture of metal, how to control the heat to separate impurities, and how to infuse spiritual energy into the metal at a specific frequency to create resonance. Initially, it was just basic skill training, but both could feel that the flow of time in the dream was completely different from reality. They had plenty of time to slowly ponder and repeatedly try and fail.

The fragments of scrolls Luo Li found in the ancient ruins were gradually pieced together by the two of them through repeated piecing together and deduction, eventually forming a relatively complete method for refining weapons. The missing steps were filled in bit by bit. Sometimes it was Li Hanshan's sudden inspiration, sometimes Luo Li's insight from a seemingly unrelated method. The two sat by the river, debating and experimenting with the animal hide scroll fragments for ages, eventually finding a way to work out.

And so, time in the dream flowed by like water. One year, two years, five years, ten years. The bluestone by the river was covered with the rough sketches of array patterns they had repeatedly drawn, and fragments of spirit ore that had been refined but were now floating on the water. Luo Li's fingers were blackened by the virtual flames, but she still enthusiastically pulled Li Hanshan to discuss the structure of the next rune.

Ten years later, Li Hanshan was already skilled at using pure Yang fire to smelt the seabed gold, purifying it to an extremely high purity. Twenty years later, he could forge that metal into the prototype of a sword. Although it was not yet sharpened, it already had a basic shape. Twenty-five years later, he successfully engraved the first complete rune on the sword prototype. When spiritual power was injected into it, the sword emitted a deep hum, like the first cry of a newborn life.

Although it was just a very simple magical artifact, it was the first finished product that Li Hanshan had crafted himself. Holding the sword blank, he felt the spiritual energy flowing within the blade, and a long-lost sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.

Luo Li sat down next to him, tilting her head to examine the sword blank, a smile playing on her lips: "Grandpa, you learn really fast. In a few years, I'm afraid even I won't be able to catch up with you."

"Thanks to you." Li Hanshan put away the sword blank, turned to look at her, "If you hadn't been there to help me figure it out, I wouldn't have been able to even get started on my own."

Luo Li waved her hand without replying. Her gaze fell on the sword blank, as if she was thinking about something. After a moment, she whispered, "Master, if we ever meet again, could you forge a sword for me? I want to test your sword-forging skills."

Seeing her serious expression, Li Hanshan nodded: "Okay. It's a deal."

When the dream faded, Li Hanshan opened his eyes. Outside the cabin was a vast sea, the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the morning light streamed in through the porthole. He looked down at his hands—the weapon-refining techniques he had practiced for decades in his dreams, though not in reality, were deeply etched into his soul.

The airship continued forward. Yin Lingyue sat at the bow, sensing his awakening, and glanced back at him. Li Hanshan could feel that the continuous, high-intensity dual cultivation over this period had caused a qualitative change in the Yin patterns within her body. He separated a wisp of his divine sense to probe into the Yang pattern space—the flower belonging to Yin Lingyue, its six petals blooming simultaneously, emitting a soft silver light.

The six petals of the flower signify that he can control the slave's soul. This means that from now on, he can not only control her life and death, but also invade the core of her soul, read her memories, sense her emotions, and even plant a deeper imprint in her heart.

Yin Lingyue sat at the bow of the boat, seemingly sensing something as well. She looked down at her lower abdomen, a hint of panic flashing in her dark purple eyes.

"What did you do to me?" she asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." Li Hanshan didn't mince words, and directly caused the flower to bloom. This time, the blooming location wasn't just her body, but also her soul!

"you!!!"

Yin Lingyue was startled.

As a Nascent Soul cultivator, the most crucial element is actually the Primordial Spirit. Even if the physical body is destroyed, the Primordial Spirit alone can survive, and even find a suitable physical body to possess.

So even if the flower has three petals, it's not necessarily a problem for her.

But now, with the flower blooming in six petals, Li Hanshan could obliterate her primordial spirit with a single thought, which was too painful for her.

This means that she will never be able to get rid of Li Hanshan!

At this moment, even though she was a Nascent Soul cultivator with a heart as firm as a rock, the Yin Spirit Stone could not hold her back. It took several days for her emotions to calm down a little.

As the flying boat approached the territory of the Hehuan Sect, Li Hanshan stopped Yin Lingyue. He called her into the cabin and said bluntly, "It's time for you to return to the Yinquan Sect."

Yin Lingyue looked up at him, her dark purple eyes revealing little emotion, but her fingers clenched slightly, as if grasping something invisible. "What do you want me to do back here?" she asked.

"Continue to be your core disciple." Li Hanshan's tone was calm. "I will contact you from time to time. In case of emergency, use this." He took out a blue communication talisman from his sleeve and handed it to her. "Crush it, and I will be able to sense you."

Yin Lingyue took the talisman, remained silent for a moment, and then put it into her sleeve. "Does Master have any other instructions?" The word "Master" came out much more naturally than before, as if she had already accepted the role.

"Cultivate diligently. If anyone bullies you, tell me." Li Hanshan raised his hand and touched the top of her head. "You are my woman, no one can touch you."

Yin Lingyue's body stiffened slightly. She turned her head away, neither answering nor breaking free. After a moment, she got up and walked out of the cabin, transforming into a gray streak of light and flying north. Her deep purple figure quickly disappeared into the horizon.

Li Hanshan withdrew his gaze and turned to the cabin. The women had already dressed, each in a clean and sharp outfit. Hua Nongying was dressed in fiery red, Yun Shuyue in snow-white, Liu Ruoxue in cool white, Hanyan in a sleek black dress, and the Second Elder in languid red. The five women stood together, forming a diverse and picturesque scene.

"Let's go." Li Hanshan regained control of the flying boat, adjusted its direction, and flew towards the hidden vein location he had already scouted.

The hidden vein was nestled deep within a continuous mountain range, its entrance concealed by natural stone walls and vines. Unless one knew its location beforehand, it was completely invisible from the outside. Li Hanshan raised his hand and cast several incantations, causing the vines on the stone wall to be parted as if by an invisible hand, revealing a crack just wide enough for one person to pass through sideways. He was the first to slip inside, followed by the women in single file.

The passage inside the fissure extended diagonally downwards for dozens of feet before suddenly opening up ahead. A space transformed from a natural cave appeared before them, its ceiling inlaid with several luminous pearls that emitted a soft glow. The air was filled with a rich spiritual energy, several times stronger than that of Seagod Island, carrying the unique warmth of the earth's veins.

"I've already carved out the cave dwelling, eight rooms in total, following the direction of the spiritual vein." Li Hanshan pointed to the stone chambers on both sides of the cave that had been initially polished. "The water source is at the deepest part of the cave, an underground hot spring with excellent water quality. The defensive formations are also in place, with four layers of concealment restrictions on the outer perimeter and three layers of protective formations on the inner perimeter. Even a Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn't be able to break in."

He turned to Xiao An: "You stay here and watch over them. I'll come back for you during the sect competition."

Xiao An nodded in agreement.