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

These words immediately caused an uproar in the square.

"The Third Elder wants to take him as his personal disciple?"

"My God, this is an incredible stroke of luck!"

"That old man is incredibly lucky!"

The core disciples looked at Li Hanshan with envy and jealousy in their eyes.

Becoming a direct disciple of a Golden Core Elder will drastically change one's status. Not only will one receive personal guidance from the elder, but cultivation resources will also increase significantly. Xu Lingxi is a prime example; after becoming Jiang Nianwei's disciple, her cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, advancing by thousands of miles per day.

However, Li Hanshan noticed a strange smile appearing on Wu Tianxiong's lips.

That smile clearly showed someone watching a good show.

Li Hanshan's heart tightened.

Not right.

The three elders taking on disciples is probably not that simple.

He suddenly remembered what Hua Nongying had said—the elders of the Hehuan Sect often had ulterior motives when accepting personal disciples. Some treated their disciples as breeding vessels, fattening them up before devouring them; others coveted certain special physiques and wanted to possess them.

What did the Third Elder see in him?

His pure Yang body?

Or is it the secret behind his rapid advancement in cultivation?

Whatever it is, this is not a good thing.

Moreover, for a man to become a disciple of a male elder in a place like the Joyful Union Sect is strange no matter how you look at it.

Li Hanshan's mind raced, but a look of fear appeared on his face.

"I am deeply honored by the Third Elder's kindness." He bowed deeply, his tone sincere. "However, I am over a hundred years old and of mediocre talent. I have only managed to get to where I am today by relying on this innate pure yang energy. Now that the pure yang energy has been depleted and my potential exhausted, I am afraid that I will hardly make any progress. I dare not delay you, senior. I beg you to rescind your order."

These words were perfectly watertight.

This expressed both respect for the Third Elder and highlighted the fact that he was old, frail, and had exhausted his potential.

Upon hearing this, the Third Elder's gaze swept over Li Hanshan, and after a moment, he nodded slightly.

"Very well. Since you are self-aware, this elder will not force you."

He thought to himself: The old man isn't wrong. At a hundred years old, his pure yang energy has been depleted, and there's really not much potential left to tap. Taking him as a disciple would only be a waste of a spot.

Li Hanshan breathed a sigh of relief.

The look of anticipation in Wu Tianxiong's eyes disappeared, replaced by a hint of disappointment.

Deacon Lu remained expressionless, revealing neither his joy nor anger.

The Third Elder continued, "You've killed two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Yinming Sect; that's a significant achievement. Once the Sect Master emerges from seclusion, I will recommend you for further recognition. As for now..."

He took out a storage bag from his sleeve and tossed it to Li Hanshan: "These spirit stones and pills are a reward from this elder to you."

Li Hanshan took the storage bag, probed it with his divine sense, and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

Inside, there are 50,000 spirit stones, more than a dozen bottles of pills, and several magic artifacts, all worth no less than 100,000 spirit stones!

"Thank you, Third Elder!"

He bowed in gratitude again.

The Third Elder waved his hand and turned to leave.

Wu Zhanlong gave Li Hanshan a cold look, then left with Wu Tianxiong.

Deacon Lu walked over, patted Li Hanshan on the shoulder, and said with gratitude, "Junior Brother Li, I will remember your kindness today."

Li Hanshan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Deacon Lu, you flatter me."

The two exchanged a smile, appearing outwardly amicable.

But Li Hanshan knew in his heart that not a single word the old man said could be believed.

The crowd gradually dispersed.

Only Li Hanshan and Liu Ruoxue remained in the square.

Liu Ruoxue looked at him coldly, her gaze as sharp as ice.

Why are you covering for him?

Li Hanshan knew she was referring to Steward Lu.

"Because I need him to remain neutral for the time being," Li Hanshan said frankly. "Wu Tianxiong and Wu Zhanlong are already troublesome enough; I don't want another enemy."

Liu Ruoxue stared at him for a long while before coldly saying, "You certainly know how to scheme."

After saying that, she turned and left.

Li Hanshan watched her retreating figure and shook his head.

This enchantress is as cold as ever.

Just as he was about to leave, a green light fell in front of him.

It is Jiang Nianwei.

"Elder Jiang," Li Hanshan said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Jiang Nianwei looked at him, her gaze filled with complex emotions.

"You did very well today," she said calmly, "but you're in danger now."

Li Hanshan's heart skipped a beat: "Please enlighten me, Elder Jiang."

Jiang Nianwei didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Do you think it's normal for a centenarian to cultivate from a mortal to the Foundation Establishment stage in less than a year?"

Li Hanshan remained silent.

Of course it's not normal.

"The Third Elder's acceptance of you as his disciple today may seem like an act of appreciation, but it is actually a test," Jiang Nianwei said calmly. "He wants to know what secrets you are hiding that allow a centenarian like you to cultivate so quickly."

Li Hanshan's back was soaked with cold sweat.

"Fortunately, you were smart enough to decline with the excuse of being old and frail and having exhausted your potential. I don't know how much the Third Elder believed you. But remember, this is just the beginning."

Jiang Nianwei looked at him and said, word by word, "A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. Since you can cultivate so quickly, others will only think that you possess a great treasure. The Third Elder's test was just the beginning; many more people will be eyeing you in the future."

Li Hanshan took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Jiang."

Jiang Nianwei waved her hand: "No need to thank me. I promised Lingxi that I would take care of you, so of course I have to keep my promise."

She paused, then said, "If you want to survive, there's only one way—become stronger as quickly as possible. Strong enough that those who have designs on you won't dare to make a move."

After saying that, she transformed into a streak of green light and disappeared from the spot.

Li Hanshan stood there, looking in the direction Jiang Nianwei had left, remaining silent for a long time.

Possessing a treasure is a crime.

He certainly understood this principle.

But he had no choice.

If I don't become stronger, the Hehuan Sect will devour me completely, leaving not even bones. If I become stronger, then others will target me.

This is the Hehuan Sect.

A place that eats people up without spitting out the bones.

Li Hanshan clenched his fists, a determined glint in his eyes.

Since there's no way back, we can only move forward.

Become stronger.

To become stronger.

He was so powerful that no one dared to mess with him.

He summoned his flying sword and flew towards his cave.

Inside the cave, Hua Nongying had already woken up and was lazily leaning against the stone bed, her slender white fingers holding the long-handled pipe as she puffed out smoke.

Seeing him enter, her eyes sparkled, and she said sweetly, "Hanlang, I heard you stole the show today?"