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

"I appreciate your kindness, senior." Li Hanshan clasped his hands in a fist salute and took a step back. "However, my cultivation is too low, and I'm afraid I am not capable of serving you. Perhaps you could find someone else..."

Before he could finish speaking, a terrifying pressure at the Golden Core level swept over him. If Li Hanshan's cultivation level was not at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, he probably wouldn't even be able to stand up under this pressure.

The woman's smile faded slightly, and the languid look in her eyes was replaced by an extremely dangerous killing intent.

"I'm speaking politely, do you think I'm discussing this with you?"

She raised her slender hand, her fingers slightly spread, and an invisible force firmly imprisoned Li Hanshan in place.

Li Hanshan felt as if the air around him had solidified, and his limbs and bones felt as if they had been doused with molten iron, making it impossible for him to even move a finger. He frantically channeled his spiritual power, and golden light shone brightly in his pure Yang meridians, but he still couldn't break free from that restraint.

The gap between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core is too great.

"Damn it!"

Li Hanshan felt utterly powerless.

His cultivation level had improved quickly enough, but it was still not enough.

Although he has the Yang Book, which can draw the opponent back, this woman is different from Hua Nongying. It would be extremely difficult for Li Hanshan to control her like he did with Hua Nongying.

Once one reaches the Golden Core stage, their control over their body and power reaches an extremely high level. If their opponent senses anything amiss, they can crush Li Hanshan instantly.

Just as the woman's fingertip was about to touch his dantian, a clear voice suddenly came from the sky.

"Holy Maiden, please have mercy."

A green sword light slashed through the sky and landed in front of the two.

Jiang Nianwei.

She was still dressed in a light green dress, her face beautiful and her body radiating sword energy. At this moment, she looked calmly at the woman, her tone neither humble nor arrogant: "Holy Maiden, this is someone from my Jade Peak. I hope Senior Sister will show mercy."

Saintess!!

Li Hanshan was shocked.

This woman is actually the Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect!

After Li Hanshan had Hua Nongying under his control, he heard her mention that the sect's secret techniques that Hua Nongying had obtained came from the Holy Maiden.

Since then, Hua Nongying has never mentioned the Holy Maiden again, and Li Hanshan has never seen her.

I never expected to run into you here today.

The Holy Maiden withdrew her finger, looked at Jiang Nianwei, and said with a half-smile, "Elder Jiang, isn't he a core disciple of the main peak? When did he become one of your Jade Peak members?"

"He has a past with my disciple, and I promised to look after him," Jiang Nianwei said. "The Holy Maiden is a Golden Core cultivator; why would she make things difficult for a junior who has just established his foundation?"

The saint stared at her for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

The laughter was crisp and melodious, yet carried a hint of deeper meaning.

"Very well. Since Elder Jiang has spoken, I, the Holy Maiden, will grant him this favor."

She turned and walked towards the pool, but after a few steps she turned back, her gaze sweeping over Li Hanshan, her red lips slightly parted.

"Old man, next time we meet, no one will speak up for you."

As soon as she finished speaking, her figure disappeared into the misty spray. The suffocating pressure also dissipated, and Li Hanshan felt a sense of relief, panting heavily, his back completely soaked.

"Thank you so much, Elder Jiang, for saving my life." He bowed deeply to Jiang Nianwei.

This wasn't the first time Jiang Nianwei had come to his rescue.

This made Li Hanshan truly grateful to her.

Jiang Nianwei waved her hand: "No need for formalities. I just happened to be in the Monster Beast Mountain Range gathering herbs when I passed by and sensed the Holy Maiden's aura, so I came to check on you. I didn't expect to see you here as well."

Li Hanshan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Elder Jiang, how many Holy Maidens does the Joyful Union Sect have?"

"Of course there is only one, but this one is a candidate for sainthood," Jiang Nianwei said.

A candidate for sainthood?

Did the saintess have other preparations?

Seeing Li Hanshan's confusion, Jiang Nianwei explained, "The previous Holy Maiden has already gone to the main sect, and the new Holy Maiden has not yet been decided, so there are currently three prospective Holy Maidens."

Three!

I wonder if this saintess is the one Hua Nongying was talking about.

Li Hanshan asked, "Senior, what's her name?"

"Qin Muyue".

Qin Muyue!

Li Hanshan remembered the name and would ask Hua Nongying when he got back.

In addition, Li Hanshan was also curious about Jiang Caiwei's mention of "Master Sect", but he did not ask any further questions.

"Why did you come to the depths of the Monster Mountain Range alone?" Jiang Nianwei asked.

Li Hanshan briefly explained the annual performance review process.

Jiang Nianwei frowned slightly after hearing this: "Ten late-stage second-tier inner cores? This task is clearly someone deliberately making things difficult for you. How did you do?"

Li Hanshan said, "This junior has finished."

"Is it finished?"

Jiang Nianwei was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but take a second look at Li Hanshan.

The late-stage second-order demon beast is comparable to the late-stage Foundation Establishment stage. Li Hanshan had only recently broken through to Foundation Establishment, yet he was able to deal with a late-stage Foundation Establishment demon beast.

She couldn't help but think of Li Hanshan's ancient alchemy methods.

I immediately realized that this old man was no ordinary person.

Jiang Nianwei was silent for a moment, then said, "Now that the mission is complete, let's return to the sect as soon as possible. However..."

She paused, glanced in the direction where the Holy Maiden had disappeared, and her tone became more serious: "The Holy Maiden's sudden appearance in the Monster Beast Mountain Range is probably not a coincidence. Letting you go today doesn't mean you won't encounter her again on your way back to the sect."

Li Hanshan felt a chill run down his spine.

"Elder Jiang means..."

"Come with me," Jiang Nianwei said calmly. "I'm here to gather a spiritual herb. Once I've gathered it, I'll take you back to the sect. With me here, she won't make things difficult for you."

Li Hanshan breathed a sigh of relief and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you, Elder Jiang."

Jiang Nianwei said no more and turned to walk deeper into the mountains. Li Hanshan followed behind her on his flying sword.

The two flew one after the other for about half an hour before Jiang Nianwei landed in a valley.

"The elixir I'm looking for is nearby. If you're tired, rest here for a while."

Li Hanshan nodded, sat down cross-legged, and began to recover his spiritual energy.

He closed his eyes, but his consciousness quietly probed into his pocket.

The little beast was still fast asleep, its belly rising and falling, its aura fluctuating. It clearly hadn't fully digested the energy of the third-tier demon core; it was unclear how much longer it would sleep.

He withdrew his consciousness and recalled the saintess's languid yet dangerous face.

This vixen has her eye on his pure yang energy. This time Jiang Nianwei is protecting him, but what about next time?

We must improve our strength as soon as possible before the Holy Maiden makes her next move.

At the very least, one must have the ability to escape from the clutches of a Golden Core cultivator.