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

After breaking through to the Golden Core stage, Li Hanshan didn't rush to the rendezvous point. There was still plenty of time before the agreed-upon two months with Qin Muyue, so he took the opportunity to hone his skills in the Demon Beast Mountain Range and fully adapt to the combat style of the Golden Core stage.

For the next two weeks, he swept through everything in his path. Driven by his Immortal-grade Golden Core, the Flowing Light Sword Technique became incredibly fast. Wherever the purple-gold sword light swept past, second-tier demonic beasts didn't even have time to react before their heads were pierced. Even third-tier demonic beasts couldn't withstand more than a few strikes.

The little beast perched on his shoulder, occasionally pointing its paw in a certain direction, where a rare spiritual herb was sure to be hidden. In just over ten days, he had accumulated seven or eight third-tier inner cores in his storage bag, and various spiritual herbs had filled two jade boxes.

"Eee!" The little beast suddenly stood up from his shoulder and cried out twice in the southeast direction.

Li Hanshan's heart stirred, and he probed in that direction with his divine sense. After breaking through to the Golden Core stage, the range of his divine sense had exceeded a hundred miles, and he quickly sensed that dozens of miles away, four Golden Core-level auras were fiercely clashing. Three of the auras were violent and ferocious; and he was all too familiar with the aura that was being attacked.

Qin Muyue.

Li Hanshan sheathed his flying sword, took out a black cloak from his storage bag and put it on, then donned a bronze mask. This mask, which he had taken from Wu Zhanlong's storage bag, was of high quality and could block divine sense from probing. He activated the Luo Li Sect's concealment technique, and his aura suddenly became blurred and indistinct, like a lifeless stone.

After doing all this, he transformed into a streak of purple-gold light and sped towards the battlefield.

In a desolate valley dozens of miles away, the battle had reached a fever pitch.

Blood trickled from Qin Muyue's lips, and her purple dress was torn in several places, revealing large patches of blood-stained skin. A deep, bone-revealing sword wound slashed diagonally from her left shoulder to her right rib, a horrifying sight.

Surrounding her were three Golden Core cultivators clad in blood-red robes. The leader was pale-faced and beardless, his cultivation clearly at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm. He wielded a blood-red longsword, each strike carrying a dense aura of bloodlust. The other two were slightly weaker, at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, but their coordination was impeccable, blocking all of Qin Muyue's escape routes from the left and right.

"Fairy Qin, stop struggling." The pale-faced, beardless cultivator licked his lips, his gaze sweeping freely over Qin Muyue's exquisite figure. "If you obediently surrender, my three brothers and I guarantee that you will die in bliss, which is better than being refined by blood demons and suffering a fate worse than death."

Qin Muyue gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with resentment. She had gone into the mountains alone to gather herbs, only to unexpectedly stumble upon these three Golden Core cultivators from the Blood Fiend Sect refining evil arts. Without a word, they attacked mercilessly. She was fighting three against one, and she had already reached her limit by the time she had lasted this long.

Although she had secretly sent a signal, this place was extremely far from the core area of ​​the Hehuan Sect, and even if the sect elders wanted to come to her aid, they would not be able to arrive in time.

Am I really going to perish here today?

Just then, something unexpected happened.

A sword light shot out from the void without warning, piercing the back of the head of the Golden Core Stage 1 cultivator on the left with perfect accuracy, emerging from between his eyebrows. Before the cultivator's sinister smile could fade, his life force was extinguished, his Golden Core shattered, and his body fell from the sky.

"Who!" The pale-faced, beardless cultivator's pupils constricted sharply as he shouted.

His response was a divine sense attack technique at the Golden Core level. Li Hanshan's divine sense was now comparable to the late Golden Core stage. This sharp spike of divine sense pierced the opponent's sea of ​​consciousness. The cultivator groaned, his vision went black, and his movements slowed by half a beat.

At the same time, Li Hanshan unleashed another sword light, aiming straight for the Golden Core cultivator on the right. The cultivator reacted quickly, hastily summoning a blood shield to block in front of him, but it was directly pierced by the sword light, which continued its momentum through his right shoulder, causing his entire right arm to explode off at the root.

"Retreat!" The pale-faced, beardless cultivator finally came to his senses, realizing that they had encountered a formidable opponent. He grabbed his injured companion and transformed into a streak of blood-red light, fleeing wildly into the distance, not even bothering to collect his companion's corpse.

Li Hanshan did not pursue. He emerged from the void, his black cloak fluttering in the wind, his bronze mask gleaming coldly in the twilight. Qin Muyue struggled to stand, clutching the wound on her chest, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief at surviving the ordeal and wariness.

She couldn't fathom the depths of this man in black robes. His aura was obscure and difficult to discern, resembling a Golden Core cultivator yet also something higher. The power of that single sword strike that killed a Golden Core cultivator terrified her.

"Thank you for saving my life, senior." Qin Muyue forced a bow, her voice weak but still composed. "I am Qin Muyue of the Hehuan Sect. May I ask your esteemed name, senior? I will surely repay you handsomely in the future."

Li Hanshan didn't answer, but simply looked down at her. After a moment of silence, he used his spiritual power to alter his voice, uttering a hoarse, low tone: "Repay me with your body."

Qin Muyue trembled, her face turning deathly pale. She lowered her head, a flicker of humiliation and struggle flashing in her captivating eyes. After a moment, she raised her head, her tone respectful yet firm: "I am deeply grateful for your life-saving grace, senior. However, I cannot give my body to anyone else. Otherwise, my life would be in danger. Please forgive me, senior. If you are willing to show mercy, I am willing to offer all my possessions. When I return to my sect, I will surely repay you handsomely."

Li Hanshan's lips curled slightly beneath his mask. This demoness was more resolute than he had imagined. Last time in the Ghost Realm, after being captured, she had threatened suicide rather than submit easily. Now, facing a mysterious powerhouse of unknown origin and strength far surpassing hers, she had clearly escaped with her life, yet she was still upholding the agreement she made a month ago.

"You really won't give it to me?" he asked again, his voice still hoarse.

"No." Qin Muyue shook her head, her tone without the slightest hesitation. "If Senior insists on this, I would rather self-destruct my Golden Core."

"very good."

Li Hanshan raised his hand and removed the bronze mask.

Qin Muyue's pupils dilated suddenly, and for the first time, a near-dumbfounded expression appeared on her alluring face. She stared straight at Li Hanshan's face, her mouth slightly open, but she couldn't utter a single word. No, that's not right. He was only in the late Foundation Establishment stage a few months ago, how could he possibly kill a Golden Core cultivator with a single sword strike?

"You... how could it be you..." Qin Muyue finally found her voice, her tone filled with disbelief, "You broke through to the Golden Core stage? That sword strike just now was yours? And that spiritual attack, that Golden Core..."

"I killed him," Li Hanshan said calmly.

Qin Muyue fell silent. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, a whirlwind of ideas. Two months ago, he had to look up to her, but now he could kill someone of the same level with the flick of a finger.

The sword light, the divine sense, the method of concealing his aura—all of these told her one fact: this old man's strength was far superior to hers. A few months ago, he could only barely subdue her with the help of the little beast and Xiao An; now, even without the little beast, he was more than capable of crushing her head-on.

Amidst the shock, a deeper chill rose from the depths of her heart. The stronger he became, the less hope she had of breaking free from the Yin Mark. But at the same time, a brand new idea quietly emerged—he was so powerful, if he could truly help her become a formal Saintess, crushing Chu Mengyao would no longer be a pipe dream.

Since she couldn't break free, she might as well take advantage of the situation. Her mind raced, and the shock on her face was gradually replaced by another emotion.

"You old man," she said softly, her voice no longer cold as before, but instead carrying an indescribable quality, "I've never submitted to anyone in my life, you're the first."

Li Hanshan walked up to her, reached out and lifted her chin: "Do you still think once a month is the absolute minimum?"

Qin Muyue looked at him and suddenly smiled. That smile was no longer the languid yet dangerous pretense of before, but rather carried a genuine sense of submission. She slowly knelt down, looking up at him, her captivating eyes shimmering: "What I said, I will naturally keep. But from this day forward, I am willing."

She stopped spouting that monthly platitude. In that instant, she made her decision. Since she couldn't escape, she'd take a gamble. She'd gamble that this man could go further, that he could take her to heights she could never reach alone. Her goal had never been merely a minor near-saint, but greater power, higher cultivation, and a wider world. If Li Hanshan could help her achieve all of this, what harm was there in submitting to him?

Li Hanshan saw the resolute look in her eyes and his heart stirred slightly. He knew this enchantress was cunning, and that her so-called "willingness" must have had its own agenda. But he didn't care. What he wanted was never her true feelings; as long as she was willing to help him, that was enough.

Moreover, a new problem soon arose after breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

Although Hua Nongying, Liu Ruoxue, and Yun Shuyue's cultivation levels had increased rapidly, the benefits of dual cultivation with them were no longer as significant for him as before. It wasn't that they were useless, but rather that his cultivation had far surpassed theirs.

The effect of Foundation Establishment cultivators on cultivation is naturally far less than that of Golden Core cultivators. For those who wish to continue rapid advancement at the Golden Core stage, a female Golden Core cultivator like Qin Muyue is actually the most suitable candidate.

He reached out and put his arm around Qin Muyue's waist, pulling her up from the ground. Qin Muyue obediently leaned into his arms, her captivating eyes slightly closed, her long eyelashes trembling gently.

"I have another request," she suddenly said, her voice as gentle as spring water. "I hope that you, Han Lang, can do your best to help me ascend to the Holy Maiden, so that I can better assist you after I become a Holy Maiden."

Li Hanshan looked down at her: "What are the benefits of becoming a saintess?"

Qin Muyue raised her head: "The Holy Maiden enjoys the sect's top-level resources and privileges. After becoming the Holy Maiden, her status is equal to that of the elders, and she no longer needs to worry about being exploited."

Li Hanshan said, "The biggest benefit should be that the Holy Maiden can go to the main sect, right?"

Qin Muyue paused for a moment.

Li Hanshan was right.

The greatest advantage of being a Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect is that she can go to the main sect.

That was her plan too. She hoped Li Hanshan would help her cultivate, and once she became a saintess, she could go to the main sect and perhaps have a chance to get rid of Li Hanshan.

The main sect is filled with powerful figures, including some who are even stronger than those at the Nascent Soul stage.

The other party might be able to resolve this mere yin mark.

After all, who among those who have reached the Golden Core stage would willingly have their life and death controlled by others?

Li Hanshan said, "We'll talk about this later."

Li Hanshan didn't say anything more. He took Qin Muyue into a secluded cave nearby, set up several protective barriers, and then pressed down on her.

a few days later.

Qin Muyue leaned against him, her eyes closed, her breathing even.

Li Hanshan glanced down at her, his wariness of this enchantress not easing in the slightest. Her behavior today was three parts genuine and seven parts acting; she also had her own ulterior motives.

Moreover, this enchantress is different from Hua Nongying and the others.

Hua Nongying and Yun Shuyue are now completely regarded as one of Li Hanshan's own people, and neither of them has ever touched another man.

This enchantress is different. Li Hanshan will only regard her as a cultivation vessel and a plaything, and he will not trust her completely.