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

Li Hanshan stepped out of the Pill Hall, a mountain breeze brushing his face, bringing a touch of coolness. He glanced back at the figure in a light green robe inside; Jiang Nianwei was still organizing medicinal herbs, her movements unhurried, as if nothing had happened. He withdrew his gaze, summoned his flying sword, and headed towards the main peak.

He wasn't surprised that the Third Elder was pestering Jiang Nianwei. At the peak of the Golden Core stage, with their lifespan nearing its end, it was commonplace in the Joyful Union Sect to resort to any means to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. However, Jiang Nianwei's attitude was more resolute than he had imagined; she would rather offend a peak Golden Core elder than compromise herself. This unwavering resolve earned him even more respect for Elder Jiang.

When he returned to Hua Nongying's cave, she was leaning against the stone bed, smoking. Seeing him enter, her eyes flickered, and she was about to speak when a communication talisman suddenly emanated from outside the cave. Hua Nongying took the talisman, scanned it with her divine sense, and the smile on her face faltered slightly.

"Han Lang, this is a message from the Holy Maiden's Palace." Her tone was somewhat strange. "The prospective Holy Maiden, Leng Yue, summons you to the Holy Maiden's Palace, saying she has a mission to discuss with you."

Li Hanshan paused in his steps.

Cold moon?

Of the three quasi-saintesses of the Hehuan Sect, Qin Muyue is one, Chu Mengyao is another, and the third is Leng Yue. He has been in the sect for so long and has had countless interactions with Qin Muyue. Although he has never met Chu Mengyao, he has heard a lot about her, especially her connection with Hua Nongying.

Leng Yue, however, almost never appeared on any occasion. Hua Nongying mentioned her only a handful of times, each time simply saying "I'm not quite sure" before brushing it off.

"Are these holy maidens targeting me?" Li Hanshan couldn't help but ask. First Qin Muyue set her sights on him, and now Leng Yue is here too. When did this over-100-year-old man become so sought after?

Hua Nongying put down her pipe, her expression unusually serious: "Han Lang, I don't know much about Leng Yue. She rarely appears in the sect, and she doesn't form cliques like Qin Muyue and Chu Mengyao. But to be able to stand firm among the three quasi-saintesses, she can't possibly be a kind person."

She paused, frowned, and pondered for a moment before saying, "All I know is that her cultivation technique is very special, seemingly related to space. Beyond that, I know nothing about her strength or her trump cards. Hanlang, you must be careful."

Li Hanshan nodded, about to speak, when a familiar fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated from outside the cave. The stone door swung open with a bang, and a purple figure strode in.

Qin Muyue.

She walked straight to the stone couch, sat down, picked up Hua Nongying's teacup, and took a sip, acting as if she were no outsider.

"I heard Leng Yue is looking for you?" she asked bluntly, her tone tinged with resentment.

Li Hanshan raised an eyebrow: "You're quite well-informed."

"How could I not sense the communication fluctuations from the Holy Maiden's Palace?" Qin Muyue put down her teacup, a cold glint flashing in her beautiful eyes. "I advise you not to go. That woman, Leng Yue, is ten times more dangerous than me."

"Oh?" Li Hanshan sat down opposite her and asked calmly, "How dangerous is it?"

Qin Muyue snorted coldly and began to criticize: "The cultivation technique she practices is extremely strange. It is said to be some kind of ancient spatial secret technique that can kill people without them even realizing it. Moreover, she never cooperates with anyone and always acts alone. Do you know why she rarely shows herself in the sect? It's because she spends most of her time outside, wandering around in various secret realms. Nobody knows what she's looking for."

She paused, her tone becoming even more unfriendly: "The most crucial point is that she never touches men. A quasi-saintess of the Joyful Union Sect, never touching men, do you believe that? Either her cultivation technique doesn't require it, or her method of 'absorbing essence' is unique, leaving no trace of the men she's 'absorbed', which is why no one knows."

Li Hanshan listened to her endless "accusations" and chuckled inwardly. This vixen, while saying Leng Yue was dangerous, was probably worried that he would conquer Leng Yue as well.

After all, if he controls another potential saintess, Qin Muyue's importance will diminish.

Hua Nongying clearly saw through Qin Muyue's thoughts, but did not point them out.

"Are you done talking?" Li Hanshan asked calmly.

Seeing his lack of response, Qin Muyue's tone became even more urgent: "Are you even listening? Leng Yue is no pushover! She..."

Li Hanshan interrupted her: "If you're worried, you can come with me."

Qin Muyue turned her head away and snorted coldly, "This Holy Maiden isn't that idle. If you want to die, go ahead and do it yourself."

Li Hanshan smiled and strode out of the cave.

The Temple of the Virgin is located on a secluded platform halfway up the main peak. The entire temple is built of a grayish-white stone and has no decorations on its surface, yet it appears extremely sacred.

Li Hanshan stopped in front of the palace gate, about to knock, when the gate opened silently. A clear, cold voice came from inside.

"Come in."

He stepped into the main hall. The interior was even simpler than he had imagined; the walls were bare, there were no luminous pearls, no animal hide carpets, and not even a single lamp. The only source of light was a fist-sized pearl suspended in the center of the hall, emitting a cool white light.

Leng Yue stood beneath that bright pearl.

She wore a long, silver-white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders. Her face was as serene and cold as the moon, her features so exquisite they seemed unreal, more like a jade sculpture. Her eyes were peculiar; the pupils were an extremely pale silver-gray, and when she looked at people, she showed no emotion, as if she were looking at an inanimate object.

Li Hanshan felt a slight chill. This woman gave him a feeling somewhat similar to Liu Ruoxue, but not entirely the same. Liu Ruoxue's coldness was a coldness tinged with hatred, like a knife hidden in ice; while Leng Yue's coldness was true indifference, like a meteorite that had floated in the void for ten thousand years, neither hating nor loving anyone, simply ignoring everything.

"The Holy Maiden has summoned me. What are your instructions?" He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, his expression remaining impassive.

Without any pleasantries, Leng Yue went straight to the point: "Three days from now, come with me to the Northern Wilderness Secret Realm. I have already reported this to the External Affairs Hall; you just need to arrive at the mountain gate on time."

A secret realm?

Li Hanshan's mind raced, but his face revealed a perfectly timed hesitation: "Holy Maiden, last time I accompanied Holy Maiden Qin to the Netherworld, I barely escaped with my life. This time, if we go to the secret realm again, I'm afraid my cultivation level will be a burden to you."

Leng Yue's silver-gray eyes swept over him, and she suddenly said, "You have Qin Muyue's aura on you. You have cultivated with her."

Li Hanshan paused for a moment, then readily admitted, "Yes."

Leng Yue nodded, her tone still calm: "She said you were very useful, and her cultivation improved considerably after using you. This holy maiden is currently stuck at the bottleneck of the third level of the Golden Core stage, and wants to test you out."

The tone she used when she said this was no different from saying "The weather is nice today." It was as if Li Hanshan wasn't a person, but a pill or a medicinal herb, used if it worked and discarded if it didn't.

Li Hanshan lowered his head, a cold glint in his eyes. Sure enough, they were after his Pure Yang Holy Body again. These quasi-holy maidens all treated him like a walking furnace. But it was fine. Last time, controlling Qin Muyue relied on luck and timing; now he was at the second level of the Immortal Golden Core stage, far stronger than before. Dealing with Leng Yue, a third-level Golden Core cultivator, his chances of victory were not small. If she dared to attack him, he dared to turn her into a second Qin Muyue.

"This disciple is willing to accompany the Holy Maiden," he said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Leng Yue nodded slightly, saying nothing more, only gesturing for him to leave. Li Hanshan exited the Saintess Palace, the doors closing silently behind him. He stood on the platform outside the palace, gazing at the surging sea of ​​clouds in the mountains, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his lips.

Three days later, outside the mountain gate. Leng Yue was already waiting on the flying boat, her long silver-white dress fluttering gently in the morning breeze. When she saw Li Hanshan, she simply nodded slightly, then urged the flying boat to transform into a streak of silver light and fly north.

The flying boat was moving extremely fast, and the mountains and rivers beneath its feet rushed past.

Leng Yue stood at the bow of the boat, silent, like a lifeless jade sculpture. Li Hanshan sat cross-legged at the stern, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.

The Northern Wilderness Secret Realm is located deep in a desolate plain north of the Monster Mountain Range. Leng Yue stopped her flying boat in front of the entrance to the secret realm, raised her hand and cast a spell. The restrictions in the void rippled like water, revealing a crack that could only allow one person to pass through.

"Follow me," she said calmly, stepping into the crevice first.

Li Hanshan followed closely behind. The moment he passed through the crack, a strong sense of spatial distortion washed over him, as if he had been thrown into a giant vortex. The world spun around him, and the surrounding scenery changed rapidly. When he regained his senses, he found himself standing in a dilapidated hall.

The hall looked exceptionally ancient, with its walls covered in dense runes, most of which had faded and only a few still shimmering faintly.

Leng Yue stood in the center of the hall, turned around, and stared directly at Li Hanshan with her silver-gray eyes. She raised her hand, and with a light tap of her slender fingers, the stone door of the hall slammed shut. The runes on the four walls lit up at the same time, turning into a semi-transparent light shield that sealed the entire hall completely.

"Take off your clothes."

Her voice was calm but commanding. Her eyes were expressionless, as if she were talking about something trivial.

This woman was indeed impatient; she couldn't wait to make a move as soon as she entered the secret realm.

Li Hanshan feigned a perfectly measured look of fear and took a step back: "Holy Maiden, what is this...?"

"You possess the Pure Yang Holy Body," Leng Yue interrupted him. "This Holy Maiden has been stuck at the third level of the Golden Core stage for a long time. Today, I will borrow your Pure Yang Qi. If you cooperate, this Holy Maiden may spare your life; if you resist, this Holy Maiden will drain you dry."

As soon as she finished speaking, a powerful aura emanated from her, emanating from the third level of the Golden Core realm and pressing down on Li Hanshan. Li Hanshan felt a sudden heaviness all over his body, as if an iceberg were pressing down on his shoulders.

"Disciple...disciple is willing to cooperate." He lowered his head, feigning submission.

Leng Yue stopped speaking and simply watched him silently. Li Hanshan gritted his teeth, put on a resolute expression, and slowly unbuttoned his shirt.