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

The flying boat traveled through the sea of ​​clouds. Li Hanshan sat cross-legged at the stern, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The purplish-gold immortal-grade golden pill in his dantian slowly rotated, its surface shimmering with light, and it had grown larger than before he entered the secret realm.

Leng Yue stood at the bow of the boat, her long silver-white dress fluttering gently in the wind. She had been silent ever since leaving the secret realm, her silver-gray eyes always gazing at the distant horizon, lost in thought.

Li Hanshan opened his eyes, watching her retreating figure, but his mind was preoccupied with something else. The things he had obtained in the secret realm—the ancient scroll from the Northern Wilderness Sword Sect, the broken sword, and the map marked "Extraterritorial Battlefield"—all required time for careful study.

Several days later, the gates of the Hehuan Sect came into view at the edge of the horizon. The protective array opened a gap, and the flying boat passed through the clouds and landed on the plaza in front of the sect's main hall.

Leng Yue stowed the flying boat and turned to look at Li Hanshan. Her silver-gray eyes held no emotion; she simply said, "Mission complete. You may return."

After saying that, she transformed into a streak of silver light and flew towards the Holy Maiden's Palace, disappearing into the clouds in the blink of an eye.

Li Hanshan didn't care and summoned his flying sword, heading towards Hua Nongying's cave. As soon as he landed on the stone platform in front of the cave, the stone door burst open, and a red figure rushed out.

"Hanlang!"

Hua Nongying wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him, her beautiful eyes scanning him up and down. She only relaxed after confirming he was unharmed. She released him, pulling him into the cave, and asked in a low voice, "How are you? Leng Yue didn't give you any trouble, did she?"

"I'm in a difficult position," Li Hanshan said calmly as he sat down on the stone bed. "She wants to use my essence."

Hua Nongying's expression changed: "Then what about you?!"

"I picked it."

A moment of silence fell over the cave. Hua Nongying's eyes widened, her mouth gaping open, and it took her a long time to find her voice: "You...you captured Leng Yue too?"

"Mm." Li Hanshan nodded.

Hua Nongying gasped, then burst into laughter, her laughter shaking her body: "Heavens! Hanlang, you're amazing! You took down two of the three quasi-saintesses all by yourself! If that vixen Qin Muyue knew, she'd be in for a world of hurt!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a familiar fluctuation of spiritual energy came from outside the cave.

It's Qin Muyue again.

Hua Nongying released the barrier, and the stone door burst open, allowing Qin Muyue to stride in.

She wore a long purple dress today, her long hair styled in a bun, appearing less alluring and more dignified. But at this moment, her stunningly beautiful face held a hint of urgency. As soon as she entered, she stared directly at Li Hanshan and asked bluntly, "What does Leng Yue want with you? Did she try anything to harm you?"

"I've made my move," Li Hanshan said calmly.

Qin Muyue's face darkened, and she was about to say something when Li Hanshan added unhurriedly, "And then I picked her."

The cave was quiet for a moment.

Qin Muyue's expression shifted from urgency to astonishment, from astonishment to disbelief, and finally to an extremely complex mix of emotions. She stared at Li Hanshan for a long while before stammering out, "You...you also won over Leng Yue?"

"A flower has three petals; life and death are in my hands." Li Hanshan said calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial.

Qin Muyue fell silent. She slowly sat down by the stone couch, picked up Hua Nongying's teacup and took a sip, her gaze constantly shifting to Li Hanshan. She was processing this astonishing news and reassessing the old man's significance.

Who is Leng Yue? A third-level Golden Core cultivator, her spatial techniques are unpredictable and she's the strongest of the three quasi-saintesses. How could such a troublesome character be so easily defeated by Li Hanshan?

Qin Muyue put down her teacup, suddenly stood up, walked to Li Hanshan's side, sat down beside him, and gently placed her hand on his arm. She was very close, so close that Li Hanshan could smell the faint fragrance emanating from her, like orchids but not quite.

"Hanlang~" Her voice was soft and sweet, completely different from her usual lazy and arrogant demeanor. "You must have had a hard time in the secret realm this time. Shall I give you a shoulder massage?"

Hua Nongying watched in stunned silence. When did this vixen become so attentive?

Li Hanshan, however, knew perfectly well what was going on. Qin Muyue was afraid. He had already secured two of the three potential saintesses. If he chose to help Leng Yue compete for the saintess position, Qin Muyue's chances of winning would be greatly reduced. She was now trying even harder to please him, hoping to solidify her own position.

"Speak your mind," he said calmly.

Qin Muyue froze for a moment, then resumed her smile, though with a hint of seriousness: "Hanlang, Lengyue is a cunning woman. Although you have her under control, you may not be able to make her truly submit. I am different; I follow you wholeheartedly."

Li Hanshan glanced at her but remained silent. He knew perfectly well what this vixen was really thinking, even though she spoke sincerely. However, he was happy to see her trying to please him.

"I know." He patted the back of her hand. "I won't favor one over the other, you or Leng Yue."

A hint of joy flashed in Qin Muyue's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. She nodded obediently, sat back down, picked up her teacup, and took a sip, as if her earlier attentiveness was nothing out of the ordinary.

Hua Nongying witnessed all of this, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. After Qin Muyue left, she approached Li Hanshan and whispered, "Hanlang, why don't you just take Chu Mengyao too? That way, no matter who becomes the official Holy Maiden in the end, she'll be yours."

Li Hanshan raised an eyebrow: "Chu Mengyao helped you."

"Helping is one thing, but helping is another." Hua Nongying curled her lips, her tone serious. "Han Lang, you should know that in the Hehuan Sect, there are no eternal enemies, nor eternal friends. Chu Mengyao may not have had any good intentions when she helped me. Maybe she just used me as a guinea pig to test whether that secret technique had any side effects."

She paused, then said, "Besides, what's wrong with following you? Although you're a bit domineering, you never mistreat your own people. Look at me, look at Senior Sister Yun, look at Liu Ruoxue—haven't your cultivation improved by leaps and bounds? If Chu Mengyao could follow you, it would be a good thing for her too."

Li Hanshan pondered for a moment: "Let's talk about it later."

Hua Nongying was very proactive: "I'll try first and see if I can get in touch with her."

Hua Nongying took out a communication talisman, infused it with spiritual power, and sent a message. The talisman transformed into a streak of light and disappeared outside the cave, where the two waited.

After waiting for a long time, the message talisman did not return.

Hua Nongying frowned slightly and sent another message. Still, it vanished without a trace.

"It looks like she's in seclusion. Let's wait until she comes out."

Hua Nongying gave up. The difference in status between her and Chu Mengyao was huge, so it was normal for Chu Mengyao to ignore her.

Li Hanshan didn't care. Chu Mengyao's matter wasn't urgent. The most important thing right now was to digest the gains from the secret realm.

He took out the map marked "Extraterritorial Battlefield" and unfolded it on the stone bed. The directions marked on the map were extremely ancient, not using the coordinate system of the current cultivation world, but an ancient method that had long been lost. He looked at it for a long time but still couldn't understand it, so he had no choice but to put the map away and prepare to ask Luo Li for help the next time he entered the dream.

As for the black longsword, he held it in his hand and examined it for a long time. The blade was completely black and unsharpened, yet it exuded an extremely sharp sword intent. He probed it with his divine sense, and a scene immediately appeared in his sea of ​​consciousness—in a boundless void, countless stars twinkled, and a white-clad swordsman held this sword, slashing out with a single stroke, causing the Milky Way to hang upside down and the world to lose its color.

Li Hanshan withdrew his divine sense, deeply shocked. The grade of this sword far surpassed any magical artifact he had ever seen; it was likely a spiritual treasure. However, with his current cultivation level, he could not unleash the sword's true power.

He put the black longsword into his storage bag, got up, and walked outside the cave. A night breeze caressed his face, the sky was full of stars, and the lights on several distant mountain peaks flickered in the darkness.

Hua Nongying walked to his side and gently leaned into his arms.

"Hanlang, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about the future." Li Hanshan put his arm around her waist, his gaze fixed on the distant sea of ​​clouds. "The Hehuan Sect is not a place to stay for long. Once we are strong enough, I will take you away."

Hua Nongying raised her head, looking at his sharply defined jawline, a hint of tenderness flashing in her eyes.

"Wherever you go, I will go," she whispered.