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

The crowd in the square grew larger and larger.

Li Hanshan stood in the crowd, his gaze occasionally sweeping across the sky. Beams of light continuously flew in from various mountain peaks, landing on the plaza. Golden Core elders, core disciples, inner disciples, outer disciples—almost everyone the Joyful Union Sect could muster had come.

Just then, a streak of light streaked across the sky and landed below the high platform in front of the plaza. A woman in a long purple dress, her long hair styled in a bun, was surrounded by faint fluctuations of spiritual energy.

Qin Muyue.

Without even glancing around, she walked straight to the left side of the platform and stood there calmly, as if she were the only person in the vast square.

"It's Saintess Qin!"

"One of the quasi-saintesses, it is said that her cultivation has improved considerably recently, and she has already reached the peak of the second level of the Golden Core stage."

"She's really pretty, but she's too arrogant. She looks down on everyone."

Whispers rose and fell. Qin Muyue seemed not to hear them, simply closing her eyes slightly and waiting.

A moment later, another streak of silvery-white light pierced through the air.

The streaking light was incredibly fast, as if tearing through space, and in the blink of an eye it landed on the right side of the platform. A woman in a long silver dress, with flowing hair and a face as cold and aloof as the moon, appeared—it was Leng Yue.

Like Qin Muyue, she didn't even glance around before standing still. Her silver-gray eyes swept across the entire area, and the disciples whose gaze fell upon her all lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes.

"The Cold Saintess has arrived too!"

"Two of the three potential saintesses have arrived; only Saintess Chu is missing."

"I've heard that the Cold Saintess cultivates a spatial secret technique, which can kill people without them even realizing it. She's terrifying."

Listening to the surrounding chatter, Li Hanshan's gaze fell on Leng Yue. She remained aloof, as if nothing in the world concerned her.

The disciples present were unaware that the three petals of the incense mark on her abdomen meant that her life or death was in Li Hanshan's hands.

Just then, another streak of light flew in from the main peak.

The streaking light moved unhurriedly, carrying a sense of composure. The moment it landed, a woman in a long, emerald-green dress emerged. Her features were delicate and gentle, her temperament completely different from Qin Muyue's allure and Leng Yue's aloofness, giving one a comfortable, spring-like feeling. Her long hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, a few strands falling beside her ears, adding to her soft beauty.

Chu Mengyao.

"It's the Holy Maiden of Chu!"

"All three prospective saintesses are here. What important event is it today?"

"The Holy Maiden Chu rarely shows herself, but she's here today. It seems this is no small matter."

Chu Mengyao's gaze swept across the plaza, lingering briefly on Qin Muyue and Leng Yue before looking away. She walked to a spot slightly behind the center of the platform, standing neither to the left nor to the right, as if she had no intention of competing with the other two for a place.

Li Hanshan sized up this quasi-saintess he had never met before, and a slight thought crossed his mind.

Chu Mengyao's image and temperament were different from what he had imagined. Unlike Qin Muyue and Leng Yue, she didn't have such a strong aggression, yet she was enigmatic.

After the three prospective saintesses arrived, the discussions in the square grew even louder. Everyone was speculating about what major event could have alarmed all three prospective saintesses at the same time.

At this moment, several powerful auras came from the horizon.

The first thing to fall was a golden beam of light. When the light dissipated, it revealed the figure of an old man in a golden robe. His face was withered, his eyes were sunken, and his aura was as deep as an abyss. He was none other than the Third Elder.

The Third Elder landed at the edge of the platform, some distance from the three quasi-saintesses. He stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze sweeping across the plaza, lingering on Li Hanshan for a moment before looking away.

Li Hanshan felt a chill run down his spine. The Third Elder's glance at him, though only fleeting, sent a shiver down his spine. This old man probably hadn't given up on him yet.

"The Third Elder has also arrived; it seems this matter is indeed quite serious."

"He is at the peak of the Golden Core stage, and has been stuck for decades. I wonder if he can break through to the Nascent Soul stage."

"It's difficult. The gap between the peak of the Golden Core stage and the Nascent Soul stage is insurmountable."

Several core disciples whispered among themselves, keeping their voices very low, clearly not daring to let the Third Elder hear them.

Just then, two even more terrifying auras descended from the sky.

That aura was vast and unfathomable, completely different from the oppressive aura of the Third Elder, who was at the peak of the Golden Core stage. It was the aura that only a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could possess, overwhelming and making everyone in the square feel suffocated.

A streak of cyan light and a streak of crimson light landed on the high platform almost simultaneously.

As the azure light dissipated, an old man in a blue robe stood with his hands behind his back. He had a thin face, eyes like lightning, and an aura as sharp as a sword, as if he himself were a drawn sword. As the crimson light faded, a woman in a red dress appeared. Her entire body was as fiery as fire, and even ordinary disciples felt as if they were looking directly at the sun, not daring to look a second time.

The First Elder and the Second Elder.

"Elder! Second Elder!"

A gasp of surprise rippled through the plaza. These Nascent Soul stage cultivators, whose status in the Joyful Union Sect was second only to the sect leader and who were usually rarely even seen, had all appeared together today.

Li Hanshan looked at the two figures, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. The Nascent Soul stage meant long lifespans, and the mere gesture of a Nascent Soul cultivator could change the very fabric of the world. Although he possessed a celestial-grade golden core, he still had a long way to go to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

After the First Elder and Second Elder stood still, they didn't speak, but their gazes swept across the square, taking in everyone's reactions. The Third Elder, standing respectfully to the side, appeared noticeably less imposing in their presence.

The three quasi-saintesses also bowed their heads slightly to show their respect for the Nascent Soul senior.

The square was completely silent.

Everyone knew that with the First Elder and the Second Elder present, the Sect Master would definitely make an appearance as well.

Sure enough, a moment later, an aura even more terrifying than that of the First Elder and the Second Elder descended from the sky.

The aura was vast and boundless, as if the entire world was enveloped by it. The spiritual energy in the plaza was stirred by this aura, forming a huge vortex that converged towards the center of the high platform.

A black figure appeared out of thin air on the high platform.

It was a woman dressed in a long black dress, the dress as black as ink, her long hair cascading down her back, her face veiled by a thin layer of black gauze, obscuring her features. Only a pair of deep, starry eyes could be seen behind the gauze, and her graceful figure was faintly visible beneath the black dress.

The leader of the Hehuan Sect.

Li Hanshan's gaze fell on the black figure, and his heart trembled. This is the Sect Master? So powerful! He had seen the Nascent Soul auras of the First Elder and the Second Elder, and he already found them extremely terrifying, but the Sect Master's aura was several times stronger than theirs.

"The sect leader has emerged from seclusion!"

"It's been many years since I last saw the sect leader. The last time was fifty years ago."

"Just what is the sect leader's cultivation level? The First Elder and the Second Elder are both inferior to her."

"I heard that the sect leader is in the late Nascent Soul stage, and the First Elder and Second Elder are in the mid Nascent Soul stage."

The whispers were kept low, but they rose and fell across the square. All the disciples looked at their sect leader with awe, and some even had eyes full of worship.

The sect leader stood in the center of the high platform, with the three quasi-saintesses flanking her from behind. The first and second elders stood to her left and right, while the third elder was positioned at the very edge. This arrangement clearly demonstrated the power structure of the Hehuan Sect.

"quiet."

The sect leader spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present. His voice was somewhat magnetic, yet also somewhat cool, and surprisingly, it gave one an indescribable sense of comfort.

Tens of thousands of disciples fell silent in unison, and the square was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The sect leader's gaze swept across the entire area, lingering for a moment among the crowd, as if he were looking at something. Li Hanshan felt that gaze sweep over him, and his heart tightened, but the gaze quickly moved away.

"I have summoned you all today for only one thing."

The sect leader's voice was calm and unhurried, yet carried an undeniable air of authority. Everyone involuntarily pricked up their ears and craned their necks, wanting to hear what she was about to say.

The sect leader paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, before speaking slowly and deliberately.

"The Joyful Union Sect is preparing to join forces with the Heavenly Demon Sect to wage war against the Blood Fiend Sect."