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

Meanwhile, news about Li Hanshan spread like wildfire throughout the Allied forces camp.

"Have you heard? That Li Hanshan has only been a member of the sect for two years!"

"Two years? From mortal to Golden Core? Are you kidding me!"

"Why would I lie to you? The Third Elder said it himself, in front of everyone in the sect leader's tent. That old man has only been in the Joyful Union Sect for two years; before joining, he was just a mortal who hadn't even reached the Qi Refining stage!"

"Hiss~"

Gasps of shock rose and fell.

In a corner of the camp, several disciples of the Hehuan Sect sat together, discussing animatedly. They were all survivors of the great battle the previous night, having witnessed Li Hanshan's heroic figure slaying Golden Core Yin Souls on the battlefield. At the time, they only thought the old man was incredibly fierce, but now they realized that he had only been in the sect for two years.

Yes, although Li Hanshan is already very famous in the Hehuan Sect, there are still many Hehuan Sect disciples who do not know him.

Especially those disciples of the Hehuan Sect who are devoted to cultivation.

"Reaching the third level of the Golden Core stage in just two years? What kind of monstrous talent is this?"

"I heard that he received an ancient inheritance, the empowerment of the Northern Wilderness Sword Sect."

"Initiation? The side effects are enormous. This kind of cultivation, which is built up by external forces, has an unstable foundation, and it will probably be difficult to make any progress in the future."

"Even if you can't make any progress, it's still the Golden Core stage! Many people spend their entire lives trying to even touch the threshold of the Golden Core stage, but this person crossed it in just two years. Even if they stay stagnant afterward, it's still worth it."

"That's true... But then again, that old man's pure yang fire is indeed powerful; even a late-stage Golden Core Yin spirit couldn't withstand it. If there are no side effects, what will happen in the future?"

Discussions rose and fell, some in amazement, some in envy, some in jealousy, and some in schadenfreude. The disciples of the Joyful Union Sect had different attitudes toward this suddenly appearing "old genius," but one thing was in common—this guy was truly formidable.

The news not only spread throughout the Hehuan Sect's camp, but also reached the Tianmo Sect.

The disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect were not familiar with the name Li Hanshan before, but his performance in last night's battle was too dazzling. Destroying the array foundation, opening the passage, and killing Yin spirits, he single-handedly did the work of half a Golden Core team. It was hard not to notice him.

"That old man from the Hehuan Sect, did you see him? He's clearing the way by himself, and all those ghosts turn to ashes when they touch him. It's outrageous."

"I heard it's the Pure Yang Holy Body, specifically designed to suppress Yin spirits. The Blood Fiend Sect and the Yin Nether Sect have really messed up this time."

"Pure Yang Holy Body? Isn't that the legendary physique used as a furnace for cultivation? How come it's become a deadly weapon in his case?"

"They were lucky enough to obtain an ancient inheritance in the Northern Wilderness Secret Realm, and they cultivated from a mortal to a Golden Core cultivator in just two years. Such people cannot be judged by ordinary standards."

The disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect were discussing among themselves, their tone a mixture of admiration and envy.

"Senior Sister Hanyan, that old man seems to be the same one from the secret realm back then."

A group of female disciples surrounded Han Yan, also discussing Li Hanshan.

The image of the first time she met Li Hanshan flashed through Han Yan's mind.

That happened in the trial realm. She had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage and was full of vigor, leading several disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect to rampage through the realm. Then she encountered an old man whose cultivation was only at the Qi Refining stage, but whose divine sense was ridiculously strong. He actually dared to use her to deal with the Foundation Establishment disciples of the Joyful Union Sect.

At that time, she didn't take the old man seriously at all. What kind of trouble could an old man in the Qi Refining stage, practically half-buried, possibly cause?

Later, in Heyang County, she met him again. By then, he had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage, albeit only at the early stage, but he was already able to contend with Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Yinming Sect. She was somewhat surprised at the time, but that was all.

Later, in the Netherworld, she was captured by Wu Zhanlong, her spiritual power sealed, and she became a prisoner. It was that old man who rescued her and led her to escape into the Ghost Realm. By then, he was already in the late Foundation Establishment stage, and he had a powerful Yin spirit servant by his side. She began to take him seriously.

Then, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, she witnessed him break through to the Golden Core stage, slaying a Blood Fiend Sect cultivator at the first level of the Golden Core stage with a single sword strike, causing the other two Golden Core cultivators to flee in terror. At that moment, what welled up in her heart was not jealousy, but an indescribable shock.

Now, he has slain the late-stage Golden Core Yin Souls on the battlefield, destroyed the foundation of the Soul Banner Formation, and opened an escape route among thousands of Yin Souls, making him the top soldier in the entire army in terms of battle achievements.

She, on the other hand, was still struggling at the Foundation Establishment stage. Even with her talent, she was still at least several decades away from reaching the Golden Core stage.

"Two years..."

Han Yan murmured to herself, her voice so low that only she could hear it.

She was chosen by the Heavenly Demon Sect at a young age and cultivated for many years before finally reaching the Foundation Establishment stage from a mortal. She always thought she was a genius, and that her cultivation speed would rank among the top ten of the core disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Compared to Li Hanshan, what is she?

That old man only started cultivating at the age of 103. In just two years, he surpassed her twenty years of hard work.

"This is impossible... Even with ancient empowerment, it couldn't have happened this quickly..."

Han Yan bit her lip, her mind churning with countless thoughts.

She didn't believe in the concept of "initiation." She had heard of the ancient initiation, which could indeed significantly boost cultivation in a short time, but the side effects were severe, and the improvement was limited. Initiating a mortal to the Golden Core stage? How much spiritual power would that require? What kind of ancient sect could afford such a feat?

Unless... that old man is lying.

The secrets surrounding him go far beyond the legacy of the Northern Wilderness Sword Sect.

Han Yan's gaze swept across the camp and landed on the figure sitting cross-legged in the Hehuan Sect camp in the distance. The old man had his eyes closed and was meditating, with several female cultivators protecting him around him.

She recognized one of the women in red. It was Hua Nongying, a core disciple of the Hehuan Sect, the demoness who had made a deal with her in the secret realm.

There was another person dressed in white, with a cool and aloof demeanor, whom she didn't recognize.

"This old man has quite a few women around him."

Han Yan withdrew her gaze, a strange unease creeping into her heart. She couldn't pinpoint the source of that unease; perhaps it was jealousy, perhaps resentment, or perhaps something else entirely.

Just then, a commotion arose from the Hehuan Sect.

"Sect Master issues the order! The entire army will set off in half a day and march straight for the Blood Fiend Sect's mountain gate!"

"Are we finally going to fight?"

"The Blood Fiend Sect's protective formation is no simple matter; we're in for a tough fight."

"What's there to be afraid of? With Senior Brother Li here, what formation can't be broken?"

"Come on, no matter how powerful he is, he's only at the Golden Core stage. The Blood Fiend Sect's protective formation is something that even Nascent Soul cultivators find troublesome."

Discussions resumed, and the atmosphere in the camp gradually became tense.

Half a day later, the two allied forces set off again.

Hundreds of flying ships blotted out the sky, sailing majestically towards the Blood Fiend Sect's mountain gate. After a night's rest, the allied forces had regained much of their morale, but a solemn expression remained on everyone's face. Everyone knew that the real battle was yet to come.

The Blood Fiend Sect has existed for over a thousand years, possessing profound foundations. Its protective array has been reinforced by several sect leaders, making it far more robust than ordinary sects. A direct assault, even with two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators present, would be no easy feat.