An Lang kept touching her forehead, using her spiritual sense to examine it carefully. Only when she confirmed that the seven-pointed star mark had truly disappeared did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.

  "That scared me to death."

  She pulled a long face. "If that mark had stayed, how would I ever show my face again?"

  "Anyone who saw it might think I’d been branded as a criminal."

  Branding, also known as ink punishment, was an ancient form of punishment where criminals had symbols or characters tattooed onto their faces or foreheads and stained with ink, marking them permanently. It wasn’t particularly painful, but it was deeply humiliating.

  "Let's go," Han said.

  An Lang hesitated. "Young Master, what exactly was that? Were there really inscriptions on those stone slabs?"

  "Do you remember the legend about the Three Yin Valley that we heard in that town?"

  "Of course I do."

  Han glanced at the stone floor and said, "One of those legends is true."

  "A great figure is indeed buried here."

  An Lang's eyes widened. "So what just happened... was caused by that great figure?"

  "You could say that. It was indeed a method left behind by them."

  "Then what’s the purpose of this mark?"

  "It conveyed some information to me—an opportunity to obtain that great figure's legacy."

  An Lang's eyes lit up with excitement. "Then why are we leaving? Shouldn't we claim the treasure right now?"

  Han shook his head. "Impossible. We lack the necessary strength to retrieve what was left behind."

  "I need to reach the Sunwalker Realm, or you must be at least as strong as one."

  This was the message conveyed to Han through the seven-character imprint on his hand.

  "What? There are requirements like that?" An Lang deflated, her enthusiasm immediately dampened.

  "That means we’ll have to return when you reach the Sunwalker Realm."

  She didn’t even need to think about it—Han would undoubtedly reach that stage before she did.

  An Lang stopped asking questions. She was always following Han anyway. When the time came, he would surely bring her along.

  Han took one last look at the place before ascending toward the surface with An Lang in tow.

  Just as Lu Qingmo had said, this place held more than just relics useful to ghosts—it concealed far greater secrets.

  Though Lu Qingmo likely never imagined that the secret here would be this monumental.

  Three Yin Valley...

  Han would return.

  As they neared the lake’s surface, Han faced a dilemma.

  He couldn't perceive much from the lake’s edge or even within the water itself—he had no way of knowing what awaited them outside.

  So, he camouflaged himself and carefully poked his head above the surface. Because of An Lang, quite some time had passed, and dawn had already arrived.

  The moment Han’s head emerged from the water, an uncanny coincidence occurred—just a short distance away, a martial artist was practicing his techniques by the lake.

  The disturbance in the water immediately caught his attention. He turned and saw… a head floating above the surface.

  Their eyes met.

  Han smiled.

  The man, however, looked utterly dumbfounded.

  A head… rising from the lake?

  Damn it! Had he just seen a ghost?

  Then, Han extended a hand and greeted him.

  "Hello there."

  "Splash!"

  Han leaped out of the lake, and the martial artist finally snapped back to his senses.

  Not a ghost. A person!

  "Intruder!" he bellowed, his shout echoing through the entire valley, instantly alerting others.

  This valley belonged entirely to the Huang family. The person before him was clearly not one of them—meaning he was an enemy!

  But before he could react further, Han charged at him, brandishing an iron staff and swinging it with immense force.

  I am no swordsman today, nor a hammer-wielding god—

  Today, I am the King of Staves!

  No need to overthink it. I have mastered many weapons and techniques—I’ll use whatever I please!

  The Huang family warrior hastily unsheathed his own weapon to block Han’s attack.

  To Han’s surprise, the man wielded a staff as well.

  "Good, good, good! Let’s see whose staff is stronger!"

  A direct contest of strength!

  "Clang!"

  A heavy impact rang out. The Huang family warrior trembled from head to toe, his body numbed by the force, and he staggered backward. His face turned red in an instant.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  One exchange was all it took—Han had already gauged his opponent’s cultivation level.

  Mid-level Organ Tempering Realm.

  Mediocre.

  "Again!"

  Han swung his staff once more, unleashing a fierce display of martial skill.

  This time, the Huang family warrior was sent flying. Just as Han prepared to pursue, a sharp whistling sound filled the air—two more Huang family warriors had arrived.

  One wielded a blade, the other a hammer, both attacking Han without hesitation.

  "How dare you trespass in the Huang family's domain!"

  "You won't be allowed to wreak havoc here!"

  Han had no choice but to halt his pursuit and face the new attackers. His iron staff swept through the air with unstoppable force, threatening to crush everything in its path.

  "Boom!"

  The collision of their attacks sent shockwaves rippling outward, causing the lake’s surface to surge. Water slammed against the rocky cliffs, shattering them into debris—a clear testament to the power behind the blows.

  Early Organ Tempering, Advanced Organ Tempering!

  Han quickly assessed their strength. The three warriors together covered the full range of Organ Tempering Realm stages.

  Three opponents? Manageable.

  But the Huang family’s reinforcements weren’t finished. Three more cultivators emerged, along with numerous meridian-stage guards positioned atop the valley’s peaks. More warriors were rushing toward Han from all directions, surrounding him from a distance.

  Han frowned slightly. Among them, he spotted archers preparing to fire at him.

  "Surrender!" the advanced Organ Tempering warrior commanded.

  "Kneel now, lay down your weapon, bind your hands, and we’ll spare your life."

  Han shook his head. "No. You kneel, bind your hands, and I might spare yours."

  "Insolence!"

  The three Organ Tempering warriors lunged at him in unison—

  But the next moment, they froze.

  Because beside Han, two towering, menacing figures had appeared.

  They were zombies—massive, grotesque creatures covered in green corpse fur, radiating a fearsome aura that left no doubt about their formidable strength.

  Han swept his gaze over the gathered enemies and spoke calmly.

  "Now, who’s being reckless?"

  "I am a disciple of the Heavenly Corpse Sect—Zhen Ming. And you dare stand in my way, little Huang family?"

  Jia Ming was dead.

  Zhen Ming had risen.

  As for the Heavenly Corpse Sect… Han had no idea what kind of sect it was.

  But it didn’t matter.

  "The Heavenly Corpse Sect..."

  The three Huang family martial artists exchanged wary glances before making their decision.

  A disciple of the Heavenly Corpse Sect must die as well!

  Without hesitation, the three lunged forward, their killing intent surging like a violent tide.

  Two green corpses shot out, charging toward the two weaker Huang family warriors. Since Han had traveled overnight from Black Cloud Town, he had kept the corpses sealed within his corpse-nurturing pouch. Now was the perfect moment to unleash them.

  Rather than being surrounded, he much preferred to be the one surrounding others.

  Unfortunately, he had no other allies at the moment.

  Boom!

  A staff clashed against a hammer, sending a tremor through the air with a burst of raw power.

  Han's opponent recoiled in shock, disbelief filling his eyes.

  "You're only at the initial Visceral Realm? How can you be this strong?!"

  Han sneered. "Do you really think a mere Huang family warrior can fathom the strength of a disciple from the Heavenly Corpse Sect?"

  Whoosh!

  Arrows and spells whistled through the air, aimed at Han with lethal intent.

  But his expression remained indifferent. The strongest among them was merely at the Night Roaming Realm, and even then, they were confined by their physical limitations. How powerful could their techniques truly be?

  Arrows from a Meridian Realm archer couldn’t even pierce his skin.

  Dark Qi erupted from Han’s body, forming a protective barrier that nullified every sneak attack.

  He had now mastered the ability to externalize his Qi—for both offense and defense!

  The fiery energy of pure Yang surged around him, countering the Yin-based sorcery entirely.

  Han’s iron staff struck down relentlessly. His proficiency in staff techniques might only be at the beginner level, but raw strength could crush even the most skilled techniques!

  Stone fragments exploded from the ground, turning into rubble, then dust. Craters formed with each impact, growing deeper with every blow.

  The Meridian Realm warriors dared not interfere in such a battle. All they could do was fire arrows from a distance. If they approached, they would be obliterated in an instant.

  The Huang family’s Visceral Realm master fought on, growing more alarmed with each exchange. His opponent was clearly only at the initial Visceral Realm, yet his physical prowess was on par with his own. Han's ferocity was beyond reason.

  Clang!

  A heavy war hammer swung toward Han, forcing him back. Seizing the moment, Han coordinated with his refined corpse, launching a perfectly timed counterattack.

  His iron staff slammed into a Huang family warrior’s chest, while the corpse’s claw pierced clean through his abdomen.

  Gurgle...

  The warrior struggled to speak, but his life had already slipped away.

  "You dare?!" The Huang family’s peak Visceral Realm warrior roared in rage. While battling him, Han had still managed to kill one of their own!

  "Why wouldn’t I dare?"

  Han shot forward, resuming his duel against the strongest opponent.

  Meanwhile, his refined corpse rejoined its companion, splitting the burden of fighting the remaining Visceral Realm combatant.

  "Forget him! I’ll handle him myself! Kill the green corpses first!" Han’s opponent shouted, ordering the three Night Roaming cultivators.

  "You should worry about yourself first."

  As his enemy exhausted his technique, Han seized the opening, launching a weapon pin directly at his heart.

  The Huang family warrior’s eyes widened in horror. Twisting his body at the last moment, he narrowly avoided a fatal hit. But his desperate maneuver left him vulnerable.

  Crack!

  Han’s staff struck his shoulder, while the pin drove clean through his other arm, sending blood spraying through the air.

  The warrior let out a muffled grunt, his arm now twisted and useless.

  "Despicable! You resort to sneak attacks!"

  Was he still clinging to outdated notions of honor? Did he not understand that against demonic sects, there was no such thing as chivalry?

  Han’s staff came crashing down again. His opponent barely parried before being sent flying. Upon regaining his footing, he turned and bolted without hesitation.

  Han smirked, recalling the pin before flinging it once more. At the same time, he drew his Sky Piercer Bow, nocking an arrow and letting it fly.

  The lethal whistle of the arrow filled the air.

  With his movement-enhancing boots activated, Han vanished like a phantom, keeping pace with his target.

  "Running now?"

  "Too late."

  Three simultaneous attacks bore down on the Huang family’s peak Visceral Realm warrior. Desperate, he tried to defend himself, but such a deadly onslaught was not so easily evaded.

  Boom!

  Another heavy blow sent him crashing into the ground like a ragdoll.

  He struggled to rise, still intent on escaping.

  Han shook his head and swiftly finished him off.

  If the man had stood his ground, it would have taken Han longer to defeat him. After all, Han’s current combat strength was only at peak Visceral Realm under normal conditions.

  But fear and cowardice were fatal for any warrior.

  With two Visceral Realm masters dead, only the last one remained—currently being savaged by Han’s green corpses.

  Han lunged at him, joining the fray. With one man and two corpses working together, the final Visceral Realm warrior quickly fell.

  Glancing around, Han saw that the other Huang family warriors had long since fled.

  Their strongest fighters had been slaughtered in mere moments. Staying behind would have meant certain death.

  Han had no intention of pursuing them. Dozens of warriors and cultivators had scattered in all directions—it was impractical to chase them all. More importantly, he needed to leave this place swiftly.

  After collecting three spatial pouches, he turned his attention to the excavated mountain caves, searching for anything of value.

  Upon entering one particular cave, Han frowned deeply.

  Inside lay the skeletal remains of over a hundred individuals. Judging by the tattered fabric clinging to their bones, they had been simple townsfolk. The heavy presence of lingering resentment suggested their violent deaths, yet there were no ghosts to be found.

  Han sighed. These must have been the unfortunate souls who had ventured into the Three Yin Valley over the decades while the Huang family occupied the region.

  Once they entered, survival was never an option. The Huang family would never allow their secrets to spread.

  After all, their cultivators practiced sinister arts, including the refinement of the Soul-Binding Banner.

  Han left the cave and collapsed the entrance, giving these souls an unmarked grave.

  At another cave’s entrance, he discovered a shimmering light barrier. Forcing his way through, he was pleasantly surprised—this was the resting place of the Huang family’s Day Roaming cultivator.

  After looting the site, Han departed without looking back.

  He had arrived alone, and he left alone.

  Only silence remained in the valley.