Han had a good idea why no one from the town had returned alive from the Three Yin Valley in recent decades.

  Leaving the small town behind, he set off toward the valley a hundred miles away. He remained cautious throughout the journey, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings to avoid being detected by the Huang clan.

  As he traveled, three towering peaks came into view, their jagged silhouettes marking the valley’s entrance in the distance.

  Despite the blazing sun overhead, the temperature noticeably dropped as he approached the Three Yin Valley.

  "Young Master, how are we getting in?" An Lang's voice broke the silence.

  "We'll infiltrate," Han replied.

  "You mean… by walking in through the front gate?"

  Han sighed. "No. Traditional stealth."

  Marching through the main entrance would be outright reckless. There were two ways to infiltrate—he chose the old-fashioned approach.

  Circling the valley from a distance, he assessed the terrain. The three mountains were vast, providing ample cover. Picking a suitable location, Han donned his faceless mask and other concealment artifacts before beginning his ascent.

  He moved with great care, scanning for any traces of spiritual techniques or formations. While he was confident there wouldn’t be anyone beyond his ability to handle, the exact number of enemies remained unknown.

  Sure enough, Han soon discovered remnants of spiritual techniques—talisman papers buried in the soil at intervals. If anyone stepped within their range, they would activate.

  "How cautious," Han murmured.

  Though he couldn’t immediately recognize the talismans, that didn’t matter. He contacted Lu Qingmo through a communication artifact and described the situation.

  "They're likely warning talismans. Avoiding detection should be easy with your abilities," Lu Qingmo advised, before teaching Han a technique to bypass them.

  Perception, detection, and defense—these barriers only worked against the weak. The Huang clan couldn't have made this valley completely impenetrable.

  As Han neared the summit, he stopped in his tracks.

  There were guards.

  More than one.

  "So, they even have sentries posted?"

  The guards weren’t particularly strong—the martial artists were only at the Meridian Realm, and the cultivators likely weren’t much stronger. None of them were capable of noticing Han’s presence.

  He waited patiently, then seized the perfect moment to slip past the second line of defenses undetected.

  Finding a concealed spot, he turned his gaze toward the valley below.

  The landscape was barren—rugged terrain covered in nothing but stone, giving the area a desolate feel. Despite it being broad daylight, thick, eerie mist coiled through the valley, untouched by the sun’s warmth. Most of the valley lay in perpetual shadow.

  At the valley’s deepest point, Han spotted a lake spanning over ten meters in diameter. In the center of the lake, a small island barely a meter wide sat isolated.

  The murky waters obscured anything beneath the surface.

  Carved into the surrounding cliffs were several artificial caves. From a few of them, Han could sense faint traces of life.

  "Three martial artists at the Viscera Realm… four cultivators…"

  Han narrowed his eyes. One of the cultivators gave him a distinct sense of danger, sending an almost instinctive chill down his spine.

  That feeling alone was enough for Han to make an educated guess about the person's strength.

  The valley, while strange, didn’t seem particularly extraordinary at first glance. Other than the abnormally strong Yin energy lingering in the air, it looked like any other barren canyon.

  Then again, if the Three Yin Valley’s secrets were obvious, the Huang clan wouldn’t have waited decades to claim it.

  A family specializing in ghost-taming techniques—what exactly were they doing here?

  Han’s gaze settled on the lake.

  If something was being hidden, that would be the most likely place.

  Unlike the rest of the valley, the lake was the only area exposed to sunlight, making it the least affected by Yin energy.

  He considered using his spiritual sense to probe the depths, but with four unknown cultivators nearby, it was too risky.

  "Young Master, something feels… off," An Lang murmured.

  "What's wrong?"

  "That lake. I feel an overwhelming urge to jump in."

  Han nodded slightly. That confirmed his suspicions—the lake was definitely unusual.

  A short while later, movement caught his eye.

  A figure emerged from one of the caves and headed toward another. Han immediately concealed himself, pushing his stealth artifacts to their limits.

  Even at a glance, Han knew this was the dangerous cultivator. He quickly averted his gaze, not daring to stare for too long in case the man sensed it.

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  His instincts were right—this was a Sun Walker Realm cultivator.

  Han remained calm. He had anticipated encountering someone of this level.

  The Huang clan’s Bone Refining martial artists couldn’t come here, so stationing a Sun Walker cultivator made perfect sense.

  While he wasn’t afraid, this only reinforced how important the valley was to the Huang clan.

  Even within their ranks, Sun Walkers were rare and highly valued. Sending one to guard this remote location? That spoke volumes.

  "Young Master, what now?"

  "That Sun Walker is a problem. If he weren’t here, I could slip past undetected."

  Spiritual senses were useful—often more so than physical sight. But sometimes, they were unreliable.

  Just like when Han had been in Black Mountain—his spiritual sense failed to detect the serpent beast in time.

  There were many ways to conceal oneself from spiritual detection, especially against someone of a higher level.

  As long as the three martial artists and three remaining cultivators stayed inside their caves, Han had confidence he could sneak into the lake unseen.

  But…

  Han frowned. Sneaking in undetected?

  Impossible.

  Still, he had an idea.

  "Let's withdraw for now."

  Carefully, Han retreated from the valley.

  An Lang emerged from his ghostly dwelling. "Young Master, are we giving up?"

  Han gave him a complicated look. "You were right—your instincts were onto something."

  "If there’s no foolproof way to bypass that Sun Walker…"

  "Then we remove the Sun Walker."

  If a person was the problem, the simplest solution was to eliminate them.

  Who still plays by outdated stealth rules?

  "How are we doing that?"

  "I have a plan that will put the Three Yin Valley in the palm of my hand."

  "Oh? What plan?"

  "Leave living matters to me."

  "…"

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, only faint remnants of daylight remained.

  Suddenly, a wave of bestial pressure swept through the valley—a chilling aura that sent shivers down the spines of everyone within.

  All seven Huang clan members emerged from their caves, their expressions dark and tense.

  "This presence…!"

  "A Bone Refining Realm beast?!"

  "Impossible! When the clan cleared this place, the strongest creatures were only at the Meridian Realm!"

  For decades, no one who ventured into the San Yin Valley had ever returned alive. Han had a good idea why.

  Leaving the small town behind, he set out toward the valley, a hundred miles away. Every step of the way, he remained cautious, constantly scanning his surroundings to ensure he wasn't being tracked by the Huang clan.

  As he approached, three towering peaks loomed in the distance, standing like sentinels over the valley. Though the sun blazed high in the sky, the air grew noticeably colder the closer he got to San Yin Valley.

  "Young Master, how are we getting inside?" An Lang's voice broke the silence.

  "We'll infiltrate," Han replied.

  "You mean by walking right through the front entrance? Bold move."

  "Traditional infiltration," Han corrected dryly.

  Marching straight in would be reckless. There were two ways to sneak in, and he had opted for the conventional approach.

  From a distance, Han studied the valley's terrain. The three mountains were vast, but he identified a suitable entry point. Donning the Faceless Mask and other concealment artifacts, he began his climb.

  Carefully, he advanced, eyes sharp for any traces of mystical defenses. While he was confident no opponent here could outright overpower him, the exact number of enemies remained unknown.

  Sure enough, along the way, he spotted Daoist talismans buried in the ground at regular intervals. If someone stepped within a certain range, they would trigger an alert.

  "Thorough setup," Han muttered, frowning. He couldn't immediately recognize the talismans, but that didn't matter. He sent a message to Lu Qingmo, detailing the situation.

  "Those are likely detection wards," Lu Qingmo responded. "With your abilities, avoiding them should be easy."

  She then shared a technique that allowed Han to bypass the talismans undetected.

  Detection, warnings, defenses—these were all obstacles meant for the weak.

  San Yin Valley was vast. The Huang clan couldn't possibly have turned it into an impenetrable fortress.

  Moving with precision, Han neared the mountain's summit but abruptly halted.

  There were guards stationed at the peak—several of them.

  "Standing watch, are they?"

  None were strong. The martial artists were only at the Meridian Realm, and the cultivators likely weren't much higher. They had no chance of detecting Han.

  Patiently, he waited for an opportunity. Then, with a silent step, he slipped past the second defensive perimeter unnoticed.

  Finding a concealed vantage point, he turned his gaze toward the valley below.

  The area was barren, strewn with jagged rocks, devoid of vegetation. A heavy, eerie aura clung to the valley, undisturbed even by the midday sun. Shadows swallowed most of the terrain, leaving only a small lake in the center exposed to sunlight.

  The lake was murky, its depths unreadable. A lone island, barely large enough to stand on, sat at its center.

  Carved into the valley walls were several man-made caves, and from a few of them, Han sensed the presence of life.

  "Three martial artists at the Zang Fu Realm, four cultivators…"

  One of them stood out. Han felt an unsettling, almost piercing sensation when observing him—like a blade against his back.

  This one was dangerous.

  The valley itself revealed little beyond its eerie atmosphere. If there was a hidden secret, it wouldn't be obvious at first glance.

  If San Yin Valley’s mystery was so easily unraveled, the Huang clan wouldn't have had decades to keep it under their control.

  Han’s eyes settled on the lake.

  If there was a secret, that was where it would be.

  The lake was the only place in the valley touched by sunlight, the least tainted by the lingering gloom.

  But it was too far away, and with four unknown cultivators nearby, probing with spiritual energy was too risky.

  "Young Master, something feels off," An Lang murmured.

  "What is it?"

  "The lake… It’s giving me this weird urge to jump in."

  Han nodded slightly. That confirmed it—the lake was the key.

  Just then, a figure emerged from one of the caves, heading toward another. Han immediately concealed himself, pushing his stealth artifacts to their limits.

  A single glance at the figure was all he dared before averting his gaze.

  This was the dangerous one.

  A cultivator at the Ri You Realm.

  Han remained composed. The Huang clan’s Bone Refinement Realm martial artist had carried knowledge of this.

  Bone Refinement fighters couldn’t reach this valley. A Ri You cultivator stationed here? That made perfect sense.

  He wasn't afraid. He had accounted for this possibility before coming.

  Still, it spoke volumes about how much the Huang clan valued this place.

  A Ri You cultivator was no minor asset—they held status within the clan. For one to be stationed in such a remote area meant that San Yin Valley was of utmost importance.

  "Young Master, what's our next move?"

  "This Ri You cultivator is a problem. If he weren’t here, I could slip in unnoticed."

  Spiritual perception often outperformed the naked eye, allowing for broader, more precise observations.

  But sometimes, it could be deceived.

  Like back in Heishan, where his spiritual senses failed to detect the giant serpent’s approach.

  There were ways to bypass spiritual detection—methods to remain "invisible" even against those of superior cultivation.

  As long as the other six remained inside their caves, Han was confident he could sneak into the lake.

  But stealth alone wouldn’t be enough.

  Han considered his options.

  Then he realized—sneaking in simply wasn’t feasible.

  But he already had an alternative in mind.

  "We’re leaving."

  Carefully, he retraced his steps out of the valley.

  An Lang materialized from his spectral dwelling, looking puzzled. "Are we giving up?"

  Han shot him a complex look.

  "You were onto something earlier," he admitted.

  "If there's no guaranteed way to slip past that Ri You cultivator…"

  "Then we take him out."

  If the problem was the person, then the solution was simple—remove them.

  Outdated tactics had no place in this fight. Traditional infiltration? Please.

  "What’s the plan?"

  "I have a strategy that will make San Yin Valley ours."

  "Oh? What is it?"

  "Leave the business of the living to me."

  "…"

  By dusk, the sun hung low, casting golden streaks across the sky.

  Then, a sudden surge of bestial energy erupted—a suffocating, primal pressure that spread through the valley.

  The Huang clan warriors inside reacted instantly, stepping out of their caves with grim expressions.

  "This aura…"

  "A Bone Refinement beast!"

  "Impossible! When the clan cleared this valley, the strongest beasts here were barely at the Meridian Realm!"