A deafening roar erupted from the bone-forged corpse, its malevolent energy surging through the air, sweeping in all directions.

  The cursed aura sent the surrounding grave mounds flying, shattering countless bones into fragments, a terrifying sight that chilled the soul.

  The ghostly corpse unleashed a terrifying fury but made no move to strike. Instead, its actions seemed more like a mockery of Han and the others.

  Dai Lin stared coldly at Han, his eyes glinting with malice.

  "That look on your face is truly annoying."

  "Do you think you'll survive today? What of the disciples of Xuan Du Temple? Even she won't be able to save you!"

  "One at the Pulse Realm, one at the Internal Organs Realm, and one at the Night Wanderer Realm... I could take all your lives in just a few breaths."

  "Now, kneel and beg for mercy. I'll spare you some suffering."

  He was eager to see fear spread across Han’s face, to watch them grovel, crying and begging for mercy, weak and pathetic.

  He wanted nothing more than to toy with them, to break them psychologically.

  The grudge of losing his son was one that could never be forgiven, and he intended to use any means necessary to torment these three.

  To the disciples of the Corpse Sect, allowing an enemy to die swiftly meant their cultivation was lacking.

  Han glanced at him, his expression still calm, and spoke in a flat tone.

  "Looks like you’ve been in Black Cloud Town for quite some time, gathering information."

  How could the Corpse Sect, located so far away in Tianwang County, possibly know about Lu Qingmo? And how could they have known about their cultivation levels?

  This guy must have been lurking for some time... Truly patient.

  "I originally thought you wouldn’t travel such a long way for revenge," Han shook his head.

  "After all, evil cultivators don’t typically care much for offspring."

  "Didn’t expect you actually showed up... Too bad..."

  "You’re late."

  Dai Lin sneered, "Late? Not at all, not even a little."

  "You still have time to join my son in the afterlife, to atone for your sins in the underworld."

  Han smiled faintly.

  "You didn’t understand me, Dai Lin. When I said you’re late, I didn’t mean it in that way."

  "As for begging for mercy..." Han’s tone turned light and amused.

  "Your son, Dai Liu, did the exact same thing back then."

  "Crying, kneeling, begging us to spare his life, like a dog... Tsk, tsk, tsk."

  "So this is what you taught him, huh? Like father, like son..."

  Dai Liu had once been defiant, even threatening Han with his background when death was at his doorstep.

  But that didn’t stop Han from striking at his heart now.

  "You little brat, seeking death!"

  Dai Lin’s fury exploded as he lashed out.

  "Beg for mercy? Of course, it’s your place to kneel before me, that’s only natural."

  "But my son—whether he begged or not—it’s beneath your dignity to mock him."

  Some things I can do, but you can’t!

  The ghostly corpse suddenly launched itself with a terrifying force, smashing into the ground and sending a deep crater into the earth. It shot toward Han with overwhelming speed, its dark aura spreading like a storm, blackening the sky.

  "I’ll make you experience the sensation of having your blood slowly drained from your body!"

  "Pathetic fool’s rage."

  Han shook his head gently. Under the surprised gazes of the Yun sisters, his soul shot out from his body, glowing with radiant light, unfazed by the sun.

  A faint sunlit glow shimmered around his soul, harmonizing with the sunlight, drawing everyone’s attention.

  Impossible!

  The enemy thought it was impossible, and even the Yun sisters, his allies, couldn’t believe their eyes.

  It was absurd, unbelievable.

  Among the four of them, there was a second soul at the Day Wanderer stage!

  A booming sound filled the air as a gigantic, multi-colored handprint slammed down, striking the ghostly corpse and crushing it in an instant.

  The corpse screamed in agony, the soul-infused corpse writhing in pain, unable to move another inch.

  A visible mass of cursed energy evaporated, and the ghostly corpse’s aura began to fade.

  Against such a vile creature, Han’s radiant energy suppressed it effortlessly. When a corpse cultivator’s power couldn’t match the might of pure, righteous energy, facing it was like a fish on a chopping block.

  If Han were facing a regular Bone Refining warrior, the outcome would be uncertain, for Day Wanderer cultivators generally fell short in direct combat against Bone Refining warriors.

  But against a Bone Refining zombie? It was like a father effortlessly handling a child, a thirty-year-old man easily overpowering a three-year-old.

  Righteous energy dealt with these evil beings like nothing else, subduing them completely.

  The zombie, driven mad by the pure energy, struggled violently, trying to escape, but it was all in vain.

  A Bone Refining ghostly corpse was easily controlled by Han.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  It was like a divine force had descended, overwhelming everyone present with its might.

  Dai Lin’s face turned pale as he quickly formed a hand seal and chanted an incantation, channeling energy to revive his corpse while launching a counterattack at Han.

  "Boom!"

  The surrounding area exploded, creating a massive crater.

  Dai Lin managed to save his ghostly corpse, but his face twisted with anguish and disbelief.

  The corpse, once as solid as steel, now had multiple deep indentations on its body. Its cursed blood and flesh were evaporating, and its malevolent aura had been all but drained.

  The zombie’s eyes flickered with diminishing malice and spirit, becoming lethargic.

  Dai Lin’s rage boiled over. This was his life-bound corpse, his most treasured possession. Yet after a single clash, it had been so badly damaged.

  A corpse cultivator’s life-bound corpse was everything to them.

  If his support had been even a moment too late, the consequences were unimaginable.

  Glaring at Han, Dai Lin gritted his teeth and said, "Day Wanderer realm."

  Shock flooded his heart, and his emotions were beyond expression.

  He’d been in Black Cloud Town for some time, gathering information on the three killers who had taken his son’s life. He knew their identities, their cultivation, and their background.

  But this person named Han, who had only been cultivating for a few months, how could he possibly be at the Day Wanderer stage?

  There was no way—this was impossible!

  The rumors in Black Cloud Town were false, deceiving an outsider like him.

  The people in Black Cloud Town were despicable!

  Dai Lin had painstakingly planned every step of his revenge, even borrowing a treasure from his sect to hide from the Xuan Du Temple disciple's probing.

  He had intentionally caused a disturbance at the Yun family mine, luring the three enemies into the open.

  If this had failed to bring them out, he would have waited for another opportunity.

  He swore to kill Han and his companions to avenge his son’s spirit.

  And yet, fate had smiled upon him, allowing him to succeed at once.

  He had been confident that this revenge would go smoothly, sure that blood would be spilled.

  But now, reality dealt him a heavy blow.

  Day Wanderer… How could it be Day Wanderer... And one who wielded the power to suppress corpse cultivators!

  Han smiled slightly, his voice full of mockery.

  "Surprised? Shocked? Thrilled?"

  "Do you think I’ve been sitting here calmly listening to you babble for no reason?"

  "Of course not. It’s because I’m not afraid of you, you little fool."

  "I’m just watching the clown show. What are you watching?"

  "Yama, perhaps?"

  A Day Wanderer cultivator and a Bone Refining black zombie—impressive, right?

  "I’ll show you just what I can do. With just my righteous hand, I could handle both of you with ease."

  A normal Day Wanderer cultivator might give Han some trouble.

  But when a corpse cultivator’s Bone Refining zombie is ruined, that cultivator’s power is also greatly diminished.

  "Zhou... Han, you’re really a Day Wanderer?" Yun Duo stammered, her disbelief evident.

  Han chuckled, "The light of my realm, surely you can recognize it now."

  "You’ve surpassed me, I’m done for."

  Yun Duo muttered to herself, lost in her thoughts.

  She had planned to work hard and get closer to Han, to close the distance between them.

  But now, the gap was as wide as could be.

  And she was the one who had been left behind.

  Yun Duo, still innocent, could process this change. But Yun Yun stood there, frozen, staring at Han’s soul with wide, unblinking eyes, as if she had lost her own.

  Day Wanderer...

  Day... I...

  Who am I? Where am I?

  Han turned his gaze toward Dai Lin, raising an eyebrow.

  "You’re not running?"

  Just a moment ago, I was talking casually with the person next to me, and you're still here?

  Alright, so you think you can look down on me, huh?

  Dai Lin’s anger flared. "You impudent child, at the early stage of Day 游, how dare you act so arrogant!"

  "I’ve been in the Day 游 realm for over a decade, my foundation is something you could never compare to."

  "Still at Day 游 after more than ten years of breakthrough?" Han offered a blunt comment.

  "You're weak indeed."

  Dai Lin’s rage intensified—this was a profound humiliation!

  "Die!"

  The ghostly corpse released a massive amount of ghost mist, distorting the battlefield. Dai Lin swiftly threw out several items, creating a domain for corpse refining.

  A precious pearl shot out from his mouth, glowing gray, and a drop of soul blood was expelled, landing on the pearl and empowering it with immense strength, shooting its aura into the sky.

  Dai Lin still held a few refined corpses at the "dirty body" level, but he had no intention of using them.

  This opponent’s strength, even his own life essence could not withstand.

  If he summoned a green zombie, it wouldn’t even be able to distract the other party. A single burst of seven-colored light would reduce it to nothing. Dai Lin was well aware of this.

  "Yun Yun, Yun Duo, I need you to watch over my body."

  Yun Yun snapped out of her daze, casting a complex glance at Han before nodding.

  "We can only protect your body, but rest assured, we’ll do it well!"

  Han remained composed, gazing at the swirling ghost mist.

  While it seemed like he had asked Yun Yun and the others to guard his body, Han was completely confident in his own strength.

  Dai Lin was a cultivator, not a martial artist. He could not harm Han's physical body.

  "Annoying," Han muttered.

  With a wave of his hand, seven-colored energy surged out, shattering Dai Lin’s carefully arranged corpse domain.

  A violent wind swept in all directions as Han stood calmly in midair, exuding effortless poise.

  "I had almost forgotten about you, and yet you come seeking death on your own. In that case, go join the Underworld and Dai Liu."

  "Who dies and who lives is still an unknown!" Dai Lin roared.

  "Man and corpse, one!"

  The precious pearl struck directly into the ghostly corpse’s heart, and Dai Lin's soul dove into it.

  Immediately, the ghostly corpse’s aura changed, its eyes now resembling Dai Lin’s, full of hatred.

  Combining man and corpse was a dangerous choice—though it would increase his power, it also caused great harm to his soul.

  The corpse’s energy entered his soul, severely weakening his foundation. Dai Lin had no idea how many years it would take to recover, and even then, the remnants of the corpse’s energy would plague him, preventing any progress.

  However, the effect was undeniable. Now, Dai Lin appeared as an unusual practitioner, mastering both martial and soul cultivation.

  Soul and corpse merged, and his strength grew exponentially.

  "Earthly corpse devours the heavens!" Dai Lin howled, causing the ground to tremble. A torrent of earth energy gathered with the force to cover the land.

  This massive power shielded the corpse, transforming into the sharpest spear under Dai Lin’s control.

  A giant hand made of earth solidified and reached for Han, intending to grab him and pull him underground.

  The very space seemed to slow down, preventing Han from moving freely.

  Along with this technique came Dai Lin himself, now an indestructible zombie.

  The moment seemed to stretch, but in reality, it all happened in the blink of an eye.

  Seeing both the corpse and technique arrive, Han quietly muttered, "A minor path."

  From Han’s perspective, Dai Lin’s powers were full of sinister intent, as fragile as paper.

  Seven-colored energy surged, sweeping away all ghosts and spirits, purging the land.

  Nameless dark flames erupted, striking the ghostly corpse.

  Han’s magical tools soared, screeching through the air and leaving deep scars behind.

  Golden light radiated, surrounding him in a protective shield, keeping the earth-powered hand of the corpse at bay, preventing it from touching him.

  A protective golden glow enveloped Han’s body, a technique he could rely on for protection.

  The Golden Light Curse, a technique that could be used from the path of enlightenment to burial, had many applications—strengthening cultivation, subduing demons, protecting one’s body, or empowering tools.

  As long as one kept progressing with the Golden Light Curse, it would always grow in tandem with their cultivation.

  Han’s Golden Light Curse was well-formed and more than enough for his current needs.

  The giant handprint imbued with purifying force crashed into Dai Lin’s body.

  The excruciating pain transferred from the ghostly corpse to Dai Lin’s soul, making him wish for death.

  "Is this…浩然 Qi?" Dai Lin gasped in recognition.

  For practitioners of the Earthly Corpse Sect, this power was only spoken of in legends. Dai Lin had never seen it before.

  Fear overwhelmed him as earth hands rose from the ground, slamming toward Han.

  But the golden light remained, as indestructible as a god or devil.

  Dai Lin’s techniques shone, dazzling with the power of his final desperation.

  The sisters Yun Yun and Yun Duo had no choice but to retreat with Han’s body, wary of the collateral damage.

  Years of hard training in the Day 游 realm had indeed built a solid foundation.

  "Weak, too weak," Han said indifferently.

  "If this is all you have, then the Earthly Corpse Sect will be down one elder."

  "Boom!"

  A brilliant, overwhelming surge of浩然 energy flooded the heavens and earth, shining impossibly bright.

  Dai Lin’s every move was swept away, his defenses obliterated. Before Han, he was utterly powerless.

  The combination of man and corpse was nothing but a futile attempt.

  "You didn't even make it interesting."

  Han’s eyes were cold as he chanted a new incantation and formed a hand seal.

  Dai Lin suddenly realized something was wrong—he couldn’t move, as if his body was frozen in place.

  Then, something horrifying happened: six seven-colored handprints appeared in the air, charging toward him.

  The heavens and earth, all four directions, were sealed off. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to escape.

  "My life ends here!"