Chapter 59: Between Shadows and the Path to the UnknownA New Trail
Several days had passed since Han Feng left the Forgotten Temple of the Dark Soul.
He had not returned to the main roads.
He had not contacted the Black Moon Sect.
And he had not tried to investigate the strange fragment that had appeared inside his consciousness.
For now, he had chosen something far more valuable.
Distance.
Han Feng moved silently through the forest covering the lower slopes of the Western Region mountains.
The wind passed through the twisted trees, carrying the scent of wet earth and ancient stone.
His long white hair barely moved beneath his concealment.
The Art of the Celestial Veil was active.
His aura was compressed until it was almost impossible to detect.
But Han Feng knew better than to believe that made him invisible.
A powerful cultivator could still discover him.
Tracking Gu could still reveal traces.
And formations could react to disturbances he failed to notice.
Concealment was not invincibility.
It was simply another layer between survival and death.
Han Feng stopped beside an old tree.
His purple eyes examined the ground.
There were footprints.
Several.
Some were fresh.
Others were already being covered by moisture and fallen leaves.
He crouched and touched the soil.
At least six people.
Their movements were disciplined.
Not ordinary treasure hunters.
Han Feng's expression became colder.
He had been following a trail toward an ancient cultivation refuge mentioned in a fragmentary record he had acquired before entering the mountains.
The original owner of the refuge had supposedly been a powerful cultivator from an era so old that most records of him had disappeared.
The surviving information was incomplete.
There were rumors of spiritual treasures.
Ancient cultivation techniques.
And, more importantly, records concerning a strange Gu that had never been properly identified.
Han Feng had no intention of rushing inside simply because of the possibility of treasure.
What interested him was the connection.
The fragmentary map contained a symbol that resembled one of the patterns he had seen in the ancient temple.
A six-point structure.
Not identical.
But close enough to make him suspicious.
Another coincidence would be too convenient.
Han Feng stood.
He continued forward.
Then he saw the mark.
A strange symbol had been carved into the bark of a dead tree.
A circle surrounding what looked like a human bone.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
He recognized it.
The Celestial Corpse Sect.
The Celestial Corpse Sect
Han Feng had heard of the sect before.
Not enough to understand its internal structure.
But enough to know that its reputation was unpleasant.
The Celestial Corpse Sect specialized in corpse refinement, soul manipulation, and techniques that used the remnants of dead cultivators.
They were not necessarily the strongest faction in the Western Region.
But they were patient.
And unlike ordinary treasure hunters, they were willing to spend months or even years excavating a single ancient inheritance.
That made them dangerous.
Han Feng moved deeper into the forest.
More traces appeared.
Broken branches.
Footprints.
A faint smell of blood.
Someone had passed through recently.
They've already found the refuge.
Han Feng accelerated slightly.
Not enough to make noise.
Just enough to avoid falling too far behind.
Soon, the trees opened.
An ancient stone structure appeared between the roots and vines.
Most of it had collapsed into the mountainside.
Only half of the entrance remained visible.
The stone door had already been broken.
Someone had entered.
Han Feng did not move immediately.
He observed the surroundings.
No guards.
No obvious formation.
No corpses.
That was precisely what made him suspicious.
Too quiet.
He waited.
One breath.
Two.
Three.
Nothing.
Only then did he enter.
The Ancient Refuge
The interior was narrow.
Moisture covered the walls.
Moss grew between the ancient stones.
The deeper Han Feng went, the colder the air became.
He noticed several traces of combat.
A wall had been shattered.
A stone pillar had been broken in half.
There was dried blood on the floor.
But no bodies.
Han Feng crouched beside the blood.
He touched it with one finger.
It had already dried.
At least several hours old.
He looked at the nearby wall.
There were scratch marks.
Deep ones.
Something had been dragged across the stone.
Someone was injured and carried away.
Han Feng stood.
The refuge had not been abandoned.
It had been contested.
He continued deeper.
The corridor eventually split into three paths.
Han Feng examined each one.
The left corridor contained traces of spiritual energy.
The middle one had no signs of recent movement.
The right corridor smelled faintly of corpse refinement materials.
He chose the middle.
The safest path was not always the one with the least danger.
Sometimes it was the one nobody else had considered important.
After several minutes, he heard voices.
Han Feng immediately activated the Celestial Veil to its fullest.
He stepped behind a collapsed section of wall.
Three figures entered the chamber ahead.
They wore dark robes.
Bone ornaments hung from their belts.
A faint corpse-like aura surrounded their bodies.
Celestial Corpse Sect.
One of them was a thin man with gray hair.
Another was broad-shouldered and carried a black coffin on his back.
The third was younger, but his eyes were cold and calculating.
The gray-haired man spoke first.
"The entrance is definitely here."
The younger cultivator frowned.
"We have searched three chambers already."
"The Master ordered us to return with something."
His gaze swept across the room.
"We will not leave empty-handed."
The broad-shouldered cultivator placed the black coffin on the ground.
A dull sound came from inside.
Bang.
Something had moved.
The younger cultivator glanced at the coffin.
"Is it awake?"
"Not yet."
The gray-haired man shook his head.
"Don't open it unless I tell you."
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
A corpse refined to the point that it can react to its surroundings?
He remained completely still.
The three cultivators began searching the chamber.
One of them approached an old stone wall.
"There must be a hidden mechanism."
The younger man examined the floor.
"The records said the original owner left something here."
The gray-haired man nodded.
"Something more important than a cultivation technique."
Han Feng's attention sharpened.
"Do you know what it is?"
The gray-haired man smiled.
"We only know what the records call it."
He placed his hand against the wall.
"The Resonance Scripture."
Han Feng's pupils contracted.
Resonance.
Again.
The same concept.
The same word.
It had appeared in the Nine Tombs.
The ancient Anchor.
The Celestial Diagram.
The Forgotten Temple.
And now here.
Han Feng's breathing remained steady.
But inside his consciousness, the Celestial Diagram gave a faint pulse.
Once.
The younger cultivator suddenly turned.
"Did you feel that?"
Han Feng's expression froze.
The gray-haired man looked around.
"Feel what?"
"A fluctuation."
The younger cultivator narrowed his eyes.
"It was very weak."
Han Feng immediately suppressed the Celestial Diagram's reaction with the Art of the Celestial Veil.
The pulse disappeared.
The three men waited.
Nothing happened.
The gray-haired cultivator eventually shook his head.
"Forget it."
He returned his attention to the wall.
Han Feng remained motionless.
The Celestial Diagram reacted to the name.
That was enough.
Whatever the Resonance Scripture was, it was connected to something he had already encountered.
But there was another problem.
The Celestial Corpse Sect knew about it too.
The Hidden Chamber
The gray-haired cultivator suddenly pressed three points on the wall.
Click.
Stone moved.
A hidden passage opened.
Cold air flowed from within.
The three men immediately became alert.
"There."
The younger cultivator smiled.
"Finally."
The broad-shouldered man lifted the coffin.
"Should I release the Corpse Guard?"
"No."
The gray-haired man shook his head.
"Not yet."
They entered the passage.
Han Feng waited.
He counted their footsteps.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then silence.
Only after several breaths did he leave his hiding place.
He approached the hidden entrance.
Before entering, he examined the mechanism.
There was something carved into the stone.
A six-point symbol.
Han Feng stared at it.
It was not identical to the Celestial Diagram.
But it was unmistakably related.
His expression became serious.
Someone has been studying the same system.
He stepped into the passage.
The hidden door closed behind him.
Darkness surrounded him.
Han Feng continued forward.
The deeper he went, the stronger the spiritual pressure became.
Then he heard something.
A faint sound.
Not footsteps.
Not breathing.
A whisper.
"Six paths..."
Han Feng stopped.
The voice came from somewhere beneath the floor.
"...one resonance..."
His eyes narrowed.
Then the whisper continued.
"...and one that should never return."
Silence.
Han Feng stood motionless.
For several breaths, nothing happened.
Then—
A faint blue light appeared beneath his feet.
A formation.
It had been waiting.
Not for the Celestial Corpse Sect.
Not for the Bai Clan.
For someone carrying the resonance.
Han Feng's expression became extremely serious.
He slowly looked toward the darkness ahead.
This refuge isn't simply hiding a treasure.
It was built to record something.
Something ancient.
Something connected to the same mystery that had followed him from the Southern Region to the Western Region.
And somewhere ahead, the Celestial Corpse Sect had already opened the first door.
Han Feng's fingers tightened around his weapon.
He stepped forward.
This time, he was no longer following the treasure hunters.
He was following the trail they had accidentally uncovered.
And whatever waited at the end of that trail...
Had already begun to recognize him.