Having successfully broken into the True Essence realm, Gao Han spent another night consolidating his cultivation at the graveyard. He ventured once more to the cave entrance and discovered that he could now step inside, though not for long. The temperature plummeted to a staggering forty degrees below zero—cold enough to freeze a ninth-layer Qi Condensation cultivator to death in an instant across the Tianwu Continent.
Despite his extraordinary ice physique, the chill was simply too extreme. Even a third-layer True Essence expert, with genuine essence circulating throughout their body, could not endure more than a quarter of an hour before succumbing to frostbite and certain death.
Gao Han tested his limits: without channeling any defensive energy, he could remain inside for six shichen before risking severe injury. Yet this frigid place was an invaluable treasure for him. In those six hours alone, he had nearly stabilized his new realm entirely. He reached a firm conclusion: the fiercer the frost energy, the faster his strength grew—though it could not be so cold as to break him, for overweening force always collapses upon itself.
"I must return to the imperial capital at once, or this secret will not remain hidden," he murmured to himself. With his current power, defeating the zombie had been effortless. If he failed to return, the clans would assume a far more powerful undead lurked here and might send armies or elite experts to investigate. A thorough search across the mountains would surely uncover the ancient graveyard. Besides, his cultivation had risen too rapidly in recent days; he needed to clash with other experts to fully assimilate his newfound strength.
With his mind made up, he set off toward the camp. He intended to check whether Zheng Ling and the others had already departed. If they remained, he could take his time; if not, he would have to hurry to catch up.
The journey that had taken three shichen on the way there took him merely one to complete. Gao Han stood in silence, astonished by his own speed. Propelled by genuine essence rather than inner qi, his movement art Phantom Stride now moved three times swifter than before.
Staring at the empty, deserted camp, he smiled bitterly. The hard journey was far from over—the great clans had left, and he would have to chase after them.
Gao Han traveled using only his physical strength, leaping ten zhang with ease, matching the pace of a fine steed. Activating Phantom Stride would accelerate him to nearly a hundred meters per second, but the technique consumed too much genuine essence, which took a full day of meditation to replenish. The higher one's cultivation, the longer it took to restore one's power. At the Qi Condensation realm, he had needed only a few shichen to recover his inner qi.
After weighing his options, he chose to rely on his physical strength. While slower to regenerate, physical stamina could be restored simply by eating well and resting.
His figure darted across the landscape, faster than a thousand-li horse, vanishing into the distant horizon.
In the camp of the great clans, in the small hours of the morning:
"We'll reach the imperial capital tomorrow! This mission has been nothing but bad luck, though at least we're alive," Gu Yunluan said to Hu Kai inside the Hu family tent.
Hu Kai nodded in bitter agreement. "Truly damned luck. I thought we'd gain some benefit, but instead we nearly lost our lives. Infuriating!" He slammed his fist into a wooden table, leaving spiderwebbing cracks across its surface.
Gu Yunluan patted him on the shoulder. "Calm yourself. You think you've had it bad? Look at the Zheng clan. They've lost a genius, and that fool Zheng Kong has been tied up."
Hu Kai grunted in approval. "That Gao Han is the real nuisance. What has he ever done to win the lady's favor? Look at Situ Yan—she won't eat or drink, muttering only that good-for-nothing's name."
Gu Yunluan's face darkened as well. "Why don't we go amuse ourselves?"
"What sort of amusement?"
"At dusk yesterday, Zheng Ling tried to reason with that idiot Zheng Kong. When he refused to listen, Zheng Ling tied him to a wooden post."
"Oh? That sounds entertaining. The two of us ought to go have some fun."
Grinning maliciously, they left the tent and headed for the Zheng encampment.
Before Zheng Kong's tent, the young man stared hollowly inward, his body bound tightly to a wooden stake. He paid no mind to his restraints, his gaze fixed on the empty tent as if he saw Gao Han standing there, smiling and chiding him. Memories flooded his mind: their first meeting, their first conversation, the first time Gao Han had struck him, the first time he had saved his life.
As Zheng Kong sank into his reminiscence, Gu Yunluan and Hu Kai drew near. Sneering at his broken, ghostly appearance, they jeered.
"The world is full of fools. He's dead, and yet you carry on like this."
"Quite the performance. The Zheng clan truly is in decline."
Before they could finish, Zheng Kong erupted into a furious roar. "Damn you! Brother Han is not dead! Say that again, and I'll kill you!"
His shouts echoed through the camp. Furious, Gu Yunluan threw more than a dozen punches into Zheng Kong's stomach. The brutal force sent Zheng Kong coughing up mouthfuls of blood.
Everyone in the camp heard the commotion. Zheng Ling rushed over like a gust of wind, his eyes blazing with anger at the sight of Zheng Kong's blood. "I expect an explanation."
Gu Yunluan chuckled coldly. "An explanation for what? I did nothing. Hu Kai will bear witness for me."
By then, members of all the clans had gathered, and the situation was clear to see. Lu Zhengchun stepped forward. "Surely the Second Young Master of the Zheng clan worked himself into a fury and injured himself. Now, disperse."
He drew the Overlord Sword from his storage ring and smiled thinly at Zheng Ling and Situ Jian. "Am I not right?"
The two men glanced at the sword in Lu Zhengchun's hand and shook their heads helplessly. Their faction held only two True Essence cultivators, no match for the imperial party—especially with Lu Zhengchun wielding a top-tier low-grade spiritual sword.
Lu Zhengchun laughed loudly. "Then we shall take our leave."
As he turned to depart, a voice cut through the air, cold as glacial ice, freezing the very world around them.
"Who gave you permission to leave?"
Lu Zhengchun and his allies scowled. Who dared to interrupt their moment of dominance? The Zheng and Situ factions stared in shock—someone was standing up for them.
Only Zheng Kong burst into wild, ecstatic laughter. "I knew it! I knew you were too tough to die!" Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed loudly.
A black-cloaked figure spun down from the sky, landing gracefully atop the wooden stake holding Zheng Kong. Slender yet imposing, he wore a black martial robe with a black headband, his handsome, faintly youthful face twisted with fury.
It was Gao Han.
Unbridled frost energy radiated from his body. His eyes settled on Zheng Kong's crazed, tear-streaked face, and a sharp pain stabbed at his heart. He had never known he meant so much to the boy.
Gao Han had arrived just as Gu Yunluan and Hu Kai began their mockery. Overjoyed to find the camp still there, he had been about to call out when he heard Zheng Kong's roar. Hiding in a towering tree, he had not seen the beating, but he knew his brother had been wronged. He had leaped down at once, making his dramatic entrance.
Seeing his sworn brother bound and bloodied, Gao Han let out a thunderous roar of rage. He clenched his right fist and slammed it into the wooden stake, splitting it into countless splinters. Landing softly on the ground, he caught Zheng Kong before he fell.
After a night bound in ropes and brutalized by Gu Yunluan's punches, Zheng Kong was severely injured and weak. Gu Yunluan was a True Essence cultivator; Zheng Kong, only at Qi Condensation, had taken the blows defenselessly.
As Gao Han held him, he spotted the blood soaking Zheng Kong's clothes and the crimson trickle at his lips. He channeled his genuine essence into Zheng Kong's body to assess his injuries, his face darkening with fury as the temperature around them plummeted.
After briefly stabilizing Zheng Kong's wounds, Gao Han turned to the crowd, his expression like storm clouds. "Who did this?"
Lu Zhengchun stepped forward, his face grim. "Commoner! Kneel before your prince. Your shouting is insolent. I will have you punished for this."
Gao Han smiled faintly, a smile that chilled the bones. "Your Royal Highness, I believe you do not yet understand the situation."
He extended a single index finger and flicked it forward. A thread of genuine essence shot toward Lu Zhengchun.
Everyone present gasped at the energy rippling from Gao Han—True Essence. In just a few short days, he had crossed the monumental gap from Qi Condensation to True Essence.
Lu Zhengchun's sword flew into his hand in an instant, slicing the incoming essence apart with a single swing. The attack had been casual, so it shattered easily.
Suppressing his shock and rage, Lu Zhengchun said, "What do you want?" He feared Gao Han now. Even before breaking through, Gao Han had defeated him; as a True Essence cultivator, he stood no chance. He wisely chose to back down.
"What do I want?" Gao Han's smile vanished, his face turning icy. "I will say this one last time. The two who harmed Zheng Kong—step forward."
No one moved. Gao Han's eyes narrowed. "So I must find you myself."
He raised his palm, veins bulging, and lunged toward Gu Yunluan with High Mountain, Flowing Stream.
Gu Yunluan had been on guard from the start. As Gao Han's palm struck toward him, he summoned his long halberd and blocked the blow.
Crash!
Gu Yunluan was sent flying five zhang, spitting a mouthful of blood ten feet away. He glared at Gao Han with hatred before falling unconscious.
The onlookers stared in stunned silence. They had known Gao Han was powerful, but to defeat Gu Yunluan with a single palm was beyond belief.
Lu Zhengchun's face flushed crimson with rage. "Are you satisfied now?"
Gao Han turned to him calmly. "I said two people."
Though he had not seen the beating itself, he had seen Gu Yunluan and Hu Kai standing over Zheng Kong. Both were clearly responsible.
Hu Kai shouted furiously, "You have gone too far! Do not forget—fortune changes. Harm me, and you will regret it in the capital!"
Gao Han's eyes flashed with killing intent. "Are you suggesting I should eliminate you entirely to root out the problem?"
Sensing Gao Han's murderous aura, Lu Zhengchun's expression shifted. He now understood Gao Han's resolve—once he set his mind to something, he would not be swayed.
Slap!
Lu Zhengchun turned and struck Hu Kai across the face. "Silence!"
Hu Kai stared at him in dumbfounded shock.
Gao Han nodded. His left hand moved like a shadow, slapping Hu Kai's other cheek, leaving a bright red mark.
"That will do. You may leave now."
Ignoring them entirely, Gao Han carried Zheng Kong into the tent to heal his wounds.
Lu Zhengchun stormed back to his tent, his face twisted with malice. Hu Kai's eyes burned with murderous hatred as he glared first at Gao Han, then at Lu Zhengchun, trembling as he returned to his own quarters. Members of the Gu clan carried the unconscious Gu Yunluan away. Only the Zhengs and Situs remained, staring at each other in disbelief.
None had expected Gao Han to return in such dominating fashion, turning the tide of the entire confrontation. The imperial faction, arrogant moments before, had been reduced to helpless dogs, and they had witnessed a bitter falling-out among their rivals.
Situ Jian froze for a moment before shouting in delight. "Gao Han has returned! He's back! I must tell my sister!" He rushed toward his sister's tent.
Inside Zheng Kong's tent, Gao Han held the boy's wrist, pouring a steady stream of genuine essence into his body to mend his cracked meridians and damaged dantian.
After a long while, he slowly retracted his hand. Zheng Kong, unable to hold on any longer, had fallen into a deep sleep.
"Brother Gao, how is he?" Zheng Ling asked anxiously.
Gao Han glanced at him coolly. "He will recover in a few days."
Zheng Ling was used to Gao Han's aloof demeanor and took no offense. He spoke awkwardly. "I have one more favor to ask of you."
He explained Situ Yan's condition. Gao Han frowned slightly. "What do you want me to do?"
Zheng Ling smiled eagerly. "Simply go and comfort her. At the very least, persuade her to eat something."
Gao Han thought for a moment. It was none of his doing, yet she had suffered on his account. He saw no harm in paying her a visit. He nodded, asked for the location of her tent, and set off.
"Sister, please! I beg you to believe me—Gao Han has really returned!" Situ Jian held a bowl of meat porridge, nearly at his wit's end. No matter what he said, his sister refused to believe him.
"Enough… Brother. I will… not believe… unless I see… him with my own eyes." Situ Yan could barely speak in full sentences.
As the siblings argued, a voice came from outside the tent. "May I come in?"
Situ Yan could not believe her ears. She struggled to sit up. Situ Jian quickly held her down, his voice trembling with excitement. "Of course! Please come in!"
Gao Han entered with a look of faint exasperation. The moment Situ Yan saw him, tears burst from her eyes—tears of joy and of long-suppressed grief.
With no maids in the party, Gao Han reluctantly took on the role of caretaker. He sat expressionless beside her, spoon-feeding her the meat porridge one bite at a time. Situ Jian had vanished the moment Gao Han stepped inside, and no matter how Gao Han called, no one came to his rescue.
The next day, the caravan set off toward the capital. The entire party rode in silence—except for Situ Yan, who flitted about Gao Han and her brother like an excited spirit. Two figures lay on stretchers: Zheng Kong and Gu Yunluan.
By dusk, the group finally returned to the imperial capital, their spirits far removed from the confidence they had held when departing. They had returned empty-handed—save for Gao Han, who had gained immeasurably.
Lu Zhengchun, Gu Yunluan, and Hu Kai stared at Gao Han with venomous eyes. He had become a lifelong inner demon; unless they killed him, their future cultivation would be stunted.
Gao Han paid them no mind. In his eyes, they would never catch up.