After all that came the formations.

Complex arrays were etched directly into Meng Jueyan's body, layered carefully so they would function in harmony rather than conflict. These formations regulated energy flow, reinforced weak points, and supported the gradual restoration of her cultivation base.

Normally this was not possible for humans since they already had meridians. If one attempted this they would die from the conflict with their meridians. But since her meridians were damaged, Han Yu managed to use this novel method.

But even that was not enough.

Han Yu had gone further.

He introduced materials that would have been considered excessive even for high grade Jiangshi creation.

Tomb Doll Essence was used to anchor her soul stability, providing a foundation that would not collapse under strain. Ghost Lily Extract refined her spiritual pathways, allowing her to process foreign Qi more efficiently. The heart of a Vengeance Tiger, rare and potent, was integrated into the process to enhance her vitality and resilience.

These were materials meant for constructs capable of reaching the peak of the Nascent Soul realm.

And he had used them on her.

Within the sect, such an act would have raised questions if anyone had been aware of it. Yet few knew, and those who might have noticed chose silence. Han Yu's position made inquiries inconvenient, and his authority discouraged curiosity.

To them, Meng Jueyan remained what she had always been.

A slave. One that Han Yu was just experimenting on, just like many other disciples of the sect did. But to Han Yu, she had become something else.

The results of his work spoke for themselves.

Her cultivation had been restored and then pushed further, reaching the peak of the Core Condensation realm. Her body, however, had surpassed that level. It carried a strength comparable to a Steel Skin Jiangshi, resilient and durable in ways that few cultivators of her level could match.

Her scars were gone.

Her face had regained its original beauty, refined even further by the changes her body had undergone.

Her missing eye had been replaced.

Han Yu could have regrown it with a high grade pill. That would have been the simplest solution.

He had offered her a choice instead.

A replacement that would grant her something more.

She had accepted without hesitation despite the pain she would have to bear.

The eye of an Ominous Wind Raven now rested within her socket, its presence altering her appearance in a way that drew attention and caution in equal measure. This beast was a rare beast that only appeared on ominous days, and its eyes were one of the best cursed materials available.

Han Yu had bought it from a private auction among the sect's core disciples at a high price. And now Meng Jueyan's one eye remained human, calm and steady. The other was pitch black, its dark yellow pupil faintly glowing under certain light.

Those who met her gaze often found themselves unsettled.

That had proven useful.

The ability it granted was even more so.

Meng Jueyan had adapted to it quickly, learning to interpret what she saw with increasing precision. It allowed her to perceive fluctuations in energy, distortions in formations, and irregularities that would otherwise go unnoticed. Most of all the energy fluctuations she observed weren't just any normal energy of qi, but rather of Omens.

Bad Omens.

Han Yu had found that ability invaluable.

Over time, his treatment of her had shifted.

Subtly.

Gradually.

He still held authority.

She still acknowledged him as her master.

Yet the fear that once defined her behavior had faded.

In its place was something steadier.

Trust, respect and a quiet confidence that had not existed before.

Now, as she stood before the Jiangshi in the blood pool, that confidence showed in the way she observed it.

Han Yu stepped closer, his voice calm.

"Tell me, Jueyan," he said, "what do you see in this Jiangshi?"

She did not answer immediately.

Her gaze sharpened, the dark eye activating as she focused on the corpse. The world before her shifted slightly, layers of perception unfolding as she examined the structure within the pool.

The flow of blood.

The embedded formations.

The faint traces of curse energy coiling around the core.

She stepped closer, her posture straight, her expression thoughtful.

"There is instability," she said after a moment.

Han Yu nodded slightly, encouraging her to continue.

"It is not in the outer structure," she added. "The body is stable. The formations are aligned correctly. The blood infusion is consistent."

Her dark eye flickered faintly.

"It is deeper."

She raised a hand, pointing toward the center of the pool.

"The core is… incomplete."

Han Yu's gaze sharpened.

"Incomplete?" he repeated.

Meng Jueyan nodded.

"It is forming," she said, choosing her words carefully. "But something is missing. It feels… hollow."

Han Yu fell silent.

Her description matched what he had sensed but could not fully articulate.

Hollow.

That was the right word.

He stepped forward, his attention returning to the Jiangshi.

"What kind of hollow?" he asked.

Meng Jueyan hesitated briefly, then spoke again.

"It lacks direction."

The words were simple.

Yet they struck something within Han Yu's thoughts.

"It has energy," she continued. "It has structure. It has potential."

She lowered her hand.

"But it does not have… purpose."

Han Yu stood still.

For a moment, the workshop felt quieter.

His mind moved rapidly, connecting her observation with his own experiences.

Purpose.

He had been focusing on strength.

On stability.

On control.

But something fundamental had been overlooked.

The Cursed Phantasm Jiangshi.

Its mutation.

Its unexpected behavior.

Its ability to act beyond its constraints.

That had not come from structure alone.

It had come from something else.

Something that gave it direction.

Han Yu's lips curved slightly.

"Purpose…" he murmured.

He glanced at Meng Jueyan, a faint glimmer of approval in his eyes.

"You are improving."

She lowered her head slightly.

"It is because of your guidance."

Han Yu looked back at the Jiangshi.

No.

That was only part of it.

She had grown.

On her own.

And now… She had just given him something important.

A piece he had been missing.

The next step.