Han Yu had taken the concept of Fear Jiangshi further, merging it with the properties of the Cursed Phantasm Jiangshi. That earlier creation had taught him something valuable, even though it had been unstable. Its ability to obscure itself, to slip between perception and reality, had been exceptional.

He refined it, stabilized it and then enhanced it over the years.

The result was something far more dangerous.

These Jiangshi could suppress their presence to an extreme degree, blending into shadows with near perfection. Their ability to become incorporeal allowed them to bypass physical barriers, while their connection to fear energy granted them an additional layer of psychological influence.

Han Yu had named them the second version of the Violet Class Jiangshi.

Only Meng Jueyan knew of them.

They were his unseen guards.

As his awareness moved through the connection, he confirmed their positions. Several were dispersed across the perimeter of the mansion’s outer array, hidden within cracked ground and shadows of withered plants. Two remained with Meng Jueyan, stationed discreetly to ensure her safety.

He could feel them.

Not as individuals, but as extensions of his will.

Through them, he observed.

Time passed quietly.

Hours stretched into a full day, and then into another.

No one arrived.

Han Yu found that more unusual than anything else.

His earlier information had suggested that he had been the first to leave the sect. That alone was not strange. What puzzled him was the delay. A gathering of this scale would not typically involve such gaps between arrivals.

He considered the possibility that others were already within the mansion.

But his instincts rejected that.

If they had been present, there would have been signs. Subtle fluctuations, traces of emotional energy, shifts in the environment. Even with the suppression arrays, something would have slipped through.

Plus, he did not think Lady Rot Rose liked to waste time.

There had been nothing, so Han Yu remained patient.

He continued to cultivate in silence, refining his Qi and stabilizing his mental state. At the same time, his awareness remained spread across his hidden network, waiting for any change.

It came on the afternoon of the second day.

A disturbance.

Small, but distinct.

One of the Violet Class Jiangshi stationed near the outer boundary of a forest nearby sent a faint signal. Han Yu’s attention sharpened instantly, his awareness focusing on that point.

Someone had arrived.

He did not move.

Externally, his posture remained unchanged. Internally, his perception shifted entirely toward the incoming presence.

Through the eyes of his hidden creation, he saw the figure.

A man approached the concealed farmstead, his movements measured and deliberate. He wore a long hood of acid green color, the fabric draping over his form in a way that concealed most of his features. Only his eyes were visible at first.

They were yellow.

Not the dull yellow of ordinary eyes, but a sharp, serpentine hue that carried a cold and predatory quality.

As he stepped closer, more details revealed themselves.

His skin with scales.

They covered his face entirely, forming a textured surface that reflected light in faint patterns. The structure of his features had shifted as well. His nose was flatter, angled in a way that did not belong to a human face. From time to time, a forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air with unsettling precision.

Two elongated fangs rested within his mouth, visible whenever his lips parted.

Han Yu’s thoughts aligned instantly.

’Daoist Snake Face.’

Recognition came without hesitation.

This was not a figure easily mistaken.

Among the Legacy Disciples, Daoist Snake Face held a distinct reputation. His path diverged from that of Lady Rot Rose, though both specialized in poison. Where she focused on refinement and control, he embraced transformation.

Rumors had long circulated about his methods.

The assimilation of beast bloodlines.

The merging of human and serpent traits.

The gradual loss of what once defined him as purely human.

Looking at him now, it was clear that those rumors held truth.

His presence carried a subtle toxicity, not in the obvious sense of poisonous aura, but in something deeper. The air around him seemed to react differently, as if it recognized him as something other.

Han Yu did not immediately withdraw his attention after confirming the arrival of Daoist Snake Face. Instead, he continued observing through the subtle link he maintained with his hidden Jiangshi, carefully watching the man’s movements from angles no ordinary perception could achieve.

He studied the way Daoist Snake Face moved.

There was a certain smoothness to it, a controlled fluidity that did not belong to ordinary cultivators.

Even when he walked, there was a faint undulation beneath the surface, as if his body retained traces of a serpentine structure that could not be fully suppressed. His tongue flicked out occasionally, tasting the air with unsettling precision, and his eyes never stayed still for long.

Han Yu narrowed his gaze slightly.

’Did he come alone?’

That was the first question that formed.

Legacy Disciples rarely traveled without an entourage. It was not simply a matter of status, but also one of practicality. Their influence extended through their followers, and bringing those followers along allowed them to establish presence even before a word was spoken.

Daoist Snake Face, however, did not seem to follow that pattern.

Han Yu extended his awareness further through the Violet Class Jiangshi stationed around the outer perimeter. He scanned the surroundings again, searching for any signs of additional movement, any hidden figures that might be accompanying the man.

There was nothing.

No concealed disciples, no trailing presence, no lingering aura that suggested a group had arrived.

He was alone.

Han Yu leaned back slightly in his seat, his thoughts shifting.

’That fits his nature.’

Daoist Snake Face was known for his isolation. Unlike most Legacy Disciples who maintained elaborate factions, he kept his distance from others. His methods were unconventional, and his cultivation path required an environment that few could tolerate.

The Thousand Serpent Vein Valley.

The name alone carried weight within the sect.