In this situation, Yang An's first reaction was to confirm the old bastard was truly dead before he dared to approach.

He had put everything into that last strike to ensure it was fatal, giving the old bastard no chance whatsoever. Now, both the Celestial Gnomon Light and the Nine Forces Shocking Dragon inside him were completely depleted.

Thanks to his Mora Buddha's Acupoint, he had only recovered a tiny amount of Mana.

If he approached recklessly and the old bastard wasn't dead, a sudden, fatal surprise would be waiting for him—perhaps a blade straight through the heart.

"Bow Lady! Can you still see the old bastard's soul aura?"

The best way, naturally, was to ask the Bow Lady.

The Bow Lady could see others' souls within a certain range, which was equivalent to checking an enemy's status—alive or dead.

Soon, Yang An received the Bow Lady's response.

She seemed to have just regained her senses, and her tone was faint, giving Yang An the impression she was dazed and hazy.

"It's gone. He's dead…"

"Really?!"

Yang An's spirits soared. Even the listlessness from his severe depletion was instantly replaced by a jolt of excitement.

"Really…"

"Are you sure?!"

Yang An still found it hard to believe.

"You little brat! Believe it or don't, I don't give a damn!"

"…"

It turned out that a woman could still lose her temper, even in a weakened state.

After the Bow Lady's repeated confirmation, Yang An could no longer suppress his excitement and nearly leaped to his feet.

'He's dead! The old bastard is finally dead! HAHAHAHA!'

It was just like the last time he had used the Unidentified Arrow to kill that Zombie God from the Golden Soul Sect.

It seemed that both body and soul would ultimately be sealed by the power within the Unidentified Arrow, resulting in complete death.

What puzzled Yang An, however, was that the last time he'd used the Unidentified Arrow, nothing had been left behind except for the arrow itself and a Forbidden Artifact Fragment.

But this time, not only was there no Forbidden Artifact Fragment, but the Unidentified Arrow's Seal also seemed to have stopped at the final step, as if it hadn't completely sealed the old bastard.

This was what had made him suspicious and uneasy.

But since he had the Bow Lady's confirmation, he was relieved.

Yang An strode toward the remains on the ground. He first retrieved the Unidentified Arrow, which was now depleted of all its power, then turned his gaze to a thumb-sized, silver bead lying on the ground.

He couldn't sense any aura from this bead, either; it looked like an ordinary bauble.

To be cautious, however, Yang An mobilized his Mana to levitate the bead from a distance and observe it first.

After finding nothing unusual, he finally took it in his hand, preparing to inspect it closely.

The moment his fingers touched the bead, an information box popped up before his eyes.

「[Unknown: Seal Remnant] A remnant sealed by the power of the Southern Dipper Celestial Sect's Forbidden Artifact. It contains a foreign entity that could not be sealed, causing the process to stall. Feeding it blood and flesh over a long period can revive the entity within. To use this item, it must be embedded in one's own flesh and blood. After the foreign entity revives, it will merge with the host, inevitably creating a Fused Will.

Cost of Use: The Fused Will is influenced by the host's will and the Xian Origin's will. If the host's will cannot suppress it, the host will suffer a backlash from the Fused Will, their mind permanently lost to the Xian Origin. If the host's will can contend with it, the two wills will reach a balance, and the host's will shall be influenced by the Xian Origin. If the host's will completely suppresses it, the host will gain control over the Xian Origin, though their will shall still be influenced by it.

Status: Cannot be Purified at this time. Requires devouring sufficient blood, flesh, and any Forbidden Artifact Fragment!」

Seeing the information box, Yang An finally relaxed and let out a long sigh of relief.

According to the information in the box, both the old bastard and the old monster were gone—they had perished together.

'This is great news! Absolutely fantastic news!'

He also finally understood why the old bastard had a He Tou on his body.

The He Tou was the product of the fusion between the old bastard's will and the will of the Xian Origin!

The so-called Xian Origin most likely referred to the Earth Spirit Stele.

This was the price the old bastard had paid for obtaining the Earth Spirit Stele.

And based on the old bastard's situation, he had likely reached some kind of balance with the old monster.

That's why the interactions and communication between the old bastard and the old monster had seemed so "harmonious."

He also finally understood why the Unidentified Arrow had been unable to complete the Seal.

Because the old monster's body still contained the Earth Spirit Stele, and the Earth Spirit Stele could not be sealed!

'What on earth is the origin of this Earth Spirit Stele?'

Yang An felt a faint sense of dread.

He had already guessed that the Unidentified Arrow borrowed a sliver of a Forbidden Artifact's power, which was how it could seal and kill a Zombie God.

If even the power of a Forbidden Artifact couldn't seal the Earth Spirit Stele, the secrets it held must be astonishing.

Perhaps he would only learn the answer in the future by reviving it and allowing a new Fused Will to be generated.

But Yang An wasn't in a hurry. He had already obtained the subsequent parts of the *Mystic Path Decoded* Cultivation Technique, which would allow him to cultivate all the way to the peak of the Zombie God realm.

His current Cultivation Level was only at the Early Stage of Corpse Transformation; he had plenty of time to research it.

He had to keep this item safe, however, as his future cultivation depended on it.

If he lost it or someone stole it, he wouldn't be able to get the rest of the Cultivation Technique and would be stuck at the Zombie God realm forever.

He carefully placed the Seal Remnant inside his Meat Burial Talisman and, for added security, stored it with a pile of miscellaneous junk.

That way, the bead would look completely unremarkable, no different from any other mundane object. Even if someone else got their hands on it, they wouldn't pay it any mind.

Once the item was stowed away, Yang An could finally, completely relax.

His gaze swept across the scene before him. The force of his all-out punch had completely leveled the mountaintop.

'It's time for me to return to the Life Crane Sect!'

With the old bastard dead, he was now the strongest and highest-ranking person in the Life Crane Sect.

Yang An saw things very clearly. A wandering life as a Loose Cultivator was not sustainable in the long run. Only by establishing his own power base could he secure a place for himself in this world.

After all, whether on the Outer Continents or elsewhere, countless sects and factions were established everywhere.

Making an enemy of one person could mean offending an entire sect, or perhaps even an entire continent.

Therefore, taking over the Life Crane Sect was his best option.

The Life Crane Sect had already become a minor power in Zichuan State, but it still needed to secure its footing.

'It's time for my status to rise. It's time to become the Sect Leader!'

Yang An was an ambitious person. However, he had always been suppressed by Elder Life Crane, and in a world fraught with danger, he'd had no choice but to conceal his true nature.

But now his great enemy was dead, and he possessed enough strength to withstand some of the dangers out there.

'It was time to fight for true freedom!'

'What is true freedom?'

'It's becoming the strongest, of course!'

'Whoever is the strongest holds the keys to freedom! Especially in a world as bizarre as this one.'

'He had no desire to save the world; he wasn't that high-minded.'

'He was sick and tired of being constrained and suppressed at every turn. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths and braved immense danger to kill Elder Life Crane.'

'To achieve that, he had no choice but to become stronger.'

'And the first step was to take over as Sect Leader of the Life Crane Sect... and then rename it!'

'I have no idea what that old bastard was thinking. He already had a deep-seated grudge with the Great Virtue Temple, yet he established himself in the Treasure Temple Domain and still dared to use the name 'Life Crane Sect.''

'Fucking idiot!'

Having quickly made his decision, Yang An knew this was no place to linger.

If there were any other powers nearby, they would surely have noticed the commotion and would soon be drawn to investigate.

To avoid any trouble, he needed to leave at once and return to the Life Crane Sect.

...

By the time Yang An returned to the Life Crane Sect, his Mana had recovered by nearly half thanks to his Mora Buddha's Acupoint, allowing him to wield a decent amount of his strength.

No matter what one wanted to do, strength was the ultimate source of confidence.

As soon as he got back, Yang An immediately sought out Wen Yin.

"Have everyone in the sect come to the Heavenly Respect Pavilion. I have an announcement to make."

"The Heavenly Respect Pavilion…"

Wen Yin was taken aback by Yang An's sudden appearance.

Elder Life Crane had summoned Yang An, after which he had left the Life Crane Sect. Now, he was suddenly back.

For some reason, a strange premonition surfaced in Wen Yin's heart.

"Oh, and try not to get lost on the way."

With Elder Life Crane dead, Yang An was in a good mood and couldn't resist teasing her a little.

A hint of red flashed across Wen Yin's face, gone in an instant.

"Yes, Senior Brother!"

She quickly accepted the order and departed, while Yang An made his way into the Heavenly Respect Pavilion.

Gazing at the pavilion, he noted that it also overlooked every blade of grass and every tree of the new Life Crane Sect—the view was exactly the same as it had been back in Han State.

Yang An felt a surge of emotion.

This place had once been the old bastard's private sanctuary. Without his permission, no one was allowed near it.

'It symbolized power! Status! Everything in the Life Crane Sect!'

'And now, it's mine!'

Before long, Wen Yin returned with Zhou Quan and a new disciple in tow. The three of them entered the Heavenly Respect Pavilion together.

In the main hall, Yang An was already sitting in the master's seat, toying with an exquisite porcelain cup.

Seeing Yang An in that seat, both Wen Yin and Zhou Quan's expressions changed, though neither said a word.

Having spent time with Yang An, they knew his temperament. Although they didn't understand why he was suddenly acting so strangely, they knew it was best to keep their questions to themselves.

"Senior Brother!"

The three arrivals bowed to Yang An in unison.

Yang An couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush. He looked at the three of them and got straight to the point.

"Are you wondering why I'm suddenly sitting here? Find it strange?"

"…"

Seeing this, Yang An could only chuckle and decided to answer his own question.

"Because the old bastard is dead!"

"!!!"

This time, it wasn't just Wen Yin and Zhou Quan. Even the new disciple's head snapped up. Four eyes and two bloodshot sockets stared at Yang An in unison, their faces masks of utter shock.

"From this day forward, I am the new Sect Leader!"

"The Life Crane Sect… will no longer exist.

From this moment on, this place will be called…

The Mystic Path Sect!"