Bing Ming had been stuck at the peak of the Grandmaster realm for many years, unable to take that final step. A year and a half ago, he encountered Bai Tianyu of the Bai family and witnessed the sheer might of a Martial Saint for the first time, gaining an entirely new understanding of that realm.

After escaping that peril, Bing Ming dedicated himself to arduous cultivation. Despite his new insight, breaching that barrier remained elusive; no matter how he condensed the True Essence power within him, the Golden Core would not form. This stagnation persisted until six months ago, when he saw eight characters inscribed before a cave: “Diverse yet Uncoagulated, Coagulated yet Uncongealed!”

Bing Ming was instantly enlightened. His failure to reach the Martial Saint realm stemmed from his overly complex knowledge base—too many cultivation methods—and his inability, unlike his senior Xiao Cangtian, to fully integrate them into a single, self-created technique, causing his progress to stall.

If he wished to become a Martial Saint, he had to focus rigorously on one technique. Thus, he personally abolished all his existing martial arts and specialized solely in the Misty Frost Chant technique. In one swift motion, he condensed his True Elixir and ascended to the Martial Saint realm. However, this seclusion lasted half a year. When he finally emerged and learned of Ye Jingyu’s return, without a word, he rushed over immediately…

Even having achieved the rank of Martial Saint, he remembered the oath he had sworn long ago…

Upon learning that Bing Ming had become a Martial Saint, both Zhuge Yishi and the timid Ying Xiaoxiao understood that the trap set for Ye Jingyu was now nothing more than a massacre—only the victims would be the Crown Prince's ambushers.

Just as Zhuge Yishi and the others believed the situation was settled, a few kilometers from Caiyun Town, within the forest designated as the burial ground for the deceased—the area thickest with Yin energy—a terrifying sight unfolded. Many graves had been desecrated by grave robbers, exposing ghastly white bones. Eerie howls echoed faintly through the woods, intensifying the desolation of the area, a place few dared visit even on normal days, let alone now that the town was supposedly haunted.

Yet, on a relatively large burial mound, a man sat cross-legged. He wore white robes, his long hair cascaded down his back, his ashen face was etched with demonic patterns, and two long fangs peeked out from the corners of his mouth, making him look utterly frightful.

Suddenly, the ground before him stirred, and a head broke through the earth, immediately followed by the rest of a body.

“Disciple pays respects to Master!” The man who emerged from the ground knelt respectfully before the figure seated on the grave.

“Is that bat still in Caiyun Town?” The man on the grave snapped his eyes open. They were a chilling, terrifying shade of gray.

“Yes, he hasn't left Caiyun Town, Master. However, there are many government soldiers in the town today!” the kneeling man reported.

“Oh? That bat has drained so much blood and caused so many deaths; of course, the Imperial Court would send people to deal with him. I never imagined there were such little bats in this world—what a joyous discovery…” As he spoke, a long strand of saliva drooled from the corner of the man's mouth, a picture of ravenous desire.

“Master, why are you pursuing him so relentlessly?” The disciple was puzzled as to why his Master cared so much about the blood-sucking bat. They both fed on blood; why did his Master regard the creature as such a delicacy?

“I have absorbed so much Yin energy these past days that I have already reached the peak of the Corpse King realm. If I can devour the core heart of one Prince, I can successfully advance to the Corpse Emperor realm. And you, by devouring his core heart, can smoothly step into the Celestial Corpse or even the Corpse King realm. Do you understand now?” the man on the grave chuckled menacingly.

“I understand, Master…” The kneeling man nodded heavily, his golden eyes instantly blazing bright.

These two—no, these two corpses—were Liang Xiaoke and his disciple, Mu Fei, who had now reached the Golden Corpse realm.

For a zombie like Liang Xiaoke, Western vampires were the finest tonic, provided one possessed sufficient strength.

Hearing his disciple, Liang Xiaoke’s body slowly rose. He gazed upon Caiyun Town, now shrouded in darkness, his grin becoming more ferocious. The demonic markings on his face slowly receded, and even the fangs at the corners of his mouth gradually vanished.

Caiyun Town lay eerily still. Han Muxi had somehow returned from the separate courtyard to her temporary lodging, quietly awaiting the events about to unfold.

“Ah…” A sharp cry shattered the silence. From the tallest building in Caiyun Town, a dark shadow shot out—it was Ye Jingyu, the strongest among them.

Immediately following, another figure darted out, drawn by the sound—it was Ying Xiaoxiao. As for Bing Ming, he had already vanished into the air.

At the town entrance, Nangong Shang, alerted by the scream, paused briefly before acting, merely ordering the surrounding Cloud Guards to hold their positions and not move rashly.

Zhu Ruo, hidden in the darkness, led the swordsmen from the Sixth Division charging forward. In the face of such bizarre occurrences, only these highly skilled swordsmen could resolve the situation.

In mere heartbeats, Ye Jingyu reached the source of the scream. He saw a pale man with a head of golden hair looking up from a corpse, two drops of blood clinging to his lips.

Seeing this blonde man confirmed Zhuge Yishi's conjecture: this was indeed a calculated killing scheme. The only mystery was how this vampire had traveled from the distant West—a journey of hundreds of thousands of miles—and managed to find the Crown Prince’s snare.

Knowing this truth, Ye Jingyu’s heart filled with excitement, yet beneath it lay a tinge of disappointment—disappointment that this wasn't Liang Xiaoke. Perhaps, the man was truly dead…

A sudden wave of grief and anger swept through him as he involuntarily thought of the brutally slain Liang Xiaoke. Without another word, Ye Jingyu charged straight at Adams.

Seemingly sensing the immense aura emanating from Ye Jingyu, Adams likewise tossed aside the desiccated corpse in his hands and turned to flee outwards without a word. His speed was incredible; only shimmering afterimages remained in the air. In a single breath, he vanished from sight. But Ye Jingyu snorted coldly, driving force into his feet, and his own figure disappeared into the sky after him.

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