The cave was eerily silent, an oppressive stillness hanging in the air. If a mortal were placed in such a place, they’d likely collapse from sheer terror.

“A strong Yin environment,” Yanwei murmured to himself, his voice echoing faintly against the cold, stone walls. “A good place for creating ghosts, I see. Perhaps there’s even a ghost inheritance here? No, if there was, it would’ve already been taken. Still, what makes this cave special?”

The silence was almost suffocating, and Yanwei’s voice carried through the darkness like a ripple in water. His gaze was sharp as he surveyed the area.

“No danger? Impossible. But I can’t take any chances.”

With that, Yanwei summoned four corpse puppets. They knelt in perfect unison, their forms unmoving, like statues carved from stone.

“Head straight north. If any of you encounter something or get caught, detonate immediately. Understood?” Yanwei commanded.

The puppets nodded in eerie silence. Unlike most tools, corpse puppets would never retaliate against their master—unless the master had a weak soul. For Yanwei, such tools were perfect for navigating the unknown.

Not only was his soul strong enough to control 30 corpse puppets at once, but each puppet was also laced with poison and a detonating Gu to ensure no one else could claim them if they somehow went rogue.

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The puppets moved forward, their stiff movements unnatural yet methodical. Yanwei stayed back, watching closely. As they reached about 50 meters ahead, a sudden flash of light erupted—and in the next moment, the puppets exploded violently.

Yanwei’s lips curled into a faint smile.

Despite the loss of his puppets, he seemed completely unconcerned. After all, to him, puppets were disposable tools. They were corpses that consumed blood, and while useful in this secret realm, they clashed with his plans to gather blood and essence. He had no intention of keeping them long-term. Once he reached rank 2, he’d refine more sophisticated ones anyway.

“Well, it seems my prediction was correct,” he mused. “But I wonder—are there more traps? And what is the ghost protecting in this cave?”

Without hesitation, Yanwei summoned another batch of five corpse puppets. Unlike before, he sent them out simultaneously. If just one detonated, it wouldn’t be enough to disrupt the array fully, but five together might do the trick.

The puppets advanced, their movements mechanical. When they reached 100 meters, another burst of light illuminated the darkness, followed by another round of explosions.

Yanwei had been ready this time. His spiritual sense, far stronger than most rank 1 cultivators, extended to the full range of 100 meters. He observed every detail of the trap’s activation—the shifting patterns, the faint glimmers of the array.

“I see… so that’s how it works.”

He let out another puppet, this time alone. It moved cautiously, carefully weaving through the narrow path. Yanwei’s sharp eyes followed its progress.

Finally, the puppet reached the end of the corridor without incident. Whatever traps had been set, they had all been disarmed.

Yanwei smiled, stepping forward with measured confidence. “Let’s see what secret this ghost is so desperate to hide.”