After searching through a village that had ominous residual energy but no visible ghosts, Han and Yun Duo swiftly moved on to the next village. They had already visited three villages in a row, and remarkably, all the wandering souls and wild spirits had mysteriously vanished, with only lingering traces of dark energy left as proof of their existence.

And without exception, each of these places seemed to harbor the same unsettling aura of a Soul Refining Banner.

It was clear—these wandering spirits had been captured and presumably used as offerings for a ritual.

“This is bad, Han,” Yun Duo said, even her usually naive demeanor shifting with concern.

“Most of the wandering souls around Black Cloud Town have likely been taken,” Han said, his expression darkening.

“What do we do now?” Yun Duo asked, her worry evident.

Han paused, thinking for a moment, before offering a simple answer.

“Report it.”

When in doubt, report it.

Yun Duo blinked, then quickly nodded in agreement. “Right, of course. That’s what my father always says, not to act on my own but to report things first.”

“You’re just like my father,” she added with a smile.

Han gave her a deadpan look. “I’m only 22.”

They were now in agreement, and headed straight for the peach grove to report their findings to Lu Qingmo. After all, Lu Qingmo was the most powerful figure in Black Cloud Town when it came to Daoist methods—or at least, on the surface.

When they arrived, Lu Qingmo gave them a cool, calculated look. “You’ve got some nerve, coming back here again and again,” she remarked, her tone almost chilling.

“Aunt Mo, what should we do?” Han asked, still uncertain about the next steps.

Lu Qingmo regarded them both with a steely gaze. “If you’re willing, continue clearing the wandering souls and wild ghosts. Try not to leave any behind.”

“As for those secretly capturing souls... I’ll handle them,” she added, her voice brokering no argument.

Han and Yun Duo exchanged a glance. They understood exactly what Lu Qingmo meant.

Yun Duo seemed to grasp it as well—though Han wasn’t entirely sure.

"Well, since we're already in it, might as well finish the job. No backing out now," Han said.

Lu Qingmo waved her hand and, with a flourish, conjured two talismans. “Take these with you,” she said, handing them over.

Perfect—this was the reward for reporting. Without doing so, they wouldn’t have received such protective charms.

Han had no objections; after all, purging the spirits was beneficial for him as well. The two of them set off again, leaving the peach grove. As they ventured further from Black Cloud Town, they focused on clearing the spirits from the wilds and along the roads where travelers passed.

In the wilderness, the presence of spirits remained. Occasionally, they would encounter them, but, as expected, the wandering souls had all but vanished.

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After some time, a dilapidated temple appeared before them.

“A temple here?” Han muttered, surprised.

“It’s been abandoned for a long time,” Yun Duo explained. “My father once told me that Black Cloud Town used to have both a Taoist temple and a Buddhist monastery. But the monks and Taoists left long ago, and now everything’s fallen into ruin.”

Han frowned, thinking about the mountain gods and Dragon Kings—this likely occurred before their time.

“Well, let’s take a look. It’s an old temple in the wilderness, so there could be some lingering spirits here,” Han suggested.

When they approached, they saw that the temple had fallen into extreme disrepair, cobwebs covered the corners, and the plaque hung precariously, almost about to fall off. The characters on it were barely legible.

Han squinted at it and read aloud, “Great Thunder… Temple?”

The last character was too blurry to make out. But the first three words were enough to make Han’s heart skip a beat.

Great Thunder…? Could it be Great Thunder Sound?!

The plaque, old and crooked, seemed to radiate an eerie, yet somehow calming, aura.

“It’s Great Thunder Rain Temple,” Yun Duo chimed in, standing beside him.

“Wait, what? Thunder Rain?” Han blinked in disbelief.

“Yeah, I visited here with my father once when we went to the county city. He told me it was called Great Thunder Rain Temple.”

Han groaned inwardly. "Thunder Rain? What kind of ridiculous name is that?"

He was about to step into the temple when Yun Duo hurried to catch up. But as they neared the main hall, they both froze.

Inside, there were four figures. One man in black robes with long white hair, a withered elder, and two burly men in gray, muscular robes stood on either side. They were all staring at Han and Yun Duo.

Something was wrong.

Han had scanned the area with his spiritual sense earlier, but hadn't detected any presence of these four.

Suddenly, a chilling wind gusted through the air, and the temperature dropped sharply as ghostly energy surged. A ghostly realm formed, blocking the sunlight and plunging the area into cold darkness.

Behind the white-haired man, a black chess banner appeared. In an instant, the entire area was enveloped by the ghostly domain.

A Soul Refining Banner!

Han exhaled quietly. It seemed he’d stumbled into something much worse than he anticipated.

“Who are you?” the white-haired man asked, his voice indifferent. “A disciple of Taibai? A cultivator? Which family of Black Cloud Town do you belong to?”

He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. The fact that you ran into me just means you were unlucky. You’ll serve as my nourishment.”

Before Han could respond, a soul ascended from the white-haired man's head, holding a Soul Refining Banner. As it waved, dozens of ghostly creatures manifested, screeching and charging towards Han and Yun Duo with murderous intent.

In the ghostly domain created by the Soul Refining Banner, these spirits were significantly stronger.

They lunged at Han and Yun Duo, eager to devour their flesh and blood.

But mere ghost slaves were not a challenge for Han and Yun Duo.

The withered elder also sent his soul out. He wielded a blood-red wheel, and as it spun, a bloody aura enveloped the ghostly servants, strengthening them further.

The souls of these two cultivators had a faint white glow around their edges.

“First stage of the Soul Travel realm, Night Wanderer phase,” Yun Duo said, her expression now serious. “Both of them.”

Han noticed that while they had not reached the Day Wanderer phase, they could still send their souls out, as long as they avoided direct sunlight. And given the absence of sunlight here, it was the perfect environment for them.

“Han, protect my body,” Yun Duo said, her tone resolute. She was also a Night Wanderer and had experience with soul combat.

Han, however, stopped her. “Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

Facing two opponents in the Night Wanderer phase, he couldn’t afford to take chances. Plus, they were likely wielding some form of dark magic, and he didn’t want Yun Duo to face them alone.

Yun Duo blinked, staring at Han, unsure if she had heard him correctly.

Two Night Wanderers and you think you can handle them alone?

The two burly men seemed to serve as bodyguards to the white-haired man. As soon as their souls emerged, they formed a protective stance.

These were Bodyguard Warriors.

Han smirked, his mood lightening. “We’ll see about that.”

With a flick of his hand, he sent a wave of energy crashing through the ghosts, sending them flying. He then gave the withered elder a dismissive glance and muttered, “Annoying.”

“Old dog buried halfway in the dirt, today, you return to the earth.”

“Evil cultivators, huh?” Han’s lips curled into a wicked grin.

“You’re going to make my day.”

Yun Duo instinctively took a few steps back, her eyes wide. Something was off—but also oddly fitting—about how Han’s grin looked more like one of an evil cultivator than a righteous one.

Is this how things are going now? The four of us... are the real righteous ones?