Linyang County—a modest town nestled closest to the border of the two counties. Beyond it, a journey of just over sixty miles stretched to the Sun-Moon Stone Forest.


    Han and his companions bypassed Linyang without stopping, heading straight for their destination. Outside the county, a few onlookers spotted their ornate carriage, whispering and pointing. They speculated it might belong to some noble family’s offspring—such sights weren’t uncommon, often bound for the Stone Forest. No one batted an eye.


    By the time they arrived, dawn was just breaking.


    From a distance, the Stone Forest sprawled endlessly—jagged peaks piercing the sky, gray stone dominating the landscape, steeped in eerie silence.


    Han, Yun Duo, and Yun Yun stepped inside, leaving the coachman to wait in a secluded corner.


    A dry, chilly wind greeted them as they entered. Han let his mental energy sweep outward, unrestrained, scanning their surroundings. No powerful beasts lurked here—he could afford to be bold.


    Yun Yun led the way, Yun Duo walked in the middle, and Han brought up the rear, keeping the younger girl safely sandwiched between them.


    “Once I refine that treasure, I’ll be one big step closer to Day Roamer,” Yun Duo said, counting on her fingers. “And when I break through later, it’ll shield my soul, cutting down the sun’s damage as much as possible.”


    “Awesome!” she chirped, beaming.


    With no prying ears around, they could speak freely.


    “Han, I’ll catch up to you soon!”


    “Impressive, impressive.”


    “Then I can tackle tougher beasts—do stuff I couldn’t before!”


    “…”


    So, your breakthrough’s all about upgrading your weasel-trapping and corpse-chasing skills? Terrifying.


    Han shuddered to imagine what horrors Yun Duo might unleash if she reached some lofty realm and kept dabbling in her quirky experiments.


    “Roar!”


    A beast’s bellow cut through the silence. An odd creature lumbered into view—pointed snout, steel-glinting teeth peeking out, stubby legs, a bulky frame with a bloated belly, thick fur, and a short, knotted tail.


    “Is that a stone-eater?” Han asked, curiosity piqued. With a flick of his mental energy, he yanked it closer.


    He’d sensed it earlier but let it approach out of interest. It was just Flesh Realm—nothing to dodge.


    The stone-eater flailed helplessly in Han’s grip, suspended midair, unable to even squeak.


    “A beast that lives on rocks—pretty cool,” Yun Duo said, sidling up to inspect it, her eyes sparkling. “Wonder what its stomach’s like.”


    High-tier beasts ate all sorts of weird stuff, but a stone-eater munching rocks straight from birth—before even hitting Flesh Realm? That was something else. The world’s wonders never ceased.


    Han patted its head. “From now on, you’re Gakuma.”


    “Why that name?” Yun Duo asked.


    “It just popped into my head.”


    After a quick mental probe, Han tossed it aside. The stone-eater scampered off, grunting indignantly. It briefly considered turning back to chomp the humans who’d toyed with it, but survival instincts screamed run.


    Deeper into the Stone Forest, they encountered stronger stone-eaters—still child’s play compared to them. Han also spotted other cultivators hunting beasts or treasures, mostly Flesh Realm, with Sinew Realm folks few and far between. The Sun-Moon Stone Forest was a low-key spot—no heavy hitters bothered with it. Beyond stone-eaters, other beasts were scarce; they’d seen maybe three or four the whole way.


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    “Here we are,” Yun Yun announced.


    Ahead lay a pitch-black cave, its depths unreadable—like a gaping maw. Above it towered a sky-scraping stone peak.


    “Dad said this is right on the county line, smack in the Stone Forest’s heart,” Yun Yun explained, gesturing. “This cave’s half in Tianyue, half in Tianyang.”


    “Let’s check it out,” Han said, stepping in first.


    Though dark, the gloom didn’t faze his vision. After a short walk, a shrill screech erupted—a fierce yin spirit lunged at him. With a wave of his hand, white light flashed, purifying the ghost instantly. A tiny bead of pure soul energy lingered; Han absorbed it.


    “Guess there really are ghosts,” he muttered. Too bad it was just a weakling—one finger could’ve squashed it.


    As they ventured deeper, branching paths appeared, weaving an intricate web. The rumor that the Stone Forest’s caves linked up might hold water after all.


    Then, a faint glow pierced the darkness. They hurried toward it, finding a small puddle.


    The water was an earthy yellow, yet it didn’t feel murky—more clean and luminous. At its center rose a tiny mound, cradling a stone bead. The bead was mostly ochre, save for a thread-thin strip of gray-white. Above, a head-sized hole pierced the peak, letting sunlight stream straight onto the puddle.


    Day and night, sun and moon had bathed this spot in turns, weaving something extraordinary.


    “That’s it!” Yun Duo crouched by the puddle, gazing at the bead with delight dancing in her eyes.


    “The Mountain-Bearing Stone.”


    Forged from the deep virtue of mountains and rivers, infused with the essence of sun and moon, it was a soul treasure. Refining it imbued one’s soul with a force of mountain strength. During the leap to Day Roamer, this power neutralized the sun’s harmful energies, letting only its nourishing core remain to gild the soul. It slashed the risks of the breakthrough, ensuring a smoother ascent. The mountain force faded after three to five uses, though, and the refining process also granted a boost of soul energy.


    For Han, it was useless—sunlight was just food to him now, harmless no matter how much he soaked up. The soul energy it offered was substantial for Yun Duo, but for a Day Roamer like Han, with his deep reserves, it was a drop in the bucket. This treasure was tailor-made for her—practically guaranteeing a flawless Day Roamer breakthrough.


    “Looks like it’s not fully matured yet,” Han noted. A perfect Mountain-Bearing Stone would be solid ochre; this one still had that gray-white streak.


    Yun Yun studied it. “It’s close—probably just a few hours off.”


    Han nodded. “Then we wait.”


    That tracked with expectations. The Yun family had pegged it to ripen around now—arriving a tad early or late was no big deal.


    “There’s plenty of Mountain Force Liquid too,” Yun Yun said, pleased. “Enough for us both, with some to spare.”


    The liquid around the stone—Mountain Force Liquid—was a martial treasure, usable even at Viscera Realm, with solid benefits. Refining it toughened the body like stone, lending punches and kicks the weight of a collapsing peak. A bit exaggerated, sure, but it undeniably boosted strength and durability. Han had a share coming.


    They couldn’t touch it until the stone matured, though—disturbing it early would weaken the stone’s effect.


    The puddle’s nook was roomy—big enough for a dozen people. But as they lingered, Han noticed yin spirits and fierce ghosts kept sniffing them out. In fifteen minutes, he’d purified nearly ten.


    “Dad was right,” Yun Yun said. “This treasure’s a magnet for these things.”


    Han shrugged. “Just small fry—no threat.”


    Yun Yuannan had warned them: such natural treasures drew ghosts too. They’d need to stay vigilant while claiming it.


    Outside, as they waited, a group passed the cave. Unlike the usual Flesh and Sinew Realm scrubs, these four stood out—three Viscera Realm martial artists and one cultivator, all in matching robes emblazoned with a purple flame on the chest.


    A scarred man spoke to the cultivator. “Brother Xuan, how many stone-eater stomachs are we short?”


    “Killed twenty-six, got nineteen,” Brother Xuan replied. “Need thirty more.”


    “What’s the sect want these stomachs for?” the scarred man griped. “They’re useless. Three days scouring this place, and only twenty-six? This task’s a time-sink.”


    “Elder’s orders,” Brother Xuan said, brushing it off. “We do as told—no need to question it. Also, of the forty-nine, three have to come from Viscera Realm stone-eater kings.”


    “Got it, but those kings are rare. Barely a handful in the whole forest—this’ll take forever.”


    A squinting man glanced at Han’s cave. “Think there’s any in these caves?”


    “Nah,” Brother Xuan said. “Too many yin spirits—stone-eaters hate them. They don’t live inside.”


    “Fair.”


    The four chatted as they passed, not entering. Moments later, they bolted off toward a distant stone-eater.


    Four hours ticked by. At last, the Mountain-Bearing Stone matured—the gray-white streak vanished under their watchful eyes. A faint glow pulsed from it, a calming aura rippling out.


    Han, Yun Duo, and Yun Yun grinned. Success.


    Yun Duo reached for it—


    Whoosh!


    A howl tore through the cave as yin energy surged toward them. Han’s mental force lashed out, flattening the intruder—a yin spirit, dead in an instant.


    His expression shifted. His senses screamed: fierce ghosts were converging from all directions, wild and ravenous, drawn by the matured stone. To refine it perfectly, they had to stay put—leaving wasn’t an option.


    That meant someone had to guard Yun Duo while she worked, keeping her safe.


    That was Han’s job. If this trip had been a cakewalk with no challenges, Yun Yuannan wouldn’t have tapped him for it.


    “Yun Duo, start refining the stone. Yun Yun, gather the Mountain Force Liquid. I’ll handle the rest.”


    Han stayed cool. What were a few ghosts and ghouls? A couple words, and they’d be toast.