After Han Bei listened to another tall tale from the old monk he enlisted the old thing's help to sell off the beast blood he gathered and other items he scavenged from the members of the Skeleton manor. Some things like the talismans he kept, but with others, he parted rather unwillingly. " A damn shame, that whip was a fine weapon. " Bo Fei's spine-like whip was a solid rank 1 spirit treasure and easily could have served Han Bei even when he reached 2nd realm, but he had little affinity towards the weapon so he chose to sell it instead. " Better to focus on the skills I already have. "
Han Bei would have liked to further his understanding and mastery of the techniques granted by the undying physique, but until the old monk returned with some of his gains converted into spirit stones that path for him was blocked. He was satisfied with how the yin soldier technique held up against Bo Fei, but there was still certain awkwardness to the ability. Too often he felt restricted when he manifested ghosts and Han Bei was forced to stay stationary for his yin soldiers to remain effective. There always was the option to channel less power into his ghosts, but even at full power, this technique could only paralyze a foe of the same realm for a few seconds. Which was fine for Han Bei since his fists were heavy enough to utilize that opening well, but there was always room for improvement.
" Oh what I wouldn't do to get my hands on a ghost control manual, " he greedily thought. Although Han Bei would be damned to admit it, he truly felt that it was a shame that he didn't manage to squeeze out a cultivation manual from that necromancer that he managed to trap in a formation. " It would help me further my own art and it would increase my chances against the Skeleton manor. " Battle against the Skeleton manor. Now there was something that turned his mood dark.
The closer the battle approached the more it occupied his thoughts. Normally he would be overcome with a sense of excitement at the prospect of battle, but not now. " It's too soon and I'm too weak, " Han Bei admitted to himself through gritted teeth. He had a heavy burden to carry and he couldn't afford to fail." Not here, not now, not until I avenge them. " The dead of the Yellow valley sect tightly held onto his back and only Fang Ming's blood could alleviate their hatred, he couldn't afford to be killed before that. At the very least, that's what Han Bei believed.
Han Bei sat down and attempted to cultivate but his mind was too distracted. While he was alone every shadow became a yet to be seen enemy and every sound the draw of a hidden weapon. He tried to concentrate but every cultivation session only lasted a couple of hours before his mind grew too restless and he failed to absorb Heavenly energy. In the end, he failed to increase his cultivation in any meaningful way. After a single day of unfulfilling and erratic cultivation, Heaven finally smiled at Han Bei as the old monk returned and he truly began his preparation against the Skeleton manor.
He jogged from one end of the ravine to the other. It was a simple exercise, one used almost exclusively by mortals and nascent cultivators that didn't have a handle of their own power. Right now, proud Corpse struggled with that simple exercise. His movements were incredibly stiff and wooden while he stumbled over uneven ground and exposed roots every few seconds. Most of the time he wasn't concentrating on what's in the front as he tracked another figure that moved just beside him
Han Bei traveled along the foul little stream and the ghosts that he created acted as his travel companions. He exercised his control to see how far he could send the specters before they lost their shape and became an indistinct cloud of green qi, how long could he maintain his concentration before they faded and how much power he could pour into them before they broke apart. He also attempted all of that while on the move.
He continued his path north while at least a single ghost was always near him. The terrain was uneven full of jagged rocks and hidden shrubbery so he couldn't afford to not pay attention else he might find himself in the smelly little stream, melted down to the bones. Thanks to that quite often the ghosts that he manifested either lost their form or outright vanished, yet he didn't stop when it happened. As he attempted to re-summon the green shadow he would stumble around like a drunkard. His concentration torn by the still unfamiliar technique and attempts not to fall down like an idiot.
Han Bei stopped only twice. Once when he tripped against a bush and gave the warm jagged ground a kiss. The second time was he found the place where the ravine turned into a cavern. For a time he sat in front of the cavern's entrance and recharged his qi. After the old monk returned and brought the necessary tools that Han Bei needed he was once again left with around 100 spirit stones. " Not enough to master any new techniques but enough to familiarize myself with the ones that I already have. "
After the corpse-like youth was back to full power he stood up, went over the contents of his bag of holding, and entered the dreadful pitch-black cavern. Han Bei returned to the ravine a couple of hours later while he murmured silent curses at Heaven, Fate, Destiny, and any other higher forces that dumped him on Myris before he broke into another run.
He concentrated and manifested a ghost beside him. The better he got at the technique the more his yin soldiers resembled a human shape, but he needed the ghosts to move as they were alive as well. He jogged through the ravine back to his cave-dwelling and he had the green shadow do the same. As Han Bei slowly improved an old truth resurfaced in his mind, " Practice makes perfect. "
2 days passed and several times Han Bei ran from his cave dwelling in the ravine to the dark cavern and each time he spent more and more time in that Heaven-forsaken place. Whenever he wasn't in the cavern Han Bei always manifested a ghost that traveled alongside him, and each time he returned to his cave-dwelling his specters resembled a human that much more. His movements were still stiff and Han Bei would have liked to increase his cultivation to the upper heaven of the 1st realm, but that would put too much strain on what little resources and time that he still had.
Han Bei held a particular talisman that he had snatched from Bo Fei and solemnly thought, " Soon it's going to end. For them, I will do it for them. " Han Bei found these words surprisingly sour but a moment later he shook his head end emptied his mind of distractions. He injected his qi and spirit sense into the talisman that soon transformed into a black raven and flew away.
