Chapter 523: Chapter 523

A wave of consciousness surged into Han Yu's mind, carrying structured information, neat and precise, much like the sect tokens used in the Twin Leaf Peak Sect.

Lines of text appeared before his spiritual sense, clear as ink on parchment.

Han Yu blinked as the first line came into focus.

He repeated the name under his breath. "Ju Fan…"

So that was the name of the man he had killed.

It felt strange, to now wear his face and speak his name aloud. Han Yu studied the rest of the information that appeared next.

Rank: Outer Court Disciple

"Outer Court?" he said quietly, disbelief creeping into his tone.

He almost thought he had read it wrong, but the characters were clear. The man who had fought him, someone who had reached the Peak of the Core Condensation realm just had been an Outer Court disciple.

Han Yu sat up straight, shock rippling through him.

"How… how is that possible?"

In the Twin Leaf Peak Sect, even reaching the early Core Condensation realm guaranteed a promotion to the Inner Court.

A cultivator at the Peak of the Core Condensation realm would be a Core Disciple without question. Yet this Ju Fan, with that level of power, was placed at the lowest recognized tier of discipleship in his sect.

Han Yu felt a shiver of unease crawl down his spine. Just what kind of place was this Sect that someone like Ju Fan barely qualified as an Outer Court disciple?

He leaned back again, staring at the token's glowing surface, his mind racing with possibilities.

"Could it be that the average Outer Court disciple there has to be at least at Core Condensation? Then what about their Inner Court, Core Court or their Elders?"

The thought made his mouth go dry.

He had seen many sects in this expedition, but none had such monstrous cultivation level requirements.

For a moment, he wondered if this Ju Fan had been demoted, or if this was some special division. But the token carried no such marks, it was a standard identity imprint. The conclusion was clear. J

u Fan was indeed an Outer Court disciple.

Han Yu resumed reading, his curiosity taking control. The token contained a few more details, listing Ju Fan's affiliations.

Affiliation: Fifth Rib Peak

Han Yu frowned. "Fifth Rib Peak? What kind of naming convention is that?"

He tried to recall whether he had heard of such a name in any of the old sect records or rumors. Nothing came to mind. It was entirely unfamiliar.

The sects he knew usually named their peaks after elemental attributes or symbolic creatures—Fire Peak, Spirit Spring Peak, Azure Dragon Peak, Sword Peak, Alchemy Peak and so forth.

But this one used anatomical terminology, like a rib. It gave him an odd feeling, as though the entire sect had some kind of morbid or blood-related foundation.

Beneath the affiliation, there was a blank space next to Designation or Division, confirming that Ju Fan had no assigned profession or role.

Han Yu sighed in relief. "At least that makes things easier," he muttered.

If Ju Fan had belonged to a specialized branch like weapon or formation crafting, it would have been almost impossible for Han Yu to impersonate him convincingly. Combat-focused disciples, however, were simpler. No one would expect them to craft weapons, forge tools, or refine talismans.

It was ironic that Ju Fan's lack of broader skill might now save Han Yu's life.

As he continued reading, he reached the last few lines of data recorded within the token. One of them made him blink in surprise.

He stared at it for a long moment, then muttered, "What the fuck? This guy was broke?"

Han Yu scratched his head, a small, humorless laugh escaping him. "With all that treasure in his storage ring, he couldn't spare a few merit points?"

Then again, he reasoned, it was possible Ju Fan had exchanged all his points for rewards or missions.

Merit systems varied from sect to sect, and Han Yu couldn't assume this one was the same as his own. Still, the image of a Peak Core Condensation expert with zero merit points amused him in a bitter way.

"Maybe you were strong, but you sure weren't rich in reputation," he muttered under his breath, setting the token down beside him.

Having absorbed all the information the token offered, Han Yu turned his attention to the pile of scrolls he had taken out earlier. One of them caught his eye immediately, it bore the same crimson-wounded moon symbol as the one engraved on the token and the black robes.

The parchment was high-quality, made of spiritual beast hide and bound with fine red thread. It hadn't aged or decayed, despite everything that had happened. Carefully, Han Yu untied the thread and unrolled it.

At the top of the document was a bold heading, followed by neatly written text.

Mission Brief: Assigned to Ju Fan, Outer Court Disciple of the Fifth Rib Peak.

Han Yu leaned closer, his eyes narrowing as he read the first and only line of the mission description.

"Eliminate all invaders within our land."

That was it. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel-fire.net

No elaboration, no specific targets or boundaries—just a single, merciless directive.

Han Yu felt a chill run through him. The language was too absolute. The word "invaders" could only refer to one group, the various sects' disciples who had entered the tomb.

His hands tightened on the scroll.

'So this Ju Fan's mission had been to kill everyone from the outside, regardless of sect or affiliation.'

Han Yu read the final line at the bottom, where a signature was marked in elegant, almost regal calligraphy.

Authorized by Mission Hall Elder Xiu Hong, High Elder of the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect.

His eyes lingered on those last words. The ink seemed to shimmer faintly, as though infused with a trace of the Elder's Qi.

Finally, he had a name... a name to the symbol, a name to the nightmare that had taken shape within these ruins.