Yin & Yang Pleasures of Cultivation

Over the skies of the Plunged Tundra, a darker light hazed the area. 

The night is already falling upon the world. More cultivators were quickly traveling on the icy roads to get to their hometowns.

Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami were the exception to this as they relaxedly strolled on the icy road leading up to Mawold Town. Now there weren't any Silver Bloody Hammer group members blocking the entrance.

And, a few other cultivators were also traversing into Mawold Town and a few others supposedly adventuring out of the Town. 

Keeping their stride, Darcel's group walked with the few lines of people into Town.

Once in Town, their eyes set straight on to where the Nobe's Fang group place was and began strolling up there. Walking through the icy blue Town under a darker night haze brought about a unique feeling to the trio.

Under the dwindling night, everything seemed to pop out more. 

The icy blue color radiated a more subtle glossy shine that felt a bit magical to walk under. As well, the general populace seemed more serene under the slight night.

Cultivators alike slowly strolled together in groups, either casually talking with each other or enjoying the serene atmosphere. 

The only more negative aspect of the night town was those 'silver eyesores' Darcel's group like to call them.

As they walked through the Town, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami sensed multiple presences briefly locking on them. The various presences only took a second to regard them before quickly shifting their attention away as if to not care about them.

But Darcel's group clearly knew where these presences were coming from. 

After all, the Silver Bloody Hammer group all carried a distinct aura that makes it easy to separate them from average folks.

Still, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami didn't comment on it. They simply lightly smirked, thinking those silver eyesores are probably underestimating them.

Suddenly then, Aniela spoke up during the comfortable silence between their group, saying,

"Hehe~, just imagine everyone's eyes when we come back without even so much of a single scratch! Ohhh, I'll bet they'll be petrified in mind, body, and soul!" 

Yasami smirk began to widen through Aniela's bold claims. "Like many people I met, they're all about to have their ignorant eyes open. Although I bet even after this, there will still be some doubt about our prowess. Either way, this will be intriguing."

All the while the girls were egging each other on, Darcel had a simple small smile on his face. 

He had soon spotted the Nobe's Fang group place just a bit ahead of them.

And thinking about how boldly Aniela and Yasami were talking, Darcel felt the small swirl of anticipation bubbled in his chest about the upcoming meeting. 

"Just remember to not get too carried away in your words. After all, we still need to cooperate with them."

"Heh. Alright." Both Yasami and Aniela playfully snorted and said at the same time. 

And while Aniela immediately looked over to Yasami to flash her a beautiful teasing smile. Yasami couldn't help but get a bit embarrassed and quickly turned her head away from her. 

Darcel chucked internally about that small exchange, and the trio finally arrived at the entrance of the Nobe's Fang group place.

Quickly, Aniela and Yasami sober up before going into the place. 

Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami had all then quickly shared a brief look between each other. They nodded in silent understanding and had then boldly strode in the place.

Promptly, when Darcel's group had stepped in, the usual curious eyes wandered onto them. 

And when people began noticing it was the same highly confident brats from before, more eyes began to gloss over them in slight disbelief. 

After all, they all calculated it merely been a few hours since they left! 

And for an Expert tier mission like these youths were doing, nearly all of the Nobe's Fang group members needed at least several days to complete the task.

All the days account for traversing through the Wild Snow lands and strategizing on how to traverse through without dying. 

Furthermore, looking at the state of Darcel's group made the scene even more ludicrous.

On all three of their bodies, there wasn't a single scratch on them! Not even a tiny bit of shred or rustle on their clothes, making them look absolutely spotless! 

Such a clean showing shouldn't be possible on an Expert tier mission!

And, of course, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami all notice the rising questions and disbelief on the Nobe's Fang group member's faces. The trio basked in their stares for a second before Darcel decided it was showtime.

Before anyone could even form a thought to speak, their eyes were all immediately taken by Darcel's spatial ring lightning up. 

A bright purple glow illuminated the whole room, bringing everyone anticipation through the roof.

The purple flash only lasted for a second, and people quickly reopen their eyes. 

And upon doing so, jaws immediately hit the floor. Everyone's eyes had to repeatedly blink just to make sure what they were witnessing was real.

In Darcel's head was the colossal bloody head of the Soul Weaver ape! 

For a terrifying, dangerous beast like that, there had been portraits circulating around the place about it. The portraits came from the lucky members that failed to complete the mission but had escaped with their lives.

In return, everyone could clearly recognize the striking beating red highlights in the Soul Weaver ape's fur. 

"Th-th-bu-How?!? Th-that beast killed off even numerous teams of seventh rank warriors! Just how did these kids do it?!"

"It-it's too surreal….that's the Soul Weaver ape head. Yet it's in the hand of a True Soul Core junior….this feels like a bizarre dream that just keeps on getting weirder and weirder…."

"Frey….you're seeing what I'm seeing, right? Right?" The girl that was with Frey from before had immediately stood on her toes once seeing the Soul Weaver ape's disembodied head. 

She was one of the ones that spoke the loudest against the trio. And now, her mind was falling into a chaotic state of confusion and disbelief. 

"It-it….yes. This is indeed real. Even I had a close shave with that beast during my more younger times….but even then. I was at the seventh rank level…."

Frey had quickly stood up with his partner, sharing her intense disbelief. 

Even more so since he had experienced a grueling battle with the Soul Weaver ape in the past. He clearly knows it should be virtually impossible for any small group to defeat the beast, let alone kill it!

Although the Nobe's Fang group members initially had various thoughts on whether or not Darcel's group could complete the mission because of Darcel and Aniela's soul aura. 

Seeing them actually do it still destroys any sort of common sense inside them.

"Heeh~. Looks like Yasami was right. There's still doubt swirling in the masses of people. At least, they all know they can't disprove what Darcy's holding." Aniela whispered throughout the colossal commotion.

Yasami had heard her and quickly said, "Heh. Not only everyone here is still doubting us. Even those Heavenly Generals have the same disbelief and questioning expressions, surging in their eyes."

Right as she said it, Darcel and Aniela's eyes zipped over to the back part of the room and saw both Heavenly Generals Gorbug and Sinaki walking down the stairs.

Their gazes focused squarely on them, unmoving as if they were trying to see through their sous. 

Just like the other members, it was a bit hard to accept that Darcel's group had so easily killed the Soul Weaver ape.

They both had immediately picked on Darcel's group arriving at the entrance, and initially, they did believe the trio had failed. 

After all, Heavenly General Gorbug and Sinaki have millenniums of experience over the youths. And they know just how grueling an Expert tier mission can be.

Yet sitting right in front of their faces was the Soul Weaver ape's beheaded head in Darcel's hand. 

Heavenly General Sinaki went through numerous scenarios in his mind in an instant.

But, no matter what scenario he came up with, Heavenly General Sinaki just couldn't think of a way how these kids could kill a Spirit Monster equivalent to numerous seventh rank Innate Core warriors.

Even if Darcel's group just happened to have the best talismans on them and other special attacking items. Everything will still be relative to their levels. 

Meaning, no matter what, all the energy they could use on their team was two quantity of Spirit Qi energy and one fifth rank Innate Core energy. 

And obviously, none of them could wield mighty Heavenly Qi to use Spirit Artifacts' incredible prowess to grossly jump realms.

It was then, Heavenly General Sinaki's mind snapped back to Darcel and Aniela's unique soul aura. A prowess that seemed to surmount a whole realm and a half. It was absolutely too far fetched to think about at the time. 

But now….Heavenly General Sinaki's mind was in disarray. 

All the while, Heavenly General Gorbug's reaction was far more subdued than anyone else. Comparatively, he had expected for the trio to have a shocking result. 

Although, he just didn't expect it to happen this fast and in such an outrageous manner! 

Seeing Darcel, Aniela, and even Yasami now, a new light began to enter Heavenly General Gorbug's eyes about them.

As both Heavenly General Gorbug and Sinaki walked up to Darcel's group, the other group member's attention quickly shifted to them. 

At this point, they had all realized that these kids may genuinely have the qualifications to meet with the Heavenly Generals!

"Follow us to the offices." 

Was all Heavenly General Sinaki told the trio. Taking a last look at them, Heavenly General Sinaki quickly turned back around and began walking.

Heavenly General Gorbug nodded towards Darcel's group, indicating that it was ok to follow. 

"It's about time then! Let's go." Yasami had boldly called out, and she, Darcel, and Aniela followed behind Heavenly General Gorbug's steps.

Throughout the time they walked behind Heavenly General Gorbug, Darcel's mind began to wonder. 

Staring at the bewildered reaction of the Nobe's Fang group members made him compare it to the Zakira Academy's students' reactions.

Until he and Aniela finally showed their real prowess against Gorga and his friend, they were pestered continuously with doubts and even accused of cheating their prowess.

And currently, while there were apparent doubts and suspicions in the Nobe's Fang group member's eyes, none of them were quick to call them out for cheating.

But, thinking more about it, Darcel found it to make sense. 

Comparatively, the Qi Formation Sea realm and Nascent Core realm are essentially nothing to even the weakest of Innate Core warriors.

Cultivating to the Innate Core realm would require even decently talented people years of experience and hardships. And once finally achieving this step, one can call this realm entering a new plane of strength.

It's why, despite the Soul Weaver ape only being able to kill simply a rank above its level, the beast was still so heavily feared. 

The impossible shock of killing the beast, Darcel guessed it may be too much for any one of them to handle at this time.

But Darcel supposed it won't be long before people get over their stunned shock and start hounding all three of them about their prowess. 

With these thoughts swirling in Darcel's mind, his group quickly followed Heavenly General Gorbug up the stairs, leaving behind the stunned group members.

"....I still can't believe that all transpired….can you, Frey? Huh? Frey? What's wrong?" As Darcel's group left, the chatter started back up again, and Frey's partner immediately turned her attention towards him. 

But she was a bit confused at his current gaze.

He didn't even bother with staring at the direction where Darcel's group had gone up. Instead, he turned his attention down one of the long hallways of the room. 

There he watched as a disgruntled Fruna came rushing down the hallway and into the room. Her eyes expelled confusion and slight disappointment, knowing she just missed Darcel's group returned. 

And as Frey watched her, a strange light hazed in his eyes.

….

On their road to the office, Darcel's group had to further admire the Nobe's Fang group place's design. Everything still had a neat icy blue coat of paint, and unique designs of a golden fang was painted along the walls.

Moreover, Darcel's group could tell the place's internal structure was easy to follow as they climbed up the steps. 

There were signs above hallways detailing what section of that place was and or how to get to other sites.

To where the Heavenly Generals were taking them, they climbed a decently long flight of stairs before they made it to what Darcel's group assumed was the top floor.

There weren't any more staircases that the trio could see that led further beyond this floor anyway. 

Once they made it on the floor, the Heavenly Generals swiftly led them down a semi-long corridor that only had about five doors filling it.

No words were spoken between them as the Heavenly Generals were lost in slight thought. Eventually, they stopped in front of a door on the right wall, and a sign above the door said Heavenly.

Heavenly General Sinaki opened the door to reveal a neat looking office for Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami's eyes. 

There were the standard usual inside that would make an office of a high ranking member of an organization.

Various books, shelves, scrolls, and other such exotic items of the sort, plus there was a large, uniquely designed blue couch in the office. 

Inclining his head towards them, Heavenly General Gorbug told Darcel's group, "Come on in. We have much to discuss."