Yin & Yang Pleasures of Cultivation

On the pure white blanket of snow in the Wild Snow area, Darcel had his map out, carefully studying the route on where to go. 

Aniela and Yasami follow closely behind him while also casually chatting it up with each other and enjoying their talk.

Like Darcel already assumed, the Nobe's Fang group just easily gives out maps for any type of mission one would go on. 

Darcel had to remark, though the Nobe's Fang group place probably is far weaker than the Silver Bloody Hammer group, they were rich in helpful resources.

The map he had for the hard tier mission was just as explicitly detailed for the route they need to go on as their expert tier mission. 

Unless one was literally blind, it was at least simple to make it to Nobe's Fang group mission points.

What also made their walk pretty relaxed was their new brown leather outfits. Compared to the cold of Mawold town and inside the Nobe's Fang group building, the real test is seeing if it is just as effective in the raw wildlands.

And Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami were pleasantly surprised to find the Mage's clothes doing work for them. 

Even in the more chilling areas, their brown leather clothes still heated their bodies considerably.

The only main thing Darcel's group had to worry about was the random Spirit Monsters here. But with the route they were on, there weren't too many Spirit Monsters jumping out at them. 

And the ones that did was quickly dealt with by Yasami. At the sixth rank of the Innate Core realm, Yasami could kill any fifth rank Spirit Monsters with a snap of her fingers.

Currently, though, Yasami was preoccupied with Aniela. Aniela had a mild shock look on her face as she was telling Yasami, 

"Mnh, mnh! Not knowing any little games or simply how to make fun little time off? Yep! That's decided it, Yasami. We're going to broaden your horizon and show you a different new height. Darcy and I saw far too many stale people with a one-way cultivation thought train. We can't let a cutie like you fall to that point!"

Aniela's voice was laced in a seemingly grave tone as if this was a huge issue. 

Genuinely though, Aniela didn't want to see a mind like Yasami be on a simple one track; she could tell it would damper her future potential.

Yasami, however, never really saw a problem with having most of her thoughts pertaining to cultivation. It was how she was raised. 

Yet, at the same time, Yasami found it hard to disagree with Aniela's persuasive tone. 

Seeing how Aniela was getting so passionate about it, Yasami didn't have it in her to say no. It was small things like this that Yasami found it so fun and enjoyable to talk to Darcel and Aniela.

Both Darcel and Aniela always had a unique, enigmatic tone when talking, which just pulled Yasami in to listen to them. 

Plus, a fascinating aspect she found about the duo as they walked towards their mission point was these weird myths and stories they told.

Yasami could honestly say she never once heard about any story or myth they mention to them. Yet, Darcel and Aniela only claim they simply read all they told her in some old books in their childhood.

A wry smile formed on Yasam's lips as she began to tell Aniela, 

"Hmmm….I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try new things. But don't get too hyped up, Aniela. I dread to fall all the way down in your rabbit hole. I'm afraid I'll never be the same then."

Aniela and even Darcel glanced their eyes over to Yasami, feeling a bit surprised at Yasami teasing Aniela back. 

She didn't even react to Aniela calling her a cutie. Seeing her come out of her shell more, Aniela began to sweetly giggle. "Hehehe~, you're already on your steps to changing now. The little cutie got jokes! I'm glad to see it." 

While she praised Yasami, Aniela started to gently pat Yasami's shoulder as in a job well done.

Darcel can just tell Yasami was rolling her eyes at Aniela's action. But he could spot a small smirk on her lips. 

"Don't worry, you'll actually like the various games Aniela always have stored in that bubbly mind. Some of what she has is even my favorite pastime." Darcel told Yasami, which actually got her to consider Aniela's words a lot more. 

Seeing how Yasami is so dutifully engaging with them, Darcel had to give Aniela this credit.

Time and time again, Aniela always proved herself to be far more talkative than he ever could achieve. While Darcel considers himself as saying what needs to be said in any conversation and then some.

Darcel thought it was because of Aniela's talkative self that Yasami is becoming even more relaxed with them than yesterday. 

Though, little did Darcel know, despite saying less than Aniela. His words carried far greater weight in Yasami's mind.

Abruptly then, out of nowhere, Darcel completely stopped moving. 

His Spirit Sense suddenly spiked when he felt the several presences following them quickly move in on them. Trailing his eyes backward, Darcel already saw Aniela and Yasami standing entirely still with a rising anticipating smile. 

A few seconds after Darcel's group made their trek on the Wild Snow lands, the trio all felt numerous powerful presences locked on to them.

Presences that they sensed are from the Silver Bloody Hammer group. 

And compared to last time, these group members are far more powerful than the previous four. Seeing their time has come, Darcel pulled his eyes back forward. 

With a rising confident smirk, Darcel boldly shouted out, 

"So you're all finally deciding to act now, huh?! You all kept us waiting for quite some time now! We were beginning to think you all might've gotten cold feet. At least now we finally see your caution gone."

Yasami snorted but didn't talk as loud as Darcel when saying, "Heh! I can just tell they think we have some special god breaking treasure. And only now they decided to strike. Probably after some bs reasoning, that is."

"Alright! You heard the man! Stop hiding like some moles and come out to face us like real heroes! We don't have time for your games!" Aniela complimented Darcel's momentum and began shouting out loud as well.

Instantly under Aniela's provocation, six silver armor men popped up several feet in front of Darcel's group. 

Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami gained some appraisal in their eyes, seeing the group line up.

It was the three eighth rank men from the town, including the one with the golden hammer badge symbol. 

But the most striking ones of their group had to be three new silver armor men with the same golden hammer badge symbol.

Unlike the eighth rank men, all three of the new silver armor men were ninth rank Innate Core powerhouses! Their powers sat at the absolute peak of the Innate Core realm, just being a small line away from the half step Heavenly Transformation realm.

When the six silver armor men appeared, their combined eighth ranks and ninth ranks aura attempted to crush down on Darcel's group. 

And admittedly, this time, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami felt a mild pressure on their bodies against this powerful lineup.

Even for them, if they were to fight these silver armor men head-on, Darcel was sure it wouldn't be a clean fight. 

Yet, despite the added trouble, neither Darcel, Aniela, nor Yasami felt any genuine tension. Their nerves were incomparably calm as they matched their gazes at the approaching silver armor men. 

"Hmm? So these little runts truly hold something worth our time Gedu?"

One of the ninth rank Innate Core men spoke up, having an indifferent tone about Darcel's group. It was like for him, this was nothing but a small job to crush a couple of ants.

Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami smirked, not minding the man's arrogant tone. Their eyes had then trailed over to the eighth rank Innate Core man who had a golden badge hammer symbol on his armor. 

His mouth curled upwards into a malicious smile, telling his partner, "Indeed, they are. Don't you get it already? To be able to sense us perfectly, their treasures truly are on a Heavenly tier."

Gedu wasn't surprised at all seeing Darcel's group so calm and undisturbed as his group neared them.

The same ninth rank Innate Core man who talked first thoroughly trailed his eyes over Darcel's group. "I see….and if what you say is true about Zeal's team. We have quite good riches coming into our hands."

Once Gedu's team was merely a couple feet away from Darcel's group, they all stopped walking. 

At this point, still, neither Darcel, Aniela, nor Yasami spoke again or tried to make any moves.

And because they all were unleashing their auras on the trio, Gedu's group obviously thought the trio were entirely suppressed by them. 

Even as they somehow managed to kill four seventh rank Innate Core warriors. Gedu's group assumed it was a lapse of focus from Zeal's team underestimating these youths.

Furthermore, their lineup could absolutely crush any group of seventh rank Innate Core warriors anyway, putting them at a higher plane of power than Zeal's team.

"So brats, you all have-" Gedu was beginning his condescending spiel to Darcel's group, but right then,

"Flash!!" 

Aniela's sweet voice cut off Gedu's, and she immediately erupted her Yang Spiritual State! 

An overwhelming aura of immense power gushed out of Aniela like a waterfall causing her bloodline arm as well to lit up in a blinding white light!

'Chi!'

Gedu's group were all utterly stunned as a blinding white flash burst into their visions! None of them could understand what was going on. 

The tremendous power bursting from Aniela was far too mind-shattering.

Gedu and the other eighth rank men felt Aniela's sudden burst of power matched their aura and even slightly suppressed it! 

While the three ninth rank Innate Core men felt that Aniela's discharge of power is a substantial immediate threat, they must takedown.

But, for a single second, nobody could move. 

It didn't matter how powerful they were. All of their souls were entirely unprotected from Aniela's flashbang, making the six silver armor men's bodies completely freeze up.

And in the very same instant Aniela whipped out her flashbang, Darcel had ignited his spatial ring and fished out the Silver Spangled Flute! 

Immediately, Darcel surged a considerable sum of his soul energy and flowed it into his mouth. In the same motion, Darcel put his mouth to the end of the flute and crazily poured in his soul energy into the flute. 

There was a prompt reaction in the flute as it quickly glowed up in a bright, radiant silver shine!

'Fuuuu~.' 

And out the flute, a serene hypnotic melody exuded into the air, spreading out for miles. 

Hearing the beautiful tune for the first time, Darcel nearly felt his eyes droop. He made sure his soul spread out and protected him, Aniela and Yasami, but he still couldn't help but be lulled by the flute's melody. 

The song that drifted out was peaceful, almost like basking in the warm fresh waters of a steamy hot springs pool.

"Aaaah~, Ooooh~." Aniela and Yasami couldn't stop cooing out lovely sleepy sighs. 

Just like Darcel, they felt a nearly irresistible wave of sleepiness wash over them, almost pulling them into dreamland despite being protected from the flute's power.

And while Darcel's group only had a slight struggle to stay up, Gedu's group were all utterly helpless as the flute's hypnotic melody soothed into their ears. 

Their souls were easily taken control by the flute's power, causing an incomparable wave of exhaustion to wash over Gedu's group. They all struggled for a second to keep their eyes open. 

But it was all futile. 

None of their souls could resist the flute's hypnotic power. The six silver armor men's eyes soon slam shut, taking them to complete darkness. 

Their consciousness quickly faded from them, lulling the men into a deep heavy sleep.

Like a doll having its string cut, the six silver armor men's bodies crashed into the snow sprawling out without any defense. 

The blinding white flashbang quickly cleared away then, and Aniela reverted back to her normal state.

"Huuu~, that flute. It's just-oh? Ah? Darcy, Yasami! Would you look at what we have here!" Aniela's eyes brightly lit up as she, Darcel, and Yasami saw Gedu's group's current state.

Darcel broadly smiled and shifted his eyes down at the mysterious silver flute in his hand. His experiment was a tremendous success!