ã€ŠYin &amp; Yang Pleasure of Cultivationã€‹


 Yin Dream

    Standing upright and tall with an unassumed expression was a young teen, currently bearing witness to a luxurious sight.

    The strange and whimsical combination of utter darkness and dazzling light made for phenomenal scenery. There was no other being or object beside the young boy in this endless black and white mixed space.

    Surely this coiled mix of two opposing forces of darkness and light would''ve been enough to astound anyone! Plus, in every inch of this place, a majestic aura filled the air.

    A majestic empyreal aura that would make anyone feel as mighty as a god!

    Yet the boy only slightly opened his mouth and leaked out a small sigh,

    "Great, here''s my monthly ''profound dream.'' And just like the first time, it''s still only a change of pace compared to my usual dreams."

    Darcel, the boy, shrugged his shoulders and decided to walk after that snide remark.

    Truly he could never understand why people put so much importance on recurring dreams despite nothing in real life ever getting affected.

    Like it was a simple routine, Darcel walked upon the black and white mix ground akin to walking on air. His shoulder-length black hair swayed slightly as if it was matching the silent rhythm of this mysterious space.

    Always in these dreams, his body feels weightless as if there were no shouldering burdens on him. Even for unamused as he was, Darcel could still appreciate this weightless feeling.

    "Now then, where will they...ah, don''t you ever consider moving from this single place? It feels quite good to walk here, based on my experience."

    Eventually, while walking, Darcel''s eyes spotted a lone figure, a few meters from in front of him, and his mouth began moving. Though he was talking like he expected the person to respond, all he received was silence.

    This lone figure simply sat upon an enchanting looking white-dark mix rock. All Darcel could see of this character was their freakishly long white-dark mix hair and towering back.

    Despite this odd yet enthralling appearance, Darcel only gained a smirk to being seemingly ignored. "So, now that I have managed to spot you, I guess I''ll just wake up now. Seriously, I wonder if you''re actually just a stature with hair or not¡­"

    When finishing his piece, Darcel prepared to close his eyes. Everything for him was as normal as it usual been until,

    "Your Yin Pleasure has finally come."

    A strange ethereal voice boomed all around the space. The voice held a mystic charm. Darcel couldn''t identify if it was male or female, but it pulls you in to want to listen to them.

    "Hm? So you''re not some useless statue. Oh? What''s this?" During Darcel''s sarcastic comment, slowly but surely, he saw this lone figure turn its body.

    Blaring light and darkness spewed out of the figure as it decrepitly turned around. An exalted sacred feeling had suddenly enraptured the whole place!

    Darcel, for the first time, felt a small anticipation bubble up.

    And right when he believed he was going to finally see this figure voice, the celestial voice spoke again with,

    "Wake-"

    ''Chi!''

    "Up?" The eyes of Darcel burst open! Only instead of that dreaming landscape, he came face to face with a dreary dark ceiling. Slowly sitting up, his eyes blinked a couple times before reorienting himself.

    "What was that supposed to be? Some kind of fate premonition for great destiny? Meh, I''ll think about it later. Got work to do." Darcel simply shrugged his shoulder and already put the dream at the back of his mind.

    No use dwelling upon things that are impossible to solve anyway...it''s how Darcel manages to get through his ''special'' life currently.

    Next to his bed, a blaring blue flash hit the corner of his eyes. Rubbing his eyes a bit, he looked over to a floating blue jewel just beside his bed.

    Grabbing the jewel, the blue light in the room died down as he remarked, "Just in time for the day too. Though I just wish these lights didn''t assault your eyes when waking up."

    ''Ka-Cha!''

    Amazingly enough, all Darcel did was put a little strength into his hands, but the blue jewel had shattered into tiny small pieces!

    With a flick of his hand, Darcel threw the shards of blue jewel to the ground, not caring in the slightest about making a mess. And with one last crack of his neck, Darcel hopped out of his bed.

    Looking around his room, he nodded at the usual dark, dreary atmosphere of the place. There was absolutely nothing here beside his bed and a door that led outside.

    ''Honestly, it makes you wonder why they keep this room so spacious for nothing¡­'' Darcel thought to himself and just shook his head.

    And without a second breath, he waltzes on over to the door, opening it for his eyes to meet with a strange black substance.

    It was like materialized black energy! Darcel, however, held no reaction to the black substance and promptly walked through it.

    He felt nothing when walking through, and Darcel was immediately graced by a massive, expansive corridor. Everything here was wide and far spread apart, allowing for many people to walk through.

    Though the general feel of the corridor was rather...depressive. Upon the walls was a dull samey grey color, to which set the bleak mood.

    There was no unique design nor any kind of ornaments to set this place apart. However, for Darcel, he came to appreciate this dull design. At least every day, his eyes won''t get plastered over extravagant colors.

    Glossing over to the assortment of people walking in the corridor, they as well held the same dull, depressive feeling.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Most wore ragged gray clothes or wore an odd-looking gray wristband. These people''s expression was all either neutral or a slight dread as they trudge their feet through this endless corridor.

    It didn''t matter if they were a man, women, or the elderly, nobody looks like they held special treatment.

    All except for one young boy...

    Eyes took immediate notice of Darcel since he wore plain black clothing that held decent quality. His face was also cleaner and retained a distinctive, attractive quality all other lack.

    The eyes on him were of envy, jealousy, hatred, or even a small bit of killing intent. But no one was foolish enough to try anything.

    Darcel had paid no attention to wandering stares and, at his own pace, began walking towards his unique job.

    Glancing around, he always finds it a wonder how this dull corridor can carry so many doors leading to all kinds of different rooms. Rooms that would innately excite someone''s curiosity to explore beyond it.

    Although doing so wouldn''t be recommended. As Darcel was coming up on a particular room on his left side, the door''s quaking rattled his ears.

    That room was only a couple of meters ahead of him, but Darcel stopped walking.

    He put up his hand and slowly counted down to five. While he was counting, Darcel saw everyone else had the same idea to avoid this door too.

    And finally when Darcel last finger went down,

    ''BANG!''

    A sickly red-figure burst through the black substance of the door like a bullet!

    That person crashed into the wall with a sickening thump. The power needed to achieve this was far beyond what any average human can do, but nobody paid attention to that person.

    Looking at the one who crashed, it was a man. Though by the state he was in, you could barely tell he was even human before.

    Disgustingly putrid red blood poured down his entire body, staining a spot in the corridor. The man was heavily mutilated, and one can see his rotten bloody organs drip out of him like a wet sickle.

    At this point, logically, one would think the man is dead seeing his condition. But Darcel and everyone else know better.

    "Subject failed, requesting extermination."

    Everyone heard a cold professional voice traveling out of the room. Like the mutilated man was merely trash, he was left there bleeding out on the floor until ''extermination'' came.

    ''Heh, Parasol is just as cruel as ever.'' Darcel cynically thought as he then continued on his trek.

    For as long as he could remember, he was forcefully taken and got trapped in this cruel strange place known only as the Parasol Organization.

    By the use of the mystical, enigmatic property known as Cultivation, this Organization can securely hide from the secular world in their own independent realm.

    Darcel, like all other dreary-looking people here, is far too weak to even think about escaping. And by their natural survival instinct, they all succumb to the violent testing of this Organization.

    Though for Darcel, he at least was somewhat treated better than the average common here. Mainly it was because, since his birth, he could wield a mystical power that this Organization found immense worth in.

    ''Still, I wonder what poor sap I''m going to have to work on today.'' Darcel thought to himself as he turned down a left corner.

    It was then a piercing cold voice slithered into his ears,

    "You''re nearly late. Once again, skirting on edge. Taking another chance, I presume." Looking down the hall, Darcel''s eyes came to witness two men standing in front of one of the many gray doors in this place.

    Compared to the rows of people walking earlier, this corridor''s left turn had barely any people walking. If they did, they stick to the other side of the wall as if they''re trying to blend into it.

    The man who spoke was a tall rigid stature one. His very being screamed perfectionist, and his sharp ice-cold face provided for an aloof presence.

    His attire consisted of a silk, clean long white button-up shirt that was open and showcased a professional uniform underneath. In his hand was a clipboard that strangely held no writing on it.

    To anyone else in this place, they would give this man a wide berth, not even wanting to come a meter towards him.

    Yet for Darcel, he kept his same comfortable walking pace as he glanced over to the younger man beside him.

    Like the first man, he was also dressed in the same outfit and carried a similar cold daunting vibe. His face held a slight disdain while his eyes gained a hidden malicious glint.

    "Well? Aren''t you going to answer Dr.Zhi?" The younger man''s voice held the same cold and superior tone to Darcel.

    However, for Darcel, he merely shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I still made it on time, didn''t I? Besides, I can only work at my max potential at my own pace."

    "You''re own pace, hm?" Dr.Zhi repeated in a questioning voice. His eyebrows quivered a bit, and then, without even moving, a massive pressure came crashing down for Darcel and everyone else for miles!

    This was a feeling akin to death''s blade resting on your neck.

    The dull gray clothed people''s bodies trembled, their face poured with cold sweat as an intense fear washed over them.

    Hundreds of people could barely move by this mysterious power that Dr.Zhi exuded. Yet, no one dared speak up for themselves or Darcel.

    All the while, Darcel, who was affected by Dr.Zhi aura, only flashed him a mocking smile. With more calm and controlled steps he told the Doctor,

    "A new day to think your little intimidating tactics would work, eh? Let''s just cut to chase and get this job over it. I''m sure a doctor like you has vital tasks to do."

    This unfathomable aura of Dr.Zhi, Darcel had no way of identifying it. Still, it was carved into his bones to never back down. His eyes and tone were even while Darcel wonders about this Doctor.

    By the same element of Cultivation, could Dr.Zhi achieve an incredible power like this!

    Although Darcel only knows a couple things about Cultivation. One of which being he''s apparently in the starting realm of Cultivation named the Qi Foundation Realm.

    But he was only able to gather he was merely at the first level of this realm through several dangerous practices.

    And even then, all Darcel could gather was how his body is far stronger than the average human.

    However, it was better than the majority of the gray clothed people here who most weren''t even in this realm at all.

    And through his time in this Organization, thoughts about being weak no longer bother Darcel that much. Especially since his uses are far too good to get rid of...

    "Dr.Zhi, there''s really no need to spend time on him. Eventually, no matter how long it takes, all experimenters succumb to their places." The younger man spoke up, already taking his eyes off from Darcel.

    "I suppose you have a point, Luo. Though I wish we would stop receiving long cases like these ones." Dr.Zhi calmly said while recalling his aura.

    The single breath everyone else was holding was all quietly released at the same time. This had essentially become a daily routine for them, treading extremely carefully around exclusive figures like the Doctor.

    The two men didn''t bother Darcel a second glance and opened up the door. On the other side was the enchanting but strange black substance.

    Without any hesitation, the two men stepped through the door. Darcel peered over to the other people walking, taking notice of their timid faces. Shrugging his shoulder, he said,

    "How depressing."

    And walked through the odd black substance. Immediately he was greeted by a gray room and a single table at the center of the room.

    Darcel''s eyes ran through what was on the table.

    A strap up man in tattered clothing along with a sizable bloody wound in his shoulder! Looking into this man''s eyes, one can clearly see the immense fear and dread crazily ravaged there.

    His body was entirely still not because of choice but because of gray color binds suppressing his entire being.

    In the corner of the room, there was another doctor-like figure standing like a silent ghost. Darcel only just barely managed to see him.

    Unfazed by the strap man''s appearance, Darcel walked past Dr.Zhi and Luo, going up the bound man while saying to himself,

    "Now then. Time for the somewhat enjoyable part of my tedious day."

 Darkness Work

    Sweeping his eyes around the current room, the deadly daunting silence would be enough to slowly but surely frighten anyone.

    Especially seeing how the chained man couldn''t make any noise while bleeding out, yet his eyes were terrified. Furthermore, the three Doctors here exuded a combined intimidating presence.

    Dacrel cracked a snide smile as he turned his eyes to the open wound on the chained man''s shoulder. "You know, maybe for today, you''ll get lucky in this crazed research of yours."

    "Get to work."

    The cold voice of the other Doctor drained into Darcel''s ears. In this gray room, he was barely noticeable as if his natural presence was supposed to be inconspicuous.

    Darcel snide remarks were ignored, and despite finding it a bit amusing to rile up these cruel people. He also knows when not to go too far.

    "Already on it." Raising his hand up, Darcel closed his eyes and began to focus. His usually cold and dark mind became deathly still along with his body.

    Concentrating far into himself, Darcel sensed and felt something. It came from his soul''s depths, an unique magical power as far he was concerned only he could wield.

    This power gave Darcel a cold yet comforting feeling. Like it was an extension of himself, Darcel called upon this power and willed it into existence!

    ''Chi!''

    Immediately a dreary cold feeling wrapped the entire small room like a cage. Even for the almighty Doctors, their eyebrows wrinkled a bit from this feeling.

    They were obviously thousands of times stronger than Darcel, but a tiny, decrepit feeling crawled in the back of their minds by him.

    This was a clear reminder for them on why this kid is so troublesome¡­

    There was only one significant change for Darcel. With it being the hand he held up was now utterly covered in this strange black energy.

    Staring into his hand was akin to staring into the abyss itself, nearly making you get lost into it. When this energy had formed, Darcel clutched his stomach with his other hand, feeling a stinging sensation there while he thought,

    ''Ahh...indeed in this suffocating place, my Darkness element let me stay sane¡­''

    Darcel gazed into his Darkness energy hand, admiring the simplicity of his work.

    The power of Darkness. It was all Darcel could gather what to call this, but even he could tell his Darkness power is more unique compared to others.

    Otherwise, he wouldn''t be different from the ordinary folks here.

    The time that Darcel could use this power was a bit short, however. Swiftly he took a step to the chained man and focused on his wounded hole.

    The chained man''s scared eyes blare into Darcel''s calm, unwavering one who didn''t have a shred of sympathy. It was an emotion he lost long ago when performing tasks such as these.

    And then without warning, Darcel immediately plunged his darkness hand into the man''s open gaping wound!

    Like it was a bloody soup, Darcel''s hand easily tore into the man, causing a black and red mix to drip on his bound table. Terrifying immense pain ran through the man, yet he could not scream.

    The enormous power of the chains holding him suppressed every bone in his entire body. His mind was off the fritz.

    What could be worse than watching a cold, unsympathetic youth dig into your body like you were nothing?

    It was then the chained man abruptly felt a tremendous change inside himself! Something that was a part of him made him whole was getting forcibly taken out of him!

    Darcel, in a habitual pattern, expertly controlled his Darkness power, causing black like tendrils to drill into his body.

    Due to his unique mystical Element of Darkness, Darcel''s black tendril rushed into man''s veins! From there, Darcel sensed and felt an incredible source of energy, getting suppressed and contained there.

    At this point, Darcel felt his soul quiver slightly. It was like his Darkness was budding in anticipation of what happens next.

    Carefully, Darcel drew out more power inside himself and clenched his hand! Blood spurted from the wound, and Darcel''s black tendril latched on to this man''s power source.

    Because he was suppressed and already bound, Darcel simply had no problem in reigning control. If this man was anywhere near close to his full strength, this would''ve been impossible to achieve.

    The chained man felt like Darcel had just forcefully punctured right into the deepest place of his body.

    His soul!

    Moreover, his blood was getting profoundly affected by the mystical power of Darcel''s Darkness element.

    Now the feeling of death was imminent, but the terrifying nightmare was nowhere near over. Indescribable pain ran through his body as Darcel slowly took his hand out of his wound.

    It was like his very essence of being was getting pulled from him!

    ''Hua!''

    And with one clean swift pulled, Darcel pulled out a blue ball of energy. The ball swirled around in his Darkness hand, pulsating like a beating heart.

    ''I guess this should be the Element of water Qi or something like this. Not bad at all.'' Darcel thought to himself as the blue ball got absorbed into his hand.

    On the outside, it looked like his Darkness energy was devouring this mystical blue ball of Qi. And this assumption wasn''t far off from the truth.

    In Darcel''s body, he felt slight energy coarse to him. It was a bit refreshing to feel actually as he let out a slight small smile.

    Though that smile soon quickly turned into a frown when the same stinging sensation took away the energy. The process, at least for Darcel, was quick and painless though he wasn''t satisfied.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    For the chained man, his eyes turned dead and lifelessly bore into Darcel''s. What made him, him, was ruthlessly torn out by this youth who looked like he didn''t have a shred of remorse.

    Worst of all, he simply didn''t have the power to resist at all¡­

    The gray bind wrapping the man up disappeared once Darcel severed his power away from him. Yet the man just lay there, still, like a broken doll.

    Even if he wanted to, he had zero power running through his body, and if left like this, he would have none for the rest of his life.

    "I''ve done my part, now for part two," Darcel commented while backing up from the chained man.

    Even when staring into the man''s lifeless eyes, Darcel''s emotions or consciousness didn''t change. Not even through choice did Darcel become desensitized; rather, it was a tremendous forceful change.

    By Darcel''s comment, the three Doctors whipped out three syringes. The syringes all had corrupt fluid that he never wanted to get close to.

    "Dr.Zhi, what are chances with this one?" Luo asked the Doctor when they walked up to the table.

    With three presences overshadowing him, the chained man slowly turned his head around to meet indifferent people''s eyes.

    "Given the readings from his core, I would say, we have a small probability for this to work." An astounding low success rate! Yet neither other doctors were bothered at all.

    "A bit higher than usual. Prepared the syringes." The third Doctor ordered, and the other two complied.

    Dr.Zhi hovered his syringe in between the man''s eyebrows. Luo kept his over the man''s chest. While the third Doctor placed his over the man''s lower stomach.

    "Now."

    And with the third Doctor cue, in sync, they plunged their syringes fully into the man. Whatever disgusting fluid prepared in the syringes got forcefully injected, causing an immediate reaction in the once lifeless man.

    His eyes sprang open like they were about to burst, and for the first time, Darcel heard rather unpleasant noises from the man.

    "A-A-AHHHHH!!!"

    The thunderous shriek of pain bounced off the walls of the gray room. Unaffected by his wails, the three Doctors took several step backs as they awaited their results.

    "GEH, ACK, AHH!!"

    The man was continuously puking up this strange putrid mix of red-green blood while thrashing about on the table.

    And for all four participants watching, they didn''t need to wait long before dramatic changes to occur on the man''s body. Intensely the Doctors watched as they brought out their blank clipboards.

    The man''s skin began to transform into this vile green, sickly color. His teeth began to suddenly grow, changing into something far sharper and terrifying to gaze upon.

    Red veiny lines began to appear on his bodies while his eyes changed into pure white ones.

    And most of all, an immense rise of power started to spur from the man!

    ''Whir!''

    "GEAHHH!!"

    Ominous green-red mixed gases oozed out of the transforming man. It was like some kind of aura Darcel noticed since the gases swirl slowly around his body.

    But Darcel couldn''t focus on the gases for long as he had to prepare himself to stand tall in the face of this surging power.

    A suffocating, crushing aura weighed down his body like a mountain! Stubbornly Darcel gritted his teeth, clenched his hands, and remained rooted in his spot.

    The three Doctors had no problem facing this crashing wave of power. A pen floated above their clipboards, writing down whatever notes they needed.

    And after what seemed like a couple hours to Darcel, when in reality it only been a few minutes,

    ''Bang!''

    A ground shaking popped had blasted their ears! All at once, the gases cleared up, and the man ceased screaming and thrashing about.

    For the final result, three bloody protruding claws grew out from both of the man''s hands. His skin nearly looked scaly like, and foam dripped from his mouth.

    "Hm, a small bit of progress for today. At least the transformation process is a fraction there." Luo remarked not that upset over this result.

    "Indeed, we''re inching close every day with every small step." Dr.Zhi also commented while he finished writing down notes.

    The third Doctor didn''t speak up, but he had nodded his head. To go against the natural law of cultivation and nearly every species ideals, one would need a bit of patience.

    Though for Darcel, for the life of him, he''ll never be able to understand just what they are doing exactly.

    He could clearly tell this was some kind of inhuman power transformation though to what degree, how it works, and other aspects he doesn''t know. Nor will he ever probably know.

    Although does he want to know? Darcel could safely say ignorance is bliss in this type of situation.

    "Clean up well. Dr.Li still needs some valuable information from this failed test." Dr.Zhi spoke out without even looking at Darcel. And promptly, when saying his piece, he and Luo left the room.

    As they left the room, Dr.Li had suddenly flung a small silver needle into the transformed man''s neck.

    "Can''t even give me a chance to prepare?" Darcel sarcastically said once he saw the silver needle go in the man.

    It took all of two seconds and then,

    "DIEAH!!"

    The mutated man bounced to his feet! His eyes, filled with a murderous glared bore into Darcel. This was a gaze that would cause tremendous fear in any average person.

    Unfortunately, this man was facing off against Darcel¡­

    ''Hua!''

    Like a ravenous dog, the berserk man pounced towards Darcel! Spits of green-red mixed-blood spew crazily in the air staining several spots of the gray room.

    The berserk man''s speed was astonishingly quick, and he needed only one second to jump a few feets to Darcel.

    Smirking a bit, Darcel was able to instantly react!

    This time both of his hands ignited in his Darkness element. And with accurate precision, Darcel ducked to his right of the berserk man pounced and grabbed on to his wounded arm.

    Just barely did the mutated man red claws graze his cheek.

    With superior strength, Darcel stood upright as he lifted the man with both of his Darkness hands!

    "Gah?!"

    The berserk man was confused at Darcel moving with such timing. This kind of speed had slightly edged out his!

    And savagely, Darcel smashed the man into the gray floor!

    The beserk man coughed up blood, but his mind was soon overtaken by this strange blood lust feeling. By Darcel Darkness''s hand, his blood swirled in a certain way, and Darkness interjected into his bloodstream.

    This moment of daze was the perfect opening for Darcel!

    ''Chi!''

    Cleanly without any resistance, Darcel plunged his other Darkness hand into the man''s head. Simply, Darcel''s hand tore through his skull and pierced his brain!

    The soft mushy feeling made for an unpleasant sensation for Darcel, but he still showed no hesitation in killing.

    It was either kill or get maimed, and Darcel wasn''t up for that experience.

    Immediately, the light died in the man''s eyes as his life slipped away from him.

    Taking his hand out the man''s head, Darcel was saved from any blood. His Darkness hand absorbs any blood negating any dirt from coming on to him.

    Though the stinging sensation did come during the blood absorption, it wasn''t as intense as the Qi absorption.

    "It''s quite curious. For a mere special experimenter, you''re oddly quick and efficient." Dr.Li noted while he was still writing down notes.

    Darcel didn''t look back at him while walking towards the door though he did say,

    "I would have to be braindead to not improve myself around these cruel parks. Until next time Doctor."

    ¡­.

    Back in the depressive gray corridor, Darcel took a minute to calm his mind. While he did keep a calm facade through that short battle, his body and mind was hopped on the adrenaline.

    Always, no matter what, the thrill of battle did cause a bit of excitement in him. Although he would''ve preferred it if it wasn''t in this kind of setting.

    After taking a couple of minutes, Darcel was prepared to walk again until he noticed the door rattling next to him.

    Sighing slowly to himself, Darcel stayed put when the door began to crack open.

 Intuition

    In this section of the lone depressive corridor, Darcel held a slightly exasperated look while watching the door next to him open. Several people walking by cast odd looks at him, yet they still went on about their day.

    Only someone like that boy would be daring enough to wait for a person in this Organization.

    Slowly the gray door open and out step was an odd yet enchanting mix of black and white. It was a young woman, around Darcel''s teenage age and also quite attractive looking.

    What catches eyes the most was her dazzling pure white hair that neatly swayed down to her waist. In an Organization were dark or dull monotonous color was the norm, this girl was a massive contrast.

    Her face was cute, spouting enchanting black eyes and an ever-present small smile. Looking down to her body, it was curvaceous but still held a youthful charm as she''s still growing.

    Her breasts, along with her behind, were at a modest cute size. Her assets carried their own unique attraction to her.

    And on top of all, precisely like Darcel, she wore black clothing, which signifies her slight specialty among the commons.

    This was a cute girl that could cause several heads to turn back at her. Although for this place, the heads that did turn to her didn''t look on in lust or appreciation of her beauty.

    Rather, entirely like Darcel once again, their eyes held envy, jealousy, and a small leakage of undisclosed killing intent.

    Only one pair of eyes differ from the others. And of course, it was Darcel''s already tired eyes when watching the girl step out into the corridor.

    Promptly, for the girl as well, akin to having a sixth sense, she turned her head to her left and locked eyes with Darcel''s. Black eyes met black eyes, and the girl was the one that gained an even more full smile.

    "Once again, the standoffish Darcel can''t ever bear to lose to his cute friend! But, he''s at least chivalrous enough to wait for me~!" The girl''s bright, cheerful voice bounced off the corridor walls.

    Not only was her appearance in stark contrast to the rest of the place, but also her light demeanor went against everyone.

    And besides people slightly quirking their eyebrows, nobody changed their passing glances towards the girl.

    Even Darcel could never hope to achieve the level of energy this girl could somehow muster up. And he didn''t bother nor care to try. All he simply did was blinked his eyes before turning around to his left.

    Then, without a single word utter, he began walking down the corridor.

    For the girl, despite being outright ignored even when Darcel stared into her face. She didn''t get mad nor sad and swiftly matched Darcel''s paced while walking.

    "Just for one day, would it destroy you to just give me a simple hi! I even gave you a decent opener today!" Uncaring about anyone else walking, this girl was as merely as loud and bright as she wanted.

    Likewise, with the very atmosphere being oppressive and crushing, that won''t break this girl stride a single bit.

    And towards talking to Darcel, her wide smile didn''t lessen in the slightest.

    "Aniela, weren''t you the one to say it''s enough to cross eyes with me? But since you''ll keep pestering me about it, I''ll make sure to say hi the next time."

    Darcel shrugged his shoulder and cast Aniela a sidelong glance. It was the least he could do for this troublesome girl.

    "You said that last time! Hah, no matter. Today we''ll just have another memorable day so you for sure won''t forget. Oh! By the way, how was your task this morning?"

    This question made Darcel wonder, how the hell could she tell it was morning? There were no windows, magic watches, or anything of the sort to know when it''s night or day here.

    But Darcel didn''t bother really questioning it since it was her own made-up logic. Looking over to Aniela, he said, "As per usual. A failed test and then a quick test to see if I live or die. You?"

    "Mnh, mnh. I was a bit of the same. After failing to make those weird Doctors lighten up the mood, their test failed, and I had to mess about for my life. Honestly, Darc, I think one day, I can get through to them."

    Aniela had a proud and confident smile while stating this. Such a bold, outreaching claim did cause Darcel to raise an eyebrow at her.

    "What supposedly makes this day compared to the years we already spent any different?" Unhesitatingly, Aniela pointed her finger at him with a cute teasing smile.

    "A natural feeling, of course! There''s also the fact you seem a bit more pepper in your step. I can already tell that''s a good premonition." Darcel creased his eyebrows though he wasn''t really surprised.

    Admittedly if his slightest behavior changed, this girl could always pick up on it. Though he had to relent since towards her, Darcel could tell he was the same way.

    "Eh, it''s just that recurring dream I''ve been having. Don''t look so deep into it. And for that ma-"

    "Ah?!? So you basically just confirmed today our fates really will change!" With high excitement, Aniela proclaimed to the whole corridor!

    The two during their talk haven''t stopped walking. And when Aniela made that loud shout, all the people that were passing by had focused their attention on them.

    Seriously, if they had to guess, they would most definitely say these two ''experimenters'' have more screw loose than even the deranged ones.

    Moreover, her loud shout didn''t even cause the two to pause and look around to the commotion they just created. Instead, they kept on walking while Darcel told her,This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Say, I guess your brain isn''t full of air since I thought the same thing for this specific version of my dream. But don''t take it too literally. Even you should be aware of how reality is often...disappointing."

    "Heh! That''s just your negativity! With my positivity, I''m sure something will happen today! And look, it''s already happening. The line is shorter for our fellow workers."

    Aniela had pointed out to a decently long line of people in slightly lighter gray clothing. Like it was routine for the duo, they didn''t even notice the line until the last second.

    The ones on the line paid no attention to the duo and were intent on focusing on their tasks.

    "Are you now going to point out every strange little nuance today? Plus, for this Organization, there''s probably some messed up reason why there''s less on the line today."

    Despite pointing out the line, the duo didn''t even bother going on it. Much to the ire of their fellow ''workers,'' Darcel and Aniela just walked right beside them.

    Now in this part of the corridor. There wasn''t a single person who dared to walk beside the line. Like loyal subjects, they all were supposed to wait.

    Well, nearly all people are supposed to wait¡­

    "You raise a point. But I counter it with another, I mean just look at their expressions today. Some look like they''re expecting some good news." Aniela stated, getting Darcel to look over to them.

    Truly when he or she isn''t talking, Darcel is reminded of this overwhelming depressive atmosphere this place has since no one dared to converse with each other.

    Even with all their fair share of glares and looks they get, no one ever decided to step up to them or also make a lowly comment.

    Moreover, those people''s faces don''t necessarily look like they''re waiting for good news.

    "You sure do have a unique observation. In any case, I wonder what dull tasks we have for us for today." Darcel commented once the duo finally arrived near the end of the line, where they saw a gray counter.

    This gray counter was connected to the corridor''s back wall, and behind the counter was yet again another cold-looking man wearing a doctor suit.

    The only difference for him was the surgical mask he wore that covered his face.

    No one dared to go up to him despite having zero people in front of the counter. The line was only about a few feet apart from the counter. Yet, due to a particular duo, the workers at least knew why to stop now.

    "Just watch this, Darc." Aniela had suddenly gained a sly smile and tugged on his sleeves. The duo was just a mere couple of feet apart from the end of the line.

    "Hm?" Confusion for Darcel soon toon into realization as everyone suddenly felt a dramatic shift in the corridor!

    Unfathomable powerful auras burst through the corridor''s halls, and the chaotic sound of wind boomed into eardrums.

    ''Hua!''

    And right past the duo, several bursts of winds nearly knocked them flat on their backs!

    As for the other workers?

    "Ahhh!?!"

    Unlucky for them, the whole mass line of people were thrown all over the place, crashing hard into the gray walls.

    This was merely the raw, powerful speed of the mysterious Doctors here.

    Darcel and Aniela had to shield their eyes, clench their legs and grit their teeth just to stay on top. Their saving grace was at least the Doctors were only using their natural speed and not a single bit of their true power.

    "You two. Stop pissing around and follow us now.''" Blaring right next to them, a superior disdainful tone made the duo look slightly up.

    All at once, the high intense winds didn''t affect them anymore, allowing for control over their bodies now.

    "Oh great, if it isn''t the high order, Doctor." Darcel''s eyes matched this time to a dignified man in a blue Doctor suit. Really, despite this mere cosmetic change, his presence was far higher than someone like Dr.Zhi.

    "Ah! If it isn-"

    "Follow now."

    The high order Doctor crudely cut off Aniela and already set off walking. His direction was precisely where the other Doctors were heading.

    Once told what to do, Darcel and Aniela, no matter their varying opinions, made sure to follow orders. This is why they promptly follow directly behind the high order Doctor.

    Moreover, without him, they would eventually end up knocked around like the rest of the workers.

    "My intuition knows no bound Darc. But what the heck? Any idea on this sudden rush?" Aniela asked while keeping up pace with the high order Doctor.

    And for this matter, even with his dream, Darcel had no clue what''s going on.

    After all, his dream wasn''t very telling. "If I were to guess, most likely they got their hands on this extraordinary person. Not much can make these guys move like this."

    The duo could only shrug their shoulders and kept on talking while following. Just because some urgent meeting happened didn''t mean this would break their stride.

    Besides, the duo was convinced they''re only coming because their combined unique powers are needed. Even with Aniela''s intuition, she also didn''t believe the new patient could somehow be related to them.

    If only anyone knew the future that lay ahead after this event¡­

    ¡­.

    "Indeed, patience is a virtue. This woman was starting to become too troublesome to get."

    "Countless years wasted will be made up for it now."

    "It simply finally feels good to take a step in the right direction."

    Numerous chatter like this dripped into Darcel and Aniela''s ears once they arrived in a massive spacious gray room. The size of this room could nearly fit hundreds of people!

    Moreover, hundreds of Doctors had gathered here!

    The high order Doctor had led the duo towards the front of the crowd. It leads them to get to the center of the room where advent anticipation filled this normally depressive place.

    "Would you look at this, Darc? It seems like even for these cold guys when they want to build up excitement, they sure can deliver." Aniela remarked, feeling and liking the excitement filling this room.

    Looking around, Darcel did notice the usual stoic face of the Doctors shine a bit brighter for today. And looking up even further, Darcel spotted something.

    "Aniela, take a look up there."

    "Hm? Oh! A falling subject?" Up to where Darcel pointed was what should''ve been a magical sight.

    Four Doctors in this new green suit were currently flying in the air! Though this grand achievement was overshadowed by what they were doing in midair.

    Out from their sleeves were several metal chains that they all grip tightly. And on a long gray table, similarly floating in midair, did the chains wrap around a person.

    At this point, the person showed slight signs of movement, but the most peculiar action came from their head.

    Darcel and Aniela didn''t know why, but to them, it seemed like this person was attempting to move their head to look down into the crowd. Furthermore, a minuscule odd feeling swelled a bit in their blood.

    "Be prepared! We''re coming down now!" One of the four men in the air shouted out, causing the other Doctors to go silent.

    Slowly but surely, they descended to the floor. As they near the floor, Darcel and Aniela were finally able to get a good luck at this person.

    It was a woman. Though you would have to squint your eyes to notice since this woman had a tragically mutilated appearance.

    Her clothes were tattered, and fresh dark blood poured down the table.

    Although it wasn''t her tragic appearance nor the natural aura, this woman could still exude that caught the duo attention.

    It was the simple fact when this woman got into view, her eyes immediately latched onto Darcel and Aniela.

 Dramatic Shift

    If one had to describe Darcel and Aniela''s mood right now, it would be complete awe. All other Doctors didn''t matter to them. Their deep black eyes matched and couldn''t look away from this woman''s eyes.

    Even in her tragic mutilated appearance, her eyes were of this strange yet attractive sight of blaring yellow.

    These yellow eyes shined over every Doctor there, being even brighter than light. Combined with these unique eyes was an oddly familiar but unfathomable aura that the duo felt in tune to.

    More intensely, their blood swirled, and their minds became fuzzy. It was obvious to tell this woman at her peak condition was a terrifying monster in power.

    But a foreign yet familiar connection couldn''t stop itself from forming for the duo and this woman.

    Darcel had to calm his mind to rationally think about just how one look could affect them so much. ''Most obviously it''s a part of our bloodline...but just what is our bloodline?''

    "Darc, no matter what, we''re all breaking through today." Aniela had nudged his arm and spoke in a confident tone.

    She as well had no possible way of knowing their bloodline. But one thing is for sure. Her intuition was a hundred percent correct! She clenched her hand in small anticipation, already feeling the edge.

    All the while, the duo were having their inner moment. All Doctors here were intensely focused and excited!

    They all had blank clipboards magically floating beside them, a pen already right beside it. If they were to succeed today, then their whole way of cultivation will achieve a fundamental breakthrough!

    "High Order Doctor, I trust the two special experimenters are with you?" The same Doctor who spoke before asked while situating the table.

    Glancing to his left, where the duo looks somewhat dazed, the High Order Doctor nodded, saying, "They''re right here. When it''s done, just called the order, and they''ll immediately respond."

    Darcel and Aniela had no outward response since their attentions were still raptured on the woman.

    Though neither the high order Doctor nor the green suite Doctor cared about their shock state. As long as they performed their tasks, it was enough.

    Turning back to the chained woman, the green suit Doctor told the other three green suits, "Now, fully neutralize her."

    Promptly the other three green suit Doctors violently clenched their chains, causing a green substance of energy to flow through the chains.

    Like slithering ooze, the green energy drizzled down the chains.

    Oddly enough, though, even when the green energy wrapped around the woman. Her mutilated face didn''t change at all in expressions.

    Her body and Qi may be entirely suppressed. And she''s suffering from intense pain, but it was like such matters were small to her with staring at the duo.

    This did cause the three Doctors to feel a bit curious though her reactions meant little to them.

    "And now¡­"

    The final green suit Doctor said and flicked a green liquid syringe towards the woman.

    With precise aim, the syringe plunged deep inside the woman''s neck. Now more severe pain did get the woman to crease her eyebrows, but her eyes still remained unmoving.

    All it took was a few seconds until a green slit opening formed at the center of the woman''s bloody forehead. Akin to her very essence being dragged out, a bright yellow ball of Qi was slowly getting dragged out of her.

    ''Whir!''

    Immediately when the Qi ball took even an inch outside her body, tremendous waves of power caused utter chaos in the room!

    All the Doctors were forced to put up Qi shields and drain all of their energy into protection. They knew what they were dealing with, yet they didn''t expect their overestimation to still be an underestimation!

    The room itself was cracking, and some of the weaker Doctors had to take a knee from this overwhelming power.

    Although, before any more damage could occur,

    "Hold it now!" The leader of the green suit Doctors roared out, and Aniela knew it was her time to shine.

    Thanks to the high order Doctor, she and Darcel were fine against this unfathomable power. Without him, the two would''ve simply turned into mushy meat paste by this mere extension of aura.

    Moreover, for the high order Doctor, even he was sweating against this far beyond power.

    And what was even more terrifying to him was the fact this woman could still wield so much power despite being a step away from death.

    In the same process as Darcel, Aniela raised her hand and focused deep inside herself. The familiar calming powers of her that helped keep her sane flared up in response to her calling.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    This was her inborn power that stemmed from the soul.

    ''Chi!''

    Aniela''s hands had ignited in a brilliantly white flash! Doctor''s eyes turned to her with undisclosed expectations. And Aniela was sure to meet such waves of expectations.

    Calmly she focuses her attention on the small ball of yellow Qi. This yellow Qi though gave Aniela a sense of closeness, but she wasn''t in any position to explore this sensation.

    Pouring all of her power, causing herself to sweat, a white glow had smoothly formed over the yellow Qi ball.

    And instantly, the dramatic power considerably dropped! Now the Doctors could finally move again and regain back their focus. Though cold sweat still drizzles down their faces.

    This woman was far too rule breaking!

    "You only have thirty seconds. Sever her Qi." The high order Doctor explained to Darcel while all three of them walked up to the woman.

    Because the woman was majorly suppressed by waves and waves of power, it was now the perfect opportunity for Darcel to strike. Still, Darcel had to focus up since this won''t be anywhere as easy as it sounds.

    Igniting his hand in the Darkness Element, Darcel''s eyes matched one more time with this woman.

    A tremendous mysterious premonition had overtaken Darcel then. He just had a faint feeling that he and Aniela''s lives will undergo a fundamental change if he goes through with this.

    Realizing this, a small crack of a smile etched on Darcel''s face.

    Swiftly, under hundreds of anticipating eyes, Darcel reached out to touch the yellow ball of Qi.

    And when he made the first contact with the Qi,

    ''Zzztt!!!"

    A Massive amount of uncontrollable power of the woman broke out in the room! Her chains were blasted off from her, and her bloodline flared up in frantic excitement!

    "Wh-AHHH!!!''

    The wailing shrieks of the pain of the Doctors bounced off the walls. All hundreds of Doctors got their bodies bloodied and shredded by the woman berserk power,

    The green suits Doctors were flung hard into the wall, creating little craters of themselves on impact.

    Furthermore, the high-order Doctor was pushed back for a few feet and was forced to kneel under this berserk power.

    "Aniela!" Instinctively Darcel reached and wrapped his arm around Aniela''s waist. He was similarly feeling the frantic call of his bloodline flare up like the woman.

    Moreover, he is completely fine in the face of this absolute power.

    Aniela didn''t resist and leaned into Darcel''s chest with an awe expression. Her bloodline frantically stirred, and she also didn''t need to rely on anyone to resist the woman''s powers.

    It was then the high order Doctor witnessed a small red glow in the mutilated woman body. His eyes burst open with disbelief!

    He struggled to get up, but he knew there was simply no time to make it towards the woman or gather up his Qi. In frustration, he could only roar out, "No! After all, we''ve been through!!"

    Alas, his frustration roars would go on deaf ears for the woman.

    In a simple manner of a second, the red glow had abruptly grown in size to where everyone''s eyes were blinded by red. Sight was impossible, yet all there could tell this was just the beginning.

    ''Chi!''

    A large red flash fully lit up the room! No screams of pain or bewilderment were heard anymore.

    When the red flash had disappeared, so did every single person in that room¡­

    ¡­.

    "Yin Pleasure, Yin Pleasure, Yin Pleasure, It''s time!!"

    "Geh?!"

    With a startling shout, Darcel burst opens his eyes and shot up from the ground.

    ''Wait a minute...dirt?'' Immediately Darcel took notice of his surrounding environment. Before it was odd for Darcel to describe it, but he was sure that very phrase blared in his mind for however long he''s been out.

    But, whatever that phrase meant was put on the back burner. Slowly his hand clutched the ground and confirmed Darcel''s suspicions. He indeed was lying on a patch of dirt!

    Looking around to where he was, all that came into his vision was dark black trees filled with an ominous atmosphere. It didn''t help that the sky above was also dark and shined with numerous silver lights.

    ''Somehow, it really did happen¡­'' Standing on his feet, Darcel finally understood where he was.

    The natural air he breathed in was far more vibrant, and leaked a bit of enchanting power. Being able to stare in what he identified as a sky and no foreboding feeling of someone watching, Darcel smiled.

    ''Finally...even if it was a stroke of coincidence or luck, I''ve finally escaped that godforsaken place! I have no idea what planet or realm I''m in, but anything is better...well first thing first.''

    The realist side of Darcel kicked in before he tried anything. Just because he was out of the tiger den didn''t mean he was entirely out of the woodworks.

    Dropped in an unknown forest on an unknown planet, Darcel''s mind worked fast. Looking around, he quickly spotted an inconspicuous bush that he could hide in to plan out his next actions.

    Using several skills he picked up back in the Organization, Darcel moved silently in the forest.

    Skillfully he made sure to avoid any grass patches or tree branches that could make obsessive noises. And seamlessly, Darcel got inside the bushes after making sure there was nothing wrong with it.

    ''With quite literally no family, background, or wealth. The only thing I have to focus on now is raising my personal power to not be torn to shreds.'' Darcel concluded to himself since doing it in here would be far better than out in the open.

    The images of the Doctors and that woman popped into his mind as he was sure they got teleported along with him. But then his mind had promptly gone to that troublesome white hair girl.

    When getting teleported, Darcel had clearly felt that girl attached to his body until that weird phrase blared into his mind.

    And more likely than not, that girl could be on the same planet as him.

    But if he wants to make sure, there are vital things needed to be completed first. With no more people tracking or watching his every move, Darcel ignited his hand in his Darkness element.

    Gently he put his hand on his lower stomach. Calming his mind to its most relaxed state, Darcel clenched his teeth and reared his hand back.

    And swiftly with zero hesitation, he struck towards his stomach!

    ''Chi!''

    Brutally, Darcel tore through his own stomach, crazily spurting blood in the bushes.

    Pain wracked through his body, and cold sweat poured down his face. But in one shot, Darcel managed to grab a foreign object in his body.

    Pulling this object out, causing himself even more pain, Darcel came face to face with a small, disgusting black bug.

    ''This little shit has been eating up all my progress and work for the last years. Even if my blood could attract scent of Spirit monsters, I''ll have more than enough power to at least run away after devouring this bug.''

    A full broad smile grew on Darcel''s as hatred flow through his veins staring at this bug. The wound on his stomach wouldn''t kill him quickly, but it will matter little now.

    ''Aniela, hopefully, you don''t make too many stupid decisions until I come and get you.''

 Rapid Breakthroughs

    Black tendrils whisked out of Darcel''s palm and wrapped around the small dark bug. Fruitlessly the bug couldn''t even dream of escaping once Darcel got his hand on it.

    His eyes slowly closed while his mind relaxed into a tranquil state. Carefully, Darcel pulled the bug inside his Darkness Element.

    And immediately, Darcel''s eyes nearly burst open! The absorption was immediate as he sensed and felt the mass wave of Qi wash over his whole body!

    Vibrant, refreshing Qi coarse through his body, significantly changing and improving Darcel''s body.

    Moreover, Darcel was in total control of the amount of energy he wanted to absorb from the bug.

    Everything went as smoothly as possible. There wasn''t a single hint of harmful effects by Darcel absorbing other people Qi.

    It was then a mental block suddenly formed in his mind. This block attempted to confuse him and damage his mind as he tried to increase his cultivation realm.

    However, Darcel merely smiled as he thought, ''The comprehension of cultivation...so it''s as I guess. Just like the first time, everything is incomparably clear for me¡­''

    For any Qi Foundation realm cultivators, the essence of Qi itself should be an incredibly confusing and profound topic to comprehend.

    To breakthrough, one simply can''t just gather more Qi that exists in the air. They would have to first comprehend every mental block that forms in their mind when advancing to the next level.

    And if your comprehension abilities are low. You can forget about ever breaking through since the mental block will prevent you from doing so.

    In combination with the comprehension, there''s also the matter if a person can correctly absorb Qi and efficiently control it throughout their body.

    Failure to do so would result in wasting whatever amount of Qi one had absorbed.

    But for all these matters, such things had never once been an issue for Darcel. During the most crucial step for cultivators to sense out the mystical Qi and absorb into their head.

    Darcel encounters zero troubles when doing so! Even when his first-ever mental block formed, Darcel had smoothly comprehended a small meaning of Qi on his first try.

    Surely this level of talent would''ve been monstrous! Unfortunately, Darcel had an unexpected cruel twist in his life.

    At least now he''s able to make up for lost time¡­

    ''Bang!''

    Accompanied by the sound of something popping in his mind, Darcel smoothly broke through the mental block and could sense a higher layer of Qi!

    This layer was far more profound and powerful, yet Darcel wasn''t done.

    Slowly and accurately, Darcel absorbs more Qi from the bug, eventually coming across more mental blocks.

    He went from the second layer of the Qi Foundation realm to the,

    Third,

    Fourth,

    ''Bang''

    The fifth layer of the Qi Foundation realm! Immediately, Darcel stops the absorption of the bug energy. His black tendrils kept the bug inside his hand, suppressing it to make sure it doesn''t affect his body.

    And on the outside, Darcel was slowly refining the fifth layer of Qi inside his body. Even if he had genius comprehension, it was impossible for Darcel''s body to keep up.

    If he were to absorb more energy, then not only would it damage his body beyond repair. It would also heavily damage his lying foundation for cultivation.

    Taking his time, Darcel familiarizes himself with his body''s whole new tier of strength. It was a fantastic feeling...like he could punch through a tree with ease!

    Furthermore, he no longer felt any pain from his torn open stomach! The wound, because of his repeated breakthroughs, had entirely healed!

    After an unknown amount of minutes, Darcel slowly opened his eyes. And the first thing he noticed was a putrid stench coming from him, along with uncomfortable sweat that stuck to his clothes.

    Looking down to the ground, the spot he was in had this disgusting black substance all over the dirt.

    ''So this washes away the impurities. Good thing, I remember this neat trick.'' Darcel thought, and a small ball of black Qi appeared above his finger.

    Because of his inborn powers, this was the color his Qi would form and then, with a snap of his fingers,

    ''Chi!''

    A black flash shined on Darcel''s body. With no effort at all, he was clean enough to smell decent and got rid of all that uncomfortable sweat. Darcel cracked his eyes and took a fresh breath of air.

    ''Now if only stabilizing my body was this easy...oh? What''s that noise?'' While Darcel was humoring himself, the sound of rustling grass and twigs slithered into his ears.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Because he didn''t hear any people talking and it is the night''s dead-end, Darcel had a guess on what it could be.

    Carefully he peeked out the bushes without making too many noises, and his suspicions were indeed correct. Even at the first layer of the Qi Foundation realm could Darcel see well in the dark.

    And what his eyes gazed upon were two intriguing figures. Decked out in full-on blue fur were two Spirit Monstruosos beast wolves, several meters long, slowly scouring around this woods area.

    Their snouts were at the ground, continually sniffing as if they were searching for something or someone.

    In a more control state, Darcel was able to study the woods better. Besides the ominous black color trees, the leaves and bushes were in this odd blue color.

    Some trees as well were freakishly tall being able to scrape out the midnight sky.

    Looking towards the Spirit wolves again, Darcel began to ponder. They both seemed highly intent on suddenly searching over here. And he just had a recent breakthrough.

    Deciding to test a guess, Darcel formed a minuscule black ball of Qi. And his suspicions were soon immediately proven right.

    The two wolves'' heads perked upright when Darcel formed his Qi. Although because it was extremely tiny, they had no way of following that magnetic sensation that brought the two here.

    Following that, Darcel dispersed the Qi after only seeing a second of their reactions. And a second was all he merely needed.

    ''So this another special property of my Darkness Element. Well then, let me see first¡­''

    Darcel had suddenly closed his eyes and fell into deep focus. Sensory abilities was a topic someone at his realm shouldn''t even think about it. But Darcel still put all of his attention on these wolves.

    And just barely, Darcel felt a layer of Qi similar to his own! His eyes had then snapped back open while his forehead was sweating some.

    ''Past tricks really are useful sometimes. And since I just recently had great breakthroughs, I might as well nip the stabilization problem in the bud right here.''

    Darcel calmed his mind to its best-performing state. His blood began to bubble a bit in excitement, and his hand clenched while still keeping his eyes on the wolves.

    This shall be his first battle in a new world! Moreover, now he could freely use his prowess and abilities without the constant threat of someone breathing down his neck.

    Sneakily Darcel maneuvered out of the bushes without making a noise. With the course these wolves were taking, it would only be a few seconds until they would notice Darcel.

    The wolves were several feet away from him, putting a reasonable distance between the two.

    But this distance matters little for Darcel. Without any weapons and just his fists, Darcel bent his legs and concentrated more Qi there.

    In a natural state, Qi always flowed through Darcel''s body. Still, he could also amplify certain parts of his body to boost that attribute of his strength.

    And when the wolves had started to turn around to his location, Darcel zeroed in on one wolf!

    ''Swish!''

    Leaves, trigs, and bushes were all chaotically blown by a massive gust of wind! Dirt scattered in the wind among the intense pace of the wind.

    The wolves'' head snapped towards Darcel''s location, but it was already too late. A smiling human that held that faint magnetic sensation popped right in front of them!

    Several feet of distance was crossed in a mere second by Darcel! And instantly, Darcel inflamed his hand in Darkness.

    "Rwa-"

    The wolves attempted to react as their pupil had suddenly diluted. However, Darcel had the superior speed!

    His Darkness hand sailed with lightning swiftness causing,

    ''Bang!''

    One of the wolves to launch off like a ragdoll! The wolf boomed like a bullet and crashed hard into a tree, making several cracks form along the tree.

    "RWA!!"

    Immediately in blood lust, the second wolf pounced at Darcel. Its large mouth opened, revealing sharp bloody teeth, and it precisely went for Darcel''s throat.

    Nevertheless, Darcel''s speed was once again a vital advantage.

    Skillfully he narrowly dodged the wolf pounce with lightning-like reflexes! And using his same Darkness hand,

    ''Bang!''

    Darcel violently struck the wolf on its colossal head, sending it crashing into the ground. A long thin crack formed under the wolf just from the sheer force behind Darcel''s punch.

    ''Now then, let''s finish this.'' Darcel thought to himself and felt his instincts scream at him from behind.

    "HWO!!"

    With limited intelligence, the second wolf used its incredible speed to once again pounce at Darcel''s neck.

    At such speed it was going, it would''ve been extremely difficult for any other 5th layer Qi Foundation cultivator to react.

    Darcel, however, swiftly turned around and increased the amount of Qi in his hand. Right when the wolf reached close to him, Darcel ducked under its swipe and,

    ''Chi!''

    Tore through the wolf stomach with his Darkness fist! The tough fur and bones were like soft tofu for Darcel.

    "Hwuu!!"

    Blood spurted like crazy from the wolf''s stomach. Its eyes enlarged from the incoming pain and from a second fist appearing in its vision!

    Quickly, Darcel tore his hand out of the wolf and sent another punch towards its head, violently knocking it to the ground.

    Relying on his instinct again, Darcel crouched down to avoid another pair of sharp bloody mouth. And using his same hand, Darcel punched up without even looking.

    ''Chi!''

    "Hwoo!!"

    A similar roar of pain echoed out from above him. Again his fist effortlessly tore through flesh and bones as fresh blood sprayed out in the air.

    Moving over a bit, Darcel took his hand out of the wolf and let it fall to the ground like a puppet with its string cut. Two fifth layer Qi Foundation wolves now layed heavily damaged at Darcel''s feet.

    Amplifying the Qi in his foot, Darcel lifted it over one of the wolves head and,

    ''Bang, Bang!''

    With two sickening loud crunches, Darcel shattered the wolves'' skulls, brutally killing them. Blood poured out from their heads, dying the ground red, but Darcel ignored that.

    After the fight, Darcel felt far more in tune with his body. His explosive Qi was now smoother control, and he felt his comprehension deepened from the battle.

    ''Still, I didn''t expect to achieve this level of strength at just the mere fifth layer¡­'' Darcel thought as he cracked his knuckles.

    Combined with his superior speed, the wolves didn''t stand a chance at all. This highly impressive fight surely would''ve caught anyone''s attention.

    And only seconds after Darcel''s battle did he now clear and loud rustling of leaves.

    His attention spiked, and his guard was put up. Although there was a faint feeling in his mind that whoever this person was, was far stronger than the wolves.

    It was then a smooth girl voice called out to him saying,

    "Well now, that was quite the impressive battle boy. Do you have time for a small chat?"

 An Immediate Lead

    "A chat in the middle of the night in a dead forest? I suppose if you wanted to attack me, you would''ve already done so. Well? What is it then?" Darcel dryly said without a hint of fear in his voice.

    Watching the group of five approach him, he had to note their eyes lit up a bit in hearing his bold tone. Like it was a flash of respect.

    Although Darcel could swear, from the girl at the center, her eyes for a brief second gained this realization glint.

    This group had all come out from behind one of the large black trees, clearly watching Darcel for some time. Furthermore, this group was dressed similarly.

    Their attire consisted of a more tribal look. They all wore a mix of black and brown leather armor that wasn''t too long, showcasing off some of their bodies. Still, the armor did perfectly fit them.

    In the night glow, Darcel was able to clearly see their faces and bodies.

    Two females and three males, all youths who looked around his age, and the most eye-catching of the group was the girl at the center leading them.

    Her face held a natural wild cute attractiveness, that gracefully combined with her hazel brown eyes. She had shoulder-length brown hair and a charming curvaceous body to boot.

    Plus, the light armor she wore also highlighted her beautiful brown skin and lean fit figure.

    And the most significant feature about this girl was her enigmatic aura. An aura that kicked in Darcel''s instinct to tell him that he couldn''t beat this chick no matter what.

    When walking up to Darcel, the leading cute girl gained a slight smirk towards Darcel dry remarked. "Quite smart but also with a hint of an attitude, eh? Let me guess, no spatial ring, uniform clothing, or even a mere bag. A lone wandering adventurer, right?"

    The girl held this complete confident tone as she and her group had a good first impression of the boy. Not even when outnumber or outmatched in power did he ever change his calm expression.

    Even if he was faking, this acting is too perfect then! All of their eyes trailed all over Darcel taking particular notice of his bearings.

    Despite having a good looking face, at first glance, one can tell he hails from shabby origins. From his dirty black clothes that now, on his shirt, has a rip opening to his stomach.

    And he didn''t even have a Mortal Weapon! Only a crazed or lone person would dare to venture out so far into these woods without one.

    Though this all was just an inferred guess, this group of youths gathered, purely going off from his appearance.

    Still, the nagging feeling the leader girl felt about this boy only gotten stronger while they were talking. Although she didn''t let any major reaction show on her face.

    Darcel also didn''t have any significant reactions. Though Darcel could count himself lucky for making human contact so quickly and he would rather not venture out aimlessly.

    Who knows what other powerful Spirit Monster lurks here? And if he encounters one that''s simply too powerful to resist? Then everything would be for naught.

    With just a shrug of his shoulder, Darcel answered back with, "Maybe I am. Are you perhaps trying to recruit me?"

    Towards Darcel''s question, the cute girl held a broader smile, and in unison, she and the other youths'' eyes matched with each other.

    It was like some sort of signal to Darcel, and suddenly he felt a small but dangerous feeling seed into his mind.

    This feeling was because of the presence of powerful aura leakage! A subtle yet forceful persuasion tactic? They''re quite the daunting ones¡­

    Yet, Darcel remained tranquil. He faced terrifying auras far more powerful than theirs after all.

    Once again, this mysterious group of five eyes sparked up. Darcel''s calm prestige under power far stronger than him made them all see even more value in the boy.

    "Heh, for the second week in a row, my luck strikes again. People like you are very much welcome in our Wrathful Clan. And bluntly speaking, you can come with us to become a servant there."

    The leading girl straight up told Darcel and gauge his reaction. For someone their age to effortlessly kill two Spirit Monsters on the same level as he was no ordinary feat at all.

    Primarily since he only used his speed and fists! Moreover, he was going at speeds that some of the weaker ones in their groups had trouble following.

    In addition, there''s also this calm yet standoffish presence he has. Not even when bluntly telling Darcel that''ll he only be a servant at their Clan caused a reaction.

    Hell, it also seemed like he didn''t even know or care about their Clan influence!

    Although what Darcel was honestly thinking was about this girl line about striking lucky again.

    Since this Clan lives in the forest, he could already guess they just regularly take or force people to become servants for them.

    However, he couldn''t help but think about that troublesome girl again.

    It was only during their last moment together did they get stripped apart. And it wouldn''t be a surprise to Darcel if that mutilated woman somehow manipulated just where they would teleport to.

    Her undivided interest and attention in them spoke volumes about her.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "A servant, huh? Do you just pick out any random shabby-looking person under your night watches." Darcel prod a bit in his words wanting to subtly get more information.

    "Obviously, you can tell we don''t. With so many random weak people here, it would be all too simple to pick trash. We only choose those with decent enough power and skills..."

    The girl said as her face wrinkled more as if she finally recalled something.

    With a small eyebrow raised, Darcel began to say, "Well, well, looks like I was just able to make the cu-"

    "Wait. Before we continue there''s just one thing that''s bugging me¡­"

    Since she first witnessed Darcel''s clothing, this feeling of Deja Vu was continually eating at her mind. Everything about this situation was far too similar to just be a coincidence.

    "Are you related to this noisy white hair girl in the same style of black clothing like you?" The girl asked, expecting to now see a reaction.

    And like she wanted, Darcel did freeze when hearing her description. In some stroke of luck, his guesses was actually right! But the question for him was, how the hell did Aniela get here before him?

    Nevertheless, Darcel still smoothly answered, saying, "Is she that stroke of luck you had when finding a servant?"

    Given how calming Darcel''s tone was when asking, the lead girl and her group knew he wouldn''t be troublesome. Smiling, the lead girl said, "Indeed, and if you''re wondering, she''s doing quite well in the clan."

    Unknowingly Darcel felt some tension leave his mind and body. Even with his superb abilities to show calmness, he still worried about Aniela. At least now, he can make up his mind temporarily about this Clan.

    Whether she was lying or not, Darcel had to see for himself. "I guess you can say we''re friends. Alright, no need for forceful ways, I''ll peacefully come with you."

    Words and actions can vary a lot, despite this seemingly calm and peaceful conversation. Darcel could tell it could get ugly fast if he does something that they dislike.

    Such was the defining rule of worlds with extraordinary powers.

    And while the Wrathful Clan group was a bit surprised over Darcel agreeing so quickly, they aren''t going to make things unnecessarily complicated now.

    "The name''s Anne, the group leader here. Yours?" Anne asked, causing Darcel to shrug his shoulders.

    Practically as an unknown existence, there was no harm in telling them his name.

    "It''s Darcel." Was all he simply said.

    "Not much for words, hm? No matter, let''s get on back to the Clan." Anne orders and swiftly turns around, already walking back in a specific direction.

    The other three youths took one last look to Darcel before promptly following behind Anne. And as for the last one, an average looking, skinny boy. He said to Darcel,

    "As long as you keep showing usefulness in combat, you''ll survive." With his piece of advice said, the boy followed behind the group as well.

    Staying at the back of them, Darcel followed while thinking to himself, ''Hopefully, by the time I come, Aniela should have a lot of things we need.''

    His eyes flashed a devising glint. In Darcel''s mind, this was just another twist in life that he''ll eventually overcome¡­

    ¡­.

    "Sheesh, your right, Mary. I haven''t heard a squeak out of him this whole time, just like he is some sort of mute. It''s like night and day if he really knows that white hair girl."

    The second male of the group who had a more burly rouge look remarked to the others.

    "Opposites do attract, or at least that''s what most people tell themselves. Maybe he''s just secretly timid." Mary, the other girl in the group, stated. She was a cute one with an athletic body type and pretty long black hair.

    "I''d more say he''s one of those cultivation nuts who only talk more when it''s about Qi and stuff like that." The third male in the group, a lean looking boy, suggested to them.

    The three of them were quietly talking among themselves about Darcel since he showed rather odd characteristics.

    Like for example, his eyes just randomly closing at times, yet his feet still followed them. Or how he basically never even tried once to gain more information on where they were going.

    Either he was just always calm, or was too focused on that white hair girl.

    However, Darcel was simply making various plans on what to do when he met up with Aniela. His eyes took mental notes of the surrounding woods and its unique habitat.

    By the route they walked, the group of six avoided any Spirit Monster coming to attack them.

    And Darcel had to remark that these woods just seemed endless and far too broad. They had come across ominous pitch black caves, or even blaring bright blue ponds scattered throughout the ground.

    The oddest thing for Darcel though was in distances, he could see vast black wood structures building. But for most buildings he gazed upon, he had a feeling that no one could possibly live there.

    In fact, he wonders how a whole ecosystem of a clan can live here at all!

    Then again, he was also kidnapped to an unknown independent realm and was also magically teleported to this place. So really anything is possible with special powers granted by cultivation.

    "We''ll just see more of him because look alive! We''re already at the Clan." Anne suddenly spoke up, gaining the whole group''s attention.

    And gazing at this Clan for the first time, Darcel had to admit it was quite impressive.

    Expanding for as far he could see, this Clan was incomparably enormous. At the Clan''s entrance was a long black wood gate that seemed to stretch on for miles. And at the center of the gate were two black wooden doors.

    Darcel could also see colossal tall black woods buildings that reach up into the sky. Every building had this wild exotic look towards them, much like the natural atmosphere the Clan exuded.

    Moreover, despite everything being made out of black wood, the material itself had this unique glossy design to it. At a single glance, you would be able to tell this isn''t any ordinary wood.

    "I hope you''re ready, Darel," Anne spoke to him without even looking back. The group went up to the doors, and with Anne at the lead, she put her palm on it.

    Instantly her palm ignited in flames, with hers being this unique black color!

    At the back, from the brief flash of her power, Darcel now confirmed it was a good idea to not raise a ruckus with them. Her strength was enough to kill him without even knowing how he died.

    With a loud rumble, the large black wood doors promptly opened. Looking inside the Clan, it was similarly another pretty sight to gaze upon.

    This Clan was incredibly spacious and expansive, allowing for thousands of people to walk around with free space.

    There were several decorative black wood trees planted here and unique design ornaments hanging around the place.

    At first glance, Darcel could easily tell the people here were lively and bustling.

    Groups of people were gathered together, either talking, doing manual labor, or engaging in whatever fun activity they could come up with.

    And like this first group, everyone dressed in light revealing clothes that showcased their gorgeous brown skins.

    Walking through the Clan''s doors, immediately a middle-aged looking man walked up to Anne just from the right side of the doors.

    ''Bang!''

    The doors had promptly closed, causing a massive impact that no one really took notice of.

    And while the doors closed, the middle-aged man asked Anne,

    "So? Any luck tonight?"

    Nodding at the man, Anne gained a slight smirk as she pointed behind herself to Darcel, saying,

    "Just one pretty special boy that I''m sure will do fine here."

 Wrathful Clan

    "Oh? I guess he must have some useful abilities then?" The middle-aged man questioned while looking at Darcel. And at first glimpse, the man could already this boy has a steady mind going by his calmness.

    Their eyes matched, and steadily, Darcel looked straight into his eyes. Like Darcel expected, even higher than Anne, this man had an enigmatic unfathomable presence.

    "I wouldn''t say it if I didn''t mean it," Anne assured the man.

    Looking at Darcel and thinking about it more, the man notices something. This situation was similar to the white-haired girl! Moreover, even the clothes this boy wore were identical to her.

    Pondering upon this point, a flash lit up in the man''s eyes as he told them, "Shall we get straight to testing then? Now I''m rather curious to see what he can do."

    "He''s Elder Wen, and this won''t be a problem for you, right?" Anne sweetly smiled towards Darcel while basically asking a rhetorical question.

    "No. I also don''t like to mince words. Shall we?" Darcel walked past Anne''s group and promptly stood only a foot away from Elder Wen.

    Being straightforward and blunt was always a quality Darcel liked to see in people.

    And Elder Wen seemed to be in the same agreement as slightly nodded at Darcel.

    "Follow me then."

    Elder Wen told him and swiftly turned around to walk to a specific large black wooden hut. This hut looked particularly fancy with several decorative ornaments on it and the glossy shine of the wood.

    Darcel promptly follows behind, leaving Anne''s group to themselves.

    Turning around to them, Anne stated, "I''m sure the rest of you have some other tasks that need tending to. I''m going to see what else our newest servant can do."

    Swiftly as she said it, Anne walked towards the same hut Darcel and Elder Wen was heading to.

    "Tch, even with his standoffish ways, I would''ve liked to also see what else he can do. But, damn it, she''s right. Haah, the privilege of being at the Qi Formation Sea realm¡­"

    Marry sighed out as her curiosity about Darcel''s abilities only grew stronger. She was at the seventh layer of the Qi Foundation realm, yet her eyes had trouble tracking Darcel''s flying speeds.

    "Look at it this way, with the way he acts and his abilities. That guy will probably ask to become a combat servant. Then we''ll really get to see what he can do, but for now, let''s just get our shit over with."

    The burly boy told her with a simple shrug. And after taking one last look to Darcel, the other four youths went about their own tasks.

    ¡­.

    Inside the hut, Darcel found the place, like everything so far, as incredibly expansive. Several bookshelves were containing exotic looking scrolls and tablets.

    Several male and female people were working around this hut, either cleaning or putting more items on the shelves. And overseeing all of this was a man who exuded power and ferocity.

    He stood at the back wall donning a high quality of brown clothes compared to the others. He also had a muscular physique and showcased his powerful bulging muscles to the world.

    Most of all, his face carried a fierce intimidating expression that already tells someone to not mess with him.

    Darcel instantly felt mild pressure as soon as he walked in the hut and traded glances with this man. It was like his eyes were two sharp daggers that were trying to pierce his eyes.

    Nevertheless, Darcel managed to keep his cool as he heard Elder Wen say,

    "Elder Lian, Anne just brought in another servant. And from her words, he''s quite the special one." As Elder Wen talked, Anne had walked in the hut, and eyes turned to Darcel.

    Immediately the people working around here found Darcel as a shabby boy. Still, he at least looks like he knows how to confidently carry himself.

    Elder Lian''s eyes still haven''t left Darcel finding this boy a bit intriguing. He could count on one hand how many youths dare to match his gaze and even keep calm under him.

    Contemptuously smirking at Darcel, Elder Lian said, "Another ''special one'' so soon again, eh? Though his realm isn''t that high, just a mere fifth layer boy."

    Now more eyes began to gather on this little exchange since they knew testing is about to begin. Hearing Elder Lian, Anne attempted to talk so she could back up her choice.

    "I give you full honesty El-"

    "Action speaks louder than words, Anne. Elder Lian, I''m all ready for testing." Boldly, Darcel cut off Anne and walked up to Elder Lian.

    Honestly, he didn''t have the time nor care for any words or thoughts they have of him.

    Just as long he can finally get to Aniela, it''ll be enough.

    Anne, however, was momentarily taken aback! No servant ever dared to cut her off, yet Darcel didn''t even look at her when doing it. Her eyebrows wrinkled but before she could talk again,

    "Hoh? Bold and eager? I''ll give you this much boy you''re showing as much enthusiasm as our last special servant. Alright then. Fore! Come over here!" Elder Lian eyes held a devious light as he called this boy over.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    For Darcel''s confident and bold act, Elder Lian now wants to truly see if he is full of hot air or not. And already, Elder Lian has a faint premonition; his words will hold true.

    "This boy is quite fearless, I wonder if he is just ignorant of his situation."

    "He acts a little too confident to simply be ignorant. And now we''re probably going to see a brutal beatdown."

    "Even for just testing, Fore is simply too much for anyone at this boy level."

    All other servants now put their full undivided attention on the group, making idle gossip about Darcel. One lone boy walked over to Elder Lian with a curious expression out of the people working.

    Fore stood at an average height, smooth brown skin, and a decent looking face. One could tell he regularly trains his body to stay in shape by his lean fit physique.

    "Elder Lian. You want me to test him?" Fore nodded to the Elder and asked.

    Despite only being at the fifth layer of the Qi foundation realm himself, his tone about Darcel already shows the absolute confidence he has over him.

    "That''s right. As per testing rules, this boy will have one minute to see if he could best you in battle. Use whatever tricks or skills you have; you''ll need it, boy."

    Elder Lian told, and with a clap of his hands, everyone made space for the two boys. Because the hut was incredibly spacious, Darcel and Fore had enough room to fight in.

    ''Hm, in our realm, we can''t really rely on overwhelming power to quickly defeat an enemy. So this is supposed to test my adaptability in combat...I''ll show off a bit to make things easier for us later.''

    Darcel thought to himself as his unwavering eyes matched with Fore utmost confident ones.

    "I wonder if he''ll truly be as special as you claim. Fighting a human is far different from a Spirit Monster." Elder Wen remarked while standing next to Anne.

    "For his sake, he better show what I saw from him!" Anne said a bit irritably, still annoyed over getting cut off. Though she wasn''t so petty to immediately go against him, she brought him here after all.

    "You seem pretty damn confident with that small smirk of yours." Fore pointed out nearly finding Darcel calm confidence a bit annoying.

    In response, Darcel simply shrugged his shoulders, saying, "Maybe it''s because I''ll be able to relax some after beating you with only two moves¡­"

    "Eh? Heh, hahaha! Alright, this boy''s confidence is becoming quite funny!" An immediate reaction came from the observers, and similarly, everyone else held disbelieving expressions.

    From what they knew about Fore, this was undoubtedly an impossibility! But it''ll be all the funnier when Darcel inevitably fails.

    Anne stayed quiet during Darcel''s claim while Elder Wen had cracked a small smile.

    "Begin!"

    Elder Lian from the sides called out, also finding it a bit amusing about Darcel''s unwavering confidence. Still, though, the nagging feeling that what Darcel is saying was true couldn''t leave him.

    "Two moves? Really now? Two moves?" Fore repeated with unamused expression while looking into Darcel''s eyes. Holding his palm out to him Fore called upon his powers and,

    ''Chi!''

    His whole hand ignited in black flames! Seeing the black flame, all others thought this would be very quick. Nobody knew what Qi could Darcel possibly wield if he had any special Qi at all.

    But it was impossible to match the Wrathful Clan power of black flames!

    Anne, however, recalled Darcel''s pitch black hand when he was fighting with the wolves. She didn''t mention it back then but, from her senses, that Darkness hand made her even a little weary.

    Only a second pass when Fore brought his black flame in an intimidation tactic. The power he exuded should''ve been more than enough to make Darcel realize how foolish he was.

    However, Darcel merely cracked an even wider smile.

    "Heh."

    He snorted and then immediately blasted off to Fore with blazing speed!

    The servants who were watching had their eyes widen once seeing Darcel speeds. Even the ones at the seventh layer of Qi Foundation had trouble keeping track of him!

    Darcel and Fore were only a few feet apart, yet all Fore could see was a black bur! Such groundbreaking speeds should be impossible for someone at his mere level.

    Yet, in a split second, Darcel faced already came up close to Fore.

    Fore couldn''t even react when a palm coated entirely in Darkness flashed towards his chest.

    ''Pa!''

    "Bwaaah!!"

    With one swift clean palm strike, Darcel sent Fore flying like a bullet! At high speed, he crashed into the back wall while crazily puking out blood.

    Through sheer will, Fore managed to land on his feet after bouncing off the wall. Though when his feet touch the ground, Fore felt intense pain coarse through his body.

    And the most damaging was how he felt his blood stir in away the heavily affected his mind. He felt his head continuously buzzing, and a mix of primal emotions dazed him.

    This dazed state couldn''t continue for long as Fore suddenly felt a gust of wind swirled before him.

    "Like I said, two moves."

    Darcel''s cold words blared into his ears. Holding his hand up, Darcel had then precisely chopped at Fore''s neck, effortlessly knocking him out.

    As Fore body lifelessly dropped to the floor, Darcel turned around to the servants'' astounded eyes. Primarily, Darcel zeroed in on Elder Lian and asked,

    "My results?"

    Even if he did ask, everyone was still surprised at how quick and clean this fight was! Not only did Darcel have the speed to outstrip Fore, but he also had the strength to knock him around.

    Moreover, he also had the precise aim to correctly knock out Fore with the least painful way possible. And most of all, there was that brief power of Darcel Darkness'' hand that seemed extraordinarily strong.

    Anne even had to do a double-take since this kind of prowess was even better than the one Darcel showed in the woods!

    "Hm, you pass flawlessly, boy. Crain, you go take Fore to get checked. And what was your name again, boy?" Elder Lian asked as an older looking male went over to pick up Fore.

    "It''s Darcel." Truly in Darcel''s mind, he was also a bit surprised by this fight. After flexing his body with those wolves, he didn''t think it would increase his prowess like this.

    Yet during this fight, Darcel felt his Qi was at a higher stage before. His control over it was continuously improving.

    If any of the people truly knew how Darcel cultivated, they would''ve recognized him as a genius!

    Although Darcel had no plans to stay here for long¡­

    "Darcel, eh? Alright, come with me." Elder Lian told him and promptly started to walk out the hut.

    "Hey...are you still holding back or something?" Anne had to ask, being even more impressed at Darcel''s recent display.

    Darcel already started walking behind Elder Lian, but he did turn to Anne saying,

    "I showed everything I need to show."

    His eyes bore into hers before promptly leaving the hut with Elder Lian.

    "I guess you were more than right Anne." Elder Wen remarked, but he didn''t receive a reply back.

    Anne''s mind was still wondering about this odd boy...

    ¡­.

    "This is where you''ll mainly be staying, boy." Elder Lian had taken Darcel over to a more normal building.

    However, Darcel couldn''t pay attention to the building''s detail, the people here, or what they were doing.

    It was all because as soon as he set foot in this building, a mix of black eyes and white hair had immediately gazed over to him...

 Duo Plans

    Darcel was a bit surprised, staring into this cute girl''s face. Instantly he felt a mass amount of tension leave his body as his shoulders began to relax.

    Relief swelled up inside him, and after only a second of staring, everyone heard,

    "Darc!"

    Uncaring about others, Aniela dropped everything she was doing and jumped over to Darcel while shouting his name in a fervent passion.

    She smoothly dodged out of everyone else''s way and wrapped Darcel in a big hug.

    "Finally, you''re here! I just knew my cynical friend couldn''t bear to leave me behind!" Aniela''s soft and fragrant body latched around Darcel''s neck since she was a bit shorter than him.

    It honestly felt rather nice and warm for Darcel. Towards the feeling of her soft face in his neck, to her elastic hands and modest twin peaks squashing on his chest.

    Furthermore, her beautiful white hair''s scent brought a calming sensation for him, and the most potent feeling was the small yearning he felt in his blood.

    The yearning made his and Aniela''s body heat up a bit, further enhancing this reunion.

    Although the reunion would be even better if they didn''t have waves of poking eyes on them. The eyes of people who held various emotions such as annoyance, curiosity, or even envy.

    Usually, Darcel wouldn''t care about this, but Aniela''s hugging made him a bit more reactive. However, while subconsciously, Darcel began to pat Aniela''s head, the duo had then heard

    "Don''t the rest of you have work to do?" Elder Lian''s cold voice blasted into their ears. A small portion of his unfathomable aura leaked into his words as well.

    And the effect was immediate as the other servants quickly took their eyes off the duo and went back to work.

    The first rule ever to be ingrained into them was to never provoke the terrifying Elder Lian!

    "Get up already. You had your fill." Darcel had caught himself after Elder Lian''s words and almost reluctantly stopped patting Aniela''s soft hair. Even if it was very brief, Darcel couldn''t deny how good it felt to do it.

    Aniela was of the same opinion once she felt the sudden burst of warmth from her head stop. Pulling away from Darcel, she had an adorably cute pout on her face though before she could talk, the duo heard once again,

    "Aniela, fill him in on what to do and get back to work. You''ll have a few more hours until you can rest." Elder Lian spoke in a commanding voice and swiftly walked off without giving the duo a chance to respond.

    As the Elder walked off, Darcel took the time to truly obverse the place they were in.

    This place held valuable items such as books, scrolls, jade tablets, or weapons all neatly lined up on shelves or other areas. It was massively wide in here, and there were several doors on the side of the walls.

    This nearly reminded Darcel of a far wider dome type of place. Especially seeing the hundreds of servants dutifully working here. Some were cleaning with Qi or using special tools to clean.

    While others were carefully assorting these items or bringing more objects into this place.

    And seeing the manual labor done here, Darcel''s mind was further reinforced on his decision.

    The decision to leave this place as soon as possible!

    Even if he and Aniela were to stay here and slowly cultivate, it would take years before they could even get to the prowess of a talented youth here.

    Mainly because along with natural talent, cultivation resources play a huge factor in someone''s progress rate. Furthermore, Darcel was tired of being under the foot of someone and doing labor for them.

    His musing was cut short when Aniela had spoken up in a chipper tone,

    "This may not be the best way to meet back up, but at least we''re together now! Come on, let''s go and catch up while working." Aniela was already pulling Darcel along to her workstation while talking.

    It was always a bit shocking to Darcel how this girl could still maintain this high energy level, no matter the environment. Even with something as mundane as manual labor, she looked even excited about doing it.

    Though he could suppose it was because he''s here. ''Speaking off, I wonder why we weren''t given any strict rules. Unless it really is because of our prowess.''

    As Darcel was thinking to himself, Aniela had pulled him over to a remote section of this enormous place. There was a neat expansive order of unique exotic looking scrolls all lined on rows of shelves here.

    But neither of the two focuses on that. Aniela was much more interested in Darcel as she turned to him and asked, "So? What was holding you up? I noticed something was up as soon I felt you disappeared."

    She was talking in a low voice to cover their conversation, and following her tune, Darcel told her, "As far I can tell, I somehow got here a week or so before you. But I''m almost certain this was the doing of that lady. Us meeting up so easily and luckily is far too much to just be a coincidence."

    "Is that so? I have to give that woman my thanks later on then. But for now, Darc, lighten up that expression! Now we can move on to more manageable tasks together!"

    Darcel merely shook his head while saying, "You already know that we will leave this Clan soon. But I do commend your enthusiasm for doing worthless work."

    "It''s not totally worthless. Like maybe one day in the future, we''ll stumble upon some ancient cave we''re we''ll need to carefully dust off some divine artifacts." Aniela said it with a serious tone and a convincing smile.

    But Darcel just shrugged his shoulders, doubting something as niche as that would happen.

    Moreover, while talking, Darcel ponders for a second of just how quickly they agreed to travel together. They didn''t say it aloud, yet both knew they needed to go together.

    It just felt right and natural to Darcel.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    Aniela was even more straightforward in thoughts. As soon as she first saw Darcel, her happiness bloomed by ten folds. In her mind, she already had marked the next destination they could travel.

    "Besides your possibility of these imaginary hidden caves, we should at least pretend like we''re working. It''ll be troublesome to mess with that Elder." Darcel said, getting Aniela to brightly smile.

    "I''m glad you''re seeing it my way now. Let the charitable Aniela show you the ropes." Darcel nearly cringed from the way Aniela referred to herself. Still, even when she saw that face, Aniela''s smile only got wider.

    "This is going to be a long few hours¡­"

    ¡­.

    "Here, we are! The quarters where us servants can go and sleep." Aniela proudly showed Darcel a long hall with numerous doors running along the sides.

    Time flew like the wind for the duos as the two mainly got lost in talking with each other to pass the time.

    And after getting the signal from Elder Lian, Aniela escorted Darcel towards an interconnected hallway that led to the dome-like room.

    Everything here, even for the servants were rather fancy and intricate in designs.

    "So, does this place have any specific living arrangement?" Darcel asked as he watched at least pairs of people double up in a room.

    "Not at all. All that really matters is that we don''t get in the Clansmen or Elders way. Are you ready, Darc? This is going to be the first time you''re visiting a girl room at night~." Aniela was teasing with an incredibly cute smile that could, for sure, fluster hearts.

    Yet all Darcel did was raise an eyebrow while saying, "How did you manage to get your own room?"

    Pouting a bit, Aniela took Darcel''s hand, pulling him over to a specific room while telling him, "Mnnh, I''ll get you to react one day...but for this room? It''s just something I got with my own ''special'' ways."

    Like many of the other structures here, the door was built in glossy black wood showing a bit of polish for them. Once Aniela opened the door, Darcel was at least satisfied with the room they were staying in.

    The room was expansive and had a door that Darcel was sure led to a bathroom. Surprisingly, the decor in here was decent and miles ahead from the Parasol Organization''s dark, dank room.

    "Truly, it may not be much, but this bed far surpassed my old one¡­"

    Aniela had immediately shot towards the bed and rested comfortably on it. This bed was big enough for at least three people and even had blankets on them.

    Sitting down next to her after closing and locking the door, Darcel got straight to business. He started by saying, "Aniela, how much have you managed to discover while staying here."

    Perking up, Aniela took out a blue ring from her pocket. She smiled while saying, "I managed to score a space ring and a map through some clever tactics with my powers. The most important thing you should know right now is that these woods are called the Necropolis Woods, and we''re not too far off from our next sight."

    "Hoh? You already plan this far airhead?"

    "Of course! I don''t let my cynicism bring me down Darcy~." Darcel''s mouth twitched from that annoying pet name of hers before saying,

    "Just say where the damn place is."

    "It''s called the Necrotic Crystal City. From the map, I saw this place has several academies or sects that are accepting younger generations. It''s at least perfect for us to lay low and learn more about this new world we''re in."

    "Perfect, with a destination, we can go over our plan to leave this clan tomorrow," Darcel smirked as his best course of action came to his head.

    "Eh? So soon? But how? Even some of the stronger servants here can still best us in battle pretty easily." Aniela questioned with a cute, curious expression.

    She wasn''t ashamed to admit when she was massively weaker than someone.

    "Indeed, we''re pretty weak in terms of power. But, in terms of skills and abilities, no one here can outclass us. Cause you see, our gateway ticket is Anne."

    "Oh? I know that girl. She was one of the first people I met when coming here. She''s an inborn member of the Clan but works as some sort of resource worker here...are you suggesting to trick her?"

    Cracking a smile towards Aniela, Darcel thought back to the Parsol Organization for a quick second. While he could never get anything from the Doctors, Aniela did receive one crucial thing from them.

    "You do still have that purple scalpel, right?"

    When asking, Aniela''s eyes widened a bit as she took out a small purple scalpel from her second pocket.

    "I think I know where you''re going with this¡­"

    "Right, you were basically always as strong as I am. And it seems like things haven''t changed. I assume you''re already in the fifth layer of the Qi Foundation realm?"

    "I would be embarrassed if I couldn''t deal with that bug in me." Aniela nodded and answered since Darcel didn''t have the Spirit Sense to tell her level.

    "Good, with our special prowess, we can request to further prove our might despite our low levels. And I know Anne is curious enough in us to agree if we ask an Elder."

    "Ah! You mean like those combat servants? During my first day here because of my special abilities, Elder Lian did ask if I wanted to become one. But I only said I''ll think about it since my mind preoccupied at that time. And it really was!"

    Darcel was going to continue, but he did get slightly curious about what she could be thinking about during her week.

    "Don''t tell me it was me-"

    "It was you! I was so worried about if anything happened to you! I had the feeling that the yellow-eyed lady must''ve done something, but actual proof is much more relieving¡­"

    Aniela, much like Darcel, had her mindset on finding each other again. Just unlike Darcel, she was much more open to expressing this concern.

    Shrugging his shoulder, Darcel felt his natural body instinct kick in when seeing Aniela''s worried and concerned face. His hand reached and began softly stroking her hair while saying,

    "Well, I''m here now, so stop uselessly worrying over stuff like that. Back on topic, though, by what you said that Elder probably knows we''re going to come with a combat servant request."

    Aniela''s face lit up in a broad joyful smile while the familiar warmth of Darcel''s hand course through her head. It was then her eyes flashed, recalling some information.

    "Hehe~, this is actually perfect~! Not only your hand but when one becomes a combat servant, usually a Qi Formation Sea person comes to test them out in the woods. And Anne would surely go to ours. You may not know, but she has unique connections in this clan~."

    Aniela ended while melting into Darcel''s hand.

    Darcel as well was feeling quite comfortable while stroking her hair. However, he still continued saying, "With this, then, during our outing tomorrow, I''ll use my Darkness element to call upon Spirit Monsters to us. It''s an ability I discovered I could do just today. But importantly, all you need to do is get close to Anne, warm her defenses down so I can get one-touch on her and swirl her blood and mind. Then you''ll immediately plunge that scalpel into her."

    "Sounds simple enough. Anne is not too strong, so her mind isn''t that resistance towards my goodwill. But...what I''m sure is that there will be other Qi Foundation Sea people with us. The Clan doesn''t send two Qi Formation Sea people. Still, even when Anne goes down, we''re not out of the clear."

    Aniela said as her eyes closed, feeling endless warmth.

    "You''ve been waiting for me, so you didn''t let your cultivation advance, right? Well, no more, you can stop suppressing, and we''ll both breakthrough during the night. If we''re at least at the sixth layer, I''m confident in our abilities to run if we can''t kill them. Plus, then I can just attract more Spirit Monsters to finish them off. I''ll be working on this Darkness attraction thing to limit the risks."

    Darcel spoke confidently and didn''t sweat at all at learning a new ability overnight. Just like how learned to sever Qi, which was nearly instantaneous, he was sure he could quickly grasp this unique ability.

    "I would say to take it slow...however this Clan will become a bit troublesome in the near upcoming days. But knowing you, you just won''t accept staying another day anyways. Alright! It''s time for us to start making history!"

    Aniela pumped herself up while still under Darcel''s hand. Realizing this with a more bashful tone she said,

    "Um...before you start, can we stay a bit more like this? It helps purify my mind¡­"

    Darcel had already ignited his other hand in Darkness while he heard Aniela question. Neither really wanted to move from their spots, so Darcel said in a relatively soft tone,

    "Just relax¡­I can work on this technique with my other hand, and this helps ease my mind as well."

    "Hehehe~! You''re becoming softer by the day Darcy~!"

 First Step

    Waking up after a few hours of rest, Darcel''s eyes snapped open to a glossy black wooden ceiling. Immediately the first thing Darcel could sense, feel, and smell was an enchanting sweet fragrance.

    A fragrance that he was all too familiar with. Along with this sweet smell, the incomparably soft feeling of a girl''s body snuggled into his chest also took over Darcel''s senses.

    Of course, this girl could be none other than Aniela. And as unfamiliar it was for Darcel to admit, this was one of the warmest and comfortable sleep he could remember ever having.

    Her warm body temperature, soft snores, and how she cuddled into his body all brought about a rare feeling for him¡ªthe feeling of pure joy.

    Looking down at Aniela, Darcel saw on her cute face was a content satisfy smile. Thinking about their position Darcel began to wonder how they got here.

    Considering just yesterday, before they went to bed, Aniela was the one who brought up the issue of sharing a bed.

    Darcel witnesses a more bashful embarrassed side of the girl that night.

    Before she could overcomplicate things, Darcel simply said they could just split the bed in half or something since there''s no way he''ll sleep on the floor.

    Aniela, also not wanting to be too troublesome, bashfully agreed to share the bed. Though she did try to threaten Darcel about doing anything weird to her in their sleep.

    Unfortunately for her, that threat held no impact on Darcel since her face had a big bright blush. Plus, her tone was nearly too shy and cutesy to sound intimidating.

    And it seems like whether willingly or in her sleep, she still sought him out no matter what. Cracking a small smirk to the sleeping beauty, Darcel just shook his head and began to think about their big day.

    Closing his eyes, Darcel focused for a second until, ''Good, just like I expected. I''ve broken through, and Aniela should have too¡­''

    Indeed, during their practice last night and slowly cultivating, the duo achieved a perfect breakthrough to the sixth layer of the Qi foundation Realm!

    In all honesty, Darcel guessed they could''ve breakthrough further, but that would only cause more problems and raise questions.

    ''Better get started early.''

    Darcel made up his mind, and with a small pat to Aniela''s head, he tried to get up. But he soon found out it was a bit difficult since Aniela was tightly clutching his chest.

    Shrugging his shoulders, Darcel just decided to wake up, Aniela. This girl could surprisingly be a heavy sleeper sometimes.

    In an attempt to wake her up, Darcel began fully stroking Aniela''s gorgeous white hair. Doing so caused an immediate reaction as she softly cooed into his chest, making Darcel raise an eyebrow.

    "When you''re up, just get up already. We got plenty of things to do today."

    "Muuu, you''re a useless romantic! Yesterday I was giving you the shy close friend vibes, and this morning was supposed to be an awkward but intimate moment! Our bond should''ve subtly changed after yesterday, but you failed on both parts, hmph!"

    Aniela''s big deep black eyes matched with Darcel''s unfazed ones. Her face in her adorable pout mode, but it couldn''t affect Darcel much.

    "Right... I''m glad to see your enthusiasm just never run dry. Airhead, you already know we have a strong bond. Still, we can dive more into our relationship when we get to a more stable environment. After all, you still remember our promise back in the Parasol Organization, right?"

    While Darcel seems like the type of person to be oblivious on the social aspect, he wasn''t socially inept at all. He was always just rather blunt and cynical, finding great amusement in sometimes pushing people buttons.

    But towards Aniela''s feelings, he at least had the respect and care to correctly handle them. He as well could somewhat recognize his own feelings.

    All Darcel figured they needed was time.

    Even now, just by them naturally being so close without feeling much awkwardness or embarrassment already spoke to Darcel.

    Although Aniela still felt her heartbeat up more as she leaned in on Darcel.

    "Hehehe~, how could I ever forget it? Mah, I guess you pass my tests though nothing bad would''ve happened if you''ve failed anyways~." Aniela said in a sensual teasing voice.

    She also understood there was a time and place for everything.

    But the thought of seeing a rise out of Darcel was too tempting to her. It was just a mere shame for her that Darcel is far too strange for any kind of normal reactions.

    Though she could relent with the fact, Darcel''s hand and body still provided her that much-needed warmth and comfort.

    Getting up from his chest, Aniela exaggeratedly stretched her arms while asking, "Assuming, just like you, I''ve also made it to the sixth layer. So what should be our first agenda for today?"

    Sitting up like Aniela, Darcel said, "Starting off, I''ll continue practicing my new abilities. By the time we get tested, I''ll have everything prepared. You should work on your telekinesis. It''ll be helpful when taking the others down."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Let''s not take too long with this. We already had plenty of time last night. Say in about an hour, or so we''ll start making moves?" Aniela said while lighting her hand up in a white glow.

    Darcel nodded, similarly igniting his hand in a black glow. Just after a bit more time, they''ll be ready to leave and start their new path in life¡­

    ¡­.

    Back in the vast dome-like room from yesterday, Darcel and Aniela were glancing all around for Elder Lian. Even on bright early mornings of the day, this place was still massively crowded just like yesterday.

    Thankfully, Elder Lian didn''t like to change spots. He was near the building entrance, observing and noting the servants, seeing as well if any of them gets out of line.

    With their target in sight, the duo moved past everyone else and walked straight towards Elder Lian.

    "You two...what, is it?" Immediately Elder Lian could sense the duo pairs of eyes on him. And as the two got near him, Elder Lian couldn''t help but be surprised.

    Somehow this pair of brats managed to achieve a breakthrough in one night! From his senses of the duo''s quality of Qi, he could tell Aniela broke through to the fifth layer just recently when she first arrived at their clan.

    And Darcel seemed to be in the same case. While Elder Lian couldn''t tell how long recently could be, he was positive they were in the fifth layer for at least two months.

    This type of speed was certainly noteworthy since it would take the average cultivator several months or even close to a year to breakthrough.

    While all this is all hypothesis on his part, Elder Lian was sure to take note of these two odd brats more.

    Just, only if he knew the truth of their actual breakthrough...

    "We come with a request to become a combat servant, Elder Lian." Aniela politely asked while swaying a bit of charm in her words. Out of the two, it was the clearest who held the most extroverted appeal.

    "Hoh? So you finally decided since he is here. Alright then, just stay put while I get your tester." Taking out a glossy black ring, Elder Lian poured a bit of his energy into it.

    And when he was expecting to wait a bit, his ring had sparked up immediately! Information from the ring flowed directly into his brain, causing him to raise his eyebrow a bit.

    "Looks like you kids already have quite a good start. Anne will soon be joining us since she''ll be your tester." Elder Lian''s words caused Aniela to gain a teasing smile as she looked over to Darcel.

    "That was quite the fast response, hm? Even as you''re right, I think you do have some natural charm Darcy~."

    "Or, we''re just very easy and useful to use airhead. And I''m more willing to put my bets on my reasoning."

    "I guess we''ll just have to see if your cynicism can top my intuition!" Aniela overdramatically proclaimed, getting Darcel to roll his eyes while she sweetly giggled.

    Seeing the two interact, Elder Lian once again had to remark on these two underlying confidence since they can so easily talk without worrying about the upcoming test.

    After only a few minutes of waiting and talking, the entrance had suddenly opened. At the door, various eyes had to look over to who it was and held reverence for the two that appeared.

    There was the cute good looking Anne who had slight anticipation on her face. And next to her was a young good looking boy.

    This boy was amazingly tall for his age, standing at a towering six feet. He wore an open button black jacket showing off his lean, ripped muscles and wore tight black plants.

    Moreover, his face was the one that exuded a high amount of pride and confidence.

    Promptly their eyes had ignored the respected looks given to them and matched with Elder Lian''s, who was off to the door''s right side.

    "Anne, Young Anim. Didn''t think you kids would show up so quickly." Elder Lian correctly addressed them.

    "Well, Anne was far more curious about her testing of combat servants...are these the one?" Anim spoke up first while observing Darcel and Aniela.

    Their eyes crossed one another and did neither side back down from each other. Cracking a small smile, Anim leaked a tiny bit of his unfathomable aura to see how ready they were.

    And much to his surprise, the duo was unfazed despite getting solely targeted by his far more powerful aura!

    "Yea, they''re Darcel and Aniela. At first glance, they may not seem like much, but these two have some good prowess." Anne explained, and unlike Anim, was more surprised at the duo level right now.

    Anne could barely sense it, but she could still tell that these two were in the fifth layer of the Qi Foundation realm.

    And while she wasn''t like Elder Lian with his more accurate Spirit Sense, Anne still had to note how they could achieve a breakthrough overnight.

    "Since she''s here. Shall we get going then? Nothing will get done from some morning small talk." Darcel crudely said with an unchanging expression.

    Of course, he and Aniela felt Anim unfathomable aura and didn''t take all too kindly to the sudden pressure increase. Towards people like this, it was useless to mince words.

    "Ah, I''m also quite pumped up to go like him. Doing it early truly puts your skills to test!" For Darcel being so crude, Aniela immediately followed up with her bright, chipper energy.

    She, like Darcel, disliked this sudden pressure, but it was nothing she couldn''t handle. Moreover, it''s not like they''ll ever see this boy again after today.

    "Oh? These are some good seedlings, Anne. They''ll probably do great for today." It was like magic when Aniela opened her mouth, Anim, and even the other three felt more inclined to listen to her.

    Aniela was akin to this attractable enigma that you wouldn''t mind getting close to.

    And seeing Anim eyes flashed and his words, Aniela calmed her soul since it went perfectly.

    "If you''re so eager, then follow me!" Anne told the two, also influenced by Aniela strange but enchanting charm¡­

    ¡­.

    Deep in the Necropolis woods, seven youths were carefully walking through this massively vast and expansive area. All of them had their tension on high alert, just in case of the unexpected.

    Still, this didn''t stop Darcel and Aniela from making the march to the first step of their plans.

    Throughout this whole time, Aniela poured her radiant energy into chatting it up with Anne while Darcel closely followed behind them. And seamlessly for her, did Aniela get Anne to enjoy talking with her.

    Currently, the test Aniela and Darcel was on was to travel to a specific landmark in the woods and compare themselves with inborn members of the clans.

    They would make the comparison by the way they''ll deal with the higher tier of Spirit Monsters inhabiting the landmark.

    Anne would get to see just what useful skills these two could bring to the table compared to other Clansmen.

    Although right now,

    "Seriously? You never once played any of these advanced mages games? I know even for orphans they''re granted the chance to play."

    "Sadly, I just never was granted the opportunity. But even then! My handmade games do sound fun when you want to pass the time, right?"

    "Truly, your mind is mysterious." Anne was engaged in this light, enjoyable talk with Aniela. Even with such little and random discussions like this, Anne was surprisingly enjoying it.

    In their power-hungry world, Aniela was like a different kind of air that is pleasant to breathe in.

    Alas for her, Darcel''s eyes secretly glowed in Darkness.

    ''This should be far enough...now it''s time for stage two¡­''

 Full Prowess

    Everything was seemingly normal as the youths trekked through the woods. There was no sign of Spirit Monsters nor any close noises of the rustling of grasses.

    Although for some reason, while talking to Aniela, Anne was having this...strange but deadly premonition. It was like multiple eyes had just locked target on her.

    Trusting her gut feeling, she immediately stopped dead in her tracks. Aniela kept an innocent, curious expression as she asked.

    "Eh? What''s wrong?"

    The other Clansman shared the same confusion since they didn''t feel the same premonition that only got stronger for Anne.

    "It''s... it''s just...I don''t know, but I feel like somet-"

    "RWARGH!!!"

    Out of the blue, cutting of Anne, several Spirit Monster loud thunderous roars reverberated throughout the whole woods! Darcel and Aniela acted along as the other youths'' bodies tensed and spiked up.

    The ground was trembling, grass and bushes were frantically rustling while the air swirled in a frenzy. Among all, everyone there suddenly felt the pressure slowly increase.

    "Shit! I can just barely sense there''s probably nine mad monsters rushing at us!" Anne roared out to warn the others. Now she finally understood that dangerous premonition from before.

    And to make matters worse, there were at least two monsters from this group that neared her prowess!

    "Just from their mere auras alone, most aren''t that strong! Quickly rush them down!" Darcel shouted to them while his hand had secretly turned off its Darkness glow.

    His face held a small devious grin as he locked his focus on two monsters specifically.

    "Don''t hesitate!" Aniela shouted right after and in sync with Darcel,

    ''Swish!''

    The black and white duo rushed towards their respective monsters leaving the other behinds in the dust.

    Their current distance from these monsters was several meters away, and frankly, this was the perfect time to strike. With Darcel stopping his Darkness call, the monsters were left temporarily confused.

    The sudden strong magnetic attraction that brought them here had abruptly stopped! Their maddening rush halted a bit as their eyes attempted to scan the woods.

    And in the wake of Darcel and Aniela, the rest of the youths sobered up as Anne shouted,

    "Rash, but their right! Rush down these monsters!"

    ''Hua!''

    Swiftly as Anne called it, the remaining of them sprinted towards their monsters to gain an advantage. Like Darcel said, their auras weren''t so great that they would need to run away.

    Plus, Anne felt competent enough in her prowess to truly kill everything off here if the others can''t do it.

    With a fire blazing in their eyes, the Clansmen all prepared for a great fight, unaware of the insidious planners behind them.

    ¡­.

    While Anne''s group split off to the right, Darcel and Aniela rushed to their left. Three Spirit Monsters were over here, and Darcel thought this would be good practice for both of them.

    These Spirit Monster beasts, Darcel could vaguely sense, are at his level, the mere sixth layer of the Qi Foundation realm.

    With extreme precision and control, Darcel wouldn''t be able to call out to something far stronger than him, leading him and Aniela to have some good target practice.

    "Aniela, take on that fox, leave the two bears to me." Up in front of them were three terrifying giant beasts that would frighten any average weak cultivators out of their wits.

    Two bears standing over ten feet tall with gross looking black fur, sharp bloody teeth, and piercing blue eyes! Moreover, these bears'' eyes were clouded in confusion.

    Their eyes darted all over the woods until focusing on the duo.

    Next to the bears was a huge fox standing over five feet tall. Like the bears, it had sickly black fur, and in contrast, it had pointed ears plus an extraordinarily long tail.

    The fox monster yellow eyes had also locked on to the rushing duos.

    "Let''s finish it in record time!" Aniela excitedly responded to Darcel. Just like him, she also felt a rush when battling and would never shy away from a fight.

    "Auroo!!"

    The Spirit Monsters shouted in sync and blasted off to the rushing duo! With each step the bears took, the ground slightly shook, and trees quiver from their sheer weight.

    The Spirit fox beast nearly blended into the dark, dreary wood color, essentially going incognito with its extreme speed.

    Yet, this matters little for Darcel and Aniela.

    For the first time in their lives, the two were now going to go all out! Even with all other previous fights they had, including those in this world, the two were cautious about using the full extent of their prowess.

    Showing off without sufficient planning was never a smart thing to do. But now, with these levels of beasts, it was the appropriate time.

    In only a split second, the duo closed their eyes and connected with their souls. Instantly, they willed far out more Qi than ever, significantly amplifying their bodies.

    And once the two felt their bodies strained, their eyes snapped open! Power, far greater than they ever felt before, course through their entire bodies.

    They felt like an entirely different being!

    Darcel''s eyes flashed a dark glow while Aniela''s flashed a white brilliance. Their legs tightened and the several meters distance in front of them,

    ''Hua!''

    Was crossed in a single step by the duo! Quite literally, the dirt split apart from their speeds, and the air swirled uncontrollably. And their sudden acceleration caused massive reactions.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    The Spirit Monsters bears, and fox only felt the wind''s razing gush before two massive auras pressed down on them. Their eyes widened like saucers, and the whole bodies felt instinctive danger.

    It was like clockwork! Just out of the blue, did the duo magically increase their prowess to majorly suppress them!

    Acting in tandem once again, Darcel jumped up and used both of his hands to stab towards one of the bears'' eyes. And Aniela shot a clean, glowing fist to the fox head.

    ''Bang!''

    The fox couldn''t react at all to Aniela''s insane speed and was sent flying like a bullet! Aniela''s sheer power made the fox sail through trees, breaking them down with little to no resistance.

    Watching her work, Aniela cracked a small smirk and rushed down the fox once again.

    ''Chi!''

    At the same time, when Aniela struck the fox, Darcel plunged his fingers deep into the bear''s eyes!

    "Ruoo!!"

    The Spirit monster bear unleashed a painful wailing cry as Darcel''s fingers met no resistance when striking his eyes. It felt like watery tofu when Darcel punctured the bear''s eyes.

    Fresh, bright red blood dripped down its fur coat, and the bear knees nearly buckled from the pain. Darcel knew there was no need to fight some long drawn out battle with defense toughen bears.

    And at their stage, one of the significant soft, weak points of such a formidable creature was it defenseless eyes.

    "RUOO!!"

    While Darcel was momentarily stuck in the air by his fingers in the bear, the other bear unleashed a maddening roar!

    It couldn''t see Darcel''s first attack, but now that he''s in its line of sight, there''s no way he can dodge now!

    Swiftly, the bear claws grew longer and sharper while its black fur had seemingly sharpened. The bear roar had gotten the other bear to stop flailing around and hold Darcel in place.

    A murderous glint entered the second bear eyes and, with insane speed, struck out with its claw to the now still Darcel!

    Throughout this whole time, Darcel could have moved, but it wasn''t the right time. Now, as he saw the second bear''s terrifying claw paw come at him, Darcel gained his own maddening smile.

    In all of one second, Darcel took his fingers out of the bears gushing blood everywhere in the woods. Speedily, he had then clamped on the bear''s massive head and nimbly flipped himself on top of its head!

    Darcel''s moves were like a nimble rat, and before the second bear could realize it, its claw paw headed straight towards the first bear throat!

    ''Chi!''

    Ruthlessly the second bear claw paw tore into the bear''s throat, shredding out blood like a waterfall. Everything happens far too fast that neither bear''s brain could process what just happened.

    All the first bear could feel was its throat getting torn and blood bubbling into its mouth. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn''t be nearly as easy for either bears to one shot each other.

    But thanks to Darcel, the first bear felt its blood swirled frantically, bringing upon chaotic primal emotions that heavily affected its mind. Plus, getting stabbed in the eyes also majorly lowered its Qi defenses.

    "And now¡­"

    Darcel said to himself as both his feet glowed a deep dark glow. Before the bears could have the time to react Darcel lifted his foot up and,

    ''Bang!''

    Cruelly stomped upon the first bear skull like it was an annoying bug. Instantly by the force of Darcel''s stomp, the bear felt its head cracked, and its brain flattened!

    Blood gushed out of every pore of its head while the light left its eyes. And ignoring the bear''s death, Darcel immediately turned its attention to the still shocked second bear.

    It simply couldn''t get any breathing at all! Only two seconds after it plunged its claw into the first bear throat and Darcel stomping on its head, he acted again!

    Hastily, the bear took its claw of the first bear throat letting its corpse fall to the ground with a sickening wet thumb. Its head then snapped up, trying to find Darcel only to see empty air.

    But its ears soon heard the chilling piercing words of a young boy saying,

    "Now it''s your turn!"

    ''Bang!''

    Darcel fiercely stomped upon the bear head, causing a sickening crunch like noise to shatter out from the impact. His foot had even sunken a bit into the bear head by his sheer overwhelming prowess.

    Upon the bear face right now was gushes of blood pouring out of every single pore of its massive head. Tremendous pain dazed its whole body, yet it could hold on compared to the first bear.

    But in this position, there was no way Darcel would give this bear the chance to counter-attack.

    Using his insane speeds, Darcel swiftly turned around and hopped off the bear head. In this position, Darcel came face to face with a bloody bear and its bloodshot eyes.

    Without missing a single beat, Darcel blitzed his fist towards the bear''s right eye and plunged it deep in there!

    Blood gushed out like a fountain from his strike, blowing out in the dark black woods. And for the Spirit Monster bear, its last line of sight was Darcel coldly smirking at it while he pulled his fist out of its head.

    Taking his fist out, Darcel safely landed on the ground. Simultaneously, the second bear corpse crashed into the ground with yet another sickening wet thumb.

    Turning around in Aniela''s direction, Darcel was left wondering if that girl was as quick as him¡­

    ¡­.

    Unknown to Darcel, Aniela finished her fight even quicker than his.

    Right when Darcel began to fight against the bears, she sped off towards the sailing fox. Her hand was still glowing white and seemed to brighten up as she rushed to the fox.

    And right when the fox looked, it was going to reorientate itself in midair, Aniela fist out her glowing white hand.

    Behind the wolf, the top half of a large black wood tree began to shine a bright white glow! The fox couldn''t pay attention to this at all, and all it did saw was Aniela squeezing her hand.

    When the Spirit fox landed on the ground, it suddenly heard a snap! A large towering shadow covered over it, and its instinct screamed danger.

    Hastily, the fox attempted to run but,

    ''Bang!''

    The large tree fell with speeds far superior to the fox and smashed it into the ground! Aniela''s telekinesis was all but impossible for the fox to escape, plus this fall caused far more damage than an average fall.

    Swiftly Aniela caught up the fallen tree and used her telekinesis to roll the tree away from the squashed fox.

    In a small crater, the fox laid still, seamlessly utterly defeated. However, Aniela knew better than to fall for Spirit Monsters'' simple tricks.

    Her hand flashed towards the fox head as the beast snapped its eyes open. But even if it could feel Aniela''s hand coming towards it, her speed still utterly trampled upon it.

    Quickly, Aniela grabbed the fox head, and immediately a white glow shrouded the fox head.

    "This might feel a bit tight¡­"

    Aniela said it as some sort of joke while the fox promptly felt its head get tightly squeeze. Pain immediately overtook its senses, and on the inside of its body, a white glow appeared around its brain.

    Smiling at the fox pain-wracked eyes, Aniela tightly clutched her hand, and with a sickening pop inside the fox head, its brain turned into a bloody mushed!

    While Aniela''s telekinesis was limited on what she could truly control. If one is at the same level at her and she gets her hand on them, it was basically over for her enemies.

    Letting go of the fox head and letting its brainless corpse fall to the ground, Aniela stretched out her body, feeling mighty refreshed and refined from this short battle.

    "I seem to finish this up a bit too quickly. Oh well, might as well take my time to get to Darcy~.'' She gleefully thought and didn''t believe Darcel needed help taking down the bears.

    Aniela already had enough trust in Darcel to believe if he says he can do it, he''ll do it no matter what.

    Casually she walked back to Darcel''s spot and soon saw him finishing off the second bear with one clean eye strike.

    "We make such a perfect duo, Darcy! So now that this is all done, should we wait a bit before going back to the others?" Aniela had cheerfully gone up to Darcel, who was using his Darkness to get rid of the blood on his hands.

    "We may have finished too fast...I suppose we should wait so we can have the perfect opportunity. Oh, and good job."

    Without warning, Darcel tenderly patted Aniela''s head.

    It caused the girl''s face to lit up in a massive smile as she leaned her head more into Darcel''s hand.

    "See! You are a caring person! You remember every little thing I told you during our Parsol time!" Aniela was really giddy and riled up, but Darcel couldn''t really understand.

    Because she liked it and he liked it, Darcel saw it as natural to pat her soft head if he feels like it necessary or he wants to do it.

    But even so, with Aniela pure joy and happiness Darcel did form a small genuine smile as he told her,

    "Caring or not, I''ll always keep my words. And now we have just one more word to deliver to a certain, forceful group¡­"

 Reversal

    "Hey...would you look at this? It seems Anne also went for a desperate climatic fight." Aniela offered her own commentary once the duo had arrived back to the Clansman.

    Indeed the very first thing they saw when coming back was the uncontrollable frenzy of black fire. Dozens of trees were lit up in a blazing black flame while there were patches of black fame on the ground.

    The raging sight of boiling black flames made for an ominous, threatening view as if a great battle was raged here. Though for the duo, this made them smile with pure bliss.

    "Look over there. Anne''s group is also panting like a dog after fighting." Darcel pointed to his right, still with that gleeful smile on his face seeing their conditions.

    Moreover, one of his hands was deep inside his pocket, unknown to all on the outside world.

    Looking over to them, Aniela figured why Darcel seemed even more satisfied. As she was delighted with this result also.

    Everyone in that group was holding on to ordinary looking silver swords, plunging them into the ground. Beads of sweat dripped down their faces as they leaned on their swords for support.

    Like Darcel guessed, for these average youths in cultivation, they struggled far more in combat.

    Anne''s group simply didn''t have their speed nor the overwhelming power to quickly dispatch those at the same level or nearing their levels.

    Anne seemed the most drained since she was taking the most extended and deepest breath. But she did have good reason too since like the duo had guessed, she exerted herself with using Qi black flames.

    This was the sole difference between the ninth layer of the Qi Foundation realm and the Qi Formation Sea realm.

    While at the ninth layer, one can conjure up Qi for a ranged attack. There was a significant drawback if one chooses to do it.

    The drawback is the massive amount of Qi energy needed for a ranged attack. Plus, the range attack won''t be nearly as powerful as one expects.

    This was due to the fact the stable base for such attacks isn''t laid out in the Qi foundation realm. However, in the Qi formation sea realm, one would have everything they need to perform destructive attacks.

    But looking at Anne''s condition now, it was all but impossible for her to perform any more powerful destruction.

    "Ah! Are you guys, alright?!" Aniela raised a perfected acting cry of worry while she dashed towards the Clansman. Darcel followed straight behind, nearly letting out a chuckle for Aniela''s performance.

    Anne''s group snapped their heads to their left, hearing Aniela''s bubbly voice. Somehow hearing her voice felt a bit soothing, and some were even glad she made it back.

    Anne was especially glad as she told her, "It''s nothing too serious. Just some exhaustion from fighting so hard."

    Aniela got close to her with a comforting broad smile that seemed to shine bright in the cruel dark forest.

    As Aniela went to her right, Anne noticed Darcel going to her left side, but she didn''t pay any heed. By the extension of Aniela, she also got used to the standoffish, cold presence of Darcel.

    "Oh, oh! You still have some slight minor injuries...hey, why don''t you let me help speed this process up?" Aniela suggested to her while igniting her hand in her signature white glow.

    Immediately, everyone there felt warm and drawn into the white glow. It gave off this secure feeling that they needed more than ever at this moment.

    Even Aniela was innately curious about her hand, so she asked, "Can you heal small injuries or something?"

    Aniela didn''t even glance at Darcel as she told her, "Just watch, you''ll feel entirely new after I''m done!"

    Such bold confidence and reassurance did get Anne to relent a bit.

    Plus, just getting out of battle, she''ll take any small straws she can get. It also helped that she had considerably warmed up to Aniela during their travels.

    "Alright, show me what you got then." Anne smiled at her and agreed.

    With her words, Anne felt her hand grab her shoulder. Anne''s mind was momentarily distracted just from this small touch since, frankly, Aniela''s hand felt tender and soothing!

    But it was then that a second rougher hand tightly grabbed the back of her neck in this moment of distraction!

    "Wha-AHH~?!?"

    Anne''s body tensed for a second, but her senses, mind, and body were assaulted with this odd frantic wave of pleasure and pain. Her blood was crazily swirly, directly affecting her mind and body.

    Her loins immediately started to burn and wet with intense burning desire. All she wanted now was a release! Her defenses were all but gone for this specific moment.

    And Aniela''s eyes flashed a murderous glint!

    ''Chi!''

    Blood spurted out in the air as Aniela stabbed that strange purple scalpel deep into her neck! Purple sickly lines formed on Anne''s neck and swiftly ran through her whole body.

    Pain, tremendous massive pain that Anne had never felt before, overloaded her senses and wracked every inch of her body.

    "Ge-Acl-AHH!!!"

    "What the fuck are you doing?!?"

    Towards Anne''s screams and chokes of blood and pain, the other Clansman gained a fierce glint in their eyes. They pulled their swords out of the grounds and glared at the duo with vicious killing intent.

    Everything was just too sudden and abrupt! Darcel''s hand flashed towards Anne''s neck instantly, and no one even knew how the hell Aniela fished out that scalpel in a flash.

    But one thing is for sure, these pair of mere sixth layer Qi foundation kids are courting death!

    Darcel and Aniela simply turned around to face the youths that had drawn their weapons. Their faces still remained steady and called with a hint of a smirk.

    Both of them let Anne''s body go, letting her fall to the full while spasming in tremendous pain. Flexing out his Darkness glowing hand, Darcel told them, "Isn''t it obvious? We''re taking our official leave from your poor little clan."

    "Indeed, it would never benefit us in the long run. We need to spread our wings!" Aniela also chimed in with her own crude remark.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    "I should''ve known there was something off about the two of you, but really, do the two of you truly believe you''ll leave here alive?!" The one who was talking, Darcel recognized as the large, robust boy from yesterday.

    There was also the skinny sixth layer boy in the group.

    Darcel also saw Mary from yesterday, but the other boy next to her he didn''t recognize. But such little things were only cosmetic as Darcel said,

    "Do you think you''ll live past today?"

    Instantly his words got the Clansman to tighten up and go into battle positions. They haven''t attacked the duo yet because of their last exhaustion from battle, but it looks like these two would come at them.

    Upon this point, they all gained a mocking cruel smirk. A murderous glint exuded from their eyes, treating the duo like mere prey.

    "How naive! Do you r-"

    Whatever Mary was going shall be forever unknown as her words got caught in her throat. By the fierce swirl of a gush of wind, all of Mary''s group were taken by a surprise.

    ''Chi!''

    The sickening sound of blood blared into Mary''s group eardrums. Nobody knew what happened, but when they saw Aniela clutch her hand, a deadly premonition rose inside them.

    Slowly they turn around only to see the skinny sixth layer boy corpse in a bloody pool. Out sticking from his head was a rock that had an eye-piercing white glow.

    Their heads snapped back to the duo with small worry crossing their faces.

    "How did you¡­" The robust boy tried to talk, but another swirling gush of wind interrupted everything.

    In a black and white flash, Darcel and Aniela seemingly teleported right in their faces!

    Swift like wind, Darcel threw out his Darkness glow fist towards the robust boy face. He was at the eighth layer of the Qi foundation realm, yet he couldn''t help but get shocked at Darcel''s speed.

    In sync, Aniela threw two quick fists at Mary and the boy beside her. These two were both at the seventh layer of the Qi foundation realm, but Aniela''s speed was uncatchable!

    Hastily, all Mary''s group could do in a split second was a sudden counter-attack.

    Enforcing their arms, they slashed up to intercept the duo mighty black and white fists!

    ''Bang!''

    Contrary to Mary''s group belief, they were ones that had to take several steps back just from the sheer power of the duo''s attacks. Their eyes burst wide open, and disbelief filled their faces.

    "Geh! How?!?"

    Their arms stung slightly from their frontal collision, which caused even more confusion in Mary''s group. They all believed their partner died because the duo used another insidious surprise trick.

    However, this clash changed their whole perspective.

    This kind of insane prowess... it''s almost like these two could fight beyond their levels!

    But something like this should be impossible for where they come from! In their low-level place, never had they heard any youths being able to have this genius prowess.

    Yet the living proof of Darcel and Aniela''s calm and serene face made facts undeniable.

    Similarly to Mary''s group, Darcel and Aniela were actually a bit surprised as well. They had a feeling they would be able to jump levels considering their domination of Spirit Monsters at their layer.

    But, even as their hands stung from the clash, they didn''t expect their prowess to be this high.

    Initially, the two were planning on immediately running away. But now, their curiosity in their prowess peaked, and they couldn''t just let this go.

    Not missing a single beat, Darcel and Aniela had a rising battle-hungry smile.

    ''Hua!''

    They sprinted to Mary''s group again with an intense craze. Darcel had his eyes locked on the robust boy while Aniela took on Mary and the other boy.

    This time Mary''s group forced their bodies to react, causing more strains upon themselves.

    Right when Darcel near his face, the robust boy''s eyes lit up.

    Gripping his sword like his life depended on it, the robust boy swung a quick, precise slash at Darcel''s pursuit.

    At the diagonal slash he threw, the boy thought this way, there would be no way for Darcel to accurately counter-attack this.

    Relying on his instincts, Darcel crouched down at the last second of the boy sword strike, just narrowly dodging the sword.

    He used his left hand to throw a quick but fierce jab at the boy sword holding wrist in this position.

    Simentounsaly, Darcel threw a clean right hook to the boy''s chin.

    Without even realizing why, the robust boy suddenly felt pain from his wrist, causing him to drop the sword and then,

    "Geh!"

    His whole world got rocked once Darcel upper connected to his chin!

    As bloody spit shot out from his mouth, the boy also felt his blood frantically swirl. Primal emotions like lust, rage, and sadness heavily affected his mind and blurred his vision.

    At the same time, Aniela was also evenly matching the two seventh layer youths.

    Using her telekinesis, she swiftly grabbed on to their swords, infecting them with her powers. A white glow covered their swords, and Aniela flung them far away.

    Mary and the other boy were stunned, but soon their visions met with two large chunks of fast-flying rocks!

    Enforcing their arms, they struck against the rocks, breaking them. However, the sheer force of the attack also sent the two back a few steps.

    Coincidentally, they had also stopped right next to the robust boy whose eyes were still dazed after Darcel''s attacks.

    "We need to kill them now!" Mary roared out since her body felt like it was on fire now. Under normal conditions, they wouldn''t be struggling nearly as hard with these two.

    But now they had no such luxury.

    "Arrgh!! Die!!"

    In rage and confusion, the robust boy managed to fish out a talisman that halted Darcel and Aniela''s rushing.

    Seeing the talisman, Darcel''s brain worked into overdrive as he got a risky idea.

    "Aniela! Put as much Qi into your hands as possible!"

    At this point, Darcel dared to take the risk, and Aniela immediately responded.

    The duo swiftly pushed out their arms with no question asked, making their hands glow a bright brilliance of black and white!

    "Who cares what they''re doing! Put your hands on mine!!" The robust boy shouted in primal rage to the others. In this state, Mary and the other boy didn''t dare to argue and smacked their hand on top of his.

    Promptly they all poured their Qi into the talisman that greedily absorbed their energies.

    In no time at all, the talisman shined a black flame radiance! Mary''s group felt drained, but their glee to murder the duo was at an all-time high.

    "DIE!!"

    The robust boy shouted in feral rage and chuck the talisman at the duo.

    He was still trying to control his raging body, but a vicious smirk still etched on his face once throwing the talisman.

    Mary and the other boy as well gained a cruel smirk since there was no way these two can survive this!

    ''Chi!''

    Out exploding from the flaming talisman was a vast roaring black fireball! The temperature was immediately raised to burning degrees, scorching the ground beneath it.

    With blitzing speed, the black fireball sailed straight at the duo.

    However, what happened next fried Mary''s group minds.

    "Hah!!"

    Unleashing their own battle cries, Darcel and Aniela clashed against the black fireball with just their mere palms! Their legs buckled into the ground, and black fire swirled around in a rapid frenzy.

    Nevertheless, neither youths moved an inch from their spots.

    "Just like in Organization, remember Aniela!"

    "Right!"

    Both roared to each other, overextending their powers now. But it wasn''t without results.

    In the awe stares of Mary''s group, only a few seconds after sending the fireball out did the same piercing white glow covered the whole black fireball!

    The white glow made the fireball still and managed to decrease the temperature around them. And to add on, a black light had suddenly intermixed with Aniela''s white glow.

    "Come to us!"

    With Darcel''s final shout, the vast black fireball became absorbed directly into the duo palms!

    Mary''s group feet were firmly planted into their spots as their brains majorly lagged. All they did was watch as their talisman attack was absorbed by Darcel and Aniela.

    The pure and powerful black flames, known to only their clan, were quickly dealt with by them¡­

    "Phew, I feel hotter than usual now," Aniela remarked while stretching out her palms.

    Both she and Darcel felt a warm sensation run throughout their bodies and soul. But it didn''t cause any damage to their bodies.

    Before Darcel could also comment, his senses spiked up as dangerous premonition took over his mind.

    "Get ready to run."

    Darcel said in a quiet voice to Aniela when everyone there felt their ground tremble and heard,

    "RWARGH!!!"

    The roaring shouts of several powerful beats coming right at them!

 The Dreadful Escape

    Mary''s group joint tightened up, their mind fell more into despair, and their flimsy wills was finally crumbling down. What started out as a seemingly ordinary servant testing quickly turned into their worst nightmare.

    Far more intense than last time, the ground quiver from great forces of several raging charging Spirit Monsters beasts. Beasts that all far surpassed the might of the previous rounds of beasts.

    Mary''s group eyes all helplessly looked over to the ones that started this whole mess. The two shabby-looking youths, still dressed in their same ripped clothes, were smiling proudly at them.

    While Mary''s group despaired, the duo were quite happy with this sudden development.

    With their way, their bodies were reacting to the black flames, while it still didn''t hurt, they knew they wouldn''t be at top tier condition. And now their work will be finished for them.

    Before anyone could react, though, Aniela''s eyes glossed over to the now still Anne. The once mighty and confident Qi Formation youth of the Wrathful Clan now lay still in a sickly purple-red blood puddle.

    Purple Lines ran down her whole body showing off a grotesque appearance even in death. However, Aniela paid her death no mind as she said, "When they''re not against us, that place sure is handy!"

    Aniela crouched down to take back the scalpel as she was sure it would come in handy for the future.

    "Handy when it comes to being as cruel as possible, now then," Darcel snided and suddenly,

    ''Pa!''

    He slammed his hand into the ground, making a dark shape hand imprint there. Looking over to Mary''s group while doing so, Darcel had remarked at least they have enough common sense to understand their position.

    Even if the beasts were all several meters away, their speeds would indeed traverse such a distance in mere seconds. But Mary''s group did become confused about this action of Darcel.

    Standing up, Darcel exchanged glances with Aniela and told the group, "I wonder how savagely you''ll get ripped apart? Ah, well, it''s none of our concerns now."

    While talking, he turned off his Darkness glow hand and was reinforcing his warm feeling legs. Amplifying his legs, Darcel now felt hot down there but more soothingly hot than a painful one.

    "Darcy may be crude with his words, but your sacrifices will be remembered!" Aniela proudly told them and amplified her legs like Darcel.

    She, too, felt the hot soothing sensation that admittedly fueled her with some excitement.

    The rustling of grass only grew closer and the ground shaking only got more intense. Still, Mary''s group couldn''t understand what these two were talking about.

    There was just no way they believed they could outrun these beasts, right?

    "Argh!! You! You two! What bullsh-" The enraged words of the robust boy were caught off when,

    ''Hua!''

    In a trail of black flames did Darcel and Aniela sprinted off! They ran in some random direction, but their speed caused even the robust boy eyes to widen.

    After only a second, neither he nor the others could spot just where they ran off to. And to make matters even worse, like the beasts were right next to them, they all heard,

    "DARGH!!"

    Fear, dread, and hopelessness spanned across all of their faces. With Anne dead, their talisman spent and them not even at one hundred percent, their deaths were assured.

    Their last thoughts would be on just what the hell was that freakish duo of black and white¡­

    ¡­.

    Blazing through the woods at a fiery pace, Darcel and Aniela felt entirely new with the addition of black flames. Already they felt like they entered a whole new realm of cultivation!

    Darcel and Aniela knew and were forced to practice with their devouring abilities regarding Qi. But they didn''t expect absorbing the properties of an Elemental Law would heed such good results.

    While thinking upon this, Darcel''s attention focuses on an upcoming vast cave. He calculated they have been running for at least ten minutes or so, and this would be a good pit stop far away from that clan.

    Luckily as well, the two managed to avoid any of the previous beasts Darcel''s Darkness had called upon.

    Moreover, by smashing his imprint into the ground, he was sure those Spirit Monsters were enjoying their time with Mary''s group.

    "Here."

    Darcel simply said and pointed to the cave for Aniela to see. She smiled and nodded, locking her attention on there as well.

    The distance of a few meters was crossed in a couple of seconds by the duo. Safely they made it inside the cave, skidding a bit when stopping their runs.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Looking at the open, unsecured entrance, Aniela immediately gained an idea. Her hand glowed white and focused on several random chunks of rocks lying around outside.

    With a squeeze of her hand, Aniela pulled those rocks to the cave entrance, making a makeshift close door.

    "Fuuu, that went far smoother than I expected! And we even got a chance to spend quality team bonding time!" Aniela sighed out while leaning down on the walls of the caves.

    Her glowing white hand illuminated the cave enough to see around. And Darcel promptly sat right next to her while taking in the sight of one of the mysterious ominous caves here.

    Like other structures in these woods, everything was in a glossy back texture. But just barely could Darcel notice a hint of a small blue glow in the blackness of the rocks.

    "Don''t get too relaxed now, airhead. Even if we''re out of the fire, we''re still in unknown dangerous lands. So for no we sh-"

    "Should cultivate right, right. Oh, Darcy, if it wasn''t for mine brightness, you would be too cynical and boring on your own!" Aniela finished his sentence as she immediately leaned on Darcel''s shoulder.

    Their already rising warming bodies felt another burst of warmth and soothe by this intimate contact. It was like their mind and bodies were getting purified by this warm sensation.

    Darcel had a small smile while feeling this sensation but still said,

    "You need someone like me to ground you in reality. Or else your head will fly off into the skies. Let''s just get to the eighth layer since I''m sure that we''ll smoothly make it to that city with our speed."

    "Hmmm, fine. In this position, I''ll relent...for now~." Aniela had soft sweet giggles as she closed her eyes to cultivate. Leaning on Darcel''s shoulder gave her the calmest serene bliss she needed.

    Darcel as well closed his eyes, feeling steady, calm, and the same soothing bliss while cultivating.

    Focusing more in detail now, Darcel could sense a fiery warm sensation swarming around his soul. His Darkness had seemed to put the properties of black flame there, allowing him access to its use.

    After all that fighting, his body was now in a perfect stabilized condition for another continuous breakthrough. Focusing on drawing out more of the bug''s energy, Darcel also familiarizes himself with this black flame.

    And compared to other times when cultivating, things were strangely even smoother and faster for him.

    His mind immediately went to the cute white-haired girl lying on his shoulder, which provided him with another layer of warmth.

    ''Heh, she really is my good luck charm.'' Darcel tenderly thought about the girl before focusing back on cultivating.

    Only a few minutes passed since the two started cultivating, and in both Darcel and Aniela''s mind,

    ''Bang!''

    They effortlessly broke through their mental blocks and stepped directly into the Qi Foundation Realm''s eighth layer! In no time at all did the two skips two layers achieving demonic genius speed.

    However, no happiness was shared between the two when their eyes had abruptly snapped open. The perilous feeling of danger tensed up their joints and sharpened their minds as they looked around the cave.

    When they both had a breakthrough, a terrifying feeling of dread permeated throughout the whole cave. This sinister, deadly feeling was akin to several blades being pointed straight at the duo neck.

    Aniela shined her hand an even brighter white as the two both jumped to their feet. Still, all they could see for miles in this cave was just the glossy black rocks and a long walkway down the cave.

    "No need to waste time here anymore," Aniela spoke in a new serious tone since the situation was turning bad for them.  Her eyes immediately snapped to the cave entrance, and she shined her hand over there.

    "Don''t need to tell me twice. Let''s go?" Darcel agreed with leaving, but he noticed something odd when looking at the caves'' entrance. The mere fact none of the rocks were moving already left Darcel worried.

    All of the rocks were glowing white, but they seemed just impossible to budge. And when looking at Aniela''s expression, it was one of someone struggling to open something.

    Her hands were tightly clenched, her teeth were grinding, and her frustration was building. It didn''t matter how hard she pulled, even with her new layer, she couldn''t break her own damn rocks!

    "Heeeh...want to leaave?"

    Darcel and Aniela''s body went cold, and all movement from them ceased. Actual cold sweat formed and dribbled down their faces. That person sounded far too close to them like they were right in their ears.

    Yet when looking around, their eyes didn''t see anything but glossy black rocks! No matter where their eyes darted to, it would be in a vain attempt to pick up where that voice came from.

    It was then, a tremendous pressure wrapped the two from behind, giving them the terrifying feeling of death. Their pupils dilated, and their bodies straighten up when hearing,

    "Juust behind youu¡­"

    ''Hua!''

    Narrowly, Darcel and Aniela desperately flung their bodies forward while feeling something incredibly sharp graze their clothes. The two landed on their feet and promptly turned around.

    Doing so finally allowed them to gaze upon who was making that frightening voice. But it wasn''t like anything the two could''ve expected.

    The being before them was mysteriously translucent! It had a figure resembling a human, but it had this strange long dress like clothes on.

    Though the duo was able to clearly see sharp blue claws extending out of this creature''s supposed sleeves.

    Never before in either of Darcel or Aniela''s life had they stumbled upon such a creature. They also didn''t have any memories of someone talking about this kind of being.

    This would''ve been a neat discovery if the two weren''t feeling immensely pressured at this moment.

    "This...this is like some childhood story ghost or something." Aniela breathlessly said, and Darcel was inclined to agree. Being translucent with a blue outline did at least speak ghostly vibes.

    "We''re not alooone¡­"

    ''Chi!''

    The ghost-like creature''s eyes flashed a harsh blue light while talking. The sudden and brief flash of light was far too great than anything the duo was expecting, and it forced the two to shield their eyes.

    "You can open uuup now¡­"

    Like they needed the ghost permission, the duo was tempted to ignore the ghost mocking call. However, the feeling of dread and death had explosively multiplied!

    Snapping their eyes open, Darcel and Aniela immediately felt the air get sucked out of them.

    Five new ghost-like creatures had joined the fray, all staring menacingly at the duo. Oddly enough, while watching, the two had noticed three of the ghosts had a figure similar to a woman.

    But this small detail meant little in protecting their lives.

    The pressure brought upon them wasn''t so great they wouldn''t be able to move. Still, the duo knows their chances of winning was extraordinarily slim.

    Their eyes bear witness to the ghosts raising their claws slowly, all proclaiming in a terrifying unison,

    "Diiieee¡­"

 Awakening

    Giving the duo no time to react at all, the six ghosts pounced towards them like rabid dogs! By the sheer potent aura, each spirit exuded, Darcel and Aniela were able to tell each of them were just as strong as Anne!

    However, despite being at this level of strength, their speed wasn''t impossible to react to for the duo. By their recent breakthroughs, their senses were heightened, and their bodies responded in an instant.

    ''Hua!''

    Darcel split off to the right while Aniela split off to the right. Thankfully the cave was incredibly spacious, allowing room to dodge. But their swift movement didn''t ease the stinging pain coming from their shoulders.

    Taking one glance over, the two both saw three deep lines of dark red blood dribble down their arms. Their pupils dilated even more as the situation was only getting worse by the second.

    Just from this one attack, their bodies looked to be fragile against their ghostly claws. The pain wasn''t unbearable, but they instinctively held onto their shoulders to control the bleeding.

    "Let''s play a bit before you diiieee¡­"

    The dreadful haunting voice of the ghosts slithered into their ears like poison again. Darcel and Aniela''s mind couldn''t help but fall into a mild panic in this perilous situation.

    This was a true authentic life or death encounter where their living options were decreasing by the second.

    Primarily when the duo felt the air whip around their back in a razor-sharp track. Only one of the ghosts appeared behind their backs, claws blaring to them to shred the two into bloody chunks.

    Darcel, however, was unwilling to idly sit down and get dominated by mere freakish ghosts! He frantically called upon his soul, causing one of his hands to ignite in Darkness while the other lit up in a black flame!

    In sync with him, Aniela''s will to live flared up as well. Her hand ignited in her same white glow, but her other hand also gained the roaring black flames.

    With precise movement, the two let the ghost claws graze their back slightly, only to instantly react in the next second!

    As small droplets of dark red blood trickled to the ground from their back, Darcel and Aniela swiftly turned around.

    In one smooth motion, they grabbed on to the ghosts'' claws with their black flaming hands. Their speed actually took the ghosts in for a small shock, but the duo wasn''t nowhere near done.

    The ghosts felt a scolding burning sensation in its claw. Like their flames was trying to eat away at its soul. Suddenly the next thing Darcel''s ghost saw was his Darkness glow fist roaring to its head.

    Same with Aniela''s ghost, it bears witness to the blinding piercing white glow of the girl''s fist.

    But right when their fists were about to connect, Darcel and Aniela violently stopped their attacks. Just behind them, an immense threat of death forcibly awoke their bodies'' protective instinct.

    ''Chi''

    With barely any time to react, the duo felt tremendous pain come from their arms. The translucent blue ghost claws tore deep into their left arms, spurting their dark red blood like crazy.

    "Tch!"

    Surprisingly they both managed to hold down their screams of pains. Although the two began to feel their arms numb at an alarming pace, nearly losing all feeling in there.

    "Interesting...you two struggle far more than oothersss¡­" The leading ghost mockingly called out to them in a preying tone. It still didn''t leave its spot throughout this whole time and took glee in watching the duo.

    "Shit¡­"

    It was then the slow realization began to speed up for Darcel and Aniela. Honestly, if these ghosts wanted to, then the first could''ve just killed them when they were cultivating.

    No, these beings wanted them to suffer a cruel torment before dying. During this realization, the duo struggled to move out of the vice grip like claws, only to spurt out further blood from their arms.

    And helplessly, another flare of immense danger came from their left side.

    ''Chi!''

    More fresh dark red blood flew from their left arms! Casually like they were playing with their foods, the first attacking ghosts plunged their claws deep into the duo arms while being held down.

    Massive pains, far greater than they ever felt in their life, simultaneously struck their senses. Both of their arms were nearly numb, and their blood loss was becoming alarmingly high.

    ''Death...am I really going to die in this shitty place..'' Darcel thought unwillingly; however, in this desperate situation, his soul was frantically churning along with his blood.

    Profound dark, powerful sensation kept locked in him was becoming undone until he suddenly heard,

    "Heh! Fine! Fine! Come and kill us if you dare!! Strike us right in the heart!!" Aniela crazily shouted without a hint of fear at all.

    She was feeling the franticness from her soul and body, causing her mind to go on the fritz. She didn''t want to die here with her, Darcy! Not now or forever and especially in some unknown mortal planet!The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Right...right!! Did you think we''ll start kneeling over and begging for death?!? Kill us and see what happens!!" There was no way he''ll ever let that troublesome girl die before him!

    And engraved deep into his bones was the will to never simply roll over and accept any bullshit given to them!

    The duo, crazed will and resolve, was awakening something slumbering and sealed deep inside them. A celestial divine power that from their desperate will and resolve was slowly coming back to life!

    Although on the outside to the ghosts, none of them expected these two to get like this. They were akin to rabid dogs, barking on a chain at their worst enemies.

    "So eeeager to die...grant them...their wishes!!"

    The leading ghost commanded out, and two other ghosts pointed their claws out.

    In a single step, the ghosts sailed to the duo chests and,

    ''Chi!''

    Dug their savage claws deep into the duo''s hearts! All of the ghosts cruelly smile as they wait to hear wails of death and screams of agony from getting one''s heart ripped into.

    However, they heard not even a single squeak from the two.

    And it was then, from the ghosts that stabbed them, they realized no blood spurted out from their chests.

    Right when the ghosts claws tore into the chest and had a single touch on their heart, Darcel and Aniela''s entire soul and blood violently trembled!

    Their hidden, slumbering bloodline had finally awakened!

    ''BOOOM!!''

    In a black and white flash, the four ghosts on the duo were blasted away, managing to connect and crash straight in the cave walls! The other ghosts'' eyes had to snap close because their flashes were far too intense.

    Opening them up again, all six of the ghosts were treated to a magical spectacular sight anybody would kill to have the luxury to witness.

    Black angelic feathery wings, white angelic feathery wings all swayed elegantly throughout the whole cave.

    Like real angels themselves had suddenly deceased from the heavens, the ghosts were graced with this holy sensation. They nearly felt the need to kneel down and prostrate in front of the angelic being.

    And the angelic beings were two young youths bathing in this glorious light. From Darcel''s left arm, an ancient mystical tattoo appeared there, forming a symbol that resembles true angelic essence.

    Black angelic feathery wings exuded out from his arm and wrapped behind him like a protective embrace.

    Aniela''s left arm shined a similarly looking ancient mystical tattoo, forming a symbol of true angelic essence. However, hers didn''t entirely match Darcel''s, but the symbol was too vague to tell the differences now.

    White angelic feathery wings spewed out from her arms, wrapping around her in a warm protective embrace.

    Darcel and Aniela''s image being wrapped up in celestial angelic wings made them both out to be divine children. One a holy child of Darkness, while the other is a blessed child of light.

    And not only did the two look divine, they felt divine! All pain from before vanished into their air, and their fresh dark red blood was cleansed by their angelic bloodline.

    Darcel and Aniela could safely say this was the best sensation they ever felt before in their lives. Moreover, this sensation felt like it had been with them ever since they were first born.

    It was almost like another extension of their arms growing out into a beautiful complete wing.

    And in all the glory, the duo''s attention had then squarely focused on the ghosts. In this state, they, of course, couldn''t forget just who had pushed them to this point.

    With their tremendous power now, the two knew revenge would be sweet and swift.

    In contrast, the ghosts felt their whole world crashing down!

    Already they felt their auras massively surpassed them. And now the suffocating pressure of death overtook them when the duo focused their killing intent.

    "We...we¡­" The leading ghosts obviously had no clue on what to say now their situation had dramatically reversed. All of the ghosts shook with fear once Darcel and Aniela cracked a small smile.

    "You...Die!"

    Darcel savagely stated and glared at the ghost that tore into his arms first. With just a single step, Darcel vanished from sight!

    "Ack! How...how can you touch us¡­." The ghost was utterly suppressed as Darcel clutched on to its neck. Like it was a mere sack of potatoes, Darcel held the ghost up, letting it fruitlessly struggle in its grasp.

    "Aack!! What...what are you¡­" The ghost that tore into Aniela''s arms was now dangling in her clutches as well. Death was imminent for them, yet they could do nothing but uselessly struggle in her grip.

    The other ghosts could only helplessly watch as their partners get strangled. For themselves, a tremendous pressure like several mountains weighed on them ceased every movement.

    "Us? We''re just people who enjoy a good fight. And you all perform fabulously for us¡­" Aniela''s voice compared to Darcel''s hypnotic cold one was more of a hypnotic, soothing one.

    Darcel made you want to kneel before him and give in to his demands. Aniela made you want to follow her around and do everything that she desires.

    But the thought of the duo''s voices was the last thing the ghosts like beings thought before their hands clenched.

    ''Pa!''

    With a sickening pop, the two ghosts imploded into blue wisps of energy, forever disappearing from the universe. No struggle, only a clean, swift death.

    The middle order of the Qi Formation Sea realm? That meant absolutely nothing to the divine might of Darcel and Aniela''s bloodlines!

    The now five ghosts felt their mind stopped after their partners'' popping deaths. For pure spirit beings like themselves, it was all but impossible to ever physically touch them.

    However, they, of course, could touch other human beings or Spirit Monsters.

    Unless one has a specific unique power or absolute power, these ghosts would be able to get away scot-free against most other cultivators at their realms or below.

    However, with a sickening demonstration, all of their previous beliefs and thoughts were thrown right out the window.

    Immediately after killing the first two ghosts, Darcel and Aniela whipped their heads around to the other five with their own cruel smile.

    ''Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa, Pa!"

    Five sickening pops, five destroyed spirits turning into small wisps of blue substance like energy. Darcel and Aniela''s speed was like they were teleporting, and in only a few seconds, everything was silent again.

    Once the ghosts were dead, the angelic tattoo shine on the duo''s arms promptly vanished. Their overwhelming powers immediately left them. And it was like whiplash once it was all over.

    Darcel felt his world become hazy, and his head became dizzy from over-exhaustion. They only used their power for mere seconds, yet they were about to pass out now.

    Somehow in his daze state, Darcel spotted Aniela shakily walking over to him, slowly muttering,

    "Darcy¡­"

    With his last bit of will, Darcel caught the shaky Aniela in his arms saying,

    "Just...go to sleep¡­for a¡­"

    He couldn''t even complete his sentence as they both crashed over on to the black glossy ground.

    Still, though, Darcel never let his arms go off Aniela as they drifted off to wonderland...

 Sudden Gains

    From the silent depth of Darkness, Darcel consciousness was left wondering in this endless abyss. He didn''t know how long it was until he realized he was here, nor did it matter much to him.

    For some reason, being in utter Darkness brought about a welcoming home feeling for Darcel. Like this was just a second home to him, Darcel was absorbed in merely swimming around in Darkness.

    What could''ve been seconds, minutes, or hours, Darcel couldn''t calculate it. Still, eventually throughout the deep Darkness, his eyes took particular notice of something.

    Just a few meters away from him did he see a single black feather.

    A feather that looked strikingly similar to his own! Even if it was only for a couple of seconds, it was impossible for Darcel to ever forget his awakening.

    Slowly Darcel drifted towards the feather. As he neared closer and closer to it, the single black feather began to expand. From just looking at a smidge similar, it suddenly grew to massive proportions!

    And most of all, could Darcel feel connected to a pure angelic sensation. A sensation he just not too long ago bathed in.

    ''This...this feeling. It just has to be...my bloodline!'' Everything about this power and sensations just spoke to him having a mighty bloodline.

    And while he couldn''t exactly tell how powerful this bloodline was, Darcel was for sure on it being heaven-defying. Or else it wouldn''t have granted him the prowess to squash Qi Formation sea ghosts like bugs.

    ''Hmm...hm? So early?''

    All at once, Darcel felt his entire being freeze up. That voice...he knows this voice clearly! Just like the first time he awoke on this planet, the voice was unidentifiable. Yet, they carried a majestic divine like appeal.

    No matter where Darcel tried to turn his vision to, he couldn''t spot a trace on whoever could have this powerful voice. All he kept on seeing was the one angelic black feathery wing.

    Taking a shot in Darkness, Darcel tried to formulate words to speak with this voice until he abruptly heard,

    ''The Yin of Pleasure begins.''

    Cryptic and mysterious words utter from the voice once again. This higher power mysterious being nearly got Darcel to roll his eyes. Though he was sure that white hair girl would eat something like this up.

    ''Just what plea-'' Before Darcel could finish, the vast angelic black feathery wing began trembling!

    ''Chi!''

    By the trembling, an intense white glow shot out like a volcano! The magical scene of black and white Darcel could only witness it for a moment before he felt a fierce jolting feel.

    It was like something was rampaging around in his body and forcibly,

    "Geh?!"

    Darcel''s eyes snapped open in frighten startlement. Immediately the glossy black rocks of the cave appeared in his sights. And as well, he felt a soft elastic body tightly clutched on to his chest.

    ''Yin Pleasure...I keep hearing it, but I can only assume it''s related to feelings like lust. Well, I sup-eh? Did we really breakthrough? Can I really sense this girl now?''

    Two huge and sudden revelations that Darcel took quite calmly quickly exposed themselves to him. First off, his body and his own Qi. Everything about him felt massively stronger than anything compared before!

    In this state, he felt his Qi was in perfect equilibrium in his body, and Darcel could sense he had achieved the ninth layer of the Qi Foundation Realm!

    The peak of the starting realm of cultivation, he achieved it after only merely two days of cultivating!

    Even if one has the bug in Darcel''s body providing them Qi to break through, their speeds undoubtedly still wouldn''t match his.

    This speed was beyond demonic and could even be called quite frightening. And along with this sudden advancement, Darcel also could barely sense Aniela having the same layer of Qi as him.

    Unlike his first time trying to use Spirit Sense, this time was precisely accurate. Meaning, just at the Foundation realm, he somehow gained a small portion of Spirit Senses abilities!

    All of this shocking good news did astound Darcel, but he had a major question in his mind. He obviously assumed that he broke through and managed to gain a Spirit Sense because of awakening his bloodline.

    However, Darcel could feel something slightly off about his Qi. Like it was on the borderline edge of changing into something entirely new.

    Darcel found it was akin to a mutation of some sort, but it was only a vague faint sensation. He couldn''t put much thought into it however, once he felt the rustling of Aniela''s body.

    Looking down, their hypnotic black eyes met. And instantly, Aniela was the one to form her bright, bubbly broad smile. Every time she would have this smile, Darcel knew she was about to run her mouth off.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Though he didn''t mind it a single bit.

    "I broke through, you broke through, and we also gained Spirit Senses abilities! Now, this is a good way to wake up!" Aniela proudly proclaimed, feeling refreshed all over her body.

    The previous exhaustion and tiredness were all gone. Everything was replaced by a new burst of energy she couldn''t wait to share with Darcel. Furthermore, she was most excited by one particular news.

    "Well, even I can''t disagree with your point there. This cave did us more good than we could''ve expected." Even if they had almost died here, the awakening of their bloodline made everything worth it.

    And with fire in her eyes, Aniela excitedly got up from Darcel. She swiftly grabbed his hand, pulling him up, though they both momentarily realized a difference when doing so.

    Direct skin to skin contact with each other felt far warmer and better than before! In both of their bodies, their bloodlines were soothingly cooing like it just met their best friends.

    Taking notice of this, Aniela had put it on the back of her mind as she passionately said, "The greatest thing about this cave is the awakening of our pure, holy bloodline! A bloodline that has to be high ranked!"

    "Again, I can''t argue with you there. Not sure on our ranks, but I have no doubts it could easily stand on the summit of a Mortal planet." Darcel offered his two cents since the origin of their bloodline still confused him.

    Feathery wings, he couldn''t tell if it was a God Beast or another legendary Deity from history. But as long they could use it, Darcel knew they''d eventually find out this secret.

    "My guess is we''re true holy children. Hey, let''s see how much of our bloodline we can use." Before doing anything else, Aniela believed it was essential to establish a base of knowledge.

    Unmistakably, their bloodline will reverse many situations they may get into in the future. But it would be foolish if they couldn''t use it correctly.

    "Our arms¡­try to remember that feeling from our arms¡­" Darcel said and already closed his eyes. Aniela, without any other words, followed his lead and focused on her arms.

    Instantly though, on their left arms, did the duo touch upon a tremendous familiar power! The power that felt like another extension of themselves.

    In a similar process they do with their inborn soul powers, the two willed upon their bloodline causing,

    ''Whir!''

    A massive wave of tremendous power to spew all out in the cave! Although this time, there was no grandiose, majestic divine scene. Instead, there were only two harsh glows of black and white.

    On Darcel''s left arm, his arm glowed entirely black. And on Aniela''s left arm, her arm shined entirely white.

    However, despite the difference in colors, the overwhelming prowess they felt was lower than the first time but still far surpassed their base abilities.

    Their minds felt vastly broadened, gaining a far wider Spirit Sense. With a single step, they knew they could cross meters of distances. And with a flick of their hands, they could destroy Anne''s group in a second.

    A slight drain feeling was swiftly taking their toll on their bodies, but this enormous power couldn''t be denied. After a few seconds, the duo turned off their bloodlines, silently taking a deep breath.

    "Too exhilarating! I can tell we''re only at the mere surface of our bloodline power, yet this is already too great!" In total awe, Aniela was staring at her left arm.

    When turning his bloodline arm off, Darcel suddenly felt his Qi churn faster. The borderline mutation feeling came about stronger, and Darcel''s mind quickly came to one option.

    "Don''t get lost too much in your stupor, ditzy girl. I think you''re also feeling this weird churning for your Qi, right?" It was time for another breakthrough! With their new prowess, Darcel was also itching for a fight.

    "I was going to bring it up first, Darcy~. But it looks like we''re going to need to fight again, so soon?" Aniela was talking about leaving, yet her eyes were trailing down the cave''s darkness path.

    A path that seemed so inviting to go on, but was likely filled with countless danger.

    "It''s the quickest and frankly the most exciting way to breakthrough. Hm? What caught your eyes?" Glancing over to the same dark path, Darcel had no plans on exploring further on there.

    "This cave has my eyes. I just feel like there should''ve been far more ghosts or any Spirit entity here that would''ve come to kill us while we were out. But here we are still alive and standing...we should definitely come back here! My intuition is telling me to do so!"

    Aniela held the utmost assurance in her words. And in her posture and tone, she wouldn''t take any no for an answer.

    "If you truly think that way, then just mark it on the map. Once we finish taking what we need, we''ll come back here." Darcel honestly didn''t see the problem, so he readily agreed to come back.

    Nodding her head to Darcel, Aniela fished out the map from the spatial ring in her pockets. With her attention to detail, she accurately marked where they were.

    While doing so, the two were walking to makeshift closed rock doors of the cave, and suddenly Aniela told Darcel, "You know for at least this area of the map. This whole place, along with other cities are under the Blessed Spirit Province? And luckily? This is the lowest-ranked Province."

    Looking at the map, Aniela decided to inform Darcel. Though she did wonder if ending up in some higher rank Province would''ve been more thrilling.

    "I see...it is at least enough to learn of the names of the place we''ll be tearing through." Darcel gained a bit of a vicious smirk, thinking about their future adventures from here on out.

    Aniela held more of a feral smile as the thought of adventure could always run her motors.

    Igniting her hand in a white glow, she pointed out to the rock''s entrance, making them glow white as well.

    Quickly this time, she moved the rock out of the way, letting the duo have an entrance back in the outside world¡­

    ¡­.

    Out in a circular section of the Necropolis Woods, Darcel and Aniela casually walked into this clearing without a hint of worry. Their eyes darted around this area of the woods, and their senses zeroed in.

    Promptly a smile etched across their faces as the roaring excitement for battle bubbled up inside them.

    After leaving the cave, Aniela decided it was better to rely on the map to hunt out Spirit Monsters than Darcel''s Darkness. No matter how much sudden power they gain, their cautious nature couldn''t go away.

    Moreover, it wasn''t like they would be able to use their bloodline arms for extended periods of time.

    Which led them to this clearing where humongous trees in the woods were all frantically rustling about. Just barely from the Darkness of the woods, one would see constant large shadows jumping out of each tree.

    But Darcel and Aniela were able to clearly tell these large shadows were powerful Spirit Monsters, scoping the duo out.

    Aniela pointed to one tree, smiling to Darcel while asking him,

    "Shall we begin?"

 Black Flames

    "You would start even if I didn''t say anything." Pointing his hand out in a similar position to Aniela, Darcel chided to her. Auras began to flare up from all around, and the shadows in the trees started to move faster.

    This sudden increase in aura caused the whole atmosphere in this circular area to change. Numerous Spirit Monsters, all charged with savage killing intent, came crashing down on the duo.

    All at once, Darcel and Aniela took the full brunt of these wild and savage Spirit Monsters auras. But neither looked panic, or distraught. In fact, the two gained an even wider smile.

    On their hands that they held out, the temperature around their hands had suddenly increased! Inside both of their souls, the duo, for the second time, called upon their black fire element.

    ''Whir!''

    In no time flat did the roaring power of black flames wash over both of their hands! Despite their hands being quite literally on Fire, Darcel and Aniela felt incredibly toasty under their own flames.

    Although, the same couldn''t be said for the Spirit Monsters in the trees.

    They all felt the temperature rise to uncomfortable blaring degrees. Their bodies tensed for actions, but before any one of them could go out, they heard,

    "They''re all already so eager to start! Let''s get a headstart, Darcy!" Aniela''s excited voice storms out through the woods. And during her talk, Darcel and Aniela''s black flames crazily swirled, causing,

    ''Ssssch!!''

    Two raging balls of black flames to ferociously blast out of the palms! The ground scorched beneath the wake of the fire, and the air burned to uncontrollable degrees.

    None of the Spirit Monsters could react to the instantaneous speed of the duo''s black fireballs. Their eyes widen, pupils dilated but in a mere split second,

    ''Bang!''

    This towering tall black wood tree that scraped into the sky had immediately erupted in a black flame inferno! The flame spread across the colossal tree in seconds flat, burning it in a black flame glory.

    "UWAAG!!"

    And from the tree did Darcel and Aniela hear shrieking cries of agony and death. Just from their small bit of Spirit Sense, they knew some Spirit Monsters were hiding well in this tree.

    This was supposed to be an estimation of their strength. They could tell the Monsters were at early order Qi Formation Sea to the middle order by their Senses.

    Yet every monster in that tree was seamlessly swallowed up in flames.

    These results left Aniela grilling like joyously. "In a blaze of glory, they all went down spectacularly! Oh?"

    "Looks like these Monster monkeys weren''t all too happy with our little spectacle," Darcel smirked while Aniela had a questioning face.

    More remarkable than ever did the aura locked on to them dramatically increased!

    "Gwaagh!!"

    The air was filled with chaotic roars of numerous Spirit Monster monkeys. Observing these monkeys, they all were, of course, ferocious-looking.

    Their height stood over five feet tall, they had grotesque black fur and piercing red eyes. Furthermore, their black fur tails were all freakishly long and held dirty looks about them.

    And on each savage monkey''s faces were the expression of vicious killing intent. Their red eyes held a faint shine as if they were all trying to pierce into the duo''s souls.

    From all sides were Darcel and Aniela surrounded. No avenue of escape was possible, and the monkeys'' speeds were incredibly fast. Yet only a battle-hungry smile filled both their faces.

    With speeds faster than the monkeys Darcel and Aniela grabbed on to their other non-flaming hands. Warmth spread through their bodies, and the two felt their fire become even easier to control.

    "Fire Spin!"

    Before the Spirit monkeys'' very eyes, their two prey began to do something strange.

    They all heard Aniela''s called, and with swift speed, did the duo start spinning each other around!

    For only a single moment did the monkeys find this movement weird. But it was then all of their minds were rocked! Nearly they all falter when their eyes couldn''t keep up with the duo.

    Smoothly did Darcel and Aniela spin so fast they became a blur of a Darkness black flame glow!

    And upon becoming this blur of black flames did all the Spirit monkeys coming at them had their bodies scream in instinct. The sinister crushing feeling of death was right before them!

    Being acrobatics Monsters, the monkeys all tried to change their course of descent. Only it was off to a fruitless avail when,

    ''Chi!''

    Numerous balls of black flames spewed out of the spinning duo! Each ball was surprisingly accurate, and the Spirit monkeys'' vision got filled with a black inferno flame.

    They all had insane speed, but Darcel and Aniela were simply too fast!

    ''Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!''

    "GWAAGH!!"

    For the second time that night, the wailing screams of monkeys'' agony spewed out the woods. Several figures of black flaming monkeys crashed into the ground, all spasming in their black flame hell.

    It didn''t matter early order or middle order, every Spirit monkeys were utterly helpless in combating these flames. Excruciating pain wracked their entire being as they burned a slow, painful death.

    And the ones that caused this whole gruesome scene had a tranquil smile etched on their faces.

    "Fire certainly is a watch when it''s spreading its power. Ohhh, I hope I don''t get a savage streak like you have, Darcy." Saying it though, Aniela had this widest of smiles as if she doesn''t really care much if it does happen.

    "And, I hope I don''t get your poor naming sense." Seriously, why the hell would she name a move fire spin anyways? Darcel just shook his hand while Aniela gained a proud smile suddenly.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    "Just proving once again on why I''m the brighter and more fun side of the two of us!"

    "Gwagh!!"

    Suddenly, a far more powerful and deep cry of a monkey washed throughout the woods during the two banter. Instantly the duo''s eyebrows pricked up, and their excitement increased further.

    "The bosses are coming out now¡­" Aniela stated when real powerful auras descended on the duos. This kind of prowess made the two sure this was the power of a late order Qi Formation sea beast!

    ''Hua!''

    Swift like lightning, four slightly larger Spirit Monster monkeys, dashed out from well-hidden spots in the trees. Landing a few meters away from the duo, these late order monkeys held nothing but killing intent for them.

    They were merely observing and stalking their prey, waiting to see how long they would last. But in barely any time, nearly all of their comrades were ignited by a black flame blaze!

    All of them wanted nothing to rip the two to shreds now. However, these monkeys were somewhat more knowledgeable than the usual Spirit Monsters.

    Darcel and Aniela were both half expecting to immediately get rushed down. But if they''re going to be slightly cautious...then neither will hold anything back now.

    "Since these civil monsters are so patient, Darcy, let''s give them a treat¡­" Aniela began to flex her left arm and caused immediate tension to rise in the Spirit monkeys.

    "I wonder how well they will fare against this treat." Finally, with Darcel''s words, it caused a prompt flight or fight response in the monkeys. And being the Spirit Monsters they are, all four blasted off to the duo!

    Their speed was akin to sailing through the air traversing a rapid distance in a few steps. However, right in the middle of their pursuit, the four monkeys suddenly felt their instincts scream with danger.

    Abruptly their bodies froze on the spot when a tremendous aura gushed out in the Darkness woods!

    ''Whir!''

    From just ahead of them, the Spirit monkeys witness the harsh glow of black and white. Combining these two polar opposite colors created a magnetic attraction that nearly swept the monkeys up.

    But what got them out of their stupors was the massive, tremendous pressure that wholly suppressed their bodies!

    Immediate beads of cold sweat trickled down their face as the monkeys felt death''s blade approaching closer.

    Around Darcel and Aniela, the wind was on a frenzy rampaged because of their sheer power. Black flames mixed into the air giving the duo a strange mix of holiness and terrifyingness.

    Unknowingly the two still hadn''t let go of each other''s hands. Yet neither seemed to care about letting go, nor did they really have any plans about leaving from their spot.

    All the duo simply did was pointed their bloodlines arms to the beast and,

    ''Hua!''

    The threat of death was far too significant for the monkeys, causing them to run off! With their tails between their legs, their survival instinct kicked in. They didn''t even care if they were all late order stages beasts.

    None of them wanted to lose their lives! Just from the mere crushing pressure that nearly suppressed all of their movements, the monkeys didn''t want to fight a fruitless battle.

    "Wanting to run?" Darcel raised a simple question and pointed his bloodline arm to the sky. A small black ball of flame instantly formed on his palm, spewing out wisps of fire in the air.

    With a flick, Darcel sent the ball high into the sky. And Aniela''s eyes shined a cunning light.

    "Fire and telekinesis...a terrifying combination." Aniela''s hand glowed a bright white as she focused on the ball up in the air.

    Through this shared hand-holding, Aniela was able to barely sense Darcel''s black flame''s properties.

    And just barely was all Aniela needed! Snapping her fingers, the ball flame in the sky gained a white glow around it. The mix made for a spectacle sight to behold, though only the duo could genuinely look at it.

    Looking ahead to the monkeys, they didn''t travel much distance because their bodies were still severely pressured.

    Only a few seconds passed since they decided to run, but these few seconds would''ve met great distances crossed in normal conditions!

    Smiling at their struggling attempts, Aniela clenched their hands causing,

    ''Chi!!''

    Numerous large droplets of black flame to sail straight at the late order Spirit monkeys. Powered through their bloodline arms, the droplets sailed at an even higher speed than the suppressed monkeys.

    All the four monkeys felt a dramatic increase in temperature to burning degrees and a mix of black and white from the corner of their eyes.

    "GWAAGHH!!!"

    Effortlessly, just like every other beast here, the mighty late order beats were helpless against the flames.

    Comparing the Qi Formation Sea''s middle-order level to late order was akin to massively vast chasms seemingly impossible to crossover to. The late order-level offers an entirely new and evolved state of one''s prowess.

    Yet none of this held a slight chance as the four monkeys'' late order bodies were ruthlessly torn through by the droplets of black flames.

    Painfully their bodies were roasted alive with their final thoughts being, just what kind of freaks were Darcel and Aniela?!

    Silence returned to the forest once the monkeys were dead. Black flames still raged about the area, and Darcel and Aniela basked every second in it.

    They turned off their bloodline arms, feeling drained and an intense jolting feeling!

    "Ah! Darcy! It''s time!" Aniela loudly proclaimed and shut her eyes tight, focusing on the inside of her body.

    Even if the duo wanted to have a more safe space to breakthrough, their bodies and Qi just didn''t allow that.

    Closing his eyes as well, Darcel felt tremendous changes in his Qi. It was beginning to mutate and change into something else entirely. Along with this, he felt his body overflow with Qi.

    This overflowing Darcel recognized as the sign of the Qi Formation Sea breakthrough! Focusing intently now, Darcel smoothly took hold of his Qi and located a specific spot in his body.

    His lower stomach area, right where his closed dantian was! Whether they''re a Martial Cultivator or not, everyone in the universe was born with a closed dantian.

    It was a mysterious independent entity in one''s body that requires excellent control to open.

    And to make things perfect, Darcel willed his soul power causing wisps of black flames to permeate in his Darkness Qi.

    Gathering every single bit of his overflowing Qi, in one swift motion,

    ''Ka-Cha!"

    Darcel attacked his closed dantian, effortlessly opening it up! A mental block far more potent than anything before tried to halt his process. However, just like all other times,

    ''Bang!''

    Darcel tore through the mental block like glass!

    He felt his body quiver uncontrollably and felt his Qi morph into a more pleasurable feeling. And above all, he felt his small independent space in his body.

    His little Spirit Sense broadened, leading Darcel to sense what they called Profound Qi in this realm. To stabilize his Realm, Darcel greedily absorbed in Profound Qi like a sponge.

    Through his head, he made the formless Profound Qi convert into his own unique Qi before getting absorbed into his dantian. Filling his dantian a bit, Darcel Qi Sea, for now, was the size of a big pond.

    And filling the pond up was the element Darkness along with wisps of black flames spewing out of the pond.

    This process lasted for a few minutes until Darcel felt his body go back into a calm state.

    Opening his eyes, Darcel felt like he was in a whole new world.

    In this state, Darcel could tell he wouldn''t even need to activate his bloodline arms to kill those late order monkeys.

    His eyesight got better, and he felt vibrant with energy. He couldn''t tell what changes specifically happened with his Qi, but he knew it was special.

    Specifically, he felt in tune with the feeling of pleasure.

    "Fuuu~, this feeling is one for the ages, right, Darcy?" Aniela spoke up feeling like an entirely new person as well.

    She easily stepped into the Qi Formation Sea realm, and for her Qi sea, it was the Element of light with wisps of black flame spewing out of it.

    Although unlike Darcel, she didn''t feel a strong mutation of her Qi, only a slight subtle change towards it. Nevertheless, her happiness was at her highest as she basked in the sensation of breaking through.

    Throughout this whole time, Darcel had noticed their hands were still connected. Clenching her hands, Aniela glanced up Darcel meeting his deep black ones with her own ones.

    In this position, they felt secure warmth, and a genuine smile blossom as Darcel said,

    "Indeed. This feeling is our true start in this Mortal Planet."

 Necrotic City

    Trekking through the dreary Darkness of the Necropolis Woods, Darcel and Aniela strode down a specific route. They walked carefully, not wanting to cause any more hell than they needed to.

    After their breakthrough, the duo decided to slowly walk towards the city. This is to not only familiarize themselves with their new prowess but also to let their minds clear.

    Neither of the two feared any strong Wrathful Clansman coming after them. And if they decided to do so, the duo both held the utmost confidence in running away if that group is simply too strong.

    Currently, a comfortable silence permeated Darcel and Aniela. They both walked close to each other, having their minds on various subjects. Though Darcel had more straightforward thoughts.

    All he was thinking about was just about his abilities in black flame manipulation. With Profound Qi, if one is born with a unique type of Law, it gets much easier to control that Law in the Qi Formation sea realm.

    And Darcel was sure with his mutated kind of Profound Qi, he can go far beyond what any average genius could do in this realm. But this would require some testing, something he was preparing to do.

    Aniela, on the other hand, had slightly more complicated thoughts. Upon reaching a point, she silently tugged at Darcel''s sleeves, getting him to look at her.

    In her eyes now, Darcel could tell there was some slight confusion. He couldn''t tell where this puzzlement could come from, but he was glad that Aniela, in her own way, was straightforward.

    "Darcy...uhm...have you ever thought of, well...some sort of goal?" Unlike the usually cheery Aniela, she was now more unsure and hesitant.

    Her mind was focused on one central question that spawned all kinds of ideas.

    Seeing her like this, Darcel somewhat gathered what she was trying to say. "Like a goal aspiring to rise in cultivation like most others have? What''s bringing this up?"

    "Because...because I don''t want our adventure to be hollow! Everyone always has the same generic goal about cultivation, but I want us to have something unique to work towards. That way, we won''t drift apart and can always have a shared interest!"

    Towards the end, Aniela''s face got a bit bashful, yet she still held on to her cheerful smile. Going to a new City as a fresh start leads her to think down their inevitable long future.

    And she couldn''t help it but reflect upon this aspect. Her black eyes held a fiery determination as she stared right into Darcel''s. But even with this confident bravado, silently, she was still slightly nervous on the inside.

    Her nervousness, though, began to quickly slip away once Darcel just gained a wry smile towards her. Furthermore, her head suddenly felt incomparably warm once Darcel''s hand came on top of it.

    "Is that what this is about? Even for an airhead like you, you still fall prey to everyday problems."

    "Muuu¡­"

    The most adorable noises Darcel ever heard came out from Aniela as her face morphed into a cute pout. Here she was trying to be serious, and yet Darcel was being crude again!

    Finding this look of her incredibly cute, Darcel just cracked an even wider smile, telling her,

    "Relax...realistically thinking about it. Wouldn''t it be foolish for either of us to drift apart since we only have each other? And about those goals...we don''t need to create a grandiose one now. With time I''m sure we''ll eventually find ours together. Besides, where''s your bubbling enthusiasm for adventure?"

    "Ah...ah! Hehehe~! It''s still right here, Darcy~! And your warm emphatic side is showing again cause you just filled me up with hope!" All at once, Aniela''s usual chipper energy returned to her.

    She had the sweetest of smiles and felt a burst of warmth and joy from Darcel''s words. Always with times like this, Darcel just seemed to mostly have the right words to say.

    Liking the usual bubbling Aniela better, Darcel smiled himself and grabbed her hand. The same soothing warmth spread throughout both of their bodies as Darcel told her,

    "Oh, and about our rela-" Words were caught in Darcel''s throat when Aniela had swiftly lunged up to his face.

    ''Chu~''

    Quick but sweet soft lips graced his cheeks, bringing about immense warmth and pleasure. Aniela''s always lovely, scented fragrance made Darcel a little daze from her angelic cheek kiss.

    "I know, it''ll be better to settle down in the city first...but seeing your little dazed face is so cute~!" Aniela took fantastic enjoyment in finally making Darcel falter a bit.

    Even if it was only for a little bit, having the tables turned around felt incredibly sweet!

    "Hmmm, I can admit it. Your lips felt soft and...nice. Thanks for the preview." In a not so romantic way, Darcel complemented the kiss with a straight face.

    Sighing a bit to herself, Aniela couldn''t stop her smile as she told him, "I''m going to have to fix your useless romantic side, hehehe~. But for now, let''s go! Our grand city awaits us!"Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Taking the lead, Aniela pulled Darcel along with her. From this short conversation, the duo felt some doubts in their minds alleviate and found their adventure all the brighter¡­

    ¡­.

    From a few miles away from the Necropolis Woods, two distinct rustlings of grass could be heard. Walking upon this field of land were two youths in shabby-looking clothes.

    After what seemed like hours of walking, Darcel and Aniela had finally made it out the woods! And at their own leisurely pace, the two finally came upon a grand city.

    "This...this is Necrotic City!" Aniela informed Darcel as the two eyes observed a magnificent sight. For the first time in a long time, the duo felt a slightly refreshing feeling looking over to the city.

    Necrotic City, the first thing anyone would notice about is how massive and luxurious it looked. For miles, this city ran along, looking almost endless. It was far more expansive than say, the Wrathful Clan.

    In contrast to the woods'' dreary darkness, this city was under a bright clear blue sky. Moreover, the buildings here were all more colorful and distinct in designs.

    And many structures ran up into the skies. Or were long enough to even run along for a whole mile!

    At the entrance of this colossal city was a simple open gate. There weren''t any powerful guards there or really any sign of tight defense. And the duo notices numerous people walking in and out of this gate.

    Focusing their attention a bit more on the gate, the duo did sense something suspicious about this open gate.

    "Certainly not so shabby. Let''s get a move on." Darcel said, prompting Aniela to start walking first. He followed close behind her as they took a route with no one else on it.

    But, they, of course, couldn''t avoid other people forever and slowly started to see others walking a few feet or meters around them. And the people varied far more than the ones in the woods.

    Nearly all here were dressed in more orderly standard clothing. Some were wearing specific uniforms, others wore special robes, or just wore sleek designer clothing.

    And the most significant thing the duo noticed was the lack of attention everyone gave them. Perhaps it was amplified by their shabby appearances, but nobody seemed to regard the two existence.

    This was more than alright considering their current thoughts of staying a low profile. Seamlessly they blended into the crowd staying close to each other as they came upon the vast open gate.

    Subconsciously both Darcel and Aniela''s body began to tense. There was something about this gate that sensed like someone was peering into them. With each step, they arrived closer to the entrance until¡­

    Nothing. Besides a slight feeling of getting washed with some sort of strange energy. Nothing happens to the duo when walking through the gate. The two even felt a bit ludicrous then.

    "Fuu, talk about anticlimactic. Now that we''re here, should we just head to the Zakira academy first?" Aniela asked Darcel as the two wandered off to a secluded spot among the crowds of people.

    Thankfully for this city, everything was wide enough that allowed hundreds of people to walk secludedly from each other.

    Looking to the ground, Darcel noticed they walked upon this shiny glossy blue floor. Everything here really went for this fancy vibe, and Darcel had several thoughts regarding this.

    "We have no currency, nor anything to sell. About that academy, will we need anything for that?" Fishing out the map, Aniela looked at a specific portion, just where the academy was located.

    "Hmm, according to this, all younger generations can take the academy test for free! Mnn, but it seems like you have to be very talented and smart since their tests are apparently challenging. Which is just suitable for us."

    Aniela proclaimed with a confident smile. While the two could go out and farm some wild Spirit Monsters, the process would just be too troublesome for them. And the academy looked to be a major shortcut.

    "Might as well be a free platter for us. Lead the way, airhead." Taking a position in front after Darcel spoke, Aniela exaggeratedly pointed off to a random direction saying,

    "Stay right behind me. I wouldn''t want you getting lost in this extravagant city."

    Promptly, the two took off, heading towards the prestigious Zakira academy. And while walking, the two took the time and obverse the city more closely.

    Their eyes encountered many wide ranges of stores, hotels, regular homes, or any other miscellaneous shops.

    Weapon shops, armor shops, pill shops, talisman shops, and other such cultivation related things sprouted all over the city. This fits in naturally with the small sects or small clans situated in the city.

    Though the duo remarked them being small, those clans and sects were all established in decently big acres of land.

    For more of the average side of things, there were restaurants, places that seemed to sell antique items or objects that could be used for fun. And there was one type of business that caught the duo''s eyes the most.

    This building read, "Mages Teleportation" on it. And numerous people were strutting the place, signifying its a heavily popular business.

    "Mages...those people are so...unique. One day we have to read more about how those people''s powers work." Aniela remarked while just being fascinated about the mere sign of their buildings.

    As far as these two know, Mages are this other mysterious side of power that can directly match Martial Cultivators! Although Mages are not known for their combat prowess.

    They were more known for unique special powers that made life far more convenient for all.

    "Surely for this prestigious academy, they will have plenty of books about these Mages." Darcel also commented since the way of Mages did pique his interest.

    Focusing back on their route, the duo kept their casual pace. They were in no need to rush to the place though they did have quite the distance to walk.

    After some time of walking, their eyes could finally see in the distance massively expansive buildings. These buildings were all interconnected and all uniquely designed.

    The central theme of this place was a bluish-purple mix design. And right on the walls, this vast place were markings anyone can read from a mile away.

    This was the ''Zakira Academy.''

    "How big! It always seems like these places must go for the most extravagant as possible." Aniela was talking, but her eyes were noticing some strange glances directed towards them.

    "If they have the power to do it, then, of course, they would go as flashy as possible. Just like the people here." Darcel said the last part quietly for only Aniela to hear.

    He as well was noticing the odd glances passed towards them. As they walked towards the academy, Darcel was able to tell their kind of glances.

    The mocking glance of disdain. Smiling, the duo couldn''t really say they were shocked given their appearances though they did find it a bit funny.

    Already, the duo could tell they''re going to have to make some noise here if they want a low profile...

 Prestigious Academy & People

    "So many types of varying aspiring youths here...this is going to be a good time." Aniela commented while observing various eager looking youths ahead of her and Darcel.

    From following the map directions, Darcel and Aniela had eventually come upon the new students testing area. This area held various different cultivation shops or miscellaneous shops on the side of this road.

    Businesses were blooming here as youths and older people wearing specific uniforms were going in and out of these shops. Moreover, the Qi in the air felt purer and far more potent in this section of the city.

    Just regularly cultivating here would be slightly faster than doing it in the Necropolis Woods.

    Up ahead beyond all other shops, was the endlessly expansive Zakira Academy. The line the duo was on led to a sizable courtyard area where several professional middle-aged adults were overseeing the youths.

    Darcel and Aniela were at the tail end of what they assume was the testing line.

    They didn''t try to draw any attention to themselves, yet passing mocking glances from the other youths still came their way. Mainly due to their shabby clothes and extremely low level caused some disdain.

    After all, every youth taking this test was born from a somewhat decent background. And the majority were above the early order of the Qi Formation Sea realm.

    To all eyes passing on them, Darcel and Aniela were nothing but country bumpkins trying to gain a swan dish. Although no one even bothered to mess with the duo since it wasn''t worth their time.

    Darcel and Aniela however, took all of this with stride. Getting looked down upon didn''t bother them much, and Aniela did find these youths intriguing.

    Intriguing as how much hope they put into this academy.

    "Frankly, I''m surprised there are this many kids here. From your description of the test, it looks like you have to be at least above average." Casually replying, Darcel wasn''t all that impressed with what he saw so far.

    Just the mere fact that he and Aniela can surpass these kids in a few days with sufficient resources gave Darcel engraved confidence. But there were a few in the line that did somewhat capture his attention.

    Up in the front, Darcel could sense youths with similar auras comparable to Anim of the Wrathful Clan. And with his clearer Spirit Sense now, Darcel was sure they were at least at the peak prowess of Qi Formation Sea.

    "I would''ve thought the same, but our generation haves hopes and dreams that could spur their own wills." Aniela carefully took notice of every youth ahead of them.

    And despite noting them, she also didn''t feel threatened by any of them. Though she was a bit more open-minded than Darcel, seeing if there could be someone decent here.

    At a moderate pace, the line moved forward.

    The duo observed as youths in intervals of fifteen were taken by either some middle-aged man or woman. Every man or woman wore this sleek dark purple uniform that exudes a noble presence.

    Plus, the youths there were dressed to impress, all wearing decent clothing there. Every group was lead into a specific large building inside the Zakira academy.

    And before leaving, there was one sharp-looking man who identifies each youths making sure they''re at the Qi Formation Sea Realm. It did tell the duo trying to sneak your way into the academy won''t work at all.

    Soon it was finally Darcel and Aniela''s turn. They were a bit tune out from the outside world as they talked to each other until they heard,

    "The next fifteen come up!"

    The stern voice of the sharp-looking man slithered into their ears. Taking a closer look at the surroundings, the duo notice Zakira academy was far bigger up close. Even down to the courtyard, they would go into.

    There was no end in sight for the mass interconnected buildings. And the courtyard size was enough to fit at least dozens of people at the same time.

    Just from first impressions, it wasn''t a wonder why people would want to go here.

    Taking a look behind them, Darcel saw more youths turn up and waited in line to take the tests. And like the rest, they also held utmost confidence in themselves.

    Glancing back to the front, he and Aniela walked with the rest of thirteen youths into the vast courtyard. This place was lovely and stunning, having vibrant and colorful plants and trees run about here.

    "It feels like stepping into a new world..."

    "Like this place is nature itself..."

    Among all the other youths'' murmurs, they all stopped when the sharp-looking man appeared before them. Instantly the group all felt a suppressing powerful energy that lightly pressed their bodies.

    The sharp-looking man held a neutral, almost bored expression as he scanned the youths. That is until his eyes landed on Darcel and Aniela in the back of the group.

    His eyebrows quirked a bit, seeing their appearances and realms. Not only were they the poorest looking here, but they also were the weakest. Just merely at the early order of the Qi Formation Sea?

    The man almost disregarded their existence entirely. Yet there was this odd feeling he got from the duo. It was a strange sinking feeling...like a premonition for something big to happen.

    But he quickly wrote off the feeling once he got done scanning them all.

    "Instructor Lei, you can take this group."

    And from the man''s words, a tall but slightly overweight man walked towards their group. He looked a bit more approachable than the sharp-looking man and held a kind smile.

    Also, like the others, he wore a sleek dark purple uniform.

    "So these are the new batches? Not a bad group. Alright, follow me!" As Instructor Lei spoke, the sharp-looking man was already walking back to the courtyard entrance.

    "Phew...that guy was intense."

    "No kidding, I felt like I was being preyed on by a wild beast!"

    "It is a prestigious academy after all¡­"This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Numerous murmurs like this slithered out of the group as Instructor Lei led them down to one of the many Zakira academy buildings. Glancing back at the murmuring kids, Instructor Lei held a slight smirk.

    "Don''t worry about Teacher Reade, he''s just a bit anti-social." Telling them in small reassurance, the group had then walked into the great Zakira academy.

    And everyone''s senses and eyes were in awe!

    Immediately the fresh new youths there felt the purest and potent Qi ever. It was far greater than what they felt from outside.

    As for the designs, everything was still in a bluish-purple color, just like the outside. Though somehow, this place seemed even more expansive than it did from the outside!

    There were numerous wide hallways, all leading down to different long pathways. Each hall had either several doors lined up on the sides or stairs that lead to a different part of the academy.

    If you didn''t know your way around this place, it would be too easy to get lost. Looking at the other present students and teachers walking here, they all though seemed to know they''re way around this place.

    A curious thing Darcel and Aniela did note was how the students'' and teachers'' uniforms here differ compared to the instructors. Here they all wore a light blue sleek uniform.

    "Ah, before we continue, I must ask this now. Who''s here for the Martial Cultivation written test? Just raise your hand if you are." Instructor Lei surveyed the youths who all immediately reacted.

    With determined glints in their eyes, thirteen of the youths swiftly raised their hands. Seeing and feeling this academy''s inner working ignited their will even further to pass the tests and become students here!

    Darcel and Aniela however, were curious about this portion of this test. Slowly they rose their hands, and Aniela had to ask,

    "Excuse me, but if you don''t mind me asking. What is the other test?"

    When talking, Aniela willed some of her soul powers in her voice. She didn''t want to deal with anything troublesome and just wanted her question answered.

    All eyes turned on the duo, and their ears listened to a soft, soothing voice. Still, no one held a good opinion about the two though, with Aniela soft voice, it caused Instructor Lei to answer just to get it over with.

    "That would be the Mages Written-test child. Rarely would we get young mages though...in any case, since you''re all Martial Cultivators come with me."

    Walking off again, the youths followed behind Instructor Lei. Darcel and Aniela saw people in small pairs talking to each other, presumably already being friends before coming here.

    "Hell, did you notice those two while we were walking? They might be...no they are the weakest ones here. Only in early order? A bit laughable."

    "Tsk, tsk! Great, these kids are definitely going to hold us up during the written test."

    Even if they were speaking a bit low, Darcel and Aniela could still hear the whole group baseless gossip.

    However, Darcel''s face still remained serene while Aniela had a calming sweet smile.

    "It''s amazing how many ignorant people we can come across in one day. At least now, blind eyes will get open, right, Aniela?"

    "I hear no lies coming from you, Darcy. In fact, it''ll be an eye-opener for me to see how far ignorance go!"

    The duo spoke in not so low tones causing everyone to hear they''re indirect jabs at them. Promptly the other youths and even Instructor Lei gained an ever sourer opinion of the duo.

    Suddenly, Darcel and Aniela felt a slight crushing aura on them. This aura had surpassed any late order Spirit Monster!

    "Ignorance talking about ignorance... that''s a good one!"

    Up in front, a handsome looking young man brashly spoke up. He caused the rest group to break in small hearty chatters while his eyes only took one glance back at the duo.

    Against this admittedly strong aura, Darcel and Aniela held no change in reactions. Their walking speed was still even and steady along with their faces gaining mocking smiles.

    "Delusional people¡­"

    "How sad¡­"

    "And just who is delusional?" The handsome boy held some annoyance in his voice as he tried to increase his aura more on the duo. There was rising tension between the duo and the other youths.

    Until Instructor Lei put a stop towards it, saying, "That''s enough now. We''ve made it to the testing room."

    Immediately the other thirteen youths took their attention off from Darcel and Aniela. They would soon fail anyway, so why bother with them?

    Their thoughts now were on this fancy testing room.

    It was spacious and neatly designed. There were numerous desks with chairs, and fifteen had a single white paper and writing utensils next to them.

    Without a need for direction, the group all took the seats that had the test on them.

    "You will have an hour to complete this test. Begin!"

    Promptly when Instructor Lei called it, everyone got to work. Aniela sat right behind Darcel, and those two were off to the side of everyone else.

    And up in front, Instructor Lei''s eyes were like a hawk. He was accurately scanning everyone, and with his Spirit Sense, he could make sure there was no cheating here.

    Focusing on his test, Darcel understood why that map mentioned the test is challenging. For anyone who only had a basic knowledge of cultivation, this test would seem like an alien language.

    There question Darcel was even sure gone out of the scope of knowledge for Qi Formation Sea cultivators. Moreover, some questions required a profound understanding of Qi.

    And if one struggles with the mental blocks with cultivation, they would be basically be doomed for half of the test.

    To all these complex questions, Darcel only cracked a smirk simultaneously with Aniela.

    ''Once again that damned Organization is proving to be helpful¡­''

    Both of them thought and picked up their pens, starting this easy test...

    ¡­.

    Only about ten minutes have passed since the start of the test, and Instructor Lei was somewhat impressed by this group.

    Typically everyone in the group would have confused severe expressions when taking this test.

    Those kinds of faces would already tell Instructor Lei that nearly all of them would fail, and maybe one would have some amount of experience and barely pass.

    But out of this group, the handsome young man and one small cute looking girl seemed to know what they were doing. Their faces held no confusion, and they calmly went through the test.

    The rest of the eleven were the usual struggling. And then there were Darcel and Aniela. As soon as those two picked up their pens, they didn''t stop writing at all.

    He found their actions a bit ludicrous since he didn''t believe someone at their level could have many experiences.

    But then Instructor Lei had heard,

    "Instructor Lei, I''m finished. Can I bring up the test now?" Darcel said right when he dropped his pen.

    "Ah! I''m done too!" Aniela cheerfully told while cracking her knuckles.

    The other thirteen youths'' heads had immediately snapped over to the duo. What kind of bullshit they''re spouting now?! Merely ten minutes pass, and there''s no way in hell those two could finish in such little time!

    Instructor Lei had even wrinkled his eyebrows, but this wasn''t against the rules.

    "Alright, come up, and I''ll grade it now."

    With confident strides, Darcel and Aniela walked up to Instructor Lei, handing him their papers.

    Snapping his finger, Instructor Lei made the papers float as he brought out his pen to grade the two. Being at Instructor Lei level, it really only takes these instructors only a minute or two to grade these papers.

    Having tremendous experience, knowledge, and wisdom really helped in moments like these.

    Initially, Instructor Lei was expecting just terribly wrong answers. Rarely in their academy''s history had there been a youth that could complete the written portion in only ten minutes.

    Each question on the test required long and hard thought, along with well written in-depth answers. This just wasn''t possible unless...you''re a genius!

    And when starting the grading process Instructor Lei was stunned. Swiftly his eyes went over their answer over and over again just for their first question.

    And their knowledge couldn''t just be simply learned¡­

    Continuing down their papers, Instructor Lei nearly falters again and again. The apparent shock on Instructor Lei''s face did cause the other thirteen youths to look mockingly at the duo.

    They only thought Instructor Lei was so stunned at how terrible their answers were.

    But after a full minute of Instructor Lei''s face only getting more profound, an odd thought crept into their minds.

    It was then Instructor Lei''s next words caused himself and the thirteen youths to freeze.

    "Both of you pass...with perfect marks¡­"

 Strict Teacher

    Multiple eyes were in a permanent state of unending shock. The youths listening nearly thought their ears failed them for a minute. And Instructor Lei was still going over the duo''s papers.

    Perfect marks! In the entire history of the whole Zakira academy, rarely could anyone, even if they were a genius, score perfect marks. It was then another realization crossed Instructor Lei''s mind.

    Rarely would one finish the test so fast, and rarely can one ever achieve perfect marks. However, there has never been a time in their entire history where both happened simultaneously.

    Only until now...moreover, it wasn''t just one youth but two at the same time! Lowering their papers down, Instructor Lei''s attention and suspicion towards these two grew at an all-time high.

    Despite their shabby appearance, these two have made in-depth insight into Profound Qi and cultivation as a whole. And just from their writings, Instructor Lei can tell they hold plenty of experiences already.

    Truly you can''t judge one book by its cover. Now, all that left is to wonder how these two properly apply their knowledge in combat. Unknowingly this thought caused great interest for Instructor Le.

    ''These two have to get reported back to her...I have a feeling the final round of testing won''t be so ordinary.'' Instructor Lei already had future plans for the duo.

    Getting his face back into a neutral state, Instructor Lei nodded at the two, telling them, "You can go back to your seats now, you both perfectly passed. Once the others are done, you two can go first for the final round of testing."

    Darcel stoically nodded at Instructor Lei while Aniela brightly smiled and nodded. Turning around, they saw the other thirteen youths still staring with slight bewilderment.

    By Instructor Lei''s acknowledgment, this just one hundred percent confirms Darcel and Aniela''s perfect marks! Their perfect marks caused merely one big question in all of their minds.

    Just how can early order poor looking kids achieve this?! Unlike Instructor Lei, their thoughts were a bit more narrow-minded, given their lack of experience.

    However, their musing about the two was caught short when Instructor Lei told them,

    "I would recommend getting back to your own test. You''ll need the time."

    Like it was a snap back into reality, the thirteen other youths quickly switched focus back on their tests. Though the thought of those two achieving perfect marks will never get out of their heads.

    Darcel and Aniela came back to their seats, relaxing in it as the other youths'' scores were unconcerning to them.

    ¡­.

    "Well, well, this is certainly more than usual who pass our test. But nevertheless, good work! Now you all have only one more test to pass to officially make it into our academy."

    Currently, in the testing room, there was only Darcel, Aniela, the handsome young boy, and the short cute girl.

    Compared to Darcel and Aniela, the other two had only passed their tests with barely average marks.

    And of course, for the other eleven youths, they had all miserably failed. Once failing, another Instructor had shown up to escort them out of the academy.

    Failure was a part of anyone''s journey in life. Still, this failure didn''t have such a significant impact on those eleven youths. Not when there were apparently two intelligent freaks about to join the academy.

    For the handsome boy and cute girl they were also intensely curious about how the duo will perform on this second test now, whatever it may be.

    But they still had their own determination to not lose out again!

    "And? Just what would be our final climatic test?" Aniela boldly spoke up and asked. While she didn''t bother sparing passing glances at the others who failed, it did feel good being in a superior position to them.

    It had fueled her excitement to once again show off and rocked the mind of anymore ignorant she and Darcel would for sure meet.

    Cracking a small smile at Aniela''s enthusiasm, Instructor Lei told them,

    "This will be the combat portion of the test. Here you will have the option to choose any Spirit Monsters at your realm or higher to beat. And while this may sound simple, you will only be granted with a minute and a half to score a perfect kill."

    While Instructor Lei explained, Darcel had suddenly gained a thought. For a prestigious academy, this surely wouldn''t be the only way one can pass the combat portion.

    After all, what else is the perfect way to gauge somebody''s full prowess besides fighting another human? Swiftly Darcel had then asked,

    "Instructor Lei, this isn''t the only way we could pass this portion, right?"

    "You...well, yes, this isn''t the only way. If you so choose to, you can pit yourself against a pre-existing student here. If you win, you will gain much better rewards than fighting a Spirit Monster. But don''t think this way is easy. Every student here has had extensive training and classes where even the weakest students here are far stronger than the average adult at their levels."

    Even as he explained it, Instructor Lei didn''t see any change of expression on Darcel''s face. Hell, Aniela seemed to be getting even more pumped up about this test.

    In direct contrast, the handsome boy and cute girl held serious expressions.

    They, compared to the duo, know of the various legendary tales about the students here. And they knew Instructor Lei wasn''t bluffing in the slightest.

    However, against all the odds, Aniela''s bubbly voice spoke up first, saying, "Such great build up there! But we''re pretty sure what the best option for us is testing our might against these strong students."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    "Indeed, this option seems much more engaging than stomping on mindless beasts."

    Two ludicrous, bold statements were said with complete confidence by Darcel and Aniela. Just what the hell is giving these two such convictions?

    Not even the handsome boy and cute girl wanted to try against the students. And they both were above the late order stage of the Qi Formation sea realm!

    "...Are you sure about this? Every student is blessed with various high tiers cultivation manuals and martial skills that give them an overwhelming edge in battle. It''s not so good to be so confident all the time, you know?"

    Instructor Lei had advised them as he thought about the academy history. And he could only count on his fingers of the time when an outsider had beaten an official student.

    If one doesn''t come from official graded tier organizations, sects, or clans. Then it would be immensely difficult for that person to ever accurately grow and train out their full prowess.

    Every graded tier place has at base cultivation resources, manuals, weapons, and martial skills to beat any average person.

    And for most graded tier places, they would even have their own unique resources for their people to grow.

    If one isn''t lucky enough to be born in a graded tier clan or family, it was then all about joining one of these places.

    Darcel and Aniela knew a bit about such matters like this.

    But they also know their talent, and latent prowess isn''t anything like the average person. In fact, they were sure most students here would be ordinary in comparison to them!

    "How could we not be sure? I wouldn''t have asked if I wasn''t one hundred percent." Darcel snorted slightly and explained with utmost confidence.

    "Mnh! There''s far more passion in trading blows with fellow talented people as well!" Aniela felt her enthusiasm grow more at the second. Nothing can change their minds now.

    Realizing this point, Instructor Lei looked at the other two youths, telling them, "Since they are going first, you two will have to wait a bit. And as for you two, if you''re so adamant about this, then so be it. Everyone follow me."

    While talking, Instructor Lei had fished out a purple ring from his pocket. Injecting a small portion of his energy into it, the ring ignited in a little swift purple flash.

    ''I wonder what Zala will think about them at first¡­'' Instructor Lei silently thought to himself as he started walking towards the door.

    "Hey, you two! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled so you can expand your ignorant minds." Aniela had suddenly called out to the two youths who were in a slight shock.

    Her words did get them to jolt back to reality and creased their eyebrows. Seriously, what''s with this girl and her jovial attitude?

    "Don''t fall behind now." Darcel sent them a condescending smirk as he followed out behind Aniela and instructor Lei.

    "Tch! They''re acting like they already won! There''s just no way in hell they''ll win¡­" The handsome boy lagged behind the three, still refusing to believe those two hold some great prowess.

    He thought the duo might''ve just read a lot during their childhood and had no real fighting prowess.

    Unlike Instructor Lei, the boy couldn''t understand most of the test''s meaning, which led him to still underestimate them.

    Only the cute short girl was quiet. Her thoughts were on figuring out the anomaly know as Darcel and Aniela.

    ¡­.

    By Instructor Lei''s guide, the five had quickly made it to a massively vast arena. There was one colossal stone stage at the center of this arena where the bright blue sky shined down on it.

    Amazingly enough, as Darcel and Aniela observed, this section of the academy had the sky on full display. The Qi here was a bit more turbulent than other areas of the academy as well.

    The duo''s eyes looked forward, and off to the side stone stage were a small crowd of students.

    However, there was a particularly lovely sight most eyes seemed to be focused on, standing right in front of the stone stage.

    It was a stunningly beautiful woman that most eyes couldn''t stop looking at her.  Her face was gorgeous with small cute eyebrows and bright pouty red lips.

    Flowing down to her waist, elegantly was strikingly gorgeous black hair. And the most bewitching thing about this woman was her large bountiful breasts, sexy curvaceous body, and a captivating large ass.

    Everything was also further complimented by her sleek dark purple uniform that tightly fit her body, enchanting all the right places about her. She was a real beauty!

    Although what got Darcel and Aniela interested in this woman wasn''t her appearance.  It was the fact she was the strongest person the two had sensed since coming to this planet.

    Her natural aura was graceful and unfathomable! Not even Instructor Lei had this kind of aura when the two had sensed him for the first time.

    "So you''re finally here, Instructor Lei...are those the two that will be challenging a student?" The voice that came out of this woman was a warm but stern one.

    Immediately you can tell she was by the books sort of person.

    And the ones that the woman had pointed to were not Darcel and Aniela but were the handsome young boy and short cute girl.

    Logically it made the most sense since those two were far higher in level compared to the duo.

    The small crowd of students also looked over to Instructor Lei''s group with somewhat expectant faces. Not every day or rarely at all does a random outsider decide to challenge a student.

    "Actually, Teacher Zala, the one who''s going to challenge are these two." Instructor Lei motioned to Darcel and Aniela, who remained calm and steady.

    "Eh? Really? Just those two?"

    "You''re telling me those two Peak order Qi Formation kids won''t challenge, but those two early orders will?"

    "I guess I could use a hearty laugh¡­"

    The crowds of students who were previously here for their own matches began mockingly commenting at all four youths. Teacher Zala didn''t even care about their comments as she stared at Darcel and Aniela.

    And as far as first impressions go, there was nothing significant about these two at all. Shabby clothes, low realm, and no real mysterious auras...it was almost disappointing knowing these two would fight.

    "So it really is you two? If you''re here believing you can take on the weakest student here and win, you might as well just leave right now!"

    Teacher Zala''s words were cold and uncaring, cutting straight to the point. The students and even the two youths behind the duo also agreed with Teacher Zala''s comments.

    No matter what, random averages can''t compared with official training!

    Only Instructor Lei remained indifferent, but his anticipation was slowly rising.

    In response, Darcel and Aniela only glanced over to Instructor Lei, who was keeping quiet. Seeing this, the duo decided to cut loose if people are going to keep secrets!

    "Why would we bother with that? But I do only have one question. For students at our level, does anyone have a single shared room?"

    Darcel and Aniela stared right into Teacher Zala''s eyes with an unwavering expression. This time Teacher Zala started to feel...a small odd premonition. As if something just started without her knowing.

    But she paid no heed to this feeling, indifferently answering Darcel''s question with, "We do have two roommates sharing one room. But they are one of the strongest early order Qi Formation Sea students here. Barely anyone even inside the academy can match them at their level."

    "Well? Isn''t this convenient for us! Darcel and I will take them on!" Abruptly everyone stuttered when Aniela''s cheerful voice ranged out through the arena.

    Did they really just hear, right? Even after being told students at their level couldn''t match those pairs, she still wanted to fight them?!

    "Are you two joking around with this?" Teacher Zala had slight annoyance in her voice, but then Darcel immediately countered with,

    "What reason do we have to joke? Since they have a room, I will take on one, and Aniela will take on the other. Are there any rules against this?"

    Darcel''s calming bold tone echoed out in the arena carrying the same shocking impact on everyone''s mind.

 Two Step Lesson

    "Heh...heh...hahaha!! These two are completely serious! They really think they can beat Gorga and Boldog?!"

    "Already, they''re pretty funny, and we haven''t even seen them fight!"

    "It''s tough to garner sympathy for clueless, arrogant kids, heh¡­"

    The uproaring mocking comments of the students frenzied about. Jeers and laughter were thrown at Darcel and Aniela way nonstop. In the first place, what kind of decision making is going on in their head?!

    None of the students could understand, but they did get a riling kick out of the duo. And they could also say one more thing about the pair, at least they somehow managed to gain this foolish bravado.

    Instructor Lei was surprised hearing on who the duo wanted to fight but still opted to say nothing. And the handsome young boy and the short cute girl behind them also held slight smug expressions.

    For them, it will cause them great joy to see these high talking kids get taken down hard.

    The only ones who stayed calm and unaffected were Darcel and Aniela. Their eyes still evenly matched Teacher Zala. Even if they were getting disdained on all sides, everything would soon fall into its natural place.

    Teacher Zala stared back at them with an equally serene gaze.

    Indeed there were no rules about outsiders fighting strong students. And there were even specific rewards if an outsider can beat students with their own rooms.

    Observing the duo''s tranquil faces, Teacher Zala made up her mind. If they want first handed humiliation, then so be it.

    Her eyes snapped to the left side of the arena, where another crowd of students watched this exchange.

    Once she saw the two boys, her eyes snapped back to Darcel. Plainly, she told him, "Get up on stage then. Your opponent will meet you immediately."

    Etching a small smirk, Darcel crossed his eyes with Aniela in a single glance. She had the brightest of smiles and asked him, "Will you go all out for these ignorant people?"

    "We''ll go enough to shake their minds." They both spoke in low voices, so no one else could hear them amidst the students'' chatter. Although they weren''t exactly completely unheard.

    Instructor Lei and Teacher Zala eyebrows quirked, hearing the two short conversations. Just what did they mean to go all out or just enough?

    In their minds, these two could still be bluffing, but a small seed of doubt was implanted.

    Nodding at Aniela, Darcel began walking up on stage under all scrutinizing eyes.

    No student held any faith in Darcel, and with their openly mocking smiles, they thought Darce would surely become nervous.

    But the false bravado on this kid was greater than expected! Each step he took was filled with an aura of natural confidence. He also didn''t even bother to look at the other students.

    Once on the large stone stage, Darcel took the time to notice the details of this stage. Just from standing on the stage, Darcel felt whatever material this was made up off couldn''t be broken by any ordinary means.

    Moreover, just barely, Darcel could tell there was some sort of special Qi covering the whole stage. He wasn''t sure about what it could be, but Darcel guessed it was akin to a barrier.

    His slight musing was cut short when he heard Teacher Zala stern voice blared out in the arena.

    "Gorga! You have received a challenger!"

    Looking at Teacher Zala, Darcel turned to where her eyes snapped to. And it was yet another small crowd of students walking over to the stage. All who held similarly mocking glances towards Darcel.

    "So this kid really is going through with this...how long do you think this will take?"

    "Probably a few seconds or so, especially since he''s just some random no name."

    Out of the peanut gallery of students, Darcel crossed eyes with two specific boys. They both were handsome, elegantly looking youths that you know could charm women of their feet.

    "Really? He''s the one that wants our room?"

    "Meh, at least I''ll get some good practice in."

    Darcel heard what those two boys said. And the taller one out of the two began walking up on stage. This boy, Darcel assumed was Gorga, had a lean fit physique and a charming face.

    His hair was kept short and was a polished black color. His fit was the same light blue colored uniform that complimented his body well, further enhancing his charming natural presence.

    And on Gorga''s face, he only kept a bored indifferent expression. Like the others, Gorga held a negative connotation towards Darcel''s poor appearance and pitiful realm.

    Even if they were at the same level, Gorga already thought he was superior in every way. For good reasons too, since his skills and abilities put him far above nearly all early order Qi Formation students!

    The two stared at each other, each having their own unwavering still expressions. Darcel was just always calm in these types of situations, though he wasn''t merely some poor doormat.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    For the students, the anticipation was just sapped away. After all, this fight would be extremely predictable and fast. The only interesting question was, just how fast it would be?

    Aniela still had a bright smile, though, even under the mocking scrutinizing of the students.

    And for the two adults? Their sinking premonition that they once ignored had suddenly come back at full force. In this position, there was something about Darcel that gave them this odd feeling.

    "Begin!"

    Teacher Zala called out, yet neither youths moved.

    Instead, Gorga simply held out his hand, telling Darcel, "If you still want to challenge us after so far, then surely you must have some skills. Come, let me judge whatever skills you have."

    "Even with a poor fool, Gorga is still giving this kid shot¡­"

    Now the students were curious about why Darcel has this much bravado. Maybe he will have something interesting to watch! However, Darcel next moved left them all confused.

    In response to Gorga''s provocation, Darcel simply put two fingers up. Cracking his own mocking smirk, he explained, "Two moves, in only two moves, you won''t be able to stay conscious¡­"

    Two moves? Confused eyes rapidly blink as they thought there must be something wrong with this kid. Defeating someone at the same level at merely two moves? What a laughable concept!

    However, before anyone could jeer or mock, the whole atmosphere of the arena had dramatically shifted!

    For all early order students, their bodies instinctively tensed up while the stronger students creased their eyebrows.

    ''Sssch!!''

    The roaring frenzied sound of pure scorching fire blasted into everyone''s eardrums! All at once, the temperature increased exponentially, and the air felt uncomfortably warm.

    But the single biggest shock was the lone Darcel. From students to adults, all of their eyes widen in utter shock! Nobody would ever think this could be possible, yet Darcel just broke history.

    Standing with his serene gaze, Darcel had an ominous black flaming aura flare up around his body! He felt incredibly warm in this aura and far stronger in this state.

    As he and Aniela took hours to traverse to the city, they didn''t only idly talk. They both took the time to explore how their inborn Qi can amplify their black flames properties.

    Because of his perfect control with his Element of Darkness, Darcel was able to wrap his whole body in Dark Qi. Smoothly he used this transition to use his black flame as a bodily aura.

    Not only was this aura amplified by his Darkness, but he also chose this since flames would be able to cause additionally burning damage.

    And looking at the students'' enchanted faces, he knew that was his Darkness at work.

    For some odd reason, even Aniela had said it, that his Darkness really was strangely magnetic. Darcel could only guess this had to do with that strange mutation of his Darkness Qi.

    While Darcel was musing, Gorga was thrown into a sudden crisis! His eyes burst open like saucers, and his brain lagged hard. Most of all, he felt a tremendous crushing aura on him!

    This aura caused a suffocating pressure like being weighed down by a vast building. Gorga was just thrown into an endless loop. Having any kind of aura at their level should plainly be utterly impossible!

    Unless you''re some sort borderline great genius...but how could someone as shabby as Darcel could be one!

    Gritting his teeth, Gorga forcefully willed upon his profound Qi. He concentrated solely on his arm causing,

    ''Whir!''

    Bright purple flames to cover his arm in a frenzy! However, unlike Darcel, Gorga flames were less profound in shape. Not only that, but Gorga was also already sweating pushing himself this far.

    Despite feeling stronger, he still felt massively pressured just by being locked on by Darcel aura.

    "I-it''s the Zakira purple flames arts! Th-there''s just no way he could beat it!"

    The students all felt their unwavering confidence in Gorga took a massive nosedive. Even when Gorga forcefully called upon his full power, he still looked like he was struggling to stand.

    Darcel was simply observing Gorga. He was taking in his disbelieving expression with great stride. A feeling like this he could get used to.

    "Gorga, was it? Are you ready? Here...I...come¡­" Darcel slowly talked as if giving Gorga a countdown. Really if he wanted to, he could end this without moving from his spot. But where''s the fun in that?

    Gorga felt his pupils dilated hearing Darcel''s words and frantically gathered up more profound Qi in his arms. Even with this suppression, there would be just no way in hell he''ll roll over for this poor boy!

    ''Swish!''

    Suddenly though, the wind crazily swirled around him. Gorga felt the temperature get to boiling degrees. His eyes were soon up close with the ominous black flaming Darcel.

    Looking down at Gorga up close, Darcel smirked at him. Smoothly he clenched his right fist and threw a straight hook at his face.

    Hastily, Gorga tried to counter the punch. Matching Darcel''s speed, he threw his own purple flaming fist to Darcel.

    ''Bang!''

    "Gaaah?!?"

    Agonizing shouts of pain made everyone freeze in shock.

    From outside, the audience watched as Gorga got sent rolling on the stage. He was tightly clutching his purple flaming arm that now had wisps of black fire on it.

    Surely the students and even the adults thought if Gorga couldn''t one-shot Darcel, then he would at least have an advantage. But this...this was utter domination in one strike!

    Gorga was wracked with tremendous pain all over his body. Adding on was a confusing mixed feeling of anger, sickness, and even lust.

    By the extension of his black fire, Darcel''s Darkness became a lot stronger in affecting one''s mental state.

    In complete scrambles, Gorga struggles to get himself up. Blood spurted from his mouth, and his arm felt like it was getting burned alive by hellish scorching fire.

    With only one move...this boy already severely injured him! It was inconceivable, and in Gorga''s eyes, fear slowly began to build up.

    "Just...what are you¡­?"

    Gorga managed to barely pull himself only to see a black flaming knee. At this point, he could barely move his body, much less dodge the insane speed of Darcel.

    ''Bang!''

    With another sickening bloody crunch, Gorga was thrown off stage. He didn''t even get a chance to yell since his consciousness swiftly left him.

    Like a sack of potatoes, Gorga crashed onto the blue floor of the arena. His normally handsome face now spouted blood running down from his mouth and nose.

    "Doctor! Take him away!"

    Teacher Zala immediately called out, seeing Gorga''s condition. Promptly from where Darcel couldn''t even see him, a mysterious man dawned in a white suit took Gorga.

    And all that was left was the lone Darcel. Turning off his black flaming aura, Darcel turned to stare at the disbelieving crowd. Not a single one could believe what just happened, yet the results couldn''t be faked.

    "Hehehe~! That was a flashy lesson, Darcel!" Only Aniela cheerfully smiled and called out to Darcel.

    Casting a brief smile at Aniela, Darcel had then turned to Teacher Zala asking,

    "So? What are my special rewards?"

 Daunting Smiles

    There was nothing that could be said. Reality was irrefutable; no matter what the students and adults thought of Darcel, his prowess was genuine. But all of this was just...too exaggerated!

    For years, outsiders'' status quo with no backing being weaker than any students never broke and could rarely be broken. It just made sense, after all, with this school''s abundance of resources.

    Yet this one shabby looking boy showed up like thin air with overwhelming prowess? This couldn''t simply be counted as Darcel only being stronger than Gorga.

    He proved himself to be on a whole other level! Early order students felt suppressed by Darcel black flame aura. Middle-order students had even lost sight of Darcel''s speed.

    And late order students had a hard time tracking Darcel''s speed! But his prowess wasn''t only troubling to those students.

    The handsome young boy and the short cute girl even creased their eyebrows when watching the fight.

    Darcel''s speed gave them slight apprehension. They could tell if they were to fight him, his speed would''ve indeed caught them off guard.

    Moreover, they weren''t even sure if Darcel attacks would be so easy to take at their levels. And they were peak order Qi Formation Sea youths!

    Instructor Lei had finally realized why he had these premonitions about Darcel. His Qi was one of the rares and unique he ever sensed! There was a property about it that he was sure had some sort of grace.

    Now, more than ever, Darcel''s fight had just reinforced his decision about reporting him to her. Musing over this thought, he cast his eyes towards Teacher Zala, similarly in deep thought.

    She now had to think profoundly about this standoffish confident boy. Nothing about him made any lick sense. Furthermore, this boy still has his friend left to fight.

    And more than likely, that annoyingly upbeat girl will be similarly freakish like him. Pushing all these thoughts down, Teacher Zala had promptly answered Darcel question saying,

    "For beating a powerful early order student, you shall gain thirty orange crystals. As for your special reward, we shall see if your friend can win her next match."

    Her words came out a bit stiff. Still, her mind couldn''t get over the fact Darcel won so hard that it felt like there was a massive chasm between him and Gorga.

    But none of these emotions surfaced on her gorgeous face.

    Nodding at Teacher Zala, Darcel began walking off stage as he watched a purple flash on Teacher Zala''s finger. It was one of those spatial rings he assumed, and out came a small blue sack on Teacher Zala''s hand.

    Under the bright spotlight of students'' gazes, Darcel remained only interested in this small blue sack.

    "Your crystals are in here."

    Teacher Zala stated and tossed the sack at him. Catching the sack, Darcel had a small smirk. If things were to go like this, then rising in this academy will almost be too easy!

    "Good work Darcel! Now then, are you ready for me to steal the spotlight? I''ll go even flashier than you!" Aniela was already stretching out her arm once Darcel got next to her.

    She didn''t even care at all for pen dropping silence awe. All in her mind now was beating that Gorga guy roommate!

    Speaking off that guy, the duo''s eyes did glance over to the other handsome boy among the students.

    His once mocking disdain eyes now turn into ones of cautiousness. Going by Darcel''s prowess and Aniela''s confidence, you would have to be a fool to not think she also has some hidden power up her sleeves.

    But maybe...her prowess won''t be as exaggerated? It was a reasonable hope for him to expect. Yet there was a gnawing sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

    A sense of upcoming perilous doom¡­

    "Don''t get so excited. Just go for my enough, not your enough." Darcel explained to her as the students around them began jolting back up.

    Being so caught up on that dreamlike prowess just made them remember this white hair girl will fight next! Trading their eyes off from him, Darcel to her, several thoughts ran through their minds.

    "She...she can''t be as strong as that guy...right?"

    "Two for one...no way! Maybe she is only just slightly strong¡­"

    "This is just, too much like some sort of weird dream¡­"

    Murmurs, now in a more bewilderment confused tone crossed around in the whole arena. Even if this was reality, some students just had a hard time accepting it. Not knowing Aniela prowess was their only scapegoat.

    Alas, it was a very shame for their ignorance of Aniela''s strength...

    "You will meet Boldog on stage now." Teacher Zala''s stern voice was the highest among the murmurs. Her clear blue eyes crossed with Aniela''s deep dark ones.

    And once again, another premonition spawned in the depths of her mind. Although this one was a bit off compared to Darcel.

    Aniela gave Darcel one last big smile before walking up the stone stage with a pep in her step. Honestly, this wasn''t going to be a challenging fight at all. But it doesn''t mean she can''t have some fun!

    Boldog, in contrast to Aniela''s cheerfulness, tried to make himself calm and steady. He carefully paced himself walking up on stage to clear his mind. But...nothing seemed to be working.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    His body was still tense, and his mind pricked with worrying thoughts over Aniela''s prowess.

    It also didn''t help that this white hair girl exuded an overwhelming boldness no matter what she was doing.

    Getting up on stage, Aniela could see the clear, tense tone Boldog was having. So she decided to have a bit of pre-fun. "Hey! Lighten up already! We all have to get hurt sometimes in our lives."

    The cute teasing voice of Aniela actually didn''t help Boldog lessen up.

    Her specific choice of words only made much tenser in their context. Though Boldog was feeling a bit indigent now.

    No matter what mysterious power this girl has, he can''t let her walk all over him like a doormat! Taking one last deep breath, Boldog determinedly glared over at Aniela with a will to win!

    Apparent anticipation filled the air as these two squared off. One holding some sort of mysterious prowess and the other, a recognized strong early order student.

    A matchup that would''ve been predictable in people''s minds at one time. Now it was an unknown match where no one could tell how this will possibly go down.

    Glancing at the two, Teacher Zala had then officially declared,

    "Begin!"

    ''Whir!''

    Instantaneously when Teacher Zala declared their fight, massive waves of profound Qi shout out of Boldog! The temperature was rising, and wisps of purple flames gathered around his right leg.

    He only needed a second before his right leg was covered wholly with purple flames.

    Nothing was going to be spared at the start. Going on full blast, Boldog was determined to not have an embarrassing fight like Gorga.

    Feeling Boldog more clearly compared to Gorga, the students were impressed. Unlike how Darcel immensely suppressed Gorga, Boldog could let his full prowess be known.

    However, to Aniela, she merely saw Boldog leg as a cosmetic fire leg. Starting off, she didn''t lift a finger, letting Boldog go all out. And once feeling Boldog full prowess, her eyes dazzled with an excited glint.

    Faster than Boldog could expect, Aniela''s hand had shined a brilliant white glow. And out from the light,

    ''Sssch!!''

    A black fireball came blasting out her hand, sizzling the stone under them. It was like whiplash for Boldog. In only a split second, the temperature dramatically increased to burning degrees.

    His body poured cold sweat as this one attack exuded a powerful, terrifying aura. Immediately he could tell getting hit by this attack would roast him alive.

    On top of this, Boldog even saw his world darkened as the fireball came roaring to him.

    With only two seconds to react, Boldog tensed his body even more. Hastily he concentrated more Profound Qi into his right leg, causing his purple flames to frantically flare-up.

    Feeling the air heat up his body, Boldog knew the black fireball was right near him. Putting all of his weight on his right leg, Boldog scrambly jumped to his right.

    "Tch!"

    Though it wasn''t a clean dodge as he felt his stomach get grazed by the roaring flame.

    For a second, he at least thought he dodged this blinding attack.

    But immediately, his pupils contracted. Instantly when he had dodged, the black fireball had gained a similarly looking bright white glow. With one look at this white glow, Boldog''s fate was sealed.

    A crushing aura came down on him, severely suppressing his body. Nearly immobilized, Gorga was in utter shock for Aniela''s next attack.

    Combining with the white glow, the fireball had burst into whitish blackish lines! These lines moved quicker than Gorga could ever and had speedily covered his whole body!

    "WhaaAAAHH!!"

    Gorga''s anguished shouts blared out in the arena. Whatever these lines were, they caused tremendous heat and pain to Gorga. This was akin to getting slowly burned alive!

    Aniela proudly smiled, observing her work.

    Her hand still had the white glow, yet it was like she was using barely any Profound Qi at all. Like how Darcel practices in the woods, Aniela chose a different route for her prowess.

    Amplifying her telekinesis with the Element of Light majorly enhanced power. She preferred more long-ranged fights, so she decided to test her black flames'' properties with telekinesis.

    The end results being, having the option to freely manipulate her black flames more so than Darcel. Combined with her enhanced power, Aniela really could simply lift a finger to beat someone at her level!

    The students watching had to suck in a cold breath. Aniela''s method was even more brutal than Darcel! Having mighty flames cover your whole body?

    The students dared not to even think about that pain.

    Teacher Zala and Instructor Lei were once again shocked but for different reasons. While her prowess is the same as Darcel, her powers seemed a bit more unique than him.

    They couldn''t tell for sure for now, but this was definitely worth investigating later.

    Darcel was still calmly smiling, watching the show. He didn''t expect it, but it really does seem like this airhead will gain a ruthless streak. But at least she still has her lovely smile.

    "Hm? So quickly! He passed out¡­"

    Aniela had declared once seeing Boldog''s eyes close shut. She obviously didn''t use much power since it would''ve killed the boy though not many can handle getting burned alive.

    Snapping her fingers, the fire lines disappeared off from Boldog. Like a stringless puppet, Boldog crashed onto the stone stage. His body was unmoving, and all scared up from the burns.

    Despite not wanting it, Boldog lost in an even more pitiful way than Gorga. Aniela''s telekinesis was simply too abrupt and quick.

    "Doctor! Quickly, take him away!"

    Teacher Zala called out this line once again. And like last time, it wasn''t for the outsider but one of her own students.

    Aniela watched as another man in a white suit appear like a ghost! He quickly took Boldog and once again vanished from sight.

    ''Seriously, that speed is broken!'' Aniela humorously thought to herself, not even fazed by the stares cast at her.

    So effortlessly and quickly did Gorga and Boldog drop like flies by the duo. For days to come for Teacher Zala and everyone else, they wouldn''t be able to simply forget today''s events at all.

    "So? Teacher Zala? Our special rewards?" Already Aniela was walking towards Darcel while asking. The eyes on the girl were a mix of awe and fear.

    Her attacks were swift and brutal! There wasn''t a single shred of mercy for Boldog as well, just further enhancing Aniela''s daunting image.

    "Here, you will also gain the same amount of orange crystals like him, for the other special rewards¡­.come with me." Aniela caught the small blue sack tossed at her once she reached Darcel.

    "We''ll be right behind you, Teacher." Darcel and Aniela exchanged a smug smile while their eyes looked into the crowds of students.

    All who had mixed expressions of shock, disbelief, or even envy? No matter the facial expression, no one could speak up since the duo had destroyed their status quos.

    The handsome young boy and the short cute girl felt more awe than ever. Thinking about it, their perfect marks on their test scores just made a whole lot more sense now.

    "Ah, Teacher Zala, before you go, will you meet up with me later? I have...important news to discuss." Instructor Lei called out to the three walking away from the arena.

    Stopping her walk, Teacher Zala had a faint idea of what he wanted to discuss. Without turning around, she told him, "I''ll come once I finish with these two¡­"

    Saying her last piece, Teacher Zala began walking again. Flanked behind her were Darcel and Aniela, still with slight smug smiles.

    While it was mind-blowing for others. For them, today was only a short preview of their inevitable quick rise in this prestigious academy...

 Rewarding Room

    Much like every area Darcel and Aniela seen so far, the place Teacher Zala led them to was equally luxurious. Their eyes watched numerous students all entering or leaving various doors down a long hall.

    They arrived here in a short brief walk coming from the combat arena. And this specific hall, in terms of design, had a particular pallet. The pallet is a bright light blue color, exuding a fresh new atmosphere.

    Clearly, the duo assumed this spot is for Qi Formation Sea students. The fact that every student walking there was dressed in the same light blue uniform also helped confirm their thoughts.

    Walking down the hall, Darcel and Aniela had realized something. Of course, they were casually talking like usual. Yet, this beautiful, proud woman in front of them hasn''t said a single word to them!

    Moreover, she didn''t even bother to turn back to them to at least see if the two were still following her footsteps. For any other youth, this woman would seem naturally untouchable.

    Being a top beauty, having a high realm, and a prestigious status made it extremely difficult to approach, let alone talk to her.

    Combined with the indifferent stern expression on her, it all made people be naturally compelled to respect her.

    However, Aniela was having queer thoughts about Teacher Zala. Surely she should be immensely interested in the two of them! But that stubborn pride seemed to be getting in the way for any conversation.

    Sneakily she got Darcel''s attention by nudging his shoulder. And once Darcel saw Aniela''s slight mischievous smile, he knew it was time for a change. A welcoming change, in fact, for this short walk.

    "Darcy...back me up here." In a low voice, Aniela told him. Simply Darcel nodded and kept his serene expression.

    The distance between Teacher Zala and the duo wasn''t great. Only just a couple of feet in front of them. Meaning an acceptable length to talk. Pondering on what to say, Aniela suddenly got a good topic.

    "Ah! Excuse us, Teacher Zala, but just where exactly we are? These have to be rooms for Qi Formation students, right?" It was simple but effective. Also helping was Aniela''s confident and assured tone when speaking up.

    She didn''t have any apprehension in her tone. Or a voice that is used when regarding someone of upper status. It was like Teacher Zala was a mere acquaintance of them.

    Teacher Zala had a slight pause in her step. During this whole time, her thoughts were actually on the duo. Mainly trying to pinpoint any sorts of logic to their prowess.

    Sadly, nothing that could make sense came up for her. And hearing Aniela so casually called out to her got her a bit piqued. It really does look like their bravado wasn''t just a facade for a crowd.

    Still, she didn''t look backed and continued walking. But she did answer Aniela''s question with, "You would be correct. More specifically, these are rooms for Middle Order students and above. Only special early order students could stay here early."

    "What counts as being special anyways? Our fight with Gorga and Boldog went pretty fast to really tell any specialness." Similarly, Darcel had an assured, confident tone when speaking.

    Honestly, the two really only regarded Teacher Zala as just a woman that could easily kill them. And while this thought may be off-putting to many, it didn''t bother the duo nearly as much.

    The threat of death held a relatively low place in their minds. As for Teacher Zala''s beautiful appearances? Aniela didn''t care at all about it though Darcel found some appreciation in her beauty.

    After all, a beautiful sight was a beautiful sight. And Darcel was the one to regard such views like her.

    Teacher Zala all the while only expected Darcel to hold the same confident tone. Though outright hearing how these two quickly destroy special students still caused slight mixed feelings.

    Whatever it was that was unique about their prowess, she must find out about! "The control you have over your profound Qi, your comprehension abilities, inborn powers, and talent all counts towards being special. And you two...well here''s your room."

    Changing the subject mid-sentence, the three had finally arrived at one specific blue door. On the door, it had numbers reading, ''365.''

    Darcel and Aniela kind of expected to come up to the door so soon, but they were at least satisfied with that small and short conversation.

    Even if it was only for a little bit, the duo guessed Teacher Zala still has an interest in them.

    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have answered their question so extensively. While they didn''t have much interest in Teacher Zala, the duo couldn''t deny she could be a useful ally in the future.

    Reaching into her pocket, Teacher Zala fished out a blue spatial ring. Handing it over to Darcel, she took the time to explain,

    "This ring contains your academic uniforms and keys to your room. Before I leave, remember these special rules. Uniforms must be worn at all times, random fighting is forbidden and must be done on the combat stage. Classes here aren''t mandatory. Every month, only one of you needs to pay three hundred Orange Crystals to continue staying here."

    "Either way, you have to work here...so? How do we go about earning Orange Crystals here?" It was a reasonable assumption for Aniela to assume you can earn extra crystals here.

    These students pride themselves on their trained strength.

    "The main ways are fighting students in the combat arena and winning to earn crystals. Or you can take on Academic Missions. The rest you need to know will be inside your room."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Finishing her explanation, Teacher Zala turned away from the duo. And without another word, began walking off. From the start and to the end, she still didn''t look the pair entirely in the eyes.

    Darcel and Aniela only shrugged their shoulders at Teacher Zala swift leave. No matter what, they''ll see each other around the Academy anyways. Though they did think she could be less of a prude.

    Holding the blue spatial ring, Darcel interjected a bit of his Profound Qi in it. With a small purple flash, he managed to take out a light blue orb that had the same numbering as the door.

    "Well, would you look at this? They even have automated keys! And...oh?" While Aniela was talking, the light blue orb ignited when Darcel held it up against the door.

    Swiftly the door opens on its own, allowing the duo to witness a pleasant clean sight. The room was comfortably large and spacious. It allowed for two people living here to have plenty of room for themselves.

    There were several bookshelves here, all containing various books and scrolls¡ªa door connected to the room''s backside where the washing quarters was.

    And there was even a large window to gaze upon the outside world.

    Already this room was marginally better than the little servant quarters given to them at the Wrathful Clan.

    Stepping inside the room, Darcel and Aniela felt a pleasant warm aroma run through here. It was a scent that could make you serene, getting into a perfect mood for cultivation.

    "Finally, a remarkable place for us to stay in. They even have two beds for us. Though considering those guys, it makes sense to have two." Darcel remarked while looking all over the room.

    And to their left were two pairs of large comfy beds. Aniela gained a bit of a teasing smirk, grabbing Darcel''s hand to lead him to one of the beds. "It''s only a shame I''m too used to sleeping with your soothing warmth Darcy~."

    Sitting on the bed, the two took a moment to rest. Darcel, of course, didn''t let Aniela''s cute teasing get to him. But he could admit in his mind that sleeping without Aniela in his arms would be rather...uncomfortable.

    "Thankfully, while sleeping, you''re not as nearly as energetic when you''re up. Before we do anything, though, it''s time to make another set of plans since we''re taking an extended stay here."

    Aniela''s eyes lit up at this thought. For a short amount of time, they finally have a stable place to return, too, and no immediate threats now.

    "Ooohh...you know our obvious course of plans has to be those missions! It''s too dull to stay in one place and cultivate. Everyone thrives on the thrill of battle to make great achievements!"

    "Indeed, it''s always the best way to perfect our foundations. Plus, we really only need resources here, not their classes, at least for now. Unlike others, our bodies can intake energy pretty easily."

    Darcel drew this conclusion from the bug''s energy they so quickly absorbed. Without much effort on their parts, their souls had easily cleared out any negative backlash from absorbing Qi from another source.

    Compared to naturally cultivating from the energy that runs in the air, resources are the perfect method for the duo to monstrously grow.

    Glancing down at her bloodline arm, Aniela began to ponder.

    "Should we take on a risky mission? With our arms, I''m sure we''re probably nearing the peak prowess of this realm."

    "By tonight, we can use the remaining bug''s energy to break through to Middle order. And by then, we''ll be able to comfortably hold our own against any Qi Formation sea missions."

    "Ohh! So we''re already going to get real intimate for our first-night ~? Been holding back enough~?" Aniela dawned an outrageously cute sly smile while talking.

    Going by their previous breakthroughs, it did feel marginally satisfying to breakthrough together than separately. Darcel, however, only began to pat Aniela''s soft hair while telling her,

    "Survival over pleasure first ditzy girl. Even if we''re safe for today, who knows if those two weaklings might bring people to start trouble again? We did embarrass them hard. For now, we''ll just read up on this Academy together."

    "Muuu~, fine. Hmm...at at least for this session, I''ll make what would be ordinarily boring, fun!" Aniela did coo into Darcel''s hand but still had a bright determined face.

    Who said you couldn''t mix fun in with information gathering? Plus, it was just her style to do things more creatively. Something of which Darcel understood all too well.

    Cracking a smirk at her, Darcel said,

    "And I wonder just how you''ll make book readings fun?"

    "Fuuu! Just wait, you''ll see!"

    ¡­.

    While Darcel and Aniela were having their own little moments inside their rooms, several different reactions were taking place all around the Academy.

    Word traveled extremely fast about seemingly two strong outsiders.

    Strong outsiders who were able to ultimately crush two powerful early order students! Of course, not seeing it for themselves, many were inclined to deny this rumor.

    However, it was unmistakable that Gorga and Boldog were sent to the Doctor''s offices to get treated. It was a bizarre situation, and many were getting interested in these seemingly powerful outsiders turned students.

    Instructor Lei had picked up on all of this while walking through the Initiate Student level part of the Academy. He was hoping to run into Teacher Zala as his mind was just as focused on the duo.

    And through sheer luck, while walking down a random desolate long hall, Instructor Lei had crossed his eyes with the unfathomable Teacher Zala.

    "There you are. Is everything all finished now?" Instructor Lei asked while taking notice of Teacher Zala''s slightly distracted face.

    "I had recently sent them off...what is so important that you have to discuss with me." Out of all youths that came to take their tests, Instructor Lei never was so adamant about sharing information.

    But looking at who just joined, she could understand it now, somewhat.

    "Here''s the thing. The cultivation test they took, guess what marks they got on it." Instructor Lei first asked since he wanted to gauge her reactions.

    Thinking about it, Teacher Zala told him, "Have they managed to get at most a seventy percent mark?"

    This was already a high estimate for outsiders! Rarely could one go past an even sixty-seven percent mark. Those two having such high prowess, it would only make sense they would score high on the test.

    "Not even close. Try a hundred percent perfect marks!" Teacher Zala stopped in her tracks hearing Instructor Lei. Was she sure she heard, right? A hundred percent marks?!

    "Not only that, but they also did it within only ten minutes without a single break! Here, check out their tests if you want too."

    Instructor Lei tossed two scrolled up papers to her. Instinctively Teacher Zala caught the papers. Her body moved on its own, and she slowly unraveled the papers.

    It was then her eyes bear witness to the most sophisticated and profound answers she ever saw coming from a youth! Their knowledge and experience were something not even past geniuses could compare too.

    "Judging by your expression, it''s quite mind-blowing, right? And with what we saw in the arena...don''t you think we should report them to the Vice-Principal? They match all of her criteria and then some."

    "...Lead the way then."

    Teacher Zala was still in shock but agreed to Instructor Lei''s proposition. Today was like never-ending surprises for her, and going further, who knows just what kind of surprises those two have up their sleeves.

 Tension Among Missions

    Soft, warm, and cozy. This was the third time in a row Darcel felt pure warmth from waking up after a long rest.

    His eyes opened up to the luxurious light-blue ceilings of his room, providing a pleasant first sight.

    The soft fluffy bed under him also contributed to the warm feeling of waking up. But¡­Darcel could obviously tell the real reason why it felt just so good to wake up.

    Trailing his eyes down, Darcel came upon the cute sleeping form of Aniela. She was snuggled up tightly into his chest, exhaling out sweet little snores. This sight did bring a genuine small smile on his face.

    Like always, Aniela''s fragrance was hypnotic, nearly pulling him into dreamland again. He couldn''t tell exactly why, but her body was incomparably soft and almost too warm.

    So warm that Darcel just didn''t want to let go of her. Though Darcel had a sinking suspicion that his Qi might be affecting the amount of warmth they both felt.

    Still, Darcel did find it a bit surprising on how this troublesome girl enjoys sleeping so much. Naturally, by just making it to the Qi Foundation realm''s late levels, one can go without sleep or food for a few days.

    The mystical power of Qi washes away impurities, bringing the body to an entirely different level compared to average mortals.

    And starting in the Qi Formation Sea realm, sleep is usually replaced by close door cultivation.

    Aniela, though sleeps as if she was just a regular mortal! At least during her sleep, she did manage to slowly absorb all of the bug''s energy, bringing her to the Middle Order of the Qi Formation Sea realm.

    And sensing his own realm, Darcel found he too managed to advance to the Middle Order! The substantial mental block from early order to middle order was casually smashed by both of them in their dreams.

    Being in the Middle Order level, Darcel felt his Spirit Senses broaden. His Darkness Profound Qi was elevated to a higher Quality. Furthermore, he felt his body slightly increase in the overall physical aspect.

    With the power Darcel was feeling right now, he had boundless confidence in taking on any Qi Formation Sea missions! Now all that is left is to wake up this lazy girl.

    Being direct, Darcel decided to go in for a precise strike. Tenderly, he began stroking her lushes soft white hair. This small action Darcel came to enjoy just as much as she likes feeling his hand.

    The burst of endless warmth flowed through Aniela''s head. Her eyes flutter for a few seconds before swiftly snapping open! Deep black eyes met with each other, both eyes holding tender affection for one another.

    Bright and early, Aniela had immediately gained her trademark dazzling broad smile. Excitedly she said to Darcel, "Mnh! You''re getting better at being romantic! Already I''m fuel to take on any missions!"

    "I''m just growing too accustomed to petting your soft hair. But even if I didn''t, your chipper energy has no end." Darcel smirked at her while they both sat up on the bed.

    "And your cynicism fits right in with my chippiness! So? How do you want to start our first days as ''prestigious'' students." The duo sat close together at the end of the bed, holding hands.

    This simple act caused them to be serene and focus. They felt secure and calm for any challenges ahead. Towards Aniela''s question, Darcel said,

    "First off, let''s take a bit of time to stabilize our breakthrough. Nothing wrong with being extra prepared. Then...I guess we wash up and change our clothes? We have to wear that uniform anyways."

    It took long enough, but the duo had realized neither bother to change clothes after all this time!

    Perhaps they just got too attached to these clothes, but they felt a bit weird to suddenly change, no matter how shabby their current garments were.

    "Changing, huh, haah. I guess we can''t wear these clothes all the time...but! I''m sure these new fits will greatly enhance our looks." Even Darcel and Aniela could put in the care to have somewhat decent looks.

    Minds are easily swayed by first impressions.

    Especially if the first impressions show some sort of significant status, you wield. It also helps these Academy uniforms indeed aren''t bad looking; they were actually rather sleek.

    "Alright, let''s focus up, so we''re prepared when we meet even more ignorant people today." Darcel snided, getting Aniela to sweetly giggle. If there''s one thing these students did prove, is that their eyes are all blind!

    "Hehehe~, you gotta admit it though, Darcy, it''s quite fun handing out lessons. I only wonder what our batch will be today¡­"

    ¡­.

    Taking at least an hour or so, Darcel and Aniela finally exited their rooms. Promptly they began walking down the halls of this overly extensive academy, knowing exactly where to go.

    Because of Aniela''s fun book reading session yesterday, the duo at least know most part of the initiate level places of the academy. As they guessed, only Qi Formation students roam these parts.

    Building on, there was a Middle level, High level, and Core level. But the duo mainly focused on the initiate level, at least for now.

    The walk was smooth since having a capable memory, and a good sense of direction made the academy easy to traverse.

    Although while walking, Darcel and Aniela began to notice glances. They were...strange but inquiring, glances? Typically Darcel and Aniela are used to envious, killing intent or disdain looks.

    But the initiate level students now were all just prying about the duo. Even the several teachers they came about threw inquiring glances at them.

    Darcel had chalked it partly to their recent breakthrough and their changed appearances.

    Compared to yesterday, the duo had a large glow up in looks. Properly washing themselves got rid of any excessive leftover dirt or grimes on their faces.

    Their shabby loose-fitting clothes were now replaced by accurately fitting, sleek light blue uniforms. And their uniforms multiplied they''re already good looks.

    Darcel now took more of an honest, attractive young man look. His serene face spelled absolute calming, and he walked with a bold stature. It was a complete overhaul from yesterday.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Aniela had a modest cutesy look going for her.

    The bright, radiant smile that etched on her pretty face made for an enchanting combination. Moreover, her modest breasts, plumb behind, and curvy body all came through today.

    These two sudden changes in appearance got students and teachers alike to have one question. Where were those shabby poor looking youths everyone was talking about from yesterday?!

    The ones that didn''t see them fight were confused.

    A girl with extremely long white hair that sticks out like a sore thumb following a boy with shoulder-length black hair, this base description certainly matches them.

    Yet it also didn''t match at all! These two look like just another charming looking Middle Order student.

    And on that fact, students were even more puzzled. Weren''t they supposed to be early order students? Nothing just made sense, and some students were tempted to stop and question them.

    However, when Darcel and Aniela neared the initiate level mission center, a large imposing figure ceased all thoughts about going up to the duo. This person had their sights clearly on the pair.

    "It''s...it''s a Middle-level student! But what he''s doing here?"

    "Ah! It has to be because of Gorga!"

    "Things are about to get interesting..."

    Quiet murmurs echoed through the hall Darcel, and Aniela were walking on.

    The duo did feel a strong aura zeroing on them, yet they paid it no mind. Instead, their eyes focused on the mini building up ahead of them.

    It held the symbols spelling out mission above the entrance, making it easy to tell apart.

    Numerous students were walking in and out of the building. Most were in groups or pairs, but there was sometimes that lone wolf in the crowd.

    Feeling that colossal aura come dangerously closer, Darcel and Aniela only cracked a smile. Without a word, they stepped into the Mission Center building.

    And right when doing so, they and everyone else heard a strong, commanding voice.

    "Hey! Black hair and white hair! You''re the new students, right?" When the duo heard this voice, an unfathomable powerful aura descended upon them.

    This...this one of the strongest aura Darcel and Aniela ever felt coming from a youth! The pressure on them was tight yet still gave the duo enough breathing room to walk around.

    It was clear this aura was mainly used for intimidation tactics. And going by how every other initiate level student made a wide berth from the duo, this tactic was highly effective.

    Effective for only the other students, however. Darcel and Aniela''s eyes just kept glancing all around the mission center building. It was a large luxurious tavern-like place filled with bulletin boards of papers.

    Without looking back, Darcel only said to this person, "And if we are the new students?"

    Because of Aniela admittedly having unique white hair, Darcel assumed that''s how students can recognize them. His shoulder-length black hair wasn''t that uncommon, but Aniela''s pure white hair was a dime in dozen.

    "If you are, I expected something a little more...shabbier. Nor did I expect you two to suddenly be at the Middle Order level. But you asking already answers my question, no?"

    The voice that the duo identified as a young man neared just behind them. Surely being so up close with this massive aura would''ve been more than enough to terrified these newly fresh students.

    At least that''s what this boy and other initiate level students thought.

    But Aniela never confirmed to standard expectations. Smoothly, she swiftly whipped her body around with the proudest of grins. Her eyes had then met with a slightly surprised, handsome looking boy.

    Immediately Aniela could spot the similarities between him and Gorga. They had the same face, same eye colors, and even nearly the same height. Various thoughts spawned in Aniela''s head as she said to the boy,

    "I get it...you...must be a fan of ours! I know we have quite the shocking rumors, but it''s all true!"

    For this little exchange, numerous of initiate level students'' eyes gathered on them. This was a rare sight for them! A strong middle-level student clashing against fresh new initiate students?

    It was simply unheard of! Yet here they were, watching the exchange unfold among their eyes.

    "Fan? Heh, hahaha! So you two really do got jokes? But your prowess... it''s quite a joke too, no? Somehow at early order, you beat my brother Gorga with a flashy win getting his room. Now the very next day, you suddenly advanced?  It''s all too much of a dubious joke!"

    The boy, now identified as Gorga''s brother, spoke in a loud, bold tone.

    His words did cause the surrounding students to start questioning the duo. After all, it''s still hard to accept random no-name outsiders can beat train students.

    Plus, nobody here even put a thought into believing Darcel and Aniela had quickly cultivated to the Middle Order level. What''s more likely is these two were...suppressing their breakthroughs!

    Obviously, if they were just at the cusp of breaking through, it would make sense of why Gorga could lose. Even with all his training, their Profound Qi was simply only at a higher level than him!

    "Yea...yea, I think I finally get it! Giel right, their breakthrough timing is far too suspicious! They must''ve been deviously plotting their wins!"

    "How else could random outsiders win against one of the strongest early orders students! Natural talent, my ass!"

    Numerous comments like these were murmured throughout the crowds of students. Smiling, Giel found this going far better than he expected.

    At first, he simply wanted to suppress these high and mighty fresh new students and take some compensation for his brother.

    But now he gets to already tear down their reputation on just their first day of coming to this academy!

    Hearing from Gorga himself how the duo beat him and his roommate so badly caused indignation and disbelief in Giel.

    Who could accept their talented family member getting beaten down by nobodies anyways? Giel certainly couldn''t. His condescending eyes gazed down at the duo, but he didn''t see a reaction like he hoped.

    Instead, the duo''s eyes were drawn into one piece of paper on a bulletin board with a few sheets.

    Darcel pointed to this paper, telling everyone there, "Kill a Spirit Monster Goblin nest nearby the city. S plus tier in difficulty for having several Perfect Order Goblins in its nest. Giel, was it? If you want to run your mouth, then lets at least make this interesting."

    Suddenly the whole mission center turned quiet.

    The mission Darcel pointed to was quite infamous in the initiate level of students. Many groups of Perfect Order students had tried to finish it, but none were ever successful.

    And most of the time, each group barely escapes with their lives! Just what is this boy planning to do?

    "What could you possibly be thinking of." Giel was a bit intrigued since it looks like these two want to run into death.

    "Obviously, we''re talking about taking on this mission and you betting with us! If we come back as failures, your little brother can have his room back and all of our stuff. But, if we''re successful, then all we request is a sum of crystals."

    Aniela picked up with an excited tone. She knew she couldn''t be too outrageous when betting with someone who''s massively stronger than them. But this is enough for their trap!

    "You two, want to take on a mission that many Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea groups failed at? Just you two, at the Middle Order of Qi Formation Sea?... Is this another ridiculous joke?"

    Giel spoke when everyone else turned wide eye at Aniela''s proclamation. These two either have to be foolishly brave or braindead! Yet no matter what they thought, Darcel''s next words confirmed their suspicions.

    "Does it look like we''re joking?" Darcel''s serene face exuded stillness and confidence. Aniela''s broad smile spewed out boldness and passion. Neither held any sort of joking tone.

    And it was then Giel realized, this was a win-win for him! Many rules were placed in favor of weaker students that prevented him from gaining back Gorga''s room from the duo.

    But who would''ve thought these two have some mental issues and just want to serve him on a golden platter. No matter he didn''t believe they could beat this mission.

    And Giel had some...assurance to make sure his brother gets his room back.

    Giel''s smile was enormous and held a sinister vibe in it. Unaware of Darcel and Aniela''s thoughts, he asked once again,

    "It seems like you''re not joking, eh? I''ll ask once again, are you two entirely sure about rushing towards your death?"

 Mission Start!

    "Rushing towards our death? Hey! Looks like you also can put out some good jokes! Nevertheless, our answer won''t change." Without a hint of worry, Aniela jested towards Giel.

    Her bright smile spelled no hesitation about facing this perilous deadly mission. And along with Darcel, the two walked up to the bulletin board to claim their mission.

    Each step they took only highlighted their distinct qualities even more. Darcel didn''t bother to glance at anyone else once, taking his eyes off from Giel, only focusing on their upcoming battles.

    Aniela''s eyes casually darted around the mission center. All eyes on the two, she took in with massive strides. Her bubbling excitement only increased with each mock thrown against her.

    Giel and the students did nothing to stop the duo. If they really want to run into death, why should they care enough to stop them? This way too, all of the duo''s hot gas will be blown up to smoke!

    "I wonder if they''ll even make it halfway to the Goblin Nest."

    "Yea, I bet they probably come crawling back to Giel in just a day!"

    Kicking down on seamlessly ignorant and too confident targets would always be a delightful treat for any students there. Darcel and Aniela were one of many with a high amount of pride.

    And like most with this kind of pride, they''ll get slapped back to reality!

    While the students and Giel had their all kinds of disdaining thoughts, Darcel and Aniela walked up to the mission center''s Elder. With the paper in hand, Darcel showed it to a sharp-looking middle-aged man.

    He, of course, was watching the whole exchange between these students. And frankly, the mission Elder didn''t have such a narrow view of the duo like these students.

    Being far more experienced, the mission Elder could tell the duo fight with Gorga and Boldog was a bit more complicated than them suppressing their realms.

    There was an odd premonition that seemed to just naturally radiate from these two. It''s why when he saw Darcel holding the mission in front of his face, the Elder decided to warn them.

    "Must you two go so hard for this? As a fair warning, not even our number ranked initiate students can beat this mission. The number ranks are the cream of the corp at this level, shouldn''t this set some bells off for you two?"

    Now Darcel and Aniela can admit it. They were slightly surprised this Elder did decide to fairly warn the two. Not out of disrespect but because he simply didn''t know of their real prowess.

    Smirking at the Elder, Darcel told him, "The only bells we got were those ranked students seemed to lack our special abilities."

    "Exactly! They are them, and we are we! You''ll also see the eye-opening lesson of our abilities!" Aniela backed Darcel up, blasting out her chipper energy to the mission Elder.

    Looking at the duo''s stubborn, unchanging faces, the mission Elder forced out a sigh. If they still don''t want to listen even after official advice, they can''t complain about meeting a disastrous end.

    "So be it. Take this ring with you. Once you kill Extreme Order to Perfect Order Goblins, this ring will automatically record your achievements." It was a light purple ring that the mission Elder handed out to Darcel.

    Putting the ring on his finger, Darcel could immediately tell this one differs from the average spatial ring. It holds a unique kind of energy, clearly made by ones talented in this kind of field.

    Darcel and Aniela had then taken a look over at each other.

    They ignored all irrelevant comments and focused on their own mental state. With no words spoken, they determinedly nodded and turned to leave the mission center.

    Under disdainful eyes and mocking comments, the duo held their heads up, keeping their calm, even steps while walking. Though when heading out, Darcel and Aniela felt...something.

    They didn''t know what, and the feeling went as soon as it came. It was like the feeling of being silently watched. Barely their eyebrows wrinkled, yet all they really could sense was just these ignorant youths.

    Quickly they pushed this feeling away and continued their track to this apparently dangerous Goblin nest.

    Watching them leave, nobody noticed it, but Giel''s eyes gained an ominous glint. Really for a bunch of nobodies, their arrogance is rather high. But in the end, there are still just a bunch of lucky outsiders.

    Lucky outsiders that Giel was sure no one would miss if they had suddenly disappeared on this mission. His smile turned vicious as he was sure Gorga would receive the ultimate compensation after their mission.

    And unknown to all, even the mission Elder there. A hidden mysterious presence had observed the entire exchange, even down to the ominous intent of Giel¡­

    ¡­.

    Just a few miles away from the Necroptic City, Darcel and Aniela were carefully pacing themselves. From the paper, Darcel picked up it held the directions of exactly where this Goblin nest was.

    And apparently, it was only some miles away from the Necroptic City, just edging near the outskirts of the Necropolis Woods.

    Only a couple of hours passed during their walk out of the city and on a specific path of the vast grassy plains. There weren''t many other humans walking their way, making this a nice pleasant walk.

    Even when their destination would be a not so pleasant place. Thinking more about the Goblin nest, Darcel spoke up to Aniela, saying, "This Goblin nest...these creatures should be wild and barbaric. But they are incredibly useful in stealing human treasures by kidnapping. This is a literal goldmine for us."Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Darcel had a rare excited tone in his voice. How could he not anyways? Since no strong cultivator bothers to wipe these Goblins out, they surely would have accumulated enough resources over their years.

    Resources that are silently waiting for him and Aniela to pick up. This idea had also pepped up Aniela as she told him,

    "Very soon, we''re going to be saying goodbye to that small initiate level room and hello to our expansive middle-level room!" Though she says small, that initiate level room was anything but small.

    "Plus, we''ll be able to efficiently deal with that, Giel. When we come back and take our crystals from him, he for sure won''t let this incident go."

    "If only his brain wasn''t so closed off...then maybe he''ll be able to keep that small face he has left. Sadly he''s just...too...eager!"

    Casually talking like this, the duo soon near the outskirts of the Necropolis Woods. The glossy black woods appeared just a couple of miles from them, but the pair kept their eyes focus.

    Before taking a foot further, the two had stopped dead in their tracks.

    By the map, they were approaching the Goblin nest yet the duo knew better than to rush in. Closing their eyes, they expanded out their Spirit Senses.

    Focusing on the direction leading to the nest, the duo sensed two early order Qi Formation Sea beings hiding well in the glossy black trees.

    The path they were overseeing gave the beings intel on who would dare trek forth there.

    Darcel and Aniela assumed these two beings had to be...goblins! Their signatures weren''t quite like ordinary Spirit Monsters, yet they weren''t as developed as humans.

    Plus, these two were directly on the path leading to the Goblin nest. Basically, spelling out this was the correct way to go.

    And these goblins were going to be the first kill of their mission. Despite being a couple miles away, Aniela still held up two fingers, covering them in a white glow.

    "See if you can track this, Darcy~." Aniela teased out as two small pebbles were entrapped in a white glow. Slowly she made the pebbles float up, and her senses concentrated on those two hiding goblins.

    For only a single second, Aniela went still. Darcel was wondering what this girl was planning when suddenly she had flicked her two white glowing fingers out!

    ''Swish!''

    Only the slight rustling of wind was heard on that plain. But Darcel was quite surprised by Aniela. Focusing his Spirit Sense on those two goblins, there was no sign of life coming from them anymore.

    Silent, fast and deadly!

    Even if it was against pathetically weak early order Qi Formation Sea beings, this kind of attack certainly took precise precision and control.

    "Quickly, let''s go. And nice job, airhead." Darcel told her, and they promptly sped off to the trees with the dead goblins. The distance of a couple of miles was crossed in mere seconds by them.

    Making it to the trees, the duo saw on the ground two dead goblins. Both were quite nasty looking. They had this grotesque green color skin, razor-sharp teeth, and bulging muscular bodies.

    Their heights were only slightly above theirs, and they wore this strange type of green pants.

    The most noticeable thing about them was at the center of their foreheads, was a small bloody hole that shot through their heads.

    "I didn''t think these kinds of creatures would have a base intelligence for keeping lookout...this only getting more interesting," Aniela remarked as she stopped and spread out her Spirit Sense on their current path.

    The duo was now surrounded by the Necropolis trees, but it didn''t mean their visions were limited.

    From just a few meters away, beginning down this path was a small batch of early to middle-order Qi Formation sea goblins.

    Darcel and Aniela traded glances and nodded. With fire blaring at their feet, the two focused extra Qi into their legs.

    ''Hua!''

    With blazing speed, Darcel and Aniela blasted right to the batch of goblins! Instantaneously their eyes soon met with five goblins, all wielding this decently sized green club.

    This group of goblins was just having their daily outing of finding any humans or prey to eat. Until...the air around them became this uncomfortable hot temperature!

    But none of the goblins could question why. Primarily because of two youths appearing out of thin air right in front of their faces! Not a single one could sense or even react to this crazy speed.

    ''Ssssch!!''

    Coating their hands in black fire, Darcel and Aniela fists roar to the two middle-order levels goblin.

    Like these beings were made up of paper, their fire fists brutally tore through mouths, blasting out blood everywhere.

    The raging black flames instantly rampaged through their bodies, quickly frying them inside out.

    Instantly the middle order goblins perished with one move. And the early order goblins were frightened out of their wits! There wasn''t even a chance to scream!

    But their swift nightmare wasn''t over yet.

    Holding out two her fingers, Aniela shot two roaring black fireballs through the early order goblins head. Effortlessly, the goblins died on impact as the black fireballs burned their brains.

    Darcel was more direct with his kill. Using his same speed, he flashed to the other terrified early order goblin. And with his same fist, Darcel tore his fist through the goblin mouth, causing a more bloody kill.

    Taking a moment, the duo felt like a fish in water!

    Cutting loose like this felt refreshing and free. Combined with their rising intent to fight even more of these goblins, Darcel and Aniela knew this was going to be a good time.

    Swiftly their heads snapped up head, and down this long path, the two sensed had now sensed two late orders goblins heading their way.

    These goblins managed to sense two humans there, along with this weird increase in temperature!

    They were just randomly searching, but it seems their luck had gone up today. It was only a shame their thoughts differ from reality.

    The distance between them and the duo was only another few meters. And Darcel and Aniela wonder just how badly will later order beings fare against them.

    ''Hua!''

    Their legs blasted off again with insane speed! This time, the goblins who appeared in the duo''s eyes were slightly larger than the others. But they would still fall the same.

    "Gwa?!?"

    Having a bit faster reaction time than the other goblins, the two late orders did manage to stumble out voices of surprise. The air became too warm, and the aura before them was too mighty!

    Hastily the goblins tried to smack these kids out of their faces. However, how could their pitiful speed compare to the likes of Darcel and Aniela?

    ''Chi!''

    And just like the other goblins, Darcel and Aniela black fire fists pierce through their mouths like tofu. The scorching black fire had immediately run through their entire body.

    With little to no resistance, these late order Goblins died in a single punch.

    "Like I expected, as our cultivation improves, our base prowess will only get stronger," Darcel remarked. At the same time, his Darkness absorbed any dirty blood on him.

    "Still, it seems like the real party begins at that final cave of the goblins. Any Perfect Qi Formation sea group can tear up this place like us. Let''s go!"

    Aniela was getting pumped up the second stretching out her prowess.

    And with one last shared look, the duo blasted down this goblin path, ready to kill any goblins that get in their way.

 Slaughtering Cave

    In well-hidden dark glossy bushes, Darcel and Aniela held each other''s hands that contained their bloodlines. From just a few meters ahead, they were observing a vast, colossal cave.

    This cave was entirely in a molting green color and at the entrance of the cave were three giant goblins. These goblins looked far stronger and deadlier than any other previous ones.

    Their muscles were bulging ripped, their pupils were this light red piercing color, and their faces were horrific. In the goblins'' hand were three specifically made big green clubs.

    The most important note about these goblins was their aura. Their aura couldn''t merely be mentioned in the same sentence from the previous goblins.

    It was far more refined, deep, and powerful! Darcel and Aniela had quickly identified this kind of aura. This was the natural prowess of the Extreme Order level of the Qi Formation Sea!

    From Late Order and after Peak Order, one''s entire being becomes even more in sync with the mystical Profound Qi.

    This allows one prowess to enter an enormous leap, completely suppressing the Peak Order level in every way.

    Now the level of difficulty is massively ramped up! Yet Darcel and Aniela showed no worry. In fact, their eyes were burning even further with unyielding fighting intent.

    Everything was just too effortless when coming here. All Early Order to Peak order goblins drops like flies during their rampage coming here.

    It did feel good to be strong, but the duo wanted more of an exciting challenge.

    And once they came upon these three goblins, they knew they were in for a treat. However, their senses didn''t leave them. They knew it would still be quite foolish to recklessly charge up and start fighting.

    If then, the likelihood of getting swarmed by goblins is nearly a guarantee possibility. This is why, to start off their great battle, the duo wanted to go charge in as fast as possible.

    "Ooohh...I can feel my arm tingling doing this! Definitely, we definitely have to do this method again!" Aniela remarked as she and Darcel felt their bloodline swirl just a tiny bit.

    The sure-fire way to get in quickly was for a surprise combined attack!

    If they were to try and charge up a powerful attack on their own, Darcel held some suspicions that the goblin might be able to sense their mass waves of Profound Qi.

    But together, the duo was able to suppress any power leakage and still gather up enough Profound Qi for a strong attack.

    Moreover, it seemed like their bloodlines were aiding this process going by the little sensation in their arms.

    Looking down at their hands, Darcel finally saw their raging black flames cover their hands entirely. This perfected combination caused a balancing warmth in both the duo bodies.

    Swiftly Darcel and Aniela''s eyes lit up in a battle-hungry glint! The time to fight was now! In sync, they both stood up as Darcel said, "On three...one...two¡­"

    "Three!"

    Aniela was the one that finished for them as they pushed out their hands towards the three goblins.

    Amazingly enough, the whole surrounding was still the same despite the duo flaming hands. But when Aniela dropped the signal,

    ''Sssschh!!''

    Everything was ignited in an utter raging black flaming storm! Blasting out from the duo''s conjoined knuckles was a terrifying massive black fireball!

    And with insane speed, the fireball blitzes straight towards the three unaware goblins.

    Before, the three goblins truly didn''t sense anything out of the ordinary, nor did they find any prey or humans walking nearby. It was a slow day for them.

    Abruptly, out of nowhere did these three goblins pupils suddenly dilated.

    In just a mere second, they felt the situation dramatically shift! Uncontrollable flaming temperature blared out in their area, bringing heat that was too hot even for the goblins.

    And most of all, their bodies locked up from an aura. A terrifyingly powerful aura that flipped their whole world upside down! Barely all the goblins saw was darkness before,

    ''BOOOM!!''

    The massive raging black fireball swallowed the three goblins whole! Black fire burst all around in the forest in a rampaging frenzy. And from the center of the fire did the duo heard,

    ¡°GEAAAHH!!!¡±

    Roaring anguish, death screams of the three goblins blared out in the Necropolis Woods.

    They all were getting flamed alive without even a chance to resist! As their life painfully slipped away from them, none of the three even knew just who had killed them.

    Watching their burning results, Darcel and Aniela had now gained a bit of a feral smile. Still holding hands, Darcel ignited his black flaming aura. And Aniela''s body lit up in a white glow.

    Focusing Profound Qi in their legs, the duo flexed their legs and,

    ''Hua!''

    Only a second after they unleashed their attacks, did the two rush directly in the black flaming entrance! Their own flames didn''t affect them at all since they were protected by their own auras.

    Inside the cave, everything was lit up, thanks to Aniela''s white glow. And the duo had soon gazed upon numerous shocked and surprised giant goblins.

    Goblins, who were all in the middle of gearing up for battle!

    And suddenly, seeing the two humans who dared to cause a huge ruckus and enter their nest, all of the goblins killing intent immediately spiked!

    "DIE!!!"

    Monstrous roars that sounded distorted and rough bounced off the cave walls. Promptly dozens of ferocious powerful auras zeroed in on Darcel and Aniela, bringing upon a bit of pressure.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    From Late Order to Extreme Order and even a far beyond prowess. The Supreme Order level! This kind of entrapment would be tough for even a Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea cultivator.

    However, Darcel and Aniela were just two steps ahead of these goblins. Their faces gained a devious smirk, and their conjoined hands tightened. Before any of the goblins could move, the duo began frantically spinning!

    All the goblins saw was a circular blur of black fire, and they felt a massive increase in temperature and aura! These two humans'' speed was unbelievable! Even the Supreme Order goblins had trouble tracking them.

    But no matter what kind of speed they had, they were in their turf now! The goblins forcefully ignored the heat as their bodies began to move. Alas, as soon as they moved a single joint,

    ''Ssssch!!''

    Waves and waves of scorching black flames spewed out of the frantically spinning duo! Just before rushing into the cave, their Profound Qi was already preparing for this attack.

    And compared to the last time performing this attack, their fire waves were all massively bigger and far more potent. The moving goblins could only open their eyes in utter shock.

    ''Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang!''

    "GWEAAH!!"

    Continuous pained roars and shrieks echoed throughout the entire cave. From late Order to Extreme Order, the goblins were getting shredded by their black flames.

    All of their bodies were ruthlessly torn through like fragile paper. And when an Extreme Order goblin would die, unknown to Darcel, his purple ring would lit up slightly.

    The seven Supreme Order goblins were violently struggling to resist these flames. Their Profound Qi swirled crazily in an attempt to clash with these raging flames.

    Only these flames were simply too powerful! They didn''t die like the others, but nearly all of their Profound Qi was drained, and their bodies coarse with fiery pain.

    "Now that''s what I''m talking about! A tough will to survive to the very end! Let''s give them a special reward Darcy~." Booming into their ears was the human girl''s sweet and soft voice.

    Though no matter how sweet it was. It only sounded like an angel of death and pain to the Supreme Order goblins! They struggle to turn their heads to the duo only to hear the human boy speak up, saying,

    "After this, I wonder how long those Perfect Orders will last¡­"

    Still holding hands, Aniela, this time, only pointed out one finger. Her and Darcel''s faces were brightened with enthusiasm as they performed utter slaughter.

    The massive swarm of goblins that would admittedly give any Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea groups problems was mowed down like grass under their combined attacks.

    They did have to expand a bit of extra Profound Qi to achieve this result, but it was all worth it. Plus, with waves of adrenaline pumping in their veins, they didn''t even feel the slight energy loss.

    And when Aniela pointed her finger to the seven goblins, the duo excitement only climbed! While with the goblins...they saw a glowing white finger of death!

    In a desperate rush, the goblins all swirl their blood. Their last hope, until the bosses came, was to burn their blood essence! But right when they were going to bite their tongue,

    ''Chi!''

    Numerous whitish black fire lines blitz out of Aniela''s finger! The goblins had a split decision to make. Burn their blood essence quicking than her attack or try to hastily defend.

    And with determined glares, the goblins went ahead with trying to bite their tongues!

    When their teeth struck hard on their tongues, blood crazily spurted out, but waves of frantic power fueled their bodies in a split second.

    For this very second, the goblins thought they would stand a chance. Their only mistake in this line of thought? They grossly underestimated the combined speed of Darcel and Aniela.

    "GEAH?!?"

    As soon as the power came, a terrifying burning sensation ripped their whole bodies. Furthermore, their bodies felt tightly wrapped up, crushing their steel-like bones.

    Their raging power surge clashed with Darcel and Aniela''s combined attack. For a second, the goblins felt as if their powers would even out.

    But it was all futile.

    Darcel and Aniela already injured them heavily from their last attack, giving the Supreme Order goblins with little Profound Qi to defend themselves.

    Even with burning their blood essence, they all were too critically injured to contend against a fully powered up Darcel and Aniela.

    Soon their bodies couldn''t move anymore, and the goblins finally saw just what was crushing their bodies.

    Numerous whitish black fire lines wrapped around all of their bodies like a spider web! The fear of death rocked all of their goblins'' minds as they fruitlessly tried to go against the duo.

    Looking at these goblins'' current state, Darcel was impressed by how quickly they got them to near death. Fresh blood dribbles down from their heads and bodies, painting their bodies in this gross green-red mix.

    Sensing four giant beings barreling straight towards them, Darcel decided to finish this. Pointing a single finger out, he said,

    "Burn."

    ''Chi!''

    Seven roaring black fire balls blitzed out of his finger and sailed straight to the goblins'' heads. And all the Supreme Order goblins could do but silently watch as death approached them.

    ''Bang!''

    With several sickening impacts, seven Supreme Order goblins heads erupted in raging black fires. In a ruthless, cruel fashion, the seven died without even a chance to shriek in pain.

    Dispersing her lines, Aniela let the goblins'' corpses smack into the ground. And Darcel''s purple ring began flashing once again.

    Though they didn''t pay attention to this, as their eyes darted back to the second entrance.

    They could''ve sworn they sensed the upcoming arrival of several beings.

    "DIE!!"

    However, they couldn''t put much thought into this as four ferocious distorted goblin roars came barreling to them. The ground shook with their wild steps, and heavy auras came crashing down on the duo.

    Their prowess was of the Perfect Order level! Darcel and Aniela let their hands go as they now wanted to expand all of their abilities. Soon they saw the four creatures.

    Four giant raging goblins, dawning the most fearsome appearance, came rushing at them. In these goblins, hands as well were spiky green clubs that had dried blood stains on them.

    The duo''s battle barely even lasted a minute. Yet when they arrived, all of their men were charred corpses! These humans need to be put down right now!

    Smirking at their charges, Darcel and Aniela shot out two black fireballs from their fingertips.

    "Geh!"

    And surprisingly, this time, their fireballs barely had any effect on the goblins. In a quick reaction, the Perfect Order goblins had batted away their black fireballs with a mere swipe of their clubs.

    Though they didn''t damage the goblins, they did achieve their desired results. Two goblins specifically zeroed in on Darcel, and two zeroed in on Aniela.

    Speedily the goblins jumped up above the duo, raising their clubs high in their air.

    Despite their massive sizes, the goblins were in no shape or form slow. With blaring killing intent, the goblins swung down with mighty force!

    ''Bang!''

    The whole cave rumbled when their attacks struck only empty grounds¡ªspider webs like cracked formed on the ground through their swings'' sheer force.

    Darcel and Aniela were actually quite impressed with this kind of speed and power. They jumped back only a few meters as their bloodline began roaring in excitement.

    "Let''s turn it up, Darcy!" Aniela boldly proclaimed as she and Darcel began surging their Profound Qi in a specific motion.

    ''Whir!''

    On full blast, the duo aura fiercely clashes against the goblins! The air swirled in a storm and the temperature arisen to burning degrees. Before the Perfect Order goblins'' very eyes, they had witnessed a magical sight.

    Covering Darcel''s hands were long black flaming claws that extended three meters wide. In both of Aniela''s hands were long black flaming whips that stretched for four meters wide.

    From their previous cultivating session, did they manage to expand upon their black flames manipulation. Darcel could form more tight-knit things around his body while Aniela was still a long ranger.

    The two now went all out with creating these flaming weapons causing the goblins to regard them even more seriously.

    But even if their aura did match them, these humans will still die today! Their eyes filled with killing intent as mass waves of Profound Qi frantically surge in their bodies.

    Darcel and Aniela were at peak excitement, and Darcel struct out his black flaming claw hand to the goblins saying,

    "We finish this now!"

 Perfect Order Fights

    Neither human nor goblins moved a single muscle. The rising tension to kill one another permeated throughout the entire cave. Only for just one second did everything come to be a complete standstill.

    Darcel roaring black fire claws sizzle with violent intensity enhancing his deadly prestige. Aniela''s two black fire whips slightly sway in the fiery air in a rhythmic motion, highlighting her state of eagerness.

    It was clear as day to the duo they''ll be able to fully enjoy themselves for a little bit. Moreover, they couldn''t help but get even more excited once seeing the goblins'' severe expressions.

    While the duo was treating this like a great exercise, the four goblins knew their life is at the line here. Even with a low-level mind, they had enough instinctive awareness to know when they are in danger.

    Suddenly, once that single second was up, Darcel''s and Aniela''s eyes brightened for action! They didn''t need to signal each other as Darcel tightened his legs, and Aniela grit her whips.

    And in complete sync,

    ''Hua!''

    Darcel blasted off to the goblins with tremendous speeds! And along the rushing, Darcel was Aniela''s two fire whips, matching Darcel''s exact speed.

    "Gweh!!"

    In the face of the insanely quick Darcel, the goblins unleashed a mighty battle cry. Darcel had managed to near them in an instant, yet the two goblins held the reaction speed to counter.

    With extreme precision and speed, the two goblins swung their massive clubs down at the puny human, breaking away the air itself.

    The heat of Darcel''s claws didn''t affect them much, and at his distance, it was impossible for him to dodge!

    And the goblins were right; Darcel had no way to dodge.

    But with a fierce glint in his eyes, he was never planning on dodging in the first place! Pouring more Profound Qi into his claws, Darcel grabbed at the goblins mighty clubs.

    Both sides were speed had nearly equaled out, and in a shocking twist,

    ''BANG!''

    Darcel''s raging black fire claws managed to tightly clutch the goblins'' massive clubs! Immediately the goblins went wide-eyed since there never had been a human who could match their strength!

    The two poured nearly all of their Profound Qi in this one swing. What should''ve been a bloody meat past of a human was instead tightly clutching their clubs, causing slight cracks in them.

    Though Darcel made it look easy, his arms and hands were ringing from this frontal collision. In terms of pure bodily strength, he''s nowhere near close to these goblins. But his unique Qi gave him that physical edge.

    Still, once Darcel had witnessed the moment of shock on the goblins'' faces, he knew he had a prime opportunity.

    Instantaneously, pure Darkness Qi formed in his mouth, causing a black shadow to appear over his lips.

    And wasting no time at all, Darcel spat out a giant orb of Darkness Qi at the goblins surprised faces! Out of all the attacks Darcel could do, neither goblins expected him to suddenly spit at them!

    "Gwee?!"

    With a sickening splash, the Darkness Qi spit blasted their faces.

    However, it didn''t do any damage? The goblins were slightly puzzled by no accompanying feeling of pain, but instead, they promptly experienced something far different.

    Abruptly a multitude of different emotions clouded their minds from rage to lust and sadness. A confusing mix of negative emotions to positive emotions caused the goblins'' minds to become enraptured.

    And this allows Darcel to give these grotesque creatures a taste of his real fire! Clutching their clubs even harder, Darcel willed more of his Darkness Profound Qi into his black flame claws.

    ''Ssssch!!''

    When doing so, Darcel''s black flame claws became frantically wild in intensity! Focusing up, even more, Darcel had then willed his raging black flames to spread out the goblins clubs.

    Smoothly like wildfire, the black flames swiftly spread from goblins clubs to their massive thick arms.

    Previously and for any other attacks, these Perfect Order goblins'' natural defenses would be able to handle Darcel''s base heat.

    But now? With the goblins mind not at the right place plus Darcel''s putting forth more concentrated and controlled fire, it caused,

    "GWAARGH!!!"

    Tremendous searing pain to spread out to both of the goblins! The sensation of getting roasted by incomparable lava heated flames was too much, even for these mighty goblins.

    Adding on to their already messed up mental state, this action caused the goblins to...snap. Before the black flames could consume their whole bodies, the goblins'' eyes had abruptly shined in entirely red light!

    "Geargh!!"

    In this berserk state, the goblins forcefully broke their clubs free of Darcel''s powerful claws! And with the black flames only raging about on their arms, the goblins swung with feral intensity at Darcel.

    Now the goblins speed had far surpassed their previous ones.

    This time, they had even forced Darcel to regard this attack seriously. Hastily he was the one that had to cross his claws over his face as the clubs sailed towards him.

    ''BANG!''

    Just barely blocking the goblin''s berserk swings, Darcel got sent skidding back for a few meters. Gritting his teeth, Darcel kept his body upright and didn''t let himself get flung into a wall.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    His arms were left feeling numb, and when he had stopped skidding, Darcel felt a familiar warm presence skid right next to him.

    Just right when Darcel had clashed with the goblins, Aniela took on a different fighting method. Her whips had evenly matched the mighty goblins swing of their clubs.

    When they had first clashed, Aniela got a feel for their strength.

    Smirking, she recalled her whips, allowing the goblins to frantically rush at her. Their giant steps crossed the distance in a manner of seconds, swiftly arriving near Aniela.

    And using the same speed, the goblins swung their powerful clubs to the still Aniela. Of course, the goblin thought Aniela was just too slow to react. But her next step caused utter shock in their minds.

    Her feet dazzled with her signature white glow. Right when the clubs neared a spec of hair, Aniela had nimbly jumped right on one of the goblin''s club! And not even a split second later did she jump off the club.

    Simentousnaly while jumping, Aniela willed her black flaming whips to wrap around the goblin''s club.

    In a mid-air position, Aniela gained a broad smile. Clutching her hands before the goblins could react, she crossed her hands!

    Down below, the goblins couldn''t believe Aniela can dodge so agilely. Furthermore, they didn''t even realize that a black flaming whip wrapped around their clubs until it was too late.

    Without moving on their own, the goblins'' momentum of their attacks had suddenly shifted. In their eyes, their green clubs met each other''s faces.

    They held no other options, and with a loud thump, the two had smashed their clubs on each other faces. Getting hit by basically their own attacks caused the goblins to be slightly stunned.

    Even as tough as these Perfect Order goblins were, they couldn''t easily shrug off a blow from another Perfect Order goblin. It was like several bells went off in their heads, and Aniela found her perfect opportunity.

    With precise control, Aniela aimed her whips at the most vulnerable and softest part of most being bodies. Their large protruding, slightly red eyes! In their position, the goblins only saw a dash of black fire before,

    "GWAARG!!!"

    Pain beyond anything they felt before wracked their entire head. Tremendous heat had sizzled in their eyes, utterly burning it from the inside out. This type of pain caused the goblins to immediately snap.

    Their other good eyes had glowed entirely red as the goblins fell into an enraged berserk state. The pain of their eyes burning was forcefully pushed down, and goblin berserk power welled up inside them.

    Faster than any of their previous speed, the goblins dashed over and swung their mighty clubs to the airborne Aniela. At their state, Aniela was similarly forced into a defensive position.

    Hurriedly she swirled her black flaming whips in a circular motion. Her speed was still fast but,

    ''BANG!''

    The large green clubs had ruthlessly struck her whips. Aniela was forced back on the ground skidding back as she felt her arms become numb from two powerful swings.

    Gritting her teeth, she used her Profound Qi to keep herself upright and not crash into any walls. And after a few meters of skidding, Aniela had also felt a familiar warm presence just to her side.

    Lowering their arms down, the duo saw the goblins coming at them with berserk speed. Absolutely feeling it now, Darcel and Aniela decided it was time to put everything to rest!

    During the goblins mad rushed, a dangerous, deadly feeling tore into their minds. They didn''t know what suddenly caused this until their bodies had instinctively frozen up out of nowhere.

    ''Whir!!''

    Two tremendous auras spewed out in the entire cave! The goblins had bear witness to another wondrous sight. An enchanting, elegant mix of black and white exuded out of the duo, unleashing their bloodlines.

    In shock, watching these youths, they finally realized what that deadly feeling was and why their bodies had locked up. This aura...their aura, it was grand, majestic, and, most of all, powerful!

    Under their black and white light, the four Perfect Order goblins felt small and weak. Cold sweat poured down their faces, and their legs were trembling a bit.

    What is this? Never before have any humans made them feel like this! All other Perfect Order Qi Formation sea humans that dared to come here always ended running with a tail between their legs.

    Some were even unlucky enough to perish here. But even for the strongest of Perfect Order Qi Formation sea humans, none could even be mentioned in the same sentence as these two!

    And during their awe gazes, it was then the four goblins heard a sweet hypnotic voice of death and commanding enchanting voice of death.

    "Ahhh, no matter how many times, this form feels great! Even these silly little goblins can appreciate our aura!" Aniela felt refreshed like she was standing on clouds. That numb feeling in her arm had just gone away.

    "And since they can appreciate it so much... let''s give them a fair taste of our aura." Darcel similarly felt on cloud nine. Plus, his arm was completely fine, like Aniela.

    ''Hua!''

    Suddenly Darcel and Aniela had vanished from the goblins'' sight! Their speed had now turned nearly instantaneous! But the goblins didn''t have to wait long at all to see where the duo was.

    In a black and white flash did these two majestic youths popped right in front of their faces. Their enhanced berserk state meant absolutely nothing in the face of this broken speed.

    Darcel''s back flaming claws flashed towards his two goblins clubs. With ease, he tightly clutched the massive green clubs and willed black flames to spread all on it.

    The two goblins had to immediately let go of their clubs since it was far too hot to touch now. And in merely two seconds did their terrifying-looking clubs melted into a black bubbling pool!

    "Geh!!"

    The goblins, for their part, didn''t let this bother them. Gather all of their Profound Qi, they fiercely struck out their huge fists towards Darcel.

    But it all was a fruitless struggle.

    ''Chi!''

    Merciless, Darcel swung his black flaming claws down and shredded the goblins'' hands to bloody bits! Chunks of fresh blood spewed out in the ground, along with the goblins meaty flesh.

    Yet Darcel wasn''t done.

    Before the goblins had even a chance to roar out in pain, Darcel plunged each of his claws into the two goblins'' large heads! Smooth like butter did Darcel sink his black flaming claws in their heads.

    Instantly the goblin''s heads were wrapped with intense fire, dying on the spot as their brains were torn and melted.

    Aniela was just as direct with killing. While Darcel shredded the goblins with his claws, she had wrapped her black flaming whips around the clubs.

    Effortlessly she yanked the clubs out of her two goblins hands, causing awe confusion for them. Those clubs at least weighed hundreds of pounds, yet this girl handled them like they were feathers!

    In the goblins'' confusion, Aniela smirked and fiercely swung down their own clubs at them!

    ''BANG!''

    The clubs had shattered from Aniela''s sheer force, and the goblins felt their heads nearly split open. Blood poured down their faces, yet their eyes still remained on Aniela.

    In utter defiance of losing so easily, the goblins had gathered a mass wave of Profound Qi in their mouths. Swiftly they snapped their mouths open in an attempt to unleash a mighty roar.

    However, they only left themselves wide open for Aniela. Faster than the goblins, she launched her two black flaming whips inside the goblins mouths.

    ''Ssssch!!''

    Raging, powerful black flames burned the Perfect Order goblins inside and out! Their roars of anguished pain were silenced by Aniela''s whip. And in only a couple of seconds did another pair of goblins fall to the duo.

    Standing next to each other, Darcel and Aniela watched as the four Perfect Order goblins corpses smack into the ground. Turning their bloodlines arms off, the duo gained a satisfied smirk after this battle.

    "Fighting seriously like this...I didn''t expect to be this powerful¡­" Darcel remarked, though he felt slight exhaustion.

    Aniela was feeling a drain as well, but her chipper energy couldn''t disappear as she told Darcel,

    "We''re becoming so much of a surprise to even ourselves! But now that they''re dead, how about we go and collect our waited treasures?"

 Na?ve Approach

    Lightly lighting up the goblin cave again, Darcel and Aniela could now take the time to observe it''s...peculiar design. Oddly enough, just like the outside of the cave, the walls here were in this dry molting green color.

    Furthermore, dried dark red blood stains cover patches of the wall and ground.

    Definitely, this place wasn''t something for the faint of heart. Just this mere ominous design could easily terrify someone from wanting to come in here.

    "Oh? Eh? Darcy! Some of these goblins'' heads are just completely gone!" Aniela pointed out first once, glancing at the goblins charred corpses. Upon dozens of them, some really were noticeable without heads.

    Darcel and Aniela knew how they kill. It was all either roasting them alive or shredding their bodies apart. Not even for the Perfect Order goblins did they remove their heads, yet their heads were also suddenly gone!

    It was then Darcel remembered the slight fluctuation that came from his hand. Looking down at this purple ring, Darcel had finally decided to see just what in it.

    Promptly his eyes were in for a huge surprise. From Extreme Order to the Perfect Order, several goblins'' heads floated around in the ring. And on each goblins head ran down varying purple lines.

    If it was an Extreme Order goblin, the lines would be light purple. Supreme Order was a regular shade of purple, and then there was the Perfect Order.

    These were the most eye-catching since they had the deepest shade of dark purple, plus their lines had also dazzled a bit.

    This was...odd?

    Darcel didn''t understand this at first until he sensed the auras of these goblins.

    Just slightly but still noticeable, did these goblins carry the remnant aura of their previous prowess before death! Basically, this told Darcel their proof and evidence for clearing this mission couldn''t be faked.

    While drawing this conclusion, Darcel did have to wonder just who was the person that created this ring. It seemed far too, well...magical! And the possibility of it being a mages work shouldn''t be far off from the mark.

    After all, from what he could tell, mages have more varied miscellaneous powers compared to cultivators. Pushing these thoughts down, however, Darcel told Aniela,

    "It''s this...weird ring. Apparently, it transported the goblin''s heads in here once they were dead and even kept a tiny portion of their remnant aura to confirm their previous prowess."

    "Ah! So there''s no way for the Elder to accuse us of cheating!...Yet, those poor ignorant students. This will be too much of a pill to swallow that they might think something strange compared to reality."

    Aniela exaggeratedly sighed while shaking her head. The duo already knows completing this mission will only further shroud their prowess in mystery. But being mysterious, for a little while, isn''t such a bad thing.

    "Once this mission is over, and we collect our crystals from that fool, Giel. I''m afraid the Academy will only be further shrouded in mystery about our prowess...for now, where do you think those goblins store their treasures?"

    Darcel''s eyes were darting at specific corners of the cave. With all the goblin''s charred corpses lying around, it was difficult to accurately spot well-hidden places.

    Well, at least for Darcel, it was difficult since he promptly heard Aniela say, "Umm...I think I found it, Darcy! This ordinary ignorable rock is just odd to me."

    His eyes snapped to Aniela, who was off to the cave''s left side, dusting off an inconspicuous rock after moving a charred goblin corpse off from it. This girl''s intuition truly is something.

    "If you think this is it, then turn over, and let''s find out," Darcel told her while walking up to this spot. Still, even when he tried specifically sensing this spot, Darcel didn''t find anything out of the ordinary.

    Grinning at Darcel, Aniela flipped the rock, and the duo was immediately taken by a slight surprise. Just like Aniela had guessed, there were five blue spatial rings, all having different degrees of condition.

    Two of them had small cracks running along on its surface while the other three were still stained with blood, supporting larger cracks. But despite their condition, the duo''s eyes had sparked up when seeing the rings.

    They took each ring and inspected inside of them. The process was swift, and a broad smile had soon formed on the duo''s faces. Everything they needed right now was stuffed inside these five rings.

    "To all those Perfect Order youths that fell before us. Their rings are now going to be put in good use!  Though... it''s kind of a shame there''s no special weapons or strong talisman in here."

    Aniela remarked while shoving two rings inside her pockets. Darcel took the remaining three while telling her, "Given the line up in this cave? These guys probably have no other option than to waste everything. Thankfully we got to these crystals before those goblins did."

    The duo was feeling elevated. This mission was a huge roaring success, plus it was filled with adrenaline-pumping moments! With no more reason to stay, the pair were starting to walk out of the cave.

    Only their footsteps had suddenly stopped.

    Their eyebrows wrinkled, and that familiar feeling of arrival had gotten significantly closer now. Truly some group was trying to spy and intercept them!

    But now that the two could take the time and focus on this group''s prowess, Darcel and Aniela formed back their smirks. Just another foolish Perfect Order group.

    At the entrance of the cave, the group had soon revealed themselves. Four young-looking boys had halted their way. They were donned in fancy red ropes with a design of the legendary Roc beast on it.

    Even if you didn''t know where they come from, one could tell they have a healthy background just by their clothes. Though on their faces wasn''t the usual calm and utmost confidence, most youths at their ages have.

    Instead, their faces were kindly smiling though the duo could notice a small dosage of distress. Obviously, before they came here, these four looked like they were in a dilemma.

    A dilemma the duo guessed was related to them. Moreover, the two picked up on this subtle, faint hostile feeling. As if these four will spring into action at any given moment.

    Before Darcel and Aniela could say anything, though, the boy in the middle had promptly started to speak, using an amicable tone in his voice.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    "You two...you guys are really powerful! Somehow you managed to kill every goblin here and still look unscathed. I''m sure as hell even we couldn''t achieve this result!"

    The boy''s tone sounded a bit forceful, but he was genuine in believing these two cleared this goblin nest. It was only just he, and the other boys missed out on a substantial crucial detail.

    All they saw and felt when coming here were powerful surges of attacks.

    They were on the same mission as the two but being far slower, they only walked upon a trail of dead goblins dying with no signs of a struggle.

    Furthermore, in this cave, some goblins heads were mission or looked to have varying degrees of mangled corpses. Two Middle Orders kids couldn''t achieve this.

    For even themselves, they knew it was impossible to achieve this kind of prowess at their level.

    But now it made a bit more sense in their minds when observing the duo. These two were from the Zakira Academy! That prestigious Academy that''s essentially the richest in the whole City!

    So they must have some sort of background and brought powerful talismans, weapons. Meaning they also must have crystals!

    Sensing their realms, it made more sense than these two having defying jumping prowess.

    Now it was time for them to test their luck. And if worse come to worse, then no matter what these kids have, they will have nothing that can match their speeds!

    If they caused too much trouble resisting, they wouldn''t even have the chance to know how they die...

    "Ah! Why, thank you! It warms my heart to see other teens our age appreciate our talents. But...what are you four are actually after for?" Aniela asked as she and Darcel slowly walked up to the four.

    Seemed like these boys were blissfully unaware of how past Zakira Academy students had failed on this mission if they thought they used something other than their real prowess.

    The duo managed to deduce this just from the boy simply saying ''somehow.''

    If they had indeed seen what they could do then, Darcel and Aniela were a hundred percent sure these four wouldn''t dare go near them.

    But since their merely ignorant, then Darcel and Aniela didn''t mind in the slightest about taking¡­'' extra rewards.''

    "Oh us? Well...surely you two found some hidden rewards here? Being fellow youths in the same generation, it wouldn''t hurt to share and gain some new friends, right?" The boy on the far right had suddenly spoken up.

    And, upon doing so, it was time for them to test the waters. Silently all four of these boys leaked out their Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea aura! They all zeroed in on the duo and waited for their reaction.

    Depending on whether or not that boy or girl goes for a spatial ring tells them whether or not they would need to fight or not.

    It was a bit of a tense moment; however, all the duo did was creased their eyebrows.

    Well, Darcel creased in thinking how foolish these kids were. But Aniela, she found something odd. Compared to the usually blunt Darcel, she could pick up on and read feelings in voices far better.

    Before the action started, she willed a portion of her soul into her voice and curiously asked, "So eager to make some friends! But...I couldn''t help but notice. You all are perhaps a bit too over eager for crystals? Even after guessing what we can do, why the sudden rush?"

    This voice...her voice, it started to become...angelic! Before when she talked, the boys felt it was soft and pleasant to listen to. But suddenly, it just went on a whole other level of holiness!

    Their minds buzzed with tender sensation, letting their guards relax some. Judging by how they tensed up, they could spot they most likely are very limited or ran out of special artifacts or talisman.

    And the leader boy didn''t feel any harm talking to them more. Though he was a bit confused. "Aren''t students in the Zakira Academy talking up a storm about the upcoming labyrinth expedition? We Qi Formation Sea youths need to hurriedly increase our prowess until then!"

    Common knowledge and news for these groups of boys was entirely new information for the duo. Because of their less than well-received reputation, they genuinely haven''t got a chance to know about this.

    Nevertheless, it still was all the more interesting. In a chipper, excited tone Aniela had then asked,

    "Ohh! We have heard about that during our walks! But just when will this expedition start?" Aniela had achieved a perfect, welcoming, friendly vibe towards these boys.

    Her big black eyes sparkled in the dimly lit cave, and her bright expression even made the boys want to smile.

    Even if Aniela looks wasn''t on some excellent beauty level, her cute personality made her far more endearing.

    The boys nearly even forgot they were just now trying to rob and potentially even kill this duo.

    "Ah, well, it''s going to begin in two weeks or so...if you don''t know, we hail from the Quicksilver Roc sect. And if you give us about...eighty percent of your rewards, I can promise you we''ll lend you our aid on this expedition!"

    It was like clockwork for Aniela as she made people who still held malicious intentions make them want to partner up with them. Alas, it was a shame Darcel and Aniela got what they needed from these four.

    "Hooh, we''ve been quite busy during our time at the Academy. So thanks for providing this useful update. But honestly, eighty percent is quite steep. Your arrogance in this...it must be because of some sort of backing? It''s almost pitiful how naive you all are."

    Darcel''s words were straightforward, and his voice held an undertone mocking one.

    He singles handily put a damper on their whole moods. For his first words spoken, he''s quite the bold one. But, his bravado...this is undoubtedly just a bunch of hot gas to scare them off.

    The boys'' smiles turned a bit more violent as they increased their aura leakage more. Looking straight at Darcel, the leading boy said,

    "You''re brasher than your friend...but really. What sort of backing do we need to deal with the likes of two Middle Orders? We''re naive? Answer me this then, do you really think you have enough talisman or whatever artifacts to beat us now?"

    "Better question! Tell us, what kind of devious plans do you have for us if we don''t have anything but still don''t comply?" Strangely enough for the boys, Aniela never let her smile go as if she was in no danger.

    "No matter what tricks you have, can it compare to the speed of a Roc? No one in the City can match our sect speeds! Now you have two options, peacefully fork over your rewards and don''t say a word to this to anyone if you don''t want the wrath of a True Soul Core genius. Or resist and die."

    The leading boy plainly laid it out to them. Seeing the duo get increasingly aggressive, all previous pretenses about helping each other were off.

    Though they weren''t ruthless, they can''t help it if these two foolishly try to resist.

    Clearly now, Darcel and Aniela can sense the boy''s leakage of killing intent! Frankly, for even other Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea youths, the boys'' threat would''ve been effective.

    Unfortunately for them, this was Darcel and Aniela. And were they just mere doormats that they thought they could walk over?

    ''Whir!''

    Darker than the abyss blackness, and blinding dazzling of white mixed together spewing out an enchanting color combination! The boys had seen Darcel''s arm lit up black, and Aniela''s arm lit up white.

    This magical scene was only crushed by one major factor.

    The all-mighty powerful aura that pressed down on the boys like a hundred mountains! Fear enveloped the boys realized a vast mistake in how these two killed all those goblins.

    They simply have no need for talisman or artifacts!

    Their aura was like meeting a whole new world. They were angelic, holy, divine, all kinds of blessed description combined into one. And the worst part was their eyes bearing into their very souls.

    Without even the duo moving, the boys got hitched in their throats, their legs became a bit wobbly, and their pupils dilated.

    "Wait! Wait! Wait! Don''t kill us! Don''t-Don''t yo-" As the leading boy tried to plead, an dramatic, massive increase in temperature had cut him off.

    ''Ssscch!!''

    The blaring sizzling sound of fire swift past the leading boy ears. He picked up on a sickening crunch like a body was getting punctured. Yet he didn''t hear any screams.

    Slowly the leading boy turned to his other partners. And immediately, he felt his body run cold once seeing two of his partners state.

    On the far right and left, both boys had a black fire hole of where their chest used to be.

    Their corpse smacked into the group as the leading boy frightfully turned back to the duo. Who both held a single finger out and at the tip was ignited by black flames.

    Smirking at the last remaining boys'' expression, Darcel told them,

    "You two have only one option. Roll over and die."

 Mist

    There weren''t words to describe the unending feeling of dread that swelled inside the last two remaining Quicksilver Roc sect disciples. Their partners...they weren''t even given a chance to resist!

    This speed, it caused massive waves in the last two boys'' minds. They couldn''t believe it, they wanted to refuse it happen, but undeniably, it may just barely match their speeds!

    Still, even for a fast surprise attack, this was simply too broken. What helped Darcel and Aniela also was the lack of natural tough skin humans don''t have compared to those robust Perfect Order goblins.

    The duo smirked as they watched dread and terror permeate their faces. Since they wanted to rob and even kill them, why should they show any mercy?

    The stagnant feeling and dreadful sensation of taking another human''s life were squashed long ago before Darcel and Aniela arrived on this planet.

    Though while they aimed their fingers at the last two, something changed.

    Quite surprisingly, what appeared to be faint orange wings in a Qi form had immediately sprouted out of the disciples'' backs. The boys fought against their tremendous natural feeling of instinctive danger.

    If they''re going to fight, they won''t be taken down by mere surprise attacks! Their utmost confidence in their speeds shined the most dazzling here. And under the duo''s eyes, they vanished from their spots.

    So, this was their last ultimate trump card?

    Both Darcel and Aniela thought as their senses still had a locked on the two. Admittedly their speed was quite good, but the final outcome won''t change; the two already predicted it.

    To his left, Darcel sensed and felt the air swirl in a chaotic frenzy. Swiftly his head snapped to the left only to see a unique short sword sailing to his head at breakneck speeds.

    The air split apart from this speed, and the leading boy held utmost confidence in believing Darcel can''t dodge this attack. His smile grew broader, but it had suddenly frozen in place.

    Abruptly, the temperature once again dramatically arisen in degrees! And being at such close proximity with this heat, the leading boy speed began to slow down.

    The boy couldn''t even notice his decrease in speed when pure black flames crossed into his vision.

    ''Sssch!''

    Like his sword was a piece of plastic, a black flaming claw tightly clutched on to it!

    The leading boy was dumbfounded. His weapon, it isn''t possible to touch it under any circumstances! Its materials were just that high class.

    Plus, how the hell did this guy even react to his instantaneous Roc like speed! With this black flaming claw holding him in place, the boy''s eyes soon met with the smirking dreadful Darcel.

    Simultaneously, when the leading boy went to attack, the other boy went to Aniela''s right side. His speed was similarly instantaneous as a short silver sword near Aniela''s face.

    And Aniela''s eyes sparked with a harsh light. She decided, for this time, to finish this quickly by being honest and direct! This boy''s speed is good...but she''s even faster!

    Faster than Quicksilver Roc boy, Aniela dodged his short silver sword and tightly grabbed his arm. The hand she used to hold him was her mighty bloodline arm.

    Like tofu, Aniela''s hand had sunk into the boy''s arms, causing blood to spurt out of him.

    "Ack!"

    The boy grunted in extreme pain from having Aniela''s hand tear into his flesh. Not only did she manage to outspeed him, but this grip of her, what the hell kind of bodily strength is this?!

    However, his train of surprise thought got quickly interrupted. The boy''s world was suddenly shifted on its entire head.

    ''Sssch!!''

    All at once, a searing flaming pain spread throughout his whole body! Whitish black flames raged on him, bringing about an misery that he never thought was possible.

    "AA-"

    His attempted screams of pain were immediately cut off since his throat erupted in hellish flames. Regret and hopelessness filled his mind; they should''ve never both with these two terrifying youths¡­

    That momentary roar of pain occurred at the exact same time Darcel had clutched the leading boy sword. Even if the shout was short, the pure raw pain his partner felt was still transmitted.

    For a brief second, his will nearly collapsed. That shout of pain, could that even be him in a little bit? And for this boy''s unspoken question, Darcel decided to give him a physical response.

    ''Chi!''

    "GAHHHHH!!"

    Tremendous, hellish pain sparked through the leading boy''s head once a black flaming claw ruthlessly plunged into his eye. Fresh blood squirted into the air mixing with the hellfire black flames.

    And the pain of getting pierced in the air wasn''t the boy''s only nightmare. The sickening daze of emotions ranging from lust, rage, and sorrow buzzed in his mind like a fierce storm!Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    For only a couple of seconds, the leading boy thought an eternity passed under Darcel''s claw. Despite going all out, he still manages to end up pathetic, just like his other two partners.

    Letting go of the boy''s short silver sword, Darcel ended his life by flicking a black fireball at his skull. And just on impact did the Quicksilver Roc boy die from his head melting on the inside.

    Two sickening thumps sounded out in the cave as the two boy''s corpses crashed into the ground at the same time. With just minimal effort, did Darcel and Aniela kill off another Perfect Order Qi Formation sea group.

    Though the duo wasn''t focused on this achievement. Looking down at the leading boy corpse, he was happy to see a blue spatial ring adorning his finger.

    "Thankfully, before he burned to a crisp, I got his ring out of there! Darcy, with their combined total, we once again made another profit in crystals!" Aniela bubbly told him while collecting two of the boys'' rings.

    She was feeling a bit more drained now. Still, her natural stamina wasn''t low at all to simply lose her vibrant energy. Darcel was a feeling more drain as well while he took the other boys'' last two spatial rings.

    But his stamina was also relatively high to keep going. Smirking, he said to Aniela, "Ignorance sure is bliss. Our rewards have essentially tripled since starting this mission. Now then, shall we return?"

    "Mnh! I''m eager to see how wide eyes those youths can get." Walking shoulder to shoulder, Darcel and Aniela headed towards the cave exit. They put no thought in killing Quicksilver Roc sect disciples.

    Simply because who is here to know that four Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea disciples had foolishly run into death at the hands of Middle Order Zakira students? At least that''s what the duo thought¡­

    ¡­.

    Back on the goblin path, they came from, Darcel and Aniela were in a serene mood. After all that fighting and killing, the two did take the time to slowly digest their experiences and sensation.

    The biggest thing they both noticed was, they needed stronger opponents! At their base full powers, the duo knows they can only match the Perfect Order level of the Qi Formation Sea realm.

    But once they activate their bloodline?

    It was a whole entire new tier they entered into! While it was exhilarating crushing their enemies in that state, the duo wanted a more fair experience fighting in that overwhelming state.

    At most, they can control this state for basic and overpowering attacks. But they lack the finesse for more complicated and or creative attacks they could do with their bloodlines.

    The only other option they had was to simply spar with each other in their bloodline state. The only problem was, they had no real private space where they could spar going all out.

    At least before this mission, they had no available private options. Now though, with their wealth, they can buy all the privacy they need.

    "While we at it, besides our own personal prowess, we better start collecting some useful tools for valuable aids. We''ll be able to spice up our combat with them!" Aniela spoke her mind while they calmly walked.

    "True airhead, even I want some variety in fighting...hm?" While Darcel responded, Darcel and Aniela both instinctively stopped. Something felt wrong, dangerously wrong.

    A genuine threatening feeling swelled up inside the duo. Swiftly their senses expanded out, and on a glossy black tree just a few feet away from them, they saw the one who exuded this threatening feeling.

    It was a man, given the outline of his body. But he was dressed in all black clothing robes. The duo couldn''t see his face very well, yet they could very well sense his aura.

    An aura that actually gave the duo a sense of worry! From the man''s position, the pair could tell he was staring straight at them. Before the two could say anything, however, they first heard his cold piercing voice.

    "Overconfidence and keeping your head up only leads to death¡­"

    ''Whir!''

    While the man talked, he unleashed his full aura!

    It was...like the Perfect Order of the Qi Formation Sea realm, but at the same time, it wasn''t? Positively, the duo identified the aura as it being stronger than the Perfect Order.

    Yet it was like this man was teetering at the edge of a new, unfathomable power. A power that he could somewhat grasp but couldn''t use it to its full potential.

    Though the duo wasn''t given the time to contemplate this aura when, right when the man finished talking, a vast purple mist enveloped the area!

    The mist''s spread was nearly instantaneous, and it hid the black robe man from their view.

    Darcel and Aniela couldn''t see even an inch in front of them. Their senses as well got clipped in half. However, the feeling of purebred death coming at them is a sensation they are all too familiar with.

    "Stick out, right!" Darcel roared out to Aniela as he activated his bloodline and pushed out his bloodline arm in front of him.

    "Right!" Aniela roared, in response, also activating her bloodline and pushing out her bloodline arm in front of her.

    Unknown to them, the black robe man was surprised at this sudden speed increase and a dramatic increase in power.

    These two just turned into entirely different people! Nevertheless, it was too late to halt his rush now.

    ''Chi!''

    Dark red blood flew into the purple mist as Darcel and Aniela clutched their bloodline arms. To think, they couldn''t even see this guy speed when he struck!

    Massive waves of pain assaulted both of the duo''s senses.

    It made the two grit their teeth as there was something odd about his strike. There was this strange liquid substance the duo felt trying to burrow into their bodies!

    This substance caused even more pain and made the two cough of dark red blood. It was then their bodies locked up, and their minds froze up.

    "P-poison!"

    Darcel managed to wheeze out as he and Aniela were feeling delirious. Whatever poison this was, held a devastating damaging effect, to the point where the duo felt their consciousness slipping away.

    That is until...the poison met their bloodstreams. Instantly Darcel and Aniela bodies jumped upright as for a single second, they lost all sensation.

    "Hm? Intriguing indeed...that previous aura and they haven''t killed over and die yet. Well...looks like they now will." The black robe man remarked, watching the duo get stiff.

    That poison he unleashed would''ve been enough to kill someone at his level, let alone mere Perfect Order Qi Formation sea cultivators. So just for some small Middle Orders, they at least have this achievement in death.

    Or so he thought. Abruptly, this time it was the black-robed man turned to feel incredible danger. His eyes that were overseeing the duo had suddenly enlarged!

    Frantically Darcel and Aniela''s body shook. Their bloodline arms began to glaring shine, and a tremendous power broke out of the two! The black-robed man couldn''t even correctly react when he heard,

    "FUAHH!!"

    Darcel and Aniela''s roaring shouts of pain and power! Once that poison substance touches their blood, it causes massive reactions everywhere in their bodies.

    Their bloodlines forcefully absorb whatever the poison was, quickly freezing it inside their bodies and temporarily boosting the duo''s prowess.

    All Darcel and Aniela could tell now was that they needed to expel all this excess poison and power! And they knew just the perfect target.

    Worriedly, the black-robed man watched with a startle fright as Darcel and Aniela''s body snapped around to glare at him. In both of their eyes were chilling killing intent and a harsh purple glare.

 Record Return

    Through the deep purple mist, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes still managed to directly lock on where the black robe man was. Their eyesight hasn''t cleared up, but their senses were greatly enhanced!

    With the poison giving the two this sudden dramatic boost, the duo could finally identify this black robe man aura. It was...just near the edge of the legendary realm above the Qi Formation Sea level.

    The Nascent Core realm!

    This realm is the start where one''s latent potential and hidden talents began to surface. Furthermore, one could use the overwhelming power of Nascent Qi!

    And compared to Profound Qi, Nascent Qi utterly dominates it in every way. Just a small dosage of Nascent Qi can crush any Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea cultivators.

    Thankfully, for the duo, this black robe man seems to have this...incomplete form of Nascent Qi.

    It was a vague trace of Nascent Qi this man could grasp, but even then, it puts him above ever Perfect Order cultivator.

    But no matter if this man was in this odd state with his Nascent Qi, the duo didn''t care in the slightest. A phantom image of a feather was forming on their bloodline arms, yet no one there could notice it.

    Seeing this black robe man become momentarily stunned, the duo immediately pounced on this perfect opportunity. Instantly Profound Qi swirl in their legs, and their black and white glow turned even harsher.

    ''Hua!''

    Speeds that nearly reached instantaneous level spewed out from the duo! In just a split second, the black robe man felt the air storm around and saw a black glow fist and a white glow fist sail to his head.

    The power of these fists, the speed of these kids...just what the hell changed?! Not even when they first blared out their aura was it this powerful!

    It caused tremendous pressure on the man, but he wasn''t going to simply roll over and die. Hastily, he willed his incomplete Nascent Qi throughout his body and into his hands.

    Forcefully, he gritted his teeth against the massive pressure his body was feeling, just barely resisting it. His hands immediately formed into fists, and within a split second, he hastily counter-attacked!

    The deep purple mists did little to affect either side''s movement when attacking. At equal senses, both attacks sailed towards each other at blinding speed, causing,

    ''BANG!''

    Tremendous frantic waves of Profound Qi and incomplete Nascent Qi crazily spewed out in the area!

    The ground buckled beneath the black robe man''s feet, dust flew everywhere, and even the purple mist was clearing up.

    Besides feeling like they hit a concrete wall, Darcel and Aniela still raged on with power. The one who took a significant loss from this attack was the black robe man.

    Pain, sorrow, joy, lust, rage, all mixed emotions, and sensations clouded the black robe man''s mind. And above all this pain he felt...no mistaking it, this was somehow his own poison!

    Through their clashes of fists, the poison that seeped into the duo expelled straight into the black robe man. His body had immediately locked up, causing a single second of lapse.

    A second that Aniela saw and capitalized on. Fighting this man with his poison is far too troublesome and dangerous. So if he wants to play with poison, then she''ll give him exactly that!

    Her eyes ignited in crazed killing intent, while her other hand quickly fished out something from her pocket. In all one smooth motion, before the black robe man could even attempt to struggle,

    ''Chi!''

    Aniela plunged the purple scalpel deep into the man''s neck! Darcel and Aniela had both bear witness to a significant change in the man. Most notable was several purple lines rapidly appearing on his face and body.

    "GE-AH-AGHHH!!!"

    Nothing, no matter what pain the man experienced before, it couldn''t be compared to this pain now. It was like some powerful force was ruthlessly rampaging inside his body, shredding every part of himself.

    The purple mist had fully cleared up, and the man recalled his hand to begin clutching at his face. His legs frantically quiver, bringing the man down to his knees.

    Every second that he lived was astronomical pain that was worse than torture. Unlike Anne, who had immediately collapsed by the scalpel since she was far weaker, the black robe man prowess kept him hellishly up.

    But even in this extreme state of nearing a painful death, the black robe man nightmare was nowhere near over. When two strong hands clamped on his shoulder, it was then the man wished he never took this job.

    Alas, turning green with regret couldn''t save him now. Darcel and Aniela''s bloodline arms clenched tightly on the man, digging their nails deep into his flesh. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    From the last clash, the duo can tell all they need to do to get rid of this poison is to simply eject it into something. And for the tiny last remaining portion, it was clear as day who will receive this treatment.

    "Gi..gi¡­"

    The black robe man uttered short, painful breaths as his life quickly slipped away from him. His own poison and whatever this freakish scalpel was led him on to an inevitable road to hell.

    Staring into the glossy black trees ahead of him, the black robe man only had one last dying thought. Those kids...whoever or whatever they are, they shouldn''t exist in their small city¡­

    Letting their hands go after a couple of seconds, the black robe man corpse crashed into the ground. His eyes were still wide open in disbelief, and the purple lines on him looked like they were searing his flesh.

    Taking a look around, Darcel saw the purple mist had finally fully cleared up, returning the area back to normal. But his main priority was on himself and Aniela.

    Feeling himself, Darcel felt immensely drained and tired now. In this state, he would struggle with fighting any more foes. But he could at least still walk.

    Swiftly his eyes snapped to Aniela, who was sweating and taking short breaths. She seemed to be feeling the toll from overusing their bloodline and expelling that poison.

    Shifting over to her, Darcel put his hand on her shoulder, asking, "Are you...alright? That poison did put us in a troublesome position."

    "Mnh... I''m fine...just worn down. But I''m already starting to feel better under your warm care." Aniela looked up at Darcel, giving him a more tired smile after all they''ve been through.

    Remarkably even after getting heavily drained, her smile will always form on her face no matter the situation.

    It was...endearing.

    Her cute face seemed to just carry even more charm as she pushed through exhaustion.

    Cracking a smile, Darcel got reminded of just why he depends on this ditzy girl so much. Through small little actions like this could make him feel better.

    Suddenly Darcel felt the urge to at least pat her soft hair after this short odd battle. He didn''t fight this urge and simply relied on his instincts.

    Slowly his hand stroke Aniela''s beautiful hair spewing warmth in both of them.

    Aniela cooed into Darcel''s hand, already starting to gain some of her energy back. Darcel''s small action to show that he cared always warms her heart and supplies endless joy for her.

    "Luckily, our bloodline managed to stop whatever poison that was and help us kill this guy. If this was normal, then I''m pretty sure we would have a far more annoying time. Still, are you guessing what I''m thinking on just who sent this guy towards us?"

    Darcel''s eyes gained a cruel haze thinking about one boy. The Quicksilver Roc sect disciples were just a bunch of naive fools. But this attack was a deliberate attempt on their lives.

    "Yup! That closed eyes Giel just has to be the one behind this. Did you see his eyes when we were leaving? It was the eyes of someone assigning death towards you!" Aniela had a rare expression of smiling rage.

    She held a more tender disposition to other people compared to Darcel''s lack of care. Even people who disliked her tend to relent against her bright energy. But Aniela did hold a clear limit!

    "People like him are endlessly annoying to deal with unless you can suppress them. Frankly, I should''ve expected for us to need to collect debts as soon as we enter this Academy."

    Aniela''s smile grew even wider as she shifted out from Darcel''s hand. Excitedly she grabbed his hand, telling him, "And with what have, and we''re going to get, collecting Giel''s debt is just around the corner!"

    Smiling at her sudden eagerness, Darcel still held on to Aniela''s hand and went to grab that scalpel. Once again, that Organization ended being dramatically useful for them.

    However, when the duo neared the black robe man''s body, a substantial swift feeling struck their senses. This feeling, it was deep, profound, but also didn''t cause any dangerous or threatening feelings for the two.

    Two times in a row, whatever this feeling randomly appeared again. And in the same motion, as soon as this feeling appeared, it quickly vanished the very next second.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes crossed with each other. Their faces held intrigue, but they both knew that if this was a person causing this, they wouldn''t be alive if they had malicious intentions.

    Unspokenly, the two decided to ignore this feeling just to not raise any alarms if they are being watched. Focusing back to reality, Aniela''s eyes lit back up as she observed the scalpel sticking in the black robe man.

    "Once again, coming in clutch, this weird scalpel...one day, we have to find out this small thing mystery," Aniela commented while Darcel went down to take the scalpel out.

    "Until we get more powerful, is when I''ll feel safe exploring anything we got from that place. Come on, let''s head back to the Academy to broaden some eyes."

    Darcel and Aniela''s walking speed now was far slower than coming here, but they could catch their breaths this way. Aniela breathed out a pleasant sight as she said out loud,

    "Ahh...another delightful treat to end this long day¡­"

    ¡­.

    Making it back to the expansive Necroplic City, Darcel and Aniela had promptly rushed back to the Academy. Their walk coming back here took a couple of hours, yet the day hasn''t fully passed.

    Because of their student uniforms, the two were easily let back in the Academy''s initiate level. Once back here, the duo took notice of immediate queer glances at them.

    Since they were gone, news that the black hair boy and long white hair girl had suddenly taken on that nearly impossible initiate level mission spread like wildfire.

    First, these two beaten trained students, and now they''re immediately taking on an impossible mission? It sounded like a strange joke! But the joke was confirmed by the mission elder there.

    Simentansouly another rumor popped up while the duo was gone. One in which they had suppressed their realms just to have an edge in battle.

    This rumor seemed a lot likely, considering the duo had broken through the very next day after their test.

    In just a short while did the two reputations become a bit tarnished.

    However, no one expected for those two to return so quickly? Not even a full day has passed! And in the eyes of the students, this can only mean one thing...failure!

    Although, no matter what the students may be thinking, Darcel and Aniela didn''t waste any time.

    Remembering the layout of this side of the building, the duo swiftly trekked back to the mission center while word spread of their return.

    "Thankfully, no fools tried to stop us when coming here," Darcel remarked when the two arrived outside the mission center.

    More eyes gathered on them from all around, and the duo saw two specific people they wanted to see, already inside the center.

    Aniela''s eyes sparked with slight maliciousness seeing Giel as she told Darcel,

    "Look at this, Darcy? I didn''t know Giel and his little brother would be so patient to conveniently wait so we can quickly collect our rewards.."

 Hefty Sum Of Rewards

    Being just outside the mission center light blue doors, Darcel and Aniela took a slight pause for a single moment. The path they will go on after this leads to a bumpy road of troubles.

    Primary troubles that will stem from one pair of pesky brothers. Plus, there''s also the fact their radar of attention will noticeably increase after this.

    The simple question is, will this be all worth it?

    And in the slight moment of pause the duo had, their minds formed to once clear conscience answer. Of course, anything they do will be worth it!

    Their faces cracked in grins as their boundless confidence swelled inside them.

    Compared to their past experiences, this Academy is nothing but a stepping stone. And since this will be their stepping stone, Darcel and Aniela will make it as enjoyable as possible for themselves.

    With their minds cleared up after the moment of pause, the duo boldly strutted inside the Mission Center. Their calm and even steps led them to the Mission Elder counter under students'' preying disdain eyes.

    All students, including the Mission Elder, attention zeroed right on the duo as soon as they walked through the doors. Conversations stalled when one train of thought entered into their minds.

    Merely hours have passed since these two left. So, why the hell are they back so quickly?

    Most, if not all, groups of students, when taking on missions, especially one that is as difficult as the goblins, takes up to two days at least to complete it.

    Students plan everything out heavingly when taking these missions since they obviously want to preserve their lives. Signs of wear and tear were on Darcel and Aniela''s uniforms, but it was nothing major.

    How could this have any other meaning other than...complete utter failure! Mocking smiles, scorning eyes, jeering expressions all etched upon the students'' faces.

    Their conclusions? These two really were chock-full of hot gasses! Even Gorga, despite still feeling bitter about his loss, took glee in the apparent failure of the duo.

    Once hearing Giel''s explanation about the situation. He was more than happy to witness Darcel and Aniela''s reputation get immediately rip to shreds while also gaining his room back.

    This glee was similarly shared with Giel. Though there was only one peculiar thing, he had about their return.

    It merely being was, just how are they alive? More than anything, he was sure that guy wouldn''t leave them alive.

    But logically, because of their relatively quick return, Giel thought their paths just didn''t cross. Upon this idea, his disdain for the two had arisen even more so.

    In the first place, their bet looked utterly illogical in his point of view. And it should''ve been illogical in their point of view. But Giel wasn''t here to guide people''s stupidity.

    Out of the students, Giel was going to be the first to open his mouth. When the duo made it to the Mission Elder counter, however, a purple spark flash on Darcel''s ring caused a bit of a stump.

    The small flash also prevented any other conversation from erupting. It was too odd. That ring will only activate if they had killed Extreme Order and above goblins. No possible way the duo could achieve that!

    Reality however, it was impossible to go against it. A bright big purple flash had illuminated the whole Mission Center forcing the students to shut their eyes for a second.

    Promptly once the flash died down, everyone''s eyes swiftly snapped back open. And what they had opened up to caused mind breaking shock and waves to run through all.

    It seemed too far fetched. Almost like a laughable joke to think mere Middle Order students can even touch an Extreme Order cultivator, let alone a Perfect Order goblin.

    But clear as day for all to see was four goblin heads that all maintain several bright purple lines running down their heads.

    Everyone could all sense the grand auras these goblins used to have, and the Mission Elder breathlessly said, "Four Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea goblins... it''s truly genuine."

    Sharp intakes of breaths were heard all around the Mission Center. If even the Elder confirms it, then it indeed was impossible for these results to be faked.

    Even though performing this result should''ve been impossible!

    "Ah! My eyes are getting broadened by how much everyone else''s eyes are getting broadened! Let''s show them the cherries of our battle Darcel!" The sweet, excited voice of Aniela bounced in the students'' heads.

    She...she had to be right. If these two genuinely have Perfect Order goblins heads in the ring, shouldn''t this mean they also have Extreme and Supreme Orders goblins?

    Towards the unspoken question of the students, Darcel condescendingly grinned as his ring sparked purple again. Breaths hiked in throats again as unknowingly, anticipation bubbled inside them all.

    With another bright purple flash causing the students to close their eyes, several thumbs were heard. Once again, reopening their eyes, a second impossible scene had played out.

    All with varying shades of purple lines, various goblins heads were out in the open for all to witness. Extreme Order, Supreme Order, and Perfect Order...what kind of monstrous result was this?!

    Even if Darcel and Aniela only killed all four Perfect Order goblins, it would''ve been enough to count the mission as completed.

    After all, those Perfect Order goblins were seemingly invincible in the Qi Formation Sea Realm. Not even the strongest ranked initiate students could take them out.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Yet here they were, all staring at a result that would put those ranked talented students to shame. Without even directly fighting, did the duo manage to one-up the most talentful in their level.

    Once again, Darcel''s ring flashed, stuffing all the goblins'' heads back inside the ring as he said out loud, "I hope you''re all done staring now. No matter what you may think, this ring absolutely proves us. So Elder, our rewards?"

    Even if it was a bit blunt, Darcel was one hundred percent right. That ring attaches itself to the user, making sure every kill they did was recorded.

    And because of Darcel and Aniela''s close relations, the ring had also recorded Aniela kills into one. The Mission Elder knew clearly of all the ring properties, though it was impossible not to be at least a bit shocked.

    "Indeed...everything checks out here. Because it''s a joint effort, you two will be granted five hundred orange crystals each and two low-quality Qi Formation Sea pills each. And Darcel, hand over your ring to me."

    The Mission Elder explained to them as disbelieving gazes still gathered on them. But when hearing the rewards, a wild uproar had blasted out of the still silent students.

    "That''s... that''s a thousand crystals in total! So many for completing this mission!"

    "Qi Formation Sea pill?! That''s like a god-given gift for us!"

    "How?! Just how did they do it?!"

    Through the noisy and disbelief comments, Darcel only smirked while taking his ring off. Handing it over to the Mission Elder, he granted both Darcel and Aniela with two light blue spatial rings each.

    Stuffing it into their pockets, Aniela''s gaze was like a hawk, immediately snapping towards Giel and Gorga like they were her prey. These two, contrary to other noisy students, were strangely silent.

    They were just in much of a shock about the duo seemingly, flawlessly completing this mission. Even more so for Giel since he wondered just where the hell his guy was!

    Even if somehow they did kill Perfect Order goblins, he was a real half step Nascent core cultivator! Unless...unless he also died to them? This line of thought that seemed ridiculously had to be left for another time.

    Since when Aniela''s gaze zeroed right on to them, they felt slight tension rise up.

    Darcel''s gaze snapped over to them also, and the duo casually walked up to them. Smiling all the way there while walking, Aniela voice was in a soft, playful teasing tone as she asked,

    "Oh, Giel, I can just see your eyes broadening by the second. So? Do you have our sum of crystals ready~?" Her words did cause everyone else to get reminded of that bet.

    The bet that seemed utterly foolish at first now was becoming a troublesome matter for Giel. What also didn''t help was students curiously gazing over at them to see if he genuinely will uphold his end of the deal.

    Without changing his expression much, Giel stiffly asked to not lose face, "How much do you want?"

    "Mnh...let''s say about...ten red crystals. That''s a sufficient sum, right Darcel?" Aniela''s words caused both Giel and Gorga to freeze up for a second.

    This was a massive demand, girl! They wanted to say, but Darcel had quickly spoken up saying,

    "Quite acceptable indeed. As a Middle-level student, you should at least have this much, right?" The two had a tag team of pressure as they already are shown to not budge an inch.

    "You...you...we agreed on Oran-"

    "Uh-uh! Before you say anything further, we didn''t agree on any specific kind of crystals. I did only say you''ll have to give us a ''sum of crystals!''" Aniela cut off Giel by wagging her finger.

    And to onlookers, it was understandable why Giel looked extremely reluctant.

    They would be too!

    Red crystals are far more valuable than Orange crystals since they have ten times more energy and are far purer.

    Starting from the Nascent Core Realm, cultivators would use Red crystals since Orange crystals become nearly negligent. And Giel wasn''t so willing to easily part with that many crystals.

    However, before he could adamantly refuse, the Mission Elder had shockingly spoken up saying, "If you made a bet, then no matter what forces are at play, we at Zakira Academy would uphold any bet! A Middle-level student should be more than aware of this fact."

    "To think we actually get to see a Middle-level student submit to fresh new initiate students! It''s like a fairy tale!"

    "Seriously, and they have the Elder backing! Giel might as well just give it up."

    More and more students'' common thoughts lean on Giel, just giving up the crystals. The Mission Elder held that much persuasion power, and his words resonated with the students.

    Even if the duo''s prowess was shrouded in mystery, a bet still must be upheld! The only ones who thought differently was Giel and Gorga, both of who had tight expressions.

    Silently grinding his teeth, Giel forced himself to relent. His purple spatial ring lit up, and he forked out ten small red crystal orbs on his palm. Each orb held a glittering red shine, exuding out pure, mystical energy.

    Dumping the crystals on Aniela''s hand, he had then heard her say, "No was that so hard? At least your surface character isn''t a little liar! See you around soon."

    Aniela put the ten red crystals inside her light blue spatial ring while giving the brothers a slight condescending bright smile.

    Being looked down upon by two small Middle Order students caused rage and irritation in both brothers. They didn''t decide to uselessly make a scene, but Giel held extreme sinister thought about them now.

    With all said and done, the duo turned on the heels to leave the Mission Center.

    They knew nothing about their prowess would make any sense to others, yet their heads were still held up high. In only one day, they made quite the hefty sum that''ll allow them to squash any near future troubles.

    Two near future troubles glared down their backs like they were trying to burn a hole through them.

    Although unknown to all there watching the duo, this was their first step in shaking the Academy to its fundamental roots¡­

    ¡­.

    Making it back to their rooms, word traveled fast about their astonishing results, but neither cared about other rumors. Aniela was more fixated on their high rewards as her eyes sparkled while sitting on their bed.

    "Today was just a hefty amount of rewards, Darcy! Oh? I know that look in your eyes...still thinking about what those Roc guys told us?" The excited glint in Darcel''s eyes was easily noticeable for Aniela.

    Rarely would he ever have this sort of look, and Aniela knew more fun would be coming up for them.

    "You guess, right. That labyrinth expedition, it''s a literal goldmine for us! And in just two weeks or so, we can increase our prowess explosively, so we don''t even have to worry about showing up as mere Qi Formation Sea kids."

    "Mnhh...the adventures we could have in that place seems more than worth our time. But first! We''re going to get a weapon and martial skill tomorrow. Oh! We should also rent out an Elemental Law room so we can peacefully cultivate with no interruptions."

    Despite the natural order of things, Darcel and Aniela became attached to the average ways of taking a good sleep.

    Feeling their warm bodies pressed up against each other, safely holding each other is a rare moment of bliss. So naturally, Darcel nodded, agreeing to wait for tomorrow while saying,

    "Alright then, that fool Giel definitely won''t be letting this down so that room is perfectly suitable for us."

    "Right! Enough about that, Giel, it''s time for our fun cultivating session again! I know you really enjoyed yesterday one." Aniela bounced off the bed with pepper in her step, already having back full energy.

    Darcel ruefully smiled at her while shrugging his shoulder, telling her,

    "It was more than what I expected from a ditzy girl like you. Show me what you got for today then."

 Challenge

    Strutting down the extensive light blue corridors of the Zakira Academy was a fully refreshed Darcel and Aniela. Slight grins adorned their faces as they walked with a confident stride.

    After waking up from their admittedly fun cultivating session, the two did take the time to relax in each other''s hands before leaving their rooms. Small moments like those fuel them for the rest of the day.

    This time during their session, neither of the two decided to breakthrough. Before doing this, they want to fully train the Elemental Room offered here at the Academy.

    It never hurts to have an even more stable foundation than what they already have. Plus, with the amount of suspicion already on them, the duo didn''t want more prying eyes.

    Although, once again, while walking, the prying eyes of students and teachers couldn''t help themselves. Just yesterday, the confirmed words of the Mission Elder spread like wildfire.

    To achieve a result like them despite their level, there just has to be something up about the duo! However, compared to their first disruption, the initiate level students were more reluctant to get in their way.

    No matter how they did it, those two truly did kill Perfect Order goblins. Messing with them, without even knowing the full extent of their prowess, wouldn''t be wise now.

    Though this mystery about their prowess wasn''t seen in a positive light. Still, no matter what light they were in, Darcel and Aniela cared little about it. Using their good memories, they soon made it to a large vast building.

    Above the entrance of this building did symbols spelled out, ''Weapon Pavilion.'' Students were bustling in and out of place, all carrying a variety of weapons.

    "I wonder what will suit us¡­" Aniela thought out loud as she and Darcel entered the Weapon Pavilion. Once taking one foot in, immediately, they notice how bigger it was on the inside.

    Guessing it, Darcel and Aniela reckon this place could fit hundreds of people at the same time. Even with the already present dozens of youths here, the Pavilion was still pretty spacious.

    Rows of shelves in varying sizes filled this place, and on the shelves were, of course, Mortal Spirit Weapons. For the Qi Formation Sea realm and under, anyone can use these types of weapons.

    The only difference in these weapons was the tier they were put in. A weapon''s weight and design will increase from low tier to high tier, making it a bit tricky to find a suitable weapon for a cultivator.

    Glancing around the Pavilion, Darcel and Aniela saw many varied types of weapons, ranging from blunt weapons to bows just for one example. Any sort of weapon they could think of, this Pavilion had it.

    Darcel observed to see which one would be suitable for them for now, until he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down at Aniela, he saw a bright sparkle in her eyes as her attention was on two specific swords.

    "We have to check these out, Darcy!" Hearing her tone of voice, Darcel knew she wouldn''t take no for an answer anyways.

    Shrugging his shoulder, he didn''t mind much since he trusts Aniela''s judgment anyways.

    "Lead the way then."

    Swiftly the duo walked up to a pair of purple color rapiers. The design on the sword''s handle was sleek and elegant, being made to perfectly fit in someone''s hands.

    Its overall size was just about three centimeters wide and the tip of the sword held this glaring purple shine. Blades like these are used for precise, fast strikes, cutting straight into a foe''s defenses.

    And with how fast she and Darcel was, Aniela thought this would be perfect for them! This weapon''s tier was high tier, meaning it would be far heavier to carry, though.

    At least, the weight would''ve mattered for average Qi Formation Sea youths. Effortlessly Aniela picked up the rapier from its shelf, wielding it in her hand like it was a twig.

    "Try it, Darcy. For our speed, this more than suits us!" Aniela told him while doing casual swings with her sword. Seamlessly her grip on this weapon was perfect, and it complemented her arm strength.

    Seeing Aniela so easily pick up this sword, Darcel took his own test run of it. Putting only a little strength in his arm, he easily picked up the sword, wielding it like it had no weight.

    Despite these two seamlessly having no problem holding the blades, unknown to them, these rapiers actually weighed at least twenty pounds! And there was one significant shocking thing, not even the duo realized.

    They weren''t even using Profound Qi to lift up the swords! No matter the weight, if one uses Qi, they can make almost any item weightless. The cost obviously being having to expand your Qi just to lift your weapon.

    This troublesome issue meant little for Darcel and Aniela, however. Similarly, swinging the sword like Aniela, Darcel also got accustomed to the speed to casually toss around the blade.

    The rapier felt natural to use and offered little to no resistance when swinging it. In combat situations, this can also give him and Aniela a reach while also being able to go in for a quick kill.

    "I didn''t expect for airhead intuition to come into play even while choosing weapons." Darcel jested to Aniela, already having his mind made up on the rapier.

    "Underestimating me again? One day, you''ll finally understand the power of my intuition!" Aniela boldly said with a challenging smirk. Her mind was similarly made upon getting this rapier.

    Admittedly, they could try out other weapons. But holding this rapier felt the most natural to them. Moreover, the other types of weapons frankly didn''t interest the duo on first glances as much as these raipers did.

    Nodding to each other, the two traveled over to the Pavilion counter, overseer by a good looking woman. She wore the light blue uniform and had eyes like a hawk, surveying every little student that came in here.

    Although now, her eyes met with the deep black ones of Darcel and Aniela. Instantly when seeing them, did her mood drop some. A bit of disdain entered her eyes as she recognized these two.

    The rowdy troublemakers with this mysterious prowess no one can figure out. After word got out about the duo completing the goblin mission, one rumor had carried the most weight out of all of them.

    If no one knows their real prowess, yet they still managed to kill Perfect Order goblins despite being massively lower level. Then they must obviously use insidious dark powers or cheats!

    Because of the timing of their breakthrough to the Middle Order stage and the previous rumor about their entrance fight...this rumor didn''t seem far off. Otherwise, what other lead anyone else had to go on?If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Giel most certainly refused to believe those two could be anything close to a genius. In his mind, this rumor he caused undoubtedly had to be the truth. Alas, neither Darcel nor Aniela knew anything about this rumor.

    Walking up the counter, Darcel ignored that slight disdain in this woman''s eyes, asking her, "How much for these rapiers?"

    "Hopefully it''s not too much! Darcel and I are kind of on a tight budget." Aniela spoke up next and, at the same time, willed some of her soul into her voice.

    Compared to Darcel''s harsh and uncaring voice. Aniela''s voice caused sweet sensations to run through the Weapon Pavilion Elder brain. It was soft, pleasant, having an enigmatic charm to it.

    Even if she held no goodwill towards the duo, Aniela''s heavenly voice did make her relent a bit. Without changing her expression, she looked over the two purple rapiers, telling the two,

    "These are eight orange crystals each."

    Not a bad price at all...at least it wasn''t for Darcel and Aniela. Both of their spatial rings flashed as the duo fished out the crystals to pay. The only issue in their minds while paying was this disdaining issue.

    Ever since they first arrived to take the test here, they had been underestimated every step of the way. Whether it''s their appearance or realm, nobody treats them seriously at first.

    Moreover, the disdain still continues even after showing off little by little on what they can really do. It was becoming a bit annoying in all honesty for the duo.

    But very soon will this all change. Flashing eight orange crystals on their hands, the duo paid for the rapiers and turned around without another word. This Elder certainly wasn''t a talkative one.

    Although there was a particular bias, she had against the two.

    Storing the rapiers inside of their spatial rings, the duo continued to walk out of the Pavilion. And on their way did they notice the subtle contempt glances thrown at them.

    Frankly, Darcel and Aniela like it this way when no one tries to talk to them. They weren''t here to make friends, nor did they intend to have a clean status here.

    All they needed was strength. And with strength, they''ll surpass everyone in this City and soon leave this little province. On the outside of here, they still have a whole planet to eventually explore,

    The duo trekked towards their second destination of the day with clear motivations, after making out the Weapon Pavilion¡­

    ¡­.

    This time the building they came across held a similar extensive design to the Weapon Pavilion. But the symbols above its entrance reads, ''Martial Technique Pavilion.''

    Taking a step inside, the interior also varied from the Weapon Pavilion. It still was incredibly spacious, housing dozens of students and can probably house hundreds of people.

    But the critical difference was what lay on the shelves. All sorts of jade scrolls, books, or jade tablets occupied the shelves. Furthermore, the shelves had a clear division of columns.

    Some were under Zakira fire arts, Zakira water arts, Zakira sword arts, and so on. Under each Martial skill was a symbol depicting whether these Mortal skills were low to high tier.

    Each tier of a Martial Skill has varying qualifications that put them there. It''s either a skill that requires extreme control, a lot of Qi, or high comprehension abilities.

    Ignoring looks directed at them, Aniela said to Darcel, "Clear as day, we have to choose a fire skill. But the question is, low, middle, or high tier?"

    "Let''s go with...middle tier. Anything used by us might as well be a high tier anyways." The two began walking around the fire skill section of the Pavilion, observing the many jade scrolls there.

    And after a bit, their eyes came upon one specific Martial skill. It was a medium length jade scroll, and under it, it read, ''Mortal Rank, middle tier, Fiery Slice.''

    "Fiery Slice? This...this could actually go great with our rapiers! A Fiery Slice splitting from our blades will be an absolute kill!" Aniela commented while reading the basic description of this skill

    The skill requires extreme control over the Element of Fire and accurate precision. Something of which both Darcel and Aniela have! It was almost like this skill was made for them.

    "Then, we''ll go with this one," Darcel said while picking up the scroll. They didn''t need to go for something that was stronger and waste a lot of Qi. As long as it suits them, then it''s all they need.

    With surprisingly little interruptions, the duo neared the Pavilion Elder, who was a decently attractive man.

    His expression held a natural bored one though his eyes did become a bit curious seeing the duo walk up to him.

    Even more so, he got curious when his eyes darted to the youths at the back of the duo. And seeing their lineup, the Pavilion Elder knew a short little scene was about to play out.

    The students inside the Pavilion also notice the upcoming exciting scene. Now, two Middle-level students had shown up here!

    "Well, well, well? If it isn''t the insidious cheaters of the Zakira Academy!" A familiar annoying voice forced Darcel and Aniela to stop. Oh great, it was the voice of the small-minded Giel¡­

    His tone when speaking was loud and bold, immediately more causing attraction around them. The duo turned around forcefully since it''ll be impossible to ignore him if he gets in their path.

    With Giel was Gorga and another handsome youth the two never saw before. This youth wore the same blue color uniform as Giel had a charming face and long brown hair.

    Taking only a single glance at this newcomer, Darcel tiredly said to them, "And if isn''t the annoying gnats. Coming here to make another bet with us?"

    Being reminded of their previous loss nearly made Giel swell up with rage. Of course, he was still pissed about losing face, his crystals, and his damn assassin since he still hasn''t shown up yet!

    But Giel manage to keep it cool as he evenly said to the duo,

    "Do I need to make another bet with cheaters who can''t rely on their own personal strength? I mean...after all, you only need to make sure the goblins'' death was caused by you. The ring doesn''t solely rely on personal strength. Unless¡­you have a way to prove me wrong?"

    "Heh, hahahaha!! What kind methods would cheaters even have if they''re put out in the open!"

    "Maybe they''ll try to pull another fast one¡­"

    Nearly if not all students there went on board with the duo being dirty cheaters. This theory was a far easier pill to swallow since no one saw them fight.

    Gorga smugly smiled, hoping to see some panic in the duo while the third boy simply looked down on the two.

    However, Aniela''s next words stun everyone to silence.

    "Fine, fine! If you really want to see our dirty tricks, then we challenge you to a duel! Darcel will face you, Giel, and I''ll face your little friend! You better not refuse if you don''t want all of your crystals plus our rewards!"

    A duel...a genuine duel between Qi Formation Sea youths and Nascent Core youths? They really want to fight someone vastly superior to them? All students had realized then...this...is just too funny!

    "Pffft-Hahahaha!! They really want to fight Middle-level students?!"

    "They must''ve gotten brain damage when cheating, hahahaha!!"

    The uproar of jeers and laughs were directed towards the duo way, yet neither of them changed their expressions.

    "Heh! Giel, do you really want to accept their challenge?!" Gorga boldly spoke while crossing glances with his brother. He was waiting just for this moment, actually.

    Giel traded glances with his friend as his smile turn cold and vicious.

    "Really, there''s no rule that prevents lower-ranked students from fighting higher ranks. And truthfully, this simply wouldn''t be worth our times...but if you''re offering all of your stuff, then I guess my brother needs the ultimate compensation. Plus, we''ll get to truly expose you two. Heh! Alright! Name the day of the duel!"

    For their first real stepping stones, Darcel and Aniela had been decided Giel would be it. And since he''s offering himself on a gold platter, then they''ll gladly take him!

    What gave them this sudden and wild idea was their senses. Just barely, they could tell for a single moment, a familiar person was watching this event.

    "Two days from now, we''ll meet at the middle-level combat stage. And please come at your best to expose us." Darcel said as he fished out six orange crystals from his ring and tossed them at the Pavilion Elder counter.

    Accurately the orange crystals landed on the counter. For what he was purchasing, the Elder knew the skill only cost six orange crystals.

    Accepting the crystals, the Elder usually wouldn''t care about petty youth squabbles, but this one did get him a bit interested.

    "You better not disappoint us with your methods!" Aniela chided with a bright smile. Seemingly these two didn''t even look anxious, but the students chalk it up to false bravado.

    Briskly Darcel and Aniela walked past Giel''s group. Nobody tried to stop them from leaving the Pavilion. Only extreme scorn swirled in the students'' eyes watching them go.

    Only on Darcel and Aniela''s face did they crack a huge smile. That same deep hidden presence for sure saw all of that, and when the day of the duel came, Darcel was sure they would have the ultimate insurance...

 Elemental Fire

    "Mou...that poor witless Giel. By the time we fight, it''ll be too late for him to wish for regret!" Despite her words seeming sympathetic, Aniela''s broad smile told an entirely different story.

    Eager anticipation built up inside her and even Darcel; all they needed was just a bit of time. And then, they''ll show all these proud students what a higher mountain truly means!

    Currently, Aniela and Darcel were making their way down a unique area of Zakira Academy''s initiate level. This area vastly differs from others mainly because of the mixed aura exuded here.

    Auras of the different elements, sharp dominating auras, or serene, relaxing auras, all conflicted with each in this corridor

    It was undoubtedly a shock to feel at first, but Darcel and Aniela quickly adapted to this change of feeling.

    By looking around the corridor they were in, the duo could piece together why so many auras clashed here. Dozens of doors were lined up here, all supporting different Elders and Teachers.

    Above each door, symbols were reading the variety of the elements or various weapon types. From water to lightning, or sword, this corridor certainly wasn''t lacking in variety.

    And just barely, coming from behind each door was a small leakage of the aura it was hosting.

    Amazingly enough, despite having only a small portion of auras out here, the duo could tell none of these aurae were weak at all.

    From what they had read about, this was Zakira Academy famed Law training rooms! Numerous students were bustling out of these doors, all with satisfied looks etched on their faces.

    These rooms were one of the significant reasons outsiders and even small clans and sects were so lackluster than Zakira students. Everything stemmed from if these students were born with an ingrain special Qi.

    To train with one''s own inborn special Qi provides astronomical advantages others simply can''t match.

    Training with regular Qi is far simpler, but practicing with one''s inborn special Qi greatly enhances their combat potential.

    Furthermore, Darcel and Aniela were no exception to this rule. In fact, they reckon, compared to the students here, their growth will explode here along with their base combat prowess.

    Looking down the corridor, thanks to the wide availability of rooms, it didn''t take long for the duo to spot a fire room that wasn''t occupied. Of course, they would need to go for fire as their next best option.

    There really wasn''t any Darkness elemental room or a Telekinesis room. They had gathered their inborn powers were entirely above anything this low-level Province had ever seen before.

    Walking up to a middle-aged man who held an indifferent expression, Darcel asked him, "How much to rent a room for two days?"

    The Elder looked down at the duo, whose height came up to just his shoulders. His eyes flashed in a slight realization about these two. These kids...they were those noisy trouble makers.

    Although despite hearing about the nasty rumors about them, the Elder obviously had far more maturity to bother disdaining them. But he didn''t hold any goodwill towards them either.

    "Two days is two hundred orange crystals. If you have it, just interject the crystals into my ring." The Elder held out his hand that contained a purple spatial ring.

    Hearing the price, Darcel and Aniela were glad they had back up crystals from the goblins missions and the Quicksilver roc sects kids. Wanting to get strong quickly indeed doesn''t come cheap!

    "Being the richest Academy in the city sure isn''t an idle boast! I''ll pay up, Darcel." Even though it really doesn''t matter who pays, Aniela still wanted this to be like a treat for him.

    Her blue spatial ring lit up, and she sorted out two hundred orange crystals among the massive pile already in there. Once ready, she lightly touched the Elder ring with her own, causing a mixed blue and purple flash.

    The Elder took a brief second to count out all two hundred orange crystals in his ring. Being a powerful individual at his level, counting up to hundreds at a time, is nothing but a simple blink of his eyes.

    Once confirming their crystals, the Elder stepped out of the doorway while igniting his finger in purple fire. Flicking his purple fire at the door, he told the two,

    "After two days, you''ll be immediately booted out of the room. Make every single count."

    Nodding at the Elder generic and fair advanced, the door had opened up on its own for Darcel and Aniela. Without any hesitation, they jumped right in the door, taking them to a fantastical place altogether.

    ¡­.

    Through the door of fire, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes gazed upon a roaring purple fiery hellscape that was enchanting to look at. No matter what area they looked at, purple fire swirled everywhere.

    It was akin to a hail rising storm of purple flames. Even the ground they stood on was a glaring molting purple! The sky as well was this glaring purple color.

    Moreover, neither Darcel nor Aniela can see an end to the fiery purple hell. Surprisingly it seemed like this Academy just had no limit on how expansive they wanted their rooms.

    And this outlandish fiery hell appearance wasn''t just for show. This room had, of course, heed temperature to blazing degrees.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    From the entrance of where Darcel and Aniela stood, the purple fire was the calmest here, yet the temperature was still blazingly high. Immediate beads of sweat poured down their faces, but the duo didn''t bother with using Qi to cool themselves off.

    Only this much wasn''t enough to get them to yield. After taking a moment to take in the elemental room, Aniela stretched her arms, cracked her neck while asking Darcel,

    "So? What should our start be, Darcy? The fire properties in these flames are insanely high! Far, far higher than our own. Anything you suggest, we''ll be in for a good time!"

    Sensing around the place, Aniela was more than right. The aura of fire in her contained a deep profoundness similar to what Darcel felt from first meeting Teacher Zala.

    Using a split second to make up his mind, Darcel told Aniela, "First we''ll cultivate our black flame properties to expand our control and heat over it. Next up is practicing with our raipers along with our Martial Skills. We should at least use a few hours to refine this before continuing with our regular cultivation and bloodline."

    "Sounds perfect to me! For our fire though, here''s my suggestion...let''s jump straight into the heat! Raw and primal experience works out for even the lowest of talents, let alone our talents."

    Aniela''s smile grew large and feral now. In actuality, not many would be willing to jump straight into the powerful fire just for training. Only those who had an extremely high affinity with fire would even consider this.

    But Darcel and Aniela were hardwired to never take the average route. Nodding his head in agreement, Darcel said, "While we are doing it, we should see how long we can last with a Qi barrier, just to see our limits."

    "Exactly what I was thinking. Let''s go!" And with Aniela''s final words, the two took a slight pause. Just enough to flex their legs and then shot right into the raging purple flames of hell.

    Incredible heat that Darcel never experienced before circled around his body. All at once, his body became drenched with sweat, yet he gritted his teeth to withstand the heat.

    Aniela clenched her hands tightly, digging into her flesh as the heat only raised more and more. In a commendable effort, the two could last for ten minutes before having to put up a Profound Qi barrier.

    This result was certainly better than any other Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea students. They wouldn''t even be able to last twenty seconds! Although this action might seem, well, just pointless to others.

    What benefits could they possibly gain from going through a fiery hell with their base bodies? And the answer to that thought would be Darcel and Aniela slightly wide eyes when putting the Qi barrier up.

    Despite lasting for a short excruciating ten minutes, the duo felt as if their bodies grew stronger and felt more in tune with fire. It was only a small bit of change but still enough for them to take notice.

    With this slight confirmation in their minds, the duo crudely smiled. It was a pain, but the right kind of pain! For now, though, the two took the time to close their eyes and hone their senses.

    The temperature only decreased barely enough for them to resist, and they took this to their advantage. Slowly their complete focused senses mixed in with the purple fire as they recall their own black flames.

    The element of fire. Destructive, dangerous, wild, and frantic. All terms the duo would describe while sensing deep into the properties of this element. Yet, this was only the naked surface of fire.

    After taking a few minutes, barely, just barely could the duo pick up on a profound consistent property of fire. This elemental fire property was enormously complex, but it spelled out one thing in their minds.

    Fire is all one smooth motion.

    It''s supposed to be unhindered and controllable, swaying to whatever origins it may come from. Rapidly, because of their already high comprehension abilities, the duo fell into slight realization.

    Moderately they were able to learn more about the surface level of the elemental fire properties. And with what they could figure out, the two began applying this to their own black fire properties.

    The two fell into a trance.

    By a little bit, did their Qi barrier let up, allowing more heat to swirl around Darcel and Aniela''s bodies. It became increasingly harder to hold on, but it also helped with cultivating their flames.

    Thirty minutes have passed since the two became still like statues. Their minds were experiencing ground shaking progress about elemental fire properties, and then,

    ''Ka-Cha!''

    Reverberations like something shattered in their minds, pushed the duo onto a new level with fire! It was a small jump in comprehension, but Darcel and Aniela had already felt a more in-depth understanding of fire.

    Just like how they can effortlessly crush any mental blocks in regular cultivation, their comprehension in special Qi types wasn''t any different. Their genius talent had shone brightly here.

    With their eyes still closed, the duo opened up their palm. All of their focus went into the center of their palm as they willed their new understanding of fire.

    Slowly, above their palm, the air went against the whole elemental room. What was forming at the center of their palms was several phantom images of black flames.

    And compared to before, their control over their flame manipulation dramatically improved. There wasn''t any high-end power coming from them, but Darcel and Aniela felt like they had complete control.

    Steadily they made black fire formed into small raging black flaming tornadoes! These tornadoes were frantically swirling but were held firmly in place by the duo.

    The power of these tornadoes was undoubtedly weak. But power wasn''t what they were going for. The control the two had was excellent. No shortage of power leaked out, nor did the tornadoes get too wild.

    This progress over control and comprehension of fire suddenly gave Darcel an idea. Dispersing the black fire tornadoes, Darcel brought out the jade scroll of the Fiery Slice Martial Skill.

    Unsurprisingly the jade scroll wasn''t affected at all by the surrounding purple flames or heat. Darcel promptly opened the scroll and zeroed in on the content there.

    There were detailed instructions on controlling your fire and balancing out your Qi with the fire to create this attack. Swiftly, Darcel read every little instruction with flashes of inspiration.

    After only a few seconds of reading, he was ready. Scrolling up the jade scroll, Darcel held up one finger. Remembering the contents of the Martial Skill to a tee, he began willing his black fire and Profound Qi.

    Waves of massive fire and power swirled around Darcel, but it was in a calm state. And in only a few seconds of focusing,

    ''Chi!''

    A tall line of black fire spewed out Darcel''s finger. It was only a single line of black flames. Yet, the power behind this line couldn''t be ignored by any Perfect Order Qi Formation Sea cultivator.

    If he were to use this attack on the Perfect Order goblins, it would''ve been a dominating one hit kill! And Darcel was only at the beginning of this skill!

    "Aniela."

    By only calling her name did Darcel chuck the jade scroll to her.

    Darcel peered over for a second to her, seeing that she caught it. Smirking to himself, Darcel went on for another few seconds to explore this Martial Skill.

    Until, similarly to himself, Darcel sense vast waves of fire and power spewed out of Aniela.

    Glancing over again, he saw Aniela brightly smiling with a whitish black line of flame upon her finger. Excited by her progress, Aniela spoke out loud in a passionate tone.

    "Fiery Slice. The skill that''ll burn through any eyes that are blind to us!"

 Spar

    Against the raging purple flames, Darcel stood tall and proud. Within his hand was his shining purple rapier that created a dangerous look for him. His eyes were closed as he rummaged on time spent here.

    Darcel had to approximate that it had been roughly a day and a half since he and Aniela came here.

    And within this time frame, they experienced tremendous growth that would surely rock any cultivators common sense.

    What would get people to question their own sanity about cultivation was Darcel and Aniela realm. In just their short time cultivating here, aided by their resources, the two sprang up to the Supreme Order level of the Qi Formation Sea realm!

    For anyone else, even great geniuses, this speed is beyond freakish! Their level of comprehension, control over their Profound Qi, and latent talent are all at a level no one in this city could genuinely understand.

    Moreover, there was another freakish thing about their extraordinary Supreme Order levels.

    At the Perfect Order level, one''s Qi Sea growth can typically expand at most up to the size of a small lake, edging along for a couple of miles.

    Geniuses are known to have much larger Qi Sea, with some even going up to five or six miles! Depending on how long and deep one Qi Sea is, it tells the surface level of aptitude one would have for cultivation.

    Expanding your Qi Sea requires excellent comprehension abilities.

    With high comprehension abilities, one can intake the deeper complex meaning of Profound Qi. This greater Profound Qi is then permanently infused into your dantians, expanding your Qi Sea.

    In a sense, the longer and deeper your Qi Sea is, the stronger your Profound Qi will be, and the greater foundation you will have for future Realms. And this concept was utterly broken by the duo.

    The duo knew they were still readily advancing by the mental blocks they experienced when comprehending Profound Qi. But their growth of their Qi Sea underwent a dramatically massive expansion.

    Currently, the two had just broken through to the Supreme Order level, and their Qi Sea grew to the size of a nine miles vast lake! Not even at the Perfect Order level yet, and they already far surpassed those at that level.

    Furthermore, their Qi Sea grew stronger, being molded by their special, inborn powers. Darcel deep black Darkness Qi Sea constantly spewed out frantic wisps of black flames.

    Aniela Qi Sea grew to an even brighter shine of light. It made for a fabulous mix wisps of her black flames that, similarly to Darcel, constantly spewed out of her Qi Sea.

    All it took to reach this frightening progress was using up most of the orange crystals they received from the goblin mission.

    These orange crystals provided pure essence energy that the duo absorbed to speed up intaking Profound Qi and comprehending it.

    As per usual, normally, it''s far tougher to absorb these crystals because it could lead to a shaky foundation for one future.

    But, of course, Darcel and Aniela''s soul made it possible for their bodies to still keep a stable foundation. No matter what the outside energy is, the duo could handle absorbing it.

    Although having a stable foundation doesn''t mean it''s a perfect foundation. Darcel and Aniela still need to refine their prowess in battle and experience growth to truly have a perfect foundation.

    Still having his eyes closed, Darcel clenched down on his rapier. His body warmed up to resist more heat, leading to a slight bit of warmth in these conditions.

    Taking only a second to breathe, his eyes swiftly snapped back open. At speeds naked to the eyes, Darcel performed three instantaneous sword strikes that looked like it was all one movement.

    The air split apart from his sheer speed and power. Darcel had no wasted movement, doing each strike with extreme precision. Quite quickly, did he and Aniela adapt to the surface level of using a sword.

    Their motto was simple. As long as they can control the blade and strike fast and hard, that''s all they need for now. Obviously, they lack the finesse and skill compared to any novice swordsman.

    But in battle, the one who can strike faster than the other shifts the whole tide of it. Darcel had a slight smirk after performing his three sword strikes. Clenching his blade again, he knew it was time.

    Turning over to his right, he spotted Aniela just getting done with her practice set of swings. When his eyes glazed over on her, it was like a switch went off in her head.

    Swiftly she had turned around to meet Darcel''s eyes with an excited smile. All of their training and cultivating was leading up to this moment. It was time to run wild!

    "So, Darcy? Are you ready to finally see where some of our limits lie?!" While walking up to him, Aniela''s tone was passionate. Clearly, she was waiting for some time for this.

    "For once, I''m just as energized as you about something. I already feel my bloodline roaring to go." The battle-hungry smile on Darcel''s face spoke volumes about their upcoming spar.

    Witnessing this smile, Aniela had suddenly gained a cheeky thought. Might as well add on to make this spar spicier! "Before we get at it, Darcy, let''s make this spar juicy~. If I win or you win, we get to request one absolute thing that we can''t refuse from the loser. Deal?"

    Aniela had several thoughts running in her mind while proposing this. But there was one clear goal in her mind about this deal. To take their first massive step in their unconfirmed relationship!

    Just the mere thought of this got Aniela even more pumped up for battle and determined to win.

    And unknown to Aniela, Darcel was having similar thoughts. Seeing Aniela flushed cute face from cultivating amplified her attractiveness among the purple fire.

    It was time to finally calm this ditzy girl and solidify their relationship. Finding this idea charming, Darcel as well grew more excited for their spar.

    "Deal. Though I wonder if either one of us will be a true loser after this battle¡­"

    "Hehehe~ looks like you''re getting your own intuition Darcy~."

    Simultaneously, both Darcel and Aniela jumped back to stand only ten feet apart from each other. A single second of stillness permeated between the two.

    Their black eyes locked on to each other, their faces held the same battle-hungry smile as the tension rose around them. Both of them know this would be a challenging yet exciting battle to try to win.

    Like a signal went off after the second, both Darcel and Aniela aura tremendously increased all at once!

    ''Whir!''

    Instantaneously, black flames and whitish black flames burst all around, clashing with the raging purple flames. Darcel blasted out his black fire aura, and Aniela spewed out her whitish black fire aura.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    With no words or warning given, Darcel thrust out his rapier before Aniela could move. From the tip of his sword, a fiery black shine appeared, illuminating straight through the purple flames.

    Before Aniela''s very eyes, a vast black flaming claw blasted from the tip of Darcel''s rapier as soon as the black shine formed!

    Compared to using his hands, this claw looked sharper, and its speed was superior to using his hands.

    Smiling widely at the incoming surge of power, Aniela''s own sword sparked with a fiery black glow. Pouring Profound Qi into her legs and sword, Aniela blitzes towards Darcel, gaining insane speeds!

    While rushing, a long black flaming whip shot from Aniela''s rapier''s tip to meet Darcel''s black flaming claw. Frantic powerful surges of Profound Qi swirled in the air, causing a gust of winds around the attack.

    ''Bang!''

    The black flaming whip and black flaming claw canceled each other out in a tremendous frontal collision. Black flames crazily spewed out into the purple fire mixing together with it.

    Though when the attacks had clashed, Darcel rushed forward to intercept Aniela''s mad dash. Nearing close distances, both crazed youths only had a split second to react and attack.

    ''Clang!''

    Two violent impacts of metal clashing shook the ground. Darcel and Aniela''s sheer power caused sparks of purple flames to rise around them. Their eyes locked as their rapiers entered a stalemate clash.

    No words were spoken between each other as their feral smiles spoke everything they needed to say. At equal speeds, Darcel recalled his sword slightly to strike out again.

    It was like they shared the same minds as Aniela recalled her sword at the exact same time and speeds. Using a split second, they both poured more Profound Qi in their arms as their eyes gained a savage glint.

    ''Clang, Clang, Clang!''

    In just over twenty seconds, Darcel and Aniela exchanged dozens of fast, precise sword strikes. Their rapier blade was suited to this sheer intensity of clashes with neither edges showing cracks on them.

    During their clashes, Aniela''s mind went to overdrive as she gained a bright idea. Forcefully after another clash of blades, Aniela thrust straight towards Darcel''s chest.

    This strike carried a slight new speed Darcel didn''t expect at first. But instinctively, he perfectly counters Aniela''s blade, locking the two into another stalemate.

    Something of which Aniela wanted! Her soul swirled, and her hand and rapier blade gained a faint white hue.

    A hue that caused slight panic in Darcel. Immediately, Darcel felt his rapier become massively tough to move.

    Darcel clicked his teeth as he also felt a suppressing weight wrapped his arms, making it tougher to just move his whole body. Of course, it was this troublesome girl power of that dangerous telekinesis.

    If Darcel didn''t do anything for another second, then he''ll lose his weapon and already get put into a tough spot. But breaking free of Aniela''s control wasn''t easy at all.

    Through her rapier, it seemed like her telekinesis became even more powerful! Immediately Darcel soon realized just his base form won''t be enough. Thankfully, he has another huge trick up his sleeve.

    His bloodline began frantically spurring while his right arm gained a dark hue.

    ''Whir!!''

    The black glow of tremendous power crazily spewed out of Darcel! Instantly he felt his body returned to normal and a significant boost to every aspect of his prowess.

    Aniela blinked, as a tremendous aura caused massive pressure on her. Darcel''s majestic black glow pushed out the purple fire as his powerful bloodline aura caused fierce blows in the air.

    Aniela felt a massive force pushed back her arms, forcing her to take a step back. And in the same motion did Darcel''s rapier come sailing at her neck.

    Finally, it was time for the real fun to start!

    Aniela''s bloodline began crazily roaring as her right arm gained a white hue.

    ''Whir!!''

    The tremendous white aura of Aniela''s bloodline clashed with the abyss of Darkness coming from Darcel. His once suffocating aura became negligent to Aniela as her bloodline fought with his.

    Two mighty aura clashes caused the ground to quake beneath them as cracks splatter out from under their feet.

    ''Clang!''

    Far fiercer than last time did Darcel and Aniela''s sheer bloodline power clash through their rapiers.

    Seeing that they were entering another deadlock, both Darcel and Aniela''s eyes flashed as they jumped back from the clash.

    While jumping back, Aniela wasn''t going to let this opportunity slip. The tip of her rapier shined a violent, intense whitish black glow that pierced through the air.

    Before Darcel could even land on his feet, he saw several whitish black flaming whips blitz towards him. Amazingly, the whips accurately spread out around Darcel, covering every avenue of escape.

    There was no option to dodge, only defend! At least that''s what Aniela thought.

    Darcel, however, had different plans. Gathering his Profound Qi, Darcel exuded a suppressing aura as he called upon his Martial Skill.

    Right, when Aniela''s whips neared him, at the tip of Darcel''s rapier was a long thin line of black flames. This single flame spewed out colossal power that caused the whips to slow in their attacking speeds.

    "Fiery Slice!"

    Darcel roared out as he swiped his rapier down. Instantly, that thin line of black fire turned into an enormous line of black flames that blasted towards Aniela!

    The enormous line of black flames shredded Aniela''s whips and neared her within a second. By the sheer aura of this attack, Aniela knew she couldn''t quickly neutralize it or clash against it.

    Hastily, a white glow covered her feet, making her body feel nearly weightless. In a miraculous display of movement, Aniela shifted her body to just barely avoid the line of black flames.

    At the same time, while dodging, he rapier spewed out a single line of black flames.

    "Fiery Slice!"

    Like he did to her, the same enormous line of black flames came roaring towards Darcel. The speed of the attack equaled his, reaching him in near-instantaneous rates.

    Before striking him, though, Darcel''s bloodline arm gained a deeper shade of black hue. Promptly his rapier got covered in the pure Element of Darkness!

    Using extreme precision, Darcel sliced straight at Aniela''s martial skill.

    ''Chi!''

    Instead of cutting through the skill, Darcel Darkness rapier managed to absorb part of the attack. From the middle did the skill get separated into two raging black flames without an end goal.

    And this attack didn''t stop either Darcel or Aniela''s momentum. Without a second to spare, Darcel rushed towards the blitzing Aniela.

    At equal speeds, the two engaged in another fierce and swift exchange of blows. With every strike, they crossed, their finesse at controlling their bloodline rapidly improved.

    Waves of their mighty bloodline auras clashed, crashing throughout the whole Elemental room, shifting the purple fire in a wild storm.

    Expanding this much power in their bloodline state already caused immense exhaustion in the duo. And it was then Darcel decided to finish and win this spar.

    Instead of clashing against Aniela''s rapier again, Darcel waited for Aniela''s last strike to come right at him.

    ''Chi!''

    Blood spilled into the air as Aniela''s strike grazed Darcel''s cheek. But in this exchange, he managed to get in close. Under Aniela''s widening eyes, Darcel''s hand was coated in pure Darkness as he simply touched her arm.

    "O-Oh Damn~!"

    Aniela surprisingly cursed out as she immediately felt the effects of Darcel overwhelming Darkness. Sorrow, joy, lust, rage, all mixed emotions clouded and overloaded Aniela''s mind for a second.

    A second that was all Darcel needed.

    Helplessly, Aniela felt Darcel blade pricked on her neck. With just one push further, he could severely injure her if he really wanted to. Unlike others, the clouded mixed emotions only temporarily confused Aniela.

    Her bloodline had managed to clean her up, but the results were undeniable; in a real battle, she would be on the floor right now.

    "My win?" Darcel questioned her with a bit of a tease in his voice. The blood from his cheek stilled as his body worked on healing himself.

    "Your win! This win and my loss... it''s the start of the greatest battles we will have with each other!" Recalling his sword back in his ring, Darcel found Aniela taking this loss rather well.

    He could also admit that if he was the one to lose, he wouldn''t mind losing just like her. This adrenaline-pumping battle more than made up for any results.

    Plus, the victory wasn''t decided on who can overpower each other. Only through taking a slight risk and reacting fast could Darcel edge out a win.

    Darcel was sure if the fight dragged out any longer, then Aniela would''ve been the one to find a way to trick and beat him.

    After taking a moment to calm their bodies, Aniela gained a sly smile. She shrewdly slithered close to Darcel, taking on a seductive charm. With a tease in her voice, she asked,

    "So~? Your absolute request for me, Darcy~?"

    Seeing her like this, Darcel gained a more sinful smile. Immediately he hugged Aniela''s soft body, causing immense warmth between them.

    Gently he lifted her chin up to witness the blushing expectant smiling face of Aniela. With a hot tone, he told her,

    "My request...my request is to have you¡­"

 Heated End

    "Have me?... In what way have me~? I didn''t know you also can be so coy, Darcy~." It indeed was magical holding Aniela close like this. Against the raging purple flames, she seemed to shine the brightest here.

    Both Darcel and Aniela felt their heartbeat pick up.

    For years they remained close at each other sides when no one else was there for them. That Parsol Organization may have screwed their minds, but they couldn''t touch their feelings.

    Unfortunately, neither was given any time to fully explore their feelings or deepen their relationship. Living a life where you always have to watch yourself to stay alive is a pretty significant time-eater.

    But now? Darcel came to realize there was no time like the present! Their future will dramatically shift after their duel, and the time now was ripe to put everything on the table.

    "Still so sly in this position, huh? You already know...to have you become mine." Darcel sincerely spoke without a hint of embarrassment. Promptly his words caused bliss in his chest once seeing Aniela''s reaction.

    The smile that she gave him was simply beautiful. Even the coldest of heart will feel warmth if Aniela were to direct this kind of smile at them. But this angelic look was all for him.

    And how could Aniela not be so happy?

    The words that she wanted to hear for a long time were finally uttered under a unique environment. No matter if their personality significantly differs, they hold a bond unexplainable to others.

    "Ahh~, this is uniquely romantic~! After the heat of our spar, I want to feel the warmth of our feelings now~..." Aniela''s heavenly voice slithered into Darcel''s ears like warm water.

    If she wants to feel it, then who is he to cruelly refuse this maiden request? No words were needed as Darcel tenderly held Aniela''s chin even closer to him.

    Feeling the soft squash of Aniela''s modest breast on his chest caused further tiny shocks to run down both of their bodies.

    Aniela sweetly closed her eyes in preparation for their magical kiss. Engraving the scene of Aniela''s cute expecting face in his mind, Darcel smoothly swooped down and kissed her bright cherry red lips!

    "Nnnh~..."

    Aniela cooed into the kiss as she felt her entire being melt into Darcel''s arms. Immediately, pleasure, warmth, and joy coursed throughout her whole body. Like she expected, just this soft kiss was magical!

    Darcel as well let out a hot voice of pleasure kissing Aniela. This wasn''t a kiss of lust but more of one to confirm their feelings for each other. Feeling her soft lips on his did felt incomparably good, however.

    "Nngh~?!"

    And only a second into their kiss did both Darcel and Aniela feel their bloodline frantically swirl!

    This sudden swirl in their bloodline sent out waves of immense pleasure and shock, causing the two to leak out surprised moans.

    Along with the pleasure, there was also an incredibly deep feeling permeating between them. This feeling, this was...vast waves of overwhelming power!

    Neither Darcel nor Aniela knew what was happening. They could only tell their bodies felt incredibly good, and they felt a significant boost in their bloodline powers.

    Furthermore, for Darcel, he felt his Darkness element violently react. His own inborn power was raging about. I was like it wanted to latch on to Aniela and pull her into him.

    Feeling unsure about this reaction, Darcel took a split of his attention to suppress his Darkness Qi. Recalling his Darkness Qi mutating, Darcel had some ideas on why it''s acting like this.

    But this was a matter for another time. Darcel put more of his focus on Aniela, who looked like she was in heaven. Her body melted more into Darcel''s arms, feeling complete bliss.

    Her element of Light didn''t react in such a violent way as Darcel''s did. Though there was something intensely magnetic about this kiss. All Aniela chalked it up to was just Darcel being that good of a sweet kisser.

    A guess that would be half right as the two would soon later on discover. After a couple of minutes of lovingly kissing each other, Darcel let Aniela''s lips go. However, his arms still were wrapped around her.

    The broad blissful smile still never let Aniela''s face. Cheerfully she said to him, "Mnh...we''re skipping some steps in the romantic process, you know? But! Since this was such a good first kiss, I''ll allow it this time~."

    "When things have settled down, for the time being, I have a treat that you''ll greatly appreciate in terms of romance. How does tha-"

    "Oh?! You actually have a plan! Mnh...Mnh! It definitely better be good after getting my hopes this high, Darcy!" Darcel was in the middle of affectionately stroking Aniela''s hair when she had suddenly passionately cut off his words.

    The clear, bright sparkle and shine in her eyes once again reminded Darcel on how much of a romantic nut this ditzy girl was. Still, her excitement forced a genuine smile right onto Darcel''s face.

    "Have there ever been a time where I have disappointed you?"If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Muuu...besides being a blunt blockhead sometimes, I guess you haven''t. Hehehe~! Now my hopes just dashed to a new level!" The position they were in, neither Darcel nor Aniela wanted to let go.

    Slowly, they shockingly sat on the glaring purple ground, not minding the heat in the slightest. Hell, the heat for them now was a welcoming warmth.

    Staying like this in a lovingly couple position for a few minutes, Darcel had recalled a vital fact.

    Stroking Aniela''s head while she leaned on to his chest, he told her, "For our upcoming duel, I''m sure you also realized someone is undoubtedly watching us. Someone absolutely powerful to the point where no other Teachers could sense them. It''s a bit of a gamble...but we should go all out to see how this person will react."

    "Ah! Our powerful stalker, right. I''m sure she''s one of those secret talent Scouters. The noise we made over two days could...well, did make a lot of people interested in us. And even if this person still doesn''t show themselves at the duel, I''m sure there''ll be plenty of other Teachers lining up to teach us!"

    Darcel smiled in agreement since he had plans to ruthlessly crush Giel. Their time in this room would soon be up, and his anticipation for their upcoming fight was noticeably high.

    "For now, let''s rest back up to our peak state. Though I''m sure we can still crush those Nascent kids even while exhausted, it doesn''t hurt to be overly prepared."

    "Our unintentional rise really is beginning now, huh? Our lives just never have a dull moment¡­" Aniela snuggled up close to Darcel as they both began to close their eyes, to gain back their fallen energy¡­

    ¡­.

    Today for the Zakira Academy, a noisy commission spread throughout the Middle level of the Academy. At an arena even more expansive than the initiate level combat arena, hundreds of students and Elders gather here.

    Nearly most of the seats in the surrounding stadium were filled up for today. Discussions was noisily packed here, and a slight tension filtered in the air. After all, this wasn''t an ordinary duel.

    The two infamous new students that nobody can seem to stop talking about was set to appear here today! And once and for all will everyone get to see the cheaters their Academy brought in.

    The achievement of completing that goblin mission went far beyond Darcel, and Aniela could ever have expected.

    But reasonably so as they performed an accomplishment, not even the genius ranked students of the initiate level could do.

    All while apparently being just at the Middle Order level of the Qi Formation Sea realm!

    The thought of Darcel and Aniela simply having jumping defying prowess was immediately crossed out of everyone''s mind.

    Only the most extreme and real geniuses of the number one ranked Province have a slim hope of achieving that kind of unfathomable prowess.

    Definitely, not someone from the lowest of ranked Province could produce.

    So whatever cheats those two new students have must be incredibly insidious and maybe even groundbreaking!

    This was the students and even the Teachers and Elders common sense, and supposedly nothing can change this.

    Out of all the students, four stood out the brightest, even among the powerful Middle-level students. At a special reserve area of the spectating stadium were four geniuses of their generation.

    "Tch...honestly, this whole thing still seems like some sort of elaborate joke. Middle Order newbies being better than us? Just saying it out loud sounds like a lame joke!"

    A handsome boy wearing a light blue uniform and sporting short black hair cursed out loud. His face and words just screamed irritated. This boy was the number one ranked student of the initiate level, Numi!

    "If you stop and think about it for a second, you would realize whatever these kids have is some pretty good stuff. And that''s just putting it lightly! I, for one, am interested in seeing those kids tricks."

    Next to Numi was another handsome boy. He wore the same light blue uniform, had short brown hair and a charming face. His face screamed with curiosity as he patiently waited for the duel to begin.

    This boy was the second-ranked student of the initiate level, Opin.

    "Opin is right. Never judge a book by its cover. Who knows? We might get to see something truly sinister today." And right next to Opin was a gorgeous cute looking girl.

    She had the same light blue uniform, long blue hair that complemented her fit, and a cute enchanting face to boot. Unlike the others, she wasn''t that interested in the current duel, but curiosity was still there.

    This was the third-ranked student of the initiate level Cusi. And the first thing anyone would notice about these three is they''re all at the peak state of the Perfect Order level!

    These were the extraordinary geniuses of the Zakira Academy. Just the fact they were at the top-ranked, they all were gifted with several special privileges, including special seating privileges.

    Though one girl was sitting close by to them, who outshined them all.

    "Still, I''m surprised you showed up here, Hao Cao. None of the other top-ranked middle students bothered coming to watch." Numi pointed as his eyes trailed over to that beautiful girl.

    Hao Cao certainly could be considered a top-level beauty. Her face was incomparably enchanting, her body was bewitchingly curvaceous, and her shoulder-length black hair was gorgeous.

    She also donned the dark blue uniform of Middle-level students.

    Any boy in the Zakira Academy would count themselves lucky to be with her. But her being the third-ranked student among all Middle-level students created this unspoken pressure about her.

    After all, she was genuinely powerful, being at the late levels of the Nascent Core Realm!

    "Hm? I just find this event a bit amusing." Hao Cao''s voice was sweet and held a playful tone in it. Obviously, she didn''t take this duel so seriously, but it would do good for an entertaining show.

    Her smile was playful as she flashed the initiate level, ranked students one, and continued staring back at the dark blue stone stage.

    Shaking his head, Opin only remarked with, "Even if she''s quite the beauty, she also kind of...weird."

    Out of everyone''s view, over at one of the far end corners of the stone stage were two grand figures. Instructor Lei and Teacher Zala had shown to once again witness Darcel and Aniela''s magical might.

    Unlike all others, they were the only ones who didn''t make immediate assumptions about the duo prowess.

    "As smart as they appeared to be, I didn''t think they would cause such a commotion...unless¡­" Instructor Lei trailed off slightly at the end, and Teacher Zala instantly guessed what he was getting at.

    "From what I could sense, she''s still following them. But don''t tell me you believe those two could just magically sense her?"

    "I mean...is it that much of an impossibility?"

    The two Elders truthfully couldn''t deny this possibility. Moreover, they knew clearly that woman rarely bother with students unless they''re truly extraordinary.

    Upon the center stage, Luke stood tall with a bored expression. Frankly, he knows whatever little tricks or cheats they may have, it''s impossible to ever compare with the prowess of the Nascent Core realm!

    He had been waiting for a couple of minutes up here, and already he thought those two might be a no show.

    However, his thoughts and all other thoughts stalled when Darcel and Aniela gracefully arrived at the arena''s entrance.

 Prestige Duel

    All eyes immediately snapped over to the arena''s entrance to see the infamous stars of tonight''s show. Darcel and Aniela walked with calm gracefulness, but there was just something off about those two.

    Promptly everyone senses told them why the duo felt different.

    Expectations and reality truly are two entirely separate entities. Darcel and Aniela were living proof of this. Everyone, from students to Elders, all expected those new students to still be in the Middle Order level.

    Merely two days have passed since they called the duel after all. However, the immediate aura coming from the two, it...it far surpassed the Middle Order level!

    Darcel and Aniela didn''t hide anything and let their Supreme Order aura naturally leak out from them. Today is the day when they finally put all of their cards on the table; there''s no reason to be reserve now.

    Confused murmurs began rising throughout the whole arena. Admittedly, everyone came to think the duo suppressed their levels when first coming here just to beat two Early Order students.

    Yet, now this was just an illogical consistency! Just how in two days can they shoot up from the Middle Order level to the Supreme Order level?!

    Even top-ranked initiate level students have to spend months to break through the next level.

    Besides using pills, crystals, or other such resources to speed up the process, you will still need to rely on your own talent and comprehension to understand Profound Qi and breakthrough the Mental Blocks!

    All three of the top-ranked initiate level students couldn''t believe their senses either. Numi clicked his tongue, saying, "A sinister cheat...there''s just no other way they could advance so fast!"

    "Before even fighting, they''re already causing quite the commotion. Maybe this will be more exciting than I thought." Cusi''s interest in the battle had somewhat increased now.

    "Like I said, we''re bound to see some groundbreaking tools in this fight." Opin also found a great new interest in this duel. No matter what, Darcel and Aniela already made quite the first impression on the three.

    The only person who didn''t make so much noise was Hao Cao. Though her eyes did lit up, sensing the duo. The lively keen interest in this show had also significantly increased.

    On the center stage, Luka did feel some shock seeing the duo freakish cultivation speed. But his face soon turned back to its indifferent superior one.

    Even if they had some method to increase their cultivation speed, what does it matter now? No matter if they were Supreme Order or Perfect Order, they''re destined to lose to the prowess of the Nascent Core Realm!

    "Hey, would you look at this?  Everyone is in such an excited mood! Even that guy on stage seems really eager for a new experience." Aniela remarked as she and Darcel steadily walked up to the dark blue stone stage.

    "The blind always want to satisfy their curiosity. It is interesting to wonder how much their small worlds will break after our fights." Darcel crudely remarked as they finally neared the stage.

    Without saying another word, Aniela jumped up on stage, gathering most of the attention on her. Besides Luka here, there was also a handsome older man up on stage.

    He had a serene, gentle face, neat long hair, and a lean body. His uniform was of the Middle-level students'' dark blue one. However, it had a slightly different design compared to the students.

    The most notable thing Aniela noticed about this man was his aura. Unlike Instructor Lei or Teacher Zala, Aniela could tell this man was far weaker than them.

    Still, she only took little notice of this as she walked up to meet Luka at the center stage. While walking, her calm, smiling face crossed with the disdain eyes of Luka.

    "Really...nice trick of damaging your future cultivation for a short burst of speed. Honestly, this ba-"

    "Really! This battle will honestly have a quick eye-opening lesson, all of you will experience today!" Luka''s attempts at suppressing taunts were quickly interrupted by the bold Aniela.

    When talking, she seemed to have this odd momentum that slightly affected Luka. It was like her words were the absolute truth, and nothing can change today''s outcome.

    Thinking about this idea, Luka snorted to himself as his face gained a hint of mockery.

    "That mouth of hers truly didn''t change at all since the last we saw them." Watching the beginning exchange, Instructor Lei was already having faint premonitions about this fight.

    He, too, was endlessly shocked about the duo''s cultivation speed. While he didn''t really believe the two suppressed their levels before, he couldn''t understand how they advanced so fast now.

    "Still, this girl carries this odd boundless confidence no matter what she''s doing. This fight...it may very well be surprising to us." Teacher Zala held a more biased mind since she did see the duo fight right in front of her.

    Although Instructor Lei was a bit surprised seeing her attitude. He also saw them fight, yet it looked like Teacher Zala has more confidence in them than him. But he never heard her be so...open to a student before.

    Back on stage, the handsome older man, Teacher Ren, had a curious expression once Aniela neared them. He still believed Luka would easily win, but he couldn''t deny Aniela didn''t arouse his interest.

    Once the two were ten feet apart from each other, the students'' noisy murmurs died down some. The infamous ''cheating'' new student is about to face off against a prestigious Middle-level student.

    Luka, at the third level of the Nascent Core realm, will seriously fight against a Supreme Order Qi Formation Sea kid. It was finally time to see just how big of a joke this battle will be!

    "Begin!" Stolen novel; please report.

    Teacher Ren announced and promptly jumped back to allow the students to fight on their massive stage. Suddenly though, Teacher Ren gained this sinking feeling when he took another glance at Aniela while jumping.

    Before Luka could taunt again, before the students could jeer at her, before anyone could move a muscle, Aniela''s eyes shined a glaring piercing white glow.

    Her spatial ring sparked, and the real prowess of her aura was unleashed all at once!

    ''Whir!!''

    Tremendous waves of Supreme Order level aura gushed out in the whole arena bringing up frantic gushes of winds! Simentousnaly, the temperature massively increased to burning degrees.

    Luka froze, the top-ranked initiate students locked up, and everyone else was in utter bewilderment. A second had only passed, yet Aniela dramatically changed to a shattering world point.

    Everyone''s eyes bear witness to the raging whitish black flaming aura that elegantly wrapped around Aniela''s body and a purple rapier in her hand.

    Not only was her current sight stunning...the sensation of her aura broke their common sense!

    All initiate level students who came felt suffocated and suppressed by her overwhelming aura. Even the early level Nascent Core students felt suffocated by the mere leakage of her aura.

    This aura indeed was of the Supreme Order level...and yet, it''s just too powerful! Hao Cao bounced up from her seat now. Her eyes held this exciting glint as anticipation built up inside her.

    Luka, however, was anything but excited or in awe. Aniela zeroed the full brunt of her aura on him, causing tremendous suppression and pressure. His teeth clenched hard to the point of shattering as he tried to resist her.

    "ENOUGH!!"

    Luka''s roaring shout was accompanied by the full blast of his third level Nascent Core aura! What should''ve been an impressive showcase of power, instead turned into something slightly pitiful?

    "L-Luka power...it''s-it''s not overpowering hers?!"

    "Compared to him, I still feel that white hair girl power more!!"

    "This-this isn''t a cheat, but her true power?! How?!"

    Hearing the students'' comments on how he still was weaker than Aniela frustrated Luka to no end. Even more frustrating was the fact they were right!

    Him unleashing his aura did nothing to help with Aniela''s suppression.

    Aniela''s smile was nothing but infuriating to Luka. It was bright, broad, and condescending! She didn''t offer up any more words, but when she slightly moved her body, Luka felt immediate danger.

    ''Hua!''

    Aniela blasted off to Luka, ripping through air with lightning-like speeds! A trail of raging whitish black flames was left in her wake as her speed became naked to many eyes.

    Relying on his protective instinct, Luka hastily called upon his Nascent Qi. His hands sparked in a blaring purple glow that tried to resist Aniela''s already blaring glow.

    As Aniela neared him, Luka swung his hand up, creating rumbling on the stone stage. From the ground, a large purple earthen wall quickly rose up to protect him.

    Seeing this pathetic defense was nearly laughable for Aniela. Gaining a savage smile, she simply gathered a bit of Profound Qi in her arms, transferring it through her rapier.

    ''Chi!''

    With a mere causal swipe of her rapier, Aniela split the purple earth wall in half like smooth butter. Luka''s eyes burst open as from the swipe, a wave of sizzling black flames blasted towards him.

    Having only a split second to react, Luka hurriedly formed purple Earthen arms to defend himself. Crossing his arms at his face, Luka already felt a scalding temperature burn up his body.

    ''Bang!''

    Luka got sent skidding back as the wave black flames ruthlessly struck him. His body was trembling as pain wracked his arms, and a numbing feeling overtook his arms.

    The battle had just begun, and already Luka was put on the defensive! Was this kid actually real?! Everyone was now intensely engaged in the duel, and Aniela wasn''t done after that attack.

    "Feeling the heat yet~?"

    Aniela playfully taunted with a teasing voice that she knew would further enrage Luka. However, she didn''t want to listen to his response. Flexing her legs again, Aniela blasted off into another mad dash at Luka.

    "Feel my damn hammer!!"

    Luka''s purple spatial ring ignited as he fished out a long purple battle hammer. From the first glances of that weapon, you could tell its weight was massive and would flatten any foe with ease.

    Well, almost any foe.

    Right when Aniela neared him, Luka''s eyes had a wicked light in them.

    His whole hammer shined a vivid purple as Luka tightly clenched it. Savagely, he swiftly swung down his hammer in hopes of flattening Aniela into a bloody meat paste!

    Aniela''s smile turned mocking and feral, seeing the hammer come down at her. Instead of dodging, she thrust her rapier right against Luka''s massive hammer!

    "BANG!"

    "GE-AHH!!"

    Akin to a rag doll, Luka''s body went flying, crashing, and bouncing on the stage multiple times. Forcefully, Luka flipped himself over in mid-air and dig his hand onto the stage, still skidding back after that last exchange.

    Luka nearly felt like he lost all feeling in his other arm. Blood was rising in his mouth, and his chest heaved. Glancing over to his other hand as he stopped himself, his eyes widened once noticing his state.

    His hand that wielded his hammer had split open with fresh, bright red blood running down his arm. Pain, humiliation, and shock all ran through Luka''s mind as he stared at his bloodied hand.

    Just two moves and he was thrown into a major disadvantage. Clearly, he had to do something, or he really will end up losing to this damn girl!

    Seeing Luka state, Aniela had several different ways to quickly end this. But they were trying to get that person to come out, right? Smiling brightly, Aniela decided to be the first one to bless everyone today.

    "You! Watch closely now!" Aniela suddenly shouted to Luka, who snapped his head up in rage.

    However, before he could attempt anything, a piercing white glow punctured into everyone''s eyes.

    ''Whir!!''

    A power that nobody here had ever felt before gushed out of Aniela. Overwhelming, angelic, and holy. These words could just barely describe the aura Aniela exuded now.

    Her arm sparkled in a magnificent white glow, painting Aniela in a holy light. Looking at her now, students and teachers alike felt as if an actual fairy was born.

    Numi, Opin, and Cusi had all fully realized then the massive chasm between them and Aniela. Their mouths were agape, and their eyes were glued to the angelic-looking Aniela.

    Teacher Zala and Instructor Lei were stunned. Their own blood began boiling as if it met an absolute suppression. Everything was all coming together in their minds.

    And out of everyone''s view and senses, one hidden powerful presence felt their confirmation rise in this one moment.

    Luka was the only one in utter terror about Aniela''s newfound powers. It was too much!

    As he struggled to get up, his legs felt weak, his mind buzzed with danger, and he nearly collapsed under her mere aura.

    This chasm of a difference...Luka couldn''t take it anymore! A maddening going entered his eyes, and Nascent Qi swirled in his mouth.

    Aniela only stood with a calm, smiling expression as she heard Luka shriek with maddening rage, saying,

    "I''ll-I''ll-I''ll KILL YOU!!"

    In a shocking twist of events for everyone, Luka bit down on his tongue, causing a tremendous wave of frantic power to spew out of him! He truly was erupting his blood essence, sacrificing his life span just to win!

    But the only problem with this was¡­

    "Luka is insane! He just wants to cripple himself!"

    "Yea! Even now, his aura is still so small compared to hers!!"

    As the students pointed out, Luka''s eruption of his blood essence still couldn''t even be compared to the angelic Aniela.

 Overwhelming Duels

    Eyes couldn''t turn away from this supposed duel? No...what was going on now was just pure suppression! And all of it stemmed from a fairy-like girl with a massive smile on her face.

    Watching Luka pitifully squirm under her bloodline aura was almost too good of a sight for Aniela.

    The way his expression still morphed into one of desperate fear and his legs yet to lose that wobbling brought about a sense of satisfaction in Aniela.

    She can admit it; she no way near as vicious as she knows Darcel could get. But experiencing more and more full-fledged fights, she knew a hidden savage side in her was slowly awakening.

    A savage, feral side to oneself can be immensely off-putting to others. Even with all these tremendous power humans can get, most don''t want to lose their humanity and just become needlessly cruel.

    Yet, Aniela and even Darcel saw no harm in enjoying ruthlessly stomping on their foes. It was just simply exciting for them to do. Especially when it''s someone who continually disrespects them.

    Before altogether ending things, Aniela still wanted to squeeze out a lost drop of fun from the struggling Luka. Slowly, Luka watched as Aniela raised her hand at him and mockingly beckon him over, saying,

    "Well?! Let me see the power of your blood essence if you''re going to make a big deal out of it!"

    Fear and humiliation mixed with unending pain as Luka felt massive frustration swell up inside him. He knows she''s stronger, he can sense she''s stronger, but dammit, he can''t accept getting looked down upon!

    Breaking down his body further, Luka surprisingly stood against Aniela''s tremendous aura pressure!

    Forcefully, he raised his hammer to the skies, gathering massive waves of Nascent Qi for an all-out Martial Skill.

    Luka truly was putting all his might into this attack. A valiant effort Aniela even had to claim. But a cruel haze entered her eyes as she pointed her rapier to Luka''s hammer.

    Faster than Luka and even most students in the stands could see, a whitish black flame blasted out with ferocious intensity from Aniela''s rapier tip!

    The whip tore through the air, sailing at high speed to a wide eye Luka.

    He was utterly helpless against this kind of speed and could only watch in despair as Aniela''s searing whip flew a bit above him.

    ''Bang!''

    The bright, shining purple hammer shot out of Luka''s hand as Aniela''s whip effortlessly overpowered it. Luka''s arms trembled non stop, feeling bones broke upon the violent impact.

    Before he could even see where his hammer flew off too, Luka witnessed a second whitish black flaming whip blitz towards him. Against all the odds, Luka instinctively reacted and struck out with his heavily damaged right arm.

    Full power Nascent Qi came spewing out of Luka''s fist, soaring to meet the frenzied power of Aniela''s Profound Qi flaming whip.

    And before they clash, Luka already felt his Nascent Qi severely suppressed by Aniela''s prowess.

    "Bang!"

    "GAHH!!"

    Like a bullet, Luka shot backward while spurting out blood! That one whip utterly destroyed his right arm, setting his hand on fire and causing massive wracks of pain.

    However, this nightmare power wasn''t quite over yet. A sudden gust of wind caused even more fear in Luka. Popping out of thin air for him, Aniela''s purple rapier came sailing towards his right shoulder.

    At this point, Aniela simply could''ve let Luka ragdoll off stage. But she had to set an example on her fighting style for all students to see. Plus, she also wanted to try a small experiment.

    ''Chi!''

    Fresh blood gushed into the wind as Aniela quickly pierced Luka''s shoulder like it was made up of tofu. For a single second, Luka was utterly silent. And then...utter nightmarish pain!

    "AHHHH!!!"

    Luka''s anguish shouts spewed out in the arena, being akin to the shrieks of a dying pig. Inside his body, raging fire rampaged there, sizzling his bones and organs.

    Though, in her bloodline state, Aniela managed to control her fire to not kill the boy. However, after only a second, Luka promptly passed out as the pain was far too unbearable to stand.

    Witnessing this, Aniela shrugged and pulled her rapier out of Luka.

    Blood pooled down his body and Aniela''s rapier, creating a quite graphic horrifying scene. Turning off her bloodline aura, Aniela went back to her usual lively self.

    Her bloodied rapier flashed back insider her spatial ring like nothing even happened.

    Luka''s unconscious body crashed into the stone floor, forming a pool of blood under him. Simentasnouly, the whole arena was utterly silent.

    Aniela kept her head held up high though she sensed something swiftly approaching.

    Taking a few steps back and glancing down at Luka, like an actual ghost, a man in a professional doctor suit came and whisked Luka away. Seeing this for a second time, Aniela frankly wondered if all doctors specialized in speed.

    Though Aniela was nonchalant about her victory, students and teachers alike had one big question on their minds. Just what the hell...what the hell did they witness?!

    Among all confused and awe stares, Aniela walked with a chip in her step to Teacher Ren. Basking in the utter glory of shocking ignorant people certainly felt good!

    "Excuse me, Teacher Ren, but I think I should be getting my sweet rewards from battle?" Aniela''s voice still was bubbly, cheerful, and sweet to listen to. It had also broken everyone out of their awe stares.

    "She-she...that''s a genius¡­"

    "There''s no other acceptable term other than genius for her!"

    "This is...my eyes¡­.I still can''t believe what happen¡­"

    Chaotic murmurs of awe students ranged throughout the whole arena. Jumping up a whole realm to utterly crush that foe? The only way to describe this is a true genius!

    Aniela, the supposed dirty cheater, is actually a hidden profound genius?! No matter how ridiculous it sounded, Aniela really did just beat a Nascent Core student with the sheer power of the Supreme Order level.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Furthermore, she also holds this odd majestic power that significantly boosts her prowess! Numi, Opin, Cusi couldn''t move from their seats at all.

    They couldn''t even be mentioned in the same sentence as Qi Formation Sea geniuses compared to her!

    All the while, Hao Cao kneen interest in Aniela had majorly increased. But her eyes had actually darted over to the lone Darcel. Fervent anticipation built up inside her, watching him now.

    "Ah-ah! Right...you will be granted with thirty red crystals as per rules." Teacher Ren woke up from his stupor about Aniela. Suffice to say his world was rocked, similar to the others.

    Not only that, this would be the first time in his history where''s he granting red crystals to initiate level students.

    Pushing this conflicting thought down, Teacher Ren fished out a dark blue sack from his spatial ring.

    Handing it to Aniela, she dazzlingly smiled at Teacher Ren while putting the sack in her spatial ring. Swiftly, she turned around from him and got off stage to meet up with Darcel.

    "So~? Did you enjoy my little show for you~?" Using a seductive teasing tone only granted for him, Aniela slithered up close to Darcel. She enjoyed acting coy a lot with Darcel, though he rarely gets riled up.

    Forming a small smile at her, Darcel began patting her lushes soft hair, making Aniela cooed into his touch. Boldly he told her, "Not even a god could look away when you spew out your endless supply of energy. But now, you should prepare to watch my style of a show."

    "Oh?! You''re going to put on an even bigger act than me?!" Aniela was excited in seeing how Darcel will increase their prestige. She only hopes he doesn''t go overboard and ends crippling that Giel kid.

    "That''s why I say prepare. It''s a returning trick I already showed you before, just recently, in fact." Darcel simply said mysteriously. But not mysterious enough as he saw Aniela''s eyes spark up in realization.

    While Darcel and Aniela had their usual calm bantering talk, Giel was sweating hard. He wasn''t foolish enough to believe Darcel wouldn''t hold a similar power to Aniela.

    They practically never separated since coming to this Academy!  And going by the full aura he felt from Aniela, he could tell if he was fighting her, Aniela would probably crush him just like with Luka.

    He was confident in his power but wasn''t a huge blind fool. However, after coming this far into the duel, how could he simply just back down? He''ll only lose face without even seeing Darcel fight!

    "Giel...maybe...maybe he''s isn''t strong as her? There''s just bound to be some differences between them...right?" Gorga attempted to offer some words of encouragement, yet he was also feeling utter despair about Aniela''s prowess.

    Giel didn''t even register what his brother said.

    Without another word, he jumped on the center stage, making all eyes come on to him. His eyes glared to where the duo stood, only to feel a slight loss seeing Darcel be so calm.

    Darcel and Aniela glanced over to the stage, seeing Giel jump on it. Reluctantly Darcel stopped patting Aniela''s head and flashed her a knowing smile.

    She had the same smile too as eagerness swelled inside her chest.

    Like unspoken communication, Darcel nodded at her and promptly jumped up on stage. Slowly and dauntingly, Darcel walked up to the center stage, pulling all eyes on him.

    "So...that guy going to fight too, huh¡­" Numi muttered out a bit breathlessly, his mind still already spawning several ideas about Darcel.

    "Just look at the way he walks...already he built up massive anticipation inside, well, all of us." Cusi also remarked, feeling the clear expectation cut through the air.

    Similar to Giel, all other students heard Darcel and Aniela just always stick together no matter what. And if that''s true...then he''s probably bound to have an incredible talent!

    Hao Cao showed a much more intense interest with Darcel compared to Aniela. She doesn''t even know if his prowess could match hers, yet her eyes were glued to this duel.

    Instructor Lei and Teacher Zala quickly focus on Darcel, putting down their shock about Aniela for later. Depending on how he does will dictate their futures about these kids.

    Teacher Ren was silent, watching Darcel and Giel stand ten feet apart from each other. One was at the Supreme Order level of the Qi Formation sea realm, and the other was a fourth level Nascent Core talent.

    Before Aniela''s fight, he and everyone else would share a hearty laugh at this standoff.

    But now?

    No one had that much thought in doubting Darcel since the impossible was already broken once today.

    Crossing eyes with each other, Darcel could see the massive nervousness in Giel''s eyes. Giel saw this as a fight for his life and reputation while Darcel just wanted to let loose for a bit.

    "Begin!"

    Teacher Ren called out once again to signify the start of the battle. And this time, tremendous waves of power gushed out of the youths already!

    "Whir!!"

    Black fire crazily spewed out in the arena as Darcel gained his black flaming aura and brought his purple rapier. And trying to match his aura was the vague blue aura of a new power Darcel didn''t sense before but quickly identified it.

    Giel used the power of Sword Qi!

    It was sharp, refined, and incredibly potent to others, and Giel also held a straight silver sword. Fourth-level Nascent Core aura desperately tried to match Darcel''s Supreme Order aura''s incomparably deep power.

    Giel was gritting his teeth a bit while the stadium was stun, but their suspicious was also just confirmed! Just slightly more did Darcel manage to outmatch Giel''s aura!

    Clearly, the students could sense Darcel''s aura more than Giel. Exactly like Aniela, he already showed himself to be a threatening opponent.

    However, Darcel wasn''t going to be just like Aniela. And it was time to unveil his little trick.

    Much faster than Giel trying to maximize his sword aura, Darcel gathered a massive amount of Profound Qi into his rapier. Instantly the power he was swirling caused Giel''s and everyone else faces to drop.

    Giel was just finishing unleashing his full aura prowess when a tremendous suffocation power wrapped up his entire body. It severely suppressing every inch of his being.

    All of it was just far too fast for him to even comprehend! As in the very next second, Darcel''s voice boomed out in the arena.

    "Fiery Slice!"

    Hearing the name called pushed people into further awe since Darcel was perfectly using a Martial Skill!

    ''Chi!''

    In utter shock, Giel watched as an enormous line of black flames came blitzing towards him. The power behind this attack nearly locked up his joints in pure suppression.

    But Giel wasn''t content going down like this.

    "GEH!! SWORD FORMATION!!"

    Roaring in fierce indignation, Giel hastily swirled his Nascent Qi into his sword. His attempt at a Martial defensive skill came in the form of a translucent blue barrier Nascent Sword Qi.

    His silver sword glowed the same bright blue as Giel raised it to meet Darcel''s attack head-on.

    ''BOOOM!!''

    The tremendous explosion of Profound Qi shattering Nascent Qi blasted everyone''s eardrums. Black fire crazily rampaged on the stage as Giel shot backward like a cannonball.

    "GE-AH!!"

    Forcefully, Giel grounded his body, rolling on stage as pain wracked his body, and nearly all feeling in his arm was gone! He coughed up blots of blood in a kneeling position and tore his eyes to his sword arm.

    Terror entered his eyes once he noticed the mangled state of his arm. His uniform sleeve was ruined, exposing his bare bloody arm. Gorey red flesh sizzled off his arm as the black fire raged about there.

    Giel froze in a cold sweat for a second. He was sure, just now, his aura was only slightly weaker than Darcel. But why...why did this attack overpowered him so much!

    Nearly over half of his Nascent Qi was depleted, just barely defending that attack, leaving him only a small portion. Blood still trailed down from his mouth, and his chest violently heaved.

    Giel wasn''t in the right state of mind to understand it, but others certainly did. Darcel''s level of power showed off with a Martial Skill only means he achieved Perfection Mastery over it!

    When one perfected any kind of Martial Skill, the power they could exude would be significantly multiplied in a single attack. And Darcel achieved this result in two days!

    Moreover, what people didn''t know was his skill as well was amplified by his more profound understanding of the Element of Fire.

    Giel was in complete pain, despair, and unwilling shock. But like rapid-fire, an aura...an overwhelming aura caused him and everyone to fall into an enchanted daze.

    This power...it couldn''t be! But they couldn''t deny it, Darcel was unleashing a newfound prowess similar to the white glow of Aniela''s!

    Hastily Giel''s head jerked up towards Darcel, who was slowly gaining a mystifying black glow.

    Darcel cracked open a cold condescending smile at Giel as he slowly unleashed his bloodline. Mockingly he taunted to Giel saying,

    "Didn''t I tell you before to come with your best method to expose a cheater like me?"

 Majestic Presence

    Black glow, darker than the abyss'' pits, pulled people into a different trance compared to Aniela''s white light. Darcel stood like a grand majestic emperor with his bloodline arm.

    His mere leakage aura was of this commanding presence merely impossible to ignore.

    Aniela''s aura made you want to serve and worship her. Darcel''s aura made you want to willingly bend to his will and leave their minds to him.

    A majestic fairy...and a glorious emperor! Their combination fit each other perfectly to a tee! And somehow, despite being in the lowest rank province, Zakira Academy people were the first to witness their full glory.

    The raging black fire on stage calmed down, becoming entirely steady, swaying with an elegant rhythm. Giel''s Nascent aura was utterly negligent to the grand prowess of Darcel''s bloodline state.

    His breath caught in his throat as feelings of regret boiled into his mind. In just a matter of a few seconds, his whole world was utterly trampled upon by Darcel. He regrets ever crossing gazes with this freak!

    Alas, there was simply no pill for regret.

    But, could he simply give up right now? Logically it makes the most sense, but...he was a Zakira Middle-level student! It was just unbefitting to roll over like a dog and pathetically leave without even throwing an attack.

    Darcel''s cold, uncaring eyes mockingly stared at him, further destroying his confidence. Yet, even under this pressure, Giel forcefully swirled up Nascent Qi in his mouth.

    Uncaring about anything else, Giel forcefully erupted his blood essence! Attention momentarily snapped towards Giel as he was making the same move as Luka.

    And just like Luka, Giel''s tremendous waves of newfound frantic Nascent Qi was still nothing compared to Darcel. Even as he shakily stood up while erupting his blood essence, everybody already knows this outcome.

    "Doesn''t he just realize it''s already over? Now he just uselessly wasting his life span¡­"

    "Wait...wait a minute. Giel is actually forming a Martial Skill?!"

    Gushes storm of winds swirled around Giel as his aura dramatically increased! He tightly clutched his sword with his mangled arm, spurting blood into the wind, yet he didn''t care about that or the pain.

    In a similar manner, like Darcel, Giel''s prowess significantly multiply all at once!

    Meaning he is also about to unleash a Perfection Mastery Martial Skill! The area around Giel turned into a sharp piercing blue aura as phantom images of swords started to form.

    Darcel only held his vicious smile while watching Giel. No matter how much Giel tried to amplify his prowess, it was still nothing under his bloodline aura.

    He could just finish with Giel with one move. But, Darcel wanted to set in stone the example Aniela provided in her last match.

    This example will forever be engraved in their minds, no matter if they''re a student or a teacher!

    "My, my~. Giel is going to use the penultimate of Sword Skills here. I wonder just how this special guy will deal with it~?" Hao Cao''s sweet, playful voice cooed out in the genius area, bringing the other ranked students'' attention to her.

    These three students were at first shocked at Giel''s sudden burst of power. Clearly, in a regular battle, this would be an unstoppable trump card!

    It was only a shame they and all other students could still sense Darcel''s mighty aura, majorly outclassing Giel''s Martial Skill.

    However, their interest was now stolen as this was the second time Hao Cao decided to open up her mouth.

    Looking at her, the ranked initiate level students could see she held far more interest in Darcel than Aniela. Hell, the fact she was interested in the two of them was surprising considering her weird track record.

    Yet before anyone of them could comment on it, they all heard a roaring shout filled with great power.

    "Hundred Layer Swords!!"

    ''Whir!!''

    Gushes of massive Nascent Qi spewed out in the whole arena! All around, Giel has numerous blue Qi swords, totaling to an actual number of one hundred.

    And around Giel''s body was a complete sharp blue sword Qi aura. It was like he was at one with the sword, having his presence become dangerously piercing, akin to a real sword.

    It only took a couple of seconds to form this Skill, and Darcel didn''t lift a finger to interrupt. Him doing this was even greater disrespect to Giel! Darcel didn''t even consider his frantic surge of power a little threat.

    Moreover, the cheeky smile he offered Giel sent him into a blazing rage! Gnashing his teeth to the point where blood flowed out, Giel tightly gripped his sword and blitzed towards Darcel.

    However, before Giel could even move that far, all of the black flame on the stage suddenly was sucked into Darcel''s rapier. Causally holding his rapier out to the charging Giel, Darcel was ready to end it once and for all.

    Immediately, Giel froze up once, seeing a glowing black fire shine form at the tip of Darcel''s rapier. That shine exuded incredible power that Giel didn''t know could actually come from a human.

    The temperature dramatically shot up to burning degrees, already sizzling Giel''s body without even coming close. Beads of sweats endlessly poured down Giel''s face, and then...he witnessed it.

    Unlike Giel, Darcel didn''t need to take even two seconds to form his attacks. Instantaneously when his black flaming glow appeared, Darcel''s black fire aura ferociously sizzled. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ''Chi!''

    Shooting out from Darcel''s rapier in a black fiery glory was a massive black flaming claw! The claw grew to exponential size to the point where Giel''s hundred sword attack looked like an ant.

    Jaws dropped, eyes popped open, and minds were shattered. The power behind this claw, the scale of this claw, was all imagery that would forever be imprinted on students'' and teachers'' brains.

    Smacked right in the middle of the black flaming claw grand aura was a terrorizing sensation.

    Giel couldn''t move a single muscle as he helplessly watched his hundred blue Qi swords disintegrate under the black flaming claw.

    And in horrific realization, the enormous black flaming claw came crashing down at him! Giel''s world was engulfed in complete darkness; he couldn''t even utter out a cry for help.

    ''BANG!''

    Darcel''s black flaming claw ruthlessly crushed Giel and his ultimate Martial Skill. The resounding impact blared into everyone''s ear, jolting them up to this mass rush of power.

    In total control, Darcel made his black flaming claw disappear along with turning off his bloodline state. Back to his usual calm self, Darcel contently smiled at his work.

    The dark blue stone stage had several weblike cracks running under a sizzling, bloody Giel. Giel was, of course, still alive, but had immediately passed out from the overwhelming blow.

    Silence, utter silence permeated the whole Middle-level combat arena.

    That level of attack Darcel had achieved, it was...it was mind-boggling! A scale of that attack size, only those legendary Core level geniuses could achieve something like that!

    The size of Giel''s Martial Skill was already a slightly special case that would be difficult to replicate. Yet it just utterly paled in comparison to Darcel''s flaming claw.

    Before Darcel got his rewards from Teacher Ren, like with Aniela, he also saw a doctor professional whisk Giel away. And Darcel took little notice of how the doctor wasn''t even the slightest bit fazed by his fire.

    Continuing on, Darcel walked up Teacher Ren, boldly speaking out loud and causing everyone to awake from their stupor. "My red crystals are ready, right?"

    Mastery over a Martial Skill...and overwhelming Profound Qi...Darcel was a true genius! He was even more dominating than Aniela, considering Giel couldn''t even last for two of his moves.

    Upproaring chatter broke out about Darcel and Aniela. And among all the noise, Teacher Ren cleared his head and ignited his spatial ring. Taking out a dark blue sack, he said,

    "Right-right. Here, thirty red crystals."

    Taking the sack, Darcel transferred it to his spatial ring and promptly walked back to Aniela. No wonder Aniela seemed in a great mood when coming back, basking in awe; glory was a refreshing experience for Darcel.

    The three top-ranked students were silent as they watched Darcel proudly walk back.

    Two massive chasms had appeared out of nowhere, and these chasms were one Numi, Opin, and Cusi knew they could never cross¡­

    For the first time in a long while, Hao Cao felt excited about wanting to meet new people. Her playful grin turned into a genuine eager smile as she slowly muttered out,

    "At that meeting, they will definitely be there!"

    Teacher Zala and Instructor Lei simply couldn''t expect they would accidentally pick up such level talent. And to think they both initially thought the duo were just shabby kids!

    Although before they could continue this thought, they both sensed her hidden presence moving out. Her presence caused them to tighten up since it was finally time to appear.

    "Muuu...fine! I''ll give it up to you, Darcy, that show was way flashier than mines. But! Next time, I''ll show you what it really means to be flashy!" Darcel didn''t even say anything, yet Aniela immediately croaked once he came close with his slightly smug smile.

    "I''m sure you''ll try ditzy girl. But don''t be-"

    "AH?!?"

    Whatever snide comment Darcel was going to say got caught off when fervent uproars of surprised shocks rocked the arena.

    The duo found the students and teachers to be even more astonished than when they fought.

    As the two turned to see who caused all of this commotion, both Darcel and Aniela suddenly felt that same profound sensation of being watched. Only this time, the person had come out in full.

    "WE GREET VICE-PRINCIPAL!!"

    Every student''s respectful shout boomed into Darcel and Aniela''s eardrums as they finally saw who commanded such respect. And frankly, the duo was also shocked by who it was.

    Generally, as one steadily advanced in cultivation, their appearances will also either quickly or slowly grow. Even Darcel and Aniela, their once decent appearance was slowly morphing into something charming.

    But once people get to legendary high realms, at the very least, their appearances would be charmingly attractive. However, for the woman that just showed up, she went against that norm.

    This woman was, simply put, grand in stature. She was six feet tall, just barely taller than Darcel, but still towers over most men and women.

    Her outfit was this dazzling black purple mixed majestic robes that exuded a leader like presence.

    But her face. It was just...plain, average with no real defining features. A woman''s face that could simply be assorted into crowds of people and blend into the background.

    Moreover, a long scar ran down her cheek, giving her a slight violent look.

    Her body was no different in being plain. Just ordinary proportions, leaning a bit on the flat side. Compared to Teacher Zala, she obviously outstrips this Vice Principal in terms of beauty.

    Yet, in terms of aura? Teacher Zala couldn''t hold a candle to the natural aura this Vice Principal exudes. It was an aura that made the blood run cold, intimidated minds, and commanded a high degree of respect.

    This was a woman you wouldn''t ever dream of going against in primal fear for your life.

    So grand and majestic, she would undoubtedly frighten any, if not all, youths during the first meeting. But today, the Vice Principal came across two kids who were actually expecting her.

    Darcel and Aniela didn''t back down at all from this majestic woman. Their eyes evenly matched with her cold blue ones, taking her aura in full stride.

    A small, barely noticeable smirk twitched the Vice Principal lips as gazed upon this bold duo. Ignoring all others who respectfully greeted her, her attention was only on Darcel and Aniela.

    "You kids'' talent and potential are deserving to come with me. Unless...you have any other thoughts?" The Vice Principal''s voice was like steel.

    Indifferent, blunt, and straight to the point.

    She carried an undeniable momentum when talking as students and teachers were all engrossed in this exchange. Yet, neither Darcel nor Aniela had reactions they would typically expect.

    "Finally, it''s here! Our golden ticket! Let''s get on with it!" Aniela bubbly said out loud, spouting a massive grin on her face. She vividly walked up along with Darcel as he also said,

    "And like usual, everything just falls into place thanks to our joint prowess. Ready whenever you are." Both of their tones were brazen and uncaring about giving high amounts of respect.

    Honestly, breaths hitched into throats as no one ever dared to speak to the Vice Principal this way! Surely they thought these two freakishly strong duos would get into trouble, but they only heard,

    "Two rare mouthy ones, eh? This truly will be interesting." The Vice Principal only indifferently remarked without a hint of anger. Waving her hand, an mysterious energy enveloped Darcel and Aniela.

    And under all eyes, the two were swiftly whisked away by the majestic Vice Principal of the Zakira Academy!

    Though left behind, no one will ever forget the legendary fights two previous new initiate level students had for times to come...

 Casual Bold Exchange

    Truly, even as Darcel and Aniela experienced rapid bouts of growths, leading them to trump their fellow generation. They still can''t forget just how many monstrous powerhouses that can kill them with a thought.

    Their minds had reinforced this idea when the Vice Principal''s mysterious energy instantly wrapped them up. Her power...it indeed lived up to her majestic grand aura.

    Neither Darcel nor Aniela could move once in her energy, yet it wasn''t so much of a suffocating power. Though before they had time to delve their senses into her power, the two abruptly felt a dramatic shift in the air!

    It was like getting sucked in at high velocity through a tornado! Their vision was clouded by the Vice Principal''s mysterious grey energy, so the duo had no idea where they were going.

    Although, this sudden dramatic pull only lasted for a second. When their eyes blinked and re-opened again, their scenery changed. Now the two were in a classical design office.

    There were shelves, file cabinets, and various assortments of books and scrolls in this place. The place was also spacious, allowing room for several people to come and lounge around in here.

    But, there was just something about the color of this office.

    As far as the duo were concerned, this Zakira Academy loves the shade of blue and purple, constructing unique, elegantly designed mixes of colors with them.

    Yet this Vice Principal office¡­.the blue here was enchantingly radiant. It held this cooling vibe about it that simply will capture your eyes to be drawn into its light pitch.

    And at the back center of the room was a luxurious design desk in the same enchanting blue color. Sitting behind the desk was the average yet grand in stature Vice-Principal.

    Frankly, both Darcel and Aniela had some queer ideas about this room. For someone as average looking as the Vice Principal was, it seemed her taste in design is quite mystical.

    Although they would never say this out loud to her face.

    Even with this seemingly less strict attitude she has, it''s still best to watch their boundaries. Before the duo could say anything, though, the Vice Principal had immediately opened her mouth.

    "You kids were trying to perceive me anytime I was following you, weren''t you?" Her voice wasn''t of an accusing tone but more of a slight curiosity about their senses.

    Ever since the day Teacher Zala introduced their tests and explained the result of Darcel and Aniela''s first battle, her gut feeling piqued about them.

    After all, in her long history, not many can achieve perfect marks on the written test.

    That was borderline genius territory!

    And her interest in the duo was reinforced quite quickly from one act. On the day the two went out for the goblin cave, she precisely saw the very slight pause in their steps when they left the mission center.

    Nobody else noticed it, not even the Elder there caught on to it. But the Vice Principal clearly perceived the duo trying to sense something beyond the people in the mission center.

    Giving the duo the benefit of the doubt, the Vice Principal then decided to follow to see if that slight pause wasn''t just a fluke.

    And, well?

    Everything just snowballs about the duo as soon as they started their mission.

    Long before they had even fought against Giel and Luka, the Vice Principal was soon going to contact them through Teacher Zala for another test. But it seems these kids truly like to cause a ruckus.

    "Mnh...Mnh! This is a great honor! How many can actually say they''ve been stalked by one of the most powerful people in the city?" Despite admitting to saying the Vice Principal is a stalker, Aniela had a genuine massive smile and spoke in a bright, cheerful tone like it was a great thing.

    Shaking his head at Aniela''s comment, Darcel did see some truth in her statement. Shrugging his shoulder, he also spoke up, saying, "It was odd, alright...but I guess you can call it a new experience."

    "Already I can tell in terms of personality, you two are even odder than that loudmouth. But, I''ll cut straight to the point. Frankly, your talent and potential are among the highest I''ve ever seen in my life. Your prowess with Profound Qi is unprecedented...but, your foundation is still rough around the edges. For this, you will be directly under Teacher Zala from now on."

    The Vice Principal gauged the duo''s reaction as she unloaded this bombshell of news onto them. Excitement over gaining a powerful teacher, or a face close like that, was what she expected from the two.

    However, she immediately realized she should''ve known better when both Darcel and Aniela only held calm gazes. They didn''t even slightly react being told about their imperfect foundation.

    Admittedly she had to gain a small smirk seeing them be so natural. While Aniela seems to not question it, Darcel''s eyebrows quirked once thinking about that beautiful teacher.

    "Teacher Zala huh... she''s got to be at least one of the strongest teachers here if I''m not mistaken, right?" This thought abruptly came to him as there hasn''t been a single other teacher that ever came close to the deep profoundness of Teacher Zala.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Not Teacher Ren, any of the initiate level Teachers, or even Instructor Lei can come close to the intense aura Teacher Zala holds. And then there''s this massive disparity between Teacher Zala and this Vice-Principal.

    Call it an innate curiosity, considering they''ll be together soon. Plus, this curiosity got the Vice Principal to form a small, proud smile, telling the duo,

    "She''s not merely one of the top ten strongest teachers here...she''s the second strongest teacher out of the whole Academy. And under her, she''ll make sure your Profound Qi becomes more refined and forcefully open up that huge latent potential locked inside yourselves. Also, that small little boy, Giel, his family won''t dare to bother you this way."

    All at once did the Vice Principal straightforwardly laid out everything for them. A quality that both Darcel and Aniela like to have in conversations. And they''ll return the same straightforward favor.

    "I''m glad everything is as smooth as this. You know I like people who have this straightforward and bluntness to situations. Wouldn''t you agree, Aniela?"

    "Oh, absolutely so! In fact, I''m really drawn into people like you, Darcel, and the Vice-Principal! So since we have no logical reason to refuse, when do we start?"

    Such direct and bold claims utter from their mouths without a hint of nervousness. The Vice Principal could tell these kids weren''t just trying to court favor from their way of speaking.

    They honestly just say what''s on their mind, a rather admirable quality most don''t really have. Taking out a unique purple ring from her desk, she told the two,

    "Truthfully, you kids'' attitude varies from what I usually see. But it isn''t so bad." While talking, her ring ignited in a bright purple spark spewing out untraceable waves of energy.

    "Thankfully, I''m glad we can appease. So when do-"

    "Vice Principal, I''m here...and it truly seems it came down to me." Darcel''s words got cut off when the gorgeous Teacher Zala had suddenly popped up right beside the Vice Principal desk.

    Darcel and Aniela were taken by a slight surprise as this literally was like a ghost popping up! Furthermore, around Teacher Zala''s body was this mysterious purple energy.

    "Everyone at a high level sure does make traveling around look so easy¡­" Aniela lowly mumbled while shaking her head at Teacher Zala''s sudden appearance.

    Ignoring Aniela''s comment, the Vice Principal told Teacher Zala, "From now on, these two talented kids will be in your direct hand. Teach them and guide them with the utmost importance! Also, after this, show them to their new living quarters, where special geniuses living places."

    Teacher Zala wasn''t surprised in the slightest hearing what she had to do. It would be an utter waste otherwise to not raise and train these two. In the future, who knows what kind of achievements they will have!

    However, before Teacher Zala could respond, Aniela had suddenly spoken up in a teasing tone. "Ah! So soon did our fable meeting happen, Teacher Zala. But Vice Principal, just one thing about the rooms. Darcel and I mu-"

    "Do you believe I have no experience in seeing youthful romances? There was only one key that would be granted to you two for the room." The Vice Principal bluntly told them.

    And honestly, Darcel wasn''t surprised she guessed this. It would be surprising to just think they''re still friends. Besides, he had no reason to be embarrassed about his, admittedly blissful relationship with Aniela.

    "Really...I guess everything was just laid out for us as soon as we got into your office."

    "Hehehe~, it''s also good to know the Vice Principal can spot a rising youthful couple!" Aniela as well wasn''t embarrassed and joined in the little banter while holding Darcel''s hand.

    The only person who was a bit stiff during this exchange was Teacher Zala. Her expression was a bit cramped as she rarely had light-hearted conversations, or really, conversations in general.

    Still, Aniela cast a bright smile to her that at least compelled her to talk a little.

    "Then...I suppose we have everything we need here?" Now both Darcel and Aniela''s eyes turned on to Teacher Zala, hearing this queer tone of hers. This...this was a new change.

    She sounded far more unnatural than her usual calm prestige self. And the duo couldn''t help but find this amusing. Moreover, it also gave them some ideas on how to talk with this lady in the future.

    The Vice Principal, however, ignored her tone and passed on a purple spatial ring to Teacher Zala, telling her, "Quite, everything you need is right in this ring, for now. Be on your way; I''ll be closely monitoring you two especially. Oh, and take them on foot to their rooms first, Zala, they''ll get to know the structure of the Academy this way."

    Teacher Zala exhaled a little sighed as she began walking over to the duo. Though before Darcel and Aniela turned around, their eyes directly matched with the Vice Principal.

    Profound blackness eyes and steel blue eyes meet each other. But this time, it was more of friendly gazes that crossed. To end this little meeting off, Aniela simply smile while saying,

    "I hope our training will provide you with good content to watch Vice-Principal. Just say whenever you need us!" Despite her saying this, it''s not like they could, as of now, ever refuse a request from the Vice Principal¡­

    ¡­.

    While Darcel and Aniela were having a life-changing meeting, the whole Academy was still in an uproaring state.

    Official news spread like wildfire of two Supreme Order Qi Formation geniuses beating Nascent Core students!

    No one suspected or doubted they cheated this time since Darcel and Aniela put their full aura on the table. Plus, many officials were there to confirm what the students saw.

    Moreover, there was also the undeniable truth that the majestic Vice Principal came to talk to the duo!

    The elusive Vice-Principal actually showed herself for two geniuses, already adding on the duo''s sudden rising reputation.

    Hao Cao was slowly walking by herself down the luxurious dark blue hallways of the Academy''s middle level. The area she was in was only reserved for the top-ranking geniuses allowing her space for herself.

    Of course, her thoughts were on the duo, especially on the grand emperor like aura Darcel had exuded during the fight.

    But before her thoughts could delve any further on him, she suddenly heard a charming male voice,

    "Hao Cao, is all this talk going on about the new students true?"

    Turning around, her eyes came face to face with a tall, handsome young man. He had sleek jet black hair flowing down to his elbows and a face that exuded a noble charm.

    His uniform had also consisted of a fancy purple one compared to Hao Cao''s blue one.

    "Oh? Didn''t think a top-ranking, high-level genius would have an interest in new students. But the rumors are indeed true, Gerey." Hao Cao''s tone was teasing as the duo was obviously a hot topic right now.

    Still, she did confirm his suspicions, and Gerey fell into little thought.

    "Hmm¡­.then surely if the Vice Principal came for them, they''ll have to join up for that meeting. It''s simply impossible to think otherwise."

    "Fufu~ is your foresight giving you nervous premonition about the new ones?" Though Hao Cao had a playful tone, she was fully invested in Gerey''s response.

    Shaking his head, Geres calmly said, "Going off from you¡­.I can only say, that dramatic shift I felt and told you about from this morning¡­.it might hit us harder closer and sooner than we think."

    "Is that so~? Well now, my attention to that special guy has raised all the higher¡­"

 Serene Bliss

    Time passes like the wind after Darcel and Aniela''s chaotic duels. A few days have flown by since then, and Darcel could admit it, showing off that day was a splendid idea.

    His main reasoning in believing so was his current position. In a spaciously beautiful courtyard, Aniela snuggled up against Darcel, leaning on to his chest. And he leaned on to a blooming purple tree.

    The surrounding environment of this courtyard was absolutely stunning. Various exotic flowers, roses, and bushes elegantly grew throughout the place.

    Plus, the Qi in this area was far purer and vibrant than the initiate level of the Academy.

    However, what ultimately made this scene serene for Darcel was his cute little ditzy white hair girl in his arms.

    His hand graciously wrapped over her adorable little stomach, both in pure tranquil bliss about the past few days.

    With limited distraction, a far better environment, and a certified teacher, the duo cultivation grew at a calmer pace. They were currently at the Perfect Order of the Qi Formation Sea realm after taking the Qi Formation pills.

    And these pills were genuinely wondrous!

    Immediately when taking the pills, the duo was assaulted with frantic burst waves of Profound Qi.

    For average cultivators, this would only give them a significant boost to their Qi Sea, shaving off months of cultivation to advance to the next Order level.

    The only problem in pills, at least for average cultivators, is wasting the powerful surges of Qi forcefully ingested into your body. Most can waste up to sixty percent of the pill Qi!

    Only geniuses with good enough talent could precisely take hold of a pill Qi energy and increase their absorption percentages. And, of course, Darcel and Aniela fell into this category.

    As in a small test for themselves, Darcel and Aniela relied only on their comprehension and talent to absorb the pill. They knew if they used their bloodline, their results would undoubtedly be high.

    But having a perfect base foundation would also undoubtedly make their bloodlines stronger. Just on their own, their results edged up to a fantastic eighty percent of the whole pill Profound Qi!

    This result satisfied them more than even if they were to fully absorb the Qi Formation pill. They''ll need to achieve a Perfected Equalizing Serene state in preparation for the Nascent Core realm''s breakthrough.

    Meaning this process couldn''t be rushed or hasten at all. Plus, they can''t lose focus during this breakthrough.

    No outwardly distraction, only focused on themselves entirely. What had also helped the duo cultivate to this state was that besides Teacher Zala, no one dared to bother them.

    Not even Giel''s family tried to come looking for debts. And how could they or anyone else try the duo?

    Once words officially spread out that the graceful Teacher Zala was directly guiding them, everyone realized the duo changed in status.

    No matter how abrupt this change was, the point is, Darcel and Aniela are now protected by the second strongest Teacher in the whole Academy! Moreover, there''s also the fact that the Vice-Principal may also have connections with the duo.

    Just like with all other top-ranking geniuses, Darcel and Aniela became practically untouchable. And they achieved this in just a mere week since coming to the Academy.

    Darcel had to crack a small smirk thinking upon this point. Honestly, he also had to admit Teacher Zala just wasn''t all for show in terms of cultivation.

    Her teaching style did broaden the duo view by a large margin.

    She had taught them the accurate and precise way to direct their Qi, gather their Qi, and amplify their Qi. Plus, she also taught them various other aspects of cultivation to which the duo quickly absorbed up.

    From the way energy crystals work to Martial Skills'' hidden depths and the craftsmen of Spirit Weapons. Darcel and Aniela gained the essential fundamental knowledge that''ll for sure help them in the long run.

    Furthermore, Teacher Zala had even lightly sparred with them in formal martial arts training.

    Although both Darcel and Aniela didn''t see a huge need to use their fists, Spirit Weapons and their inborn powers are just more reliable options.

    But they still got the basics of hand to hand combat nonetheless. Indeed Teacher Zala was a gold mine of experience.

    Only...just only if her personality was as much of a goldmine.

    That stiffness was still there in conversations though Darcel thinks Aniela is slowly cracking her shell. Although mostly what Teacher Zala wants to talk about is cultivation. It was a step, nonetheless, for Aniela.

    Darcel, on the other hand, admittedly just found Teacher Zala a bit¡­.boring.

    Personally, he finds only dragging on about cultivation is rather dull. And while he isn''t anywhere near as expressive as Aniela, Darcel finds queer personalities like her rather endearing.

    He knows with someone like Aniela or even someone like the Vice-Principal. They would be able to shrug off his bluntness and snide with ease while also offering their own delightful replies.

    Although that wasn''t to say he didn''t find anything amusing about Teacher Zala.

    He, just by being his usual blunt self, can make Teacher Zala get sort of aggressive with him. Seeing her emote more than her standard indifferent face was quite an achievement Darcel gave himself.

    Smirking at these thoughts, Darcel refocused back on the serene state he and Aniela are sharing. It''s been a couple hours since the two sat in this state, neither talking at all.

    This was their first step in achieving the Nascent Core realm, utter tranquility.

    And slowly but surely, in the firm, secure warmth of their bodies, Darcel and Aniela fell into a trance.

    Their bloodlines that usually crazily swirl during their intimate moments suddenly became steady in perfect harmony.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Simultaneously, inside the duo dantians, their Qi Sea became perfectly steady and calm. Darcel''s Darkness Qi Sea ran along for twenty miles long, glowing a perfectly blended mix of Darkness and black flames.

    Aniela''s white light Qi Sea also ran along for twenty miles long. Her Qi Sea shimmered a dazzling glowing mix of the element of light and pure pitch-black flames.

    Because of their perfect comprehension of Profound Qi, the duo had expanded their Qi Sea to twenty miles long!

    And now, as their Qi Sea sparkingly glimmered, their Spirit Senses broke into an enlightenment state along with their Qi Seas.

    The state where one truly reaches the absolute peak of the Qi Formation Sea realm! At this stage, both Darcel and Aniela''s body had completed their remodeling and were ready to break through to the next realm.

    Darcel''s eyes shimmered a profound dark black glow, illuminating the world in Darkness. Aniela''s eyes dazzled a sparkling white light glow, spewing out ethereal grace.

    Neither of the two move, becoming entirely still under this enlightenment state.

    Truthfully, to achieve this state would require far, far more time than what the duo performed. Top tier talents could even take up to a whole month of enlightenment before ever getting close to this perfected state.

    However, on their own, Darcel and Aniela just keep on surpassing the known limit this mortal planet knows off. Furthermore, this blindingly fast achievement didn''t just slow down here.

    In only a few minutes after achieving enlightenment, both of their Spirit Senses manage to pick up on a mystical, powerful Qi.

    Powerful Qi that they¡­.had already nearly sensed before!

    Yes, their minds had suddenly recalled back to the time where they fought Giel''s assassin.

    What the duo encroach on was pure, unfiltered Nascent Qi! Similar to that assassin incomplete Nascent Qi but now at a significantly higher level.

    Swiftly, their Spirit Senses plunged right into this Qi, wanting to greedily absorb and breakthrough.

    However, in the process of comprehending the first bit of Nascent Qi, the duo felt their minds briefly get crushed under this enormous pressure.

    This immense dominating pressure¡­.it was the pressure of the Mental Block of Nascent Qi! To transcend into Nascent means to altogether leave one former shell and enter into a new state being.

    Something of which takes even the peak tier of geniuses months to do!

    But in Darcel and Aniela''s mind, something spontaneously awoke then. They didn''t know what it was, but in their mind, they felt a vibrant, profound deep sensation never touched before by them.

    In Darcel''s head, he heard a loud but warming blooming voice speak with awe-inspiring power.

    "Yin is the basis. Yin brings forth pleasure!"

    At the same time, in Aniela''s mind, she heard a gentle, mesmerizing tender voice say with power,

    "Joy blooms in all. Light is a connection!"

    ''KA-CHA!!''

    Loud glass shattering pops reverberated in Darcel and Aniela''s minds. They didn''t know who or what that voice was, but they did understand it had to do something with their bloodlines.

    Their inborn Qi was violently swirling along with their bloodlines after those voices appeared into their minds.

    Unknowingly, it quickly pushed the duo to greedily absorb the Nascent Qi since they already utterly shattered the Nascent Core beginning mental block.

    For now, they had no time to put their attention on their Qi and bloodlines as Nascent Qi swiftly poured inside them.

    In a similar process, like when breaking through to the Qi Formation Sea realm, the duo converted the Nascent Qi into their inborn soul powers.

    Darcel created pitch-black Darkness Nascent Qi while Aniela formed bright white Light Qi.

    With the utmost precision, Darcel and Aniela slowly infused their whole bodies with Nascent Qi. While doing this, they also carefully poured their special Nascent Qi''s into their dantian, gradually transforming their entire Qi Seas.

    It took some time, but their once twenty miles long Qi Seas, transformed into a vague phantom image. This image took on the appearance of a core as large as a chicken egg.

    Forming this core only meant one thing. Both Darcel and Aniela officially entered into the Nascent Core realm! Plus, they already achieved a phenomenal feat by the size of their core just at the first level.

    Compared to other cultivators just breaking through to the first level, Darcel and Aniela''s core are far bigger than the tiny size core one would typically form.

    Moreover, the duo cores already exhibit their own uniqueness. Darcel''s phantom Nascent Core was pure black with phantom wisps of black fire spewing out of it.

    Aniela''s Nascent Core was pure white with phantom wisps of black fire spewing out of hers. The two took a few more minutes to stabilize their breakthrough, causing,

    ''BANG!!''

    Two tremendous waves of Nascent Qi power to wildly gush out in their whole luxurious courtyard! Flowers, trees, bushes, and roses all crazily swayed from the sheer power the duo now exuded.

    For Darcel and Aniela, they felt a complete powerful change to their whole state of being. The breakthrough to the Qi Formation Sea realm couldn''t be compared to this.

    Their bodies were numerous times more powerful, their Spirit Senses massively broadened to a point where they could sense out for several miles. And their Qi''s were on another level of pureness.

    Slowly, the duo opened their eyes.

    A simple action actually caused the whole scenery to briefly change.

    If anyone was here to catch this, their eyes would''ve bear witness to a magnificent, glorious sight of a courtyard entirely in an elegant black and white color mix.

    For only a mere second, Darcel''s eyes spewed out rich Darkness, and Aniela''s eyes spewed out sparkling white light.

    No matter who the person was or how high their realm was, they would''ve undoubtedly been awed at this magical view.

    But as soon it came, did this view quickly end as the duo blinked their eyes. Darcel''s vision only peered down to Aniela''s beautiful black eyes that bored into his.

    "The Nascent Core realm¡­.that was¡­.I feel¡­.I can''t ever forget this moment for my whole long life!! This! This is what you call becoming transcended!" Aniela spoke with a fervent passion tone, obviously still excited after their breakthrough.

    "In a simpler way, we''ve finally taken the first step in transcending mortal hood. And you know what? I have the perfect reward for us." Darcel gained a smile that was a bit sinful as he took in Aniela''s graceful cute face.

    Hearing Darcel''s tone and seeing that sinful face crack on his charming face, Aniela gained a slight blush, but her face spilled over in a wide beautiful smile.

    "Show it to me then, Darcy~."

    Tenderly, Darcel took hold of Aniela''s soft chin. No other words needed as Darcel swooped in and kissed Aniela''s dazzling cherry red lips.

    "Mnh~!"

    Aniela leaked out a divine moan that was like music for Darcel''s ears. It ignited a burning passion for both of them.

    Immediately their mouths opened, allowing for their tongues to engage in this elegant steamy hot dance. This type of lustful kiss sent waves of pleasures throughout the duo.

    It truly was heaven for Darcel. Aniela''s delectable tongue had an addicting taste that he didn''t want to stop dining on.

    His arms pulled Aniela in close as she turned her body around, allowing for her soft, modest breast to squish in on his chest.

    Everything about Aniela was just so soft and squishy that Darcel never gets tired of holding her.

    Their deep tongue-tied kiss lasted for a minute, and Darcel felt this gnawing growing feeling to just give Aniela even more pleasure!

    But it wasn''t quite right.

    Mainly because Darcel felt his Darkness violent react more than even his bloodline.

    This isn''t the two first time kissing deeply like this, but it was the first time Darcel felt his Darkness get even more violent in wanting to pull Aniela in.

    Luckily, Darcel can count himself experienced in this as he efficiently suppressed his Darkness and still enjoyed Aniela''s heavenly sweet tongue.

    "Ahn~..."

    Aniela knew of Darcel Darkness acting weirdly since he told her. However, she honestly couldn''t focus much on it since his kisses still feel too good either way.

    Slowly they both broke the kiss after a few minutes. A hot steamy trail of saliva connected their mouths as their smiles were full of affection to one another.

    "Maybe because of our recent breakthrough but this¡­?"

    Aniela had stopped herself short when she and Darcel sensed the familiar aura of Teacher Zala heading their way.

 Geniuses Meeting

    "Nnh¡­.what would make this? About the third time, she''s about to intrude on our special moments! I''m starting to think the lonely Teacher Zala may be fascinated by our youthful romance Darcy." Aniela had a rare whine and slight annoyance in her tone.

    There were plenty of small annoyances that were easily tolerable for her, from the hassle of getting disdain or the tedious, slow part of Cultivation.

    But, one thing she actually could barely put up with is when anyone, no matter their power or status, interrupts her quality time with her Darcel!

    Thankfully, with Spirit Sense, no awkward situations arise from getting walked in on.

    Darcel, on the other hand, was a bit of the opposite. He simply believes if he has the right amount of power and if the situation calls for it, why should he put up with the annoyance of disdain?

    Even the almighty doctors from the Parasol Organization weren''t exempt from his snide.

    Though with romance?

    He only acted on pure instinct, and it wasn''t in his blood to hide or cover up his apparent feelings.

    Still, Darcel only shrugs while helping Aniela to her feet, saying, "Maybe it''s the most amount of action she''ll ever see in her life. Besides, even dreary people would want some sort of new shifts."

    "Shifts¡­.shifts, huh. Ah¡­.ah! I can tell, despite her buzzing intrusion Today, that Teacher Zala will have a shift for us for the next couple of days."

    While looking over to where Teacher Zala was walking, Aniela had this odd intuitive feeling in her gut that never led her astray before.

    "Your unique intuition acting up again, airhead? Honestly, at this point, I''m almost starting to believe it''s a real power you have." Darcel chided, getting Aniela to shoot him a challenging smile.

    She wasn''t going to say a word and let her feelings work itself! Though they didn''t have to wait long at all since Teacher Zala soon appeared as Darcel stopped talking.

    Seeing her gorgeous face, the duo already spotted a surprised yet praising reaction etched on it. A reaction that over these few days, Darcel and Aniela got used to seeing.

    If only the duo knew what kind of aura and prowess they spewed off when breaking through to the Nascent Core realm.

    When Teacher Zala was making her way to inform the two of important information, she was immediately assaulted with powerful waves of this unfathomable aura.

    Right when stepping foot into their courtyard, it was like stepping into another world. And for the briefest of flashes, her eyes could''ve sworn a magical black, and white color mix took over the whole courtyard.

    Accompanying that flash was a snippet of this ethereal aura carrying a unique sensation Teacher Zala never felt before. Furthermore, it was then Teacher Zala could finally sense the duo powerful Nascent Qi.

    Observing the always present smiling face of Aniela and Darcel''s indifferent one. Teacher Zala just had to shake her head at how casual these two are with their mind-breaking achievements.

    "Congratulations on making it to the Nascent Core realm. It was¡­.earlier than I expected. Though I should''ve expected no less." Of course, this wasn''t the first incident of Darcel and Aniela''s talents rocking her world.

    Over and over again, these two monstrous youths just absorbed everything she taught them like a sponge!

    In addition to this, there was also their queer personalities that resemble one particular troublesome girl she knows.

    "Teach, seems like the more we impress, the less reactive you get! I think we''re going to need to step up our game Darcel." Aniela lightly teased in hopes of seeing a more profound reaction.

    "If you were to basically see the same things over and over again just in slightly different variations. Any normal person would start to get unfazed; it''s only natural. Though, I''m sure you would somehow find a way to become fazed, Aniela."

    Darcel remarked, getting Teacher Zala to lightly sigh.

    Even if they''re personality does vary from others, high confidence still holds true for all geniuses. Although at least the duo seems a tad more¡­.charismatic with their confidence.

    Pushing down such thoughts, Teacher Zala cut straight to the point with them, saying, "Before we go any farther, we have no time to mess around. A vital meeting you two have to attend is coming up."

    "Hm? Out of all time, what is so important now?" Darcel questions, still refusing to believe Aniela has intuition powers.

    "Today, the disciplinary squad leader, every first ranked student and one other¡­.special extra will meet since they will be leaders when the Black Dungeon Labyrinth expedition starts. And you two are special enough to come since you''ll also be working closely with them."

    Gauging their reactions, Teacher Zala sort of predicted it.

    Darcel didn''t look much interested in the meeting though his eyes lit up when she had mentioned the labyrinth. And Aniela just had innate curiosity towards most subjects.

    "Ohhh~, meeting the top peaches here already! But that''s not the only thing coming up right, Teach?" Aniela cast a brief slightly smug glance at Darcel as she awaited Teacher Zala''s answer.

    "....Indeed? Well, as you''re somewhat guessing it, in just a couple of days, the Asylum of mysteries is opening up to the public. Essentially, you two will be able to explore the hidden, locked side of your Qi, gaining special, deep insights. It''ll be especially easy for you two since you have inborn black flaming Qi."

    Truthfully, it wasn''t a mistake that Teacher Zala thought Darcel and Aniela were born with fire Qi. Darcel had only ever subtly combined his Darkness element with his black flames.

    And Aniela only ever used her telekinesis with her black flames. Moreover, neither Darcel nor Aniela had any intentions to correct her or other people''s thoughts on their powers.

    But hearing that they would get a chance to truly explore their elements'' profound depth did ignite a bit of excitement in the two. More so for Darcel since he wanted to know just what''s up with his Darkness Qi.

    "Now, this sounds like a good time! So? When is the meeting going to start? Or can we just go now? I''m curious to see all the famous peaches here." Though Teacher Zala wasn''t quite sure why Aniela referred to them as peaches, she nodded nonetheless.

    "If you want, we shall go now."

    ¡­.

    Promptly and in no time at all, Teacher Zala led the duo through the Academy''s Core level.

    The Vice Principal let the duo stay in the Core level''s special genius area. There was positively no doubt in her mind that the duo talent surpassed all Core level students.

    Walking through this part of the Academy, Darcel and Aniela could admit to this area''s unique aesthetic. Frankly, all the duo did while in the Core level was just stay in their own room and courtyard.

    They did get a change in uniform to the dark purple one, but other than that, they hadn''t bothered with the distinct differences of Core level students.

    But taking a closer look now, the two notice the design of this level was of this dazzling dark purple one, much like their uniforms.

    Everything in the Core level as well was fancier and more intricate in scheme.

    There were also far fewer students and teachers roaming around the halls since achieving a Core level status is no ordinary feat for students. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    While taking in this area''s striking look, Teacher Zala soon led them to a beautiful blooming dark purple courtyard. The breeze was incomparably fresh here; plants and trees all blossom, exuding a unique tranquil here.

    Currently, the duo notices only four students already in the courtyard, chatting it up with each other¡ªnone of which neither Darcel nor Aniela could recognize seeing around the Academy.

    But just at first glances and senses, the duo could tell these students certainly was a cut above most of the students here. There was one aura in particular that stood above the three other students.

    The four students had also instantly turned their attention to the duo as soon as they arrived.

    It was three handsome young men and one beautiful young woman. In particular, one of the handsome young men looked eerily similar to the beautiful young woman.

    These two had shoulder-length black hair, similar charming facial features, and even the same crystal clear blue eyes. Among the four students here, there were varying reactions across the board.

    The girl''s eyes sparkled with intense interest gazing on Darcel and Aniela. Two of the boys zeroed their eyes on them since this was the first time seeing the new rising stars.

    They did believe the duo''s outrageous prowess considering Teacher Zala was with them, and they had also broken through to the Nascent Core realm already!

    Without even talking did Darcel and Aniela created a silent pressure of talent on them.

    The only one left who completely froze up seeing the duo was the young boy, Opin.

    His senses nearly shattered his mind once feeling Darcel and Aniela levels. That massive chasm once felt before suddenly became even more endlessly vast¡­.

    "Ah! If it isn''t the two infamous to famous stars of the Zakira Academy! We finally get to talk after all this time; you''ve left quite an impression on me ever since your duels."

    Boldly, the only girl there walked up to the duo, her voice containing this hint of sweet playfulness. The girl, Hao Cao, felt no indignation about simply introducing herself despite what the other boys might be thinking.

    And Hao Cao could tell, at least Aniela appreciated this since she noticed her spouting a charming grin while she walked up to them. Darcel only just plainly regarded her.

    "You just now left quite a first impression on me! At least your eyes and words are certainly good¡­.what''s your name?" Honestly speaking, Aniela wondered if this was the first time someone in their generation tried to amicably reach out to them.

    This was already a refreshing change of pace compared to what they fared against before.

    Getting close to them, Hao Cao tried to say,

    "Ah, I''m-"

    "This is Hao Cao, and I''m her Elder brother Hao Bao, a pleasure to meet bo-"

    "Acting real shameless once again, Bao~. After you slept in on the day of their duel, now you suddenly care about their stardom~?" The boy who bears a resemblance to Hao Cao grew a bit awkward from his sister teasing tone and interruption.

    He obviously couldn''t just sit behind and let his younger sister get ahead in forming connections. But he also couldn''t refute her words since he actually just stayed in his room on the day of the duo''s duel.

    Swiftly, Hao Bao tried to shift away from this by asking, "Cultivation is arduous, but enough about that! We still haven''t even gotten your names yet?"

    Darcel and Aniela found siblings'' actions a bit amusing. Though the real kicker for them was Hao Cao.

    From their auras, the duo could sense Hao Cao was obviously weaker than Hao Bao. They had then guessed she must be that one special extra Teacher Zala mentioned.

    Pushing the thought for later, Aniela brightly introduces themselves, saying, "My name''s Aniela. And I hope we don''t bore you to sleep Today! Just ask your sister, she knows how¡­.entertaining we can be~."

    Immediately Hao Bao was put into a bit of a stutter since this teasing, playful voice dreadfully reminds him of his odd sister.

    "Fufufu~, I already quite like her." Hao Cao had to give it up. Even if her interest was more into Darcel, Aniela certainly was an endearing, charming person you would want to befriend.

    "It''s Darcel. And I suppose you''re not such a bad bunch¡­.so far at least." Compared to Aniela, Darcel just bluntly said his feelings without a hint of that bright smile she holds.

    Though on his face was a small, confident smirk that was endearing in its own way.

    While they introduced themselves, Opin had still stayed rooted to his spot. The utterly overwhelming crushing the duo did was still fresh in his mind. Although the boy next to him wasn''t going to wait any longer.

    "I also suppose you two aren''t such a bad duo after all. The name Jamas, nice to meet both of you." The other boy who suddenly jumped into the conversation had the look and presence of a calm, hardworking disposition.

    Jamas wore a different version of the uniform, this time it being a splendid bright lighter purple color.

    He had a sharp, serious face that spells out his personality and a decently strong aura that most certainly towers above the three students here.

    "Oh? Finally, build up that nervous courage to talk to new ones, Jamas~?" Hao Cao lightly jested, getting Jamas to snort.

    "You''re sure talking big, coming from the one who held the most anticipation about meeting them." Already, Darcel and Aniela could tell, at least these three, know each other for a little bit of time.

    Frankly, the duo thought there would be a more prominent division between these top-ranked students, but this reality was a welcoming change.

    Hao Cao''s smile grew a bit wider; however, before she could respond, a lively person entered the scene.

    "WAHAHAHA!! ALREADY MEETING THE NEW HOT SHOTS, HUH?!?"

    A bolstering blooming loud girl voice blared in the whole courtyard. The first thing Darcel and Aniela could tell was this one held absolutely zero noise control.

    Looking over at the students'' faces, they also saw exasperated reactions. Jamas and Hao Bao were lightly groaning while Hao Cao''s smile had even tightened a bit.

    Glancing to where the loud voice was coming from, Darcel and Aniela saw another top tier beautiful girl causally strutting over to them.

    Undoubtedly, not only his voice attention capturing her appearance also forcefully took your attention.

    This girl had to be the bustiest youth the duo had ever witnessed! She was charmingly sexy with bountiful D-cups breasts, a bewitching curvaceous body, and a large plump behind.

    On top of her head was stunningly gorgeous long pink hair that ran all the way down to her juicy behind.

    Her uniform as well differs from the standard. It was the same dark purple uniform the duo wore, but she had personally designed her sleeves, making it far shorter to showcase her clean, beautiful skin.

    The biggest thing Darcel and Aniela note about this girl was her powerful radiant aura. It majorly surpassed all of them here to the point where the duo was sure this girl could slap Jamas in one move.

    Truth be told, besides thinking this girl should adjust her volume a bit, Darcel didn''t have any problem with this kind of energy. Since right by him, Aniela proved why he''s used to lively people.

    She had immediately walked up to the loud girl, directly asking, "Hey, nice energy! What''s your name?"

    The pink hair girl broadly smile and strut out her hand, telling her,

    "Shai Xia! Yours?!"

    In the same eagerness, Aniela clamped her hands with her, sweetly laughing in the process, telling her,

    "Hehehe~! It''s Aniela! I can tell already you''re exciting to be around!"

    Tightly gripping her hand, the two girls stared into each other''s eyes as Shai Xia laughingly said, "Wahaha!! Finally! Someone who can match my tempo! It''s been too long!"

    "Haah¡­.of all things to hear in the morning¡­.learning that we now have another one of her in our ranks is already tiring." From close by, Darcel heard the tired sigh of a sweet soothing voice.

    Looking over to this girl, Darcel had immediately regarded her more than the other students.

    She had a more strict calm beauty compared to the other girls. Her body was an athletic well-toned one spouting a dependable vibe about her.

    She was the only one that wore unique designer glasses and even had a specific hairstyle. She had long light brown hair braided into a hair bun with gorgeous strands of her hair running down her neck.

    Her uniform consisted of a new design, with it being an elegant mix of blue and purple.

    And being the last one to show up, Darcel sensed she was by far the strongest youth he ever felt since coming to this planet!

    The chasm between her and Shai Xia was hugely vast though her aura was much calmer and collected. Without putting much thought into it, Darcel could guess this girl had to be the disciplinary squad leader.

    While Aniela and Shai Xia was having their energetic meeting, this strict looking beauty walked up to Darcel, also hearing Hao Cao say,

    "Fuuu, well, their kinds of personalities aren''t so bad. People like them are practically the life of the party."

    The brown hair girl only shook her head at Hao Cao''s explanation once nearing Darcel. She held out her hand, telling him,

    "My apologies for not showing up to your duel. That day I had prioritized my work, not realizing we have such a great rising star in our Academy. My name is Joyce, yours?"

    Hao Cao, Hao Bao, Jamas, and even Opin were at a slight shock. Since when did this professional and rigid girl suddenly become so amicable?!

    Darcel, however, had no information about her personality and evenly stared into her stunning brown eyes. Taking her soft, smooth hand, Darcel told her,

    "It''s Darcel. And I guess it''s also intriguing to meet with a star that''s already peaking."

    "She''s only the peak star here because she has cheats to speed up long and boring cultivation!" When Darcel finished talking, Shai Xia walked back over with Aniela in tow.

    Aniela went back to Darcel''s side while also saying, "Oh?! I didn''t think this Academy already had cheaters turned to stars beside us?"

    "Haah¡­.it''s not cheating but just a part of my family arts. Xia, all your excuses amount to in Cultivation is you just being lazy and uncaring."

    Hearing the cold but undeniable truth caused the already excitable girl to get riled up even more!

    Although before she or anyone else could say anything, a steel-like sharp, powerful voice cut through the courtyard, blaring in everyone''s ears. They all knew this voice; it only belonged to the profound Vice-Principal!

    "I see everyone has arrived and is getting along now¡­.good, we can get straight down to business."

 Excitement Days

    "Ah! We greet Vice-Principal!!"

    The resounding respectful shouts of all top-ranked geniuses blared around in their dark purple gorgeous courtyard. Every genius turned to the Vice Principal and respectfully bowed their heads.

    As per usual, the Vice Principal indifferently acknowledges these geniuses for some courtesy on her part. Yet, a small smirk cracked on her face when she only observed two particular exceptional geniuses.

    Darcel and Aniela were the only ones standing tall and steadily amidst the grand Vice-Principal.

    Their deep black eyes coolly bored into her steel blue eyes as Darcel gained a small smile and inclined his head in acknowledgment.

    But compared to him, Aniela decided to take it a step further in being casual. Her smile turned into a burst of dazzling sunshine as she began waving friendly to the Vice Principal, saying,

    "Finally, we get to meet again! So? How was your ''closely monitoring'' doing?" Opin, Hao Cao, Hao Bao, Jamas, Joyce, and Shia Xia all spiked up hearing the cheerful Aniela outrageous words.

    Monitoring? As in the Vice Principal actually, cared about their progress?

    That''s simply a wild fantasy for them!

    However, when they gauged the Vice Principal''s reaction, and all they saw was a small smile, it already spoke volumes to them.

    "Still so bright no matter what¡­.but that discussion is for another time. For now, you two listen very carefully about the black dungeon labyrinth expedition. We only have a little week to finish preparing."

    Now the top-ranking geniuses temporarily put their thoughts on hold about the duo and put all their focus on the Vice Principal. Equally, Darcel and Aniela were also hugely interested in this event.

    Seeing it as no good time than ever, Darcel asked her, "So it''s nearly time, huh. Just¡­.what is this labyrinth? From where Aniela and I herald from, I don''t think we ever heard of one."

    Hearing Darcel says this was a slight bit odd for the other geniuses students. Surely they thought, wherever these two monstrous freaks come from, they would''ve also got taught about dungeon labyrinths.

    Unless¡­.unless these two really were all self-taught?!

    And their unspoken unanimous questions were quite actually the truth for Darcel and Aniela. Though, for the Vice Principal, it was like she expected this question, spouting a knowing smile upon her face.

    "Truthfully, not even I or our Heavenly King Principal knows how long this specific dungeon labyrinth has been around. But, what we know is that this labyrinth only opens up on specific dates. This is a tremendously dangerous place that no one can take lightly. And yet, at the same time, this labyrinth holds countless valuable rich resources and experience for any cultivator."

    "Soo¡­.of course, all sects or whatever are going to send their most talented there, right?" Aniela already easily guessed since with what she experienced so far, the older generation just loves the talented young.

    "Indeed, that would be the case. Any decently powerful sect or organization sends their talented kids to the labyrinth to sharpen their prowess and cultivate their talent. And just luckily, you two manage to come in on an extraordinary time for the labyrinth. We had calculated that the labyrinth will be significantly weaker for this expedition than it''s previous times when opening. Meaning we get to send a bit more students out, and you all might see a bit more from other kids in the city."

    The top-ranked students perked up more about this than Darcel and Aniela. They didn''t have profound experiences with the labyrinth, but it was just enough to know this¡­.this was a huge deal!

    "I don''t think I''ve ever heard from my Elder Sister about the labyrinth being weakened when she tread there. Does this mean the selection process will be different?" The one who asked was Joyce, with apparent anticipation in her tone.

    "Correct. We determined the labyrinth will be weak enough to allow more leniency. Opin, Bao, Jamas, Xia, Joyce, you five will be leaders that''ll pick out five talented ones from your own ranks to lead and explore the level that corresponds to your realms. Any disagreement?"

    "Eh?! That''s like¡­.twenty in total going to the expedition! This is far more than¡­.wait. Did you say that we get to be a leader?! I have no complaints there!" Shai Xia went through several motions until realizing that she gets to directly boss around people at her level.

    The other appointed leaders were also in a slight surprise at the sudden news. None of them could recall now about a selection process like this. But none of them will neither back down from experience like this!

    "No disagreements, Vice-Principal!"

    The others gave their verbal agreement, now feeling even more pumped about this event. Instead of the usual mix bag of students going, now they all can group up in familiarity prowess!

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao were the only ones left with inquisitive expressions. Frankly, it sort of made sense to them for the others being leaders since they''re the number one ranked in their levels.

    But where does this leave them now? Taking it upon herself to ask, Hao Cao said, "Mnh, well, that''s all fine and dandy that they have a set guide. So, where does that leave us three Vice Principal?"

    "You kids¡­.count yourself lucky since you three will be a special group. You''ll see why once you get to know each other better. Any objections here?" Even if it was pretty obvious, Darcel and Aniela did have their suspicions confirmed.

    Glancing over to the pretty Hao Cao, who also glanced over to the duo, flashing them a cute smile. It was safe to say there was something hiddenly unique about her.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    They''re unsure what makes her so unique to be put on their team, but Aniela was more curious to find out than Darcel. Smiling back at Hao Cao, Aniela said,

    "Ah, this couldn''t be a better surprise, perfect combination then! No objections here!" The Vice Principal went on to obverse Darcel''s reaction, to which he only gave a slight shrug.

    And Hao Cao only sweetly smiled while shaking her head. With all this cleared up, the Vice Principal recalled another important event happening sooner than the labyrinth.

    "Before we continue on, I have to briefly mention the Asylum of Mysteries coming up in a couple of days." The Vice Principal started explaining and pointed her fingers at Darcel and Aniela.

    "You two may not know, but this event is for cultivators of all kinds to closely study their Qi without any real dangers. Simply it all depends on your own talent, comprehension, and potential. Although, be wary of the little snakes at the Quicksilver Roc sect or Yodrine institution. If you''re grouped together because of your Qi, they may try to deviously trick you."

    "Oh? Those guys just simply never learn Vice-Principal. No matter what they try, they always end up on the losing side with us." Hao Bao threw out a confident statement while casually shrugging his shoulders.

    The other students seemed to agree with his statement as they all held small smiles, thinking about their rivals sects.

    Even Darcel and Aniela could somewhat agree with him, considering they had recently destroyed four Quicksilver Roc sect disciples.

    "With an utmost attitude like that, I''m hoping for some good results then. Now for the rest of this meeting, I''ll go over some pre strategy for the labyrinth and the valuable items you''ll be taking with you."

    ¡­.

    For the next two days, Zakira Academy was in an uproaring excitement! This time, instead of two freakishly strong students, everyone was getting pumped up for the black dungeon labyrinth expedition.

    Normally, the expedition would always get students excited since decently talented ones wanted to increase their strength for the selection process.

    However, now, the whole process has reasonably changed! Every level of students are trying their best to squeeze out their potential, so their number one ranked leader would choose them.

    Students were doing everything they can now to make it on the team, from taking on dangerously risky missions to training in high-intensity law rooms.

    The labyrinth expedition was just that life-changing.

    Although not everyone was in a high state of excitement for the same reasons. Currently, Darcel, Aniela, Hao Cao, and Shai Xia were all antsy for the Asylum of Mysteries!

    Under Teacher Zala guidance, they and numerous other Zakira Academy students are making their way to the Asylum since it opened today. Though how they will get there is a bit surprising for Darcel and Aniela.

    They didn''t realize it before, but the whole of Necropolis City is actually relatively large. In fact, they read that the city is most likely up to several hundred miles or more long!

    To counteract the arduous process of getting around this vast city is where Mages come into play.

    Teacher Zala led their large group to the expansive Mages Teleportation center. Inside the place is where Darcel and Aniela could genuinely observe the unique way of Mages.

    This place could be described in one word, mystical. Everything here was exotic in design, holding strange and unknown symbols that neither Darcel nor Aniela could read.

    It was also incredibly expansive, being able to fit several thousands of people at the same time.

    And despite the large size, it still manages to be orderly and neat.

    From all around, the duo could see, there were numerous lines of people moving swiftly to go up to a counter with a person wearing magical robes behind it.

    And even more mystical was the fact besides each counter, Mage was a fancy looking blue door that took either crowd of people or only one person.

    "Phew¡­.with all the bustling people coming in and out of this place, I didn''t expect it to be so civil here," Aniela remarked as she and the others were in line for their own transportation.

    "Fufufu~, you may not know it, Aniela, but the Mages here don''t tolerate impatience or disrespect, no matter your status or realm." Hao Cao said to her with an intoxicating playful tone in her voice.

    "Yep, and this way, we don''t have to wait obnoxiously long times to go anywhere!" Shai Xia also added with her own bright, energetic energy.

    Hearing the girls, Darcel smirked as, over the last two days, these two girls seemed to take a decent interest in them. They went out of their way to talk to them, and Darcel found they were enjoyable hangout with.

    Hao Cao was more of a calm playfulness, while Shai Xia always seemed to have a sunny answer for any subject.

    And thinking more of the last two days, Darcel honestly could admit fighting was better than regularly cultivating.

    Building a perfect foundation for his Nascent Core was a slower process than what he could achieve in the Qi Formation Sea realm. But this Asylum of Mysteries¡­.it almost like a golden opportunity for a quick level!

    ''Hopefully, I can also figure up what the hell is up with my Darkness¡­.I don''t think I''ll be able to perfectly control it with how fervent she''s been getting lately.'' Darcel thought to himself, and he then heard Hao Cao speak again, saying,

    "I''ve only been here a couple times before, but it indeed left me a bit speechless on my first time coming here."

    "Leaving them just like this is an unacceptable option! I have to find out more about these guys in the future." While walking up to the counter, Aniela''s growing interest in Mages only increased as she watched those mystical doors open up.

    "Hmmm¡­.I would agree. But! These Mages can also be as stuck up as normal cultivators! Like some of them are even more stuck up no matter their prowess." Even if Mages'' power is all whimsical and mysterious, it doesn''t change how their attitudes can grate on her nerves.

    "More stuck up than us cultivators? That''s a vast hurdle no ordinary person can cross." Darcel jested, and since they weren''t paying attention, they had heard Teacher Zala suddenly say,

    "If you''re done with the comments, let''s get a move on through the door." Darcel''s group peered through the blue door beside the Mage counter.

    Through the door was a lone blue robe Mage and behind him was a magically designed large blue cart. The cart was luxurious, not looking like anything Darcel nor Aniela had ever seen before.

    It was almost like¡­.futuristic in design.

    The large Zakira Academy group walked through the door, and the Mage eyes immediately matched with Teacher Zala. Without a hint of emotion in his voice and a proud air surrounding him, he asked,

    "The Asylum of Mysteries, I presume?"

    "Indeed." Teacher Zala simply said and nodded to the Mage. Without another word, the Mage brought a beautiful blue magical staff and pointed it to the cart.

    ''Chi!''

    With a brief flash of power, the cart opened up as the Mage told them, "Get in. And you should already know the return fees for wanting to come directly back here."

    For every action of the Mage, Darcel did notice this high noble air of superiority about him. Even with Teacher Zala''s power and beauty, the Mage put her on an even level without caring about status.

    "I already have the fee. Alright, everyone, get on! This ride won''t last long."

    Darcel, Aniela, Hao Cao, and Shai Xia all shared a brief smile at each other as they got on to the cart. They all could just feel it; this Asylum of Mysteries will be thrilling!

 Mage of Mysteries

    For the second time in a row, Darcel and Aniela were reminded of just how mystical these Mages really are. Inside the magical blue cart that was plenty spacious to hold their whole group, everyone felt a Mage shift.

    This sensation¡­.none, not even Teacher Zala truly knew what to call it or how to pinpoint it. The best anyone could describe it as was tearing through the air itself!

    This ride had even reminded Darcel and Aniela of how they got first transported to this planet. Whatever that powerful yellow-eyed woman did to them, she undoubtedly sent them through a shift in space.

    Only, whatever power this Mage uses vastly differs from the yellow-eyed woman. Darcel and Aniela''s usually supreme comprehension abilities were at an utter loss against this Mage''s unique power.

    Perhaps only a couple or few seconds have passed since they got on the cart. Darcel couldn''t tell at all, but he and everyone else suddenly felt the cart stop and the Mage from just outside say,

    "We''re here."

    The cool, calm, collected voice broke everyone from their slight stupor. A ray of mystical blue energy flashed beside where Teacher Zala was standing, creating an opening for the group.

    "Ah? ¡­.For the first time, I''m at a slight loss for words! Mages are really just so, well, magical!" Aniela remarked as she and the others walked off the cart.

    Shai Xia and Hao Cao were chuckling at her awe comment while Darcel only shook his head.

    "They only appear to be so mysterious because we haven''t studied their system of energy. I''m sure if we do, then all that awe will vanish into smoke."

    Darcel boldly said while shrugging his shoulders. Of course, he was surprised at a Mage power, but it wasn''t like he also didn''t hold his own unique abilities. ''

    Though unknown to Darcel, the Mage who was beside the cart, glanced his eyes towards him with an uncivil haze covering them.

    "Fuuuu~, you really think you can learn the way of Magic? Well, if it''s you, maybe it''s not so much of an impossibility~...." Though her tone was teasing, there was assured confidence mixed in with it.

    After all, her common sense was heavily altered by Darcel and Aniela. What''s adding Magic to their arsenal any different from their already outrageous talent?

    "Heh! I can bet a hundred green crystals either he or Aniela can learn Magic! A cultivator learning magic would also be a way to stick one-"

    "I see everyone is off. Alright, follow me now; we''ll have to do a short walk to the Asylum. And if you''re wondering, Darcel, Aniela, no, it''s impossible for a Mage to travel right near the Asylum."

    Teacher Zala smoothly cut off Shai Xia, who was planning on further irritating their only Mage ride back home.

    She quickly picked up on the Mage dissatisfied glances. With smooth elegance, she had then started walking off to the Asylum with the rest of the students immediately following behind her.

    Trading glances with each other, Darcel and Aniela shrugged their shoulders since it was a small question they wondered when stopping here.

    Their own mini-group quickly walked up to Teacher Zala as the other students shifted out of their way. They knew full well of the order chain of geniuses.

    While walking up, Darcel and Aniela took the time to notice the more¡­.rural atmosphere and scenery they were transported to.

    Compared to the loud bustling of the city''s central part, this area seems far quieter.

    Barely anybody walked the road, and the ones who did just look shady and odd. Just glancing at these people''s expressions, you can tell they''re not the ones you should casually mess with.

    Although they also had enough common sense to not mess with an Organized group like their Zakira Academy.

    The buildings here were of a more antique old design, and some look like they were completely abandoned.

    Indeed, this was a whiplash in feeling from just being in a lively area. Although the appearance of this area wasn''t the most notable thing about this place.

    As Darcel''s group progressed further and further down this area, the buildings became less; fewer people roamed the streets. Above all, enchanting, mystical energy invaded everyone''s Spirit Sense.

    Darcel wrinkled his eyebrows, sensing this energy. It was¡­.no, most definitely, just this mere small leakage was already above the mystical Magic power he felt before.

    While Aniela and the girls were talking among themselves, Darcel was going to ask Teacher Zala about this. But surprisingly, like she could read his expression, Teacher Zala preemptively spoke up, saying,

    "You''re wondering about this energy, right? It admittedly is quite shocking. What we''re feeling right now is the pure Magical prowess the Asylum holds. It''s not nationwide famous without reason naturally."

    Now the innate curiosity Darcel had towards the Asylum only increased further.

    Whatever this place was, it was bound to have some profound secrets! Even Aniela felt her curiosity rise as she listened in on them while still holding her conversations.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Eventually, after around ten minutes or so of walking by what Darcel calculated, their large group finally encroach upon a ginormous profound looking building that''ll capture your eyes from miles away.

    No other buildings or structures surrounded this particular one. There also wasn''t any sighting of the rough-looking people roaming the streets in this part of the area.

    This lone building looked like it expanded on for miles! Amazingly enough, it''s design wasn''t antique or abandon but incomparably luxurious, fitting a royalty aesthetic.

    And the most eye-catching feature was this building blaring glowing orange color that you could swear shine brighter than sunshine rays.

    Up in front of this giant building were numerous large lines of people, all swiftly filing into this place. Now people are back to the usual high-class appearances Darcel seen all throughout the city.

    Moreover, the natural auras of specific people were unfathomable.

    Darcel reckon some here were equal or even stronger than Teacher Zala! Hell, Darcel might''ve sensed a presence that can even match the mighty Vice-Principal!

    "Now then, remember to not resist any magical power that''ll flow through you, we don''t want any¡­.unfortunate accident. Also, when the Asylum exits you out, group up with each other."

    Teacher Zala explained to all of them as they promptly got in line. Seeing this grand Asylum up close made Darcel and Aniela recall just how odd this place history and prestige was.

    Truthfully Teacher Zala wasn''t kidding at all when saying this place is famous nationwide. Evidently, cultivators from higher ranks provinces will go out of their way just for this single event here.

    And from the auras of some people, it definitely showed. But the mind-boggling thing for the duo was how did such a place come into being?

    As far as the duo learned, apparently, a mysterious Mage expert set this place up countless millenniums ago.

    It was speculated that Mage expert was finding answers to his own powers through other people''s enlightenment insights.

    The intangible thing was, frankly, no one truly knew who this Mage expert was or even sightings of him.

    All the undeniable proof people had was the Asylum results. Everyone with a unique inborn Qi type greatly benefited from here after experiencing a bout of enlightenment.

    Plus, no matter how high a person''s cultivation realm was, no one can stay here for as long as they want. The Magical power here simply went far beyond anyone can ever describe.

    A broad smile etched on Darcel and Aniela''s faces as they drew closer to the Asylum entrance.

    No matter how mysterious or powerful this place was, these two had full confidence in uncovering whatever profound secrets it has!

    "It''s a bit of a shame none of us will be transported together. All of us together would''ve made for a memorable experience." Hao Cao lightly sighed as their turn quickly approached.

    Aniela had turned her broad smile on to Hao Cao now. With eager friendliness, she patted her shoulder, telling her, "Don''t worry, after this, I''ll make to give you a vivid detail of the sensation I felt to create a memorable image in your head!"

    "Hm? Ah! Wait, I just realized! You two have inborn black fire Qi so you''ll get lucky enough to be put together!" Shai Xia exclaimed as it was their turn right next.

    "Maybe we will¡­.or maybe we won''t. Try not to waste this chance now." Darcel actually didn''t think he would be paired up with Aniela considering their real inborn soul power vastly differs from each other.

    And with his last encouraging words, the five of them came face to face with a bright multi-color portal. Staring into it only a few inches apart was almost too dazzling.

    In a slight trance, Darcel walked through the portal first, followed by Aniela, Hao Cao, and Shai Xia. Stepping to what felt like another world, their eyes soon met with this dazzling multi-color space.

    In this space, no one could see or sense each other, but they didn''t panic.

    Typically the process for this would be short, painless, and straightforward.

    Darcel and Aniela knew they would be assorted into unique enlightenment places corresponded to their special Qi. And since their Elements should stand above the normal ones, the duo felt eager anticipation on where they would go.

    However, immediately when they specifically walked through the portal, something was majorly off. Instead of a gentle smooth power flowing into them, their bodies had completely locked up.

    Someone, they didn''t know who it was, what it was, or how powerful they were, all they could tell some sort of being was boring their eyes into them.

    While everyone else was teleported in seconds, the duo laid stuck there.

    In this ominous frozen state, abruptly, their bloodlines began frantically stirring! It was as if something deep inside them was responding to a call of this higher being.

    Once their bloodline had stirred, it was all enough for whoever was watching them to act. A strong suction force pulled up Darcel and Aniela, letting them feel like they were tearing through reality!

    At speed they were going, the duo forcefully closed their eyes and braced for whatever impact coming at them. Only¡­.after a few seconds, the suction stopped, and nothing violently crashed into them.

    Opening their eyes, the duo were puzzled about just what the hell happened. However, all momentary confusion was put on hold once their vision came across an ethereal girl.

    This girl¡­.this girl was a supreme beauty! Far far higher than the likes of Teacher Zala. She looked like she was in her young teenage age with a slightly immature face that radiated a brilliant charm.

    She had bright silverish long hair that elegantly swayed down to her tight rump like an enchanting waterfall. Her body, not yet fully developed, still puts other teenage girls to shame.

    Twin towering peaks bounced from her bosoms, and she had nearly a perfect figure-eight body that''ll bewitch your soul.

    This girl wore a long beautiful white dress as well that only further served to highlight her beauty.

    The only odd thing about this girl was that there were no legs at the bottom of her dress! She was also levitating a few feets of the ground, making her lack of legs especially noticeable.

    Though this was only a slight oddity as the duo were pulled into this beautiful girl brightly smiling face as if she just won the world.

    "Ah! Ah! Ah! After sooo long, I''ve finally met not just one, but another two that match big brother''s description! Ohhh~! They might even overfit your description, big brother¡­."

    The voice that soothed into the duo''s ears was a lively, smooth one that instantly caused their guards to relax a bit.

    Still, neither of them knew just what the hell was going on! Giving this beautiful girl a sweet smile on her own, Aniela asked, "Excuse us, but who are you, young beauty peach?"

    Darcel didn''t know for the life of him why Aniela called her a peach, but he couldn''t deny that this girl certainly was a young beauty.

    The beautiful young girl only broadened her smile once hearing Aniela. And with speeds incomprehensible to the duo, the girl had suddenly popped right in front of their faces.

    "You''ll definitely meet a big brother in the future¡­.for now, let''s take a rest." Under Darcel and Aniela''s awe, they couldn''t react at all as this beautiful young girl lightly bopped the tip of their noses.

    The clear yet slightly translucent finger of the girl only barely touches the duo. Yet, instantly Darcel and Aniela stood like statues as they fell into a unique trance.

 Desirable Enlightenment

    Darcel''s eyes hastily snapped open after being put in that strange yet hypnotic trance of that beautiful young girl. Immediately, before he could question the intention of that girl, his mind was in utter awe.

    Breathlessly he took in what he considered to be one of the most glorious sights he had ever seen. And this magnificent sight was all¡­.complete and total swirling Darkness Qi.

    Yes, despite everything being no different than the blackness of night, Darcel couldn''t help but be entranced in this space. There was something, something far more personal with this Darkness than he ever felt before.

    It was akin to a nostalgic homecoming feeling that he didn''t even realize he so desperately needed. Whatever this Darkness place was also felt incomparably good to float around in.

    Almost like he was swimming in a pool of Darkness! This bliss, Darcel, could nearly equate to the heavenly pleasure he feels when getting intimate with Aniela.

    Moreover, a soothing voice was whispering familiar calming words into his ear. He pieced out this silky voice was saying ''Yin Pleasure.''

    The repeated phrase he heard numerous times on profound enlightenment breakthroughs.

    Only now, Darcel decided to test something. Slowly, Darcel pulled his hand towards his face while feeling like head precise control over his Darkness.

    With a mere thought, Darcel coated his whole hand in Darkness Qi.

    Staring at his hypnotic swirling Darkness hand, it led Darcel down on a broad path of thoughts. All thoughts pertaining to how unique his Darkness really is in affecting people.

    The frantic emotions released from inside a person in order to distract was tremendously helpful every time.

    Still, thinking more clearly and feeling his Darkness up close now, Darcel realized the most prominent and strongest emotion his Darkness pulls out.

    The blissful, hypnotic feeling of pleasure! Unyielding rage, crushing sorrow, and even boundless joy were all just after feelings to the intense desire for pleasure and lust.

    The pleasure was first and foremost the gateway to heavily affecting anyone''s minds, allowing for the other emotions to come through.

    And realizing this point made Darcel think differently of his lovely intimate moments with Aniela.

    Compared to when he only wants an edge in battle, Darcel was beginning to understand his Darkness was becoming frantic with pleasure. It didn''t want to hurt Aniela.

    No, instead, his Darkness wanted to pull her in and drown her in the face of overwhelming desirable lust!

    It''s no wonder that, even on his own, hearing Aniela''s cute breathless moans and watching her glossy lustful blushing face gives Darcel a boundless sense of satisfaction and his own kind of great pleasure.

    Although, that wasn''t to say Aniela was incredibly hard to please. Far from it. At least Darcel thought her soft, modest body is pretty sensitive and straightforward to make climax and experience bliss.

    Nevertheless, Darcel could tell extra forces were at play here since Aniela becomes clinging attach to his body during their sexy moments.

    And in this trance, Darcel knew what that extra force was. He could feel a second strong connection that heavily plays into granting the desire of lust and pleasure.

    Naturally, it was his holy, overwhelming bloodline!

    This Darkness space gave Darcel a far more profound connection with his bloodline than any other time he activated it. And just like his Darkness, his bloodline doesn''t only change the tides of battle.

    The tender touches and sweet kisses he shares with Aniela subtly forces about power and pleasure in the both of them.

    This was something entirely out of Darcel''s control since this directly plays into their bloodstreams.

    Yet he could forcefully suppress his Darkness element. A significant hypothesis Darcel could draw from this is his Darkness wants to go beyond a physical side and affect Aniela on a spiritual level.

    It wants to actively connect with Aniela rather than merely giving base pleasure.

    Suddenly Darcel wrinkled his eyebrows.

    All of this strangeness led him to think about all other people he casually touched before.

    His eyes blinked a few times once, coming to see that his Darkness and bloodline only act in this specific way with Aniela. Without skillfully using it in battle, his Darkness and bloodline won''t react with any other person.

    Hell, even during the first few years, he first met Aniela. Whenever they did share brief intimate contact, his bloodline and Darkness never reacted as well. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Plus, before he finally truly realized his deep feelings for her, Darcel''s bloodline and Darkness only slightly reacted because of the attraction he felt about her.

    All of this led Darcel to smirk as he gathered a straightforward conclusion. His own romantic feelings, his Darkness, and bloodline were all interconnected! At least there was a base sharing at some level.

    It was interesting¡­.very fascinating indeed.

    If he''s entirely invested in strengthening his connection with someone. Then the amount of pleasure and desire of lust he can swirl in their minds already spawned ideas in his head.

    Of course, Darcel only thought of doing this with another woman and didn''t even consider men. Frankly, even with Aniela, Darcel never really held intentions to get involved in a romantic relationship at first.

    But over time, his walls were cracked by the bright girl, allowing her to drill deep into his mind.

    And now, there was this slow but budding developing curiosity and desire to see how far his connections and potentially other women can go.

    Something profound yet familiar inside him was pushing Darcel to this thought, and it couldn''t feel more right and natural! That sense of satisfaction, it was worthy enough to deeply explore.

    Although with a mind like Darcel''s, he still won''t go out of his way to chase women like a playboy or a hopeless romantic.

    This new enlightenment had just helped him broaden his mind and want to deepen his relationship with Aniela.

    More importantly, though, was Darcel wondered if he could apply this in a tactical sense. If somehow he could create like a fake connection with a hugely powerful enemy woman, he and Aniela would gain numerous advantages.

    Pleasure, a real pleasure that can overload a mental sense, Darcel was sure not even self-proclaimed sex experts or even sex gods can achieve this!

    Darcel was mostly talking from arrogance, but he now understands that his Darkness is a gateway to a new often not talked about side of cultivation!

    ''PA!!''

    Reverberating throughout this whole space was a blooming popping noise that simultaneously went with a dramatic change in Darcel!

    He felt his Darkness element mutate once again, and the power of his Nascent Core deepened.

    Amazingly enough, Darcel stepped right into the second level of the Nascent Core realm! His mind-opening enlightenment of his Darkness and bloodline pushed his Qi and Core to greater heights.

    Now, inside his dantian, his Darkness Nascent Core became larger and became a little bit more profound in shape. And above all, Darcel heard a clear, soothing whisper that nearly put him to sleep.

    "So young, yet so amazing, already reaching this step. You truly are a Ar-"

    "Darcy~!!"

    Abruptly Darcel''s eyes snapped right above him. That ancient soothing whispering voice immediately went away once a familiar angelic voice sweetly called his name.

    Despite feeling a bit annoyed that the voice didn''t finish its sentence, Darcel still put his full attention on a magical sight.

    Perfectly combining with his Darkness was a pure, dazzling white light that hovered above him.

    This white light spewed out secure warmth in his whole Darkness space.

    And in the center of this light was the gloriously cute Aniela. That broadly smiling face he came to get lost in had promptly wiped away any previous feeling of irritation.

    Gracefully, Aniela fell on top of Darcel, her hands immediately wrapping around his neck like a koala. Her soft face snuggled into his neck, unleashing her mesmerizing scent into Darcel''s noise.

    This¡­.this stimulation made Darcel react entirely on instinct. Swiftly he wrapped his around her, pulling her into a tight hug while stroking her lushes white hair.

    "Hmmm¡­.that was an odd way to come here, but it was undeniably cute. For that matter, just how did you blast in here?" Darcel didn''t think he was talking any differently from the usual.

    Still, Aniela had suddenly snapped her head up to him.

    Her face spouted this massive blush as she goofily smiled at him. In her own unexpected twist, Aniela smoothly went up and kissed his cheek, using her lascivious soft lips.

    "Mnh! I see you experienced your own enlightenment that blew your mind open! For me, I just wanted to spread my light with you and feel a stronger and deeper connection! And then I broke through and fell here. Hehehe~, it sounds so simply saying it out loud."

    So effortlessly could Aniela spot the slight change in Darcel''s speech. Plus, she herself also changed a bit, becoming laxer in finding the fun in whatever situation she''s in.

    Darcel, who before would''ve merely sigh at this explanation, was now finding her odd quirks more endearing as his curiosity developed further.

    "Heh, it indeed does sound so simple saying it out loud, I bet your airheaded simplicity can rock even deities minds. Never a dull moment with you." Darcel affectionately said, feeling it became more pleasant to blurt out lines like this.

    Aniela sweetly giggled as Darcel held her tender body even tighter. Their blend of black and white became seemingly perfect as their thoughts somewhat lined up to each other.

    In their enlightenment, both honestly were thinking of each other. Darcel wants to give Aniela a pleasure beyond pleasure, and Aniela with wanting to spread her light into Darcel.

    It was a serene, sweet moment. That is until the bubbly voice of that beautiful young girl blared into their space, saying,

    "Ohhh~! Ohhh~! You Darcy, I can tell you''ll have mind-blowing deeper bonds than what big brother accomplished!"

    At the sweet sound of her voice, the duo only blinked once. Yet when their eyes opened again, they were suddenly back in the bright multi-color room of the beautiful young girl.

    Darcel and Aniela were still holding each other as the translucent girl stared at them with a ray of sunshine, dazzling smile. Letting go of one another, Darcel hope they could get some answer this time as he asked,

    "Ok, while we appreciate the chance for enlightenment and breakthrough. Just who are you, girl? No¡­.not who, but what are you?"

    Finally, like her moment had come, the beautiful young girl propped herself to be slightly higher than the duo. Her face, stature, and aura carried this natural, elegant confidence charm as she told them,

    "I''m glad you finally asked! You two can call me Sari, and I''m¡­.the gift granting spirit! For real special people like you, I can make your life completely turn around, but at a cost. A gift beyond your wildest dream will be made available to you two, just if you meet big brother requirements."

    At the same time, Darcel and Aniela''s eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. A gift granting spirit? What even the hell is this supposed to be, and this surely is a joke, right?

 Deal

    Aniela and Darcel were admittedly a bit at a loss. Whatever this girl was trying to offer them just seems too good to be true. And just why does this girl keep mentioning some big brother as this grand like figure?

    Neither could tell why, so the only way to get info is to politely talk. At least that was what Aniela thought. But before she could speak up, Darcel gained a different set of ideas on his own and swiftly said,

    "A spirit, huh? So? How do we get out of here, or are you going to send us out?" Bluntly and crudely, Darcel spared no expense in his words. He made his tone sound a bit impatient as well to further add on to his act.

    Aniela raised one of her eyebrows at Darcel''s sudden rush. Yet, one look towards Sari gave her a general idea of what he was doing.

    A smirk as well etched on Darcel''s charming face once seeing Sari''s flustered reaction.

    Truly, Sari''s mind was thrown into slight chaos! From all the mind breaking feats she performed, usually, the reaction she gets is shock and innate curiosity.

    And these two really special ones were just curios a moment ago! Now suddenly the one name Darcy changed to be in a hurry? Never something like this had occurred in her long life.

    "Mnh¡­.Mnh. Really thanks for everything but time is probably screwy here. Who knows how long has passed since we were on our path of enlightenment! Our schedule is very tight, Sari!"

    Once Aniela saw Darcel flash her a knowing smile, she instantly got the idea to play along in a hard way. Expectantly the duo watched as the beautiful Sari was thrown for an additional loop.

    Darcel was acting on a hunch here, but it seemed the right hunch to call.

    He thought about how Sari said before she was around for millenniums of years, making her probably the oldest person he and Aniela ever came across.

    But, the way she''s acting¡­.it definitely doesn''t fit someone with thousands of years of experience.

    Even with the oddest of personality, Darcel took a big guess here, but a person like this should retain some level of mature dignity.

    Adding on to the fact the Sari herself said she was a spirit, led Darcel to think, just maybe¡­. she''s an incomplete spirit! He had some vague knowledge about complete Spiritual beings from the Organization, which served as some basis for trying this.

    "You-you¡­.but, don''t you two want the grandest gifts in cultivation no one can ever receive on this planet! Gifts that''ll¡­.that''ll just crush your common sense of the world you know?!"

    Sari''s voice had a small bit of urgency. She absolutely couldn''t let these outstanding youths go! No one and she truly means no other previous special people are comparable to them!

    Their bloodlines, especially Darcy, were just that¡­.magnetic and powerful! Yet Sari couldn''t help but feel a slight frustration bubbling within her as she watched the duo faces only remained steadily indifferent.

    "For a supposed mighty Spirit, you look far too cute and delicate to be so grand. And frankly, your big brother requirements just sound too troublesome to deal with." Nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders, Darcel outright told the Spirit.

    Especially more now, hearing her urgent pleads, Darcel gained more confidence in doing this. Evidently, she really wants them for something.

    Something that he and Aniela could use for leverage if this girl speaks the truth.

    Backing up Darcel in a seamless combination, Aniela began giggling softly while saying, "Hehehe~, I can see your cuteness changing people''s views on beauty but not in the way of cultivation!"

    "Muuu¡­.Hmph!" Unexpectedly, Sari started to leak holy cute groans as her face contorted into an adorable pout. But then an idea clicked in her mind, and her eyes brightly flashed.

    The adorable pout soon changed into a small smug smile as she raised her hand into the air. Darcel and Aniela watched in odd confusion since they didn''t feel any powerful or threatening aura coming from Sari.

    Yet, in the very next second, they were at a total loss for words.

    ''Chi!''

    A mere snap of Sari''s delicate fingers caused the whole room to ignite in a blindingly white flash. Darcel and Aniela hastily closed their eyes shut as they nearly went blind from the white glare!

    Darcel even gathered this light was far brighter than anything Aniela could produce.

    However, the intense white flash only lasted for a second. And before the duo could even open their eyes, an incomparable powerful aura seeped through their senses.

    An aura so overwhelming that for the first time since coming to this planet threw Darcel and Aniela for a chaotic loop. Hurriedly, they snapped their eyes open only to witness a majestic grand scene.

    Above and behind the elegant Sari was numerous luxurious design looking swords all spewing out dazzling multi-colors lights.

    Somehow as well, the bright lights radiating from the swords outshined their mystical spirit room.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    However, the bright fancy design and shine had only added to the overwhelming power these swords exuded.

    Nobody, not Teacher Zala, the Vice Principal, or even cultivators from those higher ranks provinces could compare to these swords.

    By Darcel and Aniela''s senses, they could tell just a few swings of these swords could split the whole Zakira Academy to pieces! Hell, only one sword could possibly pour the entire Necropolis City to shreds!

    To even go further back for their shock, these swords aura might have matched some of the Parsol Organization''s lower-level Doctors. And the duo was sure any one of them could easily destroy this city!

    Yet something was still bugging them.

    Neither Darcel nor Aniela can still sense even a tiny leakage of aura from Sari. Glancing at Sari''s face, that small smug smile suddenly grew much broader as she observed their bewildered reaction.

    "Hmph! Hmph! Now, do you realize the terrifying might of the gift granting Spirit?! And this is only a small portion of my mighty power!" Finally, proudness filled Sari''s aura as she manages to catch these outstanding youths for a loop!

    Although, even if they''re in slight shock, Darcel and Aniela''s mind move at a constant pace. Seamlessly, the duo shifted back to their calm, steady face, causing shock again in Sari.

    While making sure Sari understands something like this isn''t much to the duo, Aniela tells her, "Not bad, not bad at all, Sari! But¡­.isn''t this a little too much broad? I mean, if you want us to agree with your big brother''s requirements, we should get one absolute request each. After all, we''re special, right?"

    Out of all the reactions they could get, Darcel and Aniela were at ease when seeing Sari''s face brighten up like she just got candy. Essentially though, it was impossible for Sari to not lit up like the sun.

    She''s finally on some road of agreement with these two!

    Whatever outrageous request they have will cost very little compared to gaining their help. Excitedly, Sari told the duo,

    "Mnh! I don''t normally do this, but for you two, I''ll give you extremely special exceptions. No matter what it may be in cultivation, your wish will be granted no matter the cost! Uhm¡­.as long as it''s within reason. But before that, you have to do big brother requirements."

    "Well? Just what are these mysterious requirements?" Darcel asked since it wouldn''t hurt to listen. And besides, if the requirements are far too troublesome, they can always just lie and not do her quest.

    "It''s easy! All you have to do is beat this one stinky green guy to a pulp and collect his essence for me. Oh! And you can only come back here once you reach the Heavenly Transformation realm."

    For initial reactions, Darcel and Aniela didn''t have much. The Heavenly Transformation realm¡­.that realm is quite far for them, but they know in due time they''ll achieve it.

    And only they could honestly think this with a supreme air of confidence.

    For any other youths in this city, even the extreme talents one, reaching the Heavenly Transformation realm, is quite literally harder than ascending to the heavens!

    The only thing that was on their mind was Sari''s vague description of this stinky green guy.

    Indeed with the power she just displayed, this beautiful girl should have no limits. But then again, why is she attached to the Asylum in the first place?

    "Stinky green guy? And just who or what is this stink green guy peachy Sari?" Aniela asked her this time.

    "Nuuu¡­.just a rat that has been sucking and leeching on the beautiful nature! I''m stuck in this Asylum, or else I would''ve taught that guy a harsh lesson already! Also, his essence is absolutely useful to me."

    Sari explained to them, making Darcel and Aniela wonder again. Asking another question, Aniela said, "For the previous special people¡­.did they also have to fight a stinky green guy?"

    "Unfortunately, yes. No matter what happens, that guy just doesn''t know the meaning of pain or death. But don''t worry! That guy over the years got very weakened and still is to this day. So don''t worry about him being freakishly strong." Sari readily assured them with boundless confidence.

    "So? Do you know where this green guy is exactly? Or at least the area he''s in?" Darcel asked now, feeling this requirement isn''t so bad. But he still remained carefully cautious.

    "Mnnn¡­.nope! Last I know, that green guy was slithering in someplace with extremely freezing cold temperatures. But you will know when you see him. Literally, that guy''s whole body is made up of green, inky goop! Trust me, for special people similar to you, you''ll end running into him inevitably."

    Darcel and Aniela took one look over at each other. Frankly, there were still a lot of hidden, unknown variables here. Moreover, this girl is surprisingly sparse with information despite all her power.

    Turning back to the girl, the duo shrugged as Darcel told her, "We''ll think about doing it. If we have some spare time on our hands. But don''t expect us to rush back here anytime soon."

    "It''s alright. Approximately, it''s been about a thousand years since that guy even attempted something major and was beaten up for it. His rate of recovery is sluggishly slow, so a thousand years is far too little for him. Just like a rat, he''s sneakily hiding." Sari finished off for them with a smiling expression.

    Frankly, Darcel and Aniela didn''t fully take Sari''s word to heart. They are positively sure their cultivation growth will have no problems in the future! Still, what Sari did describe sounds somewhat interesting.

    Before either of them could talk more, however, Sari suddenly jumped up. With a surprised look, she told them, "Ah! I''ve taken way way too much of your time. Now it''s time to leave! But remember this, whether you know it or not, special people always come back to me!"

    Sari pointed her finger to them, causing a multi-color light to wrap over the two. Before being entirely transported out, she heard Darcy squeak out,

    "We''ll just have to see about that, won''t we?"

    ¡­.

    Outside of the Asylum, only one large group of people stayed near the place. About thirty or so minutes passed since everyone got booted out of the Asylum. Yet the Zakira Academy people were all still waiting.

    "I knew it! I just knew it! Those two are one hundred percent showing off their talents, probably making the Asylum keep them longer!" Shai Xia threw out a random guess as she waited near Hao Cao.

    Softly smiling, Hao Cao just shook her head as she said to her, "Did you truly expect anything else? They''re already proven to be quite the rowdy duo, fufufu~."

    Standing to herself, Teacher Zala had an inquisitive expression. This sort of prolonged waiting¡­.she could''ve sworn she heard about a story happening like this long ago.

    A story about a rather odd and freakish youth: however, before she could delve her thoughts into that, everyone suddenly heard the light footsteps of two present freakish geniuses.

    "Finally! You''re out and¡­.oh? Nice job on actually breaking through in this place!" Shai Xia had cheerfully gone up to meet them while congratulating them.

    "Oh, it''s only natural, you know? Our enlightenments were quite heavy in that place." Aniela spoke as she, Darcel, Shai Xia, and Hao Cao all grouped back up together, merrily chatting away.

    At first, Teacher Zala wanted to question them, but she held it off for now. Clearing her throat to get everyone''s attention, she told them, "Now that''s everyone here, we''re returning back to the Academy. I''m sure you all have achieved numerous insights that need digesting...."

 Sensual Darkness

    At the late hours of the night, everyone always seemed to have something to indulge themselves instead of sleeping, especially on a particularly eventful day with the Asylum of Mysteries opening.

    Cultivation and insights were tasks that Darcel could easily indulge in without any rest. But, for tonight, he decided to take a more heated, sensual approach to his cultivation.

    Inside his luxurious room, sitting upon his comfy bed, Darcel was caught up in inhaling the sweet intoxicating fragrance of his cute Aniela. She was firmly snuggled into his neck, finding pure warmth there.

    Although their position was rather erotic. Aniela sat on top of his lap with a pleasant smile plaster on her pretty face.

    Darcel was smoothly stroking her ever soft lushes white hair, having a more sinful smile on his own. Each time Aniela inhaled on to his neck, it sent small bursts of ignited passion down Darcel''s body.

    "Nnnnh¡­.your scent Darcy¡­. it''s somehow much, much more mesmerizing and hypnotic! It''s enough to completely smooth out my mind¡­." Aniela didn''t know how it happens, but Darcel''s current scene and very aura expelled a more magnetic charming presence.

    During these intimate moments, her usual wild beating heart was now blissfully steady as she fell into a calm rhythm of breathing down on Darcel''s neck.

    While she talked, Aniela pressed more of her supple body onto Darcel, causing further waves of warmth and pleasure. Those two soft pillows like breasts of her would never get tiresome for him.

    And it was at this time Darcel thought back to his Darkness Qi. With all he has been through today, it was now the time to show Aniela the first step in experiencing a new side of cultivation!

    Gently and filled with affection, Darcel pulled Aniela''s face out and fondly lifted her chin up to him. Warmly smiling to her, he said, "That''s not the only change I have in store. Let''s experience something that''ll taste better than just smelling it."

    "Even your tone is getting hotter during these times¡­." Aniela sweetly told him as her face began to morph into one of lustful expectations. A bright, sweet blush enhanced her beauty along with her fervent fill eyes.

    Taking on this sweet momentum, Darcel swoops down and pulls Aniela into a hot searing kiss. Immediately his tongue licked at Aniela''s delicious, soft lips, savoring the delectable pleasurable taste there.

    "Ahn~....Mnh~!"

    Erotic sweet moans leaked out Aniela as she promptly opens her mouth to accept Darcel''s tongue. An hot elegant dance of tongues ensued as Darcel sucked on Aniela''s pink juicy tongue like it was candy.

    Honestly, the pleasure and sweetness of Aniela''s tongue are nearly too addicting! Moreover, squashing his nose against Aniela''s small cute nose brought about its variation of warmth.

    And Darcel wasn''t only going to stay like this. Raising his right hand a bit, Darcel took a small amount of his attention to coat his hand in Darkness Qi. This time, Darcel had far better control over his raging Darkness.

    Using this control, Darcel latched his hand on to Aniela''s modest size breast, sinking his whole hand into her.

    "Ah-AH~!"

    Caught off guard by the sudden touch, Aniela raised an even louder moan into Darcel''s mouth.

    Immediately when touching her incomparable soft breast, newfound waves of pleasure and satisfaction assaulted their senses.

    Massaging Aniela''s breast with his Darkness hand felt beyond heavenly. It fit right into the palm of his hand, allowing him to play around with it and brush against the tip of her hardening nipple.

    "Mnh~....Ahn~....More~, touch me more~!"

    Aniela panted out in heated breaths while they kissed. She couldn''t feel anymore like she was in heaven.

    Darcel''s hand was pure bliss!

    Her mind enraptured to a lustful state as her movement became even sexier.

    She began erotically grinding on Darcel''s hardening crotch, feeling an incomparable firing itch in her crotch. And the hardening of Darcel''s pole only made her increase the intensity of grinding.

    This sudden sexy movement of her sparked a brighter flame inside Darcel. Temporarily taking his hand off her breast, Darcel unbutton the top of Aniela''s dark purple uniform, allowing her gorgeous breast to pop out.

    ¡°Nnnh~, Ahn~, touch them now~!¡±

    In Between kisses, Aniela demanded from Darcel.

    She was hooked on his tongue now and couldn''t even think of not kissing him¡ªsteamy trails of saliva travel down both their chins as their making out become even more passionate.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Darcel took a moment to admire Aniela''s beautiful breast. They were still wrapped in a fancy looking dark purple bra that added to their modest cute charm.

    Saving this imagery for later, Darcel immediately lifted up Aniela''s bra exposing her bare heavenly breasts.

    Her cute pink nipples had now fully stiffened from intense stimulation and were just waiting to get fondled by him.

    And without pausing, Darcel began sensually caressing her breast, feeling a whole new different sensation. Compared to layers of clothes on top, the bare naked feeling of her breast was perfect!

    "AHH~! Ohh~! Your hand is like pleasure itself~!!"

    This time Aniela had to break their intense kiss to fully intake these incredible waves of pleasure. The feeling of Darcel''s Darkness hand was taking her to new heights she never thought could happen before.

    "Let me see how these perfect treats taste too¡­" Darcel hotly said to her, causing immediate eager anticipation to build up inside Aniela.

    Her loins were getting wetter by the second, and now a far greater lustful heat generated there.

    Not one to let down expectations, Darcel leaned down towards Aniela''s chest. Admittedly, the thought of sucking on these cute breasts was leaving his mouth a bit dry.

    To fulfill this dryness, Darcel coated the tip of his tongue in a small portion of Darkness Qi and sucked Aniela''s succulent sweet pink nipple.

    "AH-OHH~!!"

    A shriek of pleasure far higher than Aniela mustered before bounced off the walls of their room!

    Darcel''s mouth was godly!

    It nearly sent her over the edge as she pushed down hard on Darcel''s already erected pole.

    Similarly, Darcel leaked a grunt of pleasure once tasting this savory breast. Greedily, he began licking up her breast as if it was god cuisine. While doing so, Darcel ignited his other hand in Darkness Qi.

    He was nearly at his own climax, but before that, Darcel wanted to send Aniela high into the sky. Swiftly he moved his hand down to Aniela''s moist crotch feeling the desire to take things further.

    Though not too far since he wanted to wait until Aniela''s fully ready for that. With simple movements, Darcel began massaging Aniela''s moisten loins on top of her pants, enjoying the wet sensation.

    "Oh-oh~?! R-ri-AH~!!"

    Aniela couldn''t even form a sentence as her senses were heavily assaulted with all sorts of newfound pleasure.

    In both her and Darcel, they also felt their bloodline stimulate, gushing out waves of pleasure and plower.

    Fondling her wet secret garden, Darcel took his mouth from her breast and looked Aniela in the eyes. Her moans were growing louder, and Darcel felt something slowly forming.

    Aniela''s eyes had then latched onto Darcel''s eyes, causing the two to fall into a strange yet magical trance. Their black eyes bored deep inside each other as if wanting to see the other souls.

    Furthermore, in Darcel''s eyes, an enchanting black glow exuded from him, pulling Aniela''s mind more into his magnetic charm.

    In their previous session, both would always satisfy each other. And most of the time, Darcel would easily come out on top. The few rare times he didn''t would be if he wanted to let Aniela feel a change of pace.

    But now, their rising climax felt far, far different than before.

    They felt like a strong link was forming a bridge between their two souls. Aniela was trying to look in the deepest of Darcel, wanting to connect with this link.

    And Darcel already felt like he saw the white light of Aniela''s soul. Physically, he used a finger to press down Aniela''s pussy while spiritually, he was going into Aniela''s soul''s deepest region.

    Once he felt like he reached far enough, Darcel pressed hard on Aniela''s pussy. At the same time, his eyes dazzled a pure flash of Darkness!

    "AHHHH~!!!"

    Aniela roared out in an absolute climax! Her previous times climaxing all paled in comparison to this very moment.

    Moreover, she felt as if Darcel imprinted himself in the deepest region of her mind.

    Tiredly, she collapsed onto Darcel''s shoulder while lowly muttering out, "Darcy¡­.Darcy¡­.Darcy¡­."

    "Haah¡­.Aniela?" Darcel was also coming down from his own high once Aniela climaxed. He could feel it¡ªsomething definitely linked between them, which also brought about his own pleasure and satisfaction.

    And hearing Aniela mutter his name in a post clarity slur brought Darcel back to reality. Though he called for her name, Darcel got no reaction as he started to hear her cute, peaceful snores on his shoulder.

    Leaving her comfortably like this for a moment, Darcel also for sure felt closer to Aniela in an unexplainable way. Plus, his Darkness now felt more refined and calmer to control.

    The pleasure of Darkness¡­.indeed, it''s far more mysterious and magical than Darcel could ever think of. But leaving that for later, Darce returned his attention to his cute sleeping girl lying on his shoulder.

    Looking down the bed and their sweaty bodies, Darcel knew it was time to clean this all up. Compared to their last session, this time was obviously far messier.

    Thankfully he could rely on the other properties of Qi to make everything go smooth and easy.

    ¡­.

    Blinking his eyes open, Darcel realized he was in a predictable place.

    Pure Darkness Qi surrounded his vision as he unamusedly floated in this space. But before he could make any sorts of comments, the Darkness began shifting.

    White sparks of lights began spewing from below the Darkness, adding a vibrant aura to the dreary space. And before Darcel''s very eyes, an entirely white figure slowly rose from the ground.

    This figure¡­.Darcel''s eyes widen once recognizing the body outline. It couldn''t be, but this was¡­.

    "Aniela?"

    Darcel called out to the figure so eerily similar to Aniela''s specific body type. Somehow, Darcel managed to make out this figure''s eyes was closed, yet it stood facing him with seemingly a smile.

    "Truthfully, I expected her to come sooner¡­.but waiting this long also came with its own benefits." Darcel had relaxed upon hearing a familiar ancient power voice blare in the space.

    "You¡­.I''m nearly positive you''re the one from my recurring dreams. I can tell this won''t last long, so what information do you have for me?" Darcel smoothly asked, no longer in awe or stunned position, hearing this voice clearly.

    "Growing quite nicely as well. Remember this, Darcel, she is one of your special Yin links. Yin Pleasure is forgotten but lives within us. And we¡­.we will spread the true side of Yin Pleasurable Cultivation to all Links!"

    The voice gathered this awe-inspiring momentum that heavily impacted Darcel''s mind. A smile slowly cracked on his face as he told the voice,

    "To uncover this side of cultivation¡­.I won''t hesitate for a second!"

 Heavenly King Principal

    Days quickly passed like flowing water. The people who were chosen to go to the Labyrinth were intensely cultivating or training just for that extra chance of making it through the dungeon.

    And finally, after a few more days since the Asylum of Mysteries opening, it was time. Bright early in the morning stood numerous outstanding youths and one grand woman, all behind a bright blue-purple mix door.

    They all waited in an expansive corridor, eager anticipation filling the youths'' faces for the upcoming Labyrinth. And at the front of this crowd of students, standing right beside the Vice Principal was Darcel and Aniela.

    Darcel was lost in thought as mused about this goldmine opportunity. As he was expecting, he and Aniela needed far more Nascent Qi than average cultivators to breakthrough.

    Furthermore, their comprehension of Nascent Qi had to slow down because of achieving a stable and perfect foundation for each level.

    This was the most critical lesson Teacher Zala constantly drilled into them.

    Her exact words were, "Being fast to the end doesn''t make everything. Only rushing with no stability can crush the most talented of geniuses even before the Innate Core realm."

    Remarkably though, even as Darcel and Aniela slowed down their cultivation, they did manage to nearly achieve a second level perfect foundation in only a little less than a week!

    And while they didn''t breakthrough yet, Darcel was boundlessly confident that together with Aniela, they could defeat any sixth level Nascent Core cultivator.

    Besides their own individual prowess, Darcel did remark the line up behind them wasn''t bad as well. For each level of students, they had an astonishingly wide variety of prowess for this Labyrinth.

    Most amazing here had to be Joyce''s team, though.

    Darcel gathered from his senses four of the youths on her team are just barely weaker than some initiate level teachers. And Joyce herself could probably even match those teachers!

    Frankly, Darcel found that the only danger for this Labyrinth lies within and not other people they may encounter. Specifically, for the expedition this time, the Mages went hard at work.

    Upon everyone''s finger, there was a blue magical jewel ring. Apparently, this small ring ran for a high price at the Mages Association, though Darcel found out it was for good reasons.

    This bright blaring ring attaches itself to any user soul, allowing it to instantly send the last sighting of what the user saw before death.

    And this information goes directly to the one who wears the specially crafted holder jewel ring.

    Every high-level Sect or Academy had their own set of holder jewel rings and regular jewel rings.

    For their Zakira Academy, the only person powerful enough to wear the holder jewel ring was the mysterious Heavenly King of the Academy: the Principal!

    To make sure other humans recognize these unique rings, the Mage Association had inscribed their own unique symbols in them.

    By just letting the ring ignite a bit will tell anyone to not mess with this specific group unless they want to bring upon an Academy''s wrath on themselves.

    And this ring was only one part of defense Darcel and the other youths have for any unexpected troubles. But there was only one odd trip Darcel had about this expedition.

    The odd trip was in the form of the steady Vice-Principal standing by him. For the life of him, Darcel couldn''t understand why someone as powerful as she was coming to this expedition.

    He had directly asked her before why, but all Darcel got in return was a vague response telling him, "It''s for insurance." But remembering all that she taught them about the Labyrinth, this "insurance" just doesn''t add up.

    Before he could muse anymore, Darcel heard the ever sweet voice of Aniela speak up right beside him, saying, "Ah! It''s about time we finally get to meet our elusive Principal. I didn''t think it was possible, but she''s even more reclusive than you, Vice-Principal!"

    "Hoh? And I presume you think it''s so easy to run and manage an Academy as big as ours?" Snorting slightly, the Vice Principal quipped right back to her.

    Though even she couldn''t deny the secretiveness of their Principal.

    "Well, despite being basically the second in command, you sure do have plenty of spare time to obverse us. Does the Principal even agree with your hidden observation?" Darcel joined in and chided as well.

    "Frankly, in our positions, coming across geniuses like Joyce or Xia is already rare. But you two kids specifically take the top with your freakish talent never seen before." Bluntly telling them, the Vice Principal cared little that the duo knows of her monitoring habits.

    "Hehehe~, it''s always nice and welcoming to hear we''re always getting regarded so highly!" Cheerfully smiling at the Vice Principal, Aniela and even Darcel truly came to appreciate the blunt Vice-Principal.

    Especially seeing as she made their lives become a luxurious cruise here.

    From behind, all students watching the interactions admittedly couldn''t take their minds off it. Even while conversing with one another, there was just something so awe about their talks.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    The primary and still most shocking point being just how easily Darcel and Aniela can talk with their grand daunting Vice-Principal! Yet now all the number one ranking level students still had a hard time believing it.

    Furthermore, neither Darcel nor Aniela seemed to have the slightest bit of nerves about meeting their Heavenly King Principal. A figure that demanded respect alone in her title!

    Amidst all the conversation, suddenly then, a majestically sweet voice leaked out into the corridor. A voice that gotten all conversations to stop and put their full focus on her while she said,

    "Vice Principal, send Darcel and Aniela in."

    Already from behind, the students couldn''t help but be shocked by her words. Who here hasn''t dreamed of a one on one meeting with the grand Heavenly King Principal!

    And now, right before their eyes, the duo were so easily invited in.

    Watching this event unfold, Shai Xia only clicked her tongue. Standing right next to her, Hao Cao also had an inquisitive expression as she then heard Shai Xia say,

    "Tch, just cause their freaks in cultivation; they always get the most supreme treatment! Oh, how I envy them!" Admittedly, Hao Cao found it amusing how Shai Xia just outright admitted her envy.

    Though looking inside herself and the other students'' faces, they all wield similar envy sentiments about the duo.

    Sentiments that also pumped them up more to achieve massive gains in this Labyrinth to match their freakish talents.

    All the while, up in front, the Vice Principal held no change of expression, hearing the Principal request. As if she expected this to happen, she nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and snapped her fingers.

    Under the students'' eyes, the blue-purple mix door swung open. Only Darcel and Aniela could sort of see what was inside though they didn''t spot any grand figure.

    The Vice Principal decided to urge them by saying, "Well? Best not to keep her waiting. You did want this, didn''t you?" Darcel and Aniela took a single glance over to the Vice Principal once hearing her.

    They did want to go in, but¡­.a strange yet small gut feeling made them a slight bit queer about this Labyrinth expedition.

    Quickly they shook their heads, pushing this feeling down, and walked into the room under blazing curious eyes.

    ¡­.

    Immediately when walking into the room, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes locked on to a magnificent sight. Standing just a few meters away from there was a stunningly enchanting woman that can cause kingdoms'' downfall.

    Her gorgeous face radiates dazzling grace, with each of her features being unforgettable to all eyes. Combined with her mesmerizing face was her neatly long purple hair that elegantly swayed down to her hips.

    She was also well endowed, sporting juicy bountiful breasts that you wish you could sink your teeth into. Out of everyone in the Academy, this beautiful woman also wore the fanciest looking uniform.

    It was more of an ancient luxurious royal robe design, holding the magnificent mix of a blue and purple color. And on her ring finger was a blaring large purple jewelry ring that shined with her bright beauty.

    Indeed, Darcel and Aniela could say that she worthy of this Heavenly King title just by her looks. But excluding her looks¡­.the duo couldn''t sense the Principal aura at all!

    It was almost as if she was entirely invisible. However, the foreboding feeling of instant death still prevailed through the duo, telling them it was impossible to ever contend against her.

    Suddenly, something peculiar occurred while the duo gazed upon her beauty.

    When Darcel and Aniela''s eyes directly locked on to the Principal eyes, they both couldn''t move their focus from her deep purple eyes. And without warning, her eyes suddenly sparkled a glowing purple brilliance!

    This sparkle shined like the blaring sun, nearly forcing Darcel and Aniela to close their eyes. Already, just without even talking, the duo was a little surprised at their Principal.

    "Woah¡­.that shine! I didn''t think as soon as we stepped in here, we would witness a beautiful light show of a Heavenly King!" Aniela commented enthusiastically, fully taken in by her eyes.

    A beautiful small smile graced the Principal lips once hearing Aniela. And when she turned her attention to Darcel, the smile stayed on despite him having a different reaction.

    Darcel didn''t exactly share the same amount of enthusiasm. With a slight smirk, he said, "Certainly was an eye-opening special. Though¡­.I couldn''t help but feel like I was getting looked into?"

    The Principal''s face didn''t change at all towards Darcel''s question. Her cute little mouth only opened up to say, "You two really are rare special ones¡­.but I can''t be a noisy bee. You will take this."

    Under her odd speech patterns, the Principal flicked a blue talisman to the slightly puzzled Darcel.

    While doing so, she explained, "Only you two can activate this under complete dire straits." Though she did give an explanation, the duo was still puzzled in her meaning.

    Obviously, Darcel and Aniela wanted to continue this concise and brief conversation. However, before either one could speak up, the Principal took her attention off from them.

    Using the same magnetic voice from before, she spoke up to outside of the door, saying,

    "Vice Principal, you all can come in now. I''m ready."

    Hearing another snap from outside, the door promptly swung open.

    Shuffling a bit forwards so the others could enter, it was then Darcel, and Aniela realized the Principal office was far more spacious than they thought.

    Easily their group of twenty or so people was nowhere near enough to fill up this massive room. Although, for the students who walked in, they also couldn''t focus on the room''s decor.

    Exactly like Darcel and Aniela, they all were taken aback at the Principal''s stunning appearance. Even during the last Labyrinth expedition, none of the first ranked level students had the honor to meet the Principal.

    And in a way, thanks to Darcel and Aniela. The students were granted a moment to truly appreciate the standards of beauty.

    Furthermore, compared to the Vice Principal, it was like night and day in terms of charm!

    The Principal, however, ignored the other students awe looks and whisked out several purple spatial rings. Swiftly she tossed the leader students each one purple spatial ring while saying to them,

    "Use everything wisely. And don''t resist now."

    Without giving anyone a chance to respond, the Principal raised her hand while igniting it in mystical blue energy. Everyone in the Labyrinth expedition group felt strange, yet warm energy run through their bodies.

    Doing as they were told, none of them resisted as the Principal hand shined an ever greater blue light!

    ''Chi!''

    A vast blue flash permeated the whole room as the group was promptly teleported out of the Principal place. As the flash died down, the Principal was left alone to rummage on her thoughts.

    All thoughts pertaining to those two extraordinary youths and her own trusted aid. Her usual smiling expression went a bit serious as she out loud to only herself,

    "Zelle¡­.that shift for our city is coming far, far quicker than anyone of us could predict. This Labyrinth¡­.it''ll be the start of it all."

 Black Dungeon Labyrinth

    Busting his eyes open, Darcel forcefully pushed down the feeling of severe whiplash. His eyebrows furrow as he couldn''t help but think a fair warning would be delightful next time when getting teleported.

    Right beside him, Aniela had fared even worse. Her deep black eyes were nearly left in a flash daze. No matter if they let that magical energy run through them, it was a totally different experience going through it!

    However, she and Darcel soon couldn''t focus on the teleportation. To where they were brought to had instantly captured their eyes and threw out all previous connotations.

    Simply the place they gazed upon was enormous! Easily this building was as tall as the sky-piercing trees in the Necropolis woods.

    The building didn''t have any windows but was pitch black in color and exuded chilling, sinister vibes.

    Taking a second, Darcel took one look around the area they were in.

    Through what he assumed some magic formation, their large group was all teleported to a secluded spot in the Necropolis Woods. Nobody, not even wild Spirit monster beasts, was around for miles.

    Truthfully, Darcel thought getting to this place would take a bit more time and be crowded when arriving. Luckily his suspicions of annoyance was proven wrong.

    At the back of him, Darcel started to hear the other students'' confused murmurs, also attempting to get rid of that whiplash feeling. Smirking to himself, Darcel turned his head to speak up to Aniela.

    Yet, so abrupt and sudden did his senses latched on to an ominous looming feeling.

    His attention spiked while his body was raised to complete alert. And looking at Aniela, he can tell she was experiencing the same feeling.

    Her face gained a massively inquisitive expression, unsure of just what was causing this feeling. She and Darcel both knew this dungeon, of course, would be dangerous¡­.but to the point where it''s mere surrounding presence is setting off alarms?

    For such a low-level province like there, it seemed highly unlikely.

    And the duo wasn''t the only one catching on to an ominous feeling. The Vice Principal had focused up her attention slightly, attempting to feel out this presence.

    Given that her Spirit Sense is far higher and advanced than the duo, one would think she would immediately seek out the presence.

    However¡­.as soon as she spread her broad senses, the haunting feeling just suddenly¡­.vanished.

    ''That was¡­.'' The Vice Principal briefly thought to herself but had quickly reoriented her attention to the students. No matter what, the students'' safety will at least be assured with what they have.

    Stepping a few inches ahead of the group, the Vice Principal turned around and got everyone''s attention by saying, "Alright! Everyone assort into your groups and stick close to one another."

    Swiftly the students responded to her orders and began reorganizing themselves. Only Darcel and Aniela didn''t move from their spots. Though one lone girl did walk up to them.

    "Fufufu~, With my one opportunity to spread out my wings farther than my brother, I''m glad it''s with the two stars~." Hao Cao playfully teased as she got next to the duo.

    Even for someone as casual as her, Hao Cao couldn''t help but feel eager anticipation about this expedition. After all, she was one of the few that had the most knowledge of Darcel and Aniela''s overwhelming prowess.

    Back then, when they were just at the Supreme Order level of the Qi Formation Sea realm, they quickly crushed fourth level Nascent Core students.

    And currently, at the second level of Nascent Core, just how powerful are they now?

    Hao Cao couldn''t imagine it, but she knew they would all become rich with resources! Though there was this odd nagging feeling about the Labyrinth, it was minuscule compared to the excitement she felt.

    The excitement was also shared with the brightly smiling Aniela.

    Eagerly, she grabbed Hao Cao''s soft hand while saying in a passionate tone, "Mnh! It may just be one of the wisest decisions putting as three as a trio! We''ll come out ring full!"

    Hao Cao gently smiled while enjoying the feeling of Aniela''s smooth hand and cheerful tone.

    Just beside them, they had also heard Darcel speak up, having a bit more charm in his voice than Hao Cao remembered him having.

    "Indeed, with companies like you two, I can give it up and admit this deadly place is already shaping up to be a good time." A slight surprise glint flashed through Hao Cao''s eyes, hearing Darcel''s words.

    With a broader, teasing smile, she asked, "Oh~? The usual realist Darcel is genuinely warming up to be lively and charming~?" Giggling softly to herself, she expected to see a slight change in expression on him, but she only got his same calm facade.

    "Hehehe~, Darcey, just slowly learning how to lighten up a little. All thanks to me, of course!" Though Darcel and Aniela were upbeat on the outside, inwardly, they were on red alert.

    They believed no one besides themselves caught onto that peculiar ominous feeling. Nobody else raised any concerns about it, and the Vice Principal''s face was as stern as usual.

    Still, Darcel and Aniela weren''t ones that would take their senses lightly. Now for any unexpected trouble that may arise, both will take the step to quickly react to whatever that trouble may be.

    The Vice Principal, unaware of the duo''s thoughts, simply nodded once seeing everyone in their position. Sparing no time, she then proceeds to tell them,

    "Now, leaders, activate your reusable barrier talisman before going in. Since we''re in groups, it should be obvious why we wouldn''t people splitting off. Also, do remember you all have an escaping talisman that''ll instantly cover your whole group for hopeless situations. Are you all ready now?"

    "Ready!!"Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    In sync, all of the students fervently shouted. Each leader brought out a uniquely designed purple talisman for their group, it being the reusable barrier.

    For Darcel and Aniela, Hao Cao held the barrier talisman and activated it around them. And though inside the barrier, the duo could feel everyone''s eagerness and nerves were at an all-time high!

    Seeing all groups wrapped up in their shimmering purple barrier, the Vice Principal nodded while telling them, "Remember as well, this barrier is not immensely sturdy and can only tank one attack before disappearing. Now, go!"

    ''Swish!!''

    Right when the ok was given, the students blasted off with swift speeds. They didn''t care who might''ve got in their eyes only held their eyes on the Labyrinth entrance.

    The Labyrinth entrance was this profoundly deep black portal that dimmed even the darkness of the Necropolis woods. Watching from the back, the Vice Principal exhaled a small sigh.

    ''No matter what might change¡­.those two kids will undoubtedly add to the shift.'' The Vice Principal mused to herself. Shaking her head, she had then begun preparing to go into the Dungeon Labyrinth herself.

    ¡­.

    Immediately when Darcel''s group opened their eyes after going through the black portal, they all came across the unique design of this Labyrinth. The first thing that stuck out to them was the color of this place.

    It was this particular glossy black color¡­.nearly identical to the shiny black of the Necropolis Woods.

    This place''s material was black polished stone, filling out with seemingly unending pathways and black glossy stone doors spaced out on the walls.

    Amazingly enough, the outside doesn''t do this Labyrinth justice on just how expansive it is. Even when spreading out their Spirit Senses a bit, neither of the three could tell the end of the place.

    "For a dangerous place, it''s quite¡­.beautiful! Well, much like everything in our world. So Cao? Where to first?" Aniela asked while also noticing their barrier indeed did go away after going through the portal.

    Darcel also expectantly looks towards Hao Cao, having no problem with her being in charge. Not wanting to disappoint the duo, her eyes began glowing a small spark of purple as she told them,

    "I''m sure you two also sense it. The level of monsters here is nothing for us. If we want true valuable resources, then we''re going to need to find a portal. It''ll take us to the next level."

    Darcel and Aniela witnessed small sparks of now purple lightning streaks running out of her eyes during her explanation.

    Admittedly these bright sparks of lightning combined with her lovely face made for a mesmerizing scene.

    Gesturing at the duo, Hao Cao began carefully leading the way to the next portal. Even as their Nascent Core level could trump this level, Hao Cao wanted to take it slow for Darcel and Aniela to get accustomed to the Labyrinth atmosphere.

    And certainly so, the duo could tell this place was for the experienced minds.

    An aura of death was sprinkled all throughout the floor. Dark, bloody stains were splatter everywhere from the ground to the walls and ceiling, creating an eerie look.

    Hearing their shoes hitting the pavement echoed throughout the Labyrinth also brought about its own level of haunting.

    For a short moment, nobody talked. Darcel and Aniela were actually delving into their senses, attempting to see if they could pick up on that heavy looming feeling from outside.

    And not surprising to them, that daunting presence was nowhere to be felt inside the Labyrinth. Suddenly, during their trek, the trio had all picked up on Perfected Order Qi Formation Sea beasts running at them.

    "Keh!!"

    Several large rats all over ten feet long sprang out on to them from their back and front.

    If the trio could say one thing about these monsters, though, it was that their appearances are far more grotesque than anything in the Woods.

    Their teeth were massively long, sharp, and stained with dried blood. Their fur was all puffed up, revealing spots of gross black spots and spots of horrid fluid.

    Furthermore, their tails all easily reached a length of at least six feet.

    This sort of entrapment would''ve been threatening and daunting to any Qi Formation Sea group. But it was a shame these Spirit Monsters lacked the awareness to know when they''re genuinely outclassed.

    Nonchalantly, Hao Cao raised her hand high into the air. Looking up at it, the duo watched as a glowing bolt of purple lightning formed above her finger.

    ''Chi!''

    With a simple snap of her fingers, the bolt of purple lightning split off into several bolts and rushed the rats at unimaginable speeds.

    Before the rats could even process it, purple lightning tore through their heads, effortlessly killing them off.

    When lowering her hand, it was then a bright spark of purple lightning went off in Hao Cao''s eyes! Broadly smiling, Hao Cao told the duo, "Fufu~, it seems we''re luckier than I expected! I already picked up on the next portal location!"

    Darcel and Aniela raised curious expressions as they were told this was Hao Cao''s power of the supposed sixth sense.

    Neither of them knew exactly what this meant, but Hao Cao told them it was what got her to come to their duels.

    Moreover, she also mentioned a friend wielding similar inborn powers to her. Still, no matter how strange it sounded, Darcel and Aniela were glad they had this cute girl on their team.

    "No need to go slow for our sake, then Cao! Lead the way, and let''s blast through this level!" Aniela gave her the ok, causing Hao Cao to nod her head.

    Quickly now, the trio rushed off with Hao Cao in the lead. It didn''t matter how extensive and broad the Labyrinth was currently; with Hao Cao, they were assured to be on the right track.

    After only a few miles running, Hao Cao''s right foot had sunken into the ground on one specific tile. She nearly tripped up from the lack of balance and also forced Darcel and Aniela to stop right behind her.

    ''Hua!''

    Neither of three was paying attention to their surroundings until a large glossy black door flew open right beside them.

    Taking only a single glance over, the three watched as many black arrows, all exuding a poisonous aura, shot towards them.

    Igniting her hand in whitish black flames, Aniela casually erected a black flaming wall over the door''s massive opening. The three soon turned their attention back on finding the portal as the sounds of arrows burning slithered into their ears.

    "At least I would''ve thought the traps would be a bit entertaining¡­.so, how far are we from the portal?" Darcel asked while unfazed from recklessly activating a trap.

    Turning to Darcel, Hao Cao gave his charming face a cute smile while telling him, "It''s ironic that the trap stopped us right here. We''re actually pretty close to the portal. Full speed ahead?"

    Towards her question, the duo nodded. Swiftly the trio began pouring a bit of Nascent Qi into their legs in hopes of not getting stopped by a trap again.

    With Hao Cao in the lead, the trio blitz towards an ignorable, ordinary-looking black door only a couple of miles ahead of them. In only a few seconds, the trio blasted through the door, coming across an odd sight.

    This particular room contained massive swarms of giant rats. And all rats there were at the peak stage of the Perfected Order level of the Qi Formation Sea realm.

    Instantly the gruesome rats'' attention turned on to the trio. But when doing so, every rat there met with the crushing feeling of death!

    Darcel''s hand sizzled a blaring black fire glow. With only a flick of his hand, he unleashed a torrent of wild raging black flames!

    ''Sssch!!''

    The savage burning sounds of rats being burnt to death boomed in the trio''s ears. Using only a second, Darcel rid the room entirely of rats to were only black ashes remained.

    "Heh, always with the flashiness, Darcy! Oh?.... Hey, that has to be the portal, right?" All the way to the back of this large spacious room was a set of stairs in an odd sickly green color design.

    And at the top of the stairs, the trio could spot a sickly green looking portal.

    "Indeed, it is. Let''s mosey to the next level, shall we?" Hao Cao confirmed and rhetorically asked the duo.

    Darcel simply nodded while Aniela set up some eager anticipation for the rest of the Labyrinth. With hope in her voice, she said,

    "No matter if this place is in a weaker state, I hope we can get a greater challenge now¡­."

 Unforeseen Attraction

    While the Zakira Academy students all marched their way through the Labyrinth, encountering various experiences. Other Sects and institutions were already making significant progress here.

    One particular group, Darcel and Aniela, would recognize, had a specially powerful line up for the glossy black first floor.

    Every youth in this group donned the signature symbol of the legendary Roc. Their robes were a brilliant color of orange and black mix.

    This group hails from none other than the Quicksilver Roc Sect!

    Making this group up was four good looking boys and three exceedingly cute girls. Furthermore, all of them were at the Perfected Order of the Qi Formation Sea realm.

    Despite the dreary, haunting atmosphere of the rat-infested first floor, none of the disciples in this group had any sort of fearful or cautious expressions. In fact, they all still kept their excitement and eagerness.

    "Seriously, what a breather this place is! All those rats have going for them is just being too ugly to look at it."

    "Last time I was here, none of this wasn''t even remotely simple. When they said the Labyrinth was weakened, they truly damn meant this place is far weaker."

    "Hey, hey. At least the loot here is still as valuable as ever! Though I bet those Zakira rats and Yoderine snakes are having an equally smooth time here."

    Up at the front and center of the group, one particular boy with long flowing blonde hair listened in on the other conversations.

    He was the group''s apparent leader having the highest prowess of the group and a strategic mind.

    Though, while he was continually expanding his Spirit Senses for any unknown dangers, the blonde boy couldn''t help but agree with his teammates.

    But¡­.there was just something wrong about this.

    Everything really shouldn''t just be this easy. Yet no matter what Perfected Order beast came at them or traps sprang at them, they all managed to effectively deal with it.

    There was only one slightly odd thing the blonde boy noticed.

    The only thing it being was fresh, bright red blood stains mixing in with the dried bloodstains. Or the fresh bloodstains would just be in its own separate space.

    Still, could this really be so odd? In a dangerous chilling place like a Labyrinth where everything out to kill you, not seeing blood would be weirder.

    But, abruptly, the blonde boy stopped dead in his tracks, cutting off any musings.

    He felt it¡­.at least he felt something.

    In the pit of his stomach, an instinctive gut feeling swirled around there.

    "Lian? What''s wrong?"

    Right beside him, one of the cute girls asked him, not understanding at all why Lian suddenly stopped. She, along with the other disciples, grew a bit alert now.

    Lian, as if he didn''t hear her question, jerked his head towards a specific pathway. There was nothing different about this pathway, and yet, a burning curiosity was pushing Lian to go down there.

    Taking only a single glance over to the girl, he only said, "We''re taking a new route now." Pointing down the path he snapped his head to, he continued on, saying, "Down here. I can sense something¡­.special there."

    The other Quicksilver Roc found Lian''s behavior remarkably strange. For as long they knew him, nothing much can actually make Lian react so abruptly and shift his mind.

    Still, they didn''t pick up any tone of caution or worry in his voice. No, more so there was a rare hint of eagerness? Either way, the girl next to him said,

    "Alright, then. Surely it has to be good stuff down there then!"

    Lian barely acknowledged her words and began walking down this set specific path. His other teammates took a quick look over at each other before swiftly following behind.

    As they continued down this path, Lian''s teammates still couldn''t guess why he wanted to go down here.

    Absolutely nothing was different about this path! Yet no matter how samey the scenery was, Lian never stopped walking.

    "Maybe¡­.maybe Lian senses are playing tricks on him? But he''s acting so odd for it to just be a trick!"

    "I couldn''t tell you either, Xue. Spreading my senses down here, yet all I got is the same dreary aura of this Labyrinth."

    Lian paid no mind to his teammates'' massive doubt and kept on moving.

    If there was even the slightest bit of threatening danger, Lian would''ve never chosen to go down this path. And at their distance, it was still only this magnetic feeling.

    For a few more minutes, they trudge on this path. Suspicions and doubts were growing higher, and one of the boys wanted to end this farce already.

    However, everything changed when they turned one last corner.

    "Wh-what the? What is this?" A black hair boy in the group stuttered out.

    He and the other gazed in bewilderment at this strange gruesome scene. Filling out the path now were numerous giant dead rats, all with large bite marks taken out of them.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The manner in which these rats were killed stood out to them.

    Someone or something truly went to a picnic on these disgusting rats! But none of the Quicksilver Roc disciples had yet to encounter a different being than the rats.

    It was quite unnerving gazing upon bloodied and bitten rats. Lian, though, he suddenly felt a dramatic shift in feeling. Peering down this gruesome scene, right in the middle was what looked liked a¡­.human?

    Yet, at the same time, it held freakish characteristics. You could spot multiple blaring red veins running across its forehead.

    It didn''t have hands, but these ferocious-looking claws and its feet were grotesque, barely resembling a human foot. Furthermore, its whole body was of this tall, lanky type, and its skin had a bright red hue.

    The single most freakish thing was its tongue.

    It extended outlandishly out, far longer than what any humans or Spirit monsters can do. And with that long gross tongue, it appeared to be licking on what looked like a human corpse!

    The other disciples'' eyes had also snapped on to this strange human-like being, similarly being in disgusted shock about it.

    Though none there felt danger senses go off since this creature was only at the Extreme Order level of the Qi Formation Sea realm.

    "Ugh¡­.so that''s what got your attention so worked up? Sure it is rather¡­.odd-looking. But there''s nothing other than that thing here." The girl beside him spoke up in a dismissive tone.

    "Right, plus it seems content with feasting on rats and whatever underneath it. Let''s just get back on track already." The black hair boy also said, seeing no real reason to kill this thing.

    Unknown to the whole group; however, this human-like creature lips twitched upwards in the form of a smirk as soon as they stepped foot here.

    Besides a now disturbing aura, Lian honestly couldn''t disagree with them. But whatever that strange magnetic feeling was, he was sure it came from down here.

    Nevertheless, Lian gave up wanting to explore further and not bother their time with some gross looking weird creature. Taking one step around, he started to say, "I guess¡­.yea you-"

    "Hey! That thing is trying to rush us!"

    One of the girls interrupted Lian, snapping everyone''s attention back over to the creature. As soon as Lian took one step back, that creature''s head locked towards them and began rushing at them.

    The distance between them and the creature was at least half a mile. Yet, for an Extreme Order being, it was surprisingly quick.

    "Tch! This is what happens when you try to show mercy to lower creatures! Let''s kill it!" The black hair boy cursed out loud.

    Clearly, he and the other thought this was another Spirit Monster with the same amount of awareness as rats.

    ''Chi!''

    Casually, the Quicksilver Roc disciples even went overboard as they blasted out several beams of Profound Qi to the creature.

    Obviously, the speed of their beams shouldn''t be something someone merely at the Extreme Order level could dodge.

    This only made it more surprising when nimbly, the human-like creature had just narrowly dodged the beams and jumped on the left wall.

    Further shocking the disciples was when the creature speed massively increased, being on all fours, running on the walls!

    "Hoh? That''s a neat little ability. But shall we see how it fares against the wind?" One of the boys said as blue wind Qi gathered into his palms.

    Stepping a bit out of the way, the boy swiped his down, unleashing a frantic torrent of wind Qi at the creature! Definitely this time, no matter how agile it is, it can''t avoid razor-sharp winds.

    Alas, their common sense theories were only proven to be wronged.

    Swiftly, the human-like creatures bounced up to the ceiling, where its speed seemed to enhance even further!

    Shockingly enough, this shift in movement and increased speed allowed the creature to dodge the frantic torrent of wind Qi!

    "Tch!"

    The Quicksilver Roc disciples all collectively clicked their tongue at this creature annoying agileness. Making up their minds, the others also began sending out waves of blue wind Qi.

    But no matter how much they threw out, this creature just avoided them all! And during the disciples'' growing frustration, none of them caught the human-like creature spitting out a red fluid.

    Flying out of its mouth, the fluid reached speeds far surpassing its own body! Even if the Quicksilver Roc disciples were at their fullest alert, they all would have a slightly tricky time seeing this kind of speed.

    But now, with their full focus getting diverted on annoyance, no one noticed this red fluid flying directly on the black hair boy face and body.

    In just a second before, the Quicksilver Roc disciples were easily keeping the creatures at bay. But abruptly and out of nowhere,

    "AH-ARGHHH-GUAA!!!"

    The ear-piercing shrieks of pain coming from the black hair boy froze everyone. Hastily, everyone''s head snapped to the boy only to see a terrifying transformation.

    The black hair boy''s skin was sizzling in this blaring red color, almost looking like he was melting. For the boy, unbearable pain wracked his body as overwhelming energy crushed every inch of his being.

    Moreover, it truly did feel like he was getting burnt alive with the hottest of flame known to man! Instantly he crashed to his knees as his vocal cords were getting fried.

    Lian''s group was utterly petrified. None of them sensed any tremendous aura of power or hell; even the slightest bit of Qi leaked out from that creature.

    So how¡­.how did he end up like this?!

    This petrified lapse in judgment allowed the human-like creature all the time it needed. In only two seconds, the beast spread open its mouth, spewing out a downpour of red mist to the disciples.

    "Sh-shit, we ha-"

    One of the boys tried to talk and move until a sudden locking pain halted his body. Not only him, but others too soon couldn''t move their body! Combining with this was their vision getting clouded by a chilling red mist.

    The time it took for the creature''s mist to reach them was nearly instantaneous! And inside the fog, no one, not even Lian, could muster up any Qi to resist.

    Something directly enters their bloodstreams, making them all far weaker and vulnerable than before. However, Lian still frantically tried to struggle out.

    Gritting his teeth, he pushed past the pain to say,

    "B-Burn your-What the?!?"

    ''Chi!''

    Lian''s eyes widened when he could spot a gross bright red tongue sticking out one of the boy''s chest! In this mist, the boy couldn''t put up any sort of defense, allowing for a quick and brutal kill.

    The other disciples instantly felt hopeless despair seeing how easily one of their members was killed off. His Perfected Order body that should be naturally sturdy was nothing but tofu for the creature¡­.

    And in a crushing realization, they all knew¡­.they were next!

    ''Chi, Chi, Chi, Chi!''

    In merely a couple of seconds, the human-like creature pierced its tongue through the remaining Quicksilver Roc disciple chest. Their corpses fell into a pool of their own blood as the mist cleared up.

    Undoubtedly, with this Sect''s impressive speed, all of the disciples would have managed to easily outrun the beast. Alas, despite not thinking so, the disciples all fell prey to the human-like creature devious tricks.

    The black hair boy had already killed over, his body occasionally spasming because of that frightening red fluid.

    The creature''s mouth morphed into one that was supposed to resemble a massive grin as it finally has a big feast after putting in so much work¡­.

 Sickly Second Floor

    Ignorant to the disturbing undercurrents brewing in the Labyrinth, Darcel''s team were all fresh and ready for the second floor.

    They were currently taking the time to observe the Labyrinth''s floor after getting transported by the portal.

    And, shockingly, the trio could admit at least this Labyrinth doesn''t lack a total change in scenery. The current floor they were on was painted in a full sickly green molting color that wasn''t all too pleasing to the eyes.

    Further adding to this floor more unsightly appearance was the strange-looking plants seemingly growing from the walls. If one didn''t take the time to notice, these wall plants could be mistaken as alien designs.

    Aniela could even swear these wall plants were slightly moving!

    Yet squinting her eyes hard enough, she couldn''t exactly tell if it''s merely her vision playing tricks on her, even with her enhanced vision.

    Smiling to herself over this oddity, Aniela turned around to Darcel and Hao Cao. With hope blazing in her eyes, she told them, "Mnh, this floor looks sure is strange, but let''s take a first glimpse at our new challenges!"

    That hopeful, expectant tone in her voice was, to a degree was similarly shared by Darcel and Aniela.

    With all of their genius talent and prowess, it''s a mere waste to not find anything to expand it on.

    Forming two small smirks on their faces, Darcel and Hao Cao nodded at Aniela. Simultaneously, they all spread out their Spirit Senses, feeling out the general waters of this floor.

    Uniquely to them, the speed at which they can extend their Spirit Sense is amazingly swift. Using only seconds, the trio managed to cover a couple of miles on the floor.

    A couple of miles that didn''t really get the trio thirst for battle running. In slight disappointment, they retracted their Spirit Senses.

    Shrugging his shoulders, Darcel was the first to say,

    "I didn''t go far, yet the strongest I can sense was fifth level Nascent Core energy. To think this Labyrinth would have such a disparity in weakness compared to previous legends we''ve heard about."

    "On the flip side, though, Darcy, it won''t be a complete bore up here! Plus, this floor just means we''re getting warmer to the true excitement!" Aniela, of course, still acted bright in the face of slight disappointment.

    Mirthfully smiling to herself, Hao Cao was slowly coming accustomed to the boundless confidence of the duo. She couldn''t even say much on it, though, since their bold charm was rubbing off on her.

    Still, they can''t waste the opportunities on this floor. Giggling softly to get their attention, Hao Cao told them, "Fufu~, no matter if our odds are still overwhelming, we can''t pass up the resources on this floor. It''s quite literally related to our levels."

    Looking over to her, Darcel agreed in his mind. Though they were standing around and talking, he wondered why none of the floor monsters came at them yet.

    But then again, these floors are massively wide.

    Pushing this thought down, Darcel smirked and began tenderly stroking Aniela''s head, telling her, "Well then, for this floor, let''s have this ditzy girl use her whimsical intuition. I have to admit it''s begrudgingly useful." As Darcel talked, he recalled the multiple instances where Aniela''s intuition actually helped them.

    And immediately, Darcel''s words and actions caused an energetic start in Aniela.

    Feeling the unending warmth pour into her head by Darcel''s hand, she raised her cute little nose in the air while also gaining a lovable proud smirk.

    "Hm! No need to ask Darcy. I already predicted you would call on me for this." Watching their small interactions, Hao Cao pleasantly smiles as it was genuinely amusing.

    Although she did have a curiosity about Aniela''s intuition since it wasn''t like her abilities weren''t crazy enough.

    In just a split second, Aniela pointed her hand down a hallway where the plants on the wall were growing far more intensely. Boldly, she claimed, "Down here! There''s a door with plenty of resources for us."

    "That was¡­.instant. Lead the way then."

    Darcel spoke as he reluctantly stopped stroking Aniela''s addicting soft, lushes hair. Hao Cao also didn''t have a problem with Aniela taking the lead.

    Nodding to each other, the trio all took one causal step towards the hallway.

    And with this one step, in sync, their foot sunken into one ordinary green tile that looks no different from the rest.

    Exasperatedly, their heads snapped back to each other. None of them could believe that with just one step, they seriously activated a trap.

    Yet above them, they all heard and sensed the swirl of energy.

    ''Hua!''

    Glancing above them, the trio witness the ceiling glowed in a ghastly green color. And out from this glow came raining down numerous, vicious-looking sharp sickly green spikes of Nascent Qi!You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "Make haste and follow!" Aniela hurriedly told her teammates. Even as they could simply block the trap, she still had a bit of caution since it was a Nascent Core trap.

    A weary sentiment shared by Darcel and Hao Cao. Before the trap could reach them, the trio all poured Nascent Qi in their legs, and without warning,

    ''Swish!''

    Blasted off running with lightning-like speeds! From behind, they heard the crashing of stone as the energy spikes pierced into the ground.

    Yet none of them divided their attention as Aniela swiftly led their group.

    Though the trap didn''t stop at their initial spot. While running, the trio cleanly avoided mass clusters of sickly green energy spikes that continually poured down on them.

    Yet during their run to not get skewer, none of three spotted several changes happening on the walls.

    The seemingly moving plants on their all began to shimmer a bright green glow down this hallway.

    Rays of green glow refracted in the trio''s vision.

    At the last second, they all finally took notice of the dazzling green glow walls. However, it was all a second late as,

    ''Hua, Hua, Hua!''

    Several plant beings in the shape of humans sprang off the walls in an ambush! From a few meters in front and on both their left and right sides did they get surrounded.

    When appearing, the plant monsters immediately thrust their hands out and blasted out numerous vines at the trio.

    At such close range quarters, the plant monster vines would need a single second to wrap them up!

    For any other group with sixth level Nascent Core leader, this entrapment would''ve been dangerous. The aura of these plant monsters mainly rivaled the level of fourth and fifth Nascent Core prowess!

    Yet the trio remained steadily calm. Hao Cao showed off instantaneous reaction speed, already forming purple lightning around her hands.

    ''Pa!''

    Like an electric pop, Hao Cao clapped her hands together, causing purple electricity sparks to fly around them.

    Before any of the vines could reach them, a dazzling purple lightning barrier securely wrapped the trio up. In the barrier, the trio''s momentum didn''t slow down at all.

    Effortlessly, Hao Cao''s lightning barrier shredded any vines that got close to them. And the plant monsters that appeared in front also got sliced to bits by the overwhelming lightning barrier.

    Seeing her prowess more clearly now, Darcel and Aniela could definitely conclude Hao Cao has some exceptional understanding of the lightning element.

    No other average sixth level Nascent Core cultivator could instantly wipe off numerous fourth and fifth level ones simultaneously.

    Running like no tomorrow, this plant chase went for a few exhilarating minutes.

    Until finally, Aniela pointed at a specific spot on the plant infested wall. In front of this wall were even more plant monsters looking slightly taller than ones from before.

    Their aura was similarly sharper than the previous plant monsters. All of their auras evened out a strong fifth level Nascent Core Prowess.

    A freighting fiery black glow ignited at the tip of Aniela''s finger. Mobilizing her Nascent Qi, the air burned to intense degrees!

    ''Sssch!!''

    Torrents of an overwhelming black flamethrower spewed out Aniela''s finger and straight towards the blocked door.

    It came as no surprise to the trio when Aniela''s black fire melted away the plant''s monster and blasted a massive hole through the covered wall.

    Rushing into the room, the ceiling trap from earlier had finally stopped chasing them. Yet, before the trio could breathe a sigh of relief at that, they all felt their bodies get tightly squeezed!

    Their eyes shot towards the center of the room, where they sensed the most potent aura yet since coming to this Labyrinth. What held this aura was an exotic looking plant monster.

    It reminded the trio of the venus fly trap plant, only this one was enormous! The skin was still in that same putrid green color of this Labyrinth floor, spewing out repulsive vibes.

    And at the top of this monster was its giant ferocious-looking mouth, spouting menacingly sharp green teeth. From its mouth as well dripped disgusting sickly green fluids that melted into the floor.

    Inside the barrier, the trio was taken in for a slight shock.

    The vines covering them were extraordinary! Not only did it somehow manage to drill through Hao Cao''s lightning barrier, but it also seemed like this monster had an endless stem of vines.

    Moreover, the dog pile of vines seemed to have this suppression property on their Qi''s. Hao Cao shredded the vines off with her purple lightning, but it was less potent than before.

    Plus, every time she shredded a vine, multiple ones wrapped around her in place. Darcel and Aniela didn''t act yet since an effect that could slightly suppress Qi was a bit interesting.

    That is until the trio felt their bodies get violently tugged on.

    Slowly but surely, this plant monster was trying to pull them into its agape revolting fluid mouth. Alas for the beast, Darcel decided to end things.

    A shimmering black glow sparked from Darcel''s bloodline arm. Mighty power spewed out in frantic waves from Darcel. Hao Cao and Aniela saw their world darken as a Darkness barrier had covered them up.

    The vines on them suddenly couldn''t move anymore. Using his same bloodline arm, Darcel pointed to the venus flytrap monster. Tremendous Nascent Qi swirled there, causing the room to reach burning degrees.

    Instantly forming at the tip of Darcel''s finger was a long glowing line of ferocious black flames. Unwaveringly, Darcel simply said,

    "Fiery Slice."

    ''BOOOOM!!''

    Darcel''s martial skill blasted straight from his hand and into the venus fly trap monster mouth, causing utter destruction!

    Raging black flames exploded everywhere in the room.

    In a dominating fashion, the venus flytrap monster was burnt to ashes along with its unending supply of vines. Though in precise control, Darcel made it, so his fire didn''t melt everything in the room.

    Snapping his hand, Darcel made the Darkness barrier vanish. And what greeted the trio was a hefty sum of resources right where that venus flytrap monster used to be.

    They spotted a vast sum of red energy crystals and numerous red beast cores of the Nascent Core realm. The trio''s eyes lit up like stars as Hao Cao also snapped away her lightning barrier.

    "See? See?! I told you this level, even with it still being weak, would undoubtedly be a bit more exciting!" Aniela passionately said as everything that just transpired was a wild rush of experience.

    "Tricks really can come in any sort of sizes or levels," Darcel remarked while recalling that unique suppression feeling of the venus flytrap monster.

    Taking the lead and walking up to the crystals, Hao Cao sweetly smiled at the duo, telling them,

    "And I''m sure we''ll have a lot more tricks and excitement coming our way. For now, shall we collect our hefty sum of rewards~?"

 Haunting Encounter

    Traversing the Labyrinth''s second floor in a similar cruising manner as Darcel''s group was the handsome brother of Hao Cao, Hao Bao. His group is now just coming down from the high of battle.

    All around them laid bits and pieces of destroyed plant monsters.  Even as the vicious plant monsters matched the fifth level of Nascent Core, their sinister ambushes were no match to overwhelming power.

    And Hao Bao''s group, in terms of levels, was far superior to Darcel''s team. Hao Bao himself was at the seventh level of Nascent Core, the peak of the realm!

    His other teammates, consisting of three good-looking boys and two charmingly cute girls, also ranged from the sixth level of Nascent Core to the seventh level of Nascent Core.

    Clearly, nothing on the second floor could ever hope to come close to matching their combined prowess.

    Hao Bao held a perplexed gaze in his eyes, however.

    While they were collecting a hefty sum of resources, he can''t help but think back to his sister group, more specifically Darcel and Aniela. With their prowess, they surely would''ve directly jumped into the second floor.

    But the question was, just how fast was she progressing with those monstrous freakish duos?

    His group all have to concentrate on even the smallest of details given by their Spirit Sense.

    While Hao Cao had that cheat like sixth sense to sniff out treasures. And there''s no telling that Darcel and Aniela didn''t have something up their sleeves to also achieve the same effect.

    While Hao Bao was musing, the gorgeous girl next to him seemed to have picked up on his thoughts. Her black hair gracefully twirled in the air as she turned to look at his face, giving him a cute teasing smile.

    "Back to thinking about how your sister might be far, and I mean far ahead of us because of the famous duo? I say, Hao Cao, are you perhaps feeling¡­.envious of your little sis?"

    Hao Bao merely furrowed his eyebrows at his teammate teasing.

    Frankly, at this point, he was beginning to think he had some sort of magnetic curse of most girls he talked to being playfully teasing.

    Turning to the girl, he gave her adorable face the blankest of expression while telling her, "Not even in a hundred years would I feel envy for her. Haaah, but perhaps it is so that their group is far ahead of us."

    While Hao Bao''s team were casually talking, none of them were utterly relaxed. Their Spirit Senses still covered a wide range around them for any sneaky ambushes.

    However, throughout this whole time, none of them picked up on anything.

    That is until Hao Bao finished his sentence. He was the only one to abruptly stop moving altogether.

    Nothing in his Spirit Senses screamed for danger, and yet¡­.a sinking feeling instinctively swirled in the pits of his gut.

    He didn''t know why, but he felt his blood run cold, his hand slightly shaking, and a cold sweat began to form on his face.

    Hao Bao''s change in demeanor was so sudden and swift that his other teammates didn''t catch on to it. Only the girl right beside him put on a concerned face seeing him go so still.

    But, before she could question him, Hao Bao swiftly jerked his head up.

    Above¡­.he was nearly sure something was happening above them! Without warning, Hao Bao ignited his hand in purple lightning and violently slapped them together!

    ''Sssch!!''

    Instead of the sounds of lightning or Hao Bao''s hands being the loudest, rather, it was the chilling sound of something sizzling.

    Hao Bao''s teammates were all thrown into a sudden frantic loop as the purple lightning barrier erected around them.

    "Hey! Wh-What the hel-"

    "Just look up!"

    Hao Bao ordered out before anyone else could question him. His eyes were already glued on staring at one grotesque, strange sight that''ll never leave his mind for days to come.

    Under his orders, everyone else snapped their eyes to the ceilings, only to become bewildered. What made this powerful Nascent Core group froze was the terrifying human-like creature from the first floor!

    But compared to the first floor, its appearance was far more vicious now.

    Spats of fresh and dried blood stained its whole body, yet the blood had also managed to creepily blend into its ghastly red hue skin.

    That hideous long tongue swirled out of its mouth in what looked like an apparent gleeful motion. To what was supposed to be its lips that too twitched upwards in savage excitement!

    Combined with this creature''s gross appearance, what added to its terrifying shock was the fact it managed to sneak up on all of them!

    And everyone there sensed this creature was only at the fourth level of Nascent Core?!The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    For a single heart-stopping second, Hao Bao''s group didn''t move at all. And simultaneously, the human-like creature also didn''t move. Still, its eyes were focused on a specific spot of Hao Bao''s lightning barrier.

    However, this shocking standoff didn''t last long at all. The girl right next to Hao Bao jumped from her startle state and yelled to her other teammates, saying,

    "Just kill it!!"

    ''Whir!!''

    Like a dam unleashed, everyone awoke from their stupor and spewed out tremendous Nascent Qi! Upon their palms, Hao Bao''s group poured most of their Nascent Qi into this attack.

    Right before Hao Bao''s group unleashed their attacks, the human-like creature''s eyes brightly lit up. It''s freakishly long tongue retracted into its mouth as its eyes never left that specific spot of the purple lightning barrier.

    ''BOOOM!!''

    Storms of powerful Nascent Qi exploded throughout the whole area!

    Staring at the same spot, Hao Bao''s group were all confident that their attack killed it.

    After all, even if that monster had some sort of concealing ability. It was impossible to have speed superior to them, only being at the fourth level of the Nascent Core realm.

    Alas, it was only a costly shame that none of them spotted the creature moving at lightning-like speeds at the very last second.

    Making at a blind spot of the group, the creature spat out a batch of disgusting red fluids.

    The creature''s spit flew at blazing speed and sailed straight at the specific spot on the purple lightning barrier.

    Even now, none in the group had the time to notice a small spot in the purple lightning barrier being darker than the rest.

    And it was their second fatal flaw. As Hao Bao''s group all were expanding their Spirit Senses for any other creatures, they abruptly heard once again a fearsome sizzling sound.

    Only this time, the fearsome sizzling was accompanied by,

    "AHH-KEAHHH!!!"

    The blood-curdling shrieks of immense pain of the other girl on their team! Everyone''s eyes snapped to the girl to get shocked by a gruesome sight.

    The skin on her face was quite literally bursting off in a bloody fashion!

    And for the skin that wasn''t getting burst off, a bright blaring red hue formed over her. Pain, excruciating, torturous pain that would destroy one mind overloaded the girl''s senses.

    Under the threat of imminent death, no one remained idle. Hao Bao''s group attempted to massively raise their Nascent Qi in order to fight, but a red shine burned into their vision.

    "Sh-shit! Why is Lin so-"

    ''Chi!''

    Before one of the boys could finish his sentence, a sinister red mist spewed out from the bloodied girl! This strange red mist exuded right out where her skin shined the brightest of bloody red.

    Immediately, everyone but Hao Bao suddenly couldn''t move any more!

    Their massive waves of Nascent Qi completely halted as immense horrifying pain coarse throughout their bodies.

    Inside their bloodstreams, the terrifying red mist quickly entered. None of them could even put up the slightest bit of resistance as their prowess was speedily and heavily weakened.

    "Augh!!!"

    Hao Bao could only helplessly watch as his teammates puke up fresh blood.

    He was able to just barely resist allowing for small use of his Nascent Qi. But it couldn''t change the fact it was nearly impossible to move.

    Because of Hao Bao now lack of Qi, the purple lightning barrier dropped, much to the group''s dismay. Though this was to the glee of the human-like creature.

    Its tongue eerily danced around its mouth as it just scored another big feast. Although for some reason, a bright purple flash emitted from the strongest looking boy there.

    The creature was confused and surprised as Hao Bao brought out a dark purple talisman and struggled to lift his hand. Seeing as Hao Bao was a rare exception to his poisonous mist, the creature sailed its tongue to him!

    "Cao'' er¡­."

    Nearly fainting and in the face of imminent death, Hao Bao forcefully tore through the pain and crushed the talisman! Before the tongue reached him, magical dark purple energy covered the whole group.

    Sensing the violent shift of energy, the creature swiftly changed targets. Red acid-like fluids now coated its tongue as it directed its tongue to go for the girl spasming on the ground.

    Its tongue wouldn''t reach the talisman in time at its distance, plus the girl was also the closest to the creature. In only a split second, the creature tongue managed to wrap around the twitching girl as,

    ''Chi!''

    A blinding purple flash lit up the area!

    As the flash died down, all that was left was the human-like creature and one juicy body in its tongue. And while its feast wasn''t as big as it expected, this girl would do for now.

    Besides, the creature lips twitched upwards as it sensed the juiciest of prey just running distance from him¡­.

    ¡­.

    "Ahh?!?"

    The confused and slight panic screams of Hao Cao got Darcel and Aniela to abruptly stop. They were smoothly traversing the second floor, killing any plant monster, and finding valuable rooms of resources.

    Nothing so far even made the three bat an eye to danger.

    So when Hao Cao suddenly raised a spine-tingling scream, the duo spiked up for any threats. Though, oddly enough, they still didn''t sense anything to be wary about.

    It was a totally different story for Hao Cao, however. Her special sixth sense powers frantically sent off alarm bells in her mind.

    A dark foreboding feeling sank in her gut as she felt her brother was in massive danger.

    And this perilous danger¡­.it was coming directly at them!

    "We need to get to a portal now! It''s far too dangerous to stay here!" Gone was Hao Cao''s usual playful tone. Now there was only a deep edge of severeness in her voice.

    This dramatic, profound change in Hao Cao also got Darcel and Aniela to become entirely focused. Nodding at her, Darcel said, "We''re ready whenever you are."

    Swiftly, Hao Cao called upon her soul and pour power into her eyes.

    Whenever doing this, she could always find whatever she wanted with extreme ease. However, now was the only time her sixth sense was all confuddled and disorder.

    That daunting death feeling disrupted the whole balance of her mind. Gritting her teeth, Hao Cao instead poured tremendous Nascent Qi into her hands, igniting them in ferocious purple lightning.

    Without a second thought, she slapped her hands together!

    ''Ssschh!!''

    Hao Cao clenched her teeth as the sounds of something sizzling slithered into her ears as she erected her purple lightning barrier.

    Darcel and Aniela spiked up for battle as a deadly sizzling noise entered their ears. Try as he might, in his current state, Darcel couldn''t sense what tried to attack.

    And Aniela only had an inkling feeling of perilous danger because of her intuition.

    It was then, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all froze in their steps. From a mile ahead of them, the trio spotted a haunting figure that immediately imprinted itself into their minds.

 Perfected Art of Killing

    Darcel and Aniela may not have lived a long life, but the disturbances they''ve been through far surpasses any other youths their age.

    But this¡­.creature?

    Whatever this thing was had to be one of the top five most grotesque beings they ever encounter!

    Parts of its long horrid red tongue slithered out of its mouth like a poisonous snake. Fresh, bright red blood stained its whole body, making it eerily stand out amongst this floor''s sickly green.

    Red beating booming eyes gazed at them with genuine chilling excitement. The human-like creature''s terrifying lips was twitching in a savage smile. Everything about this creature screams of terror.

    And compared to the more experienced Darcel and Aniela, Hao Cao was far out of her element dealing with this. Like all other youths that encounter this thing, she nearly froze up in disgust bewilderment.

    Though, beyond its horrid appearance, there was another massive reason why this creature immediately became so ominous.

    Striking the trio in the pits of their stomachs was an immense deadly dreadful feeling of imminent death.

    Hao Cao was already on edge after having her purple lightning barrier burn from whatever hit her. But for Darcel and Aniela¡­.they felt like this creature''s presence was¡­.familiar?

    Instantly they recalled back to just before going inside the Labyrinth.

    Only, whatever they felt back then, it caused a different kind of hair rising dread. Darcel and Aniela didn''t know what to call it, but the creature in front of them now had a different yet similar chilling vibe.

    And among all of this, the three also sense the single most terrifying thing about the creature. Its aura was actually at the sixth level of the Nascent Core Realm!

    Hao Cao even felt the slightest bit suppressed by the creature aura.

    While Darcel and Aniela had then made a split-second decision. Before the creature took a single step, tremendous storms of power spewed out in the area!

    ''Whir!!''

    Accompanying the massive waves of power was the magical sight of black and white exuding from Darcel and Aniela.

    Their arms glowed with extraordinary bloodline power sparing no inhibitions about going all out at the start.

    Whatever this creature was, it forced their instincts to scream at them to kill it as quickly as possible. But there was one worrisome thing about going all out that caused slight worry in the duo.

    For every fight that they used their bloodline powers, at least somewhat, whoever took the full brunt of their aura would have their minds and will stir.

    Yet this thing¡­.its eyes only lit up in a sick passion about their powers!

    "Don''t hold back, Aniela!" Darcel shouted to her while also speedily igniting his spatial ring. He brought out his purple rapier and immediately sparked in a black fire blaze in a split second!

    "Right! Do it now!!" Aniela similarly shouted back while also hurriedly igniting her spatial ring at the same time.

    Using the same split second, she whipped out her purple rapier and ignited it in a whitish black fire blaze!

    Hao Cao couldn''t even react to the near-instantaneous speed of the duo. Moments after she blocked the creature attack, she suddenly felt tremendous power, and the temperature significantly rose!

    ''Chi!''

    With speed and power surpassing anything Hao Cao could do, Darcel and Aniela unleashed their powerful black flaming attacks! Darcel blasted a giant black flaming claw that tore through sickly green walls.

    Aniela, on the other hand, shot out several large whitish black flaming whips. Each whip sailed with speeds slightly faster than Darcel though they had lightly less potency in prowess.

    Despite being separated by a mile, Darcel and Aniela attack near the creature in mere seconds!

    For any other sixth level or hell even a sixth level Nascent Core cultivator, this attack would be near impossible to dodge.

    But, in the face of such overwhelming speeds, the human-like creature only grew more excited. The creature quickly got all fours and sprang to the nearest wall before the raging black fire attacks reached it.

    Nimbly, the creature skirted right by the duo''s black flaming attacks, clinging on to the left sickly green wall like a roach.

    The black fire claw and multiple whitish black fires whip blitz straight passed the creature with no stopping intentions.

    "It dodged it?!" Aniela exclaimed in disbelief.

    She, Darcel, and Hao Cao were all in slight shock at the creature''s extreme speed. They guessed it wouldn''t be so easy to kill this thing, but this kind of speed was unprecedented.

    Taking hold of herself, Hao Cao''s eyes quickly snapped to the wall the human-like creature was on. Swiftly she sprang to the wall with bright raging purple lightning swirling in her hand as she said,

    "Dodge this then!"

    Hao Cao slammed her hand into the wall while the creature was starting to charge at them. The sheer force of Hao Cao caused her hand to sink into the green wall as,

    ''Zzzt!''

    A massively wide field of purple lightning covered the giant wall from after Hao Cao''s hand! The human-like creature only moved a few steps before its eyes came to face with endless purple lightning.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Being a special attack of her, the lightning reached speeds nearly comparable to Darcel and Aniela attacks. A few seconds were only needed for the lightning to near the creature, but it took notice of Hao Cao''s stance.

    Her hand is sunken deep into the wall while her body rooted herself into the floor. The creature grossly swirled its tongue in small joy once guessing why its prey stood oddly like this.

    With immense speeds once again, the creature sprang up to the ceiling now, avoiding the massively wide purple lightning field. Simultaneously while jumping, the creature spat out rancid red fluids to Hao Cao.

    Darcel''s eyes snapped to the rapidly approaching horrid fluids. Without thinking, he poured immense power into his legs and practically flashed over to Hao Cao''s side.

    Whatever this acid was shot off incomparable dangerous flags in Darcel''s mind. Hell, he could barely see the gross red fluids at first and was sure without his bloodline state, he wouldn''t spot it all.

    Even more shocking was right when Darcel got next to Hao Cao.

    The rancid red fluid was only a couple of centimeters from the purple lightning barrier! Focusing on moving, Darcel grabbed the surprised Hao Cao''s waist and jumped away.

    ''Sssch!!''

    While dodging, they both heard a spine-chilling sizzling noise.

    Looking at just where Hao Cao stood, their eyes widened. The horrid red fluids had now broken through the purple lightning barrier and precisely landed where Hao Cao stood.

    Darcel didn''t even register the heavenly soft feeling of holding Hao Cao''s body close or her enchanting fragrance. If he was just a second slower, then they both would''ve been horrifically burnt!

    However, it wasn''t over yet as Darcel''s death senses frantically went off again.

    Hurriedly, he jerked his head up only to see that creature just a few meters away from them on the ceiling, and that same putrid red fluid sailing straight at him!

    At the speeds he was going, Darcel could barely control his midair mobility. Basically, he had no other options but to forcefully block this dangerous attack.

    Yet, before attempting to do so, a warm sensation wrapped around his waist. Quickly but gently did his body get tugged along with Hao Cao. Just barely did the two dodges another bask of red fluid.

    ''Sssch!!''

    Another chilling sizzling noise entered their ears as they knew that putrid red fluid tore through the purple lightning barrier. Safely, Darcel and Hao landed on their feet next to Aniela as she dropped her black flaming whip.

    Darcel and Aniela only took one look over to each other but had silently communicated a couple of things. One that acid shouldn''t be touched at any cost, and two, this thing is too damn fast!

    Somehow, it can even match their bloodline state speeds!

    This fight only just started, yet the odds already weren''t in the trio favor. Before the trio could even think about their next move, however, they were soon in for another horrifying surprise.

    Something in Darcel and Aniela''s blood crazily stirs, forcing the two to snap their heads back up to the creature. Their eyes narrowed in crisis as hair-raising red mist spewed down to them.

    And much like everything this creature does, the mist speed was nearly instantaneous! The mist was only a meter apart from surrounded them.

    This mist¡­.it almost reminded Darcel and Aniela of one previous purple haze they faced in the past. Only this mist was causing their bloodlines to go off before it even got to them.

    Every instinct in their bloodlines was signaling to them to not even get close to this particular red mist.

    Although Darcel and Aniela had no plans in wanting to risk getting affected by another mysterious mist in the first place.

    Matching the creature''s speed, Darcel''s bloodline arm brightly shimmered with abyss pitch-black Darkness. Aniela''s glowed with a luminous, radiant white light that perfectly mixed with the Darkness.

    ''Chi!''

    A brilliant dual black and white light flashed!

    Around the trio, a black and white barrier formed as Darcel and Aniela held their rapiers out to the red mist. For the first time in this battle, they finally felt like they got somewhere.

    The all-encompassing red mist had seeped through the broken spots of the purple lighting barrier.

    Yet, it suddenly stopped before even reaching the trio. Quirking its eyebrows, the human-like creature was a bit surprised for its first time. Bits of white light sparked through its red mist, and patches of Darkness seemed to be neutralizing its mist all together.

    With Aniela''s light holding the whole red mist at bay and Darcel''s Darkness neutralizing it, the duo thought they took a slight advantage.

    However, a bright red glare that shined into their eyes spoke a different story. Straight through the mist and into the purple lightning barrier, did the trio see the creature''s sharp red hue claws come right at them!

    At this point, Darcel and Aniela couldn''t dodge and poured all of their Qi into their barriers. They head on met the first full-power strike of this grotesque creature!

    ''BANG!''

    The exchange of three immense Nascent powers widely stormed in the air and blasted away the red mist. Darcel and Aniela felt their feet sink into the ground but the two still managed to swiftly react.

    Immediately Darcel used his other arm and took Hao Cao by the waist while also emitting immense power into his legs once again. Simultaneously, Aniela flowed all of her energy into her legs as well.

    ''Hua!''

    Darcel and Aniela managed to swiftly jump back while avoiding the creatures blaring red hue claws.

    The creature had broken through the dual mix barrier through its full power force and pierced its claw into the green, sickly floor.

    And while the duo did manage to dodge, Darcel and Aniela''s faces were filled with dread. Even as they used their rapiers for the barrier. Their hands still had this unbearable burning sensation raging around in it.

    Moreover, whatever power this creature slipped into them even forced their bloodline to swirl and obstruct this poisonous energy.

    This ghastly energy caused their stomachs to agitate slightly, causing the two to feel nauseated and a little bit weakened.

    Though only being a bit weakened was a colossal achievement, neither knew about. Any other Nascent Core youth that would directly clash with the creature wouldn''t be able to move their bodies at all!

    It had then dawned on Darcel and Aniela like whiplash.

    This creature had perfected the art of killing. They could tell from this short exchange that if they can''t strongly resist its poisonous energy, it''s all but impossible to beat this creature.

    The mere fact that its red hue claw already caused damage to their hands without even direct contact spoke volumes to the duo. Plus, this thing red fluids and claws also tore through Hao Cao''s barrier like it was paper.

    Adding to their decision was also the fact that this horrid thing could make even their mighty bloodline swirl on its own.

    Darcel and Aniela, while in midair, quickly shared a look at each other.

    Instead of taking this tremendous risk of trying to beat this incomparable dangerous foe, it was time for the second-best option. Darcel and Aniela guessed they''ll most likely gain nothing for even killing it, so when their feets touched the ground,

    ''Swish!''

    The two blasted off with instantaneous speeds! The human-like creature was just taking its claws from the ground as the duo reached the escaping conclusion.

    "Stop when I say so!" Hao Cao shouted from Darcel''s arms showing no resistance from his touch.

    "Kehh!!"

    From behind, the trio all smelt their air turn foul and spreading out their Spirit Senses nearly caused them to throw up from a putrid aura.

    Taking only a single glance behind them, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all felt their chest tighten.

    Madly rushing them down was the feral creature, and surrounding it was a wide area of the terrifying red mist. The red mist seemed far more potent, turning the sickly green floor into a nightmarish red hell.

 Skirting Along The Edge

    Disregarding the horrifying imagery behind them, the suffocating tightening feeling in their chests, Darcel and Aniela focused squarely on escaping.

    Their faces were severe and small beads of cold sweat dribbled down.

    Yet¡­.yet their lips couldn''t stop twitching upwards. Slowly on, Darcel and Aniela''s face a feral elevated smile etched upon them.

    Fleeing for their lives, skirting on the edge of surviving was igniting something hot inside them.

    This perilous situation wasn''t anything like any frightening experience they''ve been in before. Every single time, Darcel and Aniela were backed by a firm confidence in their unique, overwhelming powers.

    To the Parasol Organization, the wrathful clan, the Giel''s brother, no matter what they were up against, they knew they would win. But for this¡­.creature, this thing truly inspires a sense of crushing crisis in them.

    The crisis of near brutalizing death hanging right near their necks.

    Darcel and Aniela both knew that it''s incredibly hard for even average cultivators to maintain calmness or hell to even feel any excitement in front of impending doom.

    But as their legs sprinted across the sickly green floor, Darcel and Aniela could taste the adrenaline pumping in their veins. This is what they truly mean by a life or death situation!

    Still, while madly dashing, Darcel took a brief second to trail his eyes down.

    Even in such a perilous event, it was practically impossible to ignore the tender, soft body clinging on to him. Though to Darcel''s surprise, Hao Cao was managing reasonably well.

    Her gorgeous face was morphed into a full focused one making her all the more dazzling. Glittering sparks of purple electricity sizzled out of her eyes, putting all of her power into searching.

    Compared to the passionately enthusiastic duo, Hao Cao had a more normal reaction to a life or death situation.

    Her obvious main goal was focused on them all surviving and, hopefully, never encountering that disgusting creature again!

    At Darcel and Aniela''s speed, they at least managed to stay several meters ahead of the creature. The only problem was, they couldn''t truly outrun it no matter how hard they try.

    Crawling like a madman on the ceilings, the creature''s luminous glaring red eyes never went off the trio for even a single second.

    It honestly couldn''t believe its prey could run so annoyingly fast!

    For a few thrilling minutes, the chase between creature and humans carried on. All plant monsters and whatever traps that attempted to spring upon them were utterly crushed and destroyed in their mad dash.

    Just when Darcel and Aniela wondered if this thing knows anything about stamina, Hao Cao''s eyes sparked in a bright purple lightning flash!

    Her hand ignited and swirled in raging purple lightning as she told the duo,

    "....Ok¡­.now¡­.STOP!!"

    The sweet natural voice of Hao Cao carried an awe-inspiring commanding presence now. On a dime did Darcel and Aniela stopped near a seemingly ordinary looking sickly green wall.

    But immediately when they stopped, Hao Cao didn''t lag behind for even a split second. Tremendous Nascent Qi spewed out of her as she thrust her beaming purple lightning hand to a specific spot on the wall.

    ''BANG!!''

    Powerful purple lightning blasted from Hao Cao''s hand and demolished the sickly green wall!

    A big opening was made as the stones were destroyed to tiny pieces, revealing a massively spacious room on the other side of this wall.

    Peering inside the room, the trio only saw one non-menacing monster there. It was a vast, admittedly horrifying looking monster spouting a rotten molding tree''s appearance in a pale green color.

    Horrid sickly green tree branches spread out through the entire room, and at the trunk of the tree, there lay a large putrid gaping green hole filled with disgusting green fluids.

    This mangled scene would''ve sure at least halt people or turn heads. But Darcel''s team didn''t even register this monster. Mainly due to the fact the aura of this tree monster was merely at the fifth level of Nascent Core.

    Though it being a fifth level Nascent Core monster in an expansive room, undoubtedly would mean fabulous rewards for killing it.

    Unfortunately, it was a shame the trio had zero time for bountiful resources.

    Springing into the room as soon as the entrance was destroyed, Darcel briefly sensed how close was that revolting creature. A smirk etched on his face once sensing they were about two meters ahead now.

    While smirking, Darcel didn''t get lax at all. Numerous sickly green tree branches blasted at his group in an attempt to wrap them up.

    The branches split the air apart, reaching lightning speeds, but it didn''t cause any panic in the trio.

    Stopping for only a second, Darcel''s bloodline arm intensely glowed in suffocating Darkness, painting the whole room in a night abyss. And matching Darcel''s Darkness was blinding pure white light coming from Aniela''s bloodline arm.

    Her white light shimmered with magnetic intensity, beautifully mixing in with the Darkness. Furthermore, her white light caused all of the blitzing tree branches to halt right before reaching them.

    Before the tree monster could even muster up a semblance of thought,  in a split second, the temperature raised to blazing degrees! And in the exact split second, two powerful voices boomed around the room.

    "Fiery Slice!!"

    ''Sssch!!''

    Immensely powerful black flames blasted out of the tip of Darcel and Aniela''s rapier, utterly destroying the green tree monster to near-instantaneous ashes.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Amid the raging black fiery downpour, Hao Cao''s eyes brilliantly lit up in intense streaks of purple lightning.

    Through the blinding ashes and fire, Hao Cao spotted precisely what they needed.

    Pointed her hand to a spot where even Darcel and Aniela looked over, she said, "There! Jump there!!" Abruptly, while directing the duo, Hao Cao hurriedly ignited her purple spatial ring and fished out their barrier talisman.

    All in one motion, she activated the talisman, spawning the mystical dark purple barrier over them.

    Darcel and Aniela didn''t question her action, and as Darcel tightened his hold on Hao Cao, they all heard a spine-chilling grunt.

    "Keh!!"

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all felt the small hair on their neck rise.

    Instantly when hearing the voice, Darcel and Aniela frantically pour massive waves of Nascent Qi into their legs and swiftly jump to where Hao Cao pointed.

    Only, while jumping, neither of three would have predicted a bright red horrifying tongue sailing to them, nearly matching their speed!

    The trio only felt the previous nauseating feeling get worse as then,

    ''BANG!!''

    Violently and savagely did the creature''s beating red tongue fiercely struck the trio''s barrier! Immediately it caused the barrier to have numerous long-running cracks, almost breaking on impact.

    Inside the barrier, the trio felt an immense force strike their back as that creature attack bypass any standard rule of a barrier.

    But right when the creature struck them, there was a silver lining.

    Due to the sheer force and not being able to completely shatter the barrier, the creature ended up sending Darce''s group flying straight towards the portal at blitzing speeds!

    The trio only had a brief moment to glance at a dark, sickly green looking portal before getting sucked right into it.

    Seeing this from behind, the creature leaked out a grunt of annoyance and instantly gave chase to them.

    No matter what, that trio of juicy prey won''t escape from its gruesome claw hands!

    ¡­.

    A deep, dark, sickly green brilliance flashed on the same matching color dark, pale green floor. Out from the blinding flash spewed three charming looking youths.

    At high speeds, the trio crashed into the floor, skidding along on it for a few feet. Snapping his eyes open, Darcel felt uncomfortable sore pain coarse through his body.

    It wasn''t to the point of being unbearable, but it certainly wasn''t pleasant to have. Putting his hand on the ground to lift himself up, Darcel tasted an oddly sweet liquid in his mouth in the middle of this process.

    "Ack! I''m really am odd¡­." Darcel coughed out unique dark red blood and quietly mirth to himself while shaking his head.

    Frankly, he had to give it to himself; his own deep dark red blood tasted like addicting candy. Though he prefers to not have the taste of his own blood in his mouth at all.

    "Ack!! Wow! That''s an oddly pleasant surprise¡­." Right beside him, Darcel also heard Aniela shock about her blood. He assumed her blood tasted just as impressive as his, and he was right to think so.

    Aniela had an inquisitive smile on tasting the after taste of her blood. It was this sweet peach-like taste that could smoothly melt in your mouth like warm butter. Plus, her blood was also a very light red in color.

    Glancing over to the duo, Hao Cao merely shook her head while spouting a mirthful smile.

    She didn''t know what they were talking about, but she assumed it was just another specialty about them judging by their unique looking blood.

    Standing on their feet, the pain the trio felt was noticeable but wouldn''t impact their movement or future prowess. After all, they wouldn''t be fit to be called cultivators if they can''t stand mild pain.

    Taking a moment, Darcel''s group observed the new floor they crashed onto. Immediately they noticed it was a bit similar in terms of colors to the previous floor.

    Now instead of sickly regular green, everything was a pale dark green color. Though a critical difference on this floor was the lack of strange moving plants growing on the walls.

    Aniela breathed a small sigh of relief and still managed to shine with exuberant energy while saying, "Huuu¡­.so not only we have to deal with this Labyrinth crazed monster and traps. We also have a dangerous unknown variable to deal with now!"

    "Hmm¡­.well, currently, we''re gonna have to deal with a couple of known dangerous variables right about now," Darcel remarked once spreading out his Spirit Sense on this floor.

    Suddenly before any one of the three could make a move, their immediate danger senses crazily went off.

    The brushing of fierce wind passed on their necks as two monsters were attacking at immense speeds from behind.

    Keeping their cool and remaining steady, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all at the last second ducked the swiping of sharp, feral claws!

    ''Hua!''

    Whatever passed by them indeed had a uniqueness in speed as the air was torn apart through their sheer momentum. Furthermore, the trio sensed two potent, refined aura at the sixth level of Nascent Core!

    Snapping their heads up, Darcel''s group had hoped to see whatever that attacked them. Only they were doomed to be disappointed as their gazes met empty spaces.

    Swiftly standing back up, Darcel and Aniela felt the slight shift in the air from right in front of them.

    Hao Cao still relied on her Spirit Sense for these monsters'' extreme speed. Yet, clearly, these beings are even quicker than her senses.

    Once again, just at the last second before the monster struck them, Darcel and Aniela narrowly counter attacked.

    A soul-stealing shimmering black glow spewed out of Darcel in extraordinary power. And mixing with it was a blinding radiant white light that exuded out of Aniela in an elegant presence.

    Unleashing their bloodline arms now did cause some fatigue in the duo. However, it wasn''t to the point where it would dramatically affect their overall prowess.

    Immediately as well, when activating their bloodline, Darcel and Aniela''s hand ignited in raging black flames.

    Matching the immense speeds of the monsters Darcel and Aniela struck out their palms!

    ''Bang!!''

    A tremendous collision of powerful Nascent energy swirled in the air. Hao Cao had to root herself in the ground just to not get thrown off by this fierce clash of Nascent power.

    Peering over to what the duo struck, her eyes widened a bit.

    In Darcel and Aniela''s black flaming hands were the enormous claws of dark green color wolves!

    These wolves easily topple over six feet long, had savage features, and frightening spiked up fur. Feral foam dribbled from their mouths as the two wolves bared their incredibly long, sharp teeth.

    Staying rooted in their spots, Darcel and Aniela attempted to latch on the wolves'' claws and break them in touch.

    But when trying to apply more pressure, the wolves managed to dash backward out of their grasps with their insane speeds.

    Promptly while dashing backward, the wolves gathered a small bit of air into their foam mouths, causing a tremendous swirl of Nascent Qi in the space.

    Before Darcel and Aniela could react, the wolves'' bright green eyes locked on to them as their stomachs tightened.

    "HUOOOO!!"

    Both wolves unleashed a tremendous powerful howl fill to the brim with immense Nascent Qi!

    Not expecting it all, the trio had their ears blasted by the wolves mighty howls, and their bodies were flung backward through the sheer power of the wolves howls.

    Sailing in midair, Hao Cao''s eyes sparked with bright purple lightning. Hurriedly she ignited her hands in raging purple lightning and smacked them together, creating her signature purple lightning barrier.

    The purple lightning barrier disrupted the wolves howl effect and let the trio forcefully land on the ground. From up ahead, the three already saw the wolves'' lightning speed mad dash to them.

    Smirking while they skidded on the floor, Darcel and Aniela were ready to end things.

    That is until Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao feets had all sunk into the ground, forcing their bodies into an abrupt stop!

    ''Chi!''

    Surprising them, this time, strings of dark green wolf fur quickly wrapped around Darcel''s group bodies. And on this floor, the trio immediately found out these traps were now actually dangerous!

    Hao Cao gritted her teeth as she couldn''t move at all in the wolf fur. While Darcel and Aniela could barely move their arms now.

    A sense of slight dread filled their minds as only a few meters away from them will the wild feral wolves dash right up to them.

 Terrifyingly Unstoppable

    For the second time in their lives, Darcel and Aniela felt the awful dread of impending death assault their minds. Just one small slip up, and they''ll become wolves meat in the next seconds!

    On the outside, the duo struggled to move their arms even in their bloodline state.

    But inside their bodies, their bloodstreams were frantically swirling, pumping out even more power.

    Suddenly, Darcel''s bloodline arm ferociously ignited up in deep shimmering Darkness. Simultaneously, Aniela''s bloodline arm intensely sparked in a blinding bright white light.

    In both their eyes, a chilling killing glint formed!

    They obviously won''t let some mere Nascent Core wolves kill them! Dying here wouldn''t fit their status of being freakish talents.

    And as determined thoughts filled Darcel and Aniela''s minds, on their bloodline arms, their vague tattoo markings seemed to be moving to take on a vague shape.

    Of course, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao had no way of knowing this was occurring.

    Only a meter apart before the wolves rushed up to them, Darcel and Aniela instantly swirled tremendous black fire Qi in their mouths.

    Gushes of immense surges of Nascent Qi combined with an overwhelming powerful aura shifted the air. For a split second, the dark green wolves halted their charges.

    Previously when the duo unleashed their bloodlines, these savage, mindless wolves weren''t affected much by their magnetic presence.

    But this sudden change?

    Somehow¡­.Darcel and Aniela abruptly spewed out this ethereal aura!

    Legitimately, the aura they exuded even caused the mindless Labyrinth wolves death senses to frantically go off. However, no amount of pre-death insights can save their lives now.

    In their surrounding area, the temperature raised to levels equivalent to being around a boiling volcano. Hao Cao was protected from the heat by a subtle white glow around her, but the dark green wolves weren''t as lucky.

    Before the wolves could even try moving their legs, two majestic, powerful voices boomed in the whole floor.

    "Fiery Slice!!" Darcel and Aniela roared with unrestrained fury.

    Opening their mouths wide, they both blasted out a massively thick line of black flames that scorched the dark, sickly green floor in its wake.

    ''Sssch!!''

    The wolves couldn''t react or dodge at all. In only a split second, the duo''s powerful black flames tore through the wolves, utterly destroying them to pure black ashes!

    Darcel and Aniela''s Martial skill not only destroyed the wolves. It had also crushed Hao Cao''s purple lightning barrier and torched the dark green wolves fur wrapped around them.

    Feeling free control of their bodies, Aniela exuded a sigh of relief. "Fuuu¡­.things really are getting interesting. Just a second late, and we would''ve had our blood splatter!" Though describing a frightening scenario, an excited smirk formed upon Aniela''s face.

    Hao Cao took one glance over to Darcel and Aniela. By just going off their steady yet eager faces, she knew they''ll have to brave the intense risks of this floor.

    Helplessly smiling to herself, Hao Cao just shook her head. A focus glint then entered her eyes as she decided since they''re going to continue exploring. It''s time to put forth her best effort!

    Inside Hao Cao''s charming black eyes, an intense glowing purple lightning spark spewed from her.

    Calling forth immense power from her soul, Hao Cao quickly sensed a valuable treasure room holding a fierce opponent.

    Nodding to herself, Hao Cao turned to Darcel and Aniela with a sweet but serious smile. As she began to open her mouth to speak, Darcel had, however, spoke up first, saying,

    "No need to ask for our opinions, Cao. You practically got us away from that demented creature by finding that portal through the fire. Just say, and we''ll follow." The smile Darcel gave was charming and genuine since he honestly gained a new level of respect for her.

    "Mnh! We''ll leave the directions all up to you now. Your sixth sense is even better than my intuition! And that''s a huge honorable achievement in my books." Aniela also encouraged with her always pleasant and bright smile.

    Hearing Darcel and Aniela honest, kind words admittedly caused a burst of warmth to bloom in Hao Cao''s chest. Subconsciously, a beautiful smile etched on her face as she nodded to the duo.

    "Fufufu~! Aren''t these some sweet buttery words~? But if you''re putting this much trust in me¡­.then I suppose I''ll show you my true talents~." Sweet soft giggles slid out of Hao Cao like a hypnotic melody.

    Sparks of dazzling purple lightning spewed from her feet as she set her sights on that specific treasure room.

    Without any more words, Hao Cao blasted off in the lead, with Darcel and Aniela easily following her lightning speeds.

    ¡­.

    While Darcel''s team was now beginning their long trek on this arduous Labyrinth Floor, other groups already traversed quite the distance here. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Even peak level Nascent Core groups were making their way here.

    One group, in particular, would cause a slight shock in Darcel and Aniela. It was only a pair of two middle-aged looking men, yet their appearances weren''t anything to scoff at.

    These men wore exotic looking wild brown robes signifying they were from the Wrathful Clan! Both of them were Elders of the clan, being at the seventh level of the Nascent Core realm.

    They walked with absolute confidence among the dark green floor, feeling zero fear here.

    Around their hands, blazing black fire precisely the same as Darcel and Aniela coated them.

    Behind their wake were charred corpses of large dark green wolves, none of the monsters even having the chance to resist the Elders.

    Their eyes were scanning every nook and cranny of the floor while their Spirit Senses were expanded for miles. The First Elder, who was slightly taller than his partner, began talking with slight hope in his tone,

    "Seriously, who says this had to strictly be a youth event? Despite these beasts being only a level below, they''re absolutely nothing compared to us! And when we get back¡­.I can already taste the rewards!"

    "Indeed, but you know speaking of those little brats that come here. Do you think we''ll see the two sneaky rats that god only knows became famous in the city? I think¡­.they were said to be in the Zakira Academy, right?" The second Elder question.

    Recalling Darcel and Aniela and just how they escape under their noises while also savagely killing their clansmen caused a malicious smile to form on the first Elder face.

    "Most likely they''re here and who knows¡­.maybe we can come back with two bi-" The first Elder couldn''t even finish his sentence as,

    ''Swish!''

    A fierce gale of chaotic winds blasted right next to them!

    Immediately, both Elders spiked up and were ready for battle. Their minds were already severe as whatever just passed them, they couldn''t sense it at all!

    However, no matter how quickly prepared they got, neither could react to sudden red mist clouding their vision.

    Seemingly, out of nowhere did this strange and eerie red mist appear.

    But without missing a beat at all, both Elders promptly locked in place being in this chilling red mist.

    Neither of the Elders could move at all. Their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as long with the locking of their bodies, tremendous pain assaulted their senses!

    "Ke-Ge-Ah-My-my blood-AHH!!" The first Elder shrieked with horrifying pain.

    Whatever it was, something was directly drilling into their bloodstreams. The pain from it was unimaginable. It was comparable to getting slowly roasted alive.

    "Shi-shit! My Qi!!" The second Elder also roared out in pain as he attempted to mobilize his Nascent Qi.

    Only when doing so, the pain only further worsened, and he could barely mobilize even a small portal of his Qi.

    The raging wisps of black flames on their hands died out, and the first Elder suddenly gained a risky idea. Throwing all caution into the wind, he forced past the excruciating pain and swirled a small portion of Nascent Qi in his mouth.

    Madness filled the Elder''s eyes as he struggled to barely lift his mouth. When his mouth had just slightly raised above for a few inches, a small hope ignited in the Elder eyes.

    Yet just right then, neither of the Elders could sense a fast sailing, terrifying glowing red tongue coming straight at the first Elder.

    ''Chi!''

    Blood splatter everywhere, spilling right into the mist as the spine chilling red tongue pierced right through the first Elder head!

    The tongue had sailed right through the Elder''s mouth, creating a horrific mangled scene.

    "Gu-Geh¡­.Gu¡­." The first Elder gurgled out blood as the light was fading from his eyes. Basks of putrid red fluids drilled into the Elder''s head and body, swiftly destroying his body and granting him an excruciatingly painful death.

    The first Elder mighty reinforced body of being at the peak level of Nascent Core meant absolutely nothing as it was shredded like swiss cheese by the tongue.

    ¡°Thi-thi¡­.wha-wh-is-KEAAA!!¡± Shrieks like a dying pig spewed from the second Elder as the red tongue sprayed out its putrid red fluid on him.

    In an absolute defenseless state, the Second Elder body burst with vivid red blood. No part of his skin was safe, and in a gruesome, bloody fashion, the Elder body broke down.

    His body gained a chilling red hue as he quickly collapsed to his knees, experiencing unending pain before dying. And just right next to him did the first Elder corpse fell as the red tongue retracted from him.

    With both Elders dead, the red mist finally cleared up.

    And walking quickly from behind was the horrifying creature that polluted every floor it was on. The human-like creature tongue licked its disgusting lips, ready to claim two more prey.

    Just by the hour was this creature growing more terrifying and freakish!

    At the sixth level of Nascent Core, it could take on a whole group of sixth and seventh level Nascent Core cultivators without even getting touched.

    Yet now?

    Its horrifying tricks increased, even more so being at the seventh level of the Nascent Core realm! Its red mist is still growing to unprecedented levels, and its red fluids grew right alongside.

    Nothing could be its match under the True Soul Core realm!

    But before it could feast on its prey, several presences were quickly rushing its way.

    Most of whatever was coming didn''t cause any fear in the creature. Still, there was one singular presence that raised excitement in its eyes.

    "Huooo!!"

    Three peak level Nascent Core dark green wolves from a few meters away from the creature unleashed their mighty howls attacks at it.

    The sheer force of three immense peak level Nascent Core attacks did nothing to worry the creature, however.

    Sharply turning around, the creature''s vivid red tongue swirled out of its mouth. Three putrid red drops of fluid had then blasted from its tongue and straight towards the three wolves howl attacks.

    ''Chi, Chi, Chi!''

    Effortlessly, the putrid drops of red fluids tore through the howl attacks and drilled into the wolves heads at lightning-like speeds! The speed of fluids wasn''t anything like the wolves could react to.

    Immediately, the three wolves stopped dead in their tracks.

    Their bodies went still like statues, and just then, the most immense presence that caused the creature excitement had arrived.

    This wolf didn''t even regard the wolves next to it as its mouth snapped open to unleash a mighty cry.

    "HUOOO!!"

    Among everything, this wolf easily topples over the other in height.

    It easily reached over eight feet and had more fearsome feral features than the Nascent Core wolves. The major prominent part of this wolf was its terrifying aura.

    An immense grand aura of the True Soul Core realm exuded from the giant wolf!

    This wolf aura single-handedly caused the wind to stir in its direction. For any Nascent Core warriors, meeting this beast would ultimately spell doom them.

    Yet the human-like creature didn''t move a muscle. Its eyes matched the True Soul Core wolf''s glaring green ones, both having the same wild savageness in their eyes.

    But unknown to the True Soul Core wolf, the three puny Nascent Core wolves right next to it were kindling in a bright red hue¡­.

 Peak Level Nascent Core

    Like their life depended on it, Darcel''s team was madly dashing through the dark, sickly green floor. Trails of bright purple lightning and blazing black flames were left in the wake of their immense speed.

    And around the trio was Hao Cao''s dazzling purple lightning barrier.

    Only this time for her barrier, wisps of black flames constantly spewed out like glitters of black fire.

    This was the trio''s more reinforced version of defense. They truly needed it as just behind them sixth level Nascent Core wolves and other such traps continually sprang on to them.

    With their mixed purple lightning and black fire wisps barrier, nothing could genuinely halt their mad dash.

    And inside the barrier, Darcel and Aniela held their rapiers as massive swirls of black flames enriched their blades.

    They were charging their Martial Skills, and while doing so, Hao Cao still effectively led them. Through various twists and turns, Hao Cao led with a clear sense of direction.

    And for five exhilarating minutes, their immense speeds went on. Suddenly after five minutes, Hao Cao''s called out to the duo behind her saying,

    "Are you two finish charging your Martial Skills?!"

    "Just point to where ever and we''ll fire!" Darcel shouted back to Hao Cao.

    From just a mile ahead, Darcel and Aniela could see a seemingly dead coming straight at them.

    Yet, as soon as Darcel gave her the call, Hao Cao had dropped her purple lightning barrier and pointed her finger directly to this dead end.

    A smile graced Darcel and Aniela''s face seeing how this hidden room could go over most people''s heads.

    With the signal given by Hao Cao, the duo was ready to unleash! Aniela turned her body backward but still maintained her pace of following Hao Cao.

    Thrusting her purple-black flaming rapier out, all of the savage wolves chasing them abruptly felt an immense crisis of death.

    Aniela''s black fire raged in violent intensity as a thick broad black fire line appeared at the tip of her rapier.

    "Fiery Slice!"

    Aniela unleashed a mighty roar and blasted off her tremendously powerful black flames! Immense waves of Nascent Qi and bloodline power swirled in the area, causing all wolves and traps to lock for a single second.

    ''Chi!''

    Aniela''s roaring thick line of black flames decimated the wolves and traps to bitter black ashes in utter domination.

    And simultaneously, while Aniela unleashed her Martial Skill, Darcel also fired his.

    "Fiery Slice!" Darcel shouted while aiming his purple-black flaming rapier at the dead-end wall. He was out of Hao Cao''s way as immense waves of Nascent Qi and bloodline power spewed into the air like a fierce storm.

    ''BOOOM!!''

    A tremendous explosion of power slightly shook the ground and wreaked utter destruction on the wall.

    Darcel''s black flames tore straight through the wall and seemed to have made an impact with a strong force in there.

    Hao Cao''s purple spatial ring ignited at this time. She fished out a broad extensive scimitar, easily reaching a length over 40 inches long! For a playful, sweet girl like here, this weapon suited her in a way.

    Not hesitating for a second in their run, the trio managed to cross a mile in just a few seconds. Neither Darcel, Aniela, nor Hao Cao held any fear about the unknown and rushed right into the vast hole Darcel made.

    With their weapons ready and in their highest adrenaline-pumping state, the trio all quickly sensed an immense aura in this space.

    Immediately when sensing this aura, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all thrust their blades forward. Their blades split apart the air to meet an enormous dark green wolf claw sailing straight at them.

    ''BANG!!''

    Just barely did the trio manage to defend against this powerful claw.

    Through the sheer mighty force of this claw swipe, it sent the trio skidding back on the ground as their hand became a bit numb from one clash.

    Dragging their feet into the ground, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao forcefully stop themselves right at their man-made entrance.

    Raging black flames and smoke made the space a bit troublesome to see, but the trio soon wouldn''t have to worry about vision.

    "HWUOOO!!"

    A mighty howl boomed into the space unleashing chaotic storms of fierce winds! Darcel''s team steady themselves by reinforcing Nascent Qi into their legs.

    While doing so, they observed as Darcel''s black flames and smoke was cleared up in a second by the howl.

    And out from the fire stood a menacingly tall wolf.

    This wolf towered over them and any other previous wolves they fought, easily reaching a height over seven feet long. Its eyes were a deep dark shade of green, and horrid green foam dripped from its razor-sharp teeth.

    Sensing it clearly now, this wolf was at the seventh level of the Nascent Core realm!

    Although the wolf didn''t have that perfect majestic prestige of being at the peak of its realm now.

    A small smirk etched on the trio''s face once noticing its dark green fur. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Wisps of black flames still burned off there, creating sizzling black smoke there. Still, it was remarkable that this specific wolf could tank a part of Darcel''s Martial skill.

    Right while the gigantic dark green wolf was finishing its howling, Aniela decided to take the time and seal off any unexpected troubles.

    Holding out hand back, a white glow enkindled around it.

    Clenching her hand, several light whites glow formed around the surrounding stones in the area. With a gentle pull, Aniela telekinesis the stones over the large man-made hole, completely covering them up for now.

    As Aniela finished doing so, the gigantic fearsome wolf finished howling.

    Without missing a single beat, the wolf blasted out with immense speed. Nearly instantly, it jumped right above Darcel''s team before they had a chance to react.

    But Darcel was no slouch. Expecting this speed, he didn''t panic as the wolf''s colossal shadow covered them.

    Holding both of his hands over his rapier, Darcel''s bloodline arm intensely shimmered in Darkness. At the same time, his black flames raged in ferocious tenacity.

    In all one smooth motion, Darcel thrust his back flaming rapier up, ready to counter the wolf stomp.

    It was only a meter above them, yet if the wolf used its extreme speed to crush them while falling down, it would''ve been a challenge to dodge.

    "Taste my claws!" Darcel shouted up as the wolf was already dropping down to them. All the wolf saw for a split second was utter Darkness as the temperature somehow increased once again!

    Darcel''s rapier became the epitome of black flaming Darkness.

    Blasting out from the tip of his rapier in blazing intensity was two huge black flaming claws that were the exact same size as the wolf''s giant claws.

    ''Bang!"

    Dark green claws met black flaming claws in a collision of tremendous peak Nascent Core power!

    Black flames sprayed everywhere in the room once again, drilling holes into the dark, sickly green floor.

    The colossal wolf eyes lit up in slight shock. From the only male prey of its target, his aura was somewhat equal to its. Yet when taking on the full brunt of its power, it couldn''t crush them no matter how much Nascent power the wolf poured into its claw.

    Previously, to take down that hidden entrance, eighty percent of Darcel''s Martial Skill power was used there.

    It was why the wolf was still able to effectively defend and installed some confidence in crushing these small prey.

    However, with Darcel''s full power now unleashed on to it, the wolf eyes had then gained a savage killing glint. Only a second pass since clashing with Darcel''s black flaming claws, but the wolf waited for no man.

    Its gigantic mouth had immediately snapped open, and swirling in there were massive waves of putrid green fluids.

    Promptly the wind kicked up into a fierce storm, nearly knocking Darcel''s team off balance.

    Witnessing what the wolf was attempting to do, Aniela''s smile grew massively broad. Her bloodline arm suddenly ignited in an intense white light as a dazzling white light barrier formed around her group.

    Holding up her fingers, Aniela was waiting to try this specific move. Unleashing a mighty shout, she said, "Flash!!" And along with her scream, Aniela quickly snapped her fingers before the wolf''s next attack.

    ''Pa!''

    An intense blinding white flashbang covered the whole room!

    This flash was so incomparably bright that it forced the wolf to hastily shut its eyes and become stunned for a couple of seconds.

    Once hearing Aniela''s finger snapped, Hao Cao had pointed her purple lightning-filled scimitar up. During this whole time of attacks, Hao Cao proved why she''s a top talent in the Zakira Academy.

    In only a matter of a couple of seconds, Hao Cao quickly mobilized immense surges of Nascent Qi to form her Martial Skill.

    Raging streaks of purple lightning spewed from her as she got all set when Aniela''s flashbang occurred.

    Seeing Hao Cao pointing her scimitar up, Anielas flexed her fingers. Through simple movements, it caused the white light barrier to open up above and show the briefly stunned wolf with its huge mouth open.

    "Voltage Shredder!" Hao Cao gave her finest shout as a single stream of bright purple lightning voltage sailed straight to the wolf mouth.

    With speeds nearly matching lightning, the stunned wolf had no way of dodging.

    ''Zzzt!!''

    Hao Cao''s lightning Martial Skill tore straight through the wolf''s putrid mouth and wreaked havoc there. Its eyes snapped open in pain as an electric frying feeling was causing some internal damage there.

    "Geah!!"

    The wolf opened its mouth further wide, showcasing its dark green horrid mouth in full glory.

    And in its state of slight chaos, a perfect opportunity had opened for Darcel.

    A cruel smile formed on Darcel''s face as he willed his pure Element of Darkness to enrich his rapier. Admittedly, it was becoming quite tough to hold this stalemate against the wolf claws.

    And now, he knows the way to shift the tide of battle.

    In the distraction of the wolf, Darcel shot pure Darkness Qi from his black flaming claws and blitzed it straight into the wolf mouth.

    Immediately the wolf jerked its head up. All at once, an abrupt frenzy swirl of emotions heavily affected its entire being.

    Happiness, rage, sorrow, and the most prominent mind-destroying lust!

    "HA-HUWOO!!"

    The wolf''s whole body began thrashing about. The wolf couldn''t correctly utilize its Nascent Power because of its frantic mental state. It had also let Hao Cao''s purple lightning wreak even more havoc in him.

    Massive waves of pain assaulted its senses along with the frenzy mix of emotions, almost pushing the wolf''s mind to a breaking point.

    Yet this had also meant the grip of the wolf claws loosen considerably.

    Smiling, Darcel flexed his arms and swung his rapier down. Smoothly, his black flaming claws violently tossed the wolf towards the back wall.

    Although, while getting flung, the wolf''s mind snapped, and its eyes became bloodshot. Sailing in midair, the wolf swung its gigantic claw down, unleashing a green wind Qi claw at the trio.

    The prowess of the wolf Qi claw was filled to the brim of peak Nascent Core power.

    Stone and fire blew everywhere as the green wind Qi claw neared the trio in only a second!

    Hastily, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao gathered their Nascent Qi to form a barrier. At this speed, it was impossible to dodge! Meaning they now have to take the full brunt of peak Nascent Core power.

    And just right before the green wind Qi claw crashed into them, a faint white glow covered around Hao Cao''s body.

    ''BANG!''

    Like rag dolls, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all blasted into the wall by the stone covered entrance. All three of them coughed up blood as severe pain wracked their bodies.

    Even if Darcel and Aniela could match peak Nascent Core power. It''s still incredibly tough to defend since their bodies are only equivalent to the second level of Nascent Core.

    Plus, their bloodline powers mainly focused on speed and power output.

    Hao Cao, however, fared the worst of them, nearly passing out from this one attack. She collapsed on her knees and had to take a moment to catch her breath.

    But Darcel and Aniela didn''t stop after tanking this attack.

    Aniela landed on her feet and flashed right up to the slightly shaking Darcel. Her hand had enkindled in a bright white glow, capturing his attention as she got next to him.

    Their gazes crossed, and a silent communication passed between them. Darcel determinedly nodded at Aniela''s beautiful serious face.

    Immediately he began pouring all of his Nascent Qi into his rapier while his bloodline frantically swirled. While doing so, Aniela''s glowing white light hand clamped down on his shoulder.

    Black flames violently swirled on Darcel''s rapier as a dazzling white glow wrapped his whole body. From just several meters away from them, the duo glared down the massive dark green wolf.

    Its berserk body was still spasming around because of Darcel''s Darkness Qi. Behind it, a vast crater had formed into the wall from its last impact.

    Suddenly though, the wolf head jerked straight at the duo. An impending sense of crisis and dread clashed in its berserk mind as it stared down at the glowing white Darcel.

 Never Ending Dangers

    Forcing himself past the severe pain, Darcel focused entirely on gathering his power. As well, he didn''t resist the gentle warm power of Aniela''s telekinesis taking over his whole body.

    Aniela''s tender power¡­.this power caused Darcel to widen his eyes a bit. He couldn''t believe how incomparably light he feels right now! It''s almost as if he literally defied all laws of gravity being entirely weightless.

    Taking a glance over at Aniela''s beautiful face, slight concern entered Darcel''s eyes. Her sweet face was becoming drenched in sweat as she, too, forced herself past the pain and poured all of her power into him.

    Feeling his eyes on her, Aniela turned to give Darcel a tired yet confident smile. No matter what is going on, Aniela always swore to herself to never lose her bright smiles.

    And Darcel knows full well of this. Giving Aniela his own warm and tender smile, he swiftly told her, "I''ll make sure to reward you later."

    Immediately, Darcel could feel a spark of energy ignite inside Aniela as her hand suddenly tighten upon him.

    "I already know you would~." Aniela cutely squeaked out.

    Their entire exchange only lasted for a few seconds, but it was all the time they needed. In the duo''s eyes, savage killing intent glazed over them.

    The gigantic dark green wolf still hasn''t charged them yet, but its eyes were seemingly enraptured with Darcel''s bright white glow.

    Darcel and Aniela didn''t pay any heed to the wolf oddity, though.

    At the peak of their powers, Aniela tightly clenched Darcel''s shoulder again. And slightly lifting her hand up, Aniela had then pointed straight at the giant dark green wolf.

    ''Hua!''

    In a streak of lightning-fast white light, Aniela had flung Darcel straight at the wolf using her telekinesis!

    Blasting through the air under Aniela''s telekinesis felt otherworldly to Darcel.

    He didn''t feel weight downed at all by gravity. And the air split itself in half due to his immense speed. Darcel had even reckoned under Aniela''s telekinesis, this was even slightly faster than his peak speed!

    The distance between Darcel and the vast dark green wolf was only several meters apart.

    But immediately when Darcel was flung by Aniela, the dark green wolf eyes turned rabid. Its aura ignited in a frenzy.

    Matching Darcel''s charge, the dark green wolf madly rushed to the glowing white boy.

    The moderate distance between them was crossed in a mere couple of seconds by both sides.

    Precisely right when Darcel was only a few feet away from the dark green wolf, Aniela''s face became further drenched with sweat. Her teeth ferociously gritted against each other as began overtaxing herself.

    Aniela''s control over Darcel was nowhere near perfect. After all, this was the first time she tried fully controlling another human body.

    But in this situation, she only needed to make one swift move for Darcel.

    Steeling herself, Aniela pushed past the exhaustion and pain. Forcefully, Aniela moved her dazzling white, glowing hand up and to the right for a few inches.

    Struggling this much with small and easy movements may have confused some, but Aniela''s face had split into a little victorious grin.

    In sync, right when Aniela barely moved her hand, Darcel''s body managed to shift towards the dark green wolf right eye at the last second!

    Generally, at high speeds these two were going; it would all but near impossible to make such an agile movement like this.

    Yet, because of Aniela''s telekinesis, all rules of gravity and momentum were temporarily thrown out of the equation! And Darcel didn''t miss a single beat experiencing this sudden movement.

    Darcel accurately thrust and plunged his black flaming rapier directly into the widening eyes of the dark green wolf. Putrid blood sputtered from the wolf like a bloody storm. The wolf itself didn''t even have a chance to process Darcel''s agile moves.

    Abruptly the dark green wolf went absolutely still. Its brain was in pure shock, but before the pain could wrack its senses. Darcel raised his power to its peak degree, causing his black flames to burn with savage intensity.

    "Fiery Slice!" Giving one last mighty roar, Darcel unleashed his Martial Skill directly inside the dark green wolf head!

    ''Sssch!!''

    Inside the dark green wolf body, immediate scorching black flames utterly fried its organ, bones, and blood.

    The might of Darcel''s concentrated power far surpassed the dark green wolf mighty seventh level Nascent Core power.

    Furthermore, its mind and body were in a total berserk state, significantly lowering its defenses.

    All at once, the dark green wolf experienced the most excruciating pain. Although, quickly for it, the sheer intensity and power behind Darcel''s Martial Skill killed it off within seconds.

    As the light faded from its eyes, the giant dark green wolf crashed to the ground.

    Even in death, its eyes were still in a shocked state. It was simply impossible for the wolf to ever predict the craftiness of Aniela''s telekinesis. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Watching the enormous dark green wolf collapse to the ground, Aniela breathed a sigh of relief. Her body ached with exhaustion and overtaxing pain.

    Yet her head had promptly snapped to Hao Cao.

    She was still on her knees, heaving her chest from the wolf''s last attack. Despite being only a single level below, taking the full might of peak Nascent Core power isn''t a simple matter.

    Aniela and Darcel can forcefully rely on their bloodline to work through the pain and give them more energy. But Hao Cao simply didn''t have any unique abilities like that.

    And if it wasn''t for Aniela''s white glow covering her at the last second, her state would''ve been far worse than this.

    Still, Aniela is glad she at least hasn''t passed out.

    Amazingly for her current state, Aniela once again worked through the pain and stumbled right next to Hao Cao. She grasped her hand on her shoulder, sitting straight down beside her.

    Leaning into her a bit, Aniela gave Hao Cao a tired smile as she turned to look at her.

    "We¡­.won¡­." Aniela breathed out through heavy panting breaths.

    All Hao Cao could do was weakly nod at her, still feeling the most winded out of the three. But right then, both girls'' eyebrows furrowed as they peered over to Darcel.

    While Aniela went over to support Hao Cao, Darcel had fished out his rapier from the dark green wolf eye.

    Immediately when killing the wolf, Aniela''s white glow dispersed.

    And like terrible whiplash, Darcel experienced the full brunt of exhaustion and overtaxing pain.  For a second, Darcel just wanted to take a moment to catch his breath.

    But at that very moment, Darcel''s senses spiked up. His body instinctively straightened up as his face turned deadly serious.

    Rapidly approaching this specific area was a trio of immense powerhouses!

    Their aura, it was one Darcel had vague familiarness with. It was the powerful aura of the True Soul Core realm! And if they''re coming here for whatever reason, it only spelled terrible news for Darcel and the girls.

    If they were at their normal state, then none of the three would have any reason to fear even True Soul Core warriors. After all, not counting their magical rings, they have other useful talismans to escape.

    But the problem came as they needed at least some portion of Qi to even activate their talisman!

    And sensing Aniela and Hao Cao, there were all depleted of Nascent Qi.

    Even more so for Aniela, she can''t muster up a smidgen of bloodline power lest she wants her body to shut down on her. Darcel, of course, didn''t think whoever would come would kill them given their status but robbing them in an utterly helpless state wasn''t out of the equation.

    Some cultivators just wouldn''t care about the consequences and take on all the risks they can get. And it was in this moment of thinking, Darcel determinedly made up his mind.

    Compared to Aniela, Darcel knows his bloodline heavily differs from hers.

    It''s why he could still feel a small portion of bloodline power running through his veins and not wholly destroying his body.

    Gashing his teeth, Darcel concentrated more bloodline power into his legs. Immediately it ignited scorching flames of immense pain throughout all of Darcel''s body.

    But if it matters concerning Aniela''s well-being and, to a lesser extent Hao Cao''s, Darcel didn''t care at all for the pain.

    Putting his rapier back into his ring, Darcel rushed towards the girls who already had concerning glances shot towards him.

    However, Darcel had no time to explain. In just a few seconds, he flashed right near Hao Cao''s side. Under the girl''s weary face, Darcel quickly but tenderly took Hao Cao''s hand that had her spatial ring.

    "Wh¡­.?!"

    ''Chi!''

    A bright purple spark flashed, illuminating the whole room for a brief second.

    Out from the flash, Darcel had fished out a light blue talisman. Seeing the talisman, Hao Cao''s eyes lit up in shock.

    Darcel really had just activated her ring on his own and even accurately found what he needed!

    Activating a spatial ring that isn''t attached to your own body isn''t impossible. Still, it needlessly takes a lot of power to do.

    Yet, Darcel still manages to ammas that power even in his severely weakened state.

    Though it wasn''t a walk in the park for Darcel. For a split second, he felt light-headed and on the verge of passing out.

    But with those True Soul Core warriors nearly here, it snapped Darcel to stay awake. Under his forced bloodline powers, Darcel crushed the talisman.

    Promptly, magical blue energy wrapped over the trio.

    A mystical power swirled around the trio and had immediately turned Darcel''s group entirely invisible! Finally, achieving his goal, Darcel sighed a bit and swiftly got right in the middle of the girls.

    "Eh¡­.Darcy¡­.?" Aniela panted out while questioning.

    She couldn''t sense whoever was coming at all. Only there was a faint worrying feeling she picked up on from Darcel before.

    In response to Aniela''s question, Darcel wrapped his arms around the girl''s waist, pulling them close to his body. He felt more secure this way though he ignored the slight flush on Aniela and Hao Cao''s face.

    Aniela was only surprised at the sudden intimacy. While Hao Cao felt her heart pick up several beats. Darcel had hugged her waist before, but this time they weren''t getting chased or facing an immediate threat.

    Undeniably, she couldn''t avoid getting affected by the heat of Darcel''s body in this position. But before either girl could question this, Darcel only said,

    "Just wait and watch for a bit."

    Surprisingly, Darcel didn''t sound the slightest bit weary though pain was entwined with his voice.

    Doing as he said, the girls and Darcel glanced over to the man-made entrance Darcel made.

    ''Bang!''

    Tremendous power burst through the entrance like a raging tsunami. Dark, sickly green stones blasted all around the room, breaking into little pieces once crashing into the wall.

    This grand entrance made Hao Cao''s eyes widen. Not because of the output of power but for who had appeared.

    It wasn''t people she knew at all but people that she could recognize from miles away.

    Standing at the wide-open entrance were three handsome young male youths. Each of them wore fancy glossy black uniforms, and on the left side of their chest, a unique Y symbol was imprinted there.

    These guys¡­.they were from the Yoderine institution! Hao Cao looked over to Darcel and Aniela only to see them have a more inquisitive expression while watching the youths.

    And looking back at the Yoderine youths, Hao Cao could tell why.

    All three should''ve exuded the mighty majesties of a powerful True Soul Core warrior.

    Only their faces and current stature was the farthest from being noble. Their faces were filled with frantic dread, sweat poured from their brows, and they were all slightly panting.

    Plus, in their eyes, Darcel''s team could observe layers of immense pain, trying to be suppressed.

    The boy in the middle, who Darcel assumed to be the leader there, his face had soon morphed into a disbelieving expression.

    His eyes were constantly darting around the room, never once looking to where Darcel''s team sat.

    Seemingly once failing to find what he was looking for, the boy clenched his fists and gnashed his teeth. In wild anger, his head snapped towards the other boy on his right, violently cursing him, saying,

    "The hell?! I thought you said this where that damn portal has to be?!"

 Invisible View

    The Yoderine youth, to the right of his leader, held an expression of confusion and indignation. His eyes had darted continuously around the room as well, but just like his leader, he found there was no portal here.

    The boy balled up his fist in disbelief. Just how¡­.why isn''t anything here!

    From his special Spirit Senses, he most definitely picked up on an overwhelming magical source of power here.

    That energy signature held the exact same divinity from the portals he sensed before. Yet, no matter how many times his eyes scanned around the already damaged room, no portal like energy came up.

    "This¡­.this just wa-" Suddenly, while the boy attempted to argue back, he felt body shriveled in instinct fear.

    Pain from before resurfaced intensely on his face as a temporary lack of control overtook him.

    And the boy wasn''t the only one who completely froze up. The leading Yoderine boy and the other boy on his left became as still as a statue. No one had the will to argue anymore.

    With fear evident in his tone and his teeth clattering, the boy on the right said,

    "That-that thing¡­. it''s here already!?!"

    None of the boys held any hesitation in their eyes. Immediately all three of the Yoderine youths swirled whatever amount of Spirit Qi they had left.

    The power they ammas wasn''t a lot, but it was enough for a chance for survival!

    At least the boys thought it was a chance.

    ''Whir!!''

    Instantly biting their tongue and spurting their blood essence, tremendous waves of immense Spirit Qi spewed out of the Yoderine youth.

    The power they wielded trump''s Nascent Qi in every single possible way.

    But the boys didn''t only erupt their blood essence. Swiftly their Spatial Rings ignited. All three of the Yoderine youths had fished out long elegant looking black spears.

    In their hands, the black spears continuously discharged powerful Spear Qi.

    Around the Yoderine youth, beautiful black lights of Spear Qi swirled in a frenzied storm.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao admittedly got caught into this sight. They couldn''t tell how powerful these three were, but they could definitely sense their overwhelming might.

    Even for Darcel and Aniela, they knew if they were to go against these Yoderine youths, their chances of victory would be heavily slim.

    Still, there was one other surprising thing about this moment.

    Realm suppression is unavoidable for those in a lower cultivation realm facing off against someone who is only one realm higher.

    Even if Darcel and Aniela could face off against peak Nascent Cores cultivators, both of them will still feel massive suppression against True Soul Core cultivators.

    This is why this particular moment stood out for Darcel''s team.

    Darcel, Aniela, and even Hao Cao all didn''t feel the slightest bit of pressure or overwhelming suppression.

    If they genuinely wanted to, the trio could freely move out while invisible and still be unnoticeable.

    Aniela and Hao Cao had only taken short notice of this oddity before returning their attention to the Yoderine youths. They had only found this as a neat extra ability of the talisman.

    Only Darcel took the discovery differently. His eyes lit up in devious planning when he also felt his bloodline reacting strangely. It was only in small spurts, but Darcel could certainly tell power from his bloodline was slowly getting sucked into the talisman.

    Still, it was only in a minuscule dosage that wouldn''t overall affect his body besides worsening the aching pain.

    But for the girls, this much pain is bearable, at least to him.

    And it seemed it was only his bloodline reacting like this. Passing one quick glance over to Aniela sort of confirmed this theory.

    Indeed, even if she has no power to spare, Aniela''s base bloodstreams could''ve also slightly reacted.

    Darcel''s bloodline did it on its own without any input from him. But Aniela still acted simply the same while watching. Either way, after these Yoderine kids leave, Darcel already has great plans for their team.

    Abruptly then, mere seconds after the Yoderine trio erupted their blood essence, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao were all struck with a daunting dreadful feeling.

    This feeling sank into the pit of their stomachs like an anchor.

    It was then the trio''s eyes widened while watching the Yoderine youths.

    The foreboding feeling of incomparable dread¡­.yes, it was exactly like the first time they encountered that horrifying creature!

    Although, while Darcel''s team could only dread the return of that monster, the Yoderine youths had to face the full brunt of that creature''s spine-chilling aura. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    Sharply like a hawk, the Yoderine trio snapped around to face that red, frightening creature.

    They had put quite the distance between them and it, allowing for at least a couple of seconds to charge their attacks.

    Fear hazed into their eyes as the Yoderine youths saw the terrifying creature crazily sprint at them.

    A hair raising vague red mist surrounded the creature''s body, further enhancing its frightening image.

    The Yoderine youths were lucky to have even escaped thanks to their various unique artifacts and talisman from their previous encounter.

    Now, at the end of their roads, they can only hope to struggle for victory!

    "Crush it in one go!!" The leader boy shouted to his partners. Forcing past their pain and fears, the dazzling black spear Qi surrounding the trio had now swirled in ravage intensity.

    At the tip of each of their spears, a deep rich black glow like the eternal Darkness sparked. With only meters apart from the creature, the Yoderine trio could only muster up enough Spirit Qi for one massive attack.

    The air froze around them, and out blasting from their spear tips was multiple black spears made up of Spirit Qi!

    It was like the floor was thrown into a night abyss as the area considerably darkened.

    The Yoderine trio spear Qi attacks blasted to the creature with immense speed. Massive crashing waves of blood essence Spirit Qi aura directly clashed with the creature before their attacks had even arrived.

    Yet the red creature merely licked its tongue in the face of the Yoderine trio petty attacks.

    Unaffected by the Yoderine trio''s powerful auras, the creature sprayed out multiple basks of putrid red fluids from its tongue.

    Slighter faster than even the Yoderine trio''s spear Qi attacks, the creature''s red fluids violently collided against them.

    ''Chi, Chi, Chi, Chi!''

    In utter domination, the numerous basks of putrid red fluids tore the black spear Qi attacks like shredded paper!

    The Yoderine trio''s eyes flashed with despair as in the back of their minds, they kind of expected this outcome.

    If they were at full power, the human-like creature might have had to play its attack a bit differently. But now, critically injured and barely with any energy left, one can say the Yoderine youths were doomed from the start.

    With no other options left, the Yoderine youths could only struggle to the bitter end.

    Raising their black spears once again, the trio attempted to overtax their very souls!

    Drawing upon desperate power from your soul was even riskier than erupting your blood essence. If one''s not careful enough, they could either immediately shatter their dantian, crippling themselves or outright explode in a bloody mist from overwhelming soul powers.

    However, none of the Yoderine youth had the chance to even attempt this insane move.

    The human-like creature tongue freakishly blasted from its mouth like a bullet!

    Like it had no limits, the creature''s horrid tongue arrived nearly instantly next to the leading Yoderine youth black spear.

    ''Bang!''

    The leading boy felt his arms quake as the creature tongue knocked his spear right out of his hands. His black spear got sent flying, drilling deeply into the sickly green wall behind them.

    Before he or the other two boys had a chance to react, the creature''s horrid tongue moved at blinding speeds!

    The boy on the left and right also felt their arms tremble as the creature tongue violently knocked the black spears out of their hands as well.

    Each of the Yoderine trios was left momentarily stunned.

    Physically, the sheer force of the creature nearly caused the Yoderine trio''s arm to go numb. And this lapse of judgment would be their last mistake.

    The human-like creature tongue ignited in a spine-chilling red hue. Before anyone of the Yoderine youths could react, its tongue spewed out a mini red fluid rain on them!

    "AH-KE-AHHH!!!"

    Three blood-curdling screams echoed out in the area.

    The Yoderine youths crashed to their knees as molting, scorching pain wrapped their senses.

    Every drop of putrid red fluid drilled into their skins like acid.

    Overwhelming berserk energy crushed down on their organs and bones, utterly destroying parts of their bodies.

    Accompanying the pain on their faces, bright red hue spots had suddenly appeared there. And in a gruesome fashion, some bright red hue spots burst their faces, causing fresh blood to spew into the air.

    However, amazingly enough, these Yoderine youths still didn''t die.

    They had still fruitlessly clung on to life as their True Soul Core bodies made them far tougher to kill than Nascent Core cultivators.

    But these seconds of clinging on to life couldn''t change the end result.

    Through the bloody vision of the leader boy, his pupils dilated once spotting bright red claws blitzing straight at him!

    At this point, the boy was utterly helpless to defend. All he could do was stare into despair as the creature claws had quickly reached him.

    ''Chi!''

    Blood splatter on the ground once the human-like creature cores viciously tore through the leading boy heart. Even with a True Soul Core body, without a heart, it was impossible to live.

    As the light left his eyes, its last sight was the red creature cruelly twitching its lips upwards in a horrifying smile.

    Seeing as their leader died, the other two boys threw all caution into the wind!

    "GEAA!!"

    Shockingly, both boys tore through the excruciating pain and pounced towards the human-like creature. Their near-death desperate punches landed solidly on the creature''s body.

    But this was, of course, futile.

    The creature took their blows with high stride and ease. Pulling its claw out from the leading boy''s heart, the creature swiftly stabbed at the other two boys on both sides.

    ''Chi, Chi!''

    Two more horrifying blood splatter died down the dark, sickly green floor in spine-chilling red. Just like the leader boy, the other two Yoderine youths wound up with bright red claws piercing their hearts.

    Pulling its claw from their chest, the human-like creature stood up. Its eyes began to constantly dart around the vast room, seemingly looking for something.

    And its eyes had only spared a passing glance at Darcel''s team location.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao were legitimately slightly horrified. It was like this thing just never stopped growing!

    Currently, all three of them could vaguely sense this creature had the aura of the True Soul Core realm!

    Even more terrifying was that the creature aura didn''t even match up to three Yoderine youths. And yet, it still managed to brutally kill the trio off.

    Darcel''s team watched as the creature had then proceeded to drag the Yoderine youths corpses off, not noticing them at all.

    Once the creature had exited out of Darcel''s team range of Spirit Sense, the trio all breathed a sigh of relief. Smienatously, their hiding talisman had also dropped once Darcel cut off his bloodline powers.

    "Haa¡­.that thing¡­.that was-Ah!?!"

    Before Aniela finished her sentence, she got Darcel and Hao Cao to quickly snap their heads towards her.

    A broad smile quickly formed on Aniela''s face as she finally felt something pleasant just from under her.

 Taking On Danger

    "Has your intuition gotten you so worked up?" Darcel asked the broadly smiling Aniela.

    That excited prideful look in her eyes was something Darcel was all too familiar with. A smirk etched on his face since she''ll at least have some good news then.

    "Yes, don''t keep us in the dark now~." Hao Cao managed to say. Even having a playful tone.

    After resting for a while, the aching sore pain went down a bit, and she could at least talk now. Provided she doesn''t move a muscle now.

    Aniela, however, didn''t respond to their questions.

    Her smile only grew wider as she held up her fist at them. Under the confused gazes of Darcel and Hao Cao, she had plunged her fist right in between her legs!

    ''Chi!''

    Amazingly enough, Aniela''s fist still managed to drill through the stone dark, sickly green floor, even in a weakened state.

    Feeling around in the ground, Aniela quickly managed to grasp her hand around a wooden like surface.

    Firmly grasping whatever she touched, Aniela swiftly pulled her hand out of the ground. A prideful smirk encompassed her face as she watched Darcel and Hao Cao''s expression morphed into one of shock.

    In Aniela''s hand was a small dark, sickly green treasure box.

    The box surprisingly looked fresh and in mint conditions. It held a unique exotic design none of the youths could recognize.

    Furthermore, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao could smell the vibrant energy of crystals and monster cores naturally exuded from the box. Whatever was in the box, they had just unquestionably scored a jackpot!

    Aniela''s smile became unrestrained. After all the trouble and horrors they have just been through, now it seems lady luck is shining on them.

    "Like always, our team has the hidden luck of finding good treasures!" Aniela happily proclaimed.

    "Indeed, not only our efforts weren''t wasted, but we also seem to possibly get triple the rewards from it," Darcel remarked, feeling a different sort of satisfaction swell up inside him.

    It was the satisfaction of overcoming a challenging goal and being rewarded handsomely.

    Hao Cao was similarly happy though she still had a slight worry in her eyes. Speaking up, she told the duo, "Yes, we truly made it big this time. But should we continue exploring now? That thing will definitely still be roaming this floor, plus there''s the extra threat of running into True Soul Core wolves."

    Throwing out her concerns, Hao Cao was pleased to see Aniela taking a moment to contemplate this issue. As energetic as she was, Aniela also knew when to back down and not get so far in over her head.

    But Hao Cao didn''t get this same vibe from Darcel. Instead, Darcel shot Hao Cao a charming, merry grin.

    This bold yet devious look he gave Hao Cao did cause her heart to skip a few beats. Though mainly, she wondered what he was going to suggest.

    "You certainly raise a good point, Cao. But truly, we don''t have to worry about fighting that creature or any True Soul Core wolf for that matter, for the remainder of our time here." Darcel explained in an absolutely assured tone.

    Hao Cao quirked her eyebrows, still puzzled about whatever Darcel could be suggesting.

    However, Aniela''s eyes had quickly lit up. She swiftly spoke up to say,

    "Ah¡­.Ah! Our hiding talisman! Realistically, it shouldn''t have held up for nearly as long, unless someone had tampered with it~?"

    To completely erase one''s presence and aura from an even stronger cultivator''s senses requires a tremendous amount of magical power.

    Moreover, there was also the fact the talisman also shielded them from stronger cultivators auras, further adding on to the insane usage of magical power.

    That last encounter lasted for only about three minutes.

    Short, but it was even shorter than what their hiding talisman could initially hold out for. And that''s precisely where Darcel stepped in. He gave the girls a smirk and nodded at Aniela.

    "As your keen intelligence suggests, Aniela, I can indeed tamper with the talisman. My bloodline had slowly poured into it, making it last far longer than it should."

    Aniela furrowed her eyebrows at Darcel''s explanation. She clearly didn''t feel any reaction from her own bloodline or any power seeping into the talisman.

    While generally, she does get their bloodline isn''t precisely the same, they do share a lot of similar qualities. Though she just assumes this one of their different abilities.

    Hao Cao, however, didn''t have a problem with this explanation. A hopeful inquisitive expression dawned on her face as she asked, "I see¡­.so that''s why! But, just how long can your bloodline last at full power?"You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    "First off, we''re going to need to use some of our already resources to get back at full strength. And once there, I estimate I can hold for about¡­.ten minutes or so. Provided that I''m not using any attacks or extra power." Darcel casually explained to the girls.

    And they in return thoughtfully regarded the news. If any other ordinary cultivator or powerful mage were to hear how Darcel could forcibly extend the use of a talisman, a lot more shock would''ve been heard.

    But at this point, Darcel''s team was a bunch full of mind-breaking surprises.

    Aniela nodded her head and excitedly said, "Ten minutes¡­.it''s enough for just one more room! We can take what we need and then swiftly leave this place."

    Hao Cao knew at this point, there''s no changing the duo minds. She already got accustomed to their incredibly crafty daring side.

    Still, with caution in her tone, Hao Cao said, "Even so, we still have to be precise and especially careful when doing this."

    Both Darcel and Aniela flashed Hao Cao, a charming smile at the same time. Aniela reached out and boldly patted her shoulder, telling her, "Of course! We won''t just take any risk, only assured ones!"

    "It''s as she said, every move we make is always calculated." Darcel picked up in a boundlessly confident tone.

    Hearing how unhesitating both Darcel and Aniela were, gave Hao Cao that extra boost in confidence to be secured in their plans.

    "Fufu~, well then, shall we get to healing up first?" Hao Cao said as her purple spatial ring began to lit up.

    While energy crystals are a far slower process to heal and regain energy than pills, it sure is faster than trying to naturally heal up.

    ¡­.

    Several minutes passed by, and soon Darcel''s team was back in the dark, sickly green hallways. On Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao''s faces, a rosy vibrant complexion could be seen.

    For Darcel and Aniela, they were able to get back to top shape far faster than Hao Cao and with half of the resources. Mainly because their bloodlines helping with the recuperation process.

    Hao Cao did have to use a bit more of their resources, but it didn''t majorly impact their sums. They scored far too big for that.

    Immediately when stepping foot in the hallway, did Hao Cao''s eyes spark with dazzling streaks of purple lightning.

    Quickly she poured soul power into her eyes, amplifying her sixth sense abilities. From miles away from them, Hao Cao managed to pick up on an excellent treasure room.

    Though it was surrounded by numerous beings far stronger than them.

    "I''ve got a lead¡­.but everyone there is far beyond our prowess." Hao Cao had warned Darcel and Aniela. Yet she was already pouring Nascent Qi into her legs.

    "Well then, lead the way, Cao." Darcel still spoke in a boundless confident tone.

    Darcel knew when their risks are involved, the rewards will always be the highest. Plus, it would be too mundane for their team to simply cower away in front of potential danger and rewards.

    Aniela didn''t speak but gave Hao Cao the same assured, confident smirk. Her stance was in exact agreement with Darcel. Also, there''s always this exhilarating thrill of skirting along immense danger for her.

    Hao Cao lightly sighed, seeing their adamant stance. Then with a fire ignited in her eyes, she swiftly became determined like the duo.

    Pouring more Nascent Qi in her legs, sparks of purple lightning enkindled under her feet.

    No more words were shared as Hao Cao, Darcel, and Aniela blasted off with immense speeds!

    ''Swish!''

    The trio traveled at lightning pace, avoiding all traps that attempted to stop them. Radiantly bright trails of purple lightning and black flames tore through the dark, sickly green floor in Darcel''s team wake.

    While running, Darcel seemed to pick up on a slight change.

    After the battle with the wolf, Darcel could vaguely sense his cultivation foundation deepened. He could tell his Nascent Qi was the slightest bit stronger, providing him with slightly better speed.

    Darcel also assumed this was the case with Aniela and Hao Cao since their top speeds had slightly increased.

    Following a few miles of running, Darcel''s team Spirit Senses had picked up on monsters at peak-level Nascent Core chasing them!

    But just like everything else, Darcel''s team speed far surpassed even the likes of peak level Nascent Core.

    While in direct battle, the situation would be different but purely based on speed?

    Not even these specialized agile wolves could keep up!

    After a few more thrilling minutes of running, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all sensed monsters far more powerful than them coming up ahead. And it was at this time Darcel made a split decision.

    Before nearing any True Soul Core wolf, Darcel ignited his purple spatial ring. Swiftly, he fished out their concealing talisman and poured his powerful bloodline into it.

    Swirls of powerful magical energy surrounded Darcel''s team. In only a split second then, the trio became entirely invisible!

    All the wolves chasing from behind became stunned when suddenly their prey vanished from their senses and sights.

    And Darcel''s team didn''t slow down once under concealment.

    To run at their speeds barely cost any energy at all. Darcel did feel a draining tug at his bloodline power, but he knew, as long he didn''t perform any attacks, he could keep this state up for a while.

    And as expected, the trio dashed right under the noses of gigantic True Soul Core wolves. No beast had even picked up a whiff of their scent.

    Still, nerves were high for Darcel''s team. They knew one wrong move could end up disastrous for them.

    Eventually, Darel''s team came upon signs of fierce battles. After taking several turns, they saw destroyed parts of the floor, several corpses of True Soul Core wolves, and large cracks spreading into the walls.

    This road of battle led to a large open room just on the dark, sickly green walls'' right side. From a mile away, the trio could hear the sounds of raging battle and clashes of metals.

    Since Darcel activated the talisman, the time it took to make it here was around a single minute. The drain of Darcel''s bloodline power was still going strong, but he knew they had about nine minutes left now.

    Not hesitating for a second, the trio sprinted up the long hallway of ruined battles.

    Arriving near the large opening, Darcel''s team spotted flashes of bright green light illuminating the whole room.

    Frantic waves of True Soul Core power spewed out from the room, yet Darcel''s team wasn''t the slightest bit affected. Curiosity getting the better of them, the trio walked up to peer into the opening of the room.

    But gazing inside the room, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all instinctively froze up.

 Cornered

    Inside the large opening, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao saw two men wearing green robes fight against two gigantic Spirit Wolves.

    Both combatants moved at lightning-like speeds trading numerous blows in just seconds.

    Darcel''s team couldn''t accurately watch the way each side attacked. Their speed at the True Soul Core surpassed what their eyes and senses could keep up with!

    Yet this battle wasn''t what made the trio freeze up.

    Not the insane speed, not their terrifying prowess that made the floor crack. No, it was the maddening rushing presence of one familiar, menacing bearing!

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao simply couldn''t believe their terrible luck.

    Not even an hour passes, and yet their beings are already coming near to that creature once again.

    If their nerves were high before, now it just shot through the roof!

    Yet Darcel quickly got a hold of himself. Since that thing is rapidly approaching, there''s no use freezing up over it.

    Without moving from his spot, Darcel reached and grabbed Aniela and Hao Cao''s hands, who were just beside him.

    He reassuringly gave their hands a gentle squeeze to calm their nerves and let them know nothing wrong can happen to them now.

    Aniela''s head sharply snapped over to Darcel. His face was severe yet determined as he didn''t take his eyes off the battle in front of him.

    It''s almost like he didn''t regard that creature at all!

    Looking at his charming image immediately got Aniela to sober up. A determined smile dawned on her face as her nerves relaxed, and her mind became calm.

    As a team, she knows there''s no way they''ll fall even to that horrifying creature!

    Simultaneously, Hao Cao had also turned her head over to Darcel. Like all other previous times, Darcel kept his cool and collected image in front of massive potential danger.

    He didn''t have any thoughts about running off even with that creature coming. Moreover, he also has enough calmness to support her and Aniela.

    Unknowingly a burst of warmth and joy swell in Hao Cao''s chest.

    She knows that Darcel and Aniela are in a relationship. Yet Darcel simply acted like he always did, never once treating her differently. Even before he had prioritized saving her against that insidious creature.

    Like budding roses, a blooming determined smile blossoms on Hao Cao''s.

    She may not have known the duo for long, but their act of warm friendship left an imprint in her heart. If they''re going to give it there all, then she would too!

    And while Darcel''s team had this silent yet intimate moment, a gust of wind passed over their heads.

    A bright red hue refracted in their eyes, signaling that the terrifying creature is here.

    With speeds incredible for the True Soul Core realm, the human-like creature eyes immediately spotted its prey in a perfect position.

    The two giant dark green wolves were skidding back on the ground, while their fur had small patches of this fiery green energy.

    Opposite of the two were the two green robes Elders. Around their hands was this smoking green aura that sizzled ominously. One look at their hands, and you can tell immediate danger.

    And at this point, neither combatants notice their incoming downfall. The human-like creature was practically undetectable when it was not attacking.

    But the creature had no intention of staying hidden.

    Before either humans or wolves could rush each other again, the creature spewed out its spine-chilling red poisonous mist from its mouth. Promptly the whole area was flipped upside down.

    The green robe Elders abruptly grabbed their stomachs. A sickening gut-wrenching feeling made the two want to heave their intensities.

    This sickness slowed their senses and made the Elders delirious. And from the illness, the Elder''s eyes widened as their bodies had utterly locked up!

    The Elders also weren''t the only ones experiencing several dramatic shifts in motions.

    At first, the wolves were also overtaken by the sickening gut feeling of wanting to heave their stomachs.

    And immediately then, their pupils dilated as their bodies froze entirely.

    Simultaneously, both humans and wolves couldn''t react to sudden red mist clouding their visions and drilling into their bloodstreams.

    Previously, both sides were all exhausted from their long battles. So when the creature sprayed its mist, it exuded a sickening area effect that was able to affect both the Elders and wolves'' weary minds.

    It was all too late for them now to realize the red mist.

    Immediately both sides face contorted with pain. Their already tired bodies were becoming weaker as scorching pain lit up their bloodstreams in a raging frenzy!

    "AH-AH! Geeh?!? Wha-ACK!!" One of the Elders attempted to speak, but only grunts and screams of pain were heard.

    He had also puked up sickly red blood as he felt the scorching pain worsen.

    "Bleeh!!" On the other side, one of the wolves collapsed to the ground like a puppet without its strings.

    Sickly red blood foamed out its mouth as its body twitchingly spasmed.

    The other wolf legs were quaking. Just like its partner, it spat out constant sickly red blood dying the dark green floor in odd hair raising blood. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    In only a second, did their situation turn into an utter disaster!

    The poisonous red mist only grew stronger with each feast the licker has. Now it was slowly eroding both humans and wolves'' bodies.

    If they were at full power, the red mist would''ve only slowed their movements and made their overall attacks and defenses weaker.

    But in their current state, these two sides were easy picking! The creature lips twitched upwards, pleased with its works. Its eyes had then darted up to the roof, deciding to not drag this out for any longer.

    Swiftly, the creature pounced towards the roof, sticking on the dark, sickly green ceiling like a disgusting bug.

    The creature''s bright red tongue had then swirled out its mouth.

    Looking at the horrifying tongue, Darcel''s team could''ve sworn that its tongue somehow gained a natural brighter red hue.

    But before their thoughts could delve into that, the creature''s tongue had then sparked with an illuminating red glow!

    ''Chi, Chi, Chi, Chi!''

    Out from the creature''s red glowed tongue was terrifying batches of putrid red fluids! Darcel''s team watched as this scene was almost like a red fluid rain shower.

    But it was then, the most horrifying scene happened.

    With barely any defense put up, the putrid red fluids drilled into the wolves and green robe Elders bodies. Sizzling noises was accompanied by,

    "AH-WHAAAA!!!"

    The blood-curdling screeches of unending pain! Looking in the mist, Darcel''s team could barely spot the wolves and green robe Elders'' outlines.

    But they were able to see each side spasming on the ground from tremendous pain.

    Overwhelming berserk energy crushed their organs and bones to breaking. Excruciating burning pain drilled into the deepest parts of their bodies like a sponge.

    It genuinely was the worst nightmare any being could go through.

    Even from just looking on, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao were feeling slight chills. Hao Cao simply didn''t have much experience in the ways of cruelty and was mostly pamper by her family and status.

    Though with Darcel and Aniela, they were obviously a little different. They witnessed much horrifying torture in the name of experiments by the Parsol Organization.

    Yet, there was something about the screams here that felt just so¡­.primal.

    They didn''t know what to call it, but the idea of never fighting this creature again was only reinforced in all three of their minds.

    As the trio watched on, the licker eyes were continually darting around and outside the room.

    Seemingly it appeared to be looking for something. But no matter what, its eyes never stayed in one place for too long.

    Moreover, its eyes also ignored Darcel''s team presence at the opening of the room.

    Just, only a slight red hue enkindled in its eyes for a split second once passing over Darcel''s team.

    Darcel''s team, of course, didn''t notice that slight oddity. And after a few minutes that seemed to go on forever, the agonizing wails of pain had finally come to a screeching halt.

    The creature jumped back down to the ground, clearing up its red poisonous mist while doing so.

    What laid in the view of everyone was four disgusting red hue corpses.

    On both wolves and humans bodies, patches of their skin burst off, revealing their transformed sickly red blood. As well both wolves and human''s eyes were still in widened shock, never knowing just what had killed them.

    With its work finished, the creature clenched its claw hand. A red mist that seemed different compared to its usual one sprayed from its claw.

    The mist quickly wrapped over the four corpses and floated them right over the creature''s head.

    Having its prey in its hand, the creature had no reason to stay anymore.

    Swiftly it blasted off with sonic speeds, still hovering the four corpses above its head.

    While passing Darcel''s team, the creature didn''t halt for a second. But while the trio saw this as good fortune, none of them could''ve ever seen its eyes sparked in red hue once again.

    Just right when the creature seemingly ignored Darcel''s team presence and rushed past them, its eyes lit up in a foreboding glint.

    Yet, the creature still continued on its way.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all halted for a few seconds. Like last time the trio waited until the creature exited out of its Spirit Senses coverage.

    When it had finally left, Darcel had let go of the girls'' hands, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

    "Phew¡­.that thing is intense as always. And-Oh? Hey! Look over there at the corner!" Aniela excitedly pointed to the right corner of the room.

    There laid a suspicious-looking hole that would''ve been unnoticeable to some.

    "As always, your senses are sharp, Aniela~! Let''s go claim our final prize." Hao Cao playfully said. Still having their concealing talisman on, the trio walked into the room at a brisk pace.

    While walking, Darcel took a little moment to obverse the state of the room.

    Green fiery holes were made into the ground, chunks of dark, sickly green stone were flung everywhere, and continuous cracks spread out in the room.

    Smirking a bit, Darcel had then said, "So¡­.this is the difference between Nascent Core and True Soul Core, huh? Even at our best, we didn''t cause this much destruction like them."

    "Fufufu~, but soon we to-" Hao Cao couldn''t finish her sentence as her soul had abruptly quaked with ferocious intensity!

    ''Zzzt!!''

    Numerous purple streaks of raging purple lighting burst in her eyes!

    Her body relied on natural instinct, surpassing speed she ever did before as her spatial ring ignited.

    Swiftly, their reusable barrier talisman appeared in Hao Cao''s hand. And she had instantly crushed it, activating their dark purple barrier.

    ''KA-CHA!''

    The sound of something akin to glass breaking into a million pieces ranged in Darcel and Aniela''s ears. As well it was this sound that caused their bloodlines to frantically react!

    A bright red hue filled with the looming threat of death tried to sail through Hao Cao''s chest.

    But, the grandest flash of black and white Darcel and Aniela spewed out yet illuminated the whole room.

    A black and white wall filled to the brim with pure bloodline power stood in the way of Hao Cao and that bright red hue.

    On Darcel and Aniela''s bloodline arm, the immediate threat of death brought about some changes.

    Now their vague tattoo markings had a bit more of a defined shape. If anyone of the trio could obverse, they would notice it was in the form of one single feather.

    But currently, the trio minds were preoccupied. Darcel and Aniela poured everything they had in their wall to clash against this red hue!

    ''BANG!!''

    Instantly, Darcel and Aniela''s black and white wall crumbled to pieces. But the red hue was also repelled back for a distance.

    "Ah! Damn!!" Both Darcel and Aniela couldn''t help but curse in immense pain after that fierce collision. An unbearable burning sensation scorched their arms, plus they for sure felt some bones crack in their arms.

    As well, their concealing talisman dropped since Darcel used far too much power in that one attack.

    Their eyes met with the sight of the creature having its tongue sail right back at it.

    Though at this time, Darce, Aniela, and Hao Cao couldn''t care about how that thing accurately attacked them. Nor did they have the time to realize they couldn''t sense or felt its presence at all.

    Forgoing the treasure behind them, Aniela quickly fished out their escaping talisman.

    But when doing so, the creature forcibly halted its whole body. At first, it was in a slight state of shock for the duo being able to repel its tongue back at him.

    It knows from previous senses that this group of prey has barriers that could temporarily halt its mist. Although it couldn''t stop its tongue.

    And now, a savage killing glint burst in its eyes! That talisman looked the same as any other he saw, but its senses didn''t deceive it. Just like how its first batch of prey escaped, it was because of this specific item!

    Faster than Aniela could even mobilize her Nascent Qi, the creature sailed its tongue straight at her hand.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all widen their eyes as the creature makes too quick of a recovery!

    But witnessing its tongue aimed at her, Aniela''s eyes gained a fierce glint.

 Savior?

    It was now or never! Aniela hastily poured bloodline power into the talisman, causing sparks of magic power to spew out of it.

    But right then, Aniela abruptly tossed the talisman high into the air.

    Quickly, the creature''s tongue changed its course. Instead of trying to snipe Darcel, Aniela, or Hao Cao, it wanted to make sure none of them had any avenue to escape to!

    Effortlessly, its bright red hue tongue sailed straight into the talisman. And almost immediately, the creature had found something off with this thing.

    ''Chi!''

    Instantly, purple magical power frantically whirled in the air!

    The very space around the whole room was continually shifting, becoming dangerous and unstable.

    Although Darcel saw this as a prime opportunity. His eyes blazed in a black fire as colossal surges of Nascent Qi and bloodline power raged in his mouth.

    For whatever reason, the talisman seemed like it can''t be torn entirely through, but there was no time for Darcel to contemplate that.

    Darcel grabbed the girls'' waist and held them close. Aniela and Hao Cao didn''t resist though they felt the blazing heat from Darcel''s body.

    It honestly surpassed any heat he had generated before!

    Snapping his mouth open, Darcel unleashed a raging torrent of frantic black flames at the creature''s tongue.

    Even just firing off this concentrated blast caused intense scorching pain to blaze in Darcel''s mouth. Yet Darcel forced past every fiber in his body, roaring out in pain.

    Right when Darcel''s intense torrent of black flames neared the creature tongue, its pupil suddenly dilated.

    The creature could tell it would be highly unwise to ignore this attack just from the blazing heat alone.

    Hastily, the creature pulled its tongue from the talisman shooting back to itself like a bullet. While doing so, the purple talisman still stayed afloat in midair, continually spewing out frantic purple magical power.

    For the second time in a row, the creature got put into shock. Once again, this trio of annoying prey forced itself to retract its attacks!

    Adding to its shocked was how during their first encounter, this trio was nowhere near this troublesome. The creature even had Darcel''s team on the ropes at that time.

    And it was then the human-like creature had enough of these youths tricks. Its hideous face morphed into a feral, ferocious expression.

    A brilliant red light shimmered from its claw, spelling the end of the line for Darcel''s team.

    When the red glow shined over its claw, the creature thrust out its arm and blasted off a red Qi claw at the trio!

    The whole room turned into a sea of red hell instantly.

    Hao Cao felt her body entirely lock up. Her teeth gnashed against each other as she fruitlessly struggled against sudden incredible pressure. But her eyes had then flashed in realization.

    This was the supreme power of a True Soul Core cultivator attack!

    No matter if they all could match a peak Nascent Core, none of Darcel''s team should be able to resist this pressure.

    And yet, Darcel and Aniela''s bloodline became even more frantic by the very second.

    The crushing realm suppression affected their bodies but not to the point where they couldn''t move at all. And as soon as the creature claw shimmered a bright red, the duo was already active.

    Aniela struck one hand up and instantly sucked back the wild purple talisman in her hand. With her other hand, Aniela formed a white light barrier around her and Hao Cao.

    Simultaneously, Darcel formed a Darkness barrier that wrapped around the whole group.

    White and black mixed together, hoping to withstand the oncoming bright red Qi claw.

    In only a second, the red Qi claw neared the trio. A frightful crushing pressure crashed down on Darcel and Aniela.

    To protect Hao Cao, they took the full brunt of the pressure, causing blood vessels to pop on their face and eyes.

    Still, even under pressure, Darcel and Aniela stood firm. There was no other option but to stand tall under this situation.

    The creature''s red Qi claw violently struck the white and black barrier, immediately overwhelming the duo.

    ''BANG!''

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao were all sent flying back like bullets as their barrier was torn to utter shreds. All three of them spurted blood, feeling their organs intensely churned.

    Darcel and Hao Cao saw their world become a bloody daze.

    But in Aniela''s eyes, a sudden bright white light enkindled. Going over the edge, Aniela''s enrich her body in a dazzling white glow.

    Amazingly faster than what the creature could''ve ever expected, Aniela agilely shifted her body to be in the middle of Darcel and Hao Cao. Both her hands instantly grabbed on to their shoulders, drowning their bodies in the same dazzling white glow.

    In a state of absolute defenseless, Darcel and Hao Cao''s body couldn''t resist Aniela''s power at all. Yet the energy that flowed through them didn''t cause any extra damage to their bodies.

    Rather¡­.it was actually quite gentle.

    Abruptly though, the creature was thrown into a loop once again! Literally, in seconds, Aniela managed to move at speeds he didn''t think possible from this group of prey.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    And when that white glow wrapped all three of them, they suddenly blasted off with immense speeds!

    To where they were heading was the back wall of the room, but¡­.it seemed like Aniela was aiming for a specific spot.

    By using their thrown momentum and overdrawing on her bloodline powers, Aniela could erupt with immense speeds under telekinesis.

    Specifically, a life-saving feeling sparked in her mind. Her senses became drawn into one specific spot on the dark, sickly green wall.

    Aniela had the faintest of clue on how this feeling came about. She only wanted Darcel, Hao Cao, and herself to live no matter the cost. And it was this line of thinking that caused her bloodline to unknowingly tremble.

    "Keh!!"

    However, from behind, the human-like creature obviously wasn''t going to let this side.

    Unleashing a horrifying cry, the creature instantly gave chase to the glowing white trio.

    It blasted off at lightning-like speeds, hoping to intercept the trio. But to its unending frustration, Darcel''s team was just the slightest bit faster for a second.

    In rising anger, the creature watched as Aniela slightly raised her team higher and crashed right into the wall.

    ''Bang!''

    Debris of dark, sickly green stone scattered into the wind as Darcel''s team effortlessly smashed through the wall.

    Up head, Aniela was able to spot for a second a bright blood red portal.

    In only a second, when seeing it, the trio plunged right into the portal, disappearing from sight. Yet the human-like creature didn''t give up its chance and directly entered the portal with them.

    ....

    Around Aniela''s vision was a bright blood-red space. This was the mystical portal space she and the others had been through a few times already.

    Only this time, something was significantly different.

    On Hao Cao''s shoulder, the hand Aniela used to hold on to her had the wild broken escaping talisman!

    Suddenly, the escaping talisman reacted violently in this space, causing a more giant frenzy storm of magical power.

    And only a couple of feet behind the trio was the human-like creature. Its claws were dangerously close to grabbing on to Darcel''s foot.

    But right when it was mere inches away, a blindingly bright purple flash illuminated the whole portal space!

    ''Chi!''

    Tremendous magical power spewed like wild storms in the portal space. The bright purple light only lasted for a few seconds. And once dying down, Darcel''s team and the creature were no longer to be seen.

    ¡­.

    On a new floor of the black dungeon Labyrinth, spine-chilling dark red designs painted the whole area.

    Compared to previous floors, the air here was far more turbulent. The general vibe of the floor exuded a superior ominous dread.

    At one random area of the floor, where everything was eerily silent, massive surges of magical powers suddenly broke through the area.

    The air was split apart as a beaming, vivid purple flashed brightened the whole dark red floor!

    ''Chi!''

    Out from the blinding purple flash spewed three damaged youths. Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all violently crashed into the ground, skidding along it for a few meters.

    At first, none of the three moved for seconds. Each of them had their face planted into the floor. Tremendous pain wracked every fiber of their bodies, making it difficult to just stay conscious.

    And it was then Darcel had slightly shifted his head up.

    Although, when attempting to do so, he found it was incomparably painful to even raise his head!

    Along with their previous battle''s crushing pain, a powerful aura permeated throughout the floor, completely suppressing Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao.

    This new and sudden feeling took the trio by surprise. Not even on the dark, sickly green floor did they felt this suppressed or even suppressed at all!

    Darcel knew their situation had just taken one of the worst turns.

    Glancing to his right, he saw Aniela struggling to maintain consciousness. Her eyes were going in and out, nearly closing altogether. While Hao Cao had just never opened her eyes since they crashed.

    But just when Darcel thought this couldn''t get any worse, his Death senses roared out to him. Darcel''s pupils shrunk as the ultimate sense of crisis overtook his mind.

    From miles away from them, a tremendous presence locked squarely on to them.

    Whatever that had just locked on to them, their presence had immediately reminded Darcel of someone on par with Teacher Zala!

    Meaning, they are just about to face someone in the legendary Innate Core realm! Never in Darcel, Aniela, or Hao Cao''s wildest dreams would they ever think they could take on an Innate Core cultivator.

    Even the weakest of Innate Core masters could kill them with a single slap. Fruitlessly Darcel was the only one that tried to struggle and get up.

    Alas, he had soon discovered his body had entirely locked up.

    From the injuries on his bodies, the suppressing aura of this floor, and the aura of whatever monster that had locked on to them, it seems their situation was utterly impossible to escape from.

    The ground was slightly quaking as whatever giant Spirit Monster was approaching. Each step it took coming was casual and relaxed, obviously not putting Darel''s team in its mind at all.

    "Nnngh?"

    With one last quaking step and a grunt of confusion, Darcel''s team knew whatever Spirit Monster it was, was just a mile behind them.

    And if the trio could look at the Spirit Monster, it would''ve sent slight chills in them.

    The Spirit Monster was a giant dark red bear. Its eyes held a suffocating red shade in them, its face was savagely ferocious, and its claws were long and razor-sharp.

    The bear gazed down at Darcel''s team, with only mild confusion. Usually, whatever human that traversed the floor was far, far stronger than any one of those three.

    But the bear couldn''t care how they got there and only saw this as free fresh meat.

    Savage hunger glazed in the Spirit Monster bear''s eyes as it was going to savor this delectable meal.

    And while the bear was preparing to eat, frantic changes were happening inside Darcel and Aniela.

    Both of them were feeling a multitude of dramatic shifts inside their bodies. Their bloodlines were in a wild, chaotic state, continually banging in their bodies as if it was attempting to break through into a new change.

    However, before anything could happen, Darcel''s team suddenly felt the bear aura lift off from them.

    A wild storm of winds gushed past Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao''s head, yet the current was clearly controlled and directed.

    ''Riiip!''

    Booming into Darcel''s team ear was the spine-chilling sound of a sword tearing through bloody flesh. None of the three heard any roars of pains, only a stiff sickening thumb hitting the ground.

    "Well, well, what do we have here?" A mysterious voice slithered into Darcel''s team''s ears.

    Accompanying the voice was a wave of small mystical power that gave the trio full consciousness and slight control over their bodies.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all snapped their eyes fully open. Wearily the trio shakingly picked themselves off the ground, working past the reminder pain.

    At this point, it''s taking tremendous effort on their part to not collapse over, but they had no other options but to stand up now.

    Once in a standing position, Hao Cao leaned on Aniela, and Aniela leaned on Darcel. Their eyes tactically met each other for a brief second. They knew even walking far was out of the question, so their only option was to turn around and meet whoever just saved them.

    Slowly they turned around and came face to face with a handsome, middle-aged man. This man had slick black hair that swayed to his neck and charmingly noble facial features.

    The man had also worn the brightest orange robes Darcel and Aniela had ever seen before. On the robes was also a luxurious design of the mystical God Beast of the Roc.

    The man stood tall and proud, towering over Darcel''s team as if he was the complete superior.

    His aura was even more overwhelming than the bear and possibly slightly greater than Teacher Zala! Although Darcel couldn''t tell for sure.

    In the man''s left hand was a short silver sword drenched in blood. And behind the man was the slumped over corpse of a beheaded bear.

    Having a better look at the Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao now, the man''s eyes lit up in an ominous mysterious twinkle.

 Rivals Resentment

    The handsome orange robe man''s eyes glazed explicitly over Darcel and Aniela.

    He could recognize that specific style of uniform from a mile away. It was the Zakira Academy Core level uniform!

    Yet, the ones who were wearing were little mysteries. Only two brats merely in the Nascent Core realm? And it was then the man seemed to realize something.

    A bit of a malicious smile had grown on his face then.

    "Geniuses of the Zakira Academy, eh? Aren''t all of you a bit too weak to be traversing here?" The man correctly assumed these students at least had to have some talent coming to the Labyrinth.

    Getting thrown this question, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao had varying reactions.

    All three of them recognize this man must be from the Quicksilver Roc sect going by the design of his clothes.

    And Darcel and Aniela assumed he must have a pretty high position with those luxurious designs. It was far better than any other robes they''ve seen on the regular disciples, at least.

    Only Hao Cao felt the swell of dread in her eyes. This man was actually recognizable throughout the whole of Zakira City.

    He was one of the top five Roc Elders of the Quicksilver Roc sect!

    In their Zakira Academy, they''ve had widely famous figures such as Teacher Zala or their Vice Principal. And the Quicksilver Roc sect has its own set of powerful and famous Elders to counter them.

    Still, Darcel and Aniela had no way of knowing this. They honestly couldn''t care less about their rivals'' sects and organizations.

    Though the Elder aura was overbearing, Darcel remained as steady as he could under the pain.

    Aniela, however, put on a pleasant wide smile for the Elder. Without any hesitation, she told the Elder, "Maybe we really are too weak, but! Let''s not beat around the bush here. Just why did one of our rivals sect save us?"

    Bold, fearless, and arrogant!

    It was these three words that the Elder used to describe Darcel and Aniela in his mind.

    The boy stared directly into his eyes, showing absolutely no reverence.

    While this girl acted like she was speaking to a junior on the same level as her!

    Only Hao Cao had that slight sense of reverence in her eyes that the Elder picked up on.

    Creasing his eyebrows, the Elder decided to humble the duo a bit. "How bold. But I have no reason to tell three mere juniors, although you three will come with me, yes?" While talking, the Elder leaked a small dosage of his dominating aura.

    Now, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all creased their eyebrows. Barring the Elder''s increased majestic presence, the trio knew this man had obvious malicious intention towards them.

    And instantly, Darcel and Aniela morphed back to their previous expression. Though Aniela''s smile became one that seemed a bit more mocking.

    They both knew the Elder couldn''t just casually kill them, not if he wanted a full-blown out wrath of the Academy.

    Even if their sect was on par with their Academy, the cost of genuinely fighting between each other is far too great. Moreover, at this point, Darcel knew there were no other options than this Elder.

    "Perhaps we can come with. But you should clearly know it would be terribly unwise to critically injure us or kill us. We have exclusive connections above even special geniuses." Darcel confidently spoke without a hint of waver in his tone.

    It was then the Elder eyes had slightly widened for a second. Obviously, being able to wear the Core level uniform while still being a Nascent Core already told Darcel and Aniela were very unusual.

    But just from this small interaction, the Elder''s brain clicked back to several sources of information.

    Sources detailing demonic talents the Zakira Academy was fostering.

    One was a bold boy with shoulder-length black hair. And the other was an odd smiling girl with extraordinarily long and noticeable white hair.

    To confirm his theory, the Elder asked a straightforward question.

    "Darcel¡­.and Aniela, right?"

    Instantly, Darcel and Aniela''s face fell, slightly faltering for a second.

    While they knew information about their incredible talented feats would eventually get spread around, they didn''t think they would be so easily recognizable.

    Then again¡­.as Darcel thought about it, he did have to admit that cute little Aniela had the most standout hair in the City. Rarely one would even see flashing colors like Shai Xia vivid pink hair.

    But purely white hair? It indeed would be recognizable!

    And seeing this second of faltering, it told the Elder everything he needed to know.

    The malicious intention brewing inside his heart had suddenly exploded to exponential levels!

    "Ah¡­.so it is so." The Elder ominously spoke with a broadening grin. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Unexpectedly for Darcel''s team, the Elder had then pointed out his arm towards them.

    With just a squeeze of his hand, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao flew right into the Elder palms! None of them could resist this powerful suction force that took away all control from their bodies.

    The Elder roughly grabbed the three shoulders, uncaring about the changing emotions of the trio.

    Hao Cao tried to stay calm but felt incredibly nervous as beads of sweat rolled down her face.

    Darcel''s mind grew incomparably cold. On the outside, his face still manages to retain its calm facade. But on the inside, killing intent brewed like a storm.

    Being treated like a mere ant didn''t sit comfortably with Darcel at all.

    Aniela, all the while, had a smile that blatantly showed her dissatisfaction and frustration. When Darcel glanced at her face, he admittedly had to regard it as one of the fiercest expressions he saw on the girl.

    Yet no matter what kind of looks Darcel''s team had, it all went over the Elder''s head. In fact, the mocking in his smile only seemed to grow.

    "If you two would''ve just said so sooner, we could''ve had a more smoother start. Now then, let''s go see your precious Vice Principal, eh? I''ve just had a run-in with her not too long ago."

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all froze for a second. This truly has to be a testament to bad luck! This Elder seemed to lack the fear of consequences no matter how loft of status the Vice Principal was.

    And while the trio was cursing their luck, the Elder truly did see this as a God-given opportunity.

    Somehow these three were unlucky enough to land here, and he was lucky enough to meet them before their untimely end.

    Devious glints hazed all over the Elder eyes. His relationship between him and the Vice Principal was already an incredibly hostile one. And just recently, he suffered greatly at her hands.

    Now¡­.now it was the time for vengeance!

    Moreover, the Elder was assured what he''ll do in the Labyrinth will never get spread outside.

    Snapping his fingers, the Elder bound Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao in tight Wind Qi.

    Darcel''s team felt their bodies get more tightly pressured than previously. Their teeth gnashed together, their hands clenched, all three of them had to bear with the pain and the Elder devious plans for now.

    "Get comfortable; it won''t be long before we meet her again." The Elder told the trio.

    And with no more words, the Elder blasted off in tow with Darcel''s team at tremendous speeds¡­.

    ¡­.

    Unsuspecting of the upcoming troubles rushing to her, the Vice Principal was slowly treading through the Labyrinth.

    Unlike her students or other youths that came here, she obviously wasn''t in it for resources or experience.

    Her eyes closely zeroed in on even the tiniest of details on the dark red wall.

    For several kilometers, her Spirit Senses covered the smallest of specks on this floor. Though amazingly enough, not even her massively broad Spirit Sense can cover the whole Labyrinth floor.

    But the Vice Principal didn''t mind this as she continued on methodically searching.

    Everything was as normal as it can be until she had abruptly stopped in front of a corpse. Now typically, corpses of Spirit Monster would never affect the Vice Principal.

    And yet¡­.this one was different and familiar.

    The Vice Principal eyebrow furrowed since this bear corpse depicted a gruesome death. There were several large holes in the bear, all with a pale red hue color.

    Its eyes have bulged, nearly popping out of its socket, and sickly red blood dribbled from its mouth. This bear corpse would make the fourth time in a row the Vice Principal came across this kind of death.

    Adding to this strangeness was the fact each bear corpses was only a few minutes of walking distance between.

    Undoubtedly, this phenomenon is far too strange to be called a mere coincidence.

    In the pits of the Vice-Principal gut, a small foreboding feeling brew there. For someone at her strength, not many things can truly make her feel so worried.

    But for some reason¡­.this feeling seems so familiar. Yet she couldn''t precisely identify why.

    However, all thoughts of wanting to explore this matter got abruptly cut off. A powerful presence the Vice Principal was all too familiar with was rapidly approaching her once again.

    "Ahhh¡­.Vice Principal, Zelle. So wonderful for us to meet again." An annoying voice slithered into Vice Principal Zelle''s ears.

    A quiet sigh of displeasure leaked from her mouth as she thought he wouldn''t return so soon or again for that matter.

    Slowly, Vice Principal Zelle turned around, ready to shoo off this annoyance once again. However, when her body turned halfway and saw who was with the Elder, her heart ran cold.

    Immediate confusion and shock sparked in Vice Principal Zelle''s eyes. In that nuisance of an Elder hand were Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao!

    They all stare wide-eyed at her, feeling slightly hopeful.

    Although Vice-Principal Zelle just couldn''t understand it. She knew for sure anyone of those three would be far smarter enough to never attempt going past the third level.

    And even then, the fourth level would''ve been far too much for them!

    Seeing this much shock and confusion inside Vice-Principal Zelle''s face gave the Elder much glee. Finally, he could begin to see the despair of one incredibly prideful woman.

    "I see; you''re surprised to see these three, right? I just so happened to wonder upon them and even saved them from getting brutally mauled."

    The Elder spoke in a superior, condescending tone, genuinely believing he holds all the cards now.

    Hearing the tone and seeing the stature the Elder attempting to take caused Vice-Principal Zelle to quickly regain her unbreakable facade.

    "Cut the bullshit, Elder Fere; what do you want."

    As always, when this woman talks, she carries this unfathomable powerful tone. But Elder Fere knew this was all about to change. With a growing sinister smile, he told her,

    "Oh¡­.nothing much. It just, we''ve had some past grievances with each other, right? But I''m willing to let it go for some¡­.compensation. After all, I did manage to save your precious student lives."

    Vice Principal Zelle was in a bit of a hard place now. Of course, she would have no problem dispatching Elder Fere even as he''s at the peak level of the Innate Core realm.

    But doing so, Vice Principal Zelle was sure Elder Fere would only use Darcel''s team as a shield for any attack thrown at him.

    Furthermore, Darcel''s team is constrained under his wind Qi.

    Meaning she couldn''t even try to separate them since the trio would just end up following Elder Fere''s body.

    While Vice-Principal Zelle never placed much importance on Hao Cao. She did place the greatest importance and hope on Darcel and Aniela.

    Truly, geniuses like them only appear once in every ten thousand years! Still, Vice Principal Zelle didn''t lose her calm and directly declared, "Just state it now, Elder Fere."

    Hearing the antsy in Vice Principal Zelle tone only further Elder Fere satisfaction.

    He began to open his mouth, but right then, he and Vice-Principal Zelle Spirit Sense spiked!

    Abruptly he and Vice-Principal Zelle jumped back as a blindingly large red object was hurled straight at them.

    ''Thud!''

    What crashed into the wall and onto the ground was a massive glowing red bear corpse.

    And this specific corpse caused all conversations between the seniors to stall.

 From The Dead

    What laid between Elder Fere and Vice-Principal Zelle was a gruesome, bloody corpse of a Spirit Monster bear.

    It held bright bloody gaping holes filled with sickly red blood. And faint red hue spots covered its whole body like a horrid pox.

    Elder Fere found the corpse incredibly odd. Never had he seen a Spirit Monster corpse killed in such a strange way.

    Although Vice-Principal Zelle began to feel the slightest of chills seeing the same type of corpse literally thrown at them.

    And yet the corpse itself wasn''t the strangest thing for the seniors.

    Obviously, for the bear corpse to be thrown here, somebody had to be somewhat nearby. However, neither Elder Fere nor Vice-Principal Zelle sensed anyone close.

    It was only on Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao''s faces that an incredible sense of dread filled them. The spine-chilling feeling of a crisis swelled in their chest like a chaotic storm.

    That sickly putrid red fluid¡­.it was an image forever imprinted in Darcel''s team mind. Their pupils largely dilated, and one horrifying thought struck them like a bomb.

    That grotesque creature, it''s here!

    Somehow again, it was like their destiny and fates was meant to be aligned with that disgusting creature!

    No matter what now, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao just have to warn the seniors.

    However, right when Darcel proceeded to open his mouth, the corpse of the large bear eyes had suddenly regained clarity!

    And in the same motion, the should be dead bear, shot right back up to its free, standing tall.

    The suddenly alive bear tower over everyone there. And everyone simply couldn''t believe what just happened.

    Elder Feres stopped moving entirely. Vice Principal Zelle had endless confusion in her eyes, and Darcel''s team was locked in astonishment.

    For sure, when they all delved their Spirit Senses into the bear, it was absolutely dead! Zero signs of life came from it, and even its soul has dissipated.

    So just how¡­.just how is it still standing?!

    What added to everyone''s shock as well was the dynamic expression accompanying the bear face.

    Despite being seemingly alive and standing, immense pain overfilled its face.

    A berserk haze was apparent in its maddening blood-red eyes. Several red hue spots on its body began slowly glowing. Furthermore, an abrupt exertion of chaotic aura spewed out of the bear.

    Elder Fere and Vice-Principal felt the unexpected danger increase since this monster was at the Innate Core realm''s peak level!

    Their state of sudden shock only lasted for a second, however.

    Quickly clarity regained back on their faces, yet before they could attempt anything, the bear mouth started to spasm. Sickly pale blood foamed from its mouth as its aura became further chaotic.

    Vice Principal Zelle saw the bear shifting its mouth in a process to open it.

    And in a split second while it was doing so, her eyes snapped over to Elder Fere.

    In his surprise and confusion, he momentarily let go of Darcel''s team, getting rid of the wind bind on them.

    Although when doing so, the trio already looked like they were going to immediately collapse. This bear sudden turbulent aura surge was far too chaotic to instantly kill them. Still, it was enough to heavily worsen their injuries.

    And it was this split-second moment that Vice Principal Zelle used to her advantage.

    Before the bear could snap open its mouth, Vice Principal Zelle''s long blue hair had suddenly shot towards Darcel''s team.

    Her speed was nearly matching the velocity of actual lightning!

    In one second, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao had nearly passed out in excruciating pain from the bear aura.

    Yet in the next split second, the three felt something firm but gentle wrap over their waists.

    This gentle hold on their bodies provided Darcel''s team with stability. Tender power flowed through the trio bodies, yet on instinct, none of them even attempted to resist it.

    Elder Fere was, of course, unaware of this.

    Precisely at the same time, Darcel''s team was covered, the Spirit Monster bear mouth snapped fully open.

    With wild surges of Innate Qi spewing into the wind, the bear unleashed a mighty roar!

    ¡°RWAAAA!!!¡±

    The bear booming shout was filled to the brim with powerful peak Innate Qi energy! Frantic waves of Innate Qi stormed for miles, and the floor trembles from the sheer onslaught of power.

    Promptly, Elder Fere was forced to set up a wind Qi barrier just to resist this mighty roar. Somehow, Elder Fere sensed, this used to be dead bear has power seemingly slightly surpass the peak prowess of Innate Qi!

    A slight pressure had welcomed his body when taking on the bear power and put a bit of worry into his mind.

    And it was then, Elder Fere suddenly remembered the three brats next to him. Surely his weak wind Qi bind wouldn''t be able to fully protect them.

    Yet, when Elder Fere glanced over to Darcel''s team, immediate shock filled his eyes. What was so shocking was the fact none of the three brats were anywhere near close to him!

    Elder Fere didn''t see colossal blood puddles, indicating that the bear roar didn''t explode them into bits.

    So this would only mean¡­.her!

    Hastily, Elder Fere eyes snapped to Vice Principal Zelle in evident frustration.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Standing by Vice-Principal Zelle''s side were Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao!

    All of them were securely wrapped up in three blue strands of hair. Moreover, none of the three youths even felt any pressure from the bear anymore.

    Although Vice-Principal Zelle had to give this bear some regard. A bit of pressure was brought on to her by this bear, mere chaotic aura.

    She didn''t really need to set up a barrier to resist like Elder Fere though it was still concerning.

    After unleashing its mighty roar, the bear head then quickly snapped to Elder Fere. On instinct, it targeted the weakest one here since now it couldn''t sense Darcel''s team because of Vice-Principal Zelle powers.

    "Wha-"

    Elder Fere was in a slight daze since the full brunt of the bear''s chaotic aura locked on to him, but he didn''t even get the chance to finish a single word.

    Like the savage beast it is, the bear pounced at Elder Fere!

    For such a large monster, the bear managed to gain a bit of height in the air as it swiped down its massive bright red claw at Elder Fere.

    "Tch!" Elder Fere simply clicked his tongue at the incoming bear.

    Mobilizing his Innate Qi, Elder Fere swiftly jumped back, spewing fierce wind from his feet and easily dodging the bear claw.

    ''Bang!''

    The bear''s massive claw tore through the dark red stone floor. Spider web-like cracks quickly spread from the sheer overwhelming force of the bear attack.

    Additionally, the bright red hue spots on its body began to glow at a higher intensity rate.

    While Elder Fere dashed back, Vice Principal Zelle had also followed in a similar movement. In tow with Darcel''s team, the four jumped back, and it was at this time Darcel decided to quickly speak up.

    "We need to leave now! Something incomparably deadly is coming right at us!" Hearing Darcel, Vice Principal Zelle immediately became confused.

    Though before she could question, the small familiar foreboding feeling from before had abruptly exploded!

    Her mind was struck with a spine-chilling dreary presence that neared too close for comfort for her. Swiftly, Vice Principal Zelle''s eyes snapped back to Elder Fere, only to see a hair-raising scene.

    While backing away, Elder Fere was furious! His perfectly good plan was all ruined by this damn resurrected bear! Raging wind Qi gathered in both off Elder Fere''s palms as he swiftly decided to split this beast apart.

    Although this would''ve been a right course of action if Elder Fere didn''t get his whole senses thrown into chaos!

    Completely out of nowhere, Elder Fere felt overtaken by a horrendous nauseating sickness.

    Typically, cultivators strong as Elder Fere would never naturally feel mortal sickness.

    Yet at this moment, Elder Fere couldn''t stop heaving his chest, feeling like wanting to throw up his intensities.

    Landing for a second, Elder Fere had to clutch his stomach. Endless questions plagued his mind as he couldn''t understand for a second where this random sickness came from.

    And it was then, in Elder Fere''s single moment of lapse in focus, an abrupt red mist clouded his whole vision!

    Elder Fere spiked up like a hawk as this red mist literally came from thin air. But no matter how hyper-aware he was now, it couldn''t stop the incoming daze.

    Quickly, the red mist drilled into Elder Fere''s bloodstream. The nauseation and daze trance only worsen for Elder Fere then.

    Stinging pain tingles throughout his body, but he didn''t completely shut down in pain like many others did before in the red mist.

    He was only having an incomparably hard time focusing.

    But his ears did manage to pick up the loud rustling of the bear pouncing towards him again. With his senses, all distorted, Elder Fere could only go on the defensive now.

    Yet, when trying to stir his Innate Qi, he felt his flow of Qi get heavily disrupted! Plus, a slight burning pain jolted his body for even attempting to use his Qi.

    "Damn it! What is-Damn!!" Elder Fere fiercely cursed as the bear decided to use his second of failing to gather Qi to attack him!

    Just a few feet away from his face was the bear massive claw that now glowed in an intense bright red hue.

    Elder Fere had no other option but for a haste counter attack now.

    Hurriedly he pushed past the pain and stir a small portion of his Innate Qi into his right fist.

    In a split second Elder Fere struck out his fist, violently clashing against the bear''s massive red hue claw.

    ''BANG!''

    "AAHH!! YOU!!"

    Elder Fere roared out in tremendous pain as he got sent flying backward.

    Scorching pain drilled into his hand and arm, and on his hand, his skin was bursting off in gruesome, bloody fashion.

    Waves of pain were then transferred throughout Elder Fere''s entire body. Moreover, Elder Fere was feeling his body naturally becoming weaker and frail.

    And this was all from merely one attack?!

    Wild feral killing intent bloomed into Elder Fere''s eyes. Gritting his teeth, he forced past the pain and forcefully skidded on the ground to stop himself.

    This genuinely was like a sudden terrible nightmare!

    Yet, before Elder Fere could make any judge of the situation, the bear pounced at him once again. Being pushed in a corner already flamed the severe hatred in Elder Fere''s chest.

    "Enough of this!!" Elder Fere shrieked in naked killing intent.

    Uncaring about anything else, Elder Fere forcefully surged a tremendous amount of Innate Qi into his hand. His body broke down at an even quicker rate this way, but Elder Fere only wanted blood.

    "Gale Reaper!!" Elder Fere thrust out his hand and roared at the top of his lungs.

    Immense surges of Innate Qi spewed out of Elder Fere, slightly surpassing the bear peak prowess! And out from Elder Fere hands, blasted a short form of wind Qi in the shape of a scythe!

    ''Chi!!''

    The Wind Qi scythe savagely tore through the bear''s chest, creating a massively wide bloody gaping hole there. Chunks of blood, guts, and bones spewed into chaotic storms of winds.

    Elder Fere had a smile in slight delight once seeing a direct killing hit.

    Although that smile couldn''t stay long as in the bear''s massive hole, a terrifying intense red hue sparked there.

    Elder Fere couldn''t react at all when the spark of red hue suddenly burst into numerous droplets of putrid red fluids! The vile red fluids blitz straight at Elder Fere, who barely register what had just transpired.

    ''Sssch!!''

    "AH-KEAH-AHHH!!" A blood-curdling scream squealed out of Elder Fere.

    With his defense at the lowest and his Innate Qi all out of control, the putrid red fluid easily drilled all over Elder Fere''s body.

    The rotten red fluid brought about overwhelming frenzy energy that crushed his organs and bones. Burning searing pain tore into his bloodstreams, further quickening the rate of his torture.

    Bright red hue spots covered all over Elder Fere''s body. And in a gruesome fashion, each red hue spot burst his skin in sickly red blood.

    Although, even with all of this, Elder Fere was still hanging on strong.

    But deep inside, Elder Fere was also feeling something poisonous trying to damage his soul. Elder Fere''s soul was tremendously tough at his stage and can support even the worst of injuries on his body.

    Even brutal injuries like his current one can Elder Fere keep going because of his soul.

    And now, it was like this red mist was also trying to cause irreversible damage to his soul! Luckily for him, the attempt was unsuccessful as his soul could ward off the red mist.

    But this process allowed for Elder Fere to be left wide open.

    Unknown to Elder Fere, a bright red tongue sailed straight at his back, reaching breakneck speeds.

    The tongue penetrated directly into the red mist, and brutally tore through Elder Fere''s chest.

    ''Chi!''

    Gushes of blood poured from Elder Fere like a fountain as the bright red tongue savagely appeared right through his chest. Making his hell even worse, Elder Fere felt his blood getting sucked right out of him!

    And it was then, Elder Fere finally called it quits. Amazingly, Elder Fere ignited his Spatial ring and brought out an escaping talisman.

    He wasted no moment in crushing it, causing,

    ''Chi!!''

    A bright purple flash to drown his body and teleport him directly out of this irreversible situation.

    From behind, the terrifying human-like creature retracted its tongue. Clenching its claw, the creature made the mist go away and swiftly turned its sight on its next prey.

    Only, the creature got surprised as he looked down the long hallway.

 Only One Option

    There was actually absolutely no one in the human-like creature vision and its Spirit Senses! Now the creature closed its eyes and entirely focused on finding any human signature nearby.

    But its search only turned up negative. Somehow that group managed to run immensely fast enough to escape its Spirit Sense.

    It wasn''t even like the group was hiding since it would''ve been able to vaguely sense that as well.

    With no other options, the human-like creature simply continued its trek down the dark red hallway. It only moved a few feet, but abruptly then the creature stopped dead in its tracks.

    Like a hawk, the creature''s head snapped to the left side of the dark red hall.

    Now, this part of the wall looked utterly the same as all other parts of the walls. There wasn''t even the slightest indication of a hidden room beyond these walls.

    Yet, the creature tongue eerily swirled out of its mouth. A bright red glow enriched its tongue, causing bubbles of putrid red fluid to appear on its tongue.

    With a simple flick of its tongue, the creature sprayed its horrid red fluid all over the wall.

    ''Sssch!''

    The accompanying sound of its putrid fluids melting the wall slithered into the creature''s ears.

    What laid beyond the melted dark red wall was¡­.merely more dark red stones.

    However, this didn''t discourage the human-like creature in the slightest.

    More putrid red fluid flicked from its tongue, drilling continuously into this one spot of the wall.

    And the creature continued its questionable descent into the barren wall.

    Back on the outside, close to where Elder Fere fought the creature, it stayed utterly silent for several minutes. Undoubtedly if anyone were to pass by now, they would think nobody was here.

    But it was suddenly then, a hand covered in a dark purple robe reached out of the wall!

    From behind the hand, a whole portion of the dark red wall had enkindled in an enchanting blue glow.

    "Finally¡­. it''s gone." Out from the wall, Vice Principal Zelle pulled her full body! It was like she thoroughly blended into the dark red wall!

    And Vice Principal Zelle wasn''t alone.

    "Fuuu¡­.that thing can even take on monsters like you guys now. I don''t think that creature has a limit on its terrifyingness!"

    Aniela stated as herself, Darcel, and Hao Cao all stepped out from the wall behind Vice-Principal Zelle.

    The trio now felt a bit better after hiding. Vice Principal Zelle''s warm power stabilize some of their injuries to the point where they could at least walk a bit.

    "It certainly has its spine-chilling moment, but I think we just witness a limit of the creature. Not even it could see through Vice-Principal powers." Darcel assuredly asserted, and the girls were inclined to believe that.

    What Vice-Principal Zelle had just performed was the mysterious power of illusions. They had genuinely blended into the wall, becoming one with it and taking them out of sight and Spirit Senses.

    This hiding method was far superior to any concealing talisman as even beings with extraordinarily special Spirit Senses can''t even pick up on her illusion.

    Although Vice-Principal Zelle wouldn''t be able to hold this state for very long.

    Before speaking to Darcel''s team, Vice Principal Zelle ignited her hand in enchanting blue light. With a snap of her fingers, Vice Principal Zelle formed another blue illusion barrier around them. However, it wasn''t as powerful as the previous illusion.

    But it will do well enough to hide them from any Spirit Monster bears on this floor. Speaking of this floor, Vice Principal Zelle''s attention had then quickly settled on Darcel''s team.

    "Well? Just how the hell you three manage to get here? I know for sure even the third floor would become too much for you and that''s not even speaking of the previous floor before this one." Vice Principal Zelle swiftly questioned them.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao all traded a glance. An unspoken signal was formed between them as Darcel nodded his head.

    He was the one to answer Vice-Principal Zelle, saying,

    "Because of that damn creature, we somehow shot right up here. That thing sneaked up on us and was planning on killing us until Aniela got out our escaping talisman. Unfortunately, that thing damaged our talisman, making it go haywire and transported us here." Darcel gave her the general gist of the story.

    Vice Principal Zelle leaked a small sigh. She shook her head a bit as neither she nor the Principal could''ve ever expected such a fearsome creature like that one.

    Each group of students was only granted one escaping talisman.

    To acquire these talismans doesn''t come cheap at all. Even for their Zakira Academy, they had to pay quite a substantial heft sum just to supply each student''s group with one escaping talisman.

    Moreover, Vice Principal Zelle and the Principal knew there would be no Spirit Monster that could directly interrupt the students'' escape.

    At least, it was that way until now.

    Looking at how lucky Darcel''s team was to survive this far, Vice Principal Zelle could only hope the other students didn''t run into that creature.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    "Since it came to this point, I shall send you three out with my own escaping talisman then."

    "Eh? Vice Principal? When did you get one?" Hao Cao confusedly asked.

    Unmistakably, with Vice Principal Zelle''s strength, she could enter and leave the Labyrinth if she really wanted to. Just having another escaping talisman seemed a bit redundant in Hao Cao''s eyes.

    "You don''t have to concern yourself with that. Now-" Vice Principal Zelle''s spatial ring flashed, and she had fished out a bright purple talisman.

    But before she could finish her sentence,

    ''Rumble!! Rumble!!''

    The whole dark red floor began to ferociously quake like several earthquakes were going off all at once! It was like the entire Labyrinth was shifting apart under this violent tremor.

    "Wha-what''s with this place?!" Aniela shouted as she reinforced her legs with Nascent Qi to not fall on her ass. On her, Darcel, and Hao Cao''s faces, a sense of immediate crisis filled them.

    They only had a faint, fleeting guess, but the trio think that creature had something to do with all this shaking!

    And going off that creature horrifying feats, it wasn''t out of the realm of possibility.

    Vice Principal Zelle also follows a similar train of thought. It was especially odd as she recalled how that creature kept on digging into the wall.

    Abruptly then, Vice Principal Zelle''s eyes flashed as if she just realized something significant.

    But first, Vice Principal Zelle had bigger priorities. Quickly she poured Innate Qi in her talisman and floated it to hover above Darcel''s team head.

    Surges of purple magical power wrapped around the trio like a vortex.

    Yet, when the wisps of magical power appear, it immediately disperses into thin air.

    Under the Labyrinth''s shaking, the escaping talisman magical power was interfered with, rending it utterly useless now.

    Great disappointment flashed on Vice Principal Zelle''s face. She had to leak out another small sigh since, as of now, she was left with only one option.

    And that is to trace back portals leading to the entrance of the Labyrinth.

    "Wait¡­.what happened? Did the talisman fail?" Aniela questioned Vice-Principal Zelle.

    For the briefest of moments, she, Darcel, and Hao Cao felt the familiar swirls of magical power around them. Only for it to immediately disperse, not even a second later.

    "Indeed, it must''ve been because of that revolting creature. Hao Cao sense out the portal that leads to the lower level aura floor. I can''t precisely distinguish these portals, which would only make our escape longer. And you three need to get out of here now." Vice Principal Zelle stated to Hao Cao.

    Hao Cao didn''t speak but had poured immense soul power into her eyes. Streaks of radiant purple electricity sparked from her eyes in a dazzling sight.

    Spreading her Sixth Sense out, Hao Cao was surprised by this floor.

    Compared to the previous ones, this floor holds far more portals in the general vicinity. It surpassed what she could find in the general area of the earlier floors.

    Plus, some portals held distinct weaker auras than others. Sweetly smiling, Hao Cao planned to answer until,

    ¡°KEAAAHH!!!¡±

    Multiple roars of ferocious, feral Spirit Monsters blared out throughout the whole Labyrinth floor. Along with the cries, the Spirit Monsters auras all chaotically erupted in violent wild storms.

    The floor that had slowed down in its trembling began to quake again from the onslaught of sudden chaotic eruptions of power!

    Vice Principal Zelle had even sensed several Spirit Monsters at the legendary Heavenly Transformation realm!

    "Tch¡­." Vice Principal Zelle clicked her tongue since they were utterly surrounded.

    In only a matter of seconds, all Spirit Monster went wild in their roaming, and some incredibly powerful ones were coming to their spot.

    Now she was forced into only one other option. Vice Principal Zelle quickly shot out her blue hair and wrapped Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao up once again.

    The trio naturally didn''t resist and actually quite liked the feeling of Vice-Principal Zelle''s hair. It was surprisingly soft and warm, providing the three with energy that somewhat alleviated their remaining pain.

    "Surprisingly warm and comfortable..." Darcel quietly leaked out.

    "Fuuu~, it''s almost like a warm bed~." Hao Cao softly sighed.

    "Mnnh...it''s just so-Ah!" Aniela was also beginning to comment until her, Darcel, and Hao Cao felt their bodies get quickly pulled.

    The trio didn''t get a chance to bask in this warm, gentle energy at all. In tow with Darcel''s team, Vice Principal Zelle sprang towards the man-made hole in the wall by that disgusting creature, unhesitatingly dashing right in it.

    This was their only clear option left. Vice Principal Zelle couldn''t go out and search for portals now with all the raging Spirit Monsters.

    Any attempt to fight with these Spirit Monsters would only result in Darcel''s team death. And with this entrapment of surrounding Spirit Monsters, they were all bound to attack, making fighting inevitable.

    After a few minutes of running into the whole, all Vice-Principal Zelle and Darcel''s team saw was an endless dark red stone.

    But just then, a bright white silverish streak of light refracted into their eyes.

    Taking the initiative, Vice Principal Zelle rushed further towards the light. Just behind her, she already sensed the swarms of Spirit Monsters all wildly rushing the halls.

    Some were even venturing into the hole, causing Vice-Principal Zelle to speed up her dash.

    Eventually, Vice Principal Zelle''s group came up to the center of the silverish white light.

    And of course, one familiar horrifying creature entered their sights.

    The human-like creature was stabbing one of its claws into a silverish white large round object embedded into the wall. The object in question appeared to look like a Spirit Monster core, only this one was much larger.

    Furthermore, this core-like object exuded an unfathomably powerful aura that managed to seep into even Vice-Principal Zelle''s barrier.

    And sensing this aura caused Darcel and Aniela to furrow their eyebrows.

    It was strange. This aura carried an odd sense of familiarity. But no matter how hard the duo tried to align what was familiar about the aura, it felt like their minds were being blocked by something.

    "Ah! This thing just never stops with its growth¡­." Hao Cao quietly breathed out next to Darcel and Aniela, forcing the duo to return to reality.

    And indeed, their eyes narrow once sensing the overwhelming might of the human-like creature.

    They didn''t know what level the creature was at, but they could tell it certainly advanced in the True Soul Core realm.

    But Vice-Principal Zelle was accurately able to tell this thing held the exact same aura prowess as a fifth level True Soul Core warrior!

    And that was the only thing Vice-Principal Zelle could describe about the creature.

    Other than its aura prowess, the creature held zero familiarity with their regular cultivation system. Hell, Vice Principal Zelle reckon this creature had a vastly different cultivation style never before seen.

    The only silver lining news Vice-Principal Zelle did manage to pick up was how all Spirit Monsters seemed to be avoiding this one specific spot.

    They all either stopped traveling in the hole or went off in different directions in the hole.

    Yet, it made it all the clearer that this creature was manipulating the whole uprising here.

    Before either side could make a move, Vice Principal Zelle''s eyes matched with the human-like creature''s bright red glowing eyes.

    Killing intent bloomed in both of their eyes, each of them having a wild hint of cruel savagery.

    Vice Principal Zelle prepared to act, but right then, a blindingly intense silverish white glow enriched the creature''s whole body!

 Final Hurdle

    Before they even began fighting, Vice Principal Zelle was thrown into a slight surprise.

    This intense vivid white glow seemed to fuse with the creature''s body! An onslaught of chaotic power erupted from the white light like frantic cyclones.

    "Kehh!!" The creature swirled its tongue in its mouth and snapped it wide open.

    While in Vice Principal Zelle''s slight state of surprise, the creature blew out a stream of putrid red fluids at her.

    Instantly, Vice Principal Zelle regained back clarity. The putrid stream of red fluid blitz towards her at lightning-like speeds, yet Vice-Principal Zelle could swiftly react to this.

    In merely a split second, Vice Principal Zelle ignited her hand in beautifully bright blue flames.

    The bright blue flames elegantly danced around her hand as she raised it up to create a vast dazzling wall of blue flames!

    Now it was the creature''s turn to be taken for a surprise. Nobody, besides that pair of boy and girl, nobody could appropriately react to its attack!

    Still, the creature pressed on its putrid stream of red fluids in ferocious killing intent. Its blast of red liquids sailed right into Vice Principal Zelle''s blue flames, violently clashing against it.

    ''Sssch!!''

    Abhorrent sounds of sizzles slithered into Vice Principal Zelle''s ears. The putrid stream of red fluids had nearly managed to drill into her blue flaming wall.

    But, ultimately, the creature''s red fluids stalled right in the middle of the blue flames.

    Instantly, the creature''s eyes narrowed on Vice Principal Zelle.

    Explicit recognition of a threat filled his vision when watching the elegant blue flames of Vice-Principal Zelle.

    For her, she will be its most excellent prey yet!

    The human-like creature had then mobilized its enhanced power like raging storms. It''s signature spine-chilling red mist gathered into its mouth, only now, the red mist held a slight eerie darker shade.

    Snapping its mouth open, the human-like creature spewed outs its horrifying red mist before Vice-Principal Zelle could go on the offensive.

    Quickly, the horrid red mist sprayed everyone in this small space, creating a dark red hell.

    However, Vice Principal Zelle only felt a slight sickening feeling. It was nowhere near the level of nauseating that Elder Fere had experienced and slaught through.

    Moreover, this little sick feeling didn''t bother Vice-Principal Zelle in the slightest. Something like was as trivial as a small cold for her.

    The chilling darker red mist began to ominously swirl around her blue illusion barrier, sealing all avenues of escape.

    Yet, Vice Principal Zelle only took a single glance behind her. Once making sure Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao wasn''t affected by the mist, both her hands had then blazed in luminous blue flames!

    Instantly, Vice Principal Zelle began moving her hands at lightning-like speeds, to the point Darce''s team stared a bit wide-eyed at her hand.

    It was all merely a blue fire blur when watching her hand!

    Although, Darcel could vaguely point out Vice-Principal Zelle seemed to be doing some sort of hand signs. And with each completed hand sign Darcel presumed, her blue flames only picked up in its raging intensity.

    All around Vice-Principal Zelle''s group, the appalling red mist had mysteriously slowed down when trying to cover them.

    In Vice-Principal Zelle''s body, a special kind Qi surged in her, a Qi that was tremendously superior to Innate Qi in every possible way.

    It was a power close to the mythical Heavenly Transformation Realm, yet only a small step away. This was the critical half step state of the Heavenly Transformation realm!

    Vice Principal Zelle couldn''t will complete Heavenly Qi. Still, she could use a small vague portion of it to triumph over any Innate Core realm cultivator.

    Sparks of blazing blue flames flashed against the chilling red mist as Vice-Principal Zelle was near completed with her hand signs.

    This process only took merely a couple of seconds. With one last hand sign, a torrent of immense blue fires crazily spewed up from Vice Principal Zelle''s body!

    ''Ssssch!!''

    Vice Principal Zelle''s torrent of dazzling blue flames formed into a whirlwind blue fire vortex!

    The scorching blue fire vortex clashed with darker red mist, holding it in place and even negating small parts of the mist.

    Both sides of darker mid mist and raging blue fire vortex kept each other at bay.

    No matter how much Vice-Principal Zelle''s flames negate the red mist, the human-like creature would instantly spew out more.

    And yet, the creature couldn''t simply overwhelm Vice-Principal Zelle''s flames.

    In this stalemate, Vice Principal Zelle''s eye gained a hint of a deep blue glow at her pupils'' center. Her unique kneen eyes manage to see through the complex red mist and blue flames.

    Through their clash of powers, Vice Principal Zelle observed something peculiar about this creature. This creature had kept its bloody red claws drilled tightly into that silverish white core as if it was absorbing it or trying to remove it.

    Smirking at this discovery, Vice Principal Zelle gained a sudden idea. She had seen how the creature''s eyes were having trouble focusing on her group since its own chilling red mist became far too dense.

    In the creature''s lapse of vision, Vice Principal Zelle ammas a massive surge of Heavenly Qi into her mouth.

    Using a split second, she had then spewed out a concentrated stream of blue flames to the right of her from her mouth.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao were at first puzzled at Vice Principal Zelle''s action. Where she exuded her blue flames didn''t seem it would help out with killing this creature.

    That is until this random stream of blue flames quickly began to take shape.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Promptly then, Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao were taken by colossal shock.

    This stream of blue flames swiftly formed into an exact clone of Vice-Principal Zelle!

    Down to the tiniest of detail, this clone was a perfect replica of Vice-Principal Zelle. It even held the same hand signs as the original when it was finished forming.

    ''Cloning, huh¡­.I didn''t think it was-hm? Where did she go.''

    Darcel was commenting in his mind, but right he had taken his eyes off the clone, the original Vice-Principal Zelle was nowhere to be seen.

    Aniela and Hao Cao had also noticed this sudden disappearance leading them to quirk their eyebrows. All three tried to spread out their Spirit Senses to find her, but they could only pick up the clone signature.

    While with the human-like creature, it was growing weary of this troublesome stalemate.

    Taking a split second to change its course of action, the creature poured less of the mysterious core power into its mist and had then poured it into its eyes.

    Instantly the creature''s vision became far better than previously.

    Effortlessly it saw through the dense mix of red mist and blue flames, spotting Vice-Principal Zelle still standing around in the same pose.

    Twitching its lips upwards in a cruel grin, the creature decided to unleash a surprise to its most powerful prey.

    A small glow of silverish white flashed in its mouth for the briefest of seconds.

    Swiftly then, the creature snapped open its mouth and spat out one condensed drop of its putrid red fluids.

    This drop of fluid surpassed any speed the creature attacked with before as it quickly tore through its and Vice-Principal Zelle''s clash of power.

    And yet the human-like creature had immediately stiffened up all at once. For the first time since breaking into this Labyrinth, a real sense of dreading crisis took over its mind.

    Hastily, the creature tore its claw out of the silverish white core. And in the same motion, the creature quickly jumped to its right as it abruptly felt the temperature spike up to boiling degrees.

    Looking over to what tried to attack it, the creature''s eyes slightly widen. Its eyes caught a long blue spiral sword enriched in dazzling blue flames right by the silverish white core.

    And of course, one who was wielding this glamorous sword was Vice-Principal Zelle!

    She had found it a bit impressive that the creature managed to dodge, but currently, that didn''t matter now.

    Her confidence in killing this thing had just skyrocketed!

    Now that it was separated from that mysterious core, it shouldn''t be able to hold power to match her. After all, she thought that the peak Innate Core bear was the main reason Elder Fere miserably lost to the creature.

    Still, staying safe, Vice Principal Zelle didn''t try to give chase to the creature.

    Instead, she caused the blue flames on her spiral sword to chaotically surge, exuding a prowess above peak Innate Core power.

    Gathering an immense amount of Heavenly Qi, Vice-Principal Zelle horizontally swiped her spiral sword and unleashed a horizontal beam of raging blue flames.

    It was all but impossible to dodge in the creature''s position. It had no other options but to face her attack head-on.

    And though Vice-Principal Zelle was confident about her attack, her eyes had abruptly widened the next second watching the creature.

    Before the beam of huge blue flames hit it, the creature gnashed its rotten teeth, forcefully mobilizing the mysterious extra power within its body.

    Mysterious energy from that core still courses through the creature''s body, and at its feet, a dark red glow shimmered with a speck of a silver shine.

    The creature held zero hesitation and dived straight at Vice Principal Zelle''s elegant blue fire beam!

    Vice Principal Zelle''s powerful suppressing aura prowess didn''t matter in the slightest. Granted by the mysterious core power, the creature tore through Vice-Principal Zelle''s aura in its maddening descent.

    ''Bang!''

    Waves of blue flames spiraled in a turbulent storm as the creature managed to tear straight through Vice-Principal Zelle''s attack!

    At the tip of the creature''s claw, wisps of blue flames burned there, but the creature didn''t care for the scorching pain at all.

    However, no matter how fast the creature went, Vice Principal Zelle had lightning like reactions. At the nanosecond, Vice Principal Zelle narrowly dodged the creature''s charging red hue claws.

    Though while dodging, Vice Principal Zelle suddenly felt this burning sensation in her blood. Her eyes quickly snapped to the creature''s claw, spotting slight wisps of red mist shooting towards her.

    Ignoring this burning sensation, Vice Principal Zelle could still efficiently mobilize her Qi and body, unlike other previous victims.

    Quickly, Vice Principal Zelle counter-attack by speedily swiping her blue flaming spiral sword at the unexpecting creature.

    Undoubtedly like many of its previous victims, the creature at least expected to hear a scream or grunt of pain.

    But Vice-Principal Zelle went against the grain again.

    Hastily, the creature sparked a considerable sum of the mysterious core power, enriching its body in a brief white glow.

    ''BANG!''

    Savagely, Vice Principal Zelle smacked the creature away for a meter, feeling like she just clashed with hardened magical steel.

    Simultaneously she had also noticed that brief silverish white glow enriching the creature before she struck.

    Vice Principal Zelle didn''t become shocked or let her mind go at this revelation. No matter how much that mysterious core power is in the creature, she was assured it''ll eventually run out.

    Though, the creature didn''t stay idle after getting struck.

    Immense burning pain scorched its body, and a patch of blue flames was around its stomach. It also honestly didn''t have much of that mysterious core power left, but it was enough for its next course of action.

    There was something very....unique about Vice Principal Zelle''s power it had notice.

    Flipping itself in midair, the creature put one foot on the ground while also mobilizing a tiny portion of the mysterious core power.

    All at once, in a split second, the creature swirled out its tongue and flicked multiple droplets of putrid dark red fluids.

    The fluids blasted off with immense speeds, but Vice Principal Zelle was always one step ahead.

    Before the droplets even reached her, she dodged to her left while also surging more Heavenly Qi into her spiral sword.

    Right when doing so, Vice Principal Zelle was prepared for the appearance of the creature who rushed right along with the droplets of fluids.

    Once again, blue flames raged intensely on her spiral sword as Vice-Principal Zelle fiercely swiped down.

    But in a surprise twist, the human-like creature crashed its foot into the ground. Strangely the creature bent its body in such a way impossible for a human.

    Doing so allowed the creature to dodge the initial strike of Vice-Principal Zelle''s blue flaming spiral sword.

    Quickly then, the creature shimmered a silverish white glow at the tip of its claw and savagely struck out to Vice Principal Zelle''s face.

    Abruptly, Vice Principal Zelle relied on her lightning-like reaction speeds and swiftly struck her spiral sword at the creature''s red hue claw.

    Blue flaming spiral sword clashed against red hue claws, but Vice Principal Zelle had immediately overpowered the creature even with the mysterious core power.

    ''BANG!''

    The creature once again got sent flying back like a bullet.

    Only this time, the creature used the sheer overwhelming force of Vice-Principal Zelle''s attack to crash right into the silverish white core!

    The core was initially tightly embedded into the wall, but after the creature violently crashed into it, the core was smacked out of its place.

    Swiftly, the creature had latched on to the core, drilling its claws deeply into it once again.

    This time massive changes happened when drilling into the core. The creature could freely use more of its power!

    Previously it was like something was binding the mysterious core into the wall. Yet, now, thanks to Vice Principal Zelle''s unique power, it was able to set the core free.

    A massive frown etched on Principal Zelle''s face as she knew the battle''s whole situation had just massively changed.

    A harsh silverish white glow pierced into her eyes as she saw the creature become entirely encased in this glow. Even with her lightning speeds, she couldn''t prevent this from happening.

    In an instant, the creature snapped its body over in midair, glaring into Vice Principal Zelle''s eyes as it landed on the ground.

    ''Whir!!''

    Immediately frantic surges of chaotic blue flames clashed against an intensely dazzling silverish white glow.

    Vice Principal Zelle clenched her spiral sword as she needed to take a split second to gather enough Qi to attack.

    But the creature didn''t need to do it at all now!

    Tremendous waves of power perfectly infused with its body as a bloom of chilling, killing intent glazed into its eyes.

 Massive Shifts

    Instantaneously, the creature''s claw shimmered with a hair-rising dark red hue mixed with a piercing silverish white glow.

    In no time at all, the creature thrust its claw forward and blasted out a chilling dark red hue Qi claw at Vice Principal Zelle!

    The dark red hue Qi claw carried an unfathomable aura that caused even Vice-Principal Zelle to crease her eyebrows.

    Hastily she had to let go of her earlier plan to attack. Right when the dark red hue Qi claw neared her, Vice Principal Zelle still managed to react and swiftly swung her blue flaming spiral sword down at breakneck speeds.

    But right at last split second, Vice Principal Zelle failed to notice the dark red hue Qi claw stopping altogether. Unaware of this oddity, Vice Principal Zelle continued her spiral sword descent on the dark red hue Qi claw.

    ''Bang!!''

    In a sudden twist of events, the dark red hue Qi claw exploded on contact! The explosion force knocked Vice-Principal Zelle back a few steps, and she was forced to drop on her knees.

    Immense pain wracked her body, but it wasn''t because of the explosion of the attack.

    No, when she had struck the Qi claw,  multiple putrid dark red fluids sprayed on to her!

    "Shi-shit¡­." Vice Principal Zelle leaked a small curse of pain as she tried to deal with the overwhelming crushing energy running amok in her body.

    Furthermore, there was also the scorching sensation burning her bloodstreams.

    Although, in a rather unexpected surprise, Vice Principal Zelle still tanked the creature''s putrid fluids better than all other victims.

    And this is even when it''s far more massively powerful thanks to that mysterious core. Still, though, the situation was looking grim for Vice Principal Zelle.

    "Shit! This thing also got Vice-Principal!" Aniela cursed out once seeing Vice-Principal Zelle collapse to her knees. She, Darcel, and Hao Cao can tell now the situation would only worsen from here on out.

    Vice Principal Zelle''s blue fire illusion clone had already melted under the creature''s putrid red fluids. Though it was a perfect replica, it seemed more for diversion tactics and being a glass cannon.

    Now, Darcel''s team only had the illusion barrier to rely on.

    And to think just a little bit before, Vice Principal Zelle had this thing on the robes!

    In this rapidly declining situation, Darcel suddenly realized they had very little hope of surviving.

    It was either experiencing an excruciating death at the hands of this human-like creature or getting brutally mauled by feral Spirit Monsters Bears.

    Though everything was looking hopeless, this hopeless was what got Darcel to click with something vital in his memories.

    The beautiful enhancing image of their Principal flashed in his mind like a guardian angel. And Darcel had then remembered the unique life-saving talisman she gave him.

    Rays of hopeful light burst into Darcel''s eyes then. Hastily he ignited his purple spatial ring to fish out that specific talisman, praying in his mind whatever this was would work here.

    However, right when the shine of his purple spatial ring refracted into Darcel''s vision, a chilling bright red hue pierced into his, Aniela, and Hao Cao''s eyes.

    The trio only had a split second to see a darker bright red hue claw barreling straight at them.

    Despair filled their faces as their only choice right now was to hope this illusion barrier can last against this Qi claw.

    But right at the nanosecond when the Qi claw was going to strike them, Darcel hurriedly grabbed Aniela''s arm. She couldn''t even register Darcel''s hand as the dark red hue Qi claw ferociously clashed against their illusion barrier!

    ''KA-CHA!!''

    Like millions of glass shattering, the illusion barrier was ruthlessly demolished by the dark red hue Qi claw.

    Amazingly though, nearly all of the Qi claw power was absorbed by the barrier, but there was still the Qi claw aftershocks.

    The aftershocks was still far too powerful for any one of the trio to deal with, causing Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao to be flung like ragdolls to the nearest wall.

    The trio all puked blood as they violently crashed into the wall, just barely hanging on to consciousness by a single thread.

    Although while crashing into the wall, Darcel didn''t allow himself any breathing room.

    In one hand, he tightly held on to Aniela''s arm like their life depended on it. And in his other hand, Darcel managed to fish out the Principal talisman while they got flung like ants!

    Every joint in his body screams in immense pain, yet Darcel grit past the pain, gnashing his teeth so hard that more blood pours from his mouth.

    Darcel began frantically pouring tremendous surges of his bloodline power into the talisman, and simultaneously he shouted,

    "Aniela!!"

    Darcel quickly thrust the Principal talisman to Aniela''s face. And when he had shouted her name, Aniela instantly got the message. She, too, had recalled what the Principal told them, which inspired her with a little hope.

    Aniela hastily threw her hand over Darcel''s, immediately pouring massive surges of her bloodline power into the talisman.

    Excruciating pain was roaring at her to stop, but there wasn''t a chance in hell Aniela would let herself and everyone here cruelly die.

    The Principal talisman itself, however, was showing no immediate outward changes. But surrounding Darcel and Aniela''s hand was a unique exotic power they couldn''t quite sense at this time.

    Moreover, they felt an odd warming tingle sensation in their bloodline, which was rather pleasant among their immense pain.

    All the while the duo attempted this, the creature lazily glanced over to Darcel''s team. Hao Cao struggled to stay on her knees while Darcel and Aniela were weirdly holding hands as if they wished for something.

    The creature didn''t notice Darcel taking the Principal talisman while they was sent flying since it thought that those kids would be out for the count. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    But nevertheless, it was apparent to the creature that he''ll need to personally finish these roaches off.

    The creature only took one small step, ready to carve out Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao''s hearts personally with his own claws.

    Yet, suddenly then, the creature immediately became still like a statue.

    Its danger senses continuously ranged in its mind like a thunderous storm coming to swallow him whole.

    And it was then, the creature felt it, an unfathomable power source that burned throughout the whole space!

    Admittedly, when the creature had brought Vice-Principal Zelle to her knees in one attack, a massive confidence boost enhanced its mind.

    Genuinely, the creature didn''t think Darcel''s team had nothing left after trying to escape from their second encounter.

    Alas, he got sorely proven wrong now. Hurriedly, the creature''s head then snapped over Vice-Principal Zelle, who made its eyes enlarge in colossal shock.

    That tremendous source of power had promptly drilled right into Vice Principal Zelle''s body as if she was a beacon of light.

    Instantly, massive changes happen to Principal Zelle''s body.

    Vice Principal Zelle couldn''t tell what was going on. In one minute, she was suffering through excruciating burning pain, but out of nowhere, incredible surges of power imbued into her body!

    Her bloodstreams that were continually suppressed by the creature''s putrid red fluids suddenly erupted with colossal power! It was like something deep in her bloodline was awakening all at once now.

    The raging red fluids in her body couldn''t continue to wreak havoc. A bright flash of a dazzling blue light enriched the whole inside of her body and managed to completely destroy the putrid red fluids.

    On the outside Vice Principal, Zelle''s appearance was rapidly changing.

    A long majestic blue fire aura cloak covered her whole body. This blue fire aura cloak also provided Vice-Principal Zelle with a long blue fire tail that extended from her back.

    "Kraa!!" Vice Principal Zelle stood tall and unleashed a ferocious roar that blasted burning blue flames straight through the dark red ceiling.

    Tremendous swirls of Vice-Principal Zelle''s power made their little space violently tremble, akin to a mini earthquake.

    Around Darcel, Aniela, and Hao Cao, the Principal talisman managed to protect them from Vice Principal Zelle''s berserk power.

    Although Hao Cao was knocked out on the ground and Darcel and Aniela were laid out on the ground, nearly on the verge of passing out as well.

    But in this state, they were still awed by Vice Principal Zelle''s new appearance. What especially got the duo was Vice-Principal Zelle''s bewitching all blue eyes.

    Moreover, the duo also felt their bloodline bring about additional tingling soothing warmth.

    The only one who was experiencing a bout of dread was the human-like creature now. This crazed frenzy power of Vice-Principal Zelle caused numerous worries for the creature.

    Currently, the creature couldn''t even say it was the beginning process of using this mysterious core power.

    Even if this mysterious core can overpower this new state of Vice-Principal Zelle, the creature has no time to call upon that power.

    "Die!!"

    Vice Principal Zelle''s shrieked at the creature, forcing even more pressure on it.

    Before the creature could attempt to do anything, Vice Principal Zelle instantly ammas her frantic power and unleashed a raging blue stream of fire from her mouth!

    Vice Principal Zelle''s radiant blue fire stream shimmered brighter than the creature''s own silverish white glow. Moreover, the power exuded from this attack wasn''t anything the creature could easily tear through.

    The blue fire stream was near-instantaneous, forcing the creature to hastily use its small portion of the mysterious core power.

    It had set up a dark red hue misty wall though it was still overshadowed by Vice Principal Zelle''s ferocious blue flames.

    ''Ssssch!!''

    Amazingly enough, Vice Principal Zelle''s blue fire stream was savagely burning right through the dark red hue misty wall!

    The creature''s pupils dilated to needles as it felt its arm getting profoundly scorched.

    It was then the creature swiftly made up its mind. Indeed, there was very little reason to try to continue this troublesome fight. A flash of information crossed into the creature''s mind for its preparation to leave.

    The creature mobilized the mysterious core power in a specific way only it could know about.

    A bright silverish white glow had suddenly illuminated the whole space!

    ''Chi!''

    Appearing right next to the creature was a silverish white portal. The portal was massively unstable and risky to go through from the creature''s senses, but it was good enough for it.

    The creature only took one single glance back over to Vice Principal Zelle before going into the portal. All he was welcome with was a haunting killing gaze that bore into its very soul.

    And yet, Vice Principal Zelle didn''t continue to attack the creature.

    Not caring why, the creature hastily jumped into the portal, completely disappearing from the Labyrinth.

    Vice Principal Zelle''s recalled her stream of blue flames back into her mouth. From her senses, Vice Principal Zelle picked up on numerous Spirit Monsters rushing to their spot.

    Glancing over to the portal, Vice Principal Zelle knew this was their best shot.

    Going off from how unstable the portal was, Vice Principal Zelle also knew she and the kids would be randomly teleported outside the Labyrinth in a far different location than that creature.

    But it was better than risking running out of steam in the middle of life and death battles.

    Vice Principal Zelle shot her hair towards Darcel''s team, tightly wrapping them all up. When bringing them over to her, Vice Principal Zelle noticed how all three of them had passed out now.

    Quickly, Vice Principal Zelle dashed into the silverish white portal, finally escaping this hellish place once and for all.

    And once going in, the makeshift portal vanished without a trace¡­.

    ¡­.

    Unknown to Vice Principal Zelle''s group and that creature, their battle had set off tremendous rapid shifts in development for everyone else here.

    Spirit Monsters became far more ferocious and wild; traps were becoming perilous. The non-existent danger from before had now become unprecedentedly deadly.

    One such group of many examples experiencing this sudden change was Joyce Ashless''s group.

    She was one of the strongest youths coming to Black Dungeon Labyrinth, having an incredibly smooth time traversing here.

    Until a violent tremor hit the whole Labyrinth. After that, the Spirit Monster became more savage, wild, and powerful. Although it wasn''t anything Joyce and her group couldn''t deal with.

    That was until a second more intense violent tremor quake the Labyrinth to its very foundation.

    Quickly after the second shift, Joyce and her group were forced to the very edge.

    Currently around herself and her group was a large crack purple ashes barrier.

    This barrier that would once stand sturdy against many early level Innate Core blows was now near close to shattering thanks to the ferocious Spirit Monster bats.

    These bats seemingly were coordinating their attack and had erupted with tremendous strength that caught Joyce''s group off guard.

    They had gotten ambushed by these monsters, and only a few minutes into their battle Joyce knew they were in a losing battle.

    No matter what Martial Skill or special talisman her group tried, these bats had counter every attacked everything they threw at them.

    It all built up to this current situation where Joyce had set up her powerful defensive Martial Skill, but even then, her defense wouldn''t hold out for long.

    The most unusual of all about this sudden dramatic turn was in the depths of these bats'' eyes; Joyce could swear there was a faint blue light in them.

    Unwillingness filled Joyce''s face as she didn''t know what to do against these new transform bats.

    That is until a beautiful girl right next to Joyce said, "Screw it! No matter what talisman or skill we use, these bats are impossible to kill! We already gained a lot; let''s just get out of here!"

    This girl was Elyes, one of Joyce''s partners in the disciplinary squad. Weariness filled Elyes'' face as well as she abandoned any hope of leaving this entrapment.

    "Haah¡­.and to think we were just having an easy time. Just what could have changed...." Joyce quietly said to herself while fishing out her escaping talisman.

    Swiftly she crushed the talisman and had wrapped their whole group in purple magical energy.

    Unlike Darcel''s group, Joyce''s group had no problem in using the talisman.

    And with one bright purple flash, she and many others hastily escape out of the now wild Black Dungeon Labyrinth...

 Quality Awakening

    It was warm¡­.soothingly warm like a toasty roast for Darcel.

    Familiar warming Darkness accompany his vision for gods knows how long, but Darcel was kept at peace.

    He couldn''t tell how long it stayed like this, but after an unknown amount of time, it was then specks of sparkling blue flames burst in his Darkness vision.

    These specks of blue flames illuminated with soul-stealing alluring in the profound Darkness, being bewitching for anyone to gaze upon.

    Slowly the dazzling blue flames specks began to morph into what appeared to be a human-like figure.

    Darcel at first guessed it was going to be Vice-Principal Zelle considering she had just experienced that fiery transformation.

    But quickly, his guess soon turned out to be wrong.

    The alluring blue flames morphed into seemingly a young maiden. Darcel couldn''t tell any features about this young girl as the blue flames were just too vague to ascertain.

    But, there was one thing he could tell from the dazzling blue flames. This young maiden appears to have extraordinarily long captivating hair.

    So long that it surpassed even Aniela''s long white hair, going all the way down to the soles of her feet.

    This striking blue fire figure of a girl had her back turned at Darcel.

    Slowly though, the girl figure began to turn around to show what lay on the other side.

    That is until¡­.

    "Huh??"

    Darcel fully snapped his eyes open only to be greeted with a ravishing blue ceiling. Blinking his eyes a couple of times, Darcel knew it was only some sort of weird dream.

    And yet¡­.Compared to all of his others, that dream felt far more unique, at least to him.

    That figure of a girl, whoever she was or if she existed at all, just held a magnetic attraction.

    However, before Darcel''s thought could further delve into the dream, he felt a shift of movement close to his right side and his hand being gently squeezed.

    Looking over to his right did bring a genuine smile to Darcel''s face.

    Of course, it was the ever-present cute Aniela who was doing mild stretches to her body. Her eyelashes were quivering, signaling she was about to awaken.

    And after giving Darcel''s hand one last tight squeeze, Aniela snapped her eyes open.

    Aniela''s profound black eyes meet with Darcel''s deep black ones in a warm exchange. Waking up this way and seeing each other charming faces will never not be pleasant for the duo.

    Moreover, they weren''t in excruciating pain anymore!

    Their multiple crack injured bones, ruptured organs, and excruciating fatigue were all mostly healed up.

    If any average cultivator had suffered the same injuries as the duo had, then undoubtedly, the road for their recovery would be much longer than Darcel and Aniela.

    The dividing line making the speeding recovery would be Darcel and Aniela''s unfathomable bloodline hastening the healing.

    There were even small bits of the creature horrid red mist drilled inside the duo. And yet, because of their mighty bloodline, the poison inside their bloodstreams were all nearly gone.

    "After all those horrors in that Labyrinth, it''s refreshing to wake up to something so pleasant." Darcel warmly told Aniela.

    Frankly, ever since their most intense intimate session, Darcel found it much easier to be intuned with his feelings. It just felt right to spill whatever deep emotion he has.

    And by going off from Aniela''s reaction, Darcel could tell this was the correct path. From the affectionate glistening in her eyes and that sweet cute smile that only seems to grow broader every day.

    It all reminded Darcel how satisfying it is that only he can make Aniela like this.

    And instead of talking, Aniela got closer to Darcel''s face and began to cutely rub her soft nose against Darcel''s surprisingly tender one.

    "Hehehe~, things like this give me endless fuel of energy on top of my already bright energy!"

    "Hmm¡­.your brightness truly never ceases to surprise me, ditzy girl,"

    Darcel said, feeling rather funny while Aniela rubbed her delicate nose on him.

    It certainly wasn''t unpleasant, only¡­.novel in a sense.

    Taking a second, Darcel shifted his head a bit to glance around the whole room they rested in.

    It wasn''t an overly ample room but was quite neat and spacious.

    Furthermore, everything was painted in this dazzling, captivating blue paint. The shade of blue here held a more alluring charm that''ll suck your eyes right into its hypnotic appeal.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    "You know¡­.this room has to be none other than the Vice-Principal room! Everything here is in that same signature blue as her office, plus everything being tidy, neat, and plain just paints her stature." Aniela remarked as her eyes glanced around the room too.

    Slowly, Darcel and Aniela sat up, feeling no great force of trauma or pain while doing so.

    Darcel had then nodded to Aniela''s remark, also saying, "It indeed has to be. No one has this obsession with blue beside her. At least no one we''ve seen so far."

    Although Darcel was casually commenting, there was something in the back of his mind that raised slight thoughts about this blue color.

    It just seemed mystical, somewhat akin to the blue flames he witnessed in his dreams.

    Yet this little rummaging of thought was interrupted when Darcel felt a tantalizing soft weight press down on to his laps. Looking in front of him, a perverse gleaming smile dawned Darcel''s face as he got enchanted by the sight of Aniela''s slight blushing beautiful face.

    "Hehehe~, I don''t think we''ll encounter such an odd one like Vice Principal Zelle again. But, Darcy~. I guess I underestimated how much morning energy I really need~." Aniela seductively breathed down Darcel''s face.

    Darcel immediately felt the flames of lust ignite inside his body like a frantic bomb. Aniela as well experiences the fire of passion fervently stir in her burning loins.

    More so now, both Darcel and Aniela were enchanted by each other alluring natural fragrance.

    Aniela was akin to sweet spring peaches, spewing out an alluring womanly smell.

    While Darcel spouted a strong magnetic scent of a sweet aroma.

    Darcel noticed for a split second that previously, neither had they ever exuded this strong of a captivating scent. But he pushed that down for later, thinking it most likely had to with their bloodline development.

    "You know, for a rare time, I agree. My mouth is feeling a bit dry this morning." Darcel hotly breathed down Aniela''s beautiful tender neck.

    Promptly after speaking, Darcel had then passionately captured Aniela''s lips.

    "Mmnh~! Ahnn~!"

    Immediately, Aniela opened up her mouth once, feeling Darcel''s hot lips grace her.

    Their tongues quickly locked around each other as if they both were desperately dehydrated.

    Darcel felt pure bliss sucking on Aniela''s delectable tongue. Never can he imagine not enjoying the sweet juicy taste of Aniela''s divine liquids and tongue.

    Waves of pleasure, warmth, and satisfaction course through the duo''s body as they enjoyed their sweet kiss.

    And it was then Darcel wanted to feel more of his cute girlfriend.

    Quickly, Darcel began kneading Aniela''s graciously soft breasts as if it was all for him.

    "Nnh~!!"

    The sweet moan of pleasure that slithered into Darcel''s eyes was one of the reasons he loved doing this. That and the fact of how Aniela''s modest breast perfectly fit into his hand.

    Simultaneously, Aniela wasn''t idle at all.

    She wrapped her arms around Darcel, pulling him closer to him. While doing so, Aniela began erotically grinding on Darcel''s lip, further igniting that burst flames of passion.

    The wetness and sexy movement of Aniela on Darcel''s lap nearly made him want to burst right there.

    But through plenty of experience, Darcel held on and savored this intensely hot moment.

    During this moment, Darcel had then caught onto something about Aniela''s looks now that he was fully awake.

    As he always expected, as time went on and they grew to greater heights, Aniela''s looks were not becoming charmingly cute, but instead elegantly beautiful.

    That face of hers now even carried a hint of magnetic seductiveness. And her lovely black eyes seemingly became more captivating and soul-stealing to just stare at them like beautifully sculpture paintings.

    Darcel also assumed his looks had also received a glow up. Going off from the fervent looks in Aniela''s eyes as their tongues passionately danced with each other, he assumed it to be the case.

    ''Mmmh¡­.beauty, huh?'' Honestly, Darcel was now finding a new growing appreciation for Aniela''s beauty and women''s beauty in general.

    There was something so magnetic about them that. His bloodline had also trembled in excitement to explore more deeply into the beauty of women.

    "Mnm~....Ahn~Ahn~! So goood~!!" Aniela breathed out in moans as she couldn''t get enough of Darcel''s tongue.

    Hot steamy trails of saliva dribbled down their chins as their kiss became more intense.

    Darcel was finding there was just something so fulfilling about merely kissing. The warmth, pleasure, and affection from it certainly did help with that fulfilling feeling.

    But compared to massaging Aniela''s soft breast or even her grinding on her wet loins on his hardening pole, it all just didn''t quite compare to the level of intimacy from kissing.

    The intense burning desire Aniela felt for Darcel, he could feel it all the most through their fierce battle of the tongues.

    Furthermore, Aniela''s mouth had a divine addicting taste that is impossible to let go of.

    And Darcel didn''t even realize how much addicted Aniela became engrossed with merely kissing.

    At an even higher intense passion than Darcel, Aniela felt Darcel''s mouth was created by God themselves!

    It was like a drug for Aniela that just kept on pumping out unforgettable waves of pleasure and warmth.

    Quite literally, she could go on for hours of just kissing Darcel.

    But alas, some things aren''t meant to go on forever. Darcel''s sharp Spirit Sense picked on Vice Principal Zelle casually coming up to this room.

    Now it was time for the passionate finish!

    To end this session smoothly, Darcel mobilized a bit of his pure Darkness element.

    At the tip of his tongue, he sparked a black glow and enriched Aniela''s tongue with it.

    "AHN~?!" Aniela''s eyes had immediately burst open wide at the sudden new wave of pleasure.

    Darcel''s tongue had just suddenly become a hundred times more pleasurable!

    Simultaneously, while Aniela was in pleasure shock, Darcel ignited his hand in Darkness glow.

    In perfect sync, Darcel pinched Aniela''s hardened nipples and used his tongue to roughly pull Aniela''s tongue.

    "DAARCCY~!!!"

    Aniela shrieked in pure heavenly bliss as she experienced a tremendous orgasm that rocked her body to its foundation.

    All the energy in her body left her at that moment, making her become warm pudding in Darcel''s lap.

    "Ahhh~, I love your voice Aniela." Darcel similarly felt a climax of his own that caused his soul to wriggle in joy.

    A wave of satisfaction overtook Darcel''s mind and body. For some reason, it just felt too good to make Aniela experience a quaking orgasm.

    "Haah¡­.haah¡­.amazing¡­.as always~." Aniela panted out as she laid right on Darcel''s shoulder.

    Seeing how cute she always got during these times, Darcel began tenderly stroking her lushes white hair.

    "Alright, let''s hurry up and tidy ourselves up now. The Vice Principal is coming pretty soon."

    Out of nowhere then, Aniela had quickly regained her energy and shot her head back up to stare into Darcel''s face. With an alluring broad smile, she told him,

    "Next time, we''re doing it more slowly!!"

 Days Passing

    Standing right outside her room, Vice Principal Zelle had an inquiring expression.

    While coming here, she could''ve sworn there was this exotic, alluring fragrance that vaguely permeated the halls.

    It was strange. Nothing really could ever move Vice-Principal Zelle''s mind, but that fragrance though.

    Something about it just had this hypnotic magnetic feeling.

    Although when Vice Principal Zelle got near her door, that fragrance abruptly went away. Pushing it to the back of her mind, for now, Vice Principal Zelle had then entered her room.

    Immediately she was taken by a slight surprise when observing Darcel and Aniela''s state.

    The mere fact that still wasn''t bedridden was shocking enough.

    But now they''re currently up and about it like they haven''t experienced any major injuries at all. The duo was observing the various unique collections of books Vice-Principal Zelle store on her shelves.

    Indeed with what Vice Principal Zelle saw of the duo when taking them in, it wasn''t questionable that Darcel and Aniela should be out for at least a few more days.

    Then again¡­.with everything they perform so far plus the hidden power brewing inside of those two. Vice Principal Zelle chalked all of this up to the duo''s fierce perseverance and insane potential of their souls.

    When entering her room, the duo seemed to not notice her.

    Clearing her throat did get Darcel and Aniela to snap their heads towards her, each supporting their own small charming smile.

    "Even when battered and broken from before, there''s still never a moment of downtime between you two." As Vice Principal Zelle talked, there was a hint of awe in her voice.

    "Heh~! That''s just natural for us! Own our blood specifically crafted us to never waste a moment of our time." Aniela proudly stated. And there was some undeniable truth in her words.

    Slightly shaking her head a bit, Vice Principal Zelle could vaguely tell if anyone has the qualification to say this, it would be these two.

    "In any case, congratulations on making such a good harvest at the Labyrinth. Frankly, you''re re-"

    "Ah!! Before we continue, Vice Principal, how''s Hao Cao doing?"

    Aniela didn''t hesitate for a second to speak up about her question and cut off Vice-Principal Zelle.

    She was truly too swell in concern to care about formalities with this subject.

    If any other students acted like this, discipline punishment would''ve been enacted accordingly to respect. But, Vice Principal Zell only raise her hand to quell Aniela''s worrying and told her,

    "She''s fine and well-rested. Unlike you two kids, Cao naturally is more winded and needs several more days before getting back up. Now then, I mainly came to inform you two that you''ll be able to put your full focus on cultivating your resources without the worries of having to do missions."

    It was then Darcel''s eyes lit up a bit as his minds recalled the most recent events in the Labyrinth. He had then asked, "So¡­.did anyone else encounter that creature again? And for that matter¡­.just what was with that silver orb it held?"

    To Darcel''s question, Vice Principal Zelle''s immediate response was to shake her head in disappointment. She had then begun explaining,

    "Unfortunately, no. No one managed to encounter that thing again like it just had up and vanished entirely. You two were out for a couple of days, but the outside world surely wasn''t idle. Several sects and organizations, including us, the Quicksilver Roc sect, and the Yoderine institution, sent out their best tracker for that creature. But not a single one of us can find even a trace of it in the Woods."

    Darcel and Aniela quirked their eyebrows at this explanation. With the amount of killing spree that creature went on, surely at least one sect should have found some sort of lead on it.

    But to just disappear like that?

    Even under the mythical figures of Heavenly Transformation cultivators is all far too strange. Although, nothing about that creature was normal in the first place.

    Still, Aniela had then asked, "So ominous¡­.then the Core? Any info on that?"

    "Sadly, no, none of us are sure on just what was that Core. But I was able to tell that Core directly affected the whole Labyrinth. After our leave, everyone else was essentially forced to escape the wild beast tide of the Labyrinth."

    Vice Principal Zelle continues on to explain, having no qualms about telling the duo all of this.

    If anything, no matter what unexpected, strange event happens in the future. Vice Principal Zelle could already tell Darcel and Aniela would be crucial in providing help.

    Although, Darcel and Aniela weren''t all too pristine when hearing all of this news. They instead felt a small brewing forbidding feeling stir in their gut like a sickness.

    But, even if they wanted to be more active and also help with tracking that creature, Darcel and Aniela knew they were far too weak to help out.

    This thought didn''t bum Darcel and Aniela in the slightest. It instead only gave them further fuel to cultivate hard.

    "At least, everything is in a calm state for now. No matter what, though, it''s time for Darcy and me to experience some major breakthrough after all that excruciating work!" The bright smile of Aniela broadened mainly due to the aspect of spending quality cultivating time with Darcel.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Right then, Vice Principal Zelle''s mouth twitched into a smirk, recalling several vital lessons. She had then said, "Come with me now, for the Nascent Core realm, I have some¡­.lessons to reinforce on to you."

    ¡­.

    Time never stops for anyone, and soon numerous days passed since the Black Dungeon Labyrinth expedition. Cultivators alike were settling quite nicely with what they had gained in the Labyrinth.

    And the roaring chaotic news of that insidious poisonous creature had died down a bit. Mainly because it was becoming quite apparent that it''s literally impossible to find in the extensive Necropolis Woods.

    Although while this news was dying down some, the Necropolis Woods still had a lot of action going on it.

    On this specific day, an extraordinary group of three youths traversed deep into the woods.

    The team of three consisted of one handsome young man who was the apparent leader there. His face held a distinct tender charming quality that exuded a ladies man vibe.

    Out of everything, the most striking thing about the boy was the high bright purple luxurious uniform that perfectly fit his lean body.

    One look and you can tell it would be highly unwise to go against him.

    This was Zakira Academy''s fourth rank high-level student, Lukil! And to his right side was another good looking boy.

    He similarly wore the bright purple uniforms like Lukil. However, unlike him, he wasn''t in the high rankings of high-level students.

    This was one of Lukil''s closest friends, Nathan. And to the right of Lukil was another one of his closest friends, this time a beautiful girl named Bely.

    She, too, wore Zakira Academy''s high-level bright purple uniform. Though, just like Nathan, she wasn''t too high in students'' ranking.

    These three held no fear of the woods, merrily chatting along until they arrived at their mission.

    "Seriously, I wonder how much more ridiculous these Woods can get in a few more days. First, the crazed rave about some red hue creature, and now out of nowhere, these Spirit Monsters are acting more brazenly? Just what did that Labyrinth do to everyone!" Nathan was mirthful in his tone, being one of the many who didn''t get a chance to enter in the Labyrinth expedition.

    "Hmmm¡­.what if the Spirit Monsters acts are just an excuse these other sects and organizations are making up for their pitiful losses of not finding that creature. Certainly wouldn''t surprise me." Bely remarked, amused by all these new stories.

    Lukil, however, was a slight bit queer about this subject.

    He had firsthand experienced the sudden change in the Labyrinth, though he had never encountered any strange, dangerous killing creature.

    "In any case, whatever is going around here, I just hope this mission won''t be a waste of our time," Lukil said, pushing down any foreign or strange thoughts for now.

    Right when Lukil finished talking, a bright piercing green flash refracted into Lukil''s group eyes.

    Swiftly the trio stopped walking, and their eyes snapped to wherever that green flash came from.

    "Ah? Hey, it''s over there."

    Nathan had whispered to the other as his eyes first came upon that green flash. What appeared in his, Lukil, and Bely vision was a notable big Spirit Monster fox.

    The fox trekked through the Woods at a moderate place with something shiny held up in its mouth.

    With the trio True Soul Core eyes, they could tell it was a green crystal orb!

    Nathan''s eyes immediately lit up in greed since that type of crystal orb is one of the most valuable items in their Academy. Moreover, the fox was merely at the peak level of the Nascent Core realm.

    Nathan didn''t sense any risks there, only a walking profit for their group.

    "Let''s get this small fox and make some cash, right guys?" Though Nathan asked, he already poured Spirit Qi into his legs while talking.

    Without waiting for a response, Nathan swiftly blasted off in the fox direction.

    Lukil and Bely only exchanged a single glance with each other. With a roll of their eyes, the two gave chase to the fox as well.

    They only wish Nathan wouldn''t be such haste most of the time.

    The fox itself already took off with immense speeds once Nathan aura crazily blasted up to it. A tremendous impending sense of doom swelled in the furry Monster as it could tell Nathan could kill itself in seconds.

    A trio group of True Soul Core youths rushed down on a peak Nascent Core Spirit Monster Fox, and after a minute of chasing, the trio of teens was a slight bit shocked.

    Somehow, this damned beast managed to stay at a slight position ahead of all three of them!

    Granted, none of Lukil''s group was nowhere near their maximum speed, but the trio honestly didn''t think they would need it.

    "Tch, enough of this,"

    Nathan grunted in annoyance and was beginning to increase his speed to overtake this little fox.

    But right then, just from beside him, Lukil''s eyebrows furrowed.

    ''Whir!!''

    Without any warnings, Lukil blasted out his tremendous aura and formed a dazzling purple water shield around his group.

    Snapping his eyes up, Lukil expectantly saw three bright silver lights.

    ''Bang!''

    Three short silver swords clashed right against Lukil''s water barrier, causing torrents of Spirit Qi to crazily spew out in the woods. Although this unexpected ambush couldn''t pierce into Lukil''s water barrier.

    "Heh! How cowardly you Quicksilver rats got! Resorting to mere sneak attacks now?" Lukil snorted in disdain as he dropped his purple water barrier once the short silver swords backed off from them.

    "Oh, great! Some three gnats really got me to lose our scores!"Nathan cursed in annoyance as he turned to where the Quicksilver Roc youths appeared.

    Only Bely had an inquisitive expression as the Quicksilver Roc youths appeared.

    It was three good looking young boys, all wearing their signature dark orange robes with the mythical design of a Roc on it.

    These three didn''t cause any sense of threat for Lukil, Nathan, and Bely since they were only at the True Soul Core realm''s sixth layer link.

    And yet, Bely noticed there was something off about these boys.

    Their expression was all precisely the same, spouting this creepy, eerie smile that was a bit unnerving to gaze upon.

    And in their eyes, they held this ominous blue glow that was far too distinct to ignore.

    But neither, Lukil, Nathan, nor Bely wasn''t going to back down just from strange looks. After all, all three of them massively outclass these Quicksilver Roc boys put together.

    Despite Lukil''s group being assured of their own prowess, none of the Quicksilver Roc boys showed any signs of weariness, fear, or hesitation.

    In fact, the boy in the middle of their group boldly stepped forwards as his short silver sword blared in the darkness of the Woods.

    "Ohh, sorry about the rude introduction. But it''s really so great that you three came!"

    While the middle boy talked, all three of the Quicksilver Roc boys blared out their sixth layer link True Soul Core aura without a hint of fear.

    It only caused Lukil, Nathan, and Bely to slightly crease their eyebrows, however.

    Still, no matter how to outclass they were, the Quicksilver Roc boy on the left quickly picked up saying,

    "Truly so great so that we all can dance!"

 Undercurrents

    Like wild savage beasts, the Quicksilver Roc trio blasted towards Lukil''s group, immersed in fierce Wind Qi!

    Storms of chaotic wind surged in the area, causing the air to split apart from their sheer power.

    And yet neither Lukil, Nathan, or Bely was worried.

    In fact, the trio all snorted in high disdain precisely at the same time. If these Quicksilver Roc sects fools want to rush to their death, then so be it!

    Thrusting his arm out, Lukil only pointed one finger at the leading boy charge.

    Purple water Qi instantaneously gathered at the tip of his finger, and blindingly faster than the boy could charge, Lukil blasted a bright purple stream of water at him!

    ''Hua!''

    Lukil''s dazzling bright purple water stream coiled around the leading boy arm like a venomous snake.

    The Quicksilver Roc boy couldn''t budge at all as an overwhelming suppression of Lukil''s eighth layer link True Soul Core prowess pressed his entire being.

    Siminatansouly, Nathan decided to go for a more direct approach.

    Surging immense Spirit Qi directly into his legs, Nathan took off like lightning towards the Quicksilver Roc boy on the left.

    Nathan''s speed was massively superior to the Quicksilver Roc boy as he was at the seventh layer link of the True Soul Core realm.

    Before the Quicksilver Roc boy even realized it, Nathan appeared right in front of him!

    "Can your famous speed match this strength?"

    Nathan cruelly mocked as he savagely gripped the Quicksilver Roc boy short silver sword.

    By Nathan''s unique pure bodily strength, the Quicksilver Roc boy was entirely suppressed like tens of mountains just violently crashed on him.

    At the same time, Bely also wasn''t idle. She instead went for the most chilling savage approach.

    Instantaneously, tremendous swirls of purple sword Qi elegantly surged around Bely''s body like she was a beacon.

    Bely only pointed her finger out to the Quicksilver Roc boy on the right, exuding a monumental suppression upon the boy.

    The Quicksilver Roc boy felt suffocated as if a giant sword pressed down his neck, waiting to claim his life.

    ''Hua!''

    Before the Quicksilver Roc boy could process this hair-raising scene, he now truly felt a sharp presence right at the tip of his neck. Casting his eyes down, he spotted a chilling bright purple sword Qi mere inches away from piercing his fragile neck.

    In no time at all, Lukil''s group severely suppressed the Quicksilver Roc boys in merely one move!

    For Lukil himself, it was understandable for him to easily suppress someone at the True Soul Core realm''s sixth layer link.

    But for Nathan and Bely, they were only one layer link over the Quicksilver Roc boys. And yet, the quality and power of their Spirit Qi was on a whole other level than the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    The deciding factor for this result had to do with the comprehension and latent talent one would cultivate up to this point.

    Even among geniuses, there are several deep dividing layers between them. One genius Qi can be far more powerful even if they''re at the same level.

    Lukil, Nathan, and Bely all gained superior mocking smiles.

    Looking down upon their rivals with supreme ease gave all of their egos a massive boost. Especially since this sect just loves to shamelessly boast.

    Lukil had begun to open his mouth to relish in their pathetically easy victory. Yet, right then, his Spirit Senses went frantically haywire!

    He stopped himself before even saying anything, putting his full focus on the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    Nathan and Bely didn''t have as sharp as Spirit Senses of Lukil, leading them to be blissfully unaware of any changes happening in the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    But right then, a dazzlingly bright blue glow burst from the Quicksilver Roc boys like shimmering stars!

    ''Whir!!''

    A blindingly gleaming blue flash lit up the profound darkness of the Necropolis Woods.

    Lukil, Nathan, and Bely all swiftly jumped back from the abrupt burst of a tremendous increase in power!

    Once the flash died down, Lukil''s group witnessed a very different set of Quicksilver Roc boys.

    Fresh, bright red blood slowly trickled from their mouths. Beads of massive sweat poured down their face, drenching their clothes, and yet, none of them looked the slightest bit worried.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Their grins only grew eerily wider in daunting excitement. And in their eyes, that once faint blue glow had now overtaken their eyes, creating an admittedly stunning look of pure blue eyes.

    Immediately Lukil, Nathan, and Bely felt a passing worrying feeling swell in the pits of their guts. But, as soon as this feeling came, the trio quickly pushed it down.

    There''s absolutely no way they''ll let someone far weaker than themselves cause fear in them!

    Lukil had even gone on to sprout an intrigued smirk as he said out loud, "Oh? This is a neat trick. Looks we''ll get to have a bit more fun than I initially thought."

    Although even with all of Lukil''s group superior confidence, they still remained blissfully unaware of the hidden devious thoughts in the Quicksilver Roc boys'' head.

    They only felt more anticipation build up inside them, not caring at all about winning or losing this battle.

    All they know is after this battle, it''ll set off a flurry of a chain of events that''ll fundamentally change the whole Necrotic Crystal City¡­.

    ¡­.

    Far from the outside world, a beautiful large purple courtyard was rhythmically swaying under refined surges of power.

    At the center of these surges of energy were a pair of one beautiful girl and one charming boy.

    Of course, this was Darcel and Aniela preparing themselves to break through to the next level of the Nascent Core realm!

    And as the duo were steadily advancing, significant changes to their overall bearing were taking shape.

    Compared to just a week and a half ago, Darcel now held a more distinct style that radiated the beauty of a moon. His presence was becoming enigmatic, carrying an exotic charm that would stop and get people undivided attention on him.

    A sly smile dawned on his once usual indifferent face showing hints of his own captivating allure. One could call Darcel a tantalizing charmer just off his base appearance now.

    Aniela, on the other hand, was striking up to be far more enchantingly luminous. Her presence developed into a bewitching attractive grace that draws all kinds of people into her own giant world sphere.

    A beautiful broad smile that blossomed like spring peaches was permanently etched onto her face akin to a flawless sculpture. Just this beaming smile on its own blatantly exuded Aniela''s energetic allure.

    All these changes had occurred during their training and lessons with Vice Principal Zelle.

    They had now learned much more about the profound specificities that enriched the Nascent Core realm.

    One of the most essential things they had learned was the term Nascent Core represents.

    Cultivators call this realm the seven levels of one''s future. No matter who or what is it, every being will begin to truly develop their talents and future potential in this realm.

    It''s the first biggest hallmark of a cultivator life and the dividing line between true talents and ordinary folks. Most can achieve decent enough talents at this stage while others show extraordinary feats.

    For Darcel and Aniela, they were cultivating to achieve a Perfected Nascent Being state. This details in which a cultivator reached a perfected foundation on each seven levels of the Nascent Core realm.

    And to achieve a Perfected state like this isn''t easy or straightforward in the slightest.

    Darcel and Aniela had learned not even Joyce Ashless, the number one genius in the Academy could achieve a Perfected Nascent Being state.

    Her latent talent, soul potential, and comprehension only allowed her to barely achieve a perfect foundation at the seventh level of the Nascent Core realm.

    And even then, it took her months to achieve it!

    The difficulty in this stems from the level one latent talent, their comprehension of their Dantian Core, and their souls'' potential.

    For average cultivators, not many can truly understand these facets.

    Average cultivators tend to believe that one''s talent or potential of their soul seems like it has to do with luck, or it is predetermined at birth.

    But in actuality, it''s not as simple as one would think.

    The actual most crucial factor in any cultivator is their Comprehension abilities. Even a cultivator born with the most average of talents and soul can change their lives through comprehension.

    With monstrous comprehension abilities, one could have the chance to deepen the foundation of their Dantian Core and enhance their souls'' potential in cultivation enlightenment.

    Which would bring upon more tremendous potential and talents for themselves.

    A cultivator''s talent and potential affect how fast one could intake Qi, how powerful their Qi would be, and how extensive their supply of Qi would be.

    But of course, the process of developing comprehension abilities is tremendously difficult and complex to achieve.

    There are ways one can develop their comprehension abilities through outside resources.

    Only that would require a massive amount of luck, or one would hail from a sect far greater than Darcel and Aniela''s Zakira Academy.

    This is why most cultivators, either genius or ordinary, strive to at most attain a finished foundation state before breaking through to the next level of Nascent Core.

    More extreme geniuses could even go past this state and achieve a completed foundation state!

    But for Darcel and Aniela, they indeed were like fish dancing in waters after going through the Black Dungeon Labyrinth.

    Through their abundant resources, immense latent talent, insane comprehension abilities, and powerful soul, they were able to achieve Perfected foundations states in just a couple of days in between each other!

    During these times, it does make Darcel and Aniela wonder¡­.just where did they originally come from?

    Before getting kidnapped, their lives were all a blur to them, and both have no clue just who their parents were.

    Admittedly, even Darcel and Aniela felt a burning innate curiosity towards this subject. Most obviously, the duo gathered they shouldn''t hail from any places such as this one they got teleported to.

    And perhaps, the duo gathered they may even belong to mythical places that are only heard in legends.

    But with no leads or any way of knowing how, Darcel and Aniela could focus on gathering strength to protect themselves now.

    Nearly all of their time during the past week and a half was spent only on seriously cultivating, nothing else. And their achievements for it could be called beyond freakish for anyone in the Zakira Academy.

    Presently, Darcel and Aniela are already nearing the edge of their breakthrough.

    Around Darcel''s hand, an enchanting Darkness glow enriched it like the night abyss.

    Aniela''s luscious white hair suddenly began to glow in dazzlingly bright, beautiful white light as if she was a celestial fairy.

    Intense bright white and black glows covered the whole large courtyard, drenching it in a breathtaking magical scenery.

    And at the peak of Darkness and Light glows,

    ''BANG!''

    Tremendous powerful surges of Nascent Qi crazily spewed out in wild storms in the courtyard.

    Now not only have Darcel and Aniela had broken through to the fifth level of the Nascent Core realm. For all the previous four levels, they had achieved a Perfected Foundation!

    Both Darcel and Aniela had then snapped their eyes open, spraying out beautiful mixtures of Darkness and Light.

    Their eyes turned to each other with affection and pride as all of their tiresome work had paid off.

 Nice Break

    "Despite how dull serious cultivation can sometimes be, it truly brings us joy and ecstasy for every small breakthrough! Even among the most depressed people can feel a spark of life in a cultivation breakthrough!" Aniela passionately said while cracking out the kinks in her neck.

    "Heh, no wonder many alike gain such a huge ego with this kind of power. It''s undoubtedly a blissful, not even a stone-cold heart can deny." Darcel snorted while stretching his arms.

    Pleasantly smiling at Darcel, Aniela began picking herself up from the ground while saying, "And it''s never not a fun time to face those kinds of people and engage in exciting dances."

    "I say it''s more of a dominating crush than an exciting dance."

    Darcel follows suit with Aniela, standing upright to evenly match her gorgeous face.

    Looking at Aniela now, Darcel felt a burst of flaming passion.

    Perhaps it was because of their recent breakthrough, but Darcel had a more dying need to taste Aniela than he usually has.

    Plus, they had only engaged in cultivation for a week and a half, further igniting Darcel''s lust.

    Darcel walked right up to Aniela, already seeing the knowing slight seductive smile that graced her face.

    She didn''t need words to know when Darcel wanted to get intimate. In fact, Aniela more than welcomed any advances Darcel would throw on to her.

    With all this in mind, Darcel tightly hugged Aniela''s tender, soft body that he so desperately loves to cuddle with.

    "Hmm¡­.undoubtedly, this feeling can also ignite joy in cold hearts."

    Darcel warmly said and brought a finger to Aniela''s chin to gently lift her face up.

    "Hehehe~. This week and a half sure was hard for both of us. Now, let''s both taste a more delightful reward for our hard work~."

    The bewitching tone Aniela spoke in sent tingling shivers down Darcel''s chest.

    Only with him would Aniela ever change from her usual bright and happy dialect. And this change made Aniela exude a hidden sexy charm that put Darcel''s whole mind under her allure.

    Without another word, Darcel leaned down to capture Aniela''s sweet soft lips in a searing kiss.

    "Mmnh~...."

    Aniela and Darcel both hotly moaned into their kiss as their tongues frantically sought out each other.

    Waves of immense pleasure and warmth coiled through Darcel and Aniela''s bodies as their tongues tangled in a hot dance.

    Their eyes were fully open while kissing, wanting to carve each other''s faces into their memories. No matter how many times they kiss, Darcel and Aniela couldn''t get enough of being so close to each other.

    It was as if they were quite literally made for each other.

    Furthermore, ever since the Black Dungeon Labyrinth, Darcel had far more control over his bloodline and Darkness during these intimate moments.

    Now he essentially had free reigns to bestow upon a blissful pleasure to Aniela whenever he wanted to. Plus, her climax would also fill Darcel up with blissful pleasure and immense satisfaction.

    Still, there was a nagging thought in Darcel''s mind on how well his Darkness can now affect other people''s emotions.

    More specifically, how well he could affect other women''s lust. But it was his and Aniela''s own advantage, of course.

    But before Darcel could further delve into deluding thoughts, his Spirit Senses picked up on a familiar graceful signature slowly walking towards them.

    "Nnnh¡­. I''m sure you sensed our guest, too, right?"

    Darcel asked as he broke the kiss with Aniela, leaving a hot steamy trail of saliva connected from both their lips.

    Aniela greedily licked her lips, thoroughly enjoying the addicting taste of Darcel''s saliva.

    "Mnh¡­.Mnh! I didn''t think she would come so early, but I also sense she has something exciting to tell us. Though it is a shame, she wasn''t early enough to witness our brilliant Light and Darkness show!"

    Letting go of each other, Darcel and Aniela had then turned their attention to beautiful Hao Cao casually, walking up to them. Like always, with every step she took, she exuded an alluring charm like a delicate fox, and her face carried her signature teasing smile.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    However, the most notable thing for the duo was that Hao Cao was still only at the sixth level of the Nascent Core realm.

    Once again, Darcel and Aniela themselves were reminded just how freakish they are.

    Hao Cao was undoubtedly cultivating just as hard as them, yet she only stays at the same level in a week and a half. But her cultivation speed wouldn''t be considered slow to anyone in the Zakira Academy.

    Hao Cao''s smile pleasantly broadened once the duo crossed into her vision. Sensing their levels, Hao Cao didn''t feel that much awe but was happier to just see her friends.

    "Even if I just missed one show, I''m sure whatever you two do, no matter if it''s the most mundane thing. It''ll be quite a spectacle to watch." Hao Cao remarked as she got close to the duo.

    Darcel merrily shrugged, telling Hao Cao, "That''s just how we work. So? What brings your jaunty self over here? Aniela, guess you have something good to tell us, and from your bearings as of now, I also could see there something on your mind."

    Instead of directly answering, Hao Cao''s smile widened to a more dazzling teasing one.

    "Oh my, Aniela~. Darcel here really is becoming more attentive to the minds of maidens~."

    Perking up, Aniela went over and playfully slapped Darcel''s shoulder, also saying in a teasing tone, "Of course, of course! Under my special lesson, Darcy just can''t get enough of learning~!"

    "Why, thanks for another boast to my confidence, girls." Darcel simply shrugged and shamelessly took their teasing in stride. He had then continued on, saying, "But I''m sure this isn''t what you''re here for Cao."

    Hao Cao smiled at Darcel but also silently made it a goal in her mind to efficiently tease Darcel and see a break in his calm facade.

    "You''re bluntness, however, never changes. But indeed I have rather¡­.intriguing news. The high-level students are all experiencing massive troubles in the Necropolis Woods, leading everyone to become more on edge and tense."

    "And the intriguing part is?" Darcel wrinkled his eyebrows and asked.

    In all honesty, Darcel can say besides Hao Cao, Vice Principal Zelle, and a bit of Teacher Zala. He couldn''t care less about the other students'' well being.

    "Was just about to get to it antsy~. Essentially, about a week ago, the fourth rank high-level student Lukil and his group reported Quicksilver Roc sect disciples unprovokingly attacking them. In the end, one of Lukil''s friends got severely injured in the fight. Once words spread around of this got spread a lot more, small intense scuffle are occurring between us. In just several days, it has gotten to a point where it''s becoming a notable achievement in the whole City to win one of these scuffles."

    Hao Cao carefully explained to them.

    "Oh! Ah! And this is the part where we, the rule-breakers, come on out and frighten these loud kids a bit." Aniela boldly stated.

    She, too, didn''t care much about the general students'' well being, but she surely didn''t want to miss out on a chance to test their prowess.

    Hao Cao slyly nodded, telling her, "Fuu~, these Quicksilver Roc gnats are becoming too bold now. Somehow they''re winning a lot against us and flaunting around as if they''re the best sect in the entire City."

    Darcel and Aniela felt a burning itch to fight.

    The duo knew Hao Cao probably guessed their own prowess would now surely eclipse over to the True Soul Core realm.

    And Darcel and Aniela could precisely tell their prowess does surmount in the early levels of the True Soul Core realm.

    While they haven''t fought any True Soul Core cultivators, the duo could tell if they matched up against any peak Nascent Core cultivator, they could kill them in a split second.

    "How very interesting¡­. who''s one of the loudest and most obnoxious of the bunch?" Darcel asked this time.

    Thinking to herself and about the duo''s prowess, Hao Cao had then told them, "A group of third layer link True Soul Core kids have been particularly loud. They claim with their group, they can even beat an entire group of fourth layer link students. Plus, they seem to love lingering in those woods for an unhealthy amount of time."

    Abruptly then, Aniela furrowed her eyebrows. A weird puzzling feeling crossed into her mind about this whole situation.

    It was like there should be something else at play here.

    "I assume this group isn''t the only one that likes to linger in the woods, right?" Aniela inquisitively asked.

    "Bringing it up, it''s actually surprisingly true on how much those Roc gnats seem to love lingering in these woods now. Though it''s certainly abrupt, and those Roc''s seem to have zero intention in escalating the situation."

    While talking, Hao Cao suddenly thought of something, causing a glint to haze in her eyes.

    Though, before she could say it, Darcel spoke up after seeing that look in her eyes.

    "You''re thinking about the Black Dungeon Labyrinth, right? Frankly, their behaviors could be related to that place. Still, I truly can''t see how, considering that place apparently turned into a dangerous beast tide. Speaking off, what about the Quicksilver Roc Elders or even our Academy Teachers or Elders. Have they just done nothing about this situation?"

    "The Seniors aren''t bothering with this. They all claim this all just a small competition between juniors. Moreover, all top-level figures are oddly busy during these times." Hao Cao helplessly smiled while explaining.

    Darcel and Aniela traded one glance with each other. Staying all locked up and cultivating can only go so far for any cultivator.

    Even if there are hidden unknown dangers, Darcel and Aniela needed to stretch their legs!

    "Well, well, right when we got done with a breakthrough, we already have extremely willing partners to dance with our prowess soon." Burning excitement was laced in Aniela''s voice.

    Mirthfully smiling at her enthusiasm, Hao Cao said, "Now you two are going to make your first official appearance against the whole City. I dread to think just how much chaos you''ll cause compared to staying within the Academy."

    "Don''t worry, you and everyone else will perfectly see the storms we can cause. For now, though, let''s spend the day together. We''ve been dulling cultivating for far too long." Darcel charmingly smiled towards the girls.

    "Yea! We''re going to need a little spice before going into battle anyways." Aniela cheerfully joined in as well.

    Hao Cao couldn''t stop the wide splitting grin from forming on her face as she said, "Fufufu~! If you truly insist, then I suppose I have no way to refuse now~."

 Good First Impressions

    After a relaxing fun day spent graciously with the joyful Hao Cao, Darcel and Aniela had immediately started the next day bright and early in the morning.

    They wasted no time in traversing the large Academy, making it down to the High-Level students'' section.

    Where Darcel and Aniela had ended up was the Academy''s signature Mission Center. Only this time, the Mission Center on this High-Level area was of a higher quality than the Initiate-Level area.

    But, Darcel and Aniela weren''t there to admire the better quality or even seriously complete a mission. No¡­.they were here for a straightforward pretense.

    To fight and crush any Quicksilver Roc True Soul Core disciples!

    "I already feel the anticipation bubbling inside me like a wild storm Darcy! Plus, it also helps that walking through this big place now feels more; let''s see¡­.pleasant." Aniela excitedly stated.

    And looking back on their walk coming here, Darcel did find Aniela''s was undoubtedly correct in her words.

    Compared to their first day here, their change in status was night and day.

    Even while trekking through the High-Level student section, no High-Level teacher or elder dared to look down or disdain the duo.

    Most of the students now held a slight appraisal about Darcel and Aniela, getting rid of any mockery in their eyes.

    Although that wasn''t to say every student, there was so accepting and welcoming. Some still have an unkind haze in their eyes; others have this false sense of superiority over the duo directly etched into their brains.

    Their dramatically rising super stardoms is a sore spot of envy for many spanning across the entire Academy.

    But no students dared to make trouble with the duo, knowing the extremely high consequences involved there.

    Still, no matter what kind of gaze or expression thrown towards Darcel and Aniela, they both took it in great stride.

    Relishing in the envy of their competition is truly something magical to feel.

    "Let''s get in,"

    Darcel told Aniela, and they both promptly walked through the Mission Center doors.

    Somehow¡­.this place was even more extensive than what the Initiate Mission Center could achieve.

    Darcel and Aniela dart their eyes all over the room, taking notice of the finer detail here. But the most significant thing to note about this Mission Center was the swift bustling of students here.

    Many students were either in large or small groups with each other. Nearly on all of the students'' faces were a burning will to fight or devious intentions sprawled all across their faces.

    With just a simple quick listen in, Darcel and Aniela found out these groups of students were fervently discussing plans on how to take on and take down the gnats of the Quicksilver Roc sect.

    Once entering the Mission Center, several prying eyes landed on the duo.

    But once realizing just who they were, the students quickly went back to their own talks.

    Throughout this short time, Darcel was gauging the level of the students here. Clearly, he didn''t feel anyone here nowhere near close to Jamas aura.

    Still, some noteworthy ones stood tallest among the crowd.

    Aniela, however, darted her eyes to the left wall of the room. Quickly her eyes lit up as she said to Darcel, "This paper¡­. it''ll do us quite nicely."

    She got Darcel''s attention as she pointed to a typical paper upon the wall.

    Nodding at Aniela''s quick find, the duo had then proceeded to walk up to this flyer. While walking, Darcel read the description of the mission, in which it detail,

    ''Collecting special cores of True Soul Core ghosts around The Demesne Grave.''

    The mission was only but a common rank, clearly telling of how easy of a task this would be.

    And yet, Darcel and Aniela suddenly recall some memories reading the term ghosts.

    Their thoughts immediately delve back into the past, where they first stumbled upon that cave and those strange spirits. If it truly wasn''t for their bloodline awakening, then neither Darcel and Aniela would be standing here.

    But more specifically about that very cave, Darcel and Aniela could vaguely sense something off about that place.

    Now that they''re genuinely far stronger, Darcel and Aniela gained that much confidence in exploring that cave again if they were to come across that path.

    "Ah? You two¡­.you two must be Darcel and Aniela, right?"

    Slithering into Darcel and Aniela''s like a cool breeze was of a charming male voice that carried a magnetic allure.

    Turning around, the duo found themselves face to face with the most noteworthy boy out of everyone in the Mission Center.

    This boy is delightfully handsome, radiated an alluring soul capturing presence, and wore a pleasant smile.

    This was the fourth rank student Lukil out of the whole High-Level students'' section. His eyes carried massive interest and curiosity while gauging his first impression of Darcel and Aniela.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The duo also held a similarly impressive first impression of Lukil''s noble appearance.

    Aniela gave the boy a bright, captivating smile that burst with alluring rays of dazzling light and had then said,

    "Yep! We sure are! And you are?"

    Already in just a few words, Lukil slightly fell into the enrapture of Aniela''s energetic, enigmatic world. Her angelic voice smoothly cooed into his head like a summer breeze.

    Pleasantly smiling back at Aniela, Lukil told the duo, "My name is Lukil, and I can already tell, fierce geniuses like you also want to compete against those Quicksilver Roc rats, right? It''s the main reason why so many are taking on missions now anyway. Though no disrespect to your prowess, might I suggest joining some of my friends in their group? It''s all only True Soul Core cultivators hashing it out."

    Even before Lukil started talking to Darcel and Aniela, his general impression was already favorable high of them.

    Primarily because of a particular friend of his, he vaguely knows about this duo''s unfathomable potential.

    "We¡­.appreciate the offer, but Aniela and I prefer to be on our own team. But these ghosts, any specific detail you can provide us with?" Darcel, this time spoke up, his voice carrying an undeniable alluring charm.

    Some mild surprise enters Lukil''s eyes when glancing over to Darcel. From some off rumors, he had heard Darcel having a more standoffish attitude compared to Aniela.

    But clearly, now, that standoffish attitude was nowhere to be seen; in fact, Lukil had strangely felt a slight soothe oozed into his soul.

    "Ah, those ghosts require minimal worry. Simply as long as your pure Qi can overpower the ghost cores, you can effectively kill them. Plus, these ghost cores are all highly unstable in their foundation, further making it easier to overpower." Lukil generally explained to the duo.

    Darcel and Aniela quirked their eyebrows a small tidbit.

    This way of killing the ghosts does remind of how they kill those ghosts in the cave through sheer overwhelming power.

    Nodding at Lukil, Aniela had then told him, "Many thanks for the advice! See you around soon."

    Darcel had then taken the Mission flyer, and the duo prepared to get their supply from the Mission Elder.

    But before entirely leaving, Lukil had suddenly, swiftly spoken up, saying,

    "Just one more thing. Be wary of this odd blue glow in those Quicksilver Roc rats'' eyes. My group underestimated them at the time, which led to one of my friends getting injured. I would say, when you fight them, beat them as soon as possible."

    Darcel and Aniela stopped midway once hearing Lukil''s words.

    An odd blue glow?

    Recounting their previous fights, besides those ghosts, no one they fought ever had an odd blue glow hazing their eyes.

    "We''ll keep that in mind then." Darcel nodded to Lukil, and the duo once again proceeded their trek to the Mission Elder.

    All the while, they couldn''t help but feel this event will be far more interesting than they initially believed.

    ¡­.

    Inside the dreary enveloping Darkness of the Necropolis Woods, two streams of Light and Darkness speedily tore through the place.

    Darcel and Aniela weren''t really the ones to over-prepare, and they knew they wouldn''t really need to.

    Running through the Woods now, Darcel and Aniela felt as if they were running on clouds. Just their base speed and with minimal Nascent Qi, it allowed them to reach unfathomable speeds at their current prowess.

    In only a minute or so, the duo managed to cross miles away from Necrotic City and dash straight into the Woods.

    This small feat isn''t even achievable by peak Nascent Core cultivators or even some early layer link True Soul Core cultivators!

    As for traversing the Necropolis Woods, no peak Nascent Core Spirit Monster could even catch a whiff of Darcel and Aniela''s scent.

    Their speed was like flashes to the Spirit Monsters, only feeling a wild gush of wind wash over them for a split second.

    The route they headed on was directly leading them to the so-called ''Demesne Grave.'' Truthfully, Darcel and Aniela had heard of this place a few times.

    Still, it was never nearly mentioned as often as the Black Dungeon Labyrinth.

    From all they can gather about this place was the fact there was supposedly great riches deep underground of specific graves.

    But, mysteriously, most who went to The Demesne Grave just strangely was never found again.

    And for the ones who do come back, there had been reports on those cultivators acting a bit odder. Plus, those cultivators wouldn''t want to discuss what happens in The Demesne Grave at all.

    It was all a bit interesting for Darcel and Aniela, plus they now also have a second destination to explore after crushing those Quicksilver Roc kids.

    After running nonstop for about ten minutes, the duo had finally come upon an intriguing sight.

    Just a couple of meters ahead of them, there lay a human-like figure entirely in an eerily blue shade, sitting on top of a large boulder.

    Darcel and Aniela immediately recognize this as a Spirit Monster ghost!

    Although, Darcel and Aniela couldn''t determine the gender of this ghost, and its appearance didn''t match any of the ghosts they fought in the cave.

    Still, the aura of this ghost wasn''t anything to scoff at.

    Massively more superior than cave ghosts, this lone ghost sat in the True Soul Core realm!

    Moreover, Darcel and Aniela were now able to sense what layer link this ghost was, and it was seated firmly at the second layer link of True Soul Core.

    Because of teachings from Vice Principal Zelle and their own latent abilities of their Spirit Sense, it was quite a smooth process for the duo to achieve.

    But, the ghost aura wasn''t the only thing Darcel and Aniela sensed.

    It was vague, very vague akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. Yet Darcel and Aniela could sense this ghost aura was covering three small energy signatures.

    If one was merely at the same second layer link like this ghost, it would''ve been all but impossible to sense these three small energy signatures.

    Unless a cultivator would have an extremely special Spirit Sense, which is difficult to come by.

    Of course, though, Darcel and Aniela Spirit Sense was the base definition of being counted as unique.

    "Soo, Darcy? Shall we give the sneaky hiding rats a big surprise welcome?" Aniela quietly whispered to Darcel.

    Looking ahead, it would appear this lone ghost hasn''t noticed them yet. Instead, its gaze was focused on the long profound Darkness of the Necropolis Woods.

    "Try not to go too hard; we don''t want them scurrying off so fast," Darcel whispered and smirked at Aniela. She spouted the same bold smirk as their eyes lit up in a plan of attack.

    Without any further words, Darcel and Aniela enriched their legs with Nascent Qi and slightly bent down.

    ''Swish!''

    Faster than their base speeds, Darcel and Aniela took off like lightning towards the ignorant ghost.

    Quickly, however, the ghost snapped its head towards the duo, a hint of chilling killing intent already sprayed in its entirely blue eyes.

    The ghost only sensed the pitiful power of fifth level Nascent Core aura as it raised its hand, preparing to slap these kids to death.

    But right then, the ghost abruptly went as still as a statue.

    A tremendous burst of crisis frantically swelled in its mind as it watched Darcel and Aniela.

    Before it could even fully understand what was transpiring, a beautiful black and white glow enchantingly spewed out from Darcel and Aniela.

 Immediate Fight

    A tremendous outburst of overwhelming power crazily surged throughout the Necropolis Woods.

    The slumbering bloodline that rested for a week and a half inside Darcel and Aniela were unleashed all at once!

    Rays of Darkness and Light streaked throughout the abyss like Darkness of the Necropolis Woods, painting this small area in magical brilliance.

    On Darcel and Aniela''s arms as well, their bloodline markings seemed to have taken shape in a vague outline of a feather.

    Despite the duo only being mere fifth level Nascent Core ants, the ghost felt heavily suppressed! An unfathomable pressure crushed on it like it was getting submerged under a deep ocean.

    In just this split second, Darcel and Aniela''s speed explosively increased!

    Darcel thrust his hand forward, igniting it in a dazzling black flaming coat. His eyes locked with the ghost''s entirely blue eyes as if he was the reaper of death.

    All the ghost merely saw was a blindingly bright flash of scorching black flames that shot the temperature through the roof.

    And in the very next second, Darcel popped right near the Spirit Monster ghost, breaking the air apart with his speed.

    ''Chi!''

    Even as a ghost, Darcel felt liquidity substances spewed around his black flaming hand as he ruthlessly tore through the ghost head.

    Darcel''s overwhelming Nascent Qi immediately destroyed the ghost core, entirely suppressing its second layer link True Soul Core Spirit Qi.

    As the ghost was vanishing out of existence, Aniela had simultaneously turned her sights in a different direction.

    Right, when Darcel tore to the ghost, she ignited her hand in black flames and blitz straight towards the center of the large rock!

    Aniela''s mouth twitched, curving into an upward cruel smirk as she barrelled at the huge rock. Those three sneaky energy signatures were frozen in total shock at the sudden dramatic reversal of their prowess.

    Uncaring whether or not whoever was behind the large rock would move, Aniela split right through the rock at the same time Darcel tore his black flaming hand through the ghost head.

    ''Bang!''

    The rock split into millions of tiny pieces! To Aniela''s slight surprise, those three hiding rats manage to swiftly recover at just the nanosecond.

    They had all split off into the same directions, just barely avoiding the black flames of Aniela.

    Darcel landed right next to Aniela, undisturbed by the crumbling of the enormous rock. The duo didn''t look towards each other but instead focused their glances a couple of meters ahead.

    Although, in their minds, Darcel and Aniela could vaguely tell that their bloodline abilities must''ve slightly increased.

    "Sheesh, damn! Here we thought Zakira Academy was all just filled with pencil pushers. But that place really is fostering freaks!"

    The surprised tone of a young boy''s voice blared out in the Necropolis Woods.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes immediately traced to where the voice was blooming from.

    Intense Fighting intent burst into their eyes once seeing three young boys all wearing the Quicksilver Roc uniform.

    All three of them had genuine handsome features and walked with a confident, bold stature. In their hands were bright short silver swords that tightly fit their hands.

    But above all, Darcel and Aniela did notice one significant off thing about the Quicksilver Roc trio appearances. The duo saw a haze of an eerie blue glow nestling from deep within their eyes.

    Furthermore, all three of these boys aura majorly outclass the ghost, being at the third layer link of the True Soul Core realm!

    "Well, well, well! So we finally get a chance at you rowdy gnats!" Aniela told with mocking wonder in her tone.

    Admittedly, for the Quicksilver Roc boys, a hint of reverence swirled in their bodies, standing face to face with Darcel and Aniela.

    Even now, their unfathomable pressure did not lessen in the slightest.

    Slight suppression crashed against the Quicksilver Roc boys bringing upon a weighing down pressure.

    But¡­.right when the logical reverence came, the boys felt a colossal shock eclipsed throughout their minds.

    It was then, Darcel and Aniela found this Quicksilver trio even odder.

    Despite their overwhelming bloodline aura, this Quicksilver Roc trio just had no reaction of fear or slight awe.

    In fact, it was like after a quick split second, the Quicksilver Roc trio became entirely fearless.

    The boy in the center, whose name was Mare, unhesitatingly spoke up, directly stating, "Ah! Well, I''m glad you two are all caught up on the nose¡­.since you, two shall be next!"

    Surges of massive Spirit Qi poured into the Quicksilver Roc trio legs like a raging storm right when Mare was done speaking.

    They didn''t give Darcel and Aniela even a split second to react as they blasted towards them with immense speeds!

    The wind kicked up in several chaotic storms flowing wildly around the Quicksilver Roc trio.

    Powerful third layer link True Soul Core auras attempted to crush down on Darcel and Aniela. In only a second, the Quicksilver Roc boys were half a meter close to the duo!

    "Heh!"

    Aniela, however, was undisturbed by the Quicksilver Roc boys aura and tremendous speed. Absolutely no suppression fell upon her allowing her free reign for a swift counter-attack.

    Instantly when the Quicksilver Roc boys were only a half meter away, Aniela''s bloodline arm was quickly enriched in a bright white glow.

    She didn''t need any time to swirl her bloodline powers, causing a white Light to radiantly burst like the sun.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ''Chi!''

    In the same mannerism, as she did in the Black Dungeon Labyrinth, Aniela blasted out a blinding white flashbang!

    For a mile, the whole Necropolis Woods lit up in a white glow radiance.

    Mare, the Quicksilver Roc boy on his right whose name was Talo, and the boy on Mare''s left whose name was Cini all forcefully shut their eyes and went still like statues.

    Utter helpless invaded the Quicksilver Roc mind and bodies. Along with blinding, the boys felt this sneaky freezing power when Aniela unleashed her white glow flashbang.

    And with this prime opportunity of stillness, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes burst with an intense savage glint.

    In a streak of dual Darkness and white glow, the duo rushed right near the Quicksilver Roc trio.

    Darcel enkindled both of his hands into raging black flaming claws, striking right at Mare and Talo. Aniela had fished out her purple rapier, ignited it in powerful black flames, and thrust straight towards Cini.

    Darcel and Aniela''s attacks were mere inches away from the Quicksilver Roc trio.

    And even while being blind, Mare, Talo, and Cini felt their instincts frantically roar at them.

    On pure instincts and with the speed of Wind Qi, Mare and Talo quickly thrust their short silver swords up to meet Darcel''s black flaming claws.

    While Cini similarly swiftly thrust his short silver sword up to intercept Aniela''s black flaming rapier.

    ''BANG!''

    A tremendous clash of Spirit Qi and Nascent Qi mixed together, crazily spewing out into the air like a thunderous storm!

    Black flames sailed out in the surrounding area burning any spots on the ground to a black crisp.

    Unsurprisingly to Darcel and Aniela, they evenly matched as their attacks clashed against the Quicksilver Roc trio.

    It was only a split second stalemate before Mare, Talo, and Cini all snapped their eyes open.

    Darcel and Aniela only caught a brief glimpse of their increasingly blue glowing eyes. Seeing it so up close caused ever so slight shivers to pool into Darcel and Aniela''s body.

    There was just something about this ominous blue glow that spelled immense trouble.

    However, in the very next second, Mare, Talo, and Cini all vanished right out of their clash.

    Darcel raised an eyebrow as he thought to himself, ''Hm? So this is their special speed?''

    Remarkably enough, this kind of speed is noteworthy in Darcel''s book, but he had then her Aniela say,

    "Up!"

    Both she and Darcel jerked their heads up towards the sky simultaneously. Their eyes held a bit of surprise as the Quicksilver Roc boys managed to get thirty meters high in the sky!

    Wild stormy winds encased the Quicksilver Roc boys as they thrust their short silver swords above them.

    Tremendously, the Quicksilver Roc boys prowess immensely shot up.

    Blue Wind Qi wrapped around their short silver swords, creating a mini blue tornado around their swords.

    The time it took to prepare this attack was only two seconds, yet Darcel and Aniela didn''t stay idle.

    They never tired jumping high in the air before, and attempting to run wouldn''t be so wise with the Quicksilver Roc boys vantage point.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes traded a knowing communicative glance. Darcel nodded at Aniela, and her mouth cracked into a small smirk.

    A beautiful white glow oozed out of her arm as she swiftly created a white light barrier.

    At the same time, the duo also heard,

    "Gale Battle!!!"

    Mare, Talo Cini all unleashed a furious battle cry. They pointed their swords downward towards Darcel and Aniela and blasted out a tremendous torrent of blue Wind Qi tornados!

    ''Hua!''

    The air was thrown into frantic chaos as a massive torrent of blue Wind Qi tornadoes surged throughout the Necropolis Woods.

    This Martial Skill wasn''t something any third layer link True Soul Core cultivator couldn''t take lightly.

    And with their powers combined, Mare, Talo, and Cini were all highly confident that this freakish duo would get critically injured now.

    It was only a shame that none of them spotted the spark of white glow that came from Aniela.

    Right when the Quicksilver Roc boys'' martial skill reached Darcel and Aniela, the blue Wind Qi tornado stopped only a few feet apart. All around Darcel and Aniela''s Light barrier, blue Wind Qi raged on for miles, but none could even get close to the duo.

    "Tch!"

    Immediately so, the Quicksilver Roc boys had now noticed their Martial Skill failing. Their initially slow descendent took a sudden shift as the boys speedily plunged straight at Aniela''s Light barrier.

    Darcel and Aniela smoothly jumped back as three silver lights pierced right through Aniela''s light barrier.

    Mare, Talo, and Cini managed to nimbly land on their feet before crashing into the ground and pounced at the dodging duo.

    However, before they could get near, a sinking cold feeling swept the Quicksilver Roc boys'' mind.

    Their eyes directly snapped to Darcel''s hand as he pointed it out to them.

    An eerie Darkness glow enriched his whole bloodline arm, creating a daunting spectacle for the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    This Darkness¡­.there was something too off about it!

    Abruptly, Mare, Talo, and Cini changed their course of action and vanished from the duo''s eyes.

    Once again, before Darcel and Aniela could even attempt anything, this speed is causing a problem.

    "But that reaction, though¡­.alright."

    Darcel gained a realization on his face as a bright idea popped into his mind.

    Instantly Darcel''s Darkness glow arm became further intense. He spawned a Darkness barrier over him, and Aniela and Darcel had then said, "Aniela, the whip."

    As he spoke, Darcel pointed his other arm. Aniela promptly caught on to what Darcel''s wanted and spewed out a whitish black flaming whip from the center of her palm.

    Aniela''s whip slithered around Darcel''s wrist, tightly coiling it. And while doing so, Darcel silently surged power into his left hand.

    As he expected, because of his Darkness, it brought them a little time to enact this plan.

    Though it really only took Darcel a few seconds to finish gathering power.

    Once ready, the duo traded another look and nodded.

    Flexing his legs, Darcel blasted off backward with immense speeds!

    Simultaneously while going backward, Darcel thrust out his hand, and from three tips of his finger, he blasted three black fire beams. Seemingly, Darcel had no targets, but the black fire beams accurately shot towards three hiding spots.

    ''Swish!''

    While the black fire beams were still firing, Mare, Talo, and Cini all rushed out of their hiding spots before Darcel''s black fire beam reached them.

    Darcel''s Darkness had caused every instinct in the bodies to wildly roar like a storm. More than anything, the Quicksilver Roc boys had it laid out to them to not get close that Darkness.

    And using the moment where Darcel was in the middle of attacking was the perfect time to strike!

    None of them had even noticed the whitish black flaming whip of Darcel''s due to his extreme speed.

    Darcel''s eyes glanced down to see the rushing of the Quicksilver Roc boys. However, no worries or panic entered his eyes; instead, a slight assured smirk rested on his face.

    Darcel correctly expected this, and swiftly, he pulled his weightless wrist back.

    Midway during the Quicksilver Roc boys rushed, they also clearly sense from behind, Aniela barreling straight at them.

    It wasn''t the fact they forgot about but simply didn''t want to get close to that Darkness barrier.

    Mare only took a swift glance back, but when doing so, his pupil dilated.

    Somehow, Aniela was reaching a speed that matches or was slightly above them!

    The Quicksilver Roc boys were only a meter from Darcel, and yet at Aniela''s speed, they wouldn''t even make it before she struck them.

    But before he could make heads about her, Mare and the other boys'' eyes hurriedly snapped back to Darcel. They watched in horror as Darcel''s Darkness dauntingly wrapped around his arm.

    In a pincer trap, Mare, Talo, and Cini knew these two were up to something. With their anger growing, the trio wanted to simply speed away again.

    But suddenly, the Quicksilver Roc boys found it nearly impossible to move!

    A crisis feeling swelled in their minds as a blindingly white glow abruptly clouded all of their visions.

    ''Chi!''

    Aniela''s intense blinding white flashbang burst right near the Quicksilver Roc trio! Even harsher this time, their bodies entirely locked up, and some pain assaulted their eyes.

    Up ahead, Darcel felt a familiar gentle power envelop his eyes right when Aniela''s flashbang went off, protecting him from it.

    Seeing it work, Darcel''s smile quickly turned cruel as at three of his fingertips, a harsh Darkness glow eerily swirled there.

 Grave Stopping

    Instantaneously upon the three tips of Darcel''s finger, the shimmering of his Darkness glow intensifies. Even among the Darkness of the Necropolis Woods, Darcel''s Darkness made everything freeze in his general vicinity.

    ''Hua!''

    Before the Quicksilver Roc boys could attempt anything, Darcel blasted three powerful streams of pure Darkness towards them!

    His Darkness streams split the air apart, and in only a nanosecond, it reached the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    "Ah-Ah?!"

    Mare, Talo, and Cini all shouted in confusion and pain as a tremendous force crashed against their face.

    Immediately then, the trio all felt their mind fall into utter chaos!

    Their eyes widen like saucers, their pupils dilated to needles like sizes as an overflux of wild raging emotions and feelings destroy their state of mind.

    Rage, joy, sorrow, and the biggest of them, lust wreaked total havoc in their minds!

    Aniela wildly smiled once seeing Mare, Talo, Cini all rigidly stood frozen in place.

    Under this state now, none of them can adequately react to anything!

    Stopping herself just a few feet away from the trio, Aniela used her other hand and unleashed three white whips from the center of her palms.

    Instantly, the white whips wrapped around the Quicksilver Roc boys'' necks, tightly coiling them like a savage snake.

    Pressure¡­.an unfathomable pressure never experienced before was enveloping the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    Mare Talo and Cini fiercely gnashed their teeth, trying to resist everything that was abruptly thrown at them. Inside their bodies, they struggle to control their Spirit Qi just to resist Aniela''s crushing telekinesis pressure.

    But doing so left most of their defenses completely wide open.

    Seeing his opportunity come, Darcel felt his body pump with intense adrenaline. Quickly, he ignited his black flaming claws over his hands and rushed towards the Quicksilver Roc boys in a savage frenzy!

    In a split second, Darcel popped right next to the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    Without missing a beat, he threw his black flaming claws directly at Mare and Cini''s chests.

    ''Chi, Chi!''

    Fresh horrid blood spilled into the air as Darcel''s black flaming claw ruthlessly tore into Mare and Cini''s chests!

    It was as if their third layer link True Soul Core bodies were nothing but butter under Darcel''s power.

    Mare and Cini''s eyes burst open with immense pain. Raging wild scorching flames caused utter chaos in their chest, further throwing their mind into a frenzy.

    But before they could even scream out pain, Darcel''s had then flung the two high into the sky.

    Once doing so, Darcel''s also didn''t miss a beat with Talo.

    Quickly he tore his black flaming claw into Talo''s chest, shredding his bodily defenses like worthless paper.

    Blood spurted to the ground, and like the other two, Talo didn''t even have a chance to register the pain before Darcel flung him high into the sky. Darcel didn''t pursue attacking and simply watched the boys with folded arms.

    As right then, Aniela''s three pure white telekinesis whips blitz to the Quicksilver Roc boy''s necks once again.

    Her whips crushed around their necks, and this time, the boys couldn''t put up barely any Spirit Qi to resist the mountain-like pressure enveloping their bodies once again.

    Heatedly smiling, Aniela had then fiercely swung her palm down.

    While doing so, the Quicksilver Roc boys sailed to the grounds at blitzing speeds!

    The Quicksilver Roc boys were utterly suppressed at all facets; it was impossible to stop their bodies from violently slamming into the ground.

    ''BANG!!''

    "GEAHH!!"

    Three shrieks of blood-curdling pain echoed out in the Necropolis Woods as the Quicksilver Roc boys felt as if their bodies cracked all over once savagely hitting the ground.

    Numerous of their bones fractured, their organs violently churned, and blood sprayed from their mouths.

    Mare, Talo, and Cini already ended up in a critically injured state in merely a few exchanges of attacks.

    While evenly matched in raw power, Darcel and Aniela always hold the superior edge in terms of unusual and unique abilities that can make their foes helpless.

    Plus, their teamwork is far too perfect, making a deadly combination.

    "Hmph! So that''s tha-" Aniela had turned her attention to Darcel, ready to relish in their victories until frantic tremors blazed in her body.

    Abruptly, Aniela felt her bloodline frantically surge, directing her senses to the fallen Quicksilver Roc trio.

    Darcel as well didn''t say anything as a quaking tremor fiercely courses throughout his bloodline. His senses also got snapped to the fallen Quicksilver Roc trio, who honestly appears harmless and frail.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    But neither Darcel nor Aniela wanted to take a chance of going against their bloodline instincts.

    At the same time, Darcel rushed to Quicksilver Roc boys, his black flaming claws still burning and Aniela rushed over with her black flaming rapier.

    The duo spared no hesitation, and Darcel fully plunged his black flaming claws deep into Mare and Cini''s chest. While Aniela savagely plunged her black flaming rapier deep into Talo''s chest.

    Further blood sprayed out of the Quicksilver Roc trio like a gushing fountain.

    And yet¡­.the sense of danger didn''t lessen up at all!

    Darcel and Aniela only had a second to take one quick glance at Mare, Cini, and Talo''s eyes.

    Promptly Darcel and Aniela admittedly got drawn into an eerily magical sight.

    The luminous blue glow in the Quicksilver Roc boys'' eyes had now intensely sparked up, entirely enriching their eyes in a pure, dazzling blue hue.

    Once Darcel and Aniela''s eyes connected with the Quicksilver Roc boys'' eyes, a tremendous increase of power spewed out from Mare, Cini, and Talo!

    Their bodies were instantly enriched in a shimmering blue glow, and their flood of sudden power rapidly reached its peak.

    ''CHI!''

    Darcel and Aniela got blasted back for a few feet as a massive burst of this strange power exploded from the Quicksilver Roc trio.

    This whole section of the Necropolis Woods got thrown into a stormy frenzy over the onslaught of this dramatic increase in power.

    Darcel and Aniela quickly planted their feet into the ground from mid-air, skidding along for just a couple of more meters. The wind around them swirled in a chaotic storm, crazily swishing their hair and clothes.

    "Ahhh¡­.yeess¡­.yess¡­.thoose two bodies are more than we expected!"

    Darcel and Aniela''s head snapped back to the Quicksilver Roc boys as an ominous voice slithered into the ears.

    Gales of frenzy blue Wind Qi crazily surged around the boys. And amazingly enough, Darcel and Aniela were shocked to see the boys casually get up as if their previous injuries were nothing.

    Blood poured like a river through their seven orifices; their arms and legs were mangled and twisted, showing off their horrid fresh bloody tissue.

    And most of all, the blue glow shrouding them only grew intenser.

    "Tch! Their Qi! Aniela!" Darcel suddenly called to her once he sensed the Quicksilver Roc boys go absolutely haywire.

    At the rate these three were going, they would soon implode in a tremendous explosion of power!

    Aniela had also sensed it and quickly nodded at Darcel. Even for all their overwhelming might, neither dared to face a self-destruction blast of someone equal at their raw prowess.

    Sharply turning around, Darcel and Aniela poured all of their Nascent Qi into their legs.

    Without looking back, the duo blasted off with lightning-like speeds as an ominous blue light streaked throughout the woods.

    ''BOOOM!!!''

    A colossal explosion of pure power lit up the Necropolis Woods in an eerie blue light.

    The ground violently trembled like several intense earthquakes all just went off, chaotic stormy wind spewed out for miles, splitting trees and bushes apart.

    "Ah!" Aniela unleashed a cry of surprise once sensing behind her.

    Even with their immense bloodline speed, that powerful explosion would soon reach her and Darcel!

    Swiftly, Aniela made a split decision then.

    As Darcel was right next to her, she hurriedly reached and grabbed his hand and immediately enriched both of their bodies in a beautiful white glow.

    The gentle power of Aniel''s telekinesis smoothly courses all throughout Darcel''s body. Of course, he didn''t resist this power, allowing Aniela''s free reign of both their bodies.

    ''Hua!''

    With speeds far surpassing their peaks, Aniela and Darcel managed to reach near lightning-like velocity!

    In just a couple of seconds, the two surpassed the radius of the Quicksilver Roc boys explosion.

    And while blasting through the air, both Darcel and Aniela suddenly felt a slight magnetic calling from deep within them.

    It was as if¡­.their soul was pointing towards one specific spot.

    Going off her natural instinct, Aniela smoothly directed themselves towards this calling of their soul.

    They had blitz by numerous Nascent Cores and even True Soul Cores Spirit Monsters, leaving only a dazzling white trail in their speedy wake.

    Eventually, Darcel and Aniela were quickly approaching a dreadfully bleak place.

    The duo spotted numerous gravestones from a meter ahead, all in varying colors, designs, and shapes. At their distance, neither Darcel and Aniela could tell the end to long rows of gravestones.

    Although, oddly enough, it appears as the Darkness of the Necropolis Woods had considerably lessened here.

    "So, we got led here!" Aniela exclaimed once, identifying this place as the mysterious Demesne Grave.

    She and Darcel saw various precise, accurate drawings of this place, leading them to connect the dots.

    Aniela had then cut off her telekinesis glow, stopping themselves just outside the Demesne Grave.

    Indeed, even while just being outside of the place, Darcel and Aniela couldn''t help but feel a slightly melancholy feeling drift throughout this site.

    As well the duo felt their calling of their souls became stronger. Darcel did a quick pre-survey of the place while commenting, "Certainly has the right atmosphere of a haunting mysterious place¡­.oh? You surely feel that too?"

    To what Darcel was asking Aniela wasn''t their soul calling but the abundance of powerful resources aura permitting the air. Once spreading his Spirit Senses in this place, it was the first immediate thing Darcel picked up on.

    "Mnh! It looks like we''re going to score a double jackpot here!" Aniela flashed a broad sweet smile while spreading her Spirit Senses around.

    Although there appeared to be only graves everywhere on the surface, from what lies underneath is what got Darcel and Aniela''s attention.

    Stepping into the Demesne Grave, Darcel and Aniela only took a few steps before their heads immediately jolted to one specific grave.

    This gravestone was at medium height, entirely green in color, and carried exotic markings Darcel and Aniela couldn''t understand.

    In front of the grave was this odd-looking man. He wore suspicious shabby looking brown clothes, including a long brown trench coat that covered his body up until his neck.

    This man stood like a statue, his eyes never leaving the green gravestone. Moreover, this man aura was far more unfathomable and profound compared to the Quicksilver Roc boys.

    Darcel and Aniela sensed this man to be at the fifth layer link of the True Soul Core realm!

    But it wasn''t he or the strange design of the gravestone that drew Darcel and Aniela''s attention.

    Their souls now violently trembled, frantically telling them to go straight over there.

    And even just putting their Spirit Sense under the gravestone, Darcel and Aniela could tell something extraordinary brewing under there.

    With ignited passionate flames in her eyes, Aniela had then said,

    "We must go over and check this out!" She didn''t even put the strange-looking man in her eyes.

    Aniela only found the man to be a decent amount stronger than Quicksilver Roc boys but not of a massive gap.

    "Just be prepared for any mishaps. Things could quickly become a bit troublesome." Darcel cautiously told, but his mind was as well still made up about going to this grave.

    Promptly the duo walked over to this grave, and as they got closer, the strange-looking man paid Darcel and Aniela no attention.

    Still, in order to not surprise the man, Aniela politely called out to him, saying,

    "Excuse me."

    It was then the man''s attention was pulled from the grave for a split second. But when he saw the two kids that did it, an apparent annoyance expression filled his face.

 Grave Hand

    "Tch."

    The strange man only snorted in Darcel and Aniela''s direction for their temporary distraction.

    After all, from what he could sense, it was only two pitiful kids in the fifth level of the Nascent Core realm.

    Darcel and Aniela, however, didn''t bother with the man''s disrespectful attitude. They simply ignored it and unhesitatingly kept on walking up to the grave, getting dangerously close to the gravestone.

    As Darcel and Aniela got closer to the gravestone, the intenser their soul continues to stir. Both of their eyes focused squarely on this exotic looking gravestone like they never have seen anything like it.

    For a second, Darcel and Aniela suddenly stop.

    A very faint vague trace of a familiar essence was gracing their minds. And yet at such close distance now, neither can remember just where or why this familiarity was appearing.

    "Hmm?"

    As Darcel and Aniela were only a couple of feet beside him, the strange man couldn''t help but notice this peculiar state of the duo.

    But quickly, even more disdain hazed his eyes, still only believing these kids are merely fooling around.

    Of course, Darcel and Aniela didn''t notice the look of continued disdain.

    The unusual markings of this green gravestone pulled all of their attention. Their eyes stared unblinkingly as if trying to piece together the meaning.

    Yet, neither Darcel nor Aniela could or would be able to understand no matter how much focus they put it.

    This confusion and allure only pulled Darcel and Aniela interest more, barring their souls'' intense calling.

    After a couple of seconds, Darcel and Aniela continued their slow, methodical steps towards the green gravestone.

    With every single step taken, the magnetic tingling sensation from their souls spewed and smoothly course through their bodies like running water.

    Only mere inches apart from the gravestone, Darcel and Aniela stopped once again.

    Neither of the two spoke a single word. And abruptly, then Aniela was struck with a strong compulsion.

    Almost akin to an emotionless human-machine, Aniela began lifting her hand to touch the green gravestone.

    Although, immediately when attempting this, the strange man had finally grown tired of these ridiculous shenanigans.

    "Hey, brats¡­." The strange man began talking, and slowly he surged his fifth layer link True Soul Core aura.

    His initial goal was to scare these annoyances off until he abruptly became entirely still.

    Darcel and Aniela didn''t even register the strange man''s words. But they too abruptly became rigidly frozen in place.

    At the same time, all three were frozen by an overwhelming unfathomable presence of power.

    Though Darcel, Aniela, and the man''s body didn''t move, their eyes did dart directly at the ground just before the gravestone. The dirt was eerily moving like there was someone or something down there.

    And then¡­.a bright green glow enriched the dirt!

    ''Chi!''

    Under the widening of three humans'' eyes, a bright green silverish hand popped right out of the ground! The hand was directly in front of the gravestone, generating a haunting curse imagery.

    However, neither the man, Darcel, or Aniela had any time to get chills from the haunting scene.

    Right when the hand ominously popped up from the ground, so did a tremendous influx of power burst throughout the whole Demesne Grave!

    "This¡­." The man breathed out as he swiftly jumped back under this abrupt influx of power.

    Darcel and Aniela as well quickly jumped back, finding the situation growing, especially odd.

    Admittedly though, this eerie green silverish hand carried a magnetic allure. Darcel, Aniela, and the strange man couldn''t actually take their eyes off the hand once it appeared.

    However, before anyone of three could attempt to move or even talk, a piercing green shine refracted deeply into their eyes. They witnessed a bright, enchanting green glow intensely swirl at three of the green hand fingertips.

    Puzzlement encompasses Darcel, Aniela, and the strange man''s faces.

    Truthfully, the sudden influx of power wasn''t enough to scare anyone of them. The trio sensed the power to be equated somewhere around the True Soul Core realm.

    It''s why only curiosity and questions plaster their faces instead of feeling any real danger.

    And yet, while staring into the soul capturing bright green glow, the hand abruptly blasted out three streams of green energy from its fingertips!

    "Wha?!" Darcel, Aniela, and the strange man all utter yelps of shock.

    None of them couldn''t react to the hand''s green energy streams, and they were all quickly wrapped up in this strange energy.

    "Ah! What is this?!"

    The strange man shouted as immediately he, Darcel, and Aniela all felt intense scorching pain fiercely course throughout their bodies.

    For the strange man, specifically for all of his higher prowess, this scorching pain was excruciating unbearable.

    In this situation, the only logical option was to erupt their Qi and escape this entrapment.

    Darcel snorted a bit and attempted to will his Nascent Qi. Only for his pupil to dilate upon trying to do so.

    "The hell¡­.are really that unlucky that we''re under a suppression trap?"

    A grave tone slithered out Darcel as he, Aniela, and the strange man all quickly realized their Qi was entirely suppressed!

    "Ok¡­.let''s be calm here! At least this burning pain isn''t so bad."Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Aniela did manage to say since really, the pain wasn''t completely unbearable to the point of it being torture. Darcel, too was inclined to agree with Aniela, though they both swiftly realized why.

    Their powerful, mysterious souls were continually wriggling about, surprisingly providing Darcel and Aniela''s bodies with enough power to barely resist the burn.

    Only the strange man couldn''t believe her words and thought Aniela was putting a tough front. After all, something he, a fifth layer link True Soul Core has trouble resisting surely would be fatal to Nascent Core youths.

    And it was then, a slight realization hit the strange man.

    His eyes briefly glance over to Darcel and Aniela in a slight shock. Just¡­.how the hell were they surviving this pain?!

    These kids, ever since they first appeared, are this odd, strange anomaly.

    But for now, the strange man had no time to focus on these kids. Wanting to escape as soon as possible, the strange man at least tried to move backward.

    Only to immediately mutter a silent curse under his breath when it was quite literally impossible to move back.

    Darcel and Aniela as well realize this little problem by their failure to walk backward.

    Going back was out of the options; none of them could even turn sideways as well. Which left the three with only one choice.

    That is to take whatever this mysterious hand was head-on!

    Otherwise, without access to their Qi, they would ultimately be sitting ducks here for god know how long.

    Gritting his teeth, forcing down the scorching unbearable pain, the strange man''s eyes haze in a determined glint.

    He didn''t think much would come of it at first, but immediately the man was surprised when he could actually lift his leg forward!

    And right then, the man''s eyes burst further open like two saucers.

    What accompanied this single step of movement was the horrifying sensation of mind-breaking burning pain! Whatever course through him frantically torched his organs, bloodstreams, and bones at an excruciatingly slow rate.

    Because of the man''s powerful True Soul Core body, of course, having his inside burn wouldn''t be enough to kill him.

    But that doesn''t mean the pain still wasn''t torture like!

    Hastily the man savagely bit down his teeth, nearly shattering a row of them.

    In all of his concertation, the man willed a tiny portion of his soul to see it could affect this hellish situation he was unfortunately wrapped into.

    One of the primary and most crucial aspects of the True Soul Core realm, as the name already implies, is to extensively train and develop one''s soul.

    This was the starting foundation that''ll later play a significant role in future realms and cultivation levels.

    However, even in all the agonizing efforts of the strange man, he could only just barely put his foot down under this torturous pain. Using his soul powers was pathetically negligible.

    Observing the man''s struggle got Darcel and Aniela to gain the same idea. Although with them, they haven''t had any training with their souls, unlike the strange man.

    But also, just unlike the man, Darcel and Aniela could at least mobilize a tiny portion of their souls'' powers, even beginning at the Qi Foundation Realm.

    In a literal sense, the knowledge of using this power was engraved into them ever since birth.

    At the same time, Darcel and Aniela lifted their foot and then raised their eyebrows.

    "This¡­.this isn''t too bad? At least not too bad in it being too much pain." Aniela lightly commented though her face was still focused.

    "Let''s just take it slowly at first." Darcel calmly said while still bearing the brunt of raging burning pain.

    From Darcel and Aniela''s side, the strange man watched in disbelieving awe as the duo finally got moving.

    For the first five steps, Darcel and Aniela truly did take it slow and easy. The suppression didn''t make it that hard to move their bodies, being the only thing ease about this situation.

    Though the scorching pain was still ever-present, at least there was some sort of light Darcel, and Aniela could see now. At their distance, they had only jumped back a few meters from the green flaming hand.

    And inspired with a newfound confidence Darcel and Aniela were ready to keep on moving.

    That is until they both heard a crazed and demanding voice shout from behind them,

    "Im-impossible!! Ju-just wha-what are you two damn brats?!" The strange man struggles to utter out under intense, fiery pain.

    This just had to be a trick!

    No way two Nascent Core juniors could possibly surpass him, a mighty True Soul Core warrior!

    Darcel and Aniela, however, merely took a slight glance behind them. No matter the pain she felt, Aniela offered a pleasant but seemingly mocking smile.

    "Us? Just two brats at the Nascent Core realm~."

    With those simple yet underlying words utter, the duo had then turned their attention back on the green flaming hand. Truthfully, they had zero reasons to care about some weird man disbelief delusions.

    Though hearing Aniela''s answer made something inside, the strange man snap a little. Practically speaking, it really was all of their faults that he was put into this grueling situation!

    "Heh¡­.al-alright. Le-let truly sees then." The strange man silently utters under his breath.

    He couldn''t accept this bizarre reality transpiring in front of him. And he sure as hell wouldn''t simply roll over and die here!

    Inside the strange man, his soul was violently churning. Throughout the strange man body, frantic, wild surges of power spewed providing him a much higher resistance to the pain though at a severe cost.

    This process, the strange man was undergoing, is the dangerous risk of overtaxing his soul. If failure were to occur, the strange man could very well blow up in a horrifying mid mist explosion.

    Although compared to the Yoderine True Soul Core youths Darcel and Aniela had encountered previously. This strange man obviously had far more experience utilizing his soul.

    Quickly some of the burning pain of the strange man gruel through lifted up.

    Just one small error could be the fatal end for him now.

    But under this highly unstable state of his body, the strange man began hurriedly walking!

    "Eh?" Aniela mouthed a short breath of mild shock once seeing the man abruptly walk at a faster pace than her and Darcel.

    Although Darcel instead had a disdain smirk seeing the man get ahead of himself.

    Swiftly the strange man crossed a couple of meters between the green gravestone, stopping just several feet from it.

    Without even fully turning around, the man managed to say,

    "No matter what, you freaks can''t live up to his." Now the strange man''s voice sounded clear and even held a hint of awe-inspiring power.

    Though the man was struggling to keep to this over-taxation of his soul, he was able to clear up even more of the scorching pain.

    Without waiting for a response from Darcel and Aniela, the man carefully continued his trek.

    While walking up here, the man did try to go back only to once again find it impossible. Meaning this green flaming hand will all the answers he needs!

    However, once he got merely a few inches near the green flaming hand,

    "GAHH?!?"

    The strange man abruptly collapsed right to his knees! Overwhelming pain, dominating suppression crushed his body like several tons of mountains.

    Even under his soul state, whatever energy that flowed in his body had just dramatically shot up to ridiculous degrees. Moreover, the strange man felt the slipping of his life as his soul became unbearably frantic.

    From behind, Darcel and Aniela curiously watched on.

    That is as they obverse wisps of green flames suddenly continuously spew from the strange man. It was as if the green flames were revving up and then,

    "AHHHHH!!!"

    Blood-curdling shrieks echoed from the strange man as his body erupted in brilliant, beautiful green flames! To his body, Spirit Sense, and soul, the man felt everything get scorched under the intensity of the blazing sun.

    His dying shrieks of pain only lasted about a few seconds.

    Darcel and Aniela watched as the man was incinerated to mere green ashes on the ground with slight weariness.

    Neither Darcel nor Aniela dared to move then. After witnessing such horrifying events, they couldn''t help but worry about their own lives if they approach those spots.

    But, just like the strange man found it, going back was utterly impossible at this point.

    "What happened to him¡­. couldn''t possibly happen to us! We were quite literally called here!" Aniela reminded herself and Darcel with rising confidence.

    Feeling inspired by Aniela, Darcel confidently nodded, reaffirming with, "It would make no sense for our souls to call us to someplace to get killed. Let''s go, Aniela!"

    Both Darcel and Aniela gathered their courage. Cautiously and slowly, the duo walked towards the same spot; the strange man was incinerated.

    Each step, the familiar sensations in their souls got stronger, but their weariness didn''t lessen in the slightest.

    And with one final step, Darcel and Aniela walked right into the same spot of the ashes of the strange man.

 Risky Move

    Immediately both Darcel and Aniela expected pain, flames, and suppression to try and overwhelm their bodies. Their teeth clenched in chilling anticipation for anything to come.

    Only¡­.they soon realized nothing did come to them.

    For a couple of seconds, the duo waited, and still, nothing happened. Stealing a glance towards each other, Darcel and Aniela nevertheless didn''t drop their guard.

    But right then, a bright, piercing silver shine flashed in Darcel and Aniela''s eyes.

    The shine forced the two to squint their eyes, but on the flaming silverish green hand, they saw that the silver glow came from the center of its palm.

    Incredible surges of powers suddenly permeated in the air. The silver glow grew intenser by the nanosecond forcing the duo to now shut their eyes altogether.

    And at the peak of this bright silver glow,

    ''Chi!''

    A blinding luminous silver flash burst out for miles in the Demesne Grave!

    Nobody else was in Darcel and Aniela''s general vicinity, leaving the blinding silver flash to transpire without any eyes watching.

    Once the silver flash died down, Darcel and Aniela were nowhere to be seen.

    Quickly then, the Demesne Grave fell into its usual ominously dreary silence.

    But soon, this grave will be prone to swelling action once again.

    ¡­.

    Pain, intense scorching agony, assaulted Darcel and Aniela''s body and Spirit Sense.

    Their eyes burst open to the size of saucers at this rapid abrupt change of pace.

    However, what greeted Darcel and Aniela''s vision was bright dazzling green flames. These raging green flames chaotically swirled about whatever room they were transported to. It was akin to a fiery storm.

    Though, oddly enough, at first glance, Darcel and Aniela found these green flames to look similar to Fire they once witnessed before.

    But they pushed down such small thoughts for now and promptly tried to see if they could surge their bloodlines powers.

    Darcel grit his teeth barrelling through the excruciating sizzling pain, and forcefully touched upon a different source of power that wasn''t from his soul.

    His eyes flashed in realization once sensing he could now mobilize his Nascent Qi and use his bloodline powers!

    Aniela as well gained a determined light in her eyes once sensing her Nascent Qi wasn''t suppressed that much now.

    In a nanosecond, she musters as much bloodline powers she could manage now, enriching her body in a white essence.

    A beautiful bright white glow aura wrapped around Aniela''s body, alleviating a small portion of her scorching anguish.

    Darcel had managed to form a mesmerizing Darkness glow aura, similarly alleviating a bit of the pain.

    "Fuu¡­." A small sigh escaped both Darcel and Aniela''s mouths.

    Truthfully only two seconds passed since they were teleported to this flaming room. But in those two seconds, they both felt as if they would genuinely be burnt to a crisp!

    The level of pain they were dealing with now wasn''t precisely tolerable, but Darcel and Aniela weren''t particularly unfamiliar with facing a challenge.

    Suddenly then, the duo sharply snapped their heads up.

    Once somewhat dealing with the pain, they felt their soul get even more intense in its swirling. In fact, during the whole two seconds of tortuous agony, their soul had never stop writhing about.

    "Ah-ah is-is that it?" Aniela barely managed to pant out.

    Her eyes were enraptured by two beautiful objects floating at the center of this room.

    Darcel didn''t say anything for a moment; his eyes were too engrossed at the same things.

    The two beautiful objects that stole the duo''s attention were two luxurious scimitars.

    These scimitars were an elegant mix of bright green and a hint of gorgeous silver hue. Several unique, exotic-looking patterns danced on the blade part of the scimitars, further adding to its distinguished excellence.

    And yet, the biggest striking quality about these scimitars was the unfathomable aura they naturally exuded. The aura was majestic and breathtaking akin to coming across the beautiful flames of a phoenix.

    Just being in the vicinity of these scimitars, anyone would feel the mighty power brewing deep inside these blades.

    "Ear-Earthen Spirit Weapons¡­." Darcel breathed out in slight awe.

    From even before the Black Dungeon Labyrinth, neither Darcel nor Aniela decided to change from their Mortal Spirit rapier weapon.

    They had just never found it necessary, plus their rapier worked well enough with also fighting above their realm.

    But during their training with Vice Principal Zelle, she had taught them about the advantages of Earthen Spirit Weapons and pushed them to get one.

    Earthen Spirit Weapons were, of course, far stronger than Mortal Spirit ones, though they cost far more Qi to properly use.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Darcel and Aniela initially had plans to get one after cultivating, but the prospect of testing out their new might got their blood boiling to an unprecedented level.

    And in Darcel and Aniela''s minds, they had just come to the conclusion that their slight weapon problems were no longer an issue.

    "Ju-just imagine what tier they''re in." Aniela wonders out loud.

    Neither of the two could precisely identify what tier these Scimitars were.

    Only this breathtaking aura probably matched even high tier Earthen Spirit Weapons they encountered around Zakira Academy!

    "Fi-first, these flames."

    Before they could attempt to get close to those magnificent scimitars, Darcel knew these green flames had to go!

    He didn''t even want to try moving, knowing their pain would probably only intensify.

    For a few seconds, Darcel and Aniela''s faces scrunched up.

    They racked their brains on how to deal with these flames, but nothing seemed obvious.

    Most of their power was poured into defending, and even then, it would be unwise to blast out attacks against raging green flames.

    ''If only we could¡­.!'' Right then, a trail of thought shock through Darcel''s mind.

    His head quickly snapped towards Aniela, who at the same time snapped her head towards in similar realization.

    "Absorption!"

    Both Darcel and Aniela simultaneously shouted in zealous excitement.

    Looking towards Aniela, Darcel found it a bit amusing she was holding a pained smile upon coming at this realization.

    Although Darcel was sure, he himself had a similarly excited smirk in what they were going to attempt next.

    It was way, way back when they had first started their journey in this Province. But there was one critical moment that had saved their lives for their journey.

    Darcel and Aniela had vividly recalled the time they had taken on Anne''s group and escaped the Wrathful clan.

    That group had made the desperate last effort attempt to fry them both with their signature black flames.

    Only that plan had fruitlessly failed right in front of their faces. By just using a small portion of their souls, not only had Darcel and Aniela absorb their black flames. They also managed to fully gain the Element of Fire in their souls as if they had it since their conception stage.

    Compared to that situation, absorption now was highly risky.

    Darcel and Aniela could tell how terrifying these green flames can be, just by going how that strange man was incinerated to mere ashes.

    However, they truly didn''t have any other options left. They wouldn''t be able to hold their protective aura forever, and once that''s gone, essentially, a slow, painful death awaits them.

    Although even during the absorption process, they could make one small fatal mistake and burst into a bloody mist!

    But out of these risks, if Darcel and Aniela succeeded, they would be able to rapidly advance in their comprehension of the element of Fire.

    Taking one last look at each other, both Darcel and Aniela determinedly nodded.

    In just their eyes, the two can tell the unwavering amount of confidence they had in each other. And with rising courage, Darcel and Aniela swiftly made up their minds!

    They had both then sprang open their right palms and closed their eyes.

    Instead of using Nascent Qi or their bloodline powers, Darcel and Aniela directly touched upon their souls.

    Slowly and carefully, they willed their pure black flaming essence towards their palms.

    Darcel and Aniela were patient, forming these black flames. Using pure essence from their souls could result in a heinous deadly backlash.

    Still, Darcel and Aniela were quick to adapt and stay calm under this risky move.

    After ten seconds of pushing down the pain and diverting all of their attention in forming their pure black flames, Darcel and Aniela finally felt the breaking point.

    More focus than ever, on the palms of Darcel and Aniela, black Fire slowly began to appear, swirling in a circular motion.

    The black flames were vague at first but quickly began to become pronounced within mere seconds.

    And after precisely ten more seconds, the duo swirled a completed pure essence black flaming ball!

    Opening their eyes, Darcel and Aniela were a bit surprised at the current appearance of their flames.

    Seemingly, their black flames looked more dazzling and luminous to gaze upon. The way their black flames swirled was almost elegant in a way moving in a rhythmic pattern.

    But Darcel and Aniela quickly shifted their attention from the appearances as now wasn''t the time.

    Carefully, Darcel and Aniela recalled the exact same sensation and feelings when they had first used their souls to absorb the Wrathful Clan black flames.

    The duo plunged deeply into their minds, vividly recalling every little detail down to the tiniest of specks.

    Seeing as they are far stronger compared to that time, Darcel and Aniela didn''t have to rely on a risky lucky chance to control their souls to absorb.

    Simultaneously, Darcel and Aniela sprang open their eyes and clenched their palms.

    Very steadily, a small wisp of sizzling green flames flows towards the duo.

    Darcel and Aniela''s pure essence black flames continually spewed a magnetic allure for the wisp of green flame, pulling it in like a whirlpool.

    As soon as this small wisp of green flames touched Darcel and Aniela''s pure essence black flaming ball, it immediately got sucked in with zero resistance!

    Right then, Darcel and Aniela felt tremendous changes to their body, Spirit Sense, and soul!

    It didn''t matter which part of their being; everything was under intense scorching burns. This was even more intense than the green flames that surged around the whole room.

    Bearing this kind of pain was borderline torture. No sane youths Darcel and Aniela age would ever want to survive this kind of power even if it meant a tremendous power boost.

    But for Darcel and Aniela?

    They were warped ever since their grueling childhoods. Their eyes turned bloodshot, blood gushed from their mouths as they violently gnashed their teeth.

    In Darcel and Aniela''s mind, a straightforward thought was repeated on verbatim.

    Never submit to any challenges!

    From their childhood kidnappings until now, it was never in Darcel and Aniela''s style to let when something challenging come up roll all over them.

    No matter who it was in the Parasol Organization, they always kept a defiant but smart attitude.

    Others resist or go against the grain because of pride, egotism, or determined hard workers ready to make massive changes in their lives.

    And yet, Darcel and Aniela always resist as their minds simply wouldn''t be at peace. There was something incredibly wrong Darcel, and Aniela found in being weak and submissive and having a give up attitude.

    Darcel thought, perhaps it really was like Aniela said.

    Maybe....maybe it really wasn''t in their blood to just stay confined. Maybe their bloodlines are genuinely pushing them to always have a defiant attitude.

    Though no matter what pre-development led to this train of thought, Darcel and Aniela were sure right now they will not lose out to these green flames!

    And it was upon this thought Darcel and Aniela became utterly still.

    Their eyes became unfocused, but their minds were becoming increasingly sharp.

    The scorching sizzling pain in their souls, bodies, and Spirit Sense was still present, but none of that could affect their minds now.

    Mysterious and complex properties of the element Fire Darcel and Aniela couldn''t understand before were now slowly becoming less vague.

    Under the intense green flames, Darcel and Aniela steadily fell into an Enlightenment trance¡­.

 Fruitful Deal

    Usually, at the Demesne Grave entrance, just this vicinity would be eerily silent, creating an ominous dreadful vibe for all those that come near.

    However, there was now a group consisting of five confident youths and one indifferent young boy striding right in the Demesne Grave entrance.

    For the five confident, charming looking youths, they all wore matching clothes.

    Beautiful orange robes with the elegant design of the God Beast Roc donned their bodies, indicating they were all from the Quicksilver Roc sect!

    Moreover, these weren''t just your run of the mill average disciples.

    Every single one of the Quicksilver Roc youths stood proudly at the seventh layer link of the True Soul Core realm!

    This was most certainly a line up that could even be counted as unbeatable even for eighth-layer link True Soul Core cultivators.

    And for the indifferent young boy, he wore odd-looking green robes that seemed a little bit big for his body. He was merely at the middle layer link levels of the True Soul Core realm.

    And yet, the green robe boy was leading the Quicksilver Roc youths in the Demesne Grave. Furthermore, not a single one in the Quicksilver Roc group had any misgivings about this boy leading them.

    At the forefront of the Quicksilver Roc group, one beautiful young girl walked there, being the apparent leader for their outing.

    She cast suspicious eyes towards the green robe boy saying, "I shouldn''t need to remind you but do take note. If this is a massive waste of our time, you''ll surely regret ever offering this deal."

    The girl''s tone was superior, cold as ice and daunting. Anyone weaker than her would understandably get frightened.

    However, the green robe boy simply kept his steady indifferent expression.

    It was as if that bold tone went right over his head. But the boy was quite aware of this girl''s suspicions and as well all the others'' doubts in the group.

    So with a slight turn, the boy offered a genuine, honest, confident smile and began to assure them.

    "I understand your concerns but fret not. After this, none of your rivals will ever get close to touching you ever again."

    The green robe boy stared unwaveringly into the leading girl''s eyes, his smiling expression never faltering. His bold tone smoothly slithered into all of the Quicksilver Roc youths'' ears as he continued on walking.

    "Hmph, we''ll just have to truly see it then." Begrudgingly, the leading girl snorted and nonetheless kept on following the green robe boy.

    And as well, the other Quicksilver Roc youths followed behind them.

    While they traversed the Demesne Grave, the Quicksilver Roc youths'' eyes were continually darting around this site.

    Numerous gravestones expanding on for miles were the biggest recurring thing they notice here.

    Moreover, there wasn''t a single gravestone even remotely similar to each other. Everyone spouted their own style, shape, and design.

    One of the boys in the group dawned a curious expression as he said out loud, "Man¡­.before this whole fiasco with those Zakira rats, I don''t think many in our sect really explored these graves. At least, I never found any valuable information on this place."

    One of the girls in the group put on a bemused expression. She quickly picked up, saying,

    "Hell! Not only this gravesite, I nearly forgot there exist two major powers in these woods! Though you Ravenous Void Clan people are far more reclusive than those Wrathful Clan people."

    "We¡­.prefer a more quiet setting." Was all the Ravenous Void Clan boy said.

    Though the boy seemed a tad bit awkward in normal conversation, the Quicksilver Roc youths chose to ignore in favor of their deal.

    Suddenly, as a collective, everyone in the Quicksilver Roc group decided to spread out their Spirit Sense while following the green robe boy.

    However, upon doing so, everyone''s eyes burst into excited rays of light.

    Initially, they didn''t feel much for the Demesne Grave''s base presence, but after just a small search with their Spirit Sense, their whole perception of this place drastically changed.

    Valuable and plentiful resources, unknown powerful treasure, it was all somewhere below each of these gravestones!

    The Quicksilver Roc youths had practically realized this place was a hidden treasure cove!

    One of the cute girls in the group, just beside their leader, spoke up in a greedy tone.

    "Hey, now, why don''t we just start digging up this place? We can sense lots, I mean lots of good stuff here!"

    "That would be highly unwise and dangerous. You have no idea of knowing, but these gravestones¡­.they have surprises no one can lightly mess with. Besides, your greatest treasure awaits you here." The green robe boy swiftly shot down her suggestion and stopped just meters away from a unique green gravestone.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    If Darcel and Aniela were here, they would be shocked.

    Where the Ravenous Void Clan boy led them to was the exact same green gravestone that not only killed the strange man but also teleported Darcel and Aniela!

    But, of course, the Quicksilver Roc youths had no way of knowing this.

    Their eyes instead were enraptured by the unique, beautiful design that was etched upon this specific gravestone. Truly they never witness unusual markings like the ones upon this gravestone.

    However, what stood out the most was what under this gravestone. None of the Quicksilver Roc youths could identify what it was. Still, they were able to sense extraordinary things were brewing there.

    Nevertheless, before anyone in the Quicksilver Roc group could attempt anything, the leading girl put her hand up.

    She asked the green robe boy, "So? What''s your end of the deal has to do with this gravestone?"

    The green robe boy didn''t answer her. Instead, he simply pointed his finger up and formed a powerful ball of Spirit Qi at the tip of his finger.

    With a flick of his finger, the green robe boy flung the Spirit Qi ball at the gravestone.

    The Quicksilver Roc youths were understandably puzzled at this bizarre sudden action. That is until the Spirit Qi ball was just mere inches from the green gravestone.

    ''BANG!''

    Dissipated Spirit Qi burned into the air as a bright green flaming hand spewed from out the ground and effortlessly destroyed the green robe boy Spirit Qi.

    "What the hell is that?" One of the boys in the Quicksilver Roc group asked out loud a question brewing in everyone''s mind.

    This hand seemed like something straight out of a children''s horror story.

    "This is one of the surprises these gravestones could have for you. If you want to gain entry under this grave, you''ll need to mobilize your soul to resist this flaming hand and simply walk right up to it. You already have a soul chain link to me to know that I''m lying, so there should be no doubt."

    The green robe boy patiently explained to them.

    And as the leading girl opened her palm, there was a pure green chain there.

    The soul chain was a simple Mage tool mages used to see if one is lying or not. It''s a commonly well-known item and never once failed anybody.

    Plus, the Quicksilver Roc youths also sensed this green flaming hand aura. And yet, none of them felt any overwhelming or threatening aura coming from it.

    The believability in the green robe boys had just gone a slight notch up then.

    "If it''s truly as you say, then I''ll go first."

    Since the leading girl held the strongest prowess out of all there, she unhesitatingly volunteered to go first. For a few moments, the girl went entirely still.

    The rest of the Quicksilver Roc youths watched, not speaking a word to not disturb the girl''s concentration.

    And after a few more seconds, a protective transparent aura swirled around the girl, enriching her body with soul powers.

    If it''s something like using a small portion of soul powers, any True Soul Core cultivator could do it. They would only need a little bit of time.

    Once gathering her small amount of soul powers, the leading girl began her moves.

    Separating her and the green gravestone was a few meters of distance.

    And as soon as the leading girl made one step on to this spot, the green flaming hand shot out a dazzling green stream of energy at immense speeds!

    Not even the leading girl could react, and the green stream of energy tightly wrapped around her body.

    "Tch!"

    Immediate pain assaulted the girl''s senses, forcing her to leak out a grunt of pain.

    It was akin to a great scorching burn, but¡­.it wasn''t anything unbearable for the leading girl. Compared to what Darcel and Aniela experienced, the girl had far less pain running through her veins.

    "Haah¡­ .it''s nothing too unbearable. Just enough pain that''s tolerable if you''re courageous enough. Let''s go, guys!"

    Once hearing the ok from their leader. The rest of the Quicksilver Roc youths smirked and began touching upon their souls.

    After a few seconds, now all of the Quicksilver Roc youths were on the trek to go to the green flaming hand. Green streams of energy wrapped them all up, but none of them as well found the pain to be unbearable.

    With a vast bout of confidence, the group of six began walking.

    For numerous steps, the Quicksilver Roc youths walked unhindered, carefully trekking towards the green flaming hands.

    And right when they were getting dangerously close to the green flaming hand, one of the Quicksilver Roc boys boldly proclaimed, "Heh! That dude was making it seem so ominous. This is no-Ah?!-AHH!!"

    "Ah?!-AHHH?!?"

    In a dramatic reversal of events, not only did the boy who boldly spoke out collapse to his knees, so did everyone else collapses to their knees in tremendous pain!

    The scorching flames burned their organs, bones, and bloodstreams, immediately wreaking insane havoc in their bodies. Furthermore, the Quicksilver Roc youths suddenly experienced an intense suppression upon their Spirit Qi, entirely immobilizing their bodies.

    From behind, none of the Quicksilver Roc youths could notice it, but the green robe boy''s eyes had now haze in a chilling bright blue glow. He didn''t move a muscle, yet his stare bore a hole into the youths'' backs.

    Although, in the Quicksilver Roc youths'' eyes, a familiar blue glow enriched their eyes!

    But unlike the Ravenous Void Clan boy, their blue glow was much lighter and didn''t offer any of the youths any increase in power.

    "Arghh!! Drawn on your sou-AHH!!!" The leading girl attempted to roar out while also riskily overdrawing on her soul, only to have further immense anguish rack her whole being.

    Hearing their leader blood curdling screams stopped everyone else from trying to overtax their souls. But even then, the torturous pain for them didn''t lessen in the slightest.

    In fact, it even got worse!

    And right then, amidst all of their unbearable agony, the Quicksilver Roc youths heard a spine chilling voice that hauntingly slithered into their ears.

    A voice that came from directly behind them.

    "So someone got lucky enough to get down there? Hmmm¡­.you all can die now." The green robe boy indifferently said as if he was an executioner of death.

    And as he spoke, the green flames burning the Quicksilver Roc youths abruptly grew immensely bright!

    ''CHI!!''

    The whole group of seventh layer links cultivators abruptly burst into wild raging green flames!

    None of them even had a chance to scream out in agony before being quickly burnt to death.

    The green robe boy was soon left alone with nothing but a pile of green ashes on the ground. The boy kept this eerie blankest of stare as his mind went into contemplation.

    "With this¡­.we need to get started right now."

 Fire

    Under the green gravestone, the once-raging green flaming room was now undergoing tremendous changes.

    Instead of green flames chaotically raging about the place, the flames had now halted, falling into a calm, equalized state.

    Darcel and Aniela stood still like statues. No longer were their faces warped in anguish; instead, their faces were serene and tranquil. Blood no longer flowed from their mouths and their eyes were closed shut.

    Upon their palms, Darcel and Aniela''s pure essence black flaming ball was as well still steadily swirling in a rhythmic motion.

    Only this time, the motion of their black flaming ball was nearly hypnotic to gaze upon.

    Darcel and Aniela obviously didn''t know how much time. It seemed like minutes, hours even all passed in a blink of the eye.

    But during this unknown amount of time, Darcel and Aniela experienced significant and rapid advancement in the foundational properties of the element of Fire.

    Their comprehension reached a profound understanding of the foundational level, significantly paving the way for when the duo would touch upon the Concept of Fire Laws.

    Absorbing and combining two different Fire properties allowed for their sense of Enlightenment to take a step closer to the Law Concept Foundational level of Fire.

    Although Darcel and Aniela Fire''s comprehension was still deeply shallow and had a long way on this road.

    What they had recently comprehended already put them above any other genius youths their age.

    And suddenly then, after all this time of stillness, Darcel and Aniela slightly twitched their fingers.

    Once they reached a point where they could no longer enhance their comprehension of the element of Fire, the duo now wanted to test an experiment.

    Inside their souls, more profound, beautiful wisps of black flames shimmered around like flowing water.

    Previously their black flames would always have a more vague, less defined shape in their souls.

    Now, Darcel and Aniela''s black flames transformed to a point where it could stand tall on its own without getting overshadowed by their birth element.

    Upon this complete transformation, Darcel and Aniela were now mobilizing their profound comprehension of the element of Fire.

    The swirling pure essence black flaming balls in their palms started to speed up a bit in its rotation.

    While doing so, wisps of bright green flames began slowly floating towards their black flaming balls in an orderly fashion.

    As soon as the wisps of green flames touched a single bit of the duo''s pure essence black flaming ball, it smoothly got absorbed in without a trace of resistance.

    And upon Darcel and Aniela''s face, no expression of pain could be seen at all!

    Instead, the foundation prowess of their black flames steadily increased!

    The green flames that once rampaged through their entire beings now couldn''t barely affect them at all besides providing Darcel and Aniela with a nice warm toasty feeling.

    Through their Enlightenment of Fire and reaching near the Law Concept Foundational level of Fire, Darcel and Aniela''s soul and bodies gained a far higher resistance to any types of flames.

    And because their souls seemingly have the ability to absorb, the green flames Darcel and Aniela took in increased the base power output of their black Fire and the quality of their black flames.

    Although the scorches of pain brought on by the green flames didn''t completely go away. It was more than tolerable enough for Darcel and Aniela to withstand.

    Initially, the green flames were slowly and steadily getting absorbed.

    But after realizing how little they were getting affected, Darcel and Aniela rapidly speed up their absorption rate.

    The sizzling green flames were now getting vigorously sucked into Darcel and Aniela''s black flaming balls like a drain.

    And during this entire time, Darcel and Aniela''s black flames didn''t change color, staying true to its natural Darkness.

    Although no outward appearances changed, it certainly didn''t mean inward changes weren''t happening.

    Like they had no limits, Darcel and Aniela tremendously increased their black flames'' power, making the black Fire inside their souls grow even brighter.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyebrows suddenly quirked while absorbing the green flames.

    The rate at which these flames burn, some burning at a higher intensity, some burning at a lower intensity, created a remote connection in the duo''s mind.

    It was a steady and smooth chain of Fire that never once disrupts itself.

    The idea of Fire''s burning heat got implanted into Darcel and Aniela''s mind like a small seed.

    But quickly, the duo diverted their attention back on absorbing.

    And after minutes passing, the once bright green flaming room was now utterly empty, barring four presences there.

    Every wisp of green flames was mixed in quite nicely with Darcel and Aniela''s black Fire.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    At the same time, Darcel and Aniela''s flung their eyes wide open.

    They stood still in their same position but deep within their pupils'' burning wisps of beautiful black flames elegantly swirled there.

    And with a blink of Darcel and Aniela''s eyes, their pupils returned to normal as if the wisps of black flames were never in their eyes. The duo dispersed their pure essence black flaming ball and let their arms drop to their sides.

    Simultaneously Darcel and Aniela''s heads snap towards each other.

    On both their faces, equal satisfied smiles graced their lips. Their souls may have called them here, but they had just achieved a tremendous hurdle all on their own!

    "Ahhh~! Even just standing here and talking, I can feel the warming but intense power of fire course all in my body! Darcy¡­.our prowess probably just enter a whole new realm of craziness!" Aniela passionately said with eyes bright like the sun.

    Seeing how beautiful and cute Aniela gets when she is so excited made Darcel''s smile split even further wide.

    He casually walked closer to Aniela, grabbing her warm, tender hands that sent toasty shockwaves in both of their bodies.

    "Mnh¡­.you''re right. Even just touching you, ditzy girl, I can feel the warm heat radiating off your skin. But let''s not get overly excited yet. We still have one more reward to go."

    Aniela couldn''t put her finger on why, but the way Darcel spoke now sounded more¡­.alluring.

    It was like his voice exuded warming energy that smoothly slithered into her ears, making her whole brain relaxed. She even temporarily forgot about those beautiful scimitars just floating feet away from them.

    "Hehehe~! If the Darcy of the Parasol Organization were to see the current Darcy, he would think you''re a total stranger! But thankfully for you, I adore this new upcoming side of you. Now then! Let''s claim our new weapons!"

    As Aniela lovingly squeezed his hand and pulled him towards the graceful scimitars, Darcel had also noticed some beautiful changes to Aniela''s voice.

    It was a bit tricky to notice at first. But her ever present sweet voice now had a more irresistible enticement that admittedly was slowly igniting his passion of lust.

    Of course, as Darcel spends nearly every waking moment with Aniela, he basically built immune to her hidden seductive allure.

    But Darcel was sure to anyone unfamiliar with her or just meeting her, their ears and mind would get slightly enraptured.

    Pushing these intriguing thoughts about Aniela''s voice down, for now, Darcel had then turned his attention to beautiful scimitars.

    Still, even after all this time, these Earthen Spirit Weapons didn''t move.

    They kept their imposing graceful presence floating in midair. And even with all the green flames gone, the scimitars green flaming coat still held its luminous luster.

    Darcel and Aniela were only several feet apart from the blades. Their eyes continually roamed around the scimitars, checking every inch of detail on there.

    "Fuuu~....so this is what our souls were crazily driving us towards? Not bad, not bad at all! Shall we get started, Darcy?"

    Aniela was repeatedly nodding her head in approval while also still holding on to Darcel''s hand.

    As Aniela was bringing it up, Darcel surged his Nascent Qi a bit.

    And in expectations, Darcel realized there was no more suppression on his Qi, allowing his powers'' free reigns.

    "Alright¡­.but remember, be ready for anything. This grave is proving itself several times to be dangerously surprising." Darcel, while talking, also didn''t let go of Aniela''s hand, now finding it too warm to let go.

    A sweet smile etched on Aniela''s face as she always loves Darcel''s concern for her. She, too, began surging his Nascent Qi, getting her body in the most optimal state for any kind of attack.

    Hand in hand, the duo trekked closer to the green silver hue scimitars.

    And right when they were mere inches away from the blades, Darcel and Aniela abruptly stopped.

    A sudden familiar unfathomable sensation overtook their souls and course throughout their bodies.

    Darcel and Aniela furrowed their eyebrows since it was as if they encountered this type of sensation before.

    And yet, their minds couldn''t pinpoint where or who made them feel this unfathomable sensation. Though for sure, Darcel and Aniela guessed it had to be someone either inside Necrotic City or Zakira Academy.

    Getting over this sensation, Darcel and Aniela refocus their attention on the beautiful green silverish hue scimitars.

    They swelled all of their courage inside them and reached out towards the scimitars.

    Neither Darcel nor Aniela experienced any blocking force or overwhelming suppression of power at such a close distance.

    Their hands were allowed to go unhindered, and simultaneously they each both grabbed the handle of the scimitars.

    "Oh?!?"

    Immediately upon the first touch, Darcel and Aniela lit surprise gasps as an influx of tremendous power attempted to overflow their bodies.

    The green, slight silver hue scimitars had now fully ignited in a bright silver radiance!

    But right when the massive influx of power transpired to them, Darcel and Aniela''s soul intensely writhed.

    The duo had no way of knowing how, but a faint silver light lit up in the deepest region of their souls, coursing their bodies in a warm sensation.

    Their soul writhing, and the strange sensation caused the tremendous influx of power to immediately calm before anything could even happen to Darcel and Aniela.

    Darcel and Aniela couldn''t even process what just transpired. Only on instinct, they tightly clenched on to the scimitars handle.

    Upon doing so, the duo felt entirely enriched!

    Darcel and Aniela became utterly still, but inside they felt a holy presence purified their bodies as if undergoing a baptism.

    A bright silver glow wrapped the whole of their eyes, and the duo also felt movement from their bloodlines.

    Throughout this whole time, their mysteriously powerful bloodline didn''t react to anything at all. But under current enrichment, their bloodlines smoothly swirled as if accepting a gift brought to them.

    A few seconds passed under this enriched blessed state.

    And once passing, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes return to normal, and they slowly return to reality.

    Now Darcel and Aniela entirely took the blades in their hands, feeling incomparably warm while casually wielding it.

    Contrary to expectations, the duo found these scimitars were nearly weightless, even more so than their Mortal Spirit purple rapiers.

    Darcel and Aniela traded a look with each other, both seeing faint traces of power run through their eyes. Just holding these scimitars, the duo felt as if they gained another massive power boost!

    "Two times in one day, we stumble upon greatness! And since there''s nothing else here, Darcy, you know how we should leave?"

    While talking, Aniela''s eyes were suggestively moving towards the green silverish ceiling.

    Darcel''s eyes took one look over the room. And indeed, there really was nothing left here. In fact, after taking the scimitars for their own, the colors in this space seemed to dull a bit.

    Nodding at Aniela, Darcel had then told her, "Up and straight through the ceiling. Hmmm¡­.let my try a little test run." Darcel had then pointed his scimitar up while talking.

    Fully wielding this blade, Darcel felt like he was wielding holy power itself. He surged a bit of Nascent Qi and at the tip of his scimitar, a small black flaming ball instantly formed.

    Swiftly, Darcel blasted the small black flaming ball towards the ceiling, reaching breakneck speeds.

    ''BANG!''

    Effortlessly Darcel blasted the ceiling open, revealing the Darkness of the dreary Demesne Grave.

    Aniela''s eyes sparkled seeing how cleanly Darcel''s power was, but before she could comment, she and Darcel abruptly went rigid.

 Domination

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes quickly shuffled to the right side of the grave room. They didn''t need to speak to each other, and at the same time, they both rushed to a blind hiding spot in the room.

    At this position, whoever would look down from the hole would not be able to see them unless they go in the hole.

    But the duo didn''t just stop at hiding out of views ways.

    Darcel and Aniela flashed their scimitars into their spatial ring and surged their Nascent Qi in a precise way.

    Their usual alluring presence was significantly toned down as if they were making themselves invisible!

    During their training with Vice Principal Zelle, she had also taught them the skill of masking their presence and aura.

    Darcel and Aniela were still at a rudimentary stage of this skill, but it was enough to hide from people at the same prowess as them.

    And right when Darcel and Aniela masked their presence, they both heard a rough man voice boom into the grave room.

    "Now, do you see! More than ever, I can say everything about this place is a terrible omen. Someone or something is literally trying to fry us from under the ground!"

    Aniela had promptly suggestively turned her head towards Darcel, all while spouting a teasing grin. That grin already explained to Darcel all that she wanted to say.

    And right then, the duo heard another man''s rough voice.

    "Look quite worrying already, would you. They already told us this gravestone would act weird once we got close. Besides, it''s not like we have any other options but to go down here. After we do go down here, at least we can finally start crushing those Zakira rats and Quicksilver rats for good."

    Darcel and Aniela quirked their eyebrows up. They now had genuine curiosity over these mysterious explorers.

    After all, to so boldly say they can crush two top-level organizations simultaneously isn''t words anyone can throw around lightly.

    "Haah¡­.right. That horrid thing doesn''t let anyone off¡­.huh? Uhh¡­.hey, I think we''re too late." The first man had peered down, the man-made whole, shock and weary filling his face.

    "What are you-What?! Damn! They said it was ectoplasm flames of the highest order down here, and yet someone not only got rid of it, but they also took those supposed great weapons!"

    The second man joined in to peer down the hole, his face also in disbelief shock.

    Both of these men held an older middle age appearance. Their clothes consisted of bright, unique-looking green robes, indicating they were from the Ravenous Void Clan.

    Upon seeing the objects they were supposed to retrieve missing, both men spread out their Spirit Sense in the dulling green room.

    And in no time at all, both men eyebrows furrowed, sensing something odd that they couldn''t precisely identify.

    "Even if there''s nothing down here, we''re still checking this out. I know you also sense something strange down here." The second man stated with utmost assurance.

    The first man helplessly nodded, but he didn''t have many worries about going down.

    After all, he and his partner were both fifth layer link True Soul cultivators! It''ll be hard for even a seventh layer link cultivator to take them down.

    The hole that was made was considerably large, allowing for the two men to smoothly jump down.

    They were about a couple of meters from hitting the ground. And right then, both men abruptly sense a tremendous sensation of impending crisis!

    They only had a nanosecond to turn to their right, ignite their hands in bright green flames, and hastily spewed out a green flaming shield.

    Just before they clashed, the two men could barely spot two bright green blades attacking them.

    ''BANG!''

    Overwhelming power shocked and overwhelmed the two green robe men as they violently blasted right into the dull green wall.

    Dull green stones flew out from their crash, and the wall behind them cracked like spiderwebs.

    The two green robe men manage to land back on their feet, though their faces were warped with pain.

    Just this one impact caused their backs to be sore, and in their right hand and arms, intense scorching burning pain wreaked havoc.

    For a split moment, Darcel and Aniela were a bit surprised seeing their surprise attack be so powerful. They did fully unleashed their bloodline state, but they were currently up against powerful fifth layer link True Soul Core cultivators!

    Just in their previous fight, they evenly matched with third layer link cultivators even at full power.

    And yet now....Darcel lightly smirked since Aniela was really right about their insane prowess.

    However, this little revelation didn''t slow down Darcel and Aniela.

    They dived down with lightning-like speeds to hover just above the two men as they landed back on their feet.

    Quite literally, Darcel and Aniela surpassed the green robe men''s reaction times; they weren''t even glancing up at them yet.

    And Aniela used this prime opportunity to enrich her bloodline arm in a blinding white glow!

    The green robe men were just in the middle of picking up their heads.

    When abruptly then, even more, incredible surges of power clashed against their bodies, and a bright white glow clouded their visions.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    ''Chi!''

    "Ahh!"

    Both green robe men squealed out surprise yelps as an intense white flashbang blinded their whole vision!

    Along with the flashbang, both green robe men also felt entirely stunned, leaving their bodies utterly vulnerable for a single second.

    A single second Darcel so graciously used to his advantage.

    Instantly two of his fingers ignited in a pure, beautiful deep Darkness glow.

    With a flick of his fingers, Darcel had then blasted two streams of heavily concentrated Darkness energy directly into the green robe men head.

    "Guah?! Wha-Wha?!"

    An assortment of emotions laced the green robe men''s voices as Darcel Darkness threw their minds into total chaos.

    Joy, sorrow, rage, and lust all chaotically clashed against each other.

    The green robe men''s faces contorted into a variety of expressions, trying to fight off whatever was causing chaos in their minds.

    During this moment, both green robe men felt their Spirit Qi become disturbed and unorder.

    In this fatal lapse of concentration, Darcel and Aniela already landed right near the green robe men.

    With swift and precise movement, Darcel and Aniela swiped their bright green scimitars straight towards the men''s chests.

    On instinct, both men felt the impending looming threat of death hurdle towards them like a thunderous storm.

    Hastily and in pure rage, their bodies moved on their own. They punched out towards the duo''s scimitars, using only a small portion of their Spirit Qi in their fists.

    Green, bright scimitars clashed against fleshy fists, and immediately there wasn''t even a contest of strength between the two.

    ''BANG!''

    "GAAAHH!!"

    Both green robe men unleashed blood-curdling screams as they were violently flung back into the wall, making an even deeper dent in it.

    Fresh blood spewed in the air staining the now dull green walls.

    The men felt their hands got torn, blazing shreds, their pure bloody flesh was open to all to see in a horrifying sight.

    Plus, the men also felt multiple bones in their arms cracked and the scorching pain razing their arms only grew intenser!

    Furthermore, from the men''s backs and frantically coursing throughout all of their bodies were immense suppression brought about by Darcel and Aniela''s powerful black flames!

    However, when the men crashed into the wall, Darcel and Aniela didn''t allow any breathing room.

    In their state of significant suppression, the green robe men were utterly helpless as Darcel and Aniela got near again.

    Swiftly, Darcel and Aniela plunged their scimitars deep into the right side of the green robe men''s chest, causing further fresh, bright red blood to spray out in the dull green room.

    Along with puncturing them, the duo didn''t let up. They simultaneously unleashed raging, powerful black flames throughout all of the green robe men''s bodies.

    "GAAH!! YOU?!?" Both green robe men''s voices were hoarse and wracked with tremendous pain.

    Yet their eyes couldn''t believe just who was attacking them.

    Their bodies were now entirely immobilized under the duo''s powerful black flames suppression. They were forced to helplessly stare directly into two youths'' deep black eyes.

    Not only was it just two mere juniors, it was two juniors from the Zakira Academy!

    Moreover, these juniors were only at the fifth level of the Nascent Core realm?!

    Nothing about this made any lick of sense!

    "Well, well, well. So since you two have prime Zakira rats in front of your faces, what are you going to do now?"

    As Aniela spoke, a wide cruel smile etched on her face, already knowing how the green robe men would respond.

    And, of course, neither of the green robe men could attempt anything.

    Their minds were still in a chaotic maddening state, and their Spirit Qi was utterly suppressed by the duo''s powerful black flames.

    The green robe men found this situation deranged. Just too insane and infuriating!

    A wild savage glint appeared into the eyes of green robe men Aniela was holding up. His mind snapped as a big mocking smile suddenly etched on his face.

    "He-heh, we-we can''t do-anythin-bu-but-do you thin-think you won?!?"

    A faint blue glow tint immediately appeared in the green robe men''s eyes once the first men finished talking.

    "Hmph!" However, both Darcel and Aniela merely snorted.

    Right when they felt the first wave of the men''s incredible surge of power, Darcel and Aniela savagely twisted their scimitars, causing further blood to spray. They had unleashed even greater flames in the men''s bodies.

    "AH-AH?!! You-You!!"

    Both men roared with curses as their transformation of power was abruptly stopped.

    Darcel and Aniela, however, ignored their rage and recalled a particular process from the past.

    This process, much like everything in the Parasol Organization, was quite a cruel one. It was what most would call even a fate worse than death, and the duo vividly remembers the process done for it.

    From Darcel''s scimitar, he unleashed several pure Darkness tendrils inside the man''s body. He dug his Darkness tendrils deep into man''s veins.

    Instantly Darcel''s Darkness traversed to the man''s soul, and Darcel''s eyes hazed in a savage light.

    Frantically swirling around the man''s soul as if it wanted to crush Darcel''s black flames was a different source of massive energy that resembled a human lifeform.

    Quickly, Darcel''s Darkness tendrils latched on to this energy source, tightly holding it in place. The energy source frantically squirmed, trying to break free, but Darcel''s Darkness tendrils kept an ironclad grip.

    In the other man''s body, Aniela unleashed light beam like tendrils that latched on to a similar energy source that resembled a human-like figure.

    The energy source attempted to fruitlessly squirm to no avail of escaping Aniela''s grip.

    However, on the outside, both of the green robe men''s eyes still lit up in an entirely bright blue glow. And yet, there was no vast explosion or force of a massive increase in power.

    Without any fear on the green robe men face, they chilling stare into Darcel and Aniela''s eyes.

    "Ju-just how did you brats manage to stop us?!" The man Darcel held onto threateningly demanded.

    Darcel, nevertheless, merely smirks at the man, not finding him any threat at all.

    "You know, what I sense from you two¡­. it''s eerily similar to those Quicksilver gnats we crushed a while ago."

    "I would go even further than that, Darcel! I can now link both those Quicksilver bugs, and these two are quite similar to that ghost you quickly crushed. Perhaps¡­.they are ghosts?" Aniela quickly added on, wearing an inquisitive expression.

    The man Aniela held up only snorted disdainfully. "Heh, so what you figured out we''re ghosts? What good would this knowledge do you?"

    "Ravenous Void Clan!"

    Aniela abruptly spoke up in an entirely confident tone. And for a second, both men became silent, their faces faltering under Aniela''s words.

    Seeing this reaction, Aniela wildly smiled.

    "Hoh! Vice Principal Zelle mentioned this place a few times saying they''re not really mysterious. Still, they wore bright green robes and could seemingly communicate with ghost spirits. How lucky for us to encounter not only but two possess humans!"

    "Yo-you¡­.what do you plan on doing." The man Darcel was holding up asked as this situation was taking an odd turn.

    "Hmmm¡­.maybe Aniela and I will take a trip down to this Clan." Darcel plainly stated without a hint of joking in his voice.

    And yet, both green robe men''s faces contorted into a mocking expression.

    "He-Heh! What can you two brats do against a whole clan! In fact, I really want to see you two try to successfully escape these Woods with your lives tonight!"

    Feeling a slight foreboding feeling, Darcel didn''t let this bother as he then told the men, "No matter if we live or die here¡­.you two won''t be here to live it!"

    "AHHH!!!"

    Blood-curdling screams now echoed from the ghosts as both Darcel and Aniela unleashed black flames upon the gripped energy source in the green robe men''s souls.

    Quickly the light left the men''s eyes, experiencing a short yet excruciating death.

 Ghastly Revelations

    Darcel and Aniela pulled their bright green scimitars out of the corpses of the green robe men. Slowly their bodies slumped down the wall, leaving a blood trail in their wake.

    Darcel and Aniela only indifferently looked on at the men''s corpses and had then deactivated their bloodline state.

    Upon doing so, however, Darcel and Aniela went entirely rigid.

    Now that adrenaline wasn''t pumping their veins, Darcel and Aniela felt the sweat pour down their brows. They were abruptly assaulted with a slightly tiring winded feeling.

    "Fuuu¡­.all these breakthroughs and new powers¡­.combining it with our bloodline state is kind of draining. Reminds me of days when we first awaken our bloodline." Aniela breathed out in small little pants.

    Although Darcel didn''t find it as extreme as those days, he couldn''t deny her words on it being a bit draining.

    Nodding at Aniela, Darcel had told her, "I think we''re going to need to revisit one of those Elemental rooms for training. For now, however¡­.we have some bigger cases to solve."

    Once finished talking, Darcel unhesitatingly crouched down to one of the green robe man''s corpses. Dawning the man''s ring finger was one blue spatial ring that he hadn''t even had a chance to use in their fight.

    Darcel had no qualms in messing with the dead and boldly took the man''s blue spatial ring off from him.

    Looking down on the spatial ring in his palm, Darcel proceeded to interject a small portion of his Nascent Qi and began erasing the green robe man''s leftover aura.

    At the same time, Aniela had also taken off the blue spatial ring from the other green robe man''s corpse. She, too, had no qualms with corpse robbing and began erasing the man''s leftover aura from the blue spatial ring.

    It was a simple process for Darcel and Aniela. They at first were using purely Nascent Qi but to hasten this process, the duo decided to interject a small wisp of black flames inside the blue spatial ring.

    Immediately then, the men''s aura in the ring was swiftly erased.

    "Oh, by the way, Aniela, you do still have that map you took from the Wrathful Clan, right?"

    Darcel spoke up and asked as he just got done with making the spatial ring his and shoving it in his pocket.

    Aniela stuffed the blue spatial ring into her pocket and then flashed her original purple spatial ring. She had fished out the original map that led her and Darcel on their long journey.

    "Already right here! And I think I already know what plans you have brewing inside that cute head Darcy~." Aniela spoke with a magnetic allure that sent small electrifying shivers down Darcel''s spine.

    "Hm, I''m glad we''re always on the same wavelength airhead. It''s time to hunt some troublesome ghosts."

    A slight chilling glint glazed over Darcel''s eyes as he peered into the Darkness of the Demesne Grave.

    ¡­.

    Two bright, beautiful black Fire trails blazed through the profound Darkness of the Necropolis Woods. The black Fire trails quickly seared through the ground molting deep into soil under the dirt.

    And the ones who made such beautiful black Fire trails were Darcel and Aniela, swiftly running through the Woods.

    Though Darcel and Aniela didn''t feel any faster while running, they did felt warmer, and the air speeding past them became more toasty.

    They had been running on this set trail for a few minutes now, making remarkable progress since no Spirit Monster could catch up to them.

    Although, on this path, Darcel and Aniela were catching a slight irregularity with these Spirit Monsters.

    As one would expect from venturing in deep into the Necropolis Woods, you would expect to find stronger and powerful Spirit Monsters roaming the area.

    And yet, Darcel and Aniela were finding this to be the opposite.

    As they inched closer to the Ravenous Void Clan, the Nascent Core Spirit Monsters and True Soul Core Spirit Monsters cease popping up.

    Certainly, this was too odd since, just before, Darcel and Aniela ran into plenty of Spirit Monsters while traversing to the Demesne Grave.

    But besides this oddity, a bigger question brewed was brewing in Aniela''s mind. Her mind recalls one specific aspect of what those Ravenous Void Clan men talked about, and it stuck out to her the most.

    "Darcy¡­.those guys¡­.could they be under that horrid creature? Them specifically saying "that horrid thing" is just raising several, no, numerous alarms in me." Aniela wearily spoke up her concerns.

    Darcel wore an inquisitive expression about Aniela''s concerns.

    "Maybe, it''s possible. But it doesn''t quite add up to how for weeks that creature could evade the senses of the whole ci-Ah?"

    "Ah?!"

    Both Darcel and Aniela abruptly stopped moving and squeaked out surprise yelps. Almost instinctively, their heads snapped towards a plain glossy black cave as their souls began frantically writhing.

    The duo immediately spread their Spirit Sense directly into this cave, expecting to sense something extraordinary! Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Only¡­.their senses picked up on¡­.absolutely nothing.

    Darcel and Aniela''s face became a mess of puzzlement as they genuinely couldn''t sense any presence inside that cave.

    And unlike most other youths their age, Darcel and Aniela can sense down to the tiniest speck of life!

    However, while their Spirit Sense came about nothing, their souls nearly made the duo want to jump directly into this cave. Their souls were restlessly swirling, almost as if they just encountered a familiar being.

    Instead of being overly wary of this, Aniela''s face had split into a vast, curious grin. "You know we just have to check this out now, Darcy! Maybe our luck will hit a home run tonight."

    "Indeed, it''s too frantic for us to simply ignore this. But we''ll sneak around this cave first, just to be safe."

    Darcel actually had a small hope that Aniela would be right and their luck would strike out again.

    The duo carefully and steadily approaches the black glossy cave, their Spirit Senses on full blast.

    Still, as they inched closer, nothing popped into their senses, but the writhing of their souls was steadily increasing.

    Only with a few more steps, Darcel and Aniela would reach the black glossy cave entrance.

    But from mere inches between them and the cave, Darcel and Aniela abruptly dashed to their right.

    They both jumped right into the same large bush, and Darcel fished out a concealing talisman from the Ravenous Void Clan man spatial ring. Without hesitation, Darcel quickly crushed the talisman as several people were abruptly walking out of the cave.

    It was only until the very last second that Darcel and Aniela managed to sense several beings just merely several feet between them.

    And when the duo''s eyes saw just who came out, they were a bit taken aback.

    One tall, imposing man wearing the Ravenous Void Clan''s green robes was the first to come out. He stood firmly at the tenth layer link of the True Soul Core realm, the absolute peak of the realm!

    And what followed behind the man is what really caused Darcel and Aniela''s surprise.

    Four charming look youths, all wearing bright orange Roc design robes and all exuding the aura of a sixth layer link True Soul Core prowess.

    Four disciples from the Quicksilver Roc sect teaming up with the Ravenous Void Clan people? Now Darcel and Aniela were feeling the situation becoming a bit more complicated than they initially thought.

    "Heh, I thought I sensed something to test myself on out here, but oh well. I never thought I would get a body back, especially not at the hands of some grotesque being, but here we are."

    One of the males from the Quicksilver Roc group spoke in this slightly distorted tone, giving off an ominous vibe.

    He and all other Quicksilver Roc youths spouted this eerie bloodthirsty smile and chilling blue tinted eyes.

    The Ravenous Void Clan man also could''ve sworn he sensed something just mere feet between them. But as it quickly vanishes, the man pushed down those thoughts for now and told the Quicksilver Roc youths,

    "Don''t forget your new orders now. And we must move quickly; apparently, we''re on swift time now."

    The Quicksilver Roc youths only had a slight annoyance expression hearing the man.

    "Yea, Yea, kill those Zakira rats and lure the stronger peskier one to come, we got it. I''m mainly just glad we can finally unleash our resentment and have some fun~." One of the girls in the group ominously stated.

    The Ravenous Void Clan man didn''t share any more words and simply nodded to the four.

    He had then split off to the left side of the woods while the four Quicksilver Roc youths split off their right.

    From the direction they were heading towards, Darcel and Aniela could tell those youths were heading directly to the Necropolis Woods entrance area.

    Though, the duo didn''t chase and remained seated in their hiding spot.

    Eventually, once they were out of their Spirit Sense range, Darcel and Aniela jumped out of the bush and rushed right back to the black glossy cave entrance.

    They both shared a similar serious expression after that big revelation.

    "Who would''ve thought that the Ravenous Void Clan would be so sneaky enough to plot against both the Zakira Academy and the Quicksilver Roc sect. And down here¡­.it has to be it!" Aniela assuredly stated.

    For a moment, Darcel contemplated their options. But the magnetic pull from their souls was only growing more abundant for him and Aniela.

    "When we first grabbed our scimitars, our souls had immediately protected us. If our souls are calling for us to act again, let''s put our faith in it one more time."

    After Darcel finished talking, neither he nor Aniela moved for a split second.

    They had then stared into each other eyes, and determinedly nodded. With no hesitation and immense courage, Darcel and Aniela began cautiously walking into the dark cave.

    Their nerves were steadily growing with each step they took.

    But it wasn''t until they made it a meter into the cave where Darcel and Aniela felt it.

    A familiar horrifying sensation overtook their minds and bodies!

    Immediate cold sweat dribbled down Darcel and Aniela''s face. This sensation¡­.how could they ever forget it? It is too similar to that horrid red creature from the Black Dungeon Labyrinth!

    And yet¡­.there were still several things off about this situation.

    For starters, Darcel and Aniela still couldn''t sense any presence inside this cave. Yet, their gut feelings indeed told them about the upcoming creature.

    However, the biggest confusion was coming from their souls.

    Undoubtedly, what was down this cave is what their souls are frantically alluring them to.

    But¡­.this couldn''t be right.

    Their souls shouldn''t be leading them to impending danger!

    Though Darcel and Aniela wanted a few seconds to contemplate this situation, Aniela had suddenly perked up.

    "Looks like we don''t need to go over our options; I feel it coming towards us!"

    "Don''t hold anything back!'' Darcel decided to trust his soul and fight against the creature.

    He and Aniela fished out of their bright green scimitars and fully unleashed their bloodline state!

    And upon doing so, Darcel swiftly swiped his scimitar at bright purple hue charging straight at him with immense speeds!

    ''Chi!''

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes widened a bit as what Darcel struck against was a horrid purple tongue.

    The tongue clashed right against the tip of Darcel''s scimitar, and oddly enough, Aniela had first noticed the tongue appeared to be trembling in fear?!

    Aniela couldn''t understand why, but she wasn''t going to let this prime opportunity leave her grasp.

    She erupted her bright green scimitar in beautiful black flames and swiped her sword straight on to the horrid purple tongue.

    At the same time Aniela stuck the horrid purple tongue, Darcel as well erupted his scimitar in raging black flames!

    ''Sssch!!''

    "Keah!!''

    A surprised yelp of pain boomed into Darcel and Aniela''s ears as the horrid purple tongue quickly retracted from them.

    Darcel and Aniela turned to look down the cave, now more visible because of their raging black flames.

    And what appeared in their sights was a familiar and yet wholly different spine-chilling creature.

 Similar & Different

    Vivid memories of that red human-like creature popped into Darcel and Aniela''s minds like a terrifying storm.

    But the creature the duo spotted now had some significant critical differences from the red creature.

    It was certainly taller than the red creature, having a more menacing imposing stature. Although its claws were strangely shorter than the red creature. But its eyes were entirely in a chilling purple hue.

    And yet, above all of that, one detail stood out the most for Darcel and Aniela.

    They haven''t even truly begun fighting, but the creature''s expression caused a slight shock for the duo.

    It''s eerily entirely purple glowing eyes slightly bulged out of their sockets in an apparent mix of shock and confusion. Furthermore, Darcel and Aniela could even notice a small hint of brewing fear seemingly engrossing its face and pupils.

    "Ohhh¡­.well, well, well! I didn''t think there would be a variant of these creatures, but we now know they also can feel fear and pain!" Aniela boldly remarked as she and Darcel felt their confidence increasingly swell.

    "Hmmm¡­.and it''s also just as low in cultivation as the red creature."

    Darcel formed a confident smirk once he had roughly equated the current human-like creature aura to the prowess of a fifth layer link True Soul Core cultivator.

    And throughout all this time, the purple horrid human-like creature still didn''t move a muscle.

    Its eyes chillingly bore into Darcel and Aniela''s bright green scimitars, seemingly taken aback by something far more profound. A considerable suppression weighed upon its own soul for every second; it stayed close to those scimitars and Darcel and Aniela''s general presence.

    Since the creature didn''t want to make a move, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes glazed over in savage killing intent!

    Even if it wasn''t precisely the same creature, Darcel and Aniela felt their blood rush in starting their revenge against these horrid creatures.

    Darcel and Aniela swiftly pointed their black flaming scimitars towards the creature. At the tip of their blades, their black flames swirled in a circular fashion.

    Tremendous surges of immense Nascent Qi power chaotically spewed throughout the entire cave like a firestorm.

    This sudden increase of power even got the creature to come out of its daze like trance.

    But it simply was too slow as Darcel and Aniela instantaneously formed their attacks. At the tip of their scimitars, a profound black glow illuminated the Darkness cave.

    Right then, Darcel and Aniela blasted out massive roaring black fireballs straight at the human-like creature!

    Once again, the human-like creature felt goosebumps surged from under its skin, and its soul fearfully quake from Darcel and Aniela''s attacks.

    Those scimitars they wielded¡­.they''re very being....it all spelled tremendous danger for it!

    Still, the human-like creature wasn''t going to let itself be burnt to crips.

    In a nanosecond, the creature swirled its horrid purple tongue from out its mouth. It bubbled putrid purple fluids that ran on its long tongue.

    The creature had then flicked its horrid tongue, spraying out a mini putrid purple fluid shower towards the black flaming fireballs.

    Despite Darcel and Aniela''s raw power being just slightly under the creature, the pure power of their black flaming fireballs already made the creature''s fluids tremble before clashing.

    ''BANG!''

    Extreme shock filled the human-like creature''s eyes as its putrid purple fluids didn''t dissipate the duo''s black flaming fireballs. Instead, it caused it to implode and spray wisps of black flames towards it!

    "Keah!"

    The human-like creature roared out in slight pain as a single wisp of black flame penetrated its arm, causing real sizzling agony to wreak havoc in its arm.

    Before any other wisp of black flames could spray on the creature, it had immediately jumped up to the ceiling at lightning-like speeds!

    Feral killing intent hazed its eyes as the creature decided Darcel and Aniela must die no matter what!

    As soon as the creature''s foot touched the black glossy ceiling, it blasted towards Darcel and Aniela in a maddening craze. A chilling purple mist was razed behind in its wild, mad dash.

    But while it rushed to them, Darcel and Aniela began to wildly smile, seeing their incredible effects of their new black flames.

    Instantly they enriched their bodies in a beautiful black flaming aura, and Darcel pointed his scimitar at the human-like creature again.

    Powerful black flames intensely sizzled at the tip of Darcel''s scimitar once again, spewing out massive waves of Nascent Qi.

    Using merely a second, Darcel boomed out a vast black flaming claw towards the ceiling crawling creature.

    With how broad and large Darcel made the raging black flaming claw, the creature simply had no way to doge.

    Nor did it ever intend to dodge in the first place.

    Right when Darcel blasted out his black flaming claw, the creature matched its rhythm and struck out its ghastly purple claw.

    A bright chilling purple flash encompassed its claw, and the creature fired out a vast, powerful purple Qi Claw to match Darcel''s attack.

    ''BANG!''

    The whole cave fiercely quacked like several rumbling tsunamis!

    Darcel''s black flaming claw and the creature''s purple haze Qi Claw canceled each other out in a bright black purple mix explosion.

    Fifth layer link True Soul Core prowess crazily spewed throughout the cave, splitting the air apart between them.

    Although, during this explosion of power, the horrid purple creature wasn''t idle.

    The creature quickly sprang off the black glossing ceiling, going through the aftershocks of the Qi explosion, and hover just above Darcel and Aniela.

    Its body shimmered a spine-chilling purple haze as the creature spewed out its terrifying purple mist!

    The purple mist speed was just as fast as the red creature red mist and had promptly covered the whole area for a mile. And yet, contrary to the creature''s expectation, it didn''t hear a shout or even a grunt of pain.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Instead, a slight silver hue pierced into the creature''s eyes and caused a tremendous sense of crisis to swell in its chest.

    A black flaming whip with a slight but bright tint of a silver hue tore through the creature''s purple mist and quickly wrapped around its neck.

    The whip''s speed slightly surpassed the creature''s reaction time plus, its eyesight was already not the best.

    Once the silverish black flaming whip coiled around the creature''s neck, it brought about an intense pressure that internally crushed down on its organs and bones.

    Pain split across the creature''s face. Before it could process this attack, the creature suddenly felt itself crashing down towards the ground.

    Under the powerful pressure of these black flames, the creature had little options but to just resist the incoming black glossy ground.

    ''Bang!''

    The ground cracked like several spider webs. The horrid purple creature got flatten into a small crater in the ground. Real agonizing pain warped the creature''s senses causing its pupils to dilate.

    The black flames now had suddenly ramped up in intensity, wreaking even more powerful chaos in its body.

    And throughout the whole fight, the creature''s soul violently quaked with each attack Darcel and Aniela threw out with their scimitar, making the creature''s attacks a bit less potent.

    Simultaneously, while the creature was dealing with genuine pain, Darcel and Aniela had finally gotten their first taste of the human-like creature terrifying purple mist!

    Immediately, Darcel and Aniela intensify the power of their black flaming aura, making it chaotically swirl.

    But the chilling purple mist still manages to penetrate into their bodies.

    Darcel and Aniela utterly froze for a second. Intense torturous pain assaulted their bodies, bringing upon a crushing suppression on their organs, bones, and bloodstreams.

    Nearly Darcel and Aniela wanted to roar out in pain until their scimitar and soul violently reacted!

    Simultaneously, their scimitars brightly illuminated in a dazzling silver glow while their souls chaotically surged an incredible different source of power within the duo.

    Instantly, the poisonous spine-chilling purple mist inside Darcel and Aniela''s bodies completely halted its tracks.

    A beautiful bright silver glow illuminated the inside of their bodies, making the purple mist tremble in utter fear.

    Now more than ever, Darcel and Aniela felt this enrichment of power to be too familiar to not remember where it came from.

    This source of power spewing from their souls was overwhelmingly awe-inspiring, like the baptism of holiness itself.

    And yet, just right when Darcle and Aniela were beginning to recall where they experienced this sensation of power before, their senses abruptly spiked to just above them.

    The horrid creature had managed to cut off Aniela''s black flaming whip and jumped right back over them in the duo''s lapse of focus!

    However, the creature''s eyes and soul trembled once seeing their scimitar brightly lit up in a silver hue.

    Not taking any risk now, the creature''s purple tongue hauntingly swirled from out of its mouth and immediately sprayed Darce and Aniela with putrid purple fluids.

    Darcel and Aniela were just getting back to reality as the putrid purple fluids rained down on them.

    The creature''s purple mist caused little havoc in their bodies now, but they didn''t have time to put up an accurate defense for its current attack.

    Although with what recently transpired, Darcel and Aniela decided to hastily experiment.

    They willed a small portion of their soul powers to the black flaming aura causing a slight silver hue to mix in.

    And right then, the putrid purple fluids clashed against Darcel and Aniela!

    ''Sssch!!''

    However, instead of the putrid purple fluids quickly drilling into their bodies, all purple fluids were halted halfway in their black flaming silver hue aura.

    Darcel and Aniela gritted their teeth as a tremendous force did weigh upon them once, temporarily stopping the purple fluids.

    Taking on the full brunt of this massive force, Aniela decided to unleash her sudden counter-attack. Pushing it to her limits, Aniela crazily surged her bloodline powers and made her bloodline arm glow up in an intense white glow!

    ''Chi!''

    A bright white flashbang sparked the whole black glossy cave!

    The flashbang reflected both Darcel and Aniela''s putrid purple droplets fluids, making it drill right into the black glossy walls.

    And as well, the human-like creature was forced to close its eyes and crash into the ground. It couldn''t resist Aniela''s flashbang''s overwhelming stun, making it lose nearly all of its focus.

    Darcel and Aniela felt vast beads of sweat pour down their face and bodies like cold drizzling rain.

    Immense pain still wracked their bodies from exhausting their powers and taking on the creature''s putrid purple fluids tremendous force.

    However, during the creature''s lapse of focus, Darcel and Aniela quickly spotted something critically. The purple mist once surrounding them was now quickly getting cleared up because it couldn''t correctly spew its power.

    Seeing a prime opportunity at hand, Darcel pushed it to his limit and rushed the horrid human-like creature.

    At the tip of his scimitar, a raging black fireball frantically swirls, exuding the very peak of Darcel''s prowess.

    On instinct, the creature felt tremendous impending doom quickly approach it.

    Its body moved on its own, and the creature struck out towards Darcel''s black flaming rapier!

    ''Bang!''

    Just barely, Darcel overpowered the creature and sent it sailing straight into the black glossy wall from the explosion of his black fireball.

    Pushing this much power now was making Darcel feel lightheaded, and his arm was going numb.

    But Darcel pushed down any fatigue and shouted,

    "Aniela!"

    Darcel knew in their new state, their black flames, their scimitars, and their souls acting on its own were sucking them dry at every second.

    They needed to end this now!

    Aniela heard Darcel called and had also sensed a colossal uprising of power quickly surging from the horrid creature!

    She and Darcel both glanced over to see a familiar eerie silver glow beginning to enrich the creature''s body, just like the red creature.

    But right then, Aniela''s soul crazily quaked, and she reacted before the creature could fully surge its increase in power.

    Her scimitar brightly flashed silver, and Aniela blasted out a dazzling white telekinesis whip that sailed at the speeds of real lightning!

    ''Chi!

    Aniela''s telekinesis whip savagely drilled into its chest, causing rancid purple blood to spew out on the black glossy walls.

    The creature now felt a massive crushing suppression envelop its whole body and soul, bringing upon an unbearable pressure to its entire being.

    However, in a mad burst of rage, the creature entirely ignored this suppression.

    Its purple claw flashed in a slight sliver hue, and as it pointed out its claw, the creatures shot out a purple slight silver hue Qi Claw towards Darcel and Aniela!

    Darcel and Aniela hastily formed a black flaming barrier for the upcoming Qi Claw. And, at the last second, before the Qi Claw struck, the duo''s eyes lit up.

    They felt¡­.a personal familiarity connection with the silver glow of the creature that rang out from their soul.

    During the time with the red creature''s silver glow, Darcel and Aniela never felt this split second of familiarity. But in this situation, that split second of intimacy danced in the duo''s minds.

    However, Darcel and Aniela could not explore this aspect now.

    They focus on solidifying their black flaming barrier to clash against the purple silver hue Qi Claw!

    ''Bang!''

    The purple silver hue Qi Claw imploded on impact, sending Darcel and Aniela violently crashing into the wall. And yet, the creature''s putrid purple fluids couldn''t penetrate Darcel and Aniela''s black flaming barrier.

    Blood dribbles from Darcel and Aniela''s like a water stream. They painfully felt some of their backbones crack, and their bloodline arm was getting increasingly numb.

    And yet, Darcel and Aniela persisted through the pain and swiftly landed back on their feet.

    They only had enough in them for one last attack, and the duo was going to make it the last attack this horrid creature will ever see!

    Aniela''s telekinesis whip still drilled into the creature, pinning into the wall even after she and Darcel took on the full brunt of its Qi Claw.

    And using this to their advantage, Darcel and Aniela wildly surged a tremendous sum of Nascent Qi, forming a thin line of black fire at the tip of their scimitars.

    The human-like creature was still struggling to get rid of Aniela''s telekinesis whip until the sense of death overtook its mind.

    The horrid creature''s eyes snapped back to Darcel and Aniela, already feeling immense dread. It senses overwhelming waves of power chaotically surged in the air making everything surrounding the duo freeze in place.

    An unfathomable suppression further pressure the horrid creature as fear warped its mind watching Darcel and Aniela swirl their Martial Skill.

 First Strike

    Upon pressure and pressure, the horrid creature could barely move its body now. All the option it had left was forming a purple silver hue misty barrier that protected its body.

    Darcel and Aniela smirked seeing the creature''s last-ditch attempt.

    They had other plans for this thing, and they for sure weren''t going to allow it to escape or do any other devious tricks!

    Immense power surged from the tip of the scimitars, shifting the whole air to them. It only took Darcel and Aniela a couple of seconds to finish forming their Martial Skill.

    A thin line of black fire brightly glowed at the tip of their Scimitar, exuding tremendous power.

    "Fiery Slice!!"

    Both Darcel and Aniela unleashed a mighty roar as they even willed a small portion of their soul powers into this attack!

    The whole black glossy cave got adorned in bottomless Darkness as,

    ''Chi!''

    Darcel and Aniela blasted out two thin streams of powerful black flames!

    The streams of black flames directly sizzled the ground in its wake and wildly barrel straight at the horrid human-like creature.

    Darcel and Aniela''s streams of black flames tore through the purple silver hue misty barrier vaporizing it from existence with extreme ease.

    The powerful streams of black flames didn''t just stop there and had precisely torn right through the horrid creature''s chest!

    The creature''s heart immediately burst into raging black flames. Its soul was scorched into wild black flames, and a small mysterious silver core hidden inside the creature''s body also erupted into black flames.

    There were no agonizing shrieks of death as the light quickly left the human-like creature''s eyes.

    It''s heart, soul, and mysterious silver core were all melted into puddles of sizzling black flames.

    The creature''s lifeless body slowly slumped to the ground as rancid purple blood stained the black glossy wall and floor.

    After all this time, this seemingly invincible creature was thoroughly destroyed inside and out.

    "Haaaah¡­.fuuuu¡­." Aniela breathed out a huge sigh of relief and exhaustedly collapsed into Darcel''s chest. "Fi-finally¡­.at least we''re able to finish a variant or something like that red creature? Either way¡­. I''m glad it didn''t sneakily runoff."

    Darcel had lovingly wrapped his arms around Aniela''s tender waist, both feeling warm sensations course through their bodies like relaxing water. He had also breathed a sigh of relief, feeling proud of Aniela and himself for killing a once terrifying creature.

    "Whatever that thing was, we can''t find any information on it by standing here. We''ll need to leave soon, so don''t get too comfortable in this spot, ditzy girl."

    Aniela merely relaxed more into Darcel''s body despite his chiding.

    Even at this moment, she and Darcel were still feeling mild pain run through their bodies.

    There were remaining horrid purple mist swirling inside their bodies, but thanks to their souls continuously stirring, the poisonous mist was swiftly getting cleared up.

    So for a few seconds, neither Darcel nor Aniela moved. They remained comfortably standing in the same spot as their souls and bloodlines pushed them back to their optimate state.

    Peering down at Aniela, who was smiling contently despite the mild pain, warmed Darcel''s heart.

    The dependence Aniela relies on him even as she is admittedly just as strong as he will always be engraved into Darcel''s mind.

    After taking this short but intimate quality moment, Aniela''s eyes suddenly focused on the creature''s rotten corpse.

    Rancid purple blood still poured on the ground, creating a small putrid puddle under the creature.

    The sight of the rotten corpse should''ve been of no interest to Aniela and Darcel. But after experiencing the terrifying mist at first hand, a bright idea popped into Aniela''s head while she gazed at the rancid purple blood.

    Reluctantly Aniela got off from Darcel''s chest though she still held his firm, warm hand. She flashed her spatial ring on her right hand and fished out the Parasol Organization scalpel, much to Darcel''s surprise.

    "This small thing, it''s truly so dangerous and saved our lives a couple of times already. But¡­.I don''t think it''s at its true potential!" Aniela proudly proclaimed.

    Darcel raised a curious eyebrow. During his work at that Organization, he rarely would encounter any strange tools or items used by the Doctors.

    "This thing? What are you on about?"

    "You see before I got my hands on this scalpel, I saw the Doctors using it a few times. They would drop this thing inside some disgusting purple liquid, and the scalpel would absorb every drop of it. And they would then use it on the stronger people they captured. So you know what I''m thinking?"

    Towards Aniela''s question, Darcel quickly put together the pieces of the puzzles. His eyes shifted over to the creature''s corpse, and he nodded, saying, "Alright, but let''s be quick about this."

    Aniela broadly smiled and pulled Darcel''s over to the creature''s corpse.

    She had then crouched down and took a second to find a suitable spot to plunge her scalpel into.

    Vivid memories of how the Doctors would plunge the scalpel into their subjects'' necks flashed in Aniela''s head for a brief second.

    And following in their footsteps, Aniela had also plunged the scalpel deep into the creature''s rancid neck.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Ok, no-Woah!"

    Immediately then, Aniela exclaimed in surprise as the scalpel took effect instantly.

    The creature''s corpse began to intensely twitch and spasm like it was experiencing a violent seizure.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes brightly lit up as the scalpel began to promptly change. The scalpel started to intensely glow in the same chilling purple silverish hue tint the creature had once exuded previously.

    Darcel and Aniela didn''t expect that much results, but they were pleasantly surprised by how long the scalpel glow did last.

    It took five whole seconds until the scalpel''s bright glow had died down, returning to its original slightly ominous state.

    "Mnh? It really is like this scalpel just sucked all the remaining fresh blood from it." Aniela had remarked while taking back the scalpel.

    The creature''s corpse now looked more dried up, and its rancid purple blood ceased flowing out of it.

    "With this, our trump card just entered a whole new level. Now then, let''s take these Mortal Pills those Ravenous Void Clan men so graciously gifted to us." As Darcel sarcastically spoke, he flashed his spatial ring and brought out two clear white pills.

    Holding those two pills, Dracel and Aniela already felt their pores open and hypnotic medicine fragrance that slinked into their noise.

    Aniela became a bit starry-eyed once seeing those beautiful smelling pills.

    For the whole region of the Necrotic City, despite the common sounding name, Mortal Pills are nowhere easy to come by.

    Nearly all medicine such related items are created by Mages Alchemist, and they run a high price for even the lowest of quality pills.

    Though this may seem outrageous on paper, the pills'' real effects more than certainly made up for any high cost.

    As such, when Darcel and Aniela are now taking the pill and ingesting it in their mouths.

    Promptly they soon understand the high price all pills run for. All injured or crack bones in their bodies were getting quickly repaired. Their fatigue was replaced by vibrant energy that refueled their whole winded state.

    The duo''s faces were also restored back to their usual beautiful rosy complexion, showing the magical might of a Mage Alchemist pill.

    "Ahhh~! That truly hit the spot!" Aniela exuded a beautiful sigh that sounded slightly erotic.

    "It''s quite incredible¡­.those Mages are a mystery to unravel." Darcel also let out a sigh of amazement as he cracked his knuckles.

    Both Darcel and Aniela already turned away from the dried-up creature''s corpse, deeming it worthless now.

    However, unnoticed by Darcel and Aniela, faint traces of a mysterious silver hue quietly spewed out from the dried-up corpse. This mysterious power drilled directly into Darcel and Aniela''s bodies, but neither felt a single sensation.

    Only, their souls were quietly churning upon feeling this power transfer into them.

    Slowly, their already powerful souls further improved at a steady pace that''ll provide the duo surprise benefits in the future.

    Currently, though, Darcel and Aniela took one look over their rosy vibrant faces and prepared to leave the black glossy cave. That is until their senses picked up on two signatures slowly approaching the cave.

    "Seriously¡­.why the hell would they be in this Rave-whatever Clan part of the Woods? All I heard about this place are freaks who love the dead lives here."

    An unfamiliar sweet female voice slithered into Darcel and Aniela''s ears.

    "Really, they wouldn''t be here? Well, how about just looking up ahead?" A charming male voice bounced off the cave walls as Darcel and Aniela finally saw who was looking for them.

    Instantly their guard relaxed more once, realizing both the boy and girl wore the Zakira Academy uniform.

    The boy was charmingly handsome, spouting a gentle, serene face and exuded a scholarly vibe about him.

    The girl as well was beautiful. Her face carried a distinct allure like gazing into a specifically crafted painting. Long flowing black hair hypnotically swayed in the air and rested upon her big, well-endowed chest.

    The girl also had a gorgeous curvaceous body to boot, further enriching her magnetic attraction.

    Although seeing the charming faces of their fellow students was admittedly welcome in these neck of the woods. Darcel and Aniela were confused on just why and how the hell did they precisely locate them.

    "And? Who are you two?" Darcel asked out loud as he and Aniela began walking up to the two.

    The boy''s eyes flashed in high approval once seeing Darcel and Aniela''s captivating appearance and experiencing their general alluring presence.

    The girl had a bit of a shocked face seeing how Darcel and Aniela indeed were here. Moreover, she also felt a slight favorable impression of the two due to their magnetic presence.

    The boy was going to answer first but right then, "Holy! Did you two actually kill that¡­.what even is that thing?"

    The girl had suddenly loudly gasped and pointed straight at the dried-up creature''s corpse.

    The boy''s eyes also followed to where the girl pointed to, and he similarly felt slight awe. Never before in their life have they ever saw a being so grotesque.

    "Yep! We so graciously killed it and stopped its terrifying reign of terror!"

    A slight joking tone laced Aniela''s voice, making her even more pleasant to listen to.

    She had then continued on, saying, "I''m Aniela, and this is Darcel. Quite an interesting place to first meet up, no?"

    "Indeed, it is. I''m Gerey, and this is Lyse." The boy, Gerey, pointed to himself and the girl beside him. "I actually have been wanting to meet you two for a while now. And the Vice Principal had just recently called for us two to come and get you."

    As Gerey began explaining, the four youths began walking towards the exit of the cave.

    Though while they walked, Darcel gained a curious expression. "But why? Is there something happening inside the Academy?"

    "Not exactly¡­.apparently, she doesn''t want you two in the Woods since something big is supposedly going down tonight." Lyse picked up and explained to the duo, already liking the natural charisma they both exuded.

    However, when Lyse finished talking, the four had just stepped out of the cave, and Darcel and Aniela''s eyes lit up in realization.

    Those Ravenous Void Clan rats really are enacting their plans tonight!

    "That big thing happening is the Quicksilver Roc sect and the Ravenous Void Clan teaming up to crush the Zakira Academy!"

    Aniela assuredly proclaimed, causing surprise shock in Gerey and Lyse.

    "Eh?! How could that be possible?! If that were true, the Vice-Principal or the Principal would''ve picked up on it!"

    Lyse had a bit of a hard time accepting this fact since the Ravenous Void Clan was nowhere near as powerful as even Sects weaker than their Academy.

    "Perhaps so, but these Ravenous Void Clan people are exceedingly sneaky. We just found out that the Clan has the ability to get humans possessed by Spirit Monsters ghosts. Just out of this cave, Aniela and I saw an Elder of the Clan walking out with Quicksilver Roc youths who all were possessed."

    Darcel followed up and assured Aniela''s claim. With all they saw and fought so far, this was undoubtedly the truth in their minds.

    Still, Gerey found it to be strange as he had then went on to explain,

    "Ghost possession? Even for Qi Foundation Stage cultivators, that kind of process is too complex for any Spirit Monster ghost to do. Our souls, no matter how powerful or weak it is, simply wouldn''t allow for something like that to happen."

    "Maybe that''s true too. But¡­.I don''t think this Clan is just working with the Quicksilver Roc sect. That creature you saw back there, I think it played a major part in people getting possessed! We can''t confirm for sure, but that''s the most plausible theory we''ve came up with."

    Aniela explained though she understood, she and Darcel had no real evidence to back up their claims.

    Gerey and Lyse took a moment to digest all this information. They both did see the creature, and they were close to the Ravenous Void Clan area.

    Moreover, Darcel and Aniela simply had no reason to lie to them.

    Abruptly then, Gerey recalled something critical that just happened not too long ago.

    His eyes lit up in slight worry as he exclaimed, "Jamas! I think you two may have a point!"

 Double Ambush

    "Jamas? Him? What happened to him?" Darcel asked since he and Aniela had a faint slight favorable of the boy.

    Though going by the increasingly worried look of Gerey, they could tell it wasn''t any good news.

    "Just recently, word has been spreading how the Quicksilver Roc people have been utterly suppressing us this specific night. And now Jamas, some of his friends, and other high-level layer link True Soul Core students are coming out here. I didn''t think much of this news since it was so abrupt¡­.but now I think there are more devious intentions behind this news!" Gerey slowly explained to them.

    Now Lyse was truly inclined to believe Darcel and Aniela''s words.

    She, too, heard the Quicksilver Roc bustling news but initially wasn''t going to participate in this fight.

    However, it seemed like the whole situation abruptly shifted.

    "Did Jamas mention where he was going? Or do you know where he was going?" Darcel had taken one look over to Aniela and asked. She, like him, was very interested in this little plan of the Ravenous Void Clan.

    Mainly because if they allowed this Clan to do whatever they want, then there''s no telling what they could do to Necrotic City.

    Which, in return, would jeopardize their own well beings. Plus, there are a few people in Zakira Academy neither of the duo wanted to see wind up dead.

    Gerey didn''t answer Darcel''s question and had instead closed his eyes.

    He touched upon his unique soul powers and traced the presence of where Jamas would assuredly be.

    It only took Gerey a couple of seconds to find what he was looking for, though while doing so, Lyse''s eyes lit up as she gazed at Darcel and Aniela.

    The determined but excited expression they wore spoke volumes to her.

    "Hey, hey, do you two want to come with us once Lyse finds where Jamas is? I mean¡­.everyone knows about your insane jumping combat prowess. But, there will most definitely be peak True Soul Core cultivators there! You sure you just don''t want to go back to the Academy." Lyse spoke up a reasonable natural concern for Darcel and Aniela.

    However, Darcel and Aniela only lightly smiled at her concern.

    Aniela had first told her, "Don''t worry! Even for multiple peak True Soul Core cultivators, we have something up our sleeves that''ll give us the absolute edge!"

    "Not only that, but just a while ago, we spotted the four Quicksilver Roc youths that came out of this cave head over to the Woods entrance area. They probably already set something suspicious up for anyone of us that wants to leave." Darcel added on and caused both Gerey and Lyse to furrow their eyebrows.

    Their minds briefly recall that short but strange moment as they tried to enter the Necropolis Woods.

    Lyse could only remember this very vague but odd feeling she felt in her gut walking up to the entrance.

    While with Gerey, his soul directly warns of an odd occurrence at the Necropolis Woods entrance. Gerey cultivates upon Zakira Foresight Arts, allowing him to have an accurate sense prediction of immediate danger.

    And the entrance of the Necropolis Woods¡­.Gerey vividly recalls taking a slight detour from the usual path.

    Initially, he believed it to just be a random powerful Spirit Monster lurking around there. Yet now, from Darcel and Aniela''s words, that may not merely be the case.

    "Haah¡­.it may not be so bad taking them with us, Lyse. Even as the Vice Principal wants them back, it may already be too late to simply leave normally. Plus, we do have several items ourselves to give us absolute protection." Gerey quickly agreed to take them since he was confident enough in protecting them.

    "Hmmm¡­.fine. Everything now is just adding up too suspiciously to not tell that Ravenous Clan and the Quicksilver Roc sect are planning something."

    Lyse reluctantly agreed, but she also held the same confidence in protecting the duo if worst comes to worst.

    Aniela broadly smiled at the pair, already knowing it would come down to them bringing her and Darcel along.

    "Now that we got that settle and out of the way, lead the way, Gerey!"

    ¡­.

    Miles away from Darcel''s group, one captivating handsome young man was standing at the front pack of a large group of twenty powerful youths.

    This young man looked to be the whole group''s apparent leader as they all followed behind him.

    For if any outsiders were to observe this extraordinary lineup of youths, they would hurriedly make a wide breath for them.

    As every single one of these youths wore the luxurious uniform of the Zakira Academy!

    Furthermore, there wasn''t a single youth there weaker than the seventh layer link of the True Soul Core realm.

    And at the front of this group, the captivating handsome young man stood out the most as he was a tenth layer link True Soul Core cultivator!

    Anyone in the Zakira Academy or hell, the whole Necrotic City would recognize this young boy as the number one ranked High-Level student Jamas!

    Jamas, though, wore a determined expression as he led his large posse of powerful High-Level students. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Originally, Jamas had received a distress call from a Mage Ring.

    This specific Mage Ring allowed for one message to go through the bearer no matter how far away they are from each other.

    And Jamas received a message from his friend, detailing that the Quicksilver Roc sect pressured and cornered his group, nearly killing everyone in his group!

    Jamas knows by no mean his friend and his ground are weak. Specifically, his friend ranks in the top twenty of the High-Level students in the whole Academy!

    A powerful eighth layer link True Soul Core group couldn''t be taken down by ordinary means if they''re at the same level.

    Once receiving this surprising, devastating news, Jamas rushed out with his other eighth layer link and ninth layer link True Soul Core friends to provide support.

    And along the way, when they traversed through the Necropolis Woods, several other high layer link True Soul Core students joined in on Jamas trip.

    They, too, were struggling under the sudden brutality of the Quicksilver Roc sect.

    Now, as a vast, organized group filled with mighty True Soul Core warriors, they all had one single intention.

    That is to reverse the sudden situation and kill those Quicksilver rats!

    Although, as they traverse the woods, a good looking boy beside Jamas had a slightly worrying expression. He was one of Jamas good friends, but an odd thought has been brewing inside his mind.

    "Hey, Jamas¡­.did you also feel it too when first stepping inside these Woods? I don''t know why but I just got this weird sickening feeling going into here."

    Jamas peered over to the boy and was going to dismiss his concern.

    But right then, he stopped himself. Recalling the very first feeling that slinked into his mind once coming into Wood, Jamas couldn''t deny the slight chill that drilled into his body.

    He had pushed down this feeling, obviously not one to quickly get scared. Although it was a point worth remembering for any sudden events.

    "I can''t say I didn''t feel anything odd when coming into these Woods. But, look, we have this huge group of powerful students following us. I think we can be assured of our safety."

    Jamas friend did take his word to heart since they were a twenty group filled with experienced and trained youths.

    And yet, a slight worry still couldn''t ease from his chest.

    Seeing the still apparent worry, Jamas further consoled him by saying,

    "Hey, don''t also forget, if worst comes to worst, we have several barrier talismans and escaping talisman to make a clean getaway."

    "Hoh? And are you so sure about that?"

    Abruptly then every single Zakira Academy student ceased walking. An ominous yet cocky voice boomed into their ears like nails on a chalkboard.

    Everyone''s eyes saw from just meters ahead of them numerous Quicksilver Roc youths coming out of the trees and bushes. Each one of the Quicksilver Roc youths spouted these confident and eerie smiles.

    Jamas quickly did scan over these youths with his Spirit Sense. And despite their strange sudden appearance, Jamas face became relaxed once sensing their overall prowess.

    Only one boy was at the tenth layer link just like him, but Jamas could sense the boy''s aura was nowhere near as deep or refined as himself.

    Furthermore, the rest of the Quicksilver Roc youths'' auras generally just couldn''t match their group of twenty powerful youths.

    "Heh, is that it? You know, I was expecting much, much more out of all of you. If we were to fight now, we''d utterly crush your posse with ease."

    Jamas and every other Zakira youths smiled with the utmost confident stride.

    The boy who spoke earlier was at the front of his group and was the only tenth layer link True Soul Core cultivator.

    He didn''t lose his cool against Jamas provocation. In fact, none of the Quicksilver Roc youths seemed to even register the unbalanced odds against them.

    "Heh, heh¡­.maybe so. Maybe what all you just described is the undeniable truth. However! Can you survive this first?"

    For a split second, Jamas and the other Zakira Academy youths were puzzled.

    Just where the hell was their confidence coming from?

    However, before anyone could question that, the Zakira Academy youths suddenly went utterly stiff.

    Jamas and everyone else there was taken by immense shock as the whole world was suddenly dyed in a bright green shine!

    Moreover, both the Quicksilver Roc youths and the Zakira Academy youths suddenly felt an unfathomable aura suppressed their entire beings!

    Jamas gritted his teeth and struggled to move his body. And to his despair, he couldn''t even wiggle his finger now!

    The only thing Jamas could do was peer his eyes up to the tallest black glossy tree that scraped high in the sky.

    It was where the abrupt suppression descended from and where Jamas also saw a massive green flaming barrier covering the sky.

    But Jamas and the other Zakira Academy youths'' eyes were engrossed with one single man standing at the peak of the tree.

    This man didn''t have a particularly outstanding appearance and looked to be on the rougher savage sides of impressions. The man wore a bright green robe that shined as bright as the green flaming barrier covering this whole area.

    However, what really got Jamas and everyone''s else attention was the fact absolutely no one could''ve sensed his aura previously!

    And the aura the man now exuded caused a tremendous crisis to swell in all Zakira Academy youths'' chests.

    He was at the legendary Innate Core realm!

    "Ah-Ah?!? Who is that?!"

    "Not who, but why is he here?! There hasn''t been a single Innate Core Elder in these Woods for weeks!!"

    "R-Ravenous Void Clan¡­." Amidst all other Zakira Academy youths'' panic shouts and screams, Jamas had recognized that unique robe design of the mysterious man.

    His eyes had then snapped back to the Quicksilver Roc youths who smiles only grew broader contrary to his and the other Zakira youths'' despair.

    "So-so that''s why you''re all so confident. But-but just when the hell did you all start teaming up with some hidden clan in the Woods?!"

    The tenth layer link Quicksilver Roc boy only took further pleasure in Jamas confusion and despair. Despite being suppressed himself, the boy was fearless and was going to open up his mouth to mock him until,

    "Fret not, boy. Soon you and the rest of your Zakira Academy posse will join the Quicksilver Roc kids in a powerful transformation. Once then, both of you will learn to work together."

    The cold voice of the Ravenous Void Clan Elder boomed into the youth''s ears.

    Not only were the Zakira Academy youths confused once hearing the Elder words, the Quicksilver Roc youths expression quickly morphed into ones of puzzlement.

    "Hey, hey! What do you mean all of us will join a powerful transformation?! In our deal, we only sign up for that strange slight boost in power and for you to silently kill these Zakira rats! Not some sudden transformation!"

    The tenth layer link boy spoke for all in this bout of confusion.

    "Hm? Did we forget to mention this part to you? Oh well¡­.you''ll soon experience a new facet of life that''ll completely change your world views."

    In an unapologetic tone, the Ravenous Void Clan Elder simply shrugged his shoulders.

    Now every single youth, be it either from the Quicksilver Roc side or the Zakira Academy side.

    They all felt true panic and impending doom stir their guts like a storm.

 Daring

    "Keah!" Right then, a horrifying voice boomed into everyone''s ears.

    This very voice spewed out a hair-raising tone that directly instilled fear into the youths'' bones.

    Everyone''s eyes snapped towards where that terrifying voice came from.

    And promptly, immense horror and terror filled their faces. What the youths saw was a being so grotesque that they felt their eyes rotten by just looking.

    If Darcel and Aniela were to see this creature, they would instantly recognize this creature. It was another variant of the red human-like creature!

    Only this creature was even more distinct than the other two.

    This terrifying human-like creature was painted in a chilling sickly green color. Its eyes spewed an ominous green glow that illuminated the Darkness sky.

    The creature was also far shorter than the other two and had a more round waist appearing fatter as well.

    "Wh-wha the hell¡­."

    It was all anyone could say once seeing this short, terrifying grotesque creature.

    And right then, the creature had suddenly oozed out a spine-chilling green misty aura!

    The horrifying misty aura had quickly spread out towards both the Quicksilver Roc youths and the Zakira Academy youths.

    Everyone didn''t think the suppression could get worse, but they were sorely proven wrong.

    "GAA-"

    Everyone attempted to roar out in tremendous pain as the chilling green misty aura drilled into their bodies. Yet their voices all got caught in their throats.

    Every youth felt their Spirit Qi entirely freeze, their bloodstreams stopped flowing altogether, and their joints went as still as a statue.

    Under this terrifying green mist, none of the youths could even scream out in pain anymore! Tremendous anguish still courses throughout their bodies, and the dreading feeling of utter helplessness crashed their minds.

    The Ravenous Void Clan Elder cruelly smiled, seeing this fantastic yet terrifying result. His spatial ring had suddenly flashed, and the Elder fished out a small bright glowing blue vial.

    Various powers and life swirled in the vial, just waiting to get released all at once. And the Ravenous Void Clan Elder was planning on doing just that until he abruptly stopped and his eyebrows tightly knitted together.

    ¡­.

    Just a little bit before Jamas group encountered the Quicksilver Roc sect youths.

    Darcel, Aniela, Lyse, and Gerey managed to make it about ten meters away from their impromptu meeting.

    Although none of them decided to recklessly rush in as the two sides were meeting up. Darcel instead convinced Gerey and Lyse to put up a concealing talisman and silently obverse this exchange.

    His reasoning for doing so mainly involves the fact they all still don''t clearly know what the Quicksilver Roc sect and the Ravenous Void Clan members are up to.

    The most tactical option was to patiently watch on.

    Darcel''s group had then watched as the Quicksilver Roc youths and James''s group went at it with words.

    It wasn''t until a bright green shine refracted in their visions that Darcel and Aniela decided to act.

    Gerey and Lyse were at first stunned by the sudden descending of a mighty Innate Core cultivator. Their eyes snapped to the Ravenous Void Clan Elder, their expressions slowly morphing into fear.

    However, for Darcel and Aniela, they only saw this as a prime opportunity!

    They both had their own separate concealing talisman provided by the Ravenous Void Clan men, Gerey and Lyse, allowing for the two to have free range in movement.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes glazed in wild, killing intent while staring at the Elder.

    They didn''t bother waiting on Gerey and Lyse and had rushed to the tree the Elder stood upon.

    And because of their concealing talisman, Darcel and Aniela weren''t stopped by the green flaming barrier, nor were they affected by the Elder''s unfathomable aura.

    The duo smoothly got near the tree and, without stopping, began swiftly running up the tree! Because of their Nascent Core bodies, achieving feats like wall running is but a breeze for Darcel and Aniela.

    And from several meters behind, Gerey and Lyse awoke from their slight stupor.

    The subtle shifting of wind that quickly brushed past them told the two Darcel and Aniela already got a head start.

    Not wanting to get left behind, Gerey and Lyse did follow in the duo''s footsteps though they were lagging behind.

    But when going inside the green flaming barrier, they too weren''t affected at all by the Ravenous Void Clan Elder''s mighty aura.

    Still, Darcel and Aniela didn''t wait at all for them.

    They ran unhindered up the tree, quickly reaching halfway in only a couple of seconds. Suddenly then, Darcel snapped his head towards the tree just right by their right side.

    When coming here, Darcel and Aniela''s souls continually writhed about, providing the duo with familiar sensations.

    However, compared to last time, Darcel and Aniela could somewhat tell why their souls suddenly writhe again.

    And once Darcel turned his attention towards the tree that seemingly had no one on top of it, he savagely smiled. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Without another word to Aniela, Darcel jumped towards the tree, quickly latching his feet on to it and continuing his upward rush.

    All the while, Aniela never looked back to Darcel for even a moment. Her faith in Darcel was unbreakable, and she just knew that he would pick up on their souls writhing and take care of it.

    "Keah!"

    The green human-like creature''s terrifying voice boomed into Darcel, Aniela, Gerey, and Lyse''s ears.

    And yet, despite the horrid chills the voice powerfully exuded, only Gerey and Lyse was affected.

    They had temporarily frozen mid-run as freezing chills shiver down their spines. Slowly, their eyes traced to the source of the voice and became utterly dumbfounded by the grotesque green creature appearance.

    Darcel and Aniela, however, already underwent this process too many times to count.

    Aniela didn''t slow her dash at all and only slightly picked up the pace. She had quickly reached the top of the tree in only two more seconds.

    Right when the Ravenous Void Clan Elder fished out that eerie blue, glowing vial, Aniela was right under the man. She already had her deadly purple scalpel in her hand and aimed her sights at the Elder neck.

    With zero hesitation in her movements, Aniela struck out with her scalpel and sailed straight at the Elder''s bare exposed neck.

    And on his base bodily instinct, this is what caused the Ravenous Void Clan Elder to go entirely still for a second.

    The sense of a tremendous death crisis abruptly swirled in the Elder''s mind. He felt as if death scythe was roaring straight at him despite not feeling or sensing any aura around him!

    Hurriedly, the Elder began turning around his body, but it was all to no avail.

    ''Chi!''

    Blood crazily spewed in the air dying the bright green sky in a sickening bloody mix. Aniela plunged her scalpel deeply into the Elder''s shoulder, causing the Elder eyes to bulge right out of his eyes socket.

    The scalpel had immediately glow a bright silverish purple, drawing all eyes to the Elder. All the youths on the ground watching the Elder felt their brains lagged.

    Just where the hell that small weapon came from?!

    "Ah-Ah-a-" The Elder attempted to scream out in pain, but immediately then deadly toxins ravaged his whole body!

    Streams of horrid purple liquids drilled throughout his body, quickly destroying his organs, bones and frying his bloodstreams.

    Putrid foam spewed out of the Elder mouth as if he was a rapid Spirit Monster. Instantly bright purple lines appeared and ran all over the Elder body.

    Uncontrollably, the Elder body began twitching and spasming.

    Inside his soul, a horrid purple toxin ran amok there, burning his soul to the very roots. The Elder was going through this kind of torturous pain instantly destroyed any state of mind of the once-proud Elder.

    And before the Elder fell off the tree, Aniela quickly reached back out and took her purple scalpel back.

    As the scalpel promptly returned to normal, Aniela reached out with her hand and lightly pushed the Elder off the tree.

    Under normal circumstances, even if Aniela was at full power, she wouldn''t be able to move the Elder an inch from his position.

    And yet now, the Elder was akin to a doll with its strings cut off, crashing straight towards the ground.

    ''Bang!''

    The loud, shocking thumb of the Elder body crashing against the ground blasted everyone''s eardrums.

    Both the Quicksilver Roc youths and the Zakira Academy youths snapped their eyes to the fallen Elder and were greeted by a gruesome sight.

    Still, the Elder body was violently twitching and spasming as if he was under an intense seizure. His face was etched in putrid purple lines that now morphed into a state of decay and rancidness.

    The Elder expression was of confusion and tremendous pain. As the light slowly left his eyes and excruciating pain filled his seven senses, the Elder would never know just who or what caused his torturous death.

    Out of everyone''s silent, shocked state, the most stunned was the horrid human-like creature.

    It was quite literally standing right near the Elder, and yet it didn''t sense any aura come up behind him!

    However, the horrid creature had no time to contemplate what just transpired. As the air began to intensely burn right near it, the creature''s eyes widened as it felt its soul begin to contort.

    A considerable suppression crushed on the creature''s body while its soul was suddenly suppressed seemingly out of the blue!

    This creature was stronger than the last one, being equivalent to a sixth layer link True Soul Core warrior. Still, it had immense trouble just trying to turn its body.

    ''Whir!!''

    Before the creature could even fully turn, a tremendous abrupt surge of power frantically erupted right behind it!

    The moderate suppression on its soul now immensely intensifies, causing its soul to violently quake in utter fear.

    For a split second, this immense fear and suppression caused the creature to go into an absolute daze. Its glowing green eyes became unfocused, and all of its defenses dropped.

    ''Chi!''

    "KAAHH!!!"

    The creature unleashed blood-curdling shrieks as its putrid arm was cleanly chopped off by a black flaming scimitar!

    Rancid green blood crazily spewed in the air as Darcel suddenly appeared in front of everyone.

    Because Darcel used too much power, his concealing talisman dropped. But he didn''t care in the slightest and still quickly reacted.

    Ignoring the shrieks of agonizing pain, Darcel swiftly caught the severed arm before it went flying in the wind and flashed it into his spatial ring.

    Simultaneously, Darcel had thrust his black flaming scimitar towards the vile creature''s face at lightning speeds!

    The creature''s mind was in utter chaos as its soul violently trembled with each move Darcel made.

    At this point, it wouldn''t even be able to accurately dodge Darcel''s thrust, much less put a good defense at the abrupt ambush attack.

    However, right when Darcel''s was mere inches from the vile creature''s face, a bright silver radiance enriched its whole body!

    Simultaneously, when the silver radiance enraptured the creature''s body. The same bright glowing silver radiance lit up Darcel''s arm and scimitar!

    Darcel felt his soul suddenly erupt with a monstrous burst of power!

    ''Chi!''

    In a bright silver flash, Darcel plunged his scimitar straight through the vile green creature''s head! Rancid green blood sprayed into the tree and dribbled towards the ground, sizzling deep holes in it.

    The creature didn''t even receive the chance to shriek in death as its brain was promptly destroyed by Darcel''s scimitar, quickly killing it.

    Darcel smirked while pulling his scimitar from the green creature''s head, letting its body fall off the tree and crash into the ground.

    If it wasn''t for his soul suddenly erupting when that silver radiance covering the creature, Darcel would''ve never attained the speed to catch that creature mid escape.

    "Hmph! So that another kill for us from these disgusting little variants of creatures!"

    Aniela''s sweet voice echoed throughout the woods as she rejoined Darcel on his tree and already dropped her concealing talisman.

    "Sheesh¡­.I don''t know how you two did it. But you actually somehow completely reversed this whole irreversible situation!" Lyse said with awe lacing her tone as she and Gerey also grouped up with the duo on the same tree.

    Truly Lyse meant every word she spoke. If it was just her and Gerey, they would''ve been utterly helpless to do anything to save Jamas and his group.

    Yet now, the seemingly impossible was achieved by Darcel and Aniela!

    "It''s-it''s really is those two!"

    "Thi-this is like some weird fever dream¡­."

    All of the Quicksilver Roc youths and Zakira Academy youths collapse on the floor as the significant suppression left them.

    Pain still wracked their bodies, but since the Ravenous Void Clan Elder and the horrid creature was dead, the suppression at least allowed them to writhe in pain.

    Although the poisonous green mist inside their bodies still stayed, creating most of the remaining pain for them.

    "What is he¡­.?" Out of everyone''s reaction, Jamas was the most subdued.

    While collapsing to the floor, his eyes managed to peer over to Gerey, and an uncomfortable feeling settled inside him.

 Abrupt Escape

    Gerey didn''t have an awe or joyous expression. He instead tightly knitted his eyebrows and even appeared to have cold sweat running down his face.

    Gerey was desperately trying to figure out why but an immense sense of death felt like it was rapidly approaching to clutch his throat.

    And it was then Gerey''s eyes brightly lit up in a luminous purple radiance!

    His glow shined bright like the raging sun, and he hurriedly flashed his spatial ring and fished out an escaping talisman.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Lyse briefly glanced over to Gerey, but he already crushed the escaping talisman with no question asked.

    Magical energy immediately wrapped the four up, and they began to take off into the Darkness sky.

    Everyone was gobsmacked at Gerey''s sudden action.

    Not even Darcel, Aniela, nor Lyse understood what he was doing. Although midway in their abrupt and sudden escape, everyone heard a loud, powerful voice that boomed for miles in the Woods.

    "You two think you can just so easily leave after causing so much damn chaos to my plans!!"

    The powerful voice blasted out an incomprehensible aura that caused nearly all of the True Soul Core youths on the ground to immediately faint.

    Darcel, Aniela, Lyse, and Gerey all felt a tremendous headache assault their senses.

    Even as they already teleported for miles into only one second under the escaping talisman, that powerful voice just had no limits on its range.

    And as the four heard the booming voice, a bright silver glow still managed to pierce into their eyes. No matter how fast they were going, this radiant silver glow just seemed that tad bit faster!

    ''Bang!''

    Darcel, Aniela, Lyse, and Gerey all got their worlds violently shaken as a tremendous force crushed into them.

    Fortunately for them, this silver force couldn''t stop their escaping talisman. But unfortunately for them, their escaping talisman was knocked off course from its original directions.

    And as the four pierced off into the night in a bright purple streak of light, a mysterious man suddenly appeared over the fallen Quicksilver Roc youths and the Zakira Academy youths.

    This man was dressed in a long blue robe, and a hoodie covered his head that ominously covered his identity.

    Though the mysterious man glared daggers at the fading purple streak of light blitzing through the sky.

    Even with all his power, he was powerless to disrupt a Mage item.

    As the mysterious man floated in the air, he naturally exuded a boundless aura that caused the very air to shift around him. Every nature in this man being just roared with immense power.

    Once Darcel''s group was out of his vision, the man peered down the nearly all fainted group of True Soul Core youths.

    "Tch¡­." The man clicked his teeth, seeing the green creature dead. And the Ravenous Void Clan Elder corpse was still creepily twitching.

    It wasn''t until his eyes locked on to Jamas that the man seemed to gain an idea. Jamas eyes were unblinkingly staring at the mysterious man though he will soon pass out in just a few more seconds.

    "Hmmm¡­.heh! Alright, looks like we''ll need to take a different approach once again. Only this time, I''ll see to it that those two little shits are brutally crushed!"

    The mysterious man spoke out loud to nobody in particular as he slowly lowered himself to the ground.

    ¡­.

    Outside the Necropolis Woods, teetering a couple miles from the entrance, four youths wearing similar clothes laid face down on a dirt path.

    The four were off a beaten path leading towards the Woods, meaning rarely would one cross their paths.

    For an unknown amount of time, none of the four moved a muscle. Until out of the blue, the dark-haired boy and the long white hair girl started to twitch their fingers.

    "D-Darcy, L-lyse, G-gery are¡­.you guys up yet?"

    Aniela''s weary, tired voice called out to the others as she lifted her face from the dirt. A bit of blood dripped from her mouth while she tried to reorient herself.

    "Haaah¡­.just barely. I think we''re all up, but still, a little banged up."

    Darcel breathed out while picking himself up to his knees. Blood also dripped from his mouth, still feeling the aftershocks of that sudden attack.

    Following in their steps, Gerey and Lyse also slowly picked themselves from off the ground. "Hey¡­.I don''t know if you all also feel it. But I feel like I''ve been knocked for hours¡­."

    Lyse sighed out, wiping the blood from her mouth.

    And her words hold true for the other three as well. Their bodies were still sore all over from the last attack, and a major headache was eating away at them.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    For a few seconds, they all were willing to rest for a bit.

    But abruptly, Aniela''s eyes lit up in remembrance. Her tone was hasty as she said, "Ah! We can''t just lie here! That powerful, mysterious man is definitely connected to the Ravenous Void Clan, and he most likely took Jamas and the others!"

    "Shit¡­you''re right. Going off that mysterious man''s words, he''s probably reworking all of his plans right now." As Darcel spoke, both he and Aniela swiftly sprang to their feet, much to the amazement of Lyse and Gerey.

    They shared a look at each other and also decided to attempt standing up just like them. But when they tried to stand up, Lyse and Gerey found it to be quite a struggle.

    They are both ninth layer link True Soul Core warriors, yet their pain tolerance isn''t even as high as two Nascent Core juniors!

    Although, neither Lyse and Gerey consider Darcel and Aniela ordinary Nascent Core juniors.

    "Haah¡­.haah¡­.I don''t get how you two can still be so energetic after all of that." Both Darcel and Aniela lightly smiled at Lyse''s comment.

    Though their face soon return to being severe as Darcel began to say,

    "We have to warn Vice-Principal of the potential hidden danger of the unknown in these Woods first, though. Who knows how many variants of that vile creature that Clan is hiding. Even she can walk right into a brutal death if left unprepared."

    "Are you two ready to go?" Aniela asked in slight concern, once turning her attention to the now slightly shaky Gerey and Lyse.

    Both of them looked into Aniela''s eyes and nodded.

    "We are, but first, let''s take some of this Mage potion given to us by the Vice-Principal. She claimed it was for just in case." While talking, Gerey flashed his spatial ring and fished out four round bottles filled with mysterious blue liquid.

    If one doesn''t have the funds or resources to afford a Mortal Pill, taking a Mage potion was the next best option.

    The potion doesn''t offer the same miraculous effects as a Mortal Pill does. Still, it does at least get rid of any fatigue and superficial injury.

    Everyone took a potion from Gerey''s hand, and before drinking, Darcel furrowed his eyebrows.

    "How odd¡­.well, I hope it hasn''t been too long since we were knocked out."

    ¡­.

    Darcel''s group made great pace towards the City after swigging down those Mage Potions. Though the pain and headache didn''t entirely go away, it was enough for the group of four to efficiently use their Qi.

    And as Darcel''s group was nearing Necrotic City, they truly began to ask themselves just how long were they out.

    Usually, it would be extremely rare on the City''s path to find even a low-rank Innate Core powerhouse walking out of the City, much less soaring through the air.

    However, now, it appeared as something significant changed.

    Darcel''s group all witness and obverse multiple Innate Core cultivators rush towards the Necropolis Woods.

    Though their powerful Innate Core auras weren''t directed at them, Darcel''s group were all still taken aback by the tremendous powers blitzing through the sky.

    Moreover, on the path as well, Darcel''s group saw far more rogue cultivators in the True Soul Core realm heading out to the Woods.

    And this further puzzled and worried the four about the sudden increased interest in the Woods.

    There was even a significant change there just a few meters ahead as Darcel''s group near Necrotic City gate.

    The once typically unguarded gate that allowed anyone to pass through was now guarded by two men wearing bright silver armor.

    Anyone that came out of the gate, the guards didn''t bother with. But for those who tried to go back to the City. The guards will do a quick scan over before letting them in.

    With their curiosity rising, Darcel''s group swiftly rushed right up the silver armor guards once there was nobody next to them.

    And the guards'' typically tight expression did relax a bit seeing four youths from the Zakira Academy approach them.

    "Excuse me, but why is everyone rushing to the Woods all of a sudden?"

    Darcel spoke up first as he and the others reached the City gate.

    The guards, however, quirked their eyebrows up towards Darcel question, and one of them said,

    "You don''t know? Just a few hours ago, everyone apparently got a clear, concise lead on that terrorizing killing monster. But the biggest part of the news had to be the massive sum of resources that the monster is genuinely hoarding. Weren''t you four just at the Woods? You know this info was released by your own Academy in these few hours."

    Immediately, Darcel, Aniela, Lyse, and Gerey went rigid. After what they just experienced, they all knew this just had to be a trap!

    Darcel and Aniela even further thought a student must''ve gotten poses for this information to supposedly get out.

    Without another word, Darcel''s group took off inside the City under the silver armor guards'' inquisitive faces.

    They made a direct beeline towards their Academy, avoiding all other people rushing out of the City.

    "Hoh? What do we have here? You four are awfully suspiciously late after your own Academy issued that order hours ago."

    Darcel, Aniela, Lyse, and Gerey stopped abruptly as a powerful voice slithered in their ears.

    Like he was a ghost, the daunting figure of Elder Fere appeared from just meters in front of them. He had an odd provocate smile as his eyes glazed over Darcel and Aniela specifically.

    In the City''s new bustling state, he initially just prepared to go into the Woods after their sect sources checked out what Zakira Academy put out.

    But through the crowds of people, his eyes manage to precisely land on Darcel and Aniela, and he couldn''t help himself.

    Darcel and Aniela, however, found this little meeting a bit queer. Mostly as the last time they saw Elder Fere, he was practically near death and barely escaped that red creature.

    And now here he is back in top tier shape.

    Still, Darcel''s group didn''t answer the man. They prepared to simply ignore him and not even care about the special status he holds.

    But right then, a pleasant steel like familiar voice slinked into their ears.

    Darcel, Aniela, Lyse, and Gerey''s face all brightly lit up. Instantly they felt a secure feeling swell up inside them and no longer put the odd Elder Fere in their eyes.

    "Once again, trying to bother my students, Elder Fere? And to be even bolder than last time and trying to do it out in the open. Don''t you have more¡­.important tasks to take care of."

    The majestic, powerful voice of Vice-Principal Zelle caused Elder Fere to get utterly rigid.

    In the same manner, as Elder Fere, Vice Principal Zelle popped in front of Darcel''s group like a ghost! Seeing those steel-like blue eyes bore into his face caused Elder Fere to click his teeth.

    "Tch, I was merely a slight bit curious about the actions of the top talented students of your Academy. But you are right; I shouldn''t be wasting my time on them."

    Though he proclaimed it, Elder Fere''s eyes still took one last glance at Darcel and Aniela.

    And before Vice-Principal Zelle could respond, Elder Fere swiftly took off back to the sky, not bothering to look back now.

    Vice Principal Zelle turned around to see the surprised but glad faces of Darcel''s group.

    Before they could talk, though, Vice Principal Zelle wrapped the four up in her power and personally rushed them back to the Academy.

 Discussion

    Darcel and Aniela had their eyes closed as they experienced the strange but smooth sensation of the world shifting around them.

    After undergoing this transition numerous times previously, the duo could safely say it felt¡­.strangely relaxing.

    And after a couple of seconds of this strange yet relaxing sensation, the duo blinked open their eyes. Before they knew it, their whole scenery changed, and they were no longer outside.

    Their eyes had instead opened up to a beautiful bright blue-purple mix room.

    Various exotic scrolls filled uniquely designed shelves. Several big crystal purple orbs mysteriously floated in the air, and strange markings were covering the walls.

    However, none of this intriguing design is what truly caught the attention of Darcel and Aniela.

    Their eyes had instantly snapped to their magnificently beautiful Heavenly King Principal, who was patiently waiting behind her desk, staring into a purple crystal orb.

    As Darcel and Aniela''s eyes glazed over in slight awe of just how enchanting their Principal was. They had then also felt gentle power infused into their bodies.

    Darcel and Aniela''s previous headache, soreness, and slight fatigue were all washed away by this mysteriously warm energy.

    Their eyes lit up in appreciation, guessing it was the Principal who so quickly healed their injuries.

    "So? What''s the situation looking like now? Did you see anything change?"

    While Darcel and Aniela stared at the Principal, Vice Principal Zelle took a moment to ask a question.

    And Vice Principal Zelle''s expression only slightly darkened while gazing at Principal Zakira''s reaction. Her face was unreadable as she stared into the purple crystal orb.

    It was a look that you simply can''t predict what is going on in her head.

    This complicated expression only further enhanced the brewing foreboding feeling stirring in Vice Principal Zelle''s gut.

    After a few tense seconds, Principal Zakria still didn''t answer Vice-Principal Zelle''s question. Instead, her eyes lifted from the purple crystal orb, and she stared directly at Darcel and Aniela.

    Being gaze under her unreadable expression caused some slight worry for Darcel and Aniela.

    Her alluring bright purple eyes seemed almost hypnotic, akin to gazing into a rising purple sun brilliance.

    "Everything¡­.everything is far too chaotic to tell anything now. Darcel, Aniela. You two really manage to violently shift everything."

    Principal Zakira''s sweet, captivating voice slithered into the duo''s ears like warm water.

    Although despite her sweet voice being mesmerizing to listen to, Darcel and Aniela haven''t had the faintest idea of what she meant.

    "Uhm¡­.what do you mean we shifted everything? Ah! More importantly, you should stop anyone from going to the Woods now!" Aniela urgently reminded the Principal''s mid-sentence.

    "Unfortunately, things had already rapidly progressed ever since you four hours of disappearance. Unprecedented for even the Principal and I, Jamas slinked right under our senses. He rounded several Innate Core Elders and spread that rumor of riches to go and kill that creature. The most puzzling part though was the fact neither I nor the Principal sensed his presence at all in the Academy when he was here."

    Vice Principal Zelle was shaking her head while explaining to the duo.

    And her explanation caused Darcel and Aniela''s eyes to burst into realizing rays of lights.

    Their minds vividly recalled how those human-like creatures can''t be sense. And then there was this mysteriously powerful man that was left with Jamas.

    "Is it true? Are the Ravenous Void Clan truly connected to those ghosts?"

    Principal Zakira asked the duo, watching their brightening expression. It was a subject that swam in her mind for quite some time now.

    "Indeed, that Clan not only works with ghosts, they also can apparently make ghosts possess humans." Darcel began explaining, and already Vice-Principal Zelle and Principal Zakira''s eyes slightly widened.

    "Ghosts possessing humans? But how? Not even weak Qi Foundation cultivators could be possessed by Spirit ghosts." It was the common sense Vice-Principal Zelle learned on her path of cultivation.

    Though in the back of her mind. Vice Principal Zelle could already tell common sense is about to get broken again by the duo.

    "Ah! We were told exactly that by Gerey and Lyse. But you see¡­.that Clan is holding variants of that red human-like creature we fought in the Black Labyrinth Dungeon! These variants are exactly as terrifying as the original red one, and we think those creatures are majorly helping with this ghost situation." Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Aniela picked up to explain, causing further shock in the Principals.

    "How can you be so sure it was a variant or exactly like that creature?" Vice Principal Zelle asked, having a hard time believing her words.

    Since after all this time, it''ll just be too odd for the duo to suddenly encounter something precisely like that creature. And nobody else being able to pick up on its slightest of trace for weeks.

    Towards Vice-Principal Zelle''s question, Darcel simply ignited his spatial ring. And before either adult women could question what he was doing, Darcel fished out that rancid severed arm of the putrid green creature.

    "Seriously?! There really are more of these creatures?!"

    Vice Principal Zelle proclaimed her shock. She instantly recognized that severed arm to be nearly identical in appearance to the red creature!

    Principal Zakira curiously gazed at the vile creature''s arm. A particular detail that stood out to her was the fact that it appeared like the severed arm was still flowing with putrid green blood.

    "Aniela and I encountered two of these variants of creatures, and we fought with both of them. The Ravenous Void Clan¡­.they won''t just stop at possessing True Soul Core youths. They''re going to get their clutches on Innate Core cultivators and grow even stronger." Darcel finished explaining.

    Both Vice-Principal Zelle and Principal Zakira creased their eyebrows.

    The duo had no reason to lie, and they were inclined to believe them. But everything was still too shrouded in mystery to call for an accurate answer.

    Principal Zakira knows she could immediately stop anyone from their Academy from going into the Woods. Despite what they lost already, it wouldn''t affect them much if they went into lockdown.

    However, Principal Zakira knows she could only do this with her Academy.

    Other sects and organizations like the Quicksilver Roc sect and Yoderine institution are beyond her control.

    Even if she were to inform them the exact same thing Darcel and Aniela told them, they all still didn''t have any concrete evidence against that Clan and their connections to ghosts.

    While Jamas was able to bring back concrete evidence against that red creature to rally the whole City up.

    It was then Vice-Principal Zelle''s expression became determined. She made a split decision in her mind and told Principal Zakira, "We need to act hard and fast now. Principal¡­.I will contact Leweyn Andres."

    Hearing that name-dropped caused Principal Zakira to go utterly silent.

    Clearly, Darcel and Aniela were able to tell whoever this Lewyn person was. It is a big deal enough to make even their Principal go eerily silent.

    Her eyes had promptly stared into her bright purple crystal orb for a brief second.

    Despite Darcel and Aniela''s mind already going to the negative about this person given her reaction, the Principal was actually using her soul to call upon the power of her unique Foresight abilities.

    For all these years, she painstakingly cultivated this unique ability. She managed to reach a state where she could tell the general effects of what one person would have on the overall future a few weeks in.

    It was how she managed to predict the Woods'' huge event and how Darcel and Aniela would inevitably end up stumbling across it.

    Though her prediction isn''t exactly always accurate, especially if it involves Darcel and Aniela.

    But more likely than not, Principal Zakira could see the vague right steps to take for any given situation. And for the man named Lewyn Andres, she could tell things will turn out worse without him.

    Still, Principal Zakira regarded that man as a slight risk. A risk that they probably need to take. Nodding towards Vice-Principal Zelle, Principal Zakira had then told her,

    "Since you''re going to do so, I shall get readily prepare for him then."

    "Wait¡­.just who the hell is Lewyn Andres?" Darcel asked as both he and Aniela actually felt genuine curiosity in this man''s rise.

    After all, both Vice-Principal Zelle and Principal Zakira are already so powerful enough to not rely on ordinary help.

    "He hails from the strongest sect out of our Bless Spirit Province. The Brass Spirit Sect. Though we are ranked quite literally the last out of the nine Provinces, that sect possesses a keenly unique ability. And they will be able to majorly help us with tracking these ghosts and creatures and put an end to whatever plans they have brewing."

    It was when Vice Principal Zelle finished explaining that Darcel and Aniela came upon a slight realization.

    Besides only the areas they have been to, the duo realized they neglected to know the full geography of this realm that they were abruptly teleported to.

    Aniela made a mark in her head for a point she and Darcel will go over in the near future.

    For now, though, she asked the Principals, "So what now? We can''t go back into the Woods unless we want to walk into a certified death trap, and that''s where nearly all of the action is taking place."

    "You two did fight and kill at least one of those variant creatures, right?"

    Principal Zakira suddenly spoke up, completely ignoring Aniela''s last question.

    For a brief second, Darcel and Aniela were a bit stunned hearing her so accurate guess. But nevertheless, Aniela brightly smiled and nodded at her.

    "Not just one¡­.but we manage to kill two of those creatures! The severed arm Darcy got will put into good use by us! Though, I''m not entirely sure how¡­.but I think Darcy and I have resistance to that creature."

    Very vividly, Darcel and Aniela could recall the exact sensation and power that their souls would continually spew while fighting those creatures.

    They had obviously managed to link it up with their recent scimitars that their souls are reacting like this.

    Although, the question still sitting inside both the duo''s mind was merely what these scimitars did to their souls. And just why did these sensations felt so damn familiar, as if they encountered that kind of power before.

    "Zelle, take them to the Corridor of Haven. They will be crucial in specifically stopping those creatures for good."

    Vice Principal Zelle slightly widened her eyes in small shock. But she didn''t have any disagreement with this sudden decision.

    "Mnh, alright. But first, at the great distance of the Brass Spirit Sect, I know it''ll take them at most three days for their arrival. What shall we do until then?"

    Principal Zakira was already ready with an answer.

    "I will call in some favors from those Quirky Mages and temporarily seal down the Academy. Darcel. Remember to keep that arm even when you finish using it."

    Darcel and Aniela nearly falter once again, hearing Principal Zakira''s surprisingly accurate predictions of what they''re going to do.

    Before they could question anything, though, Vice Principal Zelle softly grabbed their shoulders, making them look up at her.

    She gave the duo a kind warm smile, telling them, "Now, first thing first for you two. You''ll need to completely relax your mind and bodies before we head on to the main attraction."

 Outside Changes

    Inside a tremendously vast beautiful courtyard several thousands of kilometers away from Necrotic City, one tall, extraordinary man was overseeing ten magnificent youths.

    His eyes peer down in apparent pride over these youths.

    Including himself, there wasn''t a single one in the courtyard that didn''t naturally exude an unfathomable aura.

    The man''s majestic aura also matched with his refined appearance. He was exceedingly handsome, spouting clear sharp like features in his face, giving the man a dangerous outlook.

    Long neatly tied up orange hair draped the man dazzling light blue robes in a perfected mix combination.

    This man was the third Heavenly King Elder of the Brass Spirit Sect Leweyn Andres!

    And Leweyn''s eyes mainly focused on one specific disciple out of the ten.

    While the other nine disciples busy themselves with conversing and practicing with each other. The boy Leweyn paid attention to was the only one still silently cultivating.

    Not only was he the only one silently cultivating, but the boy was also the strongest of his peers. He was a sixth rank Innate Core realm genius!

    And to boot, the boy carried a handsome appearance much like nearly if not all other geniuses his age. He held short brown hair, attractive facial features, and wore a beautiful regular blue uniform robe.

    Obviously enough, Leweyn found this boy to hold a higher value than the other disciples there.

    As per usual, everyone was going on the day with minimal changes.

    "....Hm?"

    That is until Leweyn suddenly felt his spatial ring lit up in bright blue, glowing radiance.

    Immediately, Leweyn''s eyes snapped off the boy and focused on the glowing spatial ring.

    "Erin! Come over. We have some private matters to discuss." Leweyn abruptly called out to the short brown hair boy.

    Erin promptly reacted and stood up while the other disciples shifted their eyes on them.

    While walking up, Leweyn, Erin, and the other disciples did have some thoughts on why their Master called for this abrupt meeting.

    And as Erin approached closer to Leweyn and saw his spatial ring glowing, his suspicions were confirmed to be true.

    Leweyn only waited for Erin to get close, and the two had then shuffled to a lone space in the vast courtyard.

    The other nine disciples quickly returned back to their conversations. However, they were guessing what their Master was planning on doing.

    "Master¡­.is it her again?"

    Erin asked Leweyn once they were out of hearing distance from the other disciples. And when Erin didn''t receive an answer-back, he expected it and patiently waited for his Master to speak to him.

    Leweyn, all the while, was listening in on the Mage tool that allowed for long distances messages.

    A blunt, direct voice flowed into his ears, and it was like a melody for Leweyn.

    "Get ready, Erin. We''re going to Necrotic City to help out Vice-Principal Zelle." Leweyn told after several seconds of silence. And these words caused Erin to droop a bit.

    A slight exasperated feeling hit him as this wasn''t the first time he''s been called to this position.

    "Master, no disrespect but¡­.everytime she calls you for a considerable ordeal, you always come to her beck and call and with no reward ask in return. Just¡­.what is so special about her?"

    Leweyn, however, held zero change in expression or reaction towards his disciple accusing words. "Get your ring ready. We''re going to leave now after I speak with the Sect Master." Was all Erin got for an answer.

    "Haah¡­.yes, Master." Erin sighed but didn''t hold any disagreement.

    And as Erin watched his Master vanish from sight, one thought continually plagued his mind.

    Just what is so special about some ordinary-looking prideful woman?

    ¡­.

    Deep into the black Necropolis Woods, three forces were splitting and shifting the very air around them.

    This group of three were unfathomably powerful, having a combined aura that would frighten any ordinary sect in Necrotic City.

    The three consisted of three terrifying men, all wearing the bright orange robes of the Quicksilver Roc sect!

    It was Elder Fere and two other eighth rank Innate Core Elders.

    Like many others, they found what Jamas spoke out to be accurate as their best sensory trackers were able to pick up on that vile red creature now.

    Moreover, they also sensed the great monstrous riches lurking with that creature.

    And after some small debates, it was decided that for one hundred percent assurance. Elder Fere, Elder Lian, and Elder Cian would be the ones to find and kill that creature if it''s still even alive by now.

    Furthermore, they would also take any riches, they can no matter who may get in their way.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    "Really, Elder Fere, you seem a tad too excited for this outing. Really want to wash that horrifying taste of defeat that much, huh?" Elder Lian suddenly spoke up and chided Elder Fere.

    Elder Fere, however, didn''t have a significant change of reaction.

    All he merely told him was, "Heh, if you would''ve experienced what I experienced when fighting that horrid creature, you wouldn''t be so quick to joke about it."

    Elder Lian lightly snorted at him, though he couldn''t forget the spine-chilling state Elder Fere was in when he came back to the sect.

    Out of the hundreds of years he knew him for, never before had Elder Fere been that terribly injured.

    Truthfully both Elder Lian and Elder Cian carried some small worries about facing that kind of creature that caused such terrifying injuries to Elder Fere.

    But, the act of greed was too tempting for most to ignore.

    Right then, in an abrupt whiplash moment, all three of the Elders rigidly stopped their rush.

    A bright silver light violently pierced into their eyes, almost like they suddenly came upon a blazing silver sunray.

    All three of the Elders'' heads immediately snap towards their right to see where that silver light was coming from. And it didn''t take long at all before Elder Fere''s eyes erupted in savage killing intent.

    His Spirit Senses honed into a terrifying aura sensation that still haunted his mind to this day.

    That vile red creature was over there!

    "Let''s go!" And without waiting for a response, Elder Fere swiftly rushed towards that silver light.

    Elder Lian and Elder Cian stopped for a brief moment. Unlike the maddening revenge dash of Elder Fere, both men couldn''t help but feel slightly wearing about exploring that harsh silver light.

    Furthermore, they, too, sense a terrifying aura sensation that overtook their minds. This aura sensation immediately stood out to the two Elders since they never felt anything like it before.

    Yet, seeing as Elder Fere didn''t even bother to wait for their opinions, Elder Lian and Elder Cian had no choice but to follow.

    The men shared one slight exasperated look before shrugging their shoulders and then blasting off towards Elder Fere''s direction.

    Frenzy powerful blue Wind Qi stormed out for miles in the Necropolis Woods.

    Any Spirit Monsters, ranging from Nascent Core to True Soul Cores and even the rare Innate Core realm, were all swept up in the three Elders mad dash.

    As the three of them were at the late ranks of the Innate Core realm, just this mere small portion of their power caused everything to shift into a powerful Windy storm in the Woods.

    In only a few seconds, the three Eldersquickly arrived at where the bright silver light was exuding from.

    The three men had then stop as tremendous puzzlement fills their faces.

    They have come upon an odd encirclement of glossy black trees. At the center of this encirclement stood one mysterious looking man.

    The man wore this long blue robe, and a hoodie covered his identity, but there was something else distinct about this man.

    In his hand, he held onto a bright silver round object that nearly resembled a large core in the Elders eyes. Most obviously, that large silver core is what provided that silver radiance from before.

    Still, for the mysterious man himself, none of the Elders felt any extraordinary or powerful aura exuding from him.

    It was almost as if he really was just a completely ordinary man holding on to an oddly bright silver core.

    "You! What is this!" As Elder Fere dauntingly spoke, he blasted out his powerful ninth rank Innate Core aura prowess!

    Everything about this meeting was genuinely troubling for Elder Fere. Even now, his Spirit Sense was still telling him that red creature was precisely here!

    Yet all that to be seen standing in front is the mysterious blue robe man.

    Although all three of Elders spotted a multiple pair of colored eyes peeking out of the black glossy trees bushes of leaves.

    Admittedly, this scene was a bit unnerving for even the highly powerful Elders.

    And looking at the mysterious man reaction only further the unnerving of the three Elders.

    Not many at all could withstand Elder Fere''s mighty aura pressure, much less still be able to stand perfectly fine on their feet under his prowess.

    And yet, this mysterious man only slightly craned his head up to seemingly stare at the three Elders. It was then the mysterious man utter simple short words that sent chills down the Elders spine.

    "Very good fleshy bags this time."

    The mysterious man''s voice hauntingly slithered into the Elders ears. His voice was like listening to metals violently clash together.

    But before anyone of the Elders could press on their questions, they all went utterly rigid!

    ''Whir!!''

    Out of entirely nowhere, that mysterious silver Core had suddenly brightly ignited! A blinding silver flash blasted towards the Darkness sky, painting it in a full silver radiance.

    However, what truly made the three Elders go entirely still was a tremendously massive increase of power that crazily stormed out for miles in the surrounding area!

    Elder Fere, Elder Lian, and Elder Cian''s eyes all bulged.

    Their bodies were immensely suppressed under this tremendous crazed explosion of true power!

    This power was almost like they were facing the unfathomable might of a titled Heavenly King powerhouse!

    Which would mean this man is actually a genuine Heavenly Transformation cultivator?!

    The three Elders were thrown into a frantic loop. They desperately tried to surge their powerful Innate Qi, only to find it utterly suppressed in every way!

    None of them could move a single joint in their bodies now. And it was then the Elders heard the single most haunting sounds in their entire lives.

    "Awuagg!!"

    Numerous horrifying voices that sounded frighteningly distorted boomed into Elder''s ears. Along with the voices, the three Elders felt their horror increase as multiple ominous-looking Spirit ghosts slithered out of the trees.

    Every Spirit ghost supposed eyes chilling bore a hole into the Elder''s face.

    Elder Fere, Elder Lian, and Elder Cian all felt as if their souls were violently shaking in utter fear just from being watched.

    Hopeless despair filled the Elder''s minds. They couldn''t mobilize their Innate Qi, their bodies were utterly suppressed, and their souls felt tremendously suppressed just by the appearances of these ghosts.

    "Take them." The mysterious man simply told the numerous ghosts.

    And to Elder''s continuing despair, all ghosts frantically rushed towards the Elders and had drilled directly inside their bodies!

    "GE-A-"

    All three of the Elders instinctively tried to shriek in terrifying pain.

    But their throats were violently clutched, allowing for their shouts of agony to simply swirl in their minds.

    As the Spirit ghosts ruthlessly drilled into their bodies, all three Elders felt every fiber of their souls and bodies being torn to shreds! There was too much influx of energy, crushing the three from the inside out.

    All the while, the mysterious hooded man no longer paid attention to the three Elders.

    He lifted his arms a bit, allowing his sleeves to slowly fall down and revealed his bare skin.

    "Tch¡­."

    The man clicked his teeth once, seeing the rotten decay of his arms. His skin was quite literally cracking and peeling off, revealing rancid, moldy blood.

    "Haah¡­.this body is nearly done for. And overusing the Core is only quickening the Core instability and corruption. Heh, but once everything is done with, that black hair boy and that white hair girl will juice the Core back to perfection!"

    The mysterious man''s tone was laced with spine chilling killing intent.

    From under his hood, the man creepily watched on as the Elders ghost torture still continued for agonizing minutes.

 Darkness Passion

    Unknown to the outside world, in the Zakira Academy, three notable figures were walking along in a lone purple corridor.

    All three of them took slow, relaxed steps, obviously in no hurry to rush their short walk.

    It was, of course, Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle. And despite the massive chaos they had just experienced previously, now their faces were the epitome of serene.

    Darcel was in an especially good mood as he recalled the events of the previous day.

    And one small occurrence had particularly stuck out to him that day and was still was on his mind today.

    After their talk with Principal Zakira the previous day, Vice Principal Zelle really did surprise Darcel and Aniela with a pleasant, relaxing surprise.

    She had taken them to a special place in the Academy; the Law Spring Pool.

    Including for all of yesterday, Darcel and Aniela simply did nothing but fully immersed themselves in the Law Spring Pool under Vice Principal Zelle''s goading.

    The Law Spring Pool was really a vast, beautifully design hot springs type of area. But instead of regular water, it was purple water Qi. Furthermore, a distinct special aura permeated the Law Spring Pool, further enhancing the tranquility one would feel from relaxing in there.

    All Darcel and Aniela did was simply relaxed in the warm purple water Qi and let their pores open. They sat next to each other in the water, allowing for complete relaxation.

    During the middle of their relaxation, Darcel felt pulling changes to his soul and Darkness Qi. He felt his soul spew this stronger magnetic attraction to become one with Aniela and solidify his linked bond to her.

    And complimenting Darcel''s stirring soul was his Darkness nearly reacting on its own and popping out of his body. He could feel his Darkness being very eager to swallow Aniela whole in his and its love and pleasure.

    Perhaps it was because of the complete tranquil state he was under. Darcel couldn''t precisely tell why these changes abruptly occurred.

    All he knows is that it won''t be long before he suddenly ends up doing it with Aniela.

    But until they could get alone, Darcel refocused his attention on the lone corridor and the single gray door at the end of the hallway.

    "So, Vice Principal, are you finally going to tell us just what''s in this Heaven door?"

    Vice Principal Zelle simply glanced her eyes over at the duo, her face still as serene as ever.

    "For the upcoming fights, the Principal foresees you two will play a vital role. But you''ll need to be at the peak level of Nascent Core before attempting anything. What I''m leading you two towards is essentially a Qi haven for all youths and even teachers here."

    "Ah! And we just so happen to be special exceptions that get to experience this heavenly place in its full glory, right?" Aniela enthusiastically made an accurate guess.

    Her bright, energetic energy will always stir throughout her mind and body, even in her most relaxed state.

    Vice Principal Zelle was amused by Aniela''s enigmatic energy and had nodded at her.

    But she does remind them that, "Now remember, you two will have at most three days before I come to fetch you out. At that time, the Brass Spirit Sect will be present here."

    Darcel and Aniela nodded with vigor at Vice Principal Zelle. Her description of this magnificent magical place only filled the duo up with burning anticipation to see just what''s it about.

    Finally, Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle reached that lone gray door after several eager seconds.

    Vice Principal Zelle had then performed short and quick hand signs that were a blur for Darcel and Aniela.

    And when she had performed her final hand sign, the lone gray door promptly flung wide open with a loud bang!

    Darcel and Aniela were a bit taken aback at the sudden swiftness.

    But they weren''t given any more time to react as they were then violently sucked into the gray energy like substance swirling inside the door!

    Once they were in the door, the lone gray door had firmly shut tight once again.

    "Haah¡­.their results will most undoubtedly be excellent when they come out. But, I hope that man won''t be so noisy again when he comes around."

    Vice Principal Zelle sighed to herself, and after taking one last look at the lone door, she began heading back to her office.

    ¡­.

    Darcel and Aniela snapped their eyes open to a glorious sight.

    Their visions became enamored with a beautiful rainbow-colored space that was seemingly endless.

    For a rare moment, Darcel and Aniela were actually in quite awe.

    They had to say already that Vice Principal Zelle wasn''t kidding about this place! The most astonishing thing about this place was the Qi here.

    It was the most vibrant and rich the duo have ever felt in their lives!

    Darcel and Aniela were sure that even the most average talents can come here, gain Qi enlightenment, and experience several huge breakthroughs!

    Even if one body is slow at absorbing Qi, the Qi permeating the air here would rapidly develop one''s mind and comprehension abilities.

    "Oooh~!"

    Aniela suddenly gasps once she had taken a single step in this place.

    The very ground beneath was outrageously warm and soft akin to those large comfy beds she and Darcel slept on in their unique rooms.

    Darcel was planning on walking as well, but he abruptly went rigid.

    His bloodline suddenly violently quaked, and his soul crazily stirred at the same time. In a split second, Darcel''s surroundings became unending Darkness.

    Although, despite how sudden this was, Darcel wasn''t surprised or shocked at all.

    Instead, he patiently waited for a familiar powerful voice to soothe his mind like usual. And he didn''t have to wait long at all.

    "It''s the time! The first step to cultivating Yin pleasure and solidifying your first soul link has arrived! This place you''re in is perfect for your first time."

    The ethereal, powerful voice quickly told Darcel.

    And Darcel couldn''t even get a chance to react or respond before his vision swiftly returned back to the rainbow color space.

    Along with feeling his Darkness Qi rumbling a bit, Darcel also saw a beautiful sight when coming back to reality.

    Aniela was staring up at him, spouting an alluring broad smile and a faint sexy blush gracing her beautiful face.

    "Hehehe~, Darcy, your eyes went entirely black for a moment! I could tell your bloodline must''ve spontaneously reacted because¡­. I''m feeling myself just get hotter and hotter being next to you~."

    As she spoke, Aniela slyly got closer to Darcel. Her modest soft squishy breast pressed into his chest, already igniting the burning flames of lust inside Darcel.

    Around his neck, Darcel had then felt Aniela''s soft arms wrap around him, pulling him closer to her beloved smiling face.

    "Your Darkness~. I was suppressing myself yesterday, but all throughout, I felt it erupting the passion inside my body. And now, my passion is at its peak~! Wouldn''t you say it''s the same for you, Darcy~?"

    Aniela''s hot scented voice soothing into Darcel''s ears, caused his lust to reach a boiling point!

    His body was moving nearly on instinct as he wrapped his arm around her small soft body and pulled her in for a loving kiss.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    "Mnhn~!"

    Simultaneously, they both groaned under the electrifying sensation of kissing.

    Darcel was inhaling Aniela''s sweet-scented aroma while thoroughly enjoying himself on her soft, luscious lips.

    Compared to all other times, Darcel and Aniela felt far more tingles shiver down their spines, making this kiss feel almost perfect. Their mouths fervently open and their tongues greedily sought after each other.

    Instantly, their tongues engaged in a zealous dance as Darcel sucked on Aniela''s tongue like it was dopamine.

    Under the lustful state Darcel was in now, he couldn''t help but get far more eager during the kiss.

    Darcel proceeded to vigorously scoop Aniela into his arms, getting a cute yelp of surprise in the middle of their intense kiss.

    But Darcel gave her no time to process it as he had then sat upon the soft, comfy ground, and they both got even more passionate in their making out.

    Hot trails of salivas dripped down their mouths as their kiss got wilder with each second.

    Darcel couldn''t get enough of Aniela''s sweet addicting taste, sucking up nearly every drop of her fiery essence.

    And Aniela''s mind was becoming hazy, slurping up Darcel''s perfected saliva.

    Darcel also didn''t just let his hand be idle. He let Aniela drop into his lap and began unbuttoning Aniela''s uniform shirt.

    While Aniela''s hand roamed around Darcel''s body and also unbuttoned his uniform shirt.

    Quickly, Darcel''s temporarily stopped kissing, removed Aniela''s shirt, and revealed her beautiful modest perky breasts. Her cute little pink nipples were puffed up in intense lust, making Darcel''s mouth go dry.

    At the same time, Aniela removed Darcel''s shirt showcasing his perfectly chiseled abs. Aniela''s eyes glazed over in heated lust, being utterly enamored by Darcel''s sculpted, masculine body.

    Without pausing, Darcel eagerly began sucking on Aniela''s sexy erected pink nipples causing Aniela to secrete heavenly moans.

    "Mnh~! Ahn~! Your mouth~!"

    Darcel swirled his tongue all around Aniela''s soft breast, finding the taste absolutely delicious. Sweet addicting pleasurable sensation swimmingly stirred in Darcel''s mouth as he dined on Aniela''s delectable breast.

    Aniela felt her loins burn with blazing cravings of lust, making her get even more enthusiastic.

    She had shifted her body a bit to go on top of Darcel and gently lay him down while smothering him with her mouth-watering breasts.

    "Nnnh¡­.Ahn~!" Aniela absolutely adored the pleasure of smothering Darcel with her sweet breasts.

    And her body was practically moving on its own as she began erotically grinding hard on Darcel''s crotch.

    "Mnh¡­.I can''t get enough of this~." Darcel, too unleashed a hot breath, utterly enjoying every second that Aniela smothered him with her perky breasts.

    Simultaneously, he also loved the carnal pleasure of Aniela''s fiery wet loins sexily grind hard on him.

    "Ah-Ohh,~?"

    Suddenly Aniela perked up once she felt a hot rising pole sensually poke her crotch. Just by feeling each other spirited sex through their clothes, the near orgasmic stimulation sent electrifying pleasures waves that further heated Darcel and Aniela''s bodies.

    The feeling of Darcel''s hot steamy shaft poking at her wet secret garden caused Aniela to gain a sexy idea.

    She gently moved her breast away from Darcel''s face to gaze at his lustful, hazing eyes.

    Quickly Aniela planted a hot steamy kiss on Darcel''s lips before she had then began sexily shifting her body around.

    The way Aniela moved was perfect in Darcel''s eyes. She had a captivating sensual allure in twisting her hips and legs, further igniting Darcel''s lust.

    And before Darcel knew it, the hypnotic luscious fragrance of Aniela''s wet crotch was planted on his face.

    While Aniela put her face near the hardening hot tent of Darcel''s crotch.

    "Fufu~, let''s see who can make the other experience pure bliss first~." Aniela hotly moaned near his crotch. She had then quickly unbuckled his pants and glowed one of her fingers in a radiant white glow.

    At the same time, Darcel both lifted his hips so Aniela can pull his pants off with telekinesis. And he had also lit up one of his fingers in a Darkness glow, spewing out several small black tendrils that went and unbuckled and lowered Aniela''s pants.

    Darcel was immediately greeted by the sight of Aniela''s cute wet panty, and she planted herself right back on Darcel''s face.

    All the while, Aniela was greeted by the sight of Darcel''s black boxer and big pitch tent bursting through his boxers.

    "Huuu¡­." Darcel began hotly breathing into Aniela''s moist secret garden, finding how it squirms in excitement, incredibly sexy.

    Tingles shiver down Aniela''s spine as her loins increase its flaming love juices.

    "Are you ready, Aniela~?" Darcel grabbed on to Aniela''s hips to slightly raise her up and ask.

    During this motion, he had also taken the time to appreciate Aniela''s beautiful tight ass''s modest perkiness. Just holding it in this position made Darcel want to lose all control, but he kept his sanity.

    "Fufufu~, for quite some time, I was ready Darcy~."

    Aniela uttered a giggle that sounded like the hypnotic sound of a graceful angel.

    And simultaneously, they both took each undergarment off, allowing themselves a full view of each other''s eager sexes.

    Immediately Aniela becomes enamored, staring at Darcel''s rock hard seven-inch dick.

    "Haah¡­.haah¡­ .your dick¡­." She began hotly breathing on it and rubbing her face on the steamy pole. The warm feeling Darcel''s dick provided soothed Aniela''s bloodline and soul.

    All the while, Darcel was mesmerized by Aniela''s juicy beautiful pink pussy. Her divine fluids dripped onto Darcel''s face making his own bloodline and soul writhed in zealous excitement.

    And without waiting for a second more, Darcel lowered Aniela''s sweet pussy onto his face and began fervently sucking up delicious juices.

    His tongue explored every aspect of her soft wet, squishy pussy fold and soon got lost in eating her out.

    "Mmnnh~!" Aniela became crazed with pleasure.

    Her small pink tongue eagerly licked all over Darcel''s delectable pole savoring the addicting taste of him. And then, Aniela didn''t even hesitate for a second before taking half of Darcel''s dick in her mouth!

    "Nnh~!!" They both groan in pure ecstatic pleasure, sucking on and savoring each other sexes.

    Pleasure combined with a serene warmth course in their bodies and souls, quickly bringing them both to blissful heights.

    They passionately went down on each other for a few minutes until Darcel felt he was close. Darcel also felt Aniela was near the edge, so he decided to gain the ultimate victory over her.

    Inside Aniela''s hot wet pussy, Darcel''s ignited the tip of his tongue in a Darkness glow. He then precisely struck a weak spot in Aniela''s squishy folds!

    "OHH~! AHHHNN~!!"

    Aniela perked up and unleashed a mighty shriek of pleasure as she harshly cummed all over Darcel''s face. Darcel''s face soon became drenched in her love juices, and he enjoyed every drop of it.

    Still, Aniela wasn''t out of energy at all. Her face turned over to Darcel and gave a sexy feverish blushing gaze. This gaze nearly made Darcel lose all reason with lust.

    Quickly Darcel came up and exchanged a hot steamy kiss with Aniela.

    "Nnnh-Ah~?"

    During their kiss, Darcel gently lowered Aniela to the ground and spread out her moist legs.

    Darcel lined up the tip of his dick towards Aniela''s burning pussy, and for a brief second, they stared into each other eyes.

    Darcel''s deep black eyes bore into Aniela''s matching black eyes, and they were lost in each other''s worlds. Without words and only through their eyes, they felt all of their feelings, love, and affection get transmitted.

    "Aniela¡­." Darcel lovingly called out Aniela while stroking her beautiful white hair.

    "Darcy¡­." Aniela lovingly called out his name while also wrapping her gentle arms over his neck.

    Their feelings, their love, they didn''t need any further words.

    And with one simple thrust, Darcel managed to plunge all the way into Aniela breaking her hymen in one thrust!

    "Ahhn~! We''ve finally become one~!"

    And immediately, instead of the usual pain, a girl would have upon losing their virginity. Both Darcel and Aniela''s mind, bodies, and soul overloaded in immense electrifying pleasure!

    Their bloodlines churned in frantic excitement as the duo finally became connected.

    "Ahn~! AHH~!" Like they were wild mating beasts, Darcel and Aniela were crazily moaning and grunting.

    Darcel went hard and fast at pounding Aniela''s pussy at crazed speeds.

    Their bodies burned with unending lust, and they frantically sought out each other. Aniela had even wrapped her legs around Darcel, further showing her fiery passion.

    And Darcel only sped up at hammering Aniela''s pussy, with each thrust he performed causing tremendous pleasure to rock their senses.

    "Kiss~! Ki-Mnh~!"

    Darcel responded to Aniela''s plea while thrusting into her, bending down to give her sloppy zealous kisses. But it didn''t matter to either how sloppy the kissing was as this way only made the duo get intenser.

    Breaking from kissing for a second, Darcel had then quickly latched to Aniela''s perky breasts, performing even harder and deeper thrust with each passing second.

    "Ah-AH~! O-oh, my NIPPLES~!! If-if you keep this up, I''ll-AHHN ~!!"

    Aniela was panting out as her senses overloaded on the double pleasure Darcel granted to her. Their rising blissful climax was quickly approaching, but neither of the duo notices their changing surroundings.

    While Darcel and Aniela were wrapped up in their intense lovemaking passion, the Qi around them was frantically drilling into their bodies.

    And inside their bodies, their bloodlines were mutating. In their dantians, their large Nascent Cores were also rapidly advancing at the second.

    Though blissfully unaware of this, Darcel lost track of time as he switched position between kissing Aniela''s lips, neck, and breasts while violently hammering her.

    "D-damn, I''m close, Aniela!" Until after who knows how long, Darcel felt his rising climax near its peak.

    "AHN~! M-me tooo~!! Let''s do it toge-AHHHHHN~!!!"

    Aniela abruptly shrieked in quacking pleasure as Darcel fully plunged himself into Aniela hitting her womb.

    "ANIELA!!" Darcel roared Aniela''s name, and at the same time, they both experienced a trembling orgasm!

    Darcel shot his thick cum deep into Aniela''s womb, knowing there won''t be any consequences for now.

    And right when they both came simultaneously, the whole Corridor of Heaven got shrouded in sudden power!

    ''CHI!!''

    A bright rainbow color radiance burst from Darcel and Aniela!

    The rainbow color radiance had then briefly formed two magnificent phantom holy images.

    Out from Darcel, a phantom image of what appeared like an angelic wing burst from his back!

    And out from Aniela, a phantom image that appeared to also be an angelic wing burst from her back!

    A sudden influx of tremendous power had then overtaken Darcel and Aniela''s mind, body, and soul, causing the two to promptly pass out while still connected with each other.

    But as their eyes closed, a satisfied smile graced both their lips as they experienced what true, complete bliss was like.

 Soul Link

    Like several other times in his life, Darcel snapped his eyes open to familiar soothing Darkness.

    Truthfully, ending up back in this Darkness space didn''t come as a shock to Darcel since his ethereal voice already alluded to this.

    Although, what was a bit shocking was a warm fiery sensation that swirled and soothed in Darcel''s right hand. He felt the warm sensation as soon as he snapped open his eyes, making him curiously glanced down at his right hand.

    Darcel quirked an eyebrow up at what he saw. ''

    Swirling elegantly in his right palm was beautiful dazzling blue flames. Staring into these blue flames was almost hypnotic in a captivating serene way.

    Darcel was already very acquainted with the Element of Fire in the first place, which would explain this warm sensation coursing in his body.

    And yet¡­.these specific blue flames soothed into his bloodstreams, directly stirring his own soul to become more relaxed.

    After getting lost in the mesmerizing sight of the blue flames for a few seconds, Darcel pulled his attention up.

    He curiously glanced over the Darkness space as the blue flames weren''t the only warm and familiar sensation he felt.

    And Darcel only had to shift his eyes around a bit to come across another beautiful sight. This time it was a pure white dazzling figure who appeared completely solid, taking full shape.

    "Aniela¡­." Darcel instantly recognized the full shape figure to be his beautifully alluring airhead girl.

    And at first, only Aniela''s translucent white color back graced Darcel''s eyes.

    However, when he had quietly uttered her name, Aniela quickly whipped around in zealous excitement. Taking one look at Aniela''s face now made Darcel at a slight loss for words.

    She was still in an entirely translucent white color appearance, making her fit more of a ghost category. But still, the breathtaking beauty of Aniela''s bewitching face and her long gorgeous white hair all seemed to be significantly enhanced in his Darkness space.

    "Darcy!!" Aniela''s face split into a broad radiant smile that further accentuated her magnificent beauty.

    She was like a beautiful white sun spewing out her mesmerizing white sun rays for anyone to enjoy and get caught up in.

    And when Aniela had lovingly shouted Darcel''s name, she had quickly rushed over to in a white flash. In just a split second, before Darcel knew it, her incomparably soft, tender body tightly hugged his body.

    "Nnnh~.....Ahh~! Yup! This really is the real thing!"

    Aniela serenely inhaled Darcel''s intoxicating scent while pushing her sweet face further into his neck. Of course, Darcel positively adored Aniela''s loving cute actions.

    Though her words left him a bit puzzled.

    "Real thing? Do you mean¡­.this is actually your consciousness in here?"

    Darcel questions the hugging girl while also tightly wrapping one arm around her divine translucent body.

    He would''ve gladly used both of his hands to pull his cute girlfriend close, but even until now, Darcel still felt that dazzling blue flames steadily upon his right palm.

    "Mnh¡­.yea, I guess you can say it''s like that. I''m not too sure what happened, but after our passionate and intense lovemaking, I think we fully connected on even a spiritual level! I know that I''m dreaming, but now we''re sharing the same dream even!"

    Darcel, at first, was finding Aniela''s explanation a bit¡­.out there.

    Even for their insane standards, Darcel didn''t think he read anything on lovers sharing the same dream.

    Although, at the same time, Darcel couldn''t deny some truth in Aniela''s words. Compared to all other previous times, Darcel can firmly say he has a more complete connection with Aniela.

    If talking about previous times, Darcel would''ve ranked his spiritual or soul connection with Aniela as strong, but there was a critical element that was missing.

    And now, that crucial element was more than fulfilled.

    Darcel truly felt as if a part of Aniela''s soul was latched on to his Darkness soul. He didn''t know how to exactly describe what it felt like, but he just could tell he felt far closer to Aniela than any other time in his life.

    "You are half right about our connection part. But¡­. I''m not so sure this is just a mere dream."

    Aniela raised her face curiously at Darcel. She was going to ask what he meant by that until an ethereal voice boomed into their ears.

    "My, my. The show you put on was quite fittingly divine. Congratulations on forming your first Perfected Darkness soul link, young one."

    Quickly, Aniela was whipping her head side to side and hitting her long translucent white hair all in Darcel''s face.

    "Who is that?! And what do they mean by the first Perfected Darkness soul link? My link with Darcy has perfected for a long time already!" Aniela shouted out some rather intriguing phrases to the voice.

    Though Darcel expected nothing less from her.

    "Well, I already gather you were going to tell me that. But besides this, what else are you going to mysteriously inform me off now." Darcel added a bit of humor into his voice as he went through this song and dance several times.

    "Hm¡­.ah? Quite special indeed. It''s unprecedentedly rare for both of your souls to get heavily affected by anything. But that small little girl managed to¡­.though this isn''t a bad thing. Get comfortable with foxes in the future."

    It was all the ethereal voice told the duo.

    And they only left Darcel and Aniela with many more questions than they initially have when first waking up here.

    But neither of the duos would get any chances to further talk as their scenery was abruptly changing¡­.

    ¡­.

    "Nnh?!"

    On sync, Darcel and Aniela flung their eyes wide open.

    Immediately their visions stared into each deep black eye as Darcel was still squashed on Aniela''s face.

    Soothing warmth filled the two while waking up. Because they had immediately passed out after sex, Darcel had stayed limped inside Aniela''s creamy pussy.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    "Ohhh~.....now thi-Ah?!?" While Aniela began to talk, Darcel had pulled his flaccid pole out of her.

    And upon doing so, the duo felt tremendous changes rock their mind, body, and soul!

    They both had then quickly sat up, getting into a cultivating cross-legged position. Their bare naked body was still exposed in the rainbow color space, but neither cared at this time.

    Fascinating awe was plastered on Darcel''s and Aniela''s face as an immense power course through every aspect of their being.

    It was a power that felt so pure and rich, fundamentally improving them in every way.

    With one quick sense of their bodies, Darcel and Aniela were promptly left a bit slack-jawed.

    Not only had they broken through to the seventh level of the Nascent Core realm. They had also achieved a Perfected Nascent Being state!

    By just taking one look at their Nascent Core, Darcel and Aniela witness something magical. Their Cores grew to colossal sizes and had formed to one hundred percent completion!

    But the most magical thing about their Nascent Cores was the beautifully bright rainbow radiance enriching their Nascent Cores.

    Vice Principal Zelle taught the two that if one can achieve a Perfected Nascent Being state. Their Nascent Core would glow in a dazzling rainbow radiance, signifying a Perfected state in cultivation.

    And this wasn''t the only striking addition to their Nascent Cores. Connected to their Cores, Darcel and Aniela spotted a long beautiful angelic like wing fluttering elegantly.

    Darcel, though found that his wing was entirely in a beautiful Darkness glow.

    While Aniela''s wing was enriched in a dazzling radiant white light glow.

    Though no matter the color, it all blended perfectly with their rainbow radiance.

    Furthermore, Darcel also felt his bloodline undergo some profound changes. It was sort of comparable to the time his Darkness Qi first mutated.

    But Darcel could tell this change was on an entirely different level.

    "Ahhn~! This had to be the best breakthrough we''ve ever had! And to think, it was just an act of us expressing our passionate feelings!"

    Aniela loudly proclaimed, and Darcel had then felt her soft weight gently saddle up on his lap.

    As they were both still naked, Darcel felt his lust ignite. But for a brief second, Darcel was stunned before even getting intimate.

    Because of their sudden power increase, Darcel didn''t get a chance to take a good look at Aniela''s face while waking up.

    Yet now, apparently, what he saw in his Darkness space just transfers to reality. Aniela''s enhanced beauty was even more alluring considering the fact Darcel could stare at her rosy complexion and fairy-like skin.

    However, while staring into Aniela''s new beauty, several ideas suddenly spawned into Darcel''s head. But he quickly pushed those thoughts down for later and focused on the angelic women on his lap.

    "Let''s see¡­.how about we have a little after celebration for all of our new breakthrough, hm?"

    Darcel began stroking Aniela''s soft bare ass and beautiful perky breast while talking, making Aniela feel an even greater burn in her loins.

    "Mnh-Ahn~! I can''t agree more¡­.mnh~!"

    Aniela had eagerly nodded and swooped down to capture Darcel''s lips.

    Despite just losing her virginity, Aniela didn''t feel any soreness or fatigue.

    In fact, her body just craves for Darcel to fill her up once again!

    Darcel as well wasn''t the one to be left behind. His body was filled to the brim with exuberant energy, and he pried open Aniela''s mouth and latched on to Aniela''s tongue.

    This signifies the start to another several rounds of a hot sexy battle¡­.

    ¡­.

    Hours later, after several bouts of intense lovemaking, Aniela was now contently lying on Darcel''s chest, both fully clothed. Their faces were tranquil, merely enjoying this small moment of rest between them.

    They were also slowly cultivating to get familiar with their sudden massive power boost.

    But after pushing several thoughts down before, they had now come back into Darcel''s mind at full force once he began relaxing.

    After Darcel''s first taste of real pleasure and lovemaking, he now felt his bloodline surge his Darkness Qi intensely. It craves for another Darkness soul link of ultimate pleasure and love.

    Darcel took a quick peek inside his soul earlier and found a now more prominent black luminous shine enriching his soul.

    It was far brighter than his black fire swirling around in his soul. Everything about his Darkness was immensely boosted along with a new frantic craving.

    Admittedly Darcel can see his entire being desired to create a second Darkness soul link.

    And Darcel could vaguely tell why. That ethereal voice and his bloodline all swayed and pushed his state of mind to this point.

    The most striking thing his ethereal voice told him, again and again, was about Aniela being his first Darkness soul link.

    Genuinely, Darcel found himself to be much more motivated now.

    He was fueled with an intense burning passion for enriching another partner to bliss and love along with himself and Aniela. And truthfully, Darcel wasn''t put off by these thoughts.

    He didn''t try to fight or resist it and instead welcomed it all. After all, the link Darcel shared with Aniela goes far deeper than any other sort of normal relationship.

    At least he thought there was nobody else who can share an equal soul link connection with their partner.

    Making up his mind, Darcel was one hundred percent sure he wanted to deeply delve into his Darkness aspect of pleasure in cultivation. And explore it together with Aniela and whoever may join their journey.

    But Darcel did briefly stop himself for a moment. Although polygamy is typical from what Darcel read about, he still wanted to hear Aniela''s thoughts on it and see if she approves of this plan.

    However, when Darcel turned his mind to Aniela''s thought, a flash of surprise hazed his eyes.

    For a very brief second, Darcel could''ve sworn he heard Aniela''s angelic giggles soothed in his mind, and she was simply waiting for her turn to speak up.

    So when Darcel attempted to speak up, he was expectedly cut off by his angel''s sweet voice. "Hehehe~. Darcy, I already know you want to discuss what that voice said and our Darkness soul link. From our repeated passion, I can nearly feel the surface level thoughts in your head!"

    Darcel furrowed his eyebrows a bit since he was also in the same boat as Aniela. Though it appeared as her mind-reading was a bit better.

    "So, what are your thoughts on this? Know that no matter what you decide, you''ll never leave my clutches, ditzy girl."

    While proclaiming, Darcel tightly squeezed Aniela''s soft waist to accentuate his point. Aniela serenely leaned more into Darcel''s chest, taking a huge whiff of his intoxicating scent.

    "To be honest¡­.it''s a bit odd. I just know you wouldn''t go after some random beauty, nor would I like it if you do that either. And at the same time¡­.when that voice mentioned getting comfortable with foxes. My institution just automatically knows an extraordinary woman will join us in the future."

    Darcel felt a bit enamored listening to a rare gentle, calming tone of voice from Aniela. It nearly made Darcel want to just lie down and listen to her talk for hours on end.

    Still, he had to ask her, "And do you feel any type of way about that?"

    Towards his question, Aniela shifted her body a bit to directly stare into Darcel''s eyes, giving him a dazzling smile.

    "Even before our bout of lovemaking, I already felt my soul bonded to you. This¡­.this was our official process. It''s why I have no ill will towards my intuition; in fact, I''m sure both our souls will only react to a partner we both want to enrich with pleasure and love!"

    "Really? You''re actually looking forward to it?"

    Darcel asked as he kind of thought Aniela would have a more¡­.negative reaction. But then again, Darcel reminded himself it is this airhead girl he''s talking about.

    "Honestly, Darcy! You already know it''s just not me to be so hung up on negative and destructive feelings like sorrow or jealousy. Our souls are forever linked now, and if we both can spread blissful love into someone we share the same fondness for, then why limit ourselves? We always go one hundred percent on anything we do!"

    Seeing Aniela passionately say all of this with her same bright sunny smile made Darcel she would and always be like this.

    Her simplistic views on life kept her going through her terrible kidnapped childhood and kept himself sane through all the bleak dreariness.

    And genuinely, Aniela believed every word she spoke. In her soul and mind, she engraved the words of what her own ethereal voice said to her.

    Joy blooms in all!

    Aniela knows her Light element can form a connection with anyone if she desires to do so.

    "I love you, Aniela."

    Darcel utters these four short words once finally realizing how amazing Aniela really is to him. These words expressed all of the feelings he kept bottled up for so many years.

    "Hehehe~!" Aniela sweetly giggled and began lovingly rubbing the tip of her soft nose against Darcel''s rough nose.

    "I already knew that Darcy and I love you too~!"

 Testing New Waters

    "Ah! Actually, there''s one more thing that stuck with me from that voice, Darcy." Aniela suddenly proclaimed, and Darcel could already tell what she was referring to.

    It was a particular thought that also swirled around his mind. Though, the pressing matter of his Darkness lust and future soul links took more precedent in Darcel''s mind at first.

    "Oh? I presume you mean that little girl the voice mentions, right?"

    Even when that ethereal voice first uttered "that little girl," Darcel''s mind had immediately linked with a specific, vivid memory.

    Aniela broadly smiled and began eagerly nodding at Darcel.

    "I exactly mean that little girl! I mean, that voice said it''s extremely rare for our souls to ever get affected, but somehow a little girl did. Now that my senses are sharper¡­.I think I know exactly who''s that girl is-"

    "Let me guess¡­.Sari right? That whimsical girl who somehow just been alluding our senses."

    Darcel knowingly smiled at Aniela as his mind could now clearly link to the Aslyum of Mysteries event.

    Previously, any attempt to recall that cheerful beautiful young girl would only cause his head to become muddle and confused. Darcel couldn''t pinpoint the reason why; he supposed maybe he just wasn''t strong enough to remember.

    Yet now, after his passionate lovemaking, Aniela is precisely right in her, and his senses becoming sharper.

    Recalling the powerful sensation in their souls, Darcel can immediately connect it to the overwhelming power Sari showed them during their first meeting.

    Although¡­.with his sharper senses, Darcel was sure that Sari did something to their soul on a far more complex level than his ethereal voice made it out to be.

    "Mnh! Exactly her! When we were in that Darkness place, it was one of the first things I immediately felt beside our passionate love~! Those scimitars, the sudden power boosts we recently received when fighting all feel exactly the same as Sari''s presence."

    Aniela was excitedly nodding her head while recalling every little detail.

    Thinking further on this subject, Darcel furrowed his eyebrows upon some ominous realization. "With all this in mind¡­.then those creatures. Whenever we fought them, Sari''s soul sensation intensely writhed in us. Somehow those creatures and their mysterious silver orbs are connected to our scimitars and us."

    More than that, Darcel also recalled the terrified panic in that purple creature''s eyes whenever it directly clashed with his scimitar.

    Plus, that wasn''t even mentioning his erupted speed increase to kill the green creature.

    It was all mysterious questions that neither Darcel nor Aniela had enough information on. But Aniela didn''t just simply want to contemplate on their lack of knowledge.

    She promptly got off from Darcel''s lap and zealously pulled his hand up to stand while telling him,

    "Our information is just lacking too much. Even if they''re all connected, we have nothing but our memories to confirm our own sensations. So for now, after all of our beautiful lovemaking, I''m ready to stretch our prowess in a spar!"

    "Hoh, truly, we are becoming more connected. I can''t help but agree with you there. It''s time for another side of an intense dance between us!"

    An immediate battle-hungry smile etched on Darcel''s face.

    More than ever, Darcel can feel his bloodline roar in frantic excitement from just at the mere thought of battling.

    After they came down from their sex-crazed high, both Darcel and Aniela had to steadily control the tremendous influx of power crazily stirring inside their bloodstreams.

    And now that they discuss everything that needs to be addressed, it was time to test their might!

    The purest and potent Nascent Qi radiated from Darcel and Aniela''s body by them just preparing themselves for battle.

    Darcel and Aniela took one look at each other, nodded, and then split off to an equal distance apart.

    They put a few meters of distance between each other to make it as fair as possible.

    Darcel and Aniela exchanged in a second stare off. Their tension reached an extraordinary high state, and they were ready to fight!

    However, when Darcel wanted to surge his Nascent Qi and rush Aniela, he briefly stopped.

    His stirring bloodline that he was planning on holding off on using for a little bit was making it impossible for him to ignore it.

    Darcel''s eyes quickly glanced down at his bloodline arm, becoming a bit astonished at what he saw.

    Small trickles of Darkness essence discharged from his arms like sparks of electricity. This energetic pull to unleash his bloodline couldn''t be put off for a second longer.

    And when Darcel glanced over to Aniela, he saw her in the same situation.

    She was taking a look down her bloodline arm with the same slight awe expression. Beautiful, radiant sparks of white Light trickle out of her bloodline arm, similar to Darcel''s bloodline arm.

    Aniela had then quickly snapped her head back to Darcel. Keen black eyes met each other, and with one wordless exchange, the duo made a split decision.

    They''re going to go all out from the start!

    Simultaneously, they surged their bloodline powers, causing the rainbow color space to fall in an immediate chaotic storm of incredible power!

    ''Whir!!''

    Darcel immediately went rigid as a profound Darkness glow burst from him akin to a Darkness beacon. For one half of the rainbow color space, everything was drowned in a deep Darkness glow.

    As for the other half, a bright, beautiful, radiant white glow seamlessly blended in with the Darkness glow.

    Aniela stood rigid at the center of her bright white glow feeling a holy power enriching her entire being.

    The fabulously magical sight of a perfect blend of Darkness and Light lasted for a few enthralling seconds. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    And slowly then, the Darkness glow and white Light glow died down with nobody being able to witness such an extraordinary sight.

    Once their glows went away wholly, Darcel and Aniela had a slight change to their appearance.

    On Darcel''s bloodline arm, his usual vague tattoo markings was quickly forming into a more pronounced shape of an angelic wing!

    And on Aniela''s bloodline arm, her usual vague tattoo markings were also quickly forming into a pronounced wing tattoo!

    And yet, neither Darcel nor Aniela were moving a single muscle.

    Darcel''s eyes were unfocused as he was undergoing a bout of bloodline enlightenment.

    The profound changes he felt to his bloodline before when first making love was now manifesting itself as soon as he first erupted his bloodline powers.

    And after several more bouts of lovemaking, his bloodline kept on steadily changing.

    In Darcel''s mind, three words echoed with booming force. These words carried such a power that Darcel felt it was engraved into his soul.

    The words were; Yin Spiritual Force.

    Darcel didn''t know the origin of these words, but he was able to instinctively tell; he had just crossed into a whole new level of his bloodline!

    And, Yin Spiritual Force is the new state his bloodline now was enriched by.

    Compared to every single time he used his bloodline powers previously. None of those times can even hold a candle to the tremendous power coursing in Darcel''s veins now.

    Previously, while he became massively stronger when surging his bloodline, Darcel always felt something lacking. It was as if his power was only a fraction of what he could really do.

    And now, that doorway was just broken in for him!

    Aniela was undergoing a similarly enriching experience. Three powerful words boomed into her mind and became engraved on to her soul.

    Her words were, Yang Spiritual Force.

    Her previous incomplete feeling of using her bloodline powers was filled at this moment. Now, Aniela felt as if her bloodline powers truly become a part of her entire being.

    "Nnnh!"

    Darcel and Aniela leaked a small, mighty grunt as their eyes snapped back to reality. Only a few seconds had passed, but Darcel and Aniela felt as they were stuck in that enlightenment state for hours.

    Quickly their eyes refocused back on each other; only Darcel and Aniela were a bit stunned by each other''s new looks.

    Darcel saw that now Aniela''s bloodline arm had a gorgeous white glowing aura wrapping around it.

    Her angelic wing tattoo had now fully taken a pronounced shape and was radiantly dazzling. Even Darcel, with his high resistance to Aniela''s charms, nearly was enraptured by her white holy Light.

    As for Aniela, she saw Darcel''s bloodline arm now had an irresistible Darkness glowing aura wrapping around it. His angelic wing tattoo now held a full shape, taking on a luminous shine.

    Admittedly Aniela had a slightly harder time resisting the new charms of Darcel. Just his Darkness glow nearly made her eyes become haze in heated enrapture, and she almost felt lust take control of her body.

    However, what truly saved the two from each other charms was their souls blasting out an electrifying shock that awoke them from their slight stupors.

    Darcel and Aniela jumped a bit as their soul sensation was an odd blend of Sari''s and their own powers!

    Now in a focus state, Darcel and Aniela quickly had a smirk form on their face.

    "Our surprises were almost too much for us to handle, hehehe~! But now, let''s test our waters, Darcy!"

    Aniela nearly felt her body move on her own when she finished talking.

    Her arm quickly thrust out forwards. Without waiting for Darcel to respond, she blasted out a vast, powerful black fireball!

    ''Chi!''

    Black flames crazily spewed in the rainbow space under the intense roaring of Aniela''s black fireball. The speed of the black fireball was also insane, tearing towards Darcel in less than two seconds!

    Although, Darcel didn''t try to dodge or counterattack in the face of the vast roaring black fireball.

    It wasn''t that he was suppressed by power, but instead, Darcel felt his instinct naturally move his body on its own.

    He felt as if this was second nature to him as Darcel merely stretched out his arm and opened his palm to the roaring black fireball.

    And as the heat explosively increased for Darcel, his palm clashed with the black fireball!

    However, instead of a massive explosion of powers or any sort of impact, Darcel manages to silently stop the whole black fireball charge.

    And instantly, the black fireball was quickly becoming smaller as Darcel began absorbing the Qi power of Aniela''s attack!

    "Woah!"

    Aniela was in slight surprise seeing Darcel so easily absorb her attack. This wasn''t like her and Darcel combined effort to absorb the Wrathful Clan talisman black flames.

    Nor is it like the time they absorb those powerful green flames. Darcel had no time to prepare, plus Aniela was roughly at the same equal prowess as him.

    And yet, Darcel''s bloodline still greedily absorbs the Qi power of Aniela''s attack.

    Everything felt smooth and natural for Darcel during this process. He felt a new wave of power quickly charge his veins as the once substantial black fireball disappear into his palm.

    "You know, airhead, you should watch your step while testing the water."

    Though Darcel proclaims as such, he didn''t make any gesture of moving to attack or fire out a Qi attack.

    Puzzlement filled Aniela''s face for a split second.

    She couldn''t possibly know what Darcel truly meant, but nearly instantaneously, Aniela''s eyes widen once feeling a tight suppression wrap her whole body!

    Quickly, Aniela snapped her head down to her right head and couldn''t believe its current sight. A sudden shadow of herself painted on the rainbow color ground had magically formed out from her feet!

    Previously Aniela didn''t have any sort of shadows being in this rainbow color space. Furthermore, she didn''t even sense or felt any power or energy that would''ve form this shadow!

    Out from her Darkness shadow was a Darkness tendril tightly wrapping around her hand.

    Aniela clicked her teeth, feeling two polarizing effects on her body.

    One is the sudden increase in suppression while the other affected her bloodstreams.

    Down in her loins, Aniela was feeling the heat increase there. Immediately Aniela can tell Darcel''s Darkness tendril is affecting her bloodstreams with some kind of strange lustful energy!

    However, Aniela didn''t fall prey to Darcel''s abilities. She smirked as her bloodline halted the lustful energy and kept her bloodstream at its adrenaline-pumping state.

    "Hehehe!! Try to watch this then, Darcy!"

    Aniela got even more excited as the white glow around her began to increase its illumination.

    Darcel clicked his teeth as he knew where this was going.

    ''CHI!''

    A holy light flashbang burst throughout the whole rainbow space igniting it in a bright white brilliance!

    Darcel shut his eyes though he was able to resist Aniela''s stunning effect along with her flashbang.

    On Aniela, she smiled as she felt the suppression left her body.

    The Darkness tendril was broken off! With the opportunity in hand, Aniela began to crazily rush down to Darcel.

    Only when she took merely a couple of steps,

    "Ah-oof!"

    Aniela slammed into the soft ground by an unknown suppression and force. Quickly, Aniela shifts her body around, and she witnesses that same Darkness tendril tightly wrapping around her ankle.

    "Hmph!" Aniela grunted and felt her body begin to instinctively react.

    Her arm moved on its own, and a mass amount of Light white energy swiftly amassed at her palm.

    Just the mere presence of the white light energy was making Darcel''s Darkness tendril violently quake. By the second, the Darkness tendril was losing power, weakening its hold on Aniela.

    ''Chi!''

    Aniela blasted out a holy Light white energy that shattered Darcel''s Darkness tendril and Darcel''s Darkness shadow of her!

    Feeling no suppression on her body, Aniela stood up as her white flashbang cleared up.

    Slight exhaustion was taking a small toll on both Darcel and Aniela''s body. But neither care much as their battle-hungry smiles only grew broader.

    "This new form of ours¡­. it''s quite taxing, isn''t it? Luckily¡­.we have two days in half to get the hang of this." Darcel remarked in tiny panted breaths.

    Aniela pumped her small cute little fist, telling Darcel,

    "Mnh! Let''s go at it all day! Oh! But let''s save some time for at least one more round of lovemaking~!"

 Immediate Arrival

    Time steadily flew by like the wind for a short three day period. But during this period of time, Necrotic City was anything but steady.

    Several noticeable changes were taking a toll on the City.

    The usual bustling City filled to the brim with energetic cultivators now had taken a more melancholic atmosphere.

    A strange dreary feeling permeated throughout the City''s air, affecting anybody who dared to walk around the less crowded streets.

    Generally, the look upon people''s faces was weary, and slight apprehension dread.

    For cultivators, a short span of three days is nothing but a breeze of indoor cultivating. And yet, everything was changed upon its head in these short three days.

    Observing all these changes with a keen eye was one ordinary-looking woman who exudes an unfathomable presence in stark contrast to her seemingly average appearance.

    This woman stood in the outside courtyard of the Zakira Academy, where Darcel and Aniela had first arrived to take the entrance exams.

    The woman could be no other than the majestic Vice-Principal Zelle!

    No youths were currently standing around in the courtyard waiting to get tested, nor were there any youths lining up to get tested. This courtyard was used simultaneously for willing student takers and special guests.

    Vice Principal Zelle had arrived here first thing in the morning and dreaded the worst while observing the outside world.

    What Darcel and Aniela had told her was coming into fruition these past three days.

    By her reports, she found out most who went to the Necropolis mysteriously never came back. To the Qi Foundation realm all the way up to mighty Innate Core warriors, most of them seem to just up and vanished into the Woods.

    However, the ones who somehow manage to come back acted eerily similar to the horror stories of the Demesne Grave. None of them retained their original personality before going into the Woods.

    In fact, Vice Principal Zelle''s sources told her the ones that came back from the Woods seemed almost¡­.vacant in the head.

    Their eyes will be frequently unfocused, and this slightly strange, very faint blue tint would occasionally haze their eyes.

    She was able to retain all this information from the City Lord governing Necrotic City.

    As it''s the City Lord''s duty to at least protect the general well being of their citizens, these strange occurrences were all personally documented by his trained guards.

    Gaining access to the City Lord information was but a simple snap for Vice Principal Zelle.

    Not only their Academy is one if not the richest in resources in the entire City. They also ranked in the top three of overall strength out of every Sect and Organization in the City!

    Though as Vice-Principal Zelle''s thoughts turned to the other Sects, she couldn''t help but put her mind on the Quicksilver Roc Sect.

    Out of every Sect here, they were the one with the oddest reaction.

    After their Elders didn''t come back after the first day, the Quicksilver Roc Sect went dead silent. Vice Principal Zelle didn''t even see any young disciples walking around the streets of the City now.

    And unlike the information she could share with the City Lord, Vice Principal Zelle had zero clues on what caused this massive shift in their Sect.

    Although Vice-Principal Zelle guessed it was most likely related to those vile creatures and ghosts.

    Thankfully because of Principal Zakira, she was able to prevent any more strange occurrences like what happened with Jamas.

    She had issued a temporary cultivation lockdown forcing all to stay in the Academy.

    Moreover, this wasn''t even necessarily a problem for the students and teachers. Their Academy was enormously vast enough for everyone to keep themselves busy for months.

    What everyone did think about was where and what happened with Jamas''s group and the Elders. And for how long would the cultivation lockdown will last.

    It was all information neither Principal Zakira nor Vice-Principal Zelle disclosed in order to not cause panic.

    Although, there was one event during the three days that did get everyone, including herself and Principal Zakira, to turn their heads.

    And that event had transpired right in their Academy!

    It had also gone down on the same day she first dropped Darcel and Aniela off at the Corridor of Heaven.

    From the same Corridor of Heaven, hours later, Vice Principal Zelle felt an intense alluring, magnetic pull to go inside that place. It was akin to wanting to witness the birth of something spectacular.

    And Vice Principal Zelle was sure she wasn''t the only one affected.

    Being in Principal Zakira''s room during that odd pull, Vice Principal Zelle clearly witness a shift in Principal Zakira. She had taken her eyes from her floating purple crystal orb without so much of a second thought!

    Though seemingly an ordinary action, there were several huge implications behind it.

    Mainly it is that no matter what, Principal Zakira will rarely ever let herself get distracted when studying her crystal orbs.

    And yet Darcel and Aniela did without their presence!

    If even someone like Principal Zakira can get distracted. Vice Principal Zelle just knew every other teacher and student likely felt that same intense pull to the Corridor of Heaven.

    ''Truly, they''re as much of a show-off as ever even when I don''t physically see them. Still¡­.achieving a Perfected Nascent Being state, what talented little freaks¡­." Vice Principal Zelle mirth to herself.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Abruptly, Vice Principal Zelle''s attention directly snapped her head to the sky.

    As did many other cultivators that was drearily walking the streets. They all sensed an unfathomable aura descend down their City.

    Vice Principal Zelle witness the sky shift apart, revealing two glorious figures. And then, a smooth voice slithered into her ears.

    "Ah¡­.Vice Principal Zelle. How wonderful it is for us to meet up again."

    It was the voice of the Brass Spirit Sect third Heavenly King Elder, Leweyn Andres!

    Pinpointing their location in the sky, Vice Principal Zelle shifted her head to see both Elder Leweyn and his disciple Erin graciously floating down to her.

    Admittedly, Vice Principal Zelle was a bit surprised seeing them come so soon.

    Their method of traversing several thousands of kilometers of distance would undoubtedly be handled by Mage''s Association teleportation places.

    But to get their City so quickly most obviously means Elder Leweyn spent a considerable sum for the fastest travels.

    "Elder Leweyn, I thank you for coming." Vice Principal Zelle charitably nodded at Elder Leweyn as he and Erin smoothly landed in the large courtyard.

    Being that they were still on the outside, many eyes stared with awe at the handsome and grand pair from the Brass Spirit Sect.

    These two were an existence higher than even the top three Sects and Organization in their City!

    Elder Leweyn, however, ignored the outsider''s eyes on him and only charmingly smiled at Vice Principal Zelle.

    "It''s no problem. Once again, it''s always a pleasure to land my hand to a beautiful woman needing some help."

    Towards the shameless and bold slight flirting, Vice Principal Zelle only said, "It''s appreciated. Follow me." While talking, she didn''t have a single change in expression and already started turning to walk.

    Elder Leweyn, though, didn''t have a problem with Vice Principal Zelle''s blunt attitude. His kind smile never left his face as he began to walk behind her.

    Only Erin held a change in expression.

    He breathed out a small sigh and slightly shook his head. This very attitude of Vice-Principal Zelle just reaffirmed his thoughts about her. Someone too prideful for her own good despite merely being a half titled Heavenly King cultivator.

    Still, Erin didn''t dare to utter any of his negative opinions and follow behind his master.

    ¡­.

    Under Vice-Principal Zelle''s guide, it didn''t take long before they ended up in Principal Zakira''s office. When coming here, all eyes did focus on Elder Leweyn and Erin in slight awe and respect.

    Though compared to the regular citizens or lower-level Sects people, the students and teachers of the Academy weren''t that taken aback.

    Even for all of Elder Leweyn and Erin''s high status and power, they still have their own pride in being Zakira Academy people!

    Although, for Elder Lewey and Erin, not a single one of Zakira Academy''s students or teachers made it into their eyes. Even the top ranking geniuses of each level were barely worth consideration for them.

    That is until they wound up in Principal Zakira''s office.

    Instead of their eyes latching on the stunningly beautiful Principal Zakira, their eyes had almost immediately fallen on a pair of youths.

    This pair included one admittedly handsome black hair boy and one gorgeous long white hair girl.

    Barring their appearances, there was something so alluring about their mere presence that called for their eyes to dart to them.

    Although when Elder Leweyn and Erin sensed the duo''s aura, their interest dipped quite a bit. They were merely at the seventh level of the Nascent Core realm.

    And yet¡­.for some reason, their eyes still linger on the pair.

    Compared to any other peak Nascent Core genius, this boy and girl pair Nascent aura was vastly more powerful and profound!

    It was like their aura reached a Perfected state allowing them the full use of their Nascent Core powers.

    Of course, this was Darcel and Aniela, and they were slightly impressed by the Brass Spirit Sect.

    Elder Leweyn held the same unfathomable might as Principal Zakira, clearly showing the majestic bearings of a titled Heavenly King powerhouse.

    And the brown hair boy Erin exuded a far stronger natural aura than Joyce Ashless, the number one genius here!

    But, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes also noticed that slight disinterest in their eyes.

    Immediately Darcel and Aniela linked it to them, sensing their low cultivation levels. And oddly enough, the duo felt a bit excited for what''s to come.

    For extremely prideful people like these two, it will never not be fun for the duo to destroy their common sense.

    "These two¡­.I presume they are the ones that will be working with us?"

    Elder Leweyn quickly shifted his eyes off from Darcel and Aniela and asked Principal Zakira. Though seeing her again, Elder Leweyn and Erin were slightly enamored by her beauty.

    "Yes. This is Darcel and Aniela. And we''re getting down to business immediately." Principal Zakira swiftly told the two as she didn''t want any mishaps to occur in this meeting.

    "Darcel, bring out that creature''s severed arm."

    Doing as the Principal told, Darcel ignited his spatial ring. Quickly he fished out that putrid arms that undergo slight changes since the Principals last saw it.

    "What the hell is that?!" Erin voiced out his astonishment.

    Both he and Elder Leweyn eyes widen as they never once saw something quite grotesque as that single arm.

    Some small portion of rancid green blood still dripped from the arm. But it obviously wasn''t as abundant as when Darcel first brought it out. Though the arm appeared only to decay more putridly from the loss of blood.

    During their training, Darcel and Aniela took the time to experiment with the severed arm and scalpel now that they weren''t in enemy territories.

    But they did remember Principal Zakira''s words to not have it completely dry upon them.

    "Is this a part of that creature  you mention before, Vice-Principal Zelle?"

    Elder Leweyn quickly asked after Erin voiced out his shock.

    "It is one of the creatures that''s been terrorizing the Necropolis Woods. And they will keep on growing until they terrorize the whole Province. If you would please, Elder Leweyn, I need you to sense the Blood Essence of this creature and track down every type of creature similar towards it."

    Principal Zakira answered for him as Darcel set the arm down on her table.

    Hearing the term Blood Essence, Darcel recalled what Principal Zakira told them just before Elder Leweyn and Erin showed up.

    Blood Essence, as the name implies, is the purest and richest blood any being could produce. Though a little more complicated than that is how every drop of one''s Blood Essence will contain a faint trace of their Soul Essence!

    Every being''s soul is connected to their veins, and any parts of the body that have veins such as the arms or legs will naturally produce Blood Essence as a cultivator grows in power.

    "I see¡­.this process won''t take long." Elder Leweyn nodded, truly in slight awe about this creature.

    He had then fished out an entirely gray blank amulet from his Spatial Ring and began surging his mighty soul powers.

    One of his Sect''s unique Arts uses various talismans, amulets, and other such magical tools. They specifically crafted their magical tools, allowing them to sense and see the flow of how one''s bodies work.

    Through the direct contact of these magical tools, masters of this Art can deeply examine every aspect of any person''s body.

    Of course, this method allowed them to sense the Blood Essence inside a person''s veins and eventually track down their souls. And for Spirit Monsters, they would be able to track whole hordes of the same type of Spirit Monsters since they would share the same Blood Essence.

    Although, out of their whole Sect, only Elder Leweyn and two other grand figures made it to this step.

    Elder Leweyn was born with an extraordinary Spirit Sense as his soul power. Allowing him to quickly get the hang of the Brass Spirit Arts and become a dangerous tracker himself.

    Still, this process wasn''t instant and needed some time before Elder Leweyn could fully track the creature down.

    Though as Elder Leweyn held the gray blank amulet on the creature''s arm, it was already beginning to shine a slightly green hue.

    While performing this process, Elder Leweyn suddenly asked the Principals,

    "When I''m able to pinpoint these creatures down, what is your plan then?"

 Departure

    "It''s quite simple, really. We will then sneak into the Woods and use my specifically crafted Spirit Artifacts to quickly kill these creatures. Those things are all very resilient, quick on their feet, and are particularly troublesome to fight head-on."

    Vice Principal Zelle swiftly informed Elder Leweyn.

    "Ohhh¡­.Spirit Artifacts, huh¡­." Aniela quietly said to herself as she and Darcel''s eyes lit up about the use of a Spirit Artifact.

    Compared to even the strongest talisman, a Spirit Artifacts is far more valuable.

    This is mainly due to the fact Spirit Artifacts has some specific and rigid requirements to use. From under legendary Heavenly Transformation cultivators, no one weaker can use Spirit Artifacts.

    Moreover, one soul has to be powerful enough to also withstand the varying effects and potent power of Spirit Artifacts. If one has an average soul, they may even run the risk of damaging their own cultivation.

    But despite all these requirements, Spirit Artifacts can essentially be perfect one-hit kills for even cultivators far above one realm!

    Furthermore, it''s also reusable after a short cool-down period.

    "I assume you already premade the perfect concealing talisman with those Mages. The only question I have now is¡­.what will they do when coming with us?"

    Elder Leweyn directed his eyes over to the calm Darcle and Aniela.

    Their deep black eyes locked evenly with Elder Leweyn''s steel-like blue eyes.

    For a brief second, neither side broke contact with each other. Darcel and Aniela stayed steadily rooted even against a high grand figure that many other youths wouldn''t be able to pull off.

    And Elder Leweyn took particular notice of their bold confidence. There wasn''t even the slightest bit of apprehension or caution on these kids'' faces when staring at him.

    Not even his own disciples can pull this off this well. A hint of respect enters his eyes then.

    Vice Principal Zelle quickly caught on to this sudden second exchange and quickly spoke before those two huge egos shows.

    "You will see what they can do. They''re quite out there in terms of special abilities. Perhaps not even your own disciple will be able to achieve what they''re going to do."

    Although Vice-Principal Zelle had just told herself on wanting to prevent egos from showing, she couldn''t help but leak out a bit of pride when talking about Darcel and Aniela.

    They are, after all, probably the most talented students in the whole Zakira Academy!

    Darcel and Aniela proudly smirked hearing Vice-Principal Zelle''s warm praise. And their smirk further broadens once seeing on Erin''s face a slightly annoyed expression.

    "Look, no offense, but what can two Na-"

    Erin couldn''t even finish his sentence before a bright multi-color spark flashed from Elder Leweyn''s eyes!

    Elder Leweyn''s amulet as well ignited in dazzling bright multi-color radiance.

    "I see¡­.I''ve picked up on four soul signatures exactly the same as this creature. And as you said before, they''re all in the Necropolis Woods."

    Elder Leweyn swiftly informed everyone.

    "Good. We should head out to the Woods immediately. I had already prepared everything that needed to be prepared. Moreover, there''s no telling when those creatures may spontaneously move."

    Principal Zakira took immediate charge while Vice Principal Zelle didn''t speak up.

    Elder Leweyn glanced his eyes over to Vice Principal Zelle, seeing as she didn''t say anything. But her face already told she was in ready agreement with Principal Zakira.

    "I see no problem with this." Elder Leweyn voiced his agreement.

    Only Erin kept a slight unkind gaze on Darcel and Aniela. Just from their up stature and unwavering faces, Erin could tell they were precisely the same as Vice-Principal Zelle.

    Too much confidence for their own good!

    Still, Erin didn''t express any disagreement and stayed silent.

    "Alright! Let''s go! The sooner we could kill those creatures, the better!" Aniela enthusiastically proclaimed without a hint of fear about taking on this perilous mission.

    A small smile formed on Vice Principal Zelle''s face as she ignited her spatial ring.

    "Once we near the Woods, is when I''ll activate the talisman. When that time occurs, Elder Leweyn, you''ll take the lead.

    ¡­.

    Several miles away from Necrotic City, the Necropolis Woods had also undergone dreary changes in the past three days.

    Just at the entrance of the Woods had the atmosphere changed.

    It was ominously foreboding to stare into the Darkness Woods. Mainly because of the eerie, desolate silence that permeated the air.

    There were no cries of Spirit Monsters, the rustling of grasses, or even aspiring cultivators wanting to travel the Woods.

    Although no physical presence could be seen, there were five invisible people all walking into now Darkness bleak Woods. It wouldn''t matter who would come; no one would be able to detect this group.

    And of course, this group was Vice-Principal Zelle, Elder Leweyn, Erin, Darcel, and Aniela.

    Elder Leweyn stayed at the front of the pack, carefully guiding the others on a specific path into the Woods.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    However, right when they passed through the entrance, all five of them went a bit rigid. No senses have locked on to them, but they picked on several ghostly presences when their Spirit Senses spread out.

    Most frightening about these presences was the fact none of them, not even the mighty Heavenly Transformation Elder Leweyn, sensed these presences until they crossed the entrances of Woods!

    If just some random ignorant cultivator were to cross these grounds, several eyes would''ve immediately locked on them.

    And these presences seemed intense in tracking whoever shall pass these Woods.

    It was unnerving, to say the least.

    Elder Leweyn was quickly starting to see why they would call him. To allude, his Spirit Senses for even a second isn''t something small, considering he was a Heavenly Transformation cultivator.

    Vice Principal Zelle was also starting to understand just how deep Darcel and Aniela''s plight went about these Woods.

    She became even more thankful for this specially crafted talisman now.

    This talisman was similar to the one they all used when traversing the Black Dungeon Labyrinth.

    It made them invisible to the outside world while also letting them see each other. The only further enchantment made to this talisman was the fact it can last far longer.

    After the brief second of rigidness, Elder Leweyn quickly looked behind him. His amulet around his neck surged a bit, and he made a gesture for them to follow.

    Under his gesture, Vice Principal Zelle, Darcel, Erin, and Aniela all swiftly followed Elder Leweyn in a light but a quick sprint.

    At their pace, they made moderate progress in traversing the Darkness Woods.

    That is until they all temporarily halted in slight horror surprise.

    Their eyes crossed over to an eerily ominous sight that was only several meters by them.

    Immediately Darcel and Aniela''s eyes lit up as what they saw was comparable to what they experienced three days ago.

    It was four middle-aged men wearing dirt brown robes, merely walking down a specific path. Their paths crossed right near Vice-Principal Zelle''s group, but they wouldn''t intercept them from their course of walking.

    Although this sight should''ve seemed ordinary, the four middle-aged men''s appearance was noticeably odd.

    Their skins seemed to be a bit dried up, and you could see bones popping out of their cheeks. An eerie blue glow hazed their eyes as if they were completely taken over.

    But their odd appearances weren''t the only thing that caught Vice-Principal Zelle''s group''s attention.

    All four of the men were also mighty Innate Core warriors!

    Moreover, Vice Principal Zelle sensed them all to be fifth rank Innate Core powerhouses specifically. And when observing these men, Vice Principal Zelle recognized their identities.

    They hail from a middle-tier Sect in the City called the Venom Ant Sect.

    To see a group of Innate Core warriors casually walking about these Woods would be an oddity just three days ago. Though even more of an anomaly was what these men were discussing.

    A creepy distorted voice slithered into Vice Principal Zelle''s group ears as they all focused their senses on them.

    "Ngnh¡­.this body, I swear. It''s taking much more time to get used to compared to what I saw from others. In fact, this whole process seemed to be smoother just days ago."

    "Heh, doesn''t matter how rough the transition is for now. Soon when they get that half step Heavenly Transformation puppet, all of our worries will be washed down the drain!"

    "Before that happens, I pray for more action in these Woods. It seems like that City got their pitiful wits all terrorized and frightened in no time flat. But soon everything will change for the better for us and worse for that City, hah!"

    Creepy chuckles erupted from all four of the men at the exact same time.

    They had continued down their trek, completely ignoring the invisible Vice-Principal Zelle''s group.

    Everyone in the group now couldn''t stop a small foreboding feeling from swelling in the pits of their guts.

    "To think they reached such a level already¡­." Vice Principal Zelle breathed her slight concerns. Understandably, everyone''s minds were reinforced to quickly those creatures for good.

    Even Erin and Elder Leweyn understood the potentially enormous risks if those kinds of strange humans were left walking around.

    Increasing their pace now, Elder Leweyn led them back on track.

    But while they walked, the number of these seemingly possessed humans didn''t stop at all. In fact, they had only increased the further in Elder Leweyn led the group!

    From True Soul Core to Innate Core cultivators, many possessed humans were creepily walking around the Woods.

    Furthermore, every one of them was talking about change that''ll majorly affect Necrotic City and that mysterious half step Heavenly Transformation person.

    Although, the most astonishing fact as they progressed through the Woods was the very apparent lack of Spirit Monsters roaming around.

    Not even miles deep into the Woods did Vice-Principal Zelle''s group seen even a Spirit Monster, a bear.

    It was like these possessed humans made their territory entirely here.

    Still, this ominous oddity didn''t stop Vice-Principal Zelle''s group. They were going to carry on their trek to that vile creature no matter what.

    Eventually, after several minutes, Vice Principal Zelle''s group came upon a unique section of the forest. The usual black glossy trees here seemed a tad more dried up, and there were barely any possessed humans here.

    It was only up in front, just a couple meters away did the group spotted three humans and a singular black glossy cave.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes lit up as this cave was the exact same as the previous cave that housed the vile purple creature.

    Plus, they also felt their souls slightly writhed nearing the cave.

    Although Darcel and Aniela had to admit, without Elder Leweyn, they would never be able to find this cave without pure random luck. The route this cave was on was just too confusing and well craftily hidden.

    In front of the cave were three people guarding¡ªtwo powerful middle-aged men at the Innate Core realm''s eighth rank.

    And at the center of the two men was the most powerful person Vice-Principal Zelle''s group seen yet in the Woods.

    It was an ordinary-looking woman at the ninth rank of the Innate Core realm!

    The peak rank of the whole realm! These three Innate Core powerhouses made for a mighty guardian team.

    Vice Principal Zelle and Elder Leweyn stopped for a moment to consider their options. Killing these three Innate Core powerhouses is nothing but a flip of Elder Leweyn''s hand and a breeze for Vice Principal Zelle.

    However, neither of them can use any extra power unless they want their talisman to drop.

    Vice Principal Zelle only has three talismans left for the three creatures left. Furthermore, they both didn''t want to make too much noise and alert any possessed humans near.

    Erin was similarly also contemplating their options until he looked over to Darcel and Aniela. These two looked utterly relaxed, and to his confusion, Aniela began walking up to Vice Principal Zelle.

    "....?"

    Vice Principal Zelle looked over to Aniela as she tugged on her sleeves.

    Aniela gave her a sly smile and presented her ominous scalpel to her that now held a purple and green tint to it.

    Vice Principal Zelle''s eyes lit up as Darcel and Aniela had told her about this scalpel''s deadly effect upon people.

    And this will be their perfect option for silent assassin kills.

    Elder Leweyn and Erin looked confused as Vice-Principal Zelle held the odd-looking scalpel. She had these brightening eyes as if she just discovered the perfect plan.

    Soon then, Vice Principal Zelle took the helm of their group. She motions for the others to follow and to be calm.

    Darcel and Aniela had no problems since they knew what was going to happen.

    Elder Leweyn and Erin were puzzled, but they nevertheless followed behind Vice-Principal Zelle as she was so confident in that scalpel.

    And quickly, Vice Principal Zelle near the unsuspecting Innate Core''s guardian team.

 Dominating Souls

    Vice Principal Zelle was mere inches away from the three late rank Innate Core guardians. Even at such a close distance, her special talisman proved its worth as none of the three sensed a single thing.

    Gripping Aniela''s scalpel tightly, Vice Principal Zelle swiftly struck out!

    Her movements were a mere blur to Darcel, Aniela, and even Erin. In just a split second, Vice Principal Zelle accurately stabbed all three of the Innate Core guardians in their necks!

    "G-ga-"

    Immediately, the two middle-aged men and woman''s eyes bulged out of their sockets, and they grabbed onto their throats.

    Instantly, revolting green and purple lines ran down their faces and onto their bodies.

    Immense excruciating pain wracked the two men and woman senses and bodies.

    Their organs were getting turned to mushy paste. Their bones were cracking at every joint, and their bloodstreams were getting fiercely sizzled.

    They were only able to utter a single syllable of pain before their bodies promptly crashed to the ground with a sickening thud.

    In their torturous pain before dying, none of them knew even how or why they died.

    It was all sudden whiplash that made their minds fall further into crushing despair. As the light was quickly leaving their eyes, their bodies still twitched and spasm as if they were under a seizure.

    Elder Leweyn and Erin''s eyes slightly widen once seeing that scalpel''s devastating effect.

    It was surreal to see, but three powerful Innate Core died in a blink of an eye without even so much of a peep!

    Elder Leweyn more clearly understood that to achieve something like this would require being very high level in the Heavenly Transformation realm!

    His eyes and Erin''s eyes quickly snapped to the calm Darcel and Aniela.

    Somehow¡­.they managed to bring out a weapon that not even Elder Leweyn could efficiently do!

    It was then, the words of Vice-Principal Zelle echoed in the back of their heads about Darcel and Aniela.

    "As deadly as always!" Aniela quietly mutters to herself as Vice-Principal Zelle returns the scalpel to her.

    With a mere wave of her hand, Vice Principal Zelle moved the three corpses entirely into the cave to cover their own tracks.

    And then the whole group of five stepped fully into the cave.

    Before continuing on, Vice Principal Zelle surged the bare minimum of her power possible in order to keep their talisman still going.

    And with a snap of her hand, Vice Principal Zelle erected an illusion blue firewall that covered the cave entrance.

    This way, any random passerby would just get fooled into ignoring this cave even if they were to see those three guardians before.

    Now that they were all in the cave, everyone''s heads snapped towards the cave''s dark long hall. For Elder Leweyn and Erin, their faces became unreadable once their senses delved deep into the cave.

    They didn''t know how to describe it or what it could even be called.

    But both Elder Leweyn and Erin felt a chilling foreboding sensation tingle throughout their bodies. Whatever that creature was, Elder Leweyn and Erin immediately knew it was down there.

    Vice Principal Zelle, on the other hand, had a more subdued reaction.

    Vivid memories of the time she fought the red creature flood into her head like a tsunami. Previously she was off guard and taken by surprise.

    Now? Now she was fully prepared!

    "Now then, shall we claim our first vile head?"

    Darcel suddenly spoke up in a calm tone of voice. Only he and Aniela were the only calm ones in the cave.

    Hearing such a steady tone got Elder Leweyn and Erin''s eyes to snap back to the duo. Just by the second, these two were getting more mysterious.

    "Mnh, let''s go." Vice Principal Zelle affirmed Darcel''s words and stayed at the front of the pack.

    Under her call, the group of five had then quickly sprinted down the dreary Darkness cave.

    However, halfway in their run, they all simultaneously stopped.

    Their senses now more clearly picked up on two Innate Core warriors and one equivalent peak True Soul Core being at the end of the cave. And Vice Principal Zelle and Elder Leweyn sensed the two Innate Core warriors to be at the eighth rank!

    For a brief moment, the group of five decided to first listen in on what these two were discussing. A creepy distorted voice slithered into their eyes, being precisely the same as all other possessed humans.

    "Still, I seriously doubt an entrapment or any sort of call is needed. I mean¡­.besides titled Heavenly King cultivators, who would even be remotely strong enough to kill two eighth rank and one-ninth rank Innate Core? Not only that, being able to kill them without raising any alarm? It''s honestly boring overkill!"

    "Well, if we''re taking that strange man word for it, we have to watch out for apparently two devious little brats. They did manage to sneakily kill that third rank Innate Core Elder and one of these creatures. Heh, maybe if we''re lucky, those brats truly can silently kill the three outside!"

    Vice Principal Zelle, Darcel, Aniela, Elder Leweyn, and Erin all felt a slight ominous dread wash over them.

    If they genuinely weren''t careful before, then some dangerous trap would''ve gone off right under their noses!

    Vice Principal Zelle didn''t waste any more time now. Her spatial ring flashed, and she had fished a beautifully bright orange arrow. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    Currently, the arrow seemed as normal as any other arrow. Still, there were uniquely crafted feather design etched on the arrow.

    By just the arrow''s appearance, one could accurately tell this arrow will hold some sort of outstanding property.

    Darcel, Aniela, Elder Lewey, and Erin''s eyes were all pulled on to this arrow.

    They were slightly enamored by the arrow''s exotic design, never seeing something quite as unique as this. And right then, Vice Principal Zelle tightly clutched the arrow in her hand.

    Without care, Vice Principal Zelle poured her half step Heavenly Qi into the arrow and will a portion of her Soul Essence into the arrow. Her concealing talisman dropped for the whole group, but it didn''t matter at this point.

    A bright orange radiance immediately illuminated the whole cave and got the attention of the two Innate Core men and that vile creature.

    But before those three could react, Vice Principal Zelle already tossed the arrow at them!

    The arrow had instantaneous speed and practically popped right in front of the two Innate Core men and the vile creature widening eyes!

    ''BOOOM!!!''

    A colossal explosion of bright orange flames fiercely quaked the whole cave! The tremendous power of the Saint Artifact burst for miles in the cave, frantically destroying everything in its path.

    Elder Leweyn had already erected a powerful Heavenly Qi barrier protecting them all from the explosion. Although he had to grit his teeth while doing so, as this Saint Artifact power was no joke!

    But for the two Innate Core men and that vile creature, they didn''t have such luxuries like Elder Leweyn.

    Instantly the two Innate Core men turned to ashes, and the vile creature vanished from everyone Spirit Sense.

    As the bright orange flame explosion died down, so did Elder Leweyn and Erin guard.

    They firmly believed nothing could''ve survived that explosive ambush. Plus, they also didn''t pick up anyone besides their group in their Spirit Sense now.

    It was understandable for them to think this way. However, Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle were all still on full alert.

    Elder Leweyn and Erin had noticed this, and they both were about to speak to assure them of their victory.

    That is until everyone felt a tremendous sense of crisis take hold of their entire minds. The sudden feelings they felt was the most dreadful of them all¡­.the crisis of incoming death!

    In sync, the group of five jumped backward further into the cave as the sound of the ground sizzling slinked into the ears.

    Their eyes snapped up to the roof, and Elder Leweyn and Erin were gobsmacked by what they saw.

    A horrendous vile looking creature was planted on the black glossy ceiling like a spider. The creature was entirely blue compared to its counterparts and had the longest, freakishly sharp nails.

    Around the creature as well was a chilling looking silverish blue mist.

    Elder Leweyn and Erin were all just surprised to finally see that creature''s grotesque look and that it was still alive!

    While Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle were surprised to see what was inside that creature''s claw.

    A large silver core surged in its claw, being precisely comparable to the mysterious silver core the red creature used!

    In a split second of surprise everyone witnessed the vile blue creature. That silver core in its claw suddenly glowed with incredible power!

    Faster than anyone could react, its silverish blue mist instantly wrapped around the group of five!

    "Teh! What the hell is this?!?"

    Erin had immediately spat out a rancid blue ball of spit as sudden scorching pain froze his entire body. He, Elder Leweyn, and Vice-Principal Zelle all froze up as their body joints tightly locked up.

    Despite the vile blue creature only being equal to the peak of the True Soul Core realm, that mysterious white core in its hand explosively increased its power to an unfathomable degree! To the point where even the powerful Elder Leweyn was caught entirely off-guard.

    However, despite the sudden reversal of the situation, Vice Principal Zelle wasn''t distraught.

    After all, she had two trump cards standing right in front of her.

    Elder Leweyn and Erin couldn''t even stare at Vice Principal Zelle''s calm face as suddenly, an eruption of tremendous power blasted from right in front of them!

    A bright silver radiance intensely spewed from Darcel and Aniela!

    ''Whir!!''

    Darcel and Aniela''s transformed bloodline state discharged immense power that clashed against the silverish blue mist.

    From their soul''s depths as well, Sari''s incredible power crazily erupted.

    Vice Principal Zelle, Elder Leweyn, and Erin were all taken aback at the duo''s new form. The beautiful, alluring black and white glow enriching their arms was a magical sight to gaze upon.

    "Let''s have some fun, you disgusting creature!" Aniela loudly proclaimed as she and Darcel had fished out their bright green scimitars.

    The creature''s mist trying to drill inside their bodies was utterly useless at this point. Sari''s powerful presence inside their souls quickly dispersed any poisonous mist that had enter their bodies.

    The blue creature was absolutely stilted on the ceiling. Its soul was immensely suppressed. Several mountain tons of pressure crushed its body by Darcel and Aniela''s supreme bloodline powers and their powerful souls!

    In its lapse of focus, Darcel savagely smirked. His eyes locked with the stilted creature, and he had then clenched his hand.

    Darcel''s full focus was on it, and instantly, a Darkness shadow spewed from the creature''s feet!

    The creature didn''t even realize it until a massive suppression crushed on its ankle. Quickly its head snapped back towards its ankle only to see Darkness tendril tightly wrap around its ankle.

    And as if on cue, the Darkness tendril rushed towards the ground, dragging the vile blue creature with it.

    With sheer ferocious force, the Darkness tendril slammed the blue creature hard into the ground, creating a small mini crater beneath it.

    "D-daamn!!"

    For the first time, Darcel and Aniela heard a human-like voice from the human-like creature. Still, its voice carried an unmistakable monstrous tone filled with rage and pain.

    And Aniela immediately reacted when the creature uttered its voice of pain.

    She madly dashed towards the blue creature, her scimitar thrust out forward and black flames swirling at the tip of her blade.

    The blue creature relied on its instinct and swirled its freakishly long tongue from its mouth. Quickly, it blasted its tongue towards Aniela in small hopes to starve her off for a bit.

    Between their distance, only a few feet separated them. Both Aniela and the creature''s tongue instantly reached each other.

    But right before they clashed, Aniela''s bloodline arm ignited in pure white soul powers!

    ''Bang!''

    With insane erupted speeds, Aniela''s scimitar tore through the blue creature''s tongue, massively overpowering it and blasting it away.

    The blue creature sailed through the air, but its nightmare wasn''t over yet.

    A flash of Darkness clouded its eyes, and suddenly, Darcel popped right above it!

    "Keaah!!" In midair, the creature crazily surged its power and discharged more silverish blue mist at Darcel.

    However, the Darkness glow surrounding Darcel''s arm had merely destroyed the silverish blue mist coming at him! In its severely weak state now, the poisonous mist wasn''t anywhere near as strong as it was before.

    Darcel only felt his bloodline quickly vaporize the mist without the need of his soul.

    Smirking at the despair filling the blue creature''s eyes, Darcel quickly brought his scimitar up.

    And in one smooth motion, Darcel thrust his scimitar through the blue creature''s chest, spurting rancid blue blood in the air and pinning the creature down in the ground.

    "Die." Darcel simply utters like the god of death.

    He twisted his scimitar and unleashed raging black flames that rampaged inside the creature''s body and soul!

    The blue creature couldn''t even utter out a yelp of pain. In every aspect, be it power or soul, it was entirely suppressed by Darcel and Aniela.

    No matter if it held prowess equivalent to a peak True Soul Core warrior, it was helpless under Darcel and Aniela''s assault.

    Quickly the light left the creature''s eyes in only a few seconds, with its last sight being Darcel''s cruel smirk.

    "To think our prowess grew this much," Darcel remarked to himself as this fight was simple domination!

 Surprise

    "Oh? This Core, huh¡­." Darcel directed his gaze to the still bright silver Core stuck in the creature''s claw.

    Just being so close to the Core was making Darcel''s soul throb.

    Throughout the whole fight, Darcel connected that this Core just had to be some form of Sari concentrated power or at the very least direct energy from her.

    After all, with this silver Core, the creature could make even a mighty Heavenly Transformation cultivator go rigid with pure pain!

    Hell, Darcel reckons if he and Aniela didn''t do anything, Elder Leweyn would have inevitably ended up dead after a grueling fight.

    "Seems like we just got a new treasure, Darcy!" Aniela walked up right beside Darcel, scalpel in hand. If it''s something that could make their souls throb, Aniela already knows it will be good.

    Aniela too also made the most obvious connection of this being some sort of type of Sari''s power or direct energy. She got next to Darcel, smiling at him and egging her eyes to the mysterious silver Core.

    And under her goating, Darcel shrugged and took the silver Core from the vile creature''s claws.

    While he did that, Aniela plunged her scalpel deep into the vile blue creature''s corpse. Its rancid blue blood immediately transfers to the scalpel, gaining a new hint of a blue hue.

    "Are¡­.are they truly just a couple of mere genius youths?"

    Elder Leweyn had uttered in absolute awe while watching Darcel and Aniela.

    The vile blue creature''s powerful mist already lessened as it was dead, but that fight would never leave Elder Leweyn mind.

    Erin, too was in a similar state of total shock. He held even more prejudice against Darcel and Aniela, being as they were in the same age range.

    But after their fight, he just didn''t know what to think!

    In a flashy fashion, Darcel and Aniela completely resisted the poisonous mist that affected them with relative ease.

    And even if they have some sort of special immunity, they still just beat an equivalent peak True Soul Core prowess!

    And of course, as these two were only at the peak level of the Nascent Core realm, this kind of combat prowess is too freaky!

    Both Elder Leweyn and Erin knew geniuses like this should only ever appear at the absolute top rank provinces of their Region.

    Vice Principal Zelle already recovered from the once-powerful mist and reveled in Elder Leweyn and Erin''s shock.

    She was halfway in the process of turning her head back to them until she suddenly stopped.

    Instantly, her head snapped back to the duo in evident worry.

    "Hm? Oh? You feel that, Aniela?"

    Darcel was caressing the creamy, soft silver orb in his hand and had suddenly spoken up to Aniela. Much like the time they killed the purple creature, a continuous incredible influx of power directly drilled into their souls.

    Only this time, Darcel could feel the apparent steady increase in his soul''s power. Though while Darcel asked, his eyes trail down to the creature''s corpse to find it in an odd state.

    The twitching and spasming was normal for Darcel. But for some reason, Darcel just found it odd the way the creature was twitching.

    It moved more violently than the purple creature as if something was trying to break free from inside its body?

    "Mnh! Our souls truly are connected to these creatures in some mystical Sari way. Still, I didn''t expect our new forms to be so strong!"

    Aniela stretched her arms, feeling the kinks crack out like she had just experienced a good workout.

    She was beginning to take out the scalpel again and noticed the blue creature corpse''s odd violent spasm.

    Aniela had chalked it up to their scalpel, getting more powerful.

    But when she got mere inches away from the scalpel, both her and Darcel felt a sudden frenzy gust of wind.

    Nobody there had the time to process Vice-Principal Zelle suddenly dashing right in between Darcel and Aniela. She quickly took out the scalpel and fished her second concealing talisman all in one smooth motion.

    In this split second sudden decision, neither Darcel, Aniela, Elder Leweyn, or Erin''s brains could even process what Vice Principal Zelle was doing.

    But in the same split second, everyone Spirit Senses went frantic!

    From the nearly dried up vile blue creature corpse, an intense blue silverish glow broke out of it!

    The bright glow erupted the creature''s corpse with sudden tremendous power that took Darcl, Aniela, Elder Leweyn, and Erin off guard.

    Everything was instantly shrouded in a bright blue glow of explosive power.

    Elder Leweyn instinctively reacted, gritting his teeth and surging the full power of his Heavenly Qi! He created a barrier for himself and Erin as the sudden erupted power went berserk.

    ''Chi!''

    A blue flashbang burst within the bright blue glow forcing everyone to shut their eyes tight.

    Vice Principal Zelle efficiently protected the duo under the concealing talisman. However, she was feeling the drain of her talisman rate rapidly speed up.

    On the other hand, Elder Leweyn felt his arm slightly quake clashing with this burst of power. Heavenly Transformation power or not, whatever was inside the creature wasn''t easy to shield from.

    Still, after a second, once the blue glow finally died out, everyone wasn''t too injured from the sudden corpse attack.

    Although Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle had their concealing talisman completely ran out of energy on them.

    Furthermore, everyone felt a stinging uncomfortable sensation in their bloodstream.

    "Tch, until the very end, that thing wanted to snipe us out even after its death." Erin snarked as he began surging his Innate Qi to destroy the poisonous energy in his body.

    "At least now it''s o-" Elder Leweyn and the others had the same idea as Erin, but when they all tried to recuperate, their Spirit Senses suddenly went frantic once again.

    And this time, all of their eyes snapped to the roof of the cave.

    ''BANG!!''

    The cave tremble as the roof of it was decimated by a powerful blast of Innate Qi! If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Vice Principal Zelle''s group was exposed to the outside world. Everyone''s eyes widened when they saw just who decided to intrude.

    Floating imposingly in the air was twenty one frightening figures.

    Twenty of these figures were the similarly possessed humans Vice-Principal Zelle''s group saw strutting around the Woods.

    However, the most terrifying figure was the one floating at the head of the pack.

    It held a freakish human-like appearance that was rancid to stare at. A putrid yellow glow painted its whole body. And out from its mouth, a long, grotesque yellow tongue eerily swirled.

    It was yet another variant of these vile human-like creatures! Only this time, it was in a chilling yellow pallet.

    But, there was another terrifying aspect to all those in the air.

    "All either peak Innate Core or eighth rank huh¡­." As Vice Principal Zelle breathlessly told, all of the possessed humans were at an extraordinarily high level.

    Out of the twenty humans, nine were at the eighth rank while all others were at the ninth rank of Innate Core.

    For the creature itself, it was equal to the sixth rank of Innate Core. Still, it didn''t lessen the deadly feeling it naturally exudes.

    This lineup, even in Vice Principal Zelle''s eyes, was particularly fierce.

    "Wwwell, wwwell! A second level Heavenly Transformation puppet for our takingsss. We really were right about you two bratss!" After the second the yellow creature''s group appeared, it began talking in this creepy slurry tone of voice.

    "Puppet? Hmph." And Elder Leweyn wasn''t haven''t any of what the vile yellow creature was spouting out.

    Elder Leweyn fully surged his Heavenly Qi before the others could react, ultimately breaking off the poisonous blue glow energy.

    Simultaneously while breaking the pain away, Elder Leweyn fully unleashed his mighty Heavenly Transformation aura towards the vile yellow creature and its possessed humans!

    Elder Leweyn''s aura caused the air to frantically whirl for miles in the Necropolis Woods. The space around himself seemed to froze over as he thoroughly showed the high might of a Heavenly Transformation cultivator!

    Everyone in the vile yellow creature''s group felt tremendously suppressed by Elder Leweyn''s mere blast of aura.

    If nothing were to happen, their bodies were going to be utterly crushed under this powerful aura. And yet, none of the possessed humans seem worried about their upcoming doom at all.

    The vile yellow creature as well savagely smiled in the face of doom.

    Its claw was hidden from view at first, but right as Elder Leweyn''s aura crushed on to them, the creature suddenly thrust his claw out.

    It was the only body part it could move and upon the creature''s claw caused everyone in Vice Principal Zelle''s group to feel immediate dread.

    An even larger silver core than what the blue creature had sat upon its claw!

    ''Chi!''

    The silver core immediately ignited in a blinding radiance and had spewed out a bright yellow silverish mist!

    Elder Leweyn''s once-mighty aura was utterly vaporized from the silver core explosive power.

    "Ah-AHH!!" Erin had immediately shrieked and collapsed to his knees in tremendous pain.

    The bright silverish mist spared no expense and drilled into his, Elder Leweyn, Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle''s bloodstreams.

    Elder Leweyn went as still as a statue under the overwhelming mist. He couldn''t believe it, but that silver Core was actually overpowering his mighty Heavenly Qi!

    Previously, the vile blue creature caught him off guard with its silver core attacks. But admittedly, Elder Leweyn would''ve needed a bit of time to destroy the blue creature''s silver core power that rummaged in him.

    However, the yellow creature significantly surpassed anything the blue creature could ever throw out.

    He, a legendary second level Heavenly Transformation cultivator, felt the joints in his body completely lock up under the silver core power!

    Moreover, nearly all of his Heavenly Qi was drained at a tremendous rate.

    Elder Leweyn eyes filled with horror as he stared up at that vile yellow creature. Now he fully understands these creatures'' terrifying might!

    Vice Principal Zelle was gnashing her teeth, dealing with the scorching pain rampaging inside her body.

    She was bearing the full brunt of the creature''s silver core power, but all of her half step Heavenly Qi was quickly draining from her as well.

    Yet, as the poisonous mist sizzled her bloodstreams, a dormant power was quickly starting to stir in her.

    Darcel and Aniela were only overwhelmed for a second. Indeed the yellow creature''s silver core power far surpassed its vile brethren.

    But in the very next second, the silver Core in Darcel''s hand frantically throb. Two bright silver streams of energy discharged from the silver Core and drilled right into Darcel and Aniela''s chests!

    Darcel and Aniela''s souls immediately synchronized with the silver Core. It caused their souls to finally erupt with far greater power than anything they discharged before!

    ''Chi!''

    A blinding silver radiance equal to the yellow creature''s silver core radiance explosively burst of Darcel and Aniela!

    Their erupted power currently gave the duo enough to stand against the yellow creature''s silver Core power.

    "Nnno-NO!! Your soulsss are ssupossed to get overwhelmed! You''re ssupossed to get wweaker and useless, just how?!?"

    The vile yellow creature roared out in rage and confusion.

    There simply shouldn''t be any way these two kids'' souls could ever match the more direct and tremendous power of its silver core! In fact, the energy these kids exuded should''ve destroyed their souls by now!

    However, the nightmare only continued for the vile yellow creature.

    A significant suppression weighed upon its soul from Darcel and Aniela, making its soul quake in fear. Fright swirled in its eyes as the creature knew these brats had to die today!

    "Th-these tw-two mu-must die!!!"

    All other possessed humans savagely shouted as their bodies couldn''t stop from constant trembling.

    Whatever power Darcel and Aniela wield, it brought about an even more significant suppression to souls than what the yellow creature was feeling.

    The humans felt as if Darcel and Aniela could crush right then and there without even so much of a sweat!

    "It doesn''t matter how or why; you all will die here today!" Darcel loudly proclaimed while getting himself adjusted to his sudden eruption of soul power.

    "I hope you all wished for your last prayer!!" Aniela also loudly proclaimed while adapting to her sudden power gain.

    In sync, the duo had then quickly turned around to face Vice-Principal Zelle, completely ignoring the yellow creature group.

    Seeing this, a manic savage smile burst on the vile yellow creature''s face.

    "Heh! It doessn''t matter if their soulsss suppress all of ours. They''re ssstill no match for True Innate Core prowess! Kill them!!"

    "K-Kill them!!!"

    Every single one of the possessed humans became incredibly riled up under the yellow creature''s words.

    And it was right; those brats are still merely Nascent Core ants!

    Immense waves of tremendous Innate Core Qi crazily swirled in the air. Everyone in the yellow creature''s group blasted out their aura, making the Necropolis Woods fall into chaos for tens of miles!

    However, right when the yellow creature''s group was about to blast the duo away, bright blue flames refracted into everyone''s visions.

    They all temporarily halted as a bright, sizzling blue firewall covered the whole of Vice-Principal Zelle''s group.

    "Tcch! Like thisss will work!!" The yellow creature ignored the blue firewall and still went on to surge its power.

    Everyone else in its group as well paid no heed to the wall and quickly swirled their Innate Qi.

    "Die!!"

    The yellow creature roared as it blasted out a vast yellow Qi claw to the blue firewall.

    The twenty possessed humans followed suit and had also blasted out powerful blue Qi claws towards the blue firewall.

    ''BANG!!''

    The ground violently shook, trees broke apart, and the sky split in half under the fierce clash of incredible power!

    But everyone in the yellow creature group was immediately taken by surprise.

    "I-it didn''t break?!?"

    The blue firewall still stood firm to the yellow creature''s dismay and only showed several large cracks on it.

    The other possessed humans were similarly shocked. But this only fueled their determination to destroy everyone under that wall!

    Quickly everyone in the yellow creature group regained their focus and began charging their power for an even greater attack.

    "The Core and your power won''t last another attack, Vice-Principal. Are you sure you can handle using another saint artifact now?" Darcel steadily said as his hands were on Vice Principal Zelle''s shoulder.

    Aniela''s hand was also calm and steady on Vice Principal Zelle''s shoulder.

    As soon as she and Darcel turned around to Vice Principal Zelle, they immediately fueled her with a slight bit of their souls'' powers.

    Darcel and Aniela only relied on instinct and got the mysterious silver Core to fuel Vice-Principal Zelle with their sudden erupted power.

    The trio only needed a second, and Vice-Principal Zelle already blasted out a wall that protected them.

    But now, they needed to change their course of action.

    As Vice Principal Zelle felt her bloodstreams frantically roar with power because of Darcel and Aniela, she knew they had only one option left.

    The yellow creature''s previous attack left her wholly drained. Still, thanks to the duo, Vice Principal Zelle will finally unleash her dormant latent power!

    "I''ll only need one more second; the energy raging inside of me can no longer lay dormant...."

 Beauty & Horror

    "Itss over!!" The vile yellow creature shrieked as its silver core began frantically surging once again.

    A bright silver radiance spewed in the Darkness sky, discharging a cascade of tremendous power.

    All of the possessed humans had also illuminated their hands in a bright blue glow. A mix of incredible Innate Core power surged for miles in the Necropolis Woods, violently quaking the ground. The sky was painted in a beautiful mixture of silver and blue.

    At the peak of their powers, the possessed humans fired out luminous blue Qi Claws! And the vile yellow creature blasted out a radiant silver yellowish Qi Claw towards the cracked blue firewall.

    ''BANG!!''

    With ease, the blue firewall was finally utterly destroyed under the yellow creature''s group combined might! The crumbling black glossy cave Vice-Principal Zelle''s group were in got turned into bits and pieces under their combined might.

    And yet, no one in the vile yellow creature''s group was happy or fueled with savage killing intent.

    No, they all were immensely suppressed by a tremendous power surge far surpassing their own!

    But this wasn''t what truly made the yellow creature''s group gobsmacked.

    Once the dust of their explosive power died down, everyone, no matter if they were on the yellow creature group or on Vice Principal Zelle''s side.

    They all were left utterly stunned at seemingly a new face appearing out of nowhere.

    From where Vice Principal Zelle stood was a completely different woman looking nothing like the once ordinary woman.

    No, what was revealed to the world was a goddess of a woman in terms of perfected looks. This new holy woman possessed a soul capturing gorgeous face as if she was born from the heavens.

    Blue eyes that luminously shined through the Darkness Woods, bringing every attention on to her. Cherry red rosy lips that one would want to tenderly kiss and lose themselves into. Her creamy white skin was ravishingly lovely and alluring, as if her skin was created by an angel.

    Moreover, even her physique underwent an alluring change.

    Vice Principal Zelle is what Darcel would call as being tall but gracefully petite. Her hips were now more bewitchingly curvaceous, and one can spot fetching small twin peaks on her chest.

    Even Vice-Principal Zelle''s blue hair turned more beautifully glossy, carried a distinct captivating shine about it.

    Furthermore, Darcel even spotted at the top of her beautiful blue hair were two small flaps of what appeared to be animal-like fox ears!

    In Vice-Principal Zelle''s right hand, Darcel had also spotted a long, beautifully crafted silver sword. The sword possessed a unique spiral design and radiated an unfathomable aura that nearly caused his breath to get hicked.

    ''ZZZTT!!!''

    Soon the frantic roars of violent thunderous lightning awoke everyone from the drunken stupor of gazing upon Vice-Principal Zelle''s beauty.

    From the back of Vice-Principal Zelle, Elder Leweyn had an enamored but familiar expression as if he encountered this scene before.

    Erin, all the while, was left utterly dumbfounded.

    How could this seemingly ordinary-looking woman hide such a drastic change of appearance for so long!

    All of his breath was taken away in absolute awe.

    Although for the yellow creature and possessed humans, their breath was taken away but for entirely different reasons. The thunderous clap of lightning just reminded them all about their inevitable upcoming death!

    All of their eyes snapped to the long spiral sword in Vice Principal Zelle''s hand. Powerful streaks of bright blue lightning furiously rage from the blade, creating a frightening look for the beautiful Vice-Principal Zelle.

    The vile yellow creature and possessed humans all fruitlessly try to surge their powers to escape this sudden suppression.

    Alas, they were all doomed to fail since the power exuded from Vice Principal Zelle''s Saint Artifact significantly surpassed them. Not even the silver Core in the vile yellow creature''s claws could surpass the power of the lightning sword Saint Artifact.

    Immense dread warped their faces as everyone watched in horror as Vice-Principal Zelle slowly raised the raging lightning blade at them.

    But right then, Darcel quickly spoke up. "Can you keep that creature''s body from turning to ash?"

    His words further destroyed the yellow creature and possessed human hopes.

    Vice Principal Zelle had taken one brief look at Darcel before continuing on to charge her Saint Artifact. In just a second, the lightning sword power reached its peak and burst with bright blinding blue lightning!

    ''ZZZTTT!!''

    A vast blue lighting beam blasted from the tip of the sword and tore straight through the yellow creature''s chest!

    And from behind the creature, all other possessed humans were promptly turned to ash by the powerful raging lightning beam.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Just at the last second, Vice Principal Zelle managed to control the Saint Artifact power to, as Darcel put it, keep that vile yellow creature body intact.

    The yellow creature''s heart was destroyed, and the Saint Artifact lightning decimated its soul, killing the yellow creature on the spot.

    Vice Principal Zelle had then reached out with her hand and performed a grabbing motion.

    Before the yellow creature''s body crashed to the ground, its body was quickly sucked towards Vice-Principal Zelle and dropped right before Darcel and Aniela.

    "Oh my! It looks like a lot of its blood was vaporized. But, there''s still a hefty sum for the scalpel!"

    Aniela had already gotten used to Vice Principal Zelle''s striking new looks and quickly went over to plunge her scalpel deep into the yellow creature''s neck.

    Rancid yellow blood immediately began to flow to the scalpel, bringing a faint yellow tint on it.

    Darcel brought his eyes over to the creature''s claw and was surprised by it.

    Even after its death, its claw still never let go of that mysterious silver Core. Darcel sensed the silver Core in its hand was heavily drained of power from everything it went through. But it was still usable for several more attacks.

    So, Darcel reached down and took the silver Core from the creature''s claw and placed it in his other hand.

    Like the previous one, this silver core was silky smooth to touch. But this silver Core still radiated with far higher power even after continuous use.

    "Just¡­.just what are these three." Erin breathlessly said as he slowly stood up.

    With the yellow creature dead, the mist rampaging inside his body considerably lessened. His body was still in an exhausted, painful state, but presently, his mind was having difficulty processing what just transpired.

    First, it was Darcel and Aniela with their extraordinary combat prowess and special soul powers. And now there was Vice-Principal Zelle, whose beauty far outstrips anyone that he ever seen before.

    "They''re¡­.they''re for sure chock-full of surprise¡­." Elder Leweyn eyes never left Vice-Principal Zelle the entire time.

    Though it appeared as he was merely smitten with her appearance, a far more deeper, profound emotion course in his eyes while staring at her lovely back.

    Up in the front with Vice Principal Zelle, her eyes curiously stared at the shining silver Core in Darcel''s hand. "Somehow, you two can use this Core¡­.just what is this frightening thing?"

    Suddenly then, right when Vice Principal Zelle voiced her question, dread appeared on her, Elder Leweyn, and Erin''s faces.

    They didn''t even have mere seconds to recuperate once again before their Spirit Senses frantically went off!

    "Well¡­.I guess there''s no time for questions or even a breather! The main event has arrived." Aniela said out loud as she and Darcel souls began to intensely writhe for one upcoming presence.

    But instead of the dread on the other faces, Darcel and Aniela still kept calm and steady. A smooth sensation from their souls warmed their minds and kept their emotions in check.

    "As expected. You two are indeed much more incredibly troublesome than I could ever imagine. Even with all I prepare, it appeared I still have underestimated you two. But¡­.this all a fool''s dream if any one of you think you can escape these Woods tonight!"

    A booming, powerful voice echoed throughout miles in the Necropolis Woods. Vice Principal Zelle''s group''s attention was turned to their right, and there they saw a frightening sum of figures.

    One man dressed in long mysterious robes and a hoodie covering his face stood at the front and foremost of his large group.

    And right next to the man was a figure Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle immediately recognized.

    It wasn''t human but appeared near human-like. Its body was shrouded in an eerie red glow, and a rancid long tongue ominous swirled from its mouth in a hungry motion.

    Vivid memories popped into Darcel, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle''s mind as it was the horrid red creature from the black dungeon labyrinth!

    Though the creature appeared did change a little. Mainly being the fact in its claw hands, another silver core was there!

    And behind these two ominous figures were several dozens of possessed humans. Plus, this time, all of these possessed humans were at the peak rank of the Innate Core realm!

    Vice Principal and Elder Leweyn also sensed that grotesque red creature to be equivalent to the first rank of the Innate Core realm.

    But the most terrifying person there had to be the mysterious man.

    More clearly than what the youths could sense, they both perceived the mysterious robe man to be firmly at the first level of the Heavenly Transformation realm!

    "....This could be a problem." Darcel tentatively said out loud.

    While he and Aniela didn''t suffer that much at the creature''s poisonous mist. However, their bodily stamina quickly drained, thanks to the silver Core and continuous use of their soul powers.

    As for the rest, Vice Principal Zelle knew she was nowhere near close to a hundred percent and only had a small percentage of her usual powers. Any Saint Artifacts she has backed up couldn''t be used now.

    Elder Leweyn and Erin, however, were nearly drained of any power.

    They didn''t have the luxury of getting provided with the silver Core powers. Thus making their injuries and energy be more devastating and permanent since now they had no time to ask for the duo''s support.

    "Heh, already feeling despair?"

    The mysterious robe man cruelly snided at them and gave no heed to Vice Principal Zelle''s beautiful appearance.

    In fact, none of his group cared about her beauty but instead held more sinister thoughts about them all.

    "Ffinally, I get to kill you two noow!!" The red creature spoke in the same slurring tone as the vile yellow creature.

    Before anyone could act, though, the mysterious robe man suddenly pulled something from his robe that caused Vice-Principal Zelle''s group to go wide-eyed.

    In his decrepit hand was a large silver Core!

    And compared to all other creature''s silver cores, the one in the man''s hand was the largest and exuded the strongest aura.

    "Hoh? Surprised, are we? But before we continue on and you all start the little game of how long you can survive. Let me get rid of Sariel''s presence in you two brats!"

    ''Chi!''

    From the mysterious robe man and the red creature silver Core, a bright streak of silver lights blasted out! The whole Darkness Woods and the sky above them got illuminated in a dazzling silver radiance!

    "Geah?!? Not again!!"

    Erin despairingly shouted as the bright silver radiance also unleashed a tremendous power! He, Vice Principal Zelle, and Elder Leweyn were all utterly suppressed under this immense explosion of frantic power!

    Darcel and Aniela, however, felt their souls erupt in a crazed writhing.

    With the mysterious man and the red creature using both of their Cores in sync, it made Darcel and Aniela''s soul want to explode with the same outrageous power!

    However, it was like something was shackling their souls, preventing them from unleashing their true potential.

    Darcel and Aniela wanted to try and surging their souls on their own to see if they could break this shackle. But right then, a bright silver beam barreled straight at them at immense speeds!

    ''Chi!''

    Crimson blood splattered into the air as a bright silver beam drilled into Darcel and Aniela''s chest.

    Horror filled their faces as their eyes saw the silver beams coming straight from the mysterious man and red creature''s silver Core.

 Unbelievable

    Severe pain overloaded Darcel and Aniela''s mind and body.

    Pain that would want to make anyone unleash blood-curdling screams and beg for the tremendous pain to go away.

    And yet, neither Darcel nor Aniela utters a single yelp of pain. An overwhelming power was trying to break in and crush their souls to teeny bits.

    But Darcel and Aniela''s souls crazily surged against the overwhelming force.

    At the same time, Darcel tightly clutched both silver cores in his hands. And immediately then, both silver Cores furiously throb and brightly lit up to match the mysterious man and red creature''s silver Core''s radiance!

    ''Chi!''

    One bright stream of silver energy blasted from the two cores and drilled into Darcel and Aniela, providing their souls with an overload cascade of power!

    While this could''ve been fatal to the duo and in all honestly should''ve wrecked their souls, destroying their cultivation.

    This overload of power proved to be their saving grace!

    This overloaded influx of power was perfect for this dangerous situation. All excess energy flowing into Dracel and Aniela''s souls was quickly used and expelled from out of them.

    The overwhelming power trying to break into Darcel and Aniela''s souls was getting matched by the two silver Cores in Darcel''s hand.

    Both sides quickly reached a stalemate as neither could overpower the other side.

    And while this occurred, Darcel and Aniela''s souls stayed firm and were still crazily surging to break free from its invisible shackles.

    "Tch! It doesn''t matter how much power you use from Sariel''s splitting Cores! The end result of your bodies still won''t change!" The mysterious robe man mockingly shouted to them, not even fearing their powers getting matched.

    "Heh¡­.grab my hand Aniela!" Darcel put his hand out to his right, and Aniela immediately reacted. "Alright!" Her soft hand tightly clutched Darcel''s hand, causing a tremendous change in both of them.

    In their souls'' depths, another incredible power was promptly activated.

    Their completed Darkness Soul link erupted with new immense waves of powers in their souls! Both Darcel and Aniela felt their minds truly has linked up to become synchronized.

    The overwhelming power trying to break in Darcel and Aniela''s souls had begun to quake as their Darkness Soul link power started to slowly overpower it.

    Because their souls are already in an extremely active state, all it took was a simple connection of their physical self to get this power to activate.

    Under normal circumstances, this process wouldn''t be as nearly as easy. They haven''t even touched upon the True Soul Core realm where they could efficiently train their souls.

    But these powerful silver Cores acted as a significant shortcut gateway to activate their Darkness Soul links.

    In sync, Darcel and Aniela''s Darkness Soul link provided each other with a steady growth of incredible power.

    Although the shackles binding their hidden, latent power still couldn''t be broken even with the Darkness Soul link.

    "You-you!! How''s this possible?!?" The mysterious robe man, for the first time, expressed utter shock and dismay.

    Clearly, he never counted on Darcel and Aniela having an extraordinary power that can abruptly grow their souls.

    The mysterious robe man''s hand shook in furious rage as, once again, these brats are proving to be too damn troublesome! His teeth gnashed against each other, and he finally came to a risky split-second decision.

    "You know what, fine! I''ll just let the whole Sariel Core become completely corrupt! Because for it, I''ll just snatch you two souls in whole!!"

    The mysterious robe man shrieked with rage and explosively increased his silver Core power!

    Several large cracks began appearing on the man''s silver Core. The red creature also began to explosively increase its silver Core powers.

    Large cracks began to appear on its silver Core as well, but the power increase was worth it.

    "Nnngh¡­." Both Darcel and Aniela grunted as the mysterious robe man, and the red creature was quickly gaining back the edge.

    The situation was quickly turning for the worse until something broke into Darcel and Aniela''s minds.

    "Ehehehe~! All you two need is a little push~!"

    The beautiful smooth voice of Sari suddenly echoed in Darcel and Aniela''s minds! And it was then, the invisible shackles tightly binding the hidden power locked in their souls was entirely destroyed!

    ''CHI!!''

    A luminous Darkness soul beam blasted straight out from Darcel''s chest!

    The Darkness soul beam utterly decimated the silver stream of energy drilling into his chest from the mysterious robe man''s silver Core.

    Furthermore, the Darkness soul beam didn''t lose momentum when destroying the silver stream energy and continue to barrel straight towards the mysterious robe man.

    All the mysterious robe man could do was look in utter shock at the Darkness soul beam barreling towards him. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    His soul had now become wholly suppressed under this beam, utterly locking up his body and preventing him from moving.

    ''Chi!''

    Gray blood splattered into the air as Darcel''s Darkness Soul beam tore straight through the mysterious robe man''s chest! Nearly from this sole attack, the man''s soul was almost split into pieces, tremendously weakening him.

    And in sync, Aniela''s soul attack also reached the red creature at the same time.

    From her chest, a bright white Light soul beam shot out and destroyed the silver stream energy produced by the red creature.

    Her white Light soul beam carried the same unfathomable suppression to the red creature soul, locking its body in place.

    ''Chi!''

    Putrid crimson blood spewed into the air as Aniela''s Light soul beam tore right through the red creature''s chest! Its soul was fractured to an even greater extent than the mysterious robe man''s soul.

    The power once exuded from the red creature and mysterious robe man''s silver Core was utterly destroyed. The suppression on Vice Principal Zelle Elder Leweyn and Erin was swiftly dropped.

    From behind, the dozens of possessed humans already moved out of the way before Darcel and Aniela''s soul beams strayed into the silver sky.

    Although, there wasn''t a single one there that didn''t feel majorly suppressed by Darcel and Aniela''s new soul powers.

    Darcel and Aniela''s soul beams quickly vanished after firing, leaving for the mysterious robe man and the red creature to fall out of the sky.

    But right then, the mysterious robe man''s hand ignited in a silver flash!

    "KILL THEM!!" Blood spewed out of the man''s mouth as he shouted, and intense pain coursed through his body and soul.

    Yet the man didn''t care, and while falling, he blasted a vast silver Qi claw towards Vice-Principal Zelle''s group!

    The silver Qi claw was colossal and covered every inch of Vice-Principal Zelle''s group.

    None of the possessed humans wanted to get in the way of that massive attack. They had instead opted to wait behind with cruel smirks plaster on their faces.

    After all, picking them off when they''re crushed will be easier this way!

    Darcel and Aniela felt pressure when facing this giant silver Qi claw. Even as the mysterious robe man was severely weakened, neither had the ability to efficiently destroy the Qi Claw and save their whole group.

    They could just narrowly dodge, but that would mean Vice-Principal Zelle would end up as flatten.

    Vice Principal Zelle was nearly drained of energy, but for some odd reason, her bloodstream was still frantically throbbing.

    Ever since she had destroyed the yellow creature''s group, it never stopped throbbing. And now, under an extreme life or death situation, her bloodstream was going completely frantic.

    She could tell her real latent power was trying to break free, but with the Qi claw speed, Vice Principal Zelle wouldn''t have enough time to let her power roam free.

    Erin felt rage and despair as he was utterly helpless at this point. He could barely even move his body, much less try and destroy this giant silver Qi Claw.

    "Tch¡­.hah!" Elder Leweyn, however, didn''t want to reside to fate and unleashed a mighty battle cry!

    With the last bit of his Heavenly Qi, Elder Leweyn swirled raging blue lightning around his hand.

    Quickly a blue lightning strike blasted from his hand and clashed with the silver Qi Claw.

    ''BANG!''

    "Spread out!!" One of the possessed humans shouted as they all quickly flew backward to escape the combustion of Heavenly Transformation power!

    For miles, everything the Woods was brought to absolute chaos as the environment was shattered apart.

    Elder Leweyn quickly grabbed Erin and shielded him with his Heavenly Transformation body. However, they were both still blasted off from the aftershocks of the explosion.

    Darcel and Aniela felt scorching pain wracked their bodies for a brief second.

    With the silver Cores'' last remaining power, Darcel poured nearly all of it into forming a silver barrier that protected him, Aniela, and Vice-Principal Zelle from the aftershocks.

    Soon the combustions of incredible power dispersed, allowing the Woods to fall back to its natural calm state. All of the possessed humans quickly flew back over to observe the aftermath.

    And once they arrived, cruel and vicious smiles etched on every one of the possessed humans'' faces.

    From a mile close by, their eyes watched as Elder Leweyn and Erin''s state was pathetic.

    Their bodies were closed together, but they were both face down, lying in the dirt. A pool of blood swirled underneath them, but the possessed humans still clearly sensed they both were alive.

    "Hmph! As expected! And no-AH?!?"

    One of the possessed humans was starting to gloat, but he and everyone else suddenly released gasps of immense shock.

    Bright blue flames refracted in the dozens of possessed human''s eyes as they all despairingly looked above them.

    Covering the sky and dying it in blue was an enormous blue flaming hand that radiated an unfathomable power!

    The power of the blue flaming hand far surpassed every single one of them.

    Previously their entire being was already suppressed by Darcel and Aniela''s souls, and now this blue flaming hand was the final nail in the coffin.

    All of their bodies tightly locked up, preventing them from moving. The suppression was like several tons of mountains crushing their bodies, creating excruciating pressure on them.

    Everyone watched in utter misery as the blue flaming hand came crashing down on to them.

    ''Bang!''

    The dozens of possessed humans were slapped violently into the ground, killing every single one of them on impact. Their bodies were mutilated by blue flames and utterly cracked by overwhelming sheer power.

    "....Unbelievable¡­." The mysterious robe man breathlessly uttered as he struggled to stay standing up.

    He and the red creature still had tremendous pain wracked their bodies and souls, but their eyes still caught that large blue flaming hand.

    However, neither would get a chance to know who exactly did it as an immense rush of incredible power surged right in front of them!

    The mysterious robe man and red creature only had a split second to see blue fire clouding their whole vision.

    Vice Principal Zelle, decked out in a blue fire cloak that resembles a fox, appeared right in front of the red creature.

    Her bloodstream''s hidden power was able to fully erupt thanks to Darcel''s protective barrier, but her bodily stamina drain was incredible.

    Deciding to end this quickly, Vice Principal Zelle struck out with her fist and tore straight through the red creature''s chest! She had then unleashed rampaging blue fire inside the red creature, swiftly overpowering it and killing it once and for all.

    With her other hand, Vice-Principal Zelle blasted a stream of blue fire towards the mysterious robe man.

    Everything was just too sudden for the man, and he had no choice but to tank the blue fire stream!

    ''Bang!''

    "AHHH!!!"

    The mysterious robe man unleashed blood-curdling screams as he rolled on the ground. But while he was rolling, a bright silver flash enriched his body, making the blue flames on the outside of his body dissipate.

    Although, the pain that came from Vice Principal Zelle''s attack didn''t dissipate in the slightest.

    Vice Principal Zelle crashed to her knees as her blue flaming fox cloak dropped.

    As her eyes looked over to the mysterious robe man, dread filled her face.

    The man had still managed to shakily stand up while his hoodie was finally thrown off, revealing his grotesque face. He looked dried up like a corpse, and parts of his flesh was hanging off his face.

    But a deranged smile was still etched on to his horrid face.

 Worrying Future

    Admittedly the horrid looking man knew he was in a terrible state.

    Blue flames still violently rampaged inside his body, and his soul was still critically injured from Darcel''s attack.

    Plus, he had poured the last renaming bit of his power into the Qi Claw attack, further severely weakening him. At best, the man fathoms he was as strong as True Soul Core cultivator.

    But this didn''t matter to him compared to his enemies'' pitiful state.

    "Heh¡­.heh¡­.hahaha!!! Even with all of your annoying surprises, all of your final hours have arrived! In the end, you''ll be killed, my ha-"

    "No! In the end, you''ll be killed at our hands!!" The horrid looking man was sharply cut off by Aniela''s booming voice.

    His eyes snapped over to the now rooted Darcel and Aniela. And ultimately, the man couldn''t help an utter hopelessness feeling wash over him seeing these brats state now.

    Darcel and Aniela stood upright, hand in hand, killing intent booming into their eyes. An incredible aura gushed out of them, making the horrid looking man feel utter terror in his mind, soul, and body.

    Really, compared to everyone there, Darcel and Aniela had the least strain on their prowess. Granted, both were nowhere near their peak condition. But to kill the weakened standing before them, what they had now was more than enough!

    The most terrifying note the horrid looking man picked up on Darcel and Aniela''s current state was that still throbbing silver Core in Darcel''s left hand.

    It was then, the horrid looking man knew he really only had one option left.

    And that is to make a hasty retreat!

    The horrid looking man notice Darcel and Aniela were taking tiny panted breaths, though their bodies were tensing to attack.

    But before disaster for him could happen, the man tightly clenched the silver Core in his hand.

    ''Hua!''

    The horrid looking man''s body burned with exhaustion and pain, but he didn''t let this stop him from sprinting off into the destroyed trees and bushes of the Darkness Woods.

    "Ah! You''re not getting away!!"

    Aniela roared as she tightly clenched Darcel''s hand.

    Over exerting their souls so much truly was leaving them winded. Still, the duo had their mind set on killing that horrid man tonight!

    This time, using only the remaining Nascent Qi coursing their bodies, Darcel and Aniela simultaneously blasted off in the horrid man direction!

    Even as both sides were fatigued, both Darcel, Aniela, and the wretched-looking man''s speeds were all swift.

    Vice Principal Zelle could only tiredly look on as Darcel, Aniela, and the horrid looking man all soon disappeared from her sight in a few seconds. Their three figures vanishing right into the dreary Darkness of the woods.

    "Haah¡­.haah¡­.damn."

    Vice Principal Zelle began to fully calm her body to gain back a bit of energy. Her eyes trailed over to Elder Leweyn and Erin to see both of their statues indeed wasn''t the best.

    Erin was knocked out cold, and Elder Leweyn''s body was struggling to pick himself up.

    However, with their already powerful bodies and souls, Vice Principal Zelle knew their grave injuries would be healed in due time.

    The only worrying thought she had now was Darcel and Aniela.

    If she could''ve, she would''ve prevented Darcel and Aniela from chasing that creature of a man. It was far too rash and risky since none of them were at their optimal state.

    ''But knowing them, they probably can pull out an amazing victory from out of nowhere. Still¡­.this doesn''t lessen the badly odd feeling about them specifically going in that direction.''

    Vice Principal Zelle rummaged to herself as her eyes linger to where the duo was chasing that looking horrid man.

    ¡­.

    "Seriously, what''s with this guy? You wouldn''t be able to even tell he was injured at his constant speed."

    While blasting through the Woods, Darcel lightly snided to Aniela.

    "More than that¡­.our big scale fight truly did a number on everything. At least making it easier for us to follow!" Aniela somehow found a bright side to this as their speeds didn''t decrease in the slightest.

    Their enthralling chase went for a minute already, and yet the horrid looking man had no intentions of stopping.

    Even as all the joints in his body roar in agonizing pain, he knew stopping only meant his terrible death.

    And while they chase, Darcel and Aniela did take a little notice of the mile''s destruction in the Woods. Black glossy trees and branches spread out everywhere in tiny bits and pieces.

    The ground was cracked for miles, and some spots even had small craters.

    Furthermore, Darcel and Aniela also spotted crimson blood in destroyed bushes or wrecked trees.

    Although the peculiar thing was, there was no corpse or any sort of body part attached to these spots of crimson blood.

    But these small details all paled in comparison when Darcel and Aniela finally sensed the horrid looking man''s speed decreasing!

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes brighten, seeing their opportunity slowly come to them.

    "Well! It seems like for all that speed before, not even you can hold on for long!" Aniela cruelly mocked from behind as the two were quickly nearing the wretched-looking man.

    All the while, the horrid looking man ignored Aniela''s mocking calls.

    Now at the final dead-end of his line, the horrid man got rid of all of his hesitations. His nearly split, damaged soul was on the verge of completely shattering, but the man still surged what remained of his soul.

    All at once, the man''s soul fell into an even more chaotic state as he completely erupted his soul essence!

    Loud glass shattering noises reverberated throughout the man''s mind and body, nearly feeling everything crack into a million pieces.

    Still, the man violently gnashed his teeth, shattering it, and managed to cling on to dear life. He used the eruption of his soul essence to pour all of his power into the silver Core clutched in his palm.

    ''Sariel¡­.protect me¡­.and kill these brats!'' The horrid man pleaded in his mind to the silver Core.

    It was his last desperate attempt to live but his only drastic option he had left.

    And immediately, the man was shocked with a prompt reaction from the cracked silver Core. His near shattered being was pushed to a frozen state and a bright silver radiance spewed from his entire body!

    ''Hua!''

    In a bright silver streak of light, the horrid man blasted off towards a specific direction in the Woods.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    And from behind, Darcel and Aniela was shocked but shocked for only a second.

    "You''re not getting away!" Darcel utter as he and Aniela, together, flashed with the same bright silver radiance!

    Simultaneously, they erupted their Darkness soul link causing their souls to frantically surge.

    In this state, Darcel harmonizes with the last remaining power in the silver Core clutched in his hand. He and Aniela felt the last rush of energy flow their bodies like running water.

    Their Spirit Senses kept precise track of the horrid looking man, and they had then pinpointed his direction.

    Similar to the horrid looking man, Darcel and Aniela blasted off in a bright silver streak of light, following right behind the man''s direction.

    Two streaks of silver lights, dashing at the same speeds, illuminated Necropolis Woods for miles. Both sides didn''t know how far deep they were going into the Woods, but neither had the intention to stop.

    It wasn''t until a couple minutes passed that the horrid looking man finally felt a throb in his soul and the silver Core.

    Up ahead, his gaze had then fallen on to a strange but mesmerizing sight.

    Simply, it was a large blue rock sitting all by its lonesome with nothing surrounding it. However, upon the sizeable blue rock were beautifully crafted symbols; one''s eyes would stop to turn and fawn upon it.

    The symbols that man saw appeared to match fox-like insignia symbols.

    For such a uniquely designed rock to be stranded in the middle of the wilderness was already weird enough.

    And yet the throbbing silver Core in the man''s hand kept on blasting him straight towards it.

    "This thing¡­.it seems familiar¡­."

    The horrid looking man let out a small breath to himself as he rapidly approached the blue fox rock. Without any resistance, the man''s hand crashed into the rock, and the silver Core was immediately submerged in the rock.

    Darcel and Aniela were just behind the man and quickly made it to the same blue fox rock. Their eyes glazed over in zealous, killing intent once seeing the horrid man seemingly stuck on the rock.

    "It''s over." Darcel ominously utters as he and Aniela didn''t slow their charge at all.

    Only a few meters of distance separated them from the man. The duo already crossed half of that distance in a single second!

    However, right when they were nearly approaching the horrid looking man, an intense throbbing in Darcel and Aniela''s soul completely froze them up.

    Abruptly, their eyes snapped to the blue fox rock, and they witnessed a magical transformation!

    ''Chi!''

    A blindingly bright blue and silver radiance mix burst out from the blue fox rock! Tremendous surges of power stormed in the air, causing the wind to kick up in a fierce storm.

    At the top of the blue fox rock, Darcel, Aniela, and the horrid looking man all watched as the man''s silver Core suddenly burst from the tip of the rock.

    Rays of fiery blue light discharged from the silver Core in an astonishing display of pure power.

    Right when the horrid man removed his hand from blue fox rock, his face still in slight awe, the silver Core had then dashed right back into his hands.

    Promptly, the man''s eyes burst open as a rush of fiery power overtook his whole being!

    Darcel and Aniela cautiously stayed rooted in their spot.

    They knew whatever that silver Core does, it will have heaven-defying effects. And from the increasingly smiling face of the horrid man, they just knew the situation suddenly turned even more troublesome.

    "Heh¡­.heh-hahaha!! Now, this is unexpected! Sariel''s Core would''ve come to this spot no matter what because of....I get it now! I thought you two merely got lucky and was grace with a bit of Sariel''s presence when you fought red prime. But in actuality, you brats met Sariel''s pure Spiritual form in the Aslyum place, didn''t you?!"

    The horrid looking man spouted a crazed expression while shouting to the duo.

    But what he did say caused Darcel and Aniela to momentarily think. This man kept on mentioning this Sariel person repeatedly, so of course, the duo attached that name to Sari.

    Not only were the silver Cores precisely the same aura Darcel and Aniela felt when first meeting Sari. They also just recently heard her voice go off in their heads.

    Yet now Darcel and Aniela could safely say everything here is connected to her after the man''s words.

    "Heh, you stopping already confirms the truth. Now everything makes some sense. Just several weeks ago, I felt Sariel''s Cores violently react as if something or someone powerful penetrated into our Mortal planet. I would''ve ignored this as this happen a couple of times before.....but, this time, Sariel herself manipulated the World for whatever the powerful presence was to come nearly close to her. And now I can clearly sense her mark in you two brats! Both of you must hail from those high mystical realms!"

    "Hmmm....so Sariel is Sari, and she''s somehow connected to this planet, got it! Any other last words before your demise?" Aniela may have cruelly spoken, but she and Darcel was quickly becoming innate curious to the horrid man spiel.

    Just the mere fact he somehow sensed their teleportation to this realm already spawned many questions in Darcel and Aniela''s minds.

    "So you two really do hail from the legendary mystic realms! The World may be severely weakened as of now, but for invaders like you two. Sariel may want to protect and use you. But, I and many others will see to it that you will fall on this Mortal planet!"

    And without giving the two a chance to respond, the horrid looking man enriched his body in a slight silver glow and shot himself right through the ground!

    A large hole appeared before the blue fox rock. It was sizable enough for any adult human to go into.

    And of course, Darcel and Aniela didn''t hesitate at all seeing the horrid looking man trying to escape. After hearing all of that, the duo arrived at one conclusion.

    That man is far too dangerous to them to be left alive!

    Darcel and Aniela immediately dashed towards the whole, barrelling straight inside it as soon as the horrid looking man left.

    Once the duo barrel into the hole, unknown to the whole World, the blue fox rock immediately experienced a tremendous change.

    A luminous blue fire shine burst from the blue fox rock, painting the whole Necropolis Woods in a blinding blue glow!

    It didn''t matter how expansive the several hundred kilometer Woods were; every inch of it was covered in an enchanting soul capturing blue shine....

    ¡­.

    Back inside the hole, the horrid looking man, Darcel and Aniela already crossed a few miles into the ground.

    And upon reaching the third-mile threshold, the horrid looking man felt his silver Core frantically throb with even greater power!

    "Yes¡­.yes! It''s time for their deaths!"

    The horrid looking man went rabid with crazed killing intent feeling the incredible waves of power the silver Core was exuding.

    Darcel and Aniela creased their eyebrows seeing the craved state of the horrid looking man. They were finally starting to become a bit worried they wouldn''t make it to the man in time.

    That is until they and the horrid looking man abruptly felt everything violently quake!

    ''Rumble!!''

    Darcel, Aniela, and the horrid looking man felt as if they were planted right in the middle of several earthquakes, all rumbling on top of each other.

    Plus, the quaking wasn''t the only thing they felt.

    "Wha-Ah! Fire!" Aniela shouted as she, Darcel, and the horrid looking man all turned to the back of them. Abrupt blazing heat suddenly started to drenched their bodies making even them feel hot under the weather.

    It was then that all of their eyes widened like saucers as they witnessed streams of intense blue fire roaring down to them!

    "What''s going on-Ah!! NOO!!"

    The despair of the horrid looking man''s shout made Darcel and Aniela snapped their eyes back on him.

    They both watched on in surprise as the silver Core had promptly flown out of the horrid looking man''s hand and barrel straight back up through the dirt.

    Looking back down at the man, Darcel and Aniela finally found their opportunity to strike.

    The incredible rush of fiery power immediately left the man, returning him to the state of his near shattering soul and body.

    "Die!!" Darcel and Aniela roared as powerful thin streams of black flames blasted out of their fingertips.

    The horrid looking man could only look on in utter hopelessness at the streams of black flames. As soon as the silver Core left his hand, he already returned to the verge of near death.

    And now the duo had just sealed his deal.

    ''Chi!''

    Darcel and Aniela''s streams of black flames easily tore through the horrid looking man''s chest, utterly destroying his heart and lungs.

    The horrid looking man body crashed into the dirt, but right before his death, through the sheer will of his own soul, he somehow manages to utter out,

    "Sariel¡­.will¡­.get¡­.sallow-whole!!"

    Darcel and Aniela, however, ignored the dying words of the crazed man.

    They surged the remaining power in their bodies and shot towards where the silver Core had drilled up to.

    Just narrowly, the duo avoided the raging blue fire stream, and they didn''t look back as the horrid looking man''s corpse was turned to ashes.

    They just kept their stride, quickly barreling up to where the silver Core drill through.

    ''Hmm? This energy¡­.'' Darcel and Aniela both thought to themselves as a strange influx of energy washed over them.

    The energy was actually making their bodies feel more refreshed¡­.almost as if it was healing them.

    Still, Darcel and Aniela didn''t stop and continue drilling up through the dirt.

    When a few minutes passed, the duo noticed this process was taking an abnormally long time.

    They knew they drilled a couple of miles into the dirt, but surely it shouldn''t take this long to get back to the surface?

    Moreover, during these weirdly long minutes, both Darcel and Aniela felt as if they were entirely healed in body and soul!

    And as they felt like they were back in top tier shapes, Darcel and Aniela finally drilled up through the surface of the ground!

    "Ah! Fina-ah? Uhm¡­.I think we took a wrong turn, Darcy¡­." Aniela''s face was plaster in extreme shock once seeing the surface.

    "Can you even call this just a wrong turn?" Darcel was also in tremendous shock in seeing where they ended up.

    Instead of seeing the Necropolis Woods'' dreary Darkness, all the duo could see was an endless Tundra land of snow.

 Snowy Lands

    From as far Darcel and Aniela could see, they most certainly weren''t in the Necropolis Woods anymore. Everything was a pure, beautiful blanket of white snow sticking to the ground going up to at least two inches.

    As Darcel and Aniela''s head poked out of the ground, the cold yet smooth snow piled up to just under their chins.

    Promptly, Darcel and Aniela had to surge a bit of their Nascent Qi just starve off the sudden chills coursing down their bodies.

    "Talk about a tonal shift¡­.hm? Those are roads, Darcy?" Darcel tossed his eyes over to where Aniela was nudging her head.

    Both of their eyes observed a surreal sight in the tundra snow land.

    Multiple bright blue icy pathways was split into the ground, making about some sort of makeshift ice roads. There was zero snow piled on the ice pathways, and each road of ice was admittedly beautifully carved into the ground.

    Still, no matter how beautiful and surreal this was, Darcel and Aniela obviously didn''t want to just up and about explore this seemingly random place.

    "Right¡­. let''s jus-" Darcel abruptly cut his words short.

    He and Aniela suddenly felt the burning heat graze the bottom half of their bodies. Their eyes burst open as they realized the hole they came through was quickly filling up with the same raging blue flames!

    Previously Darcel and Aniela clearly sensed the power of these flames wasn''t anything ordinary.

    Not even in their most peak optimal state do either of the duos want to recklessly challenge these flames head-on.

    So, with no other options, Darcel and Aniela flung themselves out of the ground, jumping at least several feet high into the air. They gently floated back to the ground, their feet squashing into the soft, smooth snow.

    "Well¡­.this isn''t great. Our way back is now completely covered in flames!" Aniela was a bit shocked and confused as she saw the hole they jumped out of was literally overspilling with blue fire.

    The sizzling blue flames easily drilled into the snow and through the white dirt ground.

    "Haah, well, now that we''re stuck here¡­.ah."

    Darcel was taking a look over the tundra snow land until he suddenly realized something.

    "Ah, indeed! We really should''ve picked up a book on this planet''s geography during our time in the Corridor of Haven. It''s like being stuck in the middle of a snowy dessert now!" Aniela''s eyes were darting all around the Tundra snow land, trying to get her bearings.

    Darcel, although, had a more subdued state of mind. His eyes shuffled between the multiple ice roads and quickly drawn to an answer.

    "For now, let''s just calmly get through this. I suspect that the silver or I guess Sariel''s Cores are the reason for our separate paths. Still, we can''t stay here forever. Let''s choose a path to go on."

    The icy blue roads obviously look too man-made for it to just be a natural environmental occurrence.

    So Darcel has hopes this would lead them to the civilization here. Although, one worrying thing though was the lack of humans occupying the multiple roads.

    "Hmmm¡­.how about we go on this path! I can just faintly feel my intuition is right on this one." Aniela pointed to an icy road on her far left. Darcel looked over and already didn''t have any disagreement about following her lead.

    After all, that deadly intuition she has never led them astray before.

    And while the lack of anybody on the icy road and for this whole area, in general, was concerning. Darcel knew they didn''t have many options.

    Giving Aniela the silent agreement, the duo trekked through ankle-high feet of snow towards their icy road. But while they traverse the snow, Darcel and Aniela felt even more cold shivers trickle their spines.

    They stopped for a moment and circulated even more Nascent Qi to stave off the sudden shivers. Unlike ordinary mortals, cultivators have the ability to fend off any weather condition with just standard Qi.

    But, there are several exceptions to the rule.

    Such as the weather of a place being influenced by a cultivator''s direct power. Or in general, the area of a place sustains much more vibrant and powerful Qi in the air.

    Darcel and Aniela quickly realized whatever this place was, it had more potent Qi in the air than the Necropolis Woods!

    Even after they surged more Nascent Qi, the shivering cold didn''t go away.

    In fact, as they were mere steps away from the icy road, the cold only became more devastating! Darcel and Aniela clasped their hands together and breathed out frosty white breaths.

    The cold would quickly get to a point where it would actually hurt their bodies. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    But Darcel and Aniela smirked once, realizing a quick and straightforward solution to this cold problem.

    Inside their souls, Darcel and Aniela only surged a small portion of their pure black flaming essence. Just this tiny portion of flaming essence promptly course in their bodies, providing a more manageable warmth to get through the cold.

    "Phew¡­.I suppose this is another point to those mysterious Mages. I guess their special line of empowering clothes would be crucial in areas such as this. Thankfully it''s much easier to mobilize our souls now."

    Darcel remarked as he and Aniela touched down on the icy road.

    On the icy road, Darcel and Aniela took a slight moment to pause and stare down the seemingly endless road of ice.

    "But really, once we get to civilizations, we''re buying some of those Mages clothes! For now, let''s say we go down¡­.this direction."

    Aniela pointed to the south of them, which looked exactly the same as any other icy road direction. As nonchalant as he could be, Darcel nodded towards Aniela, and they both began slowly walking down the road.

    Once they were finally in somewhat clear cut directions, Darcel and Aniela started to see the environment surrounding the icy roads change.

    In the endless blanket of snow, the duo could now spot beautiful tall white trees that, amazingly enough, was full of life.

    There is snow stuck on the trees'' bark, yet gorgeous looking vibrant white leaves hang off the branches. On some trees, Darcel and Aniela even spotted unique pure white fruits hanging off the stems.

    There were also several odd snow formations, such as large snowy caves, vast looking snowy igloos, or other such bizarre building formations neither Darcel nor Aniela could recognize.

    But the most curious thing about this snowy land was the Spirit Monsters or lack of Spirit Monsters appearances.

    Darcel and Aniela both know Spirit Monsters will naturally inhabit any area of whatever realm.

    However, while Darcel and Aniela could clearly sense numerous Spirit Monsters roaming miles away from them. Their eyes didn''t pick up on a single Spirit Monster roaming in the snow.

    Pushing this oddity down for later, Darcel''s mind turns to more pressing news. It being specifically what that horrid looking man spiel to them.

    "For now on, when using our soul powers, let''s at least try to at most use the extent of our Darkness Soul link. Not even that wretched man recognized that sudden burst of power."

    "Agree, Darcy. But¡­.what that gross man did say to us is only leaving me more puzzle. He was only able to tell Sari''s general presence in us at first, but when that Core suddenly powered up, he could tell that she somehow marked us? And for that matter, it looks like that girl has hidden intentions about us! Yet she seemed so innocent and sweet at first."

    When Aniela was finished speaking, both her and Darcel started to notice sudden light snowfall. Although, whatever snow that had fallen on the icy road, it had magically vanished from existence.

    "Well, you know, even the most welcoming and smiling faces can be incredibly malicious and cruel. Still, all we can gather is that the girl''s full name is Sariel; those silver Cores came from her; she''s connected to this planet and most likely sensed our teleportation here. But that does beg even more questions¡­."

    Aniela teasingly smiled at Darcel, telling him, "Besides you''re old endearing cynicism reemerging again, you just made me remember an intriguing memory, Darcy! Those cruel Doctors and that yellowed eye woman could''ve they possibly came to the same planet? Though the man said Sariel wanted us two specifically, we surely weren''t and still aren''t anywhere near powerful to heavily influence the whole World."

    Aniela held her hand out to the falling snow, letting some gently fall onto her hand while she talked.

    Darcel also copied her motion, enjoying the incomparably soft feel of the snow that nearly felt magical.

    But her point did rummage on Darcel''s mind.

    While he and Aniela seemingly got very lucky to be close to each other when teleporting to this planet. They haven''t heard about anyone else during their entire time in Necrotic City.

    Though his last memory of the yellow-eyed woman was her being mutilated and on the verge of death, her power was still extraordinary.

    Plus, anyone of those Doctors could''ve easily crushed the whole ninth rank province.

    "Really, I can only fathom, Sariel is so connected to the World that she only wanted us to be near each other. Who knows where the others went. Hopefully, their ether aren''t here or died during the teleportation process."

    "Mnh¡­.but I can''t help but feel sorry about that yellow-eyed woman. You felt it, too, right? She is the first-ever person to make our bloodlines go absolutely crazed!"

    It was like innate sympathy Aniela felt when thinking about the yellow-eyed woman.

    Even to this day, she''ll never be able to forget about the intense stare that woman gave them or the special roaring feeling in their unawakened bloodline at the time.

    If Aniela could, she would most definitely help that woman out, no questions asked.

    "I can''t deny it either. Look, if we somehow come across news of that woman, we''ll definitely investigate it and go to her."

    Aniela''s eyes brightly lit up at that. Even as she knew Darcel would, of course, help her, it was reassuring to know he was on the same wavelength as her.

    Darcel lightly smiled at her adorable expression and continued to say,

    "Still, best to remain on our guard about anything relating to Sariel and even ominous news that could relate to those Doctors. As that man said himself, many more like him possibly exist in this place and generally know of Sariel doing."

    "Right, right! But even as you say that the Spirit Monsters here are certainly a step above than the ones around Necrotic City. Yet, not a single one is on this icy road or even wants to come near this road."

    For the general level of these Spirit Monsters, Darcel and Aniela sensed them to be from peak True Soul Core, all the way to the mid ranks of the Innate Core realm!

    Possibly there were even stronger Spirit Monsters out there as Darcel and Aniela Spirit Sense can only tell up to the mid ranks of the Innate Core realm.

    But like Aniela said, Darcel didn''t sense any Spirit Monsters trying to come even a mile near these icy roads.

    "Perhaps, this is just the people''s way here of counteracting the beasts. All the Spirit Monsters mostly stayed in the Necropolis Woods back in Necrotic City. Only the ignorant, weak Monsters strayed from the Woods."

    Right when Darcel finished talking, he stopped walking entirely. Aniela had also followed in his steps and stopped walking.

    Their eyes squinted ahead as they can vaguely make out for distinct human figures.

    In their Spirit Sense, they could clearly sense four low-rank Innate Core cultivators coming down this icy road. However, the way they moved caused both Darcel and Aniela to curiously raise an eyebrow.

    "Ah? They''re walking straight to us?"

    Aniela remarked as even when she and Darcel stopped, those four Innate Core cultivators kept walking to them.

    But luckily, Darcel and Aniela didn''t sense any negative attention or malicious killing intent.

 Concreate Direction

    Though Darcel and Aniela''s guards slightly relaxed, knowing this won''t lead to a fight. It didn''t help lessen the oddity on what stranger Innate Core cultivators would want with mere Nascent Core cultivators.

    Darcel and Aniela''s eyes darted around the icy road, and it was clear as day these roads were expansive enough for crowds of people.

    The icy road was at least ten feet wide or so, allowing for groups of people to not get near each other.

    At first, Darcel and Aniela had the reasonable idea to first speak out to this group. If they were coming specifically to them, then there''s no reason to not and try to speak.

    However, before either one of the duos could talk, they soon heard a gruff man''s voice.

    "What the¡­.just two little Nascent Core kids? Really? Fruana, are you sure those Mages didn''t just pull a fast one on us?" The man''s tone was a slight bit accusatory and a tiny bit annoyed.

    It was when Darcel and Aniela heard the man''s voice that they could get a better image of their group. And already, a luminous white glowing shine made this group of four pop out.

    Darcel and Aniela were able to make three men and one woman all wearing matching warm articles of clothing that would be suitable for the cold.

    They all wore long brown fur coats, with the fur appearing to be taken from a fluffy Spirit Monster wolf. Around their legs were similarly brown furry pants and even furry brown boots.

    With only one glance, anyone would immediately be able to guess this would be a Mage''s line of clothing.

    Typically most cultivators tend to wear superficial layers of articles of clothing as to mainly show their status or wealth.

    But what attracted Darcel and Aniela''s eyes the most was the bright white glow spewing from their hands. The duo was able to make out four blank white pendants that were continuously exuding the luminous white glow.

    Before Darcel or Aniela could question anything again, they soon heard another male voice say,

    "Don''t be in such a haste to judge Robert. Besides, if there''s one thing anybody knows about those Mage''s is they all value themselves and their works more than anything. They would never even bother with trying to sell a defective product. And who knows? Maybe those kids really can help."

    Now only several meters of distance separated Darcel and Aniela from the fur coat group. The duo still stayed cautiously rooted in their spot and was able to make out the three men and one woman''s faces.

    The men all held the rough, harden appearances of experienced adventurers and warriors.

    While the woman kept a refined, calm look, clearly exuding her sober experiences in adventuring.

    "How about instead of trying to draw a pre-based conclusion, we actually take action." It was the woman that spoke this time, and her eyes, along with her other group members, lit up when once finally seeing Darcel and Aniela''s full appearance and presence.

    "Excuse us, but do you two hail from a sect? I don''t think I or any of us ever saw such peculiar uniforms." The woman had continued on to talk and asked the duo.

    She, along with the men, had first noticed the clean, sleek design of Zakira''s Academy Core level uniform.

    Most obviously, that kind of elegant design would only mean they came from a sect.

    Yet none of them recognized the uniforms, and they all were very familiar with the whole snowy lands here.

    But despite how suspicious they could be, the woman and the men were drawn into having a relatively slight positive base first impression of these kids.

    Mainly because their eyes were quickly sucked into Darcel and Aniela''s alluring faces after noticing their uniforms.

    For a couple of youths, they all had to admit these two had spectacular appearances. Plus, compared to any other Nascent Core youths, the woman and the men could all immediately tell there was something special that set these kids Nascent aura apart.

    Aniela gave the fur coat group her most charming smile, seeing how at least the woman was pretty civil.

    "Ah, we do come from a sect¡­.but I doubt any one of you would''ve heard about it. Mainly because we''re not actually from around here. One minute, we were on a sect expedition to explore an ancient cave, but we had accidentally come upon a weird trap. And then, like magic, we were abruptly teleported in the middle of these snowy plains!"

    The men and women curiously raised an eyebrow at Aniela''s story.

    Even for their mysterious cultivation world, that story seemed a bit odd. But then again, none of them truly knows what kind of uniform the two are wearing.

    Plus, none of them were that willing to question Aniela''s story as she and Darcel had a welcoming, warm presence about them. And Aniela''s voice was incredibly soothing to their ears.

    "That''s quite a story, isn''t it? Well, the snowy plains you''re describing is actually called the Plunged Tundra around these parks. And you two and us are smack dab right in the middle of this huge winter area. Specifically, you two are in the fourth rank Province." The woman smilingly explained to them.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    And Darcel and Aniela were promptly taken aback a bit.

    Somehow, they suddenly jump up from the ninth rank Province all the way up to the fourth rank Province?

    Slight waves of turmoil panic coursed in Darcel and Aniela''s minds. But neither let it be shown on their face. Their expressions remained relatively neutral, trying to sort this sudden information out.

    Darcel was quick to recover from the shocking news, and his eyes glanced down at their pendants.

    From his soul, he could clearly sense those items exuded unique soul energy that Darcel assumed to be some sort of soul tracker.

    After taking a slight pause, an idea quickly formed in his mind, and he spoke up to the group next. "I see; thank you for the information. We never really got the time to read up on the geography of our region. But, I just have to say, before we continue on, those pendants in your hands. Are they soul items?"

    This time, the man in the middle, who was the tallest of the four, smiled at the duo and answered Darcel.

    "You would be right in thinking these are soul items. More specifically, they''re pendants used to seek out soul treasures, among many other uses. And abruptly, all four of our pendants went haywire and led us to you two. Seeing as you could already identify these as soul items, I assume one of you have something soul related on yourself?

    Before answering, Darcel and Aniela shared a brief look between them.

    At this point, it truly wasn''t such a bad idea to try and tag along with this group of Innate Core warriors.

    They all seemed friendly enough and obviously have a specific reason for approaching them. But most of all, Darcel and Aniela simply have no other sense of direction and could only hope to get lucky in finding civilization without them.

    "Mnh¡­.ah! Well, actually, we are always told by our mentors that our souls are extraordinary and powerful. So those Mage''s pendants, well, it just picked up on our special souls!" Aniela spoke in an assured, confident tone that left no room for argument.

    Still, the three men and woman had some slight doubts on their faces.

    "Special souls?"

    They all questionably said as they all first thought Darcel or Aniela may just have a unique soul artifact on themselves. Plenty of Sects are known to have such items.

    But genuinely having their own special souls? It was a bit hard to believe!

    After all, even though the men and the woman live in a much stronger Province. They only know about rare talents that would have extraordinary and powerful souls.

    Seeing the apparent doubts on their faces, Darcel and Aniela decided it wouldn''t hurt to show off a bit. Though, they were only going as far enough to convince them of their souls being special.

    "Special like this." Darcel confidently stated while he and Aniela began slightly surging their souls.

    "You two¡­.ah?"

    The middle man was going to talk again until his, and his other group members'' blank pendants began rumbling!

    The bright white glowing radiance had only become more robust as if they just encountered a spectacular treasure.

    All of their eyes snapped back to Darcel and Aniela, only to be slightly stunned. Wisps of beautiful white light sparked out of the duo like flashes of electricity.

    In this situation, the men and women could only conclude that somehow these kids truly can mobilize their souls!

    Their pendants still directly pinpointed on them and couldn''t be mistaken for it just being a mere soul artifact treasure. Even for the men and woman, they could feel their souls'' slightly stir from the duo''s special soul powers.

    The three men went silent and into deep contemplation.

    While the women decided to boldly comment on them, saying, "That¡­.that indeed is pretty special. At least, I have never seen someone using their souls like this!"

    "Hehehe~, by the fact you even need these pendants, I can tell you four seem to be in some need. Darcel and I could possibly help with this as you see we''re rather¡­.completely lost. Oh! By the way, my name is Aniela."

    This time the three men and the woman fell silent. Now they are armed with the knowledge that it wasn''t accidental that their pendants led them here.

    And going by their pendants, their help would actually be remarkably valuable.

    So, the woman decided to step up to the plate and introduced her whole group. She gave the duo a warm smile while telling them, "It''s a pleasure to meet you both, Darcel and Aniela. My name is Fruna, the man to my right is Hurey, and those two are Robert and Reyney."

    As Fruna was on the left end of the ground, she went in order to introduce them.

    Darcel and Aniela saw she pointed at Hurey as the middle man, beside him was Robert, and beside him was Reyney.

    "We''re all heading to a relatively special place where you can only get through if your soul is strong enough. However, this doesn''t exclude the usage of soul items or soul related items. So if you want to help us, you''ll have no need to worry about regular cultivation level."

    Fruna went to thoroughly explain where they were heading. And following in her lead, Hurey nodded and picked up, saying,

    "If you truly want to help us, then I suppose you two could help us fuel the barrier these pendants will form. Our combined soul powers should be enough then. Oh, and don''t worry. We''ll see to it you''ll be handsomely rewarded if we get through that place."

    Though a bit sudden, Fruna, Hurey, Robert, and Reyney knew enlisting these kids'' help wouldn''t be such a bad idea.

    Their pendants already proved their worth; furthermore, their cultivation is so low they''re practically not a threat in any shape or form. They simply had nothing to lose.

    "Well then, if it''s just doing that, it''s no harm to us. By the way, do you four all hail from a certain group?" Darcel spoke up to ask this time since they did all seem to be at least coordinated.

    "Ah, we come from a relatively powerful band of adventurers known as The Nobe''s Fang group. And our motto is that we''re always willing to take in new adventures who may want to join."

    Fruna suggestively explained, leading the kids for some road in the future.

    Frankly, if these youths could actually get them through that special area, Fruna and the others would most definitely want these talents to join their groups.

    And even then, their pendants'' reactions already gave them a referral about joining.

    "Oh? Well, isn''t that just a great motto, Darcel? Let''s get to it then! Don''t worry about us Fruna, we''ll follow right behind!" Aniela brightly flashed them a broad smile, and even Darcel gave an elegant smile to them.

    Hurey, Robert, Reynay, and Fruna were really starting to quickly like Aniela''s bombastic, energetic energy.

    Nodding the duo, Hurey had then told them, "At our distance, it won''t be long before we get there. While we walk, we''ll inform you more about this special place. It''s quite¡­.perciluar."

 Inevitability

    Several ten thousand kilometers away from the fourth rank Province, over Necrotic City, there seemed to be a growing light shine in the clouds.

    The once melancholic atmosphere that had suddenly plagued the City appeared to be clearing up.

    All major sects and institutions were steadily gathering new information that will slowly change everyone''s future in the City.

    Specifically, in the Zakira Academy, a haste shift was undergoing unknown to nearly all of the Academy.

    Inside Principal Zakria''s office, three beautiful women were gathered there. It was, of course, Principal Zakira herself, Vice Principal Zelle, and surprisingly, the third-ranked middle-level student Hao Cao.

    Vice Principal Zelle still retained her stunning beautiful appearance that was revealed in the forest. And when combined with Principal Zakira''s already astounding beauty, it made for a deadly combination.

    Under regular times for a student like Hao Cao, she would''ve been overly ecstatic to meet with her Heavenly King Principal and to see Vice Principal Zelle''s authentic appearance.

    However, she was anything but ecstatic.

    A serious, concerning expression dawned on her face, similar to Principal Zakira and Vice-Principal Zelle. Together with Principal Zakira, Hao Cao was putting her hand on the purple crystal orbs that floated above Principal Zakira''s desk.

    To the side, Vice-Principal Zelle watched on in silence, giving Principal Zakira and Hao Cao full concentration. Several thoughts rummaged in her mind as she anxiously waited on the upcoming news.

    A few days have passed since the death-defying fight in the Necropolis Woods.

    And Vice Principal Zelle wanted to say she was surprised, but she half-expected the already swift response the whole Necrotic City is taking.

    After all, the colossal blue shine that covered the whole expansive Necropolis Woods was quite literally possible to ignore. That shine had not only blinded her vision but also expanded for several hundred kilometers!

    On the same day, Darcel, Aniela, and that horrid looking man seemingly disappeared in the Woods. Vice Principal Zelle managed to sneakily come back to the Academy with Elder Leweyn and Erin without causing any stir.

    Principal Zakira immediately informed her that everyone in the City, including their Academy, was fascinated by the blinding blue flash.

    As Principal Zakira informed her of the news, she wasn''t even shocked by Vice Principal Zelle''s new stunning appearance.

    But her mind was worried about Darcel and Aniela. During their whole fight in the Woods, she couldn''t make a single prediction about how they would end up.

    Vice Principal Zelle had then told her she doesn''t have a clear idea of the duo''s wellbeing either.

    She had stayed for a couple of hours in the same spot when they had faced the horrid looking man, and yet neither Darcel nor Aniela came back.

    Vice Principal Zelle wanted to stay longer, but her senses suddenly picked up upcoming Spirit Monsters roaming to her spots. And not in the most optimal state to fight, Vice-Principal Zelle had no other options but to leave without even knowing what happened to Darcel and Aniela.

    Because of this, Vice Principal Zelle wanted to quickly explore back into the Woods after getting somewhat healed, but Principal Zakira stopped her.

    She claimed the situation is too chaotic now and had instead sent their best Scouters to explore the Woods.

    And in merely a day, their Scouters told them that people couldn''t help but explore the Woods again. Furthermore, during this new exploration, everyone who went into the Woods was able to come back home!

    This led to word getting steadily stirred around that the Necropolis Woods are now safe to explore over the past few days.

    Armed with this new knowledge, more adventurous cultivators took up to explore to satisfy their burning curiosity of the unknown Woods.

    One small peculiar thing Vice-Principal Zelle noticed was how Elder Leweyn and Erin were still staying inside their Academy. It was reasonable, seeing as those frightening creatures and that horrid man severely damaged and drained their souls.

    But still, Vice Principal Zelle wasn''t actively keen on them staying for any extra amount of time. However, among all of those subject matters and worries, her biggest concern was still Darcel and Aniela''s wellbeing.

    Admittedly, she was growing quite fond and attached to those enigmatic kids.

    Unlike any other students, they were a breath of fresh air. They never hesitated to speak their minds and took everything at their own pace. Some sort of intimate mentor and disciple bond was starting to build between them before it was all abruptly taken away.

    At this point, Vice Principal Zelle didn''t even care for their outrageous talent or latent potential; she only wanted them to be safe.

    So when after few days passing and none of Principal Zakira''s sources picked up on Darcel or Aniela, she took matters into her own hand.

    Just earlier today, Vice-Principal Zelle decided to go undercover along with a team of their best trackers to find any traces of Darcel and Aniela.

    Elder Leweyn currently wasn''t a possibility, seeing as the duo quite literally left nothing about themselves in the Academy. Plus, he was also still not at his most optimal state for tracking.

    With her speed Vice Principal, Zelle managed to cover the several hundred kilometers of Necropolis Woods in just a few hours.

    Unfortunately, her results left her more than disappointed. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    There wasn''t even a trace of Darcel and Aniela in the Woods! At least she couldn''t pick up a hint of them.

    As for her best trackers, they still haven''t got back to her during her own search.

    But when Vice Principal Zelle wanted to call and ask about their progress. Principal Zakira recalled for Vice Principal Zelle to come to her office, saying she could make a clear lead on the duo''s whereabouts.

    It was finally how they came to this situation where after Principal Zakira did a brief explanation to Hao Cao. She was conjoining her foresight powers with Hao Cao''s sixth sense powers.

    Principal Zakira assumed this was the most likely option to peer in some form of Darcel and Aniela''s near future.

    Although for Hao Cao, all she needed to hear was that Darcel and Aniela could be in grave danger to immediately start helping out.

    Besides her brother and her older sister, Hao Cao could safely say she was the closest to Darcel and Aniela out of everyone in the Academy.

    And they only knew each other for a few weeks!

    But those few weeks spent with them was one of the most unrestrained fun times she ever had with someone that wasn''t her siblings. And after their death-defying time in the Black Dungeon Labyrinth, Hao Cao could honestly say they are her real friends.

    Time had quickly passed in the silent anticipating room.

    Vice Principal Zelle didn''t know how long, but she reckoned at least half an hour or so already passed. With this amount of time, Vice Principal Zelle was starting to assume this may even take all night.

    But right then, a bright glistening purple flash radiated in Principle Zakria''s pupils!

    She stared intensely inside the floating purple crystal orb, finally feeling a vision appearing in it.

    Hao Cao, however, only felt her soul continuously tingle.

    It was a shivering tingle that didn''t cause discomfort and only raised her curiosity. She couldn''t see what Principal Zakira was observing but already anxiety built up in her.

    And finally, after ten crushing seconds, Principal Zakira looked up and told the two women, "They''re alive. But¡­ .they''re far, extremely far away from us."

    Her answer caused some slight worries to alleviate Vice-Principal Zakira''s  Hao Cao''s minds but also raised some significant concerns.

    "Well? Just how far?" Vice Principal Zelle asked rather hastily.

    "In an extreme region of ice and snow. Specifically, somewhere in the middle of the Icy Cloud Province." Principal Zakira patiently and calmly explained to them, not minding Vice-Principal Zelle''s hastiness.

    "The Icy Cloud Province?!?"

    However, Vice Principal Zelle and Hao Cao had more intense reactions.

    After all, what they just heard was the Icy Cloud Province! The fourth-ranked Province out of the whole nine!

    A Province being assigned a rank isn''t just for cosmetic or distance purposes. No, everyone from the ninth rank Province and until the fifth rank Province knows the Icy Cloud Province is the start of real monstrous powerhouses!

    To several thousand years old ancient experts, monstrous genius youths, and exotic, deadly Spirit Monsters. The Icy Cloud Province is what many consider the real start of one cultivation journey.

    But, that''s only if one is at a sufficiently high enough realm and is prepared for it!

    Even with the heaven-defying prowess Darcel and Aniela have. Being able to beat mere peak True Soul Core cultivators is nothing compared to Innate Core powerhouses and the terrifying Heavenly Kings.

    "This¡­.this¡­.we have to plan to get them back immediately. They''ll be eaten alive as mere fresh meat out in there."

    Vice Principal Zelle quickly said, and Hao Cao was in full agreement with her.

    Yet, Principal Zakira still remained tranquil and poised.

    "Don''t get too riled up now. The distance between us is tremendous. None of us in the Academy are strong enough to go on a solo mission, and we can''t take away manpower considering our equal rivals. But¡­.don''t fret. Darcel and Aniela will use this as a great opportunity."

    "....Great opportunity? I''m sorry, Principal, but what do you mean by that?" Hao Cao asked her question as respectfully as possible but still had the courage to pry into Principal Zakira''s mind.

    Yet Principal Zakira didn''t mind and gave the child a slight but beautiful smile.

    "For heaven defying talents like them, there isn''t a single one that doesn''t thrive under the most dangerous settings and situations. Being in that Province will most definitely explosively increase their prowess to a degree, not even we can provide. Moreover, I will have an accurate enough reading to know when it will be necessary to intervene."

    Principal Zakira spoke with utter confidence, leaving no room for error in her tone.

    Even before her first meeting with Darcel and Aniela, her attention had always been on the duo. No matter what, she won''t leave those unique kids to simply meet an unfortunate death.

    "Haah¡­.I suppose you are right. The current situation is still too chaotic, plus the Yoderine institution is still our biggest concern besides the Quicksilver Roc sect. But when everything is settled, we most definitely must try to help in the future." Vice Principal Zelle still had determined eyes and wouldn''t relent on this point.

    Hao Cao''s mind, however, was flashing back at scenes in the Labyrinth.

    More specifically, the undeniable soothing warmth she felt when Darcel held her in his arms.

    Or the soothing tranquility she had when Aniela wrapped her up in her gentle telekinesis powers. Even under near death danger, those two somehow just found a way to keep her mind the most serene and relaxed.

    Which is why she just had to speak up and blurt out, "Principal Zakira. Instead of using manpower or waiting around, can I request for me, Joyce, and Shai Xia to go out and help them? Surely-"

    "Rejected. That kind of bravery for friends is commendable but not you, Joyce, nor Xia holds the talent to strive as they would. Furthermore, to travel across the five other Provinces would require every one of you to be at least a high low-level Heavenly King. Something that takes even the most talented of geniuses around our Province at least tens of years just to reach the half step level."

    Principal Zakria didn''t spare her words, but they were the blunt truth that she needed to hear.

    "Ah, Hao Cao, can you stop for a minute. Vice Principal Zelle and I have important matters to discuss. I will call for you later." She continued on to say as Hao Cao had a slightly stunned expression.

    Her face went through slight multiple changes as if she wanted to say something else. But, in the end, she relented and nodded towards Principal Zakria without another word.

    Although as she walked out, Principal Zakira''s words rummaged inside her word. The thought of not being able to help didn''t sit well at all.

    A goal was starting to become inspired in her mind. And unknown to her, several changes were beginning to form in her soul.

    As Hao Cao left, Principal Zakira squinted her eyes at her lovely back. A slight purple flash illuminated her eyes, but it went unknown to Vice Principal Zelle.

    "Are you planning on dealing with the chaotic situation of the Necropolis Woods already?" All alone, Vice-Principal Zelle suddenly asked.

    "Yes¡­.but we will go at it slowly and discreetly. From your descriptions, it appears as the ring leaders consisting of those creatures and that man are all disposed of. At least, there are no traces of that man in the Woods or the whole City. Still, those possessed humans are a problem. We''ll obverse and snipe any situation that is convenient for us for now."

    "As you wish, Zakira." Though Vice-Principal Zelle nodded, her mind still couldn''t let go of Darcel and Aniela. "Do you really think they can survive?"

    Towards her question of concern, Principal Zakira briefly closed her eyes for a second. And in the next, she snapped them back open, telling her,

    "All I can say for use is our next meeting with them will cause inevitable, irreversible changes. I don''t know how, what or when it will happen. But it will be an unavoidable meeting."

    Slight fluctuation feelings course in Vice Principal Zelle''s mind until she simply exudes a tired sigh, "At least they will be alive. Alright, for now, let''s just put our full attention in these ghastly Woods."

 Misty Haze Pits

    On the Plunged Tundra''s glistening blue icy roads, a group consisting of six varying cultivators merrily traveled along. The group was, of course, Darcel, Aniela, and the four from the Nobe''s Fang group.

    Since they agreed to join in with them, Darcel and Aniela had a small thought brewing in their back of their minds.

    Specifically, the route they were heading was the same direction they had first chosen to go down.

    During their time walking, Darcel and Aniela realized they could''ve possibly stumbled upon the special area the Nobe''s Fang group were heading to without even realizing it.

    It was a small thought of concern pertaining the duo''s minds considering it was Aniela''s intuition that led the starting guide over here.

    But, Darcel and Aniela pushed down this thought for later in favor of conversing with the Nobe''s Fang group.

    Another oddity they had noticed during their walk was the absolute lack of people on this specific icy road. Still, Darcel and Aniela haven''t seen a single soul besides the Nobe''s Fang group.

    Yet this didn''t stop the conversations from smoothly flowing between them.

    Darcel and Aniela were genuinely starting to realize something about themselves now.

    Their facets of charisma are impressively high! At least, that''s what Darcel and Aniela thought in their minds.

    The duo was able to keenly observe how Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all took some sort of liking to them.

    Either it was Darcel''s own straight-laced and, as he says, realist answers. Or Aniela''s bubbly, magnetic, energetic charm, the Nobe''s group found it hard to have a reason to find these kids suspicious.

    Though out of everyone, Darcel and Aniela found that Fruna was the most open and talkative to them. She readily responded to any questions they had and was generally enjoyable to talk to.

    As for the case of right now, Aniela was asking, "Soo, what is the nearest city or town or any kind of place out in these snowy lands? From the looks of it, this environment doesn''t seem like the¡­.best to live in."

    While Aniela asked, Darcel picked up on the snow falling even harder on this route.

    Furthermore, there weren''t any more multiple blue icy roads surrounding them, leaving only this lone road left.

    For the increase in heavy snowfall, Darcel and the others didn''t pay it any mind. Even in heavy rainfall, would a cultivator''s powerful body let them shrug off any natural weather fall.

    The only odd thing Darcel could say about the sudden harder snowfall was the snow feelings as if they got heavier. But he didn''t think much of it and continue to listen to Fruna as she began to respond to Aniela.

    "I see¡­.for people unfamiliar with these lands, it''s easy to believe that. However, you would be surprised at the adaptability of Mage''s and cultivators working together. The closest town here is where our group hail from, called Maowold Town. We can show you two it after this event."

    "Oh, really? That would be great! Given how charitable you all are to us, I already have a good impression of the town!"

    Aniela brightly exclaims, causing Fruna to give her a warm smile.

    She had to admit this girl was charming and vibrant. Fruna never would''ve thought that she would meet someone just bursting with energy, but most things in her life never came as predictable.

    "I''m glad to hear you think so favorably of us. I''m sure you would get along swimmingly with our people back at home."

    As Fruna told this, Darcel''s eyes quickly snapped towards the three men''s reactions.

    When Fruna first talked about them joining their group, Darcel didn''t see any noticeable odd reactions from them. Yet, he could''ve sworn he saw a slight shift in Robert''s eyes during the first time.

    And now, as they had the time to rummage on their thoughts, Darcel was able to pick up a quick change in expression from Robert, Reyney, and Hurey.

    Robert, Reyney seemed like they had something to say, yet they quickly changed their mind about it.

    While Hurey briefly spouted a slightly worried frown. Since he did catch this, Darcel was going to smoothly bring attention to this without arousing suspicions.

    However, when he opened his mouth to talk, he felt something harder than snow land on his head.

    "Huh? Hail?" Darcel spoke out loud and reached out his hand.

    And for sure, he felt and saw little round solid blue icy droplets fall onto his hand. "Just how far are we from the place?" Darcel asked while looking over to Aniela, putting her hand out in a slightly surprised manner.

    Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all didn''t have any reaction to the hail.

    They kept their steady stride as Hurey had then turned his head to explain to Darcel,

    "Well, just stop and look down right about¡­.now."

    On Hurey call, all six of them abruptly stopped. And doing as he said, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes trailed down to the ground.

    Surprisingly the first thing they noticed was they came upon a cliff.

    The cliff ran several meters down, but it was hard to even see this short distance. Hail crazily picked up in its intensity down the cliff, storming the whole area, making it extremely difficult to look through.

    Darcel and Aniela''s enhanced eyes couldn''t properly see through it. And not even Fruna, Robert, Reynay, and Hurey''s Innate Core eyes could see clearly in the raging hail.

    "Oh my! So this is the infamous Misty Haze Pits! Never quite seen something like this before, right Darcy?"

    "Indeed, it''s even harder to see through than those Woods," Darcel answered as he and Aniela got right near the edge of the cliff.

    Their bodies bent down as much as possible, trying to get a good view of the area.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    Before arriving here, Fruna already took it upon herself to explain to them the infamous Misty Haze Pits.

    It was confirmed by many cultivation experts that no matter how high your realm is, it''s merely impossible to get through these Pits.

    Around their town, the only known record of going deep into the Misty Haze Pits is only one titled Heavenly King cultivator making it two miles deep.

    But this Heavenly King possessed an extremely rare soul that even allowed him to go that far. When hearing this, the question that boggled Darcel and Aniela''s mind was, why are so many cultivation experts still trying to go through this seemingly impossible place anyway?

    And the simple answer Fruna told them was the chance of a lucky extraordinary treasure.

    The same Heavenly King that made it two miles deep also manage to score a fantastic treasure that made him a top tier expert even among peak level Heavenly Kings!

    There were also other such records of even far weaker cultivators with soul helping Artifacts, talismans, or items trudging through the Misty Haze Pits and finding life-changing treasures.

    Darcel and Aniela even knew that Fruna''s group had attempted to go down the Misty Haze Pits before only to test waters.

    And their results were not even making it a half-mile through. But they had found one exotic medicine herb that they brought back to their band of adventurers.

    "So? Just how exactly will our formation work?" Darcel looked over to ask Fruna''s group while still remaining at the edge with Aniela.

    Looking over to their group did cause Darcel to be slightly bemused.

    Fruna, Robert, Reynay, and Hurey were trying to not let it show on their faces, but Darcel could see it. The ever slight twitching of their lips, attempting to cover up their small surprise.

    Genuinely, Fruna''s group eyebrows all started to unconsciously crease. They just couldn''t get it. All four of them already felt their souls get slightly suppressed and pressured from merely standing near the edge.

    It made things a bit uncomfortable to stand, and surely, anybody would''ve picked up on this suppression.

    Yet, Darcel and Aniela seemed to either not notice the suppression¡­.or they simply didn''t feel any suppression at all!

    Admittedly, they could''ve guessed something like this could happen considering what they had experienced with the pendants.

    But still, seeing it is entirely different from expecting it!

    ".... It''s straightforward, kid; all we need to do line up side by side and pour our soul powers at the same time to get these pendants roaring. And in you two cases¡­.you can just do what you did with Fruna before and transfer your soul powers into her."

    Robert spoke up to explain to the duo, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible.  The method of using soul Artifacts or soul related Artifacts is a considerable gamble that all cultivators coming here decided to bet on.

    There wasn''t any case of the Misty Haze Pits being dangerously deadly. Still, it''s a toss-up on how effective one''s soul Artifact would be.

    The only difference for Fruna, Robert, Reynay, and Hurey is they had planned this move for a long time. They all saved and combined their resources just to have a slim chance of getting whatever great treasure that lies in these Pits.

    "Just like what we discussed previously. These pendants will simply suck up any soul power for anyone that can even slightly mobilize their souls. Like what you two also did before, just put your hands on my shoulder and repeat." Fruna calmly smiled at the duo and explained.

    "Alright! Let''s get this treasure hunt going!" Aniela was getting pumped by the minute.

    The unknown of not being able to see clearly in the Misty Haze Pits was really getting to her. She must have this oddity become undone!

    And in order, Robert, Reynany, Hurey, and Fruna all lined up from right to left. At the left end of the line, Darcel and Aniela put their hands on Fruna''s shoulder and waited.

    Hurey had then spoken up this time, telling them all, "On my signal. One¡­.two¡­.three, now!"

    In sync, he, Robert, Reynay, Fruna all poured their soul powers into the blank white pendants.

    ''Chi!''

    Simultaneously, all four of the pendants were illuminated in a radiant, bright white shine!

    A luminous white soul barrier began to quickly form around the group, and it was then Darcel, and Aniela willed their souls.

    "Oh, Oh?!"

    Hurey, Robert, Reynay, and even Fruna all couldn''t contain their surprise then. Previously Fruna had first hand experienced the process of Darcel and Aniela transferring some of their soul energy to her.

    But the energy they are using now massively trumps over the past!

    Instantly, the soul barrier became fully completed and exuded a brighter shine than if it was just the four of them alone.

    "Holy hell! You kids really know how to hide it!"

    Reyney suddenly exclaimed, unable to contain his slight excitement. He and the others all felt their confidence tremendously boost now.

    Initially, they only hoped to get lucky to make it a few miles in the first layer of the Misty Haze Pits and discover a great treasure.

    But now, their expectations shot through the roof!

    Because of Fruna transferring their powers to the pendants, they all could feel and experience the incredible power of Darcel and Aniela''s unique souls.

    What they felt right then was simply put, magical.

    "Hehehe~! I knew you all would be blown off your feet!" Both Aniela and Darcel were smirking at their reactions.

    Just this small amount of their soul powers already changed this much. There was no telling how far their Darkness Soul links would push the pendants if they chose to use it.

    "Right, right. But let''s all not get ahead of ourselves. This area still won''t be a walk in the park to get through." Fruna quickly reminded them all.

    And under her words, the whole group quickly sober again.

    In sync, all six of them leaped off the cliff and dived straight down the hail storm. The fall was a bit steep, and they soon gently sink their feet in the soft, smooth snow of the Misty Haze Pits.

    "Just like last time¡­.barely can see anything." Hurey remarked as he tried to squint his eyes to see through the hail storm to little avail.

    The sound of crackling droplets of hail bouncing off their soul barrier slithered in the group''s ears while they adjusted themselves.

    Being in the Misty Haze Pits now, neither Darcel nor Aniela felt any suppression or pressure. Their face retained their calm yet eager expression, already thinking this won''t be so bad.

    "Be careful not to slow down, you two. We''ll be relying on our soul power to speed through here." Fruna concernedly reminded Darcel and Aniela. To which the duo smirked at her though she wouldn''t be able to see it.

    "Don''t worry, our hands are like glue on you." Darcel confidently stated and gave Fruna''s shoulder a gentle, firm squeeze.

    Promptly then, an abrupt sly idea pops into Darcel''s mind.

    Because he was just strictly using pure soul essence and not his Darkness part of his soul, Fruna wouldn''t feel any different to his touch.

    But Darcel was half attempted to subtly try and affect her only in a very light way.

    However, he went against the idea to do it now, but he let the thought swim in the back of his mind for later.

    Retaining back his focus, Darcel and the others quickly tensed their bodies to adjust to the soul powers.

    "The pendants are pointing....this way!" Hurey called out, and everyone was ready.

    ''Hua!''

    Swift like the wind, the whole group of six blasted off with flying speeds, being in complete synchronization. The flurry of snow piled on the ground split apart beneath their wake as they tore through the blinding hail.

    Hail violently smashed into their soul barrier, bringing on a ringing sound in the group''s ears, but no one paid attention to it.

    Their progress was quick, and in several minutes, they already crossed a whole mile!

    Fruna, Robert, Reynany, and Hurey all had to intensely concentrate at this point. A noticeable suppression began to weigh on their souls even with Darcel and Aniela''s tremendous help.

    Darcel and Aniela, though, were doing relatively okay. They felt something trying to affect their souls, but it wasn''t sufficient enough for suppression.

    And as the group crossed over the two miles threshold, the suffocating soul suppression was steadily increasing, and the hail turned got even more violent.

    They all soon realized things are only going to get more gruesome from here on out.

 Taken By Storm

    With every step they trudge through the snowy ground, Darcel and Aniela were finally beginning to see why these Misty Haze Pits are so infamous.

    A subtle, powerful suppression steadily increased on their souls every time they took even one further step.

    Fruna, Robert, Reynay, and Hurey was finding it significantly harder to withstand the suppression by the time they reached the fifth-mile threshold.

    Yet none of them stopped or complained and continued to trudge through.

    Their speed had vastly decreased since they first started running through the hail storms. Minutes just seemed to blend into hours as the group grueling forced themselves past the soul suppression.

    And after who knows how long, the group of six all made it to the tenth-mile threshold!

    Although no one there was excited or joyful.

    Fruna, Robert, Reynay, and Hurey were all violently gnashing their teeth together as evident pain filled their eyes.

    Even now, Darcel and Aniela''s faces turned deadly serious.

    For Fruna and her group, their souls got crushingly suppressed to the paint of giving them stinging pain.

    While Darcel and Aniela felt a noticeably uncomfortable suppression.

    The six of them abruptly stopped moving then. Fruna took a deep breath and began to ask, "Is-Is everyone still good to go?" Amazingly enough, she forced down the stinging pain caused by her soul to talk to everyone.

    "We''re good."

    Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all spoke at the same time and then quickly shut up after.

    The stinging pain coursing their bodies nearly made them want to spit out vile blood from the back of their throat. Yet they all held on and pushed the feeling down.

    "Just don''t get overzealous now! We''re also good." From the back, Aniela spoke the loudest to reassure them.

    "She''s right, you know. Soul suppression pressure can lead to irreversible damages." Darcel also spoke up in concern to them.

    "O-oh¡­.would you look at this? Heh¡­.we''re the one that is supposed to be saying that to our young members. Hah¡­." Fruna was the only one that managed to crack a painful smile and lightly joke.

    Although, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey acted like they didn''t hear the concerns at all. They simply focus on trying to stabilize the pain running through their bodies.

    "Hehe~, you should call it when we should go again, Fruna,"

    Aniela suggested while also not minding the men''s lack of reaction. Darcel also didn''t mind it, but he had paid attention to it.

    Once again, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey didn''t speak up. Though their eyes did travel to Fruna as in a silent agreement. She was the one that appeared to have the most tolerance against soul suppression.

    Fruna herself tried to remain as steady as possible. Since the duo suggested it and her members were giving the silent agreement, she decided to take up the responsibility.

    "Ok¡­.on three. One¡­.two¡­.three!"

    Far slower than the flying speeds they had when first coming here, all six of them began running through the snow in sync.

    The hail fiercely smashed against their soul barrier as if it was trying to shatter it.

    Everything became nearly impossible to see, and the soul suppression for Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey only became more grueling.

    After what seemed like hours, the group finally made it to the twentieth-mile threshold!

    "So-so-so c-cold!" Robert''s body was quivering nonstop from sheer freezing temperatures. He, Fruna, Reyney, and Hurey all forcibly stopped as their bodies trembled from unbearable shivers.

    The icy shiver crazily trickles up their spines as if their bodies were going to freeze internally. This, combined with a soul suppression that made it difficult to breathe, made the experience nearly torturous for Fruna''s group.

    Darcel and Aniela as well weren''t spared from the cold or powerful soul suppression.

    Now even they find it difficult to move any part of their bodies. Their souls nearly got entirely suppressed, and freezing chills ran down their spines.

    "Aniela! The link!"

    Finally, Darcel decided he had enough of the soul suppression and called out to Aniela.

    "Alright!" Aniela responded in kind, and using their other hands, they tightly clasped each other''s hands.

    "What are those¡­.?!?"

    Reyney was quietly muttering to himself as he, Robbery, Hurey, and Fruna all heard the duo''s mighty shouts. Yet no one knew what the hell they were going to do.

    That is until they all abruptly widen their eyes akin to saucers.

    The power of Darcel and Aniela''s Darkness soul link quickly erupted into Fruna! And through Fruna, the whole group felt a tremendous surge of power course in their soul barrier.

    However, even with the boost of power, it didn''t mean the situation just automatically become better.

    "Even¡­.even with this¡­.I don''t know how long any one of us can keep on going." Hurey struggles to say in between panted breaths.

    The suppression on their souls before already neared them to the point of collapsing. And all Darcel and Aniela Darkness''s soul link did for the group was energize them just to stay up for a few extra minutes.

    "Still! With this, we can''t just give up here! I feel the pendant getting more intense; we must be close! Let''s keep moving!" Fruna, feeling the full brunt of Darcel and Aniela''s Darkness Soul link, managed to shout at the three men explosively.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    And encouraged by her words, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all grit their teeth shouting, "Fine!" right back at her.

    All the while, Darcel and Aniela felt the soul suppression lessen for them. Though it was still a notable pressure encompassing their bodies.

    "Then let''s not wait, let''s make haste!" Darcel roared from the back this time, feeling his Darkness soul link powers course in his veins.

    And on his words, the whole group of six began moving again!

    Their pace now became a light jog. The soul suppression of Fruna''s group was steadily overpowering Darcel and Aniela''s Darkness Soul link with every step taken now.

    It already was putting them back on the verge of collapsing with each step they took now.

    At this point, Darcel and Aniela were about to attempt something they just decided against hours ago. But, against this soul suppression, they wanted to see the absolute peak they could go before going all out.

    For two more grueling miles, somehow, the group of six all manage to trudge through the soul suppression!

    Fruna tightly clenched her soul pendant, feeling the rumbles on it get intense. It deluded her into thinking they may be right next to the treasure.

    However, right then, the six of them all came to a screeching halt once again. Only this time, their ears picked up on a fierce gush of wind roaring to them like a thunderous storm!

    "I-I-I can''t move!!"

    Robert shrieked with utter despair feeling his whole body completely lock up now. Fruna, Reyney, and Hurey also felt their bodies entirely freeze.

    Now ten of miles deep in the Misty Haze Pits, their souls were utterly suppressed in every way! The freezing cold as well penetrated into the bones causing shivering piercing pain that none of them could try and solve.

    Only Darcel and Aniela could still move, but their souls were at the absolute peak of suppression. And hearing the gushes of winds storming around them, the duo knew they couldn''t help Fruna''s group anymore.

    The two exchanged a glance at each other. Their eyes detailing they have no chance but to go all out for themselves.

    Yet when they were right about to do that, the storm of winds began to directly affect everyone''s clothes.

    Despite the radiant white soul barrier shielding them, all six of them felt their clothes and hair crazily rustle under extreme winds.

    Nobody could tell just what was happening until a colossal force came blasting towards them.

    "Ah¡­.Ahh!!"

    Suddenly Darcel and Aniela felt chaotic storms of winds penetrate right inside their soul barrier while hearing Fruna''s group shriek. The duo also felt Fruna flew from their grasps.

    They themselves weren''t flung by the wind because of their tremendous souls'' powers, but it didn''t help lessen the situation.

    Darcel tightly clenched Aniela''s hand, and his eyes didn''t try to glance at Fruna''s group.

    Instead, his eyes picked up on the soul pendant floating in midair right in front of his face. Quickly, Darcel snatched up the pendant before it could get flung by the wind, causing a white shine to enrich his and Aniela''s body.

    Simultaneously, Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey couldn''t even tell what was happening. Their bodies were like ragdolls, getting violently tossed around by the chaotic winds.

    They still couldn''t move on their own, yet they were helpless under this fierce wind strike.

    And once they were thrown several meters into the air, Fruna''s group all felt the air pressure suddenly become even more intense!

    ''Bang!''

    Without a chance to resist, the chaotic winds collided with Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey, blasting them backward into the stormy hail. Their bodies became mere specks in their distance as they got savagely flung back.

    Darcel and Aniela couldn''t even pay attention to this.

    While Fruna''s group got flung, the duo had then fully unleashed their Darkness Soul link full power!

    ''Chi!''

    The luminous white glow shrouding Darcel and Aniela became brighter and more pronounced. Their bodies stayed rooted to the ground, and their souls were able to destroy some of the soul suppression weighing on them.

    However, the full might of their Darkness soul link still wasn''t enough to get a completely free reign of their bodies.

    "Fuuu¡­.it seems like it''s only us in here now, Darcy. I know we literally just promised hours ago to not do it. But for this place¡­.we need to go all out!"

    "I¡­.can''t deny you there. In any case, this place must have some sort of field around it protecting itself. Let''s do it." Darcel quickly relented and agreed with Aniela.

    If even their Darkness soul link full power couldn''t destroy the suppression, they would stand no chance for traversing deeper.

    Both Darcel and Aniela closed their eyes then. Against the roaring chaotic winds trying to sweep them up in a storm, the duo put all of their focus on touching upon the latent power of their souls.

    Seconds slowly dripped by, and Darcel and Aniela became as still as statues.

    Streaks of hypnotic Darkness radiance started to randomly burst from Darcel. And streaks of bright white Light began to randomly spew from Aniela.

    Their streaks of Darkness and white Light quickly became more intense until,

    ''Chi!''

    A massive burst of Darkness and white Light blasted from Darcel and Aniela, painting the hail storm world in a magical Darkness and Light blend.

    Their luminous white glowing soul barrier transformed into a Darkness-Light radiant soul barrier!

    Darcel and Aniela flung their eyes open at the same time. Tremendous power course through their veins, making them feel like they were on cloud nine.

    There was zero soul suppression weighing on their bodies, giving them free rein of their bodies.

    Darcel and Aniela both vividly remember every detail of their death-defying fight in the Woods. And most vividly, they recalled the latent massive power surge that burst from their souls and out of their chest.

    Darcel and Aniela couldn''t use the full extent of what they burst with from the woods but what they could use now was enough.

    As well the duo clearly felt the presence of Sari swimming in their souls, basically confirming the words of the horrid looking man when he said she had marked them.

    "Fuuu¡­.our soul power surge brings about a completely different feeling than our bloodline state! I feel a huge rush of excitement in my veins using my bloodline, but with my souls, it''s¡­ .it''s¡­."

    "Like steady sereness, right?" Darcel finished Aniela''s sentence for her.

    To which she rapidly nodded her head and then said, "Mnh! It''s probably the most calm I''ve ever been too! Soo¡­.where do we go from now?"

    Darcel gently caressed the soul pendant in his hand, hearing her question.

    Throughout this whole time, the soul pendant was still continuously rumbling. And in Darcel''s soul, he could feel where the pendant wanted them to go.

    Before answering Aniela, Darcel tossed his eyes around the hail storming place. He couldn''t see any of the other three pendants, concluding they must''ve run out of power and got swept by the storm.

    "This pendent¡­.I can feel where it wants us to go. Now that we don''t have to limit ourselves, our progress will be swift."

    Darcel explained to Aniela while running his thumb over the back of her hand.

    It caused soothing warmth to course between the duo, further adding to fight off the shivering coldness. Aniela didn''t respond to Darcel but simply nodded her head and tensed up her body.

    ''Hua!''

    And in a beautiful streak of Darkness and white Light, Darcel and Aniela blasted off, tearing through the hail storm!

    Their speed was immense, far surpassing the likes they had with Fruna''s group.

    The hard-hitting hail was merely shredded by the duo full power Darkness-Light soul barrier. They were unhindered in this place now, and in only a minute, they made god-like progress.

    To them, it felt like they already crossed several miles!

    And no matter how deep they went, the force trying to suppress their souls couldn''t affect them at all.

    It took a few minutes, but it was then Darcel felt as if they were about to reach some sort of dead end.

    And as he thought of it, he and Aniela witnessed it. Both Darcel and Aniela briefly pause as they came upon an odd bright blue sight.

 Unhindered

    Halting their forward progression was a profound blue barrier.

    The two couldn''t see past the barrier, and any hail that hit the barrier was absorbed into it. It is almost slightly mesmerizing to see the small blue hail get magically absorbed by the barrier.

    Truthfully it seemed like Darcel and Aniela may have to do something specific to get past the sudden blue barrier.

    But neither of the duos had the patience for that.

    In the most direct way possible, Darcel and Aniela charged right at the blue barrier!

    They were fully confident of their incredible surges of their full power souls and didn''t believe this mere barrier would stop them.

    ''Chi!''

    As they already expected, Darcel and Aniela easily tore through the blue barrier creating a massive hole behind them. And once on the other side of the blue barrier, the hole quickly reformed itself and closed up.

    Once on the other side, Darcel and Aniela were immediately greeted by a change of scenery.

    Instead of the blinding hail storm, it was now small rain of icicles storming around the snowy lands.

    The sound of Ice continuously breaking rang in Darcel and Aniela''s ears as whatever icicle happened to land on them was promptly destroyed by their Darkness-Light soul barrier.

    "A slight change of scenery but a nice change of scenery. I wonder if we had just now made a new record without anyone knowing about it." Darcel wonderingly said out loud.

    "Heeh¡­.in a way, we really did just made history! At least this will be a historical event in our minds. But now that we''re here, how far does the pendant want us to go?"

    Compared to Darcel, Aniela could only vaguely feel where the soul pendant wanted them to go. But she couldn''t accurately pinpoint the direction like Darcel could.

    "Mnn¡­.it''s saying¡­.this way." Darcel nudged his head towards the left a bit.

    Though he soon realized doing this was a bit pointless, seeing as he and Aniela had their hands clasped with each other.

    "Alright, let''s go!" Aniela felt every fiber of her being roar with palatable excitement.

    In sync once again, Darcel and Aniela became streaks of Darkness and white Light as they blasted off in the icicle storm.

    Just like the last place, the storm here made it extremely difficult to see anything. Yet visions weren''t so much of a problem seeing how Darcel got their pendant to guide them.

    Their speeds still remained steady and swift in this new place.

    The force trying to affect and suppress their souls did get stronger and even more violent. However, any attempt was still utterly useless against the full extent of Darcle and Aniela''s souls.

    The duo was unhindered, barreling through the icicle storm and crossed great distances for an unknown amount of time.

    Darcel and Aniela and felt like hours passed already.

    With their speed, the two calculated, they must''ve run for ten miles straight!

    And in actuality, only several minutes passed!

    Right as they passed the tenth-mile threshold, though, was when things began to change.

    The icicle storm that was pretty normal up to this point began to change.

    Darcel and Aniela saw as they were running, the icicle beginning to change their course to go directly at them!

    Still, the sharp icicles couldn''t damage their Darkness-Light soul barrier, but the duo did feel the impacts get more violent. The two could feel their barrier slightly quake as every single icicle burst upon impact.

    With the quick rapid steps they took, Darcel and Aniela found it magical how the icicle was suddenly changing.

    It was like a powerful cultivator that controlled the ice''s element was making the icicle storm directly target them. After all, if the duo were to, for some god unknown reason, dropped their soul barrier, then they would get accurately skewered instantaneously.

    And by the time they reached the thirty-mile landmark, every single speck of the icicle storm charged right at them.

    Darcel and Aniela briefly stopped to get a full view of the icicle hell they rushed into.

    They could at least see out of their Darkness-Light soul barrier and watch as the icicles smash and break against their soul barrier.

    Darcel momentarily wondered if using regular cultivation would be useful here if one soul was rapidly draining energy while defending. Although he guessed that would only drain a cultivator even more.

    Luckily for him and Aniela, despite their Darkness-Light soul barrier getting continuously clashed, their soul energy was still full and vibrant.

    "Oh, wow! This is almost magical to look at if it didn''t want our blood to paint the snow!"

    Aniela fluttered her eyebrows, enjoying the gorgeous sight of wisps of blue energy flying up into the air after every icicle was destroyed.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Still, neither of the duo could feel their soul weighing with suppression, allowing them to stop and witness magical sights like this.

    "As creative as this is, we still don''t know what kind of other traps lie in this place if it can make an icicle storm suddenly target only us. Let''s keep moving."

    ''Hua!''

    And without any further words, Darcel and Aniela blasted through the magical icicle storm and tore every icicle crashing against them.

    Constant pangs noises ranged in their ears, but nothing could stop their momentum.

    The piled-up snow on the ground grew in this place and flew everywhere in Darcel and Anieal''s mad dash.

    It wasn''t before long then that Darcel felt as if they were coming upon the end of this place. Only this time, he and Aniela felt an unfathomable sensation cross into their souls.

    Quickly a bright blue light entered their vision once again.

    From up ahead, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes could make out a familiar sight. It was once again another bright blue barrier halting any kind of progression.

    Though this blue barrier did have somewhat of a different appearance. Its blue coat shine just seemed a tad bit shinier, making it more luxurious looking.

    Furthermore, Darcel and Aniela could now clearly see the blue barrier surge with power. It was like the blue barrier was pulsating akin to a beating heart.

    Immense waves of power coursed in their air, making the atmosphere far more chaotic at this part of the place.

    "Hmmm¡­." Both Darcel and Aniela didn''t blindly rush in this time.

    The unfathomable sensation they felt was actually penetrating into their souls, clashing against them to weigh a notable suppression.

    The raging icicle storm was still targeting them specifically as well, relentlessly trying to pierce their soul barrier.

    They only took a few seconds to think, and then, an idea suddenly spawn in Darcel and Aniela''s minds. Their faces lifted up, and their eyes gained a twinkling shine.

    They wanted to test the waters of the blue barrier. So with a short hop, Darcel and Aniela got right next to the blue barrier.

    Darcel struck out with the fist that held the pendant, while Aniela struck out with her other hand towards the blue barrier.

    ''Bang!''

    A loud-sounding impact reverberated in the duo''s ears as they also felt like their hands had just clashed against impenetrable metal!

    Some surprise entered Darcel and Aniela''s eyes as this was a punch using the full extent of their soul powers.

    And yet, while the first blue barrier was easily torn through. This blue barrier remained firm and strong.

    "Hah! Great! And here I thought we would have no more fun here! Let''s hold absolutely nothing back now Darcy!" Aniela exclaimed with zealous excitement.

    Being pressured and challenge like this is one thing that would always get her engine roaring. And the fervent settlement was shared with Darcel going by the increasing battle-hungry smile dawning his face.

    "Indeed, let''s blast through here. Now since something can temporarily stop us, I hope we get something to actually fight against."

    Darcel balled the pendant in his hand and began to surge his slumbering bloodline.

    Aniela as well began surging her bloodline at the same time. Their bloodline arms quickly started to shine, and their completed wing tattoo markings swiftly appeared on their arms.

    In just a quick second, a luminous Darkness shine encased Darcel''s bloodline arm. And a radiant white Light glow enriched Aniela''s bloodline arm.

    Their bodies crackled with absolute power, feeling everything getting amplified by combining their bloodline powers with their soul powers.

    Darcel and Aniela weren''t sure anybody else had attempted this before, but it went smoothly for them.

    For a brief moment, Darcel and Aniela paused. They quickly surged their bloodline power to its highest degree, letting their Darkness-Light soul barrier crackle with immense power.

    And then, with zero hesitation, Darcel and Aniela jumped right towards the blue barrier!

    ''Chi!''

    Now, just like last time, Darcel and Aniela burst right through the barrier!

    A huge hole had opened up in the blue barrier; however, once the duo was on the other side, the barrier quickly repaired itself.

    Not looking behind them, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes reorientated on another new change of scenery. There wasn''t any ringing sound of crashes or violent gushes of stormy weather.

    Instead, what greeted the duo''s eyes was a misty fog that made it nearly impossible to clearly see like all other previous weather conditions.

    Yet, the continuous state of near blindness only made Darcel and Aniela feel more excited.

    "Oooh¡­.now the challenges are getting more intense and mysterious. Now the Misty Haze Pits is truly living up to its ominous name!"

    All Aniela''s eyes could see was endless misty fog akin to something out of a horror tale.

    Darcel was about to speak until right then, his soul pendant began to furiously tremble. He lifted his hand and watched the soul pendant toss about in his palm.

    "More mysterious and right close to our reward. See this? The pendant is telling us we''re just about to reach that supposed ultimate treasure. Ready to claim our reward Aniela?"

    "With pleasure Darcy!"

    Darcel''s eyes had then turned towards a specific direction. Through the near blinding misty fog, his soul pendant was directing him to go over there for that great treasure.

    Without any further words needed, Darcel and Aniela had then taken off sprinting in the blinding misty fog.

    Their movement this time was a bit stiff as the soul suppression increased tremendously here.

    Yet, it wasn''t significant enough to the point where it would affect their combat prowess and overall movement.

    Several steps in their run, Darcel and Aniela slightly creased their eyebrows. Running through the misty fog felt a bit odd for the duo.

    They had come to expect something clashing or trying to pierce into their Darkness-Light soul barrier by now in these Misty Haze Pits. But running through here was almost calming in a mysterious way.

    They took it felt as if they were making progress and zero progress at the same time with each step.

    If Darcel didn''t have this soul pendant, he was sure he and Aniela wouldn''t even find their way back through this place in only a few short steps!

    Darcel and Aniela slowed their pace a bit as Darcel could feel they were really close now.

    However, they soon moved their bodies to a screeching halt.

    For the first since coming here, Darcel and Aniela picked up another being from their Spirit Senses!

    Quickly their Spirit Sense spread out to pick up on an Innate Core Spirit Monster just tens of meters away from them! Furthermore, they sensed the Spirit Monster was coming straight at them.

    "Hmmm¡­.Darcy, is that pendant pointing at the monster for our treasure?" Aniela guessed as it was clear as day to her on what was going to happen next.

    Darcel caressed the soul pendant, and expectedly nodded his head. "Yep. Looks like we''re going to have to fight to get our treasure. But this¡­.is what you also wanted, right?"

    "Right!"

    Simultaneously broad, battle-hungry smiles split on to Darcel and Aniela''s face. This would be their first proper fight with an Innate Core powerhouse!

    And neither were nervous; they only felt thrilling anticipation spill into their bodies.

 The Creature of Ice

    Darcel and Aniela weren''t ones to stay idle. They had quickly begun walking up ahead to meet and see what was barreling towards them.

    In a span of a few seconds, they trekked ten meters and finally saw it.

    Thirty meters apart from them, Darcel and Aniela could clearly spot the Spirit Monster even through the dense misty fog. Though immediately, the duo was inquisitive at the Spirit Monster appearance.

    It wasn''t anything like they had seen before.

    This Spirit Monster was tremendously tall, towering at least ten feet tall. Easily it was the tallest creature the duo had ever encountered.

    Its body was strangely made up of entirely ice as well.

    The ice formed itself to appear as the monster had intimidating bulging muscles and a sharp jagged frame. Though the most intimidating feature of the monster was its colossal head.

    The head, like its other body parts, was made entirely up of ice. But, Darcel and Aniela could spot two chilling glowing blue eyes that''ll pierce through the night.

    Its mouth slightly hangs open to show its ferocious, sharp ice teeth that glisten in the deep misty fog.

    When their eyes meet each other, both sides momentarily pause.

    Darcel and Aniela truly were fascinated that there could exist a creature entirely made up of only ice.

    While the Spirit Monster, who is classified as an Ice Golem, was a bit taken aback at how weak its prey was.  But once realizing this, the Ice golem chilling glowing blue eyes abruptly spark in a luminous flash!

    "Oh?! Here it comes, Darcy!" Aniela felt the will to battle roar in her watching the rushing Ice golem.

    Oddly enough, through the entire time they''re watching the creature, neither she nor Darcel felt the powerful aura of an Innate Core powerhouse.

    Yet, the duo could clearly sense its realm was firmly in the Innate Core realm.

    But Darcel and Aniela knew this wasn''t the time for questions.

    "Since it wants to come, let''s meet it in the middle!"

    Darcel clenched Aniela''s hand, and they both quickly surged the roaring Nascent Qi in their bodies.

    And like lightning, the duo shot towards the Ice golem without a hint of fear.

    However, as soon as they started to run, Darcel and Aniela quickly got a clearer picture of the Ice golem. Moreover, Darcel also felt his soul pendant violently tremble.

    "That flower! It''s our treasure!"

    Aniela pointed out as she and Darcel spotted a bright glowing blue flower sitting on top of the Ice golem head. A beautiful blue shine was enriching the flower, making it appear like an exotic treasure.

    From the rumbling of the soul pendant and his sensation in his soul, Darcel knew this was their treasure.

    An even broader smile plaster Darcel and Aniela''s face, feeling an even greater sentiment to kill this creature.

    But when both sides got within twenty meters apart from each other, the Ice golem swiftly changed its movements.

    Darcel and Aniela watched with slight widening eyes as the Ice golem suddenly began to rear its arms back while it charged to them.

    From just its strange sudden movements, Darcel and Aniela felt a significant shift in the air. The air around them began to suck towards the Ice golem like it was a vacuum and chaotically swayed the snow on the ground.

    Still, despite this odd occurrence of power, Darcel and Aniela didn''t feel any Innate Core power surge around them.

    The two were beginning to think this creature may not just use any Innate Qi.

    Before Darcel or Aniela could think any further, however, the Ice golem made another quick and strange move. Its arms moved with lightning-like speed as it violently clasped its hand together!

    ''Pa!''

    The booming sound of ice crashing together blared in Darcel and Aniela''s eardrums.

    For a brief second, Darcel and Aniela pause while their faces show mild shock.

    There wasn''t any tremendous blast of power that caused the air to split or for the ground to quake. Instead, Darcel and Aniela felt a chilling cold attempting to freeze their souls!

    In the real world, their eyes could briefly spot a stream of admittedly beautiful blue misty energy sailing straight at them from the Ice golem clasped hands.

    The most surprising aspect of this attack was the fact that it was basically instantaneous!

    Neither Darcel nor Aniela even had a split second to react to the attack.

    However, while this attack was surprising, Darcel and Aniela''s face quickly morphed back into a battle-hungry smile.

    "Soul attack, huh! This thing probably kills everything with attacks like this¡­.unlucky that it met us today!" Aniela boasted with extreme confidence.

    Darcel as well mockingly smirked at the Ice golem as right then he and Aniela began to surge the powerful black flame essence swirling in their souls!

    Large wisps of blazing black fire spewed out Darcel and Aniela then. Their mere wisps of fiery black flames was melting the glistening snow underneath.

    The Ice golem''s freezing misty energy was quickly vaporized by their pure essence black flames inside of their souls.

    Immediately then, it was the Ice golem turn to be taken for a mild shock.

    Its chilling blue eyes squinted on Darcel and Aniela''s flaming bodies in disbelief. Not a single one of its previous victims could do anything under its soul freezing mist.

    Much less gathering enough power to burn through its mist!

    The most surprising thing was the fact these little ones don''t even have the same aura as itself.

    Because of the dense misty fog here, neither Darcel, Aniela, nor the Ice golem could sense each other''s real prowess.

    Darcel and Aniela are in their strongest state, but the Ice golem can only sense their base Nascent Core aura.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Despite Darcel and Aniela somehow fighting off its deadly soul attack, the Ice golem quickly regained back focus. It had momentarily stopped moving out of surprise, but now it was ready to charge them again.

    However, when the Ice golem lifted one of its legs just slightly above the ground, a brilliant white radiance tore the dense misty fog!

    As well, Aniela''s energetic voice blared throughout the snowy land.

    "Flash!!"

    ''Chi!"

    A blinding bright white flashbang burst from Aniela''s bloodline arm, covering the whole twenty meters apart from her and the Ice golem!

    The Ice golem went still like a statue being utterly stunned under Aniela''s flashbang.

    But it wasn''t over yet for the Ice golem. Darcel put all of his focus on the Ice golem and had then clenched his hand.

    By putting all of his senses into one target, Darcel has realized he can create a shadow for just about anything.

    It worked for Aniela and the yellow creature. Now he wanted to test his luck against an Innate Core being. And to his joy, Darcel watched as a shadow quickly spewed from the Ice glow feet.

    The Ice golem''s shadow was instantaneous and out from the shadow spewed Darkness tendrils that tightly wrapped the Ice golem body up.

    In its state now, the Ice golem was completely immobilized! Although Darcel and Aniela knew it wouldn''t be for long.

    Pushing on the momentum they created, Darcel and Aniela didn''t hold anything back. They blasted towards the Ice golem in a bright streak of Darkness and White Light!

    Their speed quickly crossed the considerable distance between them. In just two seconds, Darcel and Aniela already neared the Ice golem, who was already attempting to struggle out of the Darkness tendrils.

    Up close with the creature indeed showed just how ferocious and gruesome looking it was.

    At first, Darcel had the plan to take out their scimitar to score the first hit on the creature. But within only several feet apart from the Ice golem, Darcel felt the soul pendant quake as if it was trying to escape his grasp.

    Spurred on by the pendant, Darcel had an abrupt change of mind. "The flower!" He quickly called out to Aniela, hoping she would get what he wanted to do.

    And as he expected, Aniela didn''t respond, but she had crouched down to get in a position to jump.

    In sync with her, Darcel also crouched down. They poured a vast sum of their powers into their legs, drilling their feet into the ground.

    And using only a split second, Darcel and Aniela swiftly jumped high into the air to go above the towering Ice golem.

    Once at a higher position in the air than the tall Ice golem, Aniela shot her other hand to the bright blue, glowing flower.

    The Ice golem was still violently trembling below them, quickly trying to break through Darcel''s Darkness tendrils behinds.

    Yet neither Darcel nor Aniela paid attention to it and focused on securing the flower.

    Swift like the wind, Aniela snatched the flower from the Ice golem head as she and Darcel landed on its massive head. Darcel and Aniela didn''t spare a second and quickly jumped off the Ice golem head with the flower in Aniela''s hand.

    "Haaah!!"

    However, right when doing so, the Ice golem burst out from Darcel''s Darkness tendrils! Darcel and Aniela didn''t even have a chance to turn around as the Ice golem roar penetrated their ears.

    The Ice golem could fully sense Darcel and Aniela''s tremendous bloodline power state now, but it didn''t care at all.

    Quickly while the duo was still in midair, the Ice golem swiftly turned its body around and struck out with its gigantic fist towards their backs!

    ''Ka-Cha!''

    The Ice golem''s massive fist had shattered Darcel and Aniela''s Darkness-Light soul barrier and directly crashed onto their backs!

    The duo''s eyes burst open in pain, feeling the Ice golem''s fist crack multiple bones in their backs. Chaotic freezing energy was interjected into their bodies, causing even greater anguish for them.

    Furthermore, the duo also felt their soul become chaotic receiving sudden penetrating damage providing their bodies to break down further.

    Darcel and Aniela got sent flying by the fist like two speeding bullets. However, neither utter even a single yelp of pain.

    Instead, their eyes burst with savage killing intent!

    While sailing in midair, Darcel and Aniela forced past the tremendous pain and flipped their bodies around. Their eyes met with the Ice golem barrelling straight at them, but neither care; in fact, they welcome its charge.

    In an instant, Darcel and Aniela''s spatial ring flashed, and they fished out their beautiful green scimitars. The duo spared no expense and crazily poured all of their power into the scimitar.

    Sizzling black flames swirled at the tip of their blades, blasting out heat that split into the snowy grounds.

    The Ice golem had quickly caught up and made it a mere six feet apart from Darcel and Aniela. Yet the duo already finished charging their attack right when it got close.

    "Fiery Slice!!"

    Both Darcel and Aniela roar simultaneously as their scimitar blasted out a powerful thin stream of raging black flames!

    The Ice golem felt a tremendous suppression weighed down on its body, tightly locking it in place.

    Everything was just too abrupt, and all the Ice golem could do was tank Darcel and Aniela''s attack head-on.

    ''Bang!''

    Darcel and Aniela''s martial skill ferociously struck the Ice golem chest and flung the creature for miles!

    While the Ice golem flew, Darcel and Aniela plunged their scimitar into the snowy ground, splitting it in half as their bodies slowed to a crawl.

    "Geh! That atta-Ah! Darcy! Quick put your hand over mine!"

    Aniela was spitting out bright red blood at first, feeling her body on the verge of collapsing after tanking the Ice golem punch.

    But it was then she felt strange, mysterious energy poured into her mind and began quickly changing her Spirit Sense! And where the mysterious energy came from was the bright blue flower in her palm.

    Her body was nearly about to freeze over and collapsing onto itself, pushing Aniela to a state of possible near-death.

    But through her sheer willpower of forcing past the excruciating pain, it was then the bright blue flower suddenly started to react. Aniela wasn''t sure how but the flower''s energy was pushing her mental state and Spirit Sense to a state of enlightenment!

    Darcel was in the same position as Aniela, nearly feeling his body about to freeze and collapse.

    But Darcel''s hand still tightly latched on to Aniela''s. From their conjoined hand, he had also felt some of that mysterious energy flow into him. Less than Aniela felt, but Darcel did clearly feel his Spirit Sense slowly transforming to a state of enlightenment.

    Most obviously, Darcel knew this strange energy had to be from the bright blue flower.

    With the soul pendant still in his hand, Darcel clasped his other hand over Aniela''s hand that held the unique flower.

    Darcel and Aniela''s bodies immediately went completely rigid then.

    Their lives were on the line, and they could die the very next second. Yet, Darcel and Aniela didn''t let panic storm their minds.

    As the special flower''s mysterious energy flowed in them, Darcel and Aniela smoothly harmonized with it and stayed calm.

    Their soul and body were still breaking down as the mysterious energy didn''t heal them but had allowed their mental state to smoothly become completely serene.

    Darcel and Aniela''s Spirit Senses were undergoing several dramatic changes now.

    Under falling completely serene, their senses began penetrating into a tremendous mental block that was engraved into their minds.

    It was the massive mental block of the seventh level Nascent Core realm!

    This mental block is what keeps numerous geniuses from ever progressing to the True Soul Core realm.

    If one''s comprehension of their own Nascent Core and Nascent Qi wasn''t high enough, they would never break past this barrier.

    Darcel and Aniela''s bodies fell into a relaxed stance. Their bloodstreams, their souls, everything inside their bodies was falling into tranquility. Even their previous critical injuries went still and stopped breaking their bodies.

    At this point, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes became unfocused, not even noticing the Ice golem madly rushing back at them.

    A large hole was carved into its ice chest thanks to Darcel and Aniela''s Martial skill, yet it was still alive.

    "Haah!!"

    The Ice golem fully released its chaotic Innate Core aura towards Darcel and Aniela!

    The full power of a fourth rank Innate Core being aura came crashing down on Darcel and Aniela as the Ice golem quickly neared them.

    Darcel and Aniela felt the pressure nearly suffocate them, and yet their minds were still in an enlightened state. By the second, they both felt pure Spiritual energy trickled into their Spirit Sense.

    And when the Ice golem got within six feet of the duo again, a loud pop went off in Darcel and Aniela''s minds!

    ''Bang!''

    A powerful blast of Spirit Qi burst out of Darcel and Aniela, causing the whole space to fall into turbulent chaos! The snow was chaotically swept in a raging wind storm as flashes of Darkness and Light trickled out of Darcel and Aniela.

    Once again sent the Ice golem couldn''t react to the sudden burst, and it got sent flying even further back than their last attack. The Ice golem was like a blue bur shooting backward for miles.

    All the while, Darcel and Aniela stayed utterly still.

 True Soul Core

    Currently, Darcel and Aniela''s minds enter a particular state.

    Instead of breaking past the seventh level Nascent Core mental block, their Spirit Senses managed to break into sensing Spiritual Essence!

    All because they were getting immensely pressured by the Ice golem that Darcel and Aniela fell into a unique state where they harmonize with their rainbow Nascent Core.

    They were becoming at one with themselves and the environment around them, approaching a state of true tranquility.

    And this process was abruptly started and significantly sped up by the unique blue flower''s mysterious energy.

    Through the blue flower, their comprehension already being monstrously high and the immense pressure of death, Darcel and Aniela''s Spirit Sense broke through and sensed it; Spiritual Essence energy!

    Their first touch of Spiritual Essence energy is what caused that sudden blast of powerful Spirit Qi to discharge from them.

    Darcel and Aniela know Spiritual Essence energy is actually called Spirit Deification Qi or Spirit Qi for short.

    It''s energy purely refined by the World and the gateway to forming one''s body to take on the more powerful energy of later cultivation realms.

    All Qi energies that came before, from Profound Qi to Nascent Qi, were all energies that carried numerous impurities that hiddenly seeped into a cultivator''s body.

    But it was all necessary to absorb to strengthen a cultivator''s mental state, comprehension of cultivation, their bodies, and souls.

    And once nearing the True Soul Core realm, a cultivator would need to become at one with their Nascent Core and become serene with the environment surrounding them.

    Even with constant life or death battles, this process is something that would take most average cultivators months or even years to do!

    Yet Darcel and Aniela are making demonic speed progress that''ll cause anybody to question their sanity.

    Although, the reason why they''re breaking through so fast now was because of the mysterious blue flower energy. It immensely helped with soothing Darcel and Aniela''s mental state and Spirit Sense to fall into complete enlightenment.

    But still, Darcel and Aniela needed to rely on their own comprehension abilities to make full use of the spur enlightenment.

    Darcel and Aniela quickly sensed and comprehended the base properties of Spirit Qi and used a bit of Spirit Qi to smash their seventh level Nascent Core mental block!

    ''Ka-Cha!''

    Like millions of glass shattering, Darcel and Aniela smoothly broke through the mental block! As they could already comprehend Spirit Qi, breaking past the last Nascent Core barrier was nothing to them.

    And it was then their Spirit Senses wholly opened up to fully sense the pureness of Spirit Qi.

    Spirit Qi rushed to their bodies like a vortex, and unknown to Darcel and Aniela, putrid black grime and filth were expelled from their bodies.

    The black grim and filth drilled into the snow staining the ground for a few feet. All of what their bodies were expelling was accumulated impurities of the previous cultivation realms.

    But to truly enter the True Soul Core realm, Darcel and Aniela weren''t done yet. The step they were in now would be considered a half step in the True Soul Core realm.

    And to break through to the next step would requiring fusing Spirit Qi with your own Nascent Core, purifying it.

    Once a cultivator manages to do that, they would then proceed to use the Spirit Qi from their Nascent Cores and attach it to their souls. This creates the first soul layer link, and one would officially break into the True Soul Core realm!

    A process like this would also normally take average folks months or even years. Even a genius like Joyce Ashless had to take months to breakthrough the True Soul Core realm.

    Yet, for Darcel and Aniela, everything came quickly and smoothly.

    They used their Spirit Sense to guide the Spirit Q rushing inside their bodies to their rainbow Nascent Core and interjected Spirit Qi into it.

    A bright rainbow brilliance spewed from their Nascent Cores, and Darcel and Aniela didn''t even need a second before their Spirit Qi fused with their Nascent Cores, completely purifying it.

    From there, Darcel and Aniela''s Nascent Cores blew rainbow color Spirit Qi into their first Martial vein, which was then directly transferred to their souls.

    Their rainbow Spirit Qi stream quickly latched on to their souls, causing tremendous changes for Darcel and Aniela.

    ''Chi!''

    Darkness and Light spewed from Darcel and Aniela as they officially stepped into the True Soul Core realm!

    The first layer link True Soul Core mental block was instantly shattered by them, and their prowess made a tremendous leap.

    Profound Dark glowing feathers scattered from Darcel''s back while bright, gleaming feathers erupted from Aniela''s back.

    All of their previous injuries were instantly healed up, and the duo stayed still for a couple of seconds.

    Even more black grim, and putrid filth expelled from their bodies and got flung out of them like a black rainstorm.

    The snow surrounding Darcel and Aniela was dyed in their bodies'' black impurities. Yet, the snow the two stood on was strangely sparkling clean.

    Neither Darcel nor Aniela moved as the air seemed to slightly shift in the directions of their breaths.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    And after the short brief of time, Darcel and Aniela''s eyes flung back open, both bursting with tremendous power!

    Black blazing flames frantically swirl in their eyes, and the two felt as if they were on a whole new tier of strength.

    "Ahhh¡­.now that was a true breakthrough!  I feel every joint in my body cracking with pure power!" As she said it, Aniela was cracking her knuckles feeling Spirit Qi smoothly run through her body.

    "Everything just feels so¡­.light. With the power we have now, that giant Ice creature will be nothing but a test dummy for us." Darcel was cracking out the kinks in his necks, already feeling pumped up to fight.

    The only thing that had stayed the same after their breakthrough was a very slight suppression of their souls.

    But whatever force that was affecting their souls was too low in power to affect Darcel and Aniela''s combat prowess or movement now.

    The suppression was akin to a light tickle for Darcel and Aniela. They didn''t even regard it, feeling too caught up in their breakthrough.

    However, before they could continue to bask in their glorious breakthrough more, their eyes quickly snapped up to gaze out a mile ahead of them.

    "Ah¡­.and as we asked for it. It shall come for us!"

    Every fiber in Aniela''s body roars with zealous fighting intent. She and Darcel''s eyes spotted the massive Ice Golem creature rushing right back at them.

    Chilling glowing blue eyes pierce through the misty fog, giving the Ice golem an even more fearsome look.

    Despite the surprising attacks Darcel and Aniela land on it, the Ice golem will not rest until these two small pests are dead!

    The distance between them and the Ice golem Darcel and Aniela calculated was roughly a mile. They were already impressed in this new realm of strength, seeing as their eyes could more clearly see through the dense misty frog.

    A broad battle-hungry smile was quickly splitting into Darcel''s face.

    He fished out his green scimitar that was still plunged into the ground and said to Aniela, "All at once, let''s not hold anything back!"

    Though he was curious about their base limits, Darcel knew it still wasn''t a time to be playing around. Especially not with a fourth rank Innate Core Spirit Monster!

    Aniela as well understood this thought as she quickly pulled out her scimitar from the ground, saying, "I just hope it doesn''t die too quickly!"

    A bright white glow immediately shrouded Aniela''s bloodline arm, and a profound Darkness glow enriched Darcel''s bloodline arm.

    ''Chi!''

    Snow blasted around the duo, swirling around them like a chaotic hurricane as they unleashed their powerful bloodline state!

    Now when Darcel released his Yin Spiritual State, streaks of Darkness cackled out of his bloodline arm like ferocious lightning.

    While when Aniela unleashed her Yang Spiritual State, streaks of white Light discharged from her like violent electricity.

    Moreover, their exotic tattoo markings gained an even more eye capturing bright radiance.

    Promptly then, Darcel and Aniela blasted off towards the Ice golem creature, splitting the snow in half as they rushed towards it. Swirls of small wisps of black flames spewed from their feet, melting through the snowy land also.

    While Darcel and Aniela sprinted off, they picked up on a significant notable difference in how they move their bodies. Everything just felt so¡­.lighter and completely natural.

    There was no stiff or wasted movement in any of their steps.

    Both the duo and the Ice golem speeds were swift, arriving within a few meters apart in several seconds. However, when the Ice golem got close, it was taken for a tremendous shock!

    The Ice golem powerful fourth rank Innate Core aura had torn through the dense misty fog and tried to crush down on Darcel and Aniela.

    Yet, immediately when trying to do so, the Ice golem felt a tremendous aura violently push back its own!

    Darcel and Aniela smirked as they watched the Ice golem glowing blue eyes seemingly widen.

    They were mainly focusing on powering their legs for speed, but now that they were close, Darcel and Aniela fully blasted out the full extent of their bloodline auras!

    "Nnng!!"

    Weird sounds spewed from the Ice golem while its body was crushed by two unfathomable auras. Instantly, when Darcel and Aniela went all out, its own fourth rank Innate Core aura was easily shredded and vaporized.

    The Ice golem fourth rank Innate Core prowess was nothing but child''s play in front of the current Darcel and Aniela.

    However, the most significant suppression didn''t come from the power of their aura. Rather the Ice golem soul got immensely suppressed!

    The Ice golem felt like it couldn''t even breathe with the pressure Darcel and Aniela''s soul blasted out. Once it had abruptly stopped, the Ice golem struggled to move its body.

    Upon trying to do so, despair swirled the Ice golem''s mind.

    Its movement became incredibly sluggish, to the point where its speed became even slower than a snail!

    Watching the Ice golem struggle to even lift its arm caused Darcel to cruelly smile at it. He had acted upon this opportunity and focused all of his Spirit Sense onto the Ice golem.

    Instantly a shadow spewed from the Ice golem feet, and Darkness tendrils swiftly wrapped the Ice golem up tightly.

    The Ice golem was immobilized entirely like it was nothing, but its mind couldn''t believe this reality.

    Just mere seconds ago, these mere little seventh level Nascent Core ants could barely even tank one of its punches.

    So just how was this sudden power surge even possible?!

    And as valid as the Ice golem thoughts were, it simply didn''t understand Darcel and Aniela''s true potential. Even before the breakthrough, Darcel and Aniela could''ve contended with the Ice Golem, as shown by their first dual attack.

    But because they were so focused on getting the treasure flower, it allowed them to be open for a direct attack. And even then, in a critically injured state, the duo was able to fight off the Ice golem.

    Yet, none of that matters now.

    More so than the previous levels, Darcel and Aniela''s prowess currently simply can''t be compared to what they wield in the Nascent Core realm.

    The breakthrough between Nascent Core to True Soul Core was on an entirely different level from the previous great realm breakthroughs.

    It''s what many cultivators dub the first true step to the mysteries of the World.

    And Darcel and Aniela were genuinely feeling the mysterious yet wonderful effect of the True Soul Core realm. Their bodies were without impurities. Their souls could now be used to an even greater extent, and their bloodlines underwent tremendous changes.

    For every major realm breakthrough Darcel and Aniela experience, their bloodline has and will always drastically change and improve, providing them with unprecedented prowess.

    And in their next move, Darcel and Aniela will know just how much they grew in such a short amount of time.

    After wrapping the Ice golem up in his Darkness tendrils, Darcel arrived right near the monster and quickly jumped towards its colossal head.

    Darcel was as swift as the wind becoming a black blur as he poured Spirit Qi into his scimitar.

    The Ice golem was utterly helpless against Darcel; its only eyes could only spot a black bur flashing right in front of it.

    ''Chi!''

    And with a clean, quick strike, Darcel tore through the Ice golem neck like it was made of paper!

    The Ice golem head flew high into the air, spraying out a chilling blue liquid.

    At the same time, Aniela charged right towards the Ice golem torso. And much like Darcel, she easily shredded through the Ice golem incredibly robust Ice body!

    While tearing through its torso, Aniela quickly snapped her fingers before appearing out the other side of it.

    ''Sssch!!''

    The sounds of sizzling flames slithered into Aniela''s ears as she turned around to the Ice golem. But right then, she watched as raging black flames quickly spread throughout the Ice golem body.

    In an instant, the Ice golem''s colossal body was promptly turned into black ash under Aniela''s powerful black flames.

    "Well, well, well. I suppose this a good rough estimation of our new incredible strength." Darcel remarked as he landed back into the soft snow, and his eyes locked with hugely smiling Aniela.

 Stunning Return

    Before Darcel could even ask why she is so overly happy, Aniela quickly rushed into his chest, giving him a gentle, loving hug. Aniela''s sweet intoxicating fragrance trailed into Darcel''s noise like scented candles.

    On instinct, Darcel wrapped his arms around Aniela, enjoying the smooth silkiness of hair and soft, tender back.

    "Mnh-mnh! I''m just so happy and filled with energy over our breakthrough Darcy! I feel like I can take on anybody!"

    "Right, right. Just don''t let too much air get to your head, you know. Although, I suppose those Innate Core powerhouses, even for high ranks, won''t be much of an issue to us. Now then¡­."

    As Darcel spoke, he, on instinct, began petting Aniela''s silky smooth hair.

    Doing this was almost second nature to Darcel, and he always felt his soul soothe with warmth doing this.

    While petting Aniela''s luxurious white hair, Darcel''s eyes had also trailed over to the rest of the deep fog covering the Misty Haze Pits.

    And like Aniela could read his mind, her eyes had also trailed over to the deep fog.

    "Nnng¡­.though I just said I feel invincible¡­.whatever else deep in the fog is quite terrifying!" Though she said it like it was a problem, the excited tone of her voice and zealous smile obviously whistle a different tune for Aniela.

    "Just another thing for another time. But unlike things around Necrotic City, I''m sure it won''t be long before our power becomes enough to freely traverse anywhere in these Snowy lands."

    "Ah! Speaking of these Snowy lands, what should we do now? Unless you''re up for an endless snowy walk Darcy, I think we should join Fruna''s group for the time being."

    Darcel was already pondering on their next course of action as Aniela spoke, and he didn''t see a problem with this.

    "While I can''t say much about those three guys, at least we know Fruna can secure us a position. Furthermore, their group is a perfect testing ground for our current prowess."

    The roaring intent of constant battles once again started to excite Darcel and Aniela.

    While they don''t necessarily consider themselves as battle junkies, they can''t deny the exciting freeness of fighting against strong or weak enemies.

    And with the so-called Nobe''s Fang group, which is full of powerful Innate Core warriors. Darcel and Aniela knew the fastest way to get a secure position is through pure strength and abilities.

    More so than Sects, Academies, or Organizations of the likes, groups akin to the Nobe''s Fang group would be considered Mercenaries bands.

    And compared to Mercenaries bands, there were a lot more things Darcel and Aniela could experience.

    Unlike the shelter lives, young talents can live in Sects or Academies. Darcel and Aniela could tell, just by their talks with Fruna, that everything needs to be backed up by your own actions, no matter how talented you are.

    With several rummaging thoughts like this swirling in the duo''s minds, they turn around and prepare to use their Spirit Sense to get themselves out of this Misty Haze Pits.

    But right then, Darcel had suddenly clenched his left hand, and his eyebrows raised a bit.

    "Hm? Oh, this pendant thing. It seemed like it broke quite a while ago."

    "Ah? Oooh¡­.I guess it couldn''t just stand the might of our powerful breakthrough!" Aniela casually remarked as her eyes gazed upon the shattered pendant in Darcel''s palm.

    Pure white chunks were spread out on Darcel''s palm, and the strings of fabric were split in half.

    Although one curious thing to Darcel and Aniela was the fact that pure white chunks of the pendant were still slightly glowing up.

    "Well, it''s not completely useless yet. See? In the last portion of its power, I can sense it directing my soul back to the place''s entrance. Let''s go; Fruna''s group is probably just dying in anticipation to see our treasure."

    "Oh, are they? They''ll definitely see a great treasure then!"

    Hand in hand with Aniela, Darcel began leading themselves out of the dense Misty fog under the broken pendant guide.

    Truthfully, all Darcel did was unintentionally surged his soul when wanting to leave this place.

    And unknown to him and Aniela, the soul pendant immediately reacted to his call to leave.

    ¡­.

    Back at the top of the cliff just before the Misty Haze Pits, a group of four were silently cultivating and waiting. Their eyes were heavily focused on the Misty Haze Pits, waiting for any sign of life.

    Most obviously, the group was Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey.

    After they were swept up by the stormy wind of the Misty Haze Pits, the four of them all awoke on the cold hard icy ground.

    None of them knew how long they were out, but they immediately felt a crushing pain coursing their bodies and souls when awaking.

    Pushing themselves to the absolute extreme even with Darcel and Aniela help nearly wrecked their bodies.

    Thankfully, they all came prepared with various Mage''s pills and potions to heal themselves right back up. Although damage to the soul was a far longer healing process than damage to the body.

    An hour has passed since they awakened, and they all were content to at least wait and see if Darcel and Aniela would show up while they healed.

    And out of the whole group, only Fruna was getting a bit anxious.

    Even if they did have incredibly powerful souls, that Misty Haze Pits could throw out something unexpected even for them. Admittedly, Fruna would like it if those charming kids could come back, treasure or not.

    Robert and Reyney, however, were of more apathetic opinions. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Seeing as they were a couple of Nascent Core youths but just with unique souls, they weren''t all that worried about those two coming back.

    Though their souls may be powerful and could lead them to be something powerful in the future. It all meant nothing if their regular cultivation wasn''t high and slow.

    The biggest and only concern for them was if Darcel and Aniela could come back with that treasure.

    And if not, they could always just try again with more powerful soul Artifacts.

    "You know Fruna, maybe those kids might''ve just hit the jackpot. But they most likely aren''t in a condition to make it back." Robert shrugged his shoulder and casually threw out to say.

    Fruna only took a quick glance at him before continuing back to obverse the Misty Haze Pits. It would be useless to try to argue, plus even she knows he very well might be right.

    During this whole time, Hurey was the only that had some other thoughts swirling around in his mind. Yet, depending on whether or not Darcel and Aniela came back, would he bring it up, and he continued on staying silent.

    And just when the area would fall back to silence, Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all spiked up!

    Their senses just now could only pick up on something rapidly approaching from below, swift like lightning!

    ''Hua!''

    A Darkness and white Light streak burst from the icy hail of the Misty Hail Pits!

    Fruna''s group all snapped their heads up as the Darkness, and white Light streak went at least several meters high in the air.

    And quickly as they jumped up, the Darkness and white Light streak dived straight back to the ground.

    Two charmingly gorgeous youths crashed on the icy blue ground with a loud thud, causing several spider web cracks to form in the icy road.

    "Ahh¡­.I hope we didn''t keep you all waiting for too long!"

    The sweet alluring voice of the energetic Aniela burst into Fruna''s group eardrums.

    Standing right in front of their faces, indeed, was Darcel and Aniela.

    Yet, there were dramatic changes to the duo that nearly caused Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey to leave their jaws hanging wide open.

    The most immense shocking change was that they were both True Soul Core cultivators!

    The tremendous barrier that kept hundreds of thousands average Nascent Core cultivators and even talented geniuses stuck for the rest of their lives.

    Yet in just hours at best, these kids suddenly broke through in a single step?!

    The only thing that could explain this outrageous phenomenon was Darcel and Aniela''s must''ve gained some sort of high tier Heavenly Treasure!

    Immediately, Robert, Reyney, and even Hurey''s eyes lit up with the excitement of greed.

    Although Fruna''s eyes took more notice of Darcel and Aniela''s slightly changed appearance and presence. Somehow them being a True Soul Core cultivator gave them a more pure, vibrant beauty.

    It was as if any previous small imperfection on their faces were dramatically improved, changing their already alluring charming looks to a devilish beauty.

    Fruna was the first to quickly break out of her shock stupor and broadly smile at Darcel and Aniela.

    "Congratulations, you two! Not only have you made it out alive, but you''ve also crossed the boundary to the True Soul Core realm!"

    Without any hesitation, Fruna casually walked up to Darcel and Aniela to properly congratulate them.

    Though this was a pretense in order to not let her partners act rash. She could clearly feel the apparent greed swirling in their eyes.

    "Why, thank you, Fruna! It was a bit difficult, but Darcy and I easily pulled through. Just one small thing, though¡­.we don''t have any more of the treasure that we picked up in there." Aniela explained without a care in the world.

    And indeed, it was the truth. That magical blue flower disappeared once Darcel and Aniela crossed into the True Soul Core realm.

    However, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey weren''t all too keen on hearing this.

    In fact, a shock expression mixed with rising rage appears specifically on Robert and Reyney faces.

    "The hell do you mean you have no more treasure left?! You already used everything that got you to breakthrough to a whole new major realm?!" Robert harshly accuses, raising his voice higher and higher.

    No matter what kind of Heavenly tier treasure they got, it all couldn''t have been wasted all on breaking two mere Nascent Core brats to the True Soul Core realm!

    Which led Robert to suspect they were obviously lying!

    "You two must''ve gotten a treasure that felt unfathomable to you, right? Akin to something even more powerful than a Heavenly King at your original sect, right? And you expect us to believe that kind of powerful energy was all wasted on one mere little breakthrough?!"

    Reyney as well didn''t believe Aniela''s words for a second.

    Sensing the situation rapidly deteriorated, Fruna quickly turned around and told the two,

    "Relax, will you! Robert! Weren''t you just saying they probably wouldn''t even return? A life or death situation most likely forced them to use the damn treasure!"

    "Heh? Oh, really, then?" Robert snorted, and he and Reyney started aggressively walking up to Fruna.

    "I don''t care why you like these two so much, but they''re obviously bullshiting. But to convince you, Fruna. We want Darcel and Aniela to fork over their Spatial ring now. Then we''ll see the truth." This time Reyney spoke as they both neared Fruna.

    "Just calm the hell down already. We haven''t even asked for their side of the story yet! In a calm manner, we all can discuss this."

    While speaking, Fruna''s eyes quickly trailed over to Hurey.

    But when making eye contact, Hurey stayed unmoving, letting all of this play out and giving Robert and Reyney his silent agreement. He never felt one hundred percent on the duo in the first place, and Hurey kind of expected this to eventually happen.

    "Last time Fruna. Get out of the way."

    Robert and Reyney''s face was twisting into a more annoyed and pissed expression by the second. To reinforce their point, both Robert and Reyney began to leak a small dosage of their fourth rank Innate Core aura!

    Fruna''s eyes slightly widened, and she immediately surged her own fourth rank Innate Core aura. She extended her aura to wrap around Darcel and Aniela, protecting them and bear against both Robert and Reyney''s auras.

    But still, two against one already put her at a grave disadvantage.

    And Fruna was already feeling a mighty suppression stack on her body. "Do you really need to go so hard? You''re just going to drive them off!"

    "Oh, finally, you brought this point up! You know, on further thinking about it, you should damn well know why our group won''t let mere True Soul Core kids join us at this time. Even if their souls are special!" Robert stood his ground against Fruna.

    "Look at this way, Fruna. The heavenly treasure will be far more useful to us than with them. Realistically, how far can being a mere True Soul Core cultivator get you in our province?"

    Fruna was beginning to grit her teeth against this double suppression. The pressure was straining, yet Fruna didn''t back down.

    "Still, come on, you guys. We''re not the same as those barbarians at the Silver Bloody Hammer group. We can be reasonable about this."

    Robert snorted at her accusation, "If they wanted to be reasonable, they shouldn''t have lied in the first place. You know they would only continue their lie if we don''t force them. Besides Fruna, us acting reasonably? That''s all surface level when the powers are equal between two parties! Don''t let some little attachment get in the way of good judgment."

    "Tch¡­.Hurey! What''s your opinion about this!"

    Fruna pleaded to him, and yet Hurrey still remained indifferent to this entire debacle. He still didn''t move and just shook his head.

    "Hmmm¡­.alright! The show has gone on long enough!"

    Finally, then, Aniela''s voice burst right back up, having no fear indicated in her tone.

    "Hmph, these two sure like to run their mouths." Darcel also snorted as all eyes gathered on him and Aniela.

    Before Robert, Reyney, or Fruna could say anything, Darcel and Aniela finally moved!

    ''Hua!''

    A chaotic burst of wind blasted right past everyone!

    Robert, Reyney, Fruna''s, and Hurey''s eyes all burst open as Darcel and Aniela suddenly disappear from their spots.

    None of their eyes could track that kind of speed. "Hey now! Where''s all that previous bravado!" Darcel''s cold voice slithered into Robert and Reyney''s ears.

    They almost jumped out of their skins as somehow Darcel and Aniela popped right in front of Fruna and stood imposingly before them.

 Turned Tables

    For a second, Robert and Reyney utterly froze in place.

    No matter what kind of speed Darcel and Aniela put out, there''s just no way they couldn''t be able to track it!

    Even more shocking was the fact they did at such a short close distance!

    Robert and Reyney''s eyes locked with the deep black eyes of Darcel and Aniela. Darcel and Aniela''s face had a slight smile in an almost mocking way as if they were gazing at a couple of clowns.

    Immediately Robert and Reyney got over their shocks.

    No matter what kind of tricks they did, these two were still utter fools in thinking they could match their Innate Core prowess!

    They didn''t know why Darcel and Aniela still had this arrogant, bold expression. Nor did they understand why a foreboding feeling was swirling in their guts.

    All that mattered now was that Fruna couldn''t protect them anymore!

    Seeing Darcel and Aniela''s tall, robust backs caused Fruna to have a momentary lapse of focus.

    She too couldn''t even tell how fast they moved but being in front of her was terrible! A frown encompass her face, but before she moved, Robert suddenly said,

    "Look, kids, you ha-" But as he began to speak, he abruptly stopped.

    Not only him, but Reyney, Fruna, and Hurey''s bodies all suddenly went entirely rigid!

    All of their eyes burst into saucers as tremendous changes occurred within Darcel and Aniela!

    Streaks of Darkness and white Light spewed out of them like thunderous lightning. The air chaotically shifted to their breaths, and the hail storming the place was destroyed by any streaks of Darkness or white Light.

    Aniela''s smile broadened, seeing their stunned expressions, and she had then said, "You want to see the heavenly treasure we got?! Then feast your eyes!"

    ''Chi!''

    Darcel''s Yin Spiritual state and Aniela''s Yang Spiritual state erupted at full force, blasting out their tremendous bloodline powers!

    Cracks of blue ice spurt from the ground and swirled around Darcel and Aniela. Their bloodline arms gained their respective Darkness, and white Light glow as their exotic tattoo markings appear.

    "Wha-wha¡­."

    Robert couldn''t even finish his sentence and felt an tremendous suffocation heavily affecting his ability to talk. His body violently quiver, and an unbearable suppression crushed his body and soul.

    Reyney was in the exact same position. Darcel and Aniela''s bloodline aura tremendously suffocated him. It brought upon an immense suppression to his soul and body that made him uncontrollably tremble.

    "Ge-Ahhh!!"

    Both Robert and Reyney were struggling to even stand after a second.

    Their Innate Qi was getting continuously suppressed and couldn''t hope to stand up to Darcel and Aniela''s mere bloodline aura.

    Bones inside their bodies were cracking, their organs were churning, and they felt as if their souls were getting tightly squeezed. At this point, they were utterly helpless under Darcel and Aniela''s powerful bloodline aura.

    "Hehehe~! What''s wrong? Weren''t you two going to force us because you can? Well? We''re waiting!"

    Aniela was mockingly beckoning her finger at Robert and Reyney, putting them on the same level as mere dogs.

    Frustration and shame swell in Robert and Reyney''s eyes.

    Being humiliated like this against mere True Soul Core brats no less is nothing short of a nightmare! Yet, there was absolutely nothing they could do about it but sallow the humiliation.

    "That mindset you all have¡­.you know it''s not even necessarily wrong.  But wiser and experienced cultivators realize they should never get too much of an ego. Even if they have a powerful backing." Darcel''s tone was the pent ultimate of condescending.

    Like speaking to children, Darcel talked to Robert and Reyney like they''re nothing more than clowns. And his and Aniela''s mocking smirks only widen as they watch their expression struggles to twist into an unending rage.

    All the while, watching them from the back, Fruna was positively gobsmacked. The trembling suppression Robert and Reyney were undergoing barely affected her.

    Yet, she could still sense the overwhelming power Darcel and Aniela blasted out. "This¡­.this is actually real¡­." A long exasperated breath leaked from Fruna''s mouth, her mind in complete awe.

    Hurey, however, was undergoing an entirely different experience compared to Fruna.

    His body was quaking in utter fear as a tremendous suppression wrapped his entire body and soul.

    His once surging Innate Qi whirling inside his body was now utterly suppressed and frozen under Darcel and Aniela''s bloodline aura.

    But unlike Robert and Reyney, Hurey could at least move his body, albeit heavily sluggishly.

    Yet, Hurey had absolutely zero intentions to move a single joint.

    The fear Darcel and Aniela struck in him was immense, and he knows just one small wrong move, and he''ll be in the same crushing humiliation as Robert and Reyney.

    "Just¡­.just how¡­.why¡­." Was all Hurey could say during this dramatic reversal.

    A mix of disbelief and fear surged in his eyes, and Hurey prayed to whatever god that Darcel and Aniela don''t turn their vicious claw on him.

    While Darcel and Aniela looked on with their cold, mocking eyes, Robert and Reyney took one last glance at each other. With each second pass, the more unwilling they both were to accept this reality.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    They are real Innate Core powerhouses, not some ants!

    Robert and Reyney refused to simply not try anything else, and a maddening glint surged in their eyes then.

    With one last-ditch effort attempt, Robert and Reyney frantically try to surge every bit of Innate Qi in their bodies.

    Their teeth fiercely gnashed together, causing blood to pool from their mouths like a running stream of water.

    Darcel curiously raised his eyebrows at the two futile struggles to escape.

    "Hm, how pitiful. People like you won''t get until you fully experience everything, right?" As Darcel spoke, this time, he split his Spirit Senses focus and put half and half on Robert and Reyney.

    Instantaneously then, Darcel managed to smoothly spew out a shadow from Robert and Reyney''s feet each!

    Right when their shadows formed, five Darkness tendrils blasted out of the shadows. They tightly wrapped up Robert and Reyney in a Darkness cocoon.

    Robert and Reyney''s eyes bulged out of their sockets then.

    Agonizing pain wreaked havoc in their bodies and souls through the immense power of Darcel''s Darkness tendrils.

    Both men couldn''t even feel their Innate Qi; Darcel''s Darkness tendrils energy had utterly vaporized all Qi energy inside their bodies.

    Neither Robert nor Reyney could utter even a single yelp of pain as their mouths were clamped up by Darcel''s Darkness tendril.

    "Oooh! This is a bit new, Darcy! You''re almost like a¡­.shadow tentacle man!"

    Aniela was making light of the situation and still spouted a bright, radiant smile in contrast to the situation''s grave atmosphere.

    Even without Darcel using his Darkness tendrils, it was plain as day for Robert, Reyney, Fruna, and Hurey. The hard cold fact that Darcel and Aniela could kill them all with a single step!

    Although for Fruna''s group, everything just happened too fast and abruptly.

    The kind of demonic jumping combat prowess Darcel and Aniela possess is something they should never come across in their little lives!

    Still, before anything else could happen, Fruna knew she had to speak up at this time. "W-wait! Darcel and Aniela, please don''t kill them. Trying to be so forceful was a grave, terrible mistake on our part. And we can make it up to you!"

    Leaving Robert and Reyney to their agonizing hell, Darcel and Aniela turned around to face Fruna.

    Admittedly they never plan on killing Robert and Reyney.

    Despite the high power trip they''re on, Darcel and Aniela still retained their rational minds. Killing Robert and Reyney are essentially destroying their tickets to find more information about this Province and gain quick resources.

    They liked Fruna a bit and would preferably not make an enemy out of her and end up having to either force her or kill her too.

    As well, Darcel and Aniela only violently strike when someone has genuine killing intent against them or wants to enslave them. All Robert and Reyney wanted to do was forcefully try to steal their items.

    But the most significant factor of all was that Darcel and Aniela simply don''t have a place to go home to. And they would rather not make enemies with potentially strong Heavenly Kings.

    At least not at this point of time.

    Still, Aniela found the desperately pleading face of Fruna admirable. Even now, she could brave the dangers for people she considers her comrades no matter how heavy the odds are stacked against her.

    "Hehehe~, we aren''t going to kill them. Just set them a bit straight, you know! As for helping us, how about¡­.taking us back to your group and putting a good word in for us to join. We can think of other matters later, right Darcy?"

    "Indeed, that would be suitable for now. And I also trust none of you will speak about our prowess or that treasure, right? After all, us mere True Soul Core juniors couldn''t possibly you all, right Fruna?"

    Darcel directed his attention right on her as he could safely guess Fruna''s words will be more believable than any of the men''s words.

    Her more reasonable and rational mind is a quality many are more willing to listen to.

    Fruna put on a slightly strained smile, but she still nodded nonetheless, telling them, "R-right. At least, I can make sure Robert, Reyney, and Hurey won''t talk. They still owe me some huge favors they can''t afford to deny."

    "Is that so? Alright, then."

    Darcel had then snapped his fingers and removed the Darkness tendrils covering Robert and Reyney.

    They crashed hard onto the cold hard icy ground, their bodies still shivering from pain.

    Darcel and Aniela had then deactivated their bloodline state going back to their normal devilish beautiful appearance. While they did so, it still didn''t stop the fear swirling in Robert, Reyney, and Hurey''s mind.

    Cold sweat still poured down their backs even as Darcel and Aniela had no intentions to seriously harm them.

    Now, not only are they forced to travel with these freakish youths, but they also couldn''t even speak out about what happened as Fruna''s words were crushingly valid.

    Suddenly then, Darcel and Aniela quickly snapped their heads towards Hurey.

    Their deep black eyes that looked chilling to Hurey deeply bore a hole into his own eyes.

    Hurley kept his mouth shut as his body went rigid on instinct. At this point, it was far too late to regret his actions about helping. He could only hope for now that he would just stay entirely out of Darcel and Aniela''s way.

    Instead of talking, Darcel and Aniela only mockingly smiled at Hurey''s fearful expression.

    Their jeering smiles only further sent waves of shame inside his mind, yet he dared not to call Darcel and Aniela out on it.

    Seeing what they expected from Hurey, Darcel and Aniela quickly turned their focus back on Fruna.

    "Now then, lead the way Fruna. With everything out in the open, I''m sure we all can get along better now." Darcel smoothly told her.

    "A-ah. Ri-right. Just follow me."

    Fruna''s tone was still nervous and tense even as Darcel and Aniela were just in their normal state now. Still, she pushed on and began walking ahead, with Darcel and Aniela closely following.

    Seeing as they were close to her, Fruna swallowed down her nervousness and attempted to make a conversion with them.

    "Hahaha¡­.back there, you two really know how to hide your stuff. Never would I believe we''ll be in the presence of true geniuses."

    Not minding the apparent tension in Fruna''s voice, Aniela still gave her a bright warm smile and told her, "You, yourself is also pretty impressive! I mean, standing up to your teammates with zero help is admirable!"

    "Indeed, you''re quite a bold and charming woman. Not even the beautiful young geniuses we see can possess this kind of quality."

    Darcel also decided to speak up and gave her a captivating, alluring smile.

    Admittedly, from this double team attack, Fruna couldn''t stop a small blush from growing on her face.

    Darcel and Aniela''s high-class beauty, their smooth voice, and comforting words were getting her to relax her guard.

    Though the main reason her guard was beginning to relax was the warm and gentle presence the duo naturally exudes now.

    It was in stark contrast to the deadly presence they had just seconds ago, but Fruna couldn''t help but get caught in their captivating presence.

    Plus, during the whole previous event, they had listened to her words. Furthermore, they also don''t have that same arrogant stride many talented geniuses tend to develop.

    "A-ah. Thank you for your kind words. And hey, before we make it to town, we''ll have quite a walk to get through. So I''ll tell you everything you need to know before we make it there."

    Fruna''s voice was getting chipper by the second, far preferring the more easy-going Darcel and Aniela.

    "Mnh, that would be great¡­." Darcel agreed, and along with Aniela, they tentatively began to listen up to whatever Fruna had to say.

    All the while, from six feet behind them, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey were wearily following them.

    No words were spoken between them until Robert suddenly said,

    "Just¡­.just who are these monstrous youths. And why did we have the shittiest of luck to encounter them¡­."

    Hurey simply sighed and shook his head. "No matter what now. Our town, our group, won''t ever be the same with these two joining."

 Theories & Myths

    Now that Fruna essentially had free reigns to guide the group, she had quickly led them out of the path of the Misty Haze Pits.

    After a moderate amount of time of walking, they were now on an expansive blue icy road filled with actual crowds of people!

    As they came to this point, Darcel and Aniela took notice of the drastically changing scenery while they talked with Fruna.

    While they walked up to this point, the duo more clearly saw how things worked in an unending snowy land.

    Numerous blue icy roads trailing into the snowy ground were at every corner Darcel and Aniela''s eyes could see. Moreover, these roads all have twist and turning paths that stretch far out in the Plunged Tundra.

    Zero Spirit Monsters appeared on these roads, and the humans here were now plentiful. But, while observing the humans walking around here, Darcel and Aniela manage to pick up on a consistent oddity.

    Barring the fact that everyone they saw all wore heavy layer clothes to counteract the heavy weather. There was a precise noticeable bar that was set for anyone traveling on these icy roads.

    The absolute weakest here only had amounted up to the peak True Soul Core realm.

    And every peak True Soul Core cultivators were traveling in packs; there wasn''t a single lone adventurer in that realm.

    However, for Innate Core cultivators, it was a toss-up for them.

    They either travel in packs or were lone adventurers that looked highly skilled to be traversing alone.

    It was quite a curious sight for Darcel and Aniela. Considering the fact that in the Blessed Spirit Province, they would rarely see Innate Core powerhouses walking around so casually.

    Hell, if they weren''t in the Zakira Academy, peak True Soul Core cultivators'' appearances weren''t as abundant as those on these icy roads.

    Although the thing is, Darcel and Aniela couldn''t see why for such a specific standard.

    As they walk towards Fruna''s town, neither Darcel nor Aniela notices anybody being aggressive or bandit-like. Everyone simply stayed in their own lane and groups, barely having any interaction with each other.

    Even as Darcel and Aniela themselves were just mere first layer link True Soul Core cultivators, nobody passed them a passing glance.

    Furthermore, the chilling weather here didn''t affect Darce and Aniela at all now.

    With the abilities granted by the True Soul Core realm, Darcel and Aniela were like fish in waters being more in touch with their souls.

    They could now even unconsciously release just a very tiny portion of their pure black flaming essence in their souls.

    And that tiny portion of black flaming essence easily tore off any cold that attempted to penetrate their bodies. Despite the snowy scenery, Darcel and Aniela felt like they were just in an average warm day.

    With her rising curiosity growing as they observe more and more humans walking down these numerous roads, Aniela decided to ask Fruna,

    "Everyone sure is prepared and powerful. But¡­.not even some powerful expert leading a group of Nascent kids or something? There just has to be a specific reason why, right, Fruna?"

    Towards her inquiry, Fruna slightly smiled and explained, "Of course you two wouldn''t be affected at all. But really, the reason you won''t see anyone below the peak of the True Soul Core realm has to do with the weather. There''s an old, long-running theory that''s been around for as long I''ve been around about the Icy Cloud Province. Do you two believe these kinds of myths and vague theories?"

    Darcel and Aniela took a look over to each other then.

    With all they experienced so far, surely they wouldn''t hear something that would be so outrageous. So Darcel simply nodded his head, saying, "Sure, why not. Some theories and myths hold some truth to them."

    "Well, you see, cultivators and even Mage''s alike crafted a theory together. Somewhere deep inside the wild Snowy Plains, there''s an infinite power source that''s continuously spewing out Ice Qi and permanently affecting the environment of the whole Province. And while nobody could confirm for sure. What is confirmed without a doubt is that if you''re not powerful enough to resist the Qi here, your body and soul will permanently freeze over. Quickly though, people were able to gather that being a peak True Soul Core was the base limit to traverse through the Province."

    Hearing all of this, Darcel and Aniela quickly took in the mass sum of information. Now it was making sense why even Innate Core powerhouses bundle up in layers of clothes.

    Still, Aniela had another question popping in her mind and had then spoken up to ask, "Mnnh¡­.so that would mean the towns and Cities here are a safe haven from the cold?"

    "Exactly. In actuality, compared to all other Provinces, even the first ranked one. Our Province has the most small towns and abundances of Cities. Every town or City has been specifically crafted to fend off the deadly freezing cold." Fruna continued on to explain.

    During her talk, a thought popped into Darcel''s mind. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    He began to recall one of Vice-Principal Zelle''s lessons. She mentioned the ninth-ranked Province alone is at least several hundred thousand kilometers long.

    And climbing the ranks of the Provinces, they only continue to overly increase in their size and expansion.

    "Just, how''s a power source like that even possible to exist? This Province is more than hundred of thousands of kilometers long. Surely that kind of power source can''t stay a myth for long."

    "Well¡­.this theory is just something that was passed down for generations. Possibly ever since the first batch of people roamed this World. Yet, even experts from the first ranked Province couldn''t find a trace of this power source. All we do know is the Qi here is vastly more deadly than the other Provinces."

    There was one link that Darcel and Aniela''s mind went to hearing everything is supposedly shrouded in mystery.

    One translucent Spirit girl named Sariel; out of everything, they could directly confirm that Sariel is connected to the World in some profound deep way.

    But this was information Darcel, and Aniela obviously could only ponder on to themselves or with each other.

    "Oooh¡­.I didn''t expect for this Province to have such an intriguing back story. Oh? Hey! Is that Mawold Town?" Aniela pointed out as her eyes squinted forward towards buildings scraping the skies.

    Though as she pointed it out, she and the others took notice of the lack of people surrounding them now on this road.

    A singular wide icy road led towards each town, and two roads split off from each town road and led into other areas.

    And on the road leading to Mawold Town, there wasn''t anybody trying to go on it. But there were cultivators going on the splitting roads that led somewhere else than Mawold Town.

    "Ah¡­.that is indeed our Mawold Town," Fruna confirmed Aniela''s word though she had creased her eyebrows a bit.

    From six feet behind them, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all breathed a huge sigh of relief seeing home come so soon, not really putting the oddity of lack of people in their minds.

    "For a small town as you called it Fruna. This place is pretty luxurious."

    Darcel remarked as the scale of this ''town'' reminded him of Necrotic City. He could already see tall towering blue buildings split into the sky, all spouting rich icy designs.

    Although, coming from cultivators and Mage''s, Darcel and Aniela couldn''t say they were too shocked. The only noticeable peculiar oddity was the lack of people leading up to Mawold Town.

    "Hmmm¡­.is this a reclusive town? There isn''t a single person leaving or going into it?"

    Aniela question since while they walked down this path, it still was only their group of six.

    Promptly then, Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey got a familiar worrying feel stirring around in their guts.

    "No¡­.it''s not. Let me walk a bit ahead; I have a feeling for what''s about to come up."

    Fruna spoke and had then quickly walked a few steps ahead of the ground. Under her leadership, the group promptly sped up the pace and swiftly arrived near the expansive Mawold Town.

    Seeing it up at close truly showed the more Ice beauty of the town. There were beautifully designed large ice-blue walls covering the town and a massive open gate that led into the town.

    Darcel and Aniela remarked in their minds that this place has a welcoming presence that invited people to go in.

    Quickly though, their and Fruna''s group attention was shifted from off the buildings.

    Up ahead, they could make out seven human figures standing at the entrance of town. Four were blocking the town entrance while the other three didn''t try to force their way.

    A gruff voice slithered into Fruna''s group as they approached close to them.

    "As I already said. If none of you can''t fork over the crystals, then piss off from here!"

    As Fruna''s group approached the town, they all got a good look at just who was blocking the entrance and being aggressively demanding.

    And once seeing just who it was, apparent dread swirled in Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey''s eyes.

    The four men blocking off the entrance were all tall and robust looking. They all donned the same outfit, consisting of a high-quality silver, blood-red mix design armor.

    The armor all looked luxuriously polished and excellently made. Just with a single glance, one can tell the armor didn''t affect their movement at all and gave them a higher defense than a cultivator''s regular bodily defense.

    In all four of those men, hands were long, intimidating looking silver hammers.

    And at the tip of their hammers, a bright blood red color dye there further accentuating their daunting vibes.

    Although, the most intimidating aspect of these men was the fact they were all seventh rank Innate Core powerhouses!

    And in front of them were two men at the fifth rank of the Innate Core realm and one mysterious hooded girl also at the fifth rank.

    Darcel, when he could finally make out the people there, his attention was immediately captured. Nobody, not even Aniela right next to him, felt their attention capture like Darcel did.

    Only his eyes directly fell on the hooded girl, and right when he looked straight at the hooded girl, she had also snapped her head right towards Darcel.

    As a familiar sensation course in Darcel''s soul, while he looked at the girl, Darcel had to remark that the hooded girl was quite the hidden beauty.

    Though her clothes did cover some of her body figure, he was able to make out most of it.

    No matter what, Darcel could make out she had a bewitching curvaceous figure that was nearly a perfect figure eight. Her breasts couldn''t be contained and are quite large, being comparable to melon sizes.

    Briefly, Darcel could make out her backside, and he could also see her behind was large and plump, perfectly filling out her hooded robes.

    And under the hoodie, Darcel could vaguely make out her face.

    She had a small cute nose, bright, alluring cherry red lips, and beautiful creamy skin. As their attention locked on to each other, they both momentarily forgot about the tense situation going on around them.

    However, with Aniela, she watched on with a curious expression, her attention being squarely on those strange silver armor men.

    Suddenly one of the fifth rank Innate Core men began talking.

    "Tch! Are you three supposed to be the master of town? Even so, isn''t your price to get in a little steep!"

    The four silver armor men jeered at the fifth rank Innate Core man and didn''t budge an inch.

    "So what if the price is a little expensive? Do you have another way of going into the town that doesn''t involve getting through us?" The silver armor man in the middle spoke, disdain filling up his eyes.

    Right then, Fruna''s group was mere meters away from the scuffle.

    And while Fruna was dreading this encounter, it doesn''t mean she''ll sit by and let this damn group do what they want!

    Boldly Fruna strolled up the silver armor men, immediately gaining their attention. Apparent heat entered the men''s eyes and Fruna''s eyes as their gazes crossed.

    "You silver hammer barbarians are trying to start this crap again?! You know damn well your group doesn''t run this town, so get out of our way!"

 Clash At The Entrance

    "Oh? Well, would you look who decided to show up! The small little Fang group, what timing indeed!" The silver armor man in the middle spoke up again, his tone laced with ample mockery.

    A jeering, disdainful smile etched on his and his other three partner''s lips as they gazed over Fruna''s face.

    "Really, shouldn''t you Fang''s know your place by now? Out here, right now, we''re stronger. And even inside the town walls, we''re still stronger!"

    Though his insulting words carried a thick arrogant weight, there was some truth Fruna couldn''t deny in his words.

    Frustration welled in her eyes, but Fruna quickly pushed it down. Her eyes had then swiftly snapped over to Robert, Reyney, and Hurey, signaling them to provide support.

    Seeing the situation going down, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey did get a bit bolder.

    They walked ahead of Darcel and Aniela but didn''t go right next to Fruna.

    While they did so, another one of the silver armor men suddenly spoke up, saying, "Hoh? The whole crowd coming to play, eh? Alright. We all can play nice here and move on with our lives. Each and every one of you just have to pay a small price of ten green crystals if you want entrance into the town."

    "Ten green crystals?! You of all people should know how much of a highway robbery that is!"Robert suddenly blurted out this time.

    Crystallize resources only gets harder to get with each passing realm. Plus, their worth and values dramatically increase going further in each realm.

    It''s common knowledge that if you''re not at least a titled Heavenly King cultivator or a rich Innate Core powerhouse. Then your chances at having at least one green crystal are next to none!

    "Ohh¡­.that''s too bad. But it isn''t our problem." The silver armor men were cruel and stone-cold in their expression.

    But right then, the mysterious hooded girl finally moved again.

    Throughout the entire exchange, she was in this weird trance stare off with Darcel.

    A familiar sensation went off in her soul as she stared at him, and she couldn''t explain why. Just she only knew Darcel''s presence instantly captured her attention.

    But when her ears picked up the silver armor men''s latest cruel words, she snapped back to reality.

    The hooded robe girl broke her stare off with Darcel and whipped her head around back to the silver armor men.

    "Look, you four, fuck off already! I can''t believe your charade had gone off for so long!" Immediately all eyes fell on the hooded robe girl.

    The silver armor men felt a rush of annoyance at her arrogant words, yet before they could talk, the hooded robe girl suddenly blared her aura!

    The surging prowess of a fifth rank Innate Core discharged from the hooded robe girl and pressed on to the silver armor men.

    Fruna, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all clamped their mouths up as this girl power was incredible!

    Even the silver armor men were taken for a slight surprise.

    At first, their smiles were turning into a broader mocking one, and they were ready to jeer at the girl''s fifth rank aura.

    However, when the hooded girl aura actually crushed down on them, all four of the silver armor men''s smiles froze. They went utterly silent for a moment.

    Somehow, despite it being four against one, they all felt a noticeable suppression weighed on their bodies under this little girl aura!

    It made the four silver armor men crease their eyebrows. Yet, they soon got rid of any unnecessary thoughts about the weirdness of this hooded robe girl aura.

    Their all seventh rank Innate Core powerhouses, this little girl aura is nothing to them!

    With a jeering snort, the four silver armor men had then blared their seventh rank Innate Core aura!

    ''Chi!''

    Snow swirled between the men and hooded robe girl as their aura violently clashed against each other.

    Fruna, Robert, Reyney, Hurey, and the other two fifth Innate Core cultivators were all forced to back off under the thunderous clash of powers.

    "I won''t say this again! Fuck off out of here, or pay the toll!"

    Though the silver armor man in the middle said it, he and his partners were getting increasingly surprised by the second.

    For some reason, even as they blared the full force of their aura, this hooded robe girl still didn''t back down against them. In fact, her fifth rank Innate Core aura stood its ground against their combined seventh rank auras!

    The tension was quickly rising, and soon it would seem like a battle was bound to break out.

    "Alright, Darcy! I think it''s about time for us to enter the scene. Let''s do it¡­.soul style." Aniela quietly whispered to Darcel as she watched the events unfold.

    Watching how bold that hooded girl was ignited her fighting spirit to go against the odds and shock those silver armor men.

    "You know, this would be excellent practice for our souls. You go up first, Aniela, and then I''ll create a perfect double suppression." Darcel quickly said to Aniela.

    On instinct, he wanted to help out the hooded girl anyway, and this situation was the perfect opportunity to introduce themselves to her.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Smiling at Darcel, Aniela nodded and quickly walked up to the silver armor men and the hooded girl.

    The clacking sound of her feet hitting the iced pavement brought their attention to her.

    Robert, Reyney, and Hurey had no intentions of stopping Aniela, already somewhat believing she''ll probably do something outrageous. Fruna wanted to hold her, but she held her tongue, knowing full well how kept hidden she and Darcel are.

    When Aniela neared them, she gave both the silver armor men and the hooded robe girl her best bright smile.

    Immediately, Aniela felt their clashes of aura, but her face didn''t show any sign of tension. Quickly Aniela began smoothly surging her soul powers to resist the friction of auras.

    Streaks of white light smoked off Aniela''s body in small wisps causing surprise to swell in the silver armor men and the hooded girl.

    Ever since Aniela first appeared, they were already slightly captivated by her presence. And now, their curiosity only further increased.

    But before anybody could question what she was doing. Aniela surged out her soul powers, discharging a soul aura, and crushed it down on the four silver armor men.

    "Now, now. There''s no need to resort to violence so quickly! I''m sure we all can smooth this out peacefully."

    Though Aniela may have sounded sweet and like a caring peace angel. Her action was causing panic in the silver armor men''s minds!

    Their mighty, powerful souls that shouldn''t be affected by anyone here was getting noticeably weighed down by a severe suppression!

    And where that suppression was coming from was this sudden long white hair girl that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

    Moreover, the girl didn''t even look stressed at all from bearing both three seventh rank Innate Core auras and one powerful fifth rank Innate Core aura!

    "Tch and just who the hell are¡­." The leading silver armor man sentence trailed off as he and the other heard another set of feet marching towards them.

    The four silver men eyes, Fruna''s group eyes, the two fifth rank Innate Core cultivators, and the hooded girl snapped their heads back. They watched as Darcel strolled up to them with the same confident stride as Aniela.

    When Darcel neared the silver armor men, he too felt the mighty clashes of Innate Core auras.

    But, just like Aniela, Darcel quickly surged out his soul powers. He discharged a soul aura that matched with Aniela''s soul aura and crashed down on the four silver armor men.

    Streaks of Darkness wisp out of his body like smoke, and Darcel spoke up before anyone else could. "She''s right. How about you four just let all of us go past, and we can all go about our lives."

    Now the four silver armor men went utterly silent.

    Aniela''s soul suppression already caused concerns in the men, and now Darce had just double the suppression!

    And right then, the four silver armor men felt shocked coursing in their bodies. They perceived it, on their faces, sweat was pouring down them.

    Sweat as if they''re facing a significant threat to their lives!

    Their bodies felt even heavier too and a considerable pressure crushed on them. The silver armor men''s minds were going a million miles per second, just trying to understand what was going on.

    The number of people who can actually use their souls willingly and effectively in the Innate Core realm is nearly to next none besides extraordinary geniuses.

    And even then, not even titled Heavenly King cultivators has that much control over their souls!

    While the silver armor men, of course, didn''t think they would lose to these kids, the suppression on their souls was too outrageous to ignore.

    "You two! Just what the hell are you, kids!" The man in the middle aggressively called out, trying to hide his worries.

    He focused his mighty aura on Darcel and Aniela, yet his soul suppression didn''t let up. His partners also joined in on focusing their auras on Darcel and Aniela.

    But to their dismay, the soul suppression didn''t let up, and Darcel and Aniela''s face remained the same.

    Watching this exchange unfold right next to them, the hooded robe girl couldn''t contain her shock. Her eyes had snapped over to Darcel as soon as he discharged his soul aura.

    She once again cursed in her mind. All of her focus was once again taken by this random dark hair boy!

    But, the familiar sensation that course in her soul was out of her hand, and she couldn''t control it.

    Amazingly enough, she didn''t feel the slightest bit of suppression when Darcel and Aniela unleashed their soul auras.

    On the other hand, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all felt a greater fear swell in them about Darcel and Aniela. They weren''t that close by the duo, yet they felt their souls quake over a great power discharge.

    Now they also know those two wouldn''t even need to go in that weird black and white state. Just the mere release of their soul aura was already causing grave problems to them.

    The other fifth rank Innate Core men were just as equally as shocked and weary over the sudden appearance of Darcel and Aniela.

    They felt their souls quiver in suppression though it wasn''t as great as Robert, Reyney, and Hurey.

    Fruna, however, was the only that wasn''t too put off over the sudden reversal. She was even gaining a slight sly smile seeing the silver armor men become so shocked and confused.

    Fruna had then decided to boldly walk up right next to Aniela, saying, "They''re with us. And honestly, for all of our sakes, I would suggest you listen to their suggestion."

    The four silver armor men''s eyes briefly glanced at Fruna.

    A shimmer of killing intent swirled in their eyes, staring at her, but they didn''t act on it. Quickly they refocused their attention on Darcel and Aniela but didn''t try to attack them as well.

    They didn''t know what it was; call it an instinctual gut feeling. But all four of the silver armor men felt as if something unexpected would happen if they tried to attack.

    It was like a nagging voice inside their mind telling them to not act so rashly with these kids.

    Throughout the entire time, Darcel and Aniela didn''t speak up yet.

    During the middle of pressuring these silver armor men, they had both sensed an unfathomable aura quickly approaching them.

    And when Fruna finished talking, it had finally arrived.

    Robert, Reyney, Hurey, and Fruna expressions all abruptly went ecstatic. The fifth Innate Core men''s eyes widen to saucers sizes.

    The hooded robe girl snapped her head to look behind the four silver armor men and into the town.

    Darcel and Aniela were the only ones with calm and expected reactions.

    "Silver bloody hammer! Doing this farce once again?! Piss off already!" A booming voice blasted in everyone''s eardrums.

    The four silver armor men went utterly rigid in fear as the tremendous suffocating aura of a Heavenly Transformation cultivator crashed down on them.

    "Ah! Heavenly General!" Reyney shouted out on instinct as he and his other partners felt a mass rush of relief wash over them.

    Quickly then, the hooded robe girl retracted her aura. Darcel and Aniela as well recalled their soul auras.

    The four silver armor men didn''t even get a chance to retract their auras. The unfathomable Heavenly Transformation aura utterly vaporized it and immensely suppressed their Innate Qi.

    "Damn! We calculated it just right; he should''ve still been busy!" One of the silver armor men cursed under his breath.

    "Whatever. Let''s go; it''s their lucky break today." The silver armor man in the middle decided.

    And without turning around to give the other a single glance, the four silver armor men quickly retracted back into town. They moved swift like the wind leaving in an anticlimactic fashion.

    As they left, Fruna''s group, Darcel, Aniela, the hooded robe girl, and the two fifth Innate Core men, all turned their heads to see a good looking man swiftly approaching them.

 Flashy Impressions

    For someone in the legendary Heavenly Transformation realm, Darcel and Aniela was a bit surprised at the man outfit and overall general presence.

    Instead of the overbearing exoticness Principal Zakira and Elder Leweyn naturally exuded, this man''s presence was more subdued.

    If Darcel and Aniela had to explain it, they would say the man resembles someone that is honest and clearly a hard worker. He had a sturdy, robust frame and was at least six feet tall.

    The man''s outfit consisted of a simple brown furry leather outfit.

    And on the right side of his breastplate was the symbol of a golden fang, making his outfit pop out just that tiny bit.

    Right when the man reached the entrance, the two other fifth Innate Core men took it upon themselves to leave.

    They kept their heads down and walked right past the men, knowing full well it''s best to not bother any Heavenly Kings.

    Although, the mysterious hooded robe girl stayed behind.

    Her eyes curiously stared at the man and specifically the golden fang symbol. A flash of realization crossed over in the girl''s mind then. But before she could speak, the man began to talk.

    "Ah, Fruna, Robert, Reyney, Hurey, it seems I just have impeccable timing. I was just coming back from my outing with the Ice Darke guild. And¡­."

    The man''s eyes suddenly trailed over Darcel and Aniela.

    Already, the man could tell a bit of their personality from their stature. Darcel''s expression was calm and neutral, though a hint of curiosity swirled in his eyes.

    However, Aniela had a lovely small smile on her face as her gaze evenly matched the man''s eyes.

    No matter if it was a titled Heavenly King cultivator, Darcel and Aniela maintained their usual stride. Fruna stood close to them, and several clicks went off in the man''s mind.

    Even as he walked up to them, his attention was first taken by the duo and not by his own group members.

    "It seems like you all managed to meet some people during your trip to the Misty Haze Pits?"

    While he talked, the man''s eyes also briefly trailed over the hooded robe girl.

    This girl was also noteworthy of attention, though not as much as Darcel and Aniela. But he was curious on why she didn''t go into town already and held a deep stare at him.

    Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all froze up against the man''s question.

    All of their eyes promptly turned over to Fruna, giving her free reign to control the conversation. They don''t want to be involved with that freakish duo more than they already are.

    Of course, Fruna didn''t have any problem with introducing Darcel and Aniela.

    Her eyes quickly flashed over to the duo, and they also briefly glanced at Fruna. Darcel and Aniela smiled at her, also giving her free reign to control the entire conversation.

    Understanding their request, Fruna turned back over to the man and saluted.

    "Heavenly General Gorbug. The boy is Darcel, and the girl is Aniela. They are with us; in fact, we had sort of searched out for them on our own. Our soul pendants led us over to them, and they helped us get far in the Misty Haze Pits. Just now, I was about to take them over to join our group."

    Contrary to what Robert, Reyney, Hurey, Fruna, and even Darcel and Aniela thought.

    Heavenly General Gorbug didn''t have that much of a reaction. Rather his face slowly formed into an expectant smile as if he knew this was coming.

    "I see¡­.two True Soul Core youths, huh. There may be some¡­.discussion about them. But, since you were about to personally lead them to join us, I don''t see any issue about them joining."

    And then, Heavenly General Gorbug turned his attention back on Darcel and Aniela.

    Looking at them dead in the eyes, he told them, "Darcel, Aniela. I am one of the Heavenly Generals of Nobe''s Fang group. I''m sure you two will fit right in here."

    Seeing the welcoming smile on Heavenly General Gorbug''s face was inviting. But Darcel and Aniela couldn''t help but find it a bit¡­.too queer.

    From the snippets they heard from Robert and Reyney, they believed something more complicated may arise about them joining.

    Still, Darcel and Aniela weren''t the ones to question a smiling face.

    Aniela herself gave Heavenly General Gorbug a broad alluring smile that carried a luminous shine.

    "It''s nice to meet you, Heavenly General Gorbug! Darcel and I are a bit new here, so any help would be appreciated. And trust me, you won''t regret helping us out!"

    The bold and assured tone of Aniela was almost too persuasive to listen to. That kind of stride and confidence made Heavenly General Gorbug gain a hint of respect in his eyes about her. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Even as Darcel still didn''t talk, his steady, confident stature only accentuated Aniela''s point.

    "Is that so? I guess there''s only one way to truly find out then, right? Come on le-"

    "Hey! They''re going to join, too, right? And you all are from the Nobe''s Fang group, huh. Then I''m requesting to join your group too!"

    The hooded robe girl abruptly spoke up and even interrupted Heavenly General Gorbug. There was also sort of a demanding tone in her voice that wouldn''t take any form of an answer besides a yes.

    Promptly, Robert, Reyney, Hurey, and Fruna turned to look at the girl.

    They had a slight frown, obviously not liking the girl''s hot attitude. Yet none of them didn''t bother to speak out against it. They already saw just how aggressive the girl could be on a dime.

    Heavenly General Gorbug turned his eyes over to the girl. Instead of feeling annoyed, he was interrupted; his expression was still a calm slight smile.

    "A fifth rank Innate Core eh? I like your temperament, girl. We''re always welcome to newcomers; let''s head back, shall we."

    "Right!" Robert, Reyney, Hurey, and Fruna all voiced their agreement at the same time.

    Promptly then, Heavenly General Gorbug turned around and started walking into the town.

    Fruna quickly walked up to Heavenly General Gorbug while the other three men stayed just a few feet to her side.

    And at the back was Darcel, Aniela, and the hooded robe girl.

    Aniela boldly stared right at the hooded robe girl and opened up her mouth. "Hehehe~, you just don''t mince any words or hold back your actions! You know¡­.I''m already having a great first impression of you."

    Aniela was never the one to hold back her words, and she genuinely gave out her honest thought.

    When telling her that, she, Darcel, and the hooded robe girl began following behind Heavenly General Gorbug''s group. However, their attentions were on each other.

    "It was very bold, I must say. Against those rowdy silver armor men, you look like you were prepping to take all three at once." Darcel chimed in after Aniela.

    He gave the hooded robe girl a charming smile as his eyes wandered across the buildings inside the town.

    Truly being inside and outside the town are two entirely different experiences. Everything inside the town was vast, spouting numerous kinds of shops, Sects, or other types of organizations.

    Endless amounts of people roam the streets, all of them walking with purpose.

    But a critical difference between the people in this town compared to Necrotic City was the fact that a lot more people were bundled up together.

    There weren''t many singular cultivators walking about, and there weren''t many low-level cultivators.

    Darcel certainly did felt the temperature inside the town walls significantly warm-up compared to outside.

    But still, the lowest level walking around as far Darcel could sense was early True Soul Core warriors.

    Darcel couldn''t wonder his eyes for long around the town since the hooded robe girl didn''t miss a beat when replying to him.

    "Hmph! It all comes naturally to me. But if we''re on first impressions, you two certainly don''t hold back as well! You two were quite flashy, even got those silver eyes sores sweating."

    Darcel could see a hint of a smirk forming on the girl''s beautiful cherry red lips as she talked. Several intriguing ideas popped into his mind then, but Darcel pushed down those thoughts for a little bit later.

    "You could say that also only comes naturally to us. By the way, what''s your name?" Darcel asked, and Aniela''s attention was also inquisitive by this subject.

    And for the briefest of moments, the hooded robe girl paused.

    Darcel managed to pick up the brief pause, but the girl soon started walking again, right as it occurred.

    "It''s Yasami¡­.and you know what? Even if this is literally our first meeting, it''s refreshing to finally have some fearless youths to talk to."

    An inquiring expression dawned on Aniela''s face upon hearing the girl.

    But her face quickly split back into a smile after thinking for a couple of seconds. "Fearless, huh? Yes¡­.yes! That''s a great title all of us can identify with! That''s some nice thinking, Yasami!"

    Admittedly, seeing how bright and open Aniela was had taken her a back for a moment. But soon then, a more genuine smile formed on Yasami''s lips as she could more confirm that this pair of duo certainly is interesting.

    While the youths were merrily chatting away, up head Fruna and Heavenly General Gorbug are talking with each other.

    Heavenly General Gorbug had an analytical expression as he asked, "Truly? Those kids'' power and control over their souls go up to that degree?"

    As Darcel asked her before, Fruna was putting in a real good word for him and Aniela to make their joining process even more smoother.

    A huge smile graced Fruna''s lips as she answered Heavenly General Gorbug.

    "Indeed. It''s more than you can actually expect, really. And take this as you will, but without them, we wouldn''t have been able to make it a mile in the Misty Haze Pits." When Fruna spoke the last part, her voice lowered down to more of a whisper.

    And Heavenly General Gorbug''s eyes slightly widen hearing this. He already had sensed a vague trace of their alluring soul powers before. And now, his curiosity shot through the roof.

    The only ones who had kept the talking to a minimum were Robert, Reyney, and Hurey.

    While they marched on back to their organization, these three felt an odd, ominous feeling. And most certainly, they all traced this feeling back to Darcel and Aniela.

    ¡­.

    Under Heavenly General Gorbug''s guide, it took a few minutes before they all finally arrived at the Nobe''s Fang group.

    Immediately Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami''s attention was taken by how vast their place was.

    For Darcel and Aniela, they only heard talks about other Sects or Academies during their stay inside Zakira Academy. Even the books they read only included Sects, Academies, Mage''s places, or shops.

    They honestly can''t say they know much about how Mercenaries band work.

    But the building the Nobe''s Fang group stayed in clearly showed Darcel and Aniela they weren''t just a mere band of rogue cultivators.

    The Nobe''s Fang group actually had several vast and larger interconnected buildings. Each building held a beautiful crystal blue coat of paint, and there were bright gold markings of a fang painted on some parts of the building.

    Although as they walked up to the building, none of them saw any people coming out or in the entrance.

    Still, the great luxuriously of the Nobe''s Fang group couldn''t be denied.

    "Well, well, would you look at this? It''s quite a pretty building, don''t you guys think?" Yasami mainly directed her question at Darcel and Aniela.

    During their few minutes walk here, they all had swimmingly chatted along and were enjoying each other''s company.

    Darcel turned his eyes over to Gorbug and began to say, "Indeed it is. Heavenly General Gorbug is this¡­."

    "Yes, it is. Welcome to Nobe''s Fang group." Heavenly General Gorbug answered Darcel calmly.

    Already by just being outside the place, Darcel, Aniela and Yasami felt their curiosity quickly grow about this band of Mercenary. They could tell they would be in for an exciting time.

 Slight Altercation

    Without waiting, Robert, Reyney, and Hurey all quickly walked through the open entrance. They wanted to at least relax a bit before the inevitable chaos they know Darcel and Aniela will cause.

    Heavenly General Gorbug and Fruna smiled at the youths before walking in as well.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami exchanged a brief glance before nodding and followed right behind Heavenly General Gorbug.

    And right when stepping inside, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami were treated to a vast and neatly designed room. Just from first glances, anybody would be able to tell this single room alone can easily fit up to at least hundreds of people.

    As for the room''s design, it''s what Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami at least expected out of a band of mercenaries.

    It was designed to be a tavern-like place, spouting multiple arrays of weapons hanging off the walls.

    There were several boards filled with paper, all describing various information. Multiple hallways that led down to other places were also lined up on the crystal blue walls.

    And at the far back of the room, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami could spot several sets of staircases that led further in this place.

    The trio could describe this place as being orderly and neat for anyone to get to where they want.

    But out of everything, the most noticeable detail of the place was the massive crowds of people here.

    Nearly everyone here was dressed in a similar furry leather brown outfit. Yet none of their designs were of the same quality as Heavenly General Gorbug.

    When Heavenly General Gorbug and Fruna came in, eyes had gathered on them but most mainly landed on Heavenly General Gorbug. Respect filled their eyes, and some even saluted at him.

    As for the others who didn''t notice him, they were in a harmonious atmosphere. Groups of people shuffled together, either talking or planning things with each other in a systematic fashion.

    However, everyone''s orderly steadiness change when Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami finally step through the doors.

    Because they were closely following behind Heavenly General Gorbug, many eyes gathered explicitly on them.

    All of the Nobe''s Fang group members were plagued with sudden confusion. Mainly, just why is their Heavenly General seemingly escorting three normal kids back here?

    While some members could admit that Darcel and Aniela''s appearances were rather fetching, their cultivation realm was pitifully low. And the hooded robe girl was merely a fifth rank Innate Core cultivator.

    Robert, Reyney, and Hurey already split off from that group.

    They had quickly rejoined up with their friends, but their friends too couldn''t keep their attention off from Darcel''s group.

    "What? Don''t tell me you caught these kids straggling behind y''all while on the mission?" One of their friends jokingly asked.

    Though neither Robert, Reyney, nor Hurey had such a joking expression.

    "Uhhh¡­.you could say it like that. Well¡­.you''ll find out soon enough." Was all Hurey told them, causing even more confusion in their friends.

    Hurey didn''t bother to speak more since he knew it was about to start.

    "Soo? Where are you going to take us?" Aniela spoke in a normal positive tone.

    She was unaffected by the burning curious gazes gathered on to her. Even when the stares increased as she talked, Aniela just kept her focus on Heavenly General Gorbug.

    And hearing her question, Heavenly General Gorbug and Fruna stopped and turned around to the youths.

    "We''re going up to the staircase. If you wish to join, you''ll need to meet with someone else along with me and take on an initiate mission." Heavenly General Gorbug explained to them and inclined his head to keep on walking.

    As they continue on walking, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasmai notice an immediate change in the gazes directed towards them.

    Now instead of slight curiosity, the people''s eyes had a more unkind, disdaining look.

    Yet, none of this bothers Darcel, Aniela, or Yasami at all. They kept on following, and Darcel calmly asked, "An initiate mission, huh? So this is how you test out the waters on the true value of us, I assume?"

    Fruna, this time turned her head in order to answer Darcel. She too ignored all eyes on them and said,

    "Ah, indeed. But don''t worry, for you three, this mission will be a breeze. Even more so than what our....average members usually experience. But generally, every initiate mission is usually straightforward and simple."

    During their short time traversing the room, Darcel, Aniela and Yasami could spot the other members getting antsier by the second.

    Hearing that they will take on a mission to join was really setting them off.

    And it was about when they reached halfway in the room that one particular member decided he had enough.

    "Heavenly General Gorbug! No disrespect towards you at all, but¡­.these kids will end up wasting your time and our resources! There''s no way these three will be helpful in any way against the Silver Bloody Hammer group. And we need all the time we can get!"

    "Frey''s right Heavenly General Gorbug! The Silver Bloody Hammer group is only getting more violent and brazen each day. Who knows? Tomorrow they might just suddenly attack our whole organization out of nowhere!" A girl next to Frey spoke up to accentuate his point.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami directed their attention to these two.

    Frey had an average man''s appearance, yet his cultivation realm was at the eighth rank of the Innate Core realm! Plus, he had a special silver fang symbol on his right breastplate, indicating his status over regular members.

    As for the girl, she was an average cute looking one. Although her cultivation realm was at the seventh rank of the Innate Core realm! And she, too, had a special silver fang symbol.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Because they stepped into the True Soul Core realm, Darcel and Aniela could easily sense and point out the prowess of the eight rank level of the Innate Core realm.

    But besides remarking their prowess as being relatively high, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami didn''t take that much notice about it.

    Although what did take notice with them were the whisper and murmurs coming about the room.

    "I mean¡­.aren''t they just two little True Soul Core and one measly fifth rank Innate Core? Why is Heavenly General even escorting them to this point¡­."

    "It''s not like we''ve fallen that low just to accept anyone random person''s help." Silent murmurs and whispers like this echoed throughout the whole room.

    The only one staying silent was Robert, Reyney, and Hurey.

    Fruna''s face was becoming increasingly displeased at everyone''s on edge attitude. She was starting to open her mouth to speak, but right then, Heavenly General Gorbug beat her to the punch.

    "I understand all of your concerns. But be at ease. Any help we can get will be valuable help. You all shouldn''t be too focused on immediate profits."

    Heavenly General Gorbug calmly explained, yet it didn''t help relieve the other members'' concerns.

    "I see Heavenly General Gorbug. Then¡­.if their help truly is valuable as you claim. Surely they would be able to do an Expert tier mission to show they could have worth against impossible odds, right?"

    Frey had pushed on, and immediately nearly all members swayed to his side.

    "Ah, yes! That would be an acceptable mission at this point in time. Sure during normal times, these kids can do whatever easy mission to join. But what we need now is true valuable help!"

    The woman beside Frey boldly agrees with him, causing even more murmurs to erupt throughout the room.

    "Heh¡­.though they said that so passionately and persuasively. We all know there''s no chance in hell for them."

    "Call it a stroke of unluckiness for them. But hey, who can even get a streak of good luck in our kind of world?"

    "Practically suicide for anyone below the seventh rank to go on that tier of the mission. They might''ve as well just turn right back out now."

    Seeing how rowdy people were growing by the second caused Heavenly General Gorbug to internally sight. Using just a small dosage of his power, he silently leaked his aura while directly stating,

    "Enough. My decision is already made up. And after some discussion, they will take on an initiate tier mission."

    The unfathomable aura of a Heavenly Transformation cultivator immediately caused everyone to shut up.

    Even if it''s the tiniest dosage of Heavenly General Gorbug power, no one can stand the might of Heavenly Power. Not even the peak ninth rank Innate Core members could talk under that kind of power.

    As the room quickly died down, Darcel and Aniela took a look over with each other. Their black deep, profound eyes lit up in a brilliant idea once their senses picked on something vital coming to them.

    Yasami, however, kept a neutral stance as her gaze looked on coldly.

    But slight tension did begin to fill her hands as her senses picked on the same being Darcel and Aniela sensed.

    Heavenly General Gorbug as well creased his eyebrows, sensing the one person he didn''t particularly want to see at this time, quickly come down the stairs.

    A loud voice had suddenly cut through the quickening silence, blaring out,

    "You really want to give a mission to just two small little True Soul Core kids and one mere fifth rank Innate Core? General Gorbug, can you truly say they will mean something against the Silver Bloody Hammer group dozen of peak Innate Core warriors? Or how about their plentiful Heavenly Kings? If they can''t complete a near-impossible task like an expert tier mission, then what''s the point of having them?"

    As the voice finished talking, everyone''s eyes turned over to the bottom of the staircase.

    Their stood an intimidating looking man with a chilling expression.

    The man had a shining bald head and wore the same leather outfit as Heavenly General Gorbug, also spouting the same golden fang symbol.

    Right as this man finished talking, the rowdy chatter started right back up, and Frey was the first to say,

    "Heavenly General Sinaki! I think I speak for most of us when I say you''re completely right. If they can''t complete an expert tier mission, then they can''t join at all!"

    "What impeccable timing for you to come now, General Sinaki." Though it didn''t necessarily show on his face, Heavenly General Gorbug most definitely felt annoyed at his appearance.

    As he and Heavenly General Sinaki''s eyes locked, Aniela tapped Darcel''s shoulder, giving him a smiling signal.

    They both already know that rejecting the Nobe''s Fang group offer and leaving here wasn''t a smart move.

    Not only do they still don''t have a place to stay or a clear map of the Province. There''s also the altercation they just been through with the Silver Bloody Hammer group, and Darcel and Aniela were sure that silver armor men would spread word to attempt to harm them.

    However, none of this means they''ll just let these bands of Mercenaries walk all over them and let them do as they please!

    "Hmm¡­.you know, for people with much experience, you should know it''s not always right to see just with your eyes. Right, Aniela?"

    Darcel spoke in a firm, loud voice that overpowered all other murmurs going in the room. Everyone''s eyes gathered on to him, and further displeasure entered their thoughts about the kids.

    And yet, none of that matters to Darcel. His gaze locked with Heavenly General Sinaki, and he didn''t break away for even a second.

    Heavenly General Sinaki simply raised his eyebrow at Darcel''s bold question. But he did slightly admire the boy''s courage to speak so loud and firm.

    Before anyone could say anything to Darcel, however, Aniela didn''t miss a beat and spoke up right when Darcel finished talking. "Completely right, Darcel! It''s indeed better to experience everything in full glory to educate yourself!"

    Hearing these two odd words were only causing more confusion in everyone and lowering their opinions of them.

    People thought these kids have quite the attitude, but right then, everyone felt a tremendous spike in power!

    It didn''t matter who it was, be it either a peak Innate Core cultivator or even the two Heavenly General''s.

    No one was spared from an intense churning in their souls.

    The only exception to this rule was Yasami. She was feeling a warm sensation quickly take hold of her soul and soothed her whole body.

    Hundreds of the Nobe''s Fang group members all in that room directed their attention to where that spike of soul power came from. And everyone''s eyes became increasingly large then.

    For as the burst of incredible power came from Darcel and Aniela!

    The duo was surging out their souls in a similar manner to when they went up to suppress the silver armor men.

    Truthfully before that incident, neither Darcel nor Aniela managed to fully discharge a soul aura. But with each passing second, they spent in the True Soul Core realm, the control they have over their souls only steadily increased at a quick rate.

    Compared to last time, Darcel and Aniela could now discharge a more powerful soul suppression without giving away too much of their specialty.

    Wisps of white Light smoked of Aniela, and wisps of Darkness crackled out of Darcel.

    Brazenly, the duo unleashed their soul auras upon the whole room!

    Silence permeated the room then. All under the seventh rank of the Innate Core realm felt it was incredibly difficult to breathe. Their souls were almost entirely suppressed!

    Seventh rank Innate Core warriors felt a tremendous suppression weighed upon their souls and bodies, making them heavily sluggish.

    Even eighth rank and ninth Rank Innate Core warriors crease their eyebrows over the slight churning in their souls.

    Heavenly General Gorbug was a bit taken aback, and Fruna had somewhat expected for this outcome to occur.

    All the while, Heavenly General Sinaki''s eyes blazed into Darcel and Aniela.

    "You kids¡­.this power of the soul. Just what exactly is this?" Heavenly General Sinaki was the only one that spoke in the stunned silence.

    The power these kids should be impossible¡­.and yet what they all sensed right now was no fluke.

    Every Nobe''s Fang group member''s souls were experiencing it; the incredible power of Darcel and Aniela''s soul auras!

    Seeing the stunning reaction they want, Darce and Aniela smirked. But admittedly, spreading out their soul aura throughout the entire room was quickly draining them.

    It was then a sudden idea popped into Darcel''s head. His eyes quickly trailed over to Yasami, who appeared to be in a hypnotic trance.

 Starting The Seeds

    For the briefest of seconds, Darcel and Yasami locked gazes.

    Darcel was akin to a beacon of warmth Yasami''s soul was calling out to. But, Yasami managed to focus her attention mainly on Darcel''s eyes.

    His eyes twinkle with a hint of suggestion, indicating he wanted her to speak.

    And somehow¡­.Yasami somewhat understood this!

    They obviously don''t have a long attachment or any sort of attachment, considering they just met today.

    But Yasami recognized Darcel wanted her to carry on their momentum. So with an aggressive stride in her step, Yasami turned around and boldly blared her voice throughout the whole room.

    "Heh! Just what are we? A mere couple of youths, remember? Yet¡­.now it seems like your opinions are changing, huh? Really, actions speak louder than bullshit!"

    Those crude bold words slithered into everyone''s ears, forcing eyes to gather on the hooded robe girl.

    Though she had a point that their opinions were changing, it didn''t change the fact that the one who is telling that is still a mere fifth rank Innate Core kid!

    Eyebrows furrowed as people tried to bring their attention off from the overwhelming Darcel and Aniela and focus on the more normal kid out of the three.

    Yet, Aniela wasn''t going to give them a chance for that.

    In the people''s lapse of focus from changing their attention, Aniela''s bright voice soothed into everyone''sBesides "Hehehe~, let''s all not get so antsy now. Beside, we still have to do our expert tier mission, right Mr. Heavenly General?"

    Heavenly General Sinaki zipped his eyes specifically to Aniela. His eyes matched with hypnotic profound black eyes and the widening grin of Aniela.

    "You really don''t have to discuss. We, in fact, welcome any expert tier missions. Since it won''t be a problem for us." Aniela continued to talk, carrying her golden, daring momentum.

    While she said the last part, her eyes briefly flashed over to Darcel and Yasami, gazing at their reaction.

    And they both only inclined their heads at her.

    Darcel was never the one to back down from any challenges, and he was curious about exploring this snowy region.

    While Yasami had an impenetrable backbone and could step up to any challenge thrown at her.

    Before Heavenly General Sinaki could respond to her, Darcel and Aniela stopped their soul aura, returning the room back to its standard atmosphere.

    A wave of slight exhaustion washed over Darcel and Aniela, but they didn''t allow anything to show on their face.

    Their eyes did wander across the room and was satisfied by their soul aura effects. All under the seventh rank of the Innate Core realm released a huge breath as sweat poured down their brows.

    Even some seventh rank Innate Core members released a small breath they didn''t realize they were holding in.

    Heavenly General Sinaki quickly noted this scene but kept his stature calm and steady.

    "....I can admit it. You two indeed stand above common ones and may even be that special." As Heavenly General Sinaki talked, all eyes quickly gathered on him.

    A grand Heavenly Transformation cultivator admitting this to a couple of True Soul Core youths should''ve come as a tremendous surprise.

    Yet no one there could really say they were surprised by his words.

    Seconds may have only passed, but to all Innate Core cultivators under the seventh rank, they felt as if hours passed already!

    More than anything, it was apparent to tell these kids are anything but weak and ordinary.

    After taking a brief pause, Heavenly General Sinaki continued to talk. "So if you truly want to take on this mission, let''s see all of your limits then."

    Heavenly General Sinaki ignited his spatial ring and pulled out a detailed map.

    Seeing that specific map caused Heavenly General Gorbug and Fruna''s eyes to widen a bit. Since Darcel and Aniela took control of the entire situation themselves, there''s little they could really say here.

    Even if Heavenly General Gorbug is on equal standing with Sinaki, neither holds the absolute power to make every decision for their group.

    But since Darcel and Aniela are so brazenly showing off and agreeing, there wouldn''t be much he could say to change their minds.

    Yet, when his and Fruna''s eyes landed on that map, they knew precisely what mission Heavenly General Sinaki is going to give out.

    Before either could say anything, however, Heavenly General Sinaki continued to speak.

    "For this expert mission, you are to follow this map into the Plunged Tundra wild side. You will eventually come across a special igloo following the map. Inside the igloo is the Snow Weaver hunchback ape. To complete the mission, you are to take its heart, head, and tail and bring it back to us."

    "The Snow Weaver ape?! Heavenly General Sinaki really wants them to kill that! This may end up more than bad for them."

    "I don''t know about that man. Those kids'' souls are too freakish! What if they¡­.no they truly may know about how to attack with your soul!"

    "But killing that creature though¡­." Frey silently murmurs to himself as the whole room explodes into a rowdy noise of murmurs.

    If this was before, every single Nobe''s Fang group member would''ve been unconditionally jeering Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami.

    But now, all talks reside around on whether or not the kids are actually that powerful enough to pull it off! Darcel and Aniela''s soul aura left a tremendous imprint on them that none there will probably ever forget.

    "So? What makes this ape beast just so deadly?" Darcel asked amidst the chatter about him and Aniela.

    This time Heavenly General Gorbug turned around to answer him, saying,The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    "That Spirit Monster ape isn''t ordinary at all. You see, Spirit Monsters who are able to gain their own individual names all have special and exotic abilities that make them deadly and tricky to kill. This ape is a powerful sixth rank Innate Core being, but it''s also known to kill even teams of seventh rank Innate Core humans."

    In some small hopes, Heavenly General Gorbug and Fruna wished the duo would reconsider hearing the danger of the mission.

    Yet, only a challenging smirk etched on Darcel and Aniela''s face.

    "Hoh? Is it just that, really? Then¡­.there really is no problem for us! This is nearly too straightforward then!" Aniela spoke, and while her words may seem arrogant. No one really spoke out to disagree with her.

    Yasami had then confidently stride up to Heavenly General Sinaki and graciously took the map from him.

    She only gave Heavenly General Sinaki a single challenging smile before strolling back to Darcel and Aniela.

    During that short brief exchange, Heavenly General Sinaki didn''t speak a single word to Yasami. And yet, while it was far more subdued than Darcel and Aniela, he sensed there was something¡­.off about that girl.

    "So? Are you two ready to go?" Yasami showed off the map to Darcel and Aniela while asking.

    Taking a look at it, Darcel gently took the map from her hands and stuffed it into his pockets.

    "Ready. Let''s go; we''ll be back soon, Fruna." Darcel said, and he and Aniela nodded towards Fruna.

    She was still a bit stunned at how everything went down. But before she could respond, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami quickly turned around and walked out of the room.

    Once they were gone, Fruna noticed everyone''s expressions became more relaxed, yet there was still disbelief mixed in there.

    The single question that rummaged on their minds was; just what the hell was that?!

    "General Gorbug¡­.you seem a bit more calmer than anybody else during that whole fiasco. Do you know what those two are?"

    Heavenly General Sinaki swiftly strode up to Gorbug and asked.

    Towards his accusing tone, Heavenly General Gorbug simply smiled and shook his head. "You know, I''m just as surprised or, in fact, even more, surprised than everyone here.  If they do come back, I can say for sure that we just stumbled upon good saddlings."

    "Fuu¡­.at least nothing came down to an irreversible point. I have a good feeling about them, really." Fruna had a slight joyous smile though she knows that mission won''t be easy to complete, even for Darcel and Aniela.

    Out of the clutter and chatter on Darcel and Aniela, only three were quiet, having fraught expressions on their faces.

    Even as Darcel and Aniela left, the slight quivering feeling inside Robert, Reyney, and Hurey''s souls still didn''t leave them.

    They knew their reign was far from over.

    ¡­.

    "Hm, hm! You two just have to be realm jumpers, too, right?" Once they got outside, Yasami had quickly saddled up next to Darcel and asked the duo. Seeing as outside the Nobe''s Fang group place, it was completely vacant, she thought it was a good time to ask.

    Previously she could only vaguely guess there was something special about their prowess when facing the silver armor men.

    At that time, Darcel and Aniela''s soul aura wasn''t as refined. But in the Nobe''s Fang group place, she could clearly sense the sensation soothing her soul and tell Darcel and Aniela''s combat prowess far exceeds their realm.

    Darcel and Aniela trailed their eyes over to Yasami.

    Aniela smiled at her and was going to answer her until a lightning idea abruptly streaked in Darcel''s mind.

    Darcel couldn''t say for sure Aniela had picked on it, seeing as she had no reaction about it. But Darcel was confident about the actions of Yasami.

    Throughout all of their time together, despite everything still being new and very recent. Darcel notices how Yasami would naturally get close to only him.

    It was like a moth being slowly allured by a bright flame.

    Furthermore, Darcel felt an instinctive feeling in his soul and bloodline, telling him that Yasami may have an innate attraction to him.

    Now given the fact they literally just met not too long ago, anybody would think this line of thoughts is ridiculous and almost narcissistic.

    Yet, Darcel knew his bloodline and soul was no fluke.

    Considering that there wasn''t a single other girl that made his soul and bloodline react like this during their first meeting was the biggest striking factor.

    Admittedly, Darcel didn''t even feel this kind of innateness when meeting Aniela the first time.

    And it was that moment a slow smirk curled up Darcel''s lips.

    He already promised that ethereal voice that he will surely spread the enjoyment of his so-called Yin''s Pleasure. So now, it was time to put these skills to the test.

    Recalling the times he engaged in hot passion with Aniela, Darcel surged the pleasure, lustful side of his bloodline powers.

    But, uniquely, this time, Darcel had coated his vocal cords in pure Darkness energy!

    Darkness swirled in Darcel''s mouth like water, and it felt a bit odd to him.

    His Darkness energy truly did feel like warm running water coursing around his tongue. Still, he ignored this feeling and spoke up before Aniela talked.

    "Hmmm¡­.since we are going to be working together, we should tell you, right?" Darcel''s voice came out as incredibly smooth and soothing to listen to.

    His eyes flashed over to Aniela, but she only gave him a smile in understanding.

    Although Darcel could''ve sworn, he saw a mischievous twinkle in her eyes as he spoke in this unique tone of voice. On his other side, Yasami had her gaze on Darcel as if he was putting her under a trance.

    Shifting his eyes quickly over to Yasami, Darcel''s smile only grew wider seeing her state.

    "You''re right, Yasami. Aniela and I can indeed fight beyond our realm. And we can certainly tell there''s something special about your prowess as well. That bold, confident stride you have isn''t something that can be faked so well; for sure you can walk the talk."

    Darcel''s alluring, soothing voice slinked into Yasami ears like a cool breeze, causing her body to slightly shiver from pleasure.

    Darcel''s voice made her soul and body quiver in a warm sensation that nearly turned too pleasurable.

    Combining this with Darcel''s devilish handsome smile was throwing Yasami all the way off.

    "Ah-ah, r-right-" Yasami stuttered all over her words from being so caught off guard.

    But she couldn''t even finish her sentence as Aniela started to sweetly giggle.

    "Hehehe~! Right, right! Darcy is even better than me when knowing who is truly special. Especially when it comes to cool girls like you, Yasami!"

    For a split second, Darcel was puzzled. Even for Aniela, Darcel wasn''t quite sure why she would add that last part.

    Still, Darcel didn''t miss a beat. Instantly when Aniela finished talking, he told Yasami, "Indeed, we''re more than delighted to be going on a mission with an especially cool charming girl like you, Yasami."

    Yasami was wholly stunned by Darcel and Aniela''s double attack.

    These two just had little shame to be throwing out more personal compliments like that! Yet Yasami couldn''t stop the feeling of warmth that spread in her soul and body from their words.

    She felt the heat begin to rise to her cheeks, but Yasami quickly got a hold of herself.

    Yasami knows she shouldn''t be getting so fluster with two kids she just recently met!

    So with a quick clearing of her throat, Yasami straightened up her back. She tried to play if off like their words didn''t affect her and said in quite a loud voice,

    "My pleasures! I mean! The same to you! So yea! What plan are you two brewing for this mission?!"

    Though she tried to play it off, the several higher octaves in her voice told a different story. Plus, she also spoke a bit quicker than usual.

    Darcel smiled at the cute reaction but decided to let Yasami off for now. The seeds are already starting to be planted.

    "Most definitely those Silver Bloody eyesores are hanging around the entrance to the town. So, what do you girls say before we do this mission, we do a reverse robbery?"

    Darcel''s voice returned mostly to normal but still kept a smooth, charming quality about it.

    Yasami was able to slightly relax with a more normal Darcel voice. But then her eyes had quickly lit up at Darcel''s suggestion.

    After the crap they tried to pull, Yasami was more than eager to dish out some just desserts. Yasami peered over to Aniela only to see her smiling in agreement.

    "I say it''s already a start to a great plan. But what will our method be?" Yasami curiously asked, and Aniela answered her.

    "You wanted to see our prowess, right? Then let this fight be the gateway to truly getting to know each other better!"

    Even under the hood, Darcel and Aniela could see Yasami cracking a wide beautiful smile, showcasing her pearly white teeth.

    "Well, well, then. Let''s not dilly dally anymore, shall we?"

 Bloody Eyesores

    Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami walked through Mawold Town like they didn''t have a care in the world. Their body posture was relaxed and yet appeared excited, as if they just came upon some good news.

    Their eyes and Spirit Senses, however, were sneakily darting around the town.

    Out of all the bands of people strolling around the town, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami had their sights set on one specific group of people.

    They would dub those people as the ''silver eyes sores.''

    For a few seconds, none of them talked, putting all of their investment in scoping the town out. But the trio actually didn''t have to wait long at all before they sensed four presence trailed behind them.

    Admittedly, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami did see other members of the Silver Bloody Hammer group strutting around the town like they own the whole place.

    But the trio could tell just who was trying to tail them.

    Like this, the trio walked towards the entrance of the town. And as they neared their exit, a slow smirk curled their lips up.

    In Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami''s senses, those four presences began to completely erase their bearing to go fully undercover.

    However, that trick wouldn''t work on Darce, Aniela, and Yasami. Still, the trio acted like they didn''t know they were getting tailed.

    Upon reaching the town entrance, Darcel had simply brought out the map saying, "From what it says here, that ape should be on a mostly direct path. Let''s go."

    Aniela and Yasami nodded at Darcel while also feeling rising anticipation swirled inside their chest.

    Taking the lead, Darcel walked out first, with Aniela and Yasami following in tow. They acted blissfully unaware of the ones who were bold enough to follow them.

    And little did either side know that this event will cause a chain reaction that''ll affect the whole town.

    ¡­.

    Under the map''s guide, Darcel led the girls almost immediately into the pure snowy grounds of the Plunged Tundra.

    As Fruna mentioned before, Darcel knew this part of the Plunged Tundra was explicitly known as the Wild Snow.

    This was mainly due to the fact that mages and cultivators working on the icy road couldn''t cover every spot in these snowy lands. Doing so would require an immense amount of power that is not easy at all to gather up.

    Furthermore, there also lies hidden dangerous unknown in the wild snowy lands that not even titled Heavenly King cultivators would want to face.

    But, none of this hindered Darcel''s group.

    They fearlessly ran through the snow, dashing about for minutes on end. And already with their fast speeds, Darcel''s group put several miles distance between them and Mawold Town.

    The further they went from Mawold Town, the quicker the four presence tailing them got.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami still acted as if they didn''t know but a battle-hungry smile slowly formed on their lips.

    Finally, then, when the trio got further away enough from town and the icy roads to where no one else was around them. The four presences tailing them explosively increased their speeds!

    A sliver flash popped in front of Darcel''s group eyes, forcing them to abruptly stop their runs. Blinking their eyes, what had appeared in front of them were the four silver eyesores they wanted.

    The four silver armor men they clashed with by the entrance of town impede in Darcel''s group way, standing imposingly in front of them.

    The men all held sinister smirks and had slugged their large battle hammers over their shoulders. For kids that acted so unruly to them in the town they practically own, of course, they wouldn''t let them go!

    "Tch, tch. Would you look at this, guys? It seems like these kids truly did manage to curry the favor of those Fang gnats. And hey, they even got their first mission from them!" The silver armor man in the middle mockingly spoke up first.

    His eyes gleamed over Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami in brazen killing intent.

    No matter how weird these three brats'' aura was, the man knew in a real fight none of them could match up to true Innate Core prowess!

    The man even got rid of that hesitation feeling trying to swirl in his gut about facing Darcel and Aniela.

    Although, while the man wanted to witness despair surging on these kids'' faces, he got absolutely nothing from them.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami all remained neutral with small relaxed smiles spouting their faces.

    Seeing such a causal attitude quickly got the man and his partners to become even more irate at these kids'' arrogant attitudes.

    "Heh, not only that, but these kids are acting as if they can truly back up their words and fight us. I wonder, is this blind foolishness? Or are they just acting to cover up their fears?" Another one of the silver armor men spoke to intimidate the trio.

    But once again, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami remained calm.

    Having enough of their annoying attitude, one of the silver armor men from the right end of their group hotly spoke up.

    "You know, maybe not with words, they''ll show their true fear. But what if we give them an appetizing taste of true despair!" Hearing his suggestion, all four of the silver armor men''s eyes twinkle in a savage light.

    Without any hesitation now, the silver armor men fully burst their seventh rank Innate Core auras!

    The snow burst around the area, sweeping into a chaotic frenzy, causing the whole place to fall into a raging snowstorm.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    As the combined might of four seventh rank Innate Core aura came crashing down on Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami, Darcel had finally opened his mouth to talk.

    "You know¡­.for petty-minded people like yourselves who want to kill us over one altercation. You all sure do talk a lot.  I just hope the rest of you bloody hammer eyesores aren''t as obnoxious as you all."

    Rage flew into the silver armor men''s eyes, hearing Darcel''s condescending tone.

    But before any one of them could react, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami all unleashed their auras at the same time!

    ''Chi!''

    Streaks of Darkness and white Light crackled out in the air akin to a sudden raging thunderstorm! Accompanying the Darkness and Light streaks was burst of blue flames that sizzled the air to blazing degrees.

    The four silver armor men all felt their tongues get caught in their throats.

    They were utterly gobsmacked at the tremendous changes in Darcel''s group. Darcel had suddenly gained a rich, profound Darkness glow shrouding his right arm along with an exotic tattoo marking appearing.

    Aniela''s right arm had a radiant white glow enriching it and had exotic tattoo markings appearing.

    Yasami had gained a blue flaming aura covering her body and appeared to take the shape of a fox. Two blazing blue fox tails sprouted from her back and swayed majestically in the wind.

    The silver armor men all violently clenched their battle hammers as they bear the full brunt of these youths'' aura.

    And to their utter dismay, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami''s transformed aura were rivaling their Innate Core prowess!

    Their powerful seventh rank aura couldn''t suppress two measly True Soul Core kids and one small fifth rank Innate Core kid?!

    Not only that, they felt a noticeable push back from their auras, and a medium suppression fell upon their bodies and souls.

    "What''s wrong! Surprised?! Well, here''s another surprise!" Aniela''s sweet, bright voice broke the four silver armor men from their shocked stupor.

    But right then, Aniela''s bloodline arm sparked up in a blinding white light!

    ''Chi!''

    A blinding white flashbang burst from Aniela''s bloodline arm, covering the snowy lands for miles.

    The silver armor men''s eyes instantly closed shut, and their bodies froze. Their souls abruptly froze, causing the men to become utterly stunned. They all were unprepared for Aniela''s powerful flashbang.

    Yasami was in awe of Aniela''s blinding attack.

    She felt a gentle power cover her body, protecting her, which only further pushed her amazement in Aniela''s power.

    But quickly then, Yasami''s mind refocused back up. She could save the questions for later, now was the perfect opportunity to strike!

    Yet before Yasami could attack,

    "Ah-Ahhh?!? The hell?!?"

    The confused shouts of the silver armor men blared into her ears. Turning her head back towards them, it was hard to see, but Yasami could vaguely make out lines of Darkness covering the men!

    Darcel was calm and steady as he specifically controlled eight Darkness tendrils at the same time.

    With each time, he had to split his sense to create multiple people''s shadows means the fewer Darkness tendrils he could make.

    But while Darcel wouldn''t be able to completely restrain them for an attack, he had instead crazily interjected lust energy inside the men''s bodies.

    Thanks to Aniela''s flashbang, none of the men could react at all as lust energy invaded their bodies and wreaked utter havoc.

    The men felt their bloodstreams fall into a chaotic, disruptive state. Their blood flow couldn''t handle the lust energy and wildly raced all throughout their bodies, trying to find a source of release.

    In turn, the chaotic state of their bodies caused their souls and Innate Qi to fall into utter chaos!

    Without a precise handle of their bodies, the men''s soul couldn''t properly contain their Innate Qi and surge it for energy to attack or defend with.

    For Innate Core cultivators, wanting to mess with their bloodstreams would be a near-impossible task.

    Even if an Innate Core cultivator was wholly suppressed by a titled Heavenly King. Not even they could make their bloodstreams erupt into chaos and disrupt their Qi flow.

    There is a hidden natural defense that all cultivators'' souls would create to protect their bloodstreams from getting manipulated and having their Martial Veins get affected.

    A cultivator''s Martial Vein is what directly connects their bodies to their souls and the most significant source of how anybody can gather and use Qi.

    It doesn''t matter how average or weak one soul is. Throughout the course of cultivating, the soul will automatically create that hidden defense in anyone''s bloodstream.

    Yet Darcel''s Darkness tendrils had the specific ability many other cultivators lacked during early cultivation realms.

    And that is the ability to bypass that soul defense, invade a Martial vein and directly affect one''s soul!

    As he knew from Aniela, Darcel, even without his bloodline state. He could manipulate his Darkness energy to smoothly enter Aniela''s bloodstream and enter her Martial veins.

    And while Aniela would feel pleasurable lust, the silver armor men felt as if the lust energy would make their bodies burst!

    The only main difference Darcel did for the men was overloading his lust energy with the more destructive side of his bloodline power.

    Yasami didn''t let herself get surprised again at the duo''s unique powers.

    She instantly reacted, leaped up high into the air, and pointed her blue fire claws cloak hand at the silver armor men. Her two blue flaming fox tails sparklingly shimmered, causing her power to explosively increase even more!

    A lustrous blue light sparked from her hands, spewing out sizzling wisps of blue flames.

    In a split second, Yasami blasted out a massive flaming blue fox claw straight at the silver armor men!

    The vast blue fire fox claw sailed at lightning-like speeds, causing the men''s eyes to bulge out of their sockets.

    The power of Yasam''s blue fire claw was tremendous! They felt their bodies locked in front of the vast blue fire fox claw.

    The silver armor men could only weakly surge a small bit of their chaotic Innate Qi in hopes of some sort of defense.

    However, their tiny bit of Innate Qi meant absolutely nothing.

    ''Bang!''

    Yasami''s blue fire fox claw crashed into the men''s silver armor, heavily denting it, and tossed the four around into the snow!

    Although as the men crashed into the ground, they got right back up.

    But as they got back up, all four of the men had to violently hack up crimson blood. Scorching blue fire Qi raged in their bodies and was quickly sizzling their organs and bones.

    In a state where their Innate Qi was weak, the men could barely put up any internal defense against Yasam''t blue fire Qi.

    However, none of the men were even given a chance to try. All of their pupils dilated as immense waves of power came crashing down on them.

    Aniela had instantly reacted when the silver armor men stood right back up. She fished out her Scimitar and dashed straight towards one of the men.

    Her speed was like lightning, and Aniela neared the men in just a mere second.

    The silver armor man reacted on instinct and threw a fist at Aniela. She, however, easily dodged the punch and swiped her Scimitar up at the man''s fist.

    Like the man''s silver armor was made up of paper mache, Aniela''s Scimitar easily sliced through it and had lobbed off the man''s hand!

    Blood sputters like a fountain from the man''s hand, dying the snowy ground in a chilling red paint.

    The man went utterly still as his brain even register the pain.

    But Aniela wasn''t going to give him the chance to do so. Aniela had swiftly swiped her Scimitar towards the man''s head, and her blade felt no resistance when cutting through the silver armor.

    Aniela''s Scimitar cleanly tore through the silver armor and sliced the man''s head off!

    Blood gushed out of the man''s neck, and up in the air, the man''s head had his eyes bulged out. He couldn''t even comprehend how he died. All he last saw was a spine-chilling green flash of Aniela''s blade.

 Start Of A Team

    Simultaneously while Aniela killed off that man, Darcel rushed the silver armor man that spoke the most during their encounters.

    His extreme speeds caused the man''s pupil to dilate as Darcel hurriedly approached him.

    During his rush up to the man, Darcel had also split his attention. His hand pointed to another silver armor man who was continually hacking and wheezing blood.

    A shadow suddenly spewed from this silver armor man''s feet, yet he didn''t notice it. Instantly when the shadow appeared, multiple Darkness tendrils erupted from it and tightly wrapped up the man.

    The man was utterly shocked as he felt a crushing bind nearly crack all the bones in his body.

    In a desperate attempt, the man tried to surge his chaotic Innate Qi to break the Darkness tendrils. Only, the measly little bit of power he could gather was absolutely useless against Darcel''s Darkness tendrils.

    And while the man struggled with the Darkness tendrils, Darcel didn''t slow down his rush to the other silver armor man.

    He had fished out his scimitar and thrust his blade towards the battle hammer crashing down at him.

    The man poured whatever power he could in this hammer strike, hoping it could at least throw Darcel off balance for a moment.

    However, the man was doomed to be devastated.

    Darcel''s scimitar violently clashed with the hammer, but he had immediately overpowered the man.

    The man''s battle hammer got violently flung out his hand by Darcel''s overwhelming power, causing his hand to split open.

    Darcel didn''t get lax in his momentum. Under the rising shocked eyes of the man, he had quickly plunged his scimitar deep into man''s silver armor chest area.

    Darcel''s blade easily broke through the armor and quickly tore into the man''s chest, causing blood to burst out of him.

    With the scimitar deep into the man''s chest, Darcel quickly ignited his blade in raging black flames and unleashed a powerful stream of black flames that ripped right through the man''s chest!

    It simply didn''t matter that the man had an Innate Core body; it was frail like glass under Darcel''s power.

    Immediately the silver armor man died as its heart and lungs were vaporized to utter ashes.

    Pulling his scimitar out, Darcel didn''t even look back as the silver armor man corpse crashed into the snow.

    A vast burning hole was now visible at the chest of the corpse.

    With him done, Darcel turned his attention to the wrapped up silver armor man.

    He swiftly rushed towards the man, and during his rush, Darcel spotted a silver aura trying to surge through his Darkness tendrils.

    Darcel cruelly smirked at the silver armor man''s last-ditch effort.

    Darcel had then surged more of his bloodline powers and burst off with sudden explosive speeds!

    He instantly reached the man, tore through the silver aura and his own Darkness tendrils with his scimitar, and sliced the man''s head off.

    All of this happened in a single second, and Darcel once again didn''t turn back as the man''s neck gushed out blood like a fountain.

    At the same time Darcel and Aniela finished their kills, Yasami had also finished her kill.

    She was able to float in the air thanks to being in the Innate Core realm, and she had focused her attention on the last remaining silver armor man.

    Her two blue flaming foxes tail suddenly brightly lit up in a radiant blue shine. By her tails liting up, Yasami erupted with explosive speed and dived right down at the man.

    When the man had raised his head up, Yasami was already right near him!

    Before the man had a chance to do anything, Yasami had quickly smacked down her blue flaming fox claw on the man''s head, tearing through his silver armor and smacked his bare skull.

    Yasami''s overwhelming power caused the man''s skull to crack like a spider web.

    Yasami had then spewed blue flames inside the man''s head, frying everything inside it.

    The man had a more clean death than his other partners, but the pain of having your brain fried was akin to hell itself. But he didn''t even have a chance to scream as the light quickly left his eyes.

    Landing on the ground, Yasami watched in slight surprise as the silver armor man''s corpse fell over.

    She had only one blaring realization; all of their kills were extremely quick and easy!

    And all of this could be done thanks to the combined abilities of Darcel and Aniela. Aniela''s flashbang made the men''s souls utterly freeze, making them nearly defenseless for any attack for just a few seconds.

    And Darcel''s chaotic lust energy wreaked havoc in their bloodstreams and caused chaos in their souls.

    In turn, the men''s Innate Qi became too chaotic to use, making their defenses almost non-existent beside their armor and based Innate Core bodies.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    But, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami''s overwhelming prowess cut through any and all regular defenses they had.

    "Phew¡­.now this was a job well done! More and more, I''m really starting to like that I was lucky enough to be paired up with monstrous geniuses. Good work, you two!" Yasami released her blue fire fox aura, returning back to her normal state.

    She turned over to Darcel and Aniela and found their reactions a bit amusing. For the first time on the duo faces were expressions of slight surprise.

    Truthfully, Darcel and Aniela were surprised at Yasami. That fire fox cloak aura she donned was precisely the same as Vice-Principal Zelle''s!

    However, not only was Yasami fox cloak aura more defined, and had even two tails coming out of her. There was just something more¡­.profound about Yasami''s fire fox cloak aura.

    Compared to Vice Principal Zelle''s, Yasami aura felt like it was completed and far more special.

    The specialness, neither Darcel nor Aniela could accurately describe.

    But the duo was sure Yasami''s latent abilities far surpassed Vice-Principal Zelle''s fire fox powers. Still, Darcel and Aniela weren''t going to mention this similarity to Yasami. At least not yet, that is.

    Aniela quickly got over her slight shock and had then sweetly giggled.

    "Hehehe~, it really does feel more natural to be with people similar to us! Moreover, I''m sure this is a prelude to us, forming a great team!"

    Aniela was genuinely impressed with Yasami''s prowess and wasn''t afraid at all to express it.

    "Indeed. Having a fiery and decisive component such as yourself, Yasami, will be a wonderfully welcome edition. Now then, let''s collect our spoils, shall we?" Darcel was already bending down to take the first spatial ring from the silver armor man.

    And unseen by Darcel and Aniela, a natural smile couldn''t stop from forming on Yasami''s face. Their words may have been short and sweet, but they blatantly told their honest feelings in a smooth way.

    Unconsciously, Yasami didn''t even realize it at this time, but she was slowly falling under the enigmatic charms of Darcel and Aniela.

    "With pleasure!" Yasami eagerly snatched off the spatial ring from the silver armor man she killed.

    Aniela followed in suit and snatched the spatial ring from her silver armor man as well.

    Darcel walked over to the silver armor man who talked a lot, took his spatial ring, and began interjecting his Qi into the two spatial rings he took.

    Aniela and Yasami followed in Darcel''s lead and spewed their Qi into the spatial rings they took.

    Since the silver armor men were dead, the spatial rings all had only a feeble Spirit Presence.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami quickly erased the Spirit Presence and delved their Spirit Sense inside the spatial rings.

    Immediately, the trio''s faces all lit up by what they sensed.

    There was an overabundance of cultivation resources, exotic talismans, and other such useful items in it! As expected of the biggest and strongest organization of Mawold Town, these grunts had loads of good stuff.

    "No wonder these guys strut around like they own the whole world! None of them certainly lack in riches. Though I know it won''t happen, but there are things in here that would be greatly useful if that ape gives us trouble." Aniela ecstatically spoke up and began walking up to Darcel.

    Darcel and Yasami as well began walking towards each other so they all could group up and plan out their next move.

    When they got close to each other, suddenly then Yasami''s face flashed in realization. "Ngn¡­.we may have killed these eyesores now. But¡­.what if one of their members saw them leaving to go after us? We may get linked to their disappearance."

    It was a legitimate pressing issue of concern that Yasami at least thought they should think about a bit.

    However, when observing Darcel and Aniela''s reaction, she couldn''t say she was surprised seeing them be so relaxed and calm about this.

    "That may be certainly true, Yasami. But, for people like us, where our prowess is freakish, and our cultivation speed is a breeze. Can you honestly say you''re that worried?"

    Darcel didn''t even know that Yasami may or may not have insane comprehension abilities that give her a breakneck cultivation speed. But he could just guess it was accurate given all that he saw from her.

    Yasami took one look at Darcel''s slight handsome smile and one look at the bright, encouraging smile of Aniela. She had then shaken her head and gained a small smirk on her lips.

    "No, I''m not. I''m just making sure we all have the heads up about them."

    "Either way, even if these four didn''t come at us. Sooner or later, we would''ve come into conflict with them, just from the way they act around town alone. Now then, let''s dispose of these bodies and kill that supposed, ''deadly ape.''"

    Darcel confidently spoke without a hint of tension in his voice. Aniela and Yasami as well felt zero pressure about the mission.

    A beast that can kill even seventh rank Innate Core cultivators will at most be a fun battle for them.

    ¡­.

    A large Spirit Monster wolf towering at least eight feet tall, dyed in a white snow paint, is currently scurrying for its life. The wolf poured all of its power into its legs, blasting through the snow, and sailed at swift speeds.

    From behind the Spirit Monster wolf, it was trying to outrun a stream of black flames that moved at lightning-like speeds.

    The stream of black flames sizzled the snowy grounds beneath them and was rapidly gaining on the Spirit Monster wolf no matter how fast it was running.

    The Spirit Monster wolf was a fifth rank Innate Core being, an extremely high tier among the average standards of Spirit Monsters.

    And yet, it was desperately hopeless in trying to escape its inevitable fate.

    Abruptly then, in a split second, the streams of black flames explosively increased in speed!

    The stream of black flames overtook the Spirit Monster wolf and shot right through its chest, instantly killing it.

    On its last breath, the Spirit Monster wolf didn''t even register how the flames suddenly caught up to it. Its vast body toppled into the snow ground, its eyes remaining in utter disbelief.

    "Ah! And that makes another kill for me! Truly, these Wild Snow lands make for the ultimate target practice. We just never run out of ammo here!"

    The sweet, lovable voice of Aniela echoed throughout the snowy land.

    She, Darcel, and Yasami took a brief stop to stare at the Spirit Monster wolf corpse just a few meters towards their left.

    Currently, the trio were all walking at a brisk pace and was on route for the Soul Weaver Ape''s igloo.

    And along their way, Aniela suddenly suggested they play a little game.

    Rightfully so, as they made their way through the Wild Snow land, the abundance of Spirit Monsters really began to show themselves.

    It quickly got to the point where the trio couldn''t take a small bit of distance without encountering several Spirit Monsters at the same time.

    But, the thing was, none of the Spirit Monsters could pose a threat to any one of the trio. In fact, that fifth rank Innate Core Spirit Monster wolf was one of the strongest beasts they encountered.

    So Aniela had decided to see who could snipe the most Spirit Monster before they made it to the igloo.

    And admittedly, Darcel and Yasami were finding the game fun and competitive. The Spirit Monsters all immediately try to kill them anyway, so why not indulge in a little bit of fun?

    "I-I''m not even sure what the count is now, Aniela. But I''m pretty sure you''re just at the slightest bit ahead of us." A slight stutter slithered from Yasam''s voice initially, but she had quickly covered it up.

    But this didn''t go unnoticed in Darcel''s eyes. A certain gleam swirled in his eyes as he glanced over to Yasami.

 Warmth

    "She''s only up by two points, really. But we may need to stop our little games soon. From the map, we''re not that far away from that ape''s igloo. Let''s get back on course."

    Darcel told the girls after taking one quick look over the map. The map he was given was exceedingly detailed for this one path they took.

    For anything else in the Wild Snow lands, it was either vague or lacking information. Though, the map did detail the icy roads that led to other towns.

    Aniela and Yasami nodded at Darcel. They had then ignored the Spirit Monster wolf corpse and continued on their trail.

    Shifting through the snow, Darcel''s eyes once again landed on Yasami.

    Although he had already guessed they would get along with the girl because of the sensation in his soul. Darcel didn''t expect for her to fall in line so swimmingly with him and Aniela.

    She certainly had a more feisty temper than them combined and can put out the energy to even match their pace. Any time they talk, Yasami had never missed a beat to respond and provide her own amusing input.

    Darcel had even got more surprised since Yasami could not only match their pace but also somewhat matched the eagerness of Aniela.

    Although, unlike Aniela, Yasami was a lot more bashful than her.

    With striking and unexpected compliments, Yasami would usually stutter out and try to hide her embarrassment.

    Compared to Aniela, who can be just as shameless as him. It was quite honestly cute to see in Darcel''s eyes. All in all, Yasami was a joy to talk to.

    Taking away his attention from Yasami for a moment, Darcel put his mind towards the Wild Snow land. And how a bit disappointing these wild lands were.

    The only somewhat challenging component was the weather here.

    As expected, the further they travel in the wilds, the colder it gets. The temperature even dropped so far down to a point where Darcel and Aniela now had to surge a more generous portion of their soul''s pure essence black flames to contend with the cold.

    Now Darcel was really starting to see the reason why cultivators here bundled up from Mage''s clothes.

    Still, this didn''t impede their pace, and Darcel''s team kept their stride, walking through the snow and killing Spirit Monsters.

    Besides the cold, as their game showed, the Spirit Monster here didn''t provide them with any challenge.

    Nor were there any bandit group of humans waiting to rob and kill out in these wildlands.

    The only worthy thing to note about the Spirit Monster here was the fact every one of them was coated in pure white snow fur. It didn''t matter what type of creature it was; everything had a snow fur here.

    Now that they were getting closer to the ape''s igloo, creatures like that fifth rank Innate Core Spirit Monster wolf were popping up a lot more frequently.

    Furthermore, the cold also drastically increased as they near the igloo.

    At this point, Darcel trailed his eyes over to Aniela. She, of course, had a small smile etched on her lips and appeared to be doing just fine under the cold.

    Even as all she and Darcel wore were still just the Zakira Academy clothing, their souls kept them warm.

    However, when Darcel trailed his eyes over to Yasami, he can tell it was a different story.

    Seemingly a comfortable silence washed over their group as they traveled and Yasami appeared to just be in contemplation about something.

    However, Darcel had keen eyes. Yasami''s body was slightly shivering from the cold, and he could spot cold breath spewing from her mouth. It was somewhat surprising seeing this from her.

    Considering the fact that Yasami was born with the Element of fire in her soul, or at least Darcel assumed so. He thought her body would have natural high heat resistance to the cold.

    But since it appeared, the cold was affecting her, a great idea popped into his mind then.

    A slight mischievous smirked curved up Darcel''s lip with this idea. It was time to take it a step up with Yin''s pleasures abilities.

    Unknown to the girls, Darcel silently surged his bloodline, causing a small portion of cooling black flames to swirl inside his palm. Compared to the black flames he usually used, these flames were entirely harmless and only filled with his soothing warmth.

    And without warning, Darcel quickly put his hand on Yasam''s shoulder, but he did it very gently.

    Immediately, Yasami reacted to his gentle touch. Her eyes lit up in shock for a brief second.

    But swiftly then, Yasami''s body melted into a relaxed stance.

    Incredible warmth smoothly spread throughout her body and soul. It got rid of all of the shivering colds her Innate Qi was working hard to fight off.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    At this very moment, Yasami honestly didn''t want Darcel''s hand to let go.

    But at the thought of Darcel''s hand, Yasami abruptly froze up and snapped her head over to him.

    She was greeted by the charmingly handsome face of Darcel, and Yasami had nearly forgone all of her embarrassment about this situation. But quickly, Yasami sobered up and pointed at Darcel.

    "Wh-what are you doing so suddenly?!" The voice she let out was several pitches higher than Yasami wanted to be.

    Moreover, during this whole time, Yasami made no attempt to move from Darcel''s hand despite her accusing question.

    Darcel''s smirk only grew wider, seeing her reaction. He was going to smoothly answer her until, "Hehehe~! Don''t get so surprised, Yasami. Darcy is just warming you up! It was too obvious you were putting up a tough girl front, but you don''t need to bear the cold with us. See, just watch this!"

    Darcel and Yasami quickly look over to Aniela. Once their eyes were on her, without warning, she had put her hand on Darcel''s shoulder.

    With a quick surge of her own bloodline, Aniela interjected her warming black flames inside him.

    Although Darcel merely raised his eyebrows at what his energetic girl was planning to do. He felt no different from Aniela''s black flames since his own body was already warm.

    But right then, his ears picked up on a pleasant sigh escaping Yasami''s lips.

    "Haaah~. Ooooh~."

    The sigh she made almost sounded sweetly erotic and was like music to Darcel''s ears.

    Darcel quickly tossed a look over to Aniela. And all he was greeted with was a slight mischievous knowing smile from the girl. Darcel had smirked back at her and quickly caught on to what she was doing.

    "Soo, enjoying ourselves, are we?" Darcel''s teasing voice caused Yasami to lock up again.

    Taking a peek at her face, Darcel now could vaguely spot a hint of a red hue poking out of her face of where the hoodie covered.

    Combined with the double warmth of Aniela, Yasami nearly wanted to collapse in their embrace from the soothing flames.

    Darcel and Aniela''s black flames mixed together perfectly like they were made for each other. But when Darcel spoke up, he instantly cut off her trance.

    This time Yasami instantly reacted and mustered all of her energy to not stutter out when speaking. "Fine! But only because it''s cold, you can hold on to my shoulder!"

    The embarrassment was ever apparent in her voice, and Darcel assumed her gorgeous face had a full on cute blush.

    Darcel knew if Yasami honestly didn''t like his touch, she would''ve shrugged it off at first contact. She wasn''t the one to hold off on her more aggressive feelings.

    Still, Darcel had only smiled in understanding, saying, "Alright then. But you need to ease up, you know? It''s not good to have tension before fighting."

    As Darcel spoke, his hand began to lightly massage Yasami''s shoulder. To which, Yasami felt her body relax even more.

    "Darcy makes a great case Yasami. Just let us help with loosening up those tightened muscles and joints to make this mission go even easier!" Aniela chimed in, causing Yasami''s mind to fall even further.

    "Hmph! Whatever, let''s just keep walking."

    Yasami leaked a small sigh at the end and contented herself to be under the warmth that was Darcel and Aniela.

    The duo sneakily smiled at each other, and they all began walking again.

    Their pace was a bit slower than before, given their current arrangement. Still, nevertheless, the trio was quickly approaching the ape''s igloo.

    A few Spirit Monsters tried to ambush and attack them, but everything was quickly dealt with by them.

    And after a few more minutes of comfortably trudging through the snow, Yasami suddenly pointed ahead of them. "Ah! There it is! And talk about distinct first impressions."

    A lone sizable igloo that looked large enough to fit at most a couple of people sat in the middle of the snow. At the entrance of the igloo, an ominous shade of black could be seen.

    Around the igloo, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami sensed there were zero Spirit Monsters in this area.

    Noticing this oddity, the trio had then zeroed their Spirit Sense to go inside the igloo.

    But, upon doing so, all three of them wrinkled their eyebrows. There was¡­.absolutely nothing they could sense in the igloo. It really was like nobody was home in there.

    Still, this was nowhere near enough to raise concern for Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami.

    Darcel took his hand from Yasam''s shoulder while Aniela took her hand from Darcel''s shoulder. Yasami felt a slight loss from the loss of warmth, but she quickly diverted her attention.

    All three of them had then prepared their bodies for battle and tense for any surprise attacks.

    Slight anticipation swirled in their chest as they wondered what kind of Spirit Monster would it be given the ape had its very own title.

    The trio made it to the entrance and briefly paused for a moment. Their eyes stared into the deep Darkness, and they couldn''t obverse at all what was in the igloo.

    "Ready?" Yasami threw out her question to the duo while cracking her knuckles.

    "More than I need to be," Aniela spoke with absolute confidence.

    "Let''s see just what this terrifying killer ape can do," Darcel said without a hint of genuine worry.

    Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami quickly shuffled into the igloo. Immediately their visions were shrouded in complete Darkness. Strange energy washed over them, and neither Darcel, Aniela, nor Yasami could identify it.

    But after only a split second, the Darkness and strange energy went away.

    Their eyes blinked open to a pretty spacious but empty room and pure snowy walls all around them.

    Initially, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami were puzzled as they expected a killer ape to be here.

    But right then, all their Spirit Senses suddenly spiked up!

    The snowy walls burst open, and numerous snow chains blitz towards Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami! The speed of the chains would catch even a sixth rank Innate Core cultivator off guard.

    And the snow chains neared the trio in just a couple of seconds.

    However, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami didn''t show any panic on their face. Yasami had even smirked at impending danger.

    She had quickly burst forth her Innate Qi and surged out blazing blue fire aura!

    ''Sssch!!''

    Yasami''s powerful blue fire aura quickly sizzled the snow chains, making them all turn to ashes.

    That kind of instantaneous reaction wouldn''t even be seen in a sixth rank Innate Core powerhouse!

    Although the party was just beginning for the trio. Their Spirit Senses went off again, and Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami snapped their heads up to the ceiling.

    Some shock flashed into their eyes as what sailed down at them was a vast, thick tail that covered Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami. The tail was pure white and had striking vibrant red streaks in it.

    The red streaks almost look too vibrant and bright, as if they were beating like an organ.

    At the sight of the white and red tail, Darcel was the next to gain a battle-hungry smirk.

 Important Announcement

    Hey, to everyone still reading my story, I''ve come to announce that I''m not dropping my story but won''t be uploading on here anymore. The reason being is because, on Webnovel, I''ve locked my chapters, meaning you''ll have to use their coin system if you want to read more. And since the coin system on Webnovel does cost money, I will understand if people wouldn''t want to continue reading. But to those who would want to continue to support me, I''ll be regularly uploading every day and at least two chaps a day on web novel. Here''s the novel link;The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    https://www.webnovel.com/book/yin-yang-pleasures-of-cultivation_17799115205965805