C132 Midnightshields!

Yu Yuan, sensing the melancholy emanating from the White Paper Fan, allowed his consciousness to seep in slowly.

He entered the realm of the character for 'wisdom.'

Boom!

It was as though he had stepped into an entirely new and foreign universe. The character 'wisdom' appeared to transform into a dazzling new world filled with innumerable black and white streams of light that twisted and turned within the shadowy, obscure space.

The Yang Acolyte and the Yin Acolyte seemed to have shifted their battleground from the external world to the internal.

Neither of them was visible. The entwined black and white streams of light represented their wills and souls, at times clashing, at times merging.

Yu Yuan's consciousness, having merged with the realm of 'wisdom,' felt unbearably uncomfortable.

Unable to endure for long and without any gains, he swiftly withdrew from the realm of 'wisdom.'

As his consciousness returned, he gasped for air, sweat beading on his forehead.

"The battle between the two has not yet concluded. Your hasty intrusion was unwise," Lee Yuchan's icy voice suddenly filled the air.

Startled, Yu Yuan noticed her standing nearby, gazing at him with a profound expression.

"Do you understand what the Yang Acolyte and Yin Acolyte truly are?" Yu Yuan asked, his brow furrowed. "I refrained from acting immediately because the sword spirit I acquired did not perceive them as enemies. I need the sword spirit to trigger the restrictions of this world."

"I'm aware," Lee Yuchan acknowledged, nodding. Realizing it was somewhat condescending to look down on him, she emulated his posture and sat down quietly beside him. "I've asked others to come and guard you, recognizing the great toll on your mind."

"The expenditure was indeed vast," Yu Yuan admitted.

"The Yang Acolyte and Yin Acolyte originate from the same soul," Lee Yuchan said after a brief silence, her voice strained. "They likely belong to a cultivator who perished here. After the demise of his Lunar Spirit, fragments of it broke away."

"Lunar Spirit?" Yu Yuan was taken aback. "Can a Lunar Spirit be that powerful?"

"You've misunderstood," Lee Yuchan clarified. "The individual's level was certainly beyond the Lunar Spirit state, possibly at the Solar Spirit or even the Unbound level! However, his Solar Spirit must have vanished completely, while the Lunar Spirit wasn't entirely extinguished. A true cultivator's Lunar Spirit and Solar Spirit can exist independently of the original soul."

"Moreover, the Lunar Spirit of a cultivator in the Solar Spirit and Unbound realms far surpasses my own."

"Do you understand now?"

Lee Yuchan found Yu Yuan quite peculiar.

He seemed well-versed in many aspects of both the Land of Quiescence and the Land of Termination, and he was knowledgeable about the so-called Star-Spawned Terrors and the secret spells of the major sects.

Yet, why was his understanding of cultivation so muddled?

She was unaware that in his previous life, Yu Yuan had never managed to embark on the path of cultivation.

"So, are you saying that the Lunar Spirit at the Unbound Stage is much stronger than that of a newly emerged Lunar Spirit?" Yu Yuan quickly caught on, rubbing his head as he spoke, "I see. So with each breakthrough a cultivator achieves, their Lunar Spirit also grows in strength, is that it?"

Lee Yuchan nodded, "Exactly, which is why the black and white acolytes born from that Lunar Spirit are so formidable."

"Could it be possible that their union would result in a complete Lunar Spirit?" Yu Yuan inquired.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not entirely certain," Lee Yuchan admitted with a frown. "The Yin Acolyte has been contaminated with too many other elements. In a way, he's become impure, or you could say, demonized. That's why the Yang Acolyte used the White Paper Fan to restrain him."

After a brief pause, Lee Yuchan continued, "And what about that White Paper Fan you have?"

Meanwhile, Su Yan from the Su family had stopped her search among the palace ruins, occasionally casting glances in their direction.

She observed the White Paper Fan that Yu Yuan held.

"I stumbled upon it by chance."

Yu Yuan folded the White Paper Fan, dismissing the notion of exploring it further with his consciousness.

He had the distinct impression that the conflict between the Yin Acolyte and Yang Acolyte would not be resolved anytime soon.

Once the dust settled, the truth behind the origins of the Yin Acolyte and Yang Acolyte might become clear.

"This Demon Core is my gift to you."

A light purple pill, radiating a rich essence of vitality, spun through the air towards Yu Yuan.

The pill was luminous, its interior swirling with mist, occasionally emitting a gentle glow that wasn't harsh on the eyes.

Yu Yuan caught it and looked at Lee Yuchan with astonishment. "Is this from you, to be used for quickly replenishing vitality at a critical moment?"

Lee Yuchan nodded. "I won't be needing that at the moment."

"Then I'll dispense with the formalities," Yu Yuan replied, unapologetically inquiring further, "Do you have any pills that benefit the soul?"

Lee Yuchan's expression chilled as she let out a snort. "Having just advanced to Lunar Spirit, if I possessed such pills, I would need them for myself!"

"You know, I might need them even more than you," Yu Yuan said with a smirk. "After all, if there are any uncontrollable alien souls and goasts, it's my sword that will have to deal with them."

Disinterested in continuing the conversation, Lee Yuchan abruptly stood and glided away.

The trial-takers, having scoured the palace ruins to no avail, were prompted by Zhan Tianxiang to press on and not waste more time there.

Curiosity about the origins of the Yin Acolyte and Yang Acolyte lingered, but after Yu Yuan admitted his own lack of understanding, the questions ceased.

Yu Yuan continued to lead the group toward the Crimson Sun Empire through the frigid night.

After a long absence of human contact, the group unexpectedly found two individuals barely clinging to life in the forbidden area.

An elder and a youth, their bodies were encased in ice, nearly breathless.

Both were clad in light red capes adorned with seven flames on the chest.

At the sight, Lee Yuchan's face betrayed a flicker of alarm, and she tensed for a potential threat.

Lee Yu cried out, "Midnightshields!"

"Midnightshields!" echoed the rest of the trial-takers, their faces registering alarm at the name.

Yu Yuan, however, was baffled. After racking his brain, he realized that there was no mention of the Midnightshields in either the Land of Quiescence or Euwrea.

"The cultivators of the Midnightshields are weak because..."

Zhan Tianxiang, after a few quick observations, was the first to draw near and commented, "Their spiritual energy and vitality are nearly exhausted. Oddly, they haven't used soulstones or pills to replenish themselves."

"It's not that they had none; rather, they must have exhausted their supply of soulstones and pills within the forbidden area," Lee Yuchan interjected. "And here, the turbulent and disordered divine force is impossible for them to assimilate. It would only worsen their condition. Out of desperation, they've resorted to a state akin to hibernation to preserve their life force."

"Yu Yuan, should we rescue them?" Zhan Tianxiang asked, looking at him. "If we give them some soulstones, they'll gradually recover as they absorb the energy."

"What's the origin of the Midnightshields?" inquired Yu Yuan.

"The Midnightshields belong to the Crimson Sun Empire. They're named as such because this formidable sect is protected by seven Lunar Spirits," Zhan Tianxiang explained, his expression growing grim. "They are our adversaries."

"Let's just kill them," Lee Yuchan suggested.

"Provide them with soulstones to revive them. I have questions that need answers," Yu Yuan instructed.

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