C283 The Initial Recognition!

A child, woven from intertwining pure energies of black and white, stood brazenly before the Cloud Sail.

The formidable figures of the Silvermoon Empire, Lee Yuangui among them, bore grave expressions, weighed down by heavy hearts.

The entity that had emerged from the Splitting Soul Staff, after merging with a pitch-black soul in the depths of the forbidden land, had transformed into an odd child, now more powerful than ever.

The world was home to many such peculiar beings.

Yu Zhu, Ann Jieshan, and this child were no exceptions.

The child, once merely a pure soul form, now struck Yu Yuan with an entirely different impression.

This child brimmed with an extraordinary and bizarre energy.

Lacking Qi and blood, it was instead a mix of mighty soul energy and the pure essence of heaven and earth.

It bore a resemblance to a Yang God, one who had achieved mastery in cultivation.

The cultivators of the Silvermoon Empire felt disquiet precisely because they recognized that, despite the child's lack of a true flesh and blood form, it was suffused with a robust and pure energy.

The legendary Yang God, much like the child before them, was an entity forged from pure energy, not an ephemeral and elusive Yin God.

"I am a cultivator of the Silvermoon Empire, unaffiliated with the Tusk Troops or Hidden Dragon Lake," Yu Yuan said with a slight smile. "My presence here is purely coincidental."

"Silvermoon Empire..."

The child of black and white murmured to himself before falling silent again.

His dual-colored eyes solemnly surveyed the people aboard the Cloud Sail, his gaze eventually settling on Yan Yu.

Yan Yu, of the empire's Yan family, was clad in snug-fitting armor that suddenly shimmered with radiance.

Startled, he looked down to see the "Spirit Severing" Matrix Diagrams etched into his armor springing to life.

These diagrams served to shield against the infiltration of powerful soul consciousness, protecting against assaults from Yin God Stage experts wielding potent Soul Arts.

Threads of eerie light green and dark yellow light danced and flickered.

With his heart pounding and anxiety mounting, Yan Yu asked, "What do you wish to know?"

The child's eyes shifted, the white one subtly transforming.

The white orb rolled, scrutinizing Yan Yu, and he abruptly stated, "I wish to speak with her, and with Yu Yuan."

Without waiting for Lee Yuangui to react, the child reached out, his hands grasping both Yu Yuan and Yan Yu.

The void contorted as if it were folding in on itself, the Cloud Sail flapping wildly as the very fabric of the universe seemed to flip upside down.

Yu Yuan and Yan Yu experienced a sudden loss of gravity, drifting as if they were passing through the Cloud Sail itself, before plummeting towards the ship's underside, surrounded by an expanse of nebulous clouds.

In their bewilderment, it felt as though they were yanked into an entirely different realm.

Upon regaining his senses, Yu Yuan gazed downward to behold the ship's bottom, vast as the heavens above. After a moment of contemplation, realization dawned upon him.

He and Yan Yu were now inverted, positioned beneath the Cloud Sail, and had seemingly shrunk hundreds of times over, nestled within a cluster of clouds. What was once a palm-sized cloud had transformed into a wondrous miniature world before their eyes.

The Cloud Sail, stretching over ten meters in length, draped the sky like a celestial curtain enclosing their space.

"Escaping the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area's seal has wrought significant changes in you," Yu Yuan remarked, a note of awe in his voice. "To isolate a small world with your own power is a feat beyond the reach of many cultivators, even those at the Soul Wandering Stage."

"Why have you brought me here?" Yan Yu exclaimed, bewildered.

A child with a striking contrast of black and white pupils beamed a heartfelt smile.

The smile was intended for Yan Yu. "Don't you remember me?"

Confusion clouded Yan Yu's face. "Who are you?"

"Hehe."

The boy with the peculiar black and white visage suddenly shifted shape, morphing into the Splitting Soul Staff, an object Yu Yuan knew all too well.

"That staff!" Yan Yu cried out.

The boy's smile shone brightly. "Yes, I am the Artifact Soul of that staff."

The Splitting Soul Staff had its origins in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area. Eventually, it was discovered and taken out, passing through various hands until it came into the possession of Yan Lu, a member of the Yan family.

In truth, the staff had first belonged to Yan Yu. She had stumbled upon it and later gifted it to her nephew, Yan Lu.

Unbeknownst to Yan Yu, the Artifact Soul within the staff had already stirred to life while in her possession.

And during that time, when her awareness was clouded and her spiritual intelligence not yet fully awakened, the Artifact Soul had grown deeply reliant on her.

During those years, Yan Yu devoted her own vital energy and warmth to nurturing the Splitting Soul Staff, greatly aiding its development.

Regrettably, as soon as the Artifact Soul began to regain a hint of spiritual intelligence and displayed some unique soul characteristics, Yan Yu, in her excitement, passed it on to Yan Lu, the clan's highly regarded hope.

With Yan Lu in possession, the extraordinary aspects of the Splitting Soul Staff were slowly revealed.

Yet, unknown to all, the staff's original chosen master was not Yan Lu.

It was the plump Yan Yu, who would lovingly caress the staff daily, infusing it with strands of her life force and blood, often lost in her own silly monologues.

Back then, Yan Yu was merely an unremarkable girl from the Yan family, plagued by feelings of inferiority.

Her greatest wish was to grow into beauty.

She clung to the Splitting Soul Staff, dreaming of blossoming with age, fantasizing that maturity would bring beauty and acceptance by her people, perhaps even a match with a handsome heir from a prestigious family.

Sadly, the grown Yan Yu could not be called beautiful.

The Artifact Soul's first encounter, upon its fledgling awakening, was with Yan Yu.

Gifted by her and taken by Yan Lu to the trials in the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, the soul's missing pieces were restored, and its wisdom flourished.

Even after the Artifact Soul grew strong by absorbing numerous other souls, it would still fondly recall the naive, plump girl who would whisper to herself, unknowingly infusing the staff with her warm breath.

"You, how did you change like this?" Yan Yu burst out, her emotions getting the better of her. "Wait, that's not right! You're just a staff, you don't have a body, you, you..."

Yan Yu's words trailed off in confusion.

"I've chosen a name for myself," the Artifact Soul said with a smile to Yan Yu, "Taking Yan as my surname, I am called Qiling. My name is Yan Qiling."

"Qiling, like the spirit of the artifact..." Yu Yuan mused.

"Yan Qiling? With the surname Yan? Is it because of Xiao Lu?" Yan Yu inquired.

"No," Yan Qiling replied, shaking his head, "It's not because of Yan Lu, but because of you, Yan Yu! If not for you giving me away, I would have acknowledged you as my true master once my spiritual intelligence fully awakened. As for Yan Lu, he never truly earned my recognition."

As he spoke, the boy who had chosen the name Yan Qiling was visibly overcome with sorrow.

Yan Yu's heart ached inexplicably as she spoke haltingly, "Yan Lu is the beacon of hope for our clan, the future of the Yan family. And as his senior, it's only natural that I pass on the best to him. At the time, I didn't realize you had awakened to your own consciousness. I simply saw your ability to separate your soul as an infinite wonder and believed he was more deserving of you."

Yan Lu's exceptional talent marked him as the future cornerstone of the Yan family, with the potential to ascend to the ranks of a Yin God or even achieve Soul Wandering.

Such an individual deserved the finest resources we could offer.

Yan Yu, a member of the Yan family, recognized the marvel of the Splitting Soul Staff and, having a soft spot for the young Yan Lu, bestowed it upon him, hoping it would reach its full potential in his hands.

Little did Yan Yu know that the Artifact Soul of the Splitting Soul Staff would truly resonate with her, ready to open up and embrace her, and not Yan Lu.

Perhaps that's why, within the confines of the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, Yan Qiling ultimately chose to cast off the shackles of being an artifact, to exist independently between heaven and earth. She merged with the other part of the black soul, her wisdom blossoming. She consumed the malevolent spirits and souls of the forbidden area, growing at an astonishing rate, until she became what she is today.

"To see you again fills me with joy," she said.

In Yan Qiling's presence, there was a profound change—a heartfelt happiness and reliance that Yu Yuan had never witnessed before.

Yan Yu, burdened with remorse, struggled to find the right words.

"There's no need for self-reproach. The past is behind us, and I'm quite well now," Yan Qiling said with a gentle smile, as if just remembering Yu Yuan's presence. "I intend to join the distant battle."

It was as if he was simply saying hello to Yu Yuan.

Yu Yuan replied, "Without the Fallen Moon Forbidden Area, I lose control over the Heaven Sealing Soul Transformation Formation and can no longer operate the Soul Transformation Pool. I'll be nothing more than a minor cultivator at the Yellow Court Stage."

"Do you think I'm like those others on the ship?" Yan Qiling asked with a playful smile and a dismissive tilt of her head. "I had barely left Chilly Wind Valley when you entered. Once the myriad seals were lifted, the valley was littered with corpses from the Penetrating and Yin God Stages, including some truly formidable figures."

Yan Yu's expression subtly shifted.

She had never imagined that the horrific massacre in Chilly Wind Valley, nestled within the Jade Peak Mountain Range, was in any way connected to Yu Yuan.

Now, despite her unchanged appearance, her exceptional cultivation level had elevated her to the upper ranks of the clan, granting her access to privileged information.

She was aware of the catastrophe that had befallen Chilly Wind Valley, the numerous lives lost, and the covert investigation launched by the Medicine Sect.

Rumors had even reached her that the Profound Sky Sect and the Primordial Yang Sect had discreetly arrived, scouring for the slightest of leads.

Yu Yuan had entered Chilly Wind Valley as well—and had emerged alive?

As Yan Yu's gaze rested on the young master from the Yu family of Darkmoon City, her eyes took on a weighty, solemn cast. She recalled the words Yan Lu had spoken to the Yan family elders upon his return.

Yan Lu had boldly declared in front of the clan's seniors that the most formidable figure of the Silvermoon Empire's new generation was not Lee Yu.

Nor was it Su Yan, Lim Zhuyun, or Fan Li—and certainly not Yan Lu himself.

It was the relatively obscure Yu Yuan!

Yan Lu even proclaimed that aside from his current lack of cultivation, Yu Yuan of Darkmoon City surpassed others in more ways than one!

The Yan family elders, lofty in their expectations and obstinately conservative, had placed their hopes in Yan Lu, seeing him as the linchpin for the family's resurgence.

His veneration of Yu Yuan, a younger member of the Darkmoon City's Yu family, incited rage among the clan's elders.

Yan Lu's initial intent to assist the Yu family in Yu Yuan's absence had backfired due to his excessive praise, resulting in the Yan family's reluctant inaction amidst the Yu family's plight.

Before meeting Yu Yuan or hearing Yan Qiling's remarks, Yan Yu hadn't perceived anything extraordinary about him.

Now, influenced by Yan Qiling's high regard and the revelations about Chilly Wind Valley, she began to deeply consider her nephew's respectful stance towards Yu Yuan.

"The Thunder Sect, Cold Yin Sect, Hidden Dragon Lake, and the Tusk Troops' commander," Yu Yuan hesitated, then abruptly inquired, "Whose side are you on?"

"I don't take sides," Yan Qiling stated with clarity, gravity, and earnestness. "I want the Silverfrost Dragon dead! His dragon soul would be immensely beneficial to me. As for the Thunder Sect, the Cold Yin Sect, and the commander of the Tusk Troops, whether they live or die is of no concern to me."

"Hmm," Yu Yuan responded with a nonchalant shrug, offering encouragement, "Then give it your all. We've crossed paths in the shadows, and it was I who sent you on your way. I wish you the best."

"The two powerhouses from the Thunder Sect and the Cold Yin Sect are in cahoots with the Silverfrost Dragon. My chances are slim if I strike from the shadows," Yan Qiling confessed, her smile taking on a sycophantic quality as she ingratiated herself to Yu Yuan. "However, with another ally of my caliber, our prospects would be greatly improved."

Yu Yuan kept his composure, feigning ignorance, "I have no idea what you're referring to."

"The one who left with you, I know she obeys only you," Yan Qiling said, her face alight with hope.

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