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"Phew! Phew! Phew!"

The turbulent divine force, as if drawn by the cave, poured in relentlessly.

All the trial-takers meditating nearby sensed the disturbance and awoke.

Eyes and beams of attention, following the flow of spiritual energy, zeroed in on Yu Yuan's cave.

"Yu Yuan?"

"Brother Yu?"

"Is he the one causing the fluctuations in the spiritual energy?"

Youngsters from Asvetaesi, Asenalenor, and Sillserine peered out, searching in all directions.

Before long, they spotted the solemn Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui.

"Brother Zhan, Sister Han, what's happening?"

They called out, full of questions.

"It's okay, continue with your individual practices," Zhan Tianxiang reassured them. "Yu Yuan's spell is quite peculiar. Don't worry about him; I'll keep an eye on things."

"Everyone, return to your cultivation," Han Hui commanded.

The trial-takers from Asenalenor and Sillserine, though still puzzled, trusted the pair and, feeling their own significant energy depletion, headed back to their caves one by one.

Actually, the chaos Yu Yuan had triggered was advantageous to all.

Unable to draw energy from the tumultuous spiritual energy, they had to divert some of their focus and expend spiritual energy to prevent its infiltration and potential harm.

Yu Yuan's cave, by drawing away the chaotic spiritual energy from theirs, made their own cultivation much smoother.

"Argh!"

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching howl emanated from Yu Yuan's cave.

The roar was laced with pain, frenzy, restlessness, and delirium.

"It's fine. I've said it's fine, and it is," Zhan Tianxiang bellowed.

But Zhao Yafu, Yuan Ting, and Yu Feifei wouldn't heed his words; anxiety etched on their faces, they rushed toward Yu Yuan's cave.

Boom! Hiss! Hiss!

Inside Yu Yuan's cave, the clashing divine force erupted violently.

Clouds of gray, dark brown, and white mist burst forth, with smoke swirling and spreading in every direction.

Strands of spiritual energy also escaped from the cave, hovering briefly outside before being drawn back in by the cave's pull.

Zhan Tianxiang and Han Hui were both perplexed.

"Yu Yuan, what spell are you practicing?" Han Hui's gaze grew increasingly peculiar. "I have this feeling that the formless divine force in the Moonfall Sanctuary is being harnessed by him."

"I'm getting the same impression," Zhan Tianxiang said, his eyes darkening.

"He's in the Soul Awakening Realm!" Han Hui whispered in astonishment. "And only in the early period! At this stage, the focus is on refining the corporeal body! Yet, the spiritual energy in the Moonfall Sanctuary is so chaotic and full of impurities, it could even be poisonous. Absorbing such disordered and impure spiritual energy could only be detrimental."

"I'm well aware," Zhan Tianxiang replied with a wry smile.

"Should we warn him, ask him to take a moment to cool off?" Han Hui proposed.

"There's no need. I believe he's aware of what he's doing," Zhan Tianxiang responded.

With no other option, Han Hui could only wait.

It wasn't long before the divine force began to flood the cave, accompanied by Yu Yuan's roars, reminiscent of a dire beast facing death. Within just half an hour, tranquility returned.

Yu Yuan ceased his roaring.

The turbulent divine force that had been rushing into the cave quickly faded away.

Everything reverted to its original state, leaving only Yu Yuan's feeble breathing within the cave.

Those concerned for him could wait no longer and hurried into the cave.

Inside the relatively spacious cave, Yu Yuan lay nearly bare, surrounded by tattered clothing. His body was riddled with scratches.

The scratches, deep red and some oozing blood, were clearly self-inflicted.

Only a large piece of cloth covered his waist and other vital areas. Propped against the frigid rock wall, his eyes were bloodshot, and with each breath, his chest heaved as though he were trying to inhale all the air in one gulp.

The veins on his neck, forehead, and arms stood out starkly against his skin.

They resembled an evil dragon lurking beneath the surface, writhing within his flesh, eager to break free and ravage all life with an unspeakable sense of tyranny.

Zhan Tianxiang, with keen eyesight, could just make out that many areas beneath Yu Yuan's skin had split open.

His arms' blood vessels were still quivering and convulsing.

Why did Yu Yuan, after such a brief period of cultivation, seem as though he had sustained grievous injuries, as if torn asunder by an archdemon?

Zhan Tianxiang, who had endured his own share of agony while practicing the Golden Elephant God's body tempering spell in the Soul Awakening Realm, watched Yu Yuan for a moment before suddenly asking, "Yu Yuan, how are you feeling now?"

"Don't worry, I'm not going to die," Yu Yuan replied, squinting and speaking with a hint of weakness. "I need some peace. Don't crowd around here; you're disrupting my cultivation."

"Brother Yu, what kind of spell are you practicing? You look like you're on death's door after just a short while," Zhao Yafu remarked with a click of her tongue, shaking her head in amazement. "It must be an incredibly powerful body tempering spell, right? It's impressive how you can even harness the violent, chaotic, and impure spiritual energy of the forbidden area."

Han Hui, clearly curious, scanned Yu Yuan's nearly bare body. She clearly had questions.

"Everyone out," Yu Yuan demanded, frowning. Addressing Han Hui directly, he added, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? I'm almost naked. How much longer do you intend to stare?"

"Pah!" Han Hui shot him a glare but, despite her curiosity, chose not to press further.

She was the first to exit.

With Yu Yuan's insistence, the others left the cave, albeit reluctantly.

Zhan Tianxiang was the last to budge, lingering until everyone else had gone. Just as Yu Yuan was about to rebuke him, Zhan Tianxiang let out a sly chuckle and said, "Across the Everlands and its three continents, the most esteemed method for cultivating the corporeal body is practicing the dark arts in the north of the Land of Quiescence, as well as those who boldly train in the archdemon's dark arts."

"Demons possess a natural advantage in body tempering."

"On the Euwrea continent, the major sects might have a slight edge when refining the Lunar Spirit and Solar Spirit. However, in the realms of Soul Awakening and Veil Breaking, the cultivation methods of demons are far superior in unlocking the potential of the flesh and blood."

After a brief pause, Zhan Tianxiang spoke earnestly, "You should be able to see that I've received the approval of the Golden Elephant God. The spell I practice in the Soul Awakening realm is derived from the Golden Elephant God. But I am human, not a demon. As such, even the modified dark arts are excruciating for me to endure."

"And you, you're not practicing the dark arts, are you? If I'm not mistaken, you're practicing the dark arts, right?"

Across the vast Aetherius Continent, the numerous empires, family clans, and the forces of both the Euwrea and the Land of Quiescence maintain various connections, both overt and covert.

This is common knowledge.

The sects from Euwrea and the Land of Quiescence also regard Aetherius as a battleground and a crucial place for selecting disciples.

This is why practicing conventional spells or the dark arts on Aetherius is considered normal, without any distinction between good and evil.

Individuals like Yuan Qiufang, who practices the Crimson Soul Spell, need not live in fear or hide their practices.

He secluded himself in a secret chamber because his cultivation was problematic, often leading to bouts of madness and slaughter.

Without such issues, he could freely walk the streets of Asvetaesi and the City of Silvermoon without concern.

The ones truly despised by all are the likes of the Colddeath Sect, who wantonly slaughter mortals and cultivators to empower their Lunar Spirit.

The Colddeath Sect is unwelcome in both Euwrea and the Land of Quiescence.

In Aetherius, the mere mention of them is enough to make the empires shudder with revulsion.

Conversely, cultivators from the Devil Palace, Shadow's Keep, and Ruby Hand are held in high esteem even within Aetherius.

In Aetherius, the six great empires and numerous families maintain cordial relationships with the Devil Palace and Shadow's Keep.

Hence, in the Everlands, there is no absolute division between good and evil.

Otherwise, how could Zhan Tianxiang, who has the Golden Elephant God's endorsement and his legacy, dare to appear so openly and unreservedly in the Empire?

"Yes, it's the dark arts," Yu Yuan responded with composure.

Zhan Tianxiang's surprise turned to delight. "It is the dark arts indeed! That's truly astonishing. I've heard you've been with the Yu family in Asvetaesi for over a decade. So, how did you come by the dark arts?"

He increasingly sensed that Yu Yuan was shrouded in mystery. He believed that aligning himself with Yu Yuan was a smart decision.

"Just knowing it's the dark arts is enough. Why the barrage of questions?" Yu Yuan squinted, his impatience clear as he gestured towards the door, signaling for him to make himself scarce.

"Okay, okay." Zhan Tianxiang departed with a contented grin, murmuring to himself, "No wonder I felt a connection with you. Turns out we're cut from the same cloth."

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