Yin & Yang Pleasures of Cultivation

Chapter 132: Powerful Screech

"Mnnn.now that was a nice rest. So we're finally.huh. Even though I said we need a change of scenery, it seems like we're destined, or it's the Province curse for everything to just be samey snow." 

Aniela said with a wry smile as her eyes popped open to view the repeating snowy scenery. 

She wanted to say she was disappointed or surprised. Yet, in the back of Aniela's mind, she already expected this outcome.

It was at this time Aniela was praising the Blessed Spirit Province in her mind. Though they may be the weakest Province out of the nine, at least they're more visually attractive than the Plunged Tundra! 

At least, Aniela can say for what she had seen of the Blessed Spirit Province since she also knew she only had been to two areas over there. 

While Aniela was shaking her head in failed expectations, Darcel trailed his eyes down to Yasami.

She was a little slower to stand at attention. Relaxing on Darcel's lap was far too comfortable for her to simply give up on. 

"Hmmm.ooh? Eh.we're already here? Huh, it felt like we just left Mawold Town. Not like this look any different than the roads leading to Mawold Town." Yasami groggily spoke while shifting her body to sit up. 

Darcel found Yasami's movement amusing, almost like she was an actual feline with how slow she was being.

Baring her beast heritage, Darcel assumed for her race they couldn't share that many similarities in terms of personality, at least. 

Although Darcel also realized he never accurately asked just precisely what Yasami is. Regarding it as a question he should ask as soon as possible for later, Darcel began telling the girls, 

"From here, we're going to walk. Even though it's similar scenery, the general environment of people may be different around here. Probably."

Aniela began nodding, rubbing her soft face around Darcel's neck. 

"Supposedly, this is a more village-like area. But I'm still wondering how can a village be maintained out in this cold and samey snow."

Suddenly then Darcel felt Yasami sprag right up on his lap. 

Somehow, Darcel couldn't fathom the faintest idea why, but Yasami just got this fiery boost of energy out of nowhere.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road! We can't be totally lazy for two days and not get a good stretch." Yasami said, bringing up an actual valid point that resonated in Darcel and Aniela's mind.

For the two days that it took to get here, neither Darcel, Aniela, nor Yasami took any time to actually cultivate. Although it would've been a bit harder to concentrate while on the snow lizard, the option was still there

By Yasami's words, Darcel and Aniela both felt a new eagerness swell inside them. 

The trio had then jumped off the snow lizard back, and Darcel ignited his spatial ring, bringing out their mission map.

Taking one quick look at the map, Darcel pointed his hand south, saying, 

"We have to go this way." 

Both they started walking; Aniela took a brief glance at the Snow lizard staying obediently behind them.

"So this lizard will just follow us anywhere, right? There's still juice left in the crystal?" Aniela asked since she didn't fully understand the Beast Taming crystal. 

And it wasn't like the Beast Trading Center gave them a detailed description of it.

Yasami's interest was also piqued in this subject. While the Beast Taming crystal couldn't affect her, she was greatly curious about how it affected the breed Spirit Monsters.

Darcel traced his fingers around the Beast Taming crystal. 

Still, it glowed with a vibrant blue shine, indicating the plentiful of energy stored inside it. Darcel nodded to Aniela, assuring the girls by saying,

"There's still plenty of energy inside here. And as long we don't make it run extremely long distances so soon again, we'll have more than enough energy to return back to town."

With that explanation out the way, Darcel took the lead and began walking on route for their mission. 

Aniela and Yasami immediately saddle up close to his sides while the Snow lizard obediently follows behind Darcel specifically.

As they began walking, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami spread out their Spirit Sense for a few miles. 

And immediately, they became curious about what they sensed. It was vague, like they were trying to hide themselves, but the trio could still pick up on it.

It was multiple vague presences, hiding deep into the snow, staying close to the icy road. 

This kind of formation was too specific to just be random. And Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami quickly pieced together what was happening.

If they were just a team of ordinary Innate Core warriors, then their Spirit Senses would've never picked up on the presence trying to hide.

Admittedly, the trio could admit the ones hiding were proficient at this task. Still, with Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami's special Spirit Senses, nothing could escape their scope. 

At least nothing that far outstripped them in realm and prowess.

Still, from what they were sensing, Darcel didn't perceive any one of the hidden presence to even be a slight threat to them. 

Darcel had then glanced his eyes over to Aniela and Yasami, gauging their reactions.

And both girls had already tense their bodies, eager for battle. Two confident smirks dawned their lips in anticipation for whoever will try to ambush them. 

Though, Darcel didn't think this was necessary and told the girls, "So eager already, huh? I am too. But for now, let's just walk. We'll go from there once fully checking out this area." 

Because of the very low danger to them, Aniela and Yasami saw the meaning in Darcel's words and the twinkle that flashed in his black eyes.

"Mnh.alright. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long to see the locals." Aniela nodded to Darcel, subtly speaking out desires while she was at it. 

Yasami simply nodded to Darcel and kept her gaze on the snow near the icy blue road.

The trio had then continued to walk for a few meters. And as they walked closer to their destination, the more restless those vague multiple presences came. 

Suddenly then, when the trio got a bit far, they sensed the multiple cultivators specifically lock on to them.

Their surrounding became intensely chaotic as the air violently churned, and snow swept up in a light fall. Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami bore the full front of five seventh rank Innate Core auras, attempting to suppress them.

And an attempt it was, but neither Darcel, Aniela, nor Yasami felt any suppression. Like a cool breeze that swept past their bodies, the trio stopped moving in simple curiosity.

They wanted to test how far this scenario will go down. 

Although, at a moment's notice, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami were ready to act just in case they tried to pull out something unexpected.

Right then, a powerful booming male voice shouted to them, echoing out in the snowy field for miles. 

"Halt! State why you all are coming to our village!" 

As the man's booming voice slinked into their ears, Darcel's group watched as five figures jumped out of the snow to hover above them.

It was five middle-aged looking men, all dressed in this unique orange fur coat. The fur coat had an exotic design of multiple lions running along on it, really exuding a more rural vibe from the men.

Immediately, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami's eyes lit up, seeing their clothing style. 

This was what they were precisely told who to watch out for in their mission briefing.

In the simplest and most direct way, Aniela took off her bronze Fang badge symbol and showed it to the men. "The Nobe's Fang group at your service! A pleasure to meet you all!"

Utter disbelief plastered the five men's faces. 

They did relax a bit of their auras in shock but still kept most of their energy locked on to them. 

The man in the middle, who was the one that spoke early, began to talk in a disbelieving tone. "....Really? You three are our help? Is.is this some sort of cruel joke by the Nobe's Fang group?!" 

When seeing the authentic bronze Fang badge, it was impossible for the men to not believe the trio since they all made contact with the Nobe's Fang group before.

However, they were told three bronze rank members would come and help them. 

Not merely two True Soul Core juniors and one-seventh rank Innate Core kid! Against the ferocious Spirit Monster, their village was facing, their help is practically nothing!

Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami sort of expected this kind of reaction. 

Still, they haven't let up masking their presence, making them seem even weaker than they are. 

Admittedly, since it was so natural to do, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami didn't pay attention to letting their presence shine out before they met anyone.

Still, even if it was expected, it didn't mean they wanted to deal with the common disdain that would drag out time. 

To get this over with, Yasami aggressively stated, "Look, you wanted our help, and here we are! No matter what you all think, we're helping, alright?!" 

Yasami snorted, and in one fiery breath, she released a small dosage of her powerful suppressed seventh rank aura. And with zero resistance, Yasami's power annihilated the men's aura surrounding them!

"Wha-What?!?" 

The five men were left utterly dazed as Yasami's aura vaporized their power. It was like whiplash, and the men felt a mild threatening suppression wrapped their whole bodies.

As aggressive as Yasami was being, she was able to smoothly control her prowess to not crush the five men with her full eighth rank aura alone. 

She knew the seventh rank was enough to get her point across.

A new light twinkled inside the men's eyes about the trio. What Yasami just did would need her to have a prowess that can match all five of them! 

And even as they did lessen their combined auras at first, the fact still remained no other seventh rank Innate Core warrior could pull this off.

The men's eyes specifically focused on Yasami, and the middle man began to say, "Follow us to Thornshell village. We-"

"SKWAAA!!" 

The man was abruptly interrupted when a loud screech of a hawk blared in the whole area! 

The five men's expressions quickly turned aghast; their faces went pale as blood drained from their faces. That Spirit Monster hawk's loud and powerful voice caused the five men to gain severe headaches that almost damaged their heads. 

While the five men were shell shocked, Darcel's group didn't have much of a reaction.

Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami only curiously raised their eyebrows. None of them felt any type of headaches or feared the power behind the Spirit Monster Hawk in any way.

"Hmph, so I see our target likes to make a lot of noise before even meeting it." Yasami snarkily uttered, prompting Darcel and Aniela to nearly chuckle. 

But they maintained their neutral, unfazed gazes while staring at the five men clutching their heads.

It only took a second for the men to force past the headache and come back to reality. 

Though the men were mildly surprised when they observed the trio. None of them seemed even the slightest bit affected by the Spirit Monster hawk screech.

But they know now wasn't the time for questions. 

"Quickly follow us! The Snow Glazed Hawk is already coming to attack the village!" The man in the middle hastily explained to Darcel's group.

Yet, with one quick sweep of their Spirit Sense, Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami already locked on an eighth rank Innate Core powerhouse rapidly approaching their mission point.

Darcel had then told the men, "No need for that. We'll take care of this immediately." 

The bold, almost arrogant tone of Darcel's got the five men confused and even a bit annoyed. They know that Yasami's prowess is extraordinary and can probably match all five of theirs. 

But it was simply impossible for two True Soul Core juniors to have a prowess that can surpass a whole realm, right?

Before any one of the five men could dismiss Darcel, they all froze like statues as a tremendous power surge erupted before them! 

'Hua!' 

Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami didn't hold anything back now and blasted off with insane speed!

"Gah?!?" The five men all confusingly shouted. 

They needed to hurriedly reinforce their bodies with a massive sum of Innate Qi just to not get swept up in the trio's powers.

The men had to also shield their eyes as the wind chaotically stormed around them like a ferocious tornado. When the men opened their eyes again, they were utterly gobsmacked. 

Neither Darcel, Aniela, Yasami, or that Spirit Monster lizard were at their original spots! 

The men quickly snapped their heads behind them, but Darcel's group was already far long gone.

They only spotted a speck of white Light, Darkness, and blue flames rapidly disappearing towards the direction of their village. 

The five men nearly felt their brains shut down as Darcel, Aniela, and Yasami's speed far, far outstrips them to an outrageous degree!

Furthermore, that short power surge they felt also gave the five men a tremendous sense of near-death crisis. 

If that trio wanted to, they could've probably killed all five of them off without them even knowing how.

Ignoring that terrifying thought, the man in the middle was the first one to sober up and say, "Just don't think about it now! Let's get back now!" 

From his words, the other four men hurriedly sober right up.

They had then taken off straight towards their village, though none of them could spot the same specks of white Light, Darkness, or blue flames anymore.