Chapter 725

Chapter 725: The Nine Yin Affliction

"Yingying, Ling’er, how much true qi do you both have left?" Ye Yun asked while gazing at the raised hill ahead. "If it’s below fifty percent, we should camp here tonight."

"Ling’er’s nearly at thirty percent. Full-speed flying drains reserves quickly," Shui Lingling sighed, sensing her dwindling true qi.

"I fare slightly better with forty percent remaining." Shui Yingying felt gentle pulses from her chest – whenever her true qi approached critical levels, cool streams revitalized her senses and replenished her reserves.

"Sister’s reserves grew when?" Shui Lingling blinked in confusion. As First Level Earth Immortal cultivator, her true qi capacity should double her sister’s. While Ye Yun’s endurance made sense given his combat power matching hers, Shui Yingying’s preserved reserves puzzled her.

"The Purple Stone Ye Yun gave me," Shui Yingying explained with grateful smile. "It transfers true qi whenever I near depletion."

"Ohhh! So Brother Ye gifted sister this treasure!" Shui Lingling grinned approvingly. "Good deed deserves praise!"

"Cheeky brat." Ye Yun flicked her forehead. "I’d have given you one too if high-level heavenly materials remained. The Violetheart and Nurturesoul herbs are exhausted."

"Ling’er needs no coddling!" The girl puffed her chest. "My cultivation’s highest here! Sister should keep protections. Though…" She trailed off, secretly hoping for that soothing Purple Stone’s embrace despite her proud refusal.

"This land still chills my bones." Shui Lingling shuddered upon landing, the barren hillscape stirring primal urge to destroy this blighted earth. Both sisters fought innate hostility toward the terrain while Ye Yun’s Ancestor of Sword Path warned through mental link: *Demonic energy here exceeds other regions tenfold.*

At Ye Yun’s request, the Ancestor identified two calming herbs. Dew-flecked plants materialized in his palms. "These might ease your discomfort," he offered.

"Ugh, this nasty aura!" Shui Lingling gulped hers without question. Her eyes widened as spiritual power surged. "Marvelous! Ling’er’s energy amplified!"

"These medicinal effects…" Shui Yingying marveled, sensing her turmoil settle. Ye Yun’s gifts – Purple Stone, bet losses, now these herbs – all addressed their deepest lacks. *Why does he never speak of this kindness?* Her vision blurred with unaccustomed warmth. No sect elder’s favor had ever felt so… personal.

"Reborn! Absolutely reborn!" Shui Lingling twirled, infused energy making her top-quality Immortal artifact robes shimmer like captured starlight. "Ye Yun’s treasures never disappoint!"

"Must gratitude always hide behind cheek?" Ye Yun ruffled her hair.

"Ling’er’s thanks need no flowery words!" She stuck out her tongue before gloomily eyeing the eternal sulfur-yellow sky. "Must everything here reek of death?"

"Demonic taint lingers where gods fell." Ye Yun followed her gaze. "This mere remnant invasion curdles the land. Full-scale Demon Realm assault would drown mortal realms in chaos."

"Fear not!" Shui Lingling declared. "When Ling’er ascends to Heavenly Immortal realm, no demon shall trespass!"

"Then I’ll gladly shelter under your protection." His chuckle held genuine warmth.

"Exactly! Rely on Ling’er!" Her robes brightened with her grin.

*Foolish fledglings.* The Ancestor’s mental snort held fondness. *Let old men bear apocalypse’s weight.* Yet Ye Yun’s determination pleased him. Most Nascent Soul cultivators concerned themselves with petty rivalries, not heavenly affairs. This youth’s unshakable resolve mirrored sword intent at its purest – and the Ancestor’s hopes for bodily restoration rested wholly upon it.

Scanning the malignant hill, the Ancestor’s spirit sight pierced through rock. *Curious… Death-essence thickens with time here.* His exploration revealed squirming demonic remnants. *Ah! Prime nourishment!*

Soul Power lashed out, circumventing spatial restrictions. Screaming shadows condensed into black light spheres tossed into Ye Yun’s Storage Treasure. "Emergency rations secured," the Ancestor reported as Ye Yun’s group rested within Shui Lingling’s illusory Ancient City.

Uninterested in the harvested demon remnants’ grotesque forms, Ye Yun withdrew his consciousness. Let the Ancestor scavenge while he resumed closed-door cultivation.

"I wonder what level the Thunder Spirit in the Thundercloud Lightning Sword could reach now. If it could unleash Earth Immortal realm power through the Thunder God Hammer, I’d feel reassured." Amidst the dense ocean of spiritual power, Ye Yun crushed thousands of top-tier Immortal Spirit Stones, filling Shui Lingling’s Deceptive Array Ancient City completely. Closing his eyes in contemplation, he recalled his cultivated Thunder Spirit.

"If fully unleashed, it shouldn’t lose to First Level Earth Immortal realm strength. But controlling the Thunder God Hammer remains problematic." When Ye Yun found he could control the Thunder Spirit, he decided to grant it intelligence to command the supreme Immortal artifact from his Storage Treasure that best matched it.

Two sky-blue square hammers contained enough Thunder Spirit Qi to crush ordinary Nascent Soul stage experts. Though weaker than Ye Yun’s own Thunder Spirit Qi, they remained a supreme Immortal artifact worth risking.

His current body couldn’t withstand multiple supreme artifact consumptions. Focusing on the Thunder Spirit from Thundercloud Lightning Sword’s Fifth Level, he tested if it could claim a supreme artifact. Any sentient artifact wouldn’t backlash, and failure only required destroying the spirit – two viable solutions.

Losing a supreme artifact equaled recreating a Thunder Spirit’s cost. The required Thunder Spirit Qi amount proved astronomical, worsened by needing constant infusion of his Lightning Element Law – tedious and unrewarding.

Forcing his Lightning Element Law into artifacts felt agonizing. His laws were like blood – extracting them caused excruciating pain. Without hesitation, Ye Yun kept refining his Thunder Spirit. When purple lightning flickered in its eyes, he abruptly stopped, feeling drained of Thunder Spirit Qi. Opening his eyes to the protective Ancient City, he marveled at the novelty.

This marked his first cultivation session in a city formed by three supreme Immortal artifacts. Though most spiritual power came from him, Shui Lingling had clearly contributed significantly after obtaining the Deceptive Array.

"Finally showing progress. Without this purple lightning, I might’ve abandoned it." Satisfied, Ye Yun observed the blue Thunder Spirit within, smiling as purple lightning danced in its eyes. Despite complications, this masterpiece neared completion. After restoring his Thunder Spirit Qi, he’d perfect it for Thunder God Hammer control.

"Will it endure this lightning element artifact’s fury? If not, I’ll need alternatives." Ye Yun realized he could only rely on fate now. As he pondered, starlight erupted behind him – Shui Yingying and Shui Lingling shone like living constellations beneath the Immortal Dao Sect’s Starry Sky methods.

Ye Yun watched calmly until Shui Lingling’s suppressed star power erupted, piercing through the Ancient City into roiling thunderclouds above. A radiant light beam connected heaven and earth as both girls’ auras surged. Shui Lingling’s power peaked at Third Level Earth Immortal realm before being forcibly suppressed to First Level completion.

Meanwhile, Shui Yingying’s Nine Yin Aura spilled out, freezing her hard-earned star power at Nascent Soul stage’s peak. Seeing her frustrated expression, Ye Yun comforted: "You did well, Yingying. The Yin energy’s interference will be resolved soon."

"Your words give hope." She nodded, accustomed to failed breakthroughs. In this Broken Space, she believed Heavenly Immortal inheritance could fix her incompatibility with Shui Lingling’s Stellar Body – though such innate spiritual body issues might defy even celestial solutions.

"Sister failed again." Shui Lingling sighed.

"Next time will succeed." Shui Yingying encouraged, though they both knew their conflicting physiques had blocked countless attempts. The Starry Sky methods required dual cultivation – Shui Lingling had sacrificed her future for her sister’s progress. Even with her innate spiritual body, mastering the methods remained difficult without reaching Earth Immortal realm herself.

"But Heavenly Immortal inheritance could solve everything." Shui Lingling smiled optimistically. "With Ling’er’s growth and Ye Yun’s help, we’ll claim Demon Abyss’ inheritance soon."

"Those trials won’t be easy." Shui Yingying sighed, wondering if her own weakness doomed them. Early breakthrough to Earth Immortal realm could have propelled Shui Lingling to second layer faster through combined cultivation.