Ye Yun and Gu Anran meet the Ninth Temple Master, Cang Ming. Cang Ming recognizes Ye Yun's sword as his own, lost long ago, and though his memories are gone, he shows deep affection for it. Ye Yun suspects Cang Ming might be his former master, who saved him as an infant and raised him. After Cang Ming returns the sword, Ye Yun surprises him by instantly repairing it.
As Ye Yun prepared to mend a treasure using the bronze box, covetous eyes pierced through the void, fixated upon his location from a distant vantage.
"What manner of artifact is this? Its restorative capabilities are astonishing, nigh on defying the natural order!" The exclamations of an elder resonated from within a hidden dimension of the Yin Yang Cave.
The voice thrummed with an palpable urgency, a clear indication of a pressing need for the bronze treasure box.
In the subsequent moment, a colossal hand materialized from the ethereal, snatching at the bronze treasure box from thin air.
Ye Yun, at that precise moment, was examining the White Dragon Sword, with the bronze treasure box hovering nearby.
*Swoosh...*
A silent, unseen force immediately ensnared the bronze treasure box. In a blink, it vanished.
The speed of its disappearance was beyond comprehension.
Save for Ye Yun, no one present could fully process the event before it concluded.
By the time awareness returned, the bronze treasure box had completely dematerialized.
"Senior Brother, your treasure box! It’s gone!" Gu Anran exclaimed, her face etched with alarm.
Cang Ming's complexion shifted dramatically as he scanned his surroundings in bewilderment. "Who within the Yin Yang Cave possesses the power to execute such a heist?"
"Insolent fools! To pilfer my possession? Do they not fear a terrible reckoning?" Ye Yun mused, glancing towards an unseen point, a faint smile playing on his lips, unperturbed.
"Senior Brother, why do you appear so unconcerned?" Gu Anran inquired, her voice laced with worry.
"This bronze treasure box cannot be accessed without my key. Thus, even if some powerful entity absconds with it, to them, it remains naught but useless scrap..." Ye Yun chuckled lightly.
"Ah, wait. It’s not merely scrap; even the most potent of treasures would fail to breach its defenses!" Ye Yun amended, a confident smirk evident.
"Senior Brother, if they cannot utilize it, does this imply they will eventually seek you out?" Gu Anran’s eyes brightened, a dawning realization coloring her expression as she observed Ye Yun's unwavering composure.
"Should they desire its repair, they will indeed find me. Their motive for mere possession, however, is a different matter." Ye Yun replied, his demeanor remaining placid.
"A true pity for such a treasure..." Cang Ming lamented, shaking his head in deep regret.
He had intended to entrust several of his own artifacts to Ye Yun for mending. Now, that prospect had vanished entirely.
"Palace Master, it appears there are truly formidable cultivators within this Yin Yang Cave..." Gu Anran stated, directing her gaze towards Cang Ming.
"Fear not. Opportunities abound in the Yin Yang Cave, as do rare celestial herbs. The treasures we seek, a supreme expert would likely overlook." Cang Ming replied with a smile.
The power exhibited moments ago, a surge of immense force, suggested the involvement of a God King Expert.
"At what cultivation level must one be to command such abilities?" Gu Anran sighed, a flicker of yearning in her eyes.
Currently at the First Level of the True God Realm, witnessing such supreme mastery ignited a fervent desire within her to ascend to such heights.
"I surmise... it must be the work of a God King Expert, yes?" Cang Ming conjectured, his voice hushed.
"So that's why it was so potent, a God King Expert!" Gu Anran stuck out her tongue, visibly awestruck by the mention of such a high cultivation tier.
She then gestured, casually dispelling the restrictive seals she had previously established.
"Your cultivation realms are still nascent; it is best if you refrain from direct engagement in the fray." Cang Ming advised, before descending and merging with the dense thicket of vines.
The disciples aboard the Celestial Boat followed suit, rejoining the conflict.
Under Cang Ming's direction, the battle against the towering green vines recommenced. These serpentine growths possessed formidable defensive capabilities and delivered potent strikes. Fortunately, the disciples of the Ten Thousand Monster God Temple, being of Demon Clan descent, boasted robust physiques, allowing them to contend without undue suffering.
Nevertheless, their advance was far from swift.
"Senior Brother, are we truly not going to offer any assistance?" Gu Anran inquired, standing upon the deck of the Celestial Boat, her hands spread in a gesture of hesitant appeal.
"Let us adhere to the Palace Master's directive for now and abstain." Ye Yun responded with a smile.
He subtly surveyed his surroundings, sensing the continuous ebb and flow of Yin Yang energy within the spatial expanse. After a brief period, an odd sense of familiarity washed over him.
This peculiar recognition stemmed from the Yin-Yang Illusion Reversal Technique.
This very technique had been observed on Suibai within the Nether Immortal Ancient Land.
And Suibai itself was an entity of considerable provenance, having once been the Thousand Feather God Venerate from the Divine Land.
After perishing in battle on the Cangnan Continent, this individual seized the body of Ji Wushuang, a formerly disgraced disciple of Ye Yun.
Employing this vessel, he began to practice the Yin-Yang Illusion Reversal Technique.
It was precisely through this profound cultivation method that he managed to elude the grasp of a peculiar power, thus commencing a second chapter of existence.
Ye Yun, naturally, perused the Yin-Yang Illusion Reversal Technique with great care, its contents etched clearly into his memory.
Nevertheless.
Formal cultivation of this technique had never been undertaken by Ye Yun.
Now, with the abundant yet turbulent yin-yang energy within the Yin Yang Cave, a prime opportunity for his cultivation presented itself.
Extending his hands, palms facing upward, Ye Yun initiated the Yin-Yang Illusion Reversal Technique. In mere seconds, a sphere of black and white light materialized upon each of his palms.
"Senior Brother, what is that..."
Gu Anran inquired, his gaze fixed on the swirling monochromatic orbs with astonishment.
"This is a cultivation technique, one that appears exceptionally suited for practicing within the Yin Yang Cave. Allow me to test it out..."
Ye Yun responded with a grin.
"Senior Brother, what kind of cultivation technique is this? Might I also practice it?"
Gu Anran asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Indeed, but this technique is rather unique and might carry inherent risks. Let me cultivate it first to ascertain its nature!"
Ye Yun replied.
Observing the black and white spheres, Ye Yun could distinctly sense their fundamental connection to the dual energies present within the Yin Yang Cave.
This observation sparked a hypothesis within him.
He posited that the ancient relic from which the Thousand Feather God Venerate acquired the Yin-Yang Illusion Reversal Technique must reside within the Yin Yang Cave itself.
Each black and white orb, approximately the size of a washbasin, emanated a gentle luminescence. While visually striking, Ye Yun recognized this only as the nascent stage of the Yin-Yang Illusion Reversal Technique.
The act of cultivating this technique posed no significant challenge for Ye Yun.
The Celestial Boat trailed closely behind, its movement a slow drift.
Ahead, the Ninth Temple Master, Cang Ming, along with a contingent of disciples, were engaged in a continuous struggle against encroaching green vines.
As time progressed, the black and white energies coalescing on Ye Yun’s hands steadily amplified in size.
From their initial washbasin dimensions, they expanded progressively until they encompassed an area spanning several tens of feet.
This growth was, in itself, a remarkable spectacle.
At this juncture, the two luminous orbs, one black and one white, ascended and hovered above Ye Yun's head.
As embodiments of yin and yang energies, the spheres generated a potent gravitational attraction between them.
Yet, under Ye Yun’s precise command, these two spheres maintained a designated separation, their union successfully averted.
"Let's go!"
Ye Yun suddenly let out a soft chuckle, then thrust his hands forward with considerable force.
The colossal black and white spheres, once suspended above his head, surged forward with intense momentum.
"Palace Master, retreat for the moment!"
Ye Yun's voice rang out.
Palace Master Cang Ming turned, his eyes widening in alarm as he witnessed the twin monochromatic spheres hurtling towards him.
