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### **Chapter 64: Yin and Yang, the Two Polarities**
The Underground Palace Ruins.
Si Tu Hong, Liu Jinxian, and Gu Zhengshun were inside the Condensing Moon Palace, the core of this ancient sect's ruins, which indeed held many mysteries.
A year ago.
Liu Jinxian, who entered first, used a formation-breaking talisman to breach the outer restrictions of the palace and gained many benefits—spiritual materials, pills, spell manuals... and more.
Among them, the most helpful for the current situation was a second-grade high-grade magical instrument, which was strenuous for even her cultivation level to control.
Just as she attempted to break into the palace's inner chambers,
an unexpected event occurred.
A Foundation Establishment Corpse Demon inexplicably charged in and began violently attacking her. After a brief struggle, signs of defeat emerged. As she was forced to consider using her trump card to break the second layer of restrictions,
who would have thought Gu Zhengshun and Si Tu Hong would suddenly enter? They were being chased by a giant Poison Wasp Queen, three meters tall, followed by a swarm of wasps the size of water jars.
Flying needles and poison sprays were constant.
The moment they entered, they called out for Liu Jinxian, clearly knowing she was there. Their original intention was to divert the disaster onto her, but the result...
The Poison Wasp Queen and the Foundation Establishment Corpse Demon ended up together.
The three were beaten miserably. Forced into a corner, they had no choice but to unite. Using a second-grade formation-breaking talisman, they burst into the inner layer of the Condensing Moon Palace. Who could have guessed the Poison Wasp Queen's poison seemed to have mutated?
It also had a corrosive effect on the restrictions.
The large hole created by the second-grade formation-breaking talisman hadn't yet healed when the poison slowed the healing process, allowing both the Corpse Demon and the Wasp Queen to breach the second layer of restrictions.
The interior of the Condensing Moon Palace was divided into two parts based on the Two Polarities pattern and mechanized floor tiles.
One side belonged to Yang, the other to Yin.
The three landed on the Yin side. The Wasp Queen and Corpse Demon landed on the Yang side. According to their observations, sincere cooperation from both sides was required. Someone needed to stand on both the Yin and Yang eyes simultaneously, activating the formation eyes with spiritual power, to open the third palace gate.
The Yin polarity area was covered in ice. The moment the three entered, ice immediately formed on their bodies. Although they could break it, they would freeze again after just a few steps. The closer they got to the Yin eye, the lower the temperature.
The Yang polarity area was unbearably hot. Burning iron chains emerged from the floor tiles, tightly binding the Corpse Demon and Wasp Queen, subjecting them to the agony of being burned by flames.
And so, the two sides reached a stalemate.
Over the past year, Liu Jinxian and the others had attempted solutions. But when they actively moved over, the flaming chains restraining the Corpse Demon would loosen significantly.
From being completely immobile, it could move freely within ten meters.
And the Yang eye was positioned right between the two Foundation Establishment demons. It was pure torture!
They even suspected the Condensing Moon Palace had sentience; otherwise, this setup was too malicious. Stuck in this deadlock, they had wasted a full year.
At the edge of the Yin polarity area, Gu Zhengshun shivered and said,
"It's been a year. Your followers still haven't come down. I can't hold on much longer."
Hearing this, Si Tu Hong shook off the ice covering him. A fierce ghost wearing an ice mask circled around him, blocking the external cold侵蚀 (erosion).
"Brother Gu, the formation-breaking talisman for the second layer was provided by me.
"Senior Sister Liu has attempted to breach the Yang polarity area multiple times during this period. Among the three of us, only you keep complaining but are unwilling to act.
"Don't you think it's your turn to make a move?"
Gu Zhengshun immediately fell silent. On the other side, Liu Jinxian, also covered in frost, seemed unhurried and unperturbed.
She sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, regulating her breath and using spiritual power to resist the cold. A blood-red mosquito on her shoulder stared fixedly at the Poison Wasp Queen. She said:
"Soon. At most half a month. I'm not sure about the Five Yin Peak people, but the Gu Poison Peak disciples will definitely come."
The implication was clear to both men. After all, using gu insects on fellow disciples was something nobody would openly challenge as long as it wasn't stated publicly.
Si Tu Hong grew more anxious. He glanced at Liu Jinxian and urged,
"Gu Zhengshun, if you don't act now, once the Gu Poison Peak disciples come down, neither of us will have a chance."
Gu Zhengshun shrunk his neck, as if it would make him warmer. He looked at Si Tu Hong as if to say,
*Am I an idiot? You want me to act?*
"You…"
The three were at a stalemate, none willing to yield to the others.
Suddenly.
Noisy sounds came from outside—footsteps, conversations—the commotion was considerable.
This变故 (unforeseen event) instantly broke the deadlock.
Liu Jinxian immediately stood up, channeling spiritual power to her throat, and called out clearly, "Gu Poison Peak disciples, where are you!"
"Senior Sister!"
"Senior Sister Liu!"
A large group of Gu Poison Peak disciples, over a hundred at a glance, appeared outside the second-layer restriction barrier. The leader, spotting the three inside, quickly approached.
"Senior Sister Liu, we're here! How do we break this restriction barrier?"
Just as Liu Jinixian was about to speak, Si Tu Hong interrupted, "Take a look over there, everyone. Two Foundation Establishment demons. Still want to come in?"
Everyone's expressions changed instantly. They had paid too high a price to get here—the Profound Essence Flowers were one thing, but the massive Rot-Poison Wasp swarms encountered underground were even more troublesome.
The prematurely emerged wasp gu could only repel ordinary poison wasps; it had no effect on the subjects of the second-grade Wasp Queen. Out of the nearly three hundred who set out, only about a hundred and seventy or eighty remained by the time they reached the Condensing Moon Palace. They had done their best.
Moreover, only the few newly promoted late-stage Qi Refining cultivators needed Liu Jinxian's spiritual power to soothe the gu insects inside them.
Having witnessed the scale of the underground palace ruins, the mid-stage Qi Refining disciples, who weren't controlled, immediately developed ulterior motives. Exchanging glances, they reached a silent understanding.
Liu Jinxian was about to speak when she saw the crowd at the entrance scatter in an instant. In the blink of an eye, only five people remained: three newly promoted seventh-level Qi Refining cultivators and two at the sixth level.
Seeing this, Si Tu Hong laughed heartily!
"Those who understand the times are true heroes. Senior Sister Liu is truly deeply beloved."
Indeed, taking the first risk was their all-out effort. A second gamble seemed unwise. But these scattered disciples didn't know that the Five Yin Peak people had blocked the path again; they couldn't get out.
"Silence!"
Liu Jinxian turned and glared angrily at Si Tu Hong, barely stopping him before turning to her subordinates. "I brought eighteen skilled followers initially. Did you see them on your way down?"
The Gu Poison Peak disciples shook their heads. "No, but we saw many tattered clothes along the way. No bones remained."
This information made Liu Jinxian glare at Si Tu Hong again.
He, however, waved his hands repeatedly.
"Not me. Brother Gu and I don't have that capability.
"However... four were killed by the Poison Wasp Queen, two died by my hand. Where the other twelve went, I truly don't know."
The atmosphere instantly turned heavy. They wouldn't know that ten had died by Wang Yu's hand alone—half of them.
But what Liu Jinxian would think remained unknown.
"Step back a few paces. Once inside, assist me in activating the formation eye in the Yang polarity area."
"As you command."
Next, she took out the second-grade high-grade magical instrument she had obtained earlier—a seal. Pressing it against the restriction barrier, she channeled spiritual power through it.
A small hole was quickly breached. The five people filed in one by one. Being stared at by the Wasp Queen and Corpse Demon sent shivers down their spines.
A fierce battle was imminent!
**(End of Chapter)**