Yin & Yang Pleasures of Cultivation

Standing upright and tall with an unassumed expression was a young teen, currently bearing witness to a luxurious sight.

The strange and whimsical combination of utter darkness and dazzling light made for phenomenal scenery. There was no other being or object beside the young boy in this endless black and white mixed space.

Surely this coiled mix of two opposing forces of darkness and light would've been enough to astound anyone! Plus, in every inch of this place, a majestic aura filled the air.

A majestic empyreal aura that would make anyone feel as mighty as a god!

Yet the boy only slightly opened his mouth and leaked out a small sigh,

"Great, here's my monthly 'profound dream.' And just like the first time, it's still only a change of pace compared to my usual dreams."

Darcel, the boy, shrugged his shoulders and decided to walk after that snide remark.

Truly he could never understand why people put so much importance on recurring dreams despite nothing in real life ever getting affected.

Like it was a simple routine, Darcel walked upon the black and white mix ground akin to walking on air. His shoulder-length black hair swayed slightly as if it was matching the silent rhythm of this mysterious space.

Always in these dreams, his body feels weightless as if there were no shouldering burdens on him. Even for unamused as he was, Darcel could still appreciate this weightless feeling.

"Now then, where will they...ah, don't you ever consider moving from this single place? It feels quite good to walk here, based on my experience."

Eventually, while walking, Darcel's eyes spotted a lone figure, a few meters from in front of him, and his mouth began moving. Though he was talking like he expected the person to respond, all he received was silence.

This lone figure simply sat upon an enchanting looking white-dark mix rock. All Darcel could see of this character was their freakishly long white-dark mix hair and towering back.

Despite this odd yet enthralling appearance, Darcel only gained a smirk to being seemingly ignored. "So, now that I have managed to spot you, I guess I'll just wake up now. Seriously, I wonder if you're actually just a stature with hair or not…"

When finishing his piece, Darcel prepared to close his eyes. Everything for him was as normal as it usual been until,

"Your Yin Pleasure has finally come."

A strange ethereal voice boomed all around the space. The voice held a mystic charm. Darcel couldn't identify if it was male or female, but it pulls you in to want to listen to them.

"Hm? So you're not some useless statue. Oh? What's this?" During Darcel's sarcastic comment, slowly but surely, he saw this lone figure turn its body.

Blaring light and darkness spewed out of the figure as it decrepitly turned around. An exalted sacred feeling had suddenly enraptured the whole place!

Darcel, for the first time, felt a small anticipation bubble up.

And right when he believed he was going to finally see this figure voice, the celestial voice spoke again with,

"Wake-"

'Chi!'

"Up?" The eyes of Darcel burst open! Only instead of that dreaming landscape, he came face to face with a dreary dark ceiling. Slowly sitting up, his eyes blinked a couple times before reorienting himself.

"What was that supposed to be? Some kind of fate premonition for great destiny? Meh, I'll think about it later. Got work to do." Darcel simply shrugged his shoulder and already put the dream at the back of his mind.

No use dwelling upon things that are impossible to solve anyway...it's how Darcel manages to get through his 'special' life currently.

Next to his bed, a blaring blue flash hit the corner of his eyes. Rubbing his eyes a bit, he looked over to a floating blue jewel just beside his bed.

Grabbing the jewel, the blue light in the room died down as he remarked, "Just in time for the day too. Though I just wish these lights didn't assault your eyes when waking up."

'Ka-Cha!'

Amazingly enough, all Darcel did was put a little strength into his hands, but the blue jewel had shattered into tiny small pieces!

With a flick of his hand, Darcel threw the shards of blue jewel to the ground, not caring in the slightest about making a mess. And with one last crack of his neck, Darcel hopped out of his bed.

Looking around his room, he nodded at the usual dark, dreary atmosphere of the place. There was absolutely nothing here beside his bed and a door that led outside.

'Honestly, it makes you wonder why they keep this room so spacious for nothing…' Darcel thought to himself and just shook his head.

And without a second breath, he waltzes on over to the door, opening it for his eyes to meet with a strange black substance.

It was like materialized black energy! Darcel, however, held no reaction to the black substance and promptly walked through it.

He felt nothing when walking through, and Darcel was immediately graced by a massive, expansive corridor. Everything here was wide and far spread apart, allowing for many people to walk through.

Though the general feel of the corridor was rather...depressive. Upon the walls was a dull samey grey color, to which set the bleak mood.

There was no unique design nor any kind of ornaments to set this place apart. However, for Darcel, he came to appreciate this dull design. At least every day, his eyes won't get plastered over extravagant colors.

Glossing over to the assortment of people walking in the corridor, they as well held the same dull, depressive feeling.

Most wore ragged gray clothes or wore an odd-looking gray wristband. These people's expression was all either neutral or a slight dread as they trudge their feet through this endless corridor.

It didn't matter if they were a man, women, or the elderly, nobody looks like they held special treatment.

All except for one young boy...

Eyes took immediate notice of Darcel since he wore plain black clothing that held decent quality. His face was also cleaner and retained a distinctive, attractive quality all other lack.

The eyes on him were of envy, jealousy, hatred, or even a small bit of killing intent. But no one was foolish enough to try anything.

Darcel had paid no attention to wandering stares and, at his own pace, began walking towards his unique job.

Glancing around, he always finds it a wonder how this dull corridor can carry so many doors leading to all kinds of different rooms. Rooms that would innately excite someone's curiosity to explore beyond it.

Although doing so wouldn't be recommended. As Darcel was coming up on a particular room on his left side, the door's quaking rattled his ears.

That room was only a couple of meters ahead of him, but Darcel stopped walking.

He put up his hand and slowly counted down to five. While he was counting, Darcel saw everyone else had the same idea to avoid this door too.

And finally when Darcel last finger went down,

'BANG!'

A sickly red-figure burst through the black substance of the door like a bullet!

That person crashed into the wall with a sickening thump. The power needed to achieve this was far beyond what any average human can do, but nobody paid attention to that person.

Looking at the one who crashed, it was a man. Though by the state he was in, you could barely tell he was even human before.

Disgustingly putrid red blood poured down his entire body, staining a spot in the corridor. The man was heavily mutilated, and one can see his rotten bloody organs drip out of him like a wet sickle.

At this point, logically, one would think the man is dead seeing his condition. But Darcel and everyone else know better.

"Subject failed, requesting extermination."

Everyone heard a cold professional voice traveling out of the room. Like the mutilated man was merely trash, he was left there bleeding out on the floor until 'extermination' came.

'Heh, Parasol is just as cruel as ever.' Darcel cynically thought as he then continued on his trek.

For as long as he could remember, he was forcefully taken and got trapped in this cruel strange place known only as the Parasol Organization.

By the use of the mystical, enigmatic property known as Cultivation, this Organization can securely hide from the secular world in their own independent realm.

Darcel, like all other dreary-looking people here, is far too weak to even think about escaping. And by their natural survival instinct, they all succumb to the violent testing of this Organization.

Though for Darcel, he at least was somewhat treated better than the average common here. Mainly it was because, since his birth, he could wield a mystical power that this Organization found immense worth in.

'Still, I wonder what poor sap I'm going to have to work on today.' Darcel thought to himself as he turned down a left corner.

It was then a piercing cold voice slithered into his ears,

"You're nearly late. Once again, skirting on edge. Taking another chance, I presume." Looking down the hall, Darcel's eyes came to witness two men standing in front of one of the many gray doors in this place.

Compared to the rows of people walking earlier, this corridor's left turn had barely any people walking. If they did, they stick to the other side of the wall as if they're trying to blend into it.

The man who spoke was a tall rigid stature one. His very being screamed perfectionist, and his sharp ice-cold face provided for an aloof presence.

His attire consisted of a silk, clean long white button-up shirt that was open and showcased a professional uniform underneath. In his hand was a clipboard that strangely held no writing on it.

To anyone else in this place, they would give this man a wide berth, not even wanting to come a meter towards him.

Yet for Darcel, he kept his same comfortable walking pace as he glanced over to the younger man beside him.

Like the first man, he was also dressed in the same outfit and carried a similar cold daunting vibe. His face held a slight disdain while his eyes gained a hidden malicious glint.

"Well? Aren't you going to answer Dr.Zhi?" The younger man's voice held the same cold and superior tone to Darcel.

However, for Darcel, he merely shrugged his shoulders, saying, "I still made it on time, didn't I? Besides, I can only work at my max potential at my own pace."

"You're own pace, hm?" Dr.Zhi repeated in a questioning voice. His eyebrows quivered a bit, and then, without even moving, a massive pressure came crashing down for Darcel and everyone else for miles!

This was a feeling akin to death's blade resting on your neck.

The dull gray clothed people's bodies trembled, their face poured with cold sweat as an intense fear washed over them.

Hundreds of people could barely move by this mysterious power that Dr.Zhi exuded. Yet, no one dared speak up for themselves or Darcel.

All the while, Darcel, who was affected by Dr.Zhi aura, only flashed him a mocking smile. With more calm and controlled steps he told the Doctor,

"A new day to think your little intimidating tactics would work, eh? Let's just cut to chase and get this job over it. I'm sure a doctor like you has vital tasks to do."

This unfathomable aura of Dr.Zhi, Darcel had no way of identifying it. Still, it was carved into his bones to never back down. His eyes and tone were even while Darcel wonders about this Doctor.

By the same element of Cultivation, could Dr.Zhi achieve an incredible power like this!

Although Darcel only knows a couple things about Cultivation. One of which being he's apparently in the starting realm of Cultivation named the Qi Foundation Realm.

But he was only able to gather he was merely at the first level of this realm through several dangerous practices.

And even then, all Darcel could gather was how his body is far stronger than the average human.

However, it was better than the majority of the gray clothed people here who most weren't even in this realm at all.

And through his time in this Organization, thoughts about being weak no longer bother Darcel that much. Especially since his uses are far too good to get rid of...

"Dr.Zhi, there's really no need to spend time on him. Eventually, no matter how long it takes, all experimenters succumb to their places." The younger man spoke up, already taking his eyes off from Darcel.

"I suppose you have a point, Luo. Though I wish we would stop receiving long cases like these ones." Dr.Zhi calmly said while recalling his aura.

The single breath everyone else was holding was all quietly released at the same time. This had essentially become a daily routine for them, treading extremely carefully around exclusive figures like the Doctor.

The two men didn't bother Darcel a second glance and opened up the door. On the other side was the enchanting but strange black substance.

Without any hesitation, the two men stepped through the door. Darcel peered over to the other people walking, taking notice of their timid faces. Shrugging his shoulder, he said,

"How depressing."

And walked through the odd black substance. Immediately he was greeted by a gray room and a single table at the center of the room.

Darcel's eyes ran through what was on the table.

A strap up man in tattered clothing along with a sizable bloody wound in his shoulder! Looking into this man's eyes, one can clearly see the immense fear and dread crazily ravaged there.

His body was entirely still not because of choice but because of gray color binds suppressing his entire being.

In the corner of the room, there was another doctor-like figure standing like a silent ghost. Darcel only just barely managed to see him.

Unfazed by the strap man's appearance, Darcel walked past Dr.Zhi and Luo, going up the bound man while saying to himself,

"Now then. Time for the somewhat enjoyable part of my tedious day."