Chapter 78: The Perilous Path of Evernight Advancement

Inside her room, Bai Yu lay languidly stretched out on her bed, idly scrolling through her phone.

Lu Xingyao had been compelled to return home temporarily due to an unforeseen family matter; it was likely her parents had finally come back.

Given the immense stir Xian City had caused, even parents typically indifferent to their child would be compelled to return and investigate.

After all, Bai Yu possessed some insight into the Lu Xingyao family’s affairs; despite being the sole designated heir, Lu Xingyao had not yet fully come into her own, leaving her in a precarious position.

Many within their family coveted the position of family head, and until Lu Xingyao had fully inherited the role, everything remained uncertain.

Precisely for this reason, Lu Xingyao’s family resided in the capital, while she herself was currently studying in Xian City.

“Alas!”

Bai Yu sighed, acknowledging her desire to aid Lu Xingyao, yet understanding that as a mere ordinary person, she could hardly hope to shake the foundations of an entire family.

[Therefore, what you must do now is quickly grow stronger. Act swiftly according to my instructions; gather those instruments and materials!]

Observing Bai Yu’s indolent demeanor, Moweila couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation; if she possessed a physical body, she would undoubtedly wield a whip to drive Bai Yu into action.

To possess such exceptional talent and resources, yet remain so lax, without even a shred of crisis awareness, was simply infuriating.

Listening to Moweila’s words, Bai Yu furrowed her brow, then rolled over, expertly plucking a potato chip from the nearby bag and popping it into her mouth.

She even remembered to lick her fingers clean afterward.

A true connoisseur of snacks.

She seemed utterly unconcerned, even preparing to open her laptop.

Her intention was to continue the ‘three hundred and sixty-five li journey’ she had yet to complete.

“I say, do you truly believe I don’t want to?” Bai Yu retorted. “You haven’t even considered where I’m supposed to find those instruments you mentioned; I haven’t even heard of a single one of them. And the materials! Some even include gold, measured in kilograms! Where am I supposed to procure that for you?”

Bai Yu’s complaint was tinged with exasperation; while the alchemical instruments Moweila spoke of might conceivably be substituted with chemical or biological apparatus, the sheer volume of materials was truly beyond her reach.

In essence, it all came down to a lack of funds. Without money, she couldn’t take a single step; it was that simple!

It wasn’t that Bai Yu hadn’t considered requesting them from the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau. However, upon closer thought, the Bureau had only promised to provide her with the knowledge and ritual materials necessary for her advancement. Anyone with an ounce of discernment would immediately see that the items she sought had no connection whatsoever to such a process.

Although she currently maintained a temporary cooperative relationship with the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau, she still wished to conceal some of her trump cards. Her principle dictated that she could not entrust her complete trust to any single faction.

Furthermore, even if she hadn’t explicitly revealed her spiritual core, she believed the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau would undoubtedly be able to uncover it.

It would be strange if they couldn’t, but the information they obtained should only pertain to the [Witch] spiritual core.

After all, the true nature of her spiritual core had yet to be divulged to anyone.

[Truly, then hurry and prepare the advancement ritual for your Evernight spiritual core! Request a bit more of the necessary materials from the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau; this way, you can prevent them from discerning your true advancement path.]

“Hmm, I’m thinking about it,” Bai Yu replied.

Despite her words, Bai Yu continued to gaze at her phone, browsing through the adorable dresses in the online store.

For some unknown reason, ever since she had undergone this change, she had developed a particular fondness for beautiful clothes.

[Grandmother, do you even know what an advancement ritual…

Are you truly not considering it? Do you know what an advancement ritual requires?! You, you only broke through your advancements due to sheer serendipity! Do you truly believe you can rest easy now?!]

If Bai Yu could have witnessed Moweila’s expression, Moweila would undoubtedly have appeared furious and ferocious, her voice trembling with rage.

“Alright, alright, I get it…”

At last, Bai Yu sat up from her bed, ready to embark on a grand plan for her future.

“Now that’s more like it,” Moweila declared seriously. “If you ask me, your Evernight advancement path should be a singular, unyielding journey into the darkness. Choose one strict element and relentlessly pursue it!”

[Based on my understanding of this era’s transcendent system over the past few days, when an Arcanist reaches the Fourth, Seventh, and Ninth Stages, their spiritual core undergoes a transformation—what is known as an advancement path.]

[However, you have a great deal to do, for you do not possess the so-called Witch spiritual core. Neither of your two cores has ever been documented. Do you understand what this implies?]

Moweila paused, creating suspense. She was determined to make Bai Yu contemplate her own future, rather than simply following Moweila’s preconceived notions.

“What? No exceptions?” Bai Yu mused, following Moweila’s line of thought. “Doesn’t that simply mean we don’t know the path at all?”

[Precisely. It’s akin to crossing a river by feeling for stones; every step must be taken with extreme caution, lest you fall into eternal damnation!]

Moweila spoke in a grave tone. Logically speaking, Bai Yu’s advancements within the dream realm had repeatedly defied Moweila’s expectations. Such rapid advancement was not entirely a good thing; while it augmented her combat prowess, it also risked making the true spiritual core advancement at the Fourth Stage uncontrollable.

“Eternal damnation… what would that entail?”

[The worst outcome is that your spiritual core, after advancing, becomes extremely unstable, or its quality severely degrades, leaving you with no hope of further advancement. Wouldn’t that be akin to it being rendered useless?

However, logically speaking, this possibility is very small, provided that each advancement is fully prepared for.]

Upon hearing Moweila’s words, Bai Yu fell silent, realizing the situation was even more perilous than she had anticipated.

“What should I do next?”

“Carefully consider the advancement rituals and knowledge for your Evernight spiritual core. As for the Stars, though both of your advancements occurred within the dream realm, it is because Moweila is an Outer God that her compatibility with your spiritual core is remarkably high. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have experienced two consecutive instances of automatic advancement like this.”

Moweila stated calmly that Bai Yu’s situation was undeniably unprecedented. Yet, fortunately, it had not caused her any significant harm; it had even indirectly accelerated her advancement speed and illuminated her path.

After all, what are known as Outer Gods are mythical beings born within the cosmos, amidst the stars, making their high compatibility with Bai Yu’s spiritual core quite normal.

“Hmm, so what kind of knowledge and rituals does my [Evernight] spiritual core actually require?”

[Before the Fourth Stage, all you require is knowledge of the night found in ancient texts—the older, the better, as their spiritual content will also be higher. As for the ritual itself, you needn’t worry; I will list the necessary materials, and you can simply request them directly from the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau.]

[Rest assured, I will simultaneously add some superfluous items to obscure their perception.]

Moweila stated cautiously, yet none of this was the true crux of the matter.

“The most crucial point is this: when you advance to the Fourth Stage, you must travel to a specific place—a place where the polar night exists.”

“Polar night, you mean?”

Bai Yu paused, momentarily stunned, knowing that only two places in the world boasted such a wondrous phenomenon.