"Yun Er, what nonsense are you saying?" Yun Shan frowned, a strange irritation rising in his heart as he spoke coldly and angrily. "I was only cooperating with the Hall of Souls. How does that have anything to do with betraying my master or ancestors?"
"Teacher, you really didn't know?" A look of surprise appeared on Yun Yun's usually calm and elegant face. "I thought you simply felt it was not yet the right time and hadn't told me."
"What do you mean?" Yun Shan asked, growing even more confused.
"Teacher, our Misty Cloud Sect's founder and first Sect Leader, Yun Potian, lost his life at the hands of the Hall of Souls." Yun Yun clasped her hands and bowed her head respectfully. "There is an unending blood feud between our Misty Cloud Sect and the Hall of Souls."
"Huh?" Yun Shan wondered if there was something wrong with his ears.
Neither his teacher nor his teacher's teacher had ever mentioned this to him.
"Where exactly did you learn this news?!" Yun Shan's expression darkened extremely.
If what Yun Yun said was true, then the Protector Wu approaching him was probably not a coincidence.
When the protector approached him, he had commented that "the current Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect is truly weak."
He hadn't paid much attention to it at the time. After all, the Misty Cloud Sect had weakened compared to when it was first founded decades ago, when it had possessed Dou Ancestor experts.
Now, it seemed those words carried a much deeper meaning.
"Teacher, this news is completely true. There is no mistake." Yun Yun couldn't mention the Journal, but she had a legitimate reason. "Not long ago, I encountered a Soul Envoy from the Hall of Souls in the northern border. After fighting him, I killed him and stored his corpse in my storage ring.
"Today, upon returning to the Misty Cloud Sect, I was suddenly summoned to the Gate of Life and Death. After entering the sixth level, the Hall of Souls's Soul Envoys were devoured.
"This disciple inherited even higher-level cultivation techniques and broke through in training. Only then did I learn the truth behind Ancestor Yun Potian's fall."
As she spoke, Yun Yun released the aura of a five-star Dou Emperor.
"Gate of Life and Death!"
Yun Shan's eyes widened in shock. He almost completely believed Yun Yun's words, though a tiny bit of doubt remained since he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.
In his youth, he had heard from his master and the sect leader about the Misty Cloud Sect's past glory. His sect leader's master had been a Dou Ancestor expert but died after entering Dou Venerate.
Since then, the Misty Cloud Sect had failed to produce a Dou Ancestor for three consecutive generations and had fallen behind even the Jia Ma Empire's royal family in competitiveness.
Reaching the Dou Ancestor realm had been the obsession passed down from his master and grandmaster.
Back then, his master had said that the Gate of Life and Death was a legacy left by the founding ancestor, containing secrets to reaching Dou Ancestor or even Dou Venerate level. Unfortunately, the master hadn't had time to pass it on properly.
The sect leader had spent a huge sum to invite Dou Ancestor experts from other forces to explore the Gate of Life and Death, but they gained no useful information.
"So the ones who knew the correct way to open the Gate of Life and Death were the people from the Hall of Souls."
"Gate of Life and Death… Gate of Life and Death. Back then, my master said that our great-grandfather left only one sentence before he died: 'If you die, I shall live. The soul perishes, clouds rise. Sword intent forms naturally.'
"That means this 'soul perishes' refers to the Hall of Souls, and your death means the death of the people in the Hall of Souls, which will bring success to our Misty Cloud Sect."
"This time, I was the one being used by that Hall of Souls protector!" Yun Shan felt like slapping himself twice. Why hadn't he understood the wisdom his master left behind until now?
If his master and the sect leader had reached Dou Ancestor with the help of the Gate of Life and Death, the Misty Cloud Sect might not be in its current state.
Even more ridiculous was that he, a former Misty Cloud Sect Leader, had nearly become a subordinate of the Hall of Souls, with his very life placed in the hands of its protectors.
"Yun Er, do you still have the Hall of Souls corpses?" Yun Shan's expression shifted several times before his eyes narrowed slightly.
He knew his beloved disciple well. If she learned she could strengthen herself by offering Hall of Souls people as sacrifices through the Gate of Life and Death and obtain higher-level inheritance, she would definitely use it efficiently. There might even already be prepared corpses.
"There are three corpses of Hall of Souls Soul Envoys." Yun Yun nodded immediately.
"Let's go to the Gate of Life and Death." Yun Shan made up his mind and stepped forward, looking at Cai Lin with a complicated expression.
"Medusa, if my soul was really tampered with, I will owe you a great debt of gratitude.
"We can discuss the matter of taking Yun Er away. I am willing to pay any price to get her back.
"But first, I want to explore the Gate of Life and Death, so please let Yun Er and the others pass."
"If you had said that earlier, there would have been no need to bother with you." Medusa snorted and turned her face away. "Right now, I want to look for things related to Dou Venerate inheritance."
Yun Shan hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded after some thought. "Alright. We may be able to form a cooperation agreement."
The three of them set off together toward the Gate of Life and Death.
[Yun Yun]: Sister Medusa, don't you think Teacher is acting strangely?
[Cai Lin]: I think he wants to die.
[Yun Yun]: Eh?
[Cai Lin]: If the Gate of Life and Death is truly useful, he might choose to sacrifice himself to become your strength.
[Yun Yun]: Then what should we do?
[Cai Lin]: Ask Xun Er.
She didn't care whether Yun Shan lived or died, nor was she interested in planning the future of the Misty Cloud Sect.
Queen Medusa had once cared only about the Snake-People Tribe, but now she cared only about Xiao Ting. Everything else had become irrelevant to her.
Tension flashed in Yun Yun's eyes. She quickly sent a private message to Xun Er.
[Xun Er]: For the Misty Cloud Sect, this is a difficult problem, but it can actually be solved with a sixth-tier medicinal pill called the Soul Purification Pill. This pill can purify foreign soul power in the body and also nourish the soul.
[Yun Yun]: Sister Xun Er knows more, so I'll explain it to Teacher later and ask Pill King Gu He for help. [Xun Er]: Gu He doesn't have the ability to refine it. The Soul Purification Pill is a top-tier sixth-tier pill. The required ingredients are not simple and include top-grade sixth-tier spiritual items such as Purification Grass, Ice-Fire Soul Fusion Fruit, Water Spirit Lotus Heart, and others.
[Yun Yun]: !!!
[Xun Er]: However, you can also ask Brother Xiao Ting for help. To Yao Lao, this would be a matter of course. For Brother Xiao Ting, finding rare treasures isn't difficult. Most importantly, this can be an opportunity for you to stay by Brother Xiao Ting's side and repay his kindness.
[Yun Yun]: Xun Er, you are truly smart. You really are the older sister!
[Xun Er]: I'm the older sister, yet you keep calling me sister. Do you really want to be my older sister? [Yun Yun]: …You are the older sister.
[Xun Er]: You really are smart. Big sister will take care of you.
…
"That's not what I meant." Yun Yun felt her ears growing hot.
Soon, the three arrived at the Gate of Life and Death.
Yun Yun skillfully brought out the three corpses of the Hall of Souls Soul Envoys and placed them before Yun Shan, beginning the offering ritual.
Three streams of energy appeared, guided by Yun Yun into the bodies of Yun Yun, Yun Shan, and Cai Lin.
Yun Shan also encountered information and legacies he had never known before.
"It really is true!"
Yun Shan no longer had any doubts.
His killing intent surged, but in the end, it turned into an unwavering resolve.
He turned to Yun Er and said, "Yun Er, you should train as quickly as possible.
"The day I fully reach the Dou Ancestor realm, I will breathe my last here and entrust all my legacies to you.
"You will absorb the cultivation method left by your master and reach the peak because of it.
"I entrust our founding ancestor's revenge against the Hall of Souls to you."
…
…
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