127: Chapter 127 What a magnificent Soul Palace! Xun'er: I'm the elder sister!

"Yun'er, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"I was merely cooperating with the Hall of Souls. Now it seems I was being used, but what does that have to do with betraying my ancestors?"

Yun Shan frowned, a sudden surge of irritability making his emotions cold and angry.

"Teacher, did you not know?" A look of surprise appeared on Yun Yun's elegant, otherworldly face. "I thought you hadn't told me because the time wasn't right yet."

"What do you mean by that?" Yun Shan grew even more confused.

"Teacher, the founder of our Cloud Mist Sect, Patriarch Yun Potian, died at the hands of the Hall of Souls." Yun Yun lowered her head and cupped her fists, answering respectfully, "There is a blood feud between our Cloud Mist Sect and the Hall of Souls that can only end in death."

"What?" Yun Shan doubted his own ears.

His teacher, and his teacher's teacher, had never told him about such a thing.

"Where did you learn this information!?" Yun Shan's expression became incredibly grim.

If what Yun Yun said was true, then Protector Wu seeking him out was likely no coincidence.

When Protector Wu had found him back then, he had once said, 'The current Sect Master of Yunlan Sect is truly weak.'

He hadn't thought much of it at the time; after all, let alone the sect's founding, they were weaker now than they were decades ago when they still had a Dou Zong.

Looking at it now, there was probably a deeper meaning in those words.

"Teacher, this information is absolutely true; there can be no mistake." Yun Yun naturally couldn't mention the Diary, but she had a perfectly legitimate reason.

"A while ago, I happened to encounter a Soul Envoy from the Hall of Souls at the northern border. After a conflict, I killed him and stored his body in my storage ring."

"Today, upon returning to the Cloud Mist Sect, I suddenly received a summons from the Gate of Life and Death. After entering the sixth level, that Soul Envoy's body was consumed."

"I received a higher-level inheritance of cultivation methods, my cultivation broke through, and I learned the truth behind Patriarch Yun Potian's fall."

As she spoke, Yun Yun released her aura as a five-star Dou Huang.

"The Gate of Life and Death!"

Yun Shan's eyes shook. He believed ninety-nine percent of Yun Yun's words; that last bit of doubt was only because he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

In his youth, he had heard about the Cloud Mist Sect's glory from his teacher and grand-teacher. His grand-teacher's teacher had been a Dou Zong powerhouse, but he had fallen after heading to the remains of a Dou Zun.

Since then, by the time the Cloud Mist Sect reached him, it had gone three consecutive generations without a Dou Zong, and they couldn't even compare to the Imperial Family within the Jia Ma Empire.

Breaking through to Dou Zong was an obsession he inherited from his teacher and grand-teacher.

Back then, his grand-teacher had said the Gate of Life and Death was an inheritance left by the founding patriarch, containing secrets to breaking through to Dou Zong or even Dou Zun, but unfortunately, his grand-teacher's teacher hadn't had time to pass it down.

His grand-teacher had even paid a high price to invite Dou Zongs from other factions to explore the Gate of Life and Death, but they found nothing useful.

"So, people of the Hall of Souls are the correct way to open the Gate of Life and Death."

"The Gate of Life and Death... back then, my grand-teacher said that before his teacher died, he only left one sentence: 'You die, I live; when the soul is extinguished, the clouds shall rise, and sword intent will form naturally.'"

"So 'soul extinguished' refers to destroying the Hall of Souls, and 'you die' refers to the death of their people to empower our Cloud Mist Sect."

"And yet, I was actually being used by that Protector Wu of the Hall of Souls!"

Yun Shan felt like slapping himself. Why hadn't he been able to decipher the proverb left by his grand-teacher's teacher before?

Perhaps both his teacher and grand-teacher could have used the power of the Gate of Life and Death to break through to Dou Zong, and the Cloud Mist Sect would not be in its current state.

Even more ridiculous was that he, the former Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, had nearly become a lackey for the Hall of Souls, with his life held in the hands of a Soul Hall Protector.

"Yun'er, do you still have any bodies of Hall of Souls members on you?" Yun Shan's expression shifted several times before his gaze narrowed slightly.

Knowing his beloved disciple as he did, he figured that once she knew sacrificing Hall of Souls members through the Gate of Life and Death could increase strength and gain higher inheritances, she would certainly utilize it efficiently. There might be bodies ready for use.

"I have the bodies of three Soul Envoys." Yun Yun nodded immediately.

"Let's go to the Gate of Life and Death." Yun Shan made a decisive call. After taking a step, he looked at Medusa with a complex gaze. "Medusa, if my soul has indeed been tampered with, I will owe you a favor."

"Regarding your desire to take Yun'er away, I think we can discuss it further. I am willing to pay a certain price to redeem her."

"Right now, I want to explore the Gate of Life and Death first. I ask that you release Yun'er and her party for now."

"If you had spoken like this earlier, I wouldn't have had to make things difficult for you." Medusa snorted and turned her head. "As for now, I also want to see this inheritance related to a Dou Zun."

Yun Shan hesitated but nodded after a brief thought. "Very well, perhaps we can reach a cooperation."

The three of them set off for the Gate of Life and Death together.

[Yun Yun]: Sister Cai Li, do you feel like something is wrong with Teacher?

[Cai Li]: He probably wants to die.

[Yun Yun]: Huh?

[Cai Li]: Once he confirms the Gate of Life and Death really works, he might choose to sacrifice himself to become your strength.

[Yun Yun]: Then what should I do?

[Cai Li]: Ask Xun'er.

She couldn't be bothered with whether Yun Shan lived or died, nor did she have any interest in planning for the Cloud Mist Sect.

As Queen Medusa, she used to only care about the Snake-People Clan; now, she cared most about Xiao Ting. Other matters were of no concern to her.

A flash of anxiety crossed Yun Yun's eyes, and she immediately sent a private message to Xun'er.

[Xun'er]: For your Cloud Mist Sect, it would be hard to handle, but in reality, it's just a matter of a Tier 6 soul clearing pill. This pill can cleanse all soul power that doesn't belong to oneself from the body, and it also has the effect of nourishing the soul.

[Yun Yun]: Xun'er is indeed well-informed. I'll explain this to Teacher in a moment; we can ask Pill King Gu He to help.

[Xun'er]: Gu He doesn't have the skill to refine it. The soul clearing pill is a top-tier Tier 6 pill, and the materials needed are not simple. They include top-tier Tier 6 natural treasures: Body Cleansing Grass, Ice-Fire Soul Fusion Fruit, and Water Spirit Lotus Seed Core.

[Yun Yun]: !!!

[Xun'er]: However, you can ask Brother Xiao Ting. For the former Venerable Yao, it's just a simple task. Natural treasures aren't hard for Brother Xiao Ting to find either. Most importantly, you can use this as a reason to stay by Brother Xiao Ting's side naturally under the guise of repaying a debt.

[Yun Yun]: Xun'er, you are so clever! You really are the older sister!

[Xun'er]: I was the older sister to begin with. I called you Sister Yun Yun, but did you really want to be my older sister?

[Yun Yun]: ...You're the sister.

[Xun'er]: Good girl. Big sister will look after you, Sister Yun Yun.

"I didn't mean it like that." Yun Yun felt her ears grow warm.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the Gate of Life and Death.

Familiar with the process, Yun Yun brought out the three Soul Envoy bodies in front of Yun Shan and began the sacrifice.

Three streams of energy appeared and, under Yun Yun's guidance, entered the bodies of Yun Yun, Yun Shan, and Cai Li.

Information and inheritances he had never known before also appeared in Yun Shan's mind.

"It really is true!"

Not a single shred of doubt remained in Yun Shan's heart.

Killing intent boiled within him, eventually transforming into determination.

He turned to look at Yun'er and said, "Yun'er, increase your cultivation as quickly as possible."

"On the day I break through to Dou Zong, I shall meditate here until my passing and pass all my inheritance to you."

"You will devour the cultivation I leave behind to help you reach the peak."

"Avenge me and the founding patriarch against the Hall of Souls."