Yun Shan: It Is Our Duty to Restore Our Former Glory!

Yun Shan looked old, his hair completely gray. He and Jia Xingtian were men of the same generation.

Their strength was also quite evenly matched. Both were stuck beneath the threshold of Dou Zong, gazing at it with helpless longing. Without a fortunate opportunity, it would be difficult for either of them to cross the Dou Zong Barrier in this lifetime, and their end was already drawing near.

Yun Shan had poured far too much effort into the Misty Cloud Sect. He was deeply unwilling to simply die like this.

It is our duty to restore our former glory! He wanted the Misty Cloud Sect to become a dominant power in the Northwest Region, its fame spreading far and wide.

He had seen the imperial family's wariness toward the Misty Cloud Sect, but truthfully, he had no interest in things like taking control of the Jia Ma Empire, nor did he possess Yun Leng's ambition.

Their demands and original intentions differed from those of the imperial family. There was every possibility that they could coexist.

It was only that he had devoted all his attention to breaking through to Dou Zong and did not wish to be distracted by sect affairs. His disciple, Yun Yun, had too placid a temperament, and under the guidance of ambitious elders such as Yun Leng, the relationship with the imperial family had only grown more strained, making the Misty Cloud Sect seem as though it might rise in rebellion at any moment.

"Jie Jie Jie, Yun Shan, you'd best think carefully before answering. You only have one chance."

Opposite Yun Shan, a figure was shrouded beneath a black robe, nearly blending into the already dim secret chamber. Even his face could not be seen clearly.

Sinister and bizarre! That was Yun Shan's impression of this person.

From this small glimpse, Yun Shan could imagine that the Soul Hall he spoke of was likely no upright or honorable force.

"I need some time to think." Yun Shan did not agree immediately.

Deep down, he did not want to involve himself with these shady forces. It did not align with the Misty Cloud Sect's principles.

However, he did not explicitly refuse either. He intended to stall for a while and see what happened. During that time, he would go all out and make one final desperate attempt to break through the Dou Zong Barrier.

If he succeeded, there would naturally be no need to pay any attention to these obvious scoundrels. They could get as far away as possible.

If not, then they could serve as a way out.

Simply put, the Soul Hall was his backup option. What an old scumbag.

"Hehe, I hope you make a wise decision. You do not have much time left. Something very interesting happened in the Imperial Palace today, and you may not have received the news yet. The imperial family has secretly raised a genius. He is no older than fifteen, yet he already possesses the strength of a Da Dou Shi. Among those of the same rank, not one can withstand a single exchange with him."

"People of the Northwest Region are narrow-minded and do not understand what this signifies. This Protector can tell you clearly: so long as that boy does not die young, reaching Dou Zong is inevitable. And if his opportunities are sufficient, he may even have hope of becoming a Dou Venerate Expert. A Dou Venerate Expert—why, even in our Soul Hall, such people are far from ordinary."

"When that time comes, Jie Jie Jie, I presume I need not say more. Given the current relationship between your Misty Cloud Sect and the imperial family, whether you can even continue to barely survive will be a question."

"This Protector will give you only three months to consider it. Our Soul Hall does indeed need an eye in the Jia Ma Empire, but that eye does not have to be you. I have said all that needs to be said."

Protector Wu laid out the pros and cons bluntly, displaying quite a talent for being the leader of a pyramid scheme.

Persuasiveness +1 +1. Yun Shan's face was as calm as water. He had not even noticed when Protector Wu left, showing just how disturbed his state of mind had become.

He truly had been shaken by those words.

At the same time, he became even more wary of the Soul Hall.

They actually had Dou Venerate Experts. Yet with such a Foundation, they still hid like rats in a gutter, too afraid to show themselves. Just what kind of outrage against heaven and humanity were they committing? Elsewhere.

After Chen Guan had sat in on the lesson for nearly Half an Hour, Yaoyue's homework finally came to an end. She was so happy she looked like an eighty-pound child, leaving Fama quite helpless.

When he turned his gaze toward the Young Man, however, he discovered that Chen Guan had been listening even more attentively than Yaoyue, the actual student. Without comparison, there was no harm.

"Yue'er, go assist in refining a batch of Energy Accumulation Pills to consolidate your foundation. Your teacher and Little Friend Chen will have a chat."

Yaoyue's smile froze. She could not help pouting as she shot Chen Guan a glare, as though saying that it was because of him that she had been assigned extra homework. Then, in a huff, she went downstairs.

Chen Guan spread his hands. None of my business.

"What does Little Friend think of our Alchemist Guild?"

After Yaoyue left, Fama took out a tea set and began making tea, casually opening a topic.

Chen Guan quickly took it from him and made the tea himself. Only after carefully considering his words did he answer, "They are very proud, but they have reason to be proud. To ordinary people, alchemists truly exist on a different level. The Jia Ma Empire is like this, and I believe other places are not too different."

"Hahaha, Little Friend's assessment is far too fair. They are not merely proud. Most have only just entered the field, yet their identities as alchemists have already blinded them. Looking down on everyone else is the norm."

Fama chuckled and sighed. Yet his words could not conceal his disappointment and despondence.

"The deeper one delves into alchemy, the more one can sense its vastness and complexity. This path can reach the heavens!"

"Even this old man has only grasped the tip of the iceberg. I am already advanced in years, and I likely will not be able to advance to the sixth tier in this lifetime. That is one of my greatest regrets."

"But what disappoints me even more is that the guild has no successors. Gu He, champion of the previous Pill Refining Convention and now known as the Pill King, has nearly reached the end of his road as well. The possibility of him breaking through to the seventh tier is slim. Even if he succeeds, it will be a hundred years from now. Moreover, with his temperament, he does not feel much belonging toward us."

"So, although the guild may look immense on the surface, in truth... never mind."

Chen Guan silently made tea and listened. Being a sounding board for these Important Figures was also an honor.

What puzzled him, however, was why Fama was telling him all this. Apart from the previous ceremony, this was their first meeting.

Wasn't this a little too intimate for such a shallow acquaintance?

"Senior worries too much. Every generation produces talented people, each leading the age for hundreds of years. The previous Pill Refining Convention produced a Pill King, so the next one may well produce another. Setting everything else aside, Yue'er has quite good talent as an alchemist. She merely likes to play too much."

As a "prophet," Chen Guan knew that Fama was worrying needlessly.

The Xiao Huohuo of the next convention would be a true heaven-defying genius. Pill King Gu He truly was not worth mentioning before Xiao Huohuo.

"Hehe, let us hope so. Yue'er is indeed quite good. Surpassing this old man within my lifetime will not be difficult for her."

"Little Friend's cultivation talent is astonishing, unmatched in the empire. Yet tedious cultivation will inevitably grow tiresome. To be frank, when you made your move at noon, I sensed that Little Friend's Soul Strength was extremely high, even slightly stronger than this old man's. With such Soul Perception, if you were to take the path of an alchemist, your rate of progress would likely be terrifying."

After circling around for so long, Fama finally reached the main point.

There was a trace of fervor in his eyes, his anticipation at its peak.

It somewhat resembled poaching talent from the imperial family, but unwilling to miss out on such a promising seedling, he raised the matter in a roundabout way.

It could not be helped. He had to save face.

Fortunately, the Alchemist Guild had always refrained from interfering in the empire's affairs, so Jia Xingtian likely would not resent him over this.

The only thing he was uncertain about now was whether the Young Man possessed even a trace of the Wood Attribute.