Yun Shan's Dream

"Yun Shan, you wretch, do you know your crime?"

The Misty Cloud Sect in the northwestern continent.

The old sect master's secluded retreat.

At that moment, Yun Shan was fast asleep in a dream. He seemed to have arrived in a wondrous place—one incomparably vast, with nine suns in the sky and towering mountains piercing the clouds. Countless giants, each standing shoulder to shoulder with the heavens, chased the suns and played. The birds and beasts on the ground were also enormous. His body was not even as large as one of those Magical Beasts' droppings.

Before Yun Shan could react, an old man in white robes with a long beard came walking through the clouds in the distant sky. His immortal bearing inspired immense reverence.

"You wretch, do you know your crime?" The old man slowly descended, his brows knitted in anger and his beard bristling.

"You are..." Yun Shan's eyes had grown dim with age. After carefully examining the old man, he finally dug the memory of him out of his mind. "You're my grandmaster!"

That was right. The man before him was Yun Shan's grandmaster, Yun Potian. Back then, Yun Potian had founded the Misty Cloud Sect in the northwestern continent through his own efforts, making every local ruffian tremble and fear to challenge it. His glorious deeds had been sung for many years.

When he was young, Yun Shan had been fortunate enough to see his grandmaster once. At the time, he had felt that being able to join the Misty Cloud Sect was the greatest honor of his life.

He never imagined that today, with his spirit watching from the heavens, his grandmaster would appear in his dream to meet him. It was truly miraculous.

"Not bad. At least you haven't forgotten me, your grandmaster." Yun Potian nodded.

"How could this disciple dare forget?" Yun Shan immediately knelt and kowtowed. If Yun Potian had not casually offered him some guidance back then, his cultivation would never have advanced by leaps and bounds. He would not have become the sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, either, and he certainly would never forget his grandmaster's kindness in enlightening him.

But why was Grandmaster Yun Potian blaming him? Was he criticizing Yun Shan for allowing the Misty Cloud Sect to decline more and more under his management?

He had had no choice! Ever since his master died, the Misty Cloud Sect had gone downhill day by day. He had gritted his teeth and shouldered this great mountain that was the Misty Cloud Sect. Heaven knew how much he had endured and sacrificed. Even on the day he married his wife, he had hurriedly gotten out of bed in the middle of the night to handle official matters. Was his life easy?

As if he had seen Yun Shan's aggrieved, bride-like expression, Yun Potian sighed and said, "I'm blaming you for having no backbone. You actually joined hands with those rotten eggs from the Hall of Souls. Do those puny weaklings even deserve to associate with my Misty Cloud Sect?"

"Huh?"

Yun Shan was somewhat dazed. What was his grandmaster talking about? Who in the entire Dou Qi Continent did not know the power of the Hall of Souls? One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, and Four Pavilions—the Hall of Souls might not dare claim to be the strongest, but it was still one of the leading powers of the Dou Qi Continent, wasn't it? Compared to the Hall of Souls, his own Misty Cloud Sect was not even worth a hair. His grandmaster actually looked down on them. Was his grandmaster joking around to amuse his disciple's disciple?

Yun Potian blew out his beard and glared. "Look at how little ambition you have. I'll tell you the truth. This time, I left behind a Soul Imprint precisely to appear in your dream and tell you that our Misty Cloud Sect possesses a world-shaking secret."

"A great secret?" Yun Shan's pupils shrank as he listened intently.

"Little Shan, listen carefully. In truth... six thousand years ago, our Misty Cloud Sect was the sovereign of the entire Dou Qi Continent, ruling over the four seas and eight wastelands, the nine provinces and ten regions."

"Boom!"

Those words stirred up a thousand waves, nearly frightening Yun Shan out of his wits.

What had his grandmaster said?

His Misty Cloud Sect had once been the ruler of the Dou Qi Continent?

The shock nearly scared Yun Shan to death.

Yun Potian continued, "Back then, your grandmaster was nothing more than an ordinary mortal. Fortunately, I encountered a benefactor. Before dying, he passed this secret on to me.

"In truth, the founding ancestor of our Misty Cloud Sect was a girl—your grandmaster's wife. Who would have thought that her identity was actually a Dou Emperor of the Dou Qi Continent, and moreover, the only Empress who controlled the entire Dou Qi Continent?

"She established the Misty Cloud Empire, and no one failed to revere and fear her. If she had not been disturbed by traitors from the Ancient Eight Clans while in seclusion, leading to her death and the destruction of her soul, the Misty Cloud Sect would surely be even more prosperous today."

"My heavens!" The more Yun Shan listened, the more excited he became, as though Yun Potian's words had transported him to that magnificent era.

He never imagined that his Misty Cloud Sect had such a mysterious background. No wonder Grandmaster Yun Potian looked down on the Hall of Souls. Compared to their grandmaster's wife, they were nothing but children playing house!

Still, Yun Shan decided not to reveal this secret to outsiders. Who knew whether, after several thousand years, there might still be some ancient powerhouse who would travel thousands of miles to cause trouble for the Misty Cloud Sect?

"All right, now I'll tell you the most important news. You stinking brat, prick up your ears and listen carefully."

A dignified old sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, over a hundred years old, being called a stinking brat—however one looked at it, there was something comical about it.

Yun Potian said, "Back then, your grandmaster's wife suffered severe injuries and fell in the Misty Cloud Empire of the Central Continent. But in truth, she did not truly die. She was rescued by her pet, the Nine-Headed Sky-Covering Divine Dragon, and disappeared from then on. According to the deductions of successive grandmasters, that Nine-Headed Divine Dragon's flight path will bring it here a thousand years later.

"That is precisely why I abandoned my foundation in the Central Continent back then and came to this desolate northwestern land. Unfortunately, I never managed to wait for her. Now, there is only one day left until your grandmaster's wife descends. The task of welcoming her will be handed to you."

"What?" Yun Shan nearly jumped out of his skin. His grandmaster's wife was going to descend here? This couldn't possibly be a joke, could it?

"Remember, remember—do not show any disrespect to your grandmaster's wife. You should know that she was once an existence who suppressed all living beings. Unless you're tired of living." Yun Potian's figure grew increasingly blurry before gradually disappearing from Yun Shan's sight.

As Yun Potian vanished, Yun Shan finally awoke from the dream, his forehead covered in sweat.

"What a realistic dream!" Yun Shan wiped away the sweat and was just about to stand when his entire body suddenly shuddered. His gaze fell on the stone slab before him. On it were several forceful, powerful characters: Little Shan, you must respectfully welcome your grandmaster's wife.

Yun Shan sucked in a sharp breath. This, this, this dream was real!

"Ding!"

Congratulations, host Ye Qianqian. The dream you created successfully scared Yun Shan senseless. You have obtained 100 Shock Points from Yun Shan.

In a small grove outside Misty Cloud Mountain, a little girl of only five or six years old let out a slight sigh of relief. She had finally managed to deceive someone.

That was right. This little girl was actually a human from Azure Star. She had originally been a shut-in man, but because she had been bound to this damned, useless system, she had become so miserable.

The system was called the God-Tier Great Deceiver System. Its main purpose was to deceive others and obtain Shock Points.

But she was an honest person. Deceiving others was completely outside her area of expertise, so she had failed every task the system had issued.

The price of failure was enormous. She had instantly changed from a shut-in man into a little girl. Although she was quite pretty, what was she supposed to do in the future?

"System, I've already deceived someone. Can you turn me back?"

"Ding. Sorry, host. Your permissions are insufficient. Please continue deceiving people. As long as you unlock the system's highest permissions, you will be able to successfully change back."

"Damn it!" Ye Qianqian was utterly speechless. Fine, then she would keep deceiving people.

She looked through the novice gift pack. Aside from the Dream Creation Card she had just used, there was also a Realm Experience Card. Other than that, only a C-Class Item Card and a C-Class Special Effect Card remained.

Since she had already deceived Yun Shan into a cripple, she might as well deceive him into a fool.

"System, use the Special Effect Card and Item Card."

"Ding."

System notification: Special Effect Card activated. Item Card activated. Time remaining: 1:59.

"Summon all Misty Cloud Sect disciples. Have them gather at Cloud Peak."

A deep, aged voice rang out. Nearly all the Misty Cloud Sect elders who had been in seclusion emerged from it, because they knew exactly who had issued this order. It was their old sect master, Yun Shan.

For a time, the entire Misty Cloud Mountain was thrown into a frenzy. As the Heaven-Shaking Bell rang without pause, everyone knew that either an external enemy had invaded or something important was about to happen.

Inside the imperial city of the Jia Ma Empire.

"Report!" A guard hurried toward the court. "Your Majesty, Supreme Elder, something unusual has happened at the Misty Cloud Sect. The entire sect has gathered in one place today, as though something important is about to happen."

Upon hearing the report, Emperor Gama, Jia Ma Qing, and the Supreme Elder, Jia Xingtian, both frowned.

Everyone knew that the Misty Cloud Sect had always been a fierce tiger entrenched in the Jia Ma Empire. Its strength was on par with the Imperial Family, and it was even less willing to submit to the Imperial Family's control. At any moment, it might seize the throne and replace the Imperial Family, taking complete control of the Jia Ma Empire.

Something like this happening so suddenly today naturally aroused suspicion.

"Supreme Elder, what should we do? Could Yun Shan be planning a rebellion?" Jia Ma Qing asked Jia Xingtian.

"Don't overthink it. That old fox Yun Shan would never make an enemy of the Imperial Family—at least not for now. I think the two of us should go there as guests and investigate." Jia Xingtian set down his teacup.

Jia Ma Qing nodded in agreement. He also wanted to see what that old fox Yun Shan was plotting.

At the same time, the spies from the various great clans lying in wait inside the Misty Cloud Sect also relayed the news to the great clans in the imperial capital, leaving their clan leaders puzzled. When they heard that Jia Xingtian and Emperor Gama had gone up Misty Cloud Mountain, they thought for a moment before heading there in unspoken agreement.

They were all old foxes, so they had to go. If the Misty Cloud Sect broke with the Jia Ma Imperial Family, they would have to choose a new master to serve.

"Quickly, quickly! Colored silk—more colored silk!"

"Fine wine! Bring out all the fine wine I've treasured for years!"

"Spiritual fruits and pills—bring them all out and place them on plates. Wait, this table won't do. Replace it with the one in the treasure vault. Yes, the one made from the Three Divine Woods of the South Sea!"

For a time, Yun Shan and several elders became like housekeepers, constantly directing the sect disciples. Yun Shan even abandoned his old miserly habits and kept ordering people to bring out rare treasures.

In no time, the mountaintop was decorated with lanterns and colored banners. Countless delicacies were laid out, freshly picked flowers covered the ground, and the stone steps along the main path had even been replaced with gold bricks. The whole place was magnificent and resplendent.

This scene shocked all the clan leaders who had come as guests. Was this old man really the Yun Shan they feared?

After Jia Xingtian and Jia Ma Qing exchanged a glance, Jia Ma Qing stepped forward first and said, "Hahaha, I never expected Sect Master Yun to be able to predict the future and know that we were coming as guests."

"Hm?" Yun Shan stopped walking and glanced at the shameless Jia Ma Qing. "Get lost. I don't have time for you."

"You... Yun Shan, how dare you!" Jia Ma Qing was so furious that he nearly choked. Yun Shan was being far too arrogant.

Everyone was stunned by the Yun Shan before them. What was wrong with the old man today? That was the emperor of the Jia Ma Empire!

Yun Yun, who was busy in the distance, also shuddered in fright. Had her teacher taken the wrong medicine today?

Just as everyone was preparing to whisper among themselves, Yun Shan suddenly raised his head and looked toward the sky.

Will Grandmaster's wife really come?