Misty Cloud Sect, Back Mountain Forbidden Ground.
The place was shrouded in mist and rich in energy, the area with the densest spiritual energy in the sect.
Inside a deep stone chamber, a white-haired middle-aged man dressed in the cloud-white robes of a sect master sat cross-legged. His aura was mighty, yet it carried an almost imperceptible stagnation.
He was Yun Shan, the former sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect.
After many years in seclusion, he had long reached the peak of the Nine-star Dou Emperor realm. He was only one step away from the legendary Dou Zong realm.
Yet that single step was like an impassable chasm. No matter how he tried to break through, that invisible barrier remained unshakable.
"Could it be... that I really have to take that step?"
Yun Shan slowly opened his eyes. His cold face was filled with struggle and reluctance.
Yun Shan considered his talent far from poor, so why had he been stuck at the Nine-star Dou Emperor realm for so long?
Dou Zong—the realm countless Dou Emperor experts dreamed of. Once one entered it, one's lifespan would greatly increase, and the sect's standing would rise accordingly.
And Yun Shan would be able to spread the name of the Misty Cloud Sect across the Northwest Continent once again, restoring the sect to its former glory.
Yun Shan's desire for that realm had already reached the point of near obsession.
But talent, foundation, cultivation method... all of it seemed to be lacking by just a little.
Just that tiny bit...
Just as Yun Shan was growing increasingly agitated, dense black mist suddenly emerged within the secret chamber without warning.
As the mist churned, it released a string of strange, piercing cackles that sent chills down one's spine.
Yun Shan frowned deeply, a