Deep into the Misty Cloud Sect, the Cruel Truth!

Before his words had even faded, Xiao Yao wrapped an arm around Yun Yun's soft waist. Ignoring her faintly flushed face, he flashed into a streak of golden light and shot into the sky, racing straight toward the Misty Cloud Sect!

The wind howled past her ears as Yun Yun was carried along by Xiao Yao. Feeling his terrifying speed, far beyond even her peak, she was increasingly shaken.

In just a short while, the grand and magnificent outline of Misty Cloud Mountain appeared in their sight.

Ninety-nine stone steps led straight to the mountaintop. Above, halls stretched one after another amid swirling clouds and mist, suffused with an immortal aura. At the foot of the mountain, troops from the Jia Ma Imperial Family were even stationed on guard, further highlighting the Misty Cloud Sect's transcendent status as the foremost sect of the Jia Ma Empire.

"Heh, this is my first time here too. It really does look impressive." Xiao Yao hovered high in the air, gazing at the scene below before abruptly changing the subject with a teasing smile.

"Sect Leader Yun Yun, do you know just how rotten the Misty Cloud Sect's reputation has become in the Jia Ma Empire?"

Yun Yun's lovely face turned pale. She knew there was yet another matter that she, the Misty Cloud Sect's leader, had never heard of. She said nothing and merely waited silently for him to continue.

Xiao Yao continued with a cold sneer, "In the northeastern province of the Jia Ma Empire, a mere outer-sect deacon of your Misty Cloud Sect named Mo Cheng dared to throw his weight around in Salt City and run rampant over the region! He even went mad enough to secretly conduct human modification experiments, gathering magical beasts and people with special constitutions for forced transplantation. That is an act despised by the entire continent! He is even preparing to establish some so-called 'Mo Alliance' to unite the forces throughout the empire's northeastern region!"

"The local City Lord's Manor and Alchemist Association have both been firmly suppressed by him, too enraged to speak out! What does he rely on for all this? The name of your Misty Cloud Sect—the name of you, Sect Leader Yun Yun—backing him!"

Upon hearing the name "Mo Cheng," Yun Yun's delicate body suddenly trembled!

She remembered him. Mo Cheng had only managed to attach himself to Great Elder Yun Leng through connections. Before her, he had always acted humble and respectful, like an obedient lapdog. She had never imagined that such a person could be so cruel and tyrannical outside—and that he would wave the banner of the Misty Cloud Sect while doing it!

No! The corruption of the Misty Cloud Sect had likely already spread from top to bottom, even into the outer sect. The disease had taken root too deeply.

One fallen leaf foretold the coming of autumn!

She understood more deeply than ever that the Misty Cloud Sect had likely begun rotting from its very roots! Yet she, its sect leader, had known nothing about it!

A powerful wave of shame and self-blame surged through her heart.

"Come. I'll show you something even more interesting."

Xiao Yao said no more. A layer of silvery energy drifted around them, and in an instant, all traces of their auras vanished. This was Xiao Yao's skillful use of the laws of space; even their voices could not travel beyond it.

Like a wisp of green smoke, they silently entered the Misty Cloud Sect's mountain-protecting array.

The moment they entered, Xiao Yao's steps paused slightly.

"What is it?" Yun Yun asked nervously.

"Your Misty Cloud Sect's mountain-protecting array, the Cloud Smoke Covering Sun Array, has been tampered with." Golden light flickered in Xiao Yao's eyes as he analyzed the entire formation. "A hidden back door has been left in the core hub of this array. If they wish, they can cripple it from within at any time—or even seize complete control of your sect's entire array."

Yun Yun's heart sank once more.

Ignoring her feelings, Xiao Yao took her through several spatial flashes, passing directly through layer after layer of obstacles until they arrived within a heavily guarded cave. The tightly shut chambers inside were where the Misty Cloud Sect elders went into seclusion.

With a sweep of his divine sense, he sneered. "Go in and take a look. See what your dear fellow disciples have been up to."

Yun Yun extended her divine sense, and her heart seemed to stop for an instant.

Within several secret chambers, Yun Du, Yun Sha, and several other core elders of the Misty Cloud Sect sat cross-legged in meditation. Their auras were unstable, but what truly shocked Yun Yun was—

She clearly remembered that, just one year ago, these elders had only been four-star Dou Wangs! Yet now, without exception, the auras they emitted had all reached the level of Peak Dou Wang!

What made her scalp crawl even more was that strands of illusory, sinister black energy faintly coiled around every one of those elders! It was precisely this energy that was helping them forcefully break through the Dou Emperor bottleneck!

Xiao Yao flicked a finger, drawing out a wisp of that black energy from one elder with an invisible burst of force.

Holding the energy in his palm, he said calmly, "Look closely. This is a special cultivation method of the Soul Hall. It can help them accelerate their breakthroughs, but the price is the frenzied depletion of their lifespan and soul origin! Their foundations have long since become unstable beyond repair. Even their souls have already been branded by whoever is behind this, reduced to... puppets that can be controlled at any time!"

"No..."

Yun Yun's eyes were filled with rage and anguish!

Xiao Yao gave her no time to grieve. He immediately located the only Dou Zong aura and headed toward the depths of Misty Cloud Mountain, to the forbidden ground where Yun Shan was in seclusion.

The two concealed their auras, passed through countless restrictions, and arrived at the heart of the forbidden ground.

The sight before them struck Yun Yun like a bolt from the blue, leaving her completely frozen!

Her master, Yun Shan, who should have looked like an immortal sage, was seated in the center of a formation. His entire body was wrapped in countless chains condensed from strange black soul power. Several of those chains had even pierced deeply into his body like venomous snakes!

What terrified her most was that, despite such a bizarre and agonizing scene, Yun Shan's face showed not the slightest trace of pain. Instead, he wore an... exceedingly strange expression of enjoyment!

"Mas...ter..."

At that moment, Yun Yun's heart shattered completely. Her clenched hands were so tight that her nails seemed ready to pierce deep into her flesh.

Overwhelming fury and grief rushed straight into her mind! Instinctively, she reached for her sword, ready to charge forward and sever those chains!

"Don't move!"

With quick reflexes, Xiao Yao grabbed her and pulled her back, shouting in a low voice, "The Soul Hall guardian isn't here! If we reveal ourselves now, we'll only alert them! We have to keep this big fish alive if we want to lure him out!"

"Don't worry. I promised you I won't kill Yun Shan." Xiao Yao looked into her pain-filled eyes and made his promise.

"Th...thank you..." Yun Yun said gratefully.

Yet Xiao Yao's true thoughts were, I won't kill him? That's right. I won't kill him.

Because for a villain like him, someone who even wanted to wipe out the Xiao Family, killing him outright would be far too merciful.

What I will do is cripple his cultivation completely! I'll turn him from a lofty Dou Zong, which he struggled so hard to break through to become, into a powerless cripple! I'll make him watch helplessly as the life's work he devoted himself to is destroyed in an instant!

That will be his greatest pain—and... the punishment he deserves most!