Yun Yun's Plea for Help!

Gu Long was in the courtyard, reviewing the latest intelligence from the Dragon Domain regarding Soul Hall's movements in the Central Continent.

Suddenly, the communication jade token at his waist, the one Yun Yun had given him, grew slightly warm and emitted a gentle glow.

With a thought, he sent his Soul Power into the jade token.

Yun Yun's voice, carrying barely concealed anxiety and exhaustion, immediately rang out in his mind:

"Mr. Gu Long, my master... my master tried to force his way into the Dou Zong realm again. The failure backlashed on him, and his injuries are extremely severe. Yun Yun begs you, please come to the Misty Cloud Sect at once!"

The voice cut off abruptly. The message was brief, but the urgency and helplessness within it were unmistakable.

Gu Long set down the intelligence scroll in his hand, a flicker of understanding passing through his eyes.

Yun Shan had ultimately failed to restrain himself and had once again attempted a forced breakthrough despite the hidden danger in his Sea of Dou Qi. The result was only to be expected.

It was a little earlier than he had anticipated, but it was no matter.

He rose to his feet and said to Xun Er and Qing Lin, who were discussing formations nearby, "I need to go out for a while. I'm going to the Misty Cloud Sect."

"The Misty Cloud Sect?" Xun Er looked up. She remembered that sect; it was connected to the annulment of the Xiao Family's engagement. "Did something happen?"

"Just a small matter. I'll return once it's handled." Gu Long did not elaborate, merely reminding them.

"Stay here without worry. If anything important comes up, contact me through Elder Ling or the Dragon Domain."

"Be careful, Brother Gu Long (Big Brother)," Xun Er and Qing Lin said in unison.

Gu Long nodded. With a flicker of his body, he vanished from the courtyard.

He did not use the Dragon Domain's long-range Space Wormhole. The Misty Cloud Sect was located within the Jia Ma Empire, and it was not too far away.

Besides, with his cultivation at the Peak Dou Emperor level, he was not slow when traveling at full speed.

Several days later, Gu Long appeared at the foot of Misty Cloud Mountain.

The towering peak remained shrouded in clouds and mist, majestic and imposing.

Yet faintly, Gu Long could sense an oppressive, uneasy atmosphere hanging over the entire sect.

He did not announce himself. Instead, he concealed his aura and swept up to the mountaintop as though blending into the breeze, arriving outside Yun Yun's chambers.

The area around the chambers was heavily guarded, but no one noticed Gu Long's arrival.

He pushed open the doors and walked inside.

Within the hall, Yun Yun sat beside a jade couch, her stunning face etched with deep weariness and concern.

On the jade couch, Yun Shan lay with his eyes shut. His face bore an eerie ashen pallor, and his breath was so weak that he resembled a dying candle flickering in the wind.

The Dou Qi around him was in utter turmoil. At times, it burst out violently, making the air hum; at others, it weakened until it was nearly imperceptible.

Clearly, the injuries within his body had reached a life-threatening stage.

Sensing someone enter, Yun Yun abruptly looked up. When she saw Gu Long, the taut string in her heart finally loosened slightly, and she hurriedly stood. "Mr. Gu Long, you're finally here!"

Her voice trembled faintly. Yun Shan's condition had clearly left her utterly flustered.

Gu Long walked to the jade couch, his calm gaze sweeping over Yun Shan.

His Soul Power extended slightly, and he clearly "saw" the utterly terrible state within Yun Shan's body:

Not only had the old cracks in his Sea of Dou Qi widened, but new fissures now covered it as well, like a Glazed Cup on the verge of shattering.

Violent Dou Qi rampaged within it, constantly eroding his meridians and internal organs.

Had he not been a Peak Dou Emperor with a deep foundation, he would likely have exploded and died long ago.

"How is it?"

Gu Long's tone was calm, as though he were merely asking about some ordinary matter.

Yun Yun quickly recounted how Yun Shan had forcibly attempted to break through to Dou Zong, only for the energy to spiral out of control and backlash against him.

After she finished, she looked at Gu Long with the last trace of hope in her beautiful eyes. "You said before that you could repair the cracks in my master's Sea of Dou Qi... Is there still a way to save him now?"

She looked at Gu Long pitifully, terrified of hearing a negative answer.

If even this last sliver of hope was extinguished, Yun Shan likely would not last much longer.

Gu Long did not immediately answer Yun Yun's plea.

He extended a finger and pressed it against Yun Shan's brow.

A wisp of pure Soul Power carefully entered his body, thoroughly examining the severely damaged Sea of Dou Qi.

After a moment, he withdrew his finger and slowly spoke beneath Yun Yun's anxious gaze:

"The injuries are worse than expected. The Sea of Dou Qi is on the verge of collapse. Ordinary pills can no longer turn the situation around."

Yun Yun's delicate body trembled, her face instantly turning as pale as paper as the hopeful light in her eyes rapidly dimmed.

However, Gu Long changed his tone. "But it is not entirely without a solution."

With a turn of his palm, a jade bottle, pure white throughout and giving off a refreshing medicinal fragrance, appeared in his hand.

The instant the jade bottle appeared, the energy within the entire chamber seemed to grow more active.

"This pill is called the Nine Aperture Spirit Nurturing Pill. Recorded in an ancient pill formula, it has the miraculous effect of reshaping the Sea of Dou Qi and stabilizing one's foundation." Gu Long handed the jade bottle to Yun Yun.

"Give this to him. I'll help him dissolve the medicinal power. Whether he can pull through depends on his own fortune."

This pill had naturally come from his check-in rewards. Its grade was extremely high, specially designed to repair foundational damage to the dantian, Sea of Qi, and similar areas. It was exactly what Yun Shan needed.

Using it on Yun Shan was somewhat wasteful, but in order to achieve his goal of controlling the Misty Cloud Sect, the investment was worthwhile.

As though she had seized a lifeline, Yun Yun hurriedly accepted the jade vial.

With utmost care, she poured out a pill the size of a longan fruit. Nine naturally formed pill patterns covered its surface, while seven-colored radiance swirled around it.

The moment the pill emerged, its fragrance filled the room. Even Yun Shan's ashen complexion seemed to improve slightly.

Daring not to delay, she gently lifted Yun Shan and placed the pill into his mouth.

The pill melted upon entering his mouth, transforming into a torrent of gentle yet incomparably vast medicinal power that surged into every corner of Yun Shan's body.

Gu Long acted at the right moment, placing his palm against Yun Shan's back.

Pure Peak Dou Emperor Dou Qi, mixed with powerful Soul Power, guided that immense medicinal power as it began repairing the Sea of Dou Qi, which was riddled with cracks and on the verge of shattering.

This was an exceedingly delicate and mentally taxing process.

Gu Long needed to control the medicinal power, allowing it to seep in bit by bit, nourish, and mend those cracks.

At the same time, he had to soothe the rampaging Dou Qi within Yun Shan's body to prevent it from interfering with the healing process.

Yun Yun stood anxiously to the side, scarcely daring to breathe. Her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Gu Long and Yun Shan without blinking.

Time passed little by little.

Black, tainted blood and impurities began to seep from Yun Shan's body. The pill was tempering his flesh, expelling the accumulated hidden injuries and toxins within him.

Under Gu Long's guidance and the pill's effects, his previously chaotic aura gradually began to stabilize.

His formerly ashen face also visibly regained its color.

The most obvious effect was within his Sea of Dou Qi.

Under the heaven-defying medicinal effect of the Nine Aperture Spirit Nurturing Pill, the savage cracks were wrapped, filled, and mended thread by thread by seven-colored medicinal power.

The shattered "Glazed Cup" was gradually being repaired. Though the process was slow, the signs were promising.

Several hours later, Gu Long slowly withdrew his hand, a faint sheen of sweat visible on his brow.

The continuous, high-intensity expenditure of Soul Power and Dou Qi was no small drain even for him.

As for Yun Shan on the jade couch, though he remained unconscious, his breathing had become steady and powerful, and his complexion was rosy.

The aura around him was still weak, but it no longer showed signs of collapse. His fatal injuries had already been stabilized and were steadily recovering.

"Sir..." Seeing this, Yun Yun wept with joy and was about to kneel before Gu Long.

Gu Long raised a hand in a distant gesture, and a gentle force stopped her.

"There is no need for this. His injuries have stabilized, and the cracks in his Sea of Dou Qi are also being repaired.

"With roughly half a year of recuperation, he should recover completely. He may even gain a blessing from this misfortune, and his foundation will become more stable than before. When the time comes, his chances of breaking through to Dou Zong will increase by several degrees."

He did not make absolute promises, but the prospect he offered was already enough to leave Yun Yun beside herself with excitement.

"Thank you, sir, for saving his life! The entire Misty Cloud Sect will forever remember your great kindness!"

Yun Yun bowed deeply, her voice filled with gratitude and reverence.

Having witnessed Gu Long's miraculous methods and that unprecedented, wondrous pill with her own eyes, her estimation of him rose once more without limit.

"Just remember your promise."

Gu Long spoke lightly, his words carrying deeper meaning.

Naturally, Yun Yun understood that he was referring to helping Yun Shan break through to Dou Zong. She hurriedly replied solemnly, "Yun Yun would not dare forget! Once my master recovers, the Misty Cloud Sect will certainly fulfill its promise!"

Gu Long nodded and said no more.

He knew that after this matter, the Misty Cloud Sect was firmly in his grasp.

A Yun Shan who was about to break through to Dou Zong, along with a Yun Yun who was deeply grateful to him and somewhat reliant on him—this was worth far more than a single Nine Aperture Spirit Nurturing Pill.

He did not remain at the Misty Cloud Sect for long. After confirming that Yun Shan was out of danger, he quietly departed without alerting anyone, just as he had arrived.

On the road back to Jia Nan Academy, Gu Long made his calculations.

The Misty Cloud Sect had been temporarily stabilized, the Northwest Continent was under the Dragon Domain's control, and the Falling Heart Flame at Jia Nan Academy was also growing restless...

The pieces were all in place. All that remained was to await the most crucial moment.

Meanwhile, not long after Gu Long departed, within the Rear Mountain Forbidden Ground of the Misty Cloud Sect—

In an exceedingly concealed, dark space, a blurry shadow stirred faintly and let out an almost inaudible sound of surprise.

"What pure Soul Power... and that pill's aura... It does not seem to be from the Jia Ma Empire. That old fellow Yun Shan was not meant to die after all. Where did he find such a person?"

The shadow muttered in a low voice, carrying a hint of doubt and scrutiny, before slowly falling silent again, as though it had never appeared.