Yun Shan at Death's Door

Back mountain.

Yun Yun led Lei Qi to a stone chamber and stopped.

"Yun'er, who have you brought to disturb my cultivation?"

At that moment, an aged voice came from within the stone chamber.

"Teacher, Lei Qi, he..."

Seeing Yun Yun hesitate, Lei Qi spoke up. "Elder Yun, I am Yun Yun's future husband. I came specifically to pay you a visit."

The man was like a father to Yun Yun, so he still had to show the proper respect.

As for that seemingly vigorous energy?

It was merely a strong exterior masking weakness within.

Inside the stone chamber, there was silence for a moment before the voice came again. "Come in."

Only after Yun Shan spoke did Yun Yun lead Lei Qi into the stone chamber.

Once they entered, the two saw an elderly man at death's door. It was clear that Yun Shan did not have many days left.

The old man wore an exceedingly plain moon-white robe. As the two entered the chamber, a faint breeze drifted through, making his robes flutter.

"What is your name? Which family are you from?" After they entered, Yun Shan stopped pretending. Instead, like a frail old man, he asked the question.

"Lei Qi. I am from the Central Plains."

Hearing Lei Qi's answer, Yun Shan froze for a moment. Though he had never thought Lei Qi was from the Jia Ma Empire.

After all, becoming a Dou Emperor at such a young age was not something the Jia Ma Empire could possibly nurture.

Afterward, Yun Shan asked how Lei Qi and Yun Yun had met.

Lei Qi did not hide anything and recounted how the two had come to know each other. Naturally, he phrased the matter of taking Yun Yun into a cave rather more tactfully.

For example, they had fallen in love, and things had naturally followed their course.

By the time he finished, Yun Yun was too embarrassed to lift her head.

Yun Shan thought Yun Yun was shy. In truth, she was simply helpless at Lei Qi's shameless lies.

As for Lei Qi's background, Yun Shan did not inquire much further. He merely asked when they planned to marry.

At that moment, Yun Yun spoke up. "Teacher~"

Seeing Yun Yun like this, Yun Shan was somewhat helpless, but he still said, "All right, all right. This old man will not ask."

"Elder Yun, judging by your aura, it seems you have already..."

Lei Qi did not finish, but Yun Shan nodded and continued for him. "That's right. My lifespan is nearing its end. These days, I was preparing to attempt a breakthrough to Dou Ancestor. If I fail..."

Yun Shan hesitated before finally looking at Lei Qi. "I only hope that you will treat Yun'er well."

Yun Yun's talent far surpassed his own. Given enough time, her future achievements would certainly surpass those of many others. But he did not know whether, after his death, the imperial family would still give the Cloud Sect such an opportunity.

After all, the Cloud Sect had always been a thorn in the imperial family's side.

Especially with Jia Xingtian in the imperial family.

"Elder Yun, why be so pessimistic? The reason you have not broken through to Dou Ancestor is simply because the resources here are insufficient. But this junior can offer you a bit of help." As Lei Qi spoke, he took out a Recovery Pill, a high-grade sixth-tier medicinal pill that restored Dou Qi, as well as a Sect-Breaking Pill.

When Yun Shan saw the two pills, he froze slightly!

He had not expected Lei Qi to casually produce such high-grade medicinal pills. Moreover, even someone like him who knew nothing about alchemy could tell from their quality that they were absolutely at the peak of the sixth tier.

"This..."

Yun Shan fell into a daze.

Yun Shan wanted to accept them, because with these two pills, he felt his chances of breaking through would definitely be greater.

After all, every time he tried to advance, he always lacked the final burst of strength.

But such precious items could not be accepted without merit. He understood that much. More importantly, this was the man discussing a future with Yun'er.

Clearly, Yun Shan was considering more, especially where his disciple was concerned.

"Teacher, accept them. Lei Qi went through great difficulty to obtain these from his family after returning home," Yun Yun said.

Right now, she simply did not want Yun Shan to die. She was not thinking that far ahead.

As she had said before, as long as Yun Shan could survive this ordeal, nothing else would be a problem.

Lei Qi placed the pills there, then walked out, because he could tell Yun Shan had something he wanted to say to Yun Yun.

Seeing how considerate Lei Qi was, Yun Yun felt even happier from the bottom of her heart.

After Lei Qi arrived outside the stone chamber, Zhang Yi appeared before him. "Young Master."

"Has anything happened in the Cloud Sect recently?" Lei Qi asked.

"No."

Zhang Yi shook his head, then seemed to recall something and added, "Not long ago, I did encounter one of those Hall of Souls scum, but he was heading straight for the capital of the Jia Ma Empire."

"Oh?"

Lei Qi had not sensed the aura of any Hall of Souls Protector before. Now that Zhang Yi mentioned it, he already had some guesses.

"Though the Hall of Souls commits all kinds of evil across the continent, if they knew the Cloud Sect had some connection with our Thunder Clan, they would certainly not dare cause trouble," Zhang Yi added.

The Hall of Souls was indeed a major force in the Central Plains, but to the Thunder Clan, let alone the Hall of Souls, even the Soul Clan was nothing to fear. Moreover, the ancient Dou Emperor clans looked down somewhat on the Soul Clan's methods.

Lei Qi said nothing. In any case, the calamity Yun Shan had faced had already been avoided.

About the time it took for an incense stick to burn later, Lei Qi sensed Yun Yun emerging and waved his hand.

Zhang Yi instantly vanished from where he stood.

"What did Elder Yun say?" Lei Qi asked when he saw Yun Yun walk out.

"I have persuaded Teacher," Yun Yun replied.

"That's good. At least it wasn't all for nothing." Lei Qi nodded.

"Thank you, Lei Qi."

"You do not need to be like this with me." Lei Qi pulled her into his arms and spoke softly.

Leaning against Lei Qi's chest, Yun Yun felt very peaceful. At that very moment, a vast surge of energy began to ripple from within the stone chamber.

Ordinarily, advancing to a major realm required days of preparation. But Yun Shan was different. His strength had long reached its peak, and his two previous failures to break through had only been due to insufficient stamina. But today was different. With a medicinal pill to restore his strength, he would instantly return to the peak of the Dou Emperor realm.

And with the Sect-Breaking Pill as well, unless fate truly wanted him dead, he would certainly be able to break through.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!!

At the Cloud Sect's back mountain, the energy of heaven and earth soon began gathering in great quantities toward the stone chamber.

"Is he starting already?" Yun Yun froze.

"If he did not begin his breakthrough now, your teacher might not have lasted through the night," Lei Qi said.

"What!?" Yun Yun was shocked upon hearing this.

"When I went in earlier, I had already sensed that he had reached his limit," Lei Qi added.

If Zhang Yi had not arrived, Yun Shan would likely have already colluded with that Hall of Souls Protector. It was precisely because of Zhang Yi that there was no Hall of Souls Protector, leaving him in this state instead.