On the Misty Cloud Sect's Back Mountain, there was an exceedingly well-hidden cave retreat.
The place seemed cut off from the world, steeped in an unfathomable air of mystery.
"Heh heh heh..."
An utterly sinister, spine-chilling laugh echoed endlessly through the cave.
The sound seemed to come from the deepest hell, burrowing straight into one's heart and awakening the most primal fears within.
"Yun Shan, you did very well this time. These arrangements suit me perfectly."
Within a dense cloud of black mist, a human figure drifted erratically.
His words sounded as though they had been painfully squeezed through tightly clenched teeth, grating and hideous, as if every syllable bristled with thorns.
At the center of the cave stood a figure dressed in the Misty Cloud Sect's robes.
His hair and beard were white, his face aged, and an aura of death radiated from his entire body.
He was Yun Shan, the Misty Cloud Sect's former sect leader.
"Protector Wu, since you wish to make use of this boy, why not summon him directly and place a restriction on him? Why go to such lengths and take such a roundabout approach?" Yun Shan's aged, hoarse voice rang through the cave, carrying a trace of confusion.
The figure in the black mist let out a string of strange, cackling laughs. "You don't understand. This boy is entangled in far too many complicated affairs. Unless we establish his true character and how strongly he desires freedom, how can we lightly place our bets on him? A year of observation should be enough."
Yun Shan fell silent for a moment. Urgency flashed in his eyes, and he could not help pressing further. "Then when exactly will you fulfill your promise to me?"
Protector Wu drifted slowly toward him, then flashed past his side,