Chapter 358: The Secret of the Gate of Life and Death
Mo Yu couldn't stop Yun Yun from leaving.
He understood that although Yun Yun didn't harbor deep hatred for him for destroying the Yun Lan Sect—in fact, she even somewhat understood his reasons—there was still a lingering bitterness in her heart. After all, she had been the sect master, and the fall of Yun Lan Sect left a scar in her heart that could not be easily healed.
That bitterness came from her deep emotional connection to the Yun Lan Sect and the years she spent being nurtured by it. Asking her to honor the five-year promise now would stir that emotional resistance within her, something Mo Yu knew she wasn't ready to face.
Yun Yun's departure from the Jia Ma Empire was perhaps an attempt to use time to dissolve that resistance, to make peace with her feelings. As she had said, only when she could bury the memory of Yun Lan Sect deep within her heart without reopening old wounds would she be able to return.
Mo Yu, knowing this, chose not to stop her. Besides, he knew that once she went to Zhongzhou, she would encounter a great opportunity, something far more important than her position as sect master of the Yun Lan Sect.
Mo Yu didn't want Yun Yun to become a woman who simply relied on him. With her talents, she deserved to pursue her own destiny.
As for the Flaming Sun Puppet he gave her, Mo Yu had no attachment to it. With his current strength, even high-level Dou Zongs (Battle Sect) wouldn't stand a chance against him. The puppet had lost its value to him. However, with Yun Yun only at the Dou Huang (Dou Emperor) level, which was impressive in the Northwest Continent, she would be outmatched in Zhongzhou. With a Dou Zong puppet as her protector, Mo Yu could rest easier.
Watching Yun Yun's departing figure, Mo Yu wiped the red lipstick from his lips, recalling the passion they had shared over the past few days. He couldn't help but smile and shake his head.
Although Yun Yun appeared to be a graceful and composed woman, when confronted with genuine emotions, she could shed all pretenses and reveal a more tender, feminine side.
After bidding Yun Yun farewell, Mo Yu's shoulder trembled slightly, and silver lightning wings appeared on his back. Just as he was about to fly towards the imperial capital, his expression shifted, and his silver eyes turned towards the depths of Yunlan Mountain.
There, something strange was pulling at him.
"What is that? Something strange in the Yun Lan Sect?" Mo Yu muttered.
Floating in mid-air, he scanned the empty remains of the once-bustling sect. Now, it was deserted. Not a single person could be seen, and the vast grounds lay in desolation, with autumn winds blowing debris across the empty plaza, giving the place an eerie, abandoned feeling.
Mo Yu's curiosity was piqued, and he flew towards the Yun Lan Sect ruins.
According to the original story, the Yun Lan Sect had once been a powerful faction, even in Zhongzhou, and was known far and wide. Even members of the ancient clans had heard of it at its peak.
Though the sect had now fallen, forced to disband by Mo Yu, it might still hold some hidden treasures left behind, things that couldn't be taken away in the rush of its dissolution.
In cultivation, besides one's own efforts, fortuitous encounters are often key to progress. Now, with the chance to explore for hidden treasures, Mo Yu's curiosity grew.
With a flap of his wings, Mo Yu reached the ruins of the Yun Lan Sect in just a few minutes.
Due to Mo Yu's order for the sect's dissolution, the entire Yun Lan Sect was devoid of life, the silence almost suffocating. For someone faint-hearted, the eerie atmosphere might have been terrifying.
But for Mo Yu, who was unshaken by such things, this atmosphere had no effect on him.
Walking through the grand halls of the Yun Lan Sect, the place still looked magnificent despite its emptiness. Even though no one remained, the splendor of the sect's architecture persisted.
Knowing Yun Yun's character, Mo Yu assumed she had distributed any valuable techniques or treasures to the sect's elders and disciples as a form of compensation before the disbanding. He had no interest in these items, as with his influence in the Black-Corner Domain, ordinary cultivation techniques, battle skills, and pills were beneath him.
After wandering through several hallways, a massive iron door suddenly appeared in front of him, and Mo Yu realized that the strange sensation pulling him came from behind it.
Without hesitation, Mo Yu walked towards the iron door and gently pushed it open. The heavy door creaked as it moved, and a gust of fresh air rushed out, as if it had been sealed for countless years.
Feeling the strong wind-element energy in the air, Mo Yu paused, deep in thought.
It was only now that he realized that many of the Yun Lan Sect's elders and disciples seemed to possess wind-element Dou Qi. Yun Shan had it, Yun Yun had it, and even Nalan Yanran had it.
While not entirely unusual, this kind of elemental uniformity within a sect was rare. Recruiting disciples with only one elemental affinity could limit a sect's growth.
Curious, Mo Yu wondered if this wind-element energy hall was hiding some secret about the Yun Lan Sect.
Shaking his head slightly, Mo Yu muttered to himself before walking deeper into the spacious hall.
As he entered, the large hall was dimly lit, bathed in a faint blue light. Small whirlwinds, each the size of a palm, danced through the air, filling the hall with concentrated wind energy.
Mo Yu continued walking towards the back of the hall, and as he moved closer, the sound of wind swirls became louder, and the wind energy in the air grew more violent and pure.
When Mo Yu finally stopped, the fierce wind energy rushing towards him caused a faint stinging sensation on his skin.
Mo Yu's body was already as tough as that of a sixth-rank magical beast, so the fact that even he felt a slight tearing pain was surprising. Any ordinary Dou Spirit or even a Dou King would likely have been seriously injured by the violent wind energy.
Standing still, Mo Yu scanned the seemingly empty hall in front of him, his expression puzzled.
"Strange… there's nothing here. What is it that's drawing me?"
Given the immense wind energy in the hall, there should have been some powerful treasure hidden within. How could it be completely empty?
"Boom!"
As soon as Mo Yu finished speaking, a deafening explosion echoed from the back of the hall, shattering the silence. A massive spatial rift, dozens of meters wide, spread across the wall of the hall.
At the center of the rift, a blue light slowly emerged, eventually forming a giant ten-meter-high door made of wind energy. The powerful wind-element aura was pouring from this door.
"What is this?" Mo Yu stared at the blue wind-door, then suddenly remembered something and exclaimed in surprise, "Could this be the Gate of Life and Death from the Yun Lan Sect?"
Mo Yu stood in the hall, his eyes filled with thought as he muttered to himself.
Although the original story barely mentioned the Gate of Life and Death, a deeper reflection revealed its significance.
The Gate of Life and Death was said to be the final resting place of the sect masters of the Yun Lan Sect, and it served as the last trial for those chosen to succeed as sect master.
To enter the Gate of Life and Death, one needed to have at least the strength of a Dou Spirit. Nalan Yanran, however, was an exception. Stimulated by her defeat in the three-year agreement with Xiao Yan, Nalan Yanran entered the gate as a mere one-star Dou Practitioner.
Despite her low level at the time, Nalan Yanran emerged three years later at the peak of the Dou King level, an achievement that shocked Mo Yu.
She had been on the verge of breaking through to Dou Emperor!
This was a feat that even Mo Yu and Xiao Yan had only managed through countless lucky encounters and their monstrous talents.
But Nalan Yanran had closed the gap with Xiao Yan in just three years by entering this so-called "Gate of Life and Death"!
Mo Yu knew that while Nalan Yanran's talent was exceptional within the Jia Ma Empire, it wasn't monstrous on a continental scale. She was considered a first-rate talent but far from a world-shaking genius.
And yet, in just three years, she had gone from a one-star Dou Practitioner to nearly reaching Dou Emperor.
This kind of growth was shocking, and Mo Yu doubted even the major powers in Zhongzhou could cultivate their disciples so rapidly. After all, the most talented disciples in those powers usually only reached Dou Emperor status after years of training.
Only the mysterious eight ancient clans might be able to accelerate their disciples' growth like this, and even then, it would be due to their powerful bloodlines.
Realizing this, Mo Yu's silver eyes filled with interest.
The Yun Lan Sect, while once powerful in Zhongzhou, had only seemed to be on the level of the Four-Way Pavilion.
However, seeing this mysterious Gate of Life and Death, which held methods similar to the ancient clans, Mo Yu began to suspect that the Yun Lan Sect might not be as simple as it appeared.
As Mo Yu pondered, the blue Gate of Life and Death began to tremble violently, and the two doors slowly opened. A rush of ancient wind energy poured out from within.
"The Gate of Life and Death is opening…" Mo Yu said softly.
As the doors opened fully, Mo Yu stared at the misty scene beyond. His expression changed slightly before he transformed into a silver flash and flew inside.
"Fortune favors the bold," he muttered to himself. Opportunities like this were too rare to pass up, and there was no hint of malice in the energy coming from within the gate.
Once Mo Yu flew inside, the blue doors began to tremble before slowly fading into thin air.
"Hiss!"
In the quiet land, the space suddenly twisted, and a silver figure stepped out.
As soon as Mo Yu arrived, his powerful thunder Dou Qi surged through his body, and his eyes scanned his surroundings cautiously.
"So, this is the inside of the Gate of Life and Death?"
Seeing no immediate danger, Mo Yu relaxed slightly and began to observe the new environment.
The land was desolate, with green light floating in the air. It was a dead, silent world, devoid of any life.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, the silence was broken by a deep swoosh of wind and a low growl.
With a single punch, Mo Yu shattered a small green whirlwind, releasing a surge of concentrated energy into the air.
"What intense energy… it's no weaker than the energy from my Profound Thunder. No wonder Nalan Yanran could grow so much in just three years."
Mo Yu grabbed a handful of the green gas swirling in the air, surprised to discover that it contained incredibly dense and pure energy.
As the green gas floated through the air, it quickly entered Mo Yu's body.
At the same time, Mo Yu could feel his strength subtly increasing. Although the change was slight, for someone like him at the four-star Dou Emperor level, it was still impressive. If a normal Dou Practitioner absorbed this energy, they might immediately break through to the next level.
Seeing this, Mo Yu's silver eyes gleamed. His gaze shifted to the larger whirlwinds and tornadoes several meters tall. His eyes burned with excitement.
If just a small whirlwind could strengthen him, what would happen if he absorbed the energy from one of those giant tornadoes? His strength might increase by several levels.
Without hesitation, Mo Yu unleashed his thunder Dou Qi, shattering the surrounding green whirlwinds with ease. Even the enormous green tornadoes that would terrify a Dou Emperor were no match for Mo Yu's spear and thunder dragon.
In an instant, massive amounts of green energy flooded the air and rushed into Mo Yu's body.
As this energy filled him, Mo Yu's eyes shone with joy. The energy in this place far exceeded his expectations.
Focusing his mind, Mo Yu channeled the green energy through his body, guiding it along the path of the Extreme Thunder Technique.
Three days and three nights passed in the blink of an eye. By the end, the vast green energy had been transformed into pure Dou Qi, merging with Mo Yu's body.
As Mo Yu slowly opened his silver eyes, he couldn't help but smile, pleased with the overwhelming energy in this place.
Clenching his fists, Mo Yu felt the surging power within him. He was now at the five-star Dou Emperor level!
This rapid advancement would make anyone envious!
But just as Mo Yu was reveling in his success, an ancient and weathered voice suddenly echoed through the land like a storm.
Upon hearing this voice, Mo Yu froze, his face turning grim as if his secrets had been exposed.
"Hehe, who would've thought that this Dou Qi Continent still hid a supreme Earth-level expert like yourself…"
(End of the Chapter)
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