Chapter 179: The Heavenly Bell Rings, Shaking the World

Chapter 179: The Heavenly Bell Rings, Shaking the World

The Heavenly Palace, a structure suspended amidst the clouds and mist, has existed since ancient times. Legend claims it was once the dwelling of the Heavenly Emperor.

At this moment, Ning Xiaochuan ascended step by step up the White Jade Ascension Stairs, arriving before the majestic gates of the Heavenly Palace.

The Heavenly Bell hovered outside the palace, forged from golden bronze, its surface inscribed with Tadpole Script.

A distant wind blew from within the Heavenly Palace, carrying an aura of antiquity and timeworn grandeur.

To the east of the bell hung an enormous Bell Hammer, resembling a divine halberd. Its surface was carved with mysterious and intricate patterns that ignited under the sunlight, transforming the hammer into a pillar of flame.

Some of the great sages of the Emperor's Martial Palace had deciphered fragments of the ancient script on the bell. The inscriptions stated that only a Once-in-Eight-Centuries Talent, wielding the Wisdom Eye, could trace the bell's trajectory and strike it to produce a sound.

Of course, the Heavenly Bell had also rung on its own before. The last time it tolled autonomously was eight hundred years ago, heralding a Dynastic Change that led to the founding of the Yulan Empire.

Thus, no one could say for certain whether the bell's ringing was an omen of fortune or calamity.

Beneath the Heavenly Palace, countless disciples had gathered, their gazes fixed upward, eager to witness whether Ning Xiaochuan could indeed make the bell resound.

All eyes were upon him.

Ning Xiaochuan enveloped his palm in violet Misty Profound Qi, pressing his fingers against the Bell Hammer. As his fingertips brushed its engravings— "Thunderous!"

Lightning and thunder erupted across the sky, with Lightning Serpents weaving through the clouds, painting a scene of awe-inspiring grandeur.

Ning Xiaochuan's arm tensed as he channeled all his strength, driving the Bell Hammer toward the Heavenly Bell.

"Boom—"

The Heavenly Bell rang.

A deep, resonant toll reverberated, spreading across the entirety of Emperor's City, echoing through the Emperor's Ruins.

Within the Emperor's Martial Palace, powerful figures in secluded cultivation were jolted awake by the sound. Expressions of astonishment crossed their faces as they shook off the dust of their isolation and emerged.

But the bell's toll was not confined to the Emperor's Ruins alone. Across the vast expanse of the Yulan Empire—its rivers, mountains, and valleys—the sound of the bell was heard, unceasing, as if a divine chime from the heavens heralding the dawn of a new era.

Every martial artist in the Yulan Empire was stunned by the bell's resonance, sensing that the Profound Qi of the world itself had shifted.

Imperial City, Golden Roc Prince's Manor.

The Great Golden Roc King stood atop the manor's towering spire, his gaze fixed in the direction of the Heavenly Gate. He commanded, "The Heavenly Bell has rung. Has the heavens decreed a new mandate? Send men to the Emperor's Ruins at once. I must know why the bell tolled—and in the shortest Time possible!"

"As you command!"

Five figures emerged from the pavilions behind him, kneeling at the base of the tower before transforming into streaks of light that shot toward the Heavenly Gate.

Soon, word returned to the Golden Roc Prince's Manor. "Your Highness, Princess Qianxi has relayed a message. The Heavenly Bell did not ring of its own accord—it was struck by someone."

"Who?" The Great Golden Roc King's tiger-like eyes blazed with authority.

"Ning Xiaochuan."

"Ning Xiaochuan? That boy again?"

The Great Golden Roc King's expression shifted continuously before his brows gradually relaxed. He said, "Today, the residence will host a banquet. Go and invite the Jian Pavilion Marquis to attend."

Anyone familiar with the Great Golden Roc King knew he intended to exploit this matter for his own agenda.

Far beyond the Imperial City, thousands of kilometers away in the Fire Demon Mountain Range, atop the demonic peak stood an ancient, dilapidated Demon Palace.

Legend had it that this Demon Palace had descended from beyond the heavens.

The moment the Heavenly Bell was struck, the Yin Soldiers and Corpse Fiends within the Demon Palace shattered into wisps of black smoke, vanishing into the palace.

At the same time, the entire demonic mountain trembled violently, shaking the earth and mountains. A monstrous roar of demonic energy surged from the Demon Palace.

"Boom!"

A massive heart, long suppressed within the Demon Palace, forcibly shattered its confines and soared into the sky, trailing a bloody radiance before plunging into the body of a frail herb gatherer.

This herb gatherer was named Yun Yi. His thin frame shuddered violently as his gaze sharpened, as if he had become an entirely different person, exuding an intimidating aura. "Haha, I’ve finally broken free!" Then, as if noticing something, his eyes filled with confusion as he surveyed the unfamiliar world before him. He muttered to himself, "Which realm have I arrived in?"

After striking the Heavenly Bell, Ning Xiaochuan could distinctly sense a vast presence awakening within the Heavenly Palace.

Suddenly, the world around him shifted. Ning Xiaochuan felt as though he had entered another dimension.

"An Alternate Dimension," Ning Xiaochuan murmured softly.

Within this Space stood a statue of a man with a sword at his waist, positioned at the center of a plaza. The statue's eyes gleamed as a deep, resonant voice echoed, "Ning Xiaochuan, why have you struck the Heavenly Bell?"

Ning Xiaochuan fixed his gaze on the statue and bowed slightly. "You must be the Martial Soul Avatar of the Master of the Martial Palace. I struck the Heavenly Bell because I wished to seek an audience with you, esteemed elder."

The Master of the Martial Palace was the mysterious woman’s junior brother, meaning he was at least a two-hundred-year-old relic—five or six generations senior to Ning Xiaochuan.

"So, you wished to see me. Then, was it your master who instructed you to strike the Heavenly Bell and rouse me from my cultivation?" the Master of the Martial Palace asked.

Given his cultivation, the Master of the Martial Palace could instantly detect traces of the mysterious woman’s aura on Ning Xiaochuan, leading him to assume Ning Xiaochuan was her disciple.

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head and immediately recounted the matter concerning Yu Ningsheng.

The Master of the Martial Palace fell silent for a moment before speaking. "With your current talent and your master’s influence, redeeming a brothel girl should not be difficult. If your master intervened, even the Jade Emperor would grant her face."

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "This matter is not merely about redeeming a brothel girl. It involves the authority of imperial authority and the righteousness of the imperial decree. Only with your intervention can this matter be resolved most fairly."

"Moreover, the decade-old case may very well be a miscarriage of justice. Not only is Yu Ningsheng a victim, but my parents also perished in that very case."

"I hope the Master of the Martial Palace can step forward and request the Jade Emperor to reinvestigate the decade-old case. No one else can accomplish this—only the Master of the Martial Palace can do it, only you, esteemed elder, can urge the Jade Emperor, for you are his teacher."

The Master of the Martial Palace said, "I once declared that whoever could ring the Heavenly Bell, I would grant them one request. Since you have rung the bell, I will do my utmost to fulfill any request you make. Are you certain you wish to forsake such a rare opportunity merely to uncover the truth of the past?"

Ning Xiaochuan answered without hesitation, "I am certain."

"Very well. I will personally discuss this matter with the Jade Emperor. Additionally, I possess the Imperial Authority Token, which holds the power to oversee imperial authority. Should the emperor commit an unforgivable mistake, this token can strip him of his throne. For now, I shall lend this token to you."

From the mouth of the towering statue flew a Green Gold token, landing in Ning Xiaochuan’s hand.

The token was unusually heavy, bearing a unique martial imprint. When Profound Qi was channeled into it, a dazzling radiance burst forth, so intense it blinded the eyes.

This was a token capable of overseeing imperial authority—even possessing the power to depose an emperor.

Ning Xiaochuan cradled the token in both hands, his heart pounding fiercely. "This..."

"Do not be alarmed. Though this token holds the authority to remove an emperor, its power depends on who wields it and whether the emperor has truly committed an irredeemable transgression. In your hands, it is merely a talisman granting you a voice in the imperial court."

"I lend it to you because you are her disciple. Moreover, I wish for you to uncover the truth yourself. I believe you have the capability."

Ning Xiaochuan stored the Imperial Authority Token and bowed deeply once more. "Thank you, Master of the Martial Palace. Once I uncover the truth of that decade-old case, I will return the token unharmed."

"Go now," the Master of the Martial Palace said.

Ning Xiaochuan’s vision blurred, and he found himself standing outside the Heavenly Palace once more, beneath the Heavenly Bell, the Imperial Authority Token still clutched in his hand. It was clear he had truly entered an Alternate Dimension and met the Master of the Martial Palace in person.

Gently tracing the token with his fingers, Ning Xiaochuan’s gaze sharpened. With this token, he now wielded authority equal to the Jade Emperor’s, enabling him to challenge imperial power itself.

"The truth of that case will come to light. Once I defeat Ming Yang, it will be time to leave the Emperor's Martial Palace, seek the truth, and challenge the imperial authority."

Storing the Imperial Authority Token in his Heaven and Earth Bag, Ning Xiaochuan strode into the Heavenly Palace.

Having cleared the Sixth and Seventh Levels of the Heavenly Bridge, he was entitled to cultivate within the palace for two days—equivalent to two years in the outside world.

He would spend these two years refining the seventh Divine Ability, "Cloud and Sunset Returning Qi," striving to break through to the Eighth Level of the Divine Body Realm as swiftly as possible.

The first six Divine Abilities had been integrated into his bones with the mysterious woman’s aid, allowing him to achieve in a month what would normally take far longer. Now, relying solely on himself, his progress would inevitably slow.

It took a full year and a half for Ning Xiaochuan to refine the seventh Divine Ability into his brain bones.

"Boom!"

The eighth Divine Source unlocked, giving birth to the eighth Divine Ability—"Stars and Moon Sharing the Sky."

Ning Xiaochuan naturally reached the Eighth Level of the Divine Body Realm. If he hadn't deliberately suppressed his cultivation growth, his realm might have directly surged to the Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm.

For now, he couldn't rush into the Ninth Level of the Divine Body Realm. He had to suppress his realm and first refine the eighth Divine Ability.

Only by cultivating every realm to its utmost limit could he lay a solid foundation, step by step, ensuring he could advance further on the martial path in the future.

Two days later, Ning Xiaochuan emerged from the Heavenly Palace, his cultivation just a hair's breadth away from the peak of the Eighth Level of the Divine Body Realm.

Next, he would face Ming Yang in their third duel.

Recommended: "The Evil Young Master's Bodyguard" by the talented author Xiao Lou Zuo Ye Qing Feng, a captivating urban fantasy that will leave you hooked.

Feeling troubled these past two days, I’ll be heading to Qingcheng Mountain tomorrow to burn incense. Updates might be limited to two chapters a day for now, and the schedule is unstable. Old Nine will try to adjust his state as soon as possible, stepping out of the shadows to deliver even more exciting plotlines.