Chapter 381 Human Emperor Bell, War God Underground Palace

Behind Lin Xunfeng stood a black-clad man. He wore a bamboo hat and a black face covering. One hand pressed down on Lin Xunfeng’s shoulder while the other gripped a blade.

Under the moonlight, his figure resembled a ghostly phantom.

Looking past him, shadow after shadow leapt out from the forest and landed nearby, like evil ghosts blocking the cave entrance.

Lin Xunfeng caught sight of this scene from the corner of his eye, and his heart sank to the bottom.

Sure enough, he could not succeed every time, just like how he could not save his son back then.

Lin Xunfeng gritted his teeth and asked, “Now that things have come to this point, can you at least let me die understanding why the Yuan Clan bullied her, and why the immortal sect tolerated the Yuan Clan?”

The black-clad man replied, “There’s no harm in telling you. Her mother was a member of the Yuan Clan and had a marriage arrangement with a disciple of high status. But before the marriage, she eloped with another disciple. By the time the Yuan Clan tracked her down, she was already pregnant. To the Yuan Clan, this matter was a stain and a humiliation. The Yuan Clan has many people; some wanted to kill her, while others wanted to protect her. That’s why she managed to drag out her miserable existence until now.”

Hearing this truth actually eased Lin Xunfeng’s pain somewhat. He had imagined many possibilities and had even guessed that Wei Rong’s parents might have been heinous criminals. Thus, the black-clad man’s words brought him slight comfort.

Wei Rong, however, was not surprised, because she had long known the truth. She stared fixedly at the black-clad man, as though she wanted to pour all the hatred accumulated over the years onto him.

The reason she hated him so deeply was not because she had met him before, but because this man had plunged a blade into Senior Lin’s chest, causing the thing she feared most to happen before her eyes.

Wei Rong truly could not understand why everyone around her treated her badly. She had finally met someone who treated her kindly, yet they still wanted to kill him.

Even if her parents had been in the wrong, they had never harmed anyone. The actions of the Yuan Clan disciples were clearly far worse, so why did the Heavenly Clear Immortal Sect turn a blind eye?

Could it be that the so-called righteous path was merely the righteous path of a select few?

Puchi——

The black-clad man pulled out his blade, and blood splattered outward. Lin Xunfeng’s body went limp, and he collapsed to his knees before the cave entrance.

Supporting himself with both hands against the ground, blood continuously poured from his chest as dizziness overtook him.

This was not the first time he had experienced such a feeling. In the past, he had always escaped death. But this time, he could not imagine any way to survive.

He raised his eyes toward Wei Rong and gave her an apologetic look.

That gaze twisted Wei Rong’s heart in agony. She picked up a stone beside her and slowly stood.

When the black-clad man saw her approaching with a stone in hand, his eyes filled with disdain. He had no sympathy for Wei Rong either, because her mother had disgraced the entire Yuan Clan, and even now fellow disciples still mocked him over the matter.

Right at that moment—

The sounds of blades slicing through flesh suddenly came from behind him. The black-clad man instinctively turned around in shock, only to discover that all the Yuan Clan disciples had already collapsed onto the ground.

“Who?”

The black-clad man shouted in a low voice. He could not sense the other party’s aura at all, nor had he noticed how the attack had been made. This meant the difference in strength between them was enormous.

His pupils suddenly constricted.

A sword rapidly enlarged within his vision.

Hearing the disturbance behind him, Lin Xunfeng subconsciously wanted to turn around and look, but the moment his neck moved, the last of his strength was exhausted, and his consciousness sank into darkness.

……

Summer passed and autumn arrived. A withered yellow leaf drifted downward, swaying through the mountains before finally landing before Li Qingqiu.

With his eyes closed, he raised a hand and caught the leaf. Then he opened his eyes and summoned the Dao Lineage Panel, searching for the portraits of Jiang Zhaoxia and the others.

Their portraits were still there, proving that they remained alive.

Three months had already passed, yet Jiang Zhaoxia and the others still had not established contact with the Clear Sky Sect, causing Li Qingqiu’s unease to grow increasingly stronger.

Could something really have happened?

Even though he felt uneasy, Li Qingqiu had no solution. The world was vast; no matter how capable he was, he could not find Jiang Zhaoxia and the others. Moreover, he still had to guard the Clear Sky Sect.

The Clear Sky Sect was becoming stronger and stronger, but its enemies were also increasing. He could not afford to be careless.

Below him, Yuan Li and Yin Jingxing were sparring once again. However, neither used the power of their Ancient Sacred Bodies. They were merely exchanging fist and foot techniques. Their movements were fierce, and their footwork extremely swift, drawing Xu Yuqiong’s attention as he opened his eyes to watch.

Xu Yuqiong did not remain in this cultivation ground all the time. Occasionally, he went out to wander around and had learned that the True Transmission Disciples were all preparing for the True Transmission Tournament. He had even gone to watch the Grand Dao Tournament of the True Transmission Disciples.

No matter how he looked at it, he felt that the Sect Master’s faction would dominate the top three positions.

As for himself, he also wished to represent the Sect Master’s faction and achieve excellent results.

Watching Yin Jingxing grow at astonishing speed, Xu Yuqiong had already abandoned all thoughts of competing with his Little Martial Uncle. However, he had not lost confidence because of it. Instead, he had begun looking forward to facing the other disciples.

At that moment, Li Qingqiu took out the Sect Master Token, from which Chu Jing’s voice emerged:

“Sect Master, a mission has appeared in the Tempering Hall. The Deputy Hall Master cannot determine the Dao Fate. The employer is already waiting in the hall and hopes to meet you personally. Would you like to come in person?”

Li Qingqiu asked in surprise, “What kind of mission is worth my personal visit?”

“This employer has an extraordinary background. He immediately offered one million mid-grade Spirit Stones, and the mission has no time limit. He only wants us to locate a supreme treasure.”

After briefly describing the matter, Chu Jing continued with a more detailed explanation, clearly afraid Li Qingqiu would refuse to come.

After pondering for a moment, Li Qingqiu decided to make the trip.

He stood up and stopped Yuan Li and Yin Jingxing from sparring, telling them to continue cultivating on their own before leaving alone.

One incense stick’s time later, Li Qingqiu stepped into the Tempering Hall.

Along the way, many disciples greeted him. Quite a few disciples there were seeing the Sect Master for the first time and were extremely excited.

Even though Li Qingqiu occasionally took time to stroll through the sect, the vast majority of disciples never had the chance to see him. To those disciples, he was the greatest legend of the Clear Sky Sect, a person upon whom every word of praise could be placed.

From the entrance of the Tempering Hall to the Hall Master’s courtyard alone, Li Qingqiu spent another incense stick’s time.

Deputy Hall Master Ding Xuan sat inside the hall together with numerous elders and authority-holding disciples. Upon seeing the Sect Master arrive, they all stood and saluted.

Ding Xuan was a disciple with deep seniority within the Tempering Hall. Back then, Bo Zhao, Yun Cai, and the others had all been brought to the Clear Sky Sect thanks to her. It was no exaggeration to say that merely bringing Yun Cai alone was a contribution unmatched by other Tempering Hall disciples. After Zheng Yunqiao’s death, Li Qingqiu promoted her to Deputy Hall Master.

Even now, Yun Cai and her seven companions still maintained a close relationship with Ding Xuan. Thanks to her ties with Yun Cai, very few people dared provoke Ding Xuan.

Li Qingqiu nodded toward Ding Xuan before shifting his gaze onto the middle-aged man who had not stood up.

The middle-aged man wore a green robe. His temperament was refined, and his appearance handsome. His beard had been carefully groomed, and even his long hair was neatly arranged. Merely sitting there, the innate nobility radiating from him was impossible to conceal, causing Li Qingqiu to inexplicably think of Song Qianxiang.

A Heaven-Reaching Sunlight Realm cultivator!

Although his cultivation was inferior to Song Qianxiang and the Sword Demon, he was undoubtedly a genuine great cultivator of the Heaven-Reaching Sunlight Realm.

The green-robed man fixed his gaze on Li Qingqiu. Ever since awakening the Extreme Yang True Body, Li Qingqiu had painstakingly studied methods of concealing aura. Relying on 【Tempered Through a Thousand Trials】, his progress in this secret technique had advanced smoothly. He could now hide his physical strength, Vital Energy, and Extreme Yang True Flame.

Thus, in the eyes of the green-robed man, Li Qingqiu appeared unfathomably profound.

Li Qingqiu walked all the way to the main seat that belonged to Xue Jin and sat down, his gaze directed toward the green-robed man.

Ding Xuan immediately introduced him:

“Sect Master, this fellow Daoist is called Tianxuanzi. He claims to have come from the west and hopes our Clear Sky Sect can help him locate an ancient supreme treasure known as the Human Emperor Bell. At present, the only thing known is that the Human Emperor Bell lies within the War God Underground Palace.”

The green-robed man named Tianxuanzi raised a hand and smiled.

“Tianxuanzi greets Sect Master Li.”

“Why did you come to the Clear Sky Sect?” Li Qingqiu directly asked.

Tianxuanzi replied, “The Human Emperor Bell is an ancient supreme treasure specifically used to suppress the demons and devils of the mortal world. The land of the Nine Provinces lies closest to the Land of Demons and Devils. Once the Nine Provinces fall, this entire continent will suffer persecution under the claws and fangs of the Demon Emperor. Perhaps the distant Azure Dragon Domain could resist them, but the mortal world would inevitably drown in catastrophe.”

Li Qingqiu continued asking, “Since you possess such noble intentions, why not search for it yourself?”

“The War God Underground Palace has been buried beneath the earth for ten thousand years. Countless Immortal Cultivators have rushed toward it one after another, yet none have ever found it. The reason I entrusted this task to your sect is because I understand the art of fortune calculation. The fortune of the Clear Sky Sect rises like a soaring dragon. Even within the Azure Dragon Domain, such fortune is exceedingly rare. Furthermore, the Clear Sky Sect is the closest place to the Land of Demons and Devils.” Tianxuanzi explained.

The people of the Tempering Hall had never heard this before. They exchanged glances, their hearts filled with curiosity.

Li Qingqiu thought about it. Since the mission had no deadline anyway, accepting it posed no harm. It would be a free gain of one million mid-grade Spirit Stones.

Just as he was about to speak, Tianxuanzi suddenly continued:

“Sect Master Li, could we speak privately?”

Li Qingqiu slightly nodded after hearing this.

Without waiting for him to rise, Ding Xuan took the initiative to stand and led the others from the Tempering Hall away.

Once only the two of them remained inside the hall, Tianxuanzi finally stood up and retrieved a jade sword from within his sleeve. The sword was fifteen centimeters long, exquisitely crafted, and faint streams of light flowed within the jade body.

“This is the War God Sword Token. It can guide you to the War God Underground Palace.” Tianxuanzi introduced.

Li Qingqiu stared at him without looking at the jade sword in his hand.

Tianxuanzi then explained further:

“To be honest, I have many enemies, making it inconvenient for me to act personally. There are eighteen War God Sword Tokens in total, and they have already scattered throughout the mortal world. By now, many people have likely already gathered at the War God Underground Palace. Yet since no heavenly phenomenon has appeared, it proves the Human Emperor Bell has not manifested. If I were to go, I would certainly never return alive, let alone obtain the Human Emperor Bell and save all living beings.”

Li Qingqiu calmly said, “You have too many twists and hidden motives. I cannot trust you.”

Tianxuanzi continued:

“You possess a talisman known as the Life-Control Talisman. It was created by the Divine Origin Sect in ancient times. If you do not trust me, you may let me consume the Life-Control Talisman. I am willing to devote everything I can and contribute to the Clear Sky Sect. Of course, if you accept me, you will also become entangled in my grudges and enmities. The choice is yours.”

“If one wishes to oppose the Demon Emperor of the Land of Demons and Devils, the Human Emperor Bell is the key. Otherwise, the Land of Demons and Devils could not possibly have endured for so long.”

Li Qingqiu looked at him, inwardly rather surprised.

This person actually knew even about the Life-Control Talisman.

Could it truly have been deduced through divination?

If this person was truly proficient in deduction arts, then his choice of the Clear Sky Sect… perhaps it was not merely because of the sect’s fortune.