Volume 1, Chapter 101 – The Donghuang Bell (Replica)

After the disciples finished choosing their artifacts, the cultivation atmosphere within the Immortal Palace reached a new peak.

Every disciple threw themselves into making one final push during the last half month.

Yet amid this surging tide, one person remained in cultivation.

In a secluded area within the Myriad-Phenomena Tower, spiritual energy hung thick in the air, and a meditation cushion rested on the ground.

Liu Ruyan sat cross-legged upon it with her eyes closed.

Unlike the earth-shaking phenomenon that had accompanied Gu Luoli’s breakthrough, Liu Ruyan’s breakthrough was unusually peaceful.

Over the long years inside the tower, her cultivation had naturally reached the threshold at the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Now, she was waiting for the perfect moment.

The Samsara Dao Body. The memories of three lifetimes.

They had given her more than an advantage in cultivation experience. They had also granted her a unique perception of karmic ties.

She knew that her Golden Core would also be different from the ordinary.

Time passed little by little.

There was neither sun nor moon inside the tower, only eternal twilight.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Ruyan’s eyelashes suddenly trembled slightly as she sat in meditation.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Deep within those eyes, always so gentle and tranquil, countless lights and shadows now seemed to flow. Fragments of memories from three lifetimes of reincarnation flashed past like scenes in a revolving lantern.

At last, all those lights and shadows settled, becoming a clarity and resolve that saw through the ways of the world.

“Now is the moment!”

She murmured softly, her voice clearly audible in the silent space.

There was no earth-shaking commotion and no tidal surge of spiritual energy.

Liu Ruyan merely raised her hands slowly, formed an unusual hand seal, and held it before her dantian.

The instant the seal was completed, a soft hum rang out.

Buzz…

A strange, formless ripple quietly spread outward with her at its center.

The ripple was not powerful, yet it carried a profundity that pointed directly toward the Great Dao.

It seemed to pierce the barrier of time and connect with some unseen trajectory of the Great Dao.

The pure spiritual energy around her answered the summons and poured endlessly into her body.

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Her aura began to rise at a steady and unwavering pace.

There was no obstruction and no stagnation.

Everything proceeded with unbelievable smoothness.

However, just as the spiritual power within her dantian began to gather and compress, on the verge of condensing into a core, a sudden change occurred!

Deep within Liu Ruyan’s sea of consciousness, scene after scene from her previous two lives surged forth beyond her control!

Memories from two lifetimes and two completely different paths through life crashed against her mind like a tide.

Liu Ruyan’s brows drew together slightly, and a trace of pain appeared on her face.

The memories of those two lives were far too vivid. The hatred she had felt, the regrets she carried, the unwillingness she could not release…

All those emotions intertwined, trying to drag her into the vortex of the past.

“I am Liu Ruyan…”

Gritting her teeth, she repeated her name inwardly in an attempt to steady her mind.

“In this life, I am a member of Yaochi Immortal Palace. I am Master’s second disciple…”

Yet the impact of her past-life memories was too fierce.

Just as her consciousness began to blur and she was about to sink into the events of her former lives, an aloof yet familiar figure appeared in her heart without warning.

Silver hair like snow, eyes like cold stars, and peerless elegance.

It was her Master, Gu Han.

It was Master who had rescued her from that cave in the Wanjue Mountain Range, bestowed the Samsara Dao Scripture upon her, and granted her a new life.

It was Master who had allowed her, in this lifetime, to experience unprecedented warmth, respect, and… belonging.

“In this life, I have Master…”

Liu Ruyan’s unfocused gaze abruptly sharpened, bursting with a brilliance unlike anything before.

“In this life, I have fellow disciples I must protect, someone I wish to follow, and… a Dao that truly belongs to me!”

As this resolute declaration resounded within her heart, the surging tide of memories in her sea of consciousness gradually calmed.

In the end, it transformed into two clear streams that flowed into the soul of her present life and completely merged with it.

At the same time, the spiritual power compressed to its limit within her dantian erupted!

A perfectly round Golden Core the size of a longan fruit abruptly took shape, seemingly containing endless mysteries.

Its surface bore no ordinary Dao patterns. Instead, it was covered in ring after ring of unusual markings that resembled both the growth rings of a tree and the trajectories of fate.

It was likewise a Golden Core of the highest quality: a Nine-Pattern Golden Core!

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Buzz…

The instant the Golden Core formed, Liu Ruyan’s aura soared!

A vast and timeworn Dao Resonance, as though it had passed through endless cycles of reincarnation, spread outward with her at its center.

In the distance, Yun Yun, who had been silently watching, revealed a trace of approval in her eyes.

“A Nine-Pattern Golden Core has formed. Her future is boundless!”

Yun Yun sighed softly.

Liu Ruyan slowly concluded her cultivation and opened her eyes.

At this moment, her gaze had become even more profound, as though it contained endless years, yet it remained as clear as ever.

Her cultivation had firmly entered the early stage of the Golden Core realm!

She rose and bowed from afar in Yun Yun’s direction.

Then she stepped out of the secluded cultivation area and walked toward the fellow disciples waiting for her.

At the same time, within the main hall, almost at the exact moment Liu Ruyan completed her breakthrough, the system’s crisp notification sounded in Gu Han’s mind as expected.

[Ding! True disciple Liu Ruyan has condensed a Nine-Pattern Golden Core and completed the achievement “Three Lives as One”!]

[Issuing rewards…]

[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained 50,000 Master Dao Points and the special item “Donghuang Bell (Replica).”]

“The Donghuang Bell?”

“System, could this be the Donghuang Bell from the Primordial World?”

Gu Han’s voice rang out in her mind, carrying a trace of incredulous shock.

[Ding! The Host guessed correctly! But don’t get too excited. This is not the original Donghuang Bell from the Primordial World.]

[This is a replica forged by this system based on the Donghuang Bell, with Nine Heavens Star Iron as its core material.]

[As for its grade… it can barely be considered a quasi-immortal artifact. Although it is only a replica, it is unquestionably one of the most powerful treasures within the Ten Worlds of this star domain!]

The system’s electronic voice carried a trace of pride as it explained in detail.

“A quasi-immortal artifact? A replica?”

Gu Han’s heart shook as her gaze fell upon the newly appeared item in the system inventory.

It was a small bell of dark gold, ancient and weighty in design.

Across its surface, countless grand and ancient images flickered in and out of sight: the sun, moon, and stars; earth, fire, water, and wind; mountains, rivers, and the lands of the realm…

Merely touching it with her consciousness was enough to sense a supreme Dao Resonance capable of suppressing all things and stabilizing heaven and earth!

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Although it was not the true Donghuang Bell, just as the system had said, the aura it released already surpassed that of the previous quasi-immortal artifact, the Ancient Star River Mirror!

“A quasi-immortal artifact… Even if it isn’t a true immortal artifact, it is undoubtedly more powerful than ordinary quasi-immortal artifacts!”

Gu Han drew a deep breath and suppressed the turmoil in her heart.

In this world, the path to immortality had been severed for eight hundred thousand years. The Immortal Realm had long since become a legend. There were barely any quasi-immortal artifacts, much less true immortal artifacts.

Even from Empress Qingxuan, an Immortal Ascension expert who had lived for tens of thousands of years, Gu Han had never sensed the aura of a quasi-immortal artifact.

That alone showed how rare they were!

“System, what powers does this Donghuang Bell replica possess?”

Gu Han asked.

[Ding! This bell was modeled after the Donghuang Bell. Although it possesses only its form and a trace of its true essence, several of its core abilities are similar.]

[First, suppression! When the bell rings, it can stabilize earth, fire, water, and wind, suppress spatial turbulence, and imprison all things.]

[Second, defense! The bell contains the embryonic form of a small world. When suspended overhead, it renders its wielder impervious to all arts and forces all evil to retreat.]

[Third, sonic assault! Its mighty chime contains the sound of the Great Dao. It can destroy evil spirits, disperse demonic thoughts, and directly strike an enemy’s soul, making it nearly impossible to defend against.]

The system’s explanation was clear and straightforward.

The more Gu Han listened, the brighter her eyes became.

It could suppress, defend, and launch sonic attacks!

Although this Donghuang Bell was only a replica, it was still an all-purpose supreme treasure!

Its ability to suppress spatial turbulence would be especially useful when she explored void nodes in the future.

“Excellent! What an excellent Donghuang Bell!”

Gu Han was delighted.

With this bell, her strength would rise to another level!

Even when facing an Immortal Ascension expert stronger than herself, she would have far greater confidence.

“Ruyan’s breakthrough has brought me quite a pleasant surprise.”

The corners of Gu Han’s lips lifted as she looked toward the Myriad-Phenomena Tower, her eyes filled with gratification.

Liu Ruyan must have endured considerable hardship to condense a Nine-Pattern Golden Core and complete “Three Lives as One.”

This also meant that she had thoroughly integrated the memories of her previous two lives. Her Dao heart was firm, and her future potential was limitless.

In a sense, the Donghuang Bell replica was also a congratulatory gift for the outstanding achievement of her second disciple.

[Ding! Host’s current total Master Dao Points: 280,000! Would you like to go on a spending spree to improve yourself or the sect?]

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The system offered the timely “reminder,” its electronic voice filled with temptation.

Gu Han glanced at the impressive total of 280,000 Master Dao Points and was indeed somewhat tempted.

However, she quickly suppressed the urge to spend them immediately.

“There is no rush.”

Gu Han spoke calmly.

“The secret realm is about to open. What the disciples need is practical combat experience and the tempering of their state of mind, not more resources piled upon them.”

“As for me…”

She sensed the vast and profound inheritance of the Chaos Scripture within her, which she was still continuously absorbing and comprehending.

“I have only comprehended the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the mysteries of the Chaos Scripture. The Donghuang Bell will also require time to refine and become familiar with.”

“Biting off more than one can chew leads nowhere. Once the matters concerning the secret realm are settled, I can exchange the points according to the situation.”

[Tsk, the Host is displaying more and more of the bearing of a Palace Master. You truly know how to remain composed!]

After teasing her, the system fell silent.

Gu Han ignored it. With a thought, she withdrew the dark-gold Donghuang Bell replica from the system inventory.

The small bell hovered above her palm and slowly rotated.

Although she had not activated it, its ancient, weighty, and boundless aura, as though it had endured endless ages, quietly spread through the hall.

Even the space within the main hall faintly became more stable.

Gu Han extended a fingertip and gently touched the bell.

Clang…

An extremely soft chime quietly spread outward, yet it seemed capable of penetrating the soul and reaching the very origin of the Great Dao.

“Truly extraordinary…”

Brilliant light flashed repeatedly in Gu Han’s eyes. Without further hesitation, she immediately sat down cross-legged.

She placed the Donghuang Bell across her knees, sank her divine sense into it, and began the initial process of refining and communicating with it.

Although it had only just been created, Gu Han believed it would soon give birth to its own artifact spirit!

As Gu Han refined it, the ancient patterns on the Donghuang Bell glowed faintly and began to resonate with her aura.

A sense of perfect harmony gradually formed between them.

Time quietly passed as Gu Han refined the Donghuang Bell and the disciples consolidated their cultivation.