Chapter 1246: Chapter 1246: Dawn Bell
Black Cloud Academy, back mountain.
Within the academy, whether it’s the elder deacons or the disciples, everyone has a designated resting place or seclusion room.
However, the area behind the mountain is serene, and occasionally, a few elder disciples come here after their secluded cultivation to meditate and calm their minds.
At this moment, the vice dean, Xiao Yi, and Qing Lin arrived at the end of the central location of the back mountain.
In front of the three, there is a straight mountain path.
At the peak of the highest point of the mountain path, there is a pavilion, and on the pavilion, there is a large bell.
At first glance, it appears to be an ordinary mountain path leading to the summit.
"Is this the Cloud Ascending Path?" Xiao Yi frowned.
"Hmm?" Xiao Yi suddenly squinted his eyes.
This mountain path looks ordinary, but the stairs on the path are obviously very neat.
Among the neatness, there’s also a dust-covered look.
"Dust everywhere, but not a single footprint. No one’s walked this path in a long time, right?" Xiao Yi said, frowning.
"It’s not that no one has walked it, it’s that no one can." Qing Lin laughed.
"Indeed, this is the Cloud Ascending Path." The vice dean also smiled.
"Do you see that big bell?" The vice dean glanced at the large bell in the pavilion at the mountain top.
Xiao Yi nodded, also looking at that big bell. Upon seeing it, his pupils suddenly contracted.
The ancient aura emanating from the bell made his heart palpitate.
Just one glance, and he was shaken.
"This bell is called the Dawn Bell, and it is a treasure of our Black Cloud Academy," the vice dean said.
"Though its name may not sound very grand, it once rang out the first chime after dark, signalling the breaking of dawn, and it’s an ancient item."
"Hence the name Dawn Bell."
"For an ordinary person to strike it, it could still resound through the Nine Heavens, its sound traveling a hundred thousand miles."
"If a martial artist with deep cultivation strikes it... hehe." The vice dean paused, not continuing.
The vice dean chuckled and continued, "The Dawn Bell has been kept in our Black Cloud Academy for many years."
"But it only rings when something significant happens within the academy."
"The first time the academy rang this bell was when the academy was initially established."
"And the last time it rang, that was a long time ago."
"If you have the ability, you can also try to ring this bell."
"Oh?" Xiao Yi showed a hint of anticipation.
"Heh." The vice dean smiled enigmatically, "But only if you have the strength to reach the summit of this mountain."
"By passing this Cloud Ascending Path?" Xiao Yi asked.
"Exactly." The vice dean nodded.
"The Cloud Ascending Path has a total of 144 steps, and martial artists must climb it step by step."
"144 steps, step by step, hence the name Cloud Ascending Path."
"Is there any reward?" Xiao Yi blurted out.
"Reward?" The vice dean chuckled, "Surpass the clouds, and you ascend to the heavens."
"If you can truly climb beyond the 144 steps and ring the Dawn Bell, you will have a chance to soar into the sky."
"A true soaring into the sky." The vice dean’s voice suddenly became serious.
"Interesting." Xiao Yi squinted, his face full of anticipation.
The vice dean smiled, "If there’s nothing else, you can start climbing now."
With that, the vice dean turned and left.
Xiao Yi frowned.
Qing Lin let out a sinister laugh, "Xiao Yi, take your time climbing. The highest record among the younger generation of disciples for the Cloud Ascending Path is 108 steps for now."
"Want to reach the summit? Break this record first."
"Oh, and take your time. I’ll come back to find you in six months."
With that, Qing Lin let out another sinister laugh, turned, and followed the vice dean away.
"Six months?" Xiao Yi’s forehead was instantly full of black lines.
Shaking his head, dispelling distractions, Xiao Yi began to step forward.
Step... With a light but firm step, he stepped onto the stairs.
"Hmm?" Almost the moment his foot landed on the stair, Xiao Yi’s expression changed instantly.
An inexplicable sense of pressure suddenly imposed itself on him.
"Formation?" Xiao Yi frowned.
He couldn’t mistake it; the entire mountain path was enveloped by a powerful and mysterious formation.
From the moment he took the first step onto the first stair, the formation was activated.
"No, that’s not right." Xiao Yi frowned again.
He clearly felt that besides the power of the formation, there was also an inexplicable pressure.
"Heh, indeed fascinating." Xiao Yi smirked with confidence.
"Six months?"
If it truly took six months to pass through this Cloud Ascending Path, he might reconsider.
After all, for him, there were countless things he could accomplish in six months.
If he went out for training, it would surely yield great cultivation effects and improvements.
Step... Another step was taken.
Xiao Yi stepped onto the second stair.
"Hmm?" Xiao Yi frowned, "The pressure increased."
As he stepped onto the second stair, the oppressive feeling on him noticeably intensified.
However, this was still far from difficult for him.
According to his estimate, the pressure of the first step reached at most a Heavenly Extreme Late Stage level.
A typical Mid Heavenly Extreme martial artist could attempt it and it wasn’t as difficult as imagined.
"Heh." Xiao Yi gave a faint smile, suddenly quickening his pace.
Smooth steps, moving swiftly.
Even if the Cloud Ascending Path seemed as difficult as ascending to heaven in the vice dean and Qing Lin’s words, under his feet, it was as leisurely as a stroll.
The graceful figure, climbing effortlessly.
Not long after, Xiao Yi had already stepped onto the 39th stair.
Upon reaching the 40th stair, whoosh...
Suddenly, a breeze swept by.
"Hmm?" Xiao Yi initially frowned, then chuckled softly.
"The higher you climb, the more the wind blows, fitting the scene indeed."
Xiao Yi chuckled lightly.
But it’s obvious that a slight amount of primordial power was condensed at his fingertip.
The primordial power just condensed, with just a breath, dissipated under the breeze.
"Saint Realm power." Xiao Yi nodded.
The level of primordial power he just gathered was equivalent to that of the Saint Realm.
In other words, the breeze around that was sweeping by was enough to severely injure or even kill a Heavenly Extreme Realm Martial Artist instantly.
Step...
Xiao Yi stepped forward again, this time onto the 41st stair.
Whoosh... Without a doubt, another breeze swept by.
This time, however, the breeze held no power, instead, it was gentle and comforting.
As it swept by, it refreshed Xiao Yi’s spirit.
At the same time, the breeze vanished into thin air.
Xiao Yi clearly sensed a slight increase in his primordial power within.
"So that’s how it is." Xiao Yi instantly realized.
From the 40th stair, the difficulty suddenly increased, accompanied by those breezes, which were Formation Winds.
But at the same time, upon surpassing them, rewards could be obtained.
Those suddenly gentle breezes transformed into the purest power, automatically absorbed into his body, and turned into primordial power.
"This is only the 41st step. If I were to finish..." Xiao Yi glanced up at the mountain top and smiled.
Perhaps, the matter of external training wasn’t urgent anymore.
This Cloud Ascending Path was the best cultivation path.
Whoosh... With that thought, Xiao Yi’s figure moved again, as before, leisurely strolling, climbing with ease.
...
Second update.
