Chapter 1251: Chapter 1251: Ringing the Dawn Bell
Behind the mountain, far from the Cloud Ascending Path.
The vice dean watched that figure, standing proudly at the peak of the mountain, who had suddenly leapt across the nine steps, with an expression of astonishment.
"Hiss." The vice dean sharply inhaled a breath of cold air.
"This kid, how on earth did he accomplish this?"
"Nine steps, Nine Gorges, Nine-layered Heaven, each step a difficult journey through the Saint Void."
"This is the record of the last nine steps on the Cloud Ascending Path."
"If it’s said that this kid really has world-shocking talent and crossed the nine steps one by one, I could accept it."
"But to suddenly cross all nine steps, this..."
The shock on the vice dean’s face was beyond words.
Qing Lin chuckled, "Why else would you call him a monster?"
"Monster? This is almost impossible..." The vice dean was about to say something, but stopped abruptly.
Qing Lin furrowed his brows, "Old man, knowing you, if you stopped short of speaking, it must be something unusual."
...
On the Cloud Ascending Path.
"Phew." Xiao Yi took a deep breath.
After many difficulties, he finally crossed the Cloud Ascending Path.
During this period, he focused on insight and forging ahead, without paying much attention to time.
But he roughly knew that it must have taken quite some time, probably around four months.
In these four months, his cultivation hadn’t changed much, still remaining at the Third Layer of the Saint King Realm.
Crossing the Cloud Ascending Path, each step provided a reward of powerful pure energy.
For a normal martial artist, absorbing the pure energy from 144 steps consecutively might have already elevated their cultivation by several layers.
But his cultivation hadn’t changed, only his Qi Spring Elemental Power had slightly increased.
Xiao Yi shook his head, but did not feel regret.
The four-month journey was akin to an incredible training experience.
The gains from the Cloud Ascending Path were far more important to him than the increase in cultivation.
"Phew." Xiao Yi took another deep breath, composed himself, and then looked at the great bell in front of him.
"The Dawn Bell?"
Xiao Yi stared directly at the great bell in front of him.
This was the Dawn Bell, an ancient artifact, a treasure of the Black Cloud Academy.
The bell emanated a strong, ancient aura that was overwhelming.
Simultaneously, an immense and imposing aura caused Xiao Yi astonishment.
Only now, when he was up close, did he realize where the inexplicable oppressive force had originated from.
While crossing the Cloud Ascending Path, every step was assaulted by the Formation Wind.
The higher he climbed, the stronger the Formation Wind became.
The entire Cloud Ascending Path had formations, and those were powers of the formation.
Yet, the overwhelming pressure came from the Dawn Bell.
The higher he ascended, the nearer he was to the Dawn Bell, the greater the pressure.
Having thought this, a smile tugged at Xiao Yi’s mouth; he too wanted to strike the Dawn Bell.
According to what the vice dean had said before, those who crossed the Cloud Ascending Path and reached the summit could strike the Dawn Bell once.
"Ha." Xiao Yi let out a low shout, slapping out his palm.
Clap!
The heavy palm power struck the Dawn Bell, but it did not produce the imagined hum.
Instead, it emitted a low, muffled sound.
"Hmm? It didn’t ring?" Xiao Yi frowned.
He felt as though the palm just now had struck an immensely thick wall.
The palm power struck it, but couldn’t shake the bell surface at all.
"Ha." Xiao Yi let out another low shout, slapping out again.
With all his might, he heavily struck out.
Bang...
Once again, a low muffled sound emitted from the bell’s surface.
The sound merely echoed within a few meters.
"Impressive, as expected of the Dawn Bell." Xiao Yi exclaimed in astonishment, speaking to himself.
The palm he just delivered was with full force.
With his strength, he could flatten a mountain from the outside in.
Yet now, hitting it with palm power, it was as if the force vanished into thin air.
No...
Xiao Yi narrowed his eyes, distinctly feeling sharp pain from his palm.
Looking at his hand, it was already red.
The palm power entering was like a clay ox entering the sea, and then violently rebounded, almost injuring him.
The muffled sound echoing within a few meters was caused by the rebound of force.
With his strength, even with his utmost effort, he couldn’t press this bell at all, and it didn’t ring.
Even seasoned Martial Arts Emperors, with great fame, couldn’t shake it, for sure.
"Heh." Xiao Yi let out a light laugh suddenly.
In his mind, there was actually a guess.
The guess came from his insights over past months.
"Only by crossing the Cloud Ascending Path can one strike the Dawn Bell."
"Perhaps, in other words, the Cloud Ascending Path exists solely to sound the Dawn Bell."
Xiao Yi, looking at the Dawn Bell before him, chuckled to himself.
The next second, the smile disappeared, and his face became firm.
Xiao Yi slowly closed his eyes, immersing himself in insight as before.
A wisp of aura gradually surged from his body.
Then, the aura steadily increased.
When the aura reached its peak, Xiao Yi suddenly opened his eyes, shooting out a sharp glint.
Xiao Yi struck out his palm.
At the same time, along the entire Cloud Ascending Path, aura went berserk.
On the first stone step at the foot of the mountain, an aura burst forth, then shot straight toward Xiao Yi.
Next, the second stone step... the third stone step...
Aura after aura exploded from the Cloud Ascending Path, moving with Xiao Yi’s palm.
Bang... Xiao Yi’s palm heavily landed upon the Dawn Bell.
Bang... bang... bang...
With one palm, aura after aura continuously poured out.
On the Dawn Bell, muffled thuds resounded, one after another.
Bang... bang... bang... the explosive sound persisted for a total of 144 times.
When the 144th aura crashed upon the Dawn Bell...
Boom...
The muffled sound suddenly transformed into a clear tone, ringing loudly.
The overwhelming aura erupted centering around Xiao Yi and the Dawn Bell.
The deafening ring, like waves of invisible ripples, rapidly spread out.
Buzz...
The bell sound, resonating with the Nine Heavens, shot upward into the sky.
It was like the sound of dawn breaking through darkness; the vast black clouds in the sky were instantly dispelled.
Buzz...
The invisible ripples instantly spread ten thousand miles afar, resounding across the entire Black Cloud City in an instant.
"Not good." In the distance, the vice dean’s face changed.
"Damn, I forgot to tell this kid the Dawn Bell can’t be casually struck."
Qing Lin, standing nearby, pouted, "Since it’s struck, it’s struck. Didn’t you previously say to let Xiao Yi try to strike it?"
The vice dean glared, "How was I supposed to know he could actually cross the Cloud Ascending Path?"
When he realized it, the bell sound had already been struck.
That bell sound, like the sound of dawn, had already instantly entered everyone’s ears.
Bang... bang... bang...
At the same time, within the Black Cloud Academy, terrifying auras that seemed never before seen suddenly appeared.
High above in the black clouds, Elder Yun Yuan abruptly opened his eyes, "Sound spread over miles, resonating with the Nine Heavens. This is the sound of the Dawn Bell."
"The Dawn Bell, if not for a major matter, could absolutely not be struck."
Elder Yun Yuan’s eyes instantly sharpened, and in a flash, he vanished from sight.
All around, elders’ faces changed considerably, disappearing from sight one by one.
...
Thousands of miles away, in a certain place, thunder roared like a Thunder Prison.
An old man sat in the midst, surrounded ceaselessly by lightning.
"Hmm?" The old man suddenly opened his eyes, "Is that the sound of the Dawn Bell? Has something changed in the Academy?"
Swish... With a flash, the old man disappeared from sight.
...
In a distant land, within a certain perilous place.
"You beast, did you really think attaining the Emperor Realm Peak meant that this old man can’t deal with you?"
A fierce beast exuding a terrifying aura lay in a pool of blood, barely breathing.
In front of it stood an old man, his gaze ancient but chilling, sending tremors with just one look.
"Hmm? The sound of the Dawn Bell?" The old man’s chilling gaze suddenly withdrew, his face changed.
"Not good."
Swish... With a flash, the old man abandoned the fierce beast before him and vanished from sight.
...
First Chapter update.
