96: Chapter 96 Nine Bell Tolls, My Golden Core Shattered with a Single Glance!

Jiang Feng turned a deaf ear to True Monarch Qing Yangzi's promise.

In his world, only the final path to the 9,999th step remained.

Amidst countless gazes of astonishment, confusion, and shock, he lifted his foot and stepped heavily onto the 8,001st step.

Boom!

The Taiji Diagram beneath his feet expanded suddenly, black and white Qi surging and swirling, crushing and dissolving the violently increasing pressure.

One step, two steps, a hundred steps!

Jiang Feng's pace grew faster, even lighter.

He clearly felt his Physical Body undergoing an astonishing transformation.

Nourished by the Taiji Diagram, his bones took on a warm, jade-like luster, and every inch of his flesh bulged with explosive power.

He even had the illusion that with this Physical Body alone, he could tear apart a Second-tier Yao Beast with his bare hands and go head-to-head with a Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator!

The 8,500th step!

The 9,000th step!

The 9,500th step!

Everyone held their breath; heartbeats almost stopped.

Only 499 steps remained!

However, at this moment, Jiang Feng's body swayed violently, and the light of the Taiji Diagram beneath his feet dimmed drastically.

The peerless pressure finally broke through the limit of his water-fire dual-source neutralization, pressing down on him relentlessly.

His knees buckled, his bones emitted a sound of unbearable strain, and he nearly collapsed on the spot.

Was this, in the end, as far as he could go?

Just as Jiang Feng bit down hard, preparing to squeeze out his last ounce of Qi and blood, the Taiji Diagram slowly rotating within his Dantian seemed to be triggered by his unyielding will, touching some Restriction in the dark.

A cool, pure breath was drawn down from the summit of Cloud Peak, silently merging into his limbs and bones.

This breath instantly restored some vitality to his nearly dried-up Dantian, and the dim Taiji Diagram beneath his feet regained its brilliance.

Jiang Feng's heart stirred. Without time to think, he borrowed this assistance he had invoked and exerted force!

One step!

Two steps!

...

The 9,998th step!

The 9,999th step!

When his right foot landed steadily on the final step, the entire world fell into a deathly silence for three breaths.

Then.

Dong—!!!

The ninth bell toll, carrying supreme majesty, resounded through the nine heavens!

Where the sound wave reached, the sea of clouds rolled backward, and the mountains resonated!

Throughout the Thirteen Peaks of Qingyun, regardless of whether they were Disciples or Elders, regardless of their level of cultivation, at this moment, only this magnificent bell toll remained in their minds!

Meanwhile, deep within an Immortal Cave at the summit of Cloud Peak.

A woman dressed in a languid purple gown lay obliquely on a white mink fur rug. She just retracted a slender finger, a playful curve forming at the corner of her mouth.

"To be able to invoke the Origin of the Heavenly Ladder, it was not in vain that I opened a convenient door for you."

"Little one, I hope you can survive the mountain..."

The woman murmured softly, rolled over, and continued to doze off.

...

Jiang Feng only felt a blur before his eyes, and he had been teleported to a wide white jade plaza.

Standing before him were five figures.

The leader was none other than that Great Elder of the inner sect, who possessed the bearing of an immortal, True Monarch Qing Yangzi.

To his left stood True Monarch Qingyue, whose expression was extremely complex, as well as Elder Liu, who had looked at him with disdain from the very beginning.

All five were dressed in moon-white cloud robes, their Aura profound; they were the five Golden Core Elders of the Qingyun Sect's inner sect.

"Little friend, what is your name? Are you willing to enter under my tutelage?"

True Monarch Qing Yangzi stroked his long beard, a gentle smile on his face, examining Jiang Feng closely, his eyes full of appreciation.

Being able to invoke nine bell tolls was extremely rare in the thousands of years of the Qingyun Sect's history. Regardless of this person's age, based solely on this Dao Heart and will, he was worth making an exception for.

However, Jiang Feng's reaction once again exceeded everyone's expectations.

Looking at the five Golden Core True Lords before him, not only did he not step forward to pay respects, but he silently retreated a few steps, his right hand quietly gripping that Golden Core Great Perfection cultivation experience bead hidden in his sleeve.

"I came here, not to seek a master." His voice was hoarse but exceptionally calm.

"Oh?" True Monarch Qing Yangzi's smile deepened. "Then what did you come for? Exhausting your heart and energy, risking your life to climb the Heavenly Ladder, there must be a reason, right?"

Enduring countless hardships, invoking nine bell tolls, yet saying he wasn't here to seek a master.

This kind of strange event was the first time True Monarch Qing Yangzi had seen it in his hundreds of years of life.

Jiang Feng raised his head, his eyes—one side fire, one side ice—sweeping past True Monarch Qingyue and finally fixing on True Monarch Qing Yangzi's seemingly amiable face.

He spoke word by word, his voice clearly spreading across the entire summit of Cloud Peak.

"Jiangyuan City, Jiang Feng."

"Today, I have come to the Qingyun Sect to visit the mountain!"

"To take back my wife, Lin Yueyao!"

As his words fell, the plaza fell into a deathly silence.

The smile on True Monarch Qing Yangzi's face slowly faded, replaced by a high and mighty indifference.

"You are Jiang Feng!"

True Monarch Qing Yangzi's expression changed; there was no longer any of the previous amiable appearance, only anger and a bit of disgust remaining.

"Seize him!"

Following his order.

Elder Liu, who had long been unable to restrain himself, erupted with the Aura of an Early Stage Golden Core. A True Qi hand distorted the air and grabbed straight at Jiang Feng's head!

Now!

Jiang Feng did not hesitate, violently crushing the experience bead in his hand!

Hum!

A power that did not belong to this world exploded within his body!

Early Stage Foundation Establishment! Middle Stage! Late Stage!

Early Stage Golden Core! Middle Stage! Late Stage!

A terrifying Aura, enough to make all the Golden Core True Lords present tremble in their Divine Souls, surged from Jiang Feng's seemingly decaying body, straight into the clouds!

His full head of white hair danced wildly without wind, and he slowly ascended, becoming level with True Monarch Qing Yangzi and the others.

"Late Stage... Golden Core?! How is this possible!" Elder Liu was horrified, and that True Qi hand, under the impact of Jiang Feng's Aura, couldn't even last a single breath before shattering inch by inch!

Jiang Feng ignored him.

He closed his eyes, and his vast Divine Sense instantly enveloped the entire Qingyun Sect.

Found it!

Dungeon! Dark! Damp!

His woman was pinned to the wall!

Jiang Feng opened his eyes abruptly and grabbed fiercely at the void!

A giant void hand, composed entirely of Divine Thought and magic power, tore through space and reached directly into the depths of the dungeon!

"How dare you!"

True Monarch Qing Yangzi only now recovered from the terrifying Aura, no longer possessing any immortal bearing; shock and deep wariness overwhelmed his anger.

He could not see through the source of this power at all!

But having lived for hundreds of years, his first reaction was not to attack, but to shout sharply: "Junior Brother Liu, stop him! This person must have used some kind of forbidden technique; it won't last long!"

"Seeking death!"

Elder Liu, having received the signal, emboldened himself and attacked again, a sharp sword light piercing straight at Jiang Feng's heart!

Jiang Feng only used those eyes—one jumping with golden flames, the other condensing cold ice—to glance back coldly.

Crack!

A crisp shattering sound did not come from the outside, but rang out within Elder Liu's Dantian Qi Sea!

The sneer on his face instantly froze, his entire body's True Qi leaked wildly at a terrifying speed, and his face turned deathly pale instantly.

"No..."

The Golden Core within his Dantian, which he had painstakingly cultivated for hundreds of years, was actually covered in cracks under that single glance, and it shattered with a boom!

One glance, shattering a Golden Core!

The entire scene was horrified!

Just at this moment, the space in front of Jiang Feng was torn open by that giant void hand.

A frail figure, bound by profound iron chains and with her shoulder blades pierced by two ferocious iron hooks, stumbled out from the tear.

"Don't! Don't hurt my child... don't..."

Lin Yueyao's first reaction was to protect her protruding lower abdomen tightly, her face filled with despair and panic.

But when she raised her head and saw the white-haired figure floating in mid-air, blocking everything for her, all her terror and unease instantly turned into hot tears.

"Hus... band..."

Jiang Feng waved his hand, and the profound iron chains binding her broke inch by inch.

Those two soul-suppressing hooks that pierced her shoulder blades, carved with vicious runes, also turned into dust and dissipated with the wind.

He beckoned again, and Lin Yueyao floated lightly into a warm and powerful embrace.

Jiang Feng looked down at the bloodless, weak woman in his arms, pushed aside the messy hair on her forehead, his voice filled with suppressed tenderness and heartache.

"I'm sorry, I'm late."

"Now, I'm taking you home."