25: The Golden Bell is collected, but a ferocious beast invades.

Yuan Feng transformed into a streak of crimson light and charged straight toward the canyon.

Entering the Formation, sixty-five Golden Bells trembled simultaneously, letting out a deafening roar.

The sound of the bells swept in like a tide, each soundwave containing a different power of Law.

Yuan Feng's figure stalled, and the flames surrounding her were suppressed by the soundwaves, showing signs of being extinguished.

"Hmph!"

She gave a cold snort, and the divine phoenix plume transformed into a long whip that swept across, attempting to shatter the phantoms of the Golden Bells.

However, as soon as the whip shadow touched the bell bodies and pushed them back slightly, it was rebounded, followed by wave after wave of bell chimes.

This bell sound was pervasive, possessing the effect of suppressing all things and dismantling Divine Abilities and techniques.

Seeing this, Qing Wu thought of the chaos bell that was born with Taiyi.

This bell also possessed the function of suppressing time and space and evolving all things.

But the chaos bell was one of the three great treasures of the world's creation, symbolizing suppression and destruction, with power that was peerless.

In contrast, the Golden Bell Formation before them was more in tune with heaven and earth, able to borrow power from the world itself; it was also quite extraordinary, showing the highly skilled methods of the one who set the Formation.

Being pushed back in one move as layers of sound waves surged toward her only further incited Yuan Feng's determination to break the Formation.

Streaks of Nanmingli Fire emerged from her palms, enveloping the entire Formation within them.

The Nanmingli Fire displayed its might, launching an indiscriminate attack on all the Golden Bell phantoms, causing them to ring and clatter from the heat.

The sound was continuous and seemingly endless, acting upon the Nanmingli Fire and constantly dissolving it, resulting in the crackling sounds of bursting flames.

Gradually, Yuan Feng finally realized that forcing her way in was useless; with a flash of her figure, she retreated outside the Formation.

Steadying her Aura, she then turned to Qing Wu and said, "Qing Wu, don't you love to fiddle with that jade flute of yours? You should be able to break this Formation."

Qing Wu found it amusing; it seemed Yuan Feng's recent setback had left her quite irritated.

"This Formation is based on sound and specifically counters brute force."

"Perhaps... we should try another way."

"What way?" Yuan Feng raised an eyebrow.

"Breaking sound with sound." Qing Wu took out the Jasper Bamboo Staff from his sleeve and gave it a gentle shake; the staff transformed into a verdant flute.

"Since they use the sound of bells for the Formation, we will respond with the sound of a flute to find the location of the Formation eye."

He held the flute to his lips, and a clear, melodious flute sound slowly flowed out.

The flute sound was soft at first, gradually harmonizing with the rhythm of the Golden Bells.

Marvellously, as the flute sound blended in, the vibration frequency of the sixty-five Golden Bells began to change, and the originally sharp soundwaves actually became gentle.

Yuan Feng was surprised to find that the golden light of the Formation fluctuated slightly, vaguely revealing a path.

"It's working!" she whispered.

Qing Wu closed his eyes and concentrated, the flute sound becoming increasingly melodious.

The runes on the Golden Bells lit up one by one, finally converging into a beam of light that pointed toward an ancient Golden Bell deep within the canyon—that was the location of the Formation eye.

"Let's go!" Qing Wu put away his flute and stepped into the Formation with Yuan Feng, heading toward the Formation eye.

However, at the very moment they were about to touch the Golden Bell, streaks of Dao sound flashed past and entered their ears.

Both were stunned as a vast amount of information flooded into their minds at that instant.

Then, the golden light gradually faded, all the Golden Bell phantoms dissipated, and the great Formation was automatically dispelled.

Leaving behind only that ancient and mysterious Golden Bell.

The body of the bell was covered in various Great Dao inscriptions, proving that its owner possessed a profound Great Dao of Sound.

But a clearly visible crack upon it told the story of how, at the beginning of the Great Desolation, all things were equal under the axe light that broke ten thousand Laws with a single blow.

From the Dao sound just now, they knew that there was no longer a Fellow Daoist waiting for them here.

All that remained was this Golden Bell and the name of this Chaos God and Demon—Hiin.

When Pangu created the world, no one knew how many Chaos Gods and Demons he had slain with a single axe strike.

These Chaos Gods and Demons mastered different Laws, and their individual strengths were worlds apart.

Those who survived and could later undergo Reincarnation into the Great Desolation to seek their own Dao Fruit were all among the elite.

Most had completely perished, their bodies and Dao vanishing, with only a wisp of lingering obsession falling into the Great Desolation, evolving into baleful qi, which in turn gave rise to the Vicious Beast race.

And this Chaos God and Demon of Sound had also attempted the method of Reincarnation.

However, limited by injuries that were far too severe, Reincarnation was hopeless, and he did not want to become nourishment for the Vicious Beasts.

Finally, he dissolved himself with his own Great Dao and faded into the Dao.

Yet, unable to bear seeing his Great Dao vanish just like that, he could only entrust it to this Golden Bell, praying that someone destined would find it and seek a suitable successor for the Legacy.

As for this Golden Bell, although it had been struck by an axe and its grade had dropped, it was still a top-tier Innate Spirit Treasure, worth an immense fortune.

But more importantly, within this Golden Bell was the Legacy left by the Chaos God and Demon of Sound for his Disciple.

The mantle and Legacy of a Chaos God and Demon could be said to allow one to rise rapidly and soar high on their future path of cultivation.

Qing Wu reached out, and the Golden Bell slowly shrank, falling into his hand and becoming the size of his palm.

The Golden Bell spun incessantly, emitting bursts of Dao sound, but eventually, its light faded away.

Yuan Feng was puzzled. "What's wrong with it? Aren't you the person it's looking for? Why is it acting like this?"

Qing Wu slowly shook his head. "That's not it."

Having broken the Formation, Qing Wu acknowledged he had some karmic connection with it, but he was not the person the other party was seeking.

He primarily cultivated the Qingmu Great Dao; although he already had his own understanding of the Great Dao of Sound, it was impossible for him to change his own Great Dao for the sake of this Legacy.

But since the Formation was already broken, leaving it back there would be useless, so Qing Wu took it with him.

When he had nothing else to do, using it to verify his own Great Dao of Sound wouldn't be bad either.

"Don't worry, I'll just find a Disciple for you," Qing Wu comforted.

Hearing this, the Golden Bell finally regained its radiance and became friendly toward Qing Wu.

Qing Wu tucked it into his waist and then left with Yuan Feng, continuing their travels through Kunlun Mountain.

Regarding this suitable Disciple, Qing Wu already had some ideas.

In his memory, there seemed to be an Immortal on Kunlun Mountain who achieved the Dao by striking a Golden Bell; that was Guangchengzi, the head of the Twelve Golden Immortals under Saint Yuanshi of the Yuxu Palace.

Since he could be favored by Yuanshi and kept as one of the Twelve Golden Immortals, even being the chief among them, Guangchengzi's background and fortune were naturally beyond reproach.

Given that the Golden Bell was on Kunlun Mountain, perhaps it was found by Yuanshi.

And Guangchengzi was the successor Yuanshi found for the Chaos God and Demon Hiin.

But as for Guangchengzi's background, Qing Wu knew nothing.

He didn't even know where to look, which was a bit awkward.

"Forget it, I'll take it one step at a time."

As the two of them walked out of the canyon, Qing Wu's mind suddenly stirred.

It was a wisp of Divine Thought he had left at the Immortal Volcano before departing that had experienced an abnormal movement.

Seeing Qing Wu with his eyes closed in deep thought, his hands constantly calculating, Yuan Feng asked, "Qing Wu, has something happened at the Immortal Volcano?"

"Could it be that without us there to oversee it, the Immortal Volcano is about to erupt!"

Qing Wu nodded, then shook his head, continuing to communicate with his mind.

The Immortal Volcano was already in a stable state and would not easily erupt.

And this pulsation coming from deep underground was precisely the agreement Qing Wu had made with the will of the Immortal Volcano's earth veins before he left.

If any abnormality occurred at the Immortal Volcano, it was to communicate with him immediately.

From the information the Immortal Volcano was currently transmitting to him, its state was perfectly fine.

And as for what could cause it to have such a reaction, Qing Wu had already guessed the general idea.

"There should be a Vicious Beast invasion."

"Vicious Beasts!" Hearing this, Yuan Feng's eyes darkened slightly, her loathing for Vicious Beasts growing even stronger.

The two of them delayed no longer, immediately transforming into two streaks of light and rushing swiftly toward the south.