5: Chapter 5: Is this for real?

"Cultivation prioritizes Aptitude above all else. I don't know the origin of this dao bell at the gates of our Qingfeng Blessed Land, but it can strangely and accurately measure a Cultivator's Aptitude!"

"Therefore, this dao bell has become the first trial for entry. You can pass with three rings. Do you... want to give it a try?"

Liu Wei explained to Lin Bei.

Wang Shirui leaned in, looking mysterious and smug.

"Dummy, do you know who has made the dao bell ring the most times in the history of our Qingfeng Blessed Land?"

Lin Bei scratched his head. "Fairy Shirui, you're smiling so happily, I guess it's you!"

"Uh..." Wang Shirui's face turned bright red. "It's not me, it's Senior Sister Liu Wei..."

"Oh?" Lin Bei looked at Liu Wei, who was standing to the side.

"Yes, five years ago, I was fortunate enough to make the dao bell ring seven times," Liu Wei nodded.

"May I ask what Realm Fairy Liu is at now?"

"Late Stage Void Soaring..."

Suddenly, Lin Bei felt a surge of excitement. "Could this be another daughter of Luck?"

Don't rush, let's see more!

He stepped forward, approached the ancient dao bell, and placed a hand on it.

"Dong~"

The bell tolled leisurely, resonating throughout the entire Qingfeng Blessed Land.

Some Cultivators within the Blessed Land paused their work upon hearing the bell, then continued with their own business.

More Cultivators acted as if they hadn't heard it at all, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Qingfeng Blessed Land is considered a reputable Sect in the Eastern Wasteland, and Loose Cultivators often come seeking its name.

Such bell tolls would ring out every few days, or sometimes every ten days or half a month, so they were long accustomed to it.

"Dong~ Dong~"

Two consecutive bell tolls rang out.

Many people looked up toward the direction of the mountain gate. Three rings were enough to qualify for joining the Blessed Land, at least in terms of Aptitude.

"Senior Sister! It's three rings! He passed!"

Wang Shirui blinked her large eyes, watching Lin Bei, who stood before the dao bell with his eyes closed.

"Dong! Dong~"

Two more rings echoed through the mountains.

"Five rings?" At this moment, many Cultivators of the Qingfeng Blessed Land rose and headed toward the mountain gate.

Being able to trigger five rings was already considered very good Aptitude, worth coming out to meet and establish a good connection with.

Wang Shirui puffed out her cheeks. "Ugh~ Five rings, the same as me. This dummy! I really couldn't tell!"

"Dong!"

With the sixth bell toll, many old fellows in the Qingfeng Blessed Land who were in secluded Cultivation opened their eyes.

"Six rings of the dao bell can directly exempt him from the following two trials. With this kind of Aptitude, there are fewer than twenty people in the current Qingfeng Blessed Land. This youth, I want him!"

"Hahaha... Fourth Brother, it's not up to you just because you want him!"

...

Wang Shirui watched Lin Bei's figure and stomped her feet. "Abominable dummy, he actually surpassed me!"

Liu Wei, however, stared at Lin Bei's figure without blinking.

At this time, some of the first Disciples to arrive had already reached the mountain gate.

"That is... Senior Sister Liu Wei! Could this Cultivator have been brought by her?"

As the most talented female Prodigy of Qingfeng Blessed Land, there were few Disciples who didn't know Liu Wei.

"Dong!"

The seventh bell toll vibrated in the hearts of everyone in Qingfeng Blessed Land.

This time, Wang Shirui could no longer speak; she only covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide, preventing herself from crying out.

She never imagined that the person she had casually picked up on the road would actually have an Aptitude comparable to her Senior Sister.

In a Daoist temple deep within the Qingfeng Blessed Land.

An old man with white hair and beard shot divine light from his eyes, muttering, "Is it him? Perhaps, it is him!"

He stood up, took a step, and vanished inside the Daoist temple.

"Damn! Seven rings! This is a Prodigy whose Aptitude can rival Senior Sister Liu Wei!"

"Yes! Now, those Elders are going to fight tooth and nail again..."

...

The discussions in front of the mountain gate were incessant.

The next instant!

"Dong~"

The eighth bell toll drowned out all other sounds.

Liu Wei's body trembled; this was her first movement since the bell began to toll.

"This..."

The few old men who had just arrived at the mountain gate looked at each other, unable to speak.

If it were an Aptitude of six or seven rings, they would have competed for him without hesitation.

"Dong!"

Another bell toll!

This time, it completely caused an uproar.

"Nine rings! Nine rings!"

"The Sect's ancient records state that nine is the extreme number, and this dao bell at the mountain gate can ring at most nine times!"

"That's right, it is rumored that the only person to make the dao bell ring nine times in our Blessed Land was the Old Ancestor who founded it!"

...

Unfortunately, their understanding was immediately shattered.

"Dong~"

When the tenth bell toll rang out, most people present patted their own ears.

After a long while, a hesitant, intermittent voice came out.

"I... I think I... heard the... the tenth ring?"

At this moment, Lin Bei's state was also very strange.

He kept his eyes tightly closed, feeling the power coming from the dao bell, as if his whole being had become much more ethereal.

When the tenth bell toll rang out, this feeling was particularly strong.

"The flow of time seems to have accelerated?"

While his body felt ethereal, he had this kind of feeling.

"No beginning... no end..."

Suddenly, an empty, void-like voice echoed in his mind.

Then, the special power coming from the dao bell vanished without a trace.

"Holy crap! So many people?"

Lin Bei opened his eyes, looking at the crowd surrounding him. Liu Wei and Wang Shirui had also been pushed to the periphery by a group of old fellows.

"What do you want?"

Looking at the red light in the eyes of these old fellows, he crossed his arms over his chest and asked nervously.

He was somewhat annoyed. He had originally intended to just let the dao bell ring a few times and stop once he had dealt with it.

Who knew that the strange power within the dao bell would cause him to become lost in it, attracting such a huge spectacle.

"Hehe... Little fellow, are you here to join the Qingfeng Blessed Land?"

At this time, an old fellow with a burly build finally couldn't hold back and, relying on his thick skin, was the first to speak.

Before Lin Bei could reply, a middle-aged man carrying a sword spoke first.

"Stop it, Xiong Laoliu. Don't you go hatching any devious schemes. With your level of teaching Disciples, don't come here to mislead the youth!"

Immediately, several old fellows to the side nodded in agreement.

The main strategy was to first join forces to squeeze out one opponent!

"You..." Xiong Laoliu was about to get angry.

A person stepped out from the Void Realm; it was the old man with white hair and beard from the Daoist temple earlier.

"Greetings, Sect Leader!"

Everyone in front of the mountain gate bowed in unison to pay respects.

"You all stop arguing. From today on, the Qingfeng Blessed Land will not accept any new Disciples! This little friend, please return!"

"What, Sect Leader, this..."

"Sect Leader, you cannot do this!!"

...

In an instant, the few old fellows nearby were stunned and spoke up one after another to dissuade him.

The dao bell rang ten times; what kind of Heaven-Defying Aptitude is this? The Sect Leader actually said he wouldn't accept him???

"No need to say more, my mind is made up!" The old man waved his hand, suppressing all objections.

In the Qingfeng Blessed Land, the Sect Leader is the highest decision-maker; Elders and Grand Elders alike must obey.

Lin Bei was also a bit stunned. Is it really this difficult to find a safe place to spend two days for the System cooldown period?

He bowed slightly to the old man and asked tentatively, "Sect Leader, since you will not accept me, may I stay in the Qingfeng Blessed Land as a guest for two days?"

"Sigh!" The old man sighed softly. "There is nothing left to hide. A great calamity is coming to our Qingfeng Blessed Land. Young man, you had better leave as soon as possible!"

One stone stirred up a thousand ripples!

The old man's words caused the area in front of the mountain gate to instantly boil over; even the matter of Lin Bei making the bell ring ten times seemed less important.

"Sect Leader, what did you say?!"

"Senior Brother, what does this mean?"

"No matter who it is, we swear to live and die with the Blessed Land!"

...

"What? There's such a good thing? Then I definitely can't leave!"

The last sentence was Lin Bei's inner thought.