197: Chapter 197 Two Supernatural Powers, What a Small World

[An aged figure stood beside the wendao bell, his white hair like snow and his Daoist robe like mist.]

[He glanced at Chu Sheng, then scanned the dark mass of the crowd kneeling on the square. His voice was raspy yet clearly reached everyone's ears:]

["I am Daoist Master Xuan, the Founding Ancestral Master of Wendao Palace. A wisp of a remnant soul in this bell has waited for thousands of years, and finally, someone has rung it."]

[The square erupted in a commotion.]

[The Founding Ancestral Master?]

[That legendary figure?]

[He actually still had a wisp of a remnant soul left?]

[Chu Sheng held the bell mallet, the blood at the corner of his mouth not yet wiped dry. He wondered how long this old man had lived.]

[It was said he was in the Divine Ability Realm?]

[A genuine Divine Ability.]

[And then?]

[His Physical Body decayed, leaving only a wisp of a remnant soul dwelling within the bell.]

[Even as powerful as a Divine Ability, he ultimately couldn't escape time's reckoning.]

[He suddenly felt a bit of lament; would he end up like this in the future?]

[A wisp of a remnant soul, waiting for some fated person to come and ring a broken bell?]

[Daoist Master Xuan raised his hand, and the noise on the square came to an abrupt halt.]

[He pointed at Chu Sheng, his voice not loud but powerful.]

["This person rang the ancient bell and is bound to the Spiritual Vein, making him the Lord of Destiny of Wendao Palace. He is qualified to inherit my complete Legacy, including the wendao bell, the Spiritual Vein cores of the Thirty-Six Peaks, and the orthodoxy I left behind."]

[Feng Qingyang's expression was as ugly as if he had swallowed a live toad.]

[He took a step forward, his fists clenching with a cracking sound.]

["Ancestral Master, this person stole the Sect's Spiritual Vein. His identity is suspicious and his motives are unclear. How can an Outer Sect Elder be the Lord of Destiny? Please reconsider, Ancestral Master!"]

[His voice echoed across the square. Many peak masters nodded slightly, but no one dared to speak up in agreement.]

[Ye Gucheng rarely remained silent.]

[He stood at the front of the crowd, hand on his sword hilt, his eyes flickering.]

[He was re-evaluating Chu Sheng's value.]

[A person who could ring the wendao bell, someone personally designated by the Founding Ancestral Master—this person could not be offended too deeply.]

[But one couldn't get too close either.]

[He chose silence.]

[Tangtang, dangling a candied hawthorn from her mouth and wearing cloth shoes, leisurely walked to Daoist Master Xuan's side.]

[She licked the sugar crumbs from the corner of her mouth and spoke lazily: "Whatever the Ancestral Master says, you just listen."]

[Feng Qingyang opened his mouth to say something, but seeing Tangtang's narrowed eyes, he swallowed his words.]

[This was someone in the Dao Cheng Realm, whose seniority wasn't much lower than the Ancestral Master's. Her speaking was equivalent to half the Ancestral Master's will.]

[The Peak Master of the Tenth Peak stepped out to smooth things over.]

[Stroking his beard, he said with a smile.]

["Today's events were too sudden, and Elder Chu is heavily injured. It's better to let him recover first before discussing further matters. The matter of the Ancestral Master's Legacy isn't urgent."]

[Feng Qingyang snorted and said no more.]

[Ye Gucheng nodded.]

[Daoist Master Xuan glanced at the Peak Master of the Tenth Peak and also nodded. The remnant soul slowly dissipated, returning into the wendao bell.]

[Chu Sheng was personally taken back to the Sixth Peak by Tangtang.]

[Tangtang walked ahead of him, her cloth shoes pitter-pattering on the bluestone path. Her twin buns bobbed up and down, and she was already on her third candied hawthorn.]

[Chu Sheng looked at her back, wondering why this Old Ancestor in the Dao Cheng Realm had such a peculiar style.]

[Halfway up the Sixth Peak, there was a bamboo hut—not large, but clean.]

[Tangtang pushed open the door and said, "You stay here for now," then tossed Chu Sheng onto the bed—literally tossed him, like a bag of rice.]

[Chu Sheng hit the bed, grimacing in pain.]

[Tangtang pulled a bottle of Medicinal Pills from her sleeve and threw it onto his pillow, saying they were for healing, one a day, and not to overeat.]

[Then she turned to leave, but at the door, she turned back to add: "There's a Formation outside the bamboo hut; no one below the Spirit Sea can enter. Rest and recover in peace."]

[Chu Sheng wanted to say thank you, but she was already gone.]

[Yue Jianli rushed over upon hearing the news.]

[She ran all the way from the Eighteenth Peak, her Daoist robe fluttering loudly in the wind.]

[Arriving at the bamboo hut's door, she didn't go in, but just stood silently outside, leaning against the wall with her eyes closed.]

[Elder Shen told her to go back, but she said no.]

[Elder Shen sighed and left.]

[Yue Jianli stood at the door, standing there the entire night.]

[Du Yu spread rumors among the Outer Sect Disciples.]

[He said Chu Sheng was a spy for the Demonic Path, that he stole the Spiritual Vein to serve the Demon Race, and that he used evil arts to ring the wendao bell.]

[The rumors spread like a plague, becoming more and more outrageous. From "Demonic Path spy," it turned into "Demon Prince," and from "Demon Prince," it turned into the "Reincarnation of an Ancient Demon Venerable."]

[Du Yu felt a chill down his spine hearing them, but the words were already out and couldn't be taken back.]

[Several Elders from Feng Qingyang's faction held a secret meeting overnight.]

[They sat in a secret chamber on the Thirteenth Peak, the candlelight flickering, everyone's expression grave.]

[They decided to jointly petition the Sect Master, Ye Cang, demanding a strict investigation of Chu Sheng.]

[The memorial was very long, listing evidence point by point from the moment Chu Sheng entered Wendao Palace, using harsh wording that struck at the heart.]

[Ye Cang was in secluded meditation and had not come out.]

[Ye Gucheng knew and remained silent for a long time.]

[He was waiting.]

[Waiting for Chu Sheng to reveal more trump cards, waiting for Daoist Master Xuan's Legacy to truly be bestowed, and waiting for the conflict between Feng Qingyang and Chu Sheng to reach a conclusion.]

[When Chu Sheng woke up on the Sixth Peak, it was already the third day.]

[He opened his eyes, saw the thatch on the bamboo hut's roof, and smelled a faint medicinal fragrance.]

[He tried to move; his whole body was sore, but the Dao Palace in his Dantian was still there, his Luck was still flowing, and the four swords of zhuxian were still present.]

[He breathed a sigh of relief; it was good to be alive.]

[Tangtang pushed the door open and entered, holding a candied hawthorn.]

[She walked to the bedside, handed him the candied hawthorn, and said, "Eat it, it's good for your body."]

[Chu Sheng looked at the bright red candied hawthorn, his mouth twitching slightly.]

[He took it and took a bite; it was sweet and sour, actually quite tasty.]

["The Ancestral Master wants to see you, alone," Tangtang said, her tone as flat as if she were saying the weather was nice.]

[Chu Sheng chewed on the hawthorn and asked indistinctly, "Now?"]

[Tangtang said, "Now."]

[Chu Sheng finished the candied hawthorn in a few bites, handed the bamboo skewer back to her, climbed out of bed, put on the cloth shoes someone had placed by the bed, and followed Tangtang out of the bamboo hut.]

[Yue Jianli was still standing at the door.]

[She leaned against the wall with her eyes closed; hearing the door, she opened them.]

[Her eyes were red, but she hadn't cried.]

[She looked at Chu Sheng without saying anything.]

[Chu Sheng reached out and rubbed her hair, saying, "It's fine now, go on."]

[Yue Jianli nodded, turned, and left. After a few steps, she looked back at him once, then quickened her pace and disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest.]

[On the Wendao Peak square, that dark-gold ancient bell hung quietly on the high platform.]

[Most of the copper rust had peeled off, revealing the smooth body of the bell beneath. Runes flowed under the sunlight as if they were alive.]

[Chu Sheng walked to the bell. Daoist Master Xuan's remnant soul drifted out from the bell's body, becoming a bit more solid, not looking as illusory as before.]

[He stared at Chu Sheng, a sharp light flashing in his cloudy old eyes.]

[Then he spoke, his voice raspy: "You have the aura of the Taixu True Scripture on you, and a familiar scent. What is your relationship with the Taixu Divine Sect?"]

[Chu Sheng was greatly shocked.]

[The Taixu True Scripture was the Old Grandfather's Cultivation Technique.]

[He thought he had hidden it well, with the Sword Qi of the zhu xian sword masking most of the aura, but in front of an old monster in the Divine Ability Realm, nothing could be hidden.]

[He was silent for a moment, then called the Old Grandfather out from the ring.]

[The Old Grandfather's phantom drifted out from the ring, becoming a bit more solid, with grey hair and a lean face.]

[He looked at Daoist Master Xuan, and Daoist Master Xuan looked at him.]

[Two remnant souls, separated by thousands of years, faced each other on the Wendao Peak square.]

[Daoist Master Xuan's pupils shrank suddenly: "Taixu? You're not dead yet?"]

[The Old Grandfather stroked his beard, the corners of his mouth curling slightly: "Aren't you also not dead?"]

[Well then, the world really is small.]