142: Chapter 142 Some bells aren't meant to be rung, they're meant to be torn.

The Life-and-Death Stage was suspended above the sheer cliffs of the West Peak, firmly secured in mid-air by four profound iron chains as thick as a human wrist.

The mountain wind was biting, causing the robes of the watching Disciples to snap loudly, yet it could not disperse the solidified killing intent on the stage.

Lin Zixuan hovered in mid-air, stepping on a cyan Flying Sword, looking down from above.

He was dressed formally today, wearing a brocade robe with cloud patterns that shimmered with radiant light, his waist adorned with various jade pendants and sachets, and he held a palm-sized purple-gold bronze bell in his hand.

In contrast, Gu Yan stood on the bare stone stage, dressed in black tight-fitting attire, hands empty, looking like a butcher who had wandered into an arena.

"Country bumpkin." Lin Zixuan spat out these three words and pointed his fingertip.

Swish! The Flying Sword beneath his feet instantly split—one into two, two into four—and in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a sky full of cyan sword rain, accompanied by a sharp whistle that tore through the air, sweeping toward Gu Yan like an overwhelming tide.

"The Thousand Light Sword Technique! Senior Brother Lin is using a killing Move right from the start!"

"It's over, this Body Cultivator doesn't even have a place to hide..."

The exclamations from below had not yet faded when Gu Yan moved.

He did not dodge, but instead stepped forward, meeting the sky-filling sword rain.

Thud. As this step landed, the entire suspended Life-and-Death Stage sank abruptly, and the four iron chains emitted a teeth-grinding, strained groan.

Gu Yan pulled his right arm back, the great Dragon of his spine instantly tensed, and his entire body resembled a fully drawn powerful bow.

He threw a punch. Boom!

The air in front of his fist was compressed to the extreme, and then exploded.

There were no flashy Moves; the terrifying blast of air created solely by his punch wind actually formed a visible, transparent ripple in mid-air.

Crackle, crackle. The cyan sword shadows that had been so aggressive collided with this blast of air as if hitting an invisible wall, shattering into a sky full of spiritual light.

Lin Zixuan's pupils constricted slightly, and the Flying Sword beneath his feet let out a mournful cry, flying backward.

"Is that all you've got?" Gu Yan stood where he was and blew away non-existent dust from his fist. "If that's the case, then that 'get lost' you said earlier must be returned to you."

The crowd below was deathly silent. Shattering a mid-tier spell with one punch? Is this even human?

The high-and-mighty expression on Lin Zixuan's face could no longer be maintained; a flush of crimson surged onto his cheeks—it was shame and anger.

"You're courting death!" He violently raised the purple-gold bronze bell in his hand. "Soul-locking!"

Hum— The bronze bell grew in the wind, transforming into a size of three zhang, hanging over Gu Yan's head.

On the body of the bell, countless hideous ghost-face reliefs seemed to come alive, all opening their mouths simultaneously to emit a silent screech.

This was no ordinary sound. This was a strangulation targeting the Divine Soul.

Some Disciples with lower cultivation below instantly turned pale, clutching their ears as they collapsed in pain, blood flowing from their nostrils.

Gu Yan, at the center of the bell's toll, stiffened abruptly.

In his field of vision, the world began to distort, with countless overlapping images. It felt as if someone had stuffed a handful of burning red gravel into his brain, and every friction stimulated his most sensitive nerves.

[Warning! Undergoing high-intensity mental attack!] [System firewall activated... Interception rate 30%... 60%...]

Two streams of warm liquid gushed from Gu Yan's nasal cavity, dripping down his chin onto his black lapels, instantly spreading.

"Hahaha! So what if you're a Body Cultivator?" Lin Zixuan laughed wildly at the sight, frantically casting hand seals. The bronze bell's rotation accelerated, and the sound waves surged like a tsunami, one wave higher than the last. "A weak Divine Soul is the fatal weakness of you barbarians! Kneel! Beg me! Perhaps I can give you a quick death!"

Gu Yan kept his head lowered, his shoulders trembling slightly. Lin Zixuan thought he was afraid and laughed even more arrogantly.

But in the next second, Gu Yan raised his head. There was no fear on that blood-stained face, only a hair-raising excitement. He bared his teeth, which were stained red with blood, making them appear exceptionally stark white.

"You're too noisy." Gu Yan bent his legs slightly, and two deep craters instantly exploded into the rocky ground beneath his feet.

Bang! His entire body, like a black cannonball, ignored the sound waves capable of shattering metal and stone, and shot into the sky.

"What?!" Lin Zixuan was greatly shocked, instinctively wanting to retract the bronze bell to protect himself. It was too late.

Gu Yan's figure had already appeared beside the bronze bell. He did not attack Lin Zixuan, but instead opened his arms and, as if embracing a giant millstone, fiercely hugged the roaring bronze bell.

Sizzle, sizzle— The protective spiritual light on the surface of the bronze bell frantically scorched Gu Yan's skin, emitting a sound like roasting meat. Gu Yan did not even frown.

"Get... down!" He exerted force from his waist and abdomen in mid-air, his immense Divine Power erupting, and he actually dragged the floating Magic Treasure, crashing down toward the ground with it.

Rumble! The Life-and-Death Stage shook violently. The bronze bell was smashed heavily onto the ground, half of its body embedded into the stone.

Affected by the connection to his Qi, Lin Zixuan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale. "You... you're crazy! That's a quasi-Magic Treasure! You want to resist it with your Physical Body?"

Gu Yan stepped on the bronze bell with one foot, his hands gripping the edge of the bell's mouth.

"Magic Treasure?" Gu Yan's arm muscles bulged, blue veins protruding like coiled Dragons, and a layer of eerie black-red Evil Qi surfaced on his skin.

"In my eyes, this is just a pile of scrap metal."

"Open!" Accompanied by a low roar, Gu Yan tore his arms outward fiercely.

Creak... creak... The teeth-grinding sound of metal twisting rang throughout the entire arena.

In the terrified eyes of everyone, that indestructible purple-gold bronze bell actually began to deform and twist under Gu Yan's monstrous strength.

The ghost-face reliefs on the bell's body seemed to be in fear as well, emitting mournful wails.

Snap! A crisp sound. A crack burst open on the surface of the bronze bell. Following that was a second, a third...

"No! Stop!" Lin Zixuan's mind was connected to it; his head felt like it was splitting apart. That was the prototype of his Lifebound Treasure!

Gu Yan turned a deaf ear, his internal True Essence mixing with Evil Qi, erupting with power that exceeded the limits of Foundation Establishment.

Rip! With a loud bang, the quasi-Magic Treasure level soul-locking bell was actually torn in half by him!

Spiritual light exploded, and fragments scattered everywhere. Pfft! Lin Zixuan sprayed a stream of blood toward the sky and collapsed, withered, to the ground. With his Lifebound Treasure destroyed, his Divine Soul suffered heavy damage instantly, and even standing became an extravagant hope.

Gu Yan casually threw the two halves of scrap metal onto the ground, making two loud "clang" sounds.

He shook off the blood and metal debris from his hands and walked step by step toward the limp Lin Zixuan.

"You... don't come over..." Lin Zixuan looked at the blood-soaked figure, who resembled a demon god, and finally understood what fear was. He scrambled backward using his hands and feet, a wet patch spreading at his crotch.

"Weren't you shouting quite happily just now?" Gu Yan walked up to him and raised his foot. Crunch. Lin Zixuan's right knee shattered.

"Ah—!" The scream had just begun when it was stomped back into his throat by a large foot pressing onto his face.

Gu Yan stepped on the face of this Lin family Young Lord, grinding down with force until he heard the sound of the nasal bone breaking.

He did not kill him. Killing him would be too easy, and it would invite a crazy counterattack from the Lin family. Keeping this cripple alive and letting him watch as he slowly encroached upon the Lin family would be the greatest cruelty.

Gu Yan raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the silent crowd below. Finally, his eyes rested on the corner of the spectator stand, on the Lin family Elder, whose face was livid and who was trembling all over.

Gu Yan pointed at the still-twitching Lin Zixuan beneath his feet, and then pointed at the pile of scrap metal.

"This bell, the quality is not good." "Remember to send a sturdier one next time."

After saying this, he kicked Lin Zixuan off the Life-and-Death Stage like a bag of trash.

"Who else?" These three words echoed over the West Peak, lingering for a long time. No one dared to respond.