Chapter 391 - 24: Soul-Burying Bell
「The Mysterious Secret Realm.」
On another island, inside an exquisite pavilion.
A stunningly beautiful woman, tall and alluring, sat cross-legged. A powerful demonic aura, thick and potent, flowed from her. Before her, a dark gold, serrated saber hovered silently in the air.
This woman was Yan Shutong.
Just as Fang Cheng and the others activated the Profound City Five Spirits Grand Array to begin refining the Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier, Yan Shutong’s beautiful eyes snapped open, and she gazed into the distance.
’So, it has finally begun...’
She muttered to herself. The Demon Saber before her let out a hum of what sounded like excitement, its ring echoing endlessly through the pavilion.
...
For more than a year, Fang Cheng personally witnessed the crucial steps as Master Shengyu, the Feather Race Dharma Master, refined the Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier.
The initial forging of the Feather Divine Soldier’s body must have been completed long ago. After they seized the Demon Suppression Stele from the Black Jade Demon City, the Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier entered its final stage of refinement.
The Profound City Five Spirits Grand Array was activated at full power, producing energy fluctuations that far surpassed Fang Cheng’s imagination. The sheer power was a hundred times greater than what Fang Cheng himself could generate when wielding his Tier Four Feather Divine Soldier.
’This Grand Array and the Mysterious Secret Realm itself are anything but simple.’
With the support of the Profound City Five Spirits Grand Array, Master Shengyu successfully forged a "Thunder Pool" within the chest of the Feather Divine Soldier.
The process was long, but for Fang Cheng, the opportunity to observe it was immensely rewarding.
Afterward, Master Shengyu took out a Talisman crackling with lightning and fused it with the Feather Divine Soldier.
Fang Cheng had two Profound Yellow Cloud Smoke Talismans himself, so he was particularly sensitive to the aura of Fifth-grade Talismans.
The moment Master Shengyu produced the talisman, Fang Cheng sensed it. ’This is definitely a Fifth-grade Talisman, too!’
’To think there are still Fifth-grade Talismans in the Xuanyu Realm...’
’It must have been left behind by a powerful Feather Race expert from the past.’
’After all, no new Tribulation Realm Cultivators have been born in this realm since the Demon Tribulation began.’
’Right now, the only ones close to the Tribulation Realm are the father-son duo, Marquis Yan and Marquis Li.’
’No wonder they aren’t concerned about an outsider like me watching them refine the Feather Divine Soldier... It makes sense. With my current Cultivation, even if I had the method, I wouldn’t have the means to even begin!’
’From a purely material standpoint, a single Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier contains four Fifth-rank Magical Artifacts and one Fifth-grade Talisman.’
’And that’s not even mentioning the Profound Iron Immortal Gold used for the body, which is likely a natural treasure on par with a Fifth-rank Magical Artifact itself.’
’Such a monumental undertaking is absolutely impossible for a single Cultivator to achieve.’
「Several months later.」
The Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier was finally complete, which meant Fang Cheng’s role in the matter was over.
He, Ling Yan, and Lingyi left the Mysterious Secret Realm and returned to their respective residences to rest and recuperate.
Not long after, Master Shengyu also departed the Secret Realm, heading straight back to the Profound City Demon City.
Profound City Demon City was Marquis Li’s domain, and it was where Master Shengyu spent most of his time.
Within the Secret Realm, only Madam Qi remained.
She sat cross-legged beneath the towering Feather Divine Soldier, slowly regulating her energy.
Refining a Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier was not something that could be accomplished overnight. Fortunately, she was in the Mysterious Secret Realm, which could reduce the required time by two-thirds compared to the outside world.
The political situation in the realm was tense.
Marquis Yan could take the final step and ascend to the Tribulation Realm at any moment.
When that happened, a battle between Marquis Yan and Marquis Li would be inevitable.
If she could finish refining this Feather Divine Soldier beforehand, she would undoubtedly be a huge asset to Marquis Li in the future.
...
On her island, Yan Shutong let out a long breath, rose to her feet, and walked out of the pavilion.
The island she occupied was also named Xuanchen.
Besides her, the island was home to many Ascetic Practitioners. All of them had come here to cultivate, willing to expend their lifespan at three times the normal rate for the chance of a massive, short-term boost in their Cultivation.
Yan Shutong had taken Ling Yan’s Jade Pendant from Fang Cheng, using it to smoothly enter this Secret Realm from Xuanchen Palace. She had already been cultivating here for several years.
She had chosen the path of refining a Celestial Demon Origin. Though incredibly perilous, her cultivation speed far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
Now, she had shockingly reached the Mid-stage Life Soul Cultivation, and her power had skyrocketed to more than ten times what it was before she arrived.
’Unfortunately, according to the original plan, I could have cultivated here for a while longer...’
Yan Shutong’s gaze swept across the vast, churning river, settling on the island where the Tier Five Feather Divine Soldier stood.
She calmly took out a small black bell. With a gentle shake, it let out a single, clear ring.
Viewed from high above, a pitch-black Demon Ring could be seen rapidly expanding outward with Yan Shutong at its center.
Yan Shutong grit her teeth. Just that one shake of the bell caused the color to drain slightly from her face. Clearly, wielding this treasure was a great drain on her vital energy.
Her eyes fixed on the distance, she continued to shake the bell.
...
On the other island, Madam Qi, who was focusing all her effort on refining the Feather Divine Soldier, suddenly heard the clear ring of a bell.
For some reason, upon hearing the bell, the eyes of this mighty Dharma Realm Cultivator immediately glazed over with confusion.
A thick Demon Fog billowed out from behind her. Within it, the spectral form of a Demon Snake flickered in and out of view, its cold eyes scanning its surroundings.
’This is bad... This is...’
Madam Qi snapped out of her stupor. Stunned, she whipped her head around to look toward Xuanchen Island.
"Why is Marquis Yan’s Soul-Burying Bell here?!"
As she watched in horror, the bell rang again.
This was not the first time she had heard the ringing of the Soul-Burying Bell, the infamous Fifth-rank Magical Artifact of the Xuanyu Realm.
Each time, she had paid a grievous price.
The Soul-Burying Bell specialized in attacking the soul.
It was especially effective against Demon Cultivators like her, who had refined a Celestial Demon’s origin soul and thus harbored a latent vulnerability within their own.
As the Soul-Burying Bell rang, the already-injured Madam Qi’s expression instantly turned grim.
’Marquis Yan actually dared to send someone to infiltrate the Mysterious Secret Realm with a Fifth-rank Magical Artifact... Is he insane?’
’Doesn’t he know that once inside the Mysterious Secret Realm, not even a Peak Dharma Phase Cultivator can escape!’
A cold sneer appeared on Madam Qi’s face as she rose into the air, her gaze fixed on Xuanchen Island.
HISS...
Just as she prepared to strike, the Void Demon Snake behind her slithered out of the Demon Fog. Under the influence of the Soul-Burying Bell’s chime, it began to expand rapidly.
Madam Qi’s slender brows furrowed. Her hands flashed through a series of seals as she activated a Secret Technique, attempting to suppress the injury to her soul.
At the same time, she began chanting an incantation, kneeling and bowing toward the distant, mountain-sized Jade Toad.
Within the Secret Realm, the great, churning river instantly froze solid.
So too did time itself within the Secret Realm.
Only Madam Qi herself remained unaffected.
Madam Qi rose slowly to her feet. The Void Demon Snake behind her struggled reluctantly before shrinking and retreating into the pitch-black Demon Fog.
She then rose gracefully into the air and flew toward Xuanchen Island.
She was eager to see who had brought Marquis Yan’s Fifth-rank Magical Artifact to launch this sneak attack.
But just then, the unexpected happened!
Another crisp ring from the bell echoed throughout the Secret Realm.
The black Demon Ring, ethereal and indistinct, expanded at a terrifying speed.
The frozen river began to surge once more.
Madam Qi was dumbstruck. Disbelief filled her eyes, and a deep chill shot through her heart.
"How is this possible..."
Before the words had left her lips, the soul of the Void Demon Snake erupted from behind her again. It opened its gaping maw and lunged, trying to swallow her whole.
...