"A cracked bell? You think that's just a cracked bell? If my guess is right, that’s an artifact from myths and legends tens of thousands of years old. You don't believe me? Go ahead and try. If you can leave so much as a scratch on it, then this old life of mine is yours!" Upon hearing Dugu Bacen’s assessment of the treasure he had spent three millennia studying to no avail, Old Zhuo Long immediately burst out shouting...

"You said it!" Dugu Bacen scoffed, yet he merely pointed a single finger. A streak of purple blade light tore through the air, slamming viciously into the small, cyan-colored bell. Immediately, a crisp clang echoed...

The blade light shattered instantly, vanishing without a trace, while the small bell remained utterly unmarked...

Seeing this, Dugu Bacen’s expression shifted slightly. His blade qi was capable of cleaving metal and splitting stone; even the incredibly resilient shell of a giant scorpion was like tofu under his attack. How could this object be so tough?

Refusing to believe it, Dugu Bacen continuously unleashed several more bursts of blade qi. Yet, no matter how much force he exerted, the cyan bell refused to show a single mark...

Finally, Dugu Bacen made a gesture with one hand. The Heavenly Sovereign Blade, which had been resting on Ye Jingyu’s back, flew directly into his grasp...

In an instant, the purple blade light intensified dramatically, countless bolts of lightning flickering along the blade's edge, unleashing an aura brimming with absolute destruction...

For the first time, Ye Jingyu felt the immense power contained within the Heavenly Sovereign Blade. His face looked strangely ethereal under the purple glow, and his eyes registered pure astonishment...

The Heavenly Sovereign Blade roared ceaselessly, seemingly excited to be back in Dugu Bacen's hands. The cyan bell was tossed into the air by Zhuo Long, and Dugu Bacen let out a great shout, raising the blade with both hands to strike down upon the small bell...

A stream of purple lightning, resembling a massive waterfall, descended from the sky. The sheer area covered by this lightning spanned hundreds of meters, akin to a celestial river crashing down...

Innumerable arcs of lightning instantly converged into a colossal blade manifestation, which then condensed onto the body of the Heavenly Sovereign Blade, slashing toward the small bell with unparalleled might...

Time seemed to halt at this moment; the void cracked under the pressure. Between heaven and earth, there seemed to be nothing besides this single strike...

Was this the power of 'Imperial Thunder Sky-Breaker'?

For the first time, Ye Jingyu witnessed the true potency of the technique under Dugu Bacen’s command. Compared to when he himself used it, the difference was like night and day...

Clang... With a sharp resonance, the Heavenly Sovereign Blade struck the cyan bell heavily. Countless crackling bolts of lightning bombarded the object. Even a massive mountain, faced with such devastating force, would surely be pulverized, but the small bell merely emitted a low hum, completely absorbing the lightning...

The ancient bell remained pristine, without even a scratch. Instead, a hairline fracture actually appeared on the body of the Heavenly Sovereign Blade itself...

Witnessing this, Ye Jingyu was stunned. It wasn't just him; even Dugu Bacen wore an expression of utter disbelief. No one understood the power of that single strike better than he did, yet even this ultimate attack failed to shatter the small bell, or even mar its surface. What in the world was this forged from?

Even Zhuo Long, seeing this, displayed a look of profound reluctance. This was a treasure capable of withstanding Dugu Bacen’s full-power strike—how could he have given it away?

Even he had not anticipated the cyan bell’s staggering resilience...

If he had known, even if he knew he couldn't use the thing, he never would have gifted it to Ye Jingyu...

"Not bad, not bad, truly a treasure. Disciple, keep it safe; it will surely serve a great purpose in the future..." Seeing the ancient cyan bell completely unharmed, Dugu Bacen suddenly rejoiced. As if fearing Zhuo Long might change his mind, he snatched the cyan bell and tossed it directly to Ye Jingyu...

Ye Jingyu caught the small bell, intending to store it in his Cosmic Pouch, when unexpectedly, the bell transformed into a streak of flowing light and dove straight into his body...

Zhuo Long was instantly astonished. He had studied this bell for three millennia without any change, yet in Ye Jingyu's hands, it suddenly transformed into a light beam?

Dugu Bacen also marveled at the sight. Could this treasure have been specifically awaiting the arrival of its destined one? And was Ye Jingyu that destined person?

As for Ye Jingyu, he only felt a sharp pain in his head, and then he saw within his Sea of Consciousness, a colossal ancient bell—the exact form of the cyan artifact...

Ever since his two primary souls had shattered, his Fate Soul had completely merged within. Ye Jingyu’s soul was now tightly bound to it, and his Sea of Consciousness had expanded significantly. However, this inner world had always been a bleak, hazy gray, devoid of sky or earth, just endless shades of gray...

But now, with the entry of this great cyan bell, a single thread of cyan permeated the gray expanse...

Moreover, the ancient bell began to rotate slowly, absorbing the surrounding gray mist...

Sensing all this, Ye Jingyu was uncertain what the future held. He tried to use his divine sense to probe the bell's structure, but no matter how hard he tried, in his consciousness, it remained merely a slightly denser antique bell. It was impossible to summon it, let alone utilize it...

"Alas, let's go..." Seeing that the small bell had merged into Ye Jingyu’s core, Zhuo Long sighed, grabbed the lotus-shaped leaf, and headed toward the center of the Blue Dream Marsh with the dragon...

"Master, is that Zhuo Long? Why is he just one person?" After Zhuo Long departed, Ye Jingyu voiced the doubt that had been troubling him...

"That was merely an emanation of his divine thought. His true body is still trapped in the center of the Blue Dream Marsh. Very well, you should return soon, cultivate diligently, and prepare for the Battle of Soul Contests a year from now..." Dugu Bacen said lightly, his figure slowly beginning to fade...

Seeing Dugu Bacen’s silhouette vanish, Ye Jingyu lingered no longer and turned to rush outward...

When he reached Ni Bo, the steed had recovered much of its strength. Man and mount moved on without delay, speeding toward Yun Jing City at full gallop...

However, when man and mount finally reached Yun Jing, they found the entire city shrouded in smoke and chaos, clearly under siege...

(Fourth update complete, brothers, please give more support!)