Golden Ancient Emperor

Golden Ancient Emperor

Tempering the Hegemonic Bell was far more difficult than tempering the Vajra Ring.

Zhou Tong first used the seven-colored flames within the Fire Domain to completely melt the Divine Scar Purple Gold Pagoda. Then, he directly cast the Hegemonic Bell he had tempered with Divine Patterns into the melted Divine Mark Purple Gold.

"Crack!"

A shattering sound rang out. The Hegemonic Bell forged from Divine Patterns simply could not withstand the power of the Divine Mark Purple Gold. Crushed by the immense weight of over a million jin of Divine Mark Purple Gold, it shattered and mixed into the molten Divine Mark Purple Gold.

"The shattered bell and the Divine Mark Purple Gold solution are merging together. This is a good thing—without destruction, there can be no rebirth!" Zhou Tong immediately began continuously tempering the Divine Mark Purple Gold solution infused with the shattered bell using his mind.

He was not restoring the Hegemonic Bell now. What he needed to do was shatter this Hegemonic Bell formed from Dao patterns even more thoroughly, allowing it to fuse perfectly with the Divine Mark Purple Gold solution.

The Hegemonic Bell had originally been forged from the Divine Patterns born within Zhou Tong's body. Shattering it like this was practically like crushing his own body. Every round of tempering made Zhou Tong's entire body quake violently, as though he felt it himself.

Yet he circulated the Front Character Secret. Threads of nine-colored light radiated from his glabella as he immersed his entire mind within it, tempering without pause.

With the aid of the seven-colored flames, the Hegemonic Bell condensed from the Dao patterns within Zhou Tong's body had long since vanished without a trace, completely and perfectly merging into the pool of Divine Mark Purple Gold solution.

It's time to forge the bell anew! Zhou Tong silently said to himself.

Zhou Tong slowly withdrew a portion of the seven-colored flames. At once, the Divine Mark Purple Gold solution began to take shape and solidify again.

As expected of immortal gold—it can take shape again so quickly! Zhou Tong silently remarked. Then he swiftly moved, transforming his mind into divine consciousness and continuing to hammer the Divine Mark Purple Gold.

After several consecutive days of hammering, this piece of Divine Mark Purple Gold soon took the form of the Hegemonic Bell once more.

Naturally, this was only a rough blank and still required further tempering.

Over the next stretch of time, Zhou Tong repeatedly drew upon the seven-colored flames to temper it, striving to ensure that the Hegemonic Bell's form contained not the slightest flaw.

At last, after half a month of tempering, a complete Hegemonic Bell appeared before Zhou Tong.

It was a bell roughly one and a half meters tall, purple throughout. It floated quietly at Zhou Tong's side, like an eternal blue sky sinking down, yet also like the vicissitudes of time rising and falling, emanating an indescribable aura.

The bell was solid and thick. Every inch was crystalline and translucent, flickering with purple light and dazzling like a purple diamond. Strands of patterns covered its surface, as if carefully carved there by deities. These were the so-called Divine Scars.

"Divine Scar Purple Gold Bell—and an entirely new Hegemonic Bell!" Zhou Tong smiled, then lightly struck the bell with his palm.

"Dong!"

In an instant, a vast, resonant sound rippled outward for hundreds of li. The sound even shook the Fire Domain. Countless cultivators refining treasures there were jolted by the bell chime, causing their treasures to explode with a bang.

"Good! Good! Good! Now this has a trace of the Hegemonic Bell's bearing!" Zhou Tong was greatly satisfied with the Hegemonic Bell's current power and stored it back in his Dao Palace Realm.

Having advanced into the Dao Palace Realm, the Hegemonic Bell naturally needed to be nurtured within the Dao Palace Realm.

"I've already spent half a year in this Fire Domain. It's time to break through to the fourth level of the Dao Palace Realm!" Zhou Tong immediately left the Fire Domain. He found a secluded corner, dug out a cave abode in a barren mountain, set down several formations and restrictions, and swiftly entered seclusion.

For a full half month, mysterious Dao Sounds continually echoed through this originally desolate valley, as if someone were chanting a supreme Dao scripture, or as if ancient sages were comprehending the Dao here.

Fortunately, Zhou Tong had set up formations and restrictions nearby, preventing those mysterious Dao Sounds from leaving the valley. Otherwise, no matter how remote this place was, someone might have found it.

Within Zhou Tong's Dao Palace, the five divine treasures trembled in unison. His "Past Self" and "Dao Self" seemed to truly manifest, continuously drawing upon heaven and earth as they comprehended the natural Dao.

Chanting scriptures for the self of this life, existing alongside heaven and earth; making wishes for the self of this age, penetrating the life master, immortal in the present age.

Whether it was his past self or the self that existed alongside the Dao, at this moment both were drawing upon the world of the Great Dao, transforming his very being.

The profound sounds of the Great Dao resounded throughout the valley.

Yet it was difficult to truly distinguish their sound or understand their meaning. One could only feel their unfathomable mystery.

Only a month later did those mysterious Dao Sounds finally cease. By then, Zhou Tong had also emerged from seclusion, having reached the fourth level of the Dao Palace Realm.

"The fourth level of the Dao Palace Realm. My divine power has grown even deeper... It's time to go further!" With a thought, Zhou Tong finally activated the Reincarnation Mirror once again, and its target remained the White Tiger Divine Medicine.

In truth, whether it was the White Tiger Divine Medicine or the Bodhi Seed, both were immense treasure troves containing immeasurable ancient scriptures. In particular, they had once accompanied Great Emperors, witnessing at close range the scenes of Great Emperors comprehending the Dao, watching at close range the entire process of Great Emperors expounding the Dao, and even seeing at close range the process by which Great Emperors transmitted their teachings!

Any one of these was among the most precious sights in the world.

Others had no way of knowing such things, but Zhou Tong's Reincarnation Mirror could recreate all of them. All Zhou Tong needed to do was pour in enough divine power...

"The last time I viewed the White Tiger Divine Medicine, I relied on the power of the Divine Spring in the Primordial Forbidden Land, which was why I could see the divine medicine's origin—the White Tiger Immortal King. This time, I'll continue examining the White Tiger Divine Medicine's memories of its previous life!" Zhou Tong silently said to himself.

The White Tiger Divine Medicine's previous life was rich with experiences. Who knew how many tens of thousands of years ago it had been, or how many masters it had changed hands through? Yet all of it was contained within those memories from that life.

The Reincarnation Mirror flashed.

It was as though a hand had polished the treasured mirror clean, and an image slowly emerged before Zhou Tong's eyes.

"This is... a Great Emperor? No, an Ancient Emperor!" Zhou Tong's eyes suddenly lit up.

He had not expected the White Tiger Divine Medicine to have followed an Ancient Emperor in its previous life as well!

This was a figure entirely golden in color. Golden light surged from his body into the heavens, illuminating hundreds of millions of li. He was resplendent as if cast from gold, with radiant clouds piercing through the sun and moon. Majestic and powerful, he emanated roaring golden blood energy.

"The Golden Ancient Emperor... I never expected it to be this Ancient Emperor!" Zhou Tong's eyes shone as excitement grew within him. He had actually seen the Golden Ancient Emperor—and the Golden Ancient Emperor after attaining the Dao.

Perhaps I can obtain the Golden Ancient Emperor's emperor scripture? Zhou Tong quickly began browsing through the scene.

He was not especially interested in the Golden Ancient Emperor's life experiences, but he was immensely interested in the Golden Ancient Emperor's scriptures and various secret arts.

Yet after watching for a long time, he did not see what he wanted to see. The Golden Ancient Emperor merely sat there, comprehending the Dao.

Zhou Tong was still too weak. For existences on the level of Great Emperors and Ancient Emperors, a single session of comprehending the Dao might last hundreds or even thousands of years. Through the Reincarnation Mirror, he could only see less than two hundred years. If those two hundred years were spent comprehending the Dao, then all Zhou Tong could see was that person sitting there.

Hurry up! I want to see the Golden Ancient Emperor's secret arts and scriptures! Zhou Tong continued watching.

Finally, just as the two hundred years came to an end, the Golden Ancient Emperor moved.

Zhou Tong could not care about anything else. He directly refined some source, swiftly replenished his divine power, then once again poured divine power into the Reincarnation Mirror and activated it to continue watching from where he had left off.

Next, the Golden Ancient Emperor seemed to say something outside, but Zhou Tong could not understand it.

Soon afterward, someone entered from outside.

This person somewhat resembled the Golden Ancient Emperor. He was likely the Golden Ancient Emperor's son.

The Golden Ancient Emperor chattered away with his son for a while. Then his son sat cross-legged to one side, while the Golden Ancient Emperor began to speak—

"#%...%￥*&..."

Clearly, as the Golden Ancient Emperor spoke, his son seemed to gain some insight. He immediately began nodding, and his aura gradually began to grow stronger...

Damn it, that's the Golden Clan's exclusive language... I can't understand it! Zhou Tong was filled with frustration. A complete Ancient Emperor scripture was right before his eyes, yet he could not understand it!

"He's transmitting teachings. The Golden Ancient Emperor is definitely transmitting teachings!" Zhou Tong had already confirmed it.

This son of the Golden Ancient Emperor had likely been born before the Golden Ancient Emperor attained the Dao. Now that the Golden Ancient Emperor had attained the Dao and fused with the Heavenly Heart Imprint, his perspective had broadened tremendously, and he had further revised his ancient scripture.

The scene Zhou Tong had seen earlier, with him comprehending the Dao, was likely the Golden Ancient Emperor further improving his scripture. Now, he was clearly passing that scripture on to his son.

What a pity—I can't understand it... Zhou Tong still felt some regret.

Among the Primordial Myriad Clans, aside from certain races with very few members, clans that possessed their own home planets generally had their own racial languages.

Zhou Tong had long mastered the common language of the Primordial era.

He had watched scenes from that era many times through the Reincarnation Mirror, amounting to several thousand years in total. With images and memories spanning thousands of years, mastering one language was child's play.

But this exclusive language of the Golden Clan was the first time he had heard it.

Zhou Tong simply could not understand the language.

It doesn't matter if I can't understand it. I only need to record this scene completely! Zhou Tong silently said to himself. Then I can just capture an Ancient Creature related to the Golden Clan and make it teach me the Golden Clan's language!

Perhaps if I watch more of the Golden Ancient Emperor's life, I might be able to learn this language myself?