The Alarm Bell Tolling

This chapter features an increased update (for a lazy person like me), and it's also a way to make up for the missed chapter on May 4th. Please support me!

Bai Suzhen walked over step by step, immediately putting immense pressure on Liu Changqing. She was a master at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage! The whisk in her hand spun once again, creating an impenetrable barrier.

Bai Suzhen imbued the Azure Nether Sword in her hand with a seal and tossed it into her Storage Bag to prevent it from being reconnected to the other party's Divine Sense. Then, she stared expressionlessly at Liu Changqing, who was hiding in her whisk. The graceful white figure suddenly vanished from everyone's sight.

When she reappeared, Bai Suzhen was floating in the air like a white butterfly. Her two jade arms stretched out, her white clothes fluttered, and the silk ribbons binding her hair suddenly drifted away, causing her long black hair to move freely without wind. The sharp claws on her hands gradually grew longer, each claw wrapped with black evil energy, and the ten claws grew to more than a meter in length.

Against the backdrop of the burning firelight, Bai Suzhen resembled a female demon. The expert at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage Realm was about to make his move, and Liu Changqing was extremely nervous. He didn't know if the "White Yi Dust Brush," one of the Qingguang Sect's treasured Law Treasure, could withstand the attack.

"Hey!" A sharp shout suddenly rang out in the night sky, shaking all directions. Bai Suzhen turned and swung her claws headfirst down, cutting through the wind. Suddenly, black energy burst forth from her ten claws, forming a cone-shaped black light that rushed towards the wildly swirling white beard.

The black and white objects collided instantly, generating a powerful gust of wind that extinguished the flames burning all around the ground. Once the wind pressure subsided, the scorching objects reignited. Fortunately, someone was protecting the Yue Family of four; otherwise, the three ordinary people would have been seriously injured.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh..." As soon as the black light rushed in, the countless strands of dust immediately tried to envelop it. Bai Suzhen was trapped inside, her ten claws outstretched, and the gathered black light scattered and stirred in all directions. "Swish swish swish swish..." The black light was like sharp scissors, cutting off the dust as soon as it touched it. Before long, the white threads flew about, and the dust that had been swirling around was almost gone.

Liu Changqing was immediately terrified, never expecting that the Qingguang Sect's most treasured Law Treasure couldn't withstand a single attack. Little did he know that the claws Bai Suzhen wore were a supreme treasure of the fox clan; even ordinary cultivators wearing them could cleave mountains and shatter rocks with their power, let alone a late Tribulation Transcendence stage expert. If he were also at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage realm, perhaps he could have held out for a while.

The "White Yi Dust Brush" fell into Liu Changqing's hands and then encountered Bai Suzhen. This top-grade defensive Law Treasure was thus rendered useless, which was a pity, as it certainly didn't unleash its full power in his hands. Liu Changqing was on the verge of death and didn't care about the pity. He shot the handle of the horsespin towards Bai Suzhen, and with another flick of his long sleeve, four beams of purple light shot out to the four corners around him, instantly forming a semi-circular purple light screen that enveloped him. Then, he released a flying sword to protect his head.

The whisk handle was naturally no match for Bai Suzhen, and she flicked it away. She was also extremely familiar with the purple light screen that lit up below; it was the "Purple Light Demon Trapping Array" that had trapped her in the forbidden area of the Qingguang Sect for nearly two hundred years. However, how could this thing possibly stop her?

But this was Liu Zhengguang's last resort. Bai Suzhen raised her single claw and shot it straight at him. The purple light barrier rippled, and she passed right through it without breaking a sweat. Liu Changqing was shocked and rushed forward with his flying sword. "Clang!" The flying sword was instantly shredded into pieces by the oncoming claw, and five black beams shot out, completely enveloping Liu Changqing.

Liu Changqing was so frightened that his limbs went weak. He had nowhere to escape, and before he could react, his vision blurred, and he instantly lost consciousness. Bai Suzhen reached out and ripped his head off with her claws. She looked at him as if she had done something insignificant. Her bright eyes swept over the purple light barrier, and with a wave of her other claw, black light shot into the ground and stirred it up. The purple light barrier collapsed, and the Purple Light Demon Trapping Array was forcibly broken by her.

In a flash, a white figure appeared beside Yue Qianchou, Liu Changqing's head lying at his feet. Yue Qianchou had already stood up; aside from being a little pale, he showed no other apparent problem. This was clearly related to the inexplicable and mysterious effects of the golden pearl. Meanwhile, Guan Yu was still lying there!

"You bastard!" Xiao Yue Wuchou ran over and kicked Liu Changqing's head at his mother's feet, but ended up hurting his own foot and jumping around in pain, clutching his leg. A head still bleeding, especially with its wide-open, unseeing eyes, was too much for Xue Erniang to bear; she immediately turned her head away and vomited violently. Yue Changgui, however, let out a deep breath. Today's battle had truly opened his eyes; he now understood that the world his son lived in was beyond his imagination.

Yue Qianchou glanced at the figures lurking in the shadows in the distance, mostly local residents, and frowned, saying, "The commotion here is too loud; the Qingguang Sect might come looking for us. We must leave as soon as possible." He then shouted, "Assemble!"

More than three hundred people assembled as quickly as possible. Guan Yu, still unconscious, was supported by two Company Commander. Yue Qianchou said to Yue Changgui, "Father, it's all my fault for bringing trouble to the family. However, we can't stay here for now. I must take you to a safe place."

Yue Changgui nodded, then looked at the Yue Mansion, now reduced to ruins. This was the family fortune he had painstakingly built up over half a lifetime! He sighed with a touch of regret, "I understand, but there are still vast properties outside that were originally intended for you two brothers. It seems we'll have to give them up now!"

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn. Father, please believe in your son; we will surely have an even greater family fortune in the future. As for the external businesses, there's no need to give them up. Why not give them to the Yue Family clan? Consider it your contribution to the Lineage. What do you think?" Yue Qianchou asked. Although Yue Changgui was unwilling, he nodded in agreement, after all, it was better than throwing them away for nothing.

"Sister, take my mother and brother back to the Misty Palace first. I'll return shortly," Yue Qianchou said, instantly sending the three back with his Divine Sense. He then transferred his three hundred-plus subordinates as well. As his cultivation level increased, the number of people and things he could transfer to and from Utopia at once also increased.

Yue Changgui stared in disbelief. After Yue Qianchou finished, he said to him, "Father, I'll go back to the clan with you now to hand over all the family's assets." Yue Changgui nodded, and the father and son hurriedly left...

In the Qingguang Sect, a large bell hangs directly above the Qingguang Grand Hall. In the dead of night, without anyone striking it, the bell suddenly rang out three long, resounding "dong dong dong" sounds, echoing throughout the entire Qingguang Sect mountain peak. The entire Qingguang Sect erupted in commotion, and those who had been awakened rushed towards the Qingguang Grand Hall.

Why such a commotion? It's because this bell is extraordinary. Each successive leader of the Qingguang Sect would nurture such an alarm bell with their own natal Primordial Spirit, hanging it on the main beam of the Qingguang Grand Hall. If they stepped down from their position, the bell would be destroyed. This bell is intimately connected to the incumbent leader's physical body; if the leader passes away or dies unexpectedly, the bell will toll three times as a warning, ensuring that the death of a dignified sect leader goes unnoticed. And this bell, corresponding to Liu Changqing, suddenly rang in the dead of night—a grave omen.

A group of people were gathered outside the main hall when suddenly more than twenty people flew in from the back mountain, soaring over their heads and flashing directly into the Qingguang Grand Hall. The dozens of elders inside quickly made way for the newcomers and bowed in unison. For a moment, the entire Qingguang Grand Hall, both inside and out, became eerily quiet; not a single person spoke.

Standing at the head were two elderly men, seemingly older than the others behind them. These two were named Qing Nu and Qing Pu, the only two cultivators in the late Tribulation Transcendence stage Transcending realm from the Qingguang Sect. Originally, there were five, but the other three had perished in the previous battle against the Blood Demon Palace. Qing Nu looked around and asked in a deep voice, "Liu Changqing isn't in the Qingguang Sect?"

No one answered; in fact, no one knew where the sect leader had gone. Qing Pu cast a Method Formula towards the bell, causing it to glow with a blue light, displaying the geographical patterns of the Huaxia Empire. A fist-sized white light hovered in a certain spot, gradually dimming until it vanished, as if telling everyone below... I'm leaving! Farewell!

What did that white light represent? Everyone knew perfectly well: Sect Leader Liu Changqing was truly dead! Qing Pu stared at the large bell, his face ashen, and turned to Qing Nu, saying, "Senior Brother! It's Swallow City."

"Huh!" one of the elders exclaimed in surprise. Qing Pu turned around abruptly and asked, "Do you know something?" Everyone looked at the elder. That elder was one of the people who brought Wu Baoru and the others' dismembered bodies from outside yesterday; his name was Mu Yun.

"Greetings, Ancestor!" Mu Yun stepped forward and bowed, his expression hesitant, unsure whether he should say certain things. He knew that the sect leader's death was a major event, and saying the wrong thing could cause serious problems. Qing Pu frowned and said, "Just say whatever you know. No one will hold you accountable."

"Yes!" With Qing Pu's assurance, Mu Yun pondered for a moment and said, "Yesterday, when my junior brother and I brought the bodies of Liu Zhengguang and the other disciples, the sect leader insisted that Yue Qianchou was responsible. I remember the sect leader saying when he brought Yue Qianchou into the Qingguang Sect that Yue Qianchou was from Swallow City. Could the sect leader be..."

"Is that the disciple who joined Fu Xian Island and beat Liu Zhengguang in Hundred Flower Valley?" Qing Pu asked. Mu Yun nodded and said, "Exactly!"

"Hmph!" Qing Nu, standing to the side, looked around and sneered, "A bunch of scoundrels who only know how to seek petty gains and not the Great Dao. From the sect leader to the elders, from top to bottom, you've forced our disciples to join other sects. How impressive! I heard that disciple has extremely high talent. In less than ten years, his cultivation has already broken through to the Core Formation stage. If he were given a few more decades, the Cultivation World would produce another rising star. How can our Qingguang Sect not tolerate such an outstanding disciple? Where is justice? Hmph! If this continues, the Qingguang Sect will be destroyed by your hands sooner or later. I'm so angry!"

"Senior brother, now is not the time to talk about this. The key is to retrieve our sect's two most treasured Law Treasure. You stay here to guard them, and I'll take some men to check." Qing Pu advised, then frowned at the others and said, "Ten of you living in the back mountain, come with me!" He flew out of the Qingguang Grand Hall first, followed by ten others. The so-called "those living in the back mountain" were the seniors with cultivation Tribulation Transcendence stage who lived in the back mountain of the Qingguang Sect.

The eleven people flew swiftly through the air. At their speed, it would only take a few hours to travel from the Qingguang Sect to Swallow City. Generally, cultivators below the Nascent Soul Realm still need to Sword Flight. At the Nascent Soul Realm, they can fly on their own, though not truly soaring, and the speed is far slower. Nascent Soul Realm cultivators usually still Sword Flight. Only those at the Tribulation Transcendence stage can fly at high speed for extended periods without relying on flying swords or similar Law Artifact. Those at the late Tribulation Transcendence stage are naturally even more capable, able to teleport directly over short distances.

After several hours of rapid travel, dawn broke, and the eleven arrived at Swallow City, standing high in the air and looking down. A large mansion within the city still had embers of fire, thick smoke billowing up, making it exceptionally conspicuous. Many people were carrying water to fight the fire, preventing it from spreading to the surrounding houses. The Qing Pu pointed at the fire and shouted, "Get down!"

Eleven afterimages shot into the center of the ruins; their speed was naturally beyond the sight of ordinary people outside. Soon, the group found Liu Changqing, whose body was severed from his head. Qing Pu merely glanced at him indifferently. When someone brought out a bare whisk handle, Qing Pu's brows furrowed deeply. The value of the "White Yi Dust Brush" lay in its whisk; without it, could it still be considered a Law Treasure? Finally, the group scattered to search, but they still couldn't find the "Azure Nether Sword."

"Search carefully again!" Qing Pu ordered the group, then looked around. The house, when intact, was clearly quite large, not an ordinary dwelling. He teleported directly to the street outside, emerging from a secluded spot. Several elderly men stood by the street, obviously too old to help fight the fire like the younger ones. Qing Pu approached one of the men, cupped his hands in greeting, and smiled, "Old friend, whose house is this? How did it burn like this?"

The old man returned the greeting, looked the Qing Pu up and down, and said, "Brother, I'm afraid you're not a local? Otherwise, how could you not even know the Yue Family in this city?"

"I'm new here, but I've long admired the name of the richest man in Swallow City." The Qing Pu glanced at the mansion, whose fire had been brought under control, and asked, "Is this the Yue Family?"

"Who says otherwise! Alas! The Yue Family has always been charitable, but unexpectedly they have suffered such a misfortune. I heard that last night..." The old man turned around and was immediately stunned. There was clearly an old man talking to him just now, how could he have disappeared in the blink of an eye? Could it be that he was seeing things? The old man rubbed his eyes hard.

Back in the ruins, everyone gathered around, indicating that they still hadn't found it. Qing Pu nodded, glanced at the surrounding rubble, pondered for a moment, and slowly said, "Go back!" The eleven of them immediately soared into the sky.

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