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Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

After the Chen Bell rang seven times, Li Gan felt the Internal Breath within him stir restlessly, growing extraordinarily lively.

Stimulated by the Bell Sound, it became far easier to mobilize his Internal Breath than usual.

He only stopped after practicing the Sword Piercing Fist several times.

Feeling the increasingly powerful Internal Breath within his body, a knowing smile appeared on his face.

There were generally two methods for transforming Internal Breath into Internal Force.

The first was to accumulate Internal Breath to the utmost limit, then repeatedly and passively temper it through a basic fist art like the Sword Piercing Fist until it finally transformed into Internal Force.

This method was extremely difficult and time-consuming.

Even Menial Disciples would not choose it.

If one lingered too long at the Internal Breath stage, the chances of becoming a Ranked Martial Artist later would plummet.

A person only had a little more than ten years at their peak.

According to Elder Song, if one could not become a Ranked Martial Artist before the age of twenty-five, there was basically no hope left.

One absolutely could not delay too long at the stage of transforming Internal Breath into Internal Force.

The step from Internal Force to Internal Qi would be a hundred times more difficult.

The second method was to use a specialized Force Transformation Method.

It could accelerate the transformation of Internal Breath into Internal Force.

Force Transformation Methods required Contribution Points to exchange for, so Menial Disciples all desperately saved up their points.

Menial Disciples also privately traded Force Transformation Methods among themselves, where they were much cheaper.

The Divine Sword Sect turned a blind eye to it, so long as no one went too far.

Force Transformation Methods were not especially precious. If it were a true internal cultivation art, however, things would be different; restrictions on passing it outside the sect were extremely strict.

"Elder Song said he has a Force Transformation Method. As long as I cultivate my Internal Breath until it runs through eight of the Twelve Standard Meridians, I can practice it. I've already cultivated through five of the Twelve Standard Meridians, so only three remain. Elder Song said that reaching eight meridians within three years would already be quite impressive. If I can cultivate through all Twelve Standard Meridians within three years, that should be even better, right?"

Li Gan thought to himself.

If he used the first method, passive transformation, then he would have to cultivate through all Twelve Standard Meridians. The difficulty would increase by more than tenfold.

The benefit was that cultivating through all of them would help him become a Ranked Martial Artist later on.

It was simply far too difficult.

Li Gan still wanted to give it a try.

With the Bell Sound of the Chen Bell assisting his cultivation, his chances of success were quite high.

Though it would delay the time it took him to become a Ranked Martial Artist, he was different from the others. With the sacrificial tool Chen Bell, he had no need to worry about his body aging or his vital blood drying up.

In any case, he was peacefully striking the bell atop this mountain. No trouble or danger would come his way.

Unless some great upheaval occurred within the Divine Sword Sect.

Besides, as long as he struck the bell step by step as he should, the sacrificial tool Chen Bell could also level up. It would surely bring him unexpected surprises.

"Tomorrow will be the hundredth day. I'm looking forward to it."

Li Gan glanced at the System Interface. The Chen Bell's Refining Progress had already reached (99/100).

In other words, as long as he struck it once more tomorrow, the Chen Bell would level up.

It had not been easy.

He had already stayed on this mountain for nearly four months.

During that time, he had not gone down the mountain even once.

He had been living completely cut off from the world.

The only person he could usually speak to was Elder Song.

Yet he did not find it dull, monotonous, tedious, or boring in the slightest.

Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had possessed the temperament of a homebody in his previous life.

The next day.

The third quarter of the Yin Hour.

Li Gan opened his eyes right on time.

He was like a wound-up alarm clock now, waking punctually every day.

Early to bed and early to rise—habit became second nature.

This kind of regular life was indeed quite nice.

It also helped one maintain an even state of mind.

After washing up, he began simmering medicinal congee. Elder Song had always made it before.

Over the past month, Li Gan had taken the task over himself.

In his previous life, he had never cooked for himself. Though he had lived alone, he either ate out or ordered delivery.

By the time he finished bustling about, Elder Song had also come in from outside.

Elder Song had risen even earlier than he had.

"Li Gan, today is the Chenxiao Festival. Remember, you only need to strike the bell during the Chen Hour. In your free time, you can also take a walk around the city. It should be rather lively."

Elder Song reminded him.

"Elder Song, I understand."

Li Gan nodded.

Li Gan remembered every auspicious day and taboo of this world clearly.

For instance, during the Qingzhai Festival, one could not strike bells or sound gongs.

However, Li Gan had no intention of going into the city.

How could strolling around be as fun as practicing Martial Arts?

Besides, the world was far from peaceful. If he ran into any trouble, with his meager strength, he would simply be delivering himself into danger.

He would rather stay curled up on the mountain.

Within the Divine Sword Sect, as long as he did not court death by offending the sect's Official Disciples or higher-ups, he would be perfectly safe.

When the Chen Hour began.

Li Gan struck the bell.

Clang! Clang!

After the two rings, Li Gan's entire body jolted.

"What is this?"

He looked up at the Chen Bell he had just struck. It was actually emitting a faint radiance.

His heart tightened. Would anyone discover the Chen Bell's abnormality?

At this moment, though, he could no longer concern himself with that.

His entire body felt scorching hot, while the Internal Breath within him stirred restlessly, making him feel terribly uncomfortable, as though he had nowhere to vent it.

It was as if, while the sacrificial tool Chen Bell was advancing, a mysterious power had fed back into his body.

As he closed his eyes, the Shadow of the Chen Bell in his mind grew ever stronger, blooming with intense light.

Clang, clang, clang.

The Chen Bell in his mind began to tremble violently.

So hot!

His body had already begun practicing the Sword Piercing Fist of its own accord, and the Internal Breath within him grew at a rate visible to the naked eye.

If his cultivation speed was 1 under normal circumstances without the Bell Sound—

Then with the Bell Sound's enhancement, it would become 10.

Now, it was 100, perhaps even 1,000.

The sixth standard meridian was opened.

The seventh standard meridian was pierced through.

The eighth standard meridian was pierced through.

The ninth standard meridian was also pierced through.

Before long, even the tenth standard meridian was expanded by the rapidly circulating Internal Breath.

Clang, clang, clang.

The Bell Sound in his mind seemed as though it had never stopped, continuing to ring without end.

It was as if he possessed inexhaustible energy. He repeatedly practiced the Sword Piercing Fist without pause, while his Internal Breath continued to rise.

He did not know how much time had passed before the Bell Sound in his mind gradually subsided.

By then, his Internal Breath had already broken through the eleventh Foot Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian.

Only the final Foot Taiyang Bladder Meridian remained.

Only then did he stop, and his Internal Breath also ceased circulating and growing.

Compared with the beginning, his Internal Breath had grown several times stronger.

Whew!

Li Gan opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

He had not expected the advancement of the sacrificial tool Chen Bell to have such a tremendous boosting effect on his cultivation of Internal Breath.

The growth of Internal Breath had to consume the body's vital blood.

To open up so many meridians, how much Internal Breath had to be generated, and how much vital blood had to be consumed?

Needless to say, it must have been the energy transmitted during the Chen Bell's advancement that helped his Internal Breath improve so greatly.

As for the source of that energy from the Chen Bell's advancement, Li Gan could only attribute it to the system.

"This feedback from the Chen Bell has saved me a full year or two of cultivation."

Li Gan was utterly astonished.

Of the Twelve Standard Meridians, the farther one progressed, the greater the difficulty of cultivation became.

Now, only the final standard meridian remained. He estimated that at most one or two months would be enough to complete the cultivation of all Twelve Standard Meridians and bring his Internal Breath to Great Accomplishment.

"Looks like I can use the Chen Bell's advancements in the future to break through certain bottlenecks."

A thought flashed through Li Gan's mind.

Thus, he hastily summoned the System Interface to check the changes in the Chen Bell's information after its advancement.

Host: Li Gan.

Cultivation Base: Foundation Establishment (Internal Breath).

Sacrificial Tool: Chen Bell (Treasure 0/1000).

Martial Arts: Sword Piercing Fist (Great Accomplishment).