Time flowed on.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Dong! Dong! Dong—
The bells rang without any warning.
There were nine chimes in total, each more resounding than the last, spreading from the summit of Guiyuan Peak and reaching every corner of the Ten Inner Peaks.
The morning mist in the mountains was swept apart by the bell chimes. Spirit cranes took flight from the peak in alarm, circling and crying in the air. The disciples practicing swordsmanship in the Martial Arts Arena all stopped at once; disciples holding rice bowls in the dining hall put down their chopsticks; disciples perusing texts in the Scripture Pavilion raised their heads.
As the bells rang, everyone stopped what they were doing at the same instant and looked toward Guiyuan Peak.
This was the Mountain-Suppressing Bell.
It would only be sounded when something major happened within the sect.
When that time came, the peak masters and chief elders of the nine peaks had to head to the Sect Master Hall immediately to deliberate.
In the past, the Mountain-Suppressing Bell might not be sounded even once in several years.
Yet only a month had passed since its last ringing, when Chen Xuan had reported the matter concerning the Demon Venerable Seal.
Other than that, even when the Seven Kill Sect occupied Tiannan Prefecture and the Heavenly Demon Sect brought chaos to the various prefectures, the sect had never sounded the Mountain-Suppressing Bell.
This time, no one knew what had happened again.
Chen Xuan rose from the courtyard and looked up toward the summit of Guiyuan Peak.
The bell chimes still echoed through the valleys, each strike pounding against people's hearts and leaving them restless.
Chen Shitou also ran out of the house, his face full of confusion. "Brother Xuan, that