Soul Bell Resonance

Chapter 1: The Resonance of the Soul Bell

Chaos.

It was not the void of nothingness, but that primordial "Chaos" before the Great Dao was determined, before Yin and Yang were divided. His consciousness was like a drop of ink falling into thick paste, slowly diffusing, attempting to coalesce into form, yet suppressed by something far more ancient and heavy.

I am—

The thought had barely surfaced before it was crushed.

Then, the bell rang.

"Clang—"

The sound did not enter through ears. It detonated directly at the root of his consciousness, savage, desolate, and heavy, as if the entirety of Buzhou Mountain had been smelted into a single, deafening toll. His consciousness trembled violently within the sound waves, instantly torn into billions of fragments.

Pain.

But before the pain, a tsunami of memory fragments surged forth.

A golden palace floating above a sea of clouds, with ten thousand demons bowing their heads; a sea of light so scorching it twisted the very sight, where a Divine Tree reaching from heaven to earth supported ten great suns; a face that looked seven or eight parts like his own, yet with deeper worries etched between the brows, a hand clapping heavily onto his shoulder: "Taiyi, you and I are brothers; we must hold up this sky for the Demon Race."

Taiyi?

The name was like a quenched key, thrusting fiercely into the tightly sealed door at the deepest part of his consciousness.

More memories breached the dam, crushing everything in their path—

Eastern Emperor Taiyi. An Innate Deity birthed by the Sun Star. Born a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal. Accompanied by the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell. Younger brother to the Heavenly Emperor Di Jun. The pillar of the Demon Race. The mortal enemy of the Witch Race. He had listened to the Dao Ancestor preach three times in the Purple Cloud Palace. And then... the Calamity.

This final term, like a needle dipped in the ice of the Nine Netherworlds, made his very soul convulse.

The Calamity. The Witch-Demon Calamity. Destined by fate... to perish.

Holy shit, I transmigrated?!

His consciousness woke up completely at this moment. A sense of absurdity mixed with the terror of ice water poured over his head made him (he could confirm it was "he" now) want to laugh out loud and curse at the same time. A moment ago, he was Lin Yuan, an ordinary man whose name would be lost in a crowd, pulling an all-nighter at his computer to revise a proposal; the next, he had become the legendary, yet notoriously ill-fated Eastern Emperor Taiyi of the Great Wilderness myths—born a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, wielder of an Innate Supreme Treasure, yet a tragic figure destined to perish alongside his brother and the entire Demon Race in that great slaughter of heaven and earth, unable to even keep the Chaos Bell?

The Chaos Bell...

He suddenly realized where he was.

His consciousness cautiously "probed" outward, immediately colliding with a warm, cool, and heavy barrier engraved with infinitely profound patterns. Those patterns seemed alive, flowing slowly according to a rhythm older than breath, each fluctuation causing the surrounding viscous chaotic energy to ripple. This was nowhere else but the inner space of the Innate Supreme Treasure, the Chaos Bell.

And he was now the master of this bell... or rather, a lonely soul from another world occupying the master's shell?

Two sets of memories began to clash, tear, and fuse frantically. The part belonging to "Eastern Emperor Taiyi" was as vast as a star, scorching, domineering, and filled with combat instincts, cultivation insights, and an understanding of the laws of heaven and earth—the accumulation of an Innate Deity born a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, looking down upon the eons of the Great Wilderness. The part belonging to "Lin Yuan" was small but stubborn, like a stone covered in wet mud beside a star, containing over twenty years of knowledge, thinking, and survival wisdom gathered in modern society.

The pain threatened to split his consciousness apart.

I am Lin Yuan, and I am also Taiyi.

No, Lin Yuan is already dead. The one who survived is Taiyi.

But I don't want to die! Why should I have to follow a script of certain death just because I've come back to life?!

Panic, unwillingness, anger, and a ruthlessness forced out by the desperate situation all churned together. In his past life, he was the type who refused to accept his fate easily; otherwise, he wouldn't have clawed his way from a small town into a metropolis, even if he had worked himself to the bone... Damn, so he really did die from overwork?

"Clang—"

The Chaos Bell rang for the third time on its own.

This toll was vastly different. It was no longer just a savage vibration; instead, it was like an invisible, gentle hand, beginning to comb through the memories and soul fragments that had tangled into a chaotic mess. The combat experience, the insights into the Great Dao, and the innate methods for controlling the Chaos Bell belonging to "Taiyi" were gently peeled away and branded into him, as if they were innate. The modern cognition, thinking patterns, and emotional models belonging to "Lin Yuan" were carefully wrapped, settled, and submerged into the bottom of his consciousness, yet remained clearly perceptible.

It was as if... something in the dark was helping him.

Before the lingering sound of the bell faded, a voice sounded directly in the deepest part of his "mind" without warning:

[Abnormal soul fluctuation detected... Compatibility matching in progress...]

The voice was neither male nor female, carrying a strange reverberation as if composed of countless ancient echoes—cold, dead, yet suppressing a hatred that bordered on being bone-deep.

[Matching complete. Bound target: Eastern Emperor Taiyi (Soul Variant).]
[Forbidden Sign-in System, activated.]

A system? The standard equipment for transmigrators, late but arrived, right? Taiyi (he decided to use this name; he had no choice anyway) reflexively retorted in his heart, but he was more alert. Where did this thing come from?

[This system originates from the aggregation of the residual wills of the three thousand Demon Gods after their fall, back when Chaos had not yet opened.] The voice seemed to perceive his thoughts, explaining with calm indifference, but beneath that calm, Taiyi sensed a cold hatred for all things (especially for a certain "order"). [It aims to seek "variables," verify if "fixed numbers" can be overturned, and take revenge... against the established fate of heaven.]

Revenge? Against whom? The Heavenly Dao? Hongjun? Taiyi's thoughts raced.

[Novice tutorial beginning.] The system gave him no more time to ponder. [Core rule: Sign in at specific locations to receive rewards. Sign-in evaluation is based on two points: first, the danger level of the location itself; second, the degree to which the host's actions deviate from the established trajectory of the current world. The product of the two determines the reward grade.]

[Reward source: Forbidden legacies, chaotic remnants, and fragments of Karma Reversal that truly exist in the Great Wilderness world. The system does not create; it only guides the acquisition.]

[Warning: The host's identity is special. As the Eastern Emperor of the Heavenly Court and a key figure in the Calamity, you are also a "fixed number" under the close observation of the Heavenly Dao. Excessively deviant behavior will accumulate "anomaly values," triggering direct attention from the Heavenly Dao and leading to erasure. Balancing the perfect portrayal of "Eastern Emperor Taiyi" with the covert practice of "Forbidden Sign-in" is the key to the host's survival.]

Portrayal... and balance.

Taiyi chewed on these two words. The arrogant, domineering, and haughty Eastern Emperor Taiyi was his best protective color and the most reasonable excuse for all his extraordinary actions. And the system was his only lever to pry open that seemingly indestructible fate of death. This was walking a tightrope, a tightrope suspended over an endless abyss. On one side, he had to court death wildly under the nose of the Heavenly Dao, and on the other, he had to make it all look reasonable—perfectly in line with the outrageously arrogant persona of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

He wasn't an actor in his past life, but who in the workplace didn't live behind a mask? You had to smile for clients, be humble for bosses, and maintain a facade of harmony with colleagues. It was just a higher-stakes set, playing a more powerful role.

Only this time, if the performance flopped, the price was his life.

[First sign-in location unlocked.] The system's voice cut off his train of thought. [Heavenly Court, Lingxiao Treasure Hall. Sign-in condition: During the next Demon Race morning assembly, publicly make a statement of wild defiance consistent with the logic of "Eastern Emperor Taiyi," causing astonishment among the demons. Reward preview: Chaos Demon God's Blood of Ferocity (one drop).]

The blood of a Chaos Demon God? Just the name alone suggested it wasn't anything gentle. But the system said the rewards were truly existing "forbidden relics"... this thing would definitely be useful. The next step after the peak of the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was the Quasi-Saint realm, which required severing the Three Corpses and realizing one's own Dao. This legacy of a Chaos Demon God might provide a path... outside of the "Heavenly Dao"?

How to be arrogant? What to say?

In his memories, although Eastern Emperor Taiyi was proud, he was no mindless brute. Especially when his elder brother Di Jun was present, he served primarily as a force of deterrence, his words often concise. To "publicly deliver arrogant remarks," he had to remain consistent with his identity and logic... he needed to ponder this carefully.

As he contemplated, a gentle yet irresistible pulling force emanated from outside the Chaos Bell. Simultaneously, a segment of the original body's memory surfaced at the right moment: today was the day of the Heavenly Court's routine morning assembly. As the Eastern Emperor, he was required to attend.

Time to go out.

His consciousness sank completely into the vessel that had just finished merging. In an instant, his senses were violently ignited—

The first thing he felt was the terrifying power surging through his limbs, bones, and meridians, vast as a star sea and scorching as the true sun! The sound of his blood flowing was like a roaring river of magma, and every slow, heavy beat of his heart was like the breathing of a Great Wilderness beast, causing the surrounding space to tremble and distort. His bones were as dense as jade, and his muscle fibers contained the might to easily crush mountains. His Primordial Spirit sat high within his Purple Mansion like a miniature sun, illuminating the Great Thousand Worlds; with a slight projection of his divine sense, he could shroud ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, perceiving the finest detail.

Is this... the power of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal?

No, Taiyi keenly sensed that the foundation of this body seemed a cut above the average peak Zenith Heaven. Was it due to the origin of the Sun Star that nurtured his innate constitution? Or the constant, long-term nourishment from the Chaos Bell? Or perhaps... the original owner had actually stepped half a foot into the threshold of a Quasi-Saint, only to be stuck at the final step of severing the corpse to clarify the Dao?

Compared to the sub-healthy body of Lin Yuan in his past life, this innate God and Devil physique was like a firefly compared to the sun, or dust compared to the stars.

He "opened" his eyes.

He did not see with physical eyes, but with his Primordial Spirit perception, which spread like liquid mercury, instantly filling the entire palace. He "saw" himself sitting cross-legged in the center of a magnificent golden palace, beneath him a prayer mat carved from innate warm jade, with wisps of Solar Essence automatically flowing into his body. The palace walls seemed to be cast from solidified True Sun Fire and immortal divine gold, flowing with eternal radiance and imperial majesty. This was his residence in the Heavenly Court—the Sun Palace, one of the hubs of the Great Wilderness's supreme solar power.

In the void before him, a simple, ancient bronze bell floated silently. The bell was only the size of a palm, its surface wreathed in chaos qi, with the four innate elements of earth, water, fire, and wind birthing and rotating within, as if supporting a miniature, unopened Primordial Chaos. Its mere presence suppressed the surrounding space-time, making it incredibly stable and impervious to all laws.

The Chaos Bell. A treasure of the Creation. His reliance for standing in an invincible position.

Taiyi moved his mind, attempting to communicate.

"Hum—"

The small bell trembled slightly, emitting a hum that felt almost joyful. A close connection, like milk and water blending or blood ties, was instantly established. He clearly sensed the nearly infinite chaotic space within the bell, as well as that terrifying might capable of suppressing the Primordial Chaos and reversing space-time. At the same time, a trace of extremely faint yet pure spiritual intent came from the deepest part of the bell, affectionately nuzzling his Primordial Spirit.

This intelligence seemed to notice the subtle "foreign matter" at the core of his Primordial Spirit, but it did not reject it; instead, it conveyed an even deeper sense of attachment and protection. Was it because the cleansing of that third bell toll made the fusion more perfect? Or had a treasure like the Chaos Bell long since transcended the understanding of ordinary objects, recognizing not just a simple soul imprint, but the essence and destiny of the existence known as "Eastern Emperor Taiyi"?

Regardless, his greatest trump card was secure. Taiyi felt a sense of relief.

He stood up. This nine-foot frame was as straight as a pine, his dark gold imperial robe hanging naturally, the Three-legged Golden Crow totem embroidered upon it appearing to swim slowly. His long hair was tied up with a simple gold crown, a few strands falling across his forehead, adding a touch of unruliness.

He walked to the massive "True-Insight Glazed Mirror" in the hall—this was also a rare treasure, capable of reflecting the true form of a living being's Primordial Spirit and the flow of their fortune.

In the mirror, his sword-like eyebrows slanted into his temples, his eyes were like cold stars, yet deep within his pupils burned two clusters of eternal, inextinguishable Golden Sun Flames. His nose bridge was high and straight, his lip line slightly thin and sharp; his entire face looked as if carved by divine craftsmanship, radiating a majesty that brooked no desecration, mixed with... an almost instinctive arrogance that looked down upon all living beings.

This was Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

Taiyi took a deep breath, knowing the test had arrived. From this moment on, every expression, every movement, and even the rhythm of his breathing had to conform to what "Eastern Emperor Taiyi" should be. Acting? No, this was survival.

Facing the mirror, he began to mobilize and imitate the memories and temperament belonging to the original owner.

How should he raise his eyebrows to appear nonchalant yet implicitly threatening? He tried to recall the original owner's look when displeased—not the frowning of a mortal, but a subtle upward tilt of the brow, combined with half-lowered eyelids, creating a cold pressure that said, "You actually dare to make me expend effort." He practiced three times in front of the mirror; the first was too fierce, the second too fake, the third... yes, that had the right flavor.

What angle of the chin was considered noble rather than arrogant? The original owner habitually kept his jawline in a cold, hard arc, but kept his throat relaxed, forming a posture that said, "I do not need to lift my head; you should naturally look up to me." This required precise control of the neck muscles. Taiyi practiced five times before finally finding that subtle balance point.

How should his gaze shift to possess both the scorching heat of the sun and the indifference of eternal ice? This was the hardest part. He tried to vary the brightness of the golden flames deep in his pupils—dimming them by three parts when thinking, brightening them suddenly when scanning, and becoming completely vacant when looking at unimportant things, as if those things did not exist in his perception at all. This required fine control of his Primordial Spirit power. After practicing a dozen times, it was barely passable.

How does Eastern Emperor Taiyi stand? In his memories, the original owner rarely stood in a truly "relaxed" manner. He was either standing with his hands behind his back, his posture like a pine, exuding a condensation that suggested he could draw his sword and shatter the firmament at any moment; or he was leaning against his jade throne, appearing lazy, yet every angle was flawless, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any time.

Taiyi tried putting his hands behind his back. Shoulders down, no hunching; back straight, but not stiff; the angle of his head tilted just enough to let the sunlight cast a cold, hard shadow on his cheek contours. He adjusted seven or eight times before finally striking a pose that looked natural, yet had every muscle in a state of optimal readiness.

Then came walking. The original owner's gait had a unique rhythm, neither fast nor slow, every step's distance precise to the millimeter, as if he weren't stepping on the ground, but the entire world was automatically delivering the ground to his feet. Taiyi walked back and forth in a small area before the mirror; at first, he looked like a toddler learning to walk, but gradually he found that feeling of "walking upon the Dao."

A Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal, especially the Eastern Emperor who held the origin of the Sun Star, should be surrounded by a natural field that was scorching, grand, and impossible to look at directly. It couldn't be too intense, or it would seem impetuous and showy; it couldn't be too hidden, or he would lose his majesty.

Taiyi attempted to draw out a trace of True Sun Fire from within his body, not to release it, but to let its aura naturally overflow, forming an invisible "solar corona" within three feet of his body. He controlled the temperature to a level that would cause slight burning pain to those below the Golden Immortal level, pressure to Golden Immortals, and a warning to Primordial Unity Golden Immortals. This required extreme control over his power. He failed a dozen times before barely maintaining a stable intensity that matched his memories.

Finally, the overall coordination.

He faced the mirror, merging his micro-expressions, posture, and aura. The figure in the mirror gradually "came to life"—the slightly raised brow, the cold, hard jawline, the gaze hiding flames within its emptiness, the posture of standing with hands behind his back as if stepping on the entire Sun Palace, and the invisible, heart-palpitating solar majesty.

Seven or eight parts similar.

No, it still wasn't enough. Something was missing. Taiyi frowned in thought. That's right, it was missing that "taken for granted" feeling that went deep into the marrow. The reason the original owner's words and actions were natural was that he truly believed he was the supreme Eastern Emperor, and that the Great Wilderness was meant to be ruled by the Demon Race. It was a faith, an instinct.

And he didn't have that. He was just imitating.

"So, I must first deceive myself." Taiyi whispered to the mirror. How did he act in the workplace? When taking on a bad project, didn't he have to hypnotize himself into thinking "this project has a bright future"? It was nothing more than turning the level of self-hypnosis up a few dimensions.

I am Eastern Emperor Taiyi. Born a Zenith Heaven, wielder of the Chaos Bell. One of the two Emperors of the Demon Race. The mandate of heaven is with me.

He repeated this in his heart, attempting to suppress Lin Yuan's consciousness completely and let the cognition belonging to the Eastern Emperor cover his surface thinking. At first, it was awkward, like wearing a costume that didn't fit. But gradually, a certain instinct belonging to this body was awakened, and muscle memory began to take over part of the control. The gaze of the person in the mirror gradually gained a trace of true indifference and certainty that even he himself hadn't noticed.

Nine parts similar.

That would do. For his first appearance, this level of completion was enough. As for the remaining flaws, he could brush them off with "some recent gains in cultivation, causing a slight change in aura." As for deeper differences... he would smooth them out slowly. Time was tight.

He checked one last time: were the cuffs straight? Was the gold crown crooked? Very good.

"Your Majesty." A respectful voice came from outside the hall, a female voice, clear as an ice spring yet steady as a mountain. "The third quarter of the Hour of the Dragon is approaching; the morning assembly is about to begin. His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor has sent an envoy to ask if you are heading to the Lingxiao Palace together?"

It was Shang Yang. One of the Demon Sages under his command, and one of the few personal guards qualified to enter the inner hall of the Sun Palace, her cultivation already at the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Taiyi took a deep breath, pushing the last remnants of Lin Yuan's confusion, sarcasm, and awkwardness regarding his "performance" into the deepest part of his Primordial Spirit, sealing it tight with True Sun Fire. At this moment, the expression of the person in the mirror solidified into the flawless, cold, and arrogant mask that Eastern Emperor Taiyi should wear.

From now on, he was Eastern Emperor Taiyi. The Eastern Emperor Taiyi who was born a Zenith Heaven, wielded the Chaos Bell, believed the Demon Race held the mandate of heaven, and was so arrogant that he might not even give face to a Saint!

With a wave of his sleeve, thick and pure Zenith Heaven Dharma Power surged out, and the heavy doors of the Sun Palace opened silently.

Outside the door, the female general in black-cyan battle armor with a long sword at her waist knelt on one knee, head bowed in waiting. Her posture was straight, her aura as condensed as an unsheathed sword; it was indeed Shang Yang. Behind her was the vast, boundless sea of clouds, and the golden palace complex floating above the Nine-Layered Heavenly Palace, stretching for unknown tens of thousands of miles. Billions of stars seemed within reach, casting down cold starlight. And in the endless distance, a huge, eternally burning Sun Star was bestowing infinite light and heat, blessing this Holy Sky City that belonged to the Demon Race.

Heavenly Court. Lingxiao Palace. First check-in. And that drop of Chaos Demon God's Blood of Ferocity that sounded like it was overflowing with murderous intent.

"Go."

Taiyi spat out the word, his voice mimicking the deep, cold rigidity of the original body, carrying a decisive and unquestionable majesty. He strode out of the Sun Palace, stepping onto the churning sea of clouds and heavenly stairs, heading toward the Lingxiao Treasure Hall where the elite of the Demon Race were gathered, and toward that predetermined "destiny" he was fated to tear a rift into with his own hands.

Shang Yang rose and followed silently, three paces behind him, just as she had for millions of years, like the most loyal of shadows.

Yet, the moment she glanced up at the tall figure before her, a trace of imperceptible doubt flickered briefly through her cold, beautiful eyes. His Majesty's gait today... seemed just a fraction more hesitant than usual? And deep within the vast, oceanic aura of his True Sun Fire, it felt as if... a hint of something extremely obscure and strange had been mixed in, something that made her instinctively uneasy.

Was it just an illusion?

She lowered her head, burying the doubt deep within her heart, and followed closely in his wake.

The sea of clouds parted automatically beneath their feet, paving a golden path that led straight to the Lingxiao Treasure Hall, the most towering and magnificent structure at the heart of the Heavenly Court.

Inside the hall, the demon host had already arrived.

Outside the hall, the sign-in was about to begin.

The "performance" belonging to Eastern Emperor Taiyi was about to commence. And the River of Fate of the Great Wilderness, because of this strand of "variable" from another world, would begin to ripple—a ripple so faint it was almost imperceptible, yet one destined to eventually sweep across the entire world.