Bell Chimes Attract Guests, Shadows Follow

The turbid air within the hall slowly settled, and the fierce, oppressive aura that had swept across the world faded away. Yet, the lingering chill remained, clinging to Lin Chen's limbs and bones, refusing to dissipate. He paused at the threshold of the great hall, his back taut, not rushing to step outside.

He had not forgotten the slender black shadow in the shadows of the dome. Ever since the giant hand from beneath the earth had retracted into the hole and the bell had tolled, that figure had stood silently on high. Its aura was retracted to the extreme, as if it had merged with the bricks, stones, and black mist of the hall. Had it not been for a fleeting glimpse from the corner of his eye, anyone else would likely have remained unaware until they left.

The other party made no move, neither launching a sneak attack nor revealing a shred of hostility; it simply stood there, its gaze fixed firmly upon him. This silent surveillance was far more unnerving than blatant combat. Lin Chen slowly turned his neck, his gaze traveling up the mottled stone pillars toward the dome of the hall.

The dome was extremely high, covered in spiderweb-like cracks, where years of grime and black turbid air intertwined to form vast, dim shadows. Within his line of sight, he could only discern a slender, graceful silhouette. The figure was thin, its features obscured, and it emitted no obvious fluctuations of cultivation, appearing as nothing more than a rootless phantom. Yet, Lin Chen knew that anyone capable of lurking safely in this ancient hall—a place teeming with gathered turbid air and malevolent energy—while evading his previously spread divine sense, was a force not to be underestimated.

"Since you have revealed yourself, why hide your head and show your tail?" Lin Chen's voice was steady, echoing slowly through the vast hall and bouncing off the cold stone walls. Golden light shimmered around him, held in check, with divine power circulating through his meridians, ready to strike at any moment. On one side was the incessant, mysterious tolling of the bell outside; on the other, the unknown shadow lurking within. With two variables emerging simultaneously, he could not afford the slightest carelessness.

The black shadow above the dome remained motionless, offering no response and shifting not an inch. Only those cold, ghostly eyes flickered for a moment, as if a ripple had passed through them, before returning to silence. The entire hall fell into an eerie quiet, leaving only the faint sound of airflow from the turbid air gushing endlessly out of the stone platform's hole.

Lin Chen pondered inwardly; since the other party was unwilling to speak, they likely harbored no immediate malice or were simply observing the situation. Now that the terrifying entity deep underground was temporarily dormant and would not strike again in the short term, the most pressing matter was to uncover the origin of the bell tolling outside. That bell possessed a righteous aura capable of deterring the malevolent creature beneath the earth; it was certainly not something an ordinary faction could possess.

After weighing his options for a moment, he stopped trying to force the black shadow to reveal itself. If it wished to lurk, he would let it. As long as it did not attack, he would step out of the ancient hall first to meet the person ringing the bell.

He lifted his foot and crossed the threshold, the scene outside coming into view once more. Compared to the pitch-black oppression within the hall, the area outside was still shrouded in gray-black turbid air, yet the view was far more expansive. Endless broken walls and ruins stretched into the distance, the ancient complex of halls submerged in deathly stillness. Only the heavy, lingering tolling of a bell resonated from the direction of a relatively intact high platform to the west.

Dong—dong—dong—

The rhythm of the bell was slow and steady. With each strike, it transformed into an invisible sound wave that cleansed the surrounding roiling turbid air. The once manic and restless black mist became much more docile within the reach of the bell's sound, and even the pervasive malevolence in the air was suppressed by more than half. Lin Chen focused his senses and could clearly perceive that the bell's sound contained an extremely ancient Dao rhythm, faintly merging with the aura of this old-era ruin, while carrying a power that purified filth—perfectly countering the turbid, malevolent energy of this place.

Following the sound of the bell, he walked forward. Beneath his feet lay the same sticky, gray earth, with scattered weapon debris and withered bones visible everywhere. As he walked, he deliberately kept a strand of his divine sense on his rear, and sure enough, he discovered that the slender black shadow from the dome had followed him silently. The other party maintained a distance of several dozen zhang, neither approaching nor retreating, following him like a shadow. Its movements were incredibly light, making not a single sound as it stepped upon the turbid air.

Lin Chen did not look back, pretending he had not noticed. Since the other party followed without making any untoward moves, there was no need to entangle with them for now. All his attention was focused on the high platform ahead where the bell was ringing.

After traveling about several hundred zhang, the view ahead suddenly opened up. A high platform built of blue-black boulders stood in the center of the ruins. It was over ten zhang high, with layers of stone steps leading upward, its surface carved with dense, intricate runes. The runes flowed with a faint, pearly white light, forming a protective barrier that isolated the surrounding turbid air. At the top of the platform hung a primitive, giant bell.

The giant bell was dark bronze in color, its body covered in the eroded textures of time. Carved upon it were mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, birds, and beasts—patterns that were ancient and grand, each line flowing with the heavy aura of ages past. At this moment, an old man in gray robes stood holding a bell pestle, striking the bell slowly, one beat at a time.

The old man had white hair and a beard, a thin frame, and a slightly hunched back. He looked utterly unremarkable, like any ordinary old man from the mountains. Yet, every time he swung his arm, a vast and enduring power infused the pestle, allowing the tolling bell to possess the might to deter evil. The old man's gaze was peaceful as he looked at the roiling turbid air in the distance, his expression tinged with a sense of melancholy mixed with an indescribable worry.

Noticing someone approaching, the old man stopped his movements and slowly turned his head. As their eyes met, Lin Chen could see the endless vicissitudes settled deep within the old man's eyes, as if he had witnessed countless changes over the ages.

"Young man, you are quite bold to dare enter this forbidden land alone." The old man spoke first. His voice was not loud, yet it pierced through layers of turbid air, reaching Lin Chen's ears clearly. "This place was the final battlefield before the collapse of the old era. Turbid air grows rampant, malevolent creatures lie dormant, and countless ancient powerhouses have fallen here. For thousands of years, few have dared to set foot in this core region."

Lin Chen walked slowly up the stone steps of the platform, stepping into the area covered by the runic barrier. The moment he entered, the cold, malevolent energy clinging to him instantly dissipated, and his body and mind felt much more at ease. He bowed slightly to the old man with a humble attitude. "Junior Lin Chen, I came here while tracking the source of the turbid air and stumbled upon this place by accident. I owe you my thanks for ringing the bell earlier, Senior; otherwise, I fear I would have struggled to escape the great hall unscathed."

He did not deliberately hide his tracks. Since the other party could guard the ancient bell here and understood the horror of the entity beneath the earth, they must know this ruin like the back of their hand. Being evasive would only put him at a disadvantage.

The old man sighed softly upon hearing this, raising a hand to stroke the wall of the ancient bell, his fingertips tracing the mottled patterns. "I have been guarding this place for a very, very long time. This Evil-Suppressing Ancient Bell does not belong to me; it is a supreme treasure left over from the old era, specifically used to suppress the turbid air and malevolence overflowing from beneath the earth. Had the bell's sound not deterred that creature when it was disturbed, you would have been in grave danger."

"Does Senior know what exactly lies deep beneath the earth?" Lin Chen asked, seizing the opportunity. This was his greatest doubt. "The turbid air in this entire region surges from underground. Is the collapse of the old era related to that entity?"

The old man fell silent, looking up at the gray, hazy sky. After a long while, he spoke, his tone incomparably heavy. "This matter must begin from the height of the old era. In that epoch, the martial path flourished to its peak, countless powerhouses emerged, and the cultivation system was perfected. All living beings believed the golden age would last forever. But no one expected that disaster would quietly breed from the depths of the earth."

"At first, it was only sporadic black mist emerging from the ground, infecting living beings, causing them to lose their sanity and become violently aggressive. The powerhouses of the old era initially thought it was merely common evil, constantly sending people to suppress and cleanse it. But the black mist was endless; the more they cleansed, the more it grew, and its range expanded day by day. Later, when they ventured deep underground to investigate, they discovered that a giant, evil entity from the Outer Realm was sealed beneath the earth."

"That evil thing was not born of this world; its power was strange and tyrannical, feeding on the essence of living beings and the vitality of the world. All the top powerhouses of the old era joined forces, exhausting their lifeblood to severely wound it and seal it beneath this land. To stabilize the seal, they built this entire complex of halls, using grand formations, treasures, and the lingering souls of powerhouses to suppress it together. The main hall you entered earlier is where the eye of the sealing formation is located."

Lin Chen listened quietly, his brows knitting together. An evil entity from the Outer Realm? No wonder that aura was so strange; it was completely unlike any creature of this world.

"They thought the seal was unbreakable, but the evil thing possessed incredible vitality. Even severely wounded, it could slowly recover its strength. It constantly released its own filthy power to erode the sealing formation; the turbid air is simply its leaking aura. As time passed, the seal loosened year by year, the formation's runes were worn away, and coupled with the constant infighting among various factions, no one focused on maintaining the seal. Finally, one day, a massive crack appeared."

The old man continued, his voice filled with regret. "The moment the seal shattered, a massive amount of turbid air swept across the world. Countless malevolent spirits sealed beneath the earth and the remains of powerhouses controlled by the evil thing rushed out. The order of the old era collapsed completely; countless sects and dynasties were destroyed one after another. The once-glorious epoch vanished like smoke. The few who survived fled in all directions, leaving behind only this dead land shrouded in turbid air."

"And I am a descendant of those who remained to guard the seal for generations." The old man's gaze returned to the ancient bell. "My ancestors left a final command to stay here and guard this place, using the power of the ancient bell to reinforce the seal and suppress the leakage of turbid air. This guardianship has lasted generation after generation, until now."

As the truth slowly surfaced, many of Lin Chen's doubts were finally resolved. The root of all this was an evil entity from the Outer Realm, sealed by the combined efforts of the old era's powerhouses. Now that the seal was weakening and the evil thing's power was reviving, the turbid air was spreading outward, threatening the surrounding world.

"How much longer can the seal hold?" Lin Chen pressed. Having felt that terrifying aura underground, it was clear the evil thing had recovered much of its strength. If the seal were to break completely, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"It is in dire peril." The old man shook his head, his expression grave. "In the last ten thousand years, the seal has been loosening faster and faster, and the power of the evil thing underground grows stronger by the day. The power of the ancient bell is limited; it can only temporarily suppress the leaking turbid air, but it cannot repair the damaged seal. In another thousand years, I fear the seal will collapse entirely. When that happens, the entire world will face a catastrophe."

At this point, the old man looked at Lin Chen, a glimmer of expectation in his eyes. "I see your cultivation is not bad, your divine soul is resilient, and your aura is upright and peaceful—you are not a person of evil intent. I wonder, young friend, if you have any way to help repair the seal? If we allow the evil thing to emerge, the Heavens and all worlds will fall into a calamity."

Lin Chen pondered slightly. Repairing the seal was no easy task. The formation, built by countless powerhouses of the old era, had been damaged over endless years; he alone could likely not complete it. Moreover, the evil thing beneath the earth was unfathomably powerful; approaching the core of the seal rashly would be extremely dangerous.

"My strength is meager, and I dare not claim I can fully repair the seal, but I am willing to do my part," he said candidly. "However, to repair the seal, one must go deep into the core of the formation, but that evil thing is entrenched in the depths, heavily guarded. Approaching it by force is too dangerous."

"That you have this heart is already rare," the old man said, looking gratified. "The ancient bell can temporarily suppress the evil thing and buy us time. However, the danger here is not just the evil thing underground. Over the years, many cultivators coveting the treasures of the old era have broken into the ruins. Among them are those with crooked minds who secretly covet the power of the seal, hoping to use the evil thing's power to take a shortcut."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cold, sinister laugh erupted from the ruins on the side of the high platform.

"Hahaha, old thing, you've guarded the seal your whole life, and now you want to find a helper? How truly naive and ridiculous."

Several black shadows emerged from behind the broken walls—five in total. Each exuded a sinister aura, their bodies wreathed in faint turbid air, clearly long since eroded by the foul energy. The leader had a gloomy expression, his gaze sweeping over Lin Chen and the old man on the platform with eyes full of greed. "The old era ruins hold countless treasures, and beneath the earth lies the sealed Outer Realm evil thing. If we can subdue it, the entire world will be ours to roam. Since we've run into you today, this ancient bell, the seal, and this boy's cultivation—leave it all behind!"

The five stepped forward, their black energy surging, and a wave of malevolent force rushed toward them. Having spent years lingering in the turbid zones and cultivating with the help of that energy, their strength had reached the Immortal Emperor level. Their combined momentum was terrifying.

The old man's expression darkened, and he raised his hand to strike the bell again to suppress his opponents with its sound. But at that moment, a slender figure suddenly darted out from behind Lin Chen—it was the shadow that had been following him all along.

The black shadow was incredibly fast, turning into a streak of light and instantly blocking the path of the five evil cultivators. The slender figure stood against the wind, its face still obscured. With a wave of its hand, a cold, bone-chilling black energy swept out, colliding violently with the opponents' malevolent force.

With a thunderous boom, shockwaves scattered, and the surrounding rubble was sent flying into the air. The five Immortal Emperor evil cultivators retreated several steps in unison, looks of astonishment on their faces. They had not expected someone else to be hiding in the shadows, and someone so powerful at that.

"Another one hiding their head and tail!" the lead evil cultivator roared, waving for the others to surround and attack together.

On the high platform, the situation instantly turned chaotic. On one side were the five covetous evil cultivators; on the other, the mysterious shadow blocking them; before them stood the well-intentioned bell-guarding old man; and beneath the earth, the Outer Realm evil thing stirred restlessly. With multiple factions intertwined, murderous intent lurked everywhere.

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed, and just as he was about to step forward to help, he saw the mysterious shadow turn slightly, as if casting a subtle glance toward him. At the same time, a violent tremor erupted from the direction of the underground, and the entire high platform began to shake. The turbid air gushing from the hole in the stone platform surged several times over, and a fierce aura, far more violent than before, rose from the depths of the earth.

The ancient bell hummed on its own, the runes on its body lighting up to their full capacity, and it tolled rapidly, desperately resisting the power leaking from below. The old man's face turned deathly pale, and he stumbled repeatedly, clearly bearing immense pressure.

"No! The evil thing has been disturbed by the fighting outside and is stirring prematurely!" the old man cried out in alarm.

Lin Chen's heart tightened as he turned to look toward the main hall. Just then, he noticed that the mysterious shadow that had been blocking the evil cultivators was slowly moving toward the underground passage, as if intending to sneak into the core of the seal alone. Seeing this, the five evil cultivators flashed with madness; they abandoned the others and turned, sprinting toward the main hall, clearly wanting to take advantage of the seal's instability to break in and harbor ulterior motives.

On one side was the mysterious shadow determined to enter the dangerous depths; on the other, the greedy evil cultivators attempting to release the evil thing; and on the third, the ancient seal that was loosening ever more rapidly.

Lin Chen looked around, a thousand thoughts rushing through his mind. Just as he was about to make a decision, a faint, ethereal female voice echoed in his ears, sounding near yet far, drifting through the turbid air:

"Do not approach the underground... beneath the seal, there is more than one secret hidden."

The moment the voice dissipated, the ground of the entire ruin collapsed violently. A heaven-shaking roar came from the direction of the main hall, and a massive, pitch-black fissure spread rapidly across the earth, extending straight toward the high platform.

Deep within the fissure, pairs of scarlet eyes were slowly opening.