"The power of Heaven-Bearing Temple came from the ringing bell. By the time I went there, who knew how many years the Mount-Viewing Kiln Culture Festival had been running, or how many times it had been held.
But there was indeed a powerful Ghost-god lingering in Heaven-Bearing Temple.
At certain times, it would strike the Bronze Bell, producing a sound like thunder. The closer you got to the source of that thunder, the greater the benefits you could receive.
Those benefits were random. In my case, I gained the ability to see the future and the present. That was an extremely rare ability.
But listening to the bell came at a price.
A single listening session could wipe out every last 'pilgrim.'
The Ghost-god paid no attention to the eavesdroppers. He merely carried out his duty faithfully. All he did was strike the Bronze Bell.
The problem lay with people like us, who wanted to steal heaven's secrets.
Only after several years, a dozen years, or even decades would a few lucky souls survive by chance and gain something.
When I went to Heaven-Bearing Temple, I had been invited. Several colleagues went with me.
They were all accomplished in their respective fields. The ones I knew were academics. Calling ourselves leading authorities might sound immodest, but that was the truth. We really were among the best in our field.
There were no nobodies.
Some others were elites from other circles. They all received a letter directing them to Susu Prefecture. I agreed to go because the person who wrote to me was an old, very close friend.
And the invitation to Mount-Viewing Kiln they sent me contained divination script I had never seen before, though I could vaguely work out its meaning.
It invited me to attend the Mount-Viewing Kiln