"Go back and report to Earth Venerable?"
Gui Sha hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "You all stay here and guard this place. I'll go back and report. The Earth Venerable will make the final decision."
He glanced deeply at the Bottomless Abyss, then turned and left.
In the mist, Snow Empress and Luo Qingyin plummeted rapidly. The surroundings were chaotic, beyond the reach of divine sense, as if they had fallen into Eternal darkness.
After falling for an unknown period of time, the jade pendant in Snow Empress's arms shone brightly, resonating with something below. Immediately afterwards, a gentle force supported the two of them, slowing their descent.
As the fog dissipated, the view below became visible.
It was a ruin, with crumbling walls and broken ramparts, yet the grandeur of the past was still faintly visible. In the center of the ruins, a half-collapsed palace stood, and above the palace, an ancient bronze bell floated.
The bell was covered in cracks and incomplete, but it still emitted a faint purple light, its imperial power remaining.
The Ziwei Emperor Bell!
Just as the two were about to land, the Emperor Bell suddenly trembled, and a beam of purple light shot out, enveloping them.
Snow Empress felt dizzy and disoriented. When she opened her eyes again, she was already inside the palace.
Luo Qingyin was also beside her, looking around in surprise.
Although the palace is in ruins, it is still magnificent. Twelve dragon-carved pillars support the roof, and the golden dragons on the pillars are lifelike. The palace is empty, except for a high platform in the center, on which the Emperor Bell itself is suspended.
Below the platform, three skeletons sat cross-legged.
The skeletons sat in a triangular formation, with a jade scroll in the center. Most shockingly, although the three skeletons were dead, they still exuded a faint aura of power, a power far exceeding that of Dragon Transformation, and even surpassing the Immortal Platform!
"This is... a senior from the Ziwei Sect?" Luo Qingyin's voice trembled.
The Snow Empress stepped forward, his gaze falling on the jade slip. Four ancient characters were engraved on the surface of the jade slip: Ziwei's Last Instructions.
She reached out and touched the jade slip, which suddenly lit up, turning into countless points of light that entered her brow.
A deluge of information flooded in: the downfall of the Ziwei Sect, the conspiracy of the Underworld, the destiny of the Taiyin Physique, the secret of the Emperor Bell...
After a long while, Snow Empress opened her eyes, a look of understanding and heaviness flashing in them.
"How is it?" Luo Qingyin asked with concern.
The Snow Empress slowly said, "At the end of ancient times, the Underworld united with many forces to besiege the Ziwei Sect. Outnumbered, the Ziwei Sect was ultimately destroyed. Three Supreme Elders of the sect sacrificed their lives to send the core of the Emperor Bell into the Bottomless Abyss, leaving behind their legacy to await a destined person."
She looked at Luo Qingyin: "Your Heavenly Melody Valley founder was one of the guardian elders of the Ziwei Sect. The fragment of the Emperor Bell she took away was actually one of the keys to unlocking the inheritance of this place."
Luo Qingyin was shocked. "Then the other key is...?"
" The Taiyin Physique," said the Snow Empress. "The last leader of the Ziwei Sect possessed the Taiyin Physique. Only the Taiyin Physique can awaken the true power of the Emperor Bell."
She walked towards the high platform and looked at the suspended Emperor Bell. The Emperor Bell seemed to sense her presence, vibrating slightly and emitting a soft chime, as if welcoming her arrival.
"The reason the Underworld hunts down those with special physiques is not only to refine the Ten Thousand Yin Banner, but also to prevent the resurgence of the Ziwei Sect's legacy," the Snow Empress said, her eyes flashing with cold light. "Because they know that once the Emperor Bell reappears and the Ziwei Sect is revived, their conspiracy will be exposed."
Luo Qingyin took a deep breath. "So, what do we do now..."
"Accept the inheritance, repair the Emperor Bell," the Snow Empress declared resolutely. "Then, fight your way out."
She placed her hand on the Emperor Bell, Lunar Power surged into it. The Emperor Bell suddenly erupted with a dazzling purple light, enveloping her.
Seeing this, Luo Qingyin also took out a fragment of the Emperor Bell treasured by Heavenly Melody Valley. The fragment flew towards the Emperor Bell and fit Perfect World into a gap in the bell.
In an instant, the bell tolled loudly, echoing through the Bottomless Abyss!
Above the abyss, Gui Sha and the others heard the bell and their expressions changed drastically.
" The Emperor Bell... has been awakened?!" Gui Sha exclaimed in disbelief.
Even the Earth Venerable, a hundred miles away, sensed this imperial might. He suddenly stood up, his eyes flashing with greed and fear.
"Order everyone to surround the Bottomless Abyss! Stop them at all costs!"
He gazed toward the Bottomless Abyss, his withered fingers gripping the black bell tightly.
" The Ziwei Sect's legacy... must be destroyed. The Taiyin Physique and the Pure Spirit Physique must be obtained. The Ten Thousand Yin Banner is just two steps away..."
Beneath the Bottomless Abyss, the legacy continues.
Surrounded by purple light, Snow Empress received the final gift from the Ziwei Sect. She could feel her cultivation level rapidly increasing, the barriers of her Dao Palace beginning to loosen, and the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm beckoning to her.
Luo Qingyin also sat cross-legged. The fragment of the Emperor Bell resonated with her original body, and the Ziwei Power released flowed into her body, purifying her Pure Spirit Physique and making it more Perfect World.
After an unknown amount of time, the purple light gradually faded.
The Snow Empress opened her eyes, her pupils sparkling with starlight, her aura already reaching the First Transformation of Dragon Transformation!
Luo Qingyin also stood up, her body shimmering with clear light. Her cultivation had broken through to the Dao Palace Great Perfection, and she was only one step away from Dragon Transformation.
The suspended Emperor Bell shrank to the size of a palm and landed in the Snow Empress's hand. The cracks on the bell were still there, but the purple light within it had been restored by thirty percent of its power.
" The Emperor Bell is too severely damaged; complete repair requires retrieving all the fragments and recasting it with special materials," said the Snow Empress. "However, even thirty percent of its power is enough to deal with Half-Step Almighty."
She looked at Luo Qingyin: "You have been baptized by the Ziwei Power, your Pure Spirit Physique has advanced further, and you are more effective at countering the techniques of the Underworld. The next battle will be a life-or-death struggle. Are you afraid?"
Luo Qingyin smiled, holding the Autumn Water Sword: "It is Qingyin greatest honor to fight alongside the Snow Empress."
"Very well." The Snow Empress gazed coldly upwards into the abyss. "Then let the Underworld know that the Ziwei lineage is not severed."
Holding the Emperor Bell, she took a step forward, her figure soaring into the sky.
Luo Qingyin followed closely behind.
The two transformed into two streaks of light, one purple and one blue, breaking through the mist and emerging from the Bottomless Abyss.
Above the abyss, the army of the Underworld is already in full battle array.
The Earth Venerable stood before the formation, with ten Yin Sha Guard, thirty Dao Palace stewards, and hundreds of Underworld disciples forming a great array, exuding a deathly aura.
Seeing the Snow Empress and the other two rush out, the Earth Venerable's dark green eyes flashed with surprise. " Dragon Transformation Realm? You obtained Fortune down there."
He immediately sneered, "But so what? First Transformation of Dragon Transformation stage cultivator, plus the Dao Palace Great Perfection, thinks he can contend with the original body?"
The Snow Empress held the Emperor Bell, suspended in mid-air, her white robes fluttering, her eyes cold and clear.
"Evil spirits of the Underworld dare to covet the Ziwei inheritance? Today, I will show you the power of the Emperor Bell."
She raised the Emperor Bell, Lunar Power flowed into it.
"Clang--"
The bell tolled, no longer a gentle chime, but a resounding bell that shook heaven and earth! The purple light spread like a tide, and wherever it passed, the death aura dissipated. The disciples of the Underworld screamed in agony, and those with weak cultivation exploded on the spot, their flesh and blood turning into ashes that merged into the purple light that filled the sky. They were actually purified by the power of the Emperor Bell into the purest spiritual energy and dissipated into the air.
The Earth Venerable's expression changed drastically. His withered hand clenched tightly, and the black bell emitted a piercing shriek, attempting to drown out the booming sound of the Emperor Bell: "Attack with all your might and seize the Emperor Bell! Anyone who dares to retreat will have their soul scattered!"