Snow Empress took a deep breath, suppressed her thoughts, and began to circulate the Ziwei Sect's cultivation techniques, absorbing the remaining Ziwei Power in the palace to restore her cultivation. The Ziwei Power in the palace was extremely rich, and with the assistance of the Emperor Bell, Snow Empress's cultivation recovered quickly, and her wounds were gradually healing.
After an unknown amount of time, the Snow Empress opened her eyes, her pupils sparkling with starlight. Her aura was even stronger than before, having reached the Second Transformation of Dragon Transformation realm. Moreover, she had a deeper understanding of the Ziwei Sect's techniques and martial arts, and her control over the Emperor Bell Emperor Bell had become more proficient, allowing her to unleash forty percent of its power.
The Snow Empress rose and walked to the high platform, gazing at the Emperor Bell suspended there. The Emperor Bell had now recovered forty percent of its power; only a few shallow cracks remained on its surface, its purple light radiating an awe-inspiring imperial might. The Snow Empress reached out and gently stroked the Emperor Bell, silently vowing, "Seniors of the Ziwei Sect, rest assured, I will carry on your legacy, revive the Ziwei Sect, thwart the Underworld's conspiracy, protect all living beings, and never allow the ancient evil god to awaken. I will never let your efforts be in vain."
Just then, the Emperor Bell suddenly vibrated slightly, emitting a soft ringing sound, as if responding to the Snow Empress's words. At the same time, several faint points of light appeared on the bell, pointing in different directions. The Snow Empress's heart stirred; she knew that these points of light must be the locations of the other fragments of the Emperor Bell.
A flash of understanding crossed Snow Empress's eyes. She put away the Emperor Bell, and with a flash, she left the palace. She would follow the guidance of the light to find the other fragments of the Emperor Bell, repair Emperor Bell, improve her cultivation, and prepare for the final battle.
Above the Bottomless Abyss, the mist had dissipated, and sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the ruins and bringing a glimmer of life to this devastated land. The Snow Empress stood atop the ruins, gazing into the distance, her eyes gleaming with unwavering determination.
She knew that the road ahead would be fraught with thorns and dangers, that the power of the Underworld remained strong, and that the threat of the ancient evil gods was ever-present. But she would not back down, for she was the inheritor of the Ziwei Sect, a Taiyin Physique, and she bore the heavy responsibility of reviving the Ziwei Sect and protecting all living beings.
The Snow Empress took a deep breath, her figure flashed, transforming into a purple streak of light, flying towards one of the points of light. Her figure gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving only a ruined wasteland, and the lingering Ziwei Power and the imperial might in the air.
In the far reaches of the Underworld, within a gloomy palace, a man clad in a black robe, his face blurred, sat upon a high throne. His eerie green eyes gazed toward the Bottomless Abyss, and he exuded a terrifying pressure that was several times stronger than that of Earth Venerable.
" The Earth Venerable has actually fallen..." The man's voice was hoarse and cold, tinged with anger. "Two little girls actually managed to kill Earth Venerable and even awaken the Ziwei Emperor Bell. They do have some skill."
He extended his withered fingers and lightly tapped the armrest of the throne, a sinister glint in his eyes. "The legacy of the Ziwei Sect, the Taiyin Physique, the Pure Spirit Physique, the Emperor Bell... It seems that something interesting is about to begin."
The man waved his hand, and a cultivator clad in black armor immediately entered, kneeling on one knee. "Lord."
"Send out the order: dispatch all the underworld officials to search for the Snow Empress and Luo Qingyin, and for the fragments of the Emperor Bell. We must retrieve the Emperor Bell and capture the Taiyin Physique and the Pure Spirit Physique," the man said coldly. "Furthermore, expedite the forging of the Ten Thousand Yin Banner. No matter the cost, complete the Ten Thousand Yin Banner within three months."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the black-armored cultivator replied respectfully, then turned and left.
The man gazed once more towards the Bottomless Abyss, a glint of greed and ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. " The Ziwei Emperor Bell, the ancient evil god, this world will ultimately belong to me! Snow Empress, Luo Qingyin, you wait, I will soon find you, grind you to dust, seize the Emperor Bell, complete the Ten Thousand Yin Banner, awaken the ancient evil god, and dominate the world!"
A streak of purple light pierced the sky, carrying the chilling majesty of the Ziwei Star Emperor, hurtling towards the direction indicated by the fragment of the Emperor Bell. The Snow Empress's robes fluttered, and although the purple light surrounding her was not as intense as during the battle, it was increasingly refined, subtly revealing the foundation of her Second Transformation of Dragon Transformation cultivation with every breath. Nourished by the Ziwei Power within the palace, her wounds had mostly healed, except for a shallow scar on her chest, still bearing the lingering deathly aura of the Earth Venerable Ghost Axe, a constant reminder of the breathtaking battle that had recently taken place, and the immense danger lurking in the shadows.
The light from the fragments of the Emperor Bell guided her eastward, away from the ruins of the Bottomless Abyss, towards a desolate Desolate Antiquity secret realm rarely visited by humans. The further east she went, the more mixed the spiritual energy between heaven and earth became, containing both the vitality of mountains, rivers, and vegetation, and a faint, elusive aura of yin and evil, completely different from the deathly aura of the Underworld, yet equally unsettling. The Snow Empress concealed her aura, hiding the Emperor Bell within her dantian, leaving only a wisp of purple light swirling around her, vigilantly observing the movements around her—she knew that the Underworld's messengers must have already set out, and might be searching for her now; a slight misstep could lead to her being surrounded.
After flying for about three hours, the horizon ahead was gradually shrouded in a layer of gray mist. Within the mist, a series of undulating black mountain ranges could be vaguely seen. Ancient trees towered on the mountains, their branches twisted and gnarled, like countless ferocious Gui Mei lurking silently in the mist. The aura of the light spot became clearer and clearer; obviously, the fragment of the Emperor Bell was located within these mountain ranges. The Snow Empress slowly descended, landing in a secluded mountain hollow. Looking up, she saw two huge black stone tablets standing at the entrance to the mountain range. The tablets were engraved with twisted and incomprehensible ancient characters, and a faint restrictive power surrounded them, preventing outsiders from entering at will.
"Is this an ancient restriction?" Snow Empress slowly stepped forward, her fingertips gently touching the stone tablet. A chilling aura emanated from her fingertips, while a powerful repulsive force rushed towards her, nearly knocking her back. Her eyes sparkled as she activated the Ziwei Sect's techniques, channeling a wisp of pure Ziwei Power into her fingertips. Touching the stone tablet again, the distorted ancient characters seemed to be activated, slowly emitting a faint golden light that intertwined with the purple glow emanating from her fingertips. After a moment, the restriction on the stone tablet gradually weakened, and a narrow passage slowly appeared.
Snow Empress's heart stirred. She could sense the aura of the Ziwei Sect within this restriction. Clearly, this secret realm might be related to the predecessors of the Ziwei Sect, perhaps even a place where the Ziwei Sect hid its treasures. She composed herself, and with a flash, stepped into the passage. The passage was pitch black, with only the faint light emanating from the luminous pearls embedded in the stone walls illuminating the path ahead. On the stone walls on both sides of the passage were ancient murals depicting the glorious past of the Ziwei Sect: scenes of disciples cultivating, the heroic figures of predecessors slaying demons, and the awe-inspiring power of the Emperor Bell when it was complete.
Looking at these murals, Snow Empress was filled with mixed emotions. The Ziwei Sect had once been so glorious, its disciples spread throughout the world, the foremost righteous sect. Yet, due to the conspiracy of the Underworld and the manipulation of a mysterious force behind it, it was ultimately destroyed, leaving only ruins and scattered legacies. "Seniors, I will definitely revive the Ziwei Sect and complete your unfinished work," Snow Empress silently vowed in her heart, her eyes filled with even greater determination.