Deep within the lava, crimson subterranean fire, like the tongue of an ancient fire dragon, licks and wanders between the rock walls, each pulse bursting forth with scorching Daoist energy.
The spiritual liquid seeping from the rock crevices evaporates upon contact with fire, turning into wisps of white mist.
The crimson glow of the earth fire intertwined with the ethereal mist, making this place of weapon forging resemble a celestial workshop.
Li Qingshan sat cross-legged on the Xuanhuang Stone, which was formed from the core of an ancient earth vein and had natural fire patterns on its surface, capable of nurturing objects on its own.
The jade box on my lap was slightly warm, and I could faintly hear the sound of stars flowing inside.
It was the Star River Purple Sand that had taken a month to break the seal on.
"Hiss~"
Xiaobai peeked out from his sleeve, its jade horn lightly touching the surface of the box, its tiny snake body curled into a small ball on the Xuanhuang stone.
Her aura had stabilized at the edge of the Life Spring Realm, and her jade horn gleamed with a faint golden light.
Those were traces of the sundial's primordial power continuously nourishing it, conveying a sense of curiosity:
"The stars inside are moving, like the Milky Way above Kunlun."
Li Qingshan's fingertips caressed the ancient cloud patterns on the jade box, his divine sense sinking into them like silk threads.
The Star River Purple Sand slowly swirls inside the box, and the star-like specks on the surface rise and fall as if they were alive.
Each grain contains a miniature version of the laws of the stars, and touching it allows one to feel the chaotic aura of the beginning of the universe.
The bell is a sacred instrument of heaven and earth, and also Desolate Antiquity ritual vessel.
In the cultivation world, the significance of bell-shaped Dao soldiers goes far beyond the mere concepts of offense and defense.
Ancient people used bells to worship heaven, invoking a resonance between heaven and earth;
The Great Emperor used a bell to stabilize the world and establish the order of heaven and earth.
It embodies "suppression, domination, declaration, and transcendence".
Fourfold supreme realm.
Suppress one's own Dao heart,
Commanding all divine power within the body
Announcing the arrival of the Great Dao
Transcending the shackles of life and death.
"Only such a precious instrument is worthy of the path of 'taking Body as the Seed and proving the Way as oneself.'"
Li Qingshan murmured to himself, a glint of unwavering devotion to the Great Dao flashing in his eyes.
Although the old Dao Bell accompanied him through the Four Extremes Secret Realm, it ultimately contained too little Great Luo Silver Essence.
The material limit of Dragon Blood Stone is too low; it cannot withstand the divine power after the Dragon Transformation Realm, let alone bear the Great Dao of his future.
Xiaobai tilted its head and wagged its tail, its bewildered thoughts transmitted through divine sense:
"Is it more powerful than the previous bell? Can it withstand its master's divine power?"
Li Qingshan chuckled, cradling her in his palm, a wisp of gentle Solar True Force condensing from his fingertips:
It can withstand far more than you imagine.
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand and opened the jade box, and a purple halo instantly spread out.
The strange phenomenon of the Milky Way flowing through the sky was projected onto the rock wall, like a miniature version of the Milky Way hanging there, even the crimson of the earth's fire was tinged with starlight.
He summoned the old Dao Bell from the Bitter Sea and hung it above the earth's fire.
It trembled slightly upon sensing the aura of the Star River Purple Sand, as if anticipating a new life.
"Thank you for accompanying me through the Four Extremes and shielding me from tribulations."
Li Qingshan lightly flicked the bell wall with his finger, and it hummed.
A clear chirp rang out, carrying a hint of reluctance, yet also a hint of determination.
This bell witnessed his transformation from the Dao Palace to Dragon Transformation, but now it will become the cornerstone of a new artifact.
Suddenly, Xiaobai wrapped its tail around the old Dao Bell, its snake eyes filled with anxiety and its thoughts racing.
"Don't throw it away! We can keep it!"
"It's not about discarding it, it's about allowing it to Nirvana."
Li Qingshan activated the " Sun True Scripture," and his natal fire rose from his palm.
Golden flames, like flowing lava, instantly enveloped the old Dao Bell. "Only by melting the old can it receive new rhythm; this is its destiny, and also my path."
Under the scorching heat of the flames, the old Dao Bell gradually softened, turning into silvery-red droplets that dripped down along the patterns of the flames.
It gathered into a small pool on the black and yellow stone.
The Lightning-Attracting Mark and Sun Mark contained within it peeled away from the droplet, like two agile fish weaving through the fire.
This is the last vestige of the Daoist spirit preserved in these old artifacts.
Li Qingshan's eyes narrowed, and he held up the jade box with one hand, slowly pushing the Star River Purple Sand into the smelting flames.
Unexpectedly, the purple clay did not melt when exposed to fire; instead, it sparkled with countless tiny stars, forming a dazzling galaxy barrier.
It actually forced the Sun True Fire back three feet.
The temperature of the Earthfire Abyss suddenly dropped, and fine white frost even condensed on the rock walls, causing the surrounding fire to weaken.
Xiaobai was so frightened that it shrank back into his sleeve, only half its head showing, its jade horns trembling slightly. "It's resisting, it's so cold."
"It's not resistance, it's protecting one's own Daoist principles."
Li Qingshan's brow glowed, and his divine sense, like a drawn sword, forcefully pierced into the interior of the Star River Purple Sand.
A boundless galaxy instantly exploded within his sea of consciousness, and countless ancient runes rushed towards him.
That is the mark of chaos that Zisha clay has contained since its birth.
Recording the profound principles of the birth and death of stars and the operation of the universe, each rune is heavier than a mountain, carrying the pressure of the ancient heaven and earth.
"Melt it for me!"
He let out a low shout and pushed the " Sun True Scripture " to its limit.
The true fire suddenly surged, transforming into a Golden Crow with outstretched wings.
Its sharp beak gripped the barrier of Star River Purple Sand tightly.
At the same time, he wrapped the imprint, which combined the Solar True Force, the laws of thunder, and the insights of chaos, around the star point like thousands of golden threads.
"Laugh!"
The moment the mark touched the star point, it was scorched and distorted by the laws of the stars.
A backlash surged into his sea of consciousness along with his divine sense.
Li Qingshan groaned, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and the little figure in his mind staggered backward in his sea of consciousness.
At the same time, crisis contains opportunity. Li Qingshan seized this fleeting opportunity and forcibly imprinted the Great Dao mark onto the Star River Purple Sand.
The purple clay trembled violently, and the star-like points spun wildly, forming a small vortex of stars.
The rock walls of the Earthfire Abyss crumbled in response, and rubble fell like raindrops, causing even the Xuanhuang Stone to groan under the weight.
"Chaos as the skin, the Sun as the bones, thunder as the veins, condense for me!"
He formed a hand seal, symbolizing the creation of Heaven-Opening:
The left palm lifts up, drawing upon the chaotic Daoist energy to envelop the purple clay:
He clenched his right fist and tore the barrier apart with the power of thunder.
Divine power surged into the flames like a tidal wave, and the dragon energy of the Kunlun earth veins seemed to sense it, flowing in through the fissures of the Earthfire Abyss.
It transformed into a blue dragon shadow and coiled around the smelting materials.
Under the pull of these three forces, the Star River Purple Sand finally began to deform.
The silvery-red old clock droplets were swallowed by the starlight, transforming into a golden-purple metallic stream.
Under Li Qingshan's precise control of his divine sense, it gradually stretched and bent, and the mouth of the bell was initially formed, as round and wide as the sky, which conformed to the principle of "roundness of heaven" and could absorb the essence of all heavens;
The bell gradually came into view, seemingly bearing the weight of countless ages. Fine patterns appeared on its surface, traces left by the erosion of the earth's veins and dragon energy.
The bell condensed and transformed into a miniature Ba Serpent, with clearly defined scales and eyes like two Ziwei Star.
It was based on the form of Xiaobai, which implies the meaning of protecting the path.
Xiaobai lay on the Xuanhuang Stone, staring in astonishment, forgetting its fear, and murmured to itself:
It's changed.
Li Qingshan dared not be distracted, his fingertips continuously outlining Divine Markings.
The Sun Mark, like Golden Crow spreading its wings, extends from the bottom of the bell to the top, with each feather clearly visible, containing the power to the Burn Heaven and Boil the Sea;
The Lightning-Attracting Mark resembles a raging dragon coiling around the wall, connected to the bell -Ba Serpent, forming the image of "lightning snake suppressing the prison";
Furthermore, there are auspicious patterns learned from the jade Fortune-Suppressing Mark of the Sun Sacred Clan, which wrap around the bell like chains.
Each chain is engraved with ancient runes, which can stabilize the foundation of one's cultivation and suppress one's destiny.
Three Divine Markings intertwine to form a net, firmly locking the starlight within the bell's body, transforming it into a flowing galaxy phenomenon on the bell's surface.
For seven days and seven nights, the tremors of the Earthfire Abyss never ceased.
When the dawn of the eighth day shone through the crack, the tremors finally subsided.
A nine-foot-tall, ancient bell hangs in mid-air, with golden and purple rays of light flowing across its surface.
Sometimes it resembles a reversed Milky Way, and sometimes it resembles the rising Sun.
The scattered stars on the clock's surface are no longer random, but have transformed into a complete star map.
It echoes the stars in the sky above Kunlun.
A chaotic, wispy creature seemed to wander on the bell wall, enacting the cycle of birth and death of all things and the flow of the Great Dao.
Its shape is dome-shaped, supporting the round sky above and corresponding to the square earth below, implicitly conforming to the universe;
The curved lines of the bell are not deliberately sculpted; they are the natural flow of Daoist principles, symbolizing "the Great Dao is like a circle, Wu Shi Wuzhong."
The bell's mouth is slightly constricted, as if it wants to absorb the laws of the heavens, or as if it wants to pour out its own Daoist charm. Every detail exudes the majesty of an ancient artifact.
"It's done."
Li Qingshan sat on the Xuanhuang Stone, his whole body soaked in sweat, his spiritual power completely exhausted, and he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand.
He retrieved a Primordial Spirit Pill from the Bitter Sea. The pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, and its cool energy flowed throughout his body like a sweet spring, nourishing his depleted spiritual mind and physical body.
Li Qingshan, panting, looked at the floating clock, his eyes filled with relief.
Although the bell still retains the immaturity of a newborn vessel, it already possesses the imposing presence of a great instrument.
The divine energy fluctuations were more than ten times stronger than those of the old Dao Bell, as clear as a baby's first cry, and could faintly convey a joyful emotion.
"Buzz~"
As if sensing his presence, the bell slowly descended before him, its mouth trembling slightly as it emitted a clear and resonant sound.
The Dao Bell pierced through the Earthfire Abyss, causing the surrounding fire to surge violently, as if paying homage to a king;
The roars of strange beasts echoed from the distant Mount Kunlun Range, and not a single one dared to approach the Earthfire Abyss.
Xiaobai cautiously stretched out its tail and touched the bell wall.
The starlight immediately gathered where she touched, shimmering with a soft golden light that enveloped her small body.
She immediately lost her fear and happily circled the clock, her mind leaping with joy. "It recognizes me! It can sense my presence!"
Li Qingshan nodded with a smile, his divine sense probing into the bell, where the internal scene clearly appeared:
The Sun True Fire transforms into Eternal source of fire at the bottom of the bell.
Lightning-Attracting Mark form small lightning pools on the bell wall.
The Fortune-Suppressing Mark spread out like roots.
He established a strong connection with his Bitter Sea, sharing each other's strength with every breath.
"From this day forward, you will be my life-bound weapon, a protector of the Dao, and a vessel carrying the Dao."
He spoke softly, gently pressing his fingertip against the bell's surface. A drop of essence blood containing the primordial essence flew out and merged into the depths of the bell.
"Boom!"
The great bell suddenly burst forth with dazzling golden light, illuminating the Earthfire Abyss as if it were daytime.
The chaotic imagery on the bell became increasingly clear, and a fleeting glimpse of the Heaven-Opening appeared.
Golden-purple rays of light shot into the sky, echoing the Sun above Kunlun.
Li Qingshan could clearly feel that he had formed a blood-related bond with the Great Bell.
It's like having an extra arm; with a thought, one can unleash its divine power, and even merge one's own consciousness into the bell, using its ringing to transmit the Daoist message.
"Master, shall we name it?"
Xiaobai tilted its head back, its jade horn pointing towards the star pattern on the bell, filled with anticipation.
Li Qingshan stroked the bell wall, feeling the powerful Daoist spirit within it.
Made with Star River Purple Sand as its base and imbued with the Solar True Force as its soul, the bell body is Purple Gold in color.
It aligns with his Daoist principle of "chaos as the foundation, the Sun as the tool."
"Then I'll call you Purple Gold."
" Purple Gold!"
Xiaobai excitedly repeated the action, gently tapping the bell wall with its body.
The great bell responded with a resounding chime, and the starlight rose and fell with the sound.
A golden-purple halo enveloped the man, the snake, and the bell, spreading the joy of new life within this Earthfire Abyss.
For the next two weeks, Li Qingshan continued to refine the Purple Gold Bell.
The bell body is tempered daily by drawing on the earth's fire and the Sun True Fire.
He used his divine sense to refine each Divine Markings, allowing his own Daoist essence to completely merge with the bell's body;
Xiaobai became the most loyal assistant, shuttling around the Earthfire Abyss every day.
They would bring all sorts of spiritual materials, such as Scarlet Fire Essence, Thunder Mark Stone, and Earth Vein Pearl, and place them in front of the bell as if they were treasures.
"This red-headed perm! Give it to Zi!"
She picked up a fist-sized piece of Scarlet Fire Essence and lightly touched the ground with her jade horn.
Li Qingshan smiled and threw the Scarlet Fire Essence into the earth fire, and the flames immediately swelled to three feet.
The Purple Gold Bell sank on its own, its mouth opening to swallow the flames.
The Sun Mark on the bell wall suddenly lit up, transforming into the shadow of a Three-Legged Golden Crow.
After swirling three times around the bell, the fire energy merged into it, making the power of the fire source even purer.
" The Purple Gold are growing!"
Xiaobai pointed to the solidified Golden Crow patterns on the bell wall, excitedly conveying his thoughts.
Li Qingshan's heart stirred slightly, and he sank his divine sense into the bell. Sure enough, he sensed that the fluctuations of the spirit were clearer than before, and it could respond to external emotions through the flickering of starlight. That morning, Li Qingshan was guiding the Purple Gold bell to absorb the essence of the moon in the morning dew.
To balance the Sun True Fire within its body.
The bell suddenly trembled violently, the starlight spun wildly, and a golden-purple sound wave shot into the sky, piercing through the rock layers of the Earthfire Abyss and resounding throughout the entire Earthfire Abyss.
A rumbling sound came from Thundercliff in the distance, and the ancient thunder patterns on the cliff face flickered spontaneously, as if resonating with the Purple Gold Bell;
Furthermore, the earth's dragon energy surged in like a tide, converging along the trajectory of the sound waves to the Earthfire Abyss, where it coiled around the Purple Gold Bell, transforming into azure dragon patterns.
Startled by the sudden sound wave, Xiaobai quickly hid behind Li Qingshan, only revealing her jade horn, her mind tense.
Is it angry?
"It's not anger, it's transformation."
A look of surprise flashed in Li Qingshan's eyes, and his divine sense locked onto the bell.
The Divine Markings on the Purple Gold surface began to recombine, with the Sun Mark and Lightning-Attracting Mark intertwining to form a new design.
It was a simplified Kunlun Star Chart, which not only echoed the stars in the sky, but also connected with the earth's veins beneath our feet.
This forms a pattern of "corresponding to celestial stars above and earth veins below".
When the sound waves dissipated, the Purple Gold Bell had changed its appearance.
The bell's shape appears more ancient, with a restrained golden-purple hue that exudes a sense of weight and solidity, like that of a mountain.
The chaotic scene on the bell wall has become much more solid, and the phantom images of mountains, rivers, plants, the sun, moon, and stars can be clearly seen, as if a small world is hidden within it;
With a gentle tap, the bell's sound is no longer clear and melodious, but becomes deep and resonant, like the pulse of the earth, capable of stirring a resonance in the listener's heart.
"This has activated the power of the earth's ley lines!"
Li Qingshan was shocked. He could clearly sense that the Purple Gold Bell had established a connection with the earth veins near the Earthfire Abyss.
Even if they are in danger in the future, they can use the power of the earth's veins to activate the bell, thus increasing its power.
Xiaobai cautiously approached and touched the bell wall with its jade horn.
This time, there were no twinkling stars; instead, a gentle force of earth energy enveloped her, nourishing her body. She comfortably closed her eyes, her mind lost in bliss.
"Like lying in a warm, cozy hot spring."
Li Qingshan shook his head with a smile, and with a thought, the Purple Gold Bell transformed into a golden light and entered his Bitter Sea.
The bell floats above the crimson Bitter Sea, its starlight reflecting off the Bitter Sea's lightning.
Each chime of the bell could stir up the tides of the Bitter Sea, nourishing his limbs and bones, and even accelerating the circulation of the Dragon Spine Divine Power.
"The initial purification process is complete."
Li Qingshan felt the Daoist energy connected to the Purple Gold Bell within his body, and his heart was filled with confidence. "With the foundation of the Star River Purple Sand, it is enough to support me to reach the Saint Realm."
"Once we find the divine material, we will help it break through to the realms of King Weapon and Saint Weapon."
The fire in the Earthfire Abyss still flickers, and the fire patterns on the rock walls echo the Purple Gold Bell in the Bitter Sea.
Li Qingshan sat cross-legged and began to solidify his Dragon Transformation First Change.