Qi Hai spoke again. "Which of an Emperor's treasures is not a sentient artifact? The Mountain and River Bell is Emperor Yuan Ding's lifebound Emperor Treasure, possessing its own spiritual consciousness. If it chooses you as its master, you won't need to refine it—it will come to you of its own accord. But if it looks down on you, then even if you were in the Emperor Realm, you wouldn't be able to refine it in the slightest."
Upon hearing this, the young man's eyes lit up. He said urgently, "Brother Qi, does this mean that if one has the opportunity, any of us could become the master of this Mountain and River Bell?"
Qi Hai's expression remained cold. "First, you have to possess that opportunity!"
The young man laughed heartily, his tone arrogant. "Zhang isn't particularly confident in much, but I have considerable confidence in my own luck. Since this Mountain and River Bell has already developed spiritual awareness, who's to say it won't choose me, Zhang, as the inheritor of Emperor Yuan Ding's legacy and carry on his mantle!"
He laughed with fervent obsession, and as he spoke, he actually turned and began walking toward the location of the Mountain and River Bell.
Seeing this, everyone was stunned, realizing that this young man surnamed Zhang was going to attempt to have the Bell choose him as its master! In an instant, all their curious gazes turned toward him, wanting to see what the final outcome would be.
A few among them had flickering expressions, as if considering taking action themselves, but they held back, choosing to watch how things would unfold.
Qi Hai stared at the young man's retreating back, sneering coldly, seemingly mocking the fellow's overconfidence.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the young man moved as if entering an unpopulated realm, his steps light and quick as he approached within a hundred zhang of the bell-shaped mountain peak. Perhaps this smooth progress greatly bolstered his confidence, for his face flushed with ecstatic joy as he quickened his pace.
Soon, he was only fifty zhang from the peak, and the distance was rapidly closing.
At this point, all the watching martial artists couldn't help but feel their hearts tighten with suspense, filled with apprehension. They worried that this fellow might actually possess heaven-blessed luck and claim Emperor Yuan Ding's lifebound Emperor Treasure. If that truly happened, then this young man might one day become another Emperor Yuan Ding.
Ten breaths passed, and the young man actually reached the foot of the mountain peak, having encountered absolutely no obstruction or danger along the way. His success was almost unimaginably smooth. Seeing this scene, even Qi Hai, who had been sneering all along, saw his expression darken considerably.
Everyone thought, could it be that this fellow is truly favored by destiny?
The young man couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Having waited for tens of thousands of years, I've kept you waiting too long. Today, I, Zhang, have come to take you with me. In the future, we will roam the Star Boundary together, your glory and Emperor Yuan Ding's majestic name shining brightly. I will never let such a precious gem gather dust!"
As he spoke, he reached out his hand toward the front.
Within the mountain peak, flowing radiance appeared, as if responding slightly to the young man's words.
This greatly increased the young man's confidence. Without a moment's hesitation, he pressed his palm against the surface of the peak, extending his spiritual consciousness to connect with the Spirit of the Mountain and River Bell.
It was at this moment that an abrupt change occurred.
The bell-shaped mountain peak suddenly trembled slightly, emitting a deep, resonant hum. The body of the mountain instantly shattered, sending stone fragments flying in all directions.
Simultaneously, a colossal bell-shaped artifact materialized before everyone's eyes. The enormous bell was of extreme antiquity, radiating an aura of profound age, as if it had crossed over from tens of thousands of years ago.
On the surface of the giant bell, runes flowed ceaselessly in patterns of unfathomable mystery.
A brilliant light suddenly surged, and as it churned, a dull, heavy bell toll suddenly rang out.
"Boom..."
It felt as if the heavens and earth were being torn apart, as if the universe itself were being twisted, as if mountains and rivers were being suppressed. The bell's toll exploded outward in all directions. A visible wave of sound converged into a tide of destructive energy that swept through the area. Every person's expression changed dramatically as they hastily employed their means to defend themselves.
And in the instant that bell toll sounded, the young man surnamed Zhang, who was closest to the Mountain and River Bell, was struck as if hit head-on by a mountain peak. He was sent flying high into the air like a paper kite, spurting mouthfuls of blood mid-flight. The blood was mixed with fragments of his internal organs. The aura of his Dao Source Realm cultivation rapidly withered, and his life force vanished in the blink of an eye.
Before he even hit the ground, the young man was already dead.
Rumble...
The aftershocks of the sound wave continued to spread outward. The force of the impact sent earth and soil tumbling across the ground's surface, resembling the arrival of an apocalypse.
Only after ten breaths did everything gradually subside.
Dozens of Dao Source Realm martial artists were all in a wretched state. Some had even been buried in the earth and now struggled to climb out. Looking around, every face was filled with shock, and they could only exchange speechless glances.
Amidst their astonishment, not even the Star Imprint left behind by the deceased young man surnamed Zhang drew anyone's attention to snatch it.
"Ahem..." Qi Hai coughed lightly, dusting off the dirt on his clothes. He looked calmly at the now-dead young man and remarked, "It seems you didn't have that opportunity after all."
Everyone remained silent.
Worthy of being an Emperor's treasure—the power of this Mountain and River Bell was simply staggering. The young man surnamed Zhang had merely touched it, and yet it had unleashed such a tremendous shockwave. If one truly refined it, just how great would its power be?
Moreover, this was absolutely not the true full power of the Mountain and River Bell. After all, it had been abandoned here for tens of thousands of years, and its power would certainly have diminished. That strike just now likely hadn't even unleashed half of its potential.
Therefore, despite the cautionary tale of the young man surnamed Zhang, the fervent desire in everyone's hearts had not been extinguished; instead, it burned even brighter.
And due to the recent tremor, the Mountain and River Bell that had been concealed within the peak was now fully revealed. Looking at it, the Emperor Treasure stood over a dozen zhang tall, rooted in the earth like a small mountain peak. The Emperor's aura and flowing runes cascading over it were dazzling to behold. Everyone stared intently at the mysterious object, eager to glimpse its secrets!