The Demon Bell lacked the power to protect its master, even if it had wanted to. The Tuo Mountain Bell was already stronger, and under its most invincible, Heaven-Defying strike, the Demon Bell couldn’t even save itself, let alone the Ghost Insect Demon Child. In an instant, the bell was sent flying far away, knocked into the vast sea.
As the Demon Bell was sent flying into the vast sea, a CRACK echoed. It had undoubtedly been fractured by the Tuo Mountain Bell. Upon reaching the open sea, the Demon Bell didn’t pause for even a moment. It fled at an unparalleled speed. Since the Tuo Mountain Bell had already cracked it, it didn’t dare to stop. If it were to be struck again, it feared that even an Emperor Artifact like itself would be destroyed.
After countless years, the Demon Bell had gained a spirit of its own. At this moment of life and death, it fled for its life, putting as much distance as possible between itself and the Tuo Mountain Bell!
Everything happened too fast. From Li Qiye’s casual gesture to the Brilliant Strike, then to the Tuo Mountain Bell striking the Demon Bell—it all occurred in a single instant!
In that instant, the Ghost Insect Demon Child was brutally killed and the Demon Bell had fled. Everyone was stunned, including the experts from the Insect Emperor Dynasty and the Ju Que Holy Land. They were so shocked they couldn’t even react.
After the Demon Bell fled, the momentarily stunned Saint Child Ji Que finally came to his senses. In that split second, he reconnected with the Tuo Mountain Bell and instantly regained control over it.
"Return—!" Sensing the Tuo Mountain Bell’s presence, Saint Child Ji Que reacted with incredible speed, attempting to recall his treasure.
However, before Saint Child Ji Que could fully control the Tuo Mountain Bell, a beam of Immortal Light suddenly shot out. "AHH!" With a wretched scream, Saint Child Ji Que was struck by the Immortal Light without even a chance to fight back. A rain of blood filled the sky as he was instantly slain!
At some unknown point, the Yin Yang Immortal Refining Mirror had appeared, hovering high above Li Qiye’s head. The mirror was an Extraordinary Treasure on par with an Immortal Emperor True Artifact. Without the Tuo Mountain Bell’s protection, Saint Child Ji Que was utterly defenseless before it.
With Saint Child Ji Que slain, the Tuo Mountain Bell was instantly left uncontrolled. Li Qiye reached out and snatched the ownerless bell.
"You dare—!" The Tuo Mountain Bell changing hands snapped everyone from the Ju Que Holy Land back to their senses. The experts of the Holy Land were all shocked. With a furious roar, countless cultivators from the Ju Que Holy Land charged forward.
BOOM! Simultaneously, a gigantic hand reached out, aiming straight for the Tuo Mountain Bell in Li Qiye’s grasp. As the hand descended, strands of Law cascaded down like Celestial Waterfalls. The hand alone seemed capable of crushing everything. Beneath it, never mind a Saint Venerable, even a Heaven-Defying Saint Emperor would be as helpless as an ant.
"A Great Sage—!" As the giant hand reached down, countless hearts trembled. Everyone recognized the power radiating from it. An Elder Ancestor from the Ju Que Holy Land had made their move!
This was an Elder Ancestor from an Emperor Immortal Gate—how terrifying, how utterly Heaven-Defying! A Great Sage, even an ordinary one, could crush a Saint Emperor as easily as an ant.
Meanwhile, the Tuo Mountain Bell in Li Qiye’s hand began to tremble, responding to a summons from the Ju Que Holy Land. It tried to fly out of his grasp.
Li Qiye didn’t spare a glance for the charging experts of the Ju Que Holy Land, nor for the giant hand reaching for him. In that instant, he threw out five copper doors and bellowed, "Seal—!"
BOOM! The five copper doors descended from the sky. As they fell, they transformed into an immense Five-cornered Copper City, trapping all the experts from the Ju Que Holy Land—including their Elder Ancestor—within its walls.
The Five Heaven-Sealing Daoist Sects! The five copper doors had merged into one, forming the Five-cornered Copper City. In a flash, everyone from the Ju Que Holy Land was trapped within these five Daoist Doors.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM— A series of thundering impacts came from within the Five-cornered Copper City. The experts of the Ju Que Holy Land, their Elder Ancestor included, were clearly trying to smash their way out of the Five Heaven-Sealing Daoist Sects.
The sound of their assault was deafening! Then, with a final, massive BOOM, a tyrannical Emperor’s Power erupted. Although the boundless power was contained within the Copper City, those outside who felt its pressure couldn’t help but shiver with fear.
"It’s an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure! The Elder Ancestor of Ju Que Holy Land is wielding an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure!" someone stammered, their face pale.
A Great Sage wielding an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure—what a terrifying combination! Such power could sweep across the entire world!
But even with an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure, the Elder Ancestor of the Ju Que Holy Land couldn’t break out of the Five Heaven-Sealing Daoist Sects so quickly. After all, this was a supreme artifact that had once sealed an entire realm.
"After it!" During this chaotic moment, the other Emperor Immortal Gate present, the Insect Emperor Dynasty, completely ignored the plight of the Ju Que Holy Land. They instantly vanished over the horizon, giving chase in the direction the Demon Bell had fled.
At this moment, what did the Ju Que Holy Land’s fate have to do with the Insect Emperor Dynasty? Not a damn thing. They were willing to give up the great fortune in the lake, but losing the Demon Bell would be an irreplaceable loss. To the Insect Emperor Dynasty, no treasure was more important than the Demon Bell.
Li Qiye ignored the commotion within the Five Heaven-Sealing Daoist Sects. His Yin Yang Immortal Refining Mirror cascaded down endless Immortal Light, which wrapped around the Tuo Mountain Bell layer by layer like a silkworm spinning its cocoon. The bell continued to tremble, struggling to break free from Li Qiye’s control.
The Tuo Mountain Bell was a Heaven-Defying item in its own right, but it wasn’t an Emperor Artifact or True Artifact personally refined by the Giant Sky Immortal Emperor. It didn’t possess an Emperor’s Lock like an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure, much less a Celestial Destiny Lock like an Immortal Emperor True Artifact.
Even so, the Giant Sky Immortal Emperor had left his brand on the bell, creating a connection between it and the Ju Que Holy Land. This was why, even while suppressed by Li Qiye’s Yin Yang Immortal Refining Mirror, it continued to resist and struggle to escape his grasp.
If not for the Yin Yang Immortal Refining Mirror, Li Qiye wouldn’t be able to control the bell for long, let alone completely suppress it. However, he was running out of time. The Five Heaven-Sealing Daoist Sects wouldn’t be able to hold the Elder Ancestor of Ju Que Holy Land for much longer.
Li Qiye decided to act decisively. He dripped a single drop of Longevity Blood, fused with Starry Universe Water, onto the Tuo Mountain Bell. The moment the blood merged with the bell, it instantly fell silent and still.
One must remember that Li Qiye had used this method to break the Emperor’s Lock on an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure before. Removing a simple brand with the Starry Universe Water infused in his Longevity Blood was a simple matter. If he could break an Emperor’s Lock, a mere brand was nothing.
"Oh no, the Tuo Mountain Bell has been stolen—!" Deep within the Ju Que Holy Land’s Ancestral Land, an Elder Ancestor suddenly lost his connection to the bell. His expression changed drastically, horrified. He knew something terrible had just occurred.
Li Qiye was also short on time and wanted to end this quickly. He instantly stored the Tuo Mountain Bell and lunged toward the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady!
"If you want to harm the Phoenix Lady, you’ll have to get through us first!" A group of hot-blooded young Ghost Race cultivators still tried to block Li Qiye’s path. Most of them were young and naive; as for the true experts—old, cunning foxes that they were—why would they be willing to throw their lives away for the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady?
"I’ll oblige you!" Li Qiye couldn’t be bothered to spare them a glance. He was ending this now. In an instant, his god-and-demon-suppressing power erupted, and the very Void trembled!
BAM! BAM! BAM! In a single moment, all the Ghost Race cultivators blocking the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady were sent flying. It happened so fast it seemed simultaneous. The bodies flying through the air, spraying blood, looked like a gruesome, blooming flower—vivid and dazzling.
A phoenix cry rang out as the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady lunged, putting all her strength into one final strike.
BANG! Before she even got close to Li Qiye, the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady was sent flying, coughing up a mouthful of blood. She had never been his match. Against his two great Immortal Bodies, she couldn’t withstand a single blow.
Before she could even hit the ground, Li Qiye already had her by the throat.
The scene shocked everyone present, especially the cultivators of the Ghost Race. A collective gasp of cold air was heard. As they all watched, not a single Ghost Race cultivator dared to make another move.
The Insect Emperor Dynasty was long gone, and the Ju Que Holy Land was temporarily trapped. The other Great Teaching Territories present didn’t dare to act rashly. The thought of the Tuo Mountain Bell in Li Qiye’s hands made everyone’s skin crawl. Besides, those Sect Leaders and Great Sect Ancestors—old, cunning foxes all of them—had no reason to risk their lives fighting Li Qiye to the death for the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady.
The Ghost Race dignitaries who had joined the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady in stirring up trouble were only trying to use the opportunity to eliminate Li Qiye. Only the common cultivators and the young and foolish would believe her act and be willing to throw their lives away for her cause.
These truly cunning old masters always knew when to act and when to fold.
Now that Li Qiye was wielding an Emperor Artifact, no one was willing to fight him to the death over the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady. It was just a shame the true masters of the Ten Thousand Bones Throne weren’t present; there was no one left to save her.
"Do you have any last words?" Li Qiye asked slowly, his hand still tight around her throat.
The Shen Ran Phoenix Lady took a deep breath. Now that death was upon her, a strange sense of calm washed over her. She closed her eyes, and a single tear escaped.
"Please, tell the Emperor’s Throne... not to avenge me," she finally said.
’In this moment, the Shen Ran Phoenix Lady understood everything. She knew that one wrong step had cost her the entire game. If she had left with Long Zun Tian earlier, she might still have had a chance. Or, if she had been willing to swallow her pride even earlier, perhaps she could have turned her enmity with Li Qiye into friendship.’
’After today’s battle, she finally understood the depths of Li Qiye’s power. She also understood why Long Tian Venerable had withdrawn. But even with this realization, it was already too late.’
’That was why she left such last words. She understood that if her husband fought Li Qiye to the death, his fate would be no better than hers. Having reached this point, her only hope was for the Emperor’s Throne to live on. It didn’t matter if he never became an Immortal Emperor. Reaching the peak of the Great Sage realm would be good enough. He didn’t need to compete with Li Qiye for the title of Immortal Emperor anymore.’