Donghuang Ziji

Chapter 953 The Bell Rings Back to the Future

The golden bell hammer, imbued with immense magical power and a portion of the Eastern Emperor Bell's strength, shattered the void inch by inch under its strike, erasing the concept of distance.

In theory, the bell hammer should have struck the back of the Heavenly Demon Lord's head the instant it left his hand.

But before they made contact, a point of light rose an inch behind the Heavenly Demon Lord's head, and all sorts of smoke and clouds rose up, their colors changing unpredictably. From the depths, a clear, round moon broke through the mist.

The bright moonlight instantly dispelled the murderous aura that permeated the surroundings. The sword light that Jade Emperor True Lord had unleashed seemed to be frozen, trembling constantly, yet unable to change.

The moonlight, like mercury spilling onto the ground, repaired the cracks in the surrounding space and gave it a jade-like texture, infinitely stretching the original small area.

As the hammer continued to fall, amidst the clanging of gold and jade, fine cracks reappeared, from which Jade Emperor True Monarch's sword light flew out. Yet, within the cracks, golden flowers bloomed, each flower's surface condensed with Daoist runes. As the petals opened and closed, clear sounds echoed, cleansing the mind and spirit, and auspicious energy descended, heavy as a mountain.

At the same time, golden lamps emerged from the void, like stars twinkling and fading, hovering above the golden flowers. The lamplight flickered, casting boundless light, stabilizing the shattered void once more, and forcefully lifting the falling golden bell hammer back into the void, freezing the thousands of sword lights in front of it.

This is precisely the wonder of the Heavenly Demon Lord's control over the Dao Fruit. Whether it is the rosy clouds and bright moon before our eyes, or the golden flowers and golden lamps, they are all transformations of the Dao Fruit of [Myriad Transformations].

At the same time, the Heavenly Demon Lord raised one hand, his middle and index fingers standing side by side like a sword. There was no light at the fingertips, only a formless, colorless, nameless, material but no substance, seemingly omnipresent true qi.

This is the embodiment of the Dao fruit, "One Qi". Although it cannot compare to the exquisite "Primordial One Qi" that Qing Shi Zhen Jun traced back to the beginning of time, it still reaches the wonder of the Great Simplicity and can be said to be the most fundamental material basis at the beginning of the universe.

This was neither a simulation nor a change, but a manifestation of the "One Qi". Therefore, as the Heavenly Demon Lord raised his hand and brought it down, the "One Qi" transformed into a mysterious blade of light and slashed down.

Wherever the blade flashed, matter was reorganized and absorbed, vital energy was assimilated and returned, space and time were fractured, and even the "sense of existence" of all things became blurred, making everything extremely chaotic.

Furthermore, at the moment the blade appeared, the cold indifference and ruthlessness of the unseen forces, symbolizing the laws of the heavens, bestowed upon the blade with an unpredictable, inviolable, and irresistible divine power.

"God willing?"

Chu Tai looked up at the sky and gently stroked the wall of the Eastern Emperor Bell.

The ancient bell suddenly resonated, and an invisible Daoist rhythm spread out as visible ripples. However, this resonance was not merely the sound of the bell, but also a vibration acting on the fundamental laws of the universe.

In an instant, the light of the universe stopped, the void solidified, and everything around was frozen in place, as if trapped in an invisible amber.

However, such methods were clearly unable to suppress the Heavenly Will Blade. As the blade light collided with the solidified spacetime, the void tore apart and wailed once again. The laws and principles of the entire Eastern Celestial Heaven were thrown into chaos. If it weren't for the Primordial True Lord manifesting the Taiji Arc to balance the changes in heaven and earth, at least one-third of the void of the entire Heaven would have been in chaos, and countless living beings would have suffered devastating impacts.

Chu Tai was slightly startled. As a newly promoted first-grade cultivator, this was the first time he had felt the terrifying impact of a first-grade cultivator going all out.

He dared not be careless, and once again swung the bell hammer to strike the Eastern Emperor Bell, suppressing the void and the light of the universe. At the same time, the power of the Dao Fruit of the Xiangjun and Xiangfuren system, namely the [Zhoushi (Taishi)] Dao Fruit, and the power of the Dao Fruit of the Shangui system, namely the [Chengtian] Dao Fruit, emerged in the Eastern Emperor Bell. As the bell vibrated, it stabilized the changes in the light of the universe around it and sorted out all the operations.

Qing Shi Zhenjun and Hun Yuan Zhenjun's eyes lit up; this treasure was a powerful weapon in their battle.

The Heavenly Demon Lord was also startled, and then his spiritual senses alerted him that a cold and sharp force had already locked onto him.

The Heavenly Demon Lord's body was surrounded by surging clouds and changing moonlight. Golden lamps hung high and golden flowers scattered. The four changes were interlocked and nested, constructing a powerful defense. Three more treasures rose into the air and were hidden within the defense system.

But his calamity has been waiting for a long time.

Jade Emperor True Lord’s Five Tribulations Dao Fruit manifested, generating a sharp sword light that allowed no chance of survival.

The sword light drained the killing intent that had been naturally generated when the world almost collapsed, and gathered the four transformations of severing cause and effect, erasing reincarnation, and slaughtering all living beings. Ignoring the barriers of time and space, it silently surrounded the Heavenly Demon Lord.

This is the calamity of the Heavenly Demon Lord!
It is a heavenly tribulation that follows the changes of heaven and earth and is directed at those who are tainted by karma!
Now, under the operation of the [Five Tribulations] Dao Fruit, it directly enters the mind of the Heavenly Demon Dao Lord, constantly generating from nothingness and cutting into the depths of nothingness, sweeping back and forth, splitting open the power of the [Myriad Transformations] Dao Fruit, causing the smoke and clouds to dissipate, the bright moon to fall, the golden lamp to shatter, and the golden flower to wither.

The three protective magical treasures hidden within also made a shattering sound like glass falling to the ground; they had just begun to gleam when they vanished without a trace.

As for the Heavenly Demon Lord's physical body, which had been cultivated for tens of thousands of years, it could not withstand the power of the sword light. Strands of blood light containing his fundamental true qi burst out from the Heavenly Demon Lord's body, turning into boundless filth and evil energy that spread in all directions.

Chu Tai tried to stop them, but saw dozens of streaks of blood transform into dozens of blades of light that slashed down. Each blade contained the will of heaven and the transformation of the heavenly demons, breaking through the radiant light surrounding the Eastern Emperor Bell and striking the bell wall fiercely. It seemed that they wanted to use the blood of a first-grade cultivator and part of the Dao Fruit power of three first-grade cultivators to pollute the spirituality within.

"Boom--!"

A dull, almost chiming sound suddenly emanated from inside the Eastern Emperor Bell.

The next moment, endless tremors spread out from the center of the Eastern Emperor Bell.

In an instant, all the light of the universe and the void were violently impacted.

Visible to the naked eye, ripples spread through the void, stabilizing matter, enlivening vital energy, and even stabilizing spacetime itself. The changes in cosmic light that had been sent here by the Taiyi True Qi were also repaired, and the power of Chu Tai and the Heavenly Demon began to be rejected, intending to send them back to their corresponding time phases.

However, the heavens simply fell into silence, completely unaffected by the Eastern Emperor Bell's correction of all things.

Chu Tai instantly understood the other party's idea. He could not suppress the Eastern Emperor Bell, but he could use the characteristics of the Eastern Extreme Chenguang Great Heaven itself to force Chu Tai out of this time point and send him back to the future.

Understanding this, Chu Tai raised the Eastern Emperor Bell in his hand and slammed it down. A phantom Dao Fruit appeared, which was a concept called "Gate," and was also part of the Dao Fruit that came with the Eastern Emperor Bell.

In the past, with the cooperation of the Heavenly Emperor, they sealed off the heavens.

He now materializes it, smashing it out violently, directly suppressing the will of heaven within the heavens.

"You stay put, you too!"

Chu Tai's actions also prompted the cooperation of Qing Shi Zhenjun, Hun Yuan Zhenjun, and Yu Li Zhenjun, with the three layers of radiance intertwining to further suppress the will of heaven.

The Celestial Cauldron trembled and emitted a beam of light, coordinating with the three True Lords.

Another glimmer of light flew out from within, following the connection, and landed inside the Eastern Emperor Bell. Instantly, a slight wisp of the Saint King's Dao descended, pulling the Eastern Emperor Bell to prevent it from immediately returning to the future.

"We've failed in the future."

A voice appeared in Chu Tai's ear, and he carefully sensed that it was the one who controlled the Celestial Cauldron.

But Chu Tai didn't know how to answer that question.

But the silence itself is also a reply, the Lord of the Celestial Cauldron chuckled.

"As expected, we failed. Can you tell me who has the problem? I just sensed that the Holy Kingdom Dao we have condensed has encountered a rebellious concept. Although it is incomplete, it has indeed appeared. Moreover, an aura of Dao Fruit containing power, violence, and strength is spreading from the future to the present. It should be the result of the Dao Lord of your era tracing back."

"I don't know either, I only know that his later title was Monarch Demon."

"The Lord of the Demonic Path?"

The master of the Celestial Cauldron repeated in a low voice, "I have a rough idea of ​​who it is. It's not like there's no way to guard against his words."

"I sensed the aura of the Celestial Cauldron on you. This treasure will likely fall into your hands in the future. I will leave some interesting information on it. You can check if it's still there then. If it is, it should be able to help you. If it's not, it will still have some auxiliary effect."

As he spoke, his will dissipated, leaving only a faint glimmer within the Eastern Emperor Bell.

Having lost the power of the Holy King's Path, the Eastern Emperor Bell instantly departed from the current point in time and gradually returned to the future.

During this process, Chu Tai also clearly saw that the destiny, cosmic light, and order of the entire Eastern Pole Chenguang Great Heaven were actually somewhat chaotic.

From the source of that cosmic light, more than a dozen beings whose power and status were no less than that of the Eastern Emperor Bell, and even a few whose Dao Qi surpassed that of the Eastern Emperor Bell, maintained the basic order and stability of the entire Eastern Polar Radiance Great Heaven.

However, at the same time, Chu Tai also saw a very terrifying reality in the Eastern Celestial Heaven: every moment, the Dao Qi within the Heaven was vying for power.

Among them, the corresponding divine energy is the least, basically maintaining a basic force, and spending the rest of the time cooperating with other Dao energy to stabilize order.

The Buddhist and Taoist traditions have a slightly stronger presence, but they are not powerful enough to contend with humans, immortals, and demons.

The Dao Qi of the Immortal Path and the Demonic Path have been interfering with and influencing each other since the beginning of time, attempting to suppress one another.

The Dao Qi, which belongs to the human realm, firmly occupies the central point, which is a core element in the construction of the Sage King's Great Dao.

'Could this be the origin of the Heavenly Demon Lord's "Mirror Flower, Water Moon" doctrine? Have all the Dao Lords been exerting influence on the mortal realm? Is the Eastern Celestial Radiance Great Heaven merely a story they've created, allowing themselves to manipulate and embellish it at will?'

As soon as this thought arose, Chu Tai's mind was shrouded in mist, and many distracting thoughts arose. But in the instant when his emotions reached their extreme, he suddenly made a move, forcing out the power of the Heavenly Demon, and said coldly, "It really is you."

"Alas, it's a pity. I finally managed to arouse some doubt in you, but in the end, I was one step behind. I was too impatient."

"Too hasty? I'm afraid we'll be forced out by the Eastern Emperor Bell at any moment and have no choice but to take a risky move."

Chu Tai's face showed a mocking expression. The Heavenly Demon remained silent for a moment, but did not continue to refute: "Indeed, your treasure bell is unparalleled in its mystery. Even with the cooperation of that guy, the Heavenly Demon Dao Lord, and the help of the heavens, I can only leave a trace and carefully guide your emotions. If I use even a little power, it will be rejected by this treasure bell. You are really lucky."

"My luck is good, you can't envy it. Why would you want to leave me hints in this regard so you can influence me later?"

Chu Tai did not deny that the Eastern Emperor Bell had helped him achieve enlightenment, or rather, he was very clear that the Eastern Emperor Bell was definitely the most crucial aid to his smooth cultivation to this day.

Upon hearing this, the Heavenly Demon did not dwell on the topic any further, but instead asked him, "Aren't you curious about everything you saw earlier?"

“What’s there to be curious about? If the barrier between the Great Luo Heaven and the mortal realm were so easily broken, the mortal realm wouldn’t be in its current state. Therefore, even a Dao Lord cannot easily overstep the boundaries and recklessly interfere with the karma of the mortal world. From this, we can know that what I saw earlier was not real, but rather you secretly guiding it.”

"Now that we know it was you who acted in secret, we should not believe anything you say."

As he spoke, Chu Tai intended to destroy the power of the Heavenly Demon, but the moment he made his move, a phantom portal appeared in his palm.

As the portal took shape, the Big Dipper and the phantoms of countless constellations began to move upon it, and the order of time and the way of the universe constantly manifested.

"What do you want to do?"

The Heavenly Demon suddenly sensed something was wrong; this thing looked somewhat similar to the Dao Fruit that Chu Tai had previously used to suppress the will of Heaven.

"This is the second-grade Dao Fruit [Big Dipper] that I previously used to suppress the Heavenly Gate system. This Dao Fruit is in its initial stage of formation, and I am somewhat curious about its effects. Why don't you help me test it out?"

As he spoke, he pressed down with his five fingers, suppressing the power of the Heavenly Demon.

In the darkness, even the Heavenly Demon knew the true nature of the power of this Dao Fruit, [Big Dipper].

To a certain extent, this is a concrete manifestation of the concept of the void and the universe. For this path, the trajectory of stars is a string that can be plucked, the universe is a piece of cloth that can be folded, and the light of the universe is a road that can be traveled back and forth. The boundary between reality and illusion is meaningless to it.

At the same time, as the Beidou system, it has concepts such as positioning, location, direction, anchor point, and existence base point. It can stabilize its own cosmic light and the universe, stabilize its own state under any circumstances, and can freely construct a spacetime confinement area that is unique to it.

This ban is not only imposed on the cosmos and the universe, but also targets the "state of existence" of the banned entity.

Even a Heavenly Demon would find it difficult to resist such a seal using its own Dao Fruit, let alone with the Eastern Emperor Bell used by Chu Tai to completely cut off any assistance the Heavenly Demon's true form could provide. Without any ability to resist, the Heavenly Demon naturally became a reference point for Chu Tai to master the power of the Dao Fruits of [Chaos], [Change], and [Separation].

Furthermore, Chu Tai also used the influence of the flow of time along the river of time back to the corresponding point in time, and the Dao Fruits of [Big Dipper] and [Primordial Beginning (Great Beginning)], to make the changes of time that should have been instantaneous become much longer. In this way, he absorbed some of the power of the Heavenly Demon and further perfected the power of the many Dao Fruits he had mastered.

(End of this chapter)