“Oh right, does anyone know who that boy is, and what was the Strange Artifact he used? It’s quite incredible.”

The three Sages chatted a while longer when Xiahou Zun suddenly recalled Ye Qing.

“I don’t know,” Wan Lingxiao hummed, “but judging from his energies and the fact that he possessed the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, he is probably related to the Earthly Sovereign Hall.”

“If that is true, then the bronze bell is most likely their ultimate treasure.”

“Makes sense!” Xiahou Zun nodded before voicing his doubts, “But that boy is in his early twenties at most. When did the Earthly Sovereign Hall raise such a powerful disciple?”

“Who knows? You know how the Earthly Sovereign Hall, Clear Sky Palace, Xuanyuan Village and the rest of the factions that have existed since ancient times are. They’re as well hidden as they are mysterious. Anything could happen with those factions,” Wan Lingxiao replied, though there was an undercurrent of scorn in her voice.

“That’s true.” Xiahou Zun nodded in agreement.

“Say, do you think that bell might be the Earthly Sovereign Bell?” Long-browed Divine Monk suddenly broke his silence.

“The Earthly Sovereign Bell?” Xiahou Zun and Wan Lingxiao were caught off guard by his statement. “I didn’t know you’re a joker, old monk! You might as well say that it’s the Bell of Primal Chaos!”

Their reactions changed when they noticed the serious expression on Long-browed Divine Monk, however. After exchanging a glance with each other, Wan Lingxiao asked seriously, “You’re serious, old monk?”

“Monks do not lie.”

Long-browed Divine Monk said slowly, “Don’t you think that that bell is a little too powerful? Its Profound Yellow Qi is also rich like it has orbited among the sun and the moon and stood together with the mountains and river as well. I don’t know about you two, but I had felt small and intimidated before the bell.”

“I once accompanied the abbot on a trip to the Earthly Sovereign Hall when I was a child. I had witnessed their ultimate treasure, the Profound Yellow Bell with my own eyes. Be it in terms of appearance, power, and presence, the Profound Yellow Bell is utterly inferior to it.”

“But… wasn’t the Earthly Sovereign Bell lost a long time ago?” Xiahou Zun murmured.

“It might be lost, but it isn’t gone.”

Long-browed Divine Monk replied, “Divine objects like these possess a mind of their own. When they are unneeded, they would seclude themselves from the world. When it is time for them to resurface, or when they encounter their destined one, they will reappear. Considering that the age of chaos is nigh, it makes sense that the Earthly Sovereign Bell would reappear and choose a new master.”

There was one thing he didn’t tell the duo. Several months ago, the Lotus Platform of Deliverance of Lanke Temple had suddenly shone golden bright. The Lotus Platform of Deliverance was the ultimate treasure of Lanke Temple and the Buddhist artifact that had protected Siddhartha Gautama’s Way. Its power was infinite to say the least. Unfortunately, after Colossuses such as Taozu, Siddhartha Gautama and more had disappeared one after another, the Lotus Platform of Deliverance had vanished as well.

Later, a monk accidentally stumbled upon the Lotus Platform of Deliverance and became enlightened regarding the ways of Buddhism. He would later found the Lanke Temple and make the Lotus Platform of Deliverance their ultimate Buddhist treasure.

Alas, ten thousand years had passed since the Lanke Temple was founded, but the Lotus Platform of Deliverance had not revealed its power even once throughout this time. No matter what Lanke Temple did to awaken its power, it stubbornly remained aslumber.

That lasted until a few months ago, when the Lotus Platform of Deliverance awakened on its own and filled the Lanke Temple with golden light. After studying its light carefully, the senior monks of Lanke Temple all agreed that a divine object or an ultimate treasure had surfaced in this world. That was why the Lotus Platform of Deliverance had reacted to it.

Of course, there was no way to know exactly what treasure the Lotus Platform of Deliverance was reacting to. It wasn’t until Long-browed Divine Monk saw the bronze bell that he connected the two incidents and made an educated guess.

As the Lotus Platform of Deliverance was the Lanke Temple’s top secret, he decided that there was no need to inform the two Sages about it.

“Could it really be…?” Xiahou Zun began after a moment of silence.

“It’s not impossible. I mean, we just fought a bloody celestial. Is it really that strange that the Earthly Sovereign Bell would resurface?” Wan Lingxiao sipped her wine and licked her lips.

“Tsk tsk. If you are right, then we are in for some interesting times.”

Xiahou Zun suddenly let out a cold chuckle. “The Earthly Sovereign Bell, is it? How interesting.”

“What are you planning, Xiahou Zun?” Wan Lingxiao shot Xiahou Zun an unfriendly look.

“I’m thinking what you are thinking,” Xiahou Zun replied.

“I’m not thinking about anything.”

Wan Lingxiao sneered, “Unlike a certain someone who’s definitely thinking about something but refusing to admit it. Coward!”

“Heh, says the woman whose mouth is saying the exact opposite of what her heart thinks. Women!” Xiahou Zun countered.

“All bearers of the Earthly Sovereign Bell are destined ones who are favored by fate and blessed by the Great Way. We are Sages, no? If we rob that boy of the Earthly Sovereign Bell, I am afraid that we would be going against fate. It will not benefit us or the Way.”

Long-browed Divine Monk said, “Besides, it is unbecoming of a Sage to steal and plunder.”

“Fate? What fate? From the moment I begin practicing, I firmly believe that my destiny will triumph over any fate. Why should I receive handouts from the heavens when I can take what I want with my own bow and saber?”

Xiahou Zun declared domineeringly, “Besides, you said it yourself that a treasure chooses their destined one. The Earthly Sovereign Bell may be in that boy’s hands for now, but that doesn’t mean that he is their destined one. Who knows, maybe he’s just been holding it for me?”

“In any case, one who does not fight for opportunities gets nothing. This is doubly true considering that the age of chaos is near.”

“Tsk. Just say you want to rob the boy, bitch. No need to make up all those fancy words to justify yourself,” Wan Lingxiao scoffed.

“Sure. I, Xiahou Zun, desire the Earthly Sovereign Bell. Who in their right mind wouldn’t desire such an incredible treasure? You would be lying if you say you don’t.”

Xiahou Zun countered, “That said, the monk

is

right about one thing. Bullying the weak is neither a heroic act nor dignified behavior. I may not be a hero, but I would not lower myself to the level of scum either.”

“How about this? We seniors will not lay a hand on the boy. Instead, we’ll leave it to the junior to fight for their opportunities. It would be good training for our juniors and a worthy trial for that boy. Victory or defeat is up to them. What do you think?”

“It’s not a bad idea.”

Wan Lingxiao echoed in agreement, “The age of chaos is nigh. How can a houseflower hope to survive the storms that are to come? It is about time our juniors experience the dangers and cruelty of the

jianghu

.”

“As for that boy, well. If he cannot withstand even a simple trial like this, then he cannot possibly be worthy of the Earthly Sovereign Bell. What do you say, old monk?”

“My Buddha is merciful. It sounds like a fine idea.” Long-browed Divine Monk nodded after a moment of silence.

“Alright then. We have an agreement.” Xiahou Zun guffawed.

Their mind made up, the trio moved on to idle chit chat until the sky suddenly split open, and a few people suddenly descended from above. The trio immediately went into full alert until they saw who the newcomers were, and they let out a sigh of relief.

There were five people in total. They were Ancestor Black Robe, Jiang Yunlai, Silver Moon Sacred Lord, Cyan Radiance Superior Celestial and Supreme Origin Profound Sovereign.

Everyone except Ancestor Black Robe looked to be in rather poor condition. They were covered in blood and boasted weak auras. It was clear that they were both fatigued and seriously injured.

“Did you kill that celestial?” Ancestor Black Robe asked the three Sages.

Xiahou Zun gestured at the lifeless wasteland around them and shrugged. “What do you think? It’s just a celestial.”

“Thank goodness there’s still some use to you three,” Ancestor Black Robe replied in a deadpan manner.

Xiahou Zun: “...”

Wan Lingxiao: “...”

Long-browed Divine Monk: “...”

If not for the fact that we can’t beat you, we would absolutely kick the shit out of your ass. Just how foul-mouthed can you get?

“Since the celestials are slain, let us move onto the next stage. Using the Radiant Tree as the base, we will work together to seal off the Kunlun Ruins and prevent the Nine Nethers Demonic Qi from leaking to the world.”

Ancestor Black Robe commanded in a tone that would accept no rebuke before lifting their hands.

The earth rumbled, and eight gigantic stone pillars burst out into the open around the Cyan Mountain. Each pillar was as thick and massive as the Cyan Mountain itself.

In just the blink of an eye, the eight stone pillars had pierced the clouds and become as tall as the sky itself. From a distance, it looked like the eight stone pillars were supporting the sky of this corner of the world.

Xiahou Zun and everyone else could only gape at the display of power. They knew it in their heart that they could not have done this with the same ease and speed Ancestor Black Robe had displayed.