Chapter 972: Earthly Sovereign Bell, Saikou!

“Brother Bell... you really screwed me over this time.”

Ye Qing let out a bitter chuckle as he took a moment to glance at the Earthly Sovereign Bell. He would be lying if he said he didn’t resent the Strange Artifact for ruining his plan, but then again, he would not have lasted this long without it. Hell, he might not even be here if he didn’t obtain the Earthly Sovereign Bell all those months ago. “Even if you’re planning on getting a new master, you could have waited until I killed that corrupt monk first—”

Ye Qing was still talking when the Earthly Sovereign Bell suddenly disappeared into nothing.

“What the hell! At least wait until I’m ‘dead’, you heartless thing!”

Ye Qing was speechless. It looked like the Earthly Sovereign Bell really was in a hurry to find a new master, but it couldn’t even wait until he ‘died’ before fucking off to heavens-know-where. Just how pragmatic could it get?!

And so the bitter chuckle continued, and Ye Qing cast his consciousness outward. It was time to receive whatever counterattack Nether Kṣitigarbha had prepared for him.

Rumble rumble rumble...

When he became conscious of his surroundings once more, Ye Qing realized that the flowing spring and dancing golden lotuses from before were all gone. In fact, it looked as if the Kingdom of Buddha was falling apart. Cracks were forming everywhere, and through the cracks, he could see a seated Buddha. He was so huge that his body penetrated all eight hells, and each hell was shining and forming some sort of mysterious runes on his body. They all seemed to be overflowing with infinite power.

The space he was in was practically a speck of dust compared to the Buddha, and he was even smaller than that.

The Buddha was Nether Kṣitigarbha of course.

The next moment, Nether Kṣitigarbha opened his eyes, and the sky turned pitch black. Countless evil ghosts began crawling out of his eyes like tidal waves.

Nether Kṣitigarbha raised his hand and brought it down on Ye Qing. As the eight hells took form, it felt as if the corrupt monk was intending to crush him with the weight of not one, not two, but eight worlds at once. With one palm, Nether Kṣitigarbha intended to throw him into the eight major hells, never to return.

“Phew... you think you’re the only one who can get big? I can too!”

Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and, while pretending that his mind wasn’t hurting like a bitch, tried to manifest the Earthly Sovereign Body and fight Nether Kṣitigarbha to the death.

However, he was interrupted by a bell ringing at the last moment.

The bell ringing was neither high-pitched or loud. However, it was grandiose, majestic and profound.

When the bell ringing began, Nether Kṣitigarbha’s movement abruptly came to a stop.

Then, the Earthly Sovereign Bell appeared right on top of Nether Kṣitigarbha’s head.

Right now, Nether Kṣitigarbha was so big that his body penetrated eight hells. To say he was gigantic would be the understatement of the century.

However, the Earthly Sovereign Bell was bigger. Many times bigger.

The next moment, the Earthly Sovereign Bell descended right on top of Nether Kṣitigarbha. It shone so brightly it felt as if the entire world could see its light.

“Nether Buddha!”

Nether Kṣitigarbha chanted in horror as he struggled to escape. However, the dark yellow light bound him like tangible objects and pinned him in place. He could only watch helplessly as the Earthly Sovereign Bell fell on top of him.

There was a deafening boom, and the Earthly Sovereign Bell pierced the eight great hells, shattered the sky, and trapped Nether Kṣitigarbha within its metallic confines.

When the Earthly Sovereign Bell finally hit the bottom, there was a thud that was loud Ye Qing couldn’t even hear the impact, and everything seemed to collapse into primal chaos. The shockwave was such that Ye Qing was flung into the air. He could do nothing as he fell into a spatial crack that seemed to be harboring infinity itself.

......

“The sky? I’m out...”

When Ye Qing regained his consciousness, he found himself staring at a cloudless night sky. The sea of stars was enchanting and beautiful.

Ye Qing jumped to his feet. While shaking his pounding head, he scanned his surroundings for an instant before turning to face the Kṣitigarbha Stupa.

Then, his eyes slowly widened.

The Kṣitigarbha Stupa was gone.

The massive mural was gone just like that!

It wasn’t just the mural. The icy cliff over hundred of meters tall and dozens of kilometers wide were also gone.

All that was left behind was a gigantic, round-shaped pit.

When Ye Qing examined the walls of the pit, he could vaguely spot patterns of flora and fauna, sun and moon, mountain and rivers and so forth. The pit itself was overflowing with a grandiose, majestic aura as well.

“These patterns and aura... they belong to the Earthly Sovereign Bell...”

Ye Qing recognized the patterns and the aura instantly. “Was this all done by the Earthly Sovereign Bell?”

It was then Ye Qing finally recalled how an infinitely vast Earthly Sovereign Bell had descended from above, shattered the sky, pierced the eight hells, and finally trapped Nether Kṣitigarbha in its confines.

“It really is the Earthly Sovereign Bell’s work!”

Ye Qing blinked once and muttered, “You’re bloody OP, Brother Bell!”

That was the only adjective he could think of right now. He seriously did not know how else to describe what he was seeing and feeling right now.

Just OP.

“But where did you go, Brother Bell? I don’t see you anywhere.”

Ye Qing quickly noticed something troubling, however. The Earthly Sovereign Bell was nowhere to be found be it inside his headspace or the real world.

Did it leave him after all?

Or did it commit double suicide with the Ten Directions Stupa?

“Ow, what the hell?”

A million thoughts were racing in Ye Qing’s head when suddenly, he heard a

thunk

and a cry of pain.

The next moment, he saw a dust-covered Su Bancheng climbing out of the pit while holding a palm-sized, ancient-looking bronze bell.

“Sorry, sorry, that’s my item.” Ye Qing lifted an eyebrow and walked up to Su Bancheng.

The bell he was holding was none other than the Earthly Sovereign Bell.

“Who are you?” Su Bancheng watched Ye Qing warily.

“A pedestrian. It doesn’t matter.” Ye Qing smiled. “What matters is that the bell you’re holding is mine.”

“It’s yours?” Su Bancheng narrowed his eyes slightly. “Do you have proof? Will it respond if you call out to it?”

“Brother Bell. Brother Bell.”

Ye Qing called out twice, and the Earthly Sovereign Bell wobbled a little in Su Bancheng’s hands. However, the sound it made was dull and muted as if it was clogged. It did not sound nearly as mellifluous and sweet as before.

“See? He responded.” Ye Qing shrugged. “Can you give me back my bell now?”

Su Bancheng: “...”

It was just a joke, and you took it seriously? Even better, this bell actually responded to his cry? What the hell?

This affirmed his resolve not to return the bell though. He hadn’t sensed any energy from the bronze bell and so thought that it was just an ordinary object. However, Ye Qing’s concern aroused his suspicion, and he decided to check. Now, it knew for certain that the bronze bell was a Strange Artifact, and one that could hide its presence from his senses no less. It was clearly extraordinary, and it was currently in his hands. In what world would he give away such a precious item?

“My hand shook just now. That’s why it rang.”

Su Bancheng smiled. “This bell is my Strange Artifact, and it’s accompanied me for many years. You may have mistaken it for another bell, friend.”

“Is that so?” Ye Qing frowned. “And how can you prove that?”

“I’m holding it. That in itself is the biggest proof, isn’t it?” Su Bancheng said with a grin. “Besides, this is my bell. Why should I prove anything to you?”

“So, you’re saying that you’re going to rob me?” Ye Qing asked.

“Excuse you? As I said, this is my bell. How am I robbing you of anything?” Su Bancheng shrugged.

“If that is your decision, then there is nothing left to say.”

Ye Qing sighed and dashed toward Su Bancheng. “If you won’t give me back what’s mine, then I’ll beat you until you do!”

“Haha... I doubt you can do it, but sure.”

Su Bancheng scoffed disdainfully and put the Earthly Sovereign Bell in his Nature’s Shell. Then, he threw a punch at Ye Qing. A dragon roared.