Ringing the Bell for a Hundred Years, I Became the Sect’s Ancestor – Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Time Bell Upgrade

Time Bell Pavilion.

Liu Ming had just finished cultivating when he saw Senior Brother Li returning from the mountain, followed closely by a young man and a young woman.

He knew they must be disciples taken in by Senior Brother Li.

In truth, he was quite reluctant to leave Time Bell Pavilion.

Over these past twenty-one years, he had long since grown accustomed to this life, even believing he would remain here forever.

“Senior Brother Li.”

Liu Ming hurriedly greeted him.

Li Qian nodded and said, “Make proper arrangements for these two, let them know what they should do in the future. Also, build two wooden houses for them to live in.”

“Yes, Senior Brother Li.”

Liu Ming nodded.

“Greetings, Martial Uncle.”

The young man hastily bowed towards Liu Ming.

“No, no, no, you are Senior Brother Li’s disciples, I am just an Odd-Job Disciple.”

Liu Ming quickly said.

As an Odd-Job Disciple, his status was naturally lower than that of an Inner Sect Disciple.

Even though his cultivation had already reached the eighth level of the Postnatal realm, he still held the status of an Odd-Job Disciple.

“I am older than you, just call me Brother Liu.”

Liu Ming continued.

Li Qian paid them no mind and turned to enter the Bell Tower.

For several days in a row, Liu Ming imparted various life skills to the two.

The young man and woman felt a little disappointed. After Master brought them up the mountain, he barely paid them any attention. Instead, this Brother Liu only taught them how to strike the bell, how to cook, how to clean the house, how to work in the vegetable fields, and even how to chop wood and carry it to build wooden houses.

After a few days, the two of them were exhausted.

As for the cultivation they were most looking forward to, it was never mentioned.

“From now on, you two, one room each.”

Liu Ming pointed to the two newly built wooden houses.

They were fully equipped with all sorts of daily necessities.

“Brother Liu, when can we start cultivating?”

The young woman couldn’t help but ask.

“Don’t worry, you will have the opportunity to cultivate.”

Liu Ming said.

He naturally understood their eagerness. When he first became an Odd-Job Disciple, he was most looking forward to cultivation.

However, his aptitude was too poor, and he couldn’t generate Qi Sensation even after a long time of cultivation. If he hadn’t been fortunate enough to come to Time Bell Pavilion, his life would probably be like that of most Odd-Job Disciples, unable to even become a Ranked Martial Artist, and could only return to his hometown dejectedly, living as an ordinary person with regrets for the rest of his life.

From then on, the matters of Time Bell Pavilion were almost entirely handed over to the two.

Liu Ming only supervised and corrected them from the side.

He also let the two strike the Time Bell.

Just one day before the Time Bell was about to upgrade, Li Qian suddenly called Liu Ming and the two Registered Disciples to him.

“Liu Ming, you teach them the Sword-Piercing Fist first.”

Li Qian said.

“Uh… Senior Brother Li, teach the Sword-Piercing Fist?”

Liu Ming suspected he had heard wrong.

Shouldn’t they be taught Internal Skill Manuals upon becoming Inner Sect Disciples?

Only Odd-Job Disciples would practice the Sword-Piercing Fist.

“Yes, start with the Sword-Piercing Fist.”

Li Qian nodded and said.

The two had good talent but were Hidden Root Bones. He had to determine their character before activating it. Moreover, through the practice of the Sword-Piercing Fist, he could better judge their comprehension.

In Li Qian’s mind, he wasn’t just taking in disciples but also inheriting the Heartless Lineage.

This was Master’s wish, and he naturally had to carry it out.

“Alright.”

Although puzzled, Liu Ming immediately agreed.

“You two follow Liu Ming and practice diligently, without any slacking, understand?”

Li Qian said.

Of these two newly accepted Registered Disciples, the girl was called Bai Yun, from an ordinary family, while the boy was called Chai Shao, with imperial blood. However, the Great Chang had been established for over a thousand years, and its bloodline spread throughout various provinces. Many had already declined into commoners.

Although Chai Shao’s family hadn’t completely declined, they were just an ordinary family now.

“Yes, Master.”

The two hurriedly replied.

Then, Liu Ming began to teach them the Sword-Piercing Fist.

Chai Shao had some foundation, likely having practiced stances since childhood, so he mastered it quickly.

But Bai Yun came from a commoner background and had never been exposed to martial arts. Only after repeated guidance from Liu Ming did she grasp the Sword-Piercing Fist.

Li Qian watched from the side. Before Hidden Root Bones were discovered and manifested, their Root Bone aptitude was only at the ordinary Silver Bone Level.

The next day.

Before dawn.

The Mao Hour hadn’t arrived yet.

Everyone had already woken up.

Under Liu Ming’s guidance, Bai Yun and Chai Shao began practicing the Sword-Piercing Fist.

On top of the Bell Tower.

Li Qian stood tall and straight, waiting for the arrival of the Mao Hour.

He felt a sense of anticipation.

Because today was the day the Time Bell would upgrade.

The sound of the hourglass was subtle and delicate, but it was exceptionally clear to Li Qian’s ears.

Just as the hourglass was about to run out, Li Qian abruptly grabbed the striker and with a flick of his wrist, the end of the striker heavily struck the body of the Time Bell.

With the ringing of a clear and resonant bell sound, it spread like invisible waves towards the surrounding mountains and ridges.

Faintly, the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi above the entire Divine Sword Sect seemed to form a peculiar resonance at this moment.

Countless people who were cultivating felt as if they had been bathed and cleansed at this moment.

“I, I broke through.”

In a certain room in the Hundred Herbs Garden, an Odd-Job Disciple who was practicing fist techniques suddenly felt Qi flow through his Ren Meridian, and traces of peculiar Internal Qi were forming.

He had been stuck at this point for several months, unable to make any progress.

According to the experience of his seniors, once one got stuck, it was extremely difficult to break through.

Many Odd-Job Disciples were stuck here, unable to surpass it their entire lives.

In the Inner Sect, an Inner Sect Disciple who was stuck at the ninth level of the Postnatal realm, unable to break through, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He felt the True Qi within his body surge, the Heavenly Gate wide open, and for the first time, he touched upon the Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi.

“This, is this Innate?”

At Time Bell Pavilion.

The young man and woman who were practicing the Sword-Piercing Fist suddenly felt a jolt in their hearts, as if something had broken out of its shell. Their minds entered a peculiar state, and their originally stiff movements seemed to gain a certain charm.

“Huh?”

Liu Ming was astonished when he saw this.

How come their Sword-Piercing Fist had suddenly gone from Entry Level to Mastery?

This was simply too fast.

Could this be what they called a martial arts prodigy?

After all, to be accepted as disciples by Senior Brother Li, their Root Bone aptitude must be exceptional.

However, no one’s gains were as great as Li Qian’s at this moment.

As the master of the Time Bell, having experienced the baptism of the bell sound, his mental state seemed to enter a peculiar state of sudden enlightenment.

He drew Sword Eighteen and began practicing the Heartless Sword Manual. His Blood and Qi Sanctuary gradually released, and invisible Sword Intent seemed to manifest a peculiar Sword Domain within the confined space.

A vast amount of Yuan Qi from Heaven and Earth converged and merged into the peculiar Blood and Qi Sanctuary that emanated from his body.

An unknown amount of time passed before Li Qian finally recovered, as if he had suddenly awakened from that peculiar state of enlightenment and dreamwalking.

He felt a slight tinge of regret.

Because that state just now was truly wondrous.

Suddenly, he looked at the Time Bell before him. It didn’t seem to have changed much, but in his perception, the Time Bell had undergone a dramatic transformation.

With a thought, he summoned the system interface to check the latest information.

Host: Li Qian.

Cultivation: Celestial Being Realm （ Middle Stage 99/100 ）.

Sacrificial Instrument: Time Bell （ Spirit 0/100000 ）.

Martial Arts: Sword-Piercing Fist （ Perfection ）, Heartless Sword Manual （ Perfection ）, Immaculate Holy Body （ Perfection ）, Soul-Chasing Sword Technique （ Perfection ）, Great River Sword Qi （ Second Layer 40/100 ）.

Martial Intent: Heartless Sword Intent （ Celestial Image 25/100 ）.

Divine Ability: Blood and Qi Sanctuary （ 25/100 ）.

Secret Techniques: Myriad Transforming Sword Qi, Blood Burning Technique, Spirit Sensing Technique.

Auxiliary Technique: Lion Camel Ridge Formation Manual （ Minor Completion 12/100 ）.

His cultivation had actually reached 99% progress in one go.

It had increased by a full eight points.

He guessed it must be related to that state of enlightenment just now, which had caused his cultivation speed to skyrocket.

◈◈◈

After all, the concentration of Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi had increased significantly, and coupled with the effects of the Spirit Gathering Formation, it was enough to support his cultivation advancement.

Additionally, his Heartless Sword Intent had increased by four points.

Under normal circumstances, it would take half a year to increase Sword Intent by one point.

This was equivalent to saving two years of time.

However, the biggest change was still the Time Bell.

It had transformed from a Law Instrument into a Spirit Instrument.

The upgrade progress had also increased from the original ten thousand days to one hundred thousand days.

In other words, it would take two hundred and seventy-three years for the Time Bell to upgrade again.

This duration was truly quite lengthy.

The Time Bell, now a Spirit Instrument, had greatly increased its auxiliary effects on cultivation.

Not only for Li Qian, the Sacrificial Master, but it also had an effect on the outside world.

This effect was very peculiar, like a sudden enlightenment.

However, this effect only appeared with the first bell ringing of each day.

Moreover, only those who were currently cultivating or comprehending within the range of the bell sound could receive this sudden enlightenment effect.

The closer one was to the Time Bell, the better the effect.

In other words, from now on, his bell sound would not only aid his own cultivation but also benefit the tens of thousands of disciples and followers of the Divine Sword Sect.

Moreover, when others struck the bell, they could also substitute for Li Qian, the Sacrificial Master, to complete one refinement of the Time Bell.

This way, even if he left the Divine Sword Sect in the future and didn’t have time to strike the bell, as long as someone rang the Time Bell, it would be equivalent to completing one refinement.

However, the biggest change was that due to the Time Bell being refined at Time Bell Pavilion for a long time, after becoming a Spirit Instrument, it would closely integrate with the Heaven and Earth of the area, forming a Time Bell Domain.

The sudden enlightenment effect of the first bell sound within the range of the bell’s spread was actually just one of the effects of the Time Bell Domain.

As the Sacrificial Master, Li Qian possessed super strong defense, attack, and recovery abilities within the Time Bell Domain. Unless the Time Bell Domain was shattered, he was practically immortal.

In other words, as long as the Time Bell Domain wasn’t broken, he was invincible within it.

He believed that even a Martial Saint wouldn’t necessarily have the ability to break the Time Bell Domain.

Moreover, even if he was in a different location, he could borrow the power of the Time Bell Domain from afar.

Although the power would be less than one percent, it would definitely greatly enhance his strength.

Most importantly, this Time Bell Domain granted him an extremely powerful trump card. In situations where he was outmatched, he could expend all the power within the Time Bell Domain at once to unleash a supreme strike.

Once this supreme strike was used, the Time Bell Domain would cease to exist.

Additionally, the Time Bell had the ability to shrink and be stored within his body.

However, after the Time Bell was shrunk and stored within his body, the Time Bell Domain would automatically collapse and cease to exist. To reappear, it would need to be fixed in one place for long-term refinement before it could recover.

Therefore, he couldn’t possibly store the Time Bell away.

Unless he absolutely had to flee.

It had to be said that this Time Bell upgrade was an all-around breakthrough.

He finally had his own foundation and means of self-preservation.

“This kind of Time Bell is truly a protective Sacrificial Instrument.”

Li Qian’s heart was filled with intense joy and deep emotion.

Suddenly, he closed his eyes, his mind and consciousness merging with the Time Bell. He could sense the existence of the invisible domain, covering the entire mountaintop where Time Bell Pavilion was located.

It was like a separate space, isolated from the outside world.

Everything within the Time Bell Domain was within his perception, as clear as the lines on his palm.

Xing Province, Fuyuan County City.

Today was the opening ceremony of the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence.

Many martial arts factions from the former Taixing Circuit, Kunwu Circuit, and Shuchuan Circuit had gathered here.

Grandmasters, Great Grandmasters, and even Celestial Beings were everywhere.

“Celestial Being Ye, what’s the background of this Circuit Lord?”

Xiao Wendao was conversing with Celestial Being Ye from Prince Ye’s Residence.

“I don’t know either.”

Celestial Being Ye shook his head.

“Even Prince Ye’s Residence doesn’t know?”

Xiao Wendao was quite surprised.

After all, Prince Ye’s Residence was an imperial feudal lord, so logically, they should be well-informed.

When the Celestial Beings from Prince Qi’s Residence arrived, they were asked, and even Prince Qi’s Residence didn’t know the background of the Circuit Lord.

For a time, the various factions of Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence became even more curious.

By the time the opening ceremony began, all the martial arts factions had arrived.

There were over a dozen Celestial Beings alone.

Suddenly, a group of people walked out from a side hall.

All the Celestial Beings present were shocked because these people were all Celestial Beings.

There were six of them in total.

The middle-aged man at the front, wearing a jade crown and a green robe, had an unfathomable cultivation level. He seemed like an ordinary person, but his every gesture and movement exuded a peculiar Dao韵.

Based on this temperament alone, one could conclude that he was at least at the Celestial Being level.

The middle-aged man in the green robe and jade crown sat down on the main seat and calmly said, “I am Yu Song, the Taiwu Circuit Lord, presiding over today’s opening ceremony of the Taiwu Circuit Lord’s Residence. To better address Demonic Calamities in the future, I have established fifteen Guardian positions under the Circuit Lord, each responsible for the Demonic Calamities within their respective regions.”

“Someone, bring the map.”

Circuit Lord Taiwu waved his hand.

Immediately, one of the Celestial Beings brought by the Circuit Lord waved his hand, and a giant map unfolded and was hung on the wall beside the hall.

The map displayed the entire Taiwu Circuit.

It encompassed the former Taixing Circuit, Kunwu Circuit, and Shuchuan Circuit.

However, on this Taiwu Circuit map, fifteen regions had already been marked out, clearly labeled.

Everyone present hurriedly looked at the labels on the map.

This concerned the interests of each faction.

“May I ask Circuit Lord, why has the Guardian region of my He Family shrunk so much?”

A Celestial Being from the He Family couldn’t help but ask.

On this map, the Guardian region allocated to the He Family was only about half the size of their original territory.

It was equivalent to half of their original territory being reassigned.

Xiao Wendao also saw the Guardian region of the Divine Sword Sect. The entire Xuan Province had been reassigned, leaving only Sword Province and Taiping County. This was equivalent to losing nearly half of their territory.

Moreover, there was no Hundred Flowers Palace on the map. Clearly, the Hundred Flowers Palace didn’t have a Celestial Being and their strength was too weak. They weren’t qualified to hold a Guardian position.

Prince Qi’s Residence’s territory had also shrunk somewhat.

This way, apart from the Guardian regions of the He Family, the Divine Sword Sect, and Prince Qi’s Residence, the rest of the former Taixing Circuit had been incorporated into the Circuit Lord’s Residence’s Guardian region.

Not only that, but in the Kunwu Circuit and Shuchuan Circuit regions, the territories of the two Prince’s Residences and other martial arts factions had also been reduced, with two new Guardian regions carved out. These two new Guardian regions were the largest in size.

The final result was four Guardian regions in Taixing Circuit, five in Kunwu Circuit, and six in Shuchuan Circuit.

Not to mention the He Family, which faction didn’t have objections?

Now that the He Family had voiced their concerns, the Celestial Beings from other factions also looked at the Circuit Lord sitting on the main seat.

This division of Guardian regions was too detrimental to the interests of the major factions.

“The division of Guardian regions is tied to strength. The stronger the faction, the larger the area they are responsible for.”

Circuit Lord Taiwu calmly stated.

As his voice fell, an invisible aura spread out, enveloping the entire hall.

Almost all the Celestial Beings felt as if they were under heavenly might. The Circuit Lord, who had previously seemed ordinary, suddenly became like a supreme ruler.

“This is?”

“Heavens, is this Celestial Image?”

“How is this possible?”

All the Celestial Beings and other martial arts experts were terrified at this moment.

Normally, even a Top-Tier Celestial Being would at most exude a sense of pressure, but it would never give them this feeling.

But now, the vast difference in Martial Intent made them experience what true heavenly might felt like.

They couldn’t believe that the newly appointed Circuit Lord was actually a Celestial Image Level Invincible Celestial Being!

The problem was that the only Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings that had ever appeared in the Great Chang were the Old Martial Emperor and the Grand Empress Dowager. However, the Old Martial Emperor had already passed away, and the Grand Empress Dowager had fallen.

How could another Celestial Image Level Celestial Being appear here?

Moreover, everyone thought of an even more terrifying possibility. The Great Chang was divided into eleven Circuits, and apart from Jingwu Circuit, the other ten Circuits had Circuit Lords. Since the Taiwu Circuit Lord was a Celestial Image Level Celestial Being, could the Circuit Lords of the other nine Circuits also be the same?

If these Circuit Lords were truly Celestial Image Level Celestial Beings, where did they come from?

These Celestial Beings who once stood at the pinnacle of the Great Chang felt a sense of bewilderment at this moment. How come the world had suddenly become so unfamiliar?

As if in an illusion, the aura of heavenly might vanished.

Everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“What do you all think of my words?”

Circuit Lord Taiwu calmly asked.

“Circuit Lord is right, my He Family firmly supports this.”

The Celestial Being from the He Family hurriedly said.

His previous questioning had likely offended the new Circuit Lord, so he had to make amends now.

The other Celestial Beings also quickly voiced their agreement.

Faced with an Invincible Celestial Being, who would dare to object?

PS: First chapter, five thousand words, seeking monthly votes!!!!