Destroying the God Within

Li Xiaoke watched the clash in astonishment, his head tilted back. To him, the bronze bell could hardly even be called a high-grade replica. Aside from sharing the same general shape, it bore little resemblance to the golden bell. Back then, he had been in a rush to suppress his foe. He had gathered materials on the spot, scrounging up some brass and forging the bell directly without even taking the time to refine the metal. Beyond hammering out its form, he had spent very little thought on its brandings either. Later, he had even instructed the Xiaoyao Bell to directly unleash its own talisman brandings, stamping them repeatedly onto the walls of the newly forged bronze bell. For a bell forged in such a manner to awaken sentience was already an anomaly, yet it actually had the gall to call the Xiaoyao Bell a knockoff—that was simply too shameless. He had never cared much for the bronze bell to begin with. He was a man who pursued symmetry. Even in the battle where he killed Chen Mianzhu, the white-robed Nuo immortal, his sword strike had split Shuikou Temple right down its central axis. When Chen Mianzhu died, his human skin had been sliced neatly down the center of his back, perfectly symmetrical on both sides. Most of the other Nuo immortals who fell by his hand, including Yuan Wuji, had met similar ends. Even with the bronze bell he had forged so casually, its brandings had been set symmetrically on the left and right, possessing a distinct aesthetic balance. Yet now, not only did the bell bear someone else's brandings, but those eight brandings were asymmetrical—a fact that deeply unsettled him. Boom! A distant mountaintop exploded. The Xiaoyao Bell had knocked the bronze bell askew, causing the strike originally aimed at the golden bell to blast into the peak instead. True to its status as a treasure meticulously refined by Li Xiaoke—one he addressed as a Dao friend—once the Xiaoyao Bell unleashed its might, it was vastly more powerful than the bronze bell. It could even activate various brandings on its own, combining them into different divine abilities and battering the bronze bell until the latter could only flail in defense, utterly incapable of striking back! Between the two, one was like a radiant golden deity, while the other was like a mud-caked field laborer being pummeled at will. Yuan Qi watched with immense satisfaction. Does this broken bell have a day like this too? A moment later, however, the giant snake flared with rage. "Does that gold bell even have the right to beat Lord Bell? Lord Bell is only fit to be defeated by my hands and kneel before me, crying out that he was wrong!" The Xiaoyao Bell radiated overwhelming might. The motifs of all creation across its walls seemed to truly manifest the myriad things of the world: sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, birds, beasts, insects, and fish—all kinds of Dao images grew increasingly lifelike! Around it, the sun and moon cycled, mountains and rivers emerged, the great river surged, divine fowls and exotic birds fluttered their wings, and wondrous beasts like dragons, tigers, and qilin raced in circles. Its power surged higher and higher! Both Yuan Qi and Xu Ying had seen the bronze bell erupt with all its might before, but its Dao images had never been so distinct, so real! Nor had its power ever been so terrifying! The Xiaoyao Bell had been forged by Li Xiaoke to overcome Heavenly Tribulations and accompany him in ascending to the Immortal Realm. Naturally, it was leagues apart from a crudely made treasure like the bronze bell. Having been called a replica, it was genuinely enraged, intent on teaching this brazen bronze bell an unforgettable lesson! Right at the moment its power reached full eruption, a foreign branding on the bronze bell's surface suddenly lit up! The power of this branding was triggered inadvertently by the bronze bell. Instantly, heaven and earth shifted color, celestial resonance echoed without end, and beams of immortal light descended from the heavens, directly shattering the Xiaoyao Bell's Dao images of all creation! Clang! Meeting almost no resistance, the immortal light struck the Xiaoyao Bell, sending it staggering while vast swaths of its Dao images dimmed and faded. The golden bell was both shocked and furious. Moments ago, it had thoroughly dominated the bronze bell—whether in head-on collisions, clashes of Dao images and divine abilities, or sheer impacts of power, it had outmatched the bronze bell by far! In materials, brandings, power, toughness, speed, and adaptability, this bronze bell could not hold a candle to it! Yet somehow, it had actually been struck! "I only intended to teach you a lesson, but you dare push your luck!" Infuriated, the Xiaoyao Bell was about to unleash its full might to smash the bronze bell to pieces, when it suddenly felt numbness where it had been struck. Its brandings and body felt as though a large chunk had completely vanished! The bronze bell charged forward. With another explosive clang, another burst of immortal light flared, slamming squarely into the Xiaoyao Bell's surface. The Xiaoyao Bell tumbled and rolled backward through the air, crashing into a mountaintop and kicking up a cloud of dust and shattered rock. Panic seized it. The spots struck by the bronze bell's light seemed to have disappeared entirely! Its Dao images of all creation had originally been connected as a unified whole, but now two large chunks were missing. With the myriad things no longer complete, not only was its power severely crippled, but the versatility of its divine abilities and Dao images fell drastically short of before! Pressing its advantage relentlessly, the bronze bell bombarded the Xiaoyao Bell over and over, beating the golden bell into complete helplessness. Soon, the golden surface was riddled with pits and dents! The Dao image brandings across its body vanished one after another, sealed away by the bronze bell! The foreign branding activated on the bronze bell's surface earlier was none other than the "Seal" character Dao script—one of the eight sealing runes carved onto it by Xu Ying while in his Lord Ying state! The bronze bell had only triggered the Seal Dao script by accident, having no idea how to properly wield this immortal Dao rune. But now that the Xiaoyao Bell's Dao images were sealed, leaving it weakened, the bronze bell naturally beat it ruthlessly to avenge the humiliation from moments ago! Across Mount Jiulong, hundreds of disciples looked on dumbfounded. Li Xiaoke's disciples had essentially grown up listening to legends of Li Xiaoke, the golden bell, and the Han sword. In their eyes, the Xiaoyao Bell was an invincible myth! Who could have imagined that this invincible symbol of Mount Jiulong would be beaten black and blue by an obscure bronze bell? Xue Ying'an stared in slack-jawed wonder, murmuring, "Could it really be as Lord Bell said—that he was the treasure Master painstakingly refined, while the Xiaoyao Bell was merely a substitute Master forged out of longing for him?" Li Xiaoke also frowned slightly. He looked at Xu Ying, then glanced back at the great bronze bell, and smiled. "Could the brandings on this bell be Fellow Daoist Xu's handiwork?" Xu Ying smiled faintly, resting his hands behind his back. "They were indeed left by me," he said leisurely. "Does Fellow Daoist Li find them adequate?" Li Xiaoke chuckled. "More than adequate. The ageless immortal possessed heavenly erudition back then; I have always held you in high esteem." Suddenly, his tone dropped. "Halt!" At his command, the bronze bell naturally stopped at once. But the Xiaoyao Bell, battered until it was riddled with dents and stripped of countless Dao images that it could no longer sense, was seized by vicious malice and lunged forward regardless! Since its creation, it had never suffered such a humiliating loss; naturally, it wanted revenge. Just as the bronze bell was about to be flattened by the impact, a palm struck outward. With a resonant clang, it hit the golden bell's wall, sending it flying sideways to crash into a mountain hollow. The Xiaoyao Bell rose unsteadily into the air, its mind lost in confusion. The one who had just struck it away was none other than Li Xiaoke's Primordial Spirit! Why had Li Xiaoke attacked it? It could not comprehend. It was clearly his most beloved Dharma treasure! He had always addressed it as a Dao friend! They had agreed to ascend together, never abandoning or forsaking one another! Why had he suddenly slapped it? Li Xiaoke's expression turned stern, his voice tinged with anger as he flicked his sleeves. "Dao Friend Xiaoyao, I already told you to halt. The bronze bell stopped, so why did you still strike out to harm it? Had I not stepped in, you would have brought about a disaster!" Filled with indignation, he snapped, "To think you are a treasure refined by my own hands, yet your character is so wretched! I am ashamed to associate with you!" A chill of desolation washed over the Xiaoyao Bell as it drifted aimlessly in the air. Li Xiaoke walked over to the bronze bell, gently stroking its surface, and murmured softly, "Fellow Daoist, all these years you spent suppressing the demon, exposed to the wind and sun—it has been hard on you. How pitiful. You achieved tremendous merit, yet you never boasted of it. Coming to my side only to be misunderstood by the Xiaoyao Bell—you have suffered grievance." The bronze bell felt that all the hardship and grievance of these three thousand years had become completely worth it at this very moment. Li Xiaoke lightly raised the bronze bell. It hovered above his head, expanding and shrinking according to his will. Turning toward Xu Ying with a warm smile, Li Xiaoke walked over with wide strides. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Xu, for lending a helping hand by adding these eight brandings to Dao Friend Bronze Bell." Xu Ying raised an eyebrow and smiled. "He isn't called Bronze Bell. He is called Lord Bell." The bronze bell stammered, "Ah Ying, don't say that! He is my master who created me; how could he call me Lord Bell? Master may call me whatever he pleases." Li Xiaoke said solemnly, "How could you belittle and cheapen yourself like that? You are my Dao friend and deserve respect. From now on, you shall call me Xiaoke, and I shall call you Lord Bell. We will never abandon each other, and together we shall ascend to the Immortal Realm in the future!" The bronze bell hesitated for a moment, thinking of Xu Ying. Yuan Qi opened his mouth, swallowing the chive and vermicelli dumplings along with the plate right out of Xue Ying'an's hands into his belly, sneering, "Who said chives have to be human-shaped?" The bronze bell mumbled, "Lord Qi is joking. Chives are plants, of course; how could they be human-shaped? Ah Ying, Lord Qi, my purpose was originally to fulfill the task of suppressing the demon and return to Master's side. Now that I have found Master, I must naturally follow him from now on and can no longer accompany you wandering from place to place." Yuan Qi was about to argue further, but Xu Ying raised a hand to stop him, speaking solemnly: "Lord Qi, Lord Bell stayed with us to heal his wounds. He used our vital qi and blood to recover, and in return helped us through disaster after disaster. In truth, his injuries healed long ago, and he could have left us back then; he only stayed by our side to protect us because he was worried for our safety. Now that he has returned to his master's side, we should be happy for him." Yuan Qi fell silent for a moment. He turned his large head aside and whispered, "I just can't bear parting, that's all." The bronze bell fell silent as well. Li Xiaoke chuckled heartily. "Today is a joyful day of old friends reuniting, so how could we speak of parting so easily? Fellow Daoist Xu, do not rush off either; stay a few more days on my Jiucai Ridge." The bronze bell urged eagerly, "Ah Ying, Lord Qi, please stay for a few days!" Xu Ying agreed, "Then we shall trouble you." Li Xiaoke instructed Xue Ying'an to arrange lodging for Xu Ying, smiling, "Fellow Daoist Xu, Lord Bell and I haven't seen each other in three thousand years and have much to catch up on. Furthermore, I must re-refine Lord Bell and deepen his brandings, so I'm afraid I cannot entertain you properly over the next few days." Xu Ying smiled. "Please tend to your business, Fellow Daoist." Xue Ying'an led Xu Ying to stay at Mingxiang Courtyard on Mount Jiulong's Jiucai Ridge. This was a place reserved for entertaining distinguished guests. As soon as they settled in, Yuan Qi could no longer contain his fury: "Li Xiaoke takes us for chives! The immortal Dao runes on Lord Bell were carved by Lord Ying. Seeing how powerful they were, he coaxed and swindled Lord Bell away!" Xue Ying'an was outraged and about to speak, but Xu Ying shook his head: "Lord Qi, you must not say that. He is Lord Bell's master after all. It is only natural and proper for Lord Bell to return to his master's side." Xue Ying'an nodded hurriedly. "Exactly. Lord Qi, do not slander my master!" Before Yuan Qi could retort, a cold sneer drifted in from outside: "Slander? Ying'an, you put it far too mildly." Startled, Xue Ying'an looked toward the entrance. He saw the battered Xiaoyao Bell floating in from outside. The golden bell was battered and ragged, the Dao image brandings across its surface flickering erratically, its injuries severe. The Xiaoyao Bell's divine sense vibrated, transmitting directly into their ears as it chuckled sinisterly: "You think Li Xiaoke is a good person? The moment he found a new favorite, he discarded me! Hehehe, if he is unfeeling, then he can't blame me for being disloyal! Back then on Little Stone Mountain when the heavenly god was suppressed, why did he suppress Fairy Qingbi along with it? Do you know why?" It sneered, "Back then, Fairy Qingbi was a peerless beauty surpassing even celestial maidens. Men courting her could line up from Mount Jiuyi all the way to Chang'an! Li Xiaoke pursued her for a long time, but never managed to win her heart. Later, when he heard that Fairy Qingbi was setting out to suppress a rampaging heavenly god, he took me and rushed over, shamelessly clinging to her every step of the way. Together, they suppressed that heavenly god right inside Little Stone Mountain." Xue Ying'an cried out in shock, "Senior Xiaoyao, this is completely different from the story you told us before!" The Xiaoyao Bell coughed with metallic clangs, sneering: "To preserve his image, of course I couldn't tell you the truth! Hehehe, the truth is even more shameless than you could imagine! After Li Xiaoke and Fairy Qingbi suppressed the heavenly god, he continued courting her, only to be rejected once more. Driven by malice, Li Xiaoke turned hostile on the spot, severely injuring Fairy Qingbi and casting her into the well on Little Stone Mountain!" Buzzing filled Xue Ying'an's ears. His mind went blank, staring in a daze, before he suddenly blurted out, "Impossible! You're lying to me! Qingbi must have been a demoness!" The Xiaoyao Bell snorted, "I personally suppressed Qingbi—how could it be fake? Hehehe, after suppressing Qingbi, Li Xiaoke turned around and threw dirty water all over her, smearing her as a wanton harlot who used her beauty to seduce the heavenly god and bring calamity to the mortal world! He cursed Qingbi relentlessly! Not long ago, Fairy Qingbi broke free and went searching everywhere for his whereabouts to avenge the past. Do you see him dare show his face? Does he dare confront Qingbi?" A roar exploded in Xue Ying'an's mind. He felt as though the supreme deity in his heart had suddenly collapsed, shattering his entire worldview. The Xiaoyao Bell cried, "Since he abandoned me, he has only himself to blame! Let me tell you the truth: he doesn't just eat people, he intends to eat you as well! All of you carry primordial Dao essence on you, which gives off wafts of exotic fragrance that can't be hidden from anyone!" It sneered, "Ying'an, you call those little lies you told in front of him 'lying'? Bah! Just one whiff of your scent is enough to tell whether you have primordial Dao essence! The reason he didn't eat you was because he thought you had too little! His true purpose was to have you invite Xu Ying here so he could eat you both together!"