Chapter 190: The Bell Tolls Again

"What, you want to ring the bell?"

Ma Xingkong was astonished upon hearing this and hurriedly shielded the Bronze Ancient Bell, blocking it behind him. Although, given the size of the Bronze Ancient Bell, his figure appeared somewhat minuscule.

It was like a child protecting a massive boulder.

"You say you are old friends of my aunt, but do you have proof?"

He stared at Li Heng and his companion, somewhat disbelieving.

His aunt was, after all, an Innate Expert, while the man and woman before him, though they looked older than him, were still very young, and their strength was clearly not at the Innate Realm.

Since their strength differed so greatly from his aunt's...

No matter how one looked at it, there was no possibility of them being acquaintances, right?

Let alone being old friends.

Li Heng smiled upon hearing this and took out the Token given by Ma Suxuan.

Ma Xingkong was stunned the moment he saw that Token. He hurriedly leaned in, scrutinized the Token in Li Heng's hand, and finally confirmed that it really was his aunt's Token!

This meant the two people before him were very close to his aunt!

"It seems you have confirmed it; can you ring the bell now?"

Li Heng said with a faint smile.

Ma Xingkong came back to his senses upon hearing this, temporarily suppressed the shock in his heart, and hurriedly spoke, "That still won't do. The Jinhua Ancient Bell possesses Godly Intent; only the Bell Ringer can ring this bell!"

"If any other miscellaneous people ring the bell, they will either be unable to make it sound, or when the bell's toll vibrates, it will backlash against them—resulting in severe injury at best, or instant death on the spot at worst." He warned the two with a serious expression.

The reason he could ring it now was because he possessed the Bell Ringer Mark; if one did not have it, they could not be called a Bell Ringer and lacked the qualification to ring the Jinhua Bell.

"And why do you want to ring the bell? Are you unaware of my aunt's current situation? She has already been thrown into the Heavenly Prison. Do you not intend to save my aunt by appearing here?"

Ma Xingkong continued.

Li Heng raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this.

Had Ma Suxuan's situation deteriorated to such an extent? To be actually thrown directly into the Heavenly Prison—she was, after all, an Innate Grandmaster. Did she simply not resist, or was it that resisting was of no use?

It stood to reason that the old man was also unlucky; he likely ended up in prison too.

"No matter, ringing the bell is precisely for this matter."

Ma Xingkong was shocked again upon hearing Li Heng's reply. Could it be that this man and woman wanted to ring the bell to use the sound to vibrate the entire city, create a huge commotion, and then take advantage of the chaos to break into the prison?

"This must not be done; breaking into a prison is a grave crime!"

When he was previously blinded by concern, he had also thought about breaking into the prison. But after calming down and thinking it through, he realized it was impossible; not only would he fail to save his aunt, but he would also harm her. Seeing that Li Heng and his companion had the same inclination today, he blurted it out, wanting to stop them.

Break into the prison?

Li Heng was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then reacted instantly.

He found it both funny and frustrating; they actually wanted to break into the prison? He hadn't even considered that point. It seemed this little fellow looked kind, but was actually full of mischief inside.

"Rest assured, I will not break into the prison."

Li Heng said calmly, and this was the truth.

This matter was not worth him breaking into a prison.

His purpose in doing this now was more to draw out the experts in the city, and even the legendary powerhouses of the Dharma Aspect Realm, to test his own strength.

Using this matter to save someone was merely incidental.

"If you aren't breaking into the prison, why ring the bell?"

Ma Xingkong was also a bit confused upon hearing this and scratched his head.

Li Heng smiled without a word and signaled to Kong Que with his eyes. Kong Que understood, walked straight to the Bronze Ancient Bell, clenched her hand into a fist, and prepared to strike the Jinhua Ancient Bell.

Ma Xingkong was stunned at the sight, his expression changing in alarm, and he shouted.

"No, you don't have the Bell Ringer Mark!"

He hadn't expected Kong Que's movements to be so fast, and that she wouldn't listen to reason. He hurriedly stepped forward, rushing to Kong Que's side to stop her. Although he had no personal ties to these two, they were clearly his aunt's good friends, and he absolutely could not sit by and watch them get into trouble!

Without the Bell Ringer Mark, ringing the bell without authorization would cost lives!

Years ago, others had also set their sights on this Jinhua Bronze Ancient Bell, using heterodox methods to conceal their tracks at night when there were few people in the city to run up to the Bell Tower.

And what was the result in the end?

A Bell Ringer climbed the tower early in the morning and saw the group of thieves who had been vibrated to death by the ancient bell; their internal organs were shattered, their souls exploded, and they didn't even have the ethereal, legendary chance of reincarnation—it was miserable.

There was also a playboy, the kind who was good for nothing.

He got drunk and made a bet with someone, running to the Bell Tower to ring the bell himself. And what was the result? The bell rang, but the person was gone, vibrated to death on the spot; no miraculous pills or secret techniques could save him.

He used his movement technique, taking two steps in one, and rushed to Kong Que's side.

But unfortunately, it was too late.

Kong Que's fist had already struck the Jinhua Ancient Bell. Instantly, she felt an even more powerful counter-force coming from the ancient bell, vibrating her body and causing her entire being, even her soul, to tremble!

In just a single moment, it made her feel uncomfortable all over.

Even her soul had a faint tendency to crack.

However, fortunately, the Great Sun Radiance flashed on her body, helping her neutralize this terrifying counter-force and trapping it within her in a gentle way, helping to cleanse her constitution.

Kong Que had a realization and was happy in her heart.

It seemed her master had acted to help her cultivate...

The bell did not ring, which made Ma Xingkong heave a sigh of relief. Fortunately, fortunately it didn't ring; if it had, the counter-vibration force would have been even stronger, and not even a deity could save her.

"Are you alright?"

Ma Xingkong looked at Kong Que and hurriedly asked.

But when he looked closely, he was stunned. Because this woman before him was actually completely fine, and the aura radiating from her body was even more vigorous—what on earth was going on?

Logically speaking, even if the bell didn't ring, since she had already struck it, there would definitely be a counter-vibration force damaging her body; she should have been injured to some degree.

Why was this woman completely fine?

"Keep striking, it must ring at least once."

Li Heng continued to say.

Kong Que's current strength was too weak; striking the bell once, along with her own constitution, would greatly help enhance her cultivation, and incidentally, it would allow him to test the standard of this Jinhua Ancient Bell.

It would save him from having to strike it himself later and accidentally blowing the bell apart. He was merely a guest; it would not be very good to blow apart the host's bell.

"Yes, Master."

Kong Que responded respectfully.

In fact, even if Li Heng had not instructed her, she would have wanted to strike it a few more times; after all, although that strike just now did not make it ring, the counter-shock force within it had benefited her greatly. Her Peacock Bloodline had even begun to stir and boil under this power.

According to what the Great Elder, who was alive in the past, had said.

This situation belonged to the evolution of the bloodline.

If her bloodline evolved and her strength improved further, perhaps she could better assist her Master and no longer be a burden.

"No, striking the bell continuously will really kill someone!"

Ma Xingkong was once again shocked and pale.

He had thought that since Kong Que had struck the bell once just now and walked on the edge of Life and Death, she should have been scared off. He did not expect these two people before him to be so fierce, actually wanting to strike it continuously until it rang.

Did you come here to save your aunt or to commit suicide?

If you strike it continuously, the counter-shock force will increase even further!

If it really rings, without the protection of the Bell Ringer Mark to alleviate the counter-shock force, I fear death is certain!

If Li Heng knew Ma Xingkong's thoughts, he would definitely give him a thumbs up. If Kong Que relied solely on her own strength to strike the bell continuously, she would certainly die. Especially since Kong Que was of the demon race, and the bell sound restrained the demon race; under continuous striking, I fear her soul could truly be shattered.

However, with the Great Sun Divine Intent that Li Heng had applied to Kong Que, and the buffer of the Great Sun Radiance, this mortal crisis could also be transformed into an opportunity; it could be considered his investment in Kong Que.

Li Heng's words were an Absolute command to Kong Que.

Therefore, she could not be bothered to pay attention to Ma Xingkong's dissuasion and continued to swing her fist to strike the bell. The gains from striking the bell just now had raised her strength a notch, so at this moment, the force of her strikes became even greater and stronger.

Striking the bell continuously, throwing punches rapidly, growing constantly.

Before Ma Xingkong could react, although Kong Que's power could not make the Jinhua Ancient Bell ring, it could make it shake by half.

The counter-shock force triggered by the continuous bell-striking also materialized, vibrating around Kong Que like ripples on water, directly knocking Ma Xingkong, the Bell Ringer, away.

Ma Xingkong stumbled, looking at what was before him, feeling incomparably bewildered.

He, a Bell Ringer with a Bell Ringer Mark, could not withstand the counter-shock force of this continuous striking and was knocked away, yet you, a woman without a Bell Ringer Mark, can still stand there and strike continuously?

And you even look as if nothing is wrong?

Who exactly is the Bell Ringer here!

Could this woman really be able to ring the Jinhua Ancient Bell?

Without a Bell Ringer Mark, she can still make it ring?

In fact, Kong Que, who was striking the bell continuously, was not feeling well either. Under the continuous strikes, the counter-shock force was becoming stronger and stronger; even with the protection of Li Heng's power, her internal organs were vibrating violently.

Even her soul showed intense fluctuations.

If Li Heng did not call for a stop, she would not stop.

Li Heng watched all of this calmly.

In reality, if he protected her earnestly, Kong Que would not feel a thing. But he would not; he even gradually weakened this protective power to stimulate the potential within Kong Que's body.

Only by going through hardship can one walk smoothly in the future; only after experiencing such Terror-inducing counter-shock force can Kong Que's will be tempered, rather than cowering under his protection.

Therefore, he only ensured that Kong Que would not die.

However, looking at it now, Kong Que's will was not bad. Having persisted for so long, feeling every moment that her soul was about to explode, standing on the edge of Life and Death, she still did not stop throwing punches, persisting.

Finally, until the eighty-first time.

Nine times nine returns to one, her own aura sublimated to the extreme, the Peacock Bloodline within her body boiled and leaped, and she threw her strongest punch, striking the wall of the already swaying Jinhua Ancient Bell.

"Ding dong dong!"

The bell rang, once again shaking the entire city.

The people in the city were startled upon hearing the sound.

What is going on? The bell rang again? Is the market closed?

Some merchants who had seen great storms and waves, and experienced commoners, were only stunned for a moment, then lowered their heads to continue trading with others; perhaps some Bell Ringer had gone mad and struck it again.

There had been similar cases in the past, it was not strange.

Northwest of Jinhua City, in a courtyard located outside the eight wards.

An imposing and extraordinary old man suddenly frowned.

The bell rang again, what is going on?

What is that brat Xingkong doing? Is he courting death?

"Qiushui, go to the Bell Tower and take a look, don't let that brat die."

The old man's words reached another courtyard, to the ears of a heroic and extraordinary woman who was throwing punches and practicing martial arts.

Ma Qiushui frowned upon hearing this; she stopped throwing punches and stopped practicing, her anger rising—why did her grandfather tell her to go manage that brat again?

Could that brat not let her, this older sister, worry a little?

She immediately clenched her fists and rushed toward the direction of the Bell Tower.

At this time on the Bell Tower, the bell had rung, and Kong Que had fainted.

Li Heng smiled slightly; it seemed to have had some effect. He could perceive that the bloodline within Kong Que's body was undergoing a marvelous change, as if it were evolving?

He turned his head to look toward the northwest direction again.

"Hm? Someone is coming."