Chapter 503

Boom.

Almost the instant Li Yuan extinguished the incense, a deep, soundless Youjing suddenly erupted with the toll of a bell!

The bell's toll was not violent, yet it was unmistakably real, as if detonating directly beside his ears!

Li Yuan felt a deafening buzz in his mind, then blinding light surged from behind him—the stone statue within the Black Whale Hall opened its eyes, blazing like torches, and in an instant, the entire Black Whale Path lit up.

"It's the Great Sun Golden Scale Bell again."

Li Yuan's heart tightened—had the imperial court begun its temple rites again?

He looked up and saw the darkness along the Black Whale Path instantly dim by several levels; though still hazy and faint, he could now barely make out shapes!

In a flash of shifting light and shadow, the place he stared at—the ancient, desolate temple—reappeared, floating and sinking in the dark, breathing like a living thing!

Even from afar, Li Yuan felt a chill in his chest, completely ignoring the hundreds or thousands of strange beasts along the Black Whale Path, utterly drawn to the temple!

"Is this… the Eight Directions Temple?"

Is this the Eight Directions Temple?

」

Around Li Yuan's waist, the Shen Dragon Belt stretched taut; the female dragon stared at the floating temple in stunned fear!

In her youth, when she passed through here and was cast down from the Ninth Layer of Gale Heaven, she had glimpsed a corner of this ancient temple—this aura, she could not be mistaken!

What terrified her even more was…

"Does this ancient path lead to the Eight Directions Temple?"

The female dragon's shocked question went unheard by Li Yuan; he stared at the direction of the Eight Directions Temple, a great tremor rising in his heart!

This temple… it seems to be calling me? No—it's summoning me!

Li Yuan's wrist tightened; the Black Whale Hammer in his palm trembled slightly, as if responding to something—the source of that tremor was the Black Whale Hammer!

The Eight Directions Temple was summoning the Black Whale Hammer—and fiercely so.

Li Yuan momentarily lost focus, already raising the hammer—luckily, his thoughts shifted swiftly, and he immediately stowed it within his Weapon Space!

Whoosh!

With the Black Whale Hammer's spirit gone, the gaze of the stone statue vanished instantly; Li Yuan swiftly retrieved his incense, preventing himself from being swallowed by darkness!

And the next moment, he heard the Great Sun Golden Scale Bell toll again!

But not only the bell.

Boom.

Clang!

Bell, sword cry, knife cry.

One after another, thunderous sounds, ignoring distance, erupted from the darkness, pounding relentlessly against his ears and heart, shaking his spirit to its core.

Hum!

Li Yuan looked up!

Without the stone statue's light to guide him, yet guided by the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer, he faintly sensed the presence of the Eight Directions Temple once more!

"Other Heavenly Fate Divine Weapons?"

Darkness churned, vision obliterated; Li Yuan counted silently in his mind and felt a creeping chill.

"Outside the Great Sun Golden Scale Bell, there are nine other strange sounds… twelve Heavenly Fate Divine Weapons—ten have responded?"

Had he not acted decisively and stowed the Split-Sea Black Whale Hammer, eleven weapons would have been ringing now!

Change.

In the darkness, the strange sounds still echoed, faintly responding to one another!

"Are these the sounds of weapon strikes?"

The female dragon remained stunned and bewildered—the appearance of the Eight Directions Temple… how is it connected to these weapons?

What do these have to do with weapons?

"Roar!"

A roar echoed from the darkness!

The female dragon cried out in alarm, "Escape quickly—it's a strange beast, a strange beast…"

Why remind him?

The moment the beast's roar erupted, Li Yuan turned and fled—he had only just entered; even without the statue's gaze, he still remembered the way back!

In a few leaps, he plunged into the Black Whale Hall; behind him, the evil wind vanished instantly, the door behind the statue trembled once, then stilled.

"Wasn't it supposed to be the sixth day of the sixth month? Why is such a commotion happening half a year early?"

Near the door behind the statue, Li Yuan could still hear the trembling of the divine weapons—he heard the trembling of the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Stove!

"Something's wrong!"

Li Yuan felt a growing unease and decisively ended this exploration; with a thought, he exited the secret realm!

The trembling sounds of the divine weapons still echoed in his heart!

"The Eight Directions Pagoda remained silent—indeed, though its rank is high, it's not a Heavenly Fate Divine Weapon!"

Li Yuan pushed open the window; the Eight Directions Pagoda stood firm as a mountain, utterly unremarkable.

"The Eight Directions Temple is summoning divine weapons!"

Li Yuan felt pressure in his heart, closed the window, sat cross-legged, and forced himself to focus—following the faint trace within his mind, he sensed the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Stove!

Hum!

The Nourishing Stove's response was unexpectedly swift; the moment Li Yuan thought of it, he saw the spirit of the stove trembling and humming in the darkness!

And beneath its glow, faintly visible—Long Yingchan!

"The Youjing."

Li Yuan instantly recognized the environment the stove was in!

Nearly identical to the Black Whale Path—he could faintly see two pairs of eyes; guided by their gaze, Long Yingchan frowned deeply, his body entwined with the shadows of dragon and tiger!

"The will left by the two Ancestors? Did the Dragon Lord enter the Youjing through this?"

Li Yuan's thought shifted, and he was already within the Nourishing Stove!

Hum!

The Nourishing Stove vibrated and hummed; Li Yuan focused intensely, and through a tremor he could not yet comprehend, he saw the other divine weapons!

First, a seal, three-colored and vast as a small mountain, blazing with intertwined flames, radiating dazzling light!

Then, a stake!

Shaped like a wooden post, etched with ancient, desolate patterns, seeming both real and illusory—as if a breeze could dissolve it—yet now it trembled and hummed!

Then, in the darkness, he glimpsed a furious, roaring azure dragon, its body writhing, radiating divine light, scales bristling, emitting sharp, ringing sounds!

"Two-Color Azure Dragon Armor, Three-Element One-Qi Stake, Heavenly Fire Three-Flavor Seal!"

Li Yuan murmured to himself!

The Five Great Sects were spiritually linked, capable of sensing one another; he clearly saw the Dao Masters beneath each divine weapon!

As he had suspected, the Eight Directions Temple's disturbance this time was far more violent than last time.

"Roar."

A dragon's roar echoed through the darkness!

In the darkness, Long Yingchan's face was grim as water, as if facing a dire foe; above his head, the Dragon-Tiger Nourishing Stove trembled ceaselessly,

as if about to leap into the air at any moment!

"Ten strange sounds—what two are missing?"

Long Yingchan listened intently; he could only hear the differing tremors of the divine weapons, but distinguishing them was difficult—only the Great Sun Golden Scale Bell was unmistakable!

The others—swords, knives, stoves, seals, hammers, spears, staves—trembled in ways too similar to tell apart.

But now, Long Yingchan had no time to ponder; he focused intensely, ever watchful of the Nourishing Stove—if it stirred, he would strike instantly!

Moments later, the trembling in the darkness ceased; Long Yingchan reached out and took the Nourishing Stove, finally exhaling a breath of relief.

"The Eight Directions Temple is summoning divine weapons."

Long Yingchan frowned deeply, but hearing the roars from the darkness, he could only suppress his thoughts for now; with a shift of his form, he exited the secret realm!

One-Qi Villa, Council Hall!

When Long Yingchan arrived, Fang Sanyun, Tian Shezi, and Da Ding Chanshi were already there; Yuanqing True Person entered moments after him.

The five sat down, all frowning in thought, falling into silence.

After a moment, Yuanqing True Person spoke: "Just now, there were ten distinct sounds—two Heavenly Fate Divine Weapons must have failed to respond to the Eight Directions Temple's summons."

Everyone present already knew this; they merely looked at him in response.

"The Youjing is too obscure and unpredictable; based solely on sound, we cannot determine which two divine weapons did not respond."

Yuanqing True Person tapped his armrest, his inner mind far from calm.

In this world, only the Eight Directions Temple could trigger the disturbance of ten Heavenly Fate Divine Weapons at once—and if the Eight Directions Temple stirred without sound, it must be due to the imperial court's grand sacrifice!

"Which divine weapon did not respond—set that aside for now!"

」

Long Yingchan cleared his throat and spoke: "If all the Heavenly Fate Divine Weapons had responded to the Eight Directions Temple's call just now, what would have happened?"

"This…"

What Long Yingchan asked was precisely the concern of those present!

"Perhaps… the Eight Directions Temple will open."

After a brief silence, Yuanqing Daoist spoke in a low voice: "Or perhaps, the Heavenly Fate Divine Weapons will return to the Eight Directions Temple."

"None of this is good!"

Master Da Ding frowned deeply; his inner unease surpassed that of everyone else present!

These families' divine weapons have ancestral safeguards in place, but their Sumeru Staff is only barely held by his own senior uncle!

If it were lost…

"Regardless of the cause, it's tied to the imperial court."

Tian She Zi's face was grim; at the moment the Azure Dragon Armor slipped from his grasp, he had nearly believed the divine weapon was lost—he still hadn't recovered his composure!

He swept his gaze over those present, landing on True Person Yuan Qing.

"True Person Yuan Qing, it seems we must go to the imperial capital."

"Hm?"

True Person Yuan Qing and Long Ying Chan exchanged a glance; both were surprised—this old man had been the fiercest opponent these past days!

So quick to change his tune?

Though he thought this, True Person Yuan Qing said nothing, instead turning to Master Da Ding.

"What do you think, Master?"

"The resonance of the divine weapons is too great—if we do not witness the ritual, my heart cannot rest."

Master Da Ding clasped his hands together in agreement.

"What of Brother Fang?"

True Person Yuan Qing asked again.

"We should have gone long ago."

Fang San Yun had always held this stance!

"I concur!"

Before anyone could ask, Long Ying Chan had already spoken.

"Less than half a year has passed, and the Eight Temples have stirred twice—each time more violently than the last. If we don't go, there's no guarantee there won't be a third."

As he spoke, he glanced at Tian She Zi, steadying the others.

This sudden anomaly had unified the five great sects—something far harder than destroying the Demon God Cult's main stronghold!

"Good."

True Person Yuan Qing rose swiftly: "Then let each of you send word to your sects. Once arrangements are made, depart accordingly."

Hum!

The spear shaft trembled, emitting a dull thud!

Qin Yun casually tossed the Purple Gold Sea-Striding Spear to Qin Shi Xian, who frowned as she caught it—the earlier disturbance had come too suddenly; she'd opened her eyes just in time to nearly lose it!

"Just now—that fork… was it from the Eight Temples?"

Qin Shi Xian's face was grim; she truly understood what 'a divine weapon with spirit but no mercy' meant.

!

To be recognized as master is arduous beyond measure—but to be discarded, it doesn't even bother to warn you!

"In such a short time, the imperial court's grand ritual has reached this level? That outsider from beyond the heavens is surely no ordinary figure!"

Calming the Purple Gold Spear with a casual gesture, Qin Yun stepped slowly out of the tower, gazing at the courtyard where Li Yuan stood, his brow furrowing: "Could this boy not be the master of the Whale Hammer?"