Chapter 7: Divine Path Bell, Planting the Dao God

For cultivators in this world, though their systems differ, their realms can mostly be divided into three tiers and nine passes.

The three passes of the Human Realm are Qi Refining, Solidifying Foundation, and Golden Core, leading to Transcending Mundanity.

The three passes of the Earth Realm are Dharma Aspect, Spirit Transformation, and Void Star, reaching Transcending.

The three passes of the Heaven Realm are Formless, Asking Dao, and Ascending to Immortality, seeking to ascend to immortality.

The special aspect of the Divine Path Sect's cultivation method is that during the Golden Core stage, it requires disciples to select their own Divine Path at the end of the Human Realm.

This step is also known as "Selecting the Path and Descending the Gods."

Determine the path ahead, and the god descends upon the body.

Form the Dharma Aspect to enter the Earth Realm.

Naturally, the Divine Path Sect has its own set of criteria for judging the strength of the finally selected Divine Path.

Divine Path Bell, planting the Dao God.

They judge it based on the number of times the Divine Path chosen by the disciple resonates with the sect's Supreme Treasure, the "Divine Dao Bell."

One ring is the weakest, nine rings are the strongest.

The more the bell rings, the greater the potential of the Divine Path.

Six rings, the future is promising.

Seven rings, one can be called a heaven-gifted talent!

The best result in the last five hundred years was eight rings, and such a person is viewed as a candidate for the next Sect Leader.

Nine rings is not impossible, but the last time the bell rang nine times was already a thousand years ago.

It is more like a beautiful legend.

Boom—

The low, deep toll of the bell rippled and echoed, drawing the gaze of the entire sect.

"Quite a momentum. How many rings will there be? Seven, or eight?"

Ren Yidao's public identity had only been in the Divine Path Sect for two years, but as a white fox, he had been here for over sixty years and had long since witnessed this scene many times.

And Zuo Yungui's momentum was even more astonishing than the time he remembered the bell ringing six times.

Boom, boom, boom, boom—

As the tolls rang out one after another, the mist drifting from Lieyang Peak grew thicker.

And in the gradually obscuring thick fog, one could see a fiery red color illuminating half the sky.

Amidst the shrill cries of birds, the Divine Dao Bell rang for the seventh time!

Boom!

A long time passed after the seventh ring, but the eighth ring ultimately did not appear, and the omen in the sky gradually faded away.

The bell rang seven times.

"Lieyang Peak has produced a heaven-gifted talent!"

"Congratulations, Brother Zuo!"

"How joyous and congratulatory! It has been a long time since our Divine Path Sect produced such a heaven-gifted talent."

"Seven."

Watching from afar as one figure after another flew toward Lieyang Peak, the smile on Ren Yidao's face gradually faded, turning into a calm expression.

It was not because of jealousy.

He was simply recalling the solution he and Jian Xinxin had finally reached last night.

"Divine Path Bell, planting the Dao God."

Before leaving last night, Jian Xinxin asked Ren Yidao one last question.

He asked:

"Yidao, what exactly are you waiting for?"

Or to put it more bluntly.

What are you afraid of?

"What am I afraid of?"

"The tree that stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind... these are just excuses."

"Actually, I just don't like change."

Whether passive or active, he does not like it.

Ren Yidao had already grown accustomed to the peaceful life in the Divine Path Sect and did not want to add any factors here that would lead to change.

But the world never changes because of an individual's will.

"Foster Father..."

Hearing the call, Ren Yidao lowered his head and met a pair of bright, pure eyes.

Stunned for a moment, he laughed and shook his head:

"Hahaha!"

"In the end, it turns out that the change had actually already arrived."

Raising his hand to tap gently on the top of Yu Yu's head three times, Ren Yidao extracted the last remnants of Demon Qi from her Consciousness Sea.

"Since that is the case, then I won't wait anymore."

Sitting cross-legged on the peak, Ren Yidao slowly closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

Hu...

On Luoyue Peak, a phantom beast cry suddenly rang out.

Woo—

Just like the wailing of a child.

That beast cry rose from Luoyue Peak, and in a few short breaths, it swept through the entire Divine Path Sect!

……

……

【Senior Uncle Sect Leader! I have come to negotiate terms!】

Jing Yueqin forcibly broke into the temple, but before she could throw a tantrum, she was interrupted by the Sect Leader.

【Stop! Before that, you first help me turn a... oh.】

Dong—

After the Divine Dao Bell rang, even Jing Yueqin remained silent, turning her head to look toward Lieyang Peak to witness the birth of a new heaven-gifted talent together.

Once the seven bell tolls ended, Jing Yueqin acted as if nothing had just happened and continued:

"I think we should renegotiate the terms!"

【Wait, you first help... hmm!!?】

Woo—

When the beast cry rang out, the atmosphere in the temple changed abruptly!

Even the stone statue, which had remained calm through the seven bell tolls, suddenly trembled slightly, shaking a layer of dust to the ground.

The stone statue's eyelashes flickered as if it were about to open its eyes!

With extremely complex emotions in its voice, it spoke slowly:

【In ancient times there was a fox, its sound like an infant's cry...】

Dong—

The bell tolled, once again!

……

……

Lieyang Peak.

"Haha! Hahahaha!"

The young man's appearance was not ugly; with sword-like brows and star-like eyes, paired with his white robes, he could well be described as dashing.

At this moment, his face was full of excitement as he punched the ground hard.

Zuo Yungui was very excited.

Seven bell tolls!

He, Zuo Yungui, had made the sect's Divine Path Bell ring a full seven times!

He understood that this was likely the most glorious moment of the first half of his life!

From this point on, all disciples would know the name of Zuo Yungui.

He was no longer just the pride of Lieyang Peak, but the leader of the entire young generation of the Divine Path Sect.

He was a true heaven-gifted talent!

The term "heaven-gifted talent" might sound like it had become commonplace, but for those struggling and striving toward this goal, it had come a bit late.

No, it was not too late!

"Grandfather!"

The young man raised his head, looking spiritedly at his grandfather who was guarding him in mid-air, and shouted loudly:

"I did it!"

He was telling his grandfather, and even more so, proclaiming his existence to everyone watching this place.

Zuo Su looked middle-aged and had deliberately kept a long, graying goatee on his chin; he nodded slightly.

"Not bad."

His disappointing son had given up many years ago, and his eldest grandson preferred business over cultivation; he had not expected that it would be his youngest grandson who had the chance to fulfill his long-cherished wish.

Seven bell tolls—even he had not achieved that back in his day.

"My grandson has the ambition of a heaven-gifted talent, and even more so the aptitude of one; how fortunate!"

Potential was not everything, and one could not directly judge the height of the future from it, but it could indeed largely reveal a person's strengths and weaknesses.

One was displayed outwardly, the other hidden away; when comparing the two, the sect would naturally choose to tilt more resources toward the former.

Even if the latter might eventually surpass the former, few people would be willing to gamble on that slim possibility.

Landing beside Zuo Yungui, the two stood side by side; they looked more like father and son than grandfather and grandson.

Looking at the spirited young man, Zuo Su's usually stern face also held a faint smile as he raised his hand to pat his grandson's shoulder, sighing with emotion:

"Very good, you have the demeanor I had back then."

"However, you must never be arrogant or complacent; you must know that each generation produces its own talents, and a sect's heaven-gifted talent is not a heaven-gifted talent for all time."

"Never look down on others!"

Zuo Su had seen too many heaven-gifted talents ruin themselves due to impetuousness after first showing promise; he did not want his grandson to walk down that path.

Zuo Yungui, having been doused with cold water, had his smile stiffen; he coughed and complained in a low voice:

"Cough, Grandfather..."

"I know that, of course, but could you not say it at this time?"

Look, is it appropriate to say this now?

Shaking his head, Zuo Su also felt that he was truly being a bit of a killjoy, and he shook his head, saying:

"Hehe, it is my fault. Alright, go quickly and receive the guests."

"Yes!"

Seeing his grandfather unexpectedly admit his mistake so readily, Zuo Yungui answered loudly, then headed toward the dozens of long rainbows flying over.

While sensing the approach of those auras, Zuo Yungui muttered to himself:

"Besides, how could it be so easy to run into other heaven-gifted prodigies?"

Dong—

The bell toll interrupted all of Zuo Yungui's thoughts.

What?

"Is it... the eighth chime?"

Did I actually make the Divine Dao Bell chime eight times?

But this time, he did not feel any changes within himself.

Not even a little.

Zuo Yungui turned his head in a daze, wanting to ask his grandfather.

What on earth happened?