Chapter 416: The Old Man's Long-cherished Wish

"I never imagined you were the renowned Xu Yang. As your junior disciples, we failed to recognize your eminence before. Please forgive us, and thank you for protecting our Boundless Dao Sect."

Xu Yang's voice soon echoed from inside the bell tower: "There's no need to be so formal with me. In truth, Dao Monarch Xiaoyao instructed me to sort out this situation for you, so you don't owe me any thanks. Your ancestor has already designated me as the successor to this Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Bell; I will be its next master. Rest assured, even if I take the Heaven-Earth Bell, the safety of the Boundless Dao Sect will remain my responsibility."

Upon hearing that Xu Yang had met Dao Monarch Xiaoyao, everyone immediately knelt and repeatedly kowtowed towards the bell tower.

"To think you've actually met our sect's legendary founding ancestor! May I ask how our ancestor is doing these days?"

A wave of complex emotions washed over Xu Yang as he recalled Xiao Hua's appearance.

"Your ancestor is truly one of the continent's most formidable figures, the closest being to the divine realm. You have no cause for concern about her. In short, as long as we are here, your Boundless Dao lineage will endure forever. Now, go attend to your duties; your presence is no longer required here."

"We will obey your command."

The Dao cultivators of the sect dispersed, yet the profound impression Xu Yang left on them, combined with their reverence and adoration for the legendary Boundless Dao Sect, grew even stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, Xu Yang had fully mastered the cosmic laws within the starry expanse. Every star and meteor moved with a fixed pattern, and astonishingly, the fragments of golden light sealed within these planets and stars were revealed to be the shattered soul body of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Bell's spirit.

By reassembling these scattered soul fragments and awakening the complete spirit of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Bell to bind with himself, he would acquire the qualification to inherit this supreme divine artifact.

Xu Yang, having encountered numerous top-tier creations and divine artifacts before, understood clearly that artifacts of this caliber possess incredibly potent spirits. He knew that without sufficient destiny, one might be trapped here indefinitely, like Feng Xiu, and never manage to fully reconstitute the Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Bell's spirit.

However, Xu Yang was clearly unlike ordinary individuals. He managed to complete the reassembly of the Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Bell's spirit in just three hours.

*Rumble!*

As the bell's spirit, radiating golden light, interlocked once more, forming a complete spirit totem!

The vast starry backdrop began to collapse and vanish, until in the darkness, only the complete soul forms of Xu Yang and the Heaven-Earth Bell remained, confronting each other.

"Since you are the Dao Monarch's chosen one, it is only fitting that you become my master."

"Ah, you are quite direct. Did Dao Monarch Xiaoyao create you?"

"I cannot reveal other details. I simply wish to tell you one thing: the Dao Monarch was initially the true chosen one destined for divinity. However, due to various circumstances, a powerful entity forcibly altered her fate, leading to her current predicament.

As for Ashura, he relied purely on his dominant and resolute nature to forcefully shatter this so-called choice of destiny, thereby embarking on the true path to godhood.

Indeed, regarding talent and ability, the Dao Monarch even surpassed Ashura. She merely lacked the courage to defy and reshape her fate in that crucial moment. Had she made the same choice as Ashura, I believe she too would have been able to enter the true divine realm."

After imparting this, the bell spirit fell silent. Golden light completely enveloped Xu Yang's soul form until the two perfectly merged. Xu Yang's physical body reappeared in the center of the bell tower, while the massive divine artifact, which had previously filled the tower, had silently vanished, its form now concealed within Xu Yang's body.

In essence, once the divine artifact completed its host binding, its mode of existence mirrored that of a sacrificial beast. With the Taotie now confined within the Boundless Pagoda, the internal space it once occupied was instead ceded to the Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Bell.

The entire inheritance process proved far smoother than Xu Yang had anticipated. After its successful completion, he didn't hesitate further. Following a brief discussion with his third senior brother, Xu Yang prepared to return to Mount Qianyun. Before his departure, however, he revisited the entrance of the Burial Mound to converse with the elder who slumbered within the colossal stone.

"Senior!"

Xu Yang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his demeanor calm and composed. He now exuded the true bearing of a grandmaster, appearing to have made substantial progress since their last encounter.

The soul manifested once more, and to Xu Yang's astonishment, even with his current peak-level tribulation transcendence strength, the elder's soul remained completely unaffected by any pressure from him.

It was clear that when the elder was in a complete living state, his mental fortitude and various abilities had already reached the pinnacle.

"Excellent. Truly, the younger generation is formidable. The Dao Monarch and Ashura, two supreme powerhouses, have for the first time reached a consensus regarding you, as both believe you can become a true god! I hold the same conviction."

Xu Yang offered a faint smile. "If I'm not mistaken, you too were once among the most promising individuals destined for godhood. However, due to certain reasons concealed in the shadows, you were unable to realize that ambition."

The elder shook his head with a bitter smile. "Alas, so many years have passed; the past has long since turned to dust, and I have let go.

In truth, I don't even know what it means for me to remain hidden within this colossal stone. Perhaps my thoughts mirror those of Xiaoyao: I've always harbored a lingering obsession, waiting for a true leader to emerge on this continent. Someone who can help the countless cultivators of this world forge a true, grand path to the Divine Realm!"

Unbeknownst to him, a seed was quietly planted in Xu Yang's heart by the elder's words.

"Rest assured, I will certainly fulfill your long-cherished wish. Indeed, this should be the shared aspiration of our generation!"

As his words faded, Xu Yang ascended into the sky as a ray of light, disappearing into the distant horizon.

No one witnessed the profound relief on the elder's face, though his eyes were already brimming with tears.

After leaving the Burial Mound, Xu Yang immediately returned to his territory at Mount Qianyun.

This location now served as the primary inherited branch of Xu Yang's Tianlan Sect lineage.

What Xu Yang hadn't expected was that the scene at Mount Qianyun was entirely different from his preconceptions. He had always believed that after his team had been away for so long, Mount Qianyun would have long since fallen into decline. He had even prepared for the worst-case scenario: that the covetous internal forces of the Three Thousand Dao States might have already completely seized this auspicious land.