Chapter 1317: No Beginning, No End

The man lay dead on the broken bell, unable to rise again. He had been gone for many years; his past glory, once so brilliant, had all faded into the mists of history.

But his broken bell began to tremble and move, roaring aloud, shaking heaven and earth in that moment!

The broken bell still possessed a spirit; its chimes swept through all realms. Beings from the First Mountain, the great forbidden lands, and even more mysterious alien realms were all inexplicably shocked.

This bell sound was incredibly grand and majestic, and more importantly, its origin was immeasurably vast. After countless years and eras, a sound that didn't belong to this epoch could actually ring out again.

Vaguely, it seemed that the invincible man—who had turned his back on all beings, remained undefeated throughout his life, advanced triumphantly, and swept through all worlds—had returned!

The bell roared, and at this very moment, its echoes resonated throughout heaven and earth, terrifying all regions. Even the great evil spirits, gray mist, and dark beings from alien lands were horrified and couldn't help but tremble.

That brilliant age, when several Heavenly Emperors walked together, had passed; yet, those who had truly witnessed that epoch, the mighty ones who had read that history, couldn't help but tremble. Some individuals were so astonishingly talented and brilliant that they commanded reverence and awe from all ages.

"What a pity," someone sighed, "he ultimately died. Otherwise, who could have contended with him?" This was undoubtedly a being who had lived for an incredibly long time, with an unimaginable origin!

Others were filled with hot tears. It was an old soldier, his limbs incomplete, bearing incurable Dao injuries. Now, incredibly emotional, his voice trembled, "The Heavenly Emperor fell back then, and after all these years, his bell sound has actually rung out again..."

"The Emperor's life has passed," they cried. "When, in what year or month, can we ever again see your peerless demeanor? Can you return?!"

Someone cried out mournfully; he was already nearing the end of his life, but today, this bell sound had awakened him, leaving him shocked and deeply saddened, weeping incessantly.

At this moment, the entire world trembled. Even in the present age, beings across the Yang World had long forgotten the origin of this bell sound and knew nothing of the man, yet upon hearing it, they still felt a profound sense of sorrow, as if certain emotions were stirred within them.

In a daze, people felt that he was an ancient sage who should have been solemnly commemorated, yet had been forgotten by the world and buried by time.

"Boom!"

Undoubtedly, this bell sound was unmatched. While it didn't attack other parts of the world, it specifically targeted the beings on the Path of Reincarnation.

There was a group of reincarnation hunters there, all of them experts and powerful individuals, but the moment the bell waves spread, they all exploded.

This was extremely horrifying. These were reincarnation hunters, formidable figures who dared to personally visit various sects and capture powerful individuals who had escaped reincarnation and reincarnated with their memories.

But now, they were like scarecrows, like ants, utterly fragile. Under these bell waves, they were pulverized into dust, becoming nothing.

A group of reincarnation hunters were annihilated, body and spirit. Not even a ripple was created; they died instantly and completely.

And that mysterious ancient path was severed instantly. The powerful being standing on it, radiating brilliant golden light—that terrifying creature who wanted to seize the Three Lives Elixir—was also blasted apart.

What kind of might was this?

The Path of Reincarnation was profoundly mysterious, its origin ancient and untraceable. And this individual, capable of commanding and controlling a group of hunters, naturally possessed extremely considerable status and strength.

But now, he himself had disintegrated, blood splattering and spreading widely!

One must know, once such a person appeared, even some old patriarchs of various sects in the Yang World would be terrified, trembling with fear, and would need to personally go and welcome him.

Yet now, his physical body had exploded, his soul light shattered by the bell waves, then incinerated, about to turn into ashes, dying a complete and tragic death.

"You... this broken bell..."

At the last moment, consumed by fear, he weakly emitted a trembling sound from his soul, because he recalled the ancient books he had read and knew exactly who it was!

That person's great bell sound had once resounded throughout heaven and earth, making all races submit. Who dared to contend with him?

It was actually him?!

This person, who turned his back on all beings, always moved forward, expanding territories, battling and bleeding against unknown extraterrestrial beings, sweeping away all enemies.

That was a legend, a supreme being from mythology. Who dared to disrespect him, who dared to challenge him?

"Heh, how dare you profane the Emperor's corpse, how dare you be so insolent towards us from back then?!"

Sure enough, the cold roar of the black giant beast came, just as the legends described its appearance. Why hadn't he recognized it earlier?

This was the black giant beast that once followed the Heavenly Emperor!

On the severed Path of Reincarnation, trembling sounds of regret and fear emanated from the blood mist and burning soul light. That powerful being was disheartened and afraid; he knew he was finished.

"Let alone you," the black giant beast declared, "even the person behind you wouldn't suffice! Only if those things from the end of reincarnation emerge would they make anyone wary and alert."

The black giant beast spoke.

The bell waves vibrated, and the extended Path of Reincarnation shattered inch by inch, then exploded with a roar, utterly destroyed. This was truly terrifying.

That was an ancient path extending from a mysterious place. From ancient times until now, who could possibly destroy it?

But the man lying dead on the broken bell didn't move. His weapon, which had once followed him in battle, merely chimed softly, and its bell waves shattered the ancient path.

The powerful beings on the ancient path died completely and tragically. Their blood and remnant souls were utterly erased by the bell waves, not a single trace remaining.

This was terrifying. This person was connected to the forces on the Path of Reincarnation, yet now he had died so tragically that he couldn't even enter reincarnation.

However, at this very moment, where the Path of Reincarnation had been destroyed, a strange mist emerged, and a pitch-black hole appeared, revealing a tattered banner.

This was a damaged artifact, looking like a soul-summoning banner. It was very old and severely tattered, only a small, completely black section remaining. It seemed to have emerged from the deepest part of hell, carrying boundless chilling energy, sinister and terrifying.

"What? It's this thing? It's actually out again!"

At this moment, the black giant beast in the collapsed world was very surprised and tense; clearly, it recognized the black, tattered soul-summoning banner.

At this moment, the broken bell vibrated again, and its bell waves swept out, many times more ferocious than before.

Finally, without a sound, the bell waves and the soul-summoning banner met, annihilating each other in place and blasting out an enormous, sky-shattering hole. The sight was truly terrifying.

At this moment, let alone other creatures, even Heavenly Venerables and great powers would probably be instantly vaporized upon entering, becoming mere historical dust.

However, this strike did not spread; it all occurred near the soul-summoning banner, and then everything completely disappeared.

In the end, the black and incomplete soul-summoning banner plunged into the black hole and vanished, and heaven and earth returned to clarity.

"There indeed seems to be something in the depths of the Path of Reincarnation," the black giant beast said. "The pioneers from back then carved warnings on this path for future generations, and indeed, they have all come true."

The black giant beast spoke.

Back then, that pioneer sat in a copper coffin and drifted across the seas, going far away. However, he suspected there was something more in the depths of this Path of Reincarnation, but he searched and sought, yet found nothing.

The black giant beast, its master, and several Heavenly Emperors had also ventured deep to battle, but after finally fighting by the Soul River, they only found faint clues, and then the trail went cold.

That pitch-black soul-summoning banner might just be the tip of the iceberg.

"Forget it," the black giant beast said, "all realms have been battled, even Heaven's Immortals have been slain. What enemy haven't we seen, what opponent haven't we fought? Besides... this is ultimately no longer our era. If there are any anomalies, we can't manage that much anymore."

Then, the black giant beast became incredibly pained, its eyes dim, its old vision blurred. Looking at the man lying dead on the broken bell, it felt a pang of heartache and sorrow. Could he still be saved?

That was an imperial life; even the Three Lives Elixir might not succeed!

Moreover, when the broken bell vibrated just now, it smelled the scent of decay, which caused it immense grief and unbearable discomfort.

In the past, how magnificent was that person, invincible under heaven, shining brightly throughout his life. Who could have imagined he would fall, die in the final battle, his very corpse decaying?

This was simply unimaginable. In its impression, this man was unmatched, could never die, and would always stand at the highest point of heaven and earth, an unsurpassed monument.

But reality was cruel; that golden generation of yesteryear withered away like this. Several Heavenly Emperors, separated by life and death.

In fact, the outside world was already in an uproar; the entire world was shocked and trembling, and great earthquakes occurred everywhere.

Many people saw a group of reincarnators suppressed and killed like ants, turning into ashes. The person leading them also directly exploded, and even the Path of Reincarnation was shattered and destroyed. What kind of great power was this?

Among the few beings throughout history who shook various epochs, this should be one of them, right? Some speculated.

And some extremely ancient existences, after being awakened, trembled their lips, silently uttered a name, and then shivered incessantly.

Some were nostalgic for that era, feeling sad for the owner of the broken bell, while others were afraid, terrified. That man, when alive, had made all realms tremble!

At the scene, Chu Feng saw clearly and was filled with emotion. Even after dying, this person still possessed such might; it was truly terrifying, truly defying heaven.

This was the shattering of the Path of Reincarnation, caused by the broken bell ringing on its own!

"This life, I shall guide you!" the black giant beast declared loudly. Although very weak, it now forced itself to be energetic, straightening its hunched back. It was willing to sacrifice itself to try and revive the man.

No one stopped it. It finally drew the Three Lives Elixir before its eyes, and with a thump, threw the small black wooden spear into the medicine furnace.

Inside, various peerless medicinal herbs and minerals had already begun to boil, and a fragrant aroma wafted forth. It was a potent medicine, enough to alter the fate of even the mightiest individuals.

Perhaps a second batch of these materials could never be gathered again; only because several Heavenly Emperors had traveled through myriad realms in the past was such a potent medicine able to be assembled.

Chu Feng watched eagerly, able to see every movement of the black giant beast through the projection. His small black wooden spear had completely become a medicinal ingredient; what a pity.

He sighed softly in his heart, remembering this was the weapon he used for self-defense.

"Huh, where's the person, where did he go? I still wanted to see the true face of that junior who provided the Three Lives Elixir," the black giant beast muttered. While refining the medicine and activating a strange fire, it searched, projecting its senses to find Chu Feng.

Then it spoke again: "Come out, I believe you're still nearby. If you don't come out, I'll dig three feet deep and have the scavengers search every inch of land!"

Chu Feng was speechless for a moment. He was indeed still at the scene; the stone jar he was hiding in was truly defying heaven, even blocking the black giant beast's divine sense.

However, the shape of this stone jar was too unique. If it really let the scavengers dig through the dirt to find him, they could indeed discover him.

Seeing the scavengers move, Chu Feng, resigned, finally appeared on the surface, immediately putting away the stone jar.

"My eyes have been a bit blurry lately; I can't see things clearly. Come closer!" the black giant beast said. It stared at Chu Feng, and the more it gazed, the stranger its expression became.

At the same time, it threatened Chu Feng, demanding he quickly reveal his true appearance so it could see him clearly.

"Just come over to me!"

In the end, it reluctantly used its own methods, inscribing void symbols and using teleportation to bring Chu Feng close to itself.

Moreover, it acted swiftly and decisively, putting its plan into action immediately.

"This... where is this?"

The next moment, Chu Feng was filled with doubt and surprise. He was inexplicably teleported to a dim cosmic space, definitely not the world where the black giant beast was.

"Uh, it's been a long time since I've acted, I'm a bit rusty," the black giant beast said. "Don't worry, you'll appear before my eyes in the next moment. After all, back then I was an unparalleled formation master with profound attainments!"

The black giant beast spoke, and then it acted again.

But the next instant, Chu Feng was bewildered. He found himself in a world of hazy mist, feeling even further away from the black giant beast.

He could still see the other party's projection, but it was as if billions of miles of space-time separated them.

"Where is this now?"

"Uh, a mistake, how could the deviation be so much? My old problem has recurred; at crucial moments, teleportation goes wrong, going completely opposite directions!" the black giant beast muttered to itself, completely unaware, and once again started to tinker, intending to bring Chu Feng before its eyes.

But the next moment, Chu Feng was utterly speechless. This time was even more outrageous: the black giant beast's projection became even more blurry, almost indistinguishable. Clearly, they were even further apart.

"Divine being, Emperor, where are you trying to send me?"

"Don't bother me!" the black giant beast said impatiently. In reality, it was a bit embarrassed, trying to hide its awkwardness, having made another mistake.

In an instant, Chu Feng disappeared again, appearing in an inexplicable ancient land. He was practically on the verge of tears; this black giant beast was too unreliable. If this continued, it would surely teleport him astray.

At that time, how would he get back? Would he wander alone in a vast, desolate, and ruined alien universe?

"My formations have long been unrivaled throughout history! This Emperor is the first under heaven, how could I make a mistake?!" the black giant beast said, somewhat unconvinced, trying to conceal its embarrassment.

Next, he experienced two more teleports, and Chu Feng's face turned pale. He found himself about to lose the last connection with his original coordinates, truly not knowing where he would end up.

"How about you wait there first? Let me save the Heavenly Emperor!" The black giant beast finally stopped, giving up, and left Chu Feng alone in an unknown, ruined, dark cosmic dead zone. It then focused on refining the medicine.

Chu Feng's face alternated between green and white. He truly didn't know whether to be glad the beast had finally stopped or to cry. What kind of situation was this? He was inexplicably banished to an alien realm!

He didn't know how much time had passed when he saw the black giant beast's blurry projection. Its medicine refining was complete, and it trembled as it walked towards the man lying dead on the broken bell. The black giant beast stood upright like a human, though severely hunched, holding the medicine furnace, intending to revive the man.

It intended to sacrifice itself to exchange for this man's resurrection, but it didn't know if the man would truly come back to life after its own death.

As it approached, the broken bell chimed on its own, immensely grand but without hostility. It was clearly familiar with the black giant beast, as if old friends were greeting each other, and once again, it shook heaven and earth.

Even though Chu Feng was infinitely far away, he could still hear the trembling sound of the bell waves.

At this moment, he felt that time was boundless, without beginning or end, and that man's Grand Dao was unfathomably deep, boundlessly vast—truly terrifying beyond measure!

"You must... revive! In this life, I shall guide you back!" The black giant beast's voice trembled, its body quivering, afraid of failure. It struggled to prop the man up and pour the potent medicine into his mouth.

If it were anyone else, it would be impossible to approach this man; even in death, his aura would pulverize them into dust. But this black giant beast had been raised by him, imbued with his aura, and thus would not be attacked or obliterated.

"I beg you, you must revive!" it pleaded, choked with sobs, murmuring, as cloudy old tears rolled down its face.