Volume One, Chapter 30: The Side Effects of the Soul-Capturing Bell

As these words were spoken, the expressions of almost everyone present changed, save for Li Hanzhou.

The "Taixuan Heart Sutra"! That was one of the premier mental cultivation techniques of the Taixuan Sacred Land. To actually use such a thing as a wager? Yet, upon reflection, it made sense; whether it was the Prajna Axe or the Autumn Burial Blade, both were legendary weapons from the Divine Armament Rankings and were certainly worth the price. By comparison, the stakes they had brought to the table seemed rather meager.

"Deal," Li Hanzhou said. A new thought had taken root in his mind. His perspective had been too narrow. He only wanted his disciples to ascend and grow stronger, so why limit them to the Daoist arts of the Longevity Temple? Was it not the same if they practiced the martial arts of other sects? A black cat or a white cat—if it could catch mice, was it not a good cat? If he obtained this "Taixuan Heart Sutra," he could have them practice it. Since it would be authorized by the Taixuan Sacred Lord, it would not be considered stealing. Compared to these treasures, those blades and axes were nothing.

"Tianxing, you must give it your all later," the Grand Elder said, turning back to pat Lu Tianxing on the shoulder with an encouraging look.

"Grand Elder, Sacred Lord, rest assured!" Lu Tianxing’s eyes were filled with malice as he glared at Liu Dongyue. This fellow had caused him to end up in such a miserable state; he would surely make him pay later.

"I will go first." Just then, a disciple from the Zhao family leaped onto the ring. Staring at Liu Dongyue with predatory eyes, he declared, "Zhao Long of the Zhao family, I challenge you first!"

"Junior Brother Zhao, go for it!" The Zhao family disciples cheered from below. Zhao Wuxing nodded as he watched Zhao Long. Although Zhao Long was not the strongest among the Zhao disciples, his sixth-grade cultivation was still superior to Liu Dongyue’s. Moreover, Zhao Long had prepared well; he was confident he could defeat Liu Dongyue before his clothes were all sucked away.

"Liu Dongyue, come and meet your death!" Zhao Long roared, his true energy surging across his body. He drew a long staff from behind his back and shouted, "I am not afraid of your Seven-Treasure Gourd today!"

"Begin!" the Grand Elder of the Taixuan Sacred Land announced.

Liu Dongyue looked at Zhao Long, knowing his opponent was not someone he could easily handle. Calmly, he pulled the Soul-Sucking Bell from his back instead.

"Huh?"
"That's not the Seven-Treasure Gourd?"
"A Soul-Sucking Bell?"

The crowd was stunned. Wasn't Liu Dongyue’s spiritual treasure the Seven-Treasure Gourd? When did it become a Soul-Sucking Bell?

"I don't care what that is, die!" Zhao Long roared, his staff lashing out like a viper, charging toward Liu Dongyue with ferocity. The power of the strike was so intense that it caused the air to whistle. Sensing the lethal wind, Liu Dongyue knew he was outmatched. He immediately utilized the Nine-Star Yu Step, relying on his lightness technique to dodge the blow, and began shaking the Soul-Sucking Bell in his hand.

"Guard your minds!"
"Cover your ears!" Zhao Wuxing shouted upon seeing this.

The Soul-Sucking Bell was an entry-level spiritual treasure; as long as one covered their ears and could not hear the ringing, they would not feel their spirit fluctuate. There would be no problem as long as they blocked the bell's attack.

*Ding, dong, dong...*

The sound of the bell was rather dull. The onlookers exchanged confused glances. Was this what a Soul-Sucking Bell was supposed to sound like? Since Liu Dongyue was not targeting them, they only heard the sound without sensing any attack on their souls.

Zhao Long tossed his staff aside and covered his ears. After all, the treasure could only be used nine times. At worst, he would just cover his ears nine times. Once the charges were exhausted, he could easily defeat Liu Dongyue. Besides, Liu Dongyue hadn't even brought the Seven-Treasure Gourd today. What was there to fear?

After the bell stopped, Liu Dongyue noticed that Zhao Long was completely unaffected. Zhao Long lowered his hands and grinned. "Your bell is useless against me, Liu Dongyue. I want to see how many times you can use it." With that, he began to walk slowly toward Liu Dongyue.

Liu Dongyue turned pale. The treasure was useless? Li Hanzhou frowned; he hadn't expected the countermeasure to be as simple as covering one's ears.

"Hahaha, it seems my Zhao family has taken the lead!" Zhao Wuxing laughed heartily. He looked at Liang Sheng and Nie Shengyu and said, "It seems the struggle will remain between our three parties. Let us see who finally claims the Autumn Burial."

"That Autumn Burial belongs to our Tyrant Blade Sect."
"You think you’re worthy?"

Just as the three began to bicker, Zhao Long, who had only taken two steps, suddenly changed expression. "Move, get out of the way!" He turned and sprinted off the ring. Before anyone understood what was happening, he had already left the stage.

"It's too late!" Zhao Long was on the verge of tears. Spotting a tree nearby, he rushed to it and frantically tried to undo his pants. However, he was wearing at least a dozen layers today, and in his panic, he couldn't get them undone.

"What is going on!" Zhao Wuxing’s face was livid. The match wasn't over yet, but Zhao Long had left the ring, which meant the Zhao family had lost.

Suddenly, a loud *pfft* sound erupted. Accompanied by a resonant fart, the anxious Zhao Long suddenly relaxed, a look of utter relief spreading across his face as if he were in heaven. Simultaneously, liquid began to seep through his dozen layers of pants, accompanied by a foul, fishy stench.

"Holy cow, Zhao Long, you crapped your pants!" a Zhao disciple exclaimed. Everyone else retreated in disgust.

After the initial relief, Zhao Long was left crying without tears. "It’s him! His strange spiritual treasure! After he rang that bell, I felt an unbearable pain in my abdomen and couldn't hold it in, so I..." He pointed at Liu Dongyue on the ring and roared.

"Me?" Liu Dongyue pointed at himself in bewilderment, then looked at his bell. Could this be the effect of the Soul-Sucking Bell?

The other disciples stared at Liu Dongyue, their faces changing. The Seven-Treasure Gourd sucked away clothes, and this bell made people soil themselves? What kind of spiritual treasure was this?

"Liu Dongyue, your treasure is too disgusting!" Zhao Xian of the Zhao family couldn't help but curse.
"Exactly, you're filthy!"

The insults left Liu Dongyue feeling deeply aggrieved. This treasure was crafted by his Martial Uncle! He looked toward Li Hanzhou, only to find him acting as if nothing had happened, chatting with Yun Qianzhu and Xiao Shiming. "Did you two see that? When you grow up, don't be like that big brother. Pooping and peeing in your pants is unhygienic, you understand?"