Ji Mo carefully cleaned the rust from the surface of the bronze bell, afraid of damaging it by accident.
After the rust stains were cleaned away, the dark yellow bell body was revealed, which was the true color of the ancient bell.
The exterior of the bell was engraved with the sun, moon, stars, earth, water, fire, and wind.
The interior depicted scenes of mountains, rivers, seas, the primordial world, and myriad races.
Ji Mo's heart was in his throat as he carefully identified two ancient characters on the bell body, confirming them again and again.
"That's right, they are the characters 'Chaos.' Could this ancient bell truly be the legendary Chaos Bell!"
A tempest of shock surged within Ji Mo.
The Chaos Bell, a primordial chaos supreme treasure, a component of the Heaven-Opening Sacred Artifact!
One of the three primordial supreme treasures in Chinese mythology, it possessed the power to suppress the Primordial World, twist the forces of time and space across the heavens, and unravel the profound mysteries of the Heavenly Dao.
"Is this a replica? Or is it the true Chaos Bell, battered into a remnant artifact after enduring an unimaginable battle?"
Ji Mo was uncertain.
Legend had it that the Chaos Bell was infinitely mysterious and endlessly creative, capable of freezing time, suppressing space, reflecting the attacks of all worldly treasures, and ignoring all divine abilities.
If it were truly the Chaos Bell, who could have damaged it to the point of being covered in cracks and almost smashed to pieces?
Ji Mo leaned towards it being a replica. Otherwise, if even the supreme primordial treasure of legend had been nearly shattered, how terrifying must the attacker have been?
And whoever dared to smash a supreme Chinese treasure must surely be an enemy. Who could contend with an existence of such caliber?
"A fake, it must be a fake."
Ji Mo's heart pounded with panic. He tightly gripped the Chaos Bell, convinced it was a counterfeit.
However, he failed to notice that with his astonishing grip strength, he could easily crush even immortal gold or divine iron, yet he had no effect on the small bronze bell at all.
In fact, a small cut appeared on his palm, and beads of crimson blood welled up.
The blood beads were instantly absorbed by the Chaos Bell.
The patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers on the Chaos Bell seemed to come alive, flashing with nine-colored radiance.
However, this anomaly lasted only a fleeting moment before vanishing.
Ji Hanhan did not notice, but the Four Unlike Beasts beside him, with its exceptionally keen divine sense, perceived a fleeting, indescribably terrifying pressure. It was so frightened that it almost collapsed on the spot.
"Even if it's a fake, it's still a good item. I can use it to burn those old perverts later."
Ji Mo calmed his agitated heart, wound the Chaos Bell around a strand of his hair, and felt a surge of delight.
He believed that with this powerful treasure, he had finally taken a significant step on the path of cultivation, and he would have more confidence when venturing out in the future.
With the Chaos Bell adorning his head, the Moon God Ring on his hand, and the Void Shuttle hanging around his neck, Ji Hanhan exuded a somewhat unconventional aura. Fortunately, his good looks compensated for it, giving him a unique charm.
The Blissful Highland, originally a pure land of Buddhism, was a place of peace and serenity.
But now, it was a scene of widespread suffering, with devastation everywhere, and dried corpses and scattered bones.
The earlier rampage of the Dark Demonic Wheel had claimed the lives of nearly a hundred thousand beings, and the air was thick with a suffocating smell of blood.
The Bright Light Buddha was dead, and the Dark Demonic Wheel had been sealed by the Bodhi Tree, but the damage inflicted left all survivors with heavy hearts.
They had been fortunate to escape this time, but what about next time?
The most terrifying thing in the world was to witness death approaching with one's own eyes, yet be utterly powerless.
Of course, some people were excited. These were the followers who believed in Ji Mo. They seemed to be favored by the god of luck, as none of them suffered any casualties.
"Believe in the Holy Buddha, and there shall be no disaster!"
These followers firmly believed it was the result of Ji Mo's protection, and their reverence for him grew even stronger.
They also began to recommend Ji Mo to outsiders, promoting his compassion and recounting his deeds of saving people.
Ji Mo indeed possessed a benevolent heart. He organized the monks of the Little Leiyin Temple to perform rites for the deceased, comfort the people, and bury the tragically perished beings.
Of course, in the past, the Buddha only saved the rich. Now, Ji Mo demanded that all monks embrace compassion, act for the benefit of the people, and save themselves and others.
From this day forward, the Little Leiyin Temple was completely transformed into a true sacred land of Buddhism.
After resolving the matters of the Little Leiyin Temple, Ji Mo began his solitary journey back.
He did not take the Yin-Yang Bodhi Tree with him, intending to transplant it to the Sky City once it was built.
As for the Four Unlike Beasts, Ji Mo left it at the Little Leiyin Temple, instructing it to manage the monks properly and to develop the Blissful Highland.
...
The sun began to set, painting the sky with hues of red.
A great river meandered and flowed, its surface rippling with silver waves.
The vast river surface was veiled in mist, with waves dancing and leaping, emitting pleasant sounds.
On the aquatic plants by the river, a small clownfish, no larger than a palm, floated.
The clownfish's eyes were tightly shut, its belly had turned pale, and bright red blood flowed from its body. It was on the verge of death.
It had sustained severe injuries, and if it did not receive treatment, it would likely not survive much longer.
The clownfish's gills twitched slightly, its breathing faint. Its eyelids struggled to open, but ultimately failed.
"No... please, don't kill my mommy and daddy..."
The clownfish's mouth moved, and it uttered human words. Its voice was soft and tender, yet filled with boundless despair and sorrow.
Its consciousness was already muddled and blurred. Memories from a few days prior flashed through its mind.
The azure seawater was stained crimson with blood, and a large portion of the crystal palace beneath the sea had collapsed.
The ear was filled with the heart-wrenching cries of its kin.
Two figures, one white and one red, their bodies flowing with resplendent scales, protected a young figure, fighting valiantly amidst the blood.
Beside them, merfolk, sea monsters, and deep-sea beasts were densely packed.
"Daughter, escape... escape far away, find a place to hide, and never return to the sea..."
The white and red figures, outnumbered, could no longer hold on.
They used their remaining strength to forcefully cast a teleportation spell, intending to send the young figure away.
"Heh heh, trying to escape? Not a single one of you will get away today. Your clan is destined for annihilation..."
An incomparably cold voice rang out, followed by a beam of terrifying energy that struck.
Fortunately, the teleportation spell succeeded at the last moment, and the young figure successfully escaped.
However, it was still hit by the residual energy, sustaining severe injuries.
This was why the clownfish was here. Its race had suffered a catastrophic disaster, and it was the sole survivor.
But its injuries were clearly too severe, and it would ultimately not survive.
"Hmm, the signal fluctuation is nearby. That escaped fish should be hiding around here."
In mid-air, several merfolk, riding on clouds, sped forth.
They held a special magical artifact, and its emitted light grew brighter, indicating they were getting closer to their quarry.
"There, on the aquatic plants by the river. Hahahaha, we finally caught it."
The merfolk discovered the clownfish and excitedly descended to the ground, rushing towards the aquatic plants by the river.
They intended to nip the problem in the bud and completely exterminate the race.