"Leave the Sect?"

It didn’t take long for the Outer Mansion Disciples to decipher the clues in the two lines of poetry, revealing the so-called direction of the Enlightenment Bells.

But the direction they pointed to was clear: they had to leave the Wuji Holy Sect and venture into the outside world.

Instantly, a palpable sense of hesitation and indecision spread through the crowd.

Leaving the Sect meant the nature of this competition had changed completely.

There would be no Foundation Establishment Masters watching over them, ready to pull them out of danger at a critical moment.

Death would be final.

To risk one’s life for a single chance at an Enlightenment Skill.

Was it worth it?

This question lingered in the minds of most Outer Mansion Disciples present, leaving them hesitant and unable to decide.

Amidst this mixture of silence and agitation, a brilliant rainbow-colored light suddenly descended from the upper-level Inner Mansion. The radiance faded, revealing a kindly-looking, slightly plump old man with a round, shining forehead, dressed in a green Great Cloak.

"Ahem." The old man coughed lightly. His voice wasn’t loud, but it clearly cut through all the noise from the crowd, reaching everyone’s ears.

"I am an Inner Mansion True Cultivator, Ding Tai.

I have been tasked with overseeing the opening of the Hall of All Laws this time."

His gaze swept over the dense crowd below as he continued:

"The riddle has been given. Whether or not you can enter the Hall of All Laws will depend on your own Divine Techniques.

I must also remind you of one thing: there are only fifty Enlightenment Bells.

Whoever returns here first with an Enlightenment Bell will secure a spot.

The Hall of All Laws will officially open at this time in three days, and it will remain open for one month.

Whether you can seize this opportunity depends on your own speed and Creation."

With another light cough, the Inner Mansion True Cultivator named Ding Tai had laid out the rules for the competition over the spots in the Hall of All Laws.

Ding Tai’s words were simple and clear, yet they instantly caused everyone’s breathing to become a little heavier.

Fifty bells for over five hundred people... a brutal ten-to-one ratio. More importantly, the "first-come, first-served" rule.

This undoubtedly made the return journey part of the contest as well.

It might even be bloodier and more ruthless than the search itself.

After a slight pause, Ding Tai seemed to remember something and spoke again: 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Is the previous Champion Scholar present?"

As soon as he spoke, the gazes of the vast majority of people in the crowd, both openly and secretly, turned almost in unison toward Qi Yun’s position.

Noticing the focus of everyone’s attention, Ding Tai’s smiling eyes also landed on the inconspicuous Qi Yun, who stood in the crowd dressed in a plain white robe.

"Oh? Your Concealing Breath Skill is quite refined. You almost fooled even me." Ding Tai sized up Qi Yun with interest and beckoned with a smile.

"So you are the previous Champion Scholar?

Come, come. Since you are the Champion Scholar, the Sect naturally has special treatment for you."

This move from Ding Tai made Qi Yun raise an eyebrow, and he subconsciously glanced at Yue Rong beside him.

’Your dad just doesn’t quit, does he? He’s at it again?’

Faced with Qi Yun’s strange look, Yue Rong could only offer a helpless smile and a shrug, indicating that he was still in the dark about the matter.

’Whatever. I’m used to it.’

Shaking his head slightly and feeling the hundreds of burning, jealous stares on his back, Qi Yun stepped forward and stood before Ding Tai.

Ding Tai flipped his palm, and a square Talisman, shaped like a White Jade Plate and covered with countless fine, flowing trails of starlight, materialized.

"This Talisman is called Star Attraction. It’s a Magic Talisman drawn by a Foundation Establishment Master." Ding Tai passed the Talisman Flute to Qi Yun:

"Once activated, as long as you are within a five-thousand-li radius of the Holy Sect, it can call upon the stars for Guiding you back to the Sect.

This Talisman is a small privilege for you, the Champion Scholar."

"With this Talisman in hand, as soon as you find an Enlightenment Bell, you can return immediately, avoiding the toil and risks of the journey and seizing the advantage."

As soon as he said this, a wave of irrepressible sharp breaths sounded from the crowd below.

This was no simple Town Recall Talisman!

This was clearly a Life-saving Talisman for critical moments!

Ignoring the gazes that looked like they wanted to rush up and snatch the Magic Talisman from his hands, Qi Yun clasped his hands and bowed slightly to Ding Tai:

"Thank you, Senior... Senior..."

The words caught in his throat. Ding Tai looked to be at least eighty or ninety years old; calling him ’Senior Brother’ felt inappropriate.

Seeing Qi Yun’s hesitation, Ding Tai chuckled and stroked his white beard:

"Just call me Senior Brother. I may look a bit mature for my age, but I’m only a few years older than you.

I’m only in my early forties this year."

’You?’

’Early forties?’

A trace of bewilderment in his eyes, Qi Yun fell silent for a moment before saying, "In that case, thank you... Senior Brother Ding."

Returning to Yue Rong’s side, the direct son of a Foundation Establishment Master glanced at the Magic Talisman in Qi Yun’s hand and said,

"That wasn’t my father’s doing. He’s not skilled in the dao of Talismans.

Besides, this Magic Talisman is only beneficial to you, not harmful.

It seems someone in the Inner Mansion is aware of your situation and is trying to protect you."

"Is that so? There are still such kind people in the Holy Sect?" Qi Yun raised an eyebrow, rubbing the warm, smooth Magic Talisman in his hand.

"’The world’s hustle and bustle is all for profit.’ Everything can be traced back to something." Yue Rong smiled meaningfully.

"Are you saying someone’s taken a fancy to me?"

"Hehehe, who knows?"

...

After returning from the Hall of All Laws, Qi Yun didn’t go home. Instead, he headed straight for the Sect’s main gate.

After Ding Tai gifted him the Talisman, the hatred directed at him from the other Outer Mansion Disciples was about to go off the charts.

Where to find this bell, in clear water outside the mountain...

As he walked, he recalled the two lines of poetry from the stone tablet that pointed to the Enlightenment Bells, carefully sifting through the knowledge in his mind that would seem disorganized to others.

’Got it!’

Nine hundred li west of the Holy Sect, there is a tall mountain called Qingquan Mountain, and at its base lies an old pond.

In clear water, water in the clear...

The Enlightenment Bell is most likely hidden in that old pond!

With the answer in mind, Qi Yun quickened his pace toward the gate. If it weren’t forbidden to use Magic in the Outer Mansion without permission, he would have already taken to the wind.

But he had only walked a few hundred meters.

Suddenly, Qi Yun sensed that he was being watched. He didn’t turn back, but a cold arc formed on his lips.

He continued walking forward, as if he hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

...

Not far away, several figures hid in the shadows of trees and pillars, their eyes locked on Qi Yun’s back. They communicated secretly through voice transmission, their words filled with malice.

"Some damn Champion Scholar. He’s just a guy who got lucky."

"Let’s wait for him to leave the main gate, then we’ll strike together. We’ll capture him first and get our hands on that Star Attraction Magic Talisman.

A Life-saving Talisman like that is wasted on him."

"Is what we’re doing a bit too cruel?"

"Cruel my ass! What are we? We’re Holy Sect Disciples! If we weren’t cruel, we’d be too embarrassed to even say where we’re from."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go! Get him!"

...