C7 Morning Bell and Dusk Drum Made Thirteen Sounds

Now that Guu Linger's father is no longer with the Guu family, she must depend on Guu Tianyi for her monthly supply of Fire Fruit.

When it comes to combat prowess, Guu Tianyi falls short of Guu Moyu—that's an undeniable truth.

Yet, ringing the Morning Bell and striking the Dusk Drum requires more than sheer strength.

Atop the high platform, worry clouded the Grand Elder's eyes as he spoke, "We should persuade Moyu to call off the wager. It's unseemly for our family to be at odds like this; we'll become the laughingstock of others!"

"Grand Elder, you're well aware of Moyu's nature. Once he's made up his mind, not even I can sway him," the Second Elder replied, his expression one of resignation.

He knew well that Guu Tianyi bore the First Ancestor's Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon Martial Soul, but with the Heavenly Fire Competition underway, he was powerless to intervene.

Hsing Wenruo, with a hint of mischief in his gaze, remarked, "If both parties are in agreement, there's no need for us to step in. Guu Tianyi intrigues me. How is it that his name never came up back at the Star Cloud Sect?"

"However, Tianyi's cultivation is merely at Martial Cultivator Level Five," the Grand Elder said, his face etched with concern.

Hsing Wenruo dismissed the worry with a wave of his hand, "He's the one who challenged the bet. Without absolute confidence, he'd be nothing but a madman. And isn't it profitable to use a madman as a stepping stone for the Guu family's rising stars?"

As Guu Tianyi steadily advanced toward the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum, the onlookers watched with keen interest. Guu Tianyi was no fool; he wouldn't propose a bet he was sure to lose.

But could someone whose cultivation was only at Martial Cultivator Level Five truly unleash an attack surpassing Guu Moyu's? That was hard for anyone to believe.

"Brother Tianyi, please don't go. I don't need the Fire Fruit; I just want you to be safe with me," Guu Linger wept, her voice filled with distress.

"Silence! If you don't stop your noise, I'll beat you to death!" Guu Linyuan barked.

Yet Guu Linger seemed deaf to his threats and kept on crying.

"Slap her!" Guu Linyuan commanded impatiently, and three figures immediately moved toward Guu Linger.

These were Guu Linyuan's attendants. Though not particularly strong, they held the cultivation of Martial Cultivator Levels Three and Four. Guu Linger, born with a cold constitution, would see her Cold Aura intensify with cultivation. Consequently, she had never pursued martial arts and remained a mere mortal.

Despite being counted among the three great beauties of Heavenly Fire City alongside Lau Yue and Xia Ningjing, Guu Linger didn't command the same attention due to her lack of martial prowess.

"Back off, stay away from my sister!" Guu Tianyi's voice cut through the air like ice. His dark purple Genuine Qi erupted, his Purple Polar Dragon Eye blazing with an inner fire. The Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon morphed into a streak of purple lightning, hurling the three men away.

The crowd gasped at the display.

"Are my eyes deceiving me? Is that a Martial Soul? Wasn't his Martial Soul supposed to have self-destructed?"

"Does he possess some secret art to resurrect his Martial Soul?"

Surrounded by swirling Purple Fire and guarded by the Divine Dragon, Guu Tianyi stood with an emperor's commanding presence. Had he not been verified by the Star Cloud Stone, no one would have believed his cultivation was that of a mere Level Five Martial Cultivator.

Guu Tianyi surveyed his surroundings before his gaze finally settled on Guu Linyuan. In that moment, Guu Linyuan shuddered, sensing the imminent danger of being targeted.

"Guu Linyuan, ten years ago, when bandits from the Great Desolate Mountain took you, who risked grave injuries to ensure your safe return?" Guu Tianyi's voice was sharp with accusation.

"And how have you repaid me?" Without waiting for a response, Guu Tianyi unleashed the Guu family's Mortal Level Martial Skill, Fire Palm, striking with righteous fury.

His words resonated deeply, stirring the hearts of all who heard them.

Shock rippled through the crowd as the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum tolled seven times. Lau Yue, a Martial Cultivator of Level Eight, had managed to elicit seven rings from them. Yet, Guu Tianyi, with only a Level Five cultivation and without invoking his Martial Soul, achieved the same feat.

Despite her impressive abilities, Lau Yue's cultivation paled in comparison to Guu Moyu's.

Confusion hung in the air, but no one dared to speak. Even Guu Linger ceased her tears, silently weeping as she gazed at Guu Tianyi, the sole focus of the arena.

Guu Tianyi then turned his attention to Guu Moyu. "Guu Moyu, remember who spent three years' worth of Essence Stones on your birthday to purchase the Grade One Mountain-shaking Hammer you longed for?"

"A year ago, your defeat was due to your own lack of strength. Instead of striving to improve, you harbored resentment against me, coveted the Young Patriarch title, and schemed to take over the Purple Flame House. Your actions are nothing short of treacherous!"

"You've let me down!"

"You wanted to show me the gap between our strengths. Now, witness mine!"

"First Divine Ability, Flame Dragon Transformation!"

In an instant, the Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon let out a sky-piercing roar, its cry as clear as a bell. Bathed in the glow of the Purple Fire, it became one with Guu Tianyi.

Guu Tianyi underwent a dramatic transformation. His arms and torso turned a deep purple, sprouting dense dragon scales. His hands morphed into dragon-like claws, their tips razor-sharp and incredibly tough—enough to make a common Grade One Spirit Treasure seem as brittle as tofu.

His hair vanished, replaced by more scales, and his neck bristled with backward-facing dragon scales. Guu Tianyi now stood as a humanoid dragon, his piercing Purple Polar Dragon Eyes unchanged.

"Purple Fire Dragon Seal!"

With his clawed hands, he executed the technique. As a dragon's roar echoed, the Purple Fire Dragon Seal struck the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum, sending tremors through the Martial Skill Pavilion.

"This is the Guu family's Mortal Level Peak Martial Skill, the Purple Fire Dragon Seal! He's only had it for less than two days, and he's already mastered it to the Great Completion Stage. How can this be?" The Grand Elder's voice was laden with disbelief. Only then did the crowd grasp the true prowess of the Purple Fire Dragon Seal.

Yet, what followed was even more astonishing.

The Morning Bell and Dusk Drum sounded ten times, each toll reverberating through the stunned assembly.

And when the eleventh ring echoed, silence descended like a shroud. So profound was the quiet that those nearby could hear the beating of each other's hearts.

Everyone was all ears as the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum tolled for the eleventh time.

But then, unexpectedly, it sounded a twelfth time, leaving everyone in shock.

When the thirteenth toll echoed, it was so astounding that even Tang Yun, Hsing Wenruo, and Faang Yunhe on the elevated platform were subdued.

Could Guu Tianyi truly be just a Level Five Martial Cultivator?

Despite the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum ringing only thirteen times, the impact of Guu Tianyi's feat was far from diminishing.

Amidst his Flame Dragon Transformation, Guu Tianyi's blood seemed ablaze. Having exerted his full power to cast the Purple Fire Dragon Seal, he had broken through in a flash. His cultivation had now soared to Level Six as a Martial Cultivator.

Witnessing the surging dark purple flames, many onlookers instantly grasped the situation.

"He's actually ascended to Level Six Martial Cultivator!"

"How is that possible? To break through, one must diligently cultivate and amass Genuine Qi until a transformation occurs. He's the first to achieve such a breakthrough during the Heavenly Fire Competition."

"He's truly an unparalleled genius!"

With the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum marking thirteen chimes, and his cultivation reaching Level Six, Guu Tianyi continued to defy the odds.

Then, Guu Tianyi stepped away from the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum, gazing down at the spectators from the martial arts stage, and proclaimed, "Who here can personally attest to the rumors about the Star Cloud Sect? Based on mere hearsay, you've painted me as heartless, but on what grounds? Consider this—if I truly coveted Xia Ningjing's Martial Soul, why would I wait until visiting the Star Cloud Sect? Xia Ningjing was taken in by the Guu family before our departure. As the Young Patriarch, taking her Martial Soul—or even her life—would be trivial for me!"

"Moreover, I don't engage in battles I'm not certain of winning. The thirteen tolls of the Morning Bell and Dusk Drum today stand as irrefutable evidence! Only fools would give credence to those baseless rumors!"

"I am a man of integrity. I own up to my actions. But for what I haven't done, don't expect me to concede!"

His words reverberated across the City Lord's Mansion Square, striking a chord with the crowd.

A hush fell over the assembly; Guu Tianyi's words resonated with truth.

But in that moment of quiet, Guu Moyu erupted in fury. The Mighty Devil Flood Dragon's Martial Soul materialized, charging at Guu Tianyi.

"Guu Tianyi, you should not possess such power. Die!"

The assault was abrupt; the Grand Elder and others, caught off guard, were powerless to intervene.

"In dire straits, Flame Dragon Transformation!" Guu Tianyi had no choice but to invoke his First Divine Ability. Dark purple flames billowed, forming a protective shield before him.

"Brother Tianyi!" Guu Linger's scream pierced the air.

The Grand Elder, Second Elder, Lo Feng, and Hsing Wenruo leapt from the platform, racing towards the martial arts stage.

Amidst the purple inferno, two silhouettes were barely discernible. Guu Moyu, with the Mighty Devil Flood Dragon looming behind him, was strikingly visible. At the stage's edge, Guu Tianyi was down on one knee, wounded by the strike.

"Our strength disparity is still vast," Guu Tianyi realized as his Vitality churned within. Had he not just advanced to Level Five Martial Cultivator, Guu Moyu's ambush might have been fatal.

Guu Moyu's face registered shock, yet his eyes brimmed with lethal intent. In a frosty tone, he declared, "So you're still alive. First Divine Ability, Devil Heavy Armor!"

"Hold it right there!" If Guu Moyu, armored in the Devil Heavy Armor, struck once more, Guu Tianyi's life would surely be forfeit. Regrettably, he had but a single opportunity to strike, and now, four formidable experts had positioned themselves around Guu Tianyi.

Guu Tianyi's exceptional talent had just been revealed; his life couldn't end so abruptly.

"Guu Moyu, the audacity! To attempt the murder of your own kin? You deserve death!" the Grand Elder thundered with fury.

Despite his harsh words, Guu Moyu was the Second Elder's protégé. Observing the Second Elder's troubled expression, the Grand Elder softened, conceding, "Given this is your first offense, and Tianyi's wounds are minor, confinement for ten days should suffice for you to ponder your actions."

The Second Elder was caught in a bind, torn between his disciple and Guu Tianyi, the beacon of hope for the Guu family's ascent. The Grand Elder's decision brought him a quiet relief.

Several Martial Masters from the Guu family restrained Guu Moyu, who cast a venomous glare at Guu Tianyi.

"Freeze!" commanded Guu Tianyi.

"Tianyi," the Second Elder began, attempting to interject, but Guu Tianyi gestured for silence.

"Guu Moyu, remember the thirty Fire Fruits you owe me! And as for today's blow, I assure you, it will be repaid in kind!" Guu Tianyi vowed.

"I'll be waiting," Guu Moyu retorted with a cold laugh as he was led away.

Watching Guu Moyu's retreating figure and grappling with his own aches, Guu Tianyi's resolve hardened. On the Nine-state Continent, power was paramount. Without strength, he couldn't even safeguard his own existence.

Out of the blue, a firm hand clasped Guu Tianyi's shoulder. Hsing Wenruo offered a smile and posed the question, "How about it? Interested in joining the Star Cloud Sect's Hundred Herb Garden?"