Pursuit of the Truth 174 Alpine Dark Turtle

On the mountain where Lake of Colors Tribe was located was Han Fei Zi, who stood in her house, looking as if she could see the person who was silently sounding the bell in the city. There was a bright glint in her eyes as she stared at Han Mountain.
The person may have been hidden by the fog, but she could already vaguely guess that this person might be the Mo Su she had been looking for a long time!
"Is it you..?" Han Fei Zi mumbled.
The Elder of Tranquil East Tribe remained calm as he sat at the top of the mountain. His expression was like the still water in an ancient well. His thoughts were unknown to others. Sitting by his side were the Chief of War and Tranquil East’s tribe leader, Fang Shen.
These three people were silent as the lingering bell chimes echoed in their ears.
"Could it be our guest, Mo Su?" the Elder of Tranquil East spoke unhurriedly with a slightly hoarse voice.
"I can’t be certain, but I’ve already sent people to take a look." Tranquil East’s tribe leader replied in a low voice.
"Elder, should we have someone give this person the plate?" The Chief of War hesitated for a moment before he looked at Tranquil East’s Elder. The old man, whose face was covered in wrinkles, had his eyes closed. He did not refuse what the Chief of War said, but neither did he agree to it.
On the mountain shrouded in black fog was Puqiang Tribe. At that moment, there were dozens of obscured silhouettes of people standing in the fog looking in the direction of Han Mountain City. They did speak, but only looked into the distance indifferently.
Compared to the silence in the three tribes, when the gigantic apparition of the Dragon Clam appeared in the dark, cloudy sky above Han Mountain City, the people in the city were completely shaken. Numerous people from Han Mountain City rushed out into the rain to see the Dragon Clam in the sky. All of them felt shaken to the core, and in their ears were the bell chimes that still refused to leave.
"12 chimes. Han Mountain Bell sounded 12 times. This person… this person is really powerful!"
"He already obtained the right to challenge the Chains of Han Mountain. Right now, he just needs to wait for the three tribes to send their plates, then he can go to the top of the mountain with the plates and challenge the Chains of Han Mountain!"
"I thought that one bell chime was just an accident, but now it’s gone past nine chimes and sounded 12 times!"
"Who is that? By the looks of it, he’s not going to stop just yet. Just how many times will he sound the bell?"
People ran through the fourth layer of Han Mountain towards the entrance to the third layer. Fang Lin and the others who were waiting at the entrance to the third layer were all shaken to the core when they heard the 12th chime. It was especially so for Fang Lin. He felt his mouth dry up and his heart race against his chest. He had a strong feeling that the person who had sounded the ancient bell twelve times could very well be… the familiar figure he saw just now!
The people arrived and rushed past Fang Lin, charging straight towards the stone gate before they disappeared inside. Those with the right to enter the third layer went in that morning with only one purpose in their mind – they wanted to see who the person who sounded the bell was!
The shopkeepers in the third layer of Han Mountain City were the first batch of people who saw Su Ming standing under the bell wearing his bamboo hat and straw cape. The moment that sight of the unfamiliar person fell into their eyes, these people stopped 1,000 feet away from him.
At the second layer’s exit were the residents of the second layer, Nan Tian, along with Xuan Lun, Ke Jiu Si, and the others. They knew that the person who sounded the ancient bell twelve times was behind the stone gate, but they did not go over.
Nan Tian’s gaze fell upon the apparition of the Dragon Clam in the sky before he spoke unhurriedly. "Twelve chimes, eh..? I heard that from among the people who finished walking through the Chains of Han Mountain in the history of Han Mountain City, there were three who have been able to summon Han Mountain’s sealed beasts after they went past 12 chimes!"
Ke Jiu Si, who was standing beside Nan Tian, suddenly said, "Brother Nan, you forgot one more person."
The moment his words left his mouth, Nan Tian’s expression immediately changed. He did not speak. Xuan Lun also heard his words, since he was not standing too far away. His face turned slightly pale as he remembered something.
There were four people in the second layer. There was a middle-aged man wearing a green robe standing by the side. This person’s clothes were odd. The weather in Han Mountain City was hot. Even if it was the rainy season, the weather was still hot. However, this person’s clothes were extremely thick. It was as if he still felt cold even in such sweltering heat.
"Brother Ke, is the person you mentioned…"
When the middle-aged man in green robes spoke, a white puff of air left his mouth, a clearly different sight from the others around him. If anyone else saw it, they would immediately recognize that this person had the same status as Nan Tian and the others. He was the fourth Awakened Berserker in Han Mountain City – Leng Ying.
"Si Ma Xin?" Leng Ying asked slowly.
"Brother Leng, Brother Yun, the both of you have only come to Han Mountain City recently, so you might not really know this person."
Ke Jiu Si cast a glance at Leng Ying and nodded.
There was another person called Yun Zang among the five Awakened Berserkers in Han Mountain City. He was the ‘Brother Yun’ Ke Jiu Si spoke of. This person had just left for isolation a month ago to make the final preparations to join Freezing Sky Clan.
"Si Ma Xin came to Han Mountain City along with Freezing Sky Clan in the past and sounded the ancient bell… Most outsiders don’t know the details. Only the leaders of the three tribes and the three of us know about this."
The person who spoke was the pale faced Xuan Lun.
"Oh? Why is it that most outsiders don’t know the details if he sounded the bell? The moment this bell chimes, everyone in Han Mountain should know, and if someone like Si Ma Xin sounds the bell, he’ll definitely be remembered."
Leng Ying frowned and looked towards Xuan Lun.
Xuan Lun fell silent for a moment. He was about to speak when another chime rang in the air.
Dong…
Su Ming stood beside the ancient bell. His expression remained passive, but the light in his eyes, which were hidden underneath the bamboo hat, were flickering brightly. The rebound coming from the bell was running foul in his body. He saw the crowd gathering 1,000 feet away from him, and he also saw the people dashing towards him from further away.
The gazes were all gathered on him through the sheet of rain.
"Twelve chimes will only startle Han Mountain City… the three tribes aren’t really reacting…"
Su Ming lifted his head and looked at the Dragon Clam that appeared among the clouds in the sky. Besides the initial howl when the beast’s apparition appeared, it remained like a being without life, floating in the air unmoving. However, there was still an imposing pressure coming from it.
‘This doesn’t fit into my plans. Looks like twelve chimes is not enough to create the shock I want. Then…’
Su Ming lifted his right hand. This time, he did not slap his hand down. He punched the gigantic ancient bell instead.
The instant his fist fell, the 13th chime rang out mightily, turning into invisible ripples that spread out in all directions with a boom. That ripple could not be seen originally, but in the rain, they could see the raindrops gathering together to form a gigantic ring that was spreading outwards swiftly. This ring was spreading out as if it contained the strength of a typhoon that led the wind and rain to turn into a howl that was hidden under the bell chime. All those who were touched by the ripple would find their clothes flapping and their hair dancing.
As the sound of the 13th chime still lingered in the air, Su Ming’s lifted his fist and brought it down once again. This time, he struck the bell four times!
‘If this isn’t enough, then I’ll make it enough!’
The straw cape on Su Ming’s body was torn into pieces with a ripping sound, revealing the black robe underneath. The bamboo hat on his head did not move an inch and continued blocking his face.
The bell chimes shook the sky and the earth. The four consecutive chimes formed four ring shaped ripples that spread outwards towards the one ring that was located the furthest away from them and was still traveling out, causing the world to look as if it was a water surface, and Su Ming was the center of those ripples!
Han Mountain was trembling, and numerous rocks broke off from the mountain and fell. It felt as if the earth itself was shaking. As the ripples spread out, the crowd standing 1,000 feet away from him withdrew as their expressions changed.
At that moment, a muffled roar came from the sky. Life appeared in the Dragon Clam’s eyes. It started moving, and with Han Mountain City as its center, it took a few spins with its gigantic body, causing some of the dark clouds in the sky to dissipate. The roar that came from its mouth shook the ground, and it was so loud it was deafening.
A bright sparkle appeared in Su Ming’s eyes and he rammed his fist onto the bell once again.
The moment his fist touched the bell, the 18th chime sounded with a loud crash. The instant the bell chimes resounded, the Dragon Clam also reached its limit as it roared. Its body shuddered, and right before the people’s eyes, it disappeared without a trace. Yet the moment it dissipated, a piercing howl traveled out from the void in the sky.
As the voice thundered, a mountain in the sky that could not be described appeared. The size of the mountain surpassed Han Mountain, and all of the other mountains in Su Ming’s memories.
This mountain covered the sky and the earth, appearing as an illusion in the air. The top of the mountain could not be seen. The only thing visible was the gigantic turtle underneath the bottom of the mountain. It was carrying the mountain that was as great as the sky on its back!
The turtle looked incredibly ferocious. Its face was twisted, and there was the picture of a malicious spirit on it!
The turtle was like an evil spirit!1
It was Han Mountain’s second sealed beast carved on Han Mountain Bell!
All the people in Han Mountain City who saw this felt their breathing quicken. The things that happened this morning made them feel shaken. It could even be said that most of them had never seen something like this before.
If anyone wanted to challenge the Chains of Han Mountain, they would need to sound the bell. However, sounding the bell itself was a hurdle to many people. Making the bell chime nine times was already the limit for them. However, they just heard 18 chimes with their own ears and saw Han Mountain’s legendary sealed beasts appearing in the sky with their own eyes!
"Alpine Dark Turtle!"
"It’s said that Han Mountain Bell didn’t originally belong to Han Mountain Tribe… When the bell chimes, illusions will appear!"
"I’ve been in Han Mountain City for many years, and I’ve heard other people talking about Han Mountain Bell before. There’re three ferocious beasts carved on the bell, but only two can be seen clearly. The last one has faded out. Now… very few people know how that third beast looks like."
"This person looks unfamiliar, but judging from his power, he must have Awakened, or else he wouldn’t be able to sound the bell 18 times!"
"18 times… by his looks, he’s clearly relaxed… Look, someone came from the three tribes! It’s Lake of Colors Tribe!"
The crowd burst into an uproar, and they started discussing amongst themselves amidst their shock. Suddenly, someone let out a cry of surprise. A person charged towards the city from the mountain of Lake of Colors Tribe. The person who came forth was an old man. This man walked in the air. His expression might have seemed calm, but the shock in his eyes was difficult to disguise.
"Who is the person who sounded Han Mountain Bell? Do you know what the consequences of sounding the bell are?"
The old man stood in the air and his voice traveled out like thunder.
Translator’s Note :
¹ Lost in translation: 龜 is turtle, and read as gui1, 鬼 is evil spirit/ghost, and read as gui3. It’s a pun.