vstars Chapter 80 The Soul Beneath the Brahma Bell (Part 1)
Chapter 80 The Soul Beneath the Brahma Bell (Part 1)
Yan Huai expanded the coverage of the undying flame, encompassing his dragon body and the Buddhist bell in front of him.
Those skeletons that had struggled in the hellfire for over 13,000 years were gradually burned to ashes when they touched the edge of the undying flames, though they retained their grotesque appearances before dissipating.
Yan Huai struck the temple bell for the first time in the scorching hot space. Since the temple bell had been given a meaning that did not belong to it, to break the meaning, all that was needed was to perform the bell-striking ceremony again according to its original meaning.
"Hearing the bell's toll, afflictions lessen; wisdom grows, enlightenment arises; one escapes hell, escapes the fiery pit; may one attain Buddhahood, and liberate all sentient beings..."
108 chantings of sutras and mantras, 108 Buddhist prayer beads, 108 golden statues of Bodhisattvas, and 108 rings of the temple bell—these were originally meant to be witnesses to the bell-ringing ceremony. However, Yan Huai is not a Buddhist and does not have that many prayer beads, so only two witnesses from the four directions could be satisfied...
But not everyone who enters the gate of death can become a monk! Let's just treat it as a last resort!
Yan Huai raised his dragon tail high, and when the crimson scales collided with the temple bell, they produced a second majestic and solemn chime that traveled far and wide, lingering for a long time.
thump—
"three!"
thump—
"Four!"
thump—
"five!"
......
The deep and resonant sound of the bell grew clearer and brighter with the passage of time. The surface of the bell, having been reawakened after ten thousand years, was covered with a layer of holy golden light. However, Yan Huai, who was caught between the undying flame and the hellfire, was so hot that he was dizzy and his sweat dried up in an instant before it could even seep out.
thump—
"Sixty-nine..." Blood began to drip from the flesh not covered by scales on the waist and abdomen. Some of it evaporated into dark red smoke in mid-air, while some managed to drip onto the ground where the temple bell was placed, only to be sucked towards the bell in the next moment...
I thought it was just a bit hot... I never expected this thing to be so powerful...
Yan Huai felt the burning sensation in his waist and abdomen and the rapid loss of water from his body. He smiled bitterly to himself. This hellfire was not quite what he had expected.
Perhaps because it absorbed the necromantic energy of these corpses, its corruption has far surpassed that of the death gate that Yan Huai entered. However, it seems to be suppressed by something, which is why it has not been able to successfully counterattack and replace Yan Huai.
How long can the undying flame be sustained?
"Host, the Undying Flame will not be extinguished, but the energy field it forms during its confrontation with the Hellfire will damage your current body."
"How much longer can I hold on?" Yan Huai glanced at the muscles in his waist and abdomen that had begun to contract and spasm. He barely managed to shift his body in a different direction, and the tail behind him swung with inertia, causing the bell to ring...
"Seventy-eight!"
"...Host, just hold on a little longer, I'll help you count!" The system sensed the soul awakening beneath the bell and didn't directly answer Yan Huai's question, but the emotions it inadvertently revealed were still caught by Yan Huai.
Is it sad?
Yan Huai felt a sense of novelty, and a slight smile appeared on his tired face. It seemed that it truly had emotions, though he didn't know why it was hiding them...
thump—
"Seventy-nine!" The system's prompt coincided with Yan Huai's silent count.
thump—
......
"Eighty-nine!"
thump—
"Ninety!" Yan Huai leaned against the bell, the sound of the bell in his ears becoming faint and ethereal.
"Host, you... hang in there, just a little longer..."
The system seems to be crying...
thump—
Don't cry...
......
thump—
"Master, it's one hundred and seven!"
The system overstepped its data settings and instinctively called out, but Yan Huai could no longer hear it clearly. He closed his eyes, his mind sluggish and scattered, his head drooping against the temple bell...
That damned bell made the dragon drowsy...