The treasure wasn’t in its lair
It had been on the dragon all along!
Far away, Wen Xin had also been caught completely off guard.
This unexpected development left him no choice.
Without hesitation, he dissolved the formation and began chanting an incantation, commanding his sword to strike down the demon dragon.
But
The moment the sword flew toward the dragon
It was as if it had struck an invisible wall.
The blade was instantly repelled, falling uselessly to the ground.
The dragon’s whiskers trembled
Its blood-red tongue flicked dangerously close.
So this is how it ends?
After a completely absurd journey into this world
She was going to end up as dragon food.
Hong Ning laughed bitterly.
There was no time to dodge.
She simply closed her eyes, bracing for the inevitable.
But
The very moment her eyes shut
A thunderous roar shook the air.
It was so loud that her entire head rang, leaving her dazed and disoriented.
Even the ground beneath her feet trembled violently.
What was that?!
Hong Ning barely had time to react before
Suddenly
Everything fell silent.
An eerie silence.
For a long moment, there was no movement.
Then
A gentle voice called out to her.
“Hong Ning? Hong Ning?”
She wasn’t dead?
She hadn’t been eaten?!
The voice was familiar.
Heart pounding, she slowly opened her eyes
To find herself still standing in the same place.
Beside her, Wen Xin was watching her with a rare look of concern.
A faint sheen of sweat covered his forehead.
And in front of them
A massive, ancient bronze bell, more than twice the height of a person, stood tall.
Its surface shimmered with golden light, radiating auspicious energy.
Atop the bell
A man stood.
The demon dragon
Had vanished.
Seeing that Hong Ning was unharmed, Wen Xin finally relaxed.
He turned and respectfully bowed toward the man standing on the bell.
“We are deeply grateful for your divine intervention. May I ask for your esteemed name?”
The man appeared very young, dressed in a wide-sleeved yellow robe.
His features were handsome, but his eyes remained half-lidded, giving him a perpetually drowsy expression
As if he had just woken up and still wasn’t fully alert.
He waved a hand lazily.
“No need for formalities.
“I am merely the Time-Keeper of the Southern Heavenly Gate.
“But one time, I overslept and forgot to announce the time, which ended up delaying an important matter for His Majesty the Celestial Emperor…
“So I was banished to the mortal realm to oversee the local mountain gods and land deities.”
A celestial official demoted for oversleeping?
Hong Ning found it rather amusing.
But she asked seriously, “What about the dragon?”
The Bell Immortal let out a sigh.
“I just took a little nap…
“And somehow, that wretched creature crawled out and started wreaking havoc.
“Good thing I woke up in time.”
As he spoke, the ancient bronze bell lifted off the ground
Revealing, underneath it, a small black snake, coiled up tightly.
It hid its head in the center of its coils, too afraid to even lift its gaze.
Hong Ning frowned.
“How long… was your little nap?”
The Bell Immortal yawned.
“Just a short one.
“Only forty or fifty years.”
Hong Ning stared at him, speechless.
“…Thank you for saving us, Immortal.”
The Bell Immortal frowned.
“I haven’t ascended to High Immortal yet.”
Realizing she had misspoken, Hong Ning quickly shut her mouth.
Finding the conversation dull, the Bell Immortal stifled another yawn.
Then, looking down at the shivering little snake, he scolded it
“You wretched creature!
“I took pity on you before and helped you cultivate, but you dared to escape and bring harm to humans?!
“You deserve to be struck by heavenly lightning!”
The little snake trembled violently at his words.
Slowly, it slithered toward Hong Ning, bowing its head repeatedly
A pitiful and desperate plea for mercy.
Wen Xin shook his head.
Their original plan had been to seal the creature, not destroy its path to cultivation.
Now, seeing how meekly the snake was begging for forgiveness, Hong Ning couldn’t help but feel sympathetic.
With a sigh, she said,
“You forcibly captured human souls to refine your spirit pearl.
“Are you willing to release them?”
The little snake nodded frantically.
Satisfied, Hong Ning turned to the Bell Immortal.
“Cultivation is not easy.
“If you can seal it away, ensuring it never harms people again, that should be enough.”
The Bell Immortal exhaled wearily.
“Fine.”
He lifted his sleeve, and with a flick of his hand, the small snake vanished inside.
Then he yawned again.
“I’m going back to sleep.
“Hopefully, next time I wake up, I’ll still see you around.”
With your kind of sleep schedule, the next time you wake up, I’d probably have to visit the underworld just to see you!
Even celestial officials neglect their duties…
Hong Ning couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry.
“Are you not returning to the temple?” she asked.
“The monks there have been waiting for you for decades.”
The Bell Immortal waved a hand dismissively.
“This place is quieter.”
And with that
He disappeared.
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