The outside world.

More and more people were gathering around the King Caging Bell. The majority of them were students, but two new Soul Kings had made their way over to the spectacle as well to stare at the golden-glowing bell.

Things had been quiet ever since Bai Yunfei stopped attacking the bell a while ago, but the light from the bell was only just getting brighter and brighter.

It was a strange sight to many. Wasn’t Bai Yunfei supposed to be struggling a little bit? Did he give up?

“A powerful energy…as expected from the treasure of our Soul Refining School!”

Several students muttered in awe at the powerful light glowing from the King Caging Bell.

Their remarks were shared by a few of the Soul Kings. Several of them were quite surprised by how powerful the King Caging Bell was.

The most calm-faced one was Qin Bangjie, though his eyes could hardly fail to hide the pleased look in them. But still, there was also something that was making him a little confused… 

The King Caging Bell was getting more and more powerful, but…wasn’t it getting a little too powerful? He hadn’t seen the King Caging Bell with this much power even after ten years of having it in his possession.

“Strange…” He thought to himself. For some reason, something was feeling quite off with this sight.

Time ticked by slowly. Three minutes pa.s.sed by without further notice before… 

“Bzzz….”

A m.u.f.fled explosion came from the inside of the King Caging Bell. Then a wave of black and gold light exploded out from the bell with an even greater intensity!

“What?! What’s this!!”

Qin Bangjie gasped aloud.

“First elder, what’s happening?!”

Startled by both the light and Qin Bangjie’s reaction, Mo Ni whipped his head at once towards the man for an answer.

But Qin Bangjie held his hand up to silence Mo Ni. His face looked thunderous as he glared at the King Caging Bell. 

    ……

“Found it!!”

Bai Yunfei’s eyes flew wide open. His soulsense had been circulating around the King Caging Bell for some time before it finally managed to locate Qin Bangjie’s soul imprint!

“Disappear!!” He snarled.

His soulsense was like millions of daggers as it stabbed into the soul imprint of Qin Bangjie. Bai Yunfei was devoting all his energy into destroying Qin Bangjie’s soul imprint!

Bai Yunfei would ordinarily never be capable of doing such a thing, the soul imprint would’ve rejected his soulsense without question if not for Bai Yunfei’s soul compatibility with the King Caging Bell. By achieving 50% with the King Caging Bell, Bai Yunfei was able to use it as a key to swiftly allow himself entry into the imprint and ‘evict’ the previous owner. What would follow next was essentially claiming the imprint for himself.

“Pcht…”

Though essentially an intangible source of energy, the imprint began to let loose a hissing sound as if punctured. A powerful burst of energy exploded from the imprint to try and force Bai Yunfei’s soulsense back!

A powerful aura was ‘rus.h.i.+ng’ in from the ‘outside world’ at this moment. It was trying to repel and crush Bai Yunfei’s soulsense!

“Give up!!”

Success or failure would be dependent on this critical moment, Bai Yunfei couldn’t let this attack influence that decision now. Roaring loudly, he formed a giant mental blade with his soulsense and slashed at the intruding energy!

The sight felt quite familiar to how he wrestled control over a soulbeast puppet with the Beast Taming Ring, and Bai Yunfei felt a little familiar with how that feeling felt.

“Ah!!”

He could feel the faintest of cries from inside the King Caging Bell when his ‘sword’ sliced through the attack’. The final ‘barrier’ that disconnected him from the King Caging Bell was cut, and then, Bai Yunfei felt like he was in complete control of the King Caging Bell!

“I did it!!”

Bai Yunfei noted with glee. He never thought that the enemy’s imprint over the King Caging Bell would be this weak. It didn’t even feel like there was any resistance!

The connection between Qin Bangjie and the King Caging Bell was no more. Even now the last remnants of his presence were slipping away from the King Caging Bell. The only thing that’d rebind the King Caging Bell to Qin Bangjie now was if he were to reforge it. 

So now that the imprint was gone from the King Caging Bell, Qin Bangjie had no other connection to it but one of physical owners.h.i.+p!

Bai Yunfei could tell that the change in control was successful with him no longer losing any more soulforce. In fact, he was starting to feel stronger by the second as soulforce started to flow back into him!

That meant the +10 additional effect had activated. And by extension…Bai Yunfei was now the ‘master’ of the King Caging Bell!

    ……

On the outside world.

“Pfft!!!”

Qin Bangjie’s eyes had been fixated onto the King Caging Bell the entire time while everyone else stared at him. Then under their surprised eyes, he spat out a mouthful of blood!

“Impossible!!”

He spouted before the last of the blood could fall from his lips. Droplets of blood were sprayed out from his mouth when he spoke those four syllables. But the more noticeable aspect of him was how his body was shaking as if he had just seen a demon!

“What is it? What is it?! What has happened?!”

The other Soul Kings were all in a frantic mess now. Them seeing the first elder spitting blood and shaking like mad was enough to make them all start to cry out in worry.

“Att—attack!! Attack him! Strike him down at once!!”

Qin Bangjie cried out in fear, his eyes still fixated onto the King Caging Bell. Black light poured forth from his body before forming into a giant blade of energy to strike the King Caging Bell!

“First elder! What are you doing?!”

Mo Ni was bewildered by his actions. He didn’t receive an answer for his troubles, as the King Caging Bell let out a loud gong before anyone could even respond!

“Gooonnngggg!!!”

A resounding gong emanated from the bell with such intensity that sound waves immediately billowed outwards from it!

“Watch out!!”

A Soul King shouted out a warning, but it was already too late for several of his companions.

“Ah! Ah! Ahhh…”

Several Soul Kings had already succ.u.mbed to the sound waves before the first Soul King could finish his warning.

This was the +12 additional effect of the King Caging Bell!

“Boom!!!”

Another ear-deafening explosion erupted in the world as the King Caging Bell skyrocketed into the air as if launched by the pillar of fire beneath it!

No longer contained by the King Caging Bell, the flames spiraled around the area and brought an even larger mess to the place around!

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…”

The flames crashed into the world with devastating force. It drowned out the cries of many students and incinerated the ones closer to the source before they could even let out a squeak!

“Swoos.h.!.+”

A small beam of red light shot out from the flames to head straight for Qin Bangjie!

“First elder, watch out!!”

A Late-stage Soul King—one of the lucky ones who hadn’t been too confused by the effects of the King Caging Bell—let out a cry when he saw the red beam. Waving his hand, the Soul King let out a streak of black and red light to stop the incoming attack!

“Ah!!” 

Qin Bangjie cried out in fear. Green and black light exploded from his body as he used it to protect himself from the powerful attack.

The two beams of light extinguished the flames in its path as they drew closer and closer to each other. Then when the two were about to strike one another, Qin Bangjie was horrified to see… 

“Swoos.h.!.+”

The red streak of light had…gone straight through his attack! There wasn’t even any contact!

Inside the red streak of light was the Fire-tipped Spear, and now it was nearly inside Qin Bangjie!