Primordial Era: The Three Senior Brothers of the Taiqing Clan

Taiyi's expression, however, was rather unpleasant.

He originally thought that with his cultivation level of mid-stage Hunyuan Golden Immortal and the power of the Chaos Bell, taking down Chen Qing, who was at the early stage of Da Luo Golden Immortal, would be a piece of cake.

Unexpectedly, they couldn't even break through the opponent's defenses and were almost banished into the spatial rift.

This made him feel slightly embarrassed.

He, Donghuang Taiyi, a top powerhouse in the primordial world, wielding the innate treasure Chaos Bell, actually suffered a humiliation in front of a junior who was only at the early stage of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm? If this were to get out, what would become of his reputation? What would become of the prestige of the demon race?

"Fine, fine, fine!" Taiyi laughed in fury, uttering three "fine"s in succession, his eyes flashing with a cold light like knives. "Since you rely on the advantage of this supreme treasure, then I'll show you what true strength is!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly slapped the top of his head.

"clang--"

The Chaos Bell emitted a deafening roar, flew up from above Taiyi's head, and expanded with the wind, instantly becoming a hundred feet in size, hovering in mid-air.

The sun, moon, and star patterns on the bell shone brightly, as if countless real stars were revolving within it, radiating a terrifying aura that suppressed the heavens and destroyed all things.

An aura of world-destroying power emanated from the Chaos Bell, sweeping in all directions.

Taiyi formed hand seals, and his entire body's magical power, along with the power of the Great Dao, surged into the Chaos Bell like a tidal wave.

The giant bell slowly rotated, and with each rotation, the surrounding void shattered. Black spatial rifts spread outwards like a spider web, devouring light, sound, and even air.

Within a radius of tens of thousands of miles, all living beings felt this suffocating pressure. The demon soldiers collapsed to the ground, unable to even stand. Ying Zhao's face was deathly pale, and he forced himself to retreat hundreds of miles before barely managing to regain his footing.

"Chaos Bell - Suppress!"

With a loud shout, Taiyi caused the Chaos Bell to suddenly sink down, descending upon Chen Qing.

He used all his strength in that attack.

Before the giant bell even arrived, the suppressive force had already descended. Chen Qing felt an invisible force pressing down on him, as if an ancient divine mountain was pressing down on him.

The light of creation emanating from the Qiankun Cauldron flickered violently, fiercely clashing with the suppressing force. The collision of light and power produced a piercing friction sound, as if two supreme treasures were wrestling in the void, sparks flying everywhere.

Chen Qing's expression hardened; he dared not be careless.

He activated the Qiankun Cauldron with all his might, causing the light of creation to surge, forcefully pushing back the suppressing force.

At the same time, he waved his hands repeatedly, unleashing a barrage of divine powers like a storm, which blasted towards the Chaos Bell.

The Supreme Clarity Immortal Light, the Great Space Technique, the Five Elements Divine Thunder, the Primordial Magnetic Divine Light... all sorts of supernatural powers poured out and slammed heavily onto the Chaos Bell.

However, the Chaos Bell remained completely still.

Those supernatural powers struck the bell, but left not a trace. They were dispersed by the sound of the bell, turning into countless points of light and disappearing into nothingness.

Chen Qing's heart sank.

The only magical weapon he could use for attack was the Purple Lightning Hammer, which was only a high-grade innate magical weapon and couldn't break through the Chaos Bell's defense at all.

If we release it, it might be suppressed by the Chaos Bell, and if things go wrong, even the spiritual treasure could be taken away.

As for directly smashing it with the Qiankun Cauldron... that's even more unrealistic. The Chaos Bell's defensive power is among the best of all innate treasures. If the Qiankun Cauldron were to smash it, at most it would just make a sound, and wouldn't be able to harm the opponent in the slightest.

He could only resort to magic and supernatural powers, but even that wouldn't be very effective. Taiyi's understanding of the Great Dao and his cultivation level were far superior to his, and his magic treasures were also supreme treasures; he had no chance of winning at all.

We can't fight head-on; we have to outsmart them.

Chen Qing took a deep breath and poured all his magical power into the Qiankun Cauldron and the Apricot Yellow Banner. The light of creation intertwined with ten thousand golden flowers, forming an indestructible barrier that firmly protected him within—first, he would focus on defense, then find a way to escape.

"boom!"

The Chaos Bell fell, enveloping Chen Qing entirely within it.

The bell collided with the light of creation emanating from the Qiankun Cauldron, producing a deafening roar.

The entire Buzhou Mountain trembled slightly, rocks rolled down, and the earth cracked, as if even this pillar supporting the sky could not withstand the collision of the two supreme treasures.

Those demon soldiers who had managed to stay far away were either blasted unconscious or bled from all seven orifices by the shockwave. Even a quasi-saint like Ying Zhao was forced to retreat by the shockwave, his face pale and his heart filled with utter horror.

Inside the Chaos Bell, all was darkness.

Chen Qing felt a buzzing in his ears, as if countless voices were ringing out at the same time, disturbing his peace of mind.

The sound of the Chaos Bell not only suppresses the physical body, but also intimidates the primordial spirit. If an ordinary Great Luo Golden Immortal were trapped inside, he would probably be shaken to the point of having his primordial spirit disintegrate and his soul scattered in no time.

But Chen Qing is no ordinary immortal.

His primordial spirit had endured the pain of differentiation and merged with the undying spiritual light, thus reaching the realm of an immortal primordial spirit.

Although the bell's sound was disturbing, it couldn't harm his core. Moreover, the light of creation from the Qiankun Cauldron was still circulating around him, blocking most of the bell's sound.

Chen Qing composed himself and began to think of a way to escape.

A direct assault won't work. The Chaos Bell's defense is too strong; with his current attack power, he simply can't break through it. As for attrition... that's even more hopeless.

Although his magical power was profound, with 840 million microscopic worlds operating simultaneously, his total power was comparable to that of a quasi-saint.

However, Taiyi is a powerful expert in the mid-stage of the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. His magical power is not inexhaustible, but it is also enormous. Moreover, he can continuously replenish his magical power from the outside world.

Chen Qing was trapped inside the Chaos Bell, isolated from the outside world, and unable to replenish his magical power. With the other side gaining the upper hand, he had no chance of winning a war of attrition.

We must find another way.

Chen Qing pondered for a moment, then suddenly his eyes lit up – the long river of time!

This was something that suddenly came to his mind. As long as he could summon the River of Time and hide inside it, Taiyi would be powerless against him.

The river of time flows through the past, present, and future, containing a terrifying power of time.

Any living being that enters it will be eroded by the power of time—the power of past time will send you back to the starting point, the power of present time will obliterate you, and the power of future time will obliterate your future.

No one dares to make a move in the river of time. Once the river of time is thrown into chaos and its power goes out of control, even a saint would be in for a headache.

Chen Qing, however, had already condensed an indestructible spiritual light within the river of time, and his physical body and primordial spirit had acquired a trace of the same origin as the river of time. Entering it would not cause any disturbance to the river of time, and the erosion of the power of time on him would be greatly reduced.

But Taiyi is different.

Taiyi is a Nascent Soul cultivator and has not yet condensed any undying spiritual light. If he enters the River of Time, he must protect his body to resist the invasion of the power of time. In that case, his strength will be greatly weakened, and it will not be so easy for him to deal with Chen Qing.

Moreover, if Taiyi really dares to make a move in the River of Time, Chen Qing will run downstream. The downstream is the land of the future, containing the power of future time, and with Taiyi's cultivation level, he may not dare to go deep into it.

More importantly—he has powerful backers; three sages will stand behind him in the future! If Taiyi dares to make a move in the future, let him test the power of the sages.

With that in mind, Chen Qing no longer hesitated.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his energy, summoning the river of time.

Outside the Chaos Bell, Taiyi sensed the movement inside and frowned slightly.

He could sense that Chen Qing wasn't struggling or expending her magical power to withstand the attack; instead, she was doing something else. A mysterious and profound aura emanated from within the Chaos Bell.

"What tricks are you trying to pull?" Taiyi sneered, increasing his magical output, making the Chaos Bell ring even more fiercely.

However, at this very moment—

A vast and boundless aura descended from the sky.

The void above the Chaos Bell suddenly split open, and a great river that seemed to have no end rushed out from the void, stretching across the sky.

The river is not an ordinary stream, but a long river formed by the convergence of countless points of light—past, present, and future light and shadow intertwine and flow within it, like a dream, yet carrying a terrifying aura that chills the heart.

The long river of time has come!

Moreover, it directly penetrated the suppression of the Chaos Bell and appeared inside the Chaos Bell!

Taiyi's expression changed drastically.

"The River of Time? What does he need the River of Time for?"

Before he could even comprehend it, he sensed a drastic change in the aura within the Chaos Bell. Chen Qing's aura had vanished from the Chaos Bell—not suppressed and reduced to ashes, but rather entered the river of time!

Taiyi quickly retrieved the Chaos Bell, which flew up and shrank to the size of a palm before landing back above his head.

In the still place, a tributary of the long river of time stretched across the void, its waters flowing slowly, exuding an aura of vicissitudes and antiquity.

In the river, Chen Qing, dressed in flowing white robes, stood with his hands behind his back, smiling as he looked at him.

"Taiyi, come in if you dare." Chen Qing's voice came from the river of time, with a hint of mockery.

Taiyi's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.