Li Xiaoyao unleashed his Dark Martial Soul to its fullest extent, his body drenched in sweat and his breath almost halted.

The sword energy was overwhelming, as if ten thousand swords were being fired at once. The sound of the sword energy tearing through the air even drowned out the thunderous explosions. While executing his sword techniques, Li Xiaoyao was astonished by the immense power surrounding him. The intense sword energy attacking him from all directions had reached an unimaginable level. He couldn't stop; any hesitation would cause him to be shredded by the energy.

"How is this possible?" Li Xiaoyao's mind raced. The strength of this sword energy was far beyond what his own power could produce. Even a Lingwu realm expert wouldn't be able to achieve this level of force.

"It all started with my use of the Thunderclap Sword Technique, each strike building upon the last until it reached this point," Li Xiaoyao thought. "The sword energy has now formed a 'momentum,' an unstoppable force."

He then recalled Han Kui's fight against a Qi Martial Realm nine-layer master. Despite Han Kui only being at the eighth level, he managed to force his opponent back by borrowing the force of the earth, a reflection of his Earth Martial Soul. However, Li Xiaoyao realized that this concept of 'momentum' was universal, not just limited to Han Kui. His sword had now gained a similar unstoppable force.

Reflecting further, he noticed that every strike against the eight-faced bell and drum reflected the same momentum. When he struck with the Nine Waves, the bells returned that force. When he struck with his Thunderclap Sword, it returned the sword's power, borrowing his own momentum to attack him.

"Momentum!" A smile appeared on Li Xiaoyao's face. His swordplay, once heavy and cumbersome, now transformed into something light and agile, flowing like the wind.

......

In the Valley of the Wind, on the Life and Death Stage, two figures descended from the sky.

The disciples of Canghai Sect all tightened their gaze upon seeing these two individuals, feeling a sense of nervousness, and were shocked. The fact that the arrival of Dapeng, the Young Master of Yuehui Sect, one of the eight great young masters of Xueyue Nation, had alarmed even the Sect Master and Grand Elder spoke volumes.

"Sect Master, Grand Elder," everyone bowed in unison, respectfully greeting the two leaders of Canghai Sect.

"Dapeng greets Sect Master Nangong and Elder Mo," Chu Tianpeng stepped forward, bowing slightly. His face, handsome as a demon, still bore a smile.

"How is Sect Master Chu?" Nangong Shang nodded in greeting to Chu Zhanpeng, his stance casual but filled with a masterly grace.

"Nangong Shang truly deserves his reputation as the youngest Sect Master of Canghai Sect. Although his strength isn't yet on par with my father's, the pressure he exerts, even in an ordinary confrontation, is overwhelming," Chu Tianpeng thought to himself, though his expression remained calm. Nangong Shang was the most outstanding disciple of Canghai Sect in a century, rising to the position of Sect Master at just forty years old, a figure of great renown.

"Sect Master Nangong, my father is well, and he sends his regards to you," Chu Tianpeng said. His father was the current Sect Master of Yuehui Sect.

Nangong Shang nodded slightly before speaking in displeasure, "Xie Yun, how could you leave Young Master Dapeng standing here, when he's a guest from afar?"

"Sect Master, Young Master Dapeng is here because of our outer disciple, Li Xiaoyao," Xie Yun immediately explained, understanding the meaning behind Nangong Shang's words.

"For an outer disciple?" Nangong Shang frowned slightly.

Chu Tianpeng then said, "Sect Master Nangong, Li Xiaoyao is the son of my junior sister's second uncle. He has shown great disrespect to his elders, not only injuring his cousin but also insulting his uncle—my junior sister's father. My junior sister has specially come to resolve this matter."

Though facing a Sect Master, Chu Tianpeng did not dare to be too direct and instead hinted at his intentions. But Nangong Shang, being who he was, instantly understood the situation.

"Xie Yun, how did you handle this matter?" Nangong Shang asked.

Xie Yun carefully glanced at the Grand Elder standing next to Nangong Shang before replying, "Sect Master, this disciple has shown extreme disrespect and rebelliousness. I planned to expel him from the sect."

Xie Yun's cautious response cleverly sidestepped the issue of handing Li Xiaoyao over to Chu Tianpeng. As long as Li Xiaoyao was still a member of Canghai Sect, he couldn't be easily given to Yuehui Sect for punishment. However, by suggesting expulsion first, Canghai Sect would wash its hands of any subsequent events. Xie Yun's words were undoubtedly sharp.

Nangong Shang's eyebrows slightly twitched, fully understanding Xie Yun's intent.

"Sect Master, with such behavior, keeping him in Canghai Sect would only bring disaster. Xie Yun is thinking of the sect's best interests," Grand Elder Xie Canglan chimed in.

The onlookers' thoughts were clear. They quietly agreed that this time, Li Xiaoyao was truly doomed. Xie Canglan, as the sect's Law Enforcement Elder and the father of Xie Yun, held significant power. If even he was suggesting expulsion, the outcome for Li Xiaoyao seemed inevitable.

"Outer disciple," Nangong Shang muttered quietly in his heart, shaking his head inwardly. He did not agree with Xie Yun's approach, but given that Xie Canglan was a senior elder of Canghai Sect, as the Sect Master, Nangong Shang couldn't disregard Xie Canglan's reputation for the sake of an outer disciple. Thus, Li Xiaoyao was destined to be sacrificed.

Just as Nangong Shang was about to agree, a clear and distant sound echoed from afar, like the toll of a bell at dawn, reverberating through the hearts of all present.

The crowd froze momentarily, confused, searching for the source of the sound. At the same time, the Sect Master Nangong Shang felt his heart tremble violently, and a sharp glint flashed through his eyes—this was... the sound of the bell and drum.

Xie Canglan was also startled, his eyes momentarily sharp like a blade, and he looked toward the palace atop the towering peak. There, on a stone wall, the sound of the bell and drum, which had not been heard in a hundred years, had begun to ring again.

A second resounding bell tolled, shaking everyone to their core, like a divine melody from beyond.

"That's... the second toll!" A flash of surprise crossed Nangong Shang's eyes, quickly replaced by a smile. Several of the sect's most gifted disciples were present, and the ringing of the bell and drum seemed to signal the rise of yet another outstanding talent within Canghai Sect.

Nangong Shang had been in a foul mood because of Chu Tianpeng, dismayed that no one in Canghai Sect could rival him. But now, excitement surged within him. The bell and drum on the stone wall had not rung for over a century, yet today, he had witnessed it chime twice.

"I wonder which disciple managed to pass the trial of the bell and drum on the stone wall," Nangong Shang pondered, trying to guess who had accomplished such a feat, momentarily forgetting about the matter at hand.

A third toll of the bell echoed across Canghai Sect. At that moment, nearly everyone's gaze turned towards the direction of Tianqian Cliff. Most of the disciples only knew the sound came from there, but the higher-ups of Canghai Sect understood that only the bell and drum on the stone wall could produce such a distant, soul-stirring resonance.

Nangong Shang stared dumbfoundedly towards Tianqian Cliff. Three tolls—it had rung a third time. In the thousand-year history of Canghai Sect, the bell and drum had only ever tolled three times once, three hundred years ago.

Exhaling deeply, a flash of ecstatic joy appeared in Nangong Shang's eyes. The youngest Sect Master of Canghai Sect seemed to see the rise of his sect.