Chapter 157: The Breakthrough

Shen An looked at the World-Suppressing Bell before him, a profound sense of shock rippling through his heart. He had never imagined that he could establish a subtle connection with the artifact, resonating with it so effortlessly.

"Could it be that I have truly comprehended the power of the World-Suppressing Bell with this feeling?" Shen An murmured to himself. He felt a wisp of golden energy wandering deep within his soul, akin to a power originating from primeval antiquity.

This left him utterly astonished.

The Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall watched this scene, an expression of profound shock surfacing on his face.

"I never expected... I never expected that he could actually communicate with the World-Suppressing Bell." The Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall had approached Shen An merely on a whim, harboring a tentative hope, yet he had never foreseen that Shen An would genuinely succeed in connecting with the bell.

"What is the World-Suppressing Bell? It looks terrifyingly powerful, doesn't it?" a disciple from the Raging Battle Martial Arts Hall asked in bewilderment.

"You don't even know the World-Suppressing Bell? That thing is undoubtedly a supreme treasure. Didn't you see how much importance the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall attaches to it? Can anything valued so highly by the Hall Master be an ordinary, vulgar object?" another martial arts disciple retorted.

"That's true. Given the lofty status of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall Master, whatever catches his eye must be a supreme treasure. What I simply cannot fathom, however, is how that young Count managed to see through that supreme treasure. Didn't the Hall Master himself say he was unable to penetrate its secrets?"

"That young Count is a terrifying entity whose talent value has reached a hundred thousand. What is impossible in the eyes of others becomes entirely possible when placed before him."

"Putting it that way is not wrong at all."

...

Everyone was engaged in heated discussions regarding the impending events within the martial arts hall.

At that very moment, a humming sound akin to a peal of thunder erupted, piercing straight into the depths of human souls and reverberating powerfully within.

Not a single person was able to withstand this sound. Whether they plugged their ears or attempted to block it through other means, it was all to no avail.

"It's the sound emitted by the World-Suppressing Bell! I feel as though my soul is about to be shaken apart. That artifact is truly formidable."

"I can barely keep my footing. The mere sound it emits is enough to give us a severe trial, let alone getting close to it."

"Look! That young Count is standing unharmed before the World-Suppressing Bell, as if he isn't feeling the slightest bit of pressure at all. Is he truly unafraid of the terrifying power erupting from the bell?"

"Perhaps that is indeed the case. He really can withstand the terrifying might of the World-Suppressing Bell."

The crowd murmured amongst themselves, yet Shen An remained completely unfazed. None of them knew that at this very moment, Shen An was engaged in a delicate and profound communion with the World-Suppressing Bell.

The Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall was truly a master practitioner; he detected the signs of Shen An's communion with the bell and smiled faintly. "Heh, it seems he has genuinely established a connection with the World-Suppressing Bell."

"To think that the World-Suppressing Bell, which I failed to comprehend even after expending years of effort, could be communicated with by him so effortlessly. This level of capability far surpasses my own," the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall said with a smile.

"To receive such high praise from the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall—that young Count is truly formidable. Although we cannot pinpoint exactly where his greatness lies, being praised by the Hall Master naturally means he is far from ordinary."

"Formidable indeed! We couldn't even withstand that sound, yet he can stand calmly and serenely at the spot closest to the World-Suppressing Bell. That alone speaks volumes."

"Indeed, how could a level of power like his be something we can possibly measure?"

Time ticked away second by second, and Shen An's comprehension of the World-Suppressing Bell deepened progressively, as though the bell were deliberately guiding his path.

"I have attained enlightenment!" These three brief words overflowed with incomparable self-confidence. To have achieved comprehension in such a short span was simply unbelievable.

"What? Comprehended it already? Is all of this real, or are they just saying this to trick us?" a martial arts disciple asked, thoroughly confused.

"Judging by his confident expression, he really has comprehended it. Who knows what kind of power the World-Suppressing Bell holds? With this enlightenment, his strength will likely soar to even greater heights."

"He has just completed a breakthrough," the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall stated.

"No way! He just stood in front of the World-Suppressing Bell for a brief moment and achieved enlightenment? We couldn't perceive anything special about it at all. The World-Suppressing Bell may be powerful, but surely it isn't that miraculous? If breaking through were this easy, other Awakeners wouldn't need to bother cultivating anymore."

...

The Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall smiled and said, "He has indeed made a breakthrough in his strength, and he should awaken from his state of deep immersion very soon."

True to his words, Shen An emerged from his state of awakening shortly thereafter. His gaze was like a blazing torch, radiating extraordinary vitality.

The corners of Shen An's lips curved upward slightly as a powerful aura erupted from his body—a terrifying pressure that seemed capable of pushing away the surrounding air.

"Such a formidable aura! Could this be the presence that only a late-stage tier-3 Awakener can unleash? This terrifying surge of vital essence is undoubtedly late-stage tier-3, without a doubt."

"Holy crap, seriously? A late-stage tier-3 Awakener? Is this person really this powerful? I... I... find this utterly unimaginable."

"He is indeed strong. With a terrifying aura like this, there are probably very few Awakeners left in Silver City who could match him."

Shen An shifted his gaze toward the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall and said, "Hall Master, I can feel a vast torrent of power flowing through my body right now. It appears I have broken through to the late-stage tier-3."

"Indeed, you have broken through to the late-stage tier-3. Congratulations, Shen An," the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall said.

"Thank you, Hall Master, for bringing the World-Suppressing Bell here," Shen An acknowledged.

"Think nothing of it. Since you have already comprehended the World-Suppressing Bell, I suppose I can take it back now," said the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall.

"Many thanks, Hall Master!" Shen An bowed deeply to the Master of the Silver City Martial Arts Hall. His gratitude was entirely sincere; had the Hall Master not brought the World-Suppressing Bell to him, he had no idea how much longer he would have remained trapped at the peak of the mid-stage tier-3.

After leaving the martial arts hall, Shen An walked alone through Silver City. The elevation of his strength imbued him with even greater self-assurance.

He could even perceive the subtle flow of vital essence within his body, and by now, he was virtually certain that he could control his vital essence with much greater precision.

Along the way, he encountered quite a few Awakeners, yet compared to him, every single one of them fell short by a wide margin.