To ordinary people, a year is neither long nor short. Yet for those who have been meditating and refining for years, it may be merely the span of an eyeblink. Since the news of Han Li's Great Enlightenment Ceremony spread, practitioners from nearby regions have begun arriving one after another, like ants carrying grains. As the days draw near, more and more cultivators appear around Tianyuan City, and some even come from distant strongholds of the feline and other mythical races. Some directly enter the city, while others settle temporarily in the mountain ranges surrounding Tianyuan City. By the time only a month remains before the Great Enlightenment Ceremony, a steady tide of cultivators arrives, flooding the city with tens of thousands each day, transforming its once-spacious and quiet grandeur into a vibrant, bustling metropolis. Meanwhile, some cultivators within and outside the city actively engaged with well-known figures, forging new connections and frequently organizing small trade fairs to secure the resources they needed. Tianyuan City, in particular, refused to fall behind—holding formal auction events nearly every five to six days throughout the city. At these auctions, rare treasures and precious materials were regularly unveiled, and even the city’s senior elders made significant gains, acquiring medicinal herbs and unique items previously out of reach. They all smiled with satisfaction. As the day of the festival drew near, cultivators who had previously resided in the nearby mountain ranges began to flood into Tianyuan City in large numbers. Though the city was vast, the sudden influx of so many mid-to-high level cultivators soon led to crowding and congestion. Various areas became overcrowded, with some cultivators even struggling to find suitable accommodations. Upon learning of the matter, Tianyuan City could not afford to delay. After thorough deliberation, it immediately decided to open up several stone towers previously used by guards, as well as make some underground vaults and palaces accessible to the public. Furthermore, it swiftly constructed a large number of temporary pavilions and guest halls in several remote corners of the city overnight. Only then did it manage to somewhat resolve the accommodation issue. Of course, due to the overwhelming number of external cultivators, a host of other complications arose continuously. Yet, thanks to the constant active interventions of the city's senior elders, each challenge was gradually addressed. Everyone was well aware that the Great Transcendence Festival could not possibly accommodate all such attendees—fewer than one in a hundred would actually participate in the ceremony. Most of the attendees were likely there seeking personal opportunities. It was universally recognized that such a gathering of so many mid-to-high level cultivators would likely not be repeated for thousands—or even ten thousand—years. As long as one is a bit sharp, one might just find their own fortune—perhaps meet a master, join a major sect, or secure a spiritual artifact they've been searching for year after year. Regardless of the outcome, such opportunities would be nothing short of extraordinary for them. A group of figures stood together, all gazing upward at the sky, which had just begun to blush with a gentle hue, their expressions calm yet solemn. Not long after, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the crimson clouds at the horizon. "Time has come," the Elder Gu said, his eyes flashing with light. He turned his head and suddenly issued a low command to the strongman on the platform. "Yes," the strongman replied mechanically. With a sudden step, he reached forward and pulled down the golden cloth before him, revealing the true form beneath— a magnificent silver great bell, floating in mid-air, its surface adorned with numerous five-colored spiritual characters, both elegant and enigmatic. With a flick of his fingers, the strongman extended a golden mace, about one zhang long, glowing with golden light. He raised his shoulders, grasped the mace handle with both hands, and, in one swift motion, brought it down with a powerful strike upon the silver bell. "Crash!" At the spot where the golden hammer struck, a series of silver glows suddenly burst forth, spreading out in all directions. Within the silver light, the five-colored spiritual characters on the great bell came to life, flashing off the bell's surface and dancing erratically around the entire jade platform. The bell's sound was even more remarkable—initially it seemed modest, but as listeners moved farther away, it grew into a deep, resonant roar, becoming louder and more powerful the greater the distance. Within moments, the sound of the bell could be clearly heard throughout every corner of Tianyuan City. At first, those who heard it paid no attention. However, as the sound continued to echo without pause, even those meditating in stillness or guests gathered for the evening party grew visibly alarmed, some even gasping aloud: "The Heavenly-Shaking Bell—our celebration has begun!" Many people simply rushed out without a word, while others immediately called upon nearby acquaintances and hurriedly left their homes. They all surged toward the spot where the bell rang, yet most of the foreign cultivators in Tianyuan City with relatively lower attainments remained behind, expressing regret, with no further action. The bell rang continuously, tolling a total of eighty-one times—nine sets of nine—before finally ceasing. At this moment, several cultivators who lived nearby had already arrived at the square, only to be momentarily stunned upon seeing the numerous Tianyuan City guards and the various elders gathered at the center. The silver-haired elder smiled slightly, moved his lips as if whispering a message to someone. Instantly, a series of shimmering white light arrays flashed around the square, and more soldiers surged forth, forming ranks that successively encircled the entire plaza several times, temporarily blocking the arriving cultivators outside. So many warriors gathered here, the visitors were startled and none dared to rush in boldly. Meanwhile, the warriors near the elevated platform suddenly changed their formation, and out of nowhere, several dozen open spaces appeared. At the center of each space, several temporary teleportation arrays had been erected. Upon seeing these teleportation arrays, many of the arriving cultivators looked momentarily enlightened, though some still wandered around, still confused. "I hope Master Han has also begun—wouldn't it be a pity if, due to the tight schedule, he failed to complete the item he mentioned? If that were the case, the celebration would surely be delayed." The Silver Light Immortal glanced around at the steadily growing crowd outside the square, her voice slightly uneasy. "The power of a Great Stage cultivator far exceeds what we can imagine. Since Master Han instructed us about this a year ago, there's no reason to doubt it. Silver Light, please rest assured." The silver-haired elder smiled gently and said, "Master Han, as the third great transcendental being of our two clans, surely cannot be hindered by such a minor matter. However, Master Han previously took nearly one-third of our city's storages—though the materials were ordinary crafting supplies, the sheer volume is rather overwhelming." A black-robed attendant sighed and remarked, "Heh, even if the quantity is large, these are merely ordinary materials. With a bit more time and effort, we can gather them all. If we can establish a good relationship with Master Han now, then these materials will surely be nothing to write home about." The silver-haired elder chuckled, shook his head, and added, "Heh, what Brother Gu says is quite true. It seems that Brother Gu is indeed the most forward-thinking among us." The golden-robed Zen master smiled warmly from the side. Inside a stone tower, Han was meditating with his body enveloped in a steady, swirling flame of purple and gold light. When the eighty-one chimes that faintly echoed in Dan's ears finally ceased, Han Li's expression subtly shifted, and he finally opened his eyes, smiling softly as he murmured, "The timing was perfect—the object had just been temporarily refined and is now fully capable of handling this celebration." As soon as he finished speaking, Han Li pressed a hand seal, and the purple-gold flames that had been glowing on his body instantly faded away, vanishing into nothing. At the same time, he exhaled a cluster of silvery flames. Within the silver glow, a small mountain of three colors appeared and vanished, as if it were not solid at all. Han Li examined the mountain carefully, his face brightening with satisfaction. He then raised his arm and gently pointed at the object before him. Instantly, the silvery flames flickered, and the mountain burst forth with a brilliant light, fading into the background before vanishing completely from where it had stood. The very next moment, a ripple of spatial disturbance surged in the sky above the central plaza of Tianyuan City, and after a flash of silver light, a small mountain of three colors—only a few inches in size—appeared silently in the air. A thunderclap roared across the clear sky! Instantly, countless golden arcs spiraled around the three-hued mountain peaks, which began to grow wildly. After a few flashes, they expanded into towering formations over a hundred zhang in height, radiating an eerie, terrifying aura. As the waves of energy rippled around the adjacent peaks, Han Li materialized nearby. He glanced down at the dense crowd gathered on the plaza, a faint, enigmatic smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Then, turning to the three-hued mountain before him, he suddenly opened his mouth and exhaled a breath. A shimmering, jade-toned essence shot forth, vanished instantly, and merged seamlessly into the mountain. The three-hued giant peaks immediately began to spin, with vibrant traceries of symbols surging across their surfaces, radiating an even more profound and chilling presence. At once, thunderous rumblings erupted across the sky in all directions, causing the celestial and terrestrial essences to surge wildly and transform into cascading ribbons of five-colored light, rolling steadily toward the plaza above. Under the brilliant silvery glow on its three-hued mountain peaks, it drew in the primordial energies of heaven and earth in one breath, while simultaneously swelling in volume once more.