# Chapter 1952: Death Knell
The Human Emperor Bell rang eight times. A powerful expert on the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar was torn apart by ghosts and demons. From within his head, it seemed as though a terrifying monster had walked out, causing countless hearts to tremble violently. Gui Li's Dao might was too sinister and terrifying. The Dao might manifested through visualization transformed into demons and monsters, killing souls, devouring lives, ferocious and dreadful.
At this moment, Gui Li himself was covered in demonic apparitions. His divine soul trembled as the visualized demons and monsters bared their claws and fangs at him, wanting to devour their master, even kill him.
"Heaven and earth, all ghosts, formless dharma manifestations, annihilate." Gui Li spat out an icy sound. Divine light burst forth from him as ghostly beings pierced through the Human Emperor Bell. Screams rang out as one person tried to retreat but was too late, torn apart and killed by a ghostly entity. At the same time, countless people descended from the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar, even those ranked among the top twenty.
At this moment, a terrifying death light curtain erupted from Lin Feng's head. Strands of dreadful death halo brands frantically surged out from his mind to attack, allowing him to preserve his divine soul intact, as steady as Mount Tai, struggling against the demons and monsters without decay.
Gui Li's black robe fluttered. He licked the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, then swept his long robe. His body moved like a ghost back onto the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar. At this moment, on the hundred Human Emperor Heavenly Pillars, only about twenty people remained. Several of those ranked ahead of Lin Feng had already left.
His figure flickered as Lin Feng moved forward a few positions. Meanwhile, the experts of the Human Emperor Palace continuously wrote on the changing Emperor's List with the Human Emperor Brush, erasing some names from the list. This left only a little over ten names on the brilliant Emperor's List, a shocking sight. These were the powerful experts who had died during the Emperor's List Dao Inquiry. The cruelty of the Dao Inquiry was evident.
At this point, many people no longer needed to undergo the Dao Inquiry. Whose Dao could surpass Gui Li's?
The crowd's eyes all turned to Ji Shang and Ying Cheng. If they struck the Human Emperor Bell, causing their Dao intent to pierce through the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar, what kind of terrifying spectacle would that create? Would it become a killing force like Gui Li's?
Ji Shang swept his gaze across the crowd, pausing for a moment on Lin Feng. Then he stepped forward and descended before the Human Emperor Bell.
"Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang." The Human Emperor Bell sounded five times in succession. Instantly, a wild and chaotic pressure of annihilation Dao might filled the entire space, pouring down from the heavens. The entire Human Emperor Platform was enveloped by the terrifying bell sounds, echoing endlessly. Those ranked lower felt as though their bodies were being torn apart, flesh splitting open, their minds on the verge of exploding, in unbearable agony.
"Clang, clang!" Ji Shang furiously struck the ancient Human Emperor Bell. Heaven and earth trembled together. The crowd retreated explosively, leaping down from the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar. They could no longer endure it. If they persisted in the Dao Inquiry, they would die under this Dao intent.
"Clang!" When the eighth sound rang out, two people couldn't escape in time. Their bodies directly collapsed and died. Their divine souls tried to leave their bodies to flee, but were also destroyed by the descending ancient bell of annihilation.
"Get down." Ji Shang roared, his gaze directly fixed on Lin Feng. A surging annihilation Dao might poured down from the heavens. At this moment, heaven and earth shook violently. Lin Feng's entire body trembled incessantly, as though every muscle and bone was jumping. Even his powerful physical body showed signs of imminent collapse.
Lin Feng closed his eyes, allowing the Dao might to sweep over his body, remaining unmoved. The light of law on his body seemed to merge together, forming mysterious ancient seals. It was as though his entire being was wrapped within these seal halos. But cracking sounds could be heard. Even the ancient seals were splitting apart under this Dao might.
Ji Shang stood proudly. He stepped forward again. That terrifying intent seemed to make the entire universe collapse. His fist light transformed into a storm, striking the ancient bell. Rumbling like thunder, it roared endlessly. Many people were shaken until they spat blood, leaping down from the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar one after another. Even those in the top ten of the Emperor's List had to temporarily avoid his edge.
"Boom!" The ancient seal light on Lin Feng's body completely collapsed and vanished. The rampaging Dao might caused his body to crack. Lin Feng's form moved slightly as he took a step back. Instantly, the Dao might weakened, and his body gradually recovered.
Ji Shang's long robe fluttered in the wind. He glanced at Lin Feng, then stepped through the void back to his position, the second seat on the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar, incomparably majestic, his aura swallowing mountains and rivers.
"The Human Emperor Bell sounded ten times, and Ji Shang still seemed to have strength left. If he went all out, he could probably sound it eleven times." The crowd's hearts trembled. Ji Shang's strength was too terrifying. And his target seemed to be Lin Feng. Everyone knew that Lin Feng had caused trouble on the day Ji Shang was enfeoffed as king. Clearly, Ji Shang was deliberately targeting Lin Feng.
As the Dao might gradually dissipated, calm returned to the Human Emperor Platform. Lin Feng's expression was peaceful, as though he didn't care at all. At this moment, he stood on the thirteenth Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar, meaning that except for the thirteen people ahead of him who hadn't descended or had descended after him, everyone else had stepped down from the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar earlier than him. His name had also moved on the Emperor's List, now placed at the thirteenth position.
The crowd's gazes looked toward the Emperor's List, their thoughts swirling. At this moment, except for the names at the top that hadn't changed, almost everything else was in chaos. This showed that this Emperor's List Dao Inquiry was a true great upheaval of the Emperor's List. After all, these people rarely met on ordinary days, but today they had gathered for the Dao Inquiry.
After a moment of silence, Ren Tianxing said to the crowd, "Who else wants to strike the ancient Human Emperor Bell?"
Many people's eyes turned to Ying Cheng. But Ying Cheng seemed to have no intention of striking the Human Emperor Bell. Instead, a few people behind stepped forward and struck the bell. However, their Dao couldn't cause much resonance. The crowd's minds still seemed to recall the Dao Inquiries of Ji Shang and Gui Li.
"The Human Emperor Bell, the Dao Inquiry Bell. This is somewhat similar to the Dao Inquiry Heavenly Stele of the Tianhe Battlefield. I wonder what mysteries this Human Emperor Bell holds." Lin Feng thought to himself. Then he stepped forward, descending before the ancient Human Emperor Bell. Many people's expressions tightened. Lin Feng was also going to strike the ancient bell.
Death Dao intent radiated from Lin Feng's body. He raised his hand and sent a death halo toward the Human Emperor Bell. The bell sounded, and the death knell echoed through heaven and earth, like a death knell. But it was only a single bell sound, unable to cause much reaction. The crowd only felt a death intent descend upon them, but it wasn't strong.
"Clang!" Lin Feng stepped forward, sending out another halo. A death force rushed toward him. To inquire of the Dao, one must first experience the Dao. He himself also bore the Dao might.
A wild wind raged as Lin Feng walked through the void. The clanging sounds echoed in the air, carrying a strange rhythm. Unnoticed, a death wind began to blow through heaven and earth, seeping into the crowd's bodies. Many felt a chill from the depths of their souls. This was true death Dao might.
"Clang!" The sixth sound of the strange, rhythmic bell rang out. The death intent began to resonate with heaven and earth. The entire void suddenly became deathly still. The crowd felt waves of terrifying death Dao might piercing through their bodies, entering their souls. Many turned ashen, as though being eroded by death qi. That cold feeling grew even more intense and terrifying.
This was the death knell. Not as sinister as Gui Li's, not as wild and continuous as Ji Shang's. But this knell seemed to step by step drag people into the abyss of death.
When the seventh death knell sounded, a death storm swept through heaven and earth. The crowd's faces turned from pale to ashen. Many felt as though they were about to die. They were experiencing true death intent.
"Clang!" The eighth death knell came so quickly. Several people were instantly eroded by death, letting out muffled groans as they collapsed softly, silent and still. Their momentary hesitation in that instant had led to their destruction. Death's power was silent and soundless, not as violent as annihilation. But when it descended, it directly claimed lives.
The crowd's expressions all froze. Even the experts on the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillars stared at Lin Feng. He had actually sounded the eighth death knell.
Strands of terrifying death qi rampaged within Lin Feng's body, even rushing into his divine soul. Lin Feng also experienced the erosion of death. But his gaze remained as firm as ever as he stepped forward. Seeing this, many people directly retreated explosively, leaving the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar. If the ninth death knell sounded, who knew how terrifying the death force would be.
"Clang." The death knell caused heaven and earth to tremble together. On the Human Emperor Platform, only the death knell lingered endlessly. Several more figures collapsed directly, their bodies devoid of any life force. Many leaped down from the Human Emperor Heavenly Pillar, cursing Lin Feng in their hearts. This madman.
"Death... the power of death." Lin Feng quietly experienced this death force. He himself deeply felt it. But within his body, there was always a life force that seemed eternal and indestructible. The Dao he comprehended was the Dao of Life and Death, not pure death Dao.
Life and death, two extremes. Death is life, life is death. How could death intent destroy him?
"Clang!" The tenth sound trembled. The violent and frenzied death force seemed to ignore the distance of space, directly rushing into the crowd's bodies. Ji Shang's terrifying annihilation Dao might erupted wildly, causing all the death force to collapse. But still, much death qi eroded into his body, covering his face with death aura.
His long robe fluttered, his black hair danced wildly. Lin Feng's body trembled slightly as he struck the Human Emperor Bell again. At the same time, a rolling sound shot straight toward Ji Shang.
"Get down!" The icy voice resonated together with the death knell. Infinite death qi seeped into Ji Shang's body, instantly turning his face ashen.