Chapter 115: The Secret Behind The Jingling Time Bomb Pt 2

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: The Secret Behind The Jingling Time Bomb Pt 2

The Soul-Disrupting Bell had been created approximately twenty five years earlier by an organization known as the Worshiping God Society.

The group had originally devoted itself to following the teachings and traces of divine beings rather than pursuing worldly influence or political power.

However, everything changed after the organization developed this unusual artifact.

Its power was terrifyingly direct. Anyone who heard the bell when it was activated could experience severe mental instability.

With sustained exposure, the attack could disrupt the victim’s consciousness so thoroughly that even their ability to maintain control over their own thoughts and spirit might collapse.

Unlike ordinary weapons, which damaged the body, the Soul-Disrupting Bell attacked the soul itself.

Even a martial artist at the Star Sea Realm could suffer devastating consequences if caught off guard.

Yet the artifact’s extraordinary effectiveness came at a terrible price.

According to Victoria, the Worshiping God Society had undergone a disturbing transformation after the bell was created.

Its leader, who had once been known for his detachment from worldly affairs, gradually became irritable, violent, and increasingly bloodthirsty.

The change was so severe that the organization eventually descended into madness.

Matters reached their breaking point when the leader led the society in destroying a small town.

The authorities intervened, crushing the organization and leaving its leader gravely wounded and close to death.

The Worshiping God Society was subsequently dismantled, scattering its surviving members.

The bell, however, was not destroyed. Its destructive power made the authorities reluctant to seal it away permanently, and the artifact passed through several different hands over the following years.

Unfortunately, the same pattern repeated itself with each new owner.

Regardless of how honorable or level headed someone had been before obtaining the bell, prolonged possession eventually seemed to alter their temperament.

They would grow increasingly cruel, aggressive, and bloodthirsty, displaying the same disturbing tendencies as the former leader of the Worshiping God Society.

This recurring pattern led investigators to suspect that the artifact did more than damage the minds of its victims. It might also corrupt the will of the person using it.

In other words, the bell’s owner could gradually lose control of their own personality, becoming a different person under its influence.

That was the hidden cost of wielding such a dangerous weapon.

Unfortunately, the authorities had recognized the full extent of the problem too late.

By the time they understood that the artifact could corrupt its owner, the last known holder had disappeared completely.

Since then, the Soul-Disrupting Bell had remained missing, its whereabouts unknown to the authorities.

Now it had suddenly appeared in Mr. X’s possession.

Victoria’s expression grew increasingly grave as she considered the implications.

Someone had either deliberately placed this dangerous artifact in his hands or allowed it to fall into his possession without warning him of its effects.

Either way, the consequences could have been disastrous. If Mr. X began using the bell regularly, its influence might eventually distort his judgment and turn him into a danger to himself and everyone around him.

"Now I understand why the Bloodthirsty Monk used it at the last moment," Xavier murmured, narrowing his eyes.

He had originally assumed the monk had simply been desperate enough to attempt a final counterattack.

But perhaps there had been another motive behind that decision.

Knowing that Xavier would never willingly spare him, the monk might have intended to drag him down with the bell, even if he had to die in the process.

It was an insidious tactic. Fortunately, Xavier had always been cautious about unfamiliar artifacts.

His chaotic energy had protected him from the bell’s direct attack, and he had never attempted to use it himself.

Had he taken the weapon home and begun experimenting with it without knowing its true nature, the consequences could have been disastrous.

Victoria studied him with a serious expression.

"Mr. X, I need to know where you obtained this artifact," she said.

"Its previous owner was extremely dangerous, potentially no less of a threat than a terrorist. We cannot allow someone like that to remain at large."

As a member of the military, she had a duty to ensure that dangerous individuals and weapons did not threaten the public.

Xavier gave a small laugh.

"There’s no need to worry about the previous owner," he said. "He’s already dead."

He explained that the Bloodthirsty Monk, a notorious enforcer who had worked for the Lindsay family, had possessed the bell.

According to what he had learned, the monk had been killed by his friend Graham Cole, leaving the artifact without an owner.

Victoria visibly relaxed.

"Good," she said. "That’s a relief."

But her expression soon darkened again.

"If the Bloodthirsty Monk was working for the Lindsay family, and this artifact was in his possession, then the family must have known about it," she said, her eyes flashing with anger.

"So they had a nationally wanted forbidden artifact and chose to keep it instead of turning it over to the authorities? How audacious can they be?"

Victoria’s patience with the Lindsay family had already been wearing thin.

Learning about the bell only strengthened her conviction that the family had become a serious threat.

The Soul-Disrupting Bell had long been classified as a dangerous artifact sought by the authorities.

Anyone who knowingly concealed it instead of surrendering it was effectively defying the state. Victoria had no intention of overlooking such conduct.

Based on everything she had learned about the Lindsay family, she found Xavier’s explanation entirely believable.

What she did not know was that Xavier himself suspected her conclusion might be mistaken.

The Bloodthirsty Monk could have acquired the bell through his own channels, without the family’s knowledge.

Still, Xavier had no intention of correcting her.

The Lindsay family had already targeted his closest friend and threatened the people he cared about.

If Victoria’s anger helped accelerate the family’s downfall, he certainly was not going to discourage her.

"Since you’ve confirmed what this thing is, I’ll leave it in your hands," Xavier said, placing the bell on her desk. "I have other matters to attend to."

Victoria accepted the artifact carefully.

"That’s fine, Mr. X," she said.

"The Soul-Disrupting Bell is a nationally wanted dangerous artifact, and there’s an official reward for recovering it. Once the reward has been processed, I’ll contact you with the details."

"Sounds good," Xavier said, nodding, and exchanged a few final words with her before leaving the office.

However, he did not leave the Extraordinary Division headquarters. Instead, he headed to Samuel Bush’s office.

Samuel had received Xavier’s request the previous evening and had prepared a collection of Constitution Pill and Constitution Essence for him.

He had even managed to obtain some of the rarer spiritual resources Xavier needed.

When they met, Xavier handed over one hundred 4th-Grade elixirs as payment.

In exchange, Samuel provided twenty five small bottles of Constitution-enhancing spiritual liquid and one bottle of Constitution Essence.

Each bottle contained twenty milliliters, making the entire collection relatively compact despite its considerable value.

The spiritual resources were worth less than the one hundred elixirs Xavier had paid, but he did not mind the difference.

He was not planning to consume those 4th-Grade elixirs himself, and he wanted to maintain a good working relationship with Samuel.

Rather than haggle over the price, Xavier treated the difference as an advance payment for future acquisitions.

He wanted Samuel to help him locate other rare treasures, particularly rune fragments, whenever opportunities arose.

By allowing Samuel to retain some value from the exchange, Xavier hoped to make future cooperation easier.

After completing the transaction, Xavier bid Samuel farewell.

He still was not ready to leave the building. Since he was already at the Extraordinary Division, he decided to visit the warehouse on the first basement level and see whether the organization had anything worth acquiring.

When Xavier had first struck a deal with Samuel, the latter had credited ten thousand points to his Extraordinary Division account.

Xavier had yet to spend them, so this seemed like a good opportunity to put them to use.

He retrieved his A-rank identity card and entered the warehouse.

Thirty minutes later, he emerged with his entire balance exhausted. Two books now rested inside his spatial ring.

The first was titled Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Resources.

It contained information about an extensive range of unusual treasures, artifacts, and cultivation resources, including the Soul-Disrupting Bell.

Xavier had wanted reliable information about that artifact, and the book would help him learn about many other unfamiliar items he might encounter in the future.

The second acquisition was even more interesting. It was a 5th-Grade martial arts manual called Peak Origin Cultivation Art.

A dual cultivation technique.

Xavier looked at the title, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Xavier closed the status panel on his purchases from the Extraordinary Division’s warehouse, the Peak Origin Cultivation Art tucked away in his spatial ring alongside the Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Resources.

There would be time to study the manual properly later.

For now, noon had already come and gone, and he had promised to meet Mira for lunch before the day got away from him.

By the time he returned to the villa with her after their meal at the academy cafeteria, his thoughts had already moved from the morning’s research to the resources waiting to be put to use.

"Honey, I prepared some martial arts treasures for you. Take a look and keep them," he said.

At the villa, after finishing lunch with Mira at the academy cafeteria, Xavier began placing the resources he had acquired from Victoria Quill on the table.

Before long, dozens of bottles and several precious items lay before Mira.

There were sixty six bottles of Constitution Holy Water and four bottles of Constitution Essence, along with the other treasures Xavier had obtained during his recent dealings.

The additional resources had come from the Hart family and Skywater Pavilion after Xavier left the Extraordinary Division headquarters.

His relationship with the Hart family had always been good, and their cooperation had grown stronger through repeated transactions.

Skywater Pavilion had also been eager to maintain its connection with the mysterious Mr. X. At its weekly auction a few days earlier, the Star God Pill Xavier had supplied had served as the grand finale.

Naturally, the pavilion had spared no effort to please the distinguished alchemist.

Two of the four bottles of Constitution Essence had come from Skywater Pavilion.

Another had originally been given by Solomon Hart to his daughter, Evelyn, who had subsequently passed it to Xavier.

The final bottle had been obtained through his dealings with the Hart family.

In exchange, Xavier had only needed to offer a few 4th and 5th-Grade elixirs.

Compared with what he had received, the cost was practically negligible.

Mira stared at the mountain of resources before her, struggling to process it all.

"Darling, where exactly did you get these things?" she asked.

Xavier patiently explained the functions of the Dragon Bone Puppet, Lightning Rune Stone, and Dragon Bone Sword, giving her a general understanding of what each treasure could do.

Even though she had grown accustomed to her husband’s increasingly outrageous generosity, Mira was still overwhelmed.

Each time she thought she had finally understood the extent of his resources, he would produce something even more astonishing.

The three treasures alone were extraordinary enough to make even Samuel Bush, the deputy minister of the Extraordinary Division, think twice before attempting to acquire them.

Yet Xavier had somehow managed to gather all three without appearing to exert much effort.

Mira looked at her husband with renewed suspicion.

The more time she spent with him, the more she realized how little she actually knew about him.

Xavier, however, remained completely unfazed by her questioning gaze.

"Don’t bother trying to figure it out," he said.

"Just pretend you know nothing and accept the gifts."

Mira’s lips curled into a pout.

"Fine," she said. "But I’ll uncover your secrets eventually!"

She knew better than to expect a proper answer from him, so she stopped asking and continued examining the treasures.

Then her gaze landed on the 5th-Grade martial art manual in her hands: the Phoenix Cultivation Technique.

A faint blush crept across her cheeks. Why would Xavier give her a dual cultivation technique?

Although she understood that such techniques could help practitioners improve their cultivation, she could not help thinking about what her husband might have intended by giving her this particular manual.

Mira quietly put the thought aside, but an idea had already formed in her mind.

Since Xavier had gone to the trouble of preparing such a special gift, she decided that she would give him an unforgettable surprise that evening.

For now, she had classes to attend.

After Mira left the villa, Xavier finally had some peace and quiet to review the rewards he had received from his investment system. One notification after another appeared in his mind.