Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 189 The Third Level of Hell

Chen Ye has been living a rather leisurely life lately, spending his days meditating and cultivating in the underground palace, absorbing as much spiritual energy as possible from the ginseng fruit.

Although it is not very useful anymore, it is always easy to calm the mind and spirit when practicing here, and the cultivation can be twice as effective with half the effort.

However, what Chen Ye needs now is not to increase his cultivation level, but to cultivate his Eighteen Levels of Hell Divine Power to perfection.

Chen Ye was once again enveloped in deep darkness, with streaks of fire appearing and disappearing within, and clanging sounds constantly disturbing people's peace of mind.

Upon closer inspection, each fire serpent carries a tiny bronze bell. If one were to be entangled by this thing, it would be a double torment of both mind and body. This was a method that Chen Ye had figured out for himself.

Chen Ye has been criticized more than once for lacking the talent for combat, and it must have taken him a lot of effort to figure out this combination.

People need to recognize their own weaknesses. If you don't truly like something, don't waste time on things you're not talented at.

Therefore, Chen Ye did not focus too much on combat techniques, but prioritized perfecting his cultivation method.

The first level of the Fire Serpent Hell was an accident, not something Chen Ye cultivated himself.

The second level, the Bronze Bell Hell, was designed by Chen Ye based on the Ksitigarbha Sutra and his own experiences; it was unlike anything he had ever seen or learned before.

From this point on, Chen Ye was destined to forge his own unique path.

We can't simply copy the ideas of our predecessors, and we can't copy most of the Buddhist scriptures we knew from our previous lives.

This is only for reference; you'll need to do your own research afterward.

"The Hell of Fire Serpents is a cruel punishment, using physical pain to awaken the world; the Hell of Bronze Bells is a wake-up call, shocking the mind and calling you back..." Chen Ye closed his eyes and pondered, his consciousness flowing in the depths of his sea of ​​consciousness. "Then, this third level of hell... its meaning and function should perhaps no longer be limited to the Buddhist concept."

Chen Ye closed his eyes and carefully recalled all the classic texts he had ever read.

After cultivating, Chen Ye's memory improved dramatically. It was as if he had hyperthymesia; he could remember ancient books he had only glanced at once. Now, with just a little spiritual stimulation, he could recall everything.
Countless classic texts from both Buddhism and Taoism surfaced in Chen Ye's mind.

"Torture is not the goal; the true essence of hell is to rouse them to repentance. But what if we encounter those stubborn individuals who are incorrigible and unrepentant? If even the torments of hell cannot make them repent..."

A thought quietly emerged: torture is not the goal; the true essence of hellish punishment is to call you back. But if you are stubborn and unwilling to turn back... then let yourself sink into it and stop harming others.

"Heaven is all within me, hell is inseparable from my heart. The hearts of mortals are deluded, tainted by the six senses, to the point of slandering saints and truth, betraying their sovereigns and fathers, killing and stealing, owing debts and lives a life of dishonestity, rampant deceit and fraud..."

"The Nine Netherworlds are the central palace of the Eight Trigrams, divided according to the nine provinces, each guarded by the local deity. In the heavens, they are the Nine Heavens; on earth, they are the Nine Palaces. They take the form of the Nine Netherworlds, which have nine names. All are formed from one breath and are influenced by a single thought..."

"The netherworld, the shadows, the night, the gloom, the capital, the realm, the pass, the palace, the light... Hell may not be all-encompassing, and not all wandering souls can be saved..."

Chen Ye muttered incantations, these were Taoist mantras, the Taoist understanding and description of hell, and hellish illusions once again appeared all over his body.

A faint light emanated from Chen Ye, transforming him into a starry illusion where countless beings floated and sank. These figures, initially indistinct, instantly transformed into breathtaking beauties, accompanied by ethereal celestial music that captivated all who heard it.

Chen Ye even used the methods of the Bewitching Demon Lord, as if this was not hell at all but heaven on earth.

Hell may not be easily conquered, and not all wandering souls can be saved. Since they cannot be saved, then they will be condemned to eternal damnation.

Chen Ye opened his eyes, and the endless hell took physical form.

There were dazzling flowers falling from the sky, goddesses surrounding him, and gold and silver jewels, a bizarre and wonderful sight... Hell transformed into heaven, surrounding Chen Ye as if he had ascended to immortality.

"The eighteen levels of hell have been formed. Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on achieving enlightenment."

"The power of reincarnation pervades the human world, good and evil are rewarded accordingly, and order is restored. Congratulations, fellow Daoist."

"All evil in the world is eliminated, and all goodness in the world can live a long and prosperous life. Congratulations, fellow Daoist."

"This great merit is worthy of being engraved in heaven and earth and praised by all generations."

……

Chen Ye was surrounded by a cacophony of praise and flattery, as if he had truly performed such a great deed and was now ascending to immortality, free from all suffering.

The supernatural powers of the eighteen levels of hell cause harm to the practitioner with each level they cultivate.

If even he himself cannot see through it, then Chen Ye himself will be the first to fall into hell.

Listening to these decadent words, Chen Ye couldn't distinguish between truth and falsehood, as if what they said had already come true.

But Chen Ye still retorted, "Having completed the eighteen levels of hell means one's merits are fulfilled? Cultivation is not such an easy matter. Seeking immortality is fraught with difficulties and dangers. How can one become an immortal simply by meditating in an underground palace?"

"If reincarnation were established, good and evil would be rewarded accordingly. If that were the case, why would there be suffering in the world, and why would hell not be empty?"

"There is no perfect way in this world. If one is content with this, one will never make any further progress in this life. Even becoming an immortal is only the first step towards longevity. The mysteries of the world are countless, and there is no end to them."

With each word Chen Ye uttered, the illusions before him dissipated a little. When he stood up from this heavenly illusion and took a step out, all the illusions completely vanished.

Chen Ye took a deep breath; what had just happened was truly extremely dangerous.

If he were even slightly satisfied, he would probably stay in this underground palace forever, never able to leave until his lifespan is exhausted.

But having passed this hurdle, Chen Ye had also completed the cultivation of the third level of hell.

"Let's call it the Illusory Hell." This was an adaptation of the Taoist Nine Nether Hell, and also referenced the illusion techniques of the Mirage School. It was also a reminder to Chen Ye that one is born in "sorrow" and dies in comfort.

If one's mind and spirit become even slightly lax, or if one becomes complacent, then death is imminent.

Having made further progress in his cultivation, Chen Ye felt refreshed and left the underground palace. He had originally planned to go and boast to the Venerable Master, but the Venerable Master was busy with something and was in seclusion on the thirty-second floor.

Chen Ye didn't disturb them, and instead went to take a stroll around Fengdu City.

The city was still deserted. Although the population was gradually increasing, there were still not many people willing to settle in Fengdu City.

After leaving the Yellow Springs Palace, Chen Ye headed straight for that golden place.

This is where Li Fan and Chang Shou planted the golden bamboo, but Chen Ye heard that Chang Shou doesn't really like this kind of bamboo.

Chang Shou preferred a lush, flower-filled environment and had considered planting some flowers and plants here to decorate the place, but the golden bamboo was too domineering and did not allow any other plants to exist where it grew, not even weeds.

Chang Shou was naturally displeased. After cultivating a patch of golden bamboo with Li Fan, he cultivated a flower field elsewhere on his own.

These bamboo stalks are golden, as if cast from gold, and produce a clear, resonant sound when struck; their texture is also incredibly tough.

They're just not easy to raise.

When golden bamboo grows, it attracts all kinds of insects. Even more outrageous is that if you take a couple of bites of the newly grown bamboo shoots, they will start to mutate and turn into silvery-white worms that are harder than steel.

If you're not careful, these insects will devour the bamboo shoots completely.

Li Fan's cultivation level was not high, and at first he relied entirely on Chang Shou's help to kill the insects one by one. In a short period of time, the corpses of those silver Gu insects filled several buckets.

Once the golden bamboo had grown into a grove, Changshou went to tend to his flower field, leaving Li Fan to guard the place day and night.

He didn't know how many Golden Bamboos the Yellow Springs Sect needed, but since the sect leader had entrusted him with this task, Li Fan would do his best to complete it, so as not to waste that precious longevity pill.

When Chen Ye arrived, Li Fan was manipulating two vines to pluck insects from the newly sprouted golden bamboo shoots.

The silvery-white worms were no bigger than a fingernail, but they were extremely ferocious, able to bite through vines in just a few bites.

Li Fan could only summon vines again and again to catch the insects and throw them into the wooden bucket beside him.

The bucket contains mercury; once these silver worms come into contact with the mercury, they will be poisoned to death very quickly.

However, mercury is too heavy, so even if the insects die, they won't sink. Instead, they will float on the surface and form a thick layer, preventing the insects thrown in later from dying.

In this way, the corpses of the Gu worms must be constantly retrieved to make room.

The vines first lifted the Gu worms, then reached them into the mercury bucket before they broke, poisoning them to death. Then, they casually scooped out the corpses and threw them into another bucket.

The dozen or so vines intertwined like a snake, and Li Fan multitasked, yet his movements were as fluid as flowing water, showing that he had practiced countless times.

Upon seeing Chen Ye appear, Li Fan immediately stopped what he was doing and respectfully bowed to Chen Ye.

"No need for formalities. You must have worked very hard to make this golden bamboo forest grow so well."

Li Fan quickly replied, "Thanks to the sect leader's guidance, I will naturally do my best."

Chen Ye asked, "However, since you are skilled in formations, why do you need to do it yourself? Why not just set up a formation here directly, which would save a lot of trouble?"

Li Fan is capable of solving the mysteries of the Yunlu Immortal Sect. He has a solid foundation in array formations and shouldn't be unable to think of such a method.

Li Fan had no choice but to explain, "Without the sect leader's permission, I dare not use the earth's spiritual energy. Moreover, the wood spiritual energy in Fengdu City seems to have some mystery. If I don't study it carefully, the array I set up will always be off, and it may destroy this bamboo forest."

Just as more fertilizer is not always better, the spirit energy of wood can nurture all trees, but too much of it can have the opposite effect. Li Fan is extremely cautious precisely because he is an expert in this field.

The Yellow Springs Sect entrusted him with this task, and if anything went wrong, it would be a grave sin.

Therefore, even if it's a bit more troublesome, it's still safer to do it yourself.

After Chen Ye returned, he went into seclusion and forgot about the matter.

Fengdu City is filled with a large number of Yin spirits, and even with the suppression of the formation, it will still affect the surrounding spiritual energy. In addition, the ginseng fruit in the underground palace will make the combined effect even greater than elsewhere.

Even ordinary cultivators can sense the problem with spiritual energy, so they certainly wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"It's alright. Since I've invited you to join the Yellow Springs Sect and entrusted this bamboo forest to you, you can naturally study it on your own. As long as it doesn't affect the protective array of Fengdu City, you can set up the array as you like. In the future, this bamboo forest will grow bigger and bigger, and you definitely won't be able to manage it all by yourself."

Trusting people is Chen Ye's principle. After learning the supernatural power of the Eighteen Levels of Hell, he became particularly sensitive to the good and evil in people's hearts, just like Su Chunyi's sword heart, which can see through the thoughts of others at a glance.

Li Fan is an honest person and deserves Chen Ye's trust.

Li Fan immediately agreed upon hearing this.

After chatting for a while, seeing Chen Ye's generosity, Li Fan couldn't help but suggest, "Sect Master, I know there's a mutated Bodhi tree growing in the Yellow Springs Palace. If you allow me, may I also take care of it?"

Bodhi tree?
Chen Ye recalled the Blood Bodhi Tree mentioned by the Venerable One, which was the foundation upon which the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect was founded.

Has the Blood Bodhi Tree already been planted?
(End of this chapter)