Ice Prison Bureau.

Zhang Tang and the others had already passed through the mural ahead of time and arrived at a completely new place.

However, the moment they saw their surroundings clearly, everyone furrowed their brows tightly and tensed their bodies, as if facing a great enemy!

This was an extremely spacious circular underground hall.

There was almost no light, only a circular deep well with a one-zhang diameter in the very center. Within the well rippled dark, silver-flashing waves, like a well of mercury swaying inside, with countless rising and falling white bones floating within.

At first glance, it gave one an extremely dangerous feeling of terror.

Those rippling waves had an almost soul-bewitching, illusory quality.

Just approaching would make one feel strangely drawn in, illuminating this sinister place with brilliant radiance.

The group landed right beside this well, immediately sensing the dangerous aura and quickly retreating several steps.

Only when they were farther away did that bewitching sensation slightly recede.

For a moment, they all broke out in cold sweat.

Looking around, behind the surrounding walls were embedded thirty-six narrow, dark corridors extending deep—impossible to see where they actually led.

Only faint miserable howls came from the dark depths.

In front of each passage sat a long table, and behind each table sat a fierce-faced evil ghost with horns on their heads.

Thirty-six pairs of red or green eyes all lifted in unison the moment they arrived, staring straight at them.

Malevolent.

Appraising.

Malicious.

Cold laughter.

Interest.

…

Various different emotions were distributed among these thirty-six pairs of eyes, yet none spoke.

Only a few, carrying some fear, secretly glanced toward the uppermost position after seeing them.

That was the longest, largest, and most fearsome curved-head table in the entire hall.

A handsome man clad in ice and snow armor, with hair and eyebrows completely snow-white, even his pupils seeming dyed black-silver, gave off an inhuman, godlike feeling.

As if suffering from cold, his lips had also turned blue-purple.

At this moment, he sat with one knee raised, one hand resting on his knee, half-majestic, half-leisurely on the curved-head table.

He glanced at Zhang Tang and the others but said nothing, only staring at a certain point in the void as if waiting for something.

Sure enough, the next moment came a light “buzz.”

The void immediately began to twist.

Like ripples spreading and dispersing into mist, cries of anguish and wailing first entered.

The little evil ghost, completely spineless, cried out with flailing claws: “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me—”

“Thud.”

A tense hand with whitened knuckles casually released, letting go of his neck.

The little evil ghost immediately crashed to the ground.

“Jian Chou!”

Chen Tingyan immediately knew Jian Chou had arrived. Snapping open his folding fan, he directly stood beside these ripples, only looking around warily.

They didn’t know what Jian Chou had stayed behind to do, but they had only waited this brief moment.

The ripples expanded again.

Jian Chou’s entire body appeared from mid-air.

She looked no different from before.

Except…

The icy coldness between her brows and the faint, hidden killing intent gathering in her eyes.

Jian Chou’s feet touched the ground. She raised her head to look around and wasn’t surprised at all.

Thirty-six passages, thirty-six evil ghosts—they should all be the clerks of this level of hell. The Buddha tower-like Ice Prison Bureau above was just the external building; this was likely the real place for “conducting business.”

It seemed they had fallen into some unfortunate situation.

Jian Chou’s gaze swept around in a circle, finally passing over the deep well at her feet. She immediately felt the danger of the well water rippling within and felt a chill in her heart.

However, she didn’t retreat even half a step or move at all. Instead, she looked directly at the ice-and-snow-like man at the head position.

“It seems this prison is under your governance. We are participating in the Cauldron Competition and wish to go to the second level of hell. We apologize for the intrusion—might you grant us passage?”

Her words were reasonably polite.

Much better than the previous group of bald monks and that self-important Pan Hexun.

The man was the Prison Warden of this Ice Prison Bureau, called Xuanbai. He examined Jian Chou, but only his eyeballs moved while his entire body remained motionless like a sculpture.

“This Prison Warden likes those who know propriety and understand reason like you.”

His voice seemed to have long frozen together with this Ice Prison, carrying a sense of being sealed in ice.

His gaze shifted, sweeping over the trembling little evil ghost crawling up from the ground. Only then did Xuanbai continue: “Convenience can naturally be given—after all, convenience for you is convenience for the Eight Palace Kings of Hell. However, in this prison there are thirty-six passages of life and death. You may choose freely which path leads to the Burning Desire Hell, but this Prison Warden cannot distinguish…”

“…”

Everyone furrowed their brows at once.

Thirty-six passages?

How could they possibly choose correctly?!

One wrong choice meant eternal damnation!

Even someone as composed as Zhang Tang, hearing these words, felt the other party showed no sincerity. His eyes slowly grew cold, with faint dark light stirring in his sleeves.

Only Jian Chou, upon hearing this, raised an eyebrow.

She didn’t withdraw her gaze from the other party, maintaining the same deathly calm, yet a hint of mocking wisdom flashed through. She only smiled and asked: “Does Prison Warden truly mean this?”

The gazes of thirty-six little evil ghosts now fell on Jian Chou in unison.

This was the first time they had seen someone so bold as to directly question Prison Warden Xuanbai. Apart from those bald thieves from the thirty-six snowy region cities, were there actually such arrogant cultivators in the Extreme Realm?

For a moment, the atmosphere became strange.

Even Prison Warden Xuanbai felt Jian Chou’s words carried something odd.

This female cultivator’s cultivation was truly inadequate, yet she was vaguely the center of this group. Among them were all Jade Nirvana realm experts, including Zhang Tang at late Jade Nirvana stage, and even a Buddha Mother from the snowy region. How could she dominate the situation?

His thoughts raced, but Prison Warden Xuanbai still didn’t know why Jian Chou asked him with such confidence.

But words once spoken couldn’t be taken back.

He sat motionlessly on the table, only squinting slightly at her. Not believing she had seen through any secrets here, he only said: “Truly.”

Then that was perfect.

Jian Chou held umbrella in one hand and sword in the other, crossing her arms in salute with a bow: “Then thank you, Prison Warden.”

Having said this, she actually leaped directly without hesitation toward the deep well at her feet!

“We’re leaving!”

Zhang Tang and the others’ scalps nearly exploded simultaneously!

Leaving?

Jumping into this well floating with dead bones?!

They didn’t have time to react, only hearing a “splash” as the black-silver well water surface exploded with spray. Jian Chou had already plunged into the water and disappeared instantly!

Throughout the entire hall, all thirty-six evil ghosts and Prison Warden Xuanbai changed expression!

Some couldn’t contain themselves, too shocked, immediately cursing aloud—

“Damn!”

“How is this possible?!”

“Monster!!!”

…

This momentum was as if they wanted to rush over and hack them to death!

By this time, Chen Tingyan and the others finally understood—this deep well was actually the real path to the second level Burning Desire Hell?

The group had no idea how Jian Chou could react so quickly.

But this didn’t prevent them from escaping!

“Run quickly!”

Chen Tingyan didn’t hesitate, turning to plunge into the well.

The old woman directly grabbed Gu Ling and flew in with her.

Zhang Tang, somewhat behind, also reacted swiftly. His figure flickered, and without much movement of his feet, he was already directly at the well’s edge, diving in without blinking an eye.

“Splash, splash…”

Several consecutive water splashes, and the white bones floating on the well water swayed with them.

In the blink of an eye, all five people had disappeared completely!

Prison Warden Xuanbai, who had been sitting upright like an ice and snow statue, finally couldn’t help being shocked. He leaped up from the curved-head table and came to the well’s edge, his face bearing endless shock—

How was this possible?

This female cultivator…

Ordinary people, even if they could guess that this well appearing to be a dead end was actually the way out, would make such a decision only after fruitlessly searching the thirty-six passages…

Intelligence bordering on the demonic?

Or had he revealed something somewhere?

The thirty-six evil ghosts all looked at each other, not daring to believe their own eyes.

How could they know that from the moment she saw this well, Jian Chou knew something was amiss?

That familiar aura—if it were an ordinary person, they might not think of anything.

But anyone who had lived under Yashan sect on Lingzhao Peak, if they saw this black-silver well without having some subconscious reaction, would truly be completely useless!

On all of Yashan’s Lingzhao Peak, the most famous features, aside from that thirty-zhang Sword-Drawing Platform, was the central Crane-Return Well with its own hidden dimensions!

Every year during crane return season, those Yashan immortal cranes would come floating with white feathers.

They floated on the surface of the Crane-Return Well, leisurely and carefree, occasionally engaging in “combat” with her arrogant goose…

But actually, the Crane-Return Well wasn’t just the Crane-Return Well.

Only those under Yashan sect would know it was a series of doors leading to the underground of all Yashan, to that magnificent martial training ground—

The Beast Trap Arena!

There she had witnessed Qu Zhengfeng fight one against two, defeating two juniors with pure physical strength alone;

She had also waited at the seal-opening place for Fudao Shanren to open the stunning Dijiang Wind Thunder Wing Dao Seal with the Myriad Laws Return Wheel;

She had even fought Golden Core stage Qi Shaofeng in the Beast Trap Arena with Foundation Establishment cultivation!

Such Crane-Return Wells were rare throughout the Nineteen Continents.

Few would think to make strange transformations in a well. Even opening “doors” on the ground or in mountain caves would be better than in a well.

At least when passing through, it wouldn’t give people the illusion of “jumping into a well.”

But…

What a nostalgic feeling that was?

That was where Jian Chou truly gained new life, where she would never forget the pattering night rain and old Yashan dreams…

The moment she saw that black-silver well, all memories came flooding back.

Jian Chou couldn’t tell if she was being bewitched, but that extremely strong intuition finally made her leap in without hesitation!

The black-silver well water carried a cruel, icy aura, completely different from the Crane-Return Well’s clarity and coolness.

Ice-cold, penetrating her heart and soul like swords.

Jian Chou closed her eyes, somewhat dazed.

Endless water flowed past her sides, accompanied by countless bones.

Yet she felt no fear!

Splash, splash…

There seemed to be faint sounds, but soon that icy feeling immediately disappeared completely. A blazing hot breath carrying violent clamor struck her face!

Simultaneously came an extremely shocked voice—

“How is it you?!”

Jian Chou opened her eyes, and her icy gaze shot out the instant she landed!

She didn’t need to look to recognize this voice—who else could it be but Pan Hexun?!

Unlike the first level’s icy coldness, Jian Chou now appeared from thin air, her feet actually on a massive lava lake with rolling hot currents and red-hot magma churning like dragons!

Looking around, as far as the eye could see stretched a thousand zhang in circumference!

This was actually a volcano crater!

Pan Hexun, dressed in black, had been waiting here leisurely for a while, only waiting for Sima Languan to bring his people out from here and bring him the good news of eliminating Jian Chou, Zhang Tang and their group.

But he never expected that after waiting so long, the one appearing at the volcano crater wasn’t Sima Languan, but Jian Chou who should have died on the previous level!

How was this possible?

Sima Languan was at least a top expert of the Ghost King clan—how could he not even eliminate one Jian Chou?

In that instant, his entire handsome face twisted!

But Jian Chou had already understood in this lightning moment why he appeared here.

After separating from them earlier, Pan Hexun should have encountered Sima Languan’s group, but they were allies from the start, so they conspired together, letting Pan Hexun pass through the great canyon and Prison Bureau as if nothing happened.

This way, they would certainly be unprepared, giving Sima Languan the opportunity to catch them all in one net.

Moreover, Sima Languan was the one acting—even if someone survived, it would be hard to suspect Pan Hexun, this “person on the list”!

Now he waited here, undoubtedly waiting for his companion.

Too bad…

He wouldn’t be waiting anymore!

Though this person was on the list, he harbored evil intentions.

If allowed to remain free, who knew how many variables this journey through the Eighteen Levels of Hell might have!

Such a great opportunity—how could she let him go?

In just that instant, Jian Chou had made her decision!

Zhang Tang and the others had successively appeared behind her. She didn’t look back at all, only the killing intent in her eyes blazed hot and boiling!

She threw the Wind-Swallowing Sword into the air while her right hand suddenly drew!

“Clang—”

A terrifying sword cry that pierced eardrums!

Drawing the sword like riding the wind!

Three feet of long sword, leaving the hand like lightning!

Instantly transforming into a mad wind carrying thunder and lightning, rolling up a pitch-black sword wave, breaking open a heavenly highway across this red-hot lava lake!

Unstoppable mighty force!

Shooting straight toward Pan Hexun!

Everything happened in a flash!

Chen Tingyan, Zhang Tang and the others wanted to curse—first the bewildering “suicidal well-jumping,” and now before they could recover, Jian Chou was already attacking!

“Are you insane?!”

Her free right hand had swiftly gripped the Void Demon Umbrella’s handle, raising it high!

Jian Chou showed no intention of stopping. Instead, she threw herself forward, following closely behind the sword wave carved by the Wind-Swallowing Sword, actually seeming faster than the sword momentum!

Like thunder, like lightning!

Her face full of cold determination, hot wind whipping her face, her voice like a cold blade!

“With superior numbers, kill first as respect!”