Six Meridian Spirit Dividing Mirror, Four Symbols White Jade Crown!

These two names made everyone’s hearts skip a beat!

Especially…

Four Symbols White Jade Crown?

Wasn’t there only the Six Meridian Spirit Dividing Mirror?!

In that instant, countless people inside and outside almost simultaneously had their eyelids twitch, subconsciously following Zongtu’s words as they looked toward Jian Chou’s left hand.

That hand had somehow been hidden within her wide sleeves, her slender five fingers seemingly indeed grasping something!

Only her sleeves blocked their view, preventing everyone from seeing clearly!

This female cultivator, while gripping the Six Meridian Spirit Dividing Mirror in her right hand, had actually prepared something else in her left hand!

When everyone realized this, they felt a chill rising from the depths of their hearts: one hand already held a trump card, while the other silently prepared another…

Such scheming, such killing intent!

Several red-robed monks who had previously wanted to attack Jian Chou felt their faces twitch, finding themselves in an awkward position.

They couldn’t determine if Jian Chou’s left hand truly held the Four Symbols White Jade Crown.

Because they lacked Zongtu’s cultivation level, even when extending their divine consciousness to probe, they could only see a mass of mist.

But even without it, could they really withstand the Six Meridian Spirit Dividing Mirror?

Both of these items meant certain death for those at the Jade Nirvana stage!

How could they possibly resist?

In that instant, some people had already thought this through and began to retreat.

Of course, others, after thinking it through, turned red-eyed with unwillingness.

Jian Chou observed all of this, but her eyes grew cold as frost.

Her lightning-like gaze swept across those red-robed monks before finally settling on Zongtu. She let out a cold laugh: “Who would have thought that Master Zongtu is so benevolent, truly afraid they might come here to seek death!”

How could she not understand the intention behind Zongtu’s words?

Even though this group of foolish Tantric cultivators appeared to be hostile toward him, he still stepped forward to protect them!

Moreover…

He had recognized at a glance that what she held was the Four Symbols White Jade Crown—this itself was a display of his strength!

Protecting his sect members while demonstrating his own power.

What excellent skill!

There was somehow a mocking expression on Jian Chou’s face.

Perhaps because of what she had seen earlier in the Ice Prison—the great Buddha and the tragic scene beneath it—even though Zongtu seemed decent enough, she couldn’t generate even half a bit of goodwill toward him.

Looking at Zongtu was like looking at a stranger.

Zongtu sighed inwardly. He knew something about the grievances between Yashan and the Buddhist sect, even with Kunwu, so at this moment he dared not harbor any resentment.

He only bowed respectfully and said: “Senior Sister Jian Chou wishes to pass through the cauldron competition. Now at the end of the sixth level, she is already far ahead of everyone. However, there are still a full twelve levels ahead, with a long journey remaining. If time is wasted here, it would be unwise. At least Zongtu holds no ill will toward Senior Sister, and I ask that Senior Sister proceed first.”

As he spoke, he actually stepped aside several paces.

The group of snow domain monks, whether red-robed or white-robed, even if unwilling in their hearts, dared not fail to follow Zongtu in retreating!

No one was confident they could withstand Jian Chou’s trump card!

No one could guarantee that if a fight broke out, Zongtu would stand on their side.

Retreating was almost the only choice at this moment.

Thus in an instant, a path opened before Jian Chou and her group, leading straight to the sixth level’s Barrier-Free Prison!

Zhang Tang, Chen Tingyan, and the others had not expected such a development.

For a moment, they each harbored suspicions about Jian Chou’s identity.

The old woman, upon seeing this group of monks from the snow domain, had long harbored killing intent, waiting to fight alongside Jian Chou.

Who would have thought that the one leading them was actually from the Old Tantric school of the Tantric sect!

And Jian Chou, who had traveled with them for so long, actually concealed even deeper secrets…

This battle seemed unlikely to happen.

The old woman’s eyes flickered, her aged hand gripping the crescent blade tightly, veins faintly bulging.

But she restrained herself and ultimately said nothing.

All eyes in the field had fallen on Jian Chou.

Fight or not fight.

Go or stay.

Everything depended on her decision.

Heaven knows that Jian Chou’s heart wasn’t feeling good at all right now!

She had deliberately provoked them, hoping to anger this group of snow domain Tantric cultivators so that when they fought, no one would need to hold back.

Who could have expected that this Zongtu would refuse to fight no matter what!

Avoiding battle whenever possible, seeking the fastest route.

This was the principle she had established from the beginning.

Her reason still told her: leave this place as quickly as possible.

Every minute of delay brought a minute of danger.

Moreover…

How exactly the remains of Yashan predecessors ended up under that Buddha statue, what mysteries lay within, remained unclear. The entire situation of the snow domain’s Tantric sect also seemed confusing.

The Extreme Domain was indeed an important link in her investigation, but the snow domain’s greatest power, even that mysterious Holy Son Jiye, were all on the land of Jiushijiu Zhou!

In the Extreme Domain, she faced countless dangers.

Even if she wanted to investigate thoroughly, it would be too slow—it would be more convenient in Jiushijiu Zhou.

All these thoughts passed clearly through her mind.

Though the killing intent and anger in her chest surged so violently, she actually couldn’t find a reason to insist on attacking this group of monks!

The scene seemed to fall into momentary silence.

Then came Jian Chou’s voice through gritted teeth: “Then I thank the Tantric sect for yielding the path!”

With that, she directly pressed her palm on the Sinan Round Platform!

“Hum!”

The Kunwu All-Directions Battle Chariot that had been hovering in the air for so long transformed into a gust of wind, sweeping across the ground and in the blink of an eye, directly crashed into the open gates of the sixth level’s Barrier-Free Prison!

Zhang Tang, Chen Tingyan, and the others were no longer panicked at all.

After being “tempered” through the previous levels, Jian Chou had become extremely familiar with the Kunwu All-Directions Battle Chariot, and her control had made her a quite qualified and experienced “driver.”

Even while carrying several of them through the gates, the battle chariot itself didn’t sway at all, instead seeming to shrink as it swiftly passed through.

In the blink of an eye, they had arrived inside the Prison.

Jian Chou formed hand seals and waved her hand, sending six snow-white flying wheels spinning out with a “whoosh,” clattering and clanging as they wildly carved up the surrounding walls!

“Grandpa! Stop demolishing, stop demolishing!”

Immediately, little demons hiding behind the walls cried out in alarm.

The Prisons of each level were interconnected, so they could share information about each level’s situation.

But they hadn’t expected that this disaster named Jian Chou would arrive so quickly!

All along the way, everyone knew she had nearly demolished five or six Prisons!

Whenever the little demons didn’t come out to open the doors, she would immediately turn hostile and attack!

Women’s hearts are truly like needles at the bottom of the sea.

Terrifying, absolutely terrifying!

The little demon nearly knelt before these ancestors, immediately opening the passage without hesitation. Countless images of birds and beasts immediately came alive.

Jian Chou wasted no words, directly driving the battle chariot into the murals as before.

Behind her, Gu Ling was already excited with starry eyes: “Sister Jian Chou looks more and more domineering driving the battle chariot!”

Chen Tingyan suppressed his urge to tremble and silently rolled his eyes.

Passing through the murals, they immediately arrived at the real Prison.

The layout was almost identical to the first level, with countless people looking at them with gazes that were bizarre yet tinged with fear.

Behind the long desk in the center sat a chubby white figure, his official hat askew.

As soon as he saw Jian Chou, he nearly burst into tears: “Damn it, I just bet with them that you wouldn’t reach my level in two days, and now I’m about to lose everything!”

After this outburst, the fat man’s heart grew even more sorrowful.

He glared at Jian Chou’s group, furious: “Look what? Haven’t you seen someone lose a bet? You bunch of unlucky ones, get out of here quickly! Uh… wait, no!”

Jian Chou, who had already activated the battle chariot and was about to rush down the well, managed to control the chariot just in time, turning back to look with a voice flat to the extreme: “Does the Prison Lord have business?”

“Yes!”

The fat man had a lecherous expression, leaning forward and extending his head, his neck stretching out three zhang long, suddenly appearing before Jian Chou.

“Wah!”

Gu Ling immediately screamed in fright.

Jian Chou’s mouth twitched.

But the fat man’s face came very close, his small eyes squinting with a rather lewd expression: “Well, could you pass through the levels below a bit faster? I have a map here. Take it and go down quickly. Control the timing to within a day, reaching around the thirteenth level. This Prison Lord bet with someone—a whole cart of Mystic Jade! Could you… help me out?”

“This is allowed?!”

Before Jian Chou could answer, Chen Tingyan beside her felt like he was going crazy: How come all the people from these Eighteen Hells’ Prisons seem so unreliable?

Isn’t this abuse of public office for private gain?

He was almost jealous of Jian Chou’s good luck. Angrily turning to Zhang Tang: “Such corrupt officials, won’t you do something about it?”

Zhang Tang remained calm and said something that could choke a person to death: “Not my jurisdiction.”

This wasn’t in the mortal realm after all.

Chen Tingyan immediately felt dizzy with anger.

But Jian Chou squinted as she examined this chubby Prison Lord several times.

Along the way, each Prison Lord they encountered actually had their own characteristics and quirks. Sometimes they would deliberately make things difficult for passing cultivators.

Just like how the first level’s Mysterious White Prison Lord made her choose.

So at this moment, Jian Chou was unsurprised and calmly said: “We naturally intend to pass through the eighteen levels of hell quickly. But I wonder if what you’re doing conforms to the rules?”

“What do you understand?”

The fat man was quite proud.

“Even if you have tremendous abilities, they’re useless. Only the final level is where real fighting occurs. Passing through the earlier levels quickly doesn’t mean anything. Being favored by this lord and helping me cheat at gambling is practically a blessing from your ancestral graves. Just tell me—will you do it or not!”

“I’ll do it.”

Jian Chou was straightforward without any hesitation, directly extending her hand.

“Give me the map.”

Whether they had some conspiracy or really just wanted to earn some pocket money from the cauldron competition didn’t matter to Jian Chou.

Once the map was in her hands, whether to look at it or not was her business.

There was no need to make things difficult with this Prison Lord over such a small matter.

Their strength was considerable—the only reason they didn’t obstruct them along the way was because during the cauldron competition, they dared not harm any participants.

So when Jian Chou made her decision, she was extremely decisive.

The fat Prison Lord, hearing Jian Chou’s single word “do,” somehow felt it didn’t sound quite right, but didn’t investigate further. His face broke into a greasy smile.

He reached behind his neck and actually pulled out a long map, slapping it into Jian Chou’s palm.

“You’re teachable, hehe. I’m different from other Prison Lords—not pretentious at all. I tell you, if you don’t die later and don’t get favored by the Yama Kings, you might as well come work for me. I think you have a bright future!”

Great, now he’s openly competing with the Ten Yama Kings for talent.

Chen Tingyan was running out of eye-rolls.

Zhang Tang glanced over indifferently but still said nothing.

But Jian Chou understood from this statement that the eighteen levels of hell’s Prison Lords seemed relatively independent with considerable authority.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such things.

She smiled without sincerity: “That’s truly kind of you to favor me.”

With that, she took the map the other party offered.

“Alright, hurry up and get going!”

“Swoosh”—the fat man had already retracted his extended neck, and in a blink was back to being that chubby figure slouching in his chair.

Jian Chou wasn’t polite either. The battle chariot turned and plunged into the mercury-like well water, disappearing from sight.

“Bang!”

The familiar sense of illusion.

Dizziness.

Then came a fresh breeze.

When everyone could see solid scenery again, they were momentarily stunned by the beautiful scene before them.

“Heavens, is this still hell?”

Gu Ling couldn’t help but cup her face and cry out, leaning over the edge of the battle chariot to look toward the horizon and down below.

Above was blue sky and white clouds; below was an endless expanse of green grassland!

A gentle breeze blew, causing countless grass blades to sway with the wind.

The whole world was momentarily beautiful as a painting!

Even Jian Chou couldn’t help but be stunned.

However, what arose next was an indescribable unease. She carefully opened the Kunwu All-Directions Battle Chariot’s defenses to maximum while placing a pill in her mouth, ready for emergencies.

“This is naturally still the eighteen levels of hell—the quieter it is, the more dangerous.”

As she spoke, she pulled out the fat man’s map, finding this level’s section and taking a look.

It was nearly identical to what she had seen at the old house owner’s place.

Only at several points were array formation markers added.

“This is…”

Jian Chou was immediately startled, her mind rapidly recalling the rules she had seen on the eighteenth floor above!

Article Four: The eighteen levels of hell are interconnected through various Prison Lords, allowing passage up and down, with additional unknown passages throughout hell that may allow travel between the eighteen hells!

“That fat man can’t be trusted,” Chen Tingyan thought back to the earlier scene, still feeling it was “too unreliable.” “Who knows if these passages are real or fake?”

“Whether real or fake, we must first determine a direction.”

The only thing Jian Chou knew for certain was the Prison Lord’s location, so heading in that direction couldn’t be wrong.

She pointed to a line on the map: “We’re currently at this position, the exit. Following this line in this direction will take us to the Prison. We’ll pass through this point marked as a passage entrance. If suitable, we can investigate then.”

This way, they wouldn’t waste time discussing here.

Jian Chou quickly scanned the rest of the map, only to discover that the entire eighteen levels of hell grew progressively larger toward the end.

The eighteenth level of hell was already seventy-two times the size of the first level’s Ice Prison!

She frowned secretly and put the map away.

Pressing the Sinan Round Platform, she communicated with the battle chariot through her spiritual consciousness. In the blink of an eye, she changed direction and flew steadily yet swiftly toward her chosen destination.

Only now did she finally have time to quietly consider the snow domain Tantric people she had encountered earlier.

“Grandmother, since you are a Buddhist Mother of the snow domain’s Tantric sect, do you recognize anyone from that group?”

“My status in the Tantric sect was lowly. The so-called Buddhist Mother was merely a furnace cauldron…”

The old woman was actually quite puzzled.

She felt there seemed to be some incomprehensible connection between Jian Chou and the snow domain, yet didn’t sense any malice from her.

Even…

She had a vague feeling that Jian Chou, like herself, hated the snow domain’s Tantric sect.

Since Jian Chou asked, she didn’t hide anything, only relating what she knew.

“I don’t know the others. I’ve heard of Zongtu, the heir of the Nyingma school. He became famous over a hundred years ago, though I never truly met him. But I know something of his abilities. However, I didn’t expect…”

“What?”

Hearing hesitation in the old woman’s words, Jian Chou became curious.

The old woman’s gaze became strange, carrying an odd terror, as if with some uncontrollable fear, and the habitual dread left by long oppression…

“I didn’t expect he could connect with the Holy Son.”

“Holy Son…”

That Jiye again.

Jian Chou vaguely felt this name was somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere, but perhaps due to just a fleeting glimpse, she couldn’t quite remember.

She only asked: “He seems to have heaven-reaching abilities. I wonder what kind of person he is?”

At that moment, the old woman couldn’t help but laugh, her expression becoming complex as she sighed deeply: “The Holy Son is not human.”

“Not human?”

Those who had been listening intently immediately showed shock.

Even Jian Chou was greatly surprised.

The old woman didn’t know how to explain to them, only trying her best to convey: “He is the most transcendent existence in the snow domain, immortal and imperishable. It’s said he was born from the condensed Buddhist power of Tantric believers throughout the land, essentially an incarnation of gods and Buddhas.”

“In the six hundred years of recorded history of the snow domain’s Tantric sect, even in the entire history of Buddhist Tantrism, his figure appears…”

“I’m not an important person, so I don’t know much about the details.”

“But it’s said that as long as an altar is set up for ritual, there’s a chance to summon his appearance.”

“Sometimes, even without summoning, he appears like a holy miracle…”

“I once heard several masters mention that about six hundred years ago, a great cultivator from Mingri Xinghai had killed him.”

“However…”

“As you heard before, he has appeared again.”

The old woman spoke sentence by sentence, her aged voice flowing over the battle chariot.

But Jian Chou’s mind went “boom,” and she finally remembered—

She had seen it!

She had actually seen this name!

It was when she was in the hidden realm of Qingfeng Nunnery, in that Buddhist hall with the thousand-zhang giant Buddha suspended with three thousand human heads, when she lifted that silk paper and saw the letter left by Buyu Shangren…

“Since beginning cultivation, I have killed three thousand six hundred seventy-one people.”

“Walking the path for many years, I showed kindness to others but none showed kindness to me. When people were evil, I killed them. These thoughts were hard to resolve, these grievances hard to dispel, so I cut off all their heads and sealed their souls.”

“Thirty-six years after Buddhism’s northern migration, I killed the Tantric Holy Son Jiye and seized a three-hundred-zhang Buddha pagoda.”

“I suspended the heads in the Buddha pagoda, offering them day and night, hoping to dissolve their grievances and help them reach paradise.”

Thirty-six years after Buddhism’s northern migration, killed the Tantric Holy Son Jiye!

Wasn’t that roughly six hundred years ago?

Buyu Shangren had once killed this “Holy Son”!

Jian Chou’s heart was greatly shaken. Recalling the old woman’s words “the Holy Son is not human,” she felt a chill…

She slightly turned the Six Meridian Spirit Dividing Mirror in her hand, slowly inhaling and exhaling, barely suppressing this eerie feeling.

“Forget it… I ultimately can’t get more information, and further speculation is useless.”

Once back in Jiushijiu Zhou, all these mysteries would gradually reveal answers if she sought guidance from her sect’s elders.

She stopped inquiring and refocused her attention on the battle chariot.

At this time, they had only been in this level of hell for less than a quarter hour, but that originally gentle breeze had somehow changed.

“Do you hear any sounds…”

Jian Chou felt as if there were some sounds by her ears, sparse and scattered, coming from the distant grassland, even giving a sense of being dense and overwhelming.

Zhang Tang was already frowning.

Chen Tingyan looked confused, just about to say he heard nothing, but after saying the word “I,” he saw the scene appearing ahead of the battle chariot.

In that moment, his next word suddenly became: “Damn!”

“Rustle rustle…”

Still that dense sound, though very faint.

But when countless such sounds merged into a torrent, it became terrifying!

At the end of the prairie within their sight, dust was faintly rising.

Countless small gray-black shadows surged like a tide from the prairie’s end, dense and numerous…

They were countless foot-long rats!

This sound suddenly filling heaven and earth was actually the sound of them all crawling together, rushing toward their direction!

Everyone’s scalps practically exploded!

Jian Chou also sucked in a breath of cold air, but before she could say a word, an even more shocking scene followed.

Behind that overwhelming mass of rats covering the entire grassland, rolling clouds of dust rose again!

This time, it wasn’t that hair-raising “rustling” sound, but a “rumbling” sound like earthquakes and thunder!

Those were thousands upon thousands of giant wild bulls, chasing after the rat tide, charging toward them!

The tremendous sound was deafening.

Even their void space was shaken into “buzzing” responses, as if even the air wanted to retreat before them!

The entire grassland no longer held that peaceful beauty—in the blink of an eye, it had become a scene of fierce energy crisscrossing!

The whole world was full of rats and bulls!

Jian Chou’s eye twitched, and she suddenly remembered: “If I’m not mistaken, we’re now on the seventh level… this should be the Animal Realm?”

The hell for all forms of life other than humans, including livestock and various other life forms!

The previous level was about killing ghosts; this level would probably involve killing rats and bulls…

But most terrifying was that they didn’t know what else lay ahead.

Jian Chou pondered briefly, then said: “Since nothing with wings has appeared yet, we should hurry along. We can deal with new dangers when they arise… eh?”

Halfway through her words, her voice suddenly cut off, replaced by a somewhat puzzled rising tone.

The others immediately looked over, somewhat nervously: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…”

Just that…

There was movement in her spirit beast pouch.

This pouch was tied in her sleeve, and it was currently bouncing and bulging. The little ancestor inside seemed to have suddenly awakened, rampaging about inside.

She could even hear its chaotic cries: “Aowuuu! Aowuuu!”

Food!

Little brothers!

Let this marten out!

This marten wants to go out and conquer the world!