“Righteousness and evil…” Jian Chou slowly pondered, somewhat sensing the fluctuations of worldly affairs. But she didn’t answer this question, only saying: “I’ve never known.”

Never known. Frank to a surprising degree. Such a response was completely beyond Fu Chaosheng’s expectations, so much so that even with his composure, he was actually stunned for quite a while.

After a moment, he finally smiled: “So you contemplate because you don’t know?”

The “righteousness and evil” that Fu Chaosheng asked about and the “righteousness and evil” that Jian Chou contemplated were definitely not the same thing. This point was also clear in Jian Chou’s heart, but she didn’t explain to Fu Chaosheng, only nodding in tacit agreement.

Because the greater questions of righteousness and evil remained a complete blur to her. Even the smaller-scale righteousness and evil, constrained by her limited knowledge of the facts, was still completely murky.

So it seemed that contemplation was also useless. She wasn’t someone who would plan very far ahead for herself, because future changes were simply too numerous – no one could predict them accurately. It was just like how she had once pinned her future hopes on Xie Buchen.

But the final development was something the her of that time could never have imagined, no matter how much she racked her brains. At present, what Jian Chou considered was only that ever-approaching Eighteenth Level of Hell!

Now they had already reached the eighth level. After the consumption of the previous seven levels, there were fewer and fewer people left on the Nebula Scroll, especially after that chaotic battle at the sinkhole, which had directly eliminated quite a few opponents from their team.

But after all, they had been delayed there for a while, and their originally far-leading advantage over others had now dwindled to almost nothing. Sima Languan and that mysterious red-robed female cultivator probably weren’t far behind them either.

Moreover, there were many other passages in hell – they wouldn’t necessarily pass through the Ice Prison Bureau. That so many people had previously gathered at the sinkhole – calling it coincidence, Jian Chou wouldn’t believe it.

That fat Prison Bureau Chief who could give them a map would naturally give it to others as well. Besides, who said the other Prison Bureaus would be honest?

Furthermore, that sinkhole marked on the earlier map had truly been fraught with countless dangers. Though they had taken a shortcut, the price they paid was even greater.

So in the remaining route, they abandoned their original path and still chose to go via the Prison Bureaus. Whether it was because of Little Marten’s earlier intimidating display of swallowing the Kui bull in one bite, the first half of this level remained calm and peaceful throughout their journey, with nothing at all coming out to attack.

Only in the latter half did enormous hawks and falcons finally fly out. Their wings seemed forged from white bone, even growing sharp backward spikes. When they struck from above, they were like cannonballs, causing the Kunwu Battle Chariot to shake continuously.

But at this moment, though Jian Chou’s team had lost the old woman, they had gained Fu Chaosheng as replacement. Combined with Jian Chou’s breakthrough in cultivation realm and her possession of powerful weapons, her attack power when fighting had increased layer upon layer – these creatures didn’t cause them any trouble.

Thus, they passed through with danger but no mishaps. They actually directly passed the eighth level and reached the ninth level. The next level was a vast swamp, with all kinds of strange creatures launching surprise attacks from the sky, from the forests, from the marshes, from every direction!

Even with the cultivation and abilities of Jian Chou and the others, upon seeing this scene, they couldn’t help but feel their scalps tingle as they fell into bitter battle.

“Looks like there won’t be any good fights to watch for a while…” Outside the Eighteen Levels of Hell, in the seventy-two cities of the Extreme Domain, many people breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to relax their taut nerves somewhat.

No helping it – what had happened earlier was simply too stimulating. One Jian Chou mysteriously disappearing; the consistently lagging Lihan easily catching up with everyone and effortlessly blocking Sima Languan in a single exchange during the chaotic battle; the sinkhole erupting into a great marten-bull battle, with even most of the Cauldron Competition participants gathering there for a chaotic battle that could be called “gang warfare”…

No one could refuse such exciting developments. So during this period, the attention on the entire Extreme Domain Cauldron Competition reached its peak, and attention on Jian Chou broke records unprecedentedly.

It could be said that the judges responsible for recording various Cauldron Competition situations, when they discovered the number of mysterious rings connected to Jian Chou’s Cauldron Ring at that time, couldn’t help but gasp in amazement.

The highest in Cauldron Competition history! The number actually comprised nearly eighty percent of the entire Competition’s viewing audience! How terrifying was that?

Even for some time after this chaotic battle ended, this number maintained for quite a while. Only when battles rarely occurred and everyone began boring level-clearing did the numbers slowly decrease.

But calculating the proportion of cultivators paying attention to Jian Chou, she still left other cultivators far behind.

Who could resist this female cultivator’s charm? Even though everyone knew she was the Competition’s gimmick, such stylish gimmicks were rare. Whether making decisions or fighting, she always had that spirit of “though thousands and tens of thousands oppose me, I shall go forth.”

Even when they were just boringly dealing with difficulties from hell itself, countless people persisted in watching. No other reason than “screen licking.”

This was a new term that had recently appeared in the Extreme Domain, originating from a female cultivator obsessed with Jian Chou. She had once said with starry eyes to those around her: “As long as Jian Chou appears on the eight-paneled screens and is fighting someone, I want to kneel down and lick her…”

These words were originally quite disgusting. But somehow, before long, these two words “screen licking” spread like plague throughout the entire Extreme Domain. Later they weren’t only used for Jian Chou – some people felt Fu Chaosheng and Zhang Tang, even including that Sima Languan whose beauty or ugliness was unknown, could also be licked…

In any case, the few people still remaining in the Cauldron Competition all had certain fan bases. The statues on the Nebula Scroll gradually became sparse, battles in the Eighteen Levels of Hell correspondingly became increasingly rare, entering a relatively peaceful period. But in the gambling houses of the seventy-two cities, the atmosphere became unprecedentedly heated.

The Competition was more than half over. The enormous consumption in the first half meant reduced fighting in the latter half. But it also meant getting closer and closer to the end.

Ultimately, who could become the Cauldron Prime? Who might be chosen by the Eight Directions Yama Halls and Ten Great Ghost Clans? What would they each become in the future?

Those betting on Jian Chou were fanatical supporters; those betting on Sima Languan judged based on past strength, trusting the Ghost King Clan; those betting on Lihan valued the abnormal strength Lihan had previously displayed…

Different odds represented different popularity levels. Time slowly passed in this contrasting development above and below ground.

Thirteen days flashed by like a snap of fingers. The previously cooled enthusiasm began to slowly revive – because on this day, Jian Chou and the others had already passed through layers of obstacles, experienced countless trials, and reached the seventeenth level!

The second to last level of the entire hell, with only the final level’s distance remaining before the end!

Humming sounds rang out in the darkness. Countless mysterious rings reconnected to Jian Chou’s Cauldron Ring. Though she couldn’t sense it, she could guess the situation outside.

“So this is the second level of the Heaven Realm…” Beneath their feet was a small boat drifting on the river surface. The Kunwu Battle Chariot had vanished without trace.

Jian Chou looked at the surrounding scenery. From the moment they entered the first level of the Heaven Realm, her tightly furrowed brow had never relaxed.

A vast river rolled with surging waves, flowing toward the distance. On both banks stretched continuous high mountains with strange peaks jutting out abruptly, precipitous cliffs rising tall, withered pines hanging inverted from rock faces. Halfway up the mountains, ethereal cloud qi shrouded everything, breaking the heavenly light into seven-colored auroras that filled the firmament.

Among the drifting clouds and mist, several cave dwellings could vaguely be seen, seeming like immortal grottos. The wind blowing across the great river beneath their feet carried a refreshing fragrance, as if some aromatic essence had dispersed within it. But it didn’t make people feel dizzy – rather, it was refreshing and invigorating.

The vegetation growing on the mountainside cliffs all emanated rounded divine light. Various fruits hung among the branches and leaves, while flowers of different forms released their fragrance toward the morning mist.

Where was this like a level within the Eighteen Levels of Hell? It was simply like arriving in a transcendent immortal realm, ethereally unworldly to the extreme, beautiful enough to intoxicate the heart!

“We have traveled all this way, experiencing Hell Realm, Hungry Ghost Realm, Animal Realm, Asura Realm, Human Realm, and finally this Heaven Realm.” Chen Tingyan was familiar with all kinds of common knowledge in the Extreme Domain.

Now seeing this scene, his heart held a strange sentiment. His gaze flickered slightly with some confusion: “The Heaven Realm also has three levels, called Desire Realm Heaven, Form Realm Heaven, and Formless Realm Heaven. We are now in the Form Realm Heaven…”

Jian Chou didn’t speak. Her gaze surveying the surroundings became even more grave, with a vague discomfort slowly growing in her heart.

The Kunwu Battle Chariot, upon entering the first level of Heaven Realm – Desire Realm Heaven – seemed to be attacked by some force and instantly crumbled. Even the black shadow hiding within the chariot shrieked as it turned to smoke.

It was as if this place wasn’t hell at all, but rather the domain of enlightened immortals that simply wouldn’t tolerate such evil things defiling it.

Hell Realm was layers of suffering; Hungry Ghost Realm was full of evil spirits; Animal Realm had many monsters harboring resentment; Asura Realm was ethereally drifting,介于 beings between human, divine, and ghostly; Human Realm transformed them into mortals experiencing various sufferings, going through countless forms of pain…

Reaching Heaven Realm, they began transcending suffering.

The first level, Desire Realm Heaven, as they progressed, opened realm after realm gradually before their eyes. This was where those who had accumulated merit in life, with more good than evil, entered.

They gradually shed the various desires belonging to humans. Every gesture possessed powerful strength, approaching the “Heaven” in “Heaven Realm.”

The second level, Form Realm Heaven, already seemed like celestial dwelling caves. The character “Form” in Buddhism represented all human perception of surrounding things, arising from human attachment and obsession with worldly things – a kind of vexation and trouble, also called “form characteristics.”

In terms of cultivation realm, Form Realm Heaven meant removing all human “form characteristics” to again approach the “Heaven Realm.”

Reaching the third level, Formless Realm Heaven, on the foundation of formlessness, one must sever various “thoughts” – form thoughts, consciousness thoughts, thought thoughts, non-thought thoughts.

Finally reaching the realm where humans and heaven are one. When humans and heaven are one, one becomes immortal, becomes Buddha.

“Fellow Daoist Jian Chou, what’s wrong with you?” Perhaps because Jian Chou had remained silent for so long without expressing any opinion on this, Chen Tingyan couldn’t help asking.

Jian Chou withdrew her gaze. Beneath her feet was just a small boat. Gu Ling sat at the boat’s edge. Having experienced the grief of losing the old woman, her entire person had become much more tranquil. Combined with the trials along the way, she actually appeared much more mature, with more determination in her eyes.

She also looked at Jian Chou, clearly somewhat puzzled. But Jian Chou only said: “Just thinking these Eighteen Levels of Hell don’t seem like hell. The later levels are no different from the human world, or even immortal realms. Really don’t know what we’ll see when we reach the eighteenth level…”

Vaguely, these Eighteen Levels of Hell seemed to portend something. They represented layer upon layer of realms throughout heaven and earth, but Jian Chou didn’t know if they were right or wrong.

Those with the deepest sins were in hell’s most difficult places. Yet as one gradually shed desires, it seemed one could ascend to bliss…

The Extreme Domain and Nineteen Continents stood opposite each other, like two sides of a mirror. Yet Heaven Realm was in the deepest part of the Eighteenth Level of Hell…

Fu Chaosheng was also reaching such depths of hell for the first time, naturally also his first time truly seeing such magnificent scenery. But his voice was the most indifferent among everyone.

“The deeper we go, the less hell resembles hell – what’s strange about that? We cultivators, the more we cultivate, don’t we also become less human? Reaching the eighteenth level, it will probably be the true immortal realm, the true Buddha land.”

The more one cultivated, the less human one became. This sentence was sharp as a blade, seeming able to slice open all the secrets in Jian Chou’s heart, exposing all those bloody things from the past.

In that instant, she only felt the depths of her mind were ice-cold. What realm did cultivators throughout the world pursue – Dao realms, Buddha realms – which didn’t involve severing human desires, extinguishing human nature, becoming one with heaven?

So humans should be pure-hearted with few desires. So humans should sever emotions and cut off love. So Xie Buchen would draw his sword against her. So the current Jian Chou would emerge.

Jian Chou’s face showed neither sorrow nor joy. She only glanced back at Fu Chaosheng: “Young Master Li’s words seem to have deeper meaning.”

“Just occasional sighs, nothing more.” Fu Chaosheng’s black robes belonging to Lihan swayed with the wind from the river surface. Standing at the boat’s prow, he seemed to merge with the entire heaven and earth, giving an illusory sense of natural integration.

This was because he originally emerged from nature and received heaven and earth’s creation. But actually, Jian Chou’s heart was very clear – Fu Chaosheng held doubts about this world, doubts about this world’s rules, and naturally countless incomprehensions about these so-called “people.”

But for her personally, these doubts also existed, unchanged by her being human herself. In the current Heaven Realm hell level before them, these doubts were even more useless.

Chen Tingyan watched them and listened to their seemingly profound dialogue. His heart twitched, and he finally couldn’t resist speaking up.

“I say, we’re just ghost cultivators.” “In six hundred years of Extreme Domain history, we’ve never heard of anyone achieving the Dao and ascending. It’s completely different from the outside world. The Eighteen Levels of Hell, moreover, were built because of their great connection to Buddhism – it’s not the path we should take.”

“You’ve been going back and forth for ages – better to think about what to do next.”

Saying this, Chen Tingyan paused. His eyes, characteristic of spoiled young masters, slanted across the other several people, then he raised his fan and pointed toward one direction on the riverbank: “Look, that person seems to have been standing there for quite a while.”

Upon these words, the entire small boat immediately fell silent. Everyone almost didn’t react at first, not knowing what Chen Tingyan meant. But when they followed his pointing direction and turned to look, they were all collectively shocked—

On a stone beach covered with white stones by the riverbank, at some unknown time, a figure was already standing.

White cloth robes hung loosely, eyes carrying the wild abandon of someone awakening from tonight’s wine, with some blue stubble on his chin. He stood holding a qin, bare feet suspended a foot above the ground, slightly disheveled hair hanging down, tied at the back with a deep purple satin ribbon.

Ghost King Clan, Zhong Lanling! How… had he managed this? He seemed to have stood on that shore for quite a while, even arriving before them! Could it be they weren’t the fastest team?

Jian Chou’s mind raced. She instinctively glanced at Fu Chaosheng, but he showed no significant reaction, only looking at Zhong Lanling. She remembered Fu Chaosheng saying he had fought Zhong Lanling and forced him to retreat.

But in the sinkhole battle, they hadn’t seen this person at all. Whether he was still lagging behind or had taken a different path, thus missing them entirely, no one was clear…

This feeling of being waited for like sitting ducks was extremely unpleasant. Jian Chou’s brow immediately furrowed even tighter.

Zhong Lanling naturally noticed as well, but somehow, that aura he had previously sensed from Jian Chou had become even more intense than when they were on the first level, deeper.

This feeling came from his qin, from his soul, from his consciousness… As if it were innate. Indescribable.

He bore some scars, and his robe corner had a torn opening, but his gaze fell directly on that small boat in the river’s heart, or rather, on Jian Chou.

Seeing the small boat had drifted to directly in front, everyone on board had become alert. Yet Zhong Lanling still showed no intention of attacking, only gazing intently, speaking in that slightly hoarse voice: “This humble one is Zhong Lanling of the Ghost King Clan. I have confusion that has troubled my heart for long and wish to consult Fellow Daoist Jian Chou. May I ask a question?”