Chapter 1694: Eighteen Layers of Hell

Yinghuo, an ominous and demonic planet, was Ye Fan's deepest impression. Here, he held deeply etched memories, for half of his classmates had perished on this very ground.

Recalling the experiences of that year, it felt as if they had happened only yesterday.

How many past events could ever be relived? Every detail of the past had faded with time. Some people would never be seen again. He still remembered those pale faces, those helpless eyes, yearning to live.

Ye Fan stood silently. It was in this very spot that several good brothers had successively fallen in pools of blood. No matter how hard he pulled, they could not rise again; their lives could not be saved.

Time, like a river, flowed slowly, concealing many things and carrying away many emotions.

The Nine Dragons pulling the coffin, with unknown origins and destinations, had left them adrift, unable to return to the past. Their life paths had changed irrevocably because of it, and the past years were now only memories.

Amidst experiences of life and death, and tragic anthems of blood and fire, few had survived to this day. Only a handful remained, recounting fragmented memories from a bygone era.

The wind began to rise. Yinghuo, the ancient planet, was bathed in red, with hard grains of sand everywhere. The vast, parched Gobi Desert showed no signs of life, and no familiar people or artifacts were visible.

All had been buried.

Ye Fan stepped forward. Now, with a single thought, he could make stars plummet. Planets meant nothing to him; his divine sense could completely cover this entire place.

Here, he felt an immense pressure. Yinghuo was absolutely extraordinary and could not be measured by conventional standards. Anyone who, confident in their contemporary achievements, dared to refine this planetary land would surely hit a wall.

There was indeed great terror deep beneath Yinghuo. Any rash movement would inevitably lead to a bloody catastrophe. This was Ye Fan's first instinctive reaction, and he couldn't help but frown.

Too much was buried here, documenting a profound and terrifying history. It involved battles of imperial scale from ancient times, sealed away by the years, yet still not dispersed to this day.

Ye Fan withdrew his attention from the depths of the planet's core. As he walked on the surface, the once great Great Thunderclap Temple and similar sites had long ceased to exist. Even their remnants were almost gone.

Relying on his powerful divine sense, he located the foundation of the Great Thunderclap Temple. Ancestor Crocodile was long gone, but the dungeon remained eerily desolate.

Back then, Shakyamuni had established eighteen layers of hell. These had suppressed eighteen cosmic titans. Whether it was the bloodthirsty Ancestor Crocodile or the powerful divine thought of a Great Accomplished Saint Body, none of them were ordinary beings.

This was a Yin-Yang prison, divided into two levels, upper and lower, mutually restraining and complementing each other. It was an ingenious design that had utilized the forces of heaven, earth, and nature to suppress two great demon kings for two millennia.

As Ye Fan revisited this old place, he naturally wanted to examine everything thoroughly. In the past, his cultivation was weaker, and many things were beyond his full comprehension.

“These wall carvings indeed hold deep meaning. Do they hint at the terrifying nature of Yinghuo's underground? Ancient beasts as soldiers, Qiongqi and Kunpeng as generals, leading to a deep, dark burial ground.”

Ye Fan understood. Shakyamuni had also wanted to explore the world beneath Yinghuo's abyssal eye, but he had failed. He lacked something, falling short at the last step. He could only choose to reinforce the seal to prevent the demonic creatures inside from breaking out.

Ye Fan gently brushed, and the dust cleared. A massive stone pillar creaked, and a layer of stone powder fell away, revealing nine gleaming, sparkling stars.

“The celestial coordinates of the eighteen layers of hell…” Ye Fan was surprised, realizing there were indeed hidden mysteries within.

This was the power of a Quasi-Emperor at the sixth layer: to perceive every minute detail, nothing could escape their notice. Every tiny clue could be reflected in their mind. These were the profound secrets carved by Shakyamuni.

The other eight stars were like this one, divided into upper and lower Yin-Yang prisons, each located in one of the eight ancient domains.

Ye Fan understood. He walked to the surface, and then observed Yinghuo for two days. He did not act rashly, but instead traversed the cosmos to seek out the other layers of hell.

At Ye Fan's current realm, he could go anywhere in the world. Even a demonic domain sealed by a Quasi-Emperor in the past, he could calmly break into.

Perhaps he could gain more insights, allowing him to more safely explore the secrets deep beneath Yinghuo.

His speed was immense. Though he traversed the boundless cosmos, time seemed to freeze in an instant.

He arrived at his first destination. Here, he couldn't sense any vital energy; desolation was the prevailing theme. Ye Fan murmured, “Could this be an old place where the Ninety-Nine Dragon Mountains once descended?”

He carefully explored, discovering that this had once been a source of life, but it had completely dried up. All spiritual energy had vanished, stolen by a mysterious force. Moreover, remnants on the ground indicated where dragon veins had once resided.

Yinghuo was also such a region, and Earth was the last stop, having survived and not been destroyed.

A broken stele stood here, its age unknown, untouched by human presence for countless years, with no other traces.

“Monster Sealing Stele.”

There were three ancient characters on the broken stele. Ye Fan had searched across the ancient planet and only found this peculiar spot, confirming it was the location of a prison.

He pulled up the stone stele, and immediately, surges of demonic energy erupted and gushed upwards, like a volcanic eruption, filling the air with mist and obscuring the sun.

This was indeed a dungeon, with a world-shaking great demon sealed within its first layer. It let out an excited and terrifying roar: “Fellow Daoist outside, please lend me a hand, and I shall repay you handsomely.”

“State your name,” Ye Fan said calmly.

“Great Xia Dragon Sparrow!” The roar shook heaven and earth, carrying both magnanimity and arrogance.

Ye Fan was speechless. Wasn't Great Xia Dragon Sparrow the ancestor of Long Yuxuan? He was a demon god of his era, who once commanded wind and rain in ancient China, dominating an entire period.

Could it be him, suppressed here?

Ye Fan asked, and silence fell within for a moment, followed by an enraged roar: “I only stayed there for a while, seeking immortal treasures unsuccessfully, and was instead suppressed on Yinghuo. Are you threatening me? Some of my bloodline left there is nothing; it cannot restrain me.”

Ye Fan smiled and tore open the seal. From an ancient well, a Dragon Sparrow immediately soared out, flapping its wings to strike the heavens, then diving downwards, exuding a wild and tyrannical aura.

“I rescued you, and yet you still intend to harm me?”

Ye Fan's expression was calm. He raised his hand and struck. With a thunderous roar, the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow spat blood, its body gory, golden divine feathers scattering, revealing a look of horror.

Back then, he was a demon god of his generation, at the peak of the Great Saint realm. Although Shakyamuni had stripped away most of his cultivation and suppressed him here, he had not wasted his time; he had already recovered, quietly awaiting the day of his freedom.

He hadn't expected this person to be so terrifying, and so young. He was no less fearsome than that bald monk from back then; truly terrifying.

“I merely wanted to test your strength. I bear you no ill will,” the Great Dragon Sparrow explained. A great fear welled up within him. This was no longer his era, yet such a terrifying figure had appeared once more.

“Bang!”

Ye Fan's large hand descended once more. The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow was scared out of its wits, rushing upwards towards the sky, but it was seized by a large golden hand, unable to escape.

“Please show mercy!” He couldn't help but cry out.

“This is a lesson for you. Many in this world can subdue you. Do not presume yourself powerful and engage in senseless slaughter.” Ye Fan released him. However, the Dragon Sparrow was bleeding profusely, and many of its bones were broken.

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow was filled with dread, and spoke no more.

Ye Fan opened another layer of the prison, but it was empty. The occupant had already passed away centuries ago, leaving only a skeleton, unable to withstand the erosion of time.

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow wanted to leave, but Ye Fan forcefully kept it by his side. Its divine abilities were considerable, and it acted rashly, potentially harming lives if things didn't go its way. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been suppressed in the first place.

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow was helpless. This young man was too powerful; it couldn't escape, and had no choice but to follow.

“We were suppressed, yet our lives were spared. Firstly, that bald monk was quite merciful. Secondly, we all know some secrets of Yinghuo, the divine planet, which are still valuable to future generations. It’s just that this 'left for the fated one' situation is truly infuriating,” the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow spoke frankly.

Ye Fan nodded. He hurried to the next location. This time, he unsealed two more beings: a silver snake and a hundred-legged celestial insect.

These were two great fiends. As soon as they were freed, they attacked. But Ye Fan swiftly subdued them. With one hand, he beat them into submission, leaving them no longer daring to act wildly.

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow sighed, saying, “Back then, these two were also earth-shattering figures. Had they not been suppressed by Shakyamuni, they would likely have stepped into the Quasi-Emperor realm. Yet now, they’ve been thoroughly thrashed.”

“You talk too much! Who doesn't know you were a great fiend yourself back then? And now aren't you a docile bird?!” the hundred-legged celestial insect retorted.

In this manner, Ye Fan consecutively broke open seven stars, releasing a total of twelve ancient beings. All were extremely powerful. He had nothing to say to these demonic fiends; if they dared to cause trouble, he would directly fight them.

This method proved very effective. Ye Fan had disciplined these great evils into behaving honestly, not daring to cause trouble, and forced to follow him.

He did not confine these individuals. His Quasi-Emperor sixth-layer cultivation was sufficient to intimidate them. Any great fiend could only cower before such a powerful expert; to resist would be to court death.

When he arrived at the last star, someone challenged Ye Fan. This was the only Quasi-Emperor among them, and also the most powerful and terrifying one from back then.

This person had had their cultivation stripped away. Through two millennia of arduous cultivation, they had managed to restore their divine abilities. They had even almost advanced further. He was a powerhouse at the Quasi-Emperor third layer, but alas, he had never managed to escape.

When Ye Fan broke open this last prison, it indeed took him some effort.

This was an ancient bird, its body covered in brilliant fiery-red feathers. It had transformed, wearing a Daoist robe. It immediately challenged Ye Fan to a decisive battle, knowing that if it didn't fight, it would be subdued and unable to escape.

“If your temperament is peaceful, I will not keep you by my side; I will let you go. However, since I have released you, I must be responsible for other living beings. I will not allow you to leave and cause chaos.”

Ye Fan made his move against it. It was still very simple. With a flick of his sleeve, he enveloped it; no matter how immense its divine abilities, it could not fly out of this universe.

“This old rooster, once known as the Mountain Phoenix, had a revived bloodline and was virtually unrivaled among all demon races. He had been undefeated in his life before meeting that bald monk, and now today he has encountered a major setback once more.”

“The old rooster is really out of luck. He's arrogant, but he always encounters supreme powerhouses who suppress him.”

Other demons whispered, some taking schadenfreude, having suffered under him in the past, they enjoyed seeing him humbled.

“Argh…”

This ancient mountain bird roared, its phoenix blood boiling. Its Daoist robe shattered, transforming into a hundred thousand divine feathers that shot towards Ye Fan, attempting to break free from his sleeve.

“The old rooster is fighting for its life! It's truly enraged, holding nothing back; it's completely naked!”

Ye Fan was speechless. This Daoist transformed from a pheasant spirit was truly violent, acting in such a manner. He raised his hand and flipped it down, suppressing it and forcing it to reveal its true form. It was indeed a featherless rooster.

With a difference of three layers of cultivation, and Ye Fan's overwhelming strength, this ancient demon simply had no means to resist. Though extremely powerful, it was far from being a match.

“I submit!”

Finally, the old mountain chicken yielded, revealing its origins. It was indeed a rooster spirit, which had attained enlightenment in an immortal's cave and cultivated supreme divine abilities.

It hated being called a pheasant or rooster spirit, and thus called itself the Mountain Phoenix.

Ye Fan naturally wouldn't humiliate it. He kindly explained the purpose of seeking them out.

The group of fourteen returned to Yinghuo. These individuals had all come for immortal treasures back then, and knew some secrets. Together, they would be of great help in exploring this place.

In fact, although these thirteen great demon fiends were initially somewhat defiant, once they arrived here, their attitudes softened considerably. They also wanted to see the ultimate treasures and great secrets within Yinghuo.

“Everyone, since we have chosen the same path, let us explore it together,” Ye Fan said.

He felt a surge of emotion. Back then, the eighteen layers of hell were merely a legend to him. He never imagined that one day he would personally break them open, releasing a total of thirteen living ancient beings.