"...How are they the same? Here at my side is a sister and a future wife, right, Miss Yang?"
"Just keep a distance from the Turquoise Pool," Yang Qinglan was actually quite sharp-tongued.
Hell Road stood high in the sky, overseeing Zheng Chenggong's army, and finally focused his gaze on Li Changzhou, Yang Qinglan, and the Turquoise Pool.
"Was it you who killed the Saint Master's disciples?" Hell Road asked, his tone like that of a police interrogating a suspect.
"They wanted to kill us first," Li Changzhou said.
"So you dared to kill the Saint Master's disciples?" With that, there was a sudden slap as Hell Road struck out with his palm.
The terrifying strength, condensed to the size of a palm, had barely left his hand when it reached Li Changzhou, quick as lightning.
Li Changzhou blew out a breath, dissipating the palm power.
"You dare to resist!" Hell Road clenched his five fingers, and amid booming sounds, endless chains descended from the sky, as if to capture the three of them.
Yang Qinglan and the Turquoise Pool dodged the attack in a flash.
All the chains lunged toward Li Changzhou, who, with a wave of his sleeve, conjured a spiraling jade light that shredded the chains.
Ding ding ding!
Sparks flew as the jade light clashed with the chains at high speed. The indestructible Emerald Bee Sword, surprisingly, struggled against the iron chains.
"Brother!" Li Qianxia cried out.
Li Changzhou turned and threw a punch behind him, where Black Impermanence was wielding the Mourning Stick.
"Boom!" The ferocity of the punch was unmatched, one that could pierce through the Dutch "Beckerdeya."
"Hmm?" Li Changzhou dodged swiftly, his punch passed through the Mourning Stick and Black Impermanence as if they didn't exist.
The Mourning Stick swung before him, its cold aura enough to severely sicken any ordinary person.
Black Impermanence exerted force with his wrist, swinging the Mourning Stick again.
The void shattered, and the Black Death God, wielding a White Bone Scythe, clashed with a "ding!" blocking the Mourning Stick.
"Ding ding dang dang~" White Impermanence appeared, shaking the Summoning Bell in his hand, causing Li Changzhou to be momentarily dizzy.
By the time he regained his senses, he was already entangled in chains.
"Brother!"
"Changzhou!"
Yang Qinglan and Li Qianxia made a move, as the Turquoise Pool transformed into a green gigantic palm, striking toward the corporeal form of Hell Road.
"Stay back!" Li Changzhou warned the two.
Hell Road's form flashed, disappearing into the void as the green giant palm shattered the sea surface, revealing the ocean bed three meters deep, even sinking it.
"The heavens have six paths, I govern Hell; all beings are ghosts, none dare disobey."
Boom! Boom! Boom! Dark clouds surged in the sky, rolling like waves, as the eighteen levels of Hell descended onto the mortal world.
Wrapped in black light, Hell Road's lips were dark purple, a black dot on his brow, dressed in a great robe of Hell, sitting atop the eighteen levels like King Yanluo.
The crowd was dumbstruck; previously bloodied soldiers knelt, endlessly kowtowing toward King Yanluo.
"Those who offend the Heavenly Might shall die!" Hell Road decreed, his voice containing the Heavenly Constitution.
Amid a great clanking of iron chains, the chains retracted, dragging Li Changzhou toward the eighteen levels of Hell.
"Brother!"
"Qian Xia!" Yang Qinglan grabbed Li Qianxia's wrist, whispering through "Illusion Listening," "Your brother is doing this intentionally, trust him."
Li Qianxia glanced anxiously at her, then at Li Changzhou being dragged into the dark clouds, took a deep breath, suppressing emotions that seemed to scorch her insides.
"Immortal Master!" Zheng Chenggong held the Imperial Sword tightly, sweat trickling down his temples like worms.
As soon as Li Changzhou entered Hell, myriad yakshas and evil spirits surged forward, their mouths like swords, eyes like lightning, hands like bronze claws, more terrifying than any carnivorous beast.
The yakshas and evil spirits scrambled, and eventually one yaksha and one evil spirit triumphed, pressing Li Changzhou toward Hell Road.
Li Changzhou observed these yakshas and evil spirits, according to information from the Turquoise Pool, these were the failed ones who, unable to endure the torments of the eighteen levels, could only transform into yakshas and evil spirits, obeying Hell Road's orders.
No wonder he's called Saint Master; no wonder his followers are so arrogant.
Imagine, if one day the Six Paths become reality, the Saint Master would be more than just a Saint Master, he would be the Heavenly Dao itself.
"Kneel!" Yakshas and evil spirits together pressed down on Li Changzhou's shoulders, trying to force him to kneel.
Li Changzhou scoffed coldly, while he could not touch these hellish creatures, they came to touch him, comparing strength with him—to put it in terms fit for the times—
A mantis trying to topple a tree, a firefly's glow daring to compete with the sun and the moon.
Unmoved, Li Changzhou remained unshakeable, and the yakshas and evil spirits could do nothing to him.
"Very well!" Hell Road spoke, her dark purple lips transforming her from a cold beauty to a deadly femme fatale, "When you die, stay in Hell, and I might make you a judge."
She had already written off Li Changzhou, not considering him a threat at all.
Hell Road made a gesture, and a black light flew from Li Changzhou's body into her hand, turning into a booklet.
"Li Changzhou, 20 years old, this year on September 6, killed Ma Peng in self-defense, not guilty."
"This year on September 13, saved Zheng Qing, gained one merit."
"This year on September 18, killed..."
It was something similar to the Book of Life and Death!
But it seemed quite concise, lacking more specific details.
After Hell Road finished reading, Li Changzhou couldn't be considered a good person, but he wasn't a bad person either, his merits slightly outweighed.
Pretty much consistent with Li Changzhou's self-assessment—not a good person, but not a bad one either, willing to help others when capable.
"1661, killed four disciples of the Saint Master, a greatly evil crime, all merits canceled, punishment: cast down to the eighteenth layer of Hell, never to reincarnate!"
"Nonsense," Li Changzhou raged with a laugh, "Is that what is written there?"
Hell Road scoffed coldly, flung the booklet, and dropped it in front of Li Changzhou; it was exactly as Hell Road had said, in black and white.
"Hell is my Hell, the Saint Master's Hell, who are you to defy, cast him down!"
Hell Road's voice boomed like thunder, commanding respect without showing anger.
The yakshas and evil ghosts sneered, having suffered in hell before, and forever imprisoned in the eighteenth layer, they gradually grew to enjoy watching others being tortured.
They pressed Li Changzhou down to the first layer of Hell.
The first layer, Tongue-pulling Hell, where those in the mortal world who sow discord, slander others, are slick talkers, crafty in argument, and deceptive, are cast after death.
Before meeting Yang Qinglan, while gaming, Li Changzhou liked to mess with people's minds, but he never caused discord or slandered people online.
According to heavenly law, even if he entered Hell, it wouldn't be this layer, but this was Hell Road's Hell, the Saint Master's Hell.
"Brother!" Li Qianxia yelled.
All the people of Lu'er Gate looked up at the swirling black clouds of Hell in the sky.
"Royal Highness, has the Immortal Master serving us incurred heaven's punishment?" Yang Chaodong's face showed panic and confusion.
What he had seen in the past few days had overturned his lifetime's worldview.
"Impossible!" Zheng Chenggong forcefully gripped the ship's rail, his knuckles whitening, "If Heaven truly had eyes, it would never assist the Dutch!"
Heaven wouldn't, only the Black Card destined to be phased out by history yet given a sliver of opportunity would.
In Tongue-pulling Hell, an invisible force pried open Li Changzhou's mouth.
Pain! Excruciating pain!
Compared to burning his hand, this was nothing!
Like reversing rivers!
His entire stomach contracted inward, his intestines were even pulled out.
"Ughh!!" Li Changzhou couldn't help but roar like a wild beast.
But with his tongue pulled out, he could only whimper, wailing in agony.
This counted as one punishment.
"Hahaha! Hehehe!" the yakshas and evil ghosts sneered, they had suffered this torment and knew the taste.
Now personally administering it, the pain was unbearable, they wished all under heaven could experience this bitterness!
"Brother!" Li Qianxia broke free from Yang Qinglan's grasp, her whole body bursting with golden light as if cast from gold, ready to transform into the Roc Body, ascend to the heavens, and rescue her brother from Hell.
"Continue." Hell Road, emotionless, "Scissors Hell, cut off his ten fingers."
Li Changzhou gasped for air, lifting his head.
"Hahaha!" he laughed loudly, "Very well, continue!"
Li Qianxia was again caught by Yang Qinglan.
She didn't have time to use "Phantom Listening," instead saying softly, "Don't you trust me, or do you not trust your brother either? He just used his physical strength, not even his mana."
As his internals regrew and his tongue was restored, Li Changzhou distinctly felt the dam-like barrier to the final step of "Physical Enhancement" being breached a little by the torrent of pain and recovery.
He was one step closer to the third "Physical Enhancement."
Just as he had speculated before!
The punishment in the eighteen layers of Hell was comprehensive, leaving no part of the body unattended, and would take care of every area.
Since hearing about the eighteen layers of Hell in Turquoise Pool, he had this thought!
As for the pain... what of pain? The greatest pain in the world is to hurt without gain, to strive without seeing a return.
Li Changzhou was looking forward.
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