"The Eighteen Levels of Hell?!"
Inside the Asura God Temple, Tang San's cry of alarm had yet to fade when the Shrek Seven Devils around him sensed that something was wrong.
They had known Tang San for many years and naturally understood their Third Brother's temperament.
No matter how formidable an enemy he faced, Tang San had always maintained a calm exterior. Even when trapped in a desperate situation, he would try every means to find a way out.
But now, merely hearing the name Eighteen Levels of Hell had made Tang San so visibly lose his composure!
His shock even seemed to outweigh the distress he had shown when facing Yue Guan earlier.
The last time they had seen Tang San lose his composure like this was when White Impermanence Yue Guan had revealed God King Level strength and forced Tang San, the Asura God, into a string of retreats.
Could these so-called Eighteen Levels of Hell be even more terrifying than Yue Guan?
Or did the entrance to hell under Black Impermanence Ghost Douluo's control conceal some horror that even gods could not withstand?
For a moment, everyone's eyes turned to Tang San.
Xiao Wu cared about nothing else. As she continued treating Tang San's injuries, she asked him a question, her face full of concern.
"Third Brother, what's wrong?"
"What sort of place are the Eighteen Levels of Hell? Why did hearing that name make you react like this?"
Her gentle voice was filled with concern.
Tang San, however, did not answer immediately.
His pupils contracted slightly, as though stirred by images buried deep in his memories.
The memories of his previous life surged wildly through his mind like a tide that had lain dormant for ages.
It was a world far more unfamiliar than the Douluo Continent.
And it was also a name that had once existed only in countless legends!
The Eighteen Levels of Hell!
At the thought of that place, Tang San felt a chill run down his spine. Even his breathing, which had only just settled, grew erratic again.
No!
I absolutely can't let the Shrek Seven Devils rush into a place like that!
Even though he had now become a god, held the position of Asura God, and wielded divine power capable of cleaving mountains and rivers, Tang San still had no confidence when it came to that legendary place.
He himself was unwilling to cross that boundary lightly!
"In any case, all of you, remember this!"
Tang San suddenly raised his head, his voice rising sharply.
"The Eighteen Levels of Hell must not be entered!"
"No matter the cost, you must never enter the Eighteen Levels of Hell on your own!"
"You must not enter!"
Tang San nearly gritted his teeth as he spoke that last sentence.
Seeing Tang San so solemn, the Shrek Seven Devils exchanged glances, their unease growing.
What secrets lay hidden in a place that even the Asura God feared so much?
Before anyone could ask further, however, the scene in the sky abruptly changed.
Black clouds shrouded heaven and earth.
Amid roiling ghostly Qi, Black Impermanence Ghost Douluo appeared once more, holding the Soul-Summoning Banner.
He wore the black robes of Impermanence, and the Soul-Summoning Banner in his hand flapped fiercely.
Countless evil souls wailed and struggled within the banner, as though awaiting some final judgment.
At that moment, the voice in the sky rang out slowly.
[Evil souls must be suppressed, and sins must be repaid!] [Black Impermanence Ghost Douluo wields the Soul-Summoning Banner, captures the world's evil souls, escorts them to the Underworld, and sends them into the Eighteen Levels of Hell!] [No matter their status in life or the power they once possessed, those burdened with grave sins who become evil souls after death must face the Underworld's judgment!] [The Eighteen Levels of Hell are where evil souls atone for their sins!]
As the voice in the sky fell silent, the Soul-Summoning Banner in Ghost Douluo's hand suddenly shook.
In an instant, a deep, dark vortex appeared on its surface.
The vortex spun faster and faster, and a chilling presence seemed to pierce through space and time, leading straight to a dark place beyond words.
The next instant, heavy rumblings echoed from within the vortex.
It was as though a gate sealed for countless ages were slowly opening!
Ghost Douluo's expression was stern as he raised his hand and waved the Soul-Summoning Banner.
The evil souls suppressed by the banner instantly turned into streaks of black and plunged into the vortex, one after another.
No amount of begging could change their fate.
Nor could any power free them from the Underworld's custody.
Under Ghost Douluo's control, the evil souls were sent into the entrance to hell batch after batch, vanishing from everyone's sight.
As those evil souls entered, the true Eighteen Levels of Hell finally lifted their mysterious veil before the entire Douluo Continent!
Rumble!
The scene in the sky suddenly expanded.
A boundless netherworld came into view.
In the first level of hell, a blazing fire of punishment burned sinful souls, their piercing wails rising and falling one after another.
The scene changed again, revealing a bone-chilling prison of ice. Countless evil souls were frozen by the penetrating cold, making even struggling immensely difficult.
Then came mountains of blades, seas of fire, iron trees, cauldrons of oil...
One heart-stopping scene of hell after another appeared!
Each level of hell seemed to possess its own rules.
Every punishment was directed at the sins of the evil souls.
Those evil souls who had once lorded it over others and bullied people by abusing their power in the mortal world no longer had any of their former ferocity after entering hell.
Some struggled desperately, trying to escape the place of punishment.
Others roared madly, vainly attempting to use what power they had left to resist the Underworld.
But no matter how they struggled, in the end, they could only bear the punishment they deserved under the suppression of hell's rules.
The scene in the sky did not stop there.
As it continued deeper, more and more scenes of hell appeared before everyone.
The oppressive feeling that washed over them even made many Soul Masters watching the sky catch their breath.
They had never imagined that such a terrifying place existed in the world!
If the earlier scene of Black Impermanence Ghost Douluo suppressing evil souls had only allowed them to feel the Underworld's strength, then the Eighteen Levels of Hell now on display made them truly understand what terror meant!
This was no longer a simple difference in power.
It was a complete system of punishment!
Evil souls were captured, sins were judged, and punishments were carried out according to the rules of hell.
From the moment they entered hell, those once-arrogant evil souls could no longer do as they pleased!
Across the Douluo Continent, countless people's scalps tingled as they watched.
"My heavens... is that really where people go after they die?"
"Who on earth built such a terrifying hell?"
"How many sins did those evil souls commit in life to deserve such punishment?"
Some instinctively stepped back, as though moving farther from the sky could spare them the chill coming from the scene.
Others recalled the many legends they had once heard and could not help trembling all over.
On the Douluo Continent, the belief that the strong reigned supreme had long been deeply rooted.
Many Soul Masters used their strength to run rampant, treating ordinary people's lives like blades of grass.
But now, the Underworld's existence seemed to sound an alarm for everyone.
Possessing power in life did not mean one could do as one pleased after death.
Even those who had once been mighty figures high above others had to face the Underworld's judgment if they became evil souls!
At that thought, the way many people looked at the sky changed.
Alongside their awe was an even greater, indescribable shock.
If the Underworld truly could suppress the world's evil souls, what would such power mean for ordinary people with no one to rely on?
They did not dare jump to conclusions.
But at least at this moment, everyone understood one thing.
The Underworld was not a place to be provoked lightly!
Inside the Fengdu Grand Hall, the sight before her had likewise claimed all of Bibi Dong's attention.
Bibi Dong had now become the Underworld's Meng Po, but even so, she still showed some surprise at the scenes of the Eighteen Levels of Hell appearing one after another in the sky.
"So these are the Eighteen Levels of Hell?"
Bibi Dong gazed at the sky, a curious glint flashing in her eyes.
As the former Pope of Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong had seen her share of countless powerful figures and strange things.
Yet a netherworld devoted to punishing evil souls still exceeded Bibi Dong's imagination.
The Underworld not only possessed powerful figures like Yue Guan and Ghost Douluo, but also such a complete and rigorous order.
Capturing souls, suppressing souls, judgment, atonement.
Every step seemed to have been arranged long ago.
The Underworld's foundations ran far deeper than Bibi Dong had originally imagined!
Compared with Bibi Dong's surprise, however, the ghostly deities of the Underworld around her reacted much more calmly.
They had long known of the Eighteen Levels of Hell and naturally would not make a fuss over the scenes shown in the sky.
Qian Daoliu stroked his beard, a hint of emotion appearing in his eyes.
"The Eighteen Levels of Hell are one of the Underworld's greatest sources of pride."
"No matter how arrogant and domineering those deeply sinful evil souls were in life, once they enter hell, they must pay for what they have done."
"That is the majesty the Underworld ought to possess!"
Hearing Qian Daoliu's words, Bibi Dong could not help turning her head.
"Qian Daoliu, have you seen the Eighteen Levels of Hell with your own eyes?"
Qian Daoliu nodded slightly, a trace of pride in his expression.
"Of course I have."
"And that is precisely why I know even better just how incredible the Underworld's power is."
With that, Qian Daoliu looked back at the sky.
The scenes of the Eighteen Levels of Hell continued to change.
Those dark gateways seemed to connect to endless sins and punishments.
Chen Yuan, seated on the throne in the Fengdu Grand Hall, watched the scene with a meaningful smile on his face.
"The Eighteen Levels of Hell..."
Chen Yuan gently tapped the armrest of his throne. His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable majesty.
"This is the place our Underworld takes the greatest pride in."
"It is both a place to punish evil souls and a place where the Underworld's enemies learn what true fear is."
As his words fell, the expressions of all the ghostly deities in the hall turned solemn.
They knew very well that the Great Emperor of Fengdu never made empty threats.
Since the Underworld could bring evil souls to judgment, it naturally had the ability to make any being that dared challenge its majesty pay the price.
Meanwhile, the scene in the sky continued.
The terrifying sights of the Eighteen Levels of Hell were finally displayed in full before everyone on the Douluo Continent and in the Divine Realm.
Even those gods high above others could no longer maintain their initial composure.
In the Asura God Temple, the Shrek Seven Devils watched the frightening scenes in the sky and finally understood why Tang San had lost his composure earlier.
The Eighteen Levels of Hell were indeed not a place one could enter lightly!
Yet Black Impermanence Ghost Douluo controlled the entrance to a place that even Tang San was unwilling to approach.
What did that mean?
It meant that the Soul-Summoning Banner in Ghost Douluo's hand was far more than a magical implement for suppressing evil souls!
It was more like a key.
A key that could open the gates of hell and send evil souls into endless punishment!
The Shrek Seven Devils felt a chill rise from the bottom of their hearts.
Elsewhere in the Divine Realm, the other gods looked no better.
They had thought the Underworld was merely a newly emerged force and that, even with a few powerful figures, it might not truly be able to shake the Divine Realm's standing.
But now, the appearance of the Eighteen Levels of Hell made them realize for the first time that they might have underestimated the Underworld from the very beginning.
The power hidden in the depths of the netherworld was far more terrifying than they had imagined.
Throughout the Divine Realm, the members of the Shrek Seven Devils were already trembling with fear, and the other gods seemed little better off.