Chapter 295: The Snow Lion Cub
The young master from the Xiao family, in his moment of desperation, let out such a pitiful cry that even Qiao Wan and Fang Lingqing were shaken.
Who the heck wants to eat poop!!
"Or..." Qiao Wan hesitated, "Should we wait for the next bus?"
Xiao Boyang frowned and said, "Fine, fine, fine. We'll wait for the next one then! No backing out. Whoever backs out, I'll bite them to death."
Fang Lingqing looked at the vast "poop sea" not far away and said, "The key to getting out is probably in there."
In an instant, both Qiao Wan and Xiao Boyang's faces changed.
"Oh my, Su Rui can't be so malicious, right? This is too disgusting."
But upon further thought about the grudges between the demon realm and the cultivation world, if Su Rui deliberately set up this loophole in the "poop sea," the trio would be in trouble.
Fang Lingqing frowned and said, "Isn't it said that these loopholes are usually placed in unexpected locations?"
As Xiao Boyang started thinking, things immediately started to feel strange.
The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed. What should they do?!!
Xiao Boyang's face changed and he finally snapped, his face contorted, "Taoist Friend Fang, did the Goddess Nuwa forget to fill your imagination when she patched up the sky?"
"Just look at your mind! It's full of pits and holes!"
"Who has a mind full of pits?!"
If this were really set in the "Poop Sea", Xiao Boyang would collapse again, wailing, "Su Rui, I can't believe this! I don't want to eat poop!"
Qiao Wan twitched at the corner of her mouth, thinking that even she doesn't have such a strong taste.
The three of them sat on the ground, silently covering their heads, immediately feeling confused.
"How about we play rock-paper-scissors?" The young man with a peach blossom pinned on his sideburns, looking elegant and dignified, put down his hand and had a malicious idea, "Whoever loses has to eat poop."
The wind blew over the Poop Sea, a indescribable smell blowing towards them. It made all three unable to open their eyes and caused them to all go, "Ew-"
It turns out that the so-called friendship is very weak when it comes to eating poop.
Xiao Boyang said, "Let's play rock-paper-scissors, and whoever loses has to eat poop!"
So, the three of them reluctantly started playing rock-paper-scissors.
Xiao Boyang lost.
Xiao Boyang gritted his teeth and refused to admit it, saying, "Best of three! Best of three!"
Qiao Wan silently complained, "Martial Brother, do you know? Your character has completely collapsed here. What happened to your aloof personality? Who is responsible for this loss of dignity and integrity?"
Just then, there was a sudden commotion in the distance.
Qiao Wan looked up in surprise and saw a familiar figure emerging from the murky waters.
The person had gone through a difficult journey, trudging through the "mess," and arrived at the shore. They glanced around and their gaze fell upon the bewildered trio.
The person's expression immediately turned sour.
Because they had been thrown into a chaotic situation, they had to do something unpleasant, like "eating mess," and now they were caught by someone they knew...
As Qiao Wan looked at the man covered in unidentified objects, her heart trembled. She stood up and stuttered, "Martial... Martial Brother Qi?"
The person had charming eyes and a slight stubble under the chin. Though in their twenties, their appearance carried a sense of weariness that belonged to someone in their thirties. Who could it be other than Qi Feidao?
Qi Feidao's face froze, and he instinctively scratched his chin and asked, "Um, can I tell someone else about this?"
Fang Lingqing's face turned green, and he shouted in disbelief, "Damn! Did you eat shit, senior brother?!"
Qi Feidao's smile became even more stiff.
Who the hell knew that after being transported to this tiny space, he would land in this "sea of shit"? If he had known this, even if Qiao Wan died in front of him, he wouldn't have gone to save her, right?!
Under the gaze of the three people, feeling like a pretty strange young man, he pretended to be calm, shook his clothes, and cast a spell to remove dust. Then he sat down on the ground in a grand manner, but internally he was in a complete mess.
Only then did he look up and asked, "Where are you three? Why are you here?"
The three exchanged a silent look and confessed honestly.
"What about senior brother?"
According to Qi Feidao, he was sucked into this tiny space and landed in this "poop sea." He was so scared at the time that he thought the entire space was made of poop. Su Rui was also really gross in his talking.
To find a way out, the young person had no choice but to hold on to the spirit of seeking knowledge and truth, and bravely waded through the poop sea. Eventually, he reached the other side of the sea and met Qiao Wan, Xiao Boyang, and Fang Lingqing.
The spirit of sacrifice for knowledge made the three of them pay their respects and deeply respect it.
"So, is this like the eighteenth level of hell?" Qi Feidao thought for a moment, then rubbed his chin.
"You know what, I just found a problem inside this place." The young person's expression became serious, showing a thoughtful look that only comes when someone is deep in thought.
It must be said that Mathematics Department Elder Martial Brother, when he is deep in thought, the unseemly and wild atmosphere on his body disappears, and he becomes calm and exudes a manly charm that is thrilling.
"I suspect that time flows much slower in this place than outside." Qiao Wan frowned, "How slow exactly?"
"Here, one day is equivalent to one year outside? So when they leave, will the Qing Dynasty already be destroyed?"
Qi Feidao raised his hand to stop them, "Don't worry, let me explain first."
"It is said that the true sentence in hell is very long, ranging from five hundred years, sixteen thousand years, half an eon, to a full eon."
Xiao Boyang was startled and furrowed his brows, "Does that mean we have to stay here until we die?"
Qi Feidao replied, "It shouldn't be that extreme, right? They wouldn't cheat like that."
"I think it's more like spending a year here while only a day passes outside. The purpose is to infinitely prolong the suffering in this eighteen-layer hell."
Qiao Wan paused, "So, this is like a shrunken version of the eighteen-layer hell?"
"Shrunken?" Qi Feidao looked surprised, "What kind of term is that? But it does seem to have a similar meaning inside."
"But I think, this place is not just about torturing and interrogating people. Perhaps, it can be seen as a secret realm for cultivation," Fang Lingqing was stunned.
"This creepy place can be a secret realm?"
Qiao Wan's mind quickly understood what Qi Feidao meant: "One year here is only one day outside. So, if you cultivate here for three years, only three days would have passed outside."
As soon as Qiao Wan finished speaking, everyone, except for Qi Feidao, fell into a moment of silence. Finally, Xiao Boyang couldn't hold back and almost jumped up.
"This is too unfair!"
So, Su Rui, this ruthless person, used this place as his own secret realm for cultivation?
No wonder he was able to replace Su Buhuo, the former war god of the demon realm, and become the new war god of the demon realm within just a few hundred years, defeating many elders from the cultivation alliance who were hundreds or thousands of years old.
No wonder men always have a mysterious and eerie temperament, distant and cold-blooded. Qiao Wan had spent hundreds of years in this 18-layer hell, and then spent several years in this mini version of the 18-layer hell. Normal people would have gone crazy after a few years in Wuyou City, but only her uncle Pei Chunzheng is a unique weirdo who created a mini version and continued to torment himself.
Fang Lingqing looked confused and said, "Does that mean... Su Rui actually ate poop?"
Xiao Boyang looked confused and said, "So this person really has such strange tastes."
Qi Feidao interjected, "Enough of this!!"
Qi Feiadao's face changed slightly, he raised his eyelids, hesitated for a moment, and said, "That's exactly what I thought. Just now, I actually came up with a new move."
The young man smiled and looked at Qiao Wan, his gaze suddenly deepened, almost turning into a deep, bottomless ink, very eerie.
In the blink of an eye, the young man's eyes returned to normal and he calmly said, "Qiao Wan, your weakness is in... your knowledge?"
"Little Fang, your weakness is in your lower body."
"Xiao taoist friend, your weakness is in battle skills."
The concept of weaknesses was something that cultivators knew best. Being suddenly pointed out by Qi Feidao, all three of them were stunned for a moment.
"Yes... Yes, how did you know, Senior Brother?" Fang Lingqing's face changed and his thoughts began to stray like a runaway dog. He exclaimed in fear, "Senior Brother, how long have you been observing me? Could it be that you have a secret crush on me?"
Qi Feidao silently rolled his eyes. "You have such wild imagination."
"This is a new move that I just came up with. When I was crossing this sea, my mind was pondering on a few problems related to... umm... those questions. And as I kept walking, I actually figured them out."
Enlightenment through the Sea of Shit.
The trio once again saluted each other, showing utmost respect.
Qi Feidao couldn't hold it in any longer and angrily scolded, "Do Hall Master Ma know how ignorant you three are? Huh?"
"The special feature of this move is that it can quickly uncover secrets and weaknesses of others within a very short period of time. It can also be used in combat. It compresses three days, three years, or any other length of time into half an hour, an hour, a moment, or even less. However, every time this move is used..."
Qi Feidao paused, "It will consume a bit of one's lifespan, and the exact amount depends on the situation."
"Normally, it would take me the time to burn an incense stick to find Qiao Wan's weaknesses. But with this move, I only need a brief moment. However, the price I pay is the lifespan equivalent to burning that incense stick."
"It's not surprising that such consequences come with the laws of nature."
After this, Qiao Wan, Xiao Boyang, and Fang Lingqing fell silent once again.
This is cheating, but why does this move sound so sad?
Seeing the sad looks on the three children's faces, the young man smiled somewhat reluctantly, but also with a sense of relief and touch. He laughed and scolded, "What are you doing? Sacrificing a little lifespan? Can't I, Martial Brother Qi, even cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage? Once you reach the Nascent Soul stage, you can easily spend plenty of lifespan, right?"
Even though it's a matter of life, why does Qi Feidao say it in such a funny way, making it sound like using a payment app? Qiao Wan silently facepalmed.
"Enough." Qi Feidao composed himself and said seriously, "Let's stop using this move. The most urgent matter now is figuring out how to escape."
Then he asked Qiao Wan and the others, "Did you discover anything?"
As Qiao Wan, Xiao Boyang, and Fang Lingqing recounted their recent experiences, Qi Feidao stroked his rough chin and asked, "Have you ever entered someone else's inner demons illusion?"
"In general, the flaws in these illusions follow a simple rule of 'opposites'. The more honest and upright a person is, the flaws in their inner demons' illusions reflect their own darkness and secrets. And even the most wicked person has moments of goodness, where the flaws reflect a glimmer of light and kindness in their heart."
Qiao Wan asked, "Taoist Friend Qi, are you suspecting a connection between this place and Su Rui's illusion?"
Qi Feidao nodded and continued, "Su Rui was once exiled to a place called 'Blissful City', which was designed to mimic the layers of hell. It's likely that this place was created under the influence of his time in 'Blissful City'."
Xiao Boyang quickly followed up, "So, if we could find his 'goodness' in his heart, would that be our way out?"
This conversation ended with Qi Feidao saying, "That seems to be the case."
It must be said, Martial Brother Qi truly lived up to his name. With Qiao Wan by their side, the three of them felt like they had found their guiding light.
Qiao Wan took a deep breath and felt hopeful and determined.
Having hope and a goal gives her the motivation to move forward.
Qiao Wan clenched her fist silently and charged ahead!
Most people would have been mentally broken in Su Rui's "eighteen layers of hell", but Martial Brother Qi was a unique person who loved academics. He used his academic perspective to realize that something was wrong. He saw beyond the surface and determined that it was a secret realm for cultivation.
Only Elder Martial Brother Qi Feidao from the Mathematics Department of Chongde Ancient Garden could do this.
It didn't matter if it was Qiao Wan, Xiao Boyang, or Fang Lingqing, no one else could do it.
The "eighteen layers of hell" consisted of the Extra Hot Hell, Freezing Hell, Wandering Hell, and Solitary Hell. Each Extra Hot Hell had four gates, and outside each gate were four Wandering Hells, making a total of sixteen small Wandering Hells.
It was extremely difficult to find Su Rui's weakness among all these hells.
Just as Qiao Wan was about to step onto the beast carriage, she suddenly shouted with excitement, "Snow Lion!"
Snow Lion??
The other three people were stunned.
After Qiao Wan finished shouting, she was also confused.
Who is Snow Lion?
There seemed to be a faint outline of a woman before their eyes, with a beauty similar to that of Pei Chunzheng, but it was like seeing flowers in the mist or the moon in the water, not clear at all.
After getting back on the beast carriage, the four of them discussed and decided to practice while searching.
After all, this was a secret realm for training, and they didn't want to miss out on anything.
During the rest of their journey, Qiao Wan had the opportunity to witness extreme techniques such as boiling people in a iron pot, crushing people with an iron pestle, nailing people with iron nails, and dismembering people with an iron axe.
The scariest thing is that, under these tortures, the "people" in hell are awake and alive. They watch as an iron axe falls, their bodies being dismembered, only to instantly recover and repeat the process of being dissected alive - restore - dissected alive again - restore, endlessly tormented.
Fire blazes everywhere, mournful cries echo through the sky, souls struggle in hell, unable to survive yet unable to die.
In such an environment, not many can maintain a positive mindset. The four of them slowly fell into silence, feeling a chill in the soles of their feet.
If there truly is hell in this world, those who have committed countless sins like them would likely end up in hell.
Sitting on the speeding carriage, a cold breeze blows through, looking outside through the window.
In a vast and endless snowy land, a countless number of men, women, and children, who were bare and looked like animals, were being driven forward by grim reapers. With each step they took, their skin froze and fell off their bodies.
"This is the 'Youboluo' in the Eight Cold Hells," Qi Feidao said in a deep voice. "It means blue lotus flower. Can you see the skin and flesh that have been frozen off their bodies? They look just like blue lotus flowers."
The next stop was even colder than the "Youboluo". Even though Qiao Wan was sitting inside the train carriage, she could feel the pervasive coldness. The people walking on the icy tundra were even more miserable than before. Their skin burst open, resembling a blood-colored lotus flower.
"This is the 'Botoumo', meaning red lotus flower."
As they went further, the temperature dropped even lower. Layers of skin and flesh on people's bodies burst open, revealing their white, icy skeletons.
"This is the 'Mahabhatm', meaning giant red lotus flower."
Qiao Wan called the three of them over and Qi Feidao said solemnly, "Later, we will first get off at 'Efutuo'. This is the first level of the Eight Cold Hell, the mildest in temperature. Once we get used to this temperature, we can continue exploring until we reach 'Mahabodhi'."
Qiao Wan and the others naturally had no objections.
The eighteen levels of hell are not like stairs, getting deeper and deeper with each level. It does not have distinct levels.
The four of them got off at 'Mahabodhi'.
Walking on the snowy ground with a creaking sound under their feet, a gust of cold wind hit them. It felt like it was seeping into their bones, penetrating deep into their organs.
Qiao Wan shivered, took a deep breath, and solemnly checked on Fang Lingqing and Xiao Boyang's conditions. Although they were frozen and unclear, it was clear that both of them were still conscious and continued moving forward.
Meanwhile, the naked men and women passing by them were already frozen, their bodies covered in blisters.
Braving the cold wind, the four of them walked on, trembling as they attempted to warm themselves with their spiritual power.
Among them, Qiao Wan is the calmest. Despite the cold, it feels no different from walking in the cold wind during winter.
This is mainly because she practices body cultivation.
Seeing the calmness in the girl's expression, Qi Feidao was shaken by her cool attitude. He fell silent for a moment and deeply reflected on himself: "...I'm starting to doubt if I chose the wrong profession..."
Body cultivation is so annoying, isn't it?!
But in the end, walking this path actually brought unexpected gains.
Not only did her control of spiritual energy improve, but its duration and stability also made a significant leap. She could now sustain her spiritual energy for a long time, enduring the journey and successfully evolving the ability to adapt to low temperatures.
Xiao Boyang also had gains. In each level of hell here, there is a very brief moment to catch one's breath between "being punished - recovering - continuing to be punished." The timid and cowardly young master from the Xiao family finally realized something. He successfully figured out a move called "Absolute Time" that can freeze time for a moment, just to give himself a brief rest.
It can be said that he was extremely lacking in courage.
Only Qiao Wan still hadn't figured out anything. No, she actually had gains as well. She had a feeling that her memories as Qiao Wan were slowly coming back, but when she tried to think about it, she couldn't recall them. There was one thing she could say, though - her vision had improved. She could see clearly into the distance through the wind and snow.
After traversing through the "Eight Cold Hells" without finding any flaws in Su Rui, the four of them boarded a carriage to their next destination.
However, as soon as they got off the carriage, Qi Feidao looked at the sky above, which was burning red, and his expression slightly changed. "This is bad."
"This is the Abyssal Land of Hell."
Qiao Wan didn't understand, so she asked, "What is the Infernal Abyss?"
"In the previous levels of hell, there was a brief respite, but in the Infernal Abyss, there is no respite at all. That's why it's called the Infernal Abyss, or commonly known as the Abode of the Damned."
The phrase "forever trapped in the Infernal Abyss" isn't it often said when making a vow?"
Now, the Infernal Abyss is right in front of them, and even Qiao Wan couldn't help but hesitate for a moment.
The four of them exchanged glances, and in the end, Qiao Wan moved her lips, sighed, and accepted their fate, saying, "Let's go."
"Who has seen hell? The demon realm is also based on records and imitations. And Su Rui, being a "fan of fans," Qiao Wan thought, "Maybe it's not as terrifying as it seems."
In the distance, the sky burned bright red, like a branding iron, as if the heavens and the earth were engulfed in a raging fire, forming a line of flames that stretched far and wide.
What came into view was a towering "Fiery Iron City" gate, with a length and width exceeding a thousand feet.
Even though they were mentally prepared and protected themselves with spiritual power, as soon as they entered the iron city, the four of them were amazed.
The ground was paved with hot iron, flowing like molten gold.
At the end of the horizon, countless huge wheels, burning with fierce flames, were approaching the city gates with unmatched force and at an unimaginable speed, making a grand and loud noise!!!
Boom! The wheels rolled over the hot iron, like thunder!
The earth shook incessantly, and countless people walking on the hot iron were unable to dodge and immediately crushed by these huge wheels, which were powered at full speed, leaving them flattened like pancakes!
The wheels got closer and closer, only to realize that they were several yards high!
Xiao Boyang was stunned for a moment, then shouted, "Damn it!!"
Finally breaking the silence of death, the four turned around and ran!
Behind them, the huge wheels, swirling with flames, were still chasing closely. The four of them ran out of breath, sweating heavily, feeling as if they were on the brink of death.
Fang Lingqing suddenly shouted in despair, "No, I can't hold on anymore!!"
Help!
His spiritual power is quickly failing to protect himself.
If this spiritual shield collapses, Fang Lingqing wouldn't even dare to imagine what would happen to him.
There is no chance to catch a breath in this hell, which means that once they are run over by the wheels, flattened like a pancake, and then restored, they immediately get crushed again, trapped in an endless cycle! So, they absolutely must not be dragged into these wheels!
As soon as the sweat started to appear, it was immediately evaporated, leaving Fang Lingqing gritting his teeth, straightening his neck, and desperately pushing forward!!
While running, his body suddenly felt lighter.
In horror, he realized that he was actually "floating"!!!
No...he wasn't floating.
It was a magical tool!
A magical tool lifted him up and threw him into the air.
Fang Lingqing turned back in terror and came face to face with a pair of eyes as cold as ice and deep as fire.
Lu Pihan lifted Xiao Boyang, Qi Feidao, and Qiao Wan one by one and threw them up into the sky!
The four of them fell down in fear and sat at the man's feet, only to realize that it was a flying device.
Qiao Wan gasped for breath and said in confusion, "Elder...Martial Brother?"
As soon as she spoke, she couldn't help but pause.
The man in front of her also froze for a moment, lowered his eyes, and nonchalantly uttered, "Hmm."
Qi Feidao exclaimed, "Taoist Friend Lu, what are you doing here?"
Lu Pihan didn't answer, but coldly asked, "What are you all doing here?"
Although they were all of the same age, the thin and aloof man in front of them was intimidating, making them involuntarily kneel before him.
Qiao Wan obediently recounted the events again.
"I know," Lu Pihan said calmly, closing his eyes and then suddenly opening them again, dropping a bombshell.
"I just traveled through all eighteen layers of hell."
"The eighteen levels of hell..." Qiao Wan repeated stumblingly, "Have you all been through it?"
Immediately, she showed great respect to the taoist friend in front of her, who looked very weak.
How determined they are despite their physical limitations!
Lu Pihan glanced at her, then looked at Qi Feidao, and said in a cold voice, "I think I may have found the 'flaw' you mentioned."
Without thinking, Qiao Wan blurted out, "Is it... Xue Shier?"
This time, Lu Pihan's eyes finally showed a hint of surprise. He pursed his lips and stared deeply at her.
Feeling a sudden oppression, Qiao Wan took a step back.
After a moment's pause.finally spoke, "Yes."
"Su Xuezhi, the younger sister of Su Rui, and the biological mother of Pei Chunzheng."
Thinking about the scene they just witnessed, Lu Pihan's expression grew even colder, and his eyes showed a chilling light.
The next sentence, like a thunderbolt, shocked Qiao Wan and the others.
"Su Rui, maybe fell in love with his own little sister Su Xuezhi."
