Chapter 100: The Judge of Hell

Feng Xiangru then gestured toward the young girl beside him and said to Hongyu, "Her name is Fu'er. I adopted her within the Ghost Citadel, and because she bears a striking resemblance to you, I have taken her as my daughter. You two are sisters now."

Hongyu happily took Fu'er's hand and said, "Hello, sister."

Fu'er had not expected this to be the person her father had spoken of so often. Thinking of how many years her father had spent in sorrow and how he had finally, by the grace of heaven, been reunited with his kin, she also said happily, "Hello, sister." She then removed the helmet from her head and said, "Sister, you previously said you wanted to see this helmet; now, I give it to you."

Hongyu shook her head and replied, "I do not need it now." She reached into her robe, produced the jade box containing the Substitute Fairy, and handed it to Fu'er, saying, "Fu'er, there is something wonderful in here. Would you like to see?"

Fu'er opened the box and was astonished to find a tiny figure the size of a finger. It looked so much like Hongyu and was so adorable that she couldn't help but playfully tease the little creature.

Seeing the two of them getting along so well, a warm smile appeared on Feng Xiangru's face. Only then did he ask Chu Youcai, "Young friend Chu, to enter the Ghost Territory at this time is to take an immense risk—one that could result in the total annihilation of your soul. For what purpose have you come? If there is any way I can assist, I will spare no effort."

Chu Youcai replied, "I have come here to cultivate demonic arts."

Feng Xiangru was stunned. "You wish to cultivate demonic arts?" He could hardly believe his ears; a human entering the Ghost Realm and claiming to want to cultivate demonic arts was unheard of. He continued, "For a human to practice demonic arts is to court disaster; I fear you will find it nearly impossible to survive in the human world."

Chu Youcai nodded. "A loved one near me has suffered grave injuries, and neither Taoist nor demonic arts alone can heal them."

Feng Xiangru sighed. "I see. It is a pity that I cannot return to the human realm, or I would certainly lend you a hand." He then asked, "Are you seeking to form a Natal Demon Lamp here?"

"Exactly," Chu Youcai confirmed. "But first, I must temper my spirit with the blood of numerous fierce ghosts to form an external avatar, and only then can I manifest the Natal Demon Lamp."

Hearing this, Feng Xiangru suddenly grew blank. He remained silent for a long moment before finally saying, "Ordinary demonic arts only require the formation of a Natal Demon Lamp. What you are studying is not an ordinary demonic art, but a supreme one! This is the most difficult of all demonic arts, the one that requires enduring the greatest suffering. Even among the billion ghosts in this territory, fewer than ten thousand are capable of cultivating it."

He shook his head and added, "It is too difficult, far too difficult!"

Chu Youcai was taken aback, never having realized that what he had learned was a supreme art, nor that it was so many times more difficult than others. He then recounted the events involving the Willow Deity.

Upon hearing this, Feng Xiangru sighed again. "To have encountered such a destiny is remarkable. But even with the foundation you have, cultivating this art remains a path of nine deaths and one life."

Chu Youcai replied with a firm expression, "Even if thousands stand against me, I shall go forward!"

Seeing Chu Youcai's fearlessness, Feng Xiangru said, "Since that is the case, I will help you! You need a vast amount of fierce ghost blood, so I shall take you to a place."

He opened his right hand, and the True Painting Spirit Brush he held transformed into thousands of scrolls, encircling Chu Youcai. Feng Xiangru said in a deep voice, "Young Master Chu, this cursed treasure of mine is not of a spatial nature, but a key connecting this place to the Death Hell within the Ghost Citadel. Follow me."

Feng Xiangru moved with agility, pulling Chu Youcai into the heart of the scrolls. Fu'er and Hongyu followed closely behind.

They found themselves in a place where light was visible in the distant sky, while below, a deep abyss was filled with countless rivers of Yellow Spring fire. In the depths of the fissures, rivers of blood flowed.

Feng Xiangru pointed toward the layered, hellish fissures and said, "That is the Eighteenth Level of Hell, created by the ghost gods of the citadel. The fierce ghost blood you require is in the Thirteenth Level. You must pass through the preceding twelve levels; each is extremely difficult. I myself have only ever reached the eleventh."

"Furthermore, in the Thirteenth Level, there is a Hell Judge who will be the greatest obstacle to your cultivation."

Chu Youcai frowned. "A Hell Judge?"

Feng Xiangru nodded. "The Hell Judge is a guardian of these eighteen levels. He hates humans and will surely subject you to the most difficult spatial trials."

"I understand!" Chu Youcai replied.

"Good!" Feng Xiangru immediately channeled his power, transporting Chu Youcai into the hell.

Suddenly, Chu Youcai felt the entire realm seethe. Countless hell-insects flew out, staring at him with murderous intent. These were unique creatures of the Hell Realm, formed from naturally occurring insects whose only desire upon birth was to break their cocoons and take on ghost forms. To achieve this, they had to constantly devour ghosts or human corpses, so they never showed mercy to those who entered their realm. They swarmed toward Chu Youcai without restraint.

In the distance, Feng Xiangru frowned. These hell-insects had a terrifying ability: self-detonation. If killed, they unleashed a massive explosion, and one slip could leave Chu Youcai severely wounded. Hongyu, however, was not worried; Chu Youcai had already provided too many surprises.

At that moment, Chu Youcai stood still, sensing the power of the insects. He realized they were not individually fearsome, but their combined detonation was incredibly powerful; even with his sturdy physical body, he could not withstand it indefinitely. He flicked his fingers, deploying the Six-Jia Divine Array.

Following his gestures, the hell-insects became disoriented, bumping into each other like headless flies. Chu Youcai easily found a path and proceeded forward.

Feng Xiangru was stunned, and Fu'er gasped, "Father, Young Master Chu possesses a demonic array map and uses it with such proficiency! How is that possible?"

Feng Xiangru sighed. "I did not expect such skill; no wonder he was so confident. He uses the array with such precision that he bypasses the insects entirely. This way, the first ten levels hold no danger for him. But the tenth level is where the true challenge begins." He knew that countless ghosts had been trapped at the tenth level, unable to pass; it was not a gate easily crossed.

Chu Youcai pressed on. With the array, his progress became increasingly effortless. Within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, he had descended nine levels without encountering further obstruction. He knew he was lucky—such demonic array maps were rare, hidden treasures, and few practitioners possessed them. Having the foundation from the Willow Deity, he had been able to learn it instantly.

He arrived at the tenth level. Before him lay a vast, sea-like abyss that seemed to stretch into infinity. Covering the ground were countless iron spikes, each half a foot long and densely packed. To pass, one had to tread across them.

He took a tentative step. The moment his foot landed, he felt a powerful force; blood welled up from his sole. Fortunately, he had already mastered the ability to suppress physical pain and did not find it unbearable.

Watching this, Feng Xiangru’s expression turned grave. He knew that if he hadn't possessed the True Painting Spirit Brush—whose curse ability happened to react with the spikes—he would never have survived this stage. This trial did not just test one's ability to endure pain; it required one to successfully break through within the time it takes to brew a cup of tea.

How could that be easy?

Yet, Chu Youcai scanned his surroundings, observed for a moment, and then dashed forward like lightning. He moved with incredible speed, seemingly ignoring the iron spikes beneath his feet.

Seeing this, Fu'er couldn't help but gasp, "Brother Chu is so fast! Is he not afraid of the pain at all?"