Chapter 383: The Bottleneck of Cultivation

The "hell broadcast" lasted only two hours because it quickly became repetitive. The scenes within the Eighteen Levels of Hell were simply too brutal, completely opposite to the refined and noble image that the Hua Republic had always sought to uphold.

Moreover, cross-realm communication over such vast distances was simply too expensive. When Ziwei first carved out the Small Nether Realm, he likely never imagined that the people of the future would have the means to capture scenes from the Eighteen Levels of Hell and broadcast them for ordinary folk to witness.

The Iron Tree Hell, the Scissors Hell, the Ice Mountain Hell... Unless one's Dao Heart was exceedingly firm, just a glimpse into them could easily scar someone mentally.

The entire trial lasted more than ten hours. The Hidden Earth Sect members who had been temporarily assigned as ghost wardens had stared until their eyes were sore and dry, and bared their teeth until their faces twitched with cramps.

The judge sat in a daze the entire time, while her assistant's lips grew parched from ceaseless recitation. Even after more than ten hours, not a single cup of tea was served, which displeased Wang Sheng.

The cultivators outside the hall initially watched with keen interest, but as the trial dragged on, the other cultivators began to wander, taking the chance to explore the Yanluo Halls and experience for themselves proof of the Heavenly Court's existence in ages past. The few Special Warfare Unit instructors tasked with recording the proceedings for archival purposes were the only ones who didn't leave.

Wang Sheng had also maintained a certain degree of interest in the beginning, but by the end, he had grown numb. Still, among the countless souls judged that day, three in particular left a lasting impression upon him.

Naturally, the first was Galina.

Xi Lian had preserved the wisp of Galina's soul to get the location of the Blood Race's treasure vault out of her. After emptying their coffers, Xi Lian had handed the souls of Galina and several other Blood Race experts over to the Daoist master in charge of such matters.

When Galina was brought forth, she appeared as nothing more than a small crimson bat. Wang Sheng could clearly sense the power of the hall's laws converging upon it.

In the blink of an eye, the bat transformed back into the peerless vampire queen. Her beautiful eyes blazed with fury as she glared at Wang Sheng, who sat beside the high seat.

Wang Sheng laughed as coldly as his gaze. He quickly reminded himself that the Galina before him was nothing more than a remnant soul; she was hardly worth the effort.

"Galina, leader of the Blood Race, you orchestrated the kidnapping of the Hua Republic's people and slaughtered countless lives. Your crimes are innumerable and unforgivable."

"Just kill me already, Wang Sheng!" Galina coldly exclaimed as she slowly stood. The long gown draped over her looked so real that it could have been actual fabric.

Two ghost wardens shouted in unison, stepping forward and striking the back of her knees with their black staves. Though she still had her pride as an ancient vampire princess, she was no different from an ordinary soul now. The blows forced a muffled groan from her lips as she fell to her knees once more.

With calm indifference, Wang Sheng replied, "Your death must wait until you have endured punishment. Below lies the Eighteen Levels of Hell. Once you descend, you will find a fate worse than death. Down there, death would probably seem like a paradise."

In the Hua language, Galina shouted, "Is this your respect for the strong? You and I were once opponents. Even if I am defeated now, I still deserve the dignity of death!"

Mu Wanxuan, who had been quiet all this time, laughed faintly.

Wang Sheng set Spiritless on the desk, clasped his hands behind his back, and stretched his stiff joints. "In your eyes, is this what it means to be strong? You lived through ancient times; you must have been in the presence of true power before. I am only a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, yet you could not even win against me. What right do you have to call yourself strong?

"Besides, you and I were never opponents. We were enemies. When it comes to enemies, I never hesitate to use every means at my disposal. There are still Blood Race survivors lurking on this blue planet. As a warning to them, you shall suffer thirty years of torment. Each year, you will be cast into a different hell. You will start in the Blood Pool Hell. After thirty years, your soul shall scatter."

By the time Wang Sheng was done issuing the verdict, Mu Wanxuan had already raised her brush and inscribed the decree.

Galina turned grim. The two ghost wardens seized her and dragged her from the hall, hurling her into the Eighteen Levels of Hell below.

Wang Sheng sighed quietly. He now understood a little of why the world's legends spoke of the Eighteen Levels of Hell. They existed not only to punish, but to warn the living to refrain from evil and embrace virtue.

The second soul that caught his attention was a Western witch who possessed the ability to command wandering spirits. She had attempted to secretly control one of the ghost wardens. But the moment she acted, a giant pair of bloody scissors fell from above the hall, slicing her soul apart.

The third was more absurd. Dragged before the hall, he had shouted ceaselessly, "Let Satan judge me! I will only accept judgment from Satan or Hades!"

Aside from those three, most of the souls had long since lost any will to resist. The moment they were brought into the Yanluo Hall, they were instantly suppressed. By the end of the day, more than a thousand souls had been cast into the Eighteen Levels of Hell.

When it was time to leave, Wang Sheng said that he would seek out Lady Meng to bid her farewell. However, when he rode Flying Haze to the Hall of Reincarnation at the center of the realm, he found only an empty, echoing hall. Lady Meng was nowhere to be seen.

"Senior Sister..."

With Spiritless on his back, Wang Sheng stood silently before the Hall of Reincarnation.

He could not help but worry about Shen Qianlin. Yaoyun had explained that Shen Qianlin would slowly learn to control the immortal power she had inherited, but there would always be hidden risks. Perhaps her temperament would change from what it once was. Perhaps she would truly become the "spirit" of the Small Nether Realm itself.

Unfortunately, Wang Sheng couldn't do anything to help her.

When the Small Nether Realm had been on the brink of collapse, Shen Qianlin had sacrificed herself to awaken Lady Meng, thus stabilizing the realm once more. Her decision was worthy of admiration, yet still left a trace of sorrow in her heart.

She had once only wished to marry an ordinary man and live a simple, happy life. Yet in the end, not only did she remain a non-cultivator, but she had become the vessel of an immortal, with all her emotions and desires sealed away.

Wang Sheng sighed deeply. He could only hope that she would soon revert to her former self and learn to freely command her immortal power.

Currently, he was still two major realms away from immortality: Rebirth and Tribulation. If he succeeded in becoming an immortal and there was a way to help her, he would do everything he could.

Fortunately, he was somewhat confident in reaching immortality. He simply had to throw himself fully into comprehending the Dao and cultivating.

"Fei Yu! Sect Master Shen has invited our sect to a banquet at the Hidden Earth Sect. If you don't have anything else planned today, let's attend the banquet together," Qing Yanzi offered from far behind.

Turning around, Wang Sheng saw his master with his senior sister. He smiled. "All right!"

Wang Sheng turned and bowed deeply toward the Hall of Reincarnation. He then stepped onto Flying Haze and flew back to his senior sister's side. Almost without thinking, they reached out and held each other's hands.

Qing Yanzi stood nearby, smiling silently. He felt relieved and at ease.

Shen Sui'an and several dozen ghost wardens waited a short distance ahead. Joining them were the representatives of the various Daoist lineages, invited to witness the day's proceedings. Altogether, it amounted to a fairly large Daoist gathering.

Qing Yanzi and his disciples flew together. Wang Sheng's fingers playfully scratched Mu Wanxuan's palm. She blinked at him with a hint of puzzlement.

"It's nothing," Wang Sheng said, then laughed quietly. He didn't even have a reason to laugh; he just felt like it. It was as if he had been possessed or cursed.

They had flown barely a hundred

li

through the Small Nether Realm when the Nether Gate appeared in the air on its own, bringing them straight to Mount Pingdu.

Meanwhile, within the Hall of Reincarnation, the seated figure appeared once more, as though she had never left.

A flicker of helplessness, a touch of calm, and even a hint of relief appeared in her eyes. But her emotions lasted only a few seconds before a profound Dao Rhythm rose from her, and she returned to her usual indifference.

The sigh that Wang Sheng had left behind still seemed to echo faintly in the hall, lingering endlessly.

***

At noon on the third day, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan finally returned home from Mount Pingdu.

There was no helping it. His master and Shen Sui'an had drunk heavily, competing cup for cup. Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan naturally had to stay behind to take care of them until their master woke from his drunken haze. Only then did the two return to the lakeside villa to cultivate.

His master still had to rush about from place to place, as if destined to live restlessly for the rest of his life.

On the way back, Wang Sheng said, "Senior Sister, let's fly a little slower and take in more of the scenery."

Mu Wanxuan agreed softly. She put away Ice Crystal and stood with her junior brother on Flying Haze. They wandered among mountain streams and clear springs, seeking the ancient paths and sacred forests.

Along the way, the two spoke little, and most of their conversation had no real substance. They only sighed at the shimmer of the lakes and commented on the beauty of the mountains, yet they both felt entirely at ease. Speaking too much would have been too disturbing; speaking too little would have made them seem like strangers.

Wang Sheng also made a conscious effort to draw closer to his senior sister in small ways. From holding hands to simple embraces, the understanding between them had grown quite natural.

He hadn't attempted anything beyond that yet, but not for lack of courage. The two were only a few ceremonial bows and a certificate away from being husband and wife. He had simply begun to see things from another angle. What mattered to him now was not what he wanted, but what his senior sister wanted.

Near the villa, they stopped at a bamboo grove by the lake and strolled the rest of the way home.

"Senior Sister, when do you think you'll break through to the Nascent Soul Realm?" Wang Sheng asked.

"

Mm...

" The smile that always lingered on Mu Wanxuan's lips faded. A look of doubt crossed her delicate face, and she sighed softly. "Not sure."

"Have you run into a bottleneck?"

"

Mm.

"

Mu Wanxuan nodded gently, then slipped her hand from Wang Sheng's grasp and took out her phone.

For a while, I kept forcing myself to comprehend. It was all right at first, but my progress slowed down significantly later on.

I should have been able to continually comprehend the Dao of Balanced Yin and Yang, but I'm not sure if my insight is starting to lack. My cultivation has already fallen far behind yours.

Wang Sheng laughed awkwardly. "I only advanced because I had thirteen years of advantage inside the Small Nether Realm. Otherwise, my progress would definitely have been slower than yours. Here's what we'll do. Once we're back, let's discuss the Dao together. Maybe it will give you some inspiration."

"How?"

"By sharing our understanding of the Dao with each other. You already have the foundation of the Pure Yang Immortal Mantra, and I have the Dual-Polarity Sword Intent. It could help."

Mu Wanxuan's eyes lit up. She grabbed her junior brother and broke into a run toward the villa, dragging him along.

She clearly cared the most about her junior brother now, but she was also equally concerned that while she was stuck at a bottleneck, she was falling far behind him in cultivation.

She couldn't be without Wang Sheng, but she still had to maintain her dignity as his senior sister.