It was often said that the Eighteen Levels of Hell were terrifying. None of them had expected to come here one day.0 When the group landed on the edge of the ring-shaped mountain, they looked at the enormous crater before them, which had a diameter of over ten kilometers. Several Daoist masters could not help but sigh in amazement. Dense layers of yin qi shrouded every corner of Hell's topmost level like a vast, still lake.0 Zhang Zikuang smiled bitterly. "Mortals fear committing evil since it could get them thrown into the Eighteen Levels of Hell to suffer. Yet here we are, coming in of our own accord. Let's just hope we make it out alive."0 Several Daoist masters were rendered speechless.0 "Don't jinx us like that!" Yan Zhengnan scolded. "The research institute has already started investigating the structure below. The first seven levels have already been cleared out, and we have elders from the Hidden Earth Sect assisting us."0 "That's right," said the second elder of the Hidden Earth Sect. Stroking his beard, he laughed and even joked, "Being in the Small Nether Realm is as good as being home. Fellow Daoists, there is no need for formality. These eighteen levels may as well be a garden for an after-dinner stroll. Let us take a walk."0 The Golden Core Realm cultivators' expressions grew even gloomier.0 "Amitabha," intoned the high monk who wielded a monk's spade. "All living beings suffer, and the Buddha is no exception. Since we walk the path of cultivation, we must bear this suffering in their place."0 "Let's go. The sooner we descend, the sooner we can resolve this matter. Best not keep that female immortal waiting too long."0 With his hands clasped behind his back, a rather unrestrained Daoist master used an object-controlling technique to fly to the hole at the center of the ring-shaped mountain.0 "Little Sheng, Little Xuan, watch our rear," Qing Yanzi instructed.0 "Understood," Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan responded in unison.0 Qing Yanzi simply wanted to ensure their safety. If powerful enemies were ahead, his disciples would at least have more time to react.0 The group flew toward the entrance to Hell on their respective artifacts. Since most were somewhat tense, they kept a casual conversation going to relieve the pressure on their hearts.0 Flying at the rear, Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan stayed near Xi Lian, who stood on Wang Sheng's flying sword. She had not used her enchanted power at all.0 In truth, Xi Lian had considered whether she should descend into the Eighteen Levels of Hell with them. Unable to let Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan go in alone, she ultimately decided to come along.0 Wang Sheng glanced at his senior sister, intending to ask if she was nervous. However, he found her staring dazedly at the base of the great palace floating in the sky, seemingly lost in thought.0 Perhaps she was trying to recall what it was like being the forest goddess in her past life. It had probably been quite interesting. Across star domains, she had greened one barren planet after another as primal qi drifted endlessly.0 Picturing such scenes, Wang Sheng could not help but laugh softly. He then found something odd. Why would she green planets? She could only green... Bah! From now on, she should avoid anything green altogether![1]1 Zhang Zikuang turned to him. "Fei Yu, got time for a spar sometime?"0 Wang Sheng smiled and nodded. They were all at the same realm. A sword cultivator fighting a talisman master wasn't a cause for concern.0 Less than ten seconds later, another Daoist master turned and asked, "Are there any benefits to being the reincarnation of an immortal, Fei Yu? Is your comprehension just naturally high? Can you break through realms just by drinking water?"0 "I think it's the same as anyone else. I have no memories of my past life, and my constitution now was determined while I was still in the womb," Wang Sheng replied.0 Mu Wanxuan, who flew beside him, nodded deeply in agreement.0 Seemingly still skeptical, the Daoist master chuckled. "That can't be right. Would an immortal reincarnating not leave themselves a few aces up their sleeve?"0 Qing Yanzi, who had already heard Wang Sheng's "summary" of Mu Wanxuan's past life, laughed. "We already know the truth. Little Xuan's divine soul was nurtured within the Reincarnation Stone for a thousand years before she barely managed to reincarnate. Even then, she was born innately weak. 0 "I spent fifteen years trying to keep her alive. During that time, the Daoist Association's subsidies often weren't enough to cover medicinal herbs. I had to take on other jobs to make ends meet."0 Xi Lian snorted lightly. "By peddling secret martial art scriptures? Selling sacred spring water from Mount Wudang? Hahahaha! I've heard the investigation unit talk about it plenty of times."0 Qing Yanzi coughed and calmly changed the topic. "Actually, for Little Sheng and Little Xuan to now publicly bear the title of immortal reincarnations is a good thing. At the very least, no one will question whether their cultivation speed is just government propaganda."0 Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan exchanged a glance. Wang Sheng smiled gently, and Mu Wanxuan smiled back. 0 A nearby Daoist master laughed. "Daoist Master Bu Yan, your two disciples are honestly progressing in their cultivation at quite a frightening pace."0 Qing Yanzi shrugged. "I had little to do with that; they work hard without being told to. Little Xuan received gifts from the female immortal below, while Little Sheng simply found the path most suited to him and put in the effort required to walk it."0 After a momentary pause, he couldn't help but speak up in their defense as their master. "Have any of you seen a boy practicing swordsmanship in the snow on New Year's Eve?"0 The Daoist masters all smiled and nodded.0 Of course. Plenty of times, in fact. All mountains have disciples devoted to cultivation.0 In truth, Qing Yanzi had long wanted to speak out on behalf of his disciples and confront those who slandered Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan.0 Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan had kept a low profile during the first two years of primal qi's resurgence. As they grew stronger, their fame also steadily rose. Naturally, they also received criticisms.0 Having adopted many habits from the internet, many among the young cultivators were always eager to spread sour comments.0 Barely two years since primal qi returned, the pair of martial siblings had already become a frequent point of comparison among the second-generation Daoist masters, especially Mu Wanxuan. The younger generation could never match her cultivation, leaving them far behind.0 They could justify it at first. After all, Mu Wanxuan had cultivated from a young age and had a pure Dao Heart, allowing her cultivation speed to rival that of older cultivators.0 However, Wang Sheng took up the sword during his teenage years. He did not climb Wudang until the age of seventeen, which was around the same time most young disciples began cultivating. His Daoist age was just roughly equal to the years since primal qi returned, yet he had gradually pulled ahead of the younger generation and was still widening that gap.0 If the Dao of the Sword truly provided such a boost to comprehension and cultivation, why wasn't the Shu Sword Sect the top Daoist sect yet? Though the Shu Sword Sect and Wudang were certainly among the top, the most dominant righteous sects were still the three talisman sects. 0 After Qing Yanzi broke through to the Golden Core Realm, many in the cultivation world credited his guidance as the reason behind Wang Sheng's rapid progress. Wang Sheng's stunning performance at the first Immortal Dao Conference then thrust his name into the spotlight once again. 0 At the time, some people spread rumors behind the scenes, claiming that Fei Yu and Bu Yu relied on dual cultivation techniques that involved the union of yin and yang to achieve such speed. Others alleged that Wang Sheng's sword techniques were merely cobbled together from various sects, not the result of his own comprehension, and that the authorities had simply propped him up.0 The rumors also reached Wang Sheng, but he merely smiled and paid them no mind. Qing Yanzi, however, became angry for the first time and demanded that the investigation unit look into those spreading malicious gossip. He also requested that they reduce the degree of Wang Sheng's deliberate promotion.0 Over time, people gradually came to accept that Wang Sheng, ranked first on the Earthly Rankings, had earned his place through sweat and perseverance. In broad daylight and before numerous Daoist elders, he had even advanced from mid-stage to late-stage Illusory Core Realm, and then formed a sword-shaped Golden Core right after.0 Though not entirely unprecedented, such cases were extremely rare; there were barely any on record.0 Fortunately, their names being on the Immortal Record had likely killed off all rumors. The truth had finally been revealed to other cultivators: Bu Yu and Fei Yu were reincarnated immortals, allowing them to be reborn with the aptitude of immortals.0 It was only natural that others could not match them.0 Just as Qing Yanzi had said, this was the most reasonable explanation and the hardest one to refute.0 Yan Zhengnan smiled. "Qing Yanzi, others might not believe what you said, but I know very well how hard Fei Yu worked to reach this level. Besides, strictly speaking, past and present lives have little real connection."0 Zhang Zikuang smiled as well. "That's just how things are. Getting the world to acknowledge someone's excellence requires a hundred times more effort than pointing out their flaws."0 Wang Sheng thought about it for a moment but did not offer a rebuttal. For as long as his Dao Heart remained clear, that was enough. After all, this was his second life. That in itself was rarer than an immortal reincarnating.0 Unlike Mu Wanxuan, whom the Heavenly Court had sent back to reincarnate, Wang Sheng had somehow regressed through the Reincarnation Stone. Unfortunately, he could only explain his sudden return to his seventeen-year-old self as his memories awakening at that age. There really was no other explanation.0 Deep down, he also knew that he had no evidence that could prove he had been revived through the Small Nether Realm. He did not dare to entertain other possibilities since they were far too complicated and beyond what he could currently comprehend.0 If he thought about it too much, he could throw his Dao Heart into chaos and disrupt his cultivation. How could a Golden Core Realm cultivator dare say that they could grasp their own fate? It was still too soon; he was still far too weak.0 It was just like learning physics. In middle school, one started with classical mechanics. In high school, one had to revise everything to grasp relativity. In university, if one still could not make peace with it and continued down the same path, they would confront the horrors of the double-slit experiment and begin to question the very nature of reality.0 Unlike his senior sister, who currently seemed restless, Wang Sheng swiftly calmed himself. Even the slight instability in his Dao Heart, which had followed his Golden Core Realm breakthrough, had stabilized after learning that his name had been recorded in the Palace of Rebirth's Immortal Record.0 The matter was too complex. He might as well stop thinking about it. The immortal path was slow, and the road ahead was long. All that mattered was holding tightly to the sword in his hand.0 "On your guard," the Daoist master at the front warned. 0 The group had already reached the entrance at the top of the Eighteen Levels of Hell. Ahead of them was a circular hole over fifty meters in diameter. It was pitch black inside, preventing anyone from seeing how deep it was. 0 Qing Yanzi suddenly raised his hand. "Sshh. Listen."0 "Focus! Something is coming out!"0 Everyone immediately braced themselves as if facing a formidable enemy. Waves of enchanted power surged but did not erupt. Wang Sheng's fingers had already curled around the hilt of the sword on his back.0 The wind grew louder and wilder. After a few faint noises, two silver-white spheres flew up from within the hole and hovered in front of Qing Yanzi.0 —Daoist Master Bu Yan, this is the transfer station. We will now maintain real-time communication with you through the probes and provide danger alerts.0 Qing Yanzi's lips twitched slightly. Sighing in relief, the Daoist masters put away their weapons.0