If not for Li Chang’an’s current, formidable strength, combined with the resistance to Frenzied Energy he had built up over many years of cultivation, he likely would have been forced to flee in disarray after just a few breaths.

Even so. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

The place still gave Li Chang’an a very uncomfortable feeling.

...

Gritting his teeth, Li Chang’an pressed onward. He crested a small hill and finally saw the mountain peak he had spotted from the outside.

He took out the Map of Mountains and Rivers and compared it with his surroundings.

Li Chang’an’s heart soon leaped with joy. He discovered that this location perfectly matched the one recorded in the Map of Mountains and Rivers.

The vegetation and some minute details were different, though.

But those details were obviously insignificant.

To truly verify a match between the scroll and reality, one had to use the contours of the landscape, the flow of the rivers, and their relative positions as the main reference points. All other details were merely secondary.

After confirming that this area matched the contents of the Map of Mountains and Rivers, Li Chang’an was just wondering what to do next when he saw the Map of Mountains and Seas suddenly burst into flames.

A dark, blood-red energy flared up, burning the scroll to a pile of ash.

Once the flames were extinguished, the ashes didn’t vanish. Instead, as if coming to life, they swirled and flowed into Li Chang’an’s left wrist.

Li Chang’an didn’t resist. His intuition told him the ashes bore him no Malice.

Once all the ashes had flowed into his body, Li Chang’an realized the scene before him had completely transformed.

Before him was a world bathed in blood-red.

Back in the Fire Realm, Li Chang’an had seen a faint red hue in the air, but it was nothing like what he saw now.

A three-headed monster poked its heads out of a lake of what looked like lava. It stared for a moment at the bewildered Li Chang’an not far away, then grinned maliciously. "Heh, welcome to Hell!"

’Hell?

This place is Hell?

The final coordinates from the Map of Mountains and Rivers led to the legendary Hell, a place said to exist outside the Celestial and Human Realms?’

Li Chang’an’s thoughts were in a whirl.

But he quickly snapped out of it.

As the three-headed monster spoke, more and more heads began to emerge from the lake of churning lava. Pairs of blood-red eyes stared intently at Li Chang’an, their gazes filled with curiosity and scrutiny.

’In his mind, Hell was certainly no paradise.

And the creatures living in Hell couldn’t possibly be friendly.’

However, they hadn’t attacked him on sight, which meant there was likely a chance to communicate. Li Chang’an calmed himself and asked, "Who are you?"

He avoided asking if this was Hell, as that would easily reveal his ignorance.

Fortunately, they didn’t seem very hostile toward him.

One of the three-headed monsters filled all three of its mouths with scorching water from the lava lake and spat it out in a brilliant arc. As it sprayed the water, it exclaimed excitedly, "How many years has it been? How many years since we in Hell have welcomed a new member? I propose a celebration! Let’s celebrate this wonderful day..."

The monster thrashed about joyfully in the water. Its jubilant display, combined with its grotesque and terrifying body, created a bizarre contrast that was hard to process.

Another monster answered in a deadpan voice, "This is Hell. Naturally, we are the Evil Ghosts who live here!"

Li Chang’an’s mouth twitched.

But before he could reply, the monster stared at him and demanded, "How did you get here? By rights, those bastards from the Celestial Realm shouldn’t let anyone get here!"

Hearing its question.

Li Chang’an thought for a moment. Without hiding much, he carefully recounted the process of how he had arrived in Hell.

Of course, he didn’t reveal his reason for entering the Fire Realm.

The creature clearly wasn’t hung up on such details. After Li Chang’an finished, it clapped in praise. "Heh heh, I can just picture the looks on the faces of those scum from the Celestial Realm when they find out. They’ll be furious! It seems your luck is pretty good..."

Li Chang’an was clearly in no mood for idle chatter with these creatures.

After a moment of thought, he asked directly, "You call yourselves Evil Ghosts and refer to the Divine Spirits of the Celestial Realm as scum. Can I assume, then, that you are enemies of the Celestial Realm?"

This group of monsters from Hell all had powerful auras.

While his own diligent cultivation meant Li Chang’an wasn’t particularly afraid of them, he still preferred a peaceful resolution if at all possible.

Otherwise, if a conflict broke out on their home turf, he could very well end up at a major disadvantage.

The crowd of three-headed monsters bobbed in the lava lake, all chattering at Li Chang’an at once. With so many voices speaking simultaneously, all he could hear was a cacophonous buzz like demonic whispers; he couldn’t make out a single word of the information he sought.

Just as Li Chang’an’s patience was wearing thin and he was about to lose his temper,

the horde of monsters in Hell suddenly fell silent. Every one of them closed their mouths at the same time.

Following their gaze, Li Chang’an soon saw an old man emerging from a cave in a nearby mountain. The man’s skin was desiccated, and his hair was dry and yellowed.

Supported by an octopus-like creature with dozens of tentacles, the old man slowly approached Li Chang’an. He coughed twice, then spoke in a chilling voice like the caw of a raven, "Honored guest, please calm yourself. We are not monsters, but true human beings. We have been reduced to this wretched state only because those monsters from the Celestial Realm wanted to prevent us from telling the truth!"

Li Chang’an sized him up. In his heart, he was already partially convinced, but his face remained skeptical. He asked, "Oh? The truth? What truth?"

...