Chapter 156: Drawing a Prison in the Void Named Hell

The three thousand Great Daos all lead to enlightenment. This saying, known to everyone in later generations, was something Nan Luo had never heard at this moment. Even the phrase "three thousand Great Daos" was entirely new to him, yet he could readily grasp its underlying meaning.

Those three thousand Great Daos naturally did not imply that there were precisely three thousand paths in heaven and earth, nor that only through these three thousand could one achieve enlightenment. The number three thousand was merely a figurative expression representing the infinite. The true meaning of the saying was that the Great Daos were boundless, and whichever path one took, it could lead to the realm of enlightenment.

The celestial realm was like a misty plunge into the Great Dao, where one lost direction and destination. The divine realm, by contrast, was a turning back—an assimilation of what one had learned within, integrating and applying the scattered insights gained previously to forge one's own divine powers and abilities. When such divine powers reached their absolute pinnacle, one was merely a hair's breadth away from entering the Dao, requiring only a single opportunity for sudden enlightenment.

Although Nan Luo had not practiced for long, he had already mastered several divine powers, yet he ultimately entered the Dao through the sword. Without the aid and fusion of other Great Daos, it would have been impossible for him to achieve this so quickly. Thus, this demonstrated another truth: the Dao is not fixed. Even with the same technique and the same master, the Dao entered by different individuals will never be the same.

High above the nine heavens, from the pitch-black clouds, a series of icy voices descended, resembling the wrath of heaven and earth. The magnificent majesty of the heavens was so awe-inspiring that hearing it made one instinctively wish to bow and submit.

Beneath the shroud of dark clouds, a surging, silver-gleaming heavenly river rushed backward into the nine heavens. This heavenly river was not merely formed by Nan Luo's single sword strike; it also contained the Great Dao of the Five Elements. To an ordinary person, the roaring sound of the water would merely be a melodiously rhythmic tune that refreshed the mind and gladdened the heart. But to one with profound cultivation, it sounded like the profound music of the Great Dao, deafening yet deeply stirring, faint traces of enlightenment and boundless mystery vibrating within.

From within that roaring heavenly river rushing upward against the sky, a clear and cold voice suddenly rang out. Beneath the thunderous momentum of the water, this voice was exceptionally distinct, devoid of any abruptness, and instead possessed a quality that harmonized perfectly with the rhythm.

"Heaven and earth are supremely impartial; the Great Dao is attainable by all. If heaven possesses selfishness, heaven shall perish."

At some unknown point, Nan Luo's voice had also taken on a desolate aura. The eerie breeze and the pitch-black clouds proved entirely unable to conceal it, carrying it far, far away through the layers of clouds. This was spoken in the manner of reciting the *Huangting Jing* to expound upon the Great Dao. To an ordinary person, it might have sounded merely like a series of low hums, and a perceptive individual might have sensed a slight tremor in the void, without being able to catch the specific words.

Yet to those versed in cultivation, it was crystal clear. The more profound one's cultivation, the more deeply one could comprehend the vastness contained within those words, alongside the chilling intent that debated the impartiality of heaven and earth and declared that if heaven were selfish, heaven would perish.

If an ordinary person were present here, their eyes would naturally perceive only darkness when the wind rose. But in the eyes of many beings of great divine power, this realm appeared hazy and indistinct, like viewing reflections in water. Still, they could ultimately perceive things: they saw the Brush of Reincarnation pierce through the clouds into the nine heavens, vanishing without a trace; they saw the river of blood attempting to break through the void and flee, only to be bound by an invisible spatial restriction, unable to break free despite the churning of blood waves and the roaring of blood corpses. They also saw Xuan Ming's pink dress standing exceptionally cold and mesmerizing amidst the darkness, her chilling aura flickering in and out of view.

Yet at this moment, most people kept their gaze fixed on Nan Luo, watching as he unconsciously transformed into a skeleton, only to ultimately employ miraculous divine techniques to transform his sword into a heavenly river and merge himself within it. In that fleeting instant, whether it was Shebi ruling over this space high above the nine heavens, the blood-soaked river reeking of slaughter, or Xuan Ming coldly looking on as a bystander, all were somewhat eclipsed.

The surging heavenly river spiraled upward into the nine heavens. Every single turn seemed to ascend along the trajectory of the Great Dao, and the sound emitted by every silver ripple resembled the fundamental principles of heaven and earth, containing boundless mysteries within.

Upon a mountain peak three hundred miles away from this space, six figures stood. Not far behind them, several ferocious giant beasts lay in pools of blood, having perished long ago.

The hemp garments worn by these six individuals were of the kind exclusive to the human race, yet they were no ordinary hemp garments; clearly refined and saturated with magical power, they could well be called Dao robes. The one in the center was tall and possessed a dignified appearance. If Nan Luo were to see him, he would surely be immensely astonished, for this man's bearing possessed both the supreme dominance of Donghuang Taiyi and the mysterious aura of Di Jun. The remaining five each emanated an obscure aura as unfathomable as an abyss, yet faintly acknowledging the central figure as their leader.

Hearing one of them speak: "Haotian, has he truly entered the Dao?"

The tall and dignified man in the center nodded and replied, "Indeed, he has entered the Dao."

The questioner could not help but say with a trace of astonishment, "I heard his name many years ago and never had the chance to meet him, but today I witness him breaking through to the Dao realm. This is a great blessing for our human race! It's just that at this moment, he is trapped within the domain of Shebi's divine power; I wonder if he can break out."

Haotian stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his brow slightly furrowed. After a brief silence, he said, "He has only just stepped into the Dao realm. Although his divine powers are extraordinary, he is still no match for Shebi, who was born alongside the creation of heaven and earth. However, if he merely resolves to flee, it should not prove too difficult... It's just that he likely will not choose to do so."

The questioner gazed at the heavenly river surging toward the nine heavens, sighed, and remarked, "It seems he is in grave peril today. I only hope he preserves himself and does not squander this hard-won mastery of divine power."

Silence settled over the mountain peak, with the distant sound of roaring water audible from afar.

Another person spoke up, "Haotian, if the two of you joined forces, could you defeat that Shebi?"

Haotian, standing in the center, replied, "The Ancestral Witches of the Wu clan were born in accordance with the evolution of heaven and earth, and even after the formation of the cosmos, they retain an unbreakable bond with it, existing in a state close to immortality. Even powerful figures like the Heavenly Court's Donghuang and Di Jun would not dare to easily provoke them... Furthermore, today's events are far from simple; who knows how many watchers are lurking in the shadows. The divine powers of that Styx are also far greater than what appears on the surface."

As he spoke, the divine light in his eyes suddenly surged, three feet of golden radiance flickering within the void. In his vision, the domain enveloped by Shebi's divine power was presented with utmost clarity. He saw the surging heavenly river make a sharp turn to entangle itself with the blood river, circle around it, and then abruptly sweep toward the heavy, dark clouds high in the nine heavens.

The river water roared like a collapsing sky, spanning across the nine heavens with a momentum capable of sweeping through the primordial world.

Silver ripples crashed into the dark clouds, stirring up a series of heart-chilling roars, resembling ancient fierce beasts sealed for countless years returning from the endless darkness. A terrifying aura churned, and a boundless oppressive might diffused throughout this westernmost land.

That space shook violently, fracturing with fine, web-like cracks. The blood river suddenly rolled inward, swallowing the butterfly transformed by Bei Ling, before twisting once more in the void to morph into a thread of blood that drilled into the void and vanished.

At the exact moment the blood river transformed into blood corpses, countless corpses tumbled out of it like a chaotic downpour. Landing on the ground, they dropped onto all fours and roared toward the sky, instantly turning this realm into a living hell.

The eerie breeze had already vanished the moment the heavenly river charged into the clouds. Within the dark clouds, the heavenly river flickered in and out of view, resembling a struggling and churning silver dragon.

"Human, today is the day your soul and body shall be utterly annihilated."

Shebi's icy voice echoed from within the clouds, yet no reply came from Nan Luo; only the ceaseless roar of the rushing water echoed endlessly.

On the earth below, those blood corpses were living beings swept up by the blood river. At this moment, their magical powers not only remained undiminished, but they also exuded an even greater aura of slaughter. However, their sentience was entirely gone. Many blood corpses lunged toward Xuan Ming, only to turn into ice sculptures before they could even draw close. Xuan Ming did not even spare them a glance; she merely gazed upward at the sky. Within the three-foot square space where she stood, snowflakes had begun to drift down at some unknown moment.

The snowflakes fell gracefully and quietly.

They drifted out from the pitch-black void, vanishing the moment they touched the ground. Any blood corpses that drew near her immediately collapsed onto the earth, frozen and motionless. Those following closely behind, upon touching the leading corpses, were instantly frozen stiff as well. Before long, a ring of blood corpses lay prostrate in a circle around Xuan Ming. She herself stood amidst the snow, looking up at the sky. Amidst the drifting snowflakes, her expression was indifferent, devoid of the slightest emotion, her peerless visage resembling cold ice.

More blood corpses landed on the ground, roaring and howling as they scattered in all directions.

Suddenly, the thick, heavy clouds in the sky burst open, and a streak of flowing light flew out from within. With a slight tremor, it prepared to plunge into the void and escape. Yet a pitch-black brush suddenly appeared high above the nine heavens.

With a gentle tap from the Brush of Reincarnation, an illusory prison manifested across the entire void, trapping that streak of flowing light within.

The prison appeared as though drawn by the Brush of Reincarnation within the void, existing between reality and illusion. The moment the streak of flowing light fell into it, it transformed back into a sword, slashing fiercely toward the black iron-like framework of the prison.

"Sizzling..."

Countless strands of black lightning erupted across the prison, striking the three-foot-long sword. A muffled sound echoed from the blade, and an instant later, a figure tumbled out from the void.

On the mountain peak three hundred miles away, Haotian narrowed his eyes and said with a hint of emotion, "He is injured, and likely severely so." He then added, "No one trapped by Di Jiang's Hell Prison has ever managed to walk away alive in this world."

Just as Haotian's words fell, a light laugh drifted down from the nine heavens, followed by the remark: "Truly foolish, falling for an ambush yet again." The voice was crisp like silver bells—pleasing to the ear and brisk, infectious enough to instantly lift one's spirits and bring a sense of ease.