"You can open your eyes now," Chu Xuan said while looking around.

Just now, he wrapped the two of them with the Six Souls Banner, and with a downward thrust, they rushed into the realm below, the process was exceptionally smooth.

Looking around, it unexpectedly wasn’t a pitch-black void; rather, it was terrifyingly bright, even making him wonder if he had entered the wrong place.

Gu Haitang opened her eyes and was equally surprised; she hadn’t had time to ponder how Chu Xuan had brought her through that layer of black membrane before she saw the world filled with flames!

The two were suspended in the high sky, surrounded by raging flames on all sides, countless fiery molten balls falling from the sky, distorting and steaming the air. Were it not for Chu Xuan using his magical power to protect them, they would likely be engulfed in flames by now.

Previously, when Chu Xuan was comprehending the Thousand-Handed Guanyin Dharma Aspect, he received a great deal of information about Buddhism and Buddhist scriptures. Seeing this, he mused:

"This is likely one of the layers of the Eight Hot Hells."

In folklore, the eighteen hells are often described as pulling tongues, knife mountains, oil pots, steaming cages, etc., but in Buddhism, hell is divided into four categories:

Eight Cold Hells, Eight Hot Hells, Neighboring Hells, Solitary Hells.

Among them, the Eight Hot Hells are filled with scorching flames covering the sky, iron burning as ground, fiery molten balls falling from above, fierce fires rising everywhere on earth, where countless abyssal guards wield terrifying implements to cruelly torture the lost souls of sinners, causing them to repeatedly die and live again.

Chu Xuan looked around; for now, he couldn’t find any great danger as long as they carefully avoided the flames, so he gently pushed Gu Haitang out of his embrace.

This made Haitang a bit disappointed, but she still forced herself to summon her spirits, floating on her own, while saying, "When you say that, I do recall a bit."

"A senior from my sect once came here, and upon returning wrote a travelogue. According to its records, this layer is filled with wandering souls and lonely spirits undergoing torture, wailing day and night, also known as the ’Wailing Hell’."

"Moreover, you mustn’t feel sorry for them; these ghostly souls will drag passing living beings into the flames to take their place in suffering, seeking escape through such means."

"However, the abyssal guards with cruel appearances will not proactively harm outsiders unless you attack them first."

Chu Xuan nodded upon hearing this, "Very useful information, it seems this place does have some connection to Buddhism."

"According to Buddhist scriptures, only those who committed the Five Grave Sins, the Ten Evil Deeds, blasphemed the Three Jewels, or defiled monks and nuns during their lifetime will fall into the Eight Hot Hells for punishment after death."

"Therefore, we living outsiders, whether good or evil, will not be attacked by the abyssal guards. Instead, we’re warned to be wary of those wicked ghostly souls."

Gu Haitang looked around for a while but felt puzzled, "Why... is it so quiet here? Isn’t this the Wailing Hell? Not to mention the sound; there’s not even a single tortured ghostly soul in sight."

Chu Xuan found it strange as well, "Let’s look around."

He was curious as to where his ’karma’ might connect.

...

The two cautiously avoided burning flames, molten rock, fiery hail, searching back and forth for several rounds but found no trace of any ’living beings.’

In their bewilderment, the relic Chu Xuan had deliberately taken out and placed in his embrace suddenly began to glow.

He immediately took out the relic, noticing the object was drawn, vaguely leaning toward the southeast.

The two exchanged a glance, Chu Xuan nodded first, "Let’s go check it out."

They flew in the southeast direction for a time, eventually hearing distant cries.

But astonishingly, those ghostly souls weren’t being tortured in flames but were instead sucked away by some inexplicable force, struggling but unable to break free, only to cry in vain.

Moreover, along with them, various ox-headed and horse-faced creatures, nether soldiers, and abyssal guards, all the guards from this layer were also unable to resist the force, flying away through the void.

Luckily, neither Chu Xuan nor Gu Haitang felt any sign of being sucked away themselves, only the glowing relic in the former’s palm was slightly affected but remained controllable, not quite being snatched away remotely.

Chu Xuan grew more vigilant, gripped the relic tightly, slowed his speed deliberately, ready to turn and flee at any sign of danger.

Finally, nearing the source of the suction, they saw a mysterious Buddha statue from afar.

The statue was very plain looking, seemingly carved from white granite, its design suggesting a representation of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, holding a Treasure Pearl in the left hand and a staff in the right, adorned with a crown and jewelry in solemn majesty.

Additionally unique, there was a red-hot iron wheel rotating atop the Bodhisattva statue, emitting infinite heat.

Chu Xuan, upon seeing this, was somewhat astonished, "Should the hot iron wheel rotate atop my head; I will not relinquish the pursuit of Bodhi due to this pain."

This means: even with a scorching iron wheel rotating above me (imposing extreme suffering), I will never let this deter me from the pursuit of supreme awakening.

This quote from Buddhism emphasizes the unwavering resolve and commitment of a cultivator.

But strangely, at this moment, the statue’s mouth was slightly agape, and countless ghostly souls, countless abyssal guards were being sucked from all directions, swallowed into its belly.

Gu Haitang frowned further and said, "This is indeed very uncanny, should we still go forward?"

Chu Xuan slowly halted his sword’s light, "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva once vowed: Hell will not be empty, and I swear not to achieve Buddhahood."

"Yet this statue before us is devouring ghosts, which utterly contradicts ’saving all beings’; it definitely isn’t a good thing."

"Withdraw."

He stored the relic away, and slowly started retreating with Gu Haitang, but just then, the statue suddenly accelerated, consuming all the ghostly beings in one fell swoop.