507: Hell, Purgatory

As previously mentioned, the best way to reach the Underworld is through the special passage beneath Mount Tai.

The Formation here leads directly to the Gate of Hell and is the most convenient way to travel between the two realms!

Of course, those with great Divine Ability like Tang Ku and his companions, or some high-level cultivators of Divine-Grade, could reach the Underworld directly by casting spells, though it would just take a bit more time.

The three of them chose to enter the Gate of Hell directly from the foot of Mount Tai.

However, when they entered beneath the massive archway of the Gate of Hell, they couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

The scene before them was truly spectacular; there were swarms of Yin soldiers guarding the place, seemingly waiting specifically for them.

"Weren't the Yin soldiers already wiped out? How could..." Ksitigarbha asked, quite surprised.

"I'm not sure. The aura on these Yin soldiers is different from ordinary ones; they must have been modified by the enemy!" Tang Ku said in a deep voice.

"Master, what should we do now?" The bald, burly man beside him frowned as he looked at these guys. "Should we fight our way in, or should we shapeshift and sneak in?"

Tang Ku curled his lip. "Fight my foot. We'll just swagger right in. Do you believe they won't even dare to touch us?"

Sun Wukong scratched his head and realized. "I understand, Buddha Light!"

"Heh, you're still smart... Alright, let's go in!"

Tang Ku chuckled and walked through the archway first. When those Yin soldiers suddenly saw a glowing, golden figure enter, they seemed surprised but didn't move at all.

"Something's not right!" Sun Wukong, who had followed Tang Ku and Ksitigarbha in, frowned slightly. "These guys seem... unable to move? I reckon some kind of Restriction was placed on them; otherwise, they wouldn't be unable to even speak!"

Tang Ku also felt puzzled because, apart from a flash of surprise in their eyes when they saw them, these guys made no other moves. They looked like a group of robots whose mobility had been restricted.

"Let's ignore them for now. The most important thing right now is to find a suitable Physical Body for you!" Tang Ku said. "Let's go, let's head to the Eighteen Levels of Hell first..."

The monkey couldn't help but curl his lip. "Why go there? It's filthy... Speaking of which, what kind of Physical Body did you find for me? Why do we have to go down to Hell? I've been to this place more than once. Although I'm not afraid of it, the feeling it gives people is very uncomfortable. It makes me... well, how should I put it, it makes me feel exceptionally irritable!"

"Is that why you're always in a bad mood whenever you come here?" Tang Ku chuckled. "Don't worry, we're not going to Hell this time, but to Purgatory... Yes, the place I told you about, where Ksitigarbha was trapped!"

Ksitigarbha said helplessly, "Actually, you don't need to emphasize that point!"

Tang Ku smiled, turned to look at Sun Wukong, and said, "What's imprisoned in Purgatory are all those Vicious Beast types from the ancient era. Many powerful characters have already had their souls extinguished and turned into corpses. And there, the passage of time has no meaning; all the bodies are preserved very well..."

"You're not going to find me some weird Vicious Beast for a body, are you? That would be too ridiculous!" Sun Wukong shuddered suddenly. "I'd better go back; this body is just fine!"

"Heh, don't rush, don't rush!" Tang Ku tugged at his sleeve and said, "Don't worry, the one I found for you not only has a high compatibility rate but will also definitely satisfy you. Hmm, I can tell you that that guy is also a monkey!"

Sun Wukong said disdainfully, "Among all the monkey species in the world, I am the Lingming Stone Monkey. The only ones who can be mentioned in the same breath as me are... uh, wait... you... you don't mean... is it..."

Tang Ku smiled. "It seems you've already guessed it!"

Sun Wukong shuddered all over, a flush appearing on his face. "You... are you serious? But... can this really work?"

"Great Sage, please rest assured. With Poor Monk here, everything can be accomplished!" Ksitigarbha, who was standing to the side, said with a chuckle to reassure him.

The monkey's Physical Body revealed a shy expression, rubbing his hands together. "That... that would be truly great. Damn it, I look at this appearance of mine in the water every day, and I'm about to vomit!"

The group talked as they walked and soon arrived at the edge of the Eighteen Levels of Hell. Along the way, other than the group of Yin soldiers they encountered at the very beginning, they didn't encounter any other strange events. Everything was the same as when Tang Ku and the others came last time; the Underworld was running itself in a strange way, with no one managing it at all.

"Bodhisattva, I'll have to trouble you!" Tang Ku bowed. "Normally, opening the passage would require us to break through the Eighteen Levels of Hell, but now we don't have much time, so we have to rely on your magic power!"

Ksitigarbha chuckled, "Rest assured, rest assured..."

As he spoke, Ksitigarbha sat cross-legged on the ground, put his hands together, and began to chant scriptures. As the scriptures of Ksitigarbha were chanted, the inexplicable discomfort that Tang Ku and the others felt in the Underworld was instantly cleared away; the uncomfortable feeling that Sun Wukong had just mentioned was swept away completely.

Immediately after, a golden light descended from the sky, enveloping the three of them. When Tang Ku and the others opened their eyes again, they found that the three of them were in a very small temple.

Tang Ku looked at the furnishings around him and couldn't help but smile. "So that's how it is. Is this the Bodhisattva's dojo, the Scripture Listening Hall?"

Sun Wukong said in surprise, "This is the Scripture Listening Hall? Oh, I understand. I heard that this Scripture Listening Hall can patrol all places in the Underworld, and no matter where it goes, it's just a matter of an instant. I didn't expect it to be true!"

"This is the place where Poor Monk cultivates, and at the same time... heh, it is also a Magic Treasure, but I don't use it often!" Ksitigarbha said with a chuckle.

"In other words, this is a vehicle-type Magic Treasure like Zun Zun?"

Tang Ku clicked his tongue repeatedly. "I think this Scripture Listening Hall shouldn't just be able to move back and forth within the Underworld; even in the Heavenly Court or the human world, it should be able to arrive in an instant!"

"More or less, but this Purgatory is in a space one layer deeper than Hell, so it might take a little longer... Hmm, we're almost there!"

Tang Ku suddenly felt a slight tremor in his body. Immediately after, the red lacquered wooden door in front swung open instantly, and the unique aura of Purgatory, along with cold, bone-chilling snowflakes, swirled in, making Tang Ku shiver involuntarily.

Ksitigarbha could not help but sigh with emotion. "I was trapped here for thousands of years; thinking about it now, it still feels like a dream!"

Sun Wukong looked at the scene outside the door and suddenly frowned. "How come this place is almost the same as the Mo Wen Plains of the Ashura Realm?"

"I think this Purgatory must have been built using the principles of the Mo Wen Plains, but its environment is even harsher than the Mo Wen Plains!"

Tang Ku straightened his clothes and then strode out of the temple door.

And just the moment they arrived in Purgatory, a group of people suddenly appeared in Hell...