Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 383 Divine Retribution and Hell
A battle in the clouds ultimately made the name "Huangquan Sect" resound throughout the cultivation world.

The Yellow Springs Sect is no longer a minor, unorthodox sect located far away in the northern frontier, but has truly joined the ranks of the major righteous sects.

What followed was the trouble that comes with fame.

Chen Ye's quiet little courtyard suddenly became bustling with visitors.

Visitors from all walks of life flocked to the place, their visiting cards piling up like mountains, almost breaking down the threshold. This scene was exactly the same as what Sheng Huai'an had experienced back then.

However, Chen Ye no longer needed to worry about being blocked at the mountain gate as the sect leader. After this battle, his appearance had already spread throughout the world.

No one knows which master painter captured his likeness so perfectly that it spread within a few days, making him the center of attention wherever he went.

Chen Ye's choice was simple and direct—to stay indoors.

Having been thoroughly troubled by worldly affairs in my past life, what I seek in this life is peace and freedom. If I were to be caught up in endless comings and goings, wouldn't all my cultivation as an immortal have been in vain?

Therefore, he delegated all the tedious affairs of dealing with people in the Yellow Spring Sect to his eldest disciple, Fang Hao.

If a master doesn't exploit his apprentices, what's the point of taking them on as apprentices?
Chen Ye was happy to have some free time, and Fang Hao had no complaints either. For him, these welcoming and seeing off duties were not difficult. Being able to share his master's burdens made his anxious heart feel more at ease, and he felt that he finally had a place to use his skills in the sect.

However, Chen Ye's "leisure" was not true laziness. He had been keeping himself in the courtyard for several days because he had more important things to do.

Firstly, he needed to confirm the fate of Hu Chang with Youluozi.

If Sheng Huai'an had used that gourd-shaped sword energy, the tiger's accomplice would have been doomed.

However, he was well aware of his own "abilities." The gourd of sword energy, though seemingly powerful, was mostly inaccurate and scattered, wasting the legacy of Master Zhang Qi.

Under those circumstances, given the life-saving methods of a Void Returning Realm demon, Hu Chang might still have a sliver of hope.

We must nip this in the bud. While the tiger's accomplice is injured by the sword energy, we must press our advantage and eliminate him completely.

But for some reason, despite Youluozi being the one who said they would deal with Huchang, she acted completely differently this time. No matter how Chen Ye tried to probe her indirectly, she only replied, "I am not an omniscient deity, how could I be sure whether that demon is alive or dead?"

If she truly didn't know, that would be one thing, but this witch didn't even offer a polite "Let me investigate," which is highly suspicious.

This is definitely not her style.

Chen Ye could only guess that Youluozi wanted to keep this "spoils of war" for himself.

If that's the case, then it's fine.

Chen Ye wasn't trying to add another vengeful spirit to the Ten Thousand Souls Banner; he was merely trying to eliminate any future trouble. Whether Youluozi did it or he did it himself, the outcome wouldn't make much difference.

What he was really worried about was that Youluozi had other plans.

This witch's obsession with opening the "Ruins of Return" runs deep in her bones; heaven knows what she will do with the severely injured Tiger's Lackey.

During the battle at Rift Sky Mountain, the Azure Dragon Lord summoned a Nirvana Sect demon monk who was at the Returning Void Realm. The monk immediately self-destructed, severely injuring the two sect leaders, True Person of Five Elements and True Person of Mermaid Moon. Only Yin Xiaoshuang remained to fight the Azure Dragon Lord.

Otherwise, how could the Azure Dragon Lord fight against three opponents alone?

The demonic monk of the Nirvana Sect was controlled by Youluozi and turned into a puppet.

If she were to refine Ruohu's accomplice into an even more powerful "chess piece," she could detonate it at the most crucial moment.

Chen Ye dared not imagine the consequences.

In the past, if Youluozi refused to cooperate, it would be difficult for Chen Ye to find out the whereabouts of the demons, since he was a fake lord and had no foundation underground.

For a notorious old demon like Hu Chang, the secret place where he hides to save his life is probably unknown even to his closest relatives.

Without Youluozi's help, Chen Ye would have had almost no chance of finding him.

Unless Chen Ye can lock onto Hu Chang's location as firmly as he did when he set up the "Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation," making him nowhere to hide no matter where he is.

Chen Ye couldn't do it before, but now he can give it a try.

It was only because Chen Ye received guidance from the Five Elements True Man while he was deep in the clouds that he truly gained some enlightenment.

The mystery of the Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation lies mainly in two core aspects:
The first is "discrimination," which refers to how to accurately lock onto the unique aura of a target amidst the vast and complex flow of spiritual energy, like picking out a specific grain from countless grains of sand in the Ganges.

The second aspect is "implementation," which refers to how to make supernatural powers and spells travel thousands of miles, so that they can arrive at the thought of the action and arise from the mind.

The teachings of the Five Elements Master are all true methods. He dissected the complex talismanic structures, which resembled the trajectories of stars, and explained their principles. Chen Ye possessed exceptional talent in this regard, and within just three hours, he had grasped the true meaning and could apply it to other situations.

But as Master Wuyun said, the Yellow Springs Sect certainly couldn't set up the Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation.
It’s not that I don’t want to do it, but I really can’t.

The manpower and resources required for this formation are far beyond what the Yellow Springs Sect could possibly manage, even if they used all their resources. Even if the Yellow Springs Sect had sufficient resources and did nothing but focus all their efforts on setting up the formation, it would still take hundreds or thousands of years.

After confirming that this path was blocked, Chen Ye was not discouraged at all. Instead, he changed his mind and tried another way.

Formations are the pinnacle of tactics, and tactics are the beginning of formations.

Since we cannot construct this behemoth, let's simplify it and see if we can transform it into supernatural powers and spells that we can use for our own purposes.

To this end, Chen Ye also invited the Emperor of Fengdu and spent a lot of incense and prayers to jointly deduce the secrets of heaven.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu and Chen Ye were originally one, and Chen Ye also had the Great Law of Other Transformation, which allowed him to share the senses of others. Therefore, Chen Ye and the Great Emperor of Fengdu could run in parallel, making the deductions easy for them.

After this deduction, the Emperor of Fengdu quickly gained something, and the supernatural power of the fifth level of hell began to take shape.

The Hell of Fire Serpents, the Hell of Bronze Bells, the Hell of Illusion, the Hell of Karma Mirrors... These first four levels of hell that he has cultivated each have their own unique uses, sufficient to deal with all kinds of sinners in the world.

But they all share a common premise: the sinner must be captured and then sent to hell to be punished.

Once the sinner escapes control, the powers of hell are powerless to reach them.

If sins can easily escape punishment through escapism, how can the clear justice of Heaven be manifested? Where is the righteousness?
Therefore, this fifth level of hell was created for this purpose.

It should not be a cage, but a chain. An invisible shackle, once you are tainted by cause and effect, it will follow you like a shadow, from which you can never escape!

Previously, Chen Ye had grand ambitions but lacked the actual ability to achieve them.

The principle of the Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation saved Chen Ye the hard work of figuring it out himself. By using the principles of formation analysis and integrating cause and effect, when Chen Ye summoned the Emperor of Fengdu, he seemed to be able to sense billions of threads connecting him to himself.

These are all causes and effects.

As the ruler of the Northern Frontier and the sect leader of the Yellow Springs Sect, Chen Ye is the heart and soul of millions of people in the Northern Frontier, and every move he makes will have a huge karmic impact.

Through the method of analysis, Chen Ye was finally able to see the manifested cause-and-effect line, and for the first time, Chen Ye felt the responsibility on his shoulders so intuitively.

In an instant, thousands of causal threads broke, and then even more causal threads were generated.

The world is constantly changing, and the causes and effects related to Chen Ye are constantly disappearing and being generated. This process is very subtle, which fascinates Chen Ye.

Each of these threads of cause and effect was as light as a feather, falling on Chen Ye as if they couldn't even move a single hair on his head.

But it is precisely because of this convergence of countless causes and effects that Chen Ye's fate is bound by these threads, and everything seems to be under his control.

Those who cultivate immortality seek freedom and longevity, and naturally dislike being bound by cause and effect. But Chen Ye was different; he only felt gratified when he saw this.

For all people under heaven, cause and effect are always better than none. This is the foundation of the Yellow Springs Sect. As long as we continue to advance on this path, we will surely be able to bring protection to all people under heaven.

After a moment of reflection, Chen Ye focused intently on searching through the countless threads of cause and effect.

He fought a battle with the Tiger-like Demon Lord, devouring hundreds of thousands of his demonic followers, and then slicing him into pieces with his sword energy. The karma he had accumulated was immense. The phantom of the Fengdu Emperor, which had been looming over Chen Ye, now appeared much more solid.

found it!
With a firm resolve, Chen Ye's divine sense seemed to transform into an invisible giant hand, reaching out to grab the thread that was faintly visible amidst countless causes and effects!

A faint, almost invisible thread, though thicker than most causal threads, flickers on and off, as if it might disappear at any moment.

When Chen Ye's thoughts touched this thread of cause and effect, his perception seemed to spread infinitely, penetrating mountains and rivers, penetrating the thick crust of the earth, and finally landing in a hot and cramped place.

Deep underground, inside a naturally formed lava cave.

Crimson magma flowed slowly like a river, radiating temperatures high enough to melt gold and iron, and emitting toxic fire from the earth's core. In the center of this desolate place, however, floated a large bed carved from obsidian.

The ethereal and unstable soul of the Tiger Lord now sits cross-legged on the obsidian bed.

His soul was riddled with holes by the gourd sword energy during the battle in the clouds, and now it was dim and weak to the extreme.

If Chen Ye hadn't been mediocre with his sword, the Tiger Servant Lord would have been annihilated long ago.

At this very moment, before the Tiger Lord's soul lay a brand-new, vibrant body brimming with life force. This was a perfect vessel he had secretly cultivated over hundreds of years. Originally intended for possession, it had unexpectedly suffered severe damage to his soul this time, leaving him so weak that even possession was now difficult, despite his escape.

The Tiger Lord had to first take a pill to repair the damage to his soul with the help of the earth fire spiritual energy before he could attempt to possess the body.

At this critical moment, when the Tiger Lord was seizing the body, wisps of illusory divine soul power were cautiously probing into the brow of the new body, attempting to regain control of a powerful physique.

At this critical juncture, the Tiger Lord suddenly sensed something, as if he were being watched by something.

Who found his hiding place?

Youluozi? Feilian? Or that little soulfire figure?!
The Tiger Lord was nearly scared out of his wits. He was now like a lamb to the slaughter, powerless to resist.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Tiger Lord roared, his divine sense stirring the entire cave!

In an instant, countless blood-red runes that had been engraved on the four walls of the cave suddenly lit up. The runes intertwined into a net, transforming into an impenetrable blood-red light curtain that instantly enveloped the Tiger Lord and the obsidian bed.

This was a protective array he had nurtured with his own blood and countless human sacrifices, and he was confident that even a Void Returning Realm cultivator could withstand it for a moment.

At the same time, countless vengeful spirits appeared, guarding the area around the formation.

However, what happened next made the Tiger Servant Lord's soul tremble.

A thin, silvery-white bolt of lightning condensed three feet above his head.

The Tiger Lord couldn't understand how his carefully crafted protective array had been breached, or how the lightning could appear out of thin air. The ghouls hadn't noticed where the attack was coming from either.

Just like... just like the effect of that Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation!
Tiger Lord hurriedly tried to dodge, but the lightning bolt had already struck down on his head.

Tiger Lord was filled with regret. If he had known this would happen, he would never have fought the Cloud Peak Immortal Sect head-on.

He underestimated the righteous path, especially Chen Ye. Not only could Chen Ye transform into his natural enemy, the Dream Eater, but he also possessed an extremely sharp sword aura gourd, as if it had been specially crafted for him as a treacherous henchman.

"My life is over!"

Tiger Lord had only this thought left. With his extremely weakened soul, he had no chance of escaping.

With a crackling sound, a flash of lightning struck precisely at the weakened soul of the Tiger Lord.

Tiger Lord's soul trembled violently, and a tingling and painful sensation swept over him, causing him to cry out in pain.

He had thought that the intense pain alone would shatter his consciousness, and that the tiny bolt of lightning would be enough to destroy his soul. But after the numbness and pain subsided, the Tiger Lord was shocked to find himself completely unharmed.

The soul, which was clearly extremely weak, could not withstand the slightest torment. Even the smallest lightning bolt should have been fatal. Was the pain just now all an illusion?
The Tiger Lord, bewildered, couldn't help but roar, "Who dares to mess with your grandfather! Dare to show yourself, or I'll let you taste the agony of ten thousand ghosts devouring your heart!"

However, the response from the Tiger-like Lord was a second bolt of lightning as thin as a hair.

Once again, the numbness and pain intensified throughout his body. Tiger Lord lay sprawled on the obsidian bed, twitching. He hadn't dodged the lightning bolt again, but the pain and light had left him unharmed.

Deep underground, flashes of electricity continued to appear, accompanied by the agonizing roars of the tiger's accomplice, lasting for more than half an hour.

……

Inside Chen Ye's courtyard at the Yunlu Immortal Sect.

The phantom of the Fengdu Emperor behind Chen Ye had become blurred and eventually vanished into nothingness. He himself felt a wave of mental exhaustion, as if a corner of his soul had been hollowed out.

He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with weariness, as if he had just experienced a long and arduous life-or-death struggle, so exhausted that he didn't even want to move his fingers.

This newly comprehended fifth level of hellish divine power is truly profound. It can use cause and effect as a guide, disregarding the distance of thousands of miles, and directly unleash divine lightning of divine retribution upon the soul of a person with grave sins.

However, this supernatural power also follows the fundamental law of "hell," and its punishment lies in torture rather than annihilation.

The Tiger Servant Lord was already a dying candle, his primordial spirit so weak. Yet, despite being struck by the divine lightning of Chen Ye for a full half hour, he stubbornly clung to life.

At first, he cursed extremely filthy language, but later he didn't even have the strength to curse anymore. He just lay down and let the lightning strike him, at most twitching occasionally to show that he was still alive.

Chen Ye, on the other hand, had suffered a huge loss, and if he continued, he feared that it would damage his foundation, so he had no choice but to stop the heavenly lightning punishment.

Rubbing his temples, Chen Ye sighed, "It was all for nothing. I forgot that the tortures of hell are not fatal. Even if I can punish him, I still can't completely eradicate him."

Chen Ye could use this causal link to find Hu Chang's location, but just a slight sense of it told him that Hu Chang had set up countless guards in that cave. Without You Luozi's assistance, Chen Ye would probably lose his life if he tried to force his way in.

The only feasible way is to call upon the leaders of the righteous sects to go underground together to hunt them down; that would be the safest option.

However, Chen Yeguang knew the location of Hu Chang. The underground passages were crisscrossed, but Chen Yeguang could not sense how to get to this location. He could only try each passage one by one. In this process, he might run into other demons, and then there might be accidents.

Even if the righteous path is powerful enough not to fear these underground demons, it will still take a considerable amount of time.

Once these high-level cultivators leave the sect, other demons may take the opportunity to attack, resulting in a large number of casualties.

The war between good and evil has begun. The demons will not listen to the rules. They will do everything they can to bully the weak and kill any juniors of the righteous path. This is the way the demonic sects operate.

Therefore, in the previous battles, Master Wuyun had sent all his disciples out to experience firsthand what it was like to be a Void Returning Realm cultivator. This was a real battlefield; no one would let you off the hook just because your cultivation level was low. On the contrary, the lower your cultivation level, the more likely you were to encounter a formidable opponent, so you had to adapt in advance.

"It's a pity I don't have a map of this dark underground, otherwise it would save me a lot of trouble."

After much deliberation, Chen Ye decided to inform the other sects about the matter and discuss with them whether to join forces to hunt him down.

Before that, Chen Ye had no intention of letting Tiger Servant Lord go.

Hellish tortures may not be fatal, but the Tiger Servant Lord will not have an easy time either.

From today onwards, whenever he has free time, Chen Ye will make this devil taste the wrath of heaven.

This fifth level is called the Hell of Divine Retribution.

Chen Ye couldn't help but sneer. Maybe if he chopped too many times, this demon would just commit suicide like a vengeful ghost.

Isn't this a kind of cause-and-effect cycle, where retribution is inevitable?
(End of this chapter)