Chương 170: Retribution is Just That

Fang Yang didn't understand why Daoist Guangzang insisted on entering the Eighteen Levels of Hell, but he couldn't possibly give up the Eighteen Levels of Hell to the Western Sect.

Fang Yang also had moments of fear. He was afraid that if he gave the eighteen levels of hell to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva would immediately declare, "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty."

Fang Yang didn't want to bear such a huge karmic burden.

Moreover, Fang Yang had a feeling that the Western Sect had already made its move on the Underworld.

Although Western religions did not enter the underworld, their ideas have taken deep root there.

The way the underworld manages reincarnation is clearly a Buddhist model.

Taoist immortals value life, while Buddhist immortals abhor life.

In the path of immortality, reincarnation is a means of cultivation in this life, leading directly to transcendence. Within the path of immortality, reincarnation is merely a fallback option.

Cultivating immortality in life and ghost immortality after death—the meaning of reincarnation is to give all beings another path to choose from.

The cycle of reincarnation in Buddhism and Taoism involves eliminating negative karma and being reborn in the Pure Land, practicing for many lifetimes, and ultimately achieving liberation.

The practice of Buddhism and Taoism relies on reincarnation, accumulating merit life after life, in order to attain enlightenment.

There is no right or wrong between these two paths, but if Fang Yang wants to achieve the great cause of "seizing a glimmer of hope for all living beings", he must let the Taoist thought take root and sprout in the underworld.

Having received their missions, the four sects took their leave and went to their respective places of preaching.

After leaving the Six Paths of Reincarnation Palace, Taiyi Zhenren walked to Fang Yang's side and, unusually, took the initiative to speak:

"Junior Brother Fang Yang, you handled it very well just now. Our Sanqing Orthodox Sect cannot let the Western heretical sects overshadow us."

Fang Yang smiled slightly and returned the greeting with a cupped hand:

"Senior Brother Taiyi, you flatter me. I was merely stating the facts."

Taiyi Zhenren gave Fang Yang a deep look, said nothing more, and led Qingxu Daode Zhenjun and the others onto the road to the Yellow Springs.

After Taiyi Zhenren left, Qingniu Venerable also came over and cupped his hands in greeting to Fang Yang:

"Fellow Daoist Fang Yang, the young master of Xuandu instructed me to tell you that he will keep an eye on Fellow Daoist Duobao and prevent Fellow Daoist Duobao's thoughts from entering the human race."

Fang Yang remained silent for a moment after hearing this before nodding.

"I understand, thank you for relaying the message."

Grand Master Xuandu had always disliked Daoist Duobao, which was why he consistently favored the Chan Sect and distanced himself from the Jie Sect. How could Grand Master Xuandu possibly be close to a large group of cannibals and devourers within the Jie Sect?

Knowing that there were reinforcements besides the Jie Sect to help him snipe Duobao Daoren, Fang Yang felt much more at ease.

Daoist Duobao has ruined his reputation by acting recklessly in the past. Now, even if he were to turn back, no one would believe him.

"Come, follow me to the eighteenth level of hell."

Fang Yang took a step and flew straight towards Yinshan.

Qianyao Daojun, Chaotian Daojun, and others simultaneously activated their magical power, and following closely behind, fifteen beams of immortal light pierced into the void of the underworld, disappearing without a trace.

Oh oh oh!

Before Fang Yang even stepped into the eighteenth level of hell, a cacophony of ghostly wails and howls echoed up from within. Countless evil spirits and vengeful ghosts wailed and roared within the hell, their voices filled with resentment and madness.

Fang Yang was suspended at the very top of the eighteenth level of hell. He looked down and his expression immediately turned serious.

This was the first time he had ever seen hell with his own eyes.

In the past, he always thought that the eighteen levels of hell were like what he had seen in movies and TV shows in his previous life, with things like the tongue-pulling hell and the scissor hell, going down one level after another.

Following the updates has never been so enjoyable.

But when he actually saw hell, he realized how terrifying it was.

Those so-called hells of tongue-pulling and scissor-cutting are just figments of the imagination of Buddhist believers. There is no real Buddha in the world, let alone immortals or gods. No one has ever seen a real hell.

"Hell is on earth!"

The "Eighteen Levels of Hell" does not mean that there are eighteen levels of hell. Eighteen is a figurative number, similar to the concept of eighteen kinds of weapons.

The eighteen levels of hell are a vast ocean of worlds. Within this ocean, countless smaller worlds are constantly being created and destroyed. These smaller worlds combine to form an endless sea of suffering.

Many evil spirits and vengeful ghosts are drowning in the sea of suffering.

Every evil spirit who enters the eighteen levels of hell will be reborn as a human in a smaller world. Their lives are already pre-written, and they will suffer torment life after life.

They will experience everything they have inflicted on others, again and again, and with each cycle, their suffering will increase a thousandfold.

Those who betrayed their tribe in life, causing the tribe to be slaughtered by other races, will be born, grow up, start families, establish careers, and be surrounded by descendants in a small world.

At the happiest moment of their lives, the calamity of their entire family will quietly descend, destroying everything they cherish.

Those who killed and robbed others in their previous lives, and harmed their fellow cultivators, will be reduced to the lowest level of rogue cultivators, endlessly hunted down, and will watch helplessly as opportunities are taken away whenever they arise.

Those who cruelly kill living beings in their previous life will be reincarnated as weak demon beasts, hunted by natural enemies, killed by cultivators, and devoured by their own kind, experiencing hundreds of kinds of tragic deaths, each life more miserable than the last.

There are no mountains of knives, no cauldrons of boiling oil, no iron trees that pull out tongues; only an endless sea of suffering, where you are reincarnated in countless small worlds, repaying the evil you have inflicted on others a thousandfold, life after life, with pain piling up.

This is the Taoist concept of hell, where cause and effect, karma, and retribution are inevitable!

Fang Yang watched as countless evil spirits sank into the sea of suffering, and as despair and pain unfolded in the small world, without feeling a shred of pity.

"Fortunately, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was not allowed to take over Hell."

To be honest, Fang Yang was genuinely afraid of the eighteen levels of hell in Buddhism. According to Buddhist standards, 99% of all living beings in the world would go to hell.

Take the seventh level, the Hell of Knives, for example. Anyone who has committed acts of killing, harming the innocent, abusing animals, blaspheming gods, or stealing sacrificial offerings will have to go to hell.

Heaven did not grant mortal beings the ability to live without eating human food, yet it requires them not to harm life. This rule is a violation of the food chain and the laws of nature, and is a way to boost the performance of hell.

The Taoist concept of reincarnation is much more reasonable. Taoist reincarnation emphasizes that every cause has an effect, and it follows the laws of nature and the will of heaven and earth.

Qianyao Daojun and the others were also clearly shocked by the sight of hell.

"Senior brother, in this situation, how should we preach the Dao? Killing them directly would only benefit them."

It turned out that Daoist Qianyao also wanted to directly destroy the evil spirits in the eighteen levels of hell. However, when he saw the suffering of the evil spirits, he suddenly couldn't bear it.

Fang Yang, however, remained calm and said, "Duobao once said, 'Everyone makes mistakes, but to err is human, to forgive divine.' I originally disagreed with this statement. However, today, I'd like to offer some agreement."

"The evil spirits we see before us are those who refuse to repent even in death. Tell me, do we still need to waste our time on them?"