Chapter 1630: Animal Realm

Ye Chen finally began to move, turning awkwardly with stiff steps, like a walking corpse without any memories, muddled and confused.

Academy Award-level acting skills were useful everywhere.

It was clear his soul power had reached an extremely pure state.

Drinking over a hundred bowls of Meng Po Soup and an equal number of tonics wasn't in vain. This guy could easily handle another hundred bowls without exaggeration.

However, even good tonics needed to be taken with discretion.

This was the underworld, and being too conspicuous might alert the Yanluo. If he were taken away for research, it would be more trouble than it was worth.

Still, he was puzzled as to why Meng Po Soup had no effect on him. The water meant to erase emotions acted as a soul-nourishing tonic for him. If the Yanluo found out, it would surely shock them.

Temporarily setting aside his thoughts, he stepped onto the Naihe Bridge.

The Naihe Bridge had three levels: the upper one red, the middle one dark yellow, and the lowest one pitch black. It grew narrower and more perilous the lower you went.

Those who did good deeds in life walked the upper level, those with mixed good and evil took the middle, and those who committed evil took the lowest. He was on the lowest level.

There was no choice; the judge had ordered him to Chusheng Dao, so he had to take the lowest path, as only it led to that realm.

"This Naihe Bridge here in the underworld is worlds apart from the one in Wulei City," Ye Chen sighed, clicking his tongue in amazement.

Compared to the splendid Naihe Bridge in Wulei City, this one in the underworld was muddy and slippery, shrouded in murky darkness.

Ye Chen leaned over and glanced down, where the Wangchuan River flowed, its waves filthy and teeming with insects and snakes, a foul wind assaulting his senses.

The river was full of ghosts wailing in agony, a scene of eerie terror.

They were all struggling, their expressions full of pain, desperate to escape the Wangchuan River—even death would be better than the torment there.

Ye Chen stroked his chin, thinking that if he recited a Great Sun Tathagata Purification Mantra here, it would create quite the spectacle—definitely a lively one.

He withdrew his gaze from below and headed straight for the other end of the Naihe Bridge.

Numerous wandering ghosts lunged at him, trying to drag him into the Wangchuan River to be bitten by bronze snakes and iron dogs, sharing their suffering.

"Get lost." Ye Chen shouted, unleashing his pure soul power infused with a trace of imperial killing intent, which was highly intimidating.

The wandering ghosts all retreated, their ferocious expressions turning to fear as they scurried away. Some even accidentally fell into the Wangchuan River.

Ye Chen ignored them completely, his shackles clanking as he dragged the iron chains, his killing intent growing stronger, with no fierce ghosts daring to block his way.

At the bridgehead, Meng Po watched in astonishment. It was the first time she'd seen someone cross the lowest level of the Naihe Bridge so dominantly, with no ghosts brave enough to stop him.

On the other side, Ye Chen swaggered along, having already crossed the Naihe Bridge.

At the bridge's end stood a massive black vortex, thousands of feet wide, swirling with thunder that could shred anything in the world.

This was Chusheng Dao. Jumping in meant reincarnation.

Ye Chen didn't leap in right away but glanced around at other places.

There were similar vortices elsewhere, representing Tiandao, Rendao, Asura Dao, Egui Dao, and Diyu Dao.

Among them, Tiandao, Rendao, and Asura Dao were the three good paths.

Chusheng Dao, Egui Dao, and Diyu Dao were the three evil paths.

The judge had classified him as evil, so he was entering Chusheng Dao, one of the evil paths, where he would be reborn as a beast.

"We're all here to reincarnate, so why the huge difference?" Ye Chen looked up, seeing people heading to other paths.

That was the woman from the Huoyu region, standing before the dark vortex, entering Rendao, one of the good paths—far better than his.

Unlike him, she was completely dazed, having drunk Meng Po Soup and forgotten all her past memories.

A gust of yin wind blew, and the Huoyu woman leaped into the Rendao vortex, vanishing instantly as it spun.

Ye Chen retracted his gaze, took a deep breath, and jumped in himself. He meant to do it stylishly but ended up plunging headfirst.

As soon as he entered Chusheng Dao, he felt an irresistible force.

Before that power, he was like a mere ant, capable of being obliterated into dust in an instant.

But before he could vanish, the dark Chusheng Dao vortex rumbled and shook violently, becoming unstable.

The tremor was so intense that it affected the Naihe Bridge, threatening to collapse it.

The Wangchuan River surged with massive waves, and dark thunder dragons emerged, while countless wandering ghosts wailed.

Even the Huangquan Road cracked open, with clusters of Bishan Flowers blooming, their vibrant red like blood, as the flowers and leaves finally met.

And that wasn't the end—the entire underworld trembled, with yin wind raging and lightning tearing through the sky.

"What on earth is happening?" Meng Po's face changed dramatically.

"Who dares disrupt the cycle of reincarnation?" A furious roar echoed through the underworld.

The judge arrived first but nearly stumbled and fell.

Right after, a figure in black python robes appeared—it was Qin Guang Wang, the first among the Ten Kings of Hell in the underworld.

At the same time, nine others arrived: Chu Jiang Wang, Song Di Wang, Wu Guan Wang, Yanluo Wang, Pingdeng Wang, Taishan Wang, Dushi Wang, Bian Cheng Wang, and Zhuanlun Wang.

These ten were the Ten Kings of Hell in the underworld, standing like towering mountains outside Chusheng Dao.

They truly were like mountains, with massive bodies, eyes like wine vats, and beards thicker than tree trunks.

"Meng Po, who entered Chusheng Dao?" Qin Guang Wang thundered, his voice like rumbling thunder, his face fierce and stern.

"I... I don't know." Meng Po knelt on the ground, her aged body trembling. "He... he drank over a hundred bowls of Meng Po Soup."

"Over a hundred bowls?" The Ten Kings of Hell were all shocked, their expressions changing drastically.

"Fish him out first." Chu Jiang Wang extended a massive hand, reaching into the Chusheng Dao vortex like groping in murky water.

Soon, Ye Chen was yanked out, dangling like a grasshopper, gripped by one leg in Chu Jiang Wang's hand.

"Is it him?" The Ten Kings glared angrily.

"It's him?" The judge was stunned, remembering Ye Chen well.

"What are you doing? What are you all doing!" Ye Chen yelled, hanging upside down and flailing his arms wildly, grabbing at nothing.

He had no idea what was going on. He had just caught a glimpse of the exit to Chusheng Dao and hadn't even reincarnated yet before being pulled back.

"Judge, the Book of Life and Death." Song Di Wang extended his hand.

The judge didn't dare disobey, hastily presenting the Book of Life and Death and flipping it open to Ye Chen's page.

The Ten Kings gathered around, eager to see what kind of extraordinary person could disrupt the underworld's cycle.

But when they saw the glaring word "Jianren" on the Book of Life and Death, the Ten Kings froze collectively.

"What kind of life record is this?" Pingdeng Wang was stunned—it was the most bluntly unconventional Book of Life and Death he'd ever seen.

The other nine kings didn't look much better.

Jianren—how utterly contemptible! Even the Book of Life and Death couldn't bother to record more, summing up a whole life in just two characters.

Ye Chen stopped struggling and stared at the Ten Kings, swallowing hard. These ten were incredibly huge.

He had good reason to believe that Chu Jiang Wang could squash him with a gentle squeeze, easier than crushing a grasshopper.

The Ten Kings snapped back to attention, their ten pairs of vat-sized eyes fixing on Ye Chen with fierce glares.

Ye Chen felt a sudden urge to urinate and didn't dare make a sound.

After staring for a long time, the Ten Kings still couldn't figure it out. Apart from his stronger soul power, there was nothing remarkable about him.

Yet this was the one who had drunk over a hundred bowls of Meng Po Soup.

And judging by his demeanor, he hadn't lost his memories at all.

In other words, Meng Po Soup was ineffective on him.

Could it be because he was so contemptible that the soup couldn't erase his memories? Or because of that, he disrupted the cycle?

"This big brother, take it easy—don't accidentally crush me." Ye Chen grinned at Chu Jiang Wang.

Calling him "big brother" nearly made Chu Jiang Wang burst out laughing.

I am Chu Jiang Wang, one of the Ten Kings of Hell. How many years has it been since anyone dared to call me brother?

"Lock him in the eighteen levels of hell. I will go pay respects to the Ming Emperor." Qin Guang Wang left those words and vanished.

"No, I won't go to hell! I won't go to hell! I want to reincarnate! I want to be a beast! I still have so many dreams to fulfill!"

Qin Guang Wang's words panicked Ye Chen, and he started flailing his little arms and legs again—just a bit short of success.

The nine remaining kings stroked their beards, giving Ye Chen a meaningful look. The Book of Life and Death's description of him was spot on.

Dreams? What dreams? A beast wanting dreams?