stop!

!

In the vast depths of space, a figure tore through the void, a blue divine sword hanging at his waist. Though his appearance was ordinary, he possessed a unique and heroic spirit.

This person was Cao Ya.

After gaining insights from studying the "Taiyin Huangjing" and breaking through the sixth minor step of the Six Great Sages of Immortals, he left that star and headed to Earth.

As for Dongfang Taiyi, he is still diligently studying the "Smiling Flower" technique deep within that star.

Having finally seen a glimmer of hope, he was determined to hold on to it tightly!

According to Dongfang Taiyi, he would never leave the mountain until the hidden dangers were resolved and he became a quasi-emperor!

Cao Ya bid him farewell, traversed the starry sky, and finally approached the solar system.

Looking at the unfamiliar yet familiar star system in the distance, Cao Ya couldn't help but show a variety of complex expressions before finally breaking into a smile.

He easily entered the star system, but before landing on the azure Earth, he first arrived at a fiery red planet, which, from a distance, seemed to have an ominous meaning.

"We have finally arrived at...the ancient star Yinghuo."

Cao Ya was highly skilled and daring, but he wasn't in a hurry to go to Earth. Anyway, it was already very close, and with his speed, he could arrive in the blink of an eye.

So why not take a stroll around the ancient star Yinghuo and see what's so strange about this dead star?

He knew that a great secret existed deep within the constellation Yinghuo.

In the past, this was a prosperous ancient star, with powerful figures as numerous as clouds and experts as plentiful as rain. There were saints presiding over it, and quasi-emperors spreading their teachings.

Now, all of that has vanished, leaving only desolation.

With a sweep of his divine sense, he saw a huge rock with inscriptions on it—"Yinghuo"—not far from the five-colored altar on the ancient star Yinghuo!

On the other side, he also discovered the ruins of the Great Thunder Temple.

“In ancient times, Shakyamuni built a temple here, spread Mahayana Buddhism, and also established the eighteen levels of hell to suppress demons.” Cao Ya murmured, and with one step, he arrived at the site of the Great Thunder Temple ruins.

This ancient temple was not buried by the wind and sand; the collapsed halls and decaying courtyard walls exuded an air of desolation.

"In ancient times, Mars was much larger than it is now, capable of supporting battles between beings above the level of saints. It's just a pity that the ancient star was abandoned and became a dead star, and its area has shrunk significantly." Cao Ya sighed softly.

"The eighteen levels of hell established by Shakyamuni suppressed eighteen demons, such as Crocodile Ancestor, who were sealed on the ancient star Yinghuo, but they are long gone and are completely dead."

"When Ye Fan returned last time, he encountered danger and released the ancient sage Dongfang Taiyi, who immediately killed the Crocodile Ancestor, roasted and ate him. Many other demons were suppressed on distant stars, with a desolate star specifically used to imprison powerful demons, avoiding the ancient land of life... Heh, Shakyamuni certainly had a grand scheme."

Cao Ya stroked his chin and scanned the ancient dungeon beneath the foundation of the Great Thunderclap Temple. It was eerily quiet, but in reality, no life existed there anymore.

He also discovered many murals here, depicting mythical beasts such as Qiongqi and Kunpeng. In addition, he found the coordinates of nine stars on a giant stone pillar, which shone brightly.

"It seems that these nine stars are the place where Shakyamuni used to suppress demons. They are divided into two levels of prison, Yin and Yang, called the eighteen levels of hell, where demons are imprisoned."

"The dungeon of Yinghuo is actually the same, with two layers, upper and lower, designed according to the Yin and Yang attributes, which restrain and complement each other, using the great power of heaven and earth to suppress the demons of the universe."

"Judging from this information, compared to the Nine Stars Twin Prisons, the dungeon of the ancient star Yinghuo has suppressed the most great demons."

Cao Ya seemed to be deep in thought, then suddenly smiled.

"Hey, that's true. Yinghuo Ancient Star was once a life-bearing ancient star. How can it be compared to the abandoned, barren, and dead stars that can be seen everywhere in the starry sky?"

"The eighteen great demons, those that were suppressed in Yinghuo, have all died."

"Among these nine stars, the Yin-Yang dual prisons should still have some lucky survivors."

"However, that's none of my business anymore."

Cao Ya shook his head. He remembered that later, Ye Fan returned to Yinghuo and found those nine stars through the coordinates of the starry sky. He went deep into the Yin-Yang dual prison, a total of eighteen levels of hell, and finally found only thirteen demons and took them under his command.

It is evident that some demons have already reached the end of their lifespan and passed away over the long years.

"So, the eighteen levels of hell don't actually include the Yinghuo double dungeon?" Cao Ya pondered, then chuckled.

Who cares what Shakyamuni Buddha created about the eighteen levels of hell or the dungeon that sealed off great demons? It's none of his business, so why bother with all this?

With his strength, even the most powerful demon could be killed with a single slap.

Shakyamuni was a spirit possessed by the body of the Great Emperor, and his strength was unparalleled. Although he no longer possessed the combat power of an Emperor, he was still far superior to ordinary people who were about to attain enlightenment.

If the Great Emperor had not died and his body had not been afflicted, he could have been comparable to those who achieved enlightenment through unconventional means!

The emperor's lifelong conquests left him with hidden injuries, including the decay, aging, and rotting of his body when he died. These negative effects have lasted for eternity and cannot be erased, like maggots clinging to bones, always following him.

The imperial body is both its powerful foundation and a constraint that prevents it from advancing further.

However, in general, if Shakyamuni were to reappear in this world, Cao Ya would not be confident in dealing with him and must be extremely cautious.

The problem is that he had no conflict with Shakyamuni, so there was no need for him to fight or turn against Shakyamuni.

As for the demons that Shakyamuni Buddha suppressed, Cao Ya did not believe they posed a significant threat to him.

At that time, Ye Fan was at the sixth level of Quasi-Emperor, not yet at the level of a Daoist about to attain enlightenment.

Didn't they still manage to solve the problem of the eighteen levels of hell?

"Leaving aside the eighteen levels of hell, I have no intention of building up any power, and naturally I don't need to waste time subduing those who were suppressed by Shakyamuni."

Cao Ya thought to himself, "I have arrived at the eye of the ancient star Yinghuo. The source of life is desolate, and the last remnants have all sunk into the deepest part of the eye."

Of course, from the outside, the sea eye appears dry and without water. Cao Ya only saw sand and boulders, which had been washed clean and were mostly reddish-brown.

However, Cao Ya's eyes gleamed with a divine light, allowing him to analyze the reality and illusion of this place.

stop!

Cao Ya flicked out a streak of light, and based on his own senses, moved a boulder aside, breaking the seal and revealing a dark cave entrance. A chilling aura appeared, its coldness piercing to the bone and freezing the earth.

These chilling energies, of course, posed no obstacle to Cao Ya and were simply ignored.

But he did not immediately set off to enter the cave.

“There is a great secret deep within the constellation Yinghuo!” Cao Ya murmured, a thoughtful expression on his face.

He knew very well that deep within this Star Sea Eye existed an immortal emperor undergoing nirvana!

The Beginningless Bell confronts it, attempting to pull it into another world...

"Wait, something's not right!" Cao Ya suddenly muttered to himself, "The Beginningless Bell is still in Purple Mountain. I didn't notice any movement from it before I left."

"Then who exactly is confronting the Immortal Emperor here?"