Yama Rising

Qin Ye’s heart skipped a beat. This attack probably wasn’t able to kill him, but… it could undoubtedly send him flying thousands of meters away! The consequences of that could be potentially unthinkable!

Just then, Qin Ye noticed out of the corner of his eye that Yang Yanzhao appeared to be shouting something… Eh?

Where’s Yang Yande?

“Fifth brother!!” Yang Yanzhao’s eyes blistered with rage as he roared at the top of his voice. But just as he was to rush forward recklessly, he caught himself and gritted his teeth as he held himself back. His chest heaved greatly with every breath he took.

I can’t afford to be distracted now!

Qin Ye glanced past Lai Junchen and looked directly at the massive mirror located right behind where Lai Junchen was. And then, he promptly turned to look beyond the mirror, and at the lands below. In an instant, he took in the full view of the entire city of Qufu. It was an astonishing sight.

The houses were constructed mainly from wood, and they were designed with an ancient Cathayan flair. They were all neatly arranged alongside broad roads for ease of access and to minimize congestion. The entire city was clearly well planned out. In fact, it almost resembled the time of the Han or Tang Dynasties, when the splendour of the city declared the prosperity of the nation.

It was because in that instant when a general or king stands at the peak of the world, glancing down at his lands and subjects that were bowing in submission to him, it would completely fill their hearts with an unquenchable feeling of achievement.

This war had lasted all of but twenty hours, yet how many brave souls had perished in this short span of time? Qufu City… He slowly scanned the entire city around him, glancing greedily at the millions of Yin spirits who were stealing glances at him from the safety of their abodes. And then, he turned his gaze right back to the Mythic Palace of Reflections.

“And now, it’s mine!” Qin Ye shut his eyes and allowed his clothes to flutter softly with the nethergale as he drew a deep breath.

He could sense something within his body fusing completely with him. It was a light and fleeting sensation, yet palpable at the same time. He tried to recall when he had felt something like that before, but he simply wasn’t able to put a finger on it.

No… I’m still a single step away from all that.

Calm down… calm down… He fervently repressed the stirring emotions in his heart before turning to Yang Yanzhao, “Where’s General Yang Yande?”

Qin Ye nodded, before turning to look at Qufu once more.

It’s time to end everything…

A ferocious river of Yin energy poured into the Mythic Palace of Reflections through the claws of the two divine beasts. This was the source of energy that was sustaining the Mythic Palace of Reflections.

Qin Ye’s once again imbued his spear with his Judge-class Yin energy. Then, with a mighty thrust, he struck the sculpture, causing it to crumble and collapse with an explosion of dust and debris. Boom!! The delicate mechanism feeding Yin energy to the Mythic Palace of Reflections was revealed at once, together with… a heap of Yin spirit stones as large as a small mountain!

Clatter… Just then, the Mythic Palace of Reflections began to dazzle once more.

The entire world around them was instantly engulfed in a green hue. The Mythic Palace of Reflections had lost its source of Yin energy, and yet rather than fizzling out, its radiance even turned more demonic than ever! In fact, rows of red talisman had now begun to surface on the surface of the mirror, almost as though someone were slowly drawing them up on the surface from within. Furthermore, there were only a few rows of talismans left to draw up before the entire Mythic Palace of Reflections would be completely covered in talismans.

Just then, Qufu City trembled violently once more. And then, Qufu’s outer city walls drifted up from the ground, before slowly disintegrating into a world of black butterflies that scattered into the surroundings. It was almost as though the entire city had entered the final countdown to its end!

He wasn’t the only one who froze at the sight. In that instant, practically the entire Qufu, including their remaining hundreds of thousands of Yin soldiers and tens of millions of citizens, froze in horror.

What do we do?!

“What’s going on? Is it an earthquake?” “Is Qufu… vanishing?” “Look! Look at the outer city walls! Black butterflies! Yin energy butterflies! What the hell is going on right now?!”

Just like a prelude to destruction, the Yin energy on which the entire city of Qufu was built slowly peeled away, wisp by wisp, before transforming to countless black butterflies that soon scattered into the surroundings. It was almost as though the entire city was proclaiming the end to its era.

Whoosh… Qin Ye pressed his spear onto Lai Junchen’s throat, “Stop it at once, and I’ll bestow upon you a swift and easy death.”

It was only a natural response. When people were pushed off the precipice of reason and rationality, they would naturally act in an uncharacteristic fashion.

“This is the Curse of Reincarnation Privation.” Just then, a majestic voice that was interlaced with some measure of ostensible weakness resounded at the top of the altar.

Qin Ye froze, “Harken?”

The enunciation of a single word caused Lai Junchen to stir madly once more. He tried desperately to get up, only to be forced back to the ground by Yang Yanzhao again. His lips were trembling profusely, almost as though his entire world was collapsing right now. Lai Junchen turned to stare at Qin Ye, and then began to speak with a drifty voice, “No… that’s impossible… Lord Harken is still around? That’s impossible… that’s absolutely impossible!!”

“I’m indeed not in the underworld. Besides… who does Kong Mo think he is? How dare he even speculate about my existence?” The Harken snorted coldly, “Mythic Palace of Reflections, huh… I’ve not seen that in a long time. Haah… it’s not difficult to gain control of it. Earlier, I sensed that both the heavenly realm and the underworld have approved of your status as the future King Yanluo of Hell. A Yanluo is in charge of everything in the underworld. All you need to do is to drip a drop of blood onto its surface, and it will immediately recognize you as its master. Once you do that, I’ll take over and help you break all of these restrictions placed upon it.”

“But before that, you’ll have to find a way to remove the Curse of Reincarnation Privation. Sigh… Although Kong Mo hadn’t handed his lackey the full reins of controlling the Mythic Palace of Reflections, he did hand him the means of destroying it. You’ve got another five minutes at best. Otherwise, as soon as the entire surface of the mirror is completely filled with talismans, it will clear the entire Qufu City of all Yin spirits within. At that time… I’m afraid you might be the only one left alive.”

Lai Junchen listened to everything that was said with a stiff expression on his face. And then, he suddenly began to lunge towards Qin Ye with his mouth wide open.

No… it shouldn’t be like this… Why… why did Lord Harken suddenly appear like that?

Qin Ye mulled over Lord Harken’s words, while Yang Yanzhao began to glance about worriedly - Where are we going to find a Hellguard on such short notice?

He glanced at Arthis, only to realize that the black sphere of hair was still as solid as ever. He tried calling out to her, but received no response whatsoever.

The Mythic Palace of Reflections was like a time bomb with only five minutes remaining on the timer. Even if they win this battle, they would still lose the war!

“Lord Qin…” Yang Yanzhao was at his wits’ end. A minute later, he gnashed his teeth and turned to Qin Ye once more, “Lord Harken didn’t say that… it has to be an enemy Hellguard.”

“This is the only way!” Yang Yanzhao blurted back without any hesitation. But before he could go on, Qin Ye suddenly shook his hand dismissively as he turned back to Lai Junchen, “What are you talking about? Isn’t there someone far more suitable than you are over here?”

He must have been hidden right under my radar… No wonder he would react with such madness earlier…

Qin Ye smiled and patted the dust off his clothes, before making a gesture of invitation, “Mr Lai, please.”

1. This is quite an interesting one. From Wiki - That year, a famous incident involving Lai and fellow secret police official Zhou Xing occurred.