Yama Rising

The sound of urgent footsteps rang out, and a door was abruptly pushed open, following which a group of men in Mao suits quickly entered the room. They were led by none other than Lei Jun, the current director of the Special Investigations Department.

The sound of rapid typing was ringing out incessantly in the room, and as soon as Lei Jun arrived, he immediately asked, "What's the situation like? What values of Yin energy seepage are being registered at the major Yin Yang Mezzanines?"

This was a very large room that was full of many pieces of equipment that looked as if they had been pulled straight out of a science fiction film.

Paper-thin screens that were unavailable to the general public were a common sight in here, and the computers were also completely different from modern computers. In this futuristic room, several scientists in white lab coats and several dozen researchers were staring intently at the screens.

There were a total of seven screens in the room depicting all of the Yin Yang Mezzanines that had been discovered across the nation. The lords of the land and the city gods were situated beside the mezzanines, alongside investigators that had just arrived on the scene, and all of them wore extremely grim expressions.

The images were very clear, and countless tiny numbers were constantly ticking over in the upper right corners. In response to Lei Jun's question, an elderly scientist turned and replied, "The values are constantly rising. Currently, the amount of Yin energy that we can detect through the mezzanines has already climbed to a value of over a hundred million, and all of it seems to be moving toward the same place!"

"Do we know exactly where the Yin energy is going?"

"I'm afraid we can't detect that," the elderly man replied with a wry smile. "Ever since the supernatural disasters concluded, the funding and personnel we've received from the government have been cut significantly, so we no longer have access to many things that we did in the past..."

Before the elderly man had a chance to finish, Lei Jun had already made his way over to the control bench before pressing on the intercom button.

"Greetings everyone, I am Director Lei Jun of the Special Investigations Department."

All of the investigators on the screens immediately extended military salutes upon hearing his voice.

Lei Jun's voice was urgent but calm as he continued, "I've just received news from the underworld that there is an Emissary of Hell making a breakthrough to the Yama-King level. From now until the conclusion of the breakthrough, no one is to leave their post without express permission, understood?"

"Yes!" Everyone immediately responded.

"Director, it's begun!" Right at this moment, the numbers on all of the screens began to rapidly tick over.

"Collate the data and immediately transmit it to the computer screen! At the same time, conduct a national survey. If any investigator or official dares to leave their post without express permission prior to the conclusion of the breakthrough, then they no longer have a job! In addition to that, keep constant tabs on whether any parts of the nation are displaying abnormal reactions. The Yin energy fluctuations we're currently experiencing can most likely rank among the top 10 in the history of the new Hell, so we need to pay close attention to see whether it's affecting the mortal realm!" Lei Jun ordered.

All of a sudden, a string of numbers began to appear on the main screen directly in front of him.

30,000,000, 37,000,000, 38,000,000... 40,000,000... 45,000,000... 50,000,000!

The number was rising rapidly!

Everyone's attention was focused on this first new Yama-King to emerge in the new Hell, and no one in the underworld or the mortal realm wanted to miss out on this historic occasion.

…………………………………………………..

Cathayan Underworld, Lotus City.

The imperial palace had already disappeared, and in its place was a massive mountain of fire. The six-tier mountain of flames was trapped within the 108 golden pillars around it, presenting a spectacular sight to behold.

Outside of the golden pillars was a circle of black-armored soldiers of the Hell Guardian Legion. Outside of them were the deathly white Asura skeletal dogs, while the outermost circle consisted of the scarlet soldiers of the Hungry Ghost Legion. The three circles of different colors formed a watertight barrier around the golden pillars, and countless Emissaries of Hell and Yin soldiers were on high alert. Even if a fly were to approach the area, it would immediately be bombarded by a shower of countless arrows.

No one said anything.

The earth was trembling violently in the wake of the fiery mountain's scorching might. No one had any idea what was happening inside, but they all knew that it was definitely something big.

The wind had vanished.

The clouds had stagnated.

The entire world had turned deathly silent, but it was clear that this was only the calm before the storm.

The netherfire in the eyes of every single Yin soldier was flickering erratically, and right at this moment, all of their commanders suddenly raised their heads in unison.

It's coming!

The storm had finally arrived. The oppressive silence was shattered, replaced by a stunning phenomenon that shook the entire underworld.

"What on earth is that..." A commander was staring intently up at the sky as waves of Yin energy converged from all directions. The sky was already filled with dark clouds, but at the very least, rays of sunlight were previously able to filter through. However, the entire sky had been enshrouded in complete darkness stretching as far as the eyes could see in all directions, and the mountain of flames stood at the very center of this all-encompassing shadow.

Boom!! Heaven and earth turned pitch-black, seemingly in the blink of an eye.

The mountain of fire was the only source of light, illuminating the darkness like a torch in the night.

"Is this... Yin energy?" A Yin spirit stared up at the sky with a flabbergasted expression. "How much Yin energy would it take to create something like this? Is all of the Yin energy in the entire underworld here?"

The Yin energy was far too dense, to the point that everyone was struck by a sense of asphyxiation.

The Yin energy had concealed everything, devouring the light, scattering the wind, and it revolved above the fiery mountain, warping and twisting until it formed a vortex that was around a kilometer in size.

"My god..." A commander gulped nervously, and his hand had already unconsciously grabbed onto the hilt of his weapon. Reflexively searching for something that could instill within one a sense of security was a manifestation of one's self-preservation instincts kicking in in the face of the unknown, and even he wasn't aware of the gesture himself.

Before they had a chance to ponder the matter any further, all of the Yin energy in the sky suddenly descended toward the mountain of flames, giving rise to an unimaginable spectacle that rooted all of the Yin soldiers on the spot as they looked on with their mouths gaped open in shock.

It was like a waterfall of darkness crashing straight down from the heavens!

At the center of the vortex was a scene of turbulent chaos. The enormous mass of Yin energy had formed a giant funnel that was pointing directly at the center of the mountain of fire, and with the arrival of the fearsome Yin energy, the six tiers of the entire fiery mountain bloomed layer upon layer like a red spider lily, presenting a breathtakingly beautiful sight to behold.

Boom! Countless waves of fire formed the unfolding petals as it spread open in an elegant manner, revealing the next layer, then the layer below it. Every single layer was clearly discernible, and right at the center of the waves of the fire, the Yin energy that had descended from the heavens had already formed a vast vortex.

The netherflames were fanned by the fierce Yin winds, and at the center of the vortex was an indistinct humanoid figure. All of the Yin wind was blowing and dancing around him, injecting itself into every single pore of his body in a frenzy. As a result, the Yin energy of the humanoid figure was constantly rising, and it was showing no signs of stopping anytime soon!

As more and more Yin energy descended from above, waves of circular inky-black cloud shockwaves surged through the gaps between the 108 golden pillars, proliferating outward to an area close to a kilometer in radius. Throughout the entirety of Lotus City, everyone began to tremble involuntarily in the face of a burst of fearsome invisible pressure.

This was pressure exerted by the paramount bloodline of this plane, it was like the chilling gaze of an apex predator, a manifestation of the power and authority of the ruler of a realm.

Thud... A certain Yin soldier became the first one to fold as he fell to his knees before kowtowing toward the fiery mountain, and the netherflames in his eyes were flickering wildly. He was no longer able to withstand the overwhelming pressure, which was mounting with each passing moment. It was as if heaven and earth were telling him that their master was attaining power worthy of his status.

As a subordinate, how could he dare to not kneel?

Even looking straight at the King Yanluo would be the utmost honor for him, and continuing to stand would be a sign of unforgivable disrespect.

This was fear that welled up directly from his soul and his bloodline, a fear of the ruler of the underworld. This fear was deeply ingrained into the souls of all Yin spirits by the laws of the realm, and it was fear that could not be overcome or conquered.

Soon after the first Yin soldier fell to his knees, a second Yin soldier followed suit, then a third, and in what seemed like the blink of an eye, there was no Yin soldier left standing.

The Hell Guardian Legion, Asura Legion, and Hungry Ghost Legion outside the 108 golden pillars, which had been tasked with guarding the area, had all involuntarily flunked their duties as they fell to their knees and kowtowed toward the mountain of flames.

All of this was unbeknownst to Qin Ye, who couldn't see or hear anything. His eyes were closed, and he felt like a speck of dust in the universe, drifting through a sea of vast and ethereal power.

He was exhausted, but extremely conscious and alert at the same time.

The two completely different feelings were coexisting in his mind. He was so sleepy that he couldn't keep his eyes open, yet he was so conscious that he could clearly feel what kind of baptism his body was currently undergoing, as well as how powerful he was going to become at the conclusion of this transformation.

It was going to be a fundamental evolution. He was a human who had consumed the Taisui fungus, yet at the conclusion of this process, he was going to transform into something that he couldn't currently describe or fathom.

He was going to become more perfect than any human and stand higher than any human ever had. The internal structure of his body was going to become more complex and refined than any human, and this feeling was so blissful that he wanted to moan out loud.

He drifted through this sea of power in leisure and comfort, and he didn't know how long had already passed. Perhaps it was an hour, perhaps it was 10 hours, perhaps it had already been a day, or even three days... Right as he felt as if the transformation of his physical constitution were about to reach a conclusion, he was suddenly struck by an indescribable feeling, and he struggled to open his eyes. Finally, he was able to open his eyes by the tiniest of slivers.

Is this the end of the universe?

He didn't know.

What he did know was that in this vast sea formed by inky-black Yin energy, a white line had suddenly appeared at the end of the world. Heaven and earth seemed to have been parted by this line, and immediately thereafter, an indescribable feeling of profound power and authority abruptly welled up in his heart.

He felt as if he could see an indistinct figure on the horizon that was torn apart by the white line. He couldn't clearly see the figure, yet he could clearly sense that they were looking at him.

It was the Heavenly Dao...

His mind was incredibly sharp despite the physical exhaustion he was experiencing, and he immediately caught onto the fact that this was the paramount being of the three realms, the god of creation.

Zhao Yun had said that upon reaching the Yama-King level, one would be able to develop an indistinct sense of the Heavenly Dao. Was this what he had been referring to? His eyelids felt impossibly heavy, and he allowed them to close again. He could sense that the figure harbored no ill will toward him, and under their gaze, he felt extremely warm and safe, as if he had returned to his mother's womb.

All of a sudden, the entire surrounding area transformed into chaos once again. That ethereal figure only appeared once before disappearing from sight. Immediately thereafter, the entire space began to warp, ultimately transforming into an untraceable point of mystery in the darkness.

At the same time, Qin Ye slowly opened his eyes.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough, your Excellency!!" In the instant that he opened his eyes, Su Daji and Qin Hui immediately fell to their knees as they yelled at the top of their lungs.

They were immediately followed by Zhao Yun and Arthis, who half-knelt onto the ground and cupped their fists as they also yelled, "Congratulations on your breakthrough, my Lord!"

Their voices were like rumbling thunder, audible throughout the entirety of Lotus City, and all of the soldiers of the Hell Guardian Legion, the Hungry Ghost Legion, and the Asura Legion immediately echoed their sentiments. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Lord Qin!!! This is truly an event worthy of celebration for both yourself and the entire underworld!!"

Have I become a Yama-King? Qin Ye appraised his surroundings with complex emotions in his eyes. As he did so, countless images instantly flashed across his pupils.

The images depicted one city, county, village, and township of the Cathayan Underworld after another. As long as his senses could reach the location and there were Emissaries of Hell present there, he was able to see it as clearly as if he were there in person!

It was as if his mind's eye had become his actual eyes!

Is this the power of a Yama-King?

He extended a hand and was just about to dismiss all the formalities when he suddenly stopped.

This isn't my hand...

No, to put it more accurately, this was not a hand that belonged to an 18-year-old!

Prominent veins were bulging on the back of his hand, the joints had become thicker, and the segmentation of the fingers had become clearer... These were all signs that would only be present in an adult male who had reached full maturity!

He faltered slightly before stroking his own cheek with a trembling hand.

Several seconds later, he withdrew his hand with a stunned expression. "I... I've grown? I've grown up! I thought I would never age again after eating the Taisui fungus, but I've grown up!"