World version update

Chapter 305 Yama Returns to His Position, Underworld Begins to Take Shape

Lu Yan's voice echoed in the temple, each word seemingly carrying supreme majesty, directly imprinted into the depths of Anna's soul.

The moment the words "King Yama" were uttered, the black seal that had been quietly floating in Lu Yan's palm suddenly burst forth with a dense, inky light. The light in the entire Underworld Temple seemed to be swallowed up by this light, plunging it into a deep darkness.

Only the two characters "Yanluo" at the bottom of the seal emitted a chilling crimson light, like two eyes from the underworld that could see through life and death, coldly watching Anna who was prostrate on the ground.

Anna's spirit trembled violently under this sudden and immense pressure, not out of fear but out of a throbbing and resonance originating from the very source of her soul.

She could clearly sense that as Lu Yan finished speaking, a vast and powerful force of authority was surging out from the black seal and pouring into her spiritual body.

An unprecedented, excruciating pain instantly swept through Anna's entire consciousness, as if her soul was being forcibly torn apart, reshaped, and recreated by an invisible force.

This kind of pain far surpasses the transformation that occurred when he was promoted to the position of the Impermanent Underworld Marshal; it is more like a complete transformation at the level of the essence of life.

Her spirit body twisted and expanded violently in the dense, dark light. Countless mysterious and complex chains of laws emerged from the void, wandering and entwining around her like living things, and finally being deeply imprinted into the origin of her soul.

This was the most essential manifestation of Yama's authority. Anna clenched her teeth, her delicate face contorted in extreme pain, and the scattered soul power rolled down her forehead like beads of sweat, instantly swallowed by the dense ghostly light around her.

Even so, her eyes remained exceptionally firm, without the slightest hesitation or fear, only a deep admiration for Lu Yan and a resolute commitment to her mission.

Lu Yan watched Anna's changes with an expressionless face, his eyes as calm as an abyss, without the slightest ripple.

Even though this Yama Seal was hastily created by Lu Yan by cutting off a part of the origin of the underworld, and it does not reach the second level of the sequence that a complete Yama should correspond to, it still has a rank far exceeding that of the Impermanent Underworld Marshal.

How could Anna, who wanted to wield the Yama Seal as the Impermanent General, possibly do so without paying a price?
But as long as Anna can get through this period, she will have a much brighter future, monopolize a version of the underworld faith, and even the position of one of the Ten Kings of Hell will not be her final destination.

As time went on, Anna's spiritual suffering seemed to reach its peak.

Her body was almost a blurry shadow in the dark light, with only countless fine golden cracks visible spreading across the surface of her spirit body, as if it were about to completely collapse and dissipate at any moment.

However, just as she was on the verge of collapse, a purer source of underworld power surged from the black seal, nourishing her shattered soul like sweet rain, repairing the cracks, and reshaping her soul.

Destruction precedes construction; without destruction, there can be no construction.

Gradually, Anna's spiritual pain began to subside, replaced by an unprecedented sense of power and fulfillment.

She could clearly feel that the essence of her soul was undergoing a tremendous change, as if it had suddenly transformed from a trickle into a roaring river.

The understanding of the underworld and the perception of life and death are improving at an incredible speed.

The authority that originally belonged to the Impermanent Underworld Marshal has now naturally merged into the even more vast authority of Yama, becoming part of this enormous system of authority, just as all rivers flow into the sea.

Her perception extended infinitely, as if she could penetrate the boundary between reality and illusion, and perceive the birth, aging, sickness and death, good and evil, of countless beings in McDonald City and even the entire Kingdom of Victoria, and even further afield.

Those once blurred threads of fate now became clear in her eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, as the dense, inky light gradually dissipated, Anna's figure reappeared before Lu Yan.

She has undergone a complete transformation compared to before.

The original pure white robe has now been replaced by a majestic and luxurious black crown.

The edges of the ceremonial robe were embroidered with intricate and ancient spider lily patterns in dark gold thread, while the cuffs and hem were adorned with tiny, ghostly crystals, exuding a faint chill.

She wore a black flat crown, with jade bead curtains at the front and back swaying gently, obscuring her delicate face and revealing only a pair of eyes that were even more majestic than before.

Those eyes no longer held only pure joy and affection, but also a detached and dignified understanding of the world and the power of life and death, as if they contained a microcosm of the entire underworld.

Her spirit body was several times more solid than before, surrounded by a faint black mist. Within the mist, one could vaguely see the phantom of the Yellow Springs and the rebirth in Fengdu, which were strange phenomena formed by the natural dissipation of Yama's authority.

She hovered silently in mid-air, her face still that of a young child, yet she exuded an aura of majesty and oppression that made people afraid to look directly at her, as if she were the embodiment of the order of life and death in this world.

The black Yama Seal was now floating quietly in front of her, emitting a faint light that complemented her imperial robes, as if it had become one with her.

"Anna greets my lord!"

Anna's voice rang out again, less childish and crisp than before, but deeper and more majestic. Every word seemed to carry immense power, stirring up invisible ripples within the temple.

Looking at the completely transformed Anna before him, and sensing the still somewhat immature yet budding majesty emanating from her, Lu Yan nodded in satisfaction.

He knew that from this moment on, the underworld in this world truly had a Yama who could suppress a region and carry out divine punishment.

“Very good.” Lu Yan’s voice remained calm. “From this day forward, you will temporarily act as the Fifth King of Hell, wielding the Seal of Hell and responsible for rewarding good and punishing evil.”

This seal is not only a symbol of authority, but also the key link connecting you to the divine court and the origin of the underworld; you should use it wisely.

“Anna, I obey my lord’s command!” Anna bowed respectfully and solemnly presented the black Yama Seal with both hands.

The seal felt cold and heavy in her hand, and streams of pure Netherworld primordial power flowed into her body through her arm, making her feel even more connected to the entire Netherworld.

She could clearly sense that through this seal, she could easily mobilize the power of the underworld faith gathered in this realm, unleashing a terrifying power that surpassed that of the four human saints in the sequence.

Most importantly, she could vaguely sense the existence of the distant Divine Court and Underworld, as well as the temple where the gods gathered in Fengdu City.

The temple of gods in Fengdu City is filled with statues of deities, representing the strict order and supreme authority of the divine court and the underworld.

Previously, only Lu Yan, as the majestic statue of the Fengdu Emperor, had solidified and returned to his position, sitting atop the gods and looking down at the countless deities below who were still in a state of illusory projection.

The other divine positions, though having the form, lack the substance, awaiting the arrival of the true ruler.

At the very moment Anna successfully assumed the power of Yama, inside the Underworld Temple in McDonald City, a sudden change occurred in the Pantheon of Gods in Fengdu City, far away in the Underworld.

Located in the third row of the main hall, among the ten majestic phantoms representing the Ten Kings of Hell, the previously blurry image of the Fifth King of Hell suddenly trembled.

The dark, divine light of the underworld converged from nothingness, surging wildly towards the fifth illusory figure like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

As the light flashed, the illusory image quickly solidified, its lines gradually becoming clearer. Finally, a petite figure dressed in a dark black robe and wearing a flat crown replaced the original blurry projection and appeared clearly on the divine throne.

It was Anna.

At this moment, she is not her true form descending, but rather the divine image manifested in the Pantheon as the authority and divine soul imprint of Yama, the King of Hell, through her connection with the origin of the Divine Court and the Underworld.

Lu Yan sat upright on the highest divine throne, his profound gaze piercing through layers of void, clearly observing everything that was happening.

He saw Anna's Dharma Image, which had just returned to its place. Her young face, hidden behind the jade bead curtain, was turning around cautiously with a hint of confusion and helplessness.

Her clear, large eyes were now scanning the surrounding phantoms of deities that exuded a terrifying aura.

The majestic ghosts, the ferocious ghost kings, and the solemn Yama King—each phantom represents a powerful entity within the underworld system. Even though they are merely projections, the ancient divine might they exude is enough to instill fear in her, whose essence is only at Sequence Seven.

Anna's small body trembled slightly beneath the large robes, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of the ceremonial robes, her large eyes filled with fear and trepidation at being in an unfamiliar environment for the first time.

She was like a little girl who had accidentally wandered into the land of giants, feeling so small and helpless in the face of everything around her.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yan couldn't help but smile faintly.

Anna was only sixteen years old when she died. Long-term illness and malnutrition made her physical development far inferior to that of ordinary people. She looked a few years younger than her actual age, about twelve or thirteen years old.

Even if the soul undergoes several transformations after death, this youthful appearance, originating from the essence of life, remains unchanged.

Previously, the radiance of the Holy Spirit in McDonald City acted like a divine filter, drawing people's attention to her divine mercy and causing them to overlook her petite stature.

But at this moment, in this solemn and majestic temple surrounded by the phantoms of gods, her slender figure formed a striking and interesting contrast with the Yama's robes that symbolized supreme authority.

The wide ceremonial robes almost completely covered her, and the jade bead curtain of the flat-topped crown hung down, making her face appear even smaller.

This appearance was like that of a child trying hard to act mature, secretly wearing adult clothes and solemnly imitating a dignified posture, but it revealed a childishness that did not match his age. In the eyes of Lu Yan, the parent, it was actually quite cute.

Just as Anna was feeling increasingly uneasy and almost wanted to shrink into the wide robe, her gaze finally passed over the many phantoms of gods and saw the phantom of the Fengdu Emperor, who stood high above all the gods, exuding endless majesty and a familiar aura.

In that instant, it was as if a lost and adrift boat had found a lighthouse. All the fear and unease in Anna's heart vanished without a trace, like a thin mist dispelled by the warm sunlight.

A sense of warmth and belonging, originating from the depths of her soul, welled up within her, instantly calming her anxious heart.

She knew that it was His Majesty, the Lord who gave her new life and guided her path.

She was no longer afraid, and a relieved expression appeared on her small face. She began to muster up the courage to try to feel and become familiar with the immense power belonging to the King of Hell within her body.

She began to sense that through this divine position, her connection with the entire divine court and underworld was becoming closer, as if she could mobilize a portion of the power of this netherworld.

Outside the Pantheon, with the establishment of the Impermanent Underworld Marshal and the formal return of Yama's authority, the entire Fengdu Underworld underwent tremendous changes.

The Impermanent Yin General is the sixth rank in the Underworld sequence. His position and power are roughly equivalent to the late Foundation Establishment stage or even the peak stage in the Xianxia system.

This realm has just reached a critical juncture. The six thousand Yin soldiers that Lu Yan once trained were all at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.

This means that the expansion to Sequence Six, the Impermanent Underworld Commander, is sufficient to formally incorporate the six thousand Yin Soldiers who have followed Lu Yan in numerous battles into the sequence system of the Divine Court Underworld, granting them true divine authority and power.

With the establishment of Anna as the King of Hell and the further improvement of the Underworld's hierarchy, the essence of the six thousand Yin soldiers who were originally stationed in various parts of Fengdu City began to undergo a profound transformation.

The characteristics of the Impermanent Yin General—namely, his ability to snatch souls and patrol the Yin and Yang realms—resonated strongly with the essence of their heroic spirits.

Streams of pure divine and underworld order power, like invisible threads, descended from the void and merged into the bodies of each Yin soldier.

Their souls were no longer the spirits of the dead, but were endowed with the concept of divinity by the Divine Court and the Underworld. The armor on their bodies, forged from the aura of the Human Emperor and the merits of the Heavenly Dao, also began to merge into the Divine Court and the Underworld, and began to exude the solemn aura of the Divine Court's order.

The pervasive malevolent and deathly aura was gradually replaced by a purer and more majestic divine power of the underworld.

"Buzz! Buzz!"

A series of deep and solemn humming sounds echoed from all parts of Fengdu City.

In the vast void outside the Pantheon, six thousand phantoms of the Impermanent Yin Generals, clad in black chainmail and wielding soul-snatching chains and mourning clubs, appeared one after another.

They were tall and their faces were indistinct, yet they exuded a chilling and imposing aura.

Each phantom represents a ghost soldier who has successfully been promoted to the rank of Impermanent Ghost Commander.

The integration of the underworld system has transformed them from mere heroic spirits who fight based on instinct into an integral part of the divine court and underworld order.

They are able to perfectly integrate with the operation of the divine court, and when necessary, they can even invoke the power of the divine court's order to empower themselves and suppress external enemies.

Correspondingly, this is not a one-sided gift.

The simultaneous return of six thousand Yin Marshals of Impermanence to their positions, and the establishment of such a large-scale pantheon, was nothing short of a life-giving rain for the still nascent Divine Court and Underworld.

A vast amount of profound power, representing order, rules, and authority, flowed like a torrent from these six thousand newly appointed Impermanent Underworld Generals back into the origin of the Divine Court and the Underworld.

As the supreme ruler of the Divine Court and the Underworld, Emperor Lu Yan of Fengdu was naturally the biggest beneficiary of this enormous feedback force.

At this moment, Lu Yan, who was sitting on the highest throne of the Pantheon, clearly felt that streams of extremely pure power of rules were continuously flowing into his divine soul and nascent soul.

His cultivation level, which had just broken through to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, was easily torn apart like paper under the impetus of this enormous power. His cultivation began to evolve and climb rapidly towards the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Behind him, the Emperor's Dharma Image, which was originally somewhat illusory, was now frantically devouring the surging power of the rules. Its body solidified and grew stronger at a visible speed, and its aura became increasingly vast and majestic.

This sudden surge in cultivation level brought a satisfied smile to Lu Yan's face.

Compared to the slow improvement brought about by ordinary cultivation, perfecting the Divine Court and Underworld system and triggering feedback from the Divine Courts of all heavens is indeed the best way to improve one's own strength.

(End of this chapter)