Zombie Life Begins in Hongxi Village

Ksitigarbha pointed his finger into the air, and a white vortex appeared silently above the tea table.

The vortex was initially only the size of a fist, with tiny starlight flowing around its edges, like countless miniature stars slowly rotating.

As Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva changed his fingertips' hand gestures, the vortex gradually expanded, and countless silver threads could be vaguely seen interwoven into a net, each thread being a manifestation of spatial power.

Lin Yi stared at the white vortex for a moment, her eyes flickering slightly.

The original story seemed to depict only the primordial spirit of Ksitigarbha, but now it appears that this is not the case!

Is this what they call a book about humanity?

Lin Yi was a little envious!

Ksitigarbha held the scroll in his left hand, while his right hand made a grasping motion in the white vortex. Countless silver threads surged out of the vortex and, like living things, burrowed into the scroll.

Each thread landed precisely on the gray mist at the boundary of the cave.

The moment the silk thread touched the gray mist, the mist surged violently, like a pot of hot oil that had been doused with cold water.

Driven by the power of the silver space, the gray fog began to retreat wildly in all directions...

The cave, which was originally only ten square kilometers in size, is expanding at a visible speed under the guidance of the silver threads.

The town of Hanging Coffins and the several low mountains of Hanging Coffin Cliff were pushed back by an invisible force, and the underground river at the foot of the mountains also split into new tributaries under the guidance of spatial power.

Then, a rich source of nether energy flowed out from the white vortex, permeating every corner of the cave.

With the infusion of the Netherworld Origin, the rules within the cave began to undergo a fundamental change.

The originally gray sky turned deep and dark.

The soil on the ground had changed from ordinary yellow soil to yin soil suitable for ghosts to live in, and it felt soft and spongy when stepped on, like a thick layer of moss.

But this is not the end. A solemn and towering gate to hell rises from the ground, becoming a new gateway to space.

Then, a winding dirt road extended out from the gates of hell, the road surface glowing faintly with fluorescent light, and blood-red spider lilies blooming on both sides.

This is the Road to the Underworld, the first journey for the souls of the dead as they enter the netherworld.

At the end of the Road to the Underworld, a high platform rises from the ground, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the last obsession of the departed souls before their death—the Platform for Longing for Home.

Below the Viewing Platform, a turbid river surges forth from the void, its water a blood-yellow hue, and a thick fog hangs over its surface year-round.

This is the River of Oblivion, one of the most famous water systems in the underworld.

A narrow bridge spans the River of Oblivion. The bridge is so narrow that only one person can pass at a time, and there are no guardrails on either side.

The bridge is formed from the origin of the underworld and is engraved with the Three Lives Stone pattern. When the souls of the dead walk on the bridge, they will see fragments of their past three lives' karma. This is the Bridge of Helplessness.

At the head of the Bridge of Helplessness stands a stone called the Three Lives Stone, its surface as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the past, present, and future lives of the departed souls.

Then came the trial area, where a huge bronze mirror emerged from the void, its surface hanging high, revealing the true form of any departed soul that stood before it.

Every evil deed committed in life will be vividly reflected in the mirror—the Mirror of Karma.

Beyond the Mirror of Retribution, a colossal ghost city rises from the ground.

The city covers an area almost equivalent to the entire area of ​​the original Hanging Coffin Town. The city walls are towering, and the city gate is engraved with two seal characters: "Netherworld Capital".

The buildings in the city are all in the traditional Chinese architectural style, with flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, and the plaques of each building have already been hung up.

At the very center is the Hall of the King of the Underworld, with black bricks and black tiles, nine steps leading up to it, and a stone statue of Bi'an standing on each side—this is the office of the King of the Underworld.

To the left and right of the Underworld Palace are the Judge's Office and the Soul Collector's Office, respectively.

The former is where the judges and the gods of the underworld handle their official duties, while the latter is the residence where the soul-collecting messengers wait for orders.

The Hall of Rewards and Punishments, located in the east of the city, was responsible for judging the merits and demerits of the deceased in their lifetime.

The Hall of Reincarnation is located in the west of the city. In the center of the hall is a huge well of six paths of reincarnation, from which the souls of the dead jump into the cycle of reincarnation to be reborn.

Beside the Hall of Reincarnation, a simple pavilion appeared out of nowhere, and inside the pavilion was a large pot, the very pot used to cook Meng Po's soup.

The City of the Unjustly Dead is located in the north of the city and is specifically for the souls of those who died unexpectedly.

They can only proceed with the normal trial process after they have spent the rest of their lifespan in the City of the Unjustly Dead.

The military camp was located outside the city, near the city wall, and covered an area larger than the Underworld Palace, enough to accommodate tens of thousands of Underworld soldiers for garrisoning and training.

These buildings, while fully functional, are quite traditional in style.

It was all in a uniform Chinese classical style, with vermilion pillars, glazed tile roofs, and even the guards' quarters were in the old-fashioned yamen layout.

Compared to Ksitigarbha's modern villa, it's like they're from two completely different eras.

Seemingly sensing Lin Yi's thoughts, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, while manipulating the Netherworld Origin to continue perfecting the details of the city, casually explained:

"This is a standard building; all of Hades' fiefdoms are of this size."

If you think it's too old-fashioned, you can modify it yourself later.

"You can turn it into a Western-style villa or a skyscraper, it's up to you."

Lin Yi shook her head, her gaze falling on the majestic and imposing Underworld Palace, a slight smile curving her lips.

"No need to change it, it's fine as it is."

Compared to modern glass curtain walls and reinforced concrete, he prefers the antique charm of flying eaves, brackets, carved beams and painted rafters.

The Bixi statue in front of the Hall of the Underworld is lifelike, and above the hall gate hangs a black plaque with gold characters that read "Hall of the Underworld".

This pomp and grandeur far surpasses that of his former marshal's mansion.

The entire Hanging Coffin Cave Heaven—no, it should now be called the Netherworld Minor Dimension.

The entire small plane had long been bound to Lin Yi's soul, and he could clearly perceive the changes in every inch of the land within it.

On the surface, it may seem that the area has only expanded from ten square kilometers to one hundred square kilometers, but its actual foundation has been enhanced by more than a hundred times.

Moreover, this small dimension is no longer a closed-off cave, but is connected to the Netherworld of this world through the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Decree.

The primordial power of the Netherworld is continuously flowing into the smaller planes through the connecting channels.

Although the flow is not large, it is a steady stream. Given enough time, the concentration of the Netherworld essence in this small plane will eventually catch up with the fiefdoms of other Hades.

However, during the process of sensing, Lin Yi suddenly noticed an extremely subtle anomaly.

It was an unfamiliar will, hidden in the deepest part of the Netherworld's origin, merging with the power of the rules of the entire plane.

It made no unusual movements, nor did it attempt to erode anything; it simply lay dormant quietly, like an extremely patient observer.

If this small plane hadn't already been completely bound to his soul, and if he hadn't been intimately familiar with every energy flow within it, he would never have been able to discover the existence of this will.

The will of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva—or more accurately, the will of the human book.

Lin Yi remained outwardly calm, but inwardly she sneered.

No wonder Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva was so willing to help him upgrade the Hanging Coffin Cave Heaven into a minor dimension without considering the cost.

It also included all the facilities for reincarnation, such as the Gate of Hell, the Road to the Underworld, the Bridge of Helplessness, the Mirror of Retribution, and the Palace of the King of the Underworld, just like the regular fiefdoms of other Kings of the Underworld.

This made the white vortex appear much dimmer!

It turns out they had a hidden plan.

This will usually has no effect on the smaller planes.

But at crucial moments, such as when Lin Yi turns against the Underworld, it can take over control of the smaller plane at any time.

The entire Netherworld Origin of this small plane was infused by Ksitigarbha. He used the Origin as a medium to implant his own will, which is equivalent to leaving a secret door that can be opened at any time in Lin Yi's territory.

As expected, none of the three books in the Contract of Life were simple.

Fate is treacherous and cunning; the Book of Earth is meticulous and deliberate, while the Book of Man appears compassionate on the surface, but secretly binds every piece with a transparent thread.

As the agent of the Book of Man, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva mastered this underhanded tactic to perfection.

He helped Lin Yi build a small world, gave him a government position, gave him the Underworld King's Palace, and even gave him the power to independently open his own domain and establish his own palace, but at the same time he also laid the groundwork for checks and balances.

This tactic is most likely not specifically targeted at Lin Yi, but rather is the standard procedure that the Human Book uses against all Hades.

What Ksitigarbha was unaware was that the Hanging Coffin Cave had already been bound to Lin Yi's soul due to the plot rewards.

Lin Yi's control over it is absolute, far surpassing that of ordinary underworld planes in the netherworld.

The fiefdoms of other Hades were allocated by the Underworld, and Ksitigarbha, as the highest administrator, could naturally leave loopholes.

However, Lin Yi's small dimension was based on the framework and foundation he himself brought, while the Netherworld Origin was injected later. The core rules of the small dimension were always in Lin Yi's hands.

If he so desires, he can strip away Ksitigarbha's will at any time, rendering all of Ksitigarbha's backup plans useless and benefiting him for nothing.

But now is not the time to turn against each other.

He had just become the King of the Underworld, secured his position, and completed the upgrade of his minor dimension; he hadn't yet fully taken advantage of the Underworld.

Turning against him now would only hurt him. Since this force is merely observing and won't cause trouble, let's just let it stay put for now.

Ksitigarbha was unaware that his secret plan had been seen through.

He withdrew the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva decree, rolled up the scroll again, and handed it back to Lin Yi with both hands, while simultaneously issuing an edict in the name of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva:

"Lin Yi, the King of the Underworld, is the master of the Netherworld Minor Plane."

The moment the words left his mouth, Lin Yi felt that he had gained another layer of connection with the small plane.

This connection is different from soul binding; it is a kind of rule-based power.

This allows him to mobilize the Netherworld Origin within a smaller dimension and utilize the various permissions granted to the King of the Underworld by the Underworld.

This authority is second only to the hidden will of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. On the surface, he is the supreme ruler of this small plane.