Chapter 305 – Return of the Yama King, Foundation of the Underworld

Lu Yan’s voice echoed throughout the divine hall, each word seemingly imbued with supreme authority, directly imprinted into the depths of Anna’s soul.

“Yama King!” The instant those three words were spoken, the black seal floating silently in Lu Yan’s palm erupted with a thick, ink-like radiance. The entire divine hall of the underworld was consumed by this ghostly glow, plunging into a deep and oppressive darkness.

Only the two characters for “Yama” at the base of the seal shone with an eerie, blood-colored light, like a pair of netherworld eyes that pierced through life and death, coldly staring at the prostrated Anna.

Anna’s soul trembled violently under this sudden, immense pressure. It was not fear—but a resonance and tremor that came from the very origin of her soul.

She could clearly feel that, following Lu Yan’s words, a vast and boundless power of authority was gushing from that black seal, pouring madly into her soul.

An excruciating pain unlike anything she had ever felt before surged through her consciousness, as if her soul were being torn apart, reshaped, and reforged by an unseen force.

This agony far surpassed her previous transformation into a Warden of Impermanence. It was more akin to a complete rebirth from the very essence of life.

Her spirit body writhed and swelled within the thick, inky light. Countless intricate and profound chains of law emerged from the void, weaving around her like living creatures, finally branding themselves deep into her soul’s origin.

This was the most fundamental manifestation of the Yama authority.

Anna clenched her teeth tightly, her delicate face twisted from the intense pain, and her dissipating soul power trickled like beads of sweat from her forehead, immediately devoured by the surrounding ghostly light.

Yet even so, her gaze remained unwavering—no trace of fear or hesitation, only deep admiration for Lu Yan and resolute acceptance of her destiny.

Lu Yan watched her transformation in silence, his eyes calm as an abyss, without the slightest ripple.

Even though this Yama Seal had been hastily created by cutting off a portion of the underworld’s source power, and could not match the level of a true Rank-2 divine position, it still held far greater authority than that of a Warden of Impermanence.

For Anna to attempt to wield the Yama Seal while still at the level of a Warden of Impermanence—how could there be no price to pay?

But once she endured this trial, Anna would possess a vaster sky to soar in. She would hold exclusive dominion over an entire version’s underworld faith, and even the seat of the Ten Yama Kings might not be her final destination.

As time passed, the agony consuming Anna’s spirit seemed to reach its peak.

Her form nearly dissolved into a blur of shadow within the ink-like radiance. Faint golden cracks spread across her soul’s surface, as though she might collapse entirely at any moment.

Just as she hovered at the brink of destruction, a more refined surge of underworld source power poured from the black seal, like divine rain, nourishing her soul and mending the cracks, reshaping her form.

Break to rebuild—no destruction, no construction.

Gradually, the pain ebbed. In its place rose a sense of unprecedented power and wholeness.

Anna could feel her soul undergoing a seismic transformation—as if a mere stream had become a mighty roaring river.

Her understanding of the Underworld, her insights into life and death, grew at an astonishing pace.

The authority of the Warden of Impermanence naturally merged into the vaster framework of the Yama King’s power, becoming a seamless part of the system.

Her perception expanded infinitely, piercing the boundaries between reality and illusion. She could sense the births, deaths, karma, and virtue of countless beings—across Macdon City, the Victoria Kingdom, and even beyond.

The once-murky threads of fate became clear in her eyes.

No one knew how long had passed before the thick black radiance gradually faded, and Anna’s figure once again emerged before Lu Yan.

But now, she had undergone a complete metamorphosis.

The plain white robes she once wore were now replaced by a majestic black ceremonial gown. Its hems were embroidered with dark golden blossoms of the Other Shore, and the cuffs and edges were adorned with scattered nether crystals that radiated a faint chill.

Upon her head rested a flat-topped black crown. Beaded curtains of jade hung from it, obscuring her delicate features, leaving only a pair of eyes that now held a noble, detached authority—eyes that saw the truth of life and death and held the very order of the Netherworld.

Her soul was denser than before, shrouded in a faint black mist. Within that mist flickered visions of the Yellow Springs and Fengdu’s Reincarnation, natural manifestations of the Yama King’s power.

She hovered quietly in the air. Though still that youthful girl in appearance, an awe-inspiring pressure emanated from her, as if she were now the embodiment of this world’s laws of life and death.

The black Yama Seal floated before her, its dark glow perfectly resonating with her ceremonial robes—as though the two were now one.

“Anna… greets my Lord.”

Her voice echoed again, no longer childish and clear, but deeper and more commanding. Each word resonated through the divine hall with weight and solemnity.

Lu Yan gazed at the newly reborn Anna, sensing the budding majesty of a true Yama King in her—immature, but unmistakably taking shape. He nodded in satisfaction.

From this moment onward, the Underworld truly had a Yama King capable of upholding order and delivering divine judgment.

“Very good,” Lu Yan’s voice remained calm. “From today on, you shall act as the Fifth Hall Yama King. Wield the Yama Seal and oversee the judgment of good and evil.

This seal is not only a symbol of your authority but also the nexus linking you to the source of the Divine Court Underworld. Use it well.”

“Anna shall obey my Lord’s command.” She bowed respectfully, solemnly accepting the black Yama Seal with both hands.

The seal was cold and heavy. As it touched her hands, pure underworld energy flowed into her, tightening her bond with the entire Underworld.

Through this seal, she could now draw upon the faith power of the underworld believers in this realm—wielding a strength exceeding that of a Rank-4 mortal saint.

More importantly, she could faintly sense the distant presence of the Divine Court Underworld—and within Fengdu City, the temple where the gods gathered.

In that grand temple, divine thrones lined the hall, each representing a pillar of the underworld’s structure and absolute authority.

Until now, only Lu Yan’s statue—the mighty Fengdu Emperor—had solidified into form, seated atop all others, gazing down on countless still-illusory deities below.

The other thrones existed only in shape, awaiting their true masters to arrive.

And now, in the instant Anna successfully inherited the Yama King’s authority in Macdon City’s Underworld temple, a dramatic change occurred within the far-off Fengdu temple.

Among the ten towering illusions that represented the Ten Yama Kings in the third row of the temple, the seat of the Fifth Yama King trembled.

Dark divine light gathered from the void like rivers rushing to the sea, flooding into the fifth throne.

Light shimmered. The vague outline quickly solidified, its contours becoming distinct.

At last, a small figure clad in black ceremonial robes and a flat-topped crown replaced the once-blurred illusion, now clearly manifested upon the divine seat.

It was Anna.

This was not her true body, but a divine projection formed by her soul imprint and authority, connected through the source of the Divine Court Underworld.

Lu Yan sat atop the highest divine throne, his deep gaze piercing through layers of space, witnessing everything.

He saw Anna’s just-returned divine form—her delicate face, half hidden behind the beaded curtain, was filled with confusion and uncertainty as she cautiously looked around.

Her clear eyes darted about, scanning the fearsome divine projections surrounding her.

The solemn ghost gods, the fierce ghost kings, the imposing Yama Kings—each one represented a mighty force within the underworld hierarchy. Even as projections, the ancient divine might they exuded was enough to make her, a mere Rank-7 in essence, tremble in fear.

Anna’s small body quivered beneath the oversized ceremonial robes. Her tiny hands clutched the hem tightly, her wide eyes filled with anxiety and unease.

She looked like a young girl who had stumbled into the land of giants—tiny and helpless amid an unfamiliar world.

Lu Yan couldn’t help but smile faintly at the sight.

Anna had died at sixteen. Years of illness and malnutrition had stunted her development. Even now, after numerous soul refinements, her form still resembled that of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl.

Under the divine light of Macdon City, her sacred aura had made her seem more mature—people focused on her divinity and overlooked her petite frame.

But now, within this solemn hall of gods, the contrast between her childlike figure and the grandeur of her robes was stark and amusing.

The ceremonial garb nearly swallowed her whole. The beaded curtain of her crown emphasized her small face.

She looked like a child pretending to be an adult—wearing grown-up clothes and trying to act dignified. Yet her every motion revealed a youthful innocence, which Lu Yan, as her lord, found subtly endearing.

Just as Anna began to feel overwhelmed and was about to shrink into the folds of her robes, her gaze finally passed through the many divine shadows—and locked onto the towering Fengdu Emperor above.

In that moment, like a lone ship spotting a lighthouse, all her unease and fear vanished.

A warmth settled over her soul—familiar and safe.

She knew it was His Grace—the one who gave her rebirth, who guided her path.

She was no longer afraid. Her small face relaxed with calm confidence, and she began to explore the immense power of the Yama King within her.

Through that divine seat, she could now feel a tighter connection to the Divine Court Underworld—able to access part of this netherworld realm’s power.

And beyond the temple, the entire Underworld underwent a dramatic transformation following the establishment of the Warden of Impermanence and the rightful return of the Yama King’s authority.

The Warden of Impermanence stood at Rank-6 in the underworld’s hierarchy—equivalent to the late or peak Foundation Establishment stage in the Immortal cultivation system.

That level marked a critical threshold.

Lu Yan had previously cultivated six thousand ghost soldiers, each at peak Foundation Establishment.

With the underworld expanding to Rank-6, the Warden of Impermanence now had the capacity to fully induct those six thousand ghost soldiers into the system—granting them true divine roles and powers.

As Anna solidified her position, and the underworld system progressed further, the very essence of those six thousand ghost soldiers began to transform.

The death and soul-reaping aspects of the Warden of Impermanence resonated strongly with their heroic spirits.

Streams of pure underworld power descended from the void like unseen threads, weaving into their souls.

No longer mere lingering spirits, they became divine concepts forged by the Divine Court Underworld. Their armor, once infused with imperial qi and the merits of Heaven, now radiated the aura of strict divine order.

The deathly aura and killing intent faded—replaced by a colder, more refined nether authority.

“Buzz! Buzz!”

A deep, solemn hum echoed throughout Fengdu City.

Across the void outside the temple, six thousand massive shadows took shape—clad in black chainmail, wielding soul-hooking chains and mourning staves.

Their towering forms were blurred, but the chilling pressure they exuded was undeniable.

Each one represented a ghost soldier who had ascended to the rank of Warden of Impermanence.

They were no longer mere remnants of battle, but true enforcers of the underworld’s divine order.

They harmonized perfectly with the greater Divine Court—able, if needed, to summon its might to suppress external threats.

This was no one-sided gift.

With six thousand Wardens of Impermanence ascending in one stroke, the vast divine feedback that surged into the Underworld’s core was nothing short of a blessing.

An ocean of power—laws, authority, and order—flowed back into the source of the Divine Court Underworld like a breaking flood.

As the supreme ruler of this divine realm, the Fengdu Emperor Lu Yan was naturally the greatest beneficiary of that power.

Seated atop the highest throne, Lu Yan clearly felt torrents of pure law streaming into his soul and Nascent Soul.

His newly broken-through early Nascent Soul realm tore through its bottleneck like paper, and his cultivation began to soar toward mid-Nascent Soul with visible speed.

Behind him, the imperial divine projection rapidly absorbed the power, growing larger and denser by the second, its aura increasingly vast and mighty.

This sudden surge brought a satisfied smile to Lu Yan’s face.

Compared to the slow gains of ordinary cultivation, perfecting the Divine Court Underworld and receiving the feedback of the heavens—was by far the best path to strength.

(End of Chapter)