Yama Rising

Boom!

A pillar of golden light landed on the ground before exploding violently, forming a revolving golden vortex of Yin runes. The Yin runes within the vortex were so complex that they were comparable to the most advanced Yin runes in the ninth circle!

Golden light pierced through the clouds like a storm of golden arrows before falling like rain.

Violent explosions instantly erupted throughout the entire city as the ground was severely ravaged by the beams of golden light. The netherworldly citizens were looking on with interest and intrigue just a moment ago, yet they had finally realized that something was very wrong, and a string of horrified screams rang out as the entire city began to crumble.

New Hell's Legacy, year 24 of the third coming of Hell, the inner demon descended upon Safesoul City, destroying it within a day.

"What the fuck is that thing?!" A netherworldly citizen was desperately fleeing for his life with bloodshot eyes. No one cared about the anti-flight restrictions in the city at a time like this. Anyone in the city who was capable of flight had already risen up into the air.

However, it was too late.

Right as he drifted up from the ground, a pillar of golden light shone down upon him, instantly erasing his body out of his existence before he even had a chance to cry out. All that remained of him was a speck of soulfire, which quickly flew toward the center of the city.

"No!!"

"What's happening?! Is this a divine tribulation?!"

"Why hasn't Hell issued us any forewarning? Have they abandoned us?"

"Where are the reinforcements?!"

The order in the city was instantly shattered as screams and wails rang out in all directions. From up above, one could clearly see waves of soulfire converging toward the center of Safesoul City.

The only thought in everyone's minds was to get away from here!

This wasn't some type of spectacular phenomenon, it was a divine tribulation!

However, there was no way they could outrun the beams of light crashing down from above. One pillar of golden light after another rained down upon the city, and countless specks of netherfire surged toward the center of the city in a frenzy amid anguished screams.

Soon, tens of thousands of specks of netherfire had gathered, forming a gigantic fiery skull!

Its mouth was wide open as it greedily devoured all of the netherfire, growing bigger and bigger as it did so. Meanwhile, more and more netherfire continued to converge toward it from all directions.

The painstakingly constructed houses in the city were easily annihilated, reduced to ruins amid the devastation.

The netherworldly citizens of the city had only lived less than 20 years in peace, but they were about to fall to their cruel fate. They were sobbing and screaming desperately as they rushed toward the city gates, but they were mercilessly reduced to netherfire by the golden light, erasing them out of existence.

In the municipal government building, the mayor calmly closed his eyes, waiting for his demise.

He finally understood the meaning behind the order issued by Zhao Yun.

There weren't going to be any reinforcements...

Even if Zhao Yun were situated right at the center of the Cathayan Underworld, he wouldn't be able to make it here in time.

Wherever this divine tribulation appeared, the entire area would be completely razed to the ground.

However, he didn't want to accept this!

He opened his eyes as he cast a forlorn gaze toward the city where he had served as mayor for a full decade.

It was still so impoverished and sparsely populated, and unfortunately, he would never get to see its rise to prosperity...

"Avenge us!" he roared with all his might, causing the glass window panes in front of him to rattle audibly.

In the next instant, an earth-shattering boom rang out up above, and a pillar of golden light devoured the entire building.

……………………………………

"Your Excellency!" An underworld emissary burst in through the doors, panting heavily as he did so. He immediately fell to one knee upon entering the room, then cupped his fist in a salute as he declared, "We've received a super Yin energy reading at Safesoul City in excess of a billion!"

This was a city wall belonging to the city of Jianghan, which was situated right at the center of the Cathayan Underworld.

Zhao Yun was seated on the city wall with his legs crossed, and his Courage of Dragons Silver Spear was placed beside him.

Ever since he had returned to the Cathayan Underworld a day ago, he had been sitting here.

From this point, he would be able to get to any part of the nation as quickly as possible.

He knew that his efforts were most likely going to be futile, but even if there were only the slightest sliver of a chance for him to save a city, he didn't want to give up on it.

This was a home that they had built up with painstaking effort.

It was a sanctuary for all of the Cathayan Underworld's netherworldly citizens.

He had watched the entire process of the nation's rise, and it broke his heart to see any of it being destroyed.

"How long ago was the reading sent to us?" He finally rose to his feet, and one could sense that his emotions were churning beneath his calm exterior.

"20 minutes ago!"

It's too late...

He gently pursed his lips, and in the next instant, a resounding boom rang out, causing the entire city of Jianghan to tremble slightly. A vast expanse of Yin energy spread through the air in all directions, and before the reporting underworld emissary even had a chance to cry out, he had already been blown over 100 meters away. By the time he lowered his arms, the city wall was already empty.

Faster... I need to go faster!

The clouds were rapidly passing by beneath Zhao Yun as he stared intently forward. He knew that there was virtually no hope, but he didn't want to give up.

Perhaps he could still make it...

He sped over one province after another as an extraordinarily fast streak of light, and 10 minutes later, he swooped down through the clouds like a hunting eagle, upon which a city appeared before his eyes.

It was Safesoul City.

As soon as the city appeared before him, he gnashed his teeth together violently.

It was too late. Even though he had already anticipated this, the sight of the ruined city was still so painful for him to behold that it knocked the breath out of him.

Safesoul City had already been reduced to a set of ruins.

Amid the ruins, countless specks of netherfire were flashing incessantly, and a massive monster was situated at the center of the city.

Zhao Yun made no attempt to conceal his own Yin energy, so the monster immediately noticed him. The flames on the monster's back abruptly parted to reveal a blood-red eye, within the pupil of which was a mysterious blue Yin rune that was instantly aimed directly at Zhao Yun.

"I'm sorry." Even though Zhao Yun had endured countless wars and seen more bloodshed than almost anyone in history, he couldn't help but close his eyes as his body trembled. However, even as he did so, he was plummeting down from above faster and faster, until he resembled a dazzling shooting star.

"Please allow me to lay you to rest."

His eyes sprang open, and his Courage of Dragons Silver Spear let loose a long and melodious cry, much like a dragon emerging from an abyss. Right as he pulled back his arm and was about to deliver the killing blow, a hand suddenly appeared beside him to stop him in his tracks.

Qin Ye, Arthis, and the Harken had appeared beside him, and Qin Ye withdrew his hand as he said in a calm voice, "I should be the one apologizing, not you. I am the one who has failed them."

Before anyone had a chance to reply, he vanished on the spot as a gust of Yin wind, and when he reappeared, he was already standing atop the ruins of the city wall.

The city around him was completely demolished.

Gusts of Yin wind were sweeping through the bleak and empty streets, and it was incredible to think that this place had been a thriving city not too long ago.

Amid a burst of thunderous rumbling, the gigantic monster at the center of the city finally rose to its feet. As it did so, countless bones fell from its body like rain.

This was a skeletal giant.

Its entire body was burning with crimson netherfire, and its bone structure was very similar to that of a normal human, except it had a massive chest cavity, within which were over 100,000 lost souls. All that remained of them were their heads, and they were suspended within the monster's chest cavity by their hair, looking out with wooden expressions, as if they were nothing more than puppets.

On the giant's forehead was a dark blue Yin rune.

The skeletal giant was around 200 to 300 meters tall, and as it stood up, the cracking of its joints echoed throughout the entire heavens.

Its massive shadow encompassed the entire city as it looked down from above.

Its eye sockets were filled with scarlet netherfire, and it turned its gaze toward Qin Ye, then suddenly crouched down like a lion about to pounce before letting loose a deafening roar toward Qin Ye.

What remained of the city walls beside Qin Ye instantly crumbled, while gusts of Yin wind swept past him before blowing into the vast grassland behind him like floodwaters through a broken dam.

Qin Ye raised his head slightly to look up at the monster with a complex expression.

These were his people...

A very long time ago, he had experienced a riot of netherworldly citizens. All of the netherworldly citizens were devoured by the riot to form a massive monster, and he had slain that monster on that occasion.

The two of them looked at each other from afar, and the entire space seemed to have congealed. Amid the silence, Qin Ye extended a deep bow.

"I'm sorry. Please allow me to apologize to all of you."

The skeletal giant let loose another thunderous roar as it stood up straight, then rushed toward Qin Ye in a frenzy. Such was its weight and tremendous power that massive trenches were dug into the ground by its feet as it launched itself forward.

At the same time, the countless heads in its chest cavity suddenly began to cackle in unison.

Arthis took an involuntary step forward in the sky, but Zhao Yun stopped her before shaking his head at her.

He was very pleased to see that Qin Ye was shouldering his own responsibilities.

He was facing adversity with courage, and there was no need for anyone to share his load.

In the face of the charging giant, Qin Ye remained calm and collected as he declared, "I promise to avenge you all!"

Within the span of just a few seconds, the skeletal giant had already reached him, and it raised its palm up high before slamming it down with all its might, generating such ferocious speed that a sonic boom was created.

It was as if they were trying to vent their indignation and despair through this devastating strike.

"Farewell." Qin Ye finally raised his head, and at this point, the giant's palm was already upon him.

Right in this instant, a burst of vast Yin energy erupted violently, sweeping through the area like powerful shockwaves.

Within the darkness of the night, a burst of dazzling white light emerged like a shooting star.

The skeletal giant's entire body exploded into countless bones in front of the city wall before raining down from above while burning with netherfire. On the city wall, Qin Ye had already adopted his true form, transforming into a golden skeleton that was wearing a dragon robe and a regal crown on its head. He had drawn his longsword, and with it, he had dealt the killing blow.

This was his most official appearance, he had adopted it in order to bid farewell to his people.

The rain of fiery bones lasted close to half a minute, and Qin Ye was looking at the ruined city through the fiery storm.

He had built up this nation bit by bit from nothing, and it could not be allowed to be torn down any further than this!

The inner demon had to pay for its crimes!

"Where are my darkfeathers?" His voice rumbled through the land like thunder.

In the next instant, tens of thousands of Yin soldiers appeared on the horizon like a wave of darkness.

"Conduct a search!" Qin Ye commanded. "Find out where the Yin energy came from on this occasion!"

You're sorely mistaken if you think I'm the only one who wants you to die! You think you can just barge into the trial of inner demons and the Heavenly Dao won't care? Do you really think you're invincible? I'll put an end to you myself!