Yama Rising

Chapter 168: Intimidation

This scene was like an alarm bell that startled the Yin spirits around. They gasped in unison, and their mind immediately cleared up as they reflexively retreated, leaving a wide berth between them and Hell’s Gate.

Clatter clatter!

“Sss…” “My god…” The Yin spirits standing around came reeled in awe at the majestic sight. Then, three seconds later, they came to their senses completely and began scattering like an ebbing tide.

Even the glass magnate Huang Liangchuan hid behind the tree. When first he saw the sight unfold before his eyes, he couldn’t help but gulp nervously and break out in cold sweat.

Awe and might that surpassed the human imagination. And all who dared challenge Hell’s authority… like Tiger Gao, were practically as insignificant as an ant.

“Docile… I’ve got to be a docile subject…”

Qin Ye’s gaze glossed over the awestruck Yin spirits and landed on the darkness enshrouding Hell’s Gate. He silently clenched his fists, and then released them again as he asked placidly, “Channel the energy from the Yin spirit stones using one’s own Yin energy? What comes next?”

Qin Ye blinked quizzically, “In the past?”

She bowed deeply, “Lord Ming, it’s your turn to display your skills now.”

In the next second, boundless light erupted from the top of the roof, piercing the darkness like a glorious, radiant sun. Even the gleaming Yin spirit stones faded into obscurity in the face of the incredible explosion of luminosity.

This was light that was unprecedented in the deep darkness of Hell. It flooded the lands completely, so much so that even the Yin spirits who were located farthest away from Hell’s Gate were all staring at the dazzling sun with great astonishment.

Ten… a hundred… a thousand… ten thousand… until finally, well over ten thousand Yin spirits looked straight at Hell’s Gate in awe and amazement!

Then, in the midst of the shock of countless Yin spirits who were watching with bated breaths, the brilliant light that penetrated every corner of Hell began to condense and withdraw its reaches from the five square kilometers of Hell to a space that was merely one kilometers across in diameter. And just as the light diminished, the Yin spirits collectively turned their heads to look towards the edge of Hell.

It was simply unfathomable!

Who in the world are this man and this woman?!

Wisps of pure black Yin energy began to extend from the edges of Hell and pour straight into the Mirror of Eminence like a thunder of dragons rushing straight back to the vast oceans. Over ten thousand Yin spirits stared awestruck at the sight, completely tongue-tied. They were amazed by the canopy of Yin energy that hung from the sky, obscured the moon and even swayed the stars. And one split-second later, all of the Yin energy began to rush straight into the mirror!

It was as though the mirror reflected the majesty of the world, whether joy or laughter or sorrow, or even life and death.

Seconds later, Su Dongxue got down on one knee. Following that, the seven division heads of Yin Construction followed suit, followed immediately by the hundreds of Death Inquisitors standing behind. Having noticed what everyone else was doing, the knees of the new residents of Hell immediately went limp, and they too knelt down. In the end, like a massive tidal wave that radiated out from Hell, everyone outside of Hell’s Gate collapsed to their knees within moments.

Su Dongxue had something she wanted to say, and yet was unable to find the right words to express her thoughts. Seconds later, she simply found herself crying out almost reflexively, “We wish long life and prosperity to our lord, King Yanluo! Long live the king!”

Awe.

Qin Ye held his arms behind his back and nodded slowly to everyone outside. There was no need for words. Distance begets awe and respect. Instead, he turned and whispered softly to Arthis, “This blabbermouth… can actually command a moment of such awe and respect?”

She paused, and then cupped her hands respectfully, “Lord Ming, please unleash the mirror.”

Whoosh… Wherever it passed, the Yin energy immediately vanished, almost as though it were completely vaporized. The present Hell wasn’t large, and it didn’t take more than ten minutes before the mirror paused at one particular location.

“... You need to exercise good virtue. Look at how unruly you are right now. How do you expect to get married in the future if you keep behaving like that?” Qin Ye nagged at Arthis as he got dragged to the beam of light by her.

She glanced at Qin Ye with a stern gaze, “You’re thinking of vying over them as well?”

I wouldn’t dare… I wouldn’t want to… Just do as you please…

Arthis raised her hand and made a pressing motion. With a loud bang, the entire ground instantly collapsed. Yet, what was beneath the surface of the ground was completely different from the other locations they had excavated so far!

No… not water. Rather, it was pure, dense Yin energy. In fact, it was so thick and pure that it had already liquefied and turned into a puddle of ink-black water that was approximately ten meters wide. The puddle bubbled and gurgled, while steam billowed incessantly from its surface.

Whoosh! With every Yin spirit stone that entered the liquefied Yin energy, the Yin steam roiled with greater vigor and intensity. More and more, thicker and thicker, until finally… a pitch-black pillar of dense smoke began to condense and form amidst a wailing nethergale! It was as though the illusory outline of a structure had begun to emerge.

“Naturally.” Arthis turned back to stare at him as though he were a retard, “How are you supposed to build these structures if you don’t have any guidance from any treatises or textbooks on netherworld architecture? Do you know where each rune is supposed to go? Do you know how they function? Granny Meng’s topological map only informs you of the uses of each type of building. So are you expecting the mortal realm to draw up the architectural plans for their construction?”

“If I told you earlier, would you be willing to slave--… I mean selflessly contribute to the reconstruction efforts of Hell? Why don’t you have any sense of conscious realization about these things at all?”

Arthis snorted, ostensibly displeased by the fact that she was getting her hands dirty with the menial task at hand. She undoubtedly coveted the seat of King Yanluo’s throne. However, that was on condition that everything was already stable and in good order, and that she would be able to enjoy the glory and prosperity of Hell as soon as she took the throne. Pioneering an entirely new kingdom from scratch… was something that she would hardly mind passing up on.

The torrent of Yin spirit stones didn’t last long. As soon as all of the Yin spirit stones entered the pool of liquefied Yin energy, it immediately emitted a soft humming sound. The black mist in the surroundings slowly dissipated, and in its wake, a tall structure appeared right atop where the puddle previously was.

The platform was raised approximately two meters off the ground, and two sets of stairs ran down either side of the platform. These stairs were exquisitely carved with life-like designs of the xiezhi unicorn and the Harken along the handrails. Two pieces of darkwood coffin boards decorated with soul-induction streamers rose stoically from the ground at each location where the stairs met the platform.

All spirits and souls of the vast expanses, shall return to the boundless heavens and the depths of Hell.

And the horizontal component read - Soul Induction Platform!

1. These are standard MOBA references. Qin Ye is reacting here like how a player would rage in game.

2. This was loosely interpreted from the meaning of the couplet. This couplet was actually based off the taoist concept of 三魂七魄, which refers to the three immortal souls and seven mortal forms in taoism which contrasts the spiritual and carnal side of Man.