When I gained the Ophanim, I felt like I had seized the universe itself within my palms. Knowledge flowed through in endless spirals. Every law. Every movent. Every possible consequence branching into a thousand more consequences. Near omniscience. Near perfection. I rembered how terrified I had been when I first touched that power. I had feared what it ant for soone like to wield sothing so absolute. At the sa ti, another part of had felt untouchable. Invincible. Above consequence.
That illusion had died long ago.
Everything that led to this mont had shattered it piece by piece. The wars between layers. The betrayals. The collapse of civilizations. The endless dead piling beneath my feet. And now the Great Beast threatened to devour not only the Underworld, but the rest of existence beyond it. Entire layers were disappearing into its maw while I struggled just to slow it down.
The Weight of Existence had interfered countless tis. I could have blad that. It was easy to bla cosmic laws for my failures. The truth was uglier.
The universe was simply unfair.
No amount of power changed that.
We arrived upon one of the Hanging Islands suspended above the World Tree. Massive roots thicker than continents coiled through the endless void beneath us, glowing with dim silver veins that pulsed like the heartbeat of existence itself. The island trembled occasionally as distant impacts echoed across reality. Sowhere far away, another layer was probably dying.
The forr Judges of the Underworld stood waiting for .
Eight figures. Eight remnants of a broken system trying desperately to survive the end.
I recognized several of them imdiately. Judge of Fate Wang Zhou stood silently with her hands folded behind her back. Judge of Legacy Zhan Chen looked exhausted beyond words. Judge of Order Shi Chang remained rigid as a statue, his expression severe enough to freeze storms. Wang Yang, the Judge of Karma, looked hollow. The weight beneath his eyes made him seem older than the Underworld itself.
The remaining judges were strangers to . Intent. Truth. Bonds. Suffering.
I looked at all of them and realized how absurd this gathering truly was. Gods standing upon a hanging island discussing how to save a collapsing universe.
“I suppose introductions are unnecessary for so of you,” I said. My voice carried across the island more quietly than I intended. “Others, unfortunately, I’m only eting for the first ti.”
The judges remained silent.
I continued, “It’s unfortunate there’s no ti for us to actually know one another. As all of you are already aware, the Underworld is about to end.”
Zhan Chen imdiately stepped forward.
“This is not what you promised , Da Wei,” he said coldly. “You promised to protect my world—”
“That’s easy for you to say,” interrupted the Judge of Bonds bitterly. His voice cracked with restrained fury. “My layer’s gone!”
The atmosphere instantly beca heavier.
Wang Yang gave a faint laugh devoid of humor. “It’s over regardless,” he muttered. “The end’s finally here for all of us. Maybe the only thing left now is to hold our loved ones close while we still can.”
“You dare speak?” snapped the Judge of Intent.
The Judge of Truth glared at Wang Yang with outright disgust. “Traitor. You forfeited your right to speak for the Underworld long ago. Carousing with Conquest, acting as his pet? Have you no sha?”
Wang Yang’s hollow eyes lowered, though he did not defend himself.
“ORDER!”
Shi Chang’s roar exploded across the Hanging Island like heavenly thunder. The roots of the World Tree vibrated violently beneath our feet.
“Or do all of you want to put you in ti out!?”
Silence imdiately followed.
Among the remaining judges, Shi Chang was unquestionably the strongest. Even now, with the Underworld collapsing around us, nobody wished to challenge him directly.
“What are we doing here, Master?” Hei Mao asked beside .
Before I could answer, my shadow rippled unnaturally.
Jue Bu erged from the darkness behind as though the void itself had vomited him out. He stretched casually before flashing an infuriating grin at everyone present.
“Oh, of course,” he said cheerfully, “it’s to discuss how we’re going to save the Underworld.”
The reactions around us were that of shock and confusion.
Several judges instinctively released their spiritual pressure. The Judge of Suffering nearly summoned his weapon before stopping himself. Even Shi Chang’s eyes widened slightly.
Only Wang Zhou remained unsurprised.
“My fellow judges,” she said calmly, “he might look different, but no, you are not mistaken. This is indeed the Judge of Fools, Jue Bu. The forr judge of the long-destroyed layer of the Underworld. The King of Fools.”
Jue Bu imdiately struck a ridiculous pose with both hands raised dramatically.
“Tada~! I got a new job as Da Wei’s double!”
Hei Mao slowly covered his face with one hand.
“Do not make it sound as if you are doing a good job,” he muttered. “Half the World Council knows you are not master. And to get things straight, you snatched master’s body, defiled it, sohow survived the consequences, and then managed to place yourself within master’s good graces.”
“So what?” Jue Bu asked smugly.
Hei Mao stared at him for a long mont before sighing heavily.
“I’m just saying,” he said tiredly, “I rember.”
“So, what’s the plan, Da Wei?” Shi Chang asked.
I exhaled slowly.
“On our way here from the World Council chamber,” I began, “I used the Ophanim to consult every knowledgeable and wise soul across the Hollowed World.”
Several judges frowned imdiately.
I continued before they could interrupt .
“I don’t an rely scholars or strategists. I an every cultivator at the Tenth Realm or Eleventh Realm possessing enough renown, experience, or wisdom to contribute sothing aningful. Sect founders. Ancient cultivators in seclusion. Imperial advisors. Forr heroes. Martial artists. Saints. Powerful practitioners. Anyone whose thoughts carried enough weight to matter.”
The Hollow Star pulsed painfully.
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Even now, rembering it made my skull ache.
“Through alternate perceived tilines,” I said, “I allowed them to debate with one another. Argue. Criticize. Refine possibilities. Entire discussions stretched across thousands of years within my perception despite only monts passing in reality.”
The judges stared at with growing disbelief.
Truthfully, I still found it difficult to believe myself.
I hadn’t even known Ophanim could accomplish sothing like that. Apparently, the imminent destruction of existence was excellent motivation for personal growth.
I would have preferred not discovering that.
“The strain nearly tore my soul apart,” I admitted. “Channeling that much quintessence through the Hollow Star felt like forcing molten iron through my veins. So believe when I say I would rather never attempt sothing like that again.”
Wang Zhou narrowed her eyes slightly.
“So,” she asked, “what solution did your countless enlightened minds arrive at?”
I looked at every judge in silence before answering.
“We let the Underworld fall.”
The reaction was imdiate chaos.
“You’ve lost your mind!”
“Absolutely unacceptable!”
“If the Great Beast devours the Underworld unchecked, it will only grow stronger!”
“You’re asking us to surrender existence itself!”
The Judge of Bonds nearly erupted with killing intent while the Judge of Suffering openly looked at as though considering whether murdering imdiately would improve our chances.
Unexpectedly, the calst person present was Zhan Chen.
“Enough,” he said sharply.
His voice cut through the arguing surprisingly well.
“At least hear him out first.”
The judges reluctantly quieted.
Jue Bu burst into laughter beside .
“I told you they wouldn’t like it,” he said gleefully. “And I bet they’ll hate the next part even more. How about you leave the explaining to , my friend? I’m already accustod to being hated.”
“There’s no need,” I replied.
I stepped forward toward the edge of the Hanging Island. Below us, the endless layers of the Hollowed World shimred beneath the branches of the World Tree like fractured mirrors suspended within darkness. Of course, only I could see them through Ophanim.
“My plan is to evacuate every sapient lifeform within the Hollowed World onto one side of the world.”
The judges froze.
“Using my authority over the Hollowed World,” I continued, “I’ve already begun gathering civilization toward designated regions with the Dark Veil. Thankfully, there are no surviving civilizations more advanced than the territories under the Holy Ascension Empire. That simplifies logistics considerably.”
I raised one hand, summoning a massive mirage through Divine Phantasm of Dreams.
The illusion spread across the sky above the Hanging Island.
The Great Beast appeared first.
An abomination of blackened flesh and endless hunger tearing through reality itself.
Then ca Nidhogg.
The Void Beast coiled around collapsing layers while its colossal jaws clashed against the Great Beast amidst storms of devoured stars and shattered laws.
The sight alone made several judges pale.
“The Void Beast is buying us ti,” I said. “Not much, but enough. So I’ll make this explanation brief.”
The illusion shifted.
Two glowing points appeared within the Hollowed World.
“War and Famine,” I said. “The Great Beast wants both. War remains trapped within the Dark Veil. Famine remains trapped in a reincarnation cycle within the False Earth.”
Understanding slowly dawned across several faces.
“The plan is to lure the Great Beast toward the designated side of the Hollowed World where the Warden and I will fight it.”
Utter silence followed.
Even Shi Chang looked montarily speechless.
Jue Bu snickered beside .
“I know, right? Ridiculous. Absolutely bonkers. A true Da Wei fashion suicidal charge.”
“I have no intention of allowing the Great Beast to devour the rest of the Hollowed World,” I clarified calmly.
The mirage shifted again.
This ti, layers of the Underworld descended toward the Hollowed World like burning continents falling from the heavens.
“I intend to use my authority as owner of the Hollowed World and the authority of the sole Yama King to force sections of the Underworld into the Hollowed World before they can be fully consud.”
I pointed toward the descending realms.
“The ninth through seventh layers.”
Zhan Chen’s expression imdiately darkened.
“No,” he said firmly. “I refuse. I will not allow my world to perish.”
I looked directly at him.
“Your world doesn’t need to perish.”
He frowned.
“The descent of realms into the Hollowed World is a phenonon studied for ages,” I explained. “Integration damage depends heavily upon stabilization, environntal compatibility, and controlled convergence. I have no intention of allowing your layer and the world you spent countless years protecting to simply crumble beneath fate.”
The island winds howled around us.
Then I said the only thing that truly mattered.
“Let do my job.”
The judges remained unconvinced.
I could see it in their faces. Doubt. Fear. Suspicion. So of them wanted to believe because the alternative was despair, while others looked at as though I had finally succumbed to the pressure crushing the universe.
Honestly, perhaps I had.
Without another word, I activated the Ophanim.
Golden rings unfolded behind my back, vast and endless, each one layered with incomprehensible symbols that rotated slower than dying stars. The Hanging Island darkened as countless visions spread across the air around us.
Possible futures.
Broken tilines.
Outcos born from disaster.
I could no longer gaze upon destiny with certainty. The Great Beast’s Weight of Existence distorted causality itself. Futures shattered simply by approaching it. Entire tilines collapsed into static whenever its presence beca too dominant.
Even so, I could still show possibilities.
The judges watched silently as the visions unfolded.
One future showed the Great Beast devouring the Underworld entirely before turning toward the Hollowed World unhindered. Entire civilizations vanished beneath oceans of black flesh while the World Tree scread like a living thing being skinned alive.
Another future showed us defending every layer stubbornly until exhaustion destroyed us. The Great Beast consud us one by one afterward.
Another showed the Hollowed World attempting evacuation too late. Trillions died trampling each other before the Beast even arrived.
And then the worst future.
A future where I hesitated.
In that future, nothing survived.
The visions faded.
The Hanging Island beca deathly silent.
Several judges looked visibly shaken. The Judge of Bonds had gone pale while the Judge of Suffering stared downward with trembling hands. Even Shi Chang’s rigid composure cracked slightly.
Finally, Wang Zhou spoke.
“…I hate this plan.”
“So do I,” muttered the Judge of Truth.
Zhan Chen closed his eyes for several monts before exhaling heavily. “But compared to the alternatives, this gives us the highest probability of survival.”
“The Underworld really is ending…” whispered the Judge of Intent quietly.
Nobody contradicted him.
Hei Mao suddenly spoke beside .
“Master,” he asked carefully, “what are we even doing here?”
I glanced toward him.
“You can accomplish all of this from afar. You can cast your eyes upon the world itself. You can convince them through visions, decrees, or sheer authority.” His dark eyes narrowed slightly. “There was no need to gather everyone personally. Why am I here, master?”
Then his gaze shifted toward Jue Bu.
“And why is he here?”
The island beca quiet again.
I looked at Hei Mao for a long mont before answering.
“I want you to beco a Yama King.”
Shock instantly spread across the judges.
Hei Mao himself froze.
“I want you,” I continued, “to inherit the proofs of the Underworld. When this is over, I want you to establish the Underworld here within the Hollowed World.”
“What?” the Judge of Bonds blurted.
Shi Chang’s eyes widened slightly. “Da Wei…”
Hei Mao stared at as though I had spoken nonsense.
Before he could respond, Jue Bu casually stepped forward.
“The Layer of Fool was already integrated into this world,” he said. “I’m still technically a Yama King even if I don’t look the part anymore. Accept it.”
He held out his symbol.
A beautiful purple marble appeared within his palm. Darkness swirled faintly around its edges while impossible colors shimred deep inside its core like imprisoned dreams.
Without hesitation, he pressed it into Hei Mao’s chest.
The marble dissolved into violet light.
Hei Mao staggered slightly as the authority settled into his soul.
I stepped forward afterward and placed my hand upon his shoulder.
Then I transferred the remaining symbols.
One by one, the proofs I had gathered from the fallen Judges of the Underworld flowed into Hei Mao. Ancient authorities. Forgotten laws. Endless rivers of death and reincarnation.
The surrounding air trembled violently.
Hei Mao’s eyes widened as divine pressure erupted around him uncontrollably.
“You are the God of the Underworld now, Hei Mao,” I said quietly. “Jue Bu will help you. He can provide as much quintessence as needed through the Hollow Star.”
Then I removed my crown.
The Hollow Star pulsed within my grasp like a living heart forged from galaxies.
I placed it upon Jue Bu’s head.
The instant it settled there, countless golden rings reflected within his eyes.
“I’m going to need that back eventually,” I told him. “But you know what to do.”
Jue Bu grinned.
“Leave it to , my friend. If things go horribly wrong, I’ll make sure they beco even worse in the funniest possible way.”
“…Comforting,” muttered Wang Yang.
Ignoring them, I turned toward the judges again.
“I have intel regarding ng Po,” I said. “I need her. Bring to her.”
The reactions imdiately beca strange.
Several judges exchanged glances.
The Judge of Truth frowned. “ng Po?”
“I don’t know what you an,” said the Judge of Intent far too quickly.
Shi Chang remained silent.
I narrowed my eyes.
“I received information that ng Po was with the Supre Death.”
Several expressions changed instantly.
“But the Supre Death is already dead,” I continued. “Killed with ‘life.’”
The island winds suddenly felt colder.
“I searched the First Layer,” I said. “I searched for her before the Unsupre Death transford into the Great Beast. She wasn’t there.”
Understanding slowly settled inside .
“She’s sowhere else.”
Silence.
Then I looked directly at Shi Chang.
“And now,” I said coldly, “I’m certain all of you know exactly where.”
Shi Chang’s jaw tightened.
I stepped toward him.
“Bring to the grave of the Supre Death.”
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