Yama Rising

I can't remain silent any longer...

Never did Qin Changxin think that a day would come where he would have to directly face a death god. However, all eyes were currently on him, and as the representative of one of the four pillars, he had to say something now.

His hands were closed around his armrests in a white-knuckled grip, and he wasn't sure whether there were going to be reinforcements for him. However, King Yanluo had assigned him the duty of attending this press conference, and he had to defend the honor of the Cathayan Underworld.

"You want to revoke the Cathayan Underworld's status as one of the four pillars?" His voice was very calm to begin with, but in the next instant, it spiked up drastically as he roared, "You think you have the right to do that?!"

If Erinys's voice were lightning, then his voice would be a tsunami that was inundating the entire hall. All of the surrounding journalists hurriedly stepped aside, and they looked on at the unfolding scene with astonishment in their eyes and goosebumps all over their skin.

A clash between the four pillars was taking place right before their eyes! Everyone was aware that something was amiss about this conference, and everyone had guessed that this moment would arrive sooner or later, but when the moment truly dawned on them, it was still such a shocking spectacle that all of the fine hairs on the backs of their necks had stood up on end.

Even the death gods around Qin Changxin had distanced themselves from him a little. No one wanted to get involved in a clash between the four pillars. Even those standing and watching the raging tsunami from the shore could very well be swept up and drowned if they weren't careful.

"We don't have the right to decide this, but the world does!" Erinys wasn't backing down in the slightest as she countered in a cold voice, "If you want to occupy a position, then you have to fulfill the corresponding duties and responsibilities! What right do you have to continue to occupy this position after over a century of absence and irresponsible conduct?!"

She wasn't looking down on Qin Changxin in the slightest as he was representing the Cathayan Underworld rather than himself. As such, this was a conversation between nations, an arm wrestle between the four pillars.

"The four pillars have a duty to advance all of the underworlds, may I ask how the Cathayan Underworld has fulfilled this duty in the past century? Countless underworlds were adversely affected by your prolonged absence, and not only have you not contributed to the advancement of the underworlds, you've significantly stunted the growth of many nations! Do you think the Cathayan Underworld represents only itself?"

A cold smile appeared on Qin Changxin's face as he countered, "Oh? So what have you done during the past century? You've jumped in with delight at the absence of the Cathayan Underworld and enforced your will upon the world without any opposition! Without positive competition, this world will turn into an autocracy! You have the gall to reprimand the Cathayan Underworld after what you've done for the past century? Do you think your nation runs the Coalition of Underworlds? The Cathayan Underworld will atone for its own mistakes! For all nations adversely affected by our absence, we will compensate you with twice the benefits! We will never shirk our responsibilities and duties, and it's not up to you, nor are you in a place to teach us what to do!"

Archimedes interjected in a cold voice, "If your so-called compensation involves only spouting more lies, such as discovering a new energy resource, then I suggest you keep your jokes to yourself."

During his lifetime, Qin Changxin was a heroic warring general, and even though he was facing around a dozen death gods at once, he wasn't backing down in the slightest as he harrumphed coldly, "What do you mean by that?"

"It's very simple." Archimedes was looking directly at Qin Changxin, and the Yin energy around him was undulating rhythmically as he said, "On the international stage, all credible scientific breakthroughs are supported by statistics, sound theoretical frameworks, and actual examples. Only then will the invented product be fully recognized. Either you bring out those things to display your sincerity to make up for your century-long absence, or we have a vote on whether you should remain serving as one of the four pillars! Otherwise, not only will you have harmed the entire world through your prolonged absence, you'll be seen as a shameless fraud as well!"

As soon as his voice trailed off, his Yin energy abruptly erupted forth, sweeping across the entire conference hall. Many of the journalists didn't even get a chance to cry out before they were forcibly swept aside, and all of the death gods below the Yama-King level quickly scrambled amid cries of alarm. All of a sudden, it was as if the sea had been parted, clearing out a path between the dozen or so death gods and the lone figure that was Qin Changxin.

Is there no possibility of a peaceful resolution? Is the state of the world going to be altered by this conference?

All of the spectating death gods and journalists gulped nervously as they continued watching with bated breath. No one was able to utter a single word, nor did they dare to do so.

Amid the tense silence, a cold smile appeared on Izanami's face as she said, "I think you should leave, representative of the Cathayan Underworld. You are already breaking etiquette by speaking directly with a death god. If you want to negotiate, then you should get your King Yanluo to come here in person?"

A derisive sneer appeared on Erinys's face as she taunted, "Or perhaps he doesn't even have the spine to face me!"

Qin Changxin wanted to respond, but he suddenly discovered that he was being crushed under an impossibly heavy mountain of Yin energy. On the main stage, the dozen or so death gods of the utopia had already silently released their Yin energy, and it was enveloping him like a constricting python. The terrifying pressure was so overwhelming that he was physically unable to utter even a single word.

He was the representative of the Cathayan Underworld, yet in the face of the accusations levied by the utopia's death gods with so many Yin spirits looking on, he was unable to respond.

He opened his mouth with great difficulty and looked around at the countless eyes focused on him, but he was still unable to utter a sound. Right at this moment, all of the death gods on the main stage abruptly cast their eyes toward the entrance of the conference hall, and in the next instant, the gates of the hall exploded violently!

"It looks like a lesson in respect is well overdue for all of you." A calm voice rang out as a humanoid figure strode into the conference hall. The dust still hadn’t settled yet in the wake of the explosion, so no one could make out exactly who the humanoid figure was, but his extraordinarily powerful Yin energy was clinging to all of the death gods like pairs of icy-cold claws, causing them to shudder involuntarily.

Erinys displayed the most pronounced reaction of all as she abruptly screamed, and a pair of rotten wings extended out of her back before she flew up into mid-air. Countless insects seemed to be crawling beneath the skin on Archimedes's face, and he was gnashing his teeth together tightly as his white hair and beard rose up around him.

This man is above the death god level...

All of the death gods exchanged a few wary glances, and as the figure stepped forward, all of the death gods around him unconsciously took a step backward. As he continued to stride into the hall, the dust finally cleared, and he was revealed for all to see.

"Ghost King Zhao..." Erinys was biting down onto her own lower lip as she pressed her back tightly against the wall with a wary expression, as if the feeling of the wall against her back could instill her with a sense of calmness.

Only after several seconds was she able to force out the question: "Why are you here?"

Zhao Yun watched her with a calm expression, and in the next instant, the space ahead of him began to creak and groan audibly as it surged toward Erinys layer upon layer, as if there were an invisible giant fist hurtling directly toward her.

Erinys's pupils abruptly widened, and she screamed once again as she closed her wings around her, following which countless golden ghostly eyes appeared on the surface of the wings. At the same time, the space around her trembled violently, and all of the journalists were knocked off their feet like bowling pins before turning to look at Zhao Yun with astonished expressions.

Was this the power of a man above the death god level?

Erinys had been forced to defend herself with all her might even though he had only looked at her!

The hint of derision toward the Cathayan Underworld that had just welled up in their hearts was instantly erased. The Cathayan Underworld was still the Cathayan Underworld, the most powerful member of the four pillars. Everyone hurriedly retreated to the walls and watched with bated breath as the standoff continued to unfold.

"Can I not come here?" Zhao Yun asked in a casual voice before making his way over to Qin Changxin and helping him to his feet.

Before anyone had a chance to reply, he turned around and continued, "Why did the second King Yanluo not come here? Why have I refrained from using force all this time? Do I need to spell it out for you? The world needs rules. Without rules, there can only be chaos. Underworlds are wary of trading with other underworlds that don't follow the rules as they're afraid that those unruly underworlds will go back on their promises as long as it suits them."

He swept his gaze over every single death god in the utopia, and each death god that his gaze rested on would involuntarily lower their head. In the end, his gaze settled on Erinys, and he strode directly toward her.

As he did so, he continued in a calm voice, "Chaos could be accepted in the age of sticks and stones as wars and battles didn't have truly devastating consequences. However, in the present day, all of the powerful nations have forbidden arts, and in this era, chaos could result in the erasure of a nation or even an entire continent! Let me tell you this: if you don't constantly have your nations' protective arrays activated, I could easily demolish an entire province of yours like taking a walk in the park!"

He finally reached Erinys, and he looked into her eyes with a cold expression as he continued, "That would be how a nation that doesn't follow the rules does things. In this era where forbidden arts have become all too commonplace, unruly nations can no longer be allowed. If a situation deteriorates to the point where threats of using forbidden arts are being made, then the world will be plunged into chaos, and the outcome would inevitably be a world war, which is something none of us want to see. We want to follow the rules and be reasonable."

A smile appeared on his face, and Erinys had only just heaved an internal sigh of relief when Zhao Yun's Yin energy came crashing down upon her again like an entire arsenal of lethal weapons.

The feeling of having her life dangling on a thread made her utter an involuntary yelp, and she tried to envelop herself with her wings again, only to find that she was completely paralyzed.

Zhao Yun looked straight into her eyes as he continued, "But you don't want to follow the rules. When we talk rules and reason, you use brute force, and when we use brute force, you accuse us of not following the rules!"

All of a sudden, all of the tiles on the ground shattered before their fragments rose up as if gravity had disappeared, and Zhao Yun roared, "Do you think the Cathayan Underworld is something you can trample all over with no consequences?!"

Boom!

His Yin energy erupted forth once again, and on this occasion, none of the death gods on the stage were able to remain standing as all of them were knocked to the ground. Actually, to put it more accurately, only Qin Changxin was able to stand firm on the spot.

Erinys coughed violently with a hand over her own chest and her teeth gritted tightly. Before she could even get up, an imposing figure had already appeared above her.

"Let me ask you this again: are you going to follow the rules? Are you capable of being reasonable?"

Erinys really wanted to say no, but in the midst of Zhao Yun's boundless hostile Yin energy, she could only grit her teeth and nod in response.

It was an extremely humiliating moment for her.

Everything was on their side, and they were just about to secure a crushing victory, but Ghost King Zhao had stormed in to rain on their parade!

Furthermore, they couldn't even protest as they were the ones at fault. Otherwise, why had Zhao Yun refrained from stepping in until now?

Using Yin energy to repress a nation's representative was an extremely serious act of provocation.

They had gotten too carried away and forgot all about this.

"Good." Zhao Yun vanished as a gust of Yin wind, taking Qin Changxin along with him. "Prior to the commencement of the conference, I advise you to follow the rules and relay what I just said to your master. Otherwise, don't blame us for being unreasonable."

Following Zhao Yun's departure, Erinys stood up with a furious expression. She swept her gaze across the ruined conference hall, and she wanted nothing better than to tear Zhao Yun to shreds with her bare hands, but in the end, she could only spit through gritted teeth, "Press conference over!"

You want us to follow the rules? Fine! There are still three days left, and when the time comes, we're more than capable of crushing you within the constraints of the rules!