Yama Rising

Inside the Golden Sun Palace, Qin Ye's voice was echoing through a hall. "They couldn't reveal their plans to anyone, and they didn't trust any other underworlds. Those underworlds were all far more interested in claiming their territory than to help them achieve their objective. They could promise the rest of the world to split the new continent's territory with all of the major underworlds following their departure, but the death gods beneath them would immediately revolt in the face of such a decision. Also, ruler death gods took immense pride in their territory, and they couldn't bring themselves to do something so shameless. Most importantly, they didn't dare to tell the rest of the world what they were doing as doing so would lead to the entire world frantically trying to get involved in their space exploration project. They wanted to raise more funds, but there was no avenue through which they could do so. They weren't as powerful or as influential as the four pillars, and there was no way that the four pillars would allow them to be the first ones to enter space and seize the initiative when it came to space exploration. For the two death gods, all they wanted was to survive, yet for the rest of the world, this was the key to ushering in an era of space exploration. No underworlds aside from the four pillars would even dare to think about being the first nation to send their Yin spirits into space. In fact, with the current state of the military of the underworld that the two death gods belonged to, a declaration of their plans to pursue space voyage would most likely trigger a war that would spell doom for the entire continent."

A wry smile appeared on the faces of Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa.

"Was the world not afraid of retaliation from the two death gods? After all, they had nothing to lose. However, in the eyes of all of the major underworlds, it was worth incurring this risk if they could gain an advantage over the rest of the world in the race of space exploration. The rewards simply far outweighed the risks, and the two death gods were aware of that as well. Thus, they chose to remain silent and continued to develop in secret."

Silence.

Several seconds later, Mictlantecutli chuckled, "That is indeed a very interesting story."

Qin Ye looked straight into the eyes of the two death gods, and he still couldn't see any notable changes in their expressions. It was clear that this still wasn't enough to sway them.

It seemed that he would have to do more to convince them to tell the truth...

"Did you think that was the end?" Qin Ye asked with a smile. "This story is only just beginning."

"Oh?"

Qin Ye continued, "One day, the ruler of one of the four pillars approached them, expressing a desire to participate in the project and provide the two death gods with large quantities of resources. Isn't that a very interesting twist?"

Mictlantecutli nodded in response. "That is a very heart-warming story, but the four pillars are not charity organizations, is that the ruler of one of the four pillars really so kind-hearted?"

"Of course not," Qin Ye replied as he looked straight into Mictlantecutli's eyes. "He wants all of the space exploration technology developed by the two death gods thus far, and in exchange, he promises to provide the two death gods with sufficient funds, and a guarantee that they would be allowed to enter space first once the supercritical tide arrived! This is a promise made by me, the third King Yanluo of the Cathayan Underworld. Now, please tell me whether you're pursuing space exploration or not, and if so, what stage have you progressed up to."

Qin Ye was finally putting all of his cards onto the table.

The story was already finished, and it was time for an outcome to be reached. He had already displayed sufficient sincerity, and regardless of whether Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa were actually developing space exploration technology, he needed to hear an answer from them!

The entire hall fell completely silent, and Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa sat still in their chairs like stone statues.

However, this silence was a very encouraging sign for Qin Ye.

It meant that Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa were thinking about something, and that entailed that at the very least, they were hiding something extremely important, and there was a very good chance that a space exploration project was what they were hiding.

After all, Usonia in the mortal realm was the first nation to have sent humans into space, so they had an innate advantage when it came to space exploration.

With that in mind, he looked into the eyes of the two death gods with genuine expressions, patiently awaiting their response.

There's no need to keep secrets. I've already laid down my cards, and it's time to show me yours. This is a mutually beneficial trade, so what is there to hesitate about?

The silence in the hall stretched on for a full 10 minutes before a faint smile appeared on Mictlantecutli's face, and he gently tapped his staff against the ground, upon which an extremely intricately crafted box sitting on Qin Ye's table sprang open, revealing a series cut cigars inside.

"These are Brazilian cigars of the highest quality," Mictlantecutli introduced as he casually picked up a cigar, then lit it with a speck of netherfire that had ignited on his fingertip.

He took a deep breath before blowing out a cloud of cigar smoke, then made an inviting hand gesture.

There was no need to conduct this discussion in a stiff and formal fashion like diplomats representing their respective nations. Instead, it would be far more constructive to discuss this matter like friends.

Qin Ye accepted the invitation, lighting a cigar for himself. The cigar had a very rich cherry fragrance that was coupled with the slight bitterness of coffee, presenting a very interesting combination to savor.

After a few seconds of silence, Mictlantecutli finally said, "I applaud your deductive thinking."

His voice was serious and authoritative, and there was no longer a smile on his face.

"I thought about many things just now, and this is indeed a rare opportunity. I must commend you for connecting the dots and seeing through our plan," he said as he gave Qin Ye a nod of approval. "No other nation in the entire underworld is suspecting that we're pursuing space exploration, and it's in the best interests of the three death gods below us to wait for us to leave, so they wouldn't do anything to disrupt this current situation. You must've already met with the second King Yanluo, right? Firstly, please pass on my gratitude to him for confirming the existence of space to us. Secondly, the promise that we made back then is still effective, but only under the condition that you fulfill your promise to us."

A strong surge of elation instantly welled up in Qin Ye's heart, and he leaned forward slightly in an unconscious manner as he asked, "So you really have been pursuing space exploration?"

"That's right," Mictetikasiwa replied in a candid manner. "We started in 1976, so it's already been over 50 years at this point!"

So I was right!

Even though Qin Ye knew that there was a very good chance that he would be right, he was still very relieved to have his suspicions confirmed.

His gamble had paid off, and this alone was more than sufficient reward for his trip to the new continent!

"In that case..."

"There's no hurry, Yanluo Qin." Mictlantecutli picked up Mictetikasiwa's hand, then stood up with a smile as he said, "I can guarantee you that news of your visit won't be leaked to anyone. As for how we should proceed from here, I think it's best that we show you exactly what space exploration is, and why this goal has been beyond our reach, even though we've invested over 50 years and expended everything that we've accumulated during the past 1,700 years. Trust me, this is definitely going to be an unforgettable spectacle for you."

His body slowly began to disintegrate into Yin wind as he continued, "Welcome to the biggest secret in Chichenhagen, the Stairway to Heaven. We have to go and make some preparations, and once we're ready, an underworld emissary will take you there. Coincidentally, there is going to be a supercritical tide tonight, one that takes place every 50 years."

The two of them completely vanished, and Qin Ye was the only one left in the hall.

He leaned back against his chair and closed his eyes, and even now, his scalp was still tingling from excitement.

He was ecstatic that he made the correct deductions and struck the nail right on the head. He was willing to bet that if he hadn't told Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa that the Cathayan Underworld was willing to assist them, and that they would be the first ones to be granted access to space, then there was no way they would've told him the truth!

The new continent didn't have the right to decide that, but the Cathayan Underworld did!

The Cathayan Underworld was on the cusp of becoming a dominant powerhouse on the world stage, and if it were to declare a space exploration project, the first reaction of the other underworlds would definitely be to join them, rather than to destroy them.

It was like they hadn't battled the Cathayan Underworld in the past, and the painful lessons they had learned through that experience were still fresh in their minds. Anyone who dared to wage war against the Cathayan Underworld would immediately be met by a barrage of forbidden arts.

Furthermore, the Cathayan Underworld held the new energy resource and the Moon Palace project, and no one would dare to doubt them. However, this was only a temporary arrangement. Once space exploration technology was truly developed, the three pillars would definitely be the first ones to go against the Cathayan Underworld in order to fight for the right to be the first underworld to enter space.

Of course, even though the three pillars seemed to be extremely close right now, when the time came, all of them were also going to be competing against one another for the right to enter space first.

Under those circumstances, the ruler death god of any underworld, even a completely insignificant one like the Hopi Underworld, would be met by opposition from the entire world if they wanted to be the first one to enter space.

The only ones who could enter space first without incurring any objections from the rest of the world would be the two ruler death gods of the new continent as everyone knew that their departure would be permanent.

Despite the deranged facade they were putting on, Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa were extremely intelligent. In fact, there were no slouches among all of the death gods who had endured the great war of the netherworld and survived to this point. They had clearly considered all of these points as well, and that was why they had decided to tell Qin Ye the truth.

They were already a spent force, so why wouldn't they accept help? Furthermore, the party willing to help them had guaranteed that they would get to enter space first! It was almost too good to be true!

"Only after covering all of my bases did I dare to reveal myself to be Dax," Qin Ye murmured to himself in an excited manner as he snuffed out his cigar. "Otherwise, it would still be too early to reveal that identity. However, it's clear that the two of you are going to help me keep this a secret. How selfish of you... Both of you are clearly aware of just how important a role Dax is going to play on the new continent following your departures."

Dax was the death god of the Caribbean Sea, and using that identity, Qin Ye could accept Central Usonia into the Cathayan Underworld through King Yanluo's Seal. Central Usonia was the only landmass connecting Northern Usonia and Southern Usonia, and once that became a part of the Cathayan Underworld's territory, he would've already won the battle for Usonia even without directly participating in it.

Right at this moment, a figure appeared at the entrance of the hall. They were completely hunched over and wearing an inky-black cloak, making it impossible to glean any of their features, and they drifted into the room atop a Yin cloud.

This was a Prefect-level underworld emissary.

"I don't appear to have met you before," Qin Ye said in an indifferent voice.

"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am a servant god to the esteemed Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa, and you can refer to me as 'Secret'. Please follow me, and I'll lead you to the Heavenly Platform, Yanluo Qin," the underworld emissary said in a respectful manner.

"Oh? Where's that?" Qin Ye asked in a curious manner.

The cloaked figure made an inviting hand gesture as they replied in a respectful voice, "That is the first gate leading to the final secret of our Usonian Underworld. From there, we can look up at the starry heavens, and I will be your guide and attendant on the way there, introducing you to the most grand project that the Usonian Underworld has ever taken on, the Sixth Day."

The Sixth Day, eh? Qin Ye smiled as he stood up before following the cloaked figure out of the hall.

It was said that God had taken seven days to create the world, and the devil, Satan, appeared on the sixth day, so this certainly wasn't a lucky number.

"Does it entail that if they don't manage to successfully ascend, they'll become the devil and bring destruction to the entire world? That's quite a display of determination!" Qin Ye murmured to himself. "Let me see what you've achieved over the past five decades!"