Yama Rising

Martial City, inside a seaside villa.

It was now 10.00 p.m. Logically speaking, they should be hearing an endless repetition of the usual public broadcast announcements about supernatural events, and all homes should still be brightly lit at night. However, the residents along the entire row of seafront villas had long since moved out. Even the neighbourhoods in the vicinity were completely abandoned and dark at night.

“Secretariat Jiang, let’s return.” A plump man standing behind sighed softly, “You’ve already been waiting for six hours now. You haven’t even had your dinner. Mr Qin must be at a crucial juncture of his breakthrough. After all, we’re talking about breaching the ranks of an Infernal Judge…”

“Can he succeed?” Secretariat Jiang raised his head, revealing his bloodshot eyes, “He promised to be done in four months, but it’s already been close to half a year! Do you think I’d be so anxious if our situation here weren’t urgent?! Unfortunately… things here are truly critical right now! If he still doesn’t emerge from his closed door cultivation by midnight tonight, we absolutely have to write to Qizhou for assistance!”

Rather, having been a secretariat for such a long time, he already knew the mindset and inclination of the leaders around.

Therefore, Martial City had thought to consult Qin Ye at the earliest possible time.

His anxiety could be felt through the short phrase he had spoken over the phone.

He wanted to say more, but found himself completely lost for words. After all, he knew that the emergency in Martial City was raging like a wildfire right now. There was no place for platitudes and words of comfort.

“If he doesn’t come out by midnight, I’ll be firing off my request for emergency assistance. You have to return by then, understand?”

With that, Secretariat Jiang hung up and glanced at the villa once more. Had this been any other time, there would have been a welcoming party eagerly awaiting the day when a new Infernal Judge emerges from his closed door cultivation. The Special Investigations Department would also be here, prepared to report back to the upper echelons the results of his attempt at breaking through. After all, even the director overseeing operations at the Eastmount Province was only a Judge-class expert. In other words, Judges are revered experts across the entire nation!

Besides… can he even succeed?

The ember of the cigarette bud glowed softly in the night sky, almost as though flickering like the wavering anxiety of his heart, “Old Zhou, Old Yu, do you think… Mr Qin can actually succeed?”

Several seconds later, the plump man sighed as well, “It’s going to be difficult. Incredibly difficult. Nigh impossible.”

He chuckled bitterly, “We’re talking about 176 across more than a billion people. If the three pillars of strength across Cathay refuse to move, these 176 Judge-class experts would already be considered the strongest battle force across the entire nation. They’re existences akin to the provincial governors of the nation.”

The other man also sighed as he added, “In fact, a Judge is no different from these provincial governors or general secretaries, in that they are for all intents and purposes the top of the food chain. Getting there is just about as difficult as rising through the stiff competition in civil service and becoming a provincial governor. I recall a report I’ve read states that the average age of all Infernal Judges across Cathay are aged 70 years-old. The journey there requires the accumulation of life experiences, together with an unceasing determination to push one’s cultivation to the limits. Making such a breakthrough at only age twenty… is practically an impossibility.”

Secretary Jiang leaned against the wall and sighed softly once more.

But, alas, I guess it’s true. If it weren’t a tall order, why would he have taken five months and ten days when he had earlier promised to be done in only four months?

“Let’s wait a little longer…” Hope was slowly fading from his heart, yet he continued to look at the villa with a bitter smile on his face, “No matter what, we’ll have to extract a response from Mr Qin toda--... to--... to…”

Secretariat Jiang’s hands were trembling as he slowly pointed to a location in the distance, “Look there… Isn’t the window up there… open?”

Then, he immediately caught himself, and a grave expression crept up his lips as he glanced about warily, “Have the supernatural occurrences followed us out here?”

But a split second later, before any of them could even go on with their speculations or postulations, the ground floor lights of the villa came on.

They froze for three seconds, before ecstasy immediately swelled from the innermost depths of their hearts!

Secretariat Jiang drew a deep breath, and began to run straight towards the villa. But, just then, the villa’s windows and doors immediately flung wide open at the exact same time, and an immense wave of majesty like that of a god descending upon earth immediately filled the entire coastline they were on!

Secretariat Jiang felt a gust of wind rush out from the door to the villa, and his clothes and hair were immediately sent flying everywhere. That said, the blast of wind only lasted for a moment. He blinked his eyes vacantly, before abruptly turning back, “Old Yu, Old Zhou, d-d-does this mean he’s succeeded?”

Right behind him, Investigator Zhou and Investigator Yu were trembling profusely, so much so that they weren’t even able to stand properly on their feet. While Secretariat Jiang had felt a blast of wind, the two investigators behind him had instead felt a tyrannical aura pour out from the villa like a ferocious tiger that was released from his shackles.

It was overbearing as a result of its qualitative difference. There was apprehension surging from their hearts that arose from facing a force so colossal and unpredictable as a mortal faced the elements of nature.

It was no different from a man standing on top of a mountain, watching the magnificent sunrise emerge from the fog in the east. It was the feeling of being small in the presence of the great.

Infernal Judge!

Only a Judge-class expert could give off such immense pressure. It’s completely different from when Mr Qin first arrived in Martial City! In fact, this is no different from the sensation we get when we return to the provincial capital and report straight to our director!

“We congratulate Mr Qin on becoming an Infernal Judge!!” The two investigators subconsciously spoke at the same time. What followed immediately after their momentary shock was immense ecstasy that filled their hearts. Even their voices had turned hoarse as they screamed at the top of their voices in adulation of the new Infernal Judge in Cathay.

Secretariat Jiang froze.

“Are you certain?” He asked with a quiver in his voice.

Are you sure you’re not mistaken?

“I’m certain! I’m absolutely certain!!” Investigator Zhou stared at the villa with a fiery gaze in his eyes. Although he wasn’t able to see anyone within the villa just yet, he still continued to cup his hands in the direction of the villa in a most courteous and polite fashion. He didn’t even bother to straighten his body as he eagerly awaited the Judge, “This is definitely a Judge… Only a Judge would be able to give off such pressure! Something like that simply cannot be feigned!”

“This is unbelievable!”

They had just declared it to be impossible a moment ago, so who could have thought fate would come right around and give them a tight slap in the face the very next moment? Yet, even then, they didn’t find it painful; it even felt somewhat good to be proven wrong in such circumstances. In fact, if being slapped in the face could give rise to such results, they wouldn’t mind being slapped repeatedly, even until their entire face becomes swollen!

Both nodded their heads promptly, before pointing to the coastline that wasn’t far away. Secretariat Jiang glanced over, and immediately narrowed his eyes. After a protracted pause, he finally gasped in horror.

Waves were supposed to move in only a single direction, and that was to crash repeatedly against the shore. But now… they appeared to be flowing backwards, almost as though they were terrified of something and escaping from its presence. To that end, the cascading tides even formed waves that were more than a meter high that continued to crash back into the depths of the sea!

Gulp… He couldn’t help but gulp nervously. Just then, a voice spoke softly and cut through the tense silence, “Pardon the tardiness. I’ve managed to break through the shackles of a Judge ten days ago. I’d merely been trying to get a hold of my newfound abilities. Apologies.”

“I-I’ll immediately report this to the top brass! Infernal Judge… We’ve now got a new Infernal Judge in Martial City! They’ll be sending someone down to verify your breakthrough shortly! I-it’s my honour to have witnessed the emergence of a brand-new Judge from his closed-door cultivation!”

“Immediately call Secretary Ma!”

“Apart from Qizhou, the provincial capital of Eastmount Province, there is now another city with the presence of an Infernal Judge!! Oh, that’s right! Notify the First Academy of Cultivators… as well as the network of cultivators! Never mind, we’ll do the latter! Oh, I’ll also contact Cultivators Fortnightly for you! Something as special as this will immediately become an overnight sensation!!!”