Yama Rising

"Welcome to Nara, everyone." Borfis was wearing a pristine white robe, and he was an Abyssal Prefect who had a very similar appearance to an elderly man. His white hair and beard were impeccably combed, and he was reading the script in his hand as he announced, "The state of the world is constantly changing. In the past several thousand years, countless underworlds and religions have vanished throughout the course of history. Now, there are still 34 civilizations sitting here today, and for that, I am truly extremely thankful."

No applause would be given during international conferences like this unless special announcements were made, and Borfis wasn't hoping that such a general opening address would be met with any applause. He turned to the side and gave a slight nod, following which an underworld emissary wearing a crisp suit made his way onto the stage. He was holding an intricately crafted hollow golden box, within which sat a golden scroll.

"This is the agreement that was finalized 10 years ago, and all of the underworlds present participated in the signing of the agreement at the time. Up to this point, no underworld has expressed any objections toward this agreement, and it's been confirmed to be in effect by international arbiters."

No one said anything.

Everyone knew that the re-signing of the agreement wasn't going to be the highlight of the conference, and they were all eagerly awaiting the climax.

Borfis adjusted his glasses slightly before continuing, "I'm going to reiterate the main content of the agreement, as well as the important attached clauses, and after that, we'll begin the signing ceremony."

"Please wait a moment." Right at this moment, a calm voice rang out from the second row of seats, and a death god slowly rose to his feet as he asked, "What about the Cathayan Underworld?"

This question was like a massive rock dropping into a pond, sending violent waves and ripples running throughout the entire hall. All of the death gods' hearts skipped a beat upon hearing this, and they were eagerly waiting for what was about to come.

Kuwal was grabbing the armrests of his chair with a white-knuckled grip. Was the first battle between the four pillars in thousands of years finally about to begin?

Was this battle going to change the state of the world? If so, what direction would the world go in from here?

He had thought that the suspense would be the most nerve-wracking thing about all of this, and that once the battle actually ensued, the tension would be lifted.

However, as he sat here and held the vote of the Red Moon Federation in his hand, he discovered that he wasn't feeling any more relaxed at all! Instead, the suffocating pressure in the hall was only making him even more tense and nervous. The fact that he was about to play a role in a complete change in the state of the world and the concern he held for the future of the Red Moon Federation and himself was enough to make his soul tremble and quake.

Qin Ye took a cold glance at the death god who had just spoken, but didn't say anything. Borfis smiled and replied, "The Cathayan Underworld didn't read the agreement when it was signed 10 years ago, but I already requested Yanluo Qin to read it upon his arrival in Nara. The Cathayan Underworld had no objections, and they've added their signature to the agreement as well."

"They've signed the agreement?" The death god seemed to be very confused as he asked, "Why does the agreement require a signature from the Cathayan Underworld?"

Anko lowered her head slightly, allowing her ice-blue hair to obscure her face, and beneath the veil of her hair, her lips were tightly pursed.

Many other death gods in the hall had also lowered their heads as complex looks appeared in their eyes, and the entire hall had fallen so silent that even a pin drop would be clearly audible.

The tsunami was already about to begin!

Borfis also furrowed his brows with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean by that?"

The death god's voice grew louder and louder as he said, "When we were signing the treaty on the non-proliferation of forbidden arts, the Cathayan Underworld wasn't present, and now that the treaty is going to be re-signed, the Cathayan Underworld has no right to sign the treaty as one of the initiators! As we all know, the initiators of the agreement have the right to supervise the development of forbidden arts in other countries, and when necessary, they can even forcibly intervene! I don't think the current Cathayan Underworld should still be entitled to this right!"

His voice had already raised to the pitch of rumbling thunder at this point, and he swept his gaze across the entire hall as he continued, "The Cathayan Underworld has not fulfilled its duties in the past century! Forbidden arts are possessed only by the four pillars, and prior to the re-signing of this agreement, we should abide by the terms of the previous agreement! As a former member of the four pillars, the Cathayan Underworld had the right and duty to supervise and intervene in the development of forbidden arts in other underworlds, but they haven't enacted that duty! During their century-long absence, many countries in Asia attempted to develop forbidden arts of their own, and the ones that stopped them were the Hindustani Underworld and the Russian Underworld! Meanwhile, the Argosian Underworld and the Aegyptian Underworld have contributed the most to the development of forbidden arts in the past century. The Cathayan Underworld has committed a severe breach of duty, and I don't think there's any need for them to participate in the re-signing of this agreement!"

It's coming!

Hela gulped nervously as she sat amid the tense silence. It was obvious that this was going to happen at some point, but no one had predicted that it would come this quickly.

The conference had only just commenced and the challenge had already been laid down. It was clear that the three pillars wanted to decide the outcome of this power struggle as quickly as possible!

Were they intimidated by the Yin energy of the second King Yanluo from earlier? Were they worried that delaying this any longer could allow the Cathayan Underworld to make a comeback?

Her breathing was beginning to accelerate unconsciously.

Borfis took a glance at the silent three pillars and the calm and collected Cathayan Underworld, then asked in a hesitant voice, "So what do you propose?"

The death god extended a bow in front of everyone's intense scrutiny, then picked up a scroll that was resting on the table in front of him as he said, "In light of the Cathayan Underworld's severe breach of duty during the past century, I believe it's necessary to reassign the roles of the nations involved in this re-signing of the treaty on the non-proliferation of forbidden arts! At the same time, I would like to impeach the Cathayan Underworld for only looking after its own interests and shirking its duties as one of the premier international powerhouses! For the past century, it's enjoyed the benefits given to the four pillars but hasn't fulfilled the corresponding duties! The Cathayan Underworld is no longer fit to continue as one of the four pillars, and I hope all of the death gods present can bear witness to my proposal!"

This was truly a bombshell!

All of the death gods had goosebumps all over their skin, and everyone had turned to stare at this brave warrior who had dared to challenge the giant dragon. Borfis was also at a slight loss for what to do, and he opened his mouth to say something a few times, only to be unable to determine what to say.

Never did he think that someone would impeach a member of the four pillars that had occupied its position for thousands of years during an international conference!

"Who are you?" It was Qin Changxin who had raised the question in Qin Ye's stead, and at the same time, he cast a cold gaze toward the death god.

The death god didn't back down in the slightest as he replied, "I am a subordinate to Death God Malak al-Mawt of the Brunei Underworld, my name is Essien."

Qin Changxin nodded in response. "Brunei is a nation in which the primary religion is Islam, so you serve the Islamic death god, Malak al-Mawt. In the religion of Islam, there is only one god. As a result of this, Malak al-Mawt can't even be considered to be a death god, which means that even he doesn't have the right to raise such a proposal, yet you, a mere subordinate of a fake god, dares to disrespect the Cathayan Underworld?!"

His voice was like rumbling thunder, shaking the very foundation of the conference hall, yet Essien still refused to back down as he immediately replied, "In this world, large nations have their duties, and small nations have their rights! Anyone can impeach one of the four pillars if they shirk their duties for a prolonged period of time! What we want is for the four pillars to lead us in worldwide advancement, not for the four pillars to suck blood from us like leaches without any compensation!"

In conclusion, he bowed once again and reiterated, "I propose we strip the Cathayan Underworld of its position as one of the four pillars!"

His words were like the unsheathing of a sharp sword.

All of the death gods turned toward Qin Ye, waiting for his response to this incredibly blatant challenge.

Borfis suddenly felt like his throat had become extremely parched, and only after a long while did he respond in a trembling voice, "This is an extremely important matter! The four pillars are recognized by the entire world, and you are in no position to impeach..."

"How dare you!" Before Borfis even had a chance to finish, an authoritative voice rang out from elsewhere in the hall, following which an imposing figure rose to his feet.

It was Archimedes.

In the underworld, he was renowned as the Father of Yin Runes, and his status was comparable with that of Einstein in Usonia following the second world war.

He turned to Essien and said, "We are far more equipped to decide whether the Cathayan Underworld deserves to continue to serve as one of the four pillars. You have no right to spout your nonsense here. Begone!"

Zhao Yun was just about to say something, but Qin Ye shook his head and said in a low voice, "Don't let them get to you. Let's just wait and watch their performance."

The time to retaliate would come when their true objective was revealed.

Furthermore, his most important trump card still hadn't arrived yet.

In addition to that, he was very curious about what they had planned next.

Essien was essentially volunteering himself as cannon fodder, making the proposal that would benefit the three pillars immensely, yet Archimedes had stood up to stop him, and that was very intriguing to Qin Ye.

Removing the Cathayan Underworld as one of the initiators for the treaty on the non-proliferation of forbidden arts was no small matter. There was a clause on the treaty that clearly stated that the four pillars had the right to supervise the development of forbidden arts in other nations, as well as the right to forcibly intervene when necessary.

This was a perfect excuse to start this war! It would be extremely detrimental for the Cathayan Underworld to lose these rights, not to mention that it would significantly dent the reputation of the Cathayan Underworld in the eyes of the other underworlds. If that were to happen, the Cathayan Underworld would lose even more support.

"They clearly have some ulterior motive..." He sat on his throne with a cold smile on his face, carefully watching this act unfold. Very soon, the opposition's true objective was about to be revealed.

Essien sat back down, and Archimedes extended a slight bow toward Borfis as he said, "I think it's unreasonable to strip the Cathayan Underworld of its status as one of the four pillars. All of the four pillars are superpower nations that are able to determine the direction of the entire region around them, and the Cathayan Underworld fits this description. However, I also think the Cathayan Underworld doesn't have the right to re-sign the treaty on the non-proliferation of forbidden arts! They haven't even submitted progress reports of their own research and development into forbidden arts during the past century! Death God Essien's proposal is a little aggressive, but there are some parts that are reasonable. I think that we should temporarily exclude the Cathayan Underworld from this re-signing of the treaty on the non-proliferation of forbidden arts and create a separate agreement for them, then adjust accordingly in the future. If the Cathayan Underworld can prove that it's fit for the role, then it can regain its status as an initiator during the next re-signing of the agreement. Otherwise, it would be unfair for the other underworlds if it simply recovered all of its rights without any consequences even after a century-long absence. I propose we put the Cathayan Underworld in a special observation period during which its place can be taken by one of the first-rate underworlds. This is my suggestion, and it's also supported by the Argosian Underworld."

Dead silence.

No one said anything.

Chills ran down the spines of all of the death gods upon hearing this.

This was a very commonly used strategy where the worst option was proposed first, following which a slightly more favorable option was offered, and the second option was what the three pillars truly wanted the Cathayan Underworld to take.

Perhaps the second King Yanluo's warning had taken effect or perhaps they were concerned that there would be too much backlash if they were to strip the Cathayan Underworld of its role as one of the four pillars. In any case, they chose not to pursue that path, choosing instead to withdraw the Cathayan Underworld's rights as an initiator for the treaty on the non-proliferation of forbidden arts. Furthermore, they were proposing for one of the first-rate underworlds to take its place. There were only two first-rate underworlds, one of which was the new continent underworld, while the other was the Russian Underworld. The new continent was clearly not a feasible option, so there was only really one choice.

Once the Cathayan Underworld lost this right, it would be impossible to recover it.

After this, the three pillars would gradually strip the Cathayan Underworld of its other rights, all the way until the Cathayan Underworld existed as one of the four pillars only in name, but held no actual power, and that would be when they threw their support behind the Russian Underworld to take over.

At that point, there would only be one voice left in the world.

It was a vicious tactic, and just because it was a commonly used one didn't mean it was any less effective. Furthermore, this proposal was far easier to accept for everyone compared with stripping the Cathayan Underworld of its status as one of the four pillars.

You can't agree to this, Yanluo Qin! They're feeding you cyanide pills with a sugar coating!

Hela was holding onto the hem of her dress in a white-knuckled grip as she turned to look at Qin Ye with tightly gritted teeth.

In the face of everyone's intense scrutiny, Qin Ye finally broke his silence, and he did so without any hesitation.

"Alright, the Cathayan Underworld is willing to relinquish its rights as initiator."

Hela almost sprang to her feet, but thankfully, J?rmungandr was there to catch her.

This was a direct clash between the four pillars, and no other underworld had the right to intervene.

Right at this moment, Qin Ye continued, "At the same time, the Cathayan Underworld will officially back out of the treaty on the non-proliferation of forbidden arts and never take part in it again!"

The composed facades of the leaders of the three pillars finally cracked a little upon hearing this, and the war had well and truly begun!