Yama Rising

Aristotle and Catherine the Great didn’t appear to hear Qin Ye’s words at all. Instead, they were staring at the terrifying vortex of Yin energy ahead of them, almost as though they were staring right into the eyes of their archenemies.

Meanwhile, the Mythic Spirits laughed boisterously, with great arrogance and haughtiness in their voices. They had all traversed across half of the entire world, making their arrival with a grand entrance that instantly laid waste to the Russian cavalry in the area. The terrifying Yin energy that poured out endlessly from them sent Aristotle’s white robes fluttering madly, while Catherine’s golden hair and puffy skirt ensemble were practically sent flying horizontally into the sky!

This was a confrontation between gods of death.

Khuree, a capital that hadn’t even begun to make a splash in the mortal realm, was currently the focal point of the entire netherworld.

Everyone could sense the terrifying Yin energy emanating from Khuree.

Not a single underworld was oblivious to the winds of change in the vicinity.

This was the dialogue between the gods of death.

This was an exchange between the lords of various underworlds.

Taking Qin Ye’s presence into consideration, there were currently 16 underworldly powers represented at this international dialogue, including the 13 Alkebulan tribes that were represented by their various Mythic Spirits, Hell, the Russian Underworld, and the Argosian Underworld!

Nippon, Amano Iwato. The throne was tethered to the ground by innumerable iron chains. A colossal Eight-Foot Mirror was filled with dense Yin energy even as it reflected the pale appearance of a person with disheveled hair.

A scarlet eye opened abruptly and gazed to the distant west.

“Over ten Yama-Kings… gathered in the direction of… the Mongol Empire? What in the world is happening over there?”

Bodh Gaya. The canopy of leaves of the Mahabodhi tree swayed wildly as a scarlet eye opened up in the sky and gazed northwards.

“A gathering of Yama-Kings… Is Hell finally planning to emerge from reclusion and make a splash on the international arena again? This might well be the catalyst to the next great war of the netherworld…”

Similar remarks were echoing through the Aegyptian Underworld, the Argosian Underworld, and every other underworld in the netherworld for that matter. Every single lord of their underworld could all sense the immense gathering of forces in Khuree, and all eyes were on them.

That said, none of them were aware that Aristotle was currently bearing the brunt of Mythic Spirits’ aggression. The Yin energy pouring out of his body was almost completely washed away by the intense torrent of Yin energy from the Mythic Spirits. “Damn…” The wooden staff in his hand blossomed with a pale light, forming an invisible shield that appeared right in front of him. It promptly glowed with divine radiance, but even then, it wasn’t able to stop the turbulent flow of Yin energy pouring out from the Mythic Spirits’ arrival.

Just like a meteorite crashing into the ground during a cosmic storm, the impact of their arrival was so powerful that it rendered the Yama-class Aristotle completely helpless and wanting. A crack appeared on the pale shield of light within moments. Crack, crack, crack… There was a series of cracking sounds. Then, three seconds later, the shield exploded!

“Shit!” With a hoarse muffled grunt, he was sent hurtling back hundreds of meters away. He dug his feet deep in a feeble attempt to stabilize himself, only to end up dragging deep grooves in the ground. Next to him, Catherine the Great shrieked wildly as she transformed into a sky full of crows that got blasted back hundreds of meters, before they all slowly came together and coalesced into a human being once more.

Although they were both Yama-class Yin spirits, they were of different underworlds. Yet, despite their initial lack of familiarity with each other, they had no choice but to fight with their backs against each other, because… they could both see that there was no escape for them. Their surroundings were now filled with such dense Yin energy that they might well have been consumed by the black hole in the galaxies beyond!

“What are you trying to do?” Catherine the Great continued to hold up her fan, concealing the lower half of her face, “Are you trying to kill us? You should know full well that the unnatural death of any god of death would immediately trigger a regional war!”

“The Tsar is watching us, and so are Lord Anubis and the other gods of death. Are you… trying to make an enemy of the entire Federation of Underworlds?!”

Her voice grew more impassioned as she went on, until she finally shrieked at the top of her voice. At once, a mighty shockwave rippled out from her lips, only to be dampened and suppressed by the dense clouds of Yin energy that roiled around them. Surprisingly, not even someone at her strength was able to breach the encirclement of Mythic Spirits around her.

Unbeknownst to anyone, she tightened her fists in vexation.

Damn it… how could this have happened?!

It was a rhetorical statement. She knew full well what was going on. She fully appreciated what Qin Ye had meant when he said that international disputes should be resolved using global means.

They were obviously mistaken about one thing.

Hell would actually seek foreign assistance?!

In the past, such acts of disrespect would immediately attract a swift backlash from Hell and Hell alone - Forbidden Arts? Who says you can do something like that before consulting with us?!

But things were clearly different. Hell was no longer reacting with an overbearing attitude. That said, one could even say that their style was even more vicious than ever before! They were able to get others to do the dirty work on their behalf! If one were to describe Hell as a mighty and unyielding general, then Hell could now only be described as a master strategist. The terror of their ways was on a completely different scale!

Unfortunately, she wasn’t given the time to consider these things. Just as she was lost in her own thoughts, there was suddenly a violent howl of a wolf, followed by dozens of scarlet netherflames lighting up at once like a night sky full of demons. A split second later, a 20-meter long green wolf with illusory limbs and rows of eyes running down its face suddenly burst through the darkness and lunged straight at them!

“Emerald Wolf Tribe… Chieftain Woolf.” It stared at Aristotle intently with the dozens of eyes running down its face, and it licked its lips voraciously, “Aristotle… one of the main culprits who opened the pandora’s box leading to the discovery of Forbidden Arts, and naturally also the one who cast the vote in favor of using the revulsive Forbidden Arts against the Alkebulan Underworld… After so long… after waiting for centuries…”

ROAR!!!

It opened its mouth wide and pounced straight for Aristotle’s jugulars. At once, a chasm to the underworld appeared in his mouth, from which innumerable pale arms appeared to reach out and cascade towards Aristotle in a desperate attempt to grab hold of him!

“I can’t wait to gnaw off all the flesh from your bones!!!”

Aristotle looked up with a grave expression. Clang! With a crisp, clear sound, the wooden staff in his hand transformed into a golden spear that prevented Chieftain Woolf from biting down onto Aristotle’s flesh.

“How dare you act insolently against one of the patriarchs of the Argosian Underworld?!!” Aristotle fought back desperately. The muscles on his arms swelled up at once, revealing rings of golden light that rippled throughout his body. Even then, his entire body shook from the intense shock and anger in his heart, and he panted with ragged breaths, “How dare you conspire to assassinate one of the patriarchs of the Argosian Underworld?!!”

As he spoke, the collar around his neck suddenly transformed into two pale feathered wings that enveloped him completely. Almost simultaneously, a colossal serpent emerged from the darkness and bit down onto him!

This was none other than Black Mamba Mythic Spirit!

Clink! Sparks flew as Black Mamba’s teeth scraped against the ball of feathered wings. Black Mamba hissed with great spitefulness, “Do you know how far away Malagasy is from the main Alkebulan Continent? But we weren’t even spared from the immense aftershocks that rippled through those lands! Fortunately… what goes around comes around. I’ll bet you’d never expected to see us standing before you like this!”

Then, before Black Mamba could even finish, countless spots of purple netherflames suddenly emerged from the darkness around, roaring like the engines of a mighty bomber.

But it wasn’t a bomber.

Rather, it was an endless swarm of hornets that were all immolating with netherflames. Each hornet was as thick as an arm, and they swept through the sky like a mighty wave.

Chieftain of the Hornets Tribe, Queen Bain!

Following that, a scarlet flame erupted from the depths of the darkness around, and a 50-meter giant bird soared into the skies like the birth of a radiant sun.

It represented flame.

It represented light.

It was the only source of radiance in the darkness of the eternal night.

And as soon as it appeared the netherflames in its eyes burst forth, causing a pillar of flames almost ten meters thick to erupt from the beak of the glorious bird, completely engulfing the feathered ball in flames.

Chieftain of the Sunbird Tribe, Phoenix!

It was almost as though they were introducing themselves one by one. A three-headed hyena followed closely behind, emerging in a violent display of pitch-black karmic flames that tore at the feathered orb that continued to protect Aristotle.

Resentment and vengeance that had been festering for centuries...

Today, the sky was the limit!

BOOM!!! Over ten Mythic Spirits roared with each their own display of netherflames, and their attacks actually converged into… a massive superstar of netherflames and Yin energy.

The opening salvo of the Mythic Spirits was arguably no less powerful than some of the first generation Forbidden Arts. A variety of colours weaved together, transforming into a terrifying ball of white light that glistened like the rising sun. Catherine the Great stood just beside the ball of light, trembling profusely. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined things to devolve so quickly and so abruptly.

For one, she had never expected the Mythic Spirits to have launched an all-out attack against Aristotle without even saying a word.

Why is this happening?

Hell isn’t supposed to react this way! They’re supposed to be far more reckless than this! Since when did they develop such incredible strategic minds?

Or are you telling me that they’re only finally starting to think for themselves?

BOOM!!!

There was a terrifying explosion.

The radiant sun exploded in the air, sending mighty flares of light scattering in all directions, followed swiftly by the aftershocks of endless shockwaves of Yin energy. For the next few moments, bursts of extreme light and intense darkness filled the surroundings.

Qin Ye and the Harken couldn’t help but shut their eyes while things slowly subsided. A few minutes later, they slowly opened their eyes to an incredible sight.

Aristotle wasn’t dead.

He trembled slightly. His skin and flesh had almost completely been stripped right off his body, revealing the dark bones underneath. His clothes were now tattered, and the fine helmet and armbands had all been crushed and shattered into pieces. His entire being swayed softly like a candle in the wind that was teetering on the verge of being completely blown out.

“Haa… haa…” He was gasping desperately for air. No longer was he barking back with rhetoric, asking whether the Mythic Spirits were actually going to lay their hands on one of the patriarchs of the Argosian Underworld. Granted, a single Mythic Spirit might not have been a match for a patriarch of the Argosian Underworld, but things were completely different when over a dozen Mythic Spirits were acting together.

His heart was filled with regret. His heart was truly filled with regret.

He’d come to the Mongol Empire against the better advice of many others. Unfortunately, it was precisely because they had the benefit of information that they simply couldn’t live with uncertainty. It was precisely because of this that he had personally made the trip down to confirm things with his own eyes.

It was all supposed to be a harmless trip to the Mongol Empire.

He had even confirmed that there were only two Emissaries of Hell present in these negotiations.

So why did things turn out this way?

“Everyone… stay your hands…” A golden codex hovered in front of him. It was this codex that had saved his life. His voice trembled, “Have you all considered how things would be like if I perished right here and now?”

“Do you… truly wish to see the march of Argosian Yin soldiers once again?”

No response.

Every single Mythic Spirit stared intently at him.

Just then, he turned and bellowed at Qin Ye, “Prefect Qin!!! You know what that means, don’t you?!”

“As a member of one of the P4 underworlds, you should know full well what the consequences would be if I were to be killed right here in this place!”

“Furthermore… do you really think you possess the ability to kill me?!”

He gnashed his teeth and spoke like a lone wolf that was struggling to stay alive, “Lord Thanatos is watching me all this while! There’s no chance that he would let a patriarch of the Argosian Underworld die here in these lands! If you dare make another move against me… I assure you--...”

“You must be kidding.” Qin Ye chuckled softly, “What am I supposed to know?”

Then, he looked up with a slightly astonished expression, “You’ve asked Hell to preside over its regional affairs, and we’ve done so. You’ve then asked Hell not to do anything, and we’ve also acceded to that request of yours.”

“I’m not even doing a single thing right now, so why are you trying to implicate Hell now?”

“You…” Catherine the Great’s eyes grew bloodshot. She was practically on the verge of accusing Qin Ye - Weren’t you the ones who attracted this group of murderous barbarians to these lands?!

Who else could it be rather than Hell? Would we do that? Do you really think that our brains are fried?

Ignoring Her, Qin Ye turned to the Mythic Spirits, “Everyone, the Resentment Crystals Mine is located in Terelj National Park. I’m afraid that they might be finishing up their extraction operations right now. Would you be minded to cast an eye on them?”

“We’re aware.” Chieftain Woolf snarled at Aristotle, “It’s just that as soon as we got here, we immediately detected the repulsive stench of a particular acquaintance of ours, and we couldn’t help but take a closer look for ourselves. Who would’ve thought that we’d actually cross paths with the high and mighty Aristotle?!”

“The Argosian Underworld. Not only have you breached the articles of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Forbidden Arts, you’ve even knowingly supported the Russian Underworld in this endeavour of theirs. Patriarch Aristotle, do you know of the heinous crimes you’ve committed?!”