Chapter 495: Underworld
In the concept of many people, at least in human concept, in the Netherworld World, there should be a grim Ghost Gate Pass, with Ox-Head and Horse-Face standing guard before it.
The bottomless Yellow Springs River flows past the Ghost Gate Pass, its water pitch black. Countless wronged souls and vicious ghosts wail and drift within the river, as if they could drag people from the shore at any moment.
A Bridge of Helplessness must span the Yellow Springs. Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Black and White Impermanence, lead countless ghost soldiers, pressing the wronged souls across this Bridge of Helplessness.
On the bridge stands a kind-faced old woman, who daily brews the ever-inexhaustible Meng Po's Soup.
Those wronged souls who drink Meng Po's Soup are those who have just emerged from suffering in the Eighteen Levels of Hell, their sins purged. After drinking Meng Po's Soup to wash away their Karma and past memories, they can enter the Six Paths of Reincarnation.
The ghost soldiers hook these souls who have drunk the soup and send them into Reincarnation, determining whether they will become humans, plants and trees, or beasts.
In various Myths and Legends, whether it is the Underworld Government of The East or the Hell of the Western World, there are actually great similarities. One is punishment, rewarding good and punishing evil. Good people are reincarnated into wealth and nobility, and can even become Angels, Immortals! Evil people go to Hell after death to receive punishment. This seems to be the vision and expectation of every Ordinary Person!
And the flourishing Religions all utilize this point. Buddhism fabricated the theory of the Eighteen Levels of Hell, inventing various terrifying punishments that make people tremble at the mere mention. While guiding people towards goodness, it also heavily promotes Buddhist Teachings by leveraging this great Terror between life and death.
It is precisely because of concepts like the Eighteen Levels of Hell and Drop the Butcher's Knife and Immediately Become a Buddha that the Buddhist Sect can flourish in many Worlds.
The Western World also has various descriptions of Hell. Dante's *Divine Comedy* vividly depicts Hell.
To avoid falling into Hell as described in the Bible, Christianity also greatly flourished.
Of course, in the Ordinary Material World, the Religions fabricating these theories of Hell and reincarnation in the afterlife are merely to fool Ordinary People and intimidate them into believing in Buddha and Gods.
But in Supernatural Worlds where true Great Power belongs to oneself, such as the Jambudvīpa World, controlling Reincarnation is truly controlling the prosperity of a Religion or a Dao.
However, in this World, the Underworld here is quite interesting.
Standing before the Floor-to-ceiling Window on the top floor of a nine-hundred-and-ninety-nine-story Tall building, Tang Song overlooked the brightly lit, prosperous City below. That stretch of bustling streets filled with traffic and people coming and going. Here, there were no countless Ox-Head and Horse-Face shouting on the Bridge of Helplessness, no wronged souls wailing and screaming, and no eerie laughter of Black and White Impermanence or the clanging sound of Iron Chains being shaken!
It was hard to imagine that this was the legendary Netherworld Government! It was clearly a scene of a prosperous metropolis. "Boss! This Underworld is quite well-built. Everything is utilized effectively. The Ghosts here are also talented individuals. The iPhone released here is several generations faster than in our World! Should we go back and see if we can find Steve Jobs' soul in our World!"
On the Sofa, Frank leaned back lazily, his fingers nimbly sliding across the highly technological Mobile Phone, bringing up one Virtual Screen after another. The brand of the phone was evident from the bitten Apple LOGO.
Looking at the seductive, beautiful "female ghosts" on the Virtual Screen, Frank clicked his tongue in wonder.
Across from him, Kane sat upright, his back straight, wiping the cold light-gleaming bronze axe-halberd in his hand with a piece of unknown leather!
"Instead of looking for Steve Jobs, why not look for the souls of generals suitable for leading an Army? I think Bai Qi from the Qin Dynasty is quite good. I like his combat style—" Kane stopped what he was doing upon hearing Frank's words, looked up at Tang Song, and said very seriously.
"Forget about Bai Qi, he died over two thousand years ago, his soul has long since reincarnated hundreds of times. Hmm, I'll have the Company's Reincarnation Soldiers look for him later. If there's a World involving the Qin Dynasty, I'll have them bring that Lord Wu An back for you!"
Tang Song turned around and nodded towards Kane. "As for Steve Jobs, if you like him, Frank, then bring his soul back!"
He walked to the Chair beside the Coffee Table, picked up the Teapot, poured two cups of Cloud Mist Tea, and with a flick of his Finger, the two cups floated lightly in front of Frank and Kane.
"Come! Taste the tea I 'borrowed'!!"
Tang Song also poured himself a cup of Tea and savored the fragrance between his lips and teeth. For Ordinary People, a cup of this Cloud Mist Tea could be equivalent to decades of sitting Cultivation for an Ordinary Person.
Of course, for Tang Song, it was just a cup of clear tea.
He had cultivated for only a few decades, yet he had already reached the Bearing Limit that an Ordinary World could accommodate. According to the Marvel World's classification, this was Single Universe Level. If classified by the Jambudvīpa World, it was the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit!
Of course, having such a Cultivation Base was entirely due to his personal hard work and effort, and a tiny, insignificant bit of help from the Root Source Imprint deep within his Sea of Consciousness! Even in the Jambudvīpa World, in the ancient Primordial Era, those Innate God-Demons born as such did not possess such good fortune.
The essence of this World is not particularly strong. Even that Kunlun Ancient God, suspected to be a Counterpart of the Golden Mother, only had a Cultivation Base of half-step Golden Immortal.
This was also the source of his confidence in daring to use Sky Sealing and Earth Locking.
Although the Kunlun "Ancient God" Queen Mother of the West's Strength was not as great as Boss Tang's, she was an Innate Deity who had existed since the beginning of this World. Her Position/Status was slightly equivalent to the Five Great Cosmic Entities of the Marvel Multiverse.
Nevertheless, as an Innate Deity who had existed since the World's creation, this Kunlun Ancient God had accumulated a large number of good Things in her hands.
Just like this Cloud Mist Tea, which takes a thousand years to grow to a suitable tree age, and a single batch of tea buds requires five hundred years to pick. Even in the Jambudvīpa World, it could be called Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.
Tang Song possessed very few such good Things, even though he commanded an entire Universe and his Influence radiated across multiple dimensional Worlds.
This was the lack of time Foundation.
Of course, in terms of Strength, Boss Tang considered himself not weaker than anyone in this World. One must know that a Golden Immortal is, to some extent, the limit that a World can accommodate.
After Golden Immortal, comes the Great Principle Realm.
Great Principle Existences are unaffected by myriad tribulations, eternally free in all Space-Time, immortal and indestructible, unaging and unperishing, transcending the limits of postnatal Living Beings, their essence no less than Heaven and Earth.
This step of transcendence is extremely grand.
Equal to Heaven, immortal and indestructible, that is a Great Principle Existence!
Great Principle Existences also have different levels. In the Jambudvīpa World, Great Principle Existences are divided into Scattered Number, Profound Number, and Golden Number!
Scattered Number Existences have Longevity Equal to Heaven, billions, trillions of years are but a flick of a Finger, watching the vicissitudes of the Mortal Realm and the changes of Heaven and Earth.
Profound Number Existences are immortal and indestructible, their lifespan infinite. Universes are born and perish, yet they remain eternally unperishing, their lifespan surpassing Heaven and Earth. Golden Number Existences are unaging and unperishing, unaffected by Chaos. With a thought, they can open up Universe Star Seas, their own Dao penetrating myriad Daos.
Wherever they are, myriad Daos must yield.
With a thought, they can alter the Laws/Principles of the Great Principle within the area covered by their own Great Principle, reverse life and death, Yin and Yang, and myriad Daos, and can even allow any postnatal Living Being to transcend life and death! They can independently set the Great Principle! Except for those of the same level and the Primordial Chaos Realm above them, no Existence below this level can resist.
As for the Primordial Chaos Realm above that.
It is equivalent to stepping onto the path of altering the Great Principle of the Universe that encompasses the endless, infinite Chaos with one's own Dao.
In the Jambudvīpa World, there are six Primordial Chaos Realm Existences. Among the most outstanding are the Dao Venerable and the Buddha Venerable. They achieved enlightenment countless eons ago. In a sense, they represent the Heavenly Way of the Jambudvīpa World.
Using my heart to replace the heart of Heaven! My will is the will of Heaven, how domineering! "Chaos transforms into Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang derive Heaven and Earth and Space, forming the Principle of the Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth)... Darkness and Light coexist, encompassing myriad Daos."
In the Jambudvīpa World, various Great Principles have been walked to their end by people, their own Dao traversing the Heavenly Way. What later generations learn and comprehend is all following their paths.
In Mediate Creation and the Art of Creation, no one can surpass Nuwa.
The Moral Heavenly Venerate holds the Taiji Diagram representing the Principle of the Innate Five Primes, having reached the end of the Yin and Yang Great Principle.
As for the Peacock Great Bright King, his Five Elements Principle has already obtained eighty percent of the Dao Charm of the Jambudvīpa World.
Seeking the Dao is difficult. On the rugged path of seeking the Dao, it is even harder for later generations to surpass the pioneers—
The Jambudvīpa World is too competitive. Being discovered as a stowaway by the Heavenly Way and kicked out of the Great Jambudvīpa World was, for Tang Song, an Opportunity second only to obtaining the Knowledge of the World Origin.
Otherwise, even if he had obtained numerous Heavenly Books and Secret Records of the Jambudvīpa World and mastered various Divine Abilities, he might not have been able to develop in a World like the Jambudvīpa World where the Divine Path and Immortal Path Rules are complete.
It's like in a modern Technological Civilization with extremely developed Big Data. Even if an Ordinary Person is given a ton of Gold, it is not an easy Matter to reasonably convert this ton of Gold into their Account.
It was precisely because Tang Song left (was kicked out of) the Great Jambudvīpa World and came to the Marvel Multiverse, a World where the Rules are relatively loose and Supervision is not so strict, that he was able to cultivate the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit within just a few decades.
It was also because he was in the Marvel World, where the Rules are not perfect, that Tang Song first cultivated the *Tianhe True Method*, known for its immense Magic Power, and then comprehended the Yin and Yang Taiji Great Principle and the Slaughter Great Principle, fusing the twelve Rules of the Twelve Ancestral Witches.
What he wants to do is achieve his own Dao with myriad Daos, achieving the true Primordial Chaos Limitless Dao Fruit.
In the Jambudvīpa World, the last person to walk this path was Pangu.
An Existence who truly nourished himself with myriad Daos, but the Great Principle could not tolerate it, and in the end, he met the fate of "a whale falls, myriad things are born".
An Ordinary Heaven and Earth, let alone supporting a Primordial Chaos Limitless Existence! Worlds like Soul Ferryman cannot even support a single Golden Immortal.
For Tang Song, the Main God and Eternal Particle are his greatest Opportunities after the Jambudvīpa World Root Source Imprint.
They are the Foundation for him to realize nourishing himself with myriad Worlds.
If he weren't concerned that many places in this World are very similar to some "Great Principle" Existences in the Jambudvīpa World, considering various possibilities like Counterparts, he wouldn't want to cause extra trouble. Otherwise, he would have directly used Great Divine Power to Refine this Universe as soon as that Main God Damaged Artifact escaped into this Universe!
Of course, if anyone dares to obstruct him, let alone a similar flower, even if the real Queen Mother of the West came, they would only be able to fight a Bout! Under the Conflict of Dao, there is no other talk.
Cloud Mist Tea is nothing to Tang Song, but for those who have not yet achieved the Immortal Path like Kane and Frank, its effects are extraordinary. Even with their Physiques, after drinking a pot of Cloud Mist Tea, it felt as if they had just finished a Sauna, every Pore on their Body opening up, inhaling the surrounding spiritual energy.
"Boss! A total of three thousand six hundred Gods from the Pantheon have been screened out! However, their Strength varies, and it might not be enough to Refine the Great Cosmic Star Banner!"
Kane handed Tang Song a Five Yin Pouch tied with Gold thread Rope. The Five Yin Pouch contained the many Gods from the Pantheon captured by the Heaven-Earth Net Great Formation.
Tang Song casually took the Five Yin Pouch, opened the bag, glanced inside, and then put the Five Yin Pouch into his sleeve.
He tapped his Finger on the Long Table in front of him: "As long as the number is sufficient, it doesn't matter if their Strength is lower. I have already instructed Lane to Take Action simultaneously in those few Universes!"
"If one Pantheon isn't enough, then find a few more. We can always gather a set of Great Cosmic Star Banners from the entire Multiverse!"
Hearing Tang Song's words, Kane immediately thought of the Counterpart theory. At the same time, he instantly understood Tang Song's plan. He nodded knowingly at Tang Song: "Boss, should I go back for a trip! The three hundred thousand soldiers recruited over the past two years have been trained quite effectively, it's a good opportunity to give them some practice!"
"Hmm! It's good for you to go back! Leaving Lane alone there, he really can't manage everything!" Tang Song pondered for a moment, feeling that leaving Lane alone to manage such a large amount of Matters in the Company? He, the hands-off Boss, was indeed a bit excessive. He clapped his Palm and said generously.
"Boss, how should we Deal with Hera and those Earth Gods who surrendered? Hera brought a few Goddesses over, wanting to meet you?!"
"A few Goddesses? A Honey Trap? Am I such a shallow person, your Boss? Let her wait first, we'll talk after dealing with the Matters here! By the way, what are the Origins of those Goddesses?"
"Ding ding ding—"
While Tang Song was enjoying Tea and chatting with Kane and Frank, a doorbell suddenly sounded from outside.
"Enter!"
Tang Song put down the Tea Cup in his hand. The Great Gate in front of him was carefully pulled open, and a bald Middle-aged Man in a Black Suit nervously walked into the Room, stopped in front of Tang Song, and bowed slightly, not daring to even breathe heavily! The bald Man was one of the management personnel of the Underworld, responsible for managing the Soul Ferrymen. According to the classification before the Underworld was reformed, he belonged to the rank of Judge.
With a wave of his vermilion brush, he could decide whether a soul's next life would be human, animal, or even a Mosquito or Flies. His Power was considerable.
However, this Judge was now trembling, his Expression as ugly as if his own father had just died.
"G-great one! We have already sent out all the Soul Ferrymen, we will definitely find the Underworld King as soon as possible, no, find Acha!"
The bald Judge felt Tang Song's Gaze fall upon his Body. If he weren't a Soul Body, he would already be sweating profusely. Even without a Physical Body, he felt his legs trembling and couldn't stop them from going soft.
After all, the one before him was someone who had forcefully entered the Underworld, slapped an Old Monk emitting Golden Light into the Six Paths of Reincarnation with one Palm, and with a flick of his Finger, the Underworld King was severely injured and forced to escape into the Mortal Realm.
(end of chapter)