novelraw Chapter 251: A Tour of the Netherworld, the Judgment of Life and Death
Chapter 251: A Tour of the Netherworld, the Judgment of Life and Death
"The Netherworld has been established, so I must return to report my mission! Wutian... oh, no, Bodhisattva Zhenluo, we shall meet again in the future!"
The Taoist swept his whisk, and his figure dissipated like a wisp of clear mist.
"These fellows from the Taoist sect, hmph... they truly act without any restraint!" Zhenluo shook his head.
Yubao Daoren had finally departed, leaving Zhenluo standing in place. Behind the monk stood the crowd, rendered infinitely stupefied by such earth-shattering actions.
For them, today had simply been a bit too stimulating. First, they were dragged down into Hell, and then two mighty figures from the Buddhist and Taoist factions established a Netherworld right before their very eyes!
How was this any different from two Angels building the Garden of Eden right in front of them? How was it any different from Odin constructing Valhalla before their very eyes?
Regardless, many of The Faithful had already fallen to their knees or collapsed on the ground. They gazed up at this Divine Miracle, their expressions growing increasingly horrified.
The two supreme beings had finished their negotiations, yet the audience was only just managing to process the unfolding legend. With so much information leaving them utterly baffled, one of the deities had already left!
The esteemed Buddhist Monks fared slightly better. They merely chanted the name of Amitābha, seeking solace in their scriptures, yet these successive Divine Miracles only further cemented their convictions!
The diplomats, on the other hand, were thinking much deeper.They had originally assumed that coming here would allow them to learn a few things about the Buddhist sect. They had even braced themselves for the possibility of Brainwashing.
As it turned out, what happened was worse than Brainwashing. How did a Taoist faction suddenly appear? A religious power belonging to China?
Furthermore, it seemed that China's religious forces were incredibly fierce. A single person had arrived and immediately struck up a conversation with the strongest Transcendent visitor on Earth to date, and the atmosphere had actually been incredibly harmonious!
Looking at it this way, China's Transcendent capabilities appeared to be exceedingly formidable as well!
Some individuals began to harbor ulterior motives, but the people of China had locked down their borders tighter than a drum lately. Not a single scrap of information was leaking out. What were they supposed to do?
Their minds raced like lightning, but then Zhenluo's calm voice rang out. "My apologies for wasting some of your time. Now that the Netherworld is initially established, I invite everyone to please follow me!"
Zhenluo took the lead and stepped forward. The originally obscure and chaotic world suddenly became incomparably clear beneath his foot. At the same time, gusts of spectral wind swept down everyone's collars, bringing with them a bone-chilling cold.
Goosebumps erupted across everyone's skin, suddenly instilling them with a profound sense of Fear toward this world.
Only now did the crowd, previously immersed in the secrets of the world, abruptly realize that they were currently setting foot in the legendary Realm of the dead!
Death had manifested right beside them for the first time, causing them to tremble in sheer terror. However, an even more horrifying sight awaited them.
Translucent souls appeared before their eyes for the first time. Each of these spirits possessed a vacant consciousness, their bodies twisting and trembling. After materializing on this barren, deathly silent road, they shambled forward along the banks of the vast, yellow river ahead.
"So, this is the Yellow Springs Road!" a diplomat from Sakura Country murmured. This drew the attention of many people nearby, who leaned in and asked, "What does the Yellow Springs Road mean?"
"Literally, it means the road of the Yellow Springs. By extension, it naturally refers to the path leading to death or reincarnation!" the diplomat, well-versed in mythological classics, explained slowly. "This is a legend unique to Eastern mythology. It means that every person who dies will walk this path!"
No one could be an exception. Whether one was a Ten-Lifetime Virtuous Person or a heinous villain, they would all have to make this journey.
'Perhaps this is true fairness?' the diplomat thought silently, only to suddenly hear a sharp gasp!
"Oh! This is..."
The crowd immediately raised their heads and looked over, only to see countless ghosts being swept directly into the mighty river waters by the spectral wind. They became a part of the Yellow Springs, struggling and howling right before their eyes!
Only at this moment did everyone truly grasp the reality of the situation, dimly understanding what it meant to be in the land of the dead!
So this was the ordeal one had to face after death...
"We have arrived!" Suddenly, Zhenluo stopped in his tracks. In what appeared to be an empty clearing, he gripped his Monk's Staff and fiercely thrust it down into the ground!
"Thud, thud, thud..." A series of peculiar rhythmic notes echoed from the earth. Following that, a terrifying void abruptly tore open beneath their feet. Everyone plummeted straight down! Uncontrollable Fear erupted from their hearts, naturally followed by waves of harrowing screams!
"Ah!"
"My God!"
"Amitābha!"
"No!" Series of wretched shrieks, accompanied by the echoing void, reverberated in everyone's ears. The sound was crisp and distinct, forcing every individual to experience a unique, primal Fear welling up from the very depths of their souls!
This was the sensation of falling—humanity's most primal fear, bar none!
Anyone could jolt awake from a dream because of the feeling of falling. It was the deepest ingrained terror in the genetic memory of ancient humans. And now, this descent into Hell showcased that exact terror to its absolute limits!
However, as the fall continued and their absolute limit of panic was thoroughly unleashed, everyone laid eyes on a mirror. It appeared directly before them, perfectly reflecting their horrified faces!
'A mirror?' many wondered in confusion. Before they could fully process it, the mirror began to play back the entirety of their lives. From petty childhood thefts to major transgressions like murdering someone or causing the deaths of countless others—everything was displayed with absolute, unrelenting clarity.
The fear of being stripped bare and having their darkest secrets pried open quickly overwhelmed the physical dread of falling, leaving everyone even more deeply appalled!
"This is... the Hell of the Mirror of Retribution!" Zhenluo's voice rang in their ears, causing everyone to dazedly look up.
At some unknown point, they had landed on solid ground. The plummet from moments ago felt like nothing more than a fleeting nightmare!
"If you were souls belonging to the Netherworld, half of you would have already endured the reflection of the Mirror of Retribution and been cast into various layers of Hell, suffering the Sin you rightfully deserve!"
Zhenluo's words made everyone deeply relate to the terror of it all. Thinking about it, living within the territory of this civilization did not seem like a good thing at all, did it?
If they still had to bear the guilt and torment of their crimes after death, then why should they believe in the Buddha?
It would be better if death simply meant death—a clean break to everything, sparing them from being punished for the deeds of their waking lives.
In the minds of many, the budding desire to convert their Divine Faith completely vanished in an instant.
This kind of faith was simply not something they could stomach!
Just as these thoughts crossed their minds, a myriad of horrific scenes abruptly materialized before their eyes: mountains of blades, seas of fire, scorching copper pillars, the ripping out of tongues, forests of iron trees, steaming caldrons, and mountains of ice...
The people in these visions were screaming in agony. They seemed on the verge of losing their lives, yet at the exact moment of death, their bodies would brutally repair themselves, forcing them to endure fresh torment all over again!
"Hiss..." Humans possess empathy, so in that moment, many in the crowd felt a visceral phantom pain.
It was as if the ones being tortured were not strangers, but themselves!
The figures appearing in these horrific scenes were unmistakably human, and some observers even managed to recognize their identities!
"Is that... the Mayor of Calcutta? The Chairman of the Parliament?" someone blurted out. "They are... all being tortured here?"
"The Sins of yesterday become the suffering of today. This is Hell!" the crowd murmured, watching the cruel spectacles with a shared resonance of profound anxiety.
What exactly was this Bodhisattva playing at? Why bring them here? Could it be merely to intimidate them? Or did he have ulterior motives?
Many fell into deep thought. They felt that an enlightened Bodhisattva should not have such simplistic methods.
Very soon, they learned his true objective, for Zhenluo had absolutely no intention of hiding it.
"This humble monk has sensed the malice your respective nations harbor toward me, which is why I extended this invitation!"
"Hell is currently empty. If anyone wishes to probe this place, this humble monk would not mind filling this Hell with the souls of the people from your nations!"
"But if true enemies dare to intrude, it will not be an invitation to these outer hells, but the descent of the Avīci Hell of uninterrupted torment!"
"Perform good deeds, and act with virtue! That is this monk's advice to you all!"
It was an incredibly straightforward declaration. The meaning was crystal clear: he would not interfere with the affairs of foreign countries for the time being, and in return, those people had better mind their own business regarding his domain. Everyone should stay in their own lane and cherish their peaceful lives!
But if anyone actually dared to stir up trouble, he would not hesitate to unleash the wrath of Divine Thunder upon them!
This method of expression was exceedingly blunt, but it was evidently highly effective. The crowd nodded profusely, having clearly taken the warning to heart.