Above the Great Dao

They arrived in front of the central divine shrine, only to see Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit actually sitting atop the central shrine.

The three judges were all shocked, feeling the incense in their hands was scorching hot, almost too hot to hold.

Jia Yuan steadied himself, saying, "This is the Lady's temple, it doesn't matter who is on the shrine, we are worshipping the Lady!"

The three held the incense, bowed thrice to Chen Shi's Primordial Spirit, and placed the incense in the burner in front of the shrine.

They were judges sealed by the Ten Halls of Yama during the True King Era, possessing immense Divine Power. After bowing thrice, the small temple was enveloped in mist, and the temple continuously shook.

Wang Fu's face changed drastically: "Could it be that we have bowed the young benefactor to death? Ordinary people can't withstand a bow from us!"

Jia Yuan and Zhu Shun were also uneasy, hurriedly flew out of the small temple, only to see Chen Shi standing there perfectly fine, but the small temple behind his head was shaking and growing!

Behind the small temple, unexpectedly, another temple appeared!

Chen Shi couldn't see behind his head, seeing the three judges gaping in astonishment, he hastily summoned his Primordial Spirit to look behind, also gaping in shock.

A small temple had actually grown another small temple!

The newly grown small temple was dim and blurry, as if shrouded in a layer of mist.

What exactly is happening?

Chen Shi summoned his Primordial Spirit, flying into the newly grown small temple, only to find it was not stable, with a severe sandy texture, seeming ready to collapse at any moment.

The small temple behind Chen Shi's head was also like this when it first appeared, looking indistinct.

This new temple also had a divine shrine.

"Four shrines! Does this mean I can have four shrines?"

Chen Shi thought to himself, "If I save more ghost gods and have them offer incense to the small temple, doesn't that mean the second temple can grow a second shrine, a third shrine?"

Yet he felt a bit regretful, where could he find so many ghost gods to save?

Moreover, he didn't have the capability, saving the three judges this time was thanks to the Grave Stone Carver Du Yiran, otherwise even Chen Shi and the Black Pot would have met their end in the underworld.

"May the three lords speak of what exactly has transpired in the underworld?" Chen Shi inquired.

Jia Yuan sighed, saying, "Since the end of the True King Era, the underworld was under the jurisdiction of the Ten Halls of Yama, and it was relatively peaceful. Occasionally, underworld demon gods would escape to the mortal world, causing little harm. But then, over fourteen hundred years ago, a sudden change occurred. Over these thousands of years, the Thirteen Families had amassed significant power in the underworld."

Wang Fu said, "The Thirteen Families possess considerable influence in the mortal world as well, but nowhere near as grand as in the underworld! In the mortal world, because of limited lifespan, not even four or five generations can build up much power. But in the underworld, they have accumulated the power of hundreds of generations!"

Chen Shi's heart was stirred, saying, "You mean that the ancestors of the Thirteen Families, the past sect masters, survive in the underworld in the form of Primordial Spirits?"

Zhu Shun nodded, saying, "Not just the ancestors and past sect masters, but many powerful individuals in the Unification, Refining God, and Returning Void realms, beyond counting. Previously, they were accumulated for a short time, unable to challenge the Ten Halls of Yama. But five thousand years after the True King Era, they amassed enough power to change the heavens and the earth in the underworld."

Wang Fu said, "During the True King Era, the Thirteen Families already existed, already very large and powerful families. Many of their ancestors in the underworld are the founding elders from the True King Era. Though deceased, their strength is unfathomable."

Jia Yuan said, "In the underworld, there are the Ten Halls of Yama — Xuanming Palace's King Qinguang, Puming Palace's King Chuchang, the Brutal Palace's Emperor Song, Taihe Palace's King Wuguan, Jiulun Palace's King Yama, Mingchen Palace's King Biancheng, Divine Splendor Palace's King Taishan, Bizhen Palace's King Dushi, Sevenfold Palace's King Pingdeng, Suying Palace's Reincarnation King. Within these fourteen hundred years, all the Ten Halls of Yama have fallen."

"Besides the Ten Halls of Yama, there are twenty-one judges."

Zhu Shun said, "Soul Chasing, Student, Examination, Sin, Execution, Main Sin, Life, Book Certificate, Sword Mountain, Sword Tree, Death, Mandate, Life Registration, Luck, Illness, Calculation, Kindness, Debt, Tribulation Monitoring, Release, Five Paths. As of now, likely only the three of us remain."

Wang Fu's face darkened, "The underworld painstakingly established during the True King Era has completely changed its face now."

The three judges were hopeless.

Chen Shi suddenly laughed, "I know where the Great Master of Clear Heaven resides."

The three judges' eyes brightened, becoming excited.

"Is the King of Hell still alive?"

Wang Fu was ecstatic, "Where is the old lord hiding?"

Chen Shi laughed, "The Great Master of Clear Heaven has already reincarnated. When I return home, I'll take you to meet her. I think that the Great Master of Clear Heaven might have already set everything up, she has sent out the Book of Life and Death, and had you leave the underworld early to hide your traces, all to preserve strength and rise again. You need not worry so much."

The three judges had tears in their eyes, and Jia Yuan murmured, "As long as the Great Master of Clear Heaven is alive, there is hope of a comeback! I thought the records of that era, and contact with the Huaxia Divine Continent would be gone forever."

He couldn't help but ask many questions, wanting the three judges to answer all his doubts.

Jia Yuan put down the cloth he was holding, saying, "As for how the True King Era ended, the underworld was separated from the mortal world by the Divine, forbidding common passage between them. Only those cultivators who practiced soul-refining skills were allowed to walk between the Yin Yang Two Realms. However, 1,400 years ago, there was a great disaster in the mortal world which caused the destruction of much of the record of the True King Era. And it severed contact with the Huaxia Divine Continent too?"

Jia Yuan let out a long sigh, "Indeed, after the end of the True King Era, the underworld was under the control of the Ten Halls of Yama, and it was relatively peaceful. Occasionally, underworld demon gods would escape to the mortal world, but they did not cause much damage. But starting over 1,400 years ago, unusual changes occurred. Over the millennia, the Thirteen Families have amassed considerable power in the underworld."

Wang Fu said, "While the Thirteen Families also hold considerable power in the mortal world, it's not nearly as vast as in the underworld! In the mortal world, they can only accumulate so much strength across four or five generations due to limited lifespans, even considering their many experts. But in the underworld, they've accumulated the power of hundreds of generations!"

Chen Shi felt a slight shiver, saying, "Do you mean that the ancestors of the Thirteen Families, the patriarchs of generations, have survived in the underworld in the form of Primordial Spirits?"

Zhu Shun nodded, saying, "Not only the ancestors and past sect leaders, but countless other masters in the realms of Unification, Refining God, and Returning Void. In the past, their accumulation time was short and not enough to challenge the Ten Halls of Yama. But five thousand years after the end of the True King Era, they've amassed enough power to change the entire landscape of the underworld."

Wang Fu said, "The Thirteen Families have existed since the True King Era, and were already huge families then. A lot of their ancestors in the underworld are founding elders from that time. Although they have perished, their power is unfathomable."

Jia Yuan said, "The underworld has the Ten Halls of Yama — Xuanming Palace's King Qinguang, Puming Palace's King Chuchang, the Brutal Palace's Emperor Song, Taihe Palace's King Wu, Jiulun Palace's King Biancheng, Mingchen Palace's King Mingchen, Divine Flower Palace's King Taishan, Bizhen Palace's King Dushi, Seven Non-existence Palace's King Pingdeng, Suying Palace's Reincarnation King. Over these fourteen hundred years, they have all fallen."

In addition to the Ten Halls of Yama, there are also twenty-one judges, such as Soul Chasing, Student, Examination, Sin, Execution, Main Sin, Life Registration, Note Calculation, who are in charge of the underworld.

Now, only the three of us may be left alone."

Wang Fu's face turned gloomy, "The underworld that was painstakingly established in the True King Era by the Ten Halls of Yama has now completely fallen."

The three judges were hopeless, engulfed by despair.

Chen Shi suddenly laughed: "I know where the Great Master of Clear Heaven is hiding."

The three judges' eyes brightened, Jia Yuan murmured, "How strange. If the Great Master of Clear Heaven is truly there, then perhaps there is still a chance to turn things around! Until now, I'd thought the Great Master of Clear Heaven had been lost..."

Wang Fu said excitedly, "Is the Great Master really alive? Where is my lord hiding?"

Chen Shi smiled. "The Great Master of Clear Heaven must have arranged everything already. She has already sent the Book of Life and Death. She must have planned for all contingencies."

The eyes of the three judges glistened with tears. Jia Yuan murmured, "With the Great Master of Clear Heaven there, I still have a chance to turn the tables! I thought the Qing Tian Da Lao Ye was already..."

Chen Shi said with a laugh, "I still have urgent matters to attend to and can't return right now, but when I do, I'll take you to meet her. I think the Great Master has already taken care of everything, preparing for the opportunity to turn the tables."