Chapter 114: The Shadow Map of the Wa Kingdom Unveiled

One month later.

Yamato.

Emerging into the sunlight again, Zhang Kai felt as if he had stepped into another world.

It wasn’t merely the mental strain of guiding a group of yokai; more importantly, the female yokai of Yamato were incredibly formidable, and his waist was beginning to ache. With most of the yokai training nearly complete, only the matter of time remained.

Zhang Kai privately convened and arranged the plot and missions, awaiting their emergence from the Netherworld to become the high-level yokai NPCs he had prepared.

At the same time, Yamato itself underwent earth-shaking changes.

The area surrounding Mount Fuji, spanning dozens of miles, was shrouded in a black mist.

This black mist was unlike ordinary clouds; it filled the sky and earth, gathering without dispersing, and was even faintly expanding outward.

Such an anomaly naturally stirred anxiety among the people.

Upon emergence, Zhang Kai extended his mind and discovered numerous corpses scattered about. They appeared to be special forces or elite personnel who had died in various corners, their deaths tragic and violent, clearly those sent to investigate the truth of the matter.

Unfortunately, all had become political sacrifices.

Yet this Netherworld was peculiar; unlike typical forbidden zones, it could autonomously expand.

Was this manipulation by someone behind the scenes, or a natural change of heaven and earth?

During his time in the Netherworld, Zhang Kai had already unraveled much of its nature—it was, in fact, Yamato’s version of the underworld.

Though small, Yamato was complete in all respects, possessing both the Takamagahara and the Netherworld, akin to the Celestial Court and Underworld of the Celestial Empire.

However, death in Yamato differed from that in the Celestial Empire. There was no Book of Life and Death to judge deeds. The fierce and cruel fell into the Netherworld, becoming vengeful spirits who consumed each other in endless torment, gradually fading away. Only those with meritorious deeds and pure souls in life could ascend to Takamagahara.

It was said that reincarnation was also overseen by Takamagahara, while the Netherworld handled only the fierce or unjustly dead—the souls rejected by Takamagahara, essentially a dumping ground.

This unfair treatment forged the Netherworld’s dense aura of malevolent energy.

In time, the Netherworld might collapse, unleashing countless evil spirits and demons into the mortal realm, turning it into a living hell.

Historically, Yamato experienced periodic terrifying upheavals, with demons roaming freely and spirits in chaos.

Then, gods from Takamagahara would descend, slay the evil spirits, restore order, and cement their supreme status in the hearts of the people.

Zhang Kai strongly suspected that this Netherworld was a disaster engineered by Takamagahara to enforce eternal submission to the gods.

The forbidden power emerged to suppress the Three Realms, transforming Yamato from a land plagued by periodic chaos into its present state.

With this suspicion in mind, Zhang Kai contemplated leveraging the Yamato Netherworld, suspecting that the divine powers behind Takamagahara and the Celestial Empire’s forbidden zones employed similar schemes.

This could serve as a testing ground to probe the gods’ intentions, even to subvert divine authority and turn Yamato into a blade in his hand.

However, this required the Netherworld to descend fully, engulfing the mortal realm.

Lost in thought, Zhang Kai extended his hand, revealing a strange talisman in his palm.

This was the Yamato Netherworld spirit token, a symbol of the Netherworld’s domain. Wearing it granted normal access to the Netherworld, avoiding various troubles.

Yan Jun, already Zhang Kai’s twenty-seventh NPC disciple, naturally did not hesitate to contribute the spirit token and became the Netherworld NPC’s major boss, gaining an exciting and highly beneficial mission.

This spirit token was key to Zhang Kai’s plan.

Having taken control of the entire Yamato Netherworld, with all its leaders as his NPCs, the Netherworld became a real-world game map.

Now, he could start this game and unleash a grand celebration upon the mortal realm.

Tucking away the talisman, Zhang Kai summoned the Bone-Transforming Dragon to inquire about his two favored disciples.

The dragon transmitted virtual footage showing the disciples’ recent activities.

One had chosen a path to conquer all of Yamato. Both young women had inherited one of Zhang Kai’s Eight Heavenly Blades, and with cultivation pills boosting their strength, they could each single-handedly face hundreds, unafraid even against fully armed troops.

Thus, they swept through the region, their dazzling victories cementing their reputations as the twin prodigies.

As for Yamato, Zhang Kai was disappointed. Though some hidden cultivation forces remained, they were all severely weakened, no different from ordinary people.

After all, this was the so-called Outland in the Celestial Empire’s view, lacking orthodox heritage.

Immediately, Zhang Kai transformed into the appearance of a middle-aged man and stepped out of the Mount Fuji forbidden zone.

This area was already under martial law, heavily monitored.

His appearance was noticed at once, alerting the surrounding forces.

A group of fully armed soldiers approached to question him, but Zhang Kai took the initiative.

“I am a divine general of the Netherworld, the Summer Assembly’s Second Chariot, here on behalf of Yan Jun to announce an imperial edict: the Netherworld enters the mortal realm. This is an irreversible trend. To restore the golden age of coexistence between gods and mortals, the hundred gods of the Netherworld will select heirs among humanity. Now is the time to prove your courage. At the Netherworld’s gate, I will establish the Nether God’s Order. Those who hold it may enter the Netherworld to seek inheritance. This journey is fraught with mortal peril; only the brave may enter.”

His words left the soldiers exchanging uncertain glances.

At that moment, Zhang Kai broadcast his message globally via Earth Home.

“The Yan Jun of Yamato has established diplomatic ties with the Ultraman clan, forming a joint alliance. Humanity is the sole species in the galaxy qualified to break through the universe. However, human cultures vary. After careful consideration, the Ultraman clan has decided to open the choice, allowing human cultures to flourish. Those who revere the cultivation traditions of Yamato may enter the Netherworld to seek their lineage.”

This announcement caused a worldwide stir, leaving countless people dumbfounded.

The happiest were, of course, the people of Yamato.

“We’ve suffered for so long, but now we finally have an organization!” they exclaimed.

“Yan Jun? So the legendary king of ghosts and gods truly exists, and now cultivation is open to Yamato.”

Even more surprisingly, Yan Jun had formed ties with the Ultraman clan.

This was a dream come true.

“Our great Yan Jun is supreme! Long live Yamato!”

Other nations, after envy and jealousy, were left perplexed.

“We have mythological worlds and gods too. Why don’t they appear? Why no alliance with the Ultraman? Don’t these lofty beings see the situation clearly? Have they not considered their own people? Damn, a bunch of bastards, fuck you all!”

The neighboring Celestial Empire naturally contacted Zhang Kai to inquire.

After all, their own underworld was formidable. Was there any connection?

Zhang Kai replied that he had visited the Netherworld and even met the legendary Emperor, but the Celestial Empire’s Netherworld was a vast realm of high-level energy and danger, unlike Yamato’s small Netherworld space.

Thus, entry there was currently impossible until humanity attained sufficient strength.

These words reassured the Celestial Empire.

“So our Emperor’s level is too high. No problem then, let the little islanders fumble around for a while.”

And so the stage was set.