Yama Rising

Rumble… The massive hull of the ship hurtled through the air and flew straight towards the Gate of the Dead.

“You’re courting death!!” Rumyantsev bellowed as the mighty claw formed out of Yin energy swiped hard at the MV Sewol in an attempt to grab it!

He didn’t want to do this.

He hadn’t wanted to make an enemy of the Emissaries of Hell. However, the Russian Underworld had their bottom line as well.

For instance, the Tsar’s instructions were that he should not allow anyone to foil their plans, no matter the costs, and even if it meant giving up his life.

Granted, Fate was terrifying. It represented an existence that was well beyond his comprehension. However, there was something equally as terrifying acting as a countervailing consideration to any thought of retreat.

Whoosh! The claw of Yin energy swiped down from above, completely blotting out the faint glow of the moonlight above. At once, gloomy clouds of Yin energy engulfed the entire night sky, almost as though they had been transported right into the heart of darkness.

BOOM!

A split second later, a shockwave of dark Yin energy erupted from the heart of Gonjiam Asylum. A cacophony of ghastly wails echoed everywhere, while the clouds of Yin energy in the vicinity were swept away with the mighty blast. Even the trees around Gwangju City swayed wildly as though a mighty nuclear bomb had been detonated in the region.

This was the might of an Abyssal Prefect.

Logically speaking, there was simply no way that the MV Sewol could withstand the stopping force of such a mighty attack. However, Rumyantsev was astounded to discover… that he didn’t quite manage to grab hold of the MV Sewol!

“How is this possible?!” He stared at the claws formed from Yin energy with consternation. It appeared as though he’d managed to capture the MV Sewol, but the truth of the matter was that the entire hand was still one centimeter away from the surface of the MV Sewol all around, and it was precisely because of this one centimeter that he wasn’t able to get a good hold of the MV Sewol at all!

This was the unique domain ability of the Spirit of Avernus - the Untouchable Zone!

He froze for a second. Then, with a mighty roar, the MV Sewol reached the peak of its parabolic arc and began to plunge right down!

And straight towards the Gate of the Dead!

Clatter, clatter… Dust and debris scattered everywhere like rain as the massive shadow of the MV Sewol continued to sweep across the ground, like the impending impact of a cataclysmic meteor hurtling towards the earth. It was absolutely hair-standing!

“Damn!!” Rumyantsev gritted his teeth fiercely and took a deep breath. At once, he raised his hands like claws before his body, causing the Yin energy around him to rush straight into his hands as though there were now two black holes in his palms.

Five seconds at best…

He glanced up. With a shrill shriek, his entire body ignited with pitch-black netherflames, burning up his wig, his luxurious clothes, and even the finely-preserved human skin that he wore over his body, only to reveal… a pitch-black set of skeleton that rose straight up into the sky.

He wore a finely carved crown and wore a ruffled collar made out of the feathers of a black swan. His entire body was enshrouded in the mighty nethergale swirling around him, while the scarlet netherflames in his eyes promptly erupted into two spots of two-meter tall infernos.

Rumble… As soon as he appeared in his true form, the dust and debris which were all still calling from the MV Sewol abruptly paused and remained suspended in mid air, before slowly drifting back up in complete defiance of gravity. Meanwhile, all of the ghosts in Gwangju City… no, in fact, all of the ghosts in Gyeonggi Province immediately screamed at the top of their voices and lay prostrate to the ground with great fear and reverence.

This was the appearance of an Abyssal Prefect in his true form!

I’ve still got three seconds… Rumyantsev opened his mouth, and copious amounts of dense Yin energy immediately poured forth. Meanwhile, a mighty nethergale picked up out of nowhere, blowing up the tattered cloak that was wrapped around his skeleton, only to reveal the fact that Rumyantsev actually didn’t have a lower body! Instead, there was simply a formless mass where the lower half of his body should be!

At the same time, hundreds of scarlet eyes opened from the darkness of the formless mass, each of which went on to survey the world with a vile, scheming look.

Right behind, the nine KGB agents immediately backed off knowingly. At the same time, two skeletal hands wielding a cross-hilted blade each slowly emerged from underneath the tattered cloak.

Two seconds…

Whoosh… Just then, the roaring infernos in Rumyantsev’s eyes suddenly fizzled out and turned into two red dots. A split second later, he arched his back like a tiger with ruffled feathers and then unleashed a heaven-defying attack!

The cross-hilted blades were etched with soaring eagles and majestic grizzly bears, and topped off with inlaid pearls and jades. However, not even the opulence here could quite hold a candle to the brilliance of the attack that was just unleashed. The heavens were torn asunder, while the ground split open. Endless Yin spirits poured forth with mournful cries, forming a bleak black curtain that rose slowly into the sky.

Meanwhile, all of the electrical lights in Gwangju City promptly fizzled and popped out as though an invisible wave were rippling through the city.

Countless birds that were slumbering for the night suddenly cawed or cooed at the top of their voices, before promptly plunging down from the trees, as dead as ever. Stray dogs that roamed the streets at night immediately scuttled to cover and cowered in fear, while some of the newborn Yin spirits that were drifting about aimlessly were instantly reduced to ashes.

Back at Gonjiam Asylum. The MV Sewol’s speed suddenly slowed to a crawl, almost as though it had just plunged straight into a mire.

Crack… crack… Time seemed to stand still at this moment. A large web of cracks began to split open from right underneath Rumyantsev’s feet. A split second later, he sighed in relief. But just as he was about to get up, an even more brilliant radiance of golden light suddenly pierced the seemingly endless darkness that had poured out of Rumyantsev’s body.

It was as glorious as the rising sun, and as fresh and radiant as springtime blossoms. Rumyantsev paused for a moment, and then immediately turned to glance at the source of the radiance, only to realize that a golden brush was already aimed directly at him!

Fate!

Qin Ye stood right behind Fate, with copious amounts of Yin energy pouring right out of his body with wanton disregard for the consequences. This was the first time he was using Fate proper - not merely as a physical weapon, but of the abilities it proffered!

Qin Ye read the situation well.

He was keenly aware that there was only one real threat here, and that was none other than the 17th century Lord of the Danube.

BOOM! It didn’t matter how mighty Rumyantsev’s earlier attack was. Nothing could stop the light of Fate. The golden soul flickered around rapidly in the heart of the brush, causing innumerable illusory golden lotuses to grow and bloom in the void. At once, Rumyantsev felt a chill run down his spine, and he yelled without any hesitation, “Guards!!”

The nine KGB agents that had earlier kept their distance immediately rushed forward in response to the call, shedding their human skins and transforming into a wall of skeletons.

In fact, the nine KGB agents promptly transformed into nine shields that transformed into a massive parasol that promptly shielded Rumyantsev from all oncoming attacks. A split second later, the golden lotuses in the sky suddenly exploded at the same time like a big bang, causing a golden wave of energy to rush through the lands like a tsunami ravaging the fields!

“Damn it!!” Rumyantsev shrunk back and braced himself behind the bone parasol. The shock wave clearly wasn’t as violent as his own attack just now, but it was clearly filled with unstoppable energy.

As he hid behind his bone parasol, he saw countless Yin soldiers out there screaming in terror as they were swept up into the air by the golden shockwave like a massive tide of Yin spirits. Within moments, the skeletal war horses were completely crushed and reduced to ashes, while the Yin soldiers numbering tens of thousands were instantly reduced to swirling spots of netherflames in the sky. In other words… Liu Yu’s base was completely ravaged and destroyed by the golden wave of devastation!

All wickedness shall perish under the glory of the holy light!

And that wasn’t all. The golden light was still intensifying. Seconds later, there was a deafening, earth-shattering rumble, and Rumyantsev promptly shut his eyes.

He knew it was no longer something he could continue looking at.

It was an unimaginable force.

Gonjiam Asylum. The thick black clouds wrapped themselves around a terrifying ball of light that slowly rose into the air, forming a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle that juxtaposed darkness and light.

After some time, Rumyantsev shuddered violently as he slowly peeked out from behind the bone parasol.

His ears were still buzzing with the deafening sound that had shaken Gwangju City. As he raised his head, the bone parasol that was shielding him earlier broke apart and crumbled to pieces.

However, he didn’t even turn to give it any attention. Instead, he clutched ardently at his chest as he scrambled to his feet with great trembling. Yin energy continued to gush out of his body like a tidal wave.

That burst of energy earlier caused him to feel alive once more. It even made him feel as though his heart were thumping fiercely. That said, it was with the qualification that it was thumping only out of fear and anxiety, almost as though he were but a mere human standing naked in front of a ferocious tiger. It was the fleeting moment between life and death.

How terrifying… He clenched his trembling fists. His Yin energy was now completely in disarray. The earlier shockwave of golden light seemed almost as though it bore some kind of hidden energy that militates against the operation of the energy reserves in his body. It took him several more seconds before he finally regained full clarity of vision, and he immediately surveyed his surroundings.

And the first thing that he saw… was desolation.

The area that was once filled with a multitude of Yin soldiers was now completely barren, almost as though the devastating impact of a meteor had laid waste to the lands. The ground was covered with a plethora of weapons ranging from swords to spears to bows and arrows. Carcasses of skeleton war horses were strewn all over the place, while clumps of netherflames of lingering souls continued to drift about listlessly in the air. Devastation was so rife that it looked no different from any of the great wars of ancient past.

Nobody would ever have imagined that all of this was caused by the single stroke of a brush.

Rumyantsev’s pupils narrowed as he glanced up, only to notice a massive shadow still hurtling through the air, still aimed directly at the Gate of the Dead!

“No…” Unfortunately, Rumyantsev could only watch on hopelessly as he felt the Yin energy in his body seizing up whenever he tried mustering any measure of it.

The MV Sewol… was crashing down.

Titanic was on course to colliding straight into the iceberg!

The movements of such a massive ship caused the winds to rush about violently, kicking up his clothes and sending them dancing wildly. Rumyantsev wanted so much to move. He wanted to pour all his strength into catching hold of the ship and stopping it where it was. Given his abilities, it would have been as easy as the flick of a finger on any other day. Unfortunately… the stroke of Fate earlier changed everything.

He didn’t know what Hell was trying to do, but his intuition told him that it was dangerous - incredibly dangerous! In fact, he was almost certain that the Tsar’s plans were going to be ruined because of this one single variable!

Unfortunately, he could only watch with bated breaths, praying hard that things wouldn’t go Hell’s way.

30 meters… 20 meters… 10 meters…

BOOM!!!

The MV Sewol slammed straight into the Gate of the Dead, shattering it into smithereens with a deafening bang!

Had this been any other day, the MV Sewol would simply have cruised along at a leisurely pace as it slowly edged its way into the heart of Gonjiam Asylum. However, the captain today was clearly a different person.

Rather than docking, it crashed straight into the Gate of the Dead, just like Mars colliding straight into the Earth!

Clatter… Time seemed to freeze in that instant. Debris from the gate scattered everywhere together with wisps of Yin energy, while a massive vortex instantly formed right behind the Gate of the Dead. With nobody left to stop it, Rumyantsev and Liu Yu both watched with bloodshot eyes as the MV Sewol rushed straight into the heart of Gonjiam Asylum!

“Damn it!!!” A split second later, Rumyantsev took to his feet again, grabbing his sword as he braced himself to rush into the vortex right after MV Sewol!

The heart of the mission the Tsar has entrusted to me is hidden right inside that place…

The Tsar’s only command to him had been to guard the heart of the mission at all costs, even if he had to give up his life.

He had clearly underestimated Hell. After all, who would’ve thought that mere Judges would actually be able to achieve the impossible and breach their defences and enter the restricted zone?

Just as he was scrambling to get to his feet, he suddenly saw another brilliant light gleaming out of the corner of his eye. Gritting his teeth, Rumyantsev suppressed the rage in his heart and swung his sword with all his might. At once, Yin energy crackled and exploded in the air, transforming into a mini-vortex of sorts in the wake of its explosion, and even sending him flying a hundred meters back!

“Zhong Kui… You… You’re courting death!!” Rumyantsev’s eyes were still trained on the Gate of the Dead ahead of him. He could see Zhong Kui holding a spinning palace lantern in his hands, gasping for breath as he stood valiantly in front of the MV Sewol, protecting it from any external interference!

The feeling of unease was burgeoning in his heart. Kkkrrr… His fingers dug deep into the ground, and he slowed to a halt. A split second later, a sharp wave of murderous intent erupted from his eyes, “Get lost!!”

No response.

“Very well…” His bones cracked menacingly as an impending gale slowly picked up around him, “Then… die before me!!!”