Yama Rising

At the Everburn Underworld.

Inside an elegant room, an elderly Yin spirit was standing in front of the window, looking out at the bustling city outside.

There were countless intricately embroidered fabric signs flapping in the wind outside, bearing the names of the teahouses and restaurants along the streets. Some of the Yin spirits outside were wearing antiquated attire while others were wearing Mao suits, presenting a scene that made one feel as if they had gone several centuries back in time, and a sense of patriotic pride welled up in the elderly Yin spirit's heart.

"This is what the Cathayan Underworld should be like…" The elderly Yin spirit was wearing a blue jacket and a pristine white changshan, giving him the elegant and refined appearance of an important official from ancient times. He was playing with a pair of crafted walnuts in his hand as he smiled and said, "In the mortal realm, Cathay is constantly trying to pursue global trends and is losing its own cultural heritage in the process. Who could've imagined that Everburn would develop so quickly in the past few years? Having said that, this is only to be expected according to the city developmental plan that was released. There's always great potential for growth when it comes to new cities…"

He then turned away from the window and took a seat on one of the taishi chairs in the room. Every single inch of the room that he was situated in was constructed from timber that was intricately carved with beautiful designs. The room was extremely spacious, spanning an area of around 130 to 140 square meters, and gorgeous screens were positioned in just the right places around the room, creating a perfect blend of decoration and privacy.

Yellow palatial lanterns were hanging from the ceiling, while bronze incense burners in the shape of cranes were positioned all around the room. There was also a pair of beautiful white vases each around a meter tall sitting atop gold-plated lotus-shaped vase holders, within which were placed bouquets of red spider lilies in full bloom. The decor and construction weren't overly extravagant or luxurious, but it still didn't fail to create a very auspicious atmosphere.

Right at this moment, a burst of door-knocking rang out, following which a server drifted into the room before extending a respectful bow as he said, "Elder Xu, Mr. Deng and Mr. Pang have arrived."

The elderly man's eyes immediately lit up as he rose to his feet. "Invite them in here right away!"

As soon as his voice trailed off, two Yin spirits had already made their way into the room from outside. "It's alright, we can come in on our own."

As soon as they strode into the room, the Yin spirit on the left looked around with an awestruck expression as he mused, "Tsk, tsk, look at this place! The style is much better than any Europa style, Usonian style, or Mediterranean style. Out of all of the cultures in the entire world, ours is the only one that can create such a stunning effect with only wooden construction materials and such simple ornaments."

He then made his way straight over to the table and took a seat, then picked up a teacup and took a sip, upon which he immediately exclaimed, "This is exceptional tea!"

Instead of departing from the room, the server was standing off to the side, and he smiled and extended a slight bow as he said, "This is the signature tea of our state guest reception, you'll struggle to find this tea anywhere else. If you enjoy it, you can take a couple of boxes of tea leaves when you leave."

"I don't think we'll be able to leave." The Yin spirit on the right was an elderly man wearing an antiquated melon cap, and he smiled as he waved his embroidered hand fan in a subtle manner.

The server immediately recognized this as a signal to give them some privacy, and he promptly left the room.

As soon as they departed, Elder Xu made his way over to the two elderly men before shaking their hands with an excited expression. "Deng Ruifeng, Pang Hai… I really didn't think that the three of us would be able to meet again someday. The three of us have been competing against one another our entire lives, I didn't think we would ever be on the same side for once…"

His voice was beginning to choke up, and Deng Ruifeng gently flapped his hand fan as he shook his head and heaved a faint sigh. "Indeed, no one could've anticipated this. Who would've ever thought that the dean of the National Tsing Hua University's nuclear technology department, Xu Chengyang, the director of the National Nuclear Research Institute, Pang Hai, and my inept self would be reunited here? Fate truly works in some unpredictable ways sometimes."

If there were any nuclear researchers present, they would be astonished to hear these three names!

Xu Chengyang was an honorary profession at the National Tsing Hua University, and he had directly participated in and been present during the detonation experiments of Cathay's first nuclear bomb and atomic bomb. He was known as the Cathayan father of nuclear weaponry. Of course, there were many people who shared this title in Cathay, but he was the most prestigious and renowned member of this elite and exclusive club.

Pang Hai was the director of the prestigious National Nuclear Research Institute, and he had also experienced and participated in the entire process of nuclear weapons production. After that, he had dedicated himself wholeheartedly to developing nuclear energy for civilian usage. It was no exaggeration to say that he had played a part in the construction of 80% of all of the nuclear power plants in the entire nation.

As for the "inept" Deng Ruifeng, not only had he participated in the first ever Cathayan nuclear experiment, he had participated in generation upon generation of nuclear weapon testing. Almost every single nuclear weapon that Cathay currently had had been influenced by him in one way or another.

It could be said that the three of them were the main pillars of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy in Cathay.

Unfortunately, the academic world in Cathay wasn't a pure place where everyone could work together without any boundaries.

Instead, there was a competitive relationship between all of the prominent institutions.

Upon joining a certain academy or institute, one's allegiance would lie with that organization, thereby pitting them against the leading experts of other major academic organizations. Of course, the same thing applied to foreign nations as well. Even though they were very familiar with one another, they were forced to compete with each other as adversaries due to their different allegiances.

10 years ago, these three exceptional minds had passed away in a short time period, and never did they think that they would be able to cast aside their respective allegiances someday to work together, something that they had always wanted to do during their lifetimes.

All of them had immense respect for one another, yet they represented different agendas and had to compete for the interest of their respective organizations.

However, here in the Cathayan Underworld, the education sector didn't exist, so there were no factions or academic organizations to speak of!

There was only one institution for them to work for, and that was the entire nation itself!

The three of them quickly took a seat, then discussed some memories from their lifetimes as they sampled the delectable tea. No one could've ever imagined that the three leading figures of the mortal realm in nuclear research and development would be reunited on such friendly terms in another world.

Before they knew it, an hour had already flown by, and Xu Chengyang finally moved onto the main topic. "For what reason do you think Yanluo Qin summoned the three of us here?"

A month ago, the Cathayan Underworld had gone to great lengths to track the three of them down.

They clearly recalled that they had been approached by darkfeathers, who remained in the shadows and carried out all of the nation's confidential duties, much like the Ming Dynasty's Silk Robe Division. The darkfeathers had taken them to Everburn in secret, protecting them every step of the way.

Upon arriving in Everburn, designated underworld emissaries were assigned to teach them about the history of the underworld and the current state of the underworld without hiding any details.

"What could he possibly have summoned us here for?" Deng Ruifeng chuckled as he turned to cast his gaze out the window. "This situation is so reminiscent of the situation we faced back in the day."

"Indeed, the new administration is only a few years old. All of the major industries are yet to be set up, and there's a constant looming threat from foreign adversaries, so we naturally have to sharpen our swords," Pang Hai chimed in. "That's why I said we most likely won't be able to leave. The fact that the three of us have been gathered here today indicates that the Cathayan Underworld is already planning to dabble in nuclear weaponry."

Xu Chengyang's eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "But according to what I've heard, they're developing a new energy resource."

The Cathayan Underworld hadn't kept what was expected of the trio a secret. After an initial probing phase to determine that they still had the resolve and heart to serve the nation, everything had been revealed to them, following which thick contracts had been laid down right in front of them.

From the instant they signed their contracts, they were granted the best treatment that one could receive in the Cathayan Underworld, but at the same time, they had to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to the new project.

As for exactly what the project was, they didn't know, but from what they had been told, it seemed that it involved a new energy resource, rather than the nuclear energy that they were leading experts in.

Deng Ruifeng was silent for a moment before offering his thoughts. "It may well be a new energy resource, but seeing as the Cathayan Underworld has clearly become interested in nuclear weaponry, this new energy resource doesn't necessarily have to not be nuclear energy."

A contemplative look appeared on Pang Hai's face as he said, "I don't agree with that. Even in the mortal realm, producing energy through nuclear fusion is only a project that exists in theory. We all know that if this can become a reality, electricity fees would become dirt cheap and electricity would also be much more readily available than it currently is. However, the underworld is different from the mortal realm. I'm sure the two of you have already noticed this as well, there are no energy resources here at all, and nuclear energy is an advanced energy resource built on the foundation of other energy resources. Without electricity, how can there be nuclear energy? Even if we set up a nuclear power plant, if our calculations are off by even the slightest margin, the entire nation would be blown up and we would all be back to square one…"

Xu Chengyang nodded in agreement. "I concur with Professor Pang's opinion. I'm guessing this new energy resource is a foundational energy resource like electricity, one that can be used by civilians. However, I also agree with Professor Deng's statement that this new energy resource could act as a foundation for the development of nuclear weaponry in the future. In reality, nuclear energy is also a type of energy resource. My guess is that Hell wants us to participate in this project and see if there are any common traits between nuclear energy and this new energy resource, as well as to see whether nuclear energy can be produced with this new energy resource as a foundation. After that, the research will most likely turn to nuclear weaponry."

Neither of the professors had any objections to this.

This was a very sound and objective analysis. They were all eagerly waiting to see exactly what the so-called forbidden arts of the underworld consisted of. What was the algorithm involved? How did they differ from nuclear weapons in the mortal realm? Would they be able to become fathers of nuclear weaponry once again here in the underworld?

Right at this moment, a Yin spirit in Silk Robe Division attire made his way into the room.

It was Li Jixi, the supervisor of the darkfeathers and also the man responsible for the safety of the trio in the room. Upon their arrival in Everburn, there hadn't been a single moment where the darkfeathers had been more than 100 meters away from the trio.

"Greetings, esteemed professors," He cupped his fist in a respectful salute as he extended a slight bow. "Yanluo Qin has summoned the three of you to the Aurogon's Palace, and we will accompany you there."

The three Yin spirits exchanged a glance upon hearing this. The moment they had been waiting for had finally arrived…

It was still the same work that they had done during their lifetimes, but why did they suddenly feel so excited?

Xu Chengyang took a moment to compose himself, then said, "We'll be in your care then. May I ask who else is going to participate in the meeting and what kind of meeting this is?"

Li Jixi replied, "All of the scholars and directors of Hell will be in attendance. The meeting will be one during which the research and development of the new energy resource is discussed, and everyone is encouraged to speak their mind freely."

As expected…

………………………………………………

Six Origin Diagram, Aurogon's Palace.

This was the first time this place had been opened up to so many people, and countless Yin soldiers had already been stationed here.

Even though Xu Chengyang's trio was already somewhat mentally prepared, they still couldn't help but be struck by a sense of immense pressure as soon as they entered the palace.

Qin Ye was seated at the very center while the Harken and the Zhao Yun were situated on either side of him. Even without drawing upon their Yin energy, their auras as high-grade underworld emissaries were enough to exert incredible pressure upon everyone.

Right as the trio sat down in an uneasy manner, Qin Ye declared, "Looks like everyone's all here. In that case, I hereby announce the commencement of the meeting."

Xu Chengyang's cast a surprised gaze toward Qin Ye upon hearing this.

They were familiar with Qin Ye's personality, and they knew that he didn't like to waste time with formalities, but they didn't think that he would still be so concise and straightforward even during such an important meeting.

Qin Ye paid no heed to them as he put on a serious expression and continued, "First, I have to show all of you something, and after that, we'll have a session of free discussion."