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“The Soul of the Evil God? More like the dude in the tiny robe!”

After a brief moment, I spotted a rather small figure approaching me, dressed in a robe that seemed a tad oversized. But boy, could I feel the intense power radiating from this underwhelming-sized presence—it felt like they were at least a Great Immortal level.

‘Is this a High-Level Existence?’

The figure knelt before me again and announced loudly,

[I am a Judge of the Underworld, under the King of Hell! I have come to receive the great Emperor who wheels the mighty wheel of Dharma!]

“Judge, huh?”

Finally, I pieced together the identity of this little fella. The hierarchy of the Underworld had the Wheel King at the top, followed by the Hell Kings and the Three Existences, with judges assisting them. In fact, with the Wheel King and all Hell Kings lost, this Judge was the highest authority in the Underworld, bowing his head before me!

I turned to the Judge and said, “I’m heading to the throne of the former Wheel King. Can you escort me?”

[Of course! I will serve with all my might!]

After that enthusiastic shout, the Judge turned to command the surrounding spirits and divine beings.

[Clear the way! The Emperor approaches!]

Woosh!

Hundreds of thousands of spirits, monsters, and divine beings lined up and parted, creating a grand path that stretched to the horizon. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of wonder as they recognized me as the Wheel King even though it was our first meeting.

If I used my Light Body Technique, I’d reach my destination in no time. Just as I was about to break into a sprint, I remembered something and turned to the Judge.

“Judge, you serve the King of Hell, right? Do you know where the Hell Kings have gone?”

I had always been curious about the sudden disappearance of the Hell Kings. Surely, this Judge, being direct subordinates, should know. But the Judge simply lowered his head and replied,

[I dare not speculate on their whereabouts!]

“So you have no idea where they went?”

[They all went missing suddenly; I have no knowledge of their fates!]

……

This question seems like one of those mysteries that only the Wheel King could solve to bring the Underworld back to life. I nodded vaguely and said, “I wouldn’t mind a ride instead of running. Got anything?”

[I shall summon the Hell Horse and the chariot used by the King of Hell!]

The Judge took out a rod and waved it dramatically in the air.

Whoosh!

Moments later, a massive chariot appeared, big enough that it felt like a building was moving, pulled by colossal black horses the size of three men. I hopped onto the chariot, and the Judge joined me, taking on the role of the driver.

[We shall set off now!]

Vroom!

Suddenly, a gigantic dark portal manifested in front of us, and with a rumbling sound, we dashed into it. After a brief suspension in some shadowy void, we emerged and brought the chariot to a halt.

Bam.

[We have arrived!]

“That was fast.” I got off the chariot and found myself facing the inner sanctum of the Underworld, the same one I had seen before. Unlike before, however, all the little Underworld spirits and Yama Guards had scrammed and were apparently bowing down as they saw me.

I turned to the Judge and said, “No need to wait. You can go now. And make sure no one approaches!”

[As you command!]

As the Judge organized the guards to retreat, I found myself staring blankly at the giant door in front of me.

I could have simply used a lever next to the Throne of the King of Hell to get directly to the Wheel King’s room, but I needed to test if the Judge was actually on my side rather than setting a trap for me. I was also relieved to confirm that the Judge and guards were genuinely following my orders.

‘Once I go in, the Mirror of Clarity awaits…’

The room of the Mirror of Clarity was also the Wheel King’s chamber.

My comrade Mangnyang had already explored every inch of the Mirror’s room over the past 500 years and pocketed every artifact, including the most precious treasure—the Mirror itself—handing it over to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens. I had no idea why he gave it to her, but whatever, the Mirror was the most crucial item, so entering now didn’t seem to serve much purpose. I probably wouldn’t find any more artifacts there.

But Mangnyang had passed on the Wheel King’s power to me, and along with that came the basic Underworld Resurrection Method, but I had to enter this room to carry it out.

‘…Can I really do this?’

It felt overly complicated. I took a deep breath to gather my focus and stepped inside. Soon after, the door to the Wheel King’s chamber creaked open.

Bam!

Closing the door behind me, I began to recite the resurrection method, almost chanting it out loud. This was, after all, the memory of the method Mangnyang had encoded in me.

“To produce the golden image representing the Wheel King, ten jewels tracing the Hell Kings must appear, and according to prescribed rules, they must be touched. The official formula for summoning the ten jewels is….”

I paused, realizing how absurd this all was.

“……”

Seriously, Mangnyang, how did you even crack this?

He had managed to uncover the method once and activated the golden image, but decided to give up on resurrecting the Underworld as he couldn’t pass on the Wheel King’s power to me completely. Yet, the complexity of this method was mind-boggling, and even I wondered how he figured it out.

‘Damn it… This feels ten times harder than the last challenge.’

Was this the final challenge hidden in the Wheel King’s chamber? I felt no confidence in executing this flawlessly, but I clenched my fists.

“Damn it! I’m going to get this done!!”

Now was not the time to back down and complain about how complicated this was!

I focused all my concentration, standing in that spot reciting the method until I finally started.

I stepped first southeast with a sequence of blue, red, green, purple, purple, blue, blue, and green, then took five steps northeast. After that, I went northwest touching the purple, purple, purple, green, green, red, red, and blue in order.

Whew!

Suddenly, I witnessed the colors of the entire platform swirling chaotically around! I swiftly stomped once in each cardinal direction, and the platform settled back into its original state. I moved ten steps west and in response to a whooshing sound, an orange tile emerged from the ground.

Whoosh!

After stepping on six diagonal tiles, the ground beneath me transformed into a giant dragon’s image! I was acutely aware that the moment was crucial, so I quickly assumed a defensive posture.

Boom!

From all directions, dragon’s breath shot out! It was powerful enough to obliterate even immortals, but if I stood facing the direction it came from, a barrier was automatically summoned to protect me. The sequence was in the cardinal directions, so after blocking the dragon’s breath from each side, I watched attentively as the ground began to change again.

Boom!

‘The last northern attack has ended.’

Chirrip!

Next, glowing platforms depicting wicked spirits and saints began to appear randomly all around. I knew I must alternate stepping on the wicked and the saint tiles, so I took my time to follow the flow. Following Mangnyang’s technique, I eventually got back to the center, and the colors reverted to the original vibrant seven hues.

Then, I moved east in the sequence of red, red, green, green, purple, purple, red, and blue. Suddenly, I noticed a massive dragon’s maws statue reappearing in each corner of the room.

Woosh!

‘I need to close those dragon mouths within one cycle!’

Boom!

I dashed over and quickly forced the mouths shut. It didn’t require much strength, just a decent push! The sequence didn’t matter, so I leisurely closed them all, and after one cycle, the dragon statue erupted into a fiery explosion.

Boom!

If I hadn’t closed them, each statue would have emitted divine flames that could engulf the entire Wheel King’s chamber, but since I sealed them, I had torched myself! Feeling proud of my success, I let out a sigh of relief.

“Phew…. Wait?! “

Thud!

Suddenly, the entire ground vanished, making way to the abyss, and I screamed out in shock. However, in my panic, I realized this was all part of Mangnyang’s strategy too, and I quickly activated the protective device of the Jade Emperor to hover above the abyss.

Whoosh!

‘Right… the tricky part is I can’t use Qi techniques or floating skills down here! But with the jade emperor’s secret treasure, I can float!’

Rumble!

Moments later, the ground reverted from the abyss back to normal. At the same time, ten jewels emerged in ten directions, with spectral images of ancient kings adorned with ritual objects hovering above each jewel.

‘Here they come!’

This was the critical moment!

‘The reflections of the ten Hell Kings resting on the jewels! I must touch each jewel in the correct order!’

The order had to begin with the first Hell King, the Great King of True Light. I quickly recalled his characteristics from Mangnyang’s strategy and touched the first jewel.

Whoosh!

‘Next is the second Hell King, the Great King of Bright Light….’

Whoosh!

I continued to touch each jewel in the sequence, touching the Great King of True Light, Bright Light, Sovereign, Five Faced, and finally, when I hesitated at the jewel of the King of Hell.

“…?”

The illusion of the fifth Hell King, the King of Hell, looked oddly unsettling compared to the others.

While the other kings appeared as dignified ancient monarchs wearing ritual attire, the King of Hell had a human shape with three eyes, arms outstretched as if in prayer, surrounded by dark mists representing an unknown power that rippled with the essence of death itself.

‘Something feels off…’

Yet, I continued to touch the remaining jewels, moving on to the Jewel of Transformation, the Great Mountain, and the City King, leaving the jewel of the Wheel King last.

With a steady hand, I reached out and touched it.

Chirrip!

In that instant, all ten jewels burst forth with light, converging at the center of the Wheel King’s chamber, and as that light sank into the ground, the boundaries of the platform dissolved, revealing a massive golden image!

“Ohhh…!!”

I can’t believe I actually did it!

I pulled off this ridiculously complex task all by myself!

Well, if I had done it in a normal state, I probably would’ve been all confused, but just relying on Mangnyang’s memory felt like he was right beside me, helping me through each step. It felt like déjà vu, allowing me to remain relatively calm throughout the process.

‘Thanks, Mangnyang!’

Whoosh!

As the golden image rose, I heard an unknown voice whisper in my ear.

[Oh, new Wheel King who follows my path…. You previously resolved a challenge but left without a choice…. Are you ready to make your choice now?]

“Um….”

[Hmm… I see you are a different person now…. Did you perhaps inherit the position?]

I decided to take a chance and answer the voice.

“Are you the former Wheel King?”

[……]

The voice paused before responding.

[No… I am the residual thoughts of that being who has faded away…. The Wheel King now resides within you.]

“Inside me?”

[The very essence of the Wheel King, the ruler of the Underworld….]

“……!!”

[Born out of the law of governing the death of the cosmos…. A great king who was purged for defying the Emperor…. But his power has been sealed along with the treasures of the Underworld and thus passed on to you.]

Stunned by the unexpected revelation, I found myself wide-eyed as I shouted, “The Emperor?! The Wheel King was purged by Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen?! Why?!”

[There must have been a reason to shatter the cycle of reincarnation…. I cannot say why in detail. But one day, the Emperor came with multiple [Rulers] and personally eliminated the Wheel King….]

“……”

[At that time, all Hell Kings perished too…. They were formidable beings, yet the Emperor’s power was overwhelming….]

So, that’s how it went down.

As I listened to the voice, I could faintly understand the ancient truth. I had always wondered why the smooth cycle of reincarnation got disrupted, and it turned out to be Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen’s doing.

‘But why?’

What benefit could that possibly yield for him when the cycle of reincarnation crumbles, leading to human souls falling prey to the [Old Ruler]?

With no way to grasp the intricacies of the situation, I felt confused when the residual voice spoke again.

[However, you ultimately embraced the ancient curse, earned the recognition of the Hell Kings…. And finally resurrected the power of the Wheel King…. You, in this moment, can resurrect the Underworld.]

“I have a question.”

[Ask away.]

“Does resurrecting the Underworld mean I can no longer wield the Wheel King’s power, the Seven Treasures of the Wheel?”

Resurrecting the Underworld would take a staggering amount of power. That’s precisely why Mangnyang didn’t attempt it from the start. I had a sense that the Seven Treasures were too potent to discard, especially because they could also chow down on the [Old Ruler].

In response, the residual voice replied,

[You seem oblivious to the true nature of the Seven Treasures…. Once the Underworld resurrects, all your power connected to the Wheel King will vanish temporarily…. Yet as reincarnation returns and the cycle regains its form, the Treasures will arise once again in a different form, returning to you.]

“The Treasures will resurface in another form? But aren’t the Seven Treasures a collection of seven precious items?”

[The Seven Treasures are truly the Wheel King’s genuine subordinates…. The primordial beings bound by a more potent connection than the underlings of the Wheel King whom he subdued! They may appear in the form of wheels, but once their true powers and identities are regained, they will become immensely stronger.]

“Hmm….”

While I felt perplexed, I grasped a basic outline of what the voice was saying.

‘So, by resurrecting the Underworld, I temporarily lose all power tied to the Wheel King…. But while I might not be able to use the Seven Treasures as weapons, the essence of the Wheel King, which ignores death itself, remains intact.’

It felt like a loss, but there must have been a compelling reason behind Mangnyang’s insistence on reviving the reincarnation cycle. I nodded my understanding and declared, “I shall resurrect the Underworld and reincarnation! That is my choice!”

[Very well…. New Wheel King…. Your will shall be fulfilled!]

Fwoosh!

With the voice’s declaration, the entire Wheel King’s chamber began to crumble. The golden image that had graced the floor slowly rose, evoking an ethereal sense of a transcendent Buddha awakening, but this was not the typical form of Buddha that I recognized; it was an ancient, primordial divine being with three eyes.

As the Buddha formed an intricate hand sign – I felt my consciousness being pulled to some distant realm.

Whoosh!

Thump! Thump!

My heart raced wildly. I felt flung into an incomprehensible, dark celestial void, and I caught a glimpse of the Buddha slowly transforming.

Thud! Thud!

It felt as if dust were shedding off a statue, depicting an evolution through the ages!

The Buddha’s form began to edge towards something monstrous, yet the serene posture remained ever so intact. That monumental image kept beaming a comforting smile, evoking the recognition that it reminded me of something.

It wasn’t just a smile.

It was the phenomenon perceived as a smile by humans, transcending ordinary comprehension.

Gradually, the Buddha’s form unraveled and shattered, while the universe expanded. The sweeping darkness annihilating the stars and the primordial light unraveled chaotically, yet the energy akin to the Buddha’s smile continued to linger and resonated across the expanding cosmos.

Boom!

Finally, as I approached the far end of the universe, where order gave way to chaos, for the briefest moment, an astonishing scene unfolded before my eyes.

A blindingly ignorant entity—

Within those dancing shadows surrounding it, I could sense them dreaming.

Strangely, that vision resonated with the Buddha’s smile.

Boom!

“……!!”

The next instant, my consciousness snapped back to reality.

My body drenched in sweat, I felt overwhelmed while simultaneously grasping why the Wheel King could manipulate ‘death’ across the cosmos.

The Wheel King was born from the existential despair of origins.

Moreover, a remarkable Ruler born from the phenomena!

Thus, he wouldn’t fit neatly into either the primordial gods or the [Old Rulers] category.

Anyone could tune into that universal dread of mass extinction—a point about which the essence of [Father] resonated within the subconscious!

All those beings, engulfed in dread and nothingness, ultimately came to interpret that phenomenon as a compassionate smile, manifesting neatly through various civilizations and religions.

Hence, the Wheel King’s essence was the Buddha, and that very smile was a manifestation of despair and fear towards the cosmos’s fundamental devastation—

“…Ah….”

The Buddha was the essence of the Wheel King, and likewise, the Wheel King could only become the Buddha.

Both their roots stemmed from unfathomable phenomena beyond the grasp of mortals.

While I remained dazed by this unexpected truth, a voice echoed in my ears.

[Wheel King… Soon countless spirit souls will flood into this Underworld…. At the moment, it cannot bear such a load.]

With those consecutive words, I managed to regain my senses.

[From the throne before you, I also wish for the resurrection of the Hell Kings…. Only then can the cycle of reincarnation be maintained.]

 

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