Yama Rising

Hela immediately sprang to her feet as she cast an incredulous gaze toward Qin Ye.

He really did come! How is this possible? 

The two had only shared a brief meeting and a handshake, yet within 30 minutes, no, within just 20 minutes, Viracocha had come to visit Qin Ye in person!

"Please come in." Qin Ye indicated for the servants in the room to open the door, then turned toward the two Northern Europa death gods. "We have six votes now, right?"

Jörmungandr's lips were trembling slightly, and he felt as if there were an active volcano erupting in his heart.

There were only 34 votes in the entire world, so six votes definitely wasn't an insignificant number, particularly when these six votes came from the Northern Europa Underworlds, the Cathayan Underworld, the Alkebulan Underworlds, and the new continent.

That was an alliance with a combined territory that encompassed over 60% of the entire world's landmass!

This was more than enough intimidation to sway the votes of some fence-sitters. In fact, there was already hope for them to contend with the alliance formed by the three pillars!

However...

"Are you sure they'll be willing to bet everything on us?" Jörmungandr asked in a cautious voice. "Forgive me for being blunt, but securing only their support in the form of their three votes is still nowhere near enough. If we can't establish a strategic partnership with them, then we wouldn't be making a strong enough impact for this to truly matter. If we want those fence-sitters to vote for us and strike unease into the hearts of the utopia alliance's underworlds, we have to establish a bond so strong with the new continent that they would be willing to go to war for the Cathayan Underworld!"

It was clear that the two sides weren't familiar with one another during the brief meeting just now. Jörmungandr had seen far too many courtesy smiles in his time, and there was no fooling him in that regard.

"Rest assured," Qin Ye said with a calm expression. "I have an offer for him that he can't resist. Alright, it's time for you to go now. Once everything is done here, I'll immediately notify you."

Hela and Jörmungandr quickly agreed before departing. They knew that Qin Ye had only invited them so that they could see the arrival of the new continent and be instilled with some confidence. However, he wasn't going to let them see the contents of the agreement he was planning to offer to Viracocha.

During their departure, they just so happened to run into Viracocha, who was on his way into the room, and they exchanged a glance and a smile before passing each other by.

"Please take a seat." Qin Ye smiled as he offered Viracocha a cup of tea. Viracocha wore a respectful smile as he accepted the teacup and took a sip, but neither side said anything.

The room was very quiet, and aside from Zhao Yun and Qin Changxin, who were standing behind the screen, there was no one else.

"Why me?" Viracocha suddenly asked as a serious look appeared on his face. "Xolotl, Supay, and Ah Puch are the death gods of the three major religions on the new continent, and they once had tens of millions of followers. In contrast, I was only a tribal witch, and I only rose to my current position after my death due to pure dumb luck."

He spread his hand open to reveal the Heavenmend Rock sitting in his palm as he looked directly into Qin Ye's eyes. "So I have to ask: why me? This is my first time acting as supervising ambassador for the new continent and also my first time meeting you. Prior to this, no one would've been aware of my existence."

In the instant that their handshake had taken place, Qin Ye had placed the Heavenmend Rock into his hand!

As a Yama-King level death god, Viracocha had a vague connection with heaven and earth, so he was naturally aware of what this entailed.

If Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa were to meet their demise, this thing would be able to ensure that they would live for at least 500 more years!

Qin Ye picked up his teacup and took an indifferent glance at Viracocha. "Why ask a question you already know the answer to? It's clearly because you're the supervising ambassador."

He took a sip of tea before continuing in an unhurried voice, "I'm sure Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa aren't doing very well right now. They have no time to be supervising the death gods under them, so the supervising ambassador they send in their stead will definitely be an extremely important subordinate to them."

Only you can contact Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa, and only you can establish this connection to convince them to vote for us and perhaps do some even more terrifying things! 

"In that case, I must apologize," Viracocha said in a calm voice as he withdrew his hand. "Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa's decision won't change. They are still the rulers of Usonia, and even in their current state, they'll still consider the future of their descendants. Even in the worst-case scenario, where they become one with the Heavenly Dao, they still won't want to see the new continent be plunged into war and turmoil. Their descendants can't afford to make any enemies on the international stage during this sensitive time, so we won't be casting any votes. We offer you our most genuine gratitude for this precious gift, and after the conference, we'll compensate the Cathayan Underworld with resources or items of the same value."

He rose to his feet and concluded, "I've heard that the Cathayan Underworld is also in a rather tough spot, but unfortunately, we are unable to help you. I wish you the best of luck in overcoming the obstacles in your way."

Qin Ye stared intently at Viracocha with an unblinking gaze.

As expected, the Heavenmend Rock wasn't enough to tempt them.

What Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa wanted was to not die, not a way for them to just barely survive after being forced into the Heavenly Dao. An appropriate analogy would be like someone going to a doctor for surgery. What they wanted was to get the surgery done, not to hear the doctor tell them about what they should do if the surgery were to go awry.

Everyone wanted to survive in the most sophisticated form possible, and that was a universal urge among both gods and mortals.

Right as Viracocha was about to leave the room, Qin Ye suddenly asked, "Do you know who is in my representative team on this occasion?"

Viracocha turned back to look at Qin Ye with a surprised expression. He had thought that he had already been clear enough in his rejection, and he didn't think that Qin Ye would be so desperate.

However, this was the Cathayan Underworld's King Yanluo, so he couldn't afford to show any disrespect. "I'm afraid not."

Qin Ye smiled as he pointed toward the side of the door. Viracocha was currently standing right in front of the door, and Zhao Yun was situated right beside him. The latter immediately gave a slight nod at the sight of Qin Ye's hand gesture.

Viracocha's brows furrowed ever so slightly, but he still maintained a polite smile as he said, "Ghost King Zhao, you are an extremely renowned figure even on our new continent. We welcome you to visit our new continent anytime."

I should be able to leave now, right? 

However, Qin Ye displayed no intention of allowing him to leave. Instead, he stood up and looked at Viracocha with a hint of a smile on his face. He then clasped his hands behind his back and strolled around the room in a seemingly aimless manner before chuckling, "It looks like the new continent really isn't keeping up with current affairs in the world. Now that I think about it, I wasn't able to invite Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa to attend my inauguration ceremony. What a pity."

Viracocha was already starting to grow a little disgruntled, but he still maintained a polite smile as he said, "I'm sure there will be chances in the future."

"Have you really not noticed yet?" Qin Ye laid a hand onto Viracocha's shoulder and said, "Ghost King Zhao has already transcended beyond the Yama-King level. He is the second being in the world above the Yama-King level who isn't restricted by the Heavenly Dao, and both of these beings came from the Cathayan Underworld."

Crack! 

Viracocha's head immediately swiveled around 180 degrees. This was seen as a very impolite gesture on the international stage, but he had no time to pay any heed to etiquette right now, and the netherfire in his eyes erupted forth in a frenzy. "What are you trying to say, Yanluo Qin?"

That's it! This is the reaction I'm looking for! 

Qin Ye was overcome by a massive wave of relief upon seeing this. The second King Yanluo had hinted extremely vaguely that he held a trump card that could sway the new continent, but he hadn't told him exactly what that trump card was.

If they could establish a strategic partnership with the new continent, the three pillars would definitely be greatly shaken!

The weak feared the strong, and the strong feared the fearless. The two death gods of the new continent weren't scared of anyone right now! If the Cathayan Underworld could establish a strategic partnership with them, all of the wily death gods of the other underworlds would immediately understand that there would be no way for the three pillars to touch the Cathayan Underworld.

If they were to proceed recklessly, they would truly be instigating a war, and they would be facing a pair of death gods on the brink of death, as well as all of the death gods beneath them! In order to survive, Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa had to devour an astronomical number of Yin spirits, so they would be more than happy to see a world war take place!

But how could he attract the two deranged death gods?

The Heavenmend Rock wasn't enough, and for a long time, he couldn't figure out how he was supposed to get the two death gods to stand with the Cathayan Underworld and wreak havoc at this conference. Only after Zhao Yun's intervention during Enirys's press conference was he finally struck by a flash of enlightenment.

This was the way to go!

Zhao Yun and the second King Yanluo were the most alluring conditions they could offer to the two rulers of the new continent!

All things in the world came from the Heavenly Dao, and they would all return to the Heavenly Dao following their demise. Heaven, the underworld, and the mortal realm were all encompassed within the Heavenly Dao, and the death gods were no exception to this.

Once a religion and a race were destroyed, the death god presiding over the religion would meet their demise, and once that happened, they would be forced to return to the Heavenly Dao, in which case only Heavenmend Rocks would allow them to retain a shred of clarity, allowing them to retain their sentience and bide their time. However, what if they were to make breakthroughs prior to that?

Wasn't that exactly what the two deranged rulers of the new continent were desperately trying to achieve?

How did they even know that a cultivation rank above the death god level existed? It was clearly through the existence of the second King Yanluo!

In other words, their greatest wish right now would be for the second King Yanluo to tell them how to transcend beyond the Yama-King level. However, they knew that no matter how volatile and deranged they were, there was no way that the second King Yanluo would fear them.

In the eyes of Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa, the second King Yanluo was a unique anomaly, but Zhao Yun had emerged as another being above the Yama-King level! Could lightning really strike twice in the same spot?

Didn't this entail that there was a method to transcending beyond the Yama-King level and that the Cathayan Underworld had discovered this method?

If Qin Ye were willing to provide them with the aforementioned method, he was confident that the two rulers of the new continent would be willing to do anything in exchange, including wreaking havoc at the Nara conference!

Qin Ye's expression remained unchanged as he observed the astonished Viracocha, but his mind was racing.

What I want is not just to barely survive this ordeal. Instead, I want to show everyone what consequences await them if they dare to mess with the Cathayan Underworld! This is my final trump card, and it can only be unleashed through the two rulers of the new continent! However, direct contact with them can only be facilitated through the supervising ambassador that they personally assigned, rather than through the other three new continent death gods. They don't care about the interests of Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa. In fact, they're counting down the days to their demise! Only following the passing of Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa would the new continent become theirs! Thus, the Heavenmend Rock is only the first piece of bait, whereas this is what I'm truly offering! In the face of this irresistible offer, those two deranged geezers will rush to Nara no matter where they are in the world! 

Dead silence.

After a full five minutes had passed by, Viracocha took a few steps backward before extending a deep bow as he asked, "What do you want from us in return?"

"I want your unreserved support!" Qin Ye immediately replied. "Find an opportune time to leave Nara and tell Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa that they have to stand on my side if they don't want to die! They have to join me in the name of the entire new continent and the three religions of the Incas, the native Usonians, and the Aztecs! On top of that, they must establish a strategic partnership with the Cathayan Underworld and participate in the Zhu Rong plan!"

Viracocha took a deep breath, and he didn't even ask what the Zhu Rong plan was. Instead, he asked, "How much time do we have?"

"12 hours. At the very latest, they must be here before the final vote takes place. I want their support not just on a verbal basis, but more importantly, they must support me through their actions."

"What are you going to give us?"

"I'll give you a part of the method to transcending beyond the Yama-King level as a deposit."

The corners of Viracocha's lips turned down slightly as he looked deep into Qin Ye's eyes. 

To think that you require the support of Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa, it looks like the Cathayan Underworld really is in a very tough spot. Also, Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa have made a whole host of enemies, and this conference is being held specifically to prevent the new continent from getting its hands on forbidden arts. Are you trying to transform the city of Nara into a warzone by inviting Mictlantecutli and Mictetikasiwa here at a time like this? 

Qin Ye smiled as he rose to his feet and said, "Can I count on you?"

Viracocha also smiled in response. "You have yourself a deal. As expected of the third King Yanluo, your tactics are far more sophisticated than those of the second King Yanluo..."

The second King Yanluo was just a bully, whereas you are truly a cunning old fox!