Dimensional Codex System: I'm really not a cultist!

Chapter 1348: Chapter 1347: Mortal Immortal Realm (Prostrating Beneath the Chaos, Part 2)

Even though the Emperor had some mental preparation for the changes in the Miao Territory, it wasn’t until he conversed with this Spirit Fox Girl that he was surprised to realize how little he knew about the Miao Territory!

According to this Spirit Fox Girl, in the Miao Territory, regardless of gender or age, human or yokai, everyone must first receive a certain level of education. They must be able to read and write, and have knowledge of arithmetic and accounting to be considered graduates. Only after passing these exams and obtaining a diploma can they seek employment.

Moreover, unlike the Divine Land, the curriculum here includes not only the Four Books and Five Classics but also a variety of subjects such as astronomy, geography, and the arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Also, the execution of laws and forms of punishment here are very different from elsewhere.

The mix of humans and yokai indeed leads to many incidents, and initially, there were quite a few murderous criminals and some man-eating yokai gathered here in the Miao Territory. Those guilty of heinous crimes were naturally executed outright.

But in the Miao Territory, it doesn’t end simply with public execution. Not only that, they post a notice after the execution for a second round of ”Spirit Judgment.”

And this so-called ”Spirit Judgment” is a live broadcast in Hell, showing the eventual judgment and outcome of those criminals’ souls!

That’s right. In the Miao Territory, the phrases ”you will go to Hell after death” or ”you will die a horrible death” are not just empty words; they really exist! People can watch the Ten Halls Yama Kings administer final punishments to those sinners’ souls at designated locations.

Although this is limited to the criminals who were judged and executed in the Miao Territory, it carries significant deterrence. Previously, people didn’t have a clear concept of what would happen after death; many criminals believed that ”when a person dies, everything ends with it”, and weren’t concerned about the kind of judgment they’d face in the Underworld, mainly because they didn’t understand or care, and were somewhat hopeful—what if the standards in the Underworld differed from those in the Mortal Realm?

The introduction of this ”live court trial” has evidently thoroughly eradicated those criminals’ wishful thinking, which is why many criminals are willing to reform after being punished in the Miao Territory.

Those who remain obstinate will have no good days in their next lives either. At least I have truly amended my ways. Even if I won’t be wealthy in my next life, at least let me be an ordinary person. Don’t really make me a beast of burden!

Becoming a beast of burden would still be better; turning into a fly or a cricket would truly be disastrous!

Hearing this series of fascinating things made the Emperor click his tongue in amazement. To be honest, he couldn’t imagine what a live broadcast of an Underworld trial would look like. Unfortunately, the Spirit Fox Girl mentioned that recently, those daring to commit evil deeds in the Miao Territory had become fewer, resulting in a significant decrease in the frequency of live broadcasts from the Underworld. Otherwise, he really wanted to take a look.

As time passed by, sipping the uniquely flavored cola, eating delicious snacks, sitting on a comfortable and soft sofa, and watching the endless sea of clouds outside the window... the Emperor felt as if this was akin to the life of an Immortal...

Sigh, the Immortals in Heaven must be living even more comfortably than this!

At this moment, the Emperor felt his heart sour, like tasting a lemon, with the bitterness almost spilling over. He couldn’t imagine, after finishing his trip to the Miao Territory and returning to the capital, whether he could still endure all those tedious and boring affairs in the royal palace.

The sky gradually darkened, and at the same time, the cabin lights turned on. Like other things, these lights were completely different from those in the inner court of the palace, requiring no one to light lanterns one by one. Instead, the Emperor saw a handful of square white jade-like objects on the ceiling flash slightly, and then the lights illuminated, brightening the entire cabin as if it were daytime.

Sigh, if only the royal palace had this kind of thing...

At that moment, the Emperor had thoughts of packing up the entire flying boat and taking it back, and deep down, he was even more dissatisfied with Prime Minister Liang for spoiling his plans.

”Gu Qing, can we negotiate with the Miao Territory to purchase a flying boat?”

”This... I’m afraid I can’t explain, but Your Majesty can...”

However, before Gu Zong finished speaking, the flying boat had already begun to gently descend, and as it once again broke through the clouds, the scene before him left the Emperor wide-eyed and standing in astonishment.

”This, this is...”

Before his eyes, in the layered mountain forests below, a magnificent and beautiful city shone with radiance. Although it was already dusk, the entire city was brilliantly lit, and standing by the window, one could even clearly see the bustling flow of people and carriages below.

By comparison, even the capital wasn’t as lively and prosperous!

Seeing this, the Emperor’s heart soured even more.

Unbearable envy, can’t hold it in!

Fang Zheng wasn’t concerned with the Emperor’s thoughts, for at the moment, he was busy with his own affairs.

”Now it seems that everything is proceeding smoothly.”

Standing with his hands behind his back on the balcony, looking out over Dali City, Fang Zheng whispered. Over the past year, he had been preparing for the battle with the Full Sky of Gods and Buddhas and the Western Celestials, but unlike in the previous two worlds, he did not burn everything directly. The reason was simple, this was his homeland, and Fang Zheng wished to minimize the impact on this land.

After all, regardless of Buddhism, it had been rooted in this land for centuries, and uprooting and completely burning down this bush wasn’t an easy task.

If this were the United States, Fang Zheng would just set fire to burn Heaven along with North America, not caring whether those Christian followers jump from buildings or rivers post-God.

However, a year of preparation also revealed to Fang Zheng that he wasn’t fighting alone.

The Western Buddhas were clearly his enemies, and the Celestial Court was in cahoots with them, but there was still a land untouched by these forces.

That is the Underworld.

Since ancient times in the Divine Land, the Underworld has been in charge of the reincarnation of the souls on this land, always keeping a low profile, simply performing their duties. However, when Buddhism arrived, the Underworld found itself being... well, suppressed by Buddhism!

As Fang Zheng once argued with Fahai, the principle of good begets good and evil begets evil is a worldly law; the world runs this way with or without Buddhism. And in charge of this operation is naturally the ”Underworld.”

But under Buddhism’s indoctrination, most mortals today have forgotten the Underworld, even believing that no matter what they do, devoting themselves to Buddhism allows them to transcend suffering and reach Elysium quickly. Just like the example Fang Zheng mentioned: a mountain bandit and outlaw who killed countless in the first half of his life suddenly repents in the second half and prays to Buddha for the people he killed for the rest of his life.

According to Buddhist teachings, such a person can lay down the butcher’s knife and instantly attain Buddhahood.

But according to the Underworld’s rules, you still must descend into Hell for reincarnation! You’ve killed so many people, and a few Buddhist scriptures won’t grant you forgiveness. That’s not happening! Go through the eighteen layers of Hell first!

Originally, these so-called ”Enlightened Monks” would be taken by Black and White Impermanence to the Underworld for judgment before the Ten Halls Yama Kings, regardless of their religious devotion during life. But in reality, these ”monks” are instead taken directly by Western Messengers post-death, bypassing the Underworld and ignoring Black and White Impermanence!

MMP, they really don’t regard Black and White Impermanence as authorities?

You dare to take away the souls under my command, yet throw over those vengeful spirits killed by Buddhism!?

You’re preventing me from completing my governmental affairs, treating the Underworld as a garbage dump?!

MMP!

However, due to its unique nature, the Underworld neither wishes nor can it oppose Buddhism and the Celestial Realm. For if it pretends to ”play a fool,” the power of reincarnation remains in its hands. A direct confrontation with the Western Gods and Buddha might lead to more than just minor provocations, but an outright confrontation!

At that time, the Underworld might as well be chanting the Buddhist scriptures!

The Underworld, long dissatisfied with Western Celestials’ interference in their affairs, dares not show it overtly, but is more than willing to covertly offer support to anyone challenging them. Like Fang Zheng’s Underworld live broadcast, which wouldn’t have been possible without the Ten Halls Yama Kings’ consent...

Of course, the Underworld wouldn’t lend its Underworld Soldiers to Fang Zheng for confronting the Western Celestials, but in secretly handling such minor affairs, taking a jab at Buddhism while reinforcing its presence... is doable.

Fang Zheng also has a feeling.

Perhaps it won’t be long before he directly confronts the Western Gods and Buddha.

And now, all that remains is a catalyst.