Even Sages Went Mad! The Underworld's First Court Opens!
The word "court" gently echoed in Zhen Yuanzi's mind, following Lin Shen's childish voice.
The invisible web of underlying laws of the entire underworld emitted a soft yet clearly audible hum.
The feeling was like an ancient star chart that had been operating precisely for hundreds of millions of years finally finding the core component that would allow it to achieve perfect unity.
Kunlun Mountain, Yuxu Palace.
The eternal, frozen silence was broken.
The Yuanshi Tianzun opened his eyes.
That rigid and solemn face revealed no emotion, but in those eyes, countless chains of divine order were frantically intertwining, colliding, and evolving!
Court?
Ruler?
Spanking?
To ordinary immortals and gods, these words are nothing more than children's jokes.
But to him, the Sage who held the "Chantian" Great Dao and regarded the order and strict rules of heaven and earth as his lifelong pursuit, it was no different from the most primordial Great Dao Resonant Sound!
A place where all living beings must "accept their debts"!
Isn't this the most perfect embodiment of his Chan Sect on the great principle of "Following Heaven and Responding to People, and establishing rules"?
Rules! Order! Laws!
The Dao Heart of the Yuanshi Tianzun, which had been tormented for years by various "mudslide" architectural styles, was now completely ignited by a surging creative desire!
He wants to build it!
He wants to build a divine court with his own hands!
A supreme divine court capable of suppressing all causal disputes in the Three Realms and Six Paths, demonstrating the impartiality of the Heavenly Way!
"Good!"
A cold, hard word emanated from the Yuxu Palace, its sound wave tearing through the void and instantly piercing through the Nine Netherworlds!
The next moment, the figure of Yuanshi Tianzun had already descended upon the chaotic commercial district of the underworld.
His arrival was devoid of any worldly warmth, yet it carried with it a terrifying aura that seemed to bring everything back to its proper order.
The clamor of hawkers, the cacophony of arguments, and the restless haggling were all swallowed up the moment he appeared by an absolute stillness.
"This place should be established as the 'Order Divine Court'!"
The voice of the Yuanshi Tianzun was devoid of any emotion, yet every word was the final judgment of the Heavenly Dao.
He waved his sleeve!
This time, it was no longer a simple evolution of immortal light, but rather the direct extraction of an extremely pure "source of order" from his own Yuqing Origin!
The moment that wisp of essence left the body, it transformed into an illusory Jade Ruler.
The Jade Ruler is clearly marked, with the finest precision, as if measuring every corner of the universe and defining the absolute standard for all things.
With a gentle stroke, the Jade Ruler traced a line across the messy open ground beneath its feet!
Rumble--!
The earth split open on its own, and the nine netherworlds trembled!
A magnificent, breathtaking building, forged from the purest Jade Purity Immortal Light and Chaos Rock, rises from the ground!
It lacks the gaudy, glittering feel of Duobao, the pastoral charm of Zhen Yuanzi Orchard, and the cozy softness of Hong Yun Sofa.
It is only cold, solemn, and dignified!
The shrine is square, with straight lines like swords. Every angle and every edge is so perfect that it makes one feel oppressed.
There was no plaque at the entrance, only two large characters imprinted on it with the most ancient innate Daoist script and supreme magical power.
--Notarization.
The main hall was spacious and boundless.
At the very center, a giant Jade Ruler, formed from the wisp of order origin of the Yuanshi Tianzun, hangs high in the air.
The Jade Ruler shone with divine light, illuminating four even colder and more ruthless characters.
--What Heaven's Retribution is Swift.
Any living being that steps into this hall, under the divine light of the Jade Ruler, will unconsciously straighten its back, calm its mind, and be unable to even entertain the thought of a lie.
"Second Brother! This house of yours is so cold and deserted, there's not even a ghost in sight. Who would dare to come in and complain?"
A light laugh, tinged with a hint of cynicism, rang out, and the figure of the Tongtian Jiaozhu followed closely behind.
He flew around the "Order Divine Court" once, curled his lip, and his face was full of disdain for this rigid style.
"A courtroom, frankly speaking, is just a place to reason things out. If you're making it sound like you're going to the guillotine, you might as well just go outside and have a fight!"
The Tongtian Jiaozhu raised an eyebrow, and the incomparably sharp aura of the Heaven-Intercepting Dao suddenly erupted.
"In my opinion, the most important thing about this court isn't some ridiculous set of rules, but having someone who can keep things in order! We can't let those bastards throw a tantrum inside!"
Before he could finish speaking, the phantom images of the Four Swords of Zhu Xian flashed and disappeared behind him!
Four sword lights—red, blue, black, and white—rushed directly toward the gate of the "Order Divine Court," forming two imposing, glaring Door Gods on the lintel!
The Door Gods held sword sheaths, their bodies entirely composed of the Immortal Slaying Sword Qi, and the soaring murderous aura was almost tangible!
Any living being that dares to use even the slightest bit of magic power within the main hall will be instantly locked onto by the omnipresent sword energy and suffer the pain of being pierced by ten thousand swords!
"I'll be the 'enforcer' of this court!" The Tongtian Jiaozhu patted his chest, looking eager to try.
"Anyone who dares to roar in court and disregard the law will be taught a lesson by my 'iron fist of love'!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fist with great seriousness, and sword energy surged from the tip of his fist, tearing countless fine black cracks into the surrounding void.
Yuanshi Tianzun glanced at him coldly, but unusually did not utter a word in rebuttal.
He knew his third brother was right.
Ultimately, order requires violence to maintain.
At that moment, a faint sigh seemed to come from the Zixiao Palace high in the heavens.
The figure of Taiqing Laozi appeared silently between the two.
He looked at the "Order Divine Court," which was built by one saint and guarded by another, and finally fixed his gaze on the "Heavenly Jade Ruler" hanging high above.
"The law must be fair."
"Judgment must be impartial."
Laozi spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet it possessed a power that could calm both the Yuanshi order and the Tongtian carnage.
"This divine court is still lacking one... judge."
Upon hearing this, even Yuanshi and Tongtian became serious.
Yes!
The courts are in place, the thugs are in place, but who will be the judge to make the final decision?
Yuanshi Tianzun was too upright and intolerant of any wrongdoing; even the smallest mistake could result in severe punishment.
The Tongtian Jiaozhu is too capricious; he might just decide who wins based on whoever he likes, entirely according to his whims.
In the midst of this subtle silence, Taiqing Laozi reached out and took out a diagram from his wide sleeve.
As the scroll unfolds, black and white energies circulate, Yin Yang and yang fish chase and play, evolving the most fundamental balance and harmony between heaven and earth.
Tai Chi Diagram!
"This humble Daoist priest, though unworthy, has some insights into the concept of 'balance'."
Laozi Tzu gently tossed the Tai Chi Diagram aside.
The diagram then transformed into a mysterious stream of light, flew into the main hall of the Divine Court, and landed precisely beneath the "Heavenly Jade Ruler".
As the light faded, a colossal, perfectly round, black-and-white judgment platform was revealed!
"Anyone with a dispute, stand on this platform."
"Right and wrong, truth and falsehood, will be judged by Yin Yang themselves, and public opinion will prevail."
"I, this humble Daoist, will be the first 'arbitrator'."
Taiqing Laozi is actually going to personally get involved!
He wanted to establish the tone of "absolute fairness" for the first court in the underworld by adhering to the supreme principle of "Governing by non-action and Dao follows Nature"!
The Three Pure Ones have joined forces!
One responsible for legislation and construction!
One responsible for law enforcement and deterrence!
One responsible for trial and adjudication!
The first court in the underworld, and the first true "court" since the World Creation Primordial World, was officially completed with the joint efforts of the three supreme Sage!
"Alright! Alright! We can begin the court proceedings now!"
Lin Shen, looking at this imposing yet fun "big house," couldn't wait any longer.
He grabbed the dazed, unlucky fellow "Shi" from the ground and was the first to rush into the solemn hall.
"First Master! Second Master! Third Master!"
"Quick! Use that big ruler to give that bastard A Huo a good spanking!"