Netherworld

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Netherworld (阴曹地府)
Alias(es)	Netherworld Great World
Type	One of the Four Great Realms
Role	A supreme realm connected to all worlds and possessing the authority of the Six Paths of Reincarnation 273 286
Location	At the lowest level of the endless void, beneath innumerable layers of space and overlapping the Boundary River 267 273
Status	Ruled by Chen Mu after he completed the nine Reincarnation Trials and merged with the previous Lord of the Netherworld 320 321
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Background / History

The Netherworld was opened by one of the four Half-Step Dao Integration Supremes who created the Four Great Realms: Netherworld, Immortal Earth, Sea of Wheels, and Years and Seasons. Its scale vastly exceeds that of the Mystic Spirit Realm and may be comparable to the entire Boundary River. It is described as the “riverbed” supporting the worlds of the Boundary River, while ordinary worlds are like water flowing through it 228 273.

At some point after its creation, black blood from the Lord of the Netherworld spread throughout the realm, forming the Blood River and the vast Black Blood Sea at its center. The cause of these bloodstains remains unknown 307 312.

For countless years, the position of Netherworld Master remained vacant. Thousands of Dao Monarch-level inheritors competed for recognition through the Netherworld’s trials, while Sage Monarchs frequently targeted high-ranking rivals to prevent future competition 286.

Chen Mu entered the realm through the system’s Soul Roaming function and gradually acquired Netherworld inheritances. After reaching the Void Spirit Dao Monarch realm, he entered the nine layers of black mist, endured nine Reincarnation Trials, and ultimately merged with his past self—the former Lord of the Netherworld. The Boundary Stele then vanished, stripping all other inheritors of their partial authority and returning the realm’s authority to Chen Mu alone 309 320 321.

Appearance

The Netherworld is a dim, seemingly endless realm of withered yellow Grave Soil, dried black-brown blood, and oppressive black mist. Its environment carries overwhelming resentment and pressure, while its sky gives the impression that terrifying, unseen gazes are watching from within the darkness 4.

• Grave Soil — Boundless yellow earth formed from the collapsed remnants of lingering spirits, accumulated obsessions, and resentment 227.
• Black Mist — Covers the sky in nine increasingly dense layers; it serves as the path and trial toward becoming the Netherworld Master 309.
• Black Blood — Dried bloodstains flow across the Grave Soil toward the realm’s center; they originate from the Lord of the Netherworld 286 307.
• Blood River and Blood Sea — The Black Blood converges in a dried-up blood lake at the Netherworld’s center, where it forms an immeasurably vast sea 286 308.
• Boundary Wall — A vast, unshakeable boundary separating the Netherworld from the surrounding void 267.

Structure and Scale

Feature	Description
Depth	The Netherworld lies far deeper in the void than the Dark Void Realm, beneath a number of void layers too great for Chen Mu to determine 256 267.
Scale	Even as a Yang Spirit Heavenly Monarch, Chen Mu could not perceive its end; its size was estimated to be comparable to a galactic star realm 228.
Center	A dried Black Blood Sea and the Netherworld Boundary Stele once stood at the realm’s center 286.
Boundary Stele	Recorded the names and ranks of Netherworld lineage inheritors. Higher placement reflected deeper trial progress and greater authority over the realm 286 318.
Nine Layers of Black Mist	The trials for succession to the position of Netherworld Master. Passing seven layers or more granted inheritors limited access to the realm’s power 309 318.
Reincarnation	The realm’s trial authority projects challengers into other worlds with their memories and origins concealed, forcing them to awaken from reincarnated lives 309.

Lingering Souls and Obsessions

Lingering souls manifest in the Netherworld through unresolved obsessions. Their forms, strength, and persistence vary greatly; some appear as ordinary phantoms, while stronger departed souls can create illusions that affect the surrounding environment 4 179.

• A lingering soul may dissipate after its obsession is resolved, sometimes leaving a phantom image that bows before vanishing 111 153.
• Souls unable to maintain their forms eventually collapse into Grave Soil, contributing their resentment and obsession to the realm itself 227.
• Some obsessions originate from people killed centuries earlier, such as the victims of Netherblood True Person, whose spirits dissipated after his death 153.
• Powerful obsessions can manifest structures and illusionary regions. Chen Mu encountered one that resembled a cluster of buildings and was likely left by a True Person or True Lord 179.
• The Netherworld receives souls from worlds beyond the Mystic Spirit Realm; some are marked with an unknown origin 229.

Authority and Trials

Six Paths of Reincarnation

The Netherworld possesses the authority of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. Its succession trials send an inheritor’s consciousness into a world within the Boundary River, conceal their past, and test whether they can awaken to their true self 286 309.

• Death during a trial returns the challenger’s consciousness to the Netherworld and counts as failure 309.
• Failure to awaken can result in endless reincarnation, permanently trapping the challenger’s consciousness within successive lives 309.
• Awakening and acceptance are both necessary; Chen Mu concluded that a challenger must recognize their reincarnated selves rather than reject them 313.
• The Netherworld’s will can increase a trial’s difficulty when it detects interference or unauthorized control 310.

Inheritor Authority

The Boundary Stele measured an inheritor’s progress through the black-mist trials and determined the degree of authority they could exercise within the Netherworld 318.

• Passing the seventh layer allowed an inheritor to begin mobilizing a portion of the Netherworld Great World’s power 318.
• An inheritor who completed all nine layers could become the Netherworld Master, wielding power comparable to an Emperor Monarch 286 309.
• After Chen Mu succeeded, the Boundary Stele disappeared and all partial authority held by other Dao Monarchs and Sage Monarchs was removed 321.

Protection from External Interference

The Netherworld is exceptionally difficult to invade or influence from outside.

• Even Emperor Monarchs cannot forcefully enter the realm 286.
• The Immortal Earth Overlord struck the Netherworld’s exterior while attempting to intercept Chen Mu, shattering hundreds or thousands of void layers and causing the realm and Boundary River to tremble; he still could not interfere with events inside 319.
• Chen Mu used Connecting to the Netherworld to escape into the realm even while within territory overseen by the Immortal Earth Overlord 319.

Access and Danger

Cultivation / Condition	Interaction with the Netherworld
Early Soul Roaming	Chen Mu’s illusory body required a thin layer of system-provided white light; without it, the realm’s resentment and pressure would have collapsed his soul instantly 4.
Day Trip Sorcerer	Chen Mu could not enter or leave the Netherworld by his own ability, despite being able to travel rapidly once inside 82.
Second Rank Sorcerer	Even at the pinnacle of his world, Chen Mu still needed system protection; a wisp of black mist could mutate his Divine Soul into a monster 117.
Primal Spirit True Lord	Chen Mu could travel farther and move more freely, but still could not safely touch the Grave Soil, Black Blood, or black mist 179 212.
Yang Spirit Heavenly Monarch	Chen Mu could stand on and examine Grave Soil, learning that it was condensed from resentment and failed obsessions 227.
Void Spirit Dao Monarch	Chen Mu could freely enter and exit through Connecting to the Netherworld, withstand the Grave Soil and dried Black Blood, and explore the realm without the system’s direct protection 307.
Sage Monarch	Only Sage Monarchs could venture deeply into the Black Blood Sea at the Netherworld’s center; even Dao Monarchs could not enter far 286.

Relationships

• Chen Mu — First entered through Soul Roaming, became a Netherworld lineage inheritor, completed the nine trials, and ultimately became the Lord of the Netherworld 4 286 320.
• Lord of the Netherworld — Chen Mu’s past self, who waited beyond the ninth layer of black mist for his future reincarnated self to return and merge with him 320.
• Netherworld lineage inheritors — Dao Monarchs and Sage Monarchs competing for recognition and the position of Netherworld Master 286.
• E Cang Sage Monarch — A powerful inheritor who observed Chen Mu’s rise on the Boundary Stele and sought to deduce his origins 286 317.
• Immortal Earth Overlord — Attempted to intercept Chen Mu’s return to the Netherworld during the ninth Reincarnation Trial but could not interfere once Chen Mu entered the realm 319.