Crowned Lord of the Underworld

In the Netherworld of No-Delusion, black mist churned all year round. The Netherworld Wind carried scattered whispers of wraiths as it circled the entrance to the shattered Reincarnation passage.

Li Chen stood quietly in the void of the Underworld, surrounded by an impure-free, ink-dark radiance. It was his uniquely pure Power of Reincarnation—without violence, without devouring, containing only the calm and weight of all things returning to silence.

He lowered his gaze toward the fragmented wraiths lingering beneath his feet. With a gentle twist of his fingers, a strand of mild Power of Reincarnation flowed forth, softly guiding those lost souls toward the incomplete Reincarnation Rift.

At that moment, streams of incomparably pure Power of Faith continuously gathered around him.

It was the gratitude of countless wraiths freed from suffering and granted reincarnation. It transformed into the purest, clearest Power of Faith, flowing endlessly into his body like trickling streams, continuously merging with and tempering the pure power of reincarnation around him.

Seeing this, the Great Universe Will could no longer endure it and issued a divine decree.

"Blood-stained... nether path... reincarnation... decree."

"Between life and death... the sound... of reincarnation... harmonized... naturally."

The Great Universe Will of the Douluo Plane possessed no independent intelligence, no distinction between good and evil. It had only the most primitive instinct to maintain the Plane's balance and complete the laws of the world.

The Plane's Reincarnation had long been incomplete and could never reach perfection. Yet the pure Power of Life and Death and newly born Power of Reincarnation within Li Chen were precisely the final piece needed to complete the Reincarnation Law.

Its purpose was simple, and domineering—to use the Plane's origin power to forcibly integrate Li Chen's soul, laws, and power completely into the Plane's Reincarnation system, making him part of the Reincarnation Law. In doing so, it would completely restore the Plane's Reincarnation and perfect the foundation of the world.

In an instant, countless golden chains condensed from the rules of the universe's Great Dao surged wildly from the depths of the void. Carrying an irresistible suppressive force, they tightly coiled around Li Chen's body and divine soul.

The power of the universe's origin flowed across the chains. Wherever they passed, Li Chen's Power of Reincarnation was continuously suppressed, and even the Power of Death around him began to scatter. An intense feeling of assimilation swept through his body, as though he would lose himself completely the next moment and become a cold vessel for universal Reincarnation.

Li Chen gritted his teeth and tried to summon his power to resist. But beneath the instinctive suppression of the Great Universe Will, all his resistance seemed insignificant. Tearing pain gradually spread through his divine soul, and his consciousness began to blur.

Just as he was about to be completely assimilated and merged into the Plane's Reincarnation, the Death God Position that had remained silent beside Li Chen suddenly erupted with boundless Netherworld divine light!

It had no tangible form, only a hazy, ancient ink-dark divine radiance that condensed into the embryonic form of a Supreme God Position. Its newly born will was utterly ignorant, without sorrow or joy, thought or concern. Like a newborn child, it knew nothing of the world—yet when it sensed its most beloved child facing danger, a panicked and urgent tremor suddenly rose from the depths of its divine soul. Only one pure, stubborn instinct remained—protect its master.

The next second, ink-dark divine radiance slowly spilled from Li Chen's soul, first turning into a thin, cicada-wing-like layer of gentle light that carefully wrapped around his crumbling divine soul. Its movements were incomparably soft, like a child holding the only treasure in its palm, using the lightest possible touch for fear of worsening his pain.

But before the Great Universe Will's violent chains of laws, that fragile membrane of light was torn apart in an instant. Fine fragments of ink-dark divine radiance scattered through the void like stars.

The God Position's trembling suddenly intensified. Its ignorant consciousness knew no fear, only reckless persistence.

It broke free from the shackles of the divine soul and appeared directly above Li Chen's head. The ancient death runes engraved across its body lit up one by one. Though it possessed no overwhelming killing intent, it radiated the pressure of a Supreme God Position that stood above the Plane's laws.

It awkwardly tilted its body, sheltering Li Chen firmly beneath its divine radiance. Like a fledgling spreading its wings to protect its young, its movements were unpracticed, yet incomparably resolute.

Thousands upon thousands of golden chains slammed madly against the God Position's divine radiance, producing deafening roars. With every impact, its radiance dimmed a fraction, and fine cracks appeared in the runes on its surface. Yet it still refused to yield an inch.

It did not understand resistance, universal pressure, or compromise. Driven only by instinct, it activated every bit of its newly formed and feeble God Position will without reservation, using divine radiance to construct an unbreakable barrier against all assimilation and erosion directed at Li Chen.

At the same time, streams of gentle God Position power slowly poured in through Li Chen's crown, awkwardly yet stubbornly repairing his damaged meridians and divine soul, dispelling the erosion of universal laws.

It had no complicated thoughts and made no earth-shaking declaration. There was only an unceasing hum, soft yet stubborn, echoing through the void as it resisted the Great Universe Will that stood above all else, displaying its obsession with protecting its master to the fullest.

"Quack, don't touch him!"

A cold, empty thought devoid of all emotion spread from the Death God Position, reaching the void where the Great Universe Will resided. If Netherworld's Original Will had been stable enough, it would have definitely elbowed the Universe Will hard for daring to assimilate its most beloved child.

Immediately afterward, the Death God Position began drawing upon the origin power of the entire Underworld. The Underworld's land, the Netherworld Star River, and the thoughts of countless lingering wraiths all converged upon Li Chen. Together with all the pure Power of Faith he had accumulated, they transformed into the glory of a coronation.

The God Position's will gave everything it had, bestowing the Underworld's supreme authority over all things upon Li Chen without reservation!

Li Chen felt his soul completely connect with the entire Underworld. He could sense every wisp of wind, every trace of wraithly aura, and every thread of Reincarnation within it. Pure Power of Death and Power of Reincarnation merged wildly within his body, and his aura suddenly soared. A majesty capable of commanding the netherworld and ruling over rebirth erupted completely from within him.

At this very moment, with the Death God Position's aid, Li Chen was formally crowned the one and only Lord of the Underworld in this Netherworld of No-Delusion!

Li Chen was no longer a fragment meant to complete universal Reincarnation. He was now an independent ruler who possessed the Underworld's origin and controlled death and Reincarnation. Behind him stood the newly born Death God Position, sworn to protect him to the death; beneath him lay the support of countless faiths and the Underworld's foundation. He had long since escaped the scope of the Great Universe Will's assimilation.

The Great Universe Will still attempted to exert pressure, but its instinct was to preserve the balance of the universe. If it forcibly destroyed the Underworld and erased Li Chen, it would only trigger the collapse of universal laws and bring about an even greater disaster. That ran contrary to its underlying code. (It really was a code conflict. Otherwise, the Universe Will that could kill the Dragon God would have had no trouble killing the Underworld as well.)

After a brief stalemate, the invisible pressure enveloping the Underworld gradually withdrew and dispersed.

The Great Universe Will retreated helplessly.

With the Great Universe Will's departure, the oppressive atmosphere hanging over the Underworld completely vanished. Li Chen sat in the void of the Underworld, while the divine light of the Death God Position above his head receded. The ignorant God Position will had become completely connected to his mind.

He raised a hand and gently brushed the void, sensing the Underworld's chaotic threads of law. His gaze was firm and calm.

"From this day onward, the Underworld shall have order, and Reincarnation shall have a destination."

Li Chen spoke softly, but his voice resounded throughout the entire netherworld.

As the Lord of the Underworld, he joined forces with the Death God Position's origin power and began reshaping the order of the Underworld.

First, he stabilized the incomplete Reincarnation passage. Then he sorted through the scattered Wraith Law, purged the resentment and violence that had bred within the Underworld, and established the rules for wraiths to pass on and be reborn through Reincarnation. Drifting wraiths found a home, and the collapsed order of the Underworld gradually returned to its proper path.

The black mist gradually became clear. The Netherworld Wind no longer carried violent malice. A complete Reincarnation passage slowly unfolded, and the wraiths followed its order into Reincarnation. At last, the Netherworld of No-Delusion welcomed true rebirth.