Seeing Great Emperor Fengdu send his soul flying with a single word, then reclaim the City God's dharma body.
At that moment, even though Lu Chen had made plans long ago, he had never imagined things would begin like this.
His expression changed drastically, and for a moment, he was utterly flustered.
"Supreme One, please quell your anger! Allow this minor god to explain!"
Fengdu's voice surged over him like boundless tides.
"Speak!"
It was as though hundreds of millions of thunderclaps exploded beside his ears at once, shaking Lu Chen's soul until it swayed and nearly scattered.
Yet at that moment, Lu Chen realized that a layer of profound light, thin as a cicada's wing, enveloped his soul.
It was precisely this faint glow that protected him from being frozen into an ice sculpture and from being reduced to ashes beneath the Supreme One's divine might.
It seems the Supreme One... merely wanted to give me a show of force.
His heart settling somewhat, Lu Chen bowed deeply. "This minor god pays respects to the Supreme One. Today, I used the False Investiture Technique to cross into the Netherworld. It truly was out of necessity. I beg the Supreme One to discern the truth!"
"Out of necessity?"
A cold laugh echoed through the void.
"Registrar Lu, this venerable one once aided you with an avatar because you had rendered service to the Netherworld. But now, you murdered a City God, falsely assumed an official rank, and trespassed into the Netherworld. Which of these is not a grave crime forbidden by ironclad laws? Little Yama was not wrong in the slightest. Even casting you into Avici Hell, never to be reborn for all eternity, would be more than justified. And yet you dare prattle to this venerable one about necessity?"