The two exchanged a glance, both feeling a tangle of emotions.
They felt both apprehension and curiosity.
Deep beneath that apprehension, there was even a faint trace of excitement.
For the God King of Goodness and the Evil God King, few opponents over the long ages had truly given them trouble.
The Underworld's appearance had undoubtedly shattered their previously tranquil understanding.
How many unknown methods did this force hidden deep in the netherworld possess?
If one day they truly clashed with the Underworld, what would the outcome be?
At that thought, both God Kings' feelings grew complicated.
They still wanted to test the Underworld's strength for themselves.
But at least for now, they no longer dared to look down on it as they had before.
The existence of the Eighteen Levels of Hell was enough to make any god reassess their own weight!
Just as the gods of the Divine Realm were shaken by the Eighteen Levels of Hell, another change quietly took place.
In the Divine Realm, Tang San had brought Yu Xiaogang there according to his own arrangements.
For Tang San, the most important thing now was to find a way to deal with the Underworld as soon as possible.
The strength Yue Guan had displayed, the Soul-Summoning Banner in Black Impermanence Ghost Douluo's possession, and the terrifying Eighteen Levels of Hell had all made Tang San realize that the Shrek Seven Devils' current strength alone would likely be insufficient to gain the upper hand in this conflict.
That was why he had thought of his teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
In Tang San's view, although Yu Xiaogang's strength was limited, he possessed profound knowledge of Martial Soul Theory.
If he could draw on his teacher's research to find a flaw in the Underworld's system of power, it might yet change the present situation.
However, Tang San probably never imagined it.
After seeing the Eighteen Levels of Hell, his teacher's first thought was not how to study the Underworld.
It was whether he himself would also be treated as an evil soul.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang stood in the Divine Realm, gazing at the scenes of hell, layer upon layer, in the sky. His expression had grown particularly ugly.
Earlier, Tang San had sent him a message saying he needed his help.
The moment Yu Xiaogang received it, he was beside himself with joy.
In Yu Xiaogang's view, though he lacked great strength, his theoretical knowledge was unmatched in the world.
Now that Tang San was the Asura God, he needed someone to help him analyze his opponents from a theoretical perspective.
Wasn't this Yu Xiaogang's chance to show what he could do?
As long as he could help Tang San resolve the problem of the Underworld, he would be able to prove his worth once more.
In the future, he might even be able to secure a place for himself in the Divine Realm!
Sadly, dreams were plump, but reality was especially cruel.
When the Eighteen Levels of Hell truly appeared in the sky, Yu Xiaogang realized he seemed to have celebrated too soon.
Those scenes of hell, each layer making his scalp tingle, shattered the last trace of hope in his heart.
Yu Xiaogang swallowed, cold sweat having seeped onto his forehead without his noticing.
"Th-this is the Eighteen Levels of Hell?"
His voice trembled slightly.
As a researcher of Soul Master theory, Yu Xiaogang considered himself exceptionally knowledgeable.
Yet the sight before him made it difficult for him to maintain even the most basic composure.
The scenes of evil souls being punished in the sky, in particular, sent a chill through Yu Xiaogang's heart.
He could not help thinking of himself.
If the Eighteen Levels of Hell were meant to punish evil souls burdened with grave sins, what sort of being would be deemed an evil soul?
Only those who had committed countless evil deeds in life?
Or would anyone whose sins reached a certain degree be seized by the Underworld and sent there?
The more Yu Xiaogang thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
He suddenly realized that he seemed never to have given the question serious thought.
In the past, Yu Xiaogang had always liked to judge others from the lofty heights of theory.
He could judge Spirit Hall by his own standards, criticize his former opponents from his own standpoint, and blame outside forces for certain facts he was unwilling to accept.
But now that the Underworld's rules of judgment had truly been laid before him, he began, for the first time, to worry whether he too would become an object of judgment.
After all, Yu Xiaogang was not entirely unaware of what he had done in the past.
The grievances between him and Spirit Hall back then had long since become impossible to explain in just a few words.
He had resented Spirit Hall for what had happened to him, and he had blamed Bibi Dong for many things.
But behind those grievances, how much had been his own responsibility, and how much was truth he was unwilling to face?
Yu Xiaogang dared not think too deeply about it.
What frightened him even more was that, if the Underworld truly possessed the power to judge evil souls, could he bluff his way through with a few words in his own defense?
Obviously not!
At that thought, Yu Xiaogang's face grew even paler.
"N-no, that won't happen!"
Yu Xiaogang suddenly shook his head, as though trying to shake every last ominous thought from his mind.
"I'm not an evildoer!"
"I've devoted myself to studying Martial Soul Theory and helped so many students. How could I possibly be treated as an evil soul?"
Yu Xiaogang repeated those words over and over.
His voice grew faster and more urgent.
It was as if, by saying them enough times, he could make himself believe them.
He did not even dare keep looking at the sky.
For whenever his gaze fell on the images of the Eighteen Levels of Hell, the fear in Yu Xiaogang's heart deepened a little more.
He kept dismissing his own worries, desperately telling himself that he could never become an object of the Underworld's judgment.
I'm a good person!
I'm definitely not an evil soul!
Yu Xiaogang insisted to himself again and again.
Yet the more he did so, the harder it became for him to calm down.
After all, true judgment would never change because of a person's attempts to defend themselves.
Beside Yu Xiaogang, the members of the Shrek Seven Devils also noticed that something was wrong with him.
Xiao Wu glanced at the pale-faced Yu Xiaogang, then looked at the Eighteen Levels of Hell in the sky, a complicated look flashing through her eyes.
Dai Mubai frowned, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately remained silent.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun exchanged a glance, neither knowing how to comfort him.
Whatever else could be said, Yu Xiaogang had once been their teacher.
Even though they had long since come to disagree with some of Yu Xiaogang's actions over the years, they could hardly step forward and accuse him at a time like this.
Besides, they too had no answer as to how the Eighteen Levels of Hell judged sinful souls.
Thus, after a brief silence, the Shrek Seven Devils chose to stand by Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher, don't think too much about it."
"We still don't know how the Underworld judges good and evil."
"Maybe... things aren't that bad."
Several voices spoke up in succession to comfort him.
But when Yu Xiaogang heard their words, they did not truly put him at ease.
He could only force himself to nod, striving to maintain an outward appearance of composure.
For only Yu Xiaogang himself knew that, at this moment, what he feared most was not how others saw him.
It was that the Eighteen Levels of Hell would truly deem him an evil soul!
Just then, the image in the sky suddenly changed.
The scenes of the Eighteen Levels of Hell that had been appearing without cease abruptly paused. Immediately afterward, a magnificent, mysterious light slowly rose from deep within the sky.
Countless arcane runes appeared with it, as though some long-dormant law of heaven and earth were being awakened once more.
A completely different presence began to spread across the entire Douluo Continent and the Divine Realm.
The next moment, a new image slowly unfolded in the sky.
It was a reward screen!