With the reward belonging to Zhong Tian, the Hell Judge, officially bestowed, all of Douluo Star erupted once more.
Countless people gazed up at the sky, their eyes fixed on the figure clad in a black judge's robe.
They knew full well that whatever happened next could very well transform the entire balance of power on Douluo Star!
Once, Zhong Tian had been nothing more than a Soul Master of ordinary birth.
Because he had refused to wallow in the mire with the nobles, he had been persecuted by the powerful and ultimately died nursing a bitter grudge.
Before his death, he had sworn that even if he had to search the blue heavens above and the Yellow Springs below, he would bring those evildoers to judgment one by one!
Now, the Great Emperor of Fengdu had personally intervened, taking him into the Underworld and granting him the position of judge.
And the reward announced in the sky had given Zhong Tian the right to set foot on Douluo Star again!
What did that mean?
It meant that the judge whom the nobles had joined forces to put to death was about to return to the mortal world!
And this time, he would no longer stand alone.
The entire Underworld stood behind him!
"It's coming! It's finally coming!"
In a remote village, an elderly Soul Master who had once suffered under the nobles' oppression trembled all over with excitement.
"Lord Zhong Tian, you must come back!"
"The debts those villains owe can't just be forgotten!"
"Right! I'd like to see whether those nobles who usually lord it over everyone can still strut around when they face the Underworld's judgment!"
Similar cries rang out one after another across Douluo Star.
For ordinary people, Zhong Tian's return meant not only that a powerful figure would reappear, but also that they finally had a chance to escape their old lives, in which anyone could bully them.
After all, the rules of Douluo Star had always been cruel.
The strong controlled resources, while the nobles held the reins of power.
For Soul Masters at the bottom to change their fate, they often had to work far harder than ordinary people, and even endure oppression from those above them.
Now, however, the Underworld was preparing to shatter this suffocating state of affairs through judgment.
How could they not look forward to it?
Yet in stark contrast to the excitement of the common people, the noble class was already shrouded in boundless fear.
In the Heaven Dou Empire, inside a heavily guarded noble estate.
A richly dressed old man stared fixedly at the sky.
When he saw Zhong Tian accept the Great Emperor of Fengdu's invitation and become the Hell Judge, his previously composed face turned pale in an instant.
"No... impossible!"
"That man was already dead!"
The old man's voice trembled slightly.
He was not one of the nobles who had personally taken part in judging Zhong Tian back then, but he had heard about what had happened.
More importantly, he himself had done plenty of things that could not bear the light of day.
In the past, he had never taken those things to heart.
As he saw it, as long as his family was powerful enough and he himself possessed sufficient strength, he could always find a way to settle matters, no matter what wrongs he committed.
But now, things were clearly different.
The Underworld cared nothing for family standing or birth.
At least, judging by what had been shown in the sky, the standards of judgment Zhong Tian upheld would not change because of a person's status.
Once Zhong Tian truly returned to Douluo Star and began carrying out his duties as judge, the crimes that had been covered up in the past would likely all resurface!
At that thought, the old man could no longer sit still.
"Quick! Send someone to investigate at once!"
"Gather all the family's accounts and case files from over the years, along with everything else that shouldn't have been kept!"
"Also, contact the other families immediately!"
He practically gritted his teeth as he spoke the last sentence.
"I refuse to believe that, with so many nobles on Douluo Star, we can't find a way to survive!"
Yet the moment his words fell, Zhong Tian slowly raised his head in the image overhead.
Even through the image, that icy gaze seemed to fall directly upon every noble.
In an instant, a chill ran down the old man's back.
He was even struck by an illusion.
It was as though Zhong Tian had already opened the legendary Book of Life and Death and written his name in it!
This fear did not come from being overpowered.
It came from his sudden realization that the power and influence he had once taken pride in might no longer serve as a shield to protect him.
For nobles accustomed to looking down from on high, that was the hardest thing to accept.
They could accept Soul Masters stronger than themselves.
They could also accept even more terrifying enemies.
But they could not accept someone daring to decide their fate based solely on their crimes, without regard for their status or background!
Those who had truly done things that weighed on their consciences were especially terrified, unable to pass a single day in peace.
They began plotting ways out.
Some planned to take their wealth and flee to distant lands, some sought the protection of powerful figures, and others had already begun quietly contacting various forces, preparing to join hands against the Underworld.
As they saw it, as long as they could escape Zhong Tian's judgment, everything they had done could still be covered up.
But they had clearly forgotten one thing.
Zhong Tian had become the Hell Judge.
And what he did best was precisely tracking down evil!
The nobles' panic was not confined to the estates of the great empires.
At that moment, Shrek Academy was likewise shrouded in unease.
In the dean's office, Flender sat with his brows tightly furrowed and his hands clasped, his gaze never leaving the sky.
Liu Erlong stood beside him, her expression particularly grim as well.
The other teachers were all silent.
Of course they knew that Zhong Tian's judgments in the past had not been limited to a single family.
Anyone who committed a crime could become a target of his judgment, regardless of their status.
And could Shrek Academy's actions over the years really withstand such scrutiny?
At that thought, Flender's expression grew even darker.
"You can't be serious..."
"Could it be that we're going to be sent to those so-called Eighteen Levels of Hell too?"
He could not help swallowing.
Although Flender, as the dean of Shrek Academy, had weathered his share of great winds and waves, he still felt a chill in his heart when faced with a terrifying force like the Underworld, which could judge departed souls and suppress evil ghosts.
After all, the sky had already shown some of the sights of the Eighteen Levels of Hell.
The torment endured by the deeply sinful souls cast into them went far beyond what ordinary Soul Masters could imagine.
More importantly, the Underworld's judgment did not seem inclined to let someone off easily because of whatever status they had once held.
If Zhong Tian really came knocking, how were they supposed to deal with him?
Liu Erlong's expression was just as grim.
"Flender, do you think there's anything we can do now?"
Flender opened his mouth, but did not answer immediately.
A way out?
If they were facing an ordinary Soul Master faction, he might have been able to maneuver a little using Shrek Academy's connections and resources.
But against the Underworld, he truly could not think of any way to escape easily.
Whenever he thought of Zhong Tian's words, "search the blue heavens above and the Yellow Springs below," his scalp prickled.
This judge was clearly not the sort of person to give up a pursuit easily.
Once he set his sights on someone, even fleeing to the ends of the earth might not be enough to shake him off.
The other teachers in the office were just as uneasy.
They looked at the sky, as though they could already see a road to the netherworld slowly appearing before them.
And with the news that Zhong Tian was about to return to the mortal world, that fear spread rapidly.
While the many nobles on Douluo Star and Shrek Academy were consumed by worry, a very different scene was unfolding in Fengdu Hall in the Underworld.
At that moment, Zhong Tian's gaze had long since been fixed on the sky.
He had waited far too long for this moment!
From dying with a bitter grudge to becoming the Hell Judge, he had finally gained the right to set foot in the mortal world again.
And this time, he was no longer an ordinary Soul Master who could only rely on hot blood to fight nobles whose power reached the heavens.
He possessed power granted by the Underworld.
And he possessed the authority to judge evil!
In the hall, the many ghosts and gods also turned their gazes toward Zhong Tian.
White Impermanence Yue Guan gently swayed the mourning staff in his hand, a faint smile on his face.
"Zhong Tian, you've finally got your chance."
Black Impermanence Gui Mei nodded as well.
"That's right. Now that the Underworld is about to rebuild in the mortal world, you, as the Hell Judge, should naturally be the first to take that step."