"This is bad!"
"If things keep going like this, a wave of judgment unlike anything seen before will sweep across Douluo Continent!"
In the Divine Realm, Tang San stared at the figure holding the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token on the celestial screen. His face was so dark it seemed about to drip water.
Others might not yet understand what Zhong Tian intended to do, but Tang San had a vague premonition.
The newly appointed Hell Judge would never be satisfied with punishing a few minor villains guilty of countless evils.
Quite the opposite.
Judging by Zhong Tian's past and the trust Chen Yuan had shown him, he clearly intended to bring the whole of Douluo Continent within the scope of his judgment!
Those who had committed evil would likely be unable to escape the Hell Judge's eyes.
And those who had once opposed the Underworld, or even secretly supported the Divine Realm, were even more likely to become the chief targets of Zhong Tian's judgment!
At that thought, Tang San's heart grew heavier.
"You should understand that this matter will never be so simple."
Tang San slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the members of the Shrek Seven Devils one by one.
"Now that Zhong Tian has obtained the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token, he will surely use this treasure to scrutinize every living being on Douluo Continent."
"Whether ordinary Soul Masters or nobles who look down on everyone else, anyone who has committed a crime could become his target."
"And don't forget, the Underworld has now transformed the former site of Spirit Hall into the City of Wrongful Death. Zhong Tian didn't choose to begin his judgment there simply to punish a few evildoers."
"He's announcing to all of Douluo Continent that the Underworld is officially intervening in mortal affairs!"
When he finished speaking, every member of the Shrek Seven Devils wore a grave expression.
Tang San was not wrong.
From the moment Zhong Tian accepted Chen Yuan's invitation and became the Hell Judge, this matter was destined not to end peacefully.
That was especially true for Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
The two exchanged a glance, each seeing deep worry in the other's eyes.
They were different from the others.
Oscar and Ma Hongjun also had families of their own, and Flender, Liu Erlong, and the others each had people they cared about. But Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's families were unquestionably part of the empire's ruling class.
The Dai Family, the imperial family of the Star Luo Empire, and Zhu Zhuqing's Zhu Family were both prominent noble powers on Douluo Continent.
Over the years, the two families had fought and schemed against each other for power, while the competition within each family was even more ruthless.
As for how those lofty family members lived their daily lives, the two of them naturally knew better than anyone.
In the eyes of ordinary people, nobles were immensely exalted, and Soul Masters possessed power beyond the reach of common folk.
But in the eyes of those nobles, what did ordinary lives amount to?
People could lose their lives over a tiny scrap of profit, or even to satisfy someone's selfish desires.
And when it came to such matters, just how clean could the Dai and Zhu Families be?
Dai Mubai's face gradually darkened.
If Zhong Tian really judged the nobles of Douluo Continent according to the standards of the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token, the Star Luo Empire would likely be the first to bear the brunt.
After all, the greater the imperial family's power, the more opportunities for profit it had access to.
Power brought not only glory, but also countless burdens of guilt.
Zhu Zhuqing was silent as well.
Compared to Dai Mubai, she had a deeper personal understanding of what went on in the Zhu Family.
The struggles within the family, the ruthless rules of survival, and the family members who would stop at nothing for profit had long since taught her that so-called noble glory did not necessarily mean honor and integrity.
Now that the Underworld's judgment had suddenly descended, she did not even know how to face those familiar people.
If members of the Zhu Family really had committed unforgivable crimes, could she expect Zhong Tian to make an exception because of his connection to her?
Clearly not!
Zhong Tian was the Hell Judge personally chosen by Chen Yuan.
Since he had dared to begin his judgment before all of Douluo Continent, he would never lightly change his decision because of anyone's status.
At that thought, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing felt their scalps tingle.
How was this any ordinary judgment?
He was plainly going to drag out the entire noble class of Douluo Continent and settle accounts with them one by one!
And their families were among them.
"I'm afraid something terrible really is going to happen this time..."
Dai Mubai spoke in a low voice, unable to conceal the bitterness in it.
Beside him, Zhu Zhuqing did not answer. She merely clenched her fists tightly.
She no longer knew how to describe what she was feeling.
If the Underworld were judging some other power, she might still have been able to calmly watch the show.
But once her own family was involved, things were entirely different.
However, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing were not the only ones who felt genuine panic.
Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and the others had likewise thought of their own loved ones and the teachers who had once taught them.
Though they were not necessarily at the heart of the nobility, they knew perfectly well just how vast the gap between Soul Masters and ordinary people was.
On Douluo Continent, Soul Masters possessed formidable power, while nobles controlled enormous resources.
The two were intertwined, forming the most firmly entrenched ruling class in this world.
And ordinary people?
They had no Soul Power, no backing, and precious few chances even to change their fate.
Once they offended a noble, many could only swallow their anger and endure.
If they ran into someone cruel and ruthless, they likely would not even have a chance to appeal.
In the past, these things might have seemed to everyone like the normal state of affairs on Douluo Continent.
But now, Zhong Tian had appeared with the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token.
This judge, once executed for judging nobles, now had the Underworld's support and power enough to change the situation.
Those who had once looked down on everyone else would finally have to face what they had done in the past!
"This is bad, this is bad!"
Ma Hongjun suddenly grimaced, unable to keep from exclaiming.
"The way I see it, there's going to be bloodshed all across Douluo Continent this time!"
"Those nobles used to throw their weight around, relying on their status and strength. Who dared say a single word against them? Well, now Zhong Tian's come knocking with the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token in hand!"
"Tsk, tsk, just thinking about the scene is exciting!"
For all his talk of excitement, Ma Hongjun no longer looked as relaxed as he once had.
He naturally knew that Zhong Tian's judgment would involve far more than a few strangers.
Families and powers they had dealt with before, and even some of Shrek Academy's teachers and senior staff, could be swept up in it.
Even so, compared with the others' worries, Ma Hongjun felt a faint flicker of anticipation deep down.
Why should those people be allowed to get away with their evil deeds forever?
Could they treat ordinary lives like grass simply because they were nobles?
Now that someone had finally stepped forward to uphold justice, what reason did he have to object?
"Ma Hongjun!"
Hearing those words, Yu Xiaogang's expression immediately soured.
"Do you know what you're saying?"
Yu Xiaogang's voice carried unmistakable anger, as though Ma Hongjun had just said something utterly outrageous.
Ma Hongjun, however, merely glanced at him.
"Of course I do."
"I said Zhong Tian is going to judge those who have committed evil. Surely you don't think nobles who've done bad things shouldn't be punished, Grandmaster?"
The question left Yu Xiaogang unable to reply.
Yu Xiaogang's expression froze.
He naturally could not admit to that.
After all, the situation now was completely different from before.
If Zhong Tian were merely an ordinary man with no backing and no power, then even if he wanted to judge the nobility, it would be nothing but a fool's dream.
But now he was the Underworld's Hell Judge!
Behind him stood Chen Yuan, the unfathomable Fengdu Grand Hall, and the Underworld's entire system of ghosts and gods!
Under these circumstances, who dared openly oppose him?
Unless they thought they had lived too long!
What frightened Yu Xiaogang even more was that the Yu Family was also a prominent noble family on Douluo Continent.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, moreover, had a long history and immense power.
In the past, backed by their family's foundations and the strength of Soul Masters, they had naturally acted with a confidence others could scarcely match.
But now, Zhong Tian's judgment cared nothing for any of that.
As long as the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token found someone guilty, whatever family that person came from or whatever status they held would likely be no excuse to escape punishment.
The Clear Sky Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect, and even the noble powers that had once stood with the Divine Realm...
How many of them could beat their chests and swear they had never done anything to trouble their consciences?
Not to mention Shrek Academy!
Over the years, Shrek Academy had always claimed to nurture geniuses, but many of its practices had not been without controversy.
If Zhong Tian really expanded the scope of his judgment to places like these, the consequences would be unthinkable!
The more Yu Xiaogang thought about it, the more panicked he became.
He had even begun considering whether to contact the Yu Family in advance and tell them to find a way to deal with this crisis at once.
But the question was, would ordinary political schemes really work against an Underworld judge who could directly judge souls?
If Zhong Tian did not even give them a chance to explain, who could stop him?
At that thought, Yu Xiaogang felt as though a boulder were pressing down on his chest, making it difficult even to breathe.
On the celestial screen, however, Zhong Tian had already begun to act.
No one knew whom this Hell Judge would judge first.
But everyone understood that from the moment the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token appeared in the world, the old order of Douluo Continent had faced a challenge unlike any before!
Douluo Star, the City of Wrongful Death.
As Zhong Tian formally took the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token, the dark clouds that had shrouded the city suddenly began to churn.
Endless Yin Qi spread in every direction, while intertwined black and white light rose from the token's surface, like a sun of judgment suspended between heaven and earth.
Zhong Tian stood in the center of the City of Wrongful Death, his judge's robes snapping in the wind.
At this moment, Zhong Tian was no longer the ordinary man who had been framed by nobles and ultimately died full of resentment.
After being remade by the Underworld, Zhong Tian had gained not only a brand-new body, but also power bestowed by Chen Yuan.
Especially the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token.
As Zhong Tian sensed it, the treasure seemed to possess a will of its own.
When Zhong Tian infused it with divine power, the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token would operate on its own, sensing traces of good and evil in living beings within a certain range.
Crimes buried deep in memory and truths concealed by power and influence seemed unable to escape its scrutiny.
Of course, what the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token revealed was not merely identity and status.
Whether a person was good or evil ultimately depended on their deeds.
For that very reason, Zhong Tian understood all the more what it meant for Chen Yuan to entrust this treasure to him.
The Underworld had never sought to judge any particular family.
It sought to judge those who used their power to bully others, treated human lives as worthless, and committed countless evils!
Whether they were ordinary Soul Masters or nobles who looked down on everyone else, as long as their crimes were proven, they would pay the price for what they had done!
"In that case..."
Zhong Tian slowly raised the Good and Evil Reward and Punishment Token in his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Let us begin with the City of Wrongful Death, and show all of Douluo Continent what it truly means for good and evil to receive their due!"