Within the Underworld, there was no distinction between day and night.
Xueyi and Hanya had long since grown accustomed to this gloomy environment. They remained inside the grand hall of the Netherworld, following Ereshkigal in their cultivation.
"The Underworld is the realm that governs life and death, as well as the cycle of reincarnation. After mortals in the human world die, their souls fall into the Underworld."
"From that point onward, their destination and rebirth are all under the jurisdiction of the Netherworld."
"Whether they are sent back to the human world for reincarnation, turned into beasts or livestock, or imprisoned within the Nether Prison—it is all decided by the ruler of the Underworld. In other words—by me."
"Oh..."
As the three Judges listened to Ereshkigal explain her duties and responsibilities, the more they heard, the deeper their awe grew.
In the mortal world, all things were bound by the cycle of life and death.
Beyond the Underworld, there were Aeons, Emanators, and countless nations and civilizations.
But the Netherworld was the world after death. All external rules were irrelevant here. Everything was determined solely by the will of the Goddess of the Underworld.
Even the Ten-Lords Commission, at its core, was merely a preventive institution established to keep the Xianzhou people from falling into mara and causing chaos.
They had no authority over what happened after death.
"Come. I'll teach you how to use the Authority of the Underworld."
Ereshkigal was fairly satisfied with these three assistants she had recruited. Aside from Huohuo being somewhat timid, both Xueyi and Hanya were well-suited to becoming true Judges.
Shhk—
With a wave of her hand.
Everyone's vision pierced through the dome, revealing the ever-flowing Xianzhou.
At the docks of the Starskiff Haven, along the streets of Exalting Sanctum, and within every corner—inside every single person's body—burned a cluster of blue flame.
"Souls!"
Huohuo cried out in shock.
Though the Ten-Lords Commission possessed certain techniques for binding souls and commanding spirits, they were far inferior to Ereshkigal's methods.
They could clearly see the soul within every person on the Xianzhou.
Whether it was a lowly laborer at the bottom of the Starskiff Haven, or a high-ranking figure within the Palace of Astrum, all were the same.
Most young people's souls were vibrant and full of vitality, while many of the outworlders who had come to the Xianzhou seeking medical treatment flickered like candles on the verge of being extinguished.
"That's right. These are their 'souls.' Any living being within the domain of the Underworld—once they die, their souls will return to the Netherworld."
"Netherworld Messengers will guide them here. As Judges, your duty is to grant them an appropriate destination."
As she spoke, Ereshkigal pointed in a certain direction.
On the Xianzhou, living beings passed away at every moment—innocents slain by bandits, criminals executed, patients in clinics, and unfortunate souls who met all manner of strange ends...
Without exception, when their final breath was exhausted, their souls silently fell into the Underworld.
Drifting down leisurely from the dome, they transformed into firefly-like lights and landed upon the ground.
"Netherworld Messengers," dressed in uniforms resembling those of the Xianzhou, guided those souls into the grand hall.
"That's an artificial intelligence I asked Akashi to make. The principle is similar to the gold automatons that harvest souls. Let's just call them Netherworld Messengers."
Seeing the others staring in fascination, Ereshkigal offered a brief explanation.
Shhk—
A row of firefly-like souls lined up neatly before them.
"Eek! G-ghosts!!"
Huohuo shrank behind Xueyi in fright once more.
"It's fine. This isn't like the Ten-Lords Commission. Once a soul enters the Underworld, it is suppressed by the laws of the Netherworld."
"Ordinary people may not even retain much consciousness. They can't hurt you."
Ereshkigal gently rubbed Huohuo's head.
"What if the General came here?"
Huohuo asked a rather audacious question.
"Even the Xianzhou Marshal would have to listen to me in the Netherworld."
Ereshkigal nodded, beckoning a few souls forward before channeling a stream of power into Huohuo, Hanya, and Xueyi.
"Give it a try. Through the soul, you can see everything about a person."
Shhk—
The instant their Authority touched the souls.
Scenes flashed before their eyes like a revolving lantern.
Each soul's entire life swept past in rapid succession. The Authority bestowed by the Goddess of the Underworld granted them the ability to swiftly extract the most crucial information.
To judge a person's good and evil, merits and sins.
In just a few seconds, it felt as though they had fully grasped the general outline of that person's life.
"Ah..."
"This one is an outworlder who came to the Xianzhou from another world. Mm... not a bad person, but not particularly good either. Just... an ordinary person?"
Huohuo withdrew her hand, somewhat dazed.
"This one is a major criminal previously wanted by the Luofu. He was just executed."
Hanya looked toward another soul, her expression tinged with astonishment.
When the Ten-Lords Commission deduced karmic judgments, they needed to rely on Forgetfulness Wine and dream-divination. Yet before the Goddess of the Underworld, a single glance was enough to see through everything.
The power of a true deity was indeed unfathomable.
"Mm, once you've seen their lives, the rest is naturally the work of recording sins and passing judgment."
Ereshkigal let out a yawn.
"Personally, I rather believe in the saying that good people receive good rewards."
"So the work of a Judge is the same. If they were good, send them back to the human world for another reincarnation. You can even pick a better place for them. The Xianzhou isn't a bad option, actually."
"As for those who committed every evil imaginable in life—just reincarnate them as pigs, dogs, cattle, or something of the sort and be done with it."
"Oh, beneath the grand hall lies the Nether Prison, used to confine souls. For certain truly detestable individuals, I don't mind giving them a bit of punishment here in the Underworld."
As she spoke, Ereshkigal pointed downward.
"That area is reserved for Master and the enemies of the Starsea Empire."
"Hiss..."
Xueyi pondered for a moment.
"Then... in places where there is no Underworld, where do people go after death?"
"That depends on whether their side has something similar. An underworld, a nether court, a hell... or perhaps some evil god that collects souls."
Ereshkigal shrugged.
"If none of that exists, then they probably just disappear completely."
"Because the cycle of life and death belongs to my rules and my concept. The scope of the Underworld is the scope governed by that rule."
"Th-This is just like the netherworld from myth and legend!"
Huohuo jumped in fright.
She realized she had truly arrived somewhere extraordinary.
Standing before her was a god who ruled over the world after death.
"Hehe—"
Ereshkigal smiled.
"Because I am the mistress of the underworld from myth and legend."
...
For the people of the Xianzhou, institutions like the Ten-Lords Commission that supervised life and death were extremely mysterious. There were rarely opportunities to interact with them in daily life.
At most, one might occasionally encounter a Judge in passing. Most people had little to do with them.
Therefore, although everyone knew that the Starsea Empire had taken over the Ten-Lords Commission's duties, they felt no real sense of it.
At best, it became casual gossip over tea.
"Hey, did you hear? A few days ago, the notices from the Realm-Keeping Commission and the Ten-Lords Commission came down. Apparently several Judges are joining the Starsea Empire to serve as someone's assistant or something..."
Inside a card parlor, Qingque listened absentmindedly as her fellow players chatted idly.
"Why is the Starsea Empire meddling in the Ten-Lords Commission's affairs? And they even took a few Judges? Aren't they all a bit... strange?"
"Who knows? Besides, it's rare for them to make a request. Of course it had to be granted."
"Uh... so does that mean the Ten-Lords Commission won't be supervising life and death anymore? That's kind of weird..."
After discussing for a while, no one reached any conclusion.
It all felt distant—matters of life and death supervision were far removed from their everyday lives.
However.
A few days later.
Out of curiosity about the Underworld, Jing Yuan, Yukong, and several other high-ranking officials of the Xianzhou personally paid a visit to the Netherworld and toured it for quite some time.
They then discussed and deliberated with the Xianzhou Alliance for several days.
Soon after, explosive news emerged from the Palace of Astrum:
"Effective immediately, matters concerning the Xianzhou's cycle of life and death shall be decided entirely by the Lord of the Underworld."
"The Goddess of the Underworld, Ereshkigal, is hereby revered as a Righteous God of the Xianzhou Alliance, granted the honorific title—Sacrosanct of Reincarnation."