"Master, the evolution of the Netherworld on the Ancestral Star seems to have stalled."
Shun's heart tightened, and he immediately focused his mind to respond, "Stalled? What went wrong?"
He used Divine Eye to investigate the changes in the Netherworld. The Netherworld's energy was much weaker than yesterday, as if something was blocking it.
The voice of the planetary consciousness, Hiroto, resonated in his mind again. "Because the Ancestral Star is a newly formed habitable planet, it lacks sufficient historical foundation, leading to too few derivative Netherworld rules. It cannot support the complete operation of the Netherworld. Please assist in constructing the core rules, only then can the Netherworld continue to improve."
Shun pondered for a moment, an idea already forming in his mind.
In the Ninja World, he had once researched resurrection jutsu with Tsunade and Orochimaru.
To understand the connection between the soul and the body, they had consulted countless ancient texts and even touched upon the Netherworld, gaining some understanding of its basic structure.
The Netherworld is not merely a "Soul storage place," but a special space that operates based on rules.
First, it must be able to contain souls, then through judgment and punishment, it purifies souls, and finally guides souls to reincarnation, forming a complete cycle of life and death.
"Hiroto, don't worry, I will go to the Netherworld now."
Shun's consciousness gradually detached from his physical body, sinking into the ground like a wisp of smoke.
After an unknown period, the scene before him suddenly changed, and he found himself in a misty space.
There was no sky, no ground here, only endless hazy gray light, and even his feet felt like they were stepping on soft clouds, lacking any solid sensation.
This was the Netherworld of the Ancestral Star, still in its most primitive state.
A strange connection suddenly formed, and Shun's consciousness seemed to become one with this Netherworld space.
He quickly grasped the current state of the Netherworld. The core rules the Netherworld needed were: reception, judgment, reincarnation. These rules were like scattered fragments, floating in space, waiting to be pieced together.
Shun slowly opened his mouth, his voice echoing in the hazy space. "Decree: Treat death as life. Netherworld shall have ground, sun, moon, and stars."
The moment his words fell, the "ground" rule fragments floating in space suddenly lit up, converging towards his feet.
The originally soft "clouds" gradually solidified, and light brown earth spread from beneath his feet outwards.
In the blink of an eye, a vast plain had formed in the previously empty space. This plain stretched endlessly, its surface flat and solid, giving a feeling of immense stability.
Immediately after, the "light source" rule fragments also began to operate.
In the east of the space, a pale golden "sun" slowly rose, its light soft and warm, illuminating the entire plain.
At the same time, in the west of the space, a silver-white "moon" quietly emerged, directly opposite the "sun," bringing a touch of tranquility and mystery to this space.
These sun, moon, and stars were not real celestial bodies, but projections of the Ancestral Star's sky outside. This could provide a stable light source for the Netherworld, distinguishing day and night.
"Decree: The Netherworld is the place of reincarnation. There shall be rewards and punishments, divided into the Six Paths of Reincarnation and the Eighteen Layers of Hell."
This decree echoed through the Netherworld like a grand bell, as if it were the origin of the Universe, or perhaps the end of the world.
As this decree sounded, the entire Netherworld seemed to be activated, trembling violently.
Amidst this violent tremor, countless rule fragments, as if drawn by an invisible force, began to converge frantically. These rule fragments danced in the air, colliding and fusing, gradually forming massive structures.
Among them, the most striking were the eighteen layers of Hell, each with a different form.
Some burned with raging flames, some flowed with icy rivers, some were filled with choking smoke, and others were pitch black, where one couldn't see their hand in front of their face.
Each layer of Hell had a unique scene and atmosphere, making one feel endless fear and despair.
And in the center of these Hells, a massive Reincarnation Platform rose from the ground.
This Reincarnation Platform was hundreds of meters tall, entirely built of black and white stones, covered with densely packed runes and patterns.
Six rays of light encircled the Reincarnation Platform, displaying red, yellow, blue, green, white, and black, corresponding to the Six Paths of "Deva, Human, Asura, Animal, Preta, and Naraka."
These six rays of light intertwined, forming a giant halo that slowly rotated.
Each ray of light in the halo was like a passage to a different world, awaiting the transmigration and reincarnation of souls.
As the Eighteen Layers of Hell and the Six Paths of Reincarnation gradually took shape, Shun could clearly feel that his connection with the Netherworld was becoming increasingly close.
His consciousness seemed to merge with the entire Netherworld, able to perceive the flow and changes of every rule.
Just then, a special "authority" surged into his consciousness like a torrent. This "authority" was full of mystery and majesty, making his soul tremble.
He knew that this was the special power the Netherworld had bestowed upon him, and it was also the symbol of his becoming the Lord of the Netherworld.
He could adjust the rules of the Netherworld at any time, and also perceive the state of every soul within the Netherworld.
At the same time, more information about the operation of the Netherworld emerged.
For example, after a soul enters the Netherworld, it will first be guided to the judgment platform, where a judge will determine its destination based on its actions during life. The good will enter reincarnation, while the evil will enter Hell for purification, and then enter reincarnation after their evil thoughts dissipate.
The moment the rules were perfected, several faint soul auras suddenly appeared in the Netherworld.
These were the souls of ordinary people who had just died. Now that the Netherworld's rules were complete, there was finally a place to contain them.
But a new problem quickly arose. After these souls floated into the Netherworld, they could only wander aimlessly because there was no manager to guide them. Some even drifted towards the Eighteen Layers of Hell, creating a somewhat chaotic scene.
Shun frowned, and immediately thought of a suitable candidate: Yashiro.
For him to serve as the "King of Hell, Yama" of the Netherworld, responsible for judging souls and managing the order of the Netherworld, it couldn't be more fitting.
Shun sensed Yashiro's soul and softly called out, "Yashiro, I know you can hear me. The Ancestral Star's Netherworld has just been established and needs a fair manager. I hope you can serve as the King of Hell, and continue to guard the order of the Ancestral Star."
In the blink of an eye, Yashiro's soul appeared before him, respectfully bowing. "Clan head, I am willing. It is my honor to continue to serve the Ancestral Star and the clan members."
Shun nodded, and passed the authority of the King of Hell to him.
"From today onwards, you are Yama of the Ancestral Star's Netherworld, responsible for judging souls and guiding reincarnation. If you encounter any problems you cannot solve, you can contact me at any time."
The moment he received the authority, Yashiro's soul body instantly solidified and he put on an official robe.
He solemnly said, "Please rest assured, clan head, I will manage the Netherworld well and not disappoint you."
After speaking, he turned and flew towards the direction where the souls were wandering, beginning to guide those confused souls to the judgment platform.