Divine Authority: Yin-Yang Decree

Within the battlefield space, the concept of time had completely blurred.

Chen Zhou was indeed struggling, but just as those outside had expected, he was in no real danger.

He had lost track of how many times he had struck out, and how many times his body had been pierced by the thread monster.

Had it not been for the Guardian Auspicious God Destiny, which allowed him to dodge fatal blows at critical moments, and the damage transfer and endurance provided by 【Eternal Calamity Karma-Fire】, he likely wouldn't have lasted this long.

A 7th-stage 5th-contract thread monster was nothing short of a meat grinder.

Chen Zhou could only rely on thousands of bone ghost servants to launch continuous charges, acting as meat shields while stacking Withering Venom.

The Hate Prison rose again and again, but the darkness could only temporarily trap the monster.

He then relied on the defense-ignoring properties of Hatred Fire to slowly wear down its health, detonating the poison whenever enough had accumulated.

This was a contest of wills.

He did not know how much time had passed—perhaps a year, perhaps a decade.

Finally, when the Hatred Fire burned through the monster's last thread...

Boom—

The massive entity before him finally collapsed, dissolving into a sky full of light points.

The battlefield shattered.

Chen Zhou felt his vision blur as his consciousness returned to his body.

He was still sitting by the Abyssal Underworld pool, but he was gasping for breath, his sea of consciousness flooded with waves of exhaustion.

That was truly tiring.

As he calmed his mind, Chen Zhou looked at the hook in front of him. A whisk was floating in mid-air.

The whisk was pure white. The handle looked like jade but wasn't, and the strands were soft and long, shimmering with points of light. It was exceptionally dazzling against the backdrop of the Abyssal Underworld.

"This is..."

As Chen Zhou reached out, the whisk automatically drifted into his palm.

Immediately after, three pairs of eyes fixed onto the whisk simultaneously.

A-Yao, the woman in the palace dress, blinked. The middle-aged man was slightly stunned. Both of their expressions were incredibly strange, and they instinctively turned to look at the young man beside them.

The young man's expression was the most complex of all.

He stared blankly at the whisk in Chen Zhou's hand, a flicker of something complicated crossing his eyes.

"I didn't expect that even it would recognize you."

The young man gave a hearty laugh and stood up. Straightening his robes, he strode over to Chen Zhou.

He cupped his fists and gave a deep bow.

"Congratulations."

Before Chen Zhou could respond, the divine path inheritance surged through the whisk and crashed into his sea of consciousness.

【Divine Authority: Yin-Yang Decree (Fragmented)】

This inheritance was far more profound and majestic than the previous 【Faith Conferment】 and 【Cloud Sea Resplendence】.

The inheritance had two cores:

First, the 【Law-Evaluating Eye】: The wielder of this authority could open a divine eye to vaguely perceive the merits and sins of a target individual (within a permissible range of power difference) regarding their current faction, region, and even heaven and earth. Those with great merit would be protected by golden light, while those with great sin would be wreathed in karma-fire.

Second, the 【Decree Judgment】: The wielder could use this authority to reward or punish based on the target's merits and sins. Meritorious subjects could be granted blessings and fortune. Sinful individuals could be sentenced to punishment, have their souls detained, or even have their longevity directly stripped away.

Chen Zhou took a deep breath. After digesting the inheritance, he instinctively activated the 【Law-Evaluating Eye】.

His gaze swept over the three people before him.

None of the three had made any effort to hide themselves. Through Chen Zhou's divine eye, he saw three thick clouds of golden light of merit, surrounding them like three scorching suns.

The intensity of this golden light was far heavier than what he possessed.

Especially the young man—the golden light of merit behind him had practically formed a pillar of light that pierced the sky, shining brilliantly within the dim Immortal-Slaying Shrine.

These were all people of immense merit.

Chen Zhou was inwardly shaken.

On his journey, he had saved millions of lives and believed his own merit wasn't small, but compared to these three, he wasn't even in the same league.

Chen Zhou couldn't help but ask curiously, "What earth-shattering deeds did you three seniors do during your lives?"

To have merit that could last for tens of thousands of years, enduring the wear of time without fading...

One must realize that ten thousand years was enough for the world to change completely and for even gods to fall, yet this merit remained so dazzling.

Was it related to the great battle outside the shrine?

Seeing Chen Zhou come back to his senses and perceive the merit they carried, the young man knew he had successfully mastered the authority.

Hearing Chen Zhou's question, he merely gave a faint smile and didn't answer directly. Instead, he pointed at the whisk in Chen Zhou's hand.

"This object is called 【Yin-Yang Judgment】."

"Like A-Yao's Cloud-Hiding Silk, it was an item that followed me through many battles in life."

The young man's tone was gentle, as if he were introducing an old friend.

"It is not a divine weapon meant primarily for slaughter, but a ceremonial vessel used to establish rules."

"Of course, it's not entirely useless for one's strength. Protection from merit is already the best form of defense."

"You should already be aware of its functions. This ceremonial vessel can use the power of the 【Yin-Yang Decree】 to create special tools of punishment and reward."

"It can help you punish evil and reward good."

The young man looked at Chen Zhou with a meaningful gaze. "Since you've established a city and have believers, you must necessarily establish order."

"Rewarding good and punishing evil is the foundation of order."

"Yin-Yang Judgment will be the cornerstone for you to perfect a divine order and establish a divine path system in the future."

Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow. Establish order?

He actually had a few ideas now. He wondered what kind of punishment tools he could create.

"It can also change its appearance according to your will, just like A-Yao's ring."

The young man asked with a smile, "Well? Are you satisfied?"

Chen Zhou spoke with genuine sincerity, "Every item from you, Brother, is a supreme treasure. Naturally, I am satisfied."

The young man laughed and waved his hand. "With your abilities, I do not deserve to be called 'senior'."

"You were able to break through two realms in such a short time and possess both an auspicious god and heaven's blessing. Your future achievements are limitless."

"I'm afraid that the next time you come, we might be the ones who have to address you as 'Exalted One'."

Chen Zhou repeatedly demurred.

The man was very casual, stating, "If you don't mind, little friend, you can just call me Yuheng."

Saying that, he pointed to the two people beside him. "You've already spoken with her; just call her A-Yao. As for this one..."

He pointed to the middle-aged man holding the ceramic jar. "His name is Mo Cang."

Chen Zhou hadn't expected his seniority to rise so quickly, allowing him to call these ten-thousand-year-old ghosts brothers and sisters.

But he wasn't one to be overly formal. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Brother Yuheng, Sister A-Yao, and Brother Mo Cang."

This form of address bridged the distance between them.

Chen Zhou looked at the golden light on the three again and sighed. "I see that all three of you carry immense merit. I wonder if it is related to the great war ten thousand years ago?"

Hearing this, A-Yao sighed softly.

"Your guess isn't wrong."

"The battlefield outside the Immortal-Slaying Shrine was actually just one corner of the calamity ten thousand years ago."

Because they had accepted Chen Zhou, the three of them became more open.

Yuheng pointed to the dark, purplish-red sky above, giving Chen Zhou a look that conveyed more than words ever could.

"It's related to what's up there."

"The collapse of the Divine Path did not happen without reason."