359: Chapter 346 The Deal with the Goddess Houtu

Ksitigarbha had "gone into seclusion," and the tightly closed gates of the Cuiyun Palace seemed to silently convey the helplessness of this quasi-sage. The Ten Yama Kings knelt on the ground, their heads buried in their laps, not daring to let out a breath.

The entire Senluo Hall was dead silent, save for the faint "beep" sounds from Lin Feng flipping through the holographic projection of the book of life and death, and the lingering smell of gunpowder smoke in the distance.

Just as Lin Feng was preparing to leave with the modified data of the book of life and death and several carts of "local specialties" looted from the Yama King's private treasury, an unexpected change occurred.

The "Reincarnation Disk of the Six Paths," which had always been quietly suspended in the deepest part of the Underworld, rotating slowly like a giant black hole, suddenly stopped.

An Aura, even more grand and ancient than Ksitigarbha's just now, and even carrying a trace of the brilliance of the Earth Mother, surged from the depths of the Reincarnation Disk. This Aura carried no killing intent, yet it was as heavy as a mountain, as if it bore the weight of billions of living beings.

Everyone present, including Nezha and Erlang Shen, felt a suppression originating from the depths of their Soul. It was an instinctive awe when facing the "Source."

"Buzz—"

The Void Realm trembled, and countless Netherworld flowers bloomed out of thin air, paving a red carpet.

A female figure dressed in pale yellow palace attire, her face compassionate yet revealing endless sorrow, slowly walked out from the Reincarnation Disk. She wore no shoes, stepping barefoot into the Void Realm; with every step she took, ripples spread through the void.

She was Houtu. She was also Lady Pingxin.

She was the Great Virtue and Great Saint who had become the Incarnation of Reincarnation. In this Underworld, her status was above all. Even if Dao Ancestor Hongjun came, he would have to give her some face before this Reincarnation of the Six Paths.

"Greetings, My Lady!"

The Ten Yama Kings, who had been trembling just a moment ago, now looked as if they had seen their own mother. They were moved to tears, knocking their heads against the ground with loud thuds. In their eyes, now that the Lady had appeared, the Underworld was saved, and this Lin Feng was surely finished.

Lin Feng stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at this legendary Mother of the Earth.

He did not kneel, nor did he even bow. But he did not activate his mocking mode like he had with Ksitigarbha either; instead, he put away his cynical expression and nodded slightly, a gesture of equal respect.

"You have arrived." Lin Feng spoke, his tone calm, as if he were waiting for an old friend.

Lady Houtu's eyes, which seemed to have seen through billions of years of time, quietly watched Lin Feng, then glanced at the hundred Star-Destroying Warships floating outside, and finally, her gaze fell upon the book of life and death that Lin Feng had modified into a "holographic tablet" mode.

"Benefactor Lin, have you caused enough trouble?"

Her voice was very soft and gentle, yet it rang clearly in everyone's ears. "You destroyed the Ghost Gate Pass, disturbed the dead Souls, and forced Ksitigarbha to retreat. Now, you even want to take the book of life and death for yourself. Do you intend to destroy this Reincarnation of the Six Paths?"

"Destroy?"

Lin Feng laughed, casually playing with the "Fate-Altering Pen" (formerly the Judge's Pen) in his hand, spinning it rapidly like a pen-spinning trick. "My Lady, you misunderstand. I come from a background of construction; I hate violence the most. Everything I have done is for the sake of 'optimization'."

"Optimization?" Houtu frowned slightly, seemingly unfamiliar with the term.

"That's right."

Lin Feng snapped his fingers. "System, project the 'Underworld Digital Reform Plan 2.0'."

Whoosh!

A giant holographic light screen unfolded before Houtu. This screen was over a hundred feet high, densely packed with various charts, data, architectural models, and PowerPoint presentations.

"Please take a look, My Lady."

Lin Feng pointed at the screen, transforming into the ultimate salesman, speaking eloquently:

"The current Underworld is too inefficient; it's practically a primitive society. Manual Soul-reaping often leads to errors; manual judgment is not only slow but also prone to corruption (he glanced at the Ten Yama Kings, making them shudder); manual Reincarnation depends entirely on mood. Add to that the interference from those people in the Heavenly Court, and the Buddhist sect trying to get a piece of the action, and the Underworld has completely become a vassal of the Heavenly Court and a waste disposal plant for various forces."

"Look at this data: the retention rate of aggrieved Souls is as high as 40%, the misjudgment rate is 5%, and the index for graft and bribery is off the charts. What is the meaning of such a Reincarnation System?"

Houtu fell silent. What Lin Feng said was the truth, and also the pain in her heart.

"Then what do you want?" Houtu asked.

"My plan is: to establish a 'fully automated Soul assembly line'."

Lin Feng waved his hand, and the images on the screen changed. They became futuristic skyscrapers and transmission pipelines.

"First, introduce 'Soul Big Data Scanners'. Once a ghost enters, it is immediately scanned for all good and evil deeds in its lifetime, generating a QR code, automatically determining the good/evil value, eliminating manual judgment, and putting an end to any favoritism."

"Second, establish a 'Fast Reincarnation Channel', which is at this location (pointing to the map), building a super-spatial portal. Based on the good/evil points, Souls are directly launched into the wombs of pregnant women in the corresponding planes, precise and efficient, with zero error."

"Third, and most importantly."

Lin Feng put away his smile, took a step forward, looked directly into Houtu's eyes, his voice becoming serious and forceful, even carrying a hint of seduction.

"The Underworld becomes independent."

As soon as these four words were spoken, Houtu's originally calm eyes fluctuated violently, as if a giant rock had been thrown into a still lake.

"From today on, the Underworld is no longer under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Court, nor under my Tiance Mansion. It will be an independent third-party institution, responsible only to the 'Rules'."

"You and I join forces. I provide the technology and armed protection to help you clear out all external interfering forces. You provide the support of the Earth Dao Law to maintain the operation of Reincarnation."

"In the future Underworld, you won't need to look at the Jade Emperor's face, nor listen to the nagging of Lingshan. Here, you are the boss."

Every word of Lin Feng's struck Houtu's heart.

Houtu was silent for a long time.

She had been the Incarnation of Reincarnation for billions of years, trapped in this Netherworld, watching helplessly as the Underworld was infiltrated by the Heavenly Court and the Buddhist sect, used as a chessboard by various forces. Although she was the Master of the Underworld, she was often unable to control her own destiny. The suffering in her heart, no one could understand.

"Underworld independence..." Houtu muttered to herself, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes, but it immediately dimmed again. "Heavenly Dao will not allow it. Dao Ancestor Hongjun... will not allow it either. The cake of these Three Realms has long been divided; moving one part affects the whole."

"Heavenly Dao?"

Lin Feng sneered, pointing to the sky, the direction beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens. "Heavenly Dao is worth nothing. I've already clashed with that old man up there, and he couldn't do anything to me. As for Dao Ancestor Hongjun..."

An overwhelming Aura suddenly erupted from Lin Feng, the confidence of a Transmigration traveler, and the dominance of a powerhouse. "As long as the control of this Underworld is in your hands, with the blessing of the Earth Dao Law, plus the firepower coverage of my one hundred Star-Destroying Warships, even if Dao Ancestor Hongjun comes in person, what can he do to you?"

"My Lady, the times have changed."

"In the past, you talked about 'complying with the will of Heaven'; now I talk about 'man conquering heaven'—oh no, it's 'technology conquering heaven'."

"What are you still hesitating about? Do you want to watch this Underworld continue to rot? Do you want to watch that old charlatan Ksitigarbha chanting at your door every day?"

"As long as you nod, my one hundred warships will be permanently stationed on the perimeter of the Underworld. Whoever dares to come and point fingers, I will blast them. Whether it's Heavenly soldiers, generals, Arhats, or Bodhisattvas. My firepower only serves the range of your truth."

These words completely shattered Houtu's last concerns.

She looked at the efficient, fair, independent, and oppression-free future Underworld on the hologram, then looked at the determined and sharp-edged Lin Feng.

She was tired. She really didn't want to see the Underworld continue to be this foul. She wanted to fight for these sentient beings one last time.

"Lin Feng, you are a lunatic."

Houtu's voice was still gentle, but it held an unprecedented decisiveness. "But perhaps, only a lunatic like you can break this stagnant deadlock and tear through this hypocritical Heavenly Dao."

She extended her jade-white palm, and in her palm condensed an ancient seal emitting a yellowish-brown light—the "Reincarnation Seal," representing the highest authority of the "Earth Dao."

"I am temporarily lending this seal to you. But this does not mean I submit to you, but rather... cooperation."

"I hope you keep your promise and do not let the Underworld become another Heavenly Court."

"If one day, you betray your promise and let the Underworld become a tool for your personal desires..." Houtu's eyes became incomparably sharp, and the Reincarnation Disk behind her roared. "Even if it means the collapse of the Six Paths, I will drag you down into the eternal abyss with me."

Lin Feng took the seal, feeling the vast, sea-like power of the Law within it; it was heavy.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host!]

[Successfully reached a strategic alliance with Lady Houtu.]

[Obtained item: Earth Dao Authority (50%).]

[Underworld has been incorporated into the order System of the 'Eternal Divine Kingdom'.]

Lin Feng smiled, a very bright and sincere smile.

"Rest assured, My Lady. Although I am not a good person, I am very honest when it comes to doing business."

He turned around and ordered the crowd, who were already stunned:

"Nezha! Erlang Shen!"

"Here!"

"Leave half the engineering team, that is, the Fifth and Sixth Divisions, to begin the 'modernization transformation' of the Underworld. First, tear down this gloomy Senluo Hall for me; it's too depressing. Replace it with an office building with all-glass curtain walls; it needs to be transparent! Also, build a private villa for My Lady, equip it with the best Wi-Fi, and connect the Heavenly Court's 'Immortal Network'."

"Understood!"

After handling the Underworld's affairs, Lin Feng turned around and looked at the pitch-black Void Realm outside.

The Heavenly Court was taken, the Underworld was handled.

Next...

His gaze turned to the East, where there was a vast ocean and a group of the richest, yet most cowardly "wealthy landlords."

"Let's go, to the seaside to eat seafood. By the way... collect some protection fees."