"Why... do you truly believe I would be swayed by such words? Who do you presume to be, a royal or imperial lord of the realm of the dead?" Yann's remarks stirred Euénie's curiosity. Although originally intending to inquire further, Euénie suddenly turned her head dismissively and remarked,
Though currently a captive, though the desire burns within, though one must maintain composure, though...
Nevertheless, the curiosity persists!
Driven by this intense desire to know, Euénie's body subtly shifted, inching closer to Yann's position.
"Such pretense of integrity..." Yann murmured softly. "Niya, let me tell you about the conspiracy of the Underworld Deity, a secret openly known among the upper echelons of the realm of the dead. Ah, my words are purely for Niya's ears, but it doesn't matter if certain individuals overhear! Besides, who would eavesdrop anyway?"
Suddenly, Euénie turned her face, her eyes sparkling with mischief, and then with a loud "pat," she covered her ears with both hands and exclaimed, "Absolutely not, I won't listen!"
Although she said that, Yann clearly saw that Euénie's palms were bulging between her covered ears, and her fingers were spread apart—this gesture hardly blocked out any sound!
Yann and Niya both chuckled, covering their mouths.
"Cough, Niya, listen carefully. What I'm about to say must not be spread..." Yann turned his face towards Euénie, but spoke Niya's name.
"Mhm, mhm!" Euénie nodded even more vigorously than Niya.
Yann then proceeded to explain some basic facts about the underworld to the two.
The realm of the dead stretches boundlessly, its territories immeasurable. No one can definitively state the extent of its dominion or the quantity of deceased beings it governs; not even a rough estimate exists.
For each passing moment, countless planes witness the withering demise of life. These perished entities flow into the realm of the dead, with a small fraction being absorbed by other realms—such as devout individuals entering the divine planes they worship, as is the case with devout followers of faith, who, upon death, ascend to heavenly planes.
As for territorial expansion, numerous inferior planes face dissolution and demise at every instant. Eventually, fragments of these collapsing planes merge with the realm of the dead, thus perpetually expanding its borders.
Simultaneously, countless inferior planes sprout, grow, develop, and mature to fill the voids left by the disintegration of other planes.
But despite the constant expansion of the underworld's borders and the continuous growth of its population, the one thing that remains unchanged is the seven rulers of the underworld.
They are the highest rulers of the underworld, sharing supreme power over it, capable of making entire planes tremble with a wave of their hands. These seven lead the underworld in expansion, battles, plunder, and defense against external threats.
Few have seen the true faces of these seven rulers, but it is known that they are all godly-level powerhouses, capable of creating or destroying entire worlds.
And the Underworld Deity is one of these seven!
There are numerous records about his existence across various planes, but they are all religious myths, simply idolizing the Underworld Deity. However, in the underworld, the Underworld Deity is indeed a tangible entity.
Regarding his armies or territories, the entire underworld belongs to him! Or rather, the seven deities collectively own the entire underworld, acting in unison externally, but rarely meddling in internal affairs.
Politically, it resembles a feudal system, with each ruler having their own territory and subjects, often warring or allying with one another. The seven deities do not manage internal battles within the underworld, no matter how intense they may be.
In fact, the seven deities do not even have their own private territories within the underworld; they only have a piece of land for their palaces, while the rest of the territory is directly allocated, employing a laissez-faire approach to governance.
It is this peculiar scene of a super-plane like the underworld having rulers who never manage their subjects, remaining aloof and detached from worldly affairs, and not even establishing a unified administrative system except for something rather ominous— the underworld currency. It's as if they are not quelling internal rebellions but dealing with other planes.
However, on the other hand, despite the perpetual turmoil in the underworld, countless powerful forces have emerged over the years, ranging from esteemed-level, royal-level, imperial-level,sovereign-level, and legendary-level forces. Yet, despite their growing strength and influence, none dare to show the slightest disrespect to the seven indifferent rulers.
Once the seven rulers decide to wage war or when other planes attack the underworld, all forces cease their hostilities, sending troops to obey the unified command of the seven deities.
The Underworld Deity is no exception; he is like a hermit, possessing supreme power.
Although both of them have read extensively, with some understanding of the super-planes like Hell, the underworld, and Heaven, their comprehension of the underworld is nowhere near as profound as Yann, a (pseudo) native of the underworld.
"But even though the Underworld Deity appears to be indifferent to fame and fortune, he definitely isn't devoid of ambition. On the contrary, the desires of each deity are beyond the imagination of us ordinary folks; they pursue only one thing, a clear goal— to transcend the godly-level and attain even greater power. Each deity has their own method of gaining power, and so does the Underworld Deity." Yann paused.
"What is it?" This time, it was Euénie who spoke.
Unable to contain her curiosity any longer, she asked, her tone remarkably forceful.
Yann smiled faintly, not mocking Euénie for breaking her silence. "The Underworld Deity scatters a tiny portion of his energy, a minuscule fraction of a fraction, into the bodies of newborns, enhancing their innate talents from birth, imbuing them with a fraction of his own abilities."
"I already know about this!" Euénie, fortunate enough to be such a newborn, had her physique modified by the Underworld Deity and became a Netherfire Attuned.
"Some of these altered newborns become Netherfire Attuneds, some become Underworld Travelers, and various others, depending on the level of energy the Underworld Deity infused into them. That's right, these individuals with special constitutions possess talents in cultivation that can be described as 'leaps and bounds,' achieving in a day what ordinary people may not achieve in a lifetime. Most of them can break through the esteemed-level, and nearly half can enter the royal-level and ascend to higher planes."
"But..." Yann paused again.