Junior Uncle is too cunning.

The Underworld is much larger than the Heavenly Court, and even the four continents combined are not as large as the Underworld. Even the Underworld's ruler, Lady Pingxin, probably only knows a general idea, and as for the specifics, she probably only has a vague understanding.

Although the Underworld was transformed from the physical body of Houtu Niangniang, the predecessor of Pingxin Niangniang, it was actually just a catalyst. The real master was the Heavenly Dao or the entire Primordial World. Otherwise, Houtu Niangniang, with her Quasi-Saint realm, would not have been able to create the Underworld. To be precise, Houtu Niangniang simply transformed herself into a Six Paths of Reincarnation.

The Six Paths are like a key that unlocks the gates of the underworld. The Heavenly Dao of the primordial world has no wisdom, but it still knows the basics of good and bad. The creation of the underworld is the best supplement to it. So, with the help of Houtu Niangniang's transformation into reincarnation, it immediately created the underworld.

The concept of the underworld is broader than that of hell, and the concept of the netherworld is even broader than that of the underworld. The netherworld refers generally to the space where the souls of the dead reside, and therefore is not limited to the underworld; it may even overlap with the human world in space, though imperceptible to humans. Hell specifically refers to the place where souls of the dead are imprisoned and punished for their grave sins in life, such as the infamous eighteen levels of hell, which are representative examples. It can be said to be the prison and execution ground of the underworld.

Ordinary people may still live happily in the underworld after death, just like they did on earth. Those with great merit may even become immortals or gods and enter the heavenly court.

The Great Emperor of Fengdu, along with the other four Ghost Emperors among the Five Ghost Emperors, Yama (King Yama) or the Ten Kings Yama, are the rulers of the underworld. Houtu (Emperor Houtu), Mount Tai (Emperor Tianqi), Ksitigarbha, and the City God are also gods who govern life and death.

The underworld can be roughly divided into three systems: Taoism and Buddhism, Fengdu City, and local underworld systems. Taoism and Buddhism are mainly responsible for converting vengeful spirits, washing away their sins, and enabling them to walk the Yellow Springs Road, drink Meng Po's soup, and be reincarnated.

Fengdu City is mainly responsible for the higher-level ghosts in the prehistoric world, such as immortals. As long as they have not passed the Golden Immortal Tribulation, they can only choose to reincarnate when their lifespan is about to end. However, the souls of those who become immortals can be said to be no ordinary things, but immortal souls, which have some unique abilities. If no one manages them, they can even transform into ghost cultivators in a very short time.

Fengdu City is responsible for managing these souls that have transcended the mortal realm. They will re-examine the immortals' bodies to see if they are good or evil, and then decide their whereabouts based on the circumstances.

Those who have accumulated merit will generally be given a chance to join Fengdu City, be reincarnated as ghost cultivators, and then become underworld officials. Most officials in the underworld come about this way.

Of course, they can also choose to be reincarnated and live another life. Fengdu City will also allow them to be reborn into a relatively better life based on their previous life.

The local underworld system is primarily responsible for the souls of the deceased in that area. Fengdu City has its own pantheon of gods, while the local underworld also has its own administrative hierarchy.

Therefore, there is a saying: "Don't say there's no retribution; gods and ghosts have their arrangements." Here, "Three Realms" refers to the Taoist concept of the Three Realms. Although Buddhism expands this to the Six Paths, it's still incomplete because even plants and trees can become spirits. The Taoist Yang Spirit can "gather to form a shape, disperse to become nothing." Even stones can become spirits; any object with spiritual energy can transform into a form. It's not confined to the Six Paths, but it is always included within the theory of Yin and Yang.

The underworld is the place that governs the lives of all living things. All things in heaven and earth, after death, have their souls taken to the underworld by the Black and White Impermanence, where all their good and evil deeds in the mortal realm are settled. As the saying goes, the living live in the mortal realm, and the dead live in the underworld; the mortal realm is one world, and the underworld is another.

This shows the status of the Underworld, which is basically comparable to that of the Heavenly Court. Although the Heavenly Court is the ruler of the Three Realms, it is only a nominal title for both the human world and the Underworld. Not to mention the major sects of Taoism and Buddhism and the imperial court of the human race in the human world, just the Underworld's Lady Pingxin alone is enough to make the Heavenly Court dare not command from a high position.

However, although the underworld is vast, it looks gloomy and terrifying. Along the way, Li Shundao saw nothing but lonely ghosts everywhere. Compared to the companionship of the mortal world and the celestial aura surrounding the heavenly court, the underworld is indeed inferior to the former in terms of appearance alone.

Of course, the underworld is so vast that there are still some places that are no less than paradises on earth. Where there is beauty, there is ugliness. This is true in the mortal world and also in the underworld. However, although this environment is not very good for cultivators, it is simply paradise for the dead.

Besides the saintly Lady Pingxin, the highest-ranking person in the underworld is the Great Emperor of Beiyin Fengdu.

Then there are the Five Ghost Emperors: Cai Yulei and Shen Tu, the Eastern Ghost Emperors, who govern the Ghost Gate of Taozhi Mountain; Zhao Wenhe and Wang Zhenren, the Western Ghost Emperors, who govern the Bazhong Mountain; Zhang Heng and Yang Yun, the Northern Ghost Emperors, who govern Luofeng Mountain; Du Ziren, the Southern Ghost Emperor, who governs Luofu Mountain; and Zhou Qi and Ji Kang, the Central Ghost Emperors, who govern Baodu Mountain.

Next is Luo Feng Liu Tian, ​​who is the guardian deity of the six heavens.

The Heavenly Palace of King Zhou Jue Yin, the Heavenly Palace of Tai Sha Liang Shi Zong, the Heavenly Palace of Ming Chen Nai Fan Wu Cheng, the Heavenly Palace of Tian Zhao Zui Qi, the Heavenly Palace of Zong Ling Qi Fei, and the Heavenly Palace of Gan Si Lian Wan Lu.

Then there are the Ten Kings of Hell in the underworld: King Qin Guang, King Chu Jiang, King Song Di, King Wu Guan, King Yan Luo, King Ping Deng, King Tai Shan, King Du Shi, King Bian Cheng, and King Zhuan Lun. These ten are the powerful assistants of the Great Emperor of Fengdu.

King Qin Guang was in charge of the records of longevity and premature death, birth and death in the human world; he also managed the punishments in the underworld and the fortunes and misfortunes of the next life. The Ghost Judge's Palace was located in the middle of the sea, outside the Wojiao Stone, on the Yellow Springs Black Road to the west.

King Chujiang rules over the living hell beneath the Wojiao Stone in the due south of the sea.

The Song emperor ruled over the Black Rope Hell beneath the Wojiao Stone in the southeast of the sea.

The Five Observers King governs the Great Hell, located at the bottom of the ocean, directly east of the Wojiao Stone.

Yama, the King of Hell, oversees the Great Hell of Howling Cries at the bottom of the ocean, beneath the scorching rocks in the northeast.

King Biancheng rules over the Great Hell, the Great Howling Hell, located at the bottom of the sea, directly north of the Wojiao Stone.

King Taishan rules over the seabed, specifically the Great Hell of Scorching Heat beneath the North Sea Stone.

The City King rules over the Great Hell of Scorching Heat, located beneath the Westward-facing Wojiao Stone at the bottom of the ocean.

King Pingdeng rules the seabed, specifically the Avici Hell beneath the southwestern Wujiao Stone.

The Palace of the Wheel-Turning King is located outside the Wojiao Stone in the underworld, due east, directly facing the world of five defilements.

Next are the officials under the Ten Kings of Hell: Chief Judge Cui Fujun, Zhong Kui, Black and White Impermanence, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, Meng Po, and others. This is the entire underworld. Within this system of underworld officials, Taoism and Buddhism are also intertwined, with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva serving as the representative of Buddhism in the underworld.

Buddhism emphasizes the cycle of birth and death, cause and effect, and retribution. The underworld is an insurmountable barrier for them. However, not only does the Underworld have a strict control over it, but even the Three Pure Ones keep a close watch on it and do not want Buddhism to get involved. In the end, Buddhism had no choice but to secretly send one of its most talented disciples to the Underworld, who made a great vow: "I will not become a Buddha until the hells are emptied."

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva wished to deliver all the ghosts in the underworld, so that people would no longer do evil and would no longer fall into the underworld to suffer. Therefore, he graciously permitted all ghosts who had made mistakes in their lives to have their sins mitigated and be spared from suffering if they sincerely repented and reformed.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's vow, "I will not become a Buddha until hell is empty," vividly demonstrates the great compassion and perseverance of Buddhism: on the one hand, if there are no more evil deeds such as killing in the mortal world; on the other hand, if Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva delivers all the tormented ghosts, then there will be no more suffering ghosts in hell, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva can then achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha. Hell is used to punish those who have made mistakes in the mortal world, not to deliberately force everyone to go through the eighteen levels of hell.

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva had made a great vow, and with the Heavenly Dao's oath in place, the Three Pure Ones could not drive him away. Moreover, since the Heavenly Dao had agreed to his vow, it meant that Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's great vow was beneficial to the Underworld. Furthermore, the Goddess Pingxin did not speak, and in the end, the Three Pure Ones had no choice but to let Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva stay. Buddhism, after paying a great price, finally extended its reach into the Underworld.