Throne of Ten Thousand Calamities

The old ruler of the Nine Nether Hells has reached the end of his lifespan and is on the verge of dying. The order of heaven, earth, and the underworld is about to collapse, so the Hells open the once-in-an-eternity [Trials to Select the Lord of the Underworld].

The souls of all mortals who have just died are forcibly drawn into the Nine Nether trial realm. They retain their thoughts, intelligence, and memories of life, but all memories of their deaths are stripped away.

Every challenger is given the same belief: clear the trials, and you can return to the living world.

No one knows they are already dead. No one knows they are competing for the title of [Next Yanluo Heavenly Emperor].

The true rules are these:

All who clear the trials will inherit the throne of the Lord of the Underworld, govern the netherworld, decide life and death, judge reincarnation, and suppress all evil spirits.

But these rules have been altered by Lu Zhidao, the Judge and the Nine Nether's second-in-command.

Unwilling to remain beneath anyone, Lu Zhidao plots to seize the throne. He secretly changes the rules, manipulates each deadly trial, and deliberately slaughters every talented challenger, ensuring that only the puppet he has chosen reaches the top. He will rule from behind the scenes, reduce the new Lord of the Underworld to a figurehead, and ultimately take the throne for himself.

After his death, Xia Yiming, the nation's chief strategist, falls into the Hells and is forced to take part in a “trial to succeed the King of Hell” controlled by the Judge. As the trials grow deadlier at every turn, he draws on the wisdom and courage of great ministers and generals from throughout history to break through impossible traps, expose the conspiracy, and ultimately take command of the netherworld.