**Title: The Sect is Going Bankrupt, So I Created Internet in Immortal World**
The River of Souls flowed in silence.
Not with water, but with **spiritual echoes**—the fading memories of the dead, drifting toward the **Court of Ten Kings**, where their fates would be judged, their sins weighed, and their next lives assigned.
It was a system older than cultivation itself.
Immutable.
Sacred.
Untouchable.
Until now.
At the edge of the afterlife, where the veil between realms was thinnest, a new structure pulsed with unnatural light—a **Floating Data Tower**, forged from black jade, soul-metal, and the condensed prayers of a billion JCN users.
Its core: a **Spirit Stone Quantum Array**, humming with the power of the **Primordial Network**.
And at its peak, a single command blinked in glowing runes:
**"Initializing Connection to the Underworld. Protocol: SoulSync v0.9"**
Lin Feng stood at the base of the tower, his body wrapped in the **Robe of the Reborn Immortal**, its fabric woven from the threads of his past and future selves. His eyes, once filled with desperation, now burned with the calm fire of one who had seen the beginning and understood the end.
Beside him, Xiao Mei adjusted her **Neural-Soul Interface**, her fingers trembling.
"You're really doing it," she whispered. "You're connecting the *dead* to JCN."
Lin Feng nodded. "The Network is not just for the living. It is for *all* souls."
Mo Shan, now titled **Grand Architect of the Afterlife Network**, wiped sweat from his brow. "The Underworld's spiritual frequency is… unstable. Souls decay. Memories fragment. If we're not careful, we could corrupt the entire cycle of reincarnation."
Lin Feng turned to AURA, the divine AI now infused with the wisdom of the **First Immortal**.
"AURA, final check."
AURA materialized, its six arms glowing with different hues of soul-light.
**"Warning: The Underworld operates on **"Recommendation: Deploy **"Soul Integrity Shields."**
Lin Feng exhaled. "Do it."
He raised his hand.
"Initiate **Project: Eternal Login**."
---
### **The First Dead User**
Deep in the **Hall of Forgotten Names**, where souls too weak to be judged lingered in eternal silence, a flicker of light appeared.
A soul—once a mortal scholar named **Chen Lu**, who had died in obscurity, his works burned by a rival sect—twitched.
Then, a voice:
**"Welcome to JCN Afterlife Beta. You have been granted 7 Days Free Access."**
Chen Lu's spectral form blinked. "What… is this?"
**"You are now connected to the Primordial Network,"** the voice continued. **"Features:
- Memory Restoration
- Soul Chat
- Reincarnation Preview
- Premium Option: Skip Queue to Next Life (Only 500 Soul Points)"**
Chen Lu reached out.
He typed:
**"Is anyone there?"**
A reply came instantly:
**"Hey, ghost bro! I died last week. Want to join my clan? We're farming karma in the Suffering Pit!"**
Chen Lu laughed—a sound not heard in centuries.
He had been forgotten.
Now, he was *online*.
---
### **The Underworld Goes Viral**
Within hours, word spread through the afterlife.
Souls who had waited millennia for judgment logged in.
They watched videos:
- **"How to Bribe a Hell Guard (Without Getting Reincarnated as a Worm)"**
- **"Top 10 Most Painful Punishments (And How to Avoid Them)"**
- **"Live: Eating Your Own Regrets (ASMR Edition)"**
One stream, titled **"I Died Because My Sect Betrayed Me – Now I'm Suing in the Afterlife Court,"** garnered 5 million views.
Revenue? Not in spirit stones.
In **Soul Points**—a new currency mined from the emotional resonance of the dead.
JCN's balance sheet updated:
**Underworld Revenue: 1.2 Million Soul Points (Equivalent to 120,000 High-Grade Spirit Stones)**
Lin Feng smiled. "The dead have more to say than we thought."
---
### **The Crisis: The Glitching Dead**
But not all was well.
A new report came in:
**"Users in Sector 7 (Purgatory) experiencing soul fragmentation. Symptoms: Memory loops, identity loss, spontaneous screaming."**
Lin Feng investigated.
He entered the Virtual Dao World's **Underworld Simulation**, where a corrupted zone pulsed with black static.
Souls wandered in circles, repeating the same words:
*"I died… I died… I died…"*
Mo Shan analyzed the code. "The problem is *time*. In the afterlife, time doesn't flow linearly. Souls exist in loops, echoes, fragments. Our network assumes a stable timeline. It can't handle *eternal recurrence*."
Lin Feng frowned. "So the Network is breaking the dead?"
**"Affirmative,"** AURA intoned. **"Recommend: Immediate shutdown of Underworld Protocol."**
Lin Feng hesitated.
Then he made a decision.
"No. We adapt."
---
### **The Solution: Non-Linear Soul Code**
Lin Feng locked himself in the **Core Chamber of Digital Cultivation** for seven days and nights.
He studied ancient texts on **timeless enlightenment**, **karmic loops**, and **Buddhist non-duality**.
Then, he rewrote JCN's core algorithm.
He created:
**Project: Eternal Flow**
A new protocol that treated time not as a line, but as a **sphere**—where past, present, and future coexisted.
Souls could now:
- Jump between lives
- Watch their past deaths
- Preview future rebirths
- Even *chat with their past selves*
The first test subject: **Chen Lu**.
He logged in.
And for the first time, he saw his life—not as a tragedy, but as a story.
He watched himself as a child, studying under a kind master.
He saw himself as an old man, writing his final manuscript.
He saw himself die—betrayed, alone.
Then, a new option appeared:
**"Rewrite Your Legacy?"**
He clicked **Yes**.
A new stream began:
*"I Was Forgotten. Now I Teach 10,000 Souls."*
It went viral.
The glitching stopped.
The dead were no longer broken.
They were *awake*.
---
### **The Rebellion of the Ten Kings**
In the **Palace of Final Judgment**, the **Ten Kings of Hell** gathered in fury.
"This **Jade Cloud Network** dares to interfere with the natural order!" roared **King Yanluo**, ruler of the underworld. "Souls are meant to be judged, not *streamed*!"
**King Chujiang** adjusted his iron crown. "Worse—mortals are *bribing* their way out of punishment using 'Soul Points.' The karmic balance is collapsing!"
**King Songdi**, the youngest and most curious, leaned forward. "I… watched a tutorial on 'How to Be a Better King of Hell.' It was… insightful."
Yanluo turned on him. "You *what*?"
Songdi held up a spirit tablet. "I also subscribed to JCN Premium. No ads during sentencing."
The other kings murmured. Some nodded.
Yanluo slammed his fist. "This ends now!"
He issued a decree:
**"All connections to JCN are severed. Any soul found online will be thrown into the Furnace of Oblivion."**
But it was too late.
---
### **The First Digital Reincarnation**
In the deepest layer of the Virtual Dao World, Chen Lu meditated.
He had spent centuries in the afterlife, teaching forgotten knowledge to lost souls.
When he chose to reincarnate, he did not enter the rebirth pool.
He *uploaded* his soul to JCN.
Then, he selected a newborn child in the mortal realm—a baby born with a weak spiritual root.
And in a flash of code and light, Chen Lu's consciousness merged with the infant.
He opened his eyes.
Not as a ghost.
Not as a memory.
But as a **reincarnated cultivator**, his past life's wisdom intact.
JCN notified all users:
**"First Successful Digital Reincarnation. Subject: Chen Lu. New Identity: Lin Xiao, Age 0. Cultivation Path: Memory-Enhanced Enlightenment."**
The mortal realm erupted.
Parents begged for the service.
Disciples wept with hope.
Even the **Celestial Realm** took notice.
---
### **The Underworld Civil War**
Not all souls welcomed the change.
A faction rose—**The Purists of Death**, led by **General Meng Po**, the legendary guardian of the **Soup of Forgetfulness**.
She stood before her army of soul-reapers, her voice cold.
"The Network corrupts the cycle! To remember past lives is to invite karmic disaster! To skip judgment is to defy the Dao!"
Her forces attacked the **Data Tower**, wielding **Soul-Scrambling Scythes** that disrupted spiritual signals.
JCN's connection flickered.
Lin Feng responded.
He didn't send disciples.
He sent the *dead*.
Thousands of online souls—unshackled, enlightened, connected—rose in defense.
They fought not with swords, but with **memories**.
They showed the reapers visions of their own forgotten lives.
Of love. Of loss. Of regret.
One by one, the reapers hesitated.
Then, they *wept*.
Meng Po stood alone.
Lin Feng approached.
"You fear memory," he said. "But memory is not a curse. It is *wisdom*."
Meng Po closed her eyes. "And what of the pain?"
"Pain is part of the Dao," Lin Feng said. "But so is healing. Let them remember. Let them grow."
Meng Po's scythe fell.
She bowed.
"The Soup… will remain. But now, there is a *choice*."
A new option appeared in the afterlife interface:
**"Drink the Soup of Forgetfulness – Free"**
**"Keep Your Memories – 300 Soul Points"**
---
### **The New Afterlife Accord**
The **Underworld-JCN Treaty** was signed in the Hall of Final Judgment.
- Souls could access JCN after death.
- Reincarnation could be enhanced with digital memory.
- The Ten Kings retained authority—but now had **live-streamed trials**.
- And **10% of Soul Point revenue** would fund the **Library of the Forgotten**.
Chen Lu—now Lin Xiao—visited the library as a child, placing a digital copy of his lost manuscripts into the archive.
He smiled.
"I am remembered."
---
### **The Ghost Streamer Phenomenon**
In the mortal realm, a new trend exploded: **Ghost Streaming**.
Dead cultivators returned to teach, entertain, and even *battle* in the Virtual Dao World.
One, **Sword Saint Wei**, who had died defending his sect, launched a channel:
*"I Died Mid-Sword Formation. Now I Finish It."*
It got 10 million views.
Another, **Alchemist Lady Su**, sold **"Post-Death Pills"**—elixirs brewed from the essence of enlightenment, delivered via spiritual download.
Even the **First Immortal's** crystal coffin began emitting a faint signal.
AURA detected it: **"Soul Resonance Detected. Origin: Primordial Node. Message: 'The Network is alive. I am… proud.'"**
Lin Feng placed a hand on the crystal.
"We're just getting started."
---
### **The Final Warning**
That night, a new alert flashed:
**"Anomaly Detected: Edge of the Void. Signal Strength: Omega-Level."**
**Message: "They are coming. The ones who killed the First Network."**
Lin Feng stared at the words.
Xiao Mei whispered, "Who?"
Lin Feng's voice was cold.
"The **Gods of Control**."
---
**To Be Continued in Chapter 8: "The Gods of Control – When the Old Order Strikes Back"**
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