Hell Emperor.

Chapter 392: The Longevity Man - True Appearance
Hearing what Old Man Wanshou said, Ye Jie's eyes widened.

As expected, there are no free gifts in this world. Old Man Wanshou specially gave Ye Jie such a precious longevity turtle. I think he had other purposes.

Ye Jie played with the longevity turtle in his hand and spoke slowly: "I wonder what the Immortal wants me to do? But you can tell me. If it is something I can do, I will do my best to help."

The old man was not in a hurry. The years were enough to calm any anxious heart, like a deep stream of still water, which contained infinite mysteries. He spoke in a hoarse and turbid tone:
"Palace Master Ye, looking at my appearance, why don't you guess how old I am this year?"

Ye Jie hesitated for a moment, his eyes stopped at the old man Wanshou, and saw that he looked emaciated and terribly thin, with loose skin clinging to his bones, like a walking skeleton. He was unsure for a moment:

"Since he is honored as the Wanshou Elder, I would venture to guess that his life span is tens of thousands of years."

After hearing this, the old man laughed, his loose skin wrinkled tightly, and his expression was uglier than crying: "Not that long, I have only lived for nine thousand years."

Ye Jie took a deep breath. Old Man Wanshou had lived for nine thousand years. Whether it was his knowledge or the methods he mastered, they were far beyond what ordinary immortals could compare to. Whatever he did, it was easy for him. Ye Jie wondered why he came to him.
Ye Jie seemed to remember something and spoke inconspicuously:
"In my impression, immortals face the threat of immortal calamity. If they are not careful, their bodies and souls will be destroyed and they will die. At most, they can cultivate for a few decades before they will face the arrival of immortal calamity. Few immortals can live as long as the immortals..."

Ye Jie's words seemed to bring back memories of the old man Wanshou:
"Speaking of which, the last time I experienced the baptism of immortal calamity was six thousand years ago. Such a long time has passed in the blink of an eye. Thinking back to the high spirits of those days, it seems like it was just yesterday. My heart is still the same as it was back then, but my immortal body is on the verge of decay and has become like this..."

Ye Jie was stunned. It turned out that the old man Wanshou's aged appearance was not intentional. Instead, it seemed to be an uncontrollable result. He couldn't help but be curious:
"Your Excellency is a noble sixth-level immortal who has even avoided the immortal calamity. Is it possible that he cannot remain young and immortal?"

Hearing Ye Jie ask this, Elder Wanshou sighed deeply:
"Immortality is possible, but immortality is not. Immortals are beings who have achieved their own existence by seizing the fortune of heaven and earth, so they are naturally rejected by this world. Heaven and earth do not allow immortals to live forever. The existence of immortal tribulations is proof of this. Reincarnation is the right path recognized by heaven and earth... Immortals either re-enter the reincarnation cycle under the threat of thunder tribulations, or are simply destroyed by thunder tribulations, or they can only go through tribulations all the way, reach the ninth level, and completely become equal to heaven and earth, thus transcending reincarnation."

While Ye Jie was thinking, he heard the old man Wanshou say, "The method of avoiding immortal calamity and prolonging life is not a secret in the heaven. As long as you are willing to look for it, you will find it. But the price of the method of avoiding calamity is not something that ordinary immortals can afford. After a long time, you will become like me, no longer in human form, and your life will be cut off. This situation is generally called the Five Deteriorations of Celestial Beings in the heaven."

Ye Jie's eyes focused. It turned out that this was the reason why Old Man Wanshou looked so old.

If immortals want to avoid immortal calamities, live forever in the world, and escape the punishment of heaven and earth on those who steal the creation, they naturally have to pay a price. This price is that their immortal bodies will lose all vitality, their forms will decay, and they will become like a mummy, becoming more like a ghost immortal than a ghost immortal. If it were anyone else, I'm afraid it would be unbearable.

Ye Jie looked embarrassed. He never thought that an immortal would live so long and suffer such a disaster. "The heaven and earth would actually send down such a severe punishment... Is there no way to resolve the Five Deteriorations of the Celestial Being?"

Elder Wanshou sighed, "Of course there is a way to resolve this. According to legend, one only needs to enter the Yaochi Lake in the sky and soak in the holy water of immortality to alleviate the deterioration of the five decays of the celestial being... However, with my status, I am not even qualified to enter the Yaochi Lake, so how can I enjoy the taste of the holy water of the Yaochi Lake?"

"Yaochi Holy Water...wait..."

Hearing what Old Man Wanshou mentioned, Ye Jie was stunned. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and couldn't help showing a bit of surprise.

Ye Jie remembered that the water in the Heart-Warming and Soul-Nourishing Spring that he built had a unique magical effect. Not only could it cleanse the mind and get rid of inner demons, it was also comparable to the holy water of the Yao Chi, revitalizing people and increasing one's lifespan by tens of thousands of years.

Now, after Old Man Wanshou’s reminder, Ye Jie also remembered this matter. Could it be that this Heart-Warming and Soul-Nourishing Spring actually has such an effect?

As expected, the old man Wanshou said, "Palace Master Ye, when the Great Emperor of the Underworld was alive, he used all the power of the Underworld to build an extremely luxurious holy pond that was filled with rare treasures from all over the world. The holy pond is extremely beautiful, like a fairyland, and the water in the pond has a miraculous effect that transcends yin and yang, ancient and modern. In front of that holy pond, the Yaochi is inferior to it, and that holy pond is also called... the Heart-Warming and Soul-Nourishing Spring."

Ye Jie was stunned, and the old man Wanshou spoke again: "Now, Palace Master Ye has also built a pool of spring water. I don't know if the name is accidental or coincidental, it is also called the Heart-Warming and Soul-Nourishing Spring. In this case, can you take me to see it?"

Ye Jie felt awe in his heart, and he guessed why Old Man Wanshou chose this moment to suddenly visit the Golden Wheel Palace. In addition to deepening the cooperation in the Yangshou trade, he also came for the warm and soul-nourishing spring in the palace.

The Heart-Warming and Soul-Nourishing Spring is an advanced underworld building unlocked by the main account of the seven books of life and death. An ordinary Lord of Yama Palace cannot build it even if he wants to. The water in the spring has the miraculous effect of bringing the dead back to life, and it is believed to be enough to alleviate the symptoms of the five decays of the celestial beings.

After receiving the longevity turtle from Old Man Wanshou, Ye Jie naturally had no reason to refuse. Rather, Ye Jie was also very curious about whether the Warming Heart and Nourishing Soul Spring could alleviate the symptoms of the Five Degenerations of the Celestial Being, so he just happened to borrow Old Man Wanshou to give it a try.

Before leading the Wanshou Elder to the Heart-warming and Soul-nourishing Spring, Ye Jie still had doubts in his heart:

"Since reaching the ninth level can make one equal to heaven and earth and stand above the cycle of reincarnation, why do some ninth level immortals still insist on entering the cycle of reincarnation?"

Elder Wanshou glanced at him and said, "The Nine-Revolution Immortal has transcended the cycle of reincarnation and does not need to enter it at all. Are you asking about the Nine-Sky Mysterious Lady? As far as I know, the only one who entered the cycle of reincarnation after the Nine-Revolution is the Mysterious Lady."

Ye Jie was silent, and couldn't help but think of a familiar figure in his heart.

According to Nan Linghe's judgment, Xia Wei is the reincarnation of Xuannv. Ye Jie doesn't know whether this is true or not, and is half-believing and half-doubting.

He shook his head and stopped thinking about Xia Wei. Now he had severed all ties with Xia Wei and they would go their separate ways from now on. No matter what happened to Xia Wei, it was none of his business.

Although Ye Jie didn't want to get involved in Xia Wei's affairs, he still felt a little confused about the matter of Xuan Nu. Elder Wanshou had lived for so long, and his vision and experience far exceeded that of ordinary immortals. It was a good opportunity to hear his opinion. Elder Wanshou seemed to remember something and couldn't help but laugh:

"Speaking of which, ever since the news of Xuannv's reincarnation spread, every year in the immortal sects of Northern Juluzhou, there are dozens of talented female cultivators who claim to be Xuannv's reincarnation, trying to get more resources from their master. But when the people sent by Xuannv really found them and asked them to look at the bone mirror, they were all speechless. I don't know how they dared to make such a boast that would be broken at the first touch."

Ye Jie was stunned. He seemed to understand something from what the old man Wanshou said: "Bone mirror? What is that?"

"It is a magic weapon for verifying one's identity in the previous life. When someone looks into the bone mirror, what appears in the mirror is not their appearance in this life, but their appearance in the previous life. So, when someone claims that they were the reincarnation of some great immortal in their previous life, you only need to take that person to see the bone mirror, and that person will behave himself."

The old man Wanshou answered casually, and suddenly seemed to remember something, and sighed:

"Although Xuannu has reincarnated, her influence on the entire world has never been eliminated. While the immortals are stealing the fortune of the world, the world will also use the power of the immortals to perfect its own way of heaven step by step. Xuannu is the best example...Her attainments in the way of thunder punishment are unmatched throughout the past ten thousand years. The immortal tribulations in the world are ten or a hundred times stronger because of her attainment of the Tao...If it weren't for her, I might have passed the immortal tribulation and reached the seventh level thousands of years ago..."

Speaking of Xuannv, Old Man Wanshou had a complicated expression and his body trembled. On the one hand, he was in awe of the Nine-Revolution Immortal who was equal to heaven and earth. On the other hand, he secretly harbored some resentment. Xuannv's thunder punishment had made countless immortals hopeless in surviving the calamity and they had to endure the pain of the Five Decays of Heaven and Earth.

Ye Jie coughed dryly. When he heard the old man Wanshou mention Xuannv, he was so angry that he couldn't speak clearly. He couldn't help asking, "Are you okay..."

The old man Wanshou took a breath and said, "I'm fine. As long as I extend my life span, I don't have to face the terrifying thunder tribulation. My fellow Taoists told me that the sixth and seventh thunder tribulations are not something that immortals can survive on their own. When the thunder of heaven and earth gathers to the extreme, the terrifying incarnation of Xuannv will appear in the thunder, vowing to completely kill the person who survives the tribulation. I can't help but feel scared when I think of this."

Ye Jie was stunned. The higher the realm of the immortal, the stronger the immortal tribulation he would face. Once the incarnation of Xuan Nu appeared, how could an ordinary immortal be able to deal with it? It seemed that this thunder tribulation did not intend to give the immortal who was undergoing the tribulation any chance to survive.

Ye Jie remembered that Shen Qingge once said that it was because of her identity as the descendant of Xuannv that she received help from the Holy Lord Qinglong when she was overcoming the tribulation, which enabled her to successfully overcome the thunder tribulation and ascend to the immortal throne.

Otherwise, Shen Qingge would not have any confidence in surviving the thunder tribulation, and his soul might be destroyed in the thunder tribulation. The power of this thunder tribulation was indeed not something that an ordinary immortal could withstand.

Thinking of this, Ye Jie suddenly felt worried. He remembered that Xia Wei was only one step away from becoming an immortal. What would he do if she faced that terrible thunder tribulation and had no other family members by her side?
Shaking his head, Ye Jie forced himself not to think about it. He had clearly already severed all ties with Xia Wei and had no further contact with her, so why should he still worry about her?

That being said, every time Ye Jie thought of his disciple, his heart could not calm down for a long time. He blamed Xia Wei for hurting Hua Xiaomei and for not understanding him, but he was also worried about Xia Wei.

After some casual chat, soon, under the leadership of Ye Jie, he and Old Man Wanshou walked into the reed field outside the Soul-Nourishing Spring.

The old man Wanshou looked around with a surprised look on his face. This reed field has a hidden charm that can block all perception. Even a sixth-level immortal cannot break through the barrier. No one knows how it was built:
"Palace Master Ye, the Soul-Nourishing Spring you built is not as luxurious as the legend says, but it is still a quiet place."

Ye Jie smiled, let the reeds in front of him clear a path, and then brought Old Man Wanshou to a top-notch independent hot spring. The water in the spring was directly drawn from the main spring and had the same efficacy as the main spring. Only distinguished guests in the palace were qualified to use this place.

Feeling the rising warm water mist, the face of the old man trembled, and his dry and loose skin trembled faintly, just like a dead tree coming back to life in spring, or a drought coming back to life in rain. He felt that his decayed body, which had been ravaged by the five decays of heaven and man, also showed signs of recovery. He exclaimed:

“The Heart-Warming and Soul-Nourishing Spring actually has such an effect… Ever since I fell into decline, the vitality in my body has been almost cut off, and I haven’t felt such a miraculous effect for a long time… It seems that I really made the right choice to come to Palace Master Ye this time.”

Ye Jie just smiled and said, "Don't worry, this Heart-warming and Soul-nourishing Spring is a high-level underworld building. I think it will be enough to satisfy the Immortal. I won't disturb the Immortal and will leave first..."

Before Ye Jie could finish his words, he heard a splash sound and old man Wanshou jumped into the hot spring pool, splashing layers of water. Fortunately, Ye Jie was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and the dragon essence in his body circulated and the dragon energy vibrated, which blocked all the splashing water drops.

Seeing that Wanshou Laoren was so anxious, Ye Jie held his forehead helplessly. He hadn't left yet, and there were no other ghosts disturbing Wanshou Laoren, so there was no need to worry. Wanshou Laoren had been tortured by the Five Degenerations of Heaven and Man for a long time, and now that he felt the vitality in the pool water, he must have been impatient.

Ye Jie was about to turn around and leave, but his eyes swept across the pool water and he couldn't leave anymore.

However, in the soul-nourishing spring, the body of the old man Wanshou, which was as dead as tree bark, was nourished by vitality and became shiny and elastic. Every wrinkle on his skin was completely smoothed out, becoming plump and fair. The top of his hairless head grew wild black hair like a waterfall, and his face quickly changed from the terrifying decayed look of a mummy to a young and beautiful one. All this happened in a flash.

Only the holy water of the Yao Chi in heaven can cure the five decays of celestial beings, but now it is cured with the nourishment of the Heart Warming and Soul Nourishing Spring. The meaning behind this would be extremely incredible to any immortal. The vitality contained in the pool water is already strong enough to reverse the punishment of heaven and earth.

Seeing everything in front of him, what surprised Ye Jie the most was not the miraculous effect of the Warm Heart and Nourishing Soul Spring.

Although the effect of the Heart Warming and Soul Nourishing Spring was strong, Ye Jie, who had expected it, did not find it too magical. What really surprised Ye Jie was actually another thing.

"Wait, wait...are you a female fairy?" Looking at the true appearance of Old Man Wanshou, Ye Jie was completely dumbfounded.

(End of this chapter)