Hell Emperor.

Chapter 561 Ye Jie - Going to Sea
The Northern Sea.

A huge flying sword lay horizontally, soaring through the air, its tip piercing through layers of flowing clouds, causing nearby seabirds to retreat in panic.

Ye Jie declined the Sword Sect's Supreme Elder's request for a celebration. After a short rest, he set off towards the depths of the Northern Underworld to search for the legendary lost Underworld Emperor's Ghost Seal.

Ye Jie lowered his gaze and looked at the Azure Returning to the Sea Sword that supported everyone's feet.

At the moment of parting, the elder did not raise the request to return the Guiming Sword. After Shen Qingge obtained Bei Chen's inheritance and killed the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, the entire Beiming Sword Sect no longer had the strength, or rather, the qualification, to ask for the Guiming Sword back.

Moreover, the Guiming Sword still retains the refining mark left by Bei Chen, making it unusable by anyone else except Shen Qingge, who is allowed to obey her commands.

Normally, when Shen Qingge doesn't need the Guiming Sword, it shrinks down and lies quietly deep in her sea of ​​consciousness, just like the magical artifacts she has refined. As soon as it hears a call, it will reveal its true power.

"What are you looking at?"

Su Miao noticed his gaze and couldn't help but ask.

"It's nothing." Ye Jie shook his head. "This Guiming Sword is made of extraordinary materials and is ranked as a second-grade divine artifact. Even with my eyesight, I can't tell what material it is made of."

"Is that so?" Su Miao raised her eyebrows and glanced at the blade. "This dark blue sword must be made of moon iron, and not just any moon iron, but the finest moon iron."

"Moon Iron?" Ye Jie was slightly taken aback; he really hadn't gone that way.

Previously, when Ye Jie was at Tianji Sect, he had seen magical artifacts forged from meteorite iron. However, a divine artifact like the Guiming Sword, which was made of pure moon iron and contained no impurities, was extremely rare. The forger of the Guiming Sword must have been a renowned forging saint.

Su Miao shrugged and said, "Everyone knows that the Taiyin Star Lord who controls the moon is the founder of the Xuan Nu Sect. If Fairy Beichen can possess a divine sword made purely from the essence of moon iron, I'm afraid no one would believe that she is not from the Xuan Nu Sect."

Ye Jie understood: "I just don't know which generation of the Xuan Nu Sect the Fairy Bei Chen is. We were able to defeat the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave this time thanks to the legacy she left behind. Once we find out her identity in the future, we should definitely thank her properly."

Beside her, Li Feie blinked and said, "What if Fairy Beichen doesn't want to be disturbed? She deliberately gave a false name, perhaps because she's afraid of being disturbed by future generations. If we go to her door, we might offend her. You don't know, many of the sect's founders have eccentric tempers. If you accidentally offend them, you'll be in big trouble in the future... But with my current level, I'm not afraid."

As she spoke, Li Feie put her hands on her hips, a hint of smugness on her face.

Su Miao glared at her: "So what if you have a higher cultivation level? The seniority of the founder is right here. Do you think that just because you have reached the sixth level, you can disobey the founder's words? There are plenty of founders in the sect with higher cultivation levels than you."

Li Feie chuckled: "I will naturally listen to what Ancestor Miaorou says, but as for the other ancestors, well, that depends on my mood."

Su Miao nodded in satisfaction: "That's more like it."

However, upon seeing Li Feie, a peak sixth-level immortal, still calling her "ancestor," Su Miao couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. If she could be respectfully addressed as "ancestor" by a peak sixth-level immortal, wouldn't she become some kind of old monster? She certainly had the dignity, but it also made her seem too old, didn't it?
Although Su Miao has been an immortal for a hundred years, subconsciously she still doesn't feel that she is that old. Does she look that old?
"Never mind... just call me sister." Su Miao said, rubbing her forehead.

Li Feie couldn't help but smile, her laughter as melodious as silver bells. Suddenly, she caught sight of Shen Qingge, whose expression was serious as she stood with her hands behind her back on the tip of her sword. She asked with some concern:

"What's wrong with Master? Since leaving the Sword Sect, she hasn't said a word, as if she doesn't even recognize me, her disciple. How could she have become like this? Could it be that Master's character has really been changed by the inheritance?"

Su Miao raised an eyebrow, glanced at her, and then looked at Ye Jie in the distance: "You really don't know?"

Ye Jie asked, puzzled, "Could it be that something unexpected happened before we arrived?"

Su Miao pouted helplessly: "She's usually very serious. In my opinion, she must be..."

Before they finished speaking, the flying sword beneath their feet began to wobble. Fortunately, everyone was an experienced immortal, and they were able to stabilize it by slightly activating their immortal energy.

Shen Qingge's words drifted over from ahead:
“We have arrived… According to the legacy of Fairy Beichen, this place is Jianyan Island, and the path to the Abyss of the Underworld Emperor is on the island.”

The group peered out and looked around, but apart from the vast ocean below, they couldn't see any trace of any islands.

Li Feie asked in confusion, "Master, there's clearly only ocean down here, where are the islands you're talking about?"

Shen Qingge replied, "According to the location left by Fairy Beichen, the island should be right here, with an error of no more than ten zhang."

Ye Jie released his senses and asked, "There seems to be an island you mentioned in the sea area dozens of miles away, and there are still people living there. It's been several hundred years since Fairy Beichen left her legacy. It's normal for the landscape to change over the course of a hundred years. Is the Jianyan Island you mentioned that one?"

Shen Qingge shook her head: "No, it's right here."

Apart from that, she remained silent, only looking at everyone with cold eyes, making it difficult for anyone to guess her thoughts.

Seeing that Shen Qingge insisted on saying so, Li Feie suddenly remembered something, leaned out and looked down at the calm sea: "Do you think it's possible that the island sank to the bottom of the sea, which is why we can't find it?"

Ye Jie's eyes lit up. This was indeed possible. Although it was rare for an island to sink, it was not impossible. A battle between a few immortals of slightly higher cultivation levels could lead to such a thing.

Unfortunately, Shen Qingge's answer immediately extinguished everyone's hopes: "According to the inheritance records, the solid rock island is of solid texture. The stubborn rocks on it cannot be cut with a knife or chiseled with an axe. Even a sixth-level immortal cannot damage it in the slightest. It is impossible for it to sink to the bottom of the sea."

"This..." Ye Jie was somewhat troubled. He released his senses and found nothing beneath the ocean; there was no trace of the island sinking. "If that's the case, could it be that there's an illusion array shrouding this place, which is why we can't see Solid Rock Island?" "I don't know."

Shen Qingge shook her head. That was all she knew from the inheritance, and she had already told Ye Jie everything.

Now it was Ye Jie's turn to have a headache: "Let's just assume that Jianyan Island is being concealed by an illusion array... If Jianyan Island is closely related to the Underworld Emperor's Ghost Seal, then anyone who could set up an illusion array here must be at least a powerful expert at the seventh or eighth level. In addition, since no one has obtained the Underworld Emperor's Ghost Seal for so many years, the difficulty of breaking the illusion array is probably beyond imagination..."

Li Feie nodded repeatedly: "With my level of cultivation, I can't even see any trace related to the illusion array. If Sister He were here, she would definitely be able to help us discover the difference!"

Ye Jie nodded in agreement. In moments like this when things were confusing, Nan Linghe's innate abilities would come in very handy. It was just a pity that Nan Linghe wasn't by their side.

Unable to find a clue here, Ye Jie looked to the side and said slowly, "There is an island still inhabited about twenty miles away in the sea. Since we can't find any clues here, and waiting is just waiting anyway, we might as well go and take a look over there. Maybe the people there know something."

The group set off, and under Shen Qingge's control, the flying sword quickly landed on the island, causing the island's mortals to exclaim in surprise, calling it an immortal descending to earth.

"Are all these people mortals? However, I did sense the aura of immortals from the other side of the island. I wonder which sect they belong to..."

Li Feie looked curious, her gaze sweeping over mortals who had not yet become immortals and possessed little spiritual energy.

Shen Qingge spoke slowly, explaining to her: "Beyond the Northern Sea, few sects can venture there. Firstly, there are hordes of powerful demons in the sea, and if an immortal were to occupy an overseas island and establish a sect, it would attract a beast tide. Secondly, it is far from the trade centers on land, which is not conducive to the development of a sect. Even the Northern Sea Sword Sect's main site is located near the coast, and only the elders of the sect go to sea to train."

After a pause, she continued, "Those who are willing to stay on the island for a long time are either independent cultivators without any sect or those who have committed serious crimes, are wanted by the authorities, and have no choice but to flee far away."

Li Feie understood perfectly. No matter which one it was, she was not afraid at all. Her peak sixth-level cultivation was there for her. As long as she didn't face a top expert like the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, she didn't care about any other sinful immortals.

The arrival of Ye Jie and his group quickly alerted the scattered immortals on the island.

It should be noted that this place is located deep in the Northern Sea, and few people usually venture here. However, several powerful and extraordinary immortals have suddenly arrived, which immediately makes the cultivators on the island speculate about their purpose.

Soon, an elderly man in a gray robe with a long beard came to Ye Jie. His robe was decorated with two clouds drawn in flowing lines, one of which was full of color and the other was slightly gray, which also corresponded to his own mid-stage second transformation realm.

"Distinguished guests, please forgive us for not being able to greet you properly..."

Upon seeing Ye Jie and the others, and sensing the profound immortal energy emanating from them, the old man understood that their cultivation levels were far beyond what he could afford to offend. He immediately lowered his stance and respectfully welcomed them.

Ye Jie simply waved his hand and said, "We had no intention of disturbing you. We just heard the legend and came here to find out."

"Legend?" The old man was slightly taken aback, then understood. "You must be referring to the legend of the Underworld Emperor, right?"

The group exchanged glances, all seeing the joy in each other's eyes. They had come for the Underworld Emperor's Ghost Seal, and the old man had seen through their intentions as soon as they spoke, so it seemed that things were really going to work out.

Ye Jie nodded and said, "That's right. I wonder what you know about the Underworld Emperor? You might as well tell us."

The old man led the group to a dilapidated ancient shrine. The statues enshrined in the shrine were worn and tattered, their original colors lost by the erosion of wind and frost, and even their faces had become blurred. Only a faint outline could be seen, with the person holding a book in their hands.

"This is the statue of the Underworld Emperor. For many years, the island has worshipped him as its guardian deity. In the past, there were also immortals from outside who came here to make offerings. However, as time passed, people have forgotten about this island." The old man seemed to have thought of something and sighed.

Beside her, Su Miao curled her lips, somewhat puzzled, and said, "You actually worship the Underworld Emperor in the ancestral hall? Isn't it only ghosts and ghost immortals who worship the Underworld Emperor? Why do the mortals here worship the Underworld Emperor instead of the Dragon King? Are you hoping he will bless you and give you a good catch when you fish? Or are you hoping he will grant you long life?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Jie couldn't help but feel a bit curious. To be honest, this was the first time he had ever seen the statue of the Underworld Emperor in person. In the eyes of other immortals, the Underworld Emperor was a symbol of taboo existence. In particular, the former Underworld Emperor had once intended to set up the End of Dharma Array to shatter the backbone of the immortal path, making him a thorn in the side of many immortal officials.

Fortunately, this island is located in a remote area and no immortals usually come here. Otherwise, if someone had discovered this statue of the Underworld Emperor and reported it to the Heavenly Court, everyone on the island would probably have been plagued by misfortune for a long time.

The old man smiled and said, "We worship the Emperor of the Underworld in the hope that he will bless us and allow us to be reborn into a good family in our next life."

Ye Jie raised an eyebrow: "Isn't reincarnation linked to one's accumulated merit? What's the use of worshipping the Underworld Emperor instead of doing good deeds? Only by accumulating sufficient merit can one be reborn into a good family in the next life."

The old man explained, “That is indeed the case now, but it wasn’t like that before. Long ago, how people were reincarnated was entirely determined by luck, and had nothing to do with any good deeds or evil deeds. Even a person who was utterly wicked could be reincarnated into a wealthy family and enjoy inexhaustible riches and honors if they were lucky enough. Everything happened randomly. There’s a word for it… yes, it’s called impermanence.”

After a pause, the old man raised his head and his gaze fell on the statue in front of him: "It is thanks to the Emperor of the Underworld that all of this has changed. It was he who defined good and evil with his virtue, he who established the karmic retribution for the next life, and he who prompted people to do good deeds."

The old man lit three incense sticks and respectfully placed them in the incense burner in front of him: "Nowadays, although the quality of one's reincarnation is directly linked to one's karmic merit, many people still come to the statue of the Underworld Emperor and respectfully pray to him, hoping that he will bless them to be born into a good family in their next life."

After saying that, he raised his hand and pointed, a tongue of fire shooting out from his fingertip, lighting fifteen incense sticks, which he then distributed to Ye Jie and his group.

Su Miao stepped forward, took the three sticks, and, as a ghost immortal, she also had a strange respect for the Underworld Emperor, so she put the incense sticks in the incense.

Ye Jie followed, then Li Feie and Yun Xiu. When it was Shen Qingge's turn, she turned away and refused, showing no interest.

After everyone had finished lighting the incense, the old man smiled with satisfaction and extended his hand to Ye Jie: "Twelve exquisite incense sticks, a total of twelve mid-grade spirit stones. Thank you for your generosity. The Underworld Emperor will remember your devout offerings."

(End of this chapter)