Hell Emperor.

Chapter 573 Ye Jie - Formation
After flying on their swords for a long time, Ye Jie and his group returned to the Northern Dark Sword Sect.

Even before they got close, several powerful auras caused Ye Jie's gaze to darken slightly:

"Be careful... there are many powerful immortals lying in ambush all around, and their strength is considerable."

Li Fei'e waved her hand, not taking it to heart at all: "How strong is 'not bad'? Even if it's strong, can it be stronger than us now? With our current strength, do we need to be afraid of this?"

Shen Qingge also noticed something amiss: "The aura of these immortals is probably even stronger than that of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave. They've deliberately ambushed us here; their intentions are likely not good."

As everyone slowed down their sword-riding speed, the immortals lying in ambush realized that their whereabouts had been exposed, so they simply dropped their disguises.

The tranquil void seemed to have a curtain lifted, revealing celestial soldiers arrayed in formation beneath the serene sky, their swords and halberds like clouds, seemingly having been waiting for some time.

Looking closely, Ye Jie also saw several familiar figures: the Lucky Official with whom he had gambled, and the Four Duty Officers with whom he had negotiated. They all appeared, seemingly there to question him.

Before the array of heavenly soldiers, at the head was a man with a dark face, thick beard, and hair bound with an iron crown. Just standing there, he exuded a majestic and imposing aura, like a mountain. When he spoke, his voice boomed like a bell:

"So you're the Ziwei Palace Master who stole the divine artifact, swindled the documents, and blocked the path to wealth for the Three Realms?"

Before Ye Jie could answer, Li Feie snorted, "And who are you, you dark-skinned fellow?"

"Moth, don't be rude."

Seeing that Li Feie spoke rudely as soon as she opened her mouth, Shen Qingge subtly rubbed her forehead, feeling embarrassed to admit that she was her master.

Li Feie said with slight dissatisfaction: "Master, they are obviously here to cause trouble. Why bother with etiquette when dealing with enemies? How can we boost their morale and diminish our own?"

Shen Qingge's gaze was solemn: "...The tiger is subdued on the altar, and the dragon is bound by the golden rope. If I am not mistaken, that person is Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth appointed by the Heavenly Court."

Ye Jie also noticed the man. As they drew closer, the eight-sided sewn-up panel in Ye Jie's arms became intensely hot, sending him an invisible signal: "So, the main tent of the Azure Lotus Palace is now in his hands!"

Li Feie was slightly taken aback: "Shouldn't the God of Wealth be radiant and exuding wealth? This disheveled fellow is actually the God of Wealth? Who would believe that?"

Zhao Gongming heard the crowd's words and spoke slowly.

"If even wandering ghosts can become the rulers of the underworld, why can't I become the God of Wealth?"

Seeing this, Ye Jie glanced at him: "If the Lord of the Underworld can't be a ghost immortal, does that mean a celestial immortal should be appointed?"

Zhao Gongming stroked his beard: "Indeed, it was once so. The so-called Lord of the Underworld was no different from other celestial officials. He was appointed by the Heavenly Court and had to obey its orders at all times. To become a celestial official of the Heavenly Court, one's life history had to be strictly examined. One could not have any stain on the reputation of the Heavenly Court in the past three lifetimes. How could it be the turn of a wandering ghost?"

"Really? Then I have to thank the Underworld Emperor."

Ye Jie sneered. If it weren't for the powerful rise of the Underworld Emperor hundreds of years ago, which led the Underworld to break away from the Heavenly Court and become its own faction, the position of Lord of the Yama Palace would probably have been held by the Heavenly Court immortals.

Someone like him, who was an animal in his previous lives and starved to death in this one, probably wouldn't even pass the first step of the resume review, and would never be able to become the temple master in his entire life.

"Why waste words with the God of Wealth? He's the one who stole our documents!"

"That's right, he intends to cut off our source of wealth and is the greatest threat to this continent. We implore the God of Wealth to take swift and decisive action to eliminate this scourge!"

Upon seeing Ye Jie, the men opposite him could no longer contain their anger. Taking advantage of Zhao Gongming's presence, they decided to settle both old and new scores.

Zhao Gongming's expression was solemn, and his sharp, hawk-like eyes exuded boundless pressure.

"There's nothing more to say now. Ye Jie, the Palace Master of Ziwei Palace, it wasn't enough that you severed the path to immortality in Dongsheng Divine Continent, now you've even started to wreak havoc in the North. Today is the day you will be executed!"

Having said that, Zhao Gongming raised his right arm, which was covered by black armor: "All soldiers!"

Behind him, the fully armed heavenly soldiers raised their weapons, unleashed their magical treasures, and unleashed a boundless fighting spirit that soared into the sky. They were just waiting for his command to tear all the enemies in front of them to shreds.

"not good……"

Sensing the imposing aura of the Heavenly Soldiers' formation, Li Feie's expression changed slightly. Even she felt a sense of threat. Even a sixth-stage peak immortal could not withstand the formation in front of her.

Shen Qingge noticed something amiss and reminded him, "The elite troops commanded by Zhao Gongming are far more powerful than ordinary heavenly soldiers. Besides being the God of Wealth, he also holds the title of the God of War of the Mysterious Altar and is well-versed in the art of commanding troops. These elite troops number only three thousand, but in a real battle, even a seventh-level immortal would have to be careful!"

Ye Jie looked around and saw that the heavenly soldiers under Zhao Gongming's command had a clear division of labor.

The celestial soldiers, wielding spears and halberds and clad in heavy armor, formed the largest ranks in the center, numbering about 1,500. On both sides, there were numerous fierce warriors riding celestial horses, some of whom were immortals with natural powers, and others were demon immortals with demon heads and human bodies, with 500 on each side.

In addition, there were over a hundred drummers behind them, responsible for enhancing the heavenly soldiers with the Dao of Array Music; over a hundred logistics personnel, responsible for distributing elixirs and treating the wounded; and over a hundred celestial immortals skilled in the Dao of the Five Elements. Those celestial immortals, though seemingly ethereal and otherworldly, actually exerted the greatest pressure on Ye Jie, far greater than that of the warriors riding celestial horses.

Zhao Gongming controls the financial resources of the Three Realms, and the magical artifacts used by his elite soldiers are rare treasures. Although they are not on par with divine artifacts, every soldier has at least one fourth-grade magical artifact!
Even Ye Jie, upon seeing the heavenly soldiers arrayed in formation, couldn't help but exclaim, "This wealth, I'm afraid only the God of Wealth could produce."

Zhao Gongming raised his black iron whip and said loudly, "Palace Master Ziwei, surrender now and you may be able to save those around you. Otherwise, under my iron cavalry, everyone connected to you will die, even the successor of the Mysterious Maiden!"

After saying that, a vast surge of immortal energy erupted from his body, and the powerful aura caused the expressions of those around Ye Jie to change drastically.

Su Miao's face turned pale as she said, "Mid-stage of the seventh level... His cultivation has actually reached this level!"

Li Feie broke out in a cold sweat: "Is this the power of the God of Wealth? What should we do now?"

Ye Jie's gaze darkened slightly. Zhao Gongming's strength had indeed exceeded his expectations. Looking across the entire Heavenly Army formation, Zhao Gongming, as the commander, was the strongest. Under his command, the elite troops were in high spirits, and their iron cavalry was capable of crushing everything. However, Ye Jie was no longer one to be easily manipulated.

"You have elite troops armed with wealth, but I also have ghost soldiers condensed from the mist!"

After saying that, Ye Jie slapped the Crossing Yin Banner, and instantly a strong yin wind arose, ghosts cried and gods howled. Faceless and fearless black ghosts lined up behind him, and the yin energy soared into the sky, actually rivaling the wealth and nobility energy of Zhao Gongming's side!
The ghost soldiers, who had been hidden in the Abyss of the Underworld for many years and were forged by the Ghost Seal, now obeyed Ye Jie's orders and were at his disposal as he obtained the Ghost Seal. They were finally put to use.

Faced with the malevolent and ominous ghost soldiers whose faces were completely distorted and whose cultivation levels included the seventh rank, Zhao Gongming's elite troops displayed extraordinary discipline, managing to maintain their footing and confronting them without yielding an inch.

"That's...that's impossible!"

Looking at the ghost soldiers summoned by Ye Jie, Zhao Gongming seemed to realize something, and his pupils suddenly contracted. He remembered that hundreds of years ago, the Underworld Emperor relied on those faceless ghost soldiers to defeat countless legions of the Heavenly Court, thus forging his illustrious reputation.

But soon, his eyes calmed down. Even the former Emperor of the Underworld had ended in defeat. What waves could the current Palace Master of Ziwei possibly make?
The two sides faced each other from a distance, and an atmosphere of tension, like needles clashing against wheat awns, spread throughout the area. Everyone could feel the impending storm, and a great battle was about to break out!
…………

Returning to the front of the illusion array, Xia Wei took out a rabbit's foot, her face showing deep thought:
"Can it really help us get past the illusion array? How can we use this to break the array?"

Yao Bai wasn't worried at all, reminding him, "This is a rabbit's foot given to us by the Mother of Rabbit. As long as you carry it, your luck will be extremely good, and you'll be able to get out of the illusion array naturally."

Xia Wei asked, puzzled, "Extremely good? How good is that?"

Yao Bai thought for a moment: "It's probably as good as the Lucky Star entering one's life. However, the Lucky Star entering one's life is permanent, while the Rabbit's Foot is gone once it's used. Once we get out of the illusion array, the Rabbit's Foot will lose its effect, and then no matter what happens, we'll have to rely on ourselves."

Xia Wei's expression was solemn; she had been preparing for this moment for a long time.

She put on her rabbit feet and stepped into the misty Water Moon Illusion Array with Yao Bai.

The thick fog that once obscured her vision now seemed to have lost its power and could no longer hinder her progress. However, the deeper she went, the stronger the illusion array became in its obstruction of perception, and even her surroundings became blurred.

"Be careful, this place can block all senses, Yao Bai, you mustn't get separated from me... Yao Bai?"

When her calls went unanswered, Xia Wei turned around in surprise, but couldn't find Yao Bai anywhere. She sighed helplessly, realizing that what she feared most had come to pass.

The thin mist made it difficult for Xia Wei to find Yao Bai. In just a short while, she even forgot which way she came from. The confusion of her sense of space made it impossible for her to find her way forward. If she wandered around aimlessly, it wouldn't be long before she would be far away from the illusion array in another direction.

Previously, Xia Wei's many attempts had failed in this way. Now that she had the rabbit's leg, Xia Wei gritted her teeth and decided to ignore Yao Bai for the time being, sabotage the elixir of immortality first, and then come back to find her.

Remembering Yao Bai's reminder, Xia Wei cleared her mind, held the rabbit's feet in her hands, and no longer chose a direction on her own. Instead, she entrusted her hope of escaping the illusion array to the luck in the dark, and it actually worked.

Soon, a towering white jade gate appeared before Xia Wei, catching her eye. That pure white, flawless, thick and wide gate was the gate of the Guanghan Palace, where those evil alchemists were!

Xia Wei raised her finger, and a burst of light shot from her fingertip, striking the gate. With a loud bang, the gate, which weighed ten thousand pounds, flew backward like a rag doll, crushing countless people along its path.

The dazzling lightning also heralded Xia Wei's arrival. The palace servants inside the gate were stunned. They were carefully preparing to welcome the coming alchemy tribulation, never expecting such a jinx to appear. Before they could even figure it out, their bodies were reduced to ashes by the blazing lightning!

Xia Wei's eyes were filled with anger, and her brows were filled with murderous intent. After witnessing the tragic state of the Mother Rabbit, she had no good feelings towards the palace servants here. She would not rest until she razed this place to the ground, and anyone who stood in her way would not have a good end.

"Enemy attack!"

Xia Wei's arrival quickly alarmed the highly accomplished immortals in the palace.

Before the enormous alchemy furnace, which trembled continuously and shimmered with a faint, precious light, Fairy Su'e was startled: "Oh no, it's that woman from before! She actually broke through the Water Moon Illusion Array to get here! Quickly, stop her! Don't let her ruin the refining of the elixir of immortality!"

Upon receiving this order, many palace servants sprang into action. They could no longer wait for the calamity to arrive; Xia Wei's attack was the most important matter at hand, and they immediately took action to stop her.

With most of the alchemists by the furnace gone, Fairy Wanshou frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which, who exactly is that girl? How can such a fierce immortal exist in the Taiyin Land?"

Even the fairy Chang'e was puzzled:

"I don't know either. She seems to have appeared here suddenly. Perhaps she committed some crime in the mortal realm and was exiled here by the Heavenly Court. In the past, many vicious immortals were exiled to the desolate and barren Taiyin Land, and they tried to cause trouble, but they were all killed by the fairies in the palace. This person really does have some strength..."

After a pause, Fairy Su'e added, "By the way, I heard Yao Bai say that her name is Xia Wei."

“Xia...Wei…”

Upon hearing this name, others might not have reacted much, but the Fairy of Longevity couldn't sit still on the spot.

Mortals from other continents may be unfamiliar with the name Xia Wei, but how could the Fairy of Longevity, who witnessed the ascension of the entire continent in the Eastern Continent, not remember this name?
To the surprise of Fairy Wanshou, although she had heard of Xia Wei's name and knew that Xia Wei was Ye Jie's disciple, she had never met Xia Wei in person. So much so that when Xia Wei appeared in front of her, she did not recognize her and thought that the person was a fierce female cultivator like a demon.

"What's wrong? Have you heard of that name?"

Fairy Su'e noticed the unusual expression on her face and took the initiative to ask her about it.

Fairy Wanshou's face was grim: "If it really is that person, then I can understand why she insisted on stopping the refining of the elixir of immortality... A person who can accomplish the feat of ascending to immortality across an entire continent cannot be judged by ordinary standards."

Just then, a loud explosion came from ahead, and several charred corpses flew backward and scattered on the ground.

Fairy Su'e exclaimed in shock. Among the corpses were alchemists from the palace and palace maids who served her on a daily basis, all of whom were now dead.

With a series of heavy footsteps, Xia Wei's figure, eyes bloodshot and panting heavily, appeared before the two. The murderous intent emanating from her, almost igniting the sky, caused the two men's expressions to change drastically.

(End of this chapter)