Hell Emperor.

Chapter 601 Ye Jie - Clues
“You’re right… As long as we find the Moonlight Box in this era, we can return to our time and prevent the future from being completely changed by our influence!”

The Moon Goddess steadied herself, a hint of solemnity emanating from her stern, cold gaze:

"This whole mess started because of you, and you bear an inescapable responsibility! You must help me get everything back on track!"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Xiaomei immediately objected: "What do you mean it started because of us? It clearly started because of you! If you hadn't taken Xia Wei away, how could things have turned out this way? Now you expect us to obediently listen to you and let you do whatever you want? How is that possible!"

The Moon Goddess did not answer, but instead looked at Ye Jie.

Ye Jie sighed. Although he was unwilling to cooperate with the Moon Goddess, things had come to this point, and finding the Moonlight Box of this era had become the only hope to get everything back on track.

"Alright... we'll assist you, but don't think this is the end of it. When we return to our original timeline, you'll still be our enemy. I'm only willing to help you so that I can reunite with my comrades!"

After receiving Ye Jie's reply, the Moon Goddess finally showed a satisfied expression. With Ye Jie's strength, he was capable of doing many things, especially things that the Moon Goddess couldn't easily do herself.

Seeing that the two had reached an agreement, Li Feie couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She was really worried that Ye Jie and the Taiyin Ancestor would continue to be at odds. Fortunately, in the face of a greater crisis, the two put aside their past grievances and joined forces to resolve the crisis.

Thinking of this, Li Feie couldn't help but feel a little confused:

"Speaking of which... how do we find the Moonlight Box of this era?"

Su Miao seemed to remember something and spoke up: "The Moonlight Box belongs to Fairy Zixia. As long as we can find Fairy Zixia herself, we can find the box!"

Ye Jie nodded in agreement. It was indeed a good idea: "There's no time to lose. Now that we know the whereabouts of the treasure box, let's set off now! If we delay any longer, something unexpected might happen..."

Just as everyone was about to set off, the whereabouts of Fairy Zixia remained a mystery, and how to find her became a headache for everyone.

Su Miao couldn't help but sigh, "If only Sister Yaoyin were here. She seems to be from this era. Perhaps she would know where to find Fairy Zixia."

"That's impossible." The only reply to Su Miao was the cold and stern words of the Moon God.

Shen Qingge fixed her gaze on the distant Taiyin Star Lord and respectfully inquired, "Grandmaster Taiyin, you are the third generation patriarch of the sect, while Fairy Zixia is the ninth generation patriarch. If you know where to find the ninth generation patriarch, please tell us."

The Moon Goddess stroked her sleeve and said, "If only I knew her whereabouts. Zixia controls the elusive purple aura of the East, and her whereabouts are unpredictable. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe her as having no fixed abode. Can you find the fleeting purple aura on the horizon? That's impossible... Let alone me, unless she's willing to reveal her whereabouts, I'm afraid no one in the sect knows her current location. It would take at least several decades to find her exact location."

"What should I do now?"

After hearing the Moon Goddess's answer, everyone looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

Now, even the only clue connecting to the Moonlight Box has been severed. How can we find the box now? How can we return to our original timeline? Are we really going to have to wait for decades in this isolated land of Yin?
"and many more……"

Just then, Ye Jie seemed to have thought of something: "Since the whereabouts of Fairy Zixia are hard to find, how about we change direction and look for the Demon King who is causing chaos in the Three Realms?"

"what?"

Everyone was slightly taken aback, not seeking a deeper understanding, except for a very few, such as the insightful Shen Qingge, who immediately grasped Ye Jie's meaning and repeatedly praised him:

"That's right... That demon king is incredibly powerful, and his every move attracts the attention of countless immortals in the world. If we can find his location, we might be able to follow the clues and find Fairy Zixia!"

Yunxiu blinked, looking puzzled, and asked Shen Qingge, "Grandmaster, who is this Demon King you're talking about? And what is his relationship with Fairy Zixia?"

Ye Jie took a deep breath and continued, "This demon is no ordinary demon, but the king of all demons who shakes the heavens and earth. It is said that he once single-handedly stormed the Heavenly Court, causing countless celestial officials to tremble in fear and disrupting the peace of the Three Realms. Even the supreme ruler of the Ghost Realm, the Great Emperor of the Underworld, died at his hands. He was known as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven."

The Moon Goddess also came to her senses: "The Great Sage Equal to Heaven... I've heard of that name. Even I am no match for him. Are you really going to go find him? Are you sure he knows where Zixia is?"

Ye Jie and Shen Qingge exchanged a glance, both seeing the certainty in each other's eyes. What Taiyin Xingjun didn't know was that long ago, they had heard that being personally confirm this matter.

After some discussion, everyone finally confirmed their next objective. The Moon Goddess spoke slowly:

"The Great Sage Equal to Heaven is unparalleled in his prowess and quite eye-catching. Finding out his whereabouts will not be difficult. I will go and gather information about him. Until then, you should all stay on the Taiyin Mountain and not show yourselves in the mortal world, lest you cause irreparable turmoil."

Just as the Moon Goddess was about to leave, Ye Jie called her back:
"Wait a minute, before that, I have one more thing to ask you. If you lie, I will not let you go, even if you hide at the ends of the earth!"

"What do you want to ask?" Taiyin Xingjun frowned. If an ordinary immortal dared to speak to her like this, she would have already turned her face down and wouldn't have given a single answer. However, considering the current cooperation, and the possibility that Ye Jie's help might be needed to return to the original timeline, she had no choice but to patiently ask.

"If everything goes smoothly and we successfully return to our original timeline, what about Xia Wei? Will she... return to normal?"

Ye Jie spoke slowly, his voice filled with worry that he could no longer suppress.

If there was anything that worried Ye Jie the most, it was undoubtedly Xia Wei. Seeing her transformed into the Xuan Nu of today, Ye Jie felt an indescribable melancholy.

What worries Ye Jie the most is whether Xia Wei will be able to return to normal after everything is restored.
"I do not know."

Under Ye Jie's probing gaze, the Moon Goddess sighed, and her answer greatly disappointed Ye Jie.

"You don't know? How could you not know? Isn't it you who planned to use the power of the treasure box to send Xia Wei's soul back to her past life?" Ye Jie's eyes widened, not believing her answer at all, and taking it as her making excuses.

The Moon Goddess simply shook her head: "I really don't know. To be honest, things have come to this point completely beyond my expectations. If everything were under my control, how could I have come to this era that doesn't belong to me? Even if you ask me this question, I can't give you a definite answer."

"Yeah……"

Ye Jie sighed. It seemed that the Moon Goddess truly did not know. If she was just trying to appease him, she could have lied and said that Xia Wei would return to normal. But she still gave the answer that she did not know. It seemed that even the Moon Goddess had not fully grasped the mysteries of the depths of time.

"I'm going to see her," Ye Jie said firmly.

The Moon Goddess scoffed: "Have you forgotten your abrupt offense last time? I'm afraid in the eyes of the Mysterious Maiden, you're nothing but a lecherous rogue from who-knows-where. If you go to see her now, aren't you afraid she'll turn on you and blast you to ashes with a lightning tribulation? Or do you want to challenge her to a duel?"

Ye Jie shook his head: "With my strength, I am definitely no match for Xuan Nu. It can be said that there are very few people in the world who can match her. I am deeply sorry for my offense last time. I mistook her for someone else and hope to apologize to her in person."

The Moon Goddess gave Ye Jie a deep look, considered it carefully, and finally replied, "Alright... She is cultivating in seclusion in the Moon Palace. If you want to see her, go see her yourself. However, if she kicks you out, or if you say something wrong and she kills you, I can't save you."

"No need to trouble yourself."

Ye Jie waved his hand. Now that things had come to this, at least the Taiyin Star Lord would no longer stop him. With this answer, Ye Jie felt much more at ease. The only one he needed to worry about was Xuan Nu herself.

Although her appearance was very similar to Xia Wei's, the aura she exuded clearly told Ye Jie that they were completely different people.

If Xia Wei's memories were still intact, she would never have used such an ultimate killing move as the Three Lives Soul Destruction Tribulation on herself. The person now in Xia Wei's appearance is someone who is completely unfamiliar to Ye Jie.

Even so, Ye Jie still couldn't let go of his longing and insisted on seeing Xuan Nu one last time.

After the Moon Goddess departed, the companions began to discuss their current situation, their words filled with emotion and amazement.

Nan Linghe gazed into the distance, the vast outline of the human world appearing before the eyes of those in Taiyin. A hint of bewilderment flickered in her eyes: "Have we... really returned to five hundred years ago? Every time I think of this, I feel a sense of unreality..."

Li Feie smiled and said, "This is the secret of the power of time. It's a pity that the Taiyin Ancestor won't let us leave. Otherwise, I really would like to go to the mortal world to find out how this era is different from our original era. Perhaps I could even meet an immortal who has been dead for many years!"

Shen Qingge shook her head: "Doing so would interfere with the history of the world. If you save the person who should have died, everything afterward, even the reincarnation of the soul, will be completely different. This is why the Taiyin Star Lord does not allow us to leave."

After saying that, she glanced around but couldn't see the familiar figure from the past, and couldn't help but ask, "By the way, where did A-Jie go?"

Hua Xiaomei gazed into the distance: "He went to the Moon Palace... but I always feel that his journey will not be smooth. I just hope that Xuan Nu can be kinder to her master in her next life and not use any more lightning tribulations."

In the distance, Ye Jie walked alone, and sure enough, deep within the Moon Palace, in the serene courtyard where the light shone brightly, he saw the person standing there.

"Xia... no, the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden."

Looking at that person's face, Ye Jie subconsciously spoke, calling out the name he had missed the most in the past. However, when the words were about to come out, the person's indifferent eyes, devoid of any emotion, and her icy, snow-white face, as if frozen in frost, reminded Ye Jie that she was not the person he remembered.

In my memory, Xia Wei always wore two braids, but the Xuan Nu before me had her hair piled high in a bun, adorned with a gilded hairpin. She was elegant and graceful, with a captivating presence that made it difficult to look directly at her.

Xuan Nu did not answer, but stared at Ye Jie with eyes as calm as still water until he was five steps away from her, then she flicked her sleeve and moved:

"You junior, what brings you here again? Wasn't the lesson you learned last time enough?"

Ye Jie sensed her displeasure and stopped in his tracks. Just as the Moon Goddess had said, having no memory of Xia Wei, she probably already regarded him as an impolite scoundrel, so it was no wonder her attitude was not good.
"That's not it... I'm here to apologize to the Goddess Xuan Nu. I was presumptuous before, mistaking you for someone else from my memories. It wasn't intentional..."

The goddess spoke calmly, without a trace of emotion: "After apologizing, go back."

Ye Jie asked again, "Have you forgiven me?"

Xuan Nu glanced at him: "You have already paid the price for your previous offense. The Soul Extinction Tribulation was the lightning punishment I gave you. You were able to survive it, which can be considered a stroke of luck. The matter is over, so why bother about whether you are forgiven?"

Ye Jie was taken aback: "Of course I care. How can lightning punishment compare to forgiveness? If I can't get forgiveness, then an apology is meaningless."

Xuan Nu looked at him with her elegant gaze: "In fact, there is no point in apologizing. Apologies arise from remorse and regret. When such emotions begin to grow in the depths of your heart, it means that your mind is wavering and your Dao heart is not firm. I don't know how you cultivated power comparable to an eighth-level saint, but you don't even have the most basic saintly state of mind. A saint will never apologize for his or her actions."

Ye Jie was slightly taken aback. He was quite unaccustomed to Xuan Nu speaking these words while wearing Xia Wei's face.

Before this, he had been the one to carefully teach Xia Wei, and Xia Wei was the one who listened attentively. But now, things have unknowingly turned around.

Hearing Xuan Nu's words, Ye Jie also gleaned profound insights. Her tone and demeanor were all born for the Dao. Even her casually uttered insights into cultivation were enough to enlighten even a sage.

To Ye Jie's surprise, Xuan Nu saw through his true strength at a glance. Even Taiyin Xingjun only realized Ye Jie's strength was not as simple as his outward cultivation level after they started fighting.

However, this disguise was completely ineffective in front of Xuan Nu. With just a glance, she saw through Ye Jie's supreme cultivation technique and made the most accurate judgment on his strength. No one could hide anything from her.

Ye Jie sighed. It seemed that Xuan Nu would not accept his apology, or rather, Xuan Nu did not need the apology at all. Just then, a sound from afar caught his attention.

(End of this chapter)