Hell Emperor.

Chapter 608 Ye Jie - An Old Friend
"Judging from your expression, do you perhaps know him?"

As if sensing Ye Jie's gaze, Li Feie couldn't help but ask a question out of curiosity, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized that something was wrong.

"Wait a minute, isn't this five hundred years ago? How could you possibly know someone from this era? You must have mistaken someone else!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked puzzled. The current era was so far removed from the era they lived in that everything here should be completely unfamiliar. How could Ye Jie possibly know the people here?
Seeing this, Ye Jie also showed a bit of helplessness and looked at Su Miao beside him: "Speaking of which, you should have met this person before."

Su Miao was taken aback, her gaze falling on the man. She saw that he was weak and pale, as if he hadn't eaten anything for many days. Only his shiny forehead and pointed head were so conspicuous.

After careful recollection, Su Miao couldn't remember when she had ever seen this person, so she could only say, "I've never seen him before."

Ye Jie reminded him, "Have you forgotten? This person is a Venerable of the Hall of Equality. You dealt with him in Vajra City in the Eastern Continent of Divine Victory, and we owe him a great debt of gratitude for his help..."

Su Miao frowned: "I think you've misremembered. We had only been in Vajra City for a short time when you and Xia Wei teleported here and left quickly afterwards. When did you ever see such a Venerable One?"

"is it?"

Ye Jie was slightly taken aback, as if he remembered something and realized his mistake.

Su Miao did indeed meet that Venerable One, but not in the original timeline. Instead, it was in the timeline where Xia Wei summoned the world-destroying lightning tribulation, completely destroying the entire continent.

That time, thanks to the help of this Venerable One, Ye Jie was able to withstand the double attack of the lightning tribulation and the purple aura from the east, and successfully obtain the first-grade divine artifact that allows him to travel through time and space. Otherwise, everything would have been beyond redemption.

However, as that timeline disappeared, Su Miao also forgot about the Venerable's help and naturally did not recognize him. Only Ye Jie remembered what happened back then and also remembered the Venerable named Ju Zuyi. He just did not expect to be able to see him five hundred years ago.

Venerable Juzuyi had been kind to Ye Jie, and Ye Jie would certainly not forget it, much less watch him be hung here and humiliated.

Just as Ye Jie was about to put him down, Shen Qingge suddenly stopped him:
"Wait a minute... If he really does meet you in the future, and even helps you, then he's not an insignificant person. If you meet him now, it might completely change the trajectory of his life, and many things will be different then..."

Ye Jie was taken aback. Shen Qingge's words made sense. Before coming, the Moon Goddess had given similar instructions. So he said:

“Our faces are now obscured by the hazy moonlight, so even if he saw us, he wouldn’t remember what we really look like. However, doing this does seem to change the course of his life, but ignoring him doesn’t seem right either, since I was able to obtain the relics thanks to him…”

After saying that, Ye Jie couldn't help but hesitate, as if no matter what he did, it wouldn't be quite right in the end.

Just as Ye Jie hesitated, he saw two men wielding long swords walking up from behind. Both men were at least at the third level of cultivation. They swung their swords and cut the ropes. Ju Zuyi immediately lost his strength and crashed heavily to the ground, letting out a barely audible cry of pain.

One of the men strode forward, picked up the completely powerless Juzuyi as if he were a scrawny chick, and demanded:
“We are here on the orders of the Dragon Clan to ask you a question: Are you still as stubborn as ever, unable to recognize the current situation?”

Juzugi's expression was solemn: "As long as I live, I will not betray the Ksitigarbha Temple. As for the Dragon Clan, they are nothing but despicable traitors and will surely be punished!"

"It seems you are unrepentant. In that case, you shall perish along with the Ksitigarbha Palace!"

Having said that, the man raised his long sword and slashed down at Juzuyi. The tip of the sword emitted a sharp and fierce light. If the sword struck him, it would surely cut his head off.

Seeing this, Ye Jie, who had originally intended to ignore it, could no longer remain calm. If Ju Zuyi really died here, what would happen in the future? He immediately used his hidden strength to knock away the long sword that was about to be cut down, saving Ju Zuyi's life.

He knocked the two men unconscious and, before alerting more people in the city, quickly grabbed the Juzuyi and went to a secluded corner.

"Who are you? Why are you meddling in other people's business?"

After putting down the ritual implement, Ye Jie had not yet spoken when he heard his question. Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw his brows furrowed and his eyes filled with anger as he stared at him.

Li Feie clicked her tongue: "Someone saved you, and you don't even thank them, what kind of attitude is this? Is this how you talk to your savior?"

Juzuyi shook his head: "I am not a coward who fears death. The Dragon Clan knows this, which is why they have hung me up and humiliated me for so many days. Now they are finally planning to make their move against me. They only need me to die for my faith so that I can become a martyr and my name will be immortal. Why do you have to meddle in my business?"

Ye Jie's lips twitched. He hadn't expected that his actions would ruin the martyrdom plan of the full ceremony. He immediately said, "Why bother? Isn't it better to keep your life? It's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death."

Juzuyi glared at Ye Jie: "What do you know? Now that the Ksitigarbha Palace has been destroyed by Yama, even if I survive, what can I change? Only by sacrificing myself for the cause can I find my true home."

Ye Jie simply looked at him: "So, compared to a hard-fought struggle, would you rather choose to escape?"

"What did you say?" Upon hearing this, Ju Zuyi flew into a rage, feeling utterly offended by Ye Jie's words. She was determined to reason with him. "How is this escapism? This is a great feat I accomplished with my last breath!"

Ye Jie shook his head. Judging from the current situation, even if he saved Ju Zuyi now, it wouldn't be long before he would go back to seek death. He had to persuade him carefully.

"As long as you're alive, there's always a chance, no matter what you do. But if you die, then it's all over. Even if you're the only one left, you have to live on with that pain. Besides, how do you know you can't revive the Ksitigarbha Temple?"

Under Ye Jie's persuasion, Ju Zuyi also felt his good intentions and couldn't help but sigh, "Forget it... there's no point in blaming you now. It's just a pity that that traitor from the Dragon Clan is still alive and well. If I still had my strength, I would never have let him off..."

Having said that, Juzuyi slumped to the ground, as if all her strength had vanished. Ye Jie seemed to remember something and asked, "By the way, from what you just said, it seems you have some kind of grudge against that Dragon Clan member. I heard he's about to become a Holy Envoy of the Faith, what's going on?"

Mentioning Long Zhong, Ju Zuyi could no longer contain her anger: "He was originally a protector of the Ksitigarbha Hall, and his strength earned him the Hall Master's deep trust and respect. Who would have thought that he would betray us so cruelly? Not only did he open the Hall's protective formation, allowing Yama to enter, but he also personally attacked and killed those inside the Hall. Even my cultivation was crippled by him..."

In the end, Gu Zuyi's eyes revealed a hint of despair and loss. Even in his prime, he was no match for the Dragon Clan. Now that his strength had been crippled, he was even less able to contend with the Dragon Clan. He could only watch helplessly as the traitors grew stronger day by day, burdened with a deep-seated hatred but powerless to do anything about it.

Meanwhile, Ye Jie seemed to have realized something. Ju Zuyi was a member of the Ksitigarbha Palace. Judging from the current situation, the Ksitigarbha Palace had already been destroyed by Yama, leaving only a very small number of remnants. In Ye Jie's previous era, the Ksitigarbha Palace had long been eradicated, leaving not even a trace.

Judging from Ju Zuyi's demeanor, he seemed to harbor deep resentment towards the Dragon Clan and the Yama Emperor. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ye Jie also intended to extract the information he wanted from him.
"Now that you have met the King of Hell, do you know what magical treasures he uses?"

Juzuyi took a deep breath and told the news: "Among the magical treasures of the Yama Emperor, one is the Peach Heart Soul Box bestowed by the Demon King Mara. As long as the Soul Box is not destroyed, no magic can kill him. Now that he has broken into the Ksitigarbha Hall, I'm afraid he will even obtain the Book of Life and Death inside the hall."

"Give...what?" Ye Jie's pupils shrank, as if he had heard some terrible news.

“The Book of Life and Death records the files and histories of all living beings. It’s normal that you don’t know about it,” Juzuyi replied.

Ye Jie tried to calm his excited heart. What Ju Zuyi didn't know was that he not only knew about the Book of Life and Death, but also relied on its power to advance all the way to this point. It could be said that he understood it better than anyone else in the world.

“I’ve heard of that divine artifact. It seems that the main tent in the Ksitigarbha Hall has now fallen into the hands of Yama. I just don’t know if the main tent in the Bodhi Hall is still there.”

“Master’s Office? What are you talking about?” Ju Zuyi frowned. “Also, why did you mention the Bodhi Hall? There’s no Book of Life and Death there. There’s only ever been one Book of Life and Death; it’s a genuine first-grade divine artifact. But now, it’s fallen into the hands of the Yama Emperor. I wonder what he’s planning to do…”

"A first-grade divine artifact? That means..."

Ye Jie's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly remembered something. In this era, the Book of Life and Death, which was in the hands of the Underworld Emperor, was the complete Book of Life and Death. It contained the power of the ten main books of later generations and had not yet been broken by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Whoever could obtain it would stand at the pinnacle of heaven and earth!

Knowing the whereabouts of the complete Book of Life and Death, Ye Jie couldn't help but get excited. This was undoubtedly the greatest opportunity in front of him. If he could get his hands on the Book of Life and Death, from now on, no one would be his opponent. He couldn't give up no matter what!

Ye Jie immediately spoke up: "Your Excellency's plight is truly heartbreaking. That Yama Emperor used cruel methods to harm many innocent people in the Ksitigarbha Palace. We righteous people certainly cannot stand idly by. I am willing to deal with Yama Emperor on Your Excellency's behalf. May I ask where he is?"

Ju Zuyi glanced at Ye Jie: "With your strength, I'm afraid you're no match for the Yama Emperor. However, since you want to know about the Yama Emperor, I will tell you everything I know."

After a pause, Ju Zuyi continued, "Emperor Yan lives a secluded life, usually staying in the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Palace is surrounded by multiple layers of barriers, which even saints cannot avoid when they try to detect him. They will definitely be discovered. It will probably not be so easy to see him."

"Is that so... In that case, what should we do?"

Ye Jie understood. He had long known that this trip would not be easy, but he did not expect that the Emperor Yan's vigilance would still be beyond his expectations. How exactly could he infiltrate the Imperial Palace?

In response, Juzuyi suggested, "If you want to see the King of Hell, since sneaking in won't work, why not go in openly and honestly?"

Ye Jie asked, puzzled, "Open and aboveboard? What does that mean?"

Ju Zuyi explained, "During this period, the Yama Emperor is selecting Holy Envoys to Protect the Faith. For this purpose, he has set up twelve arenas throughout the city. Whoever can defend their arena until the very last moment will be appointed by him and become a Holy Envoy to Protect the Faith. At that time, there will definitely be an opportunity to meet him!"

After some thought, Ye Jie also felt that this method was quite feasible:

"This place is, after all, the territory of the Yama Emperor. If we were to sneak in rashly, it's hard to say what we would encounter. It would be better to change our approach and have him summon us directly. That way, we can see him legitimately and avoid a lot of trouble."

Soon, Ye Jie made a decision, and under the guidance of the ritual implement, the group arrived at a tall arena.

During the journey, in order to avoid attracting attention, Juzuyi covered her face with a thick headscarf to prevent others from investigating.

Looking up, one sees a sturdy man with a spirited demeanor and extraordinary bearing standing idly on the arena, looking quite relaxed.

Li Feie was somewhat puzzled: "The situation here seems different from what I expected. Shouldn't people be fighting tooth and nail for the position of Holy Envoy of the Faith? Why is that person on the stage so relaxed?"

Juzuyi slowly raised her eyes and took in the man's face, her anger becoming unbearable:
"That person is Long Zhong! The selection of the Holy Envoy of the Faith will end at midnight tonight. The one still standing on the arena at that time will be the final Holy Envoy. The others will certainly not waste their immortal energy now, but will prepare to exert their strength when the selection is about to end. However, with Long Zhong's strength, even if all the people here were combined, I'm afraid they would not be his match."

Nan Linghe blinked, somewhat curious: "Isn't the arena a one-on-one place? If that's the case, wouldn't it be possible to stall indefinitely by having a companion go up and pretend to challenge you?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment, not understanding what Nan Linghe was thinking, that he had actually found such a loophole in the rules.

In response, Juzuyi simply said, "You're overthinking it. When there's only one incense stick's time left on the stage, multiple people will be allowed to challenge at the same time. It might turn into a brutal melee, and your method definitely won't work."

Shen Qingge analyzed, "In that case, we will wait here until the very end before making our move."

Unexpectedly, Ye Jie had no such intention. Since he was to be summoned by the King of Hell, he naturally had to show some skill. He then slowly stepped onto the stage and said, "You are one of the Dragon Clan? Then let me challenge you!"

(End of this chapter)