Hell Emperor.

Chapter 610 Ye Jie - Audience
Led by the envoy, Ye Jie bid farewell to his companions and traveled alone to the magnificent imperial palace.

Outside the palace gates, people were already waiting. They had different appearances. Some wore only short vests, revealing their incredibly strong upper bodies. Others held wooden canes, their expressions unpredictable. Some had hawk-like eyes, their sharp gazes seeming to see right through the other person. Still others had smiles on their faces, revealing a gentle tenderness.

Although the group's appearances varied, with some being demons in human form and not yet fully formed human bodies, sporting incongruous beast heads, they all shared one thing in common: each of them exuded a powerful aura. This aura was so intense, forged through bloody battles, that it was something no weakling could possess.

"They, like you, are victors of the arena battles and future Holy Envoys of the Faith. Please wait here for a moment. Once everyone has arrived, you may meet with the King of Hell."

The messenger brought Ye Jie to this place, gave him some instructions, and then left.

"Another one has arrived. I wonder how strong he is..."

"Being able to stand here with us, you must have some skill."

"Peak of the fifth level... It seems he got lucky by picking up a bargain in the final melee."

With Ye Jie's arrival, everyone's attention inevitably turned to him. Most people only glanced at him briefly before losing interest. After all, Ye Jie's peak fifth-level cultivation was clearly not enough in the eyes of most sixth- or seventh-level experts.

This situation made Ye Jie shake his head slightly. If he had not refined the dragon essence in the dragon's body and was still at the mid-stage of the fifth level, wouldn't he soon become the one with the lowest cultivation among them?
"New guy, what's your name?"

The question coming from afar made Ye Jie slowly raise his eyes, only to see that the person asking him was a strong-looking man wearing only a vest. What was most eye-catching was his face, which was not a human face, but the face of a wolf demon with gray and white fur and pointed ears.

The face belonging to a demon was placed on the human body, which was quite eye-catching no matter where it was placed. The wolf demon's aura was even weaker than when he had not advanced. He was only at the early stage of the fifth level. Perhaps that was why he chose to talk to the newcomer.

Ye Jie originally intended to keep a low profile, but he couldn't resist someone taking the initiative to talk to him. If he coldly refused, it would only make him stand out. So he said, "My name is Gou Chanying."

Gou Chanying was the pseudonym Ye Jie used. Under the Three Lives Soul Destruction Tribulation, he saw his three past lives: a yellow dog, a cicada, and a baby girl. These were traces engraved deep in his soul, so he simply used them as his name.

The wolf demon laughed loudly: "So it's Brother Gou. When you become the Holy Envoy of the Faith, I will be the Wolf Envoy, and you will be the Gou Envoy."

"What?" Ye Jie's lips twitched. This wolf demon was quite enthusiastic, but what he said was not flattering. Who would come up and call someone a treacherous envoy?
A sneer came from not far away, and the man with dark green skin and a wooden cane said coldly:
"Nonsense! To think that someone with the ability to be ranked alongside me as a Holy Protector of the Faith is someone like you is truly disappointing. I thought that to become a Holy Protector of the Faith, one must at least be a true powerhouse."

Hearing the man's accusation, the wolf demon's eyes flashed with a few red glints, and it bared its teeth, saying, "What did you say? You mean my strength is inferior to yours?"

"Obviously." The man glanced at the wolf demon, his eyes filled with disdain. "Even among the same Holy Envoy of the Faith, there is a difference in status. Given your level, you'll have to take a detour when you see me from now on, understand?"

"What did you say?" Seeing him repeatedly question his strength, the wolf demon could no longer suppress his anger. His nails grew wildly, like sharp knives for scraping bones. "What kind of skill is it to just talk? If you're so capable, come and have a match!"

"Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

The man slammed his wooden staff down, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes. He was about to fight the wolf demon when he heard a reprimand from afar:
"Silence! No disrespect outside the Imperial Palace! Anyone who dares to disturb the peace of the Imperial Palace and offend the majesty of the Yama Emperor will face only death!"

Upon hearing this, the man slowly composed himself and said disdainfully, "Consider yourself lucky. The rules of the Imperial Palace saved you. When I see you again, I will definitely teach you a lesson!"

The wolf demon understood that the King of Hell was of utmost importance, and anyone who dared to offend him would likely suffer a terrible fate. So he suppressed his anger, but his face still showed a resentful expression.

"So what if your cultivation level is a little higher? What's so great about that? Everyone has to fight their way up from the arena. You're not the strongest..."

Although the matter had come to an end, the wolf demon continued to chatter on. His words made Ye Jie feel helpless: "He is more than a whole realm higher than you. If you really fight, you should think about how to save your life first before considering anything else."

The wolf demon waved his hand dismissively, seemingly unconcerned about whether he had heeded Ye Jie's warning. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he spoke up: "By the way... I heard that a remarkable figure appeared at the arena battle not long ago."

Ye Jie asked with slight curiosity, "How extraordinary is it?"

The wolf demon added fuel to the fire, saying, "Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, I could vaguely sense that person's aura... I've never felt such a powerful aura before. Looking at the entire Fulousha City, I'm afraid only the Yama Emperor is qualified to be on par with that aura. I guess the owner of that aura must be stronger than a seventh-rank cultivator, and may have even entered the legendary Saint Realm... I never thought that such a powerful Saint would compete with us for the position of Protector Saint Envoy. I simply don't know what to say."

"Yeah……"

Ye Jie smiled. The chilling aura of the Saint Realm, along with the aftershocks of the battle that had just shaken the entire city, was exactly what he was talking about. If the wolf demon in front of him knew that he was the owner of that Saint Realm aura, who knows what kind of expression it would make.

However, the wolf demon's next words caused Ye Jie's smile to freeze slightly:
"Look! The messengers have brought that person over. With him, the candidates for the twelve Holy Envoys of the Faith have been gathered. We will soon be able to meet the King of Hell!"

"what?"

The wolf demon excitedly stretched out a finger and pointed to the figure brought by the envoy in the distance. Upon seeing this, Ye Jie couldn't help but be slightly stunned. Could it be that the wolf demon had mistaken him for someone else? Could there be a second saint here besides him?
Soon, as the person's full appearance came into view, Ye Jie's pupils contracted, and he immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

But the man moved with a lively and energetic gait, his entire body covered in golden fur, like the warm sun shining down. His imposing demeanor revealed a wild and untamed spirit, and his proud figure concealed an untamed nature that could shake the three realms. He was just like a clever monkey.

"he is……"

Ye Jie took a deep breath. The information about the Yama Emperor and the Book of Life and Death had completely captured his attention, to the point that he had forgotten the most important thing on this trip: to find a way to put everything back on track at the other end of time and space. Who else could the person traveling from afar be but the legendary Monkey King?
Previously, Ye Jie had only seen his exhausted state after being suppressed for countless years, but in this era, he displayed a magnificent appearance that dominated the world. Even Ye Jie, who already possessed the strength of a Saint Realm cultivator, still felt a sense of unease in his presence. The only one who could rival him was the Nine Revolutions Supreme, who stood at the pinnacle of all immortals.

To Ye Jie's surprise, despite his painstaking efforts to gather intelligence, he failed to obtain much information about the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. Instead, he unexpectedly encountered the Great Sage while planning to meet with the King of Hell.

What surprised Ye Jie even more was that, after being in the city for so long, he had not sensed the aura of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven at all. Logically speaking, the aura of a saint should be as conspicuous as a bright lamp in the dark among a group of immortals. However, Ye Jie had not sensed anything. This could only mean one thing: Ye Jie's current strength had not even touched the surface of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven. If he could not even sense his aura, how could he sense anything else?
Once everyone had arrived, before Ye Jie could even speak, the originally heavy and imposing palace gates slowly opened, creaking softly from within.

"All the Holy Messengers have returned to their positions. Now, enter the palace to pay homage to His Majesty the King of Kushan, Maharaja, the Chosen Savior, His Majesty Yamaguchi!"

As the messenger gave a loud shout, the crowd, some with solemn expressions and others with dreamy looks, prepared to pay homage to the Yama Emperor who ruled this country.

"The time has finally come. I'm so bored. After becoming a Holy Ambassador of the Faith, I'm definitely going to find a tavern and have a good drink... Wait, maybe I won't be able to drink then."

The wolf demon was filled with emotion. Ever since he won the arena battle and stood out from the millions of living beings in the country, he had been dreaming of what kind of reward he would receive from the Yama Emperor. Now the time had finally come!
In his excitement, the wolf demon did not forget the other holy envoys who were on good terms with him.

Becoming a Holy Apostle does not mean smooth sailing; it is also a difficult challenge. Among them are those with vicious hearts, such as the gloomy man. If one is not careful, not only will one not gain any benefits, but one may also lose one's life. One must have someone to look after one.

After exchanging a few words with the others, the wolf demon looked at Ye Jie again, noticing that he was staring at one spot without saying a word, and became somewhat curious:

"What are you looking at? You've been looking over there since just now."

"Nothing... I'm just curious about who that saint really is."

Ye Jie took a deep breath and withdrew his gaze from the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

Unlike the other excited winners, the Monkey King was also smiling, but it wasn't the kind of joyful, triumphant smile. Instead, it was a mischievous smile that seemed to come from a sudden burst of inspiration, which made Ye Jie quite concerned.

"You mean that one? I heard from the other envoys that he came from the Bodhi Temple, and his name is something like... Hanuman. As for the others, nobody knows anything about him."

The wolf demon pondered that the realm of a saint was like an insurmountable mountain, causing him to completely abandon even the thought of approaching and speaking to him.

Once cultivators reach the realm of saints, they are completely different species from beings of lower realms. Without a doubt, saints are beings that no one can afford to offend.

"Yeah……"

Ye Jie understood. It seemed that even the people here did not know anything about the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, let alone what he would do that would shake the Three Realms.

As they headed towards the main hall, Ye Jie listened to the many Holy Envoys' visions for the future, but he remained silent. An invisible sense of vigilance crept into his heart, and even the cheerful laughter around him sounded heavy to him, as if he were in the midst of an impending storm.

As the legend gradually becomes reality, Ye Jie, who is close to the center of the vortex, can't help but feel an invisible pressure. Unlike others, they don't know what the Great Sage Equaling Heaven will do, and they haven't even heard of this name. But Ye Jie, who has memories of the future, knows it all clearly.

After walking for a long time, the group gradually slowed down, and the outline of the main hall came into full view. In addition to the many important officials standing side by side in the hall, Ye Jie also saw the figure of the throne.

The man's face was calm, like a wooden or clay sculpture. His eyes showed neither joy nor anger, yet they contained an air of majesty. Anyone who met his gaze would feel an irresistible pressure from heaven. Those who were slightly timid would immediately kneel down and beg for mercy. No one's innermost thoughts could be hidden under those eyes.

"Is he the legendary Emperor of the Underworld who single-handedly established good and evil, right and wrong, and ended the primordial cycle of reincarnation by bestowing good deeds in secret?"

Ye Jie's expression was solemn. Having served as a ghost messenger for many years, he still held deep respect for the Underworld Emperor, who had single-handedly established the order of the Underworld.

Even in later generations, when Yin De lost its original meaning and became more of a means of distinguishing good from evil, serving as money for transactions among ghosts, the original intention of the Underworld Emperor in opening up the cycle of reincarnation is still worthy of Ye Jie's respect.

"Never look directly at the face of an emperor; pay homage to the King of Hell!"

As the envoy's admonition was delivered, the many victors beside Ye Jie, even the gloomy man who had just been hostile, decisively bowed their heads and lowered them deeply, not daring to glance at the person on the throne. Anyone who dared to look up would be considered disrespectful to the emperor.

Ye Jie mingled among the many winners, choosing the least conspicuous approach. However, when everyone bowed down, one figure that remained standing stood out so much that even Ye Jie couldn't help but glance at him secretly.

Looking to the side, the person standing there was none other than the Monkey King with a wicked grin on his face.

"How dare you! Why don't you kneel before the King of Hell?"

"This is an arrogant act. Repent immediately to gain the forgiveness of the King of Hell. Do not anger the King of Hell again..."

The officials noticed his actions and their expressions changed drastically. Some were terrified, fearing impending disaster, while others looked anxious and angrily reprimanded him. But no matter what they did, the Great Sage Equaling Heaven maintained the same expression, a smirk playing on his lips.

"So you're the King of Hell? Lend me, Old Sun, the Book of Life and Death!"

(End of this chapter)