Chapter 42 Xia Wei-Wonderland
After the song was over, Ye Jie's whole body was filled with blood and energy, and his heart was filled with heroic spirit. He couldn't calm down for a long time. He wished he could step onto the battlefield right now and fight with the enemy until the last drop of blood was shed.
He reached into his bosom and pulled out a torn page, only to see fresh ink marks emerging on it.
【The Book of Life and Death records:】
In the winter of the 12th year of the Zhenguan reign, the ghost messenger Jie was inspired by the pipa music: "The General Breaks the Formation."
【The power of the technique increases by 50%.】
【There will be less obstacles when breaking through the realm.】
【Duration: 7 days】
Putting the fragmented page back into his arms, Ye Jie said with emotion, "This 'General Breaking the Formation' is a rare masterpiece. Not only can it increase the power of martial arts by 50%, it can also help people break through realms. Xia Wei is truly lucky to have Sister Lan sing this song..."
After the performance, Yulan's face turned pale and her eyes dimmed. Just as she was about to speak, her body tilted uncontrollably to the side. Fortunately, Ye Jie stepped forward quickly to support her, thus preventing her from falling.
"Yulan, are you okay? Yulan, say something quickly..." Ye Jie looked anxious, with deep concern in his eyes.
Yulan leaned her head against Ye Jie's chest, her eyes filled with deep fatigue and weakness, like a flower about to wither, making people feel pity for her. After a while, she finally spoke:
"It's okay... It's just that playing two difficult pieces of music in a row has overdrawn my spiritual consciousness and made me feel deeply exhausted. Especially the exhausting "General Breaking the Formation", which is a profound piece of music that can only be mastered by a third-level divine cultivator. Playing just one piece is a very strenuous task for me, let alone playing two pieces in a row..."
Ye Jie said worriedly, "Let me take you back to the wine country first. There, you can rest in peace."
Ye Jie took out the Earth-Shrinking Stone and the Azure Dark Branch and was about to send Yulan away, but Yulan grabbed his hand and said, "No need to do this. Just like now, let me rest for a while and I'll be fine. Or does Brother Jie not want me to stay here?"
"How could that be? To be accompanied by a wonderful person like Sister Lan is something that many people dream of. How could we despise her?" Ye Jie said slowly. Upon hearing this, Yulan smiled and then closed her eyes to rest.
"Master, is she okay?"
After breaking through the second level, Xia Wei also came over with a worried look on her face and couldn't help but pursed her lips.
"It shouldn't be a big deal." Ye Jie judged, "Yulan overdrew her consciousness to help you break through. You didn't let her down, so there's no need to blame yourself."
"Xiaowei will definitely repay Sister Yulan in the future." Xia Wei breathed a sigh of relief and kept this favor in mind. Now that Yulan was fine, she turned her attention to the realm she had just broken through.
"Master, inspired by Sister Yulan's pipa, I feel an immense power surge within me, like a restless flame burning deep within my heart. Whether it's the shrimp-headed man in the middle stage of the third rank, or the bandit Hengshan in the late stage of the third rank, neither of them is my match!"
She lowered her head and looked at her clenched fists. Inspired by the general's ability to break the formation, abundant strength surged from every part of her body. Her heart beat strongly, and every breath seemed to be declaring war on the enemy.
"Don't be careless. The General's Breaking Formation can increase the power of your martial arts by 50%, but the gap in realm cannot be easily made up. Remember what I told you before? Before challenging the Shrimp-Headed Man, you should first practice this lower-grade Earth-rank Xuanying Step."
As he spoke, Ye Jie pulled out a book from his pocket. Xia Wei sat beside him obediently, her face filled with joy.
"I didn't expect Master to acquire superior body skills so quickly, and even that third-level evil spirit... What on earth did Master experience in the underworld?"
When Xia Wei thought of the risks Ye Jie might have to take for the sake of the martial arts, her heart tightened. The original joy disappeared, and all that remained in her eyes was deep concern for Ye Jie.
"Don't worry, I'm back alive, right?" Ye Jie smiled. "Rather than that, you should learn the exercises quickly. I'll read them to you."
Opening the book, Ye Jie slowly recited its contents in a steady tone, holding the book in his right hand and supporting Magnolia with his left hand, his expression calm and his heart peaceful.
Xia Wei pondered the mysteries of the martial arts carefully, her little head shaking from side to side from time to time.
If it were to focus on learning to read and write, Xia Wei would probably be drowsy and would not make any progress for half a day. However, once it came to learning martial arts, her exceptional talent as a reincarnated immortal enabled her to absorb all knowledge in an orderly manner and with twice the result with half the effort. Her talent was unmatched.
An hour later, Xia Wei stood up and stomped lightly on the ground. Every time she stepped on the ground, there was a gust of wind. Her speed was so fast that it left an afterimage, as if she was dancing a gorgeous dance.
With her nimble and coordinated figure, she moved behind Ye Jie in the blink of an eye and playfully poked him twice on the back. When Ye Jie turned around to look, she dodged in another direction. Ye Jie turned around and didn't even see the corner of her clothes.
After taking back the tome, Ye Jie was quite impressed: "With this, you have mastered the Mysterious Shadow Step. With your current strength, you can easily defeat ten of me."
Xia Wei blinked: "Only ten?"
Ye Jie was helpless and reached out to knock her on the head. "Ten isn't enough? How many more do you want to fight? You have to know that in many cases, the number of people can determine the direction of a battle. Many sophisticated tactical coordination requires multiple people to complete. If you fight alone, unless you have overwhelming strength, you will inevitably suffer losses."
Xia Wei covered her head and couldn't help pouting. Yulan, leaning in Ye Jie's arms, had her long eyelashes trembling slightly, but she was muttering in her heart. After she had recovered her spirits, she sat up and said:
"You mastered the lower-grade Earth-rank body movements in just one hour? This is simply incredible... Back then, in order to learn the upper-grade Human-rank Pipa Xuanyin, I practiced diligently for months before I could even master my first piece. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed such a thing. With time, your future will surely be limitless."
Ye Jie nodded slightly: "She has a very special talent."
Xia Wei walked up to Ye Jie, her hands behind her back, her feet raised as if to show her joy: "Master, this Mysterious Shadow Step is a technique of the Ghost Immortal Way. You can also practice it. Why don't I teach you now?"
Ye Jie smiled and said, "I've read the contents of the classics. After all, it's about the lower-grade body movements of the Earth Rank. The profound acumen of some parts is beyond my comprehension. Even if you break down every word and explain it to me, it will take weeks to learn it. There's no need to rush."
After a pause, Ye Jie continued, "Your skills are almost complete now, and there are no more shortcomings. I will send Sister Lan back to the Netherworld first and take care of some other things. You continue to practice your skills here. When I come back, you can challenge the Shrimp Head Man in a higher level."
Xia Wei smiled confidently, revealing her pearly white teeth, and secretly pumped her fist to encourage herself.
On the way back to the underworld, Yulan was still obsessed with Xia Wei: "She really has a lot of talents and magical powers. Could she be the reincarnation of an immortal?"
Ye Jie did not hide it: "That's right, I hope Sister Lan will not reveal the news to others."
Seeing Ye Jie speak the truth frankly, Yulan smiled and nodded in agreement:
"Brother Jie, you trust me. I will keep my promise and will not reveal a single detail about Miss Xia Wei. There aren't many reincarnated immortals in this world, but there are definitely quite a few. After becoming an immortal, the baptism of immortal tribulation, measured in Jiazi days, is a calamity that no immortal can escape. In the face of the mighty heavenly tribulation, all family background and connections are useless. To survive the heavenly tribulation, the immortal can only rely on his or her own cultivation. If he or she cannot overcome the tribulation and be reborn, he or she can only choose to reincarnate to avoid it."
As she spoke, Yulan sighed softly, "Even Aunt Meng, the daughter of Meng Po and the ruler of the wine country, had no choice but to reincarnate to avoid calamity. It's truly heartbreaking. The ever-approaching heavenly tribulation is like a death warrant hanging over the heads of every immortal, and it won't relent until the ninth reincarnation. Only then can one truly live as long as heaven and earth."
Ye Jie took a deep breath and asked, "Are there many reincarnated immortals like Xia Wei in the world?"
Yulan recalled, "I once heard Aunt Meng mention that there is great terror in the West, great disaster in the East, and the South is the place most severely suppressed by the Equality Array. Only the Northern Continent, where the immortal way flourishes, is the first choice for immortals to reincarnate."
"Equality Formation? What is that?" Ye Jie was stunned.
Yulan told the truth: "That is the Nine Revolutions Formation that the Lord of the Equality Hall set up with great perseverance. It is powerful enough to suppress both the human world and the underworld at the same time. The purpose of the formation is only one, and that is to suppress power."
After a pause, she gave an example: "Take the Southern Continent where the Tang Dynasty is located. Under the suppression of the Equality Array, the ultimate power here will be suppressed to the level of the fifth-level sealed immortal realm. Even if a ninth-level immortal came here, he could only exert the strength of a fifth-level peak mortal."
"Is there such a thing?" Ye Jie sighed. He had never heard of such secret information involving the immortal level before.
"Under the suppression of the Equality Array, even Aunt Meng, a second-level Bronze Immortal, might be defeated by a group of fifth-level judges who have not yet ascended to the immortal position. This is simply impossible to happen in the heavenly realm with its strict hierarchy. This is why immortals rarely come down to earth in person, but leave everything to their disciples. Once they do come down to earth, they may be ambushed by enemies who are far inferior to them, and die." Yulan added.
Ye Jie showed a thoughtful look and asked, "Since you said that the South is the place where the Equality Array suppresses the most, is it different in other continents?"
Yulan nodded. "The ultimate strength of Dongsheng Shenzhou is the third-turn Silver Immortal. The ultimate strength of Beijuluzhou is the sixth-turn Emerald Immortal. The ultimate strength of Xiniuhezhou is the ninth-turn Proud Immortal. It can also be said that there is no suppression at all, exactly the same as the heavenly realm. After all, nine is the number of the extreme, and the ninth turn of the immortal is the highest. As long as the equality formation is still there, the restraint will not be broken."
Ye Jie sighed, "I never thought that besides hosting the annual Ghost Messenger Festival, the Equal Hall also had such a secret."
Yulan chuckled softly, "I heard that the Lord of Pingdeng Palace is the most likely candidate to become the Underworld Emperor after Lord Mo Luo. He truly possesses extraordinary abilities."
As she spoke, Yulan suddenly paused: "By the way, I still have a question, I hope Brother Jie can answer it."
"I'd like to hear more about it."
"Even the immortals in heaven can be divided into different levels. Aunt Meng has been running a winery in the underworld for many years, and the merits she earned are only enough for a third-grade reincarnation with 100 million merits. A third-grade reincarnation allows one to obtain five talents in the next life. I'm a little curious, does Xia Wei have more or less talents than five?" Yulan asked curiously.
"More than five items." After hearing her say that, Ye Jie realized the problem and answered truthfully.
"Really..." Yulan took a deep breath. Although she had expected this, she was still moved when she heard Ye Jie's answer in person. "So, in Xia Wei's previous life, she was an immortal even more remarkable than Aunt Meng. Being able to accept such a disciple, it seems that Brother Jie will enjoy a happy future."
"Then I'll borrow Sister Lan's good wishes." Ye Jie smiled back.
Yulan stroked the string and said, "Being able to form a good relationship with the reincarnation of an immortal is something everyone wishes for. From now on, whether Brother Jie or Miss Xia Wei need the blessing of the way of music, they can come to me anytime."
Ye Jie clasped his fists and thanked her: "Sister Lan is so thoughtful. Neither Xia Wei nor I will ever forget your kindness in presenting this song."
Hearing this, Yulan covered her lips and smiled: "Sure enough, compared to the immortal reincarnation of Miss Xia Wei, I like you more, Brother Jie."
"What?" Ye Jie was stunned, not quite hearing clearly.
"Nothing, then we'll see each other in seven days." Yulan smiled elegantly, waved goodbye to Ye Jie, and left first.
Ye Jie, who stayed where he was, was stunned for a moment and couldn't help scratching his head. He never thought that he, with his mediocre qualifications, could win the favor of Sister Lan. This was something he had never thought of.
Shaking his head, Ye Jie took out the soul-calling banner. It was time to help Luo Bei fulfill his last wish.
She released Luo Bei from the soul-summoning banner without saying a word, with an indescribable sense of loss and sadness lingering in the depths of her eyes.
Ever since Luo Bei's resentment was soothed by Yulan's pipa music, she calmed down from her rage and was no longer a ferocious third-level evil spirit, but turned back into an ordinary first-level wandering soul.
"Okay, now let's talk about you. You are so resistant to re-entering the cycle of reincarnation. What unfulfilled wish do you have?" Ye Jie asked slowly, looking at Luo Bei who was sobbing secretly.
"You...are you a ghost messenger?" In response to Ye Jie's questioning, Luo Bei finally spoke, with a hint of fear in his words.
"As you can see. You don't have to be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Luo Bei took a few steps back: "I don't believe the ghost messenger. It was the ghost messenger who handed me over to that evil cultivator, letting him torture my soul and make me recall the unwillingness and pain of death again and again."
Ye Jie looked at her sympathetically. In order to strengthen the power of evil spirits, evil cultivators would make them experience the hatred of death again and again, thereby increasing the resentment of the evil spirits:
"Not all ghost messengers are profit-driven. Master Black Hawk deserved to die. If you have any last wishes, please tell me now. If not, I will send you back into reincarnation."