Chapter 1377: Expired?

As he spoke, the reincarnated Ji Ningshuang had already approached.

She was truly diligent, walking while buried in an ancient book. Only when she passed by Ye Chen did she absentmindedly lift her gaze and size him up from head to toe. "Huanggu Sacred Body."

Her words made Ye Chen freeze on the spot.

He had used the Zhoutian Transformation to conceal his aura, something even a Great Saint might not detect, yet this Quasi-Saint level Ji Ningshuang had seen right through his bloodline.

Instinctively, he activated his Xianlun Eye, subtly scanning her origin.

Her eyes were exceptionally clear, free of any worldly impurities, and her bloodline was utterly ordinary—the kind you could find by the handful in the cultivation world. She had no Xianlun Eye, Divine Eye, or Heavenly Eye, either. Apart from her peerless beauty, he couldn't find anything remarkable about her.

Yet, this seemingly ordinary cultivator had instantly identified his bloodline, and this unassuming woman gave him an overwhelming sense of oppression.

A deeper meaning flickered in Ye Chen's eyes. Among cultivators of the same level, the only ones who made him feel this way were the previous Quasi-Saint Hongchen and the Ji Ningshuang before him.

She appeared ordinary but was incredibly powerful. Her strength came from her very ordinariness, having reached the state of returning to simplicity. Even he, who considered himself unbeatable at the same level, had no confidence in defeating her.

"There's also the Liudao Xianlun Eye." Ji Ningshuang muttered to herself as she pulled a radiant garment from her storage bag and draped it over herself. The garment was strange, actually blocking the scrutiny of the Xianlun Eye.

"This garment of yours is quite impressive." Ye Chen rubbed his eyes, dazzled by the garment until he saw stars.

"I've got another one; I'll give it to you." Ji Ningshuang opened her storage bag again and pulled out another piece, radiating mysterious immortal light and full of wonder.

"How could I accept that?" Ye Chen said, though he readily took it.

"If anyone else sees it, don't say it came from me." With that, Ji Ningshuang turned and walked away.

"Now that you're here, let's get this over with." Ye Chen flicked his hand, sending a beam of immortal light that instantly merged into Ji Ningshuang's forehead. Then, he pulled out a flask of wine and leaped onto a nearby boulder.

To his surprise, the scene he expected—of the reincarnated person writhing in pain—didn't happen. Not only that, Ji Ningshuang acted as if nothing had occurred at all.

"Did I get it wrong? She's not a reincarnated person?" Ye Chen paused, then quickly calculated with his fingers. A few seconds later, he withdrew his divine ability and looked Ji Ningshuang up and down. "That can't be right!"

"Has the memory immortal light expired?" he muttered to himself, coming up with a bizarre explanation for this odd situation. Without hesitation, he flicked out another strand of immortal light.

As the immortal light flew toward her, Ji Ningshuang raised her hand. Before the second memory immortal light could enter her forehead, she caught it between two jade-like fingers and examined it curiously. "What's this?"

Ye Chen was stunned. He put away his flask and jumped down from the boulder, staring at Ji Ningshuang with a strange expression. In all his encounters with reincarnated people, this was the first time something like this had happened.

Instinctively, he activated his Xianlun Eye again, focusing his pupil power intensely on her sea of consciousness. He saw the first memory immortal light wandering around in there, as if it were doing something inexplicable.

"What in the world?" Even with Ye Chen's composure, he couldn't help but scratch his head at the sight.

"You're using the Xianlun Eye on me again." Ji Ningshuang crushed the memory immortal light and pointed a finger to her own forehead, etching an immortal pattern that once more left Ye Chen seeing stars.

"This immortal technique of yours is pretty good too." Ye Chen rubbed his eyes, his left one going completely dark.

"I can't give that one to you." Ji Ningshuang slung her book basket over her shoulder, hugged her ancient book, and walked away.

"This is insane." Ye Chen shook his head and hurried after her, a large sack in hand. He planned to bag her up, take her somewhere secluded, and figure out why the memory immortal light wasn't working on her.

But he had underestimated Ji Ningshuang. Before he could make a move, she vanished. When she reappeared, she was already eight thousand zhang away, as if she knew he was trying to catch her, and she teleported again.

Hey!

Ye Chen perked up and chased after her, swapping the sack for a spiked club. In his view, the best way to handle an expert like Ji Ningshuang was to knock her out first and then study her.

Ji Ningshuang glanced back at him, especially at the sight of him charging with the spiked club, and she looked utterly bewildered, unsure why Ye Chen was after her or why he seemed ready for a fight.

She didn't seem to like fighting at all. She turned and left, her movement technique elusive and her speed impressive.

Seeing this, Ye Chen chased even harder. He had accepted not catching up to Hongchen, but if he couldn't catch her, he'd never live it down.

He was full of confidence, but reality was embarrassing. He gave it his all, yet somehow Ji Ningshuang pulled further ahead, leaving him farther and farther behind.

Hm?

As he chased, Ye Chen's eyebrows twitched, and he glanced toward the sky ahead.

There, a donkey was galloping wildly, its four hooves pounding the void with booming echoes. A bell around its neck rang out crisply.

That donkey—upon closer inspection—was none other than Qi Wang.

As Ye Chen spotted him, Qi Wang noticed Ye Chen too. He froze for a moment, then let out a donkey's bray and bolted without a word, heading in the same direction as Ji Ningshuang.

Ye Chen clicked his tongue and kept sprinting.

Qi Wang, seeing this, ran even faster.

Little did he know, Ye Chen wasn't chasing him but the Ji Ningshuang ahead.

And so, Ji Ningshuang led the way, Qi Wang followed, and Ye Chen brought up the rear. The three streaked through the quiet night like beams of immortal light, leaving passersby staring in amazement at their speed.

It wasn't until eighty thousand li away, outside an ancient city, that Ye Chen finally descended from the void.

To his frustration, he hadn't caught Ji Ningshuang.

Though he missed her, he did catch up to Qi Wang and gave him a thorough beating.

Earlier, this wretched donkey had stolen treasures from Xiao Lingwa and Manshan. Those two were probably still searching high and low for him, and now Ye Chen had run into him and captured him along the way.

"I didn't steal your treasures." Qi Wang scrambled up awkwardly, his donkey face twitching with irritation.

"I'm not even going to bother with you." Ye Chen snatched Qi Wang's storage bell and strode into the ancient city, since Ji Ningshuang had entered it too. Maybe this was her home.

"At least leave me something!" Qi Wang cursed loudly, limping after him.

One person and one donkey walked one after the other, making quite the striking scene. Pedestrians on the street couldn't help but turn their heads, mostly to stare at Qi Wang—they'd never seen a donkey walk with such swagger.

Qi Wang ignored them completely. All he could think about were his treasures, whether stolen, robbed, or swindled, all tucked away in that storage bell, now pocketed by Ye Chen.

Ahead, Ye Chen stopped, spotting Ji Ningshuang at a teahouse, head buried in her ancient book.

"I'd say, your speed must be a family heirloom," Ye Chen said, sauntering over like an old friend and plopping down across from the reincarnated Ji Ningshuang. He dusted off his clothes as he sat.

"I'm thirsty and in a hurry for tea." Ji Ningshuang gave a simple-minded smile and went back to her book.

"I like that excuse."

"This girl is gorgeous; I like her too." Qi Wang joined them, just as familiar, and transformed into human form. Even in human shape, his face was unusually long, his teeth comically large, especially the two front ones.

"My treasures—give them back!" Qi Wang glanced at Ji Ningshuang before fixing his gaze on Ye Chen. In his eyes, no beauty could compare to his treasures; wealth was what let you live freely.

"Not kicking you again is already generous; you still want your treasures?"

"How about this: I'll tell you a secret, and you give them back."

"Depends on the secret."

"It has to be a big one." Qi Wang leaned in closer. "Ever heard of the Yaochi Holy Land? They've got treasures galore—not the ordinary kind. Steal them, and you could sell for a fortune."

"That's obvious; it's weird if the Yaochi Holy Land didn't have treasures."

"The thing is, I know exactly where they are." Qi Wang winked at Ye Chen. "They're holding a grand event. We sneak in during the chaos and grab the goods. What do you say—are we in?"

"I'm not interested in their treasures." Ye Chen took a sip of tea. Raiding the Yaochi Holy Land for treasures? Only an idiot would try that—even a Sword God might not make it out alive.

"Not interested in treasures? You must be interested in beauties!" Qi Wang grinned slyly. "The Yaochi Holy Maiden, the most beautiful in the Eastern Wasteland. I'm tight with her; I could call her over for a chat."

"You're tight with her?" Ye Chen looked at Qi Wang with interest.

"So, is that enticing or what?"

"Enticing? I've even shared a bed with her."

At these words, Ji Ningshuang, who had been buried in her book, looked up.

"You've shared a bed with the Yaochi Holy Maiden?"

"This story is a long one." Ye Chen said meaningfully. "Best not to bring it up."

"An old man like me can tell, your talent for bragging is also a family heirloom." Qi Wang replied with a knowing look.