Chapter 1378: The Wordless Book

In the ancient city at night, the liveliness was like a garden in full bloom. Crowds bustled along the streets, all of them cultivators. Many were travel-worn, having come from distant places, and among them were those with profound Dao cultivation.

Perhaps it was because this ancient city was not far from Yao Chi Sheng Di that it was so vibrant. Those travel-worn cultivators were mostly on their way to attend the Yao Chi grand event, passing through this city.

At the tea stall, Ye Chen and his companions were still sipping tea.

Qi Wang had failed to convince Ye Chen to help steal the treasure, so he sat there sulking, looking dejected. Every now and then, he glanced hopefully at Ye Chen, wishing he would show some mercy and return his precious item.

While Qi Wang watched Ye Chen, Ye Chen was watching Ji Ningshuang. She remained like a diligent scholar, her head buried in her book, seemingly oblivious to the world's distractions.

Her state of mind was like a calm water surface, without any ripples. Just as when she had previously seen the Huang Gu Sheng Ti and Liu Dao Xian Lun Yan, she had shown no sign of surprise from start to finish.

If it had been anyone else, they would likely have cried out in shock upon seeing the Huang Gu Sheng Ti and Liu Dao Xian Lun Yan, but she acted as if nothing had happened. This level of composure was something few possessed.

"Even more than in her previous life."

Ye Chen lowered his gaze and took a sip of tea. Since arriving in the Zhutian Wanyu, among those at the same level, the reincarnated Ji Ningshuang was the only one he truly regarded as a threat.

After watching her for half the night, he had pieced together some clues. That was, Ji Ningshuang's talent must be extraordinarily high, defying heaven itself. Her comprehension of the Dao had already reached a state of perfection. As for bloodlines, they meant nothing to her. Her Dao lay in returning to simplicity amid the ordinary.

Slowly setting aside his thoughts, he began to ponder the matter of the memory immortal light. Why was it ineffective with Ji Ningshuang? The memory immortal light was clearly in her sea of consciousness, yet it had no effect at all.

"What's so fascinating about that book? You're totally absorbed in it."

Bored out of his mind, Qi Wang couldn't help but speak up. He leaned over to glance at the ancient book in Ji Ningshuang's hands, but saw not a single character on it.

"Now that's a real oddity! Staring at a blank book like it's the most interesting thing."

Qi Wang smacked his lips.

"The world never lacks talent."

Ye Chen said casually, subtly glancing at Ji Ningshuang. He knew that although she was reading a blank book, she was actually comprehending the supreme Dao.

"Speaking of talent, the Yao Chi goddess is the real deal."

Qi Wang sighed in admiration. "She had a perfectly good Yao Chi Xian Ti, but she threw it away. That's just reckless."

"Abandoning the Yao Chi Xian Ti? What do you mean?"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and looked at Qi Wang.

"Haven't you heard? The Yao Chi goddess used to have the Yao Chi Xian Ti—that's a bloodline that defies heaven, not inferior to the Sheng Ti at all."

Qi Wang explained slowly, shaking his head in disbelief. "But guess what the Yao Chi goddess did? She actually gave up her Xian Ti and turned herself into someone with an ordinary bloodline."

"So that's what happened."

Ye Chen stroked his chin. "The Yao Chi goddess is certainly unique."

"Don't give it to me! What a waste."

Qi Wang muttered to himself. "She's just throwing away something priceless."

"Wu Zi Tian Shu."

No sooner had Qi Wang finished speaking than Ye Chen heard a murmur from the crowd, laced with surprise. Though the voice was faint, he caught it clearly.

Then, a purple-haired elder approached. He first glanced at Ye Chen and Qi Wang, but his gaze ultimately settled on Ji Ningshuang—or more precisely, on the Wu Zi Tian Shu in her hands. A flicker of greed flashed in his aged eyes.

"Wu Zi Tian Shu?"

Ye Chen glanced at the purple-haired elder, then at the ancient book in Ji Ningshuang's hands. Only then did he realize the book held some hidden mystery, far from as simple as it appeared.

"Will you sell this book? I'll buy it. Name your price."

The purple-haired elder spoke, fixing his eyes on Ji Ningshuang. Though his words sounded like a negotiation, his tone carried an air of authority and command, for she was only at the Zhun Sheng level, while he was a powerful Zhun Sheng Wang.

"This is an item from my predecessor. I'm not selling."

Ji Ningshuang looked up and gave a polite, faint smile.

"You're really not selling?"

The purple-haired elder narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone turning colder.

"Not selling."

"You're asking for trouble."

The purple-haired elder snorted coldly and immediately reached out to grab it.

"The nerve, robbing in broad daylight."

Qi Wang cursed loudly, but he bolted faster than anyone, yelling over his shoulder as he ran, "Get him! You have to take him down."

Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang ignored him completely. They dodged just before the purple-haired elder's palm struck, turning the entire tea stall to ashes in an instant.

"Hand over the book, and I'll spare your life."

The purple-haired elder glared fiercely, his eyes locked on Ji Ningshuang.

"This is an item from my predecessor, and I'm truly not selling."

Ji Ningshuang smiled gracefully.

"In that case, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The purple-haired elder snorted coldly and launched a crushing palm strike. As a Zhun Sheng Wang, his palm carried immense pressure, cracking the ground before it even landed.

Ji Ningshuang remained unfazed, neither retreating nor evading. She simply struck back with her crystalline jade hand. Her palm looked utterly ordinary, yet it fused thousands of variations, all evolving into simplicity.

Boom!

Their palms collided, producing a thunderous boom. The surrounding heavens and earth descended into chaos, with buildings collapsing in an instant within a radius of ten thousand zhang. Many onlookers were caught in the aftermath.

In this direct clash, Ji Ningshuang stood firm, like a frail scholar standing quietly in place.

The purple-haired elder, however, looked far more disheveled. He grunted from the shock of her palm, staggering back with each step leaving deep footprints in the ground. When he finally stopped, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his withered hand was mangled with blood and bone.

Hiss!

The sight drew gasps from all around. A Zhun Sheng had actually forced a Zhun Sheng Wang to bleed with a single strike—a complete defeat. Ji Ningshuang's combat prowess was nothing short of monstrous.

Ji Ningshuang had already turned away, as she truly disliked fighting.

"Kill!"

The purple-haired elder roared in fury, refusing to back down, and charged forward, his face twisted like a demon's.

Who was he? He was a genuine Zhun Sheng Wang, a towering figure who had always been above others. When had he ever lost face like this in public, and to a mere Zhun Sheng at that?

The battle erupted in full force, with massive destruction as entire blocks of buildings turned to dust.

Ji Ningshuang ascended to the void sky, seemingly to avoid harming the innocent.

The purple-haired elder pursued her relentlessly, even deploying his magical weapon—a fearsome Sheng Wang Bing.

The void sky rumbled, shaking the heavens and earth.

What could be seen was that Ji Ningshuang, at the Zhun Sheng level, held the upper hand. Her combat strength was terrifyingly powerful. Though her divine abilities appeared ordinary, their might was overwhelming, leaving her opponent unable to fight back.

Everyone looked up, their eyes gleaming with shock, as if watching a monster. "She looks so ordinary, so why is she this strong?"

"With such power, she could rival the previous Huang Gu Sheng Ti, or even stand on par with the Yao Chi goddess."

Many people exclaimed in admiration, giving Ji Ningshuang high praise.

"Who is this junior? She's so astonishing that she's making us veterans feel ashamed!"

Numerous elder cultivators sighed. "If given enough time, she'll surely become an eternal giant in the future."

"This woman is no ordinary force to be reckoned with!"

As the crowd discussed, Qi Wang returned, smacking his lips in amazement. "She's really something else!"

"As I said, the world never lacks talent."

Ye Chen remained relaxed, holding his wine flask and sipping leisurely while watching the fight. He didn't step in to help, because Ji Ningshuang didn't need it. Even he wasn't confident he could defeat her, so how could a Zhun Sheng Wang be her match?

"By the way, what's a Wu Zi Tian Shu?"

Qi Wang scratched his head and glanced at Ye Chen.

"Since it's a heavenly book, it naturally isn't simple."

Ye Chen took a swig of wine, recalling the Wu Zi Tian Shu that Ji Ningshuang had been reading earlier. It was indeed profound, or else why would a Zhun Sheng Wang covet it?

"Both are heavenly books, so is the Wu Zi Tian Shu connected to the Dun Jia Tian Shu?"

As he spoke, Ye Chen subconsciously looked inward at his own sea of consciousness, his gaze falling on the Dun Jia Tian characters etched on the Chaos Shen Ding, wondering about their relation to the Wu Zi Tian Shu.

"Hey, hey, hey? What's going on? They're ganging up now?"

While Ye Chen was examining his sea of consciousness, Qi Wang suddenly shouted, "Are they all that shameless?"

Hearing this, Ye Chen quickly pulled his thoughts back and looked up at the void sky.

In the void sky, besides Ji Ningshuang and the purple-haired elder, another black-robed elder had appeared. His aura was like a mountain, also a Zhun Sheng Wang, and he was teaming up with the purple-haired elder to attack Ji Ningshuang. Clearly, they were in cahoots, aiming to kill her together.

"Causing trouble."

Ye Chen put away his wine flask and stepped into the sky, blocking the black-robed elder for Ji Ningshuang. "You're a Zhun Sheng Wang, at least. Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by juniors?"

"This doesn't concern you. Get lost."

The black-robed elder shouted coldly and swept out with a massive hand, covering the void sky.

"I've never seen anyone so arrogant."

Ye Chen didn't bother with more words and dove straight into the fight. His fist, like the Eight Wastelands, was overwhelmingly dominant, sending the black-robed elder stumbling back.

"You deserve to die."

The black-robed elder roared in rage, his killing intent soaring, and he thrust out a palm that summoned a sea of blood filled with countless vengeful spirits, making the entire void sky tremble and roar.

Ye Chen said nothing, his power unmatched. He shattered the void sky with a step and cleaved through the sea of blood with a palm.

The black-robed elder suffered backlash and retreated repeatedly. Before he could steady himself, Ye Chen was already upon him. Without flashy divine abilities, he relied on his domineering golden fist, which incorporated various powers under the Chaos Wuji Dao, evolving on its own and weaving an unstoppable force.

The black-robed elder was gravely injured on the spot, his body half destroyed by the punch, his form utterly wretched.

Ah!

The black-robed elder erupted in fury, discarding all shame. A cold electric light shot from his brow, manifesting a blood-colored bronze mirror—a Zhun Sheng Wang using a magical weapon against a Zhun Sheng.

Ye Chen sneered and summoned his Chaos Shen Ding to counter the blood-colored bronze mirror.

The battle escalated instantly.

With a two-on-two lineup, the fight shook the heavens and split the earth. Yet, both the purple-haired elder and the black-robed elder were at a disadvantage, completely suppressed by Ye Chen and Ji Ningshuang, these two Zhun Sheng.

Witnessing this lawless scene, the people below couldn't help but scratch their heads in bewilderment. "What's happening to the world? Are Zhun Sheng levels all this ferocious? Each one is a monstrous prodigy!"