Chapter 1434: You're Not Simple Either

"Damn it." Curses echoed through the ruins as the people who had been robbed woke up, their faces contorted in rage.

They had been knocked out in a daze and robbed in another daze. Unwilling to endure this indignity, those individuals pulled out iron rods and abandoned their treasure hunting, resorting to robbing others instead.

This only intensified the already chaotic situation in the ruins, making it even more frenzied. Everywhere, people wielded iron rods for surprise attacks, be they Quasi-Saints, Saint Kings, or Great Saints—all had cast aside their dignity.

This wave of actions was carried out smoothly, but the air grew thick with the stench of blood, and the screams became more numerous.

"One's efforts yield one's rewards." In a corner of the ruins, Ye Chen muttered these words to himself repeatedly, treating them as profound wisdom. He carried an iron rod, robbing people left and right.

Ahead, he spotted a few more figures. He slipped into the void space and stealthily approached them.

These were also heirs of major sects, whom he had seen at the Kunlun Yan Hui. Their bloodlines were not weak, and on the Xuan Huang Da Lu, they were quite renowned, on par with the likes of the Tian Fa Shen Zi trio.

"Don't worry, I only want your wealth, not your lives." Ye Chen raised his iron rod.

But before he could strike, the heads of those heirs were instantly severed from their bodies.

The scene was extraordinarily bloody—even their Yuan Shen were annihilated in a flash. What was even more peculiar was that their storage bags vanished instantly, without a single person being seen throughout.

In the void space, Ye Chen's raised iron rod froze in mid-air. His eyes narrowed sharply as he stared intently in one direction, as if peering through the haze at a ghostly shadow.

It was the Ji Mie Shen Ti. He had witnessed the Ji Mie Shen Ti ruthlessly slaughtering those heirs. Fortunately, he was hidden in the void space, escaping the Ji Mie Shen Ti's notice.

"What a dominating Fei Lei Shen Jue." Ye Chen's expression turned grim. If the Ji Mie Shen Ti were to fully unleash his killing and plundering abilities, over ninety percent of the people in these ruins would likely perish. The Ji Mie Shen Ti was elusive, and even he, who was invincible among his peers, felt a sense of dread, let alone others.

Thinking this, he headed in another direction, deliberately keeping his distance from the Ji Mie Shen Ti. Although he knew he would eventually clash with the Ji Mie Shen Ti, he didn't want to confront him prematurely.

By a serene lake, he stopped once more. The lake's surface was calm and waveless, but within it lay a treasure—a stalk of Ling Long Xian Cao. The reason no anomalies were visible was due to the lake water.

Regrettably, the Ling Long Xian Cao had not yet matured; it was still absorbing its essence.

He didn't harvest it immediately, as picking it too early would cause it to wither. He needed to wait for the perfect moment. Such a Ling Long Xian Cao was rare and should not be wasted.

A gentle breeze rippled the lake's surface, and another person entered this area.

The newcomer wore a black robe, his face concealed, his aura hidden. Yet, his bloodline was extraordinarily powerful. The pair of eyes visible were like ancient wells—deep and boundless, with no end in sight.

Ye Chen frowned, recognizing him: Zhong Huang, someone not to be trifled with.

Zhong Huang also frowned. With his level of insight, he couldn't see through Ye Chen's true appearance.

This surprised him somewhat. As Zhong Huang, his vision was exceptional, augmented by the Tong Tian Eye, and few could evade his scrutiny. More importantly, he couldn't discern Ye Chen's bloodline.

Aware that Zhong Huang was probing him, Ye Chen feigned ignorance and stood quietly by the lake. He had discovered the Ling Long Xian Cao first, and if Zhong Huang insisted on taking it, he wouldn't hesitate to fight.

"Anyone who can evade my scrutiny must be no ordinary figure, my friend."

As Ye Chen observed, Zhong Huang spoke leisurely, his smile warm and inviting, without any hint of hostility.

"Youth, you're not simple either."

Ye Chen replied flatly, deliberately altering his voice to sound aged, aiming to confuse Zhong Huang's probing. He didn't want to reveal himself.

"My ancestors wish to refine a furnace of pills, and this Ling Long Cao is exactly what we need. I wonder if this senior could part with it for this junior." Zhong Huang smiled. "I would remember this kindness forever."

"Part with it for you?"

Ye Chen chuckled. "Since you can recognize it as Ling Long Cao, you know its value. I've finally found a treasure like this—handing it over just because you say so doesn't seem right."

"I wouldn't let a senior suffer a loss." Zhong Huang smiled gently and waved his hand, producing a golden immortal sword. "Forged from domain-outer Xuan Tie. If the senior agrees, this sword is yours."

"The sword is fine."

Ye Chen glanced at it. "But it still doesn't compare to the Ling Long Xian Cao."

"The senior may speak freely; this junior will try to accommodate."

Zhong Huang remained calm and composed.

"Three Saint King weapons and nine Quasi-Saint King weapons."

Ye Chen stated his price without hesitation.

"The price is fair; it's a deal."

To his surprise, Zhong Huang agreed without hesitation. Before his words even settled, he produced a Qian Kun bag containing various artifacts.

"This guy is that wealthy?"

Ye Chen inwardly clicked his tongue. He thought he had asked for plenty, but Zhong Huang's boldness caught him off guard.

"I should have asked for more."

He grumbled to himself but still accepted Zhong Huang's Qian Kun bag. The artifacts inside exceeded the value of the Ling Long Xian Cao. Since Zhong Huang handed them over without hesitation, he couldn't back out now. If they fought, it would be a tough battle.

Zhong Huang was unfathomable, and clashing with him in these perilous ruins wasn't wise—it might allow others to benefit as bystanders, which wasn't his intention.

Zhong Huang shared the same thought; he couldn't see through Ye Chen and had reason to believe Ye Chen was extremely powerful, so he was cautious. For matters that could be resolved with wealth, he wouldn't resort to force easily.

"The Ling Long Xian Cao is yours now."

After taking the Qian Kun bag, Ye Chen immediately withdrew.

"Thank you, senior."

Zhong Huang smiled faintly and focused on guarding the Ling Long Xian Cao, even setting up various secret restrictions, waiting only for it to mature before claiming it.

Elsewhere, Ye Chen resumed his robbing spree. Wherever he went, screams echoed—people's hard-earned gains over decades were wiped out in an instant by him.

Curses rang out again as those he had robbed went mad, joining in the robbery themselves. And it wasn't just individuals; groups of three or five could be seen everywhere.

"Causing more chaos."

Ye Chen coughed awkwardly but didn't stop, swinging his iron rod and stirring up trouble. He wanted to settle old scores with the Shen Clan heirs, but he couldn't find them.

By now, he had ventured deep into the ruins, where blood mist lingered. The depths held many ancient array patterns, worn by time but still formidable in power. Many had lost their lives to these killing arrays, becoming their victims.

The ancient ruins formed their own world, with day and night. As night fell, darkness enveloped the entire ruins.

As evening deepened, he traveled through a barren forest. Amid the towering ancient trees, he spotted a rock wall with a figure standing before it like a statue.

"Bei Sheng."

Ye Chen murmured softly, putting away the iron rod he had drawn—hitting someone with a sneak attack was one thing, but Bei Sheng was no ordinary foe; one blow wouldn't knock him out.

Putting the rod away, he slowly approached. It wasn't for robbery; he just wanted to see what Bei Sheng was doing, standing so entranced before the rock wall—it clearly held some mystery.

To his surprise, Bei Sheng seemed unaware of anyone approaching. Even when Ye Chen stood beside him, he didn't turn his head, remaining motionless the entire time.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and scanned Bei Sheng up and down. Seeing his dull eyes, he quickly realized Bei Sheng's mind had entered a meditative state, oblivious to the outside world.

"You certainly have the leisure to enter a meditative state in the ruins. Aren't you afraid someone passing by might finish you off?"

Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh. "If the great Bei Sheng died like this, that would be absurd."

"Since I'm here, I'll hold onto your treasures for you."

Without any qualms, Ye Chen reached out and took Bei Sheng's storage bag. Once that was done, he thoroughly searched Bei Sheng's person.

"This jade pendant isn't bad."

The scoundrel had no shame as he snatched the jade pendant from Bei Sheng's waist. Then, he reached into Bei Sheng's robes and pulled out a divine bead.

That wasn't the end—he also took the jade ring from Bei Sheng's finger and the spirit crystals embedded in his jade belt. Most shamefully, he even removed Bei Sheng's shoes, taking anything of value without leaving a thing. After the sweep, Bei Sheng was left with only his clothes.

"Honestly, this immortal garment of yours isn't bad either."

Ye Chen stroked his chin, circling Bei Sheng with gleaming eyes, clearly tempted to strip him completely.

And indeed, he lunged forward, peeling off piece by piece. Bei Sheng's immortal garment was worth a fortune—if sold, it could fetch plenty of source stones.

However, as the last piece of immortal clothing was removed, Bei Sheng's body trembled slightly. Immortal light flowed over him, and his upright form became graceful and delicate. His ancient bronze skin faded to pale smoothness, and his flat chest swelled into a pair of firm jade peaks.

Ye Chen's eyes widened, his expression a mix of shock as he stammered,

"He's... she's a woman?"