“Gather Spirit in the Body!”
The four large characters headed the scroll. These four words made both Ye Jingyun’s and Ye Chu’s eyes twitch. They were deeply shaken by them.
Ye Chu had once heard the old madman speak of “Gather Spirit in the Body.” Thousands of years ago, there was a sect extremely skilled in this technique. They imprinted arrays directly onto their own bodies, even into their qi seas. This method was terrifying. It was equivalent to having a spirit-gathering array cultivate for them in addition to their own efforts. For those with comparable talent, their cultivation speed would far surpass that of ordinary cultivators.
Of course, there were drawbacks. But for the current them, those drawbacks were practically nonexistent. Only when one’s strength reached a certain level would the downsides truly manifest.
Because this sect excelled at imprinting spirit-gathering arrays onto themselves, they became one of the few truly renowned existences in the world. Yet later, for unknown reasons, they vanished without a trace. The entire sect disappeared between one night and the next, causing the technique of “Gather Spirit in the Body” to fall into obscurity. It became extremely rare to see.
When the old madman spoke of this back then, he had sighed with regret and praised their method highly. The old madman rarely complimented anyone, so anything he admired was bound to be astonishing.
For example, the technique imprinted on the golden book from the General’s Tomb was one of the few things he had ever praised.
Ye Chu had never expected to hear news of “Gather Spirit in the Body” in a place like this.
Ye Chu, Ye Jingyun, and the others scanned the words on the scroll. They quickly understood its meaning. Yet their expressions turned strange. At the end of the sheepskin scroll was imprinted a map. But the text on the scroll stated that at the locations marked by the gemstones on the map, one could find the method for “Gather Spirit in the Body.”
This made Ye Chu and Ye Jingyun look doubtful. Everyone knew the value of such a technique. But could a mere sheepskin scroll capable of gathering spiritual energy really be trusted?
“Are you done yet?”
Just as Ye Chu and Ye Jingyun were shaken by this revelation, the people outside could wait no longer. They shouted into the cave, their tone filled with dissatisfaction.
Only then did Ye Jingyun put away the sheepskin scroll. Together with Tan Miaotong, she stepped out of the pool.
Earlier, with the water covering them, Ye Chu could not see the women’s figures clearly. But now that they had come ashore, their wet clothes clung tightly to their bodies. Every graceful curve was fully revealed. The fabric was thin. Through the soaked material, one could see their fair, tender skin. Their skin was like snow. Their perky buttocks and full breasts were faintly visible. Especially Ye Jingyun’s long legs. They stood taut and straight. Her shapely calves and thighs formed a perfect line. Through the sheer fabric, her fair skin gleamed enticingly.
The two women stood there dripping wet, looking fresh and alluring. Their ample bosoms and rounded hips were half-concealed, half-revealed, utterly seductive.
Ye Chu, still in the pool, stared at these two voluptuous figures. His eyes nearly glazed over. He gazed blankly at the women, his eyes sweeping over their snowy-white skin.
At first the two women did not notice. But seeing Ye Chu staring at them in a daze, they followed his gaze downward. Only then did they realise their bodies were practically naked!
“Ah…”
Both women let out sharp screams. They hurriedly covered their chests with their hands. But while they shielded their breasts, they could not cover the rest. Ye Chu still got an eyeful.
“Turn around!” Tan Miaotong looked at Ye Chu shyly. Her face was flushed crimson. Her voice was soft and sweet as she spoke to him.
Seeing Tan Miaotong in such a state only made Ye Chu’s heart ripple even more.
Tan Miaotong grew anxious. She glared at him with those beautiful, watery eyes. “Hurry up and turn around! Otherwise… otherwise I’ll never speak to you again!”
Her delicate, utterly charming and bashful appearance left Ye Chu stunned. But seeing that Tan Miaotong was truly getting upset, Ye Chu reluctantly turned his body away.
Ye Chu could hear the faint rustling sounds. Naturally he understood what the two women were doing. He really wanted to turn back around, but remembering how Ye Jingyun had set a trap for him that morning, he decided it was better not to give her another chance to catch him.
He did not mind Ye Jingyun seeing him look, but he did not want to upset Tan Miaotong. He genuinely liked this enchanting beauty.
“You can turn around now!” Tan Miaotong’s tone clearly carried relief.
Ye Chu turned back. He saw that Tan Miaotong’s pretty face was still flushed with a delicate blush. Her eyes, which seemed about to overflow with water, blinked at Ye Chu shyly and without reason.
Ye Chu was just about to say something when impatient voices came from outside again. “Your time is almost up. If you don’t come out soon, we’re coming in!”
“What are you shouting for? This young lady will stay as long as she pleases!” Ye Jingyun thought of how Ye Chu had seen her earlier and felt a belly full of anger. Hearing someone shouting now, she could not help shouting back.
Her sharp retort finally silenced the clamour outside. Only then did the three of them step out of the cave.
When the people outside saw Ye Jingyun and the others emerge, they finally breathed sighs of relief. They had long grown impatient, but thinking of Ye Jingyun and Ye Chu’s combat strength, none of them had dared to barge in.
“In such a hurry to go in and reincarnate? If you’re going in, then hurry up and get in!” The moment Ye Jingyun stepped out of the cave, she snapped at one of the groups.
The other side’s face darkened. They gave Ye Jingyun a cold snort but ultimately did not dare confront her. They stepped inside in silence.
“Let’s go!” Ye Chu naturally had no interest in lingering here. He prepared to leave with the two women.
“Please wait a moment, the three of you!”
A voice called out from behind Ye Chu. He turned and saw it was the leader of the third-ranked group, the one that had managed to secure one of the spots.
“Something the matter?” Ye Chu asked curiously.
The leader shook his head. “I just wanted to warn the three of you to be careful. The city lord of Ma Yuan City even gave up the last spot. He took his people and left this place. The city lord has great influence in the surrounding area. I’m afraid he may come looking for trouble with you three.”
Hearing this, Ye Chu frowned slightly. “Many thanks for the warning!”
“No need. I simply do not wish to see such outstanding figures as the three of you get taken care of by a petty villain like the city lord of Ma Yuan City!” The leader smiled and said nothing more.
Ye Jingyun snorted disdainfully. “Who does he think he is? If he still dares come looking for trouble with this young lady, I won’t mind killing him!”
With her strength having surged, Ye Jingyun’s confidence had naturally soared as well. She snorted coldly, her tone full of contempt.
Ye Chu did not take the matter too seriously either. Together with Ye Jingyun, he continued along the route they had originally planned.
The people still lingering outside saw this and could not help sighing. They thought these three youngsters were truly like newborn calves that did not fear tigers. Having defeated the city lord of Ma Yuan City once, they actually thought he had no means to deal with them.
But who was the city lord of Ma Yuan City? He held immense influence in the surrounding region. Moreover, he had deep connections with those powerful horse bandits. These young people might have some strength, but if the city lord truly mobilised his resources, the three of them would never be able to withstand it. Within a hundred li, it would be hard for them to find anywhere to hide.
“If I were them, I would hide right now and sneak away from this area.”