The thing was a lump of earthy brown, its shape stretching and shifting as it moved. It darted so fast that in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
Fortunately, from the moment she entered, Song Wanníng had already spread her divine sense outward. That was the only reason she managed to catch traces of where it had run.
"After it!"
With a sharp call, her figure shot forward. The air rippled in waves as she sliced through it.
Bai Yang's expression darkened, and he also went after her at full speed. In just three breaths, his master's figure vanished from sight. He cursed in frustration, once again dissatisfied with his own cultivation.
Scanning the surroundings with a grim frown, he had no idea where to continue the chase. In the end, he could only follow the direction where Song Wanníng had disappeared.
Rounding a bend, he suddenly found himself staring at an endless sea of grass.
A light breeze passed over the plain, and countless blades of wild grass swayed up and down in unison.
The agitation in his heart unexpectedly eased. Since he could not find his master's trail for now, he decided to wander nearby. Perhaps he might still have a chance encounter with the Breath Soil.
Meanwhile, Song Wanníng was nothing but a streak of afterimages, yet she still could not catch up to the Xi Ran.
This thing was even faster than black sludge. Arrays and spells could not pin it down, no matter how she tried. Her expression was cold as she pushed her speed again and again, until she gripped a spirit stone in her palm to fuel herself with more spiritual power.
But the Xi Ran continued to run wild—sometimes bursting from underground, sometimes leaping into the air.
Its movements were unpredictable, sometimes spinning in circles, sometimes suddenly doubling back. Song Wanníng's head was starting to ache.
The golden little sword cursed as it chased alongside her, and even the Shenyou Mystic Flame joined in. Yet neither could block its path.
"No wonder you're an innate spiritual treasure!"
The words came through gritted teeth. Song Wanníng finally understood—the damned thing was toying with her.
"Don't panic. Slow down."
She sent a sound transmission to her two companions, easing her own pace until she looked winded and breathless.
The two little ones did not understand why, but they obeyed instantly.
Sure enough, once their speed dropped, the Xi Ran slowed as well, even glancing back at them from time to time. When her suspicion was confirmed, Song Wanníng slowed further, until she simply stopped chasing at all.
The Xi Ran grew anxious. It suddenly turned around, closing the distance between them, trying to lure her into giving chase again.
Song Wanníng stood still, attempting to bait it closer. But the little creature was extremely cautious, always keeping far enough away. If they so much as moved, it bolted. If they stayed still, it simply stood at a distance, watching.
The golden little sword muttered, "Is it playing hide-and-seek with us? Could it be that it's bored out here and came out just to mess with us?"
The more it thought about it, the more it felt that had to be the case. Otherwise, why would the Xi Ran reveal itself?
Song Wanníng raised a brow, clearly having thought of the same thing. It truly was an innate treasure—far harder to fool than ordinary spiritual beings. But time was precious. Song Wanníng could only resume the chase, mind working on how to capture it.
The problem was its speed. An entire day passed and it was still far ahead, not even letting her touch a single hair.
This was getting her nowhere.
She thought for a moment, then decided to let Bai Yang try.
She immediately sent him a transmission talisman. Yet just as she finished speaking, the Xi Ran darted off again. Pressing her lips together, she had no choice but to follow. Even knowing it was playing her for a fool, she could not afford to lose sight of it. If she did, finding it again would be no easy task.
After a frenzied chase, the Xi Ran slipped into a cave.
Song Wanníng dashed in right after it, casting multiple spells at once to cut off its escape.
The Xi Ran dodged with bounding leaps, even turning back to throw her a mocking look.
Her gaze grew darker. She wanted nothing more than to tear it apart.
After several rounds of pursuit inside the cave, Bai Yang finally arrived on his flying artifact.
He leapt down quickly and ran toward the commotion.
The moment he entered, he saw the tense standoff between his master and the creature.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the Xi Rn let out a curious sound. Its bright, excited eyes landed on Bai Yang.
"Human, your scent is wonderful!"
The words caught him completely off guard.
Was it… talking about him?
His scent? What scent?
In the next instant, the Xi Ran transformed into the image of a small child with a spiritual body. Wide eyes blinked as it inspected him, full of curiosity.
Song Wanníng's jaw tightened on the side.
She had chased it for an entire day without hearing a single word. Yet now that it saw Bai Yang, it was practically about to leap into his arms.
Her fingers brushed together, her eyes taking on a more dangerous glint.
Perhaps sensing something, the Xi Ran shuddered and glanced her way.
"You really are a stupid human. I had to wait for you! So slow, it's painful!"
Finally finding someone to play with, yet they were this weak? Pathetic.
Song Wanníng's lips twitched into a cold smile.
If she had chased it at full power, wouldn't that have been even more foolish?
"Hey, human, do you want to make a contract with me?"
The Xi Ran turned back to Bai Yang, speaking without hesitation. There was a scent on him it liked very much. Following him might not be a bad idea.
The temperature in the cave seemed to drop a few degrees.
Bai Yang instinctively glanced toward his master, a pang of dread flashing in his chest. He would be lying if he said he was not tempted. But it had been his master who had found this location in the first place. He had only come to help. There was no way he could steal it from her.
Not to mention, he was still trying to repair their relationship. There was no universe in which taking the Xi Ran for himself would help. He did not immediately refuse, however. Instead, he looked at her half-smiling expression and pressed his lips together.
"My master has greater talent, and she was the one who found you first…"
He tried to persuade it.
But the Xi Ran huffed, giving Song Wanníng a disdainful look. "I don't make contracts with just anyone. Her? She's not worthy to be my partner."
Innate spiritual treasures could only form equal contracts. They would not vanish even if their master died. Although it had been trapped here for a very long time, desperate for the chance to leave, that did not mean anyone could be its master.
Bai Yang's cultivation might be low, but there was a scent on him it found familiar and pleasant. Barely acceptable.
The other, however, carried an aura it despised.
So even if it remained trapped here forever, it would never choose that woman.