Strategy

Everything before this had been to help this batch of elite youths adapt to the cruelty of the Spirit Road.

Only this Final Spirit Road was the true test. All the youths with great strength, considerable fortune, and unwavering will gathered here for the final contest.

Only a mere few dozen could receive a King Rank evaluation and undergo Spirit Road Empowerment. The elimination rate was even more staggering.

"Whoosh, whoosh."

After Lin Suchou crossed the Light Gate, he arrived on a forest path filled with birdsong, flowers, and lush greenery.

The Final Spirit Road was vast and boundless. Compared to the previous two places, it was closer to nature and brimming with life.

Yet there was still not the slightest trace of spiritual energy here. According to the Blood Token's instructions, he only needed to head south to reach his destination.

However, the Final Spirit Road not only had a large number of high-level Spirit Beasts, but even Earth Ranking Spirit Beasts!

Who knew how many dangers lay hidden beneath its beautiful mountains and clear waters?

Lin Suchou first used the position of the sun to identify south, then suddenly thought of an idea.

"Luo Li?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

Luo Li, who was sitting in front, turned around at his call and looked at him in confusion.

"How about we hunt Spirit Beasts here first and break through to a Level 4 Spirit Body?"

Lin Suchou stroked the girl's tender cheek as he made the suggestion.

"That works. The road ahead is fraught with danger, and reaching a Level 4 Spirit Body would help us deal with crises more easily."

Luo Li nodded.

She still remembered what had happened some time ago. If Lin Suchou had not advanced to a Level 3 Spirit Body in the wilderness, the two of them might very well have died at the hands of Yang Hong and the others, becoming a pair of ill-fated lovers.

"Then let me experience the Spirit Beasts of this Final Spirit Road!"

Lin Suchou drew the Shou Luo Sword, which blazed with raging flames. With a light kick to the little mare's belly, he turned into a streak of white flowing light and headed deep into the forest.

After another half month of grinding and fighting monsters, Lin Suchou successfully stepped into the Level 4 Spirit Body realm!

Unfortunately, Luo Li was still short of several high-level Spirit Beast Spirit Essences.

When breaking through to a Level 4 Spirit Body, Lin Suchou had thought he would die there. The agony of tempering his flesh nearly made him shatter his teeth from clenching them.

Lin Suchou only remembered closing his eyes in a haze before passing out from the pain. When he woke again, he felt his body overflowing with vigor.

With a light punch, he smashed a several-hundred-pound piece of Blue Steel Rock into fragments.

But once he left the Spirit Road, the physical body he had painstakingly cultivated would be taken back.

To ensure his efforts did not go to waste, he had to obtain that Spirit Road Empowerment!

Lin Suchou then traveled south with Luo Li. The Luo Ling Heavenly Horse's speed was astonishing.

In the time it took to burn an incense stick, they crossed layer upon layer of mountains, left the mountain range, and arrived at a vast plain.

"Ji Xuan! If you have the guts, come chase me!"

Suddenly, a youth's shout came from afar, causing Lin Suchou to rein in the little mare.

"What is it, Suchou? Do you know the owner of that voice?"

Luo Li, seated in front, nearly flew off because of it. She pouted, clearly dissatisfied.

"Yes. The owner of that voice is my friend."

"Are you going to help him?"

"No. I'm going to kill Ji Xuan!"

Lin Suchou stroked Luo Li's head, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.

Ji Xuan had sent people after him time and again. Now that he had reached the Level 4 Spirit Body realm, he had to settle this score!

Fortunately, back in the Guardian Land, Ji Xuan had been like every other conventional villain and had not sent everyone after him at once.

That was what gave Lin Suchou the chance to grow.

Then again, they were all only teenagers. When it came to schemes, they were still far too immature.

Lin Suchou turned the horse around and charged toward the left.

But after running only a few hundred meters, Lin Suchou saw a man and a woman running toward them. They soon stopped in front of him.

"Do you know Mu Chen? Where is he now?"

Lin Suchou was the first to ask.

"Mu Chen lured Ji Xuan and the others into the deep mountains to cover our escape."

A burly youth carrying a Wolf-Tooth Mace pointed toward the mountain range behind him and answered quickly.

"Young Master, could you please help Brother Mu? I'll give you a satisfactory reward, whether it's a Spirit Art or a Spirit Artifact..."

The white-skinned young girl in a White Dress beside him suddenly pleaded with Lin Suchou, her eyes bright and lively.

"Ji Xuan is my enemy too. I don't need your reward. I'll deal with Ji Xuan regardless!"

Lin Suchou gripped the Shou Luo Sword in his right hand and shot toward the mountains.

Though he was hurrying along, Lin Suchou deliberately made the little mare slow down.

If he remembered correctly, Mu Chen was currently brewing a bloody calamity for Ji Xuan.

Once Mu Chen unleashed that bloody calamity, even if he stepped in and killed Ji Xuan and the others, that old bastard Tian Sheng would not focus on targeting him.

Moreover, Ji Xuan's strength had been weakened by that Golden Armored Dragon Tiger Beast, which would make it even more favorable for Lin Suchou to strike.

Watching the direction Lin Suchou had left in, the girl in the White Dress gritted her teeth and once again headed toward the mountains.

"Yu Qing, Mu Chen told me to cover your escape because he wanted to protect you. You can't be willful at a time like this."

The burly youth hurriedly stopped her.

"Zhan Xiong, I know what I'm doing. Even the white horse that man was riding is a high-level Spirit Beast. He definitely isn't afraid of Ji Xuan. I have to go take a look."

After saying that, the girl in the White Dress stared at the burly youth. "You and Mu Chen are brothers. Are you really going to watch Mu Chen fall into an encirclement?"

Shame appeared on Zhan Xiong's dark face at her words. Then a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he agreed, "Fine, I'll go with you!"

In a deep, ancient forest, a handsome youth with black hair, black eyes, and a resolute gaze was racing toward the tallest mountain in the distance.

From time to time, he looked back to see whether the dozens of figures behind him had caught up.

Ji Xuan and the others behind him seemed to have realized that he was plotting something, and they hesitated to a stop.

"Ji Xuan, ahead is the territory of the Earth Ranking Spirit Beast, the Golden Armored Dragon Tiger Beast. We should be careful."

Seeing Mu Chen look back at them again, a red-robed man beside Ji Xuan grabbed him and warned him.

But when Mu Chen saw that his pursuers had stopped, he began mocking them. "What's wrong? Ji Xuan, weren't you going to kill me? Why are you too scared to come over now?"

Ji Xuan was not reckless either. Although he wanted to kill Mu Chen, he did not continue the pursuit and instead waited for the main force behind him to arrive.

Seeing that Ji Xuan would not take the bait, Mu Chen fell silent. He crossed his arms, looking completely confident, as though he could swallow them all in one bite.

Before long, more than forty people arrived behind Ji Xuan, bringing their total to over eighty.

Not only Mu Chen, but even Lin Suchou, who was still on his way, was curious about how Ji Xuan had managed to win over so many people.

"Is everyone here? Then hurry up, or I'm going to run away."

Mu Chen leaned against a rock wall, his eyes full of mockery.

"Get him!"

Ji Xuan, normally refined and elegant as jade, now exposed his true nature as a monkey in a hat. Unable to endure it any longer, he charged forward first.

Mu Chen burst into laughter and continued racing toward the summit.

But as they pursued one another, five remarkable people of varying ages watched the scene through a water curtain inside a great hall outside the Spirit Road.

These five were the five deans of the Five Great Academies.

The water curtain showed Ji Xuan leading his people in pursuit of Mu Chen, and they were discussing the matter.

"What is Mu Chen trying to do?"

One Old Man had a white beard and wore a green robe, giving him an ethereal air.

"Dean Tian Song, can't you see that the little fellow is leading Ji Xuan and the others toward the Golden Armored Dragon Tiger Beast's territory?"

A graceful middle-aged beauty spoke calmly.

"Tang Qiu, your Myriad Phoenix Spirit Academy only accepts female students. Leave Mu Chen to our Northern Cang Spirit Academy."

A middle-aged man in white laughed heartily, seeming to admire Mu Chen greatly.

"The Golden Armored Dragon Tiger Beast is ranked on the Earth Ranking and is among the very best high-level Spirit Beasts. If something happens after he leads Ji Xuan and the others there, who will be responsible?"

Another Old Man stood with his hands behind his back, looking extremely arrogant.

"Dean Tian Sheng, don't think we don't know that Ji Xuan is a student your Sacred Spirit Institute has already chosen. You broke the rules first, and now you want to interfere again to protect him?"

Another old man, somewhat short but hot-tempered, roared angrily.

"Utter nonsense."

Dean Tian Sheng snorted coldly, glanced at King Wu Tian of the Martial Spirit Academy, and said no more.