Eating Hotpot and Drinking Wine...

"My name is Lin Suchou. I hope Sister Jiu You will look after me from now on."

Looking at the beauty before him, dressed in a cheongsam with long legs one could play with for a lifetime, Lin Suchou extended his right hand.

"Hmph. Since you helped me through my tribulation, you're my little brother from now on. I'll look after you."

Jiu You also extended her slender hand and clasped his.

Feeling the softness in his palm, Lin Suchou could not help but let his thoughts wander. He had successfully won over another Goddess.

"I need to retrieve a Spirit Array Scroll now. Do you want to come with me?"

After letting go, Lin Suchou asked with a smile.

"Mm. I have nothing to do right now anyway, so I'll go with you."

Jiu You nodded lightly and smoothed her black hair that had been tousled by the wind.

"Alright, get on."

Lin Suchou summoned the little mare back, mounted her, and extended a hand toward Jiu You.

"This little mare is only at the Spirit Soul Realm. She's too slow. Get on me instead—I'll take you there."

"Seriously?"

Lin Suchou put the little mare back into his Qi Sea and scratched his head. "Isn't this progressing a little too fast between us? I'm not even ready yet."

"What are you thinking about? I meant you should get on me... Oh, no, I mean I can carry you faster."

Jiu You nearly misspoke again. She rolled her eyes at him charmingly, then transformed into a colossal bird tens of thousands of feet tall.

Looking at the sky, which was almost dyed into a sea of purple flames, Lin Suchou shook his head. "Still too high-profile. Forget it—I was never one to keep a low profile anyway."

With that, he transformed into a streak of flowing light and landed on Jiu You's back.

"Fly west."

Lin Suchou pointed Jiu You in a direction, and before long, they arrived at the Mang Yin Mountain Range west of the Northern Spiritual Realm.

Meanwhile, inside a mountain stronghold built atop a peak north of the Mang Yin Mountain Range, several hundred bandits were holding a feast in the open square, drinking and making merry.

"Haha! We hit a rich caravan today and actually got more than three hundred thousand Spirit Coins!"

At the head seat, a middle-aged man with slightly sunken eyes and black markings on both hands raised his Wine Cup. He laughed at the bandits below. "Come on, brothers, drink up! May good fortune be with us every year!"

As he tipped his head back and drained the cup, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a gigantic purple-flamed bird swooping toward their stronghold.

"Enemy attack!"

He shouted fiercely, unleashing his Spiritual Energy in an attempt to defend himself.

But when the surrounding lackeys saw that enormous creature, they could not even muster the will to resist. Some fled at once, while others hid beneath the tables.

"Screech!"

A bird cry rang out, and the immense Spiritual Energy Pressure forced every bandit flat onto the ground.

"Who is in charge here?"

Once the giant bird landed atop the mountain, a calm young voice rang beside everyone's ears.

"I... I am! What brings this Young Master to my Mang Yin Mountain?"

The sunken-eyed middle-aged man swallowed. As he walked toward Lin Suchou, his mind raced furiously.

Yet no matter how hard he thought, he could not recall any impression of this Young Master.

Could it be... that caravan they robbed today had offended this Young Master!?

"Slap!"

Before Lin Suchou could speak, the middle-aged man slapped himself. "Young Master, I was wrong! Had I known that merchant caravan belonged to you, even if you gave Yang Gui ten thousand times the courage, I wouldn't have dared!"

"I came here only for something in your treasury."

Lin Suchou raised a hand to interrupt him and said coldly, "If you don't want to die, take me to your treasury."

"Gulp."

Yang Gui's heart tightened at those words. Only he and the strategist knew about his treasury. Could it be...

As he spoke, he looked toward a wooden barrel outside a distant building and glared viciously at the middle-aged man hiding inside, who had two thin mouse-like mustaches.

He had actually leaked information about his treasury. That man could not be allowed to live!

Yang Gui then led Lin Suchou and Jiu You through countless twists and turns before finally arriving at the study of a courtyard residence in the deepest part of the stronghold.

He felt around the wall for a while, and it split open to either side, revealing a small secret chamber before Lin Suchou.

"Hehe, this is this lowly one's treasury. Young Master may take whatever you wish. I only beg that Young Master spare my life."

Yang Gui knelt before Lin Suchou, his face filled with terror and unease.

He was only a Spirit Soul Realm cultivator. Feeling Lin Suchou's Heaven Fusion Realm cultivation had nearly scared him into wetting himself.

Not to mention that wild beauty beside him was actually a Divine Beast that had survived the Black God Tribulation!

With such a powerful guard, he was certain that Lin Suchou came from some great faction.

He had been eating hotpot and drinking wine, yet as a bandit, he had ended up getting robbed himself. Where was he supposed to find justice?

"Very good. Your task is complete... But those who rob others will be robbed in turn."

As Lin Suchou's words fell, a tiny purple flame emerged from his fingertip above Yang Gui's head. In an instant, the Spirit Soul Realm cultivator turned to ash.

Jiu You Fire really was terrifying...

After dealing with him, Lin Suchou stepped into the secret chamber. A million Spirit Coins were piled into mountains, while the wooden shelves on the other side were filled with Spirit Arts.

He then opened a jade box, inside which lay a blood-red ginseng as thick and long as a palm.

"Nine-Beard Blood Ginseng?"

Lin Suchou spoke its name, though it was only effective for Spirit Wheel Realm and Spirit Soul Realm cultivators.

He tossed it straight into his Qi Sea, letting the little mare swallow it in one gulp.

He then continued rummaging through the piles of chests. As he moved something aside, a Black Scroll rolled to his feet.

With a pull of his hand, Lin Suchou drew the scroll over and opened it with both hands. As it slowly unfurled, black radiance surged forth and formed five large characters—Demon Lotus Spirit Slaughter Array!

"Found it."

Lin Suchou put away this mid-grade Earth Grade Spirit Array Diagram, then stored all the Spirit Coins and Spirit Arts in his Spirit Storage Ring.

"What was that scroll?"

Jiu You asked curiously from beside him.

"A Spirit Array Diagram."

"You know Spirit Arrays too?"

Jiu You's gaze turned astonished at Lin Suchou's reply.

Her sense of Lin Suchou's mystery deepened further.

Not everyone possessed talent in Spirit Arrays, and Spirit Array Masters of the same rank held an advantage when fighting cultivators.

Starting with Level 1 Spirit Array Masters, who were comparable to the Spirit Wheel Realm, the ranks increased in sequence until Level 5 Spirit Array Masters, who were comparable to the Heaven Reaching Realm and the Minor Tribulation.

Above them were Human, Earth, and Heaven Grade Spirit Array Masters. Each grade was divided into low, mid, and high levels, corresponding to the First through Ninth-Grade Supreme Realms.

Beyond Spirit Array Masters were Spirit Array Grandmasters, comparable to Earth Supremes, divided into low, mid, and high ranks.

Finally came Spirit, Immortal, and Saint Grade Grandmasters, corresponding to Heavenly Supremes.

At that realm, the Spirit Arrays laid down by Spirit Array Masters could form a small world of their own and possessed unimaginable power.

That was why Jiu You was so shocked upon learning that Lin Suchou had talent in Spirit Arrays.

"There's still plenty you don't know. Come with me to meet a friend."

After hearing this, Jiu You obediently followed behind him.

Before leaving, he had Jiu You spit out several fireballs, directly burying the entire stronghold in flames. It counted as accumulating virtue.

In order to avoid attracting attention, he put Jiu You into his Qi Sea, mounted the Luo Ling Heavenly Horse, and headed for the Mu Domain.

After eating the Nine-Beard Blood Ginseng, the little mare was nearing the late Spirit Soul Realm, and her speed had increased considerably.

They arrived at the main city of the Mu Domain before the Setting Sun had fallen.