Chapter Nine: There Is Always a Higher Mountain

That fiery figure was none other than the alluring woman he’d encountered in that small town—the very same woman from whom Li Chengzhu had managed to swindle a prime-grade Celestial Mechanism Stone.

“It’s you?” The woman said in astonishment.

Li Chengzhu got to his feet, brushing the dust from his clothes, and grinned broadly. “Of course it’s me! It hasn’t been long since we parted—how have you been?” He acted as if the little trick he’d played that day had never even happened.

At this moment, Gu Linglong spoke up as well. “Xiaoying, you know him?”

The alluring woman turned to Gu Linglong and nodded. “Yes, he’s the one I told you about a few days ago.”

Gu Linglong let out a cold laugh. “This scoundrel certainly lives up to his reputation.”

Li Chengzhu protested loudly, “My surname is Li and my full name is Li Chengzhu!”

Xiaoying shot him a disdainful look and asked, “Where’s your little thing?”

Li Chengzhu was taken aback. That question sounded a bit off. He glanced down between his legs—well, it wasn’t that small. Before he could reply, the “little thing” leapt out of his travel bag and jumped straight into Xiaoying’s arms, its two paws landing right atop her ample bosom as it gazed up at her with wide, curious eyes.

Xiaoying chuckled, taking out a Celestial Mechanism Stone and holding it out to the little creature.

Li Chengzhu swallowed hard as he watched, wishing he could swap places with the little thing in her embrace.

“Hmph!” Gu Linglong snorted coldly at Li Chengzhu’s lascivious expression.

Li Chengzhu shuddered and murmured, “Um, Fairy Gu, there seems to be a misunderstanding between us.”

“Misunderstanding?” Gu Linglong sneered. “Where did all your bravado go? Now you claim it was just a misunderstanding?”

Li Chengzhu forced a bitter smile. “It wasn’t intentional, I swear. I was only climbing a mountain and enjoying the view—how was I supposed to know what happened? As for stealing your celestial light or violating your body, I genuinely know nothing about it.”

Gu Linglong formed a hand seal and sent a few spiritual incantations into Li Chengzhu’s body with a wave of her hand. Her tone was icy. “Whether you know or not, I will make you repay every bit of it.”

Li Chengzhu felt nothing from the incantations, but he knew this fierce woman never acted in vain. He could only force a smile and ask, “May I ask, Fairy, what have you just done to me?”

“I’ve sealed the meridians in your body so you can no longer use spiritual energy.”

Li Chengzhu was shocked. He quickly tried to circulate his energy, but sure enough, it was as if all his spiritual power had been frozen solid—he couldn’t move it at all. Sinking his consciousness into his dantian, he saw his nascent soul bound by colorful Celestial Spirit Qi, trapped within.

Withdrawing his mind, Li Chengzhu exploded in anger. “Damn it, you crazy woman! If you’ve got the guts, unseal me and let’s fight one-on-one!”

Gu Linglong looked at him with utter disdain. “Didn’t we already fight just now?”

“!@#$%...”

After a moment, Li Chengzhu summoned his courage and asked, “Are you really going to destroy my physical body?”

Xiaoying, hearing this, looked up in alarm, her eyes nervously fixed on Gu Linglong.

Gu Linglong’s cold smile was merciless. “Relax. Your body is suffused with my Celestial Spirit Qi—I wouldn’t be so wasteful as to destroy it just yet.”

Li Chengzhu wiped cold sweat from his brow. “Damn, you nearly scared me to death.”

Gu Linglong continued with her cruel smile. “I’ll extract my Celestial Spirit Qi from