234: Did you enjoy your shopping?

"Let's go."

"Since you want to go, we'll go take a look. But let's agree beforehand: we're only visiting that one place, and we'll come back as soon as we've bought food."

As long as she could lure her Revered Master out alone, she didn't care where they went—she'd even be happy to take a bath in a Void storm.

Su Lin pinched a hand seal, and their figures twisted before instantly vanishing from the Heaven-grade Room No. 1 of the Wuyou Inn... The Void Black Market, Outer Scattered District.

Although the official grand opening was still a week away, for the outlaws, wandering merchants, and various bizarre alien races who spent their lives in the cracks of the Void, every moment here was a business opportunity.

Above was a pitch-black void without stars, only brilliant auroras resembling giant glowing silk ribbons.

Beneath their feet were floating boulders connected by thick chains engraved with runes.

Su Lin led Ye You, avoiding the wide main roads and instead weaving through several turns until they reached a relatively remote floating meteorite.

The light here was dim, with only a few ghost-fire lanterns floating in the air to provide illumination.

"It's still here! It's still here!"

Ye You pointed ahead excitedly.

In a large rocky depression sat a tattered little stall.

The stall owner was a humanoid creature with an octopus head and six arms.

It was waving its six hands, skillfully grilling something on a glowing red black meteoric iron plate.

"Boss! Two skewers of Void Giant Squid! The kind freshly caught from a storm, with the electricity still in them!"

Ye You pulled Su Lin along and rushed over, heroically slapping down a handful of Spirit Stones.

"Mahayana Stage? Or Yao Race?"

He grabbed two purple tentacles that were still crackling with electricity from the water tank behind him and threw them onto the iron plate.

Purple electric arcs scurried across the plate, and a charred, savory aroma instantly exploded into the air.

Su Lin looked at the skewers of tentacles that were still twitching and even discharging electricity, his mouth corners twitching slightly.

Is this thing... actually meant for human consumption?

But seeing the expectant look in Ye You's eyes, Su Lin sighed and took a small bite.

It was springy to the bite, followed immediately by a strong numbing sensation that spread across the tip of his tongue, and then a rich, fresh savoriness exploded in his mouth.

It truly... had a unique flavor.

"Acceptable."

Su Lin gave a fair evaluation.

"Hehe, I knew Revered Master would like it."

Ye You laughed happily, finishing her skewer in two or three bites, and then looked longingly at the remaining half-skewer in Su Lin's hand.

"Here."

Su Lin helplessly handed the rest to her.

"Thank you, Revered Master!"

"I was thinking, if I could be led by Revered Master like this for a lifetime, I'd even be willing to be eaten."

Su Lin looked at her, his gaze softening.

"You are already a Mahayana Stage Yao Emperor; those in this world who can harm you can be counted on one hand."

"No!"

Ye You shook her head vigorously, grabbed Su Lin's hand, and pressed it against her cheek.

"I still need Revered Master."

"No matter how strong I become, in front of Revered Master, I will always be that little Yao who needs you to hold my hand."

"And..."

She took a step forward, her body pressing close to Su Lin, her voice becoming low and dangerous.

"Whoever dares to touch you, I will eat them."

Su Lin smiled and didn't speak, simply allowing her to hold his hand.

The two continued walking forward.

Although this scattered district was dilapidated, it hidden many strange and eccentric things.

They passed a stall displaying various stones.

The stall owner was a rock giant made entirely of stone, sitting there like a small mountain, snoring.

"Gambling on stones?"

Ye You became interested.

The stones here weren't ordinary jade, but [Void Raw Stones].

They were meteorite fragments swept up by Void turbulences, encased in a thick layer of stone skin that even Divine Sense could not penetrate.

There might be nothing inside, or they could contain fragments of ancient Magic Treasures, or even rare star cores.

It all depended on luck.

"Revered Master, shall we play a round?"

Ye You squatted down, picking through a pile of dusty grey stones.

"I feel like this stone is a bit special."

She pointed to a fist-sized, pitted black stone.

"It gives me a... very delicious scent."

Su Lin glanced at the stone.

In his eyes, a faint starlight flickered.

The passive ability of the [Myriad Heavens Star Chart] activated, and through that thick stone skin, he saw a glimmer of deep blue inside.

"Good eye."

Su Lin nodded approvingly.

"This is a piece of [Deep Sea Blue Gold], a top-grade Material for refining water-attribute Magic Treasures. It's perfect for Qingxue."

"Ah? For Seventh Junior Sister?"

As soon as Ye You heard it was for Mu Qingxue, she immediately deflated like a punctured balloon and threw the stone back.

"Then I don't want it. It's not tasty."

"..."

Su Lin shook his head helplessly, casually tossed down a bag of Spirit Stones, and took the stone into his hand.

"Take it."

"Even if you can't eat it, you can use it to annoy her."

"For example, tell her you picked it up from a trash heap and ask if she wants it."

Ye You froze for a moment, then her eyes lit up and she let out a mischievous laugh.

"Revered Master, you're so bad~ but I like it!"

She happily tucked the stone away, as if she had found some great treasure.

The two continued to wander.

As they walked, the surrounding flow of people seemed to thin out slightly.

A sense of being watched emanated from the shadows around them.

Su Lin didn't stop, his expression normal, but a cold glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"We have tails."

He transmitted his voice to Ye You.

"I know."

The smile on Ye You's face didn't disappear; instead, it grew more brilliant, but a bloodthirsty red light had already begun to surface in her vertical pupils.

"Three little mice. They've been following us for a long time."

"Their auras are mixed; they should be Scavengers here, outlaws who specialize in preying on lone fat sheep."

"Revered Master, should I go handle them?"

She licked her lips, the excitement of the hunt making her muscles tighten all over.

"No rush."

Su Lin said indifferently.

"There are too many eyes here. Let's find a quiet place."

The two tacitly turned into a secluded floating walkway.

This place was far from the main street, with a bottomless Void abyss below, and only a few rusted iron chains connecting to another floating boulder.

"Let's do it here."

Su Lin stopped and turned to look at the shadows behind them.

"You've followed us all this way. Aren't you tired?"

"Jie jie jie..."

A sinister laugh echoed from the shadows.

Three figures slowly emerged.

These three looked extremely strange.

The one in the middle was at least three meters tall, with knotted muscles and skin the color of grey rock—clearly a Body Cultivator with Rock Spirit bloodline.

On the left was a scrawny dwarf carrying a giant gourd on his back, emitting a pungent toxic gas.

On the right was a Soul Cultivator wrapped entirely in black cloth, revealing only a pair of glowing green eyes.

Three Body Integration Stage Cultivators; they looked like someone's servants.

Such a lineup was indeed a significant force in this outer district, specializing in hunting newcomers who didn't know the depths of the waters.

"Kid, your perception is quite sharp."

The rock giant said in a booming voice, holding a spiked mace stained with dried blood.

"Since you've noticed, then obediently hand over your storage rings."

The dwarf stared lecherously at Ye You, his drool nearly flowing out.

"She looks quite enticing."

Ye You smiled.

She let go of Su Lin's arm and walked toward the three, step by step.

With her steps, the aura on her body began to change.

"Ma... Mahayana Stage?!"

The rock giant's mace hit the ground with a clang, and his legs began to tremble.

"How is this possible... how could a Mahayana Stage powerhouse come to a dump like this to go shopping?!"

The dwarf was even more terrified, falling onto his backside as a warmth spread through his crotch—he had wet himself.

Where was the fat sheep?

This was clearly a Tyrannosaurus rex in sheep's clothing!

"Just now... who said they wanted to take me as a Cauldron?"

Ye You walked up to the dwarf, looking down at him from above.

The hair behind her moved without wind, turning into countless tiny vines that clawed the air.

"Was it you?"

"No... no... Senior, spare me! Spare my life!"

The dwarf kowtowed frantically, his forehead bleeding from the impact.

"Too late."

Ye You coldly spat out two words.

Psh!

A vine instantly pierced the dwarf's brow.

Without even time to scream, the dwarf was sucked dry into a husk and then crumbled into flying ash.

"And you two."

Ye You turned to look at the other two.

The two had long since lost their courage and turned to jump into the abyss to escape.

"Trying to run?"

Ye You waved her hand.

Several thick vines shot out like lightning, directly wrapping around their waists and dragging them back by force.

"You dared to show killing intent in front of my Revered Master, and you still think you can leave alive?"

"Die."

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled sounds.

The two Body Integration Stage Cultivators were directly crushed by the vines, turning into a mist of blood.

Ye You bathed in the blood rain, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Hmm... though the quality is average, it's enough for a small snack."

The vines on her body quickly devoured the flesh and blood, leaving not even a scrap behind.

After doing all this, she turned around to look at Su Lin.

The evil aura on her face vanished instantly, and she reverted to the well-behaved little disciple.

"Revered Master, I've cleaned up."

She ran to Su Lin's side and, as if nothing had happened, took his arm again.

"Shall we continue our walk?"

Su Lin looked at her, shook his head helplessly, and took out a handkerchief to wipe a drop of blood from her face.

"Next time, be a bit gentler. You've gotten it everywhere."

"I know~" Ye You replied sweetly.

The two continued on... Not long after they left.

In the shadows of the walkway, a blurry figure slowly emerged.

It was a person wrapped entirely in black mist, their face obscured, with only a pair of ghostly green eyes visible.

He looked at the traces left on the ground, his voice hoarse and low.

"Abyssal Devouring Vine... Mahayana Stage Yao Emperor..."

"And that man..."

"The aura on him... seems to be the one that 'thing' is looking for."

A pitch-black Jade Slip appeared in the shadow's hand, which he crushed.

"Notify the Lord."

"The target has appeared."

...Su Lin did not know he was being watched.

He and Ye You wandered for half the night, buying a bunch of random things.

Ye You was satisfied, while Su Lin's wallet suffered a major hemorrhage.

By the time they returned to the small Secret Realm of the Wuyou Inn, it was already late into the night.

As soon as he entered, Su Lin felt the atmosphere was off.

The peach blossom forest was silent; not even the sound of insects could be heard.

The exquisite pavilion was brightly lit, yet eerily quiet.

"Revered Master... they wouldn't still be waiting for us, would they?"

Ye You shrank her neck a bit, feeling guilty.

Su Lin pushed open the door.

In the hall, four chairs were lined up.

Su Hongling, Luo Ximei, Chu Weiwei, Mu Qingxue, and Cold Moon were sitting upright, their gazes fixed on the door like torches.

An hourglass sat on the table, its sand having just run out.

"You're back?"

Luo Ximei was the first to speak, her voice chilly.

"Did you have fun browsing?"

"What delicious things did you eat?" Su Hongling stared at Su Lin's stomach.

"Are you injured? Does Weiwei need to examine your body?" Chu Weiwei took out her silver needles.

"Revered Master, you're late," Mu Qingxue pointed to the hourglass. "You said you'd come back as soon as you bought food."

"I... I have also been waiting for a long time," Cold Moon said faintly.

Su Lin: "..."

"You guys..."

Su Lin shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of doting reproach.

"In your hearts, is your Revered Master the kind of person who only cares about his own fun and ignores his disciples?"

"Aren't you?"

Su Hongling crossed her arms and gave a huff. "You took Fourth Sister out for 'that', could you even remember us?"

"What do you mean by 'that'?"

Su Lin tapped her forehead, then flipped his wrist, light flashing in his palm.

Clatter.

A pile of items emitting various colored glows was placed on the table.

"The reason Revered Master returned late was because I spent extra time in the market picking out some things for you."

Su Lin's voice softened.

"Although the Black Sea Market is a mixed bag, there are some rare unique items. I thought they suited you well."

The deathly silence in the hall was instantly broken.

The disciples, who had been emitting dark energy, suddenly had their eyes light up.

"Gifts?!"

"For us?!"

Su Lin picked up a piece of strange Ore that was entirely crimson, its surface looking like flowing lava, and handed it to Su Hongling.

"Hong Ling, this is [Dragon Blood Flame Iron]."

"Revered Master remembers that although your great sword [no edge] is heavy, it lacks sharpness and the explosive power of the fire attribute."

"This Flame Iron was formed at the site of a True Dragon's fall and contains Dragon Fire. If you can refine it into your great sword, not only will the weight double, but it will also carry the burn of Dragon Flames. In the future, one strike from you might even melt a mountain."

Su Hongling's eyes widened like copper bells, and drool almost escaped her mouth.

She snatched the scorching Flame Iron, unwilling to let go even as her palms smoked from the heat.

"Wow!! Good stuff! This is a real treasure!"

She rubbed the stone against her face, her previous resentment vanishing instantly as she smiled like a three-hundred-pound child who had received candy.

"Old Man, you're the best! I knew you loved me most!"

Su Lin smiled and picked up a dark green, oddly shaped bottle, handing it to Chu Weiwei.

"Weiwei, this is [Seven Fiends Bone-Corroding Liquid]."

"Although there's only one drop, it's enough for you."

Chu Weiwei, who had been jealous of Su Hongling's gift, trembled all over upon hearing the name.

"Seven... Seven Fiends? The legendary one that can even corrode the Divine Soul of someone in the Tribulation Transcendence Stage?"

"Correct."

Su Lin nodded. "This item was being sold as ordinary poisonous water at a stall. I only bought it because I noticed the bottle's material was special."