Zhou Kai’s Spirit Boat sat in the quiet courtyard of a relatively intact house in Red Cliff Town.

With a single incantation, the vessel shuddered. Soft spiritual light cascaded from its hull as it drifted slowly into the air.

“Zhiwei, let’s go,” Zhou Kai called out, leaping onto the deck.

The Spirit Boat surged forward, tearing through the sky. Behind them, Red Cliff Town shrank rapidly, eventually reducing to nothing more than a black speck against the horizon.

The night wind was cool, teasing strands of Lin Zhiwei’s hair. Standing at the bow, Zhou Kai mentally tallied the ledger of this trip.

That mountain of Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, upon careful counting, totaled over three thousand.

Roughly a thousand had been drained of Spirit Qi, reduced to useless grey rocks to power the bronze mirror. But even so, two thousand intact Mid-Grade Spirit Stones remained.

It was an astronomical sum. One Mid-Grade stone was worth a hundred Low-Grade ones.

He wasn’t just rich; he was filthy rich.

Then, there was the small bronze mirror.

It lay quietly in his Storage Bag now, its spiritual luster dim. Zhou Kai retrieved it and probed it with his Divine Sense. A faint but extremely pure ripple of soul energy echoed back. The mirror seemed designed to harvest and purify Divine Sense, though it lacked direct offensive power.

“Seems related to soul cultivation. Once we reach Calamity Abyss Valley, I’ll see if I can find someone to repair it,” Zhou Kai muttered, tossing it back into his bag.

His gaze shifted to Lin Zhiwei. The young woman stood against the wind, her robes fluttering, her profile bathed in moonlight. She was breathtaking.

The women by my side can no longer be vases, Zhou Kai thought, his gaze calculating. Every one of them must have a purpose. They need to play to their strengths and grow with me.

Zhiwei was a Tier 2 Array Master. He could rely on her for formations and defense.

Ziqing was a Tier 1 Alchemist. Low rank, sure, but with the System, he could smash points into her until she became an Alchemy Grandmaster.

Qiaoqiao was his financial manager. Shrewd, calculating, good at business. She would handle resources and logistics.

As for Ziyi…

Zhou Kai pondered. Ziyi was gentle by nature. Though a Body Cultivator, she wasn’t built for the front lines mentally. She was meticulous and thoughtful—perfect for home base management.

And for combat? That role belonged to a Sword Cultivator like Hanyi—sharp, unyielding, and lethal.

Priority one: Upgrade all their Spirit Roots to High-grade. Then, find them top-tier cultivation methods and rush them to Foundation Establishment!

Once they reached Foundation Establishment, the Communication Points generated would double. Investment yielded returns.

Thinking this, Zhou Kai pulled up the System Panel. Without hesitation, he dumped the reserved points into Lin Zhiwei’s Earth Spirit Root.

“Husband?” Lin Zhiwei sensed his focused gaze and asked softly.

Zhou Kai smiled, his expression turning solemn. “Zhiwei. One day, I will exterminate the entire Fu Clan for you. I will wash away the Lin Family’s blood debt.”

“Husband!”

Lin Zhiwei’s body trembled, her eyes reddening instantly. The promise was sudden, heavy as a mountain, and it overwhelmed her. She moved to kneel in gratitude.

Zhou Kai caught her, holding her up by the arms. “Between us, there is no need for that.”

It wasn’t an empty promise. He fully intended to do it.

Originally, he just wanted to kill Fu Weilun for nearly ending his life. But after days in Red Cliff Town, Lin Zhiwei had filled in the blanks of the feud.

The Fu Clan cultivated a sinister Soul Poison technique that required living souls for refinement. They had slaughtered the Lin Family not just for resources, but for fuel.

More importantly, the Lin Family possessed a hereditary Divine Sense technique: the Cicada Raiment Art.

When Zhou Kai first heard the name, he froze. It was too similar to his own Cicada Scripture.

According to Lin Zhiwei, the “Sky-Severing Buckle” Fu Weilun was hunting for was the key to the Lin Family’s ancestral array. Inside that array lay the Jade Slip for the Cicada Raiment Art. If forced open, the array would self-destruct, taking the technique with it.

Fu Weilun was dangerous. His cultivation was higher, his artifacts numerous, and his methods cruel. In a straight fight, Zhou Kai had been outmatched.

But Zhou Kai had luck.

That day, after breaking the Hidden Kill Heaven-Confusing Array, Fu Weilun had chased them toward Calamity Abyss Valley. But when he saw Li Youci’s iconic black palanquin approaching, he assumed the Grand Miss was coming for revenge on behalf of Gao Feiyang. Terrified, he fled, letting Zhou Kai slip away.

Now, hearing Zhou Kai vow vengeance, Lin Zhiwei lost control. Tears streamed down her face.

“Husband… what virtue does this humble girl possess to deserve such grace… I have no way to repay you…”

Zhou Kai’s heart stirred. He pointed a finger at her slightly parted, trembling lips and smirked.

“Oh? Truly no way to repay? Your husband has a small request. I wonder if Zhiwei is willing to fulfill it?”

She understood instantly. Her face flushed crimson. She lowered her head, knelt slowly, and whispered, “Mmm…”

High in the night sky, spring blossomed amidst the clouds.

The Spirit Boat rose and fell rhythmically, syncing with the soft, suppressed moans of Lin Zhiwei and Zhou Kai’s low, satisfied chuckles as they flew toward Gazing River City.

Gazing River City.

When Zhou Kai returned to the inn with Lin Zhiwei, he was surprised.

The first person to throw herself at him wasn’t the gentle Chen Ziyi, nor the manipulative Chen Ziqing.

It was Wang Qiaoqiao.

“Zhou Lang! You’re finally back! Qiaoqiao was worried to death!”

She latched onto his arm, pressing her soft chest tightly against him, her voice trembling with genuine fear and relief.

Her Divine Sense swept over him, confirming he was alive. Then, her eyes flickered subtly toward Lin Zhiwei.

She had bet everything on Zhou Kai. The terror that her “Golden Thigh” had vanished had been eating her alive.

The Chen sisters approached next.

“Husband, are you alright?” Chen Ziyi asked, her beautiful eyes filled with concern.

Chen Ziqing squeezed onto his other side, her voice soft, tearful, and perfectly pitiful. “Big Brother Zhou, you were gone for so long. Ziqing couldn’t even sleep.”

Tears welled up in her eyes right on cue. She turned her gaze to Lin Zhiwei, blinking innocently.

“Sister Lin has such elegance, and her cultivation is so high… Ziqing is a bit envious. Unlike me… I can’t help Big Brother Zhou with anything.”

Zhou Kai offered a few simple words of comfort, ignoring the theatrical jealousy. He glanced at the sky, his expression hardening.

“Pack your things. We leave immediately for Calamity Abyss Valley!”

He paused, a frown creasing his brow as he did the math.

“We only have four tokens…”

How should the slots be allocated?