The deflated cultivator refused to give up and vowed to turn the tables.

"Then can you take me with you next time you go to the far west?" Ou Ruo asked.

"I haven't asked you yet. Weren't you confined to Devil City? How did you get out?" Su Zinong asked curiously.

“My father couldn’t possibly keep me imprisoned in the Devil City forever, could he? When the time came, he loosened his grip and let me roam freely north of the Lai River.” Ou Ruo lightly tossed her hair.

"I see. So, the far west is also beyond your sphere of influence?" Su Zinong looked at Ou Ruo.

"As long as I don't cause any trouble this year and don't break my promise to my father, he will give me more freedom, and then I can go." Ou Ruo said longingly.

"It seems that being the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect is not so easy!" Su Zinong couldn't help but sigh.

"Yes, you finally understand? Then hurry up and promise me you'll take me with you when you go to the far west." Ou Ruo looked up, eagerly waiting for Su Zinong to agree.

"I just have this idea, and I don't know when I'll go. Actually, I want to travel to all four extreme regions of the world. If I run into you on my way there, you can come along," Su Zinong said calmly.

“No need, no need to run into them. You just need to go to the branch altar of the Heavenly Demon Sect, write a letter and have them give it to me, and I will set off immediately,” Ou Ruo said.

"Hey, we haven't even reached the far north yet, and you're already planning the next place. Don't forget you're my enemy. I might kill you one day if I'm in a bad mood." Su Zinong repeatedly threatened her; it was his pleasure.

"Tch, stop talking big. Can you really do it? Look at me, such an innocent, lovely, and beautiful girl. There's no evidence that I've done anything heinous. How can you kill me?" Ou Ruoping said calmly.

“I don’t want to kill you because you’ve done anything wrong. You’re the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect. If I kill you, countless people in the world will agree with me.” Su Zinong chuckled.

“Even if the whole world agrees with you, you yourself may not agree with yourself,” Ou Ruo said.

Beichuan City.

This is the last major city to the north; beyond that, there are only small towns, villages, or tribes.

Su Zinong and Ou Ruo stayed in the big city for three days, preparing ample supplies. They could no longer travel north by horse or carriage, but instead used a sled pulled by sled dogs.

Ou Ruo took out the mink coats she had prepared beforehand, gave one to Su Zinong, and wore one herself. It made her much warmer.

"You're quite the attentive person. If I didn't tell you, I really wouldn't believe you're the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Demon Sect," Su Zinong said with a smile.

"Does being a saint mean you have to be a spoiled brat?" Ou Ruo said with a smile. "You like spoiled brats, don't you?"

“Yes,” Su Zinong said with a smile, “A spoiled young lady has her own fun and charm. The more unreasonable she is, the more attractive she is.”

“If I were a spoiled young lady, you would say you prefer someone who is attentive, gentle, and submissive,” Ou Ruo said. She was quite clear about Su Zinong’s thoughts.

Sitting on the sled heading north, the wind was truly biting cold. Su Zinong used an oilcloth to shield the front of the sled from the wind and mixed some oil with medicinal powder to apply to Ou Ruo's and his own faces.

"You mean, why didn't we stay in a warm place? Why did we come to this freezing place to suffer? Aren't we being too comfortable and making a fool of ourselves?" Ou Ruo said.

“That’s how it is,” Su Zinong nodded and said. “Aren’t many people like that?”

But if people lose this spirit, they also lose a lot of room for progress, and how are they any different from flowers living in a greenhouse?

A day later, the two turned northeast. By then, they were almost at the Ink Sea. The days became very short, with only three or four hours of daylight each day, and the rest of the time was endless darkness.

At night, the two would set up a tent, securing it firmly to the ice or rocks with large iron nails, lay down an oilcloth, and then lay down two layers of cotton quilts and animal hides.

Fortunately, both of them possessed considerable cultivation levels and had red spirit stones for cultivation, so they weren't too afraid of the cold. Nevertheless, they still felt the chilly wind and found it quite uncomfortable.

On this day, as Su Zinong gazed at the distant sea from the vast snowfield, an incredibly strong spiritual energy surged into the sky, accompanied by colorful and ever-changing light.

Upon closer inspection, a strange pentagonal altar was found here. Everything else was covered in a blanket of white snow, yet this was the only place where the stone was exposed.

The spiritual energy here is much more abundant than what we found on the Strange Slope, and it even feels slightly warm to the touch.

So Su Zinong decided to set up camp here and put up tents.

However, before they could even set up their tents, a hoarse voice suddenly asked, "Who are you two? What are you doing here?"

Su Zinong was startled, not knowing when someone had approached. He turned around and saw an old man with white hair, eyebrows and beard, wearing a not-too-thick brown fur coat, and a very tall and robust figure.

“Uncle, we’ve traveled and explored our way here, and found that this place has abundant spiritual energy, so we came here. My surname is Ou, and his surname is Su,” Ou Ruo introduced to the white-browed old man.

“Young people have good judgment. The spiritual energy here is ten times stronger than in other places. That’s why I’ve been guarding this place for decades…” the old man said, his eyes gazing into the distance as if reminiscing about the past.

“Ah, so you’ve been here for decades, cultivating all this time. Can we cultivate alongside you?” Ou Ruo said.

"This place was originally my personal cultivation spot. Although it's not mine, if I wanted to drive you away, I doubt you would dare to linger. We cultivators value opportunities. Since you've stumbled upon this place by chance, you might as well stay and cultivate here for a month." After saying this, the old man vanished in a flash.

"Such fast movement!" Su Zinong exclaimed. "He must be at least at the peak of the eighth star level!"

“I guess he’s already at nine stars,” Aurora said. “My father wasn’t at the peak of eight stars as fast as him.”

"Wow, your father is already at the peak of the eighth star, so he'll be able to advance to the ninth star soon!" Su Zinong was very envious.

"No, he was already like this five years ago. It's not easy for him to reach the ninth star. It's like there's an insurmountable obstacle. I think he may have already reached the peak of his cultivation."

After setting up the tent, the two ate inside and then began their cultivation. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was indeed much denser than that of the cave on the strange slope; the old man's prediction of ten times greater was absolutely accurate.

The two lived on the five-cornered stone platform for a month. Fortunately, they had brought plenty of dry food and a lot of dried meat. Occasionally, Su Zinong could also catch fish.

"I'm almost at the next minor realm," Su Zinong said happily.

In fact, Ou Ruo felt the same way, but she didn't say it out loud.

On the second day after a full month, the old man appeared as scheduled and said, "It's time for you to leave."

"Why is the spiritual energy so strong here, old man?" Ou Ruo asked sweetly, handing over a piece of roasted meat.

The old man took it, put it in his mouth, and took a bite. He found it fragrant and his mouth was full of aroma. He was very happy and said, "This originally contained a shocking secret. You must not tell anyone."

It turns out that this five-pointed stone is an altar. According to the old man, it is the entrance to other realms. As for what realms they are, whether they are other continents or some other space, the old man is not quite sure. However, judging from the continuous spiritual energy coming from there, if one is lucky enough to go there to cultivate, one will surely become very powerful and fast.

The old man came to this place decades ago and has been cultivating ever since. At that time, he was only a six-star cultivator; now he is at the mid-stage of the nine-star realm. Indeed, enlightenment is arduous, and he hasn't seen anyone in a long time.

"Do you know how to cross over to another realm? Has anyone ever crossed over before?" Su Zinong couldn't help but ask.

"No." The old man shook his head. "I don't know how to get there, and I've never seen anyone come here. I just stay here and cultivate."

"Then how did you find this place?" Su Zinong continued to ask.

"I learned about this place by chance. It was recorded in a divine book, and it's said that there's more than one place like this. That's all I know. Don't ask me any more questions, and don't tell anyone else," the old man warned.

Su Zinong was startled: A divine book, could it be the Red River Divine Book...?