Chapter 1: Entering the City (Part 2)

The wild grasses on the grassland had turned completely yellow and withered, swaying in the wind like waves on the sea.
Guo Shier rode on his horse and said, “Master, we’re heading to Xifu Gate. I wonder if there’s still time? We’ve wasted too much time along the way.”
Luo Jie smiled and said, “There should still be time. We’re taking a shortcut… Actually, there’s not much to do even once we get to Xifu Gate. This trip is purely to broaden your horizons—nothing serious.” He looked satisfied and added, “But this time, since we’re acting alone, we’ve had surprisingly good luck. Not only did we reach the Secret Realm of Tongyou, but we also found an altar that allows us to advance. Hehe, Shier, you’re really a lucky kid.”
Guo Shier thought to himself, “This has nothing to do with my luck.” But since his master praised him, he saw no reason to disagree. Smiling, he asked, “Master, should the others have taken the water route?”
Luo Jie nodded. He now looked like a middle-aged man, full of vigor, completely free of the weariness typical of the elderly—almost like a different person.
Eagle Demon suddenly said, “It’s snowing!”
A moment later, heavy snowflakes began to fall across the grassland. Guo Shier noticed that the snowflakes were quite large, about the size of a child’s palm, spinning as they descended. In less than an hour, the ground was completely covered in snow.
The biting cold wind mixed with the snowflakes created a chaotic scene across the vast grassland.
Guo Shier was extremely cold-sensitive. He hurriedly put on a thick fur coat and a large fur hat while still on his horse. Eagle Demon watched in astonishment as Guo Shier wrapped himself up like a bulky package. Puzzled, he asked, “Shier, are you cold?”
Only his eyes were visible as Guo Shier replied, “Yes, I’m from the south, so of course I’m cold!”
Eagle Demon wore only a very thin fur robe and wasn’t afraid of the fierce snowstorm at all. Qinan South was even more extreme—he wasn’t wearing a fur robe at all, just thin cloth clothes and bare arms. Everyone else was dressed less warmly than Guo Shier; even Chen Hong was more resistant to the cold.
Guo Shier inwardly groaned. Even with the special talisman armor, he still felt cold. His body was pressed tightly against the horse’s back, and the cold wind hitting him felt like ice needles, so intense that he couldn’t even keep his eyes open. He shouted, “Uncle Eagle Demon, hold my warhorse for me. I can’t see ahead.”
Eagle Demon held back his laughter and said, “Don’t worry. With me here, your warhorse will be fine.”
Fortunately, the warhorse was from the grassland; if it were a southern horse, it would likely freeze to death in no time. The horse caravan struggled forward across the vast grassland.

After a long struggle to reach the camp, Guo Shier was lifted off his horse by Eagle Demon. He was so frozen that his whole body was stiff. After being teased harshly by everyone, Guo Shier sat in front of the fire and finally managed to catch his breath. He cursed, “Ugh, I was wearing bear talisman armor! I almost froze to death. The wind and snow on the grassland are terrifying. Hey, why don’t you guys feel cold?” Eagle Demon laughed and said, “We’re used to it. If you spent every year on the grassland, you wouldn’t be afraid of the cold either. Hehe, Shier, this kind of wind and snow isn’t anything. It’s only when a blizzard hits that it becomes deadly.” Guo Shier held his head and said, “Please don’t let me encounter a blizzard.” Luo Jie comforted him, “Shier, don’t worry. A blizzard won’t happen for at least another two months. There won’t be any then.” Qin Lang laughed and said, “By the time the blizzard season really arrives, we won’t be on the grassland anymore… We’ll be at West Talisman Gate in another month, hehe.” “Another month? Ugh, that’s going to kill me!” Everyone burst into laughter. Eagle Demon said, “It should be said that it’ll take your little life.” Luo Zhan said, “Get used to it slowly, Shier. In the future, we’ll go to the Arctic Wasteland as well. It’s not warmer there—it’s also a place of extreme cold.” … After more than a month of suffering in the cold, the caravan finally entered the territory of West Talisman Gate. West Talisman Gate was built against a mountain range, facing the vast grassland. The city was surrounded by towering city walls that stretched for hundreds of miles, over sixty meters high, magnificent and imposing. From afar, a sense of desolation struck one. Guo Shier looked at the endless city walls of West Talisman Gate and felt deeply moved. He said, “Wow, we’ve finally arrived!” After more than a month of traveling in harsh conditions, everyone was exhausted. Luo Jie said, “Xiaofeng, go and report first. Don’t tarnish the reputation of our North Talisman Gate!” Xiaofeng was already a Grand Talisman Warrior. Along the way, Luo Jie repaired the talisman patterns for these newly promoted Grand Talisman Warriors. Although they hadn’t yet undergone physical training, it kept them at the level of junior Grand Talisman Warriors. With two talisman warriors, Xiaofeng rode his horse toward the city gates. Luo Jie said, “Let’s move slowly.” He tightened the reins slightly, and the warhorse’s speed slowed down immediately. The others also slowed their horses. Guo Shier wrapped himself tightly in his thick fur robe. He was wearing three robes, along with a set of talisman armor, making him look even fatter than the robust Eagle Demon, like a ball. As the caravan moved forward, they soon reached the city gates of West Talisman Gate.

A group of people from Xifu Gate were waiting at the entrance, led by a Beast Martial Artist who stood respectfully beside Xiao Feng. It was hard not to show respect to such a high-ranking Martial Artist.

At Xifu Gate, strength meant everything. Moreover, there was a special rule: if a lower-ranked professional dared to challenge a higher-ranked one, they must be prepared to die. Though such incidents were rare at Xifu Gate, its disciples often clashed with those from other sects, which was related to this rule.

“Xifu Gate, inner sect disciple Hou Chen, greeting all distinguished guests!”

Qi Nanshan stepped forward and said calmly, “Are all the representatives from Beifu Gate here?”

Hou Chen was slightly stunned because he couldn’t gauge Qi Nanshan’s true strength and thought he was just an ordinary person. Yet the group in front of him represented Beifu Gate, so he didn’t dare neglect them. He replied, “They’ve been here for a few days. They came by water route and then entered through the mountains.”

Guo Shier said, “It’s freezing cold. Can we get into the city soon?”

Hou Chen looked in surprise at Guo Shier, wrapped up tightly. He thought it was a child’s voice but couldn’t tell for sure. He said, “The inner sect has already given orders and arranged accommodations for you. Please follow me!” He mounted his horse and led the way.

The streets were bustling with people. As the largest city in the west, Xifu City had a population of tens of millions.

Guo Shier noticed that the streets here were very wide—more than a dozen warhorses could run side by side, with pedestrians able to walk on both sides. Luo Jie said, “Shier, the people here are fierce. Hehe, it’s common for them to kill someone at the slightest provocation. Remember, if you get into a conflict, don’t show mercy, or you’ll suffer greatly.”

Eagle Demon, following closely behind Guo Shier, laughed upon hearing this and said, “The old man knows a lot. That’s true. Every time I enter the city, I kill a few scumbags… Here, robbery and murder are common.”

Guo Shier was speechless. After a while, he said, “With Uncle Eagle Demon and Uncle Luo protecting me, I don’t have to get my hands dirty, right?”

Luo Jie laughed and said, “That’s true!”

With Hou Chen leading the way, the horse caravan moved quickly.

Xifu City was enormous. After riding for several hours, they finally reached the inner sect of Xifu Gate.

The inner sect of every sect was the most important area and a gathering place for professionals. Hou Chen took everyone to the guest reception area of Xifu Gate before leaving with his own subordinates.

There were dedicated people in charge of receiving them at Xifu Gate, and several courtyards were arranged for them. Guo Shier was assigned to a separate courtyard, where his team—comprising four children and two senior talisman warriors—also settled in. As soon as Guo Shier entered the house, he ordered the maids in the courtyard to heat water for a bath; he had been in the icy weather for over a month and was extremely smelly. If he didn’t bathe soon, he would go crazy. A large wooden tub, typical of the local style, was filled with hot water. Guo Shier jumped in, splashing water everywhere, and submerged his head as well. The warmth relaxed his entire body, and instantly, countless talisman patterns appeared within his soul, rapidly merging into his life talisman sphere. Surprised, Guo Shier opened his mouth and gulped down a few sips of the bathwater. He suddenly pulled his head out, gasping for air. He had forgotten his head was still in the water; fortunately, he had just gotten in, otherwise… He felt nauseous and steadied himself before focusing on his soul again. The life talisman sphere spun chaotically within his soul, circling continuously, with countless tiny talisman patterns attaching to it. Gradually, the sphere stopped moving in the center of his soul. What did this mean? Guo Shier couldn’t figure out what had happened. He tried to expel the life talisman sphere, but it remained fixed in the center of his soul. Stunned, he thought, “Trouble! If I need to use a sword talisman… what should I do?” The mere thought of a sword talisman made his eyes sting, and two golden lines shot out from them. Terrified, he shook his head wildly, and the golden lines flew in all directions. In an instant, the house collapsed. Panicked, he dived back into the wooden tub. As he closed his eyes, the golden lines retracted. Thankfully, it was a wooden house, and since Guo Shier was small, he wasn’t hurt by hiding in the tub. However, the collapse of the house alarmed the two senior talisman warriors, who rushed over to rescue them. The maids waiting outside were also trembling with fear. They knew the children taking baths had significant influence and never expected the house to collapse, let alone that the culprit was one of the bathing children. The Eagle Demon was fast, breaking the beams with just a few punches. Luo Zhan, with a grim expression, kicked the broken beams aside. Together, they quickly cleared the debris, revealing a large wooden tub. By then, everyone in the courtyard had come out.

Guo Shier was submerged in water, surrounded by darkness. In just a moment, light appeared above him. He quickly stood up and saw people all over the yard. Frightened, he immediately crouched down and shouted, “Damn it… I’m taking a bath! Don’t look…”
Eagle Demon was stunned, Luo Zhan was shocked, and everyone stared at Guo Shier in amazement.
After a while, Eagle Demon let out a strange laugh, and soon everyone started laughing wildly.
Guo Shier lamented inwardly that he had lost face completely.
Qi Nanshan jumped over from the neighboring yard and shouted, “What’s going on?”
The laughter of the crowd grew even louder.