Chapter 2: Luck (Part 2)

Among this group, Master Ling was respected by everyone—not only because of his greatest strength but also because he was easy-going and handled matters fairly and reasonably. Thus, everyone was willing to follow his advice.
Master Ling sighed and said, “The kid is quite lucky. Not only did he obtain the Ancient Ink Lotus, I guess the Magic Liquid was also absorbed by it. He’ll soon be able to construct a Virtual Altar—remarkable! The Gu Miluo family truly has many talents.”
Juehu Miluo beamed with joy and said, “Yes, the kid really is lucky.”
The Ancient Ink Lotus emitted a dazzling glow once again and began to shrink rapidly, soon turning into a lotus the size of a bowl. It circled around Guo Shier twice before rising above his head. Guo Shier remained seated in lotus position in midair. He used a strange incantation gesture, pointing one finger at the sky and the other at the ground.
His Life Sigil Ball suddenly flew out and was drawn to the Ancient Ink Lotus, spinning rapidly.
Master Ling was stunned and exclaimed, “The Life Sigil Ball? Isn’t that a secret technique of our Gu Family? How could this kid possess such a thing?”
Bao Chengyong asked, “What do you mean? Although the Life Sigil Ball is rare, it isn’t unheard of. Why would it become a secret technique of your Gu Family?”
Master Ling examined it closely again and affirmed, “It’s not just a secret technique—it’s a special ancient formula passed down within our Gu Family, one that only a few people can master… Where did this kid get it?”
Juehu Miluo asked doubtfully, “An ancient formula?” He understood that if what Master Ling said was true, this Life Sigil Ball was nothing ordinary.
Yan Ruodai said, “Let’s wait a bit. The kid should finish collecting it soon.” She couldn’t help but sigh—this kid’s luck was absolutely insane, surpassing even those top professionals present. She had no idea Guo Shier possessed the powerful Soul Scripture.
After laughing, Bao Chengyong felt empty inside. He had rushed in desperately, even spilling some of his vital energy, leaving him severely weakened. In the end, Guo Shier reaped all the benefits. To make matters worse, he lost the Magic Liquid too. Without the Ancient Ink Lotus, he could have used the Magic Liquid to refine the altar, but now he had nothing.
Not only was Bao Chengyong disappointed, but every top professional present was equally disheartened. After all that effort, they had worked for someone else, risking everything only to get nothing and even losing what they had. Thus, everyone’s expression was grim.

Luo Zhan was sweating profusely. He whispered, “If Guo Shier obtains the Ancient Ink Lotus, will he be…?” He didn’t dare finish the sentence. Eagle Demon shook his head; he too didn’t know if it would be a blessing or a curse. If those super experts stepped in to seize it, the few of them wouldn’t have any chance of escaping.

Juehu Miluo was right beside them, so he heard everything clearly. He said, “Don’t worry. No one will take it. Once the Ancient Ink Lotus is bonded with a soul, no one else can seize it. Even if Guo Shier is killed, the Ancient Ink Lotus will vanish along with his soul. That’s why it’s unique and cannot be taken.”

Luo Zhan repeated, “That’s good, that’s good…” Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. Gradually, his Life Talisman Ball sank into the Ancient Ink Lotus. Ling Zhenren couldn’t help but praise, “Impressive! He actually used the Ancient Ink Lotus to absorb his Life Talisman Ball. This trial… is passed. Hehe, interesting.”

Everyone present had already gone through this trial and knew how difficult it was to advance from a high-level Great Sage to a Virtual Form Altar. This trial had stalled most Great Sages. Although Guo Shier wasn’t yet ready to construct a Virtual Form Altar, everyone understood that with the Ancient Ink Lotus, he could easily overcome this obstacle and enter the Virtual Spirit Mirror, becoming a professional with a Virtual Form Altar.

The Ancient Ink Lotus emitted a rainbow glow before suddenly sinking down and landing on top of Guo Shier’s head. He remained suspended in midair with his eyes closed. After a while, he opened his eyes, and two talismanic lights flickered within them before disappearing after a few seconds. He flew over to Bao Chengyong, bowed, and said, “Thank you, senior.” Then he bowed to Ling Zhenren and the others as well, saying, “Thank you all, seniors.”

If it weren’t for Bao Chengyong forcing him to try, he would never have obtained the Ancient Ink Lotus.

Bao Chengyong wore a complex expression. After a long while, he said, “You lucky brat!”

Ling Zhenren said, “Brat, it’s your good luck. By the way, I have a question for you. Where did you get your Life Talisman Ball?”

Guo Shier hesitated slightly before saying, “It was given to me by a senior.”

Ling Zhenren asked, “A senior? Could you tell me… what’s his name? Which continent or sect does he belong to?”

Guo Shier nodded. “His name is Li Ran. As for which continent or sect… I don’t know. He didn’t say, and I didn’t dare ask.”

Ling Zhenren frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, “Strange. We’ve never heard of this name. Do you have his talismanic imprint?”

Guo Shier shook his head. “I didn’t keep any talismanic imprint.”

Elder Ling lowered his head and spoke softly, “Li Ran… Li Ran… who is he?” After thinking for a long time with no result, he raised his head and asked, “What’s his strength like?”
Guo Shier said, “I don’t know his strength, but I do know he has a sixth-tier altar.”
Elder Ling was shocked, “Sixth tier? Sixth tier! Wow, that’s amazing!” All these top experts were utterly astonished. Guo Shier was puzzled and said, “I know the sixth tier is very powerful, but the seniors here are also excellent.”
Juehu Miluo smiled bitterly and said, “After reaching the third tier, each subsequent tier brings about tremendous changes. The transition from the fourth to the fifth tier is a major hurdle, and the one from the fifth to the sixth tier is an even bigger obstacle that can stop most professionals. It’s just as difficult as advancing from a Great Sage to a Virtual Form Altar… Such a person is extremely rare even in our ancient clan.”
Elder Ling nodded and said, “Someone like that… we should even address them as seniors with respect.”
Only then did Guo Shier realize just how terrifying Li Ran was, and he secretly felt fortunate to have met such a person. He had obtained Gu Mu Lian entirely because of the Soul Scripture; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to acquire this precious item and advance to a high-level Great Sage. He suddenly remembered Li Ran’s words—that once he became a Great Sage, he could meet him. Unfortunately, due to the great distance, the coordinates given by Li Ran couldn’t be used yet.
With Li Ran’s backing, everyone became a bit more polite toward Guo Shier and the others.
This time, Guo Shier’s advancement was only in terms of strength; his skills still hadn’t kept up. Although he possessed the inheritance of the Gu Miluo clan, he still needed to learn the newly unlocked content before he could build his own Virtual Form Altar.
The gains this time were enormous, far beyond Guo Shier’s expectations. He had acquired a treasure coveted by top professionals, which showed just how precious Gu Mu Lian was. What he didn’t know was that Gu Mu Lian had also absorbed a large amount of Magic Liquid—a top-grade rare substance used to refine altars. With the refinement by Magic Liquid, the quality of the altar could increase by at least 10% to 20%.
Guo Shier obtained Gu Mu Lian and, along with it, the Magic Liquid, leaving those top professionals almost empty-handed. Fortunately, these professionals had good self-control. Though slightly frustrated, they didn’t lose their composure. Aside from Bao Chengyong muttering a few words, everyone behaved with grace.
Ying Mo was a bit worried and said, “With such a powerful talisman array, we’ll probably face more trouble to get out.”
Yan Ruodai replied, “Since Gu Mu Lian has been taken, this talisman array will collapse too. It will be easy to get out.”

Guo Shier said in surprise, “Is the Ancient Ink Lotus the key to this talisman array?”
Master Ling nodded and said, “That’s right. This natural talisman array collapses almost completely without the Ancient Ink Lotus. It’s already good that it retains one-tenth of its power. Leaving won’t be as difficult as entering.”
Feng Xilong was actually very upset. He had suffered the greatest losses this time—not only did he fail to obtain the Ancient Ink Lotus or the demonic liquid, but he also lost a piece of Cypress Dragon Wood. It could be said he had come for nothing. In a dejected mood, he said, “Let’s go. This place… sigh, just looking at it makes me feel bad.”
Bao Chengyong laughed heartily and said, “I was upset too, but now I feel much better.”
Feng Xilong was so angry he wanted to curse. He glared at Bao Chengyong before suddenly smiling and saying, “It’s mutual! Bao Chengyong, your luck is about the same as mine. Don’t be so happy.”
Master Ling looked at the two of them with a headache and couldn’t help but say, “You’re both hundreds of years old yet still act like children.”
Zhou Xiaoling held Guo Shier’s arm and laughed softly. Seeing two top professionals arguing like children, showing no sign of being elders, she found it amusing.
Juehu Miluo said, “Shier, come to the altar.” He summoned an altar and said, “Alright, it’s time to leave. This secret realm is only interesting here; otherwise, there’s nothing worth staying for.”
Feng Xilong also summoned his own altar and said, “Let’s go.” With that, he activated his altar and flew outward. He sighed inwardly, still feeling a hint of reluctance in his heart.
The six altars flew outward.
…
Back on the Yàn Continent, Guo Shier let out a long sigh of relief. The Magic Rock Secret Realm was extremely oppressive. Going in left one physically and mentally exhausted, and coming out made one feel great.
Guo Shier sighed, “Extreme secret realms are really uncomfortable to enter—they’re too dangerous.”
After coming out, Juehu Miluo seemed to have improved his mood as well. He said, “Although extreme secret realms are dangerous, they contain many valuable things. Some of them are extremely beneficial for soul cultivation, but they’re very rare. Once discovered, be sure to record their coordinates carefully.”
Guo Shier nodded and said, “But to discover them, one needs the strength to survive inside. Right now, we can forget about it—it’s simply impossible.”
Feng Xilong and the others packed up their altars. Only Juehu Miluo still needed to take Guo Shier and the others with him, so they continued using the altars. Master Ling said, “Let’s head to the entrance first and leave the Yàn Continent. We might encounter mutated people again, so be careful.”

Bao Chengyong said, “If we run into them, so be it. I actually want to hunt down those mutants.” He intended to use them as a vent for his anger; after all, killing mutants carried no psychological burden, making them perfect for releasing his frustration.
Yan Ruodai said, “Forget it. I’m in a hurry to go back. I don’t have the energy to kill those things.”
Shi Yanxilong said, “By the way, didn’t we spot the traces of the Black Symbol Man last time? I wonder if that guy is still here…”
Guo Shier’s heart skipped a beat—this was a concern that had been bothering him.