Chapter 10: Eagle Demon’s Progress (Part 2)

A few days passed. After careful inspection, Guo Shier knew the problem wasn’t serious. Still uneasy, he set up his own altar and brought Old Shuai along to check for any issues.
Old Shuai observed for a while before saying, “It’s done. He needs some time to consolidate it. You don’t need to stay around. The Virtual Form Altar has been constructed, but he still has to refine his own sacrificial treasure. You can’t help further—let him figure it out on his own.”
Only then did Guo Shier breathe a sigh of relief. After using soul waves to inform the Eagle Demon, he left the room.
Luo Zhan came up to him and asked, “How did it go?”
Guo Shier smiled broadly and said, “It worked! Hehe, Uncle Eagle Demon is now an expert in Virtual Form Altars. Uncle Luo, you need to keep pushing!”
Luo Zhan also showed excitement. Having spent long periods adventuring together, they regarded each other as family. Luo Zhan and the Eagle Demon were even closer than brothers, so naturally, they didn’t want anything to happen to him. The Eagle Demon’s success also gave Luo Zhan hope for his own advancement.
Guo Shier said, “Uncle Luo, stay here and wait until Uncle Eagle Demon comes out.”
Luo Zhan laughed and said, “Don’t worry. Leave it to me.” Full of confidence, he added, “In a while, I might need to construct my own Virtual Form Altar too. Hehe, just thinking about it excites me.”
Guo Shier nodded. “Okay. I’ll prepare Spirit Beads for you.” This time, he gave all the Spirit Beads he had to the Eagle Demon. Once Luo Zhan started building his altar, he would run out of them. He didn’t tell Luo Zhan and instead planned to go out hunting mutated talisman beasts himself.
As for the Spirit Essences of the two Level 15 mutated talisman beasts he obtained, neither Luo Zhan nor the Eagle Demon could use them. He himself couldn’t use them either for now—his level was too high, and his soul power was too immense, requiring Old Shuai’s processing before it could be utilized. If the Eagle Demon or Luo Zhan tried to use them forcefully, it might blow up the altar.
Guo Shier said, “I’m going to see Ancestor Nanqiang. Send me a message if anything happens. Hehe, I’m off hunting now.”
…
After bidding farewell to Ancestor Nanqiang, Guo Shier flew alone out of the Gu Nan family’s stronghold.
Hanging in midair, he took out a talisman map and examined it carefully. It contained a topographic map of the mountains near the stronghold, along with many distant areas, including numerous blank spots. The map covered tens of thousands of kilometers around the stronghold and included a distribution map of mutated talisman beasts. Though not detailed enough, it was sufficient for his needs.

This is the advantage of having family influence. If he had to search on his own, it would take a lot of time. With this talisman map, things were much simpler. There were many markers on the map indicating other families’ territories, warning their disciples not to go there. Guo Shier quickly identified several locations, among which he was most interested in a place called Donghuan Grassland, where numerous mutated talisman beasts lived. It was said that there were even abnormally mutated ones, marked on the map as extremely dangerous. After determining the direction, he flew there using the altar. Along the way, he could see various exploration teams from time to time. After about five days of flight—at the altar’s high-speed pace—this distance would have taken at least two months to cover otherwise. The mountains gradually disappeared, and after flying over a primeval forest, they saw the vast Donghuan Grassland. No longer needing to travel long distances, Guo Shier retracted the altar and gently landed on the ground. The wild grass here was over a meter tall, with some even reaching two or three meters. A gentle breeze caused waves of grass to ripple, and herds of herbivores wandered across the grassland. Guo Shier took a deep breath; the scent of fresh wild grass filled his nostrils, mixed with a hint of moisture. In the sky, there were flocks of birds, vultures circling high above, and falcons flying alone, emitting cries that echoed across the sky. It was a place brimming with vitality. Guo Shier casually took out the talisman map and glanced at it, then smiled. “There’s even a small supply point and purchase site. Not bad. Let’s go take a look first.” This supply point was established by the Gunan family and was quite simple, ready to be abandoned at any time. It was located in a forest on the edge of Donghuan Grassland, with two rows of sheds built from logs. Talismans were placed on the ground, and a simple talisman array surrounded it to ward off ordinary mutated talisman beasts. With the coordinates from the map, it was impossible for Guo Shier to get lost. This supply point served not only the people of the Gunan family but also disciples from other families. Guo Shier descended from the sky and walked in slowly. Only a few disciples were guarding the entrance. He hid his identity badge, as he didn’t want to draw attention. His current identity badge was rather intimidating—a light golden badge belonging to a senior of the Gunan family. If discovered by these disciples, it would be difficult for him to move freely. The professionals at the entrance didn’t stop him. Entry for disciples from other families was not prohibited here; as long as they didn’t cause trouble, it was an open supply point with no one to oversee it.

The supply camp was bustling with activity, filled with people coming and going, most of them disciples of the Gunan family. Most of the disciples who came here were there to hunt mutated talisman beasts, while many lower-level disciples went to hunt ordinary wild beasts, not only to provide plenty of meat for the supply point but also to take back to their sect.

“Elder, why are you here?”

Guo Shier turned and smiled, “It’s Nanfeng. How did you end up in the Donghuan Grassland?”

Nanfeng replied, “I came here by flying vehicle. I’ve only been here for a day. I heard there are quite a few low-level mutated talisman beasts here, so I plan to hunt them.”

Guo Shier nodded and said, “Don’t call me Elder. Hehe.” He waved his finger slightly.

Nanfeng nodded in agreement, “Yes. Um, then… how should I address you, sir?” he asked hesitantly.

Guo Shier said casually, “Just call me Shier.” A name was just a label; he didn’t care how others called him as long as they knew who he was.

Nanfeng stammered, “Shi… Shi… Shi… Er… Shier…”

Guo Shier rolled his eyes and joked, “Damn it, count properly… You’ve already said ‘Shi’ eleven times.”

Nanfeng’s face turned red. He scratched his head and said sheepishly, “It’s just that the pressure is too great. Calling you by your title is so unaccustomed for me, but I have to do it anyway. I wouldn’t dare disobey an Elder’s order.”

Guo Shier asked, “Why didn’t you bring a team? Are you here alone?”

Nanfeng quickly replied, “There is a team! There is a team! Hehe, the members of my team are buying supplies. We’ll set off soon.”

Guo Shier said, “Alright. Go to your team. Is it okay if I join?”

Nanfeng was overjoyed. He had seen the generosity of the Elder before—last time, an 12-level mutated silver-threaded crocodile was given directly to them. He said, “Shier…” Still not used to calling him by name, he forced himself to say, “Come with me.”

Guo Shier nodded and followed Nanfeng inside.

It was a team of seven—four men and three women—with Nanfeng as the leader. The team members were eating in a shelter. When they saw Nanfeng return, one of them called out, “Captain, come quickly! We’re almost done eating. We’ve saved you a portion. Hurry up, it’s going to get cold.”

Guo Shier glanced around and found that aside from Nanfeng, the others were strangers with low levels—most at theCrazy Master level, with two at theSaint Master level, both at a beginner stage. Only Nanfeng was a Grand Saint Master. He realized that Nanfeng had brought his disciples out for training; as an elder-level figure, he had his own tasks to carry out.

Nanfeng clapped his hands and said, “We have a new… uh, friend who’s joined us.” He didn’t know how to introduce Guo Shier.
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Guo Shier. Just call me Shier.”
Nanfeng said, “Let me introduce the team members.”
Guo Shier nodded. “Okay, let’s get to know each other.” Though he looked young, he exuded an extraordinary aura—being a master of the two-layer altar, his invisible spiritual pressure made it impossible for others to underestimate him.
Before Nanfeng could finish introducing them, someone outside the tent shouted, “There’s a murder! There’s a murder!”
The people eating inside dropped their bowls and ran outside. A low-level professional shouted, “Hey, you haven’t paid yet! Don’t run!”
Guo Shier said, “Let’s go and take a look.”
Nanfeng led the team members outside with Guo Shier.
Boom!
A wave of energy hit them, forcing everyone around to stagger back.
“Stop!”
Guo Shier realized that there was a master of the virtual altar guarding this camp.
Book 25: Family Fights