Chapter 2: Return to the Star Continent (Part 1)

The handsome old man said, “It’s your job to collect the souls. I certainly don’t want to go into the Soul Cauldron to grab them—that would kill me.” This task was simple for Guo Shier, but difficult for Ji Ling, as he didn’t have full control over the Soul Cauldron.
Guo Shier agreed. He could directly draw soul beasts from the Soul Cauldron, turn them into soul beads, and collect them—nothing difficult for him. In just a moment, he had gathered 200,000 soul beads, which he placed in five storage pouches.
Soon, the handsome old man also brought out the necessary materials. Guo Shier had collected more materials than Qi Wu Zhen and Li Ran combined—he was now a material tycoon.
Ten large storage pouches appeared on the altar. After taking a quick look, Guo Shier smiled and said, “I’ve really spent a lot this time. Now…” He threw the pouches one by one out, then folded up the altar, saying with a smile, “The materials should be complete.”
Li Ran whistled and said, “Shier, I never thought you’d be so amazing. Materials that neither Zhenzhen nor I could gather, you have them too—amazing! Haha, we can start the ritual now!”
Qi Wu Zhen gave him a disdainful look. She hated it when Li Ran called her Zhenzhen, but it was still better than being called “Zhen.” They had fought countless times along the way, and she eventually had to admit that Li Ran and she were evenly matched—neither could defeat the other. She said, “Fine, let’s start the ritual. You set up the foundation first, then I’ll join in.” Choosing to ignore the other’s provocation was also a way to deal with it.
For a ritual of this scale, Guo Shier couldn’t help at all. He said, “Sis Zhen, Brother Li Ran, you two go ahead and conduct the ritual. I’ll be leaving for a while to find Uncle Eagle Demon and Uncle Luo. Oh, by the way, how long will the ritual take?”
Knowing Guo Shier couldn’t help, Li Ran replied, “Maybe half a year, maybe a year. Go ahead, but don’t stay out too long.”
Guo Shier nodded and turned back to ask, “Halechi, Wang Keer, are you staying here or going out?”
How could Halechi possibly leave? Even though Qi Wu Zhen beat and scolded him, he enjoyed it. He shook his head and said, “I’m not going out. I’ll wait here.”
Wang Keer said, “I’m not going either. I’m too lazy to move.” She was like a lazy cat, sitting in the magic array, her little head bobbing. She added, “I need to work hard to level up! I need to train…” She clenched her tiny fist and waved it, looking determined.

Guo Shier smiled bitterly and shook his head. Having spent too much time with Qi Wu Zhen, this lovely girl had also become a bit crazy. He said, “Alright, you stay here then. Goodbye…” He flew outside the talisman array, activated the Great Cross-Realm Talisman, and his figure quickly disappeared through the portal. With the coordinates, he could come and go from here at will.
…
With Eagle Demon and Luo Zhan, Guo Shier returned to the Fire Sect to continue searching for news about his master, but still found nothing. It seemed as though his master and masteress had completely disappeared. With no other choice, the three of them left and wandered aimlessly. During this time, Guo Shier’s ninth-tier altar was also nearly completed.
One day, the three emerged from a secret realm. Guo Shier checked the Great Cross-Realm Talisman and exclaimed in surprise, “It’s the Star Continent!”
Eagle Demon also remembered this continent. Back then, they had been chased by professionals from the Star Continent for a long time, so they had never visited its cities. Guo Shier said, “Let’s go and take a look at the cities on the Star Continent.”
Guo Shier had a deep impression of the Star Continent. When he first arrived there, he was just an ordinary professional. Though he had incredible potential, his combat skills were still far from sufficient. He was chased by a Great Sage and fled in all directions before luckily escaping. Since then, he had been traveling outside and never had the chance to return. This time, he wanted to explore the Star Continent and see if its professionals were still as domineering as before.
Guo Shier asked, “Uncle Eagle Demon, the sect on the Star Continent is called the Star Sect, right? What was the name of that professional who chased us back then?”
Eagle Demon replied, “That’s right, it’s the Star Sect. I can’t remember the name of the professional who chased us. Back then, I thought he was very strong. I wonder if he has advanced to the Altar level by now.”
Luo Zhan said, “He should have advanced to the Altar level by now. Even we have reached the fifth-tier altar—how far behind could he be?”
Eagle Demon said, “Not necessarily. If we hadn’t followed Shier, it would already be great if we could reach the Altar level.”
Guo Shier shook his head. “That’s hard to say. Look at Master Luo Jie and Grandpa Nanshan—their advancement speed is truly fast.”
Eagle Demon said, “That’s because of the inheritance of the Black Talisman people.”
Guo Shier said, “Whatever the inheritance, there are many who can advance quickly; we just don’t know about them.”
Luo Zhan asked, “Do you plan to seek that guy’s misfortune?”

Guo Shier laughed heartily. He said, “I don’t have that much time to spare. I went to the city where the Star Sect is located just for fun. I didn’t dare to go last time, but this time I must see it at all costs.”
Eagle Demon shook his head. “It’s just an ordinary high-level continent, nowhere near as good as the continent where the ancient clans are located.” Now they understood that whether it was a low-level, mid-level, high-level continent, or an ancient continent, what truly mattered in this world wasn’t the continent itself but the clans and sects on it. The Star Continent was famous not because of the Star Sect, but because it served as a transportation hub with many secret passage routes, which is why so many people knew about it. This place was a remote area far from the ancient clans, which was why it hadn’t been taken over by them. If the Star Continent were near the territory of the ancient clans, there would be no room for the Star Sect to exist at all.
After searching for a while, Eagle Demon took out a jade talisman and said with a smile, “It’s still here… Hehe, this is information I got back then; I forgot about it later…” He checked it, and the jade talisman contained a simple map of the Star Continent, marking the location of the Star Sect.
“Follow me.”
Eagle Demon led the way, with Guo Shier and Luo Zhan flying behind him.
Along the way, they could see screens leading to secret realms everywhere—countless entrances of various sizes. This place could be considered a gathering of secret realms, a truly unique existence, as few continents had so many connected secret realms.
Eagle Demon said with a smile, “If it weren’t for all these secret realms, we would have been killed by that person long ago.”
Guo Shier said, “Before we knew it… so much time has passed.” He himself couldn’t figure out how many years he had lived in this world. Unlike his past life, where there was a clear calendar system, the dating system in this world was extremely chaotic, and the professionals here didn’t care about it at all.
With their current strength, the three of them flew at great speed and soon saw the city where the Star Sect was located. As a transportation hub, there were many professionals from various continents here. Since there were no ancient clans or large allied sects, most of the professionals here were of low rank; even a Great Sage was considered a high-level warrior here.
Guo Shier and the others landed outside the city, and the three of them headed toward the city gates. It turned out that a talisman fee was required to enter. Eagle Demon casually tossed in a gold talisman, and the Star Sect professional guarding the gate was both surprised and delighted—gold talismans were valuable currency here.
The city streets were very wide. Land was the least valuable thing in this world, so building any city required occupying a large amount of land. All kinds of flying vehicles and chariots flew in the sky, and there were many pedestrians on the streets. The bustling crowd made the place very lively.

From time to time, professionals on patrol from the Star Sect could be seen on the streets; they were responsible for maintaining order. Guo Shier sighed and said, “The Advanced Continent… how we envied it back then.”
Eagle Demon laughed and asked, “Shier, why are you so emotional?”
Guo Shier shook his head and said, “Maybe it’s because I’m about to leave this world, so I feel a bit… uh, strange…” He didn’t know how to describe his feelings.
Eagle Demon said, “Once Sister Zhen successfully refines that sacred artifact, we’ll leave at any time. What will you do if Master Kumu hasn’t been found yet?”
Guo Shier gave a bitter smile and said, “I hope they’re safe. If I can’t meet them in time, I’ll leave behind some message talismans.” He knew they couldn’t keep searching endlessly; once Li Ran finished all his tasks, they would have to leave. If they failed to find Kumu and Monier this time, there would be no chance again.
The three of them continued down the street. Due to their unusual attire—purchased on the continent where the ancient clans were located, or given by those clans—along with its magnificent design and style completely different from local fashion—they attracted the attention of passersby. Many professionals pointed and discussed them curiously.
At first, Guo Shier and the others didn’t notice, but gradually they sensed something strange. Guo Shier asked, “Why are they all looking at us?” He glanced at his own clothes and immediately understood why. He laughed and said, “Our outfit… is too distinctive.”