Chapter 4: Messages (Part 2)

Qi Nanshan wore a shy smile, much to Guo Shier’s surprise. He didn’t know that Luo Jie was already quite old when he took Qi Nanshan under his wing. At that time, Qi Nanshan was still a child, so it wasn’t strange for him to show such an expression. It could be said that Qi Nanshan was entirely nurtured by Luo Jie.
“Who has the patience to remember that stuff?”
Luo Jie shook his head. Qi Nanshan had extraordinary talent and was a truly remarkable person, but he had no interest in anything other than rune warriors. It was normal for him to forget dates.
Qi Nanshan said, “Shouldn’t we also go to that secret realm once and take care of that Mu Fu Men? Those bastards dared to come to our North Fu Men’s territory and kill our people. We must not spare them.”
Luo Jie replied, “That secret realm isn’t simple. It only appears once every few thousand years… In other words, it’s a rare ancient secret realm. I’m really eager to see what’s inside. Hehe, no wonder they went to such lengths. Luckily, we arrived at just the right time; otherwise, we wouldn’t have even known there was an entrance to this secret realm.”
Both masters were extremely interested in the secret realm. Luo Jie asked, “Shier, we’re planning to go to that secret realm. What do you think we should do next?” He asked this deliberately, hoping to see what the young guy had in mind, as he intended to nurture Guo Shier.
Guo Shier replied without hesitation, “We wait for a signal from Mu Fu Men. Once they discover the entrance to the secret realm, hehe, we’ll force our way in and attack them suddenly. Even if we can’t kill them all, we can disrupt their plans to enter the realm. Then… inside the realm, we can slowly snipe at them. With our strength, as long as we’re careful and don’t get surrounded, we won’t be in danger.”
Qi Nanshan had always heard Luo Jie say how smart and extraordinary this young disciple was, but now he got to see it for himself. He couldn’t believe it and asked, “Shier, are you really only nine years old?”
Guo Shier’s heart skipped a beat, then he puffed out his chest and said, “100% true! Nine years old!”
Qi Nanshan was amused and exasperated at the same time. “I know you’re nine…”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “If you know, why ask? Grandpa Nanshan is just bored.” This angered the old man enough to want to hit him. He added, “What I mean is… you’re only nine. Where would you get all those schemes? Even some adults can’t think of such things. You, a kid, just said it straight out.”

Luo Jie laughed heartily and said, “Now you know why they call him one of the Twelve Monsters, right? The longer you spend with him, the more you forget his age and start treating him as an adult. Hmm, is this what premature maturity means?”
Qi Nanshan replied, “Premature maturity? He hasn’t even grown any hair yet—how can he be premature?”
It was now Guo Shier’s turn to be annoyed. He said, “Hey, Grandpa Nanshan, do you really speak like that?”
Luo Jie continued to laugh. Chen Hong, who had been hiding behind Guo Shier, blushed at Qi Nanshan’s vulgar words.
Luo Zhan stepped forward and said, “That’s right. They’re both saying the same thing. Also, the signal from the Mu Fu Sect is a meteor fire talisman. Once they find the secret realm, they’ll release this talisman, and then everyone will gather to enter.”
Luo Jie said, “Great. Let’s move a little further and find a place to shelter from the rain. Hehe, we’ll just wait for their signal.”
Under Qi Nanshan’s direction, everyone piled the corpses in an earthen pit. Luo Jie inserted a flame talisman to burn them.
Soon, they ventured deeper into the mountains, encountering several roaming beast warriors. These were people sent by the Mu Fu Sect to search for the entrance to the secret realm scattered throughout the forest, so even if they were killed, it wouldn’t alert the sect members.
Luo Jie and his group were very cautious. Whenever they spotted enemies, they would immediately attack to prevent any information from leaking. Before long, they found a cliff face that jutted inward, creating a long open area where they could take shelter from the heavy rain. Everyone led their horses to the base of the cliff. Qi Nanshan said, “Everyone, rest here for now. Don’t start a fire. If you’re hungry, eat some dried food and marinated meat.”
Chen Hong carefully cleared a small area and laid down a thick layer of animal skin, saying, “Shier, come and rest for a while.” Guo Shier nodded and invited Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan to join them. The three sat on the animal skin. Qi Nanshan said, “Luo Zhan, assign some people to keep watch, and send others to patrol the surroundings. Pay attention to signals in the air—make sure you don’t miss the Mu Fu Sect’s summoning signal.”
Luo Zhan went to carry out the orders. Guo Shier said to Chen Hong, “You two go clear a spot too and rest together. Don’t overexert yourselves.”
During the rest time, Guo Shier began asking Luo Jie about things to be careful about in the secret realm.
“…Entering and leaving the secret realm is quite interesting. The ways to enter may vary, but the way out is almost always the same—most people are flung out by the realm itself. The only exception is for fixed secret realms; as long as you can find the entrance, you can exit…”

“…The duration one can stay in a secret realm varies; it might be just a few days at the shortest, or even several years at the longest, but few exceed five years…”
“…Items from secret realms are best kept in talisman bags…”
Luo Jie explained in great detail, and Guo Shier listened with great interest. He couldn’t help but marvel at how such miraculous places existed in this world. He said, “Master, a secret realm seems like a vast treasure trove. If one can enter and survive, they will surely gain a lot.”
Qi Nanshan replied, “It’s not just a treasure trove—it’s the birthplace of talismans. Just that alone makes it worth taking the risk, not to mention the various precious materials, strange and exotic beasts and poisonous insects, and even natural talismanic patterns. Hehe, that’s why many people would rather die trying to enter a secret realm than miss out.”
Seeing Qi Nanshan’s excited expression, Guo Shier didn’t know what to say. Even a great talisman martial artist was so enthusiastic, which showed what a secret realm meant to these professionals.
Luo Jie, by contrast, was much more calm. He said indifferently, “Not all secret realms are treasure troves. Some are extremely dangerous, with incredibly powerful beasts. Entering such realms, let alone finding treasures, is already a stroke of luck if you can stay alive.”
Guo Shier asked, “If one is unlucky enough to encounter such a realm, what methods can be used to stay alive?”
Luo Jie replied, “Hide and wait until the time comes… then you’ll naturally be expelled by the realm.”
Qi Nanshan said with a smile, “But in those realms, it’s not easy to find a place to hide! Sometimes, before you can even find a hiding spot, you’re already targeted by the beasts. Hehe, those things are terrifying. Without enough strength, you can’t even escape. So… Shier, until you become a talisman master and your followers become talisman warriors, definitely don’t go in.”
Guo Shier grinned and said, “As long as I follow Master, I can enter any secret realm, right?”
Qi Nanshan teased, “You little rascal, of course! We can go into any secret realm without problem.”
Guo Shier said, “That’s enough. As long as I go to a few secret realms with you, I believe our chances of survival will increase greatly. With a bit of caution, we can avoid most dangers.”

Besides improving strength, experience is also crucial. The richer one’s experience, the more adept they become in handling situations and the less flustered they are in the face of danger. In secret realms, without experience, even those with great strength can be in great peril. Therefore, having someone guide you when first entering is the best way to adapt to such places—allowing you to learn while minimizing risk.

Explorers returned every few hours to report, and everyone took turns resting. Aside from the two masters and five others including Guo Shier, everyone else had to rotate in scouting duties.

For three days straight, there was no news.

Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan weren’t anxious at all; they sat chatting leisurely. Guo Shier wasn’t worried either. He chatted with the two elders, gaining a lot from these three days, learning many secrets and anecdotes, especially regarding life talismans. Luo Jie deliberately guided him.

When there was nothing to do, Guo Shier would take out books to read, never wasting any free time.

At Guo Shier’s request, Qi Nanshan taught Huo Bao and the others, conducting training sessions. Having a master martial artist train them in person made the other martial artists and cultivators envious, so they also joined in during their free time.

Luo Jie often whispered to Guo Shier. The older one tends to become more gentle in temperament, and these two, old and young, got along very well. Luo Jie said with a smile, “Shier, how many bright talismans have you made? Is it enough?”

Guo Shier replied with a grim face, “Master, I don’t have time to make talismans. I only have twenty bright talismans, which I’ve used up already. I don’t know when I’ll have time to make more.”

Luo Jie laughed, “I guessed your bright talismans would run out.”

Guo Shier immediately realized what he meant and exclaimed happily, “Master, do you have any spare bright talismans?”

Luo Jie shook his head smilingly, “I don’t have any disposable bright talismans.”

Guo Shier said listlessly, “Master, are you teasing me again…”

Luo Jie replied, “Although I don’t have bright talismans, I do have a blood talisman—and it’s even a precious one!” he said proudly.

Guo Shier asked in confusion, “A precious blood talisman? What’s it used for?”

Luo Jie explained, “Bright talismans are ordinary physical cultivation talismans, while blood talismans are special ones. Using a blood talisman for physical cultivation allows apprentices to grow rapidly—much more effectively than using bright talismans. However, the materials for blood talismans are extremely rare. This time, I got some materials from an old friend and made a few blood talismans. I’ve kept one for you. There’s a limit of twenty-one uses—no more than twenty-one. You need to repair it regularly. This blood talisman is very valuable.”

Guo Shier was overjoyed and thanked repeatedly as he took the precious blood talisman. He knew well that with this talisman, the strength of Huo Bao and the others could be rapidly enhanced, which would help strengthen their small group as a whole.
Qi Nanshan was explaining to everyone how talisman armor was created when suddenly he stopped speaking, dashed out from the hidden cliff face, and quickly climbed up a large tree to look into the distance. After a while, he returned to Luo Jie and said, “There’s a signal!” Then he said to everyone, “Alright, everyone, pack up quickly—we’re leaving right away!”
Immediately, the atmosphere became tense. No one dared to delay and started packing their belongings right away, leading out their horses.
Guo Shier gazed into the distance and thought, “Has it started? I can’t wait!”