Chapter 3: Western Outpost (Part 1)

Guo Shier asked, “Uncle Eagle Demon, are all the supplies ready?” He had always placed great importance on supplies, a habit carried over from his past life—preferring to stockpile enough food and various items.
Eagle Demon replied, “Mm. With so many professionals arriving recently, everything has gone up by 30%. Fortunately, we have enough gold talismans; we’ve gathered enough to last at least a year.”
Guo Shier said, “Let’s head to the teleportation array, go to a remote place, and then venture deeper in.”
Nan You said, “I’ll lead the way.”
The four left their residence and headed toward the teleportation array. Along the way, Guo Shier noticed many altar-level experts, all seeming very excited. He clearly heard their conversations—discussing what to do if they killed that person—and couldn’t help but laugh. If they really encountered that person, these guys would probably curse themselves for being blind.
They soon reached the central teleportation array. Eagle Demon said, “I’ll go check it out.”
Guo Shier nodded. “Find a relatively remote place, preferably in the direction we came from.”
Eagle Demon smiled bitterly. “Do you even know which direction you came from?”
Guo Shier laughed. “I don’t.” Luo Zhan and Nan You looked at him in exasperation. Guo Shier added, “What’s the look for… Ah, Nan You should know—we first met Nan You!”
Nan You replied, “I don’t know either. I just happened to be there.”
Guo Shier slapped his forehead and sighed, “What kind of people are these…”
Luo Zhan couldn’t help but laugh. Eagle Demon turned and left. Leaving Great Diving Fort required not only paying a significant amount of gold talismans but also going through registration. Though the process wasn’t complicated, it still had to be done.
Old Shuai poked his head out slightly and warned, “Something’s off here—there are too many altar-level experts! I sense many powerful souls.”
Nan You dismissed it, saying, “Many experts from various families have come here, so naturally, there are many altar-level experts gathered.”
But Guo Shier understood the implication in Old Shuai’s words. A sense of unease arose in him as he said, “This… will this attract that person? No, this is Baqi Dami Tian!”
Old Shuai replied, “Baqi Dami Tian… is even more suitable as a trap!”
Guo Shier’s expression immediately changed. He looked at the teleportation array and saw Eagle Demon running back quickly, shouting, “Shier, trouble! We can’t leave!”
Guo Shier asked, “What? What do you mean?”
Eagle Demon whispered, “It’s one-way only! This teleportation array can only be used to enter, not exit.”

Guo Shier quickly checked the talisman gate and found that Daqian Fort had been completely sealed off, and the interdimensional talismans could not be used. He couldn’t help but curse, “Damn it, bastards!”
Shuai Laotou reacted swiftly. He said, “Don’t get angry; it’s useless. We can’t fight against so many ancient clans. Hmm, let me think…” He pondered for a moment before saying, “Nanyou, go back to your clan and tell Ancestor Nanqiang that we’re joining the operation. The condition for joining is to get three basic natural runes immediately! And materials too! Go fast!”
Nanyou replied in a panic, “Okay, I’ll go right away.”
Guo Shier calmed down and said, “Let’s return to our residence.”
The ancient clans had played a very cruel trick—by controlling the teleportation array and blocking the use of talisman gates, no one could leave. To survive, they had to fight desperately alongside them.
Back at their residence, everyone fell silent.
After a while, Guo Shier asked, “Shuai Laotou, what should we do?”
Shuai Laotou replied, “I don’t know how much time we have left. If there’s enough time, maybe there’s still a chance…”
Hearing this, Guo Shier immediately perked up and asked, “How can we save ourselves?”
Shuai Laotou said, “We need to boost our strength. I’ll also help you craft a protective talisman that might help us survive this disaster.”
Guo Shier sighed and asked, “Is it possible to break through and fight our way out?”
Shuai Laotou smiled bitterly. “You want to fight against thousands of altar masters? Go ahead and try… There’s no way. Unless you’re a master of the seventh-tier altar, there might be a slight chance to break through the seal on the interdimensional talismans. Otherwise… it’s better to stay put.”
A sense of powerlessness surged in Guo Shier’s heart. He had thought that by reaching the second-tier solid altar level, he could go anywhere in the world, but it seemed he was still far from enough in strength. He resolved inwardly, “Damn it! When I reach the ninth-tier altar, I’ll show them who’s in charge! Let’s do this!”
Shuai Laotou said, “Don’t be so anxious. We might still have a chance. Once the battle starts, those people will face a swarm of professionals. At that time, we can escape immediately. Although we can’t use the teleportation array directly, the defenses surrounding Daqian Fort will surely be broken after the battle starts. That’s our chance to flee. Fly away first, and once we can use the interdimensional talismans, hehe.”
Guo Shier clapped his hands and said, “Great! That’s it! Damn them! They can keep my body, but not my heart!”
Ying Mo rubbed his head and said, “Those words… they sound odd to me.”

Luo Zhan laughed loudly, “Guo Shier has a lot of resentment, haha, hahaha!”
Only then did Guo Shier realize his words were a bit inappropriate, sounding like those of a resentful woman. He glared fiercely at Luo Zhan and said, “What’s there to be awkward about? We all need to make good use of this time to improve our strength. I don’t expect you to reach the Real Form Altar, but I do want you to significantly boost your strength. At least… you need to get better at escaping!”
Eagle Demon said with a grin, “We’re part of the escape squad; we’re great at escaping. Shier, don’t worry.”
Luo Zhan also laughed and said, “Remember our slogan… Running keeps you healthy! Haha.”
Guo Shier asked in confusion, “Oh, there’s such a slogan? How come I didn’t know?”
The tense atmosphere finally eased, and Guo Shier asked, “If I get three basic natural runes, can I build a three-layer altar?”
Handsome Old Man replied, “It depends on what kind of natural runes they are. If they’re ones you already have, you can only strengthen them, not upgrade them. Well, I’m sure there’s at least one basic natural rune you don’t have. Building a one-layer altar shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, you’ve gotten many soul beads this time, which can be used to enhance your soul power.”
Guo Shier nodded and said, “Okay. Let’s wait for Nan You to return, figure out the situation first, and then make a decision.”
In the evening, Nan You came back, smiling bitterly. “Ancestor Nan Qiang said he’ll only pay us after we successfully kill that person.”
Guo Shier wasn’t surprised. He knew his previous refusal had displeased Ancestor Nan Qiang. He nodded and said, “Good. Then there’s no need to go see him again. Let’s find a new place to live—somewhere on the outskirts of Da Qian Fort, far from the teleportation arrays.”
Eagle Demon cursed, “Damn it, they really change their tune fast. Now that they know we can’t leave, they’re becoming demanding.”
Guo Shier looked at Eagle Demon with amusement. Handsome Old Man said bluntly, “What’s there to curse about? If it were someone else, they might not even agree to these conditions. There’s no reason to get angry. We’re not planning to work for them, so they have no need to give us anything.”
Eagle Demon rubbed his head and laughed, “True… Hehe, it’s just that not getting any benefits makes me feel a bit annoyed.”
Luo Zhan laughed, “Stop dreaming. There’s no such thing as easy benefits in this world.”
Guo Shier said, “Nan You, since no one can leave now, do you plan to go back or stay with me?”

Nan You replied without hesitation, “Twelve, I’ll follow you. I know you’ll find a way to leave… because you never intended to stay from the start. If I go back… once an attack order is given, among the clan’s elite altar experts, I’ll be among the first to be sacrificed—there’s no chance of survival at all.” He saw this clearly and also decided to go out and train to improve his strength. An altar expert with an illusory form might hold a high status within the clan, but in such times, they could still only serve as cannon fodder, and he was unwilling to accept that at all.

Guo Twelve said, “Alright, let’s find a new residence. This task is assigned to Nan You. Uncle Eagle Demon should go too—let’s find the place farthest from the teleportation array. We need to hurry and train.”

Nan You asked in confusion, “Why not look for a place near the teleportation array? It would be faster to escape from there.”

Guo Twelve shook his head. “At that time, the teleportation array would definitely be under the control of the major ancient clans as their key resource. It wouldn’t be our turn to use it. Moreover, if we retreat, the teleportation array will become a major target, as it will attract a large number of elite altar experts. That’s where the real danger lies.”

Although Nan You didn’t fully understand, he still obeyed Guo Twelve’s orders. He said, “Eagle, let’s go. I know a place—on the far west side of Da Qian Fort. There’s a scouting post belonging to our Gu Nan clan. Let’s take it over.”

Guo Twelve thought for a moment before saying, “Forget it. Let’s go together. If someone from the Gu Nan clan shows up, I don’t even know what to say.”

Nan You nodded. “Okay.” The four of them left their residence immediately and headed west.

About two hours later, Ancestor Nan Qiang personally led a group of elite altar experts to look for them, only to find the place empty. He regretted speaking hastily earlier; with so many things going on, he hadn’t thought things through carefully. He gave an order, sent another message token, and instructed the clan’s disciples to search for Guo Twelve before leaving.

Guo Twelve had already reached the west side of Da Qian Fort. He received the message token, glanced at it briefly, and crushed it with a pinch of his hand. Nan You asked, “Is it from the Ancestor?”

Guo Twelve nodded. “He promised to give us three natural runes first, but only if we follow him.”

Nan You asked, “Did you agree?”

Guo Twelve shook his head. “No. I don’t want to deceive him. Let’s forget about this. We need to focus on saving our own lives.”

Nan You breathed a sigh of relief. He had been afraid that Guo Twelve would agree. He said, “We’re almost there. It’s right ahead.”