Chapter 10: Crazy Luo Jie (Part 1)

Eagle Demon cursed, “You sneaky guy, you’re supposed to hold back the enemy? How the hell can you do that?”
Nan You blushed and said, “Someone has to do this. If no one holds back, what if something goes wrong? There won’t be any backup, right? Guo Shier, I’ve thought this through carefully.”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Yes, you’ve planned well. Everyone else doesn’t need to go up. Just hold back for me. When I go up, it’s not to fight desperately, but to identify them. I hope it won’t disappoint me.” He hoped these two were Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan. If not, he really had no confidence in continuing the search.
Old Shuai said, “Kid, go over there first… Be ready to act at any moment. Remember, fight and run… Don’t get surrounded by those two. That guy over there was surrounded and ended up burned to that horrible state.”
Guo Shier replied affirmatively. He understood this well—he must follow Old Shuai’s instructions. His own experience could never compare to Old Shuai’s. Old Shuai added, “You three, retreat and be ready to leave at any time. Once you encounter those two Black Symbolists, whether they’re the ones he’s looking for or not, it will be troublesome.”
Eagle Demon realized the situation and said with a bitter smile, “This is bad. If it’s the old man, his soul is in chaos now—there’s no way he’ll recognize Guo Shier. If not, he’ll definitely not show mercy. Guo Shier, be careful. If something seems off, don’t hesitate—run immediately!”
Guo Shier laughed and said, “Don’t worry, Uncle Eagle Demon. I’m used to running.”
Luo Zhan chuckled, “We’re not only used to getting lost but also to running away. Guo Shier, is this our team’s motto?”
Guo Shier replied, “Exactly. Our slogan is ‘Running keeps you healthy.’ Alright, you guys, retreat and be ready…” A few jokes helped ease his tension a bit.
Shangxilong Valley was a vast canyon covering thousands of square kilometers. The terrain here was rugged, with jagged rocks and towering ancient trees. The ongoing battle had turned the area into a smoky mess, with thick clouds of smoke and several fires burning. The crisscrossing marks on the ground were all left by the sacrificial treasures.
The two Black Symbolists charged back and forth but couldn’t break through. Whenever they reached the edge of the encirclement, they were repelled by countless attacks. They seemed frustrated, with roars echoing constantly.

Hundreds of altar-level experts were clearly divided into two groups. One group was engaged in fighting against the two Black Talismanists, while the other was setting up large talisman arrays in the distance. The experts in each group had to handle both fronts simultaneously; if something went wrong in one area, the powerful altar experts from the other side would immediately rush over to provide support. It was evident that those people had developed some kind of unspoken understanding among themselves.

Guo Shier didn’t know that it was because many altar-level experts had died before that the group gradually learned how to deal with the two Black Talismanists. After all, those two still didn’t possess the terrifying strength of Qi Wu Zhen, who could ignore the number of opponents and their tactics, using a single Fire Sacrifice spell to kill thousands at once.

The two Black Talismanists were fighting in a disorganized manner, instinctively trying to break through. Guo Shier noticed that if they focused their attacks in one direction, it would be difficult for the group to hold them back.

Guo Shier sighed inwardly. Following the old man’s instructions, he quietly moved forward but didn’t approach the encirclement. Instead, he went to the gap between the encirclement and the talisman array. The distance between the encirclement and the array was about dozens of kilometers, enough time for Guo Shier to find a suitable position.

Eagle Demon, Luo Zhan, and Nan You hovered in the air in a triangular formation, about ten meters apart from each other. Their respective sacrificial treasures circled above their heads, and the altars activated their purple defenses. These were special talismans prepared by the old man to defend against Soul Fire.

Guo Shier waited quietly, once again casting the Great Vision Spell, staring intently at the two Black Talismanists. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t see their faces behind the layers of black flames. He couldn’t help but shout inwardly, “It’s not like showing your face will kill you… You’re not ugly. Why cover it up…?”

The old man noticed Guo Shier’s agitation and said, “Be careful. Those people are showing signs of moving.” His sharp eyes immediately saw through the intentions of those experts.

Guo Shier said, “Old man, use the Fixed Outline Pearl to temporarily hold them in place. I’ll use my Umbrella Tower Sacrificial Treasure to reveal their true faces… It only takes a moment!”

The old man nodded. “No problem! Be careful. Those two are mentally unstable. If you anger them, they’ll definitely chase after you.”

Guo Shier replied, “I can’t afford to worry about that. I’ll just run if necessary. It’s not my first time escaping.”

The old man looked at Guo Shier speechlessly. This time he didn’t scold him because even he had to flee when faced with powerful opponents. It was the same reason why, when facing Qi Wu Zhen, he refused to show himself from the altar no matter what.

It was evident that those altar-level experts were already very tired, with the rotation speed increasing faster and faster. Meanwhile, the two Black Symbolists remained energetic and indifferent, showing no signs of exhaustion whether using Soul Fire or teleporting.
The handsome old man explained, “They have devoured too many souls, which has greatly enhanced their soul power, so they basically won’t run out of energy. Although this siege is extremely dangerous for them, it’s also an opportunity. Once they exhaust the extra souls and start using their own soul power, they might regain their clarity.”
Guo Shier is now considered a soul master. The more he learns about souls, the more in awe he becomes. In his first life, he had only a vague understanding of souls and didn’t know how to utilize them. Eventually, he learned a scripture. Every time he recited it, he felt refreshed, and he became addicted to it. Unexpectedly, this scripture accompanied him through three lives.
Many things from his past lives have faded from his memory, gradually disappearing, but this scripture is deeply engraved in his soul, and he can never forget it. He believes that even if he is reborn again, he might forget other things, but he will definitely not forget this scripture, which will continue to accompany him through endless lifetimes.
The handsome old man warned, “They’re coming!”
Several altar-level experts deliberately provoked the Black Symbolists, including Yan Ruodai. She used a silver thunder staff to unleash bolts of lightning that crackled as they struck. Lightning is the nemesis of soul-based altars, but the souls of the two Black Symbolists were extremely strong, so the lightning wasn’t enough to harm them. It only succeeded in making them furious, prompting them to chase after them.
Yan Ruodai didn’t dare flee too quickly because those two were strange—they would stop chasing if she ran far away and turn to attack someone else instead. So she was very cautious, occasionally firing a bolt of lightning, then teleporting a short distance before firing another.
Next was Bao Chengyong’s black great sword. This sacred weapon had left a deep impression on Guo Shier, who knew this guy was quite formidable. A group of professionals at the fourth-tier altar or above took turns attacking, gradually pushing the two away from their original position and moving them toward the talisman array.

Those altar-level experts worked in groups of three, with clear roles—main attackers, support fighters, and cover providers—organized in a highly efficient manner. Dozens of such groups took turns fighting, maintaining a perfect rhythm that kept the two Black Symbolists constantly preoccupied. Their ability to hold their ground until now stemmed not only from their exceptional strength but also from their seamless coordination; if one of them was in trouble, the other would immediately step in to rescue them, leaving the others helpless against them.

The old master kept praising them, saying that even when their souls were in chaos, this coordination remained unbroken—like an instinct, as natural as using one’s left and right hands. If the left hand lost strength, the right hand would naturally step in to assist without any need for thought.

The groups attacked at incredible speed, with each group delivering no more than two attacks before being replaced by another, in a continuous cycle of combat. The two Black Symbolists gradually approached the symbol array. Suddenly, Guo Shier moved there in an instant. When he appeared, one of the Black Symbolists was right in front of him, within twenty meters.

It was Yan Ruodai’s turn to attack. Seeing Guo Shier appear out of nowhere, she cried, “Quickly get out of the way! Don’t you care about your life?”

Dingkuo Zhu suddenly emitted a beam of symbol light. Guo Shier shouted, “Stabilize!” The Black Symbolist froze for a moment, and then Guo Shier’s Umbrella Tower Sacrificial Treasure released a powerful blast. With a loud roar, a wave of energy spread rapidly, instantly tearing through the Black Symbolist’s black flames. Guo Shier finally saw his true appearance.

After confirming it, Guo Shier didn’t say a word and immediately teleported away.

The old master asked, “Is it? Is it really…?”

Guo Shier replied in a low voice, “Yes!” He had seen clearly—it was Grandpa Qinan. Fortunately, it was Qi Nan Shan; if it had been Luo Jie, he might not have recognized him. The last time he saw Qi Nan Shan, he already looked very young, and now the changes were even more drastic, though his overall shape remained the same, allowing Guo Shier to identify him at a glance. Suppressing his extreme joy, he immediately fled.

But Qi Nan Shan no longer recognized Guo Shier. Stunned by Dingkuo Zhu’s effect, he sensed a huge threat, roared, and charged forward. The other Black Symbolist, Luo Jie, also rushed over.

The old master screamed in fear, “Run away!” Two extremely powerful foes, with the inheritance of Black Symbolists and altar levels as high as six or seven—there was no way to resist them; the only option was to flee.

Guo Shier moved through teleportation twice in a row, but in a sideways direction, not toward the large rune array, where the trap was. Now that they knew the two were Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan, how could Guo Shier possibly lead them into the trap?
Yan Ruodai shouted, “Southward… Shier, run southward!”
But Guo Shier would never run southward—there was a trap there, and once they entered, Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan would be in danger. He teleported outward without hesitation and reached Eagle Demon and the others in just over ten seconds, shouting, “Go!”
Eagle Demon and the other two immediately climbed onto Guo Shier’s altar and flew away without pause.
Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan closely pursued them, gradually falling further behind. All those altar-level experts were furious, chasing desperately behind them. They were puzzled because, despite attacking countless times, these two never focused on just one person—they would switch targets as long as they managed to escape. And since Guo Shier hadn’t attacked at all, these two were still chasing them frantically.
In fact, they didn’t realize that Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan had always been careful to conceal their appearances. If anyone saw them, they would eliminate that person without hesitation—it had become their habit. So when Guo Shier lifted away the black flames covering their faces, both of them went berserk, determined to kill them before giving up.
Guo Shier was also puzzled. He had planned to keep attacking to lure the two away from the trap rune array, but now it wasn’t necessary—they were already chasing him desperately. Even the old man asked doubtfully, “Are they really the ones you’re looking for?”
“Of course. I saw them clearly!”
The old man said, “But… you didn’t attack at all. Why are they chasing you so fiercely?”
Guo Shier snapped, “How should I know… Damn it!”
Eagle Demon asked excitedly, “Is it the old man?”
Guo Shier replied, “I saw one of them is Grandpa Nanshan. The other must be the old man!”
Luo Zhan said happily, “Great! We’ve finally found them!”
Nan You couldn’t help but say, “What’s the use of finding them? Aren’t they chasing you? Find a way to escape first!”
Guo Shier smiled bitterly, “We can’t… we can’t escape completely. Otherwise, we’ll lose their trail again. Damn it, why is this happening?”