Chapter 2: Ruins (Part 1)

Luo Jie sighed and said, “Yesterday, Li Ran said something. I wonder if you still remember it?”
Guo Shier smiled and replied, “Master, Brother Li said many things. Which one are you referring to? Uh, it can’t be that one… about people hunting…” Suddenly, he remembered Qi Nanshan saying the master was worried, which must be about today’s journey. After a brief thought, he understood what the master was concerned about.
Luo Jie couldn’t help but shake his head and said, “Shier, you’re too smart. How did you guess that?”
Guo Shier waved his hand nonchalantly and said, “I just guessed it.”
Qi Nanshan muttered under his breath, “Little trickster!”
Luo Jie asked, “Shier, what do you think? Li Ran probably wouldn’t lie to us. The information is likely true. It’s just that we don’t know how skilled those hunters are. If they’re much better than us, going there would be suicide. If their skills are similar or lower, it’s still worth continuing our exploration.”
Guo Shier said, “It’s possible they’re weaker than us, but it’s more likely… they’re better than us.”
Qi Nanshan said, “We’ve already come this far. It would be frustrating to turn back.”
Not only was Qi Nanshan unwilling to give up, but Luo Jie too. The secret realm wasn’t easy to enter. Although they had obtained the talisman gate, the address recorded was only for this secret realm, and there were no coordinates to return to. They would have to wait until the realm expelled them before they could set coordinates to return home. So, even if they wanted to go back now, they couldn’t. But staying here doing nothing also frustrated them.
Soon, Luo Jie made up his mind. He said, “Let’s keep moving forward. Be careful and try to avoid those people. If we encounter them, don’t hesitate—kill them immediately! We must not let any information leak and attract pursuit.” He spoke with fierce determination. For the safety of the entire team, he was willing to kill.
Qi Nanshan shouted, “Alright, gather up!”
Guo Shier said, “Master, we need to find horses. Walking like this is too slow.”
Luo Jie agreed, “Yes, traveling at this pace is too exhausting.”
The team of twenty-five people quickly gathered. Qi Nanshan said, “Luo Zhan, take two people to scout ahead. If you see anyone, don’t startle them. Come back right away.”
Luo Zhan nodded and took two people to scout ahead.
…

Ahead lay an endless expanse of primeval forest. Veils of mist rose from the dense woods, taking on colorful hues under the sunlight. Countless birds flew in the air, emitting their chirps. From time to time, strange howls and animal roars could be heard in the forest, adding to its eerie atmosphere.

Luo Jie and the others stood on the hillside, quietly observing the boundless forest. He said, “This forest is unsafe!”

Qi Nanshan looked serious and said, “I don’t know what’s in there. Hehe, old man, I feel a sense of anticipation—maybe this forest will be my grave.”

Luo Jie said, “Stop talking nonsense! Let’s be careful. You take charge of assigning tasks. Twelve, you five stay close to me. Don’t worry; with the master here, nothing will go wrong.”

Guo Shier felt a strong sense of unease. He said, “Master, I understand.” Then he turned to his four companions, “Stay close to me, follow the master. Let’s not be reckless—under no circumstances should we distract them.”

Huo Bao said, “We can help too!”

Guo Shier replied, “Baozi, now is not the time for such thoughts. We might not be able to help, but we must definitely not cause trouble, understand? Because we can’t help! We’re too weak! As long as we don’t distract them, that’s the greatest help!”

Luo Jie nodded inwardly. Guo Shier was wise—what he said made perfect sense. As long as the young man kept them from getting distracted, that would be the greatest help.

“Follow Shier’s orders! Your task is simple: protect Shier. Don’t worry about anything else; that’s the old man’s concern.”

Luo Zhan and the other two martial artists with talismans had already entered the forest. They had a way of staying in touch and wouldn’t lose track of each other. Qi Nanshan shouted, “One team on each side, I’ll go first, the old man and Shier in the middle, and the rest cover the rear… Alright, stay alert! Let’s go in!”

Luo Jie said to Guo Shier and the five others, “Follow me. Don’t wander off.”

The forest was hot and humid, with a strong smell of decay. Guo Shier carried a talisman sword, using it to cut through branches and weeds that stretched toward them. Just over ten minutes into the forest, they encountered two venomous snakes, both of which he severed with his talisman sword.

There were two small dogs wandering around his feet. They were beast talismans given by the great sorcerer Wu Qirong, meant for exploration. Due to incomplete command talismans, their effectiveness was limited. But having these two dogs was still useful—they were the ones who spotted the two venomous snakes.

The group gradually ventured deeper into the dense forest. Guo Shier could hardly see the sky, as it was completely covered by the tree canopies. The temperature rose, humidity increased, poisonous insects multiplied, and the croaking of frogs filled the air. Everyone moved forward in silence, no one wanting to talk in such an environment; they just wanted to get through this terrifying forest as quickly as possible.

Qi Nanshan suddenly raised his arm, and everyone stopped immediately. The humid heat became almost unbearable. Guo Shier felt as if he were soaked in water; it was the first time he had experienced sweating profusely, even worse than in a sauna. Luo Jie remained unchanged—he was protected by his life talisman and didn’t feel hot at all.

Although Guo Shier had a life talisman, he hadn’t yet formed a life talisman sphere. Without a sufficient number of talismans to form such a sphere, he had few skills to rely on and could only passively endure the intense heat.

A talisman martial artist quickly returned to Qi Nanshan’s side, whispered a few words, then continued moving forward. Qi Nanshan signaled everyone to follow. After about half an hour, the group’s vision cleared. Suddenly, they emerged from the dark forest, feeling refreshed and invigorated as a gentle breeze blew—exactly the wonderful sensation they had been seeking.

Before them lay a pile of rocks where no large trees could grow, only low shrubs, allowing them to see the sky. This was a ruin—most buildings had collapsed, with only a few remaining stone houses. Not far away, a small river flowed slowly around the ruins.

“Is this a ruin? What people left these traces?”

Luo Jie shook his head. “I don’t know. Let’s rest here for a few days and explore the ruins at the same time. Maybe we’ll find something. Such ruins are usually destroyed by outsiders. Sometimes, good items can be found here, like talismans left by predecessors… It depends on luck. Sometimes, even spiritual or ancient talismans can be found.”

Qi Nanshan said, “See that stone pillar? Spread out and search separately. We must gather at the pillar before dark; we’ll spend the night there.” He added, “A few of you come with me—let’s go hunting! Luo Zhan, follow the old man and keep watch!”

Guo Shier laughed. “Master, there shouldn’t be any danger here. Let’s form a group of five.”

Luo Jie said, “Xiao Feng, follow Shier and the others. Luo Zhan, we’ll head to the pillar.”

Guo Shier cheered, “Uncle Xiao Feng, Baozi, Shitou, Chen Bing, Xiaohong—let’s go! Hehe, through here!” He headed left along the rocks.

The group split into several teams and quickly disappeared into the ruins.

The ruins weren’t very large, roughly equivalent to a small city from Guo Shier’s past life. Twenty-five people entering it wouldn’t stand out at all.
Guo Shier had already spotted a complete building—a two-story stone house hidden behind a large tree, invisible if one didn’t pay attention.
The roads had completely disappeared; aside from piles of rocks, there were only thickets of grass and low trees. Guo Shier and his group used their talismanic knives to clear a path and slowly made their way forward.
The path wasn’t long, as the small stone building was close to the edge of the forest, easily overlooked.
Chen Hong followed behind Guo Shier, constantly muttering, “I want to take a bath. I stink so much. Ugh, I need to bathe… This hellish place is so hot…” She spoke instinctively, in a very low voice, but Guo Shier had sharp hearing and heard everything clearly. He couldn’t help but say, “Stop talking… The more you talk, the hotter I get…”
Chen Hong’s face turned red instantly. She didn’t dare reply and pouted, staying silent.
After about half an hour, the six of them finally arrived at the small stone building. A huge tree, half embedded in the building, stood there—unknown how long it had grown—creating a gloomy and cool atmosphere beneath it. The stone building was ancient, with vines creeping up its walls, their branches and leaves extending into the house.
Huo Bao cheered and rushed to go in, but Guo Shier grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back forcefully, saying, “Why so excited? Rushing in recklessly!”
Huo Bao said in disbelief, “Shier, how did your strength become so great?”
Guo Shier replied in confusion, “My strength is great? Are you joking?”
Huo Bao scratched his head, unable to understand how he could be pulled back so easily by Guo Shier. He said, “Shier, your strength really has increased… Anyway, I’ll go in first and be careful!” He drew his talismanic knife and said, “Wait for me. Don’t run around!”
Xiao Feng just watched smiling, not interfering. He knew they needed more experience; if he did everything for them, they would never grow.
Soon, Huo Bao came out, looking disappointed. “Sigh, nothing here. Just an empty house.”
Guo Shier smiled slightly and said, “Let’s go in and take a look.”
The gloomy small stone building was entirely made of bluestone, making it very sturdy. Even after countless years of erosion, it still retained much of its original appearance. Guo Shier entered one of the rooms upstairs and said, “This must be the master bedroom.”

There is a small platform upstairs, almost completely covered by the branches and leaves of large trees. There are three rooms in total, one of which is half-collapsed, allowing a view of the sky outside; the wooden planks originally laid on the floor have long since rotted away. The rooms downstairs are even more in ruins. Guo Shier walked down the stone steps to the back of the small building.