Chapter 9: The Altar (Part 2)

A talisman gate could record the locations of four secret realms. Luo Jie remembered two, while Guo Shier remembered three—one of which was the coordinate left by Li Ran. This meant the two of them could return to the altar at any time. After recording the coordinates, the master and disciple both breathed a sigh of relief. This was a treasure trove that needed to be explored carefully. Since there was a lower-level altar here, it was likely that intermediate or even higher-level altars could be found, though their functions were still unclear.

Luo Jie said, “I’m going to sleep first. Shier, you take command and have them imprint the talisman patterns on the altar.”
Immediately, the talisman warriors set up tents for Luo Jie to rest. The old man was the backbone of the group, and no one would object if he said he wanted to sleep.

Guo Shier walked slowly around the altar. The Eagle Demon noticed his unusual behavior—he walked silently without saying a word, circling the altar over and over again, seemingly lost in thought. The Eagle Demon hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided not to disturb him.

In fact, Guo Shier was searching for the most comfortable spot. As he walked, he discovered that the comfort of his soul varied depending on the location—some places provided stronger comfort, while others did less. So he circled the altar, moving inward layer by layer to ensure no spot was missed.

Suddenly, Guo Shier stopped at one point and stood still. With his eyes closed, he indulged in the pleasure of his soul. At that moment, the power of his soul grew wildly. Gradually, the pleasant feeling faded, replaced by a sense of swelling that filled his soul. Guo Shier even felt a hint of pain.

Unconsciously, he began to recite scriptures, his voice barely audible. With each repetition, the pleasant and comfortable feeling returned.

Guo Shier slowly sat cross-legged on the ground, continuing to recite the scriptures.

Luo Jie slept soundly. It was rare for the old man to get such a good night’s sleep, and this time he slept for two days. The others gradually could hold on no longer, yawning incessantly, until they all fell into a deep sleep on the altar. They simply collapsed on the ground and slept soundly, without even having time to set up tents.

Guo Shier also fell asleep amidst the sound of the recitations. This was a sleep he had never experienced in three lifetimes—the feeling was absolutely wonderful. Countless talisman patterns washed over his soul like a tide, leaving countless imprints. Unaware of it, he received the inheritance of the altar.

Two days later, everyone woke up. Guo Shier opened his eyes and immediately sensed a huge change in himself, though he wasn’t sure what it was. Before he could figure it out, a rumbling sound like thunder arose. Touching his stomach, he couldn’t help but shout, “I’m starving!”
Luo Jie sat dumbfounded in the tent, still confused about what was going on. He only knew he had slept and felt some change in his body. Before he could think further, he heard Guo Shier’s shout, and soon his own stomach started to rumble. He couldn’t help but smile, stand up, and step out of the tent.
“I… I’ve advanced! Wow!”
That was Luo Zhan’s wild cry. Then Xiao Feng also shouted, “Huh, I’ve advanced too… Damn it… What’s going on?” His tone was filled with excitement and disbelief.
Soon, several other Symbol Warriors also started shouting, leaving everyone in shock.
Huo Bao and the other three kids were no exception, though they had advanced to Symbol Warriors. Among the Symbol Warriors brought by Qin Lang, two had also advanced to Symbol Masters. It seemed like an overall advancement—although some people hadn’t advanced, they all felt their strength had greatly increased. For a moment, everyone at the altar was overjoyed and ecstatic.
Luo Jie stared blankly at the sky. Qi Nan Shan asked, “Elder, what’s wrong?”
Guo Shier also rushed over and asked, “Master, are you okay?”
Luo Jie replied calmly, “I’ve advanced!” As soon as he said that, crackling sounds came from his body. His wrinkles disappeared rapidly, and his back straightened. In just a moment, a middle-aged man appeared before everyone. Guo Shier exclaimed in surprise, “Master, you were really handsome when you were young!”
That teasing remark made Luo Jie laugh heartily. He had a strange feeling—he knew he had advanced, but he had no idea to what extent, or how to develop further or what path to take. However, advancing meant an increased lifespan, giving him more time to explore. Soon, he put those thoughts aside and asked with a smile, “Shier, do you feel anything?”
Guo Shier had benefited even more, but he didn’t know if he had advanced. There were no signs; he only felt his soul had become much stronger—at least twice as powerful and twice as refined. Normally, when he recited scriptures, his soul could only be refined slightly, and practicing basic movements could only increase his soul power by a tiny amount.
“I don’t feel anything. Is it rare that I even need to advance?”

Luo Jie was stunned for a moment before realizing what was going on. Guo Shier was only nine years old—was he really supposed to advance to become a Grand Spellcaster? That was too extreme. He asked, “Da Shan, what do you feel?”
Qi Nan Shan replied, “I feel great. For the first time, I sense a chance to advance. It’s just one more step away. But I’m confident I can do it in the short term.”
Everyone was stunned. Could a Grand Spell Martial Artist advance further? To what extent? Luo Jie’s advancement left them even more confused. It seemed like being a Grand Spellcaster was the ultimate level, yet this profession could still progress—what should it be called then? A Supreme Grand Spellcaster?
Yet Luo Jie had indeed advanced. As for what level he had reached or what it should be called, he didn’t care. Anyway, he was definitely stronger than before.
Guo Shier asked, “Master, has there been any change in your Life Spell Book?”
Luo Jie was taken aback. He hadn’t thought about his Life Spell Book. Hearing this, he immediately summoned it.
After examining it, Luo Jie said in surprise, “There’s no change… I can’t figure it out. It’s almost the same as before. Hmm? No, it seems I can increase the number of Life Spells…” He would have to explore step by step from now on, but he was satisfied enough. Someone who already stood at the peak had discovered another peak—a huge stimulus for him.
Luo Jie put away his Life Spell Book and said, “Alright, everyone, go and copy all the runes. Don’t miss a single one. Da Shan, you take command. Eagle Demon, you go too… After we return this time, stay with me for a while. I’ll not only repair your runes but also strengthen your body using the best blood spells… Blood spells at the Spirit Spell level to strengthen your body!”
Eagle Demon was so happy he almost fainted. He replied loudly, “Yes!” Then he turned and ran off with his friends to help.
Guo Shier whispered, “Master, since we have the Spell Gate and can come in anytime, why rush to copy the runes?”
Luo Jie replied calmly, “Shier, once we leave… we won’t be able to return for a long time. We can only act again after returning to the Northern Spell Gate. It’s too hasty outside… We don’t need to rush. Next time, we must be fully prepared before coming in.”
Guo Shier suddenly understood his master’s intention. This altar was truly precious, which was why he wanted to keep the news secret. This secret realm opened only once every sixty years. After leaving, no one would expect them to be able to come back—this was their greatest advantage.
Guo Shier said, “Master, should we stay at the altar until the realm closes and we’re thrown out?”

Luo Jie smiled and said, “Fifteen days—how lucky it is to find such an altar. I don’t dare hope for more… Let’s stay here and wait for the secret realm to close, hehe.”
Guo Shier nodded and said, “That’s good. We’ve gained a lot from this secret realm trip, no less than the last one. By the way, master, will they… keep it a secret?” He was referring to the Eagle Demon and the others.
Luo Jie couldn’t help but laugh. He said, “A symbol martial artist without a master, even if he has reached the level of a great symbol martial artist, is still pitiful. I think that Eagle Demon is quite good. Do you want to take him in?”
Guo Shier said in disbelief, “Make him my follower? Master, don’t joke. He’s a great symbol martial artist!”
Luo Jie laughed and said, “A great symbol martial artist is still human. He has his own needs too. Hehe, with your status as a quasi-master and your youth, you must be very attractive to him.”
Guo Shier rolled his eyes and said, “Master, I’m not young—I’m still young!”
Luo Jie laughed heartily and said, “Who cares about your age? You’re more mature than adults. Little rascal, hehe.”
Actually, Guo Shier wasn’t opposed to taking in the Eagle Demon. The strength of a great symbol martial artist was equivalent to that of ten ordinary symbol martial artists. He said, “Alright, if he’s willing, then I’m willing too! Having a great symbol martial artist with me isn’t just a strong guard—it’s also impressive. How many people can have a master-level follower?”
Luo Jie said, “I plan to have Luo Zhan follow you. Hehe, if the Eagle Demon is also willing, you’ll have two master-level followers.”
After a moment of silence, Guo Shier blurted out, “Master, two masters… I’m afraid I can’t afford them!”
Luo Jie almost died of laughter. He patted Guo Shier’s head and said, “With me as your master, are you still afraid you can’t afford them? Haha, I really don’t know what’s on your mind, haha!”
Guo Shier muttered, “It’s because I’ve been too poor.” In fact, he had been extremely poor and hungry in his past life, and those memories remained vivid even after reincarnation. Having no food in the rice jar and no money in his pocket was the most terrifying thing.
Luo Jie said, “Alright, I’ll go talk to the Eagle Demon.”
The Eagle Demon was diligently imprinting symbol patterns, though he knew nothing about them. A symbol martial artist came over and said, “Elder, the old master is looking for you.” The Eagle Demon didn’t dare delay. He got up and quickly arrived in front of Luo Jie.
“Old master, did you call for me?”
Luo Jie said, “Sit down. Let’s talk.”

Eagle Demon sat down, a bit puzzled, and asked, “Old man, is there a problem?”
Luo Jie smiled and said, “There’s no problem. I just want to chat with you. What, don’t you want to talk to an old man like me?”
Guo Shier was very curious. He wanted to know how his master had talked to Eagle Demon and why he was so confident that a great martial artist would follow a child. He quietly walked over, said nothing, sat down next to Luo Jie, and grinned at Eagle Demon, leaving Eagle Demon completely confused about what the master and disciple were planning.