Shelters

The treasure ship silently appeared inside a massive hall. The hall stood a hundred feet tall and looked rather crude, supported in the middle by several massive stone pillars. The pillars were pitted and unpolished. Aside from them, the hall held no decorations whatsoever, though at the back lay a deep, dark passageway leading who knew where. Just as the treasure ship appeared, a squad of ten guards hurried over. These guards all wore identical standard-issue armor engraved with runic restrictions, making each suit a defensive magic tool of no small power. Each guard wore a token hanging at his waist, though of differing styles. Their leader was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, whose token indicated his status as squad leader. With a gentle tremor, the treasure ship released the people inside, after which Che Yutao drew it into his palm, causing it to vanish. Even with so many people inside, the vast hall still seemed utterly cavernous. The squad leader stepped swiftly up to Che Yutao and bowed respectfully. "Yuyangzi, garrison commander of Xuanlu Pass, greets Martial Uncle Che!" Che Yutao gave an "mm" and said, "You will arrange things for them." Before his words even faded, Che Yutao vanished from the spot. Yuyangzi hurriedly acknowledged the command, then turned to face the crowd with a stern gaze. Only when his eyes swept past Qin Sang and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators did he nod with goodwill. "My Daoist name is Yuyangzi, garrisoned here at Xuanlu Pass. As you have just arrived, fellow Daoists, there are a few rules you must keep in mind. First, all entry and exit must be through the city gates. Do not trespass on the city walls or damage the restrictions, or you will be executed on the spot! Second, under no circumstances may anyone clash with the guard patrols..." Yuyangzi's tone carried heavy killing intent as he warned them not to take the rules of Xuanlu Pass lightly. After explaining various other precautions, he called out softly, "Gu Ji!" "Sir!" A guard stepped forward from the ranks. "Fellow Daoists from the various clans," Yuyangzi said, looking around, "those who wish to join the Xuanlu Guard, please step over here. Gu Ji will take you to the barracks to test your qualifications. The rest of you may do as you please..." The Xuanlu Guard were the guards tasked with defending Xuanlu Pass. With that, Yuyangzi pointed outside the hall. A commotion stirred among the crowd. Then, members of the various clans stepped forth one after another. Less than half were willing to join the Xuanlu Guard; the rest departed in groups. Once Gu Ji led his group away, all who remained were direct disciples of Shaohua Mountain, and Yuyangzi's expression and tone softened considerably. "Since this is your first time in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, fellow Daoists, you are not yet familiar with it. These jade slips contain what you will want to know—not only a map of Xuanlu Pass, but also partial maps of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Take great care never to destroy your jade slip, or you will find it nearly impossible to take a single step in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield..." Saying so, Yuyangzi brushed his hand over his mustard seed bag, and countless jade slips flew out. Qin Sang caught a jade slip with his spiritual power and swept his spiritual sense across it, finding a vast amount of information inside. He had barely glanced at it when he heard Yuyangzi continue, "What you must examine most carefully is the final section, the map of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Marked upon it are the locations of most shelters. If you venture into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield alone, whether before a celestial phenomenon strikes or when pursued by cloud beasts, you must remember to seek out a shelter in advance. This is of paramount importance. Otherwise, alone and without a barrier, should you be caught in a celestial phenomenon, you will be injured at best and lose your life at worst." Hearing this, Qin Sang immediately looked to the end and saw that the map was indeed dotted with points of light, large and small. Although the map covered a sizeable expanse, the areas with detailed markings were in fact only the outermost tier and parts of the outer tier of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield's periphery. The division of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield on the map was far more detailed than what Qin Sang had previously researched. Among them, deep within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield—where spatial rifts densely clustered—was universally recognized as the core zone where ancient cultivation world mighty figures had fought their chaotic battles. Not only was it fraught with deadly perils, but it was also home to many formidable cloud beasts; to this day, rarely had anyone set foot there. Outward from the core zone, spatial rifts began to thin, yet it remained perilous in the extreme. Even Golden Core Masters had to tread with utmost caution, fearing every step. No sect possessed the power to control this expanse. Only upon reaching the periphery of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield did one enter the staging ground where the major sects vied with one another. The battlefield's periphery was further divided into four tiers: the inner tier, middle tier, outer tier, and outermost tier. These points of light represented the locations of shelters. Among them, the large points of light were few, representing small towns and cultivation markets established within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. These towns and markets were mostly converted from fully explored secret realms and ancient abodes. Relying on the secret realms' restrictions to withstand the erosion of celestial phenomena and the attacks of cloud beasts, they existed across all four tiers of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, growing sparser the deeper one went. They were the safest havens in the entire battlefield. It was precisely by relying on these places that cultivators did not have to worry about having no retreat. As for the small points of light, they were smaller shelters built spontaneously by cultivators who had entered the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Some were hidden deep underground, while others made use of the natural terrain; the vast majority were located in the outermost tier. There was an unwritten rule in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield: each person who entered a shelter would leave behind a few restrictions. Accumulated over time, the shelters grew increasingly sturdy, allowing passersby to take refuge inside when celestial phenomena struck. The strength of these shelters was far inferior to that of secret realms. If the celestial phenomenon was too terrifying in its fury, or if the shelter was unfortunately discovered by a powerful cloud beast, safety could not be guaranteed. Fortunately, such occurrences were uncommon in the outermost tier. Through countless years of exploration, the hazardous areas of the outermost tier had largely been mapped out. Relying on the great cities behind them, the major sects held sway over this territory, delineating their respective spheres of influence, and sect disciples were not permitted to cross boundaries lightly. Now, this sphere of control was slowly radiating toward the outer tier. Yuyangzi was right: without a map, it truly was almost impossible to move about the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. Similar maps were sold outside, but they cost money and were nowhere near as detailed as Shaohua Mountain's. After they finished examining the jade slips, Yuyangzi spoke once more: "Fellow Daoists who wish to join the Xuanlu Guard or the Shadow Guard may step over. Disciples at the Qi Refinement stage can only serve as ordinary guards, while fellow senior and junior martial brothers at Foundation Establishment, like myself, may serve as garrison commanders. For those wishing to join the Shadow Guard, Qi Refinement disciples must undergo an additional test." The implication was that Foundation Establishment disciples could choose freely. In truth, according to the descriptions in the jade slip, they had more options than just the Xuanlu Guard and the Shadow Guard. For instance, guarding a secret realm controlled by the sect not only involved leisurely duties, but one could also partake in a share of the secret realm's yields. However, the requirements for those posts were far higher; Qin Sang surmised that only those with backing would ever get such an opportunity. Just then, Qin Sang heard a voice transmission from Yu Daiyue: "Junior Brother Qin, I will be taking my leave first." Qin Sang turned his head to see Yu Daiyue nod to him before turning and walking toward the hall's exit. Quite a few fellow disciples left alongside him. It seemed Senior Brother Yu had made up his mind to venture into the Ancient Immortal Battlefield alone.