The entrance to the Shelter was magnificent.
It was just like the summoning gates in those large online games Baiyu had played in his previous life, even giving off a vibe that as soon as the metal gate opened, thousands of robust men would burst out shouting "Orcs will never be slaves".
"Permission granted."
The lead guard checked Baiyu and his companion’s IDs, confirmed there were no issues, and then instructed others to open the lever beside them.
The one-meter-long iron lever required two people to pull; this was the gate switch.
The metal iron gate slowly opened.
Baiyu witnessed the most fantastical scene he had ever seen since arriving in this world three years ago. Beyond the entire door was dense black fog, as if ready to swallow people whole.
In the middle was a swirling vortex, entirely composed of blue light.
Its rotation was neither too fast nor too slow, possessing a unique charm.
Without a word, Pang Fei stepped forward, his figure disappearing into the blue vortex.
Baiyu and Qin Shou also followed his steps closely, following along.
The moment they stepped in, the vortex emitted a powerful suction force, causing Baiyu to feel a momentary dizziness, followed by his vision plunging into darkness.
The dizzy feeling dissipated, but the view was still dark.
The sky was a dull gray.
Two red moons hung in the sky, one on the left and one on the right, with no stars and no clouds in sight.
The visibility in the air was extremely low.
Basically, it was impossible to observe anything a few meters away with the naked eye.
The black fog floating in the air blocked all visibility, and as soon as he entered this special place, Baiyu felt his blood qi becoming extremely active.
Qin Shou noticed this as well.
"Is this the Shelter?"
Looking at the dark surroundings, Qin Shou felt somewhat empty.
Why did it feel like the Underworld?
"Don’t move, wait here for a while."
Pang Fei stood calmly in place, making no movements.
Baiyu and Qin Shou were complete newcomers and naturally did not dare to wander, waiting obediently around.
Torches ignited in the dark night.
First one, then spreading like a plague, forming a circle around the three of them, allowing Baiyu to finally see the surrounding environment clearly.
The three were standing in a circular plaza.
The entire plaza was ancient and dilapidated, surrounded by pillars engraved with various exotic beasts, though most bore signs of erosion from time and frost.
Twisted black runes were painted on the ground.
Four exotic beasts were also carved around the plaza, positioned at four different points.
Baiyu’s expression changed upon seeing the appearance of these exotic beasts.
Are these not the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise from mythic lore?
There were simply no such myths on Canglan Star!
Neither the Classic of Mountains and Seas nor Eastern mythology ever appeared, nor had there ever been a Great Glutton Dynasty in history.
Baiyu had verified this back then.
He not only went through major libraries but also searched on online forums and even checked with Qiong Jiu and others, confirming that there was no Classic of Mountains and Seas or Eastern mythology in this world.
The appearance of the four Divine Beasts in the plaza challenged Baiyu’s perceptions for the first time.
Are they really nonexistent?
These four statues were clearly carved in the likeness of the four Divine Beasts, without any deviation.
The sound of uniformly paced footsteps echoed.
A troop clad in armor, holding standard long spears appeared.
On the cloaks behind each person’s armor were printed the eight grand words "Heaven bless East Prosperity, Martial fortune prospers," exceedingly melodramatic.
This was the garrison of the Shelter.
The man leading them rendered a formal military salute, his gaze subtly scanning over Baiyu and Qin Shou: "These two must be the young lords, please , we will talk more in Linjiang City District."
Following the soldiers’ lead, the group stepped onto the stone path connected to the plaza.
After walking several dozen steps, the scenery suddenly widened.
This was an ancient city amidst the black fog, walls mottled, weathered by time and storm.
Outside the city walls, a glow shone in rings, clearly a Spiritual Technique Barrier.
The plaza was at the city’s heart, and it lay on a slope.
As Baiyu stepped out of the plaza’s boundary along the ascending passage, outside was the main plaza of the city center.
Plaza upon plaza, a never-ending nesting doll.
In contrast with the previous deathly silence, this plaza bustled with people donned in armor, martial arts attire, and armed with swords, amidst vendors setting up stalls on the plaza ground. Besides leaving main roads and activity areas, almost every possible space had stalls set up.
A large trading market?
"This is typically a trading place for martial artists and extraordinary beings because everyone entering the Spirit Realm comes through here, and many gullible wealthy people are easily taken for all they have with just a few words at the Shelter,"
Pang Fei explained to the two as they walked.
Due to the Guard Team’s escort, some old hands who wanted to exploit them didn’t dare to approach. These people were masters at reading situations, knowing who to provoke and who to avoid.
The group exited the plaza.
The true appearance of the Shelter emerged.
It was a perfect blend of an ancient city and a modern city.
Heavy city walls had magic energy cannons, mechanical gates, and streets constructed with metal and cement.
Even spacious streets had cars zooming around.
Yet there was no electricity visible here; many people carried swords, creating an extreme sense of discordance.
Moreover, the Shelter was permanently garrisoned by over ten thousand troops, always defending against attacks from exotic beasts and other races.
Baiyu looked towards the sky.
Outside the Spiritual Technique Barrier enveloping the whole city, dense black fog hung, faintly revealing distant thick forests and towering ancient trees.
In the fog, only vague silhouettes could be discerned.
"Outside the city walls is..." Qin Shou couldn’t help but ask.
"The Spirit Realm, a brand new world. Linjiang Shelter is located in the Dark Realm of the Spirit Realm, which is why the sky is full of these black fogs. Based on information gathered over the years, the Spirit Realm has at least six different realms. The Dark Realm is shrouded in fog year-round," Pang Fei explained.
Baiyu and Qin Shou strived to absorb the information here.
Since entering the Martial Arts School, the Shelter was the primary field of training, and according to what Pang Fei and others disclosed, many students from the Martial Arts School had perished over the years.
Understanding more now would mean fewer mistakes in the future.
"There are three forces in Linjiang Shelter: the Government, responsible for East Prosperity Imperial affairs and Martial Arts School students, the Bounty Hunter Association, handling civil extraordinaries and martial artists, and the garrison, representing the true strength of East Prosperity Imperial," Pang Fei explained. "Civil martial artists register at the Bounty Hunter Association, where they could also find like-minded comrades, while the garrison only undertakes tasks from the military and does not intervene in other affairs. As for Martial Arts School students, they register with the government."
This power structure was expected by Baiyu.
However, he noticed another issue.
"Is there no Church?"
"No, the Church has no authority to intervene in the Shelter’s affairs," Pang Fei replied without hesitation.