North Tianmen City

Su Luo and the others arrived at the Northern Heavenly Gate.

The towering, thick walls stretched into an impregnable defensive line.

Ever since reclaiming the Northern Heavenly Gate, the Emperor Heaven Sect had reinforced its defenses, upgrading the gate with a series of enhancements.

They installed powerful new formations and equipped it with numerous offensive and defensive treasures.

It could be said that the Northern Heavenly Gate was now more fortified than ever.

If the demon beast army dared to attack again, they would surely be crushed and forced to retreat.

Su Luo and his companions entered a city near the Northern Heavenly Gate, from where they could pass through the gate and reach the Untamed Wastelands.

Of course, given their strength, they could easily cross the gate from anywhere.

But since there was still time, they decided to explore the area. Little Yu had only experienced battles here before and hadn’t had the chance to properly see the sights.

"The Northern Heavenly Gate… It’s been so long since I last wandered around here," Jiang Ningshu mused.

"Well, this is perfect. Let’s all enjoy ourselves—especially you, Little Yu. Cultivation is important, but don’t forget to have fun too."

"Ah, I do have fun!"

"When?"

"Uh… not too long ago."

Su Luo glanced at Little Yu’s expression—was she making an innuendo?

But the "fun" he meant wasn’t the kind she was implying.

The Northern Heavenly Gate was mostly filled with all kinds of vendors. What it lacked least was the corpses of demon beasts.

These were used to craft all sorts of weapons and armor, giving them a unique flair.

As a result, many stalls displayed bizarre and unusual items.

Little Yu was amazed by the sights—some things were useless but amusing.

Like a breastplate that emitted blinding light—though the glowing spots were awkwardly placed.

Or a sword that, when stabbed into meat, would slowly roast it to perfection, even seasoning it—a must-have for the lazy.

Still, they mostly browsed without buying.

Most of the items were more novel than practical.

They then visited the tallest tavern, which offered a view of the Untamed Wastelands.

"That’s where we’re heading," Su Luo said, pointing into the distance.

"Shall we go now?" Jiang Ningshu asked.

"No rush. It hasn’t started yet. Let’s enjoy ourselves a little longer."

Little Yu held Su Luo’s hand, knowing he was just letting her experience more.

As they wandered, she realized Su Luo and Jiang Ningshu weren’t particularly interested—they were just keeping her company.

"Su Luo, you don’t have to indulge me so much," Little Yu said. She didn’t want trivial matters to interfere with their mission.

Su Luo chuckled. "Is that what you think? While I do want you to enjoy yourself, don’t forget—even if I’m not interested, watching you discover things makes me happy too."

"Exactly. If it were truly boring, I’d have left already," Jiang Ningshu agreed.

Though the trinkets were dull, chatting with Su Luo and Little Yu was enjoyable—at least, that’s how Jiang Ningshu saw it.

Little Yu’s eyes welled up, and she suddenly hugged them both. "Thank you."

"You made her cry."

"You did too."

Su Luo and Jiang Ningshu teased her playfully.

After taking in the view, they descended to a corner of the tavern to drink.

This was one of the Northern Heavenly Gate’s most famous taverns, frequented by all sorts of people.

Conversations buzzed with every topic imaginable.

But without a doubt, the hottest topic recently was the Immortal’s Legacy.

"Have you heard? There’s an Immortal’s Legacy in the Untamed Wastelands."

"Old news. But it’s irrelevant to common folk like us."

The speaker was at the Golden Core realm, yet even he lamented his lack of eligibility.

"Right. The Northern Heavenly Gate’s sealed now—no one’s allowed into the Untamed Wastelands."

"Exactly. If we miss this chance, who knows when the legacy will appear again?"

"Enough talk. We can’t go anyway. Let’s drink."

Normally, the Emperor Heaven Sect wasn’t so strict—people could usually pass through to the Untamed Wastelands without issue.

But this time, the temptation was too great. The sect had closed the gate to stop reckless fools from throwing their lives away.

The sect didn’t care about individual lives, but too many deaths would be a waste.

These people were future defenders of the Northern Heavenly Gate—who knew when the demon beast army would attack again?

Keeping more people alive meant more reserves for the gate’s defense.

The Emperor Heaven Sect wouldn’t let them throw their lives away for nothing.

The discussions continued.

"What if we sneak past?"

"Don’t even think about it. The walls are too high, and guards are everywhere. If you’re caught, the punishment’s harsh—heard you’ll be sent to mine spirit stones for a while."

At first, there was no penalty. But as people grew bolder—acting like they were being robbed of fortune rather than saved from death—the sect imposed this punishment.

Offenders were detained until the situation settled.

Ironically, even some Emperor Heaven Sect disciples couldn’t resist trying.

But without exception, they were stopped and sent to the mines—no special treatment.

"What if I’m strong enough? Still can’t go?"

In the past, many powerful cultivators had explored the Untamed Wastelands’ outskirts without issue.

"They’ll stop you if they can. But the walls are long—some spots are less guarded. If you’re strong enough, you could theoretically slip through."

Most guards weren’t exceptionally powerful—the majority were at Foundation Establishment or Golden Core.

A few were at Nascent Soul, but they were rare.

So, if someone reached Nascent Soul or higher, they might have a slim chance.

At the Void Refinement realm, one could force their way through.

Of course, that assumed no Void Refinement expert was stationed nearby.

The fact that Void Refinement cultivators could breach the defenses didn’t mean the walls were weak.

The formations and treasures weren’t meant for them—they were reserved for the demon beast army.

Why waste resources stopping powerful cultivators hell-bent on suicide?

The guards weren’t paid enough for that.

"Theoretically possible? That was before. Your info’s outdated."

"How so?"

"Di Haoran’s arrived. Crossing the Northern Heavenly Gate won’t be so easy now."

"Wow, a Mahayana realm expert! If I tried to break through now, maybe I’d get to see him—I’ve always admired him."

"Sorry, but at your level, you’re not worth Di Haoran’s attention."

More and more people joined the discussion. No one expected the Emperor Heaven Sect’s leader, Di Haoran, to get involved.

The last time he appeared was when the Northern Heavenly Gate fell—which wasn’t even that long ago.

But for these people, just catching a glimpse of him was a bragging right.