After Su Fan returned home, he entered the game again. As before, he couldn't leave the imperial palace, so he went back to sleep.
Inside the palace, Guang Long, who had enjoyed himself at the pleasure house all night, was summoned by the emperor again.
"That mysterious person from the north has left Tian Long City. Go and follow him to see who he belongs to," Xiao Yuan instructed Guang Long.
"Even without the Heavenly Mandate restricting you, you still command me like this," Guang Long said with a hint of grievance. He had been suppressed by Xiao Yuan for ten years, and just as he broke free, Xiao Yuan appeared again.
"So, you're unwilling?" Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked Guang Long.
"Consider it a debt! I'm leaving," Guang Long said nothing more and departed directly.
Xiao Yuan smiled faintly as he watched Guang Long's departing figure. It was a genuine smile, one he rarely showed.
"You're still the same as when you were a child, tough on the outside, soft on the inside," Xiao Yuan shook his head. He and Guang Long had been childhood friends. Back then, Xiao Yuan was the Crown Prince, and Guang Long was just a street hooligan. Somehow, he had managed to enter the palace and became friends with Xiao Yuan. Later, Guang Long left and returned as a renowned master.
When Xiao Yuan first ascended the throne, various feudal lords were eyeing his position. At that time, Guang Long unhesitatingly seized the royal artifact, the Heavenly Mandate, becoming a loyal subordinate of the emperor, clearing all threats for Xiao Yuan. However, Xiao Yuan never treated Guang Long as a mere subordinate. Guang Long was his friend, a brother who had faced life and death with him. If Guang Long wished, he would have gladly given him half his empire.
After leaving the palace, Guang Long followed Long Jianye northward with interest. Along the way, there were no incidents. Guang Long noticed that Long Jianye was fond of meddling, often fighting wild beasts or killing bandits. This struck Guang Long as rather inexplicable.
They traveled on, passing through Bei Ling City, but Long Jianye didn't stop. They then passed the frontline war zone, and he still didn't stop, continuing further north. They even crossed into a neighboring country and continued on to the extreme north, a land of glaciers and snowfields. This was a no-man's-land where ordinary people couldn't survive for a day due to the extreme cold, reaching astonishing temperatures of minus sixty or seventy degrees Celsius.
Long Jianye found his direction on the glacier and arrived at a snow-capped mountain. This mountain was home to many arctic creatures, each at least level fifty. Long Jianye had to move cautiously here, fearing discovery by too many monsters. Guang Long followed behind Long Jianye. If not for his invisibility spell, in this vast, boundless snowy environment, they would have been discovered long ago.
Finally, Long Jianye stopped in a flat area on the snow mountain. Guang Long frowned. He could sense something present here, like a formation. Formations were rare in this world, as the art of formation masters had long since died out, leaving no new formations. This formation was likely one passed down from ancient times.
Long Jianye stood in the air and performed a few hand seals. The snow on the ground instantly cleared, revealing a massive formation. Long Jianye walked a few steps on the formation, and a teleportation portal appeared before him. Long Jianye stepped through the portal and vanished.
Guang Long was somewhat shocked. He watched Long Jianye disappear into thin air, pondering what he was thinking. He walked onto the formation, recalled Long Jianye's movements, and replicated them on the formation.
*Clang!* A portal of light suddenly appeared before him. Guang Long's mouth fell open. He had tried it casually, and it actually worked! Guang Long hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the portal of light.
With a flash of light, the portal disappeared, and so did Guang Long. When Guang Long opened his eyes again, the surroundings had changed. Although it was still a snow mountain, the environment was entirely different, and the temperature was not as cold. Long Jianye had long since disappeared, but the formation circle on the ground indicated that this formation was the same as the one on the previous snow mountain.
Guang Long didn't rush back. He wanted to see what kind of place this was first. Guang Long walked forward, with no particular destination, just looking to see if he could find any people or objects. After flying for an unknown duration, he finally saw something different.
"Magnificent architecture!" Guang Long exclaimed in surprise as he saw towering buildings reaching into the clouds below. Who possessed such ambition and vision to build such awe-inspiring structures! What surprised him even more was that there were many such buildings around; it wasn't just one.
Guang Long wanted to find someone to ask where this place was. Then, he saw a scantily clad woman walk past him. This woman was dressed even more revealingly than the courtesan he had sought at the pleasure house the previous day.
"Excuse me, miss, may I trouble you for a moment?" Guang Long stopped her.
The girl looked at Guang Long with confusion. Were they filming a movie nearby? Why was this person out here in costume?
"Are you filming? Which crew are you from?" the girl asked excitedly. She had heard that Brother Kun was going to film in this city and had been unable to find the specific time or location, so she couldn't even go to watch. Could this person be from his crew? Thinking of this, she became even more excited.
Guang Long was utterly bewildered. What was all this? What movie? What crew?
"Miss, I'd like to ask where this place is?" Guang Long didn't understand her meaning but didn't care. He first wanted to find out where he was.
"This is G City. Are you lost?" The girl was quite kind. Seeing that Guang Long didn't seem to be joking, she became concerned.
"Ji City? You mean a market? I'm asking what this place is, what country and county it belongs to?" Guang Long thought the girl hadn't understood him and asked again.
"The country of Huaxia. What county? I'm a pigsty!" The girl suddenly got angry, thinking Guang Long was playing a trick on her. She turned and walked away, ignoring Guang Long.
Guang Long was completely baffled. What had he done wrong? Guang Long asked a few more people for directions, and the results were all similar. He finally confirmed that this was a place called "Ji City," but he had no idea what Ji City was. He, who had roamed the martial world in his younger days, had been everywhere. His name had been known in every corner of the Tian Long Dynasty. But Ji City... he had to admit his ignorance; he had never heard of it.
A car sped towards them. Guang Long was startled, thinking some master was about to attack him. He immediately dodged several meters away, warily watching the behemoth before him.
"Why are you standing so far away? You've changed your clothes, very professional. Get in the car!" The car window rolled down, and a man wearing sunglasses urged Guang Long on. Guang Long was shocked again. This giant creature had already taken a person!