At the summit, the scene was dazzlingly opulent—palaces and towers gleamed gold, with pillars so thick that two men together could barely encircle them, and golden statues everywhere. Beneath each statue, tribesmen from the steppe stood in silent ranks.
Suddenly, one of the golden statues moved. Quinn Shepherd’s heart skipped a beat—only then did he realize these were not statues at all, but living Grand Shamans!
The Grand Shamans of Loulan Golden Palace had refined their bodies until they shone like pure gold, radiating a golden aura.
Before the Golden Palace, beneath a towering gate, the Grand Shamans stood like radiant golden deities, solemn and imposing. At their head was an elder with golden hair and golden skin, tall and broad-shouldered, clad in gold robes, wielding a scepter and crowned with feathers. His voice thundered: “Martial Khan, you have roamed free for so many years—why come knocking at our door today?”
“‘Come knocking’—well put. Jadehide Ox, put down the gate!”
With a thunderous crash, the Jadehide Ox set down the gate. Libationer Barrett roared with laughter: “Witch‑Venerable, I’ve delivered the mountain gate myself! Most of these golden brothers here, I’ve fought before. Back then, I blocked the gate for a hundred days and wounded or killed quite a few. The strong ones couldn’t be spared, so I had to kill them; the weak survived at my hands. The weak ones—that’s all of you sitting here today.”
At these words, an uproar swept the mountain. The old generation of Loulan Golden Palace’s experts were enraged, and a murderous tension filled the air.
Libationer Barrett’s tongue was venomous—he’d just offended every master in Loulan Golden Palace and stirred up a storm of fury. Add to that hauling the mountain gate up here; there was no way this would end peacefully.
One of the Grand Shamans, stern-faced and with a voice like clashing metal, said coldly, “Our wounds have long healed. These years, Loulan Golden Palace has honed its strength—we’re eager to cross blades with you again and wash away our old disgrace.”
Libationer Barrett smiled. “You’ll get your chance. But this time, I’m here to block the door—not to kill you.”