Volume Two: Setting Out on the Journey Chapter 4: Arrival, the Border Battlefield

Along the way, Shen Feng and the others chatted with Wang Jue, taking the opportunity to share some essential precautions.

Five hours later, the massive steel beast rumbled to a halt in front of a facility resembling a military camp. Seeing the curious expression on Wang Jue’s face, Shen Feng smiled and said, "This is the only gateway to the Border Battlefield. It is heavily guarded, and there are many powerful individuals hidden in the vicinity to prevent any untoward incidents."

The vehicle was stopped. Shen Feng and his three companions skillfully produced their credentials and handed them to the guards. Wang Jue followed suit, presenting his own identification. A guard used a scanner to verify their documents and then scanned their faces. Once confirmed, they were allowed to pass.

Seeing the look of astonishment on Wang Jue’s face, Jiang Yunyan couldn't help but ask, "Little brother, do you find this strange?"

"A little," Wang Jue admitted candidly.

"Nothing to be surprised about. You can't get in here without martial artist credentials." Before Jiang Yunyan could respond, Shen Feng interjected, then drove the car into the camp. As they moved along, Wang Jue peered through the window at the numerous patrols.

Shortly after, Shen Feng parked the car, locked it, and led Wang Jue and the others to a plaza. At this moment, the plaza was sparsely populated. The most striking sight was a massive, arch-shaped steel gate standing in the center. It was at least forty or fifty meters high and about twenty or thirty meters wide. In the middle of the gate swirled a dark, deep, and elongated vortex. Anyone who looked at this vortex would feel their gaze involuntarily drawn in. Truth be told, seeing it for the first time was a jarring experience for the mind, and Wang Jue was no exception.

"Why does this thing give off such a strong, terrifying sensation?" Wang Jue stood before the gate, speechless for a long time.

"How is it? Is seeing a spatial rift for the first time quite a shock?" Shen Feng asked with a smile. The other three looked at him with amusement; they remembered having the same expression when they first encountered the rift.

Wang Jue nodded with a wry smile. "It’s certainly shocking!" A spatial rift—it truly evoked an instinctive sense of fear.

"Let’s go. Once you reach the Border Battlefield, you’ll be even more stunned," Shen Feng said, leading the way toward the gate.

Nearby, large machines were positioned, perhaps to stabilize the rift or for monitoring purposes, and staff members were busy operating them. The workers paid no mind to Wang Jue and his group. Wang Jue took a curious look at the machinery before following his teammates.

Shen Feng and the others walked into the spatial rift one by one and vanished. "Hiss..." Wang Jue took a deep breath as he watched them disappear, then stepped into the abyss.

It felt like an instant, yet also a long time; the world seemed to spin, and everything went black. Suddenly, he felt solid ground beneath his feet. Wang Jue immediately opened his eyes and looked around, finding Shen Feng and the others standing nearby. They looked surprised to see how quickly he had recovered. They remembered that during their own first transit, they had suffered from nausea and splitting headaches, needing half a day to recover before they could move normally.

"This guy is truly something else!" they thought, exchanging glances.

Shen Feng stepped forward and smiled. "Wang Jue, welcome to the Border Battlefield!"

Right, he had arrived at the Border Battlefield! Wang Jue didn't speak, instead scanning his surroundings. He discovered that he was in a great hall, and behind them stood the same massive archway as the one on the other side, with the dark vortex swirling slowly within. It looked somewhat like the teleportation arrays from the fantasy comics of his previous life.

Seeing Wang Jue’s gaze darting around, Shen Feng said helplessly, "Alright, don't just stand there. Let’s head out and have a look." He walked toward the door, and the others followed.

When they stepped outside, Wang Jue realized they had been inside a towering structure. Standing at its base, Shen Feng pointed to the soaring tower and said with a solemn expression, "It is located in the center of our city, and the entire city relies on this tower for power. In the Border Battlefield, every safety zone constructs such a beacon—it is meant to light the way home for us martial artists."

Wang Jue looked up; the tower stood hundreds of meters tall, forged entirely from white steel like a steep, treacherous peak piercing the clouds. Its surface was inscribed with countless profound, mysterious runes. The base resembled a plaza paved with unknown white stone, also etched with mysterious markings that emanated an arcane aura. The sheer scale of it felt overwhelming. "Why do I feel like I’ve entered another world?"

"Seeing these alien creations, is it a bit unbelievable?" Shen Feng chuckled. "The Border Battlefield is, as the name implies, the boundary of the planet. And the battlefield is not just for Star Beasts; it is primarily for those alien races that seek to invade our Azure Planet!"

"Hoo..." Wang Jue let out a long breath and sighed, "To be honest, the Border Battlefield is a bit different from what I imagined!" He felt as if he had transitioned from the modern world into a science-fiction setting. He couldn't help but wonder if he was even still on the Azure Planet.

"Heh, that’s perfectly normal," Shen Feng waved his hand and added a warning: "Most people who come here for the first time feel the same. However, don't think this is all there is. There will be more things later that you might find hard to accept, so prepare yourself."

"You're kidding, right?" Wang Jue swallowed hard.

"Believe it or not, I’ve warned you." Shen Feng glanced at him and told the group, "Let's go, it's time to head back."

They descended the stairs of the tower base and walked for a while. A bustling street scene with an exotic atmosphere greeted Wang Jue’s eyes. It was a giant city of steel, yet it carried an aesthetic reminiscent of a pre-steam era. The architecture blended exotic styles with shadows of modern design, creating a unique, strange, yet harmonious contrast.

Wang Jue scanned the pedestrians. Their attire was vastly different from what he was used to on the Azure Planet, though he did see some figures in combat gear similar to theirs. "Am I seeing things?" He was startled when he caught sight of a passing girl’s ears. "How is that girl..."

"Heh, I can guarantee you aren't seeing things," Su Yu said, patting his shoulder with a grin. "That’s a young woman from the Cat-folk tribe of the Beast-kin. It seems you’re a man of taste, little brother; you spotted her right away."

"Su Yu, don't corrupt Wang Jue," Jiang Yunxin chided.

"How could I? I'm just discussing life philosophy with him," Su Yu retorted.

Wang Jue: "..." Discussing life philosophy? Was that appropriate for someone who had never even kissed anyone?

Wang Jue asked, feeling speechless, "How are there other races in the Border Battlefield?"

"Little brother, you don't still think you're on the Azure Planet, do you?" Jiang Yunyan teased. "Everyone who comes here for the first time thinks that. Once we get to the Adventurer Headquarters, you’ll learn the basics about the Border Battlefield."

As they chatted, Shen Feng retrieved a vehicle and drove them to the headquarters. In the car, his four companions, seeing that Wang Jue had many questions, began to explain. They spoke of the various races, languages, and customs of the Border Battlefield. This city was home to many races, including the Beast-kin, Elves, Giants, and Winged-folk. With so many races, the languages were complex, though the human language served as the common tongue.

*Good heavens!* Wang Jue was astonished. Beast-kin, Elves, Giants, Winged-folk—these were things only found in science fiction and fantasy novels. He never expected to see them in the flesh!

Su Yu, acting like a veteran, said, "Surprised? I was just like you when I first arrived."

"What do we do about the language barrier when we meet these other races?" Wang Jue asked curiously.

Su Yu kept him in suspense: "Don't worry, there are ways."

"By the way, I have another question," Wang Jue said, organizing his thoughts. "Since we can coexist peacefully with these races here, why can we enter the Border Battlefield, but they cannot enter the Azure Planet?"

Shen Feng explained, "Because people of other races cannot pass through the spatial rift. Once, an alien powerhouse tried to force their way through and ended up suffering a massive backlash, nearly losing their life."

"Why is that?" Wang Jue wondered.

Shen Feng smiled bitterly. "That is not something we are meant to know."

It seemed the situation in the Border Battlefield was deeper than it appeared. Wang Jue sighed to himself and stopped asking. He looked out the window. The civilization here felt stuck in a Black Iron Age—neither the environment, the architecture, nor the atmosphere seemed as modernized as the Azure Planet. Yet, because of the profound runes, there were elements that defied the current era.

*Hmm, that must be a beauty from the Fox-kin tribe, right?* Not only was her figure excellent, but she was also incredibly seductive—the term "vixen" was certainly well-earned. *Wait, is that an Elf?* Good grief, she had such a hot figure, but her expression was one of complete asceticism!

Soon, they arrived at the Adventurer Headquarters. As they stepped out and walked inside, Wang Jue noticed that the headquarters was quite different from the Martial Arts Association branches back home. It felt more like a transit hub, where martial artists and adventurers gathered to rest, seek entertainment, accept missions, and sell their spoils of war.