From inside his robe, produced a crumpled yellow charm, its runes crooked as a toddler’s scrawl. “Look at this worthless thing, I was sure it would never fire.”

Yuliana’s gaze swept over the talisman paper. Her fingertip summoned a thread of spiritual energy, the charm was indeed the lowest-tier Immortal Binding Charm, its spiritual energy so ragged it could barely hobble an Earthly Immortal Realm Level One cultivator, let alone imprison a celestial princess.

Yet at the gate, his golden spiritual energy had felt solid as iron, nothing like this trash…

“Fortune favors you, it seems,” murmured, masking the chill in thoughts. She pointed toward a patrol of silver-armored Celestial Guards at the far end of the street. “Those Celestial Guards watch over West District. Celestia City’s been restless-strange cultivators wandering the alleys. If you keep sightseeing, avoid the lonely back lanes.”

The warning held a hook. She wanted to see whether talk of the sealed gates rattled him.

Jared’s eyes narrowed, dazzled by the sun on polished breastplates. “That armor gleams! Puts every soldier on level five to shame. Give me a suit like that and no one would dare shove me around while I’m running errands.”

He even reached out to tap a vambrace, yanking his hand back when the Celestial Guard glared, never once touching hint about illicit wanderers. Watching fawn over metal and ignore bait intensified Yuliana’s unease.