“What else is there to fight over?” said Elder Storm Du. “Didn’t we hand over the place? This was Xu Cheng’s idea, this has nothing to do with us.”
Xu Cheng was the Caster Grandmaster captured by Qi Nanshan. He rashly acted without understanding situation and had only himself to blame.
The three Storm brothers were not Xu Cheng’s followers. If they were, they would be desperately bound to defend Xu Cheng. But they were only acting in a mutually cooperative relationship, so they ignored him.
Luo Jie was never one to go soft on his enemies. He walked over to Xu Cheng’s side to grab his Innate Rune Book.
“If you dare to move, I’m going to kill you!” Qi Nan Shan warned Xu Cheng.
Xu Cheng knew this was not an empty threat. If you die in the Secret Realm, no one will ask. Even if Qi Nanshan were to kill anyone from the West Rune Sect, no one would meddle—everyone else would just mind their own business. So immediately stopped struggling and just stared angrily at Luo Jie, who flipped through the pages of his Innate Rune Book while plundering the Glyphs within.
His face grew redder and redder, and then he fainted.
“You overestimate yourself (Or suck my balls),” Qi Nanshan said in disdain.
Luo Jie finished ransacking all the Glyphs. The Innate Rune Book now rotated empty over Xu Cheng’s chest.
Qi Nanshan bent down and reached out towards the Innate Rune Book and squeezed it with his hands. It exploded into countless silver particles that fell to the ground.
Guo Shier understood what Qi Nanshan did. The Rune Book had to be destroyed to render Xu Cheng powerless, so he wouldn’t be able to cause trouble later. Qi Nanshan solved the root of the problem.
The three Storm brothers turned pale and left.
Only the two Beast Warrior Adepts by Xu Cheng’s side did not run. One of the Adepts picked him up and asked Guo Shier, “Will you let us go?”
“You can go,” he replied.
Two Beast Warrior Adepts picked up Xu Cheng and left.
“A Caster Grandmaster only has two Beast Warrior Adept followers? Is this possible?” Guo Shier asked.
Luo Jie nodded. “This person probably came from the North Rune Sect. He probably committed something there. Ying Mo, I’m right?”
“Yes,” Ying Mo replied. “Although I don’t know this man, I’ve heard of his reputation. He’s a very ruthless guy.”
Guo Shier shrugged. “Alright, we’ll stay and rest here for a while,” he said. “Grandpa Nanshan, please arrange the guarding duty. Uncle Ying Mo, you arrange the rooms. Little Hong, you arrange the evening meals.”
Guo Shier also gave orders to a Beast Warrior Adept of the supply station, “Arrange baths for our group. Once we enter the mountains, we won’t have any chance to take baths.”
The Beast Warrior Adept agreed and left with the wolf by its side.
Tan Laoxi’s heart went cold. He started to fear Guo Shier. He saw with his own eyes the terror in the faces of the three Storm brothers when they saw Guo Shier. This child was truly terrible. He regretted that he had bullied Guo Shier in beginning. But had he known earlier, would he really pat the boy’s butt (kiss his ass)?
The night passed quietly.
********
The next morning, everyone deposited their war horses and started hiking towards the mountain.
This time, Guo Shier had a lot of helping hands. He sent a few Marked Warrior Grandmasters to explore—including Ying Mo and Luo Zhan.
Qi Nanshan sat this one out.
Guo Shier frowned as he examined the simple map. He pointed at a spot on it.
“Master, we can go in here, but there’s a huge possibility of encountering teams and getting into disputes. We might waste time—time that we could be using hunting for Marked Beasts instead.”
“You’re the captain,” Luo Jie said. “You decide what to do.” He has completely let go of his leadership and allowed Guo Shier take command.
“Alright, we dive in to this location then,” Guo Shier said, pointed at another location on the map.
Luo Jie was surprised. “This location is near the Marked Beast Variant area. Hehe! You still haven’t given up on hunting Marked Beast Variants. Do you want try them out?”
Guo Shier laughed. “The Variant Earth Dragon was indeed very powerful because it was a Rank 7 Marked Beast Variant, according to Li Ran Predecessor. But we don’t necessarily need to hunt high-level Beast Variants like that. With the strength of nine Grandmasters, we have a strong chance of winning against lower ranks—like a Rank 3 Beast Variant. We just need to be careful.”
“We have to look for Marked Beast Variants—not just Marked Beasts—or we might lose to other teams,” Qi Nanshan pointed out.
“He’s right, Shier,” said Luo Jie. “We should look for Marked Beast Variants.”
“Alright, then. Let’s go,” Guo Shier said. “Where is Mr. Tan?”
Tan Laoxi looked miserable. “Shier can you call me Grandpa Tan. Calling me Mr. Tan is really fucking awkward. Ugh!”
Guo Shier laughed at him. “Why should I call you Grandpa? Do you act like an elder?”
The group started laughing.
Tan Laoxi tried to put on a smile. “I promise to act like a real elder from now on, Shier. I promise not to speak foul language. If I curse again, then I’m not a fucking man!”
The crowd was suddenly speechless. He just cursed again!
Guo Shier gave in. “Forget it, I’m too lazy to care about you…Uncle Tan.”
Tan Laoxi almost burst into tears. Uncle is not bad. At least he addresses me as an elder, he thought. He made up his mind—he can offend Luo Jie but he would never offend Guo Shier ever again.
“I’m at you service,” he said. “Whatever you need, alright?”
Guo Shier wry smiled wryly and shook his head. He though this guy simply had a thick face.
“We’re going down this road. Do you have any suggestions? You should be most familiar with the situation here.”
Tan Laoxi took the simple map from Guo Shier and looked at it carefully.
“Let’s not use this road here. It’s better to go around here,” he said.
“This road is the shortest route, why take the detour?” Guo Shier asked.
“This road goes through a cliff with a bunch of Marked Thunder Eagles,” Tan Laoxi answered. “They are very tough—they have massacred several teams. According to those who escaped, there were hundreds of fucking cliffs with Marked Thunder Eagles. Every team that used this road ended up being wiped out.
“Then why is this road marked so clearly?”
“Hehe! Shier, you are very smart! Why do you think?”
Guo Shier couldn’t help but curse. “Fine, fine. We’ll follow your path.”
This guy is relentless, Luo Jie thought (referring to Tan Laoxi).
********
The group arrived at the fork on the road.
“The left is the way to the Marked Thunder Eagle site. The road to the right can be used to go around,” Tan Laoxi explained.
“Let’s go around,” Guo Shier ordered.
The other way was not an easy path with all the low lying thorny bushes. They used two long Rune Blades to make it passable.
“Uncle Tan, how long has it been since this road has been last used?” Guo Shier asked.
“I haven’t been here in 20 years,” the old man replied.
“Twenty years. That’s a long time,” mused Guo Shier.
It was a very slow journey, and Qi Nanshan quickly got impatient.
“Let’s carry the little guys behind our backs. This speed is too slow for me.”
Guo Shier cheered and immediately jumped on Ying Mo’s back.
“I already had this plan in mind. I was just embarrassed to say it. Haha! Uncle Ying Mo, sorry for the trouble! Haha!”
Qi Nanshan carried Luo Jie on his back.
“Wait—who’s going to carry me?” Tan Laoxi asked.
When Lantian Bao stood awkwardly, Guo Shier began to assign personnel. Luo Zhan was assigned to carry Lantian Bao while Luo Jing would carry Tan Laoxi.
Xiao Feng would carrying Chen Hong, while the other three Marked Warrior Masters would carry Huo Bao, Chen Bing and Hong Shi. Since the children were relatively light, the Marked Warrior Masters could easily carry them.
The plan proved to be a good one. They were able to travel so much faster. They no longer needed to use their Rune Blades to clear the paths.
********
“There is a little pond not far from here. We can rest there,” Tan Laoxi suggested.
As the person who was most familiar with the terrain, Tan Laoxi lead from the front. This saved Luo Jie’s team a lot of trouble. Guo Shier now understood why his master insisted on bringing this foul-mouthed old man.
A few moments later, everyone started hearing the sound of running water. They turned towards the hill and noticed a small pond not far away.
It was their first day of camping in the mountains. The location was still within the safe zone, so Guo Shier confidently encamped the team here. But he knew that they would have to start being more careful after another day of travel.
Everyone put up simple tents. Since the horses couldn’t travel through the mountains, almost all their heavy baggage had to be left at the supply station. Each person only had a few Storage Rune bags.
Guo Shier, Luo Jie, Qi Nanshan, and Tan Laoxi discussed the trip for the next day. Tan Laoxi was included this time because he was familiar with the path.
“Uncle Tan, can you tell us more about the dangerous areas that we can expert to pass through tomorrow?” Guo Shier asked.
“I haven’t been there for years. I don’t know what’s changed. But I know that Marked Beasts here usually act alone and rarely in droves. Hopefully, we won’t encounter any large groups,” he replied.
Guo Shier acknowledged his input. “Alright, tomorrow’s recon is a big responsibility. We should avoid the Marked Beasts who move in packs and focus on those who hunt alone. Grandpa Nanshan, you are the strongest. I’m afraid we have to rely on you for this tiring job.”
Qi Nanshan nodded slightly. “No problem.”
“Let’s maximize our time here in the Wild Beast Secret Dimension and hunt every Marked Beast we encounter,” Guo Shier suggested.
“But let’s stay away from areas where the Marked Beast Variants are active. That would be troublesome. There’s plenty of Marked Beasts for hunting, anyway.”
“But I want to try them out and test my strength! Hehe!” Qi Nanshan said.
“Fuck! What do you mean test your strength?” Tan Laoxi blurted out.
Qi Nanshan smiled. “It’s nothing. My hands are just itching.”
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
Tan Laoxi found Guo Shier staring at him. He sighed, realizing that he blurted out some vulgar words yet again.
“Shier, Uncle is used to speaking like this,” he explained apologetically. “But if you say so, Uncle will stop talking.”
Guo Shier was too lazy and just ignored the incident. “All right, wash up first,” he said. “Then we eat and rest. Let’s start early tomorrow.”
After eating, Guo Shier walked to the edge of the pond wearing a thin fur coat. He sat on the rock and watched the glowing sun disappear little by little along the horizon. The sunset painted the sky fiery red.
Luo Jie walked up to him and asked, “Shier, what’s the matter?”
Guo Shier smiled. “It’s nothing, just sitting. Master, do you have something to tell me?”
“Nothing, I just saw you sitting here, so I came to take a look. Hehe! Are you homesick?”
“No, I haven’t had a concept of home for a long time.”
Guo Shier was an unencumbered Lama in his first two lives. He was just a lonely old man with no children, so the feeling of home did not exist for him.
Luo Jie was a little surprised. “You came from the Guo clansmen. Hehe! Now that you’ve advanced to Artificer Grandmaster level, if you go back you would be treated differently.”
But Shier has never even thought of coming back since leaving. On the day his soul was awakened, he was chosen by the North Rune Sect and left his hometown. He never had time to develop any connection to his home and clan.
“Master, the West Rune Sect brought out so many Marked Horses this time. Do you know what their purpose is?”
“Not just Marked Horses, but also an ancient Glyph,” Luo Jie commented. “But no Grandmaster can activate it. You know what this means…”
Guo Shier’s eyes sparkled. “A True Treasure Glyph? True Spirit Glyph?” he asked enthusiastically.
“I don’t know. But I’m determined to know.”
Guo Shier nodded. “Ah, in any case, we have to grab it! Master should also try high-level Glyphs. Maybe after your advancement, your Innate Rune Book will be different.”
“I also want to confirm that. Maybe after the advancement, I can manipulate more advanced Glyphs.”
Guo Shier smiled. “After our trip here in this Secret Realm, we should return as soon as possible. Hehe! There is so much we don’t know.”
Luo Jie laughed. “My current idea is a little different. If we can get into another World as soon as possible, maybe you can learn better and more useful knowledge. I think we are too underdeveloped here. Reaching a Grandmaster level is far from enough.”
“Master, if we travel to that kind of place, wouldn’t it be dangerous?
“Certainly! I’m sure it’s very dangerous. Are you scared?”
“No, I’m not afraid,” Guo Shier replied without hesitation.
Luo Jie laughed. “Me neither. Hehe! I expect to find more out there.”
For Luo Jie who has already reached the top and suddenly discovered a higher mountain, this was a compelling challenge.
“We should increase and solidify our own strength as soon as possible if we want to go to other Worlds,” Guo Shier said. “Otherwise we may not have enough strength to protect ourselves.”
Luo Jie nodded in approval. “Before undertaking this endeavor, we must first enhance our own strength. Hehe! We should find as many powerful Glyphs as we can. We have a chance of collecting True Treasure and True Spirit Level Glyphs since the Grandmasters here can’t activate them.”
********
For seven or eight consecutive days, they continually hunted Marked Beasts in the area.
Qi Nanshan killed a multicolored Marked Leopard with one hit. Not only did he surprise himself—he also impressed the entire hunting group.
Even a weak Marked Beast could be very difficult to deal with, even for Marked Warrior Grandmasters. They usually needed an entire team’s strength to kill one. But Qi Nanshan actually defeated a Marked Leopard with one punch. His performance gave the group confidence. They started believing in their ability to hunt Marked Beast Variants.
“There is a forest not far ahead where there are more Marked Beasts. Damn this mother… Uh, no. I mean, we should be careful,” said Tan Laoxi, trying very hard to control his swearing.
********
Most of the trees in the forest were normal sized, but there were a few distinctively thinner ones. The clearings were covered in waist-deep weeds and shrubs. There were many herbivores wandering the woods.
Guo Shier narrowed his eyes and observed the surroundings. “It’s dangerous here,” he said. “Although the field of vision is still relatively open, the weeds and shrubs are too thick. I can’t see what’s hiding between those spaces. Take note of this, everyone. Nanshan Grandpa, watch over the Masters. Everybody else, pay attention and be vigilant. Let’s go in!”
“From here on, Marked Beasts will appear more and more,” Tan Laoxi said, seemingly pleased with himself, “Hey Shier, I haven’t used foul language for says. What the fuck. It’s not easy, ah…”
Guo Shier sighed. “You just blurted another curse word out. Augh! To really change, you have to work hard!”
Everyone can’t help but laugh.
But the light moment was interrupted by Qi NanShan’s shouting. “Be careful!” he yelled. “Marked Snow Wolf, a group of Marked Snow Wolves!!!”
Not far from the woods there was a small mound with a few Marked Snow Wolves on top. Their green pupils were evident from afar. They stared at the group while releasing a cold aura.
A horde of beasts is the most terrifying thing one can encounter when hunting in the mountains. Whether you’re running on the ground or flying without enough strength, if you encounter hordes of Marked Beasts, you’re finished.
Guo Shier immediately revealed his plan. “Battle formation! Uncle Xiao Feng, Uncle Luo Jing—you two in front. Uncle Tan, you’re in charge of destroying the Marked Snow Wolves that they can’t stop.”
“Uncle Ying Mo, you are responsible for the left side. Uncle Luo, you are responsible for the right side. Elder Sister Lan, you are responsible for our rear side. Be careful of being attacked,” he continued. “I, Master, and the rest—move to the center! Grandpa Nanshan, your task is the most important. Kill the Marked Wolf King!”
The Marked Snow Wolves did not immediately launch an attack. One of them stood up and stared at the group.
This particular Marked Snow Wolf was several times larger than ordinary Marked Snow Wolves. It was almost as big as a tiger. Its fur was white and released a trace of cold aura. It was an Ice Attribute Marked Beast.
“How many? How many Marked Snow Wolves?” asked Guo Shier.
“There are four on top of the hill and three below it,” Qi Nanshan said. I don’t know if there’s any behind the hill.”
Seven is a very scary number. An Intermediate Rank squad won’t be able to handle such a horde and would rather escape than go into battle. Wolves are some of the toughest beasts to handle—and an Ice Attribute Marked Beast is even harder to beat.
Tan Laoxi could no longer stop himself from cursing. “Damn, what the fuck is this? Fucking group of Marked Snow Wolves! This is so fucked up, what fucking luck. I don’t want to die!”
Guo Shier shouted, “Shut up Uncle Tan! We have so many Grandmasters. Afraid my ass!”
Seven Marked Snow Wolves was not enough to scare Luo Jie’s squad.
However, while everyone was on high alert, a few more Marked Snow Wolves emerged from the bushes. A couple of Coyotes poked their heads out.
“This is a Wolf’s Den!” Qi Nanshan shouted. “Be careful—the wolves are launching an attack!”
A single Marked Snow Wolf from the encirclement suddenly sprang towards the hill. The fur on his body was actually silver. The lazy Snow Wolves were emboldened by the move and immediately stood one by one. They started baring their teeth on the human visitors.
“The Marked Wolf King came out!” Guo Shier shouted.
Luo Jie looked carefully. “This Marked Wolf King is a Variant!”
“A very beautiful Marked Wolf King,” Guo Shier said, almost in awe. “This silver Marked Wolf King skin, I want it!”
His comment somehow relaxed the tense atmosphere.
Luo Jie glanced at him with admiration. “Good! Da-Shan, do not break the Marked Wolf King’s fur! Shier want its skin!”
With the roar of the Marked Wolf King, a number of Marked Snow Wolves lept out from the underbrush.
“There are 12 Marked Snow Wolves and six Coyotes,” Qi Nanshan said calmly.
All the participants finally revealed themselves.
The battle was about to commence.
Guo Shier opened his mouth and exhaled a black mist that turned into a Giant Scorpion. He released his Dark Winged Scorpion, followed by his Armored Bull.
His field of vision suddenly widened as he jumped on the back of the bull.
The Armored Bull was two meters tall. After fully materializing with its thick hide, it turned into a very good shield and mount.
Luo Jie, Tan Laoxi, and Lantian Bao also took out their own Innate Rune Book to prepare for the fight.
Lantian Bao took out a fist-sized Golden Beetle that flew around her body, while a dozen of colorful Snakes stood ready at her feet. They looked so threatening that a Marked Warrior Master who had been guarding her could not help but walk a few steps away.
Tan Laoxi released a spirit of two Marked Bears to guard himself. This was common practice. Artificers protect themselves before going into battle.
“Once the Wolves launch an attack, I’ll deal with the Marked Wolf King!” said Qi Nanshan. He was fully confident of his strength.
The Marked Wolf King let out another roar. Suddenly, his body shot over as fast as lightning, leaving a streak of silver in its wake.
It was evidently trying to open a path for the other Marked Snow Wolves to use as an opportunity to get into the human group.
“You’re mine!” Qi Nanshan shouted as he moved just as swiftly to welcome the Snow Wolf King.
Xiao Feng and Luo Jing each held a Rune Shield and a Rune Blade in their hands. Their primary task was to block the advance of the other Snow Wolves. Luo Jie, Guo Shier, Tan Laoxi and Lantian Bao—the four Grandmasters—were to be the main killers.
Guo Shier had his Dark Winged Scorpion and his Sword Glyph ready to attack. He did not take out his Bird Glyph for the time being. He knew that the Bird Glyph’s power was not enough to shake a Grandmaster level defense. He experienced this in a battle on one of the Secret Planes. He reasoned that he has not fully explored the mysteries of the Bird Glyph, hence, he cannot use the Bird Glyph’s true power.
Xiao Feng blocked the advance of a Marked Snow Wolf. At the moment of impact, he felt his whole body shake. He was surprised at how strong the Marked Snow Wolf was.
He tried to slash the Marked Snow Wolf’s head using the Rune Blade is his hands.
“Peng!”
The hacked Marked Snow Wolf turned up and over from the force of the hit. But Xiao Feng immediately realized that his Rune Blade was not able to penetrate the Marked Snow Wolf’s fur.
Another Marked Snow Wolf rushed in and took advantage of his distraction. Xiao Feng shouted in alarm and angled his Rune Shield towards the Marked Snow Wolf.
Guo Shier’s eyes heated up as two golden lines shot out from them.
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
“What else is there to fight over?” said Elder Storm Du. “Didn’t we hand over the place? This was Xu Cheng’s idea, this has nothing to do with us.”
Xu Cheng was the Caster Grandmaster captured by Qi Nanshan. He rashly acted without understanding situation and had only himself to blame.
The three Storm brothers were not Xu Cheng’s followers. If they were, they would be desperately bound to defend Xu Cheng. But they were only acting in a mutually cooperative relationship, so they ignored him.
Luo Jie was never one to go soft on his enemies. He walked over to Xu Cheng’s side to grab his Innate Rune Book.
“If you dare to move, I’m going to kill you!” Qi Nan Shan warned Xu Cheng.
Xu Cheng knew this was not an empty threat. If you die in the Secret Realm, no one will ask. Even if Qi Nanshan were to kill anyone from the West Rune Sect, no one would meddle—everyone else would just mind their own business. So immediately stopped struggling and just stared angrily at Luo Jie, who flipped through the pages of his Innate Rune Book while plundering the Glyphs within.
His face grew redder and redder, and then he fainted.
“You overestimate yourself (Or suck my balls),” Qi Nanshan said in disdain.
Luo Jie finished ransacking all the Glyphs. The Innate Rune Book now rotated empty over Xu Cheng’s chest.
Qi Nanshan bent down and reached out towards the Innate Rune Book and squeezed it with his hands. It exploded into countless silver particles that fell to the ground.
Guo Shier understood what Qi Nanshan did. The Rune Book had to be destroyed to render Xu Cheng powerless, so he wouldn’t be able to cause trouble later. Qi Nanshan solved the root of the problem.
The three Storm brothers turned pale and left.
Only the two Beast Warrior Adepts by Xu Cheng’s side did not run. One of the Adepts picked him up and asked Guo Shier, “Will you let us go?”
“You can go,” he replied.
Two Beast Warrior Adepts picked up Xu Cheng and left.
“A Caster Grandmaster only has two Beast Warrior Adept followers? Is this possible?” Guo Shier asked.
Luo Jie nodded. “This person probably came from the North Rune Sect. He probably committed something there. Ying Mo, I’m right?”
“Yes,” Ying Mo replied. “Although I don’t know this man, I’ve heard of his reputation. He’s a very ruthless guy.”
Guo Shier shrugged. “Alright, we’ll stay and rest here for a while,” he said. “Grandpa Nanshan, please arrange the guarding duty. Uncle Ying Mo, you arrange the rooms. Little Hong, you arrange the evening meals.”
Guo Shier also gave orders to a Beast Warrior Adept of the supply station, “Arrange baths for our group. Once we enter the mountains, we won’t have any chance to take baths.”
The Beast Warrior Adept agreed and left with the wolf by its side.
Tan Laoxi’s heart went cold. He started to fear Guo Shier. He saw with his own eyes the terror in the faces of the three Storm brothers when they saw Guo Shier. This child was truly terrible. He regretted that he had bullied Guo Shier in beginning. But had he known earlier, would he really pat the boy’s butt (kiss his ass)?
The night passed quietly.
********
The next morning, everyone deposited their war horses and started hiking towards the mountain.
This time, Guo Shier had a lot of helping hands. He sent a few Marked Warrior Grandmasters to explore—including Ying Mo and Luo Zhan.
Qi Nanshan sat this one out.
Guo Shier frowned as he examined the simple map. He pointed at a spot on it.
“Master, we can go in here, but there’s a huge possibility of encountering teams and getting into disputes. We might waste time—time that we could be using hunting for Marked Beasts instead.”
“You’re the captain,” Luo Jie said. “You decide what to do.” He has completely let go of his leadership and allowed Guo Shier take command.
“Alright, we dive in to this location then,” Guo Shier said, pointed at another location on the map.
Luo Jie was surprised. “This location is near the Marked Beast Variant area. Hehe! You still haven’t given up on hunting Marked Beast Variants. Do you want try them out?”
Guo Shier laughed. “The Variant Earth Dragon was indeed very powerful because it was a Rank 7 Marked Beast Variant, according to Li Ran Predecessor. But we don’t necessarily need to hunt high-level Beast Variants like that. With the strength of nine Grandmasters, we have a strong chance of winning against lower ranks—like a Rank 3 Beast Variant. We just need to be careful.”
“We have to look for Marked Beast Variants—not just Marked Beasts—or we might lose to other teams,” Qi Nanshan pointed out.
“He’s right, Shier,” said Luo Jie. “We should look for Marked Beast Variants.”
“Alright, then. Let’s go,” Guo Shier said. “Where is Mr. Tan?”
Tan Laoxi looked miserable. “Shier can you call me Grandpa Tan. Calling me Mr. Tan is really fucking awkward. Ugh!”
Guo Shier laughed at him. “Why should I call you Grandpa? Do you act like an elder?”
The group started laughing.
Tan Laoxi tried to put on a smile. “I promise to act like a real elder from now on, Shier. I promise not to speak foul language. If I curse again, then I’m not a fucking man!”
The crowd was suddenly speechless. He just cursed again!
Guo Shier gave in. “Forget it, I’m too lazy to care about you…Uncle Tan.”
Tan Laoxi almost burst into tears. Uncle is not bad. At least he addresses me as an elder, he thought. He made up his mind—he can offend Luo Jie but he would never offend Guo Shier ever again.
“I’m at you service,” he said. “Whatever you need, alright?”
Guo Shier wry smiled wryly and shook his head. He though this guy simply had a thick face.
“We’re going down this road. Do you have any suggestions? You should be most familiar with the situation here.”
Tan Laoxi took the simple map from Guo Shier and looked at it carefully.
“Let’s not use this road here. It’s better to go around here,” he said.
“This road is the shortest route, why take the detour?” Guo Shier asked.
“This road goes through a cliff with a bunch of Marked Thunder Eagles,” Tan Laoxi answered. “They are very tough—they have massacred several teams. According to those who escaped, there were hundreds of fucking cliffs with Marked Thunder Eagles. Every team that used this road ended up being wiped out.
“Then why is this road marked so clearly?”
“Hehe! Shier, you are very smart! Why do you think?”
Guo Shier couldn’t help but curse. “Fine, fine. We’ll follow your path.”
This guy is relentless, Luo Jie thought (referring to Tan Laoxi).
********
The group arrived at the fork on the road.
“The left is the way to the Marked Thunder Eagle site. The road to the right can be used to go around,” Tan Laoxi explained.
“Let’s go around,” Guo Shier ordered.
The other way was not an easy path with all the low lying thorny bushes. They used two long Rune Blades to make it passable.
“Uncle Tan, how long has it been since this road has been last used?” Guo Shier asked.
“I haven’t been here in 20 years,” the old man replied.
“Twenty years. That’s a long time,” mused Guo Shier.
It was a very slow journey, and Qi Nanshan quickly got impatient.
“Let’s carry the little guys behind our backs. This speed is too slow for me.”
Guo Shier cheered and immediately jumped on Ying Mo’s back.
“I already had this plan in mind. I was just embarrassed to say it. Haha! Uncle Ying Mo, sorry for the trouble! Haha!”
Qi Nanshan carried Luo Jie on his back.
“Wait—who’s going to carry me?” Tan Laoxi asked.
When Lantian Bao stood awkwardly, Guo Shier began to assign personnel. Luo Zhan was assigned to carry Lantian Bao while Luo Jing would carry Tan Laoxi.
Xiao Feng would carrying Chen Hong, while the other three Marked Warrior Masters would carry Huo Bao, Chen Bing and Hong Shi. Since the children were relatively light, the Marked Warrior Masters could easily carry them.
The plan proved to be a good one. They were able to travel so much faster. They no longer needed to use their Rune Blades to clear the paths.
********
“There is a little pond not far from here. We can rest there,” Tan Laoxi suggested.
As the person who was most familiar with the terrain, Tan Laoxi lead from the front. This saved Luo Jie’s team a lot of trouble. Guo Shier now understood why his master insisted on bringing this foul-mouthed old man.
A few moments later, everyone started hearing the sound of running water. They turned towards the hill and noticed a small pond not far away.
It was their first day of camping in the mountains. The location was still within the safe zone, so Guo Shier confidently encamped the team here. But he knew that they would have to start being more careful after another day of travel.
Everyone put up simple tents. Since the horses couldn’t travel through the mountains, almost all their heavy baggage had to be left at the supply station. Each person only had a few Storage Rune bags.
Guo Shier, Luo Jie, Qi Nanshan, and Tan Laoxi discussed the trip for the next day. Tan Laoxi was included this time because he was familiar with the path.
“Uncle Tan, can you tell us more about the dangerous areas that we can expert to pass through tomorrow?” Guo Shier asked.
“I haven’t been there for years. I don’t know what’s changed. But I know that Marked Beasts here usually act alone and rarely in droves. Hopefully, we won’t encounter any large groups,” he replied.
Guo Shier acknowledged his input. “Alright, tomorrow’s recon is a big responsibility. We should avoid the Marked Beasts who move in packs and focus on those who hunt alone. Grandpa Nanshan, you are the strongest. I’m afraid we have to rely on you for this tiring job.”
Qi Nanshan nodded slightly. “No problem.”
“Let’s maximize our time here in the Wild Beast Secret Dimension and hunt every Marked Beast we encounter,” Guo Shier suggested.
“But let’s stay away from areas where the Marked Beast Variants are active. That would be troublesome. There’s plenty of Marked Beasts for hunting, anyway.”
“But I want to try them out and test my strength! Hehe!” Qi Nanshan said.
“Fuck! What do you mean test your strength?” Tan Laoxi blurted out.
Qi Nanshan smiled. “It’s nothing. My hands are just itching.”
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
Tan Laoxi found Guo Shier staring at him. He sighed, realizing that he blurted out some vulgar words yet again.
“Shier, Uncle is used to speaking like this,” he explained apologetically. “But if you say so, Uncle will stop talking.”
Guo Shier was too lazy and just ignored the incident. “All right, wash up first,” he said. “Then we eat and rest. Let’s start early tomorrow.”
After eating, Guo Shier walked to the edge of the pond wearing a thin fur coat. He sat on the rock and watched the glowing sun disappear little by little along the horizon. The sunset painted the sky fiery red.
Luo Jie walked up to him and asked, “Shier, what’s the matter?”
Guo Shier smiled. “It’s nothing, just sitting. Master, do you have something to tell me?”
“Nothing, I just saw you sitting here, so I came to take a look. Hehe! Are you homesick?”
“No, I haven’t had a concept of home for a long time.”
Guo Shier was an unencumbered Lama in his first two lives. He was just a lonely old man with no children, so the feeling of home did not exist for him.
Luo Jie was a little surprised. “You came from the Guo clansmen. Hehe! Now that you’ve advanced to Artificer Grandmaster level, if you go back you would be treated differently.”
But Shier has never even thought of coming back since leaving. On the day his soul was awakened, he was chosen by the North Rune Sect and left his hometown. He never had time to develop any connection to his home and clan.
“Master, the West Rune Sect brought out so many Marked Horses this time. Do you know what their purpose is?”
“Not just Marked Horses, but also an ancient Glyph,” Luo Jie commented. “But no Grandmaster can activate it. You know what this means…”
Guo Shier’s eyes sparkled. “A True Treasure Glyph? True Spirit Glyph?” he asked enthusiastically.
“I don’t know. But I’m determined to know.”
Guo Shier nodded. “Ah, in any case, we have to grab it! Master should also try high-level Glyphs. Maybe after your advancement, your Innate Rune Book will be different.”
“I also want to confirm that. Maybe after the advancement, I can manipulate more advanced Glyphs.”
Guo Shier smiled. “After our trip here in this Secret Realm, we should return as soon as possible. Hehe! There is so much we don’t know.”
Luo Jie laughed. “My current idea is a little different. If we can get into another World as soon as possible, maybe you can learn better and more useful knowledge. I think we are too underdeveloped here. Reaching a Grandmaster level is far from enough.”
“Master, if we travel to that kind of place, wouldn’t it be dangerous?
“Certainly! I’m sure it’s very dangerous. Are you scared?”
“No, I’m not afraid,” Guo Shier replied without hesitation.
Luo Jie laughed. “Me neither. Hehe! I expect to find more out there.”
For Luo Jie who has already reached the top and suddenly discovered a higher mountain, this was a compelling challenge.
“We should increase and solidify our own strength as soon as possible if we want to go to other Worlds,” Guo Shier said. “Otherwise we may not have enough strength to protect ourselves.”
Luo Jie nodded in approval. “Before undertaking this endeavor, we must first enhance our own strength. Hehe! We should find as many powerful Glyphs as we can. We have a chance of collecting True Treasure and True Spirit Level Glyphs since the Grandmasters here can’t activate them.”
********
For seven or eight consecutive days, they continually hunted Marked Beasts in the area.
Qi Nanshan killed a multicolored Marked Leopard with one hit. Not only did he surprise himself—he also impressed the entire hunting group.
Even a weak Marked Beast could be very difficult to deal with, even for Marked Warrior Grandmasters. They usually needed an entire team’s strength to kill one. But Qi Nanshan actually defeated a Marked Leopard with one punch. His performance gave the group confidence. They started believing in their ability to hunt Marked Beast Variants.
“There is a forest not far ahead where there are more Marked Beasts. Damn this mother… Uh, no. I mean, we should be careful,” said Tan Laoxi, trying very hard to control his swearing.
********
Most of the trees in the forest were normal sized, but there were a few distinctively thinner ones. The clearings were covered in waist-deep weeds and shrubs. There were many herbivores wandering the woods.
Guo Shier narrowed his eyes and observed the surroundings. “It’s dangerous here,” he said. “Although the field of vision is still relatively open, the weeds and shrubs are too thick. I can’t see what’s hiding between those spaces. Take note of this, everyone. Nanshan Grandpa, watch over the Masters. Everybody else, pay attention and be vigilant. Let’s go in!”
“From here on, Marked Beasts will appear more and more,” Tan Laoxi said, seemingly pleased with himself, “Hey Shier, I haven’t used foul language for says. What the fuck. It’s not easy, ah…”
Guo Shier sighed. “You just blurted another curse word out. Augh! To really change, you have to work hard!”
Everyone can’t help but laugh.
But the light moment was interrupted by Qi NanShan’s shouting. “Be careful!” he yelled. “Marked Snow Wolf, a group of Marked Snow Wolves!!!”
Not far from the woods there was a small mound with a few Marked Snow Wolves on top. Their green pupils were evident from afar. They stared at the group while releasing a cold aura.
A horde of beasts is the most terrifying thing one can encounter when hunting in the mountains. Whether you’re running on the ground or flying without enough strength, if you encounter hordes of Marked Beasts, you’re finished.
Guo Shier immediately revealed his plan. “Battle formation! Uncle Xiao Feng, Uncle Luo Jing—you two in front. Uncle Tan, you’re in charge of destroying the Marked Snow Wolves that they can’t stop.”
“Uncle Ying Mo, you are responsible for the left side. Uncle Luo, you are responsible for the right side. Elder Sister Lan, you are responsible for our rear side. Be careful of being attacked,” he continued. “I, Master, and the rest—move to the center! Grandpa Nanshan, your task is the most important. Kill the Marked Wolf King!”
The Marked Snow Wolves did not immediately launch an attack. One of them stood up and stared at the group.
This particular Marked Snow Wolf was several times larger than ordinary Marked Snow Wolves. It was almost as big as a tiger. Its fur was white and released a trace of cold aura. It was an Ice Attribute Marked Beast.
“How many? How many Marked Snow Wolves?” asked Guo Shier.
“There are four on top of the hill and three below it,” Qi Nanshan said. I don’t know if there’s any behind the hill.”
Seven is a very scary number. An Intermediate Rank squad won’t be able to handle such a horde and would rather escape than go into battle. Wolves are some of the toughest beasts to handle—and an Ice Attribute Marked Beast is even harder to beat.
Tan Laoxi could no longer stop himself from cursing. “Damn, what the fuck is this? Fucking group of Marked Snow Wolves! This is so fucked up, what fucking luck. I don’t want to die!”
Guo Shier shouted, “Shut up Uncle Tan! We have so many Grandmasters. Afraid my ass!”
Seven Marked Snow Wolves was not enough to scare Luo Jie’s squad.
However, while everyone was on high alert, a few more Marked Snow Wolves emerged from the bushes. A couple of Coyotes poked their heads out.
“This is a Wolf’s Den!” Qi Nanshan shouted. “Be careful—the wolves are launching an attack!”
A single Marked Snow Wolf from the encirclement suddenly sprang towards the hill. The fur on his body was actually silver. The lazy Snow Wolves were emboldened by the move and immediately stood one by one. They started baring their teeth on the human visitors.
“The Marked Wolf King came out!” Guo Shier shouted.
Luo Jie looked carefully. “This Marked Wolf King is a Variant!”
“A very beautiful Marked Wolf King,” Guo Shier said, almost in awe. “This silver Marked Wolf King skin, I want it!”
His comment somehow relaxed the tense atmosphere.
Luo Jie glanced at him with admiration. “Good! Da-Shan, do not break the Marked Wolf King’s fur! Shier want its skin!”
With the roar of the Marked Wolf King, a number of Marked Snow Wolves lept out from the underbrush.
“There are 12 Marked Snow Wolves and six Coyotes,” Qi Nanshan said calmly.
All the participants finally revealed themselves.
The battle was about to commence.
Guo Shier opened his mouth and exhaled a black mist that turned into a Giant Scorpion. He released his Dark Winged Scorpion, followed by his Armored Bull.
His field of vision suddenly widened as he jumped on the back of the bull.
The Armored Bull was two meters tall. After fully materializing with its thick hide, it turned into a very good shield and mount.
Luo Jie, Tan Laoxi, and Lantian Bao also took out their own Innate Rune Book to prepare for the fight.
Lantian Bao took out a fist-sized Golden Beetle that flew around her body, while a dozen of colorful Snakes stood ready at her feet. They looked so threatening that a Marked Warrior Master who had been guarding her could not help but walk a few steps away.
Tan Laoxi released a spirit of two Marked Bears to guard himself. This was common practice. Artificers protect themselves before going into battle.
“Once the Wolves launch an attack, I’ll deal with the Marked Wolf King!” said Qi Nanshan. He was fully confident of his strength.
The Marked Wolf King let out another roar. Suddenly, his body shot over as fast as lightning, leaving a streak of silver in its wake.
It was evidently trying to open a path for the other Marked Snow Wolves to use as an opportunity to get into the human group.
“You’re mine!” Qi Nanshan shouted as he moved just as swiftly to welcome the Snow Wolf King.
Xiao Feng and Luo Jing each held a Rune Shield and a Rune Blade in their hands. Their primary task was to block the advance of the other Snow Wolves. Luo Jie, Guo Shier, Tan Laoxi and Lantian Bao—the four Grandmasters—were to be the main killers.
Guo Shier had his Dark Winged Scorpion and his Sword Glyph ready to attack. He did not take out his Bird Glyph for the time being. He knew that the Bird Glyph’s power was not enough to shake a Grandmaster level defense. He experienced this in a battle on one of the Secret Planes. He reasoned that he has not fully explored the mysteries of the Bird Glyph, hence, he cannot use the Bird Glyph’s true power.
Xiao Feng blocked the advance of a Marked Snow Wolf. At the moment of impact, he felt his whole body shake. He was surprised at how strong the Marked Snow Wolf was.
He tried to slash the Marked Snow Wolf’s head using the Rune Blade is his hands.
“Peng!”
The hacked Marked Snow Wolf turned up and over from the force of the hit. But Xiao Feng immediately realized that his Rune Blade was not able to penetrate the Marked Snow Wolf’s fur.
Another Marked Snow Wolf rushed in and took advantage of his distraction. Xiao Feng shouted in alarm and angled his Rune Shield towards the Marked Snow Wolf.
Guo Shier’s eyes heated up as two golden lines shot out from them.
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
