“Shier how do you come up with things like this? Ha-ha!” Qi Nan Shan said, marveling at Gui Shier’s ideas.
“When we return to the North Rune Sect, make dozens of these Rune Javelins. It would be great if we can use these things to kills Marked Beasts or even the Savages,” he continued.
Guo Shier nodded then turned to the group. “Everybody, pay attention,” he whispered. “The moment Master and I move, shoot the Rune Javelin immediately.”
He used a branch to draw a model of the Mammoth Beast Variant on the ground and pointed at it. “Grandpa Nan Shan, use your Rune Javelin to hit these places—the eyes, neck. The others should concentrate their firepower to attack its belly.”
“Unfortunately, I’m still not familiar with the Javelin or the Beast. I can just try,” Qi Nan Shan said, worried.
“Master, I’ll use the Sword Glyph and you use the Ring of Heavenly Thorns,” Guo Shier said. “Everyone—wait for us to make contact with our attack first before shooting the Rune Javelin. Uncle Tan, release the Marked Snow Wolves immediately and flee towards the east direction. Remember to keep the Snow Wolves running behind our team. Otherwise, I’ll finish you off.”
The group tried to muffle their laughter.
Everybody readied themselves.
Guo Shier and Luo Jie sneaked nearer towards the Mammoth Beast, then suddenly stood up. Guo Shier shot two golden lines from his eyes. They moved together and rose straight up into the air. He had to shoot from a distance, so the power of the Sword Glyph was weakened by at least half.
Luo Jie took out his Innate Rune Book, flicked his fingers three times on a page, and shouted, “Fight!”
Three Rings of Heavenly Thorns flew out.
They started out as small rings on the page and quickly grew bigger, becoming huge light rings. They whistled as they moved.
Guo Shier activated the light blades as they rose higher in altitude. He brought the two together. As they turned into golden shooting stars, they thundered their way down, falling rapidly towards the ground.
The Mammoth Beast Variant sensed danger. It suddenly opened its sharp eyes and roared.
The light blade of the Sword Glyph arrived first, opening a bloody hole on the Mammoth Beast’s back. Guo Shier realized that it didn’t do much damage; it only made a half-meter wound.
The Mammoth Beast reacted fast and shattered the light blade.
Qi Nan Shan shouted and shot three Rune Javelins. The other Grandmaster Warriors were alerted and shot their own Rune Javelins, too.
The Rune Javelins whistled through the air.
The Ring of Heavenly Thorns arrived and made loud noises when they landed on the Mammoth Beast.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Mammoth Beast let out a terrifying roar. Its eyes became crimson, staring at Luo Jie’s team.
“Run!” Guo Shier shouted without hesitation.
Without saying a word, Ying Mo flung Guo Shier onto his back and ran away.
The Rune Javelins arrived, but only two out of the seven of them hit the target. They were thrown from quite a distance, and by the time they arrived, the Mammoth Beast was already on guard.
With its big nose, it removed the two javelins that hit its body and flung them away. It started pounding over to them, roaring with rage.
While on Ying Mo’s back, Guo Shier shouted, “Tan Laoxi! Release your Marked Snow Wolves! Uncle Luo Jing, if he doesn’t do what he’s told, drop him!”
“That’s great!” answered Luo Jing.
Tan Laoxi was scared shitless. He hurriedly replied, “Don’t drop me! Don’t drop me! I’ll take out the Marked Snow Wolves!”
Tan Laoxi scrambled to release the Marked Snow Wolves. He listened to Guo Shier’s screaming, “Use the Marked Snow Wolves to lure the Mammoth Beast Variant!”
The Mammoth Beast Variant rushed towards them like crazy.
Guo Shier urged everyone, “Run! Come on! Holy shit! This guy is too powerful we only damaged some of its fur.”
Guo Shier noticed the Marked Snow Wolves following closely behind everyone.
“Tan Laoxi, you fucking idiot! Make your Marked Snow Wolves pester the Mammoth Beast.”
Tan Laoxi was about to cry. “That’s fucking death!” he said.
“Idiot!” Guo Shier yelled. “I’m not making you use the Marked Snow Wolves to fight a losing battle. Just let them entangle the Mammoth Beast to make it run slower.”
The group—despite the extreme tension—can’t help laughing when they heard Guo Shier shouting. One Beast Artificer Grandmaster was being scolded by a child with a temper.
The footsteps of the Mammoth Beast variant thundered as it ran to them. It was moving faster than anybody expected, covering a hundred meters with a dozen steps.
Even with tall trees blocking its way, it was not slowing down. It smashed into trees, easily turning them into powder and splinters.
Tan Laoxi ordered the Marked Snow Wolves to entangle the Mammoth Beast. But the Beast just mercilessly smashed them into the ground with its nose. It continued to run like an armored train. The Marked Snow Wolves cannot stop the Mammoth Beast at all.
Tan Laoxi was going crazy. He just got 10 Marked Snow Wolves, but he already lost two of them instantly once they made contact with the Mammoth Beast. He was swearing from distress.
“Into the trap area, quickly!” Guo Shier ordered the group. “Watch where you step!”
Qi Nan Shan was the fastest. He was carrying Luo Jie across the trap area. Everybody else quickly followed.
The Mammoth Beast Variant entered the zone, stepping into a trap with its huge paw. The hidden javelin thrust deeply into the soles of its foot.
Because of its speed, the Beast wasn’t able to stop running immediately. The trap made it lose its balance, and the momentum flung its huge body off track, like a derailed train.
The crash was loud. The Mammoth Beast smashed into trees and left a long 100-meter ditch on the ground. The rest of the pitfall traps were rendered useless.
“Good, it worked!” Guo Shier shouted. “Don’t stop, come on!”
The Mammoth Beast Variant roared wildly. It struggled to stand up so it can continue chasing the group, but the javelin pierced deeper into its fat paw. It didn’t seem to care about pain and continued to chase them—but it has slowed down remarkably.
Guo Shier said, “Ha-ha! It’s becoming sluggish!”
The running speed of the Mammoth Beast was still amazing. Fortunately, the traps were successful at crippling the big guy. The team gained some breathing room and they don’t have to run like hell.
Tan Laoxi continued trying to harass the Mammoth Beast with his Marked Snow Wolves.
Qi Nan Shan suddenly sensed something and stopped abruptly. “Everybody, towards the left,” He shouted to the group. He ran to the left with Luo Jie.
The group didn’t ask why and followed him towards the left side.
Countless flames flew in like a Rain of Fire. Then, they heard multiple humming sounds—the tremor of Rune Bow bowstrings being released.
Several arrows flashed and shot the surrounding tree trunks.
Guo Shier was startled, “What’s that?”
Qi Nan Shan shouted, “It’s an ambush!”
“How is this possible?” asked Guo Shier. “Tan Laoxi, take out the rest of your Marked Snow Wolves and make them run ahead of us. I know you still have a few more.”
Tan Laoxi was sobbing without tears and wanted to answer back. But he knew if he didn’t agree, Luo Jing would throw him out. It would be impossible to run away from the Mammoth Beast alone.
The ambush was set up by Hu Feng’s group, although they hadn’t planned it. They just happened to walk by this area. They didn’t even realize that the team they were ambushing was Guo Shier’s.
Tan Laoxi took out the rest of the Marked Snow Wolves and made them run ahead of the group.
A Secret Realm is an especially dangerous place; the one taking the lead should possess enough strength.
Aside from Qi Nan Shan’s advancement in terms of physical power, his eyes and ears were now more sensitive than before. He noticed this improvement during their encounter with the Mammoth Beast, but he didn’t dare start a head to head fight. The monster was just too strong.
***
Meanwhile, Hu Feng also sensed that something was wrong. “Elder Du, whose group is it?”
“I don’t know,” Elder Storm Du said. “Who cares who they are? Just kill them! We have so many Grandmasters in our team. Who dares to fight with us?”
Elder Storm Xie suddenly noticed something. “Wait. Eh? What’s that sound?”
The chaos caused by the Mammoth Beast’s running was earth-shattering. The earth was trembling. Every tree on its path was directly crushed. The huge soles of its feet were like pile drivers that reverberated noise with each step.
“Guangheng, go and explore the situation,” ordered Hu Feng.
With just several jumps, Guangheng entered the forest and bolted back in less than a minute.
“Big…big…boss…fast. Quickly run,” he stammered talking to Hu Feng.
Hu Feng steadied Guangheng, “What the fuck?!? Stop panicking! Make it clear.”
Xu Guangheng was now covered in cold sweat.
He started to talk again. “Great…big…everyone…”
He was not able to finish his thoughts.
The silhouette of the Mammoth Beast Variant came out of the jungle. The trees in front if it scattered like scrap paper. Its crimson eyes stared at Hu Feng’s group.
The beast’s presence was so oppressive that Hu Feng couldn’t help but be scared. He was so frightened that his legs went soft. He started to curse. “Da…damn. Elder Xie!”
Elder Storm Du calmly raised his hand and held Hu Feng and Xu Guangheng under their ribs.
“Old devil, what are you doing?!?” Hu Feng shouted.
“Don’t say a word,” replied Elder Storm Du. Then, he palmed Hu Feng and Xu Guangheng’s back and suddenly bolted away.
Elder Storm Du was trying to save his own ass.
Hu Feng and Xu Guangheng effectively bought Elder Storm Du enough time to escape.
Although Hu Feng was also a treacherous person, he was nothing compared to the three Storm brothers who spent their entire lives in the grasslands.
This was an unexpected turn of events that made Hu Feng roar with rage.
The Mammoth Beast Variant finally found something to release its anger onto. It rammed Hu Feng like a tank.
***
“Stop! Stop!” Guo Shier shouted.
Luo Jie turned to him. “Stop? Why?? What’s wrong?”
“There is no sound from behind us,” Guo Shier said.
Everyone stopped and listened.
Soon, there was a faint sound of vibration from the distance.
“I know what’s happening,” Qi Nan Shan said. “The Mammoth Beast Variant and the people who attacked us are fighting. Strange—who are these people?”
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
When you see a stranger in the Secret Ream—especially in this area—you immediately kill that person on sight unless you know each other. That was pretty much the custom here.
Guo Shier smiled bitterly about the incident. “Our actions attracted the attention of another team. This is actually good. We can take a short break.”
***
“Elder Guai! I’m not finished with you!” Hu Feng cursed furiously.
He wanted to chase the Storm brothers but the Mammoth Beast Variant would not let them go.
In the blink of an eye, the entirety of Hu Feng’s team was destroyed. They did not have the opportunity to fight back. To the Mammoth Beast Variant, the battle was as easy as pulling dry rot. Their team was torn to pieces instantly.
Not even one person was able to escape, including Xu Cheng who was preparing to break away.
The three Storm brothers ran as fast as they can, desperate to get away.
“What the hell is that giant thing?” Elder Xie asked.
Elder Du was wheezing and started to get dizzy. Elder Xie was fast; Elder Du was at the verge of vomiting because of extreme movements.
Elder Guai finally caught up with them from behind. “Hah! Those bunch of idiots can delay that thing for a while. That’s enough time for us to escape,” he said.
“There’s a large meadow out of these woods, with just a couple of trees,” Elder Xie observed.
Elder Du agreed. “Okay then, we can’t stay here long.”
“Elder Xie, can you carry me?” said Elder Du.
Elder Xie was taken aback as he looked straight at Elder Du. He hurriedly held Elder Du on his shoulder.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
When Elder Du tried to answer, he started vomiting blood on Elder Xie’s chest.
He coughed repeatedly.
“Augh! That was uncomfortable…That almost killed me,” he finally said.
Elder Xie just looked at his chest in silence. “Never mind. Let’s go!”
He picked up Elder Du and started running again.
Elder Guai was all smiles when he caught up with them. “If it weren’t for our cleverness, we may have met our tragic end this time,” he said.
“Aaaaang!” (beast sound)
The Mammoth Beast Variant appeared on the edge of the forest.
Elder Du’s face changed. “This guy is too strong,” he said. “Hu Feng and those bunch of idiots didn’t even buy us enough time! Run! Run! It’s too soon for us to die!”
The Mammoth Beast was also a mess, extremely angry at the ones plotting against it. But it was looking at the wrong group of people.
It identified the three people who escaped and followed them. Even though the three Storm brothers ran like fugitives earlier, their effort was not enough. Their best wasn’t enough.
In the midst of it all, Elder Guai screamed, “Fuck! There’s a giant Rune Snake Variant in front of us!”
The dark green snake raised its upper body and stared at the trio coldly.
Even though all three were Grandmasters, they couldn’t help but tremble.
Elder Du shouted, “Let’s split up!”
They ran away separately—Elder Xie carrying Elder Du, and Elder Guai on his own.
The Mammoth Beast Variant slowed down when it saw the Run Snake Variant. It instinctively knew that the other beast was not to be taken lightly.
“Hiss! Hiss!”
The Rune Snake Variant let out threatening noise.
“Aaaaaang!”
The Mammoth Beast Variant replied with a challenging roar.
They tried to intimidate each another.
The two beasts now ignored the Storm brothers.
Elder Xie hurriedly rushed into the forest, with Elder Du on his shoulders.
But the other group—composed of Luo Jie’s team and that child—appeared and stopped them.
Elder Xie put Elder Du down. They both smiled bitterly and took out their Rune Blades.
“What do you want?” Elder Xie asked the group.
Guo Shier laughed. “What do we want? Why did you guys attack us?”
“We did not do it. Also, we didn’t know it was you.”
The Storm brothers knew Hu Feng and the others must be dead. So if they just calmly answered, no one would blame them-no one would think that they were here to kill Luo Jie’s team.
Guo Shier recalled the scene and it did not seem to be a deliberate ambush. If it was a real ambush, Qi Nan Shan would not have been able to easily perceive the plot. The formation of the other team also seemed to be disorganized.
He pondered for a moment. “So why did you come here?”
“We took the wrong path,” Elder Du explained.
Guo Shier didn’t believe him, but he couldn’t see any problems with that statement. “Well, where is the rest of your people, then?” he asked.
Elder Xie looked downtrodden. “Everyone was killed by that big guy,” he replied. “Only the three of us escaped.”
Guo Shier spent his past life in the army. He knew that the Storm brothers were clearly hiding tricks under their sleeves.
“The entire team is dead?” Ying Mo said, first to react. “So the three of you ran away? He-he! Good move!”
Luo Jie shook his head. Having heard so much about these people, he right away knew that they did not participate in the battle and just ran away. “Who was the unlucky team that cooperated with you?”
Elder Xie cleared his throat. “If we stayed and fought like hell, that would be bad luck for us,” he said, proudly.
Guo Shier felt a little embarrassed for stopping them for no reason. At that moment, it didn’t dawn on him that perhaps Elder Xie and Elder Du were assessing the strength of their team. He believed that the Storm brothers had no intention to fight them.
He was at a loss on how to handle the situation and looked at Luo Jie.
“Forget it! Let’s go. Remember, do not follow us,” warned Luo Jie.
Elder Du winked, and Elder Xie picked him up.
“Good! We won’t follow. We’re leaving,” Elder Xie said as he ran towards the jungle with Elder Du in tow.
They ran in a circle to look for Elder Guai, who ran to the other side.
The two Marked Beast Variants were in a stalemate.
Marked Beast Variants rarely fight with each other because they tend to stay within their own territory. But this time, the Mammoth Beast Variant clearly trespassed. And because it had been hurt, it was extremely violent and irritable.
The giant Rune Snake Variant’s body was a thick as a small water reservoir. Its scales were large and colorfully attractive. Its giant triangular head had creepy dark green eyes.
The entire body of the Rune Snake Variant coiled to look like a small hill as it stared at the Mammoth Beast Variant.
The Beast looked like a mess, its body covered with wounds. The thick smell of its blood made the Rune Snake Variant interested.
Guo Shier and the others stared at the two Marked Beast Variants. They were hoping they would fight each other so that they can take advantage of the opportunity.
The group held their breaths nervously.
Tan Laoxi muttered, “Fight! Fuck, why are you not fighting?!? You two are not planning to chase us right? Now that’s fucked up if that happens.”
The two Marked Beast were not fighting. The Mammoth Beast Variant was starting to step back, while the Rune Snake Variant continued to ‘hiss’ and move its giant triangular head from side to side.
Guo Shier sighed. “This is not good. The Mammoth Beast wants to run!”
“We can’t help it”, said Luo Jie while slightly shaking his head.
Guo Shier bitterly smiled and thought to himself, Is there really no other way? No one would dare to go up there. How unfortunate. This is such a good opportunity.
Guo Shier knew that they couldn’t possibly kill the Mammoth Beast even if they hit it with their strongest attacks. It was just too powerful. Some of their Grandmasters were having a hard time to coping.
No wonder Marked Beast Variants are worth a ton of money. If not for the accident, they would not even dream about killing the Earth Dragon Variant in the previous Secret Realm. They now realize how lucky they were.
Qi Nan Shan suddenly raised his head. “What is that thing?” he asked, surprised.
A bright red shadow was moving at a tremendous speed up in the sky.
Guo Shier was taken aback. “Is it a bird? A Rune Bird Variant?”
“Pay attention to your concealment,” Luo Jie ordered. “If it’s a Rune Bird Variant, we would have a hard time dealing with it if it discovers us. Hide! It’s coming!”
The red shadow drew a beautiful arc in the sky and flew towards them.
Guo Shier’s soul suddenly felt a burst of shock. It’s like being stared at by a powerful beast. His whole body went stiff.
Luo Jie and Qi Nan Shan also felt the same sensation.
The rest of their group didn’t feel anything.
“What are you talking about?” asked Tan Laoxi. “It would be great if it’s a Rune Bird Variant. Hehe! That would have been a sweet threesome.”
After ten more seconds, the red shadow became clearer and clearer.
Guo Shier exclaimed. “It’s a man! Holy shit! Can people fly?”
In the previous World-Linking Secret Realm, they’ve seen hunting chariots flying. But no one has seen anyone flying.
It was a man wearing red clothes. Because the distance was still relatively far, they can’t identify from the silhouette it was a man or a woman.
They saw him circling around in the air, seemingly watching the two Marked Beast Variants.
Then, he turned to look at Luo Jie’s team.
Guo Shier bitterly smiled and said, “We’re discovered. Who is this person?”
The man seems to have lost interest in following the two Marked Beast Variants. It turned and flew towards Luo Jie’s team and soon arrived in front of everyone.
The person had a young man’s face but was full of white hair. He was wearing a gorgeous purple robe with a golden belt around the waist. He glanced around at everyone and then looked at Guo Shier.
Guo Shier was horrified. He asked, “Uncle, what can we do for you?”
This guy just flew in—he certainly had their respect. No one would dare talk down on him.
The man had thick eyebrows, like black swords. His black pupil showed a hint of fierceness.
Looking into his eyes, Guo Shier noticed a glint of Rune lines.
The man finally asked, “What is your name?”
“My name is Guo Shier. Uncle, what is your name?”
The man’s disposition became gentler when he heard Guo Shier.
“My name is Ku, Ku Mu.”
Note: (枯木) Ku Mu means “Withered Tree”
Guo Shier acted carefully. “Greetings Uncle Ku Mu,” he said.
Ku Mu nodded. He asked, “What are you doing here?”
“We are hunting.” Guo Shier answered in behalf of everyone. He didn’t let his Master speak. Since Guo Shier looked like a child, he knew that anything he said would be taken lightly. He took over the task of communicating for his team.
“Hunting?” Ku Mu replied. “Then why are you hiding there? The two Marked Beast Variants should be Rank 4. The Mammoth Beast Variant should be approaching Rank 5. Why are you guys not fighting?”
Guo Shier was speechless.
“Why don’t you fucking try?” Tan Laoxi whispered.
Ku Mu heard him and looked at him with a stabbing gaze.
Guo Shier cursed. “This bastard. We really shouldn’t have brought him here.”
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
“Shier how do you come up with things like this? Ha-ha!” Qi Nan Shan said, marveling at Gui Shier’s ideas.
“When we return to the North Rune Sect, make dozens of these Rune Javelins. It would be great if we can use these things to kills Marked Beasts or even the Savages,” he continued.
Guo Shier nodded then turned to the group. “Everybody, pay attention,” he whispered. “The moment Master and I move, shoot the Rune Javelin immediately.”
He used a branch to draw a model of the Mammoth Beast Variant on the ground and pointed at it. “Grandpa Nan Shan, use your Rune Javelin to hit these places—the eyes, neck. The others should concentrate their firepower to attack its belly.”
“Unfortunately, I’m still not familiar with the Javelin or the Beast. I can just try,” Qi Nan Shan said, worried.
“Master, I’ll use the Sword Glyph and you use the Ring of Heavenly Thorns,” Guo Shier said. “Everyone—wait for us to make contact with our attack first before shooting the Rune Javelin. Uncle Tan, release the Marked Snow Wolves immediately and flee towards the east direction. Remember to keep the Snow Wolves running behind our team. Otherwise, I’ll finish you off.”
The group tried to muffle their laughter.
Everybody readied themselves.
Guo Shier and Luo Jie sneaked nearer towards the Mammoth Beast, then suddenly stood up. Guo Shier shot two golden lines from his eyes. They moved together and rose straight up into the air. He had to shoot from a distance, so the power of the Sword Glyph was weakened by at least half.
Luo Jie took out his Innate Rune Book, flicked his fingers three times on a page, and shouted, “Fight!”
Three Rings of Heavenly Thorns flew out.
They started out as small rings on the page and quickly grew bigger, becoming huge light rings. They whistled as they moved.
Guo Shier activated the light blades as they rose higher in altitude. He brought the two together. As they turned into golden shooting stars, they thundered their way down, falling rapidly towards the ground.
The Mammoth Beast Variant sensed danger. It suddenly opened its sharp eyes and roared.
The light blade of the Sword Glyph arrived first, opening a bloody hole on the Mammoth Beast’s back. Guo Shier realized that it didn’t do much damage; it only made a half-meter wound.
The Mammoth Beast reacted fast and shattered the light blade.
Qi Nan Shan shouted and shot three Rune Javelins. The other Grandmaster Warriors were alerted and shot their own Rune Javelins, too.
The Rune Javelins whistled through the air.
The Ring of Heavenly Thorns arrived and made loud noises when they landed on the Mammoth Beast.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Mammoth Beast let out a terrifying roar. Its eyes became crimson, staring at Luo Jie’s team.
“Run!” Guo Shier shouted without hesitation.
Without saying a word, Ying Mo flung Guo Shier onto his back and ran away.
The Rune Javelins arrived, but only two out of the seven of them hit the target. They were thrown from quite a distance, and by the time they arrived, the Mammoth Beast was already on guard.
With its big nose, it removed the two javelins that hit its body and flung them away. It started pounding over to them, roaring with rage.
While on Ying Mo’s back, Guo Shier shouted, “Tan Laoxi! Release your Marked Snow Wolves! Uncle Luo Jing, if he doesn’t do what he’s told, drop him!”
“That’s great!” answered Luo Jing.
Tan Laoxi was scared shitless. He hurriedly replied, “Don’t drop me! Don’t drop me! I’ll take out the Marked Snow Wolves!”
Tan Laoxi scrambled to release the Marked Snow Wolves. He listened to Guo Shier’s screaming, “Use the Marked Snow Wolves to lure the Mammoth Beast Variant!”
The Mammoth Beast Variant rushed towards them like crazy.
Guo Shier urged everyone, “Run! Come on! Holy shit! This guy is too powerful we only damaged some of its fur.”
Guo Shier noticed the Marked Snow Wolves following closely behind everyone.
“Tan Laoxi, you fucking idiot! Make your Marked Snow Wolves pester the Mammoth Beast.”
Tan Laoxi was about to cry. “That’s fucking death!” he said.
“Idiot!” Guo Shier yelled. “I’m not making you use the Marked Snow Wolves to fight a losing battle. Just let them entangle the Mammoth Beast to make it run slower.”
The group—despite the extreme tension—can’t help laughing when they heard Guo Shier shouting. One Beast Artificer Grandmaster was being scolded by a child with a temper.
The footsteps of the Mammoth Beast variant thundered as it ran to them. It was moving faster than anybody expected, covering a hundred meters with a dozen steps.
Even with tall trees blocking its way, it was not slowing down. It smashed into trees, easily turning them into powder and splinters.
Tan Laoxi ordered the Marked Snow Wolves to entangle the Mammoth Beast. But the Beast just mercilessly smashed them into the ground with its nose. It continued to run like an armored train. The Marked Snow Wolves cannot stop the Mammoth Beast at all.
Tan Laoxi was going crazy. He just got 10 Marked Snow Wolves, but he already lost two of them instantly once they made contact with the Mammoth Beast. He was swearing from distress.
“Into the trap area, quickly!” Guo Shier ordered the group. “Watch where you step!”
Qi Nan Shan was the fastest. He was carrying Luo Jie across the trap area. Everybody else quickly followed.
The Mammoth Beast Variant entered the zone, stepping into a trap with its huge paw. The hidden javelin thrust deeply into the soles of its foot.
Because of its speed, the Beast wasn’t able to stop running immediately. The trap made it lose its balance, and the momentum flung its huge body off track, like a derailed train.
The crash was loud. The Mammoth Beast smashed into trees and left a long 100-meter ditch on the ground. The rest of the pitfall traps were rendered useless.
“Good, it worked!” Guo Shier shouted. “Don’t stop, come on!”
The Mammoth Beast Variant roared wildly. It struggled to stand up so it can continue chasing the group, but the javelin pierced deeper into its fat paw. It didn’t seem to care about pain and continued to chase them—but it has slowed down remarkably.
Guo Shier said, “Ha-ha! It’s becoming sluggish!”
The running speed of the Mammoth Beast was still amazing. Fortunately, the traps were successful at crippling the big guy. The team gained some breathing room and they don’t have to run like hell.
Tan Laoxi continued trying to harass the Mammoth Beast with his Marked Snow Wolves.
Qi Nan Shan suddenly sensed something and stopped abruptly. “Everybody, towards the left,” He shouted to the group. He ran to the left with Luo Jie.
The group didn’t ask why and followed him towards the left side.
Countless flames flew in like a Rain of Fire. Then, they heard multiple humming sounds—the tremor of Rune Bow bowstrings being released.
Several arrows flashed and shot the surrounding tree trunks.
Guo Shier was startled, “What’s that?”
Qi Nan Shan shouted, “It’s an ambush!”
“How is this possible?” asked Guo Shier. “Tan Laoxi, take out the rest of your Marked Snow Wolves and make them run ahead of us. I know you still have a few more.”
Tan Laoxi was sobbing without tears and wanted to answer back. But he knew if he didn’t agree, Luo Jing would throw him out. It would be impossible to run away from the Mammoth Beast alone.
The ambush was set up by Hu Feng’s group, although they hadn’t planned it. They just happened to walk by this area. They didn’t even realize that the team they were ambushing was Guo Shier’s.
Tan Laoxi took out the rest of the Marked Snow Wolves and made them run ahead of the group.
A Secret Realm is an especially dangerous place; the one taking the lead should possess enough strength.
Aside from Qi Nan Shan’s advancement in terms of physical power, his eyes and ears were now more sensitive than before. He noticed this improvement during their encounter with the Mammoth Beast, but he didn’t dare start a head to head fight. The monster was just too strong.
***
Meanwhile, Hu Feng also sensed that something was wrong. “Elder Du, whose group is it?”
“I don’t know,” Elder Storm Du said. “Who cares who they are? Just kill them! We have so many Grandmasters in our team. Who dares to fight with us?”
Elder Storm Xie suddenly noticed something. “Wait. Eh? What’s that sound?”
The chaos caused by the Mammoth Beast’s running was earth-shattering. The earth was trembling. Every tree on its path was directly crushed. The huge soles of its feet were like pile drivers that reverberated noise with each step.
“Guangheng, go and explore the situation,” ordered Hu Feng.
With just several jumps, Guangheng entered the forest and bolted back in less than a minute.
“Big…big…boss…fast. Quickly run,” he stammered talking to Hu Feng.
Hu Feng steadied Guangheng, “What the fuck?!? Stop panicking! Make it clear.”
Xu Guangheng was now covered in cold sweat.
He started to talk again. “Great…big…everyone…”
He was not able to finish his thoughts.
The silhouette of the Mammoth Beast Variant came out of the jungle. The trees in front if it scattered like scrap paper. Its crimson eyes stared at Hu Feng’s group.
The beast’s presence was so oppressive that Hu Feng couldn’t help but be scared. He was so frightened that his legs went soft. He started to curse. “Da…damn. Elder Xie!”
Elder Storm Du calmly raised his hand and held Hu Feng and Xu Guangheng under their ribs.
“Old devil, what are you doing?!?” Hu Feng shouted.
“Don’t say a word,” replied Elder Storm Du. Then, he palmed Hu Feng and Xu Guangheng’s back and suddenly bolted away.
Elder Storm Du was trying to save his own ass.
Hu Feng and Xu Guangheng effectively bought Elder Storm Du enough time to escape.
Although Hu Feng was also a treacherous person, he was nothing compared to the three Storm brothers who spent their entire lives in the grasslands.
This was an unexpected turn of events that made Hu Feng roar with rage.
The Mammoth Beast Variant finally found something to release its anger onto. It rammed Hu Feng like a tank.
***
“Stop! Stop!” Guo Shier shouted.
Luo Jie turned to him. “Stop? Why?? What’s wrong?”
“There is no sound from behind us,” Guo Shier said.
Everyone stopped and listened.
Soon, there was a faint sound of vibration from the distance.
“I know what’s happening,” Qi Nan Shan said. “The Mammoth Beast Variant and the people who attacked us are fighting. Strange—who are these people?”
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
When you see a stranger in the Secret Ream—especially in this area—you immediately kill that person on sight unless you know each other. That was pretty much the custom here.
Guo Shier smiled bitterly about the incident. “Our actions attracted the attention of another team. This is actually good. We can take a short break.”
***
“Elder Guai! I’m not finished with you!” Hu Feng cursed furiously.
He wanted to chase the Storm brothers but the Mammoth Beast Variant would not let them go.
In the blink of an eye, the entirety of Hu Feng’s team was destroyed. They did not have the opportunity to fight back. To the Mammoth Beast Variant, the battle was as easy as pulling dry rot. Their team was torn to pieces instantly.
Not even one person was able to escape, including Xu Cheng who was preparing to break away.
The three Storm brothers ran as fast as they can, desperate to get away.
“What the hell is that giant thing?” Elder Xie asked.
Elder Du was wheezing and started to get dizzy. Elder Xie was fast; Elder Du was at the verge of vomiting because of extreme movements.
Elder Guai finally caught up with them from behind. “Hah! Those bunch of idiots can delay that thing for a while. That’s enough time for us to escape,” he said.
“There’s a large meadow out of these woods, with just a couple of trees,” Elder Xie observed.
Elder Du agreed. “Okay then, we can’t stay here long.”
“Elder Xie, can you carry me?” said Elder Du.
Elder Xie was taken aback as he looked straight at Elder Du. He hurriedly held Elder Du on his shoulder.
“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
When Elder Du tried to answer, he started vomiting blood on Elder Xie’s chest.
He coughed repeatedly.
“Augh! That was uncomfortable…That almost killed me,” he finally said.
Elder Xie just looked at his chest in silence. “Never mind. Let’s go!”
He picked up Elder Du and started running again.
Elder Guai was all smiles when he caught up with them. “If it weren’t for our cleverness, we may have met our tragic end this time,” he said.
“Aaaaang!” (beast sound)
The Mammoth Beast Variant appeared on the edge of the forest.
Elder Du’s face changed. “This guy is too strong,” he said. “Hu Feng and those bunch of idiots didn’t even buy us enough time! Run! Run! It’s too soon for us to die!”
The Mammoth Beast was also a mess, extremely angry at the ones plotting against it. But it was looking at the wrong group of people.
It identified the three people who escaped and followed them. Even though the three Storm brothers ran like fugitives earlier, their effort was not enough. Their best wasn’t enough.
In the midst of it all, Elder Guai screamed, “Fuck! There’s a giant Rune Snake Variant in front of us!”
The dark green snake raised its upper body and stared at the trio coldly.
Even though all three were Grandmasters, they couldn’t help but tremble.
Elder Du shouted, “Let’s split up!”
They ran away separately—Elder Xie carrying Elder Du, and Elder Guai on his own.
The Mammoth Beast Variant slowed down when it saw the Run Snake Variant. It instinctively knew that the other beast was not to be taken lightly.
“Hiss! Hiss!”
The Rune Snake Variant let out threatening noise.
“Aaaaaang!”
The Mammoth Beast Variant replied with a challenging roar.
They tried to intimidate each another.
The two beasts now ignored the Storm brothers.
Elder Xie hurriedly rushed into the forest, with Elder Du on his shoulders.
But the other group—composed of Luo Jie’s team and that child—appeared and stopped them.
Elder Xie put Elder Du down. They both smiled bitterly and took out their Rune Blades.
“What do you want?” Elder Xie asked the group.
Guo Shier laughed. “What do we want? Why did you guys attack us?”
“We did not do it. Also, we didn’t know it was you.”
The Storm brothers knew Hu Feng and the others must be dead. So if they just calmly answered, no one would blame them-no one would think that they were here to kill Luo Jie’s team.
Guo Shier recalled the scene and it did not seem to be a deliberate ambush. If it was a real ambush, Qi Nan Shan would not have been able to easily perceive the plot. The formation of the other team also seemed to be disorganized.
He pondered for a moment. “So why did you come here?”
“We took the wrong path,” Elder Du explained.
Guo Shier didn’t believe him, but he couldn’t see any problems with that statement. “Well, where is the rest of your people, then?” he asked.
Elder Xie looked downtrodden. “Everyone was killed by that big guy,” he replied. “Only the three of us escaped.”
Guo Shier spent his past life in the army. He knew that the Storm brothers were clearly hiding tricks under their sleeves.
“The entire team is dead?” Ying Mo said, first to react. “So the three of you ran away? He-he! Good move!”
Luo Jie shook his head. Having heard so much about these people, he right away knew that they did not participate in the battle and just ran away. “Who was the unlucky team that cooperated with you?”
Elder Xie cleared his throat. “If we stayed and fought like hell, that would be bad luck for us,” he said, proudly.
Guo Shier felt a little embarrassed for stopping them for no reason. At that moment, it didn’t dawn on him that perhaps Elder Xie and Elder Du were assessing the strength of their team. He believed that the Storm brothers had no intention to fight them.
He was at a loss on how to handle the situation and looked at Luo Jie.
“Forget it! Let’s go. Remember, do not follow us,” warned Luo Jie.
Elder Du winked, and Elder Xie picked him up.
“Good! We won’t follow. We’re leaving,” Elder Xie said as he ran towards the jungle with Elder Du in tow.
They ran in a circle to look for Elder Guai, who ran to the other side.
The two Marked Beast Variants were in a stalemate.
Marked Beast Variants rarely fight with each other because they tend to stay within their own territory. But this time, the Mammoth Beast Variant clearly trespassed. And because it had been hurt, it was extremely violent and irritable.
The giant Rune Snake Variant’s body was a thick as a small water reservoir. Its scales were large and colorfully attractive. Its giant triangular head had creepy dark green eyes.
The entire body of the Rune Snake Variant coiled to look like a small hill as it stared at the Mammoth Beast Variant.
The Beast looked like a mess, its body covered with wounds. The thick smell of its blood made the Rune Snake Variant interested.
Guo Shier and the others stared at the two Marked Beast Variants. They were hoping they would fight each other so that they can take advantage of the opportunity.
The group held their breaths nervously.
Tan Laoxi muttered, “Fight! Fuck, why are you not fighting?!? You two are not planning to chase us right? Now that’s fucked up if that happens.”
The two Marked Beast were not fighting. The Mammoth Beast Variant was starting to step back, while the Rune Snake Variant continued to ‘hiss’ and move its giant triangular head from side to side.
Guo Shier sighed. “This is not good. The Mammoth Beast wants to run!”
“We can’t help it”, said Luo Jie while slightly shaking his head.
Guo Shier bitterly smiled and thought to himself, Is there really no other way? No one would dare to go up there. How unfortunate. This is such a good opportunity.
Guo Shier knew that they couldn’t possibly kill the Mammoth Beast even if they hit it with their strongest attacks. It was just too powerful. Some of their Grandmasters were having a hard time to coping.
No wonder Marked Beast Variants are worth a ton of money. If not for the accident, they would not even dream about killing the Earth Dragon Variant in the previous Secret Realm. They now realize how lucky they were.
Qi Nan Shan suddenly raised his head. “What is that thing?” he asked, surprised.
A bright red shadow was moving at a tremendous speed up in the sky.
Guo Shier was taken aback. “Is it a bird? A Rune Bird Variant?”
“Pay attention to your concealment,” Luo Jie ordered. “If it’s a Rune Bird Variant, we would have a hard time dealing with it if it discovers us. Hide! It’s coming!”
The red shadow drew a beautiful arc in the sky and flew towards them.
Guo Shier’s soul suddenly felt a burst of shock. It’s like being stared at by a powerful beast. His whole body went stiff.
Luo Jie and Qi Nan Shan also felt the same sensation.
The rest of their group didn’t feel anything.
“What are you talking about?” asked Tan Laoxi. “It would be great if it’s a Rune Bird Variant. Hehe! That would have been a sweet threesome.”
After ten more seconds, the red shadow became clearer and clearer.
Guo Shier exclaimed. “It’s a man! Holy shit! Can people fly?”
In the previous World-Linking Secret Realm, they’ve seen hunting chariots flying. But no one has seen anyone flying.
It was a man wearing red clothes. Because the distance was still relatively far, they can’t identify from the silhouette it was a man or a woman.
They saw him circling around in the air, seemingly watching the two Marked Beast Variants.
Then, he turned to look at Luo Jie’s team.
Guo Shier bitterly smiled and said, “We’re discovered. Who is this person?”
The man seems to have lost interest in following the two Marked Beast Variants. It turned and flew towards Luo Jie’s team and soon arrived in front of everyone.
The person had a young man’s face but was full of white hair. He was wearing a gorgeous purple robe with a golden belt around the waist. He glanced around at everyone and then looked at Guo Shier.
Guo Shier was horrified. He asked, “Uncle, what can we do for you?”
This guy just flew in—he certainly had their respect. No one would dare talk down on him.
The man had thick eyebrows, like black swords. His black pupil showed a hint of fierceness.
Looking into his eyes, Guo Shier noticed a glint of Rune lines.
The man finally asked, “What is your name?”
“My name is Guo Shier. Uncle, what is your name?”
The man’s disposition became gentler when he heard Guo Shier.
“My name is Ku, Ku Mu.”
Note: (枯木) Ku Mu means “Withered Tree”
Guo Shier acted carefully. “Greetings Uncle Ku Mu,” he said.
Ku Mu nodded. He asked, “What are you doing here?”
“We are hunting.” Guo Shier answered in behalf of everyone. He didn’t let his Master speak. Since Guo Shier looked like a child, he knew that anything he said would be taken lightly. He took over the task of communicating for his team.
“Hunting?” Ku Mu replied. “Then why are you hiding there? The two Marked Beast Variants should be Rank 4. The Mammoth Beast Variant should be approaching Rank 5. Why are you guys not fighting?”
Guo Shier was speechless.
“Why don’t you fucking try?” Tan Laoxi whispered.
Ku Mu heard him and looked at him with a stabbing gaze.
Guo Shier cursed. “This bastard. We really shouldn’t have brought him here.”
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
