Chapter 3
Grinning, Guo Shier said to himself, “Crazy . Hehe! The reality of the bout is finally sinking in . ”After a long pause, the experts from the West Rune Sect woke up and began to break the pressure .
“Nanshan Grandpa, there’s no need to save my face . Hit them hard!” he then shouted in a voice that was sharp and thin . Even the West Rune Sect’s loud shouting couldn’t conceal his voice .
Huo Bao and the others also followed, refueling the cheers .
Qi Nanshan bent his knees and adjusted his stance, ready to meet the enemy . The shouting and yelling around him gradually subsided .
His concentration drowned out the noise . He knew that he shouldn’t get too excited when fighting, as it might affect his performance . He’s been through countless battles . This experience has long been deeply engraved into his heart .
***
Xiong Pa roared loudly and was suddenly surrounded by brownish-yellow glow .
Instantly, a Phantom of a Marked Bear appeared on his body, commencing the enlarging and strengthening of his physique . His bones crackled loudly as he transformed . Suddenly, he became larger and sturdier . This was West Rune Sect’s unique skill: Beast Soul Empowerment .
Xiong Pa is a Beast Warrior Grandmaster . His Soul Beast is able to take form—unlike Beast Warrior Masters who can only form a beast armor .
“Xiong Pi!” Qi Nanshan shouted to Xiong Pa’s brother . “Let’s go!”
“Fine! Since you want to die, we will fulfill your wishes!” Xiong Pi angrily replied, then roared . The Phantom of a Marked Bear also emerged on his body and transformed his physique .
The brothers were now empowered by the souls of two Marked Bears . Although they were not as powerful as a Marked Bear, they could borrow a portion of a Marked Bear’s strength .
Guo Shier has seen a Marked Bear in the Secret Realm . But Xiong Pa and Xiong Pi’s was not the same .
“Whoa, two bears!” he exclaimed . “Master, what is this Marked Bear?”
Luo Jie squinted his eyes and looked, then replied, “This is not the same Marked Bear in the Secret Realm . It could be a local Marked Bear from the grasslands . I don’t know what the power is . ”
Ying Mo knew more about the matter and chimed in . “One is a black Marked Bear, and the other is a brown Marked Bear . The brown Marked Bear has great strength and excellent defensive power . The black Marked Bear is fast . Can you see the set of Rune Devices on their wrists? That’s a Rune Device made with a Marked Bear’s claws . Its power should be pretty good . “
With Xiong Pi’s explosive roar, his body was filled with the strength of the soul of the Brown Marked Bear . He rushed up first .
In battles, he’s always the one to rush to the front . The plan was simple: He needed to tie up Qi Nanshan so that Xiong Pa could have an opportunity to attack .
Xiong Pi’s running caused a light tremor similar to a real Marked Bear . An ordinary Marked Warrior Grandmaster was already hard to deal with . What more if it was empowered by a Marked Bear?
Qi Nanshan didn’t take out any weapons and waited quietly with both hands empty . As Xiong Pi closed in, he began to position his body to strike calmly, like an arrow waiting to be released .
When there were only five to six meters between them, Xiong Pi roared again and got ready to pounce .
Qi Nanshan smelled Xiong Pi’s stench . He knew right away that he was aiming for a bear hug!
If caught by Xiong Pi, Qi Nanshan could be in danger .
Bang! Bang!
Two punches broke open the two Bear Claws aimed at him . Then, Qi Nanshan hit Xiong Pi sideways with a body slam . There was a loud bang . Xiong Pi felt like he was bumped by pure steel . There was a sharp pain in his chest .
He couldn’t undo the enormous power and was unable to control his body, so he flew back and crashed away to the ground .
Xiong Pa suddenly rushed over .
Qi Nanshan was in a very festive mood when he smashed Xiong Pi away . He couldn’t help but cry out as he sped up and rushed to Xiong Pi to give him a flying kick to the head .
If his foot connects, Xiong Pi may be completely finished, he thought .
Just then, Xiong Pa sprang over and swung his Bear Claws towards Qi Nanshan’s calf . The Bear’s Claws were flashing with a yellow brilliance . Obviously, Xiong Pa resorted to body strengthening .
Qi Nanshan’s brows slightly narrowed as he quickly retracted his kicking foot and angled a punch towards the back of the bear’s paw .
Xiong Pa harrumphed . He twisted his paw upwards to meet with Qi Nanshan’s fist, and five yellow rays turned upwards . He was confident that he could crush Qi Nanshan’s fist .
His eyes were red . He stood up and tried to initiate another bear hug . As long as he can cling to Qi Nanshan, the battle will be over .
But Qi Nanshan was trying figure out how hard his fist has become . He grunted and suddenly accelerated his fist to mercilessly hit Xiong Pa’s bear claws . At the moment of contact, his fist flashed with rune marks that immediately disappeared without a trace .
Bang! Kacha!
Xiong Pa uttered an earthshaking howl . Not only were the bear claws destroyed—his fingers were all broken .
After Qi Nanshan smashed Xiong Pa’s hand, he quickly retreated . Xiong Pi—who was aiming for a sudden bear hug—only found empty air .
Qi Nanshan suddenly appeared while Xiong Pi’s arms were still crossed into a hug . With arm like an iron bar, Qi Nanshan swept his arms from the side and aimed for Xiong Pi’s head . Xiong Pi shrieked and put out a cross arm block . At the moment of contact, Xiong Pi knew it was bad . He had never seen a Marked Warrior Grandmaster with such huge strength .
Xiong Pi’s hard arms were snapped broken and couldn’t stop Qi Nanshan’s fist, which was aiming for his head . He was terrified . Since he was taller than Qi Nanshan, though, he was able to stiffen up and move his shoulder to protect his face .
Boom!
With a large explosion, Xiong Pi flew out . The bones on his shoulder were all broken . He then fainted without a word .
Seeing this, Xiong Pa felt confused . He howled and rushed up .
Qi Nanshan slightly shook his head, lifted a foot to kick, and kicked Xiong Pa on his chest . Xiong Pa flew up and over . He now stood motionless on the ground
The fight didn’t last more than a minute . The Xiong Pa brothers couldn’t support each other .
Qi Nanshan’s strength was overwhelming . It was not a match at all .
***
Zizi Rong yelled, “Stop! We throw in the towel!”
Is this a joke? The brothers were his only two Grandmaster Level followers . If Qi Nanshan refused the motion to stop the fight, he was really going to cry .
Qi Nanshan hasn’t even warmed up yet . He hasn’t used his full strength .
Feeling a bit upset, he started yelling, “Qi Nanshan of the North Rune Sect would like to consult with West Rune Sect masters . Who else is willing to go for it?”
He wasn’t satisfied so he simply challenged everybody from the whole West Rune Sect .
***
Xiong Pi woke up . He and his brother were horrified . They looked at each other while they retreated . After this fight, they had both lost their confidence .
Guo Shier cried out, “Nanshan Grandpa, you are the most handsome!”
Luo Jie smiled . “You little pony fart . ”
Qi Nanshan waved to the direction of Guo Shier then asked, “Is anyone else willing to be my next match?”
The masters of the West Rune Sect were visibly livid . They didn’t expect the North Rune Sect to challenge them on their home turf .
No one was daring to fight . It was an embarrassing to the extreme .
***
Suddenly, a big man stepped into the training ground . Although he had a white beard and many wrinkles, there were still sparkles in his eyes .
With a steel Rune Rod in his hand, he walked slowly to the front of Qi Nanshan .
The people from West Rune Sect got excited .
“It’s Liu Changfeng! Elder Liu came forward!” someone yelled .
Guo Shier whispered, “Master, who’s Liu Changfeng?
“He’s a Beast Warrior Grandmaster from West Rune Sect,” Luo Jie explained . “Rumor has it that he’s on the top three from the Inner Sect, with amazing fighting power . Haha! I did not expect Da-Shan to make him come out . ”
***
“Qi Nanshan, you’re really good,” Liu Changfeng said . “But There’s no place for you in the West Rune Sect . ”
Qi Nanshan also knew who Liu Changfeng was . If he hadn’t advanced, their strength would be the same . But after his baptism at the altar, Qi Nanshan was now far stronger . Still, Liu Changfeng is a worthy opponent . He could thoroughly test the effects of his advancement by fighting him .
“Very good, Liu Changfeng,” Qi Nanshan replied . “Bring it on!”
He didn’t want any more nonsense . It was time to play again . But he did not dare be careless .
***
Liu Changfeng roared . His body emitted a red glow, and a Phantom of a Tiger appeared on it .
“A Marked Giant Blood Tooth Tiger . Amazing fella!” Luo Jie exclaimed . “This Marked Beast has not been seen in the grasslands for a long time . Maybe he got it when he was young .
“This Marked Beast soul is very rare, he continued . “What’s even rarer is that he doesn’t seem to rely on the soul of the Marked Beast . ”
Puzzled, Guo Shier asked, “Why?”
“Because he’s using a weapon instead of using the Beast’s skill to attack,” Luo Jie responded .
Guo Shier smiled, “Oh, understood! I see . Focus on the use of weapons and not the use of beast skill . Haha! This Liu Changfeng is fantastic!”
Luo Jie knew this disciple was not the same as the rest .
***
Qi Nanshan was stable as a mountain as he took out his own Rune Rod . “Let’s go!” he declared while observing the behavior of the other Grandmaster .
“Eat my stick!” Liu Changfeng yelled back . He roared like a tiger and started to move as fast as one .
His Rune Rod was glowing as it went straight to Qi Nanshan .
Qi Nanshan took this opportunity to test his body strength . With his full power and speed, he swung his own Rune Rod . It swept through the air and made an explosive crackling sound followed by a sharp burst .
The sound made everyone’s ears numb .
Liu Changfeng’s heart suddenly jumped . He screeched to a stop and put up his Rune Rod to block Qi Nanshan’s attack—just in time .
Bang!
All the spectators couldn’t help but take a step back . This loud noise shook them to their core .
The fingers on Liu Changfeng’s right hand broke like the cracked teeth of the Tiger’s mouth . He could no longer hold onto his Rune Rod .
His pure steel Rune Rod even got bent into a 90-degree angle and flew up onto the sky .
He stared stupidly—that was all he could do . Even his Rune Rod couldn’t get close to Qi Nanshan!
He decided to jerk sideways and take out a second stick with his other hand, but it was smashed away again .
Seeing that Qi Nanshan was still aiming at him with his Rune Rod, he stretched his hand into his waist a pouch, and a huge Rune Shield emerged .
(Note: I’m assuming that pouch is a rune pouch with extended space, and what he took out was a Rune Shield and not a Glyph Shield since he’s just a Beast/Marked Warrior and not an Artificer . )
Liu Changfeng held his body against the Rune Shield, basically wearing it . He was banking on the strength of his body plus the empowerment of the Marked Beast’s soul .
Qi Nanshan sneered as his strikes smashed the shield with a bang . Liu Changfeng felt a severe shock with every hit . He grinded his teeth and cried out . Every blow reverberated through the shield and into his body .
Qi Nanshan laughed as he continuously smashed on the Rune Shield .
Liu Changfeng spit blood out with every hit . He has been unable to retreat and can only move forward . He was just listening to Qi Nanshan’s shouting .
Qi Nanshan finally focused and fiercely smashed his Rune Rod down .
Boom!
Blood spurted out of Liu Changfeng’s mouth as his Rune Shield tore apart .
Breaking the Rune Shield showed an opportunity, but Qi Nanshan didn’t rush . Without notice, he let go of the Rune Rod in his hand . He lifted both his hands and motioned to Liu Changfeng to continue the fight .
He wanted to fight Liu Chengfeng with his bare hands .
“Liu Changfeng’s strength is very strong,” Luo Jie commented . “If Da-Shan did not advance, the two would be evenly matched . ”“Grandpa Nanshan is really fierce . Now he wants to fight the Beast Warrior Grandmaster with his bare hands!” Guo Shier marveled out loud .
Beast Warrior Grandmasters like Liu Changfeng were empowered by the Marked Beast’s soul . Their strength could increase by least by 30% percent . Nevertheless, Qi Nanshan still had the upper hand .
As Qi Nanshan sprang out to attack, Liu Changfeng shouted . “Wa… wait!”
The crowd fell silent .
Liu Changfeng coughed out another mouthful of blood . “I lost!” he sadly said, then turned around and went .
He was clearly humiliated .
Seeing this, Qi Nanshan felt joy and regret at the same time . He knew in his heart that with his present strength, no Beast Warrior Grandmaster in the West Rune Sect could match him .
***
The North Rune Sect started celebrating . They had long been overpowered by the men of the West Rune Sect, especially in the martial arts profession . The West Rune Sect always held a great advantage because of they are enhanced with a Marked Beast’s soul . Their strength was at least 30% higher .
But this time was different . Qi Nanshan shot them down . He manhandled the best men of the West Rune Sect, who all found themselves with no strength to fight back . One person managed to defeat three Beast Warrior Grandmasters one after another!
This contest was a huge victory for the North Rune Sect .
It caused enormous embarrassment in the West Rune City .
Now, they all knew that the North Rune Gate had a very powerful master
***
Unless the Master called, Guo Shier stayed indoors . For three days, he almost never went out . He was determined to stay in the cabin all day long, either practicing or reading . He didn’t care about anything else .
On the third day, Chen Hong came in with a glass of water and asked, “Shier, are you reading again?”
“What do you mean?” Guo Shier replied, sensing that the question had another meaning .
He took the hot water and clutched it with his cold hands . “Little Hong, what’s the matter?”
Chen Hong laughed, “Hee hee, I know I can’t hide anything from you! Shier, let’s go shopping . For three days, I haven’t gone out . All day long I’m stuck in this small courtyard . I’m bored to death . ”
“Go by yourself,” Guo Shier replied . “I have books to read . ”
Chen Hong bitterly smiled . “Shier, if you’re not going to… who will dare to go out?”
Guo Shier realized that there were others waiting outside the room . “Everybody come in . Don’t hide outside!” he snapped .
Huo Bao and rest entered one by one, all of them with a look of anticipation .
Guo Shier sighed . “Fine, fine . All right . I’ll go . Shi-tou, go find Uncle Ying Mo and Uncle Luo and ask them to go with us . ”
Everybody cheered .
“I knew it!” Huo Bao said . “As long as Little Hong suggests it…”
Guo Shier looked at him with murderous eyes .
Huo Bao got scared and suddenly changed the topic . “l’lI…I’ll go inform Uncle Ying Mo…” he said, then quickly ran away .
Chen Hong blushed but remained calm . “I’m going to find Uncle Luo,” she uttered softly .
“Shi-tou, since they’re going to inform the uncles, you go find the person in charge here,” Guo Shier ordered . “Let him find a guide for us . ”
Hong Shi also turned and went out .
Guo Shier put on a big fur robe, a pair of big fur boots, and a big fur hat . He was fully armed for the cold . The temperature had been dropping further day by day, but he was growing more used to the climate here .
Soon, Ying Mo and Luo Zhan came in .
“Shier, you’re going out today?” Ying Mo asked, smiling .
“It’s getting stuffy in this room . Let’s go out for a walk . I want to drop by the markets . There might be something unique . I’ll buy some as giveaway gifts . ”
“Before we go out, I should remind you . Bring your own weapons! Haha!” Ying Mo exclaimed . “There could be a fight at any time . In the West Rune Sect, you cannot refuse a fight . ”
“The battle between Qi Nanshan and the Grandmasters from West Rune Sect is the talk of the whole town,” said Luo . “Once we go out, everybody will be eyeing us because we are from the North Rune Sect . It’s an honor . ”
“Er, does that mean that as soon as we get out, we’re going to fight?” asked Guo Shier .
“Yes!” Ying Mo said .
Guo Shier smiled . “But even if everybody in the West Rune Sect combined all their efforts, they’re all still farts! Haha!”
“Well technically, that’s not going to happen,” Ying Mo explained . “A fight is usually a one-on-one battle between fighters of the same level, unless you challenge someone of a higher level . ”
“What if you kill?” Guo Shier probed further .
Ying Mo replied, “Someone will collect your corpse when you die… so be careful when you fight . Once you know you have lost, throw in the towel immediately . There’s no shame in that . People here don’t laugh at losers . They know that no one will win forever . ”
“Fine, I got it,” he said .
Guo Shier thought of the previous battles of Qi Nanshan . The people from the West Rune Sect—once they found out they couldn’t win—immediately admitted defeat . There was no hesitation .
He suddenly thought of a problem . “But Uncle Ying Mo, if someone comes to challenge me, can I get Uncle to fight for me?” he asked .
Ying Mo could not help but laugh . This little guy can be lazy .
“You have to fight your own battles,” he explained . “You can’t refuse . ”
Guo Shier couldn’t help but curse . “What the fuck is this rule? What if a Beast Warrior Grandmaster challenges me? How do I fight?”
“Don’t listen to elder Ying,” Luo Zhan chimed in . “challenges are generally of the same profession and level . It’s not all messed up . ”
Chen Bing also joined the conversation . “But it’s a team battle, haha! We will be invincible!”
“Of course!” Ying Mo agreed . “With two Grandmasters, we’ll turn any team that dares to challenge us into ashes . ”
“Great,” Guo Shier declared . “Let’s get going . But wait—I don’t want to go too far into the West Rune City . Why don’t we just hang out in the Inner Sect market? There should be a lot of good stuff . I hope there will be no fighting . I’m a civilized man, after all . ”
“A ‘civilized’ man? What does that mean?” Ying Mo quipped, never having heard of that word .
Guo Shier laughed . “It is the opposite of barbarians . ”
Luo Zhan was also confused . “Barbarian…that sounds like someone powerful . Is that right?”
“Then I like the barbarians! I don’t like civilized people,” said Ying Mo .
Luo Zhan and the four children also agreed .
Guo Shier was outnumbered . “Let’s just go, you bunch of barbarians!” he said helplessly .
“I’m a barbarian . Haha! I am a barbarian…” Huo Bao excitedly chanted .
Guo Shier was speechless . He rolled his eyes . “Find me a carriage . It’s such a cold day . I don’t want to ride . The carriage is more comfortable . ”
Ying Mo and Luo Zhan smiled slyly . This little ancestor* was afraid of the cold . They really couldn’t understand how he survived the journey through the grasslands where the snowy weather was much harsher than the city .
(*Note: My Chinese friend says that the term “ancestor” as used here depicts a level or status and has nothing to do with bloodline . It means something higher than an Elder and lower than a King/Patriarch . If you think otherwise, let me know in the comments . )
***
“Here it is!” Guo Shier came down from the carriage . He was charge of the team . Six of them are dependent on him .
There were several big markets in the Inner Sect . They were no different than the ones in North Rune Sect . They had specialized services for the West Rune Sect and Inner Sect disciples . Outer Sect disciples could not access this area without a special permission . And although the markets were open to ordinary West Rune City people, they usually weren’t interested enough to visit .
Guo Shier looked up and saw a large stone archway saying ‘Beast Plaza . ’
His mouth dropped . “Holy shit! Who named this place? He’s too talented!”
“What is wrong? Beast Plaza is the most famous open market in the Inner Door,” Ying Mo said, confused .
“Ah, do you know any Rouge Street*?” Guo Shier said back .
“I’ve never heard of any Rogue Street,” Ying Mo replied .
(*Note: This might mean a ‘black market’ location . )
Guo Shier sighed, exasperated . “Alas, I have no common language with you . Let’s go… Let’s go in to be beasts . ”
Ying Mo has been wandering on grassland and never thought the word ‘beast’ to mean anything bad .
“Good! We’ll be beasts . Hehe!” he said .
In the West Rune Sect, the word ‘beast’ was just a common word . After all, the West Rune Sect’s professional system was built on the basis of beasts .
***
The whole group walked into Beast Plaza .
Guo Shier, lazily following Ying Mo, asked, “Uncle, what are the characteristics of Beast Plaza?”
“The market usually sells animals,” Ying Mo explained . “With good luck, we can see a living Marked Beast . Hehe! But according to your classification, the Marked Beasts here are only at rank 1 to 2 . We won’t see any rank 7 Marked Beast here . ”
Guo Shier laughed . “Rank 7 Marked Beast? Hehe! Uncle, you’re joking! A Rank 7 Marked Beast can absolutely exterminate the whole Inner Sect . That’s an overkill . ”
There wasn’t much foot traffic in the Beast Plaza . Their group got a lot of attention; many inner sect disciples looked at them eagerly as they passed, as though they were watching a group of rare animals .
Guo Shier chuckled . “They seem very friendly . Hehe!”
“It’s normal,” Ying Mo said with no surprise . “Your Grandpa Nanshan beat three Beast Warrior Grandmasters in one breath . They have the highest respect towards the North Rune Sect now . ”
Luo Zhan faintly chimed in . “You don’t have to be afraid . We don’t want to stir up trouble . But if they dare challenge us, strike hard and fast so they won’t dare to challenge us again . ”
Their group continued walking .
“Uncle Ying Mo, which one is the biggest shop in Beast Plaza?” asked Guo Shier .
“You should be able to see it . It’s just around the corner . Can you see the sign? That’s the one . ”
“The Beast Pavilion!” Guo Shier said in awe when he saw what Ying Mo was referring to . In his previous world, the word ‘beast’ was a derogatory word . Here, it was openly used for a sign .
Though the Beast Pavilion sign was very big, the entrance was very small . This was to maintain the climate within .
Ying Mo and Luo Zhan went in first and opened the thick leather beast curtain . Then, Guo Shier stepped in in, followed by the four children .
Guo Shier laughed . “Wow . There’s quite a crowd in here . ”
The inside of the shop was brightly lit . There were a lot of guests . The people inside eyed their group with piercing glares .
“Hey, aren’t you people from the North Rune Sect? Why are you here?” A woman said, curiously looking at their group . She eyed them without fear .
This woman was obviously a professional because she had two Beast Warrior Master followers .
Women professionals were rare, especially in the West Rune Sect and North Rune Sect . On the other hand, there were quite a lot of female professionals in the South Rune Sect and East Rune Sect .
“Are we not allowed to come here?” Guo Shier asked .
Suddenly, a little girl came down from upstairs and called on the woman . “Elder Sister! I found something good! Get it for me!”
“Little Yun, come here,” the woman replied .
When the little girl saw Guo Shier and his group, a look of astonishment took over her face .
She hurriedly walked to the woman’s side, and whispered, “Who are they?”
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login