"Actually, I can take care of those Beasts," Ku Mu said calmly, staring at Tan Laoxi. He then turned to the group. "But when I'm done, I will make a condition you can't refuse," he continued.
He didn't wait for them to answer. He quickly flew up and pounced on the two Marked Beast Variants.
Luo Jie's face was livid. He stared intently at Tan Laoxi. "If anything happens this time, I will definitely kill you!"
Tan Laoxi was confused. Feeling aggrieved, he finally replied, "Old Luo! I didn't do anything. Why are you mad at me?"
Guo Shier suddenly cried out loud. "Master! Look!"
Ku Mu flew straight to the front of the Mammoth Beast Variant. He dropped down rapidly like a swooping hawk and pounced towards its head.
The Mammoth Beast roared angrily. It raised its big column-like nose and began swatting with it. Even a Grandmaster level practitioner certainly can't survive this this blow.
But Ku Mu was obviously on a different level. He just grunted coldly and did not evade the attack. He spread out a hand and seven to eight very clear mauve-colored Runes emerged out of thin air. The Runes homed into the Mammoth Beast and struck it continuously.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The trunk of the Mammoth hurled back from the strike.
Ku Mu then landed on the head of the Mammoth Beast. It shook its head violently and hurled its nose, trying to extricate Ku Mu.
Ku Mu made a grabbing gesture. A two-meter-long golden spear emerged, its tip flashing brilliantly. He then shouted and slammed down his spear.
The golden spear easily pieced the Mammoth Beast Variant's head. It went in smooth, like cutting tofu. The Beast screamed insanely.
Ku Mu flew up before the Mammoth Beast can counter attack on its death throes.
Boom!
The Mammoth Beast Variant crashed to the ground. Its limbs kept twitching while its long nose stood straight. After a few seconds, it fell feebly.
Luo Jie's team struggled to cope with the Mammoth Beast Variant and fought it for a long time. Now that it's dead, it frightened them and made their hearts beat so hard, like drums.
Holy shit! Is this still human? Guo Shier said to himself.
Ku Mu did not stop there. He turned midair and pounced towards the huge Rune Snake Variant.
He gestured and whipped his hands out, conjuring a thousand flashing Runes in an instant and causing sparks to fly everywhere.
The ethereal Runes were hard to see clearly. They flickered and shifted like blooming flowers—very beautiful but also very frightening.
The sparks were cause by the activation of the Runes as they continued to shift and change into a huge Firebird. The Firebird charged towards the standing Rune Snake Variant, which suddenly hissed in urgency and opened its mouth to attack.
Chi!
A jet of venom was sprayed like a water dragon attacking the oncoming Firebird.
Ku Mu seemed to have been waiting for this opportunity. His fingers made a grabbing gesture in the air to draw out an ethereal sword.
"Go!" he shouted, and the ethereal sword flew out violently straight into the mouth of the Rune Snake Variant.
The ethereal sword can hardly be seen as it shot into the Snake.
"Separate!" Ku Mu shouted.
The ethereal sword instantly split into countless small swords, drilling down the throat of the Snake.
The Rune Snake felt like it swallowed an iron hedgehog as it rolled down to the ground endlessly.
Ku Mu didn't bother to wait for the results. He immediately turned around to fly over and land next to Luo Jie's team.
He scared Tan Laoxi by just glancing at him, almost stopping his heart from beating.
Still, Tan Laoxi showed his best charming smile and said, "Ancestor Ku Mu…"
Slap!
Tan Laoxi was somehow slapped on the face even though Ku Mu was still three meters away from him.
Nobody saw how the slap happened.
"Shut your mouth," Ku Mu whispered. "I'll kill you if you open it one more time."
Tan Laoxi did not utter a word. He just stood there silently.
He lowered his head and covered his face with his hand, but his heart was trembling with anger and his eyes red.
Guo Shier did the math. Ku Mu killed the two powerful Marked Beast Variants in just over a minute—almost an instant kill.
This strength was completely beyond his imagination. It meant that if Ku Mu wanted to kill them, he could just snap his fingers. They were definitely easier to kill than those Marked Beast Variants. There would simply be no resistance.
"I said that after killing these two Marked Beast Variants, I'm going to offer you a condition," Ku Mu said. "Do you have any comments?"
Luo Jie did not object. "Please, go ahead senior."
Ku Mu gazed towards Guo Shier. "How old are you?"
"Ten years old," Guo Shier replied.
Ku Mu eyes lit up with when he heard the answer. "How long have you been training as an Artificer?"
"Less than two years." Guo Shier said. "I started apprenticing as an Artificer when I was eight years old."
Ku Mu glanced at everyone in the group. He then turned to Luo Jie and asked, "Are you the one teaching him?"
Ku Mu was asking the right person.
"You are teaching him well," he continued. "Unfortunately, your level is too low. Your Artificer mastery is too poor. It almost ruined the potential of such a genius."
Luo Jie got depressed. He was also an Artificer Grandmaster who advanced again recently. But what came out of Ku Mu's mouth was unbearable.
Still, he did not dare refute. The other party had extremely formidable in strength.
Ku Mu was fully qualified to say all these things to Luo Jie.
"My condition is very simple," Ku Mu continued. "I'm going to take him away."
He pointed at Guo Shier.
Luo Jie was stunned. He was speechless and his face fell gloomy.
Guo Shier was not a child in the truest sense. He had the soul of an adult.
But Guo Shier understood that in this situation, they really had no power to resist.
Ku Mu asked, "So? Do you disagree?"
"Predecessor, can you let us discuss this?" Guo Shier hurriedly replied. "Rest assured, we are not going to escape."
Ku Mu laughed. "Do you think you can escape? Hahaha! Fine, you can discuss. I'll move out of your way."
Before leaving, he added, "I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer."
What Ku Mu truly meant was that if he was not satisfied, the consequences would be deadly.
He then seemed to jump away by 100 meters in a flash. He certainly was not afraid of these people running away because they simply can't escape.
"Shier, don't be afraid," Luo Jie said. "Master would fight with his old life rather than let him take you away."
Guo Shier slightly shook his head, "Master, we can't beat him. He is too powerful. Any strategy is useless. We don't have the strength to fight him. We can only negotiate with him. We have to meet his requirements, otherwise…"
Luo Jie's face turned ugly. He was silent for a moment.
"Shier," he finally said. "Are you willing to go with him?"
Guo Shier looked down. "If I don't go with him, I'm afraid he will be very angry at everyone."
Guo Shier saw the fierce light in Ku Mu's eyes. He knew deep inside that if Master resisted any further, Ku Mu would kill them in a heartbeat.
He couldn't let this happen.
Luo Jie understood Guo Shier's mind, but his heart was extremely bitter. He was letting a child save everyone. He can barely suppress the injustice in his heart.
Qi Nan Shan looked angrily at the distant Ku Mu.
"Nan Shan Grandpa, don't be impulsive," Guo Shier hurriedly appeased him. "This will not solve the problem."
Ying Mo's face was also livid. He had only been following Guo Shier for a short time, but he already admired and liked the clever boy.
Guo Shier looked at everyone's desperate and weary faces.
He was very anxious. He knew that they were not going to survive if he refused to agree to Ku Mu's conditions. Eventually, in the end, Ku Mu will still take him away.
"Master," he finally said. "Forever Shier would be…"
Luo Jie did not let him speak and just stroked his head with his hands.
Luo Jie's face was full of helplessness and bitterness. "Shier, have you made up your mind?" he asked.
Guo Shier was decisive. He nodded. "Master, do you remember the altar?"
"Of course," Luo Jie answered.
"If there is a chance, I will go there," Guo Shier said softly.
He leaned into Luo Jie's ear. "Ku Mu couldn't possibly be from this Secret Realm—he is a master who came from another Rune World. If I can get to a way more advanced level of Artificer that we know of, this may not be such a bad thing."
Luo Jie was dumbfounded. He did not expect Guo Shier to plan it this way.
"Shier," he murmured. "I don't want you to take any chances. Don't force yourself. Are you sure you want to go?"
Guo Shier nodded. "Master, do not worry. I will protect myself. Hmmp! No one can hurt me easily!"
Luo Jie was convinced at this point. "Fine. After advancing, I think I can extended my life span. I'll wait for you to come back. I'll wait for you at the altar."
"You don't have to wait at the altar," Guo Shier said. "Just leave a box with a message. Make an appointment for the next time we meet. I will do the same."
Qi Nan Shan nodded. "This is a good plan."
"Master, take care of Bao-zi and the rest for me," Guo Shier requested. "Don't let them slack off on their training. Also, can you help take good care of Auntie Lan and Auntie Xin?"
Luo Jie nodded. "Do not worry. I will watch over your residence until the day you come back."
The Master understood that Guo Shier had made up his mind to go in order to learn to be a more powerful Artificer.
It was also the only way to protect their group.
Qi Nan Shan cleared his throat. "Do not worry, Shier. Old Timer will take care of them. No one will dare bully them."
Guo Shier went to Ying Mo and Luo Zhan. "Uncle Ying Mo, Uncle Luo, sorry," he said.
Ying Mo shook his head. "Shier, there is nothing to be sorry about. I'll go with you!"
Luo Zhan was about to say the same. He also wanted to accompany Guo Shier.
Ku Mu, listening from the distance, suddenly said, "You can only take one person to go with you. Even if more people want to go with you, I can't bring them all. Choose one."
Guo Shier was startled. Ku Mu can actually hear their words! That was a bit scary.
"In that case, Uncle Luo, you can just stay. Take care of the people at home," he said. "Ying Mo can come with me."
Luo Zhan helplessly nodded. He had no choice but to stay. "Okay, Shier. Don't worry, I'll take care of the group," he managed to say.
Luo Jie's eyes were slightly wet. He sighed. "Shier, I'm sorry I can't protect you."
"Protection? You don't have to worry about it," Ku Mu interrupted.
Ku Mu was standing a long distance away, but he could hear them loud and clear. This left everyone speechless. His strength made everyone afraid.
Translator: Glasses TangGu
Editor: M