When Jared approached the town, was suddenly surrounded by a group of about ten cultivators, all brandishing weapons.
The group was led by an elderly man, who was clad in a robe that suggested was likely a priest.
With just a glance, Jared realized that these people were only in the Body Fusion Realm in terms of their abilities. Even the elderly man, who was the strongest among them, was merely an Eighth Level Body Fusion Realm cultivator.
In Jared’s perspective, those who were in the Body Fusion Realm were probably not even comparable to an Insignificant ant.
“Excuse me, where are you from? What brings you to our town?” The elderly man carefully regarded Jared before asking.
“I hail from the Ethereal Realm, and my purpose here is…”
Before Jared could even finish his sentence, an expression of sheer terror crossed the faces of the people. Without a second thought, they turned and bolted toward the center of the town.
The elder took the lead, rushing into the town, and then shouted out, “The catastrophe has begun! Quickly activate the formation!”
As the surrounding formation activated, the entire small town was bathed in a radiant light. Many people in the town looked at Jared in horror.
Seeing this, Jared was utterly puzzled.
Why are these people afraid of me?
Jared made his way toward the small town, step by step. With a gentle press of his hand against the glowing protective barrier, the town’s surrounding defense was instantly shattered. And so, Jared strolled into the small town with ease.
However, this time, everyone in the small town was terrified.
The sound of women‘s weeping and the cries of children were as if the end of the world had come.
“Mister, what are you doing? I’m no demon. Why are you so afraid of me?” Jared, utterly puzzled, questioned the elderly man, Wybert Qays.
Wybert looked at Jared nervously, then spoke up. “Aren’t you here to seize resources and kill us?”
“Of course not. I have my own resources. Why would I need to snatch yours? Besides, you all seem to be on the verge of poverty. Even the spiritual energy In this world feels so thin. What kind of resources could you possibly have?” Jared casually remarked.
Upon hearing this, Wybert was instantly overcome with tears. He wept as spoke. “Our world was once vibrant with spiritual energy, and the lands were rich with resources…”
“It’s unfortunate… Three hundred years ago, experts from various other realms descended upon our realm all of a sudden. They seized our resources and even killed the cultivators of our world. Every hundred years, a formidable force would emerge in our world, wreaking havoc and chaos…”
“We refer to it as a catastrophe. Those people claimed they were from the Ethereal Realm too. The moment you said you were from there as well, I knew disaster had begun.” Wybert spoke with profound sorrow.
A world that was once rich in resources had been reduced to such a state. He questioned how the realm’s cultivators could continue their practice when their overall strength was no longer formidable.
“Just three hundred years?” Jared’s brows furrowed slightly.
If this world had only endured three hundred years of plunder, it would certainly prove that this world was not the original one from the first level of the Celestial Stairway. It must have been replaced.
Judging by the current situation, if the Celestial Stairway were to appear again, the realm on the first level would likely not be populated by the same people. After all, following three instances of plundering, there weren’t many resources left in this realm to exploit.
“Who exactly is the one assisting the cultivators in the Ethereal Realm?”
Jared couldn’t comprehend, in the vast cosmos filled with countless realms, how could anyone possibly nurture one realm forthe sake of another.
In the current situation, it was as if the other realms were brought directly here through the portal of the Celestial Stairway, not that these worlds existed within the Celestial Stairway itself.
“Mister, since you’ve been through this three times already, you must know that I’m here to challenge someone, right? Once the challenge is successful, I can leave your realm.”
Jared wanted to find out from Wybert who needed to challenge if wished to leave this place.
Since it’s up to me to find out, there must be someone in the know. I can’t possibly rely solely on guesswork and end up wiping out everyone in this realm.
“Of course, I know, but you mustn’t go now. Just wait here for a few days, then you can proceed with the challenge,” Wybert advised Jared earnestly.
