After all, these individuals were considered high and mighty. Even the sects and royal families of the Ethereal Realm might not have been significant enough to earn their attention!
To them, this remote and impoverished place had nothing worth noticing. It was like a billionaire stepping into a secluded mountain village-completely out of place.
“It seems like no one here knows how to fly. Their abilities look really weak. Why aren’t they training themselves?” Cassian asked curiously.
Jared could only roll his eyes, completely speechless. These villagers were struggling just to survive-how could they possibly have the luxury to dedicate themselves to daily cultivation?
Besides, where would they get the resources for cultivation? Those don’t just fall from the sky, do they?
While Jared and his group were taking a break, four unexpected visitors arrived at the entrance of Rock Village.
“Who’s in charge here? Who gave you permission to hunt?” A cultivator, clad in a long gray robe and gripping a fine sword, shouted loudly. Behind him stood three more men, each looking just as menacing.
“Who are you people? How is our hunting any of your business?” All stepped forward, visibly displeased.
Bang!
Before Ali could even finish speaking, the gray-robed cultivator kicked him hard, sending him flying. “Listen up, kid,” he sneered, “you’d better watch your tone when talking to us.”
Upon hearing that the group was from the Demon Seal Alliance, Antonio’s expression darkened, and his posture stiffened. By now, a large crowd of villagers had gathered. Seeing Ali get beaten filled them with rage.
“Gentlemen, please forgive him-he’s just a young man who doesn’t know any better,” Antonio said hastily. “We only hunted a little at the foot of the mountain. We never went any higher. We know the mountain is off-limits!”
“It doesn’t matter,” the gray-robed cultivator snapped. “From now on, hunting of any kind is forbidden. Everything on the mountain belongs to the Demon Seal Alliance. No one is allowed to touch it!”
The villagers immediately erupted in a heated discussion. If they weren’t allowed to hunt, what were they supposed to do? Starve?
“This is ridiculous! First, they banned us from gathering herbs, and now they won’t even let us hunt? Do they expect us to just sit here and wait to die?” Emily couldn’t hold back her frustration.
Her outburst caught the robed monk’s attention, but when his gaze shifted from Emily to Ira standing beside her, his eyes lit up with excitement.
“A Demonic Cultivator? You actually have a Demonic Cultivator here?”
The gray-robed cultivator was ecstatic. He turned to his three companions and shouted, “Guys, we’ve hit the jackpot! Hurry and send a message to the boss!”
Without wasting another second, the four cultivators surrounded Ira, their faces filled with glee. They had only recently joined the Demon Seal Alliance and hadn’t had the opportunity to make a real contribution yet. Their main tasks so far had been to gather resources and hand them over to the Alliance.
But now, they had a real chance to prove themselves. Capturing a Demonic Cultivator and delivering them to headquarters would earn them recognition and generous rewards!
“What are you doing? My grandma is not a Demonic Cultivator!” Emily immediately stepped in front of Ira, her expression anxious.
Antonio and the other villagers also moved to block Ira.
“Old man, if you don’t want to die, step aside,”
the gray-robed cultivator warned coldly.
“Otherwise, I’ll slaughter all of you.”
But neither Antonio nor the villagers backed down. They knew there was no escape-if they had to fight, then so be it!
“Who do you think you are, threatening to kill everyone here?”
A teasing voice rang out. Moments later, Jared walked over, flanked by Orion and the others.
The gray-robed cultivator glanced at Jared and his companions but didn’t take them seriously. After all, Jared and his men weren’t releasing any noticeable aura fluctuations, making it impossible to gauge their strength.
“Kid,” the gray-robed cultivator sneered, “you’re not from Rock Village, are you? Then don’t be a busybody. Get lost. We’re from the Demon Seal Alliance, and we specialize in hunting Demon Cultivators. If you interfere, we’ll take you down as well.”
