243: Chapter 212_2 243: Chapter 212_2 This person became somewhat tempted to snatch the magical treasure as he spoke, curious if the other party’s magical treasure could withstand his attack.
His spells were so potent that even high-priced Demonic Beasts would evade him.
The Earl knew the other’s intentions and could only unleash the powerful force of her magic wand to subdue the adversary.
This person was no vegetarian either, perhaps with his powerful spells, he didn’t just attack the Earl, but also targeted others.
Realizing the attacks on others were blocked, he became even more aware of the potency of the other party’s magical treasure.
He deliberately tried to deceive them, saying, “You can go out and dig for herbs, and we can be friends.
I invite you to our dwelling place, dare you come?”
The Earl had yet to speak when some veteran hunters warned him not to go, musing that if it was a trap, for so many of them, the situation would get interesting, with no possibility of complete annihilation.
When the Earl came, he had promised his family and clan to bring them in safely and also to take them back safely.
Under the illumination of his magic wand, the strange man’s hair cascaded down his body, his face obscured, revealing only a full beard.
He did not trust this man; in his eyes, he saw cunning.
“My friend, there’s no need to go to your place.
We have business to attend to and must return.
Maybe we’ll meet again another time.
Now let our people go,” the Earl expressed his distrust of the stranger’s words.
“Hahahaha, if you refuse to come have some fun at my place, none of you will be able to return,” he said.
The stranger spoke like a shadow, his words sending chills down the spine.
The veteran hunters kept signaling the Earl covertly, also advising the younger ones not to trust this person, suggesting a definite conspiracy.
The Earl, refusing to be duped, said with a carefree laugh,
“Then let’s see if you’ve got what it takes to hold us back?
We do not steal or rob, nor do we intentionally offend.
Whoever has the skills reaps the forest’s bounty.
It seems your interest in us isn’t for hospitality but for other plans, right?”
“Let’s try it out then?” The man whistled and summoned his comrades.
He launched a more potent attack, unleashing a barrage of sword and blade shadows upon the Earl, their gleaming edges striking at the vital points of the gathered crowd.
The Earl muttered curses, employing her magic wand for defense to ward off the opponent’s assault and casting a light that encircled all her companions, protecting them from harm.
“Bang bang”
The man’s sharp blades struck the bright light emanating from the magic wand, emitting a loud sound.
“Swoosh swoosh”
Several black-clothed figures emerged from the thick woods, similar to the first man, their hair covering their faces, unkempt, but dressed much like assassins, like a band of outlaws.
Seeing that more people had joined the opposing side, the Earl grew more cautious.
Besides the magic wand in his hand that could both attack and defend,
the weapons in his clansmen’s hands were no match for the adversary’s assault, a feeling akin to being outnumbered.
He knew that pressing forward might lead into a trap.
Everyone’s baskets were already filled with plenty of herbs, and the harvest would be quite good even without insisting on more hunting.
After deliberating, the Earl decided, for everyone’s safety, he had to lead his clansmen away.
And he covertly shared his intention with his clansmen.
After the veteran hunters agreed to retreat given the danger up ahead, the decision was made to save what could be saved.
However, the youngsters disagreed, unwilling to have come all this way for nothing, to return so swiftly.
Over twenty individuals were divided into two factions, with the older hunters favoring a return while the younger ones opposed their view.
The Earl frowned, wondering why they were still arguing at a time like this, and he issued an order,
“We can still go hunting if we retreat, and by skirting the edge of the mountain, we can also dig up some good herbs.
But if I can’t hold out, and we all get trapped here, there’s a greater chance that our clan’s ancestral magical treasure could be stolen.
If that happens, I’m not the only one responsible – you all will bear the blame as well.”
“Yes!
The Earl is right; you are young and naive.
When the green hills are preserved, won’t there still be wood to burn?” the Veteran Hunter advised the young people.
“Fine!
This time, we didn’t check the almanac, and we’ve had a bad start.
Earl, protect us as we retreat, and let them see our strength,” said the Viscount, his indignation at being bullied fueling his youthful anger.
One by one, they took out their mightiest weapons, drawing their hunting bows and arrows, aiming to deliver a lethal blow to the opposition.
“Hehehe, thinking of escaping?
It won’t be that easy; you have to get past this grandpa first.”
One of these black-clad people, seemingly the leader but not the one from earlier, was probably a scout.
“Who’s your grandpa?
I’m your ancestor!”
The Earl didn’t hold back with his mouth either, chanting a curse and beginning to transform into a Super Warrior.
“Oh, so this treasure has such a function.
Grandpa’s got his eye on your treasure,” he said.
“Hahaha”
The black-clad men were not afraid of the Earl.
Apart from the item in his hand, which posed a slight threat to them, the others were useless.
What kind of tool is that in their hands?
Would hunting tools be of use to them?
They were Immortals from the Cultivation World, and they were robbing Immortals.
All those who came here for adventure and training had been eliminated by them, and they would kill and plunder treasures.
“Clang clang clang”
The black men also thought of their own Magical Treasures, the glow of their Magic Wands and the Treasures they wielded clashed, creating even louder noises.
This man-against-man struggle was even more brutal than the previous vicious combat with the Demonic Beasts.
They attacked the other party with blades, which knocked down trees all around and pockmarked the mountainous terrain.
Apart from the combatants in this fight, the normally fearsome Demonic Beasts kept their distance, quietly spying on the human brawl from afar.
Waiting for them to fight to the death, the beasts hoped to reap the benefits, with packs of Demonic Beasts staying together in one place, not enough for them to share among the dozens of humans.
The black-clad men haughtily scorned the Earl and did not take the beasts lurking in the forest seriously.
The kings of the mountain tigers and lions were no match for them and would have to hide upon seeing them.
After the Earl transformed, his power grew stronger; he fought several men by himself, relying entirely on his Magic Wand.
He trapped the adversaries in an illusionary space, where their attacks could do no damage as they struck only within the Magic Wand’s manifested space.
The black-clad men did not anticipate this, and their fierce attacks, all using spells and exploding with Spiritual Energy, resulted in strong bursts of light.
Despite the sounds of battle, no visible injury could be seen on their opponents.
It was as if they were fighting amidst a fog, with the figures they saw being mere illusions, and their attacks only hit shadows.
“Damn it, what kind of treasure and Cultivation Technique is this?”
One black-clad man couldn’t help but curse, having used so much Spiritual Energy for nothing, as if they had been toyed with by their opponent.
“Big brother, this guy’s Magical Treasure seems a bit evil.
He’s casting so many shadows, making it impossible for us to hit their real bodies, it’s infuriating!” said another black man.
“This is bad; we might be trapped by the opponent’s Magical Treasure.
It could be a Formation targeting us, but it doesn’t seem like one.
There’s no way to spot the formation’s core, and we can’t be trapped here—let alone killed by them.”
“Damn it, it’s like capsizing in a gutter.
We’ve been robbing and killing; when have we ever been on the receiving end?
This guy doesn’t seem like he’s from our country, and his treasure is unexpectedly powerful, bad luck!”
The Earl listened to these curses without getting angry; instead, he conceived a different idea.
He had initially thought of escaping, believing they were no match for the group and would make plans later.
However, if these people were not subdued and handled, then later, those they serve—herb gatherers—wouldn’t be able to do their job, and they might even be targeted for revenge by these men.
The Earl was fully aware that apart from his Magic Wand, which posed a threat to them, this group of people could potentially be killed by the opposition.
This outing had taught him that kindness sometimes leads to being killed.
He wouldn’t go around killing people at random, but those who were exceedingly wicked must be eliminated to rid the people of their menace.