Chapter Ninety-One: The Invisible Thief

After passing through the territories of no fewer than several dozen formidable clans once more, the group finally arrived at the realm of the one the beasts called “My Lord”: the territory of the Earth Demon Bear, a fifth-rank beast in its early stage.

Its domain was vast, yet it was not a tribe in the usual sense.

It contained only the Earth Demon Bear, a still-immature young cub, and, at the center of the territory, nearly one hundred and fifty human youths and prodigies kept captive like livestock.

Their condition was truly beyond description. Disheveled, filthy, and in tatters, they looked nothing like the outstanding descendants of noble families and major sects. Had their identities not been known in advance, who could have imagined that this wretched crowd was made up of elite disciples from the great clans and major sects?

Among them, several dozen disciples were even forcing themselves to smile and flatter the little cub as it toyed with them.

“May I ask what brings you to my territory?” asked a broad-faced, thick-browed man at the edge of the territory, scarcely bothering to look at the hundred or so third- and fourth-rank mystical beasts being escorted over, and addressing the more than ten human cultivators standing behind them with extreme displeasure.

“So it is the Bear King himself.”

“This old one and the others have naturally come especially to pay our respects. These are merely a few small gifts prepared in advance. We hope the Bear King will accept them with a smile.”

“Also, if our younger descendants have in any way offended you, we beg the Bear King’s generous forgiveness.”

The elderly man at the head of the group, a Nascent Divinity cultivator in the early stage, spoke politely while continually taking out one gift box after another and floating them toward the Earth Demon Bear opposite him.

“Oh? Not bad. All good things.”

“However, I still wish to ask all of you: why did you seize and detain the chiefs of a hundred clans within my Endless Forest?”

“Bear King, you misunderstand. How would we dare do such a thing? The clan leaders you mention all heard that we were coming to visit you, and they all took the initiative to guide us here.”

“Afterward, we will certainly present a generous gift to those friendly clans.”

“Whether that is true or not, I shall not pursue it.”

“The gifts have been offered, and my face has been shown. You may all return now. This is no place for cultivators of your level, and do not disturb my peace again.”

“Bear King, then what of our descendants and juniors...”

“They? They actually dared to surround and capture my child, and even boasted that they would skin him and eat his flesh...”

“With such boldness, they may stay here with me. They need not go back.”

“Gentlemen, walk carefully. I will not see you out!”

Seeing how utterly unreasonable the Earth Demon Bear was, and that it had actually accepted the gifts yet still intended to dismiss them so casually, everyone among the dozen or so could no longer suppress the fire surging in their hearts.

As they watched the Bear King turn as if to leave, another Nascent Divinity elder hurriedly called out, anxiety in his voice.

“Bear King, can this matter not be discussed further?”

“After all, your own children are still healthy and vigorous, while more than fifty of our younger disciples have already died in the act of being captured...”

“No room for discussion.”

“If I had not been unable to leave my post and had not promptly ordered the surrounding clans to move out and rescue them nearby, what healthy and vigorous children would there still be now?!”

“If I had come in person, let alone fifty deaths—even if I had wiped out every last one of the rest, it still would not have dulled my anger!”

“If any of you dare utter another useless word before me, then do not blame me for going now to grind those brats into dust!”

“You...”

“Bear King, we have shown you respect, yet you dare be so rude!”

“Do you truly think we fear you?”

“Release the people at once, or else—heh heh, Bear King, what if I were to personally kill your cub?!”

“Do you think I would not dare?!”

“Hahahaha, have you all forgotten where you stand?”

“Roar!”

Enraged by the threat, the Earth Demon Bear suddenly let out a thunderous howl to the sky. In an instant, countless beast roars answered from the surrounding distance, one wave after another surging forth. Entire groups of beasts mobilized and converged on the human cultivators outside the Bear King’s territory.

Very quickly, more than a hundred fourth-rank beasts of various clans rose up around the dozen or so people, and then countless third-rank beasts also arrived in succession.

The scene was awe-inspiring and magnificent beyond measure.

Though two among the dozen were Nascent Divinity experts, their hearts still pounded violently. None of them failed to understand that if a real battle broke out, not a single one of them would survive.

“Well, now, gentlemen? Still want to try?”

“Bear King, cough... you jest.”

“Is that so?”

A thousand kilometers away, Gu Xiaopang and Bai Ling'er, both carefully concealing their presence, had been resting for quite some time atop a towering ancient tree.

At that moment, hearing such a mighty roar, Gu Xiaopang was startled as well.

“Is that... the roar of a fifth-rank beast?”

“It should be. I wonder what happened. Look, countless fourth-rank beasts are responding and rushing inward.”

“Master, please help me confirm it once more.”

“No need to confirm. The little girl is right.”

“Haha, what a chance.”

“No, Xiaopang! You cannot take such a risk again!”

“Relax, Sister Ling'er. As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought through danger.”

“With such a marvelous opportunity right before me, if I do not seize it, how would I deserve the will of heaven?”

Before the words had even faded, the air quivered, and Gu Xiaopang was already gone.

Only Bai Ling'er remained, mouth slightly open, her heart pounding wildly. She could only sigh that traveling with Gu Xiaopang was far too exciting, though perhaps a little too exciting for comfort.

“Bear King, this old one was at fault. I failed to control my emotions just now.”

“Please be magnanimous.”

“We have absolutely come with sincerity this time. Tell us, tell us what must be done before you will let those disciples go?”

“If you want me to spare them... it is not impossible, only...”

“Bear King, speak without hesitation. Whatever we can accomplish, we will do our utmost.”

“Very well. Go back and inform their respective clans and sects: if they want their people back, bring treasures to exchange for them.”

“But don’t think you can fool me with a pile of worthless scrap.”

“This...”

“Then how about this? Since the few of us have come all the way here, why not exchange a few of them out first?”

“That can be done. The items you have just offered are enough to exchange three people. Choose them yourselves.”

“What? So much stuff, and only three?”

“Too much? Then two will do as well.”

“Uh, no, not too much, not too much.”

By now, the men had already cursed the Earth Demon Bear’s entire ancestry to the eighteenth generation in their hearts. They had seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless.

Among the dozen or so, several more took out items from their own storage pouches that were clearly enough to make even themselves ache with pain, handing them over to the Bear King in exchange for a few more spots.

The nine disciples who were exchanged back, upon seeing their elders from home and sect, all burst into tears. When had these chosen sons of heaven ever suffered such humiliation, ever endured such misery?

After another more than an hour of tedious bargaining, the group of twenty-odd finally took their leave of the detestable Bear King and began their return journey.

The hundred-plus fourth-rank beasts, countless third-rank beasts, and the rest that had been summoned to show force all returned to their own territories as well.

“Roar!”

“Awooo!”

“My treasury! Roar!”

“Roar!”

“Damn humans!”

“Screech!”

Before long, the roars and cries of countless fourth- and third-rank beasts once again reverberated with even greater force across the entire Endless Forest in the southern region, at the border between the Purple-Gold Royal Court and the Sacred Mountain Royal Court.

And the twenty-odd men, each burning with indignation as though they had been insulted, had by then already reached the outer reaches of the Endless Forest. Hearing the renewed uproar behind them, they all turned their heads and cursed under their breath at what kind of nonsense those uncivilized brutes were stirring up now, while their figures accelerated yet again, not slowing until they finally returned to Dragon-Protecting City, where only then did they all breathe a sigh of relief.