Who Let Him Cultivate?!

Five figures in black robes, their voices hoarse and indistinguishable by gender or age, moved through the dense forest, agile and undetected by Lu Yang or Meng Jingzhou.

“Their complexions are clearly different, and their attire doesn’t seem local. They appear like disciples from a particular sect or influential family, trying to gain worldly experience.”

Another person sneered, like a snake hidden in the shadows: “To gain worldly experience, they should be shown the cruel reality.”

“Did you hear what that pretty boy said earlier? They claim to have a mid-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivation Level. Considering their status, they could contend with those in the late stage.”

“So what if they are in the late stage of foundation establishment? All five of us are experienced at this level. No way are we going to be defeated by these two novices.”

“Still, caution is always best.”

“Do you remember that group of sect disciples we encountered last time? After one successful job, we rested for three months. After this one, we can take another three months off!”

“Not just that, I feel they have more Spirit Stones than we could imagine. They are truly a fat sheep.”

“It must be around here, hardly anyone comes to this place.”

“Attack!”

Following the order of the leader, the five figures scattered, swiftly encircling the two men.

Their predetermined positions ensured that neither Lu Yang nor Meng Jingzhou could escape in any direction.

Their adept movements clearly indicate their specialization in such maneuvers, which they must’ve executed countless times.

“Halt!” The leader raised his voice, resonating with a sound wave magic skill capable of shocking one’s spirit.

“Who are you?!” Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were obviously terrified. They stood ready in defense, but their gaze revealed their well-hidden fear.

“Newbies, indeed. Wondering aimlessly in the woods without recognizing the name of the Five Heroes of Eagle Mountain.” The leading figure lifted his hood, revealing a gaunt face with a hawk-like nose, his eyes cold.

As they spoke, the five released a late-stage Foundation Establishment aura, indicating the futility of any resistance.

“Quite naïve, aren’t you? Unable to recognize the nature of our profession, despite the teachings of your prestigious families or sects.” Removed his hood, another man joined, his voice terrifying and gloomy, revealing a missing eye.

“Five of us encircled you in the dense forest. What else could it be?”

“Don’t tell me you’re unaware of your excessive spending at the guild earlier? Quite impressive wealth indeed, you two.”

“Tell us, how many Spirit Stones do you have? If the price is right, we could negotiate.”

“If you don’t have enough Spirit Stones, then prepare to witness the ruthless side of the Five Heroes of Eagle Mountain!” By the end, the voice turned unusually cold, hinting at their latent brutality.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou looked at each other and laughed helplessly, both men shrugging.

Who would’ve thought that the first enemy they would encounter in the dense forest would be humans, not Demon Beasts.

“Strike! Show them our strength!”

At the command of their leader, the five attacked simultaneously. Their strategy coordinated perfectly, unmatched at the Foundation Establishment Stage, and they were about to capture Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

To their surprise, both of men struck back simultaneously with shocking speed.

“Draw the Ground into a Prison!”

“Draw the Ground into a Prison!”

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou swiftly drew circles, casting the similar magic skill. An invisible barrier around the five appeared, cutting off their escape and dragging them into a prison.

“What kind of power is this!”

“Is this the legendary Draw the Ground into a Prison?”

“Wait, no, we’re in a prison, it’s a spatial magic!”

“It must be related to the art of drawing, it must be!”

The five began to chatter amongst themselves. Trapped within the prison and the invisible barrier, they were utterly thrown off by the sudden change of events.

“You dare robbery when the Rudder Master himself is present, are you tired of living?” scoffed Meng Jingzhou.

“Robbing the founder of our sect, bold indeed!” jeered Lu Yang.

Meng Jingzhou turned his hipp, “Since when did you promote yourself to founder?!”

Isn’t the Eternity Sect going bankrupt due to poor management and bad company? How could someone still get a promotion?

“Who said anything about promoting myself? This was approved by the Immortal.” Lu Yang manfully replied.

Meng Jingzhou understood as soon as he remembered that there was an Immortal residing inside Lu Yang.

He couldn’t help but envy Lu Yang. Having an Immortal spirit in his body meant that he could seek advice and guidance from the Immortal at any time. What a great opportunity it was!

“Tell me, how many times have you done such robberies? Ever killed anyone?”

“Why waste time talking? They obviously killed before. Just look at them – do they look like they have never taken a life?”

“Just tie them up and hand them over to the government office. Whether to kill them or imprison them, let the authorities decide.”

“Wait, wait, wait, young heroes, we seem to have some misunderstandings!” The hawk-nosed Big Brother hurriedly said, “I cannot control how I look, and we are not here for a robbery.”

Meng Jingzhou didn’t have the slightest belief in the hawk-nosed Big Brother’s words, “What misunderstanding? You’ve been following us since we left the guild, specially hiding outside the scope of our Spiritual Sense, following us to this god-forsaken place, and even encircling us! Isn’t this robbery?”

Lu Yang chimed in too, “And about showing us the cruel reality of the world. You mentioned that last time you had faced sect disciples, and about resting for three months after one successful job.”

The five were shocked. They had been exposed from the start and didn’t realize Lu Yang’s Spiritual Sense could cover such an extensive range.

Who nurtured these young kids? They are so sharp-eyed!

What they didn’t know was that Lu Yang’s Spiritual Sense had long since achieved the equivalent of the Golden Core Stage. He had heard every word of their conversation.

“We are not robbers, really! We are bodyguards, bodyguards!”

“What are you talking about?” Both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were taken aback.

“We noticed how you two were spending money in the guild without asking about prices. We figured you were members of a wealthy family or sect, gaining life experiences, and might face losses due to unfamiliarity with the place. So we wanted to offer our services as bodyguards!”

“Then what did you guys mean when you said we should see the cruel reality of the world?”

The hawk-nosed Big Brother stuttered, “Since you both seemed wealthy, we thought of charging a bit higher fees. If we earned enough, we could take a few months off after this task.”

“And why were you asking us about the number of our Spirit Stones?”

“So that we could set our fees.”

“What was that about not speaking kindly if we don’t have enough Spirit Stones?”

“If you do not have enough Spirit Stones, we would not warn you about the territory of a Half-Step Golden Core Demon Beast, which your path lies ahead.”

“What about when you said, ‘Attack’?”

“Seeing how you both shrugged, we thought you were refusing our services as bodyguards. So we planned to lure out the Half Step Golden Core Demon Beast ahead and demonstrate our strength.”

A quiet mutter from the side added, “Though looking at both of you, you probably don’t need our bodyguard services.”

“Then why did you insist on discussing this ‘bodyguard’ matter in the dense forest?”

“No taxes.”

Lu Yang, “…”

So they thought the dense forest was a tax-free zone?