Put away your magical powers now!.

Chapter 320 [Forced Seizure]

Chapter 314 [Forced Seizure]

Chen Yan looked displeased and his body was already in a defensive and alert posture.

The leading ghost clan member seemed to have sensed something amiss, and actually waved his hand to signal his subordinates not to advance too far, saying, "Gentlemen, we have something to discuss."

Chen Yan frowned, looking at the guy.

The ghost clan member slowly said, "My herdsman heard that you two came from outside the mountains. My herdsman happens to have some matters to inquire about, and would like to ask you two to come back with me."

Pastor?

Chen Yan paused for a moment, and Gu Tongbing said calmly, "The White Elephant Tribe is known for its elephant herding. It is divided into several herding teams, each responsible for herding a batch of white elephants in the tribe. The herder he mentioned should be the leader of this team. A herder is considered one of the higher-ups in the White Elephant Tribe."

Chen Yan nodded, glanced at Gu Tongbing, and Gu Tongbing understood, then said loudly, "We are just passersby, complete strangers. We don't know what your herdsman wants to ask."

The ghost clansman shook his head: "We dare not presume to know the thoughts of our chieftain. Please come back with me."

Although the tone of the words was relatively calm, the underlying meaning clearly revealed a degree of domineering.

Chen Yan naturally knew that the other party's request was unreasonable.

Moreover, given the current situation, the other side clearly makes no attempt to conceal their intentions—several demons around them are eyeing them menacingly, while several others on the mountainside are openly raising their bows.

If the two of them do not agree, the other party will obviously resort to force.

After a moment's thought, Chen Yan exchanged a glance with Gu Tongbing.

“Alright, since it’s the herdsman’s request, we can go back with you.” Chen Yan pretended to have a helpless expression, sighed, and even deliberately squeezed out a just-right hint of displeasure in his eyes.

The ghost clansman didn't stand on ceremony and nodded, saying, "Then please follow me, both of you."

With that, he waved his hand, and the demons behind him immediately parted to make way. Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing walked side by side, following the demon into the valley.

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In the valley, more than a dozen giant white elephants were leisurely strolling around, occasionally raising their heads to nibble on the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees.

Some white elephants will also seek out thick, large trees and rub their bodies against the trunks, probably to scratch an itch.

However, this thing is huge and heavy. When it rubs against a tree, the tree sways back and forth and it is difficult to move. Moreover, if you are not careful, a slightly thinner tree will be broken and collapsed.

The dozen or so giant elephants looked quite relaxed, while dozens of demons were busy going back and forth around them.

Some people climbed up the trees with knives, cut off tender branches or fruits, and then carried them to a pile to feed the white elephants.

Chen Yan also saw several small and slender ghost children climbing onto the white elephant's body, using their hands and feet, and picking up huge combs from their waists to clean the dirt from the elephant's long fur.

Chen Yan noticed that the ghosts were very respectful when serving the white elephant, as if they regarded the beast as a divine being.

When the ghost clan led Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing into the valley, they deliberately kept their distance from the herd of white elephants before leading the two into the forest.

In what was once a dense forest, paths have now appeared, cleared and trampled by the giant animals that graze white elephants.

When these enormous creatures walk through the forest, they knock down and break trees, and trample the grass and bushes on the ground, creating paths.

Following this path, Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing walked deeper into the area with the ghost clan.

After walking for a while, the forest suddenly opened up, and we found ourselves on the other side of the valley.

After the terrain opened up, more than a dozen wooden sheds appeared in front of us.

The demons were busy working, cutting down and carrying timber from the forest to build sheds and reinforce buildings.

The wooden sheds, covered with bark and leaves, resembled wooden houses, and when gathered together, they seemed to form a village.

Meanwhile, demons were constantly moving through the forest, carrying wooden buckets or woven baskets, picking various fruits and carrying them back to the village in large baskets.

Most of the workers were men, while the female Oni people mostly stayed in the village, sitting around the wooden sheds, weaving various utensils from bundles of branches, or drying bark and other items.

Chen Yan was visiting the Ghost Clan's tribe for the first time and found it quite novel, while Gu Tongbing remained calm and composed, as if he were used to it.

"The customs of the various tribes of the Ghost Clan often vary greatly. The White Elephant Tribe is known for herding white elephants and rarely stays in one place for long. Instead, they migrate and graze according to the habits of the white elephants, making them more like nomads in the mountains and forests."

As Gu Tongbing walked, he explained to Chen Yan, "Therefore, the various herding teams of the White Elephant Tribe are often not located in a fixed place. They move around according to the year, month, season, climate, and even the ripening season of the food that the White Elephants like."

Chen Yan nodded upon hearing this. He didn't speak, but the ghost clan member walking in front turned around and glanced at Gu Tongbing: "You seem to know quite a bit about my White Elephant tribe."

Gu Tongbing smiled faintly: "I do know some things. I also know that your sacred object, the White Elephant, symbolizes peace and generosity. Therefore, the White Elephant Tribe also reveres nature and would never forcibly arrest or intercept passing outsiders—as long as the outsiders do not do anything taboo."

So, your branch is rather strange; you act quite domineeringly. With just a word from the shepherd, you can arbitrarily intercept and arrest passersby.”

The ghost was taken aback, his face showing a slight anger, but a hint of embarrassment flashed in his eyes. However, he didn't say anything in the end, lowered his head, and continued to lead the two forward without speaking.

Chen Yan glanced at Gu Tongbing, not quite understanding why this guy would suddenly use such words to deliberately provoke the other party.

Given Gu Tongbing's temperament and forbearance, he should understand that the two of them are currently on someone else's territory, and Gu Tongbing himself is in a state of complete loss of magical power. Relying solely on Chen Yan, a third-realm cultivator, it is really not advisable to confront these ghost race people head-on.

As the wooden sheds gradually thinned out, we arrived at an open area.

On a dirt slope, a huge wooden shed was erected, covered with leaves and branches, and curtains made of twisted tree bark hung around the shed.

It has a wild and primitive feel to it.

Led by the ghost clan members, Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing walked up the hillside and arrived at the large wooden shed. After bowing, the ghost clan members mumbled a few words.

Inside the wooden shed, behind a huge curtain, a figure could be vaguely seen. As the mountain breeze blew, the curtain swayed slightly, making the figure inside appear to be very robust and tall.

After the ghost clansman gave a few instructions, a deep, rough groan came from behind the curtain of the wooden shed.

After humming, the voice uttered a few short syllables, and the ghosts outside immediately bowed their heads and respectfully retreated.

He turned around and said to Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing, "You two can answer here. Just answer whatever the shepherd asks."

Chen Yan smiled but didn't say anything.

At that moment, the tall, burly figure behind the curtain in the wooden shed seemed to move.

It was as if he slowly sat up from a half-lying position.

This movement allowed Chen Yan to see more clearly: the shepherd inside was indeed incredibly tall and imposing, far exceeding that of ordinary people.

"Where did you come from?"

Inside the wooden shed, the shepherd's voice was deep and resonant, clearly full of energy, and he didn't sound very old, so he shouldn't be very old.

Chen Yan glanced at Gu Tongbing, and seeing that he seemed unwilling to say anything, he said, "From Never Return City."

After a pause, he added, "We are heading to the Blackwood Tribe to participate in the Heaven-Piercing Ceremony."

"Humph!"

The shepherd's voice snorted heavily again, then his tone seemed to carry a hint of dissatisfaction: "You outsiders are cunning and greedy."

For decades, our Ghost Clan's Heaven-Piercing Ceremony has not been held. This year, the ceremony is finally taking place, something that all the tribes of our Ghost Clan have been eagerly anticipating. Countless members of the Ghost Clan hope to attain enlightenment and enlightenment during the ceremony.

But unfortunately, the limited spots have to be allocated to outsiders like you—it's truly infuriating!

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan couldn't help but grin.

Clearly, this pastor was a bit unhappy.

This feeling... well, how should I put it?

Chen Yan could understand the meaning behind his words.

The Heaven-Striking Ceremony is the greatest path to cultivation for the Ghost Clan, but it has been suspended for decades, truly wasting the lives of several generations. This year it is finally going to reopen, and I'm sure many people have been eagerly waiting for it for so many years, and there must be a large number of Ghost Clan members waiting to cultivate.

At this point, there were definitely not enough spots for the Ghost Clan to go around – after all, decades of suspension had accumulated a large number of people.

At this time, allocating some spots to outside aristocratic families and sects would naturally displease some people within the Ghost Clan.

The logic, in theory, seems to be correct.

But... Chen Yan said: What's it to me?
The quotas available to the public were decided and sold by your Ghost Clan's Venerable Ones.

It's not me!

The quotas obtained by those aristocratic families and sects outside were also bought with real money; they were not stolen, robbed, or cheated.

If you're unhappy, go and complain to your Ghost Clan's ancestor.

Why should I, a mere passerby, have anything to say to you?
Seeing that Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing remained silent, the shepherd inside paused for a moment before suddenly asking, "Since you are going to participate in the Heaven-Piercing Ceremony, you must have a selection token with a ceremony, right?"

After hearing this, Chen Yan frowned.

He didn't answer, but then he heard the shepherd continue, "Since the two of you are going together, there must be two places available for the ceremony."

"In that case, my request isn't unreasonable. You leave behind a token for your participation in the ceremony, and I'll let you cross the border and leave."

Chen Yan was stunned.

what?
So, this is blatant robbery?
·
"We didn't have any tokens; we were just there to watch the ceremony and have some fun."

Chen Yan immediately replied loudly, "If the Shepherd wants the token, he has probably come to the wrong person."

"Ha." The shepherd inside sneered, "Words are meaningless, and I don't trust you either."

"If you say you don't have it, then hand over the storage artifact, and I'll have someone search it."

Search the storage artifacts!

In the context of domain boundaries, such a request is essentially equivalent to someone wanting to shit on your neck.

Because of the existence of storage artifacts, cultivators in the realm usually store their most valuable and precious pills, magical artifacts, weapons, or life-saving trump cards in them and carry them with them.

It can be said to be the foundation for a cultivator's livelihood.

To search a cultivator's storage artifact is tantamount to utterly trampling on their dignity.

Chen Yan's expression changed, but Gu Tongbing gently tugged at his sleeve and shook his head at him.

Gu Tongbing cleared his throat and said coldly, "Since when did the White Elephant Tribe start engaging in banditry and robbery? Does the White Elephant Tribe leader know that his chieftain is doing such things?"

The chieftain inside seemed taken aback by the two questions, but then he said coldly, "My tribe's affairs are none of your business, outsider."

"Ha! You can't say anything if it goes against the tribe's beliefs?" Gu Tongbing asked loudly. "The quota tokens were released from the contract between the Ghost Clan's sage ancestor and all the sects and families in the world."

"How dare you disobey the will of the Ghost Clan's Saintly Ancestor and secretly intercept the quota token?"

"..."

After a few seconds of silence, the shepherd's tone changed slightly, and he said coldly, "Who said I was going to steal it? I... I'm buying it, not stealing it!"

You give me a token, but I won't take it for free. I'll give you money; consider it money I bought it.

Even the ancestor couldn't stop buying and selling the tokens for the grand ceremony!
"If you give me the token and I give you money, it's not robbery, it's a transaction, and that doesn't violate the ancestral rules."

Chen Yan smiled.

This is blatantly shameless behavior.

He sneered, "I wonder how much the shepherd plans to spend?"

The shepherd inside slowly said, "I will give you two 100,000 jade coins and leave a token, then you may leave."

One hundred thousand?

A single token for the Heaven-Striking Ceremony typically starts at 500,000 coins.

The price at auctions is even higher.

This shepherd is shameless; he asked for 100,000 to buy one right off the bat.

"Unfortunately, while 100,000 jade coins is a considerable sum, we don't have the token." Chen Yan shook his head.

"Then search us. If we don't find anything, we'll let you leave. If we do find something..." the shepherd commanded decisively.

Gu Tongbing shook his head: "You, as the herdsman, are so audacious and reckless, acting against the natural order, openly defying the decrees of the Venerable Sage, and even more so, violating the beliefs and rules of your White Elephant Tribe. Are you truly unscrupulous and unafraid of the consequences?"

The shepherd suddenly began to breathe heavily, and roared angrily, "How dare you!! You..."

Just then, the ghost clan member who had been standing respectfully outside the wooden shed—the same guy who had stopped Chen Yan and forcibly brought the two of them back—suddenly raised his head, took a step forward, stood outside the wooden shed, and shouted loudly, "Shepherd Master!!"

He shouted, then suddenly knelt down on one knee. But when he raised his head, his eyes widened as he stared at the curtain in the wooden shed, his face full of anger and dissatisfaction, and he began to speak loudly.

He was speaking in the language of the Ghost Clan, and he mumbled a long string of words that Chen Yanhe couldn't understand.

However, he could roughly guess that the ghost's tone seemed to carry a questioning tone, and a questioning tone of dissatisfaction.

After the ghost tribesmen questioned him a few times, the shepherd inside answered, shouting and cursing loudly.

However, the demons outside were clearly unmoved. Despite their angry rebukes, they refused to give up and continued to question them loudly.

As the two went back and forth, the ghost clan member kneeling on the ground raised his head higher and higher, his face becoming increasingly angry and resolute.

The shepherd inside, however, after reprimanding her several times, began to sound guilty and his voice became softer, though his tone carried a hint of exasperation.

Finally, the ghost suddenly knelt down and kowtowed three times. When he raised his head, his forehead still covered in dirt, he shouted loudly, his tone unyielding.

Finally, the shepherd inside let out a few low growls and howls.

There was a loud bang, as if a table or something had been overturned inside.

The shepherd's heavy breathing could be heard, his panting sounds carrying a mixture of anger and helplessness.

Finally, he shouted something, then let out a heavy groan, and then fell silent.

The ghost clan member then got up from the ground, respectfully bowed to the person opposite him, and turned to look at Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing.

The demon's expression was complicated.

Chen Yan noticed that the man's eyes were slightly bloodshot, clearly indicating that he was also emotionally agitated. His expression contained anger, dissatisfaction, and even a hint of humiliation.

However, after taking a deep breath, he slowly said to Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing, "...Gentlemen, please come with me to rest. The Shepherd is in a bad mood for the moment, so we can talk about what happened earlier later."

After exchanging a glance, Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing both chose to keep quiet.

The ghost clansmen led the two away, and the shepherd in the wooden shed behind them seemed quite dissatisfied, letting out a heavy snort, but ultimately did not make a sound to stop them.

The ghost clansman led Chen Yan and Gu Tongbing quickly down the hillside, and then headed towards the left side of the hillside.

After walking for about a few minutes, we passed a group of wooden sheds and came to the foot of a cliff on the left.

A wooden shed was built against the mountain, and upon closer inspection, it was discovered that there was a cave entrance hidden in the mountainside beneath the shed.

It is a natural cave in the mountain wall.

It is about the height of a person. The entrance was obviously carved later, making it larger and more regular.

As you walk further in, it's clear that part of the cave has been excavated later, making the interior space more regular.

The ground was covered with straw mats and hay, and two wooden platforms were set up with several wooden bowls and other utensils on them.

"Please rest here for now, you two." The ghost clan member led the two to this place, his face seemingly carrying a hint of worry.

Chen Yan had a guess in his heart. He looked at the ghost clan member and slowly said, "Thank you for earlier."

The ghost clansman was taken aback, shook his head, and said in a low voice with a hint of apology and shame, "The herdsman... he also has his own unspeakable difficulties. So his request was a bit hasty at the time. Please don't think that my White Elephant tribe is always like this."

After saying that, he refused to say anything more and turned to leave.

·
(End of this chapter)