175: Chapter 175 Bewitched

Though Yang Yan still held reservations, he followed silently.

Upon entering the village, he saw men, women, elders, and children moving about, each busy with their own tasks.

Seeing the old man who had led the way return, everyone stopped their work and called out in unison, "Clan Chief—"

The old man nodded slightly, his expression calm. His unspoken authority was evident—he held a high status in the village and was deeply respected by all.

Yang Yan felt a stir in his heart. He quickly cupped his hands and smiled, "So, Senior is the Clan Chief. Please forgive my neglect; it is a pleasure to meet you!"

"It is merely that everyone trusts me," the Clan Chief said, waving his hand. He then turned to the crowd and instructed, "Continue with your work; I will take this young friend to get settled."

The crowd agreed in unison. Watching the old and young figures fade into the distance, they exchanged knowing glances before returning to their work.

Before long, the Clan Chief led Yang Yan to a tidy little cottage.

"Young friend, rest here for the time being. Stay as long as you like; make yourself at home," the Clan Chief advised before turning to leave.

"This village is quite hospitable," Yang Yan muttered, watching the Clan Chief depart. His long escape had completely exhausted him. No sooner had he spoken than he collapsed onto the bed, falling into a deep slumber.

Elsewhere, as soon as the Clan Chief returned to the gathering, a group of people immediately crowded around him.

"Clan Chief, why didn't you take him directly to the Old Ancestor?" one person asked.

"There is no rush," the Clan Chief said in a low voice. "When he is truly needed, I will naturally take him there."

"But aren't you afraid he might take the opportunity to escape?" another pressed.

The Clan Chief waved his hand dismissively. "This Secret Realm is fraught with danger, and the outside world is even more perilous. Only our village is truly safe. Besides, we cannot be too indulgent with the Old Ancestor."

He paused, his expression turning grave and his tone deepening. "So many years have passed, yet our village remains so sparsely populated. If this continues, it won't be long before our village faces the threat of extinction."

This was a matter concerning the survival of the entire village; he dared not treat it lightly.

"Clan Chief, since that is the case, why don't we simply leave this place and seek another path?" someone tentatively suggested. The others turned to look at the Clan Chief with expectant eyes.

The Clan Chief shook his head gently. "If we could leave, we would have done so long ago. Since birth, a curse has been placed upon each of us. Once we step outside, our abnormality will be exposed, and we will surely be reviled and hunted by outsiders. By then, we would truly have no place to be buried."

He paused and waved his hand. "Enough, let us say no more. Many people have entered the Secret Realm these past few days. All of you, attend to your duties and keep a close watch; do not let any errors occur."

With that, the Clan Chief shook his head and walked away alone. As soon as he was out of earshot, the group quickly gathered again, whispering among themselves.

"The Clan Chief's concerns are certainly valid; our village's situation is indeed becoming increasingly difficult," one person sighed.

"But I believe that as long as we keep the Old Ancestor well-fed, it will protect us, and we will naturally be safe," another interjected.

"That young man from earlier is clearly no ordinary person. If we wait until he discovers our village's secret and escapes, the loss will outweigh the gain." The others nodded in agreement.

"Then what should we do now?" someone asked urgently.

"I observed him earlier; that young man's Aura is quite powerful. His cultivation has likely already reached the Martial Emperor Realm," one person said gravely.

"To deal with a Martial Emperor Realm Cultivator, perhaps a sleeping drug could knock him out."

"A sleeping drug is viable, but a Martial Emperor Realm Cultivator possesses a powerful Physical Body; the effects likely won't last long," someone immediately objected.

The group fell silent. Indeed, merely knocking out a Martial Emperor Realm Cultivator was already pushing the limit. Relying on a sleeping drug for long-term control was simply unrealistic.

"How about we find a sturdy chain and lock him up after he is drugged?" another suggested.

"That's a good idea!" The group's eyes lit up. But the next moment, they fell into a dilemma. What kind of chain could possibly hold a Martial Emperor Realm Cultivator? It was simply fantastical.

"Alas, it is our fault for having hidden from the world for so long; our foundations are lost. Now, we cannot even find a chain capable of binding a Martial Emperor Realm Cultivator." The group sighed, a cloud of gloom hanging over them.

Just then, one of them spoke up. "Do not forget, we present here are also all Martial Emperor Realm Cultivators! Even if the sleeping drug is insufficient and we lack sturdy chains, the eight of us working together can simply bind him by force and bring him before the Old Ancestor!"

The group's eyes lit up upon hearing this. They had discussed for so long that they had forgotten the most direct and effective method—subduing by force. After some deliberation, they reached a consensus and decided to act immediately.

Two hours later, the night was deep, and the entire Secret Realm was shrouded in darkness. From the distance came the occasional shrill roar of a beast, adding to the eerie and dangerous atmosphere.

"Check the headcount; is everyone here?" one asked, lowering his voice.

"Rest assured, there are eight of us in total, not a single one missing! I refuse to believe that the eight of us, all at the Martial Emperor Realm, cannot handle one young brat!" another said arrogantly, his eyes filled with disdain.

Under the cover of night, the group gathered silently and crept toward the cottage where Yang Yan was resting. Upon reaching the door, one of them carefully walked to the window, used a fingertip to poke a tiny hole, brought a bottle of sleeping smoke to the opening, and gently blew it inside.

"Are you sure this sleeping smoke is effective against a Martial Emperor Realm Cultivator?" someone whispered.

"Rest assured, this is our specially crafted sleeping smoke; even a Martial Emperor Realm Cultivator will be knocked unconscious for a moment. If that fails, we can resort to force then," the man blowing the smoke replied in a low voice.

A short while passed in silence. Estimating that the sleeping smoke had taken effect, they each tore a piece of coarse cloth from their clothing and covered their faces.

"Go!" With a low command, they pushed the door open on tiptoe and crept into the room.

Inside, Yang Yan was still lying on the bed, sleeping soundly, even emitting faint snoring sounds. The group felt a surge of joy. Without the slightest hesitation, they stepped forward and reached out to drag Yang Yan away.

But the moment their hands touched his clothing, Yang Yan's eyes suddenly cracked open. He asked in a groggy voice, "Hm? What... what do you want to do..." As he spoke, he subconsciously shifted his body, his expression filled with wariness.

"Damn it! The effect of this sleeping smoke is too weak!" The group was shocked, secretly annoyed.

"Don't panic! There are many of us; let's subdue him before he fully wakes up!" one of them hissed. He took the lead, grabbing Yang Yan's arm and dragging him off the bed.

"Quick! Go, go, go! Hurry and take him to the Old Ancestor!" The group scrambled to lift Yang Yan and quickly retreated from the cottage.

As they carried him, Yang Yan felt dizzy and weak, but his wariness intensified.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" he asked, forcing himself to stay alert as he shouted. A powerful wave of Spiritual Qi suddenly erupted from his body, as he attempted to break free from their grasp.

However, the opposition was overwhelming. With eight Martial Emperor Realm Cultivators joining forces to suppress him, the wave of Spiritual Qi he had just unleashed was quickly crushed.

"Hurry! Don't let him break free!" The group dared not delay, their pace quickening.

Just as they had traveled over a hundred meters, Yang Yan, who was being carried, suddenly narrowed his eyes and let out a fierce shout, "Hah!"

In an instant, an Aura far more powerful than before erupted from his body, causing everyone carrying him to go numb from the shock.

"You are courting death!" Yang Yan roared. He exerted force with both his hands and feet, his Spiritual Qi surging violently. He broke free from their grasp and put some distance between himself and the group.

"Damn it! The effect of the sleeping drug has completely worn off!" The group's expressions shifted, their brows furrowing in unison.

Yang Yan drew his long saber. His gaze swept coldly over the eight people before him as he sternly demanded, "What exactly are you trying to do? This village is truly not simple; it actually hides eight Martial Emperor Realm experts!"

The group exchanged glances. Without a word of nonsense, a ruthless glint flashed in their eyes. They instantly condensed powerful Martial Skills in their hands and swept toward Yang Yan.

"Brat, I refuse to believe you can escape our joint siege!"

Yang Yan's expression turned cold as he swung his saber to meet them. However, the Martial Skills they unleashed were extremely strange, carrying an eerie black Qi. Yang Yan felt a wave of discomfort, his blood and Qi churning, and even his movements slowed down slightly.

"Bang!" Forcing himself to ignore the turmoil within, Yang Yan swung his long saber. A sharp slash of Saber Qi erupted, colliding with the group's Martial Skills.

"This brat really has some skills!" The group was shocked. They realized then that Yang Yan's strength was far more formidable than it appeared on the surface; he was not someone who could be easily subdued!

"Since you insist on killing me, then do not blame me for being merciless!" Yang Yan's killing intent surged, and he swung his long saber once more. A significantly more powerful slash of Saber Qi roared out, sweeping across the area.

"Boom!" As the Saber Qi passed, a deep trench was carved into the ground. One of them, caught off guard, was struck in the arm by the Saber Qi. His entire arm was instantly severed, and blood sprayed out.

"Argh—" A shrill scream pierced the night sky, shattering the village's tranquility. Lights in the houses were lit one by one. Many villagers poked their heads out from their homes, looking toward the direction from which the scream originated.

"This brat is truly formidable! Everyone, do not hold back any longer. We must bring him before the Old Ancestor alive; his value is far greater than we imagined!" the leader said, his expression darkening as he shouted.

The eight nodded to each other, their expressions growing increasingly grave. They no longer held anything back. "Form up!" With a low command, the eight of them moved rapidly, arranging themselves in a specific formation and tightly surrounding Yang Yan.

"Master, grant us power!" the eight spoke in unison, their voices raspy and eerie. No sooner had they spoken than a mass of pitch-black energy condensed above their heads. The energy emitted an icy, bone-chilling Aura before quickly sinking into the center of each of their foreheads.

Immediately following this, an eerie scene unfolded. The eyes of the eight men instantly turned crimson, and the black Qi on their bodies surged violently. Their Auras became increasingly berserk.

"Hm? This black Qi... it is exactly the same as the black Qi on Xiong Da!" Yang Yan's brows locked, and his heart skipped a beat. He had personally experienced Xiong Da's strength. It was so formidable, and now, eight Martial Emperor Realm Cultivators with Auras similar to Xiong Da's were ganging up on him. His situation instantly became precarious.

Only now did he finally understand why he had felt so uncomfortable the moment he arrived in this village. That lingering sense of unease had not been an illusion. This village was, in fact, a trap!

"Are you finished yet?" Yang Yan roared, gripping his long saber tightly.

"Kill!" the eight roared in unison. In their hands, they had each condensed a long saber identical to the one Yang Yan held. The long sabers were wreathed in pitch-black Qi, emanating a lethal chill.

"Clang!" A crisp sound of a saber rang out. One of them took the lead, swinging his long saber and slashing fiercely at Yang Yan. Yang Yan dared not be careless and hurriedly swung his saber to parry. His arm went numb, and he was forced to retreat several steps.

The attacker, having struck Yang Yan, quickly retreated to his original position. Immediately afterward, another person stepped forward, gripping his long saber, and slashed at Yang Yan once again.