However, Jared didn’t leave as he had yet to get his hands on the Ice Soul Pill. The elderly man’s curiosity was piqued. “I’m curious. How did my brother manage to meet you in secret without arousing my suspicion?”
Jared had known nothing earlier, but now it became clear to him what the significance of the real treasure key entailed.
Only the possessor of this key would have the privilege of meeting the elder of the Archaic Body cultivators. It was no wonder Jared was the sole one who had encountered him, while the others had seen nothing. It all made sense now.
Besides, only the elder of the Archaic Body cultivators knew about the existence of the treasure key. His younger brother had no idea. that it existed.
“Telling you won’t make a difference,” Jared sneered. The elderly man responded with an icy snort. “If you’re not inclined to talk, I won’t force it. Prepare yourself for the arrival of death.”
His words caused a wave of fear to wash over some of the cultivators. Tears welled up in the eyes of a few, while others screamed in terror, and a handful responded with angry curses directed at him.
“Sir, please spare our lives. We belong to the Demon Seal Alliance, allies of demons. We’re your friends!” Typhon hurriedly clarified.
The elderly man retorted sharply, “Nonsense. Do you take me for a fool? Your alliance’s name, Demon Seal Alliance, speaks for itself. How does that imply friendship with us demons?”
“Sir, I swear it’s the truth. We’ve never harmed any demons. While our name may be Demon Seal Alliance, and we profess to hunt down demons, in reality, we’re aiding you in secret. All the demons we capture are living peacefully! Our goal is to gather all the demons so that you can establish your reputation in the Ethereal Realm,” Typhon pleaded desperately.
The other cultivators were taken aback by this revelation. They had no inkling that a massive alliance like the Demon Seal Alliance was actually working to help demons regain their standing rather than hunting down Demonic Cultivators.
“How shameless of them! It’s only now that I see the true nature of the Demon Seal Alliance.” “They are despicable! They bring disgrace to all cultivators.”
“If I’m lucky enough to leave this place, I’ll definitely expose their real colors to the public!”
Many cultivators were filled with righteous indignation. “No one can leave this place alive. This is our territory,” Typhon warned.
Despite still being held hostage, he acted as if he was already on a team with the elderly man, hoping that the latter would release the five of them.
Upon listening to Typhon’s words, the elderly man fell into deep thought. “I can release you, but if you play tricks, I won’t spare your lives,” he warned Typhon. Typhon instantly promised, “I won’t, Sir. Don’t worry. We won’t play any tricks.”
“All right. I’ll release you, then!”
With a wave of his hand, the elderly man halted the surging energy directed at Typhon and his companions.
Having regained their freedom, Typhon and the others swiftly approached the elderly man. They then glanced at the rest still held hostage gleefully.
Typhon mocked, “You were eager for a fight, weren’t you? Why the sudden change of heart?”
No one paid any heed to Typhon, but that merely served to increase his arrogance. The other cultivators were glancing at Jared, hoping that he could save them as he had had an unexpected encounter earlier. Jared, however, felt a sense of helplessness
under their gaze. They had all fallen victim to the strange power of the ice soul fragment. They had believed they were reaping a windfall, but their greed had ultimately led them to this dire predicament.
The realization had finally dawned upon them, but the price for their folly had already been set, and they had to pay the price.
