The Heaven-Devouring Dog was a legendary ferocious ancient demonic beast, extremely rare; there were none within the Demon Realms of the Three Thousand Worlds. That Yellow Dog actually possessed the bloodline of a Heaven-Devouring Dog, which was truly shocking.
"Don't mind them, let's hurry to the ancestral hall and see if there's a way to get the Heavenly Immortal Soul Fruit," Su Qingluo said to Ye Yunfei. So, disregarding the various events happening at the village entrance, the two of them cautiously made their way through the small mountain hamlet, heading towards the rear of the village.
At this moment, an elderly woman leaning on a walking stick arrived at the village entrance. She glanced at the Yellow Dog, then beckoned to the children. "You kids, come over here. I have some questions for you."
"Bah! She probably wants to ask this and that again, and she doesn't even have a single piece of candy. Don't pay her any mind," one of the children said discontentedly.
"I told you to come over, so come over. Listen to what Granny says, or Granny will get angry," the old woman cackled with an eerie smile.
A powerful surge of energy erupted from her frail, trembling frame, taking the form of a giant hand that grabbed towards the children.
As soon as this old woman made her move, everyone realized she was a high-level True Immortal.
"You're a bad person!" the children shouted in unison, having taken a dislike to her.
"Let me fight the bad person!" declared a little boy. He stepped forward, his small fist clenched, and threw a punch at the old woman.
A formidable wave of energy burst from the little boy's body, empowering his fist. The fist continuously enlarged, its imposing aura startling.
BOOM!
The boy's fist and the old woman's giant hand collided.
The exchange resulted in a draw!
"How is that possible?" The onlookers could hardly believe that a little boy had managed to hold his own against a True Immortal expert.
"Again!" The little boy, one hand still holding the half-eaten stick of candied fruits, threw another punch with his free hand.
A mighty fist-force surged forward, pressing down on the old woman.
"How could I possibly be afraid of a mere child!" the old woman roared angrily.
WHOOSH!
She raised her walking stick and swung it with ferocious force. The staff continuously enlarged, resembling a heavy mountain range, crushing down towards the little boy.
The little boy didn't retreat a single step. Brandishing his fists, he threw punch after punch, managing to fight the old woman to a standstill for the time being.
"Great! Brother Erhu is beating up the bad person!" The other children clapped and cheered enthusiastically.
"It seems every one of these children possesses formidable strength," many observers thought, feeling a chill run down their spines as they watched the spectacle.
This small mountain hamlet was far too bizarre—even a few ordinary-looking children that appeared randomly could contend with True Immortals!
What about the adults in the village?
Thinking this, everyone couldn't help but glance at the old man fishing serenely in the center of the lake and the farmer tilling the fields in the distance. Their scalps prickled with unease.
By now, most of those who had forced their way in from the outside had reached the village entrance.
Many had perished along the road leading to the hamlet. Particularly by the lake, that small deer had directly slain over a dozen people who attempted to approach it.
Others had tried to make a move against the old man fishing in the lake's center, only to be devoured entirely by the lake water.
Therefore, everyone had proceeded with utmost caution, daring not to provoke anything, not even the ants by the roadside.
"Grandma Jin, we're coming to help you!" Seeing that the old woman still hadn't gained an upper hand after such a prolonged exchange with the little boy, her companions grew anxious. They charged forward, intending to assist.
These companions were all True Immortal experts!
Cluck-cluck...
Just then, a hen approached from afar. Its chicken feet shot out, simultaneously extending and growing, releasing overwhelming demonic power that directly forced the several True Immortal experts back.
"This hen is also a major demon!" people exclaimed in surprise.
Next, the hen and those True Immortal experts engaged in battle.
"This hen's combat power is incredible! Even several True Immortals working together don't seem to be able to defeat it!" Others watched, astonished, as the hen steadily pushed the True Immortals back.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo had reached roughly the middle of the village. Their pace was extremely slow, every step deliberate, careful not to make a single sound.
"Some people have come to our village!" Suddenly, four or five more children appeared within the village, gathering to watch Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo.
"Everyone, little friends, I'll treat you to some candy!" Ye Yunfei didn't dare to be negligent. He immediately took out a handful of candied fruits on sticks, distributing them to the children.
"Big Brother, you're so nice!" Upon receiving the candy, the children grew very excited and regarded Ye Yunfei with great favor.
"That dog man and woman actually managed to enter the small mountain hamlet so smoothly," Sect Master Li had arrived at the village entrance with his Qingxuan Sect members. Seeing Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo already deep inside the village, his face darkened as he snorted coldly.
Besides Sect Master Li, Prime Minister Wang, Master Taishan, Sect Master of Five Immortals, and others had also arrived. Some led their own forces, others operated alone. They stood at the village entrance, observing the situation within the hamlet.
"That little bitch Su Qingluo won't be able to escape even if she grows wings now! And that kid—we absolutely cannot let him get away either!" Sect Master of Five Immortals stared at Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo, his killing intent boundless.
"Sect Master Li, are those two the targets you asked us to help eliminate? That woman is only an Elementary Earth Immortal, and the man is even weaker—merely at the Heavenly Emperor Realm. Do we truly need so many Earth Immortals to join forces against foes of such strength?" a withered, skeletal old man said with a sinister chuckle.
"Elder Heavenly Dragon, it's true their individual cultivation isn't high, but they are extremely slippery, with exceptional escape skills. Moreover, they seem to possess a powerful teleportation artifact that allows for long-distance travel. Previously, we spent a great deal of time hunting them, yet we were never able to catch up," Sect Master Li explained.
"I believe that since we've come here, we should temporarily disregard those two. For me, the most important thing right now is still the Heavenly Immortal Soul Fruit," a black-robed elder nearby stated indifferently.
Having said this, the black-robed elder strode boldly into the small mountain hamlet. Seeing him take action, the other Earth Immortal experts were inwardly stirred.
Soon, these Earth Immortal experts entered the hamlet as well.
"Let us also enter!" a man wearing a tall white hat said coldly, then took the lead walking into the hamlet. This man was an Earth Immortal expert from the Underworld's Palace of Yama.
A group of Earth Immortal experts followed behind him into the hamlet.
Back at the village entrance, the old woman and the little boy were still locked in fierce combat. The hen was also still battling the several True Immortal experts.
As time passed, the old woman found herself beginning to fall at a disadvantage, gradually finding it hard to keep up, turning her livid with anger!
BOOM!
Suddenly, the little boy punched, sending the old woman flying.
"Way to go, Brother Erhu! Keep beating that old crone until she cries!" the other children at the village entrance clapped and cheered.
"Alright! I'll beat this old crone until she cries because she's so rude!" Hearing his companions' cheers, the little boy grew quite pleased with himself. Brandishing his fists, he charged towards the old woman again.
"Hmph! A mere child dares to run rampant!" A tall, ruddy-complexioned elder holding a nine-ringed broadsword descended like a divine soldier, instantly appearing before the little boy and slashing his blade down.
This was an Earth Immortal expert! That a dignified Earth Immortal would attack a child felt rather bizarre.
"You outsiders are all too ill-mannered! Bullying the children of our village, utterly shameless in your advanced age!" At that moment, an angry voice rang out.
Then, a hoe descended from the sky, cleaving space apart as it chopped towards the elder.
CLANG!
The elder's nine-ringed broadsword met the hoe in collision.
Everyone then saw a farmer, his face filled with rage, step in front of the children.
"Impossible!" The elder stared at the farmer with an incredulous gaze. During their brief exchange, he realized this farmer's strength was no weaker than his own!
"All of you, leave. Our village does not welcome you," the Farmer seemed truly angered. Gripping his hoe, his figure flashed as he planted himself in the middle of the village path, blocking everyone's way forward.
The children, the Yellow Dog, the hen, and a group of chicks all gathered behind the Farmer.
A powerful pressure of energy exploded from within the small mountain hamlet. Runes brimming with mysterious force continuously manifested, forcing all the experts who had just entered the village to retreat step by step until they were back at the village entrance.
"Esteemed one, we bear no ill intent towards you. We have come here in search of something," an Earth Immortal expert said solemnly.
"I said, our village does not welcome you," the Farmer replied curtly.
"Esteemed one, please do not make things difficult for us. We will not leave before finding that item. We ask for your accommodation," another Earth Immortal expert stepped forward, releasing his energy aura in a mighty surge to press down upon the hamlet.
"Although we are just a simple mountain village, this is not a place where you can run wild. Let me give you a word of advice: before the Village Chief grows angry, you had best leave quickly. If the Village Chief loses his temper, the consequences will be severe," the Farmer said in a warning tone.
The Village Chief? Everyone was startled. Without a doubt, the Village Chief's strength was definitely formidable!
"Then what about those two? Why are they allowed to enter the village?" Suddenly, someone pointed towards Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo, who were still cautiously traversing the village, and asked.
At the same time...
"You two, the Village Chief has spoken. Our village does not welcome outsiders. Please leave." A plainly dressed villager suddenly appeared before Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo and addressed them.
Several more villagers subsequently appeared, eyeing Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo warily.
"Uncle Chu! This Big Brother is a good person! Look, these are the candies he gave us. They're so delicious!" Just as Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo were rapidly discussing how to handle the situation, the four or five children from earlier rushed over and spoke to the villager.
"Big Brother, come on, I'll take you. Uncle Chu won't give you a hard time." A little boy affectionately took Ye Yunfei's hand and began leading them towards the rear of the village.
The other children also surrounded Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo.
"You all..." The villager, Uncle Chu, was left speechless, momentarily unsure how to respond.
"Big Brother, do you have any more candy? I've already finished the two pieces you gave me," one child tugged at Ye Yunfei's sleeve and asked pitifully.
"Yes, I do! I'll give you one more!" Ye Yunfei immediately answered, quickly producing another candied fruit on a stick and handing it to the child.
"I never imagined the rock sugar candies would prove so useful," Ye Yunfei sent a mental message to Su Qingluo.