“Lower the nets!” The harpoon-wielding guy shouted nervously.
“Swoosh! Swoosh!”
Two large nets, seemingly made of braided fishing lines, suddenly descended from the trees. One net ensnared Leo and Master Jennifer, while the other captured the Saber-Toothed Tiger.
These nets were called the Golden Cicada Nets, made from Golden Cicada silk. They were resistant to blades and were specifically designed to trap fierce beasts.
Each corner of the Golden Cicada Nets had long, pointed spikes that securely anchored into the ground.
Led by the axe-wielding man and the harpoon guy, a total of eight people appeared in a clearing in the forest. They spread out at the four corners of the two nets, with their feet holding down the tail ends of the spikes.
Their seamless cooperation indicated they had done this many times before.
Except for the harpoon-wielding guy and the axe-wielding man, who respectively held a harpoon and a giant axe, the other six, dressed in yellow martial outfits, had bows and arrows ready, aimed at Leo, Master Jennifer, and the Saber-Toothed Tiger within the nets.
The harpoon-wielding guy pointed his harpoon directly at Leo and sternly declared, “Kid, hand over the Fire Spirit Grass you have, or you’ll all die!”
Leo paid no attention to these men and attempted to cut through the Golden Cicada Net with the Blue Phantom Sword.
To Leo’s surprise, the Blue Phantom Sword, which was as sharp as mud, couldn’t cut the net. Instead, it caused the net to tighten.
Seeing Leo’s action, the harpoon guy contemptuously sneered, “Kid, this net is no ordinary net; it’s made of Golden Cicada silk. The more you resist, the tighter it gets.”
“I suggest you obediently hand over everything you have, then kneel down and beg for mercy. That way, I might consider sparing your life.”
The harpoon-wielding guy was quite confident. He had spent a substantial sum on the Golden Cicada Nets, which had proven successful in capturing fierce beasts and ambushing martial artists in the recent past.
He was entirely convinced that Leo couldn’t escape from the Golden Cicada Nets.
The man with the axe murmured, “Boss, don’t waste time talking with them. Let’s just kill them.”
The principle of “strike first, strike hard” applied here. Leo couldn’t wait for them to make the first move, so he summoned Purple Radiance immediately.
Purple Radiance transformed into a purple beam of light, pierced through the Golden Cicada Net, and sliced through one of the black-clothed men’s necks.
This black-clothed man didn’t even have a chance to react. He fell to the ground, lifeless.
The harpoon-wielding guy paled and hastily shouted, “Release your arrows!”
A whooshing sound filled the air.
While Leo used Purple Radiance to attack, he had already activated a diamond-like protective talisman.
The arrowheads seemed to strike against transparent glass and fell harmlessly to the ground.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Leo used the Blue Phantom Sword to remove one of the steel spikes anchoring the Golden Cicada Net and then pulled Master Jennifer to escape from within the net.
The axe-wielding man roared in anger and brought down his mighty axe toward the two of them.
Master Jennifer quickly removed her short sword from her back and effortlessly parried the attack with a swift counterstrike.
While the man with the axe managed to block the short sword with his axe, the sharp angle of the short sword left a deep, bone-revealing wound on his shoulder due to the power behind the strike.
The pain on his shoulder and the force of the short sword made the man stagger back a few steps, looking at Master Jennifer with astonishment.
“It’s actually a Grand Martial Master level expert!” The guy with the harpoon, feeling the powerful aura emanating from Master Jennifer, had his face drastically changed.
The guy with the harpoon and the man with the axe both had the cultivation of Advanced Martial Masters. They had seized and killed many Martial Master-level practitioners in the past, thanks to their Golden Cicada Nets. But encountering such a young Grand Martial Master like Master Jennifer was a first for them.
Master Jennifer retracted her Dark Ice Short Sword, preparing for another attack.
“Please, have mercy!” The harpoon-wielding man quickly called for a halt.
He knew quite well that without the Golden Cicada Nets restraining them, they were no match for these Grand Martial Masters. Moreover, apart from the beautiful female Grand Martial Master, there was also a man whose level of cultivation was unknown.
“Both of you are true experts, and we were ignorant to offend you. We don’t need the Fire Spirit Grass. We hope you can spare us,” the harpoon-wielding man said and signaled to his companion near the Saber-Toothed Tiger to release the Golden Cicada Net. The Saber-Toothed Tiger roared and majestically approached Leo.
“If there’s nothing else, we’ll leave,” the harpoon-wielding man performed a respectful martial artist’s bow and then signaled to his companion to retract the Golden Cicada Nets, preparing to depart.
Leo coldly said, “You guys are pretty considerate. Did I tell you that you can go?”
The harpoon-wielding man’s expression tensed, and he halted, turning to face Leo with a polite tone. “What do you command, sir?”
Leo’s gaze fell on the burlap backpack carried by the harpoon guy and said expressionlessly, “Leave your backpack here, or leave your lives.”
The harpoon-wielding man was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Leo to want to take his backpack. After all, he had worked hard for two months to gather what was inside, with the aim of trading them for something he wanted at the martial arts trade fair.
With a gloomy expression, the harpoon-wielding man said, “Sir, the Fire Spirit Grass you just picked was originally found by us. We’ve already given it to you. Please don’t trouble us further.”
Leo couldn’t help but sneer, “That sounds nice, you failed at robbing us, and now you want to apologize and leave. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Since you said whoever finds the Fire Spirit Grass owns it, then the backpack you’re carrying is something I’ve discovered. Hand it over.”
Being mocked like this, the harpoon-wielding man’s face stiffened. He reluctantly responded, “Sir, the items in the backpack are the fruits of our labor for the past two months. I hope you’ll show some mercy.”
“Stop the blabbering. You have two choices now: either surrender your backpack, or surrender your lives. Take your pick.”
Among martial artists, strength was always respected, and showing mercy to the enemy often meant cruelty to oneself. Leo knew that if he and Master Jennifer had lower cultivation levels, these men wouldn’t hesitate to be ruthless.
After some internal struggle, the harpoon-wielding man decided that staying alive was the top priority. He bit the bullet, took off his backpack, and reluctantly threw it in front of Leo.
Leo took the backpack in hand, felt its weight, and assumed that it must contain many valuable items.
Seeing that they were about to leave again, Leo added, “Wait, leave the Golden Cicada Nets behind as well.”