Top-tier Unruly Master-Chapter 1738 - 1775: Showtime

Gao Jian saw all this, and a wave of alarm surged in his heart. So many people now wanted to kick him when he was down, to put him to death—how could that not be terrifying?

Some people never reflect in their lifetime, and thus continue to make mistake after mistake.

Gao Jian watched as the fear in the hearts of everyone turned quickly into hatred towards them. He knew he absolutely couldn’t just die like this, and even if he died, he couldn’t let these people come to a good end! For a moment, Gao Jian suppressed the chaos in his heart, his mind sparked with inspiration, and he showed some confidence on his face as he respectfully spoke to the deputy general seated in the chair:

"Deputy General, although this subordinate deserves to die ten thousand times, this subordinate has thoroughly understood the situation. I can guarantee that in this camp, apart from me, there is absolutely no one who can kill the four people outside!"

As soon as Gao Jian finished speaking, the people in the tent couldn’t help but show disdainful expressions. Although they didn’t have any dealings with Gao Jian, they knew a bit about him. His cultivation was only at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, the lowest among all the leaders.

His rise to the current position of squad leader was purely due to sucking up and using little tricks and bad ideas. Saying this camp can’t do without him, but without Gao Jian it would definitely be a hundred benefits with no downsides. Everyone found Gao Jian’s words laughable.

"Alright then, this General will spare your life for the time being, to let you see for yourself if truly no one can claim the lives of the merchants outside besides you, so you can die with some peace!"

The deputy general in the seat also couldn’t hide a slight smile as he spoke to Gao Jian.

Upon hearing the deputy general’s words, Gao Jian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although he didn’t know how things would end for him, he knew he wouldn’t die now, and could live a little longer. He started plotting in his mind that there was still a chance as long as he was alive.

Moreover, the words Gao Jian spoke weren’t simply a delaying tactic. He truly had some judgment of Ding Fan and the others outside the camp. He knew that although those people claimed to be merchants, they definitely weren’t simple traders and had surely hidden their cultivation. Otherwise, how could his two squads have been completely wiped out?

Gao Jian boldly speculated that those people likely came prepared and were not weak in strength. Earlier, he felt lucky to be the only survivor and thought them foolish, but the more he thought, the more wrong it seemed. He began to suspect they had deliberately let him go.

Therefore, Gao Jian came up with such a plan; he had to bet once. Although he didn’t know what exactly those people were after, if they came on their own agenda, then it would be easy to handle. Gao Jian started to pray that when the deputy general sent people out again, it would end in failure, and then it would be his turn again.

He didn’t know how big the chances of success were, but it was the only opportunity he had.

Soon, two soldiers walked into the tent, standing on either side of Gao Jian, who was sitting in the corner. In the past, those two soldiers would have been Gao Jian’s attendants, but now they were guarding him—like heaven and earth swapped places. However, for Gao Jian, it was considerate enough.

The deputy general also considered what Gao Jian had done for him before, which is why he did this. Otherwise, for a regular person, even if they were not executed immediately, they would’ve been sent directly to prison.

...

Soon another squad leader directly volunteered, saying:

"General, I am willing to lead an attack and capture the few bandits outside!"

"Good! Take a squad with you," the deputy general was pleased to hear the squad leader’s words and said immediately.

"General, for just four people outside, why waste a squad’s strength? I can take just two people," the squad leader confidently declared, full of urgency, as he was excited to finally see Gao Jian step down. This was the best moment to prove Gao Jian’s incompetence and his own valor, so he couldn’t wait.

The deputy general smiled at his words, satisfied, and said:

"Good, not in vain the soldiers I trained, go quickly and capture them!"

Then the squad leader immediately left the tent, taking with him two of his most trusted attendants, and marched out of the camp. This squad leader was at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, already quite strong within the Cultivation World, and even within the army, a rarity.

As a squad leader, he was well-deserved. The two attendants he brought were also his best soldiers, both at the Late Nascent Soul Stage. Although they were soldiers, their cultivation was on par with Gao Jian, even slightly stronger.

To this squad leader, Gao Jian couldn’t even match his own soldiers yet held the same post as him, how could he not have complaints?

Of course, now was the best time to prove himself.

"Surrender quickly, and I will let you die swiftly, otherwise don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

This squad leader stood at the camp entrance, staring sharply at Ding Fan and the others, speaking disdainfully.

He had initially thought Ding Fan and the others might be hidden experts, but upon seeing them up close, he felt their aura was only at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. Even if they were formidable, they were just so; how could they be his match!

That’s utterly ridiculous.

Ding Fan and several Elders from the Thirty-Six Caves were surprised and somewhat disappointed to see that only three people had emerged. The purpose of Ding Fan and his group was simple: to eliminate over thirty percent of the opposing forces. However, only three people came out, which was clearly at odds with their plan.

The Elders exchanged glances and then looked at Ding Fan, clearly seeking his opinion at such a moment.

Meeting everyone’s gaze, Ding Fan frowned slightly and said calmly:

"Continue the performance, but kill them all."

The three Elders nodded at Ding Fan’s words without saying anything further.

For a moment, Ding Fan and his group faced the opposing squad leader, their eyes calm but filled with murderous intent, remaining silent.

The squad leader was momentarily stunned by Ding Fan’s demeanor, but soon his face turned dark with displeasure, feeling extremely disrespected by the other party. A thick layer of killing intent emanated from him, as his True Qi, stirred by his resentment, became unusually chaotic.

"Quick battle, slay them directly!"

The squad leader, with a grim expression, ordered the two soldiers beside him sharply.

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

The two soldiers replied with determined expressions. In their eyes, killing Ding Fan and his group seemed a simple task. They did not even consider the previous total annihilation of Gao Jian’s two teams, as they believed even if Gao Jian led out ten squads, they could still suffer total annihilation.

This belief wasn’t unique to these two soldiers; the squad leader shared the same thought, clearly underestimating Ding Fan and his group. Apart from Ding Fan as a young man, the others appeared to be elderly men. Even if they were Nascent Soul Stage cultivators, they presumed they posed no real threat...

Bang!

The squad leader suddenly changed his hand movements, and a giant Bell Cauldron phantom formed, thrusting toward Ding Fan. This phantom, condensed from True Qi, carried a certain level of power. If an average cultivator were hit, they would likely face death. Clearly, the squad leader was exerting his full strength from the start, unwilling to entangle with the opponent and wanting to vent his frustration!

Facing the Bell Cauldron, Ding Fan’s figure suddenly turned into a void, disappearing from the spot. The cauldron struck the rock behind Ding Fan, producing a resounding crash and turning a vast section of rock into rubble, scattered all over...

Seeing this, the squad leader felt a jolt of shock; he hadn’t expected the opponent to evade his attack, let alone in such a bizarre manner. Suddenly, he felt uncertain about the opponent’s capability, suspecting there was more to Ding Fan’s strength.

However, the next moment, he saw Ding Fan unsteadily regaining his balance, which reassured the squad leader. It became apparent that although Ding Fan seemed to have dodged the attack, he was indeed injured. The squad leader relaxed; the opponent wasn’t as formidable as feared.

Quickly, the squad leader drew his longsword, launching piercing thrusts at Ding Fan, displaying his Nascent Soul Early Stage strength. Ding Fan played along, putting on a show, making it seem like an exuberant duel.

Meanwhile, the other two soldiers attacked the Elders, a faint smirk of disdain on their faces, yet their sword strikes were vicious, leaving no room for the Elders to evade. The Elders wore exaggerated grim expressions momentarily.

But those slight exaggerations were unnoticed by the soldiers, whose disdain for the Elders only grew. Their swords danced, slightly relaxed, for they felt confident that dealing with these old men would be easy and pleasurable, without the need for full effort.

In no time, at the campsite entrance, Ding Fan and his group were already engaged in battle. However, not long after, the squad leader sensed something was amiss. Logically, he should have been able to kill the opponent by now, but every time he was about to land a fatal blow, Ding Fan miraculously evaded. Could he really be so lucky?

Having good luck once or twice might be divine favor, but continuous luck was not just luck.

After entangling with Ding Fan for some time, the squad leader realized Ding Fan wasn’t simple; his repeated evasions were unlikely due to luck. Furthermore, Ding Fan maintained a calm expression throughout, showing no hint of fear.

This was highly unusual, given that Ding Fan’s cultivation was only at the Early Nascent Soul Stage, and he was up against someone at the Nascent Soul Early Stage; his expression shouldn’t be so composed!

"Who exactly are you?"

During a moment when their swords crossed, the squad leader asked with a serious expression.

Hearing this, Ding Fan smiled lightly and, with his Divine Sense, transmitted a calm message:

"A person from the Great Ocean Sect."