Top-tier Unruly Master

Chapter 2226: Chapter 2261: On the Eve of War

"Level Eight! All my clansmen are Level Eight Legacy Samurai. Once we use our Inherited Divine Skills, our speed can increase tenfold or even more. That means, even compared to experts at the Elementary Stage of the Seventh Level Realm in the Divine Realm, their speed still can’t match ours. Do you really think a few mere Sixth Level experts in the Northern Desolation of the Divine Realm can threaten me?"

"Well, this..."

Ding Fan was a bit speechless. He knew the Ye Family clansmen were strong, but he hadn’t expected them to be this heaven‑defying. He thought for a moment and said, "Patriarch Ye, what you said isn’t wrong, but strictly speaking speed is only one part of combat power. At your level, isn’t it more about what kind of Heaven Earth True Insight you’ve comprehended? Do you have the confidence to defeat a Peak Sixth Level expert of the Divine Realm?"

"Hahaha~"

Ye Li burst out laughing and immediately released a terrifying aura of pressure from his body. He said disdainfully, "They’re just a few rotten onions from the Northern Wastelands. In my eyes, Ye Li’s eyes, they’re all fart. Heaven Earth True Insight—does the master think my Ye Family doesn’t cultivate Heaven Earth True Insight? I’ll be honest with you, master: more than a hundred years ago, I had already comprehended the Heaven Earth True Insight. Back then, just by relying on Heaven Earth True Insight and the Level Eight warrior heritage, I could sweep aside any Sixth Level Divine Realm expert who hadn’t comprehended the Heaven Earth True Insight."

"So, master, you really don’t need to be afraid. If you don’t want to leave, I alone can guarantee that no one will ever break into your Yuexia City."

Looking at Ding Fan, Ye Li spoke proudly. The pressure emanating from his body at this moment proved he wasn’t lying.

...

"Did something happen? Why hasn’t the master come out yet?"

Mu Gaosou waited outside anxiously. Ding Fan had already been in the other world for three to four hours; the sky outside should almost be bright by now.

At this moment Mu Gaosou’s head was pounding. Crimson Flame could come back at any time now. If they couldn’t find Ding Fan in Yuexia City, he would definitely come looking on Skull Island, and he would for sure come to Baisheng Island then. Wouldn’t all the secrets be exposed by that time?

Another two hours passed. The seawater in the volcano finally started to ripple. Ding Fan was teleported back. His body shot up from the seabed and entered the passage.

"Is everything settled, master?" Mu Gaosou asked Ding Fan, but Ding Fan just waved his hand and said, "Let’s go up first. We’ll talk when we’re up there."

The two quickly rushed out of the volcano. Ding Fan stepped onto the Gao Shan where the Baisheng Underground Palace was located and said to the thousands of Skeleton Sect disciples and their families gathered below, "Everyone, don’t worry anymore. All of you head back to Skull Island now and wait there for my news. Relax, I’ve got this."

"Why are we going back to Skull Island again?"

Wu Qingxia and the others were a bit dumbfounded. If they’d said to go to Skull Island earlier, they could’ve just gone there straight away. What was the point of this back and forth? It didn’t matter much to these Martial Artists, but there were many elderly, women, and children among the families.

"Move out! Back to Skull Island!"

However, Wu Qingxia never doubted Ding Fan’s decisions. She immediately issued the order for everyone to return to Skull Island. Baisheng Island was already very close to Skull Island; it wouldn’t even take two hours to get back.

"Master, what’s going on? Did something..."

Mu Gaosou was confused as well. He didn’t understand what Ding Fan meant. Why wasn’t he letting the Skeleton Sect people enter the other world anymore?

"Don’t worry about it. You just follow them to Skull Island and protect them. I’ll give you a talisman; if you feel you can’t handle it, crush this talisman."

Ding Fan reached out and handed Mu Gaosou a talisman. Seeing the puzzled look on Mu Gaosou’s face, he waved his hand and said to him, "Don’t be afraid, just go. Rest assured, unless I’m dead, none of you will be in danger. When you get there, tell the Fourth Elder to send people to Yuexia City, find Crimson Flame, and tell him to come see me here."

"Yes! I understand!"

Mu Gaosou cast a doubtful glance in the direction of the volcano, then turned and flew toward Skull Island, while Ding Fan walked alone into the Underground Palace of Baisheng Island.

Ding Fan had made up his mind!

After talking with Ye Li for several hours, he decided not to send the Skeleton Sect people into the other world anymore. First, he didn’t want outsiders to know about the existence of this other world. Second, many of the Skeleton Sect’s family members were elderly, women, and children; if they drowned at sea, it would be a huge problem.

Now Ding Fan was no longer worried about safety. Ye Li had told him not to worry—he alone could guarantee everyone’s safety, and Ding Fan believed he wasn’t bragging.

"Whoosh!"

Three hours later, Crimson Flame arrived at the Baisheng Underground Palace. Seeing Ding Fan cultivating alone inside, he couldn’t help but ask in confusion, "Young Master, what happened? You are..."

On his way here, he’d already heard that Ding Fan wanted to resettle the Skeleton Sect and protect their safety, but Ding Fan’s current arrangements were something he couldn’t understand.

Ding Fan smiled at him and said, "I suddenly don’t feel like leaving anymore. If things really get that bad, can’t you just take me away at any time?"

"That’s not how it works, Young Master!"

Crimson Flame said to Ding Fan with great certainty, "I’m not that confident. If Zhong Zhiyong comes personally, I can indeed take you and escape. But if the Kings of Shenwu Country, Divine Heaven Country, and Divine Country all come, even I won’t be able to escape, not to mention anything else. And if Zheng Tianxing shows up, he could kill me with a single move."

Ding Fan’s expression changed. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Don’t worry, I have other plans. If it really doesn’t work out, you can run by yourself."

"How could I..."

Crimson Flame looked at Ding Fan, the light in his eyes flickering. Ding Fan was so calm, which filled Crimson Flame’s heart with doubt. Ding Fan still had a plan? At this point, what could he possibly use to fight those Sixth Level Divine Realm experts?

"Forget it, Crimson Flame will obey the Young Master’s arrangements!"

In the end Crimson Flame still listened to Ding Fan. After all, Ding Fan was the master; he was only a servant. Since Ding Fan insisted on not leaving, there was no way he could defy him. But... if it truly came to a critical moment, he could still act first and report later—by then he would just knock Ding Fan out and forcibly take him away.

...

Time passed very quickly, and soon the Allied Forces of the Four Great Royal Clans were about to launch their attack. Tianmu Sea was now in utter chaos.

The Teleportation Array of Daozhen City had already been activated, and many experts were transmitting over. Basically all the Samurai of the Fourth Level forces had come, and quite a few Samurai from Third Level forces had arrived as well.

The Teleportation Array shone without pause as batch after batch of Samurai were teleported over, then sent out of the city and arranged to lie in ambush on the back mountain behind Daozhen Villa. With so many people coming, there weren’t even enough houses to accommodate them; many from the various forces were living in hastily dug caves in the mountain.

The final decision of these forces was to treat Daozhen Villa as the last line of defense. If Daozhen Villa were breached, then they were ready to be buried together with Daozhen Villa.

Tianmu Sea had already been completely encircled; there was no thought of escape. Since they were doomed either way, they might as well give the Four Great Royal Clans a good hard fight!

Surrender was also a dead end!

These Family Powers had never even considered surrender. The Four Great Royal Clans hated Tianmu Sea to the bone; if they surrendered, the fate that awaited them would be even more miserable.

Among these Family Powers, some harbored other ideas: once the great battle began and the attention of the Four Great Royal Clans was all on Daozhen Villa, perhaps these small forces might have a chance to slip away.

The Tianyuan Auction in Daozhen City was under strict surveillance. Although there was no way to prove that Zheng Tianxing had taken part in this matter, Madam Yan still decided to err on the side of caution. If, when the war broke out, the auction house showed any unusual movement, a Fifth Level Expert of the Divine Realm lurking there would directly slaughter the Samurai of the auction house.

Time seemed to pass faster and faster, and the reports brought back by the Scout Cavalry were getting worse and worse.

The more than ten thousand Samurai that had attacked the Zhong Family Fortress had already been almost completely slaughtered; very few managed to escape and were currently being hunted down by the experts of the Four Great Royal Clans and the Zhong Family.

Herr Qianjun had also disappeared. He and those six Fifth Level Experts of the Divine Realm had vanished within the borders of Shenwu Country. The Scout Cavalry couldn’t find the slightest trace of them, and none of these people had sent back any message. Whether they were dead or lying low, no one knew.

The great army outside Tianmu Sea had almost finished gathering. By now there were already over a hundred thousand Samurai, and the lowest Realm among them was Second Level of the Divine Realm. These troops were warriors from the various large and small forces under the Four Great Royal Clans, and they planned to enter Tianmu Sea to burn, kill, and plunder.

The women of the various forces within Tianmu Sea were all terrified, almost all of them weeping day and night. Some young girls even thought of committing suicide. If the armies of the Four Great Royal Clans broke in, with hundreds of thousands of marauders pouring into all the islands within Tianmu Sea, these women would all be defiled. Just the thought of this made many of them wish for death.

...

The tenth day finally arrived!

The great armies of the Four Great Royal Clans moved. They had practically no plan at all, simply advancing toward Tianmu Sea from all directions. Countless wooden ships, warships, and Super Airships surged into Tianmu Sea like a swarm of locusts. Hundreds of thousands of troops were divided into more than a dozen columns, charging into Tianmu Sea from several directions.

There were too many attackers to even tally how many had come. As for how many experts above Fourth Level of the Divine Realm there were, the forces of Tianmu Sea simply couldn’t scout it out.

The islands on the periphery of Tianmu Sea were the first to suffer misfortune. With so many Samurai, there was absolutely no such thing as military discipline. What was worse, the upper rulers of the Four Great Royal Clans had no intention whatsoever of having their warriors abide by any discipline.

Countless people were slaughtered, and countless women were raped and carried off. All wealth was looted clean. The great army swept through like an autumn wind stripping the leaves; no living person was left wherever they passed.

...

"Report!"

In Yuexia City, many Family Powers had gathered. All the forces near Moon Mist Island had come to Yuexia City, ready to fight to the death.

At this moment Ding Fan was not here. Pu Feng had instead become the current leader. The Island Masters of Xian Kong Island, Luoying Island, Blood Demon Island, and others were all seated in Ding Fan’s residence, listening to the reports of the Scout Cavalry.

"Reporting to all the adults! Over a hundred warships have come from the north, and the Super Airship flying in the lead is bearing the Zhong Family’s flag. Judging from the distance, they will reach Moon Mist Island in at most three hours."

The Scout Cavalryman showed no panic on his face and reported in a deep voice to the Island Masters present.

"The Zhong Family is here!"

Pu Feng and the others exchanged glances, seeing a trace of gloom in each other’s eyes. The Zhong Family had actually come from this direction; it was obvious they were coming for Ding Fan.

This time Zhong Zhiyong intended to wash Moon Mist Island in blood, kill Ding Fan, and take his revenge.

No one spoke. At a time like this, they didn’t even know what to say. With so many experts from the Zhong Family coming, not to mention Zhong Zhiyong, even just the few Fifth Level Experts of the Divine Realm from the Zhong Family were opponents none of them here could handle.

After a few minutes, Pu Feng asked the Scout Cavalryman, "Where is Island Master Ding now?"

The Scout Cavalryman thought for a moment and said, "He should be on Skull Island. Everyone from Skull Island has gone over, so Island Master Ding should be there as well."

"To hell with him, what the hell use is it finding him? Killing a few experts of the Fourth Level of the Divine Realm, he does have some ability, but the Zhong Family still has Fifth Level Experts. Besides, this man never planned on taking care of us in the first place. What are we still counting on him for?"

The Island Master of Xian Kong Island roared like a madman. They had all heard of Ding Fan’s stance earlier, but there was nothing they could do about it.