Chapter 997: Chapter 997

The young man speaking was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with an arrogant demeanor, clearly someone accustomed to holding a high position. "If I retreat now, when my father sent me to eradicate the Hidden Sect martial artists on Chessboard Mountain, what will he think of me?"

This young man was named Chang Ming, the fourth son of the Ghost Sect Master.

Within the Ghost Sect, the sect master was very indulgent towards Chang Ming, entrusting him with many important tasks.

Just time, the mission to eliminate the Hidden Sect martial artists was given to the fourth son by the Ghost Sect Master.

The reason such a major task was entrusted to Chang Ming was mainly that the Ghost Sect Master believed he had already prepared everything thoroughly.

The Hidden Sect's conference venue had the Nine Heavens Thunder Array, and it was set up by the person responsible for arranging the Hidden Sect meeting, leaving no room for error.

Furthermore, the Ghost Sect Master dispatched ten Ghost-ranked experts to accompany Chang Ming, along with over a thousand elite disciples of the Ghost Sect.

To the Ghost Sect Master, this was essentially handing Chang Ming a sure accomplishment.

When the Nine Heavens Thunder Array erupts, less than ten people on Chessboard Mountain will be left breathing, and the Ghost Sect disciples will charge in, effectively just cleaning up the battlefield.

However, things did not go as the Ghost Sect Master had anticipated. Not only was the Chessboard Mountain venue not pulverized by the Nine Heavens Thunder Array, on the contrary, the entire Chessboard Mountain was shrouded by a Defensive Array.

"Young master, the other side is well-prepared. If we continue to attack forcefully, I'm worried..." Gui Zhen said.

But before Gui Zhen could finish, a gaunt elder, so thin his bones could almost be seen, stepped forward.

"Gui Zhen, if you're afraid of dying, you can leave first. I believe the young master won't blame you. We will not leave; we must help the young master to eliminate the Hidden Sect martial artists on Chessboard Mountain," the withered elder said with disdain.

Gui Zhen saw Gui Ling speak and a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. "Gui Ling, do you think you can act arrogant in front of me just because you've advanced to the Mysterious Level?"

Gui Ling let out a creepy laugh. "Gui Zhen, I said that for your own good. If you're afraid of dying, you can leave..."

Gui Zhen's eyes narrowed, but at that moment, as if sensing something, he suddenly darted towards Chang Ming.

Swish... Gui Zhen swung a Sword Beam directly.

Following Gui Zhen's longsword strike, a figure was forced to reveal itself to everyone.

"Someone?!" Gui Ling was taken aback. He hadn't expected a person to suddenly appear here.

But after seeing the person, Gui Ling's expression turned to disdain. The person in front of them looked very young, probably around twenty-two or twenty-three, not resembling any kind of expert.

"Gui Ling, take young master and leave!" Gui Zhen drew his longsword, his expression growing increasingly serious as he looked at the newcomer.

The person appearing before them was none other than Ding Fan.

After descending Sword Control from Chessboard Mountain, Ding Fan used his Divine Sense to probe around and quickly located them here.

Intent on capturing the leader to capture the gang, Ding Fan darted over only to be intercepted by Gui Zhen, otherwise Chang Ming's life would have already been in Ding Fan's grasp.

"Heh heh... If our Ghost Sect is scared off by a little brat, then we might as well stop existing!" Gui Ling said, drawing his longsword.

"Young master, just watch how I split this brat in half with a single stroke." After saying this, Chang Ming swung his longsword directly at Ding Fan's head.

At this moment, Ding Fan was already at the Late Golden Core Stage. Compared to the Ancient Martial Warriors, he could completely withstand a Mysterious Level Fifth Grade expert.

Gui Ling was only a First Grade Mysterious Level martial artist, so Ding Fan did not find him worthy of attention.

The opponent's longsword immediately swung over.

Ding Fan did not choose to evade at all. It was a time of fierce battle, not a moment for hesitation.

Ding Fan did not dodge or evade, his longsword meeting the opponent's longsword, slashing forward.

In an instant, a violent rumbling shook the earth and mountains. Such was the power when Mysterious Level experts clashed, how could the powerful collision of Inner Strength be small?

A small pavilion was almost instantly demolished by the shockwave of energy.

As debris fell, Gui Zhen protected Chang Ming and jumped aside.

With a swoosh... As the pavilion collapsed, Gui Ling was sent flying backward by Ding Fan's True Qi.

Gui Ling was full of shock. He couldn't believe a young person's cultivation was so formidable. Looking to be around twenty-two or twenty-three, he could send a Mysterious Level Warrior flying...

How could the opponent be so formidable?!

And just as Gui Ling was still in midair, not yet landed, a figure darted toward him.

The figure moved extremely fast, appearing in front of Gui Ling in an instant. Gui Ling was stunned. When he saw the figure clearly, a tingling sensation spread across his scalp.

The person was none other than Ding Fan, with whom he had just clashed energies.

At this moment, Gui Ling was utterly shocked...

After sending him flying, the opponent managed to chase after him... This far-exceeded anything he had known. Throughout his life facing countless formidable foes, he had never encountered one this astounding.

Just then, as Ding Fan caught up, he swung down with his Nine Profound Iron.

Gui Ling, still midair, had no means to defend...

The blade struck, blood splattering...

Gui Ling's body was directly sliced into two by Ding Fan!

Witnessing this, Chang Ming's eyes widened in disbelief.

The cultivation of Gui Ling, Chang Ming was certainly aware, was a Mysterious Level Warrior, an exceedingly formidable existence.

Yet, such a formidable figure, in front of a twenty-something youngster, couldn't even withstand three moves before being slain...

If Chang Ming hadn't seen this with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed everything he was seeing.

The opponent, being able to instantly kill a Mysterious Level expert, must at least have a cultivation beyond Mysterious Level. And Ding Fan was only about twenty-two or twenty-three years old...

At this age, even if you're remarkably stunning, even if you're a prodigy...

At most, you'd have a Heavenly Level cultivation, which would already be extremely impressive!

But no, Ding Fan was even more impressive, already a level beyond Mysterious Level at this age...

Chang Ming now looked at Ding Fan not far away, staring at him like he was a monster...

How could there possibly be such an incredible figure in this world!

Ding Fan, with a single sword, killed Gui Ling, his cold gaze sweeping towards Chang Ming not far away...

Under Ding Fan's glance, Chang Ming felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, a surge of urine sensation suddenly coming from his lower body.

"Stop him for me!" Chang Ming shouted around him. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍

Whoosh whoosh whoosh...

At this moment, over a dozen Ghost Sect Warriors who had been guarding around rushed directly towards Ding Fan.

At this moment, Ding Fan was not polite at all, swinging his longsword fiercely at them.

In just the blink of an eye, those dozen or so guards charging at him were all knocked to the ground.

Ding Fan was now like a tiger; in his eyes, those guards seemed like mere lambs.

How could a few lambs stop a ferocious tiger like Ding Fan!

At this point, Chang Ming was truly shaken.

He came out to annihilate the martial artists on Chessboard Mountain, accompanied by ten experts of the Ghost Sect title.

Ghost Sect experts, at the very least, were around Mysterious Level experts, yet now beside Chang Ming, only Gui Zhen remained.

Gui Ling had been slain by Ding Fan, and the others were leading Ghost Sect disciples in a fierce attack on Chessboard Mountain's Defensive Array.

Faced with a fierce tiger now, Chang Ming was truly panicking.

"Young Master, leave!" Gui Zhen hurriedly urged without saying more.

Gui Zhen had dealt with Ding Fan numerous times, each encounter leaving him astounded by Ding Fan's rapid growth.

Recently, at the foot of Spirit Sect Mountain, Ding Fan single-handedly defeated Gui Xing, one of the top three in cultivation in the Ghost Sect. Gui Zhen didn't think he had the power to kill Ding Fan; just stopping him would be quite a feat.

Seeing Gui Zhen blocking in front of him, Chang Ming didn't even glance back, immediately fleeing backward.

"Come to my rescue, come to my rescue!" Chang Ming shouted as he ran, sending his words out with Inner Strength.

Gui Zhen furrowed his brows tightly. At this desperate moment when both sides were clashing to the death, Chang Ming, as a leading figure of the Ghost Sect, was shaking the entire sect's morale with this shout.

Gui Zhen used telekinesis to probe towards the Chessboard Mountain battlefield.

Sure enough, the Ghost Sect disciples were retreating one after another. The previously orderly attack formation was now entirely disorganized.

At this moment, Ding Fan directly took out a firework from his storage ring, igniting it so it immediately shot skyward.

Then, the firework bloomed in mid-air, brilliantly dazzling.

Gui Zhen's eyes narrowed; vaguely, he sensed something bad was going to happen, and he immediately probed toward Chessboard Mountain's direction.

Now, the martial artists on Chessboard Mountain all charged down the mountain, killing towards the Ghost Sect disciples.

Upon witnessing this scene, Gui Zhen knew the Ghost Sect was bound to suffer a great defeat today. No one could possibly reverse today's defeat.

"Ding Fan, you deserve to die." Gui Zhen coldly stared at Ding Fan.

If Ding Fan hadn't appeared, stabbing them in the back , they could have retreated in an orderly manner.

This dreadful defeat wouldn't have happened at all.

"The ones who deserve to die are you." Ding Fan raised his Nine Profound Iron with a face full of killing intent.

Gui Zhen immediately drew his longsword and attacked Ding Fan without a word.

Ding Fan dared not be careless, engaging in a fierce fight with Gui Zhen.

Gui Zhen was absolutely no match for Ding Fan now; the only reason for holding Ding Fan back was to ensure Chang Ming's safety.

Once Gui Zhen confirmed Chang Ming was safe, he retreated and fled.

Ding Fan chose not to pursue.

Even a dog will jump over a wall when desperate.

At this juncture, three Mysterious Level experts were already protecting Chang Ming, and chasing now would likely result in failure and potential loss for himself.

However, Ding Fan's objective had already been achieved; his initial intention was merely to disrupt the Ghost Sect's rear so that Mei Zhi and others could lead their people down to drive back the Ghost Sect Warriors...