Top-tier Unruly Master-Chapter 1663 - 1700: The Plan
After all, a Frost Toad like this Yuan Beast is no ordinary Yuan Beast. No matter how powerful a strong cultivator might be, if they saw Ding Fan’s Frost Toad, they would certainly covet its existence. Ding Fan knew that although his strength was quite decent, he still couldn’t compete with those top-tier powerhouses.
Therefore, Ding Fan wouldn’t let those strong cultivators discover the existence of the Frost Toad. Even in special situations like now, Ding Fan wouldn’t let others know about the Frost Toad, as it was essentially one of his trump cards. Moreover, this trump card had never been used by Ding Fan before.
Currently, the Frost Toad had only fought against some relatively strong Yuan Beasts and hadn’t faced any particularly powerful cultivators. Especially now, after the Frost Toad had devoured the Crystal Core of the Guardian Yuan Beast, Ding Fan knew that its strength must have increased tremendously during this period.
But as for exactly to what extent it had improved, Ding Fan really wasn’t sure. However, Ding Fan believed that the Frost Toad would definitely give him a surprise.
After a while, the sky outside the cave had turned completely dark. Amidst the rolling black clouds, a golden True Dragon was continuously darting through the clouds, baring its fangs and brandishing claws. Its dragon eyes, as large as fists, seemed filled with rage, spitting hot flames at the panicked Yuan Beasts fleeing on the ground.
The unfortunate Yuan Beasts below were instantly scorched by the flames, their skin blistered and charred, and the air was filled with howls of pain. No matter how those Yuan Beasts tried to escape, they couldn’t evade the True Dragon’s attacks. No matter how powerful a Yuan Beast was, in front of the True Dragon, all they could do was run for their life, utterly defenseless.
Previously, those Yuan Beasts could still desperately flee toward the cave, but it wasn’t long before they stopped thinking of running to the cave. It seemed they sensed the cave was no longer safe, so they could only flee chaotically in the forest, trying to avoid the True Dragon’s massacre.
Howl...Howl...
The constant howling from outside reached Ding Fan and the others inside the cave, making their hearts, which had slightly relaxed earlier, tense up again. At this moment, Ding Fan and the others had reached the edge of the cave entrance, and it was precisely because of Ding Fan’s Frost Toad that the Yuan Beasts outside no longer fled towards the cave entrance.
However, Ding Fan and the others were also very tense. With their Divine Sense extended, they could all see the True Dragon hovering in the sky outside. It was no ordinary being; even those Grade Eight and Grade Nine Yuan Beasts would be doomed if attacked by the True Dragon, their only option was to desperately flee.
Ding Fan and his companions were very clear that they were no match for the True Dragon. Even if the True Dragon just exhaled, they wouldn’t know how many times they would die. Guo Linn, who was previously at ease, was now the most anxious among the three. He tightly gripped his longsword in both hands, holding it in front of him, and nudged Ding Fan with his body, his voice trembling:
"Big Brother, the True Dragon outside is just too terrifying. We are no match for it. Are we really going out? Maybe we should just stay here. If the cave collapses, we won’t be hurt now, and we can rush out first thing."
Guo Linn didn’t know why this idea suddenly popped into his mind, and he couldn’t help but feel smart for his sudden notion.
Hearing Guo Linn’s words, Ding Fan glanced at Ah Du. It was evident that Ah Du was also very tense, although not to the extent of Guo Linn. On the surface, he still appeared relatively composed. Ding Fan nodded, satisfied with Ah Du’s demeanor. He couldn’t help but firmly pat Guo Linn’s arm and said solemnly:
"Keep it together, you must have the belief that you have to survive! We only need to hold on for one day, and then we can leave here alive. So none of us can die!"
Hearing Ding Fan’s words, Guo Linn calmed down a bit and nodded at Ding Fan, his gaze becoming much more resolute. Of course, he wasn’t willing to die here, especially since he not only survived in the Xuantian Secret Realm.
But also gained opportunities from the Sword Washing Pool, which was an enormous opportunity for him. Guo Linn knew that chances like this probably wouldn’t come twice in a lifetime, and if he died here, it would truly be an immense regret.
Guo Linn understood that with such opportunities, once he returned to the Cultivation World, he certainly wouldn’t just be one of the best disciples among the thirty-six caves; he would be unparalleled. Guo Linn believed that even Lufeng, the universally acknowledged top disciple among the younger generation of the thirty-six caves, wouldn’t be his match.
What a glorious future that would be for him! Guo Linn knew that if he diligently cultivated, he might one day become the sect leader’s successor, and perhaps in the future, he could become the successor to the Lake Master of the thirty-six caves. His future was bright!
He couldn’t bear the thought of dying here, especially since, after tonight, he only needed to hold on for one more day to return alive to the Cultivation World. How could he easily give up or easily let go of the hope of survival?
But Guo Linn also understood that the True Dragon outside was not something to mess with. In front of the True Dragon, he was like an ant. Could he really hold on in front of the True Dragon? Guo Linn involuntarily looked at Ding Fan and asked:
"Big Brother, what should we do now?"
Seeing that Guo Linn’s mood had slightly improved, Ding Fan said:
"Just like you said, we’ve reached a temporarily safe place. If the cave collapses, we can certainly get out and definitely won’t be trapped here. But we absolutely can’t wait until the last moment the cave collapses to leave, or we’ll be at a huge disadvantage." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Ding Fan paused, and both Guo Linn and Ah Du were listening very intently. Even the proud Ah Du was listening carefully to Ding Fan’s plan because the True Dragon outside was too frightening, and they were certainly no match for it.
Although Ah Du didn’t want to admit that he was inferior to Ding Fan in his heart, at this moment, facing the true dragon outside baring its fangs, he had no solution. After all, Ding Fan had previously mentioned having only a thirty percent chance of getting everyone out alive, which was indeed a very slim chance.
However, Ah Du knew full well that he had no alternatives; he believed that if he went out, he would be incinerated by the true dragon’s flame within minutes. Those powerful Yuan Beasts could struggle for a while in the true dragon’s fire, but Ah Du knew that if it were him, he would likely die instantly.
After all, human defense can’t compare to that of powerful Yuan Beasts, and Ah Du knew that the flame the true dragon spat was absolutely no ordinary flame; otherwise, it wouldn’t have such destructive power against those Yuan Beasts, let alone something he could contend with.
Thus, at this moment, he had no choice but to listen intently to Ding Fan’s plan.
Ding Fan saw that both were listening very carefully, then continued:
"I estimate this cave won’t last until tonight; it will collapse as early as midnight, and at the latest by dawn. I still need to observe to determine the exact timing as the cave’s tremors aren’t very regular. During this time, we need to carefully explore the terrain around us, and then seize the moment to dash out when the true dragon is at its most lax."
Ding Fan paused for a moment, then went on:
"We’re mostly going to move out together, but I’ll be slightly ahead. The moment I’m out, I’ll cast a flame spell to draw its attention; then you two seize the opportunity. This task will be entirely up to you, but it’s not very difficult. As long as you see the true dragon’s attention on me, dash out as fast as you can and escape to our predetermined hidden spot. If the true dragon hasn’t noticed you, stay still. That creature likely has sensitive senses, but if you can hold out for just one more day and night, you’ll have succeeded."
Ding Fan’s expression grew more severe as he continued:
"If the initial hiding spot gets compromised, don’t panic. Guo Lin, aren’t you skilled in concealment spells? Although the duration is brief, you can swiftly cast a flame spell, leveraging that creature’s flames to make a rapid escape. Your safety should be manageable. Our current task is to locate multiple hidden spots to hide in."
Ding Fan said gravely:
"Only this way can we endure a bit longer in front of that creature. We are absolutely not its match, so our only choice is to outmaneuver it to the best of our ability, and hide. As long as we hold out for one day and night, that’s our victory!"
Upon hearing Ding Fan’s proposal, Guo Lin couldn’t help but feel astonished, and he asked:
"Big brother, how did you know I could use concealment spells? It’s something I just mastered. Yes, the concealment spells I’ve learned only last a short time, about ten seconds, and even less if I take two people along."
Ah Du heard Guo Lin’s words, unconsciously looking at Ding Fan, also curious about how Ding Fan knew Guo Lin could use concealment spells, considering it was a skill that Guo Lin had only just learned from a martial arts book he chose in the Sword Washing Pool.
This made even less sense for Ding Fan to know. Hearing Guo Lin’s latter words, Ah Du felt troubled, realizing that at this moment, he had become a burden needing Guo Lin’s protection, which was hard for him to accept. Unable to resist, he said:
"We’ll go our separate ways; I won’t drag you down!"
"No way!"
Ding Fan immediately interrupted upon hearing Ah Du’s words, sternly saying:
"You can’t split up. Guo Lin’s concealment spell is an excellent and crucial method to evade that creature, plus Guo Lin, don’t assume that there’s only a true dragon outside. There are also numerous panicked and powerful Yuan Beasts. Those Yuan Beasts are definitely not something you can handle alone, so you and Ah Du together form a complementary relationship. Only together can you endure longer!"
Guo Lin, hearing Ding Fan’s words, explained:
"Big brother, I didn’t mean that at all. Rest assured; we’ll stick together. But what about you?"
"By the way, big brother, how exactly did you know about my concealment spells?"
Guo Lin couldn’t help but ask again.
