A carefree soldier king in the city

Chapter 223 Turtle in the Urn

All the assassins seemed greatly shocked by this sudden turn of events, and also showed unprecedented fear. However, the leader and the two assassins flanking him quickly calmed down after a brief moment of shock, because the three of them were also cultivators and did not believe in the so-called ghosts and spirits. Their first thought was that whoever could kill their six companions in the blink of an eye must also be a cultivator. Otherwise, given the skills of their six dead companions, ordinary people wouldn't be able to get within a foot of them, and they were all highly trained, the elite of the elite among special forces.

In fact, the same was true of everyone else present. They were all from special forces, had undergone rigorous training, and had passed numerous life-and-death tests.

At that moment, the three assassins in black reacted almost simultaneously. Without saying a word, they all turned around and flew towards this side at high speed. They activated all their power and flew almost close to the ground. The gray protective aura emanating from them was exceptionally dazzling in the early morning light, like a bright oil lamp suddenly appearing in the dark night.

The gray true energy indicates that all three of them are experts at the "Earth Realm," but judging from the color of their true energy, they should be at the peak of the "Earth Realm."

Three assassins at the peak of the Earth Realm approached this mysterious person almost simultaneously. And who else could this mysterious person be but Chao Bufan?

Seeing the three Earth Realm experts flying towards him at lightning speed, Chao Bufan smiled, confirming once again the saying: "True cultivators reside in the city." If he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes, he would have thought these cultivators only hid in the deep mountains and forests!

In the blink of an eye, the three cultivator assassins had formed a triangle around Chao Bufan, and in their hands...

Each of them held a long sword that gleamed coldly.

As soon as the three appeared around Chao Bufan, they immediately began to assess his cultivation level. At the peak of the Heaven Realm, no wonder he could easily kill six top-tier assassins. However, given their own peak Earth Realm cultivation, Chao Bufan was doomed today.

"Not bad, kid!"

The speaker was the leader of the assassin group, and as he spoke, more than a dozen other assassins swarmed in, surrounding Chao Bufan. A little further away, another dozen assassins, armed with submachine guns, all pointed their weapons at Chao Bufan.

First came three peak Earth Realm experts, then more than ten top-tier assassins, and then more than ten gunmen. They stood motionless, like an impenetrable wall, blocking Chao Bufan's escape route. Now, Chao Bufan was like a turtle in a jar, truly unable to escape.

The sheer size of the operation demonstrates just how much importance they placed on this assassination mission.

"Humph!"

Chao Bufan scoffed, then picked his nose with his finger in a pretentious manner. He glanced sideways at the insignia on the three men's clothes and, seeing that they were all embroidered with the same cross pattern, he already knew their origins. He laughed and said, "Likewise!"

The assassin leader nodded approvingly. Out of respect for cultivators, he lowered his voice and said, "Peak of the Heaven Realm, only a thin line separating you from the Earth Realm, not bad, not bad! Young brother, I didn't expect you to be a cultivator as well. It's a blessing for them to die at your hands; their deaths weren't in vain. May I ask which master you follow?"

Chao Bufan showed no fear whatsoever, remaining extremely calm. He smiled slightly and asked in return, "Are you from the Crossfire Cult?"

The assassin leader nodded and said, "It seems you are quite familiar with our Crossfire Cult. Tell me, who is your master?"

Chao Bufan laughed and said, "Do I need to tell you?"

Another cultivator assassin sneered and said, "Kid, you've got a tough tongue! I can tell you're not very old, but it's truly remarkable that you've reached this level of cultivation. If we just kill you like this, don't you think it would be a waste?"

Chao Bufan smiled slightly, as if talking to an ordinary person, and said, "That's true, but I've always been blessed with good fortune and a long life. Even fortune tellers say I'll live to be a hundred."

The assassin leader chuckled and said, "Young man, one shouldn't be too confident, or one will easily suffer losses. You are only at the peak of the Heaven Realm. In front of us at the peak of the Earth Realm, you are just a three-year-old child. If I were to kill you, it would be easier than crushing an ant. Do you believe me?"

Chao Bufan replied undeniably, "I believe you, of course I believe you. We are not on the same level. If you wanted to kill me, it would be as easy as turning your hand. But I am not being arrogant. What I said is true. Although your cultivation is above mine, you are not qualified to take my life."

"Hahaha, kid, you've got some big talk! But I like it. A little arrogance isn't a bad thing for young people, but too much arrogance is no good either, or you'll pay the price."

The assassin leader continued, "Young brother, as you've seen, I'm making an exception for you today, letting you be arrogant for once. Are you interested in joining our Crossfire Cult? If you're willing to join, I guarantee you wealth and honor, and... our Crossfire Cult will also ensure your safety."

In his view, exchanging six ordinary assassins for one cultivator was a very worthwhile deal. The Sunfire Church, the Crossfire Cult, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Catholic Church—these four major international secret assassin organizations appeared unrelated on the surface, but in reality, they were fiercely competing like fire and water. However, the strength of these four organizations was roughly equal, and none could truly defeat the others. Although they sometimes clashed over the same missions, these were only minor skirmishes, never causing any real damage. Now, having finally encountered a cultivator, and one at the peak of the Heavenly Realm, young and with a promising future, this assassin leader felt pity and a desire to recruit Chao Bufan into his organization. With Chao Bufan's addition, the Crossfire Cult's strength would increase significantly, allowing them to rise above the rest and become one of the world's leading organizations.

But how could something extraordinary possibly go as he wished?

At this moment, facing dozens of top-tier assassins, armed with both hidden weapons and submachine guns, and with three experts at the peak of the Earth Realm present, an ordinary person would surely have no chance of escape. Yet, he remained calm and showed no fear whatsoever. He smiled and said, "Weren't you going to kill me? Why do you want me to join your assassin organization?"