Cultivation Online

Chapter 2620: Growing In Reputation

Unlike Yuan’s first squad, the soldiers from his second mission made no attempt to keep quiet about his capabilities.

As soon as they saw their friends, they began spreading word of everything that had happened, revealing that Yuan had practically cleared an entire tunnel by himself—including its Void Guardian.

Of course, few people believed such an outrageous rumor. In their eyes, no matter how talented Yuan was, he had only recently joined the military and had spent most of his time completing cleanup missions. There was simply no way someone so inexperienced could already clear an entire tunnel and defeat its Void Guardian all by himself.

”Come on, man. You’d have to be insane to believe such a fairytale. Even the Ironwoman had only managed to defeat a Void Guardian by herself a year ago, and she’d been in the military for over a decade!”

”I know very well what Corporal Yuan is capable of, considering I’ve accompanied him on a cleanup mission before. As much credit as I’m willing to give him, there’s no way he has already reached a level where he can defeat a Void Guardian by himself.”

”Who the hell is spreading these rumors? If a mere Corporal can defeat a Void Guardian by himself, I can defeat the Void Hunter by myself!”

However, even though the majority of soldiers did not believe the rumors, a few did.

”Where’s Corporal Yuan?” Sergeant Bing asked Sergeant Quang.

”I haven’t heard from him since his first mission in the Red Zone.”

”Don’t tell me that he already went on another mission?”

”It’s very likely...”

A little over a week later, Yuan returned from his third mission. Once again, his squad members eagerly spread word of his achievements among their friends.

”What’s with that disappointed look?” one of the soldiers asked after noticing his friend’s reaction to the story.

”Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that rumor? It’s been spreading for over a week now! At this point, there’s probably nobody who hasn’t heard it already, so you can stop exaggerating,” the soldier’s friend said, explaining his frustration.

”What are you talking about?”

Having been away on a mission the entire time, the soldier had no idea about the rumor, nor the fact that Yuan joined their mission literally right after his last one.

”How could it have been circulating for a week when we literally just returned from the mission?”

”Huh? What do you mean?”

The soldier then explained that he had just completed a mission with Yuan and that everything he had said had happened during that very mission—not the one everyone had been talking about for the past week.

”What?! Are you serious?!”

”You don’t believe me? You can ask the others!”

Thus, the rumor began spreading once more. This time, with a second squad corroborating the story, it became far more credible.

Shortly afterward, a third squad came forward and revealed that they had actually been the first to witness Yuan defeat a Void Guardian by himself.

”G-General! Have you heard of the rumors about Corporal Yuan yet?”

An officer asked General Mei over the phone.

”You’re the sixth person to call me about this today,” Mei Feng sighed.

”Do you think it’s true?”

”Well, I’d certainly rather believe it than assume more than twenty soldiers conspired to lie and exaggerate Corporal Yuan’s achievements.”

”What if it’s one of General Gu’s schemes?” the officer asked.

”And what would he possibly gain from such a scheme? Making the other soldiers jealous of Yuan—or provoking them into targeting him? Also, half of the soldiers spreading the rumors are from my division.”

”Are you going to do something about this?” the officer suddenly asked. ”You should already be aware of how many officers are trying to recruit him into their squad. The only reason they haven’t approached him yet is because of your influence. However, if his reputation continues to grow at this rate, they may decide to disregard you and try to recruit him themselves.”

”So what?” Mei Feng replied calmly. ”It’s not like I have a squad for him to join. Whatever Corporal Yuan chooses to do as a soldier is no longer my concern—as long as he doesn’t side with General Gu, not that I can imagine him ever doing so.”

Meanwhile, several officers sat inside General Gu’s office, each wearing a solemn, contemplative expression.

”If these rumors are true—that Corporal Yuan can already defeat a Void Guardian by himself—our initial plan to lure him into the Red Zone wouldn’t work on him,” one of them eventually sighed aloud.

”Then we adjust the plan! If the Red Zone won’t do, we’ll take him out in the Purple Zone! And if that doesn’t work out, there’s still the Black Zone!” General Gu shouted as he angrily slammed his desk.

”While you’re all wasting your time here, that bastard is improving at an unfathomable pace! At this rate, he’ll become so powerful that even we cannot touch him!”

”W-We can act swiftly, but that would be extremely risky—”

”I don’t give a fuck anymore! We need to stop him from growing, or he’ll become another thorn in my path like that Ironwoman!”

After a moment of silence, one of the officers said, ”I understand. I’ll expedite the plans and get rid of him as soon as possible.”

While Yuan’s reputation within the military continued to soar, he himself had gone on another mission, starting his fourth.

”Is it true? That you can clear a tunnel and defeat the Void Guardian by yourself?”

The soldiers in his squad asked him before they departed the city.

Yuan calmly nodded.

”So you can just sit back and let me do all of the work,” he said with a smile.

”...”

The soldiers exchanged dumbfounded gazes with each other.

Suddenly, one of them asked, ”If you don’t mind me asking... why do you insist on doing all of the work by yourself? Even if you’re capable, it doesn’t make sense to push yourself this hard.”

”It’s quite simple, actually.” Yuan faced the soldiers and responded with a serious expression, ”Because it’s much safer and faster if I do it alone.”