The bandits' advantage lies in the fact that their goal is clear: to capture Sheldon. They can abandon some of their teammates without any pressure, and even have fewer people to share the loot.
The Fiend are, after all, an organization, though loosely structured, they still need to consider their teammates; and as the defenders, they need to work together to protect the entire front line, they cannot fight alone.
This put the already outnumbered Fiend at a significant disadvantage.
The small group of bandits charging towards Jason and his men was not an isolated case; two other groups of bandits broke through the defenses from other directions.
Jason was prepared. If the front line held, their position would be safe; if the front line couldn't be held, then this area would be the focus of fire and the most pressure.
"Get ready to defend! Hold on, everyone!" Sheldon encouraged the Fiend around him, then said to Jason, "I'd appreciate your help, Lord Jason. I'll reward you accordingly later."
He also realized that he had underestimated Jason.
"I'll do my best." Jason certainly wouldn't risk his life for a mission, especially since he wasn't in good shape right now.
The three groups of bandits that rushed over were not many in number. Each of the three Highgod led seven or eight Midgod, who were clearly elites who had long been hidden among the ordinary bandits.
Jason observed for a moment, then chose the weakest team. "I'll take on that team alone; you guys be careful on defense."
After saying that, Jason rushed over.
It wasn't that he was overconfident, but rather that none of his three clones were suited for team battles; they were better suited for one-on-one combat. The bandit leader he had chosen was likely one of the weaker Five-Star Fiend, and with seven Midgod accompanying him, Jason could easily suppress him.
As for Sheldon and his group, with two Highgod and more than twenty Fiend, even if Sheldon and Bessalie were a little weaker, they should be able to defend against a surprise attack without any problems.
Jason intercepted the eight robbers midway.
"Get out of my way!" the bandit leader shouted, swinging his two battle axes at Jason.
"Fire attribute, Fire Element and the Profound Mystery of Explosion, Five-Star Fiend," Jason judged in his mind.
The golden light of destiny flashed, and the giant axe shifted only slightly. Jason frowned and had no choice but to use his left hand, gloved with gold, to meet the giant axe.
Amidst the deafening explosion, the giant axe was slammed to the side, and Jason was also thrown back by the explosive Fire Element force.
"This is really not something I'm used to," Jason complained inwardly. If his Water Clone were here, this kind of attack wouldn't even get close.
The enemy leader, engulfed in flames, glanced at Sheldon's location and said, "Let's take care of this guy first; we can get there in time later."
Clearly, this person saw that the other two groups of bandits couldn't take down Sheldon and Bessalie's group in a short time, and wanted to take the opportunity to weaken the other bandits.
"You underestimate me!" Jason said, dissatisfied.
Although Jason's three clones—Fate, Destruction, and Life—are not very strong, they are still quite confident that they can defeat a Five-Star Fiend and seven ordinary Midgod.
With a blood-red longsword swung out in his right hand, Jason's left hand, wielding a golden glove, constantly twisted and distorted the Jason's moves, completely suppressing this small group of bandits for a time.
Jason's Fate Divine Power was insufficient, and the Edicts of Destruction was still driven by the Lowgod of the Destruction Clone. In terms of power, it could barely threaten the Highgod. Fortunately, this Fire Element Highgod's defense was not strong.
The Sovereign Artifact "Frost Chill" was always on the Life Clone inside Jason's sea of consciousness. Firstly, Jason wasn't the kind of person who would flaunt and humiliate others just because he had Sovereign Artifact Sovereign Artifact to deal with a few bandits.
The bandit leader, who had initially taken Jason lightly, grew increasingly alarmed as the battle dragged on. He realized that the Fiend before him possessed the strength of a peak Five-Star Fiend.
The two-handed giant axe, wreathed in flames and accompanied by violent explosions, gradually became more conservative in its relentless attacks. The seven Midgod beside him also found that their attacks were even struggling to restrain Jason.
Jason took the opportunity to observe the surrounding situation. Sheldon and Bessalie were being attacked from both sides by bandits, and some Midgod Fiend had been injured. Fortunately, the bandits were not faring well either. The Fiend on the outer edge of the defensive line had an absolute advantage, after all, those bandits were cannon fodder forcibly sent up by their bandit leader, and they couldn't even organize their formation properly. The two leaders were fighting at a relatively far distance. It seemed that some Highgod were lying in ambush on the Fiend side, giving them a partial advantage, but it would take some time for the battle to stalemate.
"These Fiend are also fighting individually, only slightly better than those bandits who forcibly unite," Jason thought to himself.
The Fiend were divided into eight groups. The leader's group was truly too busy to help, while the other six groups were facing a rabble. They could easily spare one group to help Sheldon and Bessalie.
But they all chose to face the enemy before them. After all, no one wanted to risk their life to save their employer in a position that was both safe and somewhat challenging. Besides, Sheldon's side wasn't in too much danger.
Jason's mind was filled with various voices: Sheldon and the Fiend around him calling for help, and other Fiend making excuses and shirking responsibility. Jason also had reason to believe that the eight robbers in front of him and their accomplices were also blaming each other.
Jason sighed inwardly, glanced at the bandit in front of him, and thought, "There's no way I can break through in a battle of this level. It's better to end it as soon as possible."
"Hey, you've missed your chance, run!"
As Jason spoke, he intensified his attack. His golden glove slammed down, repeatedly deflecting the giant flaming axe that had been defending.
The bandit leader on the other side glanced around, gave Jason a hateful look, and then the eight of them retreated in unison, escaping through a gap in the defensive perimeter.
Seeing no opportunity to launch a sneak attack, Jason decisively turned and rushed towards Sheldon's location.
Seeing this, one of the Highgod bandits immediately ordered his men to retreat, while the other, who was slower, was intercepted by Jason.
The Darkness Element- Highgod bandit, wielding a long spear, used the Shadow Clone Technique to create more than three hundred clones, covering his subordinates' retreat while engaging Jason in combat.
Unfortunately, Jason wasn't fighting alone; the Fiend behind him certainly wouldn't let them leave easily.
The continuous attacks quickly shattered the illusion, revealing the true form of the opponent and the Midgod bandits he had been protecting.
Seeing this, the Highgod bandit knew he was doomed if he didn't leave, so he disregarded the lives of his men and transformed into a black shadow, fleeing downwards.
Jason hurled a "Godslaying Arrow" at the opponent's back. With a scream of "Ah!", Jason then used his Divine Power to pull the corpse of the Highgod bandit into his possession.
Seeing that he couldn't catch up with the other group, Jason thought to himself, "I'll wait until I rejoin my two clones!"
Jason didn't kill the Midgod -like bandits; instead, he flew towards Sheldon.
"The bandits have retreated." Sheldon pointed into the distance, then looked at Jason: "Thank you for your help this time, sir."
Jason shook his head. "You can hold out even without me."
He added in his mind, "It just means more people will die."
The bandits eventually retreated as their leaders withdrew from the battle. A large number of Midgod bandits were killed, but they were just cannon fodder pushed up by the Highgod bandits.
The Midgod Fiend were cleaning up the battlefield, while the Highgod Fiend and Sheldon were gathered together.
The two Six-Star Fiend recounted the previous battle. "The enemy came prepared, and their strongest leader was incredibly powerful. Even the two of us combined couldn't defeat him. He's definitely not an ordinary bandit, or perhaps he's not a bandit at all."
After such a long battle, the two leaders had only managed to kill three Highgod bandits, while their own side had also lost a Five-Star Fiend. The two Six-Star Fiend were feeling rather embarrassed after this battle.
"Why didn't you reveal your strength sooner, Lord Jason? If you had joined the battle, we might have won," a Five-Star Fiend accused.
"I'm sorry, I just broke through, and my cultivation level is unstable." Jason didn't say anything too extreme, just gave a perfunctory reply.
Sheldon tried to smooth things over, saying, "Well, Jason did his best. If he hadn't single-handedly held off a group of bandits, I would have been in danger."
The two Six-Star Fiend didn't dwell on the matter, but instead suggested, "Lord Sheldon, when you arrive in the next city, you'd better recruit a few more powerful Fiend."
Sheldon looked hesitant. "Well, I'll try my best."