Chapter 202: Departure
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas
However, Xiao Yu didn’t move to receive the Spatial Ring Duan Ling Tian passed to him. He shook his head and said, "Duan Ling Tian, this is too valuable, I can’t take it. Keep it yourself, or keep it for Li Fei."
Duan Ling Tian shook his head and stretched out his hand to directly shove the Spatial Ring into Xiao Yu’s hand as he angrily said, "If I give it to you, then take it. When did you become so fussy?"
Xiao Yu’s eyes flickered and a trace of gratitude flashed within. He didn’t refuse it because if he were to refuse it now, then it would seem slightly fake.
"Thank you." Xiao Yu smiled at Duan Ling Tian, and a trace of warmth arose within his heart.
A Spatial Ring was something only a grade seven weapons craftsmen could refine.
Although it wasn’t a spirit weapon, it was an extremely rare item, and merely one Spatial Ring was worth at least a few million silver. Moreover, there was a market for it but no stock.
"The Vice Dean is here!" Suddenly, someone’s voice sounded out. The entire Martial Arts Practice Grounds instantly went silent, as the gazes of everyone present descended on the grey figure that was walking slowly over.
It was a grey-clothed old man who revealed a trace of awe from between his brows. He walked over in large strides with an imposing manner that pierced through the sky. It was precisely the Vice Dean of Paladin Academy, Zhan Xiong.
After Zhan Xiong arrived, he said, in a loud voice, "Star General Department students, stand to the right. Star Mastermind Department students, stand to the left."
As soon as Zhan Xiong finished speaking, the stream of people on the Martial Arts Practice Grounds parted into two.
There were exactly 300 people from the Star General Department, and they were gathered together into a dense crowd.
The Star Mastermind Department, on the other hand, only had a scarce 12 people.
Duan Ling Tian, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Xun’s group of 3 grade 1 students occupied a quarter of the total.
Duan Ling Tian noticed that the Prime Minister’s son, Gu Xuan, was amongst the group of Star Mastermind Department students as well, and there were two more people gathered beside him.
Duan Ling Tian vaguely remembered these 2 people, as they were beside Gu Xuan yesterday.
Meanwhile, Gu Xuan noticed Duan Ling Tian’s group of three as well, and his face sank.
"Vice Dean!" Gu Xuan abruptly spoke with a high voice and suppressed most of the scattered voices within the Martial Arts Practice Grounds.
"Hmm?" Zhan Xiong looked at Gu Xuan when he heard his voice. He naturally knew Gu Xuan, the son of the Prime Minister. "Gu Xuan, do you have something to say?"
"Vice Dean, according to my knowledge and according to the rules of our Paladin Academy, the lowest threshold for entering the battlefield for our Paladin Academy students is grade 2 for the Star General Department and grade 4 for the Star Mastermind Department…These three people are only grade 1 students of the Star Mastermind Department, and I suspect they want to take advantage of the opportunity to sneak into our midst to head to the northwest border’s battlefield." Gu Xuan pointed at Duan Ling Tian’s group of three as he spoke with a high voice, and his eyes revealed a trace of disdain.
For a moment, the gazes of all the students present descended onto Duan Ling Tian’s group of three.
"Isn’t that Duan Ling Tian?"
"And the two people beside him seem to be grade 1 Star Mastermind Department students as well."
"Could it be that they’re really planning to take advantage of the opportunity to sneak into our midst to head to the northwest border’s battlefield?"
"Humph! As long as they aren’t people on the roster, then it’s practically impossible to take advantage of the opportunity to sneak into our midst!"
...
Many students pointed at Duan Ling Tian’s group of three as they discussed amongst each other.
Gu Xuan glanced at Duan Ling Tian with a complacent expression, and the corners of his mouth curled into a cold smile. It was as if he’d already seen the scene of the Vice Dean driving Duan Ling Tian’s group of three out.
"This Gu Xuan is really disgusting like a fly." Xiao Xun’s face sank, and his eyes flashed with a trace of fierceness.
"Humph!" Duan Ling Tian’s gaze went cold. He took a step forward and looked at Gu Xuan.
Duan Ling Tian spoke out before Zhan Xiong could speak, with a high voice that shot into the sky, "Gu Xuan, you repeatedly speak of some rules, but why have I never heard of a rule that states Paladin Academy’s grade 1 Star Mastermind Department students can’t enter the battlefield?"
"Humph!" Gu Xuan met gazes with Duan Ling Tian when he heard what Duan Ling Tian said, and he had a mocking expression. "Although there aren’t any explicit rules, according to the Paladin Academy’s customary practices in the past, it’s always been like this…I’m certain that the three of you are surely trying to take advantage of the opportunity to slip by."
"Customary practices?" Traces of coldness appeared within Duan Ling Tian’s eyes as he sneered. "Even you said they are customary practices. Could it be that customary practices can’t be broken? You’ve repeatedly said that we’re trying to take advantage of the opportunity. I’m really curious, what are you basing that assumption on? Just because we’re grade 1 students and you think we’re inferior to you? And you feel we don’t have to qualifications to appear here?"
"But of course, grade 1 students, especially Star Mastermind Department students, how much could you know about the Dao of a mastermind? Even if people like you all were to enter the battlefield, you’d only be a burden." Gu Xuan sneered, and his speech was filled with disdain towards Duan Ling Tian’s group of three.
"Enough!" Right at this moment, Zhan Xiong interrupted them. "Gu Xuan, Duan Ling Tian’s group of three are indeed on the roster. You don’t have to question this…Duan Ling Tian was highly recommended by teacher Sima, and as for Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun, they were personally named and added into the roster by the Junior Marquis of the Divine Might Marquis Estate, who is also the Commander of the reinforcement army, General Nie Fen."
"Humph! So they’re just three people who pulled some strings to get in." Gu Xuan looked at Duan Ling Tian’s group of three with a face full of a mocking and disdainful expression when he heard Zhan Xiong’s explanation.
Xiao Xun’s and Xiao Yu’s faces sank as they stared angrily at Gu Xuan.
Duan Ling Tian looked at Gu Xuan with a cold smile on the corners of his mouth, and his mouth slowly spat out a word. "Idiot!"
"What did you say?!" Gu Xuan’s face went grim. This Duan Ling Tian actually called him an idiot?
As the son of the Crimson Sky Kingdom’s Prime Minister, it was still the first time he was ever humiliated by someone like this within his entire life!
Instantly, his chest was completely filled with rage!
Duan Ling Tian turned his head and paid no further attention to Gu Xian, who was fuming with rage, and left him to burn with fury by himself over there.
"Duan Ling Tian!" Gu Xuan’s face sank, and his eyes stared at Duan Ling Tian while flickering with a venomous sheen as he swore in his heart, "Just you wait, I’ll make you die sooner or later!"
Although he wished for nothing more than to attack and kill Duan Ling Tian now, he still had some worries…
Firstly, the Vice Dean was present, and if he were to attack, he’d surely end up in a passive position.
Secondly, if Duan Ling Tian were to use that strange inscription on him, he would be utterly defenseless.
After all, even Xue Lang, the son of City Guard Army Commander Xue Lu, an existence at the second level of the Origin Core Stage, had his entire cultivation destroyed by this Duan Ling Tian’s inscription.
He had fear within his heart towards Duan Ling Tian’s inscription since the beginning, so if he didn’t have complete certainty, he wouldn’t make a move lightly.
As the son of the Prime Minister, he naturally wasn’t a simple-minded and brawny idiot, so although he truly hated Duan Ling Tian in his heart, he wouldn’t rashly make a move.
"This Gu Xuan really can endure." Duan Ling Tian’s gaze focused. He was slightly surprised that Gu Xuan didn’t make a move after so long.
As far as he was concerned, this Gu Xuan was much more dangerous than Su Ton and Xue Lang…As this was a person that knew how to bear patiently.
These sort of people were extremely terrifying, as they were ordinarily skilled in concealing themselves within the shadows and waiting for the right moment to take action.
"Alright, all of you head to the gates. General Nie Fen has already ordered people to prepare good horses for you all, and they’re waiting for you all there." Before long, the vast formation of 312 Paladin Academy Students walked out of Paladin Academy under the lead of Vice Dean Zhan Xiong.
Outside the gate, 300 over soldiers in armor sat on their horses, and within each of their hands, they led on another horse….
These extra horses were obviously prepared for the group of students from the Paladin Academy.
"Vice Dean Zhan." A burly man with a curly beard who was wearing armor spurred his horse forward to arrive before Zhan Xiong, and he nodded to him.
Duan Ling Tian looked at the curly bearded man and his brows slightly jerked, as he noticed that this curly bearded man was an existence at the Nascent Soul Stage and had great strength.
"Vice General Jiao, these are the students on the roster," Zhan Xiong slowly said in reply.
"Sorry for troubling you Vice Dean Zhan." The curly bearded man nodded, then he opened his mouth and howled, "Students of Paladin Academy, get on your horses!"
Instantly, all the 312 Paladin Academy students, including Duan Ling Tian, jumped onto their horses.
Precisely 312 horses.
"Vice Dean Zhan, farewell!" The curly bearded man waved his hand at Zhan Xiong before spurring the steed under him to dash off first. "Let’s go!"
For a while, Duan Ling Tian and the others were mixed within the armored soldiers midst as they followed behind the curly bearded man to leave the Imperial City in a formidable array.
On the way, they created a great stir within the city, and the people on the streets moved aside and saluted the group of reinforcement troops with their gazes.
"These are the reinforcement troops that Paladin Academy is sending to the northwest border’s battlefield?"
"As expected of Paladin Academy students, they all are in high spirits with extraordinary bearings."
"Eh, there’s actually a youth… wearing violet clothes. Could he be the genius martial artist Duan Ling Tian whose name’s been spread and discussed animatedly lately?"
"He probably is! Besides him, the Paladin Academy probably doesn’t have such a young student."
...
Before long, many gazes descended onto Duan Ling Tian and they exclaimed in surprise.
Duan Ling Tian became the center of attention amongst their group of people.
"Humph!" Gu Xuan’s expression was extremely unsightly when he noticed that Duan Ling Tian was so well received, and his gaze went even gloomier.
Fifth Prince’s estate.
Within a pergola, a young man with extraordinary bearings was sitting face to face with a middle-aged general who wore light armor.
The young man’s gaze focused as he slowly said, "That Duan Ling Tian should have already departed at this time."
"Humph! This time I’ll make him not return!" The middle-aged general’s gaze focused and flickered with a bloody-thirsty killing intent.
"Commander Xue, don’t speak too early…Don’t forget that Duan Ling Tian might have an offensive inscription that can deal with Origin Core martial artists in his possession. According to my knowledge, even Su Tong, the son of the Su Clan’s Grand Elder, had his Dantian crippled by Duan Ling Tian’s offensive inscription." Slight fear appeared on the young man’s face.
"Don’t worry, Fifth Prince, a Nascent Soul martial artist will be making a move this time, and he’ll surely be able to succeed!" The middle-aged general was precisely City Guard Army Commander, Xue Lu.
Since he found out that Duan Ling Tian would be joining the reinforcement troops to head to the northwest border’s battlefield, a mad plan had arisen within his heart, and that was to ask someone to kill Duan Ling Tian on the way!