At dawn the next day, the sky had only just brightened when Duan Ling Tian left Fresh Breeze Town with Xiong Quan. They were back in Aurora City by noon. Duan Ling Tian notified Tang Ying and sent Xiong Quan to an inn before finally returning to his home in the Li Clan.
"Tian, how did everything go?" Duan Ling Tian had only just gotten home when Li Rou asked impatiently.
She understood her son, so she wasnāt really worried, as she knew that since he was so confident yesterday, then he would surely have a way to deal with the situation. However, she still wondered how her son dealt with the Origin Core Stage martial artist of the Fang Family.
"Mom, everything has been dealt with. The Fresh Breeze Town Fang Family doesnāt exist anymore. The Grand Elder can finally rest in peace." Duan Ling Tian nodded with a smile.
Li Rou was slightly moved.
The Fang Family was annihilated?
She suddenly felt like her son had become even more mysteriousā¦.
Duan Ling Tian asked, "Mom, whereās Ke Er?"
"Probably still cultivating." Li Rou shook her head and sighed. "Ke Er, that girl has been painstakingly cultivating all the time since youāve left and has now already cultivated to the fifth level of the Core Formation Stageā¦. But she seems to be unsatisfied and still continues to cultivate painstakingly. I think she hopes that she can help you in the future."
"Ke Erā¦." Duan Ling Tianās eyes flashed with a trace of a gentle light, and his heart lightly trembled.
Truly such a silly girl.
"Mom, Iām going out to do something, so I wonāt be returning for lunch later at noon," Duan Ling Tian said to Li Rou.
Since he was leaving at dawn tomorrow, he planned to go bid his farewells to the few friends he had in Aurora City.
After leaving the Li Clan Estate, Duan Ling Tian headed to the Xiao Clan. Once he arrived, not only did he see Xiao Yu and Luo Qian, he even unexpectedly noticed that the Lin Clanās Lin Zhuo and Lin Qi were here as wellā¦
"Duan Ling Tian, you really arenāt a true friend. You didnāt even come have a drink with me after you returned." Lin Qi intentionally pulled a long face when he noticed Duan Ling Tian.
"I only just returned the day before yesterday." Duan Ling Tian shook his head and smiled. He didnāt think that he would be able to meet Lin Qi and his brother here; this saved him the trouble of heading to the Lin Clan to bid farewell.
Subsequently, Duan Ling Tian said, "I was just planning to have a meal with you two brothers and Xiao Yu, as Iām leaving tomorrow, so you can take it as me bidding my farewells."
"Leaving tomorrow?" Lin Qi and Lin Zhuo were both slightly surprised.
Xiao Yu, however, wasnāt so surprised. He knew that since Duan Ling Tian planned to take his entire family to the Imperial City with him, then he would surely need to leave six months earlier, as the speed of a wagon was far from galloping on a horse by himself.
"Little Qian can come with me as well." Duan Ling Tian looked towards Luo Qian as he spoke.
Luo Qian lightly nodded in an extremely obedient manner.
"Weāre going as well." Just at this moment, two beautiful figures walked over slowly from afar, and they were precisely Xiao Yuās little sister, Xiao Lan, and the Xiao Clan Patriarchās daughter, Xiao Yun. The one who spoke was Xiao Yun.
He had last seen her nearly two years ago. The immaturity on Xiao Lanās face had shed and seemed to be much more transcendent of the mundane, like a living celestial maiden that had fallen into the mortal worldā¦. As for Xiao Yun, although her charms were inferior to Xiao Lanās, she had become more reserved and much more mature.
"I donāt know if the silver I have is enough for so many people." Duan Ling Tian joked.
In reality, with the wealth he currently had in his Spatial Ring, he couldnāt even finish it even if he ate for more than a hundred years at the best restaurant in Aurora City.
In the past, Duan Ling Tian had already earned a few million silver when he inscribed the Blood Crescent Inscription for Tang Ying. Adding on to it the profit from the sales of the Six Treasures Body Tempering for the past one year plus that Ke Er passed to him, and furthermore there was the 2,000,000 silver that Patriarch Li Ao gave him. The wealth within Duan Ling Tianās Spatial Ring totaled to over 9,000,000 silver, and it was nearing 10,000,000 silver!
"Donāt worry, Iāll treat you for this meal." Lin Zhuo and Xiao Yu said, at almost exactly the same time.
"Iām kidding." Duan Ling Tian shook his head and laughed. "I still can afford this little bit of silver."
Duan Ling Tianās group left the Xiao Clan Estate in next to no time and entered Aurora City.
On the way, Duan Ling Tian vaguely noticed that Xiao Lanās flickering gaze descended upon him every now and then, causing him to feel stunnedā¦. "This Xiao Lan, it canāt be that she took a liking to me, right?"
"Itās probably just me overthinking things." Even Duan Ling Tian himself felt it to be impossible. He shook his head and laughed at himself.
Xiao Lan, the Xiao Clanās Supreme Elderās granddaughter who had a drop-dead gorgeous appearance like a celestial immortalā¦. In the entire Aurora City, countless men bowed beneath her skirt, but she disdained to even pay any attention to them. "How could such a woman so easily take a liking towards another?"
In the restaurant, their group sat around the table and were bustling with noise and excitement.
Lin Qi abruptly looked at Duan Ling Tian as he earnestly said, "Duan Ling Tian, you were right."
At this moment, he couldnāt help but recall the time Duan Ling Tian said those things to him in this very restaurantā¦ "My aspirations arenāt within the Crimson Sky Kingdom!"
Based on Duan Ling Tianās current accomplishments of being about to enter Paladin Academy, which had a special status in the Crimson Sky Kingdom, with Paladin Academy as his stepping stone, he was bound to go further and higher in life.
All of this was something that was impossible to obtain if he joined the Violet Tulip Trading Company.
"Good luck to you too." Duan Ling Tian nodded with a smile.
"What are the two of you talking about?" Xiao Yunās beautiful eyebrows slightly knit, as she didnāt understand the conversation between Lin Qi and Duan Ling Tian.
In fact, it wasnāt just she who didnāt understand it, Xiao Yu and the others couldnāt make any sense of it either; no one understood what the ramblings between Duan Ling Tian and Lin Qi meant.
"Nothing." Lin Qi shook his head, but his gaze flashed with a trace of resolution, seeming to have made up his mind on something.
"It doesnāt matter if you donāt want to say." Xiao Yun pursed her lips, refusing to concern herself with it any further.
The group of youths chatted happily, and unconsciously their topic of conversation moved towards the Iron Blood Armyās Genius Camp, to Meng Quan and Luo Cheng.
It was hard for Luo Qian not to feel sad when Luo Cheng was mentioned, but luckily, Xiao Lan and Xiao Yun were beside her. They treated her like their sister and were there to comfort herā¦
Seeing this scene allowed Duan Ling Tian to finally completely be at ease. It looked like Luo Qian had completely assimilated herself into the Xiao Clan, and with Xiao Lan and Xiao Yun being there to care for her, he didnāt have to worry that she would suffer any injustices in the Xiao Clan.
"Meng Quanā¦ such a pity." Lin Zhuo sighed. That time during the genius gathering, how full of spirits Meng Quan was. But now he was gone just like that.
"Yeah, who would have thought that he would meet such an end?" Xiao Yu sighed. "However, Iāve at least helped him finish his last wish, so he should finally be able to rest in peace."
Duan Ling Tianās gaze flickered with a complicated light.
"No matter what, you and Duan Ling Tian can be considered to have escaped from death, and this is worthy of celebration." Lin Qi changed the topic as he raised his cup. "Cheers!"
"Duan Ling Tian, congratulations." Xiao Lan raised her cup as well and looked at Duan Ling Tian. Her drop-dead gorgeous face, which was without a shred of makeup, had a sense of shyness appear on it.
Duan Ling Tian was startled. "This Xiao Lan couldnāt have really fallen for me, right?"
Xiao Yu noticed this as well, and as the twin brother of Xiao Lan, how could he not notice what his little sister was thinkingā¦
"Little sister, are you really willing to share this man with other women?" Xiao Yu sighed in his heart.
Based on his understanding of Duan Ling Tian, it was impossible for Duan Ling Tian to abandon those other two women of his, who had appearances not one bit inferior to his little sisterās.
"Come, drink!" Duan Ling Tian raised his cup and stopped his wild thoughts. "Let fate run its courseā¦"
Their group continued to eat and drink, chatting the entire afternoon before finally leaving the restaurant.
Before going their separate ways, Duan Ling Tian said to Xiao Yu, "Xiao Yu, Iāll wait for you at the Imperial City."
"Donāt speak too early. Thereās only one road towards the Imperial City from our Aurora City; who knows, I might catch up to you," Xiao Yu said with a smile.
Duan Ling Tian felt the same way after giving it a brief thought. He was traveling by wagon, whereas Xiao Yu would gallop on a horse swiftly, and thus the speed between the two were utterly incomparable.
"Then Iāll be waiting for you to catch up." Duan Ling Tian laughed before seeing everyone off. He then once again went to the trade market to buy a pile of medicinal materials to refine Origin Increasing Pills before returning to the Li Clan Estate.
On the way home, Duan Ling Tian bumped into a familiar face, a face that was completely out of his expectations.
"Duanā¦ Duan Ling Tian." Li Shi Shi looked at Duan Ling Tian with a slightly evasive and panicked gaze.
"Long time no see." Duan Ling Tian smiled to Li Shi Shi. Although he didnāt approve of Li Shi Shiās previous actions, there originally wasnāt anything much between him and Li Shi Shi, so he was indifferent to the matter.
Without love, how could there be hate?
Li Shi Shi was bound to be someone that just passed by in his life.
"I heard that youāre leaving tomorrow, is that true?" Li Shi Shi asked in a quiet voice. Her gaze was extremely complicated, because the youth that formerly had only just entered the Li Clan Estate had now grown to a degree that was difficult for her to ever reach. In her heart, besides regret, there was only even more regret.
However, she understood that she couldnāt become as close to Duan Ling Tian as before, and their relationship was something she shattered with her own two hands.
"Yes, Iāll be leaving at dawn tomorrow. See you again." Duan Ling Tian nodded and left after bidding his farewells to Li Shi Shi.
Li Shi Shi sighed faintly as she watched Duan Ling Tianās figure disappear in the distance. She gritted her teeth and her delicate figure lightly trembled like a wild flower being blown by the wind, standing there alone without anyone to rely onā¦
That night, Duan Ling Tianās family and Li Feiās family gathered together for dinner. This could also be considered a farewell dinner with Li Feiās grandfather.
"Grandfather, why donāt you come with us?" Li Fei still tried to persuade him.
"Fei, donāt force grandfather. Grandfather has already spent more than half of his life in the Li Clan and has long since rooted himself here. If you miss grandfather in the future, you can return at any time. Donāt worry, grandfatherās body and bones are still fine, and I will certainly be able to hold the child of you and Ling Tian." As the old man finished speaking, he had a face full of smiles; it was as if he could already see the scene of Duan Ling Tian and Li Fei having a house full of children and grandchildren.
"Grandfather, what are you talking about? Whoās going to have children with him?" Li Fei was embarrassed to the point that she lowered her head. However, she looked extremely beautiful at this moment.
Swallow Mountain County, County City.
The Yu Clan was a renowned and large clan even in the County City.
Outside the Yu Clan Estate, a figure galloped his horse over before jumping off and dashing inside.
"Father, big brother is dead!" The figure who had returned was precisely Yu Xiang.
After Duan Ling Tian left the Iron Blood City, Yu Xiang finally mustered up the courage to leave, and by spurring his horse onwards throughout his journey, he finally rushed back to the Yu Clan.
"What?!" Yu Xiangās father was the Yu Clanās Second Elder and also the little brother of the Yu Clanās Patriarch.
After he finished hearing Yu Xiang recount the events, his face went ghastly pale. He was angry to the point that he spat out a mouthful of blood. "Xiang, come with me to see your uncle. I want that Duan Ling Tian to suffer a fate worse than death!"