Xiao Xun jolted, and a bitter smile unconsciously appeared on the corners of his mouth when he reacted.
It couldnāt be, right?
The person Xiao Yuās sister had taken a fancy to was Duan Ling Tian?
If it was someone else, he might have the confidence to compete⦠but if it was Duan Ling Tian, he knew his limitations.
He was miles away from Duan Ling Tian, and to compare himself to Duan Ling Tian would be akin to bringing unhappiness onto himself.
"What are you two looking at me for?" Duan Ling Tian was still pondering about the matter with the Third Prince, and when he came back to his senses, he noticed Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun both staring at him. "Is there something on my face?"
Duan Ling Tian had obviously not heard the conversation between Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun earlier.
"No." Xiao Xun shook his head with a smile. "Letās go get some food."
Duan Ling Tianās group of three arrived at the cafeteria and waited for some time. Even after their food had arrived, Su Li and Tian Hu were still nowhere to be found.
"Eh, why are they so late today?" Xiao Xun had a bewildered expression. He thought this was strange.
"Something couldnāt have happened, right?" Duan Ling Tianās brows lightly frowned, as Su Li and Tian Hu had always been on time and had never once been so late before. He felt like something wasnāt right, and his heart rose to his throat.
"Duan Ling Tian!" Just at this moment, a slightly anxious and alarmed cry sounded from outside the cafeteria, and it slowly moved closer.
"Itās Tian Hu! Whyās it only him?" Duan Ling Tian recognized the person in the distance with just a glance, and his brows knitted before flashing out to greet him.
In next to no time, Duan Ling Tian arrived before Tian Hu and noticed that Tian Huās expression was extremely unsightly. His heart jerked, as he felt a bad premonition arise within it, and he hurriedly asked, "Tian Hu, whereās Su Li?"
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun had caught up.
"Su Liā¦." A bitter and helpless smile appeared on the corners of Tian Huās mouth when he heard Duan Ling Tianās questions. "Heās been surrounded by those Su Clan members."
Su Clan Members?
Could it be that Su Li was related to the Imperial Cityās Su Clan?
Duan Ling Tianās face sank as if he was being covered by a layer of ice. "Letās go!"
While Duan Ling Tianās group of three were led by Tian Hu through the road towards the bamboo forest behind Paladin Academyā¦.
Within the quiet forest, Su Li lied there in an extremely listless state. He had obviously been injured quite heavily.
Now it was difficult for him to even stand, but even then, Su Liās gaze still contained a trace of coldness, and he had never once loosened his grip on the three-foot-long blade in his hand. Su Liās heart was firm as a rock, and even if he were to be humiliated, he would still be firm and unyielding!
Before Su Li stood three young men. The young man in the lead was wearing embroidered clothes and was around the age of 25. His foot was currently on Su Liās sword hand, and a sneer appeared on his face. "What? Itās already come to this and youāre still unwilling to let go of your sword?"
"Su Li, youāre trash just like your father! It would be fine if you had obediently stayed in the countryside, but you had to return to the Imperial City and even appear before me. Arenāt you courting death? What? Still glaring at me? Have you not resigned to your fate?" The young man in embroidered clothes got angry when he noticed Su Liās cold gaze, and he raised his foot to kick Su Liās face!
Instantly, fresh blood burst out from Su Liās face. It looked like a brilliant rose that was dazzling to the eye.
"Su Tong, 10 yearsā¦. Iāll surely kill you within 10 years!" The corners of Su Liās mouth flashed with a trace of coldness, and his frosty voice emitted a coldness that seemed like it came from the depths of hell. But Su Liās voice was mixed with infinite confidence!
"10 years?" The young man in embroidered clothes was dazed for a moment before he started laughing and an evil smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. "Su Li, do you think you can defeat me 10 years from now? Although Iām not afraid of you⦠youāve really reminded me. Iām indeed unable to kill you inside Paladin Academy. However, Iām really curious. If I were to cripple your Dantian, then 10 years from now, how would you kill me? What would you rely on to kill me?!"
"Now Iāll destroy all of your hopes!" After he finished speaking, the young man in embroidered clothes seemed to become more amused the more he thought of it, and he was just about to raise his leg and give Su Liās Dantian that last strike.
Su Liās pupils constricted, and a strand of despair could be vaguely noticed from within his eyes. If his Dantian really were to be crippled, then it would also mean that his entire life would be ruinedā¦
No!
Su Liās heart was filled with unwillingness.
Su Liās breathing became hurried when he saw the young man in embroidered clothes raise his legs. He wanted to struggle, but he noticed that his body was powerless and he had no way of dodging.
Just at this moment.
"Clan Brother, that companion of Su Liās is back⦠And he brought three people with him. Two of them seem to be that Duan Ling Tian and the Xiao Clanās Xiao Xun." One of the young men behind Su Tong noticed the four figures flying over.
"Duan Ling Tian? Xiao Xun?" The corners of Su Tongās mouth curled into a sneer, and his gaze descended far off into the distance at the four people who approached aggressively as he muttered to himself, "He came in the endā¦."
"Su Li!" Tian Hu had only just arrived when he noticed Su Liās miserable condition, and his face went grim as he pounced over.
Whoosh!
Just at this moment, one of the young men behind Su Tong moved out. He kicked with a speed like a bolt of lightning and sent Tian Hu flying.
12 ancient mammoth silhouettes were indistinctly visible above the young man. Ninth level of the Core Formation Stage!
Bang!
Tian Hu fiercely crashed on the floor and spat out a mouthful of blood. His face was ghastly pale.
"Tian Hu!" Xiao Yuās face went grim and his eyes were filled with rage.
"Su Tong, itās you!" Xiao Xunās gaze, however, descended onto the young man wearing embroidered clothes in the lead, and his face sank.
"Xiao Xun, donāt dabble in these muddy waters. Scram!" Su Tongās cold and indifferent voice sounded, and his gaze then descended upon the violet-clothed youth beside Xiao Xun. "You can leave today⦠but this Duan Ling Tian must stay!"
When he noticed Su Liās miserable state, Duan Ling Tianās expression became extremely unsightly.
Su Li was his friend!
When he saw Tian Hu being kicked, a malicious flame burnt into being within him, and just when he felt it slightly difficult to suppress the rage within his heart, he heard the abrupt words of the young man in the leadā¦
You want me to stay?
Duan Ling Tianās eyes flickered, and he focused his gaze on the embroidered-clothed young man, Su Tongā¦. Could it be that this Su Tongās target wasnāt Su Li, but him?
Instantly, a cold feeling arose within his heart.
"Duan Ling Tian, go!" Just at this moment, Su Liās frosty voice echoed out. He had obviously guessed something and thus asked Duan Ling Tian to leave.
Duan Ling Tian took a step forward, looked at Su Tong with an icy-cold gaze, and spoke in a low voice. "You did this to Su Li just to get me over here?"
He didnāt listen to Su Li. If he were to leave now, then he wouldnāt be Duan Ling Tian!
"Duan Ling Tian, needless to say, youāre extremely intelligentā¦. However, intelligent people usually donāt live long." Su Tong glance at Duan Ling Tian with a slightly astonished expression. A smile appeared on the corners of his mouth as he spoke with a terrifyingly calm voice. "Since you can guess my purpose, then you can probably guess why Iām here, right?"
"What? The Su Clan members canāt lose a fight?" Duan Ling Tian sneered.
He did indeed guess it. If he had any involvement with the Su Clan, then it would undoubtedly be the matter that occurred during the Third Princeās banquet last nightā¦. The Su Lan that died by his hand was precisely a Su Lan member.
"Canāt lose a fight?" Su Tongās face sank. "Last night you used despicable methods to sneak attack Su Lan and killed himā¦. You think you have the qualifications to say that the Su Clan canāt lose a fight?"
Despicable methods?
Sneak attack?
Duan Ling Tianās eyes went coldā¦. Third Prince, youāre really atrocious!
Duan Ling Tian could guess that all of this was surely something the Third Prince had orchestrated.
At the side, Xiao Xunās heart jerked.
Su Lan?
Duan Ling Tian killed Su Lan?
That disciple from the Su Clanās branch clan with the highest natural talent, Su Lan?
Su Tongās cousin?
"So what do you want?" Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath as he looked at Su Tong with a burning gaze. His voice was extremely calmā¦
"Attacking so maliciously at such a young ageā¦. If it was up to me, your cultivation wouldnāt be present in this world!" Su Tongās gaze focused as he sneered.
"So in other words, you plan to cripple my cultivation?" Duan Ling Tian started laughing out of anger. He laughed with a wide grin on his face, and a shocking lustre moved about within his eyes.
Xiao Xun and Xiao Yuās face went gloomy.
"Su Tong!" Xiao Xun said coldly. "You better not forget that heās the son of Duan Ru Feng, a direct descendant of the Duan Clanā¦. If you dare cripple his cultivation, how would you give the Duan Clan an explanation?"
"The Duan Clan?" Su Tong started laughing and looked at Xiao Xun as If he were looking at an idiot. "Xiao Xun, donāt tell me you donāt know that Duan Ling Tian refused the Duan Clanā¦. Now Duan Ling Tian isnāt a Duan Clan member! So you donāt have to bring this out to scare me."
Su Tong was a distinguished direct descendant of the Su Clan who will have the opportunity to compete for the position of Patriarch in the future. His status within the Su Clan was a decisive one. Thus, as far as he was concerned, as long as Duan Ling Tian hadnāt returned to the Duan Clan, not to mention crippling Duan Ling Tianās cultivation, even if he were to kill Duan Ling Tian, it wouldnāt be a problem.
"Youā¦" Xiao Xunās face sank, as he had no means to refute.
Even though he was a direct descendant of the Xiao Clan, only ordinary people would be afraid of this identityā¦. Su Tong wasnāt afraid.
Su Tong, the grandson of the Su Clanās Grand Elder, was at the third level of the Origin Core Stage at the age of 25ā¦. He was the individual with the highest natural talent in the Su Clanās younger generation and was one of the candidates for the next Su Clan Patriarch.
It could be said that Su Tong was born with a golden spoon in his mouth and had accumulated a myriad of favor for himself.
"Xiao Xun, if youāre sensible, then hurry up and scram! If you donāt, even if youāre a direct descendant of the Xiao Clan, Iāll still make you bleed today." Su Tongās gaze went cold, and he spoke as if he feared nothing and in an extremely overbearing manner.
"Duan Ling Tian is my friend." Xiao Xunās face sank, and he looked fearlessly at Su Tong.
"Good, very goodā¦. Truly touching friendship." Su Tong started laughing, laughing without restraint, laughing arrogantly and in an unruly mannerā¦.
In the next moment.
Whoosh!
Su Tongās body moved. His speed rose to the limit as he flashed before Xiao Xun in the blink of an eye.
Bang!
Instantly, Xiao Xunās body was blasted away by Su Tong before fiercely dropping onto the ground.
Above Su Tong, 40 ancient mammoth silhouettes flashed before disappearing instantlyā¦.
"Third level of the Origin Core Stage?" Duan Ling Tian expression became even gloomier, and his frosty gaze descended upon Su Tong, seeming to be able to swallow him alive.