Chapter 206: Let’s Go!
Translator: KurazyTolanzuraytor Editor: Lucas
"Could it really not be him?" Xiao Yu was hesitant in his heart when he heard what Xiao Xun said, as he was still quite confident of his own intuition.
However, he couldn’t wrap his head around why the genius alchemist Xiao Xun’s brother spoke of would be a youth with an ordinary appearance.
How could he know that Duan Ling Tian’s methods of disguising may be said to have attained the acme of perfection!
In the following days, Duan Ling Tian’s group of three cultivated within the tent.
Five days later, all the Star Mastermind Department students, including Duan Ling Tian’s group of three, were gathered in a s.p.a.cious tent.
Things similar to architectural models were placed within the tent, and Duan Ling Tian noticed with a glance that it was a model of a city’s outer area.
Presently, Nie Fen stood with a middle-aged general beside the model, and that old man that followed behind Nie Fen earlier still followed behind him like a shadow.
Duan Ling Tian hadn’t seen this old man within the Divine Might Marquis Estate prior to this; however, thanks to the perception of his Spiritual Force and the experiences of Rebirth Martial Emperor, he could almost be sure that this old man was a Half-step Void Stage powerhouse!
"Looks like the Divine Might Marquis Estate doesn’t only have a single Half-step Void Stage powerhouse." Duan Ling Tian secretly thought in his heart.
With a quick thought, Duan Ling Tian came to an understanding. The Divine Might Marquis Estate’s status within the Crimson Sky Kingdom was only second to the Imperial Family after all. Adding on to that was the fact that there was a Void Stage powerhouse garrisoned within. Thus, the Half-Step Void Stage powerhouses within ought to not be in small number.
Even though that Void Stage powerhouse wasn’t at his former glory presently, a powerful person on hard times was still better off than an ordinary person. Thus, no one dared look down upon the Divine Might Marquis Estate’s concealed might.
The old man seemed to have noticed Duan Ling Tian’s gaze on him, and his murky eyes focused as he nodded to Duan Ling Tian.
Duan Ling Tian replied with a smile, as he held great respect towards members of the Divine Might Marquis Estate.
Before long, the 12 students of Paladin Academy’s Star Mastermind Department arrived in succession before two other middle-aged men that were dressed as scholars slowly walked in.
They ought to be existences at the same rank as a strategist. Duan Ling Tian guessed to himself.
"Humph!" Suddenly, Duan Ling Tian heard a cold grunt, and at the same time he noticed a cold and indifferent gaze staring at him. Duan Ling Tian didn’t have to turn around to guess whose gaze this was.
"Commander Nie, these two people are my army’s strategists." The middle-aged general that stood with Nie Fen introduced the two middle-aged scholars that had just entered.
Nie Fen lightly nodded to the two middle-aged scholars. "Greetings, strategists."
The two middle-aged scholars were instantly overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. "Greetings Commander Nie!"
Although Nie Fen was young, they didn’t dare look down upon him. This was Nie Fen, the only son of the Divine Might Marquis, Cavalry Grand General Nie Yuan, whose might shook the entire Crimson Sky Kingdom and had an extraordinary status that was far from what they could compare to.
"General He, these 12 are the elite students from the Star Mastermind Department that Paladin Academy sent." Nie Fen looked at Duan Ling Tian, Gu Xuan, and the others as he introduced them with a light smile.
"Oh?" The middle-aged general that was called General He, or in other words, the general that commanded that entire border army of Relentless Thriving City, directed his gaze to flash past Duan Ling Tian and other 11 people one by one.
When his gaze descended onto Xiao Xun and Xiao Yu, it slightly focused.
In his impression, a Paladin Academy Star Mastermind Department student at this age would seem to be only grade 1 or grade 2 students, right?
Even if students at such a young age were to come to the battlefield, it would seem that they wouldn’t be able to provide any help.
After all, according to the past convention, only grade 4 or above students of Paladin Academy’s Star Mastermind Department would start to deeply study and comprehend the stratagem of land warfare.
In next to no time, his appearance froze…because he noticed Duan Ling Tian!
General He frowned as he looked at the youth before him and asked, "This student ought to be 18 years old at most, right?"
Is the Paladin Academy taking the matter this time too lightly?
"Yes." Duan Ling Tian noticed General He’s expression and naturally knew that he was looking down on him due to his young age.
But Duan Ling Tian didn’t mind, as time would prove everything.
Nie Fen looked at Duan Ling Tian and signaled with his brows before saying, "General He, you better not look down on him…He’s the peerless genius who has the greatest reputation within our Crimson Sky Kingdom as of late!"
"Oh?" General He pondered for a moment after hearing what Nie Fen said, then his gaze abruptly shone. "Could he be the Duan Clan’s Duan Ling Tian? The 18-year-old Origin Core martial artist?"
"Exactly." Nie Fen nodded.
"My apologies." After finding out about Duan Ling Tian’s background, the gaze with which General He looked upon Duan Ling Tian was completely different.
Even if Duan Ling Tian didn’t study much in the Dao of the Mastermind, his natural talent in the Martial Dao was something he thought highly of.
The Cloud Continent was originally a world where the strong were respected!
As far as he was concerned, an 18-year-old Origin Core martial artist would surely be a great figure in the lands in the future!
"Greetings, General He." Duan Ling Tian nodded with a smile to the middle-aged general before him. Since the middle-aged general was polite, he naturally wouldn’t be impolite.
"You’re General He? General He Wei An?" Right at this moment, a voice suddenly sounded, and it was Gu Xuan who stood at the side that spoke.
"This student is?" He Wei An was slightly surprised that the young man with extraordinary bearing before him was able to call his name.
Gu Xuan lightly smiled as he slowly said, "General He, I’ve long since heard my father say that you’re a pillar of our Crimson Sky Kingdom…These past few years, it’s all because of the meritorious service of General He that the northwest border was able to defend against the multiple raids of the Southern Champion Kingdom."
"He really knows how to kiss a.s.s," Xiao Xun grunted in a low voice. He said it with a voice that was comparable to a mosquito in loudness.
"This little brother is too kind, but I really don’t deserve this. The northwest border being able to be defended all these years is mostly because of the meritorious service of the Divine Might Marquis, Cavalry Grand General Nie Yuan. Yet I still don’t know who your father is." Although He Wei An was being modest, he was praised to the point that his face was full of smiles.
"Gu You Ting is my father." Gu Xuan had a refined and courteous appearance as he spoke.
The corners of Duan Ling Tian’s mouth held a smile, as he’d been able to discern that this Gu Xuan was intentionally flattering this General He, and it was all undoubtedly for the sake of this moment.
"Prime Minister Gu?" He Wei An was instantly struck with a great fright when he heard what Gu Xuan said. "So it’s the Young Master of the Prime Minister’s Estate, I apologize for the disrespect."
"Greetings, Young Master Gu." The two middle-aged scholars that stood at the side couldn’t help but be moved as they saluted Gu Xuan together.
For a moment, Gu Xuan became the center of attention within the tent.
Although Gu Xuan spoke humbly, the arrogance and complacence on his face was something that anyone was able to notice.
"I’ve long since heard that Young Master Gu’s inherited the Lord Prime Minister’s wisdom. This time, with Young Master Gu coming to a.s.sist my army, it would look like my army breaching that Southern Barbaric City is just around the corner!" He Wei An laughed heartily.
As for the two middle-aged scholars, they flattered Gu Xuan as well.
"General He and the two strategists are too kind, but how could I compare to my Father?" Gu Xuan laughed modestly with a pair of eyes that were filled with complacency, and he would occasionally sweep Duan Ling Tian with his gaze, as he wanted to flaunt his prowess before Duan Ling Tian.
But he noticed in shame and annoyance that Duan Ling Tian hadn’t looked at him once since beginning till the end…As if all this was not worthy of his consideration!
"Duan Ling Tian!" Gu Xuan secretly gnashed his teeth from hatred, as his eyes flashed with a cold light.
Duan Ling Tian’s brows rose when he heard what He Wei An said.
Breach the Southern Barbaric City?
It looked like the arrival of the reinforcement troops this time greatly boosted the morale of the Crimson Sky Kingdom’s army, and they were prepared to turn the tables on the enemy.
"Young Master Gu, everyone, please come forward to view the layout of the Southern Barbaric City. See if there’s a method to smoothly breach the city and spread the might of the Crimson Sky Kingdom!" Meanwhile, He Wei An returned to the side of the Southern Barbaric City’s layout, and at the same time invited all the Star Mastermind Department students to come forward.
Instantly, all the Star Mastermind Department students, including Duan Ling Tian, stood up and moved forward.
"Humph!" Gu Xuan snorted coldly when he saw Duan Ling Tian’s group of three coming to the model, and said, in disdain, "Grade 1 students, don’t come over here and grab place. You’re only pretending to know what you don’t know, right? Don’t you see that there are still three grade 5 students that have been squeezed to the back?"
"You!" Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun’s face went grim when they heard Gu Xuan’s mocking, and they both stared furiously at Gu Xuan.
Duan Ling Tian had only just glanced at the layout of the Southern Barbaric City when he heard what Gu Xuan said. He slowly raised his head to look at Gu Xuan with a cold and indifferent gaze. "So to speak, Young Master Gu thinks that we can’t help in any way. Whereas you all instead are able to mastermind a scheme that is able to a.s.sist the army to breach the Southern Barbaric City in one go?"
"Of course! There’s no difference whether you three are here or not." Gu Xuan had a face full of arrogance as he said this.
"Young Master Gu, this isn’t the Prime Minister’s Estate, right? Aren’t your actions slightly usurping the host’s role for yourself?" Duan Ling Tian asked indifferently.
"Humph! I’m thinking about the overall situation…General He, what do you think? Should the three of them give away their places to the other three grade 5 students of our Paladin Academy’s Star Mastermind Department?" Gu Xuan glanced at Duan Ling Tian with disdain before looking at He Wei An.
"This…." He Wei An looked at Duan Ling Tian and hesitated for a moment before an apologetic expression appeared on his face. "Little brother Ling Tian, why don’t you all…."
Duan Ling Tian’s natural talent in the Martial Dao was indeed something he thought extremely highly of, but masterminding a scheme for an army to fight a battle was something that had not a sliver of relevance to one’s natural talent in the Martial Dao.
At the same time, he also didn’t think that these three Star Mastermind Department grade 1 students would have any good schemes.
"I understand." Duan Ling Tian spoke to interrupt He Wei An, they he used his gaze to stop Nie Fen, who desired to speak, before saying to Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun. "Xiao Yu, Xiao Xun, since we aren’t needed here, there’s no reason for us to stay…What do you two think?"
"Let’s go!" Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun snorted coldly before leaving the tent with Duan Ling Tian.
Nie Fen swept Gu Xuan with his gaze, and a trace of coldness appeared on the corners of his mouth.
This Gu Xuan said Duan Ling Tian was useless?
Could it be that he was capable contemplating such a brilliant scheme like the strategy of crossing the river while deceiving the heavens?
Even Nie Fen admired Duan Ling Tian for being able to come up with such a brilliant scheme like the strategy of crossing the river while deceiving the heavens.