At dawn the next day, Duan Lingtian went to Paladin Academy as usual.
Everything seemed to be very calm.
But Duan Lingtian knew that all of this was only the calm before the storm …
Right now, who knew how many undercurrents were surging in the dark against him.
At noon, Duan Lingtian ate with Xiao Yu and the others in the cafeteria as usual.
Suddenly.
In the distance, a senior student walked over in large strides and passed an invitation to Duan Lingtian. "Duan Lingtian, the Third Prince will hold a banquet in the estate in ten days, inviting the young talents of the Imperial City. This is the invitation he asked me to pass to you."
After he finished speaking, he didn't wait for Duan Lingtian's reply before putting down the invitation and turning around to leave.
Third Prince?
Duan Lingtian opened the invitation, and on it were some polite words.
The signature was Chu Yang.
Duan Lingtian had heard that the Crimson Sky Kingdom's Imperial Family had the surname Chu.
"Haha … Duan Lingtian, the Third Prince is famous for his thirst for talent. The young talents that are invited by him are all dragons amongst men. I'm afraid he's taken a fancy to you this time."
Xiao Xun laughed heartily.
"What kind of person is this Third Prince?"
Duan Lingtian put away the invitation and was slightly curious.
The invitation was personally written by the Third Prince, Chu Yang, and his words were extremely casual. There wasn't the slightest trace of a condescending tone, and it was more like he was treating Duan Lingtian with an equal attitude …
This was extremely rare in Duan Lingtian's opinion.
"The Third Prince is famous in the Imperial City for being easy to talk to, and he's also one of the few Crown Princes with the most support …"
Xiao Xun slowly said, "In recent years, the Emperor has aged and is bedridden all year round. It's the time for the throne to change … Including the Third Prince, the few Crown Princes are even secretly competing against each other! Duan Lingtian, you have to carefully consider the banquet set up by the Third Prince in ten days. Once you go, it means you'll become a thorn in the side of the other princes … "
"Among them is the Fifth Prince! The Fifth Prince is also a popular candidate for the next successor to the throne. If you lean towards the Third Prince's side, even if he knows that you're a direct descendant of the Duan Clan, I'm afraid he'll shed all pretense of cordiality with you … After all, your natural talent is too shocking. It's very likely that he'll take you as a potential threat and strangle you in the cradle. "
Xiao Xun finished speaking in one breath.
According to him, he hoped that Duan Lingtian would find an excuse to not attend the banquet.
Sometimes, there were some things that could not be touched.
Once touched, it would lead to disaster.
Even the Three Great Clans of the Imperial City would generally not allow their direct descendants to be involved in the dispute for the throne.
"Fifth Prince?"
The corners of Duan Lingtian's mouth curled up into a smile, and a fierce light flashed in his eyes. "I'm just going to attend a banquet, and he wants to strangle me in the cradle?"
"Duan Lingtian, are you really going to attend the banquet? You have to think carefully. "
Xiao Xun originally thought that Duan Lingtian would accept his suggestion and not attend the banquet, but now it seemed that Duan Lingtian really intended to attend the banquet.
"Why wouldn't I go? It's only a meal. "
Duan Lingtian said indifferently.
A meal?
The corners of Xiao Xun's mouth twitched, and he gave Xiao Yu a signal with his eyes.
But unfortunately, even if Xiao Yu spoke out to persuade him, Duan Lingtian only laughed it off and didn't take this matter seriously.
In the afternoon, Duan Lingtian sat cross-legged on a large tree at the side of the Martial Arts Practice Grounds, consumed an Origin Increasing Pill, and silently cultivated …
Now, as long as he had free time, he practically used it all on cultivating. What he wanted to do now was to allow his cultivation to break through to the Origin Core Stage as soon as possible!
Once he broke through to the Origin Core Stage, he would be able to become a Grade Eight Alchemist and refine a Grade Eight Spirit Cleansing Pill, which would allow Xiong Quan's cultivation to recover to the Void Prying Stage.
At that time, many of the problems he faced would be easily solved.
Unknowingly, dusk arrived.
Duan Lingtian returned to his senses and leaped down from the large tree, then walked out of Paladin Academy with Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun.
"It's the Divine Might Marquis Estate's carriage."
Xiao Xun's eyes were sharp as he recognized the carriage that was parked outside Paladin Academy's entrance. Now, besides the carriage driver, there were two other people that each rode a Ferghana Horse and stood there.
A middle-aged soldier that wore light armor, and beside him was a young man that wore casual clothes.
The young man was around 20 years old and had the Paladin Academy's student token on his waist. Now that he saw Duan Lingtian walk out of Paladin Academy, he said to the middle-aged soldier, "Father, that violet-clothed youth is Duan Lingtian."
Duan Lingtian had just walked out when he noticed the two people beside the Divine Might Marquis Estate's carriage galloping forward on their horses and walking towards him.
After a short moment, the two people dismounted their horses.
The middle-aged soldier nodded to Duan Lingtian and asked politely, "May I ask if you're Young Master Ling Tian?"
"You are?"
Duan Lingtian had a bewildered expression, as he didn't know this person.
"I'm Pang Wu, the Deputy General under Grand General Nie, and this is my son, Pang Rui. I came here today on the orders of the Grand General to invite Young Master Ling Tian to the Divine Might Marquis Estate for a gathering."
Pang Wu spoke respectfully, and he didn't look down on Duan Lingtian in the slightest because Duan Lingtian was only a youth.
"The Grand General you speak of is the current Divine Might Marquis, Nie Yuan?"
Duan Lingtian's eyebrows raised as he asked curiously.
"Exactly."
Pang Wu hurriedly nodded.
Duan Lingtian's heart jerked.
Could it be that the Divine Might Marquis, Nie Yuan, knows of my true identity?
That's not right. Logically speaking, his disguise technique should be flawless.
Then why is it here?
Duan Lingtian carried a trace of bewilderment as he bid farewell to Xiao Xun and Xiao Yu, then boarded the Divine Might Marquis Estate's carriage.
"Deputy General Pang, do you know why the Divine Might Marquis is looking for me?"
Duan Lingtian pulled open the carriage's curtains and asked Pang Wu who was outside.
But unfortunately, Pang Wu didn't know either, as he was only under orders to receive Duan Lingtian.
Once again arriving at the Divine Might Marquis Estate, Duan Lingtian had a different feeling.
This time, he came to the Divine Might Marquis Estate with his true appearance.
Within the Divine Might Marquis Estate's audience hall, Duan Lingtian once again saw the Divine Might Marquis, Nie Yuan ….
"You … You're the son of my Brother Ru Feng, Duan Lingtian?"
Duan Lingtian noticed that when Nie Yuan saw him, he was extremely excited.
As he thought of what Nie Yuan said, his heart shook. Could it be that the relationship between this Divine Might Marquis, Nie Yuan, and his deadbeat father wasn't ordinary?
"Greetings, Marquis."
Duan Lingtian lightly nodded to Nie Yuan, which could be considered as a greeting.
Nie Yuan didn't mind Duan Lingtian's lack of manners in the slightest. He arrived before Duan Lingtian in a few steps, then extended his hand to grab onto Duan Lingtian's shoulders and patted him, then laughed heartily. "Ru Feng has a good son, Ru Feng has a good son …."
Nie Yuan's laughter was filled with gratification and wasn't fake in the slightest.
Duan Lingtian's heart felt warm. Looks like the relationship between his deadbeat father and this Divine Might Marquis isn't shallow.
"Marquis, you're friends with my father?"
Duan Lingtian had a bewildered expression as he asked.
"Come, sit down first. I'll tell you slowly."
After Nie Yuan invited Duan Lingtian to sit down at the side, he had a face full of smiles as he told Duan Lingtian about the past between him and Duan Rufeng ….
As he spoke, Nie Yuan's eyebrows fluttered, and he seemed to have become younger by a few years.
Gradually, Duan Lingtian came to a sudden understanding.
It turned out that his deadbeat father was good friends with Nie Yuan.
That year, the two of them were 'students' that entered Paladin Academy in the same batch. From the beginning, they got to know each other through a fight, but in the end, they became good friends and good brothers.
"That year, if it wasn't for me going on an expedition, I wouldn't have let you and your mother go far away …. Speaking of this matter, it's all my fault. I've let Brother Ru Feng down."
Nie Yuan said guiltily.
"Marquis, all of this has nothing to do with you. You don't have to blame yourself."
Duan Lingtian lightly smiled as he shook his head. He was able to sense that Nie Yuan was really concerned about him.
"Little Tian, you don't have to be courteous before me … That year, when your father was still here, I addressed him as my brother. In the future, you can call me Uncle Nie."
Nie Yuan said. In his eyes, there was a doting expression.
"Uncle Nie."
Duan Lingtian nodded with a smile, and he admired Nie Yuan from the bottom of his heart.
His deadbeat father had been missing for so many years, yet Nie Yuan was still able to love him to this extent. It was truly rare.
"Father, I heard Ling Tian has come?"
Right at this moment, a young man slowly walked in from outside the Audience Hall, and his voice contained slight pleasant surprise mixed within.
It was precisely Nie Yuan's son, Nie Fen!
"Little Tian, this is my son, Nie Fen. Now that I speak of it, he even carried you when you were still in swaddling clothes all those years ago."
Nie Yuan introduced.
"As expected of the child of Uncle Ru Feng and Aunt Rou. His appearance is handsome and extraordinary, and he's even slightly similar to Uncle Ru Feng all those years ago."
Nie Fen couldn't help but praise as he looked at Duan Lingtian.
"Big Brother Nie, you're too kind."
Even if Duan Lingtian's skin was thick, he still couldn't help but feel slightly hot.
Nie Fen smiled. "Little Tian, you don't know, but when he heard the news about you yesterday, my father still didn't dare believe it … Until it was confirmed, then he immediately asked Uncle Pang to go get you."
He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration towards Duan Lingtian's actions at Paladin Academy yesterday.
A youth that was only 18 years old actually had a cultivation that had stepped into the ninth level of the Core Formation Stage!
As for the matter of Duan Lingtian killing Duan Lingxing, he didn't think much of it.
In his eyes, Duan Lingxing was nothing.
"If Ru Feng knew that he had a son like you, he would surely be gratified."
Nie Yuan, this dignified Grand General, vividly displayed the amiability of a senior before Duan Lingtian.
"I heard the voices of you father and son from far away … This is Ru Feng's son?"
Suddenly, an aged figure walked in from outside the Audience Hall.
Duan Lingtian glanced over, and the person that entered was precisely the Senior Marquis.
When the Senior Marquis saw Duan Lingtian for the first time, he was stunned. "You …"
A bitter smile appeared on the corners of Duan Lingtian's mouth. He knew that the old man had already recognized him …
Accurately speaking, the old man had recognized him as the Ling Tian that refined the antidote that day!
Although the Origin Energy in the old man's body was suppressed by the Dark Nether Mink's poison, the Spiritual Force of a Void Prying Stage expert still remained. Relying on his acute perception, he was naturally able to detect that Duan Lingtian's aura was similar to Ling Tian's from that day.
"Father, what's this?"
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