Chapter 153: Bone Corrosion Inscription
After sleeping for another afternoon, Duan Ling Tian yawned as he walked out of Paladin Academy with Xiao Yu and Xiao Xun.
After parting ways with the two, Duan Ling Tian seemed to have noticed something. His cloudy eyes flashed with a trace of a bright light, and a sneer appeared on the corners of his mouth. Duan Ling Tian shrugged his shoulders and didn't directly return home but instead walked towards a secluded street before entering a small alley.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At almost the exact instant that Duan Ling Tian walked into the small alley, two extremely swift figures flashed towards him from behind before stopping him from both the front and back.
"Since when did Duan Clan members become the dogs of Branch Clan disciples?" Duan Ling Tian's eyes narrowed, seeming to not be taken by surprise by the two figures' appearance.
He noticed at the moment he left Paladin Academy, there was a gloomy gaze staring at him from afar, and he only slightly shot a glance before noticing Duan Rong, who was concealed at the side.
There were two more people beside Duan Rong, and relying upon the memories of Rebirth Martial Emperor and the counter-tracking experience he gained during his time as a weapon specialist in his previous life, as well as his Spiritual Force, which was currently comparable to a Nascent Soul martial artist's, it only took a short moment for Duan Ling Tian to roughly discern that the cultivation levels of the two people beside Duan Rong were at least at the seventh level of the Origin Core Stage.
At present, the two middle-aged men's faces sank as they heard what Duan Ling Tian said. They didn't think that this youth would actually be able to guess their identity.
An ill omen suddenly surfaced within their hearts, as this youth was actually able to be so composed even at such a time... "Could it be that he has something to rely on? Or maybe there is a powerhouse protecting him?"
The two middle-aged men subconsciously observed the surroundings for a moment. According to their knowledge, this youth seemed to only have a seventh level Origin Core martial artist to protect him; moreover, it seemed that the seventh level Origin Core martial artist wasn't present today.
After they realize that there was no one else around, they both heaved sighs of relief.
"Are all the Duan Clan members so cowardly?" The sneer on the corners of Duan Ling Tian's mouth grew even wider, and his voice was filled with a mocking tone.
"Kid, if you want to blame someone, then blame yourself for offending someone you shouldn't have offended," the middle-aged man behind him said in a low voice as his gaze went cold, and at the moment he finished speaking, he looked towards the middle-aged man in the front and nodded.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At almost the same time, the figures of the two middle-aged men jerked and they seemed to transform into two incomparably swift bolts of lightning as they flashed towards Duan Ling Tian. Above their heads, 120 ancient mammoth silhouettes appeared...
"Two ninth level Origin Core martial artists? That Duan Ru Lei really thinks highly of me!" Faced with the pincer attack of two ninth level Origin Core martial artists, Duan Ling Tian didn't seem to mind at all, as he stood there unmoving on the spot; even his voice was extremely tranquil...
Even though both of the middle-aged men felt that the youth's reaction was slightly strange, they had no way of backing down now!
"Die!" Their eyes emitted a murderous gleam as Origin Energy burst forth from their palms and enveloped downwards upon Duan Ling Tian!
"Originally, for the sake of my deadbeat dad, I had no intention of becoming enemies with anyone from the Duan Clan. However, since you two are holding a candle to the devil, then go to hell!" At this critical instant, Duan Ling Tian's speech increased in speed! And in the next moment, he lifted his hand.
Whoosh!
A black stream of light flashed out from his sleeve and moved like lightning as if it was a death god's scythe whistling out...
Spirit Serpent Movement Technique!
And at almost the exact same time, Duan Ling Tian's legs jerked as he instantly moved aside.
Bang!
Followed by that black bolt of lightning piercing through their chests, the Origin Energy on the two middle-aged men dissipated. Momentum brought their bodies to move forward and collide with each other before fiercely crashing onto the ground, lifeless.
Whoosh!
The black lightning bolt moved in flashes before descending onto Duan Ling Tian's shoulder.
Hiss hiss~ The little black python flicked its tongue and licked Duan Ling Tian's cheek, and its pair of incomparably intelligent, small eyes turned about.
Duan Ling Tian squatted down and searched the two corpses for a moment...
"So poor, there's only 500 thousand silver or so on the two of them. Forget it, no matter how small a mosquito is, it's still meat; every bit counts." After putting away the stack of silver within his Spatial Ring, Duan Ling Tian grabbed the little black python from his shoulder, held it in his palm, and said, with a light smile, "You did a good job, little fellow. I'll get someone to make something good for you when we get home."
The little black python seemed to understand what Duan Ling Tian said, as it lightly nodded, and its agile body wiggled in an incomparably exultant manner.
"As expected, a Nascent Soul Stage fierce beast is able to understand human speech to a certain extent... However, little black and little white have only recently stepped into the Nascent Soul Stage, and thus require some guidance before being able to completely understand human speech," Duan Ling Tian thought in his heart as he continued forward and took a few turns before finally returning to his courtyard house.
Within his spacious courtyard house, Duan Rong sat cross-legged as he enjoyed a servant girl's massage. He had a bite of apple in his mouth as a slight smile appeared on the corners of his mouth...
The moment he thought about how he wouldn't see that violet-clothed youth anymore from tomorrow onwards, he couldn't help but arouse a sense of delight within his heart.
"So you offended this Young Master. Even just before you died, you probably don't even know who sent them to kill you, right?" The more he thought about it, the more Duan Rong felt happy within his heart.
Unfortunately, however, he wasn't able to be happy for long.... That night, an unexpected guest arrived in his courtyard house.
Duan Ling Xing!
"Cousin Brother, what're you doing here?" Duan Rong was slightly surprised when he noticed Duan Ling Xing's arrival, but his eyes still had an unceasing smile.
"You seem very happy," Duan Ling Xing slowly said.
"Of course. When I think about how I don't need to see that arrogant kid anymore, I feel extremely delighted within my heart. Right, Cousin Brother, you've come so late. Is there something you need from me?" Because of the dim lighting, Duan Rong didn't notice Duan Ling Xing's slightly gloomy face.
Duan Ling Xing's eyes focused as he slowly said, "I'm afraid you can't do as you wish on this matter anymore."
"Cousin Brother, what do you mean by that?" When Duan Rong finally realized that something was strange, his heart jerked, and the smile on his face completely froze.
Could something have gone wrong? It shouldn't have!
That violet-clothed youth was alone when he left Paladin Academy today, and even if he wasn't alone, that masked middle-aged man by his side was only a seventh level Origin Core martial artist. Under the attack of two ninth level Origin Core martial artists, he should have died without a doubt...
"The two ninth level Origin Core martial artists my father appointed to you didn't return to the Duan Clan Estate to report the results to my father even until dusk. So my father sent someone out to search for a while, and who would have thought that he would actually find their corpses near Paladin Academy?!" Duan Ling Xing's expression was incomparably gloomy. "Who the heck did this Cousin Brother of his offend!?"
"No... Impossible, it's impossible!" Duan Rong hurriedly shook his head with a face full of disbelief. He was unwilling to believe that all of this was true.
Duan Ling Xing frowned as he asked, in a low voice, "Didn't you say that he only had a seventh level Origin Core martial artist by his side?"
"I... I don't know. At that time, there was indeed only a seventh level Origin Core martial artist at his side; this is something our Branch Clan's Eighth Elder saw with his own two eyes as well." Duan Rong laughed bitterly.
"Humph! Looks like the background of this enemy of yours isn't that simple. Both of the ninth level Origin Core martial artists my father appointed to you were killed with a single blow, pierced through the heart with a sharp weapon. The person that killed them acted quickly and decisively! It was almost certainly a Nascent Soul martial artist who did it.... In other words, that person you want to kill had a Nascent Soul martial artist protecting him!"
Duan Ling Xing coldly grunted before once again looking at Duan Rong. "You better not let the cat out of the bag, because if he finds out that it was you who did it, your life will be in danger!"
Duan Rong was so afraid that his face went ghastly pale after he heard what Duan Ling Xing said. Never had he imagined that the violet-clothed youth actually had a Nascent Soul martial artist at his side!
After all, even the Branch Family that he originated from only had two Supreme Elders that were existences at the Nascent Soul Stage...
"Cousin Brother, how did Uncle decide to deal with this matter? I feel that the violet-clothed youth will suspect me sooner or later.... Depending on what Uncle does, I'll follow you home and stay at the Duan Clan Estate for some time." Duan Rong's voice was slightly trembling, as he was afraid.
"Don't worry. No matter who he is, anyone who dares kill a member of our Duan Clan will certainly die!" A trace of coldness appeared in Duan Ling Xing's gaze.
Duan Rong heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Duan Ling Xing's reply.
"You better lay low for the time being, and don't make trouble for me, do you understand?" Duan Ling Xing glared at Duan Rong, causing Duan Rong to hurriedly nod without daring to have the slightest hesitation.
Inside his room, Duan Ling Tian spread out the materials that Xiong Quan had gathered today, and his brows slightly rose. "I didn't think that Xiong Quan would be able to find more than half of the materials I needed within only a day's time... Hmm, it's sufficient to inscribe two inscriptions."
Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath, then he raised his hand and withdrew his Violet Myrtle Flexible Sword. At the same time, he took off the Spatial Ring on his hand.
The offensive inscription he planned to inscribe was named the Bone Corrosion Inscription.
Once activated, the Bone Corrosion Inscription would pour out with the strength of Bone Corrosion. Unless one was at least a Half-step Void Stage martial artist, there would be no hope of dodging nor curing it. Once hit with the inscription, the bones of the entire body will be instantly corroded into ashes, and only flesh will remain!
Completely and utterly dead!
Even though a person hit by the Bone Corrosion Inscription would die in an instant, at the moment before death, they would have to endure extreme pain, a pain that penetrated into the heart and bones... a pain that was unimaginable to an ordinary person!
Deep into the night, Duan Ling Tian finally completed the two Bone Corrosion Inscriptions and inscribed them respectively on his Violet Myrtle Flexible Sword and Spatial Ring. It was a high-ranked inscription after all, and besides being able to be inscribed onto the Spatial Ring, it was even possible to flawlessly co-exist with the Blood Crescent Inscription that was attached to the Violet Myrtle Flexible Sword.
After completing the two inscriptions, Duan Ling Tian's strained Spiritual Force finally relaxed. A wave of exhaustion swept over him before he drifted off into a deep slumber.
When he woke up the next day, he still felt terribly fatigued, and his complexion didn't look so good.
"Tian, are you OK?" Li Rou had a face full of worry when she saw her son's complexion.
"Scoundrel, what did you do last night?"
"Yes, Young Master, why's your complexion so bad?"
Li Fei and Ke Er both had faces full of worry and their hearts ached unceasingly.
"It's nothing. I only inscribed 2 inscriptions. Don't worry, I'll be able to recover once I return from the academy today." Duan Ling Tian shook his head with a smile and left directly for Paladin Academy after finishing his breakfast.