Chapter 399: Arriving At The Stables
The atmosphere outside the demonic lotus gorge's inner gorge had completely frozen.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, Huang Ji bent his waist and kowtowed on the ground three times.
After he kowtowed three times, Huang Ji looked at Linghu Jin Hong and said in a low voice, "Sect Leader Linghu, take these three kowtows as me repaying my debt to you for fostering me for all these years... From today onwards, I, Huang Ji, will have no ties any longer with you and the Seven Star Sword Sect!"
No ties any longer!
Huang Ji's voice caused the atmosphere in the scene to become weird...
Duan Ling Tian's looked calmly at Huang Ji with an incomparably icy cold gaze.
Huang Ji's betrayal had exceeded his expectations.
Although whether Huang Ji betrayed the sect or not didn't have much relationship to him, he still extremely despised Huang Ji's actions.
As far as he was concerned, a favor of a drop of water should be repaid with a fountain of water...
The favor the Seven Star Sword Sect's Leader had given to Huang Ji was higher than the sky and deeper than the seas, yet it was abandoned by Huang Ji with a few words.
This Huang Ji was simply an ungrateful bastard!
As soon as Huang Ji finished speaking, besides Linghu Jin Hong who temporarily didn't make clear his attitude towards it, the others from the Seven Star Sword Sect all wore grim expressions.
Meng Qiu and Zheng Song looked at Huang Ji with gazes filled with disgust.
They were at the Seven Star Sword Sect for much longer than Duan Ling Tian, and they naturally knew how caring the Sect Leader usually was towards this personal disciple of his...
Now, Huang Ji instead wanted to betray the Sect Leader and betray the Seven Star Sword Sect!
"The Sect Leader fostered you to obtain your current accomplishments, the Seven Star Sword Sect fostered you to obtain your current accomplishments... This is how you repay the Sect Leader and the Seven Star Sword Sect?" Zheng Fan's face was extremely gloomy as he looked at Huang Ji with eyes that flickered with frightful rage.
Within his rage, a trace of killing intent was suffused within.
Duan Ling Tian's brows raised, it wasn't the first day that he'd known the Mizar Peak's Master, Zheng Fan, but it was still the first time he'd seem Zheng Fan enraged...
Rage that could set a prairie ablaze.
"All you have was given to you by the Sect Leader and the Seven Star Sword Sect... You can betray the Sect Leader and the Seven Star Sword Sect. But..." The Origin Energy on Ke Zhen's body raged and roared, and his clothed fluttered.
In the sky, two enormous silhouettes gradually condensed into form, and accumulated strength while waiting to be deployed.
Two ancient horned dragon silhouettes!
The symbol of a first level Void Initiation Stage cultivation.
"But don't even think of taking away this cultivation of yours that is from the Sect Leader and the Seven Star Sword Sect!" Ke Zhen shouted explosively.
Instantly, the aura of a Void Initiation Stage expert raged in the sky, causing others to feel a chill run down their spine.
Suddenly, Ke Zhen took a step forward and his terrifying imposing manner swept out, coupled with the imposing manner of Elder Peng, it shattered the Origin Convergence Sect Leader's imposing manner in one go, then enveloped onto Huang Ji, causing Huang Ji's face to instantly become ghastly pale, and forcefully causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Master, save me!" Duan Ling Tian noticed that when Huang Ji looked at the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader to a cry for help, he actually addressed the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader as Master...
Obviously, he'd come to an agreement with the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader long ago, and had the intention to turn to the Origin Convergence Sect.
"Hmph!" An Origin Convergence Elder snorted coldly, then took a step forward and combined his imposing manner with the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader to block out Elder Peng and Ke Zhen's imposing manner.
"Thank you Master, thank you Elder." Huang Ji hurriedly thanked the two, and at the same time, he went to stand behind the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader to seek protection, as he was extremely afraid that the Seven Star Sword Sect higher-ups would make a move against him.
"Very good, very good." Finally, Linghu Jin Hong made a reaction, he glanced indifferently at Huang Ji, as he spoke with an unfeeling tone...
Then, he looked at the Grand Rock beneath him. "Elder Peng, let's go."
The Grand Roc was stunned, he was obviously puzzled towards Linghu Jin Hong's reaction.
"Sect Leader." Zheng Fan and Ke Zhen looked at Linghu Jin Hong with a puzzled expression as well.
"Sect Leader, if it wasn't for your vigorous fostering, how could Huang Ji possess such a cultivation!? According to me, he can turn to the Origin Convergence Sect and betray you and the Sect, but his cultivation must be left behind!" Ke Zhen gnashed his teeth.
That year, when Linghu Jin Hong wasn't the Sect Leader yet, and he wasn't the Phecda Peak's Master...
At that time, he'd formed a deep friendship with Linghu Jin Hong.
Today, when he saw Linghu Jin Hong's personal disciple doing such a treacherous and outrageous thing, he felt it as if it was his own disciple and was enraged to the limit.
"Forget it, just take it as I was blind." Linghu Jin Hong shook his head, seeming to be not willing to mention this matter anymore, then he looked at the Grand Roc. "Elder Peng, let's go... From today onwards, I, Linghu Jin Hong, will take it as if I've never taken this disciple!"
The Grand Roc nodded, and he opened his wings in preparation to soar up into the sky.
Although Linghu Jin Hong's voice was calm, Duan Ling Tian was still able to notice traces of misery and rage within this calmness...
Just think about it, the personal disciple he'd fostered with his own two hands, his only personal disciple had betrayed him just like this...
Such a blow was something that no one was able to accept.
"The Sect Leader's ability to maintain his composure is admirable." Duan Ling Tian sighed in his heart.
He asked himself, if it was him who was standing in the place of Linghu Jin Hong today, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest and kill Huang Ji... An ungrateful bastard deserves death!
Whoosh!
The Grand Roc's wings that were like clouds that covered the sky opened up and the dust and dirt on the ground suffused into the air.
Right at the instant the Grand Roc soared into the sky, Duan Ling Tian glanced indifferently at Huang Ji, and then his gaze descended onto the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader and said with a clear voice, "Sect Leader Lu, I feel there's a need for me to remind you... When someone can betray once, they can betray again!"
Duan Ling Tian's word had just finished entering the ears of everyone present when the Grand Roc had transformed into a flowing light that soared into the sky, then flew into the clouds and mist, disappearing before the sight of everyone.
"Duan Ling Tian... Dammit!" Huang Ji's face was livid, as he never expected that Duan Ling Tian would strike him with such a blow before leaving.
At this moment, he couldn't help but notice that the Origin Convergence Sect's Elders and disciples all looked at him with strange gazes...
Huang Ji was in panic, and he looked at the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader as he said in remedy, "Master, I swear, I won't betray the Origin Convergence Sect for my entire life!"
The Origin Convergence Sect's Leader glanced indifferently at Huang Ji. "Huang Ji, not to mention I don't believe these empty words, even you yourself probably wouldn't believe it. Today, if it wasn't for me saying I would take you as my personal disciple and make you the next Sect Leader of the Origin Convergence Sect, would you betray Linghu Jin Hong and the Seven Star Sword Sect and turn to my Origin Convergence Sect?"
Huang Ji laughed embarrassedly.
Exactly, the reason he'd chosen to betray the sect was precisely because the Sect Leader of the Origin Convergence Sect had made these promises at the Martial Competition Courtyard earlier.
At that time, when he saw Duan Ling Tian abruptly rising mightily and his Master even stating that he would make Duan Ling Tian the next Sect Leader of the Seven Star Sword Sect...
He was not resigned to that fate in his heart, and the promises of the Origin Convergence Sect's Leader allowed him to see the bright light of the future.
"Linghu Jin Hong, it's you who forced me... One day, I'll let you know that I'm not inferior to that Duan Ling Tian!" Huang Ji's eyes emitted traces of viciousness as he gazed in the direction where the Grand Roc had disappeared.
Half a month later.
Duan Ling Tian stood atop the Grand Roc's back and was able to see the outline of the seven great sword peaks of the Seven Star Sword Sect from far away.
"We're back!" Zheng Song stood by Duan Ling Tian's side, and he was slightly excited as he looked at the direction of the seven great sword peaks.
To Zheng Song, the Seven Star Sword Sect was his home.
A home that was difficult to part with.
"Right, we're back." Duan Ling Tian lightly smiled as he nodded.
All along the way here, the atmosphere was slightly heavy and it caused Duan Ling Tian to have an extremely oppressive feeling, and all this was because of Huang Ji's betrayal.
When he saw they were about to enter the territory of the Seven Star Sword Sect, Duan Ling Tian suddenly lowered his head to look at the Grand Roc beneath him, then said something via voice transmission.
The Grand Roc nodded.
Of course, besides Duan Ling Tian, no one else noticed this scene.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the Grand Roc that carried Duan Ling Tian's group abruptly changed course, and didn't head up Dubhe Peak but instead plunged downwards, flashing towards the foot of Dubhe Peak.
"Elder Peng?" The Grand Roc's actions caused Linghu Jin Hong who hadn't spoke all along to be shocked.
Zheng Fan and Ke Zhen acted as if they were facing a great enemy, and thought that the Grand Roc had noticed something...
Meng Qiu and Zheng Song's expression had become serious as well.
"What are all of you doing? I just asked Elder Peng to take me to see a friend." Duan Ling Tian was completely speechless when he saw this.
Aren't their reactions a bit too big?
Duan Ling Tian's words caused them to heave a sigh of relief, and Ke Zhen said with a bitter smile, "Duan Ling Tian, who is so prestigious to make you come see him as soon as you returned?"
Ling Hu Jin Hong and the others looked curiously at Duan Ling Tian.
"All of you will know soon." Duan Ling Tian shook his head with a smile and kept them guessing.
It was at this moment that the Grand Roc that was plunging downwards startled the few disciples standing on guard at the gate to the Seven Star Sword Sect...
"What fierce beast is that?"
"It doesn't seem like a fierce beast... It's like a demon beast! Look, there are people standing atop it."
"Eh, isn't that the Sect Leader?"
"There's also Peak Master Zheng Fan, Peak Master Ke Zhen, and Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian."
...
Under the reverent gazes of the Seven Star Sword Sect disciples, the Grand Roc descended down within the stables at the side of the entrance to the sect.
The empty space within the stables wasn't spacious in the first place, now when the Grand Roc descended, it caused the stable to be even more cramped.
The arrival of the Grand Roc startled the few Seven Star Sword Sect disciples within the stables that were acting as horse keepers.
"What's that?" The few Seven Star Sword Sect disciples walked over with curious expressions.
"Sect Leader!" A sharp eyed Seven Star Sword Sect disciples recognized Linghu Jin Hong and exclaimed in surprise, his expression filled with respect.
The remaining few people reacted to this and bowed with respect.
Linghu Jin Hong, the Sect Leader of the Seven Star Sword Sect usually didn't appear in public often.
However, one year ago, because of the incident of the death of Peak Master Wu Dao, Linghu Jin Hong had appeared at the peak of Dubhe Peak and thus had also appeared before the eyes of the numerous disciples of the Seven Star Sword Sect.
The Seven Star Sword Sect disciple that recognized Linghu Jin Hong was at the scene that day.
"Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian!" In next to no time, he also recognized Duan Ling Tian and bowed respectfully.
"Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian?" Meanwhile, a pleasantly surprised voice sounded out from within the stables.
Duan Ling Tian was able to notice a familiar figure walked out from within, and when the figure noticed him, the figure's face was filled with joy. "Senior Brother Duan Ling Tian, it's really you!"