Chapter 1495: Two Masked Men
Translator:EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor:EndlessFantasy Translation
Duan Ling Tian realized that the Qi Sea in his body had turned into a small lake. It was completely different from his previous Qi Sea which had just been a big pool at the most.
From what he knew, even the Qi Sea of Early Saint Rudiment Stage Martial Cultivators and Dao Cultivators was just like a creek.
Therefore, although he found it hard to believe, he knew that it was true that he had broken through to the Intermediate Saint Rudiment Stage the moment he looked into his Qi Sea.
"Elder Huo, this..."
Duan Ling Tian looked at Elder Huo who was in front of him emotionally. He had too many things he wanted to ask, but he had no idea which to ask first.
"Ask whatever you want to later. Your priority should be handling the two people who are watching you," Elder Huo said to Duan Ling Tian and left to the first level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.
Watching Elder Huo’s pale face, although he was curious, Duan Ling Tian knew that today was not the best time for him to get his questions answered.
"Ouyang Clan!" Duan Ling Tian lifted the edge of his lips and revealed a smirk.
However, he did not get out there right away. Instead, he began to test the True Energy in his body on the third level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda. The True Energy in his body was like a majestic lake now. A large part of it swept out through the 99 Saint Veins in the blink of an eye.
"Even if I encounter anyone on the Paramount Saint Rudiment Stage, their short-term explosive ability from their True Energy Consolidated Weapon, True Energy Consolidated Beast or True Energy Consolidated Territory aren’t going to defeat me!" He was very confident about that.
If his True Energy were his car in his past life, his Saint Veins would have been the road in his past life.
Meanwhile, he had more cars that could travel at the same time here.
Naturally, Duan Ling Tian knew that the ability of people on the Mastery Saint Rudiment Stage would not be limited to the application of their True Energy and Saint Veins. At the same time, one must consider the True Energy Consolidated Weapon, True Energy Consolidated Beast and True Energy Consolidated Territory techniques.
Duan Ling Tian had witnessed all three techniques, the impact was powerful.
"But with my current ability, Mastery Saint Rudiment Stage Martial Cultivators and Dao Cultivators might not be able to defeat me even if they were to use a True Energy Consolidated Weapon!" Although these cultivators who had mastered the True Energy Consolidated Weapon were powerful, there was a limit to it.
With the techniques and things that he could rely on, people on the Mastery Saint Rudiment Stage might lose him unless they secretly had the ability to defeat someone whose cultivation base was higher than them.
Naturally, he did not dare to claim to have the ability to defeat someone on the Perfection Saint Rudiment Stage.
After all, Perfection Saint Rudiment Stage [1] cultivators did not only master the True Energy Consolidated technique, but they also mastered the True Energy Consolidated Beast technique.
After spending a couple of hours familiarizing with the True Energy in his body, Duan Ling Tian then left the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.
’My Spiritual Energy has been elevated following the elevation of my cultivation base. I can now inscribe Two-Star Saint Inscriptions,’ Duan Ling Tian thought to himself when he returned to the guest room in the inn.
Soon, he walked out of the room and left the inn.
"Hmm? He’s leaving?" Meanwhile, two silhouettes covered in black garb and wearing grimacing mask walked out of the corner of the inn when Duan Ling Tian left.
It was midnight now and there was almost nobody on the streets.
"Grandpa Shan, let’s follow him," said one of the masked men to the other through True Energy Voice Transmission.
The other man said nothing. He only nodded and followed the other person.
’There really are two of them.’ Meanwhile, Duan Ling Tian, who had walked ahead, noticed the two people who followed far behind him although he did not turn around.
Actually, he might not be able to see them even if he were to turn around now because the two men were walking secretively in the shadows with no street lights shining on them.
’Now that my cultivation base has broken through to the Saint Rudiment Stage, with the Spiritual Secret Tactic Divine Eye that Elder Huo imparted me with earlier, I can detect their cultivation base and age without them noticing at all!’ Duan Ling Tian expanded his Spiritual Energy secretly as he thought and very soon, he detected their cultivation base.
’Saint Rudiment Stage? How dare he follow me with such insignificant ability?’ Duan Ling Tian could not help but scoff when he detected one of the men’s cultivation base.
Soon, Duan Ling Tian noticed that something was not right. ’That’s not right! This person’s hiding it very well. I might not have noticed him if my cultivation base hadn’t broken through to the Intermediate Saint Rudiment Stage. He either has some unique hiding technique or he has a powerhouse protecting him.’
At that moment, he began to detect the other person with his Spiritual Secret Tactic Divine Eye.
His heart was beating fast when he detected the person’s cultivation base.
’Perfection... Perfection Saint Rudiment Stage?’ Duan Ling Tian’s heart sank. ’Even the steward of the Ouyang Clan, Ouyang Ji, is only on the Mastery Saint Rudiment Stage. Someone on the Perfection Saint Rudiment Stage is rare even in the Ouyang Clan. He must be at least an elder."
’Wow, the Ouyang Clan’s crazy to send an elder to watch me!’ At that moment, the only thing that Duan Ling Tian felt was the raging fire that was rising in him.
He did not plan to have any contact with the Ouyang Clan at all. Otherwise, he would not have rejected the Clan Leader of the Ouyang Clan, Ouyang Ba’s invitation today.
Who would have thought that the Ouyang Clan would do one thing on the surface and another secretly?
What do they want, sending someone secretly to trail me so late at night?
Are they trying to kill me and take my fortune?
Duan Ling Tian suppressed the raging fire in him slightly after inhaling a deep breath. He came up with a plan after calming himself down.
Eventually, he walked into an avenue in a flash.
The avenue was the main road of Han River City. Thus, although it was late at night, there were still a couple of scattered silhouettes.
"Where exactly is he going?" One of the masked men who followed him secretly seemed to be a little impatient as he spoke.
"We’ll find out if we follow him." The other man, on the other hand, was very calm. However, his voice was old, so it was obvious that he was an elderly man.
After following Duan Ling Tian for over half an hour, the weary masked man stopped walking and said as he watched Duan Ling Tian heading north towards Han River City. He sounded a little scared as he said, "Hmm? He’s going toward the Nine Sect Alliances’ headquarters. Could this kid be one of them from the Nine Sect Alliances?"
"Grandpa Shan, there’s still a distance away from the Nine Sect Alliances’ headquarters. Perhaps he’s just passing by," said the younger man, "Let’s follow him." The other man hesitated for a moment, but he nodded eventually. He moved forward while guarding the other man.
The older man was relieved when the target stopped heading north and turned into the street heading west. He was really worried that the person was a member of the Nine Sect Alliances.
If he were to be from the Nine Sect Alliances, it would mean that he was from a seventh-rate sect.
It would be fine if they killed such a person without exposing themselves. As soon as they exposed themselves, it would definitely be disastrous to their clan.
"I’ve told you that it’s impossible for him to have anything to do with the Nine Sect Alliances," reassured the younger man.
’They’re really following me... They might not dare to follow me if I proceeded north to the Nine Sect Alliances’ headquarters.’ However, what the two stalkers did not know was that their target had only changed his route and headed west after noticing their hesitation.
After going west, they arrived at a remote area.
There was a heavy stench all over the place. It was where Han River City disposed all its trash. Apart from workers who were responsible for cleaning Han River City, there was hardly anyone else there.
It was a vast place which occupied a mile.
Soon, Duan Ling Tian stopped when he arrived at the center of the remote land. He turned around at the same time.
At that moment, the two masked men who followed behind him ducked behind a pile of trash.
One of the men watched Duan Ling Tian secretly from a distance. He thought to himself while a ferocious gleam flashed through his eyes, ’He’s pretty alert.’
"Tsk tsk..." Duan Ling Tian snickered mockingly while looking where the two masked men were hiding. "You’ve been following me all the way. I guess it’s time for both of you to show yourselves. I wonder what exactly do you want from me to have been following me for such a long time."
If Duan Ling Tian had not said ’both of you’, the two men might have thought that he was just trying to be mysterious.
After all, many people would say something like ’I see you’ or ’come out, stop hiding’ on purpose when they were concerned that somebody might follow them. In actual fact, they would have no idea if there was anybody following them at all.
However, now that he said ’both of you’, it proved that he really had noticed them following him.
"Hmph! I can’t believe that you found out about us!" As the masked man with the older voice was stunned, the other young man walked out from behind the pile of trash. Covered by the grimacing mask, he could not help but frown. It was clear that he could not get used to the stench there.
At that moment, the older masked man walked out after him since he had no other choice. However, he seemed grave. He was confident about his hiding technique.
How could a Mortal Shedding Stage Martial Cultivator notice him?
At that moment, he spread out his Spiritual Energy as he focused his eyes while he performed his Spiritual Secret Tactic in an instant.
Duan Ling Tian could feel a gush of Spiritual Energy sweeping towards him at that moment in an attempt to detect his cultivation base.
"Hmph!" Duan Ling Tian scoffed softly, but he did not stop the man. He allowed the person to let his Spiritual Energy linger on his body and detect his cultivation base.
With the Spiritual Secret Tactic Divine Eye that Elder Huo had given him, there was a Secret Tactic that could be used to stop someone from using their Spiritual Energy for detection purposes. However, such a Secret Tactic could only be performed with Spiritual Energy above the Saint Stage.
Therefore, he could not perform that at the moment.
"Intermediate Saint Rudiment Stage!" The masked man exclaimed softly and revealed his weary voice after detecting Duan Ling Tian’s cultivation base.
[1] The author used Mortal Shedding Stage here, but we’ve changed it to Saint Rudiment Stage as it is unclear if it was meant to be Saint Rudiment Stage or if the person following him thought that he was only at the Mortal Shedding Stage.