While Lin Xun was preparing for the provincial exam, Chu Feng was listening to Old Diao’s report in the Rune Master Association.
“We’ve secretly followed that Young Master for several days but discovered that our actions were unnecessary.” Old Diao’s voice was somewhat bitter.
Beside him, Xiongsan and Yan Mei also looked rather dejected.
Chu Feng’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
Old Diao seemed to recall something and a deep wariness emerged on his face. “Because there’s already an expert protecting that Young Master!”
“An expert?” Chu Feng was puzzled.
“Correct. That expert has immeasurable strength and I suspect that if he wished to, he would only need a single strike to bring down all three of us.”
There was a certain graveness in Old Diao’s voice. It required great courage for an expert to acknowledge he was far lesser than another.
Chu Feng was shocked. He was well aware of the Old Diao trio’s strength. Old Diao might appear to be an ordinary old man on the outside, but he had Spirit Sea stage cultivation!
Xiongsan and Yan Mei also boasted extremely strong battle power. They had peak Heaven Dipper stage cultivation and were only a step away from advancing to the Spirit Sea stage.A trio of experts like them would not have any problems in Haze City as long as they did not encounter a Spirit Sea expert.
However, Old Diao said that there was an even more terrifying expert watching over Lin Xun, who even Old Diao was extremely wary of. This was far too inconceivable.
Chu Feng’s emotions churned like a stormy sea. He suddenly realized that Lin Xun’s origins were not as simple as he had imagined!
Chu Feng took a deep breath and asked in a serious voice, “Can you tell what cultivation that expert has?”
Old Diao confidently answered, “It’s definitely not as simple as the Spirit Sea stage.”
Chu Feng’s heart shook as he instinctively said, “Does that mean he’s a Heaven Ascension expert?”
Old Diao shook his head. “I can’t be certain. However, we’ve discovered several things over the past few days. Xiongsan will elaborate.”
Chu Feng restrained his shock and looked toward Xiongsan.
The young man called Xiongsan said, “Thirteen days ago, Haze City’s Sun Clan Merchant Group dispatched two Spirit Dipper experts as spies. However, both of them were knocked unconscious that very night and sent back to the Sun Clan Merchant Group. A warning note was left on one of them which said: if the dogs keep running amuck, I will use your heads as wine cups!”
Chu Feng’s eyelids jumped. He icily chuckled. “I knew that the Sun Clan Merchant Group won’t be able to sit still. They thought that no one knew when they took away a rune master from the association previously but I just couldn’t be bothered to bicker with them. To think that they would try the same thing again. They deserve to be taught a lesson!”
Xiongsan continued, “Twelve days ago, Jadelight Pavilion dispatched a Spirit Sea expert in hopes of approaching the Young Master. However, he was heavily injured, knocked unconscious mid-journey, and sent back with a warning letter as well which wrote: mere ants dare to shake the mighty tree?”
Chu Feng’s expression changed slightly. Jadelight Pavilion was a first-class faction in Haze City and controlled more than ten mines which made them extremely wealthy. To think that they had also targeted Lin Xun!
“Nine days ago, Heavenly Aroma House dispatched three Spirit Dipper experts…”
“Five days ago, two Spirit Sea experts were dispatched from the Violet Plume Army stationed in Haze City…”
“Two days ago, Haze Academy sent out a Spirit Sea stage rune master…”
Xiongsan swiftly reported. Every piece of news shook Chu Feng’s heart and made the expression in his eyes fluctuate indeterminately.
Toward the end, when Chu Feng heard the Violet Plume Army and Haze Academy had also sent out experts, he finally lost his composure and his face darkened considerably.
All of this had exceeded his expectations. He never imagined that Great Master Xun would draw the attention of so many factions.
Meanwhile, the strength of the expert protecting Lin Xun also shocked Chu Feng. Every expert dispatched by the many factions had been defeated and sent back.
How powerful was this expert?
In the end, Xiongsan bitterly said, “The three of us were also warned today. He said our presence is completely unnecessary and he will not be so courteous if we appear again.”
Chu Feng was dazed as his expression rapidly changed indeterminately.
He had finally realized that everything he did had already been seen by the expert at Lin Xun’s side!
Chu Feng could not help but ask, “Did that expert say anything else?”
Old Diao, Xiongsan, and Yan Mei shook their heads.
Chu Feng began to worry. If the other party had already seen through his intentions, why did he not expose Chu Feng?
If Chu Feng’s intentions had not been seen through, how would the expert know that Old Diao and the others had been sent by him?
Chu Feng was confused and conflicted.
In the end, he decided to find a time to have a proper talk with Lin Xun!
……
Lin Xun was unaware of all this.
Early in the morning, Lin Xun energetically left his room. He greeted Xue Jin before pushing open the doors to leave.
Huu~~
As Lin Xun walked along the streets, he soon saw a rune shuttle bus stop and descend. Feeling interested, he approached and paid the entry fee of ten copper coins, intending to try it out for himself.
He walked into the carriage and found it already filled with people. There were all kinds of passengers: cultivators, ordinary folk, men, women, old, and young.
There were many seats in the carriage but all of them had already been taken. Lin Xun could only stand as he curiously observed these new surroundings.
Uncles and aunties were discussing the prices of vegetables and grain. Boys and girls were excitedly chatting about the art cultivator, Liu Qingyan, who would soon arrive in Haze City.
The cultivators were talking about the provincial exam registration that began today.
It was lively and noisy, an environment that people who like peace and quiet would definitely dislike. However, Lin Xun found that he rather enjoyed this atmosphere.
He could see many different faces, each having their own special story.
This was the vibrance of life and the unique charm of the mortal world.
Woowoo~~
The rune shuttle bus soon began to move. It rose from the ground, its long body extending across the sky like a dragon. Although it moved quickly, it was also very stable.
Lin Xun was suddenly drawn to a certain conversation.
“I wonder how many famous formidable characters in the southwest province will be participating in the provincial exam.”
“According to what I’ve heard, Haze Academy’s four most famous geniuses, Xue Shaolin, Yu Wenjing, Le Zhiyou, Yun Zitong will be participating. They’ve been touted to be the most likely cultivators to reach the top ten!”
“That’s right. I heard there will be more than three hundred students participating from Haze Academy alone which is much more than in previous years. There is no lack of formidable individuals among them. The only thing we don’t know is how many people will be able to pass.”
“Indeed. It’s not only Haze Academy. Who knows how many cultivators in Haze City and even the entire southwest county are rubbing their hands in anticipation of the provincial exam. I heard that the number of participants will probably exceed five thousand this time!”
“Five thousand? My goodness! Only a hundred people will be able to pass each provincial exam. That means only one out of every fifty people will pass. Won’t the competition be far too cruel?”
“Yeah, such is the provincial exam. The only ones who will pass are the first-class geniuses of this era. Only such people have the qualifications to participate in the national exam and contend with the other apex geniuses from the other provinces.”
“Hehe, the provincial exam is the biggest event every year. I wonder how many dazzling individuals will be able to stand out this time.”
Lin Xun could not help but be shocked by the contents of the conversations. With more than five thousand cultivators participating, the competition was going to be insanely fierce.
It must be known that not just anyone could participate in the provincial exam. A cultivator had to first pass the district exam and then the prefectural exam to obtain the qualifications for the provincial exam!
After so many rounds of selection, the cultivators who survived would naturally not be ordinary.
It was easy to imagine how cutthroat the competition would be when five thousand meticulously selected cultivators were going to duke it out for a hundred spots.
This made Lin Xun suddenly recall the year he had spent in Blood Kill Camp where he had to face challenges every day. Those who failed would be eliminated and only the victors would get to stay.
The provincial exam was quite similar in nature. However, his rivals were no longer Kill Blood Camp students but the most elite group of cultivators in the southwest province!
From what Lin Xun knew, the provincial exam had three criteria: age eighteen and below, Human Dipper stage and above cultivation, and proof of passing the prefectural exam.
Anyone who did not fulfill at least one of these criteria would be barred from participating!
Given these conditions, anyone could see how difficult and stringent it was to stand out in the provincial exam.
However, this only made Lin Xun increasingly expectant. He had never feared challenges, not in Blood Kill Camp nor ever in the future.
Only by vying against the truly strong would an individual know how far he had come on the road of cultivation!
Woowoowoo~~
The rune shuttle soon came to a stop. It had arrived at Haze Academy.
Lin Xun got off with the crowd and saw a group of old buildings in the distance silently towering over the land like mountains. They also took up a large amount of space.
There was a circular white jade plaza in front of the buildings where numerous figures were already gathered, most of which were young men and women. There was no lack of good-looking individuals among them, creating a beautiful sight under the clear blue sky.
This was Haze Academy. It was an academy that had the most history and strongest foundation in the southwest province.
Numerous dazzling geniuses had emerged from the academy over the past thousand years. Some became famous influential figures while others became lords who ruled over a great territory.
The current Southwest Province Governor, Liu Wu Diao, and the only man who rivaled him in the southwest province, Yao Tuohai, had studied in Haze Academy many years ago.
The registration for this year’s provincial exam was in this very Haze Academy!