The hall was grand and magnificent with towering stone pillars and an unimaginably large space.
Rows of seats were arranged around the hall, and in the center was a tall, black jade stage hundreds of feet wide.
Nine stone tablets stood tall on the black jade stage.
Each tablet was ten feet high, mottled, and covered with the markings of time.
It was the grandmaster-level assessment hall!
That black jade stage was called the Dragon Gate Stage, and the nine ancient stone tablets were the Nine Tablets of the Dragon Gate that many rune masters worshiped in the world!
When Lin Xun arrived under the guidance of an attendant, he noticed many figures already seated around the hall.
Among them, there were either mighty-looking middle-aged people or elderly folks with gray hair.
Relatively speaking, there were very few young people like Lin Xun.
“Young master, please wait here. When the verification begins, you only need to follow the instructions and head up the stage for the assessment,” explained the attendant before he left in a hurry.Lin Xun sat down on a random seat. Then, he turned to the Dragon Gate Stage in the center of the hall.
Before he arrived, he had already researched and found out that he had to pass the tests of the Nine Tablets of the Dragon Gate to be verified as a rune grandmaster.
Outsiders couldn’t intervene in the verification assessment process to ensure fairness.
Of course, it also prevented cheating, and a rune master would not pass if they were not strong enough.
Rune masters who were able to pass the tests of the Nine Tablets of the Dragon Gate were unquestionably powerful and not ordinary.
However, it wasn’t that easy to pass the tests.
Suddenly, a clamor of discussion in the distance caught Lin Xun’s attention.
“I heard that even Elder Cheng Jing, an advanced rune grandmaster from the Divine Workshop, and Elder Shen Tuo, the chief rune grandmaster of the Rune Department of Qinglu Academy, as well as other extraordinary people, have arrived in the headquarters of the Rune Master Association.”
“Haha, only a person as amazing as Haidong can attract the attention of so many big shots.”
“Yes, Haidong has been studying the art of runes for over ten years. He can definitely pass the tests of the Nine Tablets of the Dragon Gate!”
Everyone was full of admiration as they shifted their gaze to a black-robed youngster.
The young man had an impressive presence, dark brows, and bright eyes. He was also quite handsome.
He saluted the praises with a cupped fist salute and said with a smile, “Everyone, you flatter me. I only made it so far because of your care and cultivation.”
“Haidong, you’re too modest.”
”Yes, we came to cheer for you. You must do well.”
The elderly and middle-aged people all spoke at the same time, their words full of encouragement and admiration.
The Chu Family?
Lin Xun looked surprised. In the Forbidden City, there are three major rune master families, namely the Chu Family, the Feng Family and the Mo Family.
The young man called Chu Haidong has to be from the Chu Family, one of the three major rune master families since he came to be verified as a rune grandmaster.
Lin Xun suddenly thought of Chu Feng in Haze City. Chu Feng also came from the Chu Family, but an incident caused him to be expelled from the family, so he had to hide in Haze City.
A thought struck Lin Xun’s mind. He realized that he still didn’t know why Chu Feng had been expelled from the family, and he wanted to inquire about Chu Feng’s situation when he had a chance.
However, he didn’t plan to do that now to avoid stirring unnecessary waves.
Following that, Lin Xun roughly determined the identities of the other people in the hall through observation.
He was most surprised to find that only four to five people among them were there to be verified as rune grandmasters, including Chu Haidong.
As for the rest, they were all rune masters spectating the assessment or cheering for Chu Haidong and other cultivators participating in the verification assessment.
The elderly and middle-aged people around Chu Haidong were all from the Chu Family and were all rune masters. There were around a dozen of them.
This clearly showed that the Chu Family, as one of the three main rune master families, had a remarkable foundation.
“Huh? Lin Xun!?”
A surprised voice suddenly rang in the distance.
Lin Xun turned around and noticed an unfamiliar-looking man in a yellow robe staring wide-eyed at him.
Lin Xun?
His exclamation caught many people’s attention.
“Why are you here? Could it be that...you also came to participate in the rune grandmaster verification assessment?”
The yellow-robed man was so shocked that his voice became uncontrollably loud. It was hard for others to not take notice.
Before Lin Xun could speak, someone asked, “Brother, who is Lin Xun?”
“Who? He defeated Hua Wuyou a while ago, and his name shook the entire Forbidden City.”
The yellow-robed man had a strange look of excitement on his face like he had discovered some earthshaking secret.
An uproar broke out.
“It turns out that he’s Lin Xun. He is indeed very young as they say!”
“His duel against Hua Wuyou caused a sensation in the Forbidden City, and he became a well-known figure among the younger generation. But, why did he show up here?”
As the discussion continued, many gazes turned curious as they looked at Lin Xun like he was a monster.
Lin Xun smiled bitterly. I didn’t know I’d become this famous. What a surprise!
“Lin Xun, are…are you here to take the rune grandmaster verification assessment?” asked the yellow-robed man again.
Lin Xun nodded and answered him because he could tell that the man had no malice and was just curious.
However, his response lit up the yellow-robed man’s face. He exclaimed, “My heavens! The owner of Mind Cleansing Peak, an outstanding genius of the younger generation, has come to be verified as a rune grandmaster. This matter will no doubt cause a sensation in the Forbidden City!”
His expression was full of admiration and his voice was extremely loud. He stirred up everyone again and shock and disbelief filled their eyes.
What?
Is Lin Xun here to verify his qualification as a rune grandmaster?
That’s unbelievable!
Who would dare to imagine that a youngster with some dazzling achievements in cultivation suddenly wanted to be verified as a rune grandmaster?
That’s too unbelievable!
Lin Xun understood their shock. After all, even Spirit Vulture was stunned for a long moment when he learned about his decision to be verified as rune grandmaster.
Amidst the uproar, someone sneered, “Absurd, a boy in his teens wants to become a rune grandmaster? How ridiculous!” It was an old man sitting next to Chu Haidong.
Everyone immediately recognized that the old man was an advanced rune master of the Chu Family. He was called Chu Yunkong and had a well-respected status due to his age and seniority.
Seeing Chu Yunkong suddenly speak out and question Lin Xun without any hesitation, many people snapped to their senses. Yes, Lin Xun is only in his teens, so how can he become a rune grandmaster?
Lin Xun grinned and didn’t bother to explain to them.
However, his silence made Chu Yunkong more and more convinced that Lin Xun wasn’t qualified enough.
He smiled coldly again. “Almost all of you here are rune masters, so you must all know how difficult it is to become a true rune grandmaster. Only one in ten thousand can make it past the chasm!”
Many people nodded inwardly. Indeed, rune grandmasters are extraordinary existences and one must possess extraordinary talent and foundation in the art of runes to become one.
Chu Yunkong continued, “I’m not talented, and I am limited by my mediocre aptitude. Even if I have exhausted my energy, I never managed to become a rune grandmaster and am now only just an advanced rune master.”
After a pause, he sneered, “Based on that, how ridiculous is it that a teenager is arrogantly claiming he is qualified to become a rune grandmaster? How arrogant! How ignorant!”
He not only said it out loud but was also being extremely rude. It was no different from scolding Lin Xun in the face.
Everyone couldn’t help feeling shocked and bewildered. Although Chu Yunkong’s words are harsh, it’s the truth. Lin Xun is only in his teens.
Does he think that anyone can become a rune grandmaster?
Everyone’s gazes changed as they looked at Lin Xun again.
Even the best-tempered person wouldn’t be able to stand being criticized by an old man and being stared at suspiciously by everyone.
Let alone the fact that Lin Xun was never a good-tempered person.
On the contrary, from a young age, he had already shown vengeful and ruthless characteristics, and he never liked to suffer a loss.
“Old man, just because you’re old doesn’t mean you’re wise. You’re so old already, but you can’t even control your mouth. Do you know that disaster starts from a loose tongue? Have you ever heard of the saying that the old farts who live to an old age are pests!?”
Lin Xun fought back. His voice was indifferent, but his every word rang clearly in everyone’s ears.
Many people froze. Lin Xun’s counterattack is so vicious! He called Chu Yunkong an old fart!
As expected, Chu Yunkong’s face darkened. “Little brat, you’re…too ridiculous!”
The faces of the Chu Clan members also darkened, and their eyes turned hostile.
Lin Xun seemed to not care and just said with a smile, “Old man, everyone can be a witness. I didn’t say a word just now, but you criticized me time and time again. Who is more ridiculous? I always respect the elderly and am always polite to the teachers, but old man you don’t even respect yourself. I’m embarrassed to let you sing a one-man show by yourself.”
“You—!”
Chu Yunkong never thought that Lin Xun would have such a vicious tongue. He was so furious that his eyes almost popped out, and his lungs almost ruptured.
Chu Haidong couldn’t help frowning and interrupting, “Lin Xun, what my uncle said just now may be a little extreme, but it’s the truth. You don’t have to agree but you don’t need to be so serious.”
Seeing Chu Haidong also stand up, Lin Xun scrunched his eyebrows and smiled contemptuously. “Stupid idiot!”
“You want to die!” Chu Haidong snapped.
Lin Xun shrugged., “What I said is the truth. You don’t have to agree but you don’t need to be so serious, right?”