Stone Cauldron Alms Headquarters.
Before dawn broke, the masses had already crowded the outside of the building
Anyone able to pass through the crowd and enter Stone Cauldron Alms headquarters had to be either a clansman of an aristocratic clan or an influential and powerful figure.
Feng Qingyou was also in attendance. Dressed in simple and plain clothes with her black hair draped loosely over her shoulders, she looked pure and beautiful. Her skin was soft and delicate.
Before Lin Xun rose to fame, she had been enjoying the title of a genius maiden for her magnificent mastery in the art of runes.
Even to this day, she was still a well-known figure among the younger generation of rune masters.
A beautiful woman in simple clothes with a calm, reassuring demeanor was walking along beside her.
Feng Qingyou suddenly scrunched up her face and muttered, “The admission ticket has gone up to thirty thousand gold coins. Apparently Lin Xun is very popular.”
The beautiful woman smiled. “It is, after all, a conference held by a young rune grandmaster. It’s normal for people to be curious.”
“Teacher, do you think the Shattered Tragedy Spear is as powerful as rumored?” Feng Qingyou asked curiously.The beautiful woman said casually, “We won’t know until we see it with our own eyes.”
At that moment, following a commotion, Yu Beidou, Cheng Jing and other rune grandmasters showed up.
The rune grandmasters were all from the Rune Master Association or the Divine Workshop, and they were all leading figures in the art of the runes. Their arrival understandably caused an uproar.
However, Yu Beidou and the others were stunned to see the beautiful woman standing beside Feng Qingyou. They immediately rushed forward to greet her.
“Paying our respects to Lady Baohua!”
“Elder, I didn’t expect you to come too.”
Yu Beidou and the others all bowed their heads respectfully, which made the surrounding people smack their lips as they realized that the beautiful woman was also an extraordinarily influential figure.
“Baohua, long time no see,” said a thin old man with unkempt hair beside Yu Beidou and the others.
If Lin Xun was around, he would recognize the old man right away: Old Mo!
The rune grandmaster who had developed the new style of Violet Hero Battleship in Blood Kill Camp.
Old Mo’s eyes were glistening with excitement and emotion. He also seemed a little restrained as though he couldn’t believe that he would see the beautiful woman there.
“Senior Brother Mo, you also came. I haven’t heard from you for many years.” The beautiful woman smiled subtly.
“Oh, I…” Old Mo sighed when a burst of laughter interrupted him.
“Oh, everyone has arrived already.”
Old Mo’s face immediately darkened. He saw a stern and dignified man with a neatly trimmed beard approaching them.
Yu Beidou and the others immediately assumed solemn expressions and bowed. “Paying our respects to Master Luo.”
“Senior Brother Luo.” The beautiful woman gave him a nod.
However, Old Mo snorted coldly, and his face grew overcast with a hint of resentment and hatred flashing in his eyes.
“Hahaha, what a coincidence! We met again today because of a junior’s conference. Let’s go inside and catch up.” The dignified man chuckled as he led everyone into Stone Cauldron Alms headquarters.
……
“That’s Lady Baohua, an iconic figure of the Rune Department and also a rune founder. She has a transcendental identity and status, but she has been living in seclusion for the past twenty years to study the art of runes. I didn’t think she would come today,” stated Shen Tuo as he stood at the window of a room on the ninth floor of the Rune Master Association.
The Rune Master Association headquarters was a magnificent and grand nine-storey building in the capital.
Shen Tuo couldn’t help but express his deep reverence when he talked about Lady Baohua. She was a legendary figure who had watched over the crafting process of five rune armaments. Each one was a peerless treasure.
The rune armament that the emperor held was also a masterpiece of Lady Baohua!
“What is her relationship with Old Mo?”
Lin Xun felt waves lifting in his heart when he saw Old Mo, but he also noticed that Old Mo looked unusually emotional while being restrained at the same time, so he couldn’t help feeling curious about his relationship with Lady Baohua.
The Old Mo he knew was eccentric and proud.
“Old Mo is Lady Baohua’s senior brother.” Shen Tuo explained, “I also heard that the reason Old Mo disappeared from the Forbidden City was related to Lady Baohua.”
“Lady Baohua forced Old Mo to leave?” Lin Xun frowned.
Shen Tuo shook his head and just as he was about to say something, he narrowed his eyes. “Look, Master Luo is here too.”
“Who is he?” Lin Xun followed his gaze and saw a perfectly groomed and dignified-looking man.
“Luo Feng, one of the few rune founders in the Divine Workshop. He is well-known across the world and is admired and respected by many rune masters. There are even rumors in the capital that he has reached a sublime level of mastery in the art of runes and not many people can rival him.”
Shen Tuo’s expression turned strange. “Old Mo’s sudden disappearance from the Forbidden City was also said to be connected to him.”
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes. “So he’s the true culprit. Elder, do you know what kind of grudge there is between him and Old Mo?”
Shen Tuo whispered, “I only know that it involves Lady Baohua.”
“Because of her?”
Lin Xun stared at him blankly while the scene of two men fighting over a woman flashed across his mind...
“You can ask him in person after the conference.” Shen Tuo scratched his head. He didn’t know much about the relationship between them.
Lin Xun nodded.
Old Mo had helped Lin Xun a lot in Blood Kill Camp, so he would take Old Mo’s side if there was a grudge between the two.
……
The arrival of Rune Founder Luo Feng and Lady Baohua quickly spread and sparked many discussions.
They were two rune founder-level figures, and it was incredibly rare to see them in person.
However, the attendees of the conference were all powerful and influential figures so their appearance didn’t cause too great of a sensation.
The attendees of the conference included the masters of aristocratic clans in the Forbidden City, the authority figures of the imperial family, the leaders and generals of the imperial army and military, and other authorities from all over the empire. Every one of them could make ordinary people tremble with their powers.
The gathering of such powerful figures was already an unprecedentedly grand occasion!
The audience gradually quieted down as the conference started.
A man in formal attire stepped onto the stage and bowed in all directions before he spoke aloud. He was called Li An and was relatively handsome, elegant and full of charisma.
“Welcome to the conference of Master Lin Xun. As we all know, Master Lin Xun is very young, but he has already become famous all over the world. He is a young genius known to everyone in the Forbidden City. Master Lin Xun possesses unimaginable talent in the art of runes and has even evoked the Cry of the Nine Dragons. Now, he is currently teaching at the renowned Qinglu Academy.”
“At today’s event, there will be a rune armament created from the hands of Master Lin Xun shown to the world. It is called the Shattered Tragedy Spear!”
Li An paused and clapped his hands. Immediately, a young girl brought out a long bronze box.
“Everyone, the Shattered Tragedy Spear is in the bronze box before me.”
Shua!
All eyes stared at the bronze box placed in front of Li An. Many people couldn’t help but stretch their necks and widen their eyes. It was as though they thought they could see inside the bronze box by doing so.
The atmosphere changed, and the hall was filled with tense anticipation.
However, Li An smiled slightly and said, “Before I reveal the rune armament. Please allow me to describe the birth of such an incredible treasure.”
Everyone cursed inwardly and wanted to strangle him to death.
“Everyone must have heard that Master Lin Xun had successfully crafted the Shattered Tragedy Spear in Qinglu Academy twenty days ago. However, when the treasure was born, lightning tribulation struck down from the sky and strange visions flashed across the air. That had never happened in the past…”
Everyone patiently listened to Li An rambling.
In the end, Li An concluded, “In short, the spear is a treasure different from other rune armaments and a peerless weapon that will amaze the world."
“Perhaps you all think that I am exaggerating, but I can guarantee that you will marvel at the treasure’s mysteriousness when you lay eyes on it. Your reaction might even be greater than mine!”
Everyone listened with bated breaths. Li An’s speech had completely piqued their curiosity, and they made them look forward to the reveal even more.
One fiery-tempered person couldn’t help but shout out loud, “Stop creating suspense. Do you want me to die of anticipation?”
Even the more shrewd people couldn’t conceal their anticipation.
Li An took a deep breath as his face suddenly flushed. He reassured, “Everyone, please be patient. I can guarantee that today’s conference is destined to be a miracle!” His voice trembled with suppressed excitement, which many people noticed and it only made them more curious and anxious.
The majority of people were full of anticipation because, regardless of whether Li An was exaggerating or not, a rune armament that survived a lightning tribulation was worthy of their attention.
People from the older generation couldn’t help but frown, irritated by Li An’s exaggeration.
Miracle?
When had the birth of a rune armament ever been called a miracle in the past?
“Youngsters these days like to show off. It’s just a rune armament but such a grand conference is held for its reveal. This is too unnecessary and is just for showing off,” someone suddenly said indifferently.
It was Luo Feng, a rune founder of the Divine Workshop. His remark drew many people’s attention.
However, everyone was aware of Luo Feng’s identity as a rune founder so although his remark was a bit condescending and patronizing no one would retort.