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An intricate and detailed leather map was unfurled on the stone table in the courtyard.

Lin Xun picked up a rune brush and drew a red circle around Haze City before beginning to carefully inspect the rest of the map.

He had bought the map at a bookshop after leaving the Rune Master Association. On it was the detailed topography of the empire’s thirty-four provinces.

Xue Jin walked over and took a glance. He took the rune brush from Lin Xun and casually traced three routes on the map. Each marked a different path from Haze City to the Forbidden City in the north.

“These are the three roads that are connected to Haze City. The west route passes through thirty-seven cities and over a hundred mountains of varying sizes with plenty of danger zones amongst them. If you choose this route, your journey will be filled with unpredictable variables.

Xue Jin spoke in a confident and experienced voice, “The east route passes through the Spirit Burial Sea. If it was another time, this would be the safest route. However, during this period every year, the Spirit Burial Sea falls into a period of turmoil filled with storms and tsunamis. Moreover, numerous savage beasts are active as well. No one dares to enter the sea during this season.”

Lin Xun’s gaze fell on the route in the middle. “Isn’t this the shortest route to the Forbidden City?”

Xue Jin nodded. “Although there are some natural dangers and risks on this path, rune shuttles and battleships can smoothly bring you through it.”

Xue Jin raised his head and looked at Lin Xun. “But I don’t recommend this path because the enemy will dispatch the most forces to guard it.”

Lin Xun was silent.

Xue Jin continued, “Kid, I advise you to take the west route. Although it is long, winding, and goes through several danger zones, the enemy is less likely to attack you.”

In the end, Lin Xu shook his head and pointed at the middle route. “I will take this route. It encompasses over a thousand miles and unless the other side sends tens of thousands of elite soldiers, they will not be able to block it off completely.”

Xue Jin frowned. “Are you thinking the most dangerous place will be the safest?”

Lin Xun shook his head. “I have a feeling that I will encounter enemy forces no matter which route I take. Since that’s the case, I might as well choose the most direct route. In addition, they have already declared that they will not send experts that surpass the Spirit Dipper stage. Hence, there’s no need to be overly fearful.”

Xue Jin was silent for a moment before he said, “Are you really going to do this?”

Lin Xun nodded.

Xue Jin acknowledged and asked, “How do you plan to reach the Forbidden City?”

Lin Xun casually answered, “Didn’t you mention that the rune shuttles can get me through the danger zones? I’ll take a rune shuttle then.”

Lin Xun kept the map and said, “Old Jin, can I trouble you to help me collect the provincial exam certificate in two days? I need to prepare a few toys for the journey.”

Xue Jin curiously asked, “Toys?”

Lin Xun grinned. “Yes, a few murder toys that definitely won’t reach your standards. However, they should work wonders on the enemy this time.”

After leaving these words, he turned around and walked into the room.

When Lin Xun returned earlier, he had not only bought a map but also a huge amount of aeth resources. Over ten thousand gold coins had been spent, which was his entire savings.

For the sake of entering the Forbidden City, Lin Xun could not afford to be stingy.

“He can’t be making those crossbows with great destructive power, right?”

Xue Jin felt more certain the more thought about it. No one should ever forget that Lin Xun was also an accomplished rune master!

……

The Forbidden City.

In an old manor with a thousand years of history.

“Everyone, I invited all of you here for one thing: to stop a young man called Lin Xun from entering the Forbidden City!”

Chi Cangmei’s sharp eyes swept across the group. Her voice was ordinary but gave off an air of authority that could not be rejected.

Although Chi Cangmei was a woman, she had fierce eyes, a proud disposition, and a powerful, intimidating presence.

Of course, she did have the goods to back it all up. She was seventeen this year and was one of the direct descendants of the Chi Clan, which was one of the Forbidden City’s seven high clans. Due to her status and her Spirit Sea stage cultivation, she was often praised as the pearl of the Chi Clan’s younger generation.

There were four or five youths around Chi Cangmei. All of them had impressive appearances and powerful auras. Anyone could tell they were also noble disciples.

When they were in front of Chi Cangmei, however, these youths subconsciously hid their usual arrogance and became as obedient as lambs.

Swoosh!

Chi Cangmei unfurled a map on which several markings had been drawn. It had evidently been thoroughly analyzed by her already.

Chi Cangmei swiftly said, “There are three routes that lead from Haze City to the Forbidden City. The west route passes through thirty-seven cities…”

If Lin Xun was present, he would definitely realize that the three routes noted by Chi Cangmei were exactly the same as the ones Xue Jin has drawn!

The youths listened attentively, not daring to display any negligence.

Toward the end, Chi Cangmei raised her head and looked at everyone again. “No matter which route the target chooses, I want our men to be stationed on all three of them!”

The youths were surprised by these words. One of them could not help but say, “That seems a little…”

Chi Cangmei indifferently cut in, “You guys think I am making a mountain out of a molehill?”

The others nodded. It was only a Human Dipper youngster, was there really a need for them to dispatch so many people?

If they did, the amount of manpower and resources would be insane. The Spirit Dipper stage cultivators alone would be over a thousand!

Chi Cangmei did not say anything else. She retrieved a leather scroll and passed it to them. “This is some information about the target. You guys can take a look.”

The youths immediately crowded together, opened the scroll, and began to read. Only a few seconds later, their expressions changed one by one, turning bewildered and uncertain.

Toward the end, some of them were unable to hold back gasps as shock flowed out in their eyes.

The scroll recorded various feats Lin Xun had done in Haze City. There was the bloody rainy night assassination, the apex duel against Huang Jianchen, and, most importantly, it was clearly recorded that Lin Xun was one of the successful graduates of Blood Kill Camp!

Every piece of information proved that the young man called Lin Xun was an extremely formidable character!

One of the youths softly sighed and said, “I never imagined that a fifteen-year-old Human Dipper youth would possess such powerful combat ability. To think that even that madman, Huang Jianchen, lost to him. He is indeed someone who cannot be underestimated.”

“The most frightening part is that he is one of the successful graduates of Blood Kill Camp! Those people are cold, ruthless, and cunning. They are not only adept at assassination but also experts at self-preservation. These graduates are no different from monsters.”

Everyone displayed solemn expressions. The identity of a Blood Kill Camp graduate made them reevaluate their opinion of Lin Xun.

“However, no matter how amazing Lin Xun is, his cultivation is still at the Human Dipper stage. In addition, he’s only one person. There are less taxing methods available to stop him from entering the Forbidden City.”

One of the youths still believed that Chi Cangmei’s arrangements were excessive.

Before she could say anything else, the doors were pushed open, and a thin, frail man in blue with a waxy yellow complexion walked in.

“Xu Qianjing! Why are you here?”

The group of youths displayed shocked expressions at the sight of the man as if they could not believe he was there.

Xu Qianjing was a genius from Qinglu Academy’s God Stratagems Department. He was a brilliant strategist with unmatched intuition, calculation ability, and tactical intelligence.

Even in a place like the God Strategems Department where many amazing generals were born, Xu Qianjing was someone that no one dared to ignore!

Last year, Xu Qianjing faced over a hundred expert strategists from the same generation in Qinglu Academy’s tri-yearly god stratagems face-off and ultimately clinched the title of champion, becoming the God Strategems Department’s youngest Master Tactician!

How could the group not be shocked to suddenly see such a prodigious genius appear?

“No need to be surprised. I invited Qianjing.”

Chi Cangmei casually explained before inviting Xu Qianjing to take a seat. She personally poured him a cup of tea, displaying a respectful attitude.

In other words, only someone like Xu Qianjing was worthy of such treatment from her!

“I just received news that Lin Xun has passed the southwest district provincial exam and has been awarded first place.”

Xu Qianjing threw out a bomb the moment he was seated, causing the others’ hearts to shake as their expression changed indeterminately.

There were only thirty-four provinces in the empire. It was easy to imagine how powerful Lin Xun was to be able to become the champion of the southwest provincial exam.

Even Chi Cangmei could not help but be a little taken aback. “Is he still at the Human Dipper stage?”

This was a key question!

Xu Qianjing nodded. “The provincial exam results cannot be faked. According to the information I’ve received, in the third round of the exam, Lin Xun single-handedly defeated four Earth Dipper experts and a Heaven Dipper expert, none of whom were your average cultivator. The fact that Lin Xun achieved this feat proves that his current combat power can more than match a Heaven Dipper expert. He is an outstanding young expert.”

Although his complexion was waxy yellow, his eyes were extremely clear as if they could peer through the sky and see everything in this world.

His voice was gentle and calm like a soothing spring breeze. It also gave off a sensation of unshakable confidence that would make anyone submit.

When everyone heard what he said, however, their expressions could not help but change once more!