Chapter 58

When Lin Xun came out of the Stone Cauldron Studio, he still had 173 silver coins left, most of which had been spent on the spirit medicines and spirit ink.

There was no way around it; items used for cultivation were extremely expensive, and ordinary people simply couldn't afford them.

Lin Xun had also heard that there were many people in the world who could step into the path of cultivation but, due to extreme poverty and lack of financial support, they could never cultivate and could only remain as ordinary people among the masses.

Fortunately, Lin Xun didn't have to worry about this for now.

By noon, Lin Xun had decided to return to Fiyun Village. Xue Liang sent two guards to help Lin Xun escort the goods and travel together.

At the same time, these two guards were also responsible for purchasing Fiyun Fire Copper. This time, they were accompanying Lin Xun to explore the route, and in the future, they would proactively go to Fiyun Village to purchase Fiyun Fire Copper every month.

This way, even if Lin Xun left Fiyun Village in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about no one helping Fiyun Village with the transportation and exchange of goods.

Lin Xun knew very well that this was definitely an arrangement by Yan Zhen, and it also indirectly proved that the Stone Cauldron Studio indeed kept its word.

As long as the Stone Cauldron Studio remained in the Qingyang Tribe and as long as Lin Xun was still alive, no one would dare to break the agreement.

Moreover, with the Stone Cauldron Studio as his backing, others would not dare to covet Fiyun Village's wealth.

Xue Liang personally escorted Lin Xun to the outskirts of the Qingyang Tribe, attracting many gazes along the way, but when they recognized the people from the Stone Cauldron Studio, they all tactfully withdrew their gazes.

"Mr. Lin Xun, given your current age and cultivation, why don't you go to Donglin City to participate in the Prefecture Examination?"

As they conversed, when Xue Liang learned that Lin Xun was only thirteen years old, he was surprised and couldn't help but ask.

Lin Xun was taken aback: "Prefecture Examination?"

Xue Liang patiently explained: "The empire holds a selection process every two years, recruiting outstanding talents from all over the world..."

According to Xue Liang, the Ziyao Empire, to select talents, established four levels of examinations based on different regions: Prefecture Examination, State Examination, Provincial Examination, and National Examination.

This was easy to understand. The Ziyao Empire had an extremely vast territory, divided into thirty-four provinces, each province having several states, and each state having several prefectures.

In short, prefectures, states, provinces, and the capital formed the vast territory of the Ziyao Empire.

The "Prefecture Examination," "State Examination," "Provincial Examination," and "National Examination" corresponded to different levels of assessment and selection.

Among them, the Prefecture Examination was the lowest level of assessment, with simple requirements: participants must not be older than fifteen and must have cultivation.

As long as these conditions were met, one could smoothly pass the Prefecture Examination.

The State Examination had stricter requirements, needing a precise evaluation of the cultivator's potential, insight, and physical constitution. Only the outstanding could pass.

The Provincial Examination was so stringent that it could be described as harsh. The specific content of the assessment was even unclear to Xue Liang, but he knew that those who passed were all top-notch figures in the world!

As for the National Examination, it was too distant, being the most elite assessment in the capital, Zijincheng. Those who could participate were mostly one in a million, and calling them the pride of heaven was not an exaggeration.

It's worth noting that the Prefecture Examination, State Examination, Provincial Examination, and National Examination were a series of selections.

To participate in the National Examination, one must not only be under eighteen but also pass the Prefecture Examination, State Examination, and Provincial Examination. Missing any one of them was not allowed!

After hearing this, Lin Xun couldn't help but be amazed. Each year, the selection process would produce countless outstanding figures, and those who could stand out from the rigorous assessments would, without any unexpected events, become the pillars of the Ziyao Empire and shine brightly.

But soon, Lin Xun realized a problem and asked: "Uncle Xue Liang, what are the specific benefits of participating in the examinations?"

Xue Liang was speechless for a moment before saying: "There are many benefits, not only gaining fame but also many opportunities for advancement. Most importantly, it greatly benefits your future cultivation path."

He paused and continued: "For example, if you pass the Prefecture Examination, many clans, chambers of commerce, military departments, and academies will take notice of you. They will try their best to recruit you, providing you with the wealth and resources needed for cultivation."

Lin Xun was surprised: "Why is that?"

Xue Liang smiled: "It's simple. Don't underestimate the Prefecture Examination. Those who can participate are all teenagers under fifteen with cultivation. These people are like promising saplings with great potential. If they can be recruited, they will bring great benefits to their forces in the future."

Lin Xun nodded thoughtfully: "I see. But if I don't want to join other forces, are there no other benefits?"

Xue Liang said: "Of course not. As long as you pass the Prefecture Examination, the empire will reward you with a sum of money to provide you with the opportunity to participate in the State Examination. If you can pass the State Examination, the benefits will be much greater. At that time, some major forces will also pay attention to you."

"If you can pass the Provincial Examination, that's even more impressive. Even if you don't have the chance to participate in the National Examination, you can still have a high status, enjoy endless wealth, and have a continuous supply of cultivation resources."

"As for the National Examination... if you pass, you can enter the Qinglu Academy! That is the most famous academy in the empire, the holy land of cultivation that countless cultivators dream of!"

As he spoke, Xue Liang's voice was filled with excitement and admiration.

After a long while, Xue Liang gradually calmed down and said with a bitter smile: "However, the Qinglu Academy is not easy to enter. It only admits a hundred students each year, and nine out of ten cultivators who participate in the National Examination cannot enter."

Lin Xun silently digested this information for a long time and couldn't help but say: "The Qinglu Academy is indeed impressive. Even the currency circulating in the empire has its emblem on it."

Xue Liang agreed: "Who can deny it? By the way, the empire's selection process is not simple. Each level of assessment has its own significance. If you are interested in participating, you can go to Donglin City to gather more information. I heard that the Prefecture Examination in Donglin City will start in two months."

Lin Xun nodded: "I will consider it seriously."

As they spoke, they had already arrived at the outskirts of the Qingyang Tribe.

Lin Xun took the initiative to say goodbye: "Uncle Xue Liang, no need to see me off any further."

Xue Liang nodded: "Alright, take care on your journey."

Lin Xun smiled, mounted his scaled horse, and galloped away. The two guards from the Stone Cauldron Studio also followed, escorting the goods.

"That young man's actions last night seemed rash, but his mind is sharp and his heart is deep. If nothing unexpected happens, he will surely stand out in the future. It's just a pity that he was born in a remote and poor place, with limited knowledge and experience. He will likely face many challenges in the future..."

Xue Liang watched them until they disappeared into the distance, then turned and returned to the Qingyang Tribe.

...

At the same time, at the Wu Family Chamber of Commerce.

Wu Deyong sat in the hall, his eyes bloodshot and his face as dark as water.

He never expected that a young man from Fiyun Village would become a guest of the Stone Cauldron Studio, and even the studio's owner, Yan Zhen, would personally stand up for him. This left Wu Deyong with no outlet for his anger, and he could only suppress it.

The Stone Cauldron Studio was too powerful. Not just Wu Deyong, but even the Wu Family Clan behind him could not afford to offend such a behemoth.

Compared to the Stone Cauldron Studio, they were like ants before a towering tree. If the studio wanted to cause trouble, it could crush them with a finger!

So, he could only endure this.

At this moment, a servant hurriedly reported: "Master, that young man has left the Qingyang Tribe, accompanied by two guards from the Stone Cauldron Studio."

Hearing this, the last bit of Wu Deyong's reluctance vanished, and his face fell. The Stone Cauldron Studio had even sent guards to accompany him! This was clearly a warning to the Wu Family Chamber of Commerce not to do anything excessive!

"Master, are we just going to let this go? Wu Jie and the others were killed by this young man. Everyone in the Qingyang Tribe knows about it. If we don't resolve this, how can we ever hold our heads high in the Qingyang Tribe?"

A middle-aged man on one side of the hall spoke angrily, and others nodded in agreement.

Wu Deyong roared in anger: "If we don't let it go, do you want to seek revenge? Do you want the Stone Cauldron Studio to find an excuse to eliminate us all?"

Everyone fell silent.

After a long while, Wu Deyong calmed down and said: "This matter is over. No one is to mention it again!"

Someone couldn't help but say: "But Wu Henshui, the chief steward, has not been heard from. Are we going to let this go too?"

Mentioning Wu Henshui, Wu Deyong's lips twitched, and he gritted his teeth: "Fools, that young man single-handedly killed people in the Qingyang Tribe. Do you really think Wu Henshui is still alive?"

Everyone fell silent. They knew that Wu Henshui was likely dead, but letting Lin Xun go left them feeling extremely aggrieved.

This was not just about their dignity but also the reputation of the Wu Family Chamber of Commerce in the Qingyang Tribe!

"Master, we can't act ourselves, but we can hire others to do it. Why not spend money to hire some mercenaries to take care of this?"

After a long while, someone suggested.

But when Wu Deyong heard this, he was furious, slamming the table and shouting: "Have you all forgotten what Yan Zhen said last night? If anything happens to that young man, whether or not we did it, the Stone Cauldron Studio will eliminate us first! Do you understand what that means? Even if the young man dies in the mouth of a beast, we will still face the full retribution of the Stone Cauldron Studio! A bunch of idiots! Don't think before you speak!"

Everyone fell into a dejected silence, feeling almost explosive with frustration. The Stone Cauldron Studio was simply too overbearing!

Seeing that no one spoke for a long time, Wu Deyong took a deep breath and said: "Of course, this grudge must be avenged, but not now. Don't forget that when Wu Henshui left, the Fiyun Village guard commander, Lian Rufeng, also left. I remember his son, Lian Fei, is currently cultivating in Donglin City. When the opportunity comes, Lian Fei might be of great use..."

As he spoke, his voice took on a cold and sinister tone.

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PS: Thank you, brother Teng Xiao, for your generous support! I appreciate it.