Chapter 87

The registration site for the Prefecture Examination is located in a central open square at the Donglin Academy.

Due to the large number of participants, the square has been set up with thirty-six registration booths, all staffed by Donglin Academy students.

However, even with such thorough arrangements, the number of registrants is so high that long lines form behind each booth.

Seeing this, Lin Xun could only stand in line behind one of the registration points, waiting quietly.

The registration process is simple; one only needs to pay ten copper coins to receive a token for participating in the Prefecture Examination.

Suddenly, a burst of discussion caught Lin Xun's attention.

"Unbelievable, I heard that the person overseeing this Prefecture Examination is the esteemed Yao Tuohai from Qingfeng County."

"Who is he?"

"Idiot, thirty years ago, when Yao Tuohai was fifteen, it was already quite late for him to take the Prefecture Examination. However, within a year, he passed the Prefecture, State, and Provincial Examinations."

"Not only that, during the National Examination, Yao Tuohai displayed unparalleled might, standing out among countless brilliant talents."

"Although Yao Tuohai ultimately fell short of the National Examination and did not enter the Qinglu Academy as he wished, his outstanding performance earned him the attention of the current Imperial Chancellor, who then promoted him to a key position in the imperial government, making him famous throughout the land."

"You must understand that over the years, our Southwest Province has never produced anyone who passed the National Examination. For Yao Tuohai to achieve this is already a remarkable feat. In the entire Southwest Province, the only person who can be compared to Yao Tuohai is the Grand Marshal Liu Wujun, who holds supreme power in the Southwest Province."

"Heaven, if this Yao Tuohai is so powerful, why would he come to our Donglin City to oversee the Prefecture Examination? A person of his stature could easily oversee the Provincial Examination."

"Indeed, no one knows why Yao Tuohai is here. That's why this year's Prefecture Examination has attracted so many cultivators. I've heard that cultivators from nearby cities are also rushing here, all hoping to make a good impression on Yao Tuohai. If they can gain his favor, their future success is virtually guaranteed."

"Damn, these guys are dreaming."

"Sigh, regardless, with so many cultivators participating this year, the competition will be extremely fierce. The final selection will only admit one thousand people, and even those who meet the criteria may be eliminated."

Hearing this, Lin Xun was also surprised, never expecting the Prefecture Examination to undergo such significant changes.

At the same time, the name Yao Tuohai entered Lin Xun's awareness. Learning about Yao Tuohai's glorious achievements made Lin Xun realize that this was a truly formidable figure, someone who could catch the eye of the current Imperial Chancellor thirty years ago.

Why would such a person come to Donglin City to personally oversee the Prefecture Examination?

There must be a reason.

However, Lin Xun didn't bother with these thoughts. The discussions he overheard left him speechless. The arrival of Yao Tuohai had caused a sudden surge in the number of cultivators participating in the Prefecture Examination, many of whom were likely to be highly talented. The competition for the limited number of spots would be intense.

"I am now at the Sixth Level of True Martial cultivation, and I am not yet fourteen. I wonder if I can pass this Prefecture Examination."

Lin Xun, who was initially confident, now felt uncertain.

The content of the Prefecture Examination is simple: one must be under fifteen years old and possess cultivation.

In other words, any cultivator who dares to participate in the Prefecture Examination must meet these two conditions. However, due to the limited number of spots, the Prefecture Examination will inevitably select the best of the best, and ordinary cultivators are destined to be eliminated.

Soon, Lin Xun reached the registration booth.

Behind the booth, two Donglin Academy students, one male and one female, were seated. One was responsible for collecting the registration fee, one for issuing tokens, and one for recording the registrant's personal information.

After paying ten copper coins, the female student behind the booth looked up and asked, "Please state your name and place of origin."

Lin Xun replied casually, "Lin Xun, from Fiyun Village in Donglin City."

Upon hearing this, the male student, who was responsible for issuing tokens, suddenly looked up and said, "You are Lin Xun?"

The male student was handsome and well-built, but his face was somewhat gloomy. He had been listless and distracted while issuing tokens.

At that moment, his eyes became sharp and he stared at Lin Xun with intense emotion.

However, he quickly realized his loss of composure and regained his calm.

"Do you know me?" Lin Xun raised an eyebrow.

His perception was extremely sharp. In that instant, he sensed not only the male student's intense emotion but also a faint trace of killing intent, though it was deeply concealed and could not escape Lin Xun's notice.

"I must have mistaken you for someone else." The male student shook his head, his voice cold.

Lin Xun responded with a laugh, "What a coincidence."

The male student, expressionless, handed Lin Xun a token and said, "There are many coincidences in this world, and many things that are not. You should leave quickly and not block others from registering."

Lin Xun played with the token in his hand for a moment, then leaned down and looked at the male student behind the booth, smiling, "Coincidence always has a cause, friend. I believe we will meet again."

His words were full of meaning. With that, he turned and left with a smile.

As he watched Lin Xun's figure disappear, the male student's face darkened, his eyes filled with coldness.

"Li Fei, what's wrong?" the female student asked, surprised by Li Fei's sudden change in demeanor.

"Nothing." Li Fei shook his head, took a deep breath, and smiled, "Susu, don't worry. We need to continue working. There are many people registering today, and we need to hurry."

"Okay." The female student nodded. She was not stupid and had already sensed something from the earlier scene.

She thought to herself, "So, this is the enemy Li Fei has been trying to deal with these days. It's just a teenager. I thought he was some kind of monster. Li Fei never likes me to interfere in his affairs, but since I've encountered this, I can't just stand by and watch him suffer. He is the man I, Yao Susu, have chosen."

Li Fei...

Leaving the Donglin Academy, Lin Xun kept recalling the appearance of the male student he had just encountered, and he had a good idea of the person's identity.

Lin Xun had few enemies in Donglin City, and among those at Donglin Academy, his only enemy was Li Fei.

He had never seen Li Fei before, so he didn't recognize him at first. However, today, he coincidentally met this enemy, and Lin Xun had an impulse to kill him.

But in the end, Lin Xun held back. The Donglin Academy was heavily guarded, with many experts present, and he couldn't act rashly.

However, now that Lin Xun knew Li Fei's appearance, he would find an opportunity to eliminate him in the future.

Lin Xun was well aware that Li Fei wanted to kill him, the "murderer of his father," so he would not give Li Fei any chance for revenge.

On the bustling street, people were everywhere, and various sounds filled the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

Many people were discussing the name "Yao Tuohai." Today, Yao Tuohai was the most talked-about person in Donglin City.

The news of his arrival to oversee the Prefecture Examination had caused a stir, and many were speculating about his true purpose.

After all, for someone of Yao Tuohai's status to oversee a Prefecture Examination seemed like overkill.

Lin Xun didn't pay much attention to these speculations. No matter how famous Yao Tuohai was, it had nothing to do with him.

Not long after, Lin Xun entered Li's Bookshop, greeted the familiar shop owner, Old Li, and began selecting books, of course, for Xia Zhi.

Leaving the bookshop, seeing that it was still early, Lin Xun took a rare moment to relax. He strolled down the street, buying some honeyed fruits, spirit fruits, and roasted meat.

In the past few days, to deal with the threats from the Wu Clan and Li Fei, Lin Xun had been on high alert, preparing various strategies, and had not left the civilian district for nearly half a month.

Now that these threats were temporarily resolved, Lin Xun didn't want to push himself too hard. The path of cultivation requires a balance of tension and relaxation. Overly intense and obsessive cultivation can be counterproductive.

Soon, Lin Xun's attention was drawn to a place called "Donglin Martial Hall," and he stopped involuntarily.

"Sir, would you like to try our Spirit Testing Stone? It can accurately measure your spiritual energy, which will greatly benefit your future cultivation."

A servant with bright eyes quickly approached, enthusiastically inviting him, "In addition to the Spirit Testing Stone, our Martial Hall also has specialized training rooms for cultivators, equipped with different levels of copper-skinned puppets to help you refine your martial strength without getting hurt."

"Oh, it can also refine martial strength?" Lin Xun became interested.

Seeing Lin Xun's interest, the servant quickly added, "If you're not interested in these, our Martial Hall also has a martial arena where you can spar with other cultivators. If you win, you can earn a substantial prize."

Lin Xun wasn't interested in the arena battles but was intrigued by the Spirit Testing Stone and the training rooms. He was curious about the extent of his current strength.

After some thought, Lin Xun casually tossed the servant five copper coins and said, "Take me to see the Spirit Testing Stone first."

The servant, delighted, said, "Sure, sir, please follow me."

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