The sixteen men in black court attire stood silently, like sculptures that could stand thousands of years of erosion by the wind. Standing next to the mysterious black carriage that was akin to eternal night was an old man with a peaceful expression. He bowed respectfully, showing his impeccable manners.

The woman, who seemed to come from endless darkness, came over to stand in front of Lin Xun. She suddenly stretched out her hand and lifted up Xia Zhi’s little hand while she studied Xia Zhi’s stunningly beautiful face with her ocean-like blue eyes. After a long moment, the corners of her lips curved upwards in a satisfied grin.

Xia Zhi stood motionless and just stared at the woman standing before her. But there was undisguised vigilance in her dark crescent-shaped eyes.

She had already felt a hint of fretfulness since yesterday, and that feeling only intensified as time passed. Today, she finally understood the source of her fretfulness when she saw the woman and she knew it had nothing to do with Lin Xun.

“You already knew I would come?” asked the woman in surprise.

Xia Zhi pursed her lips and said, “I had a feeling.”

The woman looked even more satisfied, and her usual cold and indifferent eyes carried a touch of warmth. “You shall leave with me today.”

Her tone was calm, but it seemed to allow no question or refusal.

Lin Xun’s heart sank. This was an order and the meaning was extremely clear. There was no room for negotiation at all.

This ignited Lin Xun’s anger once again and it almost burned his rationality.

Lin Xu was already filled with murderous rage when Yao Tuohai wanted to capture Xia Zhi. But now, a mysterious woman had suddenly appeared and demanded to take Xia Zhi away from him. It seemed that everyone had ignored his existence!

“Why?”

Lin Xun said hoarsely, his body trembling. He was about to lose control of the rage in his heart. Furthermore, a wave of fear instinctively rushed out from him when he faced the mysterious woman. Under the clash of anger and fear, Lin Xun was like a tightly pulled bowstring and could snap at any moment.

The woman frowned and shifted her gaze to Lin Xun for the first time but her pale blue eyes were cold and indifferent.

Instantly, a terrifying pressure pressed down on him like a landslide. His whole body trembled more violently and his face grew paler, but his handsome face was crossed with determination and he refused to fall down.

Xia Zhi suddenly said out loud, “I’ll go with you.”

The woman retracted her gaze and Lin Xun seemed to have just escaped from the edge of death. His face was deathly white.

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

“Not a bad young man. No wonder you’re willing to follow him,” remarked the woman ruminatively.

“To me, he is irreplaceable, but I will eventually surpass you in the future,” Xia Zhi said seriously as she looked straight at the woman.

The corners of the woman's lips curved upwards in a thought-provoking arc. “I look forward to that day.”

Xia Zhi said, “Aren't you afraid that I'll kill you then?”

The woman looked more and more gentle. She seemed to have a special feeling towards Xia Zhi. “I can give you three chances to kill me.”

Xia Zhi pursed her lips and said unwaveringly, “I don’t need three chances. One is enough.”

The woman smiled.

This was the first time that she smiled since she appeared. That moment seemed like a beautiful flower blooming within endless darkness and made the world pale in comparison.

“Remember what you said.”

After a moment, the woman took Xia Zhi’s hand and walked towards the black carriage.

Xia Zhi turned her head to look at Lin Xun and said suddenly, “Lin Xun, you can't die until I come back, okay?”

At that moment, Lin Xun’s mind went blank. The anger, fear, unwillingness and confusion in his heart seemed to have disappeared, leaving only an unprecedented feeling of determination.

“I won’t.”

He muttered, his voice low and hoarse. He stood motionless with his head hung low, allowing the woman to take Xia Zhi away. No one saw it, but tears streamed down from the corners of his eyes.

The thirteen-year-old teenager from a mine prison told himself that this was the last time in his life he would cry.

The woman boarded the black carriage with Xia Zhi, but before she closed the carriage door she turned her head to glance at the teenager standing afar. It was unknown what she thought of but she got off the carriage again.

She came over to stand in front of Lin Xun, leaned slightly forward, and studied his delicate and handsome face. “I have just checked your cultivation aptitude—it’s only average. Regardless of how hard you work, you will only get farther and farther away from the little girl. She doesn’t belong to you.”

Lin Xun was silent.

The woman tipped Lin Xun’s chin up with her long and fair finger. “I can feel that your heart is full of anger and hatred, but it’s useless. I can give you one chance. Remember, I am from the Black Glory Sacred Hall. My surname is Liulan and my name is Jinian. You will only be able to see me when you’ve become strong enough.”

There was a unique charm in her husky voice. Before her voice faded, she had already turned around and boarded the black carriage.

Xia Zhi watched quietly from the carriage. She was calm as usual, but her crescent-shaped eyes were growing colder and more indifferent.

By the time Lin Xun had raised his head, the black carriage was already far away.

“Liulan... Jinian...I will remember it!”

The teenager murmured, and couldn’t help coughing up blood. Then, he felt the world spinning around him and the ground shaking, and then he passed into unconsciousness.

……

“You have to accept the cruelty of destiny at a young age, what a poor child.”

After a sigh, an old man caught Lin Xun’s collapsed body in his arms. The old man had come with the peculiar team of people but he didn’t leave with them.

He lifted Lin Xun with ease like he was a ball of air, while still maintaining a flawless stance.

The old man was dressed in a black court attire and he stood with his back as straight as a brush. His eyes were kind and gentle as he swept them over the platform. “How is this child’s district examination score?”

His words broke the silence, and everyone on the square looked perplexed because they didn’t see what happened just now.

They only felt like they had a dream. All they saw was darkness, but when they finally woke up, the peculiar team of people was gone and only an old man remained behind and was carrying Lin Xun in his arms.

No one knew what just happened, but there was a wave of fear surging uncontrollably in everyone’s heart. What kind of terrifying power could obstruct and affect their minds and perceptions without them knowing?

Yao Tuohai’s face was deathly pale as he stood there speechless. He similarly was unaware of what just happened, but he knew that it was the doings of an important person!

“Reporting to Elder, his…his…”

Yu Canglin lost his might in the face of the old man’s questioning. He stammered, sweated profusely, and couldn’t answer.

Wu Chaoqun and the others also felt like they were sitting on a bed of nails. Their expressions were constantly altering. They still couldn’t figure out where the peculiar team of people came from, let alone who the old man was.

But the old man’s aura already sent chills to their hearts. They knew that he had an impressive background.

Seeing this, the old man bowed slightly and said in a gentle tone, “I would like to trouble you all to give this child a non-examination place.”

Afterwards, he carried Lin Xun and turned around. He made no huge movements but he instantly vanished like he had vaporized into the air.

Everyone couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, as if the fear crushing their hearts also faded with the old man’s disappearance.

But on the platform, Yu Canglin, Wu Chaoqun and the others looked perplexed. What happened just now?

Where did that peculiar group of people come from?

Why did they save Lin Xun?

And that beautiful little girl, where did she go?

No one knew!

All they knew was that something happened when Yao Tuohai was about to capture Lin Xun and the little girl. But no one knew what happened afterwards.

Too terrifying!

The cultivators who participated in the assessment looked even worse. They looked dazed and confused like they had just woken up from a dream.

“Continue the district examination.”

It was only after a long moment that Yao Tuohai came to the platform like a walking corpse and sat down again, though his expression had become a little apathetic.

His purpose of coming here was to get close with the important person, but the end result only filled him with fear and horror.

He never would have thought something like that would happen even if he broke his head!

“Lord Yao, Lin Xun’s examination result…” Yu Canglin asked hesitantly.

Yao Tuohai wrinkled his brows as he thought about the old man’s identity and who was behind him, waves surged in his heart again. He sighed and waved his hand. “Let him pass!”

What!

Yu Canglin and the others were all dumbstruck and their expressions dramatically changed. They had already shown an unyielding attitude towards not allowing Lin Xun to pass. If this matter were to spread out, it would stir up countless gossip.

However, Yao Tuohai was too lazy to explain to them and he was too busy thinking about why the important person would come here for the little girl.

“Given your strength, you don’t deserve to touch what doesn’t belong to you.” That charming husky voice echoed in his mind once again and made him tremble endlessly. Could this have something to do with Her Majesty of the Black Glory Sacred Hall?

This matter certainly is related to the little girl!

It took Yao Tuohai a long time to be certain of it. Even he couldn’t restrain his desire to possess when he saw the little girl. It was easy to imagine what sort of extraordinary power the little girl possessed.

Her ability must have caught the important person’s eyes and so she countered my attack!

Yao Tuohai was in the midst of his own troubles and Yu Canglin, Wu Chaoqun and the others didn’t dare to go against his orders. So, in the end, Lin Xun passed the district examination.

Shortly afterwards, the district examination continued.

It was just that, after the turmoil, everyone seemed preoccupied, and the atmosphere had become strange and oppressive.