Chapter 384 Grandmaster-Level Assessment

Stone Cauldron Alms.

Shi Yu crossed one leg over the other, frowning at Lin Xueting, who was opposite him.

Lin Xueting smiled, his expression unchanged.

He was Lin Xuefeng’s cousin. He was intelligent, friendly, and good at socializing. Lin Zhong had entrusted him to deliver a gift from Lin Xun.

The gift was stored inside the jade box in Lin Xueting’s hand.

“Excuse me for being blunt, but isn’t Lin Xun treating me like an outsider? Why did he suddenly bring me a gift?” Shi Yu asked in bewilderment.

Lin Xueting said respectfully, “I’m only responsible for delivering the item. I don’t know anything else. Young Master, maybe if you open the box and take a look at the gift first you’ll have a better idea.”

Shi Yu suddenly smiled, a proud look in his eyes. “Do you think my Stone Cauldron Alms doesn’t have enough treasures? Take it back. Tell Lin Xun that if he treats me like an outsider again then don’t ever come to see me!”

Lin Xueting smiled bitterly. “If you don’t accept it, I can’t complete my mission and can’t report back.”

Shi Yu snorted coldly, “Lin Xun has such a big temper now!”

Lin Xueting frantically shook his head. “Young Master, please don’t misunderstand. Even if you don’t accept it, at least take a look inside the box. If you don’t like the item, I can bring it back and explain.”

“Fine, open it. Let’s see what the hell Lin Xun is doing this time,” Shi Yu said impatiently,

As Lin Xueting lifted the lid of the jade box, a blast of chilling azure light shot out and caused a layer of frost to form around the surrounding space.

Huh?

Shi Yu didn’t care much at the beginning. He just wanted to quickly glance inside the box and send Lin Xueting away, but he couldn’t move his eyes away from the box when it opened.

A pair of bronze truncheons lay quietly in the jade box. Both were two feet and four inches in length and thick as a candle pillar. The bodies were engraved with obscure runes and exuded a soul-chilling azure light

Shi Yu was most skilled in using bronze truncheons. His go-to weapon was a pair of earth-grade treasures called Dragon Sealed Jade Truncheon. They were the masterpieces of a famous rune master and couldn’t be bought with money.

However, compared with the bronze truncheon in the jade box, his current set of weapons was much dimmer and even... more inferior!

Suddenly, Shi Yu got up, took out the items from the jade box, and examined them closer. His eyes gleamed even more brightly.

Aeth treasure!

It’s a pair of earth-grade aeth treasures!

Shi Yu’s face lit up with undisguised excitement, and he was captivated by the treasures. The pair of truncheons was so perfect that he felt a strong connection with them as he held them in his hands.

“Young Master, are you satisfied?” Lin Xueting asked gently.

“I’m satisfied, very satisfied. That bastard Lin Xun gave me an unexpected surprise!” Shi Yu laughed, beaming with joy.

It was incredibly rare to find aeth treasures of such a high grade!

“Does this have a name?” asked Shi Yu.

“It hasn’t been named yet. Cousin Lin Xun said that you are the most fitting person to give them a name.”

“Hahaha, Lin Xun knows me so well. Well then, let’s call them Azure Cloud Bronze Truncheons.”

“Rise into the azure clouds! What a good name!” Lin Xueting said with a smile.

He couldn’t help but swell with pride.

A similar situation happened to Ning Meng, Gong Ming and Ye Xiaoqi. Lin Xun gave them each an earth-grade aeth treasure!

Ning Meng and the others were elated and couldn’t put their new weapons down like it was their most precious treasure.

These treasures were Lin Xun’s way of paying them back.

Recently, Shi Yu and the others had secretly been targeting the West Creek, Cloud Weight ,and Flying Peak Lin Clans by suppressing their businesses. As a result, the three branches had fallen into endless turmoil.

How could Lin Xun forget what they had done for him?

Therefore, he specially made an aeth treasure for each of them to express his gratitude.

Of course, he also made a blade for himself, an earth-grade aeth treasure called Purple Soul!

As for the Flowing Light Blade, it was only a mid-human-grade aeth treasure. Its power was no longer sufficient for Lin Xun after he broke through to the intermediate Spirit Sea Stage.

……

A jeweled carriage drove out of Mind Cleansing Peak and headed towards the headquarters of the Rune Master Association.

Very quickly, Lin Tianlong, the West Creek clan leader, was notified that Lin Xun had left Mind Cleansing Peak.

His spirits were immediately lifted. He gritted his teeth and roared, “That little trash has finally emerged! Quickly invite the two clan leaders of Cloud Weight and Flying Peak over and notify them that we have an important matter to discuss!”

Within a few minutes, Lin Nianshan and Lin Pingdu arrived in high spirits after finding out that Lin Xun had finally emerged after months of hiding on Mind Cleansing Peak.

The three branches had lived miserably in recent days. Their commercial properties had been repeatedly suppressed, and they had each lost close to one million gold coins every month. The damage had caused a huge turmoil in their respective clans, and many clan members couldn’t eat or sleep properly.

Although it was the doing of Stone Cauldron Alms and other major clans, Lin Xun was the true culprit!

How could they not hate Lin Xun?

They had already given up all hope to regain control of Mind Cleansing Peak and were only focused on how to kill Lin Xun and retaliate!

“Everyone, the boy has finally left Mind Cleansing Peak. This is undoubtedly the best chance for us to kill him now.”

Lin Tianlong’s expression was ice-cold and filled with killing intent. “However, Third Old Zhu and Lin Zhong are always with him. Do we have a strategy? If we fight recklessly, the outcome will be unpredictable.”

Third Old Zhu!

That name made the glow of excitement fade from the faces of Lin Nianshan and Lin Pingdu. Third Old Zhu was a fierce and ruthless man who could easily suppress Hua Qiancheng and was brave enough to fight Hua Qinglin, one of the five tiger generals of the empire. How could he be an ordinary person?

Furthermore, Lin Zhong might seem like only an old servant who guarded Mind Cleansing Peak, but he was a Heaven Ascension cultivator!

It was undoubtedly difficult to assassinate Lin Xun with those two masters protecting him.

“If we ask any of the patriarchs of our three clans to help, perhaps...we can solve this problem,” Lin Nianshan said hesitantly.

“No!”

Lin Tianlong immediately refused, “The patriarchs need to oversee the clan. If something happens in the clan when they are away, the consequences could be disastrous. This plan is too risky.”

“Then...how about we ask some powerful Heaven Ascension cultivators to help us?” Lin Pingdu said aloud.

“No, it‘s still too risky. Now isn’t the time to fight to the death with Lin Xun,” Lin Tianlong rejected his suggestion again.

Lin Nianshan and Lin Pingdu fell silent. Their opportunity had finally come, but they were faced with great challenges, and they didn’t know what to do.

At that moment, a subordinate rushed in to report that Lin Xun had arrived at the headquarters of the Rune Master Association.

“What is that kid doing there? Does he want to recruit rune masters to work for him?” Lin Tianlong frowned.

However, Lin Nianshan suddenly thought of something and burst out laughing. “I have a plan!”

Lin Tianlong and Lin Pingdu looked at Lin Nianshan at the same time. “What plan?”

“I have a close friend who works in the headquarters of the Rune Master Association. He is a true rune grandmaster and wields great power. If we can get him to help us, we can completely control Lin Xun!”

Lin Nianshan’s face shone with excitement.

“Really?” Lin Tianlong’s face also lit up.

“Haha, I guarantee it. Once the kid steps into the headquarters of the Rune Master Association, Third Old Zhu and Lin Zhong won’t be able to protect that kid anymore. If we dispatch Old Devil Qu to join forces with my friend……” A ruthless glint flashed across Lin Nianshan’s eyes. “Lin Xun is doomed!”

“Can I ask who your friend is?” Lin Pingdu couldn’t help but ask.

“When this task is completed, you two will know.” Lin Nianshan smiled, acting mysterious.

Lin Tianlong immediately made a decision. “Let’s go with your plan. Quickly start now!”

……

Rune Master Association headquarters.

“Young man, are you here to be verified as a rune master?” An old man looked at Lin Xun in surprise.

“Yes.” Lin Xun nodded.

“Haha, amazing! If a young rune apprentice like you can pass the verification and become a true rune master, I’m sure you will bring honor to your ancestors.”

The old man said with a smile, “Come, pay a fee of one thousand gold coins and take a token...”

Before he finished his sentence, Lin Xun shook his head with a smile. “Apologies, I’m here to be verified as a rune grandmaster.”

“What?”

The old man’s jaw dropped open, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

Lin Xun handed over his token that represented his identity as an initiate rune master and said, “Please take a look.”

The old man glanced at it, and his expression suddenly changed. “It turns out that you’re already a rune master at such a young age.”

He scratched his head. “But...but you’re so young! Do you really want to be verified as a rune grandmaster? Are you mistaken?”

Lin Xun just smiled and didn’t respond.

The old man took a deep breath, pondered for a moment, and signaled an attendant over. “Take this young master to the grandmaster-level assessment hall.”

The attendant was also taken aback. He swept a strange glance over Lin Xun, but in the end, he suppressed his bewilderment and led the way for Lin Xun.

“Ah, young people are impatient nowadays. He’s just an initiate rune master and hasn’t even made it as an intermediate or advanced rune master, yet he wants to be verified as a rune grandmaster. This...this is too ridiculous.” The old man shook his head.

He knew that Lin Xun had pretty good talent in the art of runes since he could become an initiate rune master at such a young age, but he thought that the youth was too arrogant and wouldn’t pass the rune grandmaster verification assessment.

In the art of runes, no one had ever reached the sky in one step!