“Then cheers in advance, Brother Liang,” Lin Yun saluted again.
The carriage rolled out of the city, reaching the teleport hub outside, guarded by empire heavyweights handling the transfers.
Stepping into the array, dazzling light swallowed them—blinding for a solid ten-plus minutes.
When it faded, Lin Yun opened his eyes.
“Lin Yun, we’re at the Divine Capital’s outer teleport array,” Liang Yuan said.
“Blimey, that’s quick,” Lin Yun marveled.
Flying or taking a skiff from Dongyuan to the Divine Capital? Who knows how long—Dongyuan’s on the border, miles from the capital!
But the empire’s teleport array zipped them right over.
From here to the city was ten-odd miles, but you could already spot the Divine Capital’s grand, endless sprawl in the distance.
“Let’s go—into the city, national round kicks off at 2 p.m.,” Liang Yuan led Lin Yun straight in.
The Divine Capital’s walls towered 80 meters—people looked like ants below.
Stretching endlessly both ways, even Lin Yun’s sharp eyes couldn’t catch the end!
This ancient, massive city dwarfed an Earth nation in size.
Entry checks were tight, but with Envoy Liang Yuan, Lin Yun breezed through.
Inside, it was pure bustle.
On the road.
“Brother Liang, is the national round a stage fight too?” Lin Yun asked.
“Nah, not a ring bout—the exam’s yearly, candidate levels vary, a ring win doesn’t stack up champs across years,” Liang Yuan explained.
“Fair point,” Lin Yun nodded.
Levels shift yearly—say this batch is ace, last year’s champ might not crack top three now.
How do you rank champs fairly then?
“So how’s the national round run?” Lin Yun pressed, curious.
“To show true skill, it’s a gauntlet—whoever clears the most stages wins,” Liang Yuan said.
“Stages, eh?” Lin Yun perked up.
“Like this—if you clear the most this year, take the crown, they’ll still compare historically, say you hit 30 stages, last year’s champ got 27, you’d outshine them, get better perks!” Liang Yuan elaborated.
“Got it,” Lin Yun nodded.
That’s why no ring—stages gauged strength cleaner.
By 1 p.m., Liang Yuan brought Lin Yun to the inner city’s Martial Exam Hall.
At the hall’s gates.
“This hall’s built for the national round—happens here every year,” Liang Yuan said.
Lin Yun glanced up—proper grand entrance.
“Old Liang, fancy meeting you.”
A voice called from behind.
Lin Yun turned—a bloke in the same brocade robes as Liang Yuan, another envoy, with a candidate in tow.
“Old Cheng, you too,” Liang Yuan grinned back.
“Old Liang, how’s your pick this year? Not another dud, eh?” Old Cheng teased.
“Old Cheng, this Dongyuan champ’s different—no dud, he’s a freak!” Liang Yuan puffed up.
Liang Yuan always handled Dongyuan’s exams and escorted champs here.
Dongyuan, a border backwater among the empire’s 18 prefectures, lagged in talent compared to the central ones.
For over a century, his Dongyuan champs flopped nationally.
Not his fault, but dragging in weaklings got him ribbed.
Lin Yun’s strength this time? Gave him bragging rights—voice full of swagger.
“Oh? A freak? What realm?” Old Cheng eyed Lin Yun, intrigued.
“Senior, I’m third-rank Mahayana,” Lin Yun said humbly.
“Third-rank Mahayana?”
Old Cheng blinked, then snorted a laugh.
He reined it in quick, “Sorry, didn’t mean to chuckle, just—calling third-rank Mahayana a freak feels a bit naive, top ten’d be a slog at that level.”
He nodded at his candidate, proud, “This is Jintian Prefecture’s champ—proper talent, first-turn Tribulation realm, just over 300 years old!”
The red-haired, burly bloke glanced at Lin Yun, eyes dripping with smugness—first-turn Tribulation realm, he didn’t rate Lin Yun.
“Old Cheng, scoffing at my pick? You’ll see,” Liang Yuan smirked, unfazed.
“Let’s see what a third-rank Mahayana can stir up then,” Old Cheng laughed.
“Let’s go!”
Old Cheng marched off with his red-haired champ into the hall.
“Lin Yun, I’ve not brought a decent scorer in over a century—mates call me a talent jinx, this time, I’m banking on you to lift my chin,” Liang Yuan said.
“Brother Liang, I’ll give it my all—plus, I’m the real talent slayer, I’ve lost count of the geniuses I’ve dropped,” Lin Yun grinned.
“In we go!”
Liang Yuan led Lin Yun into the hall.
Inside, he took Lin Yun to the national round site.
A sprawling field, stands ringing it.
Champs from across the empire’s prefectures gathered in the center.
Liang Yuan dropped Lin Yun off here.
Lin Yun scoped it—14 champ-looking blokes, including that red-haired guy from the gate.
Looked like most prefecture champs were here.
Each newbie drew stares and whispers—Lin Yun too.
As he rolled up, eyes locked on him.
“This one’s Dongyuan’s champ, yeah? Border spot, skimpy resources—not like the central prefectures, their candidates usually underwhelm, wonder how he stacks?”
“Looks young—how old’s he really?”
The gathered champs sized Lin Yun up, tongues wagging.
“No point guessing—he’s third-rank Mahayana,” the red-haired Jintian champ cut in.
He’d clocked Lin Yun at the gate.
