Cloudmist Prefecture

Two days flashed by in the blink of an eye. Ahead lay a slope, and when Lin Qing climbed to its crest and looked out, a magnificent, sprawling city suddenly burst into view.

The city walls were built entirely from massive blue-gray stones, rising several zhang high and stretching in rolling waves beyond sight. Banners snapped in the wind atop the walls, and the upright figures of sentry martial artists could vaguely be seen. A stern, imposing aura rushed straight at him.

Above the city gates, the three vigorous, forceful characters "Cloudmist Prefecture" had been engraved. Their strokes were sharp, carrying overwhelming pressure.

After several days of sleeping rough and dining in the open, Lin Qing was finally about to enter this city, a hundred times more prosperous than Azure Sun County Town and filled with an even stronger martial atmosphere.

He straightened his somewhat plain clothes, dusted the dirt from his hems, and slowly headed toward the prefectural city gates.

An endless stream of people passed in and out through the gates: wandering martial artists carrying blades and swords, merchant caravans escorting goods, and ordinary citizens dressed in all manner of clothing. The place was exceptionally lively.

The city guards carefully inspected the travelers coming and going. Their gazes were sharp, but they did not make things unnecessarily difficult. Lin Qing entered the city without issue.

The streets were wide and straight, lined with shops on both sides. Restaurants, teahouses, weapon stores, and pill workshops were all present. Hawking cries, laughter, chatter, and the rumble of carriages intertwined, displaying a scene of flourishing prosperity.

The air carried the scent of food, the medicinal fragrance of pills, and faint, barely perceptible fluctuations of qi and blood. Everywhere exuded a far richer martial aura than Azure Sun County.

After living on dried meat and plain water all the way here, Lin Qing's mouth had long since faded into bird-droppings blandness. He found a restaurant that looked rather bustling and stepped inside.

The restaurant buzzed with voices and was packed with martial artists from every corner. Meat and wine covered the tables, and conversations rose and fell one after another, mostly centered on martial-world anecdotes and martial cultivation.

Before Lin Qing could call for a waiter, the conversation from a nearby table of martial artists drifted into his ears. The words "Hidden Dragon Ranking" and "Ye Lingchuan" instantly caught his attention. Without revealing anything, Lin Qing chose an empty table nearby and quietly listened.

It was already August. Skyvault Pavilion had just completed a new update to the Summer Kingdom Hidden Dragon Ranking. This was the matter young martial artists throughout the entire Summer Kingdom cared about most, so it naturally became a topic of conversation after meals and over tea.

"Ye Lingchuan is truly fierce beyond compare, a heaven-blessed genius! He only entered the Hidden Dragon Ranking two months ago, and he was merely at the bottom then. Yet after only a month, he has shot straight up to tenth place. That rate of progress is simply terrifying!" A slightly plump martial artist raised his wine cup and spoke with amazement written all over his face.

Another martial artist at the same table, his face cold and stern, waved his hand at once and spoke with an expression of knowing understanding.

"You don't know the full story. Outsiders only see the name Hidden Dragon Ranking and assume it judges the potential of the younger generation. That is completely wrong. Potential is illusory and impossible to measure precisely. The Hidden Dragon Ranking is a combat-power ranking for Summer Kingdom martial artists under thirty. It only records the top hundred talented prodigies, so its value is extremely high."

He paused, took a sip of wine, and continued his explanation.

"Those ranked in the top ten are usually Fourth-Tier Martial Artists, possessing formidable strength and deep foundations. As for the dozens behind them, nearly all are Third-Tier Peak martial artists. Only on rare occasions can a tiny handful of Third-Tier Late Stage martial artists whose combat power far exceeds their peers barely squeeze into the bottom of the ranking. There have been precedents for this before. Some Third-Tier Peak martial artists are not particularly strong in combat, but once they break through to Fourth Tier, they can directly parachute into the top ten of the Hidden Dragon Ranking. Ye Lingchuan's breakthrough to Fourth Tier and leap to tenth place this time is not all that surprising."

The plump martial artist immediately became interested. Leaning forward, he asked eagerly, "You've already seen the complete ranking? I heard this time the Hidden Dragon Ranking underwent even greater changes, enough to shake the entire martial world?"

"Of course! This change was far more astonishing than Ye Lingchuan's breakthrough!" The stern martial artist lowered his voice, disbelief coloring his tone. "The most outrageous one has to be the newly promoted fifth place on the Hidden Dragon Ranking!"

"Fifth place? Could it be someone who directly parachuted in, like you said?"

"Wrong! Completely wrong!" The stern martial artist slapped the table fiercely, his expression excited. "The fifth-ranked person on the Hidden Dragon Ranking is called Sun Shaoping, and his cultivation is only at Third-Tier Peak. Skyvault Pavilion is openly telling the entire martial world that, despite being only Third-Tier Peak, his combat power surpasses that of many Fourth-Tier Martial Artists!"

As soon as those words came out, not only did the plump martial artist at the table widen his eyes in disbelief, even Lin Qing, who had deliberately been listening nearby, could not help but feel a flicker of astonishment.

Sun Shaoping!

He had never expected to hear that familiar name in a restaurant in Cloudmist Prefecture. Back in Azure Sun County, he and Sun Shaoping had crossed paths. Later, Sun Shaoping had left alone, and Lin Qing had assumed that he had already departed the Summer Kingdom.

Yet unexpectedly, he had remained in the Summer Kingdom for quite some time. His combat power had been discovered and recorded by Skyvault Pavilion, and he had even risen directly to the lofty position of fifth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking.

A Third-Tier Peak martial artist fighting a Fourth-Tier Martial Artist—such combat power was indeed terrifying. No wonder the entire martial world had been shaken by it.

Before Lin Qing could sort out his thoughts, the stern martial artist's voice came again, throwing out an earth-shattering revelation. "But that isn't even the most shocking part. Do you know how old Sun Shaoping is this year?"

Without waiting for anyone else to ask, he revealed the answer directly. "Eighteen. He's only eighteen!"

"Eighteen?!"

The martial artist at the same table cried out in shock, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Eighteen years old, at Third-Tier Peak, capable of fighting above his tier and defeating Fourth-Tier Martial Artists, and ranked fifth on the Hidden Dragon Ranking! Such talent is rare in a thousand ages!"

"Exactly! Now, not only are the great sects and martial families of the martial world searching everywhere for Sun Shaoping like mad, hoping to recruit him, but even the Imperial Court's Martial Suppression Office is doing everything it can to locate him, wanting to bring this peerless genius under its banner!"

"Has no one gone to Skyvault Pavilion to buy information on his whereabouts? With Skyvault Pavilion's capabilities, they must be able to find some clues!"

"Why wouldn't they? Countless factions have spent huge sums probing for information, but Skyvault Pavilion's reply was blunt. After gathering his information in the middle of last month, Sun Shaoping seemed to vanish into thin air. There has not been the slightest trace of him since, and even Skyvault Pavilion has no way to investigate further."

Sitting where he was, Lin Qing silently sighed in wonder as well. However, he did not dwell on it for long. He had his own path to walk now.

After taking one final bite of mapo tofu, Lin Qing settled the bill and left the restaurant. He began wandering through Cloudmist Prefecture City, familiarizing himself with the surroundings while gathering information.

He quickly learned the Martial Suppression Office's exact location in the prefectural city. He then deliberately found an inn nearby, rented a simple room for a temporary stay, and afterward asked around until he learned where the city's shops selling ferocious beast meat were located, making plans for what came next.

After resting for the night, he rose early the next morning. Once he had finished preparing, he headed straight for the Martial Suppression Office.

The Cloudmist Prefecture Martial Suppression Office stood in the city's central district. Its buildings were solemn and imposing, its walls high, and its gates wide open. Two guards with steady auras stood watch outside.

The moment Lin Qing reached the entrance, a hand stretched out to stop him.

"Stop! This is a vital ground of the Martial Suppression Office. Idlers are not permitted to enter! Who are you, and what business do you have here?" the guard asked coldly, his expression stern.

Lin Qing cupped his hands in salute and replied respectfully, "Reporting to this elder brother, I am Xie Chen. I have come specifically to register and join the Martial Suppression Office."

Xie Chen was the new identity he had purchased from Skyvault Pavilion.

The guard's face showed a trace of surprise. He waved his hand and said,

"You're too late! The Martial Suppression Office recruits martial artists through a unified examination and selection on the first day of every month. Today is already the third, and the examination ended long ago. If you want to join, come back on the first of next month!"

Lin Qing was immediately speechless. He truly had not known this information, and now he could only return empty-handed.

He nodded helplessly and turned to leave, planning to stay in the city for a month and wait for next month's examination.

Just then, a deep, steady male voice carrying a hint of authority came from the street. "Wait."

The voice was not loud, yet it carried an unquestionable force. Upon seeing the newcomer, the guards hurriedly bowed, their tone incomparably respectful. "Greetings, Qin Hundred-Household Commander!"

Lin Qing looked up and saw a middle-aged man in the black official uniform of a hundred-household commander walking over at an unhurried pace. The man's features were resolute, his brows sharp, and his qi and blood were as deep and thick as an abyss. He was clearly a powerhouse who had walked out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. This man was Qin Cang, the hundred-household commander of the Cloudmist Prefecture branch of the Martial Suppression Office.

Qin Cang gave the guards a slight nod, then stepped before Lin Qing and looked him over from head to toe. "You've come to register for the Martial Suppression Office? What is your name, and what is your current cultivation?"

Lin Qing did not dare be negligent. He hurriedly bowed and answered respectfully, "Reporting to Lord Qin, I am Xie Chen. Not long ago, I successfully broke through and entered the ranks of a First-Tier Martial Artist."

Seeing Lin Qing's young face and his restrained yet fairly solid aura, Qin Cang fell into brief thought.

Previously, he had led a team to Azure Sun Mountain to hunt ferocious beasts. Of the more than one hundred subordinates he had brought, over half had been lost. His manpower had been severely depleted, and he was in urgent need of fresh blood.

He made his decision on the spot and said, "Come in with me. Go take a test. If you qualify, you can remain in the Martial Suppression Office directly."

Lin Qing was delighted and quickly thanked him. "Many thanks, Lord Qin."

Qin Cang said no more and turned toward the courtyard. Lin Qing followed closely behind. After passing through the front courtyard, they arrived at the internal divisions of the Martial Suppression Office. The Cloudmist Prefecture branch had one thousand-household commander, two deputy thousand-household commanders, and several hundred-household commanders. Each hundred-household commander had a dedicated courtyard, training ground, and office area, all independent and orderly.

Lin Qing followed Qin Cang into a courtyard, where a group of uniformed martial artists stood in neat formation for roll call, the atmosphere solemn.

Qin Cang swept his gaze over the crowd, then called out the tall, capable-looking young martial artist at the front and said to him,

"Zhao Feng, this is Xie Chen, a First-Tier Martial Artist. Take him to the testing area for a strength test. If he passes, he will be placed under your command."

"Yes, sir!" The young martial artist called Zhao Feng bowed to accept the order. He was one of Qin Cang's hundred-household commanders, already at the Third-Tier Mid Stage, and he handled matters with sharp efficiency.

Zhao Feng turned around, nodded to Lin Qing, and said evenly, "Follow me."

Lin Qing hurried after him, and the two arrived together at the testing area in the courtyard. More than a dozen stone locks of varying sizes stood in a row on the open ground, each marked with precise measurements. They ranged from one hundred jin to several thousand jin, their smooth surfaces clearly showing that they had been used for testing martial artists year-round.

"Our Martial Suppression Office's test for First-Tier Martial Artists is extremely simple. Lift this one-thousand-jin stone lock, and you pass." Zhao Feng pointed at one of the stone locks engraved with the words "One Thousand Jin" and spoke to Lin Qing.

On the martial path, below First Tier, one's qi and blood remained mixed and impure, and an ordinary person could generally lift at most a five-hundred-jin stone lock. But once one broke through to First Tier, qi and blood condensed like mercury, strength increased greatly, and lifting a one-thousand-jin stone lock became the basic standard.

Martial artists at Second Tier and above could at minimum form a Blood Qi Veil over their bodies, so they did not need separate testing. For First-Tier Martial Artists, this method of measuring strength might have been simple and crude, but its results were precise.

Lin Qing's gaze settled on the one-thousand-jin stone lock, and understanding dawned on him. He slowly stepped forward.