The Prodigies War

Dawn broke, and the light of the sun illuminated the world. A new day had come. 

In the Forbidden City, many common people, lower-class citizens and low-level cultivators started their ordinary and mediocre life as always.

Meanwhile, the major forces and clans in the Forbidden City had erupted. 

The news from yesterday, after a night of brewing and fermentation, finally exploded and swept the city like a volcano. 

Now, everyone knew that the higher-ups of the three collateral branches of the Lin Clan had been slaughtered and the three branches had surrendered to the Mind Cleansing Peak Lin Clan!

Even the slowest cultivator would realize that a storm was coming and something huge was about to happen in the city! 

There was only one reason for that…

The young rune founder who once shook the Forbidden City had returned! 

……

“After half a year of silence, the wind returns. His success or failure depends on the present! Haha, those tyrants in the Forbidden City most likely never imagined that the kid would return to the Forbidden City in such an overbearing way.” In Stone Cauldron Alms, Fortune God Shi let out a long sigh as he sipped his tea. 

He said to his daughter beside him, “It’s a pity that your elder brother and younger brother have gone to the Ancient Wasteland Domain; otherwise, they would be so excited by that kid’s return”

The Fortune God of the Ziyao Empire was rarely in such a good mood. His chubby face was beaming with joy. 

“Father, has Lin Xun really come back?” Shi Shi asked curiously. Without any makeup, she was still as beautiful and elegant as jade. She was the daughter of Fortune God Shi. 

In Stone Cauldron Alms, only Fortune God Shi called her Little Second. Everyone else called her Second Miss.

“The news is definitely true. it can’t be fake. Besides, who else except that kid would have the guts to intrude on the Lin Clan residence at night and launch a blood bath?” Fortune God Shi tapped his fingers against the back of the chair, sighing, “I just can’t believe he can already defeat Lin Xixi, a Cyclic Derivation expert. It has only been half a year since I last saw him. If it’s true then…”

He seemed to be at a loss for words. After a long moment of pondering, he said in a serious tone, “The Lin Clan has earned its place among the high clans in the Forbidden City!”

Even a powerful figure like Fortune God Shi was astonished by Lin Xun’s changes. He was a boy in his teens who had reached the rune founder level and made his reputation spread all over the world and made all major clans respect him somewhat. Now, his strength had become so terrifying that he could suppress and kill a Heaven Ascension expert by himself, as well as defeat a Cyclic Derivation expert!

He was undoubtedly terrifying. 

“Father, is he that impressive?” Shi Shi couldn’t understand Fortune God Shi’s emotional sigh. Given her father’s current status, he seemed to be praising the teenager too much. 

“Little Second, you were never interested in worldly affairs and had always focussed solely on meditation, so you rarely have contact with the outside world. Understandably, you don’t know what that little guy is capable of. But when you find out more about him, your perspective will change.” Fortune God Shi said with a smile, “At first, I thought, if possible, I would marry you to that kid…”

Shi Shi snorted before he finished. “If I want a husband, I will find one myself. No matter how great you say he is, I won’t marry him if I don’t like him.” 

In the eyes of outsiders, Shi Shi had many things to be proud of. Her appearance, education and family background were all top-notch. Even in the Forbidden City, very few people could compare with her.

“Hahaha, that’s good. I wanted to betroth you to him before, but not anymore,” laughed Fortune God Shi.

His words made Shi Shi a little curious. “Why?”

“That boy’s transformed too quickly,” Fortune God Shi sighed, complex emotions swirling in his eyes. “People like him are peerless heaven prides that outshine everyone else. Even in ancient times, they are considered outstanding geniuses. However, that kind of person will be accompanied by many great catastrophes. His cultivation path is destined to be different from the rest of the world. I don’t know if it is a blessing or a disaster to betroth you to him, so it’s better for you to not marry him.”  

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“Then…” Shi Shi was a little stumped for words. “Father, are you saying that I am not good enough for him?”

Fortune God Shi smiled. “Did you know who Lin Xun went to the Spirit Burial Sea with half a year ago?”

He answered before Shi Shi could. “It’s Princess Jingxuan! How do you think you are compared to Princess Jingxuan?”

A quiver of surprise shot through Shi Shi. Regardless of how ignorant she was, she knew that Zhao Jingxuan was the only direct descendant of the emperor and empress. She held a transcendent status in the empire and was like the child of heaven. 

Additionally, Zhao Jingxuan was rumored to be extremely talented and had a beautiful personality and an unrivaled appearance. She was remarkable in every respect. Moreover, she had been training in an ancient sect in the Ancient Wasteland Domain since she was a child.  

It was no exaggeration to call such a woman the pride of heaven. 

Even Shi Shi didn’t dare to say that she could be compared with Zhao Jingxuan. She felt nothing but heartfelt awe and admiration for her and would never dare to compare herself to her.  

“Father, don’t tell me you mean Lin Xun and Princess Jingxuan…” Shi Shi’s beautiful eyes widened.

Fortune God Shi simply smiled. 

After a while, he said, “Then do you know where the news of Lin Xun’s death first came from?”

“Where?”

“The imperial palace!”

Shi Shi frowned in bewilderment, realizing that there was some meaning behind that. 

“I suspect that there are two different factions in the palace. One side wants to protect him, while the other wants to destroy him. It’s…very complicated!” Fortune God Shi said ruminatively as an unfathomable gleam flashed in his eyes. “However, now that Lin Xun has come back alive and has completely transformed from before, the imperial palace will no doubt make some sort of movement. I’m curious to see what sort of stance the imperial family will take in the face of the present Lin Xun!”

“Father, why do I feel that you think too highly of Lin Xun?” Shi Shi sulked. 

“Haha, you don’t understand. Lin Xun has already won the respect of the empire as a young rune founder and now, he has basically transformed into a powerful golden dragon.” Fortune God Shi said calmly, “Simply speaking, if the Forbidden City is a pond, that kid is a great dragon lying dormant in it. He will soar and ascend to heaven one day because the pond is too small for people like him…”

Shi Shi looked flabbergasted.

Is Lin Xun really that strong?

“It’s too early to say this now. Since that kid has returned, our Stone Cauldron Alms should do something for him.” Fortune God sprang up, hands behind his back and gaze as unfathomable as the ocean. “In this world, it’s easy to gild the lily, but it’s difficult to give out charcoal in snowy weather. Fortunately, our Stone Cauldron Alms has secretly done a lot for Mind Cleansing Peak in the past six months. At least we can have a clear conscience towards the kid!”

……

Qinglu Academy, Rune Department. 

Early in the morning, Class 9C was already all stirred up. 

“Did you hear that Little Instructor Lin is alive?!” Fatty Liu Hui danced with excitement.

“Is that true?” His words captured the attention of all the students. 

“It’s true. My grandfather and some big shots in the clan were informed last night. I overheard the report,” Liu Hui said cryptically. 

“That’s correct. I’ve also heard that after Little Instructor Lin returned yesterday, he immediately stormed the collateral branches of the Lin Clan.”

Fan Zhiqiu, Yang Jingyao and other students spoke one after another.

All of a sudden, a commotion broke out in the class. They had been upset ever since they learned about Lin Xun’s death. Now that they heard Little Instructor Lin had come back, they were so excited that they planned to skip class and head to Mind Cleansing Peak to check whether the news was true. 

“Quiet!”

Chief Instructor Shen Tuo suddenly appeared at the door. “Focus on your lesson. If you really care about your Little Instructor Lin, don’t go off and create trouble for him now!”

After saying that, he hurried away. 

The students in the classroom glanced at each other blankly before they burst into cheers and beamed with joy. Shen Tuo’s words had proved that Little Instructor Lin had indeed come back!

Shen Tuo couldn’t help shaking his head when he heard the cheers from outside the classroom of Class 9C.

Then, he smiled. When he received the news last night, he was so excited that the excitement still hadn’t faded until now. 

Lin Xun is back!

For Shen Tuo, it was undoubtedly incredibly good news. In his view, the death of a young rune founder who could craft rune armament like Lin Xun was a tremendous loss to the empire.  

Fortunately, Lin Xun is a lucky fellow and he came back alive!

“Teacher, Yu Beidou, the chief rune grandmaster of the Rune Master Association, and Cheng Jing, the advanced rune master of the Divine Workshop, have each brought a group of leading figures in the rune world, to pay a visit!”

Feng Qingyou came running from a distance. The beautiful girl who once had the title of Genius Maiden in the art of runes had an unusual expression on her face. 

Lin Xun’s return was a huge shock to her. 

“Quick, quickly invite them in!” Elated, Shen Tuo skipped away with Feng Qingyou.

He knew that Yu Beidou, Cheng Jing and the others came because of Lin Xun’s return.

After all, Lin Xun was a rune founder and his return had a huge impact and significance on the influential figures in the rune world.