2780 Entering the City
“Yet who was with him?”

Qiao Mu and her companions swiftly left the young man behind and hastened towards Tempest City.

Fortunately, Qiao Mu later summoned the bloodfire phoenix to pave their way, ensuring a smooth journey devoid of any audacious spiritual beasts seeking their demise.

Furthermore, Qiao Mu’s loyal allies had distributed flying talismans to each member of the group, each equipped with a manpower talisman. These allowed them to soar through the air for as long as possible, resorting to spiritual energy for propulsion if necessary.

After a day and night of arduous travel, they finally reached the city gate of Tempest City as the sun began to set the following evening.

At this point, only a handful of individuals had yet to cross the city gate.

Spotting their group, the city guard enthusiastically gestured and called out, “Are you entering the city? Hurry, you’ve got just 15 minutes left. We’re about to close the city gate!”

Emerging from the North Wangda Forest, Qiao Mu and her companions employed flying talismans to make a beeline for the city gate.

To onlookers, her cultivation appeared incredibly profound, as she had relied on spiritual energy for the entire journey. The sheer amount of spiritual energy expended must have been astronomical!

“Hey, Big Bro, can I ask you something? We’re heading to the Imperial Academy for an examination. What’s our next step once we enter the city?” Qi Xuanxuan inquired.

“Oh? You guys arrived quite late!”

The affable city guard, Big Bro, was a veritable chatterbox, and upon hearing the query, he eagerly shared what he knew. “The academy mentors are conducting student assessments on Academy Street within the main academy grounds early in the morning. You’ve arrived rather late, so most vendors are closing up shop and returning to the academy.”

“Can we still take the examination?” Little Fatty hastily asked.

“Yes, yes, you can. Hurry and enter the city. If you miss the city gate closing, you won’t be able to make it to the test at our Tempest City.” The Big Bro urged them with urgency, saying, “Come on in, quickly.”

“You couldn’t have used spiritual energy to fly here after leaving North Wangda Forest, right?” That Big Bro gazed at them in admiration and remarked, “In fact, there’s a transfer talisman matrix at the exit of North Wangda Forest that leads straight to our main entrance!”

“Why didn’t you folks notice it earlier? One of our Tempest City students was stationed there to guide travelers.”

Everyone shared a collective sense of amusement…
Qiao Mu even cast a peculiar glance at Qi Xuanxuan.

Qi Xuanxuan couldn’t help but scratch her nose, silently vexed by their oversight.

In truth, an hour and a half ago, right after they had exited North Wangda Forest, they had indeed seen a dark-skinned young man persistently beckoning them to approach.

Out of curiosity, Qiao Mu had originally intended to investigate what this individual was up to, but Qi Xuanxuan had vehemently discouraged her, insisting, “It’s obvious he has ulterior motives. He’s probably peddling something. Why else would he be lurking here at the exit?”

As they all exasperatedly entered the city, they overheard Big Bro exclaim, “Close the city gate.”

As the capstan descended gradually, the drawbridge in front began to rise.

A voice, carried by the wind, urgently cried out, “Wait for me, wait for me!”

At the main entrance, a burst of light emanated from the transfer talisman matrix, and Ninth Qin sprinted out with all his might. He gathered his remaining energy and lunged toward the city gate.

Just as he squeezed through the entry gate, it slammed shut with a resounding thud.

Big Bro, the city guard, raised an eyebrow. “Young man, you were cutting it awfully close!”

“They’re all going to the Imperial Academy for the exam, right?”

“Hurry up.” Before Big Bro could finish speaking, the youth swiftly caught up to the company up ahead.