With this thought in mind, Shen Bai arrived outside the Martial Arts Arena, holding Amber.

Just as he was about to step inside, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.

Shen Bai turned to look and saw Qin Shuang standing there.

"No mission today?"

Ever since Qin Shuang was promoted to a member of the Bing Division, her missions had become more frequent.

Lately, Qin Shuang had been a bit more idle, so the time she spent with Shen Bai each day had increased accordingly.

But Shen Bai rarely saw Qin Shuang during the day; they mostly just ate a late-night meal together.

Right now, there was a hint of excitement on Qin Shuang’s face.

Noticing something unusual in her expression, Shen Bai asked, "Find some silver on the ground?"

Qin Shuang rolled her eyes at his teasing. "This is even better than finding silver. I’m going to the Capital City soon."

’Going to the Capital City?’

Shen Bai stroked his chin. "Which capital?"

There were many Capital-level Cities. Aside from the core Xuanjing City, where the most powerful Emperor of the Great Zhou Country resided, the other Capital-level Cities were considerably less significant.

So, upon hearing her words, Shen Bai’s first thought wasn’t *why* she was going to a capital city, but *which* one she was going to.

The excitement on Qin Shuang’s face was impossible to hide. "Xuanjing City, of course! I’m going to Xuanjing City!"

Shen Bai asked in surprise, "What are you going to Xuanjing City for?"

"To study, of course." Qin Shuang tilted her chin up, a smug look on her face.

Shen Bai asked, puzzled, "You? Study?"

Qin Shuang nodded emphatically. "Of course."

Shen Bai frowned. "You just became a Bing Division member in a State-level City, and you’re only at the Meridian Realm. Why would you be going to Xuanjing City?"

Shen Bai found many things about this situation puzzling.

First, Qin Shuang was indeed exceptionally talented and considered one of the best among the younger generation in Fenglin State.

’But why would she be going to Xuanjing City to study?’

This was what puzzled Shen Bai the most.

’And what does this "studying" even refer to?’

Qin Shuang knew that even though Shen Bai had been cramming a lot of information lately, there were still gaps in his knowledge. She explained, "Anyone who has gone through the internal exam, even if they don’t get first place, can go to Xuanjing City to study the following year, as long as they performed exceptionally well in the assessment."

"That’s the Observatory in a Capital-level City—the place every member dreams of going."

"I’ll be there for a month. It’s not just to improve my strength; I’ll also learn a lot about the Observatory."

"After I come back, my mentor will entrust me with greater responsibilities."

Hearing this, Shen Bai basically understood.

’So, this is basically a second round of talent development.’

’They screen talented individuals from the constables to enter the Observatory, and then they hold an internal exam.’

’Those who rank well are given important positions.’

’Even those with just decent results are sent to Xuanjing City for standardized training the following year.’

’The whole system is a series of progressive steps.’

Shen Bai smiled. "Well then, congratulations."

Qin Shuang nodded emphatically. "Don’t worry, I won’t let you leave me in the dust. I will definitely keep up with you."

Hearing this, Shen Bai’s smile grew even brighter. "It’s highly unlikely, but I’ll humor you and assume you can."

’Keep up?’

’Sorry.’

After his recent power-up, Shen Bai’s combat strength had increased yet again. Previously, under special circumstances, he could fight Long Yan to a standstill as long as she didn’t use her ultimate move.

Now, even Shen Bai himself wasn’t sure of his exact capabilities.

’Maybe even stronger.’

Seeing Shen Bai’s dismissive expression, Qin Shuang wrinkled her nose and grumbled, "Alright, alright, I know I can’t catch up! I was just trying to pump myself up."

She seemed a little dejected, but she quickly recovered.

Shen Bai asked, "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," Qin Shuang said.

Shen Bai thought for a moment. "Let’s get a late-night snack tonight. I’ll see you off."

The moment she heard "late-night snack," especially one with Shen Bai, Qin Shuang’s eyes curved into crescents.

"Well, I’m off then." Qin Shuang waved.

She had only come over to tell Shen Bai her news. Knowing he had things to do, she didn’t want to disturb him any longer.

After Qin Shuang left, Shen Bai finally went to the Martial Arts Arena and started grinding his Shadow Walk Skill Level.

...

The entire afternoon passed in a frenzy of grinding.

Thanks to the bonus from Amber, his Shadow Walk Skill Level saw a massive increase.

[Shadow Walk +800]

Looking at the skill level increase, Shen Bai wore a satisfied expression.

Just then, it was time for the Scattering Value. As Shen Bai stepped out of his room, he saw an Observatory member walking up to him.

"Lord Shen, Lord Liu requests your presence," the Observatory member said.

Shen Bai paused, slightly taken aback. "What for?"

He had been so engrossed in grinding lately that he hadn’t gone to see Liu Wufeng.

Besides, there hadn’t been any urgent matters. As the State Governor, Liu Wufeng was always incredibly busy, and he had recently been focused on dealing with the Wild Taoist Sect and the Wild Buddha Sect, so Shen Bai hadn’t wanted to disturb him.

To be summoned so suddenly today, Shen Bai figured something big must be happening.

"We don’t know either. Lord Liu only said to ask you to go over, Lord Shen," the Observatory member replied.

As he spoke, the Observatory member looked at Shen Bai with a hint of respect in his eyes.

By now, Shen Bai was a household name in Fenglin State.

Within the Observatory itself, his various deeds were even more well-known, and many members held him in awe.

Shen Bai nodded. "I understand. Thank you."

With that, he set aside the matter of the Scattering Value and walked towards the two-story building where Liu Wufeng resided.