Xuanwu War Sovereign

The Eighth Palace was Lingxu Palace, located in a hidden Snow Valley not far from the Land of Spirit Refining.

This place, once the main hall of the Lingxu Sect, had now been repurposed as the Eighth Palace for the Snowfield Trial.

The Guardian of the Eighth Palace was an Ice and Snow Giant Ape.

This was an Ice and Snow Giant Ape in the middle of a transformation. With its pure bloodline, it was just one step away from crossing the threshold of a Fierce Beast and evolving into a First-level Barbarian Beast: an Ice and Snow Ape King.

Once it became an Ice and Snow Ape King, it would automatically awaken the Ice and Snow Divine Power inherited through its bloodline.

An Ancient Relic Species with such a pure bloodline possessed exceptionally tyrannical combat power.

However, against the recent wave of rare prodigies from All Stars Academy, this Ice and Snow Giant Ape had suffered one defeat after another.

Xiao Yuchan, Du Pingxia, Qin Feng, Yuan Daozhen, and Li Qiubai had all passed through the Eighth Palace one after another.

Having refined the Black Tortoise Essence and aided by the residual power of the Divine Pill, Qin Feng’s *Innate Primordial Qi* technique had now reached the Eighth Layer. His Primordial Tide swelled to twelve waves, and his dense Innate True Qi was in no way inferior to that of an expert in the late-stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer Heaven.

After breaking through to the Eighth Layer of *Innate Primordial Qi*, Qin Feng was a full two to three times stronger than he had been at the Peak of Innate Seventh Level.

Even without using his Innate Divine Power of Ocean Control, Qin Feng had effortlessly suppressed the Ice and Snow Giant Ape.

Standing below Lingxu Palace, his black robe was particularly striking against the snow. Many gazes, faint but present, were fixed on him.

’What a waste of the Mystic Turtle Divine Pill. It was completely melted on the Spirit Refining Platform!’ Qin Feng’s Innate Primordial True Qi circulated within him, bit by bit mending the internal injuries he had sustained fighting the Ice and Snow Giant Ape.

Qin Feng felt a pang of helplessness. The Mystic Turtle Divine Pill was a Supreme Treasure for healing internal injuries. Now that it was suddenly gone, he felt a little unsettled.

From a distance, Qin Feng felt several timid gazes fixed on him.

It was Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei.

Although Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei had sided with Xiao Yuchan, their aptitude wasn’t high enough to qualify for the Land of Spirit Refining. They had been waiting in front of the Eighth Palace this entire time.

Their gazes flickered as they hovered near Xiao Yuchan, serving him hand and foot with the utmost respect.

"It’s incredible. Back in Mountain and River City, those two were famous geniuses for a while. They were so arrogant, lording it over so many other young cultivators and basking in their admiration. To think they would end up like this!"

Nearby, a group of young women had gathered, their chatter like the chirping of songbirds as they sighed with emotion.

Among them were none other than Zou Yuxian, Yu Hong, and Yu Yao. All of them hailed from Mountain and River City, so they naturally knew the full story behind Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei.

Zou Yuxian said, filled with relief, "My father once considered arranging a marriage with one of the other Nine Great Families. Seeing this now, I’m so glad he gave up on that idea!"

"Mountain and River City is just a tiny speck. You only realize how big the world is once you leave," Yu Hong lamented. "Across this boundless region, even the Great Yan Kingdom, Jin Kingdom, and Black Water Kingdom are just three small nations among the hundreds in the Domain of All Stars. And they say there are even vaster lands beyond the Domain of All Stars. How many geniuses must there be in this world? Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei were kings in Mountain and River City, but out here, they’re nothing special!" She sighed. It wasn’t just them; even she and the other lauded young ladies of Mountain and River City were seeing their halos fade, slowly becoming just ordinary geniuses.

Everywhere she looked, there were geniuses who far surpassed them.

"Only he could remain so dazzling," she murmured. Her beautiful eyes fell upon the youth in the black robe. Yu Hong bit her lower lip, a strange light rippling for a moment in her watery gaze before vanishing.

Seeing her clan sister looking like a lovesick maiden, Yu Yao felt a sour pang of jealousy for some reason. A bitter taste spread through her heart.

’He used to be my fiancé!’

Yu Yao lowered her head, a sudden, inexplicable sense of grievance welling up inside her.

Yu Yao suddenly felt a surge of disgust for her own Yu Family of Xiahe Town, a feeling she couldn’t quite explain. If the Yu Family hadn’t been so greedy and unprincipled, if they hadn’t broken their promise and torn up the engagement, maybe everything would have turned out differently.

’Perhaps, in his eyes, I’m just a vain, unscrupulous social climber!’ Yu Yao thought, dejected. She lowered her head, an unbearable ache filling her heart for reasons she couldn’t comprehend.

RUMBLE! A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from Lingxu Palace, followed by a streak of fiery light that shot through the air and descended.

A youth in a red robe appeared beside Qin Feng, moving like a swift wind.

"That was exhilarating!" Lû Chunyang exclaimed, appearing beside Qin Feng with an excited, animated expression.

Following Liu Canyang, Xiao Yuchan, Qin Feng, Du Pingxia, Liu Qiubai, and Yuan Daozhen, Lû Chunyang had finally broken through the Eighth Palace as well. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Shaking his head, Qin Feng reminded him,

"Don’t celebrate just yet. Liu Canyang and Xiao Yuchan already passed the Eighth Palace before us. They’re probably on their way to the Ninth Palace by now!"

"What? They’re already at the final palace?" Lû Chunyang’s expression turned grim.

All Stars Academy had announced the rewards for the placement trial from the very beginning.

The first-place winner would not only earn the title of First-Year Elder but also receive an extra one hundred Contribution Points.

The rewards for second and third place were a significant step down, at only eighty Points.

Fourth through sixth place was another tier lower, granting only sixty Points.

And finally, seventh through tenth place would only receive thirty Points.

Ranks eleven through twenty were worth a mere ten Points. Anyone ranked below twentieth would only receive five Points.

According to the rules of All Stars Academy, cultivating there cost one Contribution Point every month just to attend lectures.

A negative Point balance put a student at risk of being "advised" to withdraw. A deficit of five or more Points would result in forced expulsion.

The uses for Points didn’t stop there. Within All Stars Academy, Points were the currency for everyday life—a universal currency for purchasing Martial Skills, weapons, and information.

Ten thousand pieces of Gold could not be exchanged for a single Point.

Failing to pass the Snowfield Trial meant entering All Stars Academy with zero Points, facing the constant danger of being pressured to withdraw.

Therefore, those who entered with no points would have to sell themselves into indentured servitude for several years just to scrape together the basic Points needed to survive at the academy.

As for learning stronger Martial Skills or obtaining better resources, the number of Points required was simply astronomical.

For a new student at All Stars Academy, one hundred Points was an enormous fortune. Used wisely, it could create a massive gap between them and other geniuses of the same rank.

Liu Canyang wouldn’t give up. Xiao Yuchan wouldn’t give up. Du Pingxia wouldn’t give up. And Qin Feng had his sights set on the title of First-Year Elder.

The advantages of being number one—of being the First-Year Elder—were too great to ignore. The title came with a private Cave Mansion on a Spirit Mountain and a staff of Maids. Moreover, the First-Year Elder enjoyed numerous other privileges and preferential treatments that no genius could possibly refuse.

Whoever claimed the crown would be the first to pull away from the pack.

At that moment, not far away, two youths were furtively watching the youth in the black robe. As they watched Qin Feng’s group depart, a cold glint flashed in one of their eyes. He whispered urgently, "Quick, go tell Brother Xiao that Qin Feng’s group has passed the Eighth Palace!"

The other youth nodded. In an instant, both figures vanished into the wind and snow.