Xuanwu War Sovereign

Qin Feng’s memories of passing through the Gate of All Stars were not pleasant. It was like riding in a dilapidated carriage, bumping and careening wildly down a mountain foothill path covered in jagged stones.

However, riding in a carriage hurt one’s rear, while traveling through the Gate of All Stars hurt one’s head.

BANG!

A sliver of light appeared in his peripheral vision. At the same time, it felt as if the dilapidated carriage had just gone over a cliff, his body suddenly weightless. Qin Feng forcibly suppressed the strange sensation, controlled his momentum, and landed lightly on the ground.

Sunlight. Unlike the perpetually overcast skies of the Snowfield, a warm sunbeam fell upon the black-robed young man, its gentle heat intoxicating.

The chill from the Snowfield seemed to melt away.

Qin Feng couldn’t help but squint and raise his head, almost greedily soaking in the warmth.

He had arrived at All Stars Academy!

Even without looking, Qin Feng could feel dozens of intense gazes fall upon him, all filled with disbelief.

"Is this a student from the Snowfield Trial?" At that moment, a slightly excited voice called out.

It was a young man wearing a Sun, Moon, and Stars Robe. His expression was one of shock, and Qin Feng could feel his excitement from the sound of his slightly-too-fast heartbeat.

Qin Feng raised his head and nodded.

"Good! Excellent!" In his excitement, the senior student from All Stars Academy in charge of registration repeated himself, his smile growing friendlier.

"Chen Yu, what are you doing? Stop dawdling and bring this junior brother over to register!"

Unlike the overly excited young man, the other senior students from All Stars Academy had already collected themselves.

"Who’s this dark-clothed kid? What’s going on here? Where’s Li Qiubai from our Kangjin Peak?" Far in the distance, having seen Qin Feng emerge from the Gate of All Stars, Zong Wuxiang asked the few Star Sect disciples around him.

Everyone: "..."

"Oh, right!" Chen Yu snapped out of his daze and quickly jogged to guide Qin Feng toward the shade of some trees, where a row of registration tables had been set up.

"Junior Brother, you’re the first student to pass the Snowfield Trial! Please, come over here to register!"

A delicate, orchid-like fragrance wafted over as a beautiful young senior sister approached. She shot a glance at the sheepishly grinning Chen Yu before guiding Qin Feng to a registration table with a smile.

"Junior Brother, first of all, congratulations on passing the All Stars Academy’s entrance trial. From this day forward, you are a true disciple of All Stars Academy. Regardless of how long you are able to stay, the title of an All Stars Academy disciple will accompany you for life and may even become your greatest honor!"

"Of course, this may also be the place where your legendary journey begins! In any case, please sign your name here!"

This senior sister was very eloquent. When she spoke, faint, sweet dimples appeared, giving her a pure and lovely air. It felt like being caressed by a spring breeze.

"I’m Qin Feng. I’ll be in your care, Senior Sister." Qin Feng felt as if her smile made him younger, and the murderous aura around him unconsciously dissipated.

"I’m Baiyun! Don’t forget your senior sister’s name!" The young woman giggled, appearing quite lively.

After the series of registrations was complete, the young woman, Baiyun, spoke with a touch of admiration. "Junior Brother Qin Feng, as of today, you are the Elder of this year’s new students in our Cyan Dragon Academy!"

With Qin Feng deliberately trying to win her over, and with Baiyun herself intending to befriend the sought-after new Elder, the atmosphere between the two grew increasingly harmonious.

By now, the unfamiliarity between them was gone.

Qin Feng was doing this on purpose. He was a newcomer, and everything here was unfamiliar. He needed to get a comprehensive understanding of All Stars Academy as quickly as possible so he could make plans and strategically gain more benefits for himself.

Befriending a senior sister who was very knowledgeable about All Stars Academy—and very easy on the eyes—seemed like an excellent idea.

"Junior Brother Qin Feng, you’re the second new powerhouse to pass the trial, after that person from Vermilion Bird Academy. You’ve really brought great honor to our Cyan Dragon Academy this time!"

"Cyan Dragon, Vermilion Bird?" A flicker of confusion crossed Qin Feng’s eyes.

Baiyun explained, "All Stars Academy is divided into four academies based on their recruitment regions: Eastern Cyan Dragon Academy, Southern Vermilion Bird Academy, Western White Tiger Academy, and Northern Xuanwu Academy. All four are filled with masters!"

"This year, Cyan Dragon Academy has several thousand new students. A quarter of them came through the trials from the four regions, while the other three-quarters are ’donation students’! And you, Junior Brother Qin Feng, will be the Elder for all several thousand of them!" Baiyun said, speaking with ease and confidence.

"Donation students?" Qin Feng’s eyes twitched. He could hear Senior Sister Baiyun’s disdain for the term.

"Just some parasites who got in through the back door. You don’t need to pay them any mind. Most of them will be eliminated. The ones who make it to the end are elite disciples like us!"

Listening to Baiyun, Qin Feng’s expression flickered. From her tone, it seemed there was more than one way to become a disciple at All Stars Academy.

The other way was to be one of these so-called "donation students" who came in through the back door.

And, by the looks of it, these donation students didn’t need to pass a trial.

It made sense to Qin Feng. The Domain of All Stars was vast. As the Sea Stabilizing Pillar of the domain, All Stars Academy’s fame was so great that its name was known even in a small, remote place like the Great Yan Kingdom.

Clearly, countless people were fighting tooth and nail to get into All Stars Academy.

As a semi-public Martial Arts Academy, All Stars Academy naturally couldn’t refuse some exceptional talents.

Especially when countless Princes, Princesses, and members of Duke’s Families were clamoring to get in, even an institution with the influence and status of All Stars Academy had to take them into consideration. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"But you have to be careful. A dark horse occasionally appears among them, someone who could threaten your position as Elder!"

"The position of Elder isn’t permanent?" Qin Feng instantly understood, realizing the precariousness of the throne he had just claimed.

"Junior Brother Qin Feng, you’re so greedy! The importance of being the Elder for a grade is far beyond what you can imagine!" Baiyun rolled her eyes at the black-robed young man.

Qin Feng’s heart tightened. It seemed he had underestimated the importance of the seat he was now in.

Baiyun glanced at Qin Feng with envy and said, "Junior Brother Qin Feng, in many people’s eyes, the Elder of each grade also holds the title of ’preparatory Star Sect disciple.’ The position of Elder is usually held by the strongest and most outstanding person in each grade!"

"The Elder of each grade enjoys the best treatment at All Stars Academy: the best Spiritual Energy Cave Mansions, the best medicinal cuisines, and the optimal cultivation environment!"

"What’s most enviable are the Elder’s privileges. For all major and minor matters within a grade, the academy usually informs the Elder first, who then makes the announcements. Also, when the academy releases various Point missions, the Elder has the right to be informed first and make their selection. The mission list only appears on the mission board the next day, after the Elders of each academy have made their picks!"

"Do you understand how important that is? In All Stars Academy, where the elimination rate is absurdly high, that’s a lifeline! The benefits that come with it are enough to drive people crazy! And that’s not even mentioning the insane, envy-inducing discounts the Elder gets in all the major commercial districts of the City of Many Stars!"

"So, do you think a position like that is one you can just sit in quietly?" Baiyun grew more and more excited as she spoke, finally becoming completely entranced. Elder—it was a title that held immense Magic Power at All Stars Academy.

Becoming a grade’s Elder was something you could brag about for a lifetime. Once you left All Stars Academy, if you told people you had once served as an Elder, you could enter any kingdom and be treated like a general or a Duke. Even entering one of the continent’s First-class Sects would be a piece of cake.

"So, you’d better watch the seat you’re sitting on. Starting today, countless people will be giving their all to compete with you for it!"

"Every three months, All Stars Academy holds a comprehensive assessment. If you can suppress all challengers, you’ll remain the Elder. If you can’t, you’ll be pushed out, demoted back to being an ordinary student, and you’ll have to start the climb all over again!"

"Generally speaking, the position of Elder for the new students is the most dangerous and the easiest one to be kicked out of. You need to be careful!"