Xuanwu War Sovereign

Qin Feng’s gaze swept over, taking in the expression on Zhao Yuan’s face, and he smiled. "Zhao Yuan, there’s no need to be envious. As long as you all serve me loyally, I will not be stingy with my rewards!"

Qin Feng had countless Cultivation Techniques stored in his mind. Any of the ones he had bothered to carefully commit to memory were masterpieces of their time.

These were his hidden reserves.

Zhao Yuan was overjoyed and bowed deeply. "I will do my utmost, to the point of giving my life for you!"

Qin Feng nodded.

Once a Martial Artist advanced to the Martial Arts Ninth Layer Heaven, they could condense their Sixth Sense. To put it bluntly, the Sixth Sense was just another name for Spiritual Power.

The stronger the Sixth Sense—and thus the Spiritual Power—the better one’s memory.

After just a single reading, Luan Xiaochuan had firmly committed the nearly thousand-word ’Cyan Wood Condensing Green Technique’ to memory.

A look of ecstasy appeared in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a flash of hesitation.

After a moment, Luan Xiaochuan gritted his teeth, looked up at the black-robed youth, and said, "Cave Master, I have one more request!"

A curious light in his eyes, Qin Feng looked up and said slowly, "What is it?"

With a flicker of apprehension in his eyes, Luan Xiaochuan asked, "Cave Master, may I pass this Technique Manual on to my family?"

"I come from the Luan Family, a small family in the Great Yan Kingdom. We have many long-standing enemies in our region. If I could pass this Technique Manual back home, it would prevent many of our family’s disciples from coming to harm..."

Luan Xiaochuan was extremely anxious. From what he knew, the secrecy surrounding a Cultivation Technique was of the utmost importance.

It could determine the very survival of a family.

If a family’s foundational Cultivation Technique were to be leaked, it could easily send them from prosperity into decline, or even to their doom.

’This Luan Xiaochuan really cares about his family!’

Qin Feng cut him off with a laugh. "Since I’ve already given you the Technique Manual, you have the right to pass it on to whomever you wish. There’s no need to ask me about such things. The decision is yours to make."

Luan Xiaochuan beamed, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. "Thank you, Cave Master!"

Zhao Yuan watched this unfold with a complicated expression, as he was well aware of Luan Xiaochuan’s background.

The Luan Family was just an ordinary minor family. But with this Cultivation Technique, they would surely rise to new heights within a century, perhaps even becoming a great clan with a thousand-year legacy, capable of influencing an entire city.

This was truly a monumental Creation!

Just then, Xu Jie, dressed in a cyan robe, hurried over.

"Greetings, Cave Master!"

"No need for formalities."

Xu Jie took a Token from within his robes. It was silvery-white, as thin as a cicada’s wing, and shimmered with intricate silver patterns. The front was engraved with the two words ’All Stars’, and the back was covered in a dense, complex script of an Array.

"Cave Master, this is your Token. The eighteen stalks of Thousand-year-old Profound Yin Ginseng earned you a total of eighteen Points and one Merit Point. However, for the lost Red Dragon Yellow Ginseng, five Points and one Merit Point were deducted. Therefore, you have a total of thirteen Points remaining!"

Xu Jie looked at Qin Feng with envy. ’Having mastered the 9th Layer of the Little Cloud Rain Technique and being able to condense Celestial One True Water, his speed of earning Points is just incredible.’

Thirteen Points was enough to buy some of the lower-grade Spirit Medicines, Spirit Pills, Divine Weapons, and Secret Manuals.

Outside the academy, that would be worth at least 1,300,000 taels of Gold.

With a profound look in his eyes, Qin Feng accepted the Token. It glittered with silver light, and on its back, a section of lustrous, silvery script appeared.

Qin Feng infused his Spiritual Mark into it, and a number appeared before his eyes.

Two hundred thirty-three.

Two hundred and thirty-three Points.

A smile touched Qin Feng’s eyes. As the Cave Master of Heavenly Red Peak and a Fifth-level Inner Sect Disciple of the Medicine King Hall, his monthly stipend was fifty Points.

Qin Feng had taken a three-month advance on his stipend, so the Token originally held one hundred and fifty Points. On top of that was the one-hundred-Point reward from Elder Cyan Dragon.

He had spent thirty when he bought Silly Bird and Little Slippery Head. Adding the thirteen Points he just earned from nurturing the eighteen stalks of Thousand-year-old Profound Yin Ginseng, the total came to exactly two hundred and thirty-three.

Two hundred and thirty-three Points. For a new student, this was a considerable fortune.

"Very good. Thank you for making the trip."

"It is my duty. As an Outer Disciple of Bishui Cave, it is only right that I help lighten the Cave Master’s burdens!" Xu Jie stood ramrod straight, his booming voice causing Luan Xiaochuan and Zhao Yuan to glance at him sideways.

The two pursed their lips, exchanged a look, and silently cursed, ’What a bootlicker.’

"Good, very good!" Qin Feng chuckled. "All of you may leave. In my Cave Mansion, there are a few plates of freshly picked Spirit Fruits. I’ve already instructed Xiaoba. Just let him know you’re there, and you can take some. These Spirit Fruits will be beneficial for your Cultivation!"

"Thank you, Cave Master!" The three of them were overjoyed.

"Go on," Qin Feng said with a wave of his hand. The three departed, beaming with delight.

Watching their retreating figures, Qin Feng recalled the messages he’d received from Lû Chunyang, Yu Yao, and the others a few days prior.

All of them had been complaining incessantly in their messages.

It was the first time this group of young masters and ladies had experienced such menial labor, and their suffering was beyond words.

Yu Yao said she spent all day in a weaving workshop, working a loom. She, the great Miss Yu, had never done such a thing in her entire life.

Lû Chunyang was complaining as well. The renowned genius of the Lû Family had actually been reduced to spending his days hammering away in a blacksmith’s workshop.

According to Lû Chunyang, his neighbor Liu Canyang had it even worse. He spent all day inside a volcanic crater, and the once-dashing young gentleman’s image was now completely destroyed.

You couldn’t even tell if he was a kiln worker or a charcoal merchant anymore.

Lû Chunyang clearly took some pleasure in his friend’s misfortune.

...

However, for all that back-breaking labor, they weren’t earning many Points.

Every last one of them was miserable.

The corner of Qin Feng’s mouth twitched. Among this year’s new students, aside from the few who held the rank of Elder, everyone else was dirt-poor.

But Qin Feng knew that no matter their assignment, as long as they cultivated the two basic Cultivation Methods handed out by the All Stars Academy to the state of Great Perfection, they would be able to leave this miserable situation behind.

Take his own Little Cloud Rain Technique, which he had mastered to the level of Great Perfection, for example.

By condensing Celestial One True Water, as long as Qin Feng put in the effort, he would have a small but steady, endless stream of Points.

Thinking of the Little Cloud Rain Technique, Qin Feng shook his head with a helpless look. Even though his technique had reached Great Success and transformed into the Cloud Rain Divine Power, merging with his Innate Divine Abilities...

...he could still only condense thirty-six drops of Celestial One True Water per day.

Qin Feng took a bottle of Elixirs from his robes and placed it in his palm. It was a Jade Bottle, lustrous and smooth like white jade. It was a bottle of Jade Spirit Pills. Qin Feng had already used two of his three bottles. Aided by the power of those two Jade Spirit Pills, he had now reached the Late Stage of Martial Arts Ten Heavens.

However, to break through to the Martial Arts Thirteen Layers, he would need several more bottles at a minimum. He’d had Luan Xiaochuan inquire at the Contribution Hall; a single bottle of Jade Spirit Pills was incredibly expensive, costing fifty Points and one Merit Point.

Qin Feng had enough Points, but Merit Points were hard to come by.

With his current wealth, he couldn’t even afford a single bottle.

Just then, a familiar figure suddenly turned around and came back.

"Zhao Yuan?" Qin Feng’s eyes rested on the quiet, somewhat wooden young man in the cyan robe.

After a slight hesitation, Zhao Yuan spoke up. "Cave Master, I just remembered something, but I’m not sure if I should mention it."

"What is it? Go ahead."

"It’s about the Hidden Dragon Points Ranking!"

"The Hidden Dragon Points Ranking?" Qin Feng’s brow furrowed. "What kind of list is that?"

Speaking of the list, Zhao Yuan’s expression grew excited and his heart raced. "It’s a list that includes the strongest experts in the All Stars Academy from both the new and previous cohorts of students. The rankings are based entirely on Points. The list is compiled once every two years, and if you can make it into the top ten, you’ll receive immense rewards in Points and Merit Points. Moreover, the person who ranks first gets a set of Black Iron Level Battle Armor?"

"What? Battle Armor?" Qin Feng shot to his feet.

(This is the third Chapter update. The fourth will be around 4 p.m., and the fifth at 6 p.m. Please vote with recommendation tickets and add to your collections~~)