Xuanwu War Sovereign

Nurturing the Star Battle Body would take quite some time.

Having successfully imprinted the Lifebound Star Mark, Qin Feng vanished from the first layer of the Star River.

On the dais, Qin Feng opened his eyes.

The moment he did, he immediately sensed a change in his body. His internal Primordial Star True Qi had undergone some strange transformation.

The once righteous, peaceful, and vast Primordial Star True Qi now carried a trace of savagery.

Qin Feng tried to condense a wisp of Star True Qi. The originally silver-white True Qi had turned a pure black, tinged with a streak of bright red, like fresh blood.

It was just like the Star Essence Power emitted by the Fallen God Star.

’The Mixed Element Star Technique has mutated, fusing with a trace of the Fallen God Star’s Star Essence Qi!’ Qin Feng guessed this might be a subsequent change from practicing the Mixed Element Star Technique.

This power felt completely unfamiliar.

But it was incredibly tyrannical!

Compared to before, it now possessed a ferocious killing intent that could shatter an enemy’s courage.

The power of an Evil Star!

Qin Feng’s wide sleeves fell as he lowered his hands. He speculated that this was likely related to one’s individual Lifebound Star.

Briefly sensing his internal state, Qin Feng discovered that after fusing with his Lifebound Star and receiving feedback from its Star Essence Qi, his realm had unknowingly broken through from the Mid-stage of Martial Arts Twelve Heavens to the Late Stage of Martial Arts Twelve Heavens.

His True Qi was even more immense!

「Seven days later.」

Atop the dais, Qin Feng fully consolidated his realm and familiarized himself with the first layer of the Mixed Element Star Technique.

Qin Feng decided to get up and head to the All Stars Academy in the City of Many Stars to obtain the Cultivation Method for the second layer of the Mixed Element Star Technique. He also wanted to use this opportunity to bring Honglian, Qin Shou, Qin Gang, and the others back with him.

At dawn, the first light of day appeared on Heavenly Red Peak as a vermilion sun leaped above the horizon.

"CHIRP!"

A clear, long cry echoed from the horizon, and a snow-white White Jade Ice Sparrow appeared in Qin Feng’s view.

With a flicker of his body, Qin Feng shot into the sky like a black rainbow and landed on the White Jade Ice Sparrow.

"SQUAWK! Brother Feng, wait for Eighth Master!"

In the distance, Eighth Master came wobbling over, struggling to flap its wings.

The corner of Qin Feng’s mouth twitched. With a wave of his large sleeve, an invisible force shot across the distance, wrapped around the strange bird, and pulled it onto his shoulder. He then gently patted the White Jade Ice Sparrow.

The White Jade Ice Sparrow let out a joyful, high-pitched cry and transformed into a streak of cold light, soaring into the clouds.

The Sea of Clouds was vast and endless.

As far as the eye could see, Spirit Mountains towered above the Sea of Clouds, covered in ancient pines and green cypresses. Rare and Exotic Beasts made their homes there, and the cries of cranes echoed through the heavens.

At a glance, these Spirit Mountains were scattered like islands in the Sea of Clouds.

The White Jade Ice Sparrow spread its wings, flying as fast as lightning and covering several miles in the blink of an eye.

After the Silly Bird evolved from a White Sparrow into a White Jade Ice Sparrow, its speed had increased several times over. Although not as fast as some eagles, wild geese, or condors of the same rank, it was by no means slow.

Standing on the White Jade Ice Sparrow, Qin Feng released a layer of invisible Primordial Star Qi from his pores, forming a shield several yards wide around his body to block the fierce winds.

"SQUAWK!" On his shoulder, Eighth Master desperately clung to Qin Feng with its claws, trying not to be blown off by the wind.

Eighth Master shrieked, "SQUAWK! Brother Feng, lend me some of your Gang Qi!"

The corner of Qin Feng’s mouth twitched into something that was not quite a smile. Although Eighth Master had a pure bloodline and had awakened its Lifebound Divine Abilities early, flying had always been its weakness.

Because this bird had no feathers, it couldn’t fly properly.

Its eyes darted around, and Eighth Master squawked, "SQUAWK! Brother Feng, Eighth Master has important intelligence to report to you!"

Qin Feng gazed ahead and said languidly, "What intelligence?"

"If Eighth Master reports this intelligence to you, can you lend Eighth Master a bit of your Gang Qi?"

"That depends on your performance."

"Really? Brother Feng, let me tell you, ever since we left Heavenly Red Peak, there’s been a bird following us!"

"What?" Qin Feng’s expression instantly darkened.

With a light tap of his foot, the White Jade Ice Sparrow understood and immediately slowed down.

Qin Feng scanned his surroundings as his powerful Spiritual Sense spread out. A Secret Technique surfaced in his mind.

"Celestial Hearing and Earthly Vision!"

Eighth Master was extremely intelligent and saw at a glance that Qin Feng was about to use a Secret Technique. With a roll of its eyes, it suddenly dissolved into faint wisps of black smoke and vanished from Qin Feng’s shoulder.

Qin Feng stopped the Secret Technique he was about to use, his gaze turning grave as he stared at where Eighth Master had been.

’This cunning bird actually had another trick up its sleeve!’

’This Little Slippery Head!’

"SQUAWK!"

A moment later, black energy flickered in the Void and solidified into Eighth Master’s form. It landed smugly on the black-robed youth’s shoulder.

Qin Feng gave the rascal a deep look before his gaze finally fell on the strange, sparrow-sized bird struggling desperately under Eighth Master’s foot.

"A Cloud-Spying Bird!"

Qin Feng’s expression changed slightly. He recognized this small bird. It was a type of bird with extremely high Spiritual awareness and a special talent. Like a chameleon, it could change its aura and the color of its feathers. Many powerful individuals would tame these birds for surveillance, tracking, and reconnaissance.

’This must be the work of that hidden mastermind.’ Grasping the desperately struggling Cloud-Spying Bird, Qin Feng’s face turned grim. For the past few days, he had constantly felt a shadow watching him from the darkness, plotting against him.

Whether it was Ao Fang, who had suddenly jumped out to oppose him, or Young Emperor Jin and Wei Qinghuang, or even the person who had tried to ambush him by disrupting his mind with the Chaos Divine Song—all of them were connected to that shadow.

If he traced it back even further, the Seventy-two Earth Evil Nails in Heavenly Red Peak’s Green Water Cave might have also been the work of that shadow.

’It seems this person has gotten addicted to scheming! Does he really think I can’t find him?’ Qin Feng sneered inwardly as a wave of vicious energy churned in his heart.

This time, at least, he had finally caught a clue.

Qin Feng’s gaze fell upon the Cloud-Spying Bird. This type of bird was extremely psychic and understood humans well. He was sure he could find out the identity of the hidden mastermind from it.

"Xiaoba, I’m leaving it to you. Find out who its master is!"

Eighth Master spread its wings, its sharp talons seizing the still-struggling Cloud-Spying Bird.

Eighth Master shrieked in a high-pitched voice, "SQUAWK! Brother Feng, don’t worry, leave it to Eighth Master! This little thing actually dared to follow Eighth Master. The audacity!"

Eighth Master’s bloodline was exceptionally noble. The Cloud-Spying Bird, which had dared to struggle in Qin Feng’s hand, was now trembling in fear under Eighth Master’s talons.

Its wings trembled, and it lowered its head like a frightened quail.

Before long, Eighth Master suddenly cried out, "Brother Feng, I found the target! Its master lives in the Celestial Unity Cave Mansion at Celestial Water Lake! His name seems to be... Yu Fuchen? Yes, this Yu Fuchen ordered it to monitor our every move around Heavenly Red Peak!"

"Yu Fuchen?"

Qin Feng’s face sank. He had heard Senior Sister Baiyun mention this person before. Yu Fuchen was a veteran powerhouse of the All Stars Academy.

He was a sinister and deeply manipulative man. At the All Stars Academy, many called him a smiling tiger—friendly on the surface, but treacherous underneath.

What he was most famous for wasn’t his Cultivation, but his status.

He was a rare Second Grade Xuan Master!

This status made him a very special figure in the All Stars Academy. Because of it, he was often an honored guest of the major battle teams.

’A Second Grade Xuan Master, proficient in Profound Arrays. It seems he was the one who used the seventy-two Earth Evil Nails to lock down the Spiritual Qi of Heavenly Red Peak!’

Waves of killing intent flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes.

Eighth Master shooed away the Cloud-Spying Bird, which now acted like a little underling, and looked at the black-robed youth. "Brother Feng, what do we do now?"

"What do we do? We pay him a visit and beat him up, of course!"