Xuanwu War Sovereign

Before the majestic grand hall lay a vast plaza.

A colossal black stone, unusually massive, stood tall in the plaza. It seemed to prop up the heavens, like a great mountain.

A series of names flickered upon it, each glowing with an unusual light.

Many people were staring at a single, blood-red name.

This included the recently rescued Lin Fei, Jin Ruyi, Bai Xianyue, Luo Lie, Ouyang Yu, Celestial Monarch Lu, Ji Huang’Er, and Lu Qingxue.

First Place in the Hidden Dragon Points Competition: Qin Feng.

Behind the first-place name was an emblem of a Third-Grade Blood Lotus. Second Place: Lin Fei.

Third Place: Jin Ruyi.

Fourth: Ouyang Yu.

Originally, the person ranked fourth was the previous Elder White Tiger, Ye Nantian. However, he and the entire Glazed Team, one of the Top Ten Teams, had been slain by experts from the Demon God Temple.

Therefore, War King Ouyang Yu took his place.

Fifth: King Luo.

Sixth: Blood Bat King, Long Xiaoxiao.

Seventh: Zhao Xuanmeng.

Eighth: Bai Xianyue.

Ninth: Luo Lie.

Tenth: Ye Youming.

...

The list of names left many of the experts from All Stars Academy reeling in disbelief. Many of them fixed their gazes on the first name!

"Impossible! The Memorial Stone has to be wrong! That Qin Feng is just a freshman from Cyan Dragon Academy. How could he possibly beat so many veteran geniuses!"

"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

"There must be a mistake! I could crush a freshman like Qin Feng with one hand. How could he possibly be number one on the Hidden Dragon Points Ranking!"

...

Hundreds, if not thousands, of gazes fell upon Qin Feng as he listened to the angry and bewildered voices around him.

Qin Feng remained expressionless, completely unfazed by the geniuses’ furious stares.

’These people are arrogant. They thought they were high and mighty, that their strength far surpassed mine. Naturally, they can’t stand to see me get ahead!’

’They have to prove themselves, so they’re resorting to slander.’

’No doubt they’ll try to fight me later, just to put me in my place!’

One after another, White Lotuses flew out from the Memorial Stone.

The remaining elites from Heaven-Reaching Ridge emerged from the lotuses, one by one. Many of the geniuses still looked dazed as they emerged.

It was as if they had been gone for a lifetime.

Qin Feng even saw Yu Yao in one of the descending lotuses.

Yu Yao had previously played dead, and Qin Feng had paid her no mind. ’She’s a lucky one, surviving all the way to the end in one piece.’

’Thankfully, I brought Shi Tong into the Blue Sea and Heaven before I left. Otherwise, I would have lost that personal maid of mine!’

Qin Feng rejoiced inwardly and swept his gaze across the plaza.

Many young cultivators were still in a daze. Others looked grief-stricken, their clothes stained with blood.

This Hidden Dragon Points Competition had been far too brutal. Too many elites had died.

With heavy hearts, many of the geniuses left the plaza.

Most, however, remained. They basked in the joy of surviving such a close brush with death and accepted the praise of the other All Stars Academy students.

After the competition, the plaza became a sea of celebration.

Qin Feng became the center of attention. Many of his friends, like Zhao Zhijing and Li Zhuang, rushed over to him.

They had been forced to leave when the Top Ten Teams cleared the area, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, saving them from the great calamity that followed.

Qin Feng was happy to see them again. They might have missed out on some opportunities, but at least they were alive.

...

In the distance, a breathtakingly beautiful woman in a pale-yellow palace gown fixed her gaze on the black-robed youth. She was somewhat surprised; she had actually been surpassed by a freshman.

She discreetly used a Secret Technique, trying to probe Qin Feng’s cultivation. To her surprise, he felt like a vast, boundless Star River.

’Could he have some treasure that conceals his cultivation?’

Lin Fei’Er’s eyes narrowed. ’Or perhaps his cultivation is even higher than mine, and that’s why I can’t gauge his true strength!’

’That should be impossible. I’ve already condensed twelve of the most powerful Earth Mother Spiritual Veins. He doesn’t seem to have any Spirit Vein aura, so he must have only just broken through to the Condensing Vein Realm!’

Lin Fei’Er felt hesitant, but she instinctively refused to believe that a mere freshman like Qin Feng could possess such tyrannical strength.

"Big Sister, should we teach him a lesson?" a female expert at her side asked, her eyes seeking permission.

"Big Sister, you’d best not make a move on him!" Just then, a cold, clear voice spoke up.

Dressed in a white Luo Shang, she was like a graceful ice lotus.

She was a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in white.

Her appearance immediately drew the gazes of many young geniuses, their eyes burning with passion.

It was the previous Elder Cyan Dragon, Venerable Xuelian. Two young women, Ye Qinghua and Jiang Bing’Er, followed behind her.

A flash of jealousy crossed the eyes of the female expert who had spoken earlier. She sneered, "Xuelian, why can’t we touch him? I heard you suffered a major defeat at his hands. Are you scared?"

A glint of ice flashed in Xuelian’s eyes. As her gaze swept over the expert, the woman felt a deep chill, as if she’d been plunged into a churning ice river. She couldn’t help but shiver.

"It’s not that I’m looking down on you, but he could crush an expert like you with one hand."

"That’s impossible!" the female expert shouted.

Xuelian’s mouth curved into a cold smile. "Why is it impossible? I personally saw him defeat the Three-eyed Golden Celestial Lion of the Celestial Lion Royal Family. If a powerhouse from the Demon God Temple hadn’t intervened, that Three-eyed Golden Celestial Lion would have been beaten to death by him. Are you telling me you’re stronger than the Celestial Lion Royal Family?"

Hearing this, the group of young women was startled.

Glancing at the black-robed youth, Lin Fei’s beautiful eyes glinted with a strange light. She knew her friend’s personality quite well.

Xuelian had a cold and aloof personality; she would never stoop to lying.

Lin Fei asked Xuelian via voice transmission, "Junior Sister Xuelian, is that new Elder really that tyrannical?"

Xuelian’s lips moved slightly. "Senior Sister Lin, whatever you do, don’t provoke that guy. He’s powerful, ruthless, and vindictive."

"Senior Sister, you may not know this, but that guy once broke a Natural Maze all by himself!"

"What?" Lin Fei was stunned. She quickly sent back, "A Natural Maze? Isn’t that an Innate Array that even some Great Profound Masters can’t break? Is his skill with Profound Arrays really that advanced?"

Xuelian gave a bitter smile. "That’s not all. The guy’s a monster. He created some terrifying weapon that blew up thousands of people from the Demon God Temple. He’s the one who collapsed the Demon Hunting Canyon!"

"The Demon God Temple was indirectly defeated by him!"

Lin Fei gasped.

An unconcealable shock appeared on Lin Fei’s beautiful face, and her body trembled. ’That’s terrifying.’

In a corner, the experts from Heaven’s Edge Sea Pavilion were communicating via voice transmission.

Elsewhere, Jin Ruyi of the Taichu Team was also observing Qin Feng. Other experts, such as Luo Lie, Ouyang Yu, and Ye Youming, stood with their arms crossed, watching Qin Feng in the crowd with cold, scrutinizing eyes.

They looked eager for a fight.

Meanwhile, amongst the members of the Five Elements Team, Zhao Xuanmeng stared intently at the Memorial Stone, simply unable to believe it.

’How could a mere freshman like Qin Feng take first place?’

’Did he just get lucky and scavenge kills? Yes, that must be it! Demon Hunting Canyon was frozen solid, and the experts from the Demon God Temple were caught in the freezing qi. He must have used that chance to kill off their geniuses, and that’s how his Blood Lotus reached the Tenth Grade!’

Zhao Xuanmeng glared at the black-robed youth in the crowd, his eyes flashing with a cold, venomous light. He felt it was the only explanation that made sense.

Zhao Xuanmeng was confident in his assessment.

This was also the judgment of most of the geniuses.

Ghost King Wu Ying was also furious. He had barely escaped with his life this time and had gained nothing from it. The chill in his eyes was startling.

The group scanned the crowd and saw Qin Feng and his friends laughing and chatting. A cold glint flashed in Zhao Xuanmeng’s eyes.

"Come on, let’s go have some fun."

With sullen, malicious expressions, the group walked toward Qin Feng.