Xuanwu War Sovereign

"What happened to Xiaopeng? What’s wrong with my son?"

In the Guan Family’s grand residence in the south of the city, the sound of many hurried footsteps echoed from outside. A beautiful and elegant noblewoman with a panicked expression rushed back, bursting into the rear courtyard. She was followed by a large retinue of maids, old nannies, and guards. A moment later, the noblewoman’s heart-wrenching, shrill scream pierced the air.

"My son! Who beat you into this state? Which bastard was so heartless? And where is that old dog, Uncle Fu? Where the hell did he go, letting my son get hurt like this?! I’ll flay that derelict cur alive!"

"My Lady, Uncle Fu’s cultivation was crippled!" a voice said softly.

"Then what about the assailant? Are you all useless?! Did it not occur to you to mobilize the family’s experts?" the furious voice shrieked.

The person’s voice grew even quieter. "My Lady, that person is being protected by a powerful expert from All Stars Academy. Mr. Zhao said that until the All Stars Academy assessment is over, no one is to touch him unless he is eliminated!"

"Mr. Zhao... All Stars Academy!" The noblewoman gritted her teeth, then sneered after a moment. "You idiot. Do you really think that Mr. Zhao cares whether some nobody lives or dies? He only said that to save face for All Stars Academy. Since they want to preserve their reputation, we’ll let them. But that doesn’t mean we can’t kill him. As for how, I shouldn’t need to teach you, should I?"

"Yes, My Lady, we understand! After we kill him, we’ll go to Yu Man Hall, find some random woman, and claim he died from excessive debauchery! That way, when All Stars Academy investigates, the blame won’t fall on our Guan Family!" the voice said, laughing smugly.

"Then what are you waiting for?! I want him dead this instant! I can’t bear the thought of him living for even another quarter of an hour!" the noblewoman shrieked.

...

Qin Feng arrived in the South Market and headed straight for the Mystic Master Hall, where the Mystic Master Guild was located.

The Mystic Master Guild was one of the most powerful first-rate factions on the Spirit Sea Continent. The organization’s history was ancient, its origins lost to time, with its legacy passed down through the ages.

The Mystic Master Guild, along with the Pharmacist Guild and the Artifact Refiner’s Guild, were collectively known as the Three Great Ancient Guilds. Their traditions were inherited from the Three Great Ancestors of antiquity: the Profound Ancestor, the Dan Ancestor, and the Artifact Ancestor.

On the Spirit Sea Continent, every major city had a branch of the Mystic Master Guild, Pharmacist Guild, and Artifact Refiner’s Guild. As one of the largest and most important cities in the Yan Kingdom, Mountain and River City was naturally no exception.

Outside the Mystic Master Guild, the entrance bustled with activity. A constant stream of carriages passed by, and the flow of people was endless. One could often spot wealthy, influential figures, as well as the occasional Mystic Master clad in a black robe.

Across from the Mystic Master Guild was the Pharmacist Guild. Not far away, about five hundred paces to the left of the entrance, was the Artifact Refiner’s Guild.

The standard robes for Artifact Refiners of the Artifact Refiner’s Guild were gray, with a pattern of crossed swords embroidered on the sleeves.

The standard robes for Pharmacists of the Pharmacist Guild were snow-white. They were woven from the finest silk of the Snow Silkworm. A small cauldron was embroidered on the sleeves, and depending on the Pharmacist’s rank, this cauldron would have between three and six legs. The colors also varied slightly according to rank.

The standard robes for Mystic Masters of the Mystic Master Guild, however, were a profound black, giving them a very solemn appearance. A small pagoda was embroidered on their sleeves.

Upon entering the Mystic Master Guild, a faint, tranquil atmosphere washed over him, refreshing his mind and spirit.

People came and went in the spacious hall, but most were absorbed in their own affairs. When Qin Feng walked in, they merely glanced at him, a flicker of confusion in their eyes, before immediately returning to their work.

Mystic Masters were different from Alchemists and Artifact Refiners. Every true Mystic Master was a person of profound learning. Each Profound Array Map was exceptionally complex, requiring incredibly precise calculations and deductions. As a result, becoming a Mystic Master demanded more time for systematic study and the absorption of knowledge from a wide range of fields.

The deductive and computational abilities required of a Mystic Master were incredibly demanding. Otherwise, the Mystic Master Guild would not have the fewest members of the three great guilds.

Qin Feng had come for the Mystic Master assessment and to receive his Mystic Master Level badge. Standing in the hall, his gaze swept across the room and landed on a reception desk. A cute girl in a green dress was leaning on the counter, pouting from boredom.

Qin Feng was about to go over when, at that moment, a middle-aged man wearing a black Mystic Master Robe walked in from outside.

The man was in his thirties, with long, narrow eyes. His gaze was both sinister and arrogant.

"Master Liu Xi, you’re here! Have you come to see the Guild Master? Right this way, please!"

The cute girl in green hurriedly ran out from behind the desk to greet him, her eyes filled with respect.

"Hmph." Liu Xi didn’t even deign to look at the girl, his gaze averted as he walked straight inside.

"Master Liu Xi! It’s really him! I heard he’s a Martial Artist at the Condensing Vein Realm and also an incredibly rare Official Xuan Master!"

"Master Liu Xi is one of the few Official Xuan Masters in Mountain and River City, and he’s an honored guest of every major family. Countless Martial Artists in the city want to study under him. However, he seems to have an unwritten rule of only accepting disciples from the great families. I heard all sixteen of his disciples come from prominent family backgrounds!"

"I heard Master Liu is about to take on new disciples. It’s a shame his standards are so high. He won’t accept anyone with Innate Spiritual Power below Level Six! He won’t accept anyone over fifteen! And he won’t accept anyone whose Martial Arts Cultivation is below the Martial Arts Fourth Layer!"

"Master Liu must have come to the Mystic Master Guild today to select some promising candidates! I heard the elites from several of Mountain and River City’s great families are here today!"

"Look, people from the Nine Great Families have arrived!"

...

Qin Feng was registering at a desk, unaware that several people were watching him from a distance. A young woman looked at the familiar figure by the desk in surprise and spoke.

"Isn’t that Qin Feng? What is he doing at the Mystic Master Guild? Don’t tell me he also wants to take the Mystic Master assessment and become Master Liu Xi’s disciple?"

The young woman was from one of the Nine Great Families. She had been present for Qin Feng’s assessment at All Stars Academy and had personally witnessed him defeat Guan Xiaopeng in a single move.

An icy young woman’s cold gaze fell upon the figure registering at the desk. Her voice was laced with a chilling frost. "Qin Feng? So he’s the one who severely injured my brother?"

"Sister Ruolin, that’s him!" the young woman said respectfully. This icy beauty’s background was anything but simple; she was the renowned female genius of the Guan Family, one of the Nine Great Families.

Not only had she reached the mid-stage of Martial Arts Sixth Layer Heaven at a young age, she was also a distinguished Apprentice Xuan Master who had become Master Liu’s disciple long ago.

The icy beauty shot Qin Feng a cold glare. A sharp, chilling light flashed in her eyes for an instant before vanishing. With a faint sneer, she followed Master Liu inside...