Xuanwu War Sovereign

As late autumn arrived, the once-bustling Mountain and River City grew a bit chilly. Pedestrians on the streets gradually began to don thick clothes and fur coats, and the last few withered yellow leaves were torn from the great trees by the bleak autumn wind.

The third round of tests for the All Stars Academy had concluded under the watchful eyes of the public, yet the entire Mountain and River City was still immersed in its lingering afterglow.

After stewing for some time, the buzz surrounding the event only grew more intense.

Within the Celestial Strategy Mansion of the Mystic Master Guild. The mansion was brilliantly lit, with wine cups clinking under the candlelight. The Celestial Strategy Mansion was exceptionally lively today. A constant stream of carriages rolled up to the front, and guests arrived in endless succession. Everyone who came and went was dressed in lavish attire, each carrying themselves with solemn propriety and a dignified air, clearly hailing from wealthy and powerful families.

Standing in a corner, a few beggars watched the bustling traffic before the Celestial Strategy Mansion with awe-filled eyes, chattering amongst themselves.

"The Celestial Strategy Mansion is truly worthy of being the Mystic Master Guild’s domain. In just a short while, I’ve already seen several of Mountain and River City’s big shots: the Li Family, who are the wealthiest in the south of the city; Manor Master Zhao of Haitang Manor; and even several famous Mystic Masters from the Mystic Master Guild! These are all influential figures who command respect in this region!"

"Look! A crimson carriage is coming out of the Celestial Strategy Mansion! And holy cow, the two horses pulling it are actually an exotic breed—Crimson Flame Horses! Their hooves are like fire, their manes like blazing flames! That’s Lord Li Yan’s carriage!" a beggar with a discerning eye cried out in alarm.

"Lord Li Yan is a famous Alchemist in Mountain and River City, his status immensely respected. I once saw him from afar at the gates of one of the Nine Great Families, and it left a deep impression. He’s an Alchemy Master that even great households like the Nine Great Families must treat with reverence. I heard that most of the elixirs circulating in Mountain and River City each month come from his hands!" Speaking with great excitement, one beggar narrated his story logically, capturing the attention of many other beggars. For a moment, this beggar was glowing with pride, his eyes sharp and clever.

"Why would such a great personage appear here?" a beggar couldn’t help but ask.

"Ah, that’s what you don’t know!" the previous young beggar said with a mysterious expression. Seeing that he had successfully captured everyone’s attention, his face grew even more smug. He said secretively, "I heard that one of the geniuses accepted by the All Stars Academy is staying inside the Celestial Strategy Mansion. Most of these high-and-mighty figures are here for him!"

"The All Stars Academy?" The group of beggars showed expressions of amazement and envy. "That’s some real luck. I just wonder which genius is staying in the Celestial Strategy Mansion. Isn’t this the Mystic Master Guild’s territory?"

"You’ve asked the right person! I know the ins and outs of this better than anyone. I heard the All Stars Academy only accepted seven people this year. Among them are Young Master Qin Tianjiao, Young Master Xu Fei, and the young miss of the Guan Family. As for the other four, I heard the Yu Family from the north of the city took two spots—their eldest miss, Yu Hong, and their seventh miss, Yu Yao. Another is Young Master Li Zhuang. But the final one is the most legendary of all—he was supposedly tested to have Eleventh Grade Martial Arts Talent and, most importantly, he’s a fifteen-year-old First-Grade Xuan Master!"

"Don’t tell me the one staying here is..." The group of beggars’ eyes went wide as they couldn’t help but cry out.

"That’s right! The last one is the most dazzling of them all, Mr. Qin Feng. And speaking of which, that Young Master Qin is a friend of mine, you know?" the young beggar said animatedly. He was none other than Duan Xiaolou, the one who had proactively greeted Qin Feng before.

"Duan Xiaolou, you? Stop bragging!" A few of the young beggars sneered, their faces full of disbelief.

"Duan Xiaolou, do you have any idea what kind of person Mr. Qin Feng is? He’s a genius that even the big shots of Mountain and River City are trying to curry favor with. You and I are just lowly beggars. How could you possibly know someone like him? Duan Xiaolou, if you’re going to brag, find a better audience. If you said you knew the Shopkeeper of the Drunken Immortal Tower, a few of us might believe you. But to say you know a true prodigy like Young Master Qin? That’s just ridiculous!" The group of beggars looked at Duan Xiaolou with contempt, making him so angry he stomped his feet.

"It’s true! We even chatted together! He told me if I ever needed anything, I could go find him for help anytime!"

The young beggars sneered, mocking Duan Xiaolou for overestimating himself and being delusional.

Shaking their heads, the few young beggars left. Duan Xiaolou glanced hesitantly at the Celestial Strategy Mansion, a flicker of indecision in his eyes. He was a proud person at heart. Soon, Duan Xiaolou stomped his foot resentfully and followed the other young beggars away.

Duan Xiaolou and the others had no idea that the entire scene in the corner had been witnessed by an elegant figure hidden in the darkness. The figure’s gaze shifted slightly, and a moment later, a scruffy young beggar emerged from the shadows.

Astoundingly, this young beggar looked exactly like the Duan Xiaolou who had just left.

’Duan Xiaolou’ glanced at his own attire with a bizarre look in his eyes. After a moment, the corner of his mouth curled into a sharp, cold smirk.

’Heavens themselves are helping me, hmph! Qin Feng!’ A tangible, bloodthirsty glint flashed through ’Duan Xiaolou’s’ eyes. He quickly regained his natural demeanor and started walking toward the Celestial Strategy Mansion. Looking at his bearing, no one would ever suspect he wasn’t a real beggar.

"Halt! Who are you? How dare you trespass at the Celestial Strategy Mansion?"

"Tell Mr. Qin Feng that his friend, Duan Xiaolou, is here to see him about an important matter."

Inside the brightly lit Celestial Strategy Mansion, Qin Feng sat wearily in the main seat after seeing off wave after wave of visitors. He rubbed his aching brow with his long, fair fingers. A bitter smile touched Qin Feng’s lips; even going through the three rounds of tests for the All Stars Academy hadn’t been this exhausting.

He toyed with a silver-white token in his hand. A pattern of stars was visible on its surface. The token had a faint, cool touch, and under the night sky, it seemed to absorb the boundless starlight, emitting a soft, silvery glow.

Gripping it in his palm under the moonlight, he could see two grand, flourishing words carved upon it.

All Stars! It looked magnificent and pleasing to the eye.

"Qin Feng, this is the token for the All Stars Academy. Three days from now, make your way to the city wall with this token. Someone will be there to pick you up and take you, along with the other students selected from the various cities, to the All Stars Academy for the final ranking trial. I wish you the best of luck in achieving a good result in the ranking trial!"

"Remember, the results of the ranking trial are extremely important!" Recalling the middle-aged examiner’s meaningful words before he left, Qin Feng stared at the token in his hand, lost in thought.

’The ranking trial... I wonder what profound mechanism is at play. That old fellow Zuo Song seemed to mention it earlier, but I was too busy greeting those "esteemed guests" to hear clearly. Still, I vaguely recall him saying that the higher you rank, the greater the benefits. The top few can even choose to live and practice their cultivation in a Blessed Land rich with Spiritual Qi!’ Qin Feng mused inwardly, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

Spirit Mountain Blessed Lands were rare, containing the purest Spiritual Qi. The speed of cultivation in a Spirit Mountain Blessed Land was often several times faster than anywhere else.

Being able to practice cultivation in a Spirit Mountain Blessed Land was something many Martial Artists dreamed of. Why did all the Major Sects like to establish their headquarters in Spirit Mountain Blessed Lands? Was it not for the extremely pure Spiritual Qi found within?

This benefit alone was enough to entice countless Martial Artists.

Qin Feng was no exception. If he could practice his cultivation in a Spirit Mountain Blessed Land, even one of the lowest grade, he was confident he could break through to the Condensing Vein Realm in a short amount of time!

However, such treasured lands were limited and usually monopolized by the Major Sects. Moreover, the amount of pure Spiritual Qi generated daily within a Spirit Mountain Blessed Land was finite and couldn’t sustain too many people, making it an extremely rare resource.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Just then, the sound of knocking at the door interrupted Qin Feng’s thoughts. Qin Shou’s voice came from outside.

"Young Master, that Young Master Duan Xiaolou wishes to see you. He says it’s about an important matter!"