Xuanwu War Sovereign

Strands of Innate Primordial Qi trickled through his meridians, and the lingering soreness gradually faded.

Qin Feng rubbed his sore wrists. A clear understanding formed in his mind: while he no longer feared experts at the Peak of Martial Arts Sixth Realm, he was likely still no match for a Martial Artist in the Innate Realm.

’But I’ve achieved a beginner’s mastery of the Wind Realm,’ he thought. ’It would be impossible for an Innate Realm Martial Artist to defeat or kill me!’

’But this isn’t enough. I have to find a way to break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible. Fortunately, I’ve now grasped the wonders of a Realm, so the Innate Realm no longer has a bottleneck for me. As long as my Innate Primordial Qi forms a nine-wave tide, breaking through will be a natural progression!’

Qin Feng frowned, completely ignoring the surprised gazes falling upon him.

’However, if I just cultivate step-by-step, it will probably take a considerable amount of time, even with enough Quenching Essence Pills to help me!’

Qin Feng was troubled. Many young, famous prodigies were participating in this ranking trial. If he couldn’t break through to the Innate Realm, it would be difficult to vie for an Elder’s position even if he managed to enter the All Stars Academy.

’That’s right! I almost forgot something important. How could I have forgotten such a huge opportunity!’ Realizing something, the tension in Qin Feng’s brow suddenly eased, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Qin Feng, that Xue Ning was quite well-known, yet he lost to you! You really know how to hide your strength!" The speaker was Zhao Zhijing. He approached after Xue Ning left, his tone slightly complimentary.

"Ah, it’s you, Xiaozhi!" Qin Feng snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. Zhao Zhijing was the All Stars Academy’s resident know-it-all; almost everyone knew him.

Zhao Zhijing glanced around before leaning closer to Qin Feng and whispering, "Qin Feng, you need to be careful. You defeated Xue Ning, but he’ll likely hold a grudge. Xue Ning has an extremely talented older cousin named Liu Qinghe. Liu Qinghe is a Late-Innate Stage expert at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven and is known for being incredibly domineering. Since you injured Xue Ning, I’m afraid he’ll come after you!"

’Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven... an Innate Realm expert?’ A shadow passed over Qin Feng’s heart, and his expression turned grim.

"Thank you for the warning, Xiaozhi!" Qin Feng cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute toward Zhao Zhijing. Zhao Zhijing nodded in return. Seeing people craning their necks to look their way, a flicker of apprehension crossed Zhao Zhijing’s face, and he quickly walked away.

At the gathering point, as the assembly time set by the All Stars Academy experts drew near, the crowd grew larger. Most people were in small groups of three to five, carrying their travel packs.

Qin Feng spotted the favorites to win this session’s trial for the All Stars Academy—the five young men and women known as the Five Great War Gods.

All five had extraordinary auras, surrounded by entourages, cutting quite the impressive figure.

Each of the five had claimed a large area, gathering a group of people around them. They stood out like cranes among chickens, opposing each other like rival courts. When their gazes occasionally met, the air crackled with unspoken conflict.

Many people went up to greet them, hoping to become a familiar face. However, Qin Feng noticed that while the five were polite enough and would occasionally return the gesture, their eyes were filled with arrogance. They didn’t truly respect anyone.

Among the people Qin Feng knew from Mountain and River City, everyone except for himself and the mysterious Li Zhuang went forward to pay their respects with humble attitudes.

Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei, for example, chose to stay in Xiao Yuchan’s camp. When they looked at Qin Feng, their gazes were icy and full of hostility.

The three girls—Yu Hong, Yu Yao, and Zou Yuxian—chose Du Pingxia’s camp. Before leaving, Yu Yao looked at Qin Feng with a placid expression and spoke.

"Qin Feng, you often do the unexpected, and I, Yu Yao, admit that I underestimated you. But you’ve miscalculated this time. Beating Xue Ning might make you feel triumphant for a moment, but you don’t realize what a foolish move it was. The tallest tree attracts the wind. You’ve already made many people wary. Once we enter the Snowfield Ice Field, they will definitely move against you first to eliminate a strong rival!"

Yu Yao glanced at the impassive Qin Feng and sneered. "You probably don’t even know that many people are already watching you. From what I’ve heard, Liu Qinghe has already declared that he will avenge Xue Ning. He’ll be the first to find you after you enter the Snowfield Plain. Liu Qinghe is the right-hand man of Liu Canyang, one of the Five Great War Gods, so Liu Canyang won’t let you off either!"

"And now, Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei are over there with Xiao Yuchan, stirring up trouble. If you run into Xiao Yuchan’s people, they won’t go easy on you either!"

"Your best option right now is to find a backer. Sister Du Pingxia is a master at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven. For my sake, if you’re willing to pledge your allegiance, she might take you in and protect your life!"

"No need!" Qin Feng’s eyebrows shot up as he sneered. "You should worry about yourself!"

"Qin Feng, I hope you know what you’re doing!" Yu Yao gave Qin Feng a regretful look, her gaze filled with a faint sigh, as if his fate were already sealed.

"He doesn’t know what’s good for him!" Seeing Yu Yao return alone, a girl in black with eyebrows like sharp blades, standing beside Du Pingxia in the distance, snorted coldly, a hostile glint in her eyes.

Many onlookers saw this exchange, and some with ulterior motives couldn’t help but sneer.

Beside Liu Canyang, Liu Qinghe went a step further and walked directly up to Qin Feng. "You won’t live for more than three days!"

Just then, a figure appeared in the center of the grounds. It was a Knight clad in silver-scaled white armor. He stood as straight as a ten-thousand-foot sword, his aura like that of a Demon God. With the sharp and wary eyes of an eagle scanning for wolves, his very appearance commanded everyone’s attention.

This was an expert from the All Stars Academy! A group of Silver Knights stood guard around him like unmoving javelins. He was like the bright moon in the night sky, his presence dazzling.

The nearly one thousand students on the field stopped their discussions and fell silent.

"Very good. Next, I will announce the rules of the ranking trial! Listen carefully!" The Silver Knight’s gaze was indifferent, like the vast, distant stars. His face was handsome, but his eyes held a trace of world-weariness that could not be concealed.

He began to announce the trial’s mission directly.

"The rules for this All Stars Academy trial are as follows!"

"This trial’s location: the Snowfield Ice Field!"

"Trial Mission: Cross the Snowfield Ice Field, break through the Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass, and independently find the gateway to the Domain of All Stars within the Snowfield Ice Field. Entering the gateway to the Domain of All Stars within the specified time will be considered a success!"

"Trial Duration: One hundred days!"

As the Silver Knight finished his announcement, many of the tense students breathed a sigh of relief. If it was just a matter of crossing the Snowfield Ice Field, it wouldn’t be particularly difficult.

At least it was much better than the last suicidal trial in the Dark Forest!

But what was this Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass?

The Silver Knight glanced at the many youths whose expressions had relaxed, and a strange smile suddenly flashed in his eyes. Seeing this, Qin Feng’s heart skipped a beat; he instantly knew that the Ninefold Celestial Pass was not going to be that simple.

The Silver Knight didn’t explain, just smiled strangely and said,

"I’m sure many of you are very curious about the Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass right now. But don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough!"

"When that time comes, I’m sure you will all receive a big surprise. Now, you may set off. The First Layer of the Ice and Snow Celestial Pass awaits you in the Snowfield ahead!"