Chapter 52: Chapter 51: All Stars Academy
With their business in Shanghe Town concluded, and after Qin Shou had arranged for the well-being of their families, Qin Feng set off with his companions on the journey to Mountain and River City.
According to the information Yu Yao had obtained from the Yu Family, experts from the All Stars Academy would soon be arriving in Mountain and River City to hold recruitment tests.
The All Stars Academy was the only academy in the Yan Kingdom, and it was widely renowned. The academy was powerful and possessed abundant resources, its fame spreading far and wide. In this region, it was hailed as the cradle of experts. Each recruitment drive held by the All Stars Academy attracted countless geniuses from the vicinity of Mountain and River City to take the tests.
In truth, the main campus of the All Stars Academy wasn’t actually located within the borders of the Yan Kingdom. It lay in a lawless zone at the intersection of three kingdoms: Yan, Jin, and Black Water. This region was characterized by its vast landscapes, perilous terrain, and towering mountain ranges where Exotic Beast Demon Fiends roamed. It was also adjacent to the Hundred Thousand Grand Canyon and backed by the Primitive Mountain Range, which stretched for hundreds of millions of kilometers, making it an exceedingly mysterious location.
"After the All Stars Academy was established there, they built thirty-six major towns. This area became known as the Thirty-six Star Cities, and experts from the academy have always been stationed to oversee them. I heard those thirty-six towns are exceptionally prosperous, each one rivaling our own Mountain and River City. In the center of the Thirty-six Star Cities stands a magnificent metropolis called the City of Many Stars, which is the academy’s main headquarters. Rumor has it that the City of Many Stars is an incredible, massive city built on an actual star, but who knows if that’s true. Anyway, with the rise of the All Stars Academy, that entire region came to be called the Domain of All Stars!"
On the road, Yu Yao recounted everything she knew about the All Stars Academy. After she finished, she added one more thing.
"The All Stars Academy is most famous for its Star Constellation Martial Dao!"
"Star Constellation Martial Dao?" Inside the carriage, a glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes.
Yu Yao nodded, a look of yearning and hope on her beautiful face. "The All Stars Academy is named that because its students can cultivate using the power of the stars. It’s said that the Star Constellation Martial Dao allows one to command the Power of All Heavens and Stars, channeling energy from the ancient stars in the endless Star River of the Nine Heavens to refine the body. At the highest levels, one can even form a Star Mark and master terrifying Star Divine Abilities!"
Qin Feng narrowed his eyes as he listened to Yu Yao’s awestruck explanation. In reality, he was far from unfamiliar with the All Stars Academy; in fact, his knowledge of it ran much deeper than hers.
’In my memories, the All Stars Academy isn’t particularly outstanding among the powers of the Spirit Sea Continent. If I had to rank it, it would be just an ordinary first-rate power. There are many stronger, higher-ranked factions above it, even some super-class powers.’
’If not for that terrifying Profound Array, and the incident that occurred later, the name All Stars Academy would likely have been forgotten by posterity.’
’If it weren’t for that secret, I definitely would have chosen to join a higher-ranked academy! Not the All Stars Academy!’
A dazed look flickered in Qin Feng’s eyes. ’No one could have possibly imagined it. This faction, which couldn’t even break into the top hundred first-rate powers on the Spirit Sea Continent, would one day give birth to fourteen Demon Gods all at once! In a short time, it would skyrocket to become another superpower on the continent!’
When Qin Feng recalled the secret the All Stars Academy was now so desperately trying to hide, he still couldn’t help but tremble. ’Fourteen Demon Gods. How terrifying is that? Each one is a being condensed from the great Qi Fortune and grand opportunities of heaven and earth. A single Demon God can define an era. Fourteen of them at once... it’s simply staggering.’
’In my past life, even after gathering all the Qi Fortune of the End of Dharma Era, I failed to achieve godhood. And yet, the All Stars Academy produced fourteen all at once!!’
A fiery glint flashed deep in Qin Feng’s eyes. ’Right now, I’m probably the only one who knows about the secret plot the All Stars Academy is hatching.’
A moment later, the fire in his eyes dimmed. ’In truth, I only know about that secret from scattered fragments I came across in historical records from the future. I’m not aware of the specific details, just the general outline of the process.’
’Besides, in my current state, even if I knew the whole secret, I’d be powerless to do anything about it.’
’This is an opportunity. Even though I only heard vague rumors about it back then, they said that the fourteen Demon Gods weren’t some ancient monsters who had cultivated for millennia. They were chosen from among the top geniuses of the All Stars Academy and groomed. That means as long as I get into the academy, I have a chance!’ Qin Feng’s eyes flickered as the idea took root in his heart.
’However, getting into the All Stars Academy is no small feat. Every recruitment cycle is a convergence of brilliant talents and powerful experts!’
Countless thoughts raced through Qin Feng’s mind, and the carriage fell silent. Yu Yao paid it no mind, simply assuming that Qin Feng, too, was captivated by the future offered by the All Stars Academy.
Yu Yao’s gaze grew distant. ’Wasn’t I the same?’ she thought. Although she was the young mistress of the Yu Family, respected and hailed as a genius, she was still incredibly anxious about her chances of being accepted into the All Stars Academy.
The All Stars Academy held its recruitment once every three years, and the competition was always fierce. Being accepted was a stroke of immense luck.
The Yu Family in Mountain and River City had similar incentive programs. Any family disciple who managed to get into the All Stars Academy, no matter who they were, would receive the greatest possible allocation of the family’s resources.
Gaining admission to the All Stars Academy wasn’t just proof of one’s talent, aptitude, and strength; it was also a symbol of honor.
Yet the academy’s selection process was always ruthless, with odds of one in ten thousand.
「Half a month later.」
After rushing their journey, the group finally arrived before the walls of Mountain and River City. The trip had been relatively calm. Aside from fending off a few groups of foolish bandits, it had gone smoothly.
The maid, Honglian, was the one most deeply affected by the journey. It was her first time truly witnessing the terrors of the outside world. The wilderness was fraught with peril. If she hadn’t been protected by powerful Martial Dao cultivators like Qin Feng and the others, she would have died. For an ordinary person like her, even setting aside the hardships of weather, exhaustion, and illness, the sheer number of bandits and the ferocious beasts that occasionally darted out from the mountains would have been a death sentence.
For the first time, a deep-seated desire to become stronger took root in Honglian’s heart.
Qin Feng jumped down from the carriage and gazed at the magnificent city before him. Engraved on the towering walls, which stood dozens of zhang high, were two ancient words: Mountain and River.
The colossal city before them resembled a Cloud Giant Tiger crouching on the vast earth—magnificent, imposing, and sublime. Its ancient aura was breathtaking. This was no longer a mere city, but a colossal miracle lying upon the land, seeming to inhale the winds and clouds and exhale thunder and lightning.
Qin Shou, Qin Gang, and the young maid had spent almost their entire lives in Shanghe Town; they had never seen such a colossal city. They gasped in endless amazement. A nearby city guard chuckled, used to such reactions. Most first-time visitors to Mountain and River City were just as stunned.
Qin Feng dismounted the carriage. With Qin Shou and Qin Gang leading the horses, the group proceeded toward the city on foot. The guards at the gate didn’t give them any trouble, simply performing a cursory inspection before easily letting them through. It wasn’t that the soldiers were derelict in their duties, but rather that the city had grown even livelier since the experts from the All Stars Academy had arrived a few days prior.
Mountain and River City was a major hub. The lands on the outskirts of the Barbaric Mountain Range were fertile and scenic, and it was surrounded by numerous other large towns. Especially at this time of year, there was a near-constant stream of carriages entering the city. Any random person could turn out to be the young master or young lady of a prominent family.
Every three years, youths from all directions converged on Mountain and River City to try their luck. The soldiers were all sharp enough not to stir up trouble during such a period.
After Qin Feng and his group found an inn and settled in, they asked a few people for directions and easily located the All Stars Academy’s recruitment site.
The All Stars Academy’s recruitment was being held in the city’s central plaza!
However, when they reached the plaza where the All Stars Academy was recruiting, Qin Feng and his companions were dumbfounded. The huge square, large enough to accommodate several thousand people, was a veritable sea of people. It was so packed there was barely any room to stand.
At the far end of the plaza was a massive Profound Array. The Profound Array Map was encircled by a dense crowd. Even in broad daylight, the entire enormous array emitted a faint, shimmering glow. From afar, a cold, clear voice rang out.
"Zheng Xiaoshan, age fifteen. Cultivation: Late Stage of the Martial Arts Third Layer Heaven. Rejected!"
Then, Qin Feng and the others saw a dark-skinned, bear-like middle-aged man emerge from the crowd with a grim expression. He was leading a chubby, ashen-faced young master away in disgrace. The onlookers showed a mixture of pity, sympathy, and schadenfreude.
