Chapter 56: Chapter 55: The Dominance of All Stars Academy
Outrageously arrogant! Such a flagrant show-off!
But Qin Feng truly had the power to back it up. A practitioner at the Late-stage Martial Arts Fourth Layer had defeated Guan Xiaopeng, a Martial Arts Fifth Heaven expert, in a single move! He’d beaten him like a dog in the street!
In the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, each layer was a world of its own. To defeat an enemy a whole Great Realm above him! It was simply astounding!
Gazing at his slender figure, the crowd fell silent. Many stared with wide eyes, their faces solemn, unable to speak for a long time.
"Guan Xiaopeng... he actually lost! The Young Master of the Guan Family’s direct lineage, from one of Mountain and River City’s Nine Great Families, was defeated in a single exchange! And it was a head-on defeat by someone from a lower realm! This Qin Feng is a complete monster!" After the silence broke, someone swallowed hard, their eyes filled with awe...
"Incredible. I always thought defeating someone from a higher realm was the stuff of legends. I’ve truly seen it all today!" a middle-aged man at the Late Stage of the Martial Arts Fifth Heaven murmured in amazement, his eyes wide with shock.
"The All Stars Academy really does have a keen eye for talent. As expected of an ancient academy with such a long history. We all thought their testing Profound Array must have malfunctioned. To think we were so presumptuous!" a sharp-eyed, middle-aged martial artist said with a wry smile.
"There’s always someone better out there!"
"But the Guan Family has always been fiercely protective of their own. They won’t let this slide. That boy is in for a world of trouble!"
...
The moment Guan Xiaopeng fell, several figures shot through the crowd like leopards, landing instantly beside him. After a quick examination, their leader frowned and spoke.
"The Young Master has suffered multiple fractures throughout his body, and his internal organs are severely damaged. Even if he survives, he’ll be a cripple. That vicious whelp! His methods are so cruel, so venomous. He deserves to die a thousand times over!"
A stooped figure shot upright. With a flicker of movement, he instantly appeared before Qin Feng. The old man’s face was a mask of cold fury, his eyes as sharp as blades, radiating a terrifying chill.
This old man was none other than Uncle Fu. His previous kind and gentle demeanor had vanished, replaced by a terrifying outburst. The aura radiating from him was more than ten times stronger than that of the Ancient Relic Species, the Yunling Giant Tiger, that Qin Feng had encountered. Uncle Fu had to be a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven, at the very least.
The moment he appeared, a frigid, tyrannical aura locked onto Qin Feng. A deathly pressure bore down on his heart. A subtle change flickered in Qin Feng’s eyes. ’This is bad,’ he thought. ’The old man has killing intent.’
Uncle Fu’s expression was one of pure rage, his eyes icy. He commanded forcefully, "Qin Feng, you’re coming with me to the Guan Family!"
’Damn it,’ Qin Feng cursed inwardly. Outwardly, however, he was defiant, retorting without a trace of fear, "The Guan Family? Is that some kind of brothel? I don’t make a habit of visiting such filthy establishments!"
Uncle Fu’s eyes turned glacial, his killing intent now undisguised. He stared daggers at him. "Qin Feng, I’m afraid you don’t have a choice in the matter!"
"Then try me! Let everyone here see how the great Guan Family preys on the weak!"
Though Qin Feng put on a brave face and spoke defiantly, he was groaning inwardly. ’Of all the rotten luck. To think Guan Xiaopeng has an expert at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven as a bodyguard. I may have trained bitterly for half a month to go from the Early Stage to the Late Stage of the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, but the gap between that and the Martial Arts Eighth Layer is just too vast. I wouldn’t stand a chance in a fight!’
Qin Feng gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. ’Still too weak! If I were stronger, I’d never be cornered like this by some old lackey.’
A murmur spread through the crowd. The Guan Family was being too tyrannical. Everyone had seen what happened with perfect clarity: Guan Xiaopeng had been the one to be disrespectful and attack first. Qin Feng had only been forced to retaliate in self-defense.
If anything, Guan Xiaopeng had only himself to blame. He had overestimated his own abilities, tried to step on someone else, and ended up crippled for his trouble.
Guan Xiaopeng had brought this upon himself. Uncle Fu had let him run wild, and now that he was crippled, the old man was arrogantly demanding retribution, using his strength to bully the weak. It was an undignified display that cheapened their family’s name. But the Guan Family had always been overbearing and protective of their own. So, while many were silently cursing them, no one dared to speak out. In fact, some, like the young maiden from the Qin Family, were even gloating over the situation.
"Stop!"
Just then, a calm voice cut through the air. The middle-aged man from the testing platform had suddenly moved, appearing between the two of them as if out of thin air, like a whirlwind.
The middle-aged man’s speed was simply too great. All that could be seen was the faint ripple of a shadow in the air.
’Condensing Vein Realm!’
Qin Feng’s pupils constricted. He was certain this middle-aged man was an expert of the Condensing Vein Realm, someone who had already formed True Power.
Uncle Fu also had a keen eye and instantly assessed the man’s strength. He frowned, a flicker of apprehension in his eyes. A moment later, he forced a smile and spoke.
"Mr. Zhao, what are you doing? This Qin Feng has a vicious heart and ruthless methods. He attacks at the slightest disagreement, injuring my Young Master. A vicious brat like this is not worthy of entering the halls of All Stars Academy! Why must you..."
Mr. Zhao, the middle-aged examiner, cut him off coldly. "Enough. Spare me the nonsense. This is an All Stars Academy testing ground. Qin Feng’s name is on the Star List, which makes him a prospective disciple of our academy. He is on our radar now. Until he is eliminated from the test, no faction will lay a hand on him. As for whether or not he is worthy to enter the All Stars Academy, that is not your decision to make!"
"And you are in no position to tell us who is worthy!"
Uncle Fu’s face turned livid. The cold middle-aged man paid his expression no mind and continued icily.
"On the contrary, it was Guan Xiaopeng who initiated a private duel on the testing grounds, questioned our rules, and showed no respect for the academy’s authority. His arrogance is boundless. On behalf of All Stars Academy, I hereby announce that Guan Xiaopeng’s eligibility for this test is revoked, and he is permanently banned from any future enrollment. As for you... for threatening a prospective disciple of our academy and disrupting the order of these tests, you will cripple your own Cultivation. Now."
The middle-aged man ignored the dumbfounded Uncle Fu and said coldly, "Will you do it yourself, or must I do it for you?"
Uncle Fu’s face was grim, his eyes flashing with furious flames. "Mr. Zhao, we are of the Guan Family. Do you dare..."
The cold middle-aged man’s eyes glinted. "So, you’d rather I do it personally."
His figure vanished. A moment later, he reappeared in the same spot. But now, Uncle Fu—who just moments before had been so imposing and aggressive—was collapsed on the ground, his face deathly pale, looking as if he had aged decades in an instant.
The onlookers could tell that Uncle Fu’s Dantian had been shattered. His lifetime of power was draining away like water from a broken dam. He was now truly a cripple. The expert from All Stars Academy had been utterly ruthless!
After crippling Uncle Fu, the man’s gaze fell upon Qin Feng. For a moment, Qin Feng felt as if he were being targeted by a primeval beast, and his expression shifted. Thankfully, the gaze moved away a moment later. The man slowly returned to the testing platform, his expression as impassive as a statue. But now, his eyes held a severe, dazzling light that seemed to sting the eyes of anyone who looked at him, sending a chill through their hearts. The middle-aged man’s stern voice boomed.
"I don’t care who you are or what grudges you hold against one another, but you will not disrupt the All Stars Academy’s test! Anyone who dares challenge the authority of the All Stars Academy will pay the price. No one gets to disrespect the authority of my academy!"
His thunderous voice echoed across the square—deafening, domineering, and absolute! The Guan Family was considered domineering, tyrannical, and unreasonable, but compared to the All Stars Academy, they were nothing at all!
A dead silence fell over the square. But after that silence, countless pairs of eyes began to burn with fervent excitement. The gazes of the many young aspiring disciples were scorching hot.
Far from being intimidated by the All Stars Academy’s show of force, the young crowd found it completely natural. The young admire strength above all else. In an instant, the atmosphere at the testing site became even more electric, and a new tide of applicants surged forward to register.
The many youths who had been eliminated felt a crushing sense of disappointment. The elders who had accompanied them had grim expressions, watching their disheartened juniors with dismay. In stark contrast, the youths who had passed the first round were beaming, glowing with pride and filled with a deep yearning to join the All Stars Academy!
Uncle Fu staggered to his feet. Listening to the man’s tyrannical words, he kept his head bowed, not daring to utter a single syllable. The Guan Family might be powerful, but compared to a behemoth like the All Stars Academy, they were nothing.
Uncle Fu didn’t dare show even a sliver of hatred; he feared bringing disaster upon the Guan Family. The All Stars Academy was an existence they could not afford to provoke. His hatred for Qin Feng, however, was bone-deep. His eyes were bloodshot, looking as if they might start weeping blood at any moment.
Qin Feng remained expressionless as he watched Uncle Fu’s resentful gaze. He knew that this time, he had thoroughly and completely offended the Guan Family. In this confrontation, neither he nor the Guan Family had come out ahead. He had made an enemy of the Guan Family, while the Guan Family had been put in their place by the All Stars Academy, who in turn used the incident to amplify their own influence.
Qin Feng didn’t care. Though it felt a bit uncomfortable being used like that, he had also benefited. He had gained a Protective Talisman of sorts. As long as the All Stars Academy was watching, the Guan Family wouldn’t dare to move against him openly!
’They might not be able to come at me openly, but they’ll definitely try something in the shadows!’
"Guan Family!" A cold glint flashed in Qin Feng’s eyes. After speaking a few words to the members of the Qin Family, he left the testing grounds alone. The All Stars Academy test consisted of three rounds. The second, the Attributes test, was scheduled in a few days. That gave him plenty of time to prepare. He headed off in the direction of Mountain and River City’s most prosperous district, the South Market.
