Chapter 71: Chapter 70: The Fiery Round 2 Test
Wisps of Inner Breath permeated Qin Feng’s meridians, flesh, bones, and internal organs, constantly refining his physical body. The Inner Breath formed a tide within his meridians, subjecting him to a sharp, unrelenting pain.
Two days was not nearly enough time. Although he had formed the first tidal wave, causing his meridians to be constantly refined by Inner Breath, Qin Feng still lacked the strength to endure the Second Wave Tide.
Within his Dantian, the Mystic Turtle Divine Pill steadily released its medicinal power, repairing the internal damage from the impact of the Inner Breath tide and ensuring no lingering complications would remain.
The Mystic Turtle Divine Pill was largely to thank for Qin Feng’s ability to form the first tidal wave so quickly.
This Divine Pill had been refined from the Essence Blood of the Divine Beast Xuanwu and contained an immense amount of medicinal power. Qin Feng had already used it several times to escape catastrophe. Strangely, all the power he had drawn so far only accounted for a small fraction of its total potency—roughly one-fifth. He had sealed the rest within his Dantian, saving it for a critical moment.
For the past two days, Qin Feng had thrown himself into practicing the Xuanwu Yin Yang Dao fist technique. His progress with the Profound Turtle Sea-Suppressing Fist had been rather slow, almost to the point of stagnation.
However, he had made remarkable progress with the Spiritual Snake Demon-Subduing Fist Technique and was on the verge of reaching the Great Success stage. This had to do with his own peculiar and domineering personality; the way of the Spiritual Serpent seemed to align perfectly with his nature.
Two days passed in a flash.
The second round of the All Stars Academy’s entrance exams began right on schedule.
...
When Qin Feng stepped out of the Celestial Strategy Mansion, he found the streets were unusually bustling. It was a sea of people. The influence of the All Stars Academy was immense, and the streets near the city’s Central Square were already packed with young Martial Artists who had come to watch.
Fully armed elite troops were patrolling the perimeter of the square. The bright glint of their weapons under the sun carried a cold, sinister edge, forcing even the most arrogant and unruly Martial Artists to reconsider their own strength.
Bustling crowds thronged the area around the square. Thanks to the All Stars Academy, the surrounding restaurants and inns were filled to capacity, allowing their owners to rake in a fortune. The merchants were all beaming, grinning from ear to ear.
Compared to the first round of testing, which had lasted several days, the second round had far fewer people. It was a process of elimination, and those who remained were all young prodigies who had fought their way through a veritable army of competitors.
This time, Qin Feng wore his black Mystic Master robe. Flanking him were two Condensing Vein Realm guards that Zuo Song had specially recruited for him. The guards looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight and were identical twin brothers. Both wore black robes, and a hint of vigilance lay beneath their cold, indifferent gazes. They stayed close to Qin Feng’s sides, their eyes sharp and gleaming.
The older brother was named Zuo Quan, and the younger was Zuo Ming. Both were Zuo Song’s direct-line grandsons.
Zuo Song had really invested heavily in Qin Feng this time.
Near the twin brothers, Qin Shou and Qin Gang forced bitter smiles, their eyes filled with frustration. Back in the Qin Family of Shanghe Town, they had been considered notable figures. Now, they didn’t even qualify as proper attendants. Their feelings were a complicated mix, and they secretly resolved to raise their cultivation levels.
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted on one of the long streets in front of the square. The crowd grew chaotic, bringing the flow of people to a complete standstill on the street.
"Make way!" a loud shout echoed through the crowd.
Qin Feng was also caught in the gridlock. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes as he looked toward the source of the commotion.
As the crowd shoved and retreated, everyone shouted and scrambled to the sides, clearing a wide path down the middle. Qin Feng and his group were also pushed to the edge.
The source of the commotion gradually appeared at the end of the street. A dozen or so Golden Armored Knights led the way, their mounts magnificent, pure-white steeds without a single discolored hair. Most surprisingly, small wings sprouted from each of their four hooves. These horses were clearly the descendants of an Alien Species.
These Golden Armored Knights sat atop their tall horses, their faces cold and their gazes unnerving. With just a glance, a terrifying Evil Qi born from endless slaughter washed over the onlookers, conjuring images of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. The crowd fell silent wherever they passed.
Behind the dozen or so knights, a series of carriages forged from Profound Iron appeared on the street. They exuded a solemn, majestic air, as if all worldly power and authority were condensed within those black, square vehicles. The sound of their horses’ hooves was heavy and synchronized. Strange banners, fluttering in the wind, were hung around the carriages. Painted on their surfaces were lifelike images of Ancient Fierce Beasts, such as the Ancient Hou, the Zheng, the Three-eyed Lion, the Si, the Fire Chilong, and the Bat Dragon.
’The Nine Great Families?’ A cold sneer played on Qin Feng’s lips as he stared at the large banners fluttering before the carriages. Having spent so much time in Mountain and River City, he would have to be a fool not to recognize the emblems of the Nine Great Families.
Qin Feng’s gaze fell on the dozen or so Golden Armored Knights at the head of the procession, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He was shocked to find that the knights clearing the path for the Nine Great Families were all Martial Artists at or above the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven. Each knight exuded a startling aura; they were clearly men who had killed without number.
’Any single one of them could wipe out a small family like the Qin Family of Shanghe Town!’
’As expected of families that have operated in Mountain and River City for over a thousand years. Their strength cannot be underestimated!’ Feeling slightly surprised, Qin Feng shifted his gaze to the carriage curtains. The curtains of several carriages were half-drawn, and with his exceptionally sharp vision, he spotted a few familiar figures within.
One of them was Zou Yuxian, the young lady of the Zou Family. She was sitting with several other girls as beautiful as flowers. She seemed to notice Qin Feng’s gaze, and her eyes, hazy like mist over water, glanced at him. She had obviously recognized him, and a flicker of curiosity showed in her gaze.
Next, Qin Feng also spotted people from the Qin, Guan, and Xu Families. A few of the prodigies from the Nine Great Families in the carriages seemed to spot the conspicuous, black-robed Mystic Master in the crowd as well. One by one, they shot him looks that were hostile, indifferent, or sinister. Qin Feng was a little baffled. He could understand the Guan Family’s hostility—after all, they had a feud. But for members of the other great families to be hostile toward him was quite strange.
Then, in the Yu Family’s carriage, Qin Feng was surprised to see Yu Yao. Beside her was another young woman in a yellow dress, her face concealed by a veil. Yu Yao had obviously seen Qin Feng too. An unnatural flicker crossed her pretty eyes, and she pretended she hadn’t seen him.
"Hmph, the Nine Great Families really love their pageantry!" one of the black-robed guards beside Qin Feng snorted as he watched the dozen or more carriages rumble past.
"Zuo Ming, you don’t seem too pleased," Qin Feng remarked, glancing at him. Zuo Ming’s eyes were filled with revulsion, his face a mask of disgust.
Zuo Ming said nothing, his face cold. Qin Feng could tell that the Mystic Master Guild and the Nine Great Families were not on the best of terms.
Zuo Quan was more composed than his twin brother. Seeing Zuo Ming’s sour face, he just shook his head. He knew the reason for it, of course, but couldn’t explain it to Qin Feng. Instead, Zuo Quan said with a smile, "Brother Qin Feng, even though you’re an Official Xuan Master and it’s almost guaranteed you’ll be accepted by the powerhouses at All Stars Academy, you should still consider taking part in the second and third rounds of testing. These tests could actually be quite beneficial for you, especially the second round’s Martial Dao aptitude test!"
*(Author’s Note: I’ve been stockpiling Chapters these past few days to prepare for an important site recommendation. Five-Chapter, even ten-Chapter releases are not just a dream! For now, the updates are a little slow, so please bear with me and wait for the explosive release to come. Lastly, please vote with recommendation tickets and add the novel to your collection!)*
