Chapter 79: Chapter 78: Aura Storm
"Damn the Guan Family! Is there no end to this?!" A flash of indignation crossed Qin Shou’s eyes as he cursed in anger.
A subject toils when his lord worries and dies when his lord is shamed! Ever since they started following Qin Feng, Qin Shou and Qin Gang’s fates had become tied to his; they would rise with his glory and fall with his ruin.
When Qin Feng became a First-Grade Xuan Master and tested as having a Super-Grade Martial Arts Talent, no one was happier than his followers, Qin Shou and Qin Gang—not even Qin Feng himself.
Now that Qin Feng was in danger, Qin Shou and Qin Gang couldn’t eat or sleep, their hearts filled with bitter hatred.
"When the Young Master succeeds in his cultivation, he must return and annihilate that damned Guan Family!" Qin Shou said with venom.
"We won’t have to wait that long. The Guan Family’s days are numbered!" A shadow crossed Qin Feng’s eyes, but his expression remained calm.
He shot a cold glance at the stunningly beautiful girl, picturesque in her white dress. A frigid glint flashed through Qin Feng’s eyes; Zuo Song had already prepared all the Spiritual Materials needed to deploy the Eight Desolates Annihilation Void Xuan Formation.
Now, he was just waiting for the opportune moment—the perfect time to annihilate all the Guan Family’s experts in one fell swoop and eradicate them, root and stem.
Once the time was right, this ancient family, which had stood in Mountain and River City for a millennium, would be ground to dust and become a thing of the past.
...
"Those who failed the test, move to the right! Those who passed, move to the left! Await the third round of testing!"
The All Stars Academy’s tests were incredibly strict. Few made it to the second round, and fewer still managed to pass it.
Of the roughly two hundred youths who had come to be tested, only twenty-something remained on the left side after the test was over.
Less than one in ten!
Those who remained were all elites, each one extraordinary in their own right. The twenty-odd young men and women huddled together, standing out from the crowd like cranes among chickens.
On the plaza, the vast majority of eyes were fixed on these twenty-odd youths, making them the envy of all onlookers.
Most of the gazes fell on Qin Feng. An Eleventh-Grade Martial Arts Talent was simply too astonishing, and many of the onlookers were still reeling in shock.
’The Nine Great Families truly live up to their reputation as the ancient families presiding over Mountain and River City. Their foundations run deep!’
Qin Feng paid no mind to the many gazes directed his way. His eyes swept over the youths beside him, each one with an extraordinary bearing.
Qin Feng discovered that most of these youths came from the Nine Great Families. Chief among them, of course, were the Three Heroes of Mountain and River City: Qin Tianjiao, Xu Fei, and Guan Ruo Lin.
There were also elites from the other great families, such as the Ning, Yu, Song, and Zou Families. Although these individuals weren’t as dazzling as the Three Heroes of Mountain and River City, they were not to be underestimated.
Qin Feng recognized a few of them. One was Zou Yuxian of the Zou Family. This young woman possessed a Sixth-Grade Mutated Thunder Attribute Martial Arts Talent. The Thunder Attribute was a Mutated Martial Arts Attribute, and the one with the greatest offensive power at that. Her potential could be said to be extraordinary.
In his previous life, Qin Feng had possessed the Thunder Attribute, but now, by a twist of fate, he had the Basic Water Attribute.
Another person he recognized was the young woman from the Yu Family in yellow, Yu Hong. This young miss possessed a Seventh-Grade Earth Attribute Martial Arts Talent, second only to Xu Fei, who had a Seventh-Grade Wind Attribute.
It was worth mentioning that Yu Yao had also, surprisingly, passed the second round. This greatly surprised many from the Yu Family, as Yu Yao’s Martial Arts Talent grade was not high—exactly Fourth Grade.
However, Yu Yao’s Martial Arts Talent attribute was exceptionally rare. It was Destruction, one of the powerful attributes that ranked even above Mutated Attributes. This was a potent attribute mutated from the Metal Attribute and was extremely destructive. When the test results were announced, she attracted a great deal of attention, enjoying a moment of unrivaled glory.
The prodigies of the Nine Great Families monopolized most of the spots, with only a few youths hailing from smaller branch families around Mountain and River City.
The one who drew the most attention, however, was a plainly dressed boy from a Humble Family. This boy, named Li Zhuang, looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old. He had a thin, weak frame and wore shabby pants. His sallow face held a trace of stubbornness, and he was taciturn, always keeping his head down.
Qin Feng took notice of Li Zhuang because he was the only youth present who did not come from a prominent family.
Li Zhuang possessed a Fifth-Grade Wood Attribute Martial Arts Talent.
On the plaza’s Array Map, the second round of testing concluded before noon with the elimination of the final candidate.
Everyone lined up before the testing platform, awaiting the third and final round of the All Stars Academy’s examination.
On the platform, a middle-aged man in green robes with a cold expression stepped forward from among the All Stars Academy supervisors. This was indeed the same ’Uncle Ye’ who was acquainted with Xu Fei.
When the man in green robes stepped out, a smile touched the corners of Xu Fei’s lips. He glanced at Qin Feng, who stood not far away, and a sharp, cold sneer flashed in his eyes.
The green-robed man’s gaze was sharp as it swept over the youths. When his eyes landed on Qin Feng, they paused for the space of a breath before moving on.
An indifferent voice drifted through the air.
"Everyone, my name is Ye Rui Ze. I will be conducting the third round of the All Stars Academy test."
"Reaching the third round of the All Stars Academy’s test is a testament to your outstanding aptitude. However, that is not enough!"
Ye Rui Ze’s tone suddenly grew heavy. "It is far from enough!"
"A superb Martial Arts Talent only guarantees a higher starting point. But no matter how high that starting point is, without a Martial Dao Will as unyielding as steel, you are still worthless!"
His eyes suddenly turned fierce as Ye Rui Ze shouted, "Many disciples graduate from our All Stars Academy, but we have never produced anyone worthless! And we will never allow it!"
Ye Rui Ze’s piercing gaze swept over them, an oppressive aura stabbing at their very souls. Many youths couldn’t help but retreat a step. Qin Feng’s Spiritual Sense was exceptionally powerful. The instant that piercing will bore down on him, he felt it crash against him like a tide against a reef, and his heart seemed to thunder in his chest.
HUMPH! Qin Feng let out a muffled grunt, his expression faltering. ’Ye Rui Ze is unexpectedly powerful.’
BAM! Beside Qin Feng, the others stumbled back several steps in a sorry state. Some even crashed to their knees, making fools of themselves one after another.
The only ones able to stand their ground without moving were the Three Heroes of Mountain and River City, along with Qin Feng and Zou Yuxian.
A flicker of shock passed through Ye Rui Ze’s eyes, though his expression remained impassive. He had, in fact, intentionally tried to intimidate Qin Feng, to knock the exceptionally talented youth down a peg, and had even focused an extra sliver of True Power on him. He had never expected Qin Feng’s Martial Dao Will to be so unexpectedly resilient.
His tone softened slightly. Ye Rui Ze withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, "Now, I will announce the requirements for the third round of the All Stars Academy’s test. The focus of this round is Martial Dao Will!"
"Anyone who can withstand the pressure of my aura for thirty breaths will be considered to have passed!"
"In that case... the test begins now!"
The moment his voice fell, Ye Rui Ze took a step forward, and a vast, surging aura erupted from him with a BOOM.
The formless aura was like a tsunami stirring up colossal waves, rushing toward the unprepared youths the moment he finished speaking.
RUMBLE! The first wave of the aura crashed down!
Instantly, someone caught off guard was swept up by the terrifying aura and sent flying dozens of yards, tumbling across the ground like a loose gourd.
BAM!
Qin Feng’s Spiritual Sense was exceptionally strong. The instant the aura crashed down, he assumed the stance of the Profound Turtle Suppressing the Sea, an immense power firmly anchoring his lower body to keep from being swept away.
This was a battle of mind and will. The slightest lapse would allow the terrifying aura to shatter the dikes of one’s mind, resulting in elimination.
Early-stage Martial Arts Fourth Layer, Mid-stage Martial Arts Fourth Layer, Late-stage Martial Arts Fourth Layer... Within a few breaths, Qin Feng could clearly feel Ye Rui Ze’s aura increasing step by step, and the pressure bearing down on him grew heavier and heavier.
(As promised, this is the second Chapter of the day, though it’s a little late. From now on, I’ll be releasing at least two Chapters daily.)
