Chapter 90: Chapter 89: Snowfield Trial
In the vast, boundless mountains, a procession of Giant Beasts stretching for miles traversed mountains, great marshes, and canyons. Mountain and River City was just one stop among many; dozens of other cities like Qinghe City, Withered Leaf City, and Iron Ridge City lay ahead.
As they traveled, Qin Feng and the others realized that the All Stars Academy had actually recruited a great many students. Each city contributed as few as one or two, or as many as a dozen, but after passing through a hundred cities, the total number had become quite impressive.
The procession grew larger and larger, approaching nearly a thousand people!
Every single one was a top talent from their own region!
What a mighty procession! The group gradually grew livelier.
"Look, look! That’s the genius from Iron Ridge City, Liu Canyang! Oh my god, you have no idea—he’s my idol!" From his spot on the saddle, a chattering youth shouted, pointing to an arrogant, blue-robed young man on another Giant Beast who was surrounded by admirers like the moon amidst the stars.
He was a youth of fifteen or sixteen, talkative and with a crafty glint that occasionally appeared in his eyes as he spoke. With his boyish nature, he seemed to get chummy with the other youths instantly.
This youth’s name was Zhao Zhijing, but he called himself Xiaozhi. He hailed from a city called Yellow Stone City in the Great Yan Kingdom and was a regular know-it-all, actively hopping between the various Giant Beasts, full of energy.
"Who’s Liu Canyang? Is he really that good?" On the massive saddle where Qin Feng was, dozens of youths were gathered. Hearing the exclamation, someone asked defiantly.
All the youths on the Giant Beasts were top talents in their own right. As the saying goes, there is no absolute first in scholarship, but there is no second in combat. Young and proud by nature, and having just been accepted into the All Stars Academy, none of them were about to readily admit that someone else was superior.
Many of the youths were completely uninterested in such gossip.
"Hey, don’t be so dismissive. I’m telling you, this Liu Canyang is the real deal. He and four others are known as the Five Great War Gods, and they’re considered the five strongest of our generation!"
"The strongest? That’s just a load of hype," said Qin Tianjiao. The purple-robed youth’s expression was cold, his eyes filled with disdain.
Many of the other youths said nothing, but their eyes clearly held the same expression.
"Tch, you can choose not to believe me!" Zhao Zhijing snorted and muttered, "I’m telling you, while you all may be regional prodigies, you’re completely outclassed compared to them!"
Seeing the youths shaking their heads, Zhao Zhijing grew anxious and exclaimed, "Let’s not even talk about background or Martial Arts Talent! Let’s just talk about Cultivation! Do you have any idea? All five of them are Martial Artists at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven! Most of us are only at the Martial Arts Sixth Layer Heaven Realm, with a few at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven. How many here have reached the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven?!"
"And they aren’t just ordinary geniuses at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven Realm, either. Every single one of them has a record of defeating a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer Heaven!"
After speaking, Zhao Zhijing proudly lifted his head. Just as he’d expected, his words caused an uproar on the saddle.
"Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven?"
A few youths who had been sitting with their eyes closed, calmly biding their time, could no longer remain still. They opened their eyes, looks of astonishment on their faces.
"Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven? Dammit, I’m only at the Martial Arts Sixth Layer Heaven! The bottleneck between the Sixth and Seventh Layer Heavens is just too difficult to break through!"
"*Hiss...* To think our class has such terrifying prodigies!"
"If they’re that strong, who will be able to compete with them in the upcoming Snowfield ranking trial?"
"A Realm like the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven... we truly can’t hope to catch up!"
"Dammit, to think there are such monstrously talented people in our class!"
"This won’t do. We’re about to enter the Endless Ice Field for the ranking trial. We have to come up with a plan. Why don’t we form an alliance? We can unite to face this common threat!"
"I agree!"
"I agree too!"
...
On the saddle, the group of youths exchanged glances, their expressions turning ugly. A few even ground their teeth in frustration.
Qin Feng, who had been sitting cross-legged and meditating, suddenly opened his eyes. A flicker of surprise showed in them as he thought to himself, ’Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven... The aptitude of these five is truly incredible. No wonder they can overwhelm all the other talents and have such unrivaled prestige! It makes sense that so many people are wary of them!’
’I’m currently at the Peak of Martial Arts Fourth Realm Second Wave Tide. Although I can rely on the Xuanwu Yin Yang Dao and my Wind Realm to fight and kill those above my level, at best I can only handle an ordinary Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven Martial Artist. If I were to face a stronger expert within the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven Realm, I’d probably have to flee for my life!’
’It seems this year’s class is truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers! I have to cultivate the Third Wave Tide and break through to the Martial Arts Fifth Layer Heaven Realm as soon as possible!’ Qin Feng’s expression grew serious.
Seeing that he had stirred up the emotions of the other youths, Zhao Zhijing gave a smug smile and dropped another bombshell. "I’ll tell you something else. The five of them—Liu Canyang, Yuan Daozhen, Xiao Yuchan, Li Qiubai, and Du Pingxia—are the most likely candidates to contend for the position of Elder in our class. Even many of the experts at All Stars Academy say that there’s a ninety percent chance this year’s Elder will be one of those five!" Zhao Zhijing said with a look of absolute certainty.
"Do you know what the Elder is? They’re the leader of all the new students in our class! The Academy’s best resources, the Cave Mansions with the most abundant Spiritual Qi, are all given to the class Elder first. Plus, the Elder is exempt from all chores and can focus wholeheartedly on cultivation, unlike everyone else who has to study while also performing a chore!"
"What the hell? The Elder gets treated that well? That’s not fair!" a youth cried out.
"You idiot, didn’t you hear? The Elder is our leader, so of course they get the lion’s share of the Academy’s resources! Do you think the All Stars Academy would use its resources to cultivate second-rate nobodies instead of the strongest?"
"Hold on, what’s this about chores? We traveled thousands of miles and went through hell to get into the All Stars Academy, and now we have to do chores?"
"What the heck? We have to choose a chore after entering the All Stars Academy? Are you kidding me? My family has plenty of Gold and Silver, I’m not doing any chores!"
"What are you shouting for? You think the All Stars Academy is a charity? As for your Gold and Silver, they’re useless here. The currency at All Stars Academy is Contribution Points. If you were to exchange Gold and Silver, I’ve heard it takes a hundred thousand taels of Gold to get just one Point. How big is your family’s fortune? I guarantee you’d go bankrupt trying!"
"Well said. What a country bumpkin. The Domain of All Stars is an incredibly precious place, where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold. Gold and Silver are just the cheapest form of currency. Points are what’s truly valuable. But Points are hard to come by; you can only get them by completing tasks issued by the All Stars Academy or by making other contributions!"
"I’ve heard that for new students, the easiest way to earn Points is this upcoming ranking trial. We have to seize this chance to earn Points. If we miss it, it’ll be too late for regrets!"
Qin Feng remained silent, blending into the crowd and listening to the various youths showing off their knowledge. He felt he had learned a great deal; it was a real eye-opener.
The All Stars Academy truly was extraordinary!
Like Qin Feng, many others were also listening in from the sidelines, impassively digesting the information they gleaned from the talkative youths.
「Half a month later.」
The procession of Giant Beasts passed one stop after another, leaving magnificent cities behind them. As winter approached, the temperature dropped the further they went. The lands became more and more sparsely populated, often going for a thousand miles without a sign of human life, with only vast, primeval forests of ancient wood.
Gradually, pristine white flurries of snow appeared in their field of vision.
Snow-capped mountains rose before them. The distant peaks and the nearby ancient city were all a vast expanse of white.
"This is the final stop. Prepare yourselves!" Atop the saddle, facing into the wind and snow, the Silver Knight gazed toward a massive ancient city that loomed majestically over the land. His figure was as straight as a javelin, and his deep voice echoed through the blizzard.
The world fell silent, and only the Knight’s voice howled along with the frigid wind across the snow.
"In Huanwu City, you can make some final preparations. Buy food, clothing, and drinking water. What awaits you next is the hundred-day, exceptionally difficult survival trial in the Endless Ice Field!"
"Of course, many of you also call this trial the Snowfield Trial, or the ranking trial. It is directly tied to your personal interests after you enter the All Stars Academy!"
