Chapter 61 - 60: Assessment

"Congratulations, young man. You possess Eighteen-level Innate Perfect Spiritual Power, which means you are fully qualified to become an outstanding Mystic Master. From now on, the first and second floors of the Mountain and River City Mystic Master Guild’s Library are open to you, free of charge. Every week, you can also come to the Mystic Master Guild to listen to lectures on the path of a Mystic Master! If you are willing, you can become a disciple to any master in the Mountain and River City Mystic Master Guild and receive systematic training!"

Zuo Song pushed through the crowd and spoke to the young man before him, his eyes filled with admiration.

Hearing this, Liu Xi’s already gloomy expression darkened even further. He had just boasted that no one in the Mountain and River City Mystic Master Guild would be willing to accept this young man...

Qin Feng glanced at the eager old man. Based on what he heard people in the crowd calling him, this man was apparently Zuo Song, the chairman of the Mountain and River City Mystic Master Guild.

Qin Feng said nothing. The corners of his mouth lifted into a slight smile as his gaze fell upon the sullen-faced Liu Xi. He then spoke with a hint of feigned surprise.

"Chairman Zuo, I believe someone just said that not a single Mystic Master in Mountain and River City would accept me, Qin Feng. By saying this, aren’t you going to..."

Zuo Song’s snow-white eyebrows twitched. His two long brows, like strands of white willow floss, knitted together as he frowned and cast an authoritative glance at Liu Xi. Liu Xi’s face grew even more somber, and the occasional glances he shot at Qin Feng were as sharp as swords.

Zuo Song glanced at Qin Feng again, a flicker of regret in his eyes as he sighed to himself. ’This boy truly doesn’t understand how cruel the world can be. He’s young and impulsive. Why can’t he see that while a Level Eighteen Perfect Spiritual Power is formidable, it only indicates potential? He hasn’t developed that potential yet. There are countless geniuses in this world, but not all of them live long enough to mature! Now is the time to lie low and build his strength, not make enemies everywhere. The tree that stands out in the forest will be the first to be broken by the wind!’

’A genius who hasn’t matured, no matter how great their potential, is still not a Mystic Master. He’s no match for a Second Grade Xuan Master who can already stand on his own. What’s more, Liu Xi isn’t just some ordinary Mystic Master with no background...’

After a moment of silence, Zuo Song let out a diplomatic laugh. "Qin Feng, you might have misunderstood. Brother Liu Xi is a straightforward man who wears his heart on his sleeve. He’s just a bit strict with his disciples. You shouldn’t take his words to heart!"

Ultimately, Zuo Song was unwilling to offend Liu Xi too deeply. He was about to leave the Mountain and River City Mystic Master Guild and didn’t want to cause any unnecessary complications.

Qin Feng clearly noticed the old man’s tone had grown colder. A moment ago, he had been affectionately calling him ’young man,’ but now it was just a blunt ’Qin Feng.’ With his sharp mind, Qin Feng had already figured out most of what Zuo Song was thinking. He mentally scoffed at the chairman’s attitude. ’Swallowing insults and backing down is not my style. Besides, sometimes even if you’re willing to swallow your pride, others will still come looking for trouble.’

Liu Xi’s face was gloomy and expressionless, but Qin Feng could tell. By publicly humiliating him, Qin Feng had earned the man’s bone-deep hatred.

It was not a good thing to be targeted by an expert of the Condensing Vein Realm, especially one who was also an influential Second Grade Xuan Master.

Even Zuo Song, the chairman of the Mystic Master Guild, was wary of him. It was clear that Liu Xi was an extremely difficult person to deal with!

Furthermore, now that he had displayed such immense talent, Qin Feng was certain that if he were to leave the Mystic Master Guild, Liu Xi would pay any price to eliminate him completely and prevent any future trouble.

Qin Feng had an extremely precise grasp of human nature, and his guess was correct. Liu Xi was the type of person who valued his pride above all else and would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. There was a story that someone had merely spoken ill of him behind his back; when word got back to him, the person was found dead on the roadside the very next day, their tongue cut out.

Qin Feng had defied him time and time again, stoking Liu Xi’s killing intent to an unbearable level.

The terrifying potential Qin Feng displayed, in particular, filled Liu Xi with jealousy and fury, solidifying his determination to eliminate the threat for good.

Eighteen-level Innate Perfect Spiritual Power—such aptitude was simply too stunning. Decades ago, a terrifying genius with the same talent had appeared in the nearby Dinghai City. Today, that person was a Sixth Grade Xuan Master, a powerhouse presiding over an entire region for the Mystic Master Association.

Now, Qin Feng also possessed Eighteen-level Innate Perfect Spiritual Power. Didn’t that mean he, too, might one day become a Sixth Grade Xuan Master?

The most powerful Mystic Master in the entire Yan Kingdom was merely a Fourth Grade Xuan Master. Even the Emperor of the Yan Kingdom himself would have to bow respectfully before a Sixth Grade Xuan Master...

However, for such a person to reach their full potential still required time... Zuo Song understood this. Liu Xi understood this. Many of the Mystic Masters in the hall understood this as well.

Although the Mystic Master Guild would offer some protection to geniuses with extraordinary talent, it would ultimately never go to war with an extremely promising Second Grade Xuan Master for the sake of one who had yet to mature.

In the hall, Qin Feng remained silent while Zuo Song frowned. A hush fell over the room. Many of the Mystic Masters stared at Qin Feng with a hint of pity. Sometimes, having too much talent wasn’t a good thing at all...

Zuo Song looked at the young man, his expression calm but his eyes betraying a hint of regret. ’What a pity,’ he thought to himself. ’If you were a Mystic Master, even just a newly registered Apprentice Xuan Master, the Mystic Master Guild would have grounds to protect you. But becoming an Apprentice Xuan Master isn’t so simple. Even with the talent of a Level Eighteen Innate Spiritual Power, it would take at least a year or two of exposure just to get your foot in the door...’

Zuo Song didn’t want to get too involved with Qin Feng, so after offering a few perfunctory words of advice and encouragement, he turned to leave.

Liu Xi walked over, his sinister eyes fixed coldly on Qin Feng. The piercing glint in his gaze was so cold it felt as if it could freeze Qin Feng’s very soul.

Qin Feng saw the naked threat and killing intent in Liu Xi’s eyes. He realized he had still underestimated how much Liu Xi feared his potential. If they weren’t inside the Mystic Master Guild, Qin Feng had no doubt that Liu Xi would have already tried to kill him on the spot.

"I’ll be waiting for you to walk out the doors of the Mystic Master Guild!" Liu Xi’s voice was quiet, but his killing intent was bone-chilling. Behind him, the young woman, Guan Ruo Lin, drew a hand across her neck in a slitting motion. The cold glint in her eyes seemed to take on a physical form, her expression ferocious, cruel, and incredibly smug.

’Guess I overdid it,’ Qin Feng thought with a hint of self-mockery. He looked up and saw the remaining people preparing to leave, their expressions clearly showing they were afraid of being associated with him. A cold sneer flashed in his eyes. ’Do they really think I’m a dead man walking?’

Suddenly, Qin Feng called out to Zuo Song, who had just reached the door.

"Hey, old man! We’re not finished here. Where are you running off to?"

At his words, everyone in the hall stopped in their tracks. Abruptly, all eyes fell once more on the calm figure, their gazes filled with utter confusion.

Zuo Song turned back, looking at Qin Feng with bewilderment. "Qin Feng, haven’t you already finished your Spiritual Power test? You’re free to leave the Mystic Master Guild. If you don’t want to leave and wish to go to the Library to learn about Mystic Masters, you can ask at the counter. Someone will take you there..."

"Er, old man, I think you’ve misunderstood..." At Zuo Song’s words, Qin Feng blinked and grinned. "Um, I just wanted to ask if I could continue with the tests?"

"What tests?" Zuo Song asked, stunned.

"The Official Mystic Master assessment, of course!" Qin Feng said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Seeing Zuo Song’s dumbfounded expression, he added, feigning a bit of uncertainty, "Can I not take the Official Mystic Master assessment directly? If not, that’s fine. I’ll just take the Apprentice Xuan Master assessment first."

"What a pain. You actually have to test for something as low-level as an Apprentice Xuan Master?" Qin Feng muttered in dissatisfaction.

"..."

"..."

The entire hall fell silent as everyone stared, their expressions frozen in disbelief...