Strands of Innate Primordial Qi trickled through his meridians, and the lingering soreness gradually faded.
Qin Feng rubbed his sore wrists. A clear understanding formed in his mind: while he no longer feared experts at the Peak of Martial Arts Sixth Realm, he was likely still no match for a Martial Artist in the Innate Realm.
âBut Iâve achieved a beginnerâs mastery of the Wind Realm,â he thought. âIt would be impossible for an Innate Realm Martial Artist to defeat or kill me!â
âBut this isnât enough. I have to find a way to break through to the Innate Realm as soon as possible. Fortunately, Iâve now grasped the wonders of a Realm, so the Innate Realm no longer has a bottleneck for me. As long as my Innate Primordial Qi forms a nine-wave tide, breaking through will be a natural progression!â
Qin Feng frowned, completely ignoring the surprised gazes falling upon him.
âHowever, if I just cultivate step-by-step, it will probably take a considerable amount of time, even with enough Quenching Essence Pills to help me!â
Qin Feng was troubled. Many young, famous prodigies were participating in this ranking trial. If he couldnât break through to the Innate Realm, it would be difficult to vie for an Elderâs position even if he managed to enter the All Stars Academy.
âThatâs right! I almost forgot something important. How could I have forgotten such a huge opportunity!â Realizing something, the tension in Qin Fengâs brow suddenly eased, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Qin Feng, that Xue Ning was quite well-known, yet he lost to you! You really know how to hide your strength!" The speaker was Zhao Zhijing. He approached after Xue Ning left, his tone slightly complimentary.
"Ah, itâs you, Xiaozhi!" Qin Feng snapped out of his thoughts and smiled. Zhao Zhijing was the All Stars Academyâs resident know-it-all; almost everyone knew him.
Zhao Zhijing glanced around before leaning closer to Qin Feng and whispering, "Qin Feng, you need to be careful. You defeated Xue Ning, but heâll likely hold a grudge. Xue Ning has an extremely talented older cousin named Liu Qinghe. Liu Qinghe is a Late-Innate Stage expert at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven and is known for being incredibly domineering. Since you injured Xue Ning, Iâm afraid heâll come after you!"
âMartial Arts Seventh Layer Heaven... an Innate Realm expert?â A shadow passed over Qin Fengâs heart, and his expression turned grim.
"Thank you for the warning, Xiaozhi!" Qin Feng cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute toward Zhao Zhijing. Zhao Zhijing nodded in return. Seeing people craning their necks to look their way, a flicker of apprehension crossed Zhao Zhijingâs face, and he quickly walked away.
At the gathering point, as the assembly time set by the All Stars Academy experts drew near, the crowd grew larger. Most people were in small groups of three to five, carrying their travel packs.
Qin Feng spotted the favorites to win this sessionâs trial for the All Stars Academyâthe five young men and women known as the Five Great War Gods.
All five had extraordinary auras, surrounded by entourages, cutting quite the impressive figure.
Each of the five had claimed a large area, gathering a group of people around them. They stood out like cranes among chickens, opposing each other like rival courts. When their gazes occasionally met, the air crackled with unspoken conflict.
Many people went up to greet them, hoping to become a familiar face. However, Qin Feng noticed that while the five were polite enough and would occasionally return the gesture, their eyes were filled with arrogance. They didnât truly respect anyone.
Among the people Qin Feng knew from Mountain and River City, everyone except for himself and the mysterious Li Zhuang went forward to pay their respects with humble attitudes.
Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei, for example, chose to stay in Xiao Yuchanâs camp. When they looked at Qin Feng, their gazes were icy and full of hostility.
The three girlsâYu Hong, Yu Yao, and Zou Yuxianâchose Du Pingxiaâs camp. Before leaving, Yu Yao looked at Qin Feng with a placid expression and spoke.
"Qin Feng, you often do the unexpected, and I, Yu Yao, admit that I underestimated you. But youâve miscalculated this time. Beating Xue Ning might make you feel triumphant for a moment, but you donât realize what a foolish move it was. The tallest tree attracts the wind. Youâve already made many people wary. Once we enter the Snowfield Ice Field, they will definitely move against you first to eliminate a strong rival!"
Yu Yao glanced at the impassive Qin Feng and sneered. "You probably donât even know that many people are already watching you. From what Iâve heard, Liu Qinghe has already declared that he will avenge Xue Ning. Heâll be the first to find you after you enter the Snowfield Plain. Liu Qinghe is the right-hand man of Liu Canyang, one of the Five Great War Gods, so Liu Canyang wonât let you off either!"
"And now, Qin Tianjiao and Xu Fei are over there with Xiao Yuchan, stirring up trouble. If you run into Xiao Yuchanâs people, they wonât go easy on you either!"
"Your best option right now is to find a backer. Sister Du Pingxia is a master at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven. For my sake, if youâre willing to pledge your allegiance, she might take you in and protect your life!"
"No need!" Qin Fengâs eyebrows shot up as he sneered. "You should worry about yourself!"
"Qin Feng, I hope you know what youâre doing!" Yu Yao gave Qin Feng a regretful look, her gaze filled with a faint sigh, as if his fate were already sealed.
"He doesnât know whatâs good for him!" Seeing Yu Yao return alone, a girl in black with eyebrows like sharp blades, standing beside Du Pingxia in the distance, snorted coldly, a hostile glint in her eyes.
Many onlookers saw this exchange, and some with ulterior motives couldnât help but sneer.
Beside Liu Canyang, Liu Qinghe went a step further and walked directly up to Qin Feng. "You wonât live for more than three days!"
Just then, a figure appeared in the center of the grounds. It was a Knight clad in silver-scaled white armor. He stood as straight as a ten-thousand-foot sword, his aura like that of a Demon God. With the sharp and wary eyes of an eagle scanning for wolves, his very appearance commanded everyoneâs attention.
This was an expert from the All Stars Academy! A group of Silver Knights stood guard around him like unmoving javelins. He was like the bright moon in the night sky, his presence dazzling.
The nearly one thousand students on the field stopped their discussions and fell silent.
"Very good. Next, I will announce the rules of the ranking trial! Listen carefully!" The Silver Knightâs gaze was indifferent, like the vast, distant stars. His face was handsome, but his eyes held a trace of world-weariness that could not be concealed.
He began to announce the trialâs mission directly.
"The rules for this All Stars Academy trial are as follows!"
"This trialâs location: the Snowfield Ice Field!"
"Trial Mission: Cross the Snowfield Ice Field, break through the Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass, and independently find the gateway to the Domain of All Stars within the Snowfield Ice Field. Entering the gateway to the Domain of All Stars within the specified time will be considered a success!"
"Trial Duration: One hundred days!"
As the Silver Knight finished his announcement, many of the tense students breathed a sigh of relief. If it was just a matter of crossing the Snowfield Ice Field, it wouldnât be particularly difficult.
At least it was much better than the last suicidal trial in the Dark Forest!
But what was this Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass?
The Silver Knight glanced at the many youths whose expressions had relaxed, and a strange smile suddenly flashed in his eyes. Seeing this, Qin Fengâs heart skipped a beat; he instantly knew that the Ninefold Celestial Pass was not going to be that simple.
The Silver Knight didnât explain, just smiled strangely and said,
"Iâm sure many of you are very curious about the Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass right now. But donât worry, youâll find out soon enough!"
"When that time comes, Iâm sure you will all receive a big surprise. Now, you may set off. The First Layer of the Ice and Snow Celestial Pass awaits you in the Snowfield ahead!"