Chapter 112 - 111: First-Echelon Genius

"Brother Liu!" Zhao Ying could hardly believe his eyes, having witnessed Qin Feng cut down Liu Qinghe with a single strike of his sword.

The top genius of the second tier at All Stars Academy, a young master from the Duke Liu Family, and a cultivator at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Middle Stage—Liu Qinghe had just been slain by a complete nobody!

Qin Feng stood his ground, but his limbs felt weak. It was an effort just to lift his longsword. The Fourth Wave of Extinction Tide Sword had consumed nearly all his Innate True Qi, leaving him almost completely drained.

His meridians felt hollow. Qin Feng desperately circulated his Innate Primordial True Qi. Wisps of energy passed through the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, beginning the Refinement of Primordial Qi from the Void to replenish his reserves.

In just a few breaths, Qin Feng had already recovered thirty percent of his strength.

This was the greatest advantage of an Innate Strong Person: a powerful recovery ability. They could draw Primordial Qi from the Void through the Bridge of Heaven and Earth to cultivate and recover anytime, anywhere.

"Zhao Ying, now it’s your turn!" Qin Feng raised his Ancient Sword, pointing it at the youth in robes as white as snow.

"Qin Feng, you can’t kill me!" Zhao Ying sneered. Even though Liu Qinghe and the others had fallen to Qin Feng’s blade, he wasn’t afraid.

"A worthless cur like you?" Qin Feng chuckled.

Zhao Ying saw a familiar look in Qin Feng’s smile—contempt. It was the same way they had mocked Qin Feng earlier. A venomous hatred filled Zhao Ying’s eyes. The disdain made him feel utterly humiliated and enraged.

"Qin Feng, don’t get too arrogant!" Zhao Ying’s handsome face twisted into a snarl. "Do you really think you can kill me? The only reason you killed Brother Liu and the others is that they were overconfident and let their guard down. But I’m different!"

With that, he gave a sinister, triumphant smile, pulled a silver-white token from his robes, and held it high. The token was inlaid with six glittering, golden Venuses.

’The Order of the Stars!’ Qin Feng’s brow furrowed, his eyes turning grim.

The people from All Stars Academy had said that anyone who crushed an Order of the Stars would be protected by the academy and safely transported out of the Land of Trial.

However, crushing the Order of the Stars also meant completely forfeiting the trial.

Qin Feng had been able to kill the other experts, including Liu Qinghe, for two reasons. First, they hadn’t believed he was a threat. Second, they were unwilling to forfeit the trial, clinging to the hope that they could win.

If they had been determined enough to give up and crush their Order of the Stars, there was no way Qin Feng could have killed them.

’No wonder Zhao Ying is so fearless!’

"Qin Feng, I, Zhao Ying, will not make the same mistake as Brother Liu and the others!" With a savage expression, Zhao Ying looked utterly smug, his eyes filled with venom. "Qin Feng, I will remember this humiliation. One day, I will repay you for today’s events a hundred, even a thousand times over!"

"As long as I live, I will avenge Brother Liu, Young Master Xuan, and all the others!"

"Yes, you’re impressive. Your talent is beyond imagination! I’m no match for you, but so what if you’re strong? The people close to you might not be. I will take back the humiliation I suffered today from them!" Zhao Ying gave a sinister smile.

"Your friends, your family, your wife and children—they will all be targets of my revenge. I will take everyone close to you and flay them alive, one by one, right in front of you. I’ll make you live every moment in regret, cursing what you did here today!" The cruelty in Zhao Ying’s eyes was so intense his face seemed to warp.

"You won’t get the chance!" a cool, clear voice suddenly called out. A chill shot down Zhao Ying’s spine, and his eyes filled with panic. A vicious glint appeared in their corners as he moved to crush the Order of the Stars in his hand.

But it was too late. A seven-colored flash of light streaked past, and the arm holding the Order of the Stars aloft went flying.

"ARGH!" Blood sprayed as Zhao Ying let out a wretched scream.

Qin Feng’s eyes flashed. He slashed out with his sword. A piercing cold light shot forward several yards, instantly penetrating Zhao Ying’s left eye and exiting the back of his skull.

SPLAT! The sword light cleaved him in two, and Zhao Ying’s mangled corpse fell to the ground in pieces.

"What a fast sword!" The seven-colored light shimmered, and a finely dressed "young master," actually a woman in disguise, appeared on the steps.

She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, with red lips and pearly teeth. She had the air of a graceful young nobleman, but her beautiful, misty eyes appraised Qin Feng with a captivating charm.

She was the one who had just struck.

With a single sword strike, she had severed the arm of Zhao Ying, a Martial Arts Eighth Layer Early Stage cultivator, before he could even crush his Order of the Stars.

Watching Qin Feng’s longsword pierce through Zhao Ying as fast as lightning, a strange light flashed in the young woman’s eyes. "Truly a fast sword," she sighed.

Hearing this, Qin Feng withdrew his longsword and glanced at her. He recognized the young woman—she was Du Pingxia, the Great Yan Princess. She was also one of the five strongest students at All Stars Academy, a top-tier genius.

"Princess, you flatter me." Qin Feng sheathed his sword with a light laugh, sizing up the beautiful woman dressed as a man.

Du Pingxia shook her head. "I originally heard from Yu Yao how incredible you were, and this Princess was a little skeptical. But seeing the power of that last strike, I know you’ve earned your reputation."

Du Pingxia thought to herself with admiration, ’This black-robed young man is indeed qualified to be my ally.’

But while Du Pingxia was marveling, Qin Feng was just as surprised, if not more so.

The aura of this cross-dressing young woman was far more powerful than he had imagined. Qin Feng had originally expected the Five Great War Gods to be at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Peak Realm at most.

Yet, upon meeting her, his keen Spiritual Sense immediately told him that her aura had definitely surpassed the Martial Arts Ninth Layer Heaven.

’Zhao Zhijing said the Five Great War Gods were mostly at the Late Stage of Martial Arts Eighth Layer Heaven, with the strongest only at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Peak. Zhao Zhijing is known as a font of all knowledge, so his information shouldn’t be wrong. Clearly, the five of them had some fortuitous encounter these last few days that allowed them to break through. It must have been that strange phenomenon with the Purple Qi arching over the sun. The infusion of Purple Qi must have helped them achieve a breakthrough!’ His heart grew heavy. Qin Feng realized with a burgeoning headache that seizing the position of Elder of this generation at All Stars Academy would not be as easy as he had imagined.

Though many thoughts raced through his mind, Qin Feng just smiled lightly. "Princess, you’re too kind. If we’re talking about Swordsmanship, your strike just now was the truly stunning one. To cleanly sever the arm of a Martial Arts Eighth Layer Martial Artist in a single blow... that level of Swordsmanship is in no way inferior to that of Yuan Daozhen or Li Qiubai."

Qin Feng was telling the truth. Du Pingxia’s attainments in the Sword Dao were genuinely profound.

Shaking her head, Du Pingxia smiled. "Please, just call me Du Pingxia. I’m more used to it."

"As you wish, Brother Du." Qin Feng smiled. This princess had a heroic and commanding presence, in no way inferior to a man’s.

"Brother Qin."

The two shared a smile, a sudden feeling of camaraderie between them, as if they should have met long ago. After a brief exchange, Du Pingxia pointed to Liu Qinghe’s body on the ground.

"Brother Qin, you must be careful," she said. "Liu Qinghe, like Liu Canyang, is from the Liu Family. They are true brothers, born of the same father. Although they aren’t from the same mother and don’t get along well, blood is thicker than water. When Liu Canyang learns of Liu Qinghe’s death, he will come after you for revenge, for both personal and political reasons."

"Liu Qinghe’s talent was outstanding, but compared to Liu Canyang, he’s a firefly next to the brilliant moon."

"Is Liu Canyang really that powerful?" Qin Feng frowned. ’This is going to be a problem,’ he thought, though he felt no fear. His Innate Primordial Qi had already reached the Tenth Wave. Given enough time, he was confident he could push his Tide Extinction Swordsmanship all the way to the Tenth Realm.

’At the Fourth Realm, it can already slay a Martial Artist of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer Heaven. If I can deduce it to the Tenth Realm, how terrifying will it become?’

"Qin Feng, don’t be careless. Liu Canyang practices an ancient Cultivation Technique and has had other fortuitous encounters. I’ve heard through certain channels that he seems to have obtained a secret inheritance from an ancient expert, the Seven Extremes Ancestor. In short, he’s terrifying. Although the five of us are known as the Five Great War Gods, when it comes to pure strength, he is likely the most powerful."

(Second Chapter of the day. Two today, three tomorrow.)