Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation

Chapter 84: Chapter 80: The Green Clothes Reappear

[First-Tier Martial Arts Secret Realm Rank 98: Drunk Moon Immortal, Score 156]

The Martial Arts Secret Realm ranking list is divided into three, the first tier includes ranks one to ten, displayed in exceptionally large font size; the second tier includes ranks eleven to one hundred, with a regular font size, still quite prominent; the third tier encompasses ranks one hundred and one to one thousand, written in small font, barely visible without close inspection.

At this moment, Xu Jin only glanced up at the Martial Arts Secret Realm and saw the rank of Drunk Moon Immortal on the second list, which stunned him.

This girl managed to break into the top hundred of the First-Tier Martial Arts Secret Realm?

Xu Jin was a bit puzzled, or rather felt that the Martial Arts Secret Realm ranking list seemed a bit inflated.

This girl fought Xu Jin five times on the first day, and was defeated in all five battles.

On the second day, they fought six times, with one victory for her and five defeats.

In the subsequent days of scheduled battles with Xu Jin, she always had more losses than wins.

Managing to win one or two battles was already considered good.

The Drunk Moon Immortal mainly had excellent movement techniques and a cunning whip attack, making her a suitable sparring partner, a tool person.

But in terms of strength, Xu Jin felt Drunk Moon Immortal was still somewhat lacking.

The reason was simple: how strong could the Drunk Moon Immortal be if, as a Seventh Layer Dining Dawn cultivator, she mostly lost against him, a Fifth Layer Dining Dawn cultivator?

What Xu Jin did not expect was that in just four days of his absence, Drunk Moon Immortal had managed to break into the top one hundred ranks of the First-Tier Martial Arts Secret Realm.

One must know that the First-Tier Martial Arts Secret Realm of the Star-picking Tower encompasses the elites of the contemporary major forces.

Xu Jin was aware that there were over three million people in the Dining Dawn Realm who entered the Star-picking Tower.

In Xu Jin’s expectations, it would be extremely difficult to break into the top one hundred, let alone the top one thousand.

But now, if Drunk Moon Immortal could break into the top hundred ranks of the First-Tier Martial Arts Secret Realm, doesn’t that mean he, Xu Jin, could also break into this ranking?

And perhaps rank even a bit higher than Drunk Moon Immortal?

Suddenly, Xu Jin realized one thing: was he being too humble?

By real combat power, Xu Jin had achievements such as slaying several Seventh Layer Dining Dawn cultivators and opportunistically killing a Third Tier Green Snake in the early period of Refining Star.

Moreover, slaying Seventh Layer Dining Dawn cultivators was not too strenuous for him.

It was a crushing defeat.

Did that mean his current strength in the Dining Dawn Realm was also crushing?

Xu Jin recalled his sparring with Lu Xianbing tonight.

Previously, Lu Xianbing said he quite enjoyed sparring with others, having had multiple bouts with this year’s Star Pointing champion First Yue Qi and Ren Xiaoxiang, with more victories than defeats.

Simply put, although First Yue Qi had a slightly higher Cultivation Level than Lu Xianbing, his Practical Combat Ability was somewhat less than Lu Xianbing’s.

In other words, regardless of Xu Jin, Lu Xianbing’s Combat Power was actually the first in this year’s Star Pointing.

However, during tonight’s exchange with Lu Xianbing, Xu Jin had overpoweringly dominated using just his movement technique without even using an Instantaneous Star Skill.

Although this was in part due to the Star Weapon Chasing Wind Boots, Xu Jin’s strength was actually already very strong.

He just hadn’t realized it before.

Only now, upon seeing the rank of Drunk Moon Immortal, did Xu Jin suddenly become aware of this point.

So... what was he waiting for?

Naturally, it was to challenge and climb the ranks.

Enter the Martial Arts Secret Realm ranking within a thousand, maintain for seven days, and be rewarded with a wisp of Starlight.

If one enters the top hundred and maintains for seven days, they will be rewarded with two wisps of Starlight.

Even if Xu Jin’s ranking could only be like Drunk Moon Immortal’s, entering the top hundred, then maintaining for seven days would be two wisps of Starlight, which is two hundred taels of Silver.

An average income of around thirty taels per day.

That reward must be obtained.

That wool must be sheared!

Thirty taels a day - he could rent a house for his father and sister in the county city, and hire a nanny to cook, without spending it all in a month.

Challenge!

As Xu Jin anticipated, if the Drunk Moon Immortal he defeated could make it into the top hundred, then it’s theoretically certain for Xu Jin to break into the top hundred as well.

You have to understand, that was four or five days ago.

Four or five days ago, Xu Jin had not successfully engraved the Great Gathering Star Pattern, the Clear Soul Star Pattern had not been thoroughly solidified, and the Flying Star Step had just reached Small Success.

But now, with the Great Gathering Star Pattern successfully engraved, the Clear Soul Star Pattern fully solidified, Divine Soul Power greatly increased, Star Skill power drastically boosted, and the Flying Star Step nearing Great Success and Approaching Perfection, his strength had significantly improved.

It’s worth noting that when challenging in the Martial Arts Secret Realm, any changes in one’s own strength are immediately reflected, but changes to the Star Weapons are not.

One can only choose from the types of Star Weapons provided by the Secret Realm.

But for Xu Jin, whose Flying Star Step was nearing Great Perfection, the addition of Chasing Wind Boots is just an added bonus.

Xu Jin estimated that if Drunk Moon Immortal were to return, the outcome would most likely be consecutive defeats.

She would no longer serve the purpose of a sparring partner.

The first challenge was a victory in two seconds.

Before the opponent could react, Xu Jin had already charged in close, with the Star Ring colliding and Star Radiance bursting their head.

In the subsequent three battles, each was a swift victory within three seconds, and Xu Jin’s Martial Arts Secret Realm ranking rapidly climbed to within eight thousand.

The fifth battle had a slight hiccup; he encountered a very cautious fellow who had impeccable defense and movement technique, leaving no openings. It took Xu Jin six seconds to resolve it with close-range Star Arrow firepower coverage.

[Martial Arts Secret Realm Rank: 6455]

After the sixth battle, Xu Jin felt somewhat anxious, as the result he wanted to test was about to reveal itself.

No sensation of fatigue, head not hurting, still ready to battle!

This indicated that Xu Jin’s number of challenges in the Martial Arts Secret Realm had broken his previous limit of six times.

Soon, Xu Jin completed the seventh and eighth challenges.

The eighth was a bit tough, taking more than thirty seconds, but he still won comfortably.

After the eighth battle, the familiar feeling of exhaustion from deep within his mind, along with a slight headache, both swept over him.

Divine Soul Power was excessively consumed; he had reached his daily limit of challenges.

”Eight times!”

Yet, Xu Jin’s face was filled with joy.

The test results were in, and they were consistent with his conjecture.

The upper limit of Divine Soul Power increased, and so did the number of challenges available within the Martial Arts Secret Realm.

With the success of the Clearing Soul Star Pattern becoming fully solidified, Xu Jin’s enhancement to his Divine Soul Power should exceed twenty percent, possibly even reaching thirty percent.

The total improvement should surpass fifty percent.

Someone like Lu Xianbing could only challenge the Martial Arts Secret Realm five consecutive times before he had to leave to restore his Divine Soul Power.

Previously, Xu Jin only had one more attempt than him; the advantage wasn’t obvious.

But now, with three more attempts, the advantage was significant.

If the advantages in all areas were accumulated over time, they would expand step by step...

[Martial Arts Ranking: 2908]

Maintaining this streak of victories, within two to three days at most, Xu Jin could kill his way into the top hundred of the Martial Arts Secret Realm rankings.

That would be picking up silver.

Afterward, Xu Jin left the Martial Arts Secret Realm, directly swallowed a Nourishment-imbued Rejuvenation Pill, and began to restore his Divine Soul Power.

******

Outside Jinshan County city at the West Pier, where the former Heavenly River Gang incense master Deng Longshu was hiding, the tanned Jiang Sheng quietly arrived.

”Incense Master, news has come. The kid Xu Jin participated in the Jinshan Taoist Institute’s expedition and has returned. He’s resting tomorrow, with a nine out of ten chance of going home. Should we keep an eye on him?”

Deng Longshu was hiding in the darkness, making his face unclear, but he tossed a five-tael silver bar toward Jiang Sheng, ”Then don’t go to work tomorrow. Go to the East Gate and keep watch for me, your reward won’t be small!”

”Rest assured, Incense Master.”

After Jiang Sheng left, Deng Longshu turned around and looked at the information about Xu Jin that had been collected these days, furrowing his brows.

Eighty-three days of Star Pointing.

Yet his cultivation level broke through to the fourth tier of the Dining Dawn Realm in less than a month.

In the ambush against the Taoist Institute disciples organized by the Heavenly River Gang, there was a record of killing someone at the seventh tier of the Dining Dawn Realm, but it was said to be with the help of the Star Emblem.

He had at least one first-tier Star Weapon.

The Star Patrol Commander should have a common piece of Inner Armor.

He might even have a Life-saving Emblem.

All this intelligence had cost Deng Longshu significant effort and resources to uncover from various sources.

But Deng Longshu didn’t feel there was a delay; after all, it had only been a few days, how much could one’s strength improve?

The key was the Life-saving Emblem.

Disciples from the institute, that’s the tricky part to predict.

Who knew if some master there took a liking and gave a Life-saving Emblem?

Unlike them, the Loose Cultivators of the Martial World, to have a Star Weapon was already lucky. Who would willingly use consumable items like that?

If it were just the fourth layer of the Dining Dawn Realm, Deng Longshu alone would suffice.

But now...

Previously, Deng Longshu used various channels to dig out Xu Jin’s background.

He couldn’t probe inside the institute, and many were afraid to probe.

Those mixed up in the Martial World knew what could be done and what couldn’t be. For a Star Patrol Commander, ordinary people didn’t dare look too deeply.

Any slight movement would immediately draw attention and invite disaster!

Deng Longshu had even scoped out Xu Jin’s home once.

At the time, Deng Longshu considered killing Xu Jin’s father, Xu Dajiang, to avenge Deng Hu.

But Deng Longshu didn’t dare!

Because such a deed, while satisfying, would have left him with an enemy who would never let him rest peacefully for the rest of his life.

A Taoist Institute disciple, current Star Patrol Commander, and at least a future flag master of the Star Patrol, possibly even higher.

Killing his father would mean that in five or ten years, no corner of the world would be safe from his vengeance.

But if Xu Jin was dealt with as well...

The institute would surely act to pursue.

But it wouldn’t last too long.

Three to five days of pursuit without success, they would give up.

Just like how Jinshan County city cleaned up the remnants of the Heavenly River Gang; after five days, all was quiet.

Without sufferers to push for it, who would bother to remember?

But the problem was, Xu Jin’s strength—he was a bit too elusive for Deng Longshu to grasp with certainty.

”Just returned from the expedition? Then he must have at least a few hundred taels of silver, maybe even one to two thousand taels, right?”

”Find another person to cooperate with!”

”After the job, run!”

”Besides, the Jinshan Taoist Institute is off tomorrow. By the time they notice, I’ll be far from the county...”

”Contact Gong; that guy has the ability to kill above his tier, should be secure...”

After pondering for a moment, Deng Longshu tidied up a bit, swiftly left the house, and turned into a dark alley.

******

In the Jinshan Taoist Institute, within Xu Jin’s small courtyard house.

After practicing the Golden Spreading Chapter for one and a half two-hour periods, and with the Starlight nearly reaching his nose, Xu Jin opened his eyes. He looked at the motionless door with some disappointment.

The green-clothed man still hadn’t shown up.

Would this fellow really have been suppressed for the past twenty days?

Taking out a Mental Awakening Pill, Xu Jin swallowed it. As its efficacy dispersed, his spirits lifted. Xu Jin then prepared to practice in the Star Lamp and endure another night of hard cultivation. The Flying Star Step should then reach Great Perfection.

But in that very instant, Xu Jin’s firmly closed door suddenly swung open without a gust of wind.

Xu Jin was instantly overjoyed!

Yet instinctively, he put up his Starlight Shield in a flash and shouted, ”Who is it!”

”Ho, lad, your alertness has increased now, hasn’t it?” The familiar voice of the green-clothed man suddenly rang out.