Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation

Chapter 469: Chapter 203 Tao Derivation_2

The State Preceptor provided Xu Jin with a list of Fire Origin Star Pattern handbooks he must study, totaling only five.

Yet, Xu Jin had managed to study all one hundred and nine Fire Series Star Pattern related notes in the National Taoist Institute’s Library.

The reason his pace was so swift primarily lay in the repetitiveness of the content.

Studying the first book took a great deal of time, but later on, it became much faster.

Picking up his books, Xu Jin rose to his feet and headed straight for the Pill Dawn Academy.

”Senior Brother Pang, I’ve come to see the State Preceptor; please announce my arrival,” said the guard in the hall, still Pang Yu.

”Junior brother, please wait. I’ll go in and ask the State Preceptor...”

”Let him in.”

Just as Pang Yu turned around, the State Preceptor’s voice echoed from the inner hall; at the same time, there was an instruction, ”Xu Jin, from now on, when you come here, come straight in, no need to be announced.”

”Thank you, State Preceptor!”

This treatment made the eyes of Senior Brother Pang Yu standing nearby somewhat red with envy.

Within the entire National Taoist Institute, only eight people could see the State Preceptor without being announced: the two Libationers, the Supervisor, the Four Great Academicians, and Chief Peng.

Now, however, Xu Jin had to be added to this list.

Even Pang Yu did not have such treatment.

When not on duty, even he needed to be announced to see the State Preceptor.

But there was nothing Pang Yu could do about it. He simply had to let Xu Jin go directly to the State Preceptor.

”State Preceptor, I am ready,” Xu Jin said straight away after entering and saluting.

The State Preceptor, Cheng Yuxiao, abruptly stopped writing, looked up at Xu Jin, and said, ”Have you thoroughly digested the five books I gave you? Then now, reproduce for me a set of Mid-tier Fire Origin Star Patterns from the Fifth Tier Upper, Fifth Tier Middle, and Sixth Tier Lower levels. Hmm, you have thirty minutes.”

This was the State Preceptor’s assessment.

Evolution in the Star-picking Tower wasn’t simply a matter of deduction. If one didn’t master the Star Patterns thoroughly, even with the Star Tower’s Evolution aid, the likelihood of failure remained significant.

As a person who had experienced this, National Master Cheng Yuxiao knew that the Star Tower’s Evolution process merely provided an opportunity and several key moments; without proper preparation, the probability of failure was high.

Even Cheng Yuxiao himself, the first time he used ten Silver Stars for the Evolution opportunity, ended in failure.

Afterwards, he reflected deeply and prepared meticulously, ensuring not to waste any more Silver Stars or Gold Stars.

This was the fundamental reason for his assessment of Xu Jin.

If Xu Jin couldn’t achieve this, the likelihood of wasting an Evolution opportunity was high. Better not to use it at all.

Based on the State Preceptor’s understanding, if Xu Jin could meet his demands within thirty minutes, it would at least indicate that Xu Jin’s mastery of Fire Series Star Patterns, at least regarding the Fire Origin Star Patterns, had reached the basic requirements for Evolution.

If not, then he would have to wait.

In the next moment, Xu Jin took out three pieces of blank Jade and, with focused thought, began engraving rapidly.

For Xu Jin, who had thoroughly studied the deconstruction handbook of Fire Series Star Patterns in the Academy’s Library, there was no difficulty at all.

One after another.

After fifteen minutes, Xu Jin handed over the three pieces of Jade engraved with Star Patterns, ”I have completed the task, State Preceptor.”

”Hmm?”

The State Preceptor, Cheng Yuxiao, looked up in surprise, glancing at Xu Jin and then at the time.

It hadn’t even been fifteen minutes, right?

”Is... everything ready?”

”Everything is ready.”

The State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao looked astonished again, ”Did you just record these now?”

After asking, the State Preceptor himself felt it was a bit presumptuous and quickly added with a smile, ”I just felt that you engraved very quickly.”

With a smile, the State Preceptor picked up the three pieces of Jade to inspect them.

The more he inspected, the more amazed he became.

They were close to perfection!

Every stroke in the Star Patterns was naturally smooth, with no stiffness or hesitation.

And from the traces, it was clear each was done in one continuous stroke, without any pause.

This meant Xu Jin had grasped this Star Pattern to an exceptional degree, having thoroughly understood and mastered it.

Otherwise, he couldn’t have achieved this level of skill.

”You’ve... been working hard in the Library lately?” the State Preceptor asked after inspecting, impressed.

Given this speed and level, it was far stronger than his own past performance.

Many experts who specialized in Fifth Tier or even Sixth Tier Fire Series Star Skill might not possess the level of skill and speed that Xu Jin had.

”Not bad, I just immerse myself for a few two-hour periods each day.”

”Good. Come with me.”

The State Preceptor Cheng Yuxiao stood up, and Xu Jin hurried to follow behind, moving into the inner hall. Once past the sight of others, the State Preceptor suddenly took Xu Jin’s hand and with a single step brought him along.

In the next instant, the starlight before Xu Jin’s eyes shifted, and he suddenly found himself inside a tower gleaming with starlight.

The tower had no roof but was capped with a dome of starlight, looking extraordinarily magnificent.

Even clouds could be seen drifting past the windows.

Xu Jin was greatly surprised.

To be above the clouds!

”Where is this?” Xu Jin asked in amazement.

”This is the highest point of the Da Chen Star Tower’s physical presence in this world,” the State Preceptor said, looking at Xu Jin.

After speaking, the State Preceptor continued, ”We’re thousands of meters above the ground, at the place where the Star Tower in the world receives the climate of the heavens. Here, deducing Star Patterns and practicing Star Skill is twice as effective.

Naturally, evolving your Tao here yields the best results.”

”Alright, you’ve exchanged ten Silver Stars for a chance to practice common Tao Derivation. Now, lock onto the Fire Origin Star Pattern of the Sixth Tier Middle and immerse yourself in it for comprehension,” instructed the State Preceptor.

Xu Jin was quite surprised, ”State Preceptor, is it just like this, starting without giving me any experienced guidance or anything?”

”Each person’s way of thinking is different; I can only lay the foundation for you. If I were to give you my experience with Tao Derivation, it would only be a constraint to you. Moreover, I don’t have any experience to guide you with the Fire Origin Star Pattern of Sixth Tier Middle.

That pattern is my limit,” the State Preceptor explained.

Xu Jin nodded, immediately sat cross-legged, and let his thoughts sink into the Star-picking Secret Realm. With a single thought, he immediately exchanged ten Silver Stars for a chance at ordinary Tao Derivation.

[Do you wish to start Tao Derivation?]

[Start]

[Please lock onto the relevant Star Pattern or Star Skill]

In a flash, Xu Jin’s full attention was immersed in the Fire Origin Star Pattern of the Sixth Tier Middle.

The next moment, Xu Jin found himself surrounded by flames, then all the firelight disappeared, and the whole world around him turned cold and silent.

Gradually, a scorching sun hung in the sky. Suddenly under its heat, a bit of dry branch began to smoke, and with a gentle breeze, the wisp of smoke turned into a flame.

The flame grew from small to large, then shrank again until it extinguished.

During this process, Xu Jin’s viewpoint constantly changed.

Near the fire, above the flame, from the side, viewing from all different perspectives, when looking down from the sky, this single flame suddenly seemed like it had become a symbol.

The world kept changing, and this time, a forest appeared before Xu Jin.

A spark erupted from a corner, and the whole forest burst into flames in an instant, becoming a raging inferno.

Suddenly, there was fire falling from the sky.

One fire after another began to emerge before Xu Jin’s eyes.

Different fires, different scenes, continuously evolving.

There was Stone Fire, Water Fire.

From birth, to blaze, to extinction.

The final overhead view once again became the condensed life of this kind of fire, and then it evolved into a symbol-like existence.

At a certain moment, Xu Jin suddenly had an epiphany.

He condensed one fire’s life from birth to blaze to extinction and integrated it with a main branch of the Fire Origin Star Pattern of the Sixth Tier Middle.

At that moment, the main branch was the flame, and the flame was the Fire Origin Star Pattern.

Xu Jin suddenly gained some understanding.

For the next flame, Xu Jin began to integrate some elements of the fire’s life cycle into the Fire Origin Star Pattern of the Sixth Tier Middle.

One after another, repeatedly.

Continuously perfecting this Mid-tier Fire Origin Star Pattern.

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Jin finally pieced together a new, complete pattern for the Mid-tier Fire Origin Star Pattern.

When the last stroke was added, the entire Mid-tier Fire Origin Star Pattern blazed fiercely, its power climbing another level.

Xu Jin suddenly had a realization.

He had succeeded.

He’d moved up to the Sixth Tier Upper!

The Fire Origin Star Pattern of the Sixth Tier Middle had been deduced to the Sixth Tier Upper.

The new Sixth Tier Upper Mid-tier Fire Origin Star Pattern, under Xu Jin’s urging, continuously broke down into countless flames, continuously reassembling and perfecting itself.

There was even an urge to extend new patterns, but they couldn’t seem to sprout no matter what.

In the midst of evolution, the starlight illusion realm before Xu Jin began to flicker uncertainly, about to dissipate.

Feeling highly spirited at that moment, Xu Jin felt his mind become exceedingly clear, and his understanding of fire reached an unprecedented height.

Reluctant to finish.

With a thought, Xu Jin immersed his consciousness into the Star-picking Secret Realm again, and drew forth a Gold Star.

[Do you wish to proceed with high-tier Tao Derivation?]

The prompt appeared before Xu Jin.

[Yes]

The next moment, the starlight before Xu Jin’s eyes once again shifted rapidly.