Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation

Chapter 731: Chapter 296: The Great Tide Arrives_2

Xu Jin hadn’t returned. Just as he was about to leave, Drunk Moon Immortal sent another message, ”Stay in touch; don’t vanish like before.”

Xu Jin paused for a moment, replied with a simple ”okay,” then decisively left the Fourth Tier Martial Arts Secret Realm.

With a thought, he invoked Warm Dream.

In an instant, he fell into a deep sleep!

*****

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Xu Jin was jolted awake by the dull sound of war drums.

The low and grim sound of the drums, filled with a killing aura, resounded throughout the Da Chen National Daoist School and over the skies of Wanyi in the Great Chen Imperial City.

After waking up, Xu Jin washed his face, quickly ate the meal Qing Fan had prepared, and then gently hugged Jiang’er, who was beside him.

”Cultivate well, don’t leave the National Taoist Institute, and look for Elder Peng if you need anything. Wait for brother to return.”

”Mm!”

Jiang’er nodded vigorously, and Xu Jin stepped into the starlight.

Within the Lower Star Palace, two Mingji Star Patterns were functioning at full power. Xu Jin faintly sensed the chaotic and violent Star Power that had descended between Heaven and Earth, filling the skies above Wanyi and all directions with its tumultuous force.

Dawn had not yet arrived, and the sky remained pitch-black, but the stars tonight were especially brilliant.

Inside the National Taoist Institute of Dachen Country, elite units patrolled the skies above Wanyi, fully prepared.

The city defenses of Wanyi had been fully activated, and the flashing Starlight of the city’s defense array lit up the entire city like stars themselves.

The locations of the Star Gates opened by the Star Power stirred up during the Nine-Star Tide were completely random.

That is to say, it was possible for one to appear outside the city of Wanyi, or even in the city center, hence the extremely strict vigilance.

According to records spanning over a thousand years, there were numerous instances of cities, even nations, being plundered and exterminated due to bad luck during the Nine-Star Tide.

Some Alien Realm Star Gates opened directly at the center of a town, and by the time the support troops arrived, everything had been looted, and everyone killed.

That’s why the defenses were so rigorous.

Xu Jin arrived at the second floor of the Star-picking Tower, and the usually empty hall was now somewhat crowded.

The State Preceptor, the Great Governor, the Left and Right Libationers sat high atop their seats, along with others like the Four Great Academicians, Vice Academicians, familiar and unfamiliar Fifth and Sixth Tier experts, and a portion dressed in Star Patrol Guard uniforms—three or four hundred in total—all quietly lined up and waiting.

Xu Jin entered, found a spot at the back, and silently joined the line, then quietly waited.

After roughly a quarter of an hour, the Star-picking Order in the hands of National Master Cheng Yue Xiao suddenly started flashing rapidly, beams of Starlight continually blinking—three quick flashes each, signaling utmost urgency.

”Song Ziyue, a Fifth-tier Star Domain gate has appeared in Zhangwu County of Song State. Take a team of Fifth Tier elites and depart immediately.”

”Understood.”

The next moment, Song Ziyue, along with ten Fifth Tier experts, were rapidly teleported away.

As Song Ziyue was teleported away, National Master Cheng Yue Xiao had already issued four orders. The squads receiving the orders were all teleported away from the Star-picking Tower, rushing to provide support.

The National Taoist Institute would only send out support when Star Gates of Fourth-tier, Fifth-tier, or Sixth-tier Star Domains appeared.

But that did not mean that Second-tier and Third-tier Star Domains were ignored.

The Left and Right Libationers, along with Great Governor Pei Ze, were busy with these issues.

When Star Gates of Second and Third Tier, or Fourth Tier Star Domains appeared, they would first use the military strength distribution maps of the various states and counties of Dachen to prioritize and assemble nearby elite forces for support.

Yet, there were instances where support from Da Chen National Daoist School was needed.

For example, Jing State in Mountain City County was quite unlucky; within a short period, one Fourth-tier Star Domain gate, two Third-tier Star Domain gates, and one Second-tier Star Domain gate appeared. In such cases, a team of Fifth Tier was dispatched from the National Taoist Institute for support.

Within half an hour, the assembly of five to six hundred elites was reduced by more than half, leaving less than a hundred still quietly waiting.

Suddenly, the expression on the State Preceptor’s face changed dramatically, and he looked up, saying, ”A Seventh Order Star Domain gate has appeared in Thunder State’s East County.”

At these words, the expressions of everyone in the hall became solemn.

Within a Seventh Order Star Domain, the strongest were at the Eighth Tier. Although an Eighth Tier expert could not pass through the gate, if two or three Seventh Tier experts came through, it would be highly troublesome.

The destructive power of a single Seventh Tier expert exceeded that of ten at the Sixth Tier.

Moreover, even if only one Seventh Tier appeared, the number of Sixth Tiers accompanying them could be as few as five or six, or as many as a dozen or more.

This was not a situation an ordinary person could handle.

The next moment, the Chief of Star Patrol, Great Governor Pei Ze, stood up with a smile, ”State Preceptor, let me take a trip there.”

Cheng Yue Xiao also stood up and bowed, ”Then I will trouble the Great Governor, and I hope you will be cautious.”

”Rest assured, State Preceptor.”

Moments later, Great Governor Pei Ze, along with five Sixth Tier experts and ten Fifth Tier, were rapidly teleported away.

However, after that, the frequency of the Alien Realm Star Gate openings noticeably decreased, with an emergency report arriving only once every half an hour.

But the operational strength available in the hall was dwindling.

After half a day, only a few people remained in the hall.

Only the State Preceptor, Supervisor Chen Liao, Elder Peng, Xu Jin, and two Fifth Tier Vice Academicians were left; everyone else had been dispatched.

Two hours later, the two Fifth Tier Vice Academicians were also sent out.

The State Preceptor had already begun to draw experts from the Forbidden Army of Wanyi.

The Nine-Star Tide was raging, and within half a day, the prepared support troops had been completely dispatched, with no supporting troops returning. Cheng Yue Xiao had almost no reinforcements left to send.

Two hours later, the Star-picking Order of National Master Cheng Yue Xiao flashed rapidly three times again. After reading the message, National Master Cheng Yue Xiao turned his gaze to Xu Jin.