Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation

Chapter 1693: Chapter 696:

The ninth round of the Dao Child ranking war, sixteen into eight!

This great battle had also reached the time for a bloody fight.

Everyone began vying for the lead at all costs; all kinds of powerful Star Skills that hadn’t been displayed before, explosive Star Skills, emerged one by one.

They even started using strategy.

The reason was simple.

The treatment enjoyed by Dao Children in the top ten was completely different.

In the hierarchy of Dao Child treatment, fourth-class was a dividing line.

Because fourth-class Dao Child treatment included the chance to Enlighten on a True Monarch Blood Crystal.

But below fourth-class treatment, there was no such item.

Even the Jade Hall True Monarch Mansion could only provide Xu Jin with one opportunity to Enlighten on a True Monarch Blood Crystal; this showed just how precious this reward was.

The underlying reason was simple as well.

Each True Monarch’s Dao-proving Blood Crystal had a limit on the number of Enlightenments it could grant.

A single person could Enlighten multiple times on the same True Monarch Blood Crystal, but the total number of times a single True Monarch Blood Crystal could be Enlightened on by all people was limited.

Each Enlightenment consumed one use.

Extremely precious, it could be called a priceless treasure.

From this alone, the fact that First-class Dao Child treatment allowed one to Enlighten on a True Monarch Blood Crystal once every ten years was already enough for all the peerless geniuses present to fight to the death over it.

According to Yutang King Zhu Shizhen, other True Monarch Mansions might also have one or two True Monarch Blood Crystals in their collection, but there was no way they would allow the geniuses of their clans to Enlighten on them without limit.

Moreover, even if they did have them, the remaining Enlightenment uses on those crystals wouldn’t be many.

As for Star Monarch Marquis Mansions, there was even less to say; as long as their ancestors hadn’t produced a powerful True Monarch, there was simply no way they could have one.

This was also why the talented descendants of True Monarch Mansions and Star Monarch Mansions in the Dongxuan Star Realm fought desperately to squeeze into the Dongxuan Dao Palace.

Within the Dao Palace, there were True Monarch Blood Crystals bestowed by the Emperor.

In just the third match, Xu Jin saw a scene of blades drawn and blood spilled.

Liu Shu, who came from the Xiji Star Monarch Mansion, directly used Essence Blood to drive his Lifebound Spiritual Treasure, increasing its power by more than thirty percent and directly sending off his opponent, who was likewise from a Star Monarch Mansion.

He locked in a top-eight placing ahead of time.

But after the battle ended, his aura was weak; he would need at least one or two months of recuperation to recover, and that was with the help of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

But it was worth it.

This was his strategy.

Locking in top eight was enough; as for top four, Liu Shu had already given up.

The eighth match of the ninth round soon came to Xu Jin.

Xu Jin did not select a Star-picking Order; on the entire Martial Learning field, there were only two Dao Children who had yet to fight.

Xu Jin, and Shen Hui of the Heavenly Wing Star Monarch Mansion.

The instant Xu Jin stepped onto the void arena, he loftily looked down at Shen Hui from afar.

At the same time, the excited and expectant Divine Soul Transmission of Yutang King Zhu Shizhen rang out in Xu Jin’s mind, ”Brother-in-law, beat this bastard hard, vent my anger for me!

He’s the one who just knocked me out. The wheel of fortune turns—this is perfect, ha!”

Xu Jin nodded slightly; eliminating Shen Hui was a certainty.

This Shen Hui specialized in Wind Series and Gold Series Star Skills; his speed was extremely fast and he was very troublesome to deal with.

But before Xu Jin, who was proficient in Space Star Technique, he wasn’t much.

Contrary to Xu Jin’s expectations, Shen Hui did not step onto the arena immediately. Instead, he furrowed his brows tightly, as if struggling with something.

”Shen Hui?”

Mars Star Monarch gave a light shout to urge him.

The next instant, Shen Hui of the Heavenly Wing Star Monarch Mansion cupped his hands toward Mars Star Monarch and said, ”Star Lord, I admit defeat and forfeit this match!”

As soon as these words came out, the watching Dao Children all broke into an uproar.

However, people like Yuan Chengfa, Su Xuan, Xu Jin, and the others immediately understood Shen Hui’s choice.

Strategy.

If he fought Xu Jin and didn’t go all out, he had no chance of victory.

Even if he exploded with everything he had, his odds of success were abysmally low.

If he lost to Xu Jin here, not only would his strength be affected after such an outburst, but the methods he used in that outburst would also be seen by the others, who would then prepare for them.

In that case, it would be terrible.

He might not even make it into the top ten.

Failing to make the top ten would be like entering hell mode for him.

So he chose to forfeit voluntarily, preserve his strength, and aim for the ninth and tenth spots.

After all, with his true Combat Power, ranking in the top eight was no problem; he had merely run into Xu Jin.

As for combat strategy, the Dongxuan Dao Palace had always recognized and approved of it; after all, in future wars across the Star Domain, those brutes who only knew how to fight and didn’t know how to use the environment were often the first to die.

”Approved!”

With one word from Mars Star Monarch, the ninth-round Dao Child ranking war came to an end.

As Shen Hui breathed a sigh of relief, Liu Shu and another Star Monarch Mansion scion, who had originally been planning to fight hard for ninth and tenth place, both grew tense.

”Tsk, unlucky. This Shen Hui kid is too cowardly.” Yutang King Zhu Shizhen’s helpless voice rang in Xu Jin’s mind.

But Xu Jin felt that he should pay attention to Shen Hui in the future; this kid was ruthless and decisive in Slaughter. Daring to admit defeat outright at a time like this—he was definitely a hard man!

As usual, after a quarter of an hour’s rest.

The tenth round of the Dao Child ranking war began, eight into four!

The pace of this round was even faster.

The four who had always been seen as seed players—Yuan Chengfa, Su Xuan, Lu Zhen, and Xu Jin—each won all four of their matches; all their opponents were scions from other Star Monarch Mansions.

Leaving Xu Jin aside for the moment.

Yuan Chengfa, Su Xuan, and Lu Zhen fully displayed the foundation of True Monarch Mansions during these battles.

At minimum, they had Lifebound Spiritual Treasures with six Tao Rules, and they also carried Nine-Star Spiritual Treasures.

In this regard, the Star Monarch Mansion scions were slightly inferior.

The top three should come from among these three.

But now, Xu Jin had entered the mix as a variable.

The top-four ranking battles were the most important battles of every Dao Child selection, so the rules were also altered somewhat.

”The eleventh round of the Dao Child ranking war begins. Because the ranking of the top three Dao Children is extremely important, the rules will be slightly changed!

Each of the Dao Children ranked in the top four must fight one match against each of the other three Dao Children.

The one who wins all three matches will rank first.

If no one wins all three, among those who win two matches, the superior will be ranked first!” Mars Star Monarch’s voice rang in the sky.

”First match, Yuan Chengfa versus Su Xuan!” Mars Star Monarch directly called the names.

The next moment, Yuan Chengfa and Su Xuan simultaneously stepped onto the void arena; even Xu Jin began to look forward to the battle between the two.

The two both cultivated Fire Series, but Yuan Chengfa also cultivated Earth Series, while Su Xuan also cultivated Wood Series.

Judging from the Combat Power shown earlier, Yuan Chengfa was a bit stronger, but once it came down to real combat, it was hard to say.

On the Void Arena, the moment the two of them exchanged blows, they each activated their Lifebound Spiritual Treasure.

Yuan Chengfa’s Lifebound Spiritual Treasure was a Seven-Petaled Lotus Lamp; the instant the purple flame black lotus wrapped around Su Xuan, golden Flame Light erupted around Su Xuan, and a vague golden crow phantom appeared above his head.

The golden crow spat golden Flame Light from its beak, burning toward the purple flame black lotus like magma, like a torrent; in just an instant, the purple flame black lotus began to melt.

But in front of Yuan Chengfa, the Seven-Petaled Lotus Lamp sent lotus petals flying; each petal that flew out caused the might of the purple flame black lotus to grow stronger by a degree.

After only three petals flew out, Su Xuan’s golden crow was actually suppressed.

However, Su Xuan was not some pushover either.

A gigantic tree phantom suddenly grew out from within his body, propping up the golden crow; in just an instant, the golden crow’s body abruptly expanded, in a flash surpassing the purple flame black lotus and blasting it apart.

Yet at that very moment, a small mountain wreathed in Dao Rules suddenly appeared above Su Xuan’s head and came crashing down.

In a flash, Su Xuan’s figure vanished from the arena.

Xu Jin’s pupils abruptly contracted. ”A second Lifebound Spiritual Treasure!”

He hadn’t expected Yuan Chengfa to have actually forged a second Lifebound Spiritual Treasure.

You could only say, the True Monarch Mansion was truly wealthy, and they were also putting in ruthless effort to cultivate Yuan Chengfa.

For an ordinary Star Monarch Mansion disciple, just getting them one Lifebound Spiritual Treasure was already somewhat taxing.

Yuan Chengfa actually had two!

”I concede!” Su Xuan’s figure appeared beneath the arena, his aura steady, his expression even steadier.

The bout with Yuan Chengfa just now had looked like he’d gone all-out, but in terms of actual strength, there had been no consumption at all.

This left Xu Jin somewhat surprised.

Had he gone all-out?

Yet his senses said it was like he was holding back power,

then using strategy?

But with just these few people left, what strategy could there be?

Or was it that Su Xuan wanted to preserve his peak strength and then go all out to defeat Xu Jin?

To seize second place?

”If that really is your plan, then I can only apologize!” Xu Jin thought to himself.

”Second match, Lu Zhen versus Xu Jin!”

The instant Mars Star Monarch’s voice rang out, Xu Jin and Lu Zhen’s figures stepped onto the Void Arena at the same time.

There was naturally no good will between the two of them.

”Xu Jin!”

”Lu Zhen!”

The next instant, as the Starlight of the Life Replacement Token descended, the barrier of Nihility between the two disappeared.

Almost at that same instant, Wind Wings appeared behind Lu Zhen, and while he moved at high speed, a cyan Six Daozhe Lifebound Giant Bow instantly appeared.

Whoosh!

Arrows of dual wind-and-fire colors were already blasting toward Xu Jin in a rapid volley!

He opened with a抢攻, a snatch-attack!

And at the same time, high-speed movement!

Was this their method of dealing with Xu Jin’s killing move, Shattered Star?

The next instant, as Xu Jin disappeared, Space Power fluctuations rose up; Lu Zhen, who was moving at high speed, suddenly froze for an instant.

Star Technique Space Cage!

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Jin pointed a finger.

Since he’d already used Shattered Star, there was no need to keep it hidden anymore.

Xu Jin’s true killing move was Shattered Star·Extreme!

Seeing Xu Jin point out a finger, Lu Zhen’s expression changed drastically; with Space restricted, even if he could blast it apart, by the time he broke it, the terrifying might of Xu Jin’s Star Skill would already have erupted.

Vast Divine Soul ripples exploded out from Lu Zhen’s body, but these Divine Soul ripples were actually aimed at himself.

In an instant, every change within several meters around him, including the changes in Space, became vividly clear.

”Found it!”

At the first possible moment, Lu Zhen sensed the instant when Xu Jin’s Shattered Star ripples appeared.

His Lifebound Spiritual Treasure, the Green Origin Divine Bow, instantly erupted with Starlight; the bow grip changed Ruyi in a flash, turning like a sword as it violently stabbed toward the instant where the Shattered Star ripples appeared.

Boom!

A Starlight shockwave appeared.

Xu Jin felt that his Shattered Star Skill, in that instant just before it could erupt—when the Space fluctuations had just appeared—was forcibly shattered.

The Star Skill was violently interrupted.

This bastard Lu Zhen really had found a way to crack this move.

However, the point where it was violently interrupted—where the Star Power shockwave erupted—was Lu Zhen’s chest.

Even though he’d been prepared, he was still heavily injured at this moment, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth!

But there was no doubt that the extremely threatening Space Star Technique had been broken by him.

Xu Jin’s threat was greatly reduced.

Excitement flickered in Lu Zhen’s eyes.

But before he could react, Space fluctuations and Thunder Light rose up simultaneously.

The Nine Heavens Thunder God Seal had already poured down thunder.

Wind Wings frantically flapped behind Lu Zhen as he actually tried to dodge the thunder.

But he suddenly slammed into an invisible Space barrier; from the Space barrier, Thunder Light rebounded back at him, directly electrocuting him until his whole body went numb, leaving him standing there in a daze!

Thunder poured down.

Lu Zhen vanished!

Seeing this, Xu Jin sneered. You can dodge Shattered Star, but you think you can dodge Thunder Prison as well?

On the ground, Lu Zhen looked at himself, just transmitted out, his face pale; then he glanced at Yuan Chengfa and Su Xuan, and his expression immediately turned ugly.

He’d lost!

He’d lost to Xu Jin!

His goal of holding third while vying for second was now in jeopardy!

Gravely in jeopardy!

Xu Jin, however, had already begun considering his tactics for the next round; his next opponent would be either Yuan Chengfa or Su Xuan, both bitter fights.

”Rest for two quarters of an hour, then begin the next round.”

Almost at the instant Mars Star Monarch’s voice rang out, another Divine Soul Transmission suddenly appeared in Xu Jin’s mind.

The instant this Divine Soul Transmission appeared, Xu Jin suddenly understood what Su Xuan’s strategy was!

Because the one who transmitted to him was the host of the Dongxuan Star Realm, True Monarch Tianzhang!