[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars":3,"chapter-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-128":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Immortal Path Among the Stars",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2320060,4537,"Chapter 128","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-128",128,"\u003Cp>I am Liu Ming, elder of the Enforcement Hall of the Thousand Bamboo Sect. The living rights to this spiritual vein originally belonged to our sect, so I shall personally judge this competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This competition is simple: each family sends a representative to draw a numbered bamboo slip; adjacent numbers face off, starting with one and two, continuing in this manner until only two remain. Once a family’s representative loses, they have no second chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any family objects to these rules, speak now—otherwise, I assume all agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On all stone platforms, the family heads and their clans remained utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excellent. Begin drawing slips now.” Liu Ming nodded in satisfaction, then flicked his sleeve; a pale yellow bamboo tube flew out, packed tightly with bamboo slips, flying one by one toward each stone platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At each platform, someone leapt into the air, randomly plucking a slip from the tube, then returned to their clan, sparking murmurs among them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the tube reached the platform where Wang Yu and the others stood. Yin Linglong and the Yu family head exchanged a glance from afar, then each drew a slip in turn and descended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Husband, look?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Linglong handed the slip to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu glanced at it and saw a faint silver “Thirty-Six” clearly written on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many families are participating in this contest?” Wang Yu scanned the other platforms and asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just checked—sixty-four families. Almost every family has entered.” Yin Linglong spoke gravely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So we’ll need five rounds to determine the final two.” Wang Yu calculated slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed. But this kind of contest also depends on luck—if you avoid strong opponents all the way, it’s still possible to reach the final two directly.” Yin Linglong frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! I hope that person is me.” Wang Yu laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the Yu family head showed his slip to Gu Lian; after a brief whisper, Gu Lian walked straight toward Wang Yu and smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I drew number Thirteen. What number did you draw, Wang friend?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thirty-Six. It seems we won’t have a chance to spar for a while.” Wang Yu gave his number calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah, true—but if we both make it to the middle rounds, we’ll still likely meet.” Gu Lian chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu nodded and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For at that moment, Liu Ming above the training ground announced the competition had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two figures immediately flew from opposite platforms and landed on either side of the training ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was an unremarkable gray-haired old man, about sixty, holding only a slender sword; the other was a young man of about twenty, handsome and upright, but holding a black circular bowl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar in midair raised one hand, formed a seal, and pointed downward. The banners around them hummed, their surfaces glowing with multicolored inscriptions as a translucent giant dome appeared, enclosing the entire training ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, the match would take place within this barrier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ming’s voice rang out from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man below immediately raised his bowl high and chanted incantations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, blue light surged around him, and torrents of water gushed from the bowl, drawn into the blue aura, spinning wildly into layered, roaring water curtains that completely enveloped the youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the gray-haired old man simply crossed his slender sword before him and walked forward, expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Swoosh!” “Swoosh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several blue water arrows shot from the curtain—but the old man slashed them apart one by one with his sword, his steps never pausing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, the youth in the water curtain unhesitatingly urged his artifact; the swirling curtain rolled back violently, rising into a massive wave over ten zhang tall, swallowing the advancing old man whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next instant—a dull “Boom!” echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wave instantly shattered and vanished. The gray-haired old man stood where he was, sword in hand; the handsome youth lay unconscious on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Number One wins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ming above declared without hesitation, then tapped his short ruler, dissolving the barrier below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surrounding stone platforms, the cultivation families stirred in commotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Husband, what happened? I didn’t see anything—yet the outcome was decided.” Yin Linglong asked Wang Yu, equally startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Incredibly fast. His slender sword was strange—it suddenly lengthened and softened when engulfed by the water. Wait, it wasn’t a sword at all—it was a whip. One lash knocked the opponent out cold.” Wang Yu had activated his hyperfocus for an instant, his expression slightly odd as he replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? That was a whip?” Yin Linglong stared in disbelief, fixing her gaze once more on the old man’s slender weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the old man calmly flew back to his clan’s platform, carrying his weapon, greeted by cheers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This man is no ordinary opponent. He probably didn’t even use half his strength.” The purple-robed man across the way watched the old man with interest, murmuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So dangerous?” The Yu family head’s face darkened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very dangerous. Not a single wasted motion. Except for the moment he was engulfed by water—he seemed to use a Water-Repelling Spell. Otherwise, he expended not a single ounce of spiritual energy. Clearly, he’s aiming for the final slot and is conserving his strength.” Gu Lian spoke calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, Gu brother, you—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry. Though strong, he’s no match for me.” Gu Lian said confidently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. This contest rests entirely on you, Gu brother.” The Yu family head exhaled in relief and bowed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah, don't worry. I've taken so many spiritual stones from your family—I'll give it my all. This competition has many strong opponents; it's excellent training for me.\" The purple-robed man smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three and Four.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ming called out the next pair from above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two more figures flew from their platforms and landed on the training ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, both were middle-aged men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One wore a silver robe, glittering with jewels, holding a large silver shield in one hand and a thick stack of talismans in the other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was barefoot, dressed in tattered clothes, holding only a dull, greenish copper mirror that looked broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Begin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar above activated the barrier once more and gave the command.\u003C\u002Fp>",1025,"2026-06-20T15:44:30.991Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ba6d148b15361062e17f52c06f1d6a3a7570e65a63977ca762f88fd96fc6a7bc","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-129","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-127",530,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-immortal-path-among-the-stars-cover.jpg"]