[{"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-135":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},2320067,4537,"Chapter 135","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-135",135,"\u003Cp>The poorly dressed man’s victory was not surprising to most, for the power of the Golden Light realm indeed surpassed the strange weapon of the gray-haired elder, which could shift between hardness and softness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next two matches ended swiftly and without incident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the fourth match, Gu Lian’s opponent was Shi Jian, the man hired by the Fang family who had defeated his previous foe with three strikes of his staff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the crowd, this battle was clearly a rare clash of titans, and all eyes turned with keen excitement toward the two fighters on the stone platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Gu, this time it all rests on you,” said the Yu family head, though he knew Gu Lian was formidable, he could not help but speak nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, Brother Yu, rest easy. A mere Simian bloodline means nothing to me,” Gu Lian replied with a light laugh, then soared into the training ground, still brimming with confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the opposite platform, Shi Jian, after receiving instructions from the Fang family head and his daughter, likewise leapt onto the training ground with his staff, confident and dismissive as he stared across at Gu Lian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was strangely surreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spectators outside were tense and excited, yet both fighters in the arena were utterly self-assured, neither taking the other seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The match begins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar above, after studying Gu Lian intently for a moment, announced the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sharp-eared, monkey-faced Shi Jian leapt without hesitation, flipping twice midair, his body leaving a trail of afterimages as he descended upon Gu Lian, roaring as eight faint golden runes surfaced along his staff, wreathed in golden light as he brought it down in three crushing blows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sssss!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Lian made no motion—yet suddenly a crimson light shield erupted over his body, and twelve silver runes appeared on its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ritual Solidification”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the surrounding platforms, someone shouted in shock at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This startled the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not ritual solidification—it’s instantaneous casting,” another voice on the platform countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu’s pupils contracted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before anyone could determine who was right, Shi Jian’s three blows struck the crimson shield in rapid succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first blow caused the crimson shield to ripple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second made it flicker wildly, the silver runes beginning to hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third cracked the shield’s surface, causing most of the silver runes to shatter and vanish—but still, it held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jian’s eyes widened in alarm; he twisted midair, preparing to leap back to his original position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Gu Lian formed a hand seal, and the fractured crimson shield’s silver runes suddenly coalesced into a cluster, spinning rapidly before spewing forth a pillar of crimson light that vanished in an instant—striking the sharp-eared, monkey-faced man midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Jian screamed as flames erupted over his body, engulfing him completely; he hurled his staff away and frantically slapped at the fire with his hands, lunging left and right—but the flames only grew fiercer, and soon the stench of burning flesh filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop! I yield! I yield!” Shi Jian shrieked, plummeting from the sky, his body wreathed in roaring fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scholar above immediately declared Gu Lian the victor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Gu Lian form a hand seal, murmuring incantations, and the flames on Shi Jian vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in that brief moment, Shi Jian’s body was already charred black, motionless on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Lian’s flames were terrifyingly fierce!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the barrier, the crowd fell silent, staring at the victor with strange, uneasy eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu rubbed his chin, his mind unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Lian’s flames were strange—not merely hot, but somehow infused with something else. Yet his Twelve Rune Flame Shield didn’t seem as sturdy as he’d imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Gu Lian had already flown off the training ground; the Fang family, though deeply dejected, sent two men to carry Shi Jian away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Fang family head stood on the platform with a face like iron, his daughter equally crestfallen—neither so much as glancing at the unconscious, monkey-faced man lying on the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next few matches passed uneventfully, and soon Wang Yu’s name was called.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu whispered a few words to Yin Linglong, then formed a hand seal; white clouds swirled around his body as he rose into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the opposite side, the gray-robed man had already landed on the training ground, Bilangdao  in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Yu landed slowly across from him, the gray-robed man’s gaze grew grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Wang Yu’s earlier defeat of Qing Guo had weighed heavily on this man from the Mi family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ming, above, also held a strong impression of Wang Yu; after studying him for a moment, he ordered the match to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the gray-robed man could move, Wang Yu bowed and spoke first:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Daoist, your Bōlàng Blade is devastating—I assume you rely heavily on this artifact for victory.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph. What are you getting at?” the gray-robed man snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have a cultivation technique I believe is quite strong in defense. So let us make a pact: I will stand still, using only this technique to block your full-power strike with the Bōlàng Blade. If you break through, I walk away. If you cannot break through, you surrender.” Wang Yu said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?” The gray-robed man’s eyes lit up with joy; he pressed urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had witnessed Wang Yu’s formidable body cultivation and swift movement—he had been desperately wondering how he could land a blow with the Bōlàng Blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Elder Liu, is this agreement acceptable?” Wang Yu asked respectfully toward the scholar above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh, I only care who wins. How you fight is your business—I won’t interfere,” Liu Ming replied without hesitation, his eyes flickering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, then it’s settled. If your defense truly withstands my full-power strike, I have no right to remain here. Cast your technique,” the gray-robed man said, suppressing his excitement, then leveled the Bōlàng Blade before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Yu smiled faintly, formed a hand seal, murmured incantations, and crimson light erupted over his body, coalescing into a familiar crimson shield, its surface adorned with twelve faintly glowing red runes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Flame Shield”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gray-robed man gasped, his face filled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the training ground, the cultivators on the platforms had heard the pact—and now erupted in murmurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Flame Shield”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again? This twelve-rune technique? Is it really easier to comprehend and cast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Easier? How many gifted disciples of the Four Symbols Sect have tried to master this primordial technique? Who ever succeeded?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. Not even eleven or twelve runes—hardly anyone can cast them. If anyone can, perhaps only the sect’s few true disciples could manage it at the Qi Condensation stage.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1110,"2026-06-20T15:44:30.991Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3aed4b43fbaee6dc26b744c319cad14b78dec4310ceb27d992f4ce67b481b5f6","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-136","the-immortal-path-among-the-stars-chapter-134",530,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-immortal-path-among-the-stars-cover.jpg"]