Chapter 102: Safe distance and the first defeat (Please vote)

【Whether to solidify the combined star technique】

Xu Jin's mind sank into the arena's jade tablet; on the jade tablet, this line of information appeared in an instant.

In an instant, Xu Jin understood the meaning of this line of information.

It was that this star technique he had just combined could actually also be solidified.

After solidification, it could be instant-cast.

Xu Jin's heart jumped wildly in an instant; this was truly valuable.

Driving the Clarity Soul Star Pattern, Concealment Star Pattern, Concealment Star Pattern, and Star Mist in sequence was the only way to complete the casting of this combined star technique, invisibility. The first time he cast it just now, it took six seconds, and the second time it took three seconds.

Xu Jin estimated that this time could be further shortened.

After long-term practice, this activation time should be able to be shortened to one second or even within one second.

However, after solidification, it was instant-cast.

As soon as he thought of it, it was instant-cast.

Although one second was very short, there was still a big difference compared to thinking of it and having it instant-cast.

Within one second, one could instant-cast ten times.

This was a ten-fold difference.

Like ordinary star techniques, if one practiced hard, there was still the possibility of achieving instant-cast.

But this kind of combined star technique, no matter how hard one practiced, at most it was pseudo-instant-cast.

Because no matter how proficient you were, the process of driving three star patterns and one star technique in sequence could not be reduced. It was estimated that after practicing to the extreme, one could achieve two to three instant-casts within one second.

However, solidifying it onto the Star Lamp meant true instant-casting; as soon as one thought of it, it was cast.

Ten times in one second was easy.

The combined star technique of invisibility was fine, but if it were other offensive star techniques, that would be extraordinary.

In fact, ever since Xu Jin had cultivated his star techniques to the Great Perfection state, he had already experienced the difference between self-instant-casting and solidified instant-casting.

Self-instant-casting, for example, Star Arrows—blasting four Star Arrows in one second was Xu Jin's limit.

Although it was said to be instant-cast, in reality, it was still pseudo-instant-cast; it still required Xu Jin to drive star power, etc. This all required a process, but this process was infinitely compressed.

But the star techniques solidified onto the Star Lamp were true, genuine instant-casting; as soon as one thought of it, it was cast.

It didn't require Xu Jin to do any other actions; as soon as he thought of it, the star technique solidified on the Star Lamp would draw star power and activate.

For the Star Arrows solidified on the Star Lamp, Xu Jin could blast eight or even ten times or more in one second.

Ever since discovering this point, Xu Jin had already replaced the solidified star technique on Star Lamp Three with Star Arrows.

At a critical moment, being able to pour out about ten Star Arrow bombardments in one second—whoever it was, they would be stunned.

If the attack intensity wasn't enough, make up for it with high frequency.

Ten attacks per second was almost comparable to the firing rate of an M16.

The next instant, Xu Jin's mind moved, and he replaced the solidified star technique Star Arrow on Star Lamp Three with this combined star technique.

Four days later, when the replacement time for the solidified star technique on Star Lamp One arrived, he would replace the solidified star technique Star Mist on Star Lamp One with Star Arrows.

As for Star Mist, Xu Jin planned to practice it in the Star Lamp for another day or two, and he would be able to achieve Great Perfection instant-casting.

But this combined star technique of invisibility, if it could be instant-cast after solidification, would have a very important effect at critical moments.

【Star Lamp Three: Solidified Star Technique, Combined Star Technique One】

The information displayed on the jade tablet was just named Combined Star Technique One.

After thinking for a while, Xu Jin's mind moved slightly, and the information on the jade tablet changed again.

【Star Lamp Three: Solidified Star Technique, Invisibility】

This star technique, invisibility, was named by Xu Jin himself. This was also a method of using the arena that Xu Jin had recently discovered; some things, including star weapons, could be named by oneself.

The next instant, Xu Jin's mind moved, and he instantly disappeared on the spot.

He was invisible.

Xu Jin began to try various things, and soon he tested out various usage restrictions.

In the invisible state, one could not use other star techniques; using them would break the invisibility effect.

Walking, jogging, running fast, or even sprinting did not affect the invisibility effect, as long as one didn't use star power.

But the environmental changes brought about by running might attract the attention of others.

The consumption of star power was not too great.

This invisibility star technique mainly consumed divine soul power, and Xu Jin's divine soul power was now very strong.

After a simple test, Xu Jin's current power could support him in being invisible for at least half an hour; if he replenished his star power once, his divine soul power could support him in being invisible for more than an hour at most.

Being able to be invisible, Xu Jin's youthful nature came up.

Keeping invisibility on, he began to wander around the Dao Academy.

Qian Xiaohu was still practicing hard, not bad, not bad.

Qiao Ruonan was washing up; looking at her back, it was still very curvaceous, with long hair draped over her shoulders, but that was all he could see, so Xu Jin flashed away quickly.

Lu Xianbing was not there; this guy lived at home.

Ren Xiaoxiang was practicing hard, Yue Daqi was still practicing star techniques, and Luo Geng was practicing the Flying Star Steps.

This guy Yu Guan was actually asleep; still not working hard enough.

In the room of the former third senior brother, now fifth senior brother, Yu Xianghua, where did the female voice come from?

Passing outside Yu Xianghua's courtyard, Xu Jin heard a woman's cry.

With a slight leap, Xu Jin vaulted over the wall and entered; within the shadow of the window, two figures were clashing intensely.

Xu Jin didn't react at first, but when he heard the intense panting clearly, he was stunned.

Damn.

Can one bring a woman to live in the Dao Academy?

Or was it that fifth senior brother Yu Xianghua had a sweetheart junior sister in the Dao Academy?

This life was a bit refreshing.

Xu Jin took a peek, didn't dare to listen more, and left quickly.

With this hot-bloodedness, Xu Jin was afraid that if he listened too much, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

It seemed that in the Dao Academy rules, there was no prohibition against this; it only said that bringing relatives to stay in the Dao Academy required registration.

After wandering around, Xu Jin, keeping invisibility on, came outside the courtyard of the current second senior brother Wang Weisheng. The courtyard gate was open, and Xu Jin entered silently.

Inside the house, three people were drinking together.

It was possible they were trying to comfort Wang Weisheng; after all, Wang Weisheng had dominated the rankings for over half a year and had been the Senior Brother for over half a year. Seeing that he was about to keep this record and leave the Dao Academy, he had been knocked off the altar by someone—whoever it was, it wouldn't feel good.

"Senior Brother, don't take it to heart. Today was just sparring, not actual combat.

If it were actual combat, that Xu Jin would definitely not be your match."

"Exactly, Senior Brother. The monthly exam only uses standard equipment and doesn't allow the use of one's own star weapons. But having said that, if it really came to actual combat, star weapons are also an important component of strength. Senior Brother, you have already collected a full set of star weapons over the past half-year, and even have a second-tier one.

If it were actual combat, I don't think Xu Jin would be your match for ten rounds." Another person said.

Inside the house, Wang Weisheng was drinking sullenly. To tell the truth, today's blow to him was a bit big.

If he had been defeated by Zhang Han, he could have accepted it.

But being defeated by Xu Jin, who had only pointed stars for eighty-three days, and defeated cleanly and neatly, was very depressing.

But the problem was, he had to be convinced by the combat power Xu Jin displayed.

Even though he had seen Xu Jin's stunning movement technique and thought of many possibilities to interrupt this movement technique, if it happened again, Wang Weisheng still didn't have the certainty of winning.

However, at this moment, the two junior brothers were comforting him to his heart's content.

That's right, his dominance of the rankings for the past half-year hadn't been for nothing.

Star weapons were also an important component of individual strength.

He had not only collected a full set of star weapons but also collected a second-tier star weapon.

If it were really actual combat, a life-and-death struggle with Xu Jin, Wang Weisheng felt that he had a very high possibility of winning.

Seventy percent, at least a seventy percent possibility!

If Xu Jin were careless for a moment, with his star weapon erupting, he could kill Xu Jin in one strike.

Thinking this way, Wang Weisheng's heart knot loosened slightly, and he picked up his wine bowl. "That's true. If there is an opportunity for actual combat in the future, I must test his weight. Come, drink!"

Hearing this, Xu Jin, who was keeping invisibility on, left quietly.

Actual combat?

Xu Jin shook his head.

If it were really actual combat, Wang Weisheng should lose even more miserably than today.

If it were an unrestricted, life-and-death struggle with no one watching, then...

Before long, Xu Jin, keeping invisibility on, wandered to the courtyard area where the instructors and drillmasters lived.

Xu Jin approached the instructors' courtyard cautiously, testing the effect of his invisibility ability.

Master Gan of the Alchemy Room was reading under the moon in the courtyard, looking leisurely, and a maid was squatting there washing Master Gan's feet.

This life...

Xu Jin approached cautiously; even when he approached the courtyard gate and approached within ten meters of Master Gan, there was no alertness at all.

Finally, Xu Jin even boldly climbed onto the wall and circled slowly, approaching to about five meters at the limit, and Master Gan still didn't notice anything.

Subsequently, Xu Jin left, not daring to try again.

If he were exposed by trying, it would be hard to handle. It was enough to grasp a preliminary safe distance. At the peak of the ninth layer of Refine Star, five meters was still a safe distance.

Before long, Xu Jin came to the courtyard of Zheng Jiaoxi of the Forging Hall.

Alright, Xu Jin admitted he had come to the wrong place; this Zheng Jiaoxi's nightlife was quite dull and tasteless.

During the day he was forging iron, and at night he was pile-driving.

Xu Jin was already under the window, and he still didn't notice.

It seemed that this activity would significantly reduce Zheng Jiaoxi's alertness; after all, Zheng Jiaoxi was a fourth-tier Condense Star Realm expert.

After wandering around, Xu Jin came to Ning Yuchan's door.

As far as Xu Jin knew, Ning Yuchan's cultivation should be ranked third or fourth in the entire Dao Academy.

The number one person in cultivation in the Jin Shan Dao Academy was naturally Dean Dong Zhao, who was at least a fifth-tier existence; the second person should be Proctor Cao Chun, who had just broken through, a fifth-tier expert; the third person was hard to say.

It was very likely to be one of the three: Commandant Tian Zhang, Vice Dean Feng Shu, and Head Drillmaster Ning Yuchan. The cultivation of these three should all be at the ninth layer of Condense Star; Ning Yuchan might have stronger combat power, but who had stronger cultivation was unclear.

Therefore, when Xu Jin arrived in front of Ning Yuchan's small courtyard, he was cautious.

He approached slowly.

Ten meters from the gate of Ning Yuchan's small courtyard, he visually estimated the distance to Ning Yuchan inside the house to be about twenty meters.

Fifteen meters, no movement; twelve meters, stopped, no movement.

Ten meters, Xu Jin had already arrived at the main gate of the small courtyard; the small courtyard gate was ajar, allowing a person to pass through sideways.

Seeing no movement in the courtyard, Xu Jin prepared to enter Ning Yuchan's courtyard while invisible to test the safe distance, and incidentally take a look—it was almost the hour of the Rat, what was Ning Yuchan doing?

Just as Xu Jin was about to turn sideways to enter, Ning Yuchan's room door suddenly opened. Ning Yuchan, with long hair draped over her shoulders and wearing only a moon-white inner garment, suddenly stuck half her body out of the room, her apricot eyes looking around vigilantly, somewhat puzzled.

At this instant, Xu Jin's heart hung in the air.

He hurriedly drove the Concealment Star Pattern with all his might.

After looking around suspiciously, Ning Yuchan closed the room door again and continued washing up.

Watching Ning Yuchan go back, Xu Jin cautiously moved away from Ning Yuchan's courtyard gate; only after getting far away did he gradually speed up his pace.

After becoming invisible, the safe distance from a cultivator at the ninth layer of Condense Star should be kept above ten meters.

This was the conclusion Xu Jin reached.

It seemed that if he wanted to see what Ning Yuchan was playing at night, Xu Jin still had to work hard.

At the same time, Xu Jin also planned to ask Old Qi.

Didn't Old Qi say before that generally only when one reached the Gather Battle Realm and had the possibility of divine soul star-forging would it be possible to discover his, Xu Jin's, invisibility?

How come Ning Yuchan, who was only at the ninth layer of Condense Star, was alert from so far away?

It was scary.

Star-Plucking Tower, inside the First-Star Practice Arena Secret Realm.

As soon as Xu Jin came up, he received a starlight message from Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue, saying she wanted to arrange a battle.

One could only say this girl was truly wealthy; just like that, one hundred taels of silver were gone.

Xu Jin didn't reply, but he took the initiative to send a battle request.

Taking people's things makes one soft-handed, eating people's food makes one soft-mouthed.

Having received two hundred wisps of starlight from her, although he only got one hundred and forty wisps, he still had that much awareness.

Just consider himself hired as a gold-medal sparring partner.

He fought three matches.

Xu Jin took the opportunity to perfect his kite-circling tactic again and tortured Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue until she was dying, winning three matches in a row.

Xu Jin discovered that compared to Lu Xianbing, Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue was quite durable.

When practicing with Lu Xianbing in the Practice Arena Secret Realm, Xu Jin had to be cautious, fearing that if he wasn't careful, he would shatter Lu Xianbing, this porcelain doll, and then a practice session would end.

Xu Jin now had powerful divine soul power, and the limit on the number of practice sessions wasn't large, but Lu Xianbing's number of sessions was limited.

And Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue was very resistant to beating.

Having been killed by Xu Jin's attacks on her vital points many times before, she had long since practiced it out.

When Xu Jin sparred with Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue, he could exert his full strength without any scruples.

Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue's actual combat improvement was very fast, especially under the circumstances where Xu Jin exerted his strength without any constraints.

There was only one goal—to win.

Who cared what position couldn't be attacked, who cared if attacking that position was unrefined or playing the hooligan?

Whatever could win, he would do.

Under these circumstances, Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue's actual combat improved rapidly.

"Continue tomorrow, I want to challenge the rankings." After the three matches were finished, Zuiyue Xianzi Zuiyue sent another starlight message to Xu Jin, making Xu Jin curse her for being too extravagant.

This made him spend another wisp of starlight.

Since he had already sent starlight to her, he had to reply with one, right?

Xu Jin was still ranked eighth; no one challenged him. Challenging the seventh, suddenly a line of information appeared.

【First-tier Practice Arena Secret Realm seventh place Qingfeng has not come to respond to the challenge for three consecutive days, judged as a loss】

【Star Master Qi Tian Da Sheng, congratulations on obtaining seventh place in the first-tier Practice Arena Secret Realm, please continue to maintain】

Winning without a fight, Xu Jin continued to challenge.

Sixth place, fifth place, fourth place—these three matches were all consecutive wins, but each one was more difficult than the last.

In the match against the fourth place, Xu Jin's star power was almost exhausted.

He relied entirely on his movement technique to win.

The reason it was so difficult was mainly because Xu Jin had set limitations for himself.

He came to the Practice Arena Secret Realm to conduct actual combat to improve his actual combat ability, not to show off, and even less to slaughter enemies.

Therefore, when conducting actual combat in the Practice Arena Secret Realm, Xu Jin set several limitations for himself.

Do not actively use divine soul power to amplify star technique power.

Otherwise, he could still have killed the fourth place just now in one strike.

Do not use the protective star patterns provided by the enshrined star spirits.

Only in this way could he improve his actual combat ability to the greatest extent.

As for the above, they were used in life-and-death struggles.

If you don't use them, fine; if you use them, you must kill!

【Challenge】

Taking a look at the Practice Arena Secret Realm ranking, Xu Jin directly challenged the third place in the first-tier Practice Arena Secret Realm: "Not Much."

What surprised Xu Jin was that this third place was actually in the Practice Arena Secret Realm.

It seemed that many geniuses had the habit of entering the Practice Arena Secret Realm late at night to improve their actual combat ability.

Being able to kill into the third place in the first-tier Practice Arena Secret Realm among millions of people, they must be a top genius from some side.

And Xu Jin was now challenging this top genius.

【Battlefield: Desert】

Amidst the changing light and shadow, Xu Jin had already appeared on a battlefield filled with yellow sand, and another figure also floated thirty meters away—it was indeed "Not Much."

"Qi Tian Da Sheng, you've been rising very fast recently. Which family's genius are you?" "Not Much" was a very tall male, estimated to be over 1.9 meters, but his face was covered by light and shadow, making it unclear.

Xu Jin smiled and didn't take the bait; exposing his identity—wouldn't that be stupid?

This guy was not a good person!

"I only started hitting the rankings recently; I've come specifically to ask for advice."

"Good, I've dominated the rankings for over three months, and finally someone dares to challenge me!"

"Not Much" laughed loudly and instantly turned into an afterimage, pouncing toward Xu Jin.

Fast, extremely fast!

Xu Jin also pounced out like lightning, Star Arrows blasted out from a distance, and once close, the star ring rippled out.

In an instant, the two exchanged more than a dozen rounds.

Xu Jin also had a judgment: this guy in front of him had much more vigorous star power than him.

Because Xu Jin needed two Star Arrows to blast through his star shield.

And he could blast through Xu Jin's star shield with a casual strike; if it weren't for Xu Jin constantly stacking starlight shields and star shields, he would have lost by now.

After exchanging blows for more than a dozen breaths, Xu Jin suddenly discovered that for some reason, four clusters of starlight the size of eggs were floating in front of and behind "Not Much."

These four clusters of starlight the size of eggs were flickering back and forth under the traction of "Not Much's" starlight.

There was a problem!

Just at this instant, "Not Much" suddenly sneered, a fifth cluster of starlight appeared on the tip of his long spear, and then he swung the long spear, and in an instant, the five clusters of starlight blasted toward Xu Jin like lightning.

Xu Jin only had time to stack two star shields and a starlight shield before the five clusters of starlight blasted over simultaneously.

And then exploded.

In an instant, Xu Jin was annihilated!

【Qi Tian Da Sheng: Defeated】

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 103 =====