Chapter 105: Sister

【Qi Tian Da Sheng, congratulations on securing third place in the First-Class Combat Realm. You have earned the title “Fieldstar Radiance,” which will last seven days; after which, you will permanently gain the title “Fieldstar Radiance.”】

【Qi Tian Da Sheng, congratulations on securing third place in the First-Class Combat Realm. Every seven days you maintain this title, you will receive five strands of Starlight Reward.】

【Fieldstar Radiance: Standing out among millions, shining like starlight upon the world. With this title, you may send one free Starlight Message daily; when trading in the Ten Thousand Stars Hall, you gain a one percent weighting bonus.】

Three consecutive messages left Xu Jin both startled and delighted.

Making it to third place had granted him the special title “Fieldstar Radiance.”

The key was, this special title came with tangible benefits.

The one percent weighting bonus on trades within the Ten Thousand Stars Hall was intangible for now, and Xu Jin didn’t care much.

Roughly, it meant a one percent discount on every hundred taels of silver traded.

But being able to send one free Starlight Message daily? That was excellent.

A Starlight Message normally cost a hundred taels; now he could send one free every day. If he didn’t use it daily, he’d feel like he was wasting a hundred taels.

As for why he lost his final battle against “Not Much” yet still rose to third place in the First-Class Combat Realm, Xu Jin had already figured it out.

The original number one on the First-Class Combat Realm leaderboard, “Treading the Star River,” had vanished.

The new number one was the former second-place, “Moonlit Shadow.”

Only two possibilities existed: either “Treading the Star River” had died and disappeared, or he had achieved Star Forging breakthrough.

After achieving Star Forging breakthrough, one would exit the First-Class Combat Realm entirely.

Xu Jin suspected it was the latter.

“Not Much” was a top genius of the Cangming Palace; the one who could defeat “Not Much” and claim first place—“Treading the Star River”—must have been an absolute genius from some Star Hall or State Academy, unlikely to perish so easily.

After studying the First-Class Combat Realm leaderboard for a long while, Xu Jin’s gaze finally settled on the number one: “Moonlit Shadow.”

Two days—no more than two days—after one more Blood and Marrow Purification, Xu Jin would fully defeat “Not Much,” seize second place, and challenge the First-Class Combat Realm’s number one: “Moonlit Shadow.”

Xu Jin was eager to test what kind of strength “Moonlit Shadow” possessed, the one who had defeated “Not Much” six times straight.

Xu Jin also wanted to know: did the number one in the First-Class Combat Realm have a special title?

If so, its benefits must surpass those of third place’s “Fieldstar Radiance”?

On the evening of July 21, Xu Jin fought six rounds with “Not Much” inside the Star-Picking Tower.

Three wins, three losses—Xu Jin briefly seized second place.

But soon after, “Not Much” challenged Xu Jin again—and won.

Xu Jin’s rank slipped back to third.

After careful consideration, Xu Jin did not break the rules by challenging again. Third place was fine; one more day didn’t matter.

On the morning of July 22, after consuming two ordinary Transformation Pills refined to First Refinement, Xu Jin achieved his fifth Blood and Marrow Purification.

Two days had passed since his fourth Blood and Marrow Purification; he had consumed eight First Refinement Transformation Pills, and his Star Power had increased by another ten percent.

That day, Xu Jin went to the Dao Academy, found Ning Yuchan, and returned to Master Dong Zhao’s courtyard to endure another session of torment.

Truthfully, Xu Jin didn’t want to go.

But only two sessions were needed to complete the process; one more wouldn’t hurt.

As Dong Zhao said, it was just a little pain—endure it and it would pass.

But this pain was far from “a little,” for this time Ning Yuchan and Dong Zhao’s Star Power infusion lasted a full quarter-hour.

The moment he endured it, Xu Jin fainted again.

As before, he awoke in Ning Yuchan’s room—she had bathed again.

As for why Ning Yuchan bathed, Xu Jin now knew—Old Qi had mentioned it.

Infusing Star Power into a Qi Cultivator at the Seventh Layer of Meal-Clouding consumed immense energy, comparable to a life-or-death battle.

One session required half a day, even a full day, to recover.

Soaking through one’s clothes with sweat? Completely normal.

After the second Star Power infusion, Xu Jin did not achieve his sixth Blood and Marrow Purification.

It wasn’t because the infusion failed—it was normal. To achieve the sixth Blood and Marrow Purification, the pills needed to push harder.

But what surprised Xu Jin was the rise in his Soul Force.

The fourth-layer Soul Star halo, which had been nearly complete after the last infusion, had now become fully formed.

Soul Star, Fourth Layer.

After two Star Power infusions, Xu Jin’s Soul Star had broken through to the Fourth Layer of Soul Star Cultivation.

The most direct effect was another increase in his Star Art potency.

But over the past few days, Xu Jin’s Star Art potency had risen continuously.

Previously, each Blood and Marrow Purification granted a steady, incremental boost to his Star Power.

For example, Star Arrow: each purification extended its maximum range by one chi; Star Ring: by half a chi.

After the fifth Blood and Marrow Purification, Xu Jin’s Star Arrow could now strike up to seventeen chi, and his Star Ring up to eight and a half chi.

He had also reached Perfect Mastery of Star Cord within the Star Lamp; initially, he could only form a nine-chi-long cord, now he could form one nearly fourteen chi long.

This was a Star Cord nearly five meters long—its battlefield utility and potency had grown steadily.

Now, after reaching Fourth Layer Soul Star, his Star Arrow reached eighteen chi, his Star Ring nine chi, and his Star Cord fourteen and a half chi.

Star Art potency increased again.

“Master, if this is how quickly Soul Force can be boosted, couldn’t we ask senior cultivators to perform Star Power infusions regularly? Then Soul Force would keep rising—wouldn’t that be like cheating?” Xu Jin asked Qi Shanye in the backyard.

“Cheating? What does that mean?” Qi Shanye didn’t understand the term.

“Uh…”

Xu Jin was momentarily stuck—everyone else understood it, but here it was hard to explain.

“Master, roughly speaking, it means extraordinary external assistance.” Xu Jin used several phrases before finally making the meaning clear.

“Isn’t that just cheating? You’re half-illiterate—I’ll have to tutor you properly in literature.”

Qi Shanye looked down on Xu Jin.

“It won’t work. Any path you can see, the top experts of every Star Hall and State Academy can see too.

This rise in Soul Force after Star Power infusion is merely an extreme stress response—your Soul is pushed to its limit, triggering growth.

The more times you do it, the weaker the effect becomes.

The first two sessions yield the best results; the third is noticeably weaker; the fourth and fifth bring almost no gain, and if you’re careless, you risk actual Soul damage—then it’s not worth it.” Qi Shanye said.

The master and disciple chatted a while longer. Just as Xu Jin was about to enter the Star-Picking Tower to fight “Not Much” again, Qi Shanye suddenly asked, “Are you planning to let your sister be Star-Initiated?”

“Yes, Master. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taught her the stances of the Five Stars Killing Fist—to help her get familiar with it early.”

During his time at home, Xu Jin had taught his sister Xu Jiang the stances of the Five Stars Killing Fist during his free moments, so she could begin practicing.

When the time comes for her Star Initiation, she’ll save two or three days.

After all, mastering the Five Stars Killing Fist takes several days anyway.

This isn’t cheating.

Xu Jin had learned from conversations with Lu Xianbing and Yu Guan: any family with even a slight cultivation background had already laid the foundation for their children before they entered the academy for Star Initiation.

For example, the Five Stars Killing Fist was already mastered.

As soon as they were Star-Initiated, they could immediately begin Body Tempering—no time wasted.

Since Xu Jin planned to have his sister be Star-Initiated, he had begun teaching her.

“Since you want your sister to be Star-Initiated, do you want to increase her chance of success and accelerate her cultivation speed afterward?” Qi Shanye asked.

Xu Jin was stunned. “There’s a way to do that?”

“Of course.”

Qi Shanye nodded. “Wealthy clans and Star Halls have such methods—part of their cultivation heritage. But don’t expect too much.

For example, proper preparation can allow someone who normally couldn’t be Star-Initiated to succeed and gain cultivation eligibility.

It can raise a C- rank talent to C-middle or C-upper, or elevate a B-upper to A-lower—but no further than that.

Just icing on the cake.”

Xu Jin was overjoyed upon hearing this.

Previously, his greatest fear was that his sister Xu Jiang couldn’t cultivate at all.

If Jiang Er could cultivate, even with the worst talent, Xu Jin had the refined elixirs—he could push her all the way to Soul Star Ninth Layer.

He hadn’t expected Qi Shanye to know such a method.

“Master, what do I need to prepare? I’ll get it right away,” Xu Jin said eagerly.

“What do you need to prepare?”

Qi Shanye smiled. “One uninitiated youth under eighteen, and one Fifth Layer or higher expert. Where are you going to find them?”

Xu Jin instantly understood, stood up, and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Master.”

“You’re my disciple—it’s only natural.”

Afterwards, Xu Jin roughly understood the method.

It involved using an expert’s Star Power to gently warm the body and pre-condition the Central Star Palace.

Generally, only Fifth Layer mid-to-late-stage experts possessed this ability.

Only at this level could one control their Star Power as fine as a hair, like spring rain nourishing all things—warming the Central Star Palace without harming the recipient.

Even Fifth Layer beginners couldn’t do it.

And it took a long time.

Usually, it required at least half a month, up to two or three months, to complete.

Typically, only immediate family received such treatment.

As for the interior of the Star Hall, many know this method, but virtually no one uses it on disciples—only on closest kin.

Before the Star Marking, how can anyone know one’s talent?

As for disciples with supreme talent, simply take your time to collect them.

If there isn’t one this year, there might be next year; if not next year, the year after might bring one.

Such a laborious and unrewarding task is only applied to closest kin.

Qi Shanye is treating Xu Jin as if he were kin, and even treating Xu Jin’s sister as family.

Of course, there’s also the reason of having nothing better to do.

“Since you agree, every night after your sister falls asleep, I’ll sneak into her room, knock her out, then use Star Power to nourish her Central Star Palace.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Xu Jin dared not say “thank you.”

Such a thing cannot be expressed by just two words: “thank you.”

He would naturally have to find a way to repay this debt—this was also his sister’s great fortune.

As for his father’s matter, Xu Jin dared not bring it up.

Previously, on Qianye Island, Zhao Bo, the richest man in Jinshan County, had joined the Worship of the North Star Sect—both to seek immortality and to prolong his life.

At that time, Xu Jin had already formed an idea.

If his future abilities permit, he would surely find a way to extend his father Xu Dajiang’s lifespan—not to one hundred and twenty, but at least to ninety, free of illness and disaster.

On the evening of July 22, after completing his cultivation, Xu Jin entered the Star Picking Tower again, as usual, trained with the Immortal Yueyue, then challenged the second-ranked opponent, “Not Much.”

Seven battles!

Xu Jin won five, lost two!

His win rate and practical combat ability rose dramatically.

“Not Much” still made an excellent whetstone.

Xu Jin’s ranking in the Combat Mirage rose to second place.

Looking at the top-ranked “Moon Shadow,” Xu Jin was deeply curious about Moon Shadow’s strength, yet still refrained from breaking his rule—he planned to challenge “Moon Shadow” tomorrow.

Self-discipline, once broken even once, invites a second time, then countless times after.

Then not only would the number of Combat Mirage challenges be broken, but other related abilities—such as invisibility, or amplifying Star Art power with Soul Force—would also be broken one by one.

It could bring Xu Jin utter ruin.

But Xu Jin had a plan.

After consuming the Spirit-Stabilizing Golden Elixir, he would increase his daily Challenge Limit in the First-Level Combat Mirage from ten to twelve.

Even if someone suspicious noticed, he could explain it away.

On the evening of July 23, when Xu Jin consumed his second First-Variant Exaltation Elixir, he realized it had no effect.

The ordinary First-Variant Exaltation Elixir had lost its potency; Xu Jin promptly swallowed a First-Variant Superior Exaltation Elixir.

Half an hour later, a layer of gray-white impurities seeped from his skin—there was little odor left.

After bathing, Xu Jin felt utterly crystalline and pure.

At first glance, his eyes sparkled like stars, his skin faintly glowed, his entire body radiated clarity—even his hair shimmered with luster.

Honestly, even Xu Jin himself found this appearance somewhat pleasing.

This cultivation truly had a transformative effect. “Huh?”

Qi Shanye, living in the same courtyard, glanced once and sensed something amiss; he hurried closer until within five meters, then his eyes widened in shock: “No way—so fast? It’s only been a few days, and you’ve already achieved the Pure Body?”

“Master, I don’t fully understand the Pure Body, but I’ve just completed my sixth purification of marrow and blood.” Xu Jin said.

As for the reason, he could only let Old Qi guess.

There was no choice—Xu Jin’s elixirs were too potent.

Others achieved the Pure Body using Superior Exaltation Elixirs.

But theoretically, Xu Jin had been using Superior Exaltation Elixirs from the start.

The potency of an ordinary First-Variant Exaltation Elixir was nearly identical to that of a Superior Exaltation Elixir.

So how potent was a First-Variant Superior Exaltation Elixir?

Now, Xu Jin had consumed only one First-Variant Superior Exaltation Elixir.

He still had eleven more.

Among these eleven, three had been nurtured in the Star Lamp for four days and reached Second-Variant status; the rest were nearly there too.

Xu Jin had already figured out the pattern of elixir nurturing.

First-Variant required one day in the Star Lamp; to reach Second-Variant, another three days of nurturing were needed.

Xu Jin didn’t plan to consume these three elixirs immediately—he wanted to test whether he could nurture them to Third-Variant.

If possible, he’d see how long it took.

If he could reach Third-Variant, how many purifications of marrow and blood could he ultimately achieve?

Seven? Or eight?

For this, Xu Jin had already retrieved the First-Level Star Weapon nurtured in the Star Lamp for four days.

The three Star Lamps had, since the day before yesterday, been entirely devoted to nurturing Superior Exaltation Elixirs.

By tomorrow, the other five Superior Exaltation Elixirs would also reach Second-Variant status.

On the evening of July 23, when Xu Jin entered the Combat Mirage of the Star Picking Tower, “Not Much,” who had been pushed to third place by Xu Jin, was already impatient.

Yesterday he lost five, won two—this left “Not Much” frustrated all day, thinking of tactics all day.

A man who, just four or five days ago, had been repeatedly defeated by him, suddenly turned the tables—now he had defeated “Not Much” five times in a row.

This crushed the pride of “Not Much.”

Losing to “Moon Shadow” was understandable—he had powerful backing.

But losing to “Great Sage Equaling Heaven,” a man with no lineage, using only the most basic Star Arts and no unique Star Pattern—this left “Not Much” deeply aggrieved.

So he had been waiting for “Great Sage Equaling Heaven” to appear and challenge.

Xu Jin didn’t rush to respond; as usual, he fought three rounds with the Immortal Yueyue.

You take payment, you fulfill your duty—this principle must be upheld.

[How did you defeat “Not Much”? I challenged him five times these past two days and lost all five—Immortal Yueyue]

Xu Jin stared at this Star Message, thoughtful—was this woman truly crushed by “Not Much”?

Then Xu Jin sent Immortal Yueyue a very long Star Message.

Mostly because it was free—he didn’t want to spend coins on a second message.

It contained most of the tactics he’d used recently to defeat “Not Much”; whether Immortal Yueyue could apply them and win against “Not Much” remained uncertain.

Then Xu Jin responded to the challenge from the third-ranked First-Level Combat Mirage opponent, “Not Much.”

Finally, “Not Much” got the long-awaited chance for redemption.

But reality was brutally harsh.

Today, Xu Jin’s cultivation had increased another ten percent.

He had also achieved the Pure Body.

From this moment on, Xu Jin’s cultivation level matched “Not Much” exactly.

In fact, since yesterday, Xu Jin’s Star Arrow could casually shatter “Not Much’s” Star Shield and Star Veil.

After today’s sixth purification of marrow and blood, the tide turned completely.

Previously, Xu Jin needed three Star Arrows to break through “Not Much’s” two Star Shields.

Now, “Not Much” needed three Star Arrows to break through Xu Jin’s two Star Shields.

But his Hook-Suspension Star Pattern was still extremely powerful.

Xu Jin was extremely cautious.

His two defeats yesterday came from carelessness—“Not Much” had gathered three Star Clusters, exploded them instantly, and repeatedly wounded Xu Jin.

But today was entirely different.

Six battles.

Xu Jin won all six.

“Not Much” lost six in a row.

“Not Much” was obsessed with this record.

He kept challenging Xu Jin, but Xu Jin refused.

“Why refuse? One more fight? I refuse to believe I can’t beat you even once!” “Not Much” sent Xu Jin a Star Message.

“Not Much” hadn’t even noticed his demands had dropped from wanting to win repeatedly, to wanting a decisive win, to now just wanting to win once.

“Fight tomorrow—I need to save my attempts to challenge ‘Moon Shadow.’” Xu Jin sent a Star Message, pained—he’d used up today’s free attempts.

“Not Much” looked at the reply from “Great Sage Equaling Heaven” and felt humiliated.

He felt the message implied: You are no longer a match for me, Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

“Tomorrow, I’ll wait for you—don’t you dare miss it!” “Not Much” sent Xu Jin a Star Message, then left the Star Picking Tower to find his Master.

If he couldn’t find his own path to victory, he needed his Master’s help.

That was the true purpose of a Master.

[Great Sage Equaling Heaven, Moon Shadow, Lord of the Stars, is not in the Star Picking Tower and cannot respond—please challenge again at a suitable time]

When Xu Jin chose to challenge the top-ranked First-Level Mirage opponent, “Moon Shadow,” this message appeared—he felt disappointed.

And anxious.

The first Star River step was very likely a breakthrough that allowed departure from the First-Level Combat Realm.

Don’t delay too long—this second-place contender, Yue Zhongying, has also left the First-Level Combat Realm.

Doesn’t that mean Xu Jin has no opponent left?

On July 24, Xu Jin did not go to the Dao Academy; he cultivated at home.

His progress was simply too astonishing—he didn’t want the Headmaster to see him as a monster.

In seven and a half days, Xu Jin broke through from Meal-Cloud Sixth Layer to Meal-Cloud Seventh Layer’s peak, completing six rounds of marrow-cleansing and skin-purging, achieving the Pure Body.

This pace was no longer astonishing—it was terrifying.

According to Old Qi, the fastest recorded marrow-cleansing speed in the Lingji Star Hall’s archives belonged to a genius from 120 years ago, who completed three rounds in seven days.

But Xu Jin completed six rounds in seven and a half days.

That speed was terrifying.

Yet Old Qi had already grown accustomed to being startled by Xu Jin’s pace.

But Old Qi advised Xu Jin to wait two more days before returning to the Dao Academy.

It wasn’t a lack of trust in Ning Yuchan or Dong Zhao—it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

On the afternoon of July 24, Old Qi personally performed a Star Power Infusion on Xu Jin.

Xu Jin could feel that Old Qi’s Star Power was significantly stronger than Headmaster Dong Zhao’s, but the infusion’s effect was nowhere near as potent as the combined effort of Ning Yuchan and Dong Zhao.

In fact, even before the infusion, Xu Jin had expected the effect to be weak.

Yet Old Qi insisted that at this stage, even the tiniest improvement must not be abandoned.

Because it might help Xu Jin achieve a seventh round of marrow-cleansing.

If he could achieve seven rounds, then with sufficient Star Power, Xu Jin would surely forge a Superior Star Core, with a chance—even a small one—of forging an Ultimate Star Core.

An Ultimate Star Core appeared only once every one or two centuries in the Lingji Star Hall.

As Old Qi and Xu Jin had predicted, the effect of this personal infusion from Old Qi was vastly inferior to the previous two.

It was only two-tenths the power of Ning Yuchan and Dong Zhao’s combined infusion.

The enhancement to his Soul Force was also minimal.

The fifth halo of his Soul Star gained only a single thread of light—less than one-tenth.

But as Old Qi said, even the smallest bit of meat is still meat.

Any improvement, no matter how slight, is still improvement.

From now on, Xu Jin no longer needed Star Power Infusions.

Of course, if Old Qi, Dong Zhao, and Cao Chun—the three great experts—combined their Star Power Infusions, there might be a slight boost.

But that was clearly impossible.

That night, Xu Jin consumed the second and third Superior One-Variant Transformation Elixirs.

At the Star-Picking Tower, Xu Jin battled Bu Guo Er Er six more times.

In the first match, Bu Guo Er Er used a completely new tactic and nearly won—but Xu Jin sensed it in advance through his Mingji Star Pattern and barely prevailed.

In the next five matches, Bu Guo Er Er continued to lose.

And he lost faster each time.

Yesterday, even in defeat, Bu Guo Er Er could hold out against Xu Jin for half a minute.

Today’s first three matches, he still lasted five or six minutes.

In the final two challenges, Xu Jin ended each battle within three minutes.

Xu Jin’s final challenge opportunity that night was still reserved for Yue Zhongying, the top-ranked contender in the First-Level Combat Realm.

But unfortunately, Yue Zhongying was still absent—no response.

This made Xu Jin feel uneasy.

If he challenged Yue Zhongying again tomorrow and Yue Zhongying still didn’t respond, according to the First-Level Combat Realm’s rules, Yue Zhongying would be deemed to have refused the challenge, and Xu Jin would automatically become the top-ranked contender.

But the problem was—that kind of top rank was not what Xu Jin wanted.

Xu Jin desperately wanted to fight Yue Zhongying, to test just how strong this man was—the one who had once defeated Bu Guo Er Er six times in a row.

Who was truly stronger—him or Yue Zhongying?

After all, Xu Jin had now also defeated Bu Guo Er Er six times in a row!

If Bu Guo Er Er was the benchmark, then theoretically, Xu Jin and Yue Zhongying were of equal strength.

But theory was theory.

Only a real fight could reveal who was stronger.

On the morning of July 25, Xu Jin consumed his final Superior One-Variant Transformation Elixir, then immediately swallowed a Superior Two-Variant Transformation Elixir.

Almost the instant the elixir entered his mouth, its potent energy exploded within him, even causing him pain.

Guided by his Star Power, the elixir’s force swept through every inch of his body, scouring every corner, every pore.

Half an hour later, a layer of milky-white oily grime surfaced on Xu Jin’s skin.

The seventh round of marrow-cleansing was complete.

A test revealed his Star Arrow could strike twenty chi—nearly seven meters—before slowly dissipating.

Qi Shanye flashed beside Xu Jin, pinched a speck of the milky-white residue from his skin, and exclaimed repeatedly.

“Grime like jade fat! Truly grime like jade fat!”

“I never thought I’d live to see the grime like jade fat described in the Star Hall’s records—yet here it is on you!”

“You’re a freak!”

After his amazement, Qi Shanye’s expression turned grim. “Xu Jin, from this moment on, no matter who asks, you must say your marrow-cleansing count is six—and only six. Understood?”

Even when facing Dong Zhao, you must subtly activate the Guicang Star Pattern to conceal it.

This matter—no third person is to know it, starting today.”

As Xu Jin nodded, Qi Shanye added, “You must understand: achieving the Pure Body through six rounds of marrow-cleansing isn’t difficult—it’s standard for top-tier geniuses across Dao Academies and Star Halls. Many county-level academies produce one or two such geniuses every two or three years.

With sufficient effort and resources, a master can cultivate them.

But seven or more rounds of marrow-cleansing? Pure luck—unpredictable, unrepeatable!

Every one who achieves seven rounds becomes the core of cores within any Dao Academy or Star Hall.

Rival sects with ancient grudges—like our Lingji Star Hall and Tianyang Star Hall—might go to great lengths to eliminate such an unparalleled genius if they discovered one.

Of course, such discoveries are rare.

Because everyone keeps it secret!

Do you understand?” Qi Shanye warned.

“Master, I understand!”

Concerned for his own life, Xu Jin remembered it better than anyone else.

On July 25, Xu Jin consumed two more Superior Two-Variant Transformation Elixirs—the effect was real, but no sign of marrow-cleansing appeared.

Inside the Star-Picking Tower’s Combat Realm, after his training, Xu Jin defeated Bu Guo Er Er five more times, glanced at the rankings, took a deep breath, and selected a challenge against the top-ranked contender in the First-Level Combat Realm.

Yue Zhongying!

(End of Chapter)