[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-107":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Star Martial Era",{"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},2274965,4448,"Chapter 107: Special Training and the Autumn Examination Begin (Request Subscription)","the-star-martial-era-chapter-107",107,"\u003Cp>The Three-Veil Elixir appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the three elixirs swirling with three layers of luminous halos inside the Star Lamp, Xu Jin was overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin did not rush to use them; instead, he carefully recalled and calculated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To nurture an elixir to the first veil required exactly one full day, and to raise a first-veil elixir to the second veil took three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To further nurture a second-veil elixir to the third veil required a full nine days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant, from the moment an elixir was acquired to when it reached the third veil, it took thirteen days total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that case, the Spirit-Stabilizing Golden Core was nearly ready too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spirit-Stabilizing Golden Core, nurtured inside the Star Lamp since he obtained it, already had two layers of luminous halos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s current question was: was the third veil the ultimate limit of elixir nurturing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Testing further should reveal the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin placed the other two third-veil elixirs back into the Star Lamp to nurture them, then swallowed the remaining third-veil elixir and immediately activated the Golden Transformation Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, the potent medicinal force exploded within Xu Jin’s body, spreading to every corner in a single flash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin felt the medicinal force seeped into every pore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Jin activated Star Force to circulate the Golden Transformation Scripture, the Star Force carried the medicinal force, continuously surging and penetrating every inch of his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the penetrating force of the medicine, previously inaccessible regions of his body were swept clean by his Star Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Xu Jin felt his bones tingling and itching, as if ants were biting him—he longed to jump up and pound himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, this tingling sensation spread from deep within his bones to his skin’s surface, then suddenly eased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From head to toe, this sensation repeated itself, cleansing him repeatedly—three full cycles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, the tingling vanished entirely, yet the medicinal force still lingered within him; Xu Jin did not stop, continuing to circulate the Golden Transformation Scripture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This medicinal force must not be wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xu Jin opened his eyes again, he saw Qi Shanye standing before him, gazing at him with an inexplicable fervor—a look that made Xu Jin feel uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Xu Jin finished his cultivation, Qi Shanye eagerly pinched a bit of white, oily substance from Xu Jin’s neck and began rubbing it excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eight times!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eight rounds of hair-and-bone purification!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Eight times already!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps there’s even a chance to reach nine rounds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nine rounds of hair-and-bone purification—let alone your Chen Guo Dao Academy, even our Lingji Star Temple, according to legend, was only said to have been achieved by the founding master, but whether he truly reached it remains unclear,” Qi Shanye sighed repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin, however, noticed that the change between eight and seven rounds of hair-and-bone purification was minimal: his Star Force still increased by one-tenth, and its circulation speed slightly quickened—nothing else changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star Arrow range: twenty-one chi, seven meters!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another change: the oily substance seeping from Xu Jin’s skin no longer smelled foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it had been like the previous times, Xu Jin would have run off to bathe long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The substances expelled during the first three rounds of hair-and-bone purification were truly foul—even Xu Jin himself couldn’t stand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, does nine rounds of hair-and-bone purification have special effects?” Xu Jin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nine rounds of hair-and-bone purification is also called the Primordial Star Body, the Impervious Form, the Unobstructed Body, the Star’s Chosen. Each Star Temple and each nation’s Dao Academy has its own name for the body after nine rounds.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all without exception point to its myriad benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Pure Body merely doubles your cultivation efficiency and accelerates Star Force recovery, then the Star’s Chosen from nine rounds of hair-and-bone purification is entirely different—it is said that the deeper your cultivation, the greater the benefits become,” Qi Shanye said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have any been achieved in recent years?” Xu Jin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, there have been no such reports in this age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But who knows?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just like you—let alone nine rounds of hair-and-bone purification, even eight rounds must be kept secret; no one must be told.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All other factions do the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a disciple under your command achieves nine rounds, they absolutely will not announce it publicly, to avoid premature demise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, those who achieve it are exceedingly rare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, Qi Shanye paced anxiously in place, occasionally slapping himself—this puzzled Xu Jin greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong, Master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just remembered something—over ten years ago, I once browsed secret archives in the Star Temple’s Star Repository and happened upon records on nine rounds of hair-and-bone purification.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I only glanced at them, didn’t study them closely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because even top geniuses could only manage six rounds; seven was already a dream, let alone nine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I thought it useless, and useless things weren’t worth reading.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, recalling it, it seemed those records mentioned that achieving nine rounds required some special method to accompany it—I can’t remember what it was now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s all my fault!” Qi Shanye slapped himself again, his regret so intense he wished he could kill himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A special method was required?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This surprised Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had assumed that nine rounds of hair-and-bone purification could be achieved simply with elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to his estimate, he still had five Superior Tuofan Elixirs, and in a few days, they would all become third-veil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given the immense potency of the third-veil Superior Tuofan Elixir he just consumed, it was possible he could reach nine rounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if a special method was needed, then it was uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps achieving nine rounds would be very difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few breaths, Xu Jin stopped thinking about it, no longer anxious—he simply pushed it to the back of his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already achieved eight rounds of hair-and-bone purification; this progress surpassed ninety-nine percent of geniuses in this world—why worry?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had five Superior Tuofan Elixirs; he would do his best when the time came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could anything be perfect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, when is your Autumn Examination?” Qi Shanye suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“August fourth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Shanye nodded and said nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Six rounds achieved?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Ning Yuchan’s first reaction after seeing Xu Jin—after a few seconds of stunned silence, her face lit up with delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just achieved it this morning!” Xu Jin said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wonderful! That gives you at least a fifty percent chance of breaking into the top ten of the Autumn Examination,” Ning Yuchan said, carefully examining Xu Jin and boldly using Star Force to sense his condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Yuchan always felt Xu Jin looked exceptionally clear and pure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was an indescribable inner-and-outer clarity, especially his eyes, shining brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Yuchan had seen many Pure Bodies, but none were as captivating as Xu Jin’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps it’s because he just achieved the Pure Body,” Ning Yuchan explained to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Ning Yuchan had used Star Force yet still couldn’t sense his true depth, Xu Jin finally breathed a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before coming, Xu Jin had specifically asked Qi Shanye about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Shanye assured him that as long as he maintained the Gui Cang Star Pattern at a certain level, most fifth-rank Gathering Stars cultivators couldn’t see through his hidden cultivation base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Dong Zhao himself, as long as he didn’t let his Star Force enter Xu Jin’s body and scan freely, the chance of discovery was low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally speaking, as long as the spirit doesn’t cooperate, any Star Force entering the body is an invasion and will be violently resisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chance of discovery is low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin needed to be cautious of sixth-rank cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But given his current rank, the chance of encountering a sixth-rank cultivator was negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Have you fought in the First-Rank Dueling Realm?” Ning Yuchan asked after her surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, I fight there daily, always to full capacity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. That’s the fastest place to train real combat—what’s your current ranking?” Ning Yuchan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically, he shouldn’t lie to Ning Yuchan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if he directly said he held the top rank in the First-Rank Dueling Realm, his identity would be exposed, revealing too much information—and even leading to unreasonable deductions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, when he previously added Ning Yuchan and Lu Xianbing as friends on the Star Gazing Tower, he used his Chen Guo Dao Academy identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, the Star Gazing Tower handled this quite well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In public areas, he used one identity; in each Star Temple and Dao Academy, he used his true identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet these two identities were unified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Xu Jin sent Ning Yuchan Starlight messages, his suffix was “Xu Jin of Jinshan Dao Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he sent Starlight letters to the Drunken Moon Immortal, he signed as “Great Sage Equaling Heaven.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This felt even better than the internet from his past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hesitating, Xu Jin said, “I barely made it within the top thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? Within the top thousand?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Yuchan jumped up in delight. “I’ve always overestimated you—I thought your combat ability might get you into the top five thousand, but I never imagined you’d break into the top thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, you hadn’t even reached Meal of Mist Stage Six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now you’ve reached the peak of Meal-the-Mist Seventh Layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Ning Yuchan suddenly grew serious. “Xu Jin, there’s something I must tell you—but you must keep your mindset steady and view it calmly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, please speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Jin, regarding your talent assessment, the Dao Academy has rated you as Bing-Shang.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I personally believe—and even the Headmaster believes—that this may be incorrect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your true talent rating was likely masked by your heart ailment at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I believe your true talent rating should be Jia-Shang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this has already been reported to the National Dao Academy and cannot be changed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, as your cultivation base grows stronger, the influence of your Star-Point tally—your talent rating—will diminish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before certain rigid, senior elders, it may still cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hope you won’t blame the Headmaster for this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Headmaster raising your rating from Bing-Xia to Bing-Shang was already his maximum authority,” Ning Yuchan explained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, how could I ever think that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m only grateful to you both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, if Star-Point hadn’t cured my congenital heart ailment, I might not even be alive today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, my cultivation has surged forward—so even if my talent rating causes me minor trouble later, how much could it really affect me?” Xu Jin replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you think this way, that’s best of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rule that ties talent assessment to Star-Point tally isn’t just ours in Chen Guo—it’s the universally accepted fairest method among all Star Palaces and nations,” Ning Yuchan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand, Master.” Xu Jin truly did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like the imperial examinations of his past life: perhaps unfair to some individuals, but fair for the majority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Then the special training begins.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Special training?” Xu Jin was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can’t interfere with the combat in the Martial Practice Realm. And none of the other Dao Academy disciples can serve as your sparring partner anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So for the few days before the Autumn Exam, I’ll spend half an hour each day giving you combat-focused special training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To improve your battlefield skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, your main opponents will be the True Disciples of the Chen Guo National Dao Academy—they’ve all engraved a special star pattern on their Lower Star Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these days, I’ll demonstrate each of these special star patterns to you, so you won’t be caught off guard when you face them!” Ning Yuchan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Special star patterns? Master, does the Chen Guo National Dao Academy have many special star patterns?” Xu Jin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are many special star patterns, but only one unique one. Given your performance, you have a strong chance of learning it once you enter the Chen Guo National Dao Academy,” Ning Yuchan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prepare!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Ning Yuchan tied her long hair tightly, her gaze instantly sharpening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll suppress my cultivation base to the peak of Meal-the-Mist Seventh Layer, then let you become familiar with the attack methods of certain special star patterns—and adapt to more star weapons,” Ning Yuchan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, first get familiar with the Spiral Star Pattern!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Spiral Star Pattern is unique to national Dao Academies and major Star Palaces, differing only in rank. As the name suggests, it channels star force in a spiral, enhancing attack power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My blade wheel is infused with the Spiral Star Pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star techniques enhanced by the Spiral Star Pattern deal greater damage and excel at breaking defenses and armor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, a star arrow shot straight at Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin hastily summoned two star shields and a starlight barrier to intercept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But terrifyingly, Ning Yuchan’s Spiral Star Arrow pierced through both of Xu Jin’s star shields effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Xu Jin instantly activated Flying Star Step and dodged to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The star technique I’ve infused with the Spiral Star Pattern is far stronger than what a novice can produce—but even a novice’s star technique with Spiral Star Pattern enhancement delivers terrifying damage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For five consecutive days, Xu Jin received Ning Yuchan’s special attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For every different star pattern with special effects—even those she couldn’t perform—Ning Yuchan forcibly mimicked their star force patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including tactics for handling various star weapons in combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Ning Yuchan possessed extremely rich battlefield experience—all of it forged in killing arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Xu Jin deeply curious: at only twenty-three, how had she developed such fierce, brutal killing techniques?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Ning Yuchan suppressed her cultivation to the peak of Meal-the-Mist Seventh Layer to spar with him, Xu Jin never gained the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t due to overwhelming power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was due to overwhelming technique, overwhelming experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Xu Jin’s most prized Kite-and-Ring tactic could be shattered effortlessly by her—forcing him to constantly refine his own tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only his recently perfected Star Arrow Barrage tactic gave Ning Yuchan slight difficulty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recently, Xu Jin had spent seven or eight straight days in the Star Lamp refining this tactic—and achieved remarkable results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, he could control at most three star cords with one hand; now, he could effortlessly control five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with a single flick of his hand, his five fingers could fire five star arrows in succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With both hands moving like a pianist’s fingers, he could unleash ten star arrows in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one second, he could fire over twenty star arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only drawback was his star force drained extremely fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Ning Yuchan was astonished the first time she saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She assumed it was Xu Jin’s unique talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, it was a skill forged through over a million repetitions in the Star Lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During these five days, Xu Jin consumed three Top-Grade Three-Infusion Transformation Pills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had an effect—but no sign of the Ninefold Purification of Hair and Marrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, the pill’s power surged within him, and his cultivation improved significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he felt none of the previous sensation of hair-and-marow purification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had planned to consume his last two Top-Grade Three-Infusion Transformation Pills at once, hoping to push through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qi Shanye stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush. If you could achieve Ninefold Purification just by consuming Top-Grade Transformation Pills, every Star Palace and national Dao Academy—which aren’t short of such pills—would be flooded with Perfect Bodies, and Sevenfold Purification would be worthless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m certain: only with a special method can Ninefold Purification be achieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t rush. Let me think of another way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I haven’t found a method before your Star Casting,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then use a few more Top-Grade Transformation Pills right before you cast your star,” Qi Shanye instructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One thing Xu Jin had confirmed: Three-Infusion was the upper limit of the pills he’d obtained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday, he took a Top-Grade Three-Infusion Transformation Pill that had been further nourished for five extra days—and its effect was identical to a newly nourished Three-Infusion pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Star Ascension Tower, in recent days there had been no challengers for Xu Jin, because the second spot was occupied by the Drunken Moon Immortal—everyone was challenging her instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had lost interest in the Star Ascension Tower, aside from his daily routine of sparring with the Drunken Moon Immortal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bit lonely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could he do? He was invincible in the first-level Martial Practice Realm of the Star Ascension Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this invincibility felt almost accidental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Jin, for tomorrow’s Autumn Exam, just perform normally—give your full strength, don’t hide too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A genius must show some sharpness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you reveal a bit of power that seems unreasonable, others will simply attribute it to your talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by demonstrating great talent can you secure more cultivation resources and status in the National Dao Academy,” Qi Shanye instructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Jin sensed something odd. “Master, why are you telling me this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to leave for a few days. I have a Star Ascension Token—contact me through it if anything happens,” Qi Shanye said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin wasn’t surprised that Qi Shanye had a Star Ascension Token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the public areas of the Star Ascension Token weren’t restricted by identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Qi the Great Sage, you brat, how dare you pick such a name!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder you’re young.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Xu Jin learned Qi Shanye’s Star Lord title within the Star Ascension Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a majestic title, nor an ethereal one, nor a melancholy wanderer’s name—but a shockingly plain one that left Xu Jin stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Plowboy】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps sensing Xu Jin’s bewildered gaze, Qi Shanye added, “My original Star Ascension Token was destroyed when the Lingji Star Palace fell—I had no choice but to lock the hall. This one I obtained later through great effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s still convenient for occasional contact.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Qi Shanye’s new title.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But choosing a new title might reflect some deeper sentiment of his—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>unlike his youth, when Star Lord names were usually wild or even childish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like “Not Much to It.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll leave tonight—keep an eye out for my messages,” Qi Shanye said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, please stay safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry! I’m more careful now than ever before,” Qi Shanye laughed, and as his laughter faded, he vanished completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 7:15 a.m. on the fourth day of the eighth month, Xu Jin arrived early at the Jinshan Dao Academy’s Training Hall—it was the day of the Autumn Examination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only were all the disciples eligible for the Autumn Examination gathered in the Training Hall, but every other disciple had also assembled there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Xu Jin’s arrival, a chorus of “Senior Brother!” rang out—all greetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Wang Weisheng bowed to Xu Jin and addressed him as Senior Brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he resented it inwardly, he had lost that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had lost fairly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past half-month, Wang Weisheng had not rested—he trained relentlessly every day, spending nearly half his savings at the Star-Picking Tower, all to hone his Star Arts, and he felt his cultivation had improved significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Weisheng intended to reclaim his lost face at the Autumn Examination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as his rank surpassed Xu Jin’s, he could recover all his honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after, the four powerhouses of the academy arrived one after another at the Training Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You all know about the Autumn Examination—it concerns your own futures, your Dao paths ahead, and the academy’s honor. I expect you to give your all and achieve excellent results.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year’s Autumn Examination will be held entirely within the Star-Picking Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, all disciples holding a Star-Picking Token may enter the Star-Picking Tower and watch the relevant secret realms of the Chen Guo Dao Academy!” said Headmaster Dong Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All disciples responded with a thunderous affirmation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Headmaster Dong Zhao added, “Disciples who have not reached the Sixth Layer of Meal the Mist, who lack a Star-Picking Token, or who do not wish to watch may leave now—I am sealing the Training Hall.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, many disciples wore expressions of helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who wouldn’t want to watch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the minimum requirement to watch was Sixth Layer of Meal the Mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you hadn’t reached Sixth Layer of Meal the Mist, even if you obtained a Star-Picking Token from the External Affairs Hall, you couldn’t use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could only leave reluctantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who left were mostly the outer-disciples from this year’s Spring Star-Pointing Session and a few middle-disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most middle-disciples had already reached Sixth Layer of Meal the Mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had received word earlier and gone to great lengths to acquire Star-Picking Tokens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is anyone else leaving?” Headmaster Dong Zhao asked again. Seeing no one move, the Star-Linking Ring—a star artifact Xu Jin had seen during the battle on Qianye Island—suddenly flew from Dong Zhao’s bosom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, it hovered above the Training Hall, unleashing thousands upon thousands of starlight beams that enveloped the entire hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enter now—the Star-Picking Tower, within the Chen Guo Dao Academy, the first left-hand light gate leads to the Autumn Examination secret realm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Dong Zhao’s instruction, Xu Jin gripped his Star-Picking Token, stepped into the Star-Picking Tower, then entered the Chen Guo Dao Academy, and gently pushed open the first left-hand light gate. Instantly, information appeared:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xu Jin, you have entered the Chen Guo Dao Academy’s Autumn Examination secret realm. Identity verification in progress.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Identity: Autumn Examination Candidate】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3583,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9cae7f56b5054aad28f06f4ccbe2a05f452017c0d8e5061d2aab558d47ecb2e8","the-star-martial-era-chapter-108","the-star-martial-era-chapter-106",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]