[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-119":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},2274977,4448,"Chapter 119: Zheng Kui and Hu Xuechuan Depart (Request Subscription)","the-star-martial-era-chapter-119",119,"\u003Cp>“Grand Master, we have reached an agreement: this year, the Heavenly Sun Star Hall shall claim four slots, and the Azure Star Hall three.” On the Observation Platform, after a brief whispered consultation, Du Tingyun, Grand Star Master of the Heavenly Sun Star Hall, delivered the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao nodded slightly, but Left Sacrificial Officer Meng Yanhui spoke again: “Please clarify the specific allocations, Master Du and Master Zhang, so I may record them—written in black and white, each by heavenly fate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We claim the merit slots for Danzhou, Xihaizhou, Yanzhou, and the Chen Guo Dao Academy,” Du Tingyun replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We claim the merit slots for Jingzhou, Songzhou, and Leizhou,” Zhang Zhen, Grand Star Master of the Azure Star Hall, also stated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Yanhui swiftly brushed his pen, completing the document in an instant, then handed it to Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao for review. Cheng Yuexiao lightly pressed his palm, imprinting a starlight seal, and Meng Yanhui was about to present the document to the two Star Masters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dong Zhao, the Head of Jinshan Dao Academy, who had been seated quietly in the back, suddenly rose. “Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Tingyun and Zhang Zhen were about to affix their seals; seeing the interruption, their expressions darkened instantly. Left Sacrificial Officer Meng Yanhui also turned to Dong Zhao, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dong Zhao, what is it?” Meng Yanhui asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Respected Sacrificial Officer, I have a document here for your review.” Dong Zhao presented the document. Hu Xuechuan, the Yanzhou Branch Master of the Heavenly Sun Star Hall seated in the second row, turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bad luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For years, the Jia-size plan had been enforced—yet this year, they switched to the Yi-size plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he’d be held accountable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But compared to past major incidents, being reprimanded was nothing—he’d just have to endure it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Yanhui glanced at the document once, then beamed. He immediately passed it to Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao. Cheng Yuexiao read it, a faint smile appearing on his face. Striking out one slot meant securing a prodigy—perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Dong Zhao was capable—he knew how to protect his disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Meng Yanhui handed the document to Star Master Du Tingyun, Du instantly turned and glared at Hu Xuechuan. “Hu Xuechuan, what have you done? How could you issue such a document?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xuechuan rose and bowed low. “During the recent campaign against the Worshiping Stars Cult, Dong Zhao intervened in time. My branch avoided catastrophic losses, preserved several top experts, and safeguarded Zhou Qingzhu, Head of our Jinshan Branch. As thanks, we issued this document.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Du Tingyun stared at Hu Xuechuan for two breaths, then reluctantly looked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This matter had been reported—he’d reviewed the report—but this document was never mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the fact that such a document existed meant the actual events were far more complex than the official battle report suggested. Hu Xuechuan had concealed something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, he could not act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could only take Meng Yanhui’s brush, swiftly strike through Yanzhou, stamp his own star seal, and internally plot how to snatch away Yanzhou’s supreme prodigy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every year, during Chen Guo Dao Academy’s autumn examination, they were busiest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gathering intelligence, bribing officials—the top talent of Chen Guo had long been laid out before them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the intelligence on the Fourth Trial, Star-Picking Gate, had reached his hands two minutes before entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin, a prodigy from Yanzhou with extraordinarily powerful Divine Soul force—he must be secured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to their analysis, the Divine Soul force-strong prodigies from Chen Guo Dao Academy were not overly significant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because such strength often had artificial origins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, prior entry into the Ascension Stair trials to refine and enhance Divine Soul force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including the consumption of Calming Golden Elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this Xu Jin from Yanzhou, as far as known, possessed at most one Calming Golden Elixir—everything else was purely his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Meng Qingqiu, Yan Chen, Yuan Feiqing, and others who had entered the Ascension Stairs at least three times, Xu Jin’s rank of 196 was vastly superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Qingqiu, for instance, is the granddaughter of Left Sacrificial Officer Meng Yanhui. Her records show she entered the Ascension Stairs at least four times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each entry into the Ascension Stairs raises Divine Soul force by at least three to five ranks. Thus, Meng Qingqiu’s true Divine Soul force likely ranged between 175 and 183 ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s talent, therefore, was unimaginably strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such talent, especially above Rank Five, his chance of breaking into Rank Six was extremely high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he must be secured!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even on the Star River Battlefield, Rank Six experts could command entire regions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing all three parties affix their seals, Dong Zhao exhaled deeply in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Dong Zhao trusted Xu Jin’s strength, the Star Halls’ resources were unpredictable—there was still risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Xu Jin was guaranteed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tragedy of Ning Yuchan would not repeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Begin,” Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao ordered Chief Instructor Yu Da after the negotiations concluded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifth trial of the autumn examination: Zheng Kui, begins!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Da activated the Star-Picking Token. Instantly, screens of light appeared in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Autumn Examination Fifth Trial: Zheng Kui】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Rules: The fifth trial, Zheng Kui, is a live ranking elimination match. The top ten from Trials Three and Four automatically gain Core Disciple status and do not compete in the first two elimination rounds. Starting from the third round, Core Disciples join the live ranking elimination. In each round, winners advance; losers are immediately eliminated.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Match Order: Based on rankings from Trial Four, pair the top with the bottom, continuing until all ranks are determined. Ranks One to Fifteen become True Disciples of Chen Guo Dao Academy; Ranks Sixteen to Two Hundred Fifteen become Core Disciples. In case of unforeseen vacancies, replacements proceed downward from the rankings.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Combat Rules: Use only the standardized star weapons and elixirs provided. No other restrictions apply.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Rewards: First place: five Superior Casting-Star Elixirs, one chance for Second-Star-Domain casting. Second and third place: three Superior Casting-Star Elixirs, one chance for Second-Star-Domain casting. Fourth to fifteenth place: two Superior Casting-Star Elixirs, one chance for Second-Star-Domain casting.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Sixteenth to one hundredth place: five Common Casting-Star Elixirs, one chance for First-Star-Domain casting. One hundred first to two hundred fifteen: four Common Casting-Star Elixirs, one chance for First-Star-Domain casting. Two hundred sixteen to four hundred: two Common Casting-Star Elixirs, one chance for First-Star-Domain casting. Four hundred first to eight hundred: one Common Casting-Star Elixir, one chance for First-Star-Domain casting.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rules appeared in the sky. Xu Jin and the Jinshan Dao Academy disciples studied them closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this battle, you must give your all!” Chief Instructor Ning Yuchan’s voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at the rewards—each rank tier offers different prizes. A First-Star-Domain casting chance guarantees your star-core formation, plus one elixir—enough to forge a Mid-Grade Star Core.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But four or five elixirs may allow you to forge a Superior Star Core!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, Ning Yuchan turned to Xu Jin and Wang Weisheng. “You two won’t fight in the first two rounds, but observe carefully. Wang Weisheng—if possible, maintain a rank within the top fifteen. At the very least, stay within the top one hundred.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Weisheng nodded solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Top one hundred—he had confidence. But top fifteen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Jin, your goal is top three—even first!” Ning Yuchan’s voice echoed in Xu Jin’s ear. “A Second-Star-Domain casting chance guarantees you 100% success in star-core formation, and at minimum, a Mid-Grade Star Core. With three Superior Casting-Star Elixirs, plus your three Common Casting-Star Elixirs, plus your six rounds of Bone-Marrow Cleansing, your chance of forging a Superior Star Core is 100%.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the Supreme Star Core—that depends on your destiny,” Ning Yuchan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is forging a Supreme Star Core that hard?” Xu Jin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Extremely hard. In Chen Guo Dao Academy’s autumn examinations, fewer than one student per year successfully forges one. Even across all Star Halls, only one or two per year.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rest assured, Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spoke, Xu Jin watched the Star Hall officials on the Observation Platform, especially Hu Xuechuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was genuinely worried about Lao Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lao Qi would definitely cause trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Hu Xuechuan left, it meant Lao Qi’s scheme had been discovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, Hu Xuechuan was still on the Observation Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, the autumn examination realm changed again. With a thunderous rumble, twelve arenas rose from the ground, numbered One through Twelve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each arena measured a hundred meters square—ample space for combatants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disciples who receive the starlight message, proceed to your designated arena within five breaths. Those who fail to arrive will be immediately eliminated,” Chief Instructor Yu Da announced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, all twelve arenas erupted into combat. To Xu Jin, these battles lacked tactical depth or intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to the rules, opponents were paired head-to-tail—meaning the eleventh-place finisher from Trial Four fought the last-place finisher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine Soul force was the clearest indicator of strength, especially for determining the base power of star arts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the first round was overwhelmingly one-sided. Most matches ended within three breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, the first round ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the nine Jinshan Dao Academy disciples who entered, apart from Xu Jin and Wang Weisheng, three were eliminated in the first round: Zhang Han, Zhang Ming, Lu Xianbing, and Yue Daqi advanced to the second round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No rest—second round began immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This round lasted longer, nearly half an hour. Several matches were fiercely contested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few even exhausted their star energy completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Xu Jin, they were still unremarkable. He carefully observed the combat styles of Meng Qingqiu, Yan Chen, and Yuan Feiqing, yet discerned nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their matches ended too quickly—within three to five seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second round, Zhang Ming and Yue Daqi were eliminated, ranking 374th and 249th respectively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, Yue Daqi was still strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was merely disadvantaged by his short cultivation time. If the autumn examination had been delayed another one or two months, he would have secured a Core Disciple slot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xianbing, however, was ecstatic. He barely won—by a hair’s breadth—and secured 192nd place, effectively locking in his Core Disciple status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was due to his vast combat experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the examination, he had trained extensively in the First-Star-Domain Practice Realm, including brutal sparring with Xu Jin. In the real world, his father had arranged numerous elite sparring partners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, his combat adaptability was exceptional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Han’s rank was just two places higher than Lu Xianbing’s—190th.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he was now grinning uncontrollably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had secured Core Disciple status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, he had considered himself merely an Inner Court disciple—he never expected to become a Core Disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was also due to his Trial Four ranking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Lu Xianbing and Zhang Han had received relatively high rankings in Trial Four due to Xu Jin’s influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, in this fifth trial, head-to-tail pairing meant they faced opponents ranked far lower—essentially benefiting from luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their opponents were mostly ranked around 400th.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if they rank four hundred in the fourth round, the opponents they face will be around rank two hundred, making it extremely difficult for them to secure the status of core disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin offered congratulations while keeping his eyes fixed on the Observation Platform, where Hu Xuechuan, the master of the Tianyang Star Hall, still remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xu Jin, the third-round elimination match is about to begin. Proceed to Arena One within five breaths to face opponent No. 216.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving the starlight message, Xu Jin instantly stepped onto Arena One. Before stepping out, he glanced once at the Observation Platform—his gaze swept over it without pause, drawing no attention, yet he confirmed: Hu Xuechuan was still there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still on the Observation Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s opponent in the third round was a disciple from Jingzhou; upon seeing Xu Jin, he sighed helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no chance of an easy win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And indeed, that was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One breath later, as Xu Jin closed in, three punches shattered him into starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No techniques were displayed—only raw, direct force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xu Jin had no desire to show any technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So many eyes were watching; revealing too many tactics might make him a target later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After winning, Xu Jin returned to the trial candidates’ area beneath the Jinshan Dao Academy’s banner and casually glanced again at the Observation Platform—Hu Xuechuan was still there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third round, Lu Xianbing and Zhang Han were both eliminated and failed to enter the top hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for them, becoming a core disciple of the Chen Guo Dao Academy was already a surprise beyond expectation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end of today, the Junwei Office will surely host a grand banquet tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Weisheng was originally ranked seventy-sixth in the fourth round, but he had already secured a top-ten core disciple position in advance, so he did not compete in the first two rounds. Thus, when the third-round elimination began, he entered as the eleventh-ranked contestant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His opponent was No. 203.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He won, but not easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He successfully entered the top hundred core disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This filled Wang Weisheng with joy—though both were core disciples, the rank difference meant one additional Zhuxing Pill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One Zhuxing Pill was worth five hundred Dao Merits, equivalent to five thousand taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key was, Dao Merits couldn’t be bought with silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Merits could be exchanged for starlight, but starlight could not be exchanged for Dao Merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of this was thanks to Xu Jin; Wang Weisheng’s gratitude toward Xu Jin was plain to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for resentment or dissent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was gone long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Wang Weisheng only regretted not having befriended Xu Jin sooner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he befriended Xu Jin earlier, he might even have had a chance to become a true heir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Xu Jin, the fourth-round elimination match is about to begin. Proceed to Arena One within five breaths to face opponent No. 108.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin stepped forward once again toward Arena One; before doing so, he glanced once more at the Observation Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xuechuan was still there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Xu Jin stepped onto Arena One to begin the fourth-round elimination, Hu Xuechuan’s expression suddenly changed. He immediately pulled out his star artifact, the Dingxing Pan, and stared intently at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Dingxing Pan, the red dot he had pursued for years had been extremely faint—but now, the red dot locked by the device began to flicker, its position rapidly sharpening into clarity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of all times to choose!” Hu Xuechuan sneered, glancing between the Dingxing Pan and the Star Master Du Tingyun, his brow furrowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he could not simply leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few breaths of silence, Hu Xuechuan directly transmitted a voice message to Du Tingyun, the Star Master of Tianyang Star Hall in Chen Guo: “Star Master, I’ve just received urgent news—a crisis has arisen at the Tianyang Yanzhou Branch Hall. I must depart immediately to handle it. I request leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgent matter? What urgent matter?” Du Tingyun asked. He had already been annoyed by Hu Xuechuan today; hearing this, he knew Hu was lying—again, up to some secret scheme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Hu had been acting strangely these past two years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait a moment—I’ll retrieve the urgent report and submit it via the Zhaixing Token before I depart,” Hu Xuechuan said helplessly. His actions could not be made public—if they were, the benefits would no longer be his alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I’ll wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Hu Xuechuan’s figure vanished from the Observation Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that very moment, Xu Jin’s fourth-round match ended effortlessly. He returned to the trial candidates’ area and, out of habit, glanced once more at the Observation Platform—his eyes changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xuechuan was gone!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did Old Hu go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2604,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","cc313f79e66c39cf0282c32edb19efa4acfc875ec3e7858e3a94ddfb3b49ff64","the-star-martial-era-chapter-120","the-star-martial-era-chapter-118",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]