Chapter 148: Plucking the Stars (Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)

Liu Qingzhu's mention of the Killing God Battlefield and Zhaixing piqued Xu Jin's interest.

Especially Zhaixing.

This set Xu Jin's mind racing.

As long as the Zhaixing Tower has existed, the challenge of the Zhaixing Secret Realm has existed.

And from Liu Qingzhu's tone, though the Zhaixing Secret Realm has existed for thousands of years and countless seekers have tried, not a single one has ever plucked the highest-tier Canxing star.

At least, not in any known history of the present age.

But even those who pluck a Jinxing star are all figures of prominence.

What intrigued Xu Jin most was that the Zhaixing Secret Realm allows not only illusory forms to enter, but also true bodies.

That is, whatever you possess, you may bring inside to challenge.

Theoretically, as long as you have it, even a third-rank cultivator who brings in fourth-, fifth-, or even sixth-rank star artifacts to challenge is not cheating.

Under such conditions, the rarity of anyone plucking a Jinxing star made Xu Jin deeply curious.

So after leaving Liu Qingzhu, Xu Jin returned to the Zhaixing Square and stepped directly into the Zhaixing Tower.

In the first-floor hall of the Zhaixing Tower, Xu Jin selected the last star gate on the right.

One step in, and instantly a magnificent scene appeared before Xu Jin.

Beneath the starry sky stood a towering building adorned with brilliant stars; upon closer inspection, the tower was not only hung with all manner of dazzling stars, but more so with golden, silver, and copper stars.

Yet these three-colored stars were far dimmer than the Canxing stars, and unless observed closely, they were utterly unnoticeable.

As Xu Jin's gaze shifted, a stream of starlight descended from the starry sky, revealing three grand characters: Zhaixing List.

On it, only a few lines of text.

【Canxing: Total plucked: 0, this year: 0】

【Jinxing: Plucked: 497, this year: 1】

【Yinxing: Plucked: 1, 73, 50, this year: 392, Chen Guo Zhaixing Tower: 43 yinxing plucked】

【Tongxing: Plucked: over ten billion】

Just four lines, yet they left Xu Jin deeply curious.

The tongxing clearly held little difficulty.

With over ten billion plucked, clearly most cultivators could obtain them—at least those from the Chen Guo Dao Academy.

At the yinxing level, difficulty rose a hundredfold, with fewer than four hundred plucked in a year.

This was not merely Chen Guo's annual count; this Zhaixing List was the global tally of all Zhaixing Towers.

Every time any Zhaixing Tower's main hall was entered and stars plucked, the results appeared here.

And it included cultivators of all stages.

Whether you were a Star Refining, Star Condensing, fifth-, sixth-, or seventh-rank cultivator, any star you plucked was counted here.

That is, across the entire present age's tens of millions of cultivators, only 392 yinxing were plucked in a year, with Chen Guo accounting for 43.

Xu Jin did a rough average and concluded: Chen Guo was weak.

Currently, seven main Zhaixing Towers are known: Lingji Star Hall, Tianyang Star Hall, Cangming Star Hall, Zhen'e Star Hall, Chen Guo, Da Chu, Da Hong, and the Barbarian Tribes.

The Lingji Star Hall's Zhaixing Tower was sealed along with the hall after it was destroyed.

In reality, only seven towers remain capable of star plucking.

The median average of yinxing plucked by these seven factions should be fifty-six; Chen Guo, however, managed only forty-three.

This clearly dragged the rest down.

The next instant, Xu Jin stepped directly into the Zhaixing Secret Realm.

Instantly, a series of rules appeared before him.

【Unless otherwise specified, all challenges require total annihilation of the opponent to win】

【Winning a Zhaixing challenge allows consecutive attempts; two consecutive losses require a three-day wait, three consecutive losses require a seven-day wait, and more than three consecutive losses require a thirty-day wait】

【One tongxing can be exchanged for two strands of Zhaixing Tower starlight; one yinxing for one hundred strands; one jinxing for ten thousand strands】

【Ten yinxing allow one Yan Dao invocation】

【One jinxing allows one Gao Jie Yan Dao invocation】

【Canxing: Known only to those who break through】

These simple rules stirred Xu Jin's excitement.

Even a tongxing granted two strands of starlight, worth two hundred taels of silver.

A yinxing was even more valuable; pluck one jinxing and you'd instantly become wealthy.

Yet what intrigued Xu Jin most was the Yan Dao invocations?

Did it mean deduction or something else?

The next instant, the rules vanished, and a star gate appeared before Xu Jin.

【Zhaixing Challenge: You may challenge the guardian or your inner demon】

【Successfully challenging a guardian or inner demon of your own cultivation level grants one tongxing】

【Successfully challenging a guardian or inner demon three levels above your own grants one yinxing】

【Successfully challenging a guardian or inner demon one full major realm above your own grants one jinxing】

【Successfully challenging both a guardian and inner demon one full major realm above your own grants one canxing】

【All challengers must ascend step by step; after plucking the tongxing of your current realm, you may challenge for yinxing, jinxing, and canxing】

【Each time you break through a minor realm, you may rechallenge for stars】

The challenge rules were simple—clear at a glance—but what was an inner demon?

After some thought, Xu Jin chose the inner demon challenge.

The next instant, as Xu Jin stepped through the star gate, the starlight shifted, revealing an endless starlit space before him, a countdown glowing on a screen, and a hazy figure across from him.

When the countdown ended, a tall, upright man over one meter eighty, radiating vigor, appeared opposite him.

Only when the man charged did Xu Jin realize.

Wasn't that himself?

The inner demon was himself?

In the next instant, Xu Jin's inner demon surged forward, unleashing Starfire Chains, Lei Guang, and firelight all at once.

Xu Jin's starlight barrier, reinforced with thirty percent of his star power, shattered instantly.

The two star shields he hastily formed were smashed before they even fully materialized.

As he tried to activate Feixing Step to flee, his spirit soul jolted violently—the Zhen Yi star pattern on his spirit star cracked piece by piece into the Zhen Po Bell; in the searing pain to his head, the starlight before him collapsed.

Spirit Soul Technique: Po Sha.

The next instant, Xu Jin reappeared before the star gate of the Zhaixing Secret Realm.

Pale-faced.

Silent.

One-shot.

One-shot by his own inner demon.

Xu Jin had assumed tongxing would be easy to obtain.

He never expected to be obliterated instantly.

His first thought: Am I this strong?

For according to the Zhaixing Secret Realm's rules, the inner demon was a perfect reflection of one's own abilities—whatever you knew, the inner demon knew; the only difference was the cultivation level adjusted for the star tier.

His second thought: Why could his inner demon use fire-star techniques and lei-star techniques he himself couldn't?

This was the most terrifying thing of all.

A few breaths later, Xu Jin left the Zhaixing Tower, walking back to his courtyard in a daze.

Not because he was defeated.

But because Xu Jin was pondering a terrifying question.

How did the Zhaixing Tower—or the Zhaixing Secret Realm—know he could use fire-star and lei-star techniques?

After deep contemplation on the way, Xu Jin considered three possibilities.

First possibility: The Candou Platform was completely visible to the Zhaixing Tower; when generating his inner demon, the tower also generated a Candou Platform, so whatever Xu Jin knew, the inner demon knew—even what he concealed and never used.

If this were true, the Zhaixing Tower was terrifying.

Second possibility: Any ability Xu Jin had ever used could be perfectly copied into the inner demon.

Third possibility: Any ability Xu Jin had ever used within the Zhaixing Tower's environment could be perfectly copied into the inner demon.

Reviewing his recent actions, all three were possible.

Lei-star techniques: he had used them both in the present age and within Zhaixing Tower environments; he had used them most frequently in Huoxuan Star Domain.

Fire-star techniques: he had just obtained the Huoling Star Core and had briefly tested them in Huoxuan Star Domain.

The Spirit Star Pattern Po Sha: he had successfully engraved it on his spirit star two days ago.

After engraving it, he tested its power on opponents in the Zhaixing Tower's third-floor training secret realm.

Extremely fierce.

Thus, the inner demon's displayed power could stem from any of the three possibilities.

If the third, it was simplest; the second was acceptable.

But if the first, Xu Jin would need to be far more cautious in the future.

If the Zhaixing Tower could detect and simulate the Candou Platform, how terrifying must it be?

Once Xu Jin learns new star patterns in a while, he can test them out.

When Xu Jin stepped into the small courtyard, the gloom on his face had completely vanished.

It wasn't because he feared his sister Jiang Er would see his expression and worry.

It was because Xu Jin had finally figured it out.

What's the point of being anxious?

No matter which possibility comes true, it's already a settled fact; even if Xu Jin worried and lost sleep for thirty-three days, he couldn't change a thing.

If that's the case, then focus on cultivating, improving yourself, and paying attention to the present.

If that terrifying outcome does appear, just smile at it.

Worrying is useless!

"Brother, you're back!"

Xu Jin returned, and little Jiang Er ran out smiling, making Xu Jin feel utterly at ease.

The feeling of having someone greet you at home is truly good.

"Brother, Brother Lu came by this morning, saw you weren't here, left a gift and his address, then left right away," Jiang Er said.

"Mm, good. We'll find a day to pay him a visit."

Lu Xianbing had previously used starlight messaging to ask for Xu Jin's address and update him on his situation—it was going well.

As a core disciple of the National Dao Academy, Lu Xianbing likely received strong family support during his last Star Casting—he achieved two top-grade Star Castings. In the end, he even became a disciple of one of the Four Academic Masters, Master Kou Jing. Recently, his cultivation base has surged forward, and just a few days ago, he reached the peak of Star Refining Second Layer.

Wang Weisheng, Zhang Han, and others also reached out; they didn't have Lu Xianbing's luck—they became disciples of two vice-academic masters.

Of course, becoming a disciple of a vice-academic master isn't necessarily worse.

For instance, this True Disciple Champion, Xu Jin, himself became a disciple of a vice-academic master.

Inside the quiet chamber, Xu Jin diligently cultivated star patterns inside the Star Lamp for an hour, mainly focusing on the mid-grade Fire Source Star Pattern of the fourth-rank tier.

If even the Heart Demon can master it, and I can't, it's a disgrace.

Of course, the Heart Demon's knowledge likely came from the low-grade Fire Source he obtained from the Fire Spirit Star Core.

After an hour, Xu Jin stopped cultivating—his two-hour Star Gathering Array session at Feiyan Academy had yet to be used.

As for the cultivation time in the third-rank Star Force Realm, he'd already used half of it; it would be fully consumed in a few more days, so no rush.

But before stepping out, with his mindset fully adjusted, Xu Jin gripped the Star Picking Token once more and entered the Star Picking Tower of the Chen Guo National Dao Academy, then pushed open the star gate on the far right.

【Godslayer Battlefield】

This was another place recommended by his teacher Liu Qingzhu for enhancing combat ability and acquiring cultivation resources.

The moment he stepped in, lines of information and rules appeared, accompanied by a clear introductory passage.

The Godslayer Battlefield realm was established to improve the survival rate of Chen Guo soldiers on the Star River Battlefield, and to allow disciples of all cultivation levels to adapt early to various Star River Battlefield alien races, understand their star arts and combat traits.

Disciples at Star Refining Third Layer and above may enter the Godslayer Battlefield.

In the Godslayer Battlefield, every disciple faces the same difficulty level in each stage; only by defeating the current stage can one challenge the next. However, the rewards for each stage are not fixed.

The main factors influencing stage rewards are the challenger's cultivation level and the number of times they've challenged that stage.

Generally, the lower the challenger's cultivation level and the higher the stage they successfully clear, the greater the reward—each person's reward changes in real time.

For the same stage, a Star Refining Third Layer disciple might receive ten Dao Merit points, but a Star Refining Fourth Layer disciple would receive only five.

This must be what Liu Qingzhu meant by "cultivation provisions."

Above the Godslayer Battlefield, a star curtain hung down, with three leaderboards suspended in the sky.

The first leaderboard, called the Godslayer Battlefield Overall Ranking, made Xu Jin's gaze flicker the moment he saw it.

The entire senior leadership of the National Dao Academy was listed.

【#1: Cheng Yuexiao, 647 stages】

【#2: Meng Yanhui, 584 stages】

【#3: Ji Ye, 582 stages】

【#4: Song Bing, 579 stages】

Scrolling down, Xu Jin found the names of Academic Master Fang Shi and Liu Qingzhu.

【#8: Fang Shi, 563 stages】

【#35: Liu Qingzhu, 526 stages】

【#51: Dong Zhao, 501 stages】

Soon, Xu Jin located Lu Chenfeng's ranking on the list.

【#57: Lu Chenfeng, 498 stages】

The overall ranking only showed the top hundred; Xu Jin didn't find Ning Yuchan's name.

That made sense—Ning Yuchan was merely a peak Ninth Layer Star Condensation expert of the fourth-rank tier. If her strength alone could place her in the top hundred of the Chen Guo National Dao Academy, wouldn't the academy be too weak?

Even the lowest-ranked on the list had to be a strong expert at late-stage Star Gathering of the fifth-rank tier.

But then again, could this leaderboard truly represent the strength of the academy's top figures?

Young students might fight tooth and nail for this list, but the older generation? Not necessarily.

Many would hold back their true strength.

And powerful warriors who constantly fought on the Star River Battlefield certainly wouldn't appear on this list.

Still, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao was truly formidable—the only one so far to break past six hundred stages, and leading the second-place by sixty stages.

The other two star curtains were also leaderboards.

They were the New Disciple Ranking and the Star Refining Disciple Ranking.

The New Disciple Ranking immediately caught Xu Jin's attention.

This was likely the most heated and rapidly changing leaderboard right now.

In just the few dozen breaths Xu Jin watched, several rankings shifted.

【#1: Meng Qingqiu, 67 stages】

【#2: Yan Chen, 65 stages】

【#3: Ji Hongli, 65 stages】

【#4: Yuan Feiqing, 64 stages】

Suddenly, Xu Jin's pupils contracted—he saw Lu Kun's ranking.

Lu Kun: Xu Jin never liked him before, doesn't like him now, and never will.

Especially after Academic Master Fang Shi and Lu Kun put on that whole melodramatic "suffering disciple recruitment" show, Xu Jin disliked him even more.

If they meet elsewhere in the future, he won't obsessively target him—but he'll definitely give him some trouble.

【#5: Lu Kun, 63 stages】

Only the top hundred were displayed.

Xu Jin found Lu Xianbing's name at the very bottom of the New Disciple Ranking.

【#98: Lu Xianbing, 47 stages】

Among all True Disciples, except Xu Jin himself, everyone else was on the list, mostly within the top twenty.

"So I'm letting my teacher down, huh? No good—I've got to give it a shot."

Xu Jin's mind shifted—he selected "Challenge," and instantly, starlight information appeared with the rules.

【Godslayer Battlefield: All disciples at Star Refining level or above may challenge. If victorious, consecutive challenges are allowed. After three failed attempts in one day, one must rest seven days before challenging again.】

【Xu Jin: May challenge Godslayer Battlefield Stage One. Reward: 1 Dao Merit point.】

【Challenge】

The next instant, light and shadow shifted, and Xu Jin appeared in a canyon. A countdown screen descended, and a two-winged Bahuang race creature charged toward him.

The Mingji Star Core of the Lower Star Palace rotated slightly, and Xu Jin instantly understood the creature's aura.

A Bahuang alien at peak Star Refining First Layer, and by the star force fluctuations, only a mid-grade Star Cast one.

Xu Jin had slain countless such Bahuang aliens in the Huoxuan Star Region.

Back then, he'd killed them while at mid-to-late Star Casting.

Now, his cultivation had reached peak Star Refining First Layer.

His star force had doubled compared to when he was at peak Star Casting.

No contest—he obliterated it instantly.

【Xu Jin: Congratulations! You've successfully cleared Godslayer Battlefield Stage One. Reward has been issued. Continue challenging?】

【Xu Jin: May challenge Godslayer Battlefield Stage Two. Reward: 2 Dao Merit points.】

The reward is a bit meager.

I wonder if it doubles each time, or just increases by one point?

If it doubles, the rewards are still decent.

【Challenge】

Stage Two's enemies doubled—two Star Refining First Layer peak opponents. No contest—he obliterated them instantly.

Stage Three's reward increased from two to three Dao Merit points, and the enemies became three Star Refining First Layer foes. No contest—he obliterated them instantly.

Three Dao Merit points credited.

Stage Four: Xu Jin received four Dao Merit points. Stage Five: five Dao Merit points. Stage Six: still six Dao Merit points, but the enemies changed.

Five Star Refining First Layer Bahuang aliens, plus one Green Demon of the Five Spirit race.

And this Five Spirit Green Demon was stronger—clearly a top-grade Star Cast.

Most crucially, this Five Spirit Green Demon possessed a rare healing star art—effectively giving the enemy a healer. But it only extended the battle by two seconds.

After instantly killing those five Eight Wilderness barbarians, this green demon, no matter how good its healing, was useless without targets.

Yet compared to the first five stages, the difficulty of this sixth stage had already doubled for ordinary disciples.

The seventh, eighth, and ninth stages each added one more enemy; using the Mingji Star Pattern, Xu Jin had figured out the pattern.

Every two stages, an elite monster of Upper-Grade Casting Star would appear.

The tenth stage was an anomaly: its reward was ten Dao Merit points, yet eleven enemies at the peak of Cultivation Star Stage One appeared.

Especially the leader—his star force aura was triple that of the ordinary Eight Wilderness barbarians, clearly an Elite Casting Star.

Xu Jin interpreted this as a mini-boss of the stage.

Using his movement technique, Xu Jin ended the battle in ten seconds.

Over the first ten stages, Xu Jin earned a total of 55 Dao Merit points; if he went to the External Affairs Hall and added a bit more himself, he could buy three Cultivation Star Pills.

It was indeed a good supplement to cultivation resources.

If he could challenge daily, Xu Jin would definitely clear it once every day.

But clearly, these were one-time stages.

【Xu Jin: Can challenge Killing God Battlefield Stage Eleven, reward: 2 Dao Merit points】

Suddenly, the information that popped up before his eyes made Xu Jin's gaze shift.

Stage Eleven's Dao Merit reward decreased instead of increasing—from ten points in Stage Ten, it dropped straight to two.

Puzzled, Xu Jin chose to challenge.

The target was an Eight Wilderness barbarian at the peak of Cultivation Star Stage Two.

Instant kill!

【Xu Jin: Can challenge Killing God Battlefield Stage Twelve, reward: 4 Dao Merit points】

Seeing this prompt, Xu Jin instantly understood—the challenge pattern of the Killing God Battlefield was mostly clear.

It seemed that challenging stages with enemies of higher cultivation than his own increased the reward.

If this pattern continued, the rewards wouldn't be insignificant.

Enemies at Cultivation Star Stage Two were no different from those at Stage One, especially in the first nine stages.

At Stage Ten, being surrounded by eleven enemies at the peak of Cultivation Star Stage Two gave Xu Jin slight trouble.

It took him over twenty seconds to eliminate them.

After completing Stage Twenty, Xu Jin earned a total of 110 Dao Merit points; over the first twenty stages, he had accumulated 165 Dao Merit points—enough to buy eight Cultivation Star Pills, a solid haul.

Quickly, Xu Jin began challenging Stage Twenty-One.

As expected, Stage Twenty-One's Dao Merit reward, like before, decreased instead of increasing—but the base reward rose to three points.

Pushing through, Xu Jin slaughtered his way through the first thirty stages.

When killing Stage Thirty, Xu Jin felt a slight increase in difficulty.

He also identified the problem.

Star Arts.

All the Star Arts he used were basic ones.

Against the final elite boss, the power of basic Star Arts proved too weak.

Still, Xu Jin ended the battle within fifty seconds.

He earned another 165 Dao Merit points, bringing his total to 330—a solid haul.

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Jin cleared Stage Forty, earning another 220 Dao Merit points.

Clearing Stage Forty was slightly perilous; Xu Jin was forced to use the Soul Secret Technique—Shatter Hex—to defeat the Elite Casting Star, Cultivation Star Stage Four barbarian.

Continuing the challenge, when Xu Jin reached Stage Forty-Nine, he stopped.

It was exhausting.

Facing Cultivation Star Stage Five enemies, especially Elite Casting Star ones, under multiple attacks, his basic Star Arts became strained—he had to use Soul Secret Techniques to pass.

For Stage Forty-Nine, Xu Jin took over two minutes to finish the battle.

Of course, he was still far from his limit.

After thinking it over, Xu Jin decisively ended his Killing God Battlefield challenge.

First, inscribe the Mid-Grade Fire Source Star Pattern; once successful, his combat power would increase dramatically, allowing him to rapidly earn Dao Merit.

Still, today's challenge was excellent: Xu Jin pushed through to Stage Forty-Nine and earned 775 Dao Merit points—nearly enough to buy four bottles of Cultivation Star Pills, a very impressive haul.

【Rank 91: Xu Jin, Stage Forty-Nine】

As Xu Jin left the Killing God Battlefield, he saw his rank—he had successfully entered the top hundred, ranked 91st, slightly stronger than Lu Xianbing.

"First, forge the Star Pattern!"

The moment he left the Killing God Battlefield, Xu Jin immediately sank his mind into the Star Lamp, beginning repeated attempts to inscribe the Mid-Grade Fire Source Star Pattern.

At this moment, Xu Jin's desire to inscribe the Star Pattern was desperate!

(End of Chapter)