[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-164":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},2275022,4448,"Chapter 164: Feather and Jade Pearl (Requesting Subscription)","the-star-martial-era-chapter-164",164,"\u003Cp>The moment Guan Ji was slain, Xu Jin immediately began looting the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is one of the drawbacks of fire-star techniques: high lethality but immense destruction—Guan Ji’s corpse was already engulfed in roaring flames; delay even slightly, and many items would be burned to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, both the backpack and the small pouch inside had been specially treated, granting them partial water- and fire-resistance, along with solid shock- and impact-absorption properties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Xu Jin retrieved the contents, only the elixir vials were shattered; most other items remained intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Jin examined the loot, he suddenly sensed unusual eyes on his back—he saw Wang Jiugao, just rescued, staring at him in stunned disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was even a hint of self-doubt in that gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jiugao was truly stunned by what he had just witnessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By status, Wang Jiugao was also a True Disciple—fifteenth among them—and in cultivation base, he was identical to Xu Jin: Star Refinement Third Layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of external gear, both wielded third-rank star weapons, both identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the combat disparity—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been forced to flee from Guan Ji using only a third-rank supreme-grade Moon-Chasing Seal, while Xu Jin had slain Guan Ji with a single strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one second earlier, Wang Jiugao had seen Xu Jin appear and instantly turned, intending to join forces with him to kill Guan Ji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he hadn’t expected—just one strike!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had eliminated Guan Ji, the man who had driven him into desperate flight, with a single blow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Wang Jiugao had self-awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was the Autumn Exam champion—he was certainly stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he assumed the gap was limited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like an exam: Wang Jiugao, as True Disciple No. 15, scored 110; Xu Jin, as True Disciple No. 1, scored 120—that was the difference, right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, Wang Jiugao realized it was nothing like that!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still scored 110, but Xu Jin? He scored 300—or even 400!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This realization, this discovery, was just a little bit damaging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though saved, as a prodigy of the State Dao Academy, his inner pride had been shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Younger Brother Wang, are you alright?” Xu Jin asked, seeing Wang Jiugao frozen like a statue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, I’m fine!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jiugao hadn’t even noticed—he had switched from calling Xu Jin “Xu Senior Brother” to “Big Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Senior Brother” denoted rank or seniority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But “Big Brother” meant—submission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Wang Jiugao unharmed, Xu Jin began inventorying Guan Ji’s loot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frankly, Xu Jin had some hope—he might find something valuable among a Star Temple disciple’s possessions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after checking everything, he was disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was about the same as his own gear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was normal: under the rigorous inspection of Grand Master and Left Sacrificial Libationer, only items permitted by the rules could be brought in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seals were all identical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only four were found: one Moon-Chasing Seal and three low-rank Star-Healing Seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elixirs were somewhat more numerous: two bottles of Four-Xuan Star-Replenishing Elixir, four bottles of Three-Yuan Star-Restoring Elixir, two bottles of high-grade Stimulating Elixir, one bottle of regular Star-Refinement Elixir, and one bottle of high-grade Star-Refinement Elixir—total value exceeding a hundred strands of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the backpack were over twenty third-rank star cores and five high-third-rank star cores—returning with these would yield considerable Dao Merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for third-rank star weapons, the star armor had already been shattered by Xu Jin; only one third-rank star weapon remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See if there’s anything you want?” Xu Jin called out to Wang Jiugao, idly playing with two small objects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was an unremarkable jade bead, emitting faint star energy, barely detectable, yet occasionally shimmering with starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was an ordinary third-rank star-jade tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A third-rank star-jade tablet could restore star energy or be used to craft seals, as it contained dense star energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this tablet felt unusually light, and its star energy was weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Jin casually handled it, he suddenly noticed traces of wax sealing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This third-rank star-jade tablet had been split open in the middle and then resealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star energy, like a blade, instantly sliced through the tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s expression changed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The anomalous third-rank star-jade tablet was hollow—inside lay a purple feather fragment, as long as a thumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The feather emitted strong energy, but the instant Xu Jin’s soul-force surged into it, an overwhelming tide of ferocious flame erupted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura was immense—but purely aura, devoid of actual power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This aura, at its weakest, belonged to a mid- to late-stage Condensation Star cultivator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another purple feather—its pattern and color closely resembled those of the purple-winged alien Xu Jin had slain before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave Xu Jin an immediate bad feeling: a Star Temple disciple carrying this purple feather couldn’t possibly be keeping it as a memento—it must serve a critical purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could that purpose be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At its mildest, it could help avoid Condensation Star elites in the Purple Wind Star Zone; at its worst, it could establish contact with elite purple-winged aliens at a crucial moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even—command them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it could command them, that would be terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Xu Jin thought of reporting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Report to Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao: expose the Star Temple disciples’ possible use of underhanded tactics and cheating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he reconsidered—it was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he couldn’t reach Grand Master now; second, even if he presented this purple feather, what proof would it offer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purple feathers could be obtained within the third-rank Purple Wind Star Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If discovered before entry, it would be ironclad evidence; after entry, it would just become a debate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jiugao had seen it too—and clearly, he had reached the same conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, better keep it hidden. This item could be claimed as something he brought in, or as something he gathered in the Purple Wind Star Zone,” Wang Jiugao said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm. When you meet others later, remind them to be wary of Star Temple disciples and alien collusion—especially the aliens’ top-tier elites.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin finished, then pointed to the loot below. “Pick what you need quickly—I’m heading to find Ji Hongli.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Hongli was the only one still unaccounted for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ji Hongli had died, the State Dao Academy’s losses would be catastrophic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Hongli ranked fourth among the current True Disciples and was exceptionally strong in combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… isn’t it your loot?” Wang Jiugao said hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you thinking? Of course it’s my loot! But if you need something now, pick it—then settle the Dao Merits later,” Xu Jin said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Giving things away outright wasn’t Xu Jin’s style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But exchanging them for Dao Merits or starlight, while boosting Wang Jiugao’s survival capability, was ideal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had no shortage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing he’d have to pay Dao Merits, Wang Jiugao brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disciples from major families knew this well: never use favors when you can settle with wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money debts are easy to repay; favor debts are hard to settle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big Brother, I used one Moon-Chasing Seal already—I’ll take another, and I need this third-rank supreme-grade star longsword. I don’t need elixirs for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look, the star weapon is five thousand Dao Merits, the Moon-Chasing Seal five hundred—is that fair?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm, fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A standard third-rank seal cost about four thousand taels of silver; buying with Dao Merits was cheaper. Five hundred Dao Merits for a supreme-grade seal was reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third-rank star weapons, especially longswords, were relatively cheap—market price around forty thousand taels. A supreme-grade one carried a premium; five thousand Dao Merits was slightly high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kid Wang Jiugao was honest enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin packed everything else away, then used the Crimson-Scale Heart to direct Ying Ge and the others toward his location—he planned for Wang Jiugao to join them, forming a five-man team for greater combat strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for himself, he still needed to find Ji Hongli, and he felt teaming up with Wang Jiugao and the others would slow him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power gap was still too large.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two rested for half an hour; once Wang Jiugao’s condition improved, Xu Jin pointed him toward Halfwing Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Jiugao’s rendezvous point with Ying Ge and the others was Halfwing Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within two or three hours, he’d be completely safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, with Guan Ji dead, Wang Jiugao was relatively secure in the short term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seven Star Temple disciples and the seven Chen State Dao Academy disciples were matched one-to-one—each Star Temple disciple entered the Purple Wind Star Zone with a designated Dao Academy disciple as their target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Star Temple disciples received location updates, they received only the position of their assigned target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Guan Ji was dead, Wang Jiugao’s location data was useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless he had the worst luck imaginable—truly stumbling upon another Star Temple disciple in this vast third-rank star zone, like finding a needle in a haystack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sending Wang Jiugao off, Xu Jin began analyzing Ji Hongli’s possible location using the map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s prior movements, plus rescuing Wang Jiugao, had actually carried him from the western edge of the Purple Wind Star Zone into its central-eastern region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite this massive movement, the Crimson-Scale Heart, with its four-thousand-li sensing range, had detected no trace of Ji Hongli’s Crimson-Scale Heart Armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left only two possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Hongli had met with misfortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or Ji Hongli was in danger, trapped somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the prior agreement, all fellow sect members who still had mobility were to advance toward the four great mountains of the Purple Wind Star Region, heading toward the central zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they advanced within a certain range, they would inevitably be detected by Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Ji Hongli, who had been the first to support Xu Jin’s use of the Mother-Child Heart Demon Seal—she would have no psychological resistance to this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, something must have gone wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, given Ji Hongli’s strength, unless her luck was catastrophically bad, she wouldn’t encounter disaster so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Xu Jin’s assessment, Ji Hongli’s strength meant that even if she encountered a fourth-rank Star Condensation beginner of an alien race, she still had some chance of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Xu Jin still wanted to attempt a rescue if possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, in which direction would Ji Hongli be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This marginal zone was the hardest to search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would consume a great deal of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the map, Xu Jin had come from the western marginal zone, so Ji Hongli could not be there—only the eastern, southern, and northern marginal zones remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Xu Jin chose the eastern and southern marginal zones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he searched both and still found no trace of Ji Hongli, he wouldn’t bother with the north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because after searching these two marginal zones, Xu Jin estimated it would take at least a day and a half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she had been in danger that long, Ji Hongli was likely already dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With direction set, Xu Jin moved at seventy percent of his maximum speed toward the eastern region of the Purple Wind Star Region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even at seventy percent of his maximum speed, even though Xu Jin possessed a flawless primordial star body and even though star force density in the third-rank star region matched that of a third-rank star force secret realm, his star force consumption was still substantial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roughly, every hour he consumed two-tenths of his star force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by continuously switching between different elixirs to replenish it, he could barely keep up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After one hour, a faint vibration of star force suddenly stirred in Xu Jin’s arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking down, he saw that within a plain jade bead the size of an infant’s fist, starlight was flashing rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinctively, Xu Jin sank his mind into it—and instantly, through the flashing starlight within the bead, he sensed a faint, indistinct location!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That location lay precisely in a direction far to the east.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, five other points of starlight flickered within the seemingly ordinary jade bead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin realized that whenever he sank his mind into it, he could faintly sense the direction of each flickering starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two of those starlight positions overlapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin guessed that this unremarkable jade bead was likely a treasure used by Star Temple disciples to coordinate and confirm positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, everyone had their own tricks!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And fortunately, the State Academy had provided Xu Jin with the Crimson Scale Heart Armor this year—otherwise, they’d have been truly screwed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two overlapping starlight points almost certainly indicated that two Star Temple disciples had already joined forces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, could the Star Temple disciple whose position appeared in the eastern marginal zone be the one who had trapped Ji Hongli?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That possibility was very high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin sensed all six other starlight positions—only one lay in the marginal zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ji Hongli had encountered danger, it was almost certainly connected to this disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, Xu Jin accelerated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, as Xu Jin activated the Crimson Scale Heart again, he suddenly felt joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Found it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sixth Crimson Scale Heart Armor had been located.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But whether it was Ji Hongli himself was uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin immediately activated the Crimson Scale Heart to inquire about Ji Hongli’s condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Crimson Scale Heart Armor held by Ji Hongli gave no response whatsoever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later, just as Xu Jin feared Ji Hongli was dead and the Crimson Scale Heart Armor had fallen into alien or enemy hands, Ji Hongli’s reply finally came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dead zone. Don’t come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crimson Scale Heart Armor’s feedback to the Crimson Scale Heart contained only the most basic prompts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this prompt, Xu Jin froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Ji Hongli fallen into a hopeless situation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A situation where death was certain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or even one where Ji Hongli believed that even if Xu Jin came, it would make no difference?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this, it was unlikely to be a Star Temple disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were merely a Star Temple disciple, Ji Hongli wouldn’t be this desperate!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one possibility!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An alien race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Hongli had encountered a fourth-rank Star Condensation alien!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How incredibly unlucky!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should Xu Jin go to rescue her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2340,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","72f2f11012f1653010888b9cf998e9e7f542d481a957971a65396b403482a3ed","the-star-martial-era-chapter-165","the-star-martial-era-chapter-163",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]