Chapter 184

The Practice Realm, Xu Jin hadn't entered in many days.

The moment he entered the third-tier Practice Realm, his ranking shocked him.

【Great Sage Equaling Heaven: Star Refining Fifth Reckoning】

【Points: 0】

【Rank: 7984653】

Nearly eight millionth.

This means the number of Star Refining cultivators in the mortal world who entered the Star Picking Tower is at least eight million.

Adding in the scattered cultivators who never entered the Star Picking Tower, and those like Xu Jin with zero points, Xu Jin estimated the total number of Star Refining cultivators in the mortal world exceeded ten million.

But this was normal.

The Star Refining realm has a wide span, and many cultivators get stuck at the peak of Star Refining Ninth Reckoning for years.

The existing stock is enormous.

And unlike Cultivators in the Meal Mist and Star Forging realms, they're all poor.

Any cultivator who reaches Star Refining can at least get their hands on a Star Picking Token.

But Xu Jin estimated the number of third-tier Star Refining cultivators should be the largest.

After the fourth tier, the number of cultivators in fifth tier and beyond drops sharply.

As per tradition, Xu Jin first scanned the leaderboard to see if any familiar names appeared.

【Third-Tier Practice Realm Rank One: Starfire】

【Third-Tier Practice Realm Rank Two: I Do As I Please】

【Third-Tier Practice Realm Rank Three: Cold Moon】

Drawing from his experience in the first- and second-tier Practice Realms, Xu Jin focused only on the top three.

These top three would be Xu Jin's targets for challenge.

As for combat power, he believed reaching the top hundred, even top ten, was merely a matter of time.

Even if he lacked the strength now, within a month he would surely break in.

It all depended on how strong these top three were.

Scanning down the leaderboard, Xu Jin soon spotted a familiar name.

Former first-rank cultivator in the first-tier Practice Realm, Treading Star River.

Now ranked one hundred and first in the third-tier Practice Realm.

This guy must be strong.

As Xu Jin climbed upward, he would inevitably face him—making up for the match he never got in the first-tier Practice Realm.

He'd only reached Star Forging half a month earlier than Xu Jin, yet now he'd broken into the top hundred of the third-tier Practice Realm—calling him an ultimate genius was no exaggeration.

【Third-Tier Practice Realm Rank 988: Moon Shadow】

Xu Jin found another familiar name.

This was the second person he wanted to fight.

In the first-tier Practice Realm, this guy defeated Xu Jin and immediately forged his Star Core and left, denying Xu Jin even a chance to seek revenge.

He'd held onto a bitter resentment.

In the third-tier Practice Realm, he must reclaim this match.

After scanning the top thousand, he found no trace of "Just So So" or "Drunken Moon Immortal."

That was normal.

These two had only reached Star Forging seven or eight days before Xu Jin.

In cultivation base, they shouldn't be much stronger than him.

Xu Jin's cultivation speed was already extremely fast.

But Xu Jin cultivated both Star Palaces simultaneously.

If he'd focused only on the Central Star Palace, his base would already be Star Refining Eighth Reckoning.

More importantly—Star Patterns.

For others, even with a senior guiding them step by step and being an ultimate genius, carving one Star Pattern in seven or eight days was considered fast.

Even if their base reached the right level, their Star Patterns often lagged behind.

But Xu Jin was different—he had the Star Lamp, capable of infinite carving; one Star Pattern took one or two days, at most three.

They couldn't possibly keep up with his pace.

This was also one of the fundamental reasons Meng Qingqiu, Yan Chen, Ji Hongli, Lu Kun, and Yuan Feiqing could only challenge up to the eightieth gate.

They appeared to have the same base as Xu Jin—Star Refining Fifth Reckoning.

But they were currently cultivating only the Central Star Palace, neglecting the Lower Star Palace entirely; they'd only return to cultivate the Lower Star Palace after reaching Star Refining Ninth Reckoning in the Central.

Xu Jin cultivated both Star Palaces simultaneously.

So while their progress seemed equal, in reality, they were half a step behind.

Another critical reason was Star Patterns.

At their pace, even with Star Refining Fifth Reckoning, they likely hadn't carved even eight of the six Star Pattern slots.

But Xu Jin, also at Star Refining Fifth Reckoning—even though his base hadn't yet reached its peak—had all ten Star Pattern slots fully carved.

Xu Jin's current state: the Star Patterns were already carved in the Star Lamp, waiting for his base to catch up.

Meanwhile, Meng Qingqiu and the others were still struggling to carve their Star Patterns.

This was the true reason for the vast gap between them and Xu Jin.

After thinking it over, Xu Jin sent a Starlight Message to Drunken Moon Immortal.

To be honest, he missed this little rich girl—she'd sent him over two hundred strands of Starlight, and he hadn't used them all yet.

In the first-tier Practice Realm, this little rich girl had chased him nonstop, begging for fights, then begging again after getting crushed.

Strange—since entering the third-tier Practice Realm, she hadn't contacted him at all.

Had something happened to her?

Online friends could be real friends too, so Xu Jin asked a few questions.

【How have you been lately? Why haven't you challenged me? Any problems with your cultivation?】

In a palace lavishly decorated, Drunken Moon Immortal, meditating in lotus position, suddenly opened her eyes, saw the Star Picking Token message, and smiled.

【You've still got some conscience—you remembered to contact me, after all the face I've saved for you.】

【Saved my face? Big sister, what do you mean? Be clear—this one message costs one strand of Starlight!】

Seeing Xu Jin's message, Drunken Moon Immortal instantly flew into a rage, her bare feet curling tightly.

【You're the big sister, your whole family's big sister.】

Xu Jin stared blankly.

They were clearly on different wavelengths—he cared about face, she cared about the title.

Men and women really were different.

So Xu Jin pulled out his past life's outdated title weapon.

【Miss, what do you mean by saving my face?】

This title made her curled toes relax, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.

She'd been called "Miss" many times before, but adding "little" to "Miss"—why did "Little Miss" feel so sweet and pleasant?

This guy's tongue must be sweet—he's probably charmed countless young girls.

Xu Jin had no idea he'd just been hit again, but Drunken Moon Immortal's Starlight Message arrived.

【My cultivation speed is too fast—I feared challenging you would crush your self-esteem, so I didn't contact you. I planned to wait until I hit a bottleneck before reaching out again, to test your worth.】

This Starlight Message left Xu Jin speechless.

So she'd been protecting his ego.

Hearing this, Xu Jin stopped worrying about saving one or two strands of Starlight.

【Your cultivation speed is too fast? Tell me—can it even crush me?】

【Really? You're not afraid?】

Xu Jin was speechless, didn't reply—this chat wasted too much Starpower.

The Star Picking Tower should've launched a monthly subscription—like in his past life, even a text-message bundle would've helped.

One strand per message? Too greedy.

Of course, Drunken Moon Immortal, who knew Xu Jin was stingy, immediately sent another Starlight Message.

【I forged supreme Star Palaces simultaneously—the Central Star Palace at Star Refining Sixth Reckoning, and the Lower Star Palace at Star Refining Fifth Reckoning. Originally, I could've advanced faster, but carving Star Patterns is slow—seven or eight days per pattern.】

【Half my time is spent carving Star Patterns; otherwise, my Lower Star Palace would already be Star Refining Sixth Reckoning.】

Xu Jin's eyes widened sharply.

This cultivation speed was indeed fierce.

He'd used premium Star Refining Pills infused with essence, and still only reached Star Refining Fifth Reckoning.

Drunken Moon Immortal had broken through only seven or eight days before him; during that time, Xu Jin had wasted three days in the Selection Battle—just ten days total—and she'd pulled ahead so far.

How the hell did she cultivate like this?

Xu Jin was genuinely curious.

【Incredible! Your speed is almost inhuman—how do you do it?】

【It's not that special—I use premium Star Refining Pills my grandfather personally selected and refined, with minimal toxins and slightly adjusted formulas—I can take eight or nine a day, then train inside my exclusive Star Gathering Array.】

You might not know about the Star Gathering Array? If you're a disciple of the Star Palace or the Dao Academy, you should know about the Star Force Secret Realm.

The star force concentration in the Star Gathering Array I cultivate is equivalent to, and even stronger than, the sixth-rank Star Force Secret Realm you use.

Xu Jin was utterly speechless.

This overwhelming display of wealth.

So rich!

Just one word—"soak"—reveals it all. This person must be the daughter of some top-tier powerhouse family.

Otherwise, she couldn't possibly receive such treatment.

Ji Hongli and Meng Qingqiu's cultivation conditions are far worse than this.

Ji Hongli and Meng Qingqiu's family backgrounds are already among the elite of Chen Guo.

Could this woman be from a Star Palace aristocratic lineage?

【Want to fight?】

Suddenly, Xu Jin felt tempted—he wanted to test the limits of this elite aristocrat, this peerless genius with supreme Star Forging.

At the level of the Drunken Moon Immortal, she must be one of the greatest geniuses of this age, right?

The next instant, Xu Jin received a challenge request from the Drunken Moon Immortal—he accepted.

Light and shadow shifted, and the Drunken Moon Immortal appeared before Xu Jin.

The screen vanished, but neither of them immediately attacked.

"Long time no see," Xu Jin bowed from afar.

The next instant, the Drunken Moon Immortal exclaimed, "Fifth-rank Star Refinement? Your progress isn't slow! By the way, what's your cultivation base in the Lower Star Palace?"

"Third-rank," Xu Jin lied casually.

"That's fast. What about your Star Patterns? How far have you engraved them?"

Xu Jin smiled but didn't answer—it was every cultivator's deepest secret, even if using a nickname, he couldn't reveal it.

"Stingy."

"Come on!"

The next instant, moon-white starlight rose around the Drunken Moon Immortal—a rare sight—and she assumed a defensive stance.

Clearly, she was holding back for Xu Jin, afraid he'd lose too badly and lose face.

Shhh!

A shocking sonic boom erupted—twenty meters, at Xu Jin's current speed, was as easy as taking one step.

Flame Explosion!

Flames erupted.

The moon-white starlight was instantly shredded!

One-shot kill!

The Drunken Moon Immortal froze in shock.

This wasn't the script! She'd been holding back to spare the Great Sage's face, afraid of hurting his pride—yet she'd been one-shot?

Where was her face?

【Again】

Quickly, the Drunken Moon Immortal challenged Xu Jin again—he accepted. This time, she was far more cautious.

She launched an immediate offensive.

Moon-white starlight coalesced into a massive crescent blade, slicing silently toward Xu Jin.

Xu Jin also wanted to test her level—he didn't rush, giving her time to attack.

Suddenly, Xu Jin froze.

The crescent blade cut cleanly through his Rain Curtain Fire Shield.

His Rain Curtain Fire Shield had formidable defense—below Ninth-rank Star Refinement, no one could break it.

Yet before the Drunken Moon Immortal's crescent blade, it shattered like tofu.

His protective starlight was also effortlessly sliced through.

In the instant before death, Xu Jin's body floated away like a willow fluff; a few breaths later, the Drunken Moon Immortal was one-shot again.

【Again】

"Impossible! With your strength, how could you defeat me? How are you this strong? My grandfather said I'm unbeatable at my own level!" The Drunken Moon Immortal, back in the arena, was clearly shaken.

"What star art is that? It feels unusual—almost as if it ignores defense?" Xu Jin asked curiously.

"I can tell you—it's spatial! Extremely powerful, but engraving the Star Patterns is a nightmare—I've nearly had my head pounded by my grandfather." The Drunken Moon Immortal grumbled.

No wonder!

He gained another piece of information about the Drunken Moon Immortal—and witnessed spatial star force firsthand.

Worth the trip!

Next time he encounters such power, Xu Jin won't be caught off guard.

"Great Sage, which Star Palace are you from? What's your background? How can you be this strong?"

"I'm just an ordinary person."

"You're lying. If you were ordinary, according to my grandfather, I could buy a block of tofu and bash my head in."

"Give me your address—I'll send you tofu."

"You!"

"Die!"

Enraged and ready to attack, the Drunken Moon Immortal suddenly vanished.

Disappeared into thin air!

Xu Jin's eyes flickered.

Invisibility!

Can the Drunken Moon Immortal do that too?

No—it couldn't be the invisibility Xu Jin knew. It must be another form, tied to space.

Instantly, Xu Jin activated the Mingji Star Pattern in the Lower Star Palace to its full power.

Within the Lower Star Palace, the Mingji Star Pattern blazed with light.

In the sensation of the Mingji Star Pattern, star force fluctuated ten meters to his left.

Without hesitation, Xu Jin unleashed a Flame Explosion.

Moon-white light erupted—the Drunken Moon Immortal was blasted out and instantly obliterated.

One-shot again.

The next instant, Xu Jin's starlight message burst with alerts.

The Drunken Moon Immortal sent him several starlight messages in rapid succession.

【How did you find me? Were you just guessing? You couldn't possibly have found me?】

【Tell me!】

【I won't accept this! Fight me again!】

As she spoke, she sent another challenge.

Xu Jin declined.

Enough. If he fought again, this girl would break down.

Xu Jin now had a rough sense of his true strength.

【Why won't you fight? Are you scared? Come fight me!】

Xu Jin replied with two simple words.

【Another day】

【Fine. I'll come find you tomorrow.】

The Drunken Moon Immortal didn't pester him—she went off to analyze and reflect.

Today's loss felt utterly inexplicable to her.

But Xu Jin felt something else entirely.

Old Qi had always praised the Mingji Star Pattern, but Xu Jin never believed him.

After engraving it, Xu Jin had thought the Mingji Star Pattern was useless.

But now he saw—it was truly miraculous, almost a divine artifact, capable of breaking invisibility!

Next time he meets Old Qi, Xu Jin will test whether the Mingji Star Pattern can break Old Qi's invisibility.

Or whether it can break the invisibility technique of the Lingji Star Palace.

After contacting the Drunken Moon Immortal, Xu Jin immediately challenged the Third-Rank Combat Secret Realm.

The Third-Rank Combat Secret Realm differed from the first and second ranks—those within the top thousand were guaranteed to be present-day geniuses.

Xu Jin wanted to use the Third-Rank Combat Secret Realm to test the true caliber of these present-day geniuses.

But tonight's challenges required no elaboration—just two words.

One-shot!

One-shot after one-shot.

Xu Jin won fifteen straight battles, then stopped.

His ranking surged from over 7. million to over 4 million.

Early gains in ranking will be fast, but later progress will surely slow down.

After finishing the Third-Rank Battle Realm, Xu Jin sent Qi Shanye a Starlight Message, inquiring after his well-being; soon, Qi Shanye replied.

【Good kid, you still remember me? I thought you'd forgotten your old teacher. How have things been lately? How's your cultivation base?】

Xu Jin sent Qi Shanye a long message, explaining the Selection Battle and mentioning his acquisition of the Thunder Feather Heart, while also asking several cultivation-related questions.

Old Qi naturally answered each one in turn, adding that Thunder Star Arts were hard to master and that he would keep an eye out for Thunder Star Patterns for Xu Jin.

【Teacher, I have something I'd like to ask your advice on: my sister Jiang Er is about to awaken her star. If nothing goes wrong, the awakening will surely succeed. I'm wondering—should I teach her the Clear Soul Star Pattern?】

Teaching it to her would make her stronger, accelerate her cultivation, and boost her combat power.

But it would also bring various latent dangers—even if exposed, it could draw immense trouble, possibly leading to total death.

I've thought about it for several days now, but still haven't decided. Please, Teacher, give me your guidance.】

This question was the real reason Xu Jin sought out Qi Shanye today.

Xu Jin had been agonizing over this question for several days.

It was truly difficult to decide!

He had no one else to consult—he could only turn to Old Qi.

(End of Chapter)