Chapter 215: The Warmth of the Grand Master

"Lord Master, Xu Jin's cultivation has broken through to Star Refining Eighth Layer."

"But the number of Golden Stars inside the Star-Picking Realm has not increased again."

"However, two Silver Stars have been added."

The hope that had just sparked in Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao's eyes instantly froze.

The number of Golden Stars in the Star-Picking Realm didn't increase, yet Xu Jin has already broken through to Star Refining Eighth Layer?

The Silver Stars increased again.

He challenged, but failed?

Or?

This was a piece of information that left Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao deeply discouraged.

Both Director Peng and Grand Master understood what this meant!

Between the late Stage Three Star Refining and early Stage Four Star Condensing, it is easiest to obtain Golden Stars.

After that, the higher one's cultivation, the harder it becomes to obtain Golden Stars.

Xu Jin previously plucked six Golden Stars in succession; now he has broken through without plucking any.

This is a terrifying omen.

One step behind, and every step falls behind!

If he couldn't defeat a Golden Star-level Heart Demon or Gate Keeper at Stage Three Star Refining Seventh Layer Peak, then at Stage Three Star Refining Eighth Layer Peak, he will almost certainly fail to defeat a Golden Star-level Heart Demon or Gate Keeper at Stage Four Star Condensing Eighth Layer.

This gap will only widen in the future.

In other words, Xu Jin may never pluck another Golden Star again.

Of course, it's not absolute—occasionally plucking one or two is still possible.

After a long silence, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao suddenly let out a bitter laugh.

"Director Peng, do you think I'm being too greedy?"

Director Peng shook his head. "Lord Master merely seeks to strengthen the Chen Guo Dao Academy—how is that greed?"

Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao rose and paced a few steps. "Logically, with these six Golden Stars as a foundation, our Chen Guo Dao Academy's strength should have risen another tier.

A single Seventh-Layer Fire Source Star Pattern has already nearly granted us another Seventh-Layer expert.

Many cultivators stuck at Sixth-Layer Peak now have a Fire-element option.

Yet I still want—"

"Golden Stars are rare!"

Director Peng sighed. "A disciple who plucks one or two Golden Stars is already a once-in-a-century genius; one who plucks six in succession is rarer still.

It's natural for Lord Master to harbor such hopes."

But Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao said nothing, pacing the hall in deep thought for fifteen minutes before slowly speaking: "Director Peng, where else can we strengthen Xu Jin's power?"

"Combat experience can be ruled out—I've observed and studied Xu Jin's battles; his combat skill is extremely high, forged through relentless trials."

"Star Patterns could work! If we teach him Seventh-Layer or higher Star Patterns from other elements, his power could rise quickly—but we cannot teach him yet.

If we teach him now, he can only inscribe them into the lower or middle Star Palaces; when he breaks through to Star Condensing, it will waste several Star Pattern slots.

Once he reaches Stage Four Star Condensing, we can transmit Seventh-Layer or higher Star Patterns—if he comprehends and inscribes them successfully, he might pluck one or two more Golden Stars." Director Peng said.

"At this moment, the only path to rapidly boost his power is one."

As Director Peng spoke, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao spun around sharply: "Spirit Core!"

"Indeed—but raising the Spirit Core is exceedingly difficult," Director Peng replied.

"No matter the cost, letting Xu Jin pluck more Golden Stars is worth it. It won't just strengthen him—it will permanently elevate our Chen Guo Dao Academy's foundation."

Suddenly, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao slammed his fists together. "Do it."

"Lord Master, you mean the Dragon Turtle Spirit Forge Pill? The Dao Academy produces only two per month allocated to you."

"No!"

Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao cut him off. "Dragon Turtle Spirit Forge Pill is too slow—I'm giving him Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seed."

At these words, Director Peng's face paled. "Lord Master, isn't that Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seed the pill you prepared for your own breakthrough? If you give it to Xu Jin, how will you break through yourself?

Though your cultivation reached Eighth Layer long ago, your Spirit Core has never broken through to Fifth Layer, preventing you from fully unleashing your power.

Without the Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seed, your breakthrough will be even harder!"

"My Spirit Core cannot break through to Fifth Layer mainly because my accumulation is insufficient—I've only risen for so few years! When I was born, that fellow Tianyang Star Lord was already Eighth Layer. I can't match that.

The Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seed only increases my chance of breaking through to Fifth Layer by half a percent.

If Xu Jin uses it and plucks two more Golden Stars, it's already worth it.

If he plucks four more, it's a massive windfall."

"Lord Master, think carefully!" Director Peng urged. "The Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seed isn't like the Dragon Turtle Spirit Forge Pill—the latter can be sought, but the former requires opportunity, fortune, and strength—all three.

Even if you wanted to beg for it, you couldn't get it."

Yet Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao's eyes hardened with resolve. "My decision is final! If Xu Jin uses it and plucks two more Golden Stars, our Chen Guo Dao Academy gains another Seventh-Layer Mid or even Seventh-Layer Upper Star Pattern.

If he plucks three or four, we gain at least one Eighth-Layer Lower Star Pattern.

You know what an Eighth-Layer Lower Star Pattern means, don't you?

It might even let you break through to Eighth Layer!

It could extend your lifespan!

In the future, every few decades, we might gain another Eighth-Layer expert.

Each new Eighth-Layer expert strengthens our Chen Guo Dao Academy's foundation!"

With that, Cheng Yuexiao's feet shimmered with starlight, and he vanished from the Danxia Academy, heading straight for Xu Jin's courtyard.

Director Peng watched Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao depart, sighed, then instantly ascended on starlight and followed.

In Xu Jin's courtyard, he had just finished his morning cultivation.

His Middle Star Palace's cultivation had smoothly broken through to Star Refining Eighth Layer; at this pace, it would reach Peak within three and a half days.

For all other time, Xu Jin devoted himself to studying and deconstructing Star Patterns in the Dao Academy's library.

Recently, as he deconstructed and extrapolated more of the elders' research notes, he had begun to grasp their underlying principles.

Many Star Pattern manuscripts no longer required extrapolation—he understood them at a glance.

Suddenly, the Mingji Star Pattern in his Lower Star Palace spun violently, glowing brilliantly.

Two powerful Star Force fluctuations appeared one after another above Xu Jin's courtyard.

Having experienced this many times, Xu Jin knew what it meant.

Grand Master has arrived!

Xu Jin wasn't foolish—he immediately guessed why.

Almost certainly, Grand Master had noticed his cultivation had broken through to Star Refining Eighth Layer but he hadn't plucked any Golden Stars, and had come to inquire.

How to say it?

Xu Jin hesitated.

Just as Xu Jin was pondering, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao appeared in his courtyard. After sending a voice transmission, he entered Xu Jin's meditation chamber, and a swirl of starlight instantly sealed off the outside.

High above, Director Peng suppressed his aura, subtly monitoring all directions.

When they lured and killed the Fifth-Layer powerhouse and Star Lord Zhang Zhen of the Azure Star Temple, the Chen Guo Dao Academy took the opportunity to purge its internal ranks.

Who was leaking Xu Jin's information?

No one in the Dao Academy dared spy on Xu Jin.

Yet every time Xu Jin stepped outside, assassins appeared—someone was tipping them off!

Under deliberate surveillance, they discovered the gate guards at the Dao Academy entrance were compromised. There were two guards, on rotation.

Their duties included verifying waist tokens and registering visitors alongside the Star Patrol.

That day, they saw Xu Jin leave the Dao Academy gate, and the guard immediately touched his Star-Picking Token.

Hoping to catch a bigger fish, they didn't arrest the lowly guard yet, waiting to complete the trap before apprehending and interrogating him, lest they alert the culprit.

But everyone was stunned: after killing Zhang Zhen and returning to arrest the guard, he was already dead!

He'd been silenced!

This enraged Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao.

The guard had been under covert surveillance, inside the Chen Guo Dao Academy—and yet someone had silenced him.

What did this mean?

It meant there was a traitor inside!

There was a higher-ranking traitor within the Chen Guo Dao Academy, and his cultivation was certainly not low.

Otherwise, he couldn't have silenced the guard silently while he was under surveillance.

The guard was a crippled disciple with only Star Refining Third Layer cultivation; the one surveilling him was a Fourth-Layer Star Condensing Danxia Guard.

Only a Fifth-Layer Star Gathering Mid-to-Late Stage expert—or stronger—could have silenced him without a trace.

Such a person would hold a high position in the Dao Academy.

Yet further investigation yielded no clues.

They could only remain vigilant.

Especially regarding Xu Jin, both Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao and Director Peng were extremely cautious.

"Grand Master."

Inside the chamber, Xu Jin rose immediately upon seeing Grand Master enter.

After Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao sat down, Xu Jin stepped forward quickly: "Grand Master, this time when I challenged the Star-Picking Realm—"

"No need to say more—I already know about this."

The Grand Master directly cut off Xu Jin's words, then comforted him, "Don't dwell on this, don't put too much pressure on yourself. After all, failing to claim a Golden Star is normal."

Failure is the norm; success is rare!"

Otherwise, it wouldn't have caused such a commotion."

So don't feel pressured—just focus on your cultivation."

This comfort left Xu Jin speechless, slightly ashamed.

The Grand Master truly cares for him now; though it's partly because of the value he's shown, there's no denying it.

He even came here specifically to reassure him.

As they spoke, the Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao suddenly produced two jade boxes and placed them before Xu Jin.

"Xu Jin, though you failed this challenge, I still hope you'll claim several more Golden Stars in the future."

You already understand the value of the Golden Stars!"

So I want to strengthen your power so you can claim more of them."

After much thought, I realized neither combat nor Star Patterns can further enhance your strength."

So I've prepared six Dragon Turtle Soul-Forging Pills and a set of Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seeds for you—they should greatly boost your Divine Soul power and directly increase your combat ability!" said Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao.

Xu Jin stared at the two jade boxes pushed toward him and was instantly stunned.

He hadn't expected the Grand Master to be giving him pills.

This wasn't just warmth—it was a gift!

Xu Jin felt even more ashamed.

"Grand Master, I've never heard of the Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seeds—what are they for?" Xu Jin asked.

"It's a heavenly treasure that directly enhances Divine Soul power—rare. If you're lucky, you might find one in a few Seventh or Sixth Star Realms."

I happened to obtain one myself and thought I'd use it to boost your strength."

Its potency is roughly three times that of a Divine Soul Refining Golden Core Pill—it should raise your Divine Soul cultivation by two levels, and also purify your spirit and heal hidden Divine Soul injuries. Combined with these Dragon Turtle Soul-Forging Pills, it should raise your Divine Soul cultivation by three levels."

When you reach the peak of Star Refining Eighth Level, you should be able to claim another Golden Star!"

When you break through to Star Refining Ninth Level, you can use one or two Golden Stars to advance your Seventh-Level Mid-Stage Fire Source Star Pattern to Seventh-Level High Stage."

At that point, your power will surge—you'll likely be able to claim two more Golden Stars."

The Grand Master's speech laid out Xu Jin's entire future power progression.

But hearing this, Xu Jin felt even more guilty.

The Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seeds weren't recorded in the "Compendium of Wondrous Stars" or the "Pharmacopoeia."

Xu Jin had never even heard of them.

That confirmed they were an extremely rare and precious heavenly treasure.

Even if not priceless, they were close.

The Grand Master had truly given him his heart and soul.

But he—

At this thought, Xu Jin made a decision.

In the next instant, he pushed the jade box—sealed with layers of starlight and containing the Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus Seeds—back toward the Grand Master, leaving Cheng Yuexiao utterly astonished.

"Xu Jin, what are you doing?"

"Grand Master, this is too precious—I can't accept it!"

Hearing this, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao laughed. "What your teacher gives you, you must take! Use it, strengthen yourself, and claim more Golden Stars! Even if you never claim another after taking it, I won't blame you."

"No!"

The more generous the Grand Master was, the more guilty Xu Jin felt. "No, Grand Master—I don't actually need it."

"What do you mean, you don't need it?"

"Grand Master, this time—I actually claimed a Golden Star."

"What?"

Cheng Yuexiao's eyes snapped wide. "No—that's impossible. Why didn't the Star Claiming Realm register it?"

Suddenly, Cheng Yuexiao's eyes widened further—he stood up, even more shocked.

"Wait—don't tell me you claimed a Brilliant Star?"

Now it was Xu Jin's turn to be stunned. "Grand Master, how do you know I claimed a Brilliant Star?"

Hearing this, the Grand Master burst into laughter—thoroughly delighted.

"A worthy successor! A worthy successor!"

"As for how I know—I once claimed a Brilliant Star myself. I know its authority. It's the only way in the Star Claiming Realm to claim a Golden Star while hiding its presence," Cheng Yuexiao chuckled.

"You claimed a Brilliant Star too!" Xu Jin exclaimed.

"Enough. I know now—don't tell anyone else about this!"

As the Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao turned to leave, Xu Jin hurriedly called out, "Master, this—"

"It's yours—use it!"

"I want you to claim a second Brilliant Star!" With that, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao dissolved the starlight and departed, his lips curled in a wide smile.

(End of Chapter)