Chapter 217: Clumsy

Inside the academy hall, Academic Master Kou Jing casually placed a timing hourglass.

There was a time limit.

Two quarters of an hour, three patterns.

Subsequently, Academic Master Kou waved his hand, and one after another, dismantled diagrams of the Star Hub and Linking Star Patterns appeared on the star screen, so that disciples who couldn't engrave could ponder and contemplate without wasting time.

As for Academic Master Kou himself, he waited quietly for the results.

Patterns are something a cultivator can use to save their life at a critical moment, and they are also one of the few ways in this world to store attack or defense techniques in advance.

They are extremely important.

Academic Master Kou giving public lectures is, on one hand, to improve the pattern level of all disciples in the National Dao Academy and enhance their future survival and combat capabilities, and on the other hand, to select talent for the country.

Not to mention high-tier patterns above the seventh tier, even sixth-tier pattern masters are extremely rare.

The National Dao Academy has been committed to cultivating a few more fifth-tier or sixth-tier pattern masters over the years, in order to reserve fifth-tier and sixth-tier patterns.

It's just that the higher the tier of the pattern, the more complex it is, and the higher the requirement for the Divine Soul, so very few succeed.

Besides this, Academic Master Kou giving public lectures is also to find a successor for his pattern engraving skills.

There are many disciples in his academy hall, and almost all of them have learned his pattern engraving techniques, but almost all of them focus on cultivation.

Even his most valued eldest disciple, Ye Ye Anshi, hasn't learned even twenty percent of his pattern engraving skills.

But there is no help for it; everyone's energy is limited.

Being obsessed with patterns will delay cultivation.

Academic Master Kou Jing himself is like this.

Kou Jing was a genius of the Da Chen National Dao Academy back then, even a genius more than a decade earlier than Grand Master Cheng Cheng Yuexiao, but to this day, he hasn't broken through to the seventh tier, which has a great deal to do with his obsession with pattern research.

However, it's hard to say whether he took the wrong path.

Just like Academic Master Kou, although he is at the peak of the sixth tier, he is now a national treasure of the Da Chen National Dao Academy.

Even if he wanted to go to the Star River Battlefield, Grand Master Cheng Cheng Yuexiao would beg him not to go.

Without it, the few sixth-tier patterns he produces every year are also the only source of sixth-tier patterns in Da Chen.

Each one is equivalent to a full-force strike from a mid-stage sixth-tier powerhouse.

Time and again, they have saved the situation from the brink of collapse.

Unfortunately, the output is too low, and the Emperor takes one fixedly, and the others are not enough for the Star River Battlefield.

If he could cultivate another sixth-tier pattern master for Da Chen in his lifetime, he would be content.

Inside the academy hall, all the disciples who received the jade tablets had already begun engraving patterns.

Ji Ji Hongli and Wang Wang Jiugao, who were by Xu Jin's side, had also cast stars with their Divine Souls and received jade tablets, beginning to engrave patterns together with Xu Jin.

It was no surprise that these two had cast stars with their Divine Souls.

Among Xu Jin's several teachers, Qi Qi Shanye spent over a decade in the Lord Lingji Star Palace using the Clear Soul Star Pattern before casting stars with his Divine Soul, and Ning Ning Yuchan spent a total of six years before casting stars with her Divine Soul.

In the end, she exchanged for a Refine Spirit Jin Dan, which Xu Jin nurtured with three essences before she cast stars with her Divine Soul.

Xu Jin estimated that even if he hadn't nurtured that Refine Spirit Jin Dan with three essences, Ning Ning Yuchan would still have been able to cast stars with her Divine Soul, but her Divine Soul cultivation definitely wouldn't have been as high as it was now.

Actually, these two were representatives of commoner disciples.

Especially Old Qi, who was the grass-roots of the grass-roots, considered an ordinary genius among the grass-roots.

Ning Ning Yuchan was considered a genius disciple from an ordinary family background.

So casting stars with the Divine Soul was slower.

But if there was strong family support, like Ji Ji Hongli, Wang Wang Jiugao, Ying Ge, and others, they could cast stars with their Divine Soul very early.

Not to mention anything else, a Ding Shen Jin Dan plus about ten opportunities on the Heaven-Ascending Steps were enough for most people to cast stars with their Divine Soul.

Like genius disciples such as Wang Wang Jiugao and Ying Ge, they could also obtain three to five opportunities on the Heaven-Ascending Steps in the Academy, and with family assistance, it was very easy to cast stars with their Divine Soul.

If they performed outstandingly and obtained a Refine Spirit Jin Dan, casting stars with the Divine Soul would be even faster.

For disciples from small families or local wealthy families, as long as the family could support three to five opportunities on the Heaven-Ascending Steps, which was 30,000 to 50,000 Dao Merits, plus a Ding Shen Jin Dan, most could cast stars with their Divine Soul in about a year.

But if there was no family support, it was very difficult.

Dao Merits were not easy to earn.

Just like Xu Jin, after killing his way through a second-tier Fire-Splendor Star Domain and gaining a great deal in the third-tier Purple Wind Star Domain, plus numerous rewards, he only had a net worth of 30,000 to 50,000 Dao Merits.

Old Qi was actually quite miserable; he was a genius disciple, but he was at the bottom of the genius disciples, with very average performance, and the rewards he received from the Lord Lingji Star Palace back then were relatively few.

The only resources he had were used to improve his cultivation base; if his cultivation base couldn't keep up, he would receive even fewer resources.

That was why he spent over a decade before casting stars with his Divine Soul.

That was how he had his later thick accumulation and thin hair.

And most of the disciples who could enter the National Dao Academy had family support.

Moreover, those who came here were all wanting to engrave patterns, and they all knew the requirements for engraving patterns.

So there were quite a few disciples who had cast stars with their Divine Soul.

Once the second-tier Star Jade Tablet was in hand, Xu Jin's Divine Soul power surged in, and he instantly sensed the thick Star Power contained within. The next instant, Xu Jin began to engrave the Star Hub Star Pattern.

The Star Hub Star Pattern had to cover all the Star Power within the Star Jade Tablet as much as possible.

But as long as there was external force surging in, it would cause the Star Power within the Star Jade Tablet to surge and overflow into every corner, making it impossible to cover everything.

What was needed here was speed and stability.

Generally speaking, covering eighty percent of the Star Power within a Star Jade Tablet with the Star Hub Star Pattern was a qualified base pattern.

Ninety percent was considered a very excellent base pattern.

Xu Jin had practiced the Star Hub Star Pattern tens of thousands of times in the Star Lamp and was already extremely familiar with it.

Powerful Divine Soul power surged in, like writing, forming the Star Hub Star Pattern in one stroke, instantly covering the entire Star Jade Tablet, causing the entire Star Jade Tablet to emit faint Star Power fluctuations.

The base pattern was completed in one go.

Xu Jin's mind swept over it. Within the Star Hub Star Pattern, only about eighty-five percent of the Star Power was bound.

Not bad, qualified.

But it didn't reach excellent.

Pondering for a few breaths, he reviewed the points to note during the engraving process just now.

Xu Jin picked up the second Star Jade Tablet again to make a base pattern.

Five breaths later, the second base pattern was completed.

Ninety percent.

It was at an excellent level.

Xu Jin was very satisfied.

After reflecting again, he began to make the third base pattern, and in less than five breaths, it was completed.

As his mind sensed it, Xu Jin smiled slightly; there was progress again.

It was ninety-one percent of the Star Power.

The quality of the base pattern was closely related to the tier of the pattern.

Only base patterns that bound ninety percent or more of the Star Power within the jade tablet could produce corresponding mid-grade patterns.

The Linking Star Pattern had to be engraved simultaneously with the Star Art being engraved, connecting the Star Hub Star Pattern with the Star Art to be engraved, forming a closed loop.

According to Xu Jin's understanding, it was like using the base pattern engraved with the Star Hub Star Pattern as the human Star Core; this was the energy source, and the Linking Star Pattern was a bit like an engine that converted and output energy, while the Star Art Star Pattern was the drive system.

It sounded simple, but it was quite laborious to do.

Use Divine Sense to mobilize the Star Power within the Star Hub to form the Star Art, but keep it hidden and not released, then use the Linking Star Pattern to connect and solidify it one by one.

This step was the most time-consuming and the most critical.

Xu Jin, who was just learning, was clumsy, and there were several times when he almost failed and exploded the pattern, but he relied on his powerful Divine Soul power to bind it and held on.

Fifty breaths later, under Xu Jin's guidance, all the Star Power aura returned to the jade tablet, and then he added a layer of sealing Star Pattern to the jade tablet to seal the Star Power within it, preventing the Star Power from gradually diminishing with the passage of time.

A second-tier Star Shield pattern was completed.

Bang!

Bang!

Inside the academy hall, explosions were heard one after another.

One disciple after another exploded their patterns.

Some experienced disciples had long ago raised their protective starlight, while some inexperienced disciples were left in a sorry state by the exploding patterns.

This was also one of the difficulties of pattern engraving.

Low-tier patterns were fine.

Mid-to-high-tier patterns had high value and contained massive Star Power. If a pattern exploded during the engraving process, it would not only cause huge losses but could even seriously injure oneself.

Bang!

The sound of an explosion rang out instantly beside Xu Jin, and he saw Ji Ji Hongli jump up sharply; her pattern had exploded.

"Senior Brother, sorry..."

Seeing that she had affected Xu Jin, Ji Ji Hongli felt a bit embarrassed.

Suddenly, Ji Ji Hongli saw the second-tier pattern in Xu Jin's hand and said in surprise, "Senior Brother, you succeeded?"

Xu Jin nodded lightly.

Ji Ji Hongli was stunned. "Senior Brother, this is your first time coming to class! This is my second time today."

"My first time." Xu Jin was frank. "Succeeded on the first try on the first attempt." Ji Ji Hongli looked at Xu Jin, her eyes full of little stars.

Senior Brother is worthy of being Senior Brother!

Wang Wang Jiugao on the right was affected by Ji Ji Hongli's words, looked at Xu Jin, and then—bang!

His pattern also exploded.

Fortunately, according to Academic Master Kou's instructions, he had long ago raised his protective starlight, otherwise, he would have been extremely embarrassed.

Then he looked at Xu Jin with a bitter expression.

No envy, only admiration!

Senior Brother is Senior Brother!

"Focus, Divine Soul power must be stable, continue."

Xu Jin gave the two a hint and continued to engrave the second pattern.

Engraving the second one, Xu Jin had experience.

The mistakes he made before were also corrected this time.

During the engraving process, the crisis of exploding patterns was reduced from over a dozen times in the first attempt to three times, which he safely passed with his powerful Divine Soul power.

The second attempt was successful.

After reviewing for a minute, Xu Jin began the third engraving.

The third engraving was extremely smooth, having learned from the lessons of the first two.

In one go.

In less than forty breaths, a second-tier Star Shield pattern was completed.

Just at this time, Ji Ji Hongli and Wang Wang Jiugao also breathed a sigh of relief one after another.

Both succeeded!

Both were successfully made.

It's just that Ji Ji Hongli was here for the second time, while Wang Wang Jiugao was here for the third time.

"Senior Brother, I succeeded."

Ji Ji Hongli smiled sweetly, and in her excitement, she subconsciously hugged Xu Jin's arm, but then realized something and quickly moved away from Xu Jin like a rabbit.

Wang Wang Jiugao on the right was about to report the good news, but suddenly saw the three jade tablets without any Star Power fluctuations placed in front of Xu Jin, and he was stunned.

"Senior Brother, you succeeded in all three?"

Star Jade Tablets would emit Star Power fluctuations, but finished patterns, because the Star Power was bound and sealed, would not emit Star Power fluctuations.

Xu Jin nodded.

Subsequently, Ji Ji Hongli, in her surprise, immediately said, "Senior Brother, report quickly, there are rewards! Not to mention the rewards, but those who complete the first three will also be personally pointed out by the Academic Master."

"Right, right!"

Upon hearing this, just as Xu Jin was about to report, a disciple suddenly stood up and said, "Reporting to the Academic Master, I have completed it."

Xu Jin was a step late.

Immediately, a second disciple also reported completion.

Seeing this, Xu Jin also stood up to report immediately, but he was already ranked third.

Kou Jing, who was closing his eyes to rest, opened them upon hearing this, but didn't look. With a wave of his hand, he first took the three patterns of the first disciple who reported to his front, sank his Divine Sense into them, and began to comment.

"The second hook of the Linking Star Pattern is too urgent and too narrow. The fourth connection point has too sharp a turn, which will affect the output speed of Star Power, thereby affecting the output power.

Overall, this second-tier Star Shield pattern of yours is not bad; it can be considered a second-tier mid-grade pattern, close to high-grade. Keep working hard, and you can reach a second-tier high-grade pattern.

Not bad, continue."

The disciple receiving the comments was a core disciple of Academic Master Kou's academy hall, named Wen Lie, with a cultivation base of the fourth-tier Condense Star, who had been learning patterns from Academic Master Kou for over half a year.

After commenting, the Academic Master casually threw out a third-tier pattern, which flew toward Wen Lie. "For the first one to complete, I reward you with a third-tier high-grade pattern engraved by my own hand."

Below, Ji Ji Hongli's cheeks were puffed up with anger.

Just a little bit, just a little bit, and this reward would have been Xu Jin's.

That angry look was both delicate and pretty.

At this moment, she looked even angrier than Xu Jin.

Subsequently, the Academic Master also commented on the second disciple who completed it, Yan Jiang.

Although the speed was slightly slower, this Yan Jiang had made two second-tier high-grade patterns out of the three second-tier patterns, and the Academic Master was quite fond of this Yan Jiang, giving him many comments.

After commenting, Kou Jing looked at Xu Jin. Upon seeing Xu Jin, Kou Jing was stunned for a moment.

The current Xu Jin might not be fully recognized by the disciples of the National Dao Academy, but the Academic Masters and Deputy Academic Masters had an extremely deep impression of him.

Not to mention anything else, Academic Master Kou had also spent two Long Gui Prince Duan Po Dan on Xu Jin.

That was worth at least 30,000 Dao Merits.

It was hard to forget such a painful thing.

Kou Jing hadn't expected Xu Jin to come to listen to the pattern lecture.

However, Academic Master Kou had been in a high position for a long time, and the surprise only flashed in his eyes before he beckoned to take the three patterns Xu Jin had engraved.

"This one, although successful, is obviously somewhat clumsy. Many places were completed in a precarious manner, barely taking shape; it can be considered the lowest of the low-grade.

If the user is unlucky, it is easy to hurt themselves; destroy it.

Clumsy!"

Because they were jade tablets distributed for free, all finished products had to be collected and handed over to the National Dao Academy for sale to supplement the classroom consumption.

When the Academic Master destroyed this lowest of the low-grade pattern of Xu Jin in front of everyone, someone chuckled.

In an instant, the chuckling turned into a roar of laughter!

Xu Jin didn't care about this laughter, but Ji Ji Hongli was so angry that she gnashed her teeth and stood up to argue, but suddenly, Academic Master Kou Jing's gaze moved, and over a hundred Star Power whips condensed in the void!

Then they lashed out fiercely at the disciples who were laughing!

Slap, slap, slap, slap!

The sound of the whips lashing out was endless!

A smart aleck subconsciously or felt he could dodge, and shrank back, avoiding the Academic Master's punishment.

This directly enraged the Academic Master. With a flick of his finger, a long rope of starlight hung the disciple up, and then the starlight whip lashed out slap, slap, slap!

He lashed ten times in a row!

Directly lashing the back until it was torn and bloody, and he screamed, only then did he stop!

"His pattern is clumsy, but it is only clumsy in the eyes of me, his teacher! You bunch of things that keep exploding patterns, what qualifications do you have to laugh at him?

If you have the ability, you make a clumsy work for me to comment on?"

A few words from the Academic Master made the disciples who had just been laughing lower their heads one by one.

The disciple who was hung up and lashed was even more ashamed, hiding in the corner with his head lowered, not daring to speak.

"I repeat, my classroom does not forbid speech, but it forbids you from mocking others!

Academic studies have order!

Specializations have their own focus!

Everyone's talent is different, and their specialties are also different!

Even if he is useless in the pattern class here, he might achieve something in alchemy, casting, beast control, or sea-faring!

If there is another time, you will be forbidden from entering the hall!" Kou Jing said sternly.

In an instant, all the disciples in the academy hall were awe-struck.

The next instant, Academic Master Kou Jing continued to comment on Xu Jin's second pattern. "Hmm, this one is still only a second-tier low-grade pattern, but it can be called a finished product.

Good progress.

However, the first connection point was a bit urgent; when it took shape, the Divine Soul power added was insufficient, which would lead to output stagnation."

Xu Jin listened carefully and accepted the teaching one by one.

Some problems were ones he had already discovered during the engraving process, while others were ones he hadn't discovered, which were now pointed out by the Academic Master.

More than six problems were pointed out by the Academic Master.

When the Academic Master's mind sank into the third pattern, he was slightly startled.

He couldn't help but take another look at Xu Jin.

This third pattern had made significant progress compared to the second, barely reaching the level of a second-tier mid-grade pattern.

But if compared to the clumsy work of the first one, this progress was very large.

Moreover, in his impression, Xu Jin should be coming to his classroom for the first time.

"Xu Jin, how long have you been learning patterns?" Academic Master Kou asked.

"Reporting to the Academic Master, today is the first time."

"And Star Patterns?"

"I have been learning the relevant Star Patterns for a long time, over a month and a half, right?" Xu Jin deliberately lengthened the time; in fact, it had only been ten days or so.

"Hmm, I can tell, you have put in hard work! Your attainment level in the Star Hub Star Pattern is higher than many disciples who have learned for a year or two."

Upon hearing this, the Academic Master pointed at the disciples in his academy hall and scolded them, "Look, look, you are all learning from me, yet your attainment in the Star Hub Star Pattern is not as good as Xu Jin, who has only learned for a month and a half!"

Directly scolding a group of disciples until they lowered their heads one by one.

Xu Jin was helpless and ashamed!

This made the Academic Master pull hatred for him again.

After scolding, the Academic Master looked at everyone and said, "Others continue, there is still a quarter of an hour left. Those who haven't finished can only listen to the next part of the content and cannot engrave."

After speaking, the Academic Master suddenly flicked three points of starlight toward Xu Jin, and at the same time sent a voice transmission to Xu Jin.

"There is still time, you practice a few more!"

Kou Jing had developed the intention to test Xu Jin.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 218 =====