[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-238":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},2275096,4448,"Chapter 238: Defining the Divine","the-star-martial-era-chapter-238",238,"\u003Cp>\"I didn't realize you had so many secrets—hidden pretty deep, huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the slope beneath the Star Gate, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao looked down at Xu Jin with a cold sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he sneered, he casually summoned a veil of starlight that enveloped the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It ensures not a single sound escapes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin stood there, head bowed, shoulders hunched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like being caught skipping class by his advisor back in school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, that was just a fleeting thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Grand Master had discovered him, Xu Jin realized the gravity of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although from this incident, Grand Master’s attitude toward the Lingji Star Temple seemed somewhat ambiguous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Jin dared not gamble on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mind raced, thinking of how to respond—or rather, how to fabricate an excuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next instant, Grand Master’s words shattered all of Xu Jin’s illusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Star Healing, Disguise, Qi Tian Sheng, Invisibility, Purple Thunder Strike, Lingji Remnant—you’ve got one explosive identity after another. The entire Great Chen is hunting Lingji remnants, yet I never imagined one would be hiding among my own disciples.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I must say, your audacity far exceeds what I imagined.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his Lingji remnant identity exposed, Xu Jin’s heart pounded—he thought it was all over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after hearing the rest of Grand Master’s words, Xu Jin felt a sudden relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just from the tone, he could already tell the consequences weren’t as dire as he’d feared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I possibly compare to you, Grand Master? You are the sun and moon in the heavens; I am but the mud beneath your feet,\" Xu Jin bluffed, flattery dripping from his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough! Stop right there!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you think I’m the sun and moon?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I couldn’t kill Hu Zhen—but you, a Lingji remnant, did.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re the sun and moon; I’m the mud beneath your feet,\" Cheng Yuexiao sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin fell silent—he still had no idea where he’d slipped up and been exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, what exactly happened? What’s the story with this Star Gate? How did Hu Zhen get summoned?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xu Jin’s silence, Cheng Yuexiao pressed on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mentioning it made Xu Jin’s heart grow heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The massacre in Shilong County, at its root, was tied to him and Old Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin felt deep guilt over it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was precisely why, for the past three days, he’d thrown himself into disaster relief without sleep or rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When his star energy ran out, he directly tapped into the Can Dou Altar’s starlight—never once sleeping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just wanted to save lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Master, how did you know I was the Lingji remnant who killed Hu Zhen?\" Xu Jin asked, head still bowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the one thing he most wanted to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Grand Master could see through him, could others spot him just as easily?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d believed his actions were flawless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Grand Master had seen through him at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was devastating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmph, the Chaos Starfall was given to you by me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Only a handful can activate the Star Dome protection, and among those below fifth rank, the number is minuscule.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Those skilled in lightning-based star arts are even rarer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Plus, you previously sent me star-communications with those questions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And then I noticed you weren’t at the National Dao Academy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Put it all together—even a fool could deduce it was you,\" Cheng Yuexiao sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You weren’t at the National Dao Academy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was about to ask how he’d found out, but then realized—with Grand Master Cheng’s power, he could easily dispatch someone to verify his absence instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Xu Jin deflated like a punctured balloon, spreading his hands helplessly. \"Fine, Grand Master—I’m the Lingji remnant who killed Hu Zhen’s primordial spirit. I just couldn’t hold back—I was furious, couldn’t accept it, and saw an opportunity, so I struck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Master… you’re not going to kill me, are you?\" Xu Jin looked up, anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yuexiao’s expression turned serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>SLAP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He delivered a sharp smack to the back of Xu Jin’s head. \"Kill you? Am I that stupid? Even if I wanted to kill you, I’d first imprison you, torment you day and night until you exhausted every Golden Star and Brilliant Star—why would I just kill you casually?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This shocked Xu Jin so badly his face turned pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that happened, death would be preferable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to be killed outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at you, scared stiff—sit down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yuexiao casually sat on the grass, patted the ground beside him, gesturing for Xu Jin to sit, then let down his bound hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Twenty-four years ago, when I first entered the Great Chen National Dao Academy, the Great Chen still revered the Lingji Star Temple. As the top scorer in the Autumn Exams, I was granted special permission to train inside the Lingji Star Temple for a month, where I received a Lingji Star Temple Divine Soul Star Pattern.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Twenty-three years ago, I won first place in the Grand Competition, earned a great merit, and gained access to the Lingji Star Temple’s Mystical Realm, where I successfully forged my Divine Soul Star.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Twenty-two years ago, I fought alongside Lingji Star Temple disciples to conquer the Huoxuan Star Region.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you really count it, I might as well be considered a Lingji remnant myself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Grand Master’s calm recounting, Xu Jin instantly calmed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand Master was clearly revealing his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Grand Master had spoken so openly, there was no point for Xu Jin to hide anything further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately recounted everything about Qi Shanye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he listened, Grand Master sighed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Qi—I knew him well. He even beat me up back then. Too bad he was so stubborn—if he’d just come to Wan Yi to find me, I would’ve found him a legitimate identity without hesitation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why on earth did he need to threaten his entire family just to find a successor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps Master didn’t want to burden you,\" Xu Jin said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Grand Master slowly nodded. \"That fits Old Qi’s character. I’d heard he was trapped in Jinshan County.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But back then, I couldn’t interfere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he’d come to me secretly, I could’ve helped—but in broad daylight, I couldn’t act.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Xu Jin recounted everything about luring Hu Xuechuan to his death: meeting Old Qi, receiving the Break-Spirit Star Pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only thing he withheld was the Star-Picking Tower’s branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t yet decided whether to reveal it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because such a thing could be stripped away, taken by force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Golden Stars and Brilliant Stars? No one could take those.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Xu Jin didn’t trust Grand Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He trusted him deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how much you trust someone, you never fully lay your heart bare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Xu Jin spoke of how Hu Zhen had been drawn in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Master, I’m sorry! I never imagined killing an insignificant henchman would draw out Hu Zhen—and trigger a massacre!\" Xu Jin’s face was filled with remorse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Grand Master sighed deeply. \"Don’t burden yourself with guilt—you’re still young. Don’t feel you must carry so much. Besides, Hu Zhen isn’t the first to commit a massacre—he’s done it before. We just couldn’t stop him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grand Master was now comforting Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grand Master, if Hu Zhen commits massacres, why don’t the other sects intervene? The Tianyang Star Temple, the Cangming Star Temple—they just watch? They allow a mass murderer to roam free—and even obstruct justice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t that a violation of universal righteousness?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn’t it true that greater power brings greater responsibility?\" Xu Jin asked, puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s words made Grand Master’s eyes suddenly brighten. \"Greater power brings greater responsibility—you’re absolutely right! But in this age where power resides solely in the individual, not everyone shares that conviction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To many, I, the Grand Master, am like a god.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But in truth, I’m just an ordinary person with great power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yet many who wield great power believe they are gods themselves!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One major reason the Lingji Star Temple fell was because Lingji Star Lord sought to define godhood!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He intended, upon reaching the ninth rank, to define what a god truly is!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To establish divine laws and divine punishment!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But before he could reach the ninth rank, the Lingji Star Temple was first sealed and destroyed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Define godhood?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The ancient Lingji Star Lord believed those who wielded great power were like gods—but without any constraints. So he wanted to redefine godhood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To designate those with great power as gods, but also to establish divine rules and divine punishment,\" Cheng Yuexiao said. \"It’s a magnificent idea,\" Xu Jin replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I agree. But most who wield great power dislike this idea. So...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the Spirit Era Star Hall was besieged and destroyed?” Xu Jin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could say that! The Spirit Era Star Hall was indeed sealed after being besieged by multiple factions—otherwise, neither the Heaven Sun Star Hall, nor the Azure Star Hall, nor the Calamity-Subduing Star Hall could have done it alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the reasons behind the siege and sealing of the Spirit Era Star Hall are complex, with other factors involved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Defining the gods was merely one major reason—or rather, a spark,” Cheng Yuexiao said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand Master, is the Spirit Era Star Lord still alive?” Xu Jin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yuexiao shook his head. “I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the Spirit Era Star Hall and its remnants are absolute taboos in this age.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This taboo, tied to defining the gods, is far more terrifying than you imagine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must be careful in the future—especially with your invisibility technique, which vanished right before everyone’s eyes. Use it sparingly in public.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, your identity as Tian Zhi—only heaven knows, earth knows, you know, and I know. No one else must ever find out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, when you need to go out, use the identity of Qi Tian Sheng.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Otherwise, stay low-key,” Cheng Yuexiao said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, also—how did you activate your Star Healing Technique?” the Grand Master suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I used a very special method to channel it through a star core.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can you teach it to others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” Xu Jin shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can’t, or won’t?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one but me can use it. I can use it, but I cannot teach it.” Xu Jin couldn’t answer this—he couldn’t reveal the abilities granted by the Can Dou Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What if I intervened to study it?” Cheng Yuexiao pressed, unwilling to give up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Xu Jin realize how important the Star Healing Technique was—but he still shook his head helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even you, Grand Master, can’t study it! I can’t explain it—if I do, others won’t learn it, but I’ll die on the spot.” To make Cheng Yuexiao give up, Xu Jin invented a lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Cheng Yuexiao’s gaze sharpened—he clearly filled in the blanks himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then don’t speak of it. Also, you should use your Star Healing Technique sparingly in public,” the Grand Master instructed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?” Xu Jin frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Star Healing Technique is the exclusive art of the Wood Spirit Palace. Every user is registered there. If the Wood Spirit Palace notices you, it’ll be a major problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In the future, disguise it as a talisman,” Cheng Yuexiao advised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Wood Spirit Palace? Why have I never heard of it?” Xu Jin exclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve only been cultivating for a few days—there’s far more you haven’t heard of. There’s also the Vast Palace. Spend more time in the library, and you’ll learn. Now hurry back to the State Dao Academy. I still need to seal this star gate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fortunately, this star gate was opened from the outside—the alien races within this star domain probably haven’t noticed yet. Otherwise, another catastrophe would have erupted,” Cheng Yuexiao said, pointing to the star gate behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin nodded. Just as he was about to leave, he turned back. “Grand Master, can you mark this sixth-rank star domain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teacher Qi and Master Mo are trapped inside. If I get the chance later, I want to go rescue them—if they’re still alive,” Xu Jin said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s rare to see you care so much. Old Qi’s got good luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng Yuexiao smiled and nodded. “I’ll leave you a star domain beacon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if you want to rescue them, hurry. Without sixth-rank cultivation, you won’t stand a chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you, Grand Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Xu Jin bowed deeply to Cheng Yuexiao, then turned and strode away, heading straight for Songzhou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Return to the State Dao Academy. Cultivate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the afternoon of October 19, Xu Jin first returned to Wan Yi under the identity of Qi Tian Sheng, then stealthily infiltrated the State Dao Academy at dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing Xu Jin did upon returning to his small courtyard in the State Dao Academy was sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t slept for three days and four nights—he was utterly exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No need for dream-warming—he collapsed into sleep immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He awoke again on the morning of October 20.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing he did upon waking was cultivate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the time he left the State Dao Academy on the 14th until now, six days had passed without cultivation—he himself found it strangely uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completing his morning exercises, he felt as invigorated as a seasoned smoker finally drawing a long-awaited puff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he took out paper and pen and made himself a list.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A list of tasks he absolutely had to accomplish in the coming period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first task: repay his debts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still owed Vice Chief Ling 7,600 strands of starlight—a massive sum that must be repaid urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second task: accumulate starlight to upgrade his Star Picking Tokens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Star Picking Tokens must be upgraded—at least to second rank to unlock the teleportation function.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t too expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upgrading a first-rank Star Picking Token to second rank required ten thousand merits and a hundred strands of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third task: craft talismans—this was a way to repay debts and earn starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fourth task: still talismans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he needed to stockpile them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was now effectively a commander with no troops—he had not a single talisman of fourth rank or higher left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, he still had a few fifth-rank star cores, capable of unleashing a single strike equivalent to a fifth-rank expert, giving him at least a sliver of security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But star cores couldn’t be nurtured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A nurtured fifth-rank talisman could slay fifth-rank experts and even injure sixth-rank ones—their power was entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he couldn’t bring himself to ask Chief University Zheng Kou again, or buy them, or beg the Grand Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking it over, Xu Jin decided to quickly craft some talismans, sell them for starlight, then acquire a few sixth-rank star cores at the auction to keep as emergency reserves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two or three sixth-rank star cores should be enough for emergencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fifth task: replace all the Spirit Era Star Hall’s ultimate star patterns obtained from the Star Picking Tower—this would significantly boost his strength, and it couldn’t wait!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sixth task: study the various Spirit Era Star Hall star pattern manuscripts that Teacher Qi Shanye had acquired from the Star Picking Tower’s branch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After studying them, Xu Jin could once again infer the Divine Soul Star Pattern, then quickly convert his Golden Stars and Brilliant Stars into true power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, all those Golden Stars and Brilliant Stars were nothing but paper figures—useless until converted!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this battle, Xu Jin desperately wanted to grow stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to grow truly, genuinely stronger!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by growing stronger could he make his will influence this world!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Planning was planning—but tasks had to be done one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Xu Jin’s mind shifted, sinking into the Upper Star Palace, ready to first complete the latest version of the Cheng Po Star Pattern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Cheng Po Star Pattern Xu Jin learned from Old Qi was fourth-rank middle; the latest Spirit Era Star Hall version was fifth-rank upper—a leap of four minor tiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gap was substantial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By conventional understanding, the power of the Cheng Po Star Pattern should have increased by at least forty percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when Xu Jin’s mind sank into the Upper Star Palace and looked at his four Divine Soul Stars, he froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Divine Soul cultivation base was fourth-rank Condensing Star Third Layer, early stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fourth Divine Soul Star had only just formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet now, it was fully formed and stable, surrounded by a significant amount of Divine Soul radiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fourth Divine Soul Star’s cultivation had risen spontaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It couldn’t have risen spontaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin suddenly realized this must have been the passive effect of having inscribed four Chengpo star runes in one breath earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over these past few days?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After engraving the Cheng Po Star Pattern for so long, this was the first time Xu Jin had directly witnessed the passive cultivation-boosting effect Old Qi had mentioned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, an idea struck Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the fourth-rank middle Cheng Po Star Pattern he’d engraved had this effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if he switched to the latest fifth-rank upper version?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what if he further inferred it using Golden Stars?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of effect would that produce?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2858,"2026-06-19T23:56:34.019Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c8d1c9f26072f2db83e1f1121daabafd492e0fe1bf1a1a27dcc066c2a95db624","the-star-martial-era-chapter-239","the-star-martial-era-chapter-237",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]