Chapter 242: Reaction

When Kou Jing, the Chief Academician, broke through, the entire National Dao Academy was stirred when Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao issued the lockdown order.

Many people were eagerly watching.

But what they hoped for differed greatly.

In Fang Shi's academic hall, Fang Shinan stood by the window, sensing the vast energy emanating from the neighboring hall.

In fact, he had sensed such fluctuations twice in the past month.

But both previous attempts had failed.

What about this time?

Could Kou Jing break through?

Hard to say!

Uncertain!

The probability of a third breakthrough should be very low.

Just as he pondered, Fang Shinan suddenly saw a crimson starlight descending from the sky.

Even in daylight, the falling starlight was strikingly visible.

"Has he actually succeeded? And is it fire?"

"Has the Dao Academy obtained or deduced a seventh-rank fire star pattern?"

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Fang Shinan's mind.

He knew the National Dao Academy's resources well.

The strongest star art of Chen Guo's Dao Academy was wind, and he had studied the seventh-rank upper wind star pattern—but like Kou Jing, he had failed to break through in wind.

His cultivation base was stuck at the peak of sixth rank.

Besides that, the Dao Academy likely possessed at least one seventh-rank middle gold star pattern.

For years, he had focused entirely on gold star art, hoping to break through via the gold star pattern.

The Dao Academy also allegedly held a seventh-rank lower earth-source star pattern, but almost no one used seventh-rank lower earth-source patterns for breakthroughs.

The higher the rank of the star pattern used in breakthrough, the greater the chance of success.

Breaking from sixth to seventh rank is already extremely difficult; using a seventh-rank upper pattern gives roughly a thirty percent chance.

But using a seventh-rank lower pattern reduces the chance to only ten percent.

So Fang Shinan chose the more certain seventh-rank middle gold-source star pattern—even so, the breakthrough probability was only twenty percent.

For years, Fang Shinan had prepared meticulously, never daring to take that step.

If he failed again, he would have to re-cultivate an entirely new star pattern from scratch.

But he never expected that Kou Jing had broken through—and with a fire star pattern.

That meant the Dao Academy now possessed a seventh-rank lower or higher fire-source star pattern.

As far as he knew, the highest version of the Dao Academy's fire-source star pattern had always been sixth-rank middle.

Because it was only sixth-rank middle, few had ever bothered to deduce it.

So where had this seventh-rank lower fire-source star pattern come from?

Had Grand Master Cheng deduced it?

The likelihood was probably low.

It was very possible Grand Master Cheng had deduced the fire-source pattern from sixth-rank middle to sixth-rank upper.

But pushing it from sixth-rank upper to seventh-rank lower was extremely difficult.

Very difficult!

Otherwise, Chen Guo's Dao Academy wouldn't have had only three usable seventh-rank star patterns all these years—in truth, only two were usable.

So where had this high-rank seventh-rank fire-source star pattern come from?

Suddenly, Fang Shinan thought of one possibility.

Gold Star!

Only the Gold Star could produce such an effect!

Could that legendary genius who had plucked six Gold Stars in a row not be a disciple of Chen Guo's Dao Academy?

If so?

Then who could that genius be?

In an instant, a figure flashed into Fang Shinan's mind.

But after thinking, he deemed it unlikely.

A disciple at Star Refining stage, even with a Gold Star, could not deduce a seventh-rank star pattern.

The Gold Star's Dao derivation offers opportunity, not direct power!

Then…

After pondering, Fang Shinan walked toward Grand Master Cheng's Danxia Academy.

He needed to ask Grand Master Cheng.

To find out what rank this fire-source star pattern truly was.

If it was seventh-rank upper, he would have to switch to fire cultivation and seek breakthrough through fire.

Chen Guo's Dao Academy possessed only a seventh-rank middle gold-source star pattern.

Meanwhile, Pan Hong and Gao Xuan, both Chief Academicians, were also staring intently at the starlight descending from Kou Jing's hall.

The four Chief Academicians had been together for over a decade.

Now that Kou Jing had suddenly broken through, it brought them considerable pressure.

Yet compared to the Chief Academicians' pressure, the twelve Vice Academicians felt even greater pressure.

Or rather, even greater excitement.

Especially Song Ziye, formerly the top of the twelve Vice Academicians, who now rubbed his hands together.

When Chief Academician Kou Jing breaks through to seventh rank, by Dao Academy tradition, he will soon be assigned to guard another critical location.

That means one Chief Academician position will become vacant.

And that vacant position will be filled from among the twelve Vice Academicians.

And Song Ziye, after years of effort, had been striving for nothing else but this Chief Academician seat!

He had the seniority, and his cultivation had just broken through to sixth rank—when the time came, this new Chief Academician would surely be him!

Song Ziye thought this way, and the other Vice Academicians were also pondering.

A soldier who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good soldier.

A Vice Academician who doesn't want to be a Chief Academician isn't a good Academician!

Liu Feiyan felt the same.

But Liu Feiyan dared only think it, never dwell on it.

Chief Academician.

One of the hard requirements for promotion to Chief Academician was reaching sixth-rank cultivation.

Her cultivation had been stuck at the peak of fifth rank for years, with no sign of breakthrough.

Two years ago, Grand Master Cheng had said she had a chance to break through to sixth rank within five years.

Just a chance!

After gazing at the hall for a while, Liu Feiyan turned away, filled with envy and longing.

"Xu Jin, when I sensed Chief Academician Kou Jing breaking through, you seemed to trigger your fire-source star pattern and even aided him—is that true? What happened?" Inside Danxia Palace, Grand Master Cheng asked Xu Jin, whom he had just recalled.

Xu Jin did not hide it—he told the truth honestly.

After all, Grand Master Cheng already knew his identity as a remnant of the Lingji Sect; Xu Jin also wanted to know the reason.

Your high-rank fire-source star pattern sensed it, so you went with the flow?

After listening, Grand Master Cheng frowned for a long while. "It seems the 'mother-embryo star pattern' theory is true."

"Mother-embryo star pattern?"

Grand Master Cheng explained a few points to Xu Jin.

In short, the star pattern possessed by the deducer of a star pattern is called the mother-embryo star pattern.

The mother-embryo star pattern offers some assistance to those who use that same pattern to break through to seventh rank.

But the seventh-rank star patterns preserved in various Star Halls and lineages are too distant—the original deducers have long passed away—so this phenomenon exists only in records, unverifiable.

"So if someone else uses a seventh-rank upper fire-source star pattern to break through, and I assist nearby, will it raise his chance of success?" Xu Jin asked.

"Precisely! I feel Kou Jing's breakthrough was no coincidence—it's tied to you," Cheng Yuexiao smiled.

"Then Grand Master, arrange it! The more seventh-rank breakthroughs we have in Chen Guo, the more confidence I'll have later." Xu Jin laughed.

"Don't think like that!"

Grand Master's expression turned serious.

"If someone keeps breaking through in fire star art, all factions will conclude Chen Guo possesses a seventh-rank upper—or even eighth-rank—high-grade fire-source star pattern.

But where did such a seventh-rank upper or eighth-rank fire-source star pattern come from?

Personal deduction usually takes years, even decades, to raise a star pattern by one or two ranks.

Such a rapid rise would make all factions suspect the high-grade Dao derivation of the Gold Star.

At that point, attention will return to Chen Guo's Dao Academy over the six consecutive Gold Stars. Who do you think has the greatest chance of plucking six Gold Stars?" Cheng Yuexiao asked.

Xu Jin's expression instantly turned solemn—it was him.

Unless Xu Jin vanished into obscurity, his suspicion would only grow.

"So, we must not rush. Of course, the most important thing is for you to raise your cultivation base. With your current Spirit Realm cultivation, breaking through to the fourth rank should be easy!"

Once the Nine-Star Tide passes, you should break through to the fourth rank and condense your star.

When your cultivation reaches mid-fourth rank, you'll have sufficient self-preservation power—and as time passes, the influence of those eight golden stars will weaken further!

All sides believe they've already been used up.

There will be no need to kill this peerless genius at any cost." Said Cheng Yuexiao.

Xu Jin didn't press further about the Nine-Star Tide; he merely asked casually about the star patterns.

Xu Jin's cultivation in the Central Star Palace had reached the peak of the Ninth Star Reaping, yet he still lacked two star patterns and didn't know which to engrave, so he sought advice from the Grand National Master.

"This matter, your teacher Liu Qingzhu already consulted me on a few days ago—and deliberately discussed and designed your developmental path with me."

Grand National Master Cheng Yuexiao's words made Xu Jin feel a little ashamed.

He hadn't expected Liu Qingzhu had already taken care of this for him.

"Liu Qingzhu and I discussed this multiple times. She believes your offense is strong, but your defense is lacking. Though your speed compensates somewhat, as your cultivation grows higher, this weakness will steadily amplify!"

So her suggestion is: one of your final two star pattern slots must be a mid-rank Earth Source.

Earth element offers the strongest defense. Once you master mid-rank Earth Source, with the basic star arts you've already learned, you'll immediately form a powerful defense—your defensive capability will be at least thirty percent stronger than your Fire defense." Said Cheng Yuexiao.

"But Grand National Master, I'm currently a high-rank Fire Source at seventh rank—shouldn't that bridge this gap?" Xu Jin frowned.

"Indeed it does!"

"But a cultivator must maintain diversity in star arts—it's essential. Otherwise, you become easy to target!"

Take me, for example: my main star arts are Wind, Earth, and Metal, but I also know a bit of Fire, Water, and Ice. When encountering special terrains or scenarios, I won't suffer major losses.

Specializing in just one element makes you vulnerable to being exploited.

So I believe Liu Qingzhu's suggestion is correct.

Moreover, she spent half a day wheedling me—and finally secured for you a sixth-rank-high Earth Source star pattern." Cheng Yuexiao smiled.

"A sixth-rank-high Earth Source star pattern?"

Xu Jin was surprised.

"Yes. Your teacher Liu Qingzhu is truly good to you—she begged me repeatedly, and I even felt embarrassed to refuse her. When she transmits it to you later, don't let on."

"Grand National Master, rest assured. By the way, Master, what's the latest version of the Earth Source star pattern in our National Dao Academy?" Xu Jin asked.

"The latest Earth Source star pattern is seventh-rank-low, but almost no one uses it for breakthroughs—the success rate is too low." Cheng Yuexiao raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you want it?"

Xu Jin chuckled. "Master, since you've already given me sixth-rank-high, why not go all the way and give me seventh-rank-low? It'd save trouble."

Hearing this, Cheng Yuexiao smiled. "You're still naive! Do you think I'm unwilling to give it to you?"

Normally, even third-rank cultivators can't learn seventh-rank star patterns—let alone fourth or fifth. You've studied seventh-rank patterns; you know why."

"Seventh-rank star patterns require insight."

But seeing Xu Jin's stubborn expression, Grand National Master Cheng Yuexiao laughed. "Fine, since you want to try, let you suffer a little setback—it'll do you good. I'll give it to you. Let you hit a wall."

"But still, the old rule applies: no external transmission."

As he spoke, Grand National Master Cheng Yuexiao pulled out the Nine Sheng Bell, tapped it lightly, and reinforced the sealing.

Not long after Xu Jin left, Fang Shinan arrived at Danxia Academy to request an audience with Grand National Master Cheng Yuexiao.

"Grand National Master, University Principal Kou Jing has broken through—also in Fire. I'd like to know what rank of Fire Source star pattern he used."

"University Principal Kou Jing used a seventh-rank-mid Fire Source star pattern," Cheng Yuexiao said calmly. "Why? Are you thinking of switching to Fire?"

"Just seventh-rank-mid?" Fang Shinan let out a long "Oh." "Then Kou's luck is truly good—he broke through on his third attempt with seventh-rank-mid."

"Indeed, he was lucky. I thought he'd fail just now," Cheng Yuexiao said without expression.

"May I ask, Grand National Master, how was the new seventh-rank Fire Source star pattern in our National Dao Academy obtained? I recall we only had sixth-rank-mid before?"

"That's ancient history. Over eighteen years ago, we already had sixth-rank-high Fire Source star patterns—but never released them. For years, I've been working with Peng Lao to jointly refine them; only recently did we achieve results," Cheng Yuexiao said calmly.

"Master, you've worked hard."

"It's my duty."

"If Shinan wishes to switch to Fire, you may begin with lower-rank patterns, prepare for three or four years, and then come to me for the seventh-rank-mid Fire Source star pattern. If you can break through in one go, it will be a great fortune for Chen Guo," said Cheng Yuexiao.

"Ah, thanks to your blessing—I hope I can break through! But for now, I'll continue with Metal. I'm nearly ready with Metal."

After several breaths, Fang Shinan left.

Immediately after Fang Shinan departed, Right Sacrificial Officer Song Bing arrived.

He asked similar questions, but focused on the origin and evolution of the seventh-rank-mid high-rank Fire Source star pattern.

Grand National Master Cheng Yuexiao dismissed him with a pre-prepared answer.

No sooner had Right Sacrificial Officer Song Bing left than Peng Lao, his beard and hair entirely white, emerged from the back hall, staring at Song Bing's retreating back with coldness.

"This turncoat still dares to fish for information? This thing—give it to anyone but him!" Peng Lao growled.

A few days ago, the incident in Shilong County had turned Song Bing's prepared recording jade tablet into Grand National Master's final backup—a last resort to fight the Heavenly Sun Star Palace to the death.

But this old fellow had quietly betrayed Grand National Master without a word.

Why say so?

On the surface, Song Bing had connected three imperial edicts from Emperor Gao Ye, appearing forced to enter the palace.

But the problem is—you didn't get dragged into the palace!

Even if you were reluctantly summoned, at the very least, you could have informed Grand National Master beforehand, so he, fighting on the front lines, could prepare!

Better yet, if you'd merely informed Grand National Master, Cheng Yuexiao would have rearranged everything—avoiding such helplessness!

But this old fellow slipped into the palace without a word.

He completely undermined Cheng Yuexiao.

Afterward, Peng Lao had even wanted to personally punish Song Bing.

But Grand National Master Cheng Yuexiao stopped him.

He said: the Chen Guo National Dao Academy is not Cheng Yuexiao's personal domain—it belongs to Chen Guo.

Song Bing is also the Right Sacrificial Officer of Chen Guo!

If Peng Lao went to punish Song Bing directly, it would mark the beginning of a rift between the National Dao Academy and the Chen Guo court.

Not to mention, just two days ago, Emperor Gao Ye had granted Song Bing the additional title of Right Chancellor!

But in truth, this incident fully revealed Song Bing's true colors—and cleared a mine for Grand National Master Cheng Yuexiao.

"If Song Bing's strength could advance further, it would be Chen Guo's fortune. But regarding anything related to Xu Jin—he must never know. This man thinks too much."

As they spoke, Peng Lao's expression shifted. "Master, Chief Manager Chu and University Principal Gao have arrived."

Hearing this, Cheng Yuexiao rubbed his brow. "Indeed—demons and monsters are all stirring."

Inside the palace, Emperor Gao Ye gazed from above toward the direction of the Chen Guo National Dao Academy.

The starlight from Kou Jing's breakthrough had long faded.

But the reactions it triggered were rapidly spreading.

Especially within Chen Guo.

Suddenly, a flash of starlight appeared as Chief Manager Chu landed a hundred meters away, then hurried up the stairs to stand behind Emperor Gao Ye.

"Your Majesty, I've confirmed it. Grand National Master says he and Peng Lao have spent years refining the Fire Source star pattern. Eighteen years ago, they reached sixth-rank-high. Ten years ago, seventh-rank-low. One month ago, seventh-rank-mid."

"Grand National Master also showed me his years of refinement records—hundreds of jade tablets. I found them convincing."

"Convincing?"

Emperor Gao Ye smiled. "There's more to your words. Speak."

"Your Majesty, Grand National Master claims he achieved sixth-rank-high Fire Source star patterns eighteen years ago and seventh-rank-low ten years ago. So I took the liberty of checking: in the past eighteen years, has anyone in the National Dao Academy learned or used sixth-rank-high or seventh-rank-low Fire Source star patterns?"

"But after reviewing all known experts' records, I found no evidence of anyone learning or using either sixth-rank-high or seventh-rank-low Fire Source star patterns." Chief Manager Chu whispered.

"Oh? Truly?"

Chief Manager Chu immediately knelt. "I would never dare deceive Your Majesty."

He offered two jade tablets with both hands. "These are the secret archives from the Spring Rain Bureau and Imperial City Bureau—there is truly no record."

Emperor Gao Ye did not look at them. He asked instead: "What do you think Grand National Master is trying to hide?"

Chief Manager Chu raised his eyes to the Emperor's back, then spoke slowly: "Perhaps the Golden Stars?"

"What do you mean?"

"I suspect the peerless genius who plucked six Golden Stars may be in Chen Guo—or perhaps several geniuses plucked them simultaneously!"

"Then what's your conclusion?"

"I have no firm idea. But if Grand National Master truly holds several Golden Stars, why hasn't he invested even one or two into Your Majesty's main Earth element? With seventh-rank-high or higher Earth Source star patterns, Your Majesty's chance of breaking through seventh rank would be far greater!"

"If Your Majesty breaks through seventh rank, it will truly be Chen Guo's blessing!" said Chief Manager Chu.

Hearing this, Emperor Gao Ye's Yanjiao wrinkles trembled slightly—but he gave no response.

"Then tell me—if Chen Guo truly has a peerless genius who plucked six Golden Stars, who could it be?" Emperor Gao Ye asked.

"If such a person exists, it's almost certainly Xu Jin."

Hearing this, Emperor Gao Ye let out a soft chuckle.

(End of Chapter)