Chapter 307: First Step of the Counterattack

Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao originally thought that the news of Xu Jin's death spreading would make the aftermath extremely troublesome.

But in fact, he had overestimated the problem.

It wasn't that troublesome.

Most people merely confirmed Xu Jin's death, expressed some sorrow and regret, and then moved on.

No one pursued the matter further.

Fewer still cared about Xu Jin's funeral arrangements.

Though he had seen this many times before, witnessing it happen to someone closest to him still stirred deep emotion in Cheng Yuexiao.

Indeed, when a man dies, his light goes out!

Death itself is not terrifying; what is terrifying is how quickly your memory fades from this world.

Perhaps after someone dies, you'll realize you were never as important as you imagined.

Cheng Yuexiao even wondered: when he died, would it be the same for him?

Would he not be as important as he thought?

If one day he died, the sky of Chen Guo would not collapse!

Just as twenty years ago, when the former Grand Master Pei died in battle, and when his own master Mao Yan fell on the Star River battlefield—he had thought the heavens had fallen.

In truth, they hadn't.

Of course, there were exceptions.

For instance, Dong Zhao. For instance, Liu Qingzhu.

Dong Zhao was still fighting on the frontlines and had already sent multiple Starlight Messages demanding a full investigation into Xu Jin's death, while also warning the Grand Master to safeguard Xu Jin's family.

Upon hearing of Xu Jin's death, Liu Qingzhu immediately ceased fighting!

Not exactly ceased—she simply lost all will to fight and had already set out for Danzhou, throwing the battlefield into chaos.

Of course, the most difficult issue was the Senior Academician Kou Jing, who had been waiting outside the Danxia Hall for a full day.

"Grand Master, if he's alive, produce him! If he's dead, produce his corpse! Even fragments—you must show me!"

"And if Xu Jin truly is dead!"

"Tell me who killed him!"

"Don't tell me it was a sixth-rank alien!"

"Xu Jin's strength, Grand Master, you know it well—I know it too!"

"Even without a sixth-rank emblem, two sixth-rank aliens would find it very hard to kill him in a short time."

"You say the Seventh-Rank expert from the Tianyang Star Palace, Xia Zhong, ambushed him!"

"But I've already asked Song Ziye—he also said he wasn't certain."

Kou Jing stared blankly at Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao, his face and eyes filled with utter disbelief.

Unless Cheng Yuexiao produced Xu Jin's corpse!

This was the only flaw in the whole affair.

"Brother Kou, the Tianyang Star Palace has long sought to harm Xu Jin—I never wanted this!" Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao still insisted.

"Truly?"

"Truly!"

Kou Jing's expression didn't change much; he showed little grief. After receiving Cheng Yuexiao's confirmation, he suddenly asked, "Grand Master, what of Xu Jin's sister, Jiang Er?"

"Because of her killing the Fourth Imperial Prince, I planned to send Xu Jin's sister away to a foreign land to lie low."

Kou Jing looked at Cheng Yuexiao and suddenly said, "Grand Master, leave her to me."

"Leave her to me?"

"Yes!"

"I promised Xu Jin I would protect him. Now I've broken that promise—so I'll train his sister! Besides, there's one more thing I must tell you, Grand Master." Kou Jing said.

"Brother Kou, please speak."

"Grand Master, I once had little lifespan left—I couldn't even break into Seventh Rank, let alone Eighth!"

"Now that I've formed my Nascent Soul, my lifespan has greatly increased. After breaking into Seventh Rank, I not only gain more years, but also a chance to reach Eighth Rank. So I no longer wish to waste time engraving emblems."

"From today on, aside from training Xu Jin's sister, Xu Jiang, I will devote myself entirely to cultivation, aiming to break into Eighth Rank!"

"Once I break into Eighth Rank, I will leave the Grand Dao Academy of Chen Guo—and then I will hunt down and kill the prodigies of the Tianyang Star Palace. They killed one of my disciples—I will kill a hundred, a thousand!"

"Until they kill me!"

"Otherwise, with so much lifespan, just engraving emblems? That's pointless." Kou Jing declared resolutely.

Cheng Yuexiao stared, dumbfounded.

He hadn't expected Kou Jing to be this resolute.

This was not what he wanted to see.

Chen Guo currently had only one Grand Master of Emblem Engraving.

"This… Jiang Er has already been sent away by me." Cheng Yuexiao said helplessly.

"Then bring her back!"

Cheng Yuexiao: "..."

"Brother Kou, the emblem engraving still needs you to continue!"

"I've engraved so many sixth-rank emblems, yet couldn't even protect my own heir—what's the point of engraving anymore!" Kou Jing swore outright, leaving Cheng Yuexiao utterly helpless.

This had completely pinned Cheng Yuexiao down.

If Kou Jing quit, Chen Guo would produce at most one or two sixth-rank emblems per year.

That would be truly disastrous!

After a long silence, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao, with no other choice, had to yield.

He casually summoned Starlight to seal off the room, then revealed to Kou Jing the truth behind Xu Jin's death—naturally, he also used the Nine Sheng Bells to impose a ban.

"I knew my disciple wasn't so easily killed!" Kou Jing's face lit up with joy.

This also eased Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao's breath.

"Brother Kou, I made this arrangement out of necessity—and also to give Xu Jin space and time to grow quickly." Cheng Yuexiao said.

"I understand. Grand Master, then assign me to the Star River battlefield! Place me somewhere there—I can better watch over my disciple." Kou Jing said.

"That's impossible! Who will engrave emblems if you leave?"

Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao panicked, "Brother Kou, I've told you the truth—don't do this! My arrangement is for your disciple's good—you can't just walk away!"

Hearing this, Kou Jing fell silent for a long while before speaking slowly.

"Grand Master, my going to the Star River battlefield isn't impulsive—I've thought it through deeply."

"I've engraved emblems for Chen Guo for forty years—I'm tired. Most of the year, I spend engraving emblems. I want to change my life."

"Besides, I've now broken into Seventh Rank. I want to go to the Star River battlefield to seek opportunity—to see if I can reach Eighth Rank."

"As for watching over my disciple Xu Jin? That's merely incidental."

"So please arrange this as soon as possible."

"Of course, other matters are negotiable." Kou Jing said.

Cheng Yuexiao understood Kou Jing's intent. After a few breaths of thought, he made his decision.

"Brother Kou, I can arrange your transfer to the Star River battlefield—but I have conditions." Cheng Yuexiao said.

"Grand Master, speak."

"First, when you're transferred, I'll simultaneously transfer someone else—your movements will appear natural." Cheng Yuexiao said.

"Agreed."

"Second, in the coming period, you must personally guide and train several other emblem masters—not to produce more sixth-rank emblems per year, but to cultivate two who can reliably produce sixth-rank emblems of medium quality, with a success rate of around forty percent. At least three others must achieve a fifty percent success rate with high-tier fifth-rank emblems." Cheng Yuexiao said.

"Agreed. But Grand Master, you must provide large quantities of fifth- and sixth-rank Star Jade Tablets for them to practice on. With my guidance, it won't be a problem." Kou Jing agreed immediately.

"That's no issue. Furthermore, even after you reach the Star River battlefield, I expect you to provide at least five sixth-rank emblems or higher to the Grand Dao Academy each year." Cheng Yuexiao said.

"No problem—I'll increase it to ten. At least ten." Kou Jing said.

At this, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao was overjoyed—but Kou Jing added, "But I want to learn the Wen Meng Star Emblem."

"Agreed."

"And one more thing: I don't wish to speak of that foolish emperor again. But from now on, my emblems will enter only the Grand Dao Academy—not the Imperial Palace! If I find even one of my emblems in the palace, Chen Guo will never receive another sixth-rank emblem from me." Kou Jing said.

"Naturally."

A few breaths later, Kou Jing left the Danxia Palace, his expression calm and relaxed.

After Kou Jing left, Left Sacrificial Officer Meng Yanhui stepped out from the rear palace array. "Grand Master, the person you plan to transfer alongside him—is it Fang Shinan or Gao Xuan?"

Cheng Yuexiao shook his head. "No."

"Fang Shinan is merely narrow-minded. Gao Xuan is from the Chen imperial family, a Sixth Rank Ninth Layer cultivator—already distrusted by the current emperor."

"In a few days, I will promote and cultivate his bloodline descendants heavily."

"Then, without any further action from me, Gao Xuan will fully align with us."

"The one I want Kou Jing to take with him is Song Bing!" Cheng Yuexiao said.

"Senior Sacrificial Officer Song Bing?"

"Correct. Since Song Bing was summoned to court last time and sabotaged my plans, he came to me seeking a seventh-rank or higher Fire Source Star Emblem—which I refused. Then the emperor appointed him as Right Chancellor—he's now the emperor's pawn inside our Grand Dao Academy."

"If so, let's send him away too!"

"This is merely the first step of my counterattack!" Cheng Yuexiao said.

"Then what is your next move, Grand Master?" Meng Yanhui asked.

"At the Star River Marshal's Mansion meeting in three days, the truth will be revealed—it will make this foolish emperor regret it!" said Cheng Yuexiao.

On November 17 at noon, Xu Jin—or rather, Qi Tian Sheng—first teleported to Leizhou, then from the Star Tower branch in Leizhou, teleported to the Star Tower branch in Star River Pass.

After verifying his identity token and completing registration, Xu Jin was cleared to leave the Star Tower branch in Star River Pass.

Afterwards, Xu Jin strolled toward Star River Pass.

Xu Jin had spent months immersed in the Chen Guo Dao Academy's library, and he had a detailed understanding of Star River Pass.

Star River Pass was the connection point between the mortal realm and the Star River Battlefield, and also the direct passage between them.

Originally, the alien races from the Star River Battlefield had poured endlessly into the mortal realm through here.

The mortal human race built a fortress here, so Star River Pass was, in fact, a fortress.

But as the mortal human race began counterattacking the Star River Battlefield and secured a foothold there, Star River Pass transformed from a fortress into a logistical base.

Later, Star River Pass was expanded again, taking on its current form.

The expanded Star River Pass enveloped the original Star River Fortress; the Star River Fortress remained the Star River Fortress, but Star River Pass had become extraordinarily prosperous.

Every nation and every merchant guild had personnel stationed here.

One could say that Star River Pass was the most prosperous city in the mortal realm, aside from the four imperial capitals.

Especially in economic trade, it far surpassed every imperial capital.

The main reason was that all supplies arriving from or departing to the Star River Battlefield were gathered, distributed, and transported here.

There were four Gao Jie experts stationed here.

One stationed in each of the four directions.

On the surface, it was impregnable!

But whether it was truly impregnable was hard to say.

Because twenty-one years ago, a disturbance occurred here—Star River Pass erupted in chaos, causing logistical supplies to be cut off from the Star River Battlefield for a long time, ultimately leading to catastrophic losses in the Chen Guo theater.

Someone in the Chen Guo library analyzed that the Star River Pass disturbance twenty-one years ago was the spark that ignited the downfall of the Ling Ji Star Palace!

The importance of Star River Pass was obvious.

But this had little to do with Xu Jin, especially with the current Xu Jin.

Xu Jin merely wandered like a tourist, eventually arriving at his destination: the Star River Fortress!

To reach the Star River Battlefield, one must depart from the Star River Fortress.

Although the Star River Battlefield had its own main Star Tower and many branch Star Towers, the Star Towers of the Star River Battlefield and the mortal realm existed in different spatial dimensions, so communication was possible, but teleportation was not.

Moreover, due to the Star River Battlefield's unique nature, even among Star Towers within the battlefield, most could not teleport—only communicate.

Xu Jin's destination this time was Xingyang War City in the Chen Guo theater of the Star River Battlefield.

He chose this location because Ning Yuchan was currently stationed at Xingyang War City, conducting patrols and combat operations in its vicinity.

As for how he would develop after arriving in the Star River Battlefield, the State Advisor had offered suggestions and ideas, but ultimately it depended on Xu Jin's own intentions.

To reach Xingyang War City in the Chen Guo theater—or any war city in the Star River Battlefield—there were only two methods: flying there alone.

The other was to ride a merchant guild's Star Vessel.

Xu Jin naturally chose to ride a merchant guild's Star Vessel—it was simple, hassle-free, and only cost a small amount.

This mode of travel had become a commercial model outside the Star River Fortress.

Seeing Xu Jin arrive, a guild attendant stationed there approached him; after learning his destination, the attendant soon offered him three options.

Within the next five days, no direct merchant caravan would reach Xingyang War City.

After five days, a direct merchant caravan to Xingyang War City would depart.

But if he did not wish to wait, he could transfer—Xu Jin understood this as a connecting ticket.

The fastest route was to first take a merchant Star Vessel to the core Chen Guo War City, rest half a day, then board another merchant Star Vessel bound for Xingyang War City.

He could reach the center of the Chen Guo theater—Chen Guo War City—within three days.

Besides this, there were two other routes, both involving transfers from other war cities; the third even required more than three transfers.

Conveniently, Xu Jin also wished to visit the center of Chen Guo War City in the Star River Battlefield, so he chose the first option.

The fare was twelve strands of starlight.

For Xu Jin, it was not expensive, but beyond the means of an ordinary person.

After paying the fee, Xu Jin waited about an hour and a half before being led inside the Star River Fortress and boarding a Star Vessel over a hundred meters long, stepping onto its deck.

Xu Jin had not expected that this Star Vessel belonged to the Changsheng Merchant Guild, which he had previously met.

Passengers gradually arrived on the deck, numbering several hundred.

Most had cultivation bases at the middle to late Fourth Realm, with some Fifth Realm cultivators; Third Realm cultivators were extremely rare.

Half an hour later, the hundred-meter-long Star Vessel lifted off, rising from within the Star River Fortress and plunging into the massive vortex gate in the sky.

In the next instant, a bizarre and dazzling Star River Battlefield appeared before Xu Jin.

(End of Chapter)