Chapter 359: Fifth Stage Candou Platform

On January 31 at noon, Xu Jin returned to Da Chen War City with Ning Yuchan and Ji Hongli, accompanied by Hou Yunzhang from Huashih Star Region.

Xu Jin had originally not wanted to bring Hou Yunzhang.

But this fellow seemed to have tasted the sweetness, saying that during external operations, he was always short of someone to handle chores.

This attitude made Li Tian sneer.

Is it really necessary?

Didn't you just raise his cultivation base by two and a half levels?

Are you not even giving him rewards anymore?

Xu Jin thought about it—he was right; if they were truly going to fight, they did need someone to handle chores.

Hou Yunzhang was the best candidate, so he was brought along.

The moment they returned to Da Chen War City, Xu Jin sent a Starlight Message to Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao.

【Grand Master, all matters in Huashih Star Region are concluded. I have returned to Da Chen War City. Which star region needs support? Give your orders.】 Before Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao, Xu Jin was direct and sincere.

【Safe return is all that matters! I already know the situation in Huashih Star Region. But the star regions currently needing support may resemble Huashih—requiring an assault on the Altar Heavenly Path!】

【Can you once again assault the Altar Heavenly Path? Do you have the confidence?】 Though urgent, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao's greatest concern was still Xu Jin's safety.

【Rest assured, Grand Master. There will be no danger.】

Before entering Huashih Star Region, Xu Jin would never have dared say this.

But now—he truly had the confidence.

Though his cultivation base had only risen from Fourth Stage Seventh Level to Fourth Stage Eighth Level peak, his combat power had more than doubled.

Especially after the Lei Yuanxing Pattern and Huo Yuanxing Pattern were established.

Not to mention the vast amount of World Origin he had acquired, which instantly boosted his mastery of related laws to Third or even Fourth Stage.

Most cultivators couldn't even grasp one or two Celestial Star Willings, let alone Law Mastery.

The gap was enormous!

【Good to hear! Rest for a while. I'll contact Jichuan Star Region to confirm its current status before deciding whether you depart.】

【Understood.】

After replying to the Grand Master, Xu Jin arranged his own schedule.

After thinking it over, he directly sent a voice message to Ji Hongli and Ning Yuchan: "Go to Zhaixing Tower and cultivate for a while. Remember, first challenge the Secret Realm—see if you can earn one or two Golden Stars."

The two women naturally went off separately.

Ji Hongli had no particular plan, but Ning Yuchan had already been thinking about it.

As for Xu Jin, he sent Hou Yunzhang off to cultivate, then headed straight for Changsheng Auction House once he gave the order.

Since the Tulong Zhi had been secured, he needed to exchange back the Chi Que Feathers as soon as possible to upgrade the Candou Platform.

Even if the Candou Platform didn't gain new functions, strengthening its existing ones would be immensely helpful.

Whether it was the number of Star Cores offered, the number of Star Lamps, or the Star Art Prediction function.

Four Star Lamps were insufficient.

Four Star Lamps could only predict Fourth Stage Star Arts—but five Star Lamps could predict Fifth Stage Star Arts.

Fifth Stage Star Arts were already mainstream in the current era.

Xu Jin no longer wished to cause harm after what happened to Liu the Shopkeeper because of him.

He didn't seek out any specific shopkeeper; upon arriving at Changsheng Auction House and presenting his VIP token, the Chief Shopkeeper personally escorted him into the VIP chamber.

"Shopkeeper, is the five pieces of Chi Que Feather still available from the last auction?" Xu Jin asked.

The shopkeeper paused briefly, then nodded. "They're still here! Such rare items, only exchangeable for other rarities, are rarely inquired about—when one is traded, it's big news!"

"Good. Bring them all. I'll take them."

"Your meaning, esteemed guest?"

Pah!

Xu Jin placed five pieces of Tulong Zhi directly on the table. The potent Earth Star Force and strange scent made the shopkeeper shudder. "Esteemed guest, please wait—I'll fetch them immediately."

"How many Longgui Duanpo Pills do you have? Bring me all of them," Xu Jin ordered with lavish confidence.

"All of them?" The shopkeeper was startled.

"Are you afraid I can't pay?"

"No, esteemed guest, please wait—I'll get them right away."

Fifteen minutes later, as Xu Jin sensed two Sixth Stage auras suddenly appear outside the door, the Chief Shopkeeper entered carrying two treasure boxes, while the two Sixth Stage cultivators remained stationed outside.

Xu Jin, who had tensed and prepared to strike, relaxed slightly.

These two Sixth Stage cultivators were likely Changsheng Auction House's bodyguards.

The exchange of five pieces of Tulong Zhi for five Chi Que Feathers, with a 200-starlight transaction fee, was completed swiftly and smoothly.

But when the shopkeeper placed eight vials of Longgui Duanpo Pills before him, Xu Jin paused in surprise.

He'd been too hasty.

He'd assumed three or five vials at most—never eight.

"Esteemed guest, if these are insufficient, wait half an hour and I can fetch five more vials," the shopkeeper said.

"These will suffice for now."

Xu Jin had underestimated Changsheng Auction House's depth as a supreme trading house.

Of course, he could afford it—he simply didn't have enough starlight on hand.

So he abandoned starlight entirely.

He opted for direct barter.

He pulled out a large pile of loot from his Numinous Space and asked the shopkeeper to appraise it.

Including the dozen or so Fourth Stage Pattern Tablets he'd acquired, some ordinary heavenly treasures, and a large quantity of Fourth and Fifth Stage Star Cores—all occupying space in his Numinous Space.

Now, only Sixth Stage Star Cores were useful to him.

Fourth and Fifth Stage ones were useless.

Even for bursts of power, they were inferior to his own attacks.

The total value neared 130, 00 starlight. After offsetting the value of his goods, he still owed over 60, 00 starlight. In the end, Xu Jin paid with sixty-three Fifth Stage Star Jade Tablets and left.

Fourth and Fifth Stage Star Jade Tablets were hard currency everywhere—harder even than Zhaixing Tower's starlight.

Sixth Stage Star Jade Tablets carried a significant premium.

With all this settled, Grand Master's Starlight Message had not yet arrived. Xu Jin entered the Zhaixing Tower branch and stepped directly into the Star Dome Secret Realm.

He used this secure environment to upgrade the Candou Platform.

In the next instant, Xu Jin's mind stirred slightly, drawing in the final three Chi Que Feathers into the Candou Platform, then selecting Absorb.

The moment the three Chi Que Feathers were absorbed, the Candou Platform shimmered with starlight; the words 【Upgradeable】 on its Jade Tablet changed.

Having experienced this before, Xu Jin's mind stirred again, selecting 【Upgrade】.

Instantly, in Xu Jin's vision, countless starlight beams erupted from the Candou Platform, converging into a single column of pure radiance that shot skyward.

In the starry heavens, the region of the Big Dipper's stars responded instantly—nine stars flared simultaneously.

The next instant, a torrent of starlight poured down from the Big Dipper's stars, with impossible speed and miraculous power, flooding into Xu Jin's Candou Platform.

In an instant, as if stars had fallen, the Candou Platform blazed with brilliance, its inner and outer forms undergoing transformation.

At the same moment, in the Da Chen Nation's Dao Academy, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao, urgently contacting Jichuan Star Region, suddenly looked up at the sky—his eyes blazed like stars.

"The Big Dipper stars have stirred again?"

"Yet nothing has changed in the mortal realm?"

"What exactly has happened?" Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao murmured.

Almost simultaneously, the strongest Eighth Stage cultivators in the world—all felt it, all turned their gaze to the heavens.

Whether it was Tianyang Star Lord, Cangming Star Lord, or Zhen'e Star Lord, all detected the celestial anomaly—but found nothing else.

Meanwhile, the Numinous Palace Master and the Wood Spirit Palace Master, newly merged into the mortal realm and traveling the four directions, also sensed it, frowning.

Unlike the mortal realm, the Star River Battlefield nearly erupted in chaos.

At the moment the starlight descended, the four major war cities—Da Chen, Da Hong, Da Chu, and the Barbarian War City—each of their Eighth Stage commanders simultaneously looked up, then turned their gaze toward Da Chen War City.

"Could a powerful alien force have descended?" General Xiahou Shen of Da Hong War Zone, puzzled, immediately ordered full alert across Da Hong War Zone.

Mao Yue, Commander of Da Chen War Zone, currently patrolling other war cities, gazed at the sky, faintly sensing the terrifying aura above Da Chen War City, and immediately ordered Da Chen War City to prepare for battle.

He also set off at full speed toward Da Chen War City.

But what puzzled him more was that the aura vanished within just two or three breaths.

It came and went without a trace.

Within Da Chen War City, reconnaissance riders were dispatched in all directions, Seventh Stage experts scoured the city—but found no anomaly.

They could only abandon the search.

The culprit, Xu Jin, noticed none of this—he plunged his spirit into the Candou Platform, observing its new changes.

Beyond the heavens, above the stars, in the region where the Ultimate Emperor had once appeared, a faint shadow suddenly surfaced, glancing toward the direction of the starlight disturbance, and let out a soft "Hmm."

"That speed… is truly impressive."

【Fifth Stage Candou Platform】

【Master: Xu Jin】

【Blessed by the Stars: One daily bow grants five starlight】

Starlight: 37, 30 strands

At first glance, it seemed unchanged.

The five star lamps had become five, which was the biggest change; everything else seemed much the same as before.

Of course, you can now offer one additional star core to gain bonuses and protection.

The starlight had shrunk by half due to its upgrade to fifth-rank starlight.

Previously, it had been nearly one hundred thousand strands.

The Evolution function now allows all five star lamps to evolve simultaneously; the starlight cost increased from eighty to one hundred strands—barely any difference.

As Xu Jin had predicted, each star lamp could now hold five elixirs at once.

You could now nurture twenty-five elixirs in one go.

As for whether the nurturing function had changed, Xu Jin guessed it hadn't—it was still Three Nurtures.

After all, the star lamps themselves hadn't changed at all!

After inspecting everything, it seemed no new functions had been added.

This left Xu Jin somewhat disappointed.

He had consumed vast quantities of valuable resources, gone through so much effort, and finally obtained the priceless Crimson Sparrow Feather to achieve the upgrade.

Is this all?

Xu Jin let out a faint, helpless sigh.

If there truly were no new changes, it seemed there was little motivation to upgrade at all.

As Xu Jin sighed, he accidentally noticed a change above the Can Dou Platform.

Above the Can Dou Platform, four Dao Will fragments had previously floated, emitting faint radiance and enveloping the platform without any specific direction.

But now, each of the four Dao Will fragments had projected toward one of the four star lamps—one of which was empty.

Xu Jin was startled.

Could this be the reason?

One star lamp had no Dao master's protection—that's why no new changes appeared.

He gestured, and the jade tablet of the Can Dou Platform landed in his hand; he sank his mind into it and immediately understood.

【Once the star lamps draw upon the Heavenly Dao, they can coalesce into the Can Dou Lamp Domain and project it into the mortal world. Within the Can Dou Lamp Domain, cultivation or insight yields myriad transformative benefits, whose strength depends on the power of the Heavenly Dao drawn by the star lamps.】

In an instant, Xu Jin understood.

It was simply that one star lamp lacked a Dao force to protect it.

Previously, the Dao forces formed had only been Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth.

Now one was missing!

Where could he find it?

Dao Will is not something easily obtained.

In this star region, the only thing Xu Jin could acquire was the Heavenly Star Will—still far short of true Dao Will.

As for World Origin, it was even rarer.

As for asking Ning Yuchan or Ji Hongli to return those two Dao forces, Xu Jin had no such low character.

A man's word: once given, he'd rather starve than take it back.

But this Dao Will?

In the next instant, Xu Jin had an idea.

He activated the Can Dou Platform's power, reaching out to summon the Thunder Heavenly Star Will from the Central Star Palace.

He hoped to fuse it, as before, and send it into the Can Dou Platform.

But in an instant, he failed.

Xu Jin's idea was correct—but the Thunder Heavenly Star Will was insufficient.

Ten distinct Heavenly Star Wills from small worlds were needed for the Can Dou Platform to fuse one medium-world Dao Will.

Xu Jin had only eight Thunder Heavenly Star Wills—he still needed two more.

The Wind and Water Heavenly Star Wills were also insufficient.

In the next instant, Xu Jin made his decision.

He'd see if the Grand Master had any missions; if not, he'd go on a sweep.

Sweep all accessible fourth-rank star regions.

Before breaking through to fifth rank, clear out all fourth-rank star regions he could reach.

Collect the Heavenly Star Wills from these fourth-rank star regions.

First, to strengthen himself; second, to contribute to the human race of this world!

Once these star regions lost their Heavenly Star Wills, even if the Sacred Clan Envoy Ju Zhang sent countless messengers, it would be useless!

They couldn't activate the star regions!

As he pondered, Xu Jin's Star-Picking Token suddenly flashed urgently—it was a starlight message from Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao.

【Xu Jin, the altar path of Jichuan Star Region will connect to the Ancestral Heaven in at most two to three days. If you're confident you can break in within two days, go. If not, don't.】

【Grand Master, two days is enough! I'll depart half an hour from now. Also, please prepare for me the known fourth-rank star gate locations or temporary star gates.】 Xu Jin replied via starlight message.

【Known ones? What are you planning? Be clear—I need to coordinate with you.】

【Grand Master, I intend to sweep all these fourth-rank star regions before breaking through to fifth rank—to strengthen myself and eliminate hidden threats!】

A few breaths later, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao sent a starlight message.

【Good. I fully support you in this.】

(End of Chapter)