Chapter 365: Harvest and the Secret of the Can Dou Lamp Domain

In the Altar Path of Qingyi Wangcheng, Jichuan Star Domain.

Xu Jin, Ning Yuchan, Ji Hongli, Hou Yunzhang, Cui Jing, and others had already cultivated within the Altar Path for exactly eleven days.

The entire Altar Path had collapsed to a height of less than three meters.

Experienced cultivators like Hou Yunzhang knew this Altar Path session was nearing its end, yet they still seized every moment to cultivate.

During these eleven days, Hou Yunzhang not only advanced his Lower Star Palace cultivation to Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer, but also strengthened his primary Wind Source Star Pattern by one layer, reaching the third tier.

His combat power increased dramatically.

What remained was merely gradual refinement.

He would spend time pushing his Lower Star Palace to the peak of Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer, then further strengthen his Wind Source Star Pattern to the third or fourth tier.

Within five years, he had a forty percent chance of breaking into Sixth Stage.

Within ten years, his chance of breaking into Sixth Stage rose to sixty percent.

In contrast to Hou Yunzhang's rapid advancement, Ning Yuchan's cultivation growth was restrained.

Both her Lower and Middle Star Palaces remained at the peak of Fifth Stage, Fifth Layer.

She had merely advanced one minor realm, without the explosive leap Hou Yunzhang achieved.

This was primarily because Ning Yuchan was suppressing her cultivation—otherwise, her Middle Star Palace alone could have reached Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer.

Yet Ning Yuchan did not waste these eleven days.

She continuously used vast quantities of star power to strengthen her primary combat star pattern.

Previously, she had already strengthened her primary Golden Source Star Pattern to the third tier; now, seizing this rare opportunity, she pushed it to the fourth tier.

Moreover, she also strengthened her self-created Spiral Blade Hammer Star Pattern to the second tier.

Ning Yuchan had a very clear direction for her cultivation.

Being mediocre at everything is worse than excelling at one thing.

These two layers of strengthening, even without any realm advancement, would multiply her combat power.

Especially since her cultivation had also advanced.

Ning Yuchan suppressed her cultivation precisely to earn another Gold Star.

At her level, earning Gold Stars had become increasingly difficult.

Demonic illusions were too hard to overcome—only Gold Star-level guardians could be slain.

Every Gold Star earned was a tremendous advantage.

Whether her Golden Source Star Pattern or her self-created Spiral Blade Hammer Star Pattern, both required Gold Stars for refinement.

In comparison, Ji Hongli's cultivation advancement was astonishing.

Before this battle, Ji Hongli's cultivation was barely Fifth Stage, Sixth Layer; now, through this intense cultivation, she surged to the peak of Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer in both her Middle and Lower Star Palaces.

But this was unavoidable.

Ji Hongli had neither formed a Yuan Spirit nor achieved a Star Constellation, so she could not strengthen her star patterns.

This vast influx of star power could only be used to raise her cultivation.

In the final ten breaths before the Altar Path collapsed entirely, Xu Jin opened his eyes, feeling a lingering sense of incompleteness.

In his Lower Star Palace, Xu Jin had newly formed twenty-seven star cores, bringing the total to thirty-six.

Of these thirty-six star cores, only twenty-five had reached the peak of Ninth Layer Star Halo.

The remaining eleven had merely just been formed.

To perfect them, he would need to cultivate all eleven newly formed star cores to their peak.

Xu Jin estimated that, at a normal pace, it would take two months to bring his Lower Star Palace to peak and begin condensing stars into constellations.

But Xu Jin was not in a hurry.

Once he reached peak cultivation, his breakthrough would grant him four times the cultivation base of any other cultivator at the same level.

This was merely theoretical.

Xu Jin was a Supergrade Star Forger; most top geniuses were at best Jipin Forgers, far behind him.

Xu Jin estimated that once he broke into Fifth Stage, his star power would be five times that of other top geniuses, six times that of ordinary geniuses, and seven to eight times that of average cultivators!

This was unquestionable.

As for cultivation time, Xu Jin truly had no urgency.

Through these past days, Xu Jin had devised an effective method.

If he wished and had time, he could rapidly elevate his Lower Star Palace to peak cultivation.

But he could not use it yet.

When he did, he must maximize its benefit.

The next instant, the Altar Path, formed from vast star power, collapsed entirely. Xu Jin instantly reclaimed the three Celestial Star Will fragments at the core of the collapsing Star Pivot Array, then unleashed a torrent of divine soul force to simultaneously refine them.

Others cultivating within the Altar Path, sensing the rapid decline in star power density, slowly opened their eyes.

The moment they opened their eyes, they felt a profound sense of loss, as if they had not cultivated enough.

"Alright, Young Master Qi is still cultivating—do not disturb him. You may leave first," said Hou Yunzhang, who had opened his eyes and now stood guard at the perimeter.

Ning Yuchan and Ji Hongli glanced at the group, saw Xu Jin still cultivating, and resumed their own cultivation.

But not to raise cultivation—rather, to engrave star patterns and similar tasks.

With cultivation having advanced so dramatically, much remained to be done.

Cui Jing rose, cast a complex glance at the still-cultivating Xu Jin, then straightened his body and bowed deeply.

Lin Bicheng, Lü Xiaole, Meng Fei, and others who had just awakened did the same.

At this moment, they fully understood.

Young Master Qi had summoned them truly to bestow blessings and great fortune.

"Cui Senior Brother, congratulations!"

He Fei, who had come to escort them, spoke words of congratulations, yet his tone carried the edge of near-tears.

The gap was too great!

Twelve days ago, Cui Jing was Fifth Stage, Sixth Layer; He Fei was Fifth Stage, Seventh Layer.

Now, Cui Jing had reached the peak of Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer; He Fei remained at Fifth Stage, Seventh Layer.

Not to mention Cui Jing's Lower Star Palace cultivation may have surged as well.

What made He Fei want to cry even more was that Lin Bicheng and Lü Xiaole—who had once trailed far behind him—had both reached the peak of Fifth Stage, Eighth Layer, far surpassing him.

Twelve days ago, they were only Fifth Stage, Fifth Layer.

Most striking of all was the Domain Lord's son, Meng Fei. After bowing to Xu Jin with the others, he strode straight to his father, Domain Lord Meng Yanwei, and grinned, "Father, you said I'd need five or six more years before my Middle Star Palace reached Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer.

Today, I'm already at Fifth Stage, Eighth Layer—I'll reach Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer peak in no more than a year and a half."

"Hahahaha, excellent, excellent!"

Meng Yanwei laughed heartily.

The three Fifth Stage human elites who had accompanied Meng Fei were equally astonished.

Fortunately they had acted on their impulse—otherwise, this great fortune would have slipped away.

Just by coming along, their cultivation had surged from Fifth Stage, Seventh or Eighth Layer to the peak of Fifth Stage, Ninth Layer.

The two Fifth Stage elites from the support team who had voluntarily joined the battle were the same—each had surged by at least three layers.

Instantly, these individuals became objects of universal envy.

Previously, it had only been speculation.

Now, the results were tangible.

Some regretted deeply, even glaring angrily at He Fei.

They had intended to join the battle, but He Fei had persuaded them not to—and now they had lost this benefit.

Only fifteen minutes passed before Xu Jin completed refining the three Celestial Star Will fragments—far faster than before. This was the result of his Yuan Spirit Taiguang's massive growth.

Twelve days ago, his Yuan Spirit Taiguang had barely approached nine meters; now, it had expanded to nine point six meters.

Xu Jin felt his divine soul power had grown stronger again.

Upon completing the refinement, Xu Jin internally surveyed the Can Dou Platform.

At this moment, five Law Stars hovered above the platform, each illuminating a Star Lamp—but they were not fixed.

At Xu Jin's will, any of the five Law Stars could project onto any Star Lamp.

The information displayed on the Jade Tablet had also changed.

【Fire Law: Fourth Stage (33)】 【Earth Law: Fifth Stage (46)】

【Water Law: Third Stage (23)】 【Thunder Law: Second Stage (17)】

【Wind Law: Third Stage (26)】

Earth Law was strongest; Thunder Law was weakest.

This was precisely why Xu Jin had asked the Grand Master to gather information on Fourth Stage Star Domains.

Only after thoroughly clearing Fourth Stage Star Domains would he attempt a breakthrough.

Otherwise, entering Fourth Stage Star Domains again would become far more difficult.

The next instant, as Xu Jin rose, Domain Lord Meng Yanwei led the senior officials of Jichuan Star Domain forward in swift strides.

"Young Master Qi, your divine might has humbled us—we were blind before. Please forgive us!"

Though Meng Yanwei had never disrespected Xu Jin, he had previously questioned his strength.

Now, he offered a direct apology.

As for shock, they had long since absorbed it over these past days.

He finally understood fully why his elder brother Meng Yanhui had specifically instructed him to show utmost respect to this Qitian Sheng.

He had seen clearly from outside the Altar's Heavenly Path.

This Qitian Sheng had simply waved a hand and extinguished Qingyi Wang.

As a longtime rival, Meng Yanwei knew better than anyone how troublesome Qingyi Wang was.

He had never gained the upper hand against him, and one misstep could cost him dearly.

Yet this Qitian Sheng had wiped him out with a casual gesture.

In other words, he could just as easily wipe out Meng Yanwei himself!

Shocked, he immediately summoned all his resources to forge a close alliance.

"Young Master Qi, I've already arranged a victory banquet for you—please grace us with your presence," said Meng Yanwei.

Hearing this, Xu Jin hesitated and asked, "Have you reported to the Grand State Master? Any new orders?"

"Young Master Qi, rest assured—the Grand State Master has been informed of the situation here. He also sent a letter, instructing me to deliver it to you," Meng Yanwei said, handing Xu Jin a jade tablet.

Xu Jin glanced at the contents within the jade tablet.

He relaxed.

Grand State Master Cheng Yuexiao said there was currently no star region requiring his support, and urged Xu Jin to focus on his cultivation.

He also said that recently, two Palaces had manifested, and eight wilderness tribes' ancestral realms had successfully linked to star regions, coalescing into a vast continent resembling a star battlefield—causing the entire world to feel strange and tense.

Meanwhile, the world's high echelons were planning a grand counteroffensive against the ancestral realms of the alien tribes.

But regardless, in this time of great upheaval, cultivation base had become even more vital.

With strength, one could reap the great rewards of this transformative era!

Without strength, one would merely become cannon fodder of the age.

As for the fourth-rank star regions and their temporary star gates, he had gathered the relevant information and already contacted Xumi Palace to begin crafting the Xumi Array Plate needed to open the temporary star gates—it would just take a little more time.

With such arrangements from the Grand State Master, Xu Jin was no longer in a hurry.

The way of civil and military affairs requires tension and relaxation.

The same holds true for cultivation!

He had been operating and cultivating nonstop for nearly a month; a few cups of wine at the victory banquet would do no harm!

Meng Yanwei's meticulously prepared victory banquet was extravagantly lavish—all the cuisine and wine discovered and studied by humans across the Jichuan Star Region were laid out, leaving Xu Jin and the others awestruck.

During the feast, well-trained, demure alien maidens performed dances.

They carried a unique charm.

After the banquet, the elite reinforcements from the world, except Xu Jin, were all assigned alien maidens to warm their beds—whether to use them or not was up to each individual; even Hou Yunzhang had taken two.

As for Xu Jin, Meng Yanwei, being highly perceptive, dared not assign him any alien maidens; instead, he arranged the three of them to rest in a very quiet courtyard.

When Xu Jin returned to the courtyard, he found over forty large and small chests.

A small portion were war spoils; the rest were gifts from the Star Domain Lord, Meng Yanwei.

Mostly fifth- and sixth-rank star jade tablets, plus the star cores of sixth-rank experts obtained in battle—the messenger's belongings had long since been looted by Xu Jin.

Besides the vast quantity of star jade tablets, there were thirty-four rare treasures, each on par with Tulong Zhi and Qingjin Stone—cultivation treasures—but half of them were Fengling Hua, used for cultivating Wind Star Patterns.

They must have been specially gathered and prepared by Domain Lord Meng Yanwei.

Six were Metal, five were Wood, fifteen were Wind, and nine were Earth.

Xu Jin waved his hand—Wood and Metal treasures naturally went to Ning Yuchan and Ji Hongli.

What surprised Xu Jin was how unexpectedly harmonious the two women had become; after dividing the treasures, they went into a room to chat, leaving Xu Jin alone.

With a thought, Xu Jin sank his mind into the Candou Platform; with a slight push, five law Xingchen projected, and the five star lamps rotated slightly, instantly forming the Candou Lamp Domain, which then projected into the real world, enveloping Xu Jin.

He could not see it, but he could sense the presence of the Candou Lamp Domain.

It was not large—about four to five meters in diameter—and could expand or contract according to his will.

He immediately began studying the effects of the Candou Lamp Domain.

It took a full hour before he fully understood it.

Its function overlapped somewhat with the star lamps.

As long as Xu Jin willed it, one star lamp could envelop him, just as before when he had used the star lamps to simulate Star Patterns—highly effective and extremely fast.

But its greatest function was still the contemplation and simulation of Star Patterns.

It was somewhat like the secret contemplation time granted in the Star Dome's secret realm of the Zhaixing Tower.

It could enhance the efficiency of contemplating and simulating Star Patterns.

The source of this enhancement in the Zhaixing Tower was unclear.

But the source of the Candou Lamp Domain was the law Xingchen Xu Jin had mastered.

He felt the Candou Lamp Domain's assistance was not particularly obvious.

Because this exact effect and efficiency could be achieved simply by sinking his mind into the Candou Platform—no need to project the domain into the real world.

Identical effect. Identical efficiency.

It felt like a useless luxury!

Projecting the Candou Lamp Domain into the real world seemed utterly superfluous!

In the next instant, Xu Jin's expression hardened—he suddenly understood the true purpose of the Candou Lamp Domain!

With a thought, he wanted to summon Ning Yuchan and Ji Hongli to test the domain's true function.

But before he could call them, he suddenly paused.

Because this touched upon the core secret of the Candou Platform.

It wasn't that he distrusted them—it was that he needed to be prepared!

So before letting them test it, Xu Jin had to first handle that other major matter!

(End of Chapter)