[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-38":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},2274896,4448,"Chapter 38: Promoted to Shichang (Requesting Follow-up)","the-star-martial-era-chapter-38",38,"\u003Cp>“Divide into two groups: those willing to join the first wave may step forward voluntarily.” Squad Leader Luo Kexing shouted loudly, glancing meaningfully at his nephew Luo Geng as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, those in the second wave would have an advantage after observing the first battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in combat, courage comes first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially with Supervisor Tian Zhang observing and evaluating everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Know this: a Shichang of the Xunxingwei could be sent anywhere to lead a squad in the county guards, but a county guard squad leader transferred to the Xunxingwei could never become a Shichang. (Da Chen military structure: ten men form a shi, led by a Shichang; five shi form a team, led by a Team Leader; five teams form a banner, led by a Banner Master; five banners form a division, led by a Supervisor; five divisions form a guard, led by a Guard Commander.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sooner had Luo Kexing finished speaking than Xu Jin stepped forward in a single stride, followed immediately by Luo Geng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then three or four more stepped out—Luo Geng and Lu Xianbing also joined, followed closely by Qiao Ruonan and Qian Xiaohu behind Xu Jin; gradually over twenty stepped forward, but still less than half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, many still held the rational idea of waiting to observe first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Kexing turned to Supervisor Tian Zhang, silently asking whether to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Assign combat roles by proportion,” Tian Zhang said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You, you, you, you!” Luo Kexing kicked and herded them, splitting the twenty-four death row inmates into two groups: eleven and thirteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All combat must occur within the Training Hall. Any death row inmate who steps beyond its boundaries shall be executed immediately; any disciple who leaves the Training Hall shall be treated as a deserter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly, Luo Kexing finalized the first group and explained the rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The eleven death row inmates huddled together, watching the twenty-eight youths with wolfish eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill one, and your death sentence becomes exile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing at least one was their primary goal; many were selecting targets, choosing the weakest as their first objective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The female Qiao Ruonan became a target for many.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some death row inmates had even formed temporary alliances within moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how reliable those alliances were remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ready!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the command ended, the eleven death row inmates fixed their wolfish stares on the twenty-eight youths and slowly advanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin stood loosely, while the other youths—except Luo Geng and Lu Xianbing—were tense, some even sweating and panting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the eleven death row inmates roared in unison, accelerating with their long knives raised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Qiao Ruonan, one meter from Xu Jin, panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She felt at least two were coming for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many disciples grew flustered, glancing left and right, some even trying to step aside to let others face the death row inmates’ blades first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next moment, Xu Jin, Lu Xianbing, and Luo Geng broke from the formation, raising their guards and charging toward the death row inmates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they charged, Xu Jin summoned star force, channeling it directly into his waist, abdomen, and arms, slashing with full force at the fastest, most ferocious death row inmate, Li Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blade moved like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Qi instinctively raised his knife to block—but the force struck, and his blade was instantly severed from his grip, then Xu Jin’s blade carved into his shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another death row inmate, seeing Xu Jin entangled with Li Qi, swung his knife to strike him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin remained calm, kicked Li Qi away, spun like a whirlwind, and slashed three times in rapid succession—the third cut ripped open the man’s abdomen, killing him instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood sprayed everywhere, extremely bloody.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Xu Jin’s second kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, Xu Jin felt no fear or tension; the stench of blood filling his nostrils instead stirred a strange excitement, his fingertips tingling as if electrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting out a tiger-like roar, Xu Jin, his blade dripping blood, charged toward another death row inmate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It proved that even death row inmates feared death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third death row inmate, seeing Xu Jin—a bloody, ferocious figure—charging toward him, turned and fled in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men had only eaten one full meal today; how could their speed compare to Xu Jin’s Mist-Consuming Second Layer?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three steps later, Xu Jin drove his blade through the man’s spine; his dying scream was horrific.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin withdrew his blade and turned, intending to kill more death row inmates—when a figure darted forward, blocking his path. Instinctively, Xu Jin summoned star force and slashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niu Gui, who had taken the blow, grunted and staggered back three steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin frowned, confused why Niu Gui had stopped him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is meant to get you blooded—you kill them all, what’s left for the others to practice?” Niu Gui said helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin sheathed his blade, realizing he’d gotten carried away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he saw the scene was far more chaotic than he’d imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xianbing stood leaning on his spear, gasping heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Geng, who had just slain a death row inmate, looked pale, on the verge of vomiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qian Xiaohu was bent over, vomiting violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had wounded Li Qi and gone after others; Qian Xiaohu, eager to protect Xu Jin, rushed forward and delivered several cuts before finally killing Li Qi—blood splattered his face and head, and he vomited on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many other disciples, who hadn’t even drawn blood, were vomiting at the sight of spilled entrails, spurting blood, and shrieking death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several couldn’t even move their legs. The battle ended in moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Luo Kexing had said: with cultivation base and armor, as long as one had a shred of courage, these death row inmates were nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But some still got wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two minor injuries: one had a cut on the arm, another had his buttock slashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight death row inmates were killed on the spot; three suffered severe injuries and lost mobility, moaning in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go—those who haven’t seen blood, each of you must strike once: sever a leg, sever an arm, disembowel, or behead—only then do you pass. Fail, and you’re expelled from the academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhang’s order sent the disciples who had vomited but hadn’t drawn blood into wails.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disciples who couldn’t even face blood had no business cultivating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next came another horrific scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swift ones chopped off limbs; the slow ones could only behead—but if the neck wasn’t fully severed, the death row inmates’ violent convulsions sprayed blood everywhere; some even wet themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This unsettled many disciples who hadn’t fought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It also terrified the death row inmates further, deepening their despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their only chance of survival was to kill one academy disciple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly, the second round began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forty-five against thirteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yue Daqi, Ren Xiaoxiang, Zhou Du, Yu Guan, and others stepped forward first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, the strongest disciples were in the second wave—but their performance was far worse than the first wave’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the first wave, Xu Jin was ferocious, Lu Xianbing and Luo Geng led the charge, inspiring most disciples’ courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second wave, after Yu Guan, Yue Daqi, and Ren Xiaoxiang each killed one death row inmate, they all suffered severe shock; Zhou Du, who could have beheaded one, panicked when a death row inmate’s spurting blood flew toward him, got tackled and bitten on the thigh by a desperate inmate, dropped his knife, and nearly lost his testicles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, they killed all thirteen death row inmates, but at the cost of one severe injury and five minor ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scene was chaotic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those who haven’t seen blood—finish them off!” Tian Zhang issued another cold command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Jin understood: Tian Zhang was actually protecting their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only because they had all successfully ignited their stars and were now cultivators did Tian Zhang bother spending time, livestock, and death row inmates’ blood to help them transition from raw recruits to semi-veterans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ordinary armies, the transition from recruit to veteran was a process of elimination—a process of feeding bodies into the grinder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Jin, Lu Xianbing, Luo Geng, Yue Daqi, Ren Xiaoxiang, Yu Guan—six of you performed exceptionally well. You are promoted directly to Xunxingwei Shichang. Your monthly stipend will be ten taels of silver.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Song Ye, Zhou Du, Qiao Ruonan, Fang Zixing, Qian Xiaohu, Sha Youtian, and fourteen others are promoted from Xunxingwei reserve members to active members. Your monthly stipend will be five taels of silver.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supervisor Tian Zhang announced the promotions on the spot, filling Xu Jin with delight—he was now officially enlisted, and would earn ten extra taels monthly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beautiful!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The twenty-tael reward for killing two death row inmates was handed to Xu Jin on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beautiful!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All who had actively engaged and slain death row inmates were promoted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Promises were kept—this was a good Supervisor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Collect your elixirs. Dismissed. Resume tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps as a reward, or perhaps because the slaughtered pigs and sheep hadn’t been finished, the mess hall served the disciples a lavish dinner—meat of all kinds, and blood sausages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only a few could eat; others vomited again at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Xu Jin ate with relish, grease dripping from his lips; many disciples stared at him as if he were a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ji, who had once harbored some hostility toward Xu Jin, now dared not meet his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d stabbed a death row inmate once—when the blood spurted, his legs went weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what was this brute Xu Jin doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d killed three—and still wasn’t satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Better eat your fill!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin said nothing more; as he left, he patted the shoulders of Qian Xiaohu, Qiao Ruonan, and others who couldn’t eat more, with a meaningful look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had a premonition that the mission for these disciples who had joined the ranks directly from the front lines was coming soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, Xu Jin continued his cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three rounds of Yin Hui Shi, Xu Jin drew a strand of starlight from the Can Dou Platform into his body, then performed the Wu Dou Sha Quan eighteen times, completely exhausting the star energy within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, Xu Jin swallowed a regular Bu Xing Dan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Bu Xing Dan entered his belly, it instantly transformed into a roaring heat that, guided by his intent, surged into the Xiao Ju Xing Wen; then he began practicing the Wu Dou Sha Quan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three minutes later, the test results appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One regular Bu Xing Dan could replenish enough star energy for Xu Jin to perform the Wu Dou Sha Quan five times before it was entirely depleted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One Bu Xing Dan could activate ten basic star techniques or support five rounds of Wu Dou Sha Quan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was equivalent to half a strand of starlight from the Can Dou Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At twenty taels of silver per pill, it was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Xu Jin pulled out the Bu Xing Dan that had been nurtured on the Can Dou Platform, its surface encircled by a halo of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How much stronger would the effect of this Bu Xing Dan, which had developed a single star halo, be compared to a regular one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Xu Jin swallowed the one-halo Bu Xing Dan in one gulp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1885,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","58c30179f6430ae2de72bfae8dc7aa41945a5a179c8d067df74de35f3018334e","the-star-martial-era-chapter-39","the-star-martial-era-chapter-37",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]