Chapter 390: The Source of the Lei System

April 19, Lan Shan Star Region, Altar Sky Path.

The Altar Sky Path has been active for sixteen days, but actual cultivation time amounts to only twelve.

From current observations, this is not an ineffective method for breakthrough.

The Ancestral Land Star Pivot Array, World Origin, and Celestial Will are unified, continuously drawing vast quantities of star power from the star region's earth veins and releasing it downward; theoretically, this cultivation method could persist indefinitely.

Yet cultivation is not merely about accumulating star power.

Take Ying Ge: her cultivation base has surged from Fourth Realm Fifth Layer to Fourth Realm Ninth Layer, yet her combat power has not increased significantly, because her star patterns and supporting systems have not kept pace.

Time is needed.

Take Ning Yuchan: her Middle and Lower Star Palace cultivation has reached the peak of Fifth Realm Seventh Layer, yet she has deliberately suppressed her breakthrough, primarily to challenge the Gold Star.

After obtaining the Golden Elephant Star Pattern, with its enhancement, she can still successfully challenge Gold Star-level gatekeepers.

Beyond this, it becomes difficult—opportunities are rare.

Thus, over these past few days, Ning Yuchan has been strengthening her star patterns.

Originally, when her cultivation rose from Fifth Realm Second or Third Layer to Seventh Layer, the efficiency of star pattern enhancement doubled.

Now, with vast quantities of star power reinforcing her, the effect is amplified further.

Ning Yuchan's recent progress in star pattern enhancement has been astonishing.

Her Golden Source Star Pattern has been exceptionally strengthened to the fifth layer.

Her self-created Spiral Blade Star Pattern has reached the fourth layer.

Recall that one requirement for a Fifth Realm cultivator to break into Sixth Realm is to strengthen at least one star pattern to the third layer before erecting the Cloud Tower.

Theoretically, if one star pattern reaches the third layer, one may begin attempting Sixth Realm breakthrough.

Take Hou Yunzhang: his Middle and Lower Star Palace cultivation has both reached the peak of Fifth Realm Ninth Layer, and recently he has been strengthening his star patterns—yet he has only raised them to the fourth layer.

According to him, his probability of breaking into Sixth Realm has reached forty percent.

If he can strengthen his star pattern to the fifth layer, his breakthrough probability will be at least fifty percent.

Xiao Yuer cultivates only one Star Palace; her cultivation advancement is even more terrifying, reaching Fifth Realm Sixth Layer.

Of course, her combat power is no match for Ning Yuchan's.

Senior Sister Yang Miao follows the same strategy as Xiao Yuer: first raise the cultivation of a single Star Palace to Fifth Realm Ninth Layer, then begin strengthening star patterns and refining combat power.

This is, in fact, the optimal path for ordinary cultivators.

As for Xu Jin, his Middle and Lower Star Palace cultivation has both reached the peak of Fifth Realm First Layer.

With a mere thought, he could break into Fifth Realm Second Layer.

Yet due to the Gold Star and Can Star, Xu Jin has suppressed his breakthrough.

Of course, the star power has not been wasted.

Over these past few days, Xu Jin has also been strengthening his star patterns.

The rapid growth of his Yuan Spirit has significantly accelerated his star pattern enhancement.

The Lei Source Star Pattern has reached the fourth layer; the Earth Source and Fire Source patterns have both reached the third layer; the Great Sun Star Pattern—his other key weapon—has also been heavily strengthened to the fourth layer.

Of course, over these days, Xu Jin has tried many things.

The most frequent attempt has been trying to channel the star power within the Altar Sky Path into the white residual bone.

If this function of the white residual bone could be unlocked, then under the conditions of the Altar Sky Path's ultra-high concentration of star power, Xu Jin could fill the white residual bone with star power.

Even after the Altar Sky Path ends and he departs, he could use the stored star power within the white residual bone to rapidly advance his cultivation.

The idea sounds wonderful, but reality is too harsh.

It won't go in!

For these past days, Xu Jin has tried daily.

Whenever a new direction arises, he tries it.

For example, placing the white residual bone inside a Star Gathering Array to compress star power into it—failed.

Injecting Divine Soul energy to force the white residual bone to absorb—useless.

Activating the Star Official Seal to link with the white residual bone and draw in—still useless.

Activating both Star Official Seals—still useless.

Even when Xu Jin himself became a living conduit, channeling his own star power into the white residual bone—still no effect.

This thing acts like a one-way storage device: it releases, but never charges.

Yet Xu Jin knows clearly: he simply hasn't found the right method.

This thing must be bidirectional.

Otherwise, where did the star power and Divine Soul energy inside it come from?

Today, Xu Jin is attempting his final possible method.

If this fails, he must temporarily abandon the idea.

He can only leave it for future use.

The method Xu Jin conceived is the Divine Dao Essence he previously obtained from the Star Dipper True God.

He made this connection because he recalled that although the Divine Dao Essence was received via the Star Official Seal, its overall aura was far grander, matching the Star Dipper True God statue.

The statue's role is also extremely important.

But this is merely Xu Jin's speculation.

So he wants to test it.

Xu Jin obtained two Divine Dao Essences, currently stored within the two Star Official Seals.

He previously attempted to comprehend and refine them, but they were extremely obscure.

The refinement progress was painfully slow.

It felt like a primary school student staring at calculus—a divine scripture.

Yet this did not prevent Xu Jin from mobilizing the Divine Dao Essence.

After all, the white residual bone has already been marked by his own imprint—it cannot fly away.

And this is the last possible avenue to try.

Xu Jin halted his cultivation; with a thought, he unleashed a torrent of Divine Soul willpower, slowly drawing out one of the Divine Dao Essences from the Star Official Seal, enveloping it in Divine Soul willpower, and attempting to inject it into the white residual bone.

If even injection fails, there is no hope.

This method won't work.

The next instant, Xu Jin's eyes flashed bright—he could inject it!

Under the force of his Divine Soul willpower, the Divine Dao Essence was slowly channeled into the white residual bone.

Xu Jin even noticed that, the moment the essence entered, the pale white bone flickered with a faint glow.

There's hope!

There is a connection between the Divine Dao Essence and the white residual bone.

It took half an hour before Xu Jin fully injected the essence into the white residual bone.

Success.

When he probed with his spiritual sense, he saw the Divine Dao Essence resting within the white bone, glowing softly like a lamp, adding a touch of radiance to the pale bone.

"I wonder if this will work?"

The next instant, Xu Jin gripped the white bone in his palm again and attempted to activate it to absorb the vast star power here.

As he activated it, his heart lurched.

No reaction!

Failed again?

Is it still impossible?

Yet Xu Jin is not the type to be discouraged—he still has many methods untried.

He began attempting to activate the Star Official Seals in tandem, urging the white residual bone to absorb star power.

After several breaths, still no effect!

He tried injecting star power directly—still no effect!

This was frustrating.

It seems Xu Jin's ingenious idea is about to fail again!

Then how did the Bowei Sect's worship rituals manage to channel and store star power into this white residual bone?

In deep thought, Xu Jin attempted his final possibility.

Channel star power into the Star Official Seal, then use the Seal as a conduit to inject the star power into the white residual bone, while simultaneously activating the Divine Dao Essence within the bone.

The next instant, Xu Jin felt a sudden lightness in his fingers and palm.

The massive cluster of star power Ningju in his palm vanished.

Under the activation of the Divine Dao Essence, it had been channeled through the Star Official Seal into the white residual bone.

When he probed with his spiritual sense, a cluster of starlight floated within the white residual bone, appearing notably empty.

Success!

Xu Jin's expression brightened instantly.

After so many attempts, it finally worked.

It seems his reasoning was correct.

Because the Star Official's of the Bowei Sect absorb star power and Divine Soul energy through three elements: believers, seals, and statues.

And the core of the statue is the white residual bone.

Now it seems that white residual bones alone are insufficient; a thread of divine path essence is also needed.

The star officials of the Worshiping Stars Sect do not possess divine path essence, but the statues formed after believers worship should compensate for this.

The method succeeded.

The next step is to see whether a large volume can be injected.

If it cannot be injected in large volume, it's useless.

In the next instant, Xu Jin unleashed his divine soul power to its full extent, and in a single thought, he sent all the star force within the Central Star Palace into the Star Official's Seal.

The Star Official's Seal acted like a sufficiently wide channel, instantly transferring all the star force Xu Jin injected into the white residual bones.

Because it was the first time, Xu Jin overexerted himself and drained the Central Star Palace completely.

Instantly, a sense of exhaustion rose in his heart, drenching his body in sweat. The stars within the Central Star Palace spontaneously began to rotate, absorbing immensely dense star force to restore his cultivation base.

At this spontaneous recovery rate, it would take roughly three hours to fully replenish the depleted star force.

But this was too slow.

Xu Jin began activating his powerful divine soul power to restore star force through a transfer method.

In just over a quarter-hour, the star force that had just been depleted was fully restored.

Of course, this rapid recovery was only possible due to the exceptionally high star force concentration within the Altar Path and the Diejia effect of the Star Gathering Array.

Outside, it would never be this fast.

In the next instant, Xu Jin spent only one breath to inject all the star force from the Central and Lower Star Palaces into the white residual bones, then began restoring the star force in both palaces again.

Two quarter-hours later, the cycle repeated once more.

In fact, Xu Jin had another trick up his sleeve.

He could directly use the starlight from the Participating Stars Altar to replenish star force, then inject it into the white residual bones, and then draw upon the star force within the bones to elevate his cultivation.

But currently, the starlight on the Participating Stars Altar was barely enough for upgrading—he certainly couldn't use it to store star force.

Moreover, at that efficiency, the starlight on the Participating Stars Altar would be exhausted in less than half a quarter-hour.

But now, what Xu Jin was drawing was the entire star domain's power of Lanshan Star Region.

For the next three days, Xu Jin continuously repeated this process.

In three days, he injected over a hundred portions of his own star force.

The white residual bones were ultimately not an endless void.

When Xu Jin had injected roughly one hundred and fifty portions of his full star force, the bones were finally filled.

Amidst his joy,

Xu Jin was more terrified.

This fragment of bone, no larger than an egg, could contain one hundred and fifty portions of his star force.

Then, how immense must the star force have been in its original owner at the peak of his power?

How many times greater than Xu Jin's?

The exact number could not be calculated.

It must have been thousands or even tens of thousands of times greater!

But even more terrifying was that such a powerful being was dead!

Only residual bones remained?

Who killed him?

If these are the remains of a so-called Star Lord?

Then who killed the Star Lord?

Is the Star Lord of the Worshiping Stars Sect alive or dead?

Countless questions resurfaced in Xu Jin's mind, making him even more curious about the Worshiping Stars Sect!

Notably, during these three or four days, the Holy Clan's Ju Ling had contacted Xu Jin twice, probing and pressing with various questions.

Xu Jin answered what he could; for what he couldn't, he gave half-answers before letting the Altar Path collapse, severing the connection.

He was just grabbing at whatever he could—if he couldn't get anything good, he'd let it go.

The date had now entered April 22nd, and Xu Jin was preparing to leave.

Because the final deadline agreed upon by Emperor Gan'an and the Blood God Son's talisman was April 30th.

Xu Jin could not arrive on the last day—he had to go ahead of time.

Xu Jin planned to have one last exchange with Ju Ling; if he couldn't extract any benefit, he'd cut ties!

"Reinitiate the Altar Path."

At Xu Jin's command, two celestial and stellar wills descended, and everyone once again activated the Altar Path, causing it to rapidly grow.

Less than an hour later, the Holy Ancestor's Golden Token glowed.

"Ju Jiu, what's your situation? Why does it feel like your Altar Path has been declining these past few days, its position sinking lower?" Ju Ling's voice came again.

Hearing this, Xu Jin smiled, deliberately imitating Ju Jiu's voice while making it sound weak.

"Ju Ling, I fear I can't hold on any longer! With only four celestial and stellar wills, the Altar Path rises a bit then collapses a bit—I'm drained beyond endurance!

I can't hold on anymore!

I must sustain it without rest!

I've been sustaining it for twenty days—I'm at my limit!

Perhaps tomorrow or the day after, the Altar Path will collapse.

Ju Ling, I'm sorry!

I cannot fulfill the envoy's instructions."

Xu Jin had always held the "grab whatever you can" mindset, and now he let loose, deploying his Qianshi 's full repertoire of sob stories.

Whether it worked or not, he'd sell the misery first.

On the Eight Wilderness Continent, Ju Ling grew anxious.

He had observed Ju Jiu's Altar Path for over twenty days—he had personally witnessed Ju Jiu's efforts.

The Altar Path rose and fell repeatedly; each rise and fall represented how hard Ju Jiu had worked!

"Hold on a little longer—I'll consult the Lord and see if I can offer you some aid."

"Thank you, Ju Ling."

Though he deeply sympathized with Ju Jiu and understood the hardship behind the Altar Path's constant fluctuations,

when Ju Ling consulted the envoy Ju Zhang, he dared not directly request aid.

That was neither his authority nor his place to advise.

He could only report the situation—the final decision rested with the envoy.

"Lord, Ju Jiu says he fears he can't hold on much longer; in another day or two, he won't be able to sustain it, and his Altar Path will collapse." Ju Ling reported faithfully.

"Collapse in another day or two?

This Altar Path has been up for twenty days already, hasn't it?" Ju Zhang asked.

"Yes, twenty days," Ju Ling replied.

Hearing this, Ju Zhang nodded. "That's true. Under insufficient celestial and stellar wills, Ju Jiu must sustain it nonstop with no recovery time—holding on for twenty days shows remarkable willpower.

But—"

Ju Zhang's gaze flickered as he made his final decision.

He needed to send one portion of world origin; these two portions could then be recovered.

Would there be risks?

Could that Qi Tian Saint, who had destroyed his two previous Altar Paths, appear again?

Probably not.

Could he appear every time?

Not necessarily!

There's a small chance of losing this one portion of world origin.

But if he does nothing, those two portions from Ju Jiu's side are certain to be lost.

Between certain loss and a small risk, Envoy Ju Zhang suddenly made his decision.

"Has his identity been verified?" Ju Zhang asked.

Ju Ling nodded. "All standard verifications have been completed—he is indeed Ju Jiu. But due to the Altar Path's fluctuations these past few days, the verifications weren't thorough."

"What do you think?" Ju Zhang suddenly asked.

It wasn't that Ju Zhang was indecisive—he was simply terrified of losing world origin.

"This is beyond my authority—I leave the decision entirely to the Lord," Ju Ling replied, remaining faithful—or perhaps, exercising his own wisdom.

"One portion for two—success brings back two!

But if we do nothing, those two portions vanish completely.

Go!

Give him one chance at aid!"

Suddenly, Ju Zhang made his decision.

It wasn't just about one for two—he also considered other issues.

If he ignored Ju Jiu's plight, wouldn't his own loyal followers start thinking?

Why not seize a double benefit?

Half an hour later, Ju Zhang arrived again at the edge of the Eight Wilderness Continent and attempted to contact Ju Jiu—but the connection was intermittent.

Within the Lanshan Star Region, Xu Jin was about to end his cultivation when Ju Ling contacted him again.

He could only make the Altar Heavenly Path grow a little more.

"Ju Jiu, the Lord is sending you support! Don't worry what it is—in half an hour, support will arrive. At that time, the Altar Heavenly Path will grow automatically without you needing to sustain it for long."

"Recover while you activate it, and quickly establish connection with the Ancestral Land!"

"Thank you, your servant thanks you."

At the edge of the Bahuang Continent, Ju Jiu's voice cut off halfway.

Clearly, he had reached his absolute limit!

"Ah, Ju Jiu has truly worked hard—remarkable perseverance. When he returns, we can rely on him again," Ju Zhang chuckled.

"Indeed!"

In the next instant, the Bahuang Cauldron within Ju Zhang's Star Palace trembled slightly; a brilliant flash shot out from within, and with a flick of the envoy Ju Zhang's finger, the brilliant light shot downward like a meteor toward the Altar Heavenly Path!

"I remember Ju Jiu took a portion of the World Origin that was Thunder-affiliated—I sensed it just now—so I sent another Thunder-affiliated portion, which will successfully draw it in," said Envoy Ju Zhang.

The meteor-like light of the World Origin moved at incredible speed, flashing only a few times before vanishing into the Altar Heavenly Path.

Then Ju Zhang and Ju Ling stared expectantly down at the Altar Heavenly Path.

Theoretically, after this portion of World Origin was injected, the Altar Heavenly Path would rapidly grow.

The two simply stared, waiting.

In the Lanshan Star Region, the moment the meteor fell, Xu Jin was utterly startled!

He thought it was an attack!

But the instant the meteor struck, within the Mingji Star Pattern's perception, the Thunder-affiliated portion of World Origin within the Altar Heavenly Path suddenly blazed brilliantly and drew the incoming starlight in.

Another portion of Thunder-affiliated World Origin!

Amidst shock, Xu Jin burst into wild joy.

He'd actually fooled them!

He'd only planned to casually grab some grass.

Now he'd caught a rabbit!

A fat one at that!

And it was Thunder-affiliated World Origin—what a harvest!

Awesome!

Since he'd caught it, Xu Jin stopped pretending—he was about to end his cultivation, as the Chen Imperial Palace was on the verge of upheaval.

In the next instant, Xu Jin focused his mind and began refining and absorbing the three portions of World Origin.

One Fire, two Thunder!

At the edge of the Bahuang Continent, Ju Ling and Envoy Ju Zhang still stared expectantly.

(End of Chapter)