[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-43":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},2274901,4448,"Chapter 43: Upgrade Materials","the-star-martial-era-chapter-43",43,"\u003Cp>After capturing Hong Li, the mop-up battle proceeded swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were ten bandits in this mansion; none escaped. Seven were slain on the spot, two captured alive, and one severely wounded, barely clinging to life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five of all combatants sustained minor injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin and Niu Gui’s earlier injuries, which caused them to spit blood, also counted as minor; now that their star force had circulated, the stabbing pain in their chests had eased considerably and barely affected their combat readiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Search the mansion inside and out, inspect any suspicious individuals,” Niu Gui ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Xu Jin was the Squad Leader, it was obvious he was a green recruit; many matters were led by Niu Gui, the Personal Guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Niu Gui issued the orders, but Xu Jin delivered the specific operational commands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had Qiao Ruonan find a side room and moved the seven naked women there, providing them with clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone else paired up to search the entire mansion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gang of Jianghu bandits had extremely low vigilance; no further suspicious individuals were found inside or outside the compound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Qian Xiaohu quietly approached Xu Jin, his expression tense yet excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a small side room behind the main hall, Qian Xiaohu and Song Ye discovered two large chests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Song Ye, who came from a decent family, was deeply shaken upon seeing the two chests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both chests were filled entirely with gold, silver, and treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were jade artifacts and pearls, a small amount of gold, vast quantities of silver, and over a dozen silver notes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rough count showed at least five thousand taels in silver alone, not counting the other treasures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patrol Star Guards received spoils during missions, but Xu Jin didn’t know how they were divided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this sum was enormous; if it were only a few hundred taels, Xu Jin might have taken the initiative to distribute it evenly among the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this was several thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how it was divided, Niu Gui could not be bypassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking it over, Xu Jin went to find Niu Gui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Niu, the men found these. How should we handle them? Is there a precedent?” Xu Jin asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the two chests of gold and silver, Niu Gui was slightly surprised, then carefully said, “According to Patrol Star Guard regulations, spoils are divided among the team; stolen goods may be claimed at two-tenths, as compensation for our efforts.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If any brother falls in battle, an additional one or two-tenths may be taken as condolence,” Niu Gui added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Niu, how do we distinguish between spoils and stolen goods?” Xu Jin asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“These treasures are stolen goods,” Niu Gui said, pointing to the two chests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What we take from the bandits’ bodies counts as spoils,” he said, shaking the bundle in his hand—recently looted from corpses, containing a few silver notes and several elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking, Niu Gui paused, then added, “Of course, the distinction between stolen goods and spoils isn’t always clear, but don’t overstep. Stolen goods must be returned to the victims—if any exist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin began to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spoils could be freely divided; stolen goods could be claimed at two-tenths. Of course, taking a bit more was acceptable—superiors would often turn a blind eye, since everyone risked their lives on these missions—but not too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Continue the mission. We’ll settle this after all objectives are completed,” Xu Jin said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This arrangement made Niu Gui view Xu Jin with renewed respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wealth dazzles the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such immense wealth lay before Xu Jin, yet he prioritized completing the mission. This boy had a bright future ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Niu, you have the highest cultivation base. If anything happens, you can keep watch over Hong Li. The remaining targets have at most Meal Mist Fourth Layer—myself, Ruonan, and Song Ye can handle them easily together,” Xu Jin arranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. But don’t be careless. These Jianghu types use plenty of underhanded tricks—never underestimate them,” Niu Gui had no objections to Xu Jin’s plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the capture of Hong Li, Xu Jin had contributed greatly and shown ruthless efficiency; his authority within the squad had skyrocketed, nearly surpassing Niu Gui’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin himself still carried two pouches of lime, unused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes later, the twelve-man team, guided by a Spring Rain Office escort, reached their second target: Zhao Zhen’s residence—a household clearly occupied by force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only six people were present; only two had cultivation base. The strongest was Zhao Zhen himself, a Jianghu hermit at Meal Mist Third Layer—nowhere near Xu Jin’s level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although all Daoist academies accepted disciples aged fifteen to thirty during the Star Marking Season, in practice, they rarely took anyone over twenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many aspiring candidates saved money privately to hire experts to carve star patterns, costing several hundred taels per attempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one attempt failed, they tried again; if twice failed, thrice—even using other methods to assist—and some still succeeded, including those who had failed at the academies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those who barely succeeded in Star Marking progressed at an excruciatingly slow pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many took one or two years to advance just one layer of Meal Mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meal Mist Layers One to Five refine the chest, abdomen, and limbs; Layer Six refines the six yang extremities—the hardest and slowest; Layer Seven allows starlight to flow fully through the entire body, unifying it, reaching Meal Mist peak, and enabling Star Forging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Zhao Zhen was clearly a Jianghu hermit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet among common folk, Meal Mist Third Layer was formidable enough to dominate a small region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, Xu Jin’s team had captured three of Zhao Zhen’s men, but after seeing the horrific condition of several children in another side room, Xu Jin’s face darkened—he cut them down, one by one, with a single stroke each.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Child harvesting and mutilation!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several children had limbs broken and fixed at unnatural angles; noses cut off, eyes gouged out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had seen child harvesting in news reports from his past life—he’d trembled then, wondering how anyone could be so cruel. But now, seeing it firsthand, he only cursed himself for killing too slowly; he wished he’d made them suffer more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were absolute monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After inventorying the spoils, the team pressed on under the Spring Rain Office guide’s direction toward their third target: Liu San.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu San’s murdered uncle had been a blacksmith who ran a forge; Liu San and his gang now occupied it. Liu San was also the highest-ranked remaining target: Meal Mist Fourth Layer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intelligence indicated Liu San had recently consumed large quantities of elixirs and only recently ascended to Meal Mist Fourth Layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiaohu, You Tian—you two guard the perimeter. Kill anyone who tries to flee!” After the Zhao Zhen incident, Xu Jin’s killing instinct had fully awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were scum. Kill them, and kill them without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Killing them was saving lives!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This psychological self-reinforcement had gradually diluted many of Xu Jin’s past-life legal and moral concepts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No surprises occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin himself had previously slain a Meal Mist Fourth Layer cultivator alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two consecutive battles, not only had Xu Jin’s combat skills rapidly improved, but the entire team’s battlefield proficiency had surged—they were now veterans, not recruits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each man had killed at least two enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This battle resulted in Liu San’s capture; all others were slain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a minor unexpected discovery emerged during the spoils inspection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The distinction between spoils and stolen goods was unclear; there was over a thousand taels in silver and several elixirs—all Star-Enhancing Pills. Liu San, at least, was ambitious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What surprised Xu Jin was the hundreds of jin of refined iron and a small pile of copper ingots—likely for making copper wares—in the forge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were precisely the materials Xu Jin needed to upgrade his Can Dou Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had previously inquired: one hundred jin of refined iron cost roughly twenty taels of silver; ten jin of purple copper theoretically equaled ten taels, but in practice, purchasing it required about fifteen taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he hadn’t yet accumulated enough starlight, and due to having killed Deng Hu, Xu Jin hadn’t purchased these items in the county seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now that he saw them, he had an idea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The iron and copper ingots were too heavy to transport and wouldn’t count as stolen goods; the original owner—Liu San’s murdered uncle—had no heirs left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These items would almost certainly be confiscated by the state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Xu Jin decided to take a portion for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, Xu Jin couldn’t carry one hundred jin of iron and ten jin of copper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he carry over a hundred jin and still complete his mission?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But while exploring his Can Dou Platform’s upgrade mechanics, he’d made a discovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Can Dou Platform could directly absorb upgrade materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as they didn’t exceed the upgrade limit, it could even serve as a temporary storage device.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He discovered this simply enough: one of the upgrade requirements was one jin of white silver—ten taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had it on hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days ago, bored in his dormitory, he’d tested it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin found that when he activated the Can Dou Platform, its star force would subtly shift and instantly draw in the prepared upgrade materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more astonishingly, he could retrieve them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only up to the upgrade limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current upgrade required one jin of white silver—ten taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could absorb no more than ten taels; anything extra wouldn’t work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under these conditions, the pile of iron and copper ingots before him was easily manageable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the others searched elsewhere, Xu Jin gently placed his palm on the iron ingots, sank his mind into the Can Dou Platform, activated it, and with a thought, over a dozen iron ingots vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did the same with the copper ingots—two vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Can Dou Platform showed new changes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the platform, a pile of iron ingots, a small heap of copper ingots, and a small pile of silver now appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the upgrade information on the platform’s jade tablet shifted slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Upgrade Possible: Still need ten strands of starlight, nine jade tablets, one tael of gold.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Materials already absorbed no longer appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three items still missing: starlight, jade tablets, and gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s mind flashed to the treasure in the two chests after capturing Hong Li—gold and jade gui, but he didn’t know how many pieces there were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would this operation be enough to gather the materials needed to ascend the Dou Tai?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1748,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1f6db66d155fcc9ea3a0ee211733833638583113f0f1d745906d65fb0c804a4d","the-star-martial-era-chapter-44","the-star-martial-era-chapter-42",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]