[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-45":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},2274903,4448,"Chapter 45: Ascension of the Can Dou Platform","the-star-martial-era-chapter-45",45,"\u003Cp>Most of the seized assets were silver notes and loose silver, along with a large quantity of elixirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most replenishing elixirs came from Hong Li—two and a half bottles—while the other four targets each had only one bottle to a few pills, respectively; after counting, there were forty-six replenishing elixirs total, worth nearly a thousand taels of silver if converted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were fifteen hundred taels in silver notes, a little over one hundred and twenty taels in loose silver, and several gold ornaments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the stolen goods were over thirty jade items, ninety-seven taels of gold, twenty-six silver notes of one hundred taels each, more than three hundred and thirty silver ingots of ten taels each, and one chest of assorted gold, silver, and jewels—hard to value precisely, mostly gold and silver jewelry, jade ornaments, and pearls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Excluding gold and silver jewelry and jade items, the total gold and silver amounted to 6,900 taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin did not hesitate; following Niu Gui’s words, the victims in this case had lost nearly everything, so even if surrendered to the state, it would become public property—taking his share by military custom was justified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xu Jin first took six hundred taels from the stolen goods: two hundred for the relief center, a few taels for the children rescued from organ harvesting, twenty taels each for the more than a dozen rescued women, and also accounting for the customary shares for the clerks in the judicial office and the Beast Taming Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Xu Jin took an additional thirty-five percent—about 2,400 taels—from the stolen goods and added it to the seized assets, while dumping the loose silver and gold ornaments from the seized assets back into the stolen goods pile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the total divisible silver amounted to 3,900 taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In dividing the silver, Xu Jin was even more ruthless: he and Niu Gui each took two-tenths, and the rest was split equally among the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had full confidence in this division—by contribution, he and Niu Gui deserved the largest shares; more labor, more reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever objected could compare the number of heads they’d cut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Xu Jin received 780 taels of silver and nine replenishing elixirs; the others each got around 210 taels of silver and two to three replenishing elixirs apiece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they couldn’t be evenly divided, those wanting more replenishing elixirs had to compensate others with silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this large distribution of wealth, everyone was overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, during training, many had barely endured it; during missions, they’d lived in constant dread—but now, holding this much silver, every hardship was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially for disciples like Qian Xiaohu and Sha Youtian, whose families were poor, this fortune was enough to lift their households across a social tier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was no exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing Xu Jin thought of was his younger sister, Jiang Er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this money, once back in Juncheng, he would find Zhao Zhuangzhu—even if it meant breaking the contract—to secure his sister’s freedom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next year, he could enroll her in the Star Pointing Season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin now had the financial means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had already set aside Niu Gui’s share separately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When distributing silver, they mostly used silver notes, with only a few ingots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Spring Rain Office guide, the real danger lay on the return journey—carrying such heavy packages would be troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the silver distribution, Xu Jin took extra gold to replace silver—about five taels of gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While consolidating the remaining three chests of stolen goods, Xu Jin personally sorted them and, in the process, activated the Can Dou Platform to absorb nine jade tablets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the materials Xu Jin needed to ascend the Can Dou Platform were now complete except for ten strands of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, Xu Jin made arrangements: twelve men divided into four groups of three to stand watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those not on watch can also cultivate for a while; keep one or two replenishing elixirs for emergencies, but use the rest as soon as possible to convert them into strength—there may still be danger on the return journey.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin gave this advice, but no more—he could only say so much; whether they listened was up to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After chewing a few mouthfuls of dried rations, Xu Jin activated the Yin Hui Method to replenish his star force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After five battles today, his star force was already depleted; he’d taken one ordinary replenishing elixir en route, and now had only a little left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But two strands of starlight remained on the Can Dou Platform, kept aside for emergencies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this over, Xu Jin calculated: ascending the Can Dou Platform required ten strands of starlight; he had two now, and one more would replenish after midnight—minimum seven days needed to gather enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could ascend the Can Dou Platform today, his combat power would rise noticeably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, his Star Lamp—currently one lamp—would likely become two after ascent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An additional lamp meant he could solidify one more basic star technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From today’s combat, the three most practical basic star techniques were Basic Star Shield, Basic Star Ring, and Basic Star Arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could cast them instantly, his combat power would surge far beyond a mere increment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he killed Deng Hu, his options were limited—he could only choose Basic Star Ray.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Basic Star Ray now solidified on his lamp still needed two days to be replaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made Xu Jin even more regretful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days meant replacement only after midnight the day after tomorrow—if he could replace it tomorrow, his self-defense on the return journey would be stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for personal cultivation, he had only just broken through to Canxia Third Layer last night; breaking through to Canxia Fourth Layer in the short term was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only path left to enhance his strength was practicing within the Star Lamp. His Five Dipper Killing Fist was already perfected; among all basic star techniques, Basic Star Shield had progressed fastest—he already felt a hint of instant casting during practice, and with more effort, it might achieve true instant casting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His survival capability would improve further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But tonight should be safe, so tonight’s body tempering cultivation must still proceed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Xu Jin’s mind withdrew from the Can Dou Platform, he suddenly realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gold and silver absorbed by the Can Dou Platform could be expelled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what about starlight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starlight’s essence was star force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since it could flow into his body, could he channel star force back into the Can Dou Platform?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin thought it entirely possible and immediately tried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He visualized the star pattern and the Can Dou Platform, guiding the starlight within his star pattern toward the platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, his star pattern emptied completely, while the Can Dou Platform gained one more strand of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It became three strands!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, having successfully inscribed the Minor Star Gathering Pattern and reached the Third Layer of Canxia, all his star force could barely coalesce into a single strand of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he could reverse-flow star force to generate starlight, he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three rounds of Yin Hui Method, the starlight on Xu Jin’s Can Dou Platform rose from three to six strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four strands still needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin decisively swallowed a Stimulating Elixir.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under current conditions, one Stimulating Elixir restored half his spirit power—enough for at least two more rounds of Yin Hui Method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half an hour later, the starlight on Xu Jin’s Can Dou Platform reached eight strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two strands still needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where to get them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining options were replenishing elixirs or sleeping and then performing Canxia Method again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But tomorrow’s star force must not be fully depleted—he needed to save some for the journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for replenishing elixirs, based on his prior tests, two pills yielded the star force equivalent of one strand—so theoretically, four more pills would suffice for two strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the diminishing returns of consecutive replenishing elixirs were less severe than those of Stimulating Elixirs, four pills were certainly insufficient—he’d likely need five or six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking, Xu Jin directly took out the replenishing elixir that had been nurtured for a day and a half beneath the Can Dou Lamp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Testing could wait for later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enhancing strength came first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The replenishing elixir nurtured for a day and a half dissolved in his belly, instantly surging into his star pattern as torrential star force; the moment his star pattern swelled, he guided it toward the Can Dou Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another strand of starlight appeared on the Can Dou Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining potency of this one-halo replenishing elixir provided Xu Jin with an additional twenty percent star force before vanishing entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, nurturing for one day doubled the elixir’s effect; this one, nurtured for a day and a half, yielded only twenty percent more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far, one day of nurturing yielded the optimal enhancement; further gains slowed considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this still required testing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One strand of starlight still needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin swallowed a Revitalizing Elixir and resumed the Yin Hui Method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later, the starlight on the Can Dou Platform rose from nine to ten strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Xu Jin’s mind sank into the jade tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The text “Can Ascend” on the tablet had changed to “Ascend,” glowing with radiant starlight as if countless strands flowed within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking it over, Xu Jin excused himself to use the latrine and went to a vacant side room in the back courtyard, avoiding any unusual phenomena during ascent that might draw attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, Xu Jin’s mind sank into the “Ascend” characters on the jade tablet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ascend!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost simultaneously, an invisible strand of starlight rose from Xu Jin’s Can Dou Platform, shooting straight into the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the void, nine stars in the Big Dipper constellation flickered faintly for an instant—so briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So briefly that even the world’s supreme experts, sensing the disturbance and looking up, found the Big Dipper unchanged, as if nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But brilliant starlight descended from the sky, pouring into Xu Jin’s Can Dou Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Can Dou Platform, a brand-new Star Lamp slowly coalesced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1696,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9ae9aae03f18b41ad770fc85c7ee752d061583747569f676a76404d05c8fefdb","the-star-martial-era-chapter-46","the-star-martial-era-chapter-44",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]