[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-53":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},2274911,4448,"Chapter 53: Siege","the-star-martial-era-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>The Hall of the Tianhe Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Ji, the leader of the Tianhe Gang, was waiting there with over a dozen subordinates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tense wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, bloodlight descended; Zhou Ji and the others leapt to their feet, and as they recognized the intruder, someone cried out in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tian Zhang!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Blood Butcher!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant Zhou Ji recognized the figure, he turned and fled without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhang let out a loud laugh and slashed with his blade—out flew a starlight chain, writhing like a spirit serpent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third-rank Star Art—Spirit Serpent Chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, it wrapped around Zhou Ji, pinning him in place as he tried to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Ji’s body erupted in wild starlight, but the Spirit Serpent Chain refused to break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A third-rank Star Art, wielded by the Blood Butcher Tian Zhang, was no trivial matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Tian Zhang’s long blade rested against Zhou Ji’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Ji, captured in a single move, turned ashen-faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the lowly thugs of the Tianhe Gang, the moment they recognized the Blood Butcher Tian Zhang, they scattered in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man’s name, a tree’s shadow!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, they were only in the Tianhe Gang for food and drink, maybe a few taels of silver—risking their lives? That’s stupidity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They fled fast enough: ten breaths after Tian Zhang captured Zhou Ji, sealed his star core, and dislocated his joints, a flash of green light arrived swiftly—it was Dong Zhao, the Mountain Head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mountain Head Dong Zhao had come to assist Tian Zhang, just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Zhou Ji captured, Dong Zhao smiled easily, “Capturing this scoundrel means we’ve secured seven tenths of this matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only seven tenths? Shouldn’t it be a sure thing?” Tian Zhang asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to Lu Chang’s report, Hu Dianzhu of the Tianyang Branch Temple hasn’t shown his face for a full day—I suspect he’s nearby.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he shows up, this whole operation might fail at the last moment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’d need someone to hold him off.” Dong Zhao stared fixedly at Tian Zhang, his meaning clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhang lifted the captured Zhou Ji and understood, “Mountain Head, rest assured—someone will hold him off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good!” Dong Zhao laughed heartily, then leapt away, “Let’s return to the Dao Academy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Tian Zhang followed, carrying Zhou Ji, he reached into his robe and crushed a special insignia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very moment Tian Zhang crushed the insignia, a faint, indistinct figure suddenly appeared atop the summit of Daqing Mountain outside Jinshan County City. The figure rose, stretching lazily, “Finally—so damn slow. The signal’s here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Qi Shanye activated his will; the multiple layers of Shadow-Stealth Star Patterns engraved within the Upper Star Palace’s Zhenxing instantly retracted, their glow vanishing as Qi Shanye’s form materialized fully upon the mountaintop, standing solidly there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, an old man wearing a bamboo hat, fishing on a small boat on the Jinshajiang River outside Jinshan County City, suddenly reeled in his line and pulled from his robe a star disc covered in mysterious star patterns and markings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star Artifact—Star Locator Disc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the Star Locator Disc glowed faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Xuechuan, the head of the Tianyang Branch Temple, frowned, his hand sweeping over the Star Locator Disc; instantly, a dark green beam of light pointed straight toward Da Jinshan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Suddenly revealed his aura?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is Qi Shanye fighting someone and accidentally exposed himself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or has he set a trap to lure me in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few breaths of silence, Hu Xuechuan sneered, “Let’s see what tricks Qi Shanye can still pull in Jinshan County, sealed off for over half a month.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Hu Xuechuan shot skyward; with one step, starlight appeared beneath his feet—tiny points of light forming a celestial path that carried him through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, Hu Xuechuan shattered three special insignias.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These special insignias were called Golden Orchid Insignias, named after the oath of sworn brotherhood: “Not born in the same year, month, or day, but die together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crush one, and the other must shatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Usually used to send alerts or warnings, but only if prearranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A set of Golden Orchid Insignias had at least two, sometimes three, four, or even five; the more insignias in a set, the higher the price and the greater the rarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant these three Golden Orchid Insignias shattered, Lu Chang, the County Commandant leading the search for demonic cultists in Da Mountain, felt one of his own insignias shatter in his chest. After confirming which one, his face darkened; he reorganized the search, then dashed off with two other Ningxing-level experts toward the direction indicated by the insignia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huang Yunshu, the Supervisor of the Tianyang Branch Temple, received the signal at the same moment; after giving brief orders, he departed within a minute, heading swiftly toward the insignia’s direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same instant, within Jinshan County City, one of the Golden Orchid Insignias in Zhou Qingzhu’s robe shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingzhu froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood—this was Hu Dianzhu detecting demonic traces and summoning them for a siege. But right now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Zhou Qingzhu stood Wang Qiang, the Supervising Officer, who had just arrived and delivered news: the small team dispatched from Jinshan Dao Academy had returned intact, bringing back a live prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingzhu was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toward Heshui County.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t Ji Bochang say he’d handled it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did the Jinshan Dao Academy team return from Heshui County?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Ji Bochang be a double agent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he betray him? Didn’t he fear retaliation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did Zhong Da make contact?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of job was Zhong Da doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Zhou Qingzhu’s mind—he wanted to drag Zhong Da or Ji Bochang before him and demand answers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Zhou Qingzhu knew well: all that could be settled later. Right now, the most urgent matter was Zhou Ji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never imagined that even after activating a spy he’d planted over a decade ago, the Jinshan Dao Academy team still arrived intact with a live prisoner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was utterly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ji Bochang or the hidden forces should at least have killed the prisoner. But now, there was no time to dwell on it—he had to sever the connection and eliminate Zhou Ji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, Zhou Qingzhu abandoned Wang Qiang mid-report, his body erupting in blinding starlight as he raced at top speed toward the Tianhe Gang’s base in Jinshan County City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three minutes later, when Zhou Qingzhu arrived at the Tianhe Gang’s base, the once-bustling hall was empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there were no signs of a struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bad premonition rose in Zhou Qingzhu’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where was Zhou Ji?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he fled on his own?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or had he been captured?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingzhu’s face darkened—he could be either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Ji was a local snake, with better intelligence—he might have learned the news before Zhou Qingzhu and fled early, fearing execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why were there no thugs left in the hall?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet there were no signs of a fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped it was the former—that Zhou Ji had fled and hidden himself. But if he’d been captured, then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Zhou Qingzhu’s sense of danger surged violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just minutes ago, Hu Xuechuan, the head of the Tianyang Star Temple’s Yanzhou Branch, had sent him a signal to besiege demonic cultists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, in itself, was normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past month, Hu Xuechuan had been using the Star Locator Disc to track Qi Shanye’s location—previously only an approximate position, but now, from this urgent signal, he must have pinpointed Qi Shanye’s exact whereabouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, even in the worst case, as long as Hu Xuechuan, the Branch Head, arrived in Jinshan County City, no one could touch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had countless ways to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Zhou Qingzhu sensed an extreme danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Dianzhu had gone to pursue the demon Qi Shanye; Zhou Ji had vanished; and most critically, Zhou Qingzhu himself had left the Tianyang Branch Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he’d brought not a single subordinate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he were still inside the Tianyang Branch Temple, would Dong Zhao dare launch a direct assault?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Dong Zhao dared, the Star Array within the Temple’s Training Hall granted him overwhelming terrain advantage, plus support from other Tianyang Branch Temple experts—what could Dong Zhao do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At worst, his reputation would be ruined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Danger!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Extremely dangerous situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Return to the Tianyang Branch Temple—or flee the city?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the peril Zhou Qingzhu faced at this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he fled the city and met up with Hu Xuechuan, he’d be completely safe—even if things went wrong, he could hide in the Branch Temple or escape elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But fleeing the city might also draw the attention of Dong Zhao and his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the Tianyang Branch Temple meant holding ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until Hu Xuechuan returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each option had pros and cons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After only an instant of thought, Zhou Qingzhu made his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leave Jinshan County City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jinshan County City had always been dominated by the Dao Academy’s influence; if Zhou Qingzhu were truly captured, Dong Zhao and Tian Zhang, those two audacious bastards, might even mobilize siege crossbows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Jinshan County City was the better option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad I hadn’t taken Superintendent Wang Qiang with me, nor recalled the top experts like Vice Headmaster Liu Yelan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I’d recalled them all and taken them out of the city with me, the safety level would’ve been higher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now going to recall them would take at least half a minute—too much time wasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The longer I delay now, the greater my danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these people’s strength can still be exploited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the North Gate, Vice Headmaster Liu Yelan is still in Jinshan County City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Zhou Qingzhu made his decision and shot forward, aiming to flee Jinshan County City at maximum speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he rose, a crimson blade of light slashed down like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard, he was slammed back into the academy grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tian Zhang, how dare you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Qingzhu roared in fury, but instead of advancing, he retreated—refusing to engage Tian Zhang head-on—and veered toward another direction, seeking escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet at the very moment Zhou Qingzhu rose, the Law Ruler and Great Hammer, formed from starlight, crashed down together, slamming him back to the ground and collapsing numerous buildings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the dust, Superintendent Cao Chun and Ning Yuchan appeared, their qi locking onto Zhou Qingzhu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Headmaster Zhou, no wonder we’ve searched so long and never found the demonic cultivators—turns out the true demon behind it all is you, Headmaster Zhou!” Dong Zhao, holding a written confession, appeared above the Tianhe Gang’s hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, Vice Headmaster Feng Shu appeared from another direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five powerful figures of the Jinshan Dao Academy surrounded Zhou Qingzhu together!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1795,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5bc6ab6a682177ab75684352b504b43be08ad586a76c19a0bd4a1a2756d8fc93","the-star-martial-era-chapter-54","the-star-martial-era-chapter-52",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]