[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-61":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},2274919,4448,"Chapter 61: Pillar Sect","the-star-martial-era-chapter-61",61,"\u003Cp>A star, like a falling meteor, shot toward Xu Jin at high speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin instinctively closed his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant he opened them again, the world before him had become an entirely new one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark forest, faint light filtering through the canopy, leaves swaying, wind whispering—Xu Jin even heard the sound of flowing water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out unconsciously to touch a leaf, to see if it was real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Newcomer?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice sounded; Xu Jin saw a broad-faced, wide-eared man step out from behind a tree ten meters away, holding a long sword, watching Xu Jin’s touch with slight surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Jin nodded, a voice suddenly echoed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Forest terrain, challenge begins in five breaths】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Opposing Star Lord: Green Robe Divine Sword】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leaf was real; the Star Lord’s name was just a bit crude—back in his past life, he’d seen too many “Divine Sword” titles in games.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like I’ve got good luck,” Green Robe Divine Sword chuckled, watching Xu Jin touch the leaf as if he’d found treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should be!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin stared at the torn leaf in his hand, utterly astonished—or rather, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This Combat Mirage is absurdly real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far superior by hundreds of times to any 5D or 6D immersive experience from his past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He punched the tree trunk—just one word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that same instant, the starlight between Xu Jin and Green Robe Divine Sword vanished—the battle began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, Green Robe Divine Sword circled the tree and lunged out; as starlight flared beneath his feet, his entire body accelerated like a fish darting through the dense forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, his long sword spat a two-foot-long beam of starlight, slashing toward Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had already planned his approach to this fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to test how his basic Star Art performed in actual combat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he didn’t dodge or evade—before the sword’s starlight touched him, a basic Star Shield instantly materialized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It blocked the starlight spewing from the sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sword’s starlight and Xu Jin’s Star Shield shattered simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Instant cast? Perfect mastery?” Green Robe Divine Sword’s face showed shock, but his sword didn’t pause—he pressed forward, starlight surging again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in that same instant, Xu Jin flicked his finger lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Star Arrow shot out like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It slammed directly into Green Robe Divine Sword’s forehead, barely three feet away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Green Robe Divine Sword didn’t even have time to mobilize his star energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Star Arrow was already inside his brain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that remained before Xu Jin was an expression of utter shock—then the man dissolved into scattered starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A string of voices surfaced in Xu Jin’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Star Lord Qi Tian Da Sheng defeated. Gained 3 Combat Points. Current rank: 1,665,345.】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Continue challenge or exit?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rank shocked Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One million six hundred sixty-five thousand?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Are there really that many Meal-Cloud cultivators?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—there must be that many Meal-Cloud sixth-layer cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the Star Picking Order’s activation requirement, normally only Meal-Cloud sixth-layer cultivators can activate and enter the Star Picking Tower; someone like Xu Jin is an exception, but certainly not the only one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, activating the Star Picking Order is tied to the Divine Soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such exceptions are definitely rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the number of Meal-Cloud sixth-layer and above cultivators—over a million—is terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then Xu Jin realized the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is almost certainly a major region.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, when Xu Jin opened the Star Gate, places like the Sunlight Star Hall and the Great Chu State Dao Academy were inaccessible—but this Combat Mirage was open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning, this Combat Mirage has no restrictions—anyone who obtains a Star Picking Order can enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If so, this must represent all Meal-Cloud sixth-layer and above cultivators in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One point six million is normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps, after Xu Jin’s three points, tens of thousands more are still ranked above him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe many haven’t even obtained a Star Picking Order yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin still doesn’t know other ways to obtain a Star Picking Order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, Xu Jin didn’t rush into another challenge—he began to explore and think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he figured out the Combat Mirage’s mechanics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are points, and there’s a leaderboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Combat Mirage only displays the top one thousand; according to its hint, maintaining a top-one-thousand rank for seven consecutive days grants one strand of Star Picking Tower starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same reward applies from rank one thousand to one hundred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From rank one hundred to ten, maintaining rank for seven days grants two strands of Star Picking Tower starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From rank ten to six, maintaining rank for seven days grants three strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ranks five and four, maintaining rank for seven days grants four strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For rank three, maintaining rank for seven days grants five strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For rank two, the reward is six strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For rank one, the reward is seven strands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, different ranks grant different Combat Mirage titles; acquiring a title brings unique benefits in the Star Picking Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This thrilled Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must climb the ranks—top one thousand is the baseline goal; if he can stay within the top one hundred, the rewards will be excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the top ten—he didn’t dare dream of it yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who makes the top ten must be among the absolute elite geniuses of this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After understanding the Combat Mirage’s basic rules, Xu Jin continued to ponder. During his battle with Green Robe Divine Sword, he hadn’t dodged or retreated—he’d met the attack head-on with Star Art to test a direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, Xu Jin had consumed countless TV dramas and novels, each offering many cultivation paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But nearly all cultivation followed the path of technique approaching the Dao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constantly training, contemplating, comprehending—refining techniques, grasping the true essence of martial arts, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in this world, Xu Jin’s several battles since arriving felt completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as if Star Art and martial arts were like firearms versus cold weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His battle with Green Robe Divine Sword proved it: no matter how fast or flashy your movements, a single Star Arrow—like a pistol shot—ends you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So in this world, Star Art is paramount; refining pure sword or knife techniques has little meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, when he fought Yue Chong, Yue Chong wielded a first-rank Star Weapon—his long knife spat starlight two or three meters long. What use was refined knife technique then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His blade was three meters long; yours was less than one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even earlier, when Blood Butcher Tian Zhang struck, his blade light sliced over a hundred meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone swings a hundred-meter-long blade at you—no matter how refined your technique, it’s useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, under equal cultivation levels, martial technique still matters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xu Jin solidified his direction: prioritize Star Art and Star Runes, treat technique as secondary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Challenge】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his direction clear, Xu Jin chose another challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just for points, but to verify whether his chosen path was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Ning Yuchan and Cui Tianqi, even those with high talent normally take two to three years to perfect basic Star Art to the point of instant cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most cultivators take longer than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, among the hundreds of thousands of Meal-Cloud cultivators in the Combat Mirage, those who can instantly cast basic Star Art should be few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because geniuses advance quickly and have already broken through Meal-Cloud to forge their Star Core; ordinary cultivators advance slowly and haven’t broken through Meal-Cloud yet—but their Star Art hasn’t reached perfect instant-cast either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s only remaining question: what do the advanced Star Arts look like?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he knew, his future cultivation focus would be clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His second battle was even easier than the first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man wielding gauntlets never got close—he was instantly slain by three Star Arrows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin won five straight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his sixth battle, a woman wielding a long spear gave him trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her spear’s starlight, combined with its length, exceeded three meters; Xu Jin’s Star Arrows had a range of only four feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This battle was extremely difficult—he nearly lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Xu Jin endured her close-range assault with a Star Shield, then unleashed a Star Ring that knocked her down, followed by a barrage of Star Arrows to obliterate her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six consecutive victories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After six consecutive victories, Xu Jin wanted to continue, but suddenly felt a strange fatigue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was somewhat drowsy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instantly realized the cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was due to excessive depletion of Divine Soul energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the Star-Picking Tower’s combat arena wasn’t without cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it didn’t consume starlight, it drained Divine Soul energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In comparison, the starlamp combat arena of Xu Jin’s own Can Dou Platform consumed very little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had trained inside the starlamp for hours on end with minimal depletion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Xu Jin’s advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a thought, information about the combat realm appeared before Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Star Lord: Great Sage Equaling Heaven】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Combat Points: 18】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Combat Ranking: 1,325,826】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After six straight wins, his ranking rose over three hundred thousand places—this rate of ascent was quite fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was normal, since winning one match added three points, while losing one deducted three points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such a system, many who lost more than they won, or had equal wins and losses, still had zero points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a ranking was perfectly normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving the combat realm, Xu Jin returned to the Star Gate hall of the Star-Picking Tower, but made no further exploration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet before exiting the Starlight Hall, Xu Jin noticed a glowing orb labeled “Starlight Message.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It allowed sending and receiving messages via the Star-Picking Token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving messages was free, but sending one consumed a strand of starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In silver, one message cost a hundred taels; at the Star-Picking Tower’s buyback rate, it cost two hundred taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even China Mobile’s old “brick phone” era hadn’t been this expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, there was a range restriction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A First-Star Star-Picking Token could only send or receive messages within a hundred li of the Star-Picking Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin had no interest in studying such an exorbitantly priced feature—he left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him, the starlight faded; Xu Jin still stood in his small courtyard, the Star-Picking Token in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Star-Picking Token now felt inseparably fused with his flesh and blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Divine Soul energy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin focused inward, carefully examining the faintly visible Cheng Po Star Pattern within his Upper Star Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the Star-Picking Tower’s combat realm today, beyond determining his future cultivation focus, Xu Jin’s greatest discovery was the importance of Divine Soul energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divine Soul energy was even more vital than he had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already been overestimating its importance as much as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet in the combat realm battles, Xu Jin realized Divine Soul energy’s influence was everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be more than ten times more important than he’d thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then how valuable must the Cheng Po Star Pattern be—the one that enhances Divine Soul energy and accelerates its recovery?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wouldn’t it be considered a sect-defining ultimate technique anywhere?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had the Green-Robed Man taught it to him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would the Green-Robed Man come tonight?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1846,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ff9b754a137e5e5089efeff1eab18346fac5b2c3881c222775407ea427d1e6ec","the-star-martial-era-chapter-62","the-star-martial-era-chapter-60",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]