[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-69":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},2274927,4448,"Chapter 69: Mountain Search and Treasure Hunt","the-star-martial-era-chapter-69",69,"\u003Cp>Since they were entering the mountains, everyone carried full packs on foot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each person carried a backpack and tools weighing about twenty jin; from the county seat to the heart of Daqing Mountain, the distance was roughly a hundred li.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For an ordinary person, such a load would be a feat to cover in a single day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for cultivators, a light jog would take only two hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even this pace was a concession to this year’s new disciples, whose cultivation base was at Meal-Mist Second or Third Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, senior disciples at Meal-Mist Sixth or Seventh Realm could reach the first destination effortlessly in just one hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If stamina were ignored, they could arrive in half an hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, the disciples—especially this year’s Star-Picking cohort—discussed the Mountain Search and Treasure Hunt manual issued by the External Affairs Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mountain Search and Treasure Hunt was a regular duty of Jinshan Dao Academy, held once a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The manual listed 149 common medicinal herbs, 33 rare and valuable herbs occasionally found, 34 common celestial wonders, and 14 rare and valuable celestial wonders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each entry was marked with its value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, the most common Deer Horn Grass, when gathered, was bought by the academy for one tael of silver per plant; among them, aged specimens contained faint stellar energy, detectable by cultivators nearby, classified by age into ten-year, twenty-year, fifty-year, hundred-year, two-hundred-year, five-hundred-year, and thousand-year varieties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More commonly, they were labeled as One-Star, Two-Star, Three-Star, Four-Star, Five-Star, Six-Star, and Seven-Star herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy’s purchase price for these rose exponentially.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ordinary Deer Horn Grass was bought at one tael per plant; One-Star, meaning ten-year, at five taels per plant; but Three-Star, meaning fifty-year, was worth fifty taels per plant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The higher the star rating, the more valuable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet comparatively, ordinary herbs were most common; One-Star and Two-Star could still be found, but Three-Star and above were rare finds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this Mountain Search and Treasure Hunt, the academy set a minimum requirement for all disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each disciple must gather and submit herbs or wonders worth at least two hundred taels of silver; meeting this standard earned a passing evaluation and one minor merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Failure to meet it resulted in one demerit; three consecutive demerits or five total demerits led to expulsion from the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gathering and submitting herbs or wonders worth one thousand taels earned a “Good” rating and two minor merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gathering and submitting herbs or wonders worth two thousand taels earned an “Excellent” rating and three minor merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after accumulating five minor merits could one qualify to purchase a Star-Picking Token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For herbs or wonders valued above two hundred taels, the academy took half; for amounts above two thousand taels, the academy took two-tenths, and the rest belonged to the individual, convertible at will into silver or Star-Picking Tower starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those caught hiding items would be expelled!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Additionally, there were ranking rewards: the top thirty harvesters received prizes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were the basic rules for Jinshan Dao Academy’s Mountain Search and Treasure Hunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After entering the mountains, disciples could travel in pairs or alone; each was given three emergency alert tokens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though labeled three days, the actual duration was five days—the two days for entering and exiting were not counted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They entered on the 9th; after three full days, on the 13th, they could exit; those who completed their task could return early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin calculated: if he returned on the 13th, his younger sister would return home on the 14th, and so would he.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many disciples sought companions along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin did not rush to find one; he felt it unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t confidence in his own strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather, in such matters, if you couldn’t find someone trustworthy, conflict was inevitable—and easy to be betrayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s attitude was: better to have none than to have a bad one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xu Brother, found a partner yet?” Lu Xianbing suddenly approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin assumed Lu Xianbing wanted to team up; though he knew Lu Xianbing somewhat, the knowledge was shallow, and he had no intention of partnering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, objectively, Lu Xianbing was qualified—Meal-Mist Sixth Realm, one of only three in this year’s Star-Picking cohort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last night, Ren Xiaoxiang had broken through to Meal-Mist Sixth Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was just pondering how to decline when Lu Xianbing lowered his voice: “If you’re confident in your strength, don’t team up. After all, so many instructors, headmasters, even the deputy academy head are present—safety isn’t a major concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you team up, your harvest may halve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you don’t want to team up, refuse—or say you’ve already teamed up with me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Xu Jin understood: Lu Xianbing wasn’t just offering kind advice—he was seeking a shield, a mutual shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, everyone approaching was a disciple; outright refusal could hurt feelings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This official’s son knew how to handle people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, later on the trail, several others came to ask them to join; even some senior disciples at Meal-Mist Fifth, Sixth, or Seventh Realm approached—though more came to Lu Xianbing, about a dozen, while only two or three came to Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin declined them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now saw clearly: those Meal-Mist Sixth and Seventh Realm seniors who approached Lu Xianbing weren’t truly seeking partners—they wanted to connect with Lu Xianbing’s network.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter Lu Xianbing’s future cultivation, his father Lu Chang’s position as County Commandant made him invaluable to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Lu Xianbing usually spoke little, with close friends he was quite talkative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shared many things Xu Jin didn’t know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally—Lu Xianbing’s information sources were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the academy’s monthly Mountain Search and Treasure Hunt was truly meant to supply the Star-Picking Tower. The Star-Picking Tower was an ancient divine artifact, its power unfathomable, with many irreplaceable functions; every nation and star temple had a main tower, and branch towers stood in every state, county, and strategic location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once built, the main and branch towers were not maintenance-free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Star-Picking Tower’s operation consumed vast amounts of stellar energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take the Combat Arena: when a combatant died, their stellar energy instantly replenished—though the combatant didn’t expend it, the Star-Picking Tower did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So too with Starlight Messaging and other functions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, every nation and star temple regularly contributed treasures infused with stellar energy to replenish the tower’s reserves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Star-Picking Tower branch towers in each state and county received their share from the users who divided the allocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, the Jinshan County branch tower was shared by three parties: Jinshan Dao Academy, Tianyang Branch, and Cangming Branch—with Jinshan Dao Academy receiving the largest share.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, Xu Jin learned much more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At three-quarters past noon, all disciples arrived at the Jinshan Villa at the entrance to Daqing Mountain’s heartland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dozen large pots stood in a row, all filled with meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a hearty meal, each disciple received four days’ worth of dried rations and a water bag, then entered the mountains alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching disciples depart one by one, Xu Jin sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A world with transcendent power was truly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his past life, a group of untrained strongmen sent alone into deep wilderness for three or five days would see eight out of ten die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with stellar energy as a foundation, it was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later, Xu Jin and Lu Xianbing, after gathering supplies, entered the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After crossing one ridge, they parted ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s target was a distant, long, deep valley visible on the horizon—Map name: Ghost Pine Valley, home to packs of wild wolves, recommended only for Meal-Mist Fifth Realm and above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The benefits of Flying Star Step were now evident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When climbing, a burst of Flying Star Step could launch him five to six meters high, easily clearing most steep terrain, greatly accelerating travel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After half an hour, Xu Jin reached Ghost Pine Valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon after entering, he found six or seven wolf corpses, blood still fresh—some academy senior had beaten him there, and not just one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After searching, he found only seven Ghost Pine Tassels, worth three and a half taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Studying the map, Xu Jin pondered a while, then decided to adjust his strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he could see on the map, other disciples could see too—especially locations recommended for Meal-Mist Fifth or Sixth Realm were very safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Meal-Mist Fourth Realm disciples could risk it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve great gains, he must go farther, into more dangerous areas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For this mountain expedition, Xu Jin set himself a goal: to gather enough resources for at least one month of cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, Xu Jin consumed at least three hundred and fifty taels of silver every five days; for a month, that meant two thousand taels or more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he had to submit two hundred taels to the academy; for amounts under two thousand taels, the academy took half; for amounts above two thousand taels, the academy took two-tenths, and the rest was his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed to gather at least four thousand taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His ideal goal was five thousand taels or more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he also needed to upgrade Can Dou Platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After consideration, Xu Jin set his target on the outermost location on the map: Golden Eagle Peak, recommended only for Meal-Mist Seventh Realm and above; beyond that lay dangerous zones not advised even for Meal-Mist cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin decided to go there—and attempt to explore the dangerous zones beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he held a life-saving trump card; second, after many days of combat arena training, he now had a realistic grasp of his true combat power—his ability to instantly cast star spells meant he could defeat some Meal-Mist Seventh Realm cultivators without injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if unnecessary, he didn’t want to waste his life-saving trump card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fourth-grade Dawn Seal given by the man in blue robes was worth a thousand taels of gold on the market; even the Three-Star Whirling Blade Seal from Ning Yuchan was worth four thousand taels per piece—using it would be a net loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, when needed, he’d use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin didn’t want to be reckless, but to gain more, taking some risk was necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once he fixed his destination, he no longer detoured; using Flying Star Step, he leapt over ridges and peaks, heading straight for Golden Eagle Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, just before dusk, Xu Jin, despite the stellar energy cost, finally reached Golden Eagle Peak; along the way, he gathered another dozen taels’ worth of loot, stowing it in his pack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because Xu Jin had rushed using stellar energy, Golden Eagle Peak was currently unoccupied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After merely a few minutes of searching, beneath a cliff, he found over a dozen Songluo Herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin was overjoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One piece of Songluo grass costs two taels of silver; there were two pieces, and they faintly emitted star force—likely first-rank Songluo grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First-rank Songluo grass is worth ten taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a light leap, he hung upside down from the cliff and harvested thirteen stalks of Songluo grass, two of which were likely first-rank Songluo grass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Xu Jin touched the Songluo grass, his Candou Platform suddenly flickered with a faint starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin, who had long been familiar with the Candou Platform, instantly rejoiced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1872,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","7799479dc80348451b6b33eb65e933058caf69f4b423f99c03fbc0a09635f72d","the-star-martial-era-chapter-70","the-star-martial-era-chapter-68",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]