Chapter 693: Emperor Dao Principle Secret Realm? (Happy Mother

The lowest level, of course, is the Eighth-Class benefit.

Eighth-Class benefit: twenty Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs per year, one drop of Zhou Tian Star Dew per year, five Green Lotus Moonlight Elixirs per year, one ascent of the Law Path per year, and three days of enlightenment in the Lone Island Secret Realm per year.

Because the Emperor Dongxuan Star Realm is a great world, and unlike the fragmented middle world of Kunling Domain, it possesses complete lineages, so elixirs above seventh-rank, unseen in Kunling Domain, are common in Emperor Dongxuan Star Realm.

Xu Jin had figured this out over these past days.

Yet even the benefits granted under the Eighth-Class level are extremely valuable—most small clans could not afford them.

The Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixir is used by eighth- and ninth-rank cultivators to enhance their cultivation base; Xu Jin seized eleven of them during the Selection.

He had tested its effect: it was far stronger than the seventh-rank Pure Pearls he had obtained from the Jin Zhu barbarians, but weaker than eighth-rank Pure Pearls—two Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs combined equaled roughly the effect of one eighth-rank Pure Pearl.

Zhou Tian Star Dew is also used to enhance star-force cultivation, and is an even more precious cultivation resource.

Lord Zhu Zhu Shizhen of Yutang had told Xu Jin that it was a spiritual liquid collected by Emperor Dongxuan Dao Palace through a secret grand array, akin to a heavenly treasure.

Each drop's effect equals ten Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs—extremely precious.

In Emperor Dongxuan Star Realm, Star Juniors receive two to eight drops per year, depending on their cultivation base.

The weakest tenth-rank Star Junior receives only two drops per year.

Now, as a Dao Son, he is granted one drop per year—this benefit is already very high.

The Green Lotus Moonlight Elixir is used to enhance spiritual soul cultivation, said to be forged from seventh-rank spiritual herbs for the spiritual soul.

Each pill's effect equals two sixth-rank spiritual soul herbs; five pills equal one seventh-rank spiritual soul herb.

Extremely precious.

The Law Path needs no explanation—if not for climbing to the top, but purely for meditating on related Dao principles, it is unquestionably a supreme cultivation treasure, and of immense importance to Xu Jin.

The Lone Island Secret Realm for enlightenment—others might not understand it, but Xu Jin understood at a glance.

Star River Lone Island.

Emperor Dongxuan Star Realm must have at least one Star River Lone Island, likely sizable, with potent enlightenment effects—otherwise, they would not offer it as a reward.

Honestly, even the Eighth-Class benefit alone made Xu Jin feel its value was immense.

But the higher tiers only shocked him more.

Seventh-Class benefit: thirty Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs per year, one drop of Zhou Tian Star Dew per year, six Green Lotus Moonlight Elixirs per year, one ascent of the Law Path per year, and six days of enlightenment in the Lone Island Secret Realm per year.

The Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs and Green Lotus Moonlight Elixirs each increased by fifty percent; the Lone Island Secret Realm time doubled; the other three rewards remained unchanged.

From this, the three unchanged rewards must be even more precious.

The Sixth-Class benefit only changed the elixirs; the most precious rewards remained the same, but the Fifth and Fourth-Class benefits were different—Zhou Tian Star Dew and the Law Path both increased; by the Third-Class benefit, the changes involved rarer options and new additions.

Fourth-Class benefit: sixty Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs per year, two drops of Zhou Tian Star Dew per year, twelve Green Lotus Moonlight Elixirs per year, two ascents of the Law Path per year, fifteen days of enlightenment in the Lone Island Secret Realm per year, and one meditation on the True Person's Dao-Certification Blood Crystal every ten years.

Third-Class benefit: sixty Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs per year, three drops of Zhou Tian Star Dew per year, fourteen Green Lotus Moonlight Elixirs per year, two ascents of the Law Path per year, fifteen days of enlightenment in the Lone Island Secret Realm per year, one meditation on the True Person's Dao-Certification Blood Crystal every ten years, and one entry into the Emperor Dao Principle Secret Realm every ten years.

The Second-Class and Third-Class benefits changed little—Zhou Tian Star Dew increased to four drops—but the First-Class benefit made Xu Jin's eyes turn red.

First-Class benefit: sixty Seven-Star Azure-Yellow Elixirs per year, five drops of Zhou Tian Star Dew per year, sixteen Green Lotus Moonlight Elixirs per year, three ascents of the Law Path per year, fifteen days of enlightenment in the Lone Island Secret Realm per year, two meditations on the True Person's Dao-Certification Blood Crystal every ten years, and two entries into the Emperor Dao Principle Secret Realm every ten years.

The greatest distinction between the First-Class benefit and the others lies in the explosive increase of these priceless cultivation resources.

True Person's Dao-Certification Blood Crystal: twice every ten years.

Previously, the Yutang True Person's Mansion had offered Xu Jin a maximum of one meditation on the Ninth-Catastrophe Yutang True Person's Dao-Certification Blood Crystal.

But Lord Zhu Zhu Shizhen had mentioned this as well.

The Dao-Certification Blood Crystal of a Ninth-Catastrophe Star Junior is exceedingly rare.

The True Person's Dao-Certification Blood Crystals stored in Emperor Dongxuan Dao Palace are mostly below Fifth-Catastrophe, mostly First- and Second-Catastrophe.

After reading these reward details, Xu Jin immediately formed a judgment.

Or rather, a decision.

"I must obtain the First-Class benefit!"

"The value is too high."

"If I fail to secure the First-Class benefit, the loss would be incalculable!"

Normally, obtaining the First-Class benefit requires winning first place in this year's Dao Son Ranking Battle.

For Xu Jin at present, this remains somewhat difficult.

According to intelligence gathered by Lord Zhu Zhu Shizhen, the most likely candidate for first place, Yuan Yuan Chengfa, currently has ninth-rank late-stage cultivation, and his strongest recorded victory was defeating a tenth-rank Star Junior within ten breaths.

He likely possesses the combat power of a tenth-rank Great Star Junior.

Combat power beyond that of a Garrison Star Junior is impossible.

Among the four sub-levels of tenth-rank Star Juniors, the combat gap between each is immense.

Xu Jin's current cultivation, when fully unleashed, gives him at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of defeating an ordinary tenth-rank Star Junior.

But a tenth-rank Great Star Junior? That's uncertain.

After careful consideration, Xu Jin believed that if Yuan Yuan Chengfa truly possessed tenth-rank Great Star Junior combat power, defeating him would require Xu Jin to unleash his full strength at any cost.

Even then, his probability of victory might be only two or three percent.

Fortunately, Xu Jin had ranked first in both previous selection rounds; by rule, he gains a Third-Class benefit bonus.

Theoretically, if Xu Jin can secure a ranking within the top ten to top four, he will qualify for the First-Class benefit.

"Primary goal: enter the top ten. Secondary goal: secure third, strive for second. First place? That depends on luck."

Yet even entering the top ten won't be easy.

Those eligible to compete for the top ten Dao Son rankings are all top-tier geniuses at ninth-rank mid-to-late stage.

Each of them possesses at least the combat power of a tenth-rank Star Junior.

None are easy to defeat.

Yet the Dao Son benefits are not fixed.

After the Dao Son ranking battle, the Dao Sons enter Emperor Dongxuan Dao Palace to cultivate; every half-year, there is a Challenge Day.

Any Dao Son who feels his strength has improved may issue a challenge.

The challenged party may not refuse without special reason.

If the challenger wins, he takes the opponent's rank and its corresponding benefits.

The rules are well-designed, yet overall, they carry a faint whiff of breeding monsters—higher rank means faster strength growth, and faster strength growth means higher rank.

A positive feedback loop.

"All Dao Sons, the rules and rewards have been clearly stated. Now, the Dao Son Ranking Battle will commence."

"However, since this year's number of selected Dao Sons reaches three thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven, the first round of the ranking battle will directly use the Dao Palace Array to eliminate candidates."

"Those eliminated will be ranked according to elimination order, until only one thousand remain, after which a lottery will open the official Dao Son Ranking Battle."

The moment Commander Tian Zhang True Person's voice spread, the entire training ground erupted in a deafening buzz.

Voices buzzed with discussion.

Clearly, they were confused by this last-minute change.

Some could not accept it.

Yet the decision of the True Person presiding over the Dao Palace was not something a group of Dao Sons could alter with mere complaints.

"Silence!"

With a single roar, terrifying pressure radiated—and the entire training ground fell silent.

"As a supplement: Dao Sons ranked below one thousand who did not participate in the lottery battle may, after final rankings are announced, challenge any single Dao Son ranked within the top one thousand—each person is granted only one opportunity."

"If victorious, you claim the opponent's Dao Son benefits."

"If defeated, you are barred from challenging Dao Son rankings for one year."

"Liu Tianyang Xingjun, you will oversee the array." Commander Tian Zhang True Person commanded.

"Your servant obeys!"

In the sky, a towering, fiery-haired man bowed to Commander Tian Zhang True Person, then instantly summoned a set of command flags; in a flash, thirty-six array flags shot into the sky, each etched with shimmering starlight like celestial bodies, interweaving and connecting—immediately covering all three thousand eight hundred Dao Sons.

"That's the Dao Palace's Chief Instructor—he's been cultivating for sixty to seventy years as a Yu Star Junior, and is rumored to be on the verge of becoming the eighth True Person of Emperor Dongxuan Star Realm," Lord Zhu Zhu Shizhen whispered to Xu Jin.

As Xu Jin nodded slightly, Liu Tianyang Xingjun suddenly barked, "All Star Juniors, take your positions!"

Instantly, the other thirty-six Star Juniors, having received orders, transformed into starlight and surged into the command flags, seizing them at once and activating the array.

In an instant, terrifying pressure surged from all directions.

"This is the Chu Xuan Xin Tong Tian Array, passed down by the Emperor—when fully activated, it can resist Emperor-level opponents," Zhu Zhu Shizhen whispered.

"Use your full strength to activate your defensive star arts, activate your Cloud Tower Star Towers, and resist the pressure!" Liu Tianyang Xingjun shouted.

"If your protective starlight shatters, you are eliminated!"

Almost instantly, multicolored protective starlight erupted skyward; simultaneously, nearly everyone activated their respective natal stars.

Instantly, starlight rained from the heavens.

No—it was more like starlight poured from the heavens like an ocean.

Xu Jin activated the Cold Ice Wood Thunder Armor at once, and simultaneously summoned his natal star, Ling Huang.

Starlight streamed into Xu Jin's body, instantly amplifying his aura.

At the very moment Xu Jin summoned his natal star, Commander Tian Zhang True Person's gaze suddenly shifted—he stared at the starlight Xu Jin had drawn down, then at Xu Jin himself, his expression suddenly filled with shock.

"Is his natal star a great world?"

Commander Tian Zhang True Person's gaze toward Xu Jin instantly changed completely.

Commander Tian Zhang True Person knew better than anyone how difficult it was to refine a great world's projection as a natal star.

He suddenly felt a wave of relief.

Relief over his earlier decision to uphold the rules.

Those who use a great world as their natal star are exceedingly rare.

The previous one was Jiang Yi, the unparalleled genius a hundred years ago; the one before him was Chu Xuan Feng True Person, the only nine-catastrophe True Person still alive in the Tongxuan Realm.

As for the others, I don't know.

It's very hard to know.

Because the rank of a cultivator's primordial star is extremely difficult for outsiders to sense.

Commander Tian Zhang True Person was able to discern the rank of Xu Jin's primordial star today only because of the Xu Xin Tongtian Array.

Although the Xu Xin Tongtian Array is activated and controlled by Liuxing True Person, actual control rests in Commander Tian Zhang True Person's hands; under these circumstances, he is acutely sensitive to any changes within the array.

But even so, it still wouldn't be enough to detect the rank of Xu Jin's primordial star.

The starlight is vast and ethereal—how could he perceive it clearly?

The key is that nearly four thousand Candidate Daozi are simultaneously activating their primordial stars and summoning reinforcing starlight, creating a stark contrast.

Most Candidate Daozi's primordial stars are minor worlds; a few are medium worlds, such as the genius Yuan Yuan Chengfa.

But only the reinforcing starlight summoned by Xu Jin's primordial star surpasses everyone else's.

It surpasses not only the reinforcing starlight from minor worlds, but also that from medium-world primordial stars.

And it surpasses everyone without exception.

It stands out like a crane among chickens!

Under such circumstances, only two possibilities remain.

One is that Xu Jin's primordial star is a major world; the other is that his primordial star is a medium world, but he has mastered over sixty percent of its celestial authority.

Fortunately, Commander Tian Zhang True Person's own primordial star is a medium world, and he has mastered over sixty percent of its celestial authority, having also survived the Killing Catastrophe—he knows this better than anyone.

That possibility is ruled out.

Only under this confluence of coincidences could it be concluded that Xu Jin's primordial star is a major world.

Jiang Yi's primordial star was a major world—he discovered it the same way.

"It seems I must pay closer attention to this Xu Jin; he may well be a source of good fortune."

A primordial star of a major world means he has a chance to become a True Person—and possibly even advance further!"

"But his origins are likely not simple—could it be that one of the several Emperor Lords under the Master himself is plotting against my Emperor Dongxuan Star Realm?"

As Commander Tian Zhang True Person pondered, the Xu Xin Tongtian Array, fully activated by the thirty-six Star Juniors, began to emit screams from within.

Some Candidate Daozi had been eliminated!

The Candidate Daozi ranking has officially begun!

(End of Chapter)