Chapter 77: 『Choose Any』Mystery

Far off, Xu Jin saw the broad, imposing back of a tall, muscular man, slightly dark-skinned.

As he drew closer, he confirmed it was Zheng Jiaoxi of the Dao Academy—the talkative, loose-lipped instructor.

“Instructor Zheng, I’ve come to submit my harvest.”

Zheng Jiaoxi, who had been sorting harvest, spun around like a whirlwind, saw the many disciples trailing behind Xu Jin, paused slightly, then grinned at him: “Ah, it’s you, Xu Jin. You didn’t forget to dig out star cores these past two days, did you?”

Xu Jin: “.”

This Instructor Zheng really had a knack for picking the wrong moment—though Xu Jin knew he meant well, with so many people around—

“Instructor Zheng, what do you mean Xu Jin forgot to dig out star cores?” A disciple immediately asked, curious.

“Xu Jin here took down a third-rank star beast, a green snake—but forgot to dig out its star core! What a fool! Threw away 1,500 taels like that! Don’t make the same mistake!” Zheng Jiaoxi chuckled.

Xu Jin rubbed his forehead.

The entire group of Dao Academy disciples stared at Xu Jin in stunned disbelief.

Forgetting to dig out star cores was funny—but behind the humor lay something terrifying.

Could Xu Jin, a Meal-Mist Fifth Layer disciple, really have slain a third-rank star beast?

Meal-Mist was first rank, Star-Cast was second, Star-Refining was third, Star-Condensing was fourth.

Though Star-Cast was merely a transitional realm, it was still a major realm.

Elite Meal-Mist disciples challenging Star-Cast disciples weren’t rare—but slaying a third-rank star beast? Extremely rare.

Everyone instinctively glanced at Senior Brother Wang Weisheng.

The implication was clear: Could Senior Brother have done the same?

“You forgot? Last April, Senior Brother slew a third-rank below Baoxiong !” One of Wang Weisheng’s followers immediately reminded them, adding, “Senior Brother did it entirely with his own strength.”

The implication: Xu Jin likely used external aids to slay the third-rank star beast.

Xu Jin didn’t argue. There was nothing to dispute.

The more you argued, the more you exposed.

So what if he used a rune seal?

Using a rune seal wasn’t shameful.

The catch? You had to have one first.

“Instructor Zheng, please count this.” Xu Jin quickly handed over his large backpack, diverting everyone’s attention.

Otherwise, this scene alone might make him seem to be in quiet opposition to Senior Brother.

He wasn’t afraid of Wang Weisheng—but he didn’t want to waste time on pointless matters.

“Alright.”

Zheng Jiaoxi took it and couldn’t stop exclaiming.

“Good lad! You even harvested Purple Earth Fungus, second-rank! Impressive, impressive!”

“1,600 taels—this is Snake Gall Grass, first-rank. Not bad, not bad.”

“Shattered Star Mushrooms—so many first-rank ones! Impressive!”

Zheng Jiaoxi counted while praising, making Xu Jin feel slightly annoyed—he just wanted to quietly get rich.

Fortunately, Zheng Jiaoxi counted quickly.

“Your total harvest this time is 4,864 taels,” Zheng Jiaoxi finally announced to Xu Jin. “Any objections?”

“None.”

With that number, all the surrounding disciples exhaled in relief.

Good, good.

Xu Jin only sounded terrifying—but in actual harvest, he fell short.

He was only slightly better than Lu Xianbing and Yue Daqi, ranked around sixty-something—not even top fifty.

Others like Lu Xianbing, Luo Geng, and Yu Guan were also disappointed—they’d hoped Xu Jin would prove them right, but—

“By the way, adding your noon submission of 3,700 taels two days ago, your total harvest is 8,564 taels,” Zheng Jiaoxi said slowly after recalculating.

“Huh?” All disciples’ eyes snapped wide open—they’d already submitted once!

“My god, I’m so unlucky! I just got pushed out of the top ten!” A Dao Academy disciple wailed immediately.

He’d been tenth—but Xu Jin’s harvest instantly knocked him out of the top ten.

The reward gap between tenth and below was substantial.

Lu Xianbing, Luo Geng, Yu Guan, and others cheered; Qian Xiaohu and others shouted even louder: “Senior Brother Xu is amazing!”

Some past-year seniors were slightly annoyed—but the harvest numbers spoke for themselves.

“Oh, I’ve got one more small bag.”

As everyone was still stunned, Xu Jin suddenly pulled a small pouch from his waist and handed it over: “Instructor Zheng, these are Rooster Branches—fragile, so I packed them separately!”

Zheng Jiaoxi opened the pouch and his eyes bulged: “Oh my! Rooster Branches—sixty-two plants!”

“Twenty-eight are first-rank, twelve are second-rank!”

“Xu Jin, did you find some legendary treasure spot?”

Even Zheng Jiaoxi was stunned by a single pouch of Rooster Branches—the disciples were utterly dumbfounded.

First-rank ones were understandable—but twelve second-rank ones?

Generally, for any herb or rare treasure, finding one or two second-rank or higher was sheer luck—but twelve at once? This was unbelievable—

While others marveled, some seniors were already calculating—and wailing.

Their rankings had been pushed down by Xu Jin.

“Uh, Instructor, I just got lucky…” Xu Jin said.

“I’m fourth now.”

“I’m third now.”

Zhang Ming and Yu Xianghua both grimaced.

For the past half-year, they’d held third and fourth place—until this July’s harvest, when Zhang Han, who’d been second, was severely injured and withdrew early, letting them rise.

One rose to second, the other to third.

Just moments ago, they’d been accepting congratulations from fellow disciples.

Especially Zhang Ming, who’d just become third—now he’d been pushed down to fourth. The reward gap between third and fourth was huge.

“Rooster Branches total 2,410 taels in harvest. Xu Jin’s cumulative harvest for this harvest season is—10,974 taels.” Zheng Jiaoxi carefully recalculated before giving the final number.

The final number made Senior Brother Wang Weisheng quietly exhale in relief.

Good—he hadn’t been surpassed.

His first-place harvest was secure.

He was still the undisputed Senior Brother.

And he led by a wide margin.

Wang Weisheng’s July harvest set a record: 11,763 taels—over seven hundred taels ahead of Xu Jin.

More than half an hour later, all disciples arrived. After a hearty meal, they left the outer academy and returned to the Dao Academy in a large, noisy group.

On the way, Xu Jin learned another piece of news.

Three disciples were killed by Blood God Sect demons; one went missing; eleven were severely injured.

The deadliest harvest season so far this year.

Especially the dead and missing—they were all elite Meal-Mist Sixth and Seventh Layer disciples.

Most had been injured just beyond the safety margins marked on the Academy’s maps.

After a brief moment of solemnity, most disciples chatted and laughed as they returned.

Death was only tragic for oneself and one’s closest kin.

For others, it was just a name—or a number.

“Hey, Jin-ge, you almost took first place this time,” Lu Xianbing said, joining him with a hint of regret.

“First or second doesn’t really matter,” Xu Jin said casually.

Lu Xianbing’s eyes widened. “Wait, Jin-ge—do you really not know, or are you pretending?”

“What don’t I know?” Xu Jin was puzzled.

“The reward difference between first and second,” Lu Xianbing said.

“I know—it’s ten strands of starlight, a thousand taels. That’s a lot, but not worth stressing over,” Xu Jin replied.

Lu Xianbing stared, speechless. “Jin-ge… you really don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“The biggest difference between first and second isn’t the silver or starlight—it’s the four characters: ‘Choose Any Star Weapon.’ That’s the real prize.”

“Choose Any Star Weapon?”

Xu Jin suddenly understood. “Choose Any Star Weapon—does that mean the rank is fixed, but the type varies?”

“Exactly!”

Lu Xianbing slapped his thigh. “Jin-ge, a first-rank weapon-type star weapon—except for spears, most cost around two thousand taels.”

“But do you know how much a first-rank armor, boots, or bracers cost?”

Suddenly, Xu Jin understood Lu Xianbing’s meaning.

“First-rank bracers? Four thousand taels a pair. Boots? Five to six thousand taels on the market. Armor? Eight thousand to twenty thousand taels.”

The key is—you can’t usually buy them. They’re insanely popular, break more easily than weapons, and barely circulate on the market!”

“The External Affairs Hall doesn’t even sell them!”

Xu Jin had fully understood.

He had originally thought the difference between first and second place in the Harvest was only ten strands of starlight, as if the rewards weren’t much different.

But now, hearing Lu Xianbing’s explanation, he fully grasped—the difference lay in the words “free choice.”

If you chose armor, its value started at eight thousand taels!

No wonder!

If calculated this way, the value of first place in the Harvest was truly immense.

Suddenly, Xu Jin realized something: Wang Weisheng had held first place for seven months—his personal wealth must be extraordinarily substantial.

“Next time, I’ll just have to try harder next time!”

Xu Jin could only sigh helplessly.

He had no hidden reserves; he had already produced all the medicinal herbs nurtured in his Star Lamp, yet still failed to surpass the top.

“That’s right! Next time, I’ll try harder! Next month, I’ll have more experience and stronger strength—I’m definitely going to break into the top ten!” Lu Xianbing cheered.

More than half an hour later, the large group returned to Jinshan Dao Academy.

Upon returning to Jinshan Dao Academy, all disciples except those severely injured gathered in the Training Hall.

Jinshan Dao Academy’s efficiency was still extremely high—no delays whatsoever.

The Harvest rankings would be announced and rewards distributed the same day.

In the Training Hall, over three hundred disciples stood below the dais.

On the dais, Vice Head Feng Shu, Supervising Abbot Cao Chun, Director Tian Zhang, and Chief Instructor Ning Yuchan all waited in silence.

Headmaster Dong Zhao always personally handled the distribution of rewards and encouragement to disciples—never delegating it to others.

After a hundred heartbeats, Headmaster Dong Zhao arrived from afar, stepping on starlight, floating like an immortal!

“All of you, you’ve worked hard!” Headmaster Dong Zhao bowed in greeting.

“For the Dao Academy, it’s no hardship!”

Then, Headmaster Dong Zhao took out his Star-Picking Token, focused his mind, waved his hand, and instantly, a projection of light appeared on the left side of the Training Hall.

July Harvest, First Place: Xu Jin!

The moment these first words appeared, the disciples below the dais erupted in uproar!

Correction: The green snake previously slain should be classified as Third-Rank Lower, not Second-Rank Lower.

Oversight—previous text has been corrected; please forgive us, esteemed patrons!

(End of Chapter)