Chapter 87: Rainy Thunder and Ascension (Fourth Chapter, 180,000 Words—Seeking First Subscription, Please)

Even after Xu Jin left the Black Market, he still hadn’t decided which protection to choose.

All three star patterns were highly practical, each with its own function.

Xu Jin planned to find a secluded spot after leaving the Black Market to test their power, then decide.

After all, his understanding of these three star patterns existed only on a literal level.

After leaving the Black Market, Xu Jin casually crushed the ugly, ugly monkey-mask into powder.

The Black Market’s entry ticket was single-use; he’d have to pay again next time.

Suddenly, Xu Jin remembered his starlord title inside the Star-Picking Tower—Qi Tian Da Sheng.

After bringing Jiang Er back, Xu Jin intended to draw a cool design of Da Sheng’s mask and have Jiang Er embroider it for him.

The key was to make it look cool.

“Hm?”

Suddenly, Xu Jin frowned slightly, a cold smile spreading across his face.

“How clichéd.”

Someone was following him.

In his past life reading novels, Xu Jin had often seen protagonists followed after visiting the Black Market, targeted for robbery; he’d grown tired of the trope, never imagining it would happen to him.

But then again, it made sense.

In the Black Market, a transaction of a few thousand taels of silver was already considered big business.

Today, Xu Jin, in a hurry, had made an almost public transaction of enormous value—certainly drawing attention.

The total transaction had exceeded forty thousand taels of silver.

Wealth stirs the heart.

It was normal.

Otherwise, how could it be called the Black Market?

Within the Lower Star Palace, the Mingji Star Pattern had reacted strangely; the environment behind him showed anomalies.

As the Spirit-Scent Star Pattern activated, Xu Jin detected two scents, trailing him a hundred meters behind.

“I was going to find a place to test my skills—since you’ve come to me, I’ll use you for practice.”

In the next instant, Xu Jin suddenly accelerated and changed direction.

He had originally been heading back to Jinshan Dao Academy, but now that he knew he was followed, he veered toward secluded corners.

If they wanted to rob him, he’d give them the chance!

Two minutes later, Xu Jin turned near the Guanhe Terrace by the Jinshajiang River. It was the rainy season; the river roared past—perfect for murder.

When Xu Jin stopped, the two shadowy figures behind him halted too, still hidden.

Xu Jin silently smiled—they were cautious.

Seeing him wait so openly, they’d begun to suspect.

Xu Jin had important matters to attend to and didn’t want to waste time; he called out loudly, “Two of you—followed me all this way? Show yourselves!”

Two masked men emerged from the darkness, advancing slowly but remaining alert.

One was a Star-Casting cultivator; the other, a Star-Refining Level Two.

No wonder they were so bold—they thought they had him cornered.

“You’re quite alert, kid. Hand over all your belongings, and we’ll let you live!”

“Fine!”

Xu Jin smiled and stepped forward, closing the distance to the two men.

Fifty meters. Twenty meters. Ten meters.

At ten meters, the two suddenly realized—no victim would be this bold.

“Kid, you’ve brought this on yourself!”

Both exploded forward, charging at Xu Jin.

Xu Jin merely thought, and lightly waved his hand.

Boom!

In the light rain, a thunderclap erupted.

Thunder in the Rain!

A jet-black bolt of lightning shot from Xu Jin’s fingertip, instantly striking the head of the Star-Refining Level Two man rushing toward him.

Starlight surged from his body, yet he still convulsed and collapsed to the ground.

The Star-Casting cultivator gasped in shock, “Thunder Star Art? You’re not a Meal-of-Mist cultivator?”

As he cried out, the Star-Casting cultivator instantly twisted and turned to flee.

But Xu Jin wouldn’t give him the chance.

The man had charged right into Xu Jin’s attack range; with a wave of his hand, Xu Jin unleashed a Lightning Serpent.

After two consecutive Lightning Serpents, Xu Jin had noticed their trait.

Extremely fast.

Within attack range, targets could barely dodge—they could only endure it.

Even if they endured it, a single misstep meant being drenched in lightning.

The Star-Casting cultivator was instantly slammed to the ground, while the Star-Refining cultivator, just struck moments before, had already recovered from the Lightning Serpent’s impact.

It was clear—perhaps due to Xu Jin’s insufficient star force—that while the Lightning Serpent had injured him, the damage wasn’t fatal; the main effect was the electric shock, rendering his body momentarily unresponsive.

“Hard to handle—retreat!”

Before the word “retreat” left his lips, Xu Jin activated Flying Star Step and unleashed another Lightning Serpent onto his head.

This time, the Star-Refining Level Two robber had prepared—he raised his starlight shield and absorbed the blow, only to be slammed back to the ground.

Xu Jin landed three meters away.

The moment he landed—Earth Burst!

A starlight spike erupted like lightning between the Star-Refining Level Two cultivator’s legs.

The spike shattered his already crumbling starlight shield, then exploded upward through his crotch, eliciting a scream as his body curled into a shrimp-like shape.

The other Star-Casting robber seized the chance and turned to flee.

Xu Jin, as before, activated Flying Star Step—appearing above the Star-Casting cultivator’s head, he unleashed a Lightning Serpent.

He landed.

But this time, the Star-Casting cultivator had learned.

He’d seen his friend’s legs explode from the starlight spike—his own legs trembled.

Who among men wouldn’t shudder at such an attack?

So the instant he landed, he reinforced his starlight shield and fully defended his feet.

Earth Burst!

This time, Xu Jin still used Earth Burst.

But Earth Burst was no longer a starlight spike.

Instead, starlight surged from the ground, instantly locking his feet like chains.

The second variation of Earth Burst—Earth Prison!

Flying Star Step activated again; Xu Jin shot forward like lightning, and a massive head flew into the air.

One kill!

At this moment, the Star-Refining Level Two robber still curled into a shrimp-like shape.

The grievous wound to his crotch left him in unbearable pain.

Xu Jin wasn’t in a hurry.

He subtly sank his mind into the Can Dou Platform, removed the third-rank Bear Star Core, and replaced it with the third-rank Swift Wind Leopard Star Core, selecting the Lightning Speed Star Pattern as his protection.

Instantly, a faint tremor spread through his entire body; Xu Jin felt that from the moment the Lightning Speed Star Pattern activated, explosive power filled every part of him.

At that moment, the Star-Refining Level Two cultivator finally recovered from the agony.

Seeing his companion dead and Xu Jin motionless, he rose, blasted starlight from his feet, and turned to flee.

In the next instant, Xu Jin moved.

Starlight exploded beneath his feet.

Instantly, Xu Jin shot forward like a meteor, producing a piercing sonic crack.

The wind against his face cut like blades.

Using his momentum, Xu Jin surged past the Star-Refining Level Two cultivator from behind—and in that instant, his long blade slashed down.

One cut—shattered the protective starlight, severed bone and flesh.

A massive head flew skyward, yet the body of the Star-Refining cultivator surged forward another ten meters before slowly collapsing.

Watching the headless corpse spewing blood, Xu Jin felt nothing.

He calmly approached to search the bodies.

Compared to his clumsy, sweating struggle when killing Deng Hu a month ago—when his hands had trembled for half an hour after his first kill—

Now, after killing, he could search the bodies with perfect calm.

After searching, Xu Jin kicked both corpses—heads included—into the Jinshajiang River dozens of meters away, where they vanished into the current.

Even if Xu Jin reported it to the authorities, nothing would happen—he was a Patrol Star Guard Captain; he’d merely need to complete the paperwork, and might even earn merit.

Usually, those who preyed on others in the Black Market carried their own death sentences.

But it’s better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Now, Xu Jin’s time is precious; he doesn’t want to waste it.

He had to admit, Xu Jin owed these two little fortune-bringers a debt of gratitude.

From both of them, he stripped three Star Weapons—all first-rank: one sword, one knife, and a pair of arm guards. Worth at least six thousand taels; on the black market, at least nine thousand. The arm guards alone were worth three thousand taels at Jin Shan Dao Yuan, and likely over three thousand five hundred on the black market.

Their cash on hand was minimal—silver and banknotes combined barely exceeded two thousand taels—but each carried a vial of Soul-Replenishing Pills and a vial of Spirit-Reviving Pills.

Xu Jin currently had no shortage of Soul-Replenishing Pills, but Spirit-Reviving Pills were a major consumable.

He needed at least two per day, sometimes three.

With these two vials, he could sustain his consumption for about ten days.

These two little fortune-bringers had successfully restored Xu Jin’s wealth to over ten thousand taels.

It reached 12,600 taels.

“Hmm, who was really robbing whom here?”

Shaking his head, Xu Jin hurried away.

This battle brought immense gains.

By “immense gains,” Xu Jin meant not the silver, but the earlier test.

Testing Star Art potency on inanimate objects versus on cultivators was entirely different.

The latter was more accurate and far more useful in actual combat.

Essentially, this battle allowed Xu Jin to fully test the three Guardian Star Patterns he had chosen.

Of the three, the Thunder Ray’s Guardian Thunder Serpent Pattern, from a fourth-rank star core, offered the greatest power, the fastest attack, and unique properties—but its drawback was high consumption.

Casting one Thunder Serpent consumed fifteen times the base Star Art’s Star Force.

With the vast Star Force Xu Jin possessed after engraving the Great Gathering Star Pattern, one Thunder Serpent drained one-tenth of his total Star Force.

The Earthquake Pattern from the Rampaging Bear’s third-rank star core was also highly practical, with formidable power, but its consumption was substantial—ten times the base Star Art.

At full Star Force, Xu Jin could only unleash it fifteen times in succession.

The Guardian Lightning Bolt Pattern from the Swift Wind Leopard’s third-rank star core consumed the least—equivalent to five times the base Star Force per use.

But it instantly doubled the speed of Xu Jin’s Flying Star Step.

During the test, Xu Jin also discovered another fact.

Switching between different Guardian Patterns of the same Star Spirit required Starlight expenditure.

For example, when he had previously chosen the Spirit-Scent Pattern from the third-rank-under Green Snake Star Spirit, switching to the Concealment Pattern required injecting Starlight.

But if he replaced the entire Star Core, no Starlight was consumed.

Just like now—he removed the Green Snake Star Spirit from the Can Dou Platform and replaced it with the Swift Wind Leopard Star Core, with zero cost.

Swapping in and out was extremely convenient.

But switching between two Guardian Patterns within the same Star Spirit, no matter how often, always required Starlight expenditure.

“Pity the Can Dou Platform can only hold two Star Cores now—if I could fit one more, my tactics would be far more flexible.”

Xu Jin sighed.

Suddenly, Xu Jin halted.

This was a second-rank Can Dou Platform—why not upgrade to third-rank?

The hardest requirements for upgrading to third-rank—the Human-grade Star Jade Tablet, Starfall Iron—Xu Jin had already secured; gold and silver had long been absorbed.

Now he only needed three more: second-rank Starlight, a thousand jin of refined iron, and a hundred jin of purple copper.

Since breaking through to Meal-Cloud Fifth Layer, Xu Jin had been hoarding second-rank Starlight.

Moreover, after Meal-Cloud Fifth Layer, practicing the Manjin Scripture barely consumed Star Force; the two strands of Starlight he gained daily from Bowing to the Stars, he rarely used, saving them all.

After eight days, he had accumulated sixteen strands.

Because the Manjin Scripture barely consumed Star Force, Xu Jin had continuously poured Starlight into the Can Dou Platform during his morning and evening rituals these past days.

When he first reached Meal-Cloud Fifth Layer, one strand of second-rank Starlight could fully refill his Star Force; by the time he reached Meal-Cloud Fifth Layer’s peak and successfully engraved the Great Gathering Star Pattern, his total Star Force surged dramatically.

Now, filling his body’s Star Force required one and two-thirds strands of second-rank Starlight.

In other words, every two rounds of Meal-Cloud Form, he could pour three strands of second-rank Starlight into the Can Dou Platform.

If he trained at full capacity each morning, he could complete at least four rounds of Meal-Cloud Form; three days ago, after the Clear Soul Pattern fully solidified, his Spirit Force could now support five rounds of Meal-Cloud Form each morning and five rounds of Drink-Moon Form each night.

If all were used for pouring, he could inject fifteen strands of Starlight into the Can Dou Platform daily.

Of course, over these eight days, Xu Jin hadn’t poured all his morning and evening Starlight into the Can Dou Platform.

But it was still substantial.

Over eight days, he had poured eighty-two strands into the Can Dou Platform; adding his accumulated stock, the total Starlight on the platform now reached ninety-eight strands.

But he used two strands last night at the Zhao residence—so now the platform held ninety-six strands, still four short of upgrading to third-rank.

A little evening training and a quick pour would easily make up the difference.

What he still lacked was a thousand jin of refined iron and a hundred jin of purple copper.

In this world, these two materials weren’t absolutely military-controlled, but no one could easily acquire them in large quantities.

Previously, Xu Jin had inquired indirectly at the Dao Yuan’s Forge Hall—they didn’t sell these raw materials; they didn’t even have enough themselves.

He needed to find a way to obtain them.

Thinking it over, Xu Jin turned again and flew toward a large blacksmith shop he remembered in a prefectural city.

Even the blacksmith shop in Heshui County stored several hundred jin of refined iron—surely a prefectural city’s shop had a thousand jin?

In the rainy night, the closed forge shop “Lian Feng Hao” jolted awake as frantic knocking startled the shopkeeper.

“Who is it?”

As he pulled on his robe, the shopkeeper roused his guard—a Meal-Cloud Seventh Layer cultivator.

“Star Patrol Officers on official business—open the door immediately.”

Hearing this, the shopkeeper exhaled in relief—the Star Patrol had a good reputation and rarely acted recklessly—but he still signaled the guard to remain alert.

The door opened, and a Star Patrol Squad Leader’s token, along with raindrops, flew in.

The shopkeeper took the token, his expression turning solemn; he bowed deeply. “What is the matter? Please, my lord, instruct me!”

“By order: emergency requisition of one thousand jin of refined iron and one hundred jin of purple copper. Do you have them?”

The shopkeeper’s face twitched—just as he feared, it came to pass.

Though the Star Patrol had a good reputation, reclaiming silver after requisition was difficult.

Who dared go to the Star Patrol’s door demanding payment?

If they took it, how could he explain to his proprietor?

It was hundreds of taels.

As the shopkeeper hesitated, Xu Jin slapped down three hundred-tael banknotes. “Enough? If not, say so—the Star Patrol requisitions, it doesn’t steal!”

“More than enough! More than enough!”

The shopkeeper, receiving the banknotes, was overjoyed—he never expected the Star Patrol to pay for emergency requisitions now.

At market value, it wasn’t just cost recovery—it was profit.

Now he could explain to his proprietor.

Minutes later, the apprentice and the guard swiftly carried out one copper ingot and ten refined iron ingots outside; Xu Jin waved, and they returned inside.

The next instant, Xu Jin waved his hand—the thousand jin of refined iron and hundred jin of purple copper vanished instantly, appearing on the Can Dou Platform.

Then Xu Jin disappeared into the rain.

Minutes later, the apprentice quietly opened the door, staring at the empty space where the ingots had been, unable to help but envy.

A thousand jin of material, casually vanished—cultivators were truly wonderful!

So powerful!

He too wanted to become one!

On the way back to Jin Shan Dao Yuan, Xu Jin was already thinking—he needed to summon allies.

The only two he could definitely summon were Qi Shanye and Ning Yuchan.

Should he summon both, or just one?

Xu Jin was considering.

But the moment he returned to the Dao Yuan’s quarters, he didn’t rush to summon anyone—he immediately assumed the Drink-Moon Form.

On the way back, he had taken three Soul-Replenishing Pills, restoring some Star Force, and poured one strand into the Can Dou Platform.

Three strands still needed.

He would summon allies only after upgrading the Can Dou Platform to third-rank.

First, travel was inconvenient; second, it wouldn’t take long.

Half an hour later, after two rounds of Drink-Moon Form, Xu Jin successfully poured three strands of Starlight into the Can Dou Platform—the total Starlight now reached one hundred strands.

The next instant, as Xu Jin’s mind sank into the Can Dou Platform, its information had changed.

On the Jade Tablet, the message “Can Upgrade” had become “Upgrade,” glowing with Starlight; as his mind touched it, the entire Can Dou Platform shimmered with radiant Starlight.

The next moment, his mind settled upon it.

“Upgrade.”

Almost instantly as he willed it, an invisible strand of Starlight surged from the Can Dou Platform, shooting straight into the heavens.

In the void, within the star region where the Big Dipper resided, nine stars suddenly flashed simultaneously—brilliant for a fleeting instant, then returned to normal.

The duration was extremely brief.

Inside the towering Star-Picking Tower in the capital of Chen Guo, Wan Yi.

Grand National Teacher Cheng Yuexiao of Da Chen suddenly felt something, looked up at the stars, but by the time he raised his gaze, the stars of the Northern Dipper had already returned to normal.

Cheng Yuexiao frowned!

This scene unfolded simultaneously in several places, though the ones who sensed it differed.

But brilliant starlight had already fallen from the heavens, landing upon Xu Jin’s Can Dou Platform.

On the Can Dou Platform, a brand-new star lamp slowly took shape.

[Can Dou Platform: Third-Rank]

(End of Chapter)