[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-star-martial-era":3,"chapter-the-star-martial-era-the-star-martial-era-chapter-91":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},2274949,4448,"Chapter 91: Gathering Battle and Divine Soul Forging Stars (Requesting Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)","the-star-martial-era-chapter-91",91,"\u003Cp>As the supervisor Cao Chun walked toward the divine statue, Qi Shanye’s voice reappeared in Xu Jin’s ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Concealment Seal I gave you—has it been used up? If not, use it now. If it’s gone, nod, and I’ll give you another.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xu Jin’s strategy was simple: obey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin could guess that Qi Shanye intended for him to take advantage of the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what kind of advantage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin speculated: could it be the star force leaking and scattering everywhere within the divine statue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost the instant he heard Qi Shanye’s instruction, Xu Jin, already seated cross-legged behind the statue in the grass, stirred his star force and shattered the Concealment Seal Qi Shanye had given him—two seals he had nurtured but never used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Concealment Seal worked differently from other seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other seals made loud disturbances when used; the Concealment Seal left no trace after activation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin felt only a force envelop him, a sense of complete isolation, then nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Xu Jin didn’t know was that Qi Shanye had been startled in that instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in Qi Shanye’s perception, Xu Jin had vanished entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Qi Shanye had revealed himself, his mouth would have gaped open in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When did my Concealment Seal become this powerful? Even a hundred meters away, I can’t sense him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only because Qi Shanye had left a sliver of his divine awareness on Xu Jin earlier did he still know where Xu Jin was—otherwise, Xu Jin would have vanished completely, beyond even detection or contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he’d have had to risk closing the distance to search for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, Supervisor Cao Chun, now seated before the statue, extended his divine awareness—no anomalies in any direction—then gently urged his mind, and nine brilliant, shimmering star shadows rose from his chest. Under Cao Chun’s command, the nine stars began to spin faster and faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, a stellar vortex formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the stellar vortex appeared, the star force leaking from the Baidou Sect’s statue was suddenly drawn toward Cao Chun’s vortex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a flash, all of it was sucked into Cao Chun’s vortex—a waterfall of starlight materialized and poured into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Activate your Pure Soul Star Seal. Make it move. Make it spin. As fast as you can bear, spin it as fast as you can.” Qi Shanye’s guidance echoed in Xu Jin’s ear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin immediately obeyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But making the Pure Soul Star Seal on his head move was extremely difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation was excruciating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He strained every muscle, even summoned the strength of a newborn’s cry—but it didn’t budge an inch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even hidden, Xu Jin’s face turned crimson, yet the seal still didn’t turn a single fraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Relax. Only mental force can make the Pure Soul Star Seal spin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much brute strength you possess, you cannot make it turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relax. Focus. Focus. Focus again. Just hold one thought: make it spin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure thought!” Qi Shanye’s voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin exhaled slowly, relaxed, closed his eyes, turned his inner vision to the Pure Soul Star Seal, and concentrated all his mental force upon it—from within outward, now there was only one thought: “Spin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Spin, damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power of pure focus was terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten breaths later, Xu Jin’s Pure Soul Star Seal suddenly twitched—then spun once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once it began turning, like a rolling wheel, it gradually accelerated, faster and faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within mere breaths, it had become a blur of light and shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant it became a blur, an invisible force radiating from the Baidou Sect’s statue was suddenly drawn toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Cao Chun’s nine stars pulled in star force, Xu Jin’s Pure Soul Star Seal began spinning and absorbing this invisible force Cao Chun could not touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within just a few breaths, at the core of Xu Jin’s Upper Star Palace, the Pure Soul Star Seal’s center shifted from void to substance—a pinpoint of radiance appeared. As this point solidified, Xu Jin’s ability to draw in the statue’s invisible force grew stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More and more of the statue’s invisible force was drawn into the Pure Soul Star Seal; the solidifying point at its center expanded rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hundred meters away, Qi Shanye, who had left a trace of divine awareness on Xu Jin beforehand, sensed the transformation occurring within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, even Qi Shanye’s eyes revealed a flicker of envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is truly… a tremendous stroke of fortune.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just this step alone could save decades of arduous cultivation—perhaps more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh. If I’d had this fortune back then, I’d have slaughtered Hu Xuechuan like a dog. My cultivation would’ve soared—instead of being stuck like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling the changes in Xu Jin’s aura, Qi Shanye sighed repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yet such opportunities are exceedingly rare.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, before the Lingji Star Temple sealed its halls, its greatest joy had been crushing the Baidou Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever they detected the Baidou Sect’s presence, the Lingji Star Temple moved fastest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you ranked the Baidou Sect’s deadliest enemies, the Lingji Star Temple would be first—and the second, third, and fourth would be its own branch temples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Baidou Sect’s method of worshiping stars to gather divine energy produced a byproduct: vast quantities of pure Soul Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, a thousand people’s thoughts generated trillions of scattered thoughts—anyone who directly absorbed them would go mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Baidou Sect’s method, through training Star Slaves, purified this Soul Force, and as the statue received worship from thousands, it was continuously cleansed by star force, naturally purifying the Soul Force further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the Baidou Sect’s statues naturally accumulated immense quantities of pure star force and Soul Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet most Star Officials couldn’t perceive or absorb this Soul Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t mean the Baidou Sect was unaware of it—in fact, collecting Soul Force was one of their goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, they didn’t use people to collect it—they used artifacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specifically, the Star Official’s Seal that had fled earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, when facing insurmountable danger, a Star Official would immediately activate the Star Official’s Seal to drain the statue’s Soul Force—part to strengthen the Seal, part stored for future statue construction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But today’s Baidou Sect Star Official, perhaps overconfident—or misled by Ning Yuchan and Xu Jin’s power—believed he could easily handle the threat and saw no danger requiring escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if the Star Official’s Seal drained the statue’s Soul Force, the statue became useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebuilding it took a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, when the Lingji Star Temple hunted the Baidou Sect, its Star Officials didn’t even wait for Lingji Star Temple agents to appear—any hint of trouble, they immediately drained the Soul Force, destroyed the statue, and fled without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As cowardly as it gets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, the style had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because the Lingji Star Temple’s twenty-year lockdown had drastically reduced risks, the new generation of Star Officials had grown bolder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, cultivating five or six hundred Star Slaves was considered large-scale; a thousand was enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this one had over two thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Baidou Sect had once been a prime target for the Lingji Star Temple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill fast enough, and you could seize vast quantities of pure Soul Force to strengthen your Upper Star Palace’s Soul Stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But most of the time, you couldn’t get any.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, the Baidou Sect’s Star Officials were so wary from Lingji Star Temple’s hunts that any disturbance triggered immediate Soul Force extraction and escape via star force—no matter the cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not like this Star Official today—his audacity was almost suicidal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Lingji Star Temple occasionally succeeded, it was like dozens of wolves fighting over a scrap of meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens or hundreds of Lingji Star Temple experts would scramble to claim the Soul Force from a single statue, racing to grab as much as possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Lingji Star Temple’s experts remained fiercely enthusiastic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because even a tiny share could match years of cultivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this Baidou Sect Star Official had grown ten times bolder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This must be directly tied to the Lingji Star Temple’s twenty-year lockdown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a windfall for Xu Jin now—alone, he claimed the entire statue’s Soul Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the statue’s Soul Force reserves were clearly enormous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two thousand Star Slaves had never existed before the Lingji Star Temple’s lockdown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the duration had been long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least a month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Possibly two or three months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Xu Jin’s fortune made even Qi Shanye envious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten years ago, he’d have kicked Xu Jin aside and taken the entire bounty for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, it held little value for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Xu Jin’s gain gave him a glimmer of hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Jin’s Pure Soul Star Seal spun rapidly and the Soul Star at its core swelled, twenty-odd warships bearing the Yanzhou Naval Flag entered the Qiujian River and surged toward Qianye Island, banners flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same moment, light streaks erupted from Yanzhou State Capital, Yanzhou State Academy, Tianyang Branch Temple, Cangming Branch Temple, Yangdu Academy, and Yangdu Prefectural Office—all racing toward Qianye Island at full speed, regardless of cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some faces showed surprise; others, fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Yangdu Marquis’s residence in Yangdu Prefecture, Chief Secretary Zhou Xian and Military Advisor Lu Yuanchen stared at each other, both grim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Zhou, I beg you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Lu, rest assured—your mother is now my own mother, your children my own flesh and blood. I’ll never let them suffer a single hardship,” said Chief Secretary Zhou Xian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you,” said Lu Yuanchen, his face heavy with sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Military Advisor, rest easy—the Marquis will not let you die in vain,” said Chief Secretary Zhou Xian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please deliver this family letter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sent a letter to Chief Historian Zhou Yixian, Lu Yuanchen instantly shot into the sky, stars exploding beneath his feet as he raced toward Qianye Island; soon after, Zhou Yixian gave a few instructions and swiftly followed the trail of Lu Yuanchen’s starlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On Qianye Island, Ning Yuchan moved swiftly among the girls, treating those in dire condition and comforting them at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had intended to ask whether Xu Jin had found his sister, but could not locate Xu Jin; however, with the emergency at hand, Ning Yuchan had no time to worry about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This nest of the Worshipers of the Dipper Cult has been destroyed, and the captives rescued—but the real trouble is still ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the trouble ahead is not Ning Yuchan’s concern; right now, she is focused on the condition of these two thousand girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had previously rescued star-slaves from the Worshipers of the Dipper Cult, but the terrifying truth was that many of the rescued girls had gone mentally unstable after being returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some had become mad; others had become fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, whenever Ning Yuchan saw terrified girls, she struck them with a palm-blade to knock them unconscious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a girl could sleep well and wake up, most would recover; but many, even after being knocked out, continued to suffer nightmares and jolted awake again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally, when she spotted a few girls already asleep, Ning Yuchan showed a faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many girls with strong wills—or those with unusually thick nerves—would fall asleep on their own once rescued; and any girl who fell asleep on her own would recover upon waking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a place Ning Yuchan did not notice, Xu Jiang’er, Xu Jin’s sister, had already collapsed into sleep; her breathing had become steady, and the tense little face that had been tightly drawn now gradually relaxed in slumber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the age of eight, little Jiang’er had cooked meals, washed clothes, and cared for her weak and sickly brother Xu Jin; her heart was exceedingly delicate, and her willpower quite strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But whether her strength was enough to fall asleep immediately after rescue remained unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason little Jiang’er had fallen into deep sleep the moment she was rescued was because Qi Shanye had acted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Shanye himself was a master of soul-star manipulation and had previously studied the Worshipers of the Dipper Cult in depth; upon discovering Jiang’er, he risked using powerful soul-star energy to calm her terrified spirit and simultaneously induced her into instant unconsciousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ensured Jiang’er would awaken without any aftereffects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the other girls, Qi Shanye could do nothing more—he could only secretly use soul-star energy to aid a few dozen from the periphery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tian Zhang was familiar to him; during the great manhunt for demons, Tian Zhang knew of his existence, and Headmaster Dong Zhao knew of him too; Qi Shanye knew Dong Zhao knew of him, and Dong Zhao knew Qi Shanye knew that he knew Qi Shanye existed—but he could never appear before Dong Zhao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Sun Star Temple had not only issued its own warrant for the Shadow Demon Qi Shanye, but also dispatched military orders through the Chen Court and the National Academy to capture him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could be known—but not face-to-face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the bottom line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mutual, unspoken understanding both sides adhered to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, both sides would be plunged into an extremely difficult situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, Qi Shanye must conceal himself well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, fifteen minutes passed; under the waterfall-like influx of star power from the idol, Cao Chun’s chest bore nine stars, refined to their utmost, dense to their peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the seated Cao Chun opened his eyes; the nine merged stars, spinning at terrifying speed under immense star power, suddenly became a single entity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One star, the brightest and largest, served as the core; the other eight orbited it like satellites, forming a self-contained system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they spun, countless star energies from heaven and earth were drawn in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this moment on, even if Cao Chun ceased cultivation, merely standing here would allow his star energy to flow endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even while asleep, the star energy he consumed would be automatically replenished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the Star Gathering into the Dipper realm—the Dou Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Breakthrough? Then continue!” Headmaster Dong Zhao’s voice rang out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Chun, newly broken through, sat back down; the newly formed star-dipper instantly spun and retracted into his body, his aura completely suppressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The star power within the idol began to leak out again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Cao Chun extended his soul-star energy, deliberately drawing in a strand of starlight; in moments, he expertly inscribed a star-rune, which began to spin rapidly, drawing in star energy as it turned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the center of the rune shifted from void to substance, and that solid point began to grow rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faster it grew, the quicker it spun, the more star energy it absorbed—like a snowball rolling downhill, a tiny star embryo had already formed swiftly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was star forging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his breakthrough, Cao Chun began forging another star—and at an astonishing speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main reason was the extraordinary abundance of star power here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the idol, within Xu Jin’s Upper Star Palace, a fist-sized soul-star had already formed; within it, the Clear Soul Rune resembled amber, its patterns clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Xu Jin’s soul-star continued to spin at high speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each rotation absorbed vast amounts of soul-star energy into the Upper Star Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Qi Shanye’s eyes, Xu Jin had now drawn in every last bit of soul-star energy leaking from the idol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t stop—keep cultivating until no more soul-star energy remains. I’ve found your sister; I’ve put her to sleep. Rest easy,” Qi Shanye’s voice echoed in Xu Jin’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This eased Xu Jin greatly—his sister was rescued, safe and unharmed; now he had countless reasons to cultivate fully, and not a single reason to distract himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, strength is everything!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as during the raid on the island, Ning Yuchan had charged forward with fearless ferocity, pushing to the extreme—and Xu Jin, fighting beside her, had felt exhilarated to the extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all of it rested on strength, on confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, it was just suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later, a halo of star-cloud-like radiance had gathered around Xu Jin’s soul-star in his Upper Star Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Star Refinement First Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soul-star Xu Jin had just forged had already broken through to Star Refinement First Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this, Qi Shanye felt a pang of nostalgia, recalling his own past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long had it taken him to forge his soul-star?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had taken fifteen years of arduous cultivation before he finally forged his soul-star—and only then did Qi Shanye, once unknown, suddenly rise to prominence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for progressing from initial star forging to completion, then to Star Refinement First Stage—it had taken another ten years, hadn’t it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, this was a major flaw of the Lingji Star Temple: its disciples, due to the necessity of soul-star forging, typically matured late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But many disciples perished before their potential could fully blossom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone like Xu Jin, blessed with such an extraordinary opportunity, was not a once-in-a-millennium rarity—certainly a once-in-a-century one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could only say: fate and karma are predetermined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Xu Jin lacked the courage to plan his sister’s rescue, he would never have gained this opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another fifteen minutes later, within Cao Chun’s Middle Star Palace, the newly forged star had reached Star Refinement Ninth Stage and had begun forging a second star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin’s soul-star had barely reached Star Refinement Second Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the meantime, at Qi Shanye’s reminder, Xu Jin shattered his second Concealment Rune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that very moment, the Yanzhou Naval Fleet landed on Qianye Island, sealing the island and scouring its surroundings for any remaining remnants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another fifteen minutes later, Cao Chun began forging a third star beyond his new dipper; on Xu Jin’s soul-star, three faint star halos now encircled it—Star Refinement Third Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Chenfeng, Dean of the Yanzhou Dao Academy, arrived first—but was blocked at the perimeter by Headmaster Dong Zhao of Jinshan Dao Academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half a minute later, Xu Jin suddenly opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how he urged his soul-star, not a single trace of soul-star energy could be drawn in—the idol’s soul-star power had been fully absorbed, though some had already leaked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finished? Gone?” Qi Shanye’s voice echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Then move away—beyond a hundred meters from the idol, then gently activate your star power to break the Concealment Rune’s effect. Your sister is over there; go see her, then blend into the main group.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A master is approaching—I must leave now.” With that, Qi Shanye’s hidden form swiftly vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put: Qi Shanye had faintly sensed the aura of Hu Xuechuan, the Yanzhou Division Head of the Heavenly Sun Star Temple—he had to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long been faintly marked by Hu Xuechuan’s star instrument, the Star Locator; too close, and he would be precisely pinpointed—then he’d be forced to flee for his life again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following Qi Shanye’s instructions, Xu Jin moved over a hundred meters from the idol, gently activating his star power; instantly, he felt something snap—like returning to the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many crying girls, seeing Xu Jin suddenly appear in their vision, stared in terror—as if seeing a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because one second ago, where Xu Jin now stood, there had been no one—now, a living man had appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man appearing out of nowhere—who wouldn’t be terrified?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Jin paid no mind; quickly, he followed the direction Qi Shanye had given and found his sleeping sister Jiang’er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lightly placed his fingers on her; her breath was steady—he was finally at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not linger; he left as if merely passing by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better not draw too much attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, I haven’t seen you for a while—where’d you go? I was about to look for you, worried you’d gotten into trouble!” Ning Yuchan exclaimed upon seeing Xu Jin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I went to find my sister. Luckily, I found her.” Xu Jin said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is she asleep?” Ning Yuchan asked anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I found her, she was already asleep.” Xu Jin replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good. Then she’s safe. By the way, help me patrol—whenever you see a girl wake up, whether crying or laughing, knock her out again. Whether she recovers or not is up to fate.” Ning Yuchan was pushing herself to the limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many women, even after being knocked unconscious, would wake screaming from nightmares, crying again—leaving Ning Yuchan overwhelmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Got it.” Xu Jin readily agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful—you’re dealing with ordinary girls, don’t…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Yuchan hurriedly warned, but Xu Jin had already raised an OK gesture; only after raising it did he realize she didn’t understand, so he waved his hand and said, “Master, don’t worry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Xu Jin and Ning Yuchan continued rescuing girls, more streams of light arrived on the island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most notable were the rapid arrivals of Hu Xuechuan, Head of the Yanzhou Division of the Heavenly Sun Star Temple, and Mei Longwei, Head of the Yanzhou Division of the Azure Star Temple—but upon arrival, neither spoke to Dong Zhao; both waited silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One crucial figure had yet to arrive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, the starlight within the Worshipers of the Dipper Cult idol vanished completely; as the final strand of star power was absorbed by Cao Chun, the five- to six-meter-tall idol crumbled into dust, piece by piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supervisor Cao Chun, from the peak of Fourth-Stage Condensing Star, broke through to the Fifth-Stage Gathering Constellation Realm, then forged four stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very moment the statue shattered, Zhou Jianping, Head of the Yangdu Dao Academy, had already reached Qianye Island; the instant his foot touched the island, the starlight beneath him retracted, and he surged to Dong Zhao’s side, demanding angrily:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dong Zhao, you marched troops into my Yangdu District without warning—what do you mean by this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have any respect for the law of Chen Guo, or for military discipline?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3620,"2026-06-19T23:56:29.689Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c661281cd412dfbbe2e647d2aba892e7e214e469c2fde7c0a558417cd0f8306b","the-star-martial-era-chapter-92","the-star-martial-era-chapter-90",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-star-martial-era-cover.jpg"]