Chapter 97: The Gaps in Transcending Mortality and the Training Realm

If before the sixth level of Canxia, it was about refining each part of the body.

Then the seventh level of Canxia is akin to purging the marrow and washing the blood, replacing tendons and bones.

The so-called Golden Chapter is the process of using star force to continuously refine the entire body, known as refining the skin, refining the flesh, refining the blood, refining the bones, and refining the organs.

But this refinement happens simultaneously.

Once the entire body has been refined by star force until it becomes translucent as jade, one can activate star force to continuously cleanse oneself, triggering surging currents like a flood sweeping across the land, strengthening and purifying, expelling bodily impurities, and elevating one’s foundation.

This step is also called Transcending Mortality!

Completing this step means shedding the mortal frame and bones, with vitality surging forth!

Everything becomes vastly different from ordinary people.

For example, recovery speed.

For ordinary people, a broken bone or torn tendon takes a hundred days to heal; after this step, that time is halved.

Even a broken bone can be fully healed by a cultivator in no more than half a month.

A regular sword wound takes ordinary people seven to ten days to heal, but a cultivator needs only one to two days.

Lifespan is different too.

As long as this step is completed, one can live to eighty without illness or disaster.

According to the latest interrogation reports from the Star Patrol, why did Jinshan County’s richest man, Zhao Bo, join the Worship of the Dipper Cult and donate sixty thousand taels of silver to them?

It is said he did it for immortality.

The Worship of the Dipper Cult promised him he could reach the ninth level of Star Refinement within three months and live beyond one hundred years without illness or disaster.

In this world, cultivation can extend lifespan, but the extension is extremely limited.

The lifespan limits for Star Refinement, Star Condensation, and Star Gathering are all around one hundred and twenty years.

Unfortunately, the Star Patrol searched the entire Thousand Leaf Island and found no trace of the sixty thousand taels Zhao Bo claimed to have donated.

On the bodies of the slain Star Official Gu Jianfei and the other cultists, they found less than ten thousand taels of silver.

Interrogations are still ongoing, but it is rumored Zhao Bo is nearly broken.

There is another bad piece of news: Zhao Bo’s second son, Zhao Weizhen, who had cultivation talent, and his family have not been found.

They did not flee from Jinshan County.

Several years ago, they entered the Great Chen National Academy and cultivated at the Wan Yi branch.

When the Great Chen National Academy moved to arrest Zhao Weizhen’s family, the Zhao family in Wan Yi had already vanished completely—arriving to find nothing.

Zhao Weizhen entered the Jinshan Academy in Star Calendar 1753, was selected for the Great Chen National Academy a year later, and before disappearing, his cultivation base was Star Condensation Fourth Level.

After leaving Ning Yuchan, Xu Jin headed straight for the Elixir Chamber.

For the seventh level of Canxia, since one must activate star force like a flood to cleanse the body, one needs elixirs to assist, specifically the Transcending Mortality Elixir.

Each cultivation session consumes one Transcending Mortality Elixir.

By combining the Transcending Mortality Elixir with the Golden Chapter, one achieves the effect of purging the marrow and washing the blood; after three such purifications, if star force increases by thirty percent, it is considered the peak of Canxia Seventh Level, and one may attempt Star Casting.

“Transcending Mortality Elixir? You’ve reached Canxia Sixth Level?” the Elixir Chamber overseer was astonished.

He had long known Xu Jin, because Xu Jin was the student who bought the most elixirs during this year’s Star Pointing Season, especially the Spirit-Reviving and Mind-Clarifying Elixirs.

In his mind, Xu Jin, who took eighty-three days to point the star, could never have advanced this quickly.

“I just broke through. My master told me to buy Transcending Mortality Elixirs,” Xu Jin said.

Upon hearing Xu Jin had broken through to Canxia Sixth Level, the Elixir Chamber overseer immediately treated him with new respect.

No other reason: every student who reaches Canxia Sixth Level must come here to claim or purchase Transcending Mortality Elixirs.

As the Elixir Chamber manager, he knew better than anyone else the progress of each student.

Among this year’s Star Pointing students, Xu Jin was the fifth to come for Transcending Mortality Elixirs; ahead of him were Yue Daqi, Lu Xianbing, Ren Xiaoxiang, and Yu Guan.

Moreover, the Elixir Chamber overseer knew one crucial thing: Yue Daqi, the top Star Pointing student of this year, pointed the star in three days and broke through to Canxia Sixth Level half a month ago, while Xu Jin, who took eighty-three days to point the star, reached Canxia Sixth Level now—yet his total cultivation time was sixty-five days shorter than Yue Daqi’s.

A cultivation speed faster than the top student of this year—such an astonishing pace was absolutely worth a warm smile.

“Master Xu, according to academy rules, students who just break through to Canxia Sixth Level may claim five Transcending Mortality Elixirs. Normally, one per day for five consecutive days completes the first purification.”

Afterward, roughly every five to ten Transcending Mortality Elixirs complete one purification.

Generally, buying two more bottles will suffice,” said the Elixir Chamber overseer.

“Then give me two bottles.”

Quickly, the overseer handed Xu Jin two and a half bottles of Transcending Mortality Elixirs—each pill worth one hundred taels of silver, quite expensive; two bottles totaled two thousand taels.

But Xu Jin could now afford it.

Moreover, any student who breaks through to the Canxia realm should be able to afford it—by gathering mountains two or three times, they’d save enough.

“By the way, do you have any other elixirs that restore spiritual soul power?” Xu Jin asked.

“For spiritual soul power, there’s the Superior Spirit-Reviving Elixir.”

“Any others?”

“No. Generally, even Star Refinement cultivators find the Superior Spirit-Reviving Elixir sufficient.”

“What about elixirs that restore star force?”

“Elixirs that restore star force are more varied: there’s the Superior Star-Replenishing Elixir, which restores twice as much as the regular one, and the Three-Element Star-Return Elixir, which is four times stronger than the Superior Star-Replenishing Elixir—usually only used by late Star Refinement or Star Condensation cultivators,” said the overseer.

“Then give me one bottle of each.”

Whether the Three-Element Star-Return Elixir or the Superior Spirit-Reviving Elixir, each pill cost one hundred taels of silver—instantly, another two thousand taels were spent.

After visiting the Elixir Chamber, Xu Jin’s four thousand taels of silver were gone.

Xu Jin’s cash on hand had once again dipped below ten thousand taels, leaving only barely nine thousand.

As he left the Elixir Chamber, Xu Jin stuffed four Transcending Mortality Elixirs and two Superior Spirit-Reviving Elixirs into two Star Lamps to begin nurturing.

The first-grade star weapon, the long knife, already nurtured in the third Star Lamp for three days, showed no sign of change.

But as long as nurturing was possible, Xu Jin had endless patience.

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Jin arrived at the External Affairs Hall.

The hall’s chief, Ceng Shuo, personally received Xu Jin again—and even more warmly than last time.

Ceng Shuo first took out a seal, used it to imprint a streak of starlight onto Xu Jin’s Star-Picking Token, then sent a starlight message through his own Star-Picking Token.

“Wait a moment—I’ve stamped it, but you need the Headmaster’s signature before you’re permitted to enter the Great Chen National Academy,” said Ceng Shuo, his fat face smiling until his eyes nearly vanished.

Xu Jin came to the External Affairs Hall for his second purpose: to obtain official certification and formally join the Great Chen National Academy, gaining an official identity in the Star-Picking Tower.

Previously, Xu Jin had asked Ning Yuchan about the Star-Picking Tower identity, and also asked Qi Shanye.

On this matter, Qi Shanye understood more than Ning Yuchan.

The origin of the Star-Picking Tower is mysterious; even the former One of the Four Star Palaces, the Lingji Star Palace, could only apply for the main tower after meeting the Star-Picking Tower’s requirements—and then only gained administrative authority over the Lingji Star Palace’s main and branch towers.

It is said the Star-Picking Tower has overseers, but they have never appeared in the world.

So Xu Jin need not worry about identity issues.

The public identity of the Star-Picking Tower remains unknown unless one reveals it oneself.

“All right, the Headmaster has signed. You may now enter the Great Chen National Academy and enjoy its associated privileges,” said Ceng Shuo.

“Thank you, Hall Chief.”

Back in his small courtyard, Xu Jin held his Star-Picking Token and entered the Star-Picking Tower, then, according to memory, pushed open the starlight door to the Great Chen National Academy.

Instantly, another glittering starlit hall appeared before Xu Jin.

【Great Chen Star-Picking Tower】

Inside the hall, several starlight doors led to different chambers.

Xu Jin could open only four of them.

【Great Chen Ten Thousand Stars Hall】【Great Chen Chasing Stars Hall】

The Ten Thousand Stars Hall was identical to the main tower’s, but what was this “Chasing Stars Hall”?

Xu Jin immediately entered it.

Inside, he discovered the Great Chen Chasing Stars Hall resembled a task posting center, divided into bounties and missions.

【Long-term Bounty: Leader of the Worship of the Dipper Cult, identity unknown, gender unknown, wields the Four-Spirit Seal, a Seven-Star Spirit Artifact. Reward: 100,000 Dao Merits and 10,000 Starlight for identifying his true identity. Reward: 500,000 Dao Merits and 200,000 Starlight for killing him. Reward: 1,000,000 Dao Merits and 500,000 Starlight for capturing him alive.】

【Long-term Bounty: Five Directions True Persons of the Worship of the Dipper Cult】

【Long-term Bounty: Four Phases True Persons of the Worship of the Dipper Cult】

【Long-term Bounty: Leader of the Blood God Cult, Yu Shen】

There were hundreds of long-term bounties, mostly related to the Worship of the Dipper Cult and the Blood God Cult, plus a few traitors; the rest were mostly short-term bounties, all centered on finding lost items.

In addition, there were 【Academy Missions】

Academy missions were numerous—over a thousand, constantly changing; some missions, once claimed, were locked.

Most were patrol, reconnaissance, arrest, guarding, and star-beast slaying missions, most with cultivation level requirements.

Xu Jin glanced through them—several missions were marked as located in Jinshan County.

One was the bounty for capturing Zhao Weizhen: reward of one thousand Dao Merits and two hundred Starlight upon capture.

The reward was low, with little intelligence provided; it seemed impossible to complete.

Besides the Chasing Stars Hall and Ten Thousand Stars Hall, Xu Jin could open two more starlight doors.

【Great Chen Training Hall】【Great Chen External Affairs Hall】

The Training Hall was completely empty—nothing inside.

But the Great Chen External Affairs Hall contained abundant information.

【Star Lord: Xu Jin】

【Identity: Yanzhou Jinshan Academy, Star Patrol Squad Leader, Second-Rank Low Grade】

【Cultivation Base: Meal of Mist, Sixth Layer】

【Merit: 210】

【Starlight: 141 strands】

As Xu Jin pondered, someone suddenly approached him: “Younger brother, I’m Wu Dong. If you have any questions, ask me—I’ll answer fully and without reservation.”

After a few exchanges, Xu Jin realized Wu Dong was a disciple of the Chen Guo Dao Academy, assigned to guard duty—which explained his enthusiasm.

His main role was guiding new disciples.

The benefits of this assignment made Xu Jin envious.

Serving one month at the Chen Guo External Affairs Hall, two hours per day for thirty days, grants 60 merit and five strands of starlight.

Five strands of starlight? That’s equivalent to five hundred taels of silver.

Four hours a day for a month earns five hundred taels? Where else could you find such a lucrative post?

And then there’s the merit.

Asking Wu Dong, Xu Jin learned how he’d earned his 210 merit.

It came from the two major merits mentioned earlier by Supervisor Tian Zhang.

The Chen Guo Dao Academy’s rule: one major merit equals 100 merit points; one minor merit equals 1 merit point.

As for the uses of merit, there are many.

Within the Chen Guo Dao Academy, you can use it to purchase elixirs, mid- and high-grade star patterns, or one strand of starlight—which costs roughly ten merit points. Merit can be exchanged for starlight, but starlight cannot be exchanged for merit.

Yet the greatest use of merit is advancing in rank.

For instance, for Xu Jin to be promoted to Deputy Squad Leader of the Star Patrol, he must spend 200 merit points. Upgrading the Star-Taking Talisman also requires merit.

【First-Rank Star-Taking Talisman: Can be upgraded; requires 10,000 merit, 100 strands of starlight】

Under Wu Dong’s explanation, Xu Jin gained much insight into the Chen Guo Dao Academy.

For example, why did the Chen Guo Martial Hall have nothing inside?

Because it only opened during specific times, and even then, access was usually restricted by status.

As Xu Jin prepared to leave, Wu Dong smiled: “Younger Brother Xu, let’s add each other as friends. Then you can send me starlight messages anytime. If you ever come to Wan Yi, be sure to contact me—I’ll treat you as a proper host.”

But Xu Jin frowned.

It wasn’t that he refused—he knew adding a friend cost one strand of starlight, and sending a starlight message cost another.

Too expensive. Too greedy. He couldn’t afford it.

“Brother, I’m short on starlight,” Xu Jin said frankly.

Wu Dong burst out laughing. “Younger brother, you still don’t understand the rules. Once you join the Chen Guo Dao Academy, all internal members—whether adding friends or sending starlight messages—only need one merit point.”

“Only one merit point?”

Xu Jin was overjoyed.

It was like cutting the cost by tenfold.

Previously, it cost a hundred taels per message; now it cost only ten.

He could afford it after all.

“Then if I ever visit Wan Yi, I’ll surely trouble you, Brother,” Xu Jin said, adding Wu Dong as a friend before leaving—though it was just polite words.

In his past life, unless they were extremely close friends, one didn’t disturb others on their home turf—it caused awkwardness.

Hosting required both money and time—two things every recent graduate lacked!

Thinking it over, Xu Jin added two friends before leaving the Star-Taking Strand.

He spent two merit points.

One was Ning Yuchan; the other was Lu Xianbing.

Both accepted quickly. Ning Yuchan even sent Xu Jin a starlight message immediately.

“Joined the Star-Taking Pavilion? Then you can enter the public training realm daily—it greatly improves your combat skills. Try to get your rank within the top one thousand.”

Xu Jin could only call Ning Yuchan extravagant.

That message cost ten taels.

Ning Yuchan was about two li away—she could arrive in under a minute.

Moreover, Ning Yuchan’s tone suggested high expectations for Xu Jin.

She’d directly set a goal: top one thousand in the First-Rank Training Realm.

“Big Brother Jin, congratulations! Your breakthrough speed is insane—I remember you went from Meal of Mist, Fifth Layer to Sixth Layer in less than half a month. You’re far better than us so-called top-tier geniuses!”

Not long after Xu Jin returned to his courtyard, Lu Xianbing arrived.

But Lu Xianbing wasn’t one to waste time—he came because he’d received Xu Jin’s friend request, noticed his breakthrough to Meal of Mist, Sixth Layer, and wanted to tell him something.

“Big Brother Jin, do you know why many past ordinary seniors have already forged their Stars or even refined them, yet several seniors from last autumn’s Star-Selection still hold at Meal of Mist, Seventh Layer, refusing to break through?” Lu Xianbing got straight to the point.

“Why? I’ve wondered that too. You and I should reach Meal of Mist, Seventh Layer’s peak within a month—why do Master Wang and the others keep suppressing their cultivation?” Xu Jin said.

“Normally, they’ve already wasted at least half a year.”

“Exactly. If they’d let go, they’d likely be at Refining Star, Second or Third Layer by now. But suppressing cultivation has its reasons: first, to perfect their star arts; second, for the annual Autumn Exam,” Lu Xianbing said.

Hearing this, Xu Jin frowned. He’d heard “Autumn Exam” mentioned several times today.

The Headmaster mentioned it. Ning Yuchan mentioned it. External Affairs Hall Director Ceng Shuo had brought it up too. Now Lu Xianbing again—what was so special about this Autumn Exam?

“For us disciples, the Autumn Exam has two major benefits: first, the chance to be selected for the national Dao Academy; second, upon entering, you’re guaranteed access to the Star-Taking Pavilion’s training realm for Star-Forging—success rate is over seventy percent, and even the worst outcome is a mid-grade Star.”

“But for us, the most important thing is getting into the national Dao Academy.”

“To be honest, Big Brother Jin, my goal—and my father’s—is to be selected this year.”

“Only by entering the national Dao Academy can you have a greater future—only then might you break through to Condensing Star or even Gathering Battle.”

“Must enter the national Dao Academy? Does that mean you can’t reach Condensing Star or Gathering Battle in Jinshan Dao Academy?” Xu Jin asked.

“Exactly. Jinshan Dao Academy only has access to a single commandery’s resources. Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples enjoy the entire nation’s resources—the difference is hundreds of times over, like heaven and earth.”

Suddenly, Xu Jin recalled Wu Dong, the national Dao Academy disciple he’d met at the Chen Guo Star-Taking Pavilion’s External Affairs Hall.

The Jinshan Dao Academy drew resources from only one commandery, while disciples of the Great Chen State Dao Academy drew from the resources of the entire state—the difference was hundreds of times greater, like heaven and earth.

Four hours a day for a month earned sixty merit and five strands of starlight.

Xu Jin remembered that during the July Mountain Harvest, when he killed two Blood God Cult cultists, Squad Leader Zhang Yunliang had said killing two such cultists granted ten minor merits—or special harvest credit.

Ten minor merits meant ten merit points.

Xu Jin had risked his life to kill two cultists and earned only ten merit points. But national Dao Academy disciples could earn sixty merit points just by accepting a task—no effort, just a thought sent into the Star-Taking Talisman.

This task was simply unavailable to Jinshan Dao Academy disciples.

“Big Brother Jin, you might not know that every senior in our academy—the Headmaster, Deputy Headmaster, Supervising Abbot, Chief Instructor Ning—all studied at the national Dao Academy, for at least one or two years, up to three or five.”

Even Supervisor Tian Zhang had studied there.

In short, without entering the national Dao Academy, Squad Leader of the Star Patrol is the ceiling of your entire life.”

Lu Xianbing’s words shocked Xu Jin.

Information gaps still existed.

These second-generation officials held far more information.

Was Squad Leader of the Star Patrol really the ceiling of his life if he didn’t enter the national Dao Academy?

Would Xu Jin accept that?

Absolutely not!

Since the day he saw Headmaster Dong Zhao walking through the sky on starlight, Xu Jin had a clear goal: he too would walk on starlight, drift among the clouds—even carry his beloved, walking on starlight, drifting among the clouds.

And he had even wilder thoughts.

If he ever got the chance, he wanted to try the ultimate experience atop the clouds.

Drinking tea among the clouds had far more prestige than sipping tea by a mountain stream.

There were many other things he wanted to try.

Thinking it over, Xu Jin turned to Lu Xianbing. “Brother Lu, what’s your plan, then?”

Xu Jin knew his relationship with Lu Xianbing was good, mutually respectful—but not yet intimate.

Lu Xianbing came to tell him this for a reason.

“Big Brother Jin, look at Master Wang and the other dozen or so seniors from last autumn’s Star-Selection—they’ve been suppressing their cultivation, honing their star arts, all to be selected for the national Dao Academy in the Autumn Exam.”

It’s not just them—many regional Dao Academies have the same phenomenon.

That means competition to enter the national Dao Academy is extremely fierce.”

“But I don’t want to waste half a year waiting for next year’s Autumn Exam.”

“So I have a way to rapidly boost combat power.”

Hearing this, Xu Jin looked at Lu Xianbing in surprise.

Really? A way to rapidly boost combat power?

And Lu Xianbing was willing to tell him?

“Big Brother Jin, you know the Training Realm has a daily limit on challenges, right?”

“Yes, only five or six times a day,” Xu Jin said.

“That’s exactly our opportunity to boost combat power.”

Minutes later, Xu Jin understood Lu Xianbing’s idea—another information gap.

The Training Realm drains spiritual essence because dying within it causes the loss.

A few minutes later, Xu Jin finally understood Lu Xianbing’s meaning—it was another information gap.

The Combat Mirage consumes Divine Soul energy because of deaths that occur within it.

Dying in the Training Realm consumes a portion of your divine soul energy.

But if you don’t die, you can continuously train in the Training Realm for a full quarter-hour, and the realm’s star energy supply is infinite.

In other words, as long as you find a suitable opponent, you can wildly cultivate star arts within a quarter-hour; if the realm’s star energy is depleted, simply use the Star Tower’s starlight to instantly replenish it—with no limit on the number of times, as long as you have starlight.

In reality, with Lu Xianbing’s total star energy, even if he trained at full capacity, he couldn’t sustain it for a quarter-hour, let alone two hundred breaths.

As for restoring star energy with elixirs, even top-grade Star-Replenishing Pills lose all but one-tenth of their effect after three doses within a short time.

But the Training Realm isn’t stupid—it won’t let you exploit this loophole easily.

There must be combat!

And it must be real, legitimate combat.

So Lu Xianbing wanted Xu Jin to partner with him; they’d use intense sparring to practice star arts, unleashing star techniques freely on each other—but avoiding vital points.

And they’d need to coordinate beforehand.

One would focus on offense, the other on defense, then switch roles after a while—perfect results.

With Stimulating Pills, one day of rigorous training in the Training Realm equals ten days or even half a month of rigorous training for others.

You need an opponent with comparable strength, someone you can trust, similar financial means—because at least two Stimulating Pills are consumed daily—and you must also have a certain level of star art proficiency; otherwise, it won’t work.

Most importantly, you need ample starlight.

Among all the current-year Star-Pointing Season disciples of the Dao Academy, only Xu Jin and Lu Xianbing received the 100-thread starlight reward.

Those with only a few threads of starlight couldn’t sustain even a few days of consumption.

After filtering through all these conditions, Lu Xianbing found only Xu Jin suitable, so he came to him.

After listening, Xu Jin nodded; Lu Xianbing’s method of cultivating star arts in the Training Realm was remarkably similar to his own training inside the Star Lamp.

But training inside the Star Lamp has no restrictions, while the Training Realm of the Star Tower has many.

Especially the star energy consumption, which must be replenished with starlight.

According to Lu Xianbing’s estimate, at least fifteen to twenty threads of starlight are consumed daily to restore star energy and sustain training.

That’s at least two thousand taels of silver per day; with Stimulating Pills included, it starts at 2,200 taels.

This isn’t honing star arts—it’s directly exchanging silver for progress in star art mastery.

Ordinary people, even if they knew this method, simply couldn’t afford it.

Xu Jin believed many people knew this method, but knowing it didn’t mean they could afford it.

Not just because of the multiple conditions, but because the daily starlight consumption alone was beyond what most could bear.

If Xu Jin didn’t have the Combat Platform Star Lamp, this would be the absolute best option.

Burning silver to gain star art mastery was a tremendous advantage.

But the problem was, Xu Jin had the Star Lamp—burning silver like this would be wasteful.

Still, Lu Xianbing had come to him and shared such valuable information; refusing outright would be rude.

He could only agree to give it a try.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot.”

Seeing Xu Jin agree, Lu Xianbing beamed. “Jin Ge, let’s not waste time—shall we start now?”

“Fine.”

Immediately, Lu Xianbing sank his mind into the Star-Taking Token and entered the Training Realm with Xu Jin to begin sparring.

But less than a minute later, his face twisted into a grimace!

(End of Chapter)