Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation
Chapter 81 - 77 "Choose at Will" Mystery

Chapter 81: Chapter 77 "Choose at Will" Mystery

From afar, Xu Jin saw a tall and mighty figure with a broad back, slightly dark in color.

As he got closer, he confirmed it was Instructor Zheng, the chatterbox with the big mouth.

"Instructor Zheng, I’ve come to hand over my harvest."

While sorting the harvest, Instructor Zheng spun around like a whirlwind and, seeing so many disciples following Xu Jin, looked slightly surprised before breaking into a smile, "Oh, it’s you, Xu Jin. You haven’t forgotten to collect star cores again in these two days, have you?"

Xu Jin: "...."

Instructor Zheng had a knack for bringing up the most embarrassing topics, though Xu Jin knew he meant well...but with so many people around...

"Instructor Zheng, what do you mean by Xu Jin forgetting to collect star cores?" a disciple immediately asked out of curiosity.

Xu Jin had defeated a third-tier Green Snake but forgot to collect the star core. "This foolish kid, throwing away 1500 Silver like that! Don’t make the same mistake!"

Xu Jin pressed his hand to his forehead.

The disciples of the Taoist Institute stared at Xu Jin in utter astonishment.

Forgetting to collect a star core was a laughing matter, but behind the laugh, it was terrifying.

A Dining Dawn Fifth Layer freshman of the Star Pointing Season already able to kill a third-tier Star Beast?

Dining Dawn Realm was the first tier, Star Casting Realm the second, Star Refining Realm the third, and Star Condensing Realm was the fourth.

Although Star Casting Realm was just a transitional realm, it was still a major realm.

It was not uncommon for elite disciples of the Dining Dawn Realm to challenge those of the Star Casting Realm, but overcoming a third-tier Star Beast was very rare.

Everyone unconsciously looked towards the Senior Brother Wang Weisheng.

Clearly, they were wondering if the Senior Brother had achieved such a feat.

"Don’t forget, during the April mountain harvest, Senior Brother had slain a lower third-tier Fierce Bear," one of Wang Weisheng’s followers reminded the crowd, adding, "Senior Brother did it all by himself."

By implication, they were suggesting that it was very likely Xu Jin had external help in killing the third-tier Star Beast.

Xu Jin did not argue over this; it wasn’t worth disputing.

The more he argued, the more would be revealed.

So what if he used an Emblem?

Using an Emblem wasn’t shameful.

But you had to have one first.

"Instructor Zheng, please check these," Xu Jin quickly passed over his large backpack, diverting everyone’s attention.

Otherwise, just this gathering alone could make him and the Senior Brother appear as competitors.

He wasn’t afraid of Wang Weisheng, but he also didn’t want to waste his time on these trivial matters.

"Okay."

Taking the bag, Instructor Zheng was full of praise.

"Good lad, you even gathered Purple Earthballs, impressive, impressive."

"1600 Silver, this is Snake Gallbladder Grass, one-star, not bad..."

"Shattered Star Mushrooms, so many one-star ones, impressive."

Instructor Zheng counted and praised simultaneously, causing Xu Jin to feel rather embarrassed; he just wanted to quietly make a fortune.

Fortunately, Instructor Zheng counted quickly.

"Xu Jin, the total for your submissions this time is 4864 Silver," Instructor Zheng finally calculated and said to Xu Jin, "Any objections?"

"No."

When this number came out, all the gathered disciples breathed a sigh of relief.

That was close.

Xu Jin, it turned out, was just impressively sounding but not so impressive in actual harvest.

He was just a bit better than Lu Xianbing and Yue Daqi, ranked around the sixtieth, not even making it into the top fifty.

Others like Lu Xianbing, Luo Geng, Yu Guan were somewhat disappointed; they had hoped Xu Jin would make a stand for them...

"Hmm, including the 3700 Silver worth of harvest you submitted the afternoon before yesterday, that makes a total of 8564 Silver," Instructor Zheng slowly announced after calculating.

"Huh?" All disciples’ eyes widened, realizing he had already made a submission.

"My heavens, I’m so unlucky, just got pushed out of the tenth spot!" a disciple of the institute immediately lamented.

He had been in the tenth spot, but Xu Jin’s harvest immediately bumped him out.

There was a big difference between the rewards for the tenth and positions after ten.

People like Lu Xianbing, Luo Geng, Yu Guan cheered, and Qian Xiaohu and others even took the chance to shout, "Senior Brother Xu is awesome!"

This slightly displeased many senior brothers from previous years, but the figures were there to prove Xu Jin’s point.

"Right, I have another small bag."

Just as everyone was surprised, Xu Jin suddenly took out a small bag from his waist and passed it over, "Instructor Zheng, these are Chicken Branches, fragile, so I packed them separately!"

Taking and opening the pack, Instructor Zheng’s eyes bulged, "Wow, Chicken Branches, sixty-two of them!

Twenty-eight one-star and twelve two-star!

Xu Jin, did you find some unmatched treasure spot?"

A pack of Chicken Branches surprised even Instructor Zheng, and the crowd of disciples was even more shocked.

While one-star was fine, the existence of twelve two-star was incredible.

Generally, no matter the herb or treasure, discovering one or two of a two-star rank was considered good luck, but finding twelve at once was simply amazing...

While others marveled, some brothers already started groaning as they calculated.

Because their ranks were being pushed down by Xu Jin.

"Uh, Instructor...I just got a bit lucky..." Xu Jin said.

"This...I’m now fourth."

"I...am back to third again."

Zhang Ming and Yu Xianghua both chuckled bitterly.

Over the past half-year, they had been consistently dominating the third and fourth spots. With Zhang Han, who had been dominating the second spot, bowing out early due to injury this July mountain harvest, they had moved up.

One to the second, and one to the third.

Just now, they were still receiving congratulations from all their brothers.

Especially Zhang Ming, who had risen to third place, had now been pushed to fourth by Xu Jin.

The difference in rewards between third and fourth place was significant.

"Chicken Branches totaled 2,410 taels harvested, and Xu Jin’s cumulative harvest for this mountain picking is---10,974 taels." Instructor Zheng carefully calculated for a while before giving the final number.

The final number allowed the eldest brother, Wang Weisheng, to breathe a sigh of relief in secret.

Fortunately, he hadn’t been surpassed.

His first place in harvesting was secure.

He was still the absolute elder brother.

And by a considerable lead.

Wang Weisheng’s mountain picking in July also set a record, reaching 11,763 taels, leading Xu Jin by over seven hundred taels.

Half an hour later, all disciples had arrived, and after a hearty meal, they left the Outer Court and grandly returned to the Taoist Institute.

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

This time, three disciples had been killed by the evil people of the Blood God Sect during the mountain picking, one was missing, and another eleven were severely injured.

It was the most devastating loss of this year’s mountain picking.

Especially since those who died or disappeared were elite disciples of the Sixth and Seventh Layers of Dining Dawn.

Most incidents occurred just outside the safe margins indicated on the map provided by the Institute.

Along the way, after a brief heaviness, most disciples were joking and laughing on their way back.

Death, sometimes, is a tragedy only for oneself and one’s closest kin.

For others, it’s just an identifier or just a number.

"Hey, Brother Jin, you were almost able to snatch first place in harvesting this time." On the way, Lu Xianbing approached with some regret.

"First or second doesn’t really matter," Xu Jin suddenly said.

Hearing this, Lu Xianbing widened his eyes, "No way, Brother Jin, do you really not know, or are you just pretending?"

"What do you mean ’really not know or just pretending’?" Xu Jin was somewhat puzzled.

"The difference in rewards between the first and second in harvesting," Lu Xianbing explained.

"I know, a difference of ten strands of Starlight, one thousand taels of Silver, that’s quite a lot, but it’s not something to be overly concerned about," Xu Jin said.

Lu Xianbing was at a loss for words, "Brother Jin, it seems you really don’t know."

"Hm?"

"Brother Jin, the biggest difference between the rewards for first and second in harvesting is actually these four words: ’any star weapon’; that’s the key point."

"Hm, any star weapon?"

Xu Jin suddenly realized something, "Any star weapon, what do you mean? The tier should be fixed, are you talking about the type?"

"Right!"

Lu Xianbing smacked his thigh hard, "Brother Jin, a one-tier weapon class star weapon, apart from spears being more expensive, most others are around two thousand taels.

But do you know how expensive a one-tier armor, boots, or arm guard class star weapon is?"

Suddenly, Xu Jin understood what Lu Xianbing meant.

"A one-tier arm guard class star weapon, four thousand taels a pair, a pair of boots class star weapon, market price around five to six thousand taels, while an armor class star weapon, market price ranges from eight thousand to twenty thousand taels.

The key is, they’re general unattainable in the market, extremely sought after and have a higher damage rate than weapons, they don’t even circulate in the market!

The Foreign Affairs Hall doesn’t sell them either!"

Xu Jin had completely understood.

He initially thought that the difference between the first and second place harvesting was only ten strands of Starlight; it seemed like the reward difference wasn’t big.

But now that he heard Lu Xianbing, he fully understood, the difference was in the words ’any choice’.

If he chose an armor class, it started from eight thousand taels!

No wonder!

If calculated that way, the value of first place in harvesting was indeed very high.

Suddenly, Xu Jin thought of an issue; Wang Weisheng had been dominating the top position in harvesting for seven months now, that guy’s fortune must be exceptionally substantial.

"Next time, I can only try harder next time!"

Xu Jin felt helpless.

He hadn’t held back, and even the herbs nourished in the Star Lamp were all taken out, yet he still hadn’t surpassed it.

"Exactly, try harder next time. Next month, I also have the experience now, and my strength is greater, next month, I must make it into the top ten!" Lu Xianbing exclaimed excitedly!

Half an hour later, the large troop returned to Jinshan Taoist Institute.

After returning to Jinshan Taoist Institute, apart from those who were severely injured, all other disciples gathered at the Martial Arts Hall.

The Jinshan Taoist Institute’s efficiency was extremely high, not sluggish at all.

They would announce the results of the harvest on the same day and also issue the rewards.

Inside the Martial Arts Hall, below the stage, over three hundred disciples stood in formation.

On the stage, Vice Mountain Master Feng Shu, Dean Cao Chun, Governor Tian Zhang, and Chief Instructor Ning Yuchan were all waiting quietly.

This kind of rewarding and encouraging disciples was always personally done by Mountain Master Dong Zhao; he never delegated it.

A hundred breaths later, Mountain Master Dong Zhao came from afar, gliding on Starlight, floating like an immortal!

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your hard work!" Mountain Master Dong Zhao greeted with a bow.

"For the Taoist Institute, it’s not hard work!"

Then, Mountain Master Dong Zhao took out his own Star-picking Order, with a thought, he waved his hand, and in an instant, a play of light and shadow was cast onto the left side of the Martial Arts Hall.

July’s first place in harvesting: Xu Jin!

The moment this line of text appeared, the disciples below the stage of the Martial Arts Hall instantly burst into uproar!

*****

Correction of an error: The previously slain Green Snake should have been ranked as Third-tier Lower, not Second-tier Lower.

An oversight, the context has been corrected, please forgive this mistake, dear patrons!