The four word phrase "night cool as water" could not be more apt to describe night in the Crystal Dragon Palace. Sitting on the courtyard walkway, gazing at the heavens, the sky was a wave of glimmering refraction. The Crystal Dragon Palace's depth was ten thousand li. There was inherently no white light, but because the Crystal Dragon Palace's halls were all constructed from crystals, they could absorb the quintessence of the moon, becoming even more radiant than any other place in Liangshan Continent during the night.
The Crystal Dragon Palace was immersed in a light blue glow. The surroundings fluctuated with a multitude of auroras, and the quintessence of the moon was at the pinnacle of abundance. Countless cultivators of powerful ability and brilliant powers would seize this chance to find suitable ground to cultivate. Even if they did not use it to cultivate, this moon quintessence was very effective for a female cultivator to maintain a youthful appearance. This was one of the Crystal Dragon Palace's most attractive places.
The first day of the Treasure Banquet ended, and Su Xing could be considered to have tasted this Dragon Palace's splendor. After checking into his palace, he struck up a conversation with some girls. Then, when the night turned even deeper, the other beauties gradually began to return.
Su Xing greeted each of his wives, and everyone sat in the hall chatting about the things they saw today. A while after, the late one was Thief Star Flea on a Drum Shi Yuan.
"Looks like Yuan'er is off playing around again. I'll go look for her." Su Xing was impatient. He prepared to use their Star Crest to sense her.
Just at this moment, Shi Yuan's voice sounded out from outside the door.
"This Young Lady has returned."
A beautiful figure flashed in. Shi Yuan's face brimmed with a brilliant smile. Clearly, this Treasure Banquet gave the Thief Star a plentiful harvest.
"Yuan'er, what were you doing?" Wu Xinjie smiled. "Why so late?"
"The Treasure Banquet is so full of people. This Young Lady just randomly browsed about and snatched up so many Astral Bags." Shi Yuan giggled. With a flourish of her hand, the table overflowed with multi-colored Astral Bags numbering in the dozens.
All of the girls stared dumbstruck.
Only then did Su Xing recall that the girl in front of him was none other than the Best Thief Under Heaven. Now that she had free time, how could she stay idle. Su Xing had wanted to say something, but he swallowed his words back down.
"Su Xing, you won't be mad, right?" Shi Yuan cautiously said. She was fully aware of Su Xing's personality, and it was different from any Star Master or even any cultivators before. The Star Masters of the past that could contract the Thief Star were eager to allow Flea on a Drum to rob the entire world, the more the better. In the past, there was this kind of Star Master that relied on the Thief Star's superb thievery skills to arrive at the Seven Stars Assembly in the end.
In actuality, with Su Xing's current situation, to have one person raise more than ten Star Generals was an impossible mission. Shi Yuan felt that as the Best Thief Under Heaven, she ought to do something.
"Yuan'er, what sort of people did you take action against?" Su Xing asked.
Shi Yuan patted her chest and proudly said: "This Young Lady is but very professional. They were all some repulsive faces, cultivators of corrupt character. Hmph, especially the Ten Great Sects. The punishment fits their crime."
Su Xing scratched his head. The Ten Great Sects he actually had no opinion on. "However, try to not do this sort of thing too much, there's no meaning."
Wu Xinjie agreed: "En, those little cultivators do not have anything valuable. To make the Thief Star rob them, your predecessors will cry."
Shi Yuan stuck out her tongue and said that she knew.
Su Xing did not want to brush away Shi Yuan's good intentions either. He thereupon opened the Astral Bags, and dazzling items flew out from inside them, hua-la-la!1 A large pile of items poured out. Knives, tridents, swords, halberds, bows, arrows, maces, mirrors, whisks, gems and pearls, jade strips and books, banners and pennants, even a pile of breathtaking rare talismans and medicines. There was the faint fluctuation of an auspicious sign. With a glance, these were all exceptional goods.
Cultivators that could come to the Treasure Banquet naturally came prepared. All of the things they brought were much better than normal. However, as far as the already Supervoid Stage Su Xing was concerned, these things were not worth looking at.
Actually, several Ghost Soul Pearls made Su Xing too intrigued. He currently had three Ghost Soul Pearls. With nine Ghost Soul Pearls, he could refine a "Nine Infants" level nether ability. Su Xing currently was worried about this. Using the Ghost Soul Pearls to cultivate and then using other things afterwards, perhaps he could take up that Ghost's Godsbane. Regarding that Ghosts' Godsbane, Su Xing always could not forget about it, but the accumulated Yin Energy was too heavy, and Su Xing was unable to endure.
"Ah!!"
The reclusive Solitary Star Tang Lianxin suddenly shouted.
"What's the matter? Lianxin?" Su Xing asked with concern.
"Elder Brother – " Tang Lianxin pointed to one item on the table, her tone slightly shaking.
Su XIng had never seen Tang Lianxin like this. His expression changed, and he looked at what she indicated. Under some talismans was a glaze-like multi-colored shard. It was somewhat pretty. He seemed to have seen this shard somewhere before. Su Xing thought carefully and recalled that when he was originally at the Spider Cave, he had found one piece from a cultivator.
Su Xing took it out and compared. The style and luster were practically the same.
The colored glass twinkled with stars, appearing very beautiful in the night.
"Elder Brother also has another Shard?" Tang Lianxin said in shock.
"What is it?" Su Xing curiously asked.
When he uttered these words, all of wives stared oddly at him. "Did I say something wrong?" Su Xing wiped his sweat.
Hua Wanyue pursed her lips. She wanted to laugh: "I truly do not dare believe that the Star Master who contracted the Majestic Star is surprisingly unable to recognize even a Star Shard."
"Star Shard?"2 This new noun made Su Xing a bit confused.
"Wanyue, Young Lord is not like other Star Masters." Wu Xinjie helped him out. She was aware that when Su Xing originally contracted Lin Yingmei, he did not even know about the thing called the Star Duels.
"Star Shards are used to upgrade Star Weapons." Tang Lianxin explained.
"This can be used to upgrade them?" This was the first time Su Xing had heard of this.
Tang Lianxin nodded.
Star Shards were very famous in Liangshan Continent. As everyone knew, the number of Stars on the Star Weapon of Maiden Mountain's 108 Star Maidens was extremely important, even enough to settle the course of a Star Duel. The advancement of a Star Weapon naturally was the crux of any one Star Master's chances for victory in a Star Duel.
And to upgrade a Star Weapon, other than the Destined Star Weapon itself and some requisite Spirit Sands and Spirit Stones, there was also two other ways. One was the Three Heavenly Books of the Fourth Phase. The other was the Star Shard.
Using a Star Shard to upgrade a Star Weapon was very simple. One Star Shard could upgrade by one Star, two by Two Stars, and each Star level's fragment would multiply. For example, to ascend to Ten Star only required twenty Star Shards to be enough. Of course, the simplicity of Star Weapon upgrade with Star Shards had its own shortcoming, and this was effective time. Not only was a Star Shard upgraded Star Weapon even more taxing on a Star General's Star Energy, its manifestation time was very short. However, legend said that a Star Shard had a certain probability of dropping after a Star General's Starfall. These shards would scatter over Liangshan Continent, enough to count on fingers, so they were very rare.3
Star Shards were completely worthless to cultivators, but they were priceless to Star Masters and Star Generals. The Treasure Banquet was called the last banquet for Star Masters in the Star Duels. Naturally, there would be cultivators fortunate enough to have obtained a Star Shard who came to strike it rich.
Su Xing counted. In addition to his own Star Shard, he happened to possess seven Shards. This could allow Wu Siyou or the other girls temporarily raise their Star Weapon to level five. He was still off by five to be able to allow Lin Yingmei's Star Weapon to reach Six Star.
"If we possess a Seven Star, before the trial of the Seventh Overlord Hu Sanniang, this will be of enormous help to Dear Husband." Bright Star Hu Niangzi was moved. Before the Seventh Generation Star Duels, the highest recorded Star Weapon was Six Star. If Lin Yingmei reaches Seven Star in addition to having them, they completely had no need to fear the overlord.
"So that is why." Wu Xinjie chuckled.
So that is why she should go and steal some more? Su Xing wrinkled his brow, hesitant. This was too contrary to his own values, but he was very clear that being stubborn now would only bring trouble.
A strand of hair lay across Hua Wanyue's lips. She seemed to mile, very fond and appreciative of Su Xing's awkward expression.
However, what made the Hero Star disappointed was that Su Xing was not embarrassed for too long. He immediately made a decision: "Since these Star Shards are born from Starfalls, isn't using them for an exchange somewhat dirty. Heh, how about this then. Xinjie, you and Yuan'er ask around if you have time. If there are Star Shards, take them. If there aren't, return the Astral Bag to the owner, and then it won't count as stealing. Heh, heh."
Hua Wanyue was speechless. This man was quite shameless, to unexpectedly be able to find this kind of proper and righteous excuse. She was unable to retort.
"Su Xing, you are so sly…Wu, so smart." Shi Yuan happily hugged Su Xing, dancing and gesticulating in joy. To be able to be useful, the girl's heart brimmed with happiness.
…
Qingci and Jin Qiongyu walked through the blue jade corridors of their residence palace. The former currently was discussing the purpose of this trip with Jade Armed Craftsman Jin Dajian, and Killer Star Li Longkui was still expressionless, her hidden baleful aura following behind, her footsteps very soft.
"Qiongyu, what are the chances this time?' Qingci gently asked.
"Relax, Elder Sister, Qiongyu today shall go to the Heaven East District. There are more precious stones than you can imagine, however, every one of those cultivators are straw bags, unable to refine jade and stones. They cannot see the worth of those gems. Qiongyu has certainty she can buy some." Jin Qiongyu sneered: "Lü Fang and Guo Xue are at the Earth South District. They should be able to find an abundance of Star Weapon material."
"This is good." Qingci slightly nodded her head. This Treasure Banquet was a major event. Everything needed to be arranged appropriately. For the sake of being able to scale Maiden Mountain in the future, to end the Star Duels, they could not be careless."
"However, Elder Sister, refining those Spirit Jade will perhaps consume much of Elder Sister's capital. Although the Nine Dragons Place has done all it can to fully support you, this is still a cup of water on a burning cart of firewood. Qiongyu is fully aware that many High Grade Star Weapon materials have already been turned over to the Crystal Dragon Palace to auction. Over the next few days, many Star Shards will be sold at auction." Jin Qiongyu wrinkled her brow. By the Jade Armed Craftsman's calculations, at least a trillion liang would be consumed to possibly be able to upgrade the Star Weapons of the two great martial generals Fiery Thunderbolt Qin Mingyue and Nine Tattooed Dragons Shi Jinglun to Six Star. The other Sisters would be at least Five Star.
If this could not be done, they did not have good odds against the Purple Thunder Monster.
"Noble Star Little Whirlwind Chai Jin is known as Liangshan's richest. Her capital numbers in the tens of tens of millions. Although she cannot participate in the Star Duels, regarding the other Star Masters, she can only use the Help The Needy For Justice method, but Elder Sister's status is different. Perhaps we can find Chai Jin for a negotiation. In Qiongyu's perspective, so long as Elder Sister shows clear intentions, Chai Jin will definitely join Elder Sister's Uprising. With the Noble Star's aid, we will be like tigers that grew wings. Then, the Purple Thunder Monster's Lin Chong and Wu Song will certainly regret things." Jin Qiongyu's eyes flashed with a stern glare.
"Qingci has a plan." Qingci tenderly asked. "Qiongyu, you seem to be very biased against Su Xing?"
"Of course, he is but our great enemy. In the future Star Duels, we will inevitably fight each other to the death." Jin Qiongyu was grim.
"But if his objective is the same as ours?" Qingci continued to ask.
Jade Armed Craftsman sneered, full of disdain. In her eyes, all Star Masters exploited them. To think of obtaining the wish, only to treat it as a tool, trust? That was an extremely ridiculous idea.
"Elder Sister, you must not disappoint Qiongyu." Jin Qiongyu sternly said.
Qingci smiled and gently nodded. It was unclear if this was her answer or something else.
Walking several steps, the song of a melodious flute suddenly drifted over through the night. Qingci and the others stopped, showing astonishment.
