Since Patriarch Starstream vanished, the Starstream School has been on a steady decline. Once a top-tier sect, it has now fallen to a second-rate status.
The reason for Starstream School's decline is well-known—not only among its members, but throughout the other sects. When Patriarch Starstream disappeared, the Starstream Technique manuals for realms above Soul Ancestor vanished with him.
It was precisely the lack of Starstream Technique manuals beyond the Soul Ancestor realm that caused the Starstream School’s downfall.
A few years ago, Starstream School’s outer disciple Joe Di offended the Qi Trading House. Their Soul Ancestor, Simon Qi, came to settle the score. In the end, Starstream School expelled Joe Di and Geng Jihua from the outer sect, and stripped the promising sect master Xiang Tianyi of his position. After that, the sect’s decline accelerated.
It’s likely that before long, Starstream School will become a true third-rate sect, even without the Qi Trading House’s intervention.
Sherry Jing stood outside the Starstream School’s gates, acutely aware of how much quieter the sect had become since the day she left.
She had no friends in Starstream School—in fact, two people coveted her Starstream Pearl. Yet she had no choice but to return. Her cultivation was progressing too quickly. In just a few short years, she had reached the peak of Qi Training. If she wished, she could break through to Foundation Establishment at any time.
Once she entered the Foundation Establishment realm, she would need the advanced Starstream Technique manuals. But she simply didn’t have them.
Looking at the even more desolate Starstream School, Sherry Jing took a deep breath. She decided to break through to Foundation Establishment here, acquire the necessary technique manuals, and leave immediately afterward.
It was only after obtaining the Starstream Pearl that she learned: the Starstream School can have at most one person cultivate the Starstream Technique through opening the Starstream Veins. Without the Starstream Pearl, it’s impossible to do so.
The Starstream Pearl once owned by Patriarch Starstream had come into her possession. This meant she was the only one in the sect able to cultivate by opening the Starstream Veins.
Because she cultivated the Starstream Technique by opening the Starstream Veins, her progress wouldn’t slow even outside the sect. As for Owen Tao, no matter how fast he advanced, there was no way he could surpass her in just a few years.
She had spent these years striving in Gale Valley, and at the very least, she wouldn’t lose to Owen Tao. In any case, she would leave as soon as she obtained the Foundation Establishment manuals for the Starstream Technique, never crossing paths with someone like Owen Tao again.
Aside from the Starstream Technique, what else here was worth her attention?
A vague figure suddenly surfaced in her mind—a man to whom she had once been married. He was an interesting sort, caught stealing from the Zhong Family and then used by Zhong Hetian to arrange a marriage with her. Even in such circumstances, the guy was remarkably carefree, showing no sign of worry.
People like him could be killed at any moment, and no one would even ask about it. Yet he wasn’t the least bit concerned, and even hoped to join her in Riverdale City for the Ascendant Gate Ceremony.
Unfortunately, his spiritual roots were poor, but he was incredibly persistent. Even after being rejected by one sect after another, he kept applying. She really didn’t know what Elder Yu saw in him and that big fellow, but both were recruited into Starstream School.
She certainly didn’t believe Elder Yu recruited Joe Di and Geng Jihua because of her influence.
Now, three years had passed. She wondered whether Joe Di had reached Qi Training level four. If not, he was probably no longer in Starstream School.
Just then, a junior servant disciple at the early Qi Training stage hurried by. For reasons she couldn’t explain, Sherry Jing stopped him.
"...Senior Sister, is there anything I can help you with?" Even though Sherry Jing looked unattractive, her cultivation was clearly higher than his, so the servant disciple quickly bowed respectfully.
Sherry Jing said, "I'm an outer disciple of Starstream School, back after completing a long-term sect mission. I wanted to ask if you know where the outer disciple Joe Di is?"
Most servant disciples have at least some impression of the outer disciples.
Hearing Sherry Jing ask about Joe Di, the servant disciple waved his hands in panic. "I don’t know. Senior Sister, you can check the sect’s notice board outside. I have to go."
With that, the servant disciple hurried away.
Sherry Jing was baffled—Joe Di was just an outer disciple, so what was so taboo about him?
She quickened her pace. Before she reached the sect entrance, she saw a huge notice board. It was not only large, but also very conspicuous—as if the sect wanted everyone to see it.
"Starstream School disciples Joe Di and Geng Jihua disregarded moral boundaries and, for a handful of Spirit Stones, harmed fellow disciples Owen Tao and Joel Sa. After investigation by the Law Enforcement Hall, the following punishment is issued: Joe Di and Geng Jihua are stripped of their outer disciple status and expelled from the sect. A sect-wide notice is issued—any disciple may report the whereabouts of these two..."
Sherry Jing’s gaze fell on the date when Joe Di and Geng Jihua allegedly killed Owen Tao and Joel Sa. Her mind buzzed—it was the very day she escaped the sect.
At first, she thought Gale Valley was the safest place. After all, having escaped the sect, Owen Tao would never guess she’d go there.
As her cultivation and experience grew, she realized how naïve her thinking had been. Hiding in Gale Valley wasn’t much of a strategy—the real issue was that she hadn’t known about the Spirit Mark on her Storage Pouch. Only after she removed the Spirit Mark did she start to wonder why Owen Tao and Joel Sa hadn’t tracked her down.
Today, she finally understood why she was safe: those two had been killed by Joe Di.
After years of struggling on her own, Sherry Jing refused to believe it was mere coincidence. Joe Di must have discovered the truth, and when Owen Tao was hunting him, Joe Di followed and killed Owen Tao.
Joe Di must have helped her—he was someone who remembered kindness and repaid it. In fact, of all the people she’d known, he was the only one who did.
What she couldn’t understand was: how did Joe Di figure out the truth? And how did he manage to kill Owen Tao?
Joe Di and Geng Jihua were unwanted by any sect—their spiritual roots were certainly poor. Besides, when Joe Di killed Owen Tao, he’d only been in the sect a few days. At that time, Owen Tao should have been at mid or even late Qi Training stage.
Even now, with her current strength, it would take real effort to kill Owen Tao—let alone Joe Di, who hadn’t even begun cultivating at the time.
Clearly, there had been many twists and turns behind the scenes, all between Joe Di and Owen Tao.
She was a sentimental person. Ever since her parents brought her to this world, she’d never received such kindness, nor had anyone ever cared about her. Now, she suddenly felt an urge—she had to help Joe Di and Geng Jihua, and prevent the sect from catching them.
According to Starstream School’s rules, unless there is confirmed news of a disciple’s death, an outer disciple’s residence is kept for three years, while an inner disciple’s is kept for ten. The three-year limit for outer disciples doesn’t include time spent on missions.
Sherry Jing had taken on a mission lasting over a year. Adding the three years, her residence would be preserved for a total of four years.
Now, upon returning to her residence, she found it still intact.
The first thing Sherry Jing did upon returning to her Cloudspire Sanctuary was to prepare for Foundation Establishment. Once she succeeded, she could become an inner disciple and then go to the Mission Hall to search for Foundation stage cultivation techniques.
Originally, Sherry Jing planned to leave as soon as she obtained the Foundation manuals. Now, she had to help Joe Di and Geng Jihua.
She quickly set up a simple defensive array outside her residence, then took out all her Spirit Stones—she was ready to break through to Foundation Establishment.
She wasn’t worried about lacking a Foundation Pill. She cultivated the Starstream Technique by opening the Starstream Veins. When she obtained the Starstream Pearl, there had been a scroll beside it; according to the scroll, cultivators who use the Starstream Pearl to open the Starstream Veins don’t need a Foundation Pill to advance.
As soon as she activated the Starstream Technique, the Starstream Pearl in her dantian transformed into a dazzling river of stars. Compared to Geng Jihua’s illusory star river, hers was almost tangible.
Boom! In just three cycles, the barrier of Qi Refinement shattered for Sherry Jing. Her momentum soared, true essence surged, and she easily stepped into Foundation Establishment.
"Someone just reached Foundation Establishment?" Elder Harvey Reed of Starstream Peak suddenly stood up.
As the new sect master, he hadn’t moved to Timothy Xiang’s Starstream Peak, even after Timothy Xiang left Starstream School.
Since Timothy Xiang left, Starstream School hadn’t seen a Foundation Establishment breakthrough in ages. That’s why even a minor disciple’s advancement startled the sect master.
(That’s all for today’s update—good night, friends!)