There are restrictions on the spots!
Regarding the regulations of the Dao Academy, Xu Jin didn't know much before, but lately, eating and attending classes every day with the youths who successfully completed Star Pointing, he had basically understood them clearly.
For Jinshan Dao Academy, the number of spots to enter the Middle Courtyard is a maximum of fifteen per season.
Fifteen people seems like a lot, but in reality, there aren't many spots available for contention.
The first rule for entering the Middle Courtyard is that those with a B-middle evaluation directly enter the Middle Courtyard.
The Dao Academy regulations state that successfully completing Star Pointing within three days results in an A-upper talent evaluation, within ten days is A-middle, within thirty days is A-lower, within forty days is B-upper, within fifty days is B-middle, within sixty days is B-lower, within seventy days is C-upper, within eighty days is C-middle, and beyond eighty days is C-lower.
There are a total of three grades and nine levels of talent evaluation.
Those with an A-grade should enter the Inner Courtyard.
Currently known, there are six people who successfully completed Star Pointing within thirty to fifty days. These six people will directly enter the Middle Courtyard, so there are still nine spots left for entering the Middle Courtyard.
The second rule for entering the Middle Courtyard is that B-lower evaluators, if they break through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level by the end of the Star Gathering Season, can also directly enter the Middle Courtyard.
Currently known, there are also six B-lower evaluators. Among the six, except for one named Song Ye who has not yet broken through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level, he could break through at any time, and the possibility of breaking through by the end of the Star Gathering Season is very high.
There are three remaining spots.
The third rule for entering the Middle Courtyard is that C-grade evaluators, if they break through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level by the end of the Star Gathering Season, can be selected to enter the Middle Courtyard.
This means selection and competition are required.
The other youths, including Xu Jin, all successfully completed Star Pointing after sixty days, meaning they have a C-grade evaluation. These youths are competing for these three spots.
Among the C-grade youths, two have already broken through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level: Qiao Ruonan and Fang Zixing. If Xu Jin also breaks through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level, there will be exactly three spots.
But the problem is, there are still four days left. Within these last four days, the number of people breaking through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level should be more than just one or two.
Especially those with a C-upper evaluation, meaning they successfully completed Star Pointing within seventy days, such as Luo Geng and others, there are more than ten of them. Many are on the verge of breaking through and are trying every possible method to Cultivate frantically in order to break through.
If another two or three people break through within these four days, the competition will be too intense.
But worrying about this now is useless. What Xu Jin needs to do now is break through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level before the end of the Star Gathering Season.
Otherwise, he won't even have the qualification to compete.
During the morning class on June 15th, Song Ye, the last of the six B-lower evaluators, broke through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level and secured a spot to enter the Middle Courtyard.
During the evening class on June 15th, Luo Geng, with a C-upper evaluation, broke through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level, adding one more competitor.
During the morning class on June 16th, Hong Gang, with a C-upper evaluation, broke through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level, adding yet another competitor, while Xu Jin had not yet broken through.
However, after the morning class ended, Xu Jin was not in a hurry at all.
Haste makes waste; he understood this principle perfectly.
The more critical the moment, the less one should rush. Rushing will lead to mistakes or even delay progress.
Evening class on June 16th.
Before the evening class began, Ning Yuchan specifically came over to check on Xu Jin's Body Tempering progress.
"Hmm, don't rush, you are already on the verge of breaking through. The Breakthrough at this step is about breaking the invisible barrier of the body and sending Star Power from the torso into the limbs. Breakthrough, Breakthrough, this step focuses on breaking.
I observe that you have already grasped some of the essence and true meaning of the Big Dipper Killing Fist. If you can unleash a Star Art, borrowing the force that bursts out of the body with the Star Art, the probability of breaking through will be even greater."
Ning Yuchan was still quite concerned about Xu Jin, not just because she lent him money, but mainly because she thought highly of him.
After Ning Yuchan left, Xu Jin took a deep breath and began practicing the Big Dipper Killing Fist.
In fact, during the morning class today, Xu Jin had already sensed the invisible barrier existing within his body.
With the hard cultivation and Medicinal Pills over these past four or five days, now with a single breath, Xu Jin's Star Power covers his entire front and back torso. That is, if he were wearing clothes, otherwise it would definitely cause a stir of exclamations.
For the youths who completed Star Pointing a few days earlier than Xu Jin, the area on their chests covered by Starlight was only about the size of a watermelon.
Over these past four or five days, Xu Jin practiced martial arts for over four hours daily within the star lamp, and his mastery of the Big Dipper Killing Fist increased linearly.
Within the star lamp, all his fist stances reached minor completion.
The 'He Yin Yang' stance, possibly due to the blessing of a solidified Star Art, progressed the fastest.
Without activating the solidified Star Art, he could occasionally unleash the Star Shield twice with a single move consisting of three stances, progressing towards major completion.
At this moment, Xu Jin was not in a hurry to break through. Instead, he steadily practiced the Big Dipper Killing Fist, then recovered his Star Power, and continued practicing the Big Dipper Killing Fist.
In the past few days, with Xu Jin's hard cultivation, the upper limit of Star Power accumulated within his body had increased again.
As of the morning class today, with Xu Jin absorbing Starlight to fill his Star Power, he was already able to continuously perform the Big Dipper Killing Fist three full times.
In other words, he could also unleash the Star Shield six times.
Xu Jin felt the Star Power within his body, driven by the Big Dipper Killing Fist, continuously spreading outwards from the Star Mark on his chest as the center, towards all directions of his body.
Xu Jin had already sensed the invisible barrier.
It was roughly located at the joints connecting the limbs and the torso, an invisible barrier that could not be touched or seen, but the surging Star Power could impact it.
It was like waves crashing against a dike; each time it could impact this invisible barrier, but it couldn't break through no matter what.
But Xu Jin was not in a hurry at all.
Very steady.
During the morning class, he could only touch this invisible barrier once after completing the full 'He Yin Yang' move of three stances.
And now, the frequency at which the Star Power within his body could impact this invisible barrier was getting higher and higher.
By the time the second round of three repetitions of the Big Dipper Killing Fist was completed, the Star Power fluctuations brought by each stance of the Big Dipper Killing Fist could impact this invisible barrier.
By the time the third round of three repetitions of the Big Dipper Killing Fist was completed, he still hadn't broken through, but Xu Jin perceived this invisible barrier even more clearly.
After swallowing a Waking Spirit Pill, clearing his mind, Xu Jin began to circulate the Glory Drinking Style, absorbing Starlight to restore his Star Power.
More than twenty minutes later, his Star Power was full. Xu Jin took a deep breath, first ate a Blood Replenishing Pill, then ate a Foundation Solidifying Pill, and once again assumed the stance for the Big Dipper Killing Fist.
After three repetitions, the Star Power within the Star Mark was empty. With just a thought, the Star Power within the Star Mark was instantly refilled by the Starlight on the Spirit Fight Platform.
Continue the Big Dipper Killing Fist.
After the sixth repetition, Xu Jin felt that even without deliberately mobilizing his Star Power, the Star Power could touch that layer of invisible barrier.
With a thought, the Starlight on the Spirit Fight Platform stirred slightly, and the Star Mark was filled with Star Power again.
The seventh repetition of the Big Dipper Killing Fist.
But for this seventh repetition of the Big Dipper Killing Fist, Xu Jin slightly changed the rhythm.
Previously, to avoid wasting Star Power by unleashing the Star Shield every time, Xu Jin had deliberately slowed down his fist stances. But this time, he fully returned to normal.
Speed and slowness combined, both fists sealed continuously.
*Crack!*
Driven by his will, a shining Star Shield suddenly appeared at Xu Jin's right shoulder.
The moment the Star Shield appeared on his right shoulder, the layer of invisible barrier on his right shoulder that Xu Jin sensed instantly shattered.
After so many days of hard training, Xu Jin had completely realized it.
To break through, one needs not only the accumulation like dripping water wearing away a stone, but also an instantaneous burst.
Star Art is the accumulated burst of Star Power.
If one grasps how to unleash a Star Art, then breaking through becomes simple.
Therefore, Xu Jin's Breakthrough at this moment could be said to be natural and effortless, like water flowing into a channel.
Almost the moment the Star Shield appeared, under the night sky, this shining Star Shield immediately attracted the attention of the youths from all directions, and they instantly looked over.
These days, whether it was unleashing a Star Art or breaking through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level, it could attract countless envious gazes.
"Look quickly, Xu Jin has unleashed the Basic Star Shield."
"His Big Dipper Killing Fist has reached minor completion!"
"I remember Xu Jin successfully completed Star Pointing after eighty-three days, right? It's only been six days, and his Killing Fist has reached minor completion?" Luo Geng also stopped his fist stance and looked at Xu Jin.
"No, it shouldn't be just minor completion of the Killing Fist."
Song Ye, who had a B-lower evaluation and had already broken through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level, stared intently at Xu Jin and said, "Look at the location of the Basic Star Shield, on his right shoulder. Typically, only after breaking through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level can one unleash the Star Shield to this position."
"What, Xu Jin has actually broken through to Celestial Phenomenon First Level? It's only been a few days since he successfully completed Star Pointing?"
Fang Zixing's face was full of shock, while Luo Geng's expression instantly turned somewhat gloomy.
He had one more competitor for entering the Middle Courtyard.
After a few breaths, Fang Zixing's face also turned ugly. He too reacted with belated realization.
"Jin Ge, did you unleash the Basic Star Shield? They said you broke through?" Qian Xiaohu, who had also moved over to Cultivate here, asked with surprise upon seeing this scene.
Xu Jin didn't hide it and nodded generously.
After cultivating so hard these past few days, wasn't it precisely for the sake of breaking through?
In the next instant, with a slight thought, the Star Shield suddenly dispersed, and the Big Dipper Killing Fist resumed. Various sensations such as heat, numbness, itching, and pain began to spread from his right shoulder towards his right arm.
He had broken through, but cultivation couldn't stop.
On the other side, Sha You Tian, who successfully completed Star Pointing only two days later than Xu Jin, looked at his own chest, which was only covered by Starlight in a watermelon-sized area, and it was the underdeveloped kind. Then he looked at Xu Jin and felt somewhat confused.
Isn't this gap a bit too big?