Returning to the Jinshan Taoist Institute, Xu Jin first prepared a letter.
The letter stated that he had met a master of Star Skill who appreciated his talent, and took him to the Star Palace for secluded cultivation. He would return upon completion, the date unspecified, urging them not to worry or wait.
Having spent months with Xu Dajiang and his sister Jiang'er, Xu Jin feared that his sudden disappearance would cause them too much heartache, so he left them a letter.
At the same time, he arranged his personal belongings, including the remaining five coins in silver, packed and hidden under his bedding.
He planned to go out after dinner to perform the star exorcism.
The night skies were bright with stars, an auspicious time for evening cultivation practices and the ideal moment for the star exorcism.
The key was minimal disturbance.
As for the location of the star exorcism, he had already decided.
The Jinshan Taoist Institute served two meals a day, with dinner at 17:15, which was also the most relaxed and lively time for the youths participating in Star Pointing.
Because dinner was the most leisurely meal, lasting a full hour, it was the time when the youths gathered to chat and jest.
Of course, there were groups.
But these groups were hierarchical.
Just like in his previous life during meals, there would be a table for leaders and several for employees.
The food was also different.
For the youths in this session of Star Pointing, those who had successfully performed Star Pointing had one food stall, serving stir-fried dishes with meat and black buns, enough to fill them.
The unsuccessful ones gathered together to eat vegetable porridge.
And there was one unique case.
That was Yue Daqi, a talented youth who had succeeded in Star Pointing within two days during this session.
It was said that after the spring Star Pointing ended, Yue Daqi would be directly admitted to the Inner Court of the Jinshan Taoist Institute and might even enter the Star Hall in the future.
But what made the other youths most envious was the large bowl of stewed meat and half a chicken in front of him!
Xu Jin, naturally, was among those who had not yet succeeded in Star Pointing.
Those unsuccessful, too, were divided into strata, with youths like Xu Jin, who had no hope of Star Pointing, silently scraping at their vegetable porridge.
"I have a feeling, in three days, at most, I will succeed in Star Pointing," Sha Youtian said, one foot on his chair, eyes covetously fixed on the food of those who had succeeded as he spoke animatedly.
"I've also got the feeling the instructor mentioned; in the next two or three days, I should be able to succeed in Star Pointing," Liu Ji said, his expression modest, yet slightly conceited.
The group of unsuccessful youths listened, and the more socially adept immediately began congratulating them, some smartly paying homage to their would-be 'big brother' on the mountain, hoping for future favors, while the others mimicked them, creating a commotion.
Xu Jin silently held his bowl a bit further from the commotion; the spittle was flying...
"Enough noise!"
"None of you have succeeded in Star Pointing yet, what are you shouting for?
Can't you let people eat in peace?"
One youth among those who had successfully pointed stars, perhaps annoyed by the noise, suddenly slammed the table and jumped up.
The excited youths who had not yet succeeded in Star Pointing all stretched their necks to look over, somewhat defiant.
Besides, youthful fervor was not to be underestimated.
"What are you staring at? Don't you accept it?"
The youth pointed angrily again, and the gaze of that batch of successful Star Pointing youths all turned this way.
A sense of oppression loomed.
Sha Youtian, Liu Ji, and other unsuccessful youths immediately cowered.
Xu Jin, however, sighed to himself; he recognized the youth who was cursing. His name was Luo Geng; just over twenty days ago, he had still been eating with them...
Star Pointing!
It was the credential for the youths in this world to advance.
Comparable to the public service exams in his previous life.
Star Pointing was this world's terminology for the initial stage of cultivation.
Xu Jin had only been familiar with this world for less than three months, but it definitely was not the bone and muscle refining from the Inner and Outer Cultivation System that he knew from his previous life.
This world allowed for cultivation, but the method was to absorb the omnipresent starlight, also known as the radiance of stars.
However, this starlight could not be casually absorbed into the body.
Prior to the initiation, i.e., before succeeding in Star Pointing, two key elements were needed.
One was the cultivation technique, and the other was the Star Pattern.
The techniques were simple, the morning Dining Dawn Form and the evening Drinking Radiance Style; even Xu Jin's father knew them. The crucial part was the Star Pattern.
Only a successful Star Mage could imprint a Star Pattern on someone.
After the Star Pattern was imprinted, one could absorb the omnipresent radiance of the stars through Dining Dawn Form and Drinking Radiance Style.
The first imprinting of the Star Pattern required fifty taels of silver, reportedly a welfare price from the Jinshan Taoist Institute.
The Star Pattern imprinted on the chest could last three months, if within these three months, the Star Pattern was completely ignited and solidified, then it was considered an entry into Star Pointing, meaning Star Pointing was successful.
If Star Pointing was not successful within three months, the Star Pattern would completely dissipate.
Without the Star Pattern, no matter how one practiced Dining Dawn Form and Drinking Radiance Style, it would be futile.
If one successfully achieved Star Pointing within three months, they were considered to have cultivation talent, otherwise, they did not.
The Jinshan Taoist Institute held two Star Pointing Conferences each year during the spring and autumn seasons.
Anyone above fifteen and below thirty years of age, as long as they paid silver, could be branded with the Star Pattern and begin trying Star Pointing.
Xu Jin wasn't yet eighteen, he had been sent here by his father, Xu Dajiang, who paid the silver for him to join this spring's Star Pointing Conference.
If Star Pointing was successful, he would be absorbed into the Taoist Institute, with a promising future ahead; if failed, everyone would return to their own homes.
But Xu Dajiang's reason for selling everything to send Xu Jin to attempt Star Pointing wasn't entirely for his future prospects—it was said a famous doctor claimed that Xu Jin's illness came from congenital heart disease, ineffective to medication. If Star Pointing was successful, and he stepped onto the path of cultivation, there was a possibility of healing.
Otherwise, he might not live past eighteen.
The day Xu Jin arrived was ninety days shy of his eighteenth birthday.
That was one of the reasons Xu Jin was particularly anxious.
This illness had truly been fatal.
The former body had already died, so if he, the successor, could not achieve Star Pointing successfully, death was not far off—he had already personally experienced several near-death incidents due to the illness.
It was terrifying.
He truly felt death was not far off.
By calculations, out of the three months or ninety days, eighty-three had already passed, leaving only the last seven days.
Either he succeeded in Star Pointing or he tried to travel back!
But given Xu Jin's current situation, due to congenital reasons, succeeding in Star Pointing was almost impossible.
In fact, since the first day of the Star Pointing season, he had already felt that Starlight-filled pattern that Instructor Ning talked about.
His talent should have been decent.
But just when that sensation emerged, symptoms like cyanosis in the lips, profuse sweating, and trembling hands occurred.
He failed.
Later, Xu Jin had carefully considered using prolonged practice of the Dining Dawn Form and Drinking Radiance Style to fill the Star Pattern and enhance his body's endurance to succeed in Star Pointing.
He attempted Star Pointing every twenty-odd days.
But each time resulted in near-death incidents.
The effort this morning was actually Xu Jin's last attempt.
Yet, he fell ill again.
He didn't want to die!
***
After dinner, Xu Jin had a familiar young man help him take leave and arrange the letter and package left for Xu Dajiang and his family.
He cleansed himself with cold water, put on another set of clean clothes Jiang'er brought him today, serving as a simple completion of the ritual's cleansing process.
Xu Jin left the Taoist Institute just as it was getting dark.
There were many people in the Jinshan Taoist Institute, and as long as one had a pass, leaving was not restricted.
Along the way, Xu Jin used his reserved copper coins to buy three types of fruit, serving as offerings.
Intentions were sufficient.
More formal offerings of three sacrificial animals were beyond Xu Jin's means, and the Taoist initially hadn't used them either.
The location for the exorcism of stars was, during this period, closely surveyed by Xu Jin.
Jinshan County City was backed by the Green Mountain, with the Golden Sand River bursting from within Green Mountain and crossing through the city.
In the city, by the riverbank of the Golden Sand River, there was a River Viewing Platform that was sometimes used for rituals on holidays and was completely open to the public. There were occasional visitors during the day and almost none at night, making it a good place to conduct the star exorcism ritual.
Moreover, this unconventional approach for conducting the star exorcism by Xu Jin was not going to take more than 15 minutes, unlike the previous life's Marquis' star exorcism, which required seven days and nights.
The River Viewing Platform was not far from the Taoist Institute; he arrived in about half an hour.
However, Xu Jin didn't rush to ascend the platform immediately, but first circled around the platform, five meters high and three meters in length and width.
He checked to ensure no beggars or someone similar lingered nearby, as their curiosity could disrupt his star exorcism.
With no one around, the moon overhead and stars shining, Xu Jin climbed onto the River Viewing Platform.
With only a slight breeze from the river, there was no danger of the Star Lamps being extinguished.