Starry Sky Professional

“In the state of Zheng, the Azure Profound Sect barely holds its ground, relying on a pseudo-core cultivator and the sect's grand formation…”

“The Black Heaven Temple's overseer is only at the peak of Foundation Establishment and has completely sided with the Myriad Beasts Sect…”

“With the allegiance of both factions, the Myriad Beasts Sect is now the dominator of Zheng…”

In the teahouse, Fang Xing sipped his tea as he contemplated the information he had gathered.

‘The Myriad Beasts Sect probably wanted to annihilate the two sects, but due to heavy losses and other concerns, they ultimately only accepted submission, leading to the current situation…’

‘For now, Zheng remains stable, with no major cultivation wars breaking out, providing a chance to tour the land…’

‘If chaos erupts, I'll have to head to Qi State... After all, Sky Sword Sect is a righteous sect, and rumors say they have a Nascent Soul cultivator in command; the cultivation resources should be plentiful…’

After leaving the teahouse, Fang Xing visited several shops selling magical tools, elixirs, and books, buying a few bestiaries before wandering out of the market town.

After walking a few miles, he sighed and said, "Come out!"

Silence enveloped the surroundings, with no response.

Fang Xing sighed again, "You've all ruined the positive impression of the cultivation world I managed to build, however briefly, thanks to Shi Wanwan…"

Thinking back, despite the main universe being entangled in wars, life was, in some ways, less burdensome—there was no fear of being killed just by stepping outside, nor was there worry of being robbed on a carriage. Without the threat of evil gods' minions, it was indeed a paradise compared to the cultivation world…

“If I turn dark someday, you'll all be primarily to blame.”

Sighing, Fang Xing pinched a hand seal, summoning a black iron shield from his bosom that transformed into a pitch-black light shield, guarding him closely.

“That rambling kid actually detected us!”

Nearby, the air wavered, revealing several bandit cultivators.

Among them were two mid-stage Qi Condensation, one late-stage, and another at the boundless peak of Qi Condensation!

No sooner had they appeared than the four glimmered with multicolored auras—some were shielded by golden light from Vajra Talismans, others used magical artifacts for protection.

A mid-stage Qi Condensation female cultivator immediately cast a pink pearl, chanting an incantation. The pearl emitted pink mist, intending to envelop an area hundreds of meters wide.

Seeing this, the late-stage Qi Condensation practitioner flashed a cunning light in his eyes. Silently deploying a tiny earthen needle, he let it fly close to the ground under the cover of fog, ready for a sneak attack.

This technique had claimed the lives of countless cultivators when they operated as bandits.

But in the next moment!

A flash of golden light struck, shattering the earth-toned flying needle which fell to the ground.

Sword light burst forth with ferocity, like a charging bull.

“Ah!”

The female cultivator who cast the pink treasure orb let out a scream. Her Vajra Talisman shattered with a bang, and a single flying sword pierced through her heart, killing her instantly.

“It’s not just a superior-grade flying sword! A sword cultivator as well?”

An elder at the peak of Qi Refinement exclaimed. Only true sword cultivators could wield sword lights so sharp, breaking the Vajra Talisman and killing a cultivator in one strike.

In truth, Fang Xing was not a sword cultivator, but his affinity with metal elemental spiritual energy was incredibly strong. His mana itself was imbued with sharpness, giving the illusion of a sword cultivator.

He regretted coming here, knowing now the person was a battle immortal might have dissuaded him. But for building a foundation, he had no choice but to gather spirit stones diligently.

An elder at the peak of Qi Refinement summoned a small drum into his hand and struck it forcefully.

Boom! Boom!

The drum's dull thuds made the flying sword quiver slightly.

“Good!”

Upon witnessing this, the remaining Qi Refinement late-stage and mid-stage cultivators brightened their eyes, each wielding a magic weapon to charge at Fang Xing after the mist cleared.

Fang Xing, seeing this, merely sneered.

Suddenly, another young man appeared before him.

The youth stretched out his hand, catching and breaking the two sword-like magic weapons in a shower of sparks.

“Is this a magic weapon?”

Fang Xing’s true form sneered, snapping the weapons into pieces with his hands.

“Ah… a foundation stage body cultivator?”

“I failed to recognize a true expert, forgive me, senior…”

The Qi Refinement mid-stage cultivator’s face crumbled, dropping to his knees.

The elder cultivators at the late and peak stages of Qi Refinement kept silent, turning to flee immediately.

“Hmph!”

Fang Xing let out a cold snort, refraining from throwing a punch. Instead, his formidable martial will seemed to transform into roaring dragons and tigers, sweeping outward.

The mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivator kneeling on the ground shrieked, dying in fright, his courage shattered!

The other two Qi Refinement cultivators were momentarily stunned, and by the time they regained their senses, Fang Xing was already before them, pointing a finger.

That single finger, pure as jade and light as a feather, pierced through the defensive artifact shield on the late-stage cultivator’s body, striking his brow.

The late-stage cultivator’s skull burst immediately, his corpse falling backward.

“Yun’er...”

Rage and horror filled the eyes of the elder cultivator at the peak of Qi Refinement.

He had encountered Foundation Establishment cultivators before and had witnessed second-order body practitioners in action.

But this person seemingly wasn’t just at the initial Foundation Establishment stage; with just a few casual moves, he had eliminated two of their members!

‘Could it be... is Heaven destined to end me?’

The elder’s liver and gall trembled in fear, and then Fang Xing seized him by the head, driving it into his chest...

Fang Xing himself stood motionless, tossing two storage bags over.

“Finally, we've arrived at this desolate land; where should we go next?”

Fang Xing glanced toward a direction, where the mountain gate of Qingxuan Sect lay.

If Meng Zijin could successfully join Qingxuan Sect, Shen Yuxin should also be there.

Perhaps, Ding Bushan and Ding Hongxiu, that grandfather-granddaughter pair, might be there too.

‘Everything has passed...’

‘They're merely acquaintances; if fate allows, we shall meet again. Otherwise... it is what it is.’

‘With my current talent, I can definitely join a celestial sect... but what comes after, I must still consider.’

‘Perhaps I can do as Su Ye did, join after establishing my foundation? Although the benefits won’t match those of a core disciple, there won't be any tests for secrets like spirit roots...’

Fang Xing shook his head, his domain power manifesting as he ascended into the air, taking his cultivation clone alongside him. "Since we're here, I might as well take you to the largest market in Zheng State first."

With the domain power showcasing, combined with the art of sky dancing, he became like a stream of light, heading straight towards the heart of Zheng State.

Along the way, mortals knelt in worship, as if a deity had descended.

Even cultivators, seeing Fang Xing levitating with his physical body, recognized him as a Foundation Establishment cultivator and dared not provoke him in the slightest.

...

Ziyuan Immortal City.

This city of rogue cultivators lies at the core of Zheng State, at the intersection of the Qingxuan Sect, Black Sky Temple, and the Myriad Beasts Sect.

Its city lord, 'Master Ziyuan', is a legendary rogue cultivator known for having exceptional spiritual roots. Mysteriously, he did not join any immortal sects initially and opted for the path of a rogue cultivator.

After achieving Foundation Establishment, he gradually rose to fame, once having promising prospects to become the first rogue Nascent Soul cultivator in Zheng State.

But somehow, he fell victim to a treacherous plot and injured his origin, eventually having no choice but to form a false core at the age of around 150, taking on the title 'Ziyuan', and seizing this spiritual vein to establish 'Ziyuan Immortal City'.

A century has passed since then.

As the sacred place for rogue cultivators in Zheng State, Ziyuan Immortal City not only possesses a third-grade spiritual vein but also offers Foundation Establishment second-grade spiritual vein abodes for outsiders.

In addition, within Ziyuan City, there are several second-grade alchemists who can undertake the task of refining Foundation Establishment pills.

Over the past hundred years, nearly every decade a rogue cultivator has succeeded in the Foundation Establishment in this Immortal City.

When Fang Xing arrived, he saw a mountain city nestled in a hollow, with its terrain undulating and mist enveloping all around.

"Judging by the size, it's just a larger town... calling it an Immortal City seems a bit of a stretch."

"Typically, a true Immortal City should at least have a Nascent Soul cultivator in residence, right?"

"But without a tiger in the mountains, the monkey reigns as king, I suppose."

Fang Xing descended from mid-air, wearing a conical hat to conceal his appearance, and proceeded with his cultivation clone alongside him.

"Nowadays, Zheng State is almost unified by the Myriad Beasts Sect... it doesn't seem like Ziyuan Immortal City's future looks too promising... If it proves unstable here, our only option may be to head to Qi State."

At the entrance of Ziyuan Immortal City, law enforcement cultivators donned in magical armor stood guard.

Upon seeing Fang Xing and his companion, one guard immediately declared, “A single spirit sand as entry fee per person!”

Another cultivator with a testing device eyed Fang Xing with disdain, “Even martial artists must pay!”

In their perspective, he seemed merely a Qi refinement cultivator accompanied by his martial artist servant.

While innate martial artists could wield power and influence in the mundane world, in the cultivation world, they were much less significant.

Tricked by Qi refinement cultivators into being servants was a common fate for them.

Fang Xing chose not to argue, knowing that in the cultivation realm, a cultivator's presence was far more effective than any martial artist's.

He followed the local customs and had his cultivation avatar pay the two spirit sands required for entry, only then stepping into the expansive Ziyuan Immortal City.

Compared to Qinglin Market, Ziyuan was considerably larger, with most passersby being cultivators and very few martial artists.

Fang Xing rented a dwelling first, choosing a modest yet adequate first-tier high-grade option.

In doing so, he gained a dwelling token, which allowed him to shelter up to three people, permitting them to reside in Ziyuan Immortal City until the lease expired.

Next, he wandered the city, first visiting bookstores to purchase various guides and materials concerning spiritual phenomena.

Afterwards, he visited pill shops to inquire about body-strengthening elixirs.

Being exceptional, Ziyuan Immortal City indeed provided elixirs suited for second-tier body cultivation.

Fang Xing bought a little of everything, planning to later use the ‘Myriad Transformation Cauldron’ to eliminate any pill toxins before testing them each.

…

At Blue Star University, in a dormitory, Fang Xing sat cross-legged with several jade bottles before him.

“Ziyuan Immortal City deserves its reputation as a haven for rogue cultivators; even second-tier body cultivation pills are available…”

“Among these, the ‘Tiger Demon's Body Refinement Pill’ is quite similar to the ‘Boiling Blood Solution’, while the other two are inferior…”

“But this last one…”

He picked up a jade bottle, from which trickled drops of thick emerald liquid.

“Bodhi Nectar… modeled by alchemists after the legendary Nine-Eyed Bodhi; though its effect pales in comparison to the true Nine-Eyed Bodhi...”

"However, it proves effective for cultivating the Vajra Bodhi Divine Strength..."