Starry Sky Professional

Zeng Xue'er was greatly startled.

Fifteen thousand lower-grade spirit stones already exceeded the worth of a basic Foundation Establishment treasure, appearing more like a display of stubbornness!

“I'm absolutely furious…”

The Zeng family matriarch was also livid, her hair standing on end, “Youngster… what do you intend by seizing a female cultivator's Foundation Establishment treasure?”

Inside the private box, Min Yixing cast a surprised look toward Fang Xing.

“I have a junior who perfectly suits this 'Lesser Yin Fiend Qi'…”

Fang Xing explained with a smirk on hearing the Zeng family's provocative challenge, “What if I buy it just for fun? Does the auction have a rule that only female cultivators can purchase it?”

“Sixteen thousand lower-grade spirit stones… Let's see if you can keep up, boy!”

The Zeng family matriarch smirked continuously.

“Why is this Zeng matriarch so irrational? This price is excessively high…”

“I think she's deliberately doing this, intending to set a trap for the youngster!”

Other Foundation Establishment cultivators communicated telepathically, all watching the spectacle unfold.

They would have to be insane to purchase a single stream of fiendish qi for nearly twenty thousand lower-grade spirit stones!

“Alright, I'm in… seventeen thousand!”

Fang Xing chuckled, appearing utterly reckless.

“You…”

The Zeng matriarch was agitated, pretending to lure Fang Xing into bidding higher in hopes of scaring him off.

She made it appear as if she intended to deceive him into a high price.

In reality, this 'Lesser Yin Fiend Qi' was incredibly suitable for Zeng Xue'er; no amount of spirit stones would be too high. Yet, such actions risked exposing information.

Hearing Fang Xing continue to bid left her fuming, “Eighteen thousand lower-grade spirit stones, can you still follow, boy?”

“Enough…”

Min Yixing quickly advised, “This price already makes you a fool for paying too much. If you raise it again, the old woman might give up, and you'd end up with nothing but a hefty bill…”

“No worries!”

Fang Xing waved dismissively, “Nineteen thousand spirit stones!”

“Oh no…”

The Zeng matriarch felt a shiver down her spine, “Could Xue'er's aptitudes have been leaked?”

She gritted her teeth, “If it has been leaked, it's even more crucial not to miss out on this Lesser Yin Fiend Qi.”

For those Qi Refinement cultivators under threat, gaining a great opportunity like this meant establishing their foundation early, transforming from a pawn into a chess player.

Indeed, in the factional intrigues of Foundation Establishment families, it was always thus.

The Zeng matriarch rasped, “I'll give twenty thousand spirit stones!”

The auction house erupted into a frenzy.

Even Jin Sanniang looked with surprise at the bottle of fiendish qi in her hands, pondering if there was some hidden secret she hadn't yet discovered…

In other boxes, some of the Foundation Establishment cultivators seemed thoughtful, as if they'd realized something.

"I heard... the Zeng Family's Foundation Establishment seedling, Zeng Xue'er, possesses a superior Ice Spiritual Root..."

Min Yixing also appeared to be deep in thought. "Now it seems it's not just about having a superior Ice Spiritual Root..."

He looked at Fang Xing, his expression part amused, part contemplative. "Could it be that the junior from your side also possesses some sort of Yin attribute spiritual body? In which case, this 'Lesser Yin Fiend Qi' equates to more than half a Foundation Establishment Pill."

"I see, no wonder that old lady competed with me for it."

Fang Xing chuckled, tapping the railing with his Snowstorm Sword. "Two thousand one hundred lower-grade spirit stones!"

"Boy, who are you? Name yourself!"

The Zeng family matriarch was so furious she nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. "I suspect you're here to deliberately cause trouble."

"In an auction, must one reveal their identity to bid on items?"

Fang Xing sneered. "As to whether I'm here to cause trouble, you'll find out during the settlement of the auction item."

Although the old lady was livid, she ultimately didn't raise the bid further.

While the 'Lesser Yin Fiend Qi' was quite suitable for Zeng Xue'er, it was equivalent to only half a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Another few rounds, and the price might equal an actual Foundation Establishment Pill. Truly being stubborn enough to spend thousands of spirit stones on a strand of Qi would attract criticisms within the family.

At this moment, the door of the box opened, and a member of the Zeng family hurried in, handing a jade slip to the Zeng family matriarch.

Being an established Foundation Establishment family, the Zengs had their networks within Purple Citrine Immortal City.

Although she appeared to be acting out of anger, she had discreetly sent a message to investigate the guests in Box Nine.

Now, some intelligence had arrived.

"What? It's that person?"

Upon reading it, the Zeng matriarch's expression turned unsightly.

"Great-grandma?"

Zeng Xue'er, bright and perceptive, immediately sensed a shift in the situation.

"Xue'er, perhaps we should head to Beili Immortal City later and get you a Foundation Establishment Pill instead..."

The Zeng matriarch sighed with a wry smile. "Though that person is merely a rogue cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage, their backing is unfathomably powerful... The Zhou family was wiped out by them. We're just a humble household that cannot afford to provoke such a force. Fortunately, a Foundation Establishment Pill is better. Whoever wants this Fiend Qi can take it."

"The one who wiped out the Zhou family?!"

Zeng Xue'er's emotions stirred violently.

Even though Purple Blue Pool's Zhou family was a notch below Peach Blossom Grove's Zeng family, they were still a Foundation Establishment family!

The power to annihilate a Foundation Establishment elder and two late Qi Refinement cultivators was indeed not to be trifled with!

"Two thousand one hundred lower-grade spirit stones for this bottle of 'Lesser Yin Fiend Qi', now belonging to the senior in Box Nine..."

Jin Sanniang's voice trembled slightly.

A moment later.

Fang Xing met Lu Yiming again, along with the 'Lesser Yin Fiend Qi' they had with them.

Picking up the jade bottle, he found it chilling to the touch, the contents inside clear and transparent. A light shake, and strands of moonlight flowed forth.

‘It’s indeed the Shaoyin Dark Qi!’

Fang Xing nodded, yet thought to himself: ‘No mistake, it should be the Cosmic Yin Qi... Once I find the Solar True Strength, I can synthesize the ‘Cosmic Yin-Yang Aura’...’

Once again, he threw out a pile of spirit stones, completing the transaction.

“Fellow Daoist Fang... you truly are wealthy, aren’t you?”

Min Yixing glanced at Fang Xing with a peculiar look in his eyes.

“Oh, it's all from my elders. They left it to congratulate me on achieving Foundation Establishment, saying I shouldn’t be too tight-fisted...”

Fang Xing gave a serene smile.

The advantage of having an avatar was that one could always throw blame onto the true self. And if Min Yixing were to have any ill intentions... he had been eyeing that purple jade spirit sword on Min's back for quite some time!

After all, at a glance, Min Yixing's flying sword seemed to be of a grade above the Qinghong, and it was a full three feet long!

Good enough for a martial artist to wield.

“Is that so...” Min Yixing chuckled again. “I saw the Zeng family matriarch didn’t dare bid further, nor speak insolently, clearly knowing something and was intimidated by your notorious reputation, Daoist Fang!”

“Am I that intimidating?” Fang Xing couldn’t help but laugh.

...

In the main universe.

‘Pan Xiong is quite agreeable, as long as I make progress in martial arts, he'd casually...’

In his dormitory.

Fang Xing stretched, laying back into the holographic virtual cabin.

“Master, master... You have an important message.”

“Huh?”

Fang Xing was taken aback — for Little Blue to label something important, it mustn't be simple.

He looked at it and discovered it was an email, from none other than—

“Wei Shentong?!”

Fang Xing rubbed his forehead: “It's already the second semester of my third year, and he finally contacts me?”

Having been in college for nearly three years, aside from the beginning of his first year, he hadn’t seen this counselor Wei Shentong.

“Finally thinking of getting to work now?”

He looked at the email, finding that the counselor summoned him to the office, and couldn’t help but shrug.

...

At Bluestar University.

The counselor’s office.

It was Fang Xing’s first time meeting Wei Shentong so closely.

This expert at the Great Vajra stage seemed to have yet to break through to the Martial Saint realm.

Even so, every movement he made still carried a weighty aura, imposing a strong sense of pressure.

Fang Xing even felt that Wei Shentong might be a bit stronger than Pan Xiong.

‘But breaking through to a Martial Saint, is it really this difficult? Even Wei Shentong, at the peak of Diamond Resilience, is stuck? Or is there some other hidden factor with him?’

A trace of doubt flashed through his mind.

“Fang Xing, have a seat!”

Wei Shentong gestured for Fang Xing to sit, a gentle smile briefly appearing on his face. “You are truly a genius from our Blue Star University, dominating the combat rankings since your freshman year, significantly enhancing the reputation of our school...”

“It's all thanks to the excellent guidance from my teachers.”

Fang Xing replied with a formulaic smile.

After a few more pleasantries, Wei Shentong directly addressed the main topic: “You’re nearing the end of your third year, about to enter your fourth, right? Time flies... Upon reaching the fifth year, all university students must face internships.”

In the interstellar era, university typically spans ten years, with internships starting in the fifth year!

“I know, usually internships can be with the Defense Bureau, the Security Bureau, or even... the Secret Realm Battlefield to gain early experience.”

Fang Xing nodded.

Amongst the students at Blue Star University, those who reach the Golden Core stage in martial arts can directly proceed to postgraduate studies.

Most seniors in the fifth year and above train themselves in the secret realms!

Otherwise, those old students at the External Scene Peak wouldn’t return, making his long-standing dominance on the combat rankings more seamless.

However, Fang Xing was no longer his past self; with an eightfold power burst now, he dared to even face those at the External Scene Peak.

He still concealed part of his strength, planning to astonish everyone only after mastering the "Indestructible Dragon Elephant Vajra Art," thus maintaining a steady ninth place on the rankings without much fluctuation.

“Hmm, internships are indeed a critical step in university life, impacting your future!”

Wei Shentong spoke earnestly, handing over a document: “Sign it!”

“What is this?”

Fang Xing picked up the document and flipped through it: “An internship contract?”

“Yes, I have high hopes for you... Want to recommend you for an internship at Orwell Industries, offering generous terms, and upon graduation, I can ensure you a truly good job... even exempt you from military service.”

Wei Shentong smiled, “I’m doing this for your sake; would a teacher ever harm a student?”

‘That’s not so certain, incidents of university teachers selling out interns in the past life were almost too common to count...’

Fang Xing quipped internally, scrutinizing the internship contract and immediately spotting some subtle traps: “If I sign, I must work at Orwell Industries after graduation? Teacher... what’s your connection with this conglomerate?”

Wei Shentong’s eyes sharpened slightly when Fang Xing hesitated to sign, then he smiled again: “The adult world is quite complex... Even within the Federation’s upper echelons, many factions exist, and often we need the support of a certain faction to climb higher, you get it?”

“I understand, but I need to think about it...”

Fang Xing cautiously replied.

He certainly didn’t want to be caught up in any political turmoil during college.

His past experiences had taught him that he was not cut out for such matters, better to focus solely on martial arts!

As long as his strength was high enough, status, power... would eventually gravitate towards him on their own!

Wei Shentong suddenly chuckled: “Being turned down like this, I'm somewhat unaccustomed to it...”

Ever since entering the office, he had been applying pressure on Fang Xing.

Fang Xing had not expected that this field training student could actually withstand the pressure of his own Great Vajra Realm.

“Instructor, after all, this is a university, not a military camp." Fang Xing looked up, flashing a bright smile.

"Is that so?" Wei Shentong's face darkened suddenly. "Don't think being ranked ninth on the battle ranking is something remarkable... Once those fifth-year students return, the ranking will immediately be reshuffled. Moreover, your internship is in my hands. Do you want to graduate peacefully, or face the most dangerous secret realm battlefield in your fifth year?"

"Experiencing the secret realm battlefield in advance doesn't seem that bad either." Fang Xing shook his head. This Wei Shentong probably stayed too long in the military, always speaking without leaving room for dissent. He really disliked this forced will imposed upon him!

Thus, he saw no need to take the contract away for further consideration. Fang Xing rose to his feet. "Then... instructor, goodbye!" He knew that although this might be a path to reaching the heavens, it could also lead him to the abyss. With the golden finger he possessed, as long as he cultivated steadily, he was certain he could reach the pinnacle. He definitely didn't hold this in high regard.

He stood up, walked out of the office, and courteously closed the door.

Bang!

Wei Shentong's eyes flared with anger, but then he suddenly laughed. "Truly youthful... this youthful spirit reminds me of my own university days. Alas..."

He sat behind his desk and suddenly dialed a number.

A light screen appeared, depicting what seemed to be a military camp background, with several young people just returning from a fierce battlefield, their eyes filled with fighting spirit and a thirst for slaughter.

This was a team of peak-level martial artists in the field!

"Instructor!"

Upon seeing Wei Shentong, these young people saluted one by one.

"Hmm, I have reviewed the battle results of your Blood Kill Squad. Being able to coordinate to eliminate lower-level minions, even if heavily injured, is quite commendable. You can return now, after all, you still have your studies." Wei Shentong smiled.

"Instructor, is there another task?" asked a young man with curly hair and crimson pupils, smiling.

"Sort of... The school has recently set up a battle ranking. Go take a position there. Of course, this might irritate other universities, so just occupy one position." Wei Shentong smiled. "Let it be the ninth spot!"

"Understood." The crimson-eyed young man answered respectfully.

"Once this is done, I'll introduce you to the true upper echelons of society." Wei Shentong promised, then hung up the phone, shaking his head. "This Fang Xing... how foolish!"

No matter how much of a genius one is, resources are needed for growth!

He planned to first cut off Fang Xing's credit sources and, when it came time for the internship, send him to the most dangerous places.

"It won't be long before this genius is utterly ruined!"

"This isn't even revenge; it's just a small act of caprice on his part."