Starry Sky Professional

“Huh? Something's not right...”

Fang Xing strolled through the ruins of the old district when suddenly a sense of urgency overwhelmed him.

He turned abruptly, spotting a dark figure at the edge of his vision, closing in fast!

The assailant moved with incredible speed, their agility astonishing.

“It’s a high-level martial artist from the Federation, their prowess far exceeds even innate warriors!”

“What’s more, they're dressed in a nano-protective suit!”

Fang Xing’s eyes fixated on the advanced suit, then shifted up to take note of the high nose and sharp eyes on the pursuer’s face.

“I can't win against them... and they mean no good with this pursuit!”

With that thought, he discreetly reached into his pocket and tore open a ‘Wind Talisman’!

In the next instant, Whoosh!

A gentle breeze swirled around him, cutting the air resistance surrounding his body by half!

With a light leap, he soared gracefully with the wind, covering over twenty meters in a single bound!

“Damn it...”

Lance, the 'Carrion Eater', widened his eyes at this sight: “Didn’t expect him to be a wind affinity user... Well, makes sense, you'd need some tricks to dare enter the black market.”

Fang Xing had secretly activated the talisman, leading others to mistake him for a wind-affinity adept.

He knew better than to stall, picking up speed rapidly.

After fleeing a considerable distance, he slipped into a building and applied two more talismans.

—‘Stealth Talisman’!

—‘Invisibility Talisman’!

It wasn’t long before he saw Lance arrive, imprinting the pursuer’s appearance deep into his memory.

Then, he watched as Lance summoned a swarm of rats, apparently setting them to search.

Unfortunately for Lance, the rats were unable to sniff out Fang Xing.

“White male, narrow eyes, capable of controlling small animals... I’ll remember you.”

Fang Xing vowed silently.

As of now, I might not be a match, but given three days, I’ll make them see me anew.

For me, it doesn't take long to grow stronger.

When the time comes, today's grudge will surely be avenged!

...

Two days later.

Nighttime.

Fang Xing returned to the old district once again.

He had no choice... after all, having spent the money, he couldn't not come.

Moreover, this time, he came as a guest, and the Blood Cage Fighting Arena should have arrangements.

At the boundary between the old and new districts, a long-abandoned bus stop.

When Fang Xing arrived, he noticed quite a number of people already gathered, most of whom were excited-looking white-collar workers and small traders...

Toot toot!

Suddenly, accompanied by the sound of an old car horn, a yellow bus drove up.

This antique vehicle had clearly been modified, with iron bars welded across the windows and barbed wire at the edges.

It resembled a prison van for transporting high-security inmates.

Clang...

The bus stopped at the platform, and the doors opened with a bang, revealing a middle-aged man in a black suit.

Wearing sunglasses and a stereotypical smile, he addressed the crowd: "Ladies and gentlemen, greetings. I am the client manager of the Blood Cage Fighting Arena. Now, please board the bus to enjoy a thrilling night at the arena... This bus operates with a ticket, and it will safely return you here after the fighting ends... Of course, if you decide to leave the arena on your own, you are no longer under our protection..."

Having laid out the rules, he waved a hand: "Get on the bus!"

A young man with dyed yellow hair immediately stepped forward, presented his purchased arena ticket, and boarded the bus without a hitch.

Seeing this, the other passengers moved forward as well.

Fang Xing quietly observed and joined the queue in the middle.

Once on board, he randomly chose a seat and found himself next to the young man with yellow hair.

"Is this the black market district?"

After the bus started, the young man eagerly looked around with an excited expression: "I've long wanted to check it out... I’ve heard the night scene here is exceptionally exhilarating!"

"Yes, the kind of excitement that almost costs you your life..."

Fang Xing interjected with a slightly sour expression, recalling the pursuit he narrowly escaped two days ago.

Of course, now he was a guest of the fighting arena, under its protection; even if the assailant had the guts to try anything, they wouldn't dare strike here.

The Blood Cage Arena, with its immense reputation and monopoly over the local underground boxing scene, clearly had significant backing prowess.

"Is that so?"

Hearing Fang Xing’s words, a character with yellow hair perked up with even more enthusiasm: "My name is Hao Chi, and you?"

"When I’m on the road, I never reveal my real name,"

Fang Xing closed his eyes, silently waiting for what was to come.

...

Blood Cage Arena.

The once dormant structure seemed to come alive with the nightfall, as vibrant neon lights flickered everywhere, gathering countless shadows.

Bunny girls and cat girls wove through the crowd, their trays laden with gambling chips and alcoholic beverages.

The arena's center, initially a sports stadium, was transformed into a massive fighting ring. Surrounding it was a fierce-looking iron cage, rusted and grim, with fragments of flesh and blood still clinging to parts of it, exuding a primal, savage, and bloodthirsty aura.

The spectators, witnessing this scene, seemed to have their ancient wild instincts ignited, their voices rising threefold.

"Iron Hand’s fight starts at nine..."

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Blood Cage Arena!"

As spotlights focused on the ring, a host dressed in a white suit with a blood-red rose pinned to his chest introduced the night with a thunderous voice that shook the audience’s eardrums.

'Wow... at the very least, he’s a martial artist of the Untapped Jade realm, and he’s mastered techniques like the 'Lion's Roar'!'

Fang Xing rubbed his ears as the host went on: "Our first contest features 'Blaze' and 'Killer Croc'. Come, and let blood delight us!"

As his words concluded, the iron cage opened from both sides, and two fighters stepped forward respectively.

'Blaze' donned a red cloak, hands wrapped in bandages, exuding an agile and lean physique.

'Killer Croc' was a towering black giant standing two meters tall, with dreadlocks and tattoos covering his entire body.

“The fight begins!”

Amidst the high-pitched announcement from the host, the iron cages on both sides were securely sealed.

Blaze shrugged off his cloak, charging fiercely at Killer Croc.

Fists, kicks, elbows… The two figures transformed into killing machines, each part of their bodies harboring terrifying lethal intent.

“They're not exceptionally strong, around the second level, but their combat experience far surpasses mine… Without using gear, I might not be able to defeat them…”

Fang Xing watched with a deeply serious expression.

Bang!

At that moment, he saw Blaze bring both fists together in a powerful move, striking right at the temples of Killer Croc.

The punch landed heavily, causing the giant figure of Killer Croc to fall to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

“In a true life-and-death duel, victory can be decided in just a few moves…”

Witnessing this scene, Fang Xing felt he had learned a lot.

“Congratulations, Blaze has won this fight… Now, it’s up to the audience to decide whether to kill Killer Croc or not.”

The host stood at the edge of the iron cage, his expression growing increasingly fanatical: “Those who support executing Killer Croc, please raise your right hand high!”

“Kill him!”

“Kill that bastard, he made me lose a fortune!”

“Kill, kill, kill!”

Almost before the host finished speaking, most people raised their right hands, clenching their fists, their expressions wild.

“Kill! Kill, kill!”

Amidst the angry shouts of the crowd, Blaze, without hesitation, grabbed Killer Croc's head and twisted forcefully.

Crack!

With a spine-chilling fracture sound, Killer Croc's lifeless body fell heavily to the ground.

Fang Xing witnessed this, falling into a moment of silence.

'Damn it, back then, Liu Wei and I were almost tempted by the lucrative rewards to come and be black market fighters ourselves…'

'With our skills at that time, we would definitely be knocked out in the first round, possibly even killed for sport…'

Considering this, he couldn't help but feel grateful for the original owner's choice years ago.

Next, several more duels played out.

Blood-soaked, brutal...

There were all sorts of bizarre martial arts and techniques, which opened Fang Xing's eyes to new horizons.

"Up next, the most exhilarating part of tonight's fight night!"

The announcer, visibly excited, yanked off his bow tie: "Please welcome... 'Iron Hand' and 'King of Armor'!"

"Whoa!"

The entire audience erupted in cheers, as if two superstar idols had just taken the stage.

"Iron Hand is finally entering the arena."

Fang Xing's interest was piqued as he gazed at the caged fighting pit.

From the west side of the arena, a muscular fighter slowly made his entrance.

The man wore nothing on his upper body, revealing a frame of taut muscles, with his right arm transformed into a sci-fi inspired, steel-embedded mechanical arm!

"A mechanical practitioner, this 'Iron Hand' is a 'Mechanical Practitioner'?"

Witnessing this, Fang Xing mused to himself.

'Mechanical Practitioners' are a subcategory of fighters who, feeling the inadequacy of flesh, replace their limbs—and sometimes even their eyes, ears, or internal organs—with various mechanical prostheses.

Essentially, they are semi-cyborgs, with clear advantages early on; as long as they're funded, they can easily overpower regular martial artists early in their careers!

However, as time progresses, issues arise. After all, the more body parts they replace, the closer they get to being pure machines.

But why would the Federation bother with such imperfect hybrids when they can produce pure robots?

As for the 'King of Armor', he seems to be a supernatural fighter with a defensive ability called 'Iron Skin'!

"Though both are only at the Unpolished Jade stage, their talents are formidable. This will be a thrilling spectacle."

Fang Xing set down his juice glass, focusing intently on the arena.

It seemed that the overwhelming auras of these two powerhouses subdued the once clamorous Blood Cage Arena into silence.

Many felt stifled, their breathing almost labored.

"The presence of a master?"

Fang Xing contemplated, just as a loud explosion echoed.

In the arena, the King of Armor was the first to move!

With a thunderous shout, he transformed into a figure resembling a metallic giant, charging fiercely towards Iron Hand!

]

(End of Chapter)