Starry Sky Professional

'In the world of cultivation, anything can happen... Tales of some poor-talented youngsters soaring to the heavens, forming their golden core and even reaching the nascent soul stage, living free and eventually ascending to immortality, are not unheard of!'

Fang Xing gazed at Chen Yi, his mind swirling with countless thoughts.

'Who would have thought that at the twilight of his life, he would finally collide with an opportunity!'

If Chen Yi and Fu Qing broke ties over such a chance, it would make perfect sense.

Yet on the surface, he did not let slip the slightest hint: "Thanking me? Do you have a gift?"

Chen Yi was momentarily taken aback, clearly thrown off by Fang Xing's bluntness.

Fortunately, he was no ordinary person. After a brief pause, he chuckled lightly: "Naturally!"

Whoosh!

A flash of light.

Fang Xing saw Chen Yi pat his waist, and in the living room, a flash of light revealed a long sword!

This sword was three feet three inches long, entirely black, slightly wider in blade than the previous 'Danqing Sword', with sharp dual edges.

Just from gazing at it, Fang Xing felt a sting in his eyes.

"A storage bag, you actually have a storage bag? And... could this be a 'Blood Refined Artifact'?"

Fang Xing was indeed quite surprised.

This storage bag was certainly not the one from the auction, yet it was extraordinary.

Even the most inferior storage bag could be worth thousands of spirit stones!

Additionally, this evidently 'Blood Refined Artifact' long sword must be worth over a hundred spirit stones!

"This sword is named 'Ink Pattern', I give it to you, my friend."

Chen Yi warmly smiled, handing over the Ink Pattern Sword to Fang Xing.

"What a sword!"

Fang Xing received it, feeling the weight of the pitch-black sword, about sixteen pounds.

The sword was agile in movement; some martial artists might find it heavy, but for him, it was just right.

"It's naturally a good sword, as the saying goes, a treasured sword is given to heroes. Please accept it... In the future, do take care of Feiyue for me…"

Chen Yi sighed, and at that moment, Fang Xing almost felt a trace of sincerity from him.

'In the world of martial arts, you are often powerless to choose your path? Is it even more so in the realm of cultivation?'

'Ha, in the end, isn't it just about the reluctance to let go of immortality?'

'No, he came here on purpose to talk with me for a bit, but could it really be just to express his gratitude?'

Fang Xing's expression remained unchanged, though his mind was filled with suspicion.

Frankly, if not for the fear that the power of the laser gun might draw the Qing Xuan Sect's enforcement team and Foundation Establishment cultivators, making it hard to explain later, he really wanted to directly shoot Chen Yi in the head to let him know that the era where Qi Refining stage could disregard martial artists was long gone...

After all, a storage bag worth thousands of spirit stones was more than enough reason for robbery in the marketplace!

'Whatever, I'm an upstanding young man of the interstellar era, killing and looting out of greed isn't my style...'

'The most important thing is that I'm gold and jade, whereas he's nothing but rubble, so why bother?'

Fang Xing had originally just planned to serve tea and see the guest off.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded from his chest.

"What is this..."

Chen Yi showed a puzzled look as he watched Fang Xing put on a pair of glasses.

"This is just a small mechanism from the mundane world, please forgive me for any laughter."

Fang Xing said seriously, spouting nonsense, and then saw the images transmitted by various puppets around him!

When Chen Yi was approaching, his walk seemed filled with little tricks!

Not only were there some powder leaks from his shoe soles, but he was also secretly making some hand seals!

Originally, these actions didn't trigger any alarm, but the spies following Chen Yi caused the alarm set by Fang Xing to explode into life!

'This man is despicable... coming over to say useless things was really to divert disaster!'

In an instant, Fang Xing understood many things!

No matter what secrets or hidden agendas the other party had, this behavior was just using him as a shield against trouble!

Thinking of this, he immediately reached into his chest and pulled out a silver-white laser gun: "These mundane mechanisms are actually quite ingenious..."

"Heh! This is somewhat interesting!"

Chen Yi, however, was a bit disdainful, a slight smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth.

So what if this martial artist discovered him? He had already advanced to the late Qi Refining stage!

In this world, even the peak martial artists were at most equivalent to mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, making late-stage Qi Refining invincible among martial artists!

This boy seemed to have some background and not a bad level of strength, just perfect to block those pursuing him and absorb some of the heat.

However, he didn't expect that this boy seemed to have already spotted the flaws? When did he expose himself? Or did the other party never believe him from the start?

Yet, no matter how this boy struggled, the outcome would be the same!

"What kind of mechanism is this? There's not a trace of magical power; it must surely be crafted by mortals."

"A mere mortal contraption daring to challenge an immortal?"

"It seems unlikely it could even penetrate the 'Azure Shield' that’s built into his superior magic robe!"

In the next instant!

A pulse of white light struck out, closing in on Chen Yi in the blink of an eye!

The robe upon his body sparked with light as its inherent 'Azure Shield' defense activated passively, but it was a step too slow!

Bang!

Chen Yi's headless corpse fell to the ground, the robe's spirit light shimmering, unveiling a cyan barrier encapsulating the lifeless body.

Regrettably, it provided no help at all.

In fact, deprived of its master's magical support, the 'Azure Shield' technique dispersed instantaneously.

“Hmph, no matter how much you scheme, I’ll counter it all with one move—overturn the board!”

“It doesn’t matter what you plan to do, killing you solves everything. After all, I’m an unbending warrior!”

As for secrets or treasures?

Fang Xing felt no temptation!

After all, sitting atop a mountain of treasures, why bother with a few trifles?

Reflecting on the previous scene, he couldn’t help but feel moved.

“Generally speaking, a magic robe is standard for cultivators, especially those mid-way through Qi refining and beyond... It's akin to the protective suits of the Blue Star Federation!”

“Robes usually come with an inherent protective spell, which activates passively... Thus, wearing it greatly enhances safety. Even if I had used a sword to strike him earlier, Chen Yi’s reflexes might not have saved him, but this shield certainly would have blocked it. No wonder mid-to-late stage Qi refining cultivators look down on warriors—once deprived of the advantage of a sudden close-range attack, indeed, warriors struggle to pose any threat to cultivators...”

While Fang Xing mused, his hands remained swift.

After donning gloves, he stripped the magic robe from Chen Yi and skillfully began to search the body, extracting a plain-looking storage bag from the waist.

On top of this, there was a pair of spirit boots, crafted from some unknown beast’s tanned hide, their surface embued with shimmering spiritual runes—clearly not ordinary!

Having scavenged these, Fang Xing wore a serious expression as he glanced up at the large hole in the building’s roof.

This was the consequence of the earlier laser gunshot!

“Even in death, the old codger leaves me trouble!”

He hurried to the basement, ordered most of the puppets to relocate to the temporary camp, and tore several 'Fireball Talismans' to reduce all technological items to ashes.

In the sky above, a few yellow sparrows surged in speed, pursuing a spirit bird like hawks hunting prey, tearing it apart directly...

After completing everything, Fang Xing slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked calmly out of his house.

In his hand, he was holding the 'Ink Pattern Sword' that Chen Yi had just gifted him.

This 'Blood-Refined Artifact', though not yet fully integrated into his being, was an exceptional weapon by virtue of its sharpness alone.

Guided by surveillance, Fang Xing approached a middle-aged man leaning against a wall, appearing like a ruffian.

"What do you want?"

The man’s expression changed as he reached into his coat.

In the next moment!

Clang!

A flash of black light, the sword hummed suddenly!

The middle-aged man's movements slowed, the talisman he was about to activate forgotten as a gentle expression flickered across his eyes.

Then, he looked down to see the sword tip piercing his neck!

The Ink Pattern Sword was incredibly sharp, but the precision with which Fang Xing controlled the stab was remarkable, neither too deep nor too shallow, showing his mastery of the blade.

After dispatching the spy, Fang Xing moved swiftly to another location.

There, a cultivator with a carrying pole, seemingly a peddler, paled in surprise.

Bright yellow light flickered from beneath his robe, forming a protective globe around him.

'It seems my attack is still too slow, not as fast as a laser...'

Fang Xing sighed, his sword quivering as he thrust three swift strikes into the yellowish barrier.

Snap!

The cultivator's robe was of poor quality, and his barrier was no match for Chen Yi’s Azure Origin Shield.

The barrier rippled like water under the assault of the Ink Pattern Sword.

The cultivator, having never faced such exquisite yet brutal swordplay, trembled too much to wield his magical weapon.

A moment later, Fang Xing flicked his finger against the sword.

In the resonance of the blade, the cultivator's gaze turned blank, a tear escaping his eye as his flying dagger clattered to the ground.

When he came to his senses, the protective globe had shattered, and a sword tip was already embedded in his throat!

He fell to the ground, his expression still dazed, as if reminiscing about a first love.

In the corner of his eye, he saw a figure walking away with his weapon.

After eliminating the tail, Fang Xing marched forward unhesitatingly and arrived at Hut Sixty-Six.

"Why has the young master come?"

As Hua Feiyue opened the door and saw Fang Xing, her eyes danced, and she giggled, "Could it be that you wish for me to accompany you in practicing that 'Seven Emotions Technique'?"

"Cough cough... It's about serious business!"

Fang Xing cleared his throat and slipped inside the house, casting a glance at the furnishings and nodding quietly to himself.

With surveillance in place, this woman's loyalty hadn't wavered, making her somewhat trustworthy.

"What serious business might it be?"

Hua Feiyue's expression turned serious, sensing a hint of danger emanating from the young master.

"Chen Yi came to find me just now, asking me to take care of you... But in truth, he aimed to redirect trouble my way!"

Fang Xing sneered. "I've already eliminated him. I'm about to leave the market, but you should lie low for a while, and spread a message while you're at it!"

"What message?"

Hua Feiyue was shocked and puzzled, unaware of how events had escalated to this point.

"Within the boundaries of Five Scorpions Valley, a significant opportunity is emerging! Due to this, Chen Yi and the Black Tiger Gang have come into conflict, even to the point of life and death..."

Fang Xing sneered again, intent on creating chaos.

The matters of Five Scorpions Valley had blinded even Hua Feiyue and the others—his assessment of an emerging cultivator opportunity was only forty to fifty percent likely.

However, it didn't matter. Since Chen Yi attempted to frame him, Fang Xing decided to spread rumors instead!

Revealing what was once known only to Chen Yi and the Black Tiger Gang, so all would know!

No matter what plans Chen Yi or any puppet masters in the shadows had, Fang Xing would magnify the situation, ideally causing it to reach the Qing Xuan Sect!

"Do you have any cultivators around you whom you can trust?"

Fang Xing asked once more.

After a brief hesitation, Hua Feiyue gritted her teeth and said, "There's a rogue cultivator named Han Qingyun at Qi Refining Layer Two. Seeing good business prospects here, he wants to work with me... I've dealt with him a few times before, and he's generally reliable."

"Then go and spread this message. Highlight Five Scorpions Valley, Chen Yi, and the Black Tiger Gang. We will lay low for a while, so don't come looking for me within this period."

Fang Xing planned to upend Chen Yi’s schemes at the auction by intensifying any emerging powers at play.

Knowing too well the nature of cultivators in the marketplace—they were ravenous hyenas! As soon as they caught a whiff of something, they'd surely swarm and act.

‘When the time comes, the entire market will be thrown into chaos...’

‘For many of the little people, chaos brings opportunity...’

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(End of Chapter)