Starry Sky Professional

Desolate, ruined…

The once-bustling Qinglin Market now lay in ruins!

"What… happened to the protective barrier of the Qingxuan Sect?"

Staring at the surveillance screen, Fang Xing suddenly entertained a troubling thought.

Qinglin Market was protected by a formidable barrier! Once fully activated, it was like a giant bowl, shielding the entire market completely.

However… the protective fog and spiritual light of the formation were nowhere to be seen! The rarely visible peak of Qingxuan Mountain was exposed.

Not only that, but even some low-level monsters roamed around the market’s perimeter. They would occasionally break in, treating it as their hunting ground and preying upon cultivators!

"There are… too many beasts."

"Could this be another beast tide? Has Qinglin Market fallen?"

Fang Xing was flabbergasted, unable to believe that during his distracted focus on finals, such drastic changes had occurred in Qinglin Market!

"But the crucial question is… where is the Qingxuan Sect’s Jiedan master?"

Fang Xing scratched his chin thoughtfully: "Seems like… I need to find a cultivator to inquire about this…"

...

Qinglin Market.

At the periphery.

Yuxia, previously a confident beast catcher, was now hiding fearfully behind an ancient tree, filled with regret: "I must have been out of my mind to come out at a time like this…"

"But with the spirit rice and fasting pills at home almost depleted, what choice do I have if I don’t want to starve?"

Having disappeared for a while, the once robust Yuxia now appeared gaunt, clearly indicating he hadn't been living well recently.

"Awooo!"

At that moment, a pack of ‘Qingfeng Wolves’ howled past him.

Only after a long while did Yuxia emerge, taking out a jade bottle: "I don't have much scent-masking powder left… Better use it sparingly."

The Purity Powder is a secret potion passed down through generations of demon hunters in his lineage. It can mask one's scent and elude the noses of most demons.

Only those demon hunters who dare to hunt at such perilous times possess a unique skill or two.

Just as Yuxia was about to depart, suddenly!

From within the undergrowth, a surge of spiritual energy erupted, followed by several azure wind blades.

“Not good!”

Yuxia hastily activated the Golden Light Protection Talisman, and a layer of gold light surfaced around him, barely deflecting one wind blade.

But the second, third...

The wind blades seemed endless, accompanied by the howls of wolves!

“Awoooo!”

From the forest's dark depths, a dozen pairs of blue and green eyes emerged, all glinting with bloodlust.

“Damn it... Is it the wolf pack from before? How cunning of that wolf to still linger!”

A single thought filled Yuxia's mind as he heard a pop; the golden light enveloping him shattered into fragments.

A fierce wind approached, causing him to roll clumsily on the ground, narrowly avoiding most of the wind blades. Yet, his body was already drenched in blood, one arm severed and tossed aside...

“I never expected my life journey would end here...”

Resigned, Yuxia accepted the grim reality of becoming a meal for the wolves.

The itinerant cultivators in the markets were like roadside weeds, never knowing when they’d be blown away by the wind.

Woo! Woohoo!

Suddenly, the wolves' howls shifted. From the thrill of hunting, they turned to terror...

“Is another powerful demon here? I wonder which demon I’ll perish to; I hope it's not the ‘Mountain Hog’, that one reeks too much...”

Even Yuxia's consciousness was beginning to fade.

A moment later, a figure appeared before him, followed by the tearing of a talisman. Brilliant green light spilled forth and transformed into scattered rains of rejuvenation.

"Rain Blessing Talisman!"

"I... thank you for saving me!"

Yuxia felt the bleeding wound slowly abating and gratefully struggled to his feet, though a hint of wariness lingered in his heart.

Rogue cultivators dreaded none more than other rogue cultivators, not even the beasts themselves!

Even if this person saved him, their intentions might not be pure.

However, upon seeing his rescuer, his expression froze immediately.

The man was large and rough-looking, exuding aggression and hard to approach.

Yuxia instinctively felt the danger, yet he forced a warmer smile.

"Spare me the chatter!"

Fang Xing, holding the corpse of the Wolf King, appeared impatient: "I was out hunting demons and accidentally ventured deep into the wilderness. It's been a while... When did the market become like this?"

"You mean you don't know? Sigh..." Yuxia's voice was heavy with sorrow: "Blame it on that damned Qingxuan Sect. In their pursuit to explore a secret realm, they somehow attracted a tier-three demon beast... The Elder leading them up and left with his disciples, leaving us stranded here, with no way out!"

"A tier-three Great Demon?" Fang Xing mused, "Could it possibly not be a typical tier-three demon beast? Otherwise, why would the Qingxuan Sect’s elder, at the Foundation Establishment level, retreat... Perhaps there’s more than one?"

Fang Xing's heart skipped a beat: "What do you know about this secret realm? Is there still anyone in the market buying demon materials or selling elixirs?"

Though the secret realm of the cultivators didn't interest him much, purchasing crucial elixirs was essential for advancing his cultivation in the Pristine Jade Realm!

"Secret realm? I'm afraid I don't know much, only its location in the Five Scorpions Valley and the potential for Foundation Establishment opportunities…"

Yuxia chuckled bitterly, "However, Qingxuan Sect disciples might know more..."

After a few more questions, Fang Xing learned that the Qingxuan Sect fled in a panic, possibly chased by a tier-three avian Great Demon that ravaged several of their flying ships.

Despite this, quite a few disciples of the Qingxuan Sect remain trapped here, unable to leave.

It is for this reason that these Qingxuan Sect disciples are seen as down-and-outs; crucially, they are wealthy, becoming targets of wanted desire from rogue cultivators all across the market. They often hide their identities, disguising themselves as fellow rogues, making them hard to locate.

Fang Xing was not at all surprised by this. Don't be fooled by rogue cultivators' humble demeanor when facing sect prodigies, for when push comes to shove, they'd dare to kill even true disciples right before your eyes!

Not to mention, these Qingxuan Sect disciples each carry bulging purses and might even hold sect manuals or precious elixirs, making them prime targets!

‘Even though sect disciples have higher cultivation, those without real combat experience may not match up well against rogues several realms below them. Moreover, robbers operate with overwhelming numbers, using traps and poisons, sparing no trickery.’

Fang Xing silently mourned for the Qingxuan Sect disciples, then asked, "Where is the trading area?"

"The original market is mostly rubble now... Only small stalls appear sporadically at dawn amid the mist, aptly named 'Ghost Market'..." Yuxia replied. "Besides that, every three days, in the southeastern part of the market, there's an underground cave where a black market thrives... Goods there are usually better than the Ghost Market's, but also more dangerous..."

"I see."

Fang Xing nodded and went on his way.

Yuxia watched Fang Xing's retreating figure, licked her lips, and immediately entered the dense forest...

……

Qinglin Market.

Walking through the ruins, Fang Xing felt quite sentimental: "Such a bustling market turned into this... This place has truly seen its share of disasters... Hm? Seems like the secret realms opening had something to do with me? Then never mind, forget it..."

"Looking back now, leaving earlier with someone like Shen Yuxin and Meng Zijing was indeed the best choice. Hua Feiyue ultimately lacked some decisiveness... Wonder if she's alive?"

He had no intention of seeking her out, only helping if they crossed paths.

If not... well, sadly, it's bad luck for her.

"Meow!"

Suddenly, a cat's cry came from atop a wooden beam amid the ruins.

Fang Xing looked over to see a two-tailed cat demon, resembling a small leopard, its green eyes fixed on him and its claws shimmering with a dark sheen.

"Hmph!"

He let out a cold snort, releasing an aura of terrifying might.

In an instant, the two-tailed cat, as if its tail had been stepped on, leapt up, fur bristling, and vanished into the depths of the ruins...

“The spirit vein of this market is likely not of high grade, unable to attract third-ranked spirit beasts... Thus, many cultivators still cling to life among the ruins, for the dangers of the great wilderness outside are far greater!”

Leaving the market to reach the true stronghold of the Qing Xuan Sect?

The distance is not only immense, but also fraught with perilous obstacles — something that ordinary qi-refining cultivators dare not even dream of.

‘It's somewhat reminiscent of the black market on Ying Star...’

‘The truth has shown that any order, no matter how lax, is better than none at all...’

Fang Xing carried the wolf carcass, deliberately passing by the wooden house he had once inhabited, only to find it had become a deep pit, scorched black all around. Who knows what it had endured?

He walked past expressionlessly, as if he had never known the place.

The whole area was eerily deserted, yet Fang Xing's sharp senses, honed beyond ordinary levels, could detect the gazes cast upon him from all directions.

He couldn't help but sigh, “Humans truly are as resilient as weeds, able to survive anywhere...”

Fang Xing pressed on, making his way to Qing Dan Market, only to find it in ruins, having been scavenged countless times...

Clearly, during the calamity that befell the market, the other rogue cultivators had done their mischief.

“They're all a bunch of swindlers... At least they can't steal the spiritual energy,” he muttered.

Fang Xing arrived at a courtyard, part of the upscale dwellings in the market, where even a martial artist could sense the invigorating and vibrant energy in the void.

He casually picked a relatively intact-looking residence, swung open the door, and strutted inside.

“Who dares trespass on my abode?”

A cultivator in the late stage of qi refining emerged, holding a flying sword, eyes glaring but then relaxing considerably once he saw Fang Xing. “A martial artist?”

He quickly glanced around, wary of Fang Xing being a bait for some robbery crew.

“This is your abode? Show me the spirit contract...” Fang Xing responded, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

For the breeze that hears the celestial song, for the moonlight that whispers dreams awake; this chapter is offered in celebration of a new alliance.

]

(End of Chapter)