Starry Sky Professional

In the underground cavern, a group of cultivators surrounded a burly man as they approached Fang Xing.

Most of these cultivators were at the early or mid stages of Qi Refinement. Despite their varied dao robes and dharma attire—some patched—they all bore the same insignia on their chests and backs, indicating allegiance to the same faction.

The man at their center was robust, with a square face and long purple beard, moving with the vigor of a dragon or tiger. There was an air of authority in his gaze.

“Greetings, friend,” the man began. “I am Luo Hong, the leader of the ‘World Gang’. I wish to make your acquaintance... May I know who stands behind you?”

Luo Hong's voice was resonant, brimming with spirit, revealing him to be a cultivator of the later stages of Qi Refinement. In the Qinglin Market, a cultivator at this stage was considered formidable!

Fang Xing recalled the earlier incident when he had killed the leader of the Black Tiger Trio, as well as Zhou Tong.

‘Truly, in a forest without tigers, the monkey becomes king... These cultivators share the typical disdain for martial artists, assuming someone powerful backs me?’

Fang Xing chuckled inwardly, dismissing the makeshift band as a product of chaotic times, and his voice became grave: “Scram!”

“What did you say?”

Luo Hong's smile froze, and the cultivators behind him bristled with indignation.

Since when could a mere martial artist tread on them? Especially after following Old Luo in forming the World Gang, they had never suffered such disrespect.

“I was simply expressing my goodwill...”

Fang Xing sighed.

It was obvious this group of cultivators were eyeing his assets greedily. If he engaged in polite conversation or negotiation, it would only embolden them, potentially leading to unspeakable consequences.

By deliberately using the word ‘scram,’ he aimed to show he was not someone to be trifled with, hoping they might wisely step back. Of course, as the saying goes, ‘No good advice works on ghosts who are bound to court death.’ If that were the case, there would be no remedy.

“Fine, fine, we shall leave!”

Luo Hong's expression darkened swiftly, turning away.

“Leader!”

Beside him, a mature woman with charm approached, whispering, “Why not…”

She gestured.

“After all, this place is jointly run by those families… we must give them some face. Did you place the spiritual mark?”

Luo Hong lowered his voice to respond.

“Of course… a mere warrior wouldn't even notice the methods of us cultivators.” The woman chuckled lightly.

“Very well, daring to provoke us like this. Once we leave, we'll chase him down and finish him off… no matter who backs him, even if it's a powerful Foundation Establishment cultivator, if we can't provoke them, we can surely avoid them, right?”

A flash of ferocity crossed Luo Hong's face.

It's already come to the point of roadside robbery and murder; who thinks about the future anymore?

As a robber in the cultivation world, it's either the fat sheep dies or you do, it's as simple as that!

In this unpredictable marketplace, every spirit stone matters, each may even be stained with blood!

……

Half an hour later.

Fang Xing strolled out of the underground cavern, wandering among the ruins with a casual demeanor.

For a warrior, such a complex environment is the perfect terrain!

Especially for a lone warrior, when besieged, they prefer alley battles!

It's even a formal subject in schools, part of exams!

In his hand, the Tiger Calamity Blade hummed, seemingly thirsty for blood!

Under a dark sky and fierce winds, it was the perfect night for killing!

“In such a setting, thunder and lightning strikes, pouring rain would be the best fit!”

Fang Xing sighed, kicked off with his feet, and his figure suddenly vanished!

Boom!

At the spot where he stood, the cobblestone ground displayed a deep pit, with countless cracks spreading around…

No, he didn't disappear; he was just too fast!

From behind.

“Where is he?”

Luo Hong wore a shimmering robe as he meticulously polished his treasured flying sword.

Its name was ‘Jade Spring,’ a top-grade first-tier sword, its blade like flowing water, radiating a biting chill.

Nearby, a woman held a detection talisman, her eyes gleaming with spiritual light, "He's vanished suddenly... but my spiritual imprint indicates he's rapidly closing in..."

"Is he approaching us to surrender?"

A fat man in a robe chuckled.

Just a mere martial artist, how could he contend with their World Alliance?

The World Alliance had dozens of members and brought twelve on this mission alone. Together with their leader, they were known as the ‘Thirteen Guardians,’ all elite!

A single spell from each of them would be enough to drown that kid!

Roar!

Right then, a sound akin to a dragon's long roar echoed in the darkness!

Boom!

A terrifying martial will struck the minds of the cultivators like a heavy hammer!

"Not good, quickly use the ‘Calming Talisman’!"

With a thought, Luo Hong knew they had encountered an enemy skilled in spiritual attacks. Instantly, he shouted a warning, as the robe on his body flashed with spiritual light, transforming into a shield of white jade, protecting him securely.

The next moment, a shadow lunged out from the night, a blade flashing in its hand.

The chubby man with the robe, who had just spoken, still bore a smile on his face as his fat head soared off his shoulders.

This man had reached the sixth level of Qi Refinement, nearly the highest in their group apart from the leader, yet he died in such a humiliating manner, unable to cast any spell or use any magical tools.

Before death, all are equal!

“What?!”

Luo Hong's eyes twitched.

Even the mighty shout imbued with his own magical power couldn't bring his subordinates back to their senses—what kind of attack had that been? Could it be... spiritual sense?

But the battle had already commenced; further thoughts were unnecessary.

In his line of sight, Fang Xing's blade flashed repeatedly, taking down two more nearby cultivators.

"How dare you!"

Luo Hong roared, the Jade Spring Sword turning into a stream of light, its sword energy menacing, forcing towards Fang Xing.

Fang Xing held an old bronze bell in his hand. A gentle shake released a vast and magnificent toll.

The helpers from the World Gang, previously intimidated by the dragon's aura, scrambled to tear open protective talismans or wield spells and magical artifacts to assault Fang Xing from all sides.

This 'Mysterious Sound Bell' was an exotic treasure Luo Hong obtained from a secret realm!

Unlike magical tools used during the Qi Refining stage or spiritual instruments of the Foundation Establishment stage, this exotic treasure didn't require bonding to a master; it only needed infusions of energy to function, often producing marvelous effects.

This 'Mysterious Sound Bell' could awaken the mind and defend the sea of consciousness!

Moreover, as Luo Hong shook the bell again, waves of invisible sound energy surged toward Fang Xing.

“Ha!”

With a flicker of his blade, Fang Xing moved seamlessly, striking down the Jade Spring Flying Sword.

Simultaneously, he activated a 'Golden Bell Talisman', shrouding himself in a phantom golden bell.

Beneath this golden bell, a nanotech protective suit enveloped his entire body, even shielding his eyes, as if he wore a silver-white armor.

Having done all this, Fang Xing dismissed the remaining attacks as inconsequential. With a sweep of his long blade, the Ghostblade roared to life again, and more heads flew!

“Impossible!”

Luo Hong's eyes widened as his trusted allies were reduced to a field of broken limbs and wreckage.

He witnessed a torrent of colorful low-level spells—vines, fireballs, and water arrows—bearing down on Fang Xing, nearly drowning him.

Yet in the next moment, the vines were torn to shreds, fireballs and water arrows barely pierced the golden bell's phantom, leaving only shallow marks on the enemy's silver armor.

It seemed as if Fang Xing became a silver-clad Grim Reaper, cutting through the magical torrent effortlessly. Every swing of his blade could tear through defensive barriers and destroy defensive artifacts, claiming the lives of Luo Hong's most trusted aides!

'Could he be a body refining cultivator?'

'No, that's impossible… Can body refining be this powerful?'

Luo Hong's Mysterious Sound Bell was both offensive and defensive, and its 'Bewildering Sound' could even affect the top experts at the peak of the Qi Refining stage. Why was Fang Xing unharmed? Body cultivators were supposed to have a weak sea of consciousness!

'Could it be... a second-tier body refining cultivator?'

Only the consciousness of a second-tier body refining cultivator might withstand such an attack!

But Luo Hong had no time to be astonished; Fang Xing was already upon him.

“Help me, Master...”

A woman's voice, tinged with despair, called out. Luo Hong saw the first beauty of his gang, her face marked by struggle, a line of blood appearing at her brow before her entire being split in two, revealing the relentless Shura-Death God standing behind!

"As expected, true martial arts thrive in actual combat!"

Fang Xing was like a demon god incarnate, wielding the Tiger Demon Blade with such finesse that not once did it clash with the airborne Jade Spring Sword's blade. Instead, each stroke skillfully tapped the sword's body, sending this high-grade magical flying sword away with ease.

Despite being a blood-refined magical weapon, it remained inferior, easily susceptible to breaking if it clashed directly with a superior flying sword.

Thus, Fang Xing consistently used strategic force to deflect the Jade Spring Sword.

Besides the attacks from this late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator, he practically ignored the assaults from other cultivators!

Throughout this blood-soaked journey, not a single person had breached his defense!

Even when his nano protective suit suffered damage, silvery streams swiftly cascaded to repair it.

Naturally, inside his protective barrier, Fang Xing still felt the impacts of various spells with heat, corrosion, and shock effects. Alas, after filtering through the Dragon Scale Elephant Armor, his body—empowered by Emerald Skin Mystique and Willow Tendon Steel Bones—bore it effortlessly.

'Anyone else, even an innate master, would have been rattled to death amidst such a torrent of spells...'

'But I'm different!'

Fang Xing unleashed a powerful stroke, the Demonic Blade's ghostly energies transforming into a ferocious blade aura, striking heavily against Luo Hong's protective jade shield.

By now, among the thirteen experts from the World Order faction pursuing him, only the leader remained!

'This one is no simpleton, stronger than the other two late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators... and his bell somehow guards his mind, resisting my Dragon's Intent!'

Fang Xing continued to cut relentlessly.

In the void, three consecutive blade shadows stretched out, infused with innate true energy, causing the blade's brilliance of the Tiger Demon Blade to surge. The surface of the white jade shield began to crack!

"Wait..." Luo Hong quickly retreated, his face drenched in cold sweat.

Never had he imagined that this seemingly ordinary martial artist was, in fact, a hidden slaughter deity!

Clearly a cultivator, possessing near second-stage body refinement, yet shamelessly suppressing his aura to disguise as a mortal!

One can only recognize what lies within one’s knowledge.

In Luo Hong's worldview, such prowess belonged to body refinement cultivators, not to mere martial artists!

"We can discuss terms..."

He appeared extraordinarily sincere while seeking reconciliation amidst the corpses and bloodshed of his subordinate warriors.

Despite the chaos and lethal intent surrounding him, Fang Xing stood, every breath a testament to his unwavering resolve.

As the night shrouded the battlefield, he felt the pulse of energy coursing through his veins, emboldening his every move.

The ground was strewn with the remnants of their conflict, but Fang Xing's spirit remained undeterred, unyielding to the forces opposing him.

With precision honed through countless battles, Fang Xing brandished his blade, its edge gleaming under the moonlight—an artifact of both protection and retribution.

His eyes met those of Luo Hong, whose stance faltered in the face of Fang Xing's unyielding spirit.

There was no fear, only an unspoken promise that this duel would meet its inevitable conclusion.

The magical assaults rained down upon him, but Fang Xing's defensive techniques, woven with mastery and intuition, repelled them.

He was the embodiment of both earth's raw durability and the skies' relentless fury.

Before him, his adversaries glimpsed not a man, but a storm personified.

In a moment that stretched across time, Fang Xing charged forward, his blade singing a hymn of battle.

The clash that followed was not mere steel upon steel, but the meeting of two fates, veering towards their destined outcome.

As silence reclaimed the night, Fang Xing stood amidst the aftermath, his resolve unwavering and his path resolutely clear.

]

(End of Chapter)