Starry Sky Professional

"Die!" Fang Xing had no intention of yielding to such a person.

With a deft motion, his left hand drew the Ink-Patterned Sword. A myriad of cold glimmers shimmered like shooting stars, culminating in a single point that flicked away the White Jade Sword once more.

Following this, the Tiger Shatter Blade slashed down with the force of a demon, striking against the White Jade Shield.

Crash!

The White Jade Shield emitted a mournful wail, shattering into countless specks of light that scattered in all directions. Luo Hong's once radiant robe of spiritual light was instantaneously extinguished, and a trace of abnormal crimson appeared on his face. "Do you intend to fight to the death?"

Tearing open a high-grade Tier-One 'Diamond Talisman', he enveloped himself in a thick golden glow and hastily retreated.

In Luo Hong's hand, another talisman appeared.

This talisman was even larger than the previous Diamond Talisman. The bright yellow charm paper was thick and firm, exuding a difficult-to-describe texture, adorned with vermillion cinnabar strokes that seemed to writhe like dragons and serpents, with faint flickers of fire and lightning emerging.

Its aura surpassed that of a Tier-One high-grade talisman.

"A Tier-Two talisman?" Fang Xing sensed a tinge of danger and stopped in his tracks.

A Tier-Two talisman represented the attack power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator! Ordinary early and mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators wouldn't have enough magic power to activate it.

Yet, a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator could initiate it, though it easily backfired.

"Correct, it's indeed a Tier-Two—Bing Fire Thunder God Talisman!" Luo Hong raised his life-saving trump card high. "Surely you know, Bing Fire Thunder is an extraordinary Foundation Establishment spell... Thunder and fire are renowned for their destructive power, and Bing Fire Thunder is among the best. If you don't want to perish with me, then step back..."

Before he finished speaking, a beam of laser light descended upon the Diamond Talisman, breaking through its defense in an instant and striking Luo Hong's head.

Bang!

His headless corpse fell backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

The Tier-Two 'Bing Fire Thunder God Talisman' lost its infusion of magical energy, dimming abruptly and falling beside the corpse.

Furthermore, the suspended Xuan Yin Bell and Jade Spring Sword, deprived of their owner's magical support, retracted all their spiritual light and plummeted to the ground.

"If it weren't for my desire to hone my martial skills by engaging with you... who would linger this long? Taste the blade of the Ashina Style!"

Fang Xing tucked the laser gun into his coat, let out a cold snort, and began collecting the spoils of battle.

A moment later,

he moved like a shadowy cloud, swiftly leaving the battlefield behind.

Sometime later, figures cautiously emerged from the darkness, creeping over and freezing at the sight of the corpses littering the ground.

“Are these... the members of the Tianxia Gang? They're all dead!”

“Even the leader, Luo Hong, is dead? He was truly dangerous, capable of returning alive from secret realms, and was quite the formidable character. Yet, he met his end?”

“Who is that mysterious individual?”

Soon, the figures disappeared, and the remnants of the factions within Qinglin Market learned of a new, mysterious power rising within, one that vanquished the Tianxia Gang. They promptly recognized this individual as someone who must never be provoked...

...

At an upper-level sanctuary,

in the basement.

“That was some fight!”

Fang Xing removed his nano-protective suit, letting it collapse into a compact, silvery-white metallic orb, noticeably lighter than before.

“After withstanding so many attacks, the suit is damaged. Even with self-repair capabilities, the reserve nano-components are running low...”

He sighed, discarding the suit carelessly.

Such suits were popular on Hatchling Star; if worn out, he could simply purchase another.

Besides, he had only minor injuries, none of which were cause for worry.

The losses were minimal, but the gains were impressive!

The spiritual stones and artifacts from the small fry were negligible; the real treasure came from Luo Hong!

Fang Xing couldn't help but marvel at how wealth truly accumulates like a pyramid.

Though Luo Hong didn't have a storage pouch, he carried a small money bag filled with mid-grade spiritual stones!

A rough count revealed ten pieces!

Equivalent to a thousand low-grade spiritual stones, not to mention the high-quality artifact-level flying sword — "Jade Spring," an ancient bell that seemed extraordinary at a glance, a spiritual serpent hairpin, and a Tier-Two talisman — the 'Bing Fire Divine Thunder Talisman'!

“I've long heard that thunder techniques lead in destructive power among many spells...but alas, I still can't use them.”

Fang Xing mused, then closed his eyes, recalling the recent battle.

It's undeniable, martial artists must frequently engage in combat to rapidly improve!

He noticed that both his Daemonic Blade and Passionate Sword had shown improvements, and he started to have some thoughts on the follow-up to the Dragon Elephant Technique.

Moreover, a noticeable aura and a certain fierceness had grown around him.

‘For a martial artist, having a powerful presence is crucial... If I can accumulate an invincible momentum, whether it's breaking through or cultivating, progress would be as rapid as a thousand miles in a day!'

'This world’s martial path is not flourishing. Is it possible that I'm here to spread martial arts widely, to become a figure like the Martial Ancestor, teaching countless disciples, eventually challenging and surpassing the Immortal Path, and ushering in a new era for martial arts?'

Fang Xing began to indulge in whimsical thoughts.

However, should he truly accomplish such a feat, he would certainly be able to gather unparalleled momentum and courage!

‘To conquer the world with fists?’

‘Currently, I am just a small fry; creating a path and challenging the Immortal Path is too daunting for me…’

'I should disguise myself as a body cultivator for now…'

In fact, the difference between a body cultivator and other cultivators could be discerned at a glance by other practitioners, and Fang Xing couldn't think of a viable disguise.

But he didn't need to disguise himself!

Like Luo Hong, the cultivators would only comprehend what exists within their cognitive scope.

Having never encountered such a powerful martial artist, they would assume Fang Xing to be a body cultivator, particularly one with expertly concealed aura techniques.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.

Fang Xing found great delight in living here.

The aura in this top-notch cave dwelling was abundant; even if he didn’t practice martial arts, he could still strengthen his body and prolong his life.

If he ran out of elixirs, he could always purchase them at the market.

As for safety issues?

He mostly returned to Piercing Eagle Star to sleep at night, where his rest was always particularly sweet.

The mounting scarcity of living supplies among the cultivators in the marketplace was never an issue for him.

On this day, Fang Xing was bare-chested, applying a layer of ointment to himself.

The ointment had a faint fragrance to it; it burned slightly as it was rubbed on his skin, revealing it to be ‘Whale Elephant Ointment’!

"The half box of Whale Elephant Balm that Teacher Xia Long provided is all used up now, even though I've been sparing with it..."

Fang Xing took a fighting stance, his entire body glowing with resplendent light, resembling a golden-bodied arhat.

"The Dragon Elephant Technique truly deserves its title as the best defense among A-rank martial arts..."

Through the previous battles, he profoundly understood the superiority of body refining techniques and now intended to further enhance them.

"If I want to make rapid progress, Whale Elephant Balm is essential. Relying on the black market on fledgling star isn't favorable, not to mention spreading cultivation items isn't exactly safe; the Prevention Bureau might be watching that area closely..."

"Maybe I should look around here and see if there's a substitute..."

"Those Qi Refining period pills suitable for body cultivators, I should try them out. After all, I've got spirit stones… Even if I run out, I could always sell that ancient bell or the flying sword..."

After completing a full cycle of the Dragon Elephant Technique, Fang Xing sat cross-legged, hearts aiming towards the sky, silently channeling inner breath to temper his five organs.

With the aid of the 'Qi Replenishing Pill,' his inner breath flowed continuously, allowing him to cultivate the five organs at a swift pace.

Upon completing a session, he glanced at the attribute panel:

【Name: Fang Xing】

【Age: 17】

【Occupation: Martial Artist】

【Third Realm: Unpolished Jade】

【Military Body Boxing Twelve Styles: 55/200】

【Great Dragon Stance: 7/400】

【Tiger Subduing Stance: 79/200】

【Ghost God Blade: 45/100】

【Passionate Sword: 22/100】

【Dragon Elephant Technique: 8/100】

【Gates of All Heavens】

...

"Indeed, battling is the fastest way to train..."

"Beyond that, the speed at which my inner breath refines the five organs is astonishing. I should complete the refinement in about three months or so, allowing me to begin the cultivation of the six viscera..."

"Which means... six months from now, I might attempt to break through to the Fourth Realm?"

“Before the Hundred Star Exam? If we can make a splash before the exam, that would certainly be impressive...”

Xia Long hoped his classmates could achieve a good ranking in the Hundred Star Exam, perhaps within the top fifty thousand or even the top hundred thousand, which would already be considered a decent achievement.

However, Fang Xing believed that with some effort, breaking into the top thousand was quite achievable.

If he were fortunate enough to reach the Courage Spirit Realm, maybe he could even vie for the top ten?

“This is mainly because, during the examination, I don't want to reveal all my skills; otherwise, I'd at least be in the top three, right?”

“For my future college entrance exams, I'll be competing with geniuses from all over the universe for spots in top universities—the Hundred Star Exam is just a minor hurdle...,” he thought confidently.

Fang Xing was brimming with pride when suddenly a fierce, menacing cry echoed from the distant sky!

A shriek!!!

The terrifying sound waves swept across the marketplace like a hurricane, causing every cultivator's heart to skip a beat.

The sound approached rapidly, seemingly from afar, but in the blink of an eye, it was right above the marketplace!

A shadow, vast enough to blot out the sun, was cast upon them.

Fang Xing looked up to see a beast resembling a golden-feathered vulture, its wingspan measuring at least tens of meters long, with feathers that shimmered like flowing gold, forming a natural defense.

‘My blood-refining weapon probably can't even pierce through this bird's defense...’

Fang Xing took refuge in a basement, watching the outside world through surveillance, ready to return to Chuying Star at a moment's notice.

Bang bang!

The massive beast halted within the market, crushing countless ruins to dust with its talons.

Its hideous, grotesque vulture head snaked into a basement and plucked out a cultivator to devour.

Whether spells or magical items, under the bird's beak, they appeared as fragile as paper.

Fang Xing could sense the enormous life-level gap between them.

“A second-tier demon beast?” ⁋In the distance, a few beastly screams reached his ears, as the giant bird relentlessly pinned a snake-headed, bull-bodied beast with its enormous talons and swallowed it whole.

In this market, whether demon beasts or human cultivators, they were merely its prey.

‘If a second-tier demon beast is like this, what about a third-tier great demon?’

‘Earlier, I was too arrogant. The path ahead... is still long!’

Fang Xing silently watched the monitors, and when the demon bird showed any signs of approaching, he immediately chose to open the Gate of All Worlds.

Three seconds later, with a flash of silver light, the boy's figure vanished instantly...

]

(End of Chapter)