Starry Sky Professional

On Eagle Star.

In the bedroom.

Fang Xing reclined on his bed, feeling a deep sense of tranquility emanating from his heart.

Recalling the second-level avian beast he had just encountered, his eyes narrowed slightly. "There are indeed distinctions among second-level beasts... The oppressive aura of this avian beast was far more overwhelming than the last one I met... Could it be a mid-tier, or perhaps even a high-tier, second-level beast?"

Back then, he had seen Foundation Establishment cultivators in the market easily slay second-level beasts.

Yet Fang Xing believed that if it were this creature, even the Elder stationed at the Greenheart Market from the Azure Profound Sect would have no choice but to flee in haste!

Due to the creature's flight speed, escaping might not even be an option!

"As I am now, I probably don't have what it takes to engage a second-level beast... not even a low-tier one..."

Fang Xing had a clear understanding of his own capabilities.

Among Qi Refinement cultivators, he was definitely quite formidable, able to sweep through almost anything except against extraordinarily gifted opponents in the same phase.

However, facing Foundation Establishment cultivators or being besieged by late or even peak Qi Refinement cultivators posed extreme danger.

Foundation Establishment cultivators had awakened their 'spiritual sense,' which greatly heightened their intuition of danger. Even using his laser gun might not guarantee victory against them.

If his initial shot with the laser gun missed, losing the element of surprise, it would become even more impossible for Fang Xing to hit—though opponents couldn't dodge the laser, they could certainly evade the gun's aim!

Second-level beasts had thick hides and immense vitality, making them even tougher to deal with.

For these reasons, Fang Xing lingered on Eagle Star for several days before daring to return to Greenheart Market.

In his superior dwelling.

The basement remained unchanged.

"Oh? It seems this second-level beast, with its extraordinary spiritual sense, didn't detect any life force here, otherwise it might have come...”

Relieved he didn’t need to relocate, Fang Xing was quite satisfied.

In the following days, Fang Xing continued his usual routine of consuming spirit rice and taking pills to enhance his training.

Although excessive pill consumption can lead to pill toxins, his advancement to the Jade Realm had already undergone a significant purification process, expelling most impurities from his body.

Moreover, the unceasing breath within the Jade Realm continually tempered his internal organs, granting him far greater resistance to these toxins than in previous stages.

He also carefully controlled his intake, ensuring it was within his body's tolerance. As a result, his martial arts progressed rapidly while maintaining a solid foundation…

“The Tiger Stand technique is advancing swiftly… but the Dragon Elephant art has encountered stagnation due to the lack of Whale Elephant Ointment…”

A few days later, Fang Xing glanced at his attribute panel, feeling a bit regretful: "I need to prioritize finding a substitute for the Whale Elephant Ointment soon."

On the Hatchling Star, even if substitutes existed, he lacked the channels, connections, and sufficient star currency to obtain them.

Here, however, it posed much less of a problem.

As dawn broke, Fang Xing, as usual, donned a black robe and covered his face, blending into the thick fog. Random figures occasionally emerged from ruins and basements, all similarly dressed with their faces tightly covered, carrying talismans and magical artifacts while vigilantly watching everyone around.

‘The cultivators in this world really aren't very friendly…’

he mused to himself as he arrived at the Ghost Market.

This place was essentially an old market area that had fallen into disrepair, where a few cultivators took advantage of the early morning mist — which concealed them from the sharp eyes of beasts — to trade.

Today's fog was exceptionally dense, making it hard to see anyone more than three meters away.

‘Something feels strange about this; could it be some special formation technique at work? Or is a formation master manipulating this environment?’

Fang Xing approached a stall, only to find it selling ordinary rice.

“How about it? This rice is cheap. One spirit stone for twenty jin…”

The vendor was a Qi Refining cultivator, though his cultivation might only be at the early Qi Refining stage, yet he wore a wide smile.

"Before at the marketplace, ten pounds of spiritual rice would only cost one spiritual stone..."

Fang Xing felt at a loss for words.

Though Qi Refining cultivators cannot endure long-term fasting, just look at what they're being driven to.

"Ah, the times were so different then, what a difference now?"

The vendor lamented: "Having something to eat is already fortunate... Wait till the remaining resources in this marketplace ruin are exhausted, then you’ll see!"

Fang Xing was well aware that the spiritual fields outside the marketplace had all been left fallow, and next year would only be worse.

These rogue cultivators stayed despite everything, willing to risk occasional hunts by second-tier demon beasts rather than leave, partly because the wild outskirts were even more dire, with similar chances of encountering high-tier beasts.

Secondly, the marketplace ruins still had some supplies, and scavenging occasionally yielded rewards.

Even if demon beasts came, with so many people around, they believed they had a chance at survival!

The third reason, perhaps, was the elusive hope that the major sects outside might return to reclaim the land!

He shook his head and moved towards another place.

"Hey, big brother, care to join in?"

At a street corner stood several female cultivators, enchanting and beautifully dressed. Upon seeing Fang Xing, tall and robust, without a hint of weakness, their eyes brightened: "In the past, I had a legitimate trade at the Listening Rain Pavilion, proficient in the Seventy-Two Styles of the Mysterious Cave, the Nine Fish-Dragon Changes, and the Art of Battle Spring's Cry... I promise you'll be captivated, just a few pounds of spiritual rice or a Fasting Pill is all I ask..."

‘Hmm, compared to before, the price has indeed dropped significantly...’

He was here to stroll around for relaxation, while also searching for materials to replace the 'Whale Elephant Paste,' and wouldn't be distracted by these minor matters.

‘As expected, this Ghost Market isn't up to par. Next time, I'll head straight to the Cave Black Market...’

Just when Fang Xing thought he’d leave empty-handed once again, he paused, stopping before a stall. On this stall were a few scattered bottles of pills, a rarity in the Ghost Market, a stall of pills indeed.

Despite the general quality of the elixirs on his stall, in today's challenging times, they are quite decent.

The vendor is an elderly cultivator, with half a broken ebony hairpin and a tattered spiritual robe, painting a rather bleak picture.

Yet, despite this, he maintains a haughty demeanor, a faint scent of medicinal herbs lingering around him, signaling his identity as an alchemist.

‘Could it be him? Wan Fenglin... that old fellow is still alive?’

Fang Xing stared at the evidently down-and-out master alchemist Wan Fenglin, surprised.

During the first Battle of Five Scorpions Valley, he made a miscalculation and had to use a life-saving talisman to escape, becoming the first one eliminated from the game.

Afterwards, the internal conflict between Chen Yi and the Black Tiger Gang didn’t concern him.

Fang Xing was surprised the Black Tiger Gang hadn’t killed him, but somehow he survived.

Unbeknownst to him, Wan Fenglin had indeed been pushed to the brink, even becoming a prisoner of the Black Tiger Gang, but fortunately, the Emerald Profound Sect intervened, suppressing the Black Tiger Gang. The gang leader was slain by a Foundation Establishment expert, leading to the gang’s dissolution and giving him a chance to escape.

However, his cultivation was severely damaged, falling back to the third level of Qi Refinement. Now, with the market disaster, life was difficult, and he could hardly piece together a decent outfit.

"Needs any elixir, my friend? This 'Golden Supplement Pill' rapidly heals any injury, and this 'Spring Vitality Pill' can maintain your youth if taken regularly…"

Wan Fenglin, not recognizing the disguised and masked Fang Xing, eagerly introduced the wares on his stall.

Fang Xing glanced over them, unimpressed. No wonder his fortune had declined.

After some thought, he produced the box that once held the 'Whale Elephant Ointment.' The ointment was used up, but some residual essence remained, enough for an alchemist or herbalist to analyze: "I used this kind of body-refining ointment. Do you have anything similar in stock?"

Wan Fenglin examined it, sniffing lightly, and his expression changed: "This medicinal essence is quite potent... I didn’t expect this, my friend must be a body cultivator, perhaps even a late-stage Qi Refinement body cultivator. It's truly a remarkable technique for concealing one's aura."

"So you do know!"

Fang Xing crossed his arms, speaking coldly: "And what about it?"

"This ointment is potent, likely containing second-tier spirit herbs and the essence of second-tier demon beasts... I can't think of a substitute. Even the Qingdan Workshop might not have anything comparable…"

Wan Fenglin offered a wry smile as he handed the empty box back to Fang Xing.

“So, it's like this, huh? Well, that's that…”

Fang Xing shook his head. He had long known that cultivating the Dragon Elephant Technique would be difficult, but he hadn't expected it to be this arduous.

The accompanying ointment required high-tier materials!

‘Does this mean I have to hunt down a second-tier demon beast? While my blood-refining artifact works fine against people, it barely scratches a second-tier beast…’

‘Still, Wan Fenglin's personality leaves much to be desired… Next time, it's better to consult Lady Xiaorui.’

As he turned to leave, he suddenly paused mid-stride.

Truth be told, he hadn't forgotten Wan Fenglin's earlier attempt to manipulate him, holding onto this grudge firmly.

Yet seeing Wan Fenglin now, so desolate and down on his luck, it seemed that mere survival was punishment enough.

“Is there something else you need, fellow Daoist?”

Wan Fenglin's voice tinged with hesitation as he watched Fang Xing pause.

Then his eyes grew wide as he noticed a low-grade spirit stone in Fang Xing's hand.

“I'm quite intrigued by that one secret realm,” Fang Xing began, tossing more low-grade spirit stones casually in his hand. “Since you, Master Wan, have been there before, you must know something. Spill the beans and these spirit stones could be yours…”

Wan Fenglin's face shifted through a spectrum of emotions as his desire to flee contended with his fear, finally settling into a bleak acceptance. “About the Five Scorpions Valley, I really have no idea what happened. I survived merely by luck… And when I returned, the Black Tiger Gang had their eyes on me, and I was kidnapped…”

In truth, the Black Tiger Gang believed Wan Fenglin knew some hidden secrets about the realm or possessed alchemical skills, sparing his life for these reasons.

“It was actually during my time with the Black Tiger Gang that I overheard a few things…”

Watching the spirit stones flickering through Fang Xing’s fingers, Wan Fenglin swallowed hard. “About that secret realm, they say the ‘All Things Supreme’ left his legacy there, and it’s incredibly valuable. That's why even core-formation cultivators from the Azure Profound Sect are drawn to it…”

“All Things Supreme?”

Fang Xing was a little confused, but he still tossed over a low-grade spirit stone. "Continue speaking..."

"Yes, yes…" Wan Fenglin's eyes lit up. After all, that mystical realm was now definitely occupied by beasts and considered wasted. Any rumors he could sell were worth a few spirit stones. "Speaking of this 'Supreme of All Arts', it’s quite remarkable. It is said that a thousand years ago, he was a renowned genius... Despite possessing inferior spiritual roots, he broke through the cultivation stages and reached the pinnacle of the Core Formation stage…"

]

(End of Chapter)