Starry Sky Professional

“What?”

Eldar Long's face flushed red in disbelief.

He tossed aside the remains in his hand and frantically searched the corpse of the bull demon. "Impossible... How can there be no demon core?"

Long turned his head sharply, "Wretch, you deceived me?!"

"Heh… Old fool Long, I only tricked Zeng Yi," Su Ye retorted with a cold laugh, "As for you, you're about to meet your end..."

"I'm... dying?" Eldar Long let out a derisive laugh and was about to speak when he suddenly heard a sword's whirr. "This is Gengjin Sword Qi, not good!"

He hurriedly raised his shield, clutching several talismans in hand.

But the golden gleam arrived almost instantly!

Just as he lifted his shield, a sword light pierced through it and embedded itself in Eldar Long's chest.

"You're... not dead?"

Blood dripped from his mouth and nose as he struggled to turn, seeing the scorched Mi Wei Dao.

"You, Long, dared to attack me from behind with a second-tier thunder talisman!" Mi Wei Dao sneered, "If not for the 'Life-Saving Talisman' bestowed by my master, you would have succeeded!"

As he activated his power, countless Gengjin Sword Qi erupted from Long's body, instantly slicing him into countless pieces.

“Cough... Thank you for your help, senior brother.”

Su Ye stood up, face pale, blood staining his chest like a fluttering leaf in the wind.

“Oh, it's nothing... I just can't stand this fool doing such a moronic thing as buying the box and discarding the pearl,”

Mi Wei Dao flicked his fingers, and a fireball landed on the remnants Eldar Long had thrown away earlier.

The debris was immediately engulfed in flames, turning into ashes.

Amid the ashes, a dull gray storage bag was revealed.

"It's no wonder that this storage bag, which even low-grade magical tools find hard to damage, can endure in the stomach of the Azure Rock Bull for so long. A mere first-tier low-grade Fireball Technique is naturally not enough to affect it..."

Mi Wei Dao held the storage bag in his hand, filled with emotion. "Thank you for your hard work, Junior Sister. You clearly knew this deceased person and realized they owned a storage bag containing treasures... No wonder you were so eager. Although the storage bag is hard to damage, in the stomach of a second-tier demon beast, it might still be corroded."

In this world, storage bags are precious, only equipped by Foundation Establishment cultivators or those who have perfected their Qi Condensation stage.

Once a storage bag is damaged, its contents are lost to the void.

Of course, there's another possibility—it could be expelled and found among a pile of dung.

But regardless, it all revolved around this Azure Rock Bull!

Since its owner had died, Mi Wei Dao easily refined the storage bag, letting his spiritual sense delve inside. His face instantly lit up with joy. "Is it truly this item? Hahaha... My path has been fulfilled!"

Suddenly, a jade bottle appeared in his hand, containing a globule of crimson essence, so luminous it even emanated through the jade!

"Qianyuan Fire Fiend! So, Junior Sister knew the whereabouts of the Qianyuan Fire Fiend, no wonder she fought so desperately... Compared to the less than one percent chance of successfully creating a Dingzhen Pill, the Qianyuan Fire Fiend is the true opportunity for Foundation Establishment!"

Mi Wei Dao looked at Su Ye. "Hahaha... Did you really think I would help you for a mere Dingzhen Pill with uncertain results? How could there be such a fool like you in this world?!"

Amidst his laughter, he suddenly transformed into a streak of sword light, swiftly retreating some distance.

Whoosh!

Two pitch-black flying swords stabbed into the spot where Mi Wei Dao had just stood.

The corners of Su Ye's skirt fluttered as several dark iron feather swords appeared: "The path is ahead, I must fight for it, forgive me, Senior Brother... Iron Feather Swords, go!"

Seven Iron Feather Swords moved in trajectory, forming a small sword formation trapping Mi Wei Dao within.

"Petty tricks. Junior Sister, you are not a sword cultivator, so you do not know the true strength of sword cultivators!"

With a wave of his hand, Mi Wei Dao released his flying sword, a golden rainbow soared skyward with a brilliant force!

In mid-air, a fierce clash ensued between the golden-red line and seven black hues, sword qi scattering in all directions.

It was clear that although there was only one golden rainbow, its ethereal agility and chilling sword qi overshadowed the Iron Feather Swords, cutting them down one by one…

Clearly, even among those who have perfected Qi Condensation, a true initiate of the Qingxuan Sect like Mi Wei Dao was unmatched by Su Ye.

"Today, I will send my Junior Sister on her way; my heart holds no regrets for my pursuit of the great Dao of Foundation Establishment.”

Mi Wei Dao's hand formed a sword seal, and with a swift incantation, a golden sword shot skyward, disrupting the erstwhile Iron Feather Sword Formation into a chaotic mess.

With a mere thought, he willed the golden sword to pierce through Su Ye's heart, intending to end it all at once.

“I'll fight you to the end!”

Su Ye's body glowed with spiritual energy, a faint aura of blood and malevolence suggesting she was about to use some desperate trump card.

Seeing this, Mi Wei Dao dared not be careless.

But at that very moment, several fireballs exploded behind him, held off by a protective Vajra Talisman.

“Hmm?”

He turned sharply, spotting Han Qingyun: “You're still alive?”

Han Qingyun was cloaked in a gauzy veil that concealed his presence, raining down various low-level talismans on Mi Wei Dao like they cost nothing.

‘No, even if he's alive, what can a mere initial-stage Qi Refiner do?’

Mi Wei Dao's mind raced, redirecting his flying sword towards Su Ye.

A ghastly demon, its visage sinister, extended a massive hand covered in black and red scales, managing to grasp the sword light firmly!

At the same time, Han Qingyun tossed out several more low-grade talismans, which detonated behind Mi Wei Dao.

“Just low-level talismans... Hmm? Is that... a Second-tier Thunder Pill?”

Mi Wei Dao sneered, but his expression shifted to shock as he realized that among the numerous talismans was a semi-transparent Thunder Pill emanating a terrifying aura.

The Thunder Pill, a unique creation of alchemists, harnesses the explosive power of lightning into a pill form, possessing formidable destructive power.

A second-tier Thunder Pill's might surpasses many second-tier inferior attack talismans!

He instinctively wanted to summon back his flying sword for defense, but it remained in the demon's grasp.

It was too late to deploy other spells.

And his last-ditch survival card had already been used before...

Though it seemed slow, it all happened in a mere instant as the second-tier Thunder Pill violently burst apart.

The lightning cleaves through the Diamond Talisman, obliterating Mi Wei Dao's Azure Mystic Robe, and then blasts his upper body to pieces.

'Snap!'

A hand, clutching a storage pouch, falls beside Han Qingyun.

Without even glancing at it, Han Qingyun bows respectfully to Su Ye, 'Thank you, my lady, for bestowing the "Phantom Talisman" upon me, saving my life, and aiding me with the Thunder Pill for my revenge...'

In this world, how often does the mantis catch the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind?

Even if these perfected Qi cultivators destroy each other, as a mere early-stage Qi Cultivator, Han Qingyun could never pick up the spoils!

His survival, naturally, depended on Su Ye's secret assistance, granting him the second-tier Phantom Talisman from the very start!

This talisman is an illusion charm, capable of creating a false image to deceive enemies, lasting for half an hour.

Previously, Han Qingyun feigned death using this talisman, then used the aura-concealing veil to hide, ultimately emerging victoriously.

'In the severed hand's storage bag beside you, there's an opportunity for Foundation Establishment. Are you interested?' Su Ye forms a hand seal, retracting the malevolent ghost, her aura visibly weaker, suddenly inquiring.

'Of course I am... If I were at the late-stage Qi, I'd act without hesitation, but currently, I'm only an early-stage Qi cultivator...'

Han Qingyun smiles wryly. 'Furthermore, my spiritual root aptitude is poor, and I've long abandoned hope of Foundation Establishment... The lady has shown great kindness to both me and Sister Hua; I, Han Qingyun, am not one to be swayed by greed...'

'Good, I'm glad I wasn't mistaken about you.'

Su Ye pulls out a spherical, azure pill and swallows it.

Through the lifted veil, Han Qingyun glimpses a small cherry-like mouth, though it lacks much color.

Just as he's about to speak, his expression shifts slightly.

A man in azure robes, with a long sword on his back, appears quietly at the scene, picking up the storage pouch belonging to Old Ghost Long.

'Is it you? Fang Yun?!'

Su Ye screams, quickly moving closer to Han Qingyun.

'The rule among rogue cultivators is to split the loot upon meeting. Since I've taken this person's storage pouch, I'll not harm you for no reason.'

Fang Xing showed a gentle smile, but to Su Ye, it was more terrifying than anything else.

After all, this was a ruthless person who had taken down the Thirteen Protectors of the Tianxia Gang, with absolutely unmatched combat power at the peak of Qi Refinement.

What's more, he was a physical cultivator with extraordinary survival abilities!

To have appeared here quietly, poised to swoop in for the final advantage, his ability to gather intelligence and track others only made him all the more intimidating.

"Brother Fang... if you desire it, this bottle of Qianyuan Flame Might, I am willing to..." Su Ye looked at Fang Xing, and couldn't help but grit her teeth, preparing to swallow this loss.

Having battled wits and courage with Old Ghost Long and Mi Wei Dao, she had exhausted both her mental and magical strength.

To face off against a fresh and ready 'Fang Yun' now was simply a recipe for certain defeat.

"I don't have much interest in this Foundation Establishment spiritual item, but it's worth over ten thousand spirit stones in the market... How many bottles of 'Boiling Blood Elixir' would that be worth?" Fang Xing watched Su Ye until she shifted uncomfortably, then he finally spoke with a smile.

He wasn't a cultivator at all, and the Foundation Establishment spiritual item was useless to him.

Moreover, his collaboration with Qingdan Workshop was quite fruitful, and he owed Su Ye a debt of gratitude for being kind to his underlings Han Qingyun and Hua Feiyue.

Alright, though Hua Feiyue would hardly recognize this 'Fang Yun', he decided to show a bit of goodwill.

"Boiling Blood Elixir?" Su Ye blinked in confusion, wondering what kind of cultivator would think this way: "A Foundation Establishment spiritual item counts as ten thousand spirit stones, halved for meeting, you would get five thousand, with Boiling Blood Elixir valued at two hundred spirit stones a bottle, at least worth twenty-five bottles!"

"Very good." Fang Xing understood that Su Ye was considering the Foundation Establishment spiritual item as spirit stones for fair division—uh, Han Qingyun's strength was too low to count his share.

"Then, how can I be assured you won't go back on our deal?" Fang Xing posed another question.

After all, since Su Ye had plotted against him earlier, she ought to pay some price.

"Old Ghost Long has a second-tier spiritual contract; I am willing to sign it!" Su Ye immediately answered, "I also swear by my Dao heart to guarantee your satisfaction... If I manage to establish a foundation, I will definitely escape with you from Qinglin Market!"

This kind of second-tier spiritual contract demands a heavy price even if a Foundation Establishment cultivator violates it. For those who have just entered the Foundation Establishment phase, it might even cause their cultivation level to drop back to the Qi Refining stage.

"Sounds promising... Oh right, let this boy be the witness."

Fang Xing pointed at Han Qingyun, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

]

(End of Chapter)