Starry Sky Professional

In the Azure Rock Square City, within the cavern abode.

“It's still not working!”

Fang Xing opened his eyes, a trace of worry crossing his face: “Summer break... no, the Hundred Star Entrance Exams are almost here, and yet, I still haven't mastered the Vajra Prakara Divine Power...”

The difficulty of this S-class martial art exceeded his imagination, no wonder Xia Long took three years back then!

“At least most of my internal organs have been refined... Advancing to the fourth realm of martial arts before the Hundred Star Entrance Exams should be a breeze.”

He stood up, made himself a bowl of beef congee, and slowly drank while checking the recent surveillance logs.

On the surveillance screen, there was a dilapidated looking cavern.

Of course, Fang Xing knew that this cavern was far from dilapidated, it was even shrouded in a mysterious formation that could deceive second-tier demon beasts and had avoided several attacks.

It appeared to be occupied by a solitary wandering cultivator.

In reality, however, it belonged to Azure Elixir Square, and was designated as the foundation establishment site for the alchemist Su Ye!

“It's said... that when a cultivator sets their foundation, the success rate is higher if done above a second-grade spiritual vein... If no second-grade spiritual vein is available, then a first-grade high-quality spiritual vein could barely suffice—though additional spiritual power from spirit stones or a spirit gathering formation would be needed...”

As for how Fang Xing discovered Su Ye’s foundation establishment site, that was thanks to those surveillance devices.

“Hmm? Has it finally begun?”

Su Ye had been in closed door cultivation for several months, and as of yesterday, there were finally some unusual signs from the cavern.

Now, spiritual energy was converging to form a vortex.

Though it wasn’t large in scope, nearby cultivators could still sense it.

“It's happening!”

Fang Xing murmured, noticing Xiao Rui and several cultivators from Azure Elixir Square guarding the surroundings of the cavern with vigilant expressions.

Among them, he also spotted Hua Feiyue and Han Qingyun.

However, Fang Xing had no intention of revealing his presence to them.

Su Ye could evidently offer far more generous rewards than the mere ten spirit stones a month that Hua Feiyue received from him.

Now that these two had clearly allied with Qingdan Workshop, there was no need for him to complicate matters further.

Nearby, a few rogue cultivators had been drawn to the area. Some respectfully bowed towards the cave, pleading on their knees, while others seemed eager to test their luck.

"Grandfather, what are we doing here?" asked Ding Hongxiu, clutching a broken magical instrument tightly and eyeing her surroundings warily.

She felt as though the surrounding cultivators were like ravenous wolves!

"We’re here to protect the path!" declared Ding Boushan, raising his wine gourd with an air of solemnity. "You've seen for yourself these past few days. If we remain in the marketplace, it’s a slow death for us. If we want to survive, we have to venture out! Yet, for Qi refining cultivators to traverse the wilderness is tantamount to suicide. Only by following closely behind a grand Foundation Establishment master do we have a slim chance of survival..."

"Is no one going to come to our rescue?" Ding Hongxiu’s eyes were filled with despair, her cheeks gaunt and clearly having suffered greatly.

"Perhaps some great sect with Golden Core experts might come out, but it would be for the secret realm, not to save us. For them, years in seclusion pass in the blink of an eye, yet for us, it would be too long to endure."

Ding Boushan, wise with age, had gathered several like-minded cultivators, moving closer to Qingdan Workshop together.

"Is that Miss Xiao Rui? The old man is here to guard the senior’s Foundation Establishment; we dare not intrude, so we’ll stand on guard at the outermost perimeter!"

He cast a fierce glance at the other rogue cultivators, "I’ll see who dares to cut off the livelihood of everyone at the marketplace!"

As for whether the grand Foundation Establishment master would take them along?

Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator needed scouts or attendants to traverse the wilderness! Plainly speaking, they were begging to be cannon fodder. As rogue cultivators, they were long accustomed to gambling their lives for a chance at survival.

The question now lay in whether that senior could succeed. "Sister Hua…" whispered Han Qingyun, one of the Qingdan Workshop guards, as he sidled up to Hua Feiyue. "What do you think?”

"Were it any other time, those rogue cultivators would've rushed forward long ago...

Now, with the Young Mistress preparing for Foundation Establishment, they're hesitating. Clearly, they too want to ally with us, to escape this place..."

"Under these circumstances, people come together," Hua Feiyue said solemnly. "Building your foundation in a place rich with ley lines is what's called being in the right location... That golden-feathered demonic bird was last here three days ago, and following its patterns, it won't return for another ten days or so, which means the timing is perfect... With the timing, location, and harmony of everyone involved, now it all depends on whether the young lady can successfully create her foundation."

A thunderous crash echoed!

Finally, the swirling spiritual energy poured into the cave dwelling, and everything calmed down.

"Too late by a step!"

Amongst the scattered cultivators, one late-stage Qi Refinement rogue cultivator hid his regret, maintaining a composed expression. "We have only come to extend our congratulations. Congratulations, Senior, on building your Foundation!"

Now that the phenomenon had subsided, there were only two possible outcomes: success or failure.

Having spoken his pretty words, if the other party failed to establish their foundation, he could take action.

Creak!

With a loud bang, the doors of the cave dwelling opened wide, and a veiled woman in green robe calmly stepped out. Her presence was profound, exuding the aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

With just one glance, the surrounding rogue cultivators were awestruck, bowing respectfully. "Congratulations, Senior, on successfully building your Foundation. We wish you eternal happiness and immortality!"

"I have successfully built my Foundation," Su Ye acknowledged, "Thank you all for attending the ceremony... hm?"

In the next moment, with a wave of her elegant hand, she summoned large hands of mana that plucked beetles and birds hidden in the roof, wall crevices, and corners one by one. "Such exquisite puppetry, devoid of any mana fluctuations. If I hadn't already developed my spiritual sense, I wouldn't have noticed them…"

A Qi Refinement cultivator's spiritual sense can only introspect their own body and inspect jade slips and storage bags.

But a Foundation Establishment cultivator's spirit sense is different; it is the evolution of spiritual sense—capable of comprehensively observing everything within dozens of meters, crystal clear.

Under the sweep of Su Ye’s current spirit sense, although these birds and geckos appeared vividly alive, they were in fact complex and intricate machines inside, clearly not living creatures.

What intrigued her even more was that these puppets exhibited no mana fluctuations whatsoever. Indeed, without being a Foundation Establishment cultivator, it would be hard to discern any clues.

Boom! Boom!

In the next moment, the drones in her grasp exploded in succession, transforming into clusters of firelight.

"Hm? Self-destructed?" Su Ye was slightly taken aback.

"Do you need us to step in and ferret out this prowler?"

Feeling triumphant, Ding Boushan stood tall, speaking with a newfound volume.

"No need. I have some clues about who this person might be... Thank you all for coming to safeguard me. I’ve prepared a humble banquet at a nearby villa. Please, honor me with your presence..."

Su Ye spoke kindly, her voice laced with joy.

Even the rogue cultivators lurking with ill intentions on the fringes were invited.

"Since the senior has extended the invitation, we naturally won’t decline."

The Qi Refining late-stage cultivator exchanged glances with others before accepting.

Soon, news of the young master of Qing Dan Market successfully establishing his foundation spread like a storm across the marketplace...

After everyone departed, ten zhang away from that particular cave, the ground unexpectedly parted as a pitch-black beetle crawled out...

"The initial stage of Foundation Establishment, with the spiritual awareness range extending outwards to about ten zhang, around 33 meters?"

In the underground chamber of the cave, Fang Xing finished his beef porridge, deep in thought.

The spiritual awareness range of Foundation Establishment cultivators varied with their cultivation base, techniques, and even individual constitution.

Moreover, certain mystical items and elixirs could open the Purple Mansion and enhance spiritual awareness.

Today, he risked exposure, persisting in surveillance just to gather firsthand data.

‘From Su Ye’s actions, it seems everything within the 33 meters range was detected and cleared... Only those beyond 33 meters were spared, presumably confirming this fact.’

‘However, I must be wary of her feigned ignorance... She might have already discovered my beetle puppet, merely pretending not to know...’

‘Is this what Foundation Establishment cultivators are like? It’s said that their internal mana is elevated to liquid true essence, with just one drop surpassing the entire mana of an ordinary late-stage Qi Refining cultivator...’

Fang Xing set up the Tiger Subduing Posture, practicing boxing while musing.

‘After her successful foundation establishment, Su Ye will surely leave. This may be the last time for an exodus wave... Should I go with them and venture to the wilderness?’

Quickly, he made up his mind: ‘No, I won’t go!’

Those rogue cultivators want to escape because their lives are uncertain!

Fang Xing knew that as long as he was cautious, he could retreat to the Eagle Star in times of danger, ensuring his own safety and avoiding problems like running out of supplies.

He could wait for those major sects to clear the path themselves...

Even in the worst case scenario, if everyone abandoned the Qinglin Bazaar, Fang Xing could quietly cultivate to reach the state of Guts, the External Scene, or even the Martial Dao's Golden Core before venturing out on his own!

'Placing hope in others is both cowardly and foolish. I only believe in myself!'

'This too, is my Martial Dao!'

"Roar!" At the next moment, it seemed as if a ferocious tiger's roar echoed in Fang Xing's ears.

The domain of Subduing Tiger—achieved!

He brushed his fingers across his brow, feeling another surge of spiritual power gathering in his Niwan Palace.

"The Dragon Domain, the Subduing Tiger Domain... I've acquired both. Each baptism of domain benefits the Niwan Palace greatly, solidifying the foundation for the future."

Fang Xing carefully immersed himself in the Subduing Tiger Domain, sensing that under the influence of these two domains, his internal energy surged wildly!

"The progression of the six viscera has accelerated as well..."

【Subduing Tiger Stake: 1/400】

Glancing at the attribute panel, Fang Xing couldn't help but nod silently.

"After reaching the master level, increasing proficiency becomes more challenging... still, for the future foundation of the Golden Core, regular practice of the Dragon and Tiger Domains is essential."

Fang Xing habitually checked the progress of his other martial arts, discovering that the Dragon Elephant Skill had reached 89/100, prompting a slight smile.

"Once I've mastered the Dragon Elephant Skill, I can seek Su Ye's guidance...

But it seems pointless, as she'd likely overpower me... as soon as she takes flight, I could only watch helplessly."

Regarding the use of 'Flight Talismans' or similar methods? It's as if comparing humans with wings to birds in flight.

With Fang Xing's current experience, if he intended to kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he would need to launch a surprise close-range attack to settle the battle in one move!

]

(End of Chapter)