Starry Sky Professional

For him, Bai Lianyi's actions were none of his business, and he had no interest in other people's private lives.

Last time he dealt with Bai Lianyi, it was only to open his good friend Liu Wei's eyes to the true nature of the person.

But now it was unnecessary.

After all, he had always walked an upright path, sitting tall and confident, fearing nothing.

Currently, his only goal was to study diligently, get into a top university, truly enter the federation’s high ranks as a reserve, and grow strong so he would fear nothing in the future...

Apart from that, everything else was just illusion!

...

“Hehe... Is the Saintess losing her charm? That Fang Xing shows no interest in you, huh...”

In the bridge's underpass, the damp ground was smeared with a massive amount of blood-like filth, resembling the roots of a redwood tree, spreading to the walls to paint an eerie sign of a blood gate.

Before this 'Gate of Blood,' a black-robed figure stood, shrouded entirely in a layer of black fog, making it impossible to discern their form.

The black-robed person let out a raspy laugh.

“Could it be... Liu Wei gave him a warning?”

Bai Lianyi toyed with the hem of her skirt, looking much like a timid neighboring girl.

“I never told that fool about the Goddess's affairs...” The black-robed figure seemed indifferent.

“That's no fool. If he could use the opportunity to connect with the resistance and gain their acceptance, while also deceiving us... If someone like that is a fool, then what are we? Idiots?”

Bai Lianyi shook her head, “It seems I must personally pay a visit. At that time, I'll have to ask you to handle the cleanup of any surrounding surveillance traces, as this is your specialty...”

...

Deep in the night.

Fang Xing ordered a food delivery, ready for an all-nighter of gaming... This was how he combined work and leisure.

He practiced martial arts to rise above others and enjoy life better.

If he practiced martial arts for its own sake, wouldn't he become a martial art fool or, worse, like a rock?

‘At Qinglin Market, the courtesan of Tingyu Pavilion had significantly lowered her price...’

As he removed his holographic glasses, a strange thought crossed Fang Xing's mind.

The next moment, he shook his head, dismissing the thought.

Suddenly, a series of knocks echoed from the door.

"Who is it? My takeout has already arrived."

Fang Xing opened the door, only to be met by Bai Lianyi, looking fragile and pitiable in her white dress. "Bai?"

"A-Xing... please help me..."

Bai Lianyi stepped into the room as if haunted by a terrifying memory. "Today, while I was walking, I encountered it..."

She opened her backpack, revealing a peculiar door.

"What? A door?"

Fang Xing was taken aback, ready to act, but Bai Lianyi swiftly reversed her grip, seizing his pulse point.

As his Dragon Scale Armor activated instinctively, ready to retaliate, Fang Xing found himself unable to tear his gaze away.

The door, seemingly cast from bronze, every pattern on it appeared to convey the true essence of the universe.

Just staring at the door made him feel as if he was experiencing utter freedom and bliss.

While his mind was entranced, his limbs felt leaden, immobilized.

"Fang, subduing you isn't easy, but... once I invoke my master, everything will change..."

A serene smile spread across Bai Lianyi's face. "Come... join us... You have the potential to become a divine envoy..."

Fang Xing's expression remained blank. He desperately wanted to move, but found himself helpless.

The bronze door seemed to embody the true form of some outer god, blessed in some manner.

Once unleashed, its mere presence rendered him nearly immobile.

Fang Xing suspected that without his mastery of both Dragon and Tiger meditations, his mental faculties would be suppressed.

"Don't worry... it won't be long, just a few seconds."

Bai Lianyi's demeanor was devout as she gripped Fang Xing tightly, soothing him while reciting ancient and intricate incantations: "We beseech the Gate of the Void..."

She spoke in a language unfamiliar to Fang Xing, yet every word entered his ears already understood.

Crack!

Crack!

The patterns on the bronze door seemed to come alive, beginning to writhe...

The sounds of gears turning, like the roar of steam...

A crack appeared on the bronze door, growing larger by the moment, as though the door was about to swing wide open...

“In just a few seconds... will I be... tainted by the evil god?”

As Fang Xing felt his own consciousness beginning to stagnate, and Bai Lianyi's hands restraining him, he found himself with no other choice.

Three seconds passed, and there was a flash of silver light.

Bai Lianyi's vision blurred, and the world had changed.

“What... where am I? An illusion attack? Where is my master?”

She stared at the walls of the upper-class residence in Qinglin Market with a blank expression.

But in the next instant, she realized what her hands clasped was not human but a dragon elephant!

Roar!

Having regained control of his body after the evil god's statue lost its influence, Fang Xing immediately surged his blood and energy, causing the sounds of dragon roars and tiger yells to echo around him.

The Dragon's Domain!

The Tiger Subduing Domain!

Bai Lianyi's pure white dress suddenly transformed into a nano protective suit.

Her hands bloomed like lotuses, and her aura endlessly flowed. Unknowingly, she had surpassed the Jadeite Boundary!

“So... this is your secret?”

Bai Lianyi surveyed her surroundings, her face still showing shock.

Then...

She saw Fang Xing raise his hand, and a blue rainbow fell into it, a blade coming down in a vertical slash!

Second-tier spirit sword—Blue Rainbow!

A blue sword light, imbued with an unparalleled sharpness, suddenly swept across Bai Lianyi's mesmerizing face.

The light was chilling, and within its sword hum seemed to carry the stories of the world, causing Bai Lianyi's stunning face to lose focus momentarily, as a tear slipped from the corner of her eye...

Then...

A thin line of blood appeared on her alabaster forehead, skimming past her delicate nose, lips glossed with pearly pink lipstick, and smooth chin...

With a loud crash!

The two halves of the corpse fell to the ground, and Fang Xing tore open a fireball talisman, turning it to ashes in an instant.

Anyone who discovers his secret must die!

"Unexpectedly, I've inadvertently completed an experiment on bringing others across dimensions..." Fang Xing muttered as he came to the pile of ashes, pulling out several 'Soul Extinguishing Talismans' and 'Evil Breaking Talismans,' and infused them with his innate energy, activating them one by one.

"Dare to harm me, I'll make your soul scatter, not even able to become a ghost..."

The scene just now was truly perilous, and Fang Xing had no intention of becoming one of those evil god followers, losing his personality, like a walking corpse.

Liu Wei managed to escape, perhaps because he wasn't too deeply involved.

But with the way Bai Lianyi valued him, it seemed impossible to have another chance.

"Hm?"

At this moment, Fang Xing noticed something remaining unburnt among Bai Lianyi's ashes.

He moved aside several metallic lumps and picked up a piece of silk.

The silk was only the size of a palm, showing a dark golden color, seemingly made from some special material.

On the fabric, there was just a half-red sun.

Aside from this, there were no sacrilegious texts or markings of the Void Gate...

"What's left by an evil god follower, could it possibly be of any good? And... it's incomplete."

After thinking for a moment, Fang Xing wrapped this half-piece of silk together with Bai Lianyi's bone ashes, sending a drone to dispose of them in the wilderness.

"Sigh... To think they dared to come straight to my door, as if I don’t have enough troubles..."

He sighed and returned to his home on Falcon Star.

"Huh?"

Fully armored, with a golden bell shield and wielding the Azure Rainbow Sword, Fang Xing saw his room essentially unchanged from when he had left it.

Except for one table that had turned to ashes, leaving a tar-like substance on the ground.

As for the bronze door statue, it seemed to have vanished without a trace.

"Could it be... that Bai Lianyi's disappearance as the ritualist led to the ceremony failing and causing a backlash?"

With his own knowledge and the bits he picked up during his internship at the Bureau of Prevention, Fang Xing came to this conclusion. Without delay, he dug up the asphalt along with the flooring and sent it to Qinglin Market to eliminate any traces.

He also prepared a solution to erase the aura of the dark god's items, meticulously cleaning his home.

By the time everything was done, it was already morning.

"Sigh... The Cultists really are a headache for me."

Fang Xing faced the rising sun, a look of frustration on his face. This time was different from the last; no matter what, it couldn't be explained away.

So he decided not to explain at all. However, in doing so, the retaliation from the Cultists was something he would have to bear himself...

'But hold on, I was just attacked by Liu Wei... The Bureau of Prevention should be protecting me these days, yet Bai Lianyi managed to sneak in last night; as expected, the Bureau is utterly useless.'

Thinking about this made Fang Xing's mood sour.

Hours later, during class, Jing Xia sought him out, making him even more displeased.

"What? My classmate Liu Wei is missing?"

Fang Xing looked at Jing Xia, frowning. "Even so, Liu Wei's disappearance should be handled by the Public Security Bureau, why is the Bureau of Prevention involved?"

"It seems you guessed it too; your dear friend is suspected of being connected to the Cultists..."

Jing Xia explained, "Because you're his friend, I need you to assist in the investigation, answer a few questions..."

"Alright, but since the end of our first year, our relationship has grown distant... He might harbor some jealousy and resentment towards me."

Fang Xing remained composed, starting his narrative.

"I understand..."

Jing Xia asked a few more questions, to which Fang Xing answered truthfully.

They used to be mere friends back in the day, with nothing to hide or hold back. Besides, their falling out was a well-known fact from the first year!

As long as the assassination attempt wasn't exposed, there wouldn't be any major issues.

‘So, could it be that… Liu Wei had been trying to distance himself from me all along?’

Fang Xing's mood became quite complex at this realization.

]

(End of Chapter)