[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-37":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starlight Professional",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2308697,4512,"Chapter 37: The Oriole","starlight-professional-chapter-37",37,"\u003Cp>Outside the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yu raised her hand and slashed with her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blade of light shot out, slicing a tiny emerald-green snake into two pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Emerald Jade Snake? Its gallbladder is worth one Spirit Sand… Little Fifth Sister truly has luck. We’ll surely return victorious this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Feiyue laughed merrily at this, swaying her supple waist forward to harvest the resources from the Emerald Jade Snake’s body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Dan, the alchemist from Wanfenglin, gazed at Hua Feiyue’s slender waist and rounded hips, and smiled: “Chen, you’re a lucky man… If my eyes don’t deceive me, this girl possesses Inner Allure—there’s a certain seductive charm about her…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My sworn siblings and I are bound by life and death…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yi’s expression remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hongtian, following behind Chen Yi, carried a massive iron hammer and glanced at his second sister, his eyes likewise filled with fascination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Yi failed to notice the subtle tension, lagging a few steps behind the group as he seized Shen Yu’s right hand: “You seem unsettled. Normally, you wouldn’t let that little snake come within seven steps of you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m worried about Zi Jin…” Shen Yu replied with a bitter smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s fine. The marketplace has enforcement squads… Besides, didn’t we tell him not to leave? With the talismans we left behind, he can protect himself easily.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The marketplace had its own order—at least, forced entry and murder shouldn’t happen until the Qingxuan Sect’s enforcement team is wiped out… right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I specifically warned Zi Jin not to trust the neighbors. Nothing major should happen…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yu murmured to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ve reached the Five Scorpion Valley. Let’s finish quickly and return.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Yi comforted his wife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The six of them entered the deep valley; even the weakest among them were Primordial Martial Artists, their movements astonishingly swift, easily crossing several natural hazards to reach the valley entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful—there’s toxic mist here. Everyone, take a few Anti-Toxin Pills first!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Wan Dan handed out a jade vial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yi smiled as he took it, swallowed one pill, then passed it to Hua Feiyue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once everyone had taken the pills, Wan Dan said: “There are many Purple-Winged Scorpions here. Let’s stick to our original plan!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Agreed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yi nodded and pulled out several small flags, distributing them to the group: “We’ve practiced the ‘Little Illusion Trail Array’ thoroughly. Pay attention to your steps and continuously channel your Primordial Qi—it should trap the Purple-Winged Scorpions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, rest assured.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Feiyue tossed him a flirtatious glance and took hers with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a hazy white mist rose at the valley entrance, gradually blending with the mountain’s thin fog until the two became indistinguishable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack! Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A puppet monkey suddenly emerged from the mist—nearly two meters tall, arms longer than its legs, its body shimmering with colorful spirit patterns and radiating powerful magical energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the puppet monkey slammed its chest and opened its gaping maw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Puff!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A column of earth-yellow light burst from its mouth, shooting into the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hummm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Terrifying wingbeats echoed as several purple scorpion shadows appeared, charging toward the puppet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monkey puppet let out a shrill cry and fled backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Purple-Winged Scorpions chased relentlessly, one pursuing, the other fleeing, until they soon plunged into the Illusion Trail Array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few Purple-Winged Scorpions vanished the moment they entered the Little Illusion Trail Array; only occasional flashes of magical light and explosions could be heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments later, a slightly damaged puppet monkey emerged again, moving forward to lure more scorpions…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad—they even know Puppetry?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing watched the scene with great delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, arrays and puppetry were exceedingly rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, these people weren’t array or puppet masters—they’d simply bought the arrays and puppets—but it still showed massive investment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ordinary beasts versus cultivators… at equal strength, cultivators always have the upper hand… after all, they use tools and tactics.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing watched for only a few moments and knew that if this baiting continued, the Purple-Winged Scorpion swarm had no chance—they’d be quietly wiped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gradually, as more and more Purple-Winged Scorpions fell, the mist blanketing the valley thinned considerably.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faintly visible through the hazy mist was a spiritual lake at the valley’s center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the lake’s edge grew several strange orchids, their entire bodies glowing with luminescence; some had bloomed, releasing a dreamy fragrance—clearly not ordinary plants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More crucially… beside the Illusion Heart Orchids lay a Purple-Winged Scorpion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This scorpion was as large as a millstone, its body like a carved piece of purple crystal, its semi-transparent carapace refracting dazzling colors in the sunlight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the “Purple-Winged Scorpion King” sensed something was wrong, flapped its wings, and shot forward like a purple streak, dragging the last few surviving scorpions straight toward the valley entrance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bad! This Purple-Winged Scorpion King is unusual—at least a Rank One Upper-grade beast insect, capable of matching a Qi Condensation late-stage cultivator!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the Little Illusion Trail Array, Wan Dan, waving a small flag, turned pale at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re gambling—let it in!” Chen Yi gritted his teeth: “So what if it’s Rank One Upper-grade? In this array, if we combine our strength, we might still win!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, the purple streak had already surged into the Little Illusion Trail Array.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waves of purple toxic mist instantly bloomed, spreading outward, seemingly corroding the original white mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Yi and the other Primordial Martial Artists turned pale, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood as they felt their Primordial Qi draining ten to a hundred times faster than before…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now seems like a good opportunity… but the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware the oriole waits behind. I’ll just play the boy…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far away in Qinglin Marketplace, Fang Xing watched the group’s violent clash, a strange expression spreading across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes later, a flash of fire erupted on the surveillance screen—then the Little Illusion Trail Array exploded violently!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thick mist cleared, revealing the figures of the Five Brothers of Cangshan and Wan Dan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though each looked battered, Hua Feiyue and Shen Yu with bloodstained robes, the millstone-sized Purple-Winged Scorpion King lay dead on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Rank One Upper-grade beast insect—how many Spirit Stones is that worth? Plus the other beast materials and the Illusion Heart Orchids… We’ve hit the jackpot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Yi checked his wife’s wounds, pressed several acupoints to stop the bleeding, then glanced at the scattered scorpion corpses—his breathing grew heavy: “After this job, we can rent a stall in the marketplace. We won’t have to risk our lives anymore—we can raise Zi Jin properly…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A tender smile appeared on Shen Yu’s pale face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant, their smiles froze: “Third Brother, you—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their vision, Chen Hongtian’s face twisted into a cruel grin as he swung his iron hammer down with all his might toward his elder brother, Chen Yi!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A golden light flashed on Chen Yi’s body, forming the shape of a golden bell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black hammer struck the golden bell, sending shockwaves of Primordial Qi that made the bell ring out with a thunderous boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Golden Bell Charm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hongtian, missing his strike, immediately retreated. His hundred-jin hammer whirled so fast it formed a solid black curtain around him: “You were prepared?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third Brother, you’ve been colluding with Wanfenglin!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yi’s face was filled with heartbroken betrayal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third Brother, why?” Hua Feiyue, already severely wounded, retreated swiftly, glancing at her confused fourth and fifth siblings, subtly putting more distance between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sudden betrayal—no one could be trusted now!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hongtian cast a greedy glance at Hua Feiyue and sneered: “Because this old bastard, relying on his cultivator status, always takes the biggest share. Why should he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A wise man knows when to yield. I suggest you surrender peacefully…” Wan Dan wore an air of perfect confidence: “Hua, what do you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I…” Hua Feiyue’s pale face flushed with sorrow, making her look heartbreakingly fragile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before she could speak, a layer of black mist surged over her: “No! You poisoned us? The Anti-Toxin Pills?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hahaha! Correct! The Anti-Toxin Pills!” Wan Dan laughed: “My own special formula—how does it taste?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Meng Yi and his wife and saw the two Primordial Martial Artists collapsed on the ground—but then his gaze shifted to Chen Yi, and he froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man looked perfectly healthy, his face flushed, showing no sign of poisoning whatsoever!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was now drawing several attack talismans, his magical energy surging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He instinctively crushed the talisman in his hand, and a golden light instantly shielded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next instant!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roar!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Accompanied by a tiger’s roar, a pitch-black tiger-head greatsword suddenly emerged from the dense forest, slashing out a ten-foot blade of light that slammed into the golden shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Dan’s expression changed drastically: “Tiger-Head Sword? The Black Tiger Gang’s standard weapon? You’ve joined the Black Tiger Gang?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the forest, a burly man in a black robe, with a ferocious tiger-head embroidery on his chest, stepped forward slowly, a cruel smile on his face: “Master Wan, Black Tiger Gang’s Fu Qing greets you. Why have you refused our offer to make you a guest master?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Chen Hongtian realized his situation was dire—sweat poured down his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Qing stood precisely at the valley entrance, blocking all escape!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the man was a late-stage Qi Condensation expert—though not as powerful as the four founding elders of the Black Tiger Gang who had reached Qi Condensation peak, he was still formidable!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cough, cough… I was just considering it. Now I think… becoming a guest master of the Black Tiger Gang is a fine idea…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Dan coughed, then suddenly raised his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two dark, pill-like beads shot toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That… is Dantui?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Qing’s eye twitched as one of the pills suddenly exploded; violet-red lightning and flame struck the Tiger Head Great Knife at once, blasting the artifact away with a mournful cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sensed danger and immediately spun around, slapping his waist again—a black, tortoise-shell-shaped shield emerged and firmly blocked before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Finally started fighting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the monitoring room, Fang Xing’s eyes lit up: “Then it’s my turn…”\u003C\u002Fp>",1698,"2026-06-20T11:03:20.053Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c7430eef9ca23ff3af27a2d27ba71bbe1379137be8d8834bd45fb9cbe6391091","starlight-professional-chapter-38","starlight-professional-chapter-36",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]