[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-38":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},2308698,4512,"Chapter 38","starlight-professional-chapter-38",38,"\u003Cp>The canyon entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Qing of the Black Tiger Gang wielded a tortoise-shell shield and a tiger-head blade, one defensive and one offensive, entangled with Wan Fenglin, who had summoned a dantian-shaped artifact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were cultivators; Fu Qing was of higher realm, but Wan Fenglin, as a alchemist, was wealthy—he had already used the “Dantian Thunder,” yet now pulled out a stack of top-grade Rank One talismans. Countless talismans flared with light, transforming into wind blades, golden arrows, and giant boulders, firmly restraining Fu Qing—and he still looked relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third brother, today I shall purge the sect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yi glanced at the battlefield, his face dark as thunder, a green wind blade materializing in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother, we’ve been brothers our whole lives—do you really mean to kill us all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Hongtian roared, frantically pouring his primordial qi into a defense talisman, and the two clashed fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, a primordial expert matched only a beginner-level qi-refining cultivator; only the pinnacle primordial experts could barely rival mid-stage qi-refining cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus Chen Hongtian knew he was no match for his brother—his only goal now was to delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Feiyue and Meng Yi, Shen Yuxin, lying on the ground, channeled primordial qi to expel poison while watching the battle, their faces filled with confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How… how did things turn like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How had the situation developed so?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Third brother betrayed them, and big brother had kept them all in the dark…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meng Yi felt his heart pierced by knives; Hua Feiyue frowned, pondering whether she could survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None noticed that above the canyon, where the mist had cleared, a falcon had appeared—unseen until now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It circled twice, then dove like a black arrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant, the falcon reached the lakeside, its talons snatching up a “Illusion Heart Orchid.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You damned beast!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Master Wan Dan nearly burst into rage at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fu Qing stood right across—he couldn’t break away, and the falcon flew too fast, too far… all the cultivators could only watch helplessly as it vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, though still enemies, all the cultivators moved instinctively toward the canyon’s interior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all their effort to secure the spoils, if some random beast stole them, they’d spit blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qinglin Market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing carried a bamboo basket on his back, dressed like a herb-gatherer venturing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a market resident, monthly rent was a burden; many primordial experts couldn’t survive here and had to sign indenture contracts to become tenant farmers on nearby spirit fields.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who stayed either had a special skill or were willing to risk their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They often had to venture out to gather herbs or hunt demonic beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Living within the market has many advantages—not only safety and order, but also higher qi concentration… nourished by spirit qi, internal martial cultivation advances rapidly, and lifespan extends…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing had enough spirit stones to pay rent, but doing so constantly made him conspicuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the Illusion Heart Orchid was nearly ripe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he decided to visit the temporary camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many spirit herbs recently gathered by the drone were stored there—he could retrieve them all at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the market entrance, he saw many martial artists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most, like him, were dressed for mountain entry, some even with the grim resolve of facing death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, demonic beast waves were rampant—venturing deep into the Wilds was playing with fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… Song the Fourth is gone too…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing several martial artists carry back a corpse, those around them all looked somber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a martial artist spotted Fang Xing and approached: “Young brother, you’re also a herb-gatherer? You know how much more dangerous the outside has become? Countless demonic beasts sensed the dense human presence here and have migrated toward Qinglin Mountain—they’ve turned this place into a hunting ground…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… what can we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing sighed: “The bigger the storm, the higher the fish price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True! Wise words!” The martial artist’s eyes lit up: “How about we team up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing waved him off, his expression cold and distant, then used his body technique to vanish swiftly into the dense forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the drone’s aerial reconnaissance, his risk of danger was low—but not zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he couldn’t afford to be careless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Fang Xing didn’t need to go directly to the temporary camp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He only needed to leave Qinglin Market, avoid prying eyes, then retrieve the drone’s bounty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strictly speaking, the danger was minimal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was gone for half an hour, then returned with a basket full of herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To maintain his disguise, he’d layered the top with common roots; following the lesson from the pipe-smoking elder, he’d even masked the herbs’ scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Fang Xing entered the market carrying the basket, he saw the martial artist who had spoken to him earlier—now a corpse, half his body missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… this is…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh, their squad had bad luck—didn’t go far before encountering a ‘Fire-Element Jackal’…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to nearby martial artists’ murmurs and seeing the charred wounds on the corpse, Fang Xing shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Didn’t you just leave?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another martial artist glanced at Fang Xing’s basket, saw the disguised plant roots, and sneered: “So you’re not gathering herbs—you’re digging up earth-potato roots to fill your belly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh, these times—spirit rice is gone, even regular rice is unaffordable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing sighed and walked away under the crowd’s scornful stares.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Room Ding-57.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing glanced over and saw the door next door still tightly shut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when noise occurred did a single eye peer cautiously through the crack—like a pitiful little beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… another poor kid…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing ignored Meng Zijin, closed his own door, and descended to the basement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tossed aside the top layer of earth-potato roots, revealing a full load of herbs inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each single plant, if sold, would make primordial experts green with envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially that one “Illusion Heart Orchid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The orchid was breathtakingly beautiful, its stems, leaves, and petals glowing with a soft luminescence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a light sniff made Fang Xing feel slightly dizzy, as if drunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Definitely a fine item—if I take it to Qingdan Workshop for refining, obtaining a ‘Soul-Calming Pill’ won’t be a problem…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But this spirit herb was taken by force—Wan Dan and the Black Tiger Gang are still watching. Will Qingdan Workshop keep it secret for me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Qingdan Workshop had a good reputation, Fang Xing hesitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, he opened the surveillance log to check the aftermath involving Cangshan Five Righteous and Wan Dan, Fu Qing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On screen, Meng Yi was pierced through the chest by a tiger-head blade, yet shoved his wife Shen Yuxin hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Shen Yuxin’s hand was a “Illusion Heart Orchid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm? This is a tangled mess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing, after watching to the end, pieced together what happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yi had a backup plan—he hadn’t been poisoned. After Hua Feiyue and the others detoxified, they joined the battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wan Fenglin was merely an alchemist, weak in combat; Chen Hongtian was only a primordial expert—they were overwhelmed and killed instantly by the remaining Four Righteous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing disaster looming, Wan Fenglin activated a survival talisman and escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the victors were Fu Qing and the Cangshan Four Righteous—but during loot division, Chen Yi struck first, ambushing Fu Qing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Feiyue and the others had no choice but to join the fight; then Meng Yi was stabbed through the heart—dead beyond doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before dying, he created an opening for Shen Yuxin to flee with the spoils.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fu Qing, already weakened by Wan Fenglin, then ambushed by Chen Yi, and surrounded by primordial experts, dared not linger—he grabbed the largest share of loot and fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A herb-gathering mission ended with two primordial experts dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The survivors were all wounded—what a horrific scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Treasure hunting and exploration in the cultivation world is truly dangerous—I’ll avoid such pointless activities in the future…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing silently warned himself, then began steaming rice, cooking dishes, roasting meat…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the market’s superior qi environment and supply of spirit rice and demonic beast meat, he trained daily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the constant rise in his attribute stats gave him the same thrill as leveling up in his past-life video games.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t get enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing was about to sleep when he heard a heart-wrenching cry from next door: “Dad… sob… I want Dad…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Meng Zijin? So they’re back? Slow as molasses…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned over in bed: “Hmm, I’m being too demanding—they can’t fly back, and must avoid countless dangers along the way…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he knew what had happened, showing up now would surely seem strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Fang Xing stretched lazily, waited three seconds, and summoned a silver glow to envelop himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He chose to return to Chu Ying Star to sleep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said that the Blue Star Federation’s law enforcement is quite good; apart from cultists of evil gods, daily life is very safe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Living in such an environment, even sleeping here is more peaceful than in Qinglin Market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it weren’t for the abundant spiritual energy in the market, he would have stayed here indefinitely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qinglin Market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stepped out of his home and saw a long white banner erected outside the adjacent shed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a local funeral custom: a white banner outside the door signifies that a family member has passed away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked over and saw that the center of the shed had been turned into a makeshift altar, with a spirit tablet and funeral garments laid out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, Meng Yi’s body had not been recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Shen Yuxin fled in such haste that one cannot expect more of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What… what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Fang Xing was utterly shocked!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My husband died while gathering spiritual herbs…,” Shen Yuxin replied calmly, her eyes slightly red as she wore mourning attire: “It’s just fate… I don’t wish to remain in this place of sorrow; I’ve already prepared to leave with Zijin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shen Yuxin's eyes were slightly red; dressed in mourning attire, she answered calmly, \"It's all fate... I don't wish to stay in this place of sorrow; I've already prepared to leave with Zijin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1695,"2026-06-20T11:03:20.053Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8e5599e37096014320756fd050445851b58e5ecceee17af5170f549cc68cb21e","starlight-professional-chapter-39","starlight-professional-chapter-37",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]