Chapter 392

The cultivation world.

In a flash of silver light, the cultivation avatar appeared atop Death Island.

He glanced at his shoulder, still shaken: "Satellite weapons are indeed powerful… let alone how Blue Star is the planet with the most satellite clusters…"

Causing trouble on Blue Star naturally comes at a cost.

Fang Xing had set a mandatory withdrawal time; exceeding it risked encountering Level 10 or Level 11 practitioners.

Yet even with his early retreat, he still encountered a laser shot from beyond space.

Had his Sword Heart not warned him in

"Huh…"

He exhaled slowly, methodically refining the celestial energy to replenish his depleted cultivation power: "The environment here is vastly different—it affects Nascent Soul cultivators too severely…"

"I cannot draw celestial energy from the main universe—I can only expend my own cultivation power…"

"To achieve inexhaustible cultivation power, one must surely reach the Void Refinement stage and directly draw qi from the Great Void…"

……

Blue Star University.

Fang Xing, reviewing documents, saw Weijiali enter with a file.

"Ever since the planetary alert was triggered, I knew something major was happening."

Fang Xing sighed, pressing his temples: "Tell me the final outcome…"

Weijiali nodded and projected a video.

It was unmistakably his cultivation avatar's sword cleaving the sky, severing the laser.

"Hm? This person's strength rivals mine…"

Fang Xing exclaimed in awe: "What kind of career path is this? Sword Saint? Doesn't seem like it…"

"He's the founder of the newly emerged Sect School—his identity is unquestioned, verified and confirmed multiple times. We only know he first appeared after the Moon Goddess Incident, already at the Eighth Stage, and now he's reached the Ninth Stage…"

"Hm… It seems the Federation has planted many spies within the Sect School." Fang Xing mused: "What major deed has this cult leader committed?"

"Rumors say he intended to corrupt Qing Shan Psychiatric Hospital, but was stopped mid-action by Dean Ye Lingxin…"

Weijiali said: "Only Xu Sanyang appears to have been corrupted, but his current condition is unusually stable—he merely needs evaluation by the Public Security Bureau and other psychiatric experts…"

"Xu Senior is still one of our Blue Star University students. Our university must have representation on the psychiatric evaluation team. Dean Ye Lingxin, as his attending physician, must retain her authority."

Fang Xing spoke.

This was the stance of Blue Star University's president. With his backing, even without the Xu family's intervention, Xu Sanyang would likely clear the investigation.

Without realizing it, he had grown powerful enough to challenge certain Federation rules.

'Too bad—my power is limited. I can only bend some rules, not all of them.'

"Understood." Weijiali knew her boss had a close relationship with Xu Sanyang and would certainly stand by him.

"Additionally, the Federation has issued a wanted notice and requests our university's assistance…"

She paused, placing the file on the table.

"Of course—we're all citizens of the Blue Star Federation."

Fang Xing smiled, his expression unreadable.

In his hand were several projected invitations.

One of them, unmistakably, came from the Augustus Family!

……

Several days later.

A starship swiftly exited the star system.

In the living room, a young man with platinum-blond hair, dressed in a tuxedo, sat on the sofa conversing with a gentleman with wine-red hair.

"Uncle Saelin… this journey to Whale Star, I will secure ample profits for the family."

James Augustus vowed.

"All of the family's business in the Kun Gu Star System is entrusted to you."

Saelin gave a few final instructions, then frowned: "But more than business, I hope to see progress in your ability—even if not the Tenth Stage, Eighth or Ninth would suffice."

"Once you break through to Eighth Stage, the family can arrange a political appointment—a Federation Council seat is guaranteed, and it would also help my elder brother, Uvi."

Saelin Augustus sighed.

"Alas… it's too difficult. Whether Mechanist, Sword Saint, or Martial Artist—breaking through to Eighth Stage is incredibly hard…"

Augustus shook his head: "Even the most common and easiest path—the Martial Artist route—achieving Martial Saint is still extremely difficult… Not to mention, 'Refining the Marrow of the Spirit' is unsafe."

Saelin frowned: "If you had perfected the Great Golden Body at the Seventh Stage, why fear breakthrough? Sigh…"

He knew that as the family grew richer, its talent output dwindled.

Especially in martial cultivation.

Martial cultivation demands hardship and terrifying, almost insane willpower.

In a family of luxury and privilege, true powerful martial artists cannot be cultivated.

"Compared to martial artists, I prefer abilities. Our Augustus Family is a Sacred Family—we are born with innate abilities."

James said: "If we continuously develop our abilities, we can easily rival Eighth and Ninth Stage professionals… Even my uncle Uvi—he achieved the Tenth Stage solely through his ability, didn't he?"

"Since you've chosen this path… remember, once you reach Kun Gu Star System, work hard."

Saelin shook his head and his form instantly vanished—his final words seemed to conceal something.

Only after completing all this did his form vanish—turns out, everything before had been a 3D projection, yet utterly lifelike. "Hm… that annoying old man is finally gone. There's a banquet tonight."

James Augustus poured himself a glass of red wine and smirked: "This trip to Whale Star—I'll plunder thoroughly…"

He sipped the wine, thinking of someone who irritated him: "Hmph… So what if he's the Blue Star University president? One day, I'll be a councilor too!"

At that moment, the cabin door opened and a steward entered: "Sir, your ordered meal has arrived."

"What meal?"

James Augustus froze, then his entire body turned icy: "No… there's no such person on my ship!"

Too late—his eyes quickly glazed over, limbs stiffening.

The one who opened the door to deliver the package was naturally Fang Xing's cultivation avatar.

The proof was clear: a Nascent Soul cultivator trying to oppose the Blue Star Federation was as laughable as a mantis trying to stop a cart.

But cultivators had countless methods—direct confrontation was entirely unreasonable.

The Blue Star Federation was composed of countless ordinary people, all interconnected.

A cultivator's disguise and spiritual sense could easily deceive and soul-search one key person after another, guiding Fang Xing to critical locations.

This was only possible because the Federation's high-ranking officials were all Gao Jie professionals, too difficult to influence.

In a world without magic, a single mind-control spell could make an ordinary person mayor—no need for many positions.

"Ah… too bad."

Fang Xing poured himself a glass of red wine.

To confuse the trail, this ship would certainly have to "disappear."

Currently, AI programs bought on the black market were already infiltrating the ship's AI, preventing it from sending alerts.

All he needed to do was wait silently.

In the meantime, he could soul-search and extract some information.

Whoosh!

Fang Xing held a crystal wine goblet, pouring himself a glass of red wine.

As the wine swirled, memories surfaced before him.

"The Augustus Family… already involved with abilities so early? Sending James to a colony planet—there's definitely a scheme… Blood sacrifice? Massive loss of life stimulates the Augustus Family's 'Radiance' ability?"

"An interesting theory. The Augustus Family's deep development of abilities—is it due to innate talent… or did they receive aid from a Demonic God?"

Generally, ability users face certain limitations.

But Uvi became one of the Nine Regents—his background was clean, his mind and soul thoroughly vetted.

"So… the Augustus Family and Demonic God followers must have a tacit understanding."

"The attacks on me and Xu Sanyang were ordered by Laplace's Demon, orchestrated by Demonic God followers—did the Augustus Family secretly support them?"

"Damn it. They truly deserve to die."

"The previous banquet and invitation were clearly a test."

"But James isn't truly core—he doesn't know much… yet the Federation's Augustus Family is a traitor?"

"No—at this level, he's unlikely to be a traitor. He must be a coexistence faction member… or a surrender faction member?"

In an instant, Fang Xing's mind raced through countless possibilities.

Moments later.

A starship exploded in space, reduced to countless fine particles.

"Too bad… if I had the Wuji Demon Palace, even Uvi Augustus, I'd dare challenge him."

In a cultivator's combat system, artifacts hold great weight.

If Fang Xing currently possessed a sixth-grade artifact, even if he couldn't defeat a Tenth Stage professional, he could at least probe and test.

But the Wuji Demon Palace had a sentient spirit—highly likely to leak secrets—so Fang Xing would never carry it across worlds.

"Augustus…"

"No matter. The account will be settled slowly."

……

A basement with extremely high protective classification.

Xu Sanyang, dressed in casual clothes, was sipping juice.

"So your conclusion is that I'm currently healthy, but the original Void Gate contamination has been replaced by a higher-tier contamination—what kind of contamination could replace the Void Gate? Chaos Fire? Or the Creator himself?"

He gave a wry smile: "Could that possibly be true? It's utterly impossible!"

"We lean more toward the idea that this was an accident occurring while the Master of the Gate School attempted to contaminate you..."

Ye Ling thought: "But these contaminations are still dangerous—perhaps not apparent now, but when they activate and are catalyzed..."

"I might be worse off than before, right?"

Xu Sanyang smiled: "These days are borrowed—live one more day, that's all."

After undergoing another series of complex medical examinations, Xu Sanyang chose to sleep.

Suddenly!

In the center of his forehead, veins bulged violently, forming a circle, with more veins spreading outward continuously.

It looked like a crimson sun...

(End of Chapter)