[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-523":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},2309183,4512,"Chapter 523: Hostility","starlight-professional-chapter-523",523,"\u003Cp>“Hm? The Starry Rank has changed again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a resting area, several Law Lords looked up, gazing at the vast, majestic Starry Rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Starry Rank’s shift was clearly less dramatic than before, but those paying attention could still notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao… broke into the top ten thousand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Law Lord whose hair seemed to burn fiercely set down his cup: “One Xiao, one Fang Xing… two outsider Law Lords outshine our own Starry Civilization’s newly promoted ones by far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph, that Fang Xing has been a Law Lord for how long already? His breakthrough in the Deep Sea Civilization was clearly a disguise, a trap…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another woman with long green hair snorted: “Still… Xiao’s breakthrough was recent, his talent truly impressive—though his temper is terrible, which makes him inferior to Fang Xing in that regard…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What good is a good temper? Fundamental interests can’t be reconciled… These outsider Law Lords are eroding our resources.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Law Lord with burning hair growled: “If not for the military pressure from the Beast Civilization and the Insect Civilization, we wouldn’t have to be so desperate—we could focus on cultivating true natives of our Starry Civilization…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A calm voice came, halting the two Law Lords’ argument.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speaker was a handsome young man, a blue gem embedded in his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blue gem appeared split into countless facets, each reflecting strange light, creating a sense of spatial disorientation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two Law Lords showed deep respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My second brother was right about one thing… Compared to Xiao, that Fang Xing has impacted us more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man with the blue gem smiled faintly: “Besides, Fang Xing joined the Starry Civilization through the S Kai family’s introduction…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Law Lord with burning hair fell silent—they all knew their elder brother held a grudge against the S Kai family!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with old grudges and new ones combined, hating the person because of the association was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard from Kun Wu that Fang Xing is trying to buy Destroying Demon Fluid and the Feather of the Mad Warrior Bird?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man with the blue gem smiled: “I happen to have one Feather of the Mad Warrior Bird myself…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So you mean… squeeze Fang Xing dry?” the green-haired woman chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if we gain more, giving cultivation resources to an enemy is foolish…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man with the blue gem smiled: “But we can toy with him, even trick him—so long as we stay within the rules. Who do you think the higher-ups favor: us or an outsider? We don’t need his life—just delay his cultivation. That’s for his own good, after all; the official policy supports this too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean… a private deal?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Law Lord with burning hair’s eyes lit up: “Fine… and that Xiao too—ha! I can’t wait to see the look of despair on his face…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing didn’t know that even with his reservations, the power he revealed still stood out too conspicuously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? Any results?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the newly built Blue Star, Fang Xing sat upon the majestic throne of the palace, gazing at the Tai Xu Stone in his hand, a hint of delight on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s ‘Yin Kesi’—he told me he has a Feather of the Mad Warrior Bird and is willing to sell…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kun Wu replied quickly: “But… he and his group have a poor reputation among outsiders—judge for yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this subtle warning, Kun Wu sent Yin Kesi’s contact details and ended the communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing briefly entered the Tai Xu Universe and found plenty of information on Yin Kesi: a native genius Law Lord of the Starry Civilization who broke through using Spatial Law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now possessed a Level Four Law Lord’s combat strength, ranked 459th on the Starry Rank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This ranking means his strength among Level Four Law Lords is average—if he were stronger, he’d be in the top hundred, even top ten…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing pondered briefly, then directly dialed the contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tai Xu Universe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside a conference room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s figure materialized, facing a young man with a blue gem embedded in his forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gem on the man’s forehead seemed capable of infinite subdivision, creating a sense of spatial confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Indeed, a Law Lord who achieved his realm through Spatial Law…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing murmured to himself, then spoke: “Yin Kesi… I heard you have a Feather of the Mad Warrior Bird to sell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—but what will you offer to convince me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Kesi spun a silver short arrow in his hand, smiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How about this artifact?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing raised his hand, projecting the image and data of the Yuan Zhong Divine Palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the artifact still rested on Li Ying’s person, he could retrieve it anytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, according to Starry Civilization law, any artifact held by his subjects belonged to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yuan Zhong Divine Palace?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Kesi shook his head with a smile: “Not enough… not nearly enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s expression darkened: “This is already the most valuable item I possess…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Most valuable? Unlikely—you still have Blood Origin Mountain, don’t you?” Yin Kesi smiled slyly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I still need Blood Origin Mountain, and its value far exceeds Yuan Zhong Divine Palace.” Fang Xing appeared reluctant, but finally conceded: “Still… I’ll make the exchange.” “Still not enough,” Yin Kesi said. “Blood Origin Mountain is good, but it’s a seller’s market—I need you to make up the difference… hmm, one hundred cubic units of Source Fluid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re robbing me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing appeared furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, no—robbery doesn’t make money this fast,” Yin Kesi chuckled. “You’re a cultivator who values inner strength over external things, isn’t that right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Deal…” Fang Xing shot Yin Kesi a long, piercing look; his angry expression vanished instantly, replaced by a mocking smile: “But I require Tai Xu Universe notarization of this transaction, and a neutral third party to guarantee it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Kesi’s expression changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had planned a private deal, intending to trick Fang Xing—he never intended to actually hand over the Feather of the Mad Warrior Bird.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if it went through notarization with a third party, he couldn’t do that anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the Starry Civilization’s official policy was to squeeze outsiders as much as possible, this was a tacit rule—not something openly acknowledged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once exposed, Yin Kesi knew the authorities wouldn’t openly protect him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… you had no intention of trading.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s projection shook his head, said nothing more, and vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Big brother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second brother, whose hair burned, entered from outside the conference room: “It fell through?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He never trusted me from the start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Kesi shook his head grimly: “I even sensed—he never truly trusted the Starry Civilization…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those genuinely seeking to integrate into the Starry Civilization naturally felt admiration—or inferiority—toward the native strong, bowing submissively, placing themselves at a disadvantage in dealings, and getting cheated until they bled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then they’d be left with nothing but blood on their faces!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Fang Xing was different!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never intended to fully integrate—he’d been wary of these people from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single test revealed the deal was doomed; he wasted no time and left immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We were careless… If we’d openly welcomed him, played along for years or decades, our success rate might’ve been higher.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The green-haired woman entered as well, sighing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We cultivate to follow our hearts—why waste time playing roles?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red-haired second brother countered first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had achieved Law Lord status through Fire Law, and his personality was similarly affected—he had no patience for such games.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In any case, Fang Xing’s attitude toward us has changed now—be careful in the future…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Kesi still didn’t take it seriously—he was already a Level Four Law Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Blood Prison Civilization, only the strongest Blood Prison Divine Emperor could match him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Fang Xing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d once been terrified into fleeing like a stray dog, begging the Starry Civilization for protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he possibly fear him now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Set Fang Xing aside for now—try Xiao next… Heh, the colder he acts, the more he proves he’s afraid…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Kesi analyzed: “On him, our chances of success are higher…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue Star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… because I’m an outsider, many Law Lords still look down on me and want to cheat me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was still mild—the real traps came through mission sabotage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether framed or forced into becoming cannon fodder, Fang Xing would surely snap—but if he struck back, he’d fall into a lower position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the Starry Civilization had Dao Lords of the Fourteenth Realm, even Eternal Dao Sovereigns of the Fifteenth Realm!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This attempt to buy the Feather of the Mad Warrior Bird failed… Yin Kesi might sabotage me next time—it’ll be even harder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fortunately, I’m not limited to this one channel…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did he understand the importance of having a choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although within the human territories of the Great Xia Universe, no force surpassed the Starlight Civilization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the True Immortal Realm, there might well be creatures similar to the ‘Crazy Wu Bird’!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, this matter could still be entrusted to his cultivation avatar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this option available, he could advance or retreat at will… making him far more at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The True Immortal Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The True Immortal Realm is boundless; under the rule of the Dao Court, it is divided into thirty-six Immortal Domains… that’s at least thirty-six Dao Lords of the Fourteenth Realm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s cultivation avatar still appeared as a graceful youth, his hair tied in a topknot, holding a jade tally as he carefully studied something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am in the ‘Free and Easy Immortal Domain,’ governed by the ‘Free and Easy Dao Lord’… under him lie ten thousand immortal cities, countless True Immortal cultivators…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The gap between the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Realms is truly a chasm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After finishing the “Survey of the Free and Easy Immortal Domain,” Fang Xing flew out of his cave dwelling, suddenly formed a hand seal, and a white paper crane descended, transforming into a fair-skinned boy with red lips and white teeth, his voice clear: “True Immortal Fang, Immortal Bi Xia and True Immortal Luo Yunzhen request your presence at the ‘Drunk Moon Pavilion’…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1705,"2026-06-20T11:03:22.760Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","4f005bb2972de4d1530a65ec4825989cc183aa1f760142d325132b1835556a20","starlight-professional-chapter-524","starlight-professional-chapter-522",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]