[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-604":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},2309264,4512,"Chapter 604: Beauty Fades Easily","starlight-professional-chapter-604",604,"\u003Cp>The Five Cloud Friends were merely minor figures from Yunlai Alley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five low-talent hermits who could never touch the edge of establishing their Dao foundation in a lifetime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But one of them seemed to possess some hidden bodily talent; after death, he was forged into a Dao Foundation Corpse—somehow lucky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing pursued the gray-white aura at a leisurely pace, his thoughts racing:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Lin Xu’s corpse must have fallen into the hands of the Xie family of Shanyin… under the influence of the Corpse-Driving Sect, yet now it’s being used as a trap to lure me… Could the Corpse-Driving Sect be allied with the Blood Shadow Sect?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is bad news for Qingmu Ridge…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Aren’t the Corpse-Driving Sect and the Flying Sword Sect locked in major battle? It seems they’ve gained the upper hand and still have the bandwidth to make moves on the periphery?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Flying Sword Sect’s top ranking among the Ten Greats has some water in it…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had his perception not been extraordinary, he wouldn’t have noticed Lin Xu was a forged corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And their trap clearly aimed to lure Fang Xing out of Poison Dragon Slope before striking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why lure him out of Poison Dragon Slope before striking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They must have suffered there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps they even deemed Poison Dragon Slope so dangerous that it must conceal some secret—and thus were eager to capture Fang Xing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait… there’s one more point: how did they catch the brief window when I returned?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s gaze turned cold: ‘Unless… the Blood Shadow Sect has a spy in Qingmu Ridge—or one of its own cultivators deliberately betrayed me!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was perfectly normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While others fought to the death on the frontlines, he remained safely behind, farming and accumulating massive merit—clearly drawing envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though disciples and nephews of the Yin Spirit Realms and Yang Spirit Lords enjoyed the same privileges, ordinary Dao Foundation cultivators dared not resent these Immortal Second-Generations—only those on their own level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing, with no background, yet aggressively earning merit and exchanging it for Divine Art blueprints, naturally stood out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Preying on the weak and fearing the strong—that’s human nature.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I hope the traitor shows up too—then I can execute him openly…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, conspiring with the Blood Shadow Sect to ambush Qingmu Ridge’s Dao Foundation cultivators is outright treason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Though I focus solely on farming, kindness invites bullying… I must still display some combat power, or others will covet me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The best combat power? Naturally, Origami Art!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, those who cultivate Origami Art are all madmen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cultivators, like ordinary people, fear the reckless, and the reckless fear those who won’t spare their lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Lin Xu’ halted above a swamp, motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stared at him, then smiled: ‘Should I call you Lin Xu—or “Xie Songshan”?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Oh? You recognize me?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Songshan blinked in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Of course… Lin Xu vanished during the Xie family’s war, and you yourself once possessed a Dao Foundation corpse, ambushing the Fei family’s patriarch.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing said: ‘Your Dao Foundation ability must be something like “Twin Souls” or “Corpse Guardian,” allowing you to split your spirit and possess Dao Foundation corpses?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not surprising for a hermit who ascended to Dao Foundation—you’re sharp.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xie Songshan chuckled: ‘I’m most satisfied with this corpse—I’ve completely concealed its corpse aura, yet you still saw through it… But if you knew it was a trap, why walk into your own death?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he finished speaking, aura trails appeared, sealing Fang Xing on all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One man wore a crimson robe, his demeanor aged—he must be Xie Songshan of the Xie family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other three were Blood Shadow Sect disciples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their leader was a red-browed giant, his cultivation at the peak of Dao Foundation Mid-Stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another Dao Foundation Mid-Stage Blood Shadow cultivator was a pale-faced elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dao Foundation Early-Stage old woman gave Fang Xing a strange sense of familiarity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He studied the old woman, barely recognizing traces of familiarity in her features and expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she stared coldly, as if facing a stranger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Blood Shadow Sect’s Shadow Puppet Line—Red Brow Elder.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing nodded, turning to the other two Dao Foundation cultivators: ‘You two must be from the Origami Line?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Correct… Fang Xing, I never expected a runaway from Paper Slave Valley like you to reach Dao Foundation.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Dao Foundation Mid-Stage elder chuckled: ‘Had I not been the former overseer of Paper Slave Valley, and had you not kept your name, I might not have recognized you.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that’s it—who is this cultivator?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing turned to the old woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Heh, this is my consort—Tao Hong. She too was once a paper slave. Do you know her?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder grinned proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Five Dao Foundation combatants… You’ve honored me greatly.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing nodded, then suddenly unleashed his aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No longer Dao Foundation Early-Stage—he was now Dao Foundation Mid-Stage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Dao Foundation Mid-Stage?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Brow Elder’s face changed as surrounding tree shadows shattered, becoming hazy and dense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the superior Dao Foundation—Yuchonglong!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tore open his robe, revealing a strange beast tattooed on his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before his shadow puppet could possess him, a sharp wooden thorn pierced his dantian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘You… aren’t an ordinary Dao Foundation Mid-Stage!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Red Brow Elder tried to speak, but was swallowed by waves of tree shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an instant, this fearsome brute perished, his Dao extinguished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was simply unlucky—he was the strongest, yet not from the Origami Line, so Fang Xing targeted him first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After securing the first strike, Fang Xing used countless tree shadows to obscure vision, forcing each cultivator to fight alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop! Plop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder from Paper Slave Valley wore paper armor, wielding a paper blade, flanked by two paper guardians. After tearing through the tree shadows, he saw a sight that made his eyes bulge:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ahh!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Dao Foundation Late-Stage paper general had appeared on the battlefield, riding atop Lin Xu’s Dao Foundation corpse, spearing upward and impaling Xie Songshan whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rustle! Rustle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The paper general shook his spear—Xie Songshan’s corpse shattered into pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Dao Foundation Late-Stage paper general? To achieve such power, you must have sacrificed sixty years of lifespan?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How could you have forged such a monstrous thing? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elder’s expression turned frantic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Oh? Sixty years of lifespan?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing gave no reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suspected either his Master-Level Origami Art and Wanquan Hand, or his reaching Druid Level 15, had drastically reduced the lifespan cost of his paper sacrifices—far less than the Blood Shadow Sect’s Origami Line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Go!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed—immediately, the paper general spurred his steed, moving without hindrance, spearing one paper guardian after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the elder tried to flee, a sheet of white paper suddenly covered his face—he froze mid-step: ‘Wretched woman…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing saw clearly: after the elder’s two paper guardians fell, Tao Hong used a secret technique to ambush him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Fang Xing… it’s been many years.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Hong finished her act, looking up at Fang Xing, her wrinkles and age spots starkly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yes, many years. You’ve aged too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing sighed: ‘But I don’t think our past connection justifies you betraying your own consort.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Consort?’ Tao Hong’s face twisted: ‘Better to say I was his elixir vessel… That bastard cultivated the Dao Foundation “Yin-Yang Grievance,” using sex to drain my lifespan…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I see.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s expression was calm—as if he’d already guessed the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After asking two more questions, he learned Tao Hong had once received substantial aid from him, lucked out, and caught the eye of a Paper Slave Valley overseer, escaping the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after joining the Blood Shadow Sect, she, as a slave-turned-cultivator, still faced discrimination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, this elder helped her ascend, allowing her to eventually forge her Dao Foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the elder had ulterior motives—he had her cultivate the “Turn Jade Wheel,” the counterpart to his own “Yin-Yang Grievance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, even when he was still an overseer in Paper Slave Valley, he had secretly selected outstanding female slaves, cultivated them, and turned them into vessels for “Turn Jade Wheel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His “Yin-Yang Grievance” could drain lifespan through sex, but only with specific female Dao Foundation cultivators.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of all the selected female disciples, only Tao Hong succeeded in forging a Dao Foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He treated my lifespan as his own property… He even forbade me from learning paper puppet techniques, fearing it would shorten my life…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Hong’s face was filled with venom: ‘Had he not needed to drain lifespan slowly, I’d have aged to death long ago…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So the Blood Shadow Sect’s Origami Line Dao Foundations are all like this—types that extend lifespan or reduce its consumption?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the Origami lineage is so short-lived...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing felt deeply moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he thought Tao Hong’s luck was still decent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other paper slaves from their batch are probably nothing but dust by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To still be alive is fortune!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fang Xing...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Tao Hong seemed slightly embarrassed: “Given our past hardships together, could you give me this man?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? What do you want him for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing looked at the old man, his face covered in paper, now resembling a walking corpse, with curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve secretly cultivated a secret art that can reverse yin and yang, reclaiming his lifespan... but such lifespan-stealing methods always incur losses. Even if I drain all his lifespan, I still couldn’t match the lifespan of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Hong spoke through gritted teeth—clearly, this tough, weed-like woman had been waiting for a chance to turn the tables.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so? That could work... but first, I must interrogate this man with my Mind-Confusing Art, and also extract the Origami Scripture from him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—that’s fine. After he reached Foundation Establishment, he took as master an Invisible Spirit True Person and received the Blood Paper Secret Scripture...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flicker of interest crossed Tao Hong’s face; she clearly found this secret art intriguing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm. Besides this, someone in Greenwood Ridge must have aided in this trap. Do you know anything about it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t know—but all contact with that person was handled by this old bastard. He must know everything!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tao Hong pointed at the old man, a gleeful smile flashing across her face.\u003C\u002Fp>",1702,"2026-06-20T11:03:23.251Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","ee18e3a44e2c4fa8e013be6259c3f8ebd6baf0af3d717166fc5c7677a65b2e40","starlight-professional-chapter-605","starlight-professional-chapter-603",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]