[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-695":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},2309355,4512,"Chapter 695","starlight-professional-chapter-695",695,"\u003Cp>Night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single lamp flickered like a dying ember, occasionally flaring up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the room, Xun Heihu sat on a wooden stool, opening the secret manual his father had given him: The Toad-Dragging Force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His parents’ plan to leave soon lifted a heavy burden from his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this, even if his confrontation with Jade Coach was exposed, he could simply flee—no fear of being cut off from escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he believed his actions were flawless, he was still just a boy and dared not underestimate the heroes of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the elders, if a martial artist who had awakened the Eye or Nose Orifices of the Twelve Body Mysteries came to investigate, every move he made would be a glaring flaw!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, one must plan from the worst-case scenario to eliminate all possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not want to be young and lose his family, forced to flee as a fugitive, then spend decades, even centuries… returning only to seek revenge against the Five Animals Sect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such stories might be thrilling in novels, but if they happened to him, no one could bear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Toad-Dragging Force…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu silently flipped through the manual: “At the Sixth Rank of martial arts, one cultivates internal force… External hard techniques flow inward; once internal force is achieved, it becomes immensely thick and dense, and all one’s meridians are naturally unblocked, accelerating the accumulation of internal force…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Almost all Sixth Rank martial artists quickly reach Sixth Rank Perfection.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But the cultivation beyond this is the key!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fifth Rank is called ‘Chao Yuan’—one must cultivate the Five Qi within the chest, pushing internal force to its peak…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Fourth Rank is ‘Tai Xi’—self-ingesting internal breath, clenching the fists and guarding the One; this is Tai Xi, also known as ‘Primordial’!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A Primordial martial artist is a top-tier expert wherever they go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for the Upper Three Ranks? This manual has no specific methods, but it mentions the Third Rank is called ‘Beng Yue’—a title worthy of a martial arts patriarch, almost mythical…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A manual that can guide one to the Fourth Rank is already quite impressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu felt no regret: “If I can’t join any great sect, I might as well cultivate this Toad-Dragging Force…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to the last page and suddenly froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the manual, his father’s experiences were indeed recorded in detail—but not as a tomb-raiding journal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, they were all sorts of lowbrow street tactics!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poisoned incense, traps, seduction schemes…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, Xun Heihu sneered; later, he felt his young soul had been tainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the end, he was filled with relief: ‘Some of these poison methods on this book—I could be taken down even if I’m careless… Without caution, even an internal force expert walking the Jianghu might be felled by a bun shop apprentice, even turned into human meat buns…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt if he encountered these tricks, he’d likely not survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No… once you awaken the Twelve Body Mysteries, unless it’s an extremely rare poison, ordinary stupefying drugs won’t knock you down.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s voice echoed in his mind: ‘Besides, these petty tricks might work on Fifth or Sixth Rank martial artists… but against a Fourth Rank ‘Tai Xi’? They’re laughable…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘As for a Third Rank Beng Yue patriarch? How could ants possibly harm a divine dragon?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So that’s how it is.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu carefully put away the manual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless, it was his father’s heartfelt intention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Xun Liusan had written out his personal techniques and herbal formulas without reservation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even detailed the preparations, inner struggles, even his cowardice and dark thoughts in ambushing an internal force expert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, to teach his son, he had ‘dissected’ himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Father wrote all this… perhaps he sensed something bad was coming, preparing his final arrangements?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Indeed, leaving as soon as possible is the wisest choice…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed, moving away as soon as possible is the wisest choice...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu lay on his bed and soon fell asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the True Martial Talisman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu sat cross-legged, circulating internal force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That one could still cultivate internal force within the True Martial Talisman was astonishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m still too young. If I were currently the top of the Dragon-Tiger List, Lotus Ascendant, with the power to easily suppress Heaven Bird Ascendant, would I still be running like a stray dog?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu’s eyes burned: ‘I will cultivate! Train relentlessly! One day, I will break into the Upper Three Ranks—no, the First Rank! Appear on the Dragon-Tiger List and shock the world!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu’s eyes burned with passion: “I will cultivate! I will train relentlessly! One day, I will break through to the Upper Three Ranks—no, the First Rank! I will make the Dragon-Tiger List and shock the world!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of light, and Fang Xing’s figure appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A flash of light and shadow, and Fang Xing’s figure materialized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu felt embarrassed: ‘Am I being too ambitious?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No. I just think your goal is… too low.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing smiled: ‘The Lower Three Ranks of martial arts demand great wealth, but from the Middle Three Ranks onward, martial talent becomes ever more critical… You have the Twelve Body Mysteries forged by Ancient Martial Arts—your foundation is so profound, beyond ordinary imagination. Breaking into the Upper Three Ranks will merely be a matter of time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘And your greatest fortune is the True Martial Talisman! With its aid, every Great Xia emperor shattered martial limits and dominated the world for three hundred years… You only aspire to the First Rank? Your goal should be to break past the First Rank, become the unprecedented “Super Rank Martial Artist,” and shatter your own limits!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And your greatest fortune is the True Martial Talisman! With the True Martial Talisman’s aid, every Great Xia emperor broke through the limits of martial cultivation and suppressed the world for three hundred years… Yet you seek only the First Rank? Your goal should be to shatter the First Rank and become the unprecedented ‘Supreme Martialist,’ breaking your own limits!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu was startled: ‘Does such a realm exist?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Modern people far surpass the ancients. Did Great Xia even have a First Rank Grandmaster?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing chuckled: ‘This world has not yet matured—thus, the First Rank is the martial peak. But since you possess the True Martial Talisman, you can at least break the limit, pushing the world’s ceiling up by one rank… even two! Then you’ll be like Emperor Taizu of Da Kang.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I… I haven’t even gotten an internal force technique yet…’ Xun Heihu admitted this pie was huge—he was already full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Internal force technique? That Toad-Dragging Force is fine. Learn it for now—you can always switch once you reach the Fourth Rank.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing said: ‘I know you don’t want to taint your martial foundation—you want purity. For ordinary martial artists, practicing multiple techniques wastes time and energy, and often causes conflict, making great achievement impossible. But in martial arts, foundation comes first… Your foundation is so profound that even if you only practice low-rank techniques, you might eventually synthesize the strengths of a hundred schools and break through the Third Rank Beng Yue.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I…’ Xun Heihu shook his head: ‘I’ll stick with hard techniques for now. My internal force is already progressing quickly thanks to my prior accumulation. Besides… if I learn an internal force technique now, and later join another great sect, and they discover it during inspection, won’t that destroy my chances? Unless… Senior can give me a peerless martial scripture.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He blinked, suddenly looking shrewd, like a country farmer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu shook his head: “I’ll stick with hardening my body for now… My foundation is solid, and I feel my internal strength is advancing quickly anyway. Besides… if I start practicing an internal energy technique now and later get inspected upon joining another major sect, won’t that crush my chances? Unless… Elder, you can guarantee me a peerless martial scripture.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing scolded with a laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Choosing a sect is serious business… Outsiders find it hard to earn local sects’ trust. Besides… once you enter a sect, it’s like diving into a deep sea. I joined a sect only to obtain a peerless scripture that can take me past the Third Rank. If I had one, I could roam the Jianghu freely—how liberating…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu voiced his wish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he successfully joined a great sect, he’d still have to serve like a beast—no one would hand him a peerless scripture upon entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless loyalty tests were truly tedious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he successfully joins a major sect, he’ll still have to toil like a beast—and he certainly won’t be taught peerless martial arts the moment he enters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing smiled: ‘That… can be arranged.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu narrowed his eyes, suspicious: ‘Senior… didn’t you say you could only teach me Ancient Martial techniques? How come you now have a peerless divine art?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Naturally, I’ve recently gained new insights.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu narrowed his eyes, suspicion creeping in: “Elder… didn’t you just say you could only teach me ancient martial arts? How come you suddenly have a peerless divine technique now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After so long in silence, he had gained fresh understanding of the ‘True Martial Dao.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past years, he had quietly observed the Nine Ranks of martial arts and now had zero doubts about the Lower Three Ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Lower Three Ranks of martial arts are the foundation, the base…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creating a ‘True Martial’ technique was now certain—free of Pan Wu’s lingering poison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Besides… in this age, the world is limited. Even if Pan Wu’s poison existed, it wouldn’t matter—it’d give me a chance to fix the gaps.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, Xun Heihu had just been upgraded to lab rat status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Er… or perhaps, little black rat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Recently created?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu bowed deeply: ‘Please, Senior, teach me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought it through clearly—this senior within the True Martial Talisman was undoubtedly an extraordinary being!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even merely practicing ‘Ancient Martial’ as a supplement would let him rival Upper Three Rank patriarchs in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scripture he now offered—even if newly created—must be of peerless divine art caliber!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The coiled snake and turtle form the True Martial… The martial art I’ve created is called—The Turtle Breathing Method, an internal force circulation technique. Its effect? It accelerates internal force accumulation, aids in sensing Tai Xi… and conceals one’s true strength.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing began explaining his newly created True Martial technique: ‘This internal art reaches only up to the Fourth Rank. Beyond that… I have not yet created it. So there is risk in cultivating it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Still, it’s far better than Toad-Dragging Force… That technique is likely a secret transmission of Tianyang Sect. If I use it openly, I’m asking for death.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu accepted it quickly: ‘This Turtle Breathing Method surely has no such problems.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘True. But your ‘oldest martial art’ has serious issues.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing said: ‘Though Great Xia fell long ago, if anyone recognizes your Twelve Body Mysteries, they might deduce you’re practicing the imperial martial arts of Great Xia… I don’t know if any remnants still exist, or if anyone still searches for the True Martial Talisman…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu clenched his fists, a sudden urgency rising in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing said: “Though Great Xia has been fallen for a long time, if anyone recognizes the Twelve Body Transformations, they might deduce you’re practicing the imperial martial arts of Great Xia… I don’t know if any remnants of Great Xia still survive, or if anyone still searches for the ‘True Martial Talisman’…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Heihu clenched his fists, and suddenly a sense of urgency surged within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Liusan somehow convinced Heihuniang; the couple packed their belongings, hitched a donkey, and set off with Xun Heihu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Liusan, where are you going?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, many people asked curiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Heihu has made his fortune—we’re going to the city to enjoy life!’ Xun Liusan said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the way, many people curiously asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hei Hu has made something of himself—let’s follow him into the city for a life of comfort,” said Xun Lao Liu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He answered with a cheerful smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're truly blessed!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course, Hei Hu is already a Wu practitioner, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The villagers all looked on with envy and offered their congratulations...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally, Xun Hei Hu turned back to glance once more at the small village where he had grown up: \"Now that I'm leaving, I don't know when I'll return...\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2068,"2026-06-20T11:03:23.251Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","9fa849cc14498f6af8a960cc7b4275b477fa63aaafa00164d989fe96f2ed79dc","starlight-professional-chapter-696","starlight-professional-chapter-694",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]