[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starlight-professional":3,"chapter-starlight-professional-starlight-professional-chapter-71":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},2308731,4512,"Chapter 71: 71. Chapter 71: Qinghong Sword (In Honor of the Alliance Leader Who Bought Nothing but Loneliness)","starlight-professional-chapter-71",71,"\u003Cp>71. Chapter 71: Qinghong Sword (In Honor of the Alliance Leader Who Bought Nothing but Loneliness)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having spent so long in the cultivation world, Fang Xing understood certain basic common sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The value of a magical weapon lies first in its material, second in its arrays and seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes, the latter is even more important than the former.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This “Qinghong Sword” had all its internal arrays destroyed and its blade light corrupted… to a cultivator, it was essentially useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for him, the sword’s material was still second-grade, sufficiently sturdy… that was enough!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flicked his finger against the blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qinghong Sword immediately emitted a sword hum; within its jade-green light, a faint, unnoticeable violet-black hue lingered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This sword is truly completely ruined—no cultivation energy or spiritual sense can be input to control it; it can only be held like a fire poker… but for me, it’s perfect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“May I ask the price of this sword?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Friend, just cover the material cost—two thousand low-grade spirit stones will do,” said the Long-cultivator with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a ruined sword couldn’t recover much material even if melted down, and it was a hassle to process; getting two thousand spirit stones was already good, let alone… he could also gain favor with this infamous brute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing took out seven mid-grade spirit stones, added to the spirit stones from his previous weapon sale, and acquired this second-grade spirit sword, knowing the other party had given him a discount.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then again, it makes sense—Fire Refinery, Qingdan Workshop, and Qingxuan Sect are deeply entangled, representing the original order of the marketplace… groups like Tianxia Bang, as criminal organizations, must seize their interests; their relationship isn’t outright hostile, but they certainly look down on each other.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I destroyed Tianxia Bang—maybe I just did them a huge favor…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the cave dwelling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing drew the Qinghong Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instantly, the room filled with green light, sword qi surging toward the heavens!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He casually swung it; a streak of green light sliced through the air, cleaving through metal and jade as if they were nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine sword… its sharpness must be enough to cut through a second-grade beast’s defenses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hint of delight appeared on Fang Xing’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, second-grade spirit weapon materials were tough; ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators and second-grade beasts struggled to damage them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, if facing a high-end second-grade beast or a ruthless Foundation Establishment cultivator, it might be different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If directly struck by a third-grade beast, the second-grade spirit weapon would shatter instantly—no question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing should count himself lucky: that third-grade beast had attacked with poison mist, targeting the Golden Core cultivator; the Foundation Establishment cultivator caught in the residual waves turned to a pool of pus, yet the Qinghong Sword remained largely intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though, it was already ruined…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still better than chopping directly at a third-grade beast’s body and breaking the blade…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing drew another sword—Mo Wen!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left hand Mo Wen, right hand Qinghong, his face lit with eagerness; he suddenly exerted force and slashed hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ping!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two blades clashed, sparks flying through empty air, producing a sharp, ear-piercing sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing steadied himself, looked at the Qinghong Sword—its blade remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the Mo Wen blade’s edge, a tiny chip, the size of a grain of rice, had appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t even use much force—it’s purely the blade’s sharpness… Blood-refined weapons are only equivalent to low-grade magical weapons…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief test, Fang Xing confirmed Mo Wen Sword was indeed a minor waste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately tossed it upward with his left hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qinghong Sword transformed into a streak of green light and slashed down hard upon Mo Wen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mo Wen Sword let out a mournful cry; its hilt and blade were cleanly severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the two broken pieces, a thumb-sized iron fragment flew out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dog Brother’s token—here it comes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Fang Xing’s eyes brightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since learning Mo Wen Sword concealed a secret, he’d planned to extract it one day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His original plan was to find a metal-cutting machine on Chu Ying Star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, Qinghong Sword could accomplish this task.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing reached out, his primordial true qi forming a fine thread that stretched over a zhang, snatching back the iron token.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If any primordial martial artist of this world saw this, their eyes would pop out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could primordial true qi really be used this way?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing stared at the token in his hand—it was only thumb-sized, entirely black, resembling ordinary iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet something that survived Qinghong Sword’s strike unscathed couldn’t possibly be ordinary material.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second-grade… or third-grade spirit material?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing murmured, tracing the iron token with his fingers, feeling a jade-like warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire token was engraved with cloud patterns; the front bore an ancient seal character—“Ling”; the back was carved with the characters “Wan Fa.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the rumors are true—this secret realm truly relates to that Golden Core perfected ‘Wan Fa Shangren’… is this token the core of the array? Or some kind of access credential?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>oco\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d absorbed much knowledge of the cultivation world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, important cave dwellings or array seals often contained one or two core tokens, plus many access tokens, for the master and his disciples or children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Equivalent to keys to open a door!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So maybe, despite the fierce fighting at the secret realm, they were only at the outer edges—never even reached the main gate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or perhaps they hadn’t touched the core yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Fang Xing had no intention of exploring it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, Golden Core cultivators had fallen—he, a mere minor player, had no need to humiliate himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second… “Cultivator artifacts are mostly useless to me…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s goal had always been clear: maximize use of this world’s resources to build his martial path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, for him, the most important thing now was the next step for “Whale-Elephant Ointment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything else was illusion!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several days later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around Qinglin Marketplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A humble shack, its roof dotted with perching birds, lizards and beetles crawling over its walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing already knew its condition; he strode inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Rui stood by the door; seeing Fang Xing, her face relaxed: “Honored guest, please enter!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Fang Xing stepped in, she immediately shut the door and pasted two “Protect Dwelling Talismans” and “Conceal Breath Talismans.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re the proprietor of Qingdan Workshop?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing looked toward the center of the room, where a woman in blue robes stood, a jade belt tied at her waist, a wide-brimmed hat obscuring her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes… I am Su Ye. I greet you, honored guest. May I ask your name?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Ye spoke softly, her voice like clear spring water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am Fang Yun!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing immediately gave a false name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fang Daoist… you recently slew Tianxia Bang’s Luo Hong—truly a great relief, I admire you…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Ye flattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough small talk. Do you have any leads on a substitute for ‘Whale-Elephant Ointment’?” Fang Xing asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So that ointment is called ‘Whale-Elephant Ointment’? Its potency is so fierce—this ‘Whale-Elephant’ must be some beast with third-grade or even fourth-grade bloodline…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Ye murmured, tossing a black jade vial; it floated gently toward Fang Xing, wrapped in a swirl of green light: “This vial contains ‘Boiling Blood.’ Please, Daoist, examine it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boiling Blood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing silently contacted his external drone—no ambush detected. He held his breath, then opened the black jade vial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, with his current physique, ordinary toxins couldn’t harm him; his exquisite bodily control allowed him to detect toxins the moment they entered and expel them instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But cultivation world techniques were countless—better safe than sorry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After removing the stopper, he saw a liquid as crimson as fresh blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing slightly opened his nostrils and caught a strong stench of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, no poison—instead, it slightly invigorates my blood and qi… just smelling it has this effect—this might work!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought, then summoned a silver needle, carefully drawing a drop of viscous “Boiling Blood” and smearing it on his forearm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acidity, numbness, heat…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Various sensations rose from his skin, then coalesced into a scalding heat that seemed to slightly strengthen his epidermis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is this?” Su Ye asked with a light laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It has about four or five tenths the effect of ‘Whale-Elephant Ointment’… what’s the price? I intend to buy in bulk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing exhaled, making his decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This item is rare, crafted primarily from the flesh and blood of a second-rank beast, blended with forty-nine kinds of spiritual herbs...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Ye answered calmly: “Thus, each bottle sells for two hundred low-grade spiritual stones. Our shop recently suffered a great disaster—our herbal storage warehouse was destroyed—and now we have only two bottles left…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only two bottles?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing frowned. Though this amount was slightly more than what Xia Long had given him, it was far from enough to push his Dragon Elephant Art to the next realm: “I recall… the Foundation Establishment guardian of the marketplace killed a second-rank beast not long ago… there should’ve been plenty of flesh left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Friend, you don’t understand,” Su Ye sighed. “To refine ‘Boiling Blood,’ we must purify the flesh of a second-rank beast—a pile as large as a small hill—yet only a fist-sized portion remains after refinement. When the marketplace was attacked, many beasts were drawn by the scent of the second-rank beast’s flesh and went mad, storming our pharmacy and storage warehouses…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with storage bags for convenient storage, the entire Qingdan Marketplace probably had no more than a few.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, low-grade storage bags typically hold only two or three cubic meters—how much beast flesh could they possibly contain?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural that little remained, since the flesh had not yet been refined into pills when the attack occurred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Fang Xing still didn’t believe it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By merchant custom, when a product becomes wildly popular, they deliberately limit supply to hoard stock and inflate prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze toward Su Ye took on an odd edge: “Then, Su Daoist, how might one obtain large quantities of ‘Boiling Blood’?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aside from slaying a second-rank beast and acquiring abundant flesh as raw material, there is no other way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Ye shook his head in reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A second-rank beast?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fang Xing’s expression turned solemn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image of that golden-feathered bald eagle from that day resurfaced in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were a high-tier second-rank beast like that, he would flee as far as possible—but if it were an ordinary low-tier second-rank beast, it might still be taken down by a group of Cultivation Base Completion cultivators, aided by arrays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In that case, I’ll take these two bottles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Fang Xing made his decision and pulled out four mid-grade spiritual stones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Damn it, if it’s this dangerous, I’d be better off returning to Chu Ying Star to buy ‘Whale-Elephant Ointment’ instead! Even if it costs hundreds of thousands per box, at least it’s safe…’\u003C\u002Fp>",1820,"2026-06-20T11:03:20.053Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1e3c9c17241cc3a6a9a6705f6bb98824784c4799fd6820ee78b2c1fcfba9c3f1","starlight-professional-chapter-72","starlight-professional-chapter-70",726,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarlight-professional-cover.jpg"]