Chapter 86: 86. Battle Foundation Establishment (In Celebration of Master Chu Ding

86. Chapter 86: Battle Foundation Establishment (In Celebration of Master Chu Ding’s Ascension)

Dawn.

Thin mist hung hazy.

A group of cultivators appeared at the edge of the marketplace.

To avoid detection by beast spirits, many had smeared themselves with medicinal powder and activated spirit-concealing talismans.

At their head was none other than Su Ye.

She cast one final glance at the towering peak and the marketplace, then turned without hesitation: “Let’s go!”

Xiao Rui, as her maid, naturally followed closely behind.

Besides her, there were the Qingdan Market’s guards and the wandering cultivators gathered in recent days.

These wandering cultivators were no random assortment—they each possessed a unique skill, making them the final essence of the marketplace.

Some carried bamboo baskets, others shouldered yokes, and some pushed wooden carts, appearing much like refugees fleeing disaster.

In truth, it was nearly the same…

“Grandpa… are we really leaving?”

Ding Hongxiu carried a large bundle, mostly filled with prepared rations—spirit-rice pastries emitting a tempting aroma.

“Go! We must go!”

Ding Bushan carried two baskets, one filled with fermented spirit wine and other sundries.

In the cultivation world, storage bags were rare—even a Qi Condensation cultivator’s full completion didn’t guarantee one per person.

And their capacity was usually only one or two cubic meters; unless transporting precious items, bulk goods still required beast-riding caravans.

In the desolate lands, major merchant guilds thrived, each renowned, long-established, and richly trusted, reaping immense profits.

This fleeing group lacked sufficient storage bags, so they carried everything on their backs and in their hands—luckily, all were cultivators, their bodies refined by spiritual energy and nourished by talismans and pills, preventing exhaustion.

Suddenly, commotion erupted at the rear of the group.

“Beast spirits?”

“No, damn brats—some hunter lured beast spirits here, trying to drag us all down with them…”

“Kill them!”

Shouts rang out. Ding Bushan gripped his yoke in one hand and his gourd artifact in the other, reassuring his granddaughter: “Don’t be afraid—the guard squad will handle it.”

It’s not scarcity they fear, but inequality!

Su Ye couldn’t save everyone; the larger the group, the more likely it would attract powerful beast spirits!

Thus, the fleeing group she selected had already been drastically streamlined.

This left behind wandering cultivators dissatisfied—and even disruptive.

In recent days, she had suppressed and killed many, yet some still trailed from afar, while others had gone mad, seeking mutual destruction.

“Die!”

Han Qingyun rode a mid-grade flying sword artifact, his cultivation having reached Qi Condensation Mid-stage.

This was the result of his last life-or-death struggle, rewarded by Su Ye with a breakthrough pill that propelled his cultivation forward.

Together with several other guards, he unleashed a flash of azure light from his sword, severing a cultivator’s head.

“Hmph. Qi Condensation Early-stage? Come to die?”

Another cultivator sneered beside him.

Han Qingyun, witnessing this, fell silent.

He only wanted to live…

Not long after, the group resumed its journey.

He and Feiyue cast one final look back at the marketplace.

“Sister, are you thinking of that Fang Daoist?”

Han Qingyun suddenly asked.

“Yes… I went back to check—it’s already rubble. The Young Master’s whereabouts are unknown… Enough. This is a chaotic age—life is like floating duckweed…”

Feiyue sighed, casting one last glance behind.

It might have been an illusion—but she thought she saw a puppet bird perched on a tree branch, silently watching them depart.

“Left, then?”

In his cave dwelling, Fang Xing manipulated the puppet bird, watching the group fade into the distance until they vanished into the dense forest…

With this final elite gone, Qinglin Marketplace fell utterly silent, save for the occasional beast roar.

“Even if a few survivors remain, after these artisans leave, they’ll likely struggle to survive…”

Fang Xing sighed.

He had seized every spare moment before departure, trading his spirit stones and other items to stockpile heavily.

Moreover, he had set up several storage depots inside and outside the marketplace, leveraging the resources of Chu Ying Star, giving him confidence to endure the long dark days ahead.

After all, whether the Golden Core sects would come remained uncertain.

Moreover… they might simply abandon it.

Then Fang Xing would wait—until he ascended to Outer Scenery, even to Martial Golden Core—and cross the Wild Lands alone.

“But… the beast spirits here will only grow more numerous. This place is rich in spiritual energy—it will naturally draw nearby beasts, even spawn rare treasures. Without cultivators to slay them, they’ll multiply endlessly…”

“Staying here will only become more troublesome. Better to move to the temporary camp… Too bad about this spiritually rich cave dwelling.”

He was reluctant to leave its environment—and especially the hot spring.

“But lately, I’ve had no time here… Chu Ying Star’s Hundred-Star Alliance Exam is about to begin. If I make a stunning showing, I’ll draw more attention—and future visits here will become harder still…”

…

Time flowed like water.

June. Scorching heat.

Yucai High School.

Fang Xing stood with other Grade 11 students on the playground, each youthful and vibrant, postures straight as pines, sharp and formidable.

On the podium, Principal Lu Guangming, rarely dressed formally, spoke with solemnity: “Students, the Hundred-Star Alliance Exam begins tomorrow. I hope you perform beyond your limits and prove yourselves…”

“As for results, don’t stress—just one student reaching the third round would make me happy.”

…Honestly, Lu Guangming wasn’t boosting morale—he was crushing it.

“What do you mean, ‘one student reaching the third round is enough’?”

Fang Xing glanced at his classmates—unsurprisingly, he was the one being referred to?

“You don’t know? This Hundred-Star Alliance Exam has three rounds… First is a standardized academic test, second is your home planet’s martial arts exam. Only students who meet the combined score threshold qualify for the final third round!”

Ouyang Qianqian whispered: “If we’re unlucky, not a single student in our entire grade might reach the final round…”

Because the Hundred-Star Alliance includes the clearly overpowered Youlin Star, over half the final round slots have historically come from that planet alone.

If luck runs out, a complete washout is entirely possible.

“Not that bad… How many are taken in the third round?”

Fang Xing asked curiously.

“Always ten thousand!” Ouyang Qianqian replied firmly.

“Even if Youlin Star takes five thousand, the remaining five thousand are split among ninety-nine planets… oh, right—I forgot Chu Ying Star has so many schools.”

Fang Xing almost couldn’t bear to look.

With so many candidates on one planet, failing to secure fifty spots was normal. A single high school producing zero qualifiers was perfectly ordinary.

The principal’s low expectations might even be because of him.

Thinking of this, he recalled Bai Lianyi and Liu Wei.

One of those two, once expected to reach the third round, had been burned to ash by him; the other had joined the rebellion… Life was truly unpredictable.

“Liu Wei probably doesn’t know Bai Lianyi was a Sect disciple…”

“Poor kid’s love life is a mess. Wonder if the rebellion’s got any beauties…”

Fang Xing’s thoughts drifted oddly, amused by his own musings.

…

The next day.

In the classroom.

A stranger proctor’s hologram paced back and forth, watching students struggle with their exams.

“The Hundred-Star Alliance Exam questions are definitely much harder than regular tests…”

Fang Xing wrote swiftly, a confident smile on his face.

Since opening his Dantian, he had undergone a transformation as profound as rebirth.

Especially his mental processing—he had become a true prodigy.

Coupled with a little last-minute effort, these humanities questions were effortless.

As for the martial arts exam?

A lock for top of his grade—no need to mention.

And the practical test had been upgraded: no sparring, just solo evaluation.

Fang Xing entered the testing chamber, expression calm.

【Beep! Candidate Fang Xing, please input your student ID!】

A fluorescent light glowed, scanning his entire body.

He maintained his expression and quickly entered his student ID.

【Iris authentication passed. Candidate Fang Xing… Evolution Path: ‘Martial Artist’! Realm: Fourth Realm—Courage!】

【Physical condition perfect, no hidden injuries, rating: Excellent!】

……

【Comprehensive rating: S!】

【Examination concluded. Please candidates exit in order…】

“That’s it?”

Fang Xing was dazed, then exited the examination hall.

Xia Long was waiting outside; seeing Fang Xing, he stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder: “How did it go?”

“Not bad. Just scanned me and let me out.”

Fang Xing answered honestly.

“Oh… that’s normal. After all, you’ve broken through to the fourth Martial Realm… the strongest puppet here is only at the Rough Jade level…”

Xia Long looked at this student, filled with deep emotion.

He knew Fang Xing would eventually break through to the fourth Martial Realm, but he never expected it would be this fast!

When he was first notified by the principal, he had been stunned and amazed for a long time.

“Oh… so the Martial Realm’s essence really is hard to simulate. Building a fourth-realm robot is difficult, and it’s never used for teaching…”

Fang Xing immediately understood.

In short, his strength was too great—he surpassed the examiner.

“Yes. With your strength, you’ll surely enter the third round of the exam. This is a rare opportunity. Enjoy the experience of battling against the top geniuses—they’ll all be your rivals in the college entrance exam…”

Xia Long spoke with solemn earnestness.

He felt Fang Xing was already guaranteed admission to a top-tier university.

If fortune favored him, he might even have a good chance at a super-tier university!

【Could it be… my Golden Core path truly has hope? Does it rest on this boy?】

Xia Long gazed at Fang Xing, his eyes filled with complex emotion.

He had merely taken a liking to him and offered minor support—never expecting such a return!

Fang Xing remained oblivious.

To be honest, he felt like he was bullying people by taking this exam.

【But I love this kind of realm suppression!】

【What’s the point of constantly pushing myself? Crushing noobs is what’s fun…】

【I wonder what geniuses will show up in this Hundred-Star Examination?】