Star Official

Chen Fusheng's face turned ashen. Every time the Star Guiding Realm advanced by one minor level, it meant double the energy and double the combat power. Having only just begun cultivating, how could he possibly fight Teng Lin?

"Teng Lin raised his large hand, sending a wave of energy sweeping toward him. "Still standing there? Do you really want to die?"

Chen Fusheng's ears instinctively twitched. Judging the energy's trajectory by sound, he dodged aside and avoided it.

Teng Lin was startled. Energy sprayed from his palm again, but Chen Fusheng relied on his hearing and the Evil Tiger Pouncing technique to dodge it once more.

Everything was different. Everything had changed!

A surge of vitality and spirit filled Chen Fusheng's entire body. His fear of Teng Lin had vanished completely. He even wanted to launch a counterattack, but he did not know whether his physical toughness was enough to withstand threefold energy.

A flame also flashed in Teng Lin's eyes. "Your movement is so strange, and your speed is so nimble. It seems you're hiding some secret. Let me guess—it has something to do with the thing you hid just now!"

Chen Fusheng felt as though he had been struck by lightning. His fists clenched tightly, and a murderous intent surged within him—madder than ever before!

Kill him!

A thought roared wildly inside him, nearly impossible to suppress, piercing through his mind as though it would hammer Teng Lin into scraps!

"You're not saying anything. Looks like you're admitting it!"

Teng Lin's expression turned vicious. He drew the fine-steel sword strapped to his back. As energy poured into it, a chilling blade-light erupted and swept toward Chen Fusheng's neck.

"Not good!"

In his panic, Chen Fusheng turned his head to evade it, but Teng Lin's foot followed with a side kick to his abdomen. His body flew sideways and crashed into the corner of the wall before tumbling to the ground.

"Heh heh. Dodge, then. Why aren't you dodging anymore?"

Teng Lin stamped his slightly trembling foot, surprised that this brat's bones were so hard.

He became even more convinced that Chen Fusheng possessed some earth-shaking secret. Malice filled his eyes as he raised his sword and thrust it toward Chen Fusheng's chest.

Thump! Thump!

The incomparably deadly threat of death made Chen Fusheng's heart race. His blood surged wildly through his veins. His eyes reddened, every sinew and bone in his body drawn taut like iron wire, while the image of the Evil Tiger carving flashed through his mind.

His four limbs instinctively pressed against the ground. Without the carving's aid, he forcibly entered the state of Evil Tiger Pouncing, his eyes blazing with ferocity.

Crack, crack!

Chen Fusheng bent at the waist and drove both legs against the wall. His spine burst forward like a fully drawn bow, and his body sprang into the air to pounce and kill. Even the air carried rippling waves of vibration.

"Boom!"

Chen Fusheng narrowly avoided the steel sword and slammed into Teng Lin's chest, causing layer after layer of the energy shielding his body to shatter.

Chen Fusheng viciously pinned Teng Lin to the ground, only for a large amount of warmth to spray across his face.

Chen Fusheng's face was covered in blood, and the murderous light in his eyes grew even stronger. He lowered his head and stared at Teng Lin, whose mouth and nose were spewing blood, then looked into his utterly terrified eyes. Confusion flickered in his own gaze.

When his eyes shifted downward, his stomach churned violently, and he nearly vomited.

Teng Lin's chest had been smashed to pieces. Without energy, his physical body was frail and utterly unable to withstand a blow.

"You..." Teng Lin stared at Chen Fusheng in even greater terror. His body trembled as he struggled several times, then his legs kicked out, and he was dead.

Chen Fusheng's breathing was heavy, and his body trembled. The corpse before him seemed more like a gigantic hand of death clutching his heart.

He had killed an Outer Sect Disciple of the Star Gazing Manor. This was a catastrophe that could wipe out the Nine Clans!

What was more, Teng Lin's father was an administrator of the Outer Sect Dining Hall—and a Star Master of the Other Shore Realm!

"Fusheng, don't panic when trouble comes."

An aged voice drifted over.

Old Huang had appeared at the courtyard entrance at some point. Leaning on a black dragon-headed cane, his hunched body calmly watched everything before him.

"Grandpa, I... You can actually get out of bed? Are your wounds healed?" Chen Fusheng looked up, startled and delighted.

"I'm better. You handled this matter correctly as well. Remember, no matter who threatens your safety in the future, use every means at your disposal to eliminate the danger. If you can't do that, run. The farther away, the better!"

A cold indifference toward all living things radiated from Old Huang's eyes. "Fusheng, go wash your face and tidy your appearance. Remember this: you did not see Teng Lin today."

Chen Fusheng regained some clarity. He went inside and washed himself clean. When he returned to the courtyard, he found a sack there, while all the blood on the ground had vanished.

Old Huang said calmly, "Take the sack and throw it into the Black River behind the mountain. Once that's done, go to the Outer Gate Hall and register your successful Star Guiding information."

Chen Fusheng forcibly suppressed the emotions racing through him. "Grandpa, I guided a star without spiritual telekinesis. Will that cause trouble?"

Old Huang smiled. "The fact that you've thought of this means you're vigilant. But the Star Gazing Manor has four Outer Sect courtyards and more than ten thousand Outer Sect Disciples. No one will pay attention to a minor figure like you, and the Outer Gate Hall isn't responsible for verifying talent."

"I understand." Chen Fusheng hoisted the sack onto his shoulder and walked away along the mountain path with heavy steps.

Old Huang watched until his silhouette disappeared, then suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of black blood.

Old Huang's body staggered. He knew his time was short. All he hoped was that Chen Fusheng would mature sooner and adapt to this cruel world.

The back mountain of the Star Gazing Manor was rarely visited by people. It bordered the Ten Thousand Li Black River, where hundreds of thousands of fishermen relied on fishing for their livelihoods.

Chen Fusheng stood atop the mountain, gazing over the pitch-black river waters as a savage, primeval force surged toward him.

"Splash!"

After confirming that there were no fishing boats in this stretch of river, Chen Fusheng threw the sack down, sending up a sheet of water.

There were fish demons in the Black River—even flood dragons. Finding Teng Lin after sinking him into the Black River would be harder than destroying all traces of the corpse.

He suddenly took out the Contemplation Method and tried to burn it, but the scroll was impervious to flames and impossible to tear apart.

"Could this material be some kind of treasure?"

After a brief moment of thought, Chen Fusheng found a crack in the mountain and threw it inside. He checked the depth again. Unless the mountain collapsed, the Contemplation Method would never see daylight again.

"This morning, I successfully guided a star and went to the Outer Gate Hall to register. I never saw Teng Lin."

Forcibly calming himself, Chen Fusheng turned around and worked out his story as he made his way to the Outer Gate Hall.

The halls were magnificent and dazzling. Many Outer Sect Disciples were receiving various missions; after completing them, they could obtain generous resource rewards.

At the Star Guiding Realm registration desk stood a silver-haired, silver-robed elder with a silver-moon badge pinned to his chest.

"My lord, I'm a menial assistant at the East Courtyard Dining Hall. I've come to register my successful Star Guiding information."

Chen Fusheng bowed respectfully. The silver-moon badge indicated that the elder was a Star Official of the Star Palace. Even the lowest rank was a position countless people dreamed of attaining.

The greatest benefit of becoming a Star Official was not the treatment or attendant offerings. Rather, the Star Palace could gather the power of the stars across the heavens, allowing one's cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds within it!

The Silver-Robed Elder glanced at the energy Chen Fusheng had released and said indifferently, "You understand the rules, right? Before becoming an Outer Sect Disciple, you must complete a Grade-B mission before you can enjoy the treatment of an Outer Sect Disciple."

Missions were divided into Grades A, B, C, and D. Grade D was for menial workers, while Grade A was for Star Masters.

"This junior understands. I've already thought it through. I want to capture spirit fish in the Black River. Please issue the mission, my lord."

Chen Fusheng spoke. A spirit fish was valuable from head to tail, and every one of them was worth a fortune.

The elder was surprised. "You're currently at the first minor level of the Star Guiding Realm. Do you know how difficult it is to capture spirit fish? The mission lasts only one month. If you fail, you'll have to start over from the beginning."

"This junior understands. I want to give it a try."

Chen Fusheng longed to capture spirit fish to nourish Old Huang's body. More importantly, there was a flood dragon carving on the Celestial Pillar. Perhaps it could grant him astonishing aquatic abilities.

"All right. Register your identity information. Hmm, your name is Chen Fusheng?"

The Silver-Robed Elder glanced at his registration information and asked in surprise, "Your grandfather is Huang Tiancheng?"