Chapter seventeen: Jing Xia

"Liu Wei... there's definitely something he's hiding from me!"

After school, Fang Xing decided not to go home with Liu Wei and instead headed towards the Happy Garden community alone.

On the white dam, the river flowed gently, the sound of water constant and calming.

Yet, Fang Xing knew their relationship could never return to what it once was.

*If it were the original owner, she would be heartbroken. After all, he was her best friend, but to me, he's just an ordinary acquaintance...*

With a sigh, he returned to his dormitory, prepared himself, and began his journey to another world.

---

**In the Other World, Temporary Camp**

Fang Xing started his training with stances, followed by daily tasks of digging and expanding the camp, and then proceeded to learn the local language.

Thanks to the multiple effects influencing him, his progress was rapid.

Chirp, chirp!

While he practiced, a flock of artificial birds returned, their claws clutching surveillance devices shaped like stones and beetles.

*Recycling items is important...*

*Although this world is completely different from the Blue Star Federation, lacking any unified order, the impoverished imagination might not even conceive the idea of crossing worlds. If the monitors are discovered, they could easily be mistaken for clever puppets...*

*But achieving perfection is essential; I must avoid any flaws... Even damaged monitors should be collected.*

*With enough Qi Blood Pills on hand, there's no rush to make contact; it's better to master the language first...*

Fang Xing had already planned his next steps.

The semester was nearing its end, and after the final exams, he would have a two-month vacation.

At that point, he could explore the other world without the constraints of classes.

*After all, it's difficult to enjoy exploring when it can only be done during nights or weekends.*

---

**Morning**

Fang Xing jogged towards Yucai High School.

*These Qi Blood Pills are indeed powerful; if paired with the Great Dragon Stance, I should be able to reach full physical training before the semester ends... Finishing my first year in high school at full capacity? That's barely acceptable, but at least there's a glimmer of hope for university!*

While running, his mind was full of thoughts.

*By then, my Great Dragon Stance should enter the third stage with the help of the pills. Even if I expose my 'Jade Skin,' it wouldn't matter; I could attract more investments...*

The morning streets were tranquil, with few pedestrians along the riverside path.

Only a woman in sportswear and a baseball cap was walking her dog.

"A bully dog?"

Fang Xing glanced, intrigued.

It was unusual to see a girl with such a large bully breed.

Seemingly drawn by his gaze, the dog leaped forward, its face fierce and intimidating.

For some reason, Fang Xing felt a sudden wave of danger.

*Am I really feeling threatened by a dog?*

Just then, the woman called out, "Ginger! Sit!"

The dog obediently sat down, though it still looked quite menacing.

"Sorry, Ginger isn't in a good mood today," the woman said with a smile. "I'm Jing Xia. What's your name, little brother?"

"I don't usually share my name when I'm out," Fang Xing shook his head and continued running.

"Heh, interesting little brother."

Jing Xia watched his retreating figure, her hand brushing against her waist.

Ding, ding, ding!

A phone rang, and she pulled it from her waist. After listening for a moment, impatience crossed her face. "Your team can't even handle one cultist? Pathetic! Just wait for me!"

She stowed the phone and pressed a button on her wrist.

Whoosh!

A hoverboard appeared out of thin air, floating before her.

Jing Xia stepped on it, gliding through the air as if flying toward the city.

"Woof woof!"

Ginger growled, its back flesh rippling as it sprouted a pair of demonic wings, flying closely behind Jing Xia.

Nearby, Fang Xing observed this spectacle, his expression growing serious. "To fly so boldly, they must not fear traffic regulations... They're either powerful cultists or officials! Even cultists wouldn't be foolish enough to fly in public, so it must be officials. I wonder if they're martial artists, mech engineers, psychics, or beast tamers?"

Recalling the dog's unusual nature, he felt a slight unease, reaching into his pocket.

He still had a Qi Blood Pill tucked away.

*I was a bit careless... This dog's nose is surprisingly sharp.*

*Life is always full of surprises... I wonder which will come first, tomorrow or the unexpected?*

*Fortunately... they seem to have no suspicions.*

Deciding to stick to his daily routine, Fang Xing resolved to attend school.

And he would work hard to achieve a good score in the finals!

A small martial arts prodigy would undoubtedly attract more attention and investment; having something valuable on him would still fall within normal expectations!

---

**City Center, Somewhere**

Boom!

A massive fireball erupted, accompanied by several figures.

Some were clad in black nano-suits, others outfitted with external skeletal frames, wielding hefty firearms, displaying a fierce demeanor.

Yet, they seemed somewhat disheveled.

"It's the 'Bloodfall Sect' members!"

A team member yelled as an icy breath erupted from his skeletal frame.

In an instant, the flames extinguished, leaving barely a wisp of smoke.

"We're doomed, what was supposed to be a secret capture turned into an open battle... This means our reports will be longer, and I'll get scolded by the boss for being useless!"

The black-suited member sounded desperate.

For them, the boss's anger was a greater threat than any report.

Roar!

"They're here!"

Amidst bizarre beast roars, a creature charged from the icy wilderness.

It appeared human-like, towering over three meters, its body covered in folds and slime, various heads grafted onto its chest and shoulders.

Some heads were human; others belonged to tigers and leopards, seemingly pieced together without rhyme or reason.

Just witnessing this scene would shock anyone with less fortitude.

"Low-level aberration with contamination traits... an aberrated being? The Bloodfall Sect really loves this kind of stuff," the initial speaker remarked with disdain.

*The cult of the evil gods!*

*This is the cancer of the Blue Star Federation!*

Those foreign evil gods wield the power of 'virtual space,' capable of exerting influence over human realms!

Although the Blue Star Federation has built defenses, it remains that the larger the individual, the harder it is to breach!

*It's like a fishing net: small fish swim through easily, but large ones are trapped!*

*Deploying low-level minions is the simplest, but they are of little threat to humanity.*

*It's only at the favored level that they pose a real danger, but even that is minor.*

*What those foreign evil gods seek is to descend into human territories, launching a frenzied harvest!*

Of course, such descents are difficult!

Thus, they settle for summoning subordinates to breach some of their power, 'corrupting' humans into cultists, then making them find ways to summon them.

To date, no attempt has succeeded. The best outcomes have been through bloodshed and cruelty, leading to disasters and the birth of 'evil god offspring!'

Many Blue Star researchers suspect that these foreign evil gods possess a degree of rationality, yet it often conflicts with the chaos and madness exhibited by their followers.

*The Bloodfall Sect* is merely one of many such cults.

*The evil gods these cultists worship go by the codename 'Endless Blood Sea,' with their true names kept highly confidential.*

*Such entities, even the pronunciation of their true names could lead to contamination and degeneration!*

*Even the deceased 'Star-Eater Kegutreem' has a false name recorded in textbooks.*

For these entities, their very concepts can exhibit duality; contradictory aspects coexist, and the lines between life and death are blurred.

*As the cultists claim, before their master, even death fades away...*

"What are you idiots doing?" 

Just then, a hoverboard swooped down from the sky.

Swish!

A dazzling blade of light sliced through, cleaving the creature in two.

Thud!

A boot landed on one of the creature's heads, crushing it like a watermelon, blood and brain matter splattering everywhere.

Jing Xia looked up at her team members, her voice sharp. "Useless! Useless! All of you are worthless! Even my dog is better than you!"

"Woof!"

Beside her, Ginger's mouth expanded impossibly large, far beyond its head and body, its blood-red jaws filled with teeth formed a whirlpool, devouring the remnants of the creature's flesh.

The other team members fell silent, exchanging glances: "..."