Chapter 49: The Duel
"Internship outside of school...tsk tsk, as expected of a natural person living in the prestigious Jiang Residence. It's not just about having money; it's about having connections..."
Removing his holographic glasses, Fang Xing sighed with a hint of envy.
Although he and Liu Wei had previously mocked the Gu family for being merely of middle income, in reality, on Young Eagle Star, the Gu family's situation could be considered quite good. In fact, Gu Renwang was even a true 'professional'!
To be precise, Gu Yun's family was considerably better off than most of Fang Xing's former classmates.
"This time, it's the school that's arranging things. Gu Renwang's old workplace is accommodating Gu Yun's part-time study gig, essentially looking after the orphan of a martyr...a well-paid, low-effort, conveniently located job. Truly not bad at all."
Fang Xing pondered for a moment.
Nonetheless, in his current state, he still couldn't bring himself to appreciate it.
But alas...maintaining a persona is crucial!
Fang Xing, possessing resources from another world, held no interest, but the original 'Fang Xing' surely would have been keen.
"Better to keep following the mix, earn some proper star currency, and not have to deal with money laundering..."
After some thought, he eventually made his decision.
This was also to expand his network here, considering Gu Yun's background was much stronger than his own.
Fang Xing's martial path mostly relied on the Blue Star Federation, so he couldn't neglect his operations here.
∮ The next morning. ∮ Fang Xing left home early, heading toward school.
On the road, he once again spotted Jing Xia practicing her morning exercises.
This compelled him to silently speculate that unless Jing Xia lived nearby, her frequent presence around here suggested she had motives of her own.
Perhaps, she had come here specifically to investigate something, considering that this area, apart from Yucai High School, was primarily a residential complex for teachers and students—with no other conspicuous targets. "Morning!"
Despite his suspicions, he maintained his usual demeanor and greeted her. "Morning!"
Jing Xia nodded slightly and passed by with his bulldog in tow.
Time passed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday.
At the Guanghui Jiang Residence, in the villa's training ground, Fang Xing stood opposite Gu Yun, who was wearing her practice clothes.
“This time, I won't hold back.”
Gu Yun's delicate face was solemn, fully treating Fang Xing as her opponent.
Holding a polished wooden sword, she was unburdened and ready to exert her full strength.
“Alright, do as you please!”
Fang Xing moved to the wooden rack in the training hall and picked a wooden sword. “I forgot to tell you, I've finally grasped the basics of the Ghost God Blade.”
Hearing this, the battle intent in Gu Yun's eyes intensified: “Have you been concealing your skill? You haven't even studied the Demon Blade...”
“One doesn't need the Demon Blade to master the Ghost God Blade. Perhaps I have a knack for this technique.”
Fang Xing murmured softly, “You make the first move...”
“Very well!”
Gu Yun agreed with a nod. As soon as her words trailed off, her wooden sword sliced through the air towards Fang Xing, seemingly attacking along with her voice.
“The blade follows the voice, but this is still a Demon Blade move...”
With a slight smile, Fang Xing sidestepped, holding his right hand firm on the sword, while his left thumb and middle finger flicked lightly against Gu Yun's wooden blade.
Clang!
With a dull thud, Gu Yun's form was swept away like a drifting leaf, her little face full of surprise: “Your skill level?”
“We're both at muscle refining, but I might be a step ahead, being a few years older...”
Fang Xing's smile never faded.
Now surpassing Gu Yun in skill and swordsmanship, along with his rich combat experience, Fang Xing could easily dominate the sparring session.
Ultimately, in martial arts, even the smallest advancement in skill can lead to a world of difference in combat.
"I don't believe it!"
The next moment, Gu Yun's eyes deepened, exuding a transcendent presence, as if merging with the wind as she wielded her wooden sword.
"Ghost God Blade!"
Fang Xing's expression turned slightly grave, sensing the simulated intent from his opponent.
Training in martial arts that embody ideals often enhances the spirit, and can even transform it, yielding what is known as 'spiritual prowess'!
This marks the greatest distinction between the four domains of martial arts and the three domains of mere potential!
In Fang Xing's view, masters from other worlds have actually discovered the path—they are honing spiritual martial arts!
If one can elevate spiritual martial arts further, achieving a transformational shift in their spirit and mastering 'spiritual prowess', perhaps they could break through the boundaries of innate skills!
A-grade martial arts can already induce slight shifts in spirit for those in the second domain, laying a profound groundwork for eventually breaking through to the fourth domain!
"Federal martial arts are interconnected, forming a comprehensive and mature system…"
"Is this the power of time and collective effort? Even if someone were exceptionally brilliant, crafting a path on their own would surely lead to crudeness, exposing numerous flaws…"
"This is true for martial arts, and equally so for the way of immortality…"
Fang Xing mused inwardly, yet his actions were swift and decisive, as he swung his wooden sword horizontally, generating a blade light.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two wooden swords clashed, their blade lights colliding with a thunderous explosion, as though they wielded divine weapons rather than mere wooden swords!
"Impossible!"
Not only had Gu Yun attained the basics of the Ghost God Blade over a single summer, but Fang Xing's blade light extended half an inch beyond hers!
This indicated that his mastery of the Ghost God Blade was even more profound than hers!
Yet Fang Xing had requested the Ghost God Blade material from her.
How could he now surpass her?
A determined expression emerged on Gu Yun's face as she raised her wooden sword high: "Ghost Slayer!"
‘No matter what, cyborgs are still the most pitiable...’
With that thought, Fang Xing lost interest in further teasing Gu Yun and left directly.
...
Upon returning to the Happiness Garden residential area, Fang Xing received a message containing information about an off-campus internship.
“I thought it would be a field assignment, but it turns out to be an office job... Faith Theory Department? Does the Federation even have such a department?”
Fang Xing searched online and was quite surprised: “It's part of the 'Prevention Bureau,' responsible for examining alien texts and artifacts to prevent the spread of contamination...”
“Due to the inherent danger, at least a warrior who has mastered an A-level martial art is required to apply for this department’s civil servant position... This is just right, both Gu Yun and I have mastered the Ghost God Blade, impervious to ordinary mental pollution... But, isn’t this job overly critical?”
It's well known that the plans of the extraterrestrial evil gods to descend have never succeeded.
Yet they have developed numerous sects among humans, with some undoubtedly promoting their teachings.
Additionally, there are interactions with many alien races.
Perhaps, an alien race appears perfectly normal, but in secret, they've already worshiped an evil outer god, embedding ritual and sacrificial details within various cultural products, spreading them into human territories...
Such incidents, if not handled carefully, can lead to chaos and have occurred frequently in the Federation's history.
“More crucially, can I even do this job? Is there no qualification review?”
Fang Xing thought for a moment and contacted Gu Yun to voice his concerns.
“Oh? That... Don’t worry, it’s arranged by an aunt who took good care of me. We won’t be given any real work, just fetching tea and water...”
Gu Yun answered indifferently: “Just stay there for two hours a day, and you get paid well, plus the school offers subsidies, considering it an excellent experience...”
‘Damn, working the system...’ Fang Xing cursed inwardly.
Such shrewd maneuvering within the rules was never associated with the cyborg community.
“Sounds okay...”
Fang Xing nodded slightly, aligning perfectly with his principle of well-paid, easy jobs close to home.
Moreover, the money earned is perfectly legitimate, with no need for laundering.
‘Ugh, since spending my lottery winnings on nutritional supplements, my living expenses are running low again. The scholarship won’t be distributed soon, and I genuinely need an open source of income... I certainly can’t win two or three lotteries in a row, right?’
Fang Xing sighed inwardly.
"Alright, my mom's calling me for dinner. Let's chat later."
Gu Yun, her face showing a hint of impatience, abruptly ended the communication.
]
(End of Chapter)