A Message from the Martial Hall

A Message from the Martial Hall

After lunch.

The students left the cafeteria in twos and threes, walking along the tree-lined path toward the Martial Arts Building.

Grade 12 life was exhausting, but during the rare leisure of noon, most students still wore bright smiles, brimming with youth and boundless dreams for the future.

A stark contrast to office workers getting off work.

Li Yuan and Wan Xiao were walking toward the Elite Building.

As for Zhou Qi, Yan Zhou, and the others? They were headed a different way, so they had split up after eating.

"Is that Li Yuan?"

"Looks like it."

"Wan Xiao used to be in the same class as Li Yuan. Since those two are together, the other one has to be Li Yuan."

"Is he the one who defeated Lin Lanyue?"

"I heard he likes Lin Lanyue, yet he didn't hold back at all." Quite a few Grade 12 Class 1 students passing by noticed Li Yuan and Wan Xiao.

They all turned to look.

"Li Yuan, after that battle, you're completely famous now." Wan Xiao chuckled softly. "Back in the cafeteria, plenty of people were watching you."

"Your mighty name is spreading through the whole grade, even Grade 10 and Grade 11," Wan Xiao said with exaggerated seriousness.

"Jealous? Wasn't it you spreading nonsense?" Li Yuan shot him a glance. "Want to spar again?"

Wan Xiao choked up.

Yesterday on Starry Sky Fighting Net, Li Yuan had grabbed him as a "sparring partner" for three rounds.

It had been a nightmare.

"I told you, I wasn't the one who spread it. It was Zhou Qi..." Wan Xiao repeatedly shook his head.

"You started it; he carried it forward." Li Yuan's logic was crystal clear.

Wan Xiao suddenly changed the subject. "By the way, Li Yuan, are you really not interested in Lin Lanyue? I see quite a lot of guys in the Elite Class are interested in her, but hardly any dare confess. Could it be because she isn't pretty?"

"Lin Lanyue is quite pretty." Li Yuan answered casually, not noticing what was behind him.

After all, so many people came and went around school. How could he possibly stay alert at every moment?

Suddenly.

Two girls passed beside Li Yuan and Wan Xiao. One wore a training uniform, with a tall figure and long hair pinned high atop her head. She glanced at Li Yuan from the corner of her eye.

It was Lin Lanyue.

She heard that? Wan Xiao did that on purpose. Li Yuan understood at once.

"Li Yuan, don't chicken out. If you like her, say it loud and clear," Wan Xiao shouted.

Then he burst into laughter and ran off behind them.

Li Yuan shook his head helplessly. Too lazy to chase Wan Xiao, he instead waved and openly greeted Lin Lanyue.

That scene made Lin Lanyue pause in surprise.

She had indeed heard Li Yuan's words just now, but she had not expected him to take the initiative and greet her.

Looking at Li Yuan's smiling face.

Lin Lanyue could not help recalling yesterday's virtual battle. She subconsciously touched her chest.

"Lanyue, he greeted you." The girl beside her had waist-length hair and waggled her eyebrows, deliberately bumping Lin Lanyue's waist.

"Qiqi, let's go." Lin Lanyue spoke softly, her jade-green fingers smoothing the strands by her temple as she quickened her pace.

She did not respond to Li Yuan.

Nor did she look at him again.

"This Lin Lanyue was quite polite when we first met. Today, she ignored me even when I greeted her." Li Yuan smiled.

He was not the sort to become timid just because he saw a pretty girl.

He watched Lin Lanyue and her companion enter the Elite Building.

"Li Yuan, how was that assist?" Wan Xiao popped out from somewhere.

"Nicely done."

"To thank you, let's go to my Martial Arts Room first. I'll give you some extra training for free." Li Yuan threw an arm around Wan Xiao's shoulders, his powerful palm making it impossible for him to break free.

"Li Yuan, let me go! I'm not interested in you."

Nearly two o'clock.

Inside 4011 Martial Arts Room, Li Yuan stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the distance.

A faint layer of sweat seeped across his skin.

Li Yuan had just completed half an hour of the Basic Cultivation Method, and his physical fitness had improved slightly again.

Suddenly.

"Beep—" The Smart Ring Watch sounded.

Li Yuan walked over, picked up the ring watch, and revealed a delighted expression. "Uncle?"

He accepted the call.

Buzz~ A light screen projected into existence before Li Yuan.

On the screen was Li Changzhou, wearing a helmet.

"Uncle." Li Yuan smiled, and the trace of worry in his heart settled.

"Xiao Yuan."

"Your aunt already called and told me." Li Changzhou sat in a work chair, smiling. "Good kid, well done. After all these decades, your uncle here still hasn't reached 500 points in Gold Rank on Starry Sky Fighting Net."

Warmth filled Li Yuan's heart.

Not because he had surpassed his uncle, but because of his uncle's approval.

"Uncle, how are things on your end?" Li Yuan asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Li Changzhou smiled. "Starry Sky Martial Hall has sent another large batch of people. I reckon the great counterattack will begin in a few days... I called you because there's something else, something related to you."

"Go ahead, Uncle," Li Yuan said quickly.

"It's your Uncle Zhong. He specifically called me." Li Changzhou looked at Li Yuan. "From what he meant, he probably wants to recruit you into Starry Sky Martial Hall."

"Join Starry Sky Martial Hall?" Li Yuan was slightly startled.

Human civilization had three Martial Halls—Starry Sky Martial Hall, Black Stone Martial Hall, and Starfire Martial Hall.

Starfire Martial Hall had been established by Dongfang Ji, the strongest person in human civilization.

Black Stone Martial Hall had been founded by Lante, the second-strongest person in human civilization.

Starry Sky Martial Hall was in no way inferior to the other two Martial Halls.

The three Martial Halls represented the three most terrifying forces among martial artists, and they were also the main force resisting Star Realm Creatures.

The branches of the three Martial Halls were spread across the Seven Great Planets.

Based on the information Li Yuan had gathered from the Virtual Network and books, at the Seven Star Alliance's highest council, the three Martial Halls seemed to hold even more influence than the major nations of each planet.

Within Xia Country, only Starry Sky Martial Hall and Starfire Martial Hall had branches, and both wielded enormous power.

"Aren't the three Martial Halls only open to martial artists?" Li Yuan asked in confusion.

"You'd become a Probationary Member first," Li Changzhou said. "Your Uncle Zhong probably learned through some channel that you became a member of the Blue Star Youth Ranking... Things like this are common."

Li Yuan listened.

His uncle, Li Changzhou, was a martial artist. As far as Li Yuan knew, his uncle seemed to have once been a member of Starry Sky Martial Hall in his early years, so he was very familiar with these matters.

"There are three types of membership in a Martial Hall."

"The first is a registered member, which is basically just registering your name. There are no real benefits and no real rights." Li Changzhou smiled. "Like me—I'm still only a registered member of Starry Sky Martial Hall."

"In name, every martial artist in all human civilization joins one Martial Hall, but most martial artists have only this kind of relationship with their Martial Hall."

"Being a registered member doesn't stop martial artists from joining other major corporations, martial artist organizations, the military, or special national departments."

Li Yuan nodded involuntarily. Registered member?

It was useless.

"The second type is an internal member." Li Changzhou said, "Like a company employee, you must sign a contract with the Martial Hall, receive its salary, and obtain its resources and training. At critical moments, you must also obey the Martial Hall's orders and fight."

"Your Uncle Zhong is an internal member of Starry Sky Martial Hall," Li Changzhou said.

Li Yuan nodded slightly.

Uncle Zhong had a very good relationship with his uncle Li Changzhou.

Every time Li Yuan bought Basic Blood-Qi Potion, he went through Uncle Zhong, because Uncle Zhong could get an internal price with a five percent discount.

"Internal members are also divided into ranks. If you're too weak, say below Level 15, the assessments are usually very strict." Li Changzhou said. "It's not something you can enter just because you want to."

Li Yuan could understand.

Just like how major corporations hired employees—they wanted high academic qualifications, work experience, and interviews... It was only natural for Martial Hall internal members to face high requirements.

"The third type is a Probationary Member."

"You can sign in advance before becoming a martial artist. They're usually martial arts geniuses." Li Changzhou smiled. "The fact that your Uncle Zhong wants you means he thinks highly of you."

"The benefit of being a Probationary Member is that you can receive a great deal of cultivation resources in advance, guidance from renowned teachers, Blood-Qi Potions, and so on. All of it is free."

"Free?" Li Yuan's eyes lit up.

"Let me finish." Li Changzhou said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you gain something, you must give something in return."

"Once you sign on as a Martial Hall Probationary Member, then when you become a martial artist, you must join Starry Sky Martial Hall as an internal member."

"And."

"Ordinary martial artists who join a Martial Hall as internal members can terminate their contracts by paying a certain price."

"But if you sign in advance, then if you want to terminate the contract in the future, the conditions will be far harsher." Li Changzhou spoke solemnly. "So you must be cautious."

(End of Chapter)