Xu Bo's Help

"If you have no purchase record but are discovered secretly learning or spreading it, you will be judged to have broken the law."

"Once verified, you will face joint punishment from the Martial Arts Hall and the Department of Culture, starting at ten times the penalty." Xu Bo shook his head. "If the circumstances are serious, you may even be sent to prison."

Prison? Li Yuan held his breath.

"Teacher, wouldn't this be detrimental to the evolution of martial arts across Human Civilization?" Li Yuan hesitated slightly. "What about the poor?"

If they had no money, did that mean they had no right to learn high-level techniques and manuals?

"Your thinking is correct. It is indeed somewhat unfair to the poor." Xu Bo said, "Copyright protection is a double-edged sword."

"Too much protection will strangle innovation."

"But no protection at all will likewise strangle innovation." Xu Bo said, "Thus, after numerous social experiments, the current arrangement was ultimately formed."

"Cultivation methods, whether basic or advanced, are completely public. Large numbers of First Order manuals are also entirely free."

"This is enough to let ordinary people try martial arts for free," Xu Bo said.

"For most people, reaching the Third Stage in technique is extremely difficult."

"If someone truly is a martial arts genius," Xu Bo said, "whether with astonishing talent in technique or exceptional physical talent, the nation and even the Seven Star Alliance will have all sorts of channels for discovering talent and freely delivering cultivation resources to them."

"To do everything possible to discover every martial arts genius is the creed of all Human Civilization's factions."

"Take you, for example. The Martial Hall signing you in advance is one such channel." Xu Bo smiled. "Or take Martial Arts University students. Within the Martial Arts Knowledge Network, they have free learning access to many Second Order manuals and even Third Order manuals."

"For Martial Arts University students, the nation pays the copyright fees to the manual authors on their behalf."

Li Yuan suddenly understood.

So the nation—or rather, all of Human Civilization—had long considered this issue.

"There are copyright fees."

"Only under the drive of profit will powerful martial artists have greater motivation to create new technique manuals and cultivation methods." Xu Bo said, "Paying copyright fees also encourages martial artists to offer up the manuals they created, rather than hugging their broken broom as a treasure."

"Through mutual exchange, every martial artist can learn the crystallized wisdom of other martial artists, and their growth will be faster."

Xu Bo looked at Li Yuan. "In the future, if you create some powerful technique manuals, you can upload them to the Department of Culture and collect copyright fees as well."

"You can sit at home and collect money."

Li Yuan smiled, unable to help thinking of the many supreme skills and peerless arts throughout history. Each generation passed them down to only one or two people; once an accident occurred, they would be lost forever.

Human Civilization's continuous strengthening stemmed from knowledge being passed down from generation to generation.

The same was true for martial arts.

"With your current martial arts realm, learning two Second Order manuals is enough." Xu Bo instructed him. "Wait until both your spear technique and movement technique break through to the Fourth Stage before learning more Second Order manuals."

"Yes." Li Yuan nodded.

If his martial arts realm was not high enough, and he had not even mastered the strengths of one school before wanting to gather the strengths of a hundred schools, that would be a joke.

"Of course."

"The once-a-month guidance from renowned teachers in the cultivation plan will not be necessary," Xu Bo said. "My guidance will be enough."

"You have purchased the manual copyrights. If I guide you afterward, it will not count as violating the Copyright Law."

"Not inviting a Source Martialist for guidance?" Li Yuan hesitated slightly.

Naturally, he could not ask for more if Teacher Xu was willing to guide him, but Teacher Xu Bo was only level 19.

Could he compare to the guidance of a Second Order Source Martialist?

"What, looking down on your teacher?" Xu Bo saw through Li Yuan's thoughts and revealed a faint smile. "Don't worry. My martial arts realm is no weaker than that of most Source Martialists. If back then... forget it. There is no need to speak of that."

Xu Bo suddenly sighed softly, his smile fading as though his spirits had waned.

"Teacher, I was wrong." Li Yuan promptly lowered his head and admitted his mistake.

"I'm not blaming you. It has nothing to do with you." Xu Bo shook his head before continuing, "From now on, every Wednesday night, come to my office. I'll guide you once in spear technique and movement technique."

"There will be no additional charge."

"Thank you, Teacher." Li Yuan was grateful from the bottom of his heart.

Once a week?

"However, you will have to find someone yourself for the twice-weekly warrior sparring sessions," Xu Bo said. "I don't have that much time."

"Yes." Li Yuan nodded.

It was already incredibly fortunate that his teacher could specifically make time to guide his spear technique and movement technique.

He could not ask for more.

One had to know that hiring a Second Order Source Martialist for guidance cost 100,000 Cultivation Points each time.

Suddenly.

"Hm?" Xu Bo's brows knitted tightly. He gritted his teeth, a pained expression appearing on his face.

"What's wrong, Teacher?" Li Yuan was startled.

"Nothing." Xu Bo said in a low voice, his voice seeming to tremble slightly. "An old problem left behind from the battlefield."

"All right, that's enough for now."

"In martial arts cultivation, no matter how much others guide you, you still have to rely on yourself to practice."

"Don't worry. I'll be fine after taking some medicine. Go back first and think things over yourself." Xu Bo endured the pain and said.

"Yes." Li Yuan was worried.

But he was clever. He could tell that Teacher Xu Bo did not want to reveal his weak side in front of him.

After Li Yuan left the office.

"The medicine's effects are lasting less and less time." Xu Bo gritted his teeth. "I couldn't hold back just now and used Source Power to demonstrate for Li Yuan. It actually hastened the onset."

Xu Bo slowly walked toward the Rest Room and took an exquisitely packaged small bottle from the refrigerator.

He opened it and took the medicine.

The pain throughout his body quickly eased.

"I wonder how many more years I can live." Xu Bo muttered silently, a trace of ferocity in his eyes. "If the day truly comes when I am close to death, I'll apply to return to the Star Realm."

"I, Xu Bo—"

"Even if I die, I must die on the battlefield."

After quite a while, Xu Bo finally returned completely to normal. Then his Smart Ring Watch suddenly vibrated with an unread message.

"Hm? A message from Li Yuan? Asking how I'm doing?" Warmth faintly stirred in Xu Bo's heart. "This kid is thoughtful."

Xu Bo could guess that if he did not reply, Li Yuan would most likely come to his office again to check on him.

"Hei Gou."

"Reply to Li Yuan. Tell him I'm fine," Xu Bo said in a low voice.

"Yes, Master."

"It's good that Teacher is all right." Li Yuan received Xu Bo's reply in the school's private Martial Arts Room.

He closed his Smart Ring Watch.

"Time to enter the Virtual Network." Li Yuan entered the Virtual Network Pod nearby.

His consciousness connected, and he arrived directly in Starfire Space.

"Master." The girl in purple appeared out of thin air.

"Use Cultivation Points to purchase the Second Order manual Dragon Movement Technique and the Second Order manual Starry Sky Spear Technique." Li Yuan spoke directly. "Then use points to purchase one Source Power Essence Pill."

There were still several bottles of basic blood and qi medicinal solution at home. There was no rush to buy more.

"Master, please confirm the purchase list." Xiaoyu waved her hand, and a light screen appeared before Li Yuan, listing the items.

Li Yuan swept his gaze over it and confirmed that there were no mistakes.

"Confirmed."

Very quickly.

"Obtained usage rights for the Second Order manual Dragon Movement Technique. Registered with the Martial Arts Hall and Department of Culture. Query code: ... Deducted 1,000,000 Cultivation Points."

"Obtained usage rights for the Second Order manual Starry Sky Spear Technique... Deducted 1,000,000 Cultivation Points."

"Obtained one Source Power Essence Pill. Please enter a delivery address... Deducted 100,000 points."

Li Yuan directly received three notifications from Starfire Space.

"For the delivery address, put down home." Li Yuan considered briefly. "Set the delivery time for ten tonight."

As an L3-level Member of the Martial Hall, he could receive deliveries twenty-four hours a day.

"Master, the Source Power Essence Pill will be delivered to your door tomorrow." Xiaoyu said with a grin. "The Copyright Law stipulates that all Second Order and higher manuals must be studied in virtual space, and no physical manuals exist."

"Master has obtained all the materials for the manuals and may choose to enter the personal space to study them."

"Good." Li Yuan nodded slightly.

If physical manuals existed, secretly spreading them would be far too easy. But spreading them through the Virtual Network?

The entire Virtual Network was monitored by Human Civilization.

Let's see just what makes Second Order manuals so formidable. Li Yuan was filled with anticipation.

While Li Yuan was studying technique manuals in the Virtual Network.

In Song Yi's office on the twelfth floor of the Guanshan Branch Hall of the Starry Sky Martial Hall.

Bang—

The teacup was instantly crushed, and tea splashed everywhere.

But Song Yi, dressed exquisitely, did not care in the slightest. The glass shards could not harm her fingers at all.

Song Yi's gaze was razor-sharp, carrying a trace of chill. "What did you say? Li Yuan refused tomorrow's meeting? Why?"

"Yes."

Zhong Cheng, dressed all in black, stood there and smiled bitterly. "I only received Li Yuan's message this afternoon. I tried contacting him, but he did not answer."

"I contacted his uncle again and only then learned that he had already signed with the Starfire Martial Hall in advance," Zhong Cheng said quietly.

"The Starfire Martial Hall?"

"They poached someone I had my eye on?" Anger flashed through Song Yi's eyes. "We clearly invited him first. Is the Starfire Martial Hall so disrespectful of the rules?"

"And this Li Yuan!"

"We had already arranged it first, yet he refused at the last moment without even giving you a reason." Song Yi's eyes were icy. "This is the decent candidate you spoke of?"

In an instant, a trace of dissatisfaction rose in Zhong Cheng's heart.

Your plan failed, and now you're dumping the blame on me?

"Hall Master Song." Zhong Cheng said softly, "As far as I know, Li Yuan had understandable reasons for rejecting us directly."

"Understandable reasons? What position are you speaking from, defending him?" Song Yi stared at Zhong Cheng, her gaze sharp to the extreme.

"The Starfire Martial Hall offered him a B-level contract," Zhong Cheng said swiftly.

Song Yi's pupils contracted slightly.

The room fell into dead silence.

After a long while.

"Get out!" Song Yi suddenly shouted.

"Yes." Zhong Cheng nodded, turned, and left. He seemed to have even forgotten to close the door.