A Gentleman Does Not Stand Beneath a Crumbling Wall

"Could it be because his Martial Arts Technique was so good?"

Lin Lanyue could only think of that possibility. Then she said, "Auntie, let's go home. I still need to do some exercises when I get back."

"Alright." The young woman nodded. As they walked, she looked at Lin Lanyue. "Yueyue, you really didn't know Li Yuan had signed with Starfire Martial Hall early?"

"I really didn't." Lin Lanyue shook her head.

"Why not ask about it later? A B-level Contract—there are only two or three slots like that at the Martial Hall each year." The young woman was curious. "He seems pretty close to you."

"I won't ask." Lin Lanyue shook her head firmly. "If he didn't say anything, there must be a reason he didn't want to say it."

"Oh, right. Don't go blabbing about this in the parents' group, and don't make it gossip either." Lin Lanyue glanced at her aunt.

She knew her aunt had a very big mouth.

"Fine." The young woman answered perfunctorily.

"I'm serious." Lin Lanyue said sternly, "Otherwise, I won't help you get that card later."

"Alright, alright, my little ancestor. I promise I won't tell anyone." The woman in the mink coat hurriedly raised both hands in surrender.

When Li Yuan took his younger brother and sister home in the Martial Hall's special car.

On the twelfth floor of the Martial Hall building, inside an anciently decorated office.

"Hall Master."

Instructor Xing pushed the door open and entered.

Before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, a middle-aged man in a Tang suit stood with his back to the door, his head lowered as he watched the nightscape outside.

"How was it?" Hall Master Wan did not turn around. His voice was calm.

"I asked around and retrieved the data from the testing instruments in each Martial Arts Room. The six Probationary Members who signed early all performed well." Instructor Xing said respectfully, "The one who performed best and improved the most should be Li Yuan."

"According to Fang Longhu, Li Yuan's physical fitness should be close to Level 8, while his technical standards have even nearly reached the completion of the Third Stage." Instructor Xing said. "Compared to two months ago, his improvement has been astonishing."

"Oh?"

"Then his improvement was indeed quite fast." Only then did Hall Master Wan turn around. Smiling, he said, "Instructor Xing, what do you think?"

"Hall Master, you see everything clearly." Instructor Xing lowered his head.

"Old Xing, relax. Don't worry that I have some ulterior motive." Hall Master Wan smiled. "I know what you're thinking. In your eyes, based on Li Yuan's current performance, he only barely qualified for a C-level Contract, right?"

"I would not dare." Instructor Xing hurriedly said.

"Don't worry." Hall Master Wan smiled. "I had my reasons for giving him a B-level Contract. Just keep good records of the data."

"Yes." Instructor Xing said.

He muttered inwardly, Anyway, you're the Hall Master. As long as you don't dump the blame on me later, whatever you say goes.

After Instructor Xing left.

"The person Tie Ta recommended really is not bad." Hall Master Wan sighed inwardly. "It's just that if they ultimately fail to awaken Martial Arts Spirituality, growth may become rather difficult after Level 10..."

He gently shook his head, then stopped thinking about it.

Martial arts geniuses who signed early were only a small part of his work. He only needed to check on them once every other month.

Half an hour later.

"Beep beep—warning—" A voice suddenly rang out in the office.

Buzz~

Red lights began flashing on Hall Master Wan's Smart Ring Watch, making his expression change. He immediately tapped to check the message. "Star Realm Creatures? At least nine First Order creatures, with the strongest close to the Second Order? They appeared around Southeast Lake to Binhu Road and have already caused at least thirty-five deaths?"

"Could they be remnants from the last sweep along the Xiang River basin?" Hall Master Wan instantly recalled the previous operation.

Every martial artist was registered with the Martial Arts Hall.

Their identity information was bound to their Smart Ring Watch.

Once Star Realm Creatures appeared and were detected by Xia Country's Skynet, a request for aid would immediately be sent to nearby martial artists.

As a Source Martialist, Hall Master Wan's Smart Ring Watch had a maximum detection range of one hundred kilometers.

That was to say, as long as a Star Realm Creature of First Order strength or above was discovered within a hundred kilometers, he would receive a message.

Without the slightest hesitation.

"Dahe, immediately send word to the Martial Hall's combat-ready martial artists. Deploy Team One and Team Two. Cooperate with the military in extermination and containment." Hall Master Wan issued orders in rapid succession. "Bring me my weapons."

"Yes, Master." The Auxiliary AI's voice echoed through the office.

One of the Martial Hall's important responsibilities was protecting the local residents.

Every grassroots Martial Hall had martial artist teams on combat standby duty, ready to deploy at any moment.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two furniture robots rushed out from the Weaponry Room nearby. One carried a shield, while the other carried a war saber.

Hall Master Wan reached out and seized the shield and saber, then lightly tapped the metal button on his chest.

Immediately.

Visible to the naked eye, his originally loose Tang suit swiftly transformed into a thin suit of armor with a metallic sheen, completely covering Hall Master Wan's body. The entire suit was pitch-black.

It brimmed with coldness and oppression.

"Master, the single-person aircraft has arrived." The intelligent voice sounded. "Would you like to open the window?"

"Open it." Hall Master Wan barked.

"Rumble~" The floor-to-ceiling window rapidly opened outward, leaving the space completely exposed as gusts of wind blew into the office.

Whoosh!

Hall Master Wan's single leg subtly exerted force. His body shot sideways dozens of meters, tracing an arc as he plunged directly toward the ground like a cannonball.

This was the twelfth floor of a high-rise, more than forty meters above the ground!

Boom!

An explosive roar rang through the air as a single-person aircraft shaped like an assault boat skimmed past at astonishing speed just above the ground.

At precisely the right moment, it caught Hall Master Wan.

The aircraft soared into the sky, rising to roughly a hundred meters above the ground before racing at top speed toward the scene.

The next day, after cultivating all night, Li Yuan did not leave home until after four in the morning.

He walked along the street.

It was still pitch-black after five in the winter. A fine drizzle fell, leaving the ground slick.

"Hm?" Li Yuan had just left the residential complex when he sensed something was wrong. He saw troops in the distance, armed to the teeth.

There were also two patrolling soldiers.

From time to time, drones swept through the air overhead, conducting inspections.

Security was airtight.

"Are they hunting a fugitive? No... could it be..." Li Yuan instantly thought of one possibility.

Without a trace of hesitation.

Li Yuan immediately opened his Smart Ring Watch and entered an app called "Star Realm Creature Warning," setting the location directly to Guanshan District, Jiang City.

His gaze swept over the dozens of warning messages that had been issued in succession.

"Star Realm Creatures really did appear? They actually dared to show themselves in Jiang City?" Li Yuan was secretly alarmed. "But according to the news, dozens have already been killed or wounded so far?"

"More than thirty Star Realm Creatures have also been killed."

"And now, Star Realm Creatures are still suspected to be on the loose? The entire Guanshan District has already been placed under martial law and is undergoing a full-scale search?"

After thinking for a moment.

Li Yuan turned around directly.

He went upstairs and returned home.

"Though there are military vehicles and drones on the road now, making it seem safe, walking alone like this still makes me far too conspicuous." Li Yuan thought. "Binhu Road is less than ten kilometers from here."

"If my luck is bad, I might really run into a fleeing Star Realm Creature while walking outside."

"At home..."

"The residential complex has warning facilities above and below ground. The buildings, doors, and windows have all been reinforced, and facial recognition is required to enter the corridors. Home is very safe." Li Yuan thought. "The odds are low, but I'd better not take the risk."

That was right!

As an elite student, Li Yuan was now stronger than most adults in terms of combat ability... but firearms would still be futile against him, let alone Star Realm Creatures.

A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall.

This was what his uncle, Li Changzhou, had taught Li Yuan since childhood.

Likewise.

From kindergarten onward, all students were taught one rule: without the strength of a martial artist, if you encountered a Star Realm Creature, immediately scatter and flee! Call for help and report it to the authorities as quickly as possible!

In fact.

All martial artists received a warning as well: without the strength of a Source Martialist, do not lightly engage Star Realm Creatures alone. Wait for heavy weapons! Wait for attack drones and combat robots!

After returning home, Li Yuan was not overly panicked.

Instead, he opened his bedroom door.

Then, in his bedroom, he calmed his mind, stood in a stance, and practiced his punches, cultivating the Basic Cultivation Method.

Since childhood.

In Li Yuan's memory, Jiang City would suffer a Star Realm Creature attack every half year or even more frequently.

There was no helping it.

Jiang City sat where great rivers converged, with a hundred lakes standing side by side and waterways stretching in all directions.

Jiang City was one of the cities in Xia Country most frequently attacked by Star Realm Creatures.

Most attacks were small in scale. As long as they waited calmly for the military and martial artists to clear them out, everything would be fine.

As for large-scale attacks? Li Yuan had only encountered one when he was very young, and his memories of it were already vague.

Very soon, after six in the morning.

"The warning has been lifted?" Li Yuan received a notification on his Smart Ring Watch.