Changfeng

Martial artists.

Martial arts flourished greatly in this world.

Li Pin remembered a survey report on future career planning for middle school students.

Among all Taibai middle school students, the most coveted path was becoming a Star Refiner and entering the transcendent realm.

But that profession depended entirely on "aptitude" and had nothing to do with the vast majority of people.

That did not count.

Setting Star Refiners aside, the profession ordinary people favored most was...

Debuting as a celebrity!?

That was unsuitable.

Setting aside Star Refiners and celebrities who needed capital to prop them up, third place went to—civil servants.

Taibai civil servants were essentially a semi-hereditary system, and self-study exams were far too difficult.

That was excluded too.

Beyond those three major professions, the one ranked first was martial artist.

Teachers, doctors, lawyers, and the like all had to stand behind it.

This showed just how popular martial artists still were.

"As assistants and supplements to Star Refiners, martial artists may remain flesh and blood even when cultivated to the utmost, unable to withstand machine guns and artillery shells. Yet the social status enjoyed by any Martial Saint standing at the peak is no less than that of an ordinary Star Refiner."

Over the past half month, Li Pin had already come to understand this world.

For a martial artist like him, one who pursued the limits of the human body, this was the best of times.

Martial arts flourished greatly.

Embrace Dan grandmasters, nearly extinct on Blue Star, emerged one after another.

Likewise, this was also the worst of times.

The existence of Star Refiners was like an insurmountable mountain, making it forever difficult for martial artists to stand atop the world.

"For me, being able to live another life is already the greatest fortune. In my previous life, I remained at Hua Jin until my death. In this life, let me see just how far I can go."

Li Pin's spirits soared.

He was not affected in the slightest by Jing Yunshan, Wang Gang, An Wanyi, or the others.

He went to the dormitory, intending to pack his things and apply for a leave of absence.

"Old Li, you're here?"

In the dormitory, his roommate Fang Yubai seemed to have been waiting for him.

As a private university, the environment was better, with all dormitories housing four people.

Of Li Pin's three roommates, his relationship with two of them was merely average. Only Fang Yubai was warmhearted and closer to him...

No!

His relationship with all three dorm mates was very good.

Handsome, skilled at socializing, and from a wealthy family, he counted as half a campus celebrity even at Hanyang University.

At that moment, he handed a document to Li Pin.

"Take a look."

"A Changfeng Martial Hall flyer?"

Li Pin glanced at him.

"Old Li, I know your character. I believe you definitely didn't molest An Wanyi, but she has too many flower guardians around her, including people from the martial arts department. What if someone loses his head and comes after you... If you learn martial arts, you don't have to beat anyone. As long as you can run a little faster, your safety will be guaranteed."

Fang Yubai said, "My fourth uncle, Fang Lingjue, just opened a martial hall and is recruiting students. I got you a discounted price—only three thousand a month."

Seemingly afraid Li Pin would find the price expensive, he hurriedly added, "He's a martial arts master with an Associate Senior Title. Three thousand a month is absolutely not much."

"Associate Senior Title?"

Li Pin's eyes lit up. "Embrace Dan!?"

"That's right, certified by the Taibai Martial Arts Association."

Fang Yubai said.

Martial arts flourishing in this world was no empty phrase.

Martial artists had clear professional qualification certifications.

There were five levels: junior, assistant, intermediate, associate senior, and senior.

Beyond that were Martial Saints, assessed once every two years by the Martial Arts Association.

Among them, associate senior corresponded exactly to martial arts masters who had cultivated Dan Jin.

Dan Jin—placed in ancient times, they would all have been figures on the level of generals commanding armies.

Moreover, one could pull strings at a provincial Martial Arts Association, gain certification first, and then Embrace Dan. But the Taibai Martial Arts Association tolerated not the slightest fraud.

"So? Are you going?"

"I'm going."

Li Pin agreed without hesitation.

In his previous life, Embrace Dan grandmasters had been nearly extinct.

Hua Jin was already the pinnacle of martial arts.

He had neither a famous master's guidance nor exchanges with fellow practitioners, relying entirely on burying his head in hard training.

Now, having only just adapted to the identity of "Li Pin," he could come into contact with an Embrace Dan master. What sheer delight!

"Then let's go."

As Fang Yubai spoke, he led him straight to the school parking lot.

His family circumstances were good. During university, his parents had bought him a Lanma X5.

This car cost more than two hundred thousand, equivalent to ten years of income for many adults.

Li Pin viewed money lightly, but he knew that poor scholars and rich martial artists were the way of the world.

If he had sufficient funds to buy medicinal supplements, the time needed for him to recover his Hua Jin peak would shorten further.

Fang Yubai drove, quickly leaving the school and merging into the traffic.

Taibai had a total area of six million square kilometers. Benefiting from sixty years of peaceful development after the world war, it had become one of the world's few developed countries, with a population as high as 304 million.

But because most regions were desolate mountains and wild ridges, fraught with danger at every step, the population was basically concentrated in the southern region, on less than one million square kilometers of land.

Canglong City, for example, was not a core key city, yet it still had a population of three million, nearly two million of whom lived in the urban area.

Vehicles flowed endlessly along the roads. A single red light could cause a jam lasting three to five minutes.

While waiting at a red light, Fang Yubai could not help glancing at Li Pin. "I feel like you... are a little different."

He added, "I've had that feeling since half a month ago."

"There is great terror between life and death. Escaping death by a hair's breadth always brings some changes."

Li Pin smiled.

As a Hua Jin peak martial artist who had also undergone restorative training for half a month, his bearing, manner of speech, and mental outlook naturally differed.

"Right. Some people can attain enlightenment overnight. Looks like I don't need to persuade you of anything anymore."

Fang Yubai replied with a smile.

He accepted that explanation.

He was willing to enthusiastically bring Li Pin to see his fourth uncle partly because they were close, but most importantly because of the changes he had sensed in Li Pin over the past half month.

He wanted to forge a good bond.

Half an hour later, the Lanma X5 drove into the underground parking lot of an office building.

After parking, they took the elevator directly to the sixth floor.

The first thing in sight was the signboard for Changfeng Martial Hall.

A couplet hung beside it as well.

The long wind would one day break the waves; I would hang my cloud-sail high and cross the vast sea.

The horizontal banner read—Heaven rewards diligence.

As Li Pin examined the front of Changfeng Martial Hall, a tall, slender woman in a fitted skirt approached them. "Hello, welcome... Are you here to practice martial arts or work out? Would you like to learn about our new seasonal package?"

At that moment, another well-preserved middle-aged woman hurried after her. "Young Master Fang is here."

She then greeted the woman. "This is Young Master Fang. Go get back to your work."

"Manager Su, where's my uncle?"

"He's in the quiet room. I'll take you there."

Manager Su led the two of them around a screen and through the training equipment room.

Changfeng Martial Hall covered a considerable area. The equipment was new and complete, and it still carried the scent of recent renovations, though it was faint.

Several people were training inside at the moment.

On a fighting platform of more than a hundred square meters not far away, people were also exchanging moves.

Li Pin looked carefully.

Both of them seemed to have cultivated force?

It had to be said that martial arts truly flourished in this world.

Outside the quiet room, Manager Su knocked on the door. Only after an "Enter" came from inside did she push it open.

Inside, a man who looked imposing even while seated was elegantly reading through a document.

Li Pin could clearly discern the explosive power contained in the muscles stretching his shirt.

And he was probably no shorter than 1.9 meters.

Such a powerfully built man brought him no pressure or sense of threat whatsoever.

This...

He truly was Embrace Dan!

A genuine Embrace Dan!

Embrace Qi into Dan, a realm of perfect rounded unity.

"Xiaobai is here."

Fang Lingjue looked up.

"Uncle, can you not call me Xiaobai? It makes me sound like some pet dog..."

Fang Yubai looked helpless.

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Lingjue's gaze had already fallen on Li Pin.

Li Pin had yet to Embrace Dan and could not draw in all his essence, qi, and spirit. Simply standing there, he naturally exuded an uplifted air.

Ordinary people would only think the young man looked spirited, but to Fang Lingjue, an Embrace Dan expert...

"Xiaobai, when did you get to know such a young expert who has cultivated force?"

"Cultivated force?"

Fang Yubai froze, then suddenly widened his eyes at Li Pin beside him, his voice full of astonishment. "You've cultivated force!?"

Li Pin nodded.

A single sound was worth a thousand gold.

Cultivating force was Ming Jin, hard force, where a punch stirred wind and thunder.

For ordinary people to cultivate force, it took ten years or eight years of training through the bitter cold of winter and scorching heat of summer. If they slacked off even slightly, it would not be strange for them to spend most of their lives lingering at the threshold of cultivating force.

Cultivating force required comprehension. Though martial arts flourished in this world, without a famous master's guidance, wasting three to five years on this step was perfectly normal.

"You said we'd work after graduation together and become corporate slaves of the era. Yet you quietly cultivated force and became a martial artist?"

Fang Yubai was deeply depressed.

Li Pin gave him a speechless look.

"You're still talking about working? Being a corporate slave? You're not going to inherit the several hundred million in assets your family has?"

"That's my dad's. What does it have to do with me?"

As Fang Yubai spoke, he glanced at his fourth uncle. "I was even planning to have you learn martial arts from Fourth Uncle. Well, now you've cultivated force. Get a martial artist qualification certificate, and you can directly become a coach."

"How long have you practiced martial arts?"

Fang Lingjue took the tea Manager Su had brought for him, Li Pin, and Fang Yubai, then asked.

"I practiced long ago. University pressure was high, so I stopped on and off for a while. I only picked it back up recently."

Li Pin said.

At the same time, he accepted the tea Manager Su offered him and thanked her.

"Recently? Half a month ago?"

Fang Yubai quickly thought of something.

Li Pin nodded.

Fang Lingjue's heart stirred.

He had stopped on and off for so long, yet picked it back up in half a month?

There had been a saying in martial arts circles since ancient times: before Embrace Dan, one day without training and hands and feet slowed; two days without training and half was lost; three days without training and one became an outsider.

Li Pin had regained his force in half a month...

His talent was not bad.

"I'll find someone to exchange moves with you?"

Fang Lingjue said.

"Alright."

"Shanhu."

Fang Lingjue called out.

Soon, a woman in a form-fitting sports outfit, her hair tied in a ponytail, walked in. She looked sunny and healthy.

"Master, did you call me?"

"Come, you and..."

Fang Lingjue paused.

"Li Pin."

Li Pin said calmly.

Every martial artist had their own pride.

If he had not cultivated force, then even with Fang Yubai's introduction, this Embrace Dan master likely would not have remembered his name.

"Alright, Li Pin. You two exchange some moves."