Recruitment

"To me, data was really only for reference."

Li Pin looked at Dan Jin's "proficiency" and thought to himself.

During the little more than half a month he had spent recovering from his injuries, although he had not practiced the Mysterious Gate of Profound Yin much, his understanding of Dan Jin had already become thorough. After adapting for a while longer, he would naturally achieve Embrace Qi into Dan.

Instead, the Innate Qi Nourishing Technique had improved considerably during this time.

He had measured the Life Vitality he possessed before practicing the Innate Qi Nourishing Technique as 10. After this period of nurturing, that figure had reached 17, an increase of nearly double.

The deterioration of his physical condition after being injured could be seen as a decrease in his "health value." Under certain circumstances, Life Vitality's healing effect was equivalent to converting "vitality value" into "health value" to restore himself.

Just like using medicine and supplements after an injury to restore one's "health value."

The difference was that he converted the medicinal efficacy of herbs into "vitality" and stored it within his body, allowing him to recover faster than through simple medicinal nourishment.

At this moment, the sounds of students and coaches greeting someone came from outside.

Immediately afterward, Fang Lingjue entered the training area with his hands clasped behind his back, unhurried and unflustered.

Looking Li Pin over from head to toe after his period of recovery, he said, "Not bad."

At the same time, he was somewhat surprised. "Is a health-preserving cultivation method really this effective at restoring depleted qi and blood?"

"Perhaps I practiced it better."

Li Pin said.

"Fine, you martial arts geniuses really don't make any sense."

Fang Lingjue said.

Li Pin did not continue that topic. Instead, he said, "Now that you're here, Master Fang, I happen to have something I'd like to ask you about."

"Come to my office."

Fang Lingjue nodded.

Li Pin followed him and even closed the door after entering the office.

That small gesture made Fang Lingjue pause slightly. He then put away his casual demeanor. "What is it?"

"Is there anyone in Canglong City who can forge a star artifact?"

Li Pin asked.

"Forge a star artifact?"

Fang Lingjue was immediately startled. "You have a Star Crystal?"

"I killed a Cat Demon and found an inferior Star Crystal inside its body."

Li Pin said.

Originally, he had intended to sell the Star Crystal for money so he could buy a house in the provincial capital. Now that he had received thirty million from the Five Elements Sect, he had enough money for the time being and no longer needed to sell this Star Crystal.

Although star artifacts forged from inferior Star Crystals had a relatively low chance of malfunctioning when martial artists faced technological weapons...

It still counted as another layer of insurance.

"You could even get a Star Crystal from killing a Cat Demon..."

Fang Lingjue froze for a moment, then said speechlessly, "Are you the old heavens' illegitimate son? It would have been one thing if your martial arts talent were good, but you even have this kind of luck?"

Hearing Fang Lingjue put it that way, Li Pin was somewhat surprised as well.

It seemed...

After coming to this world, he really had become luckier.

Of course, that luck applied only to him.

For anyone else, before they could even retrieve a Star Crystal from the Cat Demon's body, they would already have become a corpse the moment the Cat Demon set its sights on them.

"To forge a star artifact, you can only ask a Star Refiner to do it."

Fang Lingjue said, "If you trust me, you can give the Star Crystal to me, and I'll help you find someone. Of course, the processing fee is indispensable. Generally speaking, a Star Refiner in this trade charges three hundred to five hundred thousand to forge a star artifact from an inferior Star Crystal."

Li Pin directly took out the Star Crystal and tossed it to Fang Lingjue.

Fang Lingjue examined it. "It really is a Star Crystal. Its quality is fairly good among defective Star Crystals."

"I'll transfer the money to you first. If it isn't enough, cover the rest for now."

Li Pin said.

"You just earned thirty million, so I won't stand on ceremony with a tycoon like you."

Fang Lingjue said.

"Thirty million is nothing to Master Fang."

Li Pin said.

"My life isn't easy either. Running this martial hall to maintain my connections keeps me leaving early and returning late every day. Even my training time has been affected."

Fang Lingjue sighed with some emotion.

One could not focus wholeheartedly on martial arts while also running a martial hall.

Even though he had entrusted matters large and small to Yang Danqing, many things still ultimately required him to show his face. Becoming a hands-off shopkeeper was not so simple.

At this moment, someone knocked on the door, accompanied by Manager Su's voice from outside. "Master Fang, Martial Master Qi and Martial Master Zhao from the Five Elements Sect would like to visit. They ask whether you have time."

"The Five Elements Sect?"

Fang Lingjue glanced at Li Pin. "They should be here for you."

Li Pin nodded.

During this period, he had learned a little about the Five Elements Sect's conduct.

To become Canglong City's number one martial arts force, it naturally could not have been entirely aboveboard at the beginning.

Likewise, to serve as a calling card for Canglong City's Martial World, it naturally could not have strayed onto the path of demons and heretics.

As for Wang Daoyi's matter...

It really was because his intentions had been crooked. He had thought that after rendering merit to the Five Elements Sect, Cao Tianyou had to treat him as an heir to his mantle.

Overall, the Five Elements Sect still had a fairly good reputation in Canglong City.

"Then let's meet them."

Li Pin said.

Fang Lingjue immediately replied to Manager Su outside the door, "They are welcome to visit."

After Manager Su left, he smiled and said, "If my guess is correct, they're probably here to poach you."

"Not interested."

Li Pin said.

"That may not necessarily be so. The Five Elements Sect is Canglong City's number one martial arts force. They have six branch halls in Canglong City alone. On top of that, they are involved in real estate, property management, and transportation. Cao Tianyou himself maintains good relations with the Guardians. I heard that one of the Guardians even asked him for advice on how to cultivate Dan Jin back then."

Fang Lingjue said, "In terms of wealth, connections, and influence, the Five Elements Sect is not merely stronger than our Changfeng Martial Hall. It even surpasses the entire Fang family by a level."

As he spoke, he glanced at Li Pin. "People climb toward high places, while water flows downward. Your future is destined not to be limited to a tiny Changfeng Martial Hall. If the Five Elements Sect is truly willing to pay a high price to recruit you, I won't mind if you switch sides and join them."

"My goal is the Jiangzhou Martial Arts Tournament. After that, I may not remain in Canglong City. So whatever promises the Five Elements Sect can offer me in Canglong City do not mean much to me. They are not even as meaningful as the branch hall you established in Jiangzhou City."

Li Pin said.

"Good brother, loyal and righteous."

Fang Lingjue laughed and slapped the desk. "Why not simply invest ten million? How about we split the Jiangzhou City branch hall fifty-fifty?"

"Thirty million does not go very far. I'd better save it to buy medicinal herbs and nourish my qi and blood."

Li Pin said.

Fang Lingjue could only express his regret at that.

Half an hour later, Qi Dongyuan, Zhao Yuan, and several disciples from the Five Elements Sect came to visit and were brought to the reception room.

Zhao Yuan first presented Fang Lingjue with a generous gift.

He had learned that Fang Lingjue intended to expand Changfeng Martial Hall and was willing to transfer one branch hall location in the city center to Changfeng Martial Hall.

Only after using this to express his apology did he turn to Li Pin and explain their purpose.

Just as Fang Lingjue had guessed, they wanted to invite Li Pin into the Five Elements Sect.

"With Martial Master Li's talent, he will absolutely leave Canglong one day and soar into the heavens with a single leap. On that path to soaring into the heavens, the Five Elements Sect is willing to become Martial Master Li's right-hand man, lending you a hand."

Zhao Yuan, Cao Tianyou's chief disciple and an Embrace Dan expert representing the Five Elements Sect, courteously produced a box. "This contains the Five Elements Sect's most core inheritance, the Five Qi Towards Origin Method for tempering the internal organs, as well as my master's summarized insights and experience on Embrace Dan and condensing astral force. Please accept it, Martial Master Li."