Attitude

Changfeng Martial Hall.

Li Pin quickly performed a set of punches.

His blood and qi surged through his entire body like a blazing furnace, scorching hot.

If someone had pointed a temperature gun at him right then, they would have found that his body temperature was definitely above 45 degrees Celsius.

After quite a while, he finished the set. His chest rose and fell as he slowly exhaled.

Great amounts of sweat began to seep from his body, quickly soaking his clothes.

However, Li Pin paid it no heed and quietly sensed the changes in his blood and qi.

A moment later, he had calculated the figure.

"0.02."

After absorbing a great number of Dan Jin and Gang Jin videos, then continuously fine-tuning and revising with his "Insight" talent, one round of practicing the Mysterious Gate of Profound Yin could now increase his blood and qi constitution by 0.02.

Six rounds a day meant 0.12.

At this point, it had already been three days since he obtained his Level 2 Martial Artist certificate.

His blood and qi constitution had also risen to 23.

Several points in a single month.

However, increases in blood and qi constitution were always greater in the early stages than in the later ones.

The further one went, the harder it became.

Trained Strength Martial Artists had blood and qi between 20 and 30, while Dan Jin Masters, Gang Jin Grandmasters, and even some Martial Saints who cultivated the spirit all fell within the range of 30 to 40.

Unless one was born with divine strength or consumed heavenly treasures, even Martial Saints found it difficult to raise their blood and qi constitution above 40.

"The first section of the Innate Qi Nourishing Technique is Qi Nourishment, strengthening one's own Life Vitality. It invigorates life force and strengthens the body. The second section is Foundation Establishment, which reshapes the cultivator from the roots and strengthens their foundation. With my 'Insight' talent supporting it, perhaps I can dig deeper into my body's potential and achieve an effect similar to someone born with divine strength."

There was also a third section after that: the Golden Core section.

It was not the Golden Core realm of immortal cultivators, but a method of making one's entire body perfectly whole, with vitality that did not leak away. Like a great human elixir, one would be free from all illnesses and enjoy a long life.

In his previous life, he had been stuck at the hurdle of "Life Vitality," unable to find where his own Life Vitality lay.

But now, relying on his exceptional talent, he had found his Life Vitality on the very first day of cultivating the Innate Qi Refining Technique. All he needed to do next was strengthen and nurture it step by step.

That was the core of the Qi Nourishment section.

"Li Pin, your delivery is here. I brought it in for you."

At that moment, Shanhu's voice drifted in from outside. "You've bought quite a lot of things lately."

"Thanks."

Li Pin took the box Shanhu handed him.

"Medicinal herbs? You improved so quickly—don't tell me you've been eating these miraculous pills and wondrous medicines?"

Shanhu looked at the shipping address on the package as she spoke.

"I'm trying them out, seeing which herbs are beneficial for cultivation."

Li Pin said.

In his previous life, he had understood medicinal herbs to some extent.

But that knowledge had come from books. Now...

With an extra fifty thousand in his account, he planned to follow in Shennong's spirit and taste a hundred herbs again, using his talent to select the medicinal herbs most suitable for his needs and buy them as supplements.

"Artificial cultivation is so developed nowadays that herbs bought online might not be genuine, and you definitely won't be able to buy anything precious. If you really want good herbs, ask Yingying. Her family runs a traditional medicine shop with a century-long heritage, so the quality is guaranteed. Whenever my master needs medicine, he goes to her family's shop."

Shanhu sounded somewhat regretful. "If her grandfather weren't such a stubborn old fossil and had been willing to expand into chain brands, her family would have hundreds of millions by now at the very least. If they got lucky and built it into a brand, she'd be a proper little rich lady."

Li Pin felt there was something behind her words, but the information was still useful to him. "What shop? I'll go take a look sometime."

"Better sooner than later, and better today than some random day. I'll call Yingying over to take you there. Better to benefit Yingying than some stranger."

As Shanhu spoke, she directly began making a call.

Yet she ultimately did not have time to place it.

Fang Lingjue arrived.

He had clearly come for Li Pin.

"I heard from Xu Huan that you earned your Level 2 certificate?"

"I did."

Li Pin smiled. "Master Fang, are you planning to change my contract?"

"Yes."

Fang Lingjue nodded. "But not the previous one. Come with me."

As he spoke, he led Li Pin toward the office, while instructing Shanhu, "Have Little Su bring me my Lüshan Cloud Mist."

"Alright."

Shanhu nodded.

Tea culture had been passed down since the Great Shang, and tea could calm the mind and settle the spirit. Both martial artists and Star Refiners loved it deeply. The price of premium tea leaves surpassed some delicacies from the mountains and seas.

"You signed up for the Jiangzhou Martial Arts Tournament?"

Inside the office, Fang Lingjue asked directly.

"Yes. To build up some experience fighting others."

Li Pin said.

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple."

Fang Lingjue looked at Li Pin and said seriously, "Tell me honestly: how far had you actually trained before this? Had you gone from the visible to the hidden, or had your force entered the realm of transformation...?"

"My circumstances are somewhat special."

Li Pin said.

Something like a soul being reborn would be hard to explain even in a world with the supernatural.

Fang Lingjue looked at Li Pin.

Seeing that Li Pin's expression was open and composed, yet that he refused to say more, Fang Lingjue could only sigh. "I understand."

"I'll move out of the apartment tomorrow."

Li Pin said.

"You brat!"

Fang Lingjue laughed and scolded him. "Do you really think I'm that narrow-minded? So what if your force truly entered the realm of transformation? I'm a Dan Jin martial artist—would I be afraid of you stealing the host's thunder? Besides, if there's an expert stationed at my martial hall, I'd be happy beyond measure. Why would I drive you away? Unless you yourself feel uncomfortable staying here and don't want to remain any longer."

"I quite like the atmosphere at Changfeng Martial Hall."

Li Pin said.

Although he taught several students, and all of them were children of wealthy families, they were not spoiled playboys. On the contrary, they were rather well-mannered and always courteous to him.

The work was easy.

Shanhu, Xu Huan, Zhang Le, and the others also got along well with him.

Moreover, when he had been somewhat impoverished, Fang Lingjue had given him his first job. Li Pin did not want this matter to turn their relationship sour.

"Whether you had already entered the realm of transformation or gone from the visible to the hidden, it shows that your talent is extraordinary. And since you chose to participate in the Jiangzhou Martial Arts Tournament... it seems you truly intend to keep walking the path of martial arts... Having you teach students now would be wasting your time."

Fang Lingjue said, "Shanhu told you that I want to expand the business, right?"

Li Pin nodded.

"Six months from now, on May 1st next year, the sixteenth Martial Arts Tournament of all the nation's provinces will begin simultaneously. I've been in Dan Jin for five full years. At the previous tournament, I competed in Haizhou. If not for my bad luck in running into a Seed Player, I would have made the top ten. After three years of tempering, competing in Jiangzhou this time around, I wouldn't dare say the top ten is as certain as ten birds in the hand, but my chances are still very good."

As Fang Lingjue spoke, his heart swelled with heroic ambition. "If I weren't getting older, I'd even want to compete in the National Tournament in the future."

"Master Fang can compete in the adult division."

"The adult division... perhaps next time."

Fang Lingjue's heroic ambition lasted for several seconds before turning into a sigh. "The Fang family's business isn't small either. Between me, Little Bai's father, and our brothers, the family has assets of five or six hundred million. So I thought I was someone who didn't lack money. When others sent their younger generation under my wing to train in martial arts, I rejected it in my heart... but... those bastards are just too damn willing to spend money."

He looked at Li Pin. "Do you know? To keep them from forcing me to personally teach their children and wasting my training time, I set the fee at ten thousand per class. And several people directly bought a hundred classes each. Do you believe that? In less than two months, I've already sold nearly two thousand classes."

"..."

Li Pin was somewhat astonished.

Dan Jin Masters...

Were they this profitable?

Two thousand classes? Twenty million!?

"Two thousand classes doesn't mean I have to teach one-on-one, and if we expand the scale... Changfeng Martial Hall's income alone could match the profits of more than a dozen companies in the entire Fang family."

Fang Lingjue said, "I used to sneer at those Dan Jin Masters who posted courses online and recruited disciples. I thought they were simply disgracing the name of Dan Jin Masters. But now..."

Li Pin nodded in understanding.

Martial artists could earn this much?

It was simply unimaginable on Blue Star.

"You mean you want me to be the resident master?"

"Seeing that you entered the Jiangzhou Martial Arts Tournament and even dared to sign a wager contract on making Jiangzhou's top ten, I can say for certain that in six months, there's an eighty or ninety percent chance you'll enter Hua Jin! So I have two options here..."

Fang Lingjue said solemnly, "The first is that I want to invite you to buy into Changfeng Martial Hall and become one of its members. After Changfeng Martial Hall expands its enrollment, the total investment will be no less than sixty million. I don't want you to put in a single cent. For you alone, I'll give you five percent of the shares. Once you cultivate Dan Jin in the future, your equity can increase further."

As he spoke, he watched Li Pin's expression closely. Seeing no particular fluctuation in his emotions, Fang Lingjue found it somewhat strange, but continued, "The second option is what Shanhu mentioned: serving as the resident master."

He paused. "After the Jiangzhou Martial Arts Tournament ends, depending on my final results, we'll open another three to five branches. You can choose one. You won't need to teach disciples anymore—just serve as the face of that branch. The annual salary will be set at one million. What do you think?"