100,000 Star Coins!

"Have you thought it through?"

Wan Keshan watched Li Qingshan's thoughtful expression and offered some advice.

"Two years would be enough for you to reach the Body Tempering Fifth Stage."

"When you face Wolf Venom then, even without martial skills, you could hack it to death by force."

"At the end of the day, cultivation is the foundation. Even in New Continent, people raise their cultivation first before studying martial skills."

"Thank you, Teacher. I understand."

Li Qingshan nodded without arguing.

Wan Keshan was right, but his advice did not apply to him.

With Martial Arts Space, mastering Lost-Trace Steps was just around the corner.

And once he mastered Lost-Trace Steps and successfully killed Wolf Venom, he could peacefully grind proficiency for The Stars Are Calling.

At the fourth level of The Stars Are Calling, cultivation efficiency would double again.

Reaching the Body Tempering Fifth Stage would not take two years at all!

Wan Keshan nodded and said no more, swiping a finger across his Communicator.

Li Qingshan's wrist vibrated.

Ding-dong!

Funds received: +100,000

Li Qingshan's eyes widened as he stared at the number on the screen.

"This is why I wanted to see you."

The corner of Wan Keshan's mouth lifted. He was quite satisfied with Li Qingshan's reaction.

"Your report letter yesterday was very useful. The 100,000 Star Coins are your reward."

Li Qingshan looked up in surprise.

"Teacher, do you also work part-time at the Patrol Bureau?"

Wan Keshan's smile froze, and his face twitched.

"What part-time job? I'm an appointed consultant!"

"Right, a consultant. I'm so used to working part-time that I misspoke. Sorry." Li Qingshan gave an apologetic smile.

One hundred thousand Star Coins was enough to cover a month's worth of Nutrient Solution.

He had always treated his benefactors well.

Then, Li Qingshan asked the question he cared about most.

"Teacher, was that purple-red-haired woman in the letter really an Evil God Follower?"

"Basically confirmed." Wan Keshan nodded.

Basically confirmed?

Li Qingshan froze, then asked in surprise.

"The Patrol Bureau didn't catch her?"

If they had caught her, he would not have used those words.

After a brief hesitation, Wan Keshan said,

"According to Patrol Bureau rules, I shouldn't tell you this in principle."

After saying that,

he discovered that the student across from him was not disappointed at all. Instead, his eyes lit up as he waited eagerly for more.

Were students these days really this socially experienced?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Wan Keshan could only continue.

"Based on the identities of the two deceased, the Patrol Bureau had initially monitored several streets they frequently visited, including Linjiang Road."

"However, after receiving your report, we conducted a more thorough investigation into Galaxy River Bar on Linjiang Road."

"Unexpectedly, we really did uncover a problem."

"Galaxy River Bar was a gathering place for a group of Flesh Cult followers."

"A gathering place!"

Li Qingshan sucked in a cold breath, feeling lingering fear.

He had worked at Galaxy River Bar for over a month and had no idea how many Evil God Followers he had passed by.

"They're just a few scum. What are you afraid of?" Wan Keshan frowned in displeasure.

"The entire gathering place was wiped out by the Patrol Bureau last night. After interrogating them through the night, we learned that the woman you mentioned was only a recent convert. The night before last was her first sacrifice."

"The bureau suspects that she may have already fled Fallen Blossom City to lie low somewhere else."

At this point, Wan Keshan paused and reminded him,

"You resigned directly yesterday and didn't go to the bar. That caution was good."

"But just in case, I still need to remind you of something. The Flesh Cult worships the Blood-Flesh Demon God, and its followers can alter their appearance. Be careful of people who deliberately approach you."

"Thank you, Teacher. I understand."

Li Qingshan was not overly worried.

After all, the gathering place had already been destroyed. One fish that slipped through the net could not cause much trouble.

Besides, he had only met that woman once the night before last. They held no grudge at all, so she could not possibly trace him.

He had found a way to kill Wolf Venom and received the 100,000-Star-Coin reward.

Li Qingshan said goodbye at once and turned toward the door.

Just as he reached the doorway, Wan Keshan's voice came from behind him.

"Remember, assumptions are only assumptions. Cultivation is the foundation!"

"Teacher, I understand."

Li Qingshan answered before disappearing through the door.

"I hope you really do understand!"

Wan Keshan sighed, his gaze complicated.

Li Qingshan had specifically come to his office to ask how to kill Wolf Venom.

That stubborn look of his did not seem like he had merely been asking casually.

He had once had a student who asked a similar question, seeking combat power beyond his cultivation level.

Moreover, that student had been highly talented. Not long after entering middle school, she had already cultivated The Stars Are Calling to the third level.

With such talent, she could originally have gone directly to New Continent.

But Wan Keshan had acted on impulse and decided to keep her in Fallen Blossom City to teach her personally.

Because he had "seen the world," he knew that the super geniuses on those Martial Arts Mega-Planets all possessed the ability to defeat enemies beyond their cultivation level.

However, reality had given Wan Keshan a resounding slap.

The student he had carefully trained had indeed gained the strength to defeat enemies beyond her cultivation level.

But there was a limit to so-called "crossing levels."

Among the same group of students in New Continent, several had already surpassed his student by an entire major realm.

Because of this, his student lost her chance to leave Purple Star and pursue further studies on a Martial Arts Mega-Planet.

Bzz, bzz!

His wrist vibrated, and a video call request popped up on his Communicator.

When Wan Keshan saw the caller's identity, his expression stiffened slightly.

Still, he accepted the call.

A light screen appeared.

A bright silver Mecha appeared on the other side, streams of light occasionally flickering across its metal shell.

The Mecha's face did not move in the slightest, yet a cool female voice sounded.

"Consultant Wan, has Li Qingshan's reward been issued?"

Wan Keshan's expression had already returned to normal. He bared his teeth and said,

"Nonsense. Why else would you be calling me?"

"Consultant Wan, according to bureau standards, the reward for information about such a gathering place should be 50,000 Star Coins."

"Yu Man, you've gotten bold. Are you trying to use your position as deputy director to pressure me? Forget this consultant nonsense. Call me Uncle!"

Wan Keshan snapped in embarrassment and anger.

"Li Qingshan is a martial arts genius. He was raised on public support and can't even afford Nutrient Solution. What's wrong with giving him a little more reward money?"

After two seconds of silence, the Mecha's faceplate opened, revealing a delicate face that was sixty percent similar to Yu Lei's.

"A genius?"

Yu Man asked flatly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

If he really were a genius, he would have gone to New Continent long ago.

Wan Keshan had no strength to refute her and finally sighed.

"Li Qingshan came by just now and asked a question similar to one you asked back then."

Yu Man was that student from back then.

Wan Keshan did not know whether he had helped Li Qingshan because of his publicly supported background or because Li Qingshan had reminded him of Yu Man.

Perhaps it was both.

At last, Yu Man's cold face changed slightly, and her voice became gentler.

"Uncle, I never blamed you. Even if I hadn't spent so much effort on martial skills back then, my cultivation might not have surpassed those people."

"Besides, I studied martial arts only for greater combat power."

"A Mecha can also help me achieve my goal! At the very least, those people are no match for me now!"

"A Mecha?"

Wan Keshan stared at the light screen, at the silver Mecha flickering with flowing light, and shook his head.

"It's different. If you had gone to a Martial Arts Mega-Planet, you might have caught a glimpse of the peak of martial arts."

Wan Keshan looked out at the sky beyond the window, seemingly filled with longing.

"That means crossing the stars with one's flesh and roaming the universe!"

"Starships can roam the universe too." Yu Man's voice became flat again.

"After some time, I'll compete for an opportunity to study at a Planetary Fortress."

"If it goes well, my combat power will rise further. Even the super geniuses of those Martial Arts Mega-Planets will be worthy opponents."

"Combat power again!"

Wan Keshan shook his head and ended the call.

Before the path of evolution reached its end, no one had the right to judge which direction was correct.

But as a martial arts teacher, he would remain loyal only to martial arts for the rest of his life.

"Li Qingshan and Yu Man are different in the end. I hope he listens to advice!"

Wan Keshan sighed.

Yu Man had awakened Psychic Power, which was why she had the fallback path of Mechas.

But if Li Qingshan chose the wrong path, he would lose even his slim chance of going to New Continent.

In the end, he could only remain in Old Continent and fade into the crowd.