"Could it be because he has high martial arts skills?"
Lin Lanyue could only think of this possibility. Then she said, "Auntie, let's go home. I still have questions to solve."
"Okay." The young woman nodded, looking at Lin Lanyue as they walked. "Yueyue, you really don't know that Li Yuan signed a contract with Starfire Martial Hall early?"
"I really don't know." Lin Lanyue shook her head.
"Should we ask about it later? A B-level contract only has two or three spots each year at the hall." The young woman asked curiously, "It seems like you have a good relationship with him."
"No need to ask." Lin Lanyue firmly shook her head. "If others don't talk about it, there must be a reason."
"By the way, don't mention this in the parents' group, and definitely don't bring it up as a topic of conversation." Lin Lanyue glanced at her aunt, knowing she had a big mouth.
"Got it." The young woman replied dismissively.
"I'm serious." Lin Lanyue said seriously, "Otherwise, I won't help you with your card later."
"Okay, okay, my little ancestor, I promise not to say anything." The woman waved her hands in surrender.
...
When Li Yuan was taking his younger siblings home in the martial hall's special vehicle, in the twelfth-floor office of the martial hall building, decorated in an old style, the atmosphere was serious.
"Hall Master."
Instructor Xing pushed the door open and walked in.
In front of a large floor-to-ceiling window stood a middle-aged man in traditional clothing, looking out at the night view.
"How is it?" Hall Master Wan asked without turning around, his voice calm.
"I asked around and checked the data from the testing devices in various martial arts rooms. The six early signed reserve members all performed well." Instructor Xing respectfully reported. "The best performer, with the most progress, should be Li Yuan."
"According to Fang Longhu, Li Yuan's physical constitution should be close to level 8, and his skill level is even approaching the third stage." Instructor Xing continued. "His improvement in the last two months is quite impressive."
"Oh?"
"So, he's making good progress." Only then did Hall Master Wan turn around, smiling. "Instructor Xing, what do you think?"
"Hall Master has a keen eye." Instructor Xing lowered his head.
"Old Xing, relax. Don't worry that I have other ideas." Hall Master Wan smiled. "I know what you're thinking. Based on Li Yuan's current performance, he barely qualifies for a C-level contract, right?"
"I wouldn't dare." Instructor Xing quickly replied.
"Don't worry." Hall Master Wan chuckled. "There's a reason I'm giving him a B-level contract. Just keep recording the data."
"Understood." Instructor Xing nodded.
He secretly thought to himself, as long as you're the hall master, just don't blame me later. Whatever you say goes.
After Instructor Xing left, Hall Master Wan sighed to himself, "The person recommended by Iron Tower is indeed good. But if he can't awaken his martial spirit in the end, it might be tough for him to grow after reaching level 10..."
He shook his head lightly and stopped thinking about it. The early signed martial arts geniuses were just a small part of his work, and he only checked on them once a month.
Half an hour later, an alarm suddenly rang in the office.
"Ding ding—Alarm—"
Buzz~
Red lights flashed on Hall Master Wan's smart wristband, causing his expression to change. He immediately clicked to check the message: "Star Realm creatures? At least nine first-level, the strongest close to second-level? They have appeared around Southeast Lake to Binhu Road, causing at least thirty-five deaths?"
"Could it be the remnants from the last sweep along the Xiang River?" Hall Master Wan instantly recalled the previous operation.
Every martial artist is registered with the Martial Arts Hall. Their identity information is linked to their smart wristbands. Once Star Realm creatures appear, the 'Sky Net' of Xia Country detects them and immediately sends a request for assistance to nearby martial artists.
As a source martial artist, Hall Master Wan's smart wristband has a maximum sensing range of 100 kilometers. This means that any detected Star Realm creature within that range would send a message to him.
Without hesitation, he ordered, "Dahe, immediately send a message to the martial hall's combat martial artists. Teams one and two, mobilize and cooperate with the military to eliminate and seal off the area." He continued to command, "Bring my weapon here."
"Yes, Master." The assistant's voice echoed in the office.
One of the important responsibilities of the martial hall is to protect local residents. Each grassroots martial hall has martial artist teams on standby, ready to move at any time.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two furniture robots rushed out from the weapon room, one carrying a shield and the other holding a battle knife.
Hall Master Wan grabbed the shield and battle knife, then lightly pressed a metal button on his chest.
Immediately, his loose traditional clothing transformed into a thin, metallic-looking battle suit that completely covered him, all in black, exuding a cold and oppressive aura.
"Master, the single-person flying device has arrived." The smart voice announced. "Shall I open the window?"
"Open it." Hall Master Wan commanded coldly.
"Boom!" The large floor-to-ceiling window quickly opened outward, exposing the office to strong winds.
Whoosh!
Hall Master Wan slightly tensed one leg, and his figure shot out, moving several dozen meters in an arc, like a cannonball falling straight to the ground.
This was a twelve-story building! Over forty meters off the ground!
Boom!
A loud explosion echoed as a single-person flying device, resembling an assault boat, flew by at an incredible speed, catching Hall Master Wan perfectly.
The flying device soared into the sky, about a hundred meters above the ground, racing toward the incident site.
...
The next day, after practicing all night, Li Yuan stepped out of his house around four in the morning.
Walking down the street, it was winter, and even at five o'clock, it was still pitch black with light rain, making the ground slippery.
"Hmm?" As soon as Li Yuan stepped out of the neighborhood, he sensed something was off. He saw armed soldiers in the distance.
There were also two patrolling soldiers and occasionally drones flying overhead for surveillance. The area was heavily guarded.
"Are they capturing a fugitive? No, could it be..." Li Yuan immediately thought of a possibility.
Without hesitation, he opened his smart wristband and clicked on an app called 'Star Realm Creature Alert,' which pinpointed the location to Guanshan District in Jiang City.
His eyes scanned the dozens of warning messages that had been posted.
"Are there really Star Realm creatures? How dare they appear in Jiang City?" Li Yuan was secretly alarmed. "But according to the news, there have already been dozens of casualties?"
"Over thirty Star Realm creatures have been killed as well."
"To this point, there are still suspected Star Realm creatures on the loose, and the entire Guanshan District is under lockdown, conducting a full-scale search?"
After thinking for a moment, Li Yuan turned around and went back home.
"Even though there are military vehicles and drones on the road, making it seem safe, walking alone like this is still too noticeable." Li Yuan pondered. "Binhu Road is less than ten kilometers from here."
"With bad luck, I might really run into fleeing Star Realm creatures."
"At home, the neighborhood has warning systems in place, and the buildings and windows are reinforced. The hallways require facial recognition to enter, so it's very safe." Li Yuan thought to himself. "Although the chances are low, it's better not to take risks."
Right!
As an elite student, Li Yuan's combat ability is stronger than most adults... but facing firearms is futile, let alone Star Realm creatures?
A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.
This was a lesson his uncle, Li Changzhou, had taught him since childhood.
Similarly, from a young age, all students are taught a principle: without martial artist strength, when facing Star Realm creatures, scatter and escape immediately! Call for help and report to the authorities as quickly as possible!
In reality, all martial artists also receive a warning: without source martial artist strength, do not engage with Star Realm creatures alone. Wait for heavy weapons! Wait for attack drones and combat robots!
...
Back home, Li Yuan was not too panicked. Instead, he opened the door to his room.
Then, in the bedroom, he calmed his mind and practiced standing meditation and fist techniques, focusing on his basic cultivation method.
Throughout his life, Li Yuan remembered that every six months or even shorter, Jiang City would always experience attacks from Star Realm creatures.
There was no way around it. Jiang City is located at the confluence of rivers and has many lakes, with water routes connecting everywhere.
Jiang City is one of the cities in Xia Country that suffers the most from Star Realm creature attacks.
Most attacks are small-scale, and as long as everyone waits for the military and martial artists to clear them up, it's usually fine.
As for large-scale attacks? Li Yuan had only experienced one when he was very young, and his memory of it was quite vague.
Soon, around six o'clock.
"Has the alert been lifted?" Li Yuan received a notification on his smart wristband.
(End of Chapter)