In the room.
"Our training contract is definitely better than the A-level contract from Starfire Martial Hall," the tall, thin officer named Ji kept throwing out his conditions, trying to persuade Li Yuan.
The conditions were indeed very generous.
"Senior Ji."
"I've already signed with Starfire Martial Hall," Li Yuan shook his head.
"Signing doesn't mean you can't break the contract," Officer Ji smiled. "We'll pay the penalty for you, so you won't have to spend a dime."
"No thanks."
Li Yuan shook his head again. "Senior Ji, a big part of my rapid growth is thanks to Starfire Martial Hall. Other matters can be discussed, but this one, I can't do."
Li Yuan had his own principles.
When the Hall Master signed him, he was only worth a C-level contract based on his performance, which was already a premium.
Later, the Martial Hall provided a series of resources for training, allowing him to improve so much in just six months.
One must not forget their roots.
Most importantly, once he returned from here, he could try to reach the Falling Star Rank on the Star Combat Network... At that time, his B-level contract with Starfire Martial Hall could be upgraded to an A-level contract.
The special training contract from the university and the training contract from the Martial Hall were independent of each other and did not interfere.
However, contracts from major groups like Starfire Martial Hall, Starry Sky Martial Hall, and others could only be signed once.
This was clearly stated in the "Martial Artist Law."
"Haha, good. I won't push you then," Officer Ji laughed, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes.
He hoped Li Yuan would agree.
However, if Li Yuan had immediately agreed, he would have looked down on him instead... This mindset was not contradictory.
"Li Yuan, I admire you more and more," Officer Ji said with a smile. "How about this? I will sponsor you one million Blue Star Coins on behalf of the Jiangbei Military District."
"Don't refuse this," Officer Ji added with a grin.
"One million?" Li Yuan was slightly surprised.
"Don't worry, there are no other conditions," Officer Ji smiled. "This is purely a sponsorship. Even if you can't join the military, if you can grow, it won't matter whether you join or not, right?"
Li Yuan felt a bit moved and couldn't help but ask, "What about Wu Dongdong and the others?"
"Them? Not needed!" Officer Ji shook his head and chuckled. "We only find it worthwhile to give resources to someone like you, not waste it."
Li Yuan was speechless; he vaguely understood why only Tian Dazhuang and he were called in.
Having a strong background made one less favored.
"Come on, let's take a sponsorship photo," Officer Ji said with a smile. "Later, a sponsorship contract will be sent to your virtual personal space. Don't worry, there will be no restrictions."
"One million Blue Star Coins will be credited within a week."
After sending off Li Yuan, Officer Ji leisurely sipped tea and waited for another two minutes.
Clang~ Officer Wang walked in with a smile on his face.
"Did it work?" Officer Ji asked.
"It did," Officer Wang nodded. "The Martial Hall signed the contract. In the future, there will be allocations, so why not give it to our military? I'll report it and let the higher-ups arrange it."
"It's not easy to snatch a martial arts genius like Tian Dazhuang," Officer Wang laughed. "What about you?"
"Didn't work out," Officer Ji shook his head and sighed. "This kid Li Yuan is really good, what a pity."
"Not working out is normal; after all, he has already signed with Starfire Martial Hall."
"If you casually promise a few things, and he thinks about breaking the contract, then we have to consider it carefully," Officer Wang laughed. "If you think he's good, why not help him?"
"How to help? Our sponsorship limit is only one million," Officer Ji was puzzled.
"Haha, today I'm smarter than you," Officer Wang smiled. "Who says sponsorship is the only way to help?"
"We just need to let it be known that we are trying to recruit Li Yuan with an 'S-level contract.' If he still refuses, we'll let that message reach Starfire Martial Hall."
"As long as Starfire Martial Hall isn't foolish, they'll know what to do," Officer Wang chuckled.
"I only promised an A-level contract; we don't have the authority for S-level contracts," Officer Ji frowned.
"Starfire Martial Hall won't know we haven't received authorization from above," Officer Wang didn't care.
"What if it blows up and the higher-ups ask why we promised an 'S-level contract'?" Officer Ji still had some worries.
"Someone spread rumors! Besides, no one will ask about such a small matter; it's under my dad's jurisdiction."
On the playground.
Li Yuan and Tian Dazhuang walked towards the distant train.
Li Yuan's height had reached 185 cm, significantly taller than Tian Dazhuang.
"Li Yuan, did you sign?" Tian Dazhuang asked in a low voice, unable to hold back.
The two had remembered each other for a few days, but this was their first conversation.
"No," Li Yuan shook his head and directly asked back, "Did you sign?"
"I haven't fully decided yet, but I have a preliminary intention," Tian Dazhuang smiled. "I was specially recruited by the Martial Hall, and after graduating from university, I will be assigned."
Li Yuan nodded. "Joining the military is actually pretty good."
"Yeah."
"But my dad wants me to return to the county in the future, hoping I can become the head of the Martial Arts Bureau," Tian Dazhuang said quietly. "He says it's not only safe but also brings honor to the family."
Li Yuan casually added, "My aunt wanted me to become a martial arts teacher, saying it would ensure a stable life."
After hearing each other, they both fell silent for two seconds, then exchanged smiles and burst into laughter.
They laughed openly and freely.
Then, the two stepped confidently towards the train.
No more words were needed; they understood each other's thoughts and ambitions.
The youth, with their aspirations, could be seen as a banner for eternity; a momentary glance could reflect an eternal flow.
Youth always moves forward with hope.
This is what youth is all about.
After passing through the entrance to the Star Realm, Li Yuan and Lin Lanyue arrived at the underground train station of Jiangbei Martial University.
They got off the train, went upstairs, returned their weapons and equipment, changed back into their clothes, and all the students walked out of the building, boarding a sightseeing bus heading to the cafeteria.
It was still not yet six o'clock; the sun was setting, and a gentle breeze made it quite pleasant.
"Coming back feels great," Wu Dongdong stretched and sighed.
Li Yuan couldn't help but smile.
Indeed, after experiencing life-and-death struggles in the Moon Demon Star Realm, returning made him appreciate the peace and tranquility even more.
"How about it, Li Yuan?" Lin Lanyue asked softly. "Did you agree to join the military?"
"I didn't agree," Li Yuan replied. "But the military promised to sponsor me one million Blue Star Coins without any conditions."
Only giving without asking for anything in return?
To be honest, when Officer Ji first spoke, Li Yuan had some doubts, but the whole process was indeed straightforward.
They didn't make him sign anything or rush him to electronically sign on the virtual network.
"How did you know the military would look for me?" Li Yuan asked quietly.
"The military's sponsorship targets," Lin Lanyue explained. "There are usually three criteria."
"First, enough potential, with hopes of becoming a flying martial artist."
"Second, not from a wealthy family."
"Third, they prefer to sponsor students with a sense of justice and patriotism."
"You fit perfectly," Lin Lanyue smiled. "You ranked first in the practical assessment, and the military values actual combat strength over exam scores, so I guessed you would definitely be chosen."
"Impressive," Li Yuan said sincerely.
Li Yuan realized that Lin Lanyue seemed to know everything about the operations in the Moon Demon Star Realm, even the military matters so clearly.
The background was probably beyond his imagination.
"What is the military's goal?" Li Yuan felt puzzled. "They don't mention any conditions."
"If one day you become a flying martial artist, and the military has actions that need the help of flying martial artists, they will invite you," Lin Lanyue smiled. "Would you go?"
Li Yuan was taken aback for a moment.
"Flying martial artists, in a sense, their personal power has surpassed the mundane world; they can't be simply bound by laws, and more so, it relies on emotional ties," Lin Lanyue continued.
Li Yuan nodded, understanding Lin Lanyue's meaning.
If the military faced a major crisis and needed some flying martial artists to fight, what would happen?
It’s not as simple as issuing an order and expecting flying martial artists to comply strictly.
The strength of flying martial artists gives them the right to say 'no.'
The military's approach reminded Li Yuan of the rewards from Jiangbei Martial University; essentially, they were all about 'building good relationships.'
However, Jiangbei Martial University cast a wide net, while the military only selected from the top students.
"Let's go."
"First, let's eat," Lin Lanyue smiled. "You've consumed so much during the day; you need to eat more at night."
"Let's eat! Let's eat!" Wu Dongdong got excited. "Today I want to eat six portions."
Everyone laughed.
Li Yuan had long noticed that although Wu Dongdong came from a wealthy family, he never picked at his food.
Like a reincarnated glutton, he welcomed all.
As night fell, after dinner, Li Yuan and Gu Qianghan returned to their dormitory.
Clang~
Li Yuan directly took out a large spear from the weapon cabinet.
"Huh? Li Yuan, aren't you tired? You still want to train today?" Gu Qianghan looked at Li Yuan as if he were a monster.
"Just practice a little longer," Li Yuan smiled.
Tired? Of course, he was tired.
Could he not practice? No, he couldn't.
"I'm outta here," Gu Qianghan shook his head. "You keep practicing; I'm going to sleep."
Clang~ Gu Qianghan shut his room door.
Li Yuan smiled faintly, his gaze returning to the spear, his smile fading as he silently practiced.
Swish! Swish!
The spear's shadow flickered like stars, unstoppable, his body moved like a dragon, swift and unpredictable.
Practicing the Star Spear Technique and Dragon Movement Technique in tandem.
For Li Yuan, although his body was exhausted, his movement technique had just broken through to the fourth stage, and it was the perfect time to solidify his training.
Any improvement, no matter how small, was good.
A qualitative change comes from quantitative change.
"The fourth stage training is about gradually exploring the body's greater potential based on the unity of body and mind," Li Yuan thought to himself. "The speed of progress is noticeably slower than the third stage."
He practiced until after nine o'clock, sweat dripping to the ground, and Li Yuan's body was utterly exhausted.
Only then did he finally stop.
"[Your movement technique level has increased from 4% to 5% of the fourth stage]" Li Yuan's peripheral vision caught the prompt from half an hour ago.
"After midnight."
"The seven-day cooldown for the promotion match will end, and I can try the 'Falling Star Promotion Match' again," Li Yuan thought with anticipation. "Last time, when I made it into the top 1000 globally, my skills were only at the third stage's perfection."
And now?
Whether it was the spear technique or the movement technique, he had fully stepped into the fourth stage, and his strength had surged compared to last time.
"By then, there will also be 500,000 Blue Star Coins."
After ten o'clock, after showering and changing into pajamas, Li Yuan felt extremely comfortable.
Sitting cross-legged on the soft bed.
The soundproof system in the room was excellent.
"Gu Qianghan should be asleep now."
"Now let's see what 'Source Power Entry' is all about." Li Yuan gently closed his eyes, and his consciousness entered the world of his mind.
(End of Chapter)