Chapter 26: He Is Somewhat Special
After listening to his uncle's words, Li Yuan immediately thought of the trainees in many entertainment agencies. It seemed very similar.
When big stars change agencies, the contracts they sign are often quite lenient. But for trainees? A 90-10 split is already considered very good. Some agencies don't even plan to train the trainees; they just intend to make money from the breach of contract fees.
"Don't worry too much." In the holographic projection, Li Changzhou seemed to notice Li Yuan's concerns and smiled. "Martial artists, who gather their great power in one person, become increasingly difficult to restrain as they grow stronger. The peak martial arts experts possess the power to destroy the heavens and the earth... Even if you sign a contract in advance, it won't be as dark as you imagine."
"In fact, signing up in advance is more beneficial than harmful to you," Li Changzhou continued, showing a rare trace of sadness on his face. "Your aunt and I have limited capabilities."
"Uncle, don't say that. You've already done so much," Li Yuan interrupted, asking, "What should I do now?"
"According to your Uncle Zhong, he wants to talk to you in person," Li Changzhou said. "I guess he wants to see your martial arts talent... This is a good thing."
"Arrange a time with your Uncle Zhong and have a talk. But no matter what conditions they offer, don't agree immediately. Wait until they've made an offer and then contact me," Li Changzhou instructed. "You just turned seventeen... You have potential in martial arts. Keep working hard, and maybe even the Starlight Martial Hall will approach you."
"Also, now that you've made it into the Blue Star Youth Ranking, the state should contact you through the school for a special early recruitment."
"Think it over carefully. I'll also reach out to some classmates to understand the situation. This decision will shape your entire life."
Li Yuan nodded. He understood that his task was to demonstrate his talent and then choose the best offer.
"Alright, we'll stop here for today. I have to get back to work," Li Changzhou said with a smile.
After the communication ended, Li Yuan put down his smart ring and thought, "Special recruitment? Signing with the Starry Sky Martial Hall?" He calmed himself, "No rush."
"I awakened the Divine Palace just a year ago. From now until the college entrance examination, as my mental strength improves, my martial arts skills will progress faster, and my control over my body will increase." Li Yuan's eyes shone with determination. "Even if I can't practice high-level martial arts, my physical fitness won't fall behind."
Over the past year, Li Yuan's physical fitness had improved rapidly, outpacing most of the students in the elite class. Why? It was due to his rapid advancement in martial arts skills and his continuous practice of the "Great Sun Starry Sky Sutra."
"Let's practice the spear."
Li Yuan settled down and retrieved a spear from the weapon cabinet, silently contemplating his spear techniques.
After more than an hour, a notification appeared:
[Your spear technique has advanced from Level 3 (48%) to Level 3 (49%).]
"Regularly practicing spear techniques in reality and honing them through virtual combat on weekends is indeed fast," Li Yuan smiled. "Since the start of school, my Level 3 spear technique has improved by nearly 20%."
Improving this much in less than a month would definitely be shocking if told to others.
...
The Martial Halls are very unique organizations. They are somewhat like multinational corporations but not entirely equivalent. The branches of the three major Martial Halls in various countries are highly autonomous. Ordinary departments have no jurisdiction over them; only the Ministry of Martial Arts does.
The Starry Sky Martial Hall, Guanshan District Branch, was a twelve-story, vast ring-shaped building, much larger than typical commercial complexes and not far from the First High School of Guanshan District. In an opulently decorated office on the twelfth floor, a knock on the door resounded.
"Master, it's First-Level Martial Artist 'Zhong Cheng'," a gentle voice echoed in the office.
"Let him in," an icy female voice responded from the lounge.
With a click, the door opened. A middle-aged man in a black suit entered the office and slightly nodded. "Lord Song."
If the internal members of the Starry Sky Martial Hall's Guanshan District branch were here, they would instantly recognize the office's owner as 'Song Yi,' one of the three deputy hall masters of the branch. The Guanshan District branch was only a fifth-level branch of the Starry Sky Martial Hall, yet the deputy hall master wielded considerable power, far beyond the reach of ordinary martial artists.
A young woman with a graceful figure, whose loose martial arts robe could not conceal her form, walked out from the lounge. She had no makeup on, but her skin was fair, her face was oval-shaped, and her eyes were exceptionally sharp. Her every movement exuded an aura of profound martial arts mastery.
"Zhong Cheng, how did the contact go?" Song Yi's sharp gaze fixed on the suited man.
"I've communicated with Li Yuan's guardian today, and they've agreed to let us approach," Zhong Cheng nodded. "Additionally, I've met Li Yuan twice and understand his situation... The young man is decent and diligent in his practice."
"However, it seems neither the Starlight Martial Hall nor the Martial Arts Hall has contacted Li Yuan," Zhong Cheng noted.
"That's good," Song Yi's red lips curled into a smile. "If the Martial Arts Bureau had contacted him, our chances would be much smaller, wouldn't they?"
"In the China, most martial arts talents eventually opt for special recruitment," Song Yi said. "We often have to wait until they graduate from university to recruit them."
Zhong Cheng nodded in agreement.
"Lord Song," Zhong Cheng hesitated, "I've reviewed Li Yuan's information objectively. There's a reason why the Starlight Martial Hall and the Martial Arts Bureau haven't taken any action... Li Yuan hasn't awakened his martial spirit. His martial arts skills are decent but not extraordinary."
"The Blue Star Youth Ranking in Jiangbei Province produces hundreds of individuals annually. There are many other martial arts talents..." Zhong Cheng felt puzzled. "Is Li Yuan worth such a significant investment to sign early?"
According to the laws of the Seven Star Alliance, Martial Halls need to provide at least one million Blue Star coins worth of training resources annually for a minimum of six years when signing underage talents. This excludes intangible benefits such as "expert guidance" and "training facilities." At least half must be in monetary rewards, with the rest in tangible resources like qi and blood potions. This prevents Martial Halls from signing talents indefinitely.
This means that once signed, the Starry Sky Martial Hall must invest at least six million Blue Star coins, not including other soft expenses—a considerable cost.
"Under normal circumstances, this Li Yuan indeed doesn't warrant early signing," Song Yi said slowly. "However, he is somewhat special."
"Special?" Zhong Cheng was taken aback.
Suddenly, beams of light shot down from the ceiling, forming a holographic projection displaying extensive data, including text, images, and videos.
"What's this?" Zhong Cheng asked.
"The Starry Sky Combat Network is directly controlled by our Starry Sky Martial Hall," Song Yi smiled mysteriously. "Our Martial Hall is also the largest shareholder of the entire virtual network."
"According to the Seven Star Alliance agreement, the Starry Sky Combat Network must share a lot of information with the other two Martial Halls and the host country."
"So, the Starlight Martial Hall and Chins's Martial Arts Ministry were immediately aware of Li Yuan's entry into the Blue Star Youth Ranking... But we won't share the detailed match information and win rates with them."
"Take a look, and you'll understand," Song Yi said, pointing to the screen.
Zhong Cheng immediately started browsing through the information, which was all about Li Yuan.
Quickly, Zhong Cheng noticed something unusual.
"He fought 196 virtual battles in one day?" Zhong Cheng was shocked. "How did he manage that? How can his mental state handle it?"
He continued to look through historical records and was further astonished to find that almost every weekend for the past three months, Li Yuan had engaged in high-intensity virtual battles, ranging from ninety to over two hundred matches each time.
"This? This!"
"Li Yuan's mental strength?" Zhong Cheng's eyes lit up as he realized, "Is at the level of a martial artist?"
"There's a ninety percent chance," Song Yi smiled. "Although it hasn't been specifically tested, my estimate is that his mental strength is at least level 11."
"Coupled with his martial arts skills."
"Now, do you think he's worthy of early signing?"