Chapter 126: Invitation

Zhang Shan watched as Yu Chijie spewed blood and collapsed, puzzled. "That's it?"

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

The three of them together couldn't handle Grandmaster Li. Yet, when Lian Ying, their leader, was put up against other grandmasters, he could single-handedly make them hack out blood.

Is the gap really that big?

thought Zhang Shan.

Zhao Si couldn't help but mutter, "He actually has the audacity to start practical combat class with this level of skills? This is no different from misleading the students."

However, as soon as he said this, realized a crucial point: this seemed to be the normal level for these grandmaster instructors. During their years at the Astral Hall, they had occasionally witnessed grandmasters conducting practical combat sessions with students. Every match had been evenly contested, with both instructors and students scoring wins and losses.

In fact, among the more renowned students, the majority would usually come out on top. This was why Li Pin's audacious challenge to fight three students at once had caused such dissatisfaction among the other Astral Cultivators. They felt that they were being underestimated.

Grandmaster Yu being beaten to the point of spewing blood was actually the most rational, expected outcome!

Mr. Li had broadened their horizons, leading them to mistakenly believe that other instructors could match his level, fighting ten or twenty battles a day and still performing at his best the following day.

Realizing this, Zhao Si finally understood. "No wonder Grandmaster Li's appointment slots are so fiercely vied for. Without comparison, you can't appreciate how exceptional his teaching is."

"But didn't rumors say that Mr. Li is arrogant and has set a bad example, diminishing the influence of students in the Astral Hall? Shouldn't people be collectively boycotting him? How—"

Zhang Shan suddenly realized halfway through his words.

Boycott? Of course! It was a scheme all along!

This way, they wouldn't have to compete with dozens or even hundreds of people for those twenty slots! Ideally, if no one attended at all, the person who popularized the boycott would get to enjoy a one-on-one teaching experience!

"We've almost been misled!" Zhang Shan concluded.

At that moment, the two assistants responsible for maintaining order quickly approached and escorted Grandmaster Yu out of the education building.

Being beaten by students to the point of spewing blood was too humiliating. He had no choice but to leave.

It was indeed as the predecessors had long advised; practical combat classes were not suitable for Astral Cultivators students. However, Li Pin's success had created an illusion of "I could do it too" among them. And now, the backlash had come.

After the assistants took Grandmaster Yu away, one of them announced, "Due to Grandmaster Yu's health issues, the rest of the session will be self-study."

"Self-study? What's the point of self-study when the instructor isn't even here?"

"Is he ok? He is just wasting everyone's time!"

"Forget it. Let's go check out Martial Saint Ran Qinghua's class. At least he's a recognized Martial Saint and has proven skills. Before Grandmaster Li arrived, he was considered one of the top instructors in terms of teaching quality."

Seeing this, the other students were no longer willing to stay and started to leave.

By now, Lian Ying had already stepped down from the stage, looking pensive.

Zhang Shan and Zhao Si immediately approached him. "Boss, you're amazing!"

"Amazing? It's all thanks to Mr. Li's teaching," Lian Ying responded.

Zhang Shan and Zhao Si exchanged glances. "

Uh...

"

While they now acknowledged Li Pin's impressive abilities, their boss had always eagerly anticipated manifesting his Force to redeem himself. However, his current statement seemed a bit off.

"I've noticed an issue," Lian Ying said quietly. "When we sparred with Mr. Li, his attacks were incredibly precise. He seemed to always be targeting our weakest points, like disruptions in our qi flow or areas where our force was insufficient. In contrast, Grandmaster Yu's attacks were erratic and lacked any real strategy."

Zhang Shan and Zhao Si quickly understood his implication, their eyes widening in realization. "Are you saying that... Mr. Li was precisely targeting our weaknesses so that we can focus on addressing these issues? So that we can make our previously disjointed force more coherent and eventually... manifest our Force!?"

Lian Ying nodded, visibly excited. "In a battle, our qi and blood are constantly in flux. I don't know how he can pinpoint our weaknesses so accurately, but just this alone proves that his teaching quality is far superior to that of ordinary instructors!"

He continued with a tone of discovery, "These are the qualities of a great teacher."

Zhang Shan and Zhao Si gasped in awe. "A great teacher!"

The education and cultivation system were essential for any nation.

Even beyond their trainee phase, Astral Cultivators still need guidance. After manifesting their Force and becoming official Astral Cultivators, they would face further challenges; Core Formation and advanced stages where they refine starlight into their bodies using the Aura Cultivation method being examples.

This process transformed them into a Starlight Body, akin to the advanced practices of martial artists.

Having a great teacher could save them countless detours. In this context, every great teacher was a distinguished guest of the Astral Hall in their respective regions, worthy of the title "national treasure." Even official Astral Cultivators couldn't compare to their status.

If they wanted to migrate, they could choose from any of the top global factions in the Six Extremities.

"What are we waiting for? Let's head to the Sixth Education Building. Even if we can't fight Mr. Li, hearing his valuable guidance will make the trip worthwhile," Zhang Shan said immediately.

"Let's go," Lian Ying and Zhao Si agreed.

With that, they quickly made their way to the Sixth Education Building. However, upon arrival, they were surprised to see a substantial number of students standing outside even though it was class time.

Zhang Shan asked around and discovered that these students had come to nearly the same conclusion as the three of them. From their conversations, it was clear that they had also noticed the unique aspects of Li Pin's teaching.

This revelation left Lian Ying and his companions stunned.

So... we've been attending classes for half a month and only discovered this secret today, while others figured it out ten days ago?

Zhang Shan pondered.

They had always considered themselves extremely intelligent, believing they were dedicated to supporting their leader Lian Ying to achieve success in the Astral Hall. They thought they were astute and well-connected. Yet, reality had delivered them a harsh wake-up call.

Zhang Shan's face went from pale to flushed with anger as he finally said, "It's not that we were too slow, it's that these people are too cunning."

Fortunately, they hadn't been deceived by any rumors over the past two weeks. No matter what, they had to book an appointment for tomorrow!

***

"The students are getting more motivated," Li Pin muttered, rubbing his arm.

He needed to intensify his practice of the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique. Fortunately, he had concocted the Lesser Rebirth Pills. These pills could quickly replenish his primordial qi, significantly improving his speed of recovery.

If it weren't for its high cost, he would have used these Lesser Rebirth Pills primarily for his cultivation. With his current recovery speed combined with his "Self-Healing" passive ability, he could easily handle thirty matches a day.

Four million per pill, one per day, that's 120 million a month. If practicing martial arts were this costly, martial artists would have long gone extinct.

Li Pin thought.

At this rate, his 500 hundred million yuan would be gone in four months.

Nevertheless, Li Pin recalled the changes he sensed from constantly using the Lesser Rebirth Pills.

"I had been using the same Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique back on the Blue Planet, but the quality of the primordial qi it nurtured back then was lower than it is now. This is understandable as we lacked sufficient Heavenly Treasures on the Blue Planet.

"The herbs used in the Lesser Rebirth Pill are more precious and include extraordinary materials like the Astral Crystal, making its overall quality significantly higher than the primordial qi described in the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique."

He added, "It should be feasible. Even if something goes wrong, my precise control over my body will allow me to detect anomalies and correct them immediately."

Li Pin pondered.

If my plan is to refine and optimize the primordial qi, it will be inappropriate to still call it the Innate Qi-Nurturing Technique.

"Let's call it the Innate Qi-Refining Technique," he decided.

Upon perfecting the Qi-Nurturing Chapter, he would move on to the Qi-Refining Chapter. And once he completed the Qi-Refining Chapter and advanced to the Foundation Building Chapter, the results would be immediate.

As Li Pin was lost in thought, someone called out from behind. "Mr. Li, please wait."

Ye Qinghua, dressed in white and looking elegant, approached him.

"What's the matter? If it's about cultivation, try to think it through yourself first. If you still can't figure it out, come to me tomorrow before the practical combat session and I'll explain it to you," Li Pin said.

"That's not the case. I wanted to thank you for your guidance these past few days. I feel I'm about to fully master Force. This is six months ahead of my expectations. My father is grateful for your help and would like to invite you to our home for a banquet," Ye Qinghua replied.

Li Pin waved his hand. "No need for that; it's my duty."

"My father, Ye Chunqiu, has been appointed to the position of Senior Guardian in the Guardian Hall," Ye Qinghua said. "I understand that you and the martial society chairman, Lin Yuzhi, have a serious disagreement. If you wish, my father can have him transferred immediately."

"Don't," Li Pin quickly responded. He was waiting to see Chairman Lin's next move. "I'll handle this myself."

Ye Qinghua realized he had overstepped his boundaries and quickly bowed slightly. "Apologies, Grandmaster Li."

Li Pin advised, "Don't worry about it. Just keep practicing. You're very close to mastering Force. All you need now is a bit more determination. Given your family's resources, perhaps you could challenge yourself by fighting a ferocious beast. It will help you grasp the technique completely."

Ye Qinghua bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your guidance, teacher."

Ye Qinghua's attitude had undergone a complete transformation from the arrogance he displayed ten days ago.

However, compared to now, Li Pin preferred their previous demeanor. Back then, when they fought, they were fierce and uncompromising.

Waving his hand, Li Pin turned and left. However, after walking less than a hundred meters, a woman approached and stopped him.

Her skin was as smooth as jade, and she exuded a unique aura.

"You're an Astral Cultivator?" Li Pin asked.

"Mr. Li, I'm here on behalf of my sister, Xiaoyu. Could we hire you as her private tutor? Whatever you need, just let us know."