Chapter 151: Different

Having been reprimanded, Chairman Liu Xuanfeng wore a grim expression as he sat in the business car returning to the martial society.

The others, understandably, remained silent. The atmosphere in the car was extremely heavy.

After a while, Liu Xuanfeng finally turned his gaze to Lu Changkong and slowly exhaled. "Changkong, you know the Prince's stance. It's not that I don't want to give you a chance, but your performance has been too disappointing."

"I understand," Lu Changkong responded with a hint of sorrow.

"You're also quite old now and can't devote as much time and energy into managing the affairs of the various states in your jurisdiction. I understand. You should take some time to rest for a while."

"I'll submit my resignation...."

When Lu Changkong said this, he appeared as though he had aged significantly.

As a Martial Saint with a forged Martial Will, he could directly assume the position of an executive. However...

An executive and a deputy chairman were still one level apart. For middle-aged and elderly Martial Saints having been in office for around fifty years, bridging this gap was quite challenging.

He had hoped to stay in this position and, in the future, possibly succeed Liu Xuanfeng and become the chairman of the martial association. But now...

Prince Su Mai, a prominent figure in the Guardian Hall responsible for overseeing the martial arts community, had personally spoken. With that, he could no longer remain in this position no matter what.

Liu Xuanfeng nodded. "That's for the best."

He glanced at Lu Changkong. Lu Changkong had been a victim of his own misjudgement. If he hadn't pushed Lin Yuzhi into position, and if Lin Yuzhi hadn't caused such severe problems in Jiang Province, he wouldn't have ended up in a situation where even his position as chairman was jeopardized.

But now that Lin Yuzhi was dead, there was no point in attacking him posthumously. At most, he could target Lin Yuzhi's protégé, Lin Yuchi, to exact some measure of revenge.

"Someone must assume Changkong's responsibilities," Liuxuan Feng said, glancing at Zhuo Chengyu. "Right now, the most important thing is to return to Jiang Province as soon as possible and invite Grandmaster Li to the capital city.

"Once he joins our Taibai team, we will depart for the Tianyuan Dynasty to compete in the World's Top Martial Competition. Therefore, Executive Zhuo, you will take over Chairman Lu's duties and ensure this task is completed promptly. Is that clear?"

Despite already anticipating it to some extent, Zhuo Chengyu could not hide his surprise when Liuxuan Feng personally promised him the role of martial association deputy chairman, taking over from Lu Changkong.

Struggling to contain his excitement, he responded earnestly, "Rest assured, Chairman. I will personally travel to Jiang Province, work with the current chairman, Lian Hongchen, and do everything possible to invite Grandmaster Li to the capital city."

Liuxuan Feng nodded slightly. After a moment, he added, "I'll come with you."

Lu Changkong, Zhuo Chengyu, and Ding Aojun were all taken aback. "Chairman!?"

Though Liuxuan Feng might appear to lack authority due to Prince Su Mai's reprimands, in reality, he had surpassed the ten-levels official hierarchy system and entered the ranks of Taibai's administrative officials. This placed him among the nation's top leaders.

His departure from the capital would have a significant impact on any region he visited. Typically, this would require advance notice to local authorities to clear the streets, manage traffic, and prepare for his arrival. Yet, for the sake of Li Pin, he was willing to go personally....

"Go in secret and avoid making a fuss," Liu Xuanfeng said. "The Tianyuan Society's intelligence capabilities and authority rank among the top in the Tianyuan Federation. Their high regard for Li Pin, coupled with his outstanding evaluation and the fact that he is only twenty-three this year...

"With such potential, if he continues to grow, he could not only dominate national competitions but also make several editions of the World's Top Martial Competition his personal stage. This will bring Taibai tremendous fame and prestige, and the ensuing intangible benefits are beyond description."

His expression revealed how important he viewed this matter. "Therefore, he is worth our visit."

His words also led Lu Changkong, Zhuo Chengyu, and the others into deep thought. Among them, Lu Changkong could only let out a bitter smile inwardly.

He too recognized Li Pin's boundless future potential and had specifically arranged for Lu Fengyun to take over the deputy chairman position of the Jiang Province Martial Society Chi Xingyu left vacant. This was to ensure that when he returned to Jiang Province, he could smoothly assume leadership of the martial society and establish a strong relationship with Li Pin.

However, what he failed to anticipate was...

He expected Li Pin's rise to fame would be in three years, but Lian Hongchen had executed a brilliant maneuver, using an underhanded tactic to secure Li Pin a special channel for registering in the World's Top Martial Competition even before the Jiang Province Martial Competition had concluded.

It wasn't just about registering for the competition. The key was that Li Pin's application was successfully approved and received very high praise from the Tianyuan Society.

Spirit Force at twenty-three years old! It was as if... Li Pin had hacked the system.

If such a prodigy did not suffer a premature death, his future achievements would undoubtedly far surpass those of Lu Changkong as a Martial Saint.

If the Dragon Gate Hall continued to award future champions of the World's Top Martial Competition the title of Dragon Prince, the likelihood of these champions becoming Astral Cultivators would far exceed that of other Martial Saints.

Once they became Astral Cultivators, even at the same rank, their influence would surpass that of the martial association's Chairman, Liu Xuanfeng.

Liu Xuanfeng's personal visit... It was indeed a prudent consideration for the future.

In contrast, Lin Yuzhi deserved his fate for his decision to suppress such a rare genius.

Even if Lin Yuzhi had not fought Li Pin directly or died at his hands, the wrath from the higher-ups once Li Pin received the World's Top Martial Competition invitation would still lead to his ultimate downfall.

At this moment, Liu Xuanfeng seemingly remembered something and said to the driver, "Xiaoluo, go to my home and bring me the three pieces of astral equipment crafted from Thousand-Years Violet Bamboo, Merit Stone, and Tempered Steel."

"The three astral equipment!?"

Liu Xuanfeng's driver was the child of his late senior brother. He was someone whom Liu Xuanfeng trusted deeply, even treating him as his own son. Therefore, he understood the significance of these three pieces of equipment very well.

"These astral equipment are high-grade astral equipment..."

"I know. Go," Liu Xuanfeng replied.

Zhuo Chengyu was slightly stunned upon hearing this.

A meeting gift!

Now that even Chairman Liu was planning to present Li Pin with a meeting gift, how could Zhuo Chengyu, having owed his position as the deputy chairman entirely to Li Pin's efforts, not express his gratitude?

Moreover, even without Li Pin's direct support in his promotion, the investment in Li Pin's future potential alone justified a substantial reward.

I remember Lian Hongchen mentioned that Li Pin plans to practice a sword technique to deal with ferocious beasts... He chose the highly renowned Infinite Sword Technique, known for its speed, sharpness, and countless variations. But of all the materials available, his sword is forged from the Eight Desolate Stone...

Zhuo Chengyu thought.

Swords forged from the Eight Desolate Stone were typically heavy. Compared to lighter swords, which emphasized nimble sword techniques, the heavier swords were ideal for dealing with tough-skinned ferocious beasts. However, a lighter sword would conserve the user's stamina and allow for sustained bursts of power.

Last year, Zhuo Chengyu forged a new astral equipment from Lingfeng Crystal. It weighed twenty jin, or ten kilograms, but felt remarkably light in practice due to the Lingfeng Crystal's inherent lightness. Despite its weight, it could deliver heavy blows while placing less strain on the users compared to swords that weigh a few jin.

With this in mind, he made a decision.

***

Liu Xuanfeng and Zhuo Chengyu acted swiftly. By the next day, they had already set off for Jiang Province.

Apart from Lian Hongchen and a handful of high-ranking officials within the martial society, they hadn't informed anyone locally.

***

At the time when the prominent figures from the capital city, Liu Xuanfeng and Zhuo Chengyu arrived with lavish gifts, Li Pin was at the Astral Hall.

"Grandmaster Li, are you really resigning from your position as an instructor at the Astral Hall?"

The one speaking to Li Pin was not Zhou Xiuyuan, but the vice hall master in charge of the personnel department, Su Yongsheng.

With Xiang Tianxing, the Warden of the Guardian Hall, also doubling as the Hall Master, Su Yongsheng, being a member of the royal family's side branch, effectively held the highest authority in the Astral Hall.

"Three days ago, we held a hall meeting and decided to offer you a permanent position in the Astral Hall. We would like to appoint you directly to the position of senior instructor. If you have any additional requests, please don't hesitate to let us know. We will do our best to accommodate them," Su Yongsheng offered sincerely.

Senior instructors were entitled to use astral equipment three times a month and enjoyed a salary, benefits, and perks comparable to those of level-three, or even level-two officials.

Zhou Xiuyuan, standing nearby, also urged, "Grandmaster Li, your combat training course is currently one of the most popular at the Astral Hall. Every time the registration opens, it fills up within a minute. Everyone has great trust and anticipation for your teaching."

"Thank you for your kindness, but as you may have heard, I've signed up for the World's Top Martial Competition. For the next month or two, I need to focus entirely on preparing for it, and I simply won't have time to teach."

Su Yongsheng laughed. "

Hahaha

, that's easy. We understand that you are competing for the honor of both Jiang Province and the entire Taibai Kingdom. For the next month or two, feel free to focus on your preparation. Rest assured, the Astral Hall will not bother you about your teaching duties."

"My teaching methods are actually quite simple," Li Pin remarked honestly.

"But among all the instructors in the Astral Hall, you are the only one who have been able to pull off these methods effectively," Su Yongsheng responded earnestly. "We sincerely hope you will continue to serve at the Astral Hall."

Li Pin pondered for a moment but did not give a definite answer. "Let's wait until the World's Top Martial Competition is over. I will inform you of my decision by then, Hall Master Su."

The Astral Hall's students were indeed quite impressive. With hardly any opponents left in Jiang Province, these students were the only ones he could engage in real combat with.

Of course, this was before he manifested his Martial Will and became a Martial Saint. If he could reach the Martial Saint realm after the competition, these students would no longer be a match for him.

Therefore, whether or not he stayed at the Astral Hall would depend on his progress after the competition.