Li Yi smiled; everything he had planned was on the right track.
"What do you offer me for joining the First Martial Arts School?" Li Yi asked.
Grand Director Leng Lubai responded quickly:
"If you join, you would become our first Honorary Elder. You will have free access to all techniques in the Martial Techniques Pagoda, in addition to my direct guidance in cultivation at any time. I will even give you the Fifth-Level Treasure Token so you can control all resources, second only to me. What do you think?"
Li Yi was astonished. This cunning old man was truly giving his all to "hug his leg." Had it not been for the need to maintain control and prevent him from causing a disaster, the Director would likely have offered him his own position.
"Don't you think it's too much? What if, after consuming most of the resources, I simply left, leaving the foundation of the school collapsed?" Li Yi said, staring at him intently.
"I don't think so. You do not seem like someone who would simply take the benefits and run. Besides, when you grow, any dirt under your fingernails will be worth more than the entire foundation of this place."
Li Yi grimaced. He thought this guy was only saying that to please him, as in reality, he was gambling everything on his own future benefits.
"You know I have no connection or attachment to this place. As you said yourself, I have enormous potential and it is likely I will have to leave soon because you will have nothing more to offer me," Li Yi declared.
"I know, that is only natural. Even I will have to leave one day for a great city, handing the position down to some elder or vice-director. What I hope is that, during your growth, you support us and help us develop," Leng Lubai replied.
"What do you think the Great Families will think when they find out I have joined you?" Li Yi asked.
"Ha! They wouldn't dare do anything directly. They didn't mess with us even when I was alone. The schools do not intervene in the common affairs of the town; local businesses and resources belong to them. We focus on cultivating apprentices and enforcing the laws. Our profits come from battles, missions, and hunting incursions abroad. Although they may seem like irrelevant things, our strength is greater than that of the individual families. Of course, I speak of the two largest ones; the rest are insignificant, just like the other schools," Leng Lubai explained.
Li Yi reflected for a moment. By joining, he would become part of the largest force in the village and could walk with total freedom within it.
"Partner Leng Lubai, I imagine that in the library you have techniques to strengthen and improve a base already created, allowing one to level up and have better talent for cultivation."
The Director was confused for a second, but then he understood.
"You speak of improving your siblings' base, don't you? Yes, in the Pagoda, there are various techniques to raise the level of an already condensed base. Although they are difficult, with time, anyone can bring it to an excellent level."
Li Yi no longer had any doubts; Leng Lubai's offers were excellent and imposed no restrictions on him.
"I accept joining as the First Honorary Elder."
Upon hearing this, Leng Lubai showed a smile that spanned his entire face, as if he had made the best deal of his life.
"Then, I welcome the Grand Honorary Elder of our First Martial Arts School. Follow me so I can hand over what belongs to you."
He stood up and guided Li Yi. They quickly entered the palace until they reached the five thrones at the end of the hall; the second tallest one was next to the main one.
Leng Lubai made some strange gestures with his hands. Suddenly, the throne trembled, and from the top of the backrest emerged a token that emanated a slight golden color and seemed to overflow with spiritual energy.
The token fell into the Director's hand, who approached Li Yi and said:
"This is the token that belongs to the First Elder of the school. After refining it with your spiritual energy, it will allow you to control various functions. With it, you can activate the protection formation and enter all locked buildings. It also allows communication between tokens and can inform the entire school from long distances. It serves as identification and grants you the power to mobilize resources."
He continued explaining:
"I have mine as well; once you refine yours, you can contact me directly. Now, let me show you the most important parts of the place."
Leng Lubai took a few steps, and his token emitted a light that shot toward the center of the palace. After some mechanical noises, the floor opened, revealing a staircase.
As they descended, Li Yi observed a strange circular wooden plaque the size of a table. Resting upon it was a complex matrix with patterns that seemed to throb. Around the enormous plaque, mountains of low-level spiritual stones were piled.
With his special vision, Li Yi saw energy flowing from the stones into the matrix like a constant stream. Then, he noticed the object floating above the formation table; it was made of the same material as the token he had just received. He understood immediately that it controlled the formation.
Leng Lubai spoke:
"I brought you here first because this is the most important place. It is the school's protective formation. It cost an extremely high price, as it was created by a Fifth-Level Formation Master. It is called the 'Dawn Mist Formation,' and it is capable of resisting the siege of a mid-level King Realm cultivator for a long time. Thanks to it, we have maintained our status when the primary officials must be absent."
He added a crucial detail:
"This formation consumes one thousand spiritual stones per hour when activated, and much more if it is attacked, depending on the level of the aggressor. At rest, it only consumes ten stones a day. We keep fifty-five thousand stones here, which would allow us to resist for two days straight while reinforcements arrive."
Li Yi observed the vast amount of stones. For him, they were useless since he could absorb energy limitlessly, but for his siblings, that amount would be enough to raise their cultivation at least until entering the Martial Realm.
They left the area, the hidden door closed, and they abandoned the palace. They walked through various corridors until they reached another building.
"This is the pill refining and alchemy study building. Our school has a third-level alchemist, who is also a Warrior Realm cultivator," Leng Lubai explained.
Upon entering, they found about twenty students analyzing medicinal herbs. Seeing the Director, they all bowed quickly.
"Greetings, Grand Director Leng Lubai!"
When they raised their heads, they observed the youth accompanying him. Everyone knew he was the powerful cultivator who defeated most of the beasts on the battlefield—a being almost comparable to the Director. They looked at him with awe, despite the humbleness of his clothing.
Both continued walking, crossed the building, and reached a door on the other side. Sliding it open, they found themselves in a sort of private study.