Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 105: Assume Office

Chapter 105: Assume Office

"Qin Rouran?" muttered Li Pin.

Li Pin held no biases against Qin Rouran. From their brief interaction, she came across as someone who wore her heart on her sleeve. However, this was perfectly normal for her age. He also found her quite introverted, as she often sat quietly in a corner and played on her phone.

Her personality contrasted sharply with Li Yunyao's extroverted nature, making it difficult for them to get along. On the other hand, she got along very well with the gentle and patient Li Yunyan.

However, this wasn't the core issue. The real issue lay in the dynamic of tolerance. For instance, Li Yunyao and Lin Xiaolu had a good relationship because Lin Xiaolu could tolerate Li Yunyao's personality, while Qin Rouran could not.

This was not about who was right or wrong. It was about differing perspectives shaped by their different backgrounds and education.

"Brother..." Li Yunyao asked tentatively, "am I really that noisy?"

"Not at all! You're just cheerful and adorable."

"Really?" Li Yunyao's eyes sparkled. "Brother, you won't kick me out, will you?"

"Of course not! Yaoyao, you're very cute." Li Pin reached out and ruffled her soft hair, smiling. "I really like how you are."

Li Yunyao couldn't help but hug him tightly, looking up at him with a smile.

"Brother, you're so nice to me."

"If you're not happy living there, you can always come back. There will always be a room for you here," Li Pin said with a smile.

***

Moving on, Li Pin provided personalized guidance to Li Yunyao and Lin Xiaolu in their martial arts training. Both had already manifested their Force and become true martial artists, though they had yet to take their certification exams.

Achieving such feats in less than half a year without the aid of astral equipment filled them with confidence. Additionally, with Li Pin's "data" visualization method, they could clearly track their progress, further boosting their motivation to cultivate.

***

The Guardians Hall was the highest authority in every city. In times of true danger, not only did the government departments have to serve the Guardians Hall, but even the local councils had to do so.

Li Pin took a ride in Lian Hongchen's car and arrived at a residential area next to the Guardians Hall. He headed to a central building that resembled a small sports stadium.

Lian Hongchen met with Zhou Xiuyuan, the head of the Astral Hall, exchanged a few words, and then took his leave.

Zhou Xiuyuan turned to Li Pin and said, "Grandmaster Li, we have heard a lot about you recently. Your achievement of defeating Qiu Chufeng at the Aura Cultivation realm is truly remarkable. It's hard to believe that you're only twenty-two years old. I have been eagerly anticipating your upcoming classes and hope that, after the one-month trial period, you will choose to stay at the Astral Hall."

Li Pin nodded slightly. "I'll do my best."

Applying to teach at the Astral Hall as an Aura Cultivation Grandmaster with a clean background might require some personal connections, but it was not particularly difficult.

The real challenge lies in whether the Astral Hall would choose to hire and retain them.

Zhou Xiuyuan had a small booklet in his hand. He flipped to the second page before handing the booklet to Li Pin, saying, "During this month, you can choose to reside at the Astral Hall or at your own place. Additionally, this booklet outlines the responsibilities and obligations required of every teaching master."

He continued, "The Astral Hall gathers all early-stage Astral Cultivators from the region. While they are still weak now, they have the potential to contribute to various fields in the future, becoming the foundation of our kingdom. Therefore, the Astral Hall has strict policies regarding their safety..."

Glancing at the booklet, Li Pin found that the second page prominently featured three key rules in bold font:

Do not inquire about the identity of Astral Cultivator students.

Do not disclose information about Astral Cultivator students.

Do not interfere with the growth of Astral Cultivator students.

These conditions were somewhat stringent. However, Li Pin was not here to act as a lord but to leverage these students' abilities to help him grasp the essence of Spirit Force.

After all, he had even been willing to offer help to Qiu Chufeng despite their differences, hoping that the life-or-death crisis could push him to recover to his peak state. So, as long as these Astral Cultivators performed better than Qiu Chufeng, there would be room for discussion.

"Of course, I understand your situation. If you find the students to be unruly and difficult to manage, you can simply ignore them," Zhou Xiuyuan said with a smile. "Think of it as a high-end private school where the students have paid a lot to attend."

"I understand," Li Pin replied. "How many teachers and students are there at the Astral Hall?"

"There are thirty-four teachers, and you will be the thirty-fifth. There are over three hundred students, though I'm not sure of the exact number because some students hire private tutors and may only attend once. Additionally, the Astral Hall offers various astral equipment to assist with cultivation. The most valuable set includes three items: the Platinum Essence, Mind Gem, and Sky Pearl, all refined with top-grade Astral Crystals!"

Zhou Xiuyuan smiled and added, "These are priceless treasures within the Astral Hall! After completing your one-month teaching period, you'll receive an hour of usage as a benefit. At that time, you'll experience firsthand what it means to enjoy top-notch treatment."

Li Pin was surprised. "Top-Grade Astral Crystals!? These are premier astral equipment!?"

Zhou Xiuyuan nodded slightly. "Indeed."

"Items used by Top-Tier Astral Cultivators..." Li Pin muttered, intrigued.

As long as you had enough money, genuine, or even high-grade, astral equipment could be purchased on the market. However, if you wanted to purchase top-tier astral equipment, it wouldn't simply be a matter of wealth anymore. Each piece of top-tier astral equipment was considered a national strategic resource.

"During this period, if you successfully guide any student to manifest their Force, you will earn an hour of usage as a reward," said Zhou Xiuyuan. He paused for a moment then pointed out, "But it's not an easy task."

Glancing toward a nine-storey tower-like attic, he added, "For ordinary martial artists, having this set of astral equipment for cultivation would accelerate their progress immensely. This progress would not be limited to manifesting their Force only, but it would also extend to achieving Core Formation.

"However, for Astral Cultivators, their qi and blood qualities are so extraordinary that the difficulty of manifesting their Force is much higher than that of ordinary people. Even with two to three hours of astral equipment usage per month and guidance from a master, it still takes a student five years on average to manifest their Force and graduate."

Li Pin listened but was not particularly moved by the comment.

He had heard about astral equipment aiding cultivation. It was said that talented individuals in the capital city achieved impressive progress thanks to such treasures, so much so that Aura Cultivation experts who were in their thirties or even twenties were a common sight.

Nevertheless, he had yet to experience it himself. He was also unsure whether relying on astral equipment for his cultivation might create dependency or even be detrimental to his martial arts path, so he wasn't particularly envious of it.

While introducing the place, Zhou Xiuyuan led Li Pin to the administrative office.

"The Sixth Education Building is available in the afternoon, so that will be your teaching location. You can choose the specific day and time."

Zhou Xiuyuan paused and then added, "Unlike traditional schools, the Astral Hall operates differently. Students choose their teachers rather than the other way around. So, it would be best if you wrote down what you want to teach and your areas of expertise. We will help you post this information on the students' phones. If they are interested, they will come to learn from you."

"That sounds great," Li Pin said sincerely.

I can choose what I want to teach? Then what are we waiting for?

Li Pin considered this carefully and said solemnly, "In my opinion, the best teacher is real combat. Whether it's martial artists or Astral Cultivators, the fastest way to control qi and blood and manifest Force is through real combat experience. Reading countless books can't compare to traveling a thousand miles. Therefore, my teaching will focus on practical combat, scheduled from two to five in the afternoon."

"Actual combat?" Zhou Xiuyuan was taken aback. "Grandmaster Li, I should remind you that while the students at the Astral Hall are still learners and not official Astral Cultivators, their physical strength is on average above forty points. There are even some who have reached fifty, sixty, or even seventy."

Beyond this range, they would have manifested their Force and would no longer be able to control it.

Li Pin nodded.

Everyone was different, and not everyone had the same limits. Wang Liancheng could push his limits to an impressive forty-nine, while most others, even those with exceptional talent, would find forty-five to be a significant achievement. This was especially true for women, whose bone and muscle strength generally capped out just above forty.

"I understand," Li Pin replied. "A qi and blood level of sixty or seventy is not a major issue for me."

Zhou Xiuyuan did not press the matter further. As a grandmaster, Li Pin had his own judgment.

Zhou Xiuyuan quickly recorded Li Pin's information and soon sent out the news.

"Given the reputation you've built at the Jiang Province Martial Competition, many students at the Astral Hall will likely be eager to study under you," Zhou Xiuyuan said with a smile. "I can't wait to see how it turns out."

He planned to accompany Li Pin, mainly to oversee the first class and prevent any accidents.

Next, Zhou Xiuyuan took Li Pin to the canteen within the Astral Hall for lunch. The Guardian Hall spared no expense in nurturing Astral Cultivators. Every dish in the canteen was generously infused with top-quality medicinal ingredients.

Li Pin estimated that the cost of this meal would be around three thousand yuan. Over the course of a day, that would amount to about ten thousand yuan per person. If all the students ate at the Astral Hall, the total cost would reach three million yuan. The expense was truly substantial.

After lunch, Zhou Xiuyuan briefed Li Pin on the key points to note at the Astral Hall. When it was almost time, they headed toward the Sixth Education Building.

Upon arriving, Li Pin was immediately drawn to a towering bronze statue about six meters high at the entrance.

Noticing Li Pin's interest, Zhou Xiuyuan smiled and said, "This statue represents one of the three Legendary Astral Cultivators of the Tianyuan Federation, Fu Qingtian.

"In his time, he wielded the invincible might of the King of the Century. He refined his qi into Spirit and meditated on the Astral God. He succeeded in his meditation in one day, manifested his Force in two days, and formed his Core in three days.

"Within the next six months, he made rapid progress to the pinnacle. To this day, he remains the strongest expert in the Tianyuan Federation."

As he spoke, Zhou Xiuyuan felt a deep sense of longing and admiration. "He is also the lifelong role model for all Martial Saints."