The following day, Li Yi rose and quickly organized his things in his pouch. It only annoyed him that he had to constantly carry that spear-like object in his hands; it was too large, and he did not possess a storage bag like the ones he thought he had seen on those other cultivators.
He finished packing and left his cabin. He observed his younger siblings, who were still there since the others had gone to the town center. He greeted them and walked quickly toward the First Martial Arts School.
As he walked through the streets, he noticed people finishing repairs on their shops and beginning to bring out merchandise to sell. He passed quickly by the old man's shop to see how he was faring.
Upon arriving, he noticed the door was ajar. He knocked and entered, observing the old man, who was arranging shelves of medicinal herbs and other common products. The old man, noticing his entrance, turned and smiled, gesturing for him to come closer.
"I have heard that you achieved great feats on the battlefield, defeating a vast number of beasts and saving many cultivators. It is incredible how much you have suddenly grown. One could say that if it weren't for you, the vast majority of the ephemeral mundanes and the lower cultivators of the village would likely have perished," the old man said.
"I simply did what I had to do. We all live in this town and want to protect it. I am very glad that you are well and can continue living healthily and peacefully here," Li Yi replied.
"That is true, but you should not continue living in this place. You have enormous potential and talent; staying here would only restrict you. The best thing you can do is go to wider places that will allow you to develop," the old man stated with a smile.
"I will do everything I can to help the town and strive my hardest to grow," Li Yi nodded.
After exchanging a few words, Li Yi left the shop and continued on his way. He passed the houses of many cultivators and Great Families, who were celebrating and processing the large quantity of beast corpses left from the battle. Although many lives were lost, for the survivors it was a blessing: with those remains, they could obtain an enormous amount of resources.
He quickly arrived at the entrance of the school. There were several magnificent buildings of ancient architecture; enormous pagodas and palaces adorned the vast grounds. At the entrance stood two guards—cultivators who appeared to be at least in the middle stage of the Martial Realm. Li Yi couldn't help but think that although cultivators of that rank were the ones who died the most in battle, there were still two left to stand guard.
Upon seeing him approach, the two stopped him. They noticed that this youth did not possess a powerful aura and appeared to be only in the Base Forging Realm.
"Who are you? This is the First Martial Arts School, and outsiders are not permitted. Turn around and get lost!"
Li Yi was not surprised. Most likely, these two had not gone to the front lines and did not know him. Since his cultivation only appeared to be at the Base Forging level, they wouldn't let him in easily.
"I have been invited by one of the Great Cultivators here. It is best that you go and ask," Li Yi said calmly.
The two guards put on mocking faces, as if they had heard a joke.
"You? One of the Great Cultivators is going to invite someone with such low cultivation and bruised clothes?" one of them shouted.
Other cultivators who were healing inside the school heard the commotion and looked out. Although they couldn't see the faces clearly from a distance, they recognized the youth's figure. Their faces turned pale with terror, remembering the cultivator who had massacred beasts left and right on the battlefield.
They tried to step forward to stop the guards, but in an instant, an overwhelming aura spread from the inner palace. The guards, who were still laughing, felt a power that crushed them against the ground as if gravity had intensified dozens of times. They fell to their knees, nearly sinking into the earth.
In the sky above the school, a man appeared taking steps through the air. It was none other than the Grand Director himself, Leng Lubai. Landing at the entrance, he approached with a wide smile and greeted Li Yi with a firm handshake.
Li Yi, receiving the greeting, quickly mobilized his energy to match the pressure; he knew that if he were careless, the simple grip of this cultivator could shatter his bones. Director Leng Lubai noticed how Li Yi's strength suddenly surged to match his own. Despite the youth appearing to be in the Base Forging Realm, the Director did not know if he was hiding his true level or if his power was simply monstrous.
With a gesture, he invited Li Yi inside. The youth walked calmly past the guards who remained immobilized on the ground. Before following him, Director Leng looked at the two men coldly—he hadn't stopped crushing them with his mental power—and called for other subordinates to take them away to receive their punishment.