Chapter 37: Trying One’s Luck

Chapter 37: Chapter 37: Trying One’s Luck

Li Ye was always a man of action. He immediately learned a Forbidden Technique called the "Vein-cutting Hand" from Xu Chuan and used it on Murong Kaixin.

The way the Vein-cutting Hand was used was similar to the Life and Death Talisman from *Eight Heavenly Dragons*, but its effect was completely different.

The "Life and Death Talisman" would make one wish for death, while the "Vein-cutting Hand" only sealed the target’s Inner Strength.

Of course, the process of applying the technique was somewhat painful. Trying to break it through brute force would result in even greater suffering, with no guarantee of success.

This was because an outsider would have no idea which meridian point was used to sever the connection, nor what method was used to do so.

Normally, the Vein-cutting Hand could only be undone by someone who had mastered the art.

For those who cultivated Inner Strength, this was a rather vicious martial art.

When Li Ye applied the Vein-cutting Hand to Murong Kaixin, although Murong was unconscious, he still trembled involuntarily a few times before sinking into an even deeper state of unconsciousness.

This scene once again left the onlookers deeply shaken.

...

Letting Wang Zhenghui drag the Grandmaster away to be strung up for public display, Li Ye led the others back to the reception hall to continue their discussion about the league.

Might is right.

After Li Ye single-handedly took down Murong Kaixin, things suddenly started going much more smoothly.

Neither the Qingcheng Sect, the Celestial Dao Alliance, nor the Red Flame Sect had any more objections to the league. They even agreed to cooperate with Li Ye on a joint publicity campaign.

The Prefect of Weining City, Wei Mingze, even took it upon himself to agree to promote football betting. This action might infuriate the Emperor of Chu Country, but Wei Mingze couldn’t worry about that anymore.

If he didn’t do something for the Great Chu Country soon, he was afraid Chu Country would truly be finished.

Losing one Grandmaster but gaining the favor of a roguish Immortal who had fallen to earth could only be beneficial for Chu Country, not detrimental...

...

Considering that the Profound Light Sect needed to rest and the audience needed something new, the next match was scheduled: the Fun Seekers’ home game against the Qingcheng Sect. It was set for eight days later, giving the Qingcheng Sect ample time to prepare and travel.

As for the Celestial Dao Alliance and the Red Flame Sect, the two representatives present couldn’t make the final decision, so a team and date couldn’t be arranged for them yet.

Given Li Ye’s ruthlessness, Xu Chuan of the Red Flame Sect and Shen Tuhong of the Celestial Dao Alliance truthfully informed Li Ye that they had already sent people back to their Sects to report, advising him to prepare for any fallout.

Both of them felt a pang of regret. ’If we’d known Li Ye would take down Murong Kaixin so quickly, we should have waited for him to return before sending a report back to the Sect. That would have been the safer play...’

"Lord Li, my disciple is a bit reckless. It would be bad if he made some mistake. I’m faster, so if I head back now, I might be able to catch up to him." After thinking it over, Xu Chuan decided he should return personally. He stood up to take his leave from Li Ye.

"Lord Li, the Celestial Dao Alliance is complicated, full of different factions. To ensure the league proceeds smoothly, I should also personally go back to explain the situation. I can also start putting the team together ahead of time." Shen Tuhong couldn’t sit still either and stood up. "When we return, we can start playing our matches properly."

Li Ye glanced at them and nodded. "Fine. You can go back. Finalize your teams early, and you can also coordinate with Prefect Wei on the advance publicity."

’The best strategy attacks the enemy’s plans; the next, their alliances; the next, their army; and the worst, their cities... Fighting Grandmasters is still a bit too dangerous for me at my current level. If I were to truly make enemies of them, I would have to wait until I am strong enough to crush them completely. After all, with the precedent set by Murong Kaixin, the next time a Grandmaster comes, it probably won’t be just one. They’ve been building their power for so many years; who could withstand it if they came at me as a group? The art of war has always taught that you surround the enemy when you outnumber them ten to one. Defeating the strong as the weak, or the many as the few—that’s what you do only when you have no other choice...’

So, Li Ye didn’t like fighting opponents above his level at all. He much preferred crushing his enemies from a position of absolute superiority.

’Besides,’ he thought, ’I’m just a passerby. Why would I go looking for trouble and make so many enemies? Crippling one Murong Kaixin was a sufficient deterrent. There’s absolutely no need to fight every single Grandmaster in this world. Isn’t working together a much better option?’

Xu Chuan and Shen Tuhong seemed surprised that Li Ye was so easygoing. After a moment of shock, they both bid him farewell and left as if on wings.

...

"Lord Li, when is our next match?"

Although the Profound Light Sect had lost their match, the game had been exciting enough that Gongsun Jie’s Demon Qi had also increased significantly. Having tasted the benefits, he wished there could be a match every day.

"Don’t be impatient. Once the league is truly up and running, you’ll have plenty of games to play." Li Ye smiled. "Sect Leader Gongsun, what you should be doing now is returning to the Profound Light Sect and building a football field modeled after the one at Sirius Valley.

Otherwise, where will you play your away games?

Where will the audience sit?

Spiritual Power cultivation requires influence. Without an audience, what’s the point of playing?

Also, you need to form your own publicity department. Just having matches without promotion won’t work. You can’t always count on your opponents to do your publicity for you, can you?

A football player’s fame depends not only on their skills on the field but also on post-game publicity. If the audience doesn’t even know who you are, how can they possibly admire you?"

Gongsun Jie had a sudden realization. He quickly stood up and bowed deeply to Li Ye. "Thank you for your guidance, Lord Li. I’ll go back and start preparing right away."

"Not so fast. First, go consult with Tong Yi on how to handle publicity. Otherwise, with your current mindset, all your work will be for nothing." Li Ye glanced at him and shook his head. "If we’re going to do this, we do it right. We need to establish Lord Li’s dao lineage as soon as possible. A mature system benefits everyone."

"Yes." Gongsun Jie bowed to Li Ye again, his demeanor utterly respectful.

When it came to Spiritual Power cultivation, he was a complete novice, so he naturally took whatever Li Ye said as gospel.

But this time, he didn’t leave. Instead, he looked at Li Ye as if he had made a great decision. Cupping his fist, he said, "Lord Li, you have guided me through the gates of Spiritual Power cultivation, making you like a second parent to this old man. If you do not find me too dull-witted, this disciple wishes to take you as my master and serve you faithfully."

Take him as a master?

Everyone in the reception hall turned to look at Gongsun Jie in unison.

Shi Xiang’s eyes were filled with fury. ’You old coot! We haven’t even become his disciples yet. What right do you have, you old fossil?’

Wenren Chuan secretly shook his head. ’What an idiot. Unbelievably foolish. That whole Star Thief story is clearly just a bluff. It’s one thing to learn about Spiritual Power from him, but to take him as a master? Do you really expect him to help you achieve Ascension? Even if he did take you up there, do you have any idea what the environment is like? You must have a death wish!’

’Does a football club’s Team Emblem have master-disciple Attributes? A football club has a coach, and a coach is basically a teacher, right? But a coach from one club wouldn’t teach players from another club. If they’re going to teach anyone, it should be their own players...’

Gongsun Jie’s words gave Li Ye an idea. Having just awakened a Derived Skill, his confidence had surged. He planned to press his advantage and keep creating more. In theory, a demon’s Derived Skills had no upper limit...

Li Ye shook his head. "Gongsun Jie, Spiritual Power cultivation is a battle for fame, faith, and influence. Even if you take me as your master, there’s not much I can teach you."

"This disciple isn’t asking for my teacher to teach me anything, only for the title." Gongsun Jie was exceptionally devout. "Otherwise, when I cultivate Spiritual Power, I will always feel unworthy. I beg my teacher to grant this disciple’s wish."

’He’s really persistent!’ Li Ye pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled. The Demon Hunting Bureau had a definition for demons: anything abnormal is a demon. ’The appearance of a Derived Skill like ’Beat Up My Teammate’ is pretty abnormal. And no one ever made a rule that a club’s coach can’t take a player from another club as a disciple. You have to be bold enough to try anything. Who knows, there might be a pleasant surprise! You have to take a swing, whether there’s fruit on the tree or not!’

Li Ye looked at Gongsun Jie, took a deep breath, and said, "Since you’re willing to become my disciple, I’ll accept you. A master-disciple showdown on the football field could be a good gimmick. But you must remember one thing: on the field, there are no fathers and sons. I won’t go easy on you."

"Thank you for accepting me, Master." Gongsun Jie was overjoyed. With a THUD, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Li Ye several times. "Today was too rushed. In a few days, this disciple will present you with a proper apprenticeship gift."

After accepting Gongsun Jie as his disciple, the Team Emblem showed no reaction, not even a feedback of Demon Qi. But Li Ye wasn’t one to take a loss. He sighed and shook his head. "There’s no need for an apprenticeship gift. If you’re sincere, bring your Profound Light Sect’s Secret Manual for your master to look at. It might help with my injuries. Once your master recovers his Magical Power, I’ll take you on a trip to the Galactic Federation. I won’t let you get the short end of the stick."

"Yes, Master. This disciple will write out the *Profound Light Heart Method* for you later," Gongsun Jie excitedly agreed. ’The thick-skinned get to eat their fill.’ He couldn’t care less what others thought. As long as it could help him achieve Ascension, what was a bit of kowtowing and calling someone "Master"?

’With this status, I’ll definitely be able to gain more benefits than others.’