Chapter Ninety-Five: So It Turns Out I’m Already This Incredible

As the clock edged toward five in the afternoon, Li Yunfei took out his phone, opened the navigation app, and pinpointed the direction of the Yellow Fox Grave. He was just about to summon his flying sword and soar directly there. With only a little over twenty kilometers of straight distance, sword-riding would get him there in two or three minutes, consuming at most a tenth of his cultivation—nothing that would affect the coming battle.

But just as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, it suddenly rang with an incoming call. Li Yunfei, surprised, took it out again. The number was unfamiliar, but the area code was from Yuzhou.

He answered, greeting, "Hello."

A voice, slightly agitated, came through the receiver—not the excitement of joy nor the agitation of anger, but a mixture of both, tinged with a hint of annoyance. The emotion was complex.

"Kid, finally managed to reach you," the caller said.

Li Yunfei asked, puzzled, "Who are you?"

"It's me, Liu Bin, member stationed at East Yuzhou for Purple Firmament. Do you remember?"

Realization dawned on Li Yunfei, and a smile tugged at his lips. It had been a day since Du Lingyue reported the news, which should now have reached Liu Bin. He adopted a tone of long-lost familiarity, "Brother Bin! Ha, it’s been a while. How have you been?"

Liu Bin chuckled wryly. "You rascal, still playing dumb? Give me a straight answer—are you willing to join Purple Firmament or not?"

Li Yunfei sighed, helpless. "Brother Bin, honestly, if it had been before, as long as the country needed me, I, Li Yunfei, would return at the call, without hesitation."

"But things are different now. I have my own path to walk—a path unlike any other. Joining Purple Firmament would only restrict my growth."

"My priority now is to improve my strength. When the time comes, I’ll be more than willing to serve the nation, without you needing to ask."

Liu Bin was stunned, mulling over Li Yunfei’s words before asking, "So, what you’re saying is you’re willing to serve the country, but now you want to focus solely on cultivation, not be bound by an organization. Is that right?"

Li Yunfei replied, "Exactly."

Liu Bin pressed, "But you must understand, our nation has countless martial and cultivation traditions. No matter what path you follow, it won’t stray from the Three Thousand Ways."

"In the pursuit of cultivation, wealth, companions, methods, and land are all indispensable. Having the nation behind you would only greatly benefit your cultivation, never hinder it."

"Besides, if your situation is truly unique, the country can grant you a certain degree of freedom. Even if there are assignments, they won’t interfere with your cultivation."

Liu Bin’s words gave Li Yunfei pause.

Previously, he’d chosen to avoid Purple Firmament, fearing that joining would mean centralized management and uniform arrangements. Even though he had inheritance and didn’t need to attend the academy, various tasks would still tie him down.

If he had to follow the same step-by-step cultivation as everyone else, his advantage would be lost.

But if there was real freedom, joining Purple Firmament wouldn’t be a problem.

He hesitated, "Brother Bin, can I truly maintain a degree of freedom?"

Liu Bin didn’t give a direct answer. Granting special privileges required one to possess value the nation deemed worthy.

Take those among the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches—they faced almost no restrictions. As the nation’s highest combat force, as long as they gave their all when needed, the state never interfered with their daily cultivation or life.

So Liu Bin countered, "Can I ask, what path are you cultivating?"

Li Yunfei thought for a moment. "It’s hard to say right now, but you can rest assured—it’s definitely not anything crooked or evil."

"My main technique is ‘Supreme Purity Great Cavern Imperial Formula.’ The Qingcheng Sect is also a Daoist school, Brother Bin, as a disciple, you should be familiar with it."

Liu Bin relaxed at that. "Yes, Supreme Purity is Maoshan Sect’s signature technique, I know it well. What realm are you at now?"

Li Yunfei answered, "My cultivation is at the Yin Spirit realm, but my situation is special—my actual combat ability is far above others of the same level."

Liu Bin’s breath caught, his voice shifting, "Did you say Yin Spirit realm?"

Li Yunfei replied, "Yes, Yin Spirit. What, is that too low for the country to grant privileges?"

Liu Bin’s voice turned flat, devoid of emotion. "Heh, Yin Spirit, too low, I’m lower than you... you fool."

His uncle, He Ming, was a prodigy, first-class aptitude, studied Daoist breathing from childhood, practiced qigong for over thirty years. Though he lacked spiritual energy and achieved only health benefits, his foundation was solid.

After the resurgence of spiritual energy, he cultivated Qingcheng’s highest technique, ‘Return of Heaven and Earth Formula,’ and, with unlimited national resources and two years of arduous cultivation, only managed to reach the Yin Spirit realm.

Though it was late-stage Yin Spirit, his conditions and environment were exceptional to achieve such results.

But Li Yunfei? If memory served, he was only twenty-three.

Yin Spirit realm, and he thought it was too low?

Was he ignorant or just being modest?

Li Yunfei, puzzled by Liu Bin’s tone, asked, "What do you mean?"

Liu Bin sighed, "Do you know how many practitioners nationwide, across all Zhengyi and Quanzhen Daoist sects, have surpassed the Spiritual Movement realm?"

Before Li Yunfei could ask, Liu Bin answered himself, "Fewer than five hundred. Among them, only forty-something are at the Yin Spirit realm, and just three at the Golden Elixir stage. Above Golden Elixir, not a single one. The Enlightenment stage is already the backbone."

Li Yunfei was speechless for a long moment.

Did that mean his strength already surpassed the tens of millions in the country? If he counted the world, then the billions?

Good heavens, was he already this formidable?

He ventured, "So, if I join Purple Firmament and request to cultivate alone, reporting when needed, Purple Star should agree?"

Liu Bin answered decisively, "If you’re not exaggerating, and you truly possess Yin Spirit cultivation—even if you don’t, but have Yin Spirit-level combat power—I can say for certain, absolutely no problem."

Li Yunfei relaxed, pleased. "Rest assured, I truly am at the Yin Spirit realm—mid-stage, in fact."

He was currently level forty-one, his cultivation at early Yin Spirit. But he was about to clear the Yellow Fox instance, and after that, reaching mid-stage was a certainty.

Liu Bin perked up, delighted, "So, you’re willing to join Purple Firmament?"

Li Yunfei replied, "Yes, I agree."

Liu Bin pressed eagerly, "When will you have time? With your strength, we don’t have the authority to assign you. You’ll definitely need to meet Purple Star."

Recruiting a top combatant for Purple Firmament would not only bolster its power, but earn him a great deal of merit—a considerable benefit.

To be safe, he’d better ask his uncle to make the trip.