After Ya Ge, Bai Xingzhi, who fused with the Ninth Grade demon spirit Six-winged Illusion Python, was also fiercely sought after by numerous clubs.
In the end, the boy joined the "AK" club, which is a long-established S-class club—one of the top ten in the Alliance. Although it couldn't quite compare to a giant like Juxing, they showed sincerity and did not hesitate to welcome Bai Xingzhi as a member.
Not long after, a boy stood before the Demon-Revealing Mirror, and for a moment the crowd didn't recognize him.
"Ye Qiu!"
Only Lin Feng and a few others recognized him.
Maybe because the state of Thorny Demon Dragon possession was too dangerous, Ye Qiu had turned back into human form. Changing into clean clothes, his expression was cold, confident, and composed.
"Thorny Demon Dragon!"
"It's him!"
When the Demon-Revealing Mirror showed the silhouette of the Thorny Demon Dragon, the crowd exploded, screaming frenziedly, rushing forward—had it not been for the large number of police swiftly keeping order, chaos would surely have erupted.
"Ye Qiu, sixteen years old, senior at Jiang City First Middle School, Body Cultivator at Ninth Rank, refined the Earth Chart number 46 Thorny Demon Dragon…"
Although the fans were wild, after his information was recorded, compared to the mad scramble clubs had shown for Ya Ge and Bai Xingzhi, it seemed surprisingly calm—even somewhat quiet—when Ye Qiu's turn came.
Of course, no one believed this meant he was of little value; faced with such a peerless genius, even A-class clubs didn't dare speak lightly, fearing they would only embarrass themselves.
Only S-class and above clubs could participate in the competition—seven S-class clubs offered terms.
Among them was Juxing Club.
Zhang Ling's attitude toward Ye Qiu was warm and sincere, a stark change from her cold demeanor with Ya Ge.
But the highest offer came from a club called "Thunder," which put up a ten-year contract worth 3 billion New Coin—a 80-20 split.
Ye Qiu eighty, club twenty.
"Crazy, 3 billion New Coin, and an eighty-twenty split, this..."
Gao Hai was full of jealousy and envy—with 300 million a year just for signing, this was truly the peak of life!
"Honestly, 3 billion New Coin isn't a lot; Ye Qiu might not even accept it."
Lin Feng, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all.
Just the Thorny Demon Dragon Ye Qiu refined was worth more than 3 billion New Coin, not to mention a ten-year contract.
A ten-year contract is the maximum signing period allowed by the Glory Alliance, intended to protect Glory Players from being tied forever to one club by a single contract. Of course, after ten years, the original club has first renewal rights, and even if they don't want to renew, they're entitled to a hefty transfer fee.
In Lin Feng's view, compared to the 3 billion salary, the profit-split ratio was even more sincere.
One can imagine, when Ye Qiu truly matures in the future, the advertising revenue and commercial income he brings will likely be worth over 10 billion—a vast market.
Compared to Juxing, Thunder Club certainly had vision and guts.
The Glory Alliance, after 83 years of development, had become the world's greatest event and industry chain.
Just within Huaxia, the Glory Alliance registered over ten thousand clubs, ranked S, A, B, C, D; S is highest, D the lowest.
Thunder Club, with its long history, is an old S-class club. Though it cannot quite match giants like Juxing, it's also one of the Alliance's top ten clubs. Three years ago, it took fourth place in the Huaxia Glory battle. People of Jiang City are familiar with them, since their headquarters are right here in Jiang City.
They're the hometown club for Jiang City; naturally for locals, Thunder's popularity far outshines Juxing Club.
Everyone hoped Ye Qiu would join Thunder Club.
Thunder Club's director was an elderly man with white hair. To offer such terms, it was clear he'd researched Ye Qiu thoroughly.
At just fifteen, Body Cultivator at Ninth Rank, now just a step away from Martial Artist, his martial arts talent is excellent. With the fusion of the Earth Chart number 46 Thorny Demon Dragon, he's a soul martial genius—definitely worth the investment.
"You can take some time to consider. As long as you join Thunder, and reach Fifth Grade Martial Artist, the position of Main Combatant is yours."
Seeing Ye Qiu hesitate, the old man looked uncertain. He made a phone call, said a few words, then upped the offer.
When he said this, the onlookers drew a collective gasp.
To join the Thunder Team!
This was not just the reserve squad, but the main team.
Anyone who joins the main team receives full club support—a thousand-strong team to help develop your direction and chart the evolution of your demon spirit. That's something money alone can't buy.
Each member who makes the top ten of the Glory Team lands sponsorship deals starting at tens of millions of New Coin; so for real stars with strength and fame, money is just a number.
The terms Thunder offered were undeniably tempting—once stated, no other club dared follow up.
Even Juxing Club was the same.
Zhang Ling from Juxing Club originally wanted to fight for him; geniuses like Ye Qiu are once-in-a-lifetime, missing out is a lifetime regret.
You could say—ten Ya Ge's wouldn't compare with one Ye Qiu.
Just now, upon learning that such a genius as Ye Qiu had appeared in Jiang City, their headquarters had sent people en route—other clubs did the same. She'd just hung up the phone, ready to make a new offer, when Thunder's director's words left her stunned.
As a giant club, they have the depth to match.
Money is not a problem.
Juxing Club could offer the same, even higher than Thunder, and could let Ye Qiu join the Juxing Team. With Ye Qiu's talent, this wouldn't be an issue.
But they couldn't straightforwardly guarantee Main Combatant's position.
In her eyes, Thunder Club had clearly gone mad.
The Thorny Demon Dragon Ye Qiu refined is a demon spirit possessing tremendous offensive power. Plus, as a Dragon Type, it comes with innate Magic Series damage—if nothing unexpected happens, Ye Qiu's future career will likely be Combat Mage.
The Glory battle teams are arranged in groups of five.
If the Combat Mage is the Main Combatant, that person becomes the key soul of the team. Team lineup and tactics largely follow the Main Combatant's talent and skills—in other words, for Ye Qiu, Thunder Club, from this moment on, would start paving the way for his future entry into the Thunder Team.
Even if Ye Qiu's a long way off from Fifth Grade Martial Artist, for other signed Thunder players whose ultimate goal is making the main team, this would seem hugely unfair—even sparking strong backlash.
Each position in the main team is earned by strength; if a spot is predetermined, those who know they've lost their chance, or think they're not compatible with Ye Qiu, would have no reason to remain with the club.
So even if a spot were actually reserved, the club wouldn't announce it—such things are taboo, destabilizing the team and directly affecting performance.
To win Ye Qiu, Thunder Team was clearly making a desperate, all-in gamble.
This kind of resolve, Zhang Ling probably lacked, nor did she think Juxing Club had it, either.
Talent represents potential, not absolute fighting power—no one knows what the future will bring.
Yet, unexpectedly, even with such commitments, Ye Qiu didn't seem excited—though somewhat moved, he was still hesitating.
"I'll need to consider it. Thank you for your confidence."
In the end, Ye Qiu replied politely, declining to join any club and left under the protection of several teachers from First Middle School.
"Not accepting even these terms—he's got to be nuts."
"Yeah, joining Thunder Club means having a dedicated training plan, way better than cultivating alone."
"You don't get it—Ye Qiu is rumored to be the Ye Group's young heir; he clearly isn't short of cash. He's confident in himself, hoping for an even better contract later."
Ye Qiu's refusal surprised many, but others supported it, and even arguments broke out.
Such blissful worries clearly meant nothing to Lin Feng and the others; after watching the excitement, Lin Feng and his two friends returned to the area of Jiangxin Middle School.
On the way, Gao Hai kept expressing envy and jealousy for Ye Qiu, confused at his decision not to join Thunder, then congratulated Ya Ge, sighing: "Ya Ge, besides going to class now, you'll have to train at Juxing Club, so we'll have less time to hang out together."
"It probably won't be like that."
Ya Ge was unusually quiet along the way. Although she'd refined the Eighth Grade Enchanting Butterfly, she seemed not as happy as they'd imagined—only replying softly now and then, mostly keeping her head low, lost in thought.
Gao Hai clearly sensed the issue between Lin Feng and Ya Ge, so he gradually spoke less.
Back in the school's area, Ya Ge enjoyed the admiring attention of the crowd.
At Jiangxin Middle School, Ya Ge was one of the top three campus beauties, with plenty of secret admirers. Normally they would openly show their love for her, but now, they merely stole glances in secret.
By fusing the Eighth Grade Enchanting Butterfly, Ya Ge's future had soared beyond what others could hope for—in three months, she'd make the Nine Elite Joint Schools, maybe even the Hero Academy, entering a whole different world from them.
"Yes, Eighth Grade Enchanting Butterfly—make sure you work hard."
Jiangxin Vice Principal was a middle-aged fat man. He looked Ya Ge over, then encouraged her.
For a key middle school, demon spirit masters are precious assets, but only those who've refined Advanced demon spirits are worth special training. Today, there were about 100,000 Awakening Day participants, but those who managed Eighth Grade or higher numbered less than sixty—Ya Ge landing a spot, with such talent, merited special support.
And Enchanting Butterfly was rare—its Spirit Series qualities made it even more valuable than a Flying Demon Spirit.
If she worked hard, Ya Ge should reach one of the Three Heroic Academies, ticking off another quota for the school and adding a new bright spot to his résumé.
"Thank you, Principal Wang. I'll do my best," Ya Ge said gratefully.
For a normal student like her, she'd rarely see the Vice Principal, let alone receive encouragement—but she behaved calmly, not getting visibly excited.
Ya Ge knew that from today, her status would undergo a radical change—a promising future awaited her.
Her only regret...
At that thought, Ya Ge glanced at Lin Feng, her gaze carrying something complicated.
Lin Feng, black hair and eyes, handsome features, dignified, though his expression looked a bit cold, there was still a sharpness about him. While his martial talent didn't make him a genius, he was still outstanding.
In senior year, his combat power ranked in the top two hundred, academic results in the top five hundred—a feat for a poor student with neither family nor financial backing.
Hardworking, good-looking.
No question, he was a boy whom girls liked.
Just within the school, Ya Ge knew many girls fancied him, had even written him love letters.
But they didn't know Lin Feng's secret.
Only she knew that secret.
Growing up together, Ya Ge knew Lin Feng's real surname was Yang, not Lin—he'd followed his mother's name since age six.
He might be a commoner, but he was born noble—a direct descendant of the Yang Family, the Glory Race of Shangjing.
Though only the unacknowledged illegitimate child of the clan, if he showed talent, he might one day return to the family. Besides the bond they'd built since childhood, this was also why she stayed quietly by his side these years.
But now, none of that was possible anymore.
Unable to refine a demon spirit, with no Demon Spirit Master talent, Lin Feng—relying only on martial arts—stood no chance of earning the Capital City Yang Family's attention. Wanting to return home was just wishful thinking.
Ya Ge once admired and looked up to Lin Feng, but now, that feeling of admiration had gradually faded.