My Monster-Derived Skills Are the True Power
Chapter 17: Growing the Club into a Powerhouse

All the information came solely from the Team Badge, and Li Ye had no way to verify its truth. Still, it didn’t dampen his rising spirits.

The weight that had been pressing on his heart—the fear of losing himself to the erosion of demonic energy—was finally lifted.

Of course, the Team Badge could still be lying.

But so what?

Being sent to this world was already akin to exile. Nothing worse could happen. The worst-case scenario would be losing himself, which was still better than dying outright.

Li Ye was an optimist, firm in the belief that as long as he lived, opportunities would always present themselves.

Most importantly, he was convinced his proposal to the badge was brilliant.

With the badge gaining infinite potential for the future, and him avoiding the risk of losing his identity, it was a win-win situation. Any intelligent being would choose the path Li Ye had laid out.

---

The members of the Fun Seekers Club were equally overjoyed.

After several "away games," they had gained both fame and fortune. Their reputation soared, along with their spiritual energy reserves, various techniques, and considerable wealth.

Once, such treatment was beyond their wildest dreams.

Now, every member of both the first and second teams was progressing rapidly in martial arts.

Prominent figures like "Rear Strike Master" Liu Guangsheng and "Iron Foot Immortal" Fan Jie were now just a step away from breaking into the Innate Level.

Shi Xiang, bearing the natural halo of a Grandmaster's disciple, earned the title of "Supreme Shadow Kick," topping the club's spiritual energy gains. He had already advanced to an Innate Expert, far ahead of his peers. His signature technique, the "Sevenfold Force," had reached five folds—enough to shatter even the hardest objects into dust with a single kick.

Those who had yet to make names for themselves were envious, pouring their efforts into creating their own signature moves to shine in upcoming matches.

In fact, they no longer referred to their challenges as "fights" but as "away games," following Li Ye's lead. Under his influence, the club was becoming increasingly professional.

During their clash with the Red Pavilion Stronghold, they even had custom-made uniforms, flags, and emblems. The uniforms were bright red, with a bold "Fun" character on the chest and their roster numbers on the back. For example, Shi Xiang, the left forward, wore number 10; Liu Guangsheng was number 9, and Fan Jie number 8.

Not just the players—cheerleaders also had matching uniforms and handheld mini flags. They brought horns, suonas, and other noisemakers to energize the team during matches.

As more powerful members joined, competition within the main team became fierce. Cheerleaders who thought they’d never get to play found themselves unexpectedly gifted with abilities by Li Ye. This delightful surprise only deepened their loyalty to the club.

In short, no matter the turmoil outside, the Fun Seekers Club was flourishing.

Even sects that lost matches were absorbed by Li Ye.

For their disciples, he assigned roles as spectators. None could resist the allure of shared techniques and the spiritual energy-restoring bells.

---

Wolf Valley was an excellent location—three sides surrounded by mountains, with a wide flat area at the valley floor that served as a natural giant soccer field.

Li Ye took one look and decided to settle here. Even when traveling to other sects for away games, he would always return to Wolf Valley. This was his home base now.

Previously, Li Ye had been somewhat restrained. But with the secrets shared by the Team Badge easing his concerns, he was ready to move forward boldly.

When he returned to Wolf Valley, Shi Xiang and the others, busy practicing, immediately gathered around him with cheerful greetings.

Shi Xiang had long forgotten his Grandmaster mentor. If not for concerns about Li Ye being seriously injured, he might have tricked his master into joining the club as well!

"Li Ye, did you send those two Captains off?" Shi Xiang asked with a grin.

"They’re gone," Li Ye nodded.

"Li Ye, are we going to challenge the Xuanguang Sect next?" Liu Guangsheng asked. His confidence was sky-high. With the surrounding sects already subdued, Xuanguang Sect was their last remaining rival. He also knew about Cao Bin’s involvement, naturally making Xuanguang Sect his next target.

"Yes, the Xuanguang Sect. But it won’t be an away game; it’ll be a home game." Li Ye glanced at him with a smile. "If my timing is right, Cao Bin should bring his master to Wolf Valley in a few days. We’ll prepare carefully and aim to recruit another top player for the Fun Seekers Club."

"Li Ye, we’ll follow your lead. Whatever you say, we’ll do," Yu Fei said eagerly, his excitement shining in his eyes.

"Gongsun Jie is a half-step Grandmaster and the strongest opponent we’ve faced yet. We must approach this cautiously—any mistake could deal a major blow to the reputation we’ve worked so hard to build," Li Ye said solemnly, looking around at the group.

"Li Ye, with spiritual energy backing us, we’re unstoppable! Why fear a half-step Grandmaster?" Fan Jie laughed loudly, pulling his shirt aside to reveal a long, healed scar on his chest. The injury from two days ago had already fully recovered, bolstering everyone’s confidence.

"Don’t underestimate the risks. If you lose your head, you’ll still die," Li Ye warned with a faint smile. He turned to the leaders of the Red Pavilion Stronghold, Wolf Valley, and Flying Bear Gang. "Master Tong, Master Wang, Master Ding, come here. I have tasks for you."

"At your service, Li Ye," the three replied, rushing over, their deference clear.

Li Ye addressed Tong Yi from the Red Pavilion first. "Master Tong, organize someone to print flyers in Weining City. Announce that the Fun Seekers Club will host the Xuanguang Sect’s Gongsun Jie in a home game at Wolf Valley. Tickets for residents are 50 coins, and food and lodging are included during the match."

He continued, "Also, invite prominent families and elites from the city to attend as special guests. If the magistrate graces us with his presence, even better. I’ll provide the flyer content and invitations shortly. For now, consider yourself the club’s interim promotions manager, responsible for all future match publicity."

Tong Yi hesitated briefly but caught Li Ye’s knowing look and quickly agreed.

Next, Li Ye turned to Ding Hong of the Flying Bear Gang. "Master Ding, you have many members. Mobilize them to purchase supplies, hire chefs and craftsmen, and convert Wolf Valley into a proper stadium as quickly as possible. Ensure food, lodging, and safety for spectators. Can you handle it?"

"Absolutely, Li Ye," Ding Hong declared, his excitement evident as he trembled with anticipation. I’ve been trusted by Li Ye! My family’s ancestors must be smiling!

Lastly, Li Ye looked at Wang Zhenghui, the vice-leader of Wolf Valley. "Master Wang, since this is your territory, you’ll handle security and order during the match. Your job is to ensure everything runs smoothly and no spectators are harmed. From now on, you’re the interim security chief."

"Understood!" Wang Zhenghui straightened up, his enthusiasm palpable.

"Everyone else, focus on preparing for the match against Gongsun Jie," Li Ye said, turning back to his team. "This is our club’s first formal match with an external audience. It’s your chance to shine. Whether we make a name for ourselves depends on your performance."

As he finished assigning tasks, Li Ye smiled at Shi Xiang and the others. "From today, the Fun Seekers Club is officially on the right track. As I always say, reputation is everything. And I’ve arranged it all for you..."

Liu Guangsheng and the rest were dumbfounded. Moments ago, Li Ye was talking about ensuring their safety. Now he was setting up a match with Gongsun Jie, even inviting spectators from Weining City—clearly aiming to provoke him!

Still, their initial shock gave way to excitement. Reputation was indeed everything. With spiritual energy, there was nothing to fear—not even Gongsun Jie!