My Monster-Derived Skills Are the True Power
Chapter 41: How to Create a Boom

How do you make people love football?

Earth had already provided the answer—profit, glory, passion, competitive desire, and accessibility.

Li Ye just had to copy it.

Everything was already tied to the Fun Seekers Club’s Team Badge.

The labor costs for building Wolf Valley, the goods purchased in Weining City, the printing of football brochures, the textile shops making the jerseys, the free food and lodging for spectators, the three-game ticket bundle for just fifty copper coins, and even betting on matches…

Through all these, Li Ye had subtly bound Weining City’s economy to the Fun Seekers Club.

Directly or indirectly, every citizen of Weining was now benefiting from football.

And now, with the launch of the youth training program, promising all kinds of benefits, he had given them an even bigger incentive—a future.

Once the secret of Cultivating Through Football spread, even if the imperial court wanted to ban the sport, the people wouldn’t allow it.

Blocking his path to immortality? Even worse.

—

The Next Day

"When it comes to tea, I only drink Hongfu Teahouse’s!"

Shi Xiang stood atop a football, holding an enormous promotional banner featuring the Hongfu Teahouse logo as he hung it from Weining City’s walls, igniting a frenzy among the citizens.

That very day, Hongfu Teahouse’s sales tripled.

The shopkeeper, grinning from ear to ear, declared that the endorsement fee had been worth every coin—completely forgetting how miserable he had looked when Li Ye had forced him to sign the contract.

The same day, the Football Gazette published an article revealing Shi Xiang’s endorsement fee.

With that, football players were no longer just names—they became celebrities.

Interest in the youth training program skyrocketed, and the enthusiasm of Weining’s citizens reached new heights.

Soon, Weining’s inns, teahouses, and silk merchants flooded into Wolf Valley, eager to negotiate business partnerships with Li Ye.

Merchants were sharp.

They saw an unprecedented business opportunity in the club.

The league’s rules had already been announced—Fun Seekers Club would travel and play away games, growing its players’ fame even further.

As long as these merchants could ride the club’s momentum, open branches in new cities, and get star players to endorse their products, they would be on the path to unimaginable riches.

Some things don’t require direct effort—once the framework is set, there will always be others eager to fill in the gaps.

Li Ye was merely the guiding hand.

In a world that had never seen football, he had created a brand-new trend and dragged everyone into it.

Watching the shopkeepers scramble to secure endorsement deals, Li Ye knew—his plan had succeeded.

So, he took the opportunity to raise the players’ value, setting new price standards for sponsorships.

For a football star, skills, signature moves, and win rates all ultimately translated into commercial value.

Commercial value reflected a player’s popularity.

The higher their commercial value, the greater their fame.

The greater their fame, the stronger their commercial value.

And in Li Ye’s case, the greater their fame, the stronger their Spiritual Energy.

The stronger their Spiritual Energy, the better they performed on the field.

The better they performed, the higher their commercial value.

Thus, Li Ye’s club had become a perfectly self-sustaining system.

It would continue to grow, with or without his direct involvement.

—

As the Fun Seekers Club’s reputation expanded, the Demonic Energy within Li Ye surged at an alarming rate—so much so that it began to frighten even him.

Though he still felt clear-headed, he knew there was a limit—too much Demonic Energy would eventually erode his mind, turning him into a puppet.

Demonic Energy growth and Derived Skill growth were two entirely different things.

Derived Skills strengthened his internal energy, physical attributes, and abilities.

Demonic Energy, while improving his body to some extent, was more like an external catalyst—a force that wasn’t truly his.

It accelerated his recovery, enhanced his martial arts, and acted as a power booster.

After spreading football through Weining City, Li Ye realized he no longer needed the sport to match Murong Kaixin in a fair fight—Demonic Energy alone was enough.

But Xiang Li’s power was the culmination of multiple Grandmasters' cultivation, plus two years of wielding a Demon Artifact.

His stored Demonic Energy must vastly exceed Li Ye’s.

And worse—Li Ye had no idea what Derived Skill Xiang Li had awakened.

This was why he let the Demonic Energy within him grow unchecked.

Even if it meant risking becoming a puppet, he refused to die in this world.

Besides, his own Demon Artifact had been surprisingly cooperative lately—enjoying the benefits Li Ye brought it without causing trouble.

Maybe he really wouldn’t lose himself.

At that moment, Li Ye actually envied Shi Xiang and the others.

They were happily running within the comfortable system he had built for them, completely unaware of the dangers ahead.

No worries. No stress. No crisis awareness at all.

Ignorance truly is bliss.

If only the Demon Hunting Bureau had never told him anything—if they had just given him a Demon Artifact and let him enjoy a simple isekai adventure…

How happy he would have been.

—

Meanwhile

The anxiety Li Ye brought to this world far exceeded his own.

Watching Weining City change day by day, Governor Wei Mingze was pulling his hair out.

When had an entire city abandoned farming, schooling, and craftsmanship just to focus on football?

Everywhere he went—on the streets, in the alleys, at the market—there was nothing but people talking about football and playing football.

Ball, ball, ball…

It was all he could hear!

And the worst part?

He had played a direct role in all of it.

Football gambling, the Football Gazette—he had even let the Fun Seekers Club use the city walls for advertising!

Sure, the club gave him a cut of the ad revenue…

But if this continued, the kingdom would collapse!

He had been sending urgent reports to the imperial court daily, waiting anxiously for a response.

His hair was turning white from stress.

Why did this demon Li Ye have to choose his territory to make his landing?

—

At the Same Time

From Weining City, news of the Xuanguang Sect vs. Fun Seekers Club football match spread like wildfire.

Many of the spectators had been martial artists from towns like Zhenjiang and Fuan.

They had witnessed firsthand the brutal competition, the miraculous recovery of injuries, and the 50-50 battle between Li Ye and Murong Kaixin.

The impact was massive.

The moment they left, they couldn’t wait to spread the word.

A new power was rising.

The martial world was about to change.

And so, more and more martial artists began flocking to Weining City, eager to see it for themselves.

The rumors were too absurd.

They had to confirm the truth with their own eyes.

—

The Imperial Capital, Chu Kingdom

After hearing Vice Commander Wan Peng’s report, Emperor Xiang Ying was in complete shock.

For a long while, he remained silent.

And then, instead of asking about Murong Kaixin, he asked:

"You’re saying that on the football field, those who suffer serious injuries recover instantly?"

"I saw it with my own eyes," Wan Peng confirmed.

"Not just that Li Ye fellow—everyone?" Xiang Ying pressed.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Everyone on the field," Wan Peng replied.

After a brief pause, Wan Peng drew a dagger and made a shallow cut on the back of his hand.

Blood immediately welled up.

Before the emperor’s very eyes, the wound healed itself within seconds.

Xiang Ying’s throat bobbed.

Wan Peng knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty, forgive my offense. A few days ago, after hearing reports from two of my captains about Wolf Valley, I personally went there to investigate.

"While there, I accepted Li Ye’s invitation to form a temporary football club, which granted me this ability.

"On that same day, the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s Third Elder Shentu Hong and the Scarlet Flame Sect’s Left Protector Xu Chuan also received what Li Ye calls Spiritual Energy Seeds…

"He claims these are akin to divine blessings—strengthened through fame on the football field. That, Your Majesty, is why he created the league."

Hearing this, Xiang Ying swallowed hard.

Then, he stood up.

"Wan Peng, come with me."

Turning to his stunned attendants, he commanded:

"Remain here. Until I return, no one is to leave this chamber."