My Monster-Derived Skills Are the True Power
Chapter 45: Losing Oneself Is Just Possession

"I knew from the start that Li Ye wasn’t an ordinary person. How else could he come up with something as unprecedented as a football tournament?"

"Exactly! They say Li Ye comes from a Fourth-Class Civilization, while even worlds with gods and immortals are only Third-Class! That means Li Ye’s world is a whole level above the immortals!"

"Storybooks mislead people! Who would have thought that immortals don’t meditate in the mountains but instead cultivate through football in the heart of bustling cities? The old teachings were all wrong!"

"Players recover from injuries so quickly—if not immortal arts, then what? That so-called scholar Hu claimed it was just illusions…"

"Illusions? Hah! That same Hu heard that football is the path to immortality, so he went to the youth training camp at dawn, knelt at the entrance, and begged to join. What a joke!"

"Li Ye said each province can set up its own football leagues as long as they register with the Football Alliance. Even if we can't join the Planet Cup, starting our own tournaments might still lead us to immortality, right?"

---

In a world with no real understanding of the universe, the concept of civilization ranking was like a bombshell.

Unlike Earth, where scientific classifications are debated, this world’s civilization rankings came directly from Li Ye, a self-proclaimed visitor from a higher civilization.

More importantly, there was proof—the supernatural healing on the football field, the endorsement of powerful martial artists, and the fact that the official newspaper, the Football Gazette, publicly confirmed it.

Step by step, layer by layer, the idea spread.

If three people repeating a lie could make others believe it, then with thousands witnessing football’s miracles, the idea took root across the entire populace.

Soon, tickets for Wolf Valley’s home games became nearly impossible to buy.

Some people bought tickets because they believed in the path of cultivation through football.

Others bought tickets to prove that Li Ye was a fraud.

But either way, with civilization rankings and football cultivation as fuel, the league exploded in popularity.

---

Weining City Government Office

Inside Wei Mingze’s study, Emperor Xiang Ying sat in plain clothes, flipping through every issue of the Football Gazette and reviewing dossiers on all football club players.

Football clubs had sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, each one desperately glorifying their players.

But unless a club had a grandmaster like Huai Yi or Yu Hai, ordinary players struggled to stand out.

After all, they had never played in real matches, and with so many players, even famous martial artists were unknown to commoners.

The real beneficiaries of this craze were Li Ye’s original followers—people like Shi Xiang and Liu Guangsheng.

Now, their names were known across the kingdom.

Even the most insignificant members of the Fun Seekers Club had become Innate Experts, thanks to riding the wave of popularity.

Xiang Ying remained silent, flipping through the football documents page by page, his frown deepening.

Kneeling on the floor, Wei Mingze was drenched in sweat.

Finally, Xiang Ying put down the last document, sighed, and gazed out the window.

"So, my mighty Great Chu Kingdom is nothing more than a First-Class Civilization, barely different from primitive beasts?"

Wei Mingze wiped his sweat, quickly thinking of a response.

"Your Majesty, those higher civilizations have developed for hundreds of thousands, even millions of years. Compared to them, Chu Kingdom is still an infant taking its first steps. Given time, we may surpass them."

Xiang Ying turned back, smirking. "Wei Mingze, do you actually believe in this so-called civilization ranking?"

Wei Mingze froze.

He recalled all of Li Ye’s extraordinary feats and took a deep breath.

"Your Majesty, I would never deceive you. Looking at Li Ye’s actions, they are beyond what any normal person could accomplish.

His civilization ranking theory is logically sound and carefully constructed. I believe it to be true.

Even if Li Ye exaggerated, at the very least, his powers indicate that he comes from at least a Second-Class Civilization.

If we can learn from him, even if we can’t break past the First-Class limit, it could still propel Chu Kingdom to unimaginable heights.

I believe this is an opportunity—both for Chu Kingdom and for Your Majesty."

Xiang Ying’s expression darkened.

"My royal grandmaster was crippled and put on display outside Wolf Valley."

"Through this so-called league, Li Ye has gathered all of the martial world’s forces under his banner.

If he rebels, what would become of me?"

Wei Mingze wiped his sweat again and carefully responded.

"Your Majesty, Li Ye is injured. He merely wants to recover his strength and return to the universe.

Just as Your Majesty wouldn’t fight a tribe of monkeys over a mountain, Li Ye comes from a higher civilization. He likely doesn’t care about Chu Kingdom’s throne."

He had no choice but to go all in.

Football Gazette was his initiative.

Football betting was his invention.

Weining City was now football-obsessed, forever tying his fate to Li Ye.

If Li Ye fell, his own end would be miserable.

Xiang Ying suddenly let out a chuckle.

"So, according to you, in Li Ye’s eyes, I am nothing more than a monkey king in the wilderness?"

"Your Majesty is wise and mighty, naturally not a monkey king!" Wei Mingze forced a nervous smile.

"You simply haven’t seen the outside universe yet. Once you do, Your Majesty will surely carve out a place in it."

"You sure know how to talk," Xiang Ying said, shaking his head with a wry smile.

"Enough flattery. I know exactly what Chu Kingdom is.

With Li Ye controlling such a massive force, if he ever wanted my throne, he could take it in an instant."

Although he didn’t want to admit it, deep inside, Xiang Ying had already accepted that Li Ye came from a higher civilization.

That artifact that Xiang Li obtained probably came from the same place as Li Ye.

The so-called demonic energy was likely just spiritual energy, and they simply didn’t understand how to use it.

"Your Majesty, I think—"

Wei Mingze wanted to say more, but Xiang Ying cut him off.

"Tomorrow is the Qingcheng Sect vs. Fun Seekers Club match.

Arrange a seat for me—I will watch in person.

No one must know I am there."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Wei Mingze hesitated but then bowed in acknowledgment.

---

Meanwhile, in Wolf Valley

With his demonic energy skyrocketing, Li Ye’s perception range had expanded to over twenty miles.

His raw physical strength was now equal to a grandmaster, and his power seemed limitless—he could easily hurl thousand-pound boulders.

Even broken bones healed instantly, even outside football matches.

He didn’t know how other Temporal Walkers were doing, but right now, he felt like a superhuman.

But despite his growing demonic energy, Li Ye remained completely clear-headed.

It made him question:

Did demon hunters truly lose themselves due to demonic energy?

Or was it because their growing power fueled their ambitions?

With such strength, who wouldn’t crave power and wealth?

Was that why the Demon Hunting Bureau limited them?

Was everything just a way to control Temporal Walkers?

"Thinking too much?" The team badge spoke in his mind.

"Nothing," Li Ye replied.

The badge didn’t care and continued excitedly, "Li Ye, do you know how much my demonic energy has grown?

Even without absorbing the other two demon energies, I can now cut my connection to the Demon Suppression Tower!"

Li Ye’s heart skipped a beat.

"Badge… can you kill the other two demonic energies?"

"Hard to say," the badge replied. "I’d need to get close to them to know.

Besides, you’re the one fighting, not me. I’m still trapped in this badge."

Possession?

Losing oneself might just mean being possessed…