The distance in front grew ever larger. The distance behind drew ever closer. It was maddeningly frustrating.

"Please establish a Sect Name."

Qin Fen froze. Hadn't he already filled in 'Dragon Hall' on the registration form? Why were they asking again? Had someone already claimed it?

"World Union."

"Sect Name already in use. Please choose another."

"War Gate."

"Sect Name already in use. Please choose another."

"New War Gate."

"Sect Name already in use..."

Qin Fen tried over a dozen names before realizing the drawback of having too many people: all the good sect names were taken.

He let out a slight sigh, and with almost no hope left, he spoke: "Dragon Hall."

"Dragon Hall. Confirm?"

"Confirm!" Qin Fen didn't know what to say. What kind of setup was this?

"Dragon Hall. Please select the location for your Prison City."

A flat electronic map unfolded before Qin Fen. Countless dots of various colors indicated areas already occupied by other sects. Only the outer edges of the prison cities still had space for him to settle.

"Here on the north side, I guess."

"Dragon Hall established successfully..."

The scenery before Qin Fen shimmered twice. He now stood inside a dilapidated thatched hut. The floor space was roughly a hundred square meters. The walls surrounding him were utterly bare, devoid of anything.

Stepping outside, Qin Fen looked up at the sect sign written in brush strokes atop the thatched hut: Dragon Hall. It looked so worn out it seemed ready to crumble at any moment.

This was truly realistic, Qin Fen chuckled. Just then, the system's voice sounded again: "Inquiry. Do you require decoration services for the sect?"

"Does it cost money?" Qin Fen asked the question most vital to him.

The system's voice offered no reply. An electronic quote sheet materialized before him, showcasing thousands of design styles and renovations, each with a different price tag. It hung in front of Qin Fen for less than thirty seconds.

Qin Fen used the search function and selected: Free.

Finding absolutely no renovation option listed as free, Qin Fen unceremoniously closed the quote sheet.

"The Federation really knows how to make money," Qin Fen muttered, curling his lip. They earn money from others, but from me?

With a cold sneer, Qin Fen opened his emails and began replying to those who had expressed interest in becoming disciples: Sect opened. Human Guard Level Four. Sect Name: Dragon Hall.

Searching through them one by one was too slow. Qin Fen utilized the system's search feature, selecting every letter containing the term 'discipleship' and replying to all of them at once.

After adjusting the required entry fee, Qin Fen temporarily handed over control to the system and quickly logged out of the Sky Combat Network.

The notification radius from the emails was too small, and using the advertising channels cost money. Qin Fen recalled he still had some popularity on the forums, so he decided to place his advertisement there instead.

Removing his helmet, the new recruits, led by Zhang Xiangyang who had been waiting nearby, immediately swarmed him.

"How did it go, Old Qin?"

"Did you succeed?"

"Why don't you look happier? Did you lose?"

"It's alright, we can just start over! Brothers will pool money for you!"

Qin Fen smiled. Pool money? They could probably raise quite a bit, couldn't they? But making money should rely on one's own abilities. As for deceiving people for money, that wasn't something he intended to do.

"It succeeded. Dragon Hall. Human Guard Level Four..."

Before Qin Fen could finish speaking, the new recruits surrounding him rushed towards their bunks, swiftly putting on their helmets.

Looking at his excited comrades, Qin ফেন couldn't help but wonder what their reaction would be when they discovered there was a fee to join the sect.

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.

Qin Fen turned on his desktop computer and directly navigated to the two-star and three-star forums where he held some popularity. He quickly typed up a title: Human Guard Level Four, Dragon Hall Recruiting Disciples. Two Hundred USD per person annually. Sect Master: Thirty-Six Hours.

As he posted the second thread in the two-star forum, people were already replying to his post in the three-star forum. In that short time, it garnered over two hundred clicks and more than a hundred replies, a reply rate that slightly astonished Qin Fen.

Clicking on the thread, Qin Fen was immediately hit by a wave of resentment.

Starting a sect to recruit disciples and charging money? Are you crazy?

Thirty-Six Hours, is there anything left in your head besides money?

Thirty-Six Hours, could you be any more shameless? Two hundred dollars!

Thirty-Six Hours, could you have just a little bit of martial honor?

Of the over a hundred replies, ninety percent were abusive condemnations.

Through these replies, Qin Fen gradually understood that within the Sky Combat Network, very few sects, aside from the major powers, charged any fees.

Even among the small and medium-sized sects that did charge, the amount was usually token—ten or twenty dollars a year at most.

What was two hundred dollars? Qin Fen knew the price was high, but he also knew that annual passes for many gyms cost more than that, and people still flocked to them.

Returning to the two-star forum, there were also a large number of abusive replies.

Qin Fen felt no annoyance towards these insults; rather, he was grateful to the people posting them. As long as they were posting, the thread would remain pinned to the top. This was essentially free advertising.

Advertising for free and getting cursed at? Qin Fen stroked his chin lightly. He felt like he had gotten the better end of the bargain.

"Holy crap, Old Qin!" A fellow new recruit yanked off his helmet, staring at Qin Fen with utter shock: "You... you... you are that Thirty-Six Hours, the one called the most dishonorable among martial artists for valuing money over people?"

"Get out of here! Old Qin!" Another new recruit taking off his helmet also spoke with immense surprise: "You are that Thirty-Six Hours, who claims a hundred victories but always manages to scrape by with a narrow win regardless of the opponent's strength, the Money Leech?"

"Heavens! Old Qin, you are the mysterious Thirty-Six Hours?"

"I'm impressed! Old Qin! You actually require payment to join Dragon Hall?"

"Old Qin, is there a discount for us fellow soldiers?"

More and more new recruits removed their helmets. Almost all of them displayed deep astonishment, mixed with a strange sense of pride.

The most famous person in the three-star and two-star zones was one of their own compatriots! Regardless of why he was famous, just achieving the highest popularity in those zones was something they could be proud of.

Money Leech? Qin Fen was slightly surprised. When had he acquired such a title?

"Old Qin, we strongly demand a discount!" Zhang Xiangyang jumped onto Qin Fen's bunk: "Twenty percent off! At least twenty percent!"

"Right! Twenty percent off!"

The enthusiasm of the new recruits surged rapidly. No one asked Qin Fen to make it free. Although he arrived on the day of enlistment in a luxurious car, many could tell that such an asset probably wasn't his own.

Why would a wealthy person practice the arduous Inner Cultivation techniques and the strenuous Body Tempering exercises? Anyone familiar with the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill knew that while practicing it built strength, the cultivation itself was incredibly taxing. No one would choose it if there were other options.

"Oh."

Facing this group of comrades whose eyes glinted like hungry wolves, Qin Fen nodded.

"Old Qin, there are actually many other ways to make money after starting a sect."

Zhang Xiangyang's remark caused a flicker of light in Qin Fen's eyes.

"As the Sect Master, you can submit an application to the system to become a tester when other sects establish themselves," Zhang Xiangyang explained slowly. "If you succeed in obstructing the challenger, you receive a certain number of reward points or items—say, a virtual Berserk Pill. If you choose to keep the reward after winning, you can accumulate rewards through multiple consecutive wins. For example, winning four matches in a row means the reward points for the next match won won't be a hundred points each time, but two hundred. Win six in a row, and when you win the seventh, the reward for that single victory jumps to three hundred points."

Qin Fen nodded slowly. No wonder his first and second opponents kept muttering about rewards. This was indeed a viable path to wealth.

"Of course, if you lose even one match during the winning streak accumulation, all previously accumulated rewards are wiped clean. This is a high-stakes gambling mechanic. Whether you choose to accumulate rewards depends on your nerve," Zhang Xiangyang continued. "The more you win consecutively, the tougher the opponents the system will select for you later." Qin Fen nodded; this setting was normal.

"After creating a sect, there is also the option of challenging others for their status (Kicking the Hall)," Zhang Xiangyang stated with evident interest. "As long as the challenged sect's rank is higher than yours, you gain more points upon victory. The higher the rank of the sect you challenge, the greater the rewards you receive for a successful challenge."

Qin Fen's eyes shone again. Sect ranking existed? That was excellent news! Winning wouldn't just earn system rewards; it would also boost his reputation, allowing him to recruit more members and collect more entry fees.

"Furthermore, as your win rate increases and your rank rises, there are benefits every time the sect levels up, such as martial arts manuals or weapons. If the sect reaches a certain height, you might even receive an invitation from the Sacred Martial Hall."

Sacred Martial Hall? Hearing that name, Qin Fen's very spirit rippled with yearning. That was the sacred place all martial artists in the Federation aspired to!

Even if you were penniless, even if you were so poor you couldn't afford food, once selected for the Sacred Martial Hall and successfully graduated, your future would undoubtedly be bright!

Challenging others? Qin Fen lightly stroked his chin. This option hadn't been particularly attractive before, but now it suddenly became incredibly appealing.

"Oh, right, successfully challenging a sect doesn't just mean defeating the Sect Master," Zhang Xiangyang said, probing Qin Fen's thoughts, "but charging in and defeating everyone currently in the sect. For example, if the sect has a hundred members when you enter, then..." One hundred people times V?

Cold sweat broke out on Qin Fen's forehead. Even in a relay battle, he’d be exhausted to death, wouldn't he? The setting for challenging a sect was too harsh.

"Of course, if the challenge fails, the challenged sect also receives the equivalent points and credits for a victory," Zhang Xiangyang added with a knowing smile. "Actually, there are many other ways to earn points, but none are significantly easier than challenging others. You'll learn them as you spend more time in here."

Qin Fen shrugged indifferently. As long as he could earn a small amount daily inside, and more importantly, fight against various martial arts masters to improve his experience and knowledge, that would be enough.

The Combat Network allowed him to witness countless martial arts styles—something utterly impossible in reality.