"No, no, actually all the functions of our association are running well, and we have a comprehensive welfare system. I just explained this to you in detail earlier," Cang Yu denied with a shake of her head.

Did she mention it? Shi Liuli couldn't help but recall what Cang Yu had said earlier.

It seemed like she did mention the benefits of joining the association, but at that time she thought there was something fishy about the association, and coupled with the form issue, she automatically ignored it.

Seeing her expression of realization, Cang Yu was about to continue speaking, but in the next instant, her expression froze.

"But isn't that just a made-up lie to deceive me into joining?" Shi Liuli bluntly pointed out.

Reddening, Cang Yu struggled to defend himself because what Shi Liuli said was too true! It was so true that she didn't know how to refute it.

"No, that welfare we really have in our association, but, uh, it requires a little bit of time, and also mage certification levels, um— that's how it is!" Cang Yu could only reluctantly admit the truth, as otherwise, the new recruit they had finally gotten would run away!

With a cold sneer, Shi Liuli thought to herself that it was just as she suspected.

She had seen this kind of trick many times before, where they would promise tempting benefits, but upon further investigation, it would be revealed that certain conditions needed to be met to obtain them. This kind of trick was all too common, yet somehow people still fell for it, making it an effective method to deceive newcomers.

Don't ask how Shi Liuli knew about it!

She didn't want to say!

Quietly wiping away a tear, Shi Liuli continued to inquire, "What about obligations? What do members need to do? Don't tell me these benefits are provided for free."

Seeing Shi Liuli's skeptical gaze, Cang Yu smiled and said, "Regarding obligations, the guild master will explain that," and then he gestured to the old man standing beside him.

Guild master?

Shi Liuli looked at the old man next to her with an incredulous expression—him, with the way he just acted, could he really be the guild master?

As if sensing what Shi Liuli was thinking, the old man scratched his head awkwardly, straightened his beard, and then slowly said, "That's right, I am the guild master here—Ye Lai Xiang."

In order to salvage some of his authority as the guild master, the old man tidied up his clothes and straightened his posture, displaying a dignified appearance.

But Shi Liuli, who had already seen what kind of person he was, how could she be fooled? On the contrary, she silently criticized him in her mind.

"As for obligations, it will be assigned based on the mage certification level. Specifically..."

After the old man's explanation, Shi Liuli had a rough summary in her mind—

The mage certification levels are as follows: Apprentice Magician, Junior Magician, Intermediate Magician, Advanced Magician, Grand Magician, Mage, Archmage, Grand Archmage. There is also the lowest level, Magic Apprentice, but they are not counted as they don't possess the ability to cast magic.

The mage certification levels are not determined by strength but by the depth of magical knowledge and accomplishments. Upon passing, one will receive the Mage Association's certified mage badge, with one star representing each level, up to a maximum of eight stars.

While strength is indeed an important factor, it is not absolute. Some people may have mediocre strength but possess magical accomplishments comparable to those much stronger than them. On the other hand, some may have improved in strength, but their magical accomplishments may not be as good as those with weaker strength. However, the gap between them won't be too wide, as improving in strength naturally leads to an increase in magical accomplishments, and it won't be too far behind.

Therefore, strength can only be considered as a reference factor, but it is not a decisive factor.