The HR Alliance was an alliance of wealthy magnates from the world's most powerful conglomerates and families. They manipulated all kinds of financial brokers and controlled more than half of the global economy. Through shadow governments, they profoundly influenced the future course of the entire planet.
Li Yao was dead. Two high-ranking War Gods wanted to avenge him, but they couldn't find their enemy. They wanted to weep, but couldn't even find a grave to mourn at. Their pent-up frustration kept growing, but they were hardly the sort to swallow their anger and do nothing.
"No matter who the murderer is, if he killed my son, I will never let him get away with it!"
"I'm going to make the news of Ah Wei's death public and let every Martial Artist in the world know." Venina gritted her teeth. "I, Venina Polenas, am willing to offer all the savings I've accumulated over the years—a full 100 billion Huaxia Currency—as a bounty. Anyone who can provide enough evidence to prove who killed my son will get the entire 100 billion."
"I refuse to believe the murderer has no family or friends. If he's told anyone about this, whether muttering in his sleep, letting something slip after drinking, or accidentally revealing the secret before the crime, then with a bounty this enormous, even his best friend might not be able to resist betraying him."
"With this 100 billion bounty, I'll make him lose sleep every night, afraid he might let something slip in his dreams. I'll make him afraid to ever get drunk again, because drink loosens the tongue. I'll make him live every day in fear and anxiety." Venina's words were filled with ruthless determination.
Everyone who heard about it was shaken. The sum was truly staggering. Faced with such enormous wealth, who wouldn't be tempted?
"100 billion!"
A bounty that size was enough to draw out even invincible experts beyond the War God level. Even the legendary King-level Monsters rarely fetched such an astronomical price. With that much money, one could instantly enjoy countless luxuries and pleasures the world had to offer.
Faced with a reward this immense, all sorts of intelligence networks and organizations would surely mobilize to find the murderer who had killed Li Wei.
As the HR Alliance's executive president for the Huaxia region, Venina Polenas was not only one of the alliance's most senior figures but also the younger sister of the current head of the Polenas Family. The extent of her wealth went without saying. It came mainly from her position in the HR Alliance and her family's powerful backing, not from hunting monsters. Even her husband, Li Yao, couldn't compare with her in wealth.
Only she could do something like this. The woman was so consumed by love for her son that she'd gone completely mad.
Inside the Limit General Hall in Jiangnan Base City, Zhuge Tao sat cross-legged in a training room, wearing a black martial arts uniform. As the morning light gradually streamed in, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Turn on the morning news. I have to let them fool me a little every day, or I don't feel right," Zhuge Tao said softly. The camera then projected a beam of light, and a huge image appeared on the wall. It was his daily habit to watch the morning news on China TV and learn what was happening across the country.
But when the news anchor's voice echoed through the training room, Zhuge Tao suddenly froze. He stared at the morning news on the screen, looking utterly incredulous.
Of course, he regarded every news report as a load of nonsense meant to fool people. But even he was profoundly shaken by that figure.
"One hundred billion?" Zhuge Tao blinked, then sprang to his feet, his heart racing. The fortune was simply too astonishing. Even he, one of the four leading figures of the Limit Dojo in Jiangnan Base City, couldn't help being stunned.
"Vulture and Scorpion—it was the two of them. That makes sense. What ordinary War God-level Martial Artist could come up with 100 billion?" Zhuge Tao shook his head with a sigh, then thought, "And the morning news is broadcast nationwide. That means not only Martial Artists, but ordinary people will hear about this too. The HR Alliance's influence really is extraordinary. They actually got this report aired on China TV."
Even Zhuge Tao was tempted by 100 billion. He sometimes gave benefits to promising talents and powerful Martial Artists, but he usually did it through privileges within the dojo, so he barely spent any of his own money.
The dojo itself barely had to spend anything either. The prices of martial arts manuals were just figures on paper. As the people who controlled them, they could hand them out without spending a cent.
"Go to Limit Home, the War God-level Martial Artist forum," Zhuge Tao ordered. The screen changed at once, opening the War God-level Martial Artist forum. Though he was only a high-level War General, his position as a director gave him access to this high-level forum.
"Tsk, the whole forum really is buzzing. Looks like everyone wants that 100 billion," Zhuge Tao said with a smile. "But this happened in Huaxia Nation, so the huge bounty will most likely end up in the hands of us Huaxia people."
The whole world was in an uproar. Almost every intelligence network couldn't resist investigating the matter and searching for the truth. City 023, once a metropolis with a population of several million, was highly dangerous, but that only drew even more Martial Artists to explore it.
In a quiet corner of Jiangnan Landscape Residential Area, sunlight filtered through scattered clouds and dappled the peaceful courtyard. Liu Yun stood in the middle of his yard, completely focused on training his control over telekinesis. His eyes were half-closed, as if he had shut out the world around him, leaving only the powerful mental force surging within him.
At his command, seven red Reverse Scale Flying Blades formed from pure energy slowly appeared. They gleamed brilliantly, like the brightest stars in the night sky. Liu Yun's fingers twitched ever so slightly, and the blades followed his telekinetic commands, tracing brilliant arcs through the air. They spun rapidly, then shot forward with a sudden burst of speed, displaying astonishing agility and destructive power.
Just as Liu Yun was lost in his training, an unexpected ringtone shattered the silence. His brows drew together, but he didn't immediately stop. Instead, he gave a gentle push with his telekinesis, and the phone flew into his hand. The screen showed an urgent message from his friend Wang Tianba, along with a link.
Curious, Liu Yun opened it. In an instant, a shocking news report appeared before his eyes: "HR Alliance Executive President Venina Polenas offers 100 billion Huaxia Currency for information leading to the killer of her son, Li Yao!"
Even though Liu Yun's mind was as calm as water, the report still made his heart skip. The Reverse Scale Flying Knives shot down into the marble floor on their own, scraping out a string of sparks.
"Hmph, so it's finally come. But if I upgrade the base just once more and get two kinds of evolution fluid, I'll be able to break through to the Planetary Stage!"
He was now staking everything on the evolution fluid helping him reach the Planetary Stage. At that point, even War Gods would be nothing to him.
But if his identity was exposed before then, he'd be like someone stepping off a hundred-story building into thin air. So he had to collect rare materials even faster, and for that, he had to show that he possessed War God-level strength.
Only then could he unlock more permissions, and only then could he deal with the bounty as quickly as possible.
He then called that annoying Glinda. If she handled this, it would actually be much easier. When Glinda got his call, she was overjoyed. Without a word, she came over from next door.
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