Innate Abilities

"Go!" With a flick of his finger, the white crystal became a meteor and shot straight into Li Yichen's brow.

A layer of ice instantly covered Li Yichen's body. Cold. That was all he could feel.

"Pff..." A mouthful of white vapor burst from his lips, instantly freezing a small tree nearby. A gust of wind blew past, and the tree crumbled into powder.

"Cold... so... cold..." Li Yichen trembled all over. He felt as though he were standing naked on an iceberg in the Arctic. Even his blood seemed about to freeze solid.

"Hold on. If you want the benefits, you have to pay the price," the Ghost Emperor Haoran said solemnly.

He had already focused all his attention on Li Yichen. This was the last descendant of his bloodline, and he could not afford to let anything happen to him.

Through his divine sense, he saw the Netherworld Soul Jade inside Li Yichen releasing wisps of strange energy that rapidly seeped into his flesh.

As the energy merged with his body, Li Yichen's flesh slowly grew transparent, revealing his entire skeleton.

"The transformation of his flesh is almost complete." The Ghost Emperor Haoran showed no sign of relaxing. Instead, his expression grew even graver.

Soon, all of Li Yichen's flesh became completely transparent. From a distance, he looked like a human skeleton sitting there. Anyone fainthearted who saw him might well have been scared to death.

The Netherworld Soul Jade had shrunk a little by now, but it released even more energy, which began winding around his bones.

Crack... His previously intact bones suddenly began to fracture. Crack... crack... More and more cracks appeared. His entire skeleton looked as though it were made of glass, ready to shatter at any moment.

Pain! Endless pain... That was all Li Yichen could feel. It was as though someone were smashing every bone in his body with a hammer.

"Aah... aah..." Horrific screams echoed above the White Temple. Had there been anyone within ten kilometers, someone probably would have called the police. The sound was simply too chilling.

Seeing that he was nearing his limit, the Ghost Emperor Haoran could only sigh. "I'd better give you a hand." He raised his hand, enveloping Li Yichen in blue-green light.

Li Yichen's bones, which had been on the verge of collapse, stopped breaking and began to heal instead. The agonizing pain slowly faded, replaced by an incomparable sense of comfort.

"Oh... that feels good..." The pleasure coursing through his body made Li Yichen moan involuntarily.

The Ghost Emperor Haoran's face darkened. This little brat. Could he stop making such obscene noises?

As time passed, Li Yichen's bones also grew transparent, until it seemed as though he had vanished altogether.

When Li Yichen opened his eyes again, he found himself still lying on the ground, with no one around.

He hurriedly stood up and felt himself all over. Finding nothing unusual, he breathed a sigh of relief and murmured in confusion, "Was that just a nightmare?"

Then he noticed something different. Everything in his field of vision was perfectly clear, as though the darkness did not exist at all.

If not for the stars and moon still hanging overhead, he would have thought it was daylight.

"Holy crap, is this for real? Am I still dreaming?" Li Yichen was dumbfounded. He gave his thigh a vicious pinch.

"Hiss... that hurt like hell." Then wild delight swept over him. "This isn't a dream!"

"Little brat, you're awake." The Ghost Emperor Haoran suddenly appeared before him.

"Great... great-grandfather?" Li Yichen stared at him wide-eyed, his face full of disbelief.

"What? You forgot your great-grandfather after a nap? Ungrateful brat." Then the Ghost Emperor Haoran asked irritably, "How do you feel now?"

"Great-grandfather, I feel amazing!" Li Yichen immediately answered happily. "I can actually see in the dark now. That's incredible!"

"What a fuss over nothing." The Ghost Emperor Haoran curled his lip dismissively. "I've used the Netherworld Soul Jade to transform your body into a Netherworld Ghost Body. You already count as half a ghost cultivator. Night vision is merely the most basic benefit."

"There are other benefits?" Li Yichen immediately asked in delighted surprise.

"Of course." The Ghost Emperor Haoran said proudly, "With a Netherworld Ghost Body, you'll get twice the results with half the effort when cultivating the Great Netherworld Scripture."

"And?" Li Yichen immediately pressed. "Are there any other benefits?"

"Of course there are," the Ghost Emperor Haoran said casually. "The Netherworld Soul Jade is a supreme treasure of the netherworld. Your body is now as tough as an ordinary magical treasure, and you can switch between your Netherworld Ghost Body and your human body whenever you wish."

The first part pleased him, but the rest left him rather disappointed. He felt cheated. After all that suffering, he was being told he could turn into a ghost whenever he wanted.

One look at his disdainful expression told the Ghost Emperor Haoran what he was thinking. "Don't underestimate the Netherworld Ghost Body," he said irritably. "It grants you two innate abilities."

"What innate abilities?" Li Yichen's eyes immediately lit up.

"Intangibility and Mind Control," the Ghost Emperor Haoran said proudly.

"What do they do?" Li Yichen was practically drooling. Both innate abilities sounded badass.

"Simply put, Intangibility makes you invisible," the Ghost Emperor Haoran said casually. "But it's more than ordinary invisibility."

Invisibility alone would already have satisfied Li Yichen. He had not expected another surprise, so he pressed, "What else can it do besides make me invisible?"

"While invisible, you're immune to physical attacks, and you can pass through matter," the Ghost Emperor Haoran said casually. "Much like a ghost."

"Holy shit, that's awesome!" Stars filled Li Yichen's eyes. "That ability is practically essential for a womanizer!" He could not help wiping the drool from his mouth.

The Ghost Emperor Haoran gave him a look of disgust and continued, "Mind Control has two main uses. First, you can control another person's body. Second, you can enter their dreams."

"I hit the jackpot!" Li Yichen was so happy he could barely think straight. Those two abilities were downright heaven-defying.

The Ghost Emperor Haoran glanced at the sky. "It's getting late. I'll pass the Great Netherworld Scripture on to you now." He extended a finger and touched Li Yichen's forehead. Blue-green light flashed, and Li Yichen felt as though a book had appeared inside his mind.

"All right. Cultivate diligently. It's time for me to leave." When the Ghost Emperor Haoran withdrew his finger, a jet-black lotus appeared on Li Yichen's forehead, then quickly vanished.

"I've planted a talisman seal on your forehead. You can contact me through it." With that, the Ghost Emperor Haoran turned to leave.

"Great-grandfather, wait!" Li Yichen hurriedly grabbed him.

"Silly child, we'll meet again." Thinking Li Yichen couldn't bear to part with him, the Ghost Emperor Haoran felt touched. This child was worth spending a Netherworld Soul Jade on.

"That's not it, great-grandfather. Could you take me back to school? It's too far from here," Li Yichen said with a miserable expression.

"You wretch!" The Ghost Emperor Haoran nearly died of anger. "What do you take me for, you little bastard?"