Breakthrough, Kill

"Wh... why... wh... why did you kill my whole family..." Sun Zhu roared almost madly, tears of blood streaming from his eyes. He had never wanted a life of unease; he had only sought peace and stability, working hard to do good deeds, to help others, yet in the end...

"That is because you do not understand how precious this thing is. Forget the hundred-odd ant-like lives of your Sun Family—if it were truly necessary, even those self-important great families would find it worthwhile to slaughter ten thousand or a hundred thousand people to obtain it. Only the dead can keep secrets. This thing is far too precious. I do not want to obtain it only to be killed before I can hand it over. If you knew just how precious it was, you would understand why you all had to die. Not even a newborn could be spared, because people always have ways to dig up scraps of information. Only the dead are the safest." Yan Zhenfei spoke smugly, though he was actually swallowing the two Low-Grade Spirit Pills he had accumulated over many years, hastening their effects.

He was only at the True Qi Realm Third Layer. He had killed more than a hundred people in one go, then fought a great battle with Sun Zhu. Had he not snuck in at the start and secretly killed most of them, he truly could not have cleaned things up so thoroughly. What infuriated him was that, when he had killed that infant barely a month old, he had failed to notice a little girl hiding away. Otherwise, even if he was not a true mission-executing assassin within the organization, he would not have needed to make such a commotion to kill a hundred-member family out in this backwater, much less fight Sun Zhu until now.

As a result, Yan Zhenfei was nearly drained dry at this moment. Yet he had to claim this merit for himself, and he would not tell anyone. Otherwise, if others found out, they might simply kill him outright.

He appeared to be speaking in smug triumph, but he was actually recovering. Once he regained twenty or thirty percent of his strength, he could kill Sun Zhu. His intestines were practically spilling out, and he had to be nearly bled dry, right? Letting things drag on like this favored him. Yan Zhenfei's calculations were sound: dragging things out benefited him. There was still some time before dawn, and this was such a remote backwater that he need not fear anything happening. Once he killed this man and took that item, from then on he would...

"You... Bang!" Sun Zhu staggered backward onto the steps of the great courtyard. His feet slipped, and he tripped, falling backward into a seated position. He braced himself with his short sword, but could no longer stand again.

"Haha, so you are already finished too. Then there is no need for any more nonsense..." The moment Yan Zhenfei saw that, he immediately relaxed. He had truly feared that this old man would launch one final desperate counterattack before dying. After all, at most he could now match the True Qi Realm First Layer.

"Bang!" At that moment, someone suddenly fell from the sky behind Sun Zhu. Dropping too fast, he smashed straight through the roof behind Sun Zhu and crashed down below.

What was going on? Yan Zhenfei abruptly halted and looked up into the pitch-black sky, but he could see nothing. How could something suddenly fall from above?

"Damn it, fuck." At that moment, Ren Jie's extremely irritated curse rang out from inside the house. He was not in too miserable a state, but after smashing through the roof and landing on a table below, shattering it before barely managing to steady himself, Ren Jie cursed in annoyance.

Ren Jie had heard every word exchanged between Sun Zhu and Yan Zhenfei just now. The Smiling Old Man had clearly discovered the situation here with his divine sense and deliberately brought Ren Jie over. He had even specifically told Ren Jie that he would not interfere in this matter. If Ren Jie wanted to act, he could do so himself; if not, he could simply watch.

At that moment, the Smiling Old Man hovered in the air and watched below. He had seen things even crueler than this. If he completely spread out his divine sense at his current level, he would always discover all kinds of tragedies and disasters. Today, he had wanted Ren Jie to truly see blood, to see the world's true face. Yet Ren Jie's violent reaction still exceeded his expectations. In his view, children of great families should generally be rather indifferent upon seeing such a scene. Having been steeped in such things from childhood, they would not care much about slaughter, conflict, scheming, and deception. He had not expected Ren Jie to explode the moment he arrived.

"You said it just now, did you not? That only the dead are safest. Then get ready to die." Ren Jie walked out of the house. While in the air just now, he had used his divine sense, and the Sun Family's entire horrific scene had been imprinted in his mind without the slightest omission. Of the Sun Family's hundred-plus members, the vast majority were powerless elderly, women, children, ordinary servants, and Maids. Only a little over twenty were guards. There were more than a dozen children belonging to the servants and the Sun Family combined. It was clear that the Sun Family had treated people very well, even allowing the servants' children to live together with them. But now, old and young alike, all were dead.

Whether in his previous life or this one, Ren Jie had never considered himself a hero or a good person. He had never thought about such things. Even being a Hedonistic Young Master in the Ren Family now felt quite good to him. But he still had hot blood, and he still had his own bottom line.

"Haha, a Body Refining Realm brat actually dared to spout such grandiose words..." Although Yan Zhenfei could not tell exactly what level Ren Jie was at, he could see that Ren Jie was only in the Body Refining Realm, and he immediately found it incomparably hilarious.

Ren Jie did not want to waste a single extra word on such scum, such a creature devoid of human nature. The next instant, he drove off with his feet and shot straight forward.

Relying purely on an explosion of bodily strength, Ren Jie's burst approached the limit of Body Refining Realm speed. In an instant, he was already before Yan Zhenfei.

"Overestimating yourself." Though the true qi in his body was nearly exhausted, he was still a True Qi Realm cultivator. Seeing a Body Refining Realm brat arrogantly charge head-on, Yan Zhenfei casually flicked his longsword. True qi surged within him and instantly adhered to the blade, giving off a faint glow. Its speed and power were utterly beyond those of an ordinary Body Refining Realm cultivator. This was the strength of the True Qi Realm: below the third layer, one could circulate true qi into a weapon to enhance its attacking power, while speed and strength far surpassed the Body Refining Realm.

This was qi strength that fundamentally transcended the Body Refining Realm. One was like grains of iron sand, the other like steel tempered a hundred times over; their toughness and power were worlds apart.

Ren Jie charged fiercely, but just as he reached Yan Zhenfei and was about to be struck by the sweeping sword, he suddenly pushed sideways with his feet. His footwork shifted with profound subtlety, his body rolling diagonally sideways as he narrowly skimmed past the upward-sweeping blade.

Yet Ren Jie's hands had already formed a killing move, clawing directly for Yan Zhenfei's throat. Battle Eight Directions Annihilation was no joke. Although Ren Jie said it was still slightly short of a Supreme-Grade Martial Skill, in ordinary eyes, it already qualified as one. Its profound mysteries and immense power immediately showed themselves at this moment.

"Not good!" Yan Zhenfei had not expected this Body Refining Realm brat to know such profound martial arts. His strongest swordsmanship was only a mid-grade martial skill, while this was a hundred times more profound. At the critical moment, he raised an arm to block, placing it directly before his throat.

"Riiip... Aah..." Ren Jie seized Yan Zhenfei's arm and tore hard, ripping a chunk of flesh straight from it. The pain made Yan Zhenfei scream miserably. His longsword spun back toward Ren Jie as his body retreated.

At this moment, Yan Zhenfei could barely display the strength of the True Qi Realm First or Second Layer. Ren Jie's qi strength and physical strength, meanwhile, were both at the level of the Body Refining Realm Ninth Layer. Though his own cultivation was only at the Body Refining Realm Fourth Layer, he was still suppressed by the gravity and pressure formation created by the Jade Emperor Art Body Refining Chapter's two hundred and eighty-eight Qi Strength Rings within his body. Yet his physical strength remained, and the strength of the qi within him was not much inferior to that of an ordinary Body Refining Realm Eighth Layer cultivator.

Most importantly, the Battle Eight Directions Annihilation Ren Jie used was incomparably exquisite. Without needing to clash head-on, he could force Yan Zhenfei into a desperate scramble. Battle Eight Directions Annihilation locked down all eight directions and annihilated the opponent. Every move targeted a vital point; every move was a killing strike.

Every angle was so exquisite that it left one sighing in wonder, unable to believe it. No matter how Yan Zhenfei changed, Ren Jie's variations could still threaten him.

This, this was absolutely no ordinary martial skill. High-grade... no, this was very likely a Supreme-Grade Martial Skill.

Damn it, how could a Body Refining Realm brat in such a remote backwater possess a Supreme-Grade Martial Skill? How could someone in the Body Refining Realm possibly learn a Supreme-Grade Martial Skill...

Yan Zhenfei did not even want to believe it, because even many people who had reached True Qi Realm Great Perfection could not learn Supreme-Grade Martial Skills. Even those in the Divine Power Realm coveted Supreme-Grade Martial Skills to use alongside their divine powers and spells.

Yet now, a Body Refining Realm brat knew a Supreme-Grade Martial Skill—and not merely its outward form, but one he had comprehended and could wield with complete mastery. What the fuck was this?

No, this was the greatest opportunity of his life. If he wanted to soar to the heavens in a single step, this was what he had to rely on. He absolutely could not let this brat ruin it. But his mid-grade swordsmanship was riddled with openings before the opponent's Supreme-Grade Martial Skill. Moreover, with the opponent sticking close in battle, he could not pull away and could not display any of its effects.

"Crack..." At that moment, Ren Jie again dodged his longsword at close range and directly seized his shoulder.

"Ah!" Yan Zhenfei suddenly released his longsword. Both hands twisted around Ren Jie's hands in reverse, and as he entangled them, they also seized Ren Jie's shoulders.

"Not good!" Ren Jie did not have much true combat experience, but he still sensed that something was wrong. Yan Zhenfei was clearly planning to fight for his life, seizing him to prevent him from displaying the might of Battle Eight Directions Annihilation, the Supreme-Grade Martial Skill. But the movement of his body was wrong.

At that moment, Ren Jie saw that while Yan Zhenfei held him, Yan Zhenfei's head suddenly dipped, as though bowing in worship.

Ren Jie reacted swiftly as well, snapping his head to the side. A flash of light shot from Yan Zhenfei's hair, unbelievably fast and clearly some special mechanism. Fortunately, Ren Jie dodged in time. The light skimmed past his temple, cutting a bloody mark across his head but failing to hit directly.

"Haha, brat, your reactions are quite fast. But you are dead for sure. A Body Refining Realm brat actually possesses a Supreme-Grade Martial Skill—looks like I, Yan Zhenfei, have truly stumbled into great fortune today. A Body Refining Realm body wants to compare with someone who possesses true qi? You are still far too lacking. It hurts, does it not..." Yan Zhenfei's hands entangled Ren Jie's hands and clamped down viciously on his shoulder blades, as though he intended to pierce through them.

He was clearly planning to use true qi to strengthen his body and forcibly tear Ren Jie apart with the might of the True Qi Realm. His fingers had already dug into Ren Jie's flesh.

"To be honest, this is child's play. You have not reached the True Qi Realm Sixth Layer and do not have a True Aura Shield, right? Ah!" Ren Jie also suddenly exerted force with both hands. Their arms intertwined, each gripping the other's shoulders, both trying to twist the other's arms into segments and tear the other apart. It hurt, somewhat, but compared to the pain brought by the gravity and pressure of cultivating the Jade Emperor Art Body Refining Chapter, it was far too weak. One was pain that seemed to arise from the depths of the soul; the other was merely pain in skin and flesh.

Fuck, how could this be? Yan Zhenfei had not expected this brat to be so ferocious. His hands had already sunk into flesh and seized bone, yet Ren Jie could still exert strength.

On the contrary, he himself was in so much pain he was nearly collapsing. How could this brat be so ruthless at such a young age? He had undergone special training—how could this be possible...

"Bang bang bang..." Their upper bodies remained locked in mutual grips, but their feet constantly shifted. Ren Jie was clearly more skilled than Yan Zhenfei in this regard. After several exchanges, Yan Zhenfei was struck by Ren Jie's knee until he spat blood.

"Ah, true qi into the body—break!" Yan Zhenfei had not expected this fellow to be so savage, fighting so ruthlessly. His body was also abnormally resilient, and Yan Zhenfei felt that he would be the first to fail. He suddenly forced a strand of true qi within him into Ren Jie's body. He wanted to shatter Ren Jie's qi strength and his meridians, then see how Ren Jie could continue fighting him. The qi strength of the Body Refining Realm was sand, while the True Qi Realm was steel tempered a hundred times. Once it rushed inside, Ren Jie would be finished.

"Boom!" Yan Zhenfei's true qi entered Ren Jie's body, and Ren Jie immediately felt as though a torrent of molten lava had crashed into him. In an ordinary person's body, this single strike would have destroyed all the internal meridians. But Ren Jie's meridians had been tempered by the Jade Emperor Art Body Refining Chapter and were unimaginably tough.

Still, it was like molten lava rampaging through him. At this moment, the Jade Emperor Art within Ren Jie's body faced immense pressure and challenge.

"Ah!" Yet even now, Ren Jie did not release the man's arms. Yan Zhenfei had entangled him earlier because his martial skill was inferior to Ren Jie's, but if Ren Jie released him now, Yan Zhenfei would seize the chance while true qi ravaged Ren Jie's body and he could not fully exert himself. Then Ren Jie would be dead for certain. At this moment, Ren Jie did not consider the Smiling Old Man's existence at all. He also believed that if the Smiling Old Man said he would not act, then he would not act. That feeling could not be wrong. Ren Jie had chosen to come down, so he would bear all of this himself.

He continued to exert force with all his might, forcibly driving the Jade Emperor Art Body Refining Chapter. At this moment, Ren Jie's body endured the torment of pressure from within and without.

"Bang... bang..." Persist. Keep circulating it. At this moment, the Jade Emperor Art circulated to its limit. With pressure inside and outside his body and death hanging over him, the chains formed by the two hundred and eighty-eight Qi Strength Rings in Ren Jie's body instantly shattered.

"Boom!" Breakthrough. The Jade Emperor Art finally broke through from the fourth layer of the Body Refining Chapter into the fifth, while his qi strength instantly reached the intensity only a Body Refining Realm Great Perfection cultivator could possess. The powerful eruption directly blasted the strand of true qi Yan Zhenfei had sent into Ren Jie's body back out.

"Ah... Crack... crack..." Yan Zhenfei had not expected that, just when Ren Jie seemed about to fail, he would suddenly become like a different person. Yan Zhenfei watched helplessly as Ren Jie twisted his arm into several sections. The hand gripping Ren Jie's shoulder hung limply down as well.

"Bang!" Without the slightest hesitation, the instant Ren Jie pulled free one fist, he drove it straight into Yan Zhenfei's heart, killing Yan Zhenfei on the spot.