Advancing to the Second Layer of the Essence Solidification Realm (Please Follow and Bookmark)

Humanity was still in the era of great interstellar expansion. Many human powerhouses entered one life-bearing planet after another to carry out interstellar colonization. Konghe Star was one of the planets colonized by humanity.

The first colonists were the Four Great Families, along with the dependents, slaves, servants, and affiliated forces they brought with them.

After the Four Great Families established a foundation on Konghe Star, they used various policies to attract other forces from within humanity's sphere of influence to develop the planet. Only then did Konghe Star gradually prosper.

Although other human forces existed on Konghe Star, the Four Great Families were universally acknowledged as the four strongest forces on the planet. Each was as wealthy as a nation and possessed countless resources.

The Four Great Families of Konghe Star also invested in martial arts geniuses on the planet. The Human Alliance had policies stating that once a planet like Konghe Star produced geniuses admitted into First-Rate Universities or super first-rate universities, Konghe Star would receive Alliance rewards.

For example, strategic weapons that were difficult for the Four Great Families to manufacture, such as powerful mechas, combat implants, and tactical nuclear bombs, all had to be imported from the Human Alliance.

The Human Alliance possessed many life-bearing planets and was fighting numerous civilizations. Strategic weapons such as mechas, warships, combat implants, tactical nuclear bombs, and nuclear bombs were in short supply. Without Alliance rewards, an unimportant planet like Konghe Star would find it difficult to purchase them.

Furthermore, by investing in martial arts geniuses from Konghe Star, the Four Great Families could recruit those geniuses after graduation. Qian Ming had once received funding from the Shengyang Zhao Family, enabling him to successfully enter a First-Rate University of the Human Alliance. After graduating, he returned to Konghe Star and joined the Shengyang Zhao Family's faction.

Qian Ming said solemnly, "Yang Lie, Zhao Family investments come with all sorts of conditions, such as serving the Zhao Family for a period after graduation. But as long as you can advance to the Golden Core Realm in the future, you'll regain your freedom. Even the Zhao Family will have to respect you! Of course, the choice is yours."

Golden Core Realm martial artists were long-lived beings with extremely formidable strength. Even on an unimportant planet like Konghe Star, they were overlord-level powerhouses capable of dominating one region.

Qian Ming had only one wife, Fang Li, because he was not lustful. Aside from cultivation, he cared only about his wife and daughter.

In truth, countless beauties longed to catch Qian Ming's eye. Once he took a liking to them, they could rise to prominence and become the wives of the powerful.

One important reason Fang Li had retained her beauty was that Qian Ming spent enormous sums every year purchasing spiritual medicine to preserve her youth and appearance.

Yang Lie smiled. "I understand, Uncle Qian!"

Qian Ming was a Golden Core Realm martial artist and the director of the Beihe Base City Public Security Bureau. He had many ways of making money and possessed vast resources. But he was only Yang Lie's father's friend, so Yang Lie understood that he could not rely entirely on Qian Ming for his cultivation. Doing so would only wear away the goodwill between them.

Qian Ming helping Yang Lie was a favor; not helping him was only natural. Yang Lie understood this very clearly.

Yang Lie took out the bottle of Essence Nourishing Pills and returned it to Qian Ming. "Uncle Qian, these are Essence Nourishing Pills. I advanced to the Essence Solidification Realm without using this bottle. You should save them for Xin'er."

Qian Ming pushed it back with a domineering gesture. "I prepared several bottles for Xin'er! Take this bottle and sell it! I never intend to take back anything I give away."

Yang Lie smiled. "Thanks, Uncle Qian."

Three days later, news that the Shengyang Zhao Family would hold the Hunting Beast Tournament outside Beihe Base City spread throughout the north. Countless high school students signed up for the competition.

After registering, Yang Lie remained at home and continued cultivating diligently. After consuming the third-tier ferocious beast Golden-Pattern Ferocious Snake Fruit, his cultivation aptitude improved considerably. He found it even easier to practice the Dragon Snake Stance Method and Snake Fist. The qi and blood within his body constantly transformed into true qi, and he soon advanced to the second layer of the Essence Solidification Realm.

On this day, the Great Arena of Beihe Base City was packed with people, filled with high school students participating in the elimination rounds as well as their relatives and friends.

"Yang Lie, over here!!"

Zou Qi, whose slightly chubby body had completely transformed into one of muscle, waved at Yang Lie.

"Zou Qi, I didn't expect you to come too."

Yang Lie walked over with Qian Xiner.

"I know I don't stand a chance. I just came to watch!"

Zou Qi grinned, his gaze immediately falling on Qian Xiner, and a flash of heat passed through his eyes. He and Yang Lie were friends, so the beautiful, cheerful, confident Qian Xiner had naturally become the unattainable girl he secretly loved.

Not long afterward, a burly middle-aged man with short black hair and an imposing aura strode into the center of the Great Arena.

Fifteen men in black followed behind the middle-aged man, each pushing a huge box.

"My name is Zhao Feihe, and I am the person in charge of this competition! I will now announce the rules! Contestants must possess Essence Solidification Realm cultivation! Of course, if any student is still in the Qi Blood Realm but believes they are no weaker than an Essence Solidification Realm martial artist, they may come forward and challenge these first-tier upper-grade Black-Haired Ferocious Apes. As long as you can defeat one Black-Haired Ferocious Ape bare-handed, you will qualify to participate."

With a wave of the middle-aged man's hand, the fifteen men in black pulled away the black cloth covering the boxes, revealing Black-Haired Ferocious Apes within, each with a ferocious face and standing two meters tall.

"First-tier upper-grade ferocious beasts! They're so fierce!!"

"Trying to kill those monsters bare-handed is impossible! Even ordinary Essence Solidification Realm martial artists can't do it!!"

"..."

Many Qi Blood Realm high school students who had harbored hopes of getting lucky immediately chose to give up upon seeing the Black-Haired Ferocious Apes.

The high school students who had already reached the Essence Solidification Realm, meanwhile, stepped forward to register with confident expressions.

"Hold out your hand and circulate your true qi!"

A beautiful woman in uniform, with delicate features, pressed a stethoscope-like device against Yang Lie's right hand.

"Second layer of the Essence Solidification Realm!"

A voice sounded from the device. Only then did the woman quickly register Yang Lie's information. When she saw that he was only a first-year high school student, a strange glimmer flashed through her eyes, and she handed him an electronic badge.

Sitting in the stands, Zou Qi watched with envy in his eyes. "Yang Lie advanced to the Essence Solidification Realm! How can the gap between people be so huge?"

Zou Qi also came from a fairly good family and could take Essence Nurturing Pills every day, yet he currently possessed only fourth-layer Qi Blood Realm cultivation.

Soon, only a little over a hundred high school students remained in the center of the Great Arena. All of them possessed Essence Solidification Realm martial arts cultivation and were the finest prospective university students in northern Konghe Star.

He advanced to the Essence Solidification Realm too!

Fang Lingxiu's gaze landed on Yang Lie, and surprise flashed through her eyes. She knew Yang Lie was outstanding, but compared with her, he was still far behind. By her estimate, Yang Lie should only have been able to advance to the Essence Solidification Realm at the end of the first semester of his second year.

Among these high school students, aside from Fang Lingxiu, she has the best looks! She even has two bodyguards beside her. Her background must be extraordinary!

Yang Lie carefully examined the opponents he would soon face.

The hundred-plus high school students were all Essence Solidification Realm elites. Most of the boys were tall and handsome, while the girls were also quite attractive. Among them was a peerless young girl with a tall figure, shoulder-length black hair, skin as fair as snow, an oval face, willow-leaf brows, eyes shining like bright black-and-white gemstones, and naturally red cherry lips. She radiated an arrogant, icy temperament.

Fang Lingxiu was already exceptionally outstanding, but before that peerless black-haired girl, she still fell slightly short.

Beside the peerless black-haired girl stood a tall beauty with short black hair, as well as a beautiful woman with a single ponytail and a cold expression.