Essence Solidification Realm, Eighth Layer (Please Bookmark, Follow, Vote Monthly, and Recommend)

Yang Lie opened his tablet and selected the martial arts manuals category. Thousands of techniques immediately appeared, with every kind of strange art and secret technique imaginable. However, the vast majority of those martial arts were below Heaven Grade; there was not a single Saint-Grade technique.

Humanity had conquered many civilizations, with life-bearing planets numbering in the tens of thousands. Naturally, countless geniuses had absorbed the strengths of various civilizations and created innumerable extraordinary martial paths.

Aside from the Basic Foundation Stance, basic saber techniques, basic sword techniques, and basic fist techniques, there were countless strange arts and unconventional methods. Different planets, schools, and teachers taught different martial arts because those teachers specialized in different techniques.

Yang Lie thought to himself, Found them. Heaven-Rank Martial Skill Azure Dragon Fist, Heaven-Rank Martial Skill Vajra Dragon Elephant Art! These Heaven-Rank Martial Skills aren't expensive, only around ten million each. But I can learn directly from Teacher He, which means I've saved ten million outright!

Those Heaven-Rank Martial Skills were nothing unusual to university students. As long as they wished to learn, they could study them in their university libraries, with famous teachers available to guide them.

But for ordinary people who failed to get into university and were forced to enlist in the military, the only way to obtain Heaven-Rank Martial Skills was to buy them on the black market.

Ordinary Yellow-Rank Martial Skills and Profound Rank Martial Skills could be bought online through paid electronic courses. But martial skills above Earth Rank were forbidden from appearing on the internet.

"Third Order Ferocious Beast Meat is sold here too, though it's a little more expensive than at the market. As expected, there aren't any complete Fourth Order Ferocious Beasts for sale!"

"But this black market doesn't sell Evil God Forbidden Objects. It really is a black market tightly controlled by Uncle Qian! Or rather, it should be a semi-official black market."

Yang Lie found that the black market did indeed have some excellent cultivation Pills, but he simply did not have enough money. He still needed his money to buy spirit stones.

Over the following days, Yang Lie moved between school, the Qian Family home, and the underground fighting arena.

After the High-Grade Spirit Rice matured, Yang Lie directly harvested the seeds and planted an entire acre. This time, he did not use his acceleration ability, since it consumed too many spirit stones.

Through Yang Lie's relentless cultivation, his two Earth-Grade Martial Arts, Vajra Skill and Flood Dragon Fist, advanced by leaps and bounds.

Inside the Small World.

"After swallowing this Black Shadow Ferocious Snake Fruit, I'll gain the strength of another Black Shadow Ferocious Snake within my body! My cultivation speed will rise by a huge margin again, and my combat strength will also increase greatly!"

Yang Lie swallowed a Black Shadow Ferocious Snake Fruit from the ground in one gulp. He immediately felt an incomparably terrifying surge of life force erupt within him, rapidly nourishing his body and soul.

After sensing that the transformation within his body had finished, Yang Lie directly unleashed the Flood Dragon Fist. His blood and qi surged forth, transforming even more easily into vast Flood Dragon True Qi. In one stroke, he broke through and advanced to the eighth layer of the Essence Solidification Realm.

"The Black Shadow Ferocious Snake is a Ferocious Beast that dwells in dark places. Within shadows and darkness, it seems completely invisible. It excels at stealth and ambushes, making it a great enemy of beast-hunting groups. Even Heaven and Human Realm experts have carelessly died under its surprise attacks."

"Now that I possess the Black Shadow Ferocious Snake's power, I should cultivate a shadow-based stealth martial art. That would let me achieve twice the result with half the effort! But it would be more suitable to start after the High-Grade Spirit Rice matures. Otherwise, my nutrition won't keep up."

Feeling the immense power coursing through his body, Yang Lie's lips curved slightly into a smile.

Ordinary people generally cultivated only one primary martial art, at most supplementing it with one other. Those capable of cultivating multiple martial arts were either bloodline geniuses, users of high-grade spirit medicines or specific Pills, or people who squeezed out their own potential to increase their strength.

Even without eating High-Grade Spirit Rice, Yang Lie could cultivate three Earth-Grade Martial Arts. However, the price would be that the Ferocious Beast power within his body would be converted into his cultivation through intense exertion, then vanish completely.

Most geniuses from ordinary families cultivated only one martial art. After all, as long as their cultivation was strong enough and their combat talent was exceptional, a single martial art was enough to defeat opponents of the same rank. Only martial arts geniuses born into top powers, or nurtured by major factions, could cultivate several powerful Earth-Grade Martial Arts while still in high school.

Three days later.

"Yang Lie, tomorrow is my birthday. Can you come to my birthday banquet?"

Before martial arts class ended, Wei Xinlan, a beautiful young girl with a tall figure, fair skin, long slender legs, a single ponytail, delicate features, and a pure, lovely air about her, came over to invite Yang Lie.

Yang Lie raised his brows slightly and was about to refuse.

Zou Qi hurried over. "Ah Lie, Wei Xinlan invited everyone in the class to her birthday banquet. Fang Lingxiu and Zhao Meixian are going too. It wouldn't be appropriate for you not to go."

Only then did Yang Lie say, "All right, I'll go!"

Although there were students like Nangong Minghai in the class who disliked Yang Lie, more students remained neutral or were even friendly toward him.

Wei Xinlan was the prettiest girl in the class aside from Fang Lingxiu and Zhao Meixian. She was cheerful and generous, got along well with both boys and girls, and quite a few boys in the class secretly had a crush on her.

The next day.

Yang Lie and Qian Xiner arrived at a luxurious mansion. Wei Xinlan, dressed in a white gown and looking pure and beautiful, walked over with a smiling face.

Yang Lie chuckled. "I couldn't tell. You're actually a little rich girl!"

Wei Xinlan smiled modestly. "My family just runs a small business! How could we compare with Zhao Meixian's family? I'm probably not even as well-off as Xin'er!"

The Qian Family was very wealthy. It was just that Qian Xiner's parents did not enjoy living in a grand mansion and preferred the cozy Public Security Bureau compound, which was why their home looked so ordinary.

Qian Xiner laughed. "All right, enough of that! Xinlan, you look so pretty today! What lipstick are you using?"

"This is Romantic Garden Series 9th Generation Lipstick!"

Wei Xinlan's eyes lit up as though she had met a kindred spirit. She pulled Qian Xiner toward the group of girls, where they began chattering away without pause.

Yang Lie glanced at Qian Xiner, making sure she remained within his line of sight, then walked over to Zou Qi.

Holding a piece of cake, Zou Qi looked toward the girls and muttered, "The girls in our advanced class are seriously gorgeous! Ah Lie, which of the four do you like? The noble and beautiful Zhao Meixian, the valiant and handsome Fang Lingxiu, the sweet and adorable Qian Xiner, or the pure and cheerful Wei Xinlan?"

"Right now, all I want is to get into a Super First-Rate University!"

Yang Lie picked several large pieces of beef from the buffet table beside him, took a bite, and replied with a calm expression.

Zou Qi sighed. "True. If you can really get into a Super First-Rate University, you'd even be qualified to pursue Zhao Meixian, the one with the highest status."