Jade Skin (Please Bookmark, Follow, and Vote Monthly)

After the holiday began, Yang Lie stayed in the manor and continued his arduous training in the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Skill and Azure Dragon Fist Technique, determined to raise his Skin Refining Stage to the jade level.

One day.

Yang Lie swallowed a thousand-year-old Dragon Scale Fruit, then went to the Martial Arts Practice Field and performed the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Skill. True qi surged throughout his body, while the Heavenly Dragon's Roar echoed continuously within him, tempering his skin.

Under the constant tempering of the Heavenly Dragon's Roar, Yang Lie's skin began to emit a jade-like divine radiance. That glow spread without pause until it covered his entire body.

"I finally did it!! The jade level of the Skin Refining Stage!!"

Yang Lie opened his eyes, his heart filled with excitement. It had taken him nearly six months to cultivate the first level of the Hundred Refinements Realm, the Skin Refining Stage, to the jade level.

Yang Lie immediately activated the Azure Dragon Fist, adjusted his breathing technique, and caused his immense true qi to transform into something even purer. It then tempered the bones in his body, allowing him to easily advance to the second level of the Hundred Refinements Realm, the Bone Refinement Realm.

"The second level of the Hundred Refinements Realm, the Bone Refinement Realm? Your Skin Refining Stage has already reached the jade level?"

Only after Yang Lie finished cultivating did Zhao Meixian's voice come from beside the Martial Arts Practice Field.

"It's not mealtime yet. Why are you here?"

Yang Lie picked up a towel nearby and wiped himself down as he looked curiously at Zhao Meixian walking over.

Zhao Meixian had inherited her mother's estate and possessed immense wealth, along with countless matters to handle. Normally, she only appeared at the manor without fail during mealtimes, joining Yang Lie for dinner and enjoying the nourishment of High-Grade Spirit Rice.

Zhao Meixian said, "I came to tell you something! Yun Haoran was killed by Luo Changxin in the Ferocious Beast Forest! Zhang Shixin also died at Luo Changxin's hands. Luo Changxin is now wanted worldwide."

Yang Lie frowned slightly. "Impossible! Aside from having a foul mouth, being a little too jealous, and being a little weak, Luo Changxin isn't some brainless idiot. On the contrary, he's very smart. He should know full well what the consequences of killing a direct descendant of the Yun Family would be. There must be something more to this. I want to know the truth."

Although Luo Changxin and Zhang Shixin were Yun Haoran's lackeys, they were both elites ranked among the top ten for their age, with cultivation above the fifth level of the Essence Solidification Realm. Otherwise, they would never have qualified to be Yun Haoran's followers.

Yun Haoran was a direct descendant of the Yun Family, one of the Four Great Families. If Luo Changxin had killed him, he would be wanted across the entire planet. The other three great families would not shelter Luo Changxin either; they would only send people to take his head.

Unless Luo Changxin had gone insane or been possessed by an evil spirit, he could never have done something so mad and foolish.

"In truth, the three of them were attacked by an evil spirit. Yun Haoran and Zhang Shixin were killed on the spot. Luo Changxin escaped by relying on his movement technique. Yun Haoran's mother, Shangguan Hong, was devastated by the loss of her son and took out her anger on Luo Changxin, sending people to hunt him down."

"When Luo Changxin was about to be killed, a mysterious person stepped in and eliminated Shangguan Hong's assassins. Luo Changxin is now wanted across Konghe Star. So, you made a very wise decision not to team up with Yun Haoran and the others."

Zhao Meixian smiled lightly and explained the truth of the incident.

Yang Lie said with relief, "Good thing I was cautious enough. Otherwise, I would have gotten dragged into trouble for no reason."

The Four Great Families were essentially the four local emperors of Konghe Star. After all, this planet had been developed into a colonial planet primarily by their four families and their affiliated clans.

The Four Great Families wielded tremendous power on Konghe Star and were almost entirely beyond the Human Alliance's supervision. Only in major matters tied to the foundation of the Human Alliance, such as the mock college entrance examination and the college entrance examination itself, would the Human Alliance send people to oversee them.

The Four Great Families had naturally grown accustomed to acting tyrannically on Konghe Star. Yun Haoran was practically an uncrowned prince there. Now that he was dead, someone naturally had to be buried with him.

Yang Lie had noticed this, which was why he had decisively refused Yun Haoran's invitation to form a team. It would have been fine if Yun Haoran had not met with trouble, but once something happened, anyone around him who survived would be implicated.

That was also why Yang Lie was determined to take the college entrance examination and set his sights on the Four Super First-Rate Universities.

Within those Four Super First-Rate Universities, the students' backgrounds and social status became far less important. Every student could compete for first place and resources through their own efforts.

That was because the Four Super First-Rate Universities were themselves the Human Alliance's strongest and most elite powers. Other factions were basically unable to influence their decisions.

Yang Lie said decisively, "Mei Xian, you came this time to remind me not to go out carelessly during this period, right? Don't worry. I definitely won't go out."

Zhao Meixian looked at Yang Lie speechlessly. She knew exactly how strong he was—and how cautious he could be.

Zhao Meixian said solemnly, "I came to remind you to be careful and not provoke anyone from the Yun Family during this period! And don't get involved with Luo Changxin! Shangguan Hong has lost her precious son and turned into a mad dog. If you get involved with Luo Changxin, she definitely won't spare you. Even I would find it difficult to protect you!"

Yang Lie nodded slightly. "I understand!"

Over the following days, Yang Lie remained in the manor and cultivated arduously without even stepping outside until school started.

After school began, Yang Lie maintained a routine that revolved around only three places, moving solely between school and the manor. Although Shangguan Hong had gone somewhat mad, she did not come looking for trouble with him, the man who had saved her daughter's life.

Time passed, and three months flew by in the blink of an eye.

During that time, Yang Lie ate another eighteen Fourth Order Ferocious Beast fruits and obtained the life force of two complete Fourth Order snake-type Ferocious Beasts.

One night, deep into the night, inside the manor's Martial Arts Practice Field.

Yang Lie performed the Azure Dragon Fist Technique. His breathing was like a dragon's, his blood and qi boiled throughout his body, and his true qi flowed endlessly, continuously strengthening his physique.

"In another ten days or half a month, I should be able to cultivate Jade Bone!! I'll have perfectly cultivated the second realm of the Hundred Refinements Realm! Perfectly cultivating all nine realms of the Hundred Refinements Realm is actually this difficult. No wonder some students at the Four Super First-Rate Universities still have only Hundred Refinements Realm cultivation even by graduation. But as long as I keep consuming Fourth Order Ferocious Beast fruits and improving my Life Essence, my cultivation speed will only become faster and faster."

Yang Lie suddenly frowned slightly, turned toward the northwest, and said coldly, "Come out! Otherwise, I'll treat you as a burglar breaking into my home."

"Yang Lie, don't attack, it's me!!"

A figure emerged from the shadows to the northwest. It was Luo Changxin.

The moment Yang Lie saw Luo Changxin, his heart sank. He said coldly, "Luo Changxin, the Yun Family is hunting you everywhere. Anyone associated with you will suffer terrible misfortune! What grudge do I have against you that you'd try to harm me like this?"

According to Zhao Meixian, Shangguan Hong had already gone mad and was taking out her anger everywhere on people connected to Luo Changxin. Luo Changxin was now like a harbinger of disaster—wherever he went, misfortune followed.