Night Raid

"That guy seemed to have had a jade pendant on him just now! It must have been an Evil God Forbidden Object, or there was no way his strength could have increased so much!"

Yang Lie strode over to Luo Changxin's corpse and rummaged through it, quickly finding the pitch-black jade pendant.

The pendant was icy cold throughout. When Yang Lie gripped it, strands of black aura burrowed into his body. A faint jade light emerged from within him, blocking the black aura outside his body.

A flicker of surprise passed through Yang Lie's eyes. "Jade Level Skin Refinement actually has this effect! Unfortunately, Konghe Star is only a colonial planet. Many secrets of martial arts aren't recorded on the public network."

Konghe Star was a colonial planet conquered jointly by the Four Great Families, their many affiliated families and servants, and the major Human Alliance Trade Guilds. Only basic martial arts knowledge was available on the public network.

The most valuable martial arts knowledge, along with all kinds of secret arts and cultivation techniques, was controlled by the Four Great Families and the major trade guild factions. Much of the martial arts knowledge that might be common sense on the planets where the Four Super First-Rate Universities were located was classified information here.

With a thought, Yang Lie entered the Small World and tossed the jade pendant onto the ground.

The moment it landed, the pendant rapidly broke down and vanished.

A green beam shot from the divine tree at the center of the Small World, covering the earth. The ground trembled, extending by another mu of Spirit Land. At the same time, three more fruits appeared in that plot.

Yang Lie mused, "These are Nether Ghost Fruits! They are first-, second-, and third-rank respectively. If I eat these three fruits, I'll gain the Life Essence of a Nether Ghost, as well as some of their abilities."

"A third-rank Nether Ghost has three abilities: invisibility, physical penetration, and incorporealization. After eating these three fruits, at most I'll be able to reduce my presence and achieve something similar to invisibility in the dark. Naturally, I won't be able to fool true experts. Unless I cultivate the secret arts of the Nether Ghost race, I won't be able to fully obtain those three abilities."

After leaving the Small World, Yang Lie made a call and summoned Zhao Meixian.

Zhao Meixian glanced at Luo Changxin's corpse. "Luo Changxin was truly stupid. He actually dared to provoke you! Leave the body to me. I'll help you collect the bounty."

Luo Changxin had killed several Hundred Refinements Realm experts from the Yun Family during this period, and the Yun Family had raised the bounty on him to five million.

Yang Lie said, "Then I'll leave it to you."

With Zhao Meixian helping him, Yang Lie avoided a great deal of trouble. Otherwise, even claiming a bounty would have required procedures that consumed considerable time and effort.

Four people sat in the reception hall of a villa in Tai Ling City.

"Luo Changxin is dead! The one who killed him was Yang Lie, the genius from Tailing No. 1 High School."

A tall old man dressed in black spoke slowly. He was the Ordinary Ghost Elder of the Evil Ghost Sect on Konghe Star.

Wei Dalei, an ordinary-looking young man, furrowed his brow slightly. "After Luo Changxin used the Evil Ghost Jade Pendant, even Hundred Refinements Realm experts were no match for him. Yang Lie is just a student. How could he possibly have defeated him?"

Hao Ziyu, a stunning beauty with a seductive figure, exquisite makeup, and gorgeous features, chuckled. "That only proves Yang Lie is a monstrous talent strong enough to get into one of the Four Super First-Rate Universities. Otherwise, Zhao Meixian, that direct descendant of the Zhao Family, wouldn't spend all day with him."

Hu Zhe, a tall and handsome young man with slicked-back hair and a frivolous air about him, said, "No! I remember Luo Changxin mentioning that Yang Lie only ranked third in this final exam. Yang Lie isn't even Yun Haoran's match, so how could he have killed Luo Changxin?"

Ordinary Ghost Elder said slowly, "That only shows that he is mature and tactful! After all, Tai Ling City is the Yun Family's stronghold. If he had taken first place and Yun Haoran happened to be narrow-minded, he could easily have found himself in serious trouble."

Wei Dalei said, "Elder, why did you summon us? What are your orders?"

Ordinary Ghost Elder said, "Luo Changxin's death is insignificant, but the Evil Ghost Jade Pendant on him must be recovered somehow! The three of you will work together to retrieve it. As for Yang Lie, kill him too if the opportunity arises!"

"Yes!"

The three answered in unison.

Seven days later, at night, within the estate.

Yang Lie practiced the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Skill. True qi circulated through his body, strengthening his bones. Then, an incomparably pure surge of true qi suddenly burst from every part of his skeleton, and a faint jade-like radiance flowed out from his body.

"Jade Bone is complete!!"

The corners of Yang Lie's lips curled upward. He practiced the Azure Dragon Fist, and his true qi smoothly broke through the bottleneck, advancing into the third level of the Hundred Refinements Realm—the Marrow Refinement Realm.

"With Jade Skin and Jade Bone reinforcing me together, the time I need to cultivate to the Jade Marrow Realm will be greatly reduced!"

Feeling the explosive increase in strength within his body once more, Yang Lie smiled. He bathed and changed before going to bed.

Late at night.

Three pitch-black figures silently arrived outside the master bedroom where Yang Lie lived, like ghosts.

Wei Dalei stepped up to the door, took out his tools, and fiddled with the lock. He easily opened it and gently pushed the door open.

The instant the door opened, a hidden alarm wire behind it was triggered. In an instant, a piercing alarm blared throughout the entire estate.

"Fuck, does this guy have a persecution complex? What decent household installs an automatic alarm system like this inside their home?"

Wei Dalei's expression changed drastically, and he could not help cursing aloud. This automatic alarm system had turned his professional lockpicking skills into a joke. It was an insult to his lockpicking expertise!

"Enemy attack!!"

Yang Lie, who had been asleep in the master bedroom, abruptly opened his eyes. A trace of solemnity appeared in them as he decisively took out his phone and prepared to call Zhao Meixian for help.

"The signal has been jammed!! They came prepared!"

Yang Lie looked at his phone, found that it had no signal, and immediately leaped from the bed. He went to the window and looked outside.

"This is Tai Ling City, the Yun Family's stronghold! If they were Golden Core Realm experts and weren't afraid of exposing themselves, they could simply attack me directly."

"As for Heaven and Human Realm martial arts experts, I should be able to try and contend with them! According to Uncle Qian, there aren't many Heaven and Human Realm martial arts experts in the major sects. Every one of them is an important figure and would not be dispatched lightly."

Yang Lie hid inside the master bedroom and calmly analyzed the situation.

On a colonial planet like Konghe Star, Heaven and Human Realm martial arts experts were already top-tier powerhouses. They generally served as major figures at the level of Elder or even Sect Leader in the major sects.

Yang Lie held his breath and stood quietly near the master bedroom door, completely concealed in the darkness. He had acquired the powers of many ferocious beasts, one of which was exceptional night vision.

Bang!!

With a deafening crash, Wei Dalei kicked Yang Lie's master bedroom door to pieces and strode inside.