344: Catching a turtle in a jar

The atmosphere at the Morak Family headquarters was so oppressive you could wring water from it.

A man in a suit stood trembling nervously before a heavy mahogany door.

He raised his hand, but hesitated to knock.

Behind the door was the "Lord" sent by "The Company."

A monster whose mere presence made the entire Family gasp for breath.

The man took a deep breath, finally mustered his courage, and gently knocked on the door.

"Thump, thump, thump."

There was no response from inside the door.

But the door silently slid open a crack, and a cold aura leaked out from the gap, making the man's teeth chatter.

He steeled himself and pushed the door open.

The room was unlit, with only the city's neon lights from outside barely outlining a black silhouette sitting on the sofa.

"L-Lord..." the man's voice trembled, almost inaudible.

"Something happened at the West District Pier warehouse."

The silhouette in the darkness stirred.

"Speak."

One word, dry, hoarse, devoid of any emotion.

The man shivered in fright and quickly recounted the entire incident in detail, not daring to omit a single detail.

When he finished, the room fell into a long silence.

This silence was more terrifying than any rebuke.

Just as the man was about to be crushed by the pressure, that hoarse voice finally spoke again.

"Useless."

The man's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to his knees.

"A bunch of useless people who can't even guard their own goods."

"Lead the way."

The Black-Robed Man rose from the sofa; his figure was tall and thin, like a flickering ghost in the dim light.

"I will personally go and see which ignorant fool dared to touch 'The Company's' property."

His voice carried a chilling cruelty.

"I will let him know what it means to be unable to live, and unable to die."

...Inside the rental house.

Liu Lian was sitting with his legs crossed, slurping instant noodles while watching a boring variety show on TV.

He was in a very good mood.

The "Encircle and Strike Reinforcements" plan was proceeding very smoothly.

Now, he just had to wait for the real big fish to take the bait.

Suddenly.

His noodle-slurping motion stopped.

The boisterous laughter from the TV also seemed to grow distant.

A powerful, cold, and undisguised evil aura, like a searchlight, suddenly swept across this street.

That aura was full of arrogance and malice, disdaining to hide its presence at all.

Liu Lian's expression instantly turned somewhat grim.

He put down his instant noodle bowl, slowly closed his eyes, and a wisp of Spiritual Sense cautiously extended outwards.

The next second, he suddenly opened his eyes.

Holy crap!

The intensity of this aura far exceeded his expectations!

It was definitely not comparable to those Qi Refining Stage five or six cannon fodder from before!

Late Stage Foundation Establishment?

No!

It might even be... Golden Core Stage!

At the same time.

Inside a black sedan speeding down the street.

The Black-Robed Man in the back seat suddenly turned his head, his gaze precisely fixed on the dilapidated apartment building where Liu Lian was located.

"Hmm?"

His eyes, hidden beneath the hood, flashed with a hint of surprise.

"A bit interesting."

"There's actually a fish that slipped through the net, able to Breakthrough the shackles of a Qi Refiner."

The driver, who was also the subordinate who had just reported the news, was startled.

"Lord, what did you say?"

The Black-Robed Man ignored him.

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, the car door was completely ripped off by an invisible force, tumbling through the air and smashing onto the roadside, sparks flying.

Meanwhile, the Black-Robed Man's silhouette had appeared like a ghost in the middle of the road.

The driver was scared Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, slamming on the brakes, and the entire car let out a piercing screech, narrowly coming to a stop.

He looked in horror at the demon-like figure outside the car, feeling his heart about to leap out of his throat.

Inside the apartment.

The moment the Black-Robed Man moved, Liu Lian felt a cold killing intent, like a steel needle, firmly locking onto him.

Not good!

He's been discovered!

His first thought was to run!

Immediately use his sword, and leave this hellish place at the fastest speed!

However, that Qi lock was so firm that he knew clearly that as long as he dared to turn around, what awaited him would inevitably be a thunderous, fatal blow.

Damn it!

He'd kicked an iron plate!

Liu Lian cursed under his breath, the casualness in his eyes instantly vanishing without a trace, replaced by a sharp and resolute determination born of being cornered.

Can't run.

Fight!

He could only go all out!

The moment he made up his mind.

"Boom!"

A deafening roar.

The wall beside him, along with the window, suddenly exploded!

Bricks, glass shards mixed with violent air currents, poured wildly into the room.

A tall, thin Black-Robed Man stood in the huge gaping hole, his back to the city lights, like a grim reaper crawled out of Hell.

In the dust-filled room, the two faced each other from a distance.

The Black-Robed Man slowly walked into the room, each step like a beat on someone's heart.

"Was it you who destroyed The Company's goods?" His hoarse voice echoed in the room.

Liu Lian stood up, patted the dust off his body, and forced a nonchalant smile onto his face.

"What company? I'm just a beggar, I don't understand what you're saying."

As he spoke, his right hand, tucked into his pants pocket, was rapidly tapping on his phone screen with an extremely subtle frequency.

He was trying to send an emergency distress signal to the Kunlun Academy student group.

Just one tap, just one!

"Heh heh..."

The Black-Robed Man let out a dry, unpleasant laugh.

"Little bug, still trying to call for reinforcements?"

Before he finished speaking.

Liu Lian's heart suddenly sank.

He felt a sharp energy instantly pierce through his pants pocket.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the screen of the phone in his pocket shattered, and a burnt smell wafted out, completely rendering it useless.

"Before your companions arrive."

The Black-Robed Man's eyes, hidden in the shadows, stared intently at Liu Lian.

"I will crush your bones one by one, then extract your Divine Soul, to see what makes a Kunlun Academy student so different."

Kunlun Academy!

He knew his identity!

The smile on Liu Lian's face completely vanished, his eyes becoming as sharp as a sword, and Sword Qi faintly began to circulate around him.

"A turtle in a jar, struggling in vain."

The Black-Robed Man snorted coldly, seemingly having lost all patience.

He suddenly raised a hand as withered as a chicken's claw, and clenched it towards Liu Lian.

Then, he fiercely threw a punch!