102: Chapter 102 The Stunning Goddess! After Being Captured…

Ling Qingxue heard Zhou Liangan's mocking and arrogant words, and her autumn-water-like beautiful eyes were instantly filled with deep humiliation and unwillingness.

Crystal-clear tears welled up in her eyes, but Ling Qingxue held them back tightly, refusing to let them fall easily.

She was once the high and mighty Old Ancestor of the Ling Family, with outstanding talent; how had she ever suffered such humiliation?

But now, facing Zhou Liangan, whose strength far exceeded her own, Ling Qingxue didn't even have the qualifications to resist. She could only watch helplessly as everything slid toward the most desperate direction, her heart filled with powerless bitterness.

Seeing this, Zhou Liangan laughed loudly. That laughter was wild and unbridled, echoing over the empty Ling Family ancestral grounds, harsh and arrogant.

With just a thought, the next second he appeared directly in front of Ling Qingxue as if teleporting.

Zhou Liangan extended a hand with distinct joints and gently pinched Ling Qingxue's tender, smooth chin. The touch from his fingertips made the playfulness in his eyes even deeper. "I just like seeing you like this, helpless yet unable to kill me."

His voice was low, carrying undisguised malice. Every word was like a needle, piercing into Ling Qingxue's heart.

Ling Qingxue's chin was pinched until it hurt. She wanted to struggle, but discovered that the Spiritual Qi around her body was firmly suppressed by Zhou Liangan's Aura; she couldn't even move a finger.

She could only bite her lip hard, swallowing all her anger and humiliation. The hatred in her beautiful eyes almost overflowed.

Zhou Liangan seemed not to see her gaze. As soon as he finished speaking, his mind stirred again.

A large hand condensed from pure Spiritual Qi appeared in the air above the Ling Family members. With a sudden grab, it forcefully snatched Ling Feng from not far away.

Ling Feng was merely a collateral disciple of the Ling Family, his strength like an ant in front of Zhou Liangan. The moment he was gripped by that Spiritual Qi hand, he felt his entire body's bones about to shatter, unable to even emit a scream.

The next second, Zhou Liangan's eyes turned cold, and the Spiritual Qi hand exerted force suddenly. With a crisp "crack" sound, Ling Feng's remaining leg was torn off forcefully.

Blood sprayed out instantly, staining Ling Feng's clothes red and splashing onto the surrounding ground, a shocking sight.

Ling Feng twitched in pain, his complexion instantly turning as pale as paper. Beads of sweat as large as beans rolled down his forehead, and he slumped on the ground, emitting painful whimpers, looking incomparably miserable.

Watching this scene, Ling Qingxue's heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by a large hand, hurting so much she could barely breathe.

She suddenly raised her head, her beautiful eyes staring fixedly at Zhou Liangan. A trace of extreme panic flashed in the depths of her eyes—it was the fear for her relative's suffering, and also the terror of Zhou Liangan's ruthless methods.

Immediately, her gaze softened, carrying a bit of humble pleading. Looking at Zhou Liangan, her voice trembled with a crying tone, "This matter was my own foolishness, it was my fault alone, and it has nothing to do with the people of the Ling Family. I beg you... please show mercy and spare the Ling Family."

Ling Qingxue knew how humble her posture was at this moment, but for the sake of the Ling Family, she had to put down all her pride and dignity, bitterly begging. Zhou Liangan heard this, his mouth curling into a cold arc, and he sneered, "You should be clear about my purpose today. Do you think I will easily let the Ling Family go?"

Zhou Liangan stood high above Ling Qingxue, surveying her with the posture of examining prey, smiling as he swept his gaze over Ling Qingxue's face.

Ling Qingxue's heart suddenly jumped. A strong sense of foreboding surged into her heart like a tide. Her body trembled slightly, and her voice became more urgent, "You... what do you want to do? Every grievance has its source, every debt has its debtor! I did this alone, I, Ling Qingxue, will bear it alone, and will never implicate others!"

Ling Qingxue stared fixedly at Zhou Liangan, trying to use her words to stabilize him, but she knew in her heart that since Zhou Liangan had come, he would never let it go.

The disdainful smile on the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth deepened. The fingers pinching Ling Qingxue's chin exerted more force, almost crushing it.

"I came here today to establish my prestige! Killing those two old things is not enough!" Zhou Liangan said coldly, the murderous intent in his tone undisguised.

After speaking, Zhou Liangan said no more, just let his mind stir.

Behind him, an Eight-Armed Vajra Dharma Idol several feet tall instantly appeared. The Dharma Idol was radiant with golden light, its eight arms either making fists or holding seals, its Aura majestic, suppressing all directions, as if an ancient war god had descended.

In the center of the Dharma Idol, it held a star burning with raging flames. That star was brilliant, containing power that could destroy the heavens and the earth.

Zhou Liangan let out a deafening roar, his voice exploding like thunder in the sky above the Ling Family ancestral grounds, "Ling Family scoundrels, you forced my wife. Today I annihilate the Ling Family, the entire clan!"

The moment his voice fell, the Eight-Armed Vajra Dharma Idol dragged the star and smashed it fiercely toward the Ling Family's Blessed Land.

Immediately after, another star condensed from the Void Realm, crowning the sky, and followed closely behind, smashing toward the Ling Family's Blessed Land with incomparable might.

The Ling Family's Blessed Land was the Foundation built by the Ling Family's efforts over several generations. The spatial barrier was extremely sturdy, and ordinary attacks could not shake it at all.

But facing these two stars containing terrifying power from Zhou Liangan, that seemingly indestructible spatial barrier was like paper, instantly shattered by the impact.

A violent explosion sounded, and the entire Ling Family ancestral grounds trembled. Broken stones flew, dust filled the air, and the originally Spiritual Qi-rich, beautiful Blessed Land instantly became dilapidated and scarred.

Of course, the Ling Family's Blessed Land was not so easily destroyed completely.

Zhou Liangan had long ago exchanged for a Saint-grade Explosion Talisman, integrating it into the star Dharma Idol he condensed with the Tianji Qiankun Technique.

To outsiders, the power of this star was enough to destroy the Blessed Land, and they would naturally be extremely wary of Zhou Liangan's strength.

Ling Qingxue looked at the ruined Blessed Land not far away; that was the root of the Ling Family, the place where everyone's hope lay.

Her eyes were instantly filled with tears, which rolled down like broken beads. She let out a heart-wrenching cry:

"No!!!"

Ling Qingxue's voice was full of despair and pain, as if her Soul had been torn apart.

Zhou Liangan sneered, still in a condescending posture of scrutiny, coldly sweeping over Ling Qingxue, a trace of deep disdain in his eyes.

"Ling Qingxue, all of this is your own doing. The cause of the past forms the fruit of today. If your Ling Family hadn't been aggressive back then and forced my wife, how would you have ended up like this?" Zhou Liangan's words were cold, without a trace of pity.

Ling Qingxue raised her head, her beautiful eyes staring fixedly at Zhou Liangan. Tears blurred her vision, but the hatred in her eyes grew stronger.

Ling Qingxue opened her mouth, wanting to curse, but found that she didn't even have the strength to speak, and could only squeeze out one word from her throat: "You!!!"

Zhou Liangan couldn't be bothered to waste more breath on Ling Qingxue. With a sneer, he grabbed the limp Ling Feng from the ground from a distance again.

At this time, Ling Feng was already as pale as paper, his face devoid of blood, the wound on his left leg still bleeding continuously, and he was extremely weak.

A layer of dense cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He looked at Zhou Liangan with fear in his eyes, but never opened his mouth to beg for mercy.

Ling Feng was not a fool; he saw clearly that the Ling Family members who had nothing to do with him had been ruthlessly slaughtered by Zhou Liangan. Even if he knelt and begged for mercy, it would just be asking for humiliation; Zhou Liangan would never let him go.

Rather than begging humbly, it was better to keep his last bit of dignity.

Zhou Liangan sneered and swept over Ling Feng, his tone carrying a bit of mockery, "You are somewhat clever. Knowing that even if you begged for mercy, I wouldn't let you go, so you simply don't beg."

Ling Feng stared fixedly at Zhou Liangan, using all his strength to say word by word: "Just because of my own fault, you have slaughtered so many innocent clansmen. This matter harms the harmony of heaven. In the future, when you want to achieve the Dao, you will surely experience the Heart Demon Tribulation and never be liberated for eternity!"

Although Ling Feng's voice was weak, it carried a sense of determination. He wanted to use his last words to curse this ruthless demon.

Zhou Liangan heard this, not only was he not angry, but he laughed loudly, the laughter full of disdain and arrogance, "Ling Feng, so what if there is a Heart Demon Tribulation? I will suppress it with my fists! All tribulations in this world are nothing but chickens and dogs before my fists!"

Zhou Liangan's words were sonorous, and the Aura on his body climbed again, as if he really had the power to suppress everything.

A cold sneer curled the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth, and then his mind stirred. Countless threads made of pure Spiritual Qi instantly wrapped around Ling Feng's limbs, binding him tightly in mid-air, unable to move.

Subsequently, Zhou Liangan took out a sharp short knife from his storage ring, looked at Ling Feng with cold eyes, and began to cut Ling Feng's flesh one knife at a time.

Every knife went down, precisely avoiding vital points, yet capable of bringing extreme pain.

He even used Spiritual Qi to specifically stimulate Ling Feng's Divine Sense, magnifying his perception a hundred times, allowing him to clearly feel the pain of every inch of skin being torn apart.

At the same time, Zhou Liangan used Spiritual Qi to forcibly keep Ling Feng alive, neither letting him faint nor letting him die easily.

Now, for Ling Feng, even a small cut on his body was several times more painful than an ordinary execution.

That bone-deep pain made his whole body twitch violently, his teeth clattering, blood constantly overflowing from the corners of his mouth, yet he couldn't even emit a scream.

Although Ling Feng had long known that he was in a situation of certain death, he never expected that Zhou Liangan would be so vicious, using such a cruel method to torture him.

His heart was filled with endless regret. He regretted being foolish and following the Family members to provoke Zhou Liangan, and even more regretted going to that Nanjiang Province. If it weren't for that encounter, perhaps none of this would have happened.

Ling Qingxue watched Zhou Liangan casually hacking Ling Feng into a thousand pieces, watching Ling Feng's life-worse-than-death appearance, and her fair, delicate little face was full of panic and fear.

She had never seen such a ruthless person. Zhou Liangan's methods had exceeded her understanding, making her feel cold from the bottom of her heart.

And around the Ling Family ancestral grounds, those old monsters who were exploring this place with Divine Thought in secret couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths when they saw Zhou Liangan's approach.

They were all old monsters who had Cultivated for many years and had seen countless ruthless things, but this was the first time they had seen someone like Zhou Liangan who took torturing people to the extreme.

This kid was simply too ruthless; his cold Heart-Nature made people shudder.

However, this also let everyone see the terrifying aspect of Zhou Liangan's strength. This son had the Divine Might to reach the heavens and move the earth, his methods were ruthless, and his strength was unfathomable, not to be underestimated at all.

Zhou Liangan seemed to enjoy the process of this torture, deliberately slowing down his movements, cutting Ling Feng's flesh and blood bit by bit.

He wanted Ling Feng to die in extreme pain, and he also wanted Ling Qingxue to watch all of this with her own eyes, making her live in fear and regret forever.

This torture lasted for nearly a day. Ling Feng's body was already bloody and unrecognizable, no longer human-shaped, but he was always kept alive by Zhou Liangan using Spiritual Qi, enduring endless pain.

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Until the last slash fell, a weak whimper escaped Ling Feng's throat, and he drew his very last breath.

At the very moment Ling Feng drew his last breath, a smile of relief actually appeared on his tortured face.

For him, death was perhaps the best release.

Zhou Liangan casually threw Ling Feng's mangled corpse aside, as if discarding a piece of trash.

Then, he turned his head to smile at Ling Qingxue beside him, an evil light flickering in his eyes.

Seeing Ling Qingxue's tear-streaked face and utter terror, the pleasure in Zhou Liangan's heart grew even stronger.

Right at that moment, several powerful Auras closed in from all directions almost simultaneously.

The Auras were vast and terrifying, each containing top-tier cultivation, clearly belonging to the pinnacle experts of the world.

Feeling these dozens of powerful Auras, Zhou Liangan showed no panic whatsoever; instead, a playful smile played on his face.

He looked up in the direction of the Auras and said mockingly, "It seems the official forces are indeed not of one mind! This young master has been waiting here for you for so long, yet you only just arrived. Are you afraid, or are you just spectating?"

Among the crowd, the leader was an old man dressed in a Sun Yat-sen suit.

The old man had white hair and a white beard, with a kind face, but he exuded the powerful Aura of a half-step Focus Realm cultivator. His eyes were deep, as if containing endless wisdom.

The old man took a step forward, his Aura slowly receding, and then chuckled, saying, "Young man of the Zhou Family, this old man did not come here today to hunt you down."

Zhou Liangan raised an eyebrow, looking at the old man with interest, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "How nicely put. You want to test my strength? And then decide whether to kill me or keep me? You so-called official forces have always been this hypocritical."

The elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit chuckled and said unhurriedly, "Of course not. Actually, this old man came today merely to ask Young Master Zhou, along with my fellow Daoists, about your true intentions."

Zhou Liangan looked up at the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit before him, sneering in his heart.

He could tell that the old man probably knew that with their strength, it was simply impossible to kill him.

That was why they settled for the next best option and did not dare to act rashly.

Zhou Liangan chuckled, his tone filled with mockery. "Stop playing tricks! Speak up! How do you want to ask about this young master's true intentions?"

As he spoke, he looked up, his dark gaze sweeping over the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit. His Aura faintly emanated, pressing down on the surrounding space.

The elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit smiled wryly and said slowly, "A great hero serves the country and the people. The affairs of Martial Artists should be resolved among Martial Artists, without involving ordinary citizens. If Young Master Zhou can promise not to slaughter innocent people from now on, would that be acceptable?"

As the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit spoke, a faint, holy glow actually enveloped him. He looked like a descending Saint, his tone sincere and carrying a grand righteousness that cared for all living beings.

Hearing this, a playful smile appeared on Zhou Liangan's face.

Looking at the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit, he found it somewhat ridiculous.

These so-called members of the Righteous Path always loved to stand on the moral high ground and lecture others.

"Interesting! Very interesting indeed," Zhou Liangan said slowly, his tone filled with disdain. "This young master intends to become the Human Emperor, so I will naturally protect all the people under heaven. All living beings in this world are my subjects, so how could I slaughter them?"

As Zhou Liangan spoke, golden light instantly manifested on his body.

The golden light was dazzling and eye-catching, gushing out from his body and enveloping the entire Ling Family ancestral land.

The moment his words fell, auspicious shadows actually faintly appeared between heaven and earth.

Thousands of auspicious colored lights cascaded from the Void Realm, dyeing the entire world golden.

Within the Void Realm, the phantom images of nine Dragons faintly appeared. Nine golden Dragon phantoms spiraled and coiled, flying above Zhou Liangan's head, emitting bursts of Dragon roars.

The massive power of Luck condensed into golden Dragon shapes, swirling around Zhou Liangan. This was clearly the phenomenon of the Human Emperor achieving his Dao!

Seeing this scene, the pupils of the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit shrank violently, a deep look of solemnity appearing in his eyes.

The grand trend had been established!

Even heaven and earth had recognized Zhou Liangan's position as the Human Emperor; this was an irreversible grand trend.

A faint smile played on the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth as he looked up at the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit, his tone carrying a hint of pride. "You must also be aware that my grand aspiration can communicate with heaven and earth, and it is by no means fake. These nine Dragon phantoms and the auspicious colors of heaven and earth are the best proof."

The elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit looked up, a trace of complexity flickering in his eyes.

Looking at the Human Emperor phenomena around Zhou Liangan, he understood in his heart that Zhou Liangan's position as the Human Emperor was already recognized by heaven and earth, and they simply could not shake it.

"It seems heaven and earth have indeed recognized what Young Master Zhou said. Then this old man naturally has nothing more to say," the old man said slowly, his tone carrying a trace of helplessness.

Zhou Liangan swept his gaze over the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit, his tone carrying a hint of charity. "Considering your concern for all living beings and your sense of righteousness, I will give you a chance to serve this young master. Are you willing?"

Hearing this, a complex look appeared on the face of the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit.

He hesitated for a moment, then looked up at Your Majesty, his tone carrying some hesitation. "Thank you for your favor, Your Majesty. It's just... my Family has been loyal and upright for generations, so I fear..."

Zhou Liangan chuckled and interrupted him, "I can reserve a position of Imperial Consort for your Family. How about that?"

Zhou Liangan's words were casual, yet they made the expression of the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit change instantly.

The position of an Imperial Consort!

For any Family, this was an immense temptation.

Once a woman from the Family became an Imperial Consort, they would be bound to the future Human Emperor, and the Family's glory and status would be boundless.

Hearing this, a strange light flickered in the eyes of the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit.

In his heart, he began to weigh the pros and cons—the future of his Family on one side, and his so-called reputation of loyalty on the other.

Meanwhile, those old monsters spying from the shadows also began to have active thoughts.

Looking at the conditions Zhou Liangan offered, they muttered secretly to themselves: "The contemporary Human Emperor is simply too shameless. How many women does he already have around him?"

"This position of Imperial Consort has long since become worthless!"

Yet on second thought, although the position of Imperial Consort seemed cheap, if she were to give birth to an imperial prince, there might be a chance to inherit this man's legacy in the future.

At that time, it would be a golden opportunity, a chance to soar to the heavens in a single bound.

Zhou Liangan naturally knew what these people were thinking. He was merely giving those with active minds a sliver of hope, using the position of Imperial Consort as bait to make them willingly submit to him.

Of course, the beauties these people would send him would surely be peerless and stunning.

After all, there would be rivalry in the imperial harem; only sufficiently outstanding women could catch Zhou Liangan's eye and add color to his harem.

With a faint smile on his lips, Zhou Liangan looked at the old man before him and said with absolute certainty, "I will give you three days to consider. Just give me your answer in three days. If you are willing, bring your Family and come submit to me; if you are not, I will not force you. However, do not blame me for being ruthless in the future."

The elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit looked at Zhou Liangan, merely smiling as he replied with a touch of respect, "Since Your Majesty says so, this old man indeed needs to consider it carefully."

He already leaned toward a decision, but he just needed time to convince the members of his Family.

Zhou Liangan waved his hand, his tone carrying a trace of impatience. "In that case, kneel and take your leave."

The elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit stared at Zhou Liangan. After hesitating for a moment, he still led his people and slowly retreated.

He knew there was no point in staying any longer; neither Zhou Liangan's strength nor his momentum was something they could contend with.

Only after the elder in the Sun Yat-sen suit had retreated did Zhou Liangan finally breathe a sigh of relief.

In truth, the Human Emperor phenomenon he had just displayed was not entirely real.

He had long since exchanged for a Saint-grade Xuanling Shield to protect himself, and the previous auspicious scene was merely something Zhou Liangan had conjured by using his own vast and grand Luck to communicate with the Qi of this world.

However, even if there were some tricks involved, the spectacle presented was still enough to completely awe the old man before him.

Furthermore, even if the other party had attacked, Zhou Liangan could easily escape using the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps.

Obviously, the other party also knew that Zhou Liangan had trump cards. Moreover, after witnessing Zhou Liangan use stars to shatter the Ling Family's Blessed Land, they were also apprehensive and did not dare to act rashly.

As for why the other party still showed up, it was nothing more than the official forces flexing their muscles to assert their presence, not wanting Zhou Liangan to think they were completely useless.

Of course, the old man had also developed the intention to submit to Zhou Liangan. After all, the position of the Human Emperor was already established, and submitting to Zhou Liangan was the best choice for his Family.

With less than a month left until the Spiritual Qi Revival, the people of the mundane world no longer posed a threat to the top Ancient Martial Artists.

As the Spiritual Qi gradually revived, the strength of the Ancient Martial Artists would grow stronger and stronger, and mundane authority was also gradually shifting toward these Ancient Martial Artists.

Zhou Liangan was well aware of this, which was why he was so eager to establish his authority and gather forces, preparing for the upcoming era of the Spiritual Qi Revival.

As for the previous conversation between the two, the old man had used sound waves to test Zhou Liangan's true strength.

When the old man spoke, his words were laced with a Soul Power attack, intending to test the strength of Zhou Liangan's Divine Soul.

However, with the soul-locking jade protecting him, Zhou Liangan had absolutely no fear of the old man's Soul Power attack, and he was not even aware of it in the slightest.

It was precisely because of this that the old man hesitated to act. Coupled with the hope that Zhou Liangan had offered him, the old man, who had arrived in a threatening manner, was ultimately dismissed by Zhou Liangan.

After dismissing the old man, Zhou Liangan ignored everything else around him.

He turned to look at Ling Qingxue, who was trembling all over in fear, the evil in his eyes resurfacing.

He reached out directly, hoisting Ling Qingxue's exquisite, shapely body onto his shoulder. Ignoring her struggles and cries, he turned and walked toward a nearby hidden cave.

The cave was located on the back mountain of the Ling Family ancestral land. It was hidden and deep, and very few people came here on normal days.

Carrying Ling Qingxue, Zhou Liangan reached the inside of the cave in just a few steps.

The interior of the cave was dimly lit but very dry. Zhou Liangan threw Ling Qingxue onto the ground. With a thought, countless chains formed from pure Spiritual Qi instantly emerged from the Void Realm, binding Ling Qingxue's hands and feet tightly, rendering her unable to move.

Ling Qingxue was thrown onto the ground, the fall causing her sharp pain, but she could not spare any thought for the pain.

Looking at her body bound by the Spiritual Qi chains and at Zhou Liangan's evil gaze, a flush of embarrassment and terror instantly appeared on her fair, jade-like face.

Ling Qingxue's eyes were filled with even more anger and resentment, but facing the powerful Zhou Liangan, she was utterly helpless.

Tears welled up and gushed from Ling Qingxue's eyes once more...