103: Chapter 103 A Stunningly Beautiful Goddess! You little rascal~ Can this really help me break through?~

Ling Qingxue bit her silver teeth tightly, her pearly white teeth almost embedding into her lower lip. Her pair of tear-filled, beautiful eyes stared fixedly at Zhou Liangan, monstrous rage roiling in their depths. Even her voice trembled from anger, "You... what are you trying to do?"

Ling Qingxue was bound by the Spiritual Qi chains and unable to move. She could only use her gaze to vent all her unwillingness and hatred. That stubborn yet fearful appearance only made the playfulness in Zhou Liangan's eyes deepen.

The corners of Zhou Liangan's mouth curled into an evil smirk. His fingertips pinched Ling Qingxue's snow-white, delicate face hard, his finger pads stroking her tender skin, "Beauty! You really are smart."

Zhou Liangan's actions were full of insolence. Every touch made goosebumps rise all over Ling Qingxue's body, and the sense of humiliation flooded her like a tide.

Ling Qingxue's delicate body couldn't help but tremble slightly, yet she still held her head high, glaring at Zhou Liangan and scolding sternly, "Bastard, if you have the ability, just kill me! Do not humiliate me like this!"

Ling Qingxue would rather die than endure such insults, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she knew her resistance was futile before Zhou Liangan.

The smile on Zhou Liangan's face vanished instantly, cold light growing. He reached out abruptly and grabbed Ling Qingxue's long hair, pulling her head back hard with enough force to almost tear off her scalp.

"If you were a bit more obedient, perhaps you could suffer a little less." Zhou Liangan's voice was as cold as ice, and the ruthlessness in his eyes made Ling Qingxue's heart tremble. "If you are not obedient, think carefully about what the outcome will be, think slowly—don't force me to use harsher methods."

Ling Qingxue felt the pain from being pulled and, looking at the bone-chilling coldness in Zhou Liangan's eyes, the color drained from her pink-white, delicate face, turning it as pale as paper.

Fear wrapped around her heart like vines, making even breathing difficult for her.

Zhou Liangan paid no more attention to her terror. With a thought, he retrieved a compact tattoo machine and its accompanying portable power bank from his System space. The metal body gleamed with cold light in the dim cave.

Looking at that strange and cold device, and then at the malice in Zhou Liangan's eyes, Ling Qingxue's delicate body began to tremble violently uncontrollably. Bound by the Spiritual Qi chains, she didn't even have the qualification to dodge. She could only helplessly shrink back in place, watching helplessly as Zhou Liangan approached step by step, the tattoo machine in his hand slowly aiming at her skin.

Finally, the last stroke landed.

A satisfied smile appeared on Zhou Liangan's face, and then...

...

A full day and night passed.

Zhou Liangan finally opened his eyes slowly. He let out a long breath of turbid air. The turbid air condensed into a pale white column of Qi in the air, dissipating only after more than half a zhang. Carrying the Impurities and fatigue accumulated in his body, his whole person exuded a sense of freshness and clarity.

He clenched his fist slightly, feeling the unceasing, surging Spiritual Qi in his limbs and bones, several times more powerful than before. Every strand of Spiritual Qi was condensed like substance, carrying a majestic sense of power as it flowed through his Meridians. A satisfied smile couldn't help but appear on his face.

Peak of the second stage of the Huagang Realm!

This Realm, in today's Cultivation world, was already a top-tier existence.

However, as Zhou Liangan stroked his fingertips, a sense of helplessness arose in his heart.

Ever since he broke through to the Huagang Realm, his Cultivation speed had been far inferior to before.

Back in the Spirit Guiding Realm and Qi Gathering Realm stages, relying on the System's enhancement and Heaven-Defying Opportunities, he could easily break through two or three minor Realms in a single day. Spiritual Qi would flood into his body like a tide, and his Realm would rise rapidly, with almost no Bottleneck.

But upon reaching the Huagang Realm, everything changed.

According to normal Cultivation speed, if one did not consume Heaven And Earth Treasure or utilize special Opportunities, it would take at least a month to break through from the Peak of the second stage of the Huagang Realm to the third stage.

This speed, if placed on other Cultivators, would likely make their jaws drop to the ground.

One must know that the Huagang Realm is a chasm on the path of Cultivation. Upon reaching this Realm, every minor stage promotion is as difficult as ascending to heaven. It requires accumulating a massive amount of Spiritual Qi, polishing one's Physical Body and Divine Soul, and if one is not careful, one might encounter a Bottleneck, trapped in one Realm for years or even decades, which is the norm. How many talented Ancient Martial Artists are stuck in the Huagang Realm their entire lives, unable to make any progress?

But for Zhou Liangan, such a Breakthrough speed was indeed too slow.

He was accustomed to rapid progress, and now this "snail's pace" made him feel unsatisfied.

However, upon second thought, Zhou Liangan felt relieved.

Now that his reputation had been completely established—the annihilation of the entire Ling Family, the destruction of the Blessed Land by falling stars, and the Human Emperor vision shocking the masses—his deeds had long been spread far and wide in the Cultivation world, and his name had become synonymous with top-tier powerhouses.

In the future, wanting to find women with special Physiques to assist in Cultivation and breaking through Realms using the Hehuan 108 Styles should not be difficult.

Previously, he needed to put effort into searching, but now, as long as he let out word, he feared countless Families would take the initiative to send the women with special Physiques in their clans to his doorstep.

Thinking of this, a strange look couldn't help but rise in Zhou Liangan's eyes.

He suddenly remembered that the woman in the Marquis Mansion had previously said that this Hehuan 108 Styles, originally named the Yin-Yang Dao Accomplishment Sutra, was a supreme Cultivation Technique passed down from ancient times.

Moreover, ever since breaking through to the Huagang Realm, Zhou Liangan's biggest feeling was that this Hehuan 108 Styles Cultivation Technique seemed incomplete.

Even as an incomplete part, its grade had already reached the Saint Grade. If it were the complete Yin-Yang Dao Accomplishment Sutra, what kind of terrifying grade would it be?

Was it the Emperor Grade that surpassed the Saint Grade, or an even more incredible existence?

At the thought of this, brilliant light burst forth from Zhou Liangan's eyes, and deep within his heart, there was a bit more intense anticipation.

If he could find the complete Cultivation Technique, his Cultivation speed would certainly be able to return to its Peak, or even surpass the past.

Zhou Liangan stretched greatly, and his whole body's bones emitted a crisp "crackling" sound, and the Spiritual Qi around him surged in a circle accordingly.

Zhou Liangan turned his head, his gaze sweeping casually across a corner not far away. There, Ling Qingxue was curled up, her pair of beautiful eyes staring fixedly at him, full of resentment and unwillingness, yet also revealing deep powerlessness.

She had been bound by the Spiritual Qi chains for a full day and night, her delicate body already stiff, but that stubbornness hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Zhou Liangan's eyes turned cold. Without any hesitation, he raised his hand and slapped Ling Qingxue's cold, stunningly beautiful face hard.

With a crisp "slap," it was exceptionally clear in the empty cave.

A clear palm print instantly appeared on Ling Qingxue's cheek, swelling up. Her head was knocked to one side, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, yet she still gritted her teeth, refusing to make a sound of pain, only turning back to glare fixedly at Zhou Liangan, the hatred in her eyes almost overflowing.

"You devil!" Ling Qingxue's voice was hoarse, filled with endless humiliation, "You annihilated my entire clan, and now you still want to humiliate me like this!"

Ling Qingxue was filled with grief and indignation, thinking of how she was once the glorious Old Ancestor of the Ling Family.

But now, she had been reduced to a prisoner of this devil before her, with even her most basic dignity trampled to nothing. This disparity made Ling Qingxue feel that life was worse than death.

Ling Qingxue's heart was full of bitterness and desolation. She had thought about dying countless times, but every time this thought arose, she was unwilling to abandon the Realm she had worked so hard to Cultivate.

It was precisely this unwillingness that made Ling Qingxue unable to make up her mind to die, and she could only survive in humiliation and pain.

Zhou Liangan swept a cold glance over Ling Qingxue, with no pity in his eyes, only cold killing intent. "My patience is limited. Keeping you alive is not because I am soft-hearted, but because your Physique is special; you are a rare Pure Yin Physique, which is still of some help to my Cultivation of the Hehuan 108 Styles. Otherwise, just based on what your Ling Family did back then, I would have smashed you into ten thousand pieces and thrown you to feed the dogs long ago."

The killing intent in Zhou Liangan's eyes was undisguised; it was the coldness that had settled after experiencing countless slaughters and holding the power of life and death, certainly not empty words.

Ling Qingxue felt the fierce killing intent in Zhou Liangan's eyes, and her delicate body couldn't help but tremble violently. Her already pale cheeks now lost the last trace of blood, becoming as white as paper.

She knew that what Zhou Liangan said was true. With his ruthlessness, if she did not still have utilization value, she would have long been dead without a whole corpse.

In the end, Ling Qingxue could only helplessly lower her head, her long eyelashes trembling, not even daring to look up at Zhou Liangan again.

A deep despair flashed in her exquisite, ethereal, and stunningly beautiful eyes.

Ling Qingxue knew that in this life, she was afraid she would never be able to escape Zhou Liangan's control.

Seeing this, Zhou Liangan said no more. With a wave of his hand, a strand of pure Spiritual Qi shot out, directly sealing Ling Qingxue's Cultivation and Meridians.

Subsequently, with a thought, Zhou Liangan directly threw Ling Qingxue into his System space.

Naturally, he would not leave such an enemy who annihilated his clan outside; in case Ling Qingxue found an Opportunity to escape, or was rescued by other powerhouses, it would be trouble.

In Zhou Liangan's view, Ling Qingxue's only purpose was to serve as a container for Spiritual Qi, storing pure Spiritual Qi in her body for his occasional needs to assist in Cultivation and Breakthroughs.

After dealing with Ling Qingxue, Zhou Liangan flashed his figure and left the hidden cave directly.

Zhou Liangan used the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps, his figure shuttling through the mountains like a ghost. In less than half a day, he returned to Jiangcheng.

Along the way, Zhou Liangan keenly noticed that the atmosphere of the entire Jiangcheng had changed.

On the streets and alleys, people could be seen gathering and discussing everywhere, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of restlessness and anticipation.

He could clearly feel that it seemed many people already knew about the impending recovery of Spiritual Qi.

Come to think of it, the heaven-reaching Divine Might he had previously displayed at the Ling Family ancestral grounds, the stars smashing the Blessed Land, and the Human Emperor vision appearing—the commotion was simply too great to hide.

The authorities had originally wanted to hide the news of the Spiritual Qi recovery to stabilize secular order, but after such a disturbance by him, they were caught completely off guard. Having no other choice, they could only take this Opportunity to officially announce the fact that Spiritual Qi was about to recover to the whole society.

A merchant's sense of smell is always the sharpest, always keeping pace with the times.

As soon as the news of the Spiritual Qi recovery was announced, countless merchants and Martial Artists caught the scent of business opportunities, collaborating to establish Ancient Martial Artist academies to teach basic Ancient Martial Artist Cultivation Techniques and methods.

Even the authorities reacted swiftly, beginning to coordinate and plan the establishment of public Ancient Martial Artist academies, selecting young people with exceptional Aptitude for training to prepare talent for the coming age of Cultivation.

In Jiangcheng today, in every street and alley, teahouse and restaurant, the most discussed topic is the Spiritual Qi recovery and the Ancient Martial Artist academies.

Some are ecstatic, looking forward to becoming Martial Artists and possessing extraordinary power.

Others are deeply worried, fearing that the world will become chaotic after the Spiritual Qi recovery.

Still others are asking around everywhere, wanting to find opportunities for their children to enter these Ancient Martial Artist academies.

The entire society has become restless and full of variables because of the news of the Spiritual Qi recovery.

As for Zhou Liangan himself, although he is the top expert who displayed heaven-shaking Divine Might and destroyed the Ling Family, and is an existence feared by everyone in the Cultivation world, ordinary electronic devices simply cannot clearly capture his appearance.

Since advancing to the Huagang Realm, a layer of Innate Protective Aura has naturally condensed outside his body.

This Innate Protective Aura is incredibly profound; it can be used for defense to withstand the vast majority of attacks, and it can also be condensed to attack enemies and amplify his own strength—this is the origin of the term "Gang Transformation."

Even more miraculously, this layer of Innate Protective Aura can interfere with electronic signals. Ordinary cameras and mobile phones simply cannot penetrate the Innate Protective Aura to capture the true appearance of a Huagang Realm expert, only a blurry patch of light and shadow.

This is why, even though the footage of Zhou Liangan condensing the Eight-Armed Vajra phantom and displaying his earth-shattering Divine Might has long gone viral across the internet and been reposted and discussed by countless people, no one has yet been able to recognize that the top expert stirring up the winds and clouds is Zhou Liangan of the Jiangcheng Zhou Family.

Zhou Liangan walked along the streets of Jiangcheng, looking at the bustling scene around him, feeling a thousand emotions in his heart.

He could clearly feel that the number of Ancient Martial Artists entering the secular world had begun to increase.

In the past, most Ancient Martial Artists lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, cultivating in isolation, and rarely appeared in the secular world.

But now that the Spiritual Qi recovery is imminent and cultivation resources are about to become abundant, countless Ancient Martial Artists are emerging from Secret Realms and mountain gates, coming into the secular world, either to seek Opportunity, gather forces, or gather information.

Especially in Jiangcheng, the stream of coming and going Ancient Martial Artists is endless.

Zhou Liangan swept his Divine Thought over them and discovered that most of these Ancient Martial Artists were heading toward the old Zhou Family residence.

He vaguely sensed something, and a playful smile curled the corner of his lips.

It must be that the news of him destroying the Ling Family and displaying the Human Emperor phenomenon had reached Jiangcheng; these Ancient Martial Artists were all coming for the Zhou Family, wanting to pay him a visit, seek protection, or climb the social ladder.

Most of these Ancient Martial Artists communicated using Divine Thought transmissions to avoid being detected by secular people.

But with Zhou Liangan's current cultivation at the Peak of the second stage of the Huagang Realm, and his Soul strength far exceeding those of the same rank, intercepting these Divine Thought transmissions was simply too easy.

With a casual sweep, he heard countless discussions about himself—some filled with awe, some curiosity, some wariness, and some with ulterior motives.

However, Zhou Liangan couldn't be bothered to pay attention to these people.

His current focus is on improving his own strength and finding the complete Yin-Yang Dao Accomplishment Sutra; as for these Ancient Martial Artists coming to curry favor, he didn't care about them at all.

He did not return to the old Zhou Family residence to deal with those people, but turned around and headed straight toward his private villa in Jiangcheng.

Before long, Zhou Liangan returned to his villa.

This villa is located in the wealthy district of Jiangcheng, with a quiet environment and tight security.

He had long arranged to meet Su Wanyun here.

Zhou Liangan pushed open the villa door, and as soon as he stepped into the living room, a hot, tall, and graceful figure caught his eye.

Su Wanyun was wearing a wine-red, lotus-leaf collar, off-the-shoulder, tight-fitting, high-waisted, slit-hem, hip-hugging mermaid dress. The material of the dress was form-fitting and elastic, perfectly outlining her plump, graceful, and hot figure.

The off-the-shoulder design revealed her delicate collarbones and fair shoulders; the lotus-leaf collar added a touch of feminine charm, while the waist-cinching and slit design highlighted her slender waist and long, straight legs. In every gesture, she possessed both the elegant charm of a mature woman and a hint of intellectual grace—stunningly beautiful and breathtaking.

Zhou Liangan's gaze fell on Su Wanyun, and he calmly swept his Divine Thought over her.

Now, Su Wanyun had also advanced to the first stage of the Spirit Guiding Realm.

In fact, considering the Heaven And Earth Treasure, Cultivation Techniques, and auxiliary Medicinal Pill that Zhou Liangan had left for Su Wanyun, her only advancing to the first stage of the Spirit Guiding Realm in such a short time meant her Aptitude could not be considered very good.

After all, if those resources were given to someone with above-average Aptitude, they would have long since broken through to the Peak of the Spirit Guiding Realm or even higher.

However, for ordinary people, Aptitude might determine everything, but for a top-tier powerhouse like Zhou Liangan, he had countless Heaven And Earth Treasure in his hands.

As well as the special Cultivation Technique that Zhou Liangan practiced.

Helping someone improve is still quite easy.

After Zhou Liangan swept his gaze over Su Wanyun again, he discovered that the biggest change after her cultivation was not her Realm, but her own state.

Su Wanyun's skin had become more delicate and smooth than before, like mutton-fat jade, soft enough to be broken by a blow.

Her figure was also tighter and fuller than before, her curves becoming increasingly alluring, and her entire temperament had undergone a heaven-shaking change, transforming from a gentle noblewoman into a beauty with a touch of spiritual aura, looking several years younger.

Seeing Zhou Liangan return, Su Wanyun's long, narrow phoenix eyes instantly curved into crescent moons. She swept a smiling gaze over him, her tone carrying a hint of teasing and pride, "My precious son, you've caused such an earth-shattering commotion in less than a month away. The Ling Family destroyed, stars smashing into the Blessed Land, and even the Human Emperor phenomenon appeared; the entire Cultivation world is talking about you."

Su Wanyun looked at Zhou Liangan with complex emotions in her beautiful eyes—pride, worry, and a trace of imperceptible awe.

The son before her was no longer the child who needed her protection, but had become a top-tier powerhouse who held the power of life and death and shook the world with his might.

"Next time we meet, should I respectfully address my precious son as Your Majesty, the Human Emperor?" Su Wanyun said, half-jokingly.

Hearing this, Zhou Liangan couldn't help but laugh, his tone sincere and warm, "Mom, no matter when it is, and no matter what my status is, I am still your son. Whether it's the Human Emperor or a Mortal, you will always be my mom."

Hearing this, Su Wanyun couldn't help but giggle, reached out and gently patted Zhou Liangan's back, her eyes full of relief, "You little rascal, you still have a conscience; it's good that you know that. Mom doesn't count on any Human Emperor; I just hope you stay safe and sound."

As she spoke, Su Wanyun sighed faintly, her tone carrying a hint of loneliness, "Sigh! That girl Yixue has already broken through to the Peak of the Spirit Guiding Realm; to have such cultivation at such a young age, she really is a Genius. Yet, I have only broken through to the first stage of the Spirit Guiding Realm; compared to her, I am far behind. Perhaps I am just not naturally suited for cultivation; at my age, my Aptitude just can't keep up."

As Su Wanyun spoke, a trace of disappointment flashed in her beautiful eyes.

She also wanted to keep up with her son's pace, wanted to possess the ability to protect herself, and didn't want to become a burden to her son, but the progress of her cultivation made her feel somewhat discouraged.

Seeing Su Wanyun's lonely appearance, Zhou Liangan's heart softened, and he quickly spoke to comfort her, "Mom, don't say that. Actually, I can also help you Cultivate and let you quickly improve your Realm, so you don't need to be discouraged."

Hearing this, Su Wanyun's initially disappointed eyes instantly lit up, a brilliant glint floating in her beautiful eyes. She grabbed Zhou Liangan's hand, her tone carrying a hint of surprise and anticipation, "Really? My precious son, can you really help Mom? You're not just comforting me, are you?"

Zhou Liangan smiled and nodded affirmatively, "Of course it's true; when have I ever lied to you? The Cultivation Technique I practice is special; I can use my own Spiritual Qi and the characteristics of the Cultivation Technique to help you clear your Meridians and guide your Spiritual Qi, allowing you to quickly break through your Realm, without needing to accumulate slowly like ordinary people."

Su Wanyun's face was instantly filled with excitement, and even her voice trembled slightly, "That's great! Mom knew I wasn't wrong; my precious son is the best! Then without delay, help Mom break through now, okay? I also want to improve my strength quickly so that I can help you share the burden in the future."

Zhou Liangan looked at Su Wanyun's excited appearance, smiled, and nodded, "Okay, no problem. Let's go to the cultivation room now, and I will help you break through."

The two walked one after the other into the specially built cultivation room in the basement of the villa. The floor was paved with warm jade, the surrounding walls were embedded with Spirit Gathering array patterns, and faint Spiritual Qi floated in the air, quiet and suitable for cultivation.

Su Wanyun had changed into a loose white training robe; the plain white fabric made her skin appear even more lustrous, reducing a bit of her usual allure and adding a touch of the spiritual clarity of a cultivator.

Su Wanyun walked slowly to Zhou Liangan, slightly lifting her chin, her phoenix eyes shining, looking at him with full anticipation, "Little rascal~ How do you plan to help me?~"

Zhou Liangan looked at Su Wanyun's appearance, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. He stepped forward, leaned close to her ear, and lowered his voice to quickly explain a few cultivation methods.

Upon hearing this, a flash of hesitation appeared in Su Wanyun's eyes, but looking at Zhou Liangan's determined gaze and thinking of her desire to become stronger, she ultimately nodded, her voice soft but firm, "Okay! Let's do as you said."

Zhou Liangan nodded slightly, his tone steady, "Very well! Mom, relax your mind, and I will help you with the Breakthrough now."

Su Wanyun sat cross-legged on the jade cushion as instructed, taking a deep breath to calm her mind.

Zhou Liangan walked to Su Wanyun's side and activated his Cultivation Technique...