199: Chapter 199 A stunningly beautiful woman with a cool and aloof demeanor! She takes the initiative to come to your door...

Ling Shuang heard this, her delicate body trembling slightly. Her beautiful eyes stared fixedly at Zhou Liangan as she gritted her teeth and said, "No... don't..."

Zhou Liangan laughed wickedly, "That's not up to you!"

Transit Star Region.

During the Ancient Era, this place was once the main battlefield where the gods fought to the death. They fought for countless millennia, shattering this perfectly good Star Domain into pieces.

Even now, countless star remains and wreckage of warships float in the Star Domain. Spatial rifts are visible everywhere, and the turbulent Law currents can easily tear apart any Cultivator below the Nirvana Realm.

As for the Spiritual Qi, it is pitifully thin—in the core Star Domains, the Spiritual Qi is thick enough to condense into spiritual liquid, but here, one breath contains half a breath of cosmic dust, and the efficiency of Cultivate is not even one-tenth of that in the core Star Domains.

Except for Loose Cultivator who cannot survive elsewhere and space pirates, no faction with a bit of wealth would gather in this place.

Deep within this chaotic Star Domain, on the far side of an asteroid belt, hides a giant warship with a dark golden luster.

The warship is thousands of miles long, its hull covered in profound Dao markings. Even with all its aura restrained, it emits a pressure that makes one's heart palpitate.

This is the "Xuanhui," a Half-Emperor-level vehicle gifted to Cang Meier by Old Ancestor Cang Xuan. Its concealment and defense are top-notch; even if a Cultivator of the Return to Void Realm passed by, they might not notice anything unusual.

The command cockpit is on the top floor of the warship, as spacious as a palace.

The surroundings are panoramic transparent portholes, allowing one to see the dead, silent Universe outside. A holographic star map floats overhead, with points of fluorescent light marking all the nodes of the Transit Star Region.

In the center of the cockpit, there is no serious command console; instead, there is a soft couch covered in white fox fur, with iced spiritual fruits and a jade pot of fine wine on the jade table beside it.

Cang Meier is leaning against the soft couch. She is very tall, with a standard nine-head body proportion, wearing a moon-white tube top long dress. The hem of the dress is embroidered with dark silver twining lotus patterns, and her waist is extremely thin, making her legs look even longer.

Half of her long, golden wavy hair is loosely tied up, with the rest draping over her shoulders, the tips brushing against her exposed collarbone.

She is twirling a star core the size of a pigeon's egg with her fingertips. Her eye corners are slightly upturned, giving her a naturally world-weary look. Her gaze is lazy and scattered, as if she is uninterested in everything, only occasionally flashing a sharp light when she blinks.

She has been sitting here for almost half a day.

Old Ancestor gave an order for her to come to the Transit Star Region to watch Zhou Liangan and, incidentally, cooperate with the Gongmen Family.

She didn't want to come originally—this place is so broken that it doesn't even have a decent cultivation room—but she cannot disobey the Old Ancestor's order, so she has to patiently wait for Gongmen Xiuzhu.

Just as she was distracted, the alloy door of the cockpit slid open silently.

A steady sound of footsteps approached, and Gongmen Xiuzhu strode in.

He is nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. He is wearing a black tight-fitting battle suit, his muscle lines clearly defined, and he carries the fierce aura of someone who has held a high position for a long time.

He just returned from scouting outside, still covered in a bit of cosmic dust, but his Face is smiling. As soon as he entered, his gaze glued onto Cang Meier, scanning her shoulders, neck, and long legs without any concealment before he spoke with a smile.

"Meier, have you been waiting long? I just took a lap around the Transit Star Region, and it was truly an eye-opener." Gongmen Xiuzhu walked to the jade table, picked up a cup of spiritual wine, and drank it in one gulp. He smacked his lips, "This place is too broken; the Spiritual Qi is so thin it's almost tasteless, and the Laws are shattered like a sieve. It's not even as good as the outer affiliated Star Domains of our Family. Old Ancestor Cang Xuan sent you to this ghost place—what kind of big deal is he trying to handle?"

Cang Meier raised her eyelids, scanned him casually with her beautiful eyes, and said in a calm tone, "Who else could it be for? It's that Zhou Liangan who has been making a lot of noise recently. Come to think of it, this person does have some ability; it's not all background as the rumors say."

"Zhou Liangan?" Gongmen Xiuzhu laughed as if he heard a joke, sneering with disdain all over his Face. "I thought it was some big shot, but it turns out to be that piece of trash at the Enlightenment Realm, First Stage." He slammed the wine glass on the table, his arrogance written all over his Face. "Isn't it just that he got lucky and got connected with the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation? Does he really think he's some sort of Prodigy? Why, did Old Ancestor Cang Xuan send you here to find a way to get close to him so the Old Ancestor can perform Possession on his Physical Body later?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Cang Meier's willow eyebrows instantly shot up.

She sat up straight abruptly, scanning Gongmen Xiuzhu coldly, her eyes filled with obvious anger. "Gongmen Xiuzhu, you can eat anything, but you cannot say anything. Is the Old Ancestor's plan something you can speculate about casually?"

She paused, lowering her voice with solemnity. "I'll be honest with you. The Old Ancestor said that the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation has an unusual relationship with that kid. Although you and I are both descendants of a Half-Emperor and have the protection of the Old Ancestor's Divine Soul when we speak, which prevents ordinary Half-Emperor from noticing, what kind of person is the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation? She is an old monster who has lived for who knows how many eras. Her Divine Ability can trace time and space. If she really targets us, with our level of cultivation, she can trace the Karma line, and every word we just said can be heard clearly. By then, if we anger that person, let alone you and me, even the Old Ancestors of our two families might not be able to cover for us."

Gongmen Xiuzhu, however, was indifferent. He laughed twice, reached into his collar, and took out a piece of spiritual jade the size of a pigeon's egg.

The jade was pure white, with a golden light flowing faintly inside. As soon as it was taken out, the entire cockpit was filled with a heavy and majestic aura—that was the Divine Soul pressure of a Half-Emperor.

"Look at what this is." Gongmen Xiuzhu tossed the spiritual jade, his Face full of smugness. "This was personally given to me by my Family's Old Ancestor, and it contains a Divine Soul Clone of his. With this thing here, it's equivalent to the Old Ancestor personally protecting us. Let alone tracing time and space, even if the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation scans over with her Divine Sense personally, she won't be able to probe a single word of ours. No matter how powerful that woman is, can she break through a Divine Soul Clone? She doesn't have that ability yet."

He said this while hanging the spiritual jade back around his neck and tucking it into his clothes, looking as if he were already invincible.

Cang Meier just glanced at the spiritual jade indifferently, her vermilion lips parted slightly, and her tone remained flat. "I hope so. I warn you, if this matter is botched and Old Ancestor Cang Xuan's layout is ruined, there will be no need for the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation to act; the Old Ancestor will be the first one to not spare you. At that time, your Family's Old Ancestor might not necessarily tear his Face with Old Ancestor Cang Xuan for your sake."

"Don't worry, don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Gongmen Xiuzhu waved his hand, sat down in the chair opposite the soft couch, leaned forward, and a trace of calculation flashed in his eyes. "Two days later is the second round of selection for the Human Council Tournament. We will follow the plan then. You are responsible for approaching him and finding a way to make him relax his vigilance, while I set up backup plans in the dark. He is just a kid at the Enlightenment Realm who hasn't seen much of the world. If you just hook your finger a little, won't he take the bait obediently? When the time comes, we will work from the inside and outside, and he won't be able to escape our trap."

Cang Meier didn't answer, just picked up the jade pot and poured herself a cup of spiritual wine.

She held the wine glass with her fingertips, gently shaking the amber wine inside, her gaze falling on the star remains floating outside the porthole, and she was silent for a long while.

"Be careful above all else." She finally spoke, her tone carrying a hint of imperceptible gravity. "I don't know why, but ever since I received the order, I have felt a bit panicked, always feeling that this matter will not go so smoothly. I hope I'm just overthinking it."

"Heh, you are just too cautious." Gongmen Xiuzhu sneered, leaning against the back of the chair with a disapproving look. "Isn't he just a kid at the Enlightenment Realm? Not to mention that we are plotting against him, even if we were to go head-to-head, I could crush him with one finger. With me here, there won't be any accidents. Just put your heart in your stomach and wait to watch the show."

Cang Meier didn't speak again, just took a sip of wine.

The nebula outside the window surged like a giant mouth swallowing all light.

The uneasy premonition in her heart did not dissipate because of Gongmen Xiuzhu's words; instead, it became heavier.

The two discussed the details of the plan for more than an hour, and then Gongmen Xiuzhu left the command cockpit reluctantly.

When the cabin door closed again, Cang Meier breathed a sigh of relief and leaned on the soft couch, rubbing her eyebrows.

Cooperating with a megalomaniac like Gongmen Xiuzhu is really exhausting.

She had a strong premonition that this mission would not be as smooth as planned.

Two days passed in a flash.

The location for the second round of selection for the Human Council Tournament was set on an abandoned star in the center of the Transit Star Region.

This planet was originally a dead star, with its surface full of lava and desert, without even an atmosphere. However, to hold this selection, the higher-ups of the Human Race dispatched three great powers of the Return to Void Realm to transform it together. In just half a month, the dead star completely changed its appearance.

When Zhou Liangan arrived, what met his eyes was a lush life planet.

A light blue atmosphere wrapped the planet, and there were mountains, rivers, plains, and forests on the surface, with rich Spiritual Qi permeating the air.

Of course, this Spiritual Qi was forcibly piled up by a large Spirit Gathering Formation, which cannot compare to the core Star Domains, but in this place of the Transit Star Region, it is already a world of difference.

The main stadium of the planet was built on the giant plain in the center, and dense stands were built around it, capable of accommodating millions of Cultivator to watch the battle.

At this moment, in the starry sky outside the planet, it was already filled with various warships and aircraft, from single-person flying shuttles to giant Sect warships, with colorful lights connecting in the Universe, bustling like a holiday.

Countless Prodigy rushed from various Star Domains and gathered on this planet.

They were all top Genius of their respective Star Domains, with profound cultivation at a young age, each of them arrogant and high-minded.

Every time a well-known Prodigy appeared, it would bring a wave of tsunami-like cheers from the stands, with fans and supporters shouting their names, making the scene extremely lively.

But everyone knew that there was only one protagonist today.

When a black figure stepped from the starry sky, the noise of the entire arena reached its Peak in an instant.

Zhou Liangan was wearing a simple black tight-fitting suit, his figure upright, and his Face handsome. He just walked through the air, with no attendants behind him, no warships, alone, his steps not fast, but carrying an inexplicable rhythm.

His Realm was clearly placed there.

Enlightenment Realm, First Stage, which was almost the bottom level among this group of Prodigy, but no one dared to really underestimate him.

After all, this is the person covered by that legendary Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation.

"Zhou Liangan! Zhou Liangan!"

The deafening shouts instantly swept across the entire arena.

There were those who genuinely admired him, believing that for him to break through the encirclement with the strength of the Enlightenment Realm made him a true dark horse.

There were also those just joining the fun, wanting to see what this legendary figure actually looked like.

Of course, more were filled with jealousy and resentment, waiting to see when he would crash and burn.

Zhou Liangan had no expression on his Face, as if the surrounding cheers and discussions had nothing to do with him.

His gaze swept calmly across the venue, and without stopping his pace, he walked straight toward the residential area behind the competition arena.

According to the rules of the tournament, the top one hundred Prodigies of this selection trial would all be allocated independent residences.

The top ten seeded contestants were each assigned a detached villa located on the Spiritual Mountain beside the competition arena, where the concentration of Spiritual Qi was several times higher than elsewhere.

Zhou Liangan was the one ranked first among the ten seeded contestants.

His villa was at the very Peak of the Spiritual Mountain, with the best view, the most complete Formation, and the most abundant Spiritual Qi—it was truly the premier spot.

The remaining nine seeded contestants' villas were arranged in order down the mountainside; for each lower rank, the location and configuration were a notch worse.

This arrangement directly struck a nerve with quite a few people.

Among the nine seeded contestants, the lowest cultivation level was the Middle Stage of the Nirvana Realm, with several at the Peak of the Nirvana Realm, and there was even a big shot at the Half-Return to Void Realm.

In their eyes, as a guy at the first level of the Enlightenment Realm, on what grounds was Zhou Liangan ranked above them?

Isn't it just because he has the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation backing him?

If we're really talking about strength, he isn't even fit to carry their shoes.

At this moment, at the entrance of the villas on the mountainside, several Prodigies were standing together, looking from afar at the most imposing villa at the Peak, their eyes filled with disdain.

"Hmph, what kind of thing is he, to be worthy of living at the Peak." The one speaking was the red-robed youth Yan Lie, the Young Sect Master of the Fire God Sect, with cultivation at the Peak of the Nirvana Realm, known for his notoriously explosive temper.

He spat, his tone full of contempt, "If you ask me, this ranking is a joke. A piece of trash who got here by relying on his background dares to call himself a seeded contestant? Once the competition starts, I'll be the first to challenge him and let him know what true strength is."

"Brother Yan, calm down." Beside him, the white-robed, scholar-like Wen Qingxuan smiled. He was a descendant of a scholarly Family and looked gentle and refined, but his eyes were full of calculation. "He has the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation standing behind him; even if his strength is lacking, his status is there. However... fists and kicks have no eyes on the competition field. If some accident really happens, even the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation wouldn't be able to say anything."

"Exactly, he's just a pretty boy who relies on women." Another burly man laughed loudly. "Once we enter the Life and Death Arena, I'll see if he can still be this arrogant. I'd like to see if the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation can save him from across the arena."

The few of them exchanged words, their tone filled with disdain and resentment.

They were convinced that Zhou Liangan was just a straw bag relying on his background, that his previous achievements were all helped by others, and that he had no real ability at all.

It wasn't that Zhou Liangan didn't hear these discussions.

He had just walked into the villa at the Peak when his Divine Sense swept over the activity on the mountainside, but he didn't take it to heart at all.

The villa was exquisitely decorated, with a garden in the front yard, a cultivation room in the backyard, and a Spirit Gathering Formation running around the clock, with Spiritual Qi so dense it was almost condensing into mist.

Zhou Liangan walked straight to the cultivation room, sat cross-legged on the cushion, closed his eyes, and began to circulate his Cultivation Technique.

He was different from those people.

His path was carved out step by step through slaughter.

So what if his Realm is low?

At the first level of the Enlightenment Realm, it's not like he can't fight those in the Nirvana Realm, or even the Return to Void Realm.

Others thought he relied on his background, and he couldn't be bothered to explain.

Once they were truly on the competition field, who was the trash would be known after a fight.

As for the petty actions of Old Ancestor Cang Xuan and the Gongmen Family, he was actually aware of them.

From the moment he began to stand out, there had been no shortage of people watching him.

Those who wanted to perform Possession on him, those who wanted to use him to curry favor with the Ancient Emperor of Reincarnation, those who wanted to use him to stir up trouble—there were all kinds of people.

He was long used to it.

He would deal with whatever came his way.

If they truly dared to come knocking, he wouldn't mind letting them know what it meant to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice.

Time passed bit by bit, and soon it was night.

Night enveloped the entire planet, and the lights of the competition arena lit up, resembling a glowing Dragon.

The villa at the Peak was very quiet, with only the faint sound of the Spiritual Vein flowing. Zhou Liangan had been cultivating, his body surrounded by a faint breath of Reincarnation; his cultivation level appeared unchanged, but his Foundation was becoming more solid bit by bit.

Just then, a crisp "Ding-dong—" doorbell sound broke the silence of the villa.

Zhou Liangan slowly opened his eyes, a strange look flashing in the depths of his pupils.

At this time, who would come looking for him?

He didn't move immediately, instead sending out his Divine Sense to scan.

Standing outside the door was a woman, tall and graceful, wearing a moon-white long dress, holding an exquisite food box in her hand—it was none other than Cang Meier.

Zhou Liangan's eyes darkened.

Cang Meier, a descendant of Old Ancestor Cang Xuan, a descendant of a Half-Emperor, ranked third among the seeded contestants this time, with cultivation at the Half-Return to Void Realm.

He had no prior contact with her; coming to his door late at night definitely meant nothing good.

He sat in place for half a minute before slowly rising and walking unhurriedly to the courtyard gate.

Outside the door, Cang Meier stood in the moonlight, feeling a bit nervous.

She had pressed the doorbell for quite a while, but there was no movement inside, and she even suspected that Zhou Liangan wasn't inside at all.

Just as she was considering whether to press it again, the villa gate slowly opened.

Zhou Liangan stood behind the door, his figure tall and straight, looking at her with a calm gaze.

"Something up?" He spoke, his voice not loud, carrying a trace of hoarseness from just finishing his cultivation.

Cang Meier immediately composed herself, a gentle smile appearing on her Face.

She lifted the food box in her hand and shook it gently, her tone so soft it could drip water: "Young Master Zhou, I'm sorry to disturb you so late. I had my accompanying chef make some Spiritual food snacks this afternoon, and thinking you just moved in and might not have had time to prepare food, I brought some over for you. I also wanted to get to know Young Master Zhou; after all, in the upcoming competition, we might need to look out for each other."

As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, the corners of her eyes carrying a hint of a smile—innocent yet seductive, with full lethality.

She had used this trick many times, and it had never failed.

But Zhou Liangan's expression didn't change in the slightest.

He neither invited her in nor took the food box, just leaning against the door frame, looking at her indifferently, his eyes carrying a trace of scrutiny.

"No need." A moment later he spoke, his tone flat, "I'm not hungry. I accept your intentions, but take the things back."

A direct refusal.

The smile on Cang Meier's Face stiffened. She hadn't expected Zhou Liangan to give her so little Face.

But she reacted quickly, immediately adjusting, and continued to say with a smile: "Young Master Zhou, don't be so distant. It's just some small snacks, not worth much money. I've carried them all this way; I can't just take them back, right? Just accept them, otherwise, I'd lose so much Face."

She deliberately softened her tone, carrying a hint of coquettishness.

Most men hearing this would basically not refuse again.

But Zhou Liangan didn't buy it.

"Whether you have Face or not has nothing to do with me." His tone remained flat, "It's late at night, a lone man and a woman—it wouldn't look good if it got out. Take the things away; if there's anything, say it during the competition."

After speaking, he prepared to close the door.

"Hey, wait a moment!" Cang Meier hurriedly reached out to block the door.

She was a bit angry and also a bit surprised.

Is this kid really impervious to persuasion, or is he just pretending?

She took a deep breath, put away that delicate look, and her tone became slightly more serious: "Young Master Zhou, the reason I came this time, besides delivering snacks, is that there is one more thing I want to remind you about."

Zhou Liangan raised his eyes: "What thing?"

"The water in this selection is very deep." Cang Meier lowered her voice, putting on an appearance of kindly reminding him, "Many people don't like you and want to make a move against you during the competition. Be careful yourself, don't get ambushed by others. Especially Gongmen Xiuzhu; that person is narrow-minded and uses underhanded methods. You'd best stay far away from him."

She spoke as if it were a serious matter, her eyes even carrying a hint of worry, looking truly like she was kindly reminding him.

Zhou Liangan looked at her for several seconds, then suddenly smiled.

The smile was very faint, flashing away, but it made Cang Meier's heart skip a beat.

"Is that so?" Zhou Liangan spoke slowly, "Then I must thank you for the reminder?"

"No need, no need, it's just a small effort." Cang Meier hurriedly waved her hand, "After all, we are all Human Race Cultivators; I can't just watch you get schemed against."

"Alright, I know." Zhou Liangan nodded, then reached out and gently pushed the hand she had blocking the door, "Anything else? If not, I'm going to rest."

His hand was very cold, not using much force, but it carried an irresistible strength.

Cang Meier subconsciously withdrew her hand. By the time she reacted, the villa gate had already closed with a "click."

Cang Meier stood at the door, holding the food box, her expression somewhat ugly.

She had actually been shut outside the door by a brat in the Enlightenment Realm?

If this got out, where would she, Cang Meier, put her Face?

But anger was anger; in her heart, she felt even more solemn.

Zhou Liangan's reaction was completely beyond her expectations—not lustful, not gullible, unnervingly steady, not at all like someone of this age should be.

Could a person like this be the kind of straw bag who rose to power by relying on his background?

Not a chance.

That uneasy premonition she had earlier was becoming increasingly strong at this moment.

That arrogant lunatic Gongmen Xiuzhu still thinks he's a soft persimmon.

I'm afraid in the end, it's not certain who will be pinching whom.

Cang Meier stood in place, silent for a good while, before turning and leaving with the food box.

The moonlight stretched her shadow very long, and the evening breeze lifted her skirt, carrying a trace of indescribable solemnity.

Inside the villa, Zhou Liangan stood behind the door, listening to the footsteps outside gradually fade away, his eyes turning cold.

Cang Meier, Gongmen Xiuzhu, Old Ancestor Cang Xuan... As expected, they still came knocking. He knew these people wouldn't stay quiet.

Zhou Liangan turned and walked back to the room, then released Ling Shuang, a playful smile curling at his lips, "Beautiful, let's continue... the human plan..."