54: Chapter 54 A stunningly beautiful and aloof mature woman! Taking the initiative…

Dugu Yaoli stared fixedly at the man before her. Her delicate, pale-pink face flushed like a ripe peach, and even the skin on her neck turned a light shade of red. The tremor in her voice could not hide her extreme shame and anger. "You bastard! Don't even think about it!"

With a cool touch, Zhou Liangan gently pinched Dugu Yaoli's snow-white, delicate chin, his thumb rubbing against her smooth skin. A wicked smile curled on his lips. "That's not up to you, my little beauty."

Zhou Liangan's grip was not heavy, but it precisely prevented Dugu Yaoli from turning her head to dodge. She was forced to lock eyes with his wicked gaze. The surging playfulness and desire for control in his eyes made Dugu Yaoli's blood boil, and her rationality was nearly consumed by her rage.

Her beautiful eyes widened, and her words cut like knives, "You beast! Don't let me find even a single opportunity, or I will grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes, making you wish you were dead!"

Halfway through her harsh words, a pair of soft socks was suddenly stuffed into Dugu Yaoli's mouth. Her remaining angry curses instantly turned into muffled whimpers. She struggled desperately, her slender waist twisting as her bound, exquisite curves became even more alluring. Yet, her eyes remained locked onto Zhou Liangan, the hatred within them almost solidifying.

Zhou Liangan could not be bothered to look at Dugu Yaoli's wild behavior. With a slight thought, an invisible force enveloped her. In the blink of an eye, her desperately struggling figure vanished into thin air.

Dugu Yaoli was taken into Zhou Liangan's exclusive System space.

Zhou Liangan was not some lunatic who liked to perform in public. This fine show of handling a beauty was naturally to be kept for his private enjoyment. Besides, he had more important things to do next and had no time to waste here.

Having dealt with Dugu Yaoli, Zhou Liangan's figure flickered as he dashed straight into the depths of the Nangong Residence, sensing the density of the surrounding Spiritual Qi along the way, before finally stopping at a hidden side courtyard.

The Spiritual Qi here was several times denser than in other parts of the residence. Wisps of Spiritual Qi swirled around him like tangible matter, making it an excellent place to Cultivate.

The treasures plundered from the ruins this time were countless, but the one he valued most was that Saint-Grade Cultivation Technique, the Heaven-Grade Hunyuan Technique. Unlike ordinary, single-purpose Cultivation Techniques, this Saint-Grade Cultivation Technique was incredibly comprehensive. Not only was the technique itself infinitely profound, but it also came with its own exclusive Saint-Grade Martial Skill, Puppet techniques, and even Talisman-based offensive techniques that perfectly matched it. Once mastered, his strength would surely experience a qualitative leap.

Zhou Liangan hesitated no longer. He found a clean bluestone slab, sat cross-legged, formed a Cultivation hand seal, sank his mind into his Sea of Consciousness, and began to circulate the first layer of the Heaven-Grade Hunyuan Technique's Mind-Cultivation Technique. As the Mind-Cultivation Technique flowed, the surrounding Spiritual Qi seemed to be drawn by a massive pull, surging frantically into his body.

After just a moment, a faint golden glow enveloped Zhou Liangan's body. The light was gentle yet carried a heavy sense of power, cloaking him entirely as his aura steadily climbed at a visible rate.

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, two days had gone by.

On the morning of the third day, as the first ray of light filtered through the gaps in the courtyard leaves, the golden glow around Zhou Liangan suddenly flared up before slowly receding, completely merging into his body. He slowly opened his eyes, a golden light flashing across them.

A powerful aura far exceeding his past self diffused from Zhou Liangan's body; his cultivation at the seventh layer of the Bone-Forging Realm had stabilized.

Inside the grand hall, East Heavenly King stared fixedly at Zhou Liangan, who was finishing his cultivation in the courtyard.

At this moment, his face was filled with unbelievable shock. "What kind of freak is this kid? In just two short days, he actually managed to Cultivate a Saint-Grade Cultivation Technique to such a degree! Such talent is simply unheard of and unseen before!"

East Heavenly King had lived for so long and seen countless Geniuses, yet no one had ever achieved such a feat. He knew better than anyone how obscure and difficult a Saint-Grade Cultivation Technique was.

Before his shock could subside, East Heavenly King's face instantly turned ugly, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably—this reckless little bastard had actually set his sights on the spiritual spring buried deep beneath the residence!

The reason the Nangong Residence's Spiritual Qi far exceeded the outside world was entirely due to the support of this spiritual spring.

But right now, the water from the spiritual spring was flowing continuously toward Zhou Liangan under an invisible force, clearly being stashed away by him into that mysterious space.

East Heavenly King clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, feeling both angry and anxious. "This little bastard! What is the origin of that spatial treasure on him? It can even forcibly extract a spiritual spring?"

He focused his gaze and saw that in just a short moment, the reserves of the underground spiritual spring had already decreased by ten percent. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before his precious spiritual spring was completely emptied by this kid!

He could wait no longer!

Steeling his heart, East Heavenly King stopped hiding. With a sudden wave of his large hand, a golden light flashed in the Void Realm. A golden hand several chang in size materialized out of thin air, carrying a world-destroying power. It grabbed Zhou Liangan, who was still frantically extracting the spiritual spring in the courtyard, and before he could react, threw him away fiercely.

"Off you go!"

Zhou Liangan felt a massive force strike him as his body launched into the air uncontrollably, the wind howling in his ears. By the time he stabilized himself, he had already been thrown out of the Nangong Ruins, landing in the Nangong Family's ancestral hall.

With a helpless look, he shouted toward the ruins, "Senior, you are the dignified Eastern Heavenly King after all. Surely you don't have to be this stingy? I only took ten percent of the spiritual spring, is there really a need to get so worked up?"

Within the ruins, East Heavenly King's face flushed red with rage. A roar pierced through the Void Realm, shaking the surrounding air. "Scram! Scram as far away as possible! Don't let this King ever see you little thief again!"

Zhou Liangan curled his lips, but his heart was bursting with joy. Although being kicked out was a bit embarrassing, the harvest from these past few days was so abundant that others couldn't even dream of it in a lifetime.

No wonder they said the fastest way to make a fortune in this world was robbery... cough cough... exploring ruins!

Just Cultivation Techniques alone, he had plundered a hundred books—sixty-four Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques and thirty-six Saint-Grade Cultivation Techniques, each one a rare treasure in the world.

There was also that spiritual spring; although he only took ten percent, the amount was still extremely considerable, enough to sustain his Cultivation for a long time.

Aside from that, the top-tier spiritual materials in the ruins were piled up like mountains. Exquisite items like Heaven Rank teacups, tea chairs, and tea tables were countless. Taking any single one out would stir up a bloodbath in the outside world.

Not to mention, there was Dugu Yaoli, a top-tier beauty with terrifyingly dense destiny points, and the nine Immortal-Binding Ropes on her body that could be called supreme treasures.

Just thinking about these gains made Zhou Liangan feel incredibly refreshed. He secretly sighed that, indeed, one shouldn't be too rigid; one should be daring enough to venture and seize. This wave of gains was definitely not a loss!

Zhou Liangan even felt that since he was so "unrestrained by trivialities," even the Eastern Heavenly King must have been moved by his "honesty." Otherwise, the King wouldn't have just kicked him out without delivering a fatal blow.

Within the ruins, East Heavenly King's figure slowly materialized. When he saw the state of the outer hall, he instantly wanted to weep but had no tears, nearly spitting out a mouthful of old blood.

The once magnificent outer hall was now completely unrecognizable. The spiritual jade floor tiles had been scraped clean, and even the spiritual crystal inlays on the walls had been pried off entirely. Potholes were everywhere, making it look even more miserable than if it had been ransacked by bandits.

Holding his forehead, he wailed in utter collapse, "Sigh! That damned little thief! He's finally gone! My residence..."

On the other side, just as Zhou Liangan stood firm outside the Nangong Family's ancestral hall, his heart suddenly tightened as a strong sense of crisis instantly enveloped his entire body.

Zhou Liangan could clearly perceive at least seven incredibly powerful auras locking onto him at the exact same time. The intensity of those auras far surpassed any opponent he had encountered before.

Zhou Liangan's expression instantly turned grave, and ten thousand "grass mud horses" galloped through his mind as he secretly grumbled: When did this small Jiang City get so many Tongmai Realm experts?

The Tongmai Realm was an existence two major Realms higher than the Bone-Forging Realm. Under normal circumstances, being able to meet even one was considered good luck. Today, seven had actually shown up all at once. Were they treating him like a lamb to be slaughtered?

Almost the instant he sensed them, seven figures flashed like ghosts, immediately surrounding him in the center of the ancestral hall.

All seven of them had steady auras and sharp gazes, looking to be only around thirty years old. There were five men and two women. The pressure radiating from them made the air in the entire ancestral hall courtyard turn stagnant.

One of them was particularly eye-catching—a young woman who looked no more than twenty years old. She was matchlessly beautiful, her plain white dress accentuating her slender figure and snow-like skin, though her brow carried an innate air of superiority.

Her eyes were as cold as ice. When they swept over Zhou Liangan, they carried not a hint of warmth. Her opening words were a cold interrogation, "Clearly, three people entered the ruins earlier. Why is it that only you have come out now? Where are the other two?"

As early as the moment these seven appeared, Zhou Liangan had already activated the Xuanling Shield on his body. A light blue light barrier enveloped him, acting like a copper wall and iron bastion to completely shut out the pressure of the several individuals.

He now had the support of the spiritual jade floor tiles plundered from the ruins, providing a continuous stream of Spiritual Qi needed for the Xuanling Shield. Even if he kept it active for a long time in the outside world, he did not have to worry about running out of Spiritual Qi at all. This was also the source of his confidence to face seven Tongmai Realm experts head-on.

Zhou Liangan raised his eyes and coldly swept his gaze over the people surrounding him. His tone was indifferent and carried a hint of arrogance. "Everyone, I am not your prisoner, and I have no obligation to answer your questions. As for the answers you want, I will speak if I want to, and I won't if I don't. Why, is there a problem?"

As soon as these words were spoken, all seven of them were stunned, then looked at each other. They clearly had not expected this Junior, who appeared to be only in the Bone-Forging Realm, to actually dare to boast so shamelessly and act so arrogantly while surrounded by seven Tongmai Realm experts.

One of them, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe, took a step forward. His powerful aura was released without reservation, and his pressure swept toward Zhou Liangan like a giant wave. A mocking smile curled on his lips. "A Junior at the seventh layer of the Bone-Forging Realm dares to be so insolent before us. It is simply laughable to the extreme, not knowing the heights of the heavens and the depths of the earth!"

After Cultivating in the ruins, Zhou Liangan had already made consecutive Breakthroughs of two layers. His current cultivation was indeed at the seventh layer of the Bone-Forging Realm.

Yet even so, in the eyes of Tongmai Realm experts, he was indeed as insignificant as an ant.

However, Zhou Liangan showed no fear at all. Instead, a trace of frenzied Battle Intent flashed in his eyes.

He secretly calculated: East Heavenly King's remnant soul is still inside the ruins. Even if I throw out a few Explosion Talismans, with that old fellow's strength, he should be able to block them, right?

At worst, I'll just apologize afterward. In any case, I won't be the one suffering a loss.

At this moment inside the ruins, East Heavenly King had just calmed the anger in his heart and was preparing to repair the outer hall damaged by Zhou Liangan when a strong, ominous premonition suddenly welled up in his heart.

His heart tightened, and he immediately released his Divine Sense to thoroughly sweep the entire ruins. After confirming that Zhou Liangan had not left any hidden tricks inside, he breathed a sigh of relief and muttered to himself, "Perhaps I am overthinking. That kid is only at the Bone-Forging Realm. Even if he is bold, he wouldn't dare to act recklessly under my very nose..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a violent explosion echoed from the direction of the ancestral hall, shaking the entire ruins. East Heavenly King's face changed dramatically, and he couldn't help but let out a earth-shattering roar, even changing how he addressed him, "Kid! I fuck your Immortals!"

East Heavenly King dared not delay any longer. The golden giant hand materialized once more, instantly enveloping the entire Nangong Family's ancestral hall. Dazzling golden light soared into the sky, barely blocking the aftershocks of the explosion.

Even so, the entire Nangong Family's old mansion—aside from the ancestral hall protected by the golden light—was devoured by towering flames in an instant. The blazing fire raged, turning it into a blackened ruin in the blink of an eye.

Outside the ancestral hall, although those seven Tongmai Realm experts had their cultivation protecting their bodies, they still failed to completely dodge the impact of the explosion. Their bodies shook, and blood leaked from the corners of their mouths. All of them were more or less injured, and the gaze they directed toward the ancestral hall held a few more traces of wariness and shock.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Inside the Xuanling Shield, a ferocious grin appeared on Zhou Liangan's face. He looked at the disheveled figures outside and laughed loudly: "You old bastards! Come on! Keep coming to bully your Grandpa Zhou! Do you even deserve to? You're all so old, yet you have no shame, ganging up on a Junior to show off your might. It's absolutely disgraceful!"

Inside the Nangong Ruins, the Eastern Heavenly King, East Heavenly King, was incensed. He finally understood: this little bastard was a complete rogue who played by no rules. He would blow things up at the slightest disagreement—he was truly a Devil King wreaking havoc on the world.

In his extreme rage, he slammed down with a massive golden hand, grabbing the Meridian Opening Realm expert closest to the ancestral hall. The man didn't even have time to react before the massive hand struck him hard, instantly exploding him into a mist of blood, leaving not even a shred of his soul behind.

Immediately after, East Heavenly King's furious voice resonated in Zhou Liangan's mind, carrying a heavy warning: "Kid! This is the last time! If you dare to blow up my ancestral hall again, even if Xiaomeng pleads for you, I will never let you off. I will definitely ensure your Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!"

Zhou Liangan felt a shiver in his heart. This dignified Eastern Heavenly King had actually changed his self-reference from "this King" to "I," showing that he had truly been pushed to his limits.

Zhou Liangan knew clearly that he couldn't keep playing this game. If he threw out another wave of Explosion Talismans, that massive golden hand that easily crushed a Meridian Opening Realm expert would surely target him next.

East Heavenly King's action appeared to be helping him by warning the others, but in reality, it was also a reprimand. It was meant both to protect him and to intimidate him; after all, this ancestral hall was the Foundation of the Nangong Family. If it kept getting blown up, the Nangong Family would lose both its face and its Foundation.

The remaining six Meridian Opening Realm experts had witnessed their companion being instantly killed. Their previous confident and arrogant demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by grave expressions and lingering fear.

Only then did they realize that this seemingly insignificant Bone-Forging Realm Junior actually had such a terrifying powerhouse backing him. The one inside the ruins was clearly determined to protect him.

Everyone's gaze fixed squarely on Zhou Liangan. Their eyes were complex—filled with wariness, confusion, and a hint of unwillingness—but no one dared to step forward and provoke him again.

Zhou Liangan sneered and slowly swept his gaze over them, his tone full of arrogance: "What? Do you still want this Young Master to give you an explanation?"

These people were all old foxes who had lived for most of their lives. Seeing that hard tactics wouldn't work, they immediately changed their attitude, lowered their stance, and wanted to use soft methods to extract the secrets of the ruins from Zhou Liangan.

The first to speak was the man who looked the most refined. He wore a kind smile, took a step forward, and said in a friendly tone: "Young Master Zhou, right? I am Chen Changfeng from the provincial capital. Speaking of which, I have some friendship with the Su Family where your mother resides. Ahem... My granddaughter, Chen Youya, is a beauty of unparalleled grace. If Young Master Zhou is interested, why not visit my Chen Family another day? I will certainly welcome you with open arms."

As soon as these words were spoken, the others cursed inwardly, calling the old fox Chen Changfeng cunning and shameless. He had started climbing relationships and building connections so quickly, even bringing out his own granddaughter—he truly had no bottom line.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liangan raised an eyebrow, his heart stirring—Chen Changfeng?

Zhou Liangan had naturally heard of this name. This man was the head of the provincial capital's Chen Family, possessed formidable strength and a deep background. And his granddaughter, Chen Youya, was recognized as the number one beauty at Yanjing University—stunningly beautiful and exceptionally talented, a goddess desired by countless people.

The thought of meeting such a top-tier beauty made Zhou Liangan's eyes light up. This was a blessing delivered to his doorstep; how could he refuse?

He chuckled, his tone softening a bit: "Senior, rest assured. One day, I will definitely visit the Chen Family in person to see Young Miss Chen's elegance."

Seeing him agree, Chen Changfeng's smile deepened, and he nodded immediately: "Good! Straightforward! Keep this token. When you arrive at the Chen Family in the future, just hand this token to the person in charge, and they will contact me immediately."

As his voice fell, an ancient and mysterious black token flew from his hand. The token was engraved with intricate patterns and exuded a faint spiritual charm. It flew through the air towards Zhou Liangan and landed precisely on the Xuanling Shield.

With a soft "clang," the Xuanling Shield remained motionless, not even creating a single ripple.

Zhou Liangan sneered inwardly. This old fox still didn't forget to test the sturdiness of the Xuanling Shield even at this moment; he certainly had a good plan.

With a thought, he manipulated the Spiritual Qi in his body to form a suction force, directly pulling the token in from outside the Xuanling Shield and storing it in his System space.

He knew clearly that if he wanted to go to the Chen Family to see that number one goddess of Yanjing University, he would have to wait until his strength reached the next level.

Otherwise, given Chen Changfeng's craftiness, if he didn't have enough strength to back him up, going to the Chen Family would likely result in not only failing to see the beauty but also being manipulated by the other party—a loss that outweighed the gain.

The remaining five people watched Chen Changfeng's opportunistic behavior, all secretly despising him in their hearts. To inquire about the secrets of the ruins, this guy had absolutely no shame.

It was one thing to be obsequious to a Junior, but he even used his own granddaughter as bait.

Who didn't know that this old man's precious granddaughter, Chen Youya, had long been engaged to a top-tier wealthy family in Yanjing? This was just a pie in the sky he had casually drawn.

The others were speechless but helpless, and could only watch as Chen Changfeng seized the initiative.

Through the previous test, Chen Changfeng had already determined that the Xuanling Shield was incredibly sturdy and could not be broken by their combined strength. Coupled with the thick aura of Heaven's Punishment that had intertwined in the world when the massive golden hand appeared earlier...

It was enough to prove that the powerhouse in the ruins was still alive, and their strength was unfathomable. It was clear they were determined to back Zhou Liangan.

If they attacked Zhou Liangan in front of that powerhouse, they would inevitably suffer a crazy backlash. By then, let alone inquiring about the secrets of the ruins, whether they could even keep their lives would be unknown.

After thinking it over, Chen Changfeng completely dismissed the idea of attacking. However, he didn't leave immediately, intending to watch from the shadows instead. If anyone else couldn't hold back and attacked Zhou Liangan, he could just sit back and reap the rewards.

Zhou Liangan looked at the group of old foxes in front of him, each harboring their own ulterior motives, and felt increasingly speechless. He sneered and shook his head, his tone laced with mockery, and deliberately shouted towards the direction of the ruins: "If you all don't want to leave, then why not just stay here! Senior, please take action and help this Junior wipe out these evildoers, so that we may restore peace to the Nangong Family ancestral hall!"

As soon as he said this, East Heavenly King inside the ruins nearly jumped with rage, cursing at the air: "How did my descendants get entangled with a rogue like you! Damn it! Truly damn it!"

How shrewd was East Heavenly King? How could he not hear the subtext of Zhou Liangan's words? This kid was clearly threatening him. If he didn't help him solve these troubles, he would surely throw out those Explosion Talismans again. By then, while these Meridian Opening Realm experts would suffer again, his ancestral hall would likely suffer too.

In extreme helplessness, East Heavenly King's face turned livid. Without any further hesitation, the massive golden hand condensed again, slamming down with the force of thunder.

This time, East Heavenly King did not hold back. The three Meridian Opening Realm experts closest to the ancestral hall didn't even have a chance to dodge before they were instantly struck by the massive hand, exploding into mists of blood, leaving no corpses behind.

In just a quarter of an hour, four of the original seven Meridian Opening Realm experts had perished. The remaining three were terrified out of their wits. How could they dare to stay for even a moment? They all unleashed their full cultivation, turned into three streaks of light, and fled wildly outside of Jiang City, fearing that if they were even a step late, they would end up with the same fate as their companions.

Just as that plain white, cold figure was about to disappear into the horizon, a cold and ethereal voice transmission suddenly echoed in Zhou Liangan's mind, the voice pleasant to the ear: "I am Yong Ruxin, the second person in charge of Nanjiang Province. If you don't want to be hunted down endlessly, come to the Jiang City Sanatorium to see me. I will stay in Jiang City for two days; I will not wait past that."

Zhou Liangan looked up and happened to see that cold, otherworldly, and stunningly beautiful figure turn into a white light and disappear into the clouds. A hint of heat flashed in his eyes—meeting such a beautiful, cold-tempered, and powerful woman didn't seem like a bad thing.

However, on second thought, Zhou Liangan had other plans. The most important thing right now was to deal with Dugu Yaoli in the System space and plunder the rich destiny points from her. After all, destiny points were the key to improving his strength. Only with enough destiny points could he exchange for the spiritual fruits needed for advancement and take the Heaven-Grade Hunyuan Technique a step further.

Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed in Zhou Liangan's eyes; he already had a plan in mind.

After confirming that the four people were completely gone and there were no other powerful auras nearby, Zhou Liangan finally put away the Xuanling Shield. With a flash of his figure, like an arrow released from a bow, he sped towards his villa. His speed was astonishing, and the scenery along the way turned into blurry afterimages.

Speeding all the way, Zhou Liangan kept his Divine Sense fully open, carefully sensing every movement around him, fearing that those Meridian Opening Realm experts might return and catch him off guard.

After returning to his luxurious villa, he immediately activated the Xuanling Shield again, covering the entire villa. He also laid the Spiritual Qi floor tiles he had brought from the ruins under the villa to serve as the energy source for the Xuanling Shield, directly activating the all-weather defense mode.

It's better to be safe than sorry. No one knew if those escaped Meridian Opening Realm experts would hold a grudge or unite with more powerhouses to come looking for him. Caution is the parent of safety; with the Xuanling Shield, he could at least ensure his own safety.

After settling everything, Zhou Liangan finally calmed down to think about his subsequent plans. The most urgent task was to improve his strength. His cultivation at the 7th Layer of the Bone-Forging Realm was ultimately too weak when facing Meridian Opening Realm experts. Only by advancing the Heaven-Grade Hunyuan Technique as soon as possible could he possess the strength to truly protect himself or even crush them.

But he soon encountered a difficulty. To advance the Saint-Grade Cultivation Technique, he needed a supreme treasure called the "Nine-Turn Spiritual Fruit." This spiritual fruit required 3,000 destiny points to be exchanged in the System store, and the destiny points he currently had were still far from enough to exchange for it.

However, very soon, a smile appeared on Zhou Liangan's face. He remembered Dugu Yaoli, whom he had locked in the System space. She was a "power bank" with terrifyingly rich destiny points. As long as he plugged in the data cable, let alone 3,000 destiny points, he would likely have quite a bit left over.

Thinking of this, Zhou Liangan no longer hesitated. With a thought, the door to the System space slowly opened, and a graceful figure was released from inside—it was Dugu Yaoli, who had been tied up like a rice dumpling by the Immortal-Binding Rope.

Nine Immortal-Binding Ropes glowing with golden light tightly bound her sexy, voluptuous, and graceful body, outlining breathtaking, perfect curves. Her originally scattered long hair was slightly messy, which added a sense of broken beauty. Her fair, pinkish face still carried an unvanished flush, and her beautiful eyes were filled with hatred and unwillingness.

Dugu Yaoli glared fiercely at Zhou Liangan, her mouth still stuffed with Zhou Liangan's sock, and she could only make muffled sounds of protest. This appearance, far from being terrifying, instead exuded an extreme temptation, causing Zhou Liangan to feel a surge of agitation, with a flash of undisguised amazement and heat in his eyes...

PS: The image is of Yong Ruxin.