86: Chapter 86 A stunningly beautiful and alluring woman!

The man was completely infuriated by Zhou Liangan's attitude. The terrifying Protective Aura around him erupted with a bang, compressing the surrounding air to a standstill, and even causing faint cracks to spiderweb across the ground.

His eyes threatened to split as he barked, "Kid, what nerve! If I don't kill you today, it will be impossible to appease the hatred in my heart!"

The beautiful woman beside him also grew cold-eyed. Her originally graceful Face was covered in a layer of frost, her jade-like fingers clenched slightly, and her tone was laced with ice. "Kid! There is a path to Heaven yet you do not take it; there is no gate to Hell yet you barge right in! Today, you are doomed to die!"

Hearing this, Zhou Liangan let out a disdainful sneer, his eyes sweeping over the two of them flippantly. His calm and casual demeanor made it seem as if the Peak Ninth Stage Meridian Opening Realm experts before him were nothing but chickens and dogs. He called out, "Cut the crap! If you two want to make a move, then bring it on. Do you really think this young master is afraid of you?"

These words completely ignited the man's fury. He turned to the woman beside him and said in a deep voice, "Yixuan, capture this man alive, extract his soul, and refine it into soul oil to make an example of him!"

Hearing this, Sect Leader Mu Yixuan curled her lips into a soul-stirring smile. With an alluring gleam in her eyes, she said softly, "Everything shall be as my husband says."

The two of them then swept their gazes toward Shi Yanfan, who was not far away. Hou Wenhan spoke coldly, his tone carrying a blatant threat, "There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If you want us to spare your life, you must show some sincerity now."

Hearing this, a strange look flashed through Shi Yanfan's beautiful eyes. She lightly bit her soft, pink lips, momentarily at a loss for words.

Her heart was in complete turmoil. Zhou Liangan's reputation preceded him, and the miracle of him breaking through nine stages in nine steps had spread far and wide. No one knew if he was hiding any trump cards. If she rashly sided with Hou Wenhan and his companion, and Zhou Liangan managed to turn the tables, wouldn't she be left without even a grave?

But on second thought, Hou Wenhan and Sect Leader Mu Yixuan were both Peak ninth-stage Meridian Opening Realm experts, only a step away from the Huagang Realm. Moreover, they had been Dual Cultivation Dao Companions for many years and were skilled in Yin and Yang combined attack techniques. Working together, even a powerhouse who had just entered the Huagang Realm would have to temporarily avoid their edge.

No matter how she looked at it, there was no reason for such a lineup to fail.

For a moment, Shi Yanfan's jade-smooth cheeks were filled with struggle and hesitation. Her fingers unconsciously twisted her hem, caught in a dilemma.

On the other side, Hou Wenhan and Sect Leader Mu Yixuan had already lost their patience. They exchanged a glance, instantly reaching a tacit understanding. Their Auras surged simultaneously as they launched a combined attack fiercely at Zhou Liangan.

A scorching intent of the blazing sun flickered on Hou Wenhan's body, his golden Protective Aura as dazzling as a blazing sun, burning the surrounding air.

Meanwhile, Sect Leader Mu Yixuan's entire body surged with an ink-colored, extreme Yin intent. The cold Aura was like the ice of the Nine Netherworlds, seemingly freezing even the light wherever it passed.

One Yang and one Yin, one hot and one cold—two completely different yet complementary Auras continued to climb, interweaving and fusing in the Void Realm to form an unprecedentedly terrifying and mighty force. The vast, surging waves of air rushed in all directions, sweeping outward like a tsunami.

Such a commotion naturally attracted the attention of many hidden experts nearby. In an instant, countless Divine Senses swept in from all directions like searchlights, landing on the center of the battlefield as whispers rose one after another.

"Interesting. Hou Wenhan and Sect Leader Mu Yixuan probably haven't joined forces in ten years, have they? Back then, they teamed up to slay an Early Stage Huagang Realm Yao Beast, making a name for themselves. To think they would actually use a combined attack technique against a junior today."

"Indeed, it has been at least ten years since we last saw them fight together. I just wonder where this kid came from, to actually make these two go to such lengths and unleash their trump card combined attack method."

"Huh! This kid's cultivation is actually only at the third stage of the Meridian Opening Realm? But looking at his bone age, he's probably not even twenty years old. To have a third stage Meridian Opening Realm cultivation at such an age, could he be a rising star from some Hidden Family? What a pity. With such heaven-sent talent, he will likely fall here today."

"A third stage Meridian Opening Realm Cultivator fighting against two Peak ninth-stage Meridian Opening Realm Dual Cultivation Dao Companions—how is this any different from seeking death? He probably won't even be able to take a single blow."

The many experts present were all existences standing at the top of the pyramid in this world, with the lowest among them being at the seventh stage of the Meridian Opening Realm. Seeing this situation, they all assumed Zhou Liangan was doomed to die, their words filled with pity but also a hint of enjoying the show.

Zhou Liangan's Face turned cold. He looked up at the two in the Void Realm, without a shred of fear in his eyes. Instead, they were filled with deep disdain. He barked in a deep voice, "Since you two are so bent on seeking death, it would really be unreasonable of me not to oblige you!"

Before his voice could fade, the Aura around Zhou Liangan suddenly underwent a drastic change. His originally peaceful third-stage Meridian Opening Realm Aura erupted like a volcano.

The surging Spiritual Qi circulated frantically within Zhou Liangan's body as he pushed the Tianji Qiankun Technique to its absolute limit. The surrounding Spiritual Qi formed visible golden vortexes that spun rapidly around him.

Immediately after, Zhou Liangan raised his hand and unleashed the Baji Fist technique. The wind from his fists howled and golden light shone brilliantly as a massive, colossal giant phantom slowly condensed in the Void Realm. The phantom stood tall between heaven and earth, its entire body exuding a vast and majestic Aura. Every movement carried the power to split heaven and earth, and just the leaking residual power caused the surrounding air to vibrate violently.

This scene instantly left all the experts present shocked and dumbfounded. The previous whispering came to an abrupt halt, and the entire battlefield fell into a dead silence, with only the Aura of the giant phantom echoing between heaven and earth.

"This... just what is this kid's background? With only a third stage Meridian Opening Realm cultivation, he can actually summon such a vast amount of Spiritual Qi and condense a dharma idol phantom of such power!"

"Terrifying! The grade of this Cultivation Technique is definitely not low; it's likely a Saint Rank technique! And for this Baji Fist technique to project such a clear dharma idol phantom, it must be at least a High Grade Heaven Rank Martial Skill! Such an Opportunity is simply Heaven-Defying!"

"I actually have some impression of this person. I think I saw him earlier at the entrance of the Secret Realm, but I didn't pay any attention to him back then. To think he is such a terrifying existence!"

"Wait! I remember now! Isn't this person Zhou Liangan, the one who created the miracle of breaking through nine stages in nine steps and is said to possess the bearing of a Human Emperor?"

In the crowd, an old man wearing a Zhongshan suit suddenly spoke up, exposing Zhou Liangan's identity in a single sentence. His voice was not loud, but it exploded like thunder in the ears of all the experts.

For a moment, everyone present was tongue-tied, staring in shock at the golden giant phantom standing tall in the Void Realm, and then at Zhou Liangan, who stood calmly in the field, their eyes filled with utter disbelief.

Breaking through nine stages in nine steps—that was a legendary talent. From ancient times to the present, not a single person had been able to achieve such a feat!

Even the ancient Human Emperor only entered the Meridian Opening Realm overnight, which had been passed down as a beautiful tale ever since.

But Zhou Liangan did it in nine steps and nine stages!

This talent was even stronger than that of the ancient Human Emperor!

No wonder he, at a mere third stage of the Meridian Opening Realm, dared to go head-to-head with two Peak ninth-stage Meridian Opening Realm experts. It turned out he was this ruthless character!

Zhou Liangan, merged with the golden phantom, looked down upon Hou Wenhan and Sect Leader Mu Yixuan from a commanding height. His gaze was indifferent and his expression cold. That innate pressure actually caused a trace of panic to inexplicably rise in their hearts.

Hou Wenhan and Sect Leader Mu Yixuan could naturally feel the vast and extraordinary nature of the golden light phantom in the Void Realm. That power had already surpassed the limit of the Tongmai Realm and even faintly touched the threshold of the Huagang Realm.

A pang of regret instantly welled up in Sect Leader Mu Yixuan's heart, and her guts turned green with remorse. If Hou Wenhan hadn't acted on impulse earlier and offended this baneful star over a trivial matter, how could she have ended up in such a miserable plight today?

But it was too late for regrets now. Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. At this point, their only option was to fight to the death.

Hou Wenhan seemed to sense the panic and hesitation in Yixuan's heart, and he hastily spoke in a deep voice, "Yixuan, do not be intimidated by his Aura! It is nothing but some unorthodox tricks. Our Yin and Yang combined attack technique has already reached Major Achievement; we can definitely fight him! Now that the arrow is on the string, there is no turning back. We can only fight to the death!"

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan took a deep breath, forcing herself to suppress the fear in her heart. She knew Hou Wenhan was telling the truth. At this moment, there was no retreat; they could only fight.

She nodded, and the extreme Yin intent around her surged once more, interweaving even more tightly with Hou Wenhan's blazing sun intent. In the Void Realm, a black and a white stream of Qi condensed into a massive millstone. The millstone spun rapidly, emitting a terrifying Aura capable of shredding everything—it was precisely their combined ultimate skill, the Yin-Yang Millstone.

Seeing this, Shi Yanfan secretly felt relieved. Fortunately, she hadn't let her head get hot and agreed to Hou Wenhan's demand just now; otherwise, she would probably be facing off against Zhou Liangan by now.

As for her almost surrendering to Hou Wenhan and his companion earlier, Shi Yanfan already had a plan. Once Zhou Liangan won, she would properly apologize, offer some sincere compensation, and surely, with Zhou Liangan's status, he wouldn't hold a grudge against a woman like her.

Zhou Liangan naturally had no interest in Shi Yanfan's petty thoughts. He stared grimly at the Yin-Yang Millstone in the Void Realm, a playful smile playing on the corners of his lips as he called out, "I told you, I will take care of your wife for you! You might as well accept your fate!"

Saying that, his gaze swept over Sect Leader Mu Yixuan's exquisite and graceful body. With a hint of playfulness in his eyes, he smirked wickedly, "Beautiful, if you stop now and surrender to me, not only will I spare your life, but I can also Cultivate with you right here. I see that what you Cultivate should be a Cultivation Technique of the Hehuan Sect. What a coincidence, I happen to know the Hehuan 108 Styles, so we can exchange some pointers."

As soon as these words came out, Hou Wenhan was so angry that smoke practically rose from his ears. The blazing sun intent around him instantly surged, and killing intent boiled in his eyes. Without any hesitation, he controlled the black-and-white millstone condensed from the Yin-Yang Energy in the Void Realm, hurling it fiercely at Zhou Liangan. Wherever the millstone passed, the Void Realm was shredded into fine lines, which was utterly terrifying.

But at this critical juncture, Sect Leader Mu Yixuan suddenly stopped her movements. The extreme Yin intent around her instantly retracted slightly, and the power of the Yin-Yang Millstone weakened accordingly.

Hou Wenhan instantly felt a strong sense of urgency. Realizing something was wrong, he hastily shouted, "Wife! He is only trying to drive a wedge between us! Do not believe his sweet talk! If we do not kill him today, we will both be left without a grave!"

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan had naturally heard the words of the old man in the Zhongshan suit earlier. Although the two sides were far apart, for a Tongmai Realm expert, their Divine Sense was powerful and their hearing was extraordinary. The old man's words had entered her ears without missing a single word.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Nine steps to break through to the ninth stage, the bearing of a Human Emperor, capable of unleashing power comparable to the Huagang Realm at only the third stage of the Meridian Opening Realm—such a figure was absolutely not someone she and Hou Wenhan could contend with.

She slightly raised her eyes to look at Zhou Liangan, a charming smile curling the corners of her lips. Her beautiful eyes swirled with emotion, tender and affectionate, and her voice was so soft it seemed it could drip water. "Since Young Master Zhou has spoken, I naturally cannot refuse to give Young Master Zhou Face. I do not ask for any status from Young Master Zhou; as long as Young Master Zhou agrees to leave me with your Bloodline, I will help you kill this ignorant wretch. How about it?"

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan was calculating well. She saw clearly that even if she and Hou Wenhan joined forces, they might not be Zhou Liangan's match, and could even end up dead with their souls extinguished.

This trouble was not something she had caused in the first place, and with her lingering beauty, she figured a dashing and romantic figure like Zhou Liangan would not kill her.

Rather than throwing her life away with Hou Wenhan, it was better to abandon the darkness for the light and defect to the towering tree that was Zhou Liangan; her future would surely be limitless.

Hearing Sect Leader Mu Yixuan's words, Hou Wenhan's Face instantly turned ashen, looking extremely ugly. He knew that he had no chance of winning today; with even his own Dao Companion defecting at the last moment, there was simply no need to continue this fight.

The many experts around, hearing Sect Leader Mu Yixuan's words, could not help but exchange glances, and then a low murmur of discussion broke out, filled with mockery.

"Hahaha! This is truly satisfying! This Hou Wenhan usually relies on his cultivation and status to act domineeringly in this Secret Realm, doing plenty of bullying. Today, he actually capsized in the gutter, provoking a malevolent star like Zhou Liangan, and even his own wife has defected! It's hilarious!"

"Indeed, with the bearing of a Human Emperor that breaks nine stages in nine steps, he only has the cultivation of the third stage of the Meridian Opening Realm, yet possesses such terrifying strength, capable of fighting Huagang Realm experts. If there are no accidents, this Young Master Zhou will surely be a Human Emperor in the future, ruling over all directions! For Hou Wenhan to dare provoke him is simply courting death!"

"This Sect Leader Mu Yixuan is quite smart; those who know the times are wise. Knowing she was outmatched, she decisively defected, which is better than throwing her life away with Hou Wenhan. This old thief Hou is likely to become the laughing stock of the entire Secret Realm today."

"The gap is simply too large! This old thief Hou will surely die today!"

The sound of the discussion reached Hou Wenhan's ears, causing his rage to pierce his heart and his blood to surge. Yet, he was helpless; he was now a lone wolf with no chance of victory.

Zhou Liangan, hearing this, laughed heartily, his eyes filled with approval. "Rest assured, beauty! As long as you sincerely surrender and pledge allegiance to me, I will surely treat you well in the future and will not mistreat you!"

Seeing that the situation was lost, Hou Wenhan felt intense fear and dared not hesitate any longer. He violently circulated all the remaining Protective Aura in his body, forcing an interruption of the Yin and Yang combined attack technique at the cost of suffering a backlash from his Cultivation Technique.

Hou Wenhan spat out a mouthful of essence blood, and a raging blood-red fire ignited around his body. This was his life-saving ultimate technique—the Blood Escape Technique!

"Young Master Zhou, it was my rudeness today to offend you, please forgive me! In the future, I will surely keep my distance and will not dare to be your enemy again!" Hou Wenhan threw out a plea for mercy and tried to use the Blood Escape Technique to escape.

Zhou Liangan's expression turned cold, and a trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes. How could he allow him to escape so easily?

Zhou Liangan raised his hand and threw a punch. The golden fist wind, like a meteor chasing the moon, carried the power of splitting the heavens and earth as it smashed fiercely toward Hou Wenhan.

With a loud "bang," the blood mist that Hou Wenhan had transformed into was instantly blasted apart, with blood rain flying all over the sky and scattering across the ground.

Zhou Liangan frowned slightly, silently lamenting the pity in his heart.

As an expert at the Peak of the Meridian Opening Realm, Hou Wenhan naturally possessed life-saving treasures.

Sure enough, the moment the blood mist exploded, a golden Talisman shot out from within, transforming into a stream of light that sped toward the distance. It was extremely fast, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

"A Substitute Death Talisman!" A trace of surprise flashed in Zhou Liangan's eyes, but he quickly returned to calm.

He recognized the origin of this Talisman; the Substitute Death Talisman was an extremely precious treasure capable of blocking a fatal blow for a Cultivator, equivalent to a second life. He had not expected Hou Wenhan to possess such a treasure, which had allowed him to escape a catastrophe.

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan watched the scene before her, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment. Her rosy little mouth was surprisedly open in an 'O' shape, and her eyes were full of disbelief.

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan knew Hou Wenhan's strength all too well; that Blood Escape Technique was his ultimate life-saving skill. Once used, his escape speed was comparable to an expert at the fifth stage of the Huagang Realm, making it a powerful Sharp Weapon for survival. Even an expert at the Early Stage of the Huagang Realm would find it far from easy to intercept Hou Wenhan when he used the Blood Escape Technique.

Yet now, Hou Wenhan's Blood Escape Technique had been easily blasted apart by Zhou Liangan's punch. If not for the Substitute Death Talisman, he would likely have already died with his soul extinguished.

This level of strength was simply too terrifying!

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan blinked her large, watery eyes, a sense of relief rising in her heart. She was glad she had decisively defected just now and had not thrown her life away with Hou Wenhan; otherwise, she would likely be a pool of blood mist right now, just like him.

She did not have a Substitute Death Talisman!

Even about this Substitute Death Talisman, Hou Wenhan had never even told her.

Zhou Liangan looked in the direction where Hou Wenhan had fled; there was not the slightest regret on his Face, but he could no longer catch up.

However, Hou Wenhan was already on Zhou Liangan's must-kill list.

If there was an Opportunity, he would definitely kill him.

Zhou Liangan's figure flickered, transforming into a stream of light, and in an instant, he arrived beside Sect Leader Mu Yixuan. He looked at her with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness. "Beauty, the words you said earlier, you weren't trying to deceive me, were you?"

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan, hearing this, instantly regained her composure. The corners of her lips immediately curled into a charming arc, full of allure, and she said softly: "How would I dare to deceive Young Master Zhou? Everything I said is true. In the future, I am willing to follow Young Master Zhou to the death, and will not hesitate to work like a beast of burden for you."

The incident of Zhou Liangan blasting Hou Wenhan apart with a single punch quickly caused an uproar among the experts present; everyone was shocked by Zhou Liangan's terrifying strength.

One must know that before the resurgence of Spiritual Qi, those who could enter this Secret Realm, even at the official level, were all top-tier peerless experts and regional overlords. Yet now, in front of Zhou Liangan, they felt unprecedented pressure.

Zhou Liangan's strength was simply too terrifying; being able to blast apart the Blood Escape Technique of a Peak Meridian Opening Realm expert at only the third stage of the Meridian Opening Realm—this level of strength was enough to make even experts of the Huagang Realm wary.

For a moment, the gaze of all the experts looking at Zhou Liangan was filled with awe, and the previous contempt and desire to watch a show were gone.

Zhou Liangan paid no attention to the gazes of the crowd around him. He raised his hand and waved; strands of golden Spiritual Qi shot out from his fingertips, laying down a dense layer of Restriction around this mountain, enveloping the entire Peak within it.

Inside this mountain, there was extremely dense Yin-Yang Energy, making it an excellent place to Cultivate, and Zhou Liangan naturally would not let others touch it.

Although the many experts around felt the incredibly miraculous Yin-Yang Energy within the mountain and were full of covetousness, the moment they thought of Zhou Liangan's terrifying strength, they instantly extinguished the thought in their hearts, never daring to compete with Zhou Liangan here.

The strength to blast Hou Wenhan apart with a single punch was enough to make them recoil; who would dare to easily provoke this malevolent star?

After Zhou Liangan set up the Restriction, he turned his gaze toward the two women, Sect Leader Mu Yixuan and Shi Yanfan. He leaned against a nearby boulder, arms crossed over his chest, a faint, indifferent smile on his lips, his tone flat.

"Today, I give you two a choice. The first choice is to agree to let me tattoo you, surrender to me from now on, and become my people. If you follow me in the future, you will have the best food and drink, and enjoy endless wealth and glory. The second choice is death." Zhou Liangan said with a smile.

Shi Yanfan, hearing this, felt incredibly bitter in her heart. She knew that the reason Zhou Liangan treated her this way was surely because she had nearly defected to Hou Wenhan and his companion earlier; he was giving her a lesson.

But having witnessed how terrifying Zhou Liangan was, how could Shi Yanfan dare to have any thoughts of resistance? Let alone just getting a tattoo, even if he asked her to work like a beast of burden, she would not dare to say a single word of refusal.

Sect Leader Mu Yixuan was the same; she had already made up her mind to surrender to Zhou Liangan. Getting a tattoo was merely a gesture of loyalty, which to her, was nothing at all.

In the Face of absolute strength, all resistance is futile; only by obediently submitting can one survive.

The two women exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness and submission in the other's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, they decisively chose the first path.

They spoke in unison: "We are willing to surrender to Young Master Zhou and will leave ourselves to your disposal."

Zhou Liangan, seeing this, raised the corners of his lips in satisfaction, a hint of playful amusement flashing in his eyes.

With a thought, he retrieved something from his System space. A black backpack appeared in his hands. He opened the backpack and took out a power bank, along with a set of professional high-end tattoo equipment—tattoo gun, tattoo needles, and ink, all complete. It left Sect Leader Mu Yixuan and Shi Yanfan dumbfounded, their Faces full of confusion.

They really could not understand why Zhou Liangan, as a Prodigy, would have these strange and bizarre things on him. This tattoo equipment looked exactly like the equipment in tattoo shops in the secular world; it was simply too incongruous.

Zhou Liangan looked at the two women's stunned expressions, the smile on his lips deepening. He picked up the tattoo gun, connected it to the power bank, and adjusted the equipment; the buzzing sound of the tattoo gun immediately rang in his ears.

He looked up at the two women and said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile: "Rest assured, my tattooing technique is professional. I guarantee to give you a unique tattoo that will make you remember it for the rest of your lives."

The two women looked at the tattoo gun in Zhou Liangan's hand, feeling helpless in their hearts, but they dared not resist in the slightest. They could only obediently let Zhou Liangan do as he pleased...

PS: The image is of Sect Leader Mu Yixuan.