89: Chapter 89 A stunningly beautiful and alluring goddess! My beauty! You can't escape...
Zhou Liangan took a deep breath. As his chest rose and fell, the depleted Spiritual Qi in his body began to surge once more.
The Tianji Qiankun Technique circulated frantically, and his golden Spiritual Qi surged like a river flowing backward, instantly pushing the power of the three Earth Rank Explosion Talismans to their limit.
On the Talismans, mysterious runes flashed with a blinding red light, and the terrifying energy fluctuations caused ripples in the surrounding air, as if they would explode at any moment.
"Go!" Zhou Liangan barked softly. With a sudden flick of his wrist, the three Explosion Talismans turned into three streaks of red light, shooting rapidly toward Sun Chuanwu, Xuan Yangzi, and Sect Leader Tie Cangying.
Along the flight paths of the Talismans, the air was scorched into three transparent trails, emitting a sizzling sound.
The pupils of Sun Chuanwu and the other two shrank rapidly, their faces instantly turning deathly pale.
They were all old hands of the Jianghu who had lived for over half their lives, so they naturally recognized that these were Earth Rank Explosion Talismans.
This kind of Talisman possessed limitless power; even a master of the Huagang Realm would be severely injured if they took it head-on, let alone them, who were only at the Half-step Huagang Stage.
The three of them dared not hesitate any longer, and almost simultaneously, they activated their trump card, the Blood Escape Technique.
Three blood-red lights erupted from their bodies. Their cultivation instantly plummeted, and their faces grew even paler, but their speed skyrocketed several times over. They turned into three streaks of light, fleeing in three different directions.
Although the Blood Escape Technique could save their lives, it required burning their own essence blood, which came at a massive cost. No one would willingly use it unless they were at a critical juncture of life and death.
"Trying to escape now? Too late!" A flash of ruthlessness crossed Zhou Liangan's eyes, his tone bone-chillingly cold.
He had already anticipated that the three would be driven to desperation and use escape techniques, but he hadn't expected them to actually be willing to burn their essence blood to perform the blood escape.
Just as his voice fell, three deafening explosions erupted one after another.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Three terrifying shockwaves from the explosions swept in all directions, and red flames soared into the sky, illuminating half the night sky.
At the center of the explosions, violent Spiritual Qi raged wildly, forming massive energy vortexes that instantly ground the surrounding rocks and trees into powder.
The terrifying airwaves spread out, blowing away distant tents. Three deep craters, several Zhang deep, were blasted into the ground, with cracks spreading like spiderwebs.
Grand Elder Wo Shuyan had originally wanted to launch a sneak attack on Zhou Liangan amidst the chaos, but seeing this earth-shattering explosion, she was frightened out of her wits. How could she dare to stay any longer?
Her pretty face turned pale as she turned and fled, her black qipao fluttering in the night wind, her voluptuous figure tracing an alluring curve as she ran.
A cold smile played at the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth, and he was in no hurry to pursue Grand Elder Wo Shuyan.
With a flick of his finger, an extremely condensed streak of golden energy shot through the air. This was a new application of the Qiankun Power he had recently developed.
This sliver of Qiankun Power seemed weak, but it contained the essence of the Tianji Qiankun Technique. It silently caught up to Grand Elder Wo Shuyan and attached itself to her Dantian.
This Qiankun Power was extremely bizarre; although the victim could sense the abnormality on their Dantian, they could not easily refine and dissolve it.
Even a master of the Huagang Realm would need at least a day to completely clear this sliver of Qiankun Power, and they would be unable to conceal their aura during that time.
What Zhou Liangan wanted to do was to make Grand Elder Wo Shuyan like meat on his chopping block; no matter where she fled, he would be able to pinpoint her location with precision.
Then, Zhou Liangan turned his head to look above him. The great golden light sword condensed from the Eight Immortals Demon-Slaying Formation was still hovering in mid-air, emitting a terrifying pressure.
Zhou Liangan took a deep breath, and the Spiritual Qi inside him boiled once more. He used his Qiankun Power to cleverly deflect a portion of the divine sword's power, then pushed the Tianji Qiankun Technique to its absolute limit.
"Break for me!"
Zhou Liangan let out an angry roar and threw both fists forward. The fist force of his Baji Fist and the Spiritual Qi of the Tianji Qiankun Technique achieved a perfect Fusion.
In the Void Realm, that sky-blotting golden fist shadow materialized once more, even more solid and terrifying than before.
The fist shadow, carrying a crushing and surging vast heavenly majesty, slammed fiercely toward the giant golden sword above.
Clang—!
A deafening metallic clang echoed through heaven and earth as the golden fist shadow and the great golden light sword collided violently.
This time, Zhou Liangan no longer held back. Under his full-power outburst, the giant golden sword could no longer maintain its form, instantly becoming covered in dense cracks.
Following closely, with a crisp crack, the great golden light sword shattered with a bang, turning into a sky full of golden light particles and dissipating into the air.
With the Formation broken, the nine Tongmai Peak experts who had set up the Formation on the perimeter suffered a powerful backlash almost simultaneously.
They spat out mouthfuls of blood, their bodies flying backward like broken kites before crashing heavily to the ground. Their faces instantly became pale as paper, and their auras grew extremely weak.
The Eight Immortals Demon-Slaying Formation was connected to the minds of those who cast it. With the Formation destroyed, they naturally suffered severe injuries as well.
Zhou Liangan's expression was slightly cold. Just as he was about to give chase, he felt the Spiritual Qi in his body as if it had been completely drained, and a wave of emptiness washed over him.
Consecutively executing full-power strikes of the Tianji Qiankun Technique and Baji Fist, while also activating three Earth Rank Explosion Talismans, was a bit too much for him to bear, even if his Spiritual Qi reserves far exceeded those of ordinary people.
At the same time, on the battlefield not far away, Sect Leader Mu Yixuan and Shi Yanfan were being entangled by several Tongmai Peak experts.
These experts had originally been arranged by Sun Chuanwu to hold the two women back. Seeing the Eight Immortals Demon-Slaying Formation broken and the fate of Sun Chuanwu's trio unknown, their pupils shrank slightly, their expressions instantly turning pale, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on their foreheads.
They knew very well that if Zhou Liangan managed to free up his hands, none of them would survive. They dared not hesitate any longer and immediately turned to flee.
Sect Leader Mu Yixuan and Shi Yanfan were naturally no pushovers either.
The two of them exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly, and launched a joint attack on the slowest runner.
Sect Leader Mu Yixuan muttered incantations under her breath as a faint pink mist rose around her. Countless thin strands of Yin Qi flew out like silk threads, instantly binding the person's limbs.
The man stiffened all over, his movements instantly slowing down. A look of pain appeared on his face, and the circulation of Spiritual Qi in his body also became sluggish.
Shi Yanfan seized the opportunity, and a silver needle flashing with a deep blue light appeared in her palm.
Her eyes turned cold, and with a sudden flick of her wrist, the silver needle shot out like a meteor chasing the moon, precisely piercing through the man's skull.
The potent poison on the silver needle took effect instantly. Before the man could even scream, he collapsed straight to the ground. His body rapidly blackened and rotted, turning into a pool of pus in a matter of moments.
Having dealt with one, the two women did not stop and continued to pursue the remaining few.
They knew very well that they had to pull up the weeds by their roots.
On the other side, where the explosion had occurred, the smoke gradually cleared.
Xuan Yangzi and Sect Leader Tie Cangying failed to escape the aftermath of the blood-red explosion and were directly blown into powder by the Earth Rank Explosion Talismans, leaving not even a trace of their bodies behind.
However, the storage rings of the two men were made of special materials and remained completely intact, landing in the ruins and flashing with a faint spiritual light.
With a sweep of his gaze, Zhou Liangan spotted the two storage rings.
Without any hesitation, he flicked his finger, and two streaks of golden energy flew out, wrapping around the storage rings and bringing them back, which he then casually tucked into his robes.
Although there were many Disciples from various major forces and Loose Cultivators watching from the surroundings, seeing how incredibly powerful Zhou Liangan was and how he killed without blinking an eye, none of them dared to step forward and snatch them from him.
They only stood far away, their eyes filled with awe and apprehension, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
However, Sun Chuanwu was quite fortunate. Relying on a defensive secret treasure he carried with him—the Xuanwu Shield—he managed to withstand most of the power of the Explosion Talisman and escaped.
At this moment, he was in a wretched state. His Sun Yat-sen suit was mostly destroyed by the explosion, and his exposed skin was covered in hideous, bloody wounds, his aura also extremely weak.
But he didn't dare to linger for even a second. He merely cast a resentful glance toward Zhou Liangan's location, his eyes filled with venomous malice and unwillingness, before turning into a blood-red streak of light and fleeing into the distance.
Looking in the direction of Sun Chuanwu's escape, a cold gleam flashed in Zhou Liangan's eyes, and he said in a chilly voice, "Trying to escape now? Too late."
Zhou Liangan would not easily let this old thing off. Today's matter had to be settled once and for all.
With a thought, Zhou Liangan opened the System panel.
He spent eight hundred destiny points to exchange for a rejuvenation pill.
This rejuvenation pill was an Earth Rank High Grade Medicinal Pill, which had the miraculous effect of rapidly restoring Spiritual Qi and healing wounds.
He tossed the rejuvenation pill into his mouth. The pill melted instantly upon entry, turning into a stream of pure energy that immediately coursed through his entire body.
Wherever the warm current passed, the depleted Spiritual Qi inside Zhou Liangan's body was rapidly replenished, and the fatigue and minor injuries from the previous battle were instantly healed.
In just a few moments, he had fully recovered to his Peak state. In fact, due to the rapid circulation of Spiritual Qi, his cultivation even showed faint signs of breakthrough.
Zhou Liangan praised inwardly, his gaze becoming even sharper.
Zhou Liangan turned to look at the nine heavily injured Tongmai Peak experts, a flash of killing intent in his eyes. These people were all Sun Chuanwu's lackeys. Since they had participated in the ambush against him today, they had to pay with their lives.
With a sway of his body, Zhou Liangan turned into a golden afterimage and instantly appeared before the nine men.
Without any unnecessary words, he casually threw out nine punches.
Each punch condensed the essence of the Tianji Qiankun Technique and Baji Fist, the whistling fist wind carrying a world-destroying power.
Bang, bang, bang...
Nine muffled thuds sounded in succession. The nine Tongmai Peak experts did not even have a chance to resist before they were turned into blood mist one by one by Zhou Liangan's punches, with their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.
Having dealt with these people, Zhou Liangan did not linger. Circulating his full power, he turned into a streak of light and sped off in the direction of Sun Chuanwu's escape.
In the dark, three figures hidden behind a rock silently watched all of this.
A strange look flickered in Liang Wanqing's beautiful eyes, and a sense of relief rose in her heart.
She had witnessed Zhou Liangan's terrifying combat power with her own eyes just now. Four Half-step Huagang experts joining forces, plus the Eight Immortals Demon-Slaying Formation set up by nine Tongmai Peak experts, had actually failed to take him down. Instead, they had been utterly routed by him.
"Fortunately, we didn't fall out with this person earlier. Otherwise, we would probably be dead for sure today," Liang Wanqing thought to herself in relief.
Beside her, Hou Wenhan was already dumbfounded, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.
An ambush by four Half-step Huagang experts, with nine Tongmai Peak powerhouses setting up a killing Formation on the perimeter—such a lineup was enough to wipe out a major force. Yet, Zhou Liangan was actually completely unharmed. On the contrary, not a single one of the nine Tongmai Peak experts survived, and two top powerhouses at the Half-step Huagang Stage had died. Of the remaining two, one fled with severe injuries, and the other had a tracking mark placed on them.
"Just what kind of monster is this Zhou Liangan?" Hou Wenhan muttered to himself, his heart filled with shock.
Beside Liang Wanqing, anger flashed in Liang Zichen's eyes, his fists clenching so hard that his knuckles cracked and turned white.
"To think that this person has actually grown to such an extent in such a short period. If we don't kill him inside the ruins this time, I'm afraid there will be endless trouble in the future," Liang Zichen's voice carried a hint of gritted teeth.
He knew very well that with Zhou Liangan's current momentum, it wouldn't be long before probably no one in the entire cultivation world would be able to deal with him.
Liang Wanqing naturally understood Liang Zichen's thoughts. She turned her beautiful eyes toward him and said calmly, "You are right, but we already have a plan. Your biological parents are in these ruins; they seem to have obtained some extraordinary Legacy, and their strength has greatly increased. If we have their help, and I mobilize all our hidden agents within the ruins, killing that man might not be a difficult task."
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Liang Zichen heard this and looked fixedly at Liang Wanqing, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.
"Good! Just as you said, once inside the Hou Mansion, I will attempt to contact my parents." Liang Zichen nodded heavily, speaking in a firm tone.
As long as he could kill Zhou Liangan and avenge the grudges of the past, he was willing to pay any price.
Liang Wanqing nodded slightly. "Then we shall proceed according to the plan."
High in the sky, Sun Chuanwu, like a stray dog, fled desperately toward the depths of the Hou Mansion ruins.
The wounds on his body were still bleeding continuously, his aura was growing increasingly withered, and the Spiritual Qi within his Dantian was exhausted.
He looked back at the golden stream of light in hot pursuit behind him, his heart filled with fear and despair.
"Zhou Liangan, I am a member of the Official Spirit Ability Department! If you dare to lay a hand on me, the Official department will certainly not let your Zhou Family off. You had better think this through!" Sun Chuanwu shouted behind him while fleeing, attempting to use the authority of the Official department to deter Zhou Liangan.
Zhou Liangan sneered, a thick look of disdain flashing in his eyes, his speed not slowing in the slightest. "Is that so? I'd like to see who would attack my Zhou Family for the sake of a dead man."
Zhou Liangan knew very well that the cultivation world was a world where the weak were prey to the strong; strength was the ultimate truth.
As long as he was strong enough, even if he killed Sun Chuanwu, the Official Spirit Ability Department would only be able to swallow this bitter pill and would not dare to easily act against the Zhou Family.
Sun Chuanwu's heart sank; he knew very well that what Zhou Liangan said was the truth.
Given Zhou Liangan's current momentum and strength, even if he were killed by him, the Official Spirit Ability Department might not necessarily break completely with Zhou Liangan, or even the entire Zhou Family, for his sake.
Zhou Liangan's momentum had already formed; he had become a rising star in the cultivation world, and no one dared to easily offend such a killing star.
"Zhou Liangan, if you spare my life today, I will certainly repay this favor in the future." Sun Chuanwu, in a moment of desperation, begged for mercy. "I have a granddaughter whose Physique is extremely special; she has the rare Pure Yin Physique. If you let me go, I can give that granddaughter of mine to you, let her serve by your side!"
In order to survive, Sun Chuanwu had cast aside all shame, actually coming up with the method of using his own granddaughter to trade for his life.
Zhou Liangan sneered, a thick look of disdain in his eyes. "Old thing, you really have no shame! To survive, you would actually give away your own granddaughter; you are truly unworthy of being a grandfather!"
"Young Master Zhou, you can't catch me, so why must you push me so hard?" Sun Chuanwu said with a trembling voice, his tone carrying a hint of pleading. "I am, after all, the seventh-in-command of the Spiritual Energy Department, and I hold quite a few Official resources and secrets in my hands. Keeping me alive is far more useful than killing me. Why must you risk offending the Official department to commit such an exterminating act?"
While speaking, Sun Chuanwu accelerated his flight, attempting to stall for time and find an opportunity to escape.
A cold light grew in Zhou Liangan's eyes, his tone bone-chillingly cold. "Enough nonsense! Sun Chuanwu, I said you will die today, so you cannot live! You had better obediently surrender, and I might just give you a quick death."
Sun Chuanwu fled desperately into the distance, his heart filled with despair and anger. The Spiritual Qi within his body was already mostly exhausted; he could not maintain this escape speed for long. If his Spiritual Qi truly ran out, there would be only a dead end.
Rather than being humiliated and killed by Zhou Liangan, it would be better to drag this little beast down with him before he died.
Thinking of this, Sun Chuanwu shouted loudly, "Do not push me too far!"
"Old scoundrel, today I am pushing you, so what can you do about it?" After Zhou Liangan finished speaking, the Tianji Qiankun Technique within his body was pushed to its limit, golden light exploded around his body, and his speed surged once more.
He threw a fierce punch forward, the wind of the fist whistling, creating bursts of sonic booms.
In the Void Realm, a massive golden fist shadow condensed once again, even more terrifying than before, wrapped in an overwhelming and surging celestial might, smashing fiercely toward Sun Chuanwu's direction.
This punch condensed all of Zhou Liangan's power, determined to completely blast Sun Chuanwu to death.
Sun Chuanwu's expression was extremely ugly; he felt that world-destroying aura behind him and knew he could no longer dodge it.
He steeled his heart, a trace of madness flashing in his eyes. "Kid! If I'm to die, we die together!"
At this moment, Sun Chuanwu actually stopped fleeing; instead, he abruptly turned around, and a thick, blood-red light surged from his body.
His aura skyrocketed in an instant, soaring from the Half-step Huagang Stage directly to the level of the Huagang Realm, and there was even a trend of it continuing to climb.
But his face became incomparably ferocious, his eyes blood-red and filled with bloodshot veins, his entire being exuding a thick, bloody stench and Death Qi.
In the Void Realm, a massive blood-colored skull slowly condensed.
This skull was several zhang tall, its bones covered in black runes, emitting a thick, bloody stench, while ghost-green hellfire burned within its hollow eye sockets.
It opened its blood-basin mouth, revealing sharp fangs, and let out a piercing roar as it bit fiercely toward Zhou Liangan's direction.
"Blood-Killing Curse!" Not far away, a group of observing Cultivators saw that terrifying phantom, their pupils shrinking violently, and expressions of horror appearing on their faces.
"It's actually the Blood-Killing Curse! This Sun Chuanwu is a ruthless man! He is actually sacrificing his own Soul to summon a Blood Demon; is he trying to perish together with Zhou Liangan?" A white-haired elder exclaimed, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"The Blood-Killing Curse! Hasn't this method been lost long ago? Rumor has it that this is a forbidden secret technique that requires sacrificing one's own Soul and essence blood to summon a Blood Demon. It has infinite power, but the user will ultimately also suffer Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, their form and spirit destroyed." Another middle-aged Cultivator said, his tone carrying a hint of wariness.
"Sun Chuanwu is, after all, the seventh-in-command of the Spiritual Energy Department; how could he not have some trump cards? This peerless Genius who broke through to the ninth stage in nine steps is likely to capsize in the gutter this time and be buried with this Sun Chuanwu." Someone said gloatingly, a trace of jealousy flashing in their eyes.
Zhou Liangan's rise had been too rapid, causing dissatisfaction and jealousy in quite a few people.
The crowd chattered away, all releasing their Divine Thought to closely monitor every movement in the arena.
They all wanted to see what the final result of this Peak duel would be.
After the blood-colored skull swallowed the golden fist shadow, it vanished into thin air for a split second, then came blasting toward where Zhou Liangan was located, its momentum undiminished.
Facing the blood-colored skull rushing toward him, Zhou Liangan sneered, not a trace of fear on his face.
With a thought, the Xuanling Shield in front of him instantly unfolded, turning into an invisible curtain of light that enveloped his entire being.
The light of the Xuanling Shield became even more brilliant, the runes on it flickering, emitting a powerful aura of defense.
Crack!
The blood-colored skull formed by the Blood-Killing Curse smashed fiercely against the light curtain of the Xuanling Shield, emitting a piercing, loud noise.
Ripples spread across the light curtain, but it remained indestructible.
The thick, bloody stench and Death Qi were simply unable to penetrate the defense of the Xuanling Shield.
After merely a moment of stalemate, the blood-colored skull began to dissolve and disintegrate.
The defense of the Xuanling Shield was too powerful; although the power of the Blood-Killing Curse was terrifying, it was still unable to break through it.
Not far away, Sun Chuanwu's body withered at a speed visible to the naked eye, the blood-colored light on his body growing fainter.
He had sacrificed his own Soul and essence blood, thinking he would be able to perish together with Zhou Liangan, but he had not expected Zhou Liangan's defense to be so terrifying.
The moment the blood-colored skull completely dissipated, Sun Chuanwu's body shook violently and exploded into a cloud of blood mist, dissolving into the dissipating curse.
But before he completely fell, seeing Zhou Liangan remaining unscathed in the face of the Blood-Killing Curse's attack, he let out a roar of unwillingness: "No!!!"
This roar was filled with despair, unwillingness, and resentment, echoing in the night sky for a long time.
After a long while, the blood mist dissipated, and the world returned to calm.
Zhou Liangan still stood in place, the Xuanling Shield slowly retracted, and the golden light on his body gradually faded. Apart from his robes being somewhat disheveled, he was unharmed.
Seeing this scene, those present were all dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief.
They had never imagined that the Blood-Killing Curse, a forbidden secret technique performed by Sun Chuanwu by sacrificing his Soul and essence blood, had not even been able to harm Zhou Liangan in the slightest.
"This... how is this possible? The Blood-Killing Curse couldn't even kill him?"
"Too terrifying! This Zhou Liangan's strength is simply unfathomable!"
"From now on, the cultivation world is likely to change; the name Zhou Liangan will surely resound throughout the entire world!"
The crowd discussed among themselves, their eyes looking at Zhou Liangan filled with awe and fear, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads, and their complexions were incomparably pale.
Zhou Liangan's strength had far exceeded their imagination; he was simply an existence like a demon god.
Zhou Liangan stepped on the Void Realm, his gaze coldly sweeping over the people watching the battle around him.
These people had been hiding in the shadows watching the show just now, clearly wanting to reap the benefits.
If he were not strong enough, he would probably have really fallen here today.
"If you do not retreat within three breaths, you die!" Zhou Liangan's voice was bone-chillingly cold, carrying an unquestionable majesty.
His words contained powerful Mental Energy, making everyone present feel a palpitation in their hearts.
Zhou Liangan knew these busybodies watching the battle all too well.
If he and Sun Chuanwu had ended up both injured just now, these people would certainly have swarmed up to loot all the belongings of both him and Sun Chuanwu.
However, these people all had some family backgrounds and were not of low status, so Zhou Liangan could not easily go on a killing spree and cause public outrage, otherwise there would inevitably be endless trouble in the future.
Upon hearing Zhou Liangan's reprimand, those present, without exception, felt as if they had received a pardon and turned to flee, fearing that if they were a step too slow, they would be silenced by Zhou Liangan.
They fled in a miserable state, crawling and tumbling, and within a moment, they disappeared into the night.
Zhou Liangan no longer paid attention to those fleeing, flying to the place where Sun Chuanwu had fallen.
With a sweep of his gaze, he discovered Sun Chuanwu's storage ring.
The storage ring that this old thing used was indeed an Advanced item; it was refined from deep-sea dark iron and was extremely sturdy. The previous explosion and the backlash of the Blood-Killing Curse had failed to damage it.
Zhou Liangan flicked his finger, rolled the storage ring over, and casually tucked it into his bosom.
As the seventh-in-command of the Spiritual Energy Department, Sun Chuanwu must have hidden quite a few good things in his storage ring; there would be plenty of time to slowly count them in the future.
After collecting the storage ring, Zhou Liangan closed his eyes, his mind sinking into his body, sensing the location of the Qiankun Power mark he had planted earlier.
Very quickly, he locked onto Grand Elder Wo Shuyan's location.
Zhou Liangan's lips curled upward, revealing an evil smile...
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