93: Chapter 93 A captivating and mature beauty! Imprisoned…you bastard!

Zhou Liangan stood in place, his calm gaze sweeping across the five people before him.

The Aura around his body was heavy and condensed, his robes fluttering even without wind. A faint Spiritual Qi subtly circulated, yet there was no outward display of sharpness. He was like a bottomless cold spring, making it impossible to gauge his depths.

Of the five, Liang Tonghe was the first to make a move.

An ink-black Devilish Qi, so dense it was almost tangible, suddenly surged from his body. Like a dark cloud pressing down, it instantly enveloped him. The Devilish Qi carried an Aura of violence and bloodlust, making the very air turn thick and viscous.

He did not hesitate in the slightest, clearly intent on killing Zhou Liangan. After all, Liang Zichen had suffered a great loss at Zhou Liangan's hands previously, and as his father, he naturally had to settle this score himself.

Almost at the exact moment Liang Tonghe channeled his Devilish Qi, Fan Xianya beside him also moved.

Clad in a long dress, her figure was slender and graceful, and her skin was fairer than snow. She extended a pale, delicate hand with long, rounded fingertips, her movement casual and effortless, as if she were merely giving a gentle, offhand push forward.

Yet as this seemingly casual movement fell, a faint hum suddenly echoed in the Void Realm. The Yin-Yang Energy, like two intertwining spirit serpents, rapidly gathered and took shape, transforming into a giant palm that blotted out the sky. The palm lines were clearly visible, carrying the wondrous power of Yin and Yang rotation as it slammed down fiercely toward Zhou Liangan's position.

Before the giant palm even touched the ground, the floor tiles below began to crack, with countless fine lines spreading out, showing the terrifying power it contained.

At the same time,

the ink-black Devilish Qi behind Liang Tonghe also coalesced into a giant fist shadow. Devilish flames churned atop the fist shadow, and the faint sounds of ghosts wailing and wolves howling echoed from it. Carrying an equally earth-shattering Aura, it blasted toward Zhou Liangan.

One hard and one soft, one devilish and one of Yin and Yang, the two attacks complemented each other. Carrying surging Killing Intent, they surged wildly, instantly sealing off all of Zhou Liangan's paths of retreat, leaving a suffocating pressure in the air.

Fan Lingling, the black-robed man, and Liang Zichen stood in the rear, their eyes locked tightly on the center of the battlefield, their faces filled with ruthlessness.

Liang Zichen clenched his fists even tighter, a flash of pleasure crossing his eyes. He seemed to already see the scene of Zhou Liangan being torn to shreds by the two attacks, and the resentment accumulated in his heart was finally vented.

Facing this thunderous pincer attack, Zhou Liangan still stood calmly in place without the slightest panic.

At the very instant the two attacks were about to strike, a faint barrier of light suddenly lit up around his body. The barrier was semi-transparent, its surface flowing with a gentle yet resilient Spiritual Qi—it was indeed the Xuanling Shield.

This Xuanling Shield seemed fragile, yet it contained boundless defensive power, protecting Zhou Liangan within.

"Boom!"

The two incredibly terrifying attacks slammed into the Xuanling Shield almost simultaneously. The violent collision was deafening, like a clap of thunder. A powerful shockwave of energy rippled outward, sending loose stones flying and dust billowing, making the entire space seem to shake violently.

Yet, shockingly, the seemingly thin Xuanling Shield did not suffer the slightest damage under such a fierce impact, and not even a ripple appeared. The moment the two attacks touched the light barrier, they vanished like clay oxen entering the sea, silently bursting apart and turning into specks of spiritual light that dissipated into the air, as if they had never existed.

Seeing this, the expressions on Fan Xianya and Liang Tonghe's faces instantly froze. After exchanging a glance, their eyes were filled with unbelievable astonishment.

Both of them were cultivators of profound cultivation. Liang Tonghe was already at the ninth stage of the Gang Transformation Realm, while Fan Xianya had reached the Peak of the Gang Transformation Realm, only a hair's breadth away from the Ningshen Realm. A combined strike from the two of them would force even an Early Stage Ningshen Realm expert to temporarily avoid its edge, yet it was now easily blocked by a single protective shield from Zhou Liangan. This truly surpassed their understanding.

Behind them, Fan Lingling, the black-robed man, and Liang Zichen were so shocked they were speechless. Their mouths hung slightly open as they stared blankly at the undamaged barrier of light before them, their faces filled with shock and incomprehension.

Liang Zichen's eyes widened even further. He had originally thought that his father and Aunt Fan working together would surely tear Zhou Liangan to shreds, but the scene before him struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the pleasure in his heart was instantly replaced by a deep sense of unease.

A strange look flickered in Fan Xianya's beautiful eyes. She stared at the faint barrier of light, and after pondering for a moment, she spoke slowly, her voice tinged with an undeniable gravity, "This person is using a Xuanling Shield."

Liang Tonghe's pupils contracted, and his expression became extremely serious. Taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice, "To be able to block a full-strength attack from both of us, it must be at least an Earth Rank Xuanling Shield."

An Earth Rank Xuanling Shield was already an extremely rare defensive treasure. Its owner would usually possess an extraordinary status and powerful strength. He truly had not expected Zhou Liangan to have such resources.

Fan Xianya shook her head slightly, a hint of certainty in her eyes as she said slowly, "Our previous attack did not raise even a single ripple on his Xuanling Shield. It seems this Xuanling Shield should be above Earth Rank, likely Heaven Rank."

"Heaven Rank?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Liang Tonghe's face instantly turned extremely ugly. He couldn't help but gasp, his tone filled with shock and disbelief. "If that's the case, isn't this boy Innate-ly in an invincible position?"

How terrifying was the defensive power of a Heaven Rank Xuanling Shield? It could withstand the attacks of Ningshen Realm experts. With their current cultivation, trying to break through a Heaven Rank Xuanling Shield was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Fan Xianya chuckled, a gentle smile on her face as she looked at Liang Tonghe, softly comforting him, "Husband, do not panic. Do not forget that treasure deep within the Marquis's Mansion. As long as we can obtain that treasure, I am eighty percent confident that I can break this person's Xuanling Shield and kill this beast who bullied Chen'er."

By the end of her sentence, Fan Xianya's gaze instantly became bone-chillingly cold, and a thick layer of frost appeared on her face. Clearly, she hated Zhou Liangan to the bone.

Hearing this, a sharp light flared in Liang Tonghe's eyes, and most of the anxiety in his heart instantly vanished. He slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing, "Xianya, you've reminded me! We can still use that item! Very well, let this kid live for a few more days. Once we get the treasure, we will take his dog life!"

Their entire exchange was conducted via Divine Thought, fast as lightning, and they had made up their minds in almost an instant.

Right then, both of them pulled back simultaneously, their gazes landing on Liang Zichen behind them, a flash of concern in their eyes.

The situation was urgent, so they had no time for catch-ups or sentimentality. Fan Xianya said softly, "Zichen, follow us closely. Do not get separated."

Fan Xianya channeled a stream of gentle Spiritual Qi into Liang Zichen's body to heal him.

In almost an instant, the injuries inside Liang Zichen's body were completely healed.

Liang Zichen nodded heavily, keeping close to Fan Xianya's side, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Fan Lingling and the black-robed man exchanged a glance and said nothing more, quickly following the two as they sped toward the depths of the Marquis's Mansion.

Zhou Liangan stood in place, watching the five people drift away before him, and did not immediately give chase.

His gaze was deep as he watched their departing figures, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

"Liang Zichen's parents have quite decent Luck, to actually obtain such a great Opportunity in this place," Zhou Liangan muttered.

Through the brief clash just now, Zhou Liangan had roughly gauged Liang Tonghe and Fan Xianya's cultivation levels.

Liang Tonghe had already reached the ninth stage of the Gang Transformation Realm and was not far from its Peak, while Fan Xianya's cultivation was even more terrifying, having already reached the Peak of the Gang Transformation Realm. She was only a hair's breadth away from the Ningshen Realm, needing only an Opportunity to break through her Bottleneck and enter a higher Realm.

What caught Zhou Liangan's attention even more was that the Cultivation Technique Fan Xianya practiced was actually the Hehuan 108 Styles. Coincidentally, Zhou Liangan had also minored in this Cultivation Technique, so he could naturally detect some clues regarding its inner workings.

When Fan Xianya unleashed her attack earlier, he had keenly noticed that the way the Origin Qi circulated in her body was somewhat unusual, carrying a faint hint of sealing.

"She used the secret technique of the Hehuan 108 Styles, the Seal Essence Art." Zhou Liangan understood in his heart. As the name suggested, this secret technique sealed one's own Origin Qi, and it was a unique secret technique recorded within the Hehuan 108 Styles.

This secret technique is exclusively for women to practice. Once successfully cultivated, it can form a second Yuan Yin, within which the wondrous power of Yin and Yang can be hidden.

However, the essence of this Seal Essence Art was actually a secret method for a Human Furnace to practice. The purpose was to allow the Human Furnace to store the wondrous power of Yin and Yang, to be used by the master when breaking through Realms.

Moreover, practicing this secret method was extremely time-consuming, requiring at least fifteen years. During this period, one absolutely must not engage in Dual Cultivation, otherwise all previous efforts would be wasted.

Zhou Liangan had carefully sensed that dense Yuan Yin energy on Fan Xianya just now. It was pure and condensed; clearly, she had practiced this Seal Essence Art for many years, and it was on the verge of completion.

"This woman is truly deeply in love with Liang Zichen's father, to actually practice such a secret technique," Zhou Liangan couldn't help but sigh.

He knew in his heart that Fan Xianya practiced this Seal Essence Art mostly so that Liang Tonghe could use the wondrous power of Yin and Yang within it to break through his current Bottleneck and enter a higher Realm of cultivation.

Thinking of this, a sharp light flashed in Zhou Liangan's eyes, and a strong sense of greed welled up in his heart.

"Stepping into the ruins this time has truly been a massive gain for me," Zhou Liangan smiled and said to himself.

Fan Xianya's nearly complete second Yuan Yin was undoubtedly a massive Opportunity for him, who practiced the Hehuan 108 Styles.

If he could obtain this Yuan Yin, it would not only greatly boost his cultivation but also elevate his understanding of the Hehuan 108 Styles to a higher level. It was simply something one could only hope for but not seek out.

However, Zhou Liangan also knew that with his current cultivation, trying to snatch this Opportunity from Fan Xianya and Liang Tonghe's hands would be no easy task.

Fan Xianya herself was a Peak Gang Transformation Realm expert, and Liang Tonghe was also at the ninth stage of the Gang Transformation Realm. Their combined strength was extremely powerful, and with Fan Lingling, the black-robed man, and Liang Zichen assisting them, a direct confrontation was definitely out of the question.

"It seems I need to make some plans first," Zhou Liangan thought to himself, his gaze becoming increasingly determined.

With a thought, he immediately opened the System panel in his mind.

On the System panel, a dazzling array of treasures, Cultivation Techniques, and Talismans met his eyes, with everything one could possibly desire.

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Zhou Liangan swept his gaze quickly, finally landing on an item named "hehuan powder".

Compared to ordinary hehuan powder, this version was much more potent, colorless, and odorless. It could silently affect a person's mind, weaken their Cultivation, and had miraculous effects on those who practiced hehuan Cultivation Techniques.

"This is it." Zhou Liangan did not hesitate at all, spent 1,000 destiny points to purchase the Advanced hehuan powder, and stored it in his storage ring.

This was more than twice as potent as the hehuan powder Zhou Liangan had previously exchanged for 500 destiny points; he figured it should be enough to deal with Fan Xianya.

Afterward, he searched the System again and quickly found a Talisman called the "Binding Talisman".

［Binding Talisman: Depending on the target's Cultivation, the person struck by the Talisman will be restrained by Spiritual Qi chains for varying durations.］

The description of the Talisman was concise and clear, which made Zhou Liangan's eyes light up.

This Binding Talisman was exactly what he needed right now. As long as he could stick it on Fan Xianya, he could temporarily restrain her movements, creating an Opportunity for himself to seize her Opportunity.

The price of the Binding Talisman varied according to its Rank—Spirit Rank, Earth Rank, Heaven Rank, and Saint Rank. The higher the Rank, the longer the binding time, and the more expensive the price.

Zhou Liangan gritted his teeth and calculated silently: Fan Xianya was at the Peak of the Huagang Realm; an ordinary Heaven Rank Binding Talisman probably wouldn't be able to bind her for long. To ensure nothing went wrong, he had to use a Saint Rank one.

The price of a Saint Rank Binding Talisman was as high as 10,000 destiny points, which was almost one-third of the destiny points Zhou Liangan had currently accumulated.

But for the sake of this massive Opportunity, he could not afford to feel stingy. He spent 10,000 destiny points directly to exchange for a Saint Rank Binding Talisman.

Holding the Binding Talisman that emitted a faint golden light in his hand, Zhou Liangan felt slightly more at ease. According to the System's description, this Saint Rank Binding Talisman could bind Fan Xianya for at least a day. With this one day, it would be enough for him to do many things.

After exchanging for the necessary items, Zhou Liangan found a unique movement Martial Skill from the many Cultivation Techniques he had previously found in the Nangong Family ruins—the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps.

The Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps was a Medium Grade Heaven Rank movement technique. Once successfully cultivated, one's speed would be extremely fast and unpredictable, allowing for flexible dodging in battle and even launching surprise attacks. It was an extremely practical Martial Skill.

Zhou Liangan knew deeply that if he wanted to abduct Fan Xianya from Fan Xianya and the others, speed was crucial. He had to succeed in one strike and retreat quickly after getting his hands on her; otherwise, if he were entangled by the other party, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, he had to Cultivate the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps successfully as soon as possible.

Afterward, while contemplating the Profound Truth of the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps, Zhou Liangan searched everywhere within the Marquis Mansion, wanting to find a powerful Restriction barrier.

His idea was very simple: after abducting Fan Xianya, he would hide in the Restriction barrier and use the power of the Restriction to block the pursuit of Liang Tonghe and the others, buying time for himself to refine Fan Xianya's second Opportunity.

The Marquis Mansion was grand in scale, with pavilions and towers arranged in an orderly manner. The layout was exquisite, and every part of it exuded an ancient and mysterious Aura.

Zhou Liangan explored cautiously, avoiding some small Restrictions and traps along the way. After spending a full two hours, he finally found a place with an extremely powerful Restriction in the northwest corner of the Marquis Mansion—the dungeon of the Marquis Mansion.

This dungeon was hidden beneath a rockery, and the entrance was extremely concealed. If it weren't for Zhou Liangan carefully probing with his Divine Sense, he would never have discovered it.

The gate of the dungeon was made of an unknown black metal, covered with dense runes, exuding a thick Aura of Restriction.

This was clearly the place where the Marquis Mansion used to lock up dangerous criminals. The strength of the Restriction far exceeded other areas of the mansion; breaking in by force would be no easy task.

Of course, with Zhou Liangan's current Divine Sense strength, he naturally could not crack the Restriction here.

However, he was well prepared. The System happened to have a treasure that could crack Restrictions—a Restriction Disc. The Restriction Disc also came in multiple Ranks, and Zhou Liangan directly chose the Saint Rank Restriction Disc.

For a Saint Rank Restriction Disc, it cost 1,000 destiny points per day to temporarily exchange for it. Its functions were extremely powerful. As the name suggests, it could temporarily crack Restrictions set by people at the Enlightenment Realm or below, and it could even turn the tables and take control of the Restriction's usage rights.

Such treasures were also extremely precious in the Ancient Martial Era. They were usually crafted by those great powerhouses and given to their children for self-defense.

This was to prevent their children, even if they had secret treasures on them, from being suppressed by the Divine Thoughts of other great powerhouses, who could quickly set Restrictions on them, leaving them unable to break free or activate their secret treasures to protect themselves.

But nowadays, such Restriction Discs had almost disappeared in the current era.

Zhou Liangan did not hesitate to exchange for two days of usage rights for the Saint Rank Restriction Disc. Then, he tried to activate the Restriction Disc, unlocked the dungeon door with the disc, and probed toward the dungeon's Restriction.

However, what Zhou Liangan never expected was that the Restriction here actually contained the power of the Saint Rank, and after the erosion of time, it had not been worn down much by the power of time, maintaining a powerful defensive force.

"It seems that there is likely a special Time Restriction Array within this Restriction, and the owner of this Marquis Mansion was likely a master of Restrictions." Zhou Liangan sighed in his heart.

To be able to set up such a powerful and lasting Restriction, the strength of its owner must be extremely terrifying, at least a great powerhouse above the Enlightenment Realm.

However, Zhou Liangan was in no mood to study the Restriction here.

He knew that time was tight. Liang Tonghe and the others were searching for treasures deep in the Marquis Mansion and could come out at any time. He had to improve his strength as soon as possible and make full preparations.

Therefore, he immediately entered the dungeon, found a relatively safe corner, and began to concentrate on cultivating the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps.

Zhou Liangan's talent was peerless, far surpassing ordinary people, and his ability to comprehend Cultivation Techniques and Martial Skills was even more astonishing.

Although the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps was a Medium Grade Heaven Rank Martial Skill and difficult to Cultivate, under his dedicated study, his progress was extremely rapid. In less than two hours, he had successfully cultivated it to the second level.

After cultivating to the second level, Zhou Liangan only felt that his speed had increased several times compared to before. As his body moved, it was as elusive as a ghost, leaving behind trails of afterimages.

But Zhou Liangan was not satisfied with this. The power of the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps was far more than this; he wanted a higher Realm.

However, when cultivating to the third level, Zhou Liangan encountered a Bottleneck.

The cultivation of the third level not only required a deeper understanding of the Profound Truth of the Cultivation Technique but also required consuming a large amount of Spiritual Qi to temper his own Meridians.

He spent nearly half a day deducing and constantly trying. During this time, he failed many times because of insufficient Spiritual Qi, but he never gave up, adjusting his state time and time again and continuing to Cultivate.

Hard work pays off. At sunset, Zhou Liangan finally succeeded in cultivating the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps to the third level.

After practicing to the third level, Zhou Liangan could clearly feel that his speed had taken another qualitative leap, and there was a hint of "reaching the horizon in a single step" in his footwork.

Although the explosive distance was only about ten-plus zhang, this movement technique could be triggered continuously without needing long-term energy accumulation.

Zhou Liangan tested it on the spot. He channeled the Spiritual Qi in his body, his footwork changed, and he instantly appeared more than ten zhang away. Then he activated it again and instantly moved to another place.

Repeating this, he activated it a total of thirty times before the Spiritual Qi in his body was exhausted.

"Not bad, this effect is already enough." Zhou Liangan nodded with satisfaction.

At worst, when the Spiritual Qi is exhausted, he would take a Huichun Pill to quickly restore his Spiritual Qi.

The Huichun Pill was an extremely practical healing and recovery pill that could quickly replenish Spiritual Qi in the body and heal injuries. Zhou Liangan exchanged for thirty Huichun Pills in a row and immediately swallowed one to restore his Spiritual Qi.

Thinking about how he would forcibly abduct Fan Xianya right under the noses of Liang Zichen and his old man Liang Tonghe in a moment, Zhou Liangan couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

This was even more exciting than breaking through a major Realm—thinking about Liang Tonghe watching his own woman being snatched away, he would surely be so angry that he would jump up and down, his face turning green.

Zhou Liangan couldn't help but let out a low laugh, his mouth corners slightly raised, hooking into a playful and slightly arrogant arc.

He stretched a big yawn, and his bones let out a slight "crack" sound.

Since everything was ready, he naturally had to set up the subsequent "stage" properly and not let down this carefully planned play.

Zhou Liangan paced slowly in the large dungeon, his Divine Sense scanning every cell like a radar, and finally, his gaze locked onto a special cell in the depths.

This cell was different from the other empty cells. Inside, there was actually a complete set of torture racks, and several chains with cold light were hanging on the torture rack. On the stone wall next to it, there were many small and exquisite but chilling torture instruments embedded. One look and you could tell it was designed specifically for interrogating female prisoners.

"Perfect." Zhou Liangan's eyes lit up, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Zhou Liangan walked quickly into the cell, holding the Saint Rank Restriction Disc with his fingertips. With a thought, a gentle Spiritual light immediately surged from the disc, spreading along the patterns on the floor of the cell.

The originally silent Restriction was instantly activated, and under the control of the Restriction Disc, it became docile, and invisible barriers quietly formed around the cell.

Confirming that he had completely obtained the control of the Restriction here, and that even a powerhouse at the Peak of the Huagang Realm would find it difficult to break through easily, Zhou Liangan was finally completely relieved. He patted the dust off his hands, turned and left the dungeon with satisfaction, heading towards the secret place where Liang Tonghe and the others were...