97: Chapter 97 A stunningly beautiful fairy! The Heart Fox Lord! Young Master~

Fan Lingling's pupils suddenly contracted, and her heart violently shuddered, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

She slowly raised her head, her beautiful eyes, which once overflowed with myriad charms, were now filled with terror as she locked her gaze onto Zhou Liangan not far away.

All color instantly drained from Fan Lingling's porcelain-smooth face, leaving behind a shocking paleness. Her cherry lips trembled slightly as she squeezed out a few words with an undeniable quiver, "What... what do you want to do?"

A playful smile played on Zhou Liangan's lips as his gaze swept over Fan Lingling's exquisite, graceful figure like something tangible.

"As expected of the Best Actress! You truly are smart," Zhou Liangan said, his voice laced with playfulness.

Fan Lingling took a deep breath, suppressing the panic in her heart.

She maintained a facade of composure on her exquisite, beautiful face. Her beautiful eyes flickered with a hint of calculation before blooming into a calm yet threatening smile. "I am the fiancée of the grandson of the Tianmen Organization's Seventh Grand Elder. If you dare lay a hand on me, the Tianmen Organization will definitely not let you off in the future."

Fan Lingling deliberately emphasized the words "Tianmen," her tone carrying an innate sense of superiority.

Hearing this, Zhou Liangan couldn't help but chuckle softly and slowly shook his head.

He sized up Fan Lingling's exquisite and alluring face once more with amusement. The corners of his eyes tilted upward slightly, carrying unconcealed contempt. "The fiancée of the grandson of the Seventh Grand Elder of Tianmen! This status is indeed extraordinary."

The sarcasm in Zhou Liangan's words was palpable; he clearly did not care about this so-called background.

Seeing Zhou Liangan's calm and indifferent demeanor, a strange look flashed in Fan Lingling's beautiful eyes.

She was used to being the center of attention. Even when in danger, the cold pride in her bones did not diminish in the slightest.

At this moment, Fan Lingling straightened her slender waist, her tone still carrying a hint of loftiness. "Let me leave now. I can promise you that I won't make a move against you again."

Fan Lingling said this as if it were a favor, as though letting Zhou Liangan off was his greatest honor.

Hearing this, Zhou Liangan felt a surge of anger.

The smile instantly vanished from his face, and the coldness in his eyes grew thick like a rising tide. His tone also turned icy. "You think far too highly of yourself!"

Before his voice could fade, Zhou Liangan flicked his finger, grasping at the air.

Suddenly, a brilliant golden light rippled in the Void Realm. The light rapidly coalesced into a massive, sky-blotting hand that clawed fiercely toward Fan Lingling with a howling gale.

Wherever the giant hand passed, the air was compressed to the point of making sizzling sounds, and the surrounding flora was instantly crushed to dust by the invisible force.

Right at this critical juncture, a vast and terrifying pure Qi suddenly tore through the air from diagonally behind him, condensing into a physical-looking Sword Qi. Bearing a sharp, peerless edge, it lunged fiercely toward the back of Zhou Liangan's heart.

Before the Sword Qi could even reach him, the bone-chilling coldness made all the hairs on Zhou Liangan's body stand on end.

Zhou Liangan's face turned cold, and alarm bells rang in his mind. Almost instinctively, he circulated the Tianji Qiankun Technique within his body.

The spiritual energy in his Dantian flowed rapidly, instantly surging into the Xuanling Shield.

A transparent, glass-like barrier immediately enveloped his entire body. A faint spiritual light rippled across its surface, emitting a heavy and stable Aura.

Clang—!

A crisp and ear-piercing collision rang out as the Sword Qi formed from pure Qi stabbed violently into the Xuanling Shield.

This Xuanling Shield was refined by Zhou Liangan using a massive amount of resources, and it was enough to block a full-strength strike from a Ningshen Realm expert. Yet, under this sudden Sword Qi, a tiny crack surprisingly appeared.

The crack spread across the light barrier like a spiderweb, but it did not shatter completely.

As for that unstoppable pure Qi Sword Qi, after piercing the defense of the Xuanling Shield, its force was completely spent. In an instant, it dissipated into nothingness, turning into specks of pure Qi that merged into the air.

At this moment, Zhou Liangan slowly turned around, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's as he looked in the direction the Sword Qi had come from.

In the midair not far away, an elderly man in a dark blue Daoist robe stood suspended in the sky. Intricate cloud patterns were embroidered on his robe, fluttering slightly with the Aura circulating around him.

The old man had snow-white hair and beard, a lean face, and a forehead lined with the wrinkles of time. However, his eyes were bright and piercing. At this moment, they flickered with a hint of gravity as he stared intently at Zhou Liangan.

"My young friend, you indeed possess some strength," the old man's voice was indifferent, sounding like clashing metal and stone, carrying the majesty of someone long accustomed to a high position. "However, even if you have some strength, you shouldn't have laid a hand on my grandson's fiancée."

Zhou Liangan turned and stared intently at the old man. His Divine Sense instantly expanded, carefully probing the other party's cultivation level.

After a brief moment, the tense string in his heart suddenly relaxed, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

Although this old man's Aura was deep and heavy, he had not fully stepped into the Ningshen Realm; he was merely at the Half-step Concentrated Spirit Realm!

The sneak attack sword technique from earlier, though powerful, was likely his trump card and strongest blow.

At this thought, a cold smile played on the corner of Zhou Liangan's mouth, and much of the wariness in his eyes dissipated.

With a wave of his hand, a streak of golden spiritual energy shot out, instantly sealing the Spiritual Qi Meridians in Fan Lingling's body, rendering her unable to move.

Following that, an invisible suction force swept Fan Lingling up, throwing this still-astonished Best Actress directly into his System space.

Seeing Fan Lingling vanish into air, a look of shock suddenly appeared on the old man's face, his eyes widening. He clearly had not expected to witness such a bizarre scene.

But after just a moment, the old man's shock transformed into deep greed, like a hungry wolf spotting its prey, his eyes almost shining with light. "A spatial Spirit Treasure that can store living things..."

He licked his dry lips, his voice trembling slightly, clearly determined to obtain this treasure.

Zhou Liangan's face turned icy cold, and the Killing Intent in his eyes was completely undisguised as he barked, "Old bastard! Do you really think that because you have one foot in the Ningshen Realm, you can do whatever you want? Utterly laughable!"

Hearing this, the Daoist-robed old man's face suddenly turned cold, a flash of anger crossing his eyes as he snorted, "Little brat! Although you have some ability, you still do not understand the worlds of difference between Ningshen and Huagang."

He paused, his tone filled with intense arrogance. "Although this old man has not fully stepped into the Ningshen Realm, I have already comprehended a trace of the Divine Ability of Ningshen. Dealing with a young brat like you in the Huagang Realm is more than enough!"

Before his voice could fade, the Daoist-robed old man waved his sleeve, and a stream of pure Qi surged out. This pure Qi was between illusion and reality. It seemed gentle, but it was mixed with a vast and majestic Soul Power, like an invisible sharp blade, blasting fiercely toward Zhou Liangan's Soul.

This strike was designed specifically to destroy the Divine Soul and was incredibly insidious. If an ordinary Huagang Realm Cultivator encountered it, they would probably experience Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering in an instant.

Zhou Liangan's expression changed, and he did not dare to hesitate for a second. With a thought, he immediately spent one hundred thousand destiny points to exchange for a Saint-grade soul-locking jade from the System space.

As soon as the soul-locking jade appeared, it emitted a soft yet stable spiritual light, hovering above his head and forming an invisible Soul barrier.

Buzz—!

The old man's Soul attack crashed heavily against the barrier formed by the soul-locking jade, producing a dull hum.

The vast Soul Power was blocked like a receding tide, and then, under the counterattack of the soul-locking jade, it instantly shattered, turning into specks of Soul Power fragments and dissipating without a trace.

Sensing that the Soul Power attack he had painstakingly condensed was easily neutralized, a hint of gravity flickered in the Daoist-robed old man's eyes. He sized up the soul-locking jade hovering above Zhou Liangan's head once more, his tone carrying some surprise. "A Soul treasure that can block Soul Power! Kid, I didn't expect your Opportunity and fortune to be so profound."

His gaze grew increasingly burning, his greed almost overflowing like a venomous snake staring at its prey. "Kid, if you are willing to hand over the treasures on your body to this old man now, I might consider sparing your life. How about it?"

Looking at this self-important, insatiable old thing in front of him, Zhou Liangan's eyes overflowed with Killing Intent, cold as ten-thousand-year ice. "Old bastard! What kind of thing do you think you are? You think you are worthy of threatening this young master?!"

Hearing this, the Daoist-robed old man sneered and shook his head, a cruel smile appearing on his face. "You brat truly won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. Fine, fine!"

He took a furious step forward, and the Aura on his body suddenly erupted like a dormant volcano, billowing and surging violently. "Since you are bent on seeking death, it would be unreasonable for this old man not to fulfill your wish."

Feeling the terrifying, churning, and vast Aura on the old man, Zhou Liangan's expression couldn't help but change slightly.

Only now did he realize that, just as the Daoist-robed old man had said, although the Ningshen Realm and the Huagang Realm seemed only a line apart, their Divine Ability powers were worlds apart.

The Aura of this Half-step Concentrated Spirit Realm had already brought him immense pressure, as if the surrounding air had become heavy.

Then, Zhou Liangan felt the surrounding environment suddenly change.

The original Jade Carving Garden vanished, replaced by a gray world. The sky was low and oppressive, the earth was cracked and barren, and a chilling Aura filled the air.

The corner of the old man's mouth curled up slightly, a hint of coldness and smugness flashing in his eyes as he spoke slowly, "Little fellow! A Ningshen expert can form a Domain. Although this old man has not fully stepped into the Ningshen Realm, through my centuries of comprehending the Heavenly Dao, I have formed this 'Heaven-Suppressing Domain'."

He paused, his tone carrying absolute control. "Within this Domain, this old man is heaven. Your life and death are entirely decided by me!"

As soon as his voice fell, Zhou Liangan felt the sky above him suddenly collapse, as endless pressure rolled down fiercely from above toward him.

This pressure was like Mount Tai pressing down, causing his bones to make creaking sounds, as if they would shatter at any moment.

Zhou Liangan mobilized the spiritual energy in his body with all his might. The light of the Xuanling Shield grew increasingly brilliant, and the soul-locking jade hovered above his head, emitting a stable spiritual light as he did his utmost to resist this terrifying pressure.

He circulated the Tianji Qiankun Technique, pushing this Cultivation Technique to its absolute limit. The spiritual energy in his Dantian flowed rapidly like a surging river, continuously pouring into the Xuanling Shield.

At the same time, Zhou Liangan also circulated his most proficient Martial Skill, the Baji Fist. The vitality in his body intertwined with his spiritual energy, urging the manifestation of the Baji Fist's dharma image.

In the Void Realm behind Zhou Liangan, a massive phantom slowly condensed into form.

This phantom towered between heaven and earth, dozens of Zhang tall, with eight arms. Every arm was knotted with muscles and filled with explosive power. His entire body shone with brilliant golden light, emitting a dominantly peerless Aura. It was precisely the dharma image of the Baji Fist—the Eight-Armed Vajra!

However, before this Martial Skill dharma image could fully condense into form, the collapsing sky had already come crashing down.

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With a crisp "crack," the seemingly incomparably tyrannical Eight-Armed Vajra phantom was ruthlessly crushed under this terrifying pressure, like fragile porcelain, turning into specks of golden light that dissipated within the Domain.

A contemptuous smile curled on the face of the old man in the Daoist robe, his disdain undisguised. "Little guy! I already told you, you are no match for this old man."

Looking at Zhou Liangan, whose forehead veins were bulging under the pressure, he continued, "Although these two Magic Treasures of yours are Heaven-Defying—one protecting your body and the other your Divine Soul—how long can you sustain such high-intensity consumption?"

The old man's tone was full of certainty. "This old man can afford to wait; I can accompany you as we slowly wear each other down until your Spiritual Qi is exhausted, and you become my prisoner."

At this point, the greed in his eyes became even more apparent. He stared fixedly at the System space and the soul-locking jade on Zhou Liangan, as if he already regarded these treasures as his own.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liangan's face became extremely ugly.

A flash of blood-red color streaked across his eyes, and the blood and Spiritual Qi within his body became violent. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Old thing! Do you really think this young master has no way to deal with you? Since you want to die, this young master will fulfill your wish today!"

Before the words had even faded, the light on Zhou Liangan's body surged suddenly, and a sharp Aura erupted from within him.

His eyes instantly turned blood-red, like burning flames. Then, with a movement of his feet, he activated the Tianxuan Nine Dragon Steps.

This footwork was indeed incomparably miraculous. With every step he took, Zhou Liangan's figure vanished from the spot as if teleporting, appearing several feet away the next moment, leaving behind blurred afterimages. His speed had reached its limit.

Seeing this, the old man did not take Zhou Liangan seriously at all, but the fervor in his eyes deepened. He couldn't help but laugh loudly, "It's actually footwork that allows teleportation! Kid, you really have deep Opportunity; the treasures on you are more Heaven-Defying than the last!"

His laughter was filled with greed and excitement. "Hahaha! Today, all of your Opportunities and fortunes will belong to this old man!"

But at this moment, the old man's expression suddenly tightened. The greed in his eyes was instantly replaced by a hint of suspicion and wariness. He muttered to himself, "This Aura... could it be that that person is still alive..."

His gaze became unfocused, looking toward a certain direction in the depths of the Marquis's Mansion, and he fell into deep thought for about the duration of a single breath.

In that fleeting moment of the old man's distraction, Zhou Liangan seized the Opportunity.

His figure appeared behind the old man like a ghost, with a Saint-grade Explosion Talisman already prepared in his hand.

He unhesitatingly slapped the Explosion Talisman onto the old man's lower back, then teleported away, retreating hundreds of feet.

"Boom—!" A deafening roar exploded, and the power of the Saint-grade Explosion Talisman erupted instantly.

The terrifying energy swept out like a volcanic eruption. Golden flames and violent Qi forces formed a massive shockwave that spread in all directions.

The old man's seemingly sturdy Dao body, crafted from countless spiritual materials, was blown into a mist of blood almost instantly under the terrifying power of the Saint-grade Talisman. Flesh and blood splattered everywhere; the scene was extremely tragic.

"Ah—! Little beast!" A shrill, angry roar came from the blood mist, filled with endless hatred and unwillingness. "You actually destroyed the Dao body I spent a thousand years cultivating! I will remember today's grudge! I will definitely pay you back double another day!"

Then, a golden beam of light shot up from the Void Realm, straight into the clouds.

In an instant, the clouds in the sky were torn apart by this beam of light. A massive golden gate slowly opened, resembling the legendary Tianmen, emitting a vast, majestic, and incomparably dignified Aura.

From within the Tianmen, a giant hand covered in golden scales slowly reached out. The giant hand was covered in ancient patterns and radiated terrifying pressure, like the descent of Heaven's might, slamming down toward the location of the Marquis's Mansion.

The power of this strike was a hundred times more tyrannical than the old man's attack just now, as if it intended to completely crush the entire Marquis's Mansion.

The next moment, a clear, ethereal, and heavenly voice sounded leisurely, carrying a touch of indifference and a hint of coldness. "Old thing! You are indeed still alive!"

As soon as the voice fell, a seven-colored ribbon of light shot out from the depths of the Marquis's Mansion. The ribbon contained seven colors of spiritual light—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—resembling a rainbow spanning the sky. It carried vast, boundless energy and collided violently with the golden giant palm in the Void Realm.

Bang—! The two terrifying energies collided, emitting a thunderous sound that shook the heavens and the earth.

The surrounding space seemed to be torn apart by this power, revealing tiny spatial cracks. The cracks were pitch black, emitting a dangerous Aura.

Gale winds howled, sand and stones flew, and the entire Marquis's Mansion trembled violently, as if it would collapse at any moment.

Then, immediately after, a distant and helpless sigh came from the golden Tianmen: "Sigh! It seems the time has not yet come! Very well! I will spare you for a while longer."

Subsequently, the golden Tianmen in the Void Realm slowly dissipated into nothingness, just as it had appeared, and the terrifying golden giant hand disappeared along with it.

The old man's remaining Soul body also turned into a streak of light along with the golden Tianmen, disappearing within the Marquis's Mansion, leaving behind only that dense hatred, which did not dissipate for a long time.

Zhou Liangan stood in place, feeling the aftermath of the collision between the two terrifying Auras just now. The expression on his face was exceptionally colorful, with shock, confusion, and wariness intertwined.

The Spiritual Qi within his body was still churning slightly. Although the battle just now was brief, it had consumed quite a bit of his mental energy and resources.

"Damn it, according to the plot settings, the strongest person before the Spiritual Qi recovery was only in the Tongmai Realm?" Zhou Liangan couldn't help but curse, his face full of confusion and shock. "How did so many experts suddenly pop up now? The Half-step Concentrated Spirit Realm is one thing, but the existence behind the Tianmen just now—that strength was simply unfathomable; it likely far exceeded the scope of the Ningshen Realm!"

A vague sense of foreboding grew in Zhou Liangan's heart, like dark clouds looming over his mind.

Regarding such a huge deviation in the plot, Zhou Liangan had two vague speculations.

The first is that because of his own appearance, he triggered a butterfly effect, changing the original world line.

The second is that, in fact, this world originally had this many experts, but before he Transmigrated here, the original owner, Liang Zichen, that Trash, had mediocre Aptitude and a narrow horizon. At most, he could only come into contact with experts at the Tongmai Realm and had no Opportunity to glimpse the level of the true powerhouses of this world.

Of course, both of these speculations might be possible, or perhaps there are other deeper reasons.

But regardless, the facts are already before his eyes; the danger level of this world is far higher than he had imagined.

However, after witnessing that terrifying strike just now, Zhou Liangan finally realized clearly that his current strength was still lacking after all.

Although he had relied on the help of the System to soar from an ordinary person with no power to truss a chicken to the Huagang Realm in just two short months, such a speed of Cultivation could be called Heaven-Defying.

But in front of those true old monsters, this bit of strength was still not enough.

It looked like he had to Cultivate as soon as possible and improve his strength.

Zhou Liangan secretly made up his mind in his heart; only by possessing sufficiently powerful strength could he gain a foothold in this perilous world, protect himself, and even control his own destiny.

If those old monsters who had cultivated for thousands of years and gone into seclusion for hundreds of years in pursuit of a Breakthrough knew that Zhou Liangan had only been Cultivating for about two months and had already completely transformed from an ordinary person into a Huagang powerhouse, they would probably be so angry that they would spit out a mouthful of old blood and choose to find a piece of tofu to dash their brains out on the spot.

Since when did Cultivation become so easy?

Then what did their thousands of years of bitter cultivation and perseverance count for?

Did it count that they could endure hardship?

As his thoughts flowed, Zhou Liangan's gaze looked toward the depths of the Marquis's Mansion again.

The appearance of that seven-colored ribbon of light just now obviously meant that an even more terrifying existence was hidden within this Marquis's Mansion.

Originally, he had planned to loot the Marquis's Mansion a bit more... er... no, that's not right, to explore carefully to see if he could find any treasures or Opportunities.

But now it seems, he should just forget it.

If he happened to anger the woman who had attacked, given her strength to easily block the giant hand of the Tianmen, dealing with him would probably be easier than pinching an ant to death.

After all, who knew what kind of temper that woman had?

If she happened to have a bad temper and just took her anger out on him, wouldn't he be in for a lot of trouble?

After thinking about it, Zhou Liangan decided to retreat immediately, find a safe place to consolidate his Cultivation, and then make further plans.

But just at the moment he turned to leave, the space around Zhou Liangan suddenly shifted with light, and countless streams of light intertwined to form a gorgeous spatial vortex.

He only felt his vision blur, and his body seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, instantly crossing the spatial barrier.

The next moment, Zhou Liangan found himself in a palace that looked like a fairyland.

This palace was built entirely of white jade, with soft spiritual light shimmering on the jade. Inside, the beams were carved and the buildings painted, decorated with countless rare treasures, emitting a brilliant light.

Around the palace were planted many exotic flowers and plants he had never seen before, emitting a refreshing fragrance. Light clouds floated in the air, as if he were in a fairyland above the Nine Heavens.

On a jade throne not far away, a charming, enchanting, and peerlessly beautiful figure appeared in Zhou Liangan's line of sight.

The woman was dressed in a fiery red palace gown, with a lifelike Phoenix pattern embroidered on the hem, which rose and fell slightly with her breathing, as if it would spread its wings and fly away at any moment. Her long hair was like a waterfall, black and shiny, casually pinned up with a golden hairpin, revealing a smooth, jade-like forehead and an elegant swan-like neck.

Whether it was that Soul-stirring temperament or that peerless appearance, it was simply unmatched; she was so beautiful and enchanting that she was beyond compare.

Especially those eyes—as her gaze shifted, it carried a touch of charm, a touch of laziness, and a touch of unfathomable dignity. Just by being looked at by her, Zhou Liangan felt the blood in his whole body about to boil, wanting to fiercely Cultivate with this woman...

PS: The image shows Marquis Heart Fox.